HIGH SCHOOL PREVIEW | Weekend football

CARDINAL MOONEY (6-1) vs. CLEVELAND BENEDICTINE (7-0)
Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Bearcat Stadium, Bedford.Last meeting: Benedictine won 24-21 last year. Mooney holds a 6-5 lead in the all-time series. Notebook: This will be one of the biggest tests of the season for the Cardinals and will offer them a gauge of their talent. The featured match-up will be Mooney's defense against Benedictine TB Raymond Williams, who has rushed for 1,358 yards and 19 touchdowns. The Cardinals' defense hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher yet this season and only Austintown Fitch's Miles Williams has scored a rushing TD against them. Mooney defensive standouts such as senior linebackers Bob McCabe and Anthony Childs and senior safeties Ron Stoops and Frank Cassese will be called upon to stop the Bengals. Benedictine is ranked first in the Division III state poll and first in Region 9 of the computer ratings. Mooney is tied for first with Applecreek Waynedale in Div. IV, Region 13 of the computer ratings.Radio: WNIO-AM (1390).
URSULINE (4-3) vs. COLUMBUS WATTERSON (5-2)
Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Stambaugh Stadium.Last meeting: Watterson won 27-24 last year.Notebook: The Irish are coming off a 25-21 victory over Akron Hoban that lifted their record above .500. QB Daryll Clark threw two TD passes and ran for another. He has completed 95-of-161 passes (59 percent) for 1,276 yards and 12 TDs, with four interceptions. His top target is WR Derrick Stewart, with 28 catches for 517 yards and five TDs. Alex Allen (66 carries, 550 yards, two TDs) and Terrell Washington (66 carries, 370 yards, four TDs) lead the Irish rushing attack. Ursuline is ninth in the Div. IV, Region 13 computer ratings. Watterson is second in Div. III, Region 10.
WARREN HARDING (7-0) vs. CANTON MCKINLEY (2-5)
Game time: 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Mollenkopf Stadium.Last meeting: Harding won 38-7 last year.
Notebook: Harding coach Thom McDaniels faces his old team in a down year for the Bulldogs. He coached in Canton for 16 years and led the program to a state and national championship in 1997. On the other sideline is first-year McKinley coach Brian Cross, a Warren Western Reserve High and Youngstown State graduate who returns to his hometown. He coached at Grove City High from 1987-2002 before being chosen from among 45 candidates to lead the Bulldogs. Harding RB Richard Davis had a big game against McKinley last year at Fawcett Stadium, rushing for 150 yards and three TDs. The Raiders are second in the Div. I, Region 1 computer ratings.Radio: WBBG-FM (106.1), WANR-AM (1570).
POLAND (5-2) vs. KETTERING ALTER (6-1)
Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Poland High Stadium.Last meeting: First meeting.Notebook: The Bulldogs are coming off an emotional 31-28 victory over Salem in which they rallied from 14 points down twice, with Shawn O'Halloran kicking a 22-yard field goal as time expired. Poland returns home for the first time in over a month to face a new opponent in Alter, which is fourth in the Div. III, Region 12 computer ratings. Knights QB Mike Savino has completed 31-of-81 passes for 546 yards and three TDs, with six INTs. He also has rushed 79 times for 436 yards. Zach Freshwater has 14 catches for 289 yards and a TD. Alter gets balanced production from the backfield, but its leader is Matt Shafer, with 80 carries for 538 yards. The leading tackler is DB Mike Gorman with 64 total tackles. Poland, 10th in Div. III, Region 11, could boost its playoff chances with a win.
COLUMBIANA (6-0, 4-0) vs. UNITED (6-1, 4-0)
Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Firestone Stadium, Columbiana.Last meeting: Columbiana won 14-7 last year.Notebook: First place in the Tri-County League is on the line. Columbiana hasn't won the TCL since 1997, the same year it last qualified for the playoffs. United tied for the league title with Lisbon in 1999. This game is the next step for each team to end its drought. Two of the league's biggest playmakers will go head-to-head, with United WR-RB-S Corey Manfull opposing Columbiana QB Adam Fast. Manfull leads the TCL in scoring (148 points, with 24 TDs) and all-purpose yards (269.2 per game). Fast has passed for 615 yards and five TDs and run for 552 yards and 11 TDs. He averages 194.5 yards per game. United QB Mitch Phillis is the league leader in passing, with 1,453 yards and eight TDs, with no INTs. Columbiana is eighth in Div. V, Region 17 of the computer ratings. The top four teams in the TCL play one another this week, as Leetonia (6-1, 3-1) and Lisbon (6-1, 3-1) meet.TV: Fox 17/62 tape delay at 10:30 p.m.
-- Vindicator staff report