Valley football coaches support title games in Stark

From 1973-1987, Don Bucci coached Cardinal Mooney in five state championship games — two at Ohio Stadium, two at the Akron Rubber Bowl and one at Upper Arlington.

He’s also been Mooney’s athletic director for its three state championship games at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium and two at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium over the last decade.

So, when he heard about the OHSAA’s decision Wednesday to award the 2014-2015 state finals to Ohio Stadium after 20 years in Stark County, he was uniquely suited to weigh in on the decision.

“In my opinion, I think it’s a mistake,” said Bucci, who won the 1987 Division III title at Ohio Stadium and lost the Div. II final in 1985 at the site. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. And it’s not broke.

“The championship games have been well-supported up here, the teams are treated great and the times of the game are set up between the two stadiums where you can see all six games if you want. I think having all the games at one stadium creates a lot of problems.”