Strength of Schedule

Its not an exact science to rank the opponents on Mentor's schedule.  Given what I know, here is how I would rank the opponents/games on the 2014 schedule from toughest to easiest:

The Big Ones...

1. St Ignatius (Week 2):  For me, the schedule's focal point is always going to start with the dynasty that is St Ignatius.  Coach Chuck Kyle (11 state titles) is among the most successful high school football coaches in the country.  The Cats don't have the amount of top shelf talent they have had in recent years.  The players at QB, RB, and WR will be relative unknowns to those outside of the program.  But Ignatius does have two of the best lineman in the Midwest (OL Liam Eichenberg and DE Dre'mont Jones).  As usual, Ignatius seniors are ones that have waited their turn behind a talented group in front of them.  Expect this to be the most difficult game (and most probable loss) of the season.  Mentor is 3-0 against the Wildcats at Byers in November games.  But they are just 1-3 against Ignatius at Byers in regular season games.

2. Hudson (Week 9):  If Mentor wants to go out of the NOC on a winning note, they will have to get through Hudson.  The Explorers are built for a good run this season behind talented QB Mitch Guadagni and a good senior class.  This is a road game and Mentor can expect a rowdy crowd in what could be the most significant home game in Hudson's history.  On paper, Hudson has the most talented returnees of any team on Mentor's schedule.  This will be a tough game to win.  The Explorers will probably start the season as the second ranked team (behind St Edward) in the seven county Cleveland.com coverage area.

Good, but not Great...

3. Brunswick (Week 7):  The Blue Devils bring back 12 starters from last season, including back QB Steven Ficyk (1,646 yards and 14 TD's last season) to lead the offense.  Brunswick lost 45-3 (regular season) and 42-0 (playoffs) to Mentor last season, so they will welcome Mentor with a lot of passion.  You can bet that the Blue Devils, a team with 40 seniors, will be ready to compete for the NOC Valley as well as a Region 1 playoff spot.

4. Solon (Week 8):  The Comets have been on Mentor's schedule since the beginning of the Triv era.  There have been a lot of big games over the years between these two teams.  Rivalry is the best way to describe the annual battle between these two strong programs.  Solon has lost four straight to the Cardinals, who averaged 43.8 points per game in that stretch.  The Comets have some standout defensive players (LB John Seinsibaugh and DE Tyree Seals are among the 8 returning starters) to go along with experience at the QB position.  I don't expect this game to be as easy as the past two seasons.  Having the game in Mentor helps.

5. Strongsville (Week 10):  After a few years of struggling, the Mustangs took a positive step in finishing 5-5 last season.  They have a good and deep senior class that is ready to return to the playoffs.  I think Strongsville will compete very well in the NOC Valley this season.  QB Bobby Cole should be very good as he enters his third season as a starter.  The Mustangs return a group of big and talented linemen to go along with some of their top skill players on offense.

Minor Challenge...

6. Brush (Week 5):  The Arcs have some speed and talent.  Last year they put quite a scare.  I don't expect the similar kind of offensive explosion unless they can effectively replace dynamic QB Stephen Shorts.  Brush does have 2-3 returning skill players on offense that could give Mentor some challenges.  Standout LB Matthew Draper is also one to watch out for.

7. Euclid (Week 3):  The Panthers may only win 3 or 4 games this season due to a tough schedule with just 9 games.  Euclid has some good returning players on both sides of the ball, but they don't have the type of talent and depth to steal a game in Mentor.  The Panthers haven't beaten the Cardinals in Lake County since the 90's.

Running Clock...

8.  Boardman (Week 1):  The opening game for Mentor will be a challenge as they try to replace nearly every offensive starter as well as several key players on defense.  Boardman had a miserable 2013, but I expect them to take at least a couple steps forward this season.  But still, this is a team that went 1-9 last season and their only win was against an 0-10 team.

9. Shaker (Week 6):  If Shaker couldn't play with Mentor last year when they had a strong senior class (featuring eight, yes EIGHT DI football commits) - I don't expect the Red Raiders to have much of a shot this year.  The DI talent is gone.  A good senior class is gone.  Mentor will have this game at home again.  It should be an easy win.

10. Twinsburg (Week 4):   Mentor had their most dominant performance last season against the Tigers in which the Cards built up a 45-0 lead in barely over one half of play.  Twinsburg's program has fallen on hard times and it doesn't look to get much better this season.  The Tigers are in over their heads in games against Mentor and the NOC Valley.  For what its worth, Twinsburg is still the only conference opponent to beat Mentor in six seasons.