By BRANDON JUDEH

sports@vindy.com

WARREN

It only takes one play to swing momentum and change a game.

On the first drive of Friday’s game, Maple Heights quarterback Kaleb Coffee led his team down to the Warren Harding 8 yard line.

One bad snap later, the Raiders’ (3-1) Ty Howard returned the fumble 78 yards for his first career touchdown to help propel Harding to a 27– 12 home win.

“As soon as I saw the ball I was thinking touchdown,” said Howard. “I just wanted to pick it up and take it to the end zone. My team did a great job blocking for me.”

The mistake seemed to suck the life out of the Mustangs, as on the next possession they were forced to punt and proceeded to commit six first quarter penalties for 50 yards. In all they had 13 penalties for 120 yards.

“Penalties will hurt you and it showed, but they have a talented football team with a lot of skill,” said Harding coach Steve Arnold.

Arnold added he felt this was a trap game and his team didn’t look sharp, but despite not playing its best, it still won by two touchdowns.

Harding went up 14-0 early in the second quarter when quarterback Lamar Carmichael punched it in from 1 yard out.

The junior is one of the big reasons the Raiders have been playing so well, Arnold said.

“He still has a way to go, but he is maturing,” Arnold said of Carmichael.

“I don’t mean to use a basketball reference, but he is the point guard on the basketball team, and just like you need your point guard to be a leader, you need your quarterback to do the same.”

Carmichael threw for 87 yards and added a rushing touchdown.

After heading into the locker room with a 14-6 lead, the Raiders came out flat at the beginning of the third quarter.

A muffed punt gave the Mustangs the ball at the Harding 29 yard line, but the Raiders’ defense was up for the challenge.

After the stingy Raiders defense stopped Maple Heights on fourth down, they never looked back.

On the following Raiders drive, Jalyn Powell ran it in from 9 yards out to give Harding a commanding 20-6 lead late in the third, but the Mustangs hung around.

Three minutes later, Coffee, who rushed for 68 yards and two touchdowns, ran the ball up the gut for a 2-yard score to cut the lead to eight.

Late in the fourth the Raiders put the game away when Leshun Daniels, who bulldozed his way to 105 yards, cracked the goal line for a 4-yard score that sent the Mustangs packing.

“I couldn’t get anything going in the first half, but my offensive line opened up a lot of holes for me in the second half and I was able to get going,” said Daniels.

Harding’s Powell caught three passes for 70 yards and had a rushing touchdown while Maple Height’s Coffee had 157 yards of total offense.