QB Tim Marlowe had 109 yards rushing and two TDs in a 28-0 semifinal win. Mooney will play Coldwater for the state title.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

CANTON — Cardinal Mooney High quarterback Tim Marlowe is happy that his team is going back to the Division IV state championship game, but Marlowe knows that the Cardinals won’t be satisfied until they have the title in their hands.

Mooney ran away from Marion Pleasant with a 21-point second-half effort Saturday night, for a 28-0 victory in the Division IV semifinal game at Fawcett Stadium.

“We’ve won 28 straight games now, but it won’t mean anything if we don’t win the next one,” Marlowe said. “We’ve been waiting for another shot at Coldwater; we’ve got a score to settle from two years ago.”

The Cardinals (14-0) will meet Coldwater at 3 p.m. next Saturday in the state championship game at Paul Brown Stadium in Massillon.

“This win means so much to the seniors,” Marlowe said. “We’ve come a long way together and this will be our fourth straight appearance in the championship game.”

Mooney, which has won six state championships, has been to the title game each of the last four years, winning in 2004 and 2006 while losing to Coldwater in the 2005 title game.

Mooney head coach P.J. Fecko has coached the Cardinals in those last three title games, and will be trying to add the school’s seventh state crown.

“This game was so big for our seniors who have worked so hard to get where we are today,” Fecko said. “We struggled a little bit in the first half tonight, but we came out in the second half and played like we knew we were capable of doing.

Marlowe, who took over as starting quarterback a week ago when senior Dan McCarthy was injured, came through with another outstanding effort as he rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Brandon Beachum, a Penn State recruit, led the offense with 157 yards rushing and one touchdown.