The battle of I-40 once again went the way of the Bulldogs on Friday night with Winslow shutting out visiting Holbrook 50-0. All 50 of those points were scored in the first two quarters prompting a running clock throughout the scoreless second half.
Mason Scott opened the scoring with 7:37 left in the opening frame on a 32 yard run. The point after attempt failed leaving the Bulldogs on top 6-0. Following Holbrook’s second of three fumbles Winslow got the ball deep in Roadrunner territory and subsequently scored on an eight yard run by Nick Reyes with 6:12 left in the quarter. Brennan Sawyer found Reyes for the two-point conversion, making the lead 14-0.
Another Holbrook turnover set Winslow up on the doorstep giving them the ball on Holbrook’s one-yard line. Following a few penalties that backed them up, the Bulldogs eventually scored on an eight yard pass from Sawyer to Robert Wilbanks at the 5:12 mark of the period.
Scott capped the first period scoring the same way he started it. He rushed in from 25 yards out with 1:23 left in the quarter pushing the lead to 29-0 after Trevor Cavasos point after kick.
Holbrook struggled with turnovers throughout the game finishing the night with three fumbles, two interceptions and one blocked punt, all set up by exception defense from the Bulldogs.
One of those defensive plays set up Winslow’s initial second period score. Holbrook attempted a half back option pass, which was picked off by Reyes and returned to the Roadrunner 12 yard line. From that point Sawyer hooked up with Wilbanks pushing the lead to 36-0.
Winslow’s next score was set when they blocked a Holbrook punt. Winslow recovered inside Holbrook’s 20-yard line and Weldon Gamber quickly converted the score on an 18-yard run.
The Bulldogs final score came after another Holbrook turnover. Sawyer found Micheal Densmore on a one yard slant pattern making the half time score 50-0.
With the running clock throughout the second half, and with Winslow’s second string players in the game on offense, neither team was able to mount much of a scoring threat. When Holbrook put together a nice drive thanks to a 23-yard run on a fake punt by Oscar Hernandez and a nice completion from quarterback Anthony Nelson to Hernandez moved the ball to Winslow’s 30 yard line in the fourth period, the Bulldogs reinserted their first string defense and Holbrook’s drive was quickly thwarted preserving the 50-0 shut out win.
Sawyer completed five of six passes for 51 yards, with three of those completions going for touchdowns. Wilbanks had five catches for 50 yards, with two scores. Densmore had a one-yard touchdown catch.
On the ground Winslow piled up 232 total yards. Scott ran for 84 yards on just five runs with two touchdowns. Cavasos gained 35 on seven runs. Reyes gained 26 on three runs with one score. Sawyer had 4 for 23; Weldon Gamber, 1 for 19; Wilbanks, 2 for 14; Yash Prajapati, 3 for 12; Chris Arellano, 4 for 10; and Eli Keams gained nine yards on three rushes.
Densmore led the Bulldog defense with six tackles and one sack.
Next week the Bulldogs, now 5-3, will have a bye week. In two weeks they will play at Payson, then will finish the regular season at home when they host a powerful Snowflake Lobo team.
With the loss Holbrook saw their season record fall to 1-5. They will host Snowflake on Friday night.
