The cool air filled the night sky at Cardinal Stadium one final time. Though many were trick-or-treating, the Cards spent their Halloween fighting for their season in front of a handful of fans this past Friday.
Led by the senior class, the Cards claimed victory over the Indianapolis Arsenal Tech Titans 22-7 and secured their spot for the second round of sectionals.
Head coach Sean Little believes the strong finish to the season was possible because his team had the motivation to keep moving forward after they started 0-5 at the beginning of the season.
“It’s not easy. It’s not easy for the kids, it’s not easy for the coach (and) it’s not easy for anybody in the program. But man, it’s consistency, (and) it’s resiliency,” Little said.
The scoring started off in the first quarter from a blocked punt attempt that was picked up by senior defensive end Myles Caudill, who fought for the ball with his other teammates to give the Cards an early 6-0 lead.
“In the moment, I was actually wrestling with (senior) Jayce Maynard for the touchdown, but once I got it in my hands, I was just happy,” Caudill said.
After the touchdown, both teams hit a roadblock, and the first quarter ended with the Cards still having a 6-0 lead.
However, that didn’t last long. The Titans scored early in the second quarter and made their field goal, which put the score at 6-7 up until halftime.
The Cards needed some life in the second half, and the third quarter delivered with senior wide receiver Owen Durocher’s touchdown via senior quarterback Mannie Brandon’s pass, who finished the game with 32 passing yards, in the endzone, as they regained the lead 13-7.
Though Durocher dropped a pass earlier in the game, the confidence given by his teammates and coaches helped him accomplish a feat he’s been waiting four years for.
“I can credit all my teammates (for) sticking with me…,” Durocher said. “Then Mannie just still being able to feed me that rock and trust me, it means a lot to me.”
Little was proud of Durocher, finishing the game with 27 receiving yards, believing that the adversity and resilience helped the senior show out.
“Owen is the proverbial program kid, (he) shows up every single day. He works hard,” Little said. “He doesn’t always stand out, and he’s not always the superstar, but man, when we needed him tonight, he showed up and he made a play. And for him to get his first touchdown this year in that game, that’s something he’ll always remember.”
Though the game was still in reach for the Titans, that all ended when junior kicker Edgar Coronado successfully made a field goal .
After a successful attempt for three points, a key interception by freshman Xaiver Hoffman led to a rushing touchdown by junior running back Braiden Brummett.
These two crucial drives gave the Cards a 22-7 advantage at the end of three quarters.
While there were times in the fourth quarter the Titans had a chance to score, the Cards’ defense put them down in the red zone numerous times, with key stops from senior free safety Dominic Martinez, who had 3 tackles and a sack. This ultimately put an end to the Titans’ season and let the Cards live to see another day.
As the Cards look on to round two, they will be facing one of their biggest tests of the year as they go up against the Warren Central Warriors, who finished 3rd in the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference and are ranked 15th in the state, on Friday, Nov. 7 at Warrior Stadium.
Little believes if they can push the right buttons and do what is asked, they can compete against the opposition.
“Can we play mistake free football, can we execute what we need to execute and be smart on the football field? And I think that’s what I’m looking for next week,” Little said. “Can we execute at a higher level than we did tonight and than we’ve done all season?”
