WEEK 4: Clyde challenges Cardinal Mooney on neutral field

The area high school football slate takes a quirky turn in Week 4 as Sandusky Bay Conference schools seek out non-league games at a time when many teams are diving exclusively into league play. Clyde is one of the SBC teams, and the Fliers got creative this year. Coach Ryan Carter will lead his team into a Friday night game against perennial northeast Ohio power Cardinal Mooney from Youngstown. The game will be played at Ashland University. "We were looking for a Week 4 and weren't exactly finding a lot of opponents that fit our schedule," Carter said. "Massillon and Cincinnati La Salle were open and interested, but those just weren't good fits." Clyde then talked to Cardinal Mooney. Neither team wanted to make a long drive so a deal was struck. The game will be played at a college facility. "We decided to meet in the middle and have a cool atmosphere," Carter said. "It's something different for the kids." Carter and athletic director Ryan Greenslade toured the Ashland facilities last week and the coach said the NCAA Division II stadium is "top notch." Cardinal Mooney brings a 1-2 record into the game, but the Division IV Cardinals have not exactly padded their schedule with cupcakes. Mooney opened with a 29-26 win over Lake Catholic before losing to Villa-Angela St. Joseph (47-21) and Steubenville (21-14). The Cardinals' first three opponents are a combined 7-2. "You cannot look at their record and say they're not very good," Carter said. "If you do that, you're fooling yourself. They're a solid team and do everything the right way." Carter is concerned about Mooney's huge offensive line, which doesn't include two-way players. "They're 6-3, 6-4, 270 pounds and play one way," Carter said. "You're not gonna tire them out." Chancey Miracle is the only Clyde player with more than 100 yards rushing (28 carries, 155 yards, 2 TDs). The Fliers will make the 75-minute trip south with some injury issues. Quarterback Brennan Wilson was on crutches Thursday night, and receiver Brayden Olson was in a walking boot. "We're pleased with our progress from Scrimmage 1 to Week 4," Carter said. "We have a long way to go and we're dealing with a couple injuries, as everyone is this time of year." The Mooney game is a one-year deal. Clyde currently is looking for a Week 4 opponent for 2024. A look at Friday's other area games: Norwalk (2-1) at Bellevue (2-1) After nearly 100 years of being league rivals, the shift in SBC divisions this year has turned this matchup into a non-league game. Bellevue shifted down to the SBC Bay while Norwalk remains in the Lake. However, the Truckers and Redmen will continue their series that dates back to the early 1900s. Norwalk RB Jarren McLendon has carried 58 times for 536 yards and 6 TDs this season and will be the focus of Bellevue's defense. Jax LaPata has rushed 69 times for 387 yards and five TDs for the Redmen. LaPata leads the Bellevue defense with 14 tackles. Bellevue won 40-3 last year in Norwalk. The Truckers' last win in the series came in 2019. Sandusky (1-2) at Padua (1-2) Sophomore QB Dale Johnson stepped in for an injured Jason Henlon and helped the Blue Streaks to their first win of the season, a 30-23 decision against Lorain that wasn't decided until Jamarion Alexander scored on a 18-yard run with 18 seconds to play. Zander Johnson leads the Sandusky defense with 32 tackles and 8.5 QB sacks. Landon Parker has 26 stops despite missing a game with an injury. Padua Franciscan has lost two straight to quality opponents: Ursuline (38-7) and Bishop Watterson (24-21). The Bruins edged the Blue Streaks 42-35 last year. Berkshire (1-2) at Edison (3-0) Edison has blown out its first three opponents while allowing just 6 points in each of those games. Cy Finnen is off to a strong start for the Chargers. He has carried 38 times for 284 yards and three TDs and leads Edison with 26 tackles and two QB sacks. QB Marcus Medina has thrown for 342 yards and rushed for 262 yards with eight total touchdowns. Berkshire is 1-2 but has played a tough schedule, losing to Chagrin Falls and Cuyahoga Heights. The Badgers are a Division V program from Geauga County. Gabriel Richard Catholic, Mich. (1-1) at Huron (2-1) The Tigers could use a win after dropping a tough 21-20 