- January 22, 2025
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At this time just over two years ago, Jared Clark didn’t have any more football games to coach. Clark, an alum of Cardinal Mooney Catholic High, had taken the head coaching position at his high school in 2020. That season, the Cougars went 2-7. In 2022, Cardinal Mooney went just 4-7. By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, the team’s season was long over.
This year, Clark and his staff have much to be thankful for. On the night after Thanksgiving, Cardinal Mooney welcomed Fort Myers Bishop Verot to its home field for the Class 2A-Region 3 championship to determine which team would reach the final four of the state championship tournament.
For Cardinal Mooney, the contest was more coronation than battle. Despite a sluggish start that saw the team’s leading rusher, sophomore running back Connail Jackson leave the game with an injury in the first quarter, Cardinal Mooney defeated Bishop Verot handily, winning 35-14.
How Cardinal Mooney won, however, illuminated a path forward for the Cougars as they prepared to face Cocoa High in the state semifinal game on Dec. 6.
Cardinal Mooney’s offense this season has been fueled by the emergence of two young stars - junior QB Devin Mignery and sophomore running back Jackson. A run-heavy offense, Cardinal Mooney uses the speed of both Mignery and Jackson to wear down opponents, while the team’s receivers keep defenders honest with the occasional deep ball from Mignery.
When Jackson went down in the first quarter, however, it raised concern — without its leading rusher, against a defense that had allowed an average of 13.3 points per game, would Cardinal Mooney be able to win at the line of scrimmage consistently and progress down the field?
The answer was a resounding yes. Sophomore running back Ashton Kelly filled in just fine for Jackson, with 119 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. The Cougars’ ground game was not a pretty one — they failed to rip off the big yardage rushes against Verot that they have against everyone else — but it was effective. Drive after drive, Cardinal Mooney marched methodically down the field with a steady diet of quarterback draws, speed sweeps and triple-option runs.
Cardinal Mooney’s rushing attack was made possible by its massive offensive line, featuring 6-foot-5, 300-pound left tackle Da’Ron Parks. Parks, a three-star recruit with an offer from Alabama, worked alongside fellow road graters Chase and Max Polivchak, Ethan Salata and Jake Boydston to control the line of scrimmage.
While Cardinal Mooney didn’t always rip off big yardage on the ground, there were only a handful of times that a Vikings defender ended up in Mooney’s backfield.
The offensive line’s excellence was on display in the fourth quarter against Verot, when the Cougars, up 35-14 with 6:06 left on the clock, took over on their own 32-yard line.
“When there are games like this where it’s six minutes left on the clock and we’ve got to get three or four first downs to win the game, that’s the stuff they live for,” said Clark. “That’s a huge deal to be able to do that and that’s all on them.”
Guiding the ship, as always, was Mignery who rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown of his own on Friday night. While not spectacular, Mignery’s rushing was effective — it allowed Cardinal Mooney to control the pace of the game after taking a 7-0 lead in the first quarter — and displayed the toughness and tenacity that has made him the Cougars leader.
When Booker High Head Coach Scottie Littles called for the team to practice on Thanksgiving morning, he knew that his program was on the right track.
For some, having to practice on a holiday might’ve been a cause of frustration. For Littles and his team, however, it was a sign.
Booker was preparing to play Boca Ciega in the Class 3A-Region 3 championship game the next night. A second straight regional title and a trip to the final four of the state championship tournament was on the line. The Tornadoes were not going to take the challenge lightly.
“We had a run through on Thanksgiving morning, we invited the community to come out and have coffee and donuts while they watched,” said Littles. “We were getting after it. It’s what it takes to build a championship program and we want to continue in that direction.”
Booker took another step in the right direction on Friday night, when it demolished Boca Ciega 42-6.
In its three regional playoff games, Booker has outscored its opponents 143-19. On the year, Booker is averaging a hair over 50 points per game.
Booker’s meal ticket has been in its red-hot offense, fueled by the likes of senior quarterback Ryan Downes, senior running backs DJ Johnson and Rashawn Peterson and a plethora of talent at wide receiver.
Against Boca Ciega, the 6-foot-4 Downes threw four touchdown passes. Littles credits Downes’ progression as a quarterback after transferring to Booker over the summer as one of the driving forces behind the team’s success.
Downes, who suffered a severe compound fracture of his leg while playing for Venice High on Oct. 23, 2023, has had to learn how to trust not only in his new teammates, but in the stability of his leg as well.
“Each week he’s gained more confidence in his recovery and in his ability,” said Littles. “We need to remind people that Ryan Downes was a national recruit at quarterback before he broke his leg. He’s an uberly talented young man. We’re just excited that he’s continuing to lead us and at this point, he’s got a chemistry with the receivers that can’t be replaced.”
On Dec. 6, Booker will travel to Jacksonville to face Raines High (12-0) in the state semifinal game. Raines, the no. 1 seed in Class 3A-Region 1, is sure to be the toughest test Booker will face all year. The Vikings feature a stingy defense that has allowed just 13.7 points per game on the season and an offense that’s equally effective in both pass and the run — Raines averages 231.2 passing yards per game to 166.3 rushing yards.
It’s a challenge, however, that Littles and his team embrace with open arms. “These players understand what the mission is,” said Littles. “They understand that it’s not going to be easy, but they’re not looking for easy. They’re looking to do what people say they can’t do.”
