By Pete Mollica

sports@vindy.com

WARREN

The Mentor High football team came into Friday night’s game against Warren Harding with a 3-3 record, but the Cardinals certainly didn’t play like a .500 team.

Sparked by the play of senior Colton Wallace, the Cardinals dominated the Raiders and went home with a 28-13 victory at Mollenkopf Stadium.

Wallace, the Cardinals’ wide receiver and part-time quarterback, scored all four of Mentor’s touchdowns, rushing eight times for 70 yards and catching two passes for 67 yards as the Cardinals rolled up over 350 total yards against the Raiders (5-2).

“Yes we were a 3-3 team coming in here, but the three losses were to teams that have a total of just one loss among them,” said Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno. “We still feel we are a pretty good football team.”

Trivisonno praised the play of Wallace and his entire defensive unit.

“Colton is probably our best all around athlete and he showed that tonight,” he added. “But our defense was outstanding tonight, especially to be able to shut down Harding’s running game like they did.”

The Raiders were only able to pick up 58 yards on the ground on 27 carries, but senior quarterback Mikhail Seawood did have a pretty good passing night, hitting 13 of 20 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns.

But it was the Cardinals’ defense that turned the game around in the fourth quarter.

Trailing 21-7 the Raiders had three chances to score from the Cardinals’ 1-yard line, but Mentor turned them away all three times and then drove 99 yards for the game-clinching touchdown.

“You just can’t get down there like we did and not score,” said Harding coach D.J. Dota. “We had several opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of and penalties really killed us tonight.”

The Raiders were penalized nine times for 100 yards and several were very costly.

Trailing 14-7 to open the second half, the Raiders recovered a Mentor fumble on the second half kickoff at the Cardinals’ 20 yard line, but had a personal foul penalty that pushed them back to the 42 and never were able to take advantage of the turnover.

“We really didn’t play that poorly defensively tonight, but we just never got anything going on offense,” Dota added.

The Cardinals drew first blood late in the first quarter after holding the Raiders deep in their own territory and taking over at the Harding 43. They stayed mainly on the ground and Wallace capped the drive with a 1-yard run.

Harding tied the contest in the second quarter when Seawood fired a quick pass out in the flat to sophomore Jalyn Powell and the speedster got to the sidelines and outraced everybody 46 yards to the end zone.

But Mentor came right back and, sparked by a 34 yard pass from sophomore quarterback Mitch Trubisky to Mike Korecz, rolled on down for its second score on a 10-yard run by Wallace just before halftime.

Trubisky and Wallace hooked up for Mentor’s third touchdown, a 53-yard pass play when Wallace became wide open after Harding defender Jimmy May fell down.

After Mentor’s goal line stand in the final quarter, the Cardinals came back for their final TD when again came by Wallace who broke loose on a broken play and rambled 63 yards for the touchdown.

Harding added its final touchdown on a 39-yard pass from Seawood to K-Von Williams, but failed on its onside kickoff attempt and the Cardinals were able to run out the clock.