2011 Division III State Championship
CARDINAL MOONEY 21 – SPRINGFIELD SHAWNEE 14

Canton’s Fawcett Stadium, rated the #1 high school stadium in America, was the setting for the 2011 Division III State Championship game…as well as the season opener for the Cardinal Mooney Cardinals. The Cards also played there two other nights this postseason! This time though…it would be at 3:00 in the afternoon and for all the marbles!

In front of a large crowd, both the Youngstowners and the visiting Shawnee Braves, from Springfield, Ohio…near Dayton, prepared for battle. The Cards took the opening kick and drove inside the Brave 40 yard line before giving up the ball on downs. That was the theme for the entire 1st quarter, as neither team could push the ball across the goal line.

The 2nd quarter was a totally different story! Mooney would open the scoring when Roosevelt Griffin (Sr/RB) broke tackle after tackle and scampered 18 yards to paydirt. Conor Durina (Sr/K) added to extra point and the Cards would enjoy a 7-0 lead…briefly!



The next series Shawnee, led by their All-Ohio QB Brad Jarzab, drove the length of the field and tied the game at 7. Cardinal Mooney would answer that score twice more before half. PJ Quinn (Sr/QB) scored on a 1 yard sneak with a little over 6 minutes left in the half.

A Marcus McWilson (Jr/DB) interception gave the Cardinals the ball back on the Shawnee 36 yard line.

Quinn would score again with just over 2 minutes remaining before intermission.



Durina was true on both point after attempts and Mooney took a 21-7 lead into the halftime locker-room.

After a defensive struggle allowed no scoring in the 3rd period…the Braves would make things uncomfortably tight when Jarzab scored for the second time with 5 minutes and 38 seconds left in the game (21-14). Shawnee attempted an onside kick that was recovered by Mooney. The Cardinal drive stalled near the Shawnee 40 and they were forced to punt.

Jarzab led his team down field in just under 2 minutes and had them knocking on the Mooney door with time running out. A 4th and 6 Jarzab pass, from inside the Mooney 15 yard line, was tipped away in the corner of the end zone by Ryan Farragher (Sr/DB), saving the game and awarding the Youngstown Cardinal Mooney Cardinals their 8th State Championship!

Hats off to Coach Fecko, his staff and the 2011 Cardinals on a truly inspiring season! They overcame adversity…a brutal schedule…a 2 & 2 start…a season ending injury to a “key” member of the team (Billy Stana – Sr/FB/LB) and quite a few gut-wrenching, last minute games…to emerge as the best team in all of Division III with the 21-14 victory! In addition to facing D1 playoff teams from Lakewood St Edward, Canton McKinley and Boardman (all on the road)…during the post-season run…this 10th ranked Mooney team had to defeat the #1 ranked Big Red of Steubenville, the #4 ranked Chagrin Falls Tigers, the #8 ranked Tornadoes of Dover and finally…the #6 ranked Braves of Springfield Shawnee! GREAT JOB MEN….we are ALL proud of you…WE ARE MOONEY!!!

Roosevelt Griffin had 21 carries for 119 yards and 1 TD
Justus Ellis-Moore had 11 carries for 70 yards
PJ Quinn had 8 carries for 35 yards and 2 TDs & 5 of 13 passing for 52 yards
Ryan Farragher had 4 receptions for 39 yards
Quincy Jones had 1 reception for 13 yards

CARDINAL MOONEY 24 - CHAGRIN FALLS 14

The Cardinal Mooney Cardinals took on the unbeaten Tigers of Chagrin Falls this past Friday night at Uniontown Lake H.S in the D3 State Semi-Final game. Chagrin Falls came into the contest with a 13 & 0 record…2 consecutive D4 State Final appearances and a 40 & 3 record over the past three seasons! The Cards would once again, come from behind at halftime to win 24-14 and move on to their 11th State Final appearance! Mooney is 7 & 3 in the previous 10 Championship games…winning 1 State Title in DI/AAA – 2 in DII – 2 in DIII – 2 in DIV!

For the third week in a row, the Cards trailed at halftime! With the offense sputtering the entire 1st half, the defense bent a little, but only broke once. Trailing 7-0 late in the half…the Cards mounted a short drive and got turned back on a 4th down inside the Tiger 5 yard line. Halftime score: Chagrin Falls 7 – Cardinal Mooney 0

The second half was much better for the Cardinal Nation! The third quarter in particular, was more enjoyable to watch. Mooney would stuff Chagrin Falls on their 1st possession to open the second half…then the Cards promptly went on a 21-0 run! Mooney got their first score of the night when PJ Quinn (Sr/QB) dodged Tiger defenders and took it in from 30 yards out! Conor Durina (Sr/K) added the point after and the game was tied at 7. Moments later…Marcus McWilson (Jr/DB) would be the beneficiary of a tipped pass and return it, weaving in and out of Tiger traffic, for a 60 yard interception return for six! Durina made it 14-7 Cards! The next Mooney series started with a beautifully thrown 55 yards pass & catch between Quinn and Ryan Farragher (Sr/WR). Durina was true once more and Mooney opened a 21-7 lead, still in the 3rd. Chagrin Falls would answer back on a 41 yard touchdown run to close the gap to 21-14 Mooney after three quarters.

