'08 OH S Dan McCarthy (Signed LOI to ND)

[Epitome]

Perfect Mooney declaws Bengals
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The Cardinals' defense and run game were too much for Benedictine.

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

BEDFORD — A few minutes after his team's 31-17 defeat to Cardinal Mooney at Bedford Stadium on Saturday, Cleveland Benedictine coach Art Bortnick was approached by two reporters.

"No comment," he muttered, then walked away.

The undefeated Cardinals have left a lot of observers speechless this season. Bortnick is just the latest.

Relying heavily — and this is going to come as a shock — on its defense and run game, Mooney jumped out to a 31-3 lead before emptying its bench late in third quarter, allowing the Bengals to add a little suspense in the final minutes.

"We always expect to play our best," said Mooney junior defensive lineman John Simon, who had two sacks. "They're a tough team and I'm proud of the way we played."

It was Mooney's second straight win over the Bengals after losing five straight in the series.

They're 8-8 all-time against the Bengals, which leads to this incredible statistic: Over its 52-year history, Mooney does not have a losing record against any team it's played more than once.
Pittsburgh International Airport

Senior running back Brandon Beachum, a Penn State recruit in his second game back from a knee injury, rushed 12 times for 143 yards and a touchdown to lead the Cardinals (7-0), who are ranked ninth in the country by USA Today.

Mooney out-rushed Benedictine, 298-110.

"We played hard and physical on both sides of the ball," coach P.J. Fecko said. "Benedictine is always a strong, physical team and they played well. They always play hard and they're well-coached."

Senior Dan McCarthy, a Notre Dame recruit and one of the favorites for Ohio's Mr. Football, rushed 10 times for 88 yards and a touchdown, completed 1 of 2 passes for 59 yards (to Penn State recruit Michael Zordich) and also returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter.

On that return, McCarthy initially ran to the right, found a gaggle of tacklers, reversed field to his left, found a seam near the left sideline, got some blocks and out-sprinted the Bengals to the end zone.

Zordich added 11 carries for 48 yards and a 2-yard touchdown, capping a 14-play, 81-yard drive that gave Mooney a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. Sophomore kicker Ed Reese made a 23-yard field goal early in the third quarter to complete the Cardinals' scoring.

"I think we did a great job coming out of the gate," Fecko said. "We forced a punt on the opening series and we took it down and grounded out a pretty good, lengthy drive.

"From that point on, I think we scored the next four times we touched the ball."

Technically, that's not correct — Mooney did run one play just before halftime that ran out the clock. But still ...

"We don't do anything fancy or cute," Fecko said. "The guys have been very focused and we don't have any issues with who's carrying the ball or who's getting the yards."

Mooney's defense, which sports four Division I recruits (so far) — defensive lineman Taylor Hill (Oklahoma) is the other — did an excellent job against Benedictine's running game, forcing the Bengals to throw a season-high 20 times. Benedictine sophomore John Hromulak completed 10 of 20 for 135 yards, but was under pressure all afternoon.

Simon played a big part in that. The 6-3, 266-pound performer gets plenty of attention on the field, but he's also gotten looks off it. He already has offers from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Stanford, Nebraska and Akron, although he said he's not worried about that decision yet.

"I'll look into it after the season," he said. "I'm sinking everything into this season for now."

Junior running back Anthony Urbania, who entered the game with 727 yards rushing, rushed 17 times for 68 yards and a touchdown and also caught five passes for 88 yards. Junior Marty Sweeney had a 64-yard fumble return for Benedictine's other touchdown.

The Bengals (4-3) have now lost three straight, falling to Lakewood St. Edward and Columbus Watterson the past two weeks.

scalzo@vindy.com
Sunday, October 7, 2007

The Cardinals' defense and run game were too much for Benedictine.

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

BEDFORD — A few minutes after his team's 31-17 defeat to Cardinal Mooney at Bedford Stadium on Saturday, Cleveland Benedictine coach Art Bortnick was approached by two reporters.

"No comment," he muttered, then walked away.

The undefeated Cardinals have left a lot of observers speechless this season. Bortnick is just the latest.

