Soft landing for Battles
Ex-Brandeis QB sizzles in Knights debut after blocked transfer to Judson
Holy Cross honored its seniors Friday.
Quarterback Jordan Battles was the last of the 16 seniors who walked through the Knights’ inflatable mascot while his name was announced over the public address system at Wheatley Heights Athletic Complex.
Considering Battles hadn’t played a snap for Holy Cross, it may have seemed like a surreal moment.
But it was familiar and comforting for him.
“It was awesome to be able to walk through that,” Battles said. “They’ve had that for years, and I’ve been at Holy Cross since I was a baby, so it was a real blessing.”
Battles took those good vibes and showed the flash that makes him one of SanAntonio’s top playmakers.
Battles rushed for 306 yards and five touchdowns on 20 carries in leading the Knights to a 4926 victory over Austin Hyde Park in both teams’ season openers.
Battles added a TD pass and nearly had a pick-six playing safety in his new role as a two-way starter.
It was a sparkling debut for Brandeis’ former star quarterback, who helped lead the Broncos to the Class 6A state quarterfinals the previous two seasons. Battles was the District 28-6A MVP a year ago after accounting for 3,130 yards and 39 touchdowns as a dual-threat quarterback at Brandeis.
It was a storybook start at Holy Cross for Battles, who once was the Knights’ ball boy while his father, Shaun, was an assistant coach there. Shaun Battles is also a former star running back at Holy Cross.
“He’s been trying to lead this group of young men every day,” Holy Cross coach Mike Harrison said of Battles. “I am blessed to know him. I’m blessed to know his dad and to have their family
back at Holy Cross. What a great legacy to have. What a great story for the son to come home.”
Friday’s game was the latest in what’s been a topsy-turvy nine months for Battles.
Battles previously appeared on a football field Dec. 6 at the Alamodome, where Brandeis lost to eventual state champion Austin Westlake 42-14 in a Class 6A Division II state final.
His arrival at Holy Cross is an interesting turn for the Knights considering he wasn’t a member of the teamuntil Sept. 8, when the University Interscholastic League denied his varsity eligibility at Judson after he transferred there in February.
The UIL determined that day Battles had transferred to Judson for athletic purposes, a rules violation that prevented him from playing for the Rockets.
Hours after that ruling, Battles enrolled at Holy Cross, a TAPPS Division III program.
Battles was able to put it all behind him Friday.
“After everything that’s hap
pened over the last few months with COVID and with everything with the transfer, it took a toll on me,” Battles said. “I was stressed out, but it’s good being back home at Holy Cross with all my
family, so it was a good environment to be out there.”
Battles got off to a rough start after losing a fumble on the game’s first play from scrimmage.
But it was a minor hiccup for the Knights, who pulled away with a big second half after leading 21-14 at intermission.
Holy Cross scored on its first two touches of the second half on a 57-yard run by Battles and a 62yard run on a double reverse by Marcos Jimenez Cedillo.
Battles’ threat as a runner opened opportunities for his teammates. Joe-Angel Perez had 104 yards on 14 carries as the Knights rolled up 519 total yards, including 482 on the ground.
“I’m not going to stand here and talk about me,” Battles said. “Everything that I did tonight, I couldn’t have done without the people around me. Those guys up front played a heck of a game, and they protected me and kept me safe. Our receivers are good, so they get open and they leave lanes for me.”
Jimenez-Cedillo caught Battles’ only touchdownpass, an8-yarder that opened the scoring with 2:01 left in the first quarter.
“Every touchdown that was scored had 11 guys blocking, and we do that real well as a team,” Jimenez-Cedillo said.
Holy Cross showed vulnerability to the big play. The Panthers scored on an 88-yard kickoff return after Jimenez-Cedillo’s TD catch.
Quarterback Ryan Williamson connected with Regan Turley for Hyde Park’s three other scores, including two that went for 59 and 29 yards.