Leading by only 7 points in the defensive 4th quarter…Mooney drove deep into Tiger territory and on a 4th and goal from the 5 inch line…decided to call upon week 12 hero, Conor Durina. The senior kicker drilled the ball through the uprights from 18 yards out and with a little over 2 minutes left in the contest…the Cardinal defense finished the job and led the way to the 24-14 victory for the Cardinals!

Mooney now takes on unbeaten Springfield Shawnee in the DIII State Championship game this Friday @ 3:00 p.m. in beautiful Canton Fawcett Stadium. During this 2011 State Title run…the Cards have defeated the #1 ranked team in Division 3, the Big Red of Steubenville, the #4 ranked Chagrin Falls Tigers, the #8 ranked Dover Tornadoes and now tackle the # 7 ranked Braves of Springfield Shawnee. Mooney finished the regular season ranked #10 in D3!

Hope to see MANY fans cheering on the boys Friday afternoon in Canton!!!

PJ Quinn had 16 carries for 127 yards and 1 TD & 1 of 5 passing for 55 yards & 1 TD
Justus Ellis- Moore had 11 carries for 46 yards
Roosevelt Griffin had 20 carries for 44 yards
Ryan Farragher had 1 reception for 55 yards and a TD.

CARDINAL MOONEY 70 - DOVER 44

For only the second time in history, the Cardinal Mooney Cardinals faced the Dover Tornadoes. The previous meeting was won by the Cards in the 1980 Division II OHSAA Playoffs @ the Akron Rubber Bowl 34-6! This time, after trailing the high powered offense of the Tornadoes, 31-28 at halftime…the Cards outscored the Tornadoes 42 to 6, to take a commanding 70 to 37 lead late in the game and finished with a 70-44 victory!

The Cardinals opened the game with back-to-back touchdown runs on successive drives by Justus Ellis-Moore (Jr/RB) of  8 yards and Roosevelt Griffin (Sr/RB) on a 7 yard scamper, to take an early 14-0 lead just six minutes into the game! Dover would answer that run by scoring the next 9 points to cut the Cardinal lead to 14-9 at the end of 1 quarter.

The 2nd quarter started out well for the Cards as PJ Quinn (Sr/QB) ran 27 yards to pay dirt to give the Cards a 21-9 lead. The Dover passing game struck again with a long TD pass and cut the lead to 21-16. Mooney would have to punt and Marcus McWilson (Jr/P) pinned Dover deep in their territory. The Mooney defense then capitalized when Austin Trgovich (Sr/DT) intercepted a tipped pass and took it to the Dover 9 yard line. From there, Roosevelt Griffin scored his second touchdown of the game from 6 yards out to give Mooney a 28-16 lead with 5:44 remaining in the half. Un-phased by the powerful Cardinals, Dover answered that by scoring the next 15 points of the half to take the lead into the locker-room. Half-time: Dover 31 – Cardinal Mooney 28.

The Cards regained the lead for good when Griffin scored his third touchdown of the day on a 3-yard run to make the score 35-31. On Dover's next possession, Anthony Dermotta (So/LB) intercepted a pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown to push the Cardinal lead to 42-31 after 3 quarters.

Early in the fourth period, quarterback Quinn scored again, this time from 24 yards out to give the Cardinals a 49-37 lead. Griffin would score his fourth touchdown of the game on another 3-yard jaunt to make the score 56-37. Justus Ellis-Moore would tally the final two Mooney TDs on a 53-yard touchdown score and a 4 yard burst, to give him 3 TDs on the evening! Final Score: Cardinal Mooney 70 – Dover 44.

The 70-44 Cardinal victory would be the highest scoring output in Mooney Playoff history! The Cardinals (9-3) captured their fifteenth regional championship and will now face unbeaten (13-0) Chagrin Falls next week in the Division III semi-final

Roosevelt Griffin had 27 carries for 244 yards and 4 TDs
Justus Ellis- Moore had 12 carries for 102 yards and 3 TDs
PJ Quinn had 6 carries for 57 yards and 2 TDs & 3 for 7 passing for 53 yards
Ryan Farragher had 3 receptions for 53 yards.

CARDINAL MOONEY 24 - STEUBENVILLE 22

Duh-duh-dun..duh-duh-dun! …..ESPN Instant Classic!!!

The stage was set. The unbeaten and #1 ranked Big Red of Steubenville vs. the #4 seeded Cardinals of Cardinal Mooney. Courtesy of the right leg of senior kicker Conor Durina (with FIVE seconds left in the game!), the men from Mooney defeated long time play-off rival Steubenville for the 6th time in 7 tries last night at Fawcett Stadium in Canton…24-22!

