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Mooney, Hubbard prepare for Mollenkopf showdown
Poland Bulldogs vs St. Vincent-St. Mary Fighting Irish
Gallery
Crestview Vs. East Palestine
Video
By Joe Scalzo
One of Brian Hoffman’s earliest football memories was going to a Hubbard game against Cardinal Mooney in the late 1970s.
“I was pretty young,” said Hoffman, a 1989 Hubbard graduate who is now the Eagles’ head coach. “I just remember through the years hearing from people who played in that era and the Steel Valley [Conference] in particular.
“That was always a big game they talked about.”
After a 30-year break, the rivalry resumes Friday in a Division III regional quarterfinal at Mollenkopf Stadium. Mooney (11-0) leads the all-time series 12-0.
“There’s history there,” said Cardinals coach P.J. Fecko, a 1993 Mooney graduate. “When I was playing back in the early 1990s, I remember playing them either at the JV or sophomore level.
“Plenty of folks around here remember when Hubbard was in the league with Mooney. They had some teams that played extremely well.”
Hubbard (10-1) was a charter member of the SVC when it was founded in 1949 and left the league after the 1979 season.
Mooney began playing football in 1956 and beat Hubbard’s reserves that season, 6-0. Their first varsity matchup came in 1961, which Mooney won 12-0.
The Cardinals joined the SVC in 1970 and the two teams met for the last time in 1979, a game Mooney won 40-6.
The Cardinals, the state’s top-ranked team in Division III, are making their 23rd playoff appearance. They’re 45-16 all-time with six state titles, while Hubbard is just 6-8 all-time in the playoffs.
“Our players and coaching staff believed at some point we’d have the opportunity to play in this game,” said Hoffman, whose team has won 10 straight. “What an incredible opponent. We’re playing against a class program, one of the premier in the area.
“It’s a great challenge and we’re going to do our best to go out there and compete.”
Although the teams don’t meet in football, they’re occasional opponents in other sports and many of the players are familiar with one another.
“I think that increases the excitement and the enthusiasm toward the game,” said Hoffman.
The game pits some of the area’s top recruits, with Hubbard RB Andre Givens (Pitt) and WR Kurtis Drummond (Michigan State) matched up against Mooney RB Braylon Heard (West Virginia).
Both runners are banged up — Heard missed last week with an ankle injury and Givens aggravated his ankle against Medina Buckeye on Friday — but both coaches said Sunday they’re optimistic that each will play.
“Obviously, with him in the lineup he gives us instant big-play potential,” said Hoffman. “It would definitely help having him with us Friday night.”
Heard probably could have played against Mogadore Field but wasn’t needed as the Cardinals rolled 42-14.
“It’s the nature of the beast this time of year,” said Fecko. “Everybody’s got guys banged up and I’m sure each team wishes it was fully staffed and ready to go.
“That’s not always the case but we’ll be close to it [Friday].”
Friday’s matchup is one of two pitting area teams this weekend, with Ursuline set to play Crestview in a Division V regional semifinal at Fitch High School.
Ten of the Valley’s 17 playoff teams are still alive, with eight teams playing on Friday and two more on Saturday.
Ursuline and Mooney, of course, are used to playing at this point in the season. What they’re not used to doing — at any week of the season — is playing area teams. Mooney played just three area teams this season (Boardman, Warren Harding and Ursuline), while the Irish played just one.
“We’re thrilled to be playing a local team,” said Irish coach Dan Reardon, whose team won last year’s Div. V title and has played in two straight state finals. “We don’t get to do that very often.
“Obviously, playing at Fitch is the next-best thing to a home game for us. It’s a great facility.”
Ursuline (7-3) is making its 15th postseason appearance and is 25-12 all-time with two state titles. The Irish have played just one Columbiana County school in its playoff history, beating East Palestine 56-7 in 2002.
Crestview (10-1), winners of the Inter Tri-County League’s Tier One, is 4-7 all-time in the postseason.
In Division II, Howland (10-1) will play Ashland (10-1) at Canton Central Catholic’s Lowell Klinefelter Field, while Canfield (10-1) will meet Mentor Lake Catholic (10-1) at Twinsburg High School.
Those games are on Friday, as are all the Div. III and V games.
Cardinal fans have fond memories of Twinsburg, having won a state semifinal game there in 2005. Howland is making its third straight playoff appearance.
In Div. III, Poland (9-2) will play Akron Hoban (8-3) at Blue Streak Stadium in Uniontown while Salem (9-2) will play Steubenville (10-1) at Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium in New Philadelphia.
The Bulldogs are in the playoffs for the third straight season, while Salem won its first playoff game in school history last Friday, edging Granville in overtime.
Two area teams will play Div. IV games Saturday. Girard (11-0) will meet Peninsula Woodridge (9-2) at Blue Streak Stadium and Lakeview (8-3) will meet Chagrin Falls (11-0) at Veterans Stadium in Aurora.
The Indians are in the playoffs for the first time since 2002, while the Bulldogs are in the regional semifinals for the second time in three years.
No area teams survived in Div. I or VI, which also play Saturday.
The playoffs last five rounds. The state finals will be played Dec. 4-5 in Canton and Massillon.
scalzo@vindy.com
DIVISION II
(All games at 7:30 p.m. Friday)
Region 5
Mentor Lake Catholic (10-1) vs. Canfield (10-1), Twinsburg Tiger Stadium
Howland (10-1) vs. Ashland (10-1), Canton Central Catholic Lowell Klinefelter Field
DIVISION III
(All games at 7:30 p.m. Friday)
Region 9
Cardinal Mooney (11-0) vs. Hubbard (10-1), Warren Mollenkopf Stadium
Poland (9-2) vs. Akron Hoban (8-3), Uniontown Lake Blue Streak Stadium
Region 11
Steubenville (10-1) vs. Salem (9-2), New Philadelphia Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium
DIVISION IV
(All games at 7 p.m. Saturday)
Region 13
Chagrin Falls (11-0) vs. Lakeview (8-3), Aurora Veterans Stadium
Girard (11-0) vs. Peninsula Woodridge (9-2), Uniontown Lake Blue Streak Stadium
Division V
(All games at 7:30 p.m. Friday)
Region 17
Cuyahoga Heights (11-0) vs. Gates Mills Hawken (9-2), Solon Stewart Field
Crestview (10-1) vs. Ursuline (7-3), Austintown-Fitch Falcon Stadium