Holy Cross opens the season Thursday night at home against Naugatuck
The Waterbury Times|TWT SPORTS DESK|Sept 4, 2026
WATERBURY — The Holy Cross Crusaders enter the 2026 football season with one of Connecticut’s most dynamic playmakers leading the way.
The season opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at Municipal Stadium’s Ray Snyder Sr. Turf Field. It will be the first meeting of the season for two teams that faced each other in last year’s opener, when Holy Cross went into Naugatuck and came away with a 34-28 victory.
Graves enters the season with plenty of attention already on him. The UConn commit was recently named among the state’s players to watch for the 2026 season, following a junior campaign in which he established himself as one of Connecticut’s top receivers.
Now, with his senior season underway, the expectations are even higher.
For Holy Cross, the challenge will be turning that individual talent into another successful season.
The Crusaders finished 8-4 in 2025, reaching the postseason before falling to Berlin in the Class MM state tournament. Along the way, Holy Cross showed both its offensive firepower and its ability to win close games, including the four-point victory over Naugatuck and a two-point loss at Ansonia.
The 2026 schedule begins with another test against Naugatuck, which enters the season ranked No. 10 in Connecticut’s Division L. Holy Cross is currently ranked No. 5 in Division MM.
After Thursday’s opener, the Crusaders will travel to Brookfield before returning home to face Watertown on Sept. 25.
But all eyes will be on Municipal Stadium Thursday night.
A new season means a new opportunity, and Holy Cross has a legitimate centerpiece in Graves — a receiver capable of changing a game every time the ball comes his way.
The Crusaders get their chance to prove just how good they can be starting Thursday.
Leave a Reply