Tag Archive for: Cardinals

ASHTON’S LAST FLIGHT

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH- As the Mooney varsity basketball season comes to a close, quarterback and basketball player, Ashton O’Brien, sat down with YSN’s DJ Yokley for an exclusive interview to discuss his high school journey and plans for the future.

O’Brien, a prominent figure at Mooney High School, reflected on the challenges and successes he faced during his four-year high school career. He described the experience as a “roller coaster” but emphasized the importance of hard work, leadership, and being a supportive teammate.

When asked about his future in sports, O’Brien mentioned his love for the local area, expressing his desire to remain close to his family. While undecided, he revealed a strong likelihood of pursuing football at the collegiate level.

Throughout the interview, O’Brien highlighted the significance of family, crediting his parents for their work ethic and love. He stated, “They’ve given me everything. They’re why I’m here today,” emphasizing the profound impact his family has had on his journey.

Furthermore, O’Brien discussed his role as a role model for younger students at Mooney and the importance of being a supportive teammate in both football and basketball.

Reflecting on his time at Mooney, O’Brien expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to graduate as a Cardinal. He spoke fondly of the school’s history and the strong sense of community and support at Mooney.

As the interview concluded, Ashton O’Brien emphasized the importance of family, hard work, and being a positive influence, both on and off the field.

O’Brien’s inspiring story and dedication have solidified his position as a role model within the Youngstown community, leaving a lasting impact on Mooney High School.

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DESMOND DOES IT BETTER

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH-  In a recent episode of the YSN podcast, host DJ Yokley sat down with Cardinal Mooney senior and multi-sport athlete, Will Desmond, for an insightful player profile. The interview covered a range of topics, offering a glimpse into Will’s experiences and aspirations as he navigates his final year of high school.

During the conversation, Will reflected on the ongoing basketball season, expressing his delight in playing in front of enthusiastic crowds and embracing the competitive atmosphere, even in the face of tough losses. He discussed the lessons learned from challenging games, highlighting the importance of defensive strategy for his team’s success.

Beyond the basketball court, Will shared personal insights and aspirations, discussing his close-knit family and the influence of his grandmother, whom he regards as his role model. He warmly spoke about the joy of seeing his grandmother in the crowd at his games and the significance of family support in his life.

In a surprise revelation, Will disclosed his plans to major in computer science and pursue a career as a software engineer, showcasing his keen interest in technology and problem-solving. Additionally, he offered a glimpse into his transition to lacrosse in the upcoming spring season, revealing his excitement for the new challenge and his affinity for the sport after initially working as a ticket seller at games.
Through the interview, Will Desmond’s dedication to athletics, his close bond with family, and his ambitious career goals shone through, painting a picture of a young athlete with a clear vision for his future. As he eagerly anticipates his graduation from Cardinal Mooney, Will remains determined to leave a lasting impact both on and off the sports arena.

Listeners of the YSN podcast were treated to an engaging profile of a determined and multifaceted athlete, as Will Desmond’s story encapsulated the spirit of perseverance, family, and the pursuit of personal growth.

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MR. SNOW

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH- The word “nieves” is Latin for snow.   So it’s no real surprise that when the snow flies in northeast Ohio,  Cardinal Mooney basketball standout, Eddie Nieves is at his best.

In an exclusive interview live from the MVR in downtown Youngstown, Nieves shared his ambitions for his senior season, highlighting his desire to clinch a district championship and progress through regionals to state level. Known for his exceptional versatility on the court, Nieves emphasized the importance of fostering a strong team dynamic and his commitment to contributing to the success of his teammates.

Nieves, whose game has evolved to encompass sharp shooting from outside the arc, revealed that he dedicated significant effort to refining his shooting skills, a transformation that has undeniably paid off. His ability to draw larger defenders out and then capitalize on his agility both inside and out, is a testament to his relentless work ethic and commitment to improvement.

