Week 1 Recap

Blizzard Warning...

I think all future Mentor opponents will get the message loud and clear: watch out for a Blizzard. Sorry for the cliche, but the senior receiver has made his name known. In the scrimmages and during Week 1, Blizzard has been the No. 1 target for the passing game. He delivered a super performance (11 receptions for 228 yards and 2 TD's) against Boardman that helped catapult the offense to a 38-7 win. Blizzard was effective as an outside threat last season. With Eddie Daugherty now playing college ball, there was an opening at the slot position. Blizzard has moved over to fill in for Daugherty and the results have been spectacular so far. When defenses focus on Blizzard, it will be up to the other receivers to step up. From what I have seen so far, I think they are capable of doing that. 

Strong Debut for QB...

Let's face it. Mentor's success over the last 15 years has been about the QB play as much as any position on the field. Most of the QB's since 2001 have been All-Ohio and/or DI scholarship QB's. A few have made starts as sophomores. Matt Eiswerth had 5 TD's in Week 1 two years ago as a sophomore. Eventual Mr. Football QB's Bart Tanski and Mitch Trubisky both started as sophomores. Neither had a passing performance as 10th graders like we saw from Tadas Tataruans on Friday. The 6'4 sophomore threw for 309 yards and three TD's in his debut. Tatarunas, who also had a rushing TD, was pretty effective running the ball when it was needed. There is no question he did a good job in Week 1. Nobody is perfect, but he made a lot of good throws that were right on the money. His decision making looked good as well. It is way, way too early to make any kind of comparisons to Mentor's recent Mr. Football QB's. But it was a good start for what is hopefully a successful three-year career as signal caller. 

Don't Forget Mr. Mathews...

Senior RB Alex Mathews has been hyped in the preseason as the focal point of the offense. When you have a sophomore QB, the offense was expected to count on riding Mathews to success. Boardman was ready for that kind of game plan. They did what they could in stacking the box to take away the running game. Mathews had a hard-earned 105 yards rushing. After one game, it appears the offense is going to be balanced enough to keep teams from stacking the box too much. That will help provide Mathews with more openings in the defense. His combination of strength and speed should continue to be a worry to opposing defenses. 

Getting Defensive...

My first three notes have been offensive to those who believe defense deserves some credit. Let's not forget the defense. They didn't get a shutout as they might have hoped, but there were some bright spots. For one, it was good to see Billy Hudson out there. The four year letterman has been a mainstay on the defensive line. His size, strength, and technique make him a load for opposing offensive lines. Aside from Hudson, sophomore cornerback Logan Shea had a solid performance. He was giving up about 8 inches to Boardman receiver Travis Koontz. Shea did a great job on him all night. That included a game-changing interception close to halftime. Boardman was driving on Mentor's side of the field as Shea picked off a pass near the 20-yard line. The offense marched down the field to give the Cardinals a secure 17-0 lead at halftime. 

GCC Recap...

Solon, Strongsville, and Brunswick all lost to strong DII programs. It was surprising to see that trio go 0-3 in Week 1. Their opponents were a strong group. Aurora (2010 state champs), Avon (No. 7 team in Cleveland.com/NEOMG), and Highland are three of the top teams in NEO - regardless of division. Still, it would be good for the league if these three can get it going. 

Euclid had a 19-13 halftime lead over a highly regarded Glenville team. But the second half was all Glenville as the Tarblooders beat the Panthers 32-19. This was a good start for Rotsky and Euclid. They could develop into Mentor's top challenger in the league if they can build on this.

Elyria (31-7 over Avon Lake), Shaker Heights (21-9 over University), and Medina (56-13 over Lakewood) all got Week 1 victories. That (along with Mentor's win) gave the GCC a mediocre 4-4 weekend. 

Mentor's other opponents (St Ignatius and St Xavier) both picked up easy victories in Week 1. St Ignatius pummeled Normandy 63-7 and St X routed Covington Catholic (KY) 57-7. 

Coming Soon...

Speaking of St Ignatius, that is Mentor's Week 2 opponent. A preview of the game will come later this week.