Indianapolis Cathedral suffered its first loss of the 2019 season Friday night, falling to Cincinnati Elder 38-31 in overtime. The game started 50 minutes later than the originally scheduled 7 pm kickoff due to an accident on I-74 that delayed the Irish team buses traveling to Cincinnati by nearly three hours. The loss drops Cathedral’s record to 2-1, while Elder remains unbeaten with a 2-0 mark.
Trailing 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Irish tied the score early in the second period when quarterback Orin Edwards ended an 11-play, 80-yard drive with a 6-yard scoring run. Following a Shiloh Means’ interception, Edwards completed a screen pass to Jordan Thomas who ran 37 yards for a touchdown to give Cathedral a 14-7 lead. Elder answered with two TDs in the final five minutes of the half to lead 21-14 at the intermission.
Edwards started the second half with an 11-yard touchdown pass to David Perry and a shovel pass to Cam Jordan for a 3-yard score to put Cathedral ahead 28-21. Panthers’ quarterback Matthew Luebbe tied the score with a 10-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter. Christian Alerding’s career-long 29-yard field goal with 6:39 to play gave the Irish a 31-28 lead. Elder then marched 65 yards in 14 plays over the next six minutes to set up Sam Harmeyer’s 33-yard field goal with 33 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Cathedral won the coin toss and elected to play defense. Luebbe’s third rushing touchdown of the game gave Elder a 38-31 lead. On second down of the ensuing Irish possession, the Panthers recovered a Cathedral fumble to end the game.
Edwards led the Irish rushing attack with 104 yards on 10 carries. He completed 11 of 19 passes for 112 yards. In doing so, Edwards moved into third place on school’s career passing yardage list with 3,271 yards. Means had two interceptions and eight tackles to lead a Fighting Irish defense that has not allowed a play from scrimmage this season longer than 35 yards.
Cathedral is now 1-5 all-time against Elder with the only Irish win coming in 1930. Cathedral hosts rival Bishop Chatard next Friday at the former Arlington High School. The Trojans are ranked number-one in Class 3-A with a record of 3-0. Chatard has invoked the IHSAA Mercy Rule in every game this season, winning by an average margin of 36 points. The Trojans defeated the Fighting Irish last season 17-14 to gain possession of the Northside K of C traveling trophy and break a five-game losing streak against Cathedral.