[Stardust]

Holy Cross ended one team's dream season Friday and kept its own title hopes alive.

In a Class 2A playoff game against undefeated Owen County, the Indians flexed their offensive muscle and logged a third consecutive shutout in a 45-0 victory at a chilly Patterson Field.http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll...311120071/

Holy Cross (9-3) advances to play defending state champion Newport Central Catholic in a rematch of a game the Thoroughbreds won last month.

"I'm really proud of the way my team played down here," Indians coach Bruce Kozerski said. "This is a tough neighborhood to play in. Very good football team."

Friday's game figured to be showdown between a potent Holy Cross offense and a stingy Owen County defense. The Indians entered with the third highest scoring offense in Class 2A while the Rebels' defense had been holding opponents to an average of 10.5 points per game.

Holy Cross struck early and often.

Owen County won the coin flip and chose to start on defense. The strategy backfired. On the first play from scrimmage, Indians tight end Adam Kozerski caught a swing pass from quarterback Kyle Fuller, lowered his shoulder and leveled an Owen County defensive back on his way to a 65-yard score just 15 seconds into the game.

"Oh, that was awesome," Fuller said.

The Indians were up 35-0 by halftime.

A dual threat, Fuller tallied 350 yards of offense (186 yards passing, 164 yards rushing) and factored in every Holy Cross score Friday. He scored four touchdowns on runs of four, 45, eight and 10 yards. He also threw for two more and added a 28-yard field goal.

"My job is a whole lot easier when we have a defense that can hold a team that's averaging 30-something points a game to zero points," Fuller said.

Entering Friday, the Indians' defense hadn't allowed a point since losing to Newport Central Catholic on Oct. 22. They extended the streak Friday by holding Owen County to a minus-39 yards on the ground and 119 total yards overall and forced four turnovers.

Bruce Kozerski thinks his team is playing its best football of the season, and it's hard to dispute. The Indians have outscored their past three opponents, 154-0.

"I don't know that my guys took a play off," Kozerski said. "I've really noticed the aggressive nature the last four or five weeks. They're not going to be satisfied with a win.

"We'd like to think we can continue to get better. As I tell my guys everyday it's not about the opponent. It's about ourself. We have to do what we do best and execute our offense and our defense and our special teams."

The loss ended a magical ride for Owen County's team. The Rebels went undefeated in the regular season and finished 11-1.

"I'm sorry it ended this way for them," Owen County coach Adam Fowler said. "Holy Cross is an outstanding football team. But I'm proud of them. Proud of the ride they took me on and the ride they took the community on, the community pride they brought."

Thoughts after the game were with one of the Rebels players.

The game was stopped for several minutes in the first quarter. Owen County senior cornerback Bobbie Mingie was injured by a block on Fuller's 45-yard run with 32.3 seconds remaining in the first quarter. He was transported by ground to an Owenton hospital and shortly thereafter flown to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

"He was unresponsive when they took him," Fowler said. "He was awake, but unresponsive. That's the text I got at half."