YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Five Cardinal Mooney football standouts will continue their playing careers in the college ranks after officially committing on Thursday.
The group includes two linemen that are heading to the Division I ranks. Tino Merlo is heading to the SEC to play for Kentucky, while fellow lineman Adam Garloch is bound for the MAC to play at Bowling Green.
The line duo was joined by safety/defensive back Ty Reali and tight end/linebacker Alec DelSignore (Edinboro) and linebacker/tight end Robert Hardy (Baldwin Wallace), who all took part in a signing ceremony at the high school.
Merlo, who helped anchor the Cardinals’ line, earned all-state and Steel Valley conference honors.
“The University of Kentucky has been a dream of mine ever since I came to Mooney,” he said. “I have always wanted to play on the big stage and represent my name. Kentucky was the perfect opportunity for me to continue my career in not only football but in education.”
Reali was second-team all-state and first-team all-SVC.
“I chose Edinboro because it was a great opportunity to play at the collegiate level. Coach Nulph really made Edinboro feel like part of the Edinboro family. Once I stepped on the campus, I felt like it was my home for the next four years,” Reali said. “It will be a challenge, but at Cardinal Mooney, I learned to persevere and never give up on myself. I also learned to lean on my friends when you feel you can’t do it yourself. I learned the values of being in a family environment.”
DelSignore did just about everything for the Cardinals in 2022, and likewise earned all-state and all-SVC honors.
“It was a long and stressful recruiting process for me. The coaches at Edinboro showed me love and made it feel like home right away,” DelSignore said.
Garloch is a rare four-year letter winner at Cardinal Mooney, and he’s also earned spots on the all-state and SVC teams.
“I chose Bowling Green because I like the opportunity to play at a D1 level. I also love the area and the atmosphere,” Garloch said. “Two major things I have learned here at Mooney is how to work hard and persevere through tough times.”
Hardy likewise appears on the all-SVC team.
“I chose Baldwin Wallace for many reasons, one being that they have a winning tradition with an amazing and hardworking staff. Also because of the opportunity there is in the sports management programs along with the great alumni support. When I visited on an overnight visit, it was a great environment and with a friendly student body that made me feel like I belonged there,” he said.
