Opponent Preview: Euclid (Week 9)

Week 9

Who: Euclid Panthers

What: Greater Cleveland Conference game

Where: New Euclid Stadium 

When: October 20th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Jeff Rotsky (4th season at Euclid, 26-11 record)

History: Mentor and Euclid have been on each other's schedule for many years in conference and out of conference. The Cardinals have a 24-17 record in the overall series. Mentor won last year's game in a wild shootout at home, 61-59. 

Looking Back...
The Panthers finished 8-2 in the regular season, including 6-1 in a competitive conference. They had non-conference wins over a couple of playoff teams, Glenville and Aurora. The Panthers nearly knocked off Mentor at home for what would have been their second straight win against the Cardinals. Euclid beat Jackson (49-29) in the first round of the playoffs before falling to St Ignatius in Week 12, 45-21. One of the key seniors from last year was record setting rusher, Ronald Lee. Euclid's prestigious history of running backs include Robert Smith, Tony Fisher, and Pepe Pearson. Lee crushed Smith's single season rushing record with 2,304 yards in 2017. Two-way standout Arquon Bush is now at Cincinnati continuing his football career. Both QB's (Cee Jay Hale and Aubrey Shabazz) have graduated as well. 

Schedule...
Under Rotsky, Euclid has beefed up their non-conference schedule to go along with a tough slate of Greater Cleveland Conference games. All three non-conference opponents made the playoffs last season. They open with Glenville (7-4 in 2017), always one of the most talented teams in the area. Lorain (8-3), a former LEL foe, is back on the schedule. For the third straight season, Euclid has St Ignatius on the schedule. Euclid has taken some steps forward in the first three seasons under Rotsky. League games against Solon and Strongsville will be key to their playoff chances. 

2018 Euclid Outlook...
Before Rotsky came, Euclid hadn't won a playoff game since 1993. Here are some of the accomplishments since Rotsky took over in 2015: playoff appearances all three seasons, won the league in 2015, three playoff victories, and regular season wins over GCC top dogs Mentor and Solon. Finding a way to get a win against St Ignatius and St Edward is the next stage of progress. The Panthers, 0-4 against these two schools since 2015, will use the Week 3 game against the Wildcats as a measuring stick.

Taking the next step is in sight with the talent that Euclid is bringing back this season. Normally, it might seem impossible to think a team could replace a back that had well over 2,000 yards. Senior Brandon Wright (6'3, 215) may not break Lee's record - but he has the physical tools to be a menacing back. With limited opportunities last season, Wright averaged close to 10 yards a carry on his way to over 700 rushing yards.  Another talented offensive player returning is receiver Dre'Von Lindsay. The 6'2 receiver took over last year's game against Mentor as he had 7 catches for 196 yards and 4 touchdowns. Up front, Euclid returns four of their five starters on the offensive line. Three of them have scholarship offers. Darrius Johnson (6'4, 315) is their most highly recruited lineman with offers including Indiana, Akron, and Marshall. Ashawn Berry was a 1st team All-District as a center last season. The only question mark on offense is at QB. Expect Euclid to have another offensive explosion in 2018.

Defensively, the Panthers were a little shaky at times last season. In order to be in the mix to win the league and Region 1, they will need to get more consistency on that side of the ball. A trio of linebackers that started last season do return. Sean Jackson Jr (10.5 sacks in 2017) is part of that group. Safety Job Rand was 1st team All-District last year. If the defense can improve significantly, the Panthers can be as good as any team in Northeast Ohio. 

Next Preview: Elyria (Week 10)