STATE CHAMPION
STATE CHAMPION
Mooney -- 1982
Coach: Don Bucci.
Season record: 10-2, 6-1 Steel Valley Conference.
Schedule:
Regular season
28Chaney14
14Cleveland St. Joseph17
16Boardman6
17Warren Western Reserve0
48Howland0
37Ursuline19
7Warren Harding6
14Niles3
7Fitch12
Playoffs
13Steubenville2
10Mentor Lake Catholic7
12Toledo St. Francis DeSales0
Notable players: Mooney's first team All-SVC players included Rick Shepas (played at YSU and is now coach at Massillon Washington), Carl Pelini (played at Columbia; was coach at Fitch 2000-02; now a graduate assistant at Nebraska), Jon Saadey, who played baseball at Yale and still holds school passing records for career attempts (208), completions (102) and yards (1,565), John Klein and John McGlone. Former Mooney standout Ted Bell, who led the Cardinals to the 1973 state title, was an assistant coach on the team. Junior Kevin Koken went on to play center at West Virginia and started against Notre Dame in the 1988 national championship game. Junior guard John Mahoney went on to play at Stanford. Sophomore Mark Stoops now coaches defensive backs at Miami (Fla.).
Notebook: This was Mooney's second state championship victory at the Rubber Bowl -- the first came in 1973. This was also the Cardinals' second-straight state title game shutout -- they beat Lebanon 50-0 in the 1980 Division II final. Mooney's three playoff opponents were a combined 27-3-2 before playing the Cardinals. Three players went on to play sports at Ivy League schools: Pelini, Saadey and linebacker Mark Braydich (Brown).
-- Joe Scalzo