UNLIKELY UPSET IS CURE FOR BRONCHOS WINLESS WAYS

The terms "Big win" and "Statement game" are often thrown around way too freely in the world of sports journalism. That said, it would be no overstatement to say that Holly picked up an absolutely huge victory on the road Friday evening against Flint Metro League superpower Linden.

Utilizing a vicious rushing attack, the visiting Bronchos ran past, over and around the host-Eagles for an emphatic 40-23 triumph which both ended league-champ Linden's 12-game conference win streak and gave Holly its first win of the season.

The tailback tandem of Johnny Williams and Andarius Gray combined to chew up almost 400 yards on the ground in leading Holly's offensive assault. Williams carried the ball 25 times for 280 yards and five touchdowns, tying a league record for most touchdowns scored in a single game.  Gray (a senior and three-year starter) ran the pigskin 17 times for 117 yards and two scores.  Holly's defense was active all game and intercepted Linden quarterback Thad Kenney four times.

The 280 yards rushing by Williams is the most yardage accumulated by a Bronchos running back since Steve Taylor broke out for a conference record 339 yards in a game against this same Eagles squad back in October of 1992. Linden, defending Flint Metro champions, had not lost a game in conference play since 2008.

Head coach Ryan Culloty and the Bronchos are coming off back-to-back 2-7 campaigns and Friday's defeat of a team that is the caliber of Linden is a mighty large step in the right direction for a program looking to find some consistency in the win column. Culloty has six returning starters on both sides of the ball and that experience showed against the Eagles (2-1).

Even though the running game was on fire on Friday, Holly (1-2) has a number of new wrinkles in its offense courtesy of new offensive coordinator Jeremy Barkey. As a result, expect the Bronchos to be more versatile in their playcalling as the season progresses.  Despite the poor start to the year, junior quarterback Ryan Houldsworth has looked increasingly good calling signals under center and wide receivers Cody Brotherton and Jake Schuermann are quality options for him to make use of in the vertical passing game.

The Bronchos go back on the road for their next contest this week against Fenton before returning home the week after that to play host to Clio. Shooting for a berth in the state playoffs is a mighty tall task for Culloty and clan, since Holly hasn't qualified for a post-season appearance in close to a decade. However, Friday's primetime-worthy win against Linden, a team they usually get roughhoused by, is without a doubt a significant move forward.  

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