PREP FOOTBALL Mooney nips Chaney, 17-13

The Cardinals took advantage of many Cowboys' turnovers.
By BOB ROTH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- In their 34th meeting since 1958, the Cardinal Mooney High football team captured its 24th win over Chaney, 17-13, at Youngstown State University's Stambaugh Stadium.
The defeat deals a heavy hit to Chaney's (4-3) playoff hopes. The Cowboys are the number seven team in this week's Division II, Region 5 computer ratings.
"You can't turn the ball over like we did and beat a good football team like Mooney," Chaney coach Ron Berdis said. "They scored all 10 first-half points off our turnovers."
Mooney's playoffs hopes are on the rise -- the Cardinals are the number-seven team in Div. IV, Region 13.
"This win is big," Mooney coach P.J. Fecko said. "We had to have a great defensive effort to stop a great team."
Cowboys score first
Chaney took advantage of a fumble recovery by Devon Johnson. The Cowboys marched 31 yards in six plays with Ed McElroy scoring on a 1-yard run. Josh Terlecki's conversion kick gave the Cowboys a 7-0 lead with 36 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Cardinals struck in lightning-like fashion for a10-7 halftime lead when they produced back-to-back scores off a pair of Cowboy fumbles.
Dustin Hinkle booted a 34-yard field goal with 1:15 to go before halftime.
On the Cowboys' next possession, Chaney's Ed McElroy was hit hard . The ball came loose and the Cardinals' Frank Cassese grabbed it and traveled 35 yards for a score as the clock ended the half.
McElroy, the Chaney senior tailback with more than 1,100 yards rushing, was held to 8 yards on eight carries in the first half.
He came out with a vengeance on the Cowboys' first drive of the second half.
McElroy leads way
On a seven-play, 73-yard scoring drive, McElroy carried the ball four times for 54 yards, with the final 18 going for a touchdown with 8:07 left in the third quarter.
The conversion kick was low as Cassese got a hand up to deflect the ball.
The Cardinals had a third-quarter scoring drive stopped when a Ron Stoops pass was intercepted by Andrew Bowell at the Chaney 11.
Mooney scored the winning touchdown with 8:07 left in the game when on a keeper Stoops scored on a 2-yard run.
A Chaney drive near midfield was stopped when Mooney junior defensive back Brad Handel hit McElroy for an 8-yard loss on a fourth down attempt.
Mooney's Patsy Malie ran for 71 yards on 19 carries after being moved to fullback. Stoops gained 51 yards on the ground.