After coming up just short the past three seasons, Canisius is once again back atop Monsignor Martin.
Four touchdowns from star running back Elijah Kimble powered the top-seeded Crusaders to a 32-22 win over rival No. 3 St. Joe’s to claim the Monsignor Martin championship Saturday afternoon at the Stransky Memorial Complex.
Multiple injuries to key starters, including at quarterback, didn’t slow down the Crusaders, as a quick start buried their archrivals early in front of a packed crowd and energetic atmosphere. It was the first time St. Joe’s (6-4) and Canisius (9-2) had met for the Monsignor Martin title since 2017.
“It feels great for our guys,” Canisius head coach Kraig Kurzanski said. “We got a lot of injuries, we battled through this week, battled through a lot the last couple weeks. To persevere and beat a rival like that, that’s pretty good.”
Canisius got their rushing attack, and Kimble, going early, as the highly-touted prospect opened the scoring with a 49-yard dash and followed it up three minutes later with a 12-yard score to make it 14-0 Crusaders after the first.
The sophomore wasn’t done in the first half, either. After an Amir Hernandez touchdown extended the Crusader lead, Kimble’s longest rush of the day, a 70-yard sprint, gave Canisius a 26-0 advantage that had them well on their way to a title. He finished the day with over 160 yards on 22 carries, a significant portion of the Crusaders’ 284 yards on the ground.
“I was just seeing them holes open due to my guys in the front, they got it done,” said Kimble, who’s totaled eight touchdowns in Canisius’ two playoff games this season. “We had a talk that we weren’t going to feel how we felt last year during that one-point loss. We definitely don’t feel that way.”
The win had a bit more meaning for the Crusaders, who were playing in honor of Kevon Walker, a 2024 Canisius graduate and member of the football team the past two seasons who died suddenly earlier this month.
“Such a tragic thing, but it kind of bonded our guys together the last couple weeks,” said Kurzanski, who donned a shirt with Walker’s initials during the game. “To see his mother here today to celebrate with us, that was pretty cool.”
Despite a sizable Canisius lead early, St. Joe’s never rolled over in the second half and managed to hold the Crusaders offense at bay for much of the final two quarters.
The Marauders cut their deficit down to 26-14 in the fourth quarter thanks to two touchdown connections between quarterback Nolan Klein and tight end Stone Rozak, but Kimble’s fourth rushing score of the game dented their comeback hopes.
Klein answered with a 37-yard touchdown pass to George Kunz and the Marauders recovered the ensuing onside kick, but Hernandez put the game on ice with a game-sealing interception with three minutes to play. Klein finished the day 11-of-18 for 171 yards to go with the three touchdowns and interception.
“To St. Joe’s credit, they battled their ass off,” Kurzanski said. “But we made plays at the end that made the difference in the game.”
After some disappointing seasons in recent years, the title game appearance and upset of St. Francis in the semifinals was a significant step in the Marauders’ rebuild. Despite the loss, St. Joe’s head coach Mike Corona was proud of his team’s resilience.
“The team has grown incredibly over this year,” Corona said. “I remember when I first got here, some of these games would be 49, 55, 60 to nothing. So I think our senior class especially has helped restore the program.”
The Crusaders advance to play for a New York State title against Iona Prep. Canisius’ last state championship came in 2019.
“We got so much momentum on our side,” Kimble said. “I feel like the way we’re playing right now, nobody’s going to be able to stop us.”
The state title game is slated for Nov. 30 at the Stransky Memorial Complex in West Seneca, where Canisius will take on the Iona Prep Gaels at Noon.
Game will be livestreamed on WNYAthletics+.
Photo Gallery by Emily Croisdale/WNYAthletics