Beyond the hardwood, Nieves opened up about his family’s influence, particularly the impact of his younger brother’s admiration, spurring him to always give his best on the court. Looking to the future, Nieves expressed a genuine interest in business management and fashion, highlighting a potential career direction beyond basketball.

In contemplating his future, Nieves disclosed his desire to play college ball while also considering alternative pathways. He aims to create a clothing brand or delve into the shoe resale industry, sparked by his innate passion for fashion and influenced by his parents from a young age.

Acknowledging the pivotal role of his familial support system and the unwavering guidance from coaches, Nieves revealed a newfound appreciation for the discipline instilled in him, shaping him into the individual he is today.

Eddie Nieves’ story is emblematic of a young athlete with unwavering determination and diversified aspirations, promising an exciting journey both on and off the court as he continues to make his mark in the sporting world and beyond.

The radiant future that lies ahead for this promising athlete is grounded in his relentless drive, adaptability, and boundless ambition, setting the stage for a compelling narrative of triumph in the face of adversity.

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BONAFIDE CHAMPION

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH- Mooney High School’s celebrated multi-sport athlete, Nick Pregibon, shares his thoughts on his sporting career and future aspirations in a candid interview with YSN host DJ Yokley.
In the interview, Pregibon reflected on his favorite sport, soccer, emphasizing the sense of freedom and teamwork it provides. He expressed an interest in exploring new athletic opportunities, mentioning the possibility of trying out lacrosse or track in his senior year. Pregibon’s potential move to lacrosse was met with enthusiasm, acknowledging the potential for success with a strong team dynamic.

Pregibon attributed much of his success to the tight-knit community and family atmosphere at Mooney, emphasizing how the shared camaraderie and trust among teammates have contributed to their achievements. His pride in the numerous accolades, including varsity letters and championship banners, highlighted the dedication and hard work he demonstrates on and off the field.

When discussing his post-high school plans, Pregibon revealed his intention to pursue electrical engineering, citing the job’s versatility and high demand as driving factors. Additionally, he shared admiration for his family’s support and expressed a desire to embody his parents’ best qualities, recognizing his mother’s kindness and his father’s strong work ethic as traits he strives to emulate.
Acknowledging his sister’s kindness and determination, Pregibon paid homage to her contributions, emphasizing her hardworking nature and academic commitment, while expressing pride in her achievements.

With a promising future ahead, Pregibon’s determination, humility, and athletic prowess make him a beacon of inspiration for his peers at Mooney High School and the wider community.
The YSN interview provided an insightful portrayal of a young athlete with a bright future, embodying the values of sportsmanship, dedication, and family support. As Nick Pregibon continues to carve his path, his impact on and off the field is sure to inspire and motivate those around him.

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CANFIELD SEIZES THEIR SECOND CONFERENCE WIN

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CANFIELD OH- Canfield notched their second conference win of the season on Wednesday night, securing a convincing 61-33 victory over Warren Harding.

Leading the scoring charge for Canfield, Camie Dill poured in an impressive 18 points, with Cami Hritz closely behind contributing 17 points. Carly Fleming and Jenna Triveri added 6 points each to the winning effort.

With this triumph, Canfield (9-5) sets their sights on reaching double-digit wins as they travel to Boardman on Saturday, aiming to build on their recent success and continue their strong performance in the conference.

CARDINALS MAKE IT THROUGH ANOTHER AAC THRILLER

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By Tim Corso


CANFIELD OH- Canfield outlasted Warren Harding 63-58 in an AAC matchup Tuesday night at Canfield High School.

It was a back and forth battle all night. Canfield led at the end of three of the four quarters, including the most important one.

It was a battle between atheltic guards with Harding’s Chaz Coleman and Canfield’s Tony Russo

Coleman had 18 points in the setback while Russo had a game-high 23 for the Cards.

The Canfield defense allowed 29 points in each half, while it managed to outscored the Raiders by 6 in the second 16 minutes of basketball. 

Dom Cruz also chipped in for Canfield with 11 points

Jeremy Sampson finished with 10 points for Warren Harding as well.

