Holloway shining for 5-0 Warriors

To secure a share of District 7-AA football’s top spot, visiting Sequatchie County must control Bledsoe County quarterback Cody Holloway tonight.

Holloway has thrown for an astounding 18 touchdowns and 943 yards while completing 76 of 120 passes (63.3 percent) with just four interceptions in five games for the undefeated Warriors. He accounted for six touchdowns in a 41-0 defeat of Grace Academy.

“I’ve had pretty good numbers, I guess, but 5-0 is the number that really matters,” Holloway said this week. “You have to give the coaching staff a lot of credit for putting us in the right spots to make plays, and I definitely have to give credit to the offensive line and the receivers and running backs.”

Even after spring practice, the Bledsoe coaches didn’t know what identity the team would take this season. They were divided on pass or run. In the meantime, Holloway — who had pushed returning starter Tyler Harvey last year in early August practices — studied a lot of video, threw a lot of balls and went to Furman’s quarterback camp.

“He has gotten comfortable back there because he worked so hard since last season was over,” head coach Jason Reel said. “He approached every day very seriously. He is a tough kid physically and mentally, and he shows up ready to work every day. The biggest thing about Cody is that he’s a game-plan extension on the field. He gets us in the right formations — he has great field presence — and then he gets the ball where it needs to be.”

Holloway was a starting receiver and defensive back and the backup to Harvey for three games before torn ligaments in his foot sidelined him the rest of the 2009 season. He did not, however, waste the time when he couldn’t play.

“I came to every practice and every game and watched Harvey and how he did things,” Holloway said.

“Cody put in his work, did his time and learned all that he could because he knew he was going to have his opportunity this year,” Reel said.

Holloway has rushed for only 30 yards, and that’s by design.

“That’s too much,” Reel said. “Cody is tough and he’s going to go for the [first-down] stick if he has to and when we need him to, but Cody knows he has athletes around him and if he gets [the ball] to them, they’re going to make some plays.

“I tell him every Friday that he doesn’t have to make anything happen. He just needs to make sure we’re lined up right and that everybody knows what to do. He has done a good job of that.”

Bledsoe is equally comfortable running the ball or passing.

“I think we want to be known as a scoring team,” Reel said.

Holloway, who has already bought supper once this year for his offensive linemen, can buy into his coach’s declaration.

“I don’t think the offense was designed for me. I think it was designed for all the athletes we have on this team,” he said.

He has become adept, though, at distribution and position actions and reactions.

“He doesn’t panic. He realizes if one play doesn’t work that we have another,” Reel said. “Cody is a huge part of what we have done and what we want to do. If you take him out of the equation, it would be a different looking offense.

“He can drop back or roll out and make things happen. If our offensive line keeps producing the way they have, then the sky’s the limit for Cody.”

Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765.