This year Holy Cross Regional High School has produced four graduating players who will be going on to play university football next fall, three of them at UBC and one south of the border.
The quartet of athletes signed their official letters of commitment during an event at the Surrey school on Wednesday, Feb. 21, with family and friends in attendance.
“The four young men, who have put in years of work on the field and in the weight room, have all been admitted to and received varying levels of scholarship offers from the schools of their choice,” noted coach Todd Bernett.
Riley Brisebois, Josh Guevara and Ben Laurin are off to the University of British Columbia to play for the Thunderbirds, while Keon Bernett will play in the U.S. at Pacific Lutheran University, in Tacoma.
Brisebois and Guevara both play offensive line, and following the 2023 season they received all-provincial recognition from BC High School Football.
Laurin was the AA provincial defensive player of the year at linebacker, and his work on special teams as a long snapper also drew UBC’s interest.
Bernett was all-conference at tight-end in 2023, and the NCAA Division III school sees him as a fullback down the road.
“These four were an important part of a strong season for the Crusaders, who won eight games total on the season last year, advancing to the quarterfinals of the BC High School football playoffs,” the coach added.
Brisebois was recruited by multiple schools across Canada, and plans on majoring in psychology at UBC.
Guevara also had interest from multiple schools across the country, and he intends to major in architecture at the university in Vancouver.
Laurin is planning to major in economics, the coach says, while Bernett intends to major in pre-medical sciences.