Marengo quarterback Josh Holst puts on a show with 8 total TDs in win against Johnsburg

MARENGO – Marengo senior quarterback Josh Holst accounted for eight total touchdowns in a 69-48 win over Johnsburg in Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 Blue Division action Friday night, but that wasn’t the only special part about his career-best performance.

Holst played both ways to start the game, stepping in at free safety, and was tasked with tracking Johnsburg’s top skill player, wide receiver Jake Metze.

“That was my first time playing defense in forever, since seventh grade,” Holst said. “It was a little iffy. But we knew coming in we’d be able to put some points on [Johnsburg]. When we get rolling, nobody can stop us but ourselves.”

Still, it was Holst’s offense that stole the show.

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound quarterback produced highlight after highlight and ended with 427 total yards (17-of-20 passing for 235 yards, 192 rushing yards), throwing for four scores (8, 12, 71, 10 yards) and rushing for four more (45, 8, 10 and 43 yards).

Marengo never punted the ball and rolled up 385 yards of offense by halftime.

“His running ability is really good,” Johnsburg coach Sam Lesniak said. “He’s the fastest kid on the field, super shifty, and so it was tough to contain him. He just made a lot out of nothing several times.”

Marengo (2-2, 1-1 KRC/I8 Blue) set a season high in points and finished with 583 yards of offense.

The Skyhawks, meanwhile, exchanged score for score with Marengo in the first quarter, which ended in a 20-20 tie, and finished the game with 499 yards.

The teams combined for 1,082 total yards when it was all finished.

After Holst scored on an eight-yard run with 7:28 left in the second quarter for a Marengo 27-20 lead, the Indians forced a punt against Johnsburg. It took only one play, a 71-yard screen pass to Gregory Baker (7 catches, 134 yards) for the Indians’ next points.

Marengo’s defense held Johnsburg on fourth-and-12 on the Skyhawks’ ensuing possession, and the Indians then took a 41-20 lead into halftime on Holst’s 10-yard touchdown throw to David Lopez. Baker and Lopez both finished with two receiving scores.

“[Holst] played two ways tonight to try and slow down their offense, but [Lesniak] has some real nice skill players over there,” Marengo coach Paul Forsythe said. “Offensively, [Holst] just gives us a chance to score from anywhere. When you have that, it’s a pretty nice luxury to have.

“A win’s a win and we’d like to not let up that many points, but when you got ‘Super 8′ [Holst] over here, you’ve got a chance to beat anyone.”

Johnsburg (1-3, 0-2 KRC/I8 Blue) lost its third game in a row after a season-opening win over Woodstock North. The Skyhawks host Kingdom Prep Lutheran (Wisconsin) for homecoming in Week 5.

Skyhawks sophomore quarterback A.J. Bravieri was 25-of-38 passing for 317 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Three of his touchdown passes went to Ian Boal, who hauled in nine catches for 155 yards.

Metze finished with 89 yards on nine catches while adding 72 yards rushing and two scores. Kyle Mueller had a team-high 91 yards rushing and a TD.

Marengo also got rushing scores from Joseph Leibrandt (74 yards) and Isaac Anthony (72 yards).

“We have to get back Saturday and watch film, and we have to just figure out, it’s fundamental football,” Lesniak said. “You’ve got to be able to come up and make tackles, you’ve got to be aggressive and you’ve got to do a better job with the assignments.

“Nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. We’ve got to bounce back and figure something out.”

Marengo 69, Johnsburg 48

Johnsburg 20 0 12 16 – 48

Marengo 20 21 21 7 – 69

First quarter

M–Lopez 8 pass rom Holst (Bergbreiter kick), 6:48

J–Metze 9 run (McKinney kick), 4:11

M–Holst 45 run (kick missed), 3:34

J–Metze 53 run (kick missed), 1:36

M–Baker 12 pass from Holst (Bergbreiter kick), 0:53

J–Boal 61 pass from Bravieri (McKinney kick), 0:00

Second quarter

M–Holst 8 run (Bergbreiter kick), 7:28

M–Baker 71 pass from Holst (Bergbreiter kick), 6:18

M–Lopez 10 pass fro Holst (Bergbreiter kick), 0:00

Third quarter

M–Holst 10 run (Bergbreiter kick), 9:34

J–Boal 13 pass from Bravieri (pass failed), 5:45

M–Leibrandt 16 run (Bergbreiter kick), 3:35

J–Mueller 6 run (pass failed), 2:08

M–Holst 43 run (Bergbreiter kick), 0:57

Fourth quarter

J–Boal 8 pass from Bravieri (Boal pass from Bravieri), 8:32

M–Anthony 5 run (Bergbreiter kick), 3:33

J–Banaszynski 24 pass from Bravieri (Mueller run), 0:29

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–Johnsburg: Mueller 22-91, Metze 5-72, Bravieri 5-20, Team 1-minus 1. Totals: 33-182. Marengo: Leibrandt 12-74, Holst 11-192, Anthony 10-72, Boley 6-14, Johnson 1-5, Miller 1-2, Team 2-minus 11. Totals: 43-348.

PASSING–Johnsburg: Bravieri 25-38-1-317. Marengo: Holst 17-20-0-235.

RECEIVING–Johnsburg: Boal 10-158, Metze 9-89, Olson 3-24, Malachuk 2-22, Banaszynski 1-24. Marengo: Baker 7-134, Lopez 3-28, Miller 3-25, Kentgen 1-16, Leibrandt 1-13, Frederick 1-11, Grismer 1-8.

TOTAL YARDS: Johnsburg: 499, Marengo 583.