IOLA – Phew.
That was the collective reaction from Humboldt fans after the conclusion of Friday night’s win over Tri-Valley League foe Eureka. The Cubs extended 10 game winning streak over Tri-Valley League opponents. The streak stretches all the way back to 2017 with a loss to Caney Valley.
“It’s been Week 7 of 2017 since we’ve had to battle from behind. We want to give it all out to Eureka. They had tremendous gameplay. We found a way to pull it off in the end. A close game like that will harden you up a little bit. It was good for our team,” said Humboldt coach Logan Wyrick.
Eureka held the lead for the majority of the night until late in the 4th quarter when Conor Haviland converted a 4th down play late to put the Cubs 1st and goal inside the 2-yard line with less than 45 seconds to play. The Cubs would punch it into the endzone and convert on the 2-point play for the final score of 38-32.
“Everyone knew Conor would be the one to carry the ball on that play. We weren’t fooling anyone.”
The senior Conor Haviland finished with a game-high 169 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. Senior Kyle Kobold contributed the teams only other offensive touchdown with 14 yards rushing.
“Haviland had another great game on offense and you’re going to get that from him. He’s a running quarterback. We’re not fooling anyone. He keeps coming through for us.”
The Humboldt defense recorded 5 turnovers; 3 interceptions and 2 interceptions. Senior Gunner Elder recorded a pick-six that helped turn the tide for Humboldt.
“It’s a different defense. We have to understand that as a coaching staff and community. Turnovers won the game. If we don’t cause those turnovers, we’re not talking about a victory. We gave a lot of yards and way too many points, but made plays when we had to defensively.”
Humboldt (3-0) will host Jayhawk-Linn (3-0) not only for the start of district play but also their first home game of the season. The Cubs defeated the Jayhawks 73-0 at Mound City last year.
“It’s good to be 3-0, but district play is a whole new season. There’s been a bit of back and forth with the 2 programs. The film and scouting has shown they are the same Jayhawks and you know what you’re going to get. It’ll be nice for us to finally play at home,” said Wyrick.
Eureka (1-2) host their first game in 2 years against Fredonia (2-1) for the start of their district and will also serve as the team’s “Homecoming”. Kick-off is scheduled at 7PM.
Author’s Note: An earlier version incorrectly stated that Eureka’s game against Fredonia would be on the road and that the stadium was not ready to host a game. This was factually incorrect and we apologize for the error.