Canfield improves to 9-3 (3-0), while Warren Harding falls to 8-5 (2-1)

MOONEY MAKES A CONFERENCE STATEMENT

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By Ty Bartell

YOUNGSTOWN OH- For the second time this season, two members of the Steel Valley Conference (SVC) met on the girls side when The Chaney Cowgirls visited The Cardinal Mooney Cardinals on Thursday evening. The first meeting between the two programs was a thriller to say the least! The Cowgirls would come away victorious in the first meeting back on December, 9th at Chaney by a slim score of 43-41, meaning Mooney had revenge on their minds.

With the home crowd behind them, The Cardinals jumped ahead early. Playing good defense and turning that into transitional offensive opportunities, The Cards were able to manage a double-digit lead after a quarter of play at 14-4 over Chaney. The second quarter was a lot more even in terms of scoring; however, despite a lower scoring quarter, Mooney managed to be a bucket better in the second at 9-7 to ultimately take a 23-11 advantage into the halftime locker room!

Mooney star scorer, Sophia Diorio took over the game in the third quarter! Coming out of the half, Diorio scored 10 of Mooney’s 14 team points in the third, while completing all six of her free-throw attempts in the period, as The Cardinals outscored The Cowgirls 14-5 in the third to hold a commanding 37-16 edge heading into the fourth quarter. Not done there, Mooney capped off their statement to their west side rivals with a 17-3 fourth to emphatically win the ball game by a final of 54-19! A drastically different outcome from the previous meeting between the two schools, as Mooney obtained their revenge at home to even the season series up at a game a piece.

Sophia Diorio led the way for The Cardinals, putting up 23 points of offense while simultaneously playing some stifling defense all night long! Samantha Rotunno was also impactful in the game with her 14 points coming almost primarily in the paint, taking the physicality that The Cowgirls bring and matching it on the offensive side! Both Diorio and Rotunno earned Player of the Game honors and their postgame interviews along with Coach Diorio’s can be found below! Talecia Huff was also a key contributor for The Cardinals, scoring 8 points in the contest. Chaney was led by Ja’Ziya Anderson who finished with 10 points followed by Alyssa Brown who had 6 points.

The win for Mooney (4-7)(1-2) now sets them up with another conference opponent when they host The East Golden Bears (4-5)(0-2) on Monday, December 15th at Cardinal Mooney High School. For Chaney (9-4)(2-2) they will look to get back on the winning side when they travel to the Fieldhouse against Struthers (2-9) on Saturday, December 13th with a noon tip-off. Stay updated with SVC basketball all season long with live games, scores, stats, stories and more on YSN!

CANFIELD SURGES TO AVOID THIRD CONFERENCE LOSS

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In a thrilling comeback, Canfield surged late to secure their first AAC victory of the season, triumphing over Howland with a final score of 53-45. The pivotal third quarter proved decisive as Canfield erupted for an impressive 29 points.

Jenna Triveri led the charge for Canfield with 18 points, complemented by Camie Dill’s 14 points and Cami Hritz’s 12 points. Grace McQuiston added 6 points, contributing to the team’s dynamic performance.

Howland, despite the setback, had strong individual efforts, notably from Maya Kubanscek with 14 points and Jessie DeSalvo with 7 points.

With this important win, Canfield improves to a 7-5 record, eager to maintain their newfound momentum as they face Warren Harding at home next Wednesday. Howland, now at 9-3, aims to bounce back in their upcoming Wednesday matchup against Boardman.

CARDINALS SLIP AGAINST WESTLAKE

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By Matt Maher


BOARDMAN, OH – Canfield looked to bring in the New Year with a fresh start against West Lake on Sunday afternoon. While the game showed some good chances for the Cardinals and even brought some scoring, their efforts would ultimately not be enough to take down the Demons and West Lake would come out of Boardman with a 6-1 victory and be a little beaten up.

