Holy Cross football raises high Patriot League trophy for fourth straight year
WORCESTER — Appropriately, Holy Cross senior cornerback Devin Haskins was one of the first to raise the Patriot League trophy following the Crusaders’ 42-14 win over Lehigh Saturday at Fitton Field.
His expression of elation and his uniform number (4) summed up HC’s terrific accomplishment perfectly.
With the victory over the Mountain Hawks, Holy Cross clinched at least a share of its fourth straight PL championship and earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
“This is something we look forward to every year,” HC senior linebacker Liam Anderson said amid the Crusaders’ on-field celebration. “Nothing beats it. It’s always a special experience.”
No. 6/7 HC (9-0, 5-0) is the only FCS team to win a fourth straight league title this season.
The Crusaders have won 16 straight PL games.
“In the back of my mind, there is so much work to be done,” Holy Cross coach Bob Chesney said, “but the hard work, the commitment, the dedication that not only our players and coaches, but the families put into this, I think it’s a big deal, and you do have to celebrate it.”
Holy Cross has two regular-season games remaining, at home next Saturday against Bryant and Nov. 19 at Georgetown.
“We have the Patriot League now, which is nice,” Anderson said, “but we’d like to finish off the regular season undefeated, so it’s getting back to work for next week and continuing to take it one game at a time.”
Lehigh, coached by former HC coach Tom Gilmore, fell to 1-8 (1-3).
The Crusaders rushed for a season-high 336 yards against a Lehigh run defense that ranked second in the PL. Junior quarterback Matthew Sluka led the way with 16 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown. Senior running back Peter Oliver of Auburn and St. John’s High carried 17 times for a season-best 136 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back Jordan Fuller scored three rushing TDs.
“Last year, we were not able to run on them,” Oliver said of HC’s 78-yard rushing performance against the Mountain Hawks in 2021, “because they were doing all kinds of stunts and twists and all sorts of different things. We game-planned for it. We were ready, they did what we expected, and we showed up.”
Oliver had a long run of 30 yards that helped set up Sluka’s TD in the third quarter.
“Nobody runs ball against (Lehigh),” Chesney said. “Our offensive line was just so physical and big and tough up front, and the running backs were so tough and so physical today that when you got to that safety, there was a pretty serious collision that worked in our favor a lot of times. I think our offensive line drew it up and blocked it up so nicely, and I think (the running backs’) physical nature and downhill run game is phenomenal.”
Holy Cross led, 21-7, at halftime, but Lehigh capitalized on an interception to open the third quarter. Junior quarterback Dante Perri threw a 39-yard TD pass to Geoffrey Jamiel to bring the Mountain Hawks within a score.
After a Sluka 45-yard gain, HC’s next possession looked promising, but the Crusaders stalled and punted.
Haskins, one of HC’s special teams stars, made a fantastic hustle play to bat the ball and keep it out of the end zone, and the Crusaders downed it at the 3.
After a quick Lehigh three-and-out, junior Terrence Spence got a hand on Lehigh’s punt. Holy Cross had terrific field position at the Mountain Hawks’ 35 and went on to score on Sluka’s TD.
“(Haskins’ play) was a big momentum play because we just weren’t going,” Chesney said. “We practice that every single day. It’s not something we happened to get lucky with. To watch him execute that in a key moment was huge.”
Holy Cross held Lehigh to 281 yards and 2 for 12 on third down.
Early in the fourth quarter, the HC defense had a tremendous goal-line stand, keeping the Mountain Hawks, who had first-and-goal from the 1, out of the end zone.
“That was awesome, and we were all really excited for that,” Anderson said. “It goes back to inside run period in practice and treating every single yard like it’s the end zone. That was a big stop for us.”
In the third quarter, HC senior safety Terrell Prince recovered a fumble, and the Crusaders’ converted the takeaway into points on Fuller’s second touchdown of the day.
Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTolandTG
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Holy Cross clinches 4th straight Patriot League title, FCS berth
