HARDING SNEAKS UP ON THE CARDINALS IN THE END

MINERAL RIDGE OH- In a hard-fought matchup, Cardinal Mooney went head-to-head with Warren Harding in a thrilling contest that ultimately ended in a heartbreaking 24-21 loss for Mooney.

The first quarter set the tone for an exciting game as Harding’s Chaz Coleman connected with Ryan Powell on a 47-yard pass, resulting in a touchdown at the 10:27 mark. The extra point attempt failed, but Harding took an early 6-0 lead.

Mooney quickly responded when Adyn Paige broke through Harding’s defense with a 4-yard rushing touchdown at 6:12. With the successful extra point, Mooney took a 7-6 lead.

Later in the first quarter, Jake Daugherty of Harding made a 27-yard field goal, helping his team regain the lead at 9-7 with 1:34 left in the quarter.

The third quarter saw Mooney reclaiming the momentum. Ashton O’Brien connected with Jon Brenner for a 19-yard touchdown pass at the 3:04 mark, extending Mooney’s lead to 14-9. O’Brien continued to shine, throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to Carlos Gomez at 1:54, further extending Mooney’s lead to 21-9.

However, Warren Harding wasn’t ready to concede the game. Chaz Coleman had an impressive 23-yard rushing touchdown at just 14 seconds left in the third quarter, narrowing the score to 21-16.

As the game entered the decisive fourth quarter, Harding managed to complete a comeback. Coleman orchestrated a 2-yard rushing touchdown at 0:38, putting Harding ahead 24-21. To secure the win, Coleman successfully converted a 2-point conversion with a pass to Khamari Adams, solidifying the 24-21 victory for Warren Harding.