By Tony Catalina
NEFJ Correspondent

WORCESTER — We have said all along that Holy Cross is the best team in the area, and Saturday afternoon at Polar Park the Crusaders were able to hit a home run, cementing what we all have long thought about them.

From start to finish, the Crusaders were simply too much on all three phases for Bucknell en route to a 57-0 victory. It was about as thorough of a win as any team could hope for.

Matthew Sluka was simply masterful. His night was finished halfway through the third quarter where he ended up with a stat line of 10 of 17 passing for 183 yards and three touchdowns. He added a rushing touchdown, as well. With the combination of Sluka and a steady dose of running back Jordan Fuller and his two touchdown runs, the Crusader offense was able to get anything it wanted.

On the other side of the ball, the Crusaders’ defense was swarming and nasty all game. The Bison were able to barely reach 10 first downs and were shut out in impressive fashion. The defensive unit was led by linebacker and former Springfield Central star Dante Bolden, who to tallied a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss while flying around all over the field. Bucknell quarterbacks were under duress all afternoon and when it comes to the running game, it is tough to stick to the script on the ground and make it a priority when you are down 37 at halftime.

Holy Cross coach Bob Chesney stated he was pleased with the productive day.

“I think on all three phases I thought we were able to execute the game plan we were trying to execute,” Chesney said.

Chesney went on to say how important it was to be able to get some young guys some work as well as they may need them down road.

“I thought we were able to get a bunch of younger guys in there to see what they can do because as we know, injuries, etc., we could be in a situation where we may need to count on someone,” Chesney said.

Sluka spoke about the experience, and how much he enjoys being able to play at a venue like Polar Park.

“it’s a fun place to play.” Sluka said. “We get a lot of support from the community and the school. My friends and family obviously love to come to this game so yeah, overall, it is a great experience.”

Fuller talked about the pride he has for getting the chance to play at the ballpark in front of the city, and just what this unique situation means to the team.

“When you are here it feels like you’re playing for Worcester,” Fuller said.

Sluka made sure to mention how this team feels about each other and the importance of having each other’s back.

“I think our teammates also do a really good job of taking care of one another.”

Sluka went on to add that they don’t like to get into the mess with other teams.

“Sometimes you’ll get into it with another player and it’s always our guys first to pull each other off . . . it’s huge.”

Devin Haskins when asked how important playing quality reps on special teams is to him and this team, Haskins was eager to state it is a crucial part of their success.

“Special teams is really important. We call it the heartbeat of the team, so any chance I can make an impact out there doing things that can help us win, I love doing it. I take it very seriously.”

The Crusaders are now 6-0 and 2-0 in Patriot League play and look like the clear class of the conference. All three phases of the game were dominated by Holy Cross as that was in full display in the first two quarters of the game. Holy Cross went into the half with a 37-0 lead where the Crusaders scored two rushing, two passing, and one blocked punt for a touchdown. Add the field goal as the half expired and you could not have asked for much more out of a half of football from the team.

Next up for the undefeated Crusaders is a much-earned week off before they have a road test at conference foe Lafayette (2-4) on October 22.