Mooney completes perfect 10-0 season

By COLIN SMITH

COLUMBUS — Cardinal Mooney wasted no time in picking up where they last left the Watterson Eagles.

Running back Braylon Heard scored on the first play from scrimmage as Cardinals built a 21-0 halftime lead and then hung on for a 28-12 win to finish the regular season undefeated and clinch the No.1 one playoff spot in Division III.

“For us to travel down here and get a victory is really a tribute to our seniors,” said Mooney coach P.J. Fecko, who has defeated Watterson four years in a row. “Our guys stayed focused on the task at hand and that really says a lot about their leadership.”

Mooney won the first half battle for field position, starting three drives inside Watterson territory, scoring on two. Quarterback Alex Zordich found Nick Hargate for a 13-yard touchdown to give the Cardinals a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.

With one minute, 22 seconds left in the first half, Zordich threw into double coverage in the end zone, but Mooney’s Ray Vinopal jumped over the Watterson defender and came down with a 30-yard touchdown reception.

“When you put our defense in a tough position and give up a big touchdown run early on and a touchdown pass late, you’re not going to beat a team like Mooney,” said Watterson coach Dan Bjelac, whose team fell to 7-3 overall but had already clinched a Div. III playoff berth with a win over Columbus St. Charles last week. “They’re a great football team and you can’t play just one half against them.”

Watterson’s offense showed some life in the second half. Marc Elberson caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Greg Hock to cap an 11-play drive that included two conversions on fourth-and-1 and cut the lead to 21-6.

With 6:56 remaining and facing fourth-and-goal at the Mooney 3, Hock scored on a quarterback draw to make it a nine-point game, but was sacked on the two-point conversion attempt.

Two plays later, Mooney running back Karrington Griffin dashed 83 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory.

Watterson converted 5 of 7 times on fourth down but was just 3 for 14 on third-down conversions.

“You’ve just got to get ready to play next week,” Bjelac said. “The year we won state we lost the last game [of the regular season] to Beechcroft.”