For the first time in five home games, the fans at John Heath Field had something to cheer about - a 48-13 victory.
In the opening minutes of Friday's matchup between Cardinal Mooney (3-1) and Gateway Charter (2-2), the Cougars pounced with quarterback Robby Lyons connecting with wide receiver Drew Obermeier.
Although this seemed effective, Cardinal Mooney's real game plan would be introduced minutes later as senior Steve Ierulli took control, scoring three touchdowns and rushing for more than 200 yards before the half.
"It feels really great, especially after getting a little banged up last week," Ierulli said after the game. "We're up against a tough team next Friday so it was good for us to grow some confidence."
The confidence wouldn't be shared on the other sideline, as Gateway Charter had no answer for Cardinal Mooney's running game.
Only after Ierulli's 81 yard touchdown did some hope appear for the Griffens, when senior Corey Hickson returned a kickoff for an 87 yard touchdown.
The return was the only bright spot for the Griffins in a dominate performance from Cardinal Mooney.
After a painful loss from Tampa Catholic last week, it was inevitable that some changes would be made.
One report noted that the Cougars' offensive playbook would be cut significantly, allowing for only the most effective strategies to be utilzed, a.k.a., Ierulli, Scott Barletta and the Lyons-Obermeier hookup.
Speaking about further changes to be made, coach Josh Smithers said, "We may change the way we attack, but we're not going to make any major changes."
Asked if using Ierulli would be repeated for next week's game against Frostproof, Smithers grinned and said, "That's going to be our gameplan every week."
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