Opponent Preview: Elyria (Week 10)

Week 10

Who: Elyria Pioneers

What: Greater Cleveland Conference game

Where: Jerome T. Osborne Stadium

When: October 30th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Devlin Culliver (2nd season at Elyria, )

History: Mentor and Elyria were in the LEL together in the late 90's and early 2000's. After a 13 year absence of playing, the two met up as GCC members in 2015. Elyria beat Mentor at home (27-24) that season. The Cards won the past four games against the Pioneers, averaging almost 60 points per game. 

Looking Back...
Nearly five years removed from one of the biggest wins in program history, Elyria has been on a down spiral ever since. After making the playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2013-2015, Elyria has fallen on hard times. The Pioneers are just 5-36 since that Week 10 win over Mentor in 2015. Last season's game at the beautiful new Ely Stadium was over by the end of the 1st quarter. Mentor jumped out a 35-0 lead after 12 minutes before eventually winning 73-0. It was legendary coach Steve Trivisonno's 200th career win. Elyria ended a 15-game losing streak with last season's win was against Bedford, but it was their only win of the season. They surrendered 55+ points in five consecutive games during the middle of a eight-game losing streak. The last thing Elyria wants to do is look back at 2019. 

Schedule...
The Pioneers begin the season with Midview (5-5 in 2019), Bedford (5-5), and Lorain (6-4). This is the identical non-conference schedule they had last season. Last season Elyria beat Bedford, 7-6. With Shaker leaving the GCC for the LEL, Elyria filled that open date with Avon Lake. The Shoremen were one of the better teams in DII last season, making it to the regional final. The GCC is as good of a league as there is in Division I, so expect Elyria to have their hands full once again. Last season's closest GCC game was a 20 point loss to the now-departed Shaker Heights. The Pioneers have finished at the bottom of the league the past four seasons. The most likely opportunity for a win will be in the first two games of the season. 

2020 Elyria Outlook...
Elyria averaged just 9 points per game in the first half of the schedule before averaging 26.2 points over the final five. This included a 50-point explosion in a Week 7 loss to Shaker. Did the offense find something late season that could translate to 2020? The good news is that a lot of experienced players on offense do return. QB Daylan Sharlow, now a senior, began getting some starts as a sophomore in 2018. Receivers Jesse Stevens and Andrew Palos return. Jaheim Atkinson is a talented back that had several 100+ yard rushing games a season ago. Like Sharlow and Stephens, he will be entering his third season as a starter. Up front, four offensive lineman return after starting in 2019. Simon France (6'3, 265) is a big left tackle that is getting some college looks. Offensively, Elyria should see a lot of improvement. Atkinson is the player to watch out for, but overall this should be a group capable of scoring a lot more than they did last season. 

Defensively, the team has a lot of room for improvement after giving up an average of 45.3 ppg in 2019. Their top defensive player (1st team All-District LB Ben Doehr) has graduated. This team might be able to score, but they will need to improve a lot on defense if they are to be competitive with this schedule. Culliver is only in his second year as coach of Elyria after a few stints at area schools like Shaw, Harvey, and Maple Heights. This will be the last year that Elyria is in the GCC as they are moving to the Southwestern Conference in the fall of 2021. 

Opponent Preview: Euclid (Week 9)

Week 9

Who: Euclid Panthers

What: Greater Cleveland Conference game

Where: Euclid Community Stadium

When: October 23rd at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Jeff Rotsky (6th season at Euclid, 44-16 record)

History: Mentor and Euclid have been on each other's schedules for many years whether it was in conference or out of conference. The Cardinals have a 26-17 record in the overall series. Since the two joined the GCC together in 2015, Mentor has won four of five. 

Looking Back...
The Panthers finished 8-2 in the regular season, including three wins over eventual playoff teams (Glenville, Canton McKinley, and Medina). Mentor shutout Euclid in Week 9 last season, 45-0. After a home playoff win in Week 11 against Jackson, Euclid lost to St Edward in the regional semifinal. Rotsky has brought the program back into relevance with five playoff wins since 2015. The continued thorn in their side would be St Ignatius and St Edward. The Panthers are 0-7 against those two since 2015, including losing all five playoff games. Key graduated starters from last season include QB Dion Valentine, lineman John Brown, and 1st team All-District RB Jaabir Mujihad. 

Schedule...
Euclid has a schedule with few holes as only one opponent had a losing record in 2019. Seven teams on their schedule made the playoffs last season. The non-conference portion is highlighted by state juggernaut St Edward, the team that knocked Euclid out of the playoffs four of the past five seasons. Playoff teams Cleveland Heights, Glenville, and Benedictine make up the rest of the non-conference schedule. The league will be crowded at the top with four returning playoff teams that bring back many key players. Solon, Medina, and Mentor will all be huge games for Euclid. Since the formation of the GCC in 2015, Euclid has beaten either Mentor or Solon in all but one year. Winning at least one of those games puts the Panthers in great playoff positioning as well as giving themselves a chance to win at least a share of the league title. Euclid is 19-1 against the rest of the league (Strongsville, Medina, Elyria, and Brunswick) over the past five seasons. From top to bottom, this is one of the most difficult schedules in Ohio. 

2020 Euclid Outlook...
On offense, Euclid brings back plenty of punch. Nobody in the league will have the kind of talent they do at the skill positions. Primarily a running team, Euclid's backs rushed for well over 2,000 yards a season ago. While the now-graduated Mujihad was the lead back, Atiba Fitz (Air Force commit) and Savion Jones combined for over 1,000 rushing yards in 2019. Fitz/Jones will likely be sharing carries as Euclid looks to control the clock. The Panthers will have one of the top receiving duos in the state. Senior receiver Armond Scott (6'3, 200) is ranked as high as the #16 prospect in the state. He committed to Kentucky this summer after a season in which he posted 40 catches for over 700 yards and 15 TD's. Junior Claishon Ivory made a big impact last season as he earned 2nd Team All-District honors with 37 catches for 684 yards and 9 TD's. Ivory has also been offered by Kentucky. Lineman Herman Taylor (6'4, 280) returns after earning 2nd Team All-District last season as well. One glaring hole for the Panthers will be at QB as they look to replace two-year starter Dion Valentine. His replacement does have the luxury of a variety of talented weapons. 

Defensively, the Panthers gave up 45 and 47 points in losses to Mentor and St Edward. That side of the ball will have to improve if they want to make some noise in the region. Alex Reese (6'4, 280) is a big returning defensive lineman that should be a major impact player for the Panthers. Reese committed to Akron this summer. LB Andre Tillman is a three-year starter and will be one of the defensive leaders. Fitz/Jones started on defense last year in addition to their offensive production. Senior DB Cam Smith (Eastern Michigan commit) is a top returning talent in the secondary. Senior safety Michael Gravely Jr. (Michigan State commit) transferred from Glenville recently and is sure to make a big impact for the Panthers on defense. 

Before Rotsky came, Euclid hadn't won a playoff game since 1993. Since his arrival, he has guided the Panthers to five playoff wins as they have made the postseason every year. Euclid has done very well in the league and there is no reason for that to change in 2020. If they can overcome a grueling schedule with at least 6 or 7 wins, this will be a battle-tested team come playoff time. Expect a 6th straight playoff appearance as Euclid looks to compete for the top of the league and Region 1. 

Next Preview: Elyria (Week 10)