Ulysses coach Jason Kenny wouldn’t be surprised to see a shootout when his Tigers travel to face the Holcomb Longhorns tonight in a Greater West Activities Conference showdown.
Class 4A Division I’s fifth-ranked Ulysses (2-0) is averaging 42 points and 311 rushing yards per game. Class 4A Division II’s fourth-ranked Holcomb (2-0) is putting up 45.5 points and more than 260 yards of total offense per game. The matchup is the Kpreps.com Fans’ Choice Game of the Week.
“Their skill players are extremely athletic,†Kenny said. “They’re going to put some points on the board and are going to complete some passes. Hopefully, we can find a way to outscore them, because nobody has shut them down so far. It should be a good game. It should be a fun game from a fan’s standpoint.â€
It will be the run versus the pass as Ulysses runs the wing-T and Holcomb uses a spread offense under new head coach Kent Teeter.
Ulysses has failed to complete a pass this season and will look to its backup quarterback Braden Scott after starter Tregg Rodriguez went down with a knee injury last week. Scott did see some action during the 46-14 win over Hugoton.
“He’s going to get his first varsity start ever,†Kenny said. “It’s kind of a tough place to go into. But he’s been looking good at practice. We’ll see what happens. He’s a smart kid. He makes good decisions. I’m sure he’ll be a little nervous, especially going against an opponent like Holcomb. But when one guy goes down, someone else has to step up.â€
The Tigers will surely lean on one of the best running back duos in the state. Junior Ian Rudzik (6-2, 220), who is a three-star recruit for 2016 on Rivals.com, has rushed for 355 yards on 25 carries. Junior Zach Romero (6-0, 200) has rushed for 188 yards on 30 carries.
“They get a good push from the line,†Kenny said. “They’re both very explosive runners, who both have big-play capability at any time. We’re going to have to have a few of those against Holcomb to have a chance to win.â€
Holcomb has opened the season by defeating Cimarron 36-0 and Goodland 55-14.
Junior quarterback Trey Teeter has completed 19 of 38 passes for 206 yards and four touchdowns. Teeter started the previous two years under his dad at Goodland.
“He’s a smart kid, a coach’s son,†Kenny said. “We’ve played against him the last two years. He definitely has a better supporting cast around him than he’s ever had before. He’s tough to stop. He doesn’t make bad decisions.â€
Senior Blake Richmeier leads the Holcomb rushing attack with 118 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries. Junior Christian Merz has five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.
“They’re playing at a high level early in the season,†Kenny said. “They like to spread you out and throw it around. We’re going to have to play well to win.
“Our kids have been playing pretty physical. We’ve been running the ball relatively well. Our defense has stepped up and played really well against the run. We need to continue that against the pass as well this week.â€
Use your Facebook account to add a comment or start a discussion. Posts are subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment.
