Sports Recap

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

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. 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

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.

The boys, led by top ten runs from seniors Luke Busot and Micah Munoz and junior Anthony Haberkorn, won their regional title. The girls followed it by winning their regional with four girls in the top 10, including Evie Boyd, Alyssa Jany, Anabella Descalzo, and Maya Davis. The state course was not as kind. The top finisher on the boys side, where the Tigers did finish fourth overall, was Munoz in 32nd. He and Haberkorn were the only Tigers to crack the 18 minutes mark on the brutal course. The girls would drop down to seventh in a loaded 3A team chase. Boyd (37th) was the top placer again for the Tigers. Boyd was the only Holy Family runner to earn first-team All-Conference honors. Busot, Jany, and Summer Norwell all were second-team All-NCAC.

Volleyball

For much of the season, the Tigers were without their best outside hitter, senior Anna Hodell, and they found ways to adapt. They stumbled out of the gate early but put it together at the Eaton tournament, where they took down not only the defending champions Reds but 5A Fossil Ridge and 3A powerhouse Bayfield. The NCAC league slate was challenging, with Erie, Windsor, and Mead presenting big challenges along the way. The Tigers scored their biggest win against No. 5 Erie in four games to close out the regular season before heading to the regional tournament.

The No. 13 seed Tigers made quick work of both Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson at the Region 12 tournament to punch their ticket to state in Colorado Springs. The Tigers defeated Erie early on Day 1 but dropped down to the consolation bracket later that night, losing Cheyenne Mountain. On Day 2, the Tigers would win one more game against Palisade before Mead would end their season on a late night at the World Arena.

Boys Golf

Coach Will Wilson has always reloaded his program during his tenure at Holy Family, and this season was no different. Seniors Ben Achziger and Dustin Fouts, junior Drake Krommenhoek, and sophomore Rudi Heitz would fill up the Holy Family regional team Wilson would take to Fort Collins. Needing a top-two finish at Collindale G.C. to qualify as a team for the state tournament, the Tigers foursome played well and, led by Achziger’s fourth-place finish, took second to move on. The Class 3A state tournament was played at Spring Valley G.C. in Elizabeth, and after a tough Day 1, the Tigers were out of the mix for a top-three finish. In his second state appearance in as many years, Heitz would lead the Tigers as he finished tied for 12th.

Cheer

This past fall, there was a limited competition schedule for the Holy Family cheer team. Competing in the game day discipline, the Tigers finished second at the league tournament in November. They went to the state tournament in Colorado Springs, needing to finish in the top nine of the 34 Class 5A/4A teams to make it back to the finals. Holy Family’s performance with zero deductions landed them in 14th place.