Sand Devil capitalizes on Holbrook mistakes to improve 2-0

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

HOLBROOK, Ariz. – Holbrook opened their 2024 football season with a home game against the Page Sand Devils.

Both teams came out firing on all cylinders, scoring 32 points in the first quarter and setting the stage for a back-and-forth contest that would see them trading blows throughout the night until the Sand Devils pulled away with a 47-26 win.

Holbrook struck first on the initial kickoff, as junior running back Simeon Shaw charged up the right sideline for an untouched touchdown to open the game. Page quickly responded with a drive down the field, capped by a rushing touchdown from senior running back Landon Mansker to tie the game at 6-6.

Mansker would go on to rush for a total of 172 yards on 21 carries, with two touchdowns in the game. Holbrook answered with a 7-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Darren Justman to senior wide receiver Chance Sahmie, extending the score to 14-6 after the PAT.

Page then mounted another drive, this time with junior quarterback Joseph Benally connecting with senior wide receiver Shaine Begay to bring the score within two points at 14-12.

On the ensuing kickoff, Holbrook’s junior wide receiver William Kinds lateraled the football, which took a single bounce into the hands of a sprinting Shaw, who dashed to the end zone for another score, extending the lead to 20-12 after a failed PAT.

Both teams settled down defensively, with the quarter going relatively quiet until Holbrook scored in the final two minutes of the second quarter. Justman pushed up the middle for a 1-yard quarterback sneak, fumbling into the end zone where junior wide receiver Daniel John recovered for a touchdown, putting Holbrook up 26-12.

With 1:37 left on the clock, Page took control of the ball and marched down the field once again. With just 11.9 seconds left, Benally found senior wide receiver Cash Lester for a touchdown, narrowing the score to 26-18 at halftime.

The third quarter saw Page receive the football and march down the field to score again, closing the gap to within two points. Benally connected with Begay on a wide-open touchdown catch from 10 yards out, but the PAT failed, leaving the score at 26-24.

The fourth quarter turned into a defensive battle, with both teams combining for four interceptions and two fumbles but the Sand Devils capitalized on the turnovers, scoring 23 points to secure their second victory of the season. The first interception came from a short throw by Benally, but Holbrook’s Justman stepped in front of the pass for a turnover.

However, Page’s Stingley recovered a fumble at the Holbrook 17-yard line, swinging the momentum back to the Sand Devils. A minute later, Mansker rushed for a 9-yard touchdown, and added a 2-point conversion to give Page their first lead at 32-26.

The teams exchanged turnovers, with Page recovering a fumble at the 45-yard line, only for Holbrook’s Shaw to intercept the ball near the goal line. On Holbrook’s next drive, senior defensive back Tsinajinnie Green intercepted the ball again, giving Page the momentum to drive down for another score.

Benally then aired out a lengthy pass to Lester for 38 yards, extending the lead to 40-26 after a successful two-point pass from Benally to Stingley. On Holbrook’s next possession, Justman launched a long pass that bounced off a receiver and another defensive back, allowing junior defensive back Caleb Nix to track down the ball and take it 75 yards down the left sideline into the end zone for the final touchdown.

After the game, Nix reflected on the play, saying, “We were playing the cover four to make sure they don’t throw anything deep. My teammate made a good play and tipped the ball in the air, and I took it down the field. Holbrook tried to push me out of bounds, but they couldn’t hit me.”

Benally finished the game with 300 total yards passing on 23 of 42 attempts, with four touchdowns and three interceptions.

“We’ve been through this; we were down 20 against Holbrook last year, so we knew we had to keep fighting and pushing them until they gave in,” Benally said. “This is how we keep playing.”

Benally is currently ranked third in the state with 553 total passing yards and is tied for first in touchdown passes with 10 TDs.

“Special teams was the issue; we only gave them two earned touchdowns besides special teams,” said Page first-year head coach Ty Bennett. “We kept it away from (Shaw), that kid is very fast.

“Holbrook is a hard place to play,” he added. “They came out hitting us, and our kids got a little antsy. But these kids always face adversity, and they made the adjustments to get the win.”

Second-year Holbrook coach Paul Agramont commented on Holbrook’s effort, saying, “A lot of it was our conditioning. We need to make games easier and practice harder. We had a lot of cramps and injuries as our players got gassed from the game.”

He also noted, “We are without our starting running back and our middle linebacker due to injuries. So when they return, we will be a force to reckon with.”

Holbrook will travel to Winslow for a 7 p.m. showdown against the 1-1 Bulldogs on Friday night. The Payson Longhorns will host the Page Sand Devils in another exciting match up Friday night.

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