Mooney Vs. Ursuline 2008

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Photo by: Geoffrey Hauschild

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Sprinters on the Cardinal Mooney Track Team, Charlie Brown (sophmore), Scott Johnson (senior), Matt McWilson (senior), Braylon Heard (junior) pose for a portrait at Cardinal Mooney Track on Wednesday April 8, 2009.

Photo by: Robert K. Yosay

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Braylon Heard breaks away from Harding's Desmond Reed (9) as Braylon heads for the endzone during first half action as Mooney shut out Harding in Warren 17-0 in 2008.

Braylon Heard

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Mooney Defensive Linebacker

CVCA vs MOONEY

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CVCA vs MOONEY

By Joe Scalzo

Braylon Heard expects to play offense for the Mountaineers, starting in 2010.

YOUNGSTOWN — Chris Amill was a football coach for the New Bethel Braves when he first met a rabbit-quick 6-year-old named Braylon Heard.

The Braves made it to the league championship game that season, where they played the True Vine Saints. Heard missed the first half with headaches and the Braves fell behind by a few touchdowns.

“On the first play of the third quarter, he went 80 yards for a touchdown and both his shoes came off,” said Amill, who coached Heard for four years at the youth level and is now an assistant coach at Cardinal Mooney. “Right then and there, I knew he was something special.”

A decade later, college scouts feel the same way.

Heard, a senior-to-be for the Cardinals, verbally committed to play football for West Virginia University on Wednesday, choosing the Mountaineers over more than a half-dozen other schools.

“That’s where I wanted to go,” said Heard, who also strongly considered Penn State. “I thought, ‘Why wait?’”

Heard, a two-way starter at running back and defensive back, was a Division IV first team All-Ohioan on defense IV last fall, helping the Cardinals go 9-3 and advance to the regional semifinals. He will play running back and slot receiver in the Mountaineers’ spread offense.

“It doesn’t matter whether I play offense or defense,” he said. “Wherever I can play.”

Heard (5-11, 180) doesn’t have tremendous size, but he is explosively quick and surprisingly powerful. His speed has been on display the past two track seasons, where he’s been a member of two state championship 4x100-meter relay teams. He was also a state qualifier in the 200.

“Athletics-wise, if you’ve seen him play, he speaks for himself,” said Amill, who coaches receivers, defensive backs and special teams for the Cardinals. “He can play anywhere on the field offensively. Defensively, a lot of people believe he’s the best defensive back in Ohio this year, which is a testimony to his hard work and attitude.

“He’s a tremendous athlete.”

Although Heard draws attention on the field, he is soft-spoken off it, much quicker to smile than speak. He is close with his mother, Michelle, and with Amill, who still attends New Bethel Baptist Church and talks with Heard about everything from football to classwork to girls.

“He’s a real quiet kid,” said Amill. “Real pleasant, real respectful.”

The Cardinals will be loaded this fall, with most of their starters returning — including Heard and Ray Vinopal, who combined for nearly 2,000 yards rushing last season. Mooney is moving up to Division III, but Heard expects their team success to continue.

“Everything didn’t go as planned last year, but we still had a strong season,” Heard said. “We have basically everyone coming back and hopefully we can get to the state championship.”

scalzo@vindy.com