Matching the electricity in the air…the Mooney offense started out just as hot! The Cards took the opening kick and drove to the Big Red 24 yard line. From there, PJ Quinn (Sr/QB) found Ryan Farragher (Sr/WR) slanting across the middle and hit him in stride for a touchdown. Conor Durina (Sr/K) added the point after and things looked great as the Cards finished the quarter with the lead: Cardinal Mooney 7 – Steubenville 0

The second quarter saw things go south…the direction of Steubenville! Big Red started putting pressure on the new-look Mooney offense, while their offense got things in gear. Steubenville would shut the Cards down for the next 2 quarters, while tacking on two TDs of their own before half. Halftime: Steubenville 14 – Cardinal Mooney 7

The third quarter was a defensive battle from both teams. As a matter of fact, the only points scored by either team in the 3rd…we recorded by the Big Red defense on a controversial safety call. Quarterback Quinn “appeared” to have gotten out of the end zone on a 1st and 10 inside the 1 yard line…but the officials called it a safety. The score at the end of three: Steubenville 16 – Cardinal Mooney 7.

Things didn’t look any better for the Red & Gold to start the final period, as Big Red controlled the clock at the start. Then the Cards got what they badly needed…a big play! Roosevelt Griffin (Sr/RB) switched directions and cut across the grain to find an opening down the Mooney sideline. 49 yards later…the Cards were right back in the game. It was a beautiful move and subsequent run by the senior workhorse Griffin. Durina made the score 16-14. The Mooney defense stepped up again and forced a punt. Trailing by 2 about midway through the final quarter…the Cards started driving again. The offense drove deep into Big Red territory poised to regain their long lost lead. Unfortunately, Griffin had the ball stripped and Big Red recovered inside the 12 yard line. Once again…enter the Mooney defense! On 2nd down inside the Big Red 15, Marcus McWilson (Jr/DB) stepped in front of an errant pass and returned it inside the 3 yard line. Griffin would make amends and power it in from the 1. Durina once more bumped up the score by one at 21-16 Cards. Not to be denied, the Big Red offense marched down field and scored on a circus catch in the back of the end zone. Opting for 2 points (to stretch their lead to 3), the conversion failed and the Cards trailed 22-21 with just under 2:00 remaining. As he has down countless times this year…Commander Quinn led the Cards with beautiful strikes to Mr. Farragher and Quincy Jones (Jr/WR). Mix in a run here and there and a a few penalties here and there and the Cards found themselves at the Big Red 13 yard line with 9 seconds left in the game!

Enter Mr. Conor Durina! Generously listed at 5’7” & 140 lbs…Mr. Durina seemed to be slightly swaying with the Fawcett Stadium breeze. After Big Red tried to “ice” him with their final timeout…the senior kicker calmly walked onto the field and with “ice water” running through his own veins, DRILLED a 30 yard field goal to put his team up with only 5 seconds remaining. The kick was straight as an arrow and probably good from 45 yards out! Seconds later the Cardinal Nation erupted onto the field victorious over their long time play-off rival. Final score: CARDINAL MOONEY 24 – Steubenville 22

Roosevelt Griffin had 17 carries for 150 yards and 2 TDs
Justus Ellis-Moore had 7 carries for 33 yards
PJ Quinn had 14 carries for 27 yards & 7 of 14 passing for 101 yards and 1 TD
Ryan Farragher had 4 catches for 60 yards and 1 TD
Quincy Jones had 1 catch for 16 yards
Marcus McWilson had 1 catch for 16 yards
Justus Ellis-Moore had 1 catch for 8 yards

CARDINAL MOONEY 46 - NORTHWEST 22

The 2011 OHSAA Playoffs opened for the Cardinals, with a home game against a high-powered offense from Canal Fulton Northwest. The Indians had already played two area teams during the regular season…defeating Canfield 26-17 and losing to Poland in OT 42-41. The spread offense of Northwest looked to pose problems for the Mooney defense.

That turned out not to be the case!  The Mooney defense was up to the task for a better part of the night, intercepting 2 Indian passes (1 by Anthony Dermotta – So/LB and 1 by Marcus McWilson – Jr/S) as well as recovering 2 Northwest fumbles (1 by Ryan Farragher – Sr/DB and 1 by Marlan Everson – So/LB). The Cardinal “D” contributed to a 39 – 7 Mooney lead through 2 ½ quarters.

The offense did its part all night long as well. Roosevelt Griffin (Sr/RB) electrified the crowd when he broke the line of scrimmage and outran the Indian defense for a 72 yard score. Conor Durina (Sr/K) added the PAT for the 7-0 lead. The Cards would score on their next possession when PJ Quinn (Sr/QB) hit a slanting Quincy Jones (Jr/WR) for a 37 yard touchdown. The extra point was missed and Mooney had a 13-0 lead. After yet another defensive stop…the Cards would score with just seconds remaining in the 1st quarter, as Quinn took it in from 7 yards out. This time Durina’s kick was true and the home team led 20-0 after one quarter.

