by The Mentor Cardinals and Canton McKinley Bulldogs squared off with a spot in the regional finals on the line. The Cardinals would have to accomplish that without star running back Jackson Farley, who was out with a knee injury. It turned out to be an absolute classic, as the Cardinals pulled off some late-game magic to win 25-24.
The Bulldogs special teams and defense got them off to a strong start. An opening drive pooch punt pinned the Cardinals way back at their own one-yard line. Cardinals quarterback Brogan Jones was then intercepted by Marquese Jackson. That set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Isaac Brooks to put the Bulldogs up 6-0.
The Cardinals wouldn’t get on the board until the 2nd quarter when Danny Kristo knocked through a 40-yard field goal to make it 6-3. A 39-yard run by Kyelin West got the Bulldogs into the redzone just before halftime. They wound up having to settle for a field goal that extended their lead to 9-3.
Mentor’s offense woke up in the 3rd quarter. They went right down the field and took their first lead of the night on a 3-yard touchdown run by Braylon Callahan. Their defense then came through, forcing a fumble on Kyelin West that gave the Cardinals great field position. Three plays later, Brogan Jones connected with Phelan Harrold for a touchdown that put the Cardinals up 17-9.
It looked like the Cardinals were about to pull away after driving all the way down to the Bulldogs’ 2-yard line. However, Ryan Orsog then took a big hit and coughed up the football. It was scooped up by Dwoyne Robinson and returned 98-yards for a McKinley touchdown. After a successful 2-point conversion, the game was all tied up at 17.
McKinley took a 24-17 lead with 1:47 to go in the game on a 13-yard run by Kyelin West. The ensuing kickoff was short and returned into Bulldogs territory by Cooper Russo. Brogan Jones 27-yard scramble got Mentor down to the 7-yard line. A couple of solid plays from the Bulldogs defense brought up 4th down with just 20 seconds to go.
With the game on the line, Jones delivered by finding Justen Hodge in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. The Cardinals were not content with tying things up with an extra point. Coach Matt Gray decided to go for the win with a 2-point conversion. That decision paid off, as Jones ran it in himself to put Mentor up 25-24. The victory was sealed on an interception from linebacker Carson Wolk in the games final seconds.
Player of the Game:
QB Brogan Jones: 15/26 passing, 138 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; 6 rushes, 47 yards
