Wade Carpenter helps O'Connor cruise past Holmes in District 29-6A opener

O’Connor first-year starting quarterback Wade Carpenter is growing up fast.

The senior looked the part of a poised veteran as he passed for 186 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Panthers over Holmes 36-20 in District 29-6A play Thursday at Gustafson Stadium.

“This is probably his fourth start in his high school career,” O’Connor head coach David Malesky said of Carpenter. “We’ve seen a progression of him getting better. He’s also gaining confidence. When you do that and you get some experience and you get some confidence, then that helps your performance and you get better.

“His teammates are trusting him more because they’re seeing what he’s doing.”

Carpenter rebounded from an opening-drive interception by leading the Panthers on a five-play, 51-yard drive, capped by a 17-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Mauricio Galvan early in the second quarter.

FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD:Week 4 San Antonio high school football scores and stats

O’Connor closed out the opening half with two scores in two minutes. The first, a 52-yard connection between Carpenter and sophomore tight end Luke Rigby with 2:11 remaining on the clock. After a quick Huskies three-and-out, the Panthers, helped by a defensive pass interference call on Holmes, punched in a 1-yard rushing touchdown from junior running back Cash Manis to go up 21-0 at halftime.

The Panthers continued their onslaught in the third quarter, taking their first drive of the second half 63 yards down the field to go ahead 27-0. Carpenter capped the drive with his third touchdown toss of the night on a 14-yarder to senior wide receiver Carter Smith. A 39-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Jacob Martinez put O’Connor up 30-0 with 6:36 left in the third quarter.

Holmes broke through on its ensuing possession after senior Jayden Hopkins, who started at quarterback before moving to running back in the second half, broke free for a 76-yard rushing touchdown. O’Connor responded with a 19-yard rushing touchdown from Manis, his second of the day.

Trailing by 29 early in the fourth quarter, Holmes refused to go away as the Huskies hit on a couple more explosive running plays. Hopkins busted loose on a 64-yard rushing score with 9:53 remaining in the game, and senior running back Dominion Allen escaped for an 87-yard score with 1:44 on the clock.

The two quick touchdowns brought the Huskies within two possessions, but it was too little, too late. The Panthers ran out the clock and moved to 22-5 all-time against the Huskies, extending their winning streak against Holmes to five games.

O’Connor (2-1, 1-0) opened district play on the right foot, while Holmes (1-3, 0-2) must now dig out of a hole in order to make the playoffs.

“It was good, bad and ugly,” Malesky said. “The most important thing is that we won the football game. At the end of it, that’s what we’re all striving for. Not to play the perfect game, but to win the game.

“There were a lot of really good things that we did tonight to win the game. There’s also going to be some things that, as a coaching staff – and I know the kids are going to critique themselves as well – that we could do better. And we’re going to need to do better.”

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This article originally published at Wade Carpenter helps O’Connor cruise past Holmes in District 29-6A opener.