Holy Cross football finally did it. On Friday night at Municipal Stadium’s Ray Snyder Sr. Field, the Crusaders took down Ansonia 48-37, snapping a streak against them that stretched all the way back to 2009. Seriously, this was a game for the ages, and senior running back Nate Craft was the undeniable force, racking up four touchdowns to make sure Holy Cross brought home that W.
Years of Frustration Finally Put to Rest
For years, it felt like Ansonia had Holy Cross’s number, especially in the clutch. Twice in the last four years, the Crusaders had the win in their grasp, only to see it slip away in the final moments. Remember last year? Ansonia snatched a 28-26 victory. And in 2022, the lead changed hands seven times before the Chargers locked in a 31-28 win. This was different. Holy Cross had the lead late, and this time, they slammed the door shut.
“It feels great,” Crusader senior running back Nate Craft said after the game. “We worked hard all week, and we’ve been preparing for this moment.” Senior quarterback Brady Lombardo echoed that sentiment, saying, “All year, since last year when we lost to them, we’ve been thinking about this game. The whole year, and now that we’ve actually won, it feels so great.” Even Coach Mike Giampetruzzi couldn’t hide his excitement for his guys, especially the seniors. “It’s been a long time, and we’ve had a lot of battles in the past couple years. For these guys to finally get a win, and these seniors, they’ve been through the two-point or the three-point losses and those things, but I’m really happy for that group.” You can feel the relief and pure joy coming off those guys, right?
Nate Craft Was UNSTOPPABLE
Let’s talk about Nate Craft. The dude had a monster game. He kicked things off with a ridiculous 65-yard touchdown run on the very first play from scrimmage. Later, he snagged a 34-yard catch-and-run touchdown from Brady Lombardo. But the real game-changer came in the third quarter. Ansonia had just taken a 29-28 lead thanks to a wild kickoff return. No problem for Craft. On back-to-back drives, he busted out rushing scores of 27 and eight yards, flipping that deficit into a commanding 42-29 advantage. Talk about taking over!
“We have a lot of talent,” Craft said, giving props to his teammates. “When our receivers are getting covered, it’s going to open up the run game, and like I said, I can’t do it without my O-line.” Speaking of the offensive line, those guys , left tackle Terrell Inabinett, left guard Kyler Booker, center Nolan Corriveau, right guard Johan Hernandez, and right tackle Caleb Corriveau , were straight-up bulldozers. Quarterback Brady Lombardo, despite getting knocked out of the game on two different plays, was also slinging it, throwing touchdown passes of 34, 64, 47, and one yard to Craft, Tyler Smith, Michael Stradford, and Dae’Sean Graves. “Yeah, I had the wind knocked out of me, but regardless of that, my O-line played great,” Lombardo added. “Without any of them, we can’t do our job. We can’t get the ball to Aaden Hall, Dae Dae, Nate Craft, Tyler Smith, Michael Stradford, without out the line. It all starts there, that’s where our success starts.” You gotta love that team-first mentality!
Ansonia Fought Hard, But Holy Cross Held On
Ansonia didn’t just roll over, though. Junior running back Tymir Taylor was a beast for the Chargers, scoring three total touchdowns: two on runs of four and five yards, and that electric kickoff return to open the second half that briefly gave Ansonia the lead. Jacob Branch added a 14-yard touchdown run, and Antonio Pinto punched in a two-yard rushing score. The Chargers even took a 29-28 lead just 14 seconds into the third quarter after Taylor’s kickoff return and Pinto’s extra point.
Ansonia coach Shane Kingsley gave full credit to the Crusaders. “Our offense played hard. I thought we did some good things on offense, I thought we did some bad things, but hats off to Holy Cross,” Kingsley said. “I thought they were more physical than us at the line of scrimmage at times, especially on defense, and they deserved to win.” When an opposing coach says you were more physical, you know you laid it all out there.
Now, both Holy Cross and Ansonia head into the Naugatuck Valley League’s bye week sitting at 4-1. For the Crusaders, this victory is a long-awaited moment, a testament to their hard work, and a memory these seniors will cherish. What a night for Holy Cross football!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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