Pride beats Bears

Blair football team falls to 1-5 with 40-12 loss

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Blair High School sophomore Ben Holcomb hauled in a kick Friday at Omaha Roncalli and advanced it.
With the ball tucked away and secure to start the second half, No. 21 ran upfield behind Ethan Baessler, slowing his progress before darting into the congested middle of the field. He came out of it unscathed, reached the Pride's sideline and finished off his 90-yard return in the end zone.
“It kind of gave us a spark,” Bears football coach Bryan Soukup said. “We just weren't able to keep things going from there.”
Holcomb's sprint from end-to-end pulled BHS within 19-12, but it was as close as the Bears would get. They lost 40-12 at Roncalli, falling to 1-5 on the season as the Pride improved to 3-3.
“I'm not making any excuses, but between injuries and having to pour in more young guys, sometimes, that's just what you get,” Soukup said after Blair's fourth-straight loss.
The coach commended his underclassmen for stepping in and stepping up to play the Pride. Several of the Bears weren't aware they'd be taking on a larger role until mid-week when three more players were ruled out of competition.
“When you're playing sophomores against juniors and seniors, you're going to take your licks,” Soukup said. “I think we started five sophomores on offense tonight, and two sophomores and a freshman on defense.”
Senior standout Kip Tupa was suited up, but did not play, while linebacker Tyler Andersen left Friday's game with an injury.
“Not having Kip really hurt tonight, both sides of the ball,” Soukup said.
Bears like Holcomb and sophomore defensive back Crayton Macholan made plays, though. Down 6-0, No. 22 intercepted a Brady McGill pass to thwart another potential scoring drive.
“Crayton did a great job filling in for Kip tonight,” Soukup said. “Made some good plays and did a great job.”
The sophomore added a fumble recovery in his own end zone after Roncalli coughed it up at the goal line. Freshman Brock Templar added a pick, too, but the highlights weren't enough to hang with the Pride.
McGill — a sophomore himself — threw two interceptions, but also three touchdown passes. He ran for two, too, including a 66-yarder immediately after Blair quarterback Bode Soukup combined with J'shawn Unger for a 6-yard touchdown pass during the second quarter.
In the end, Roncalli loudly celebrated, while the Bears left the field quietly. The road team's first four losses came to programs with spotless 2021 records, but this one came to a squad with its own struggles through the first five games of the season.
Now, Soukup hopes to get his team a win — any win. He said they deserve one for the work they've put in.
“There's a lot of good in this team, a lot of fight in this team,” the coach said. “Unfortunately, this has just been one of those seasons where its just been one thing after another. Sometimes seasons are like that.”
This one has three scheduled games left on it, including the next — a 7 p.m. Friday battle against Omaha Gross at Krantz Field.
“Back to the drawing board,” Soukup said after the Roncalli loss. “We'll see who's going to be healthy next week.”

Blair football