The curtain has closed for the Garfield G-Men football team’s 2025 campaign. Garfield bowed out of the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division V Region 17 playoffs, losing 56-14 against Cardinal Mooney in the regional semifinal last Friday evening at Youngstown State University’s Stambaugh Stadium.
“We got banged up really quick on Friday night,” said Coach Mike Moser. “We lost some pivotal pieces early on and it made the hill just that much steeper.”
In the G-Men’s (9-3, 6-1) second regional semifinal appearance in three years, they succumbed to an explosive Cardinal Mooney offense, as the Cardinals consistently relied on big-yardage plays, which put Garfield on its heels early.
In the first quarter, Cardinal Mooney needed only four plays to take the lead on its opening drive as senior tailback/safety Ike Lake broke free for a 28-yard touchdown scamper, pushing the Cardinals ahead 7-0.
The G-Men countered with a methodical drive, marching down the field on short yard gains via the run which was capped off by an explosive fourth down conversion from Cardinal Mooney’s 35, when senior quarterback/defensive back Jack Neikirk delivered a 35-yard touchdown strike to senior tight end/defensive lineman Colton Miller, cutting the lead to 7-6 after missing the extra point.
“That was nice,” noted the 13-year coach. “We executed that one really well but unfortunately we needed a few more of them.”
After a promising first drive, the G-Men’s offense remained in neutral while the Cardinals quickly pulled away, scoring two more touchdowns in the first quarter on a 43-yard run by the 5-foot-9 Lake, followed by a 36-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver/cornerback Tony Jackson from senior wide receiver/safety Luke Kollar, extending the lead to 21-6.
Garfield could not match the Cardinals’ explosive offense and continued attempting long drives by relying on the rushing game, but Cardinal Mooney’s defensive line proved to be stout by dominating the line of scrimmage.
“At times I thought we did alright, but I would say that they whupped us up front,” acknowledged Moser. “They whupped us all around.”
According to the 6-foot-2 Neikirk, Cardinal Mooney’s success on converting explosive plays resembled the way of the G-Men.
“We had a lot of guys banged up,” he added. “When we can’t fill those spots, we make errors and don’t communicate, and they broke long runs and long passes.”
The Cardinals’ defense shut out Garfield in the second quarter and increased their lead to 35-6 as junior tight end/linebacker Rocco Zabel found the end zone on a 2-yard rush and Lake added another touchdown, this time from 52 yards out.
Moser noted that Cardinal Mooney moved the ball efficiently but also capitalized on prime field position, with its first four possessions starting at around midfield thanks to some long kickoff returns.
After blocking a punt from sophomore tailback/defensive back Ryder Cain in Garfield’s territory on the opening drive of the second half, the Cardinals took over at the G-Men’s 8 and junior quarterback/linebacker Vince Gentile tossed a 2-yard touchdown strike to sophomore tailback/cornerback Tyree Dawson on a fourth down conversion, increasing the lead to 42-6, triggering the running clock for the rest of the game.
When it was all said and done, Garfield’s senior class made their last stand on the gridiron, capping off a memorable varsity career by amassing a 40-9 record, two Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier titles and four consecutive playoff appearances.
Neikirk noted that the senior class came together to fill the void left by one of the most successful senior classes in the graduating class of 2023 and cemented their own legacy in the record books.
“Our class at the time learned and grew off of that senior class and when they were gone, it was our turn,” he added. “It was great. Our motto is always to leave a legacy and I feel that we did that.”
Moser also praised the graduating class of 2025 for continuing to carry on the standard of success built by their predecessors. After the 2023 class departed, the 2025 class inherited a tradition of success especially in the MVAC Grey Tier and continued to dominate by capturing the league banner in 2024 to reign as MVAC Grey Tier champs in consecutive seasons.
“It is just carrying it on,” Moser said. “I think that they moved the program forward another notch and we just have to go on from there.”
Although Garfield did not win the MVAC Grey Tier banner this year, 2025 class showed resilience by fueling the team to capture another top four seed in the OHSAA Division V Region 13.
Neikirk left behind some parting words to Garfield’s next senior class.
“Just stay to the standard,” he said. “Just live up to it and more.”
