With over 30 playoff wins under Coach Triv's belt, it wasn't easy to narrow down a top ten. The ten wins I chose had to do with a combination of the quality of the opponent, the stakes of the game, and the memorable "wow" factor. For the record, I was in attendance for all ten of the games chosen. Here are the "First Five" in chronological order:
Mentor 24 Solon 17 2OT (2002): Mentor had started a series with Solon in the late 90's and routinely got beaten by significant margins. The two met earlier in September during a highly anticipated regular season showdown. The Comets absolutely stuffed the Cardinals, a high-scoring offense that scored 42+ points in eight games that season, by a score of 21-3. In the playoff rematch, one that Triv predicted would take place, Mentor found themselves in a somewhat similar position. The offense was struggling, being kept off the scoreboard through the first three quarters as Mentor trailed 10-0 halfway through the 4th quarter. QB Thom Abbott shook off a nightmarish season so far against the Comets (6 interceptions and one fumble) in order to help Mentor climb back into the game. RB Matt Lieb plunged into the endzone with 2:07 left in the 4th quarter. After a quick three and out forced by a stingy Mentor defense, the ball was back in Abbott's hands. A field goal sent the game to overtime, where Abbott had a couple more tricks up his sleeve to set up Triv's first trip to a regional final.
Mentor 31 St Ignatius 0 (2003): Coming into this game, St Ignatius was wrapping up a period of complete dominance. From 1988-2001, the Cats won eight state titles as they were led by the legendary Chuck Kyle. Mentor's 2003 group was the most dominant regular season team in program history. The defense completely suffocated QB Brian Hoyer (future NFL QB) on this evening, picking him off five times. The Mentor defense forced three fumbles and held St Ignatius to 10 net yards rushing. Some of the defensive standouts included LB Chad Mayse, LB Paul Burger, DB Tony Martucci, DB Scott Goodwin, and DB Angelo DiFranco. 1st Team All-Ohio players Thom Abbot and RB Matt Lieb punched in scoring chances set up by an aggressive and opportunistic defense. St Ignatius hadn't been dominated like that in a playoff game before, and it hasn't happened since. Most people who witnessed that game will never forget "31-0." This unforgettable game is as much a nod to the all-time status of the opponent as it was to the talented "class" of Cardinals.
Mentor 34 Warren Harding 24 (2006): Coming into this Region 1 final, Mentor was 0-5 in regional final appearances. The two most recent were incredibly painful losses. In 2002, Mentor fell 14-7 to Warren Harding. In 2003, Mentor lost in overtime (10-7) to St Edward. The Raiders had upset the Region 1 favorites (St Edward) the week before, which set up this regional final at historic Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon. Harding was led by future Ohio State back Dan "Boom" Herron. The Mentor offense (featuring QB Bart Tanski and WR's Brandon James/Tyler Schutz) got a lot of the attention, but the defense was one of the best ever at Mentor. Faced with the task of trying to limit a talented back like Herron, Mentor's defense was up to the task. A defensive front of Brady DeMell, Steve Matas, Fred Hale, and Shane Molder were key parts of the playoff run that got Mentor to their first state final. This particular win wasn't a monumental comeback or in need of some memorable late game heroics, but this was an important win for Triv and the program as a whole.
Mentor 18 Canton McKinley 13 (2006): If you were at this game, you will never forget the Bill Deitmen (RIP) play that put Mentor ahead with 33 seconds left. Down by a point late in the 4th quarter with the season on the line, legendary QB Bart Tanski checked down to find his All-Ohio RB wide open at the 12-yard line. Deitmen caught the pass and took it into the end zone to give the Cardinals an 18-13 lead. Mentor's defense was led by a furious front four that helped hold off McKinley's last attempts at knocking off the Cards. Mentor's offense, especially their running game, was held in check for a lot of the game by the Bulldogs. But when a big play was needed - the future Mr. Football knew exactly who to turn to. Tanski finished the game with 214 passing yards and two TD's. Deitmen had Mentor's first touchdown of the game with a 5-yard scoring plunge in the first half. The win sent Mentor, and Coach Triv, to their first ever state championship game. In looking back at all of the playoff victories, the magnitude of this win is hard to top.
Mentor 41 Glenville 40 (2007): Mentor came into the 2007 season with a bit of a chip on their shoulder following a heartbreaking overtime loss in the 2006 state championship. The offense was loaded as they brought back Tanski, (the eventual 2007 Mr. Football), a strong group of receivers (Tyler Schutz, Steve Orkis, and Mike Popelas), and an All-Ohio left tackle in Brad Bednar. Expectations were high, and a loss in the regional rounds would have been disappointing. Under Coach Ted Ginn Sr., Glenville was one of the most explosive teams in Ohio. Their ability to make plays on offense, defense, and special teams kept Mentor on their toes all night. In a back and forth regional final at Lakewood, the Cardinals found themselves down 40-38 with about 4 minutes left in the game after Glenville's Cardale Scott returned his second 99-yard kickoff return for a score. On the final possession of the game, Tanski (23-36, 295 yards) guided Mentor down near the goal line with seconds left. OHSAA record setting kicker Kevin Harper hit the game-winning field goal as time expired to earn the Cards back-to-back regional titles for the first time in program history.
Honorable Mention: Brunswick (state semifinal win in 2007)
I will release the rest of my top ten, featuring games from 2010-2018, at a later time.
No comments:
Post a Comment