The Cardinals are 3-0 in the series, which pits teams with a combined nine titles.

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

On Saturday, Nov. 23, 1985, an 11-year-old kid named P.J. Fecko sat in the stands at the Akron Rubber Bowl, dreaming of the day when he would one day coach the Cardinal Mooney High football team in a playoff battle against Steubenville.

Right?

“No, I don’t think that was what I was thinking,” said Fecko with a laugh. “I think what I was doing was shivering because the stands were so darn cold.”

The last time the Cardinals played the Big Red, Steubenville was a defending state champion coming off a playoff win against Canton Central Catholic.

A similar scenario greets the two teams on Saturday. Steubenville, the two-time defending Div. III state champs, are fresh off a win over Central Catholic, looking to gain their first win in the series against Mooney. Big Red has a 42-game winning streak, while Mooney, ranked eighth in the country by USA Today, has won 26 straight and two of the last three Div. IV crowns.

“Mooney’s program has a great tradition,” said Steubenville coach Reno Saccoccia. “They deserve their ranking. The respect they have around the state wasn’t given to them.”

Mooney has won all three games in the series, edging Big Red 18-16 in that 1985 game thanks to running quarterback Bo Pelini (now the defensive coordinator at LSU) and a last-second field goal by Pat Nelson. The Cardinals lost to Galion, 6-0, in the Div. II state championship game the following week.

In the teams’ first meeting, in 1981, Mooney routed Steubenville 49-0 in Big Red’s first playoff appearance.

“They baptized us into the playoffs,” Saccoccia said.

The Cardinals also won 13-2 in 1982 en route to their third of six state titles.

That 1981 game started a run of 11 straight playoff appearances for Steubenville, which was highlighted by the 1984 title. Big Red is making its 20th postseason appearance, while Mooney has 21.

“Steubenville is like a smaller version of Youngstown,” said Saccoccia. “There’s not too many good things said about Steubenville and there’s not too many good things said about Youngstown outside of Cardinal Mooney and Youngstown State. They’ve done a great job of making a good name for Youngstown.”

Football brings pride to both towns. The teams’ vast tradition, combined with their recent success, has made Saturday’s game one of the most anticipated matchups in Ohio this season. Only this weekend’s Cincinnati St. Xavier-Cincinnati Colerain game can match the excitement statewide this week.

“I think it’s a really exciting game for several groups of people,” said Fecko. “I think there’s a lot of interest from fans across the state of Ohio. When two storied programs come together and compete, it’s going to attract a lot of attention.

“I think it’s really great for high school football.”

Although both coaches have stayed focused on their own teams, they’re each aware of the other team’s accomplishments the past few years. Saccoccia hasn’t just been impressed with the Cardinals’ last four seasons, but also with the job Fecko has done in taking over for legendary coach Don Bucci.

“Fecko has picked up where Bucci left off,” said Saccoccia. “He’s brought them up from 0-10 [in 2001] to 5-5 [in 2002] to what they have right now.

“Their program is not just good on the football field. They have a top-notch summer camp [Mooney’s Camp of Champions] and they draw good kids. The kids play hard and the coaches coach hard.”

Steubenville’s success is no accident, either. Saccoccia and his staff are involved with the program from the sixth grade on, emphasizing the need for hard work and good character.

“We want kids to choose our school not only for academics but for our extra curriculars,” said Saccoccia. “We consider football an extra curricular, and we take a lot of pride in it.”

Big Red returned just five starters from last year’s championship team and most people figured they’d have a bit of a down year this fall. It hasn’t happened, but Saccoccia knows his team is in for its biggest challenge of the season. Like Mooney, he’s scheduled tough teams to get ready for this point.

“Mooney is the best football team in Ohio, and we feel like the schedule we play prepares us for a team like Mooney,” said Saccoccia. “If you have to beat Catholic schools, you better play Catholic schools.

“I think we’re an average football team. But the kids play hard and work hard and they’re humble. I’ve been real happy with the way the kids have improved. Whether that continues throughout this week remains to be seen. But we’ve earned this opportunity.”

Mooney enters the game as the favorite, but Fecko has been impressed by Big Red.

“They’re an outstanding football team,” said Fecko. “They’re really a team that does a great job of playing team football. They do a great job of playing aggressive and applying pressure to opposing teams.

“They put pressure on you in all three phases of the game. They put pressure on you on defense, not necessarily by blitzing, but by keeping the heat on you. Offensively, they’ve done a great job of not letting you get into a comfort zone.”

Likewise, Saccoccia knows his team can’t afford mistakes, particularly against Mooney’s defense.

“Very seldom do you play a team that has five Division I players on defense,” said Saccoccia. “And these aren’t podunk Division I. You’re talking Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State. ...

“They have good personnel and god coaching. We’re going to fight like hell and try to find a way to have success.”

scalzo@vindy.com