WORCESTER, Mass. – John Smith was elated when he won MVP honors last weekend (April 24) for Holy Cross.
In what turned out to be a 33-10 win over Bucknell, Smith caught an interception for 58 yards and added four tackles as a defensive back to help propel Holy Cross (3-0) for its second consecutive Patriot League title.
This was a milestone moment for Smith, who is a Park Vista alum and a junior standout for the FCS program.
“It felt great to be out there after all the schedule changes and not playing for three weeks,” Smith said. “We were kinda feeling down, not knowing whether we were gonna play or not, but winning another ring made all the uncertainty and all the anxiety worth it. We knew nothing is guaranteed, so we all went out and played every play like it was our last and that’s what we did. I was just doing my part.”
In three games this spring season, Smith has recorded five tackles (one tackle for loss, four pass breakups, and three interceptions. He has caught a pick in each game Holy Cross has played in.
The 6-foot, 185-pound defensive back weighed in a little more on how the Patriot League title game turned out for him.
“I had dropped two other picks,” Smith said. “I muffed a punt, and during that drive I let up a couple catches so I said to myself, “You gotta do something”. On the interception, I saw the play develop. I jumped the route and the rest was history.”
And now for the FCS playoffs, Holy Cross will go into its first-round as a 14-point underdog to perennial powerhouse and No. 1 overall seed San Diego State (5-1).
If the Crusaders can keep the game close today (April 24; 3 p.m. kickoff) against the Jackrabbits, it would go a long way in boosting the program’s profile on the national level. But what if Smith can recapture the magic he had last week and help pull off the spring circuit’s biggest upset victory in Brookings, S.D.?
We’ll find out soon enough.
PALM BEACH COUNTY PLAYERS FOR HOLY CROSS
- Junior defensive back John Smith (Park Vista alum)
- Junior defensive lineman Matt Cedeno (American Heritage-Delray Beach alum)
- Sophomore wide receiver Jack Coulson (Olympic Heights alum)
HOW TO VIEW GAME: ESPN3/ESPN+
PHOTO CREDITS: Holy Cross Football
