Bishop Chatard football coach Vince Lorenzano had no second thoughts with 1 minute, 58 seconds remaining in Friday's game against Cathedral. Lorenzano chose to go for the win instead of a potential tying extra point.

The pass failed and Class 4A No. 4 Cathedral was able to hold on for 15-14 victory over Class 3A No. 1 Bishop Chatard on a muddy field at Broad Ripple.

"We were worn out," Lorenzano said of his decision. "We had a lot of cramping. We were having trouble getting guys on the field. I felt if we were going to win it, we were going to win it now. When we look at the film, I think the play was right. I think the call was right. We just missed the receiver."

Trojans running back Aristotle Pappas had scored on a 9-yard run to close the deficit to 15-14.

The Irish (2-2), who have won four in a row over the Trojans to tie the all-time series at 17, had broken an 8-8 tie on a 12-yard touchdown run by Nick Najem with 5:40 to go.

"I cut it outside and saw two people," Najem said. "It was great blocking by the offensive line and wide receivers. I turned the corner and made it into the end zone."

Irish defensive back Jake Zupancic set up the TD by intercepting a pass and returning it 22 yards to the Chatard 37.

On second down, Najem ran for 15 yards and crucial face mask penalty put the ball on the 11.

Najem ran for 4 yards before the Irish were penalized 5 yards for delay of game. On second-and-11, Najem scored.

"We came out in the second half and played smashmouth football," Najem said. "We took it to one side of the line and they couldn't stop it."

Najem gained 115 yards on 21 carries to lead the Irish. Irish coach Rick Streiff said the offensive line deserves a lot of credit for the running success.

Najem's two-point conversion run tied the score in the second quarter. Cathedral had scored on a 24-yard pass from Kofi Hughes to Tom Bemenderfer.

The Trojans (3-1) scored eight points in the first quarter, including two on a safety when a Cathedral snap went out of the end zone. Later, Pappas scored on a 1-yard run but the kick failed.

Streiff said the Trojans came out ready to play, unlike his team.

"I think we showed up. I don't think we came ready to play," he said. "I took a timeout midway through the first quarter and chewed all their butts."

Streiff said it was a typical hard-fought game between the two Catholic school rivals.

"It always comes down to a play or two here or there," Streiff said. "I think their two-way guys got tired and us having a little more depth might have made a difference. But they're (the Trojans) a tough, hard-nosed group of kids."

• Cathedral: 0 8   0   7   15
• Bishop Chatard   8   0   0  6  
• BC -- Safety, Cathedral snapped ball out of the end zone
• BC -- Aristotle Pappas 1 run (kick failed)
• C -- Tom Bemenderfer 24 pass from Kofi Hughes (Nick Najem run)
• C -- Najem 12 run (Scott Miller kick)
• BC -- Pappas 9 run (pass failed)