Akron Beacon Journal

AKRON

Mark Handel recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown and ran for another score and C.J. Amill rushed for 137 yards to lead the Cardinal Mooney High football team to a 47-12 victory over Akron Buchtel on Saturday.

Mooney’s rushing attack netted 301 yards, paced by Amill, a junior, who carried 15 times.

Junior quarterback Jon Saadey completed 9-of-11 passes for 125 yards.

The 5-foot-8, 165-pound Amill had 12 and 13 yards on his first two carries, setting up Saadey’s 26-yard touchdown pass down the middle to a wide-open Ryan Megyesi. That capped a six-play, 80 yard drive for the game’s first touchdown.

A 29-yard run by Davis, who scooped up a teammate’s fumble and took it to the Mooney 5-yard line, set up his own scoring pass two plays later.

But a 19-play, 85-yard march that took 8:38 off the clock resulted in Handel’s 3-yard touchdown run for a 20-6 lead. The Cardinals also added an 18-yard field goal by Kennedy with 3 seconds left in the half for a 23-6 lead.

“We were just taking our time, moving the ball,” Amill said. “Just making sure we were where we were supposed to be. Just keeping the drive going. We know how to react when things are going the wrong way, so just staying focused, keeping our head right and keep going.”

Mooney added touchdowns on Jordan Jones’ 65-yard run and Anthony Gill’s 38-yarder in the second half, and Kennedy added a 22-yard field goal.

A 24-yard scoring pass from Davis to junior Deric Rucker made it 47-12 on the game’s last play.

“We did a good job of keeping momentum in our corner,” Mooney coach P.J. Fecko said. “There were some times in the first half where it looked like it was swinging out of our control a little bit. We mounted some drives here or there to swing it back.

“Overall, I’m pleased with the way our guys answered and the way out guys came out and played.”

The Griffins hung tough early, trailing just 13-6 after Christopher Davis hit Eric Rucker for a 3-yard touchdown pass. But Mooney (2-1) responded with a long scoring drive that chewed up most of what remained in the first half.

And that seemed to suck the energy out of Buchtel, which didn’t score again until the final play of the game.

Two big miscues in the punting game — one in the first quarter and the other early in the second half — resulted in easy scores for the Cardinals. And those contributed mightily to the lopsided score.

Attempting to kick from his own end zone, the Griffins’ punter mishandled the snap and Mooney’s Christian Lowery emerged from a pile of players with the ball to provide a 13-0 lead with 2:02 left in the opening quarter.

On Buchtel’s first possession after the break, Handel blocked a punt inside the 10-yard line and scooped up the loose ball in the end zone. Zak Kennedy’s fourth of five extra points made it 30-6.