The 2nd quarter was much of the same…great defense and powerful offense for Mooney. The Cardinals scored 2 more times in the 2nd stanza, the first coming when Griffin would break free once again, this time on a 29 yard scamper. Durina made the score 27-0 Mooney. After finally succumbing to a Northwest score, Mooney would answer with just over 2 minutes remaining in the half. Marcus McWilson (Jr/RB) scored from the 4, but the kick was unsuccessful once more. Half-time score: Cardinal Mooney 33 – CFNW 7.

The second half proved to be more of a back and forth affair, with Mooney opening up a 39-7 lead on Roosevelt Griffin’s 3rd TD of the night…a 4 yard run. The point after was missed. In-between 3 late score by the visitors from Canal Fulton, McWilson tacked on his 2nd score of the night, on a 2 yard run. Zakary Kennedy (Fr/K) booted the extra point adding to the Mooney total as the Cards finished off the Indians with a resounding 46-22 defeat. Next up for the Cards in week #12…old rival and #1 ranked Steubenville!

Roosevelt Giffin had 12 carries for 149 yards and 3 TDs
Marcus McWilson had 10 carries for 57 yards and 2 TDs.
PJ Quinn had 10 carries for 47 yards and a TD & 4/7 passing for 115 yards and a TD
Justus Ellis-Moore had 7 carries for 34 yards
Ryan Farragher had 3 catches for 78 yards
Quincy Jones had 1 reception for 37 yards and a TD

CARDINAL MOONEY 48 - LAKE 14

The Cardinals traveled to Uniontown to take on the 2-7 Lake Blue Streaks out of the Federal League. The boys from Youngstown made it a clean sweep of the FED in 2011!  Mooney had already defeated league Co-Champions Boardman & Canton McKinley and last night made it a 3-sweep, by pounding the host team Uniontown Lake…48-14!

The Cardinal defense ruled the night, as they shut down the Lake offense until the waning minutes of the game. The Cardinal offense, not to be denied, put up some good numbers as well. Mooney scored on their first drive, when PJ Quinn (Sr/QB) scored on his patented QB sneak. Conor Durina (Sr/K) added the point after and the Cards led 7-0 after 1 quarter of action.

The 2nd quarter saw Mooney add two mores scores. Marcus McWilson (Jr/WR-RB) made the score 13-0 on a nice 27 yard gallop through the Blue Streak defense. The extra point was wide left. A few minutes later, QB Quinn found a slanting Quincy Jones (Jr/WR) for a 7 yard pass & catch. Durina’s kick made the half time score Mooney 20 – Lake 0.

Mooney would blow the game wide open by scoring 3 TDs in the 3rd quarter. PJ Quinn once again found Quincy Jones, but this time for a 57 yard TD! The extra point made it 27-0 Cards. Mooney’s defense continued its dominance and after receiving another punt…this time, after 3 plays, the Cardinal offense stalled. On 4th and long from their own 27 yard line…McWilson (Jr/P) took a slightly errant snap…surveyed the oncoming rush and decided to take off.  73 yards and six points later, it proved to be a great decision. Durina made the score 34-0 with the p.a.t. Mooney’s next possession ended just as well, when Anthony Dermotta (So/FB) powered his way in from 8 yards out. The kick made it 41-0 Cards after three quarters of play.

Mooney reserves started to filter in after a few series into the 4th quarter. Denver Martin (So/QB) would finish the Cardinal onslaught, taking the ball in from 3 yards out. Uniontown would tally 2 late scores against the younger Cards to make the final score: Cardinal Mooney 48 – Uniontown Lake 14

Marcus McWilson had 4 carries for 105 yards and 2 TDs
Mark Handel had 11 carries for 44 yards
PJ Quinn had 7 carries for 16 yards w/1TD & 7 of 10 passing for 130 yards w/2 TDs
Anthony Dermotta had 1 carry for 8 yards and a TD
Quincy Jones had 4 receptions for 102 yards and 2 TDs
Ryan Farragher had 3 receptions for 23 yards.

CARDINAL MOONEY 21 - URSULINE 25

The 2011 version of the Youngstown Holy War turned out to be a rather exciting affair!

It didn’t quite start out that way for the home Cardinal Mooney Cardinals. The Irish of Ursuline High School came out of the locker room sky high and carried that emotion through the first 24 minutes of play. They shut down the Cardinal offense and after a scoreless first quarter, managed enough offense of their own to push the ball across the goal line twice before intermission! The Irish took a 12-0 lead into the half.

The second half saw some life breathed into the Cardinal Machine. Roosevelt Griffin (Sr/RB) got the Cards on the scoreboard with a 5 yard run. Conor Durina (Sr/K) added the point after and the Cardinals closed the lead to 12-7 after 3 quarters of play.

