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Cardinal Mooney’s Roosevelt Griffin (3) says the Cardinals are ready to face Steubenville Big Red again in the playoffs — this time in the Division III regional semifinal on Saturday. And, if they stick to the basic game plan, history should repeat itself with another Cardinal win.

By Matthew Peaslee

mpeaslee@vindy.com

Youngstown

Forget Mooney’s 5-1 record against Steubenville. More importantly, forget that the last time it played the Big Red, the Cardinals won 45-7 and went on to win the state championship.

P.J. Fecko has.

“None of that is going to help us,” the 12-year Mooney coach said. “It’s a brand new year with brand new challenges.”

Remember, though, that anything can happen in the playoffs.

Quarterback P.J. Quinn does.

“We went home earlier than we wanted to last year,” the Cardinals senior said. “It’s just another game and they’re just sitting on our way to a state championship.”

That being said, many current Cardinals were members of the 2009 team that defeated Steubenville in the state semifinals. One game later, they knocked off Columbus DeSales for their 10th state title and a 15-0 season.

“The feeling was great because Steubenville is a great team and we went in to get the job done,” running back Roosevelt Griffin said. “We need to do that this year, too.”

All previous meetings between Mooney and the Big Red occurred in the playoffs. The inaugural matchup was in 1982, Steubenville’s first trip to the playoffs. It was greeted with a 42-0 shutout by the Cardinals.

Big Red wouldn’t beat Mooney until 2008. A faceoff similar to today’s 7:30 p.m. regional semifinal at Canton Fawcett Stadium, it was played at the same location and in the same round as the Big Red pulled away with a 28-16 victory.

Obviously, the Cardinals prefer an ending like that of 2009, but it’ll take what happens during the game to equalize it.

“We got off to a fast start in ‘09,” Quinn said. “We feel that if we do that again we can catch them and get up early. We definitely can’t come out slow.”

These two programs have bitter history, but focus is on the here and now. That’s if Fecko can put his finger on how to begin scouting the 11-0 Big Red.

“You don’t know where to start,” Fecko said. “No team really does. They do so many things well. They are a team that has done a great job of running the football up and down the field. It starts somewhere to try and contain their run.”

That won’t be easy.

Steubenville ran for 386 yards against Indian Creek in a regional quarterfinal playoff game and averages 368 total yards and 36 points in the regular season.

The dual threat of Jo Jo Pierro and LeShawn Luke will be seen in the backfield, but 10 others touched the ball on the ground in its 68-13 win last week.

“They’ve done an outstanding job of dominating all their opponents and putting up tremendous numbers and points,” Fecko said.

Defensively, the Big Red holds opponents to under 10 points on average and has recorded three shutouts. The most points put up against them was 26 by Buffalo [NY] St. Joseph in Week 8.

“They like to move around a lot,” Quinn said. “They don’t want us to know where their defense is going.”

But, if the Cardinals stick to the basics, history may remain favorable to the series leader.

“There’s a game plan and we’re definitely going to be ready again,” Griffin said.