he Cardinals kicked off the home portion of their schedule in a big way Friday night, battling back from an early deficit to defeat Greenhill 33-28 in an exciting home opener.

Greenhill struck first, taking a 7-0 lead after the opening quarter. The Cardinals responded in a huge way in the second quarter, exploding for 27 points to take a 27-7 advantage into halftime.

The turning point came on defense, as the Cardinals recorded two pick-sixes on back-to-back defensive plays in the second quarter. Jaxon Baker-Doran started the scoring with a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown, followed immediately by Bradshawn Smith, who returned an interception 50 yards for another touchdown. The two defensive scores gave the Cardinals tremendous momentum heading into halftime.

JPII continued to battle offensively throughout the night, finishing with 193 rushing yards on 38 carries and 110 passing yards. Hudson Kalman led the Cardinal rushing attack with an impressive 28 carries for 161 yards and a touchdown. Matthew Messner added 27 yards on five carries.

Quarterback Connor Chapman completed 11 of 18 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, with Gus Kahn leading the receiving corps with five catches for 45 yards. Winston Boulter added two receptions for 51 yards, including a touchdown, while Ahmad Burruss finished with four catches for 14 yards.

The Cardinals also got a big contribution from the kicking game. Angel Rodriguez was perfect on the night, connecting on two field goals, from 23 and 24 yards.

Greenhill mounted a fourth-quarter comeback, scoring 14 points in the final frame, but the Cardinals' defense held strong to preserve the 33-28 victory.

With the win, the Cardinals open their home schedule with a statement victory in front of their home crowd.

Final: JPII 33, Greenhill 28 

Way to battle, Cards!