The fourth quarter would see a flurry of action as the offenses took control from the defense on each side. Mooney would take the lead early in the 4th on a QB sneak by PJ Quinn (Sr/QB). The Cards elected to go for two and were stopped, leaving them with a 13-12 lead. The Cards tried their 3rd squib kick of the half and the Irish returned near midfield. A few plays later, they scored on a 31 yard run to regain the lead 18-13. Mooney would battle back once more as Justus Ellis-Moore broke free on a beautiful 66 yards scamper! The 2 point conversion was successful this time…as Quinn found an open Matt Pecchia (Jr/TE) in the end zone…21-18 Cards! For a fourth consecutive kickoff, Mooney elected to squib the ball to the Irish up-man, who once again returned it near midfield. Minutes later, the Irish running back would finish the scoring and dash the hopes of the Cardinal Nation with a 13 yard score. The final score UHS 25- CMHS 21.

Roosevelt Griffin had 16 carries for 98 yards and a TD.
Justus Ellis-Moore had 10 carries for 84 yards and a TD.
PJ Quinn had 8 carries for 83 yards and 1 TD & 4 for 8 passing for 27 yards.

CARDINAL MOONEY 41 - AKRON STVM 21

For the 20th time in 21 attempts, the 7-time State Champions of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney High defeated the 4-time State Champions of Akron St Vincent-St Mary High School!

This time the Cards did it in dominating fashion. On the opening kick, on a windy night at Green Street Stadium, Marcus McWilson (Jr/WR/RB) fielded the ball and galloped 70 yards inside the Irish 30 yard line. A few plays later, Roosevelt Griffin (Sr/RB) scored on a 3 yard TD run. Conor Durina (Sr/K) added the point after and the visiting Cards held an early 7-0 lead. ASVSM took possession and for the only time all evening, had a long drive ending in a TD. The score after one period of play…Cardinal Mooney 7 – ASVSM 7.

The Cards would blow the game open in the 2nd quarter. While the Mooney defense was shutting down the high powered Irish offense (averaging 46+ ppg in 7 previous games!), the Mooney offensive line was knocking defenders off the ball and opening huge holes for the stable of Cardinal RBs!  Roosevelt Griffin would break through congestion near the sideline and burst free for a 40 yard score! Durina’s kick made it 14-7 Cards. On Mooney’s next possession, facing a 3 & long on their own 8 yard line…PJ Quinn (Sr/QB) found Justus Ellis-Moore streaking down the seam. Ellis-Moore made a juggling grab and blew past the entire Irish defense en route to a beautiful 92 yard pitch and catch! Durina’s kick made it 21-7 late in the half. The Mooney defense came up big and got the ball back from the home team. With time running out before half, Quinn and company marched down to the St Vincent 2 yard line, where Marcus McWilson scored from the 2, with time running out. The kick was blocked, but the Cards took the huge momentum into the locker room; Cardinal Mooney 27 – ASVSM 7 at the half!

The 2nd half started with a bang. The Mooney defense forced a fumble and Courtney Love (Jr/LB) scooped up the pigskin and rumbled 20 yards to the promised land. The kick made it 34-7 Cards. Mooney would score again in the 4th quarter, when McWilson would chalk up his second TD of the night on a nice 14 yard run. Durina’s kick ballooned the lead to 41-7 Cards! The Cardinal starters then got a much needed rest and the Irish starters found a way to put 2 late scores on the board making the final score…Cardinal Mooney 41 – ASVSM 21.

This was a BIG win for Mooney Nation, as it all but solidified a 9th straight Play-off appearance and gave the Cards great momentum heading into the annual “HOLY WAR” with arch-rival Ursuline!

Roosevelt Griffin had 12 carries for 144 yards and 2 TDs
Marcus McWilson had 8 carries for 49 yards and 2 TDs
Justus Ellis-Moore had 7 carries for 48 yards and 1 catch for 92 yards and a TD
PJ Quinn had 4 carries for 16 yards and was 4 of 6 passing for 186 yards and 1 TD
Ryan Farragher had 2 catches for 74 yards
Quincy Jones had 1 catch for 20 yards.

CARDINAL MOONEY 47 - MIFFLIN COUNTY 7

The Youngstown Cardinal Mooney Cardinals traveled just a few miles away from Penn State University (the farthest east a Mooney team has ever ventured!) to take on Lewistown Mifflin County. Both teams entered the fray with a 3 & 2 record. 48 minutes of dominating football later…the visitors from far away Youngstown, Ohio came away with a resounding 47-7 victory!

The Cardinal would open the scoring on a 30 yard scamper by Roosevelt Griffin (Sr/RB). Conor Durina (Sr/K) added the extra point for the 7-0 lead. Less than 3 minutes later, young Mr. Griffin would cross the goal line once more on a 3 yard burst. Durina was true again and the Cards led 14-0 after 1 quarter of play!

The Youngstown boys would be even less gracious to their Pennsylvanian hosts in the next 12 minutes, as they tacked on three more touchdowns. Just a few minutes into the 2nd stanza…PJ Quinn (Sr/QB) passed and ran his way down the field, finishing off a nice drive with a 15 yard run to paydirt. Durina made it 21-0 Mooney. After the Cardinal defense shut down the home team once more, Justus Ellis-Moore (Jr/RB) found the end zone on a beautiful 35 yard run. Durina kicked the point after through the uprights for the 28-0 lead. With  time running out before the half, Marcus McWilson (Jr/WR/RB) took the handoff from Quinn and powered 10 yards for the final score of the half. 35-0 Cards!

