Disappointing season comes to a fitting end – Big plays push Mount past Holy Cross

Holy Cross Coach Tom Pugh didn't address his players under the far goal post after their nightmarish season ended in disheartening fashion at Mount St. Michael in the Bronx Sunday afternoon.
The longtime coach wasn't necessarily angry or even upset at his players after their 35-7 loss to the Mountaineers (8-2). Words weren't needed. They couldn't adequately express the empty feeling.
The team's eight losses more than told the story for the once promising Knights, who boasted four Division 1-A seniors and a promising transfer quarterback when the year began. &#8220It was a disaster all year,” Pugh said. &#8220It really was.”
A week three concussion to the signal-caller, Dan Hussey, cut his season short. The team's unquestioned leader, running back Kevin Williams, missed parts of four games with a twisted ankle, and then tried valiantly to run Pugh's west coast offense under center. In the end, he just couldn't cut it at the new position - and it weakened the team's backfield, especially when lead blocker Darryl Whiting was inactive the last few weeks because of academic problems.
&#8220It was a tough year,” Williams said. &#8220We had a lot of adversity with the quarterback situation. The guys showed a lot of pride, working through it. We've been plagued with injuries but I give the guys credit. We came out every weekend and gave it our all.”
Holy Cross (2-8) managed just a single league win over cellar dweller Monsignor Farrell after challenging perennial champion St. Anthony's at the top of the division last year, and then narrowly falling to the Friars in the league opener in early September.
In that loss the Knights arguably outplayed the Long Island juggernaut, but broken coverage in the secondary and costly turnovers did them in. Williams got hurt in that game. Holy Cross would never be whole again.
They expressed optimism of a second chance in the playoffs. Holy Cross played Mount St. Michael, the second seed, close a month earlier. And when they scored first, on freshman Barrington Wallace's 35-yard run, the first of his varsity career, an upset seemed a legitimate possibility.
But Williams (176 total yards) was picked off three times, he had an 87-yard keeper called back because of a Spiro Cominos holding penalty, and the Knights just allowed too many big plays. Mount St. Michael answered that first score with two long drives of their own, Jayson Holt scored from two yards out to end the half, putting the Mountaineers up 15-7 at the half.
The score would quickly be extended. On the first play of the second half, Michael Petrellese blazed past a host of Holy Cross defenders, accelerating through a number of arm tackles for the 85-yard game-changing kickoff return. &#8220It felt like the air went out of our balloon,” Williams said. &#8220It's hard to recover from that.”
Holt added a 35-yard touchdown pass to Michael Bruederlein off play-action, the final dagger into the hearts of Holy Cross in a season full of them.
&#8220Deep down it's real disappointing that it's over because there's nothing like high school football, you know, the camaraderie,” Williams said. &#8220I'm close with all the guys in there. It's going to hurt a lot.”