HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Jim Ned overpowers Holliday, spoils debut of new turf field

HOLLIDAY — Eagle Stadium’s sharp-looking turf featured more green than the locals could ever remember the grass being.

Holliday’s goalposts arrived from New York shortly before midnight on the eve of the 2023 home opener. The new lighting system flashed on and off before kickoff and after every Eagle touchdown.

The differences in first-year coach Kyle Atwood’s Eagles are just as noticeable. Running the spread over the wing-T is an obvious change, but so is Holliday’s 4-2-5 front that doesn’t stunt like preceding defensive systems did.

Eagle Stadium’s transformation didn’t happen overnight, and Friday’s home debut served as a reminder that Holliday’s on-field transformation won’t either as Jim Ned captured a 40-22 victory at Don Lucy Field.

The Indians (2-0) were the more physical team in the trenches and scored 30 straight points over the middle two quarters after falling behind 16-14. Four Holliday turnovers were partially to blame for Jim Ned’s spurt as the Indians ended the Eagles 30-game regular season winning streak.

More: Live updates: Wichita Falls area Week 2 high school football scores, schedule

“What we’ve introduced offensive and defensive scheme-wise really fits our kids,” Atwood said. “It’s just a matter of getting more reps under your belt and continuing to improve each and every week.”

The eighth-ranked Eagles certainly did some good things as senior quarterback Grant Cox threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns. His short pass to Isaac Villa turned into a 77-yard TD in the first quarter, and Cox also found Tyrese Polite for a 15-yard score that put the Eagles ahead 14-10 with 3:54 left in the first half.

However, that lead didn’t last for long as Jim Ned responded by running it right at the Eagles with tempo, resulting in Aiden Ellis’ 3-yard touchdown. Holliday then lost two fumbles before the end of the half, resulting in Gray Beasley’s 27-yard touchdown run and Erik Welch’s short field goal.

All of a sudden, a four-point lead turned into a 26-14 halftime deficit.

“We definitely did some decent stuff in there, but we didn’t execute like we were hoping to,” Atwood said. “Turnovers put us in bad situations multiple times throughout the course of the game.”

Villa, whose speed at receiver will cause plenty of havoc, almost made a nice snag over the middle to start the second half, but the ball went off his hands and into the arms of a Jim Ned receiver.

That turnover led to Carter Wood’s 10-yard touchdown catch, and when Breck Lawson jumped a route and returned Cox’s interception 21 yards for a score, it all but guaranteed Atwood’s home debut would end in a loss.

Jim Ned held a 278-48 rushing edge against the home team and used its size and depth to wear down the Eagles. That coupled with the turnovers were the biggest reasons why Holliday allowed 40 points for the first time since a 2017 playoff loss against Gunter (48-7).

“I felt like we were able to dictate in between the tackles, and that’s what we were going to have to do because they’re super fast,” Jim Ned coach Matt Fanning said. “They have athletes all over the field. We lean on our big guys up front, and they did an outstanding job again this week.”

More: WEEK 2 PREDICTIONS: Picking winners for every Wichita Falls area high school football game

It may take some time for Holliday diehards to get used to the spruced-up Eagle Stadium. It no doubt will take some time for the Eagles to get used to two new systems.

There’s a learning curve that could result in more hiccups along the way. That’s what happens when you mix change with a demanding non-district schedule.

“Our kids continued to fight for 48 minutes, and we’re going to do everything in our power to come back tomorrow and get better each and every time we’re on the field,” Atwood said. “That’s all we can do right now.”

JIM NED 40, HOLLIDAY 22

Jim Ned 7 19 14 0 –40

Holliday 7 7 0 8 –22

FIRST QUARTER

JN – Gray Beasley 12 run (Erik Welch kick), 6:42

H – Isaac Villa 77 pass from Grant Cox (Tyce Whittington kick), 6:22

SECOND QUARTER

JN – Welch 24 field goal, 11:01

H – Tyrese Polite 15 pass from Cox (Whittington kick), 3:54

JN – Aiden Ellis 3 run (kick failed), 2:46

JN – Beasley 27 run (Welch kick), 1:53

JN – Welch 21 field goal, 0:00

THIRD QUARTER

JN – Carter Wood 10 pass from Beasley (Whittington kick), 5:24

JN – Breck Lawson 21 interception return (Whittington kick), 5:14

FOURTH QUARTER

H – Grant Cox 1 run (Villa run), 1:37

TEAM STATS

First downs: (JN) 19; (H) 13

Rushing: (JN) 54-278; (H) 32-48

Passing: (JN) 4-8-0—28; (H) 9-16-2—218

Punting: (JN) 5-26.4; (H) 3-33.7

Fumbles: (JN) 1-0; (H) 2-2

Penalties: (JN) 8-69; (H) 5-48

INDIVIDUAL STATS

RUSHING: (JN) Brayden Shipman 20-111, Gray Beasley 16-94, Aiden Ellis 12-65, Logan Brooks 4-12, team 2-(-4); (H) Grant Cox 17-33, Tyrese Polite 6-14, Kaison Yow 8-12, Hunter Jones 1-(-11).

PASSING: (JN) Beasley 4-8-0—28; (H) Cox 9-16-2—218.

RECEIVING: (JN) Carter Wood 2-21, Brooks 1-5, Shipman 1-2; (H) Isaac Villa 4-123, Jaiden Kim 2-55, Landry Huchton 1-20, Polite 1-15, Yow 1-5.

RECORDS: Jim Ned 2-0; Holliday 1-1.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Jim Ned Indians at Holliday Eagles high school football final score