Childress linebacker Morgan Holcomb returns for his senior year with the Bobcats after a 10-2 season in 2018.
Holcomb brings back leadership and an impressive stat line to head coach Jason Sims’ physical defense.
Childress linebacker Morgan Holcomb is primed for a stellar 2019 performance. [Ginger Wilson/Press Pass Sports]
Holcomb is one of the area’s best returning players on the defensive side of the ball, accumulating 190 tackles, six tackles for loss, and an interception in his junior season.
Speaking with Press Pass Sports, Holcomb dwelled on what it takes to be a successful linebacker, his brother’s mentorship, and of course, what he hopes to leave behind after his high school athletic career.
Childress is always towards the top of the district at the end of the year. What does it take to make that a yearly tradition?
“It’s in coach [Jason] Sims’ phrase ‘1-0.’ We take things one day at a time and one game at a time. It doesn’t matter who’s in the district in a few weeks down the road; it’s who we have right now. We just take it one game at a time.”
You’re a great linebacker for Childress, what do you love about the defensive side of football?
“I love it because I’ve got it easy. Our defensive line keeps the offensive linemen from blocking me and they make it easier for me to be able to make plays.”
Do you have a role model you’ve always looked to in difficult times?
“It’s most definitely my older brother, Mason. He was a middle linebacker from 2011-2014 for Childress. He was good at everything; he’s a superhero to me. He’s my Superman.”
Is there a particular skill set you need to play linebacker?
“I think it’s not all about strength or anything like that. It’s being able to read the guys across from you. You’ve got to be able to have an eye for things like a lineman keeping his foot back a little more in a pass set, the weight on their hands when it’s a run down, that sort of thing.”
When you hang your helmet up for the last time, what will you look back on during your high school athletic career?
“I honestly hope that I set a really good example for the upcoming classes.”
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
“One of my friend’s dad puts on a workout group with us in the summer. We go up to the gym everyday and he always says to ‘not worry about the mule–just load the wagon.’ It’s a mental thing–you don’t think about it, you just do it. That’s something that will stick with me for a long time.”
