Early setbacks helped Mooney

The development of the Cardinal Mooney High boys soccer team began in July. The Cardinals hope it ends Nov. 9 at Columbus Crew Stadium in the Division III state finals.
Coach Len Krispinsky entered his team in the Ohio Cup, a three-day tournament of over 140 teams, played in late July in Dayton.
An opening loss devastated the Cardinals.
"The kids were coming off the field saying, 'We stink,' " Krispinsky remembered.
It didn't last long.
A comeback: "They got together, came out the next day, and the kids played like they should have played," Krispinsky said. "They had confidence and trust in each other."
The result? Mooney won the tournament.
"The kids pulled together," the coach said.
Mooney also played in the Ohio High School Invitational in Hudson, where it faced some of the state's best teams. The Cardinals played their way into the title game against perennial power Walsh Jesuit.
Although Walsh won by a goal, it showed that Mooney has what it takes to challenge the best.
"It showed we can hang with them," said Krispinsky, the 10th-year head coach.
Top-seeded Mooney, the Steel Valley Conference champion, has used these learning experiences to advance into the district title game Saturday against second-seeded Champion.
The Cardinals have never qualified for a regional. Now, they are one game away.
Mooney had this same opportunity four years ago -- against Champion.
"We lost to them on a controversial call," Krispinsky said.
A Mooney goal was disallowed when an official ruled the ball had gone into the goal off a throw-in. Krispinsky said the film reveals that a Mooney player headed the ball into the net.
The reason the loss has stuck with Krispinsky for so long? It came on his 25th wedding anniversary.
Another chance: But Mooney (13-3-1) enters this year's district title game with momentum, high expectations and a player named "Kiki."
Ketiny "Kiki" Willis has been a big reason why the Cardinals are flying high.
The Youngstown native is being billed as one of the best soccer players -- if not the best -- to come out of the Mahoning Valley.
And he's just a freshman.
"He has the skills," Krispinsky said. "But some kids who have the skills think they know more than the coach. Here's a kid who takes every little bit of information and applies it to his game."
Willis, a forward, has reached the 20-goal plateau using his exceptional speed and foot skills.
A member of the Internationals club team in Cleveland, Willis also has played in Europe. In fact, he has attracted the attention of the professional club team Ajax of the Netherlands, Krispinsky said.
"The kid's magic," he said.
Team make-up: Willis' youth is representative of this year's Mooney team. There are just two seniors on the varsity roster -- Stelio Frangopolous and Jan Jurek.
The Cardinals thrive on the Brazilian game -- a short, controlled passing attack -- and a staunch defense led by first-year junior goalkeeper Tim Reigrut, who has recorded a school-record nine shutouts.
Junior Alex Simon helps control the midfield, while junior Mike Hernan is a strong defender. Willis gets help offensively from junior Pat Walker, who is also a scoring threat.
Does this team have enough talent to reach Columbus? We think that it does, but it first must tangle with Champion for the district title.
"I don't want to say anything about state," Krispinsky said. "It might jinx us."
This year, Mooney soccer just might be worth talking about.
XBrian Richesson covers high school sports for The Vindicator. Write to him at richesson@vindy.com.