Week 2 Review

The 26-6 Week 2 home loss to St Ignatius was quite deflating.  This was the fewest points for a Mentor team since a 17-3 loss to Strongsville in 2008.  For those of us who have been so spoiled with all-world offensive execution most of the last decade (especially the past two seasons), it was a tough pill to swallow.

Offense...
Outside of a great 70-yard TD run by Conner Krizancic late in the 1st quarter, the offense wasn't able to muster much on Friday night.  The two-QB system worked out in Week 1, but failed to give the offense any consistency in Week 2.  Sophomore QB Matt Eiswerth, spectacular with 5 touchdowns in Week 1, got a taste of a top notch defense in the Wildcats.  He saw a lot of defensive pressure and blitzes that disrupted any attempt at a scoring drive.  It is safe to say that the entire offense (coaches included) feels they have a lot of work to do in order to solve the top defenses. 

QB Carousel...
After Week 1's comeback win against McDowell, the question of who is the QB didn't seem to matter.  When you win, nobody raises too many questions.  Now after a loss, you can be sure the coaches will take a nice hard look at the immediate and future impact of the QB decision.  Are two QB's better than one?  If one is better, who will it be?  This decision is what the season will likely hinge on.  We know that Mentor relies on strong QB play to be successful. 

Defense...
The defense gave up over 400 yards of offense to a balanced St Ignatius attack.  But considering the hand that was dealt them, I was impressed with the way the defense kept Ignatius out of the end zone as often as they did.  When a team's offense consistently is losing the field position battle, it puts the defense in a bad spot.  Time and time again the St Ignatius offense had a short field.  Mentor's defense wasn't without flaws, but they held their own and played good enough to win.  After the way last season went, it was a step in the right direction.  If the defense continues to improve all season, they will be a competent playoff defense.

What's ahead...
Mentor travels to Euclid to take on the winless Panthers.  Look for a preview later in the week.