PREP PREVIEW Football

DIVISION IVMOONEY vs. AKRON MANCHESTER
When: 7 p.m. SaturdayRadio: WKBN-AM (570)Where: Uniontown Lake High SchoolIf you go: I-76 West to Ohio route 43 South. Turn right (west) onto Ohio Route 619. Turn left onto Market Street.Last week: Manchester defeated Garrettsville Garfield 40-0; Mooney beat CVCA 51-7Scouting report: Manchester (10-1), which is 10-15 all-time in the postseason, lost to Mooney 18-0 in the second round of the playoffs in 1996 when Cardinals coach P.J. Fecko was an assistant under Don Bucci. The Panthers like to keep it on the ground, relying on Greg Hooper (1,046 yards, 23 TDs in the regular season) and Phil Partin (1,084 yards, 14 TDs). The Panthers' only loss came to Tuscarawas Valley, which won the Principals Athletic Conference title and lost in the first round of the playoffs. "They're a team that gets to the playoffs quite often," Fecko said of Manchester. "They're an aggressive team and they have a lot of people that run to the ball [on defense]." Manchester coach Jim France is 291-71-3 in 34 seasons at the school. Mooney (9-2), which is 31-13 in the postseason with five state titles, is led by senior running back Nate Burney (1,733 yards, 17 TDs) and senior quarterback Derrell Johnson (420 yards passing, 845 yards rushing). The Cardinals don't throw much -- Pat Kowowski has a team-high 12 receptions for 240 yards and three TDs -- but that's always been true at Mooney. Senior defensive back Desmond Marrow leads the team with six interceptions while linebackers Michael Zordich and Pat Kelley and defensive end Robert Walker solidify a fast, talented defense. The Cardinals' two losses came against Cleveland Benedictine (which Johnson missed with an injury) and Columbus Watterson (which was Johnson's first game back from injury).Next: The winner of this game will meet Canton Central Catholic or Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary in the regional final.
DIVISION VICOLUMBIANA vs. MINERAL RIDGE
Where: Boardman Spartan StadiumWhen: 7 p.m. SaturdayRadio: WNIO-AM (1390)Last week: Columbiana defeated Mathews 49-9; Mineral Ridge defeated Dalton 14-6Scouting report: Columbiana will seek its second win this year over Mineral Ridge, having beat the Rams, 21-7, in the second game of the season. A balanced offense led Columbiana's win over Mathews. Beau Papania scored TDs on runs of 15 and 2 yards and led the team in rushing with 63 yards in 11 carries, while five other players each ran for a TD: Joe Winters, Mackie McGarry, quarterback Mike Welce, Josh Hertel and Chad Stouffer. Josh Harold was 3-for-3 in extra-point kicks. Welce completed 7-for-10 passing for 134 yards. Mineral Ridge, meanwhile, has three main offensive weapons in senior QB Vance Keirsey, senior RB John Hack and senior FB Micah Hall. Keirsey has completed 74-of-135 passes for 1,360 yards and 12 TDs with 11 interceptions. Hack has rushed for 1,252 yards in 139 attempts and 15 TDs, and has caught 14 passes for 253 yards and three TDs. Hall has rushed for 884 yards in 141 carries and 10 TDs. Keirsey's favorite target is senior WR Wade Campbell with 25 catches for 468 yards and six TDs. In Mineral Ridge's win over Dalton, Hack and Hall proved to be a 1-2 offensive punch. Hack rushed for 205 yards in 30 carries, including a 34-yard run; while Hall added 119 yards in 17 attempts, including a 2-yard TD run. They accounted for all of the Rams' 343 yards gained in 53 attempts. Nick Ciavarella kicked both extra points.Next: The winner of this game will play Mogadore or Steubenville Catholic Central in a regional final next Saturday.
Vindicator staff reports