Mooney executes the basics, advances

Nate Burney ran for 249 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-13 win.
By ERIC HAMILTON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BELOIT -- Many football coaches will tell you that success and failure comes down to blocking and tackling. Friday night's Division IV playoff game featuring Cardinal Mooney and Chagrin Falls was no exception.
As it turned out, the Cardinals did a whole lot of blocking and Chagrin Falls didn't do much tackling.
"We were fortunate to control the line of scrimmage and open up holes for our backs," said Mooney coach P.J. Fecko. "We believe in being real basic and executing well on a handful of plays. We just come at you and if we execute like we know how, we're successful like we were tonight."
Mooney's Nate Burney stole the spotlight, shredding the Tigers' defense for 249 yards and three touchdowns, as the Cardinals advanced to the regional finals with a convincing 42-13 rout Friday night at Clinton Heacock Stadium.
Next
The Cardinals (9-2) will meet Liberty next Friday night at a site to be determined with a trip to the state semifinals on the line. The Leopards advanced with a 6-0 win over Ursuline.
"I owe this one to the offensive line," said Burney, whose shifty running style enabled him to shed tackle after tackle. "They just went after their defense hard on every play and opened up some nice holes for the running backs.
"I just tried to get through the holes and keep my eyes open. Once I got through it was just a foot race between me and their DBs."
It was a race that Burney won every time. He did most of his damage by making the defense miss, patiently working his way through the middle, then breaking outside. Although the Tigers knew what was coming, they were helpless to stop it.
Mooney totaled 386 yards on the ground, as Eric Mariotti added 78 yards on 12 carries and Kyle McCarthy broke free for 50 yards on six touches.
"They were so good up front," said Chagrin Falls coach Mark Iammarino. "They were big, but very mobile. We just tried to put eight guys in the box to stop the run, but it didn't make any difference.
Specifics
"I have to hand it to that No. 66 [Rick Solak]; he played the whole game on both sides of the ball and pulled on every play. And No. 17 (Burney) just had great vision with the ball."
It was evident from the beginning that offense was going to be the main event. Both teams scored on their first two possessions, putting up big numbers in the process.
After Burney scored his second TD of the night to put Mooney ahead 14-7 with 1:08 left in the first quarter, Chagrin Falls responded.
Quarterback Mike Hermanson found Division I college prospect Brian Robiskie for a 3-yard touchdown pass with 6:16 remaining in the second quarter, pulling the Tigers within a point at 14-13.
But that's when the momentum began to shift into Mooney's favor. The Cardinals scored two second-quarter touchdowns to take command.
With the Tigers' defense trying to stop Burney, McCarthy took advantage. On third-and-8 at the Chagrin Falls 27, the senior rumbled 13 yards for the first down.
Big plays
On the next play, he raced right through the heart of the defense for a 15-yard score, padding the Cardinals' advantage to 21-13.
When the Tigers got the ball back, McCarthy delivered the knockout blow.
The Mooney defense forced Chagrin Falls to punt from its own 25. McCarthy settled under it and raced 54 yards into the end zone. The score put Mooney ahead 28-13 and, for all purposes, put the Tigers out of their misery.
"That punt return before the half really deflated us," admitted Iammarino. "We were trying to answer them every time they scored, but that return really put us in a hole and we started to wear down after that."