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12/2/05

Unbeaten Coldwater says Mooney i big favorite
Friday, December 2, 2005 By Chris Beaven REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER


They enter the Division IV state finals unbeaten and virtually unchallenged this high school football season. They have an Ohio State recruit, a powerful offense and a defense that has not allowed a point in four weeks.
But as good as the Coldwater Cavaliers are, their coach thinks they are the underdog against defending state champion Youngstown Cardinal Mooney.
When the 11 a.m. game kicks off Saturday at Fawcett Stadium, John Reed hopes his team is not run over by the parochial powerhouse.
“You can have an S-10 truck, and it’s the best S-10 truck it can be,” Reed said. “But if it meets a semi coming the other way, the semi’s going to win.”
Reed sees Mooney as that semi with its huge offensive line and outstanding skill. The Cardinals have nine guys weighing 265 pounds or more, including 310-pound all-state lineman Ishmaaily Kitchen. Coldwater counters with one player over 250 (a 269-pound freshman), and just six weighing 235 or more.
Reed also thinks the Cardinals have an unfair edge in drawing players since they are a parochial school.
“I don’t think there’s a question about that,” Reed said. “We’re a town of three or four thousand people, and we have our school district. And that’s where all of our kids come from. ... I can only imagine what an all-star team would look like from Mercer County.”
Mercer County is home to two recent lower-division state champions, St. Henry and Maria Stein Marion Local.
Those schools, as well as recent state champs Versailles and Delphos St. John’s, join Coldwater in the Midwest Athletic Conference. The league has produced 12 state champs and six runners-up since 1989. So Coldwater is accustomed to tough competition.
This year the Cavaliers have gone 14-0, outscoring teams by an average of 39.5 to 5.6. They have outscored teams 136-6 in the playoffs.
Coldwater is led by Ohio State recruit Ross Homan, a 6-1, 235-pound running back-linebacker. He has 1,341 yards rushing, 466 yards receiving, 29 TDs, and 179 total tackles.
The Cardinals, the only defending champion still playing, have faced their share of challenges in going 12-2. They beat Walsh Jesuit, Warren Harding, St. Vincent-St. Mary, Central Catholic (twice) and Ursuline this season. They lost to Benedictine and Columbus Bishop Watterson, two playoff teams.
“These guys gradually improved, gained momentum and gained confidence each week,” coach P.J. Fecko said.
Two seniors leading the way are quarterback Derrell Johnson and tailback Nate Burney. Johnson, a transfer, has run for 1,239 yards, passed for 499 and accounted for 16 TDs in nine games. Burney has rushed for 2,300 yards and 22 TDs.
When Reed looks at the overall Mooney package, he thinks of the oncoming semi.
“I just hope,” he said, “our speed, tenacity and toughness will level things out a little bit.”
Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345
or e-mail chris.beaven@cantonrep.com

Youngstown Cardinal Mooney
Nickname Cardinals
Head coach P.J. Fecko, 41-26, sixth season
Conference Steel Valley
Boys enrollment 217
2005 record 12-2
Playoff history 19th appearance, seventh in state finals, 34-13 overall. State champion in 1973, ’80, ’82, ’87, 2004.
Average points scored 24.6
Average points allowed 13.2

Coldwater
Nickname Cavaliers
Head coach John Reed, 117-26, 11th season
League Midwest Athletic
Boys enrollment 198
2005 record 14-0
Playoff history 11th appearance, third in state finals, 24-10 overall. Average points scored 39.5 Average points allowed 5.6