Opponent Preview: Medina (Week 7)

This is the seventh of my previews of Mentor's opponents for the 2016 season. Here are the other previews:

Massillon
St Ignatius
St Xavier
Euclid 
Shaker Heights
Solon

Week 7

Who: Medina Bees

What: GCC Game

Where: Ken Dukes Stadium

When: October 7th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Dan Sutherland (5th season at Medina, 11-29 record)

History: Mentor easily won both games when the two teams were in the same division of the NOC in 2011/12. Last year, Mentor won 42-20 at home against the Bees.

Looking Back...
Medina took a small step in the right direction last season, finishing 4-6. They began by winning two of their three non-conference games by a combined score of 118-19. Only a 27-24 hiccup in Week 2 against Kenston prevented a 3-0 start for Medina. The Bees won Week 4 against Elyria (a 2015 playoff team). After that, they lost five of their final six in the GCC. Shaker Heights was the lone win during that stretch. 

Schedule...
Medina's non-conference schedule is the same as last season. They open up at Lakewood (1-9 in 2015), a must-win for the Bees. Kenston (3-7) and Wadsworth (3-7) struggled last season, but should see some improvement. Half of the GCC teams made the playoffs last season. If the Bees can find a way to win one of those games, it would be a big step in the right direction. Local rivals Strongsville and Brunswick are season-defining games.

2016 Medina Outlook...
Big and talented RB Jimmy Daw (6'4, 215) is a three-year starter and a key part of Medina's success. Daw, a 1st-team All-District back in 2015, has offers from Bowling Green, Cincinnati, and Iowa State. Senior QB John Curtis (6'4, 205) and Dylan Fultz, the top receiver from 2015, also return on offense. On paper, Medina looks to be in good shape on that side of the ball. 

Defensively, the Bees will need some improvement. In their five GCC losses, Medina gave up at least 35 points in all of them. The majority of the starters return, so experience will be on their side. 

Medina does have an experienced group returning, but they will still have trouble cracking the top half of the league. Making the playoffs would be a huge stretch, but finishing with at least 5 wins is a possibility.  

Next Preview:  Strongsville (Week 8)