For the fifth time in the school’s history, the Holy Cross College football team competed in the NCAA playoffs.

And this year marked a milestone as it won its first post-season game, defeating Sacred Heart University, 13-10, in the NCAA Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision in the opening playoff run. The Crusaders’ season ended Dec. 3 with a 16-10 loss at Villanova, giving them a final 10-3 overall record.

But the team remains optimistic that better days are still ahead – and that sentiment was echoed by their starting tight end, former…