Heartbreaker in Week 2
Holy Cross falls to San Antonio Christian, 33-36
by Jacob Bermudez ('25) on September 07, 2025
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Holy Cross came up short Friday night in a back-and-forth battle on the road, falling to San Antonio Christian, 36-33. The Knights produced a stronger offensive outing, but late-game opportunities slipped away in a contest that featured momentum swings from start to finish.
The Knights opened with confidence, striking first on the ground behind senior RB Taylor Flores, who punched in two first-half rushing touchdowns. Sophomore QB Rocky Orozco added to the fast start, rolling out and finding senior ATH Diego Fernandez in the back of the endzone for a score that pushed Holy Cross to a commanding 20-0 lead early in the second quarter.
San Antonio Christian would respond with touchdowns on back-to-back drives. First, when senior QB Sloan Guillory snuck in for a 1-yard TD run, and then when he hit senior ATH Aaron Albrecht for an 18-yard touchdown to bring their deficit down to 14-20 heading into halftime.
The Lions opened the second half by taking the lead off a 10-yard touchdown run from Sloan Guillory. The Knights answered on the following drive, moving the ball all the way down to the six-yard line, where senior ATH JJ Acosta ran in a touchdown to pull ahead at 26-21.
San Antonio Christian showed special teams talent when freshman ATH Asher Zimmerman returned the kickoff 74 yards to reclaim the board at 29-26. Holy Cross replied firmly by moving the ball all the way down with the run game. Rocky Orozco added a 4-yard touchdown run for the fourth lead change of the second half.
The Lions accounted the final points of the night when sophomore RB Ethan Young took in a 5-yard TD run to give his team a 36-33 lead with 1 minute left in the game. Holy Cross put together a strong downfield drive but ultimately did not score, and San Antonio Christian celebrated at home.
Despite the loss, the Knights showcased balance on offense. Taylor Flores led the ground attack with 127 rushing yards on 26 carries and 2 TDs, while Rocky Orozco turned in another strong performance in just his second varsity start, finishing with 214 total yards and 2 total TDs on a 54% completion percentage. Diego Fernandez hauled in a touchdown reception, and JJ Acosta added a rushing score to round out the Knights’ offensive effort.
Now, Holy Cross shifts its focus to one of the most anticipated games of the year, the Holy Bowl. The Knights will face rival Central Catholic next Friday, September 12, at Harlandale Memorial Stadium.
With two competitive battles of experience, Holy Cross enters the city rivalry determined to turn lessons learned into their first win of the season on one of San Antonio’s biggest stages.