decision last week against Genoa. Also, Huron's last six opponents take the field Friday night with a combined record of 15-3. Huron's Cody Scroggins has been effective at quarterback, throwing for 532 yards and 8 TDs while completing 73 percent of his passes. Top WR targets Beau Harkelroad and Dawson Bowen each have 14 catches. Harkelroad was limping noticeably late in last week's game. LB Donni Hartley leads the Tigers' defense with 41 tackles, including 21 last week. Gabriel Richard is a small school just south of Detroit with a total high school enrollment of approximately 275. Port Clinton (2-1) at Liberty-Benton (2-1) PC will try to bounce back after a blowout loss to county rival Oak Harbor last week. The Redskins make the trip to the Findlay area to challenge a solid program that was rejected in its bid to join the SBC. Liberty-Benton, a Division V school that is in PC's Region 18, is coming off a 34-30 win over Arlington. Eagles QB Mason Modd ran for three TDs, passed for one and provided the winning score on an 85-yard kickoff return for a TD with 2:40 to play. Josh Cornell has paced the PC defense with four interceptions. South Central (1-2) at Vermilion (2-1) If common opponents provide an accurate indication, Vermilion should be a substantial favorite here. The Sailors defeated Willard, 49-20, in Week 3. The Trojans lost 35-6 to the Flashes in Week 1. Vermilion went with the ground-and-pound approach against Willard, rushing for 534 yards. Evan Kuhns had 25 carries for 204 yards and three TDs. Logan Peterson went for 141 yards on nine carries with two scores. Cohen Mooney added 81 yards on 13 totes, and QB A.J. Mathis had 61 rushing yards on 10 carries. South Central does carry good vibes into Week 4 after dismantling winless Fremont St. Joseph, 73-6. SJCC (0-3) at Margaretta (1-2) The Polar Bears could be looking at a lot of points in this SBC River Division opener against a Fremont St. Joseph squad that has allowed 181 through three games. Margaretta is coming off its first victory, a 17-12 decision against Mohawk. Judah Keller leads Margaretta in passing (34-49, 492 yards, 4 TD) and rushing (56-174-5). His top receivers are Gage Bodey (16-170-2) and Julian Washington (14-297-2). Kaine Smetzer leads the Polar Bears with 37 tackles and has also run 33 times for 138 yards as Margaretta's top running back. Monroeville (2-1) at Crestview (1-2) The Eagles haven't topped the Cougars since 2018. Since then, Crestview has been one of the Firelands Conference's best teams while the Eagles have struggled. This FC opener could show whether the guard is shifting. Monroeville has defeated solid Lakota and Seneca East squads while coming within a 2-point conversion of being Tiffin Calvert's only loss. Crestview lost to that same Seneca East team in Week 1, another indicator in Monroeville's favor. In Week 3, Monroeville's Landen Roeder (182) and Evan Benfer (157) combined for 339 yards on the ground. St. Paul (0-3) at Mapleton (2-1) The Flyers will play their third consecutive road game, this one coming against a Mounties team that again scores points in bunches. Mapleton won a thriller in Week 3, 40-33, to hand Northmor its first loss. St. Paul, which has been slowed by injuries, hadn't started 0-3 in 32 years. Last fall, the Flyers beat Mapleton 54-30. St. Paul was last 0-4 in 1990, the season before veteran coach John Livengood came to the program. 8-MAN Danbury (0-1) at Holgate (2-0) Danbury opens Northern 8 play at Holgate after dropping its opening 28-24 to Waldron (Mich.) on August 26, giving up a TD pass in the final seconds. Elijah Hatfield rushed for 128 yards and two TDs and threw for a score. Holgate QB Xavier McCord is the N8's player of the week after throwing for 168 yards (2 TDs) and rushing for 120 (2 TDs) in a 48-26 win over Britton-Deerfield (Mich.). McCord also returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown. SMCC (0-2) at Stryker (1-1) Both teams are coming off losses. St. Mary CC fell 56-34 to the King's Crusaders while Stryker lost 66-42 to Morenci, Mich. SMCC's Grant Swain had 202 total yards and Garrett Jackson rushed for 50 yards and caught three passes for 85 yards. Stryker QB Jacob Cadwell set program records for completions (40) and attempts (53) last week while passing for 279 yards and four TDs.