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On common ground
Mooney Vs. Ursuline
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Mooney Vs. Poland
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Irish, Cardinals seek berths in state finals
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN — The Ursuline High School football team is one victory away from its fourth state final appearance since 2000.
Only one other Mahoning Valley football team has enjoyed that much success — Ursuline’s archrival Mooney. The Cardinals played in four straight Division IV state finals from 2004-07.
Tonight, both teams will be in action in Canton seeking another state final appearance.
In Div. V, Ursuline (9-3) will face Ridgewood (13-0) in a state semifinal at Canton Central Catholic’s Lowell Klinefelter Stadium.
In Div. III, Mooney (13-0) will battle Steubenville (12-1) at Fawcett Stadium (next to the Pro Football Hall of Fame).
Those games will determine which school has the most title appearances in this decade.
Dan Reardon’s Irish are vying for their third straight state final game. In 2007 at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, the Irish lost to Marion Local Maria Stein, 20-14. Last year, the Irish capped a perfect season with a 21-0 triumph over Findlay Liberty-Benton.
That title, plus Ursuline’s 2000 championship in Div. IV, gives the Irish two crowns in this decade.
Mooney won Div. IV state titles in 2004 and 2006, and finished state runner-up in 2005 and 2007.
Standing in the way of a fifth state title game for P.J. Fecko’s team is Steubenville, the team that ousted the Cardinals in 2008 in a regional semifinal when they were in Div. IV. Steubenville finished state runner-up in 2008.
Last spring, the Ohio High School Athletic Association reassigned its schools by enrollment, and Steubenville and Mooney were moved up.
Want another another Mooney-Ursuline connection? In 2000, the Irish, whose head coach was Jim Vivo, defeated Coldwater in the state title game at Fawcett Stadium.
Mooney’s state title-game losses in 2005 and 2007 were to Coldwater by scores of 33-9 and 28-27.
In tonight’s other Div. V state semifinal, Coldwater (12-1) will play Hamler Patrick Henry (13-0) at Findlay Donnell Stadium. Four years ago at Fremont, Patrick Henry ousted undefeated South Range in a state semifinal game and then won the Div. V crown.
In tonight’s other Div. III semifinal, Columbus St. Francis DeSales (10-3) will play Cincinnati Wyoming (13-0) at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium. In Week 2, Mooney defeated DeSales, 21-14, at Stambaugh Stadium.
williams@vindy.com
SEE ALSO: STATE AT STAKE: Mooney prepares for Big Red magic and On common ground..