The latest Winslow-Holbrook rivalry game ended last Friday night with yet another Bulldog victory, this time by a final of 52-14.
The Roadrunners played with emotion on Senior Night and looked good on their first two offensive drives, but those two drives failed to end in points, leaving Holbrook trailing 12-0 at the end of the first period.
Winslow’s Mikel Bonner got the visitors on the board at the 8:45 mark of the first quarter on a 12-yard run. With 33 seconds left in the period Noah Upchurch, who had a big night, scored on a five-yard run, giving the Bulldogs the two score lead heading into the second period.
Frankie Ulibarri put Holbrook on the board with 9:17 left in the second period on a 19-yard run between the tackles. Zakhari Waits booted the point after and Holbrook trailed 12-7. From that point on, the second period belonged to the Bulldogs. Holbrook’s ensuing kickoff was returned 80 yards by Yoann Djassa for a score, making the margin 18-7. With 3:40 left in the half, Upchurch scored for the second time, this one from a yard out, to make it 26-7 with the two-point conversion pass from Junior Villanueva to Jalen Lyons. With 41 seconds left in the half Bonner scored his second of the night from two yards away, bringing the lead to 32-7. With Holbrook in desperation mode on the final play of the first half, Winslow’s Michael Densmore scooped up a Ulibarri fumble and returned it 25 yards for the closing score of the half, leaving Winslow in control 38-7.
Bonner found the end zone midway through the third period on a six-yard run, and Weldon Gamber’s point after kick made the score 45-7. Just a couple of minutes later Winslow’s very good quarterback, Villanueva, hooked up with Lyons on a 63-yard catch and run for the Bulldogs’ final points of the night.
Waits, a Holbrook senior, scored for his final time at Roadrunner Stadium on a 13-yard run to make the final score 52-14.
Ulibarri completed five of 14 passes for 21 yards. Jaggar Buckley came in late in the game, completing his only pass for four yards. Jeffrey Jones had two catches for eight yards. Finn Kinghorn, Waits, Tyson Begay and Gabriel Santibanez each had a catch in the game.
Holbrook finished with 222 rushing yards. Waits had the majority of those with 148 on 17 rushes. Ulibarri gained 53 on 11 attempts. John O’Brien had 19 yards on three rushes. Jones gained three on four rushes.
Winslow’s Villanueva completed four of seven passes for 114 yards and a score. Lyons had a 63-yard catch. Djassa had two grabs for 35 yards and Brennan Sawyer caught one for 16 yards. Upchurch led the Bulldog rushing attack with 120 yards on 18 carries with two scores. Sawyer carried six times, gaining 72 yards. Bonner had 53 yards and three scores on only eight rushes. Villanueva had one 13-yard rush.
With the loss the Roadrunners dropped to 2-7 on the season and will play their final game of the season on Friday, Oct. 27, at Payson.
The Bulldogs improved to 6-3 and will host Show Low on Friday night. With the landscape of the 3A rankings still up in the air this could be a crucial game for Winslow’s post-season hopes.
