Holy Cross football visits Merrimack for payback, after learning from last season
WORCESTER — The Holy Cross football team was, for good reason, riding high after opening the 2021 season with a win at the University of Connecticut, the Crusaders’ first victory over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent since 2002, and ready to carry that momentum into their home opener the next week.
Merrimack, though, came into Fitton Field and thrashed HC in a stunning 35-21 upset.
“They beat us up in everything,” Holy Cross coach Bob Chesney said after the setback.
The loss was shocking for a team that prides itself on intricate preparation and laser focus, but looking back on it this week, Chesney believes it was the turning point of HC’s historic 2021 season.
“It 100% was,” Chesney said. “I think it was probably the most important game that we played last year and probably the most important outcome as far as setting us up for the rest of the season. Learning how to deal with the outside noise, learning how to block that out, good and bad, was probably the biggest lesson learned, also being exposed at some different positions, and understanding that football is supposed to be played the way we should play it and maybe the way we did not play it on that day.
“And that’s taking nothing away from Merrimack,” Chesney said. “They were physical, and they pushed us around.”
The Crusaders lost only one more time in the regular season (to Harvard), ran the Patriot League (with a winning margin of 29.5 points in the six league games), and advanced to the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the first time.
“Being able to come back from (the Merrimack loss), we learned what it took,” HC fifth-year senior safety Walter Reynolds said. “We didn’t want to have that bad taste in our mouths the rest of the season.”
The three-time defending Patriot League champion, preseason favorite and 16th-ranked Crusaders open their 2022 campaign Friday night in North Andover at Merrimack, and they will be ready to make an early statement.
“I think we’ll want some revenge,” fifth-year senior center Nick Olsofka said. “It’s the first game of the year, and everyone is always excited for it.”
Merrimack, which is in an NCAA Division 1 reclassification period, will become a full member of the Northeast Conference in 2023-24. The Warriors went on to finish 5-6 last season.
“There are a lot of challenges this team we’re about to play poses,” Chesney said, “so we just have to continue to work.”
HC, which has 14 fifth-year seniors on the roster as well as a talented crop of younger players, has had, by all accounts and observations, a strong preseason camp, and the Crusaders’ goal is to take the program to an even higher level.
“The mission is clear,” Chesney said, “and I think it’s been developed by our young men. To see that chemistry on the field and to see them compete and be so familiar with each other and really push each other’s buttons and challenge each other, that’s the stuff we’ve seen all camp long.
“It’s so fun to be around these guys,” Chesney said. “We’re cherishing every single day together. This is one of the most veteran teams I’ve ever been around and one of the most tight-knit teams I’ve ever been around, and we are at a really net moment in time with the team on campus and in the community. You can feel some really positive momentum here.
“It’s our job to maintain that momentum and go out there every single day and fight and give every single thing we’ve got.”
Stronger, faster Sluka at QB
Among the players who made strides in camp was junior quarterback Matthew Sluka, as the leader of HC’s offense.
Sluka, who is known for his mobility, was the Crusaders’ leading rusher last season with 868 yards and 14 touchdowns. He completed 56% of his pass attempts for 1,512 yards, 11 TDs and 5 interceptions.
This preseason, the bigger, stronger and faster Sluka focused on his arm strength, accuracy and the overall pass game.
More: Bigger, faster, stronger: Holy Cross junior QB Matthew Sluka ready to lead offense again
“Right now,” Chesney said, “his ability to understand where to go with the football, and his ability to stay composed and trust his arm is different than it’s ever been. I think before he was running right away, regardless of who was open. Now, he’s just become the complete quarterback, and it’s fun to watch. He’s way more comfortable being a quarterback, not just a runner that can throw a little bit back there. It’s fun to watch that growth because it gets better every single day.”
Sluka, who was the spring 2021 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, earned all-league honors last season. With four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) and a career-high 272 passing yards, Sluka was terrific in leading Holy Cross to a come-from-behind win over Fordham to clinch the PL.
Sluka has emerged as a vocal leader for the Crusaders.
“He brings everyone along with him,” Olsofka said. “It’s getting to the point where everyone knows he’s a leader on the team.”
Whitley joins Rams' practice squad
Holy Cross coaches and players kept close tabs on former HC star defensive lineman Benton Whitley this summer as he vied for a roster spot with the reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
Whitley, a three-time All-Patriot League first-team honoree who led HC’s top-ranked total defense in 2021, had a solid training camp and totaled seven tackles and a quarterback hit in LA’s three preseason games.
In May, the Rams signed the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Whitley as an undrafted free agent.
On Tuesday, the Rams cut Whitley, but the next day, signed him to their 16-man practice squad.
“He did everything he could possibly do to get himself on that roster,” Chesney said. “He looked unbelievable, and he belongs (in the NFL). There’s no doubt about that. We’re all really proud of him.”
Last season, Whitley was a first-team All-New England selection after recording 49 tackles, 11½ tackles for loss, 5½ sacks, 6 quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTolandTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Holy Cross opens at Merrimack, seeking payback after learning from last year