The entire 2nd half saw a plethora of young Cardinals get quality minutes on both sides of the ball! The reserves would punch the ball into the Mifflin County end zone twice more before the night was out. Both times, once with a nice 25 yard jaunt and once with a 6 yard run, Mark Handel (So/RB) would be the man to deliver the goods! Both kicks failed and with the young Mooney defenders finally giving up a touchdown to their opponent late in the 4th quarter…the Cards left Mifflin County with an impressive 47-7 win!

Mooney is now 4 & 2 on the year and currently ranked 4th in the all important OHSAA Computer rankings for Division 3 – Region 11. The top 8 teams qualify per each of the 4 regions in each of the 6 divisions. With 3 games remaining, the Cards have a near must win game this week at Akron St Vincent – St Mary High School in Akron! The Irish Akronites are 7 & 0 and ranked 3rd in their Region 9 of Division 3 and #2 in the State Polls!

Cardinal Nation needs to travel to Akron Friday night in force to support the Cards!

Roosevelt Griffin had 6 carries for 118 yards and 2 TDs
PJ Quinn had 7 carries for 68 yards and 1 TD & 3 of 4 passing for 67 yards
Justus Ellis-Moore had 5 carries for 75 yards and a TD
Mark Handel had 13 carries for 104 yards and 2 TDs
Quincy Jones had 2 receptions for 47 yards

CARDINAL MOONEY 21 - RED LION CHRISTIAN 16

Cardinal Mooney High School welcomed the traveling All-Stars from Nationally ranked Red Lion Christian Academy of Delaware to YSU’s - Stambaugh Stadium Saturday night. Most, if not all, of the prognosticators figured the Cards to be gracious hosts and get beat, if not routed by the small college impersonating Lions!

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the stadium…NOBODY informed the Cardinal Mooney football team they had no chance of winning!

The Lions won the toss and deferred to the 2nd half. The home boys took the possession at their own 20 after a touchback, had a nice drive across mid-field and promptly fumbled the ball to the visitors. Red Lion would drive deep into Moony territory, but then a foreshadowing of things to come developed. The Mooney defense stopped the high flying Red Lion offense and their USC recruited QB David Sill…forcing a FG midway through the 1st quarter. The Mooney offense would then sustain a long drive and cap it off with a beautifully thrown 32 yard strike from PJ Quinn (Sr/QB) to Ryan Farragher (Sr/WR) (who had an outstanding game on BOTH sides of the ball!). Conor Durina (Sr/K) would add the p.a.t. and with only seconds remaining, the heavy underdogs were winning 7-3!

The 2nd quarter was much of the same. Mooney controlling the clock and the game on offense and the spirited Mooney defense, shutting down the prolific Red Lion offense! The Cardinals would add to their lead late in the quarter, after another long drive, when Quinn took the QB sneak in for six! Durina’s kick was true and Mooney led 14-3 at half!

The 2nd half was a much closer affair, as three more Mooney fumbles gave the powerful Lions many chances to take this game over. On 2 consecutive series in the 2nd half…Cardinal miscues led to Lion scores. The first a 23 yard TD pass midway through the 3rd and the seconds another FG late in the quarter to make the score after 3 quarters of play…Cardinal Mooney 14 – Red Lion 13!

Trying to regain their composure and 1st half dominance…the Mooney offense stalled again when the Cards put the ball on the carpet for a fourth time! Red Lion capitalized once again, but once again, only able to kick the ball through the uprights for 3 points! Nonetheless…the visitors, having been outplayed most of the game, had taken the lead 16-14. The Mooney offense took over at their own 20 and decided they were NOT going away without a fight. An 80 yard, 6 minute drive is what the doctor ordered and what the patient delivered! The Cards finished off their nerve-racking, clutch play-making drive, when Justus Ellis-Moore broke free at the line and flew past the Lion defenders for a 39 yard TD romp! The kick gave Mooney a precarious 21-16 lead with just under 2 minutes remaining. The Card defense bent a little, but did not break and solidified the upset victory by tackling the Red Lion wideout inside the Mooney 25 yard line. Final score: Cardinal Mooney 21 – Red Lion Christian Academy 16!

Roosevelt Griffin had 22 carries for 102 yards  
Justus Ellis-Moore had 12 carries for 81 yards and a TD
PJ Quinn had 12 carries for 24 yards and a TD, 7/11 for 81 yards and a TD
Ryan Farragher had 4 receptions for 71 yards and a TD

CARDINAL MOONEY 22 - LAKE CATHOLIC 27

The unbeaten (3 & 0) Cougars of Mentor Lake Catholic traveled to YSU’s Stambaugh Stadium this past Friday night, to take on the Cardinals of Cardinal Mooney High School. Mooney came into this game with a 2 & 1 record against 3 strong Division 1 football powers. The Cards also came in with a commanding 10 to 2 series lead against the visiting team. The last time they met, Mooney came away with a 42-21 victory.

