MOONEY FOOTBALL Defense propels Martins Ferry
The Purple Riders' seniors boast a career 31-5 record.
YOUNGSTOWN -- In the ever-increasing world of political correctness, it's difficult to get a coach or player to say something that may come across as anything close to bulletin-board material.
Martins Ferry High coach Dave Bruney didn't say anything inflammatory this week that might show up in his opponent's locker room, but his candidness was still refreshing.
For instance, when asked about the expectations he had for the Purple Riders' 2004 season and if he expected them to get this far in the postseason:
"Yeah, we thought we had a chance," said Bruney. "We had a good senior class that had a several kids who were starting for a two years, and a couple of kids who were starting for three.
"This group is 31-5 now since they've been in the program. They've made the necessary sacrifices and had the experience and work ethic that we felt they would be a successful team."
The matchup
Martins Ferry (12-0) will play Cardinal Mooney (10-2) in a Division IV state semifinal Friday (7:30 p.m.) at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon.
The other state semifinal matches Versailles (10-3) against Coldwater (13-0), both from the same conference, the Midwest Athletic Conference. That game will be played at Welcome Stadium in Dayton.
The winners will play Dec. 3 at 3 p.m. at Fawcett Stadium in Canton for the state championship.
Martins Ferry's success has been predicated on its defense this season, said Bruney, although the Purple Riders have also put up some astonishing offensive numbers.
"The defense has been our strong suit," said Bruney. "My brother is the defensive coordinator and he has really put kids in good positions to make plays.
"Even though we're usually undersized we have been pretty successful against the run. We have forced teams to be one-dimensional and we have a veteran group back in our secondary."
Facing Mooney's big and talented offensive line won't be a new problem for the Purple Riders. Bruney hopes, though, that the same advantages his team has had all season against bigger opponents will hold true Friday night.
"We have been able to take advantage of whatever quickness we might have to slow the [running game] down," he said.
Martins Ferry leaders
The Purple Riders' defense is anchored by linemen Donald Machine (6 feet, 185 pounds) and Jon Nagel (5-10, 182), a pair of senior ends.
Bruney is impressed not only by Mooney's size along the line, but that group's quickness.
"All their players have quick feet," he said. "Their backs are extremely talented, no doubt about it, but the offensive line has played so well and allowed the skill players to exploit their talents."
The Purple Riders' offense is sparked by quarterback Ryan Church, who has rushed for 511 yards and five touchdowns and thrown for 1,717 yards and 15 scores.
Martins Ferry will use as many as four backs to carry the ball. The leading rusher is Chas Yoder (5-11, 207), who has 832 yards and 14 TDs despite missing the first two games of the season. Luke Warren has 647 yards on the ground.
The leading receivers are Dom Bopp (6-0, 185), with 42 catches for 867 yards and five scores, and Clay Tucker (23-549-5).
Schedule
Martins Ferry played all Div. III and Div. IV schools this season, although its opener was scheduled against Div. V Lisbon. That game was canceled after summer storms caused flooding in Columbiana County.
The Purple Riders faced one playoff team, Bellaire, during the regular season, winning 21-7. Martins Ferry won a rematch with Bellaire, 33-7, in the regional semifinals. The Riders have faced five other teams with winning records, including the playoffs, and have won those games by an average score of 35-8.
"Both teams have good speed on both sides of the ball," said Bruney.
He was asked if he preferred a high-scoring or low-scoring game.
"As long as we're ahead by one point at the end," he quipped, "I don't care if it's 3-2."