Huge night for York County Tech's Holley

In a wild opening night of high school football for the YAIAA, no player's night was wilder than York County Tech's Marcus Holley.

The senior running back's stat line read like something from a video game. He finished with 287 yards and five touchdowns on 19 carries, good for a fantasy-like 15.1 yards per carry.

The Spartans ended up needed every single one of those yards in their 48-46 victory at Pequea Valley.

"We 'd get him to the outside and he'd just go," York County Tech coach Todd Knisely said. "He did a lot of that on his own. A lot of those yards were on his own, making cuts and that. He had a heck of a night."

Holley didn't wait long to get started. The 5-foot-6 back darted 76 yards for a score in the first quarter, his longest run of the day.

"He hit the edge and that was it," Knisely said. "That sort of set the tone. It was like here we go."

Holley also had touchdown runs of 75 and 49 yards. The latter of those put the Spartans up for good midway through the fourth quarter.

Holley contributed at tailback last year, running for 328 yards and four scores. But he was mostly an afterthought to then-senior Devon Talley (986 yards, 7 touchdowns, 5.6 yards per carry).

This year, it looks like it's Holley's turn. His contributions will be imperative for Tech, which is looking to build on its first winning season since 1983.

The Spartans prevailed Friday, despite allowing 534 yards on defense. The game featured two ties and four lead changes.

"This one was unique," Knisely said. "We talked about it last night afterward. I've never experienced a game like that. Up, down, up down. But there just wasn't a sense of panic there. It just seemed like we'd just get right back."