Tag Archive for: Mooney

MOONEY NOT ABLE TO HANDLE BIG RED

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YOUNGSTOWN OH- Cardinal Mooney looked to kick off the Carl Pelini era in the good direction as Mooney hosted the Steubenville Big Red at Stambaugh Stadium. Little fun fact, this was the first time that the Big Red did not have a home opener week one since 1980 according to WFMJ’s Dana Balash.

Mooney stalled on their first possession after getting stuffed by the Steubenville defense.  That opened up the Big Red offense led by Rodney James who scored two touchdowns in the first quarter making it 14-0.  The cardinals opened up a bit on offense in the second as senior quarterback Pat Guerrieri gave the ball to running back Zy’ere Rodgers stretched across the goal line for a five-yard touchdown, the extra point was no good making it within eight.

 The Big Red kept getting hot and the rain couldn’t cool them off as in the second, Spencer Ostovich took it 61-yards to the house with nobody stopping him.  Mooney went into halftime down 28-6, needing an answer for the second half, seeing how they can turn it around. Things took a turn in the second half where Mooney scored, adding a Brian Philibin extra point making it 28-13.  However, Steubenville decided after thatto turn on the jets, scoring two more times late in the fourth and ending it off with a kneel down with the final score 40-13.

Cardinal Mooney (0-1) will head to the legendary Mollenkoph Stadium to take on the Warren G. Harding Raiders.  Steubenville (1-0) will head back home at Harding Stadium to face the Dover Crimson Tornadoes (1-0).

*Contributed by YSN’s Ian O’Brien

MOONEY TAKES BATTLE OF THE BIRDS

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Youngstown, OH – Cardinal Mooney faced the Austintown Fitch Falcons on Saturday after losing to Warren JFK the day before. After a turnover plagued first half, Mooney gave up only 21 points in the 2nd half to achieve the come from behind win against the Cardinals. Mooney beat Fitch 57-44.

Fitch took the lead early and held on to it through halftime making the game 23-16. Simons had 9 points going into halftime for the Falcons. Thomas Fire had 6 points for Mooney.

Mooney made its comeback in the 2nd half. Mooney only allowed 2 points in the fourth quarter to win the game 57-44. Simons finished the game with 20 points for the Falcons. Michael Pelini had 13 points in the game while Fire finished with 12 points. Mooney will travel to South Range Tuesday night while Fitch will travel to Poland on Tuesday. Watch both games here on YSN

* Story Contributed by YSN’s Anthony Melone.

EAGLES SOAR IN THE FOURTH. SHOCK MOONEY ON SENIOR NIGHT.

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Senior night always adds an emotional aspect to a game that cannot be explained. The intensity is increased, and winning means just that much more. But Mooney felt how those emotions could get the better of you and have victory snatched from your hands.

A rematch from a game earlier in the season, Mooney won at Warren JFK 66-47, both teams have been playing some of their best basketball the last couple games. But it was Mooney who would start out strong. The four seniors took the court together, along with junior Mike Pelini, and after going back and forth with the Eagles settled in and took over. Jenkins and Pelini carried the load offensively, Jenkins with 15 points and 5 rebounds on the night. Fellow senior Sonny Rodriguez hit a corner three to put the Cardinals up by 5. A buzzer beater 3 by TJ Harden of Warren though made it only a 2 point lead at half, 20-18 in favor of Mooney.

The third quarter was all Cardinals. They surrendered only 4 points, got Mike Pelini and Tommy Fire going in transition, and stymied star guard Cam Hollobaugh. A two point lead became a 9 point lead after the third, and Mooney had the Eagles on their heels. But the Eagles would not quit. In what can only be described as a spectacular comeback, Warren sprung to life in the fourth quarter, scoring as many points in the final 8 minutes of game time as they had in the first 24 minutes. Cam Hollobaugh got two huge steals that he took to the house, and Tyrel James followed that up with a big 3 pointer. Hollobaugh stuffed the stat sheet for most of the night, finishing with 15 points, 3/3 free throw shooting, 2 steals and 2 rebounds. It took only 6 minutes for the Eagles to turn a 9 point deficit into a 6 point lead, a massive swing of momentum that Mooney simply could not stop. Numerous turnovers, tough misses, and frustrating foul calls all culminated in what will be a very tough loss for the Cardinals, as they fall to 10-9 on the season. The final score 39-44. Mooney must recover quickly though, as they play again Saturday night against Austintown Fitch, a team they have already lost too.

