By Joe Scalzo

Boardman vs Mooney

Gallery

scalzo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Following Friday night’s 27-0 loss to Cardinal Mooney, Boardman defensive coordinator Mike Popio shuffled toward the Stambaugh Stadium locker rooms looking like a man who spent the last 21/2 hours watching a stonecutter hammer away at his rock.

When told his defense played well, Popio said, “Played a little too much of it, I’d say.”

With the Spartans’ offense struggling just to make a first down — Boardman finished with five, all in the second half — Mooney kept hammering away with its running game, eventually finding some cracks, then breaking the game open.

“We figured if we kept chipping away, our momentum would keep building,” Cardinals coach P.J. Fecko said.

C.J. Amill carried 19 times for 136 yards and a touchdown for Mooney (1-1), which led just 13-0 at halftime. The Spartans’ best chance to make a game of it came when the Cardinals fumbled away the second-half kickoff, with Boardman’s Gavin Strines recovering the ball at the 19.

The Spartans lost 13 yards over the next four plays.

“I thought that could have been a big momentum-changer,” Boardman coach Joe Ignazio said. “If we put points on the board there, it would have been a different ballgame.”

When asked if Boardman’s offensive struggles were self-inflicted or Mooney-inflicted, Ignazio said, “It’s us. We can’t block. We can’t protect. Early on in the game we had them outflanked [on pass plays] and can’t get the ball off.

“I don’t know if things are hitting too slow but we’re not coming off the ball very mentally tough.”

Although Mooney plays a 4-3 defense, Cardinal linebacker Roosevelt Cooper lined on the edge on most plays, to devastating effect. Cooper finished with four sacks, while Kentucky recruit Jordan Jones added a sack and a tackle for loss. Jones also made one of the game’s biggest plays, ripping the ball from Boardman QB Sean Birchfield and returning it five yards to the Spartans’ 28.

Five plays later, Mooney QB Jon Saadey ran for a 1-yard TD to make it 10-0.

Anthony Gill added a 3-yard TD run late in the fourth quarter and Youngstown State recruit Zak Kennedy had field goals of 26 and 28 yards.

Boardman, meanwhile, managed just 59 yards.

“Everyone just played smash-mouth football,” Jones said. “Our defense this year is good. If we keep working, we can be a better defense than last year.”

Mooney has won seven straight against Boardman, but Jones said it’s too early to celebrate.

“We’ve all got to realize we have seven more [regular-season] games to go and it gets harder than Boardman,” Jones said. “We’ve got to keep our heads in the game and do our thing.”