Holy Cross rolls past Columbia Montour Vo-Tech 41-16

Holy Cross scored touchdowns in every quarter and pulled away in the second half to beat Columbia Montour Vo-Tech 41-16 in a regular-season matchup.

The Crusaders got on the board first when Luca Berardi returned a kickoff 74 yards for a touchdown just over four minutes into the game, though the extra point was no good. Chase Rutkoski added a 1-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, and Holy Cross converted the two-point try to take an 14-point lead into the second quarter.

Chris Transue extended the advantage in the second quarter with a 33-yard touchdown run, though the two-point conversion attempt failed. Rutkoski then connected with Berardi on a 24-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds left before halftime, and the two-point conversion was good, sending Holy Cross into the break well ahead.

Columbia Montour Vo-Tech's scoring is reflected in the final margin, though the specific scoring plays for the Rams were not detailed in the game notes provided.

Holy Cross continued to build its lead in the third quarter. Rutkoski found Tyler Kohut for a 14-yard touchdown pass, and the extra point was good. Noah Davis capped the Crusaders' scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run, though the point-after attempt was unsuccessful.

Rutkoski finished 4 of 13 passing for 76 yards and two touchdowns, also adding a rushing score. Naim Ortiz led all rushers with 73 yards on nine carries, while Transue added 53 yards and a touchdown on seven attempts. Davis rushed twice for 24 yards and a touchdown. Berardi caught two passes for 34 yards and a touchdown to go with his kickoff return score, and Kohut hauled in a touchdown catch as well. Transue also had a 28-yard reception.

Entering the game, Holy Cross sat atop the LFC Division III standings, according to SportzWire's District 2 stats, and Rutkoski came into the contest ranked among the district's leaders in touchdown-to-interception ratio.

The Crusaders' balanced attack, a mix of a big return, a strong ground game and touchdown passes to two different receivers, proved too much for Columbia Montour Vo-Tech across all four quarters.

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