Zy’ere Rodgers Archives - Your Sports Network

YOUNGSTOWN OH-

After a record of one and five during the regular season, the Cardinals of Cardinal Mooney needed something positive to happen as they hosted Conneaut at Stambaugh Stadium in the first round of the Division five playoffs.

Well, it seems in this game we found what Mooney can do and how they can be dangerous. They were slow a tad in the first, but then the second they started to blast off. That’s when receiver AJ Pecchia took off like a rocket 53-yards for the touchdown making it 7-0.

With just over four minutes before the half, it was the senior quarterback Pat Guerrieri finding sophomore Ty Reali for a 10-yard touchdown and man, how those Cards were on fire!

Few plays later, Conneaut quarterback Jake Slayton fumbled while Mike Pastella did an old scoop and score while making sure his teammates were clean and that there was no dirty laundry on the field. Well, the laundry was folded with no flags, making it 20-0 going into halftime.

The Spartans speared their way into the endzone in the third as Slayton found one of his favorite targets in Kiefer Mandagelo who then took off like the cheetah Tyreek Hill going 35-yards making it 20-7. Mooney then gave the ball to Davontae Miller seven yards out and later added on with a Brian Phillibin aka Phil Dawson jr field goal with five minutes to go in the third making it 30-7.

The Cardinals got the running clock started in the fourth after Zy’ere Rodgers said it’s a beautiful day in my neighborhood for me, not you, as he went 18-yards to the house as Mooney now led by 30. Their final touchdown on the night came when Matt Womer punched it two yards out, putting it away for good as the Mooney Cardinals rolled past Conneaut 44-7.

This is big for the school especially when it came to the off-season with the last minute coaching change, it seems now that Mooney has found a bit of their rhythm back. This is the Cardinals first playoff win since 2017 where they beat the Poland Bulldogs 13-7. Looks like the Carl Pelini college coaching experience is paying off now.

Stats

Pat Guerrieri: 10 of 15 passing for 101 yards and a touchdown. AJ Pecchia finished with 44-yards receiving and Zy’ere Rodgers ended with 22 carries for 241 yards and a touchdown.

Mooney (2-5) advanced to the second round of the OHSAA Division Five Region 17 bracket with a trip to third-seed undefeated Garrettsville Garfield (6-0) next Saturday at James A Garfield Stadium. We can possibly see an upset alert happening next week as those cardinals have momentum on their side.

*Contributed By YSN’s Ian O’Brien

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