Feb. 28, 2005
WORCESTER, Mass. -- Holy Cross head football coach Tom Gilmore has announced the 2005 incoming class for the Crusaders. Thirty-three student-athletes will join the Holy Cross program for the 2005-2006 academic year.
"We are very excited with the outcome of our recruiting this year," said Gilmore. "We have made the program better by adding significant depth and talent to our roster. The depth will allow us to practice more efficiently, and the incoming talent will create a more competitive enviornment."
The 33 players making up this year's class include 18 on offense, 14 on defense and one kicker. Holy Cross has added eight linemen, four wide receivers, four running backs, one quarterback and one tight end and on the offensive side of the ball, while bringing in five linemen, five backs and four linebackers for the defense.
Holy Cross returns 17 of 22 position starters from its 2004 squad which finished with an overall record of 3-8 and a 1-5 mark in the Patriot League. The Crusaders are scheduled to open the 2005 season at home against Sacred Heart on Sept. 3.
Click on a players name below to view information on that player.
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown / High School
Ben Bergholtz LB 6-5 200 Mount Dora, Fla. / Mount Dora
Brian Billman LB 6-1 215 Westerville, Ohio / Westerville South
Danny Bluth WR 5-11 175 Anaheim, Calif. / Sevite
Luke Botting OL 6-4 270 Hamilton, Ohio / Ross
Jon Brock WR 6-1 185 Acworth, Ga. / Asheville School (N.C.)
Daryl Brown DB 5-8 185 Stone Mountain, Ga. / Asheville School (N.C.)
R.J. Buchholz OL 6-4 275 Clinton Township, Mich. / Chippewa Valley
Steve Buller DL 6-4 290 Pittsburgh, Pa. / Seton-La Salle
Evan Byrd LB 6-2 205 Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown East
Kyle DiLella PK 6-0 170 Gibbstown, N.J. / Salesianum
David Gang OL 6-8 260 Bethesda, Md. / DeMatha Catholic
Terrance Gass TB 5-8 180 Sicklerville, N.J. / Timber Creek Regional
Kevin Golden FB 6-0 230 Chicago, Ill. / St. Patrick
Brenton Good DL 6-3 270 Chandler, Ariz. / Dobson
Mike Holloway DB 6-0 175 Alexandria, Va. / Bishop Ireton
Jake Hurst WR 5-8 170 Clayton, Ohio / Northmont
Michael Kielt TB 5-10 195 Southbury, Conn. / Pomperaug
Frank Masters DL 6-6 230 Harbor Creek, Pa. / Harbor Creek
Brett McDermott WR 6-0 180 Mansfield, Mass. / Mansfield
Kyle Mushaweh DB 5-11 165 Cheshire, Conn. / Cheshire
Garrett Nolan OL 6-3 240 Northridge, Calif. / Chaminade College Prep
Mason Olson OL 6-5 255 Stockton, Calif. / Lincoln
Chris Poole OL 6-6 230 Scituate, Mass. / Tabor Academy
Dominic Randolph QB 6-3 195 Amelia, Ohio / St. Xavier
Mike Rodriguez TB 5-9 195 Fairfield, Conn. / Deerfield Academy (Mass.)
Brian Rusate OL 6-1 250 Southbury, Conn. / Pomperaug
Ty Shaw DB 5-11 165 Aurora, Colo. / Overland
Chris Smith OL 6-1 255 Buffalo, N.Y. / St. Francis
Bobby Stapleton DL 6-3 225 West Nyack, N.Y. / Albertus Magnus
Ryan Stewart LB 6-2 225 Wayland, Mass. / Wayland / Northfield Mount Hermon
Michael Tamsin TE 6-1 250 Branford, Conn. / Choate Rosemary Hall
Cole Wadhams DB 6-1 210 Lakewood, Colo. / Bear Creek
Bryan Walwyn DL 6-0 265 Houston, Texas / Alief Taylor
Ben Bergholtz, LB, 6-5, 200, Mount Dora, Fla., Mount Dora H.S.
• Served as team captain during his senior year at Mount Dora H.S.
• Earned second team All-State honors
• Named team Most Valuable Player
• A member of National Honor Society
Brian Billman, LB, 6-1, 215, Westerville, Ohio, Westerville South H.S.
• Served as team captain during his senior season at Westerville South H.S.
• A two-time first team All-Conference selection
• Also earned first team All-District honors
• Twice named his team's Defensive Most Valuable Player
Danny Bluth, WR, 5-11, 175, Anaheim, Calif., Sevite H.S.
• Captain of the football team at Servite H.S.
• Caught 32 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns last season
• Student body president at Servite H.S.
Luke Botting, OL, 6-4, 270, Hamilton, Ohio, Ross H.S.
• Won the Anthony Munoz Award as the offensive lineman of the year in southwestern Ohio
• Named first team All-Conference and honorable mention All-Butler County
• Nominated for the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame That's My Boy Award
• Played in the Greater Cincinnati East West All-Star Game
• Class Valedictorian and a member of National Honor Society at Ross H.S.
