Crusaders finally get to celebrate elusive first victory
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – It was an historic night on the Christ the King Catholic High School campus.
On Friday, the Crusaders defeated Charlotte Victory Christian, 45-6, on their home field to take the first victory in program history.
The Crusaders ended a 14-game losing streak that spanned over two seasons, and a large on-field celebration ensued when the final horn sounded.
“The significance of (Friday) night can't be understated,” Christ the King coach Jay Alverson said. “For two years, our success has been measured in moral victories. To be able to show these kids that their hard work, preparation and faith can result in both moral and concrete victories allows us, as coaches, to gain the kids’ trust, which will pay off both now and down the road.”
The Crusaders (1-3) jumped out to a 19-0 lead in the first quarter and pushed their advantage over Victory Christian (0-2) to 32-0 by halftime. By then, the outcome was academic.
Several players had star moments in the momentous win, led by Drew Brenner, who ran for three touchdowns – and had another called back because of a penalty – to go with his season-high 168 yards. Christ the King rested Brenner, who has been nursing an ankle injury, for most of the second half when the milestone victory basically was secured.
Christ the King quarterback Jack Hills finished with 57 yards and a touchdown on the ground and then put up 82 yards through the air with another score.
Defensively, senior Seth Frederick had an interception, and A.J. McMahon had eight tackles for loss.
“A.J. McMahon came out of nowhere,” Alverson beamed. “He’s a 170-pound, 5-foot-6 kid who just took advantage of his speed and aggressiveness. It was just one of those lights-out nights for him.”
The Christ the King coaches, Alverson said, were as ecstatic as the players about the night.
“I think for the coaches, it was a feeling of relief, and I think for the players, it was, ‘Oh, this is what winning feels like? We need to feel this way,’” Alverson said.
“We know what losing feels like. We tried not to run up the score, but we wanted to make sure that the whole team really felt ownership in this, to a player. We just felt like we were at a point where, for the program’s future, we needed to win. The kids really stepped up and responded.”
A number of Christ the King fans hung in the stadium long after the 7:30 p.m. game was complete, savoring the moment. It is a night, the coach said, that will forever live in Crusaders lore.
“I think the most telling thing,” Alverson said, “was by the time I finished packing up everything, it was almost midnight, and there were still five (players) just lying on the midfield logo, just thrilled with the fact that they had represented their school, they had represented their faith and they had represented their team with such pride, such dignity.”
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – It was an historic night on the Christ the King Catholic High School campus.
On Friday, the Crusaders defeated Charlotte Victory Christian, 45-6, on their home field to take the first victory in program history.
The Crusaders ended a 14-game losing streak that spanned over two seasons, and a large on-field celebration ensued when the final horn sounded.
“The significance of (Friday) night can't be understated,” Christ the King coach Jay Alverson said. “For two years, our success has been measured in moral victories. To be able to show these kids that their hard work, preparation and faith can result in both moral and concrete victories allows us, as coaches, to gain the kids’ trust, which will pay off both now and down the road.”
The Crusaders (1-3) jumped out to a 19-0 lead in the first quarter and pushed their advantage over Victory Christian (0-2) to 32-0 by halftime. By then, the outcome was academic.
Several players had star moments in the momentous win, led by Drew Brenner, who ran for three touchdowns – and had another called back because of a penalty – to go with his season-high 168 yards. Christ the King rested Brenner, who has been nursing an ankle injury, for most of the second half when the milestone victory basically was secured.
Christ the King quarterback Jack Hills finished with 57 yards and a touchdown on the ground and then put up 82 yards through the air with another score.
Defensively, senior Seth Frederick had an interception, and A.J. McMahon had eight tackles for loss.
“A.J. McMahon came out of nowhere,” Alverson beamed. “He’s a 170-pound, 5-foot-6 kid who just took advantage of his speed and aggressiveness. It was just one of those lights-out nights for him.”
The Christ the King coaches, Alverson said, were as ecstatic as the players about the night.
“I think for the coaches, it was a feeling of relief, and I think for the players, it was, ‘Oh, this is what winning feels like? We need to feel this way,’” Alverson said.
“We know what losing feels like. We tried not to run up the score, but we wanted to make sure that the whole team really felt ownership in this, to a player. We just felt like we were at a point where, for the program’s future, we needed to win. The kids really stepped up and responded.”
A number of Christ the King fans hung in the stadium long after the 7:30 p.m. game was complete, savoring the moment. It is a night, the coach said, that will forever live in Crusaders lore.
“I think the most telling thing,” Alverson said, “was by the time I finished packing up everything, it was almost midnight, and there were still five (players) just lying on the midfield logo, just thrilled with the fact that they had represented their school, they had represented their faith and they had represented their team with such pride, such dignity.”