Relying heavily — and this is going to come as a shock — on its defense and run game, Mooney jumped out to a 31-3 lead before emptying its bench late in third quarter, allowing the Bengals to add a little suspense in the final minutes.

"We always expect to play our best," said Mooney junior defensive lineman John Simon, who had two sacks. "They're a tough team and I'm proud of the way we played."

It was Mooney's second straight win over the Bengals after losing five straight in the series.

They're 8-8 all-time against the Bengals, which leads to this incredible statistic: Over its 52-year history, Mooney does not have a losing record against any team it's played more than once.

Senior running back Brandon Beachum, a Penn State recruit in his second game back from a knee injury, rushed 12 times for 143 yards and a touchdown to lead the Cardinals (7-0), who are ranked ninth in the country by USA Today.

Mooney out-rushed Benedictine, 298-110.

"We played hard and physical on both sides of the ball," coach P.J. Fecko said. "Benedictine is always a strong, physical team and they played well. They always play hard and they're well-coached."

Senior Dan McCarthy, a Notre Dame recruit and one of the favorites for Ohio's Mr. Football, rushed 10 times for 88 yards and a touchdown, completed 1 of 2 passes for 59 yards (to Penn State recruit Michael Zordich) and also returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter.

On that return, McCarthy initially ran to the right, found a gaggle of tacklers, reversed field to his left, found a seam near the left sideline, got some blocks and out-sprinted the Bengals to the end zone.

Zordich added 11 carries for 48 yards and a 2-yard touchdown, capping a 14-play, 81-yard drive that gave Mooney a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. Sophomore kicker Ed Reese made a 23-yard field goal early in the third quarter to complete the Cardinals' scoring.

"I think we did a great job coming out of the gate," Fecko said. "We forced a punt on the opening series and we took it down and grounded out a pretty good, lengthy drive.

"From that point on, I think we scored the next four times we touched the ball."

Technically, that's not correct — Mooney did run one play just before halftime that ran out the clock. But still ...

"We don't do anything fancy or cute," Fecko said. "The guys have been very focused and we don't have any issues with who's carrying the ball or who's getting the yards."

Mooney's defense, which sports four Division I recruits (so far) — defensive lineman Taylor Hill (Oklahoma) is the other — did an excellent job against Benedictine's running game, forcing the Bengals to throw a season-high 20 times. Benedictine sophomore John Hromulak completed 10 of 20 for 135 yards, but was under pressure all afternoon.

Simon played a big part in that. The 6-3, 266-pound performer gets plenty of attention on the field, but he's also gotten looks off it. He already has offers from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Stanford, Nebraska and Akron, although he said he's not worried about that decision yet.

"I'll look into it after the season," he said. "I'm sinking everything into this season for now."

Junior running back Anthony Urbania, who entered the game with 727 yards rushing, rushed 17 times for 68 yards and a touchdown and also caught five passes for 88 yards. Junior Marty Sweeney had a 64-yard fumble return for Benedictine's other touchdown.

The Bengals (4-3) have now lost three straight, falling to Lakewood St. Edward and Columbus Watterson the past two weeks.

scalzo@vindy.com
Sunday, October 7, 2007
A few minutes after his team's 31-17 defeat to Cardinal Mooney at Bedford Stadium on Saturday, Cleveland Benedictine...

 

[Epitome]

They have a big game tonight against undeafeted Akron St Vincent. Maybe the captain of one of the best teams in the nation will have a good game and start to get a little respect from rivals.

 

[Epitome]

How is he not ranked higher? He lead his team back with 3 forth quarter tds to remain unbeaten.


Mooney's 3 late TDs end St. V-M upset bid

Failed Irish quarterback sneak leaves team short of beating Division IV No. 1

By Fred Cay Special to the Beacon Journal

Published on Saturday, Oct 13, 2007

Is St. Vincent-St. Mary for real?

Youngstown Cardinal Mooney would answer with an emphatic ''yes.'' Unfortunately for St. V-M, it took a loss by the Irish their first of the season to convince the doubters.

Cardinal Mooney (8-0) scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter the last with 2:43 left in the game to overcome St. V-M's upset bid and earn a 21-17 victory over the host Irish before an overflow crowd.

