Opponent Preview: Brunswick (Week 5)

Week 5 

Who: Brunswick

What: Greater Cleveland Conference game

Where: Jerome T Osborne Stadium

When: September 22nd at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Mark Pinzone (1st season at Brunswick)

History:  Mentor has won seven in a row (including a playoff win in 2014) over Brunswick since the two joined the same league in 2010. One of the biggest games in the histories of both programs was a state semifinal matchup in 2007. Mentor defeated Brunswick, 39-14.  

Looking Back...

Brunswick sandwiched two wins around an eight game losing streak for a 2-8 record. Coming a year after finishing 3-7 in 2015, Brunswick moved on from Beal after seven seasons. During the Beal-era, Brunswick really struggled to meet the expectations set by his predecessor, Rich Nowak. The last time the Blue Devils won a playoff game was in 2008. Last season, Brunswick defeated Highland and rival Strongsville. In last year's game against Mentor, Brunswick certainly held their own in a 22-16 loss.  

Schedule...

Brunswick has only three teams on the schedule that made the 2016 playoffs, all of them are GCC teams. The non-conference schedule starts with Highland, a team that Brunswick beat even in a down season. They get Austintown Fitch (5-5 last season) at home in Week 2 and a surprising league game (Shaker) in Week 3. The out of conference slate ends with the Senate League's John Hay in Week 4. With the front part of the schedule having some winnable games, Brunswick needs to take advantage early on. The Blue Devils get Mentor and Solon in back-to-back games in the middle of the season before wrapping up with Elyria, Euclid, Medina, and Strongsville. The beginning of the season will be key. At worst, Brunswick needs to split those four games before heading into the grueling part of the schedule. 

2017 Brunswick Outlook...

Coach Pinzone returns to Brunswick after serving as an assistant under Nowak. Pinzone had successful stints as a head coach at Buckeye and Holy Name. Beal's Brunswick teams were very run-heavy, incorporating the triple option. Brunswick's offense should return back to the spread, a much more commonly used high school offense at the DI level.  teams have had winning seasons in four of his five years. The past two were playoff teams, but Beal is still looking for his first playoff win as the Blue Devils' head coach. Experience is hard to find for a team that was mostly senior-laden in 2016. Only a handful of starters return. It will be a transition season for Pinzone and Brunswick, but the schedule is not overwhelming for a team in that position. 


Next Preview: Medina (Week 6)

Opponent Preview: Strongsville (Week 4)

Week 4

Who: Strongsville

What: Greater Cleveland Conference game

Where: Pat Catan Stadium

When: September 15th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Lou Cirino (1st year at Strongsville, 46-28 record at West Geauga)

History: These two have played every season since 2006. During that time, Mentor leads the series 10-2. Strongsville won both meetings in 2008 (including a playoff rematch). 

Looking Back…

Mentor defeated Strongsville at home last season, 42-26. Mentor QB Tadas Tatarunas had one of his best statistical lines of the season with 388 passing yards and three TD's. It was the Cardinals' 8th straight win over the Mustangs. With a team built on youth, Strongsville struggled last year with a 2-8 record (1-6 in GCC). The program hasn't been to the playoffs since 2008. After gaining a little bit of momentum (6-4 in 2014, 5-5 in 2015) under Coach Larry Laird, last year was a step back. Laird resigned after last season and returned to coach at Medina. This left an opening for Cirino, a successful coach at the DIII level with West Geauga. 

Schedule…

The Mustangs' nonleague schedule consists of Berea, Hudson, and Canton Central Catholic. The season opens with neighboring Berea, a big school that also struggled in 2016. If Strongsville/Cirino want to have a chance for any momentum, that is a must-win game. Hudson is one of the top programs in NEO right now. That will be as difficult as any game on the schedule. Canton Central Catholic is the defending Division V state champions. Even with enrollment difference being a huge advantage to Strongsville, this game will be a huge challenge. Overall, Strongsville has only four 2016 playoff teams on their schedule. Since 2009, Strongsville has a 2-30 record against Mentor, Solon, Brunswick, Euclid, and Elyria. The most grueling stretch of the season will be during Weeks 2-5 when Strongsville has Hudson, Canton Central Catholic, Mentor, and Solon all in a row.

2016 Strongsville Outlook…

About half of the starters on last year's team were part of a talented sophomore class. This included QB Johnny Majors, who even had some starts as a freshman. The lumps they took on varsity last year does provide some needed experience. There are 13 starters returning, with the majority of them being on offense. Skill position players returning include RB Taylor Griffin and a trio of WR's. Offensively, Cirino brings a triple option offense into the mix. It will be interesting to see how Majors, a QB with some speed, will be able to lead the Mustangs. 

