High school football playoff preview: Cardinal Mooney
Cardinal Mooney (8-2) at Melbourne Central Catholic (9-0)
What: Class 3A-Region 3 semifinal
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
The scoop: It’s a second straight playoff trip to Florida’s East Coast for the Cougars. ... Cardinal Mooney nearly pulled off a first-round upset last year against Fort Pierce John Carroll, and are a 34-point underdog according to the Joe Pinkos Forecaster this week. ... Mooney RB Bryce Williams leads the area with 1,286 rushing yards and ranks third in scoring with 18 TDs. ... The Cougars’ offense revolves around him and QB Tristan Hillerich’s dual-threat look. ... So for Mooney to pull off an upset with the cross-state trip, the Cougars must continue their success in running the football and stop Melbourne Central Catholic’s offense that runs through the arm of QB Joaquin Collazo. ... The junior signal-caller has completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 1,919 yards. ... He’s also tossed 24 TDs against five INTs. ... The Hustlers are unbeaten, averaging a victory margin of 35.6 points per game.
Prediction: Melbourne Central Catholic 35, Cardinal Mooney 21
Jason Dill: 941-745-7017, @Jason__Dill
This story was originally published November 10, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "High school football playoff preview: Cardinal Mooney."