Cardinal Mooney’s defense rose time and time again as the Cardinals improved to 6-2 on the season with a 7-3 win over Warren G. Harding at Mollenkopf Field.
      The first quarter of play set the tone for the rest of the game
      The Raiders got the first possession of the contest and promptly went three and out.
      On the first play from scrimmage, Harding quarterback Amiere Cobb was stuffed by a trio of Cards---John Brenner, Rocco Zabel and KeJuan Dean---for no gain.
      On second down, Zabel put Makhai Brogden to the turf for no gain.
      On third down, Bryan Lyons stopped a Matt Richardson run to force a punt.
      Mooney got the ball back at the Harding 36 yard line and three plays later Brady Desmond scampered 34 yards for the Cards lone TD of the night. A Jacob Gugliotta PAT boot gave Mooney the lead with 8:53 on the first quarter clock.
      Harding gave the ball back to Mooney two plays later when a Zabel smash on Cobb caused a fumble that was recovered by Desmond at the Raiders 29 yard line.
      Mooney couldn’t take advantage and when Raider Ty Smith dropped Ike Lake short of a first down on a fourth down run, Harding took over at the 19 yard line and again Mooney’s defense forced a three and out.
      However, on the Harding punt, Brenner broke through the front line to tip the kick and Mooney had the ball 32 yards from paydirt.
      Again the Harding defense stiffened and the Cards who went three and out, as the Raiders got the ball back at the 44 yard line.
      Stymied by three false start flags on first down, Harding punted the ball back to Mooney and the Cards had the ball on the Raiders 45 yard line.
      A false start flag on Mooney, a Lake run and two incomplete passes by Card quarterback Vince Gentile forced Mooney to punt facing a fourth and 16.
      A nifty Richardson return down the sideline gave Harding the ball at the Mooney 38 yard line. Courtesy of a Cobb run, Harding moved to the 15 yard line where a first down pass missed the mark. Ty Dawson and Dean dropped Brogden to the turf on a fourth down try to give Mooney the ball back at the Warren 16 yard line as the first quarter of play ended.
      Harding got their lone score of the game with three seconds left on the second quarter clock, as Jaron Edwards booted a 19 yard field goal.
      Mooney had the first possession of the second half and ran 10 plays before Tonni Badie was stopped on a fourth and 1 run and on the play Mooney has called for holding to force a fourth and 11 punt.
      The rest of the game was a defensive battle, as Zabel, Brenner, Mike McGlone and Dewey Heard, and Lyons led the charge for the Cards.
      Zabel paced the Cards defense with 14 tackles. including three takedowns for losses. Dean posted 8 tackles, while Lyons and badies added 7 tackles each.
      Kingston Powell had an interception for the Cardinals.
      On the game, the Cardinal defense held the Raiders to just three first downs on a baker’s dozen third down attempts.
      In the waning minute of the contest, Harding had one more chance to score. The Raiders were facing a second and 10, and on the play Dean smashed Harding tailback Brogden causing a fumble and the loose ball was recovered by Badie to seal the win for Mooney.
      On the night, Mooney was able to garner only 152 yards of total offense, including just 96 yards over the turf.
      Harding’s defense limited Mooney’s leading rusher, Lake, to 37 yards on a dozen lugs. With that total, Lake now has 1,005 rushing yards on the season.
      Harding wasn’t much better on offense, with 178 yards on the ground and one yard passing.
      Harding had 9 first downs in the game while the Cards managed 7 first downs.
      Mooney closes out its regular season Fri., Oct. 17 at South Range (5-3) as its former, final regular season game on Oct. 31 with Ursuline was cancelled.