The defenses from both teams had the upper hand to start this tilt. Mooney would open the scoring with just under 2 minutes remaining in the opening stanza. PJ Quinn (Sr/QB) powered into the end zone on a 1 yard QB sneak. Conor Durina (Sr/K) added the point after and the Cards led 7-0 after one.

The next two and a half quarters belonged to the Cougars from Lake Catholic. The team from Mentor would go on to score 21 unanswered points. They scored twice in the 2nd quarter…on two 1 yard runs…to take the 14-7 half-time lead. The 3rd quarter was a scoreless one for both teams and the score remained 14-7 MLC after 3 periods.

Lake Catholic opened it’s lead to 21-7 after a 3 yard run with just over 4 minutes remaining in the contest. With a sense of urgency now needed…the Cards drove deep into Cougar territory, but had a pass intercepted inside the 5 yard line. With a little over 2 minutes remaining and a 2 touchdown lead…the Cougar coaching staff elected to take the intentional safety rather than risk a blocked punt in the end zone. This made the score 21-9 with only minutes remaining. Mooney took the free kick and shortly thereafter scored on a 37 yard strike from Quinn to Marcus McWilson (Jr/WR). The extra point was missed and the Cards still trailed 21-15 with under 2 minutes remaining. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by Lake Catholic and instead of playing conservative and kneeling on the ball…they elected to hand the ball off. The Cardinal defense rose to the occasion and stripped the ball, recovering in Cougar territory! Once again, only seconds later, Quinn found an open receiver…this time Quincy Jones (Jr/WR) on a 14 yard scoring play. This time Durina’s kick was true and the Cardinals has shocked the crowd and the visitors by taking the 22-21 lead with only 36 seconds left in the game!

After 2 failed pooch kick attempts went out of bounds, penalizing the Cards 10 yards…the Mooney staff elected to kick to the Cougars, who returned the kick inside the Mooney 1 yard line. One play later…the ESPN SportsCenter comeback for the Cardinals, became a highlight special for Lake Catholic as the Cougars scored. The 2 pt. conversion failed, but wasn’t needed…. Final score: MLC 27- Mooney 22.

Roosevelt Griffin had 11 carries for 74 yards  
PJ Quinn had 8 carries for 34 yards and 1TD & 10/15 passing for 121 yards w/2 TDs
Marcus McWilson had 3 catches for 37 yards and 1 TD
Quincy Jones had 2 catches for 23 yards and 1 TD

CARDINAL MOONEY 17 - ST. EDWARD 34

Special Teams…Special Teams…Special Teams!!!

It is said that there are THREE facets to a football game: Offense, Defense & Special Teams. The first two are always looked upon as being more important than the last. That is not always the case. Cardinal Mooney traveled 90 minutes northwest, to take on the defending D1 State Champions, in the Lakewood St. Edward Eagles. Last year, the Eagles pounded the Cards 37-3 at Fitch. A few minutes into this game…it looked eerily familiar! St. Ed’s return man took the opening kick and flew 95 yards untouched to the Cardinal end zone. Just 10 seconds off the clock…7-0! The Cards then went 3 and out and on 4th down from inside their 30…St Edward sent the house and blocked the punt…returning it to our 7 yard line. Two plays later and a few minutes into the game it was 14-0 Eagles!

The rest of the 1st half…the smaller Cardinals outplayed their monstrous counterparts. Mooney would mount a comeback attempt with 43 seconds remaining in the 1st quarter, when PJ Quinn (Sr/QB) found wideout Ryan Farragher (Sr/WR) on a very nice 48 yard catch and run for the score. Conor Durina (Sr/K) added the p.a.t. 14-7. The visiting Youngstowners would again drive deep into Eagle territory midway through the stanza, but had to settle for a 41 yard FG by Durina. 14-10. The Cardinal defense again stuffed the powerful Eagle offense and had the ball near midfield with just under 2 minutes remaining in the half. St Edward picked off an errant pass and returned it to the Mooney 2. The defense would hold, but surrender an Eagle FG…17-10 Eagles at half.

After outplaying the bigger, stronger Eagles for most of the first 24 minutes…St Edward started to take control with their powerful ground attack. Running exclusively right up the gut…the Eagles would score 10 unanswered points to take a 27-10 lead into the 4th quarter. Mooney would not give up without a fight and when Quinn connected with Marcus McWilson (Jr/WR) on a 48 yard touchdown pass (Durina added the point after), the Cards would cut the lead to 27-17! The huge St Ed O-line continued to wear down the Mooney defense and drove the final nail in the coffin with a 4 yard TD run with 8 minutes remaining. Final Score: Lakewood St Edward 34 – Cardinal Mooney 17.

The stats will show that Mooney played them very tough…but special team breakdowns and a worn out defense were too much to overcome.