COOL HAND MATT

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Senior forward Matt Brennan exemplifies everything Mooney athletics wants from their athletes. The young man is humble, driven, focused and confident. And throughout the ups and downs of the season, Brennan’s steady hand and level head has, at times, been a deciding factor in the win loss column for the Cardinals. As he prepares for his final two home games as a Cardinal, Matt knows that these final four games still matter as much as the twenty prior.

Nate Keiper caught up with Matt following practice to discuss the teams’ recent games, the sweep of arch rival Ursuline, and even gets to the bottom of Matt’s go-to order at Chipotle. Proudly sponsored by MP Vivo, its the Mooney Player Profile with Matt Brennan, COOL HAND MATT.

MOONEY BOYS BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP4 WITH CAREY PALERMO)

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The Cardinals are in the final stretch of their regular season. A season that has seen tremendous highs, and frustrating lows. Only four games remaining until the tournament starts and Coach Palermo is refusing to let his players become complacent. Despite not having school, Coach had his boys come early Friday morning for a shoot around and scouting session prior to their game tonight against a red hot Warren JFK team.

Nate Keiper caught up with Coach following this shoot around, and covered all the bases for what is left of the regular season for Mooney. Coach Palermo discusses it all; the game on Tuesday against Chaney, how important mental toughness is, and why he loves playing back to back games. Tournament time means tensions are high, and those best prepared for those moments are the ones who succeed. And the Cardinals certainly fit the bill. Episode four of the Coach’s Corner sponsored by MP Vivo is here to get you ready for this weekend’s action.

MOONEY GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP4 WITH JASON BAKER)

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Coming off their biggest win of the season, a nail biter against the South Range Raiders, the Lady Cardinals had won three of their last four. The sole loss coming at the buzzer against McDonald. Coach Baker has his girls playing their best basketball when they absolutely need too, and yet he still preaches his message of unselfish, disciplined team play. At 12-8, the Cardinals are as a dangerous of a team that you will find in the tournament.

Our own Nate Keiper caught up with Coach Baker prior to their senior night game against Boardman to discuss that big win over South Range, the season as a whole and what Coach Baker is most proud of when it comes to his girls. It’s time for another episode of the Coach’s Corner, sponsored by MP Vivo.

SPARTANS STAND TALL, SWEEP THE CARDINALS

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Prior to the game against Boardman, a touching moment for those in attendance at Cardinal Mooney. The two seniors for the Cardinals, Catie Perry and CJ Sapp, were escorted across the court by their families. But that wasn’t all. CJ, who tore her ACL in the previous matchup against the Spartans, came out in full uniform as a starter. Still recovering and wearing her brace, Sapp lined up for the tip off against Maria Torres. Sapp tipped the ball to Perry, a timeout was called, and hugs and tears were shared by both teams. Sapp walked off to a standing ovation and more embraces from her teammates. A beautiful moment for a phenomenal athlete who saw her senior athletic season cut far too short.

The emotions of the night were high, and the Cardinals used it to jump to an early lead. Perry and Gia Diorio hooked up for a few transition buckets, and the Cardinals defense held their own. An 8-3 lead was established, but the Spartans immediately responded. Reagan Burkey got plenty of opportunities from the free throw line, and the front court duo of Torres and Emma Tokarsky shut down the Cardinals offense for most of the first half. Following their early lead, Mooney would go over eight minutes of game time without a field goal. It wasn’t until Gia DiVincenzo hit a corner 3 pointer that Mooney would spring to life offensively. Despite Boardman’s dominance, they held only a one point lead at half, 22-21.

The second half, however, became a demonstration on the importance of free throws. Most impressive was the feat of Reagan Burkey, who finished a perfect 14/14 from the line, with 20 points overall. Boardman as a team shot 22/24 from the line. Maria Torres, held scoreless in the first, scored 6 points in the third. And the Cardinal’s offense struggled mightily, scoring only 4 points in the third quarter. The lead grew to 16, and Mooney would fail to mount any sort of comeback. The Spartans complete the sweep of their rival by a final score of 47-39.

Mooney will be on the road for their final regular season game, a makeup game against Valley Christian this Wednesday. The Spartans will be on the road against the Quakers from Salem.

CARDINALS SURVIVE VALIANT COMEBACK AGAINST RANGE

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Mooney came out red hot to start the game. South Range locked in during the fourth. And two great teams put on an unbelievable show last night.

