DeSales loses Division III state football finals in Ohio
Self-inflicted miscues doom DeSales in title clash By SETH SHANER Published: Wednesday, December 9, 2009 11:24 AM EST Text Size The sunny atmosphere surrounding the Division III state football championship game at Massillon's Paul Brown Tiger Stadium wasn't a reflection of the storm DeSales found itself under as it lost to Youngstown Cardinal Mooney 35-7, Friday, Dec. 4. The Stallions (11-4) were snowed under by a barrage of self-inflicted wounds, including seven fumbles, two of which became turnovers, along with the inability to stop big plays by the Cardinals (15-0). "We just never could get anything going," DeSales coach Ryan Wiggins said, "and any time we did, we'd do something to ourselves to slow it down." The two teams traded multiple punts to start the game, almost like the outset of a prize fight, before Mooney struck a big blow on a 56-yard touchdown run by Ray Vinopal with 1:11 to play in the first quarter. DeSales attempted to dig itself out of the doldrums by opening up the playbook on the ensuing drive, as quarterback Nick Gentile found Sam Borghese on a 37-yard pass to cross midfield. The drive wasn't sustained, however, and later in the half, the Cardinals walked a tightrope before coming up roses on, possibly, the turning point of the game, which included a high punt snap and a save-the-day play by punter A.J. Fox. Fox tracked down the ballooning snap back at his own 30-yard line, collected both the ball and himself, and boomed a punt to the DeSales' 4-yard line. "When the ball went over my head and I picked it up, I noticed both my ends had their players blocked pretty well," Fox said. "Then I just tried to kick it and hope for the best." Gentile then mishandled the following snap and the fumble was lost to Mooney's Mark Pelini on the 1. Cardinals quarterback Alex Zordich scored on the next play, making it 14-0. "That's kind of our whole day in a nutshell, right there," Wiggins said. "It's a play that could have gone in our favor, maybe with some field position or a turnover. "Then, all of a sudden, they pin us deep. That was a huge play and I almost felt like, mentally, that took some wind out of our sails." Mooney coach P.J. Fecko was impressed with the play his junior punter made. "A.J. has done a really good job for us all year of winning the battle of field position," Fecko said. "(He's) really swung the field position in our direction. That ball went sailing and he tracked it down. I think that shows the focus that he has." Despite the usual conservative nature displayed by Mooney, the Cardinals put together a late-half drive that resulted in a 26-yard scoring run by Braylon Heard. Heard opened the second half with a 53-yard touchdown run, making it 28-0 with 8:23 to play in the third quarter, then began the fourth with a halfback pass to Donald D'Alesio from 8 yards out to make it 35-0. Heard made himself known again with an interception of Gentile on the next drive. DeSales finally scored to avoid a shutout on a 7-yard touchdown run by Jake Edsinger with 16 seconds remaining. Mooney's surprise passing attack served to baffle the Stallions, and moved the ball effectively. "Any team that runs the ball that well probably has good play action," Wiggins explained, "because their run draws so much attention. "Guys get sort of caught up in the wash trying to get an extra player here or there on the run, and they free someone behind you. They're a pretty complete football team. I give them a lot of credit. Their plan was good and they executed it well." Wiggins and Co. can be excused if they felt shell-shocked by Mooney, as three of the first four Cardinals' scores came on plays of over 25 yards, with two being over 50 -- even the 1-yard score came after the DeSales fumble. "It was big chunks at a time," Wiggins said. Heard ended the day with 178 yards on 28 carries for two scores, while Vinopal gained 70 yards on seven carries. Zordich completed 4 of 6 passes for 100 yards. Gentile rushed 26 times for 107 yards and was 2-of-4 passing for 41 yards in the air. The Ohio title is Mooney's seventh, and first since 2006. The Stallions were competing in their eighth state championship game, having won three (1998, '97, '85).
DeSales
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Columbus
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