“He turned me down because I was 10 years younger, so we played the second half and it turned out to be a heckuva game.”
Triad’s defense was the difference as Damian Bolden returned an interception 40 yards to break a 7-7 tie with 9:33 left.
“I thought, ‘I’m scoring,’ ” Bolden said of the first thoughts that went through his head when he saw the pass coming at him. “This is just an amazing feeling … it’s life changing.”
Considering Triad lost defensive standout Tre McIntyre in Week 6, starting quarterback Trent McIntyre last week and defensive leader Chaz Adams on the first series of Saturday’s game, advancing to Week 13 meant surmounting a mountain of adversity.
“We were without our three most dominant players,” Printz said. “It is a true testament to the kids. They really stepped it up.”
Lehman had taken a 7-0 lead on its second series of the second half, marching 80 yards in 16 plays before Greg Spearman bulled in from the 1 with 4:12 left in the third quarter.
The Cardinals answered with a 15-yard scoring toss from Doug Lowe to Steven Feasel before Bolden gave the Cardinals the lead for good two series later.
Following the interception, Lehman managed one first down and 22 yards.
“We haven’t played well offensively in awhile,” Roll said after his squad recorded 190 yards of total offense and 15 first downs in finishing 10-2. “We were our own worst enemy. We just didn’t answer the bell offensively.”
Both teams missed out on cashing in on their lone opportunities of a first half that saw a combined 180 yards of offense and three turnovers.
Lehman had the first shot at putting points on the board, moving from its 48 to the Triad 11. The Cavaliers lined up to attempt a 27-yard field goal on fourth-and-six, but after a timeout decided against it. The ensuing play resulted in a 1-yard gain by Spearman to turn the ball over on downs.
After nearly giving up the first points of the night on a safety, the Cardinals almost cashed in on an interception by Damian Boldman at their own 32.
Lowe had a pair of big completions, including a 33-yarder to Zach McConnell to the Lehman 10. Stephen Monnin ended the threat for the Cavaliers, picking Lowe off at the goal line.
About the Author