Mooney, Ursuline renew rivalry

By John Bassetti

YOUNGSTOWN — The 51st meeting of the Ursuline-Mooney rivalry tonight will be slightly different from the 50th.

Mooney, which has already clinched at playoff berth but not home field advantage, plays Ursuline which controls its own destiny.

“They’re playing really good football now,” Mooney coach P.J. Fecko said of Ursuline. “It’s a game where there’s a stir all week in both schools and that creates an exciting atmosphere on game night.

“It’s usually a pretty competitive football game.”

The Cardinals (8-0) are top-ranked in Region 9 of Div. III and P.J. Fecko’s team is also No. 1 in Div. III in the Ohio AP poll.

Ursuline (5-2) is fifth in Region 17 of Div. V and unranked in the AP poll. The Irish have won four straight games by a combined score of 174-39.

“They’re scoring a tremendous amount of points offensively and racking up a lot of yards,” Fecko said of Ursuline. “Defensively, they’re shutting people out.

“That combination spells success for them.”

In 2008, Mooney was in Div. IV before moving up this season.

Senior Alex Zordich (6-3, 215) is the quarterback, while Braylon Heard, Ray Vinopal and Karington Griffin are running backs.

Ursuline’s top ground gainer is Allen Jones.

Ursuline coach Dan Reardon said he’s preparing the Irish for a very talented Mooney team that’s “very big up front and good at the skill positions.”

He added, “That’s a dangerous combination to defend.”

Mooney’s offense, Reardon said, poses an equally difficult problem.

“Because they’re effective running the ball, they can pick and choose and be selective about when they want to throw and that makes them that much more potent.”

What has Reardon learned in five previous meetings as Ursuline’s head coach playing Mooney?

“Nothing I didn’t know already know. I also had the opportunity to coach [against them] as assistant. Bottom line is: they’re a very well-coached, hard-nosed football team that plays great team defense.

“They’re very effective at what they do. Everybody in this area has always known this stuff. They just reload, but this year is different because they have returning a ton of people who started last year. So, it’s a very veteran and very talented team.”

Missing from the Irish roster before the 2009 season began is Jamel Turner, a standout on the 2008 squad who left to attend a prep school.

Additionally, graduation left a void that paved the way for a revamped defense for Ursuline.

“We’ve had some new faces on defense,” said Reardon, who was asked if he’d submit to a favorite-underdog question for the matchup.

“Yeah. They’re no. 1, so we’re definitely the underdog.”

Mooney’s big loss from a year ago was lineman John Simon, who is now playing at Ohio State.

“Our seniors did a great job this week of keeping everybody focused,” said Fecko. “We had a good week of practice so we’ll see what happens.”

The 50th anniversary game in the rivalry was played Oct. 17, 2008 with Ursuline winning, 10-7, en route to a undefeated season and Div. V state championship.

bassetti@vindy.com