Strongsville has a lot of size and experience returning on the lines on both sides of the ball. JD Duplain (6'4, 275) was a big part of Strongsville's state runner-up baseball squad. Duplain, a defensive lineman, could make big strides on the gridiron this year. If the junior-led offense can fully adapt to Cirino's new scheme, expect some improvement from Strongsville. With the schedule so front loaded, the Mustangs will have a tough start. But during the second half of the season, a few wins in the league is not out of the question. 

Next: Brunswick (Week 5)

Opponent Preview: Glenville (Week 3)

This is the third of my previews of Mentor's opponents for the 2017 season.  See the Week 3 preview (St Ignatius) here.

Week 3

Who: Glenville Tarblooders

What: Non-league game

Where: Jerome T. Osborne Stadium 

When: September 8th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Ted Ginn Sr. (21st season)

History: Mentor and Glenville played regularly beginning in the late 90's through 2006. In the 2000's, Mentor and Glenville played nine times (including playoff games in 2006 and 2007). Mentor holds a slight 5-4 edge during that stretch. Overall, Mentor leads the series 11-5. The last time these two teams met was in a memorable 2007 Region 1 final at Lakewood in which Mentor won, 41-40.

Looking Back...
Glenville was one of the state's most successful programs over the last 20 years, making the playoffs 15 times since 1999. The Tarblooders reached their peak in reaching the 2009 DI state championship game. When dropping down to DII, Glenville also was the state runners-up in 2013. Since that season, Glenville has taken a step or two back. The number of BCS recruits is down. The number of playoff wins (three total since 2013) is down. The class of 2017 saw 18 players sign with a program to continue their playing days. Most of them were not Division I colleges. Last season, the Tarblooders went 0-4 against teams not in the Senate League. That included a Week 11 loss (21-7) to Anthony Wayne. Among the senior standouts included RB Demerius Goodwin (Morgan State), WR Coby Bryant (Cincinnati), and All-District lineman Teeshawn Turpin (Tenn-Martin). 

Schedule...
Glenville plays in the Senate Athletic League. The Tarblooders haven't lost a league game since the 90's. The league made up of Cleveland public schools has rarely even posed a challenge to Glenville. In order to make up for the lack of harbin points in the league, Ginn has consistently scheduled some grueling non-conference games. Along with Mentor, Glenville plays St Edward and Euclid - two playoff teams in from 2016. The Tarblooders found a way to make the playoffs despite going 0-3 in non-conference play last season. With declining enrollment and competitive balance, Glenville now finds themselves in Division III for the first time. In a new division and region, they don't want to take any chances by starting 0-3 again. In order to guarantee the playoffs, Glenville will need to find a way to win one of those three games. They should easily win all seven league games, which makes them an important opponent for Mentor in terms of potential computer points. 

2017 Glenville Outlook...
Glenville had seven players receive All-District recognition in 2016. All of them were seniors. Reloading is nothing new to Ginn as he routinely has to replace most of his impact players and starters. Offensively, it always helps to bring back your QB. Senior Xander Spikes return for the Tarblooders. Speedy receiver and track star Bryan West gives Spikes a great target. WR Carlton Swopes also returns. 

Glenville's season will be defined by how they stack up in their non-conference schedule and how they perform in November. Compared to the previous times Mentor played Glenville, the Tarblooders will not be littered with future Big Ten players all over the field. But this is no easy game for Mentor. Glenville will be one of the toughest outs in DIII this year. 

Next Preview:  Strongsville (Week 4)

Opponent Preview: St Ignatius (Week 2)

This is the second of my previews of Mentor's opponents for the 2017 season.  See the Week 1 preview here.

Week 2

Who: St Ignatius Wildcats

What: Non-league game

Where: Jerome T Osborne Stadium

When: September 1st at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Chuck Kyle (35th season, 11 state titles)

History: Mentor and St Ignatius are entering their 13th game in this series. St Ignatius has an edge (7-5) over the Cardinals in the regular season. Since Mentor has won three of four against the Wildcats in the playoffs since 2003, Triv and Kyle are 8-8 against one another. The definition of a long, even series.

Looking Back...
During Week 2 last fall, a close halftime game really got away from Mentor in the second half to the eventual state runners-up. St Ignatius completely dominated the second half on their way to cruising to a 49-7 win, the most lopsided score in the series. The Wildcats had close to 300 yards on the ground, led by Mark Bobinski.

Schedule...
Gone is the two-year experiment of including the three Parma schools on the schedule. This should help provide Ignatius with a lot more harbin opportunities. The Wildcats have 3/4 of the rugged Cincinnati GCL league (St Xavier, Moeller, and Elder) on the schedule. Rival St Edward is always a huge Week 10 matchup. Two-time state champion Hoban is a big way to open the season. On top of those big five games, Detroit Central Catholic (the only regular season loss for Ignatius last season) also returns. The "easy" games on the schedule include 2016 playoff teams like GlenOak and Euclid. Rounding off the schedule includes a prep team from Canada. All in all, this is a very grueling stretch that should allow Ignatius to be in the mix to make the playoffs as long as they can get 5 wins. 


