ARLINGTON, TX- September 13, 2025
In front of a packed crowd at Choctaw Stadium, the John Paul II Cardinals delivered a statement win in the 2025 Catholic Bowl, defeating the Nolan Catholic Vikings 31–21 in a thrilling contest marked by explosive plays, defensive grit, and clutch performances.

The tone was set from the opening whistle—literally—as Amir Weeks took the opening kickoff 100 yards to the house, stunning the Vikings and lighting up the Cardinals sideline. He followed it up moments later by making the first tackle of the game on defense, showcasing his all-around impact right from the jump.

The Cardinals defense came out just as fired up. A key sack on Nolan's first drive forced an early 4th down, giving the ball back to an offense ready to capitalize. That's exactly what they did, as Ethan Patterson added another touchdown, extending the lead to 14–0 with 6:00 left in the first quarter.

The rest of the first half was all Cardinals. The defense tightened up and held the Vikings scoreless going into halftime, frustrating Nolan's offense and winning the battle in the trenches.

Coming out of the break, the Vikings finally found life when #3 broke loose for a long touchdown reception, putting Nolan on the board. But just as momentum seemed to be shifting, Braxton Burriss (#82) came up with a huge fumble recovery for the Cardinals with 8:14 left in the third quarter, turning the tide right back.

Capitalizing on the turnover, Braden Harbour found the end zone for JPII, and Jett Jackson nailed the extra point to make it 24–7. The Vikings wouldn't go quietly though—they answered with a touchdown at 4:18 in the third, tightening the score to 24–14.

To open the fourth, the Cardinals struck back quickly with another score, only for Nolan to answer right away with a touchdown of their own, setting the score at 31–21 and keeping the pressure on.

With 9:00 left in the game, Nolan came up with a big interception, giving themselves a chance to pull within one score. But the Cardinals' defense once again held firm, forcing a stop and swinging momentum back.

The dagger came with 5:48 remaining, when Austin Patterson picked off a pass to seal the win for the Cardinals. A key quarterback keeper on the final drive secured a fresh set of downs, allowing JPII to run out the clock and punch their ticket to Catholic Bowl glory.