''We sure could have used a touchdown at the end of the first half,'' St. V-M coach Dan Boarman said. ''We only needed another half-yard and it would have made a big difference at the end.''

The Irish (7-1), ranked fourth in Division IV, used a fierce defensive effort that took advantage of uncharacteristic sloppy play by Cardinal Mooney, ranked No. 1 in Division IV and ninth in the country (according to USA Today), to build a 17-0 lead. They were on the doorstop of adding another touchdown before halftime.

However, St. V-M's Roger Wilson was stopped on a quarterback sneak with fourth-and-goal at the Cardinals' 1-yard line with 45 seconds left. That play left Boarman and Irish fans wondering ''what if'' after the late turn of events.



''Two fine football teams played a great game,'' Boarman said. ''But I sure don't like to be on the losing end.''

Senior quarterback Dan McCarthy, a Notre Dame recruit, hit tight end Mike Gemma with a 23-yard pass for the go-ahead score with 2:43 left.

Earlier in the quarter, McCarthy ran one yard for the Cardinals' first score, then connected with Tim Marlowe for a 62-yard pass and run play less than two minutes later.

A 61-yard Wilson pass to Kevin Saunders gave St. V-M a 7-0 lead with 5:05 left in the first quarter. Following a fumble recovery by David Lee, a 43-yard field goal by Igor Ilibasic made it 10-0 with 56 seconds left in the Please see St. V-M, C8

Continued from Page C3 first.

A bad snap on a Cardinal Mooney punt attempt set up the Irish at the Cardinals' 2-yard line early in the second quarter. With fourth-and-goal, Irish senior running back Carnell Evans dove across from 1 yard out to make it 17-0.

''They are an outstanding football team,'' Cardinal Mooney coach Patrick Fecko said. ''They were undefeated going in and deservedly so. They took advantage of our mistakes.

''At halftime, you should have seen our seniors leading the team. They would not let them get down. It was obvious they were trying to stop our inside runs, so we adjusted and went to more of an outside game.''

Held in check for nearly three quarters, McCarthy finished with 122 yards rushing on 18 attempts and completed 5-of-10 passes for 118 yards.

Wilson completed 4-of-10 for 91 yards while Evans ran 11 times for 41 yards.

Is St. Vincent-St. Mary for real?

Youngstown Cardinal Mooney would answer with an emphatic ''yes.'' Unfortunately for St. V-M, it took a loss by the Irish their first of the season to convince the doubters.

Cardinal Mooney (8-0) scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter the last with 2:43 left in the game to overcome St. V-M's upset bid and earn a 21-17 victory over the host Irish before an overflow crowd.

''We sure could have used a touchdown at the end of the first half,'' St. V-M coach Dan Boarman said. ''We only needed another half-yard and it would have made a big difference at the end.''

The Irish (7-1), ranked fourth in Division IV, used a fierce defensive effort that took advantage of uncharacteristic sloppy play by Cardinal Mooney, ranked No. 1 in Division IV and ninth in the country (according to USA Today), to build a 17-0 lead. They were on the doorstop of adding another touchdown before halftime.

However, St. V-M's Roger Wilson was stopped on a quarterback sneak with fourth-and-goal at the Cardinals' 1-yard line with 45 seconds left. That play left Boarman and Irish fans wondering ''what if'' after the late turn of events.



''Two fine football teams played a great game,'' Boarman said. ''But I sure don't like to be on the losing end.''

Senior quarterback Dan McCarthy, a Notre Dame recruit, hit tight end Mike Gemma with a 23-yard pass for the go-ahead score with 2:43 left.

Earlier in the quarter, McCarthy ran one yard for the Cardinals' first score, then connected with Tim Marlowe for a 62-yard pass and run play less than two minutes later.

A 61-yard Wilson pass to Kevin Saunders gave St. V-M a 7-0 lead with 5:05 left in the first quarter. Following a fumble recovery by David Lee, a 43-yard field goal by Igor Ilibasic made it 10-0 with 56 seconds left in the Please see St. V-M, C8

Continued from Page C3 first.

A bad snap on a Cardinal Mooney punt attempt set up the Irish at the Cardinals' 2-yard line early in the second quarter. With fourth-and-goal, Irish senior running back Carnell Evans dove across from 1 yard out to make it 17-0.

