MOUNT OLIVE — For the first time in over two decades, Cathedral was taking on a Mount Olive team that did not have a player whose last name is McNair.

Still, the Green Wave needed to pull off an upset win over the Pirates, one of the best teams in Class 1A to end a two-game losing streak and stay among the top teams in Region 4-1A.

Unfortunately, Cathedral did not have an answer for Mount Olive running back Ruben Ducksworth, whose three touchdown runs in the fourth quarter propelled the Pirates to a 34-28 come-from-behind win over the Green Wave.

The keys to Mount Olive’s amazing win were its defense taking over in the second and Ducksworth wearing down Cathedral’s defense as the game went on.

“They shut our running game down in the second half. We couldn’t change the field position in the third quarter,” Green Wave head coach Craig Beesley said. “We had a couple of turnovers in the fourth quarter that they converted into touchdowns.”

Beesley added that Ducksworth, who had 183 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 13 carries, got stronger as the game went on.

He also stated that his defense took some chances in the fourth quarter that allowed Ducksworth to score on a 59-yard run with 2:23 remaining in the game.

“I was pleased with the effort and the intensity, but we couldn’t make the plays we needed in the fourth quarter,” Beesley said.

Cathedral (3-3, 3-3) had one last chance after Preston Edwards’ 10-yard pass to Dylan White with 50 seconds to go, but the Green Wave could not recover the onside kick and the Pirates (5-1, 4-1) ran out the clock.

Edwards completed 14 of 30 passes for 157 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

His counterpart, Diarrian Keller, had 193 all-purpose yards, which included a 61-yard touchdown pass to Ducksworth in the second quarter.

JEB White led Cathedral’s running game with 61 yards on 12 carries and Edwards added 42 yards on 10 carries.