Turnovers hurt Harding in 24-6 loss

Dan Herron led all rushers in the game with 134 yards on 24 carries.
By CHUCK HOUSTEAU
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
WARREN -- Three second-half turnovers cost the Warren Harding High football team a chance to upend Cleveland St. Ignatius Saturday at Mollenkopf Stadium.
The Raiders trailed just 7-6 at halftime but one third quarter turnover led to a St. Ignatius score and two other mistakes ended Harding scoring threats in the 24-6 loss to the Wildcats (5-2).
"We played awfully hard and competed but we didn't get what we wanted," said Harding coach Thom McDaniels. "Making the game interesting doesn't make any of us feel good.
Critical moments
"There were some critical moments where we needed to execute better than we did and that kept us out of the end zone for sure one time."
McDaniels was referring to a point in the third quarter after Harding gave up two quick touchdowns to the Wildcats to fall behind 21-6.
The Raiders drove to the Ignatius 1-yard line and had second and goal before suffering a motion penalty that moved the ball back to the 6. Two plays later, Dan Herron was thrown for a 9-yard loss and fumbled the ball. The Wildcats' Reilly Lauer recovered the ball.
That all but ended any chance for a Raider upset.
"When you are an underdog there are four things you must do and taking care of the football is one," McDaniels said. "We didn't do a very good job of that in the second half."
After Ignatius took the second-half kickoff, the Wildcats drove 41 yards behind the pinpoint passing of quarterback Rudy Kirbus. The senior connected with Bill O'Malley for a 3-yard score to open up an 8-point lead.
Gets job done
"That was key," said Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle of the quick second-half score. "We said, 'We're getting the kickoff and we need to put the ball in the endzone.'"
Kirbus finished the night by connecting on 13 of 21 passes for 213 yards and one touchdown pass. The senior also ran for two scores and had 62 yards rushing on 13 carries.
Kirbus was missing his favorite target, Robby Parris, a Notre Dame recruit, who was injured last week and is expected to miss the rest of his senior season.
The Wildcats opened up the lead to 15 points after another Harding turnover led to an Ignatius score.
Lauer recovered a fumble by Harding's Sidney Glover at the Raider 25 and on the next play, Kirbus raced 25 yards untouched into the endzone.
Harding made a game of it in the first half after allowing the Wildcats to score on their first possession of the game.
How it happened
Kirbus hit Ben Jurevicius on the first play for a 53-yard gain and three plays later ran in from the 1-yard line for a score.
Harding came right back by marching 80 yards in 13 plays before Herron scored on a 6-yard run. A bad snap and hold on the extra point caused the kick by Alena Westover to miss left and Harding trailed by 1.
Herron led all rushers in the game with 134 yards on 24 carries. Glover added 56 yards rushing on 13 tries.
"The game was where we wanted it at halftime," McDaniels said. "We played hard all night and that's why this game hurts so bad."