''They are an outstanding football team,'' Cardinal Mooney coach Patrick Fecko said. ''They were undefeated going in and deservedly so. They took advantage of our mistakes.

''At halftime, you should have seen our seniors leading the team. They would not let them get down. It was obvious they were trying to stop our inside runs, so we adjusted and went to more of an outside game.''

Held in check for nearly three quarters, McCarthy finished with 122 yards rushing on 18 attempts and completed 5-of-10 passes for 118 yards.

Wilson completed 4-of-10 for 91 yards while Evans ran 11 times for 41 yards.

 

[johnnd05]

The kid is riDUNKulous.

 

[KamaraPolice]

and sCANDOulous too.

I think I have too many u's in there. Caps plus phonetic emphasis equals hard to tell.

 

[Epitome]

They got another HUGE game tonight against their arch-rival Youngstown Ursline(7-1).
Here is an update of Dan's current stats through 8 games. Not bad for playing on of the toughest schedules in the nation.

Dan McCarthy (Mooney)
Dan McCarthy's Information
Hometown: Youngstown, OH
Position: QB
Secondary Position: DB
Height: 6-3
Weight: 205
Year of Play: SR
Letter: 2
Dan's stats for 2007
Passing Attempts 28
Passing Completions 15
Passing Touchdowns 6
Passing Yards 387
Passing Interceptions 2
Rushing Attempts 129
Rushing Touchdowns 14
Rushing Yards 925
Scoring 84

I believe he has 3 punt return Td's as well

 

[Epitome]

Here is another read about Dan. ESPN rates him as the best Defensive prospect in the state of Ohio. I know there were doubts abou his defensive play because all we seen was offense. This sould show a little of what we have in store for the next few years. Bottom line he is absolute athlete and maybe the most underrated played in this years recruiting class.

Ohio is Football! There may be some residents in the South who snicker at that comment, but Ohio natives are well in their right to shout that claim.

Top '08 Ohio defensive prospects
Name Pos Grade
Danny McCarthy ATH/S 80
Nathan Williams OLB 79
Michael Zordich Jr. OLB 79
Steve Gardiner ILB 78
Fred Craig S 78

This Midwestern state loves its football and is very supportive of two NFL franchises and one of the most historic programs in college football, The Ohio State. The Buckeyes not only have a rich history of winning, but also a rich tradition with their monster sized stadium and the dotting of the I.

Ohio is also home to Big East rising star Cincinnati, where new head coach Brian Kelly and his "Cat Attack" offense are opening eyes. This state also boasts six non-BCS College Bowl Subdivision programs in addition to one of the top I-AA programs in the land in Youngstown State and D-III powerhouse Mount Union. High school football is also strong in this state with several excellent programs like St. Xavier and Colerain, among many others.

When it comes to high school prospects, Ohio is arguably the best among states above the Mason-Dixon. The 2008 class is good, but offense-heavy, with seven of the top 10 prospects on that side of the ball. Defense has been a strong point in past classes, though; defensive back Kurt Coleman (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont) from the 2006 class who is playing in Ohio State's secondary, and defensive end Ben Martin (Cincinnati/LaSalle) is a promising pass rusher at Tennessee. So while the pickings are a bit slimmer in this class, Ohio is still worth a look when it comes to defensive talent.

Top Recruit

Danny McCarthy, Athlete
Cardinal Mooney (Youngstown, Ohio)
Verbal committment: Notre Dame

Danny McCarthy

Bucknuts.com

Danny McCarthy's Cardinal Mooney team ranks No. 13 in the ESPN HIGH Elite 25.
A quick scan of the Ohio state rankings would lead you to believe that outside linebacker prospect Nathan Williams (Washington Courthouse, Ohio/Miami Trace) is the state's top-rated defensive prospect, but that honor goes athlete prospect McCarthy. McCarthy, who plays both quarterback and safety in high school, has committed to Notre Dame as a safety.

McCarthy will admit that he likes playing both ways but is ready for the challenge of becoming a college safety.

"At the college level, it is much more demanding. I am excited to turn my focus to one side of the ball and excel at the safety position," said McCarthy.

