Fall Athletics Recap Football
It was a rollercoaster ride for coach Mike D. Gabriel and the 2021 Tigers football team. Holy Family couldn’t string back-to-back wins together until Weeks 6/7, and the Tigers finished the season 6-4 and earned the No. 8 seed in the Class 3A playoffs. They hosted Pueblo South in the 1st round and gave them a steady dose of running backs Jacob Lawver (218 yards, three touchdowns) and Chase McNaughton (81 yards, one touchdown) in a 34-18 victory. The win set up a quarterfinals game against top-seeded Roosevelt in Johnstown. The Tigers fought valiantly, but it wasn’t enough as Roosevelt prevailed 51-33.
The team has a lot to build on moving forward, including sophomore quarterback Rylan Cooney who was dynamic once he took over the full-time starting duties, throwing for 1,800 yards and rushing for another 300+ in his first varsity season. The Tigers had seven first-team AllConference selections, led by seniors Dominic Mazzulla (TE/DE), Lawver (RB/ DB), Alex Austin (DL), Brady Samaras (LB), John Hulquest (OL/DL), Pierce Kunz (DB) and junior McNaughton (RB).
Boys Soccer
It was there the Tigers run came to an end. Despite cutting the score in half in the 51st minute on Ward’s penalty kick, Holy Family was defeated 4-1 by the eventual Class 4A state champion Nighthawks.
Cross Country
Heading into the season, coach David Martinez knew he had senior leadership in place but was the young talent enough to make the Tigers a contender? As it turned out, the Tigers jelled quicker than many expected and opened some eyes around the state. Holy Family finished runners-up in the NCAC behind Class 5A Silver Creek and hit the road in the first round of the playoffs to take on George Washington. Seniors Jackson Ward, Garrett Havens, and C.J. O’Neill scored goals to propel the Tigers to a 3-1 victory and a second-round match at top-seeded Northfield. SPRING 2022 | 16
The Holy Family girls and boys looked like teams that had a chance to move up and legitimately contend for a Class 3A title in 2021. Both Tigers went into the Class 3A state championships in Colorado Springs on a high after their performances at the regional meet in Lyons.
