Ryan McCabe ’28
Staff Writer
In a tightly contested defensive battle, the Holy Cross football team fell to Lehigh, 10-7, at Fitton Field this past Saturday, Nov. 9. The Crusaders, now tied with Lehigh and Bucknell in the Patriot League standings, faced a Lehigh defense ranked among the best in the FCS, a challenge that was clearly evident throughout the game.
The game was a showdown between the Patriot League’s top offense and top defense, and it lived up to the hype with neither team giving an inch easily. Holy Cross, fresh off a bye week, came in rested and ready, aiming to stay undefeated in Patriot League play. The Crusaders entered the day ahead of Lehigh and Bucknell by one game, and the loss leaves them now in a three-way tie for first place.
Crusader sophomore running back Jayden Clerveaux was the Crusaders’ offensive standout, rushing for 84 yards and repeatedly giving Holy Cross a fighting chance to move downfield. Clerveaux’s hard running helped set up the team’s only scoring drive of the day. On that drive, Clerveaux’s 20-yard run pushed the Crusaders into scoring position, and senior quarterback Joe Pesansky would later connect with senior tight end Jacob Petersen for a 10-yard touchdown pass.
On defense, Holy Cross senior Frankie Monte turned in a career performance, totaling 21 tackles and recovering a fumble to keep the Crusaders competitive. The standout linebacker crossed the 100-tackle mark for the season and 200 tackles in his career. Sophomore linebackers Drew Spinogatti and Cam Santee, along with senior safety Curtis Harris-Lopez, contributed to the team’s defensive stand, with Spinogatti recording eight tackles and Santee and Harris-Lopez adding six tackles each.
Lehigh struck first, breaking the scoreless deadlock on the first play of the second quarter. A 12-yard pass from Lafayette quarterback Dante Perri to sophomore receiver Mason Humphrey put the Mountain Hawks up 7-0. The Crusaders would soon respond with their best drive of the game, aided by Clerveaux’s powerful runs and capped off by Pesansky’s touchdown pass to Petersen. This quick response brought Holy Cross back level, and the score remained 7-7 heading into halftime after both teams traded scoreless drives.
The third quarter saw Lehigh take the lead for good. Quarterback Hayden Johnson led the Mountain Hawks on a steady drive, positioning them for a field goal. Junior kicker Nick Garrido then converted a 25-yard field goal, giving Lehigh a 10-7 advantage with 7:06 left in the third. Holy Cross had a chance to turn the game around shortly after, as Monte recovered a Lehigh fumble with 5:08 remaining in the quarter, giving the Crusaders favorable field position. However, the Crusaders were unable to capitalize on the turnover, as the Mountain Hawks’ defense forced a punt.
In the fourth quarter, with about seven minutes remaining, the Crusaders mounted a final push. Pesansky converted a critical fourth down, finding fifth-year receiver Quinton Gregory for a 7-yard gain that kept the drive alive. Clerveaux followed up with runs of 18 and 3 yards, pushing Holy Cross into the red zone and within striking distance of a go-ahead score. However, a series of missteps, including a tackle-for-loss, a sack, and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, pushed the Crusaders out of scoring range, forcing a punt and squandering a valuable opportunity.
With time winding down, Holy Cross managed to engineer one last drive. Starting from their own 14-yard line with 2:24 left, the Crusaders quickly advanced downfield, helped by two completions to fifth-year receiver Byron Shipman, including a crucial 19-yard catch. The drive stalled at Lehigh’s 35-yard line, setting up a long field goal attempt. With just eight seconds left on the clock, sophomore kicker Daniel Porto attempted a 52-yard field goal to send the game into overtime. Unfortunately, Lehigh’s Andrew Sharga managed to get a hand on the ball, blocking the kick and sealing the 10-7 win for the Mountain Hawks.
This was Holy Cross’s lowest-scoring performance of the season, with the Crusaders managing just 252 total yards of offense against Lehigh’s stifling defense. Despite their struggles, the Holy Cross defense held strong, allowing only 10 points and three completed passes, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Lehigh’s relentless pressure.
Holy Cross head coach Dan Curran praised the team’s preparation and effort after the game.
“We had a great week of preparation, and the guys came out playing extremely hard,” Curran said in the postgame press conference. “We just needed a bit more execution down the stretch. Give them [Lehigh] credit—they made the plays when it counted.”
The Crusaders will have an opportunity to bounce back on Saturday, Nov. 16, when they host Bucknell for their final home game and Senior Day. Kickoff at Fitton Field is set for noon as Holy Cross looks to regain its footing in the Patriot League title race.
Featured image courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics
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