While he will be leaving the quarterback position behind, he feels like that experience will serve him well as a defensive back in college.

"You see the game from a different perspective. On the defensive side of the ball, you know what the quarterback is thinking, and that is a benefit."

His experience as a quarterback will not be the only thing that helps his full-time transition to safety, as his older brother Kyle is currently a red-shirt sophomore safety at Notre Dame. He says his brother has taught him a lot and plans to help him learn the Notre Dame defense this off-season so he will have a jump when he hits South Bend next fall.

Despite the rough start for the Irish, McCarthy says he is firm in his commitment.

"I think the future is bright for Notre Dame."

He plans to take his official on December 8th.

 

[Epitome]

Mooney blanked Columbus Bishop Watterson 28-0. Our boy Mccarthy led the way with touchdown runs of 18 and 68 yards. They have won their last 24 games and 37 of 38. I'll post the final game stats tomorrow along with his season stats.

 

[GoshenGipper]

Just in case you guys hear somthing about Dan visiting PSU for the PSU/OSU game don't get worried. Yes, it is true that he'll be there, but he's just going up there in support of his friend and teamate (PSU Commit Mike Zordich) for his birthday. No recruiting will be taking place.

 

[IHateMarkMay]

Just in case you guys hear somthing about Dan visiting PSU for the PSU/OSU game don't get worried. Yes, it is true that he'll be there, but he's just going up there in support of his friend and teamate (PSU Commit Mike Zordich) for his birthday. No recruiting will be taking place.

You just saved a bunch of people a lot of heartache, thank you.

 

[Epitome]

I'm sure Beacham will probably be with them as well.

 

[Epitome]

Updated stats through 10 games

Rushing
133 carries
1113 yards
16 tds

Passing
35 attempts
18 comptetions
423 yards
6 td
4 int

2 punt returns for TD

Defense
44 tackles
2 sacks
4 TFL
5 ints
70 yard touchdown return

 

[Epitome]

Today is a big day for the McCarthy family. Kyle looked pretty good in his first start for ND and his brother's team is pasting Coshocton 23-0 at halftime of his first round playoff game.

 

[Epitome]

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — Coshocton made inroads against Cardinal Mooney on its first drive, then found out that the Cardinals are a hard nut to crack.

As a result, Mooney scored on the ensuing drive and proceeded toward a 30-6 Division IV victory at Stambaugh Stadium Saturday night.

Quarterback Dan McCarthy scored two touchdowns on runs of 19 and 7 yards and Brandon Beachum and Ray Vinopal added a TD apiece for the unbeaten Cards (11-0), who face Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary next.

SVSM eliminated Perry, 42-0. The Irish gave Mooney difficulty during a Week 8 encounter before losing, 21-17.

Coshocton was seeded No. 8 in Region 13

About the only glitch in Mooney’s playoff-opening evening was penalties.

The Cards were pushed back numerous times by false start infractions and holding calls.

With two-way starter Brandon Erickson out with the flu, Mike Rucci made his first varsity start at center. The 5-foot-9, 210-pound senior, who was filling in on few days’ notice, did his best to trigger the offense. But some plays sent the Cards backwards.

“We definitely broke our rhythm and those are things that we can’t have in the postseason,” coach P.J. Fecko said. “It was tough to keep a good rhythm going.”

Coshocton started with limited success using double passes, halfback passes and reverses, but the Redskins (7-4) couldn’t produce on the scoreboard.

“We knew there would be some type of trickery and things like that,” Fecko said of Coshocton’s misdirection out of the wing-T formation behind quarterback Seth Nolan.

“They are hard to anticipate. It’s a credit to them that they drew up some nice stuff and executed it well.”

Beachum’s 3-yard touchdown run followed his 52-yard gain that was the longest of the night. Ed Reese had a 21-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 23-0 lead before the visitors from Muskingum County tallied when Marcus Johnston scored from 4 yards out.

Vinopal’s TD run was a 25-yarder with 2:47 remaining.

Taylor Hill got into Coshocton’s backfield on several key plays in the first half.

In those instances, the defensive end said he didn’t meet much resistance.

