(KLZA)-- Class D2 top ranked Falls City Sacred Heart held off a tough Randolph Cardinal team 34-26 Wednesday afternoon at Jug Brown Stadium in Falls City in round two of the playoffs.

Randolph scored first on a 12 yard pass from Mason Stubbs to Logan Nordhues to take a 6-0 lead. The Irish took the lead with 11:55 to go in the second quarter on the first of Austin Ahern’s three TD runs, this one covering 10 yards with Christian Harring scoring the two point conversion. 

The Cardinal reclaimed the lead on a 25 yard pass from Stubbs to Drew Loberg to go ahead 12-8 and that was all the first half scoring. 

Sacred Heart quarterback Bailey Witt threw a 40 yard pass to Noah Keller less than three minutes into the second half to grab the lead again 14-12 but Drew Loberg scored from 45 yards out on the next play for the Cardinals and they led 20-14.

The Irish defense stiffened at this point and the offense scored three TD’s. Witt passing 14 yards to Emerson Keithley, and two ore Austin Ahern runs of 4 and 32 yards to lead 34-20 with 7:23 to go in the final period. 

Randolph got another score with 1:58 to do on Stubbs third TD pass of the day, this one to Landyn Anderson to make it 34-26.  Following an Irish punt, the Cardinals got the ball back with :20 seconds left in the game.  The hit one sideline pass and then threw a desperation interception that iced the game for Sacred Heart.

Stubbs hit 14-28 passes for 186 yards and three scores.  Loberg ran for 95 yards on 17 carries and caught three balls for 46 yards.  Anderson caught 7 passes for 92 yards. The Cardinals finish the season 7-3.

Witt hit 8 of 13 pass attempts for 128 yards and two scores.  All but one pass attempt came in the second half.  Ahern had a great day carrying 23 times for 146 yards and ending up in the end zone three times. The Irish defense had a good day with Noah Keller having a good day at defensive back. 

The Irish are now 9-1 and did not have a turnover in the game. 

Sacred Heart will be on the road Tuesday in the D2 Quarterfinal round.