The Cathedral Green Wave’s 41-24 victory against Mount Olive Friday night is in head coach Ron Rushing’s rear view mirror. Ahead of Rushing’s Cathedral team is No. 4 seed French Camp, who will travel to play the Green Wave in the opening round of the MHSAA Class A playoffs Friday.

Cathedral head coach Ron Rushing is hoping his team plays more like it did in the opening quarter against Mount Olive, rather than what followed.

“We jumped out so quick, and then we laid down and played sloppy for the second quarter,” Rushing said. “We played well, took our foot off the accelerator and then played better in the third quarter.”

Cathedral jumped out to a 7-0 lead early after Dee Fleming capped the scoring drive with an 8-yard run. Two minutes later, Fleming returned a punt 67 yards to give the Green Wave a 14-0 lead.

“We set the wall well,” Rushing said. “Jardarius Anderson made a good block on that return. We spent a lot more time on special teams this week. We know we have some playmakers who can score in that aspect.”

Cathedral was held scoreless in the second quarter after Wyatt Boothe scored on a 3-yard run with 1:25 left in the first quarter. The Green Wave got back to their scoring ways in the third when Fleming took a 7-yard pass from Boothe to paydirt. Following Fleming was Christian Jenkins who rumbled his way into the end zone, making the game 34-0 with 3:25 left to play in the quarter.

Rushing put his second and third teams on the field following the score, and after Mount Olive scored its first touchdown of the game in the fourth, the Pirates elected to onside kick. Rushing responded to the coaching tactics by putting Fleming back in the game, who scored another touchdown on a 22-yard run with seven minutes to play.

“When you onside kick, we put our No. 1’s back out there,” Rushing said.

Quinton Logan bruised his thigh on the first defensive series of the game, and was held out for the remainder of the contest for precautionary reasons. Rushing said Logan could have played if they needed him to.

Fleming finished the game with 61 rushing yards, 14 rushing yards and four total scores. Christian Jenkins added 77 yards on 10 carries, while Wyatt Boothe completed 11-of-14 for 144 yards and two total touchdowns. R.J. Givens led the team in receiving with 67 yards, while Anderson had 46 on three receptions.