Warren JFK goes pro in win over Windham


By Tom Williams

willimas@vindy.com

WINDHAM

Warren JFK wide receiver Cameron Hollobaugh rewarded his coach’s faith in him and quarterback Christian Marantis to come up with a big play.

In the final seconds before halftime of the Eagles’ 35-12 victory in Saturday’s Division VII, Region 25 playoff game at Windham High School, the Eagles were whistled for a false start on a fourth-and-goal from the Bombers’ 1.

Many coaches would have opted for a field goal try, but Eagles coach Jeff Bayuk kept his offense on the field.

After the snap, Marantis dropped back to his right while Hollobaugh raced forward, then left along the back line. Hollobaugh caught Marantis’ heave in the corner of the end zone for a back-breaking touchdown and 21-6 lead.

“I’m excited he put his faith in [us],” the sophomore wide receiver said. “[We] got the job done.

“They lined up two DBs over top of me,” Hollobaugh said. “I was going to attack [Jacob Bryant] because he was the weaker corner. I lost the ball in the light for a minute and then it came back to me.

“It was an amazing time.”

Hollobaugh admitted he wasn’t sure how close he was to the back line or side line.

“I was just worried about the ball at that point,” Hollobaugh said.

Bayuk said the penalty didn’t faze the Eagles.

“That actually gave us a little more room to work with,” said Bayuk, who guided the Eagles to a state championship in 2016. “Our kicker [Armand Nannicola] is outstanding, but the conditions out here are not optimum for kicking.

“Christian Marantis threw a professional pass and Cam made a professional catch,” Bayuk said. “It could not have been thrown any better and it could not have been caught any better — over-the-shoulder like that is the most difficult.”

On the next play, the seventh-seeded Eagles (6-5) had even more breathing room as Jordan Edmondson returned the second-half kick 79 yards for a touchdown.

The victory sends the Eagles (6-5) to a regional semifinal game on Saturday against Ashland Mapleton (8-3), which beat Valley Christian, 47-28. The site will be announced today.

“You have to give a lot of credit to the people who worked on this field because we had so much rain,” Bayuk said. “It held up pretty darn good.”

The Eagles outrushed the Bombers (9-2), 222-160.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Marantis hit Hollobaugh for an 18-yard score. Back in the first quarter, they also connected for a 43-yard touchdown.

Hollobaugh also scored on a 9-yard run in the second quarter.

“We knew we were going to be able to air it out against them ... but I don’t think we knew that we [could] get a victory this big,” Hollobaugh said.

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