By Joe Scalzo

Ohio State-bound John Simon ready to lead Mooney’s attack

The veteran two-way lineman has his sights set on another state title run.

The field used to go this way,” he said, pointing north and south. “It was a rock field. After a couple practices, all you had was stone and dust.”

Things are a little different now — for one thing, the turf practice field used to belong to the New Orleans Saints — but not that different. Simon still recognizes a few teachers walking the hallways and his old coach, Don Bucci, is still roaming the sidelines, albeit as the athletic director.

They say that in Youngstown, 30 years ago was yesterday. At Mooney, it seems true. The younger Simon grew up listening to his dad tell stories about his high school days and there was little doubt which jersey he’d wear one day.

The elder Simon was a lineman who lifted weights and enjoyed the physical part of football. (If he didn’t, he certainly wasn’t going to crack Bucci’s lineup.) Those traits were passed on to his more talented son, who as a kid followed him to the gym to lift weights. It eventually became evident that his son had the gift. He first played running back and quarterback when he was younger, first for the Austintown Little Falcons, then for the St. Christine Crusaders (where his dad is still a coach) before his size prompted a move inside.

“One of the things that Big John lacked was the flexibility his son has,” said Bucci. “And they’re both strong, but his son is on another level.”

The father went 9-1 his senior year in 1978 — the lone loss was to Campbell, and you better believe Simon remembers it — and the Cardinals missed the playoffs after finishing fourth in their region. (Today, they’d have a home game.) He stood 6-foot-3 and weighed about 210 pounds (big for the time) and earned second team All-Steel Valley Conference honors. He met his wife, Renee (a McDonald High graduate) at YSU and they also have an older daughter, Brittany, who is attending Ohio State.

His son, universally considered among Ohio’s top five recruits, will soon join her after verbally committing to the Buckeyes last spring. Barring injury, the 6-3, 275 pounder is a near-lock to finish first team All-Ohio first.

“It’s a dream come true to watch him,” said his father. “The best part is, he loves it. He wrestled for six years and he’s always loved to mix it up. He loves the physical part of it.”

The younger Simon has been a starter on the defensive line since he was a sophomore. He’ll play both ways this year — a back injury limited him to defense last season — and he’ll be the most experienced player on a team that’s made four straight Division IV state championship games.

“That experience and his ability and the way he plays thrust him into a leadership role,” said his coach, P.J. Fecko. “All through doubles, the guys automatically look to him.”

Simon committed early to OSU so he could focus on his senior season without any distractions. Outside of football, the weight room (where he’s held every school weight lifting record since before his junior season started) and the classroom (where he has a 3.7 grade point average), there isn’t time for much else.

“He’s definitely the total package,” said Fecko. “He’s a guy who has everything lined up where it needs to be. A guy who works hard and is obviously a great influence for younger people.”

Simon’s strength and his motor set him apart. He benches 445 pounds, squats 700 and has done 47 straight reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. (For comparison’s sake, the NFL combine record is 51 and Simon’s mark would place him second all-time.) He plans to major in sports therapy, a natural fit for an exercise nut. But his love affair with lifting isn’t cosmetic; it’s main purpose is to make him a better player.

“Probably the first thing you think of when you think of him is his motor,” said Fecko. “He can play at a really high level for a really long period of time.”

Off the field, he’s unfailingly respectful in interviews, calling reporters “sir” while saying all the right things. To wit:

UWhat did he take away from last year’s loss to Coldwater in the state final?

“It was a horrible feeling and I think it was great motivation for this year,” he said. “I’ve never seen a harder-working group of guys.”

UWill it be tough to replace last year’s star-studded senior class?

“We lost a lot of great players, but the work ethic hasn’t changed,” he said. “We’ve worked hard in the offseason and we’re doing everything we can to improve.”

Fecko calls him a “lunch pail guy,” someone who puts his head down and goes to work. But he’s also a competitor.

Mooney may not be the front-runner for this year’s state title, but the rest of Div. IV should be warned: Second-best doesn’t sit well with him. The only thing bigger than Simon is his goal.

“We’re working toward the state title,” he said. “That’s all we’re thinking about. We’ve just got to take it one game at a time.”

scalzo@vindy.com