Week seven of the football season has come to an end and the Andrew Hill Falcons, led by head coach Mike Holt, continued their league winning streak against the Prospect Panthers, winning by a score of 28-14. The Falcons are now 3-3 on the season and a perfect 3-0 in league play.
Looking at the match up leading up to the game, Holt was concerned about the Panthers' passing attack. "We knew Prospect was going to be tough from watching film of their previous two games," he said. "Our main concern was stopping their passing game, we thought we would be able to move the ball on them, but it was a matter of stopping their passing offense." His prediction was spot on as the Panthers had 32 passing attempts and only nine rushing attempts during the game.
The Panthers marched down the field early, scoring first. But, once the Falcons found their rhythm, it was tough to stop. "Prospect went down and scored on their first drive, and we went three and out on our first possession," Holt said. "But, we are a run-oriented offense so we were trying to stay on the ground, chew up the clock, and get in the end zone. We were able to make a few quick adjustments that worked to our advantage."
Holt had high praises when asked about his offense. "Our offensive line, led by Miguel Mejia and Jose Gonzalez, were great," he said. "We stressed all week- they need to control the line of scrimmage. We were able to get to the second level and utilize our counter play, our running backs Rick Quinonez and Darshawn Roads had 156 yards and three touchdowns. That was tough for them to stop." The Falcons finished with over 307 rushing yards on the night, thanks in large part, to the efforts of Quinonez and Roads.
Looking at his defense, Holt said, "In the first half we were giving too much cushion on the pass. We told them to play a little more aggressively, which helped immensely in the second half. They got two passing touchdowns in the first so we knew we had to adjust. Ben Hoang was great in the secondary, he ended up with two second half interceptions." The coaching adjustments made a great difference as the Panthers quarterbacks finished the game with 13 completions on 32 attempts and three interceptions.
When asked about critical plays that changed momentum, Holt said, "We were able to score right before the half ended. That gave us a seven-point lead going into half-time. It was a good confidence boost. In the second half Hoang's interceptions were huge. He got the ball back and we were able to control the clock."
Mike Holt he has been coaching football for 14 seasons and has had two stints with the Andrew Hill Falcons. He was an assistant from 1993-2003 and picked up again in 2015 as the Falcons' head coach. Holt played football locally at Oak Grove High School, De Anza Community College and completed his career at Chico State. Holt is also Andrew Hill's physical education teacher, a position he has held for 25 years. He even enjoys road biking to and from work from Gilroy to San Jose every day, a journey that tallies 27 miles each way!
When asked about receiving the Wedemeyer Memorial Coach of the Week award Holt said, "I grew up around here. I remember they used to televise high school championships on TV and I remember watching Coach Wedemeyer's last game on TV as a player. His team came from behind to win. He was an amazing player and even better person. Just knowing the family, what they've given to the sport of football, it's great to be a part of this award."
As our Charlie Wedemeyer Memorial Coach of the Week presented by U.S. Bank, Coach Holt will receive a $1,000 grant for the Andrew Hill Falcons football program from the 49ers Foundation. As part of this award, he will also receive two tickets to a 49ers home game where he will be recognized on the field. Coach Holt will also be invited to visit the SAP Performance Facility to watch a closed practice where 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will officially present him with his award. He will also be featured on the 49ers Cal-Hi Sports Report on Sundays at 6 p.m. & 10 p.m. on NBC Sports California and re-broadcast throughout the week.
Congratulations, Coach Holt!
