Silver Lake 18, Holton 7

In the long anticipated battle between historic powerhouse programs, defense prevailed as defending state champ and #1 ranked (3A) Silver Lake beat #2 ranked (4AD2) Holton to open the 2014 high school football season.  In was the fifth meeting between the Northeast Kansas schools, and the first clash since 1988 as the Eagles took a 3-2 series lead by limiting Holton to only 120 yards of offense.  Silver Lake also forced three fumbles and allowed only two first-downs in the first half and grabbed an interception in the fourth quarter to seal the win.  

The Eagles lead 6-0 at halftime, as they forced a three-and-out to start the game and then drove 49 yards on 9 plays, getting a two-yard touchdown run from Cody Renfro, before Mason Barta blocked the PAT.  Silver Lake drove to the Holton 25 yard line to open the third quarter, but the Wildcat defense made a stop on 4th down and short to get off the field.  Holton also got an interception by Trey Tanking late in the first half and held Silver Lake to just one first-down on four possesions in the second stanza to keep the game close.  

The Holton offense, returning just three players from a year ago, and having lost starting runningback Luis Butto to a knee injury early in the game, finally gained some momentum in the third quarter with a 27-yard-run by Justin Pool and 23-yard-run by Indie Allen.  The Wildcats drove to the Lake 10 yard line but turned the ball over on downs.  Silver Lake capatalized by marching 90 yards in 7 plays as Ryan Matzke completed his 6th straight pass to Jace Freeman down the sideline for a 45-yard touchdown strike to make it 12-0 with 1:28 left in the third quarter.  

The Cats took the ensuing kickoff back 92 yards before Justin Rieschick was tackled at the five-yard-line.  Four plays later, Indie Allen leaped into the endzone and a Pool extra point had Holton alive 12-7 to open the fourth quarter.  Silver Lake however, went 65 yards on 8 plays on their next drive and got a second Renfro TD rushing to make it 18-7 after they failed on a second two-point-try.  

Silver Lake got 70 yards rushing from Matzke on 23 carries and he completed 13 of 28 passes for 187 yards, 93 of which went to Freeman.  Holton got 62 yards from Allen on 16 carries while Pool had 8 totes for 40 yards all in the second half.  Holton was also plagued by 7 penalties, the biggest was a roughing the punter call with 10:36 left in the game that would have given Holton the ball back trailing only 12-7 and with a lot of momentum.       

While Silver Lake host another Big 7 foe in Perry Lecompton in week two, Holton plays their home opener against Class 5A, Maize South on Friday, September 13th.  The game can be viewed and heard free and worldwide on The Holton Channel at www.mscsports.net