“It was pretty easy for me to get around my blockers tonight,” the 6-3, 215 senior said. “Most of the time there wasn’t a guy really blocking me.”

Coshocton coach Marty Arganbright admitted that, despite a touchdown-negating penalty during Coshocton’s first series that also negated an early attempt to establish momentum, the Redskins did make some progress offensively.

“We got some things going, offensively, I think we kept them off-balance enough to move the ball, but we just weren’t consistent enough. Mooney has a lot of weapons, skill and ability. We’re just inconsistent and they were disruptive at the right time. At times, we didn’t execute well which helped them, but I think we were out-manned, so, in order to compete against a great team, we have to have a great execution.

“We knew we needed to get some momentum early and that would help us stay in the ball game especially against a good team like Mooney.”

bassetti@vindy.com

 

[johnnd05]

Dan was named player of the year for the state of Ohio by the Ohio News Network. He did not, however, end up winning the Mr. Football award.

 

[SoCalDomer]

Any update on his neck injury?

 

[johnnd05]

Any update on his neck injury?

He's not playing in the state championship so far as I know, but last I heard he should be okay for 2008: Dan McCarthy Suffers Neck Injury - UHND.com Blog.

 

[SoCalDomer]

I guess no news is good news since then. the initial reports were concerned a neck injury might mean he would be done with FB alltogether.

 

[leprechaun4life]

Hey, SoCal what does your Avatar say? I can't read the fine print.

 

[johnnd05]

I guess no news is good news since then. the initial reports were concerned a neck injury might mean he would be done with FB alltogether.

Yeah, I never got the sense that was a real possibility.

Dan was named first team all-Ohio for Div. IV and Offensive Player of the Year, btw.

 

[SoCalDomer]

Hey, SoCal what does your Avatar say? I can't read the fine print.

 

[piyachi]

Annnnnd you saw that where?

 

[SoCalDomer]

I snagged it off Flickr. the poster said it was in ND football locker room. They had a bunch of other pictures from the trip to ND, so i assume it is authentic?

 

[GoshenGipper]

I guess no news is good news since then. the initial reports were concerned a neck injury might mean he would be done with FB alltogether.

I never really heard that. The next day they found out that it was just a slipped disc and that he'd be out for 6 months but he'd be 100% for fall camp.

 

[SoCalDomer]

I never really heard that. The next day they found out that it was just a slipped disc and that he'd be out for 6 months but he'd be 100% for fall camp.

Sorry for the confusion. What i read was "neck injury, could be a serious injury, let's hope it's not career ending." No one was actually saying it was career ending, it was just concern over that type of injury.

 

[Mattmags]

I live in Columbus, Ohio so I got to watch the Cardinal-Mooney/Coldwater state championship game on tv. Probably one of the best high school football games I've ever witnessed. It's unfortunate that we didn't get to see Dan play but 1 player that was extremely impressive was Beachum for Mooney who is going to Penn State next year. If memory serves me correct 20+ carries for 193 yards. He'll be a stud. Anyway, game ended with a blocked extra point with 23 seconds to play as Coldwater prevailed 28-27. Coldwater was down 14-0 at the half and rallied with 21 points in the 4th quarter. 1 touchdown was a reverse pass for 80 yd. score and another was a lateral-pass for 40 yads to the 1 yd line and an eventual score. Can't remember the guys name but #5 for Coldwater was a stud as well. This guy should get some recruiting attention although i don't remember his stats or class. As most know, Mooney is nationally ranked and Coldwater is a MAC conference powerhouse who beat the odds and a large point spread. Congratulations to Coldwater and Mooney just wasn't quite consistent. Dan would have been a great help although the backup QB for mooney wasn't too shabby. That's all I got...

 

[johnnd05]

Thanks for the insight ...

 

[Paulo1300]

mccarthy got gatorade player of the year right? (for ohio)

because the QB from mentor got mr. ohio..i think..

maybe it was the other way around

im just wondering because i saw that the mentor quarterback got mr. ohio, and i thought mccarthy should have gotten it

 

[Mattmags]

mccarthy did get Ohio gatorade player of the year. The mentor QB got Mr. Ohio which is not associated with gatorade or other sponsors.

 

[nthurman]

Anybody heard how he has been doing with his injury?