PJ Quinn had 15 carries for 40 yards & was 12 of 20 passing for 194 yards and 2 TDs
Justus Ellis-Moore had 13 carries for 24 yards.
Roosevelt Griffin had 10 carries for 23 yards.
Ryan Farragher had 5 catches for 124 yards and a TD
Marcus McWilson had 2 catches for 58 yards and a TD

CARDINAL MOONEY 27 – BOARDMAN 20

The 38th meeting between the Youngstown Cardinal Mooney Cardinals and the long time rival Boardman Spartans is in the books. On a hot and humid night in Spartan Stadium, before a standing room only crowd, the Cards added victory #23 in exciting fashion. This was a back & forth game that saw Mooney score first (6-0), fall behind (13-6) with only 6 seconds left in the half…tie it up at half with an electrifying 85-yard kick return (13-13),  only to fall behind once again (20-13)..then rally for 2 touchdowns in the final stanza and hold the Spartans out of the end-zone on a final pass with seconds left for the 27-20 win. The victory gave the Cards a 23 – 15 all-time series lead.

After a scoreless first quarter, Roosevelt Griffin (Sr/RB) scored a 3-yard touchdown in the second to put the Cardinals up 6-0. The extra point was missed. Boardman would answer with two scores of their own in the next three minutes after a 12-yard scamper to take a 7-6 lead, then a 16-yard run with just seconds remaining in the half to make it a 13-6 lead. With Spartan Nation going crazy and only a few ticks remaining on the clock before intermission, Cardinal returner Marcus McWilson (Jr/WR) would quiet the Boardman side of the field, returning the ensuing kickoff 85 yards to tie the game, after a Conor Durina (Sr/K) PAT, 13-13 and sending the Cards and their faithful into the locker room in a frenzy of their own!

Boardman scored first in the 2nd half on a 3-yard, 3rd quarter run to regain the lead, 20-13. That would be the only scoring in the 3rd period. The Cardinal Mooney Cardinals would come roaring back in the 4th quarter. P.J. Quinn (Sr/QB) would tie the game after a QB sneak from the 1-yard line…with Durina adding his 2nd point after. Roosevelt Griffin would go on to score the last touchdown of the game, this time a 2-yard TD. Durina would tack on the final extra point and Mooney would hold on to win 27-20.

Roosevelt Griffin had 20 carries for 98 yards and 2 TDs.
Justis Ellis-Moore had 15 carries for 85 yards
PJ Quinn had 8 carries for 65 yards and 2 of 3 passing for 16 yards

CARDINAL MOONEY 28    CANTON McKINLEY 24

A wise man once said, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish!” Well folks, the Cards didn’t start real well…but finished with a bang!

Canton’s famed Fawcett Stadium was the setting for the 2011 season opener for the Cardinal Mooney Cardinals. An estimated 9,500 fans sat in to watch two of the most storied football programs in Ohio High School football history. The stadium was electric. The Bulldogs came out in all red uniforms with their traditional white helmets adorned by their bulldog mascot. The visitors from Youngstown wore road white shirts, gold pants and white helmets with the Cardinal head proudly perched on each side.

Things didn’t look good for the Cards from the start. McKinley looked more like a Big Ten team than a D1 high school team. The Cards received the opening kick and went three & out. After that, the rest of the 1st quarter and half of the 2nd, was dominated by the big boys from Canton. They scored on three consecutive possessions, but failed to convert each 2-pt conversion.

Midway through the 2nd quarter, trailing 18-0, the young Cardinals decided they’d had enough. Mooney would get an important touchdown with time running out in the 1st half to cut the lead to 18-7 at intermission. PJ Quinn (Sr/QB) scored on a quarterback sneak and Conor Durina (Sr/K) tacked on the PAT.

The 2nd half was dominated by the Cards. The defense shut down the vaunted Bulldog passing attack that had torched them early on, and the Mooney ground game started wearing down the bigger Cantonites. Mooney would score 14 additional unanswered points on short TD runs by Quinn and Roosevelt Griffin (Sr/RB). QB Quinn also connected with AJ Thomas (Sr/TE) on a 2pt conversion for the 21-18 lead.

McKinley took the ensuing kick all the way back to the Mooney 35. Three plays later, after seeming stopped for a loss on a 3rd and 4…the Bulldog running back broke numerous tackles and scored from 28 yards out. The 2 point conversion attempt failed again and McKinley clung to a 24-21 lead. With roughly 7:30 remaining in the game…the Cards went on a patented scoring drive, chewing up 6 minutes on the clock, with Justus Ellis-Moore (Jr/RB) pounding it into the end zone. Durina would add the final tally to make the score 28-24.

Late defensive takeaways (an interception by Cameron DeVito (Sr/LB) and a fumble recovery & a QB sack by Billy Stana (Sr/LB) sealed the victory for Mooney. This marked the 8th win in 12 attempts vs the storied McKinley Bulldogs!

Roosevelt Griffin had 24 carries for 109 yards and 1 TD
PJ Quinn had 15 carries for 74 yards and 2 TDs
Justus Ellis-Moore had 17 carries for 65 yards and a TD

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

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