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)