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Youngstown hails champs
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Ursuline and Mooney Celebration
Video
Hundreds celebrate Mooney, Ursuline football titles players at Covelli
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN — Anyone who saw Braylon Heard and Nico Irizarry interact would get a more accurate reflection of the type of relationship many Ursuline and Cardinal Mooney high school students share.
“[Both teams are] competitive on the field [of sports], but support each other in everything else we do,” explained Heard, a Mooney senior who played four years as running back on his school’s football team.
Beyond the gridiron, many students from one school are close friends with those from the other, and the two Catholic schools share more similarities than differences, added Irizarry, who played four years as running back and defensive back for Ursuline.
One commonality was both teams’ appearance at Saturday’s high school state football championship celebration at the Covelli Centre. An estimated 400 to 500 people attended the hour-long gathering, which featured remarks by several elected representatives who honored and congratulated both football teams and their coaches for winning state titles last month. Also recognized were both schools’ cheerleaders.
Mooney defeated Columbus St. Francis DeSales 35-7 to win the Division III state championship title; Ursuline took home the Division V title by beating Coldwater 55-25.
Heard and Irizarry, both of whom plan to play college football, were among a throng of Ursuline students in their customary green tops and Mooney students wearing red and gold to shake hands, embrace and heap accolades on one another after the event.
Heard said one of his ambitions is to join the University of Nebraska’s team in Lincoln, Neb. Irizarry’s college choice is unclear, but the senior intends to receive a degree in accounting, he added.
Both teams “represented the same core values and the best of the Mahoning Valley,” such as hard work, discipline and teamwork, noted Dan Reardon, Ursuline’s head football coach. Both teams also demonstrated that many positive results can come from working toward a common goal, he said.
After their accomplishments on the field and past high school, the students should never forget where they came from, added Mooney’s head coach, P.J. Fecko, who also praised the teams for bringing positive attention to the Valley.
“There will come a time when you’ll have to give back to the area; be sure to step up,” Fecko advised the students.
Reardon and Fecko also were the recipients of several proclamations and plaques for their victories and leadership abilities.
One of those to bestow such honors on the two coaches was Mayor Jay Williams, who also praised the students’ parents and grandparents for grooming and instilling in the youngsters the values that have led to their successes.
“We truly are a home of champions,” Williams added.
Echoing those remarks was U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, saying that the students’ parents have set a good example for other parents.
Beyond the goal of winning championship games, high school football has the potential to teach team members valuable life lessons and virtues such as resiliency, teamwork and, symbolically, how to rise after taking a fall, Ryan explained.
In addition to fulfilling high expectations that are part of both schools’ work ethic and tradition, members of the football teams will contribute to the Valley’s turnaround, he predicted.
Also offering congratulatory remarks were several members of Youngstown city council, Mahoning County Commissioner John A. McNally IV, state Sens. Bob Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th; Joe Schiavone of Alliance, D-33rd; and Ron Gerberry of Austintown, D-59th.