WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross football team has announced its team awards for the 2022 season.
Junior quarterback
Matthew Sluka led the award recipients, earning team Most Valuable Player honors. Holy Cross had one of the top offenses in all of FCS in 2022, paced by Sluka, who was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award and an All-Patriot League first team selection. As a whole, the Crusaders ranked second in FCS in yards per completion (16.2), sixth in rushing offense (245.1 yards per game) and eighth in scoring offense (37.4 points per game). Sluka finished with 1,234 rushing yards, the most of any FCS quarterback, while passing for 2,489 yards. He passed for 26 touchdowns while rushing for 11 more.
A complete list of award recipients follows.
Davitt Awards
Presented annually to the top back and lineman on both offense and defense. They were instituted by Jim Davitt (Class of 1913) of Holyoke, Mass., in memory of his brother, Rev. William Davitt (Class of 1907), who played football and ran track while at Holy Cross, and was the last United States officer to lose his life in World War I.
Offensive Back: Peter Oliver
Offensive Lineman: Luke Newman
Defensive Back: John Smith
Defensive Lineman: Dan Kuznetsov
Crown Award
Presented to the player who has contributed to team success through dedication and courageous special teams play.
Devin Haskins
Hammer Award
Presented to the player with the largest number of "big hits" for the year or the biggest hit overall.
John Smith
Shield Award
Outstanding Defensive Demonstration Team Player that has persevered with great emotion and total selflessness in pursuit of team excellence.
Sam Boyer
Strike Award
Outstanding Offensive Demonstration Team Player that has persevered with great emotion and total selflessness in pursuit of team excellence.
Mark Forcucci
The Coaches Award
Presented annually to the player who has shown outstanding effort for the good of the team in weekly preparations throughout the season.
Walter Reynolds
The Unsung Hero Award
Presented annually to the player who has supported the squad spiritually, emotionally and physically for the good of the team.
Jake Reichwein
Christo Kelly
The Connor Award
Presented annually to the Holy Cross senior who, by a vote of the varsity squad, is named to the person the players are most proud of as a teammate. It is given by the Holy Cross club of the Pioneer Valley.
Liam Anderson
The Rick Carter Memorial Award
Presented to the senior whose sportsmanship and dedication to the game of football represent the highest ideals of athletics and who, through uncommon leadership, has positively influenced his teammates and brought great credit to his family, his team and the college.
Dan Kuznetsov
2022 Crusader Most Valuable Player
Presented to the person who his teammates feel was the most significant contributor to the team.
Matthew Sluka
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