It’s Monday and workouts reconvene for the Holy Cross High School football team. Players saunter onto John Wysong Field at the Eva G. Farris Sports Complex in Covington and snap their chin straps. It’s 91 degrees but the humidity makes it feel like a blistering 103. The air on the practice field is hot and suffocating, much like last year’s Indians who won their first 11 games and allowed a scant seven points per contest.
“We’re used to it,” quarterback Brian Ferguson offers between sips of water. He means the weather, but he might as well be talking about expectations. Holy Cross’s 11‑1 bounce‑back 2025 season — its first winning campaign in nine years and best in 14 — didn’t feel like a fluke to the rising junior. “We’re built to last,” he says.
Practice rolls on under roasting sunshine. Coaches keep an eye on the western sky as dark clouds gather. Forecasted rain never quite arrives before the end of the two-hour session, and with little disruption, another Indians practice is in the books — and last year filled plenty of pages.
“We lost one game and gave up just 84 points all season,” third-year coach Curt Spencer says as he rattles off last year’s cascade of accolades and accomplishments. “That’s the fewest losses in a season for a Holy Cross team this century. It’s crazy how few points that is.”
It’s more than crazy — it’s the foundation of what Holy Cross believes it can be.
Here are five things to know about the Indians in the run‑up to the 2026 season:
The defense travels
Even in the heat of the moment, coach Spencer does not believe last season’s miniscule allowance is a one-off for his hybrid defense. “I have seven starters back on that side,” the coach says of his roster of 30. “I have really good linemen, solid linebackers and athletic defensive backs. Just all kinds of guys who can play multiple positions, giving us a lot of versatility. We’re so small, we have to be that way. I’ve got a lot of Swiss Army knives.”
He also has junior twins, lineman Jake Rieselman and defensive back Jason Rieselman. “Both can play multiple positions on defense and offense, and they are mean,” the coach says. “Jake was second on the team in sacks (8) and up there in tackles (fifth with 52). Jason is one of our top returning guys (21 tackles, one interception).”
They’re not alone. Senior linebacker Dustin Wilson led the team with 88 stops. Junior end Garrett Frederick was next with 67 and led the Indians with nine sacks. Also among the tackle leaders: senior linebacker Charles Oglesby (10 tackles for loss), senior tackle Max Hunt (3.5 sacks), and junior cornerback Xavier Thornberry (3 interceptions).
“I 100 percent believe that our defense can be just as good as last year, if not better,” says the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Hunt, who holds several college offers including those from Miami University and Eastern Kentucky. He received an offer from Kentucky before his sophomore season. “I also 100 percent personally believe that we can compete with the best teams in Class 1A.”
Offense explosive, again
The Indians’ spread offense was hot all last season, scoring 448 points, fifth in Class A. That’s 37 per game, making for an average winning margin of 30, thanks to the stellar defense. They welcome back nine starters on offense. The starting quarterback, top three rushers and all but two of last season’s leading pass catchers return. Both starting tight ends are back. Four starters are back on the offensive line. Buckle up, Indians fans. It’s going to be another wild ride.
“I feel great about this group,” says Ferguson, who finished 72-of-122 passing last season for 1,128 yards with 19 touchdowns and just two interceptions. “The coaches are helping us and keeping us all in line.”
Ferguson is a key weapon in the rushing attack after getting loose for 705 yards last season and 15 TDs. Oglesby led with 832 yards and scored 12 TDs. Wilson had meaningful carries and scored three times, and he can also play tight end. Three of Ferguson’s top targets are back including Hunt (21 catches, 314 yards, 6 TDs), Xavier Thornberry and Cahlil Johnson. Leading receiver Braylon Thornberry is out for the season following a June medical episode resulting in emergency surgery.
Back on the line are junior tackle Jude Crail, sophomore tackle Ben Chalfin, senior center Chase Daniels and junior guard Tyson Oliver. Not one of them is 6 feet tall, but two weigh more than 245 pounds.
Efficient coaching key to success
For a staff with so few coaches, Holy Cross gets a lot of mileage out of its brain trust.
“The previous coach, (former Cincinnati Bengals lineman) Bruce Kozerski, helped out my first year but hasn’t been with us for a while,” Spencer says. “So, including me, I have less than a half dozen actual coaches now, nine total including interns. Bruce Arlinghaus calls the plays on offense and Rick Lehmkuhl is my defensive coordinator.”
Spencer has been on the Holy Cross staff for 10 years, five of those as linebackers coach under Kozerski when he coached Detroit Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes. Spencer led the middle school program for two years, winning the eighth-grade championship three years ago. His familiarity with the football program is second to none and so is his on-field knowledge. Spencer was a high school official for 10 years. He’s been involved with youth football for nearly 30 years. He’s a current board member of the NKY Youth Football League and board president. Spencer also served in the United States Air Force which had him stationed, among other locations, at the Panama Canal.
“Coach is strict but loving. It was super-hot today and the coach understood that,” Ferguson says. “When he talks to you, you want to talk to him because he understands. He played football. His sons played football. He’s coached for a long time, so we trust him.”
Stars on parade
It’s hot outside, but Ferguson and Hunt are raving about their cool teammates. They agree the small-school Indians are better than the sum of their parts, in large part because they have to be.
“We have a lot of talent,” insists Ferguson. “I mean, we really have some players. And everybody plays everywhere.”
Ferguson, Hunt and Oglesby are returning 2025 Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association Division IV all-stars on offense. Frederick, Wilson, Jake Rieselman and Xavier Thornberry are returning local Division IV defensive all-stars. Hunt is a returning NKFCA Top 28 selection.
Their coach says they are much more than that: “They are leaders and they all can play multiple positions, which I love.”
Built for the long haul
Coach Spencer feels like he’s sitting on something big at Holy Cross and Ferguson and Hunt have a feeling this thing has legs. They want to prove they are well beyond last year’s season-ending loss to Newport in the second round of the Class 1A playoffs.
“Our quarterback is with us two more years, that’s huge,” the coach says. “Our offensive line looks good for next year and beyond. We’ll lose two running backs after this year, but I can move a guy back to running back when they leave. I think we’re going to have receivers. I got a freshman kicker who’s special. I’m a defensive oriented coach and I think we’re going to be solid there for years to come. We added to the sophomores. We have a nice middle school class.”
Ferguson likes the underclassmen’s attitude: “We all want to win, that’s what I like about it. And we can keep winning. I like that, too.”
Hunt believes he’ll come back after college and the program will still be hot. “Just looking at the young players and the way they keep elevating with age, we can be good for not just two, three, or four years but maybe good for five,” he predicts. “But I’m not really worried about it. I’m thinking about now. I think about winning state all the time. I know we can.”
We’re previewing all 22 NKY football teams from July 27-August 17. Check out five things to know about each team below:
