Fecko weathers daunting task

The unbeaten Cardinals play host to Warren Harding Saturday evening.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- By his own admission, coach P.J. Fecko has "weathered the storm" within the Cardinal Mooney High football program.
Fecko had the daunting task of replacing legendary coach Don Bucci four years ago when Bucci ended a 34-year career, with four state championships.
"It wasn't an easy situation to walk into, not only because of the success that Coach Bucci had, but the longevity he had here," Fecko said.
Fecko played for Bucci from 1989-92, earning All-Steel Valley Conference honors as a senior defensive end, and later coached for him from 1994 to 1999, serving as a defensive coordinator.
"Having played here and coached here, and being involved with a lot of successful teams, it was my own pressure, more than anything," said Fecko of assuming the head coaching role. "I've never really had any kind of outside pressure."
In four years as coach, Fecko has compiled a 14-19 record, but he's off to his best start this season, with his biggest game to this point looming Saturday night.
SVC showdown
The Cardinals (3-0) will play host to Warren Harding (3-0) in a Steel Valley Conference showdown at Stambaugh Stadium.
"This is the first senior class that has been here the full four years I've been here," Fecko said. "It's a very tight and committed senior class, and they've made things easy for me."
Bucci's influence also made things easy for Fecko, at least from a teaching standpoint.
"He was so extremely good at preparing the week of a game. That stuck to me," Fecko said. "I've never seen anybody as good at it."
Personal touch
Since his playing and coaching days, Fecko has assumed his own identity and placed his own touch on the program.
No longer is Mooney running its offense out of the stacked I-formation.
"The last three years he's been doing basically what we've been doing for years," Bucci said.
"Now, he's opened it up a little bit, and he's doing what his personnel is dictating, which I think is good."
Bucci put his teams defensively in formations that were strong against the run, but that too is beginning to change under Fecko.
"It's dictated by the type of offenses they're meeting this year," Bucci said. "Teams are putting the ball up more."
The relationship between Bucci and Fecko has changed since their days of working together on the field.
"We had grown rather close over the years, and now it's strictly a personal relationship," Fecko said. "We don't talk as many Xs and Os."
richesson@vindy.com