One More Step
Recapping Holy Cross’s dominant Area Championship Win
by Jacob Bermudez ('25) on November 16, 2025
Launch the media gallery 1 playerOn a cold playoff night at The 426, Holy Cross left no doubt. In their final home game of the season, the Knights took full advantage of their home field advantage, dominating Fort Worth Lake Country Christian 48-14 in the TAPPS Division III Area Championship to move on to the Regional Championship.
The tone was set instantly. On the opening kickoff, senior Aiden Olivarez took it 102 yards to the house, igniting the home crowd and giving the Knights a 6-0 lead just seconds into the game. From that moment on, Holy Cross controlled everything: tempo, momentum, and their home crowd.
Sophomore quarterback Rocky Orozco turned in one of his best performances of his young career in his first start at quarterback in the postseason. He finished 12/18 for 319 yards and 5 touchdowns, distributing the ball with confidence and punishing Lake Country Christian’s defense. His top connection all night was sophomore Crew Hudson, who turned the Area Championship into his own highlight reel. Hudson posted 6 catches for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns, scoring from 24, 35, and 75 yards out and stretching the field every time the Knights needed a spark.
On the ground, junior running back Austin Abrego continued to shine in just his third game back from injury. Abrego ran for 117 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, including a huge 58-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that helped blow the game open. Up front, the offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage all night, giving Abrego and Orozco room to work. Holy Cross led 34-0 at halftime and never looked back.
In the second half, junior AJ Eguia added a 39-yard touchdown grab, and senior Julian “J.R.” Salas capped the night with a 50-yard touchdown, giving the Knights 48 points in their final home game of the season.
Defensively, Holy Cross was just as impressive. The Knights held Lake Country to 56 rushing yards on 30 attempts and came up with three interceptions from junior Andrew Ybarra and seniors Aiden and Jayden Olivarez.
In their last game at The 426 this year, the Knights defended their home field with authority.
A 48-14 Area Championship win.
One more step on the road to glory.