 

The first frame started off slow with no scoring until the 4:57 mark when Sean Evilsizer put one past Peyton Nottingham  thanks to some nice passing from Kevin Teets and Sean pavich. Canfield wouldn’t let that score stay for long because with 2:54 to go Gavin Rupert would put a dime past Vinny Boccardi to even things up, the lone assist belonged to Adoni Darkadakis. The Demons would respond only 25 seconds later when Evilsizer found his second with this one going unassisted. Nottingham finished the period with a respectab8 saves while Boccardi stopped 11.

 

West Lake would not hold back come the second period where they would score 4 unanswered goals and totally upend the Cardinals defense. Seth Schons found the first of the period with 9:46 still to play while Luke Hyland would score less than two minutes later and then Sam Dossa tallied 67 seconds later. Canfield showed some improvements in their defense after Dossa’s goal but it would falter once more when Evilsizer scored with only 53 seconds remaining and found the always impressive hat-trick. Nottingham would not find much better here, only stopping 3 of 7 shots faced while Boccardi managed to stop all 7 of his shots faced.

 

Period 3 saw solid defense from the Cardinals and much better net minding from Nottingham as West Lake was kept off the scoreboard. While West Lake was held silent they returned the favor by keeping Canfield away from the net as well. Nottingham and Boccardi both faced and saved 9 shots from their opponents. The quarter may not have seen any scoring but it did see both teams release their frustrations at the very end of the game when some players decided to drop the gloves and do the tango. While fighting is a staple of professional hockey, high school hockey has strict rules against it so while the tussles may have been the most entertaining part of the period, it’s also the part that will cost several players on both sides 3 to 4 games suspensions. While both sides erupted at the end they were able to leave it all out on the ice and walk away without any injuries which is always fantastic news. 

 

The Cardinals put an effort forward in this home game but it just wasn’t  enough to find the goals needed and the result would be a 3-6 record while Westlake would improve to 5-2 on their season. West Lake will be back home on January 27th when they host Aurora at 5:30PM while the Cardinals will travel to Normandy for a tilt with the Invaders on January 21st at 3:00PM.

FALCONS STAYING UP FRONT IN RACE FOR AAC

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It’s the month of January and that means All American Conference (AAC) basketball has fully started and is underway. Saturday afternoon had another AAC matchup in the wide open girls side of the conference. The Saturday special featured a battle of the conference birds with The Austintown-Fitch Falcons battling last year’s conference champions, The Canfield Cardinals!

The Falcons jumped ahead early with a 15-8 advantage after a quarter of play. Both teams would subsequently lock things down defensively in the second quarter, this time Canfield would have the edge, being a bucket better than Fitch 7-5 in quarter number two. However, Fitch still managed to hold the 20-15 lead at the halftime buzzer.

The second half started with Canfield making a run to get within striking distance of tying or taking the lead in the ballgame. But every time The Cardinals got close, The Falcons had a response and once again it was with the defense. Holding Canfield to a single digit score for the third quarter in a row, Fitch added to their lead with a 12-8 third quarter to reclaim a 9 point advantage at 32-23 heading into the final quarter of regulation. The Cards put together their best quarter offensively in the fourth, but it was a stalemate with both teams scoring 11 points in the fourth, seeing Fitch get their second conference victory with the 43-34 win over Canfield!

Ayla Ray led all scorers with 19 points for Fitch, earning her Player of the Game honors! Following Ray was Rachedl Spalding who had 7 points and Kylie Folkwein who finished with 5 points. Meanwhile, The Cards were led by Jenna Triveri who had 15 points and Camie Dill who ended with 9 points.

Fitch (10-3)(2-0) will now keep themselves in AAC action when they host The Boardman Spartans (8-3)(1-0) on Wednesday, January 10th with a 7 p.m. tip-off. Canfield (6-5)(0-2) will also be in action on Wednesday when they are on the road, once again, to attempt to gain their first conference win of the season against The Howland Tigers (9-2)(1-0). YSN is your home for AAC basketball all season long with live games, scores, stats, stories and more!