CANTON, Ohio -- The Gateway football team got to see all the famous busts on a visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame yesterday. Then the Gators went across the street to Fawcett Stadium, where their season opener turned into a bust.

Gateway's lofty reputation took a hit last night when it was trounced by Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, 27-6, in the third annual Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge.

It was the 15th win in a row for Cardinal Mooney, a perennial Ohio power and the defending Division IV state champ. Gateway, meanwhile, lost its season opener for the fifth time in Terry Smith's six years as coach.

Gateway came into the game as the Post-Gazette's No. 1-ranked Class AAAA team in the WPIAL and PIAA. The Gators also were ranked in some national polls, with USA Today ranking them No. 10. The same newspaper ranked Cardinal Mooney No. 25. It's obvious who will be moving up and down next week.

"We're not as good as people say and that showed tonight," Smith said. "When you don't compete every play and every snap, you don't deserve the rankings. We'll humbly take this defeat, but we're going to come back and we'll be in the mix at the end, I guarantee you that."

Cardinal Mooney coach P.J. Fecko was asked if the lopsided game said anything about football in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

"I don't know what it proves," Fecko said. "I think we came in with a lot of pride, just because we were chosen to represent Ohio in this event. I think we were out to prove something to ourselves more than anything."

Cardinal Mooney won despite having star running back Brandon Beachum for only the first five minutes of the game. Beachum, a Penn State recruit, suffered a knee injury on a 2-yard run in the first quarter.

The injury is not believed to be serious. Without Beachum, the Cardinals relied more on quarterback Dan McCarthy, a Notre Dame recruit who rushed for 133 yards on 20 carries. McCarthy was recruited by the Fighting Irish to play defensive back, but he gave Gateway's defense fits.

He scored on runs of 34 and 24 yards and threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Tim Marlowe in the second quarter. Fullback Mike Zordich, another Penn State recruit, added 86 yards on eight attempts scored Cardinal Mooney's first touchdown on a 6-yard run and was a force on defense at linebacker.

Cardinal Mooney, which led, 20-6, at halftime, finished with 274 yards rushing.

Senior running back Cam Saddler was one of the few bright spots for Gateway, but his status for Thursday night's game against McKeesport is in doubt with a left hamstring injury. Saddler rushed for 124 yards on 13 attempts and scored the Gators' only touchdown on a 21-yard run. But he did not play in the second half.

"He could've played, but it was my decision to keep him out," Smith said.

"This was still a great experience. The kids got the chance to see the Hall of Fame. To play in such an atmosphere ... look at this place. There's nowhere in Pittsburgh like this place. There was a great crowd and a great atmosphere. We just played a team that was better than us tonight."