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The drought has ended: Holly stymies Brandon to earn first league championship since 1952

Dan Stickradt | October 22, 2011 | Comments (3)

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

HOLLY — The last time that Holly won a conference championship in football, Dwight D. Eisenhower was President of the United State and rock era hadn’t even begun on the airways.

Davey Crockett hats were more common than cell phones today and television — if you were lucky enough to have a television — was of the black-and-white nature.

That was 1952.

People still traveled by train as mass transit and freeways were only starting to reach the discussion table.

STEPPING BACK: Holly's Johnny Williams drops back to pass during the Bronchos' clash Friday with Ortonville Brandon. Wiliams rushed for two touchdowns and passed for another in leading the Bronchos to its first league title in 59 years. Staff Photo | Larry McKee, www.lmckeephotography.comn

Simply out, that was a long time ago.

Fast forward to 2011, and Holly is again a conference champion. The Bronchos ended their 59-year drought Friday with a 24-14 Flint Metro League victory over host Ortonville Brandon.

Holly’s last league championship came in the old Wayne-Oakland League.

Tied 14-14, Holly (7-2, 6-2) scored 10 unanswered points in the final seven minutes to clinch the title.

Blake Oridway’s 25-yard field goal provided the game-winning points with 6:52 left, giving the Bronchos a 17-14 lead and lifting three generations of frustrations off the football program and community’s back.

“We’ve definitely earned it,” beamed Ordiway. “We worked hard all summer and at every practice. We’ve put in so much time it’s unbelievable. I just try to help everyone out. We have definitely earned it.”

Holly, which will be making its second straight playoff appearance and third in six seasons after being perennial doormat for decades, added an insurance touchdown with 1:57 left to seal the deal.

Getting the ball back on the Brandon 48 after the Blackhawks turned the ball over downs, quarterback Johnny Williams scored on a 13-yard scamper and Ordiway nailed the extra point to give Holly the 10-point cushion.

The drive was aided by a pass interference play on fourth-and-six from the Brandon 26 yard line.

Holly’s win came with three starters on the sidelines with injuries.

“We had a lot of guys stepping in, going both ways for the first time. To beat a team of this caliber, three starters down, at their place, on senior night is unbelievable,” said Holly coach Ryan Culloty. “They are not a small team and they have a lot of weapons.

“These kids earned it,” added Culloty. “To their credit, they started the season 0-2 and then we’re looking at Linden and Fenton in the teeth. To go in and beat those two tremendous ball clubs and go on to seven straight wins, it tells you what type of focus you have.”

Holly, which opened the season with league losses to Lapeer East and Swartz Creek by a combined eight points, ran the tables the rest of the way to bask in some championship glory for the first time in 59 years. Defense has been a key.

“Our defense as a while did an exceptional job defending their pass. Their offense is good,” said Culloty. “Mahaffy is a tremendous quarterback, a three-year starter so we definitely had our eyes him. To step up and stop that, it was a real momentum change (stopping them in red zone three times). It shows just what type of character these kids have.”

LOOKING FOR DAYLIGHT: Ortonville Brandon's Blake Rehahn scampers through the line of scrimmage during Friday's game with Holly. Staff Photo | Larry McKee, www.lmckeephotography.com

Brandon (5-4, 4-4) did drive down to the Holly 12 with 1:26 left and could not punch it home.

The Blackhawks needed a win to gain a postseason berth. Brandon started 4-1 last season but finished 5-4, the same result this season to miss a playoff spot two years in a row.

“It’s very painful,” said Brandon coach Tim Pizzala. “Any time you are at the door, and you come up short, it’s painful. I know the kids are frustrated right now. It was nothing negative on their effort.”

Holly struck first on the game’s opening drive after Williams returned the opening kickoff down to the Brandon 40. Three plays later, Williams found a wide-open Clayton Lindsay on the near sideline and Clayton converted the play for a 44-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 10:16 still to play in the first quarter.

That was the only score of the half, as Holly’s defense stymied the Blackhawks offense of five possessions.

Brandon had 143 passing yards in the first half, as Mahaffy was 14-for-26 in that span. He was picked off in the end zone by Holly’s Austin Hopkin with 3:19 left in the half.

“That was really important to shut them out in the first half,” offered Hopkin. “It gave our defense a lot of confidence. I’m just glad we got the victory. It is what we’ve worked for.”

The Blackhawks turned the ball over downs three times, punted twice and had one turnover in the first half. Failing to convert in the red zone turned out to haunt the Blackhawks in the end.

“The kids played hard. We had some opportunities in the first half and didn’t take care of it when we had the chances,” said Pizzala. “Bottom line is that was the difference in the game. The kids played their butts off and worked hard. We just didn’t score on our chances in the first half.”

Brandon, held to one rushing yard in the first half, took the opening drive of the third quarter 67 yards on eight plays, capped by Mahaffy’s 23-yard keeper, where he raced home untouched with 8:23 left in the stanza.

Holly stuck again on its next drive, this time with Williams running in from 6 yards out with 6:54 still on the clock in the third.

That gave Brandon ample time to respond.

This time the Blackhawks used 11 plays over 66 yards to tie the game at 14-14 when Ryan Barnes dove over the top from 2 yards out. Cody Feltner’s second extra point would be the last points on the board for Brandon.

Mahffey finished his final high school game by going 19-for-38 passing for 183 yards. Derek Darling (two catches, 53 yards), Feltner (seven catches, 49 yards) and Barnes (seven catches, 43 yards) led the Brandon receivers.

Blake Niveit finished with 62 yards on 13 carries for the Blackhawks.

AJ Lewandowski had 41 yards on 12 rushes and Williams was held to 55 yards on 20 carries for Holly. Williams was also 6-for-11 passing for 160 yards.

Now with a decades-old curse lifted, Holly can look forward to the possibility of adding another chapter to their success story by winning a playoff game for the first time.

“That’s our goal,” smiled Ordiway. “That’s what we are working for now.”

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Tags: featured, Flint Metro League Football, football, high school football, Holly Football, Ortonville Brandon Football, prep football