The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Mount holds off John Carroll in collision of powerhouses
ALLIANCE » Fans of smashmouth football had to love what they watched on Sept. 22.
The 5,866 at Mount Union Stadium probably left hoping for more after watching this grind-it-out, helmet-knocking, knucklebruising Division III classic on Sept. 22 that wasn’t decided until the final seconds.
The final score — Mount Union 23, John Carroll 10 — was closer than that, and didn’t put into context the competitive nature of this defensive struggle.
The defending national champion Purple Raiders blindsided the Blue Streaks with 34 seconds remaining when cornerback Louis Berry came through untouched and sacked and stripped JCU quarterback Anthony Moeglin and ran 45 yards for a TD that put the game out of reach.
“That was a tough one,” said Moeglin, who was 10 of 23 passing for 118 yards and an interception. “I had a guy open, and I was ready to pull the trigger, and all of the sudden I didn’t have the ball. It’s a tough way to lose, but probably a fun way to win over there.”
Before that play, it was a wild, tense fourth quarter that had the Blue Streaks making a made charge to
the end zone and Mount hanging on by six points in the final seconds.
Before Berry’s big play, JCU — behind the playmaking ability of Mayfield graduate Michael Canganelli (116 rushing yards, 65 receiving yards) — drove the ball to the Mount 4-yard line, where with 3 minutes, 47 seconds he raced to the corner of the end zone for an apparent touchdown. However, a holding penalty on JCU receiver Darrin Davis negated that play.
“I saw Darrin finish a guy on the ground,” said JCU coach Rick Finotti about the call. “I saw a guy do his job. A great-effort play, and that’s what you’re going to come up with? I just .. I don’t know.”
Mount coach Vince Kehres would not comment on the call. Canganelli said that penalty, while critical at that point, wasn’t the biggest issue for the Blue Streaks.
“I’m not going to complain about the refs,” he said. “I think we just left too many plays on the field today. It came down to the wire, and we just need to finish.”
On fourth and goal from the 12, Finotti and JCU went for it, but Moeglin’s pass to Evan Nugent in the corner of the end zone fell incomplete.
“When you’re playing to win the game, things like this happen,” said Finotti. “We don’t back up. We don’t play for ties. We play to win games.”
The Blue Streaks (2-1, 1-1 Ohio Athletic Conference) had cut Mount’s 16-7 thirdquarter lead to 16-10 on Matt Danko’s 45-yard field goal early in the fourth. Those three points kept JCU in striking distance, and even after the incomplete pass on fourth down, the JCU defense, which played brilliant for most of the game, forced a three and out and the Purple Raiders’ ninth punt of the game.
JCU started that final drive at its own 46. A Moeglin pass to Nugent netted 7 yards, then two runs earned a first down. That set up Berry’s heroics, and the Purple Raiders’ celebration.
The win was huge for No. 1-ranked Mount (30, 2-0 OAC), which now has a leg up on JCU in the OAC standings. The Purple Raiders got it done with defense. They came into the game averaging 55 points and 557 yards, but managed just one offensive touchdown and 286 yards.
“I preached patience, more to the staff than the players,” said Kehres. “I watched (JCU) play defense, and I knew yards, first downs and touchdowns would be hard to come by for us.”
JCU had its struggles too on offense. However, it started the game with a bang, as it drove 81 yards on the game’s first drive, set up by two receptions by Cangenelli, the latter which put the Blue Streaks at the 5. The next play, Moeglin ran it in for a TD, and the visitors led, 7-0.
A Jawanza Evans-Morris 27-yard catch and run from QB D’Angelo Fulford (15 of 38 passing, 153 yards) put Mount on the board, but the extra point was missed, and JCU still led, 7-6. In the final minute of the first half, the Purple Raiders cashed in on their first defensive TD of the game, as Danny Robinson stripped backup QB Jake Floriea (Mentor), who was in the game for a thirddown run-pass option play, and took the ball 13 yards untouched for a TD.
JCU’s leading tackler was lineman Adam Thompson with seven. Linebacker Chad Stalnaker (Lake Catholic) was active with three tackles, one for loss, a sack, and a pass breakup.
Perry grad and Mount running back Josh Petruccelli had 35 yards on eight carries, plus two catches for 17 yards, and gave this assessment of JCU while enjoying the victory.
“That defense and their D-line … they’re so good,” he said.