• Also earned two varsity letters in basketball and three varsity letters in baseball
Jon Brock, WR, 6-1, 185, Acworth, Ga., Asheville School (N.C.)
• Named first team All-Conference and All-Western North Carolina
• An honorable mention All-State selection
• Totaled 1,100 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 2,500 yards and 35 touchdowns
• Also earned All-Conference honors in basketball at the Asheville School, while scoring 1,200 career points
Daryl Brown, DB, 5-8, 185, Stone Mountain, Ga., Asheville School (N.C.)
• Named first team All-Conference and All-Western North Carolina
• A first team All-State selection as both a defensive back and a running back
• A member of National Honor Society
• Named to the Asheville School honors list
• Also earned All-Conference honors in track
R.J. Buchholz, OL, 6-4, 275, Clinton Township, Mich., Chippewa Valley H.S.
• Earned first team All-League honors
• Named first team All-Academic in football, wrestling and track
• A member of National Honor Society at Chippewa Valley H.S.
• Captain of both the wrestling and track teams
• Earned second team All-MAC Red Division honors in wrestling
Steve Buller, DL, 6-4, 290, Pittsburgh, Pa., Seton-La Salle H.S.
• Earned first team All-League honors
• An honorable mention All-State selection
• Selected to the Pennsylvania All-Academic team
• A three-year member of National Honor Society at Seton-La Salle H.S.
Evan Byrd, LB, 6-2, 205, Downingtown, Pa., Downingtown East H.S.
• Named first team All-League
• A first team All-Southeastern Pennsylvania selection
• Led his league in receptions as a wide receiver
• Selected to play in the Valor Bowl all-star game
• Named to the Honor Roll at Downington East H.S.
Kyle DiLella, PK, 6-0, 170, Gibbstown, N.J., Salesianum School
• Earned first team All-Delaware honors
• Also named first team All-Catholic
• Selected to play in the Blue-Gold All-Star Game
• A member of National Honor Society at Salesianum School
David Gang, OL, 6-8, 260, Bethesda, Md., DeMatha Catholic H.S.
• Earned three varisty letters in football
• Team was ranked 20th in the final USA Today national high school poll
• A member of National Honor Society at DeMatha Catholic H.S., in addition to being named to the Honor Roll every semester
• Also a four-year member of DeMatha Catholic's nationally ranked basketball team
Terrance Gass, TB, 5-8, 180, Sicklerville, N.J., Timber Creek Regional H.S.
• A first team All-Conference selection
• Received the Maxwell Club Award, the Brooks Irvine Award and the Touchdown Club Award
• A member of National Honor Society at Timber Creek Regional H.S.
Kevin Golden, FB, 6-0, 230, Chicago, Ill., St. Patrick H.S.
• A first team All-Conference selection during his senior year
• Earned first team Class 7A Academic All-State honors
• Received the Walter Payton Award, for his character on and off the field
• A member of National Honor Society at St. Patrick H.S.
Brenton Good, DL, 6-3, 270, Chandler, Ariz., Dobson H.S.
• Served as team captain at Dobson H.S. during his senior year
• Named his team's Defensive Player of the Year in 2004
• Earned second team All-Region honors
Mike Holloway, DB, 6-0, 175, Alexandria, Va., Bishop Ireton H.S.
• Named his team's Special Teams Most Valuable Player
• An honorable mention All-State selection as a kick returner
• A member of the Beta Club at Bishop Ireton H.S.
• Has a brown belt in karate
Jake Hurst, WR, 5-8, 170, Clayton, Ohio, Northmont H.S.
• Named first team All-Greater Western Ohio Conference
• A member of National Honor Society at Northmont H.S.
• Selected first team Academic All-State in track
• Also a first team All-Conference and All-District selection in track
Michael Kielt, TB, 5-10, 195, Southbury, Conn., Pomperaug H.S.
• Earned All-State honors from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference in 2003 and 2004
• Also named All-State by the New Haven Register and Hartford Courant in 2004
• Named the Connecticut Post 2004 Defensive Player of the Year
• A three-time All-Conference selection
• Earned All-Area honors from the Danbury News Times during each of the last three years
• Named Most Valuable Player of the 2004 South-West Conference title game
• Received the South-West Conference Leadership Award
Frank Masters, DL, 6-6, 230, Harbor Creek, Pa., Harbor Creek H.S.
• Earned first team All-Region and second team All-County honors
• Selected to the Honor Roll at Harbor Creek H.S. during his junior and senior years
• Also a member of the Harbor Creek basketball team
Brett McDermott, WR, 6-0, 180, Mansfield, Mass., Mansfield H.S.
• Earned Massachusetts All-State honors as a senior
• An All-Scholastic selection by both the Boston Globe and Boston Herald in 2004
• Selected as team Most Valuable Player in his senior year, when he led Mansfield to a Super Bowl title
• Set a school record for most receiving yards in a season with 963 in 2004
• Selected to play in the Shriners' All-Star Game
Kyle Mushaweh, DB, 5-11, 165, Cheshire, Conn., Cheshire H.S.
• Named his team's Offensive Most Valuable Player in 2004 and Defensive Most Valuable Player in 2003
• A two-time first team All-State selection
• Also captain of the track team at Cheshire H.S.
