Holmes Gets the Bounces in Orange Victory

The ball kept bouncing into Andre Holmes’ hands, so he kept running with it. And without two lucky bounces, Orange could not have defeated Saddleback, 20-13, in a nonleague game Thursday night at Santa Ana Stadium.

Holmes, a senior defensive back, intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards for one touchdown, then scooped up a fumble and brought it back 75 yards for another score. Micah Knorr kicked field goals of 27 and 28 yards as Orange came back from 10-0 and 13-3 deficits.

On the first play of the third quarter, Holmes intercepted a pass by Saddleback quarterback Danny Ruvolo, nearly fell after colliding with an official along the sideline, steadied himself, then sprinted into the end zone. That play cut Saddleback’s 13-3 halftime lead to 13-10.

With Saddleback driving late in the third quarter, Roadrunner running back Omar Palacios fumbled at the Orange 25. Holmes picked up the ball on one bounce and raced 75 yards untouched for a touchdown.

Knorr’s 28-yard field goal with 3 minutes 25 seconds left in the game provided some breathing room for Orange (1-1).

Saddleback (1-1) scored on a two-yard run by Aaron Pulsifer and 27- and 29-yard field goals by Sam Perla.

But Orange’s defense, led by the hard tackling of Bam Bam Krebs and Evans Saole, began to stop Saddleback after halftime. And it didn’t hurt that Holmes was in the right place at the right time.

Twice.