PREP FOOTBALL Mooney rushes past Aquinas, 24-3

The Cardinals didn't get rolling until the second half for their second victory.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- For one half, the Mooney High football team did its best to stage a Labor Day Giveaway Sale for St. Thomas Aquinas.
But once the Cardinals got their hands on the football midway through the third quarter, Mooney's vaunted rushing attack took charge for a 24-3 victory Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium.
"We were persistent [on offense]," Mooney coach P.J. Fecko said after the Cardinals gained 340 yards rushing on 46 carries. "Our defense playing well put us in some good situations where we could grind it out. Sooner or later, we got cracking."
Mooney limited the Knights to 70 yards rushing and 60 passing.
Three early fumbles
The only reason the game hadn't reached blowout status in the first 15 minutes were Mooney's three lost fumbles in Aquinas territory. The Cardinals also committed the first half's only four penalties.
Nate Burney raced 60 yards with the opening kickoff before the ball was stripped from his grasp at the Aquinas 33.
On Mooney's second possession, fullback Eric Mariotti burst threw the Knights' line for pickups of 17 and 20 yards. But Mike Rich lost the ball at the Aquinas 16.
The Cardinals broke the scoreless deadlock after Knights punter Jon Thoma's boot rolled to the Mooney 11. Mariotti capped his 126-yard quarter with an 89-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Kyle McCarthy helped spring Mariotti with a flying block.
"I knew someone had come by, but I didn't know who," said Mariotti who finished with 162 yards on 12 carries.
"When I found it was Kyle, I was like 'good job, buddy -- that's my senior quarterback out there making a block,' Mariotti said. "He's a tough, all-around kid."
McCarthy said he was "in the right position at the right time. I saw this guy chasing down Eric and I was just trying to get to him in time. Luckily, I did."
Burney's extra-point kick gave Mooney a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.
Mooney gets safety
The Knights' woes escalated when Burney's kickoff bounced away from the Aquinas kick returners. Josh Moffie's recovery had the Cardinals poised for a knockout blow.
But two plays after McCarthy zipped to the 1 on a 22-yard gain, Mariotti fumbled.
Three plays later, Mooney's lead grew to 9-0 when Marcus Williams was nailed in the end zone by Mooney safety Mike Cook.
In the third quarter, things grew tense for the Cardinals when Aquinas ran the first 13 offensive plays. John Rice's 32-yard field goal cut the Mooney lead to 9-3.
The Cardinals responded with a long scoring march that sealed the game.
"They had swung a little momentum, and we were able to swing it right back," Fecko said.
During the 12-play march, Rich had a 20-yard run while McCarthy had a 16-yard pickup.
Rich, who rushed for 90 yards on 18 carries, capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Burney's conversion run put Mooney ahead, 17-3, with 9:40 to go.
Seemingly contained on the Mooney sideline for a loss, Burney eluded a grab to his facemask and reversed himself for a 26-yard score.
williams@vindy.com