Holtz tosses 3 TDs in Damien win over Radford

No. 10 Damien made big play after big play on offense Thursday night on its way to a 34-12 victory at Radford.

Senior quarterback Jake Holtz passed for 257 yards and three touchdowns as the Monarchs overwhelmed the Rams at John Velasco Stadium.

Damien (2-0) rushed for 118 yards on 30 carries against a determined Radford defense. Holtz hoisted two of his scoring strikes to wide receiver Jarvis Natividad for 57 and 16 yards, and they also connected on an 88-yard gain. The right-handed slinger also scored on a 55-yard read-option keeper that included fake handoffs to two teammates.

As the 6-foot-4 Holtz completed the 88-yard pass to Natividad, he took a shot to his right hip, which seems to have a target on it.

“I’m sore. I hurt it (on Aug. 3) at Lahainaluna,” said Holtz, who was 12-for-23 with no interceptions. “We’ve got to get the chemistry coming. They had us in spots at times.”

The home field was good to the Rams for a while. Damien opened the game with a 43-yard touchdown pass from Holtz to Makanale‘a Mayer, but Radford answered with a 10-yard scoring run by persistent DJ Alpha, who finished the game with 87 yards.

Holtz then used his deceptive ballhandling skills for fakes on a jet sweep and dive, bolting around left end for his long TD run.

Radford had Damien pinned inside its 1-yard line in the second quarter, but couldn’t take advantage. Damien went on to score two touchdowns in the final 1:55 of the first half.

Holtz used his arm strength on a key third-and-long, rolling far left, then delivering a throw deep and across the field to Natividad near the right sideline. The shifty pass-catcher raced to the pylon for a 57-yard TD.

With 19 seconds left, Holtz found Natividad on a post pattern for a 16-yard TD, deflating the audience on Radford’s sideline bleachers.

Unbeaten Damien will meet D-I powerhouse Waipahu next week.

“Last year it was a battle,” Holtz said. “I’m expecting another one.”

NO. 10 DAMIEN 34, RADFORD 12

At John E. Velasco Stadium

Damien (2-0, 1-0) 7 19 0 8 — 34

Radford (0-2, 0-1) 6 0 0 6 — 12

DMS—Makanale‘a Meyer 43 pass from Jake Holtz (Christian Souza kick)

Rad—DJ Alpha 10 run (kick blocked)

DMS—Holtz 55 run (Souza kick)

DMS—Jarvis Natividad 57 pass from Holtz (kick failed)

DMS—Natividad 16 pass from Holtz (kick failed)

DMS—Sulu 2 run (Souza pass from Natividad)

Rad—Kendall Sexton 20 run (run failed)

RUSHING—Damien: Holtz 9-70, Amo Sulu 9-30, Logan Lacio 4-19, Kama Maginhay Santos 6-17, TEAM 2-(minus-18). Radford: Alpha 9-87, Kendall Saxton 5-53, Jonah Angry 2-20, Anaiah Taimatuia-Puni 1-2, No. 13 1-(minus-9), JT Tafisi 6-(minus-18), TEAM 1-(minus-20).

PASSING—Damien: Holtz 12-23-0-257, Lacio 1-1-0-14. Radford: Tafisi 5-23-1-76, No. 13 1-1-0-15.

RECEIVING—Damien: Natividad 3-161, Makanale‘a Meyer 3-54, Tino Antonio 2-22, Sulu 2-4, Maginhay Santos 1-14, Ezra Kaina 1-10, River Iaea 1-6. Radford: Alpha 3-52, Benjamin Vaiaga‘e 2-28, Braden Kent 1-11,

Junior Varsity—Kaiser 26, Radford 14