Miscues cost Andale in 26-13 semifinal loss to Holcomb

HOLCOMB — For most of the 2015 football season, the Andale Indians had played nearly turnover-free on the offensive side.

But that all changed in the final two weeks of the Class 4A-II playoffs, as for the second straight week, Andale committed four costly miscues that were a big contributor to the Holcomb Longhorns’ 26-13 semifinal victory in Class 4A-II.

The loss ended Andale’s bid for a second straight state championship and coach Gary O’Hair’s fourth title. Holcomb will meet Holton in the championship game next Saturday in Salina.

“When you play a team that throws and runs the ball equally well, you can’t afford to make the mistakes we made,” O’Hair said. “We really made it tough on ourselves. But make no mistake, we lost to a really good football team. They’re very physical, and they’ve got a lot of skill players who can make big plays.”

Holcomb lost to Andale in the semifinals 57-13 last season, and the memory was deep in the Longhorns’ memories.

Holcomb took control on its first possession, scoring on a four-play, 62-yard drive that took less than two minutes. The score came on a 17-yard pass from Trey Teeter to Braden Showalter. Teeter missed the extra point.

“For us, it was huge getting the early lead and gain some momentum and confidence,” Holcomb coach Kent Teeter said. “I thought we controlled every aspect of the game in the first half. Our defense got us off the field and that’s what they’re noted for is long, time-consuming drives.”

Holcomb made it 14-0 early in the second when Teeter found Christian Merz on a flag pattern in the end zone from 17 yards. Teeter and Showalter then hooked up for a two-point conversion pass at the 11:17 mark.

The third quarter started out much like the first, except this time the roles were reversed.

Holcomb went three-and-out, and Andale put together one of its trademark drives — 16 plays, 62 yards in 6 minutes, 56 seconds. Tristen Dagenais scored on a 1-yard run.

Over the remaining four minutes of the third and the first two minutes of the fourth period, the game’s outcome hinged on several big plays.

The first came when Holcomb was stopped on its next possession, deep in its own territory. Forced to punt, the ball was snapped over Showalter’s head. He retrieved it back at his own 10-yard line, took a step forward and somehow got the kick off, only to be hit by an Andale player.

The Indians were whistled for roughing the kicker, giving the Longhorns a first down at their own 44. O’Hair protested the call and was flagged with an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty, putting the Longhorns on the Andale 41.

Two possessions later, Andale quarterback Taylor Richter threw a deep out pattern intended for Cameron Cothran only to be intercepted by Holcomb’s Alex Ortega, who made a one-handed, leaping interception.

“Probably the play of the game,” Teeter said of his 5-foot-9 junior defender. “They had gotten some momentum back, and that just seemed to rejuvenate us.”

Starting near midfield, the Longhorns got back on the board quickly, scoring in three plays with the touchdown coming on a 47-yard pass from Teeter to 6-7 tight end Conner VanCleave, who hauled the ball in at the Andale 37, got a key block downfield and eluded the Indians’ pursuers.

On Andale’s next possession, O’Hair gambled on fourth-and-9 at his own 22 and didn’t make the first down. Six plays later, Holcomb was back in the end zone, with junior Dillon Williams rumbling in from the 9-yard line.

Andale got its final touchdown with 3:33 remaining on a 6-yard run by Zach MeyerHolcomb was able to make two key first downs on the final possession to keep Andale from having any opportunity at the end.

Andale’s powerhouse running team, which was averaging nearly 350 yards, was held to 178 yards. They had 16 passing yards.

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 10:14 PM with the headline "Miscues cost Andale in 26-13 semifinal loss to Holcomb."