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Kansas Playoff Spotlight: Holcomb Longhorns v. Pratt Greenbacks

Tagged under: Beyond The Keystone, Game Photos, Gameday Hub

| October 30, 2022

Deep in Western Kansas, sits Garden City. A small agricultural outpost among the varied terrain of rolling hills, flat lands, and ragged broken mesas not too familiar to those who’ve only seen Kansas from the interstate or a plane window.

Most probably haven’t heard of Garden City. It’s more well known brethren, Dodge City, is probably at least up the scales a bit in terms of name recognition. But, an hour west of Dodge, about ten minutes west of Garden City, is a small but growing city of Holcomb. Located along the continually growing US400, it sits west of the crossroads between the aforementioned US400 and the bustling north-south US83.

Holcomb is home to a huge Tyson facility, the Finney County Plant that dominates the western horizon of the stadium. The school, new, up-to-date, and proudly standing for those entering the city from the northwest, is a badge of honor for the community. The Longhorns boast multiple state titles recently. In 2015 and 2017.

Their opponent on the night had a few hours travel. The Pratt Greenbacks, also having two states titles, were champions in 1995 and 2016. The Greenbacks name doesn’t reference money. It’s a reference to frogs. Frogs that at one point had made their home in the swampy endzone of their field.

This was the first round of the 3A Playoffs in Kansas. The Holcomb Longhorns started out with a bang, returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Pratt then answered. Carson Hoeme gave the Greenbacks their first lead on a 13 yard TD run. Khai Cosner answered with a 65 yard jet up the right sideline. The kick was blocked, tying the game at 13-13 through one quarter of play.

In the second quarter, Pratt opened up the game. Johnny Martinez scored from 14 yards out. While Ke’Rel Thompson fumbled his carry into the endzone and then recovered it for six. Carson Hoeme added a 15 yard touchdown catch in the waning moments of the half, to go up 34-13. Four kicks by Adrian Juarez were good. The lone blemish a failed two point conversion on the second score of the night.

The third quarter ignited something under the Longhorns, and they came out with some fire and passion. Culminating in a 25 yard run by Chris Palacios down the left sideline. Cutting the margin to 34-20 with 5:42 left in the third.

But Pratt answered on a 33 yard busted run on 3rd and 1. It took the wind out of their sails for the home squad. They didn’t relent, but that energy they harnessed in the third quarter wavered. It was an uphill struggle. One that Damon Mesa helped persevere through, on a 5 yard run to bring it back to a two score lead.

Holcomb fought hard defensively, but on a free run at the quarterback throwing deep the sack attempt was a second late, and the pass was on the money. A 52 yard touchdown down the right side with 3:47 left had solidified the victory for the visitors.

But, Holcomb wasn’t about to go gently into that good night. With 30.1 seconds left, Damon Mesa with a second touchdown run. And for two. Unwilling or unable to give in to the reality of a season coming to a close.

Pratt would win, 47-34. But not without Holcomb leaving it all on the field one last time.

(scores missing)

For more, and larger, photos from this game, click HERE.

For photos from previous weeks and seasons, visit http://www.flickr.com/sykotyk/sets/

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews

 
 
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