Opponent Preview: Euclid (Week 10)

Week 10

Who: Euclid Panthers

What: Greater Cleveland Conference game

Where: Jerome T Osborne Stadium

When: October 22nd at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Ricky Lytle (1st season at Euclid)

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 27-17 record in the overall series. Mentor is 12-1 against Euclid since 2008. 

Looking Back...
The Panthers finished 4-2 in the regular season, which included impressive wins over Medina (Region 1 finalist), Cleveland Heights, and Brunswick. Euclid lost to Strongsville and Mentor (27-12) during the regular season. After shutting out Elyria in the first playoff game, Euclid lost to St Ignatius in the playoffs. The Panthers had a strong run since joining the GCC, making the playoffs each season since 2015. Rotsky brought the program back into relevance with six playoff wins over the past six seasons. The continued thorn in their side would be St Ignatius and St Edward. The Panthers are 0-8 against those two since 2015, including losing all six playoff games. Key graduated starters from last season include Division I commits like WR Armond Scott (Kentucky), DB Atiba Fitz (Akron), DB Cam Smith (Eastern Michigan), and DB Michael Gravely Jr (Michigan State). 

Schedule...
Euclid's schedule has a lot of the top programs in NEO. It starts with two big non-conference games against Massillon (DII runners-up in 2020) and St Ignatius. These are easily the two biggest non-conference games on their schedule. Hudson is on the schedule a season after advancing to the regional final in DII. Aurora is one of the top programs in DIII, having missed the playoffs just once since 2005. Cleveland Heights is a team with plenty of talent and potential. The non-conference schedule is going to have no weeks off. The league schedule is always tough with teams like Mentor and Medina at the top. With those two being the favorites in the GCC, Euclid will need a win against at least one in order to compete for the league title. Since 2015, Euclid is 16-2 against the Westside schools of the GCC (Medina, Brunswick, and Strongsville). In the recent MaxPreps pre-season rankings for Ohio, four of Euclid's opponents are in the statewide Top 25 rankings. From top to bottom, this is one of the most difficult schedules in Ohio. 

2021 Euclid Outlook...
Jeff Rotsky is a polarizing figure, but it would be tough to argue against the belief that the Euclid football program was riding high during his six seasons at the helm. Before Rotsky came, Euclid hadn't won a playoff game since 1993. Since his arrival, he guided the Panthers to six playoff wins as they have made the postseason every year. The roster numbers were higher than usual. The school built one of the best football stadiums in the state. With Rotsky leaving Euclid for VASJ, the program is now in the hands of a former assistant coach, Rick Lytle. He has some big shoes to fill after Rotsky, but the foundation and culture he is inheriting is solid. Offensively, three-year starter Claishon Ivory is the biggest returning name. The senior receiver has been All-District the past two seasons. Ivory has multiple DI college offers and is going to be one of the top at his position in the area. The backfield will feature a couple of first year starting juniors: QB Deonte Rucker and RB Leroy Billips. Graduation and transfers will mean a lot of new faces on offense. Davon Morrison is one of the returning offensive lineman, but the majority of last year's starters need to be replaced. The Panthers are historically a program that is built on the run, so this team will go as far as the running game will take them.  

Defensively, the Panthers also graduate a ton of talent at all three levels. After fielding one of the most talented group of defensive backs in the state, new starters will need to step up against high powered passing offenses in the league like Medina and Mentor. There are a lot of holes to fill on the line as well. The most talented returning player on defense is junior linebacker Ryan Merrill. As a sophomore, Merrill earned First Team All-District. 

With a new coach, many new starters, and a grueling schedule - this season will be a challenge for Euclid. Finishing with a winning record in the regular season would be quite an accomplishment. 

Next Preview: Mentor