Valley teams’ date with state Ursuli U

Ursuline, Mooney advance to play in title games

STAFF REPORT

The Valley’s two best football teams will play for state championships next Friday.

Unbeaten and top-ranked Cardinal Mooney (14-0) defeated Steubenville 45-7 on Friday night at Fawcett Stadium, advancing to the Division III state title game next Friday at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

The Cardinals will play Columbus DeSales (11-3), who lost a 21-14 decision to Cardinal Mooney at Stambaugh Stadium on Sept. 4. That game is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m.

On Friday night DeSales beat Wyoming 24-7.

Mooney will be trying for its seventh state championship overall and third for coach P.J. Fecko.

At 3 p.m. next Friday, Ursuline (10-3) will play Coldwater (13-1) in the Division V state championship game at Fawcett Stadium in Canton.

On Friday the Irish won for the eighth time in their last nine games, 48-6 over West Lafayette Ridgewood. Next week’s game will be a rematch of the 2000 state final in Division IV, won by Ursuline, 49-37.

The Fighting Irish are in the state final for the third straight year. Ursuline lost to Maria Stein Marion Local 20-14 in 2007 and defeated Findlay Liberty-Benton 21-0 last year for its second state championship.