2017 St Ignatius Outlook...
St Ignatius had a run to the state finals last year before coming up short (27-20, 2OT) to their Jesuit brethren from the other side of the state. The loss to St Xavier was only Chuck Kyle's second state championship game loss in 13 tries. With the talent and loyalty to seniors, every year the Wildcats have to reload. QB Patrick Ryan and RB Jimmy Andrews are among the graduates on offense. Mark Bobinski returns for his senior year after sharing RB duties with Andrews last year. Bobinski had a big game against Mentor last year and should be the focal point of the offense. Senior receiver Connor Kennedy is due for a big season. Two seniors (Kyle Hall and Danny Alexander) are vying for the starting QB spot. Alexander was the backup last season and got varsity reps during some of the wins. Darian Kinnard (6'6, 320) and John Jamieson (All-District in 2016) return to bring some size, talent, and experience on the line. 

Defense was the strength of the state runners-up and they have to replace a deep group of linebackers and linemen. The front six in their vaunted 3-3 stack defense were all seniors last season. In the secondary, a couple starters do return. Kennedy will play both sides of the ball and join the secondary. All-district kicker Matthew Trickett returns and he will be a valuable returning part of the offense/special teams. St Ignatius' goals are pretty simple: winning a state championship. Defensively, there are some unknowns. But expect the Wildcats to be the most challenging opponent on Mentor's schedule. Possibly by a wide margin. 

Next Preview: Glenville (Week 3)

Opponent Preview: Massillon (Week 1)

Here is the first of my previews of Mentor opponents for the 2017 season.  Throughout July and August, I will post some info on each opponent starting in Week 1 with Massillon. 

Week 1

Who: Massillon Tigers

What: 2017 regular season opener

Where: Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

When: August 25th at 7:30pm

Opposing Coach: Nate Moore (3rd season at Massillon, 12-9 record)

History: Massillon leads the overall series 6-5 after Mentor's victory last year. Mentor's biggest win before the 2000's was in 1968 as they upset the Tigers, 19-0. The two split a six game series from 2005-2010 and resumed playing last season. 

Looking Back...
Mentor and Massillon are two of the top football programs in NEO. They had an exciting back-and-forth series for six seasons before having a five-year hiatus due to scheduling conflicts. The teams resumed their competitive series last year as the Cards won at home, 57-31. Massillon, a Division II school, finished the regular season 8-2 and returned to the playoffs. Mentor was the 9th seed in Region 1, just barely missing the playoffs. Last year's game saw Mentor RB Isaiah Gullick have his best game of the season. Gullick, now graduated, had 238 yards and 5 TD's. The offensive-powered game saw over 800 yards of offense and 88 points. Massillon's receiver Austin Jasinki had a record-setting night with 15 receptions, 222 yards, and some big plays on defense. 

Schedule...
Half of the Tigers' 2016 schedule were playoff teams. Their 4-1 record against those teams helped secure Massillon's 23rd playoff appearance. The Tigers' schedule has a couple changes from last year, but all of the big names return. The first four games (Mentor, GlenOak, Warren Harding, and Ursuline) will set up the season. Massillon will look to try and at least split those games if they want to make the playoffs again. The Week 10 rivalry game with McKinley defines their season. Other games include Fitch, Akron SVSM, and Akron Firestone. New teams to the schedule are Bedford (DII playoff team in 2016) and Canisius (NY), a team that went 7-2 last season. This is certainly one of the most challenging schedules of any team in Division II. The Tigers will be tested, especially in the first few weeks. 

2017 Massillon Outlook...
Jasinski (1,834 all-purpose yards and 19 TD's), QB Seth Blankenship (1,819 passing yards and 24 TD's), and a large group of All-District lineman are among the key players that graduated. Jasinski accounted for more than half of the total receptions and more than 2/3 of the receiving yards and TD's. He will be sorely missed. WR Austin Kutscher was second on the team in receptions (16), yards (244), and receiving TD's (4) last year. The senior has a lot of experience and will look to be the go-to receiver in 2017. Junior LB Jamir Thomas has been a standout defensive player for the Tigers dating back to his freshman season. After leading the team in tackles as a freshman, Thomas was 2nd in tackles. Thomas led the team in rushing yards (561) and rushing TD's (10). RB/LB Louis Partridge is a fellow junior who could take a big step forward in 2017. Partridge (484 yards, 7 TD's) shared RB duties with Thomas. He should continue to see time on both sides of the ball as Moore looks for play makers on offense. Anthony Ballard and Kameron Simpson are key returning starters on defense. 

The Tigers are light on returning impact players and will have difficulty getting as many wins (8) as last year. It might be a transition season for the Tigers unless they can find an serviceable replacement at QB and get close to duplicating the size/talent on the lines last season. 

Next Preview:  St Ignatius (Week 2)