Playoff Top Performers: John Curtis vs. Holy Cross

John Curtis shook back from a disappointing end to the regular season to start the playoffs in dominant fashion. The Patriots scored on every possession to roll Holy Cross, 54-14, in a rematch of a district game from the regular season. The scoring onslaught marked the most points scored by Curtis since beating the Tigers, 62-31, on Oct. 25, 2019, and the most in a playoff game since beating Evangel, 56-34, in the 2018 semifinals. Here were several of the top performers for the Patriots in the contest. <strong>Justin Horne (2023)</strong> <strong>6-1, 200 LB</strong> The junior linebacker was the Patriots’ leader on defense with his impressive quickness both laterally and into the backfield consistently disrupting the Tigers’ offense. Horne finished with eight tackles, including at least one for loss to help lead the stingy defense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138286" first="Patrick" last="LeBranch"] III (2023)</strong> <strong>5-9, 170 ATH</strong> The small, speedy athlete was the offensive star in the playoff opener with 15 rushes for 142 yards and three touchdowns, including the team’s second and third scores in the first quarter to break a 7-7 tie and begin breaking away. LeBranch is fierce and physical beyond his size and a home-run threat any time he’s given some space to get moving downhill. <strong>Marlon Prout (2024)</strong> <strong>5-8, 155 RB</strong> Another up-and-coming speedy weapon for the John Curtis offense scored the game’s first points on a 5-yard run in the opening minutes to help kick the offense into gear. And the Patriots never slowed down, with junior [player_tooltip player_id="138360" first="Aaron" last="Johnson"] (6-1, 200) and freshman Reggie Johnson (5-5, 140) each eventually adding second-half rushing scores to carry the starting group’s momentum. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136467" first="Buddy" last="Taylor"] (2022)</strong> <strong>6-0, 160 QB</strong> The senior quarterback, also known for his rushing threat, gained 75 yards on eight attempts and scored a touchdown in each half. Taylor also completed four of seven passes for another 68 yards to help force the Tigers’ defense to respect the occasional passing threat. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="139627" first="Michael" last="Turner"] (2024)</strong> <strong>6-1, 145 ATH</strong> The sophomore athlete was a consistent target when the run-dominant John Curtis did go to the air — both on the night with two catches for 52 yards and the season with eight catches for 156 yards and two scores through eight games. Turner showed flashes this season on routes across the middle of the field and blowing the top off defenses vertically and figures to be an increasingly intriguing weapon and prospect as he continues to develop physically <strong>Blake Wibel (2023)</strong> <strong>5-10, 165 DB</strong> Another junior standout was a key defensive playmaker as he had been in several big games throughout the season. Wibel, who actually began his high school career at Holy Cross, had four tackles against his former teammates and forced and recovered a fumble.