Four downs with Holy Cross

A familiar face to the Holy Cross football community will take charge for the Indians this season.

Curt Spencer, a longtime high school official, has over 10 years of experience alongside the program. This season however, he’ll take over as head coach.

“I’ve been a part of this program for some time now at different levels,” Spencer said. “I got out of coaching for a season a couple years back because I thought I was getting a little older. I took a coaching job alongside my two sons with the middle school program the next season and I’ve really enjoyed watching this group of kids grow.”

Poised to rely on a number of underclassmen once again this season, Spencer looks to guide his young talent into a breakout season.

FIRST DOWN — RECAP

Holy Cross finished 5-6 last season under former head coach Bruce Kozerski, who stepped down after 20 seasons with the program. 

Last season marked the program’s seventh straight year without a winning record since their 10-win season in 2016 that was led by current NFL linebacker and Detroit Lions standout Derrick Barnes.

In 2023, the Indians had two notable losses against Newport, losing 44-42 at home and 54-14 a week later in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs. In their last two playoff appearances, Holy Cross has been outscored 89-20 in their first round exits.

“They were an extremely young team last year with a lot to prove,” Spencer said.

Overall, Holy Cross will carry over their experience from last season as the team graduated just nine of their 37-man roster. 

SECOND DOWN — OFFENSE

Previously, the Indians’ offense was led by senior quarterback Donovan Ambrocio, who threw for 14 touchdowns on 1,188 passing yards in the 2023 season. In one of his first big decisions, Spencer announced he would turn to junior Tommy Maddox.

Entering his first season as the starting quarterback, Maddox has no lack of offensive talent alongside him.

“We’re going to have a spread offense with a bunch of athletic receivers,” Spencer said. “We have a solid number of young guys that came up big for the team last year, we’re ready to build on that.”

One offensive target to look out for is 6-foot-6 tight end Max Hunt, who had 113 receiving yards in his freshman season. This summer, Hunt received his first official offer from the University of Kentucky.

Brother of Julia Hunt, current member of the University of Washington women’s volleyball team and former Gatorade Kentucky Volleyball Player of the Year at Holy Cross, the sophomore tight end will look to continue the family’s success for the Indians.

“I feel like with this offer under my belt, I can continue to focus on my game including bulking up and my quickness,” Hunt said. “It’s great personal motivation to keep working to achieve my goal of playing college football.”

The Indian’s will look to continue their success in the run game as they’ll be led by sophomore Ulysses Porter, who rushed for 14 touchdowns on 954 rushing yards and junior Trevin Figgs, who had five touchdowns on 358 rushing yards the year prior.

THIRD DOWN — DEFENSE

On the defensive end, Holy Cross will look to be aggressive and force turnovers from the defensive line. Last season, the Indians had an effective attack forcing 13 fumbles to go along with five interceptions.

“These guys have really hit the weight room this season,” Spencer said. “We expect to use our youth and speed a whole lot this year.”

As a freshman, defensive lineman Felipa Trimble had 36 tackles and four sacks for the Indians. Alongside him, Holy Cross will return fellow sophomore Littello Johnson who recorded 29 tackles as a lineman.

Spencer will look to see more consistency out of his defense this season as he feels they’ve grown into their system.

“A lot of these guys were really getting their first taste of things last year at this level,” Spencer said. “Building off where last year’s program was at allows these guys to carry over their momentum.”

FOURTH DOWN- GOALS/EXPECTATIONS

For Holy Cross, the goal is to win their district and put an end to losing records.

“While I think our line and running core are very solid, I would say our biggest strength is our unity,” senior lineman Cooper Ward said. “Our morale and camaraderie have really united us to come together and have a great season.”

For Spencer, this team is something to get excited about.

“When my oldest son graduated years back I got bored,” Spencer said. “I’ve worked state championships as an official and things like that, but I’ve seen these kids really buy into this team and bring that excitement to the game.”

Although Spencer looks forward to building off of the team’s momentum from the year prior, he also adds, “I’ve got about three true freshmen that could probably start because they know my expectations.”

The Indians will kick off their season at Sayre on Aug. 23.

SCHEDULE