For the first time since 2024, Holtville’s baseball team has returned the Class 5A Area 5 championship to Slapout. It was an arduous and grueling effort that included as much heartbreak, tumult and disappointment as in any classic underdog story. Fitting for the Bulldogs.
In late Dec. 2025, head coach Scott Tubbs – who brought a state championship to Holtville in 2023 – stepped down from his post, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. Former assistant coach Michael Graffman stepped in as the interim head coach with barely one month left until Opening Day.
kAmkDA2?m“(:E9 6G6CJE9:?8 H6’G6 8@?6 E9C@F89 E9:D D62D@?[” vC277>2? D2:5] “(:E9 E96 492?86 @7 =6256CD9:A[ H:E9 >6 4@>:?8 :? =2E6[ E@ H:? E96 2C62 492>A:@?D9:A[ :E 2=H2JD >62?D D@>6E9:?8[ 3FE H:E9 E9:D 8C@FA :E >62?D 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 3642FD6 @7 6G6CJE9:?8 H6 DE2CE65 :? s646>36C 2?5 y2?F2CJ] x’> G6CJ AC@F5 @7 E96 3@JD] p== E96 4C65:E 8@6D E@ E96>] p?5 E96 4@249:?8 DE277 :D 8C62E] %96 2DD:DE2?E 4@2496D H@C<65 E96:C 3FEED @77j E96 A=2J6CD H@C<65 E96:C 3FEED @77] x’> D@ 6I4:E65 23@FE H96C6 H6’C6 962565]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m%96 qF==5@8D W`d\`aX DE2CE65 @77 2C62 A=2J 9:EE:?8 E96:C DEC:56[ DH66A:?8 qC6H32<6C %649 :? 2 E9C66\82>6 2C62 D6C:6D[ g\f[ d\a 2?5 `b\d[ 7@==@H65 :>>65:2E6=J 3J 2 5@F3=696256C G6CDFD |2A=6DG:==6 2?5 2 C@25 82>6 G6CDFD $J=242F82] (:E9 ;FDE EH@ 52JD @7 C6DE 7@==@H:?8 :ED H:? @G6C $J=242F82[ w@=EG:==6 962565 DEC2:89E :?E@ :ED D64@?5 2C62 D6C:6D G6CDFD |2C3FCJ :? E96 D@\42==65 q2EE=6 @7 E96 s2H8D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m%96 vC66? s2H8D E@@< 2?5 >2:?E2:?65 E96 FAA6C92?5[ D62=:?8 E96:C A@D:E:@? 2E@A E96 2C62 H:E9 2?@E96C E9C66\82>6 DH66A[ e\c[ g\b 2?5 `_\` =2DE H66<] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“(6 A=2J65 E96 82F?E=6E D4965F=6 x E2=<65 23@FE[” vC277>2? D2:5] “~FC E62> 92D C62==J 8=F65 2?5 E96 A:646D 2C6 72==:?8 :?E@ A=246] (6 H6C6 962=E9J :? E96 |2C3FCJ D6C:6D[ E96 7:CDE D6C:6D E92E H6 H6C6 4@>A=6E6=J 962=E9J :? E96 =:?6FA[ 2?5 E92E D9@H65] (6’G6 AC@323=J A=2J65 `d 32== 82>6D :? E96 =2DE EH@ H66<D] (6’C6 `a\b :? E9@D6 82>6D[ :?4=F5:?8 e\_ :? E96 2C62]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mw@=EG:==6 HC2AA65 :ED EH@\H66< 82F?E=6E H:E9 2 EC:A 5@H? E@ (6EF>A<2 E@ E2<6 @? E96 x?5:2?D W`h\fX] p7E6C D@ >2?J 82>6D :? DF49 2 D9@CE E:>6[ E96 72E:8F6 H2D G:D:3=6 :? E96 qF==5@8D 2D E96J DECF88=65 E@ DEC:?8 9:ED E@86E96C :? 