Hope for Holcomb
Kingwood community rallies around soccer coach diagnosed with cancer
Jan 15, 2020, 8:39 pm
Hope for Holcomb
Originally Appeared on VYPE
KINGWOOD - The true impact of a coach can't always measured by the number of win and losses, the number of district championships or even runs at a state title.
This story goes beyond any of that.
In reality, the impact a coach is seen whenever they become the one that is in need of the support that they have been providing to others their entire career.
Kingwood girls soccer coach Pres Holcomb, who is set to begin chemotherapy to battle Stage 4 colon cancer, which he was diagnosed with on December 20, is seeing his impact as the Kingwood and soccer community has rallied around him and his family with messages, wristbands, t-shirts, donations and more.
"It's overwhelming in a good way," Holcomb said. "It's kind of crazy when you see your own name across stuff like that. Once we went public with it, the support has been amazing. People you haven't talked to in years are reaching out to you."
Since they've gone public with it the "Hope for Holcomb" campaign has taken off.
The soccer team - which was told about Holcomb's battle in a group setting - created blue wristbands with the phrase on them. It started with the girls wearing them during matches and expanded to them being sold at different places in the community.
They started by ordering just 300.
Then an order of 500 more was needed and that still wasn't enough. The wristbands have sold more than 1,000.
"You don't even think you know that many people," Holcomb said.
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Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet had 21 points each and the Houston Rockets built a huge lead early and coasted to a 127-100 win over the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night.
Houston never trailed and had built a 25-point lead by halftime. The Rockets were up by 27 points when coach Ime Udoka cleared the bench with about 6½ minutes remaining.
Alperen Sengun added 16 points for the Rockets, who won for the fourth time in five games. VanVleet had 10 assists and seven rebounds — both season-highs — to go with his top scoring effort of the season.
Victor Wembanyama had 15 points, six rebounds and three blocks for the Spurs, who lost a second straight game. They were playing a third consecutive game without coach Gregg Popovich, who is out indefinitely while recovering from an illness. Mitch Johnson is filling in as interim coach while the 75-year-old Popovich, who did not travel with the team on this road trip, is out.
Spurs: San Antonio’s defense suffered Wednesday in its first game without top on-ball defender Jeremy Sochan, who suffered a fractured left thumb that will require surgery in Monday’s game. Rookie Stephon Castle, who started in his place, will need to step up with Sochan likely out for an extended period.
Rockets: After failing to play consistently for four quarters in the last two games, Houston finally put together a complete game against the Spurs.
The Rockets were up by 7 with about five minutes left in the first quarter before using a 7-0 run, with the first five points by VanVleet, to make it 22-8. The Spurs didn’t get closer than 10 points after that.
The Rockets dominated inside, outscoring the Spurs 66-46 in the paint.
San Antonio hosts Portland on Thursday night and the Rockets visit Oklahoma City on Friday night.
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