Two teams searching for their initial win of the season provided an exciting game for a sparse crowd last Friday night at Roadrunner Stadium in Holbrook. A game that saw several long scoring plays from both teams ultimately came down to the most basic play in football before the Birds settled things in overtime, earning their first win of the season with a 34-27 victory over the visiting Willcox Cowboys, who are now 0-3.
With Willcox quarterback Travis Debaun slinging the ball all over the field the Roadrunners found themselves trying to keep up with Cowboy receivers on many plays. Fortunately for the Birds, those receivers could get open, but they couldn’t catch.
Wazuri Waits did catch one of Debauns’ aerials, notching his third consecutive game with an interception. That theft thwarted a Cowboy drive late in the first, giving the Roadrunners the ball on their own 28 yard line. The following play went for 72 yards and a Holbrook score when Julian Garcia raced around the left end and went untouched down the sideline, giving the Birds a 6-0 lead.
Neither team really threatened for the bulk of the first half until Holbrook padded its lead with 28 seconds left on a 38-yard scoring toss from Cade Maestas to Wazuri Waits. Maestas ran in the two-point conversion, giving Holbrook a 14-0 lead at the half.
Willcox came out of the locker room and quickly cut into Holbrook’s lead with a 45-yard touchdown run by Josh Encinas. The point after kick was blocked, leaving the score 14-6. Holbrook answered with a second Maestas to Waits connection at the 5:57 mark of the third. This score came from 24 yards out and with Ty Foard’s PAT, Holbrook led 21-6.
The Cowboys closed the gap with 1:04 left in the third on a 55-yard scoring toss from Debaun to his favorite target, Raymond Rodriguez, who slipped behind Holbrook’s secondary and scampered into the end zone. Their two-point conversion run was good, making the score 21-14, still in favor of Holbrook.
Willcox tied the game early in the fourth period on a 33-yard cut back run, making the score 21-21. With under four minutes left in the game the Birds gambled on a fourth and inches from their own 39 yard line. The gamble paid off as they picked up the first down. On the next play Maestas ran 56 yards to the Willcox 12 yard line. With only 1:46 left in regulation play, Willcox put up little resistance, allowing Danny Gonzales to score from 12 yards out to give Holbrook a 27-21 lead, but leaving themselves some time on the clock. Holbrook had a penalty on the point after kick, moving them further back, where the next kick was no good, leaving the cushion at six points.
The Cowboys took over with 1:38 left in the game on their own 34-yard line and quickly moved downfield behind their strong armed quarterback. With eight seconds left they finished the drive with a touchdown pass, tying the game at 27-27. Just when it appeared the Birds would fall to 0-3 with a successful point after kick, Debaun, who had pretty much carried his team all night long, was wide right on the point after attempt, leaving the game tied and giving the Birds new life.
On their first play of overtime Maestas found the end zone from 10 yards out. Foard’s point after kick made it 34-27.
Willcox then had four plays to score from the 10, but could get no closer than the two yard line, where Holbrook’s defense made a stand, tackling Debaun in the backfield on the final play of the game.
The Holbrook offense racked up 300 yards on the ground and another 137 in the air. Maestas carried 17 times for 119 yards. Garcia picked up 108 on 17 tries, with 78 of those coming on one play. Gonzales gained 58 yards on 10 rushes. Wazuri Waits carried twice for eight yards and Zakhari Waits picked up seven yards on two runs.
Maestas completed eight of 17 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Wazuri Waits was his favorite target with six catches for 108 yards. Gonzales had one catch for 21 yards and Garcia had one grab for eight yards.
“With our small numbers we need to be ready to play the whole game both ways,” said Coach John Bokker. “The second half we start to get run down. As the season goes on we will get stronger when guys come back from injuries.
“I thought we played a tough game, but mental errors and tackling issues almost cost us the game. I was proud of the guys for not getting down. Instead, they came back and won. This will give us confidence and perseverance going into the future.”
Holbrook, now 1-2, will host Window Rock on Friday, Sept. 19. This game was originally scheduled to be played in Window Rock, but has been moved to Holbrook due to work being done on the Scouts’ field.
