By Joe Scalzo

Photo

Cardinal Mooney’s Marcus McWilson (4) tries to elude two tackles during the Cardinals’ game against Ursuline on Oct. 21. Mooney will play host to Northwest in a Division III playoff game on Friday.

scalzo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Cardinal Mooney has played teams from three different states and five different Ohio counties.

The Cardinals played two-thirds of their games on the road and had five games against Ohio playoff teams. (A sixth, Ursuline, would have been the favorite to win the Division V state title if the Irish had gotten in.)

They have as many wins over teams from Delaware as teams from Mahoning County (one) and as many wins over Division I teams (three) as the other divisions combined (three).

“Our schedule is something that really benefits us once we get to the playoffs,” said Cardinals coach P.J. Fecko, whose team hosts Canal Fulton Northwest in Friday’s Division III regional quarterfinal. “It’s a really tough schedule, not only physically but mentally because you have to make so many adjustments because you’re playing so many teams you’re not familiar with from week to week.

“Then you throw in the travel, and it just gets you used to what it’s like being in the playoffs.”

The Cardinals (6-3), who are making their eighth straight playoff appearance and 25th overall, enter the postseason having won four of their last five games, with the lone loss coming in Week 9 against Ursuline.

“I’m not sure in any of our games have we reached our potential and I don’t know if you ever do,” Fecko said. “I think it’s something you keep striving for.”

They’ll play a Northwest team that is back in the playoffs after a one-year absence. The Indians, who made the postseason every year from 2001-2009, played two Mahoning Valley teams this season, losing in overtime to Poland, 42-41, in Week 6 and beating Canfield, 26-17, in Week 8.

No longer a member of the Northeastern Buckeye Conference — they dropped out after last season — they, too, play an independent schedule filled with unfamiliar teams, including four that made the playoffs.

The Indians are led by 6-foot-5 senior quarterback Nick Riley, a pass-first quarterback in a pass-first offense that either runs a five-wide receiver, empty backfield set, or a two-tight end, three-back set.

“It’s like you’re preparing for two separate offenses,” Fecko said.

Defensively, the Indians like to crowd the line of scrimmage and bring pressure in order to force mistakes, Fecko said.

“They don’t set up like anybody we played offensively or defensively,” Fecko said.

Mooney, meanwhile, has thrown it more often behind P.J. Quinn (nearly 900 passing yards) but everything for the Cardinals still starts up front, offensively and defensively.

It’s a formula that’s helped produce a 51-17 record in the playoffs and seven state titles.

“I think we’ve come a long way since the beginning of the year,” Fecko said. “We’re a team that’s progressed and gotten better week in and week out and, going into the playoffs, we’re going to need to keep improving.

“I’m assuming we’ll be a better football team this week than we were last week.”