The vaunted Lady Cardinal defense was on full display early on, as South Range went a full five minutes without any points. Even Izzy Lamparty, the Raider who recently eclipsed 1000 career points, could not seem to find a bucket. Gia Diorio and Katie Hough played give and go basketball, while Diorio showed beautiful touch on a high arching layup that somehow fell. Only one basket for South Range came from the floor in the quarter, a 3 pointer from Emma Cunningham. All the rest came from Izzy at the free throw line, and the Cardinals would lead 16-7 after one.

Maria Fire, a freshman for Mooney, had quite possibly her best game of the season. Coming in off the bench, Maria dominated the painted area with 15 points and 5 rebounds. 7 of those came from the free throw line, an area where Maria has struggled at times. Each shot that fell drew the team, and the crowd, to their feet. The Cardinal’s defense remained tight, and despite the efforts of both Lamparty sisters, Izzy and Gabby, the lead only extended by the end of the third quarter. Mooney went into the final frame up 46-29, but the Raiders finally began to wake up.

The following six and a half minutes were worst case scenario for Coach Baker and the Cardinals. They scored 0 points, barely made it past half court, and turned it over almost a dozen times. Gabby Lamparty’s defense forced 3 of those turnovers back to back to back, and she and her sister clawed the Raiders back into the game, cutting what was a 17 point deficit down to 3. Izzy finished with 17 points, Gabby with 11, and Lexi Giles hit a huge 3 to make it a one possession game. The Cardinals needed someone to step up. Enter Katie Hough, who found herself at the free throw line 4 straight times. After an initial miss, Katie, who sports an always perpetual smile, sank 6 straight free throws. She had 14 on the night, to go along with 4 rebounds and an assist. On the ensuing possession for South Range, Diorio stepped in front of a pass and found Alaina Scavina down the court. After not scoring for almost 7 minutes, Mooney scores 10 to close out the game and pick up a huge win against South Range.

Mooney goes to 11-8, and the Raiders go to 15-6.

THE HOLY WAR GOES TO MOONEY

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Over 60 years of tradition and competition between them, Mooney and Ursuline took to the hardwood tonight. Ursuline looking to avoid an 0-8 season against their rivals, when you include JV and varsity teams. Mooney trying to defend home court, something they have not done well this year. And as per usual, these two prestigious programs did not disappoint.

A feeling out process took up the majority of the first quarter. Each team taking turns trading baskets as well as turnovers. Terrence Pankey for Ursuline was especially active, accounting for 12 points across the first two quarters. Tommy Fire, a guard for Mooney, found himself at the free-throw line numerous times as his aggressive, slashing style drew plenty of contact from Ursuline defenders. Fire was 8/10 from the line and finished with 12 points.

In the first matchup, the backcourt of Mooney, Pelini, and Jenkins, were instrumental in their victory. Clearly the Irish had that in their gameplan as it was relatively quiet in the first half from both. Their defense stiffened in the second quarter, and the Irish would go into the halftime locker room with a lead 25-27.

Great players, however, arise in the biggest moments. With two huge 3 point shots, Mike Pelini would begin hitting his stride in the third quarter. Devon Jenkins, who would be injured during the game and forced to come out, got a huge block on Johnny Rowland that brought the crowd to their collective feet.

And in the most feared yet strangely desired moment a player can find themselves in, senior Sonny Rodriquez, with Ursuline attempting to mount a comeback in the fourth, found himself at the free-throw line. He hit 4 in a row, with another coming after a tough foul that caused Sonny to wince and grab his shooting arm. Despite the efforts of Brady Shannon, who finished with 12 points, and Daysean Harris with 12 as well, Mooney would hold on and finish out their rivals 62-54. A clean sweep of the Holy War for Mooney, with the ever-present chance that these two schools could, again, meet in the tournament.

 

GAME PHOTOS: HERE

MOONEY GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP3 WITH JASON BAKER)

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The Lady Cardinals have been a streaky team this year. When they’re on, they can compete with the best teams in the district. When they’re off, they struggle to get out of their own way. Despite being 10-7, plenty of those losses boiled down to a poor start or self inflicted mistakes. Still, a physically tough team who prides itself on defense can always light the fire when they need too.

Only five games remain on the schedule for Mooney, and Nate Keiper caught up with Coach Baker moments before the Cardinals would take the court against East. In this episode of the Coach’s Corner, sponsored by MP Vivo, Coach Baker discusses the difficulties this season has presented, previews the matchup against East, and explains how the multitude of different styles of opponents can prepare you for the tournament.