Holy Cross tight end sets state career catches record in dominant second-half comeback
Dae’Sean Graves finished with 228 career receptions, surpassing the previous record of 226, while Holy Cross overcame a first-half fog delay to beat Woodland 38-14.
By Nadia Rahman ·
High school football records in Connecticut often stand for decades, but Dae’Sean Graves ended a long-standing mark on Friday night. The Holy Cross senior broke the state career receptions record during a 38-14 victory over Woodland at Woodland High School. The win improved the Crusaders to a 7-1 record and kept them in the number two spot in Class MM playoff standings.
Graves entered the game with 221 career catches, needing just five more to tie Joey Montalvo of East Catholic, who held the previous record of 226. He finished the contest with seven receptions for 110 yards, bringing his career total to 228. Earlier in the season on Oct. 23, Graves also broke the state record for career touchdown receptions, surpassing Alex Jamele of Southington.
The first half presented unique challenges for both teams. Dense fog rolled onto the field, making visibility difficult and prompting the use of a foghorn in place of the official whistle. Woodland utilized a single-wing offense installed recently to build a 14-0 lead before the break. Justin Pringle capped an 18-play, 86-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run, a sequence that consumed 7 minutes and 39 seconds of the first quarter.
Woodland coach Jeremy Clark noted that his team executed a specific game plan for the first half but described the contest as a tale of two halves. Evan Mastropietro added a seven-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Kenney in the second quarter to extend the Hawks' lead to 14-0. The fog obscured the field, but it did not stop Holy Cross from mounting a comeback once the second half began.
Holy Cross scored 38 unanswered points in the second half. Aaden Hall recorded a 30-yard reception early in the third quarter, setting up Graves' 32-yard touchdown catch that cut the deficit to 14-7 with 1:02 remaining in the period. Graves then caught a 17-yard pass and a 4-yard pass, the latter breaking Montalvo's career record. Michael Stradford caught an 8-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-13, the closest the Crusaders had been since the first quarter.
The momentum shifted decisively on the next Woodland possession. Hall intercepted a pass from Mastropietro and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown, giving Holy Cross a 20-14 lead. The Crusaders recovered a Pringle fumble on the following drive, and quarterback Lombardo threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Stradford to extend the lead to 26-14. Hall finished the third quarter with a 69-yard touchdown reception on the first play of the fourth quarter, utilizing a spin move on a swing pass from Lombardo.
Lombardo finished the game with four touchdown passes and several key runs. Jayden Lewis added an 11-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to seal the final margin. Graves said he was focused on finishing the game when the public address announcer acknowledged his record-breaking achievement. He noted that he was proud of Hall's big play and the team's belief in one another after the halftime speech from coach Hall.
Woodland fell to 5-3 with the loss. Clark said his team was out-athleted by the better team and that they would need a short memory as they prepare for a two-week push to reach the playoffs. Holy Cross will remain in the top tier of Class MM rankings as the season progresses.
