Team

Ursuline

Record	Div.	Conf.
1/9	Div. IV	Independents

Team

Warren Harding

Record	Div.	Conf.
9/3	Div. I	All-American Conference Gold Tier

Johnson, Irish defense combine to stop Harding

By TIM CLEVELAND

sports@vindy.com

WARREN

Ursuline used a physical defense to attack Warren Harding quarterback Lynn Bowden and a bruising rushing attack led by Kimauni Johnson to take a commanding halftime lead and hold on for a 33-22 victory Friday night at Mollenkopf Stadium.

Bowden was forced into three first-half turnovers as the Irish (3-2) took a 27-6 lead. Ursuline set the tone on the first possession of the game, driving 79 yards on 14 plays in 7:02. Johnson capped the drive with a 5-yard TD run and had 13 carries for 70 yards on the drive.

“It set the tone,” Johnson said of the drive. “We always try and set the tone for each game. We know what we can do, we know how we can finish, and we’ve just got to play like that each drive.”

“Our best defense was our offense,” Ursuline coach Larry Kempe said. “Our first drive, I think we had the ball for the better part of eight minutes. That’s a heck of a job by our offensive staff. The one thing that has bit us in the butt in two games is turning the ball over. We made that to our advantage this evening.”

Johnson was the workhorse for the Irish, rushing for 190 yards on 35 carries.

“It feels good to be out here,” Johnson said. “Our team did real good, offense and defense, so really it was an all-around game for us. We played hard. We did what we was supposed to do.”

Ursuline rushed for 341 yards, while Harding had 215.

“We knew what they were going to do,” Harding coach Steve Arnold said. “They were going to be physical up front. They beat us at the line of scrimmage. That was my concern coming into the game. You’re not going to beat good teams turning the ball over four times; the penalties and them running the ball. That’s a recipe for a loss.”

Bowden had a 38-yard run on Harding’s (4-1) first play, but fumbled to end it inside the Ursuline 10.

Johnson had a 49-yard run, breaking several tackles in the process, and added a 10-yard scoring run for a 14-0 lead with 11:32 left in the half.

Bowden added another fumble and an interception on Harding’s next two drives. The Irish converted both into a scoring run by Jared Fabry and a pass from Fabry to Dakota Hobbs.

Harding got on the board with 1:23 left in the half on a 15-yard run by Keemari Murry to trail 27-6 at the half.

Bowden got going in the second half, capping a drive with a 20-yard scoring run. Marlin Richardson ran in the two-point conversion to make it 27-14 with 8:04 left in the third quarter.

Ursuline’s subsequent drive lasted nearly the rest of the quarter, as the Irish drove to the Harding 9. On fourth and 4, Deion Edwards was stopped to turn the ball over.

Bowden capped an eight-play drive with a 2-yard run and added a two-point conversion to pull the Raiders to within 27-22 with 9:19 to play.

“I thought that we would make a run,” Arnold said. “I didn’t know how it would transpire, but I felt that we would make a run.”

Hobbs returned the subsequent kickoff to the 48 and Harding was hit with a personal foul penalty, giving Ursuline the ball on the Harding 37. Two plays later, Fabry faked a handoff and went 36 yards to give Ursuline the final margin with 8:46 to play.

Harding’s last hope ended when Bowden passed to Richardson, who fumbled the ball away with 5:58 to play.

“We were right there; we had momentum,” Arnold said. “We’re driving and we fumble the football.”

Bowden rushed for 163 yards on 20 carries.