You know that feeling when a Friday night air starts to turn just a little bit crisp and the stadium lights look brighter than they have any right to be? That's the vibe right now around the cardinal mooney football schedule. Whether you’re following the Cougars down in Sarasota or the Cardinals up in Youngstown, things have gotten intense. Honestly, if you aren't keeping a close eye on these dates, you're missing out on some of the most electric high school ball in the country.
I’ve seen a lot of schedules. Usually, they're a mix of "should-wins" and one or two "circle-the-date" games. But this year? This year feels like a gauntlet. Both schools have decided to stop playing it safe with their non-conference slates, and the results have been wild.
The Sarasota Cougars: A Championship Hangover? Not a Chance.
Down in Florida, the Cougars are basically the "final boss" of their division right now. Coming off that massive 2025 FHSAA 2A state title win against The Bolles School—where they absolutely hammered them 52-28—the expectations are through the roof. If you looked at the recent cardinal mooney football schedule, you saw a path that wasn't exactly paved with rose petals.
They opened things up against True North Classical Academy and had to deal with a weirdly tough loss to Cherry Creek (24-21) early on. But look at how they responded. They went on a tear.
The middle of their schedule was a defensive clinic.
39-3 against Rockledge.
49-10 against Berkeley Prep.
It was basically like they were playing a different sport than everyone else.
If you’re checking the schedule for upcoming rivalry games, you've gotta watch for Bishop Verot and Clearwater Central Catholic. Those aren't just games; they’re essentially playoff previews. The Cougars’ ability to put up 40+ points a game—thanks to guys like Connail Jackson, who basically forgot how to stop scoring touchdowns—makes every Friday night a potential highlight reel. Jackson finished the season with 39 rushing touchdowns. Read that again. 39. That’s not a typo.
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Youngstown Cardinals: Rebuilding the Steel Valley Tradition
Now, flip the map. Up in Ohio, the cardinal mooney football schedule tells a different story—one of grit and a massive resurgence. For a few years there, people were whispering that the Mooney magic in Youngstown was fading. They had some rough seasons. 3-8 in 2024? That hurt.
But 2025 was the "we’re back" year.
The schedule was brutal from the jump. They started at Lake Catholic, which is never an easy trip, and took care of business 30-13. Then they hit a snag. Back-to-back losses to Canfield and Steubenville (a heartbreaking 27-24 overtime loss at Big Red) could have broken a lesser team.
But these Cardinals are built differently. They ripped off eight straight wins.
When you look at the Youngstown schedule, the Holy War against Ursuline is obviously the sun that everything else orbits around. But the real meat of the schedule this year was that late-season run through Boardman, Chaney, and Warren Harding. Those are tough, physical programs. To see Mooney come out of that stretch with a winning record shows that Coach and the staff have finally gotten the culture back to that old-school "Steel Valley" toughness.
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Why the Schedule Matters More Than the Record
It’s easy to just look at a win-loss column and think you know the story. But you don't. Not with Mooney.
The cardinal mooney football schedule is designed to break you or make you. In Florida, they travel across the state to play the best of the best because they know that playing weak teams doesn't prepare you for a December run in Tallahassee.
In Ohio, they play the toughest public schools in the area. They don't hide in a small-school bubble. They want Steubenville. They want Chardon.
Key Players Making the Schedule Look Easy
You can't talk about the games without talking about the kids playing them. In Sarasota, Davin Davidson has been a monster at QB. Standing 6'6", he’s basically a literal tower back there.
- Bo O'Daniel: The senior wideout who catches everything near him.
- Connail Jackson: The human touchdown machine.
- Elijah Golden: 17 sacks. Seventeen.
In Youngstown, the names are different but the impact is the same.
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- Tyon Flowers Jr.: A threat to score every time he touches the ball.
- Vince Gentile: Taking the reigns at QB and showing some serious poise.
- Dom Letlow: A physical presence at RB that teams just hate tackling in the fourth quarter.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Schedule
A lot of folks think that because these are private Catholic schools, they just "recruit" and the schedule is easy. That’s total nonsense. Honestly, it’s the opposite. Because they’re successful, everyone wants a piece of them.
Every single game on the cardinal mooney football schedule is the other team’s Super Bowl. When Lakewood or Cocoa plays Sarasota Mooney, they aren't just playing a game; they’re trying to make a statement. Same thing in Ohio when a school like Girard or Garfield sees the Cardinals on the calendar.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Parents
If you're trying to keep up with the madness, don't just rely on a static PDF from the school website. Things change. Rain happens. Playoff brackets shift.
- Get the MaxPreps App: It’s the gold standard for high school ball. Follow both the Sarasota and Youngstown pages. You’ll get live score updates and stat corrections faster than anywhere else.
- Watch the Hudl Recaps: If you missed a Friday night, the Hudl pages for both teams are gold mines. You can see the actual game film, which is way better than reading a box score.
- Follow Local Beat Writers: For Sarasota, check out the Sarasota Observer or the Herald-Tribune. For Youngstown, the Vindicator (TribToday) is your best friend. They get the quotes you won't find on Twitter.
- Plan Your Travel Early: If you're going to a road game, especially a playoff game like the ones at Westerville Central or the state finals in Florida, book your hotel the moment the bracket is released. These games sell out, and the towns fill up fast.
The cardinal mooney football schedule isn't just a list of dates. It's a roadmap of where these programs are heading. Right now, both are heading straight for the top. Whether you're wearing Cougar Blue or Cardinal Red, the next few months are going to be a wild ride. Keep your eyes on the calendar and your radio tuned to the local broadcast—you won't want to miss a single snap.