On Sat., Nov. 5, the Blue Streaks suffered a devastating 28-34 loss against Ohio Athletic Conference rival, Mount Union, going to show that, at some point in time, all good things must come to an end.

Although the season isn’t over, the loss inherently inhibits a fraction of the fire that John Carroll possessed.

The loss broke a seven-game win streak for the Blue Gold, each victory earned against OAC opponents. 

It goes without saying that John Caroll was hoping to tally a “clean sweep” of victories against OAC contenders, but the Purple Raiders proved to be the catalyst that would prevent another conference win.

The first half of play showcased the fact that the depth, energy and execution by John Carroll personnel indicated that this year’s rivalry matchup would look strikingly different from previous years.

With John Carroll and the Purple Raiders gridlocked at 14-14 at half, both squads were forced to revisit, revise and reject some of their original plans for the game. 

After all, the unprecedented talent of the Blue Streak offensive and defensive core is unmatched.

Evan McVay ‘25 and Tyler Mintz ‘24 put John Carroll on the board in the opening half, Yanni Volas ‘25 following each score with his consistent extra-point skill.

Jahiem Peake ‘24 led the defense with his pristine field vision, resulting in crucial tackling plays when it was essential for the Blue Streaks.

As the second portion of play began, Mount Union emerged from the locker room with a different attitude.

Early into the third quarter, the Purple Raiders would locate Edwin Reed in the endzone, resulting in the equalizing touchdown that would replenish hope within the realm of the Mount Union portion of the stadium

The Streaks struggled for an offensive counter-attack, and the Purple Raiders decided to capitalize.

Nearing the end of the third quarter, Mount scored an additional touchdown, increasing the scoring deficit to 27-12.

The third quarter seemed to play a significant role in the outcome of this rivalry, as it was the sole point in which Mount Union felt as if they regained some control over the game.

But, graduate student Tadas Tatarunas and Brennan Fugh ‘23 were not prepared to leave Alliance, OH without a rivalry conquest, as both added touchdowns to John Carroll’s point total.

Joe Collins ‘23 finished the day with 18 completions and 215 yards and Peake led the defense with an impressive 11 tackles. Graduate student Nick Costanzo was not far behind Peake with seven, gritty tackles on the day.

However, the two scores wouldn’t be enough to transcend the Blue Streaks to victory, but this loss is far from the end of the squad’s campaign.

In Blue Streak fashion, the nail-biting loss has since passed which means the Blue and Gold look to return to the drawing board again.

On Sat., Nov. 12, John Carroll completes the regular season with a matchup against Otterbein at Don Shula Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon.