Chicago-Area High School Football News and Scores | Season Pass

It’s getting to that point in the football season where teams are punching their tickets to the playoffs.

Mooseheart doesn’t quite have that ticket in its back pocket yet, but a 35-0 win over Hiawatha Saturday afternoon made the Red Ramblers playoff eligible at 5-1 on the year.

“We are really happy to be where we are,” said Mooseheart coach Gary Urwiler. “The guys responded well (after last week’s loss to Ottawa Marquette), and it’s nice when you keep the other team out of the end zone.”

Mooseheart needed just three minutes, 47 seconds to get on the scoreboard and owned a 21-0 lead when Sahr Mahoney ran back a punt 46 yards for a touchdown with 4:18 to go in the period.

Mahoney was a huge part of an opening quarter which saw the Red Ramblers own a 118-3 advantage in total yards. Along with his punt return, the senior running back put the first score on the board when he connected with quarterback Jon Hart on a 51-yard scoring play, and also ran one in from 47 yards out.

He later hooked up with Hart (8-for-12, 107 yards) on a 9-yard scoring play and finished the day with a game-high 96 yards on seven carries to go with two catches for 60 yards.

All that, and Mahoney was also named homecoming king at halftime.

“I had some pretty good blocking,” Mahoney said. “Oumaru (Abdulahi) said he was going to block for me all day, and that’s what he did. I guess this is a pretty big day, it’s homecoming and it’s my last year so I thought I should play pretty hard.”

Kirkland quarterback Mike Mercado threw for 152 yards but the Red Rambler defense was stout against the run, holding the Hawks (2-4) to minus-31 yards rushing on 40 attempts.

“Our defense has struggled a little but we slowed the run pretty well,” Urwiler said. “I can’t be any more pleased.”

Mooseheart has a chance to lock itself into the playoff picture with a victory Thursday against winless Chicago CICS/Logwood.