By Jim Flick

The Cardinals’ defense shut down the Bengals in the 31-14 victory.

YOUNGSTOWN — Cardinal Mooney used a one-two punch of tailbacks to hammer away at Cleveland Benedictine Friday night, and scored a 31-14 knockout.

Ray Vinopal and Braylon Heard alternated at tailback for Mooney (5-1), each gaining 100 yards in the first half.

When the game was over, Vinopal had gained 206 yards on 21 carries and scored three touchdowns for Mooney. Karrington Griffin joined the Cardinals’ ground assault late in the second half, gaining 32 yards on 11 carries.

Another weapon in Mooney’s arsenal was a defense which held long-time rival Benedictine (3-4) to fewer than 200 yards in total offense.

Benedictine gained 112 rushing yards on 20 carries. When the Bengals tried to turn to a passing attack, Mooney defensive lineman John Simon twice sacked Benedictine quarterback John Hromulak.

“The offensive line did an outstanding job, said Mooney coach P.J. Fecko. “They opened holes, and our kids are the kind of backs that if you open holes for them, they’re going to take advantage of that.”

Fecko declined to single out any offensive linemen, saying, “They all did a good job tonight.”

Mooney’s defense was a key to the game, Fecko added.

“We were playing well defensively, but Benedictine is a team that’s not going to give up.”

The Bengals didn’t give up when Mooney led 24-7 in the third quarter. Benedictine a scored a touchdown a 54-yard scamper by Romel Dismuke. The extra point cut Mooney’s lead to 24-14.

“I think we did a good job of swinging the momentum back our way,” Fecko remarked.

The play that regained momentum for Mooney was a 40-yard touchdown run by Vinopal that accounted for the final score of 31-14.

It was Vinopal that put the first points on the scoreboard for Mooney. Benedictine took the opening kickoff, but couldn’t gain a first down and quickly punted the ball back to Mooney.

Mooney responded with a five-play, 64-yard touchdown drive that put Mooney ahead 7-0. In that opening drive, Vinopal gained 55 yards on four carries, including a 20-yard jaunt into the end zone.

Placekicker Ed Reese boosted Mooney’s first quarter lead to 10-0 when he kicked a 27-yard field goal.

Vinopal scored Mooney’s second touchdown in the second quarter when he dashed five yards into the end zone, before Anthony Urbania ended Benedictine’s scoring drought with a two-yard touchdown run.

Urbania touchdown, with the extra point kick by Benedictine’s Josh Steigerwald, cut Mooney’s lead to 17-7.

But as the first half was about to end, Mooney’s Donald D’Alesio snagged a nine-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Alex Zordich. Reese kicked the extra point to extend the lead to 24-7 at halftime.

But as Fecko said, Benedictine never gave up.

Dismuke’s 54-yard touchdown run was the only time a player crossed the goal line in the third quarter.

Vinopal’s fourth quarter touchdown and Reese’s extra point accounted for the game’s final points.

Bengals quarterback John Hromulak was trying to find a way to put his team into the end zone in the closing minutes when Simon eluded Benedictine’s offensive line and grabbed Hromulak for his second sack of the game.