Holy Cross quarterback Brian Ferguson laughingly admitted after the game that he kept using the word family.
For a team that’s now 7-0 and 1-0 in Class 1A, District 4 play, that word has become their secret to success — whether it’s a blowout or a down-to-the-wire thriller. That bond propelled them past Bishop Brossart in a gritty, low-scoring 6-3 victory in Alexandria at the Mustang Athletic Complex.
“Our team is getting more disciplined, more together, more of a family,” Ferguson said. “Our school is like a family and cares for us as well. We’re loving it, the school loves it. Holy Cross is a family.”
It wasn’t the kind of game the Indians were used to. Coming in, they averaged 42.5 points per contest and won by an average margin of 35. On this night, though, they battled a blocked field goal, lost fumbles on the opening drives of both halves, penalties, negative plays on runs and sacks, and a generally stalled offense.
But if you looked to the sideline at the huddles filled with red, black and white, you wouldn’t have seen frustration or slumped shoulders. It was the opposite: players encouraging each other, staying positive, and showing exactly why they keep winning — one big family.
“Most of these kids, even the sophomores, I’ve coached for years,” Holy Cross head coach Curt Spencer said. “These kids have been together for a long time and they are a family. They do everything together, they love each other and pick each other up. They go through every bit of adversity there ever is as one.”
At halftime, the Mustangs led 3-0 on a 22-yard field goal by Max Runge, following an earlier miss.
Ferguson struggled early, but his teammates kept lifting him up, offering advice and support. Finally, with 1:06 left in the third quarter, he broke through, scrambling to his right and finding the end zone from 23 yards out. Ferguson also led the team in rushing with 35 of the Indians’ 98 total yards, passing for 20 more.
“I was making mistakes, but they were still with me,” Ferguson said. “My team and coaches kept lifting me up. They told me a thousand times to go outside. I’m not the biggest person — I was trying to get contact — but then I listened and scored.”
The extra point missed, leaving the door open for the Mustangs, but their offensive struggles lingered. Over the last four games, they’ve averaged just 7.5 points per outing.
Bishop Brossart turned it over on downs on its final drive and finished with one turnover overall. They totaled 46 yards, 48 through the air and negative two on the ground.
“We’ve got to fix a couple of things on our offensive line, find ways to get receivers open, and build confidence in our young quarterback,” Bishop Brossart head coach Adam Kozerski said. “There are a couple of plays I need to reconsider and think through in my play calling as well, but we did play with a little more fire and tenacity than we have in recent weeks.”
It’s the Mustangs’ fourth loss in a row, dropping them to 2-5 overall and 0-1 in district play. They’ll travel to Ludlow next week for a 7 p.m. kickoff before taking on Trimble County.
Holy Cross, meanwhile, strengthened its chances of earning the No. 1 seed and hosting two playoff games, with matchups against Trimble County (next week) and Ludlow still ahead.
More photos below, provided by Jenny Quinn:
INDIANS 6, MUSTANGS 3
HOLY CROSS — 0-0-6-0 — 6
BISHOP BROSSART — 0-3-0-0 — 3
Scoring Plays
2nd Quarter
(BB) Runge 22-yard field goal (1:22)
3rd Quarter
(HC) Ferguson 23-yard run (1:06) Romero kick no good
Game Stats
Passing Yards: Holy Cross 20 (Ferguson 2/4), Bishop Brossart 48 (Spaulding 5/12)
Rushing Yards: Holy Cross 98 (Ferguson 18-35, Wilson 9-33, Oglesby 7-19, B. Thornberry 2-9, Maddox 1-2), Bishop Brossart -2 (Schuck 19-17, McKinzie 1-(minus)5, Spaulding 6-(minus)14)
Receiving: Holy Cross (Hunt 1-11, Maddox 1-9), Bishop Brossart (Tischner 1-20, Ruth 1-15, Amin 3-13)
Turnovers: Holy Cross 2, Bishop Brossart 1
Penalties: Holy Cross 4-41, Bishop Brossart 7-49
Records: Holy Cross 7-0, Bishop Brossart 2-5