SAN ANTONIO – Antonian lit up the scoreboard against Holy Cross to win the opening game of the KSAT Pigskin Classic on Friday night.
Thousands cheered on the Knights and Apaches under the bright lights in the Alamodome in the first week of the high school football season.
Led by quarterback Jayce Toscano, Antoinan took an early lead on a 39-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Aden Samaniego. The Apaches held the lead the rest of the game, which finished 47-20.
Antonian QB Toscano threw for four touchdowns — two to Samaniego, one to Jaden Villarreal and one to Raleigh Strode — and more than 230 passing yards. Toscano was named the Davis Law Firm Player of the Game.
“Everyone played great. Our offense was a team effort all around, our line was doing good, our receivers were in the right place,” said Toscano in a post-game interview. “It feels awesome. There’s obviously a great crowd you can hear a roar after each touchdown. It just a great way to start the season.”
Antonian running back Landon Prouty punched in two touchdowns and RB Michael Moreno scored one.
The Knights’ biggest play of the night was a 73-yard touchdown run by running back Marco Gomez in the second quarter.
Holy Cross QB Alvarado Gibby had both a passing and running touchdown and also a fumble and an interception.
The KSAT Pigskin Classic continues Saturday with a triple-header: Southside takes on Somerset at 11:30 a.m., Jefferson faces Uvalde at 3:30 p.m. and O’Connor battles Brandeis at 7:30 p.m.
Background
Holy Cross opens its season against Antonian in the first game of the 2023 KSAT Pigskin Classic, on Friday, Aug. 25, at the Alamodome.
The 2023 KSAT Pigskin Classic opener should be a high-scoring classic quarterback duel, as both programs return veteran starters at the game’s most important position.
In an interview with KSAT 12 Sports, Head Coach Mike Harrison said he was overwhelmed to hear that Holy Cross was chosen to participate in the KSAT Pigskin Classic.
“How about honored, privileged? I mean there are so many words that come to mind for us. Personally, when you’re a coach, this is kind of a dream. You get your kids to this environment, this kind of venue, it’s going to help us later on,” Harrison said.
The Apaches’ Head Coach Blake Fuschak said he never could have expected to have had his Antonian team chosen to play in something as esteemed as the KSAT Pigskin Classic.
“It’s an unbelievable opportunity, for our kids, for our community. I’ve been at Antonian for 12 years, I would never have fathomed having this opportunity,” Fuschak said. “We’re really excited, we’re looking forward to it. Holy Cross is a long-time rival. It’s going to be a competitive game. We’re just incredibly grateful for this opportunity.”
UP NEXT:
Antonian: at home versus Blanco, Friday Sept. 1 at 7 p.m.
Holy Cross: on the road versus Holy Cross (New Orleans, LA) on Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m.
About the KSAT Pigskin Classic
The second-annual KSAT Pigskin Classic will kick off Aug. 25 and 26 at San Antonio’s Alamodome and tickets are now on sale.
All the games will be broadcast on KSAT 12, on the KSAT Plus app, the Big Game Coverage app and on KSAT.com.
This year’s KSAT Pigskin Classic is even bigger than last year’s inaugural event, with four high school football games to kick off the Texas high school football season.
Download the Big Game Coverage mobile app or visit the Big Game Coverage section for high school sports coverage, including game livestreams, from KSAT 12.