COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- Colerain senior linebacker Daniel Bolden always wondered what it would be like to score a varsity touchdown.
He found out Friday night.
Bolden, the nephew of Colerain coach Tom Bolden, was all smiles on the field after the Cardinals defeated visiting Mason 36-10 Friday night.
It was the fourth consecutive win for Colerain (4-2, 4-0 Greater Miami Conference) and the 65th consecutive home win against GMC opponents since 1999.
"I think we proved to a lot of people that we are the real deal," Daniel Bolden said. "We dropped those first two (games) and people kind of wrote us off. I think it proved (tonight) that we are a real team, a real contender."
PHOTO GALLERY: Colerain 36, Mason 10
This was an extra special night for Daniel, who scored the first touchdown of his varsity career. With his cousin, junior linebacker Luke Bolden, and junior Eric Phillips blocking, Daniel scored on a 2-yard touchdown run at the 5:24 mark of the third quarter to give the Cardinals a 23-3 lead.
That play was just installed on Wednesday.
"That was crazy," Daniel said. "I've been dreaming about that for a long time and it finally came true tonight."
The 6-foot-2-inch, 238-pound linebacker received a ribbing from some teammates who playfully asked why he didn't score on the first opportunity on 2nd-and-goal when he gained 4 yards.
"I was just excited and just cheering for him," Luke Bolden said. "You know how Dan is -- he loves to hit. And then he scores a touchdown -- that just doesn't happen."
Tom Bolden couldn't be happier for his nephew. The Bolden linebacker succession started with Joe Bolden, continued with Kyle Bolden and now includes Daniel and Luke.
"Daniel has meant a ton to the program," Tom Bolden said.
Unofficially, Luke had a team-high 10 tackles including a sack Friday night. Daniel had seven tackles.
"We push each other to the limit to get better and everything," Luke said. "Dan has really helped me a lot -- he's really taken me under his wing."
Daniel Bolden, one of the area's most recruited players in the 2018 class, is still considering all his options for playing at the next level.
"He may not be the tallest or he may not run the fastest, but he is the most physical and he makes plays," Tom Bolden said. "He is the best defensive player in the city of Cincinnati. No disrespect to (Fairfield's Malik Vann or Mason's Zaid Hamden). There is a lot of good defensive players, but that's the dude right there. He is 1,000 miles all the time. We feed off that."
Colerain continued to play well offensively Friday night and fed off those big plays. Senior running back Deante Smith-Moore had 122 yards rushing.
Junior kicker Chris Mangold made three field goals, including a 45-yarder in the third quarter.
Senior Ja'von Hicks (UC commit) had 64 yards on punt returns. He also had a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Mason was led by senior running back Matt Sora (Indiana State commit), who rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown. Senior linebacker Jake Bracher had a game-high 11 tackles for the Comets.
Colerain is ranked No. 2 in the TriStateFootball.com Division I poll. Mason (4-2, 2-2 GMC) is ranked No. 9.
The Comets are rated No. 6 in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I, Region 4 computer points standings. Colerain is rated No. 8.
Colerain will host Lakota East Oct. 6. Mason will host Middletown Oct. 6.