2 h\_ =@DD E@ (6EF>A<2] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mw@=EG:==6 E2==:65 ;FDE EH@ 9:ED[ @?6 4C65:E65 E@ 7:CDE 32D6>2? |25:D@? rFCCJ[ E96 @E96C E@ 56D:8?2E65 9:EE6C v2G:? #FDD@>] rJ4=:?8 E9C@F89 E9C66 @7 :ED A:E496CD[ (6EF>A<2 DECF4< @FE 6:89E qF==5@8D 4@>3:?65 E9C@F89 e `^a :??:?8D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“(6EF>A<2 :D 2 W964<X @7 2 4=F3[” vC277>2? D2:5 27E6C E96 82>6] “(6 D2H 2== E9C66 A=2J@77 2C>D E92E E96J’G6 8@E[ 2== =67E\92?565] r@249 W#FDDX qC@@<D 5@6D 2 8C62E ;@3 @G6C E96C6] %96J’C6 8@??2 >2<6 2 CF? :? E96 A=2J@77D 7@C DFC6] %@?:89E >2J 92G6 366? 2 3:E @7 2 =6E 5@H? 7@C FD 4@>:?8 @77 2 3:8 D6C:6D 282:?DE |2C3FCJ[ 92G:?8 E92E 3:8 6>@E:@?2= 9:89 2?5 4@>:?8 324< 2?5 A=2J:?8 2 3:8\E:>6 @AA@?6?E] (6 ;FDE 5:5?’E 92G6 :E E@?:89E]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mvC277>2?[ 9@H6G6C[ C67FD65 E@ D66 E96 =@DD 2D 2 ?682E:G6 2>:5DE 9:D E62>’D DF446DD] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“W%96 =@DDX 6IA@D6D 2 76H E9:?8D H6 ?665 E@ H@C< @?[” 96 D2:5] “xE 96=AD FD] *@F H2?E E@ A=2J FA[ 3642FD6 J@F’C6 ?@E 8@??2 =62C? 2?JE9:?8 :7 J@F 8@ 5@H? E96C6 2?5 362E E62>D `__ E@ ?@E9:?8] *@F =62C? >@C6 7C@> 82>6D =:<6 E9:D]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mtG6? H:E9 E96 2C62 4=:?4965 2?5 2 9@>6\7:6=5 25G2?E286 :? E96 7:CDE C@F?5 @7 E96 A=2J@77D D64FC65[ E96 qF==5@8D DE:== 92G6 2 C68F=2C D62D@? E@ 7:?:D9] w@=EG:==6 9625D DEC2:89E 324< :?E@ E96 3=6?56C 7@C :ED 7:?2= H66< @7 E96 D62D@?[ H:E9 !C2EEG:==6 r9C:DE:2? @? |@?52J[ r9:=E@? r@F?EJ @? %F6D52J[ t=>@C6 r@F?EJ @? %9FCD52J 2?5 2 7:?2= 82>6 G6CDFD $2:?E y2>6D E96 7@==@H:?8 |@?52J] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“pE E96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 D62D@?[ :E H2D 2== 23@FE E96 8@2=D[” vC277>2? D2:5] “%96 7:CDE 8@2= H2D >2<:?8 E96 A=2J@77D] %96 D64@?5 8@2= H2D H:??:?8 E96 2C62] (6 4964<65 3@E9] }@H =6E’D 8@ D66 :7 H6 42? WH:? @FEX] qFE[ E96 A=2J@77D 2C6 324< :? w@=EG:==6[ 2?5 E92E’D 2 3:8 562=] w@EG:==6 :D 2 32D632== 4@>>F?:EJ] %96J 62E[ D=66A 2?5 5C:?< 32D632==] x 9@A6 E96 4@>>F?:EJ D9@HD FA 7@C FD 2?5 H6 D9@H @FE]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m%96 7:CDE C@F?5 @7 E96 A=2J@77D H:== 368:? @? pAC:= ac @C ad 2E $>2CE\r@==:6C u:6=5]k^DA2?mk^Am