• Earned All-New England honors in the 100-meter dash in the 2003 outdoor season, and All-State honors in the 300-meter dash in the 2002 indoor season
Garrett Nolan, OL, 6-3, 240, Northridge, Calif., Chaminade College Prep
• Served as team captain during his senior year at Chaminade College Prep
• Earned second team All-League honors
• Received Scholar-Athlete Award from the National Football Foundation
Mason Olson, OL, 6-5, 255, Stockton, Calif., Lincoln H.S.
• Served as team captain during his senior year at Lincoln H.S.
• Earned Lineman of the Year honors
• Named team Most Valuable Player during his sophomore year
• Earned first team All-Area honors from the Stockton Record
• A second team All-League selection
• Twice named to the Dean's List at Lincoln H.S.
• Also captain of the basketball and track teams
• Earned second team All-League honors in both the shot put and the discus
Chris Poole, OL, 6-6, 230, Scituate, Mass., Tabor Academy
• Earned the Top Lineman Award at Tabor Academy
• An athletic lineman with a big frame and outstanding potential
Dominic Randolph, QB, 6-3, 195, Amelia, Ohio / St. Xavier H.S.
• Two year starter on the gridiron
• Named to the Honor Roll at St. Xavier H.S.
• Also a member of the St. Xavier basketball team
Mike Rodriguez, TB, 5-9, 195, Fairfield, Conn., Deerfield Academy (Mass.)
• Earned All-New England honors during his post-graduate year at Deerfield Academy
• Previously attended Fairfield Prep School
• Served as team captain at Fairfield Prep as a senior, when he was named honorable mention All-State
• A two-time All-League selection at Fairfield Prep
• Earned first team All-Academic honors
• Also a member of the lacrosse team
Brian Rusate, OL, 6-1, 250, Southbury, Conn., Pomperaug H.S.
• Served as team captain during his senior year at Pomperaug H.S.
• Earned Connecticut All-State honors in 2004
• Also named first team All-South-West Conference as a senior
• A four-time selection to the South-West Conference All-Academic team
Ty Shaw, DB, 5-11, 165, Aurora, Colo., Overland H.S.
• Earned first team All-City honors and second team All-State honors as a senior
• A first team All-Conference selection as a senior, after being named to the second team as a junior
• Led team to the state championship game in his junior year
• A three-time recipient of the Overland H.S. Student-Athlete Award
Chris Smith, OL, 6-1, 255, Buffalo, N.Y., St. Francis H.S.
• Named one of the top 50 players in the country by Old Spice Red Zone
• Two-time All-Western New York Selection
• Received the Trench Trophy during his junior and senior years
• Won the Jim Burt Award as the best defensive lineman in western New York, and the Vaughan Parker Award as the best offensive lineman in western New York
• Became the first lineman in history to win both of those awards
• Member of the senior class student council at St. Francis H.S.
• Also a member of the wrestling team
• Placed sixth at the New York state championship in wrestling, while posting a record of 14-2 as a senior and 71-32 for his career
Bobby Stapleton, DL, 6-3, 225, West Nyack, N.Y., Albertus Magnus H.S.
• Two-year team captain at Albertus Magnus H.S.
• A three-time first team All-League selection
• Also named first team All-State, All-County and All-District as a senior
• Led the state of New York with 19 sacks during his senior year
• Named Defensive Most Valuable Player of the Section I All-Star Game
• A member of National Honor Society at Albertus Magnus H.S.
• Received the West Point Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership Award
• Also earned first team All-County honors in lacrosse
Ryan Stewart, LB, 6-2, 225, Wayland, Mass., Wayland H.S., Northfield Mount Hermon School
• Served as team captain during his prep year at Northfield Mount Hermon
• Previously attended Wayland H.S., where he was team captain in his junior and senior years
• Twice named All-League and All-Eastern Massachusetts at Wayland H.S.
• A two-time team Defensive Most Valuable Player selection
• Played in the Shriners' All-Star Game
• Also lettered in both basketball and baseball
Michael Tamsin, TE, 6-1, 250, Branford, Conn., Choate Rosemary Hall
• Spent one post-graduate year at Choate Rosemary Hall
• Previously attended Branford H.S., where he was selected All-League in 2002
• Named the team Offensive Most Valuable Player at Branford H.S.
• Also served as captain of the baseball team
• A two-time All-State selection in baseball, in addition to earned team Most Valuable Player honors
Cole Wadhams, DB, 6-1, 210, Lakewood, Colo., Bear Creek H.S.
• Served as team captain at Bear Creek H.S.
• A first team All-Jefferson County selection
• Named Academic All-Conference and Academic All-State
• A four-year selection to the Honor Roll at Bear Creek H.S.
• Also a member of the track team, where he earned All-Conference honors
Bryan Walwyn, DL, 6-0, 265, Houston, Texas, Alief Taylor H.S.
• A three-year letterwinner at Alief Taylor H.S.
• Named first team All-Area, in addition to being a two-time All-District selection
• Selected first team Academic All-Area
• Named to the Honor Roll at Alief Taylor H.S.