The NKyTribune is featuring each of the 21 high school football teams in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties leading up to the first games of the 2018 season on Friday. We will then provide focused coverage of our local teams throughout the regular season and into the playoffs.
By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The last two seasons have been a wild ride for three seniors on the Holy Cross football roster. When they were sophomores, the Indians made a strong run in the Class 2A state playoffs that ended with a seven-point loss in the semifinals. Last season went in a different direction. The team didn’t win a single game with mostly first-year starters in the lineup.
Holy Cross seniors Charles Moses, front, Will Schwierjohann, left, and Joe Martin are three of the team’s most experienced players.
“Last year was a learning experience for us,” said Holy Cross senior linebacker Will Schwierjohann. “This year, we’re going to have a lot more second-year starters and we’re going to be a lot more experienced so we have higher expectations. We’re going to use what we learned from last year and just hope for the best.”
The other seniors returning from last year’s team are both two-way starters. Joe Martin is an offensive guard and defensive tackle. Charles Moses is an offensive center and middle linebacker.
Most of the other players on the Holy Cross roster are sophomores who got their first taste of varsity competition last season when the Indians were outscored, 589-76.
Coach Bruce Kozerski said his young team was “overwhelmed and out-manned a lot” last year. To keep that from happening again, the coaching staff is trying to develop more capable linemen.
“If you can use five or six offensive linemen in a game and turn around and do the same thing on defense to hold that line of scrimmage or move that line of scrimmage, you can have some success in high school football,” Kozerski said.
Martin and Moses will be starting side-by-side on the offensive line once again. Schwierjohann is the backup center, but he might step in at other line positions as well. The three seniors couldn’t have a better mentor than Kozerski, who was an offensive lineman for the Cincinnati Bengals for 12 seasons before he came to Holy Cross.
Bruce Kozerski
“We all get scared when Koz comes over (to work with linemen) because that’s when it’s going to be a hard practice,” said Martin, who has learned a lot in those demanding drills.
“I’m only 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds and some of the other guys (I face) out there are like 6-5 and 320,” he said. “So I have to have my footwork in place and get in the right spots, and Koz has been instrumental in helping me learn all that.”
If the Holy Cross offensive and defensive lines come together, the coach feels like the players behind them will be able to do their jobs better.
One of the team’s returning starters is sophomore running back/linebacker Jeremiah Hicks, who had 53 tackles, 111 yards rushing and 106 yards receiving in his varsity debut last season.
Other underclassmen who gained valuable varsity experience include sophomore linebacker Brady Spencer, junior defensive back Kasheem Smith and sophomore quarterback James Davis, who passed for 225 yards and three touchdowns in eight games.
Keeping the Holy Cross players focused and motivated until everything comes together and they break their losing streak is important to Kozerski.
“We’ve just got to keep working to get better and I’m trying to instill that in these guys,” he said. “Some of them are happy just to be OK, and if you’re happy with that you’re only going to be OK. We want guys who reach for the stars. We have a few like that, but not enough.”
HOLY CROSS INDIANS
2017 season: 0-11 record, lost in first round of Class 2A playoffs.
District: Class 2A, District 4 with Lloyd, Newport and Newport Central Catholic.
Head coach: Bruce Kozerski (67-88 in 13 seasons at Holy Cross).
2018 SCHEDULE
Aug. 17 – PIKEVILLE, 8 p.m.
Aug. 24 – CINCINNATI COUNTRY DAY, 7 p.m.
Aug. 31 – at Scott, 7 p.m.
Sept. 7 – WALTON-VERONA, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 – at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 – BEECHWOOD, 11 a.m.
Sept. 28 – at Holmes, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 – at Newport Central Catholic, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12– at Newport, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 – LLOYD, 7 p.m.
Other NKyTribune prep football previews:
DAYTON GREENDEVILS
DIXIE HEIGHTS COLONELS
COOPER JAGUARS
CONNER COUGARS
HIGHLANDS BLUEBIRDS
LUDLOW PANTHERS
BOONE COUNTY REBELS
HOLMES BULLDOGS
WALTON-VERONA BEARCATS
BROSSART MUSTANGS
NEWPORT WILDCATS
SCOTT EAGLES
CAMPBELL COUNTY CAMELS
SIMON KENTON PIONEERS
BELLEVUE TIGERS
NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC THOROUGHBREDS
LLOYD JUGGERNAUTS
RYLE RAIDERS
COVINGTON CATHOLIC COLONELS
