Holden, Hutchings pound Warsaw

The Warsaw Wildcats received a heavy dose of Dennis Hutchings and the Holden defense Friday night at Randy Morrow Field.

Hutchings ran for four touchdowns, and Warsaw struggled to put anything together on offense in a 40-7 season-opening loss.

Holden took the opening kickoff and drove 55 yards for a touchdown.

Hutchings broke loose from 32 yards out to give the Eagles a 6-0 lead a little more than three minutes into the game.

Three Warsaw penalties, including one for pass interference, kept the Eagles’ scoring drive alive.

After Ray Hoover returned the ensuing kickoff 20 yards, quarterback Logan Smith ran for 33 on  Warsaw’s first play from scrimmage to tie the score at 6. The extra-point kick gave the Wildcats a brief 7-6 lead with 9:17 left in the first quarter.

A pair of long pass plays set up Holden’s next TD.

Quarterback Aaron Ferguson hit Andrew Wakeman on a 22-yard gain on third-and-4, and Ferguson connected with Zac Anstine on the next play for 29 yards, giving the Eagles possession at the Wildcats’ 11-yard line.

Hutchings ran for 4 yards on first down and then scored from the 7.

Holden made the 2-point conversion and led 14-7 with about one minute left in the quarter.

Warsaw went three-and-out for the second straight possession, giving the Eagles possession near midfield early in the second quarter.

Hutchings took a Ferguson pass 29 yards on third-and-13 to the Wildcats’ 27, but a sack and a penalty stalled the drive.

Warsaw turned the ball over on the first play of its next possession, and Holden capitalized.

The Eagles took over at the Warsaw 16 and scored on third-and-10 on a 12-yard pass from Ferguson to Anstine, giving them a 20-7 lead.

A pass interference call gave the Wildcats life at the start of their next possession, but they couldn’t make another first down and had to punt.

Hutchings gained a key first down for the Eagles just past the 4-minute mark. He ran for 15 yards on a third-and-4 from their own 37.

Hutchings capped the drive with a 22-yard touchdown run for a 26-7 lead about two minutes before halftime.

Holden had another shot at a touchdown before halftime, but a wide-open Anstine dropped a pass in the end zone.

The Eagles finished off Warsaw with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns.

Hutchings broke loose for a 60-yard score on Holden’s second play of the second half.

David Lerda scored on a 27-yard play to give the Eagles a 40-7 lead with 1:12 left in the third.

SOURCE: KAYQ radio