To paraphrase Charles Dickens, the 2025 diocesan football season was the best of times and the worst of times—with three diocesan schools qualifying for the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) playoffs while the others struggled.
Saint John School in Ashtabula at 5-5 and Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, 7-3, each had their best season in years. John F. Kennedy (JFK) High School in Warren, though struggling through the early season against larger schools—most of which had strong records—finished the season with a flurry by winning their last five games.
Mooney, top seeded in Region 17 of the OHSAA’s Division V, drew a bye for the first round. JFK, seeded eighth in Region 25 of the OHSAA’s Division VII, will face ninth-seeded Norwalk St. Paul, 5-5, at 7 p.m. October 31 at Arrowhead Stadium, Girard. Saint John, seated 12th in Region 17 of Division VII, squares off against fifth-seated Malvern, 6-4, at 7 p.m. October 31 at Malvern Village Park, Malvern.
Canton Central Catholic High School, 1-9, and St. Thomas Aquainas High School in Louisville, 0-10, toiled through rebuilding years.
Update: November 6, 2025
Two diocesan high school football teams—John F. Kennedy (JFK) in Warren and Cardinal Mooney in Youngstown—have advanced to the second round of the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) football playoffs, each seeking to advance to the semi-finals in their respective regions.
In Region 17 of the OHSAA Division V playoffs top seeded Mooney, 7-4, faces eighth-seeded Canfield South Range, 7-4, at Youngstown State University’s Stambaugh Stadium November 7 at 7 p.m. Mooney and South Range had previously faced each other in a closely-fought game October 17 with Mooney winning 38-30. The Mooney Cardinals drew a bye in the previous round of the OHSAA playoffs
In Region 25 of Division VII, eighth-seeded JFK, 6-5, faces top-seeded Youngstown McDonald, 10, at McDonald, November 7 at 7 p.m. JFK faced McDonald after winning the previous round against Norwalk St. Paul, 5-6, by a 42-27 margin.
Ashtabula St. John, 5-6, who also qualified for the Region 25 playoffs, was eliminated in the first round after losing to the Malvern Hornets, 7-4, from Carroll County 34-0.
Update: November 11, 2025
Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown—one of three diocesan high school football teams to qualify for the 2025 Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) playoffs—has advanced to the Division Region 17 semi-finals.
The Mooney Cardinals, 8-2, will face Garrettsville Garfield, 9-2 on November 15 at 7 p.m. at Youngstown State University’s Stambaugh Stadium. Mooney advanced to the regional semi-finals November 7 with a 48-12 win against Canfield South Range, 7-5.
John F. Kennedy High School in Warren (JFK), 6-6, had advanced to the Division VII Region 25 quarter-finals but lost to Youngstown McDonald, 11-0, November 7 at McDonald in a 28-13 hard fought battle.
The other diocesan school who advanced to the OHSAA playoffs, Ashtabula, 5-6, were eliminated from the Division VII Region 25 playoffs October 31 after losing to Malvern, 75, by a 34-0 score.
Update: November 19, 2025
Youngstown Cardinal Mooney – the remaining diocesan high school football team who qualified for the 2025 Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) playoffs – has advanced to the Division VII Region 17 finals.
The Mooney Cardinals, 9-2, will face the undefeated Girard Indians at 7 p.m. November 21 at Canfield South Range. The winner will qualify for the Division V state semi-finals. Mooney made it to regional finals round with a 56-14 win over Garrettsville Garfield November 14 in the regional semi-finals.
Update: December 1, 2025
Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, after qualifying for the 2025 Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) semi-finals, ended its playoff run on November 28 in a 14-0 bout with undefeated Wheelersburg.
The Mooney Cardinals, 10-3, advanced to the Division V semi-finals after besting the previously undefeated Girard Indians 48-14 on November 21 to win the Region 17 crown of the OHSAA Division V.
This was the furthest a Mooney team has progressed in the playoffs since 2013, when the Cardinals advanced to the OHSAA Division IV final round—losing to Clinton-Massie in a 27-21 heartbreaker.
