Staff report

MENTOR

On Friday night, the Cardinal Mooney High football team first lost Marcus McWilson.

Then the lead.

Then the game.

If Mooney can’t turn things around soon, its playoff hopes might be next.

Joe Korb made an 18-yard field goal in the second overtime and Mentor Lake Catholic rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to beat the Cardinals 24-21.

“We weren’t able to finish our drives and come up with points,” said Mooney coach P.J. Fecko. “We have a bye this week and we’re at the midway point, so we have a little bit of time to focus for the back half of the season.”

The Cardinals led 14-0 late in the third quarter before McWilson, a two-way standout headed to Nebraska, left the game with a leg injury. Lake Catholic running back John Stepec cut the deficit to 7 with a 4-yard TD run late in the third, then tied the game on a 1-yard TD run with 2:06 left in the fourth quarter.

That fourth quarter drive started when Mike Robinson picked off Mooney QB Denver Martin at the Cougars’ 32. After a holding penalty on the first play pushed the ball back to the 22, Lake Catholic drove 78 yards over 16 plays for the game-tying score.

It wasn’t easy. The Cougars first converted a fake punt on fourth-and-13 on their own 29, with QB Dylan Bell hitting Malcolm Reho for a 15-yard completion.

A few plays later, on third-and-3 at the Lake Catholic 48, Mooney’s defense was hit with a 15-yard penalty for mimicking the snap count.

Then, on fourth-and-6 at the 33, Bret Zimmerman took a pitch around end for 17 yards to the Mooney 17, setting up Stepec’s game-winning score a few plays later.

In the first overtime, Zimmerman gave the Cougars the early lead with a 3-yard touchdown run. But Mooney answered with Justus Ellis-Moore’s 11-yard TD run.

Mooney missed a 24-yard field goal attempt to open the second overtime.

Stepec ran for 175 yards on 20 attempts for the Cougars (2-3), who snapped a three-game losing streak. Zimmerman added 60 on eight carries.

“Stepec had a great game,” said Lake Catholic coach Mike Bell. “We need that kind of effort on offense the rest of the year.”

Ellis-Moore carried 18 times for 159 yards and two TDs for the Cardinals (2-3), who entered the game ninth in the Division III, Region 9 standings.

Things don’t get any easier for Mooney. The Cardinals play Lakewood St. Edward in two weeks, then finish with Erie (Pa.) McDowell, Ursuline and Fitch.