Friday Night Preview: St. Henry Crusaders at Bishop Brossart Mustangs

• When: Friday, September 4, 2026 | Kickoff: 7:00 PM EDT
• Where: Mustang Athletic Complex, Alexandria, KY
• Records: St. Henry (0-2) at Bishop Brossart (1-1)
• Classifications: Non-District (Class 2A District 5 vs. Class 1A District 4)

Setting the Scene
Friday night brings an intriguing Northern Kentucky Catholic clash to Alexandria, as the Bishop Brossart Mustangs welcome the St. Henry Crusaders to the MAC. While the two diocesan schools share decades of fierce postseason history on the hardwood, soccer pitches, and cross country trails, this meeting marks an exciting, fresh chapter on the gridiron.

Both teams enter Week 3 eager to establish momentum. Brossart looks to bounce back onto the winning track after running into a buzzsaw in Lexington against an unbeaten, state-ranked Sayre squad. St. Henry, now in its second season of full KHSAA varsity play under head coach Tim Odom, arrives seeking its first win of the campaign—and bringing plenty of confidence after taking Class 5A Boone County down to the wire in a 34-31 Week 2 shootout.

The Matchup: Brossart’s Balance vs. St. Henry’s Ground Game

When Brossart Has the Ball:
The Mustangs will look to control the tempo early after being bottled up on the ground last week in Lexington. Sayre stacked the box, limiting Brossart to just 24 net rushing yards. Expect a renewed commitment between the tackles Friday night, with Tommy Busby and Alex Twehues (and hopefully Bentley McKinzie) pounding the rock to keep the chains moving and open up play-action.

When Brossart takes to the air, senior quarterback Landon Spaulding has a clear go-to weapon in Brady Boruske. Boruske proved near impossible to cover even against Sayre’s airtight secondary, hauling in 6 receptions for 103 yards, including long gains of 41 and 29 yards. Spreading the field with Boruske and Quinten Tischner will force St. Henry’s young secondary to defend sideline to sideline. The key matchup in the trenches will be keeping St. Henry’s active freshman pass rusher Brayden Hughes (3.5 sacks) out of the Mustang backfield.

When St. Henry Has the Ball:
The Crusaders feature an old-school, ball-control attack spearheaded by the backfield tandem of Owen Pate and Lucas Pate. Averaging nearly 90 rushing yards per game, Owen Pate is a bruising downhill runner who thrives on chewing clock and wearing down fronts, while Lucas Pate provides the change-of-pace scoring touch. On the outside, sophomore receiver David Penick is the top target when the Crusaders look to take vertical shots.

For Brossart’s defense, the game plan starts with winning first and second downs. If the Mustangs’ defensive front can bottle up the interior run game and force St. Henry into third-and-long situations, Boruske and the Brossart secondary will have prime opportunities to create takeaways—much like Boruske’s red-zone interception against Sayre.

Three Things to Watch

1. Battle for the A & B Gaps: Which offensive line controls the line of scrimmage? St. Henry wants to churn out 4-yard runs and shorten the game; Brossart wants to establish the run early to open up the deep playbook.
2. Special Teams Rebound: Special teams swung the game in Lexington last week, where Sayre converted two return touchdowns. Brossart showed its own return capability with Boruske’s 40-yard kickoff burst. Clean coverage lanes, solid field position, and reliable PATs from Ryan Eldridge could prove decisive.
3. Finish in the Red Zone: Both offenses moved the football into opposing territory early last week without capitalizing on points. Putting six on the board instead of trading punts or field-goal attempts will set the tone under the lights.

The Verdict
St. Henry proved against Boone County that they can score in bunches when their running game clicks. However, Brossart brings more varsity battle-testing, superior perimeter playmaking on both sides of the ball with Boruske, and the home-field advantage of the MAC. If the Mustangs protect the football and re-establish their ground attack, they have the tools to pull away in the second half and improve their season record to 2-1.