The Cardinal Huskies relied on their strong rushing attack and clutch defensive plays from Troy Domen to defeat the Grand Valley Mustangs 34-13 on Sept. 30.
Game photos click here.
The Cardinal Huskies relied on their strong rushing attack and clutch defensive plays from Troy Domen to defeat the Grand Valley Mustangs 34-13 on Sept. 30.
The Huskies ran the ball early and often against the Mustangs. Senior running back Josh Soltis kick-started Cardinal’s offense with a 45-yard run in the first quarter, then finished the game with two rushing touchdowns.
The Huskies knew the Mustangs were focused on stopping Soltis and used that to their advantage.
“We know that from here on out, teams are going to key on Soltis,” said Cardinal Head Coach Chris Perrotti. “We know that he is the guy to stop. And with some of the things we did, it really leans into Strever taking the ball, and he just runs so hard.”
On many of Cardinal’s offensive plays, junior quarterback Logan Strever would read Grand Valley’s defense and decide whether to hand the ball to Soltis or make a play himself.
The Mustangs struggled to stop the offensive game plan of the Huskies, and Strever would finish the game with three touchdowns, two through the air to junior receivers Aidan Gallagher and Kyle Sinclair, and a 15-yard touchdown run.
Strever said the entire Huskies offense deserved credit.
“We knew they were going to eye on Soltis after his last game,” Strever said. “So the pulls and the reads were going to be open. Our skill guys are really good — they know how to get open, they know how to run their routes — so it was really just a total team win.”
The Huskies defense produced some important stops throughout the game, but none were bigger than a highlight play from junior defensive back Troy Domen at the end of the first half.
Cardinal held a 14-6 lead as the final seconds before halftime were ticking away. The Mustangs offense put together a long drive, and were set up inside the Huskies 20-yard line with a chance to cut into their opponents’ lead. But with less than 10 seconds left in the quarter, Domen intercepted a pass intended for wide receiver Robert Rogers to stop the Mustangs from scoring and helping his team hold onto its 14-6 lead.
“All we needed was to keep it out of the end zone,” Domen said. “We just went to a deep coverage. We all knew it was going to go to Rogers, and sure enough, he came across the middle, and I jumped the pass.”
Domen finished the game with two interceptions and posed a threat returning kicks as well. His interception gave the Huskies momentum as they entered halftime.
“It was great,” said Strever. “The sideline was going crazy after that one.”
Likewise, Domen’s teammates appreciate the work he does to be ready on game day.
“He watches a lot of film,” Strever said. “Offensively he has great hands and runs great routes, he can get open whenever he wants. He’s also a very good blocker. And on defense he got the pick at the end of the quarter, saving the touchdown. … He’s a special player.”
With their victory over Grand Valley, the Huskies improved to a 3-4 overall record and a 2-2 record in Chagrin Valley Conference play. Cardinal will return home Oct. 7 to face the Crestwood Red Devils.
