Opponent Preview: Medina (Week 7)

Week 7

Who: Medina Bees (6-4 in 2020)

What: Greater Cleveland Conference game

Where: Jerome T Osborne Stadium

When: October 1st at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Larry Laird (6th season at Medina, 31-22 record)

History: Mentor has played Medina nine times in league play since 2011, winning all of them. The two met in the first game of the season in 2020 as Mentor held onto a tough victory that was closer than the final score indicated. With a rematch in the regional final, the Cardinals played their best game of 2020 with a dominant 49-14 victory at home against the red hot Bees. 

Looking Back...

Medina had their most incredible wins in program history as they compiled back-to-back wins over St Edward and St Ignatius in the playoffs. Mentor has accomplished that feat three times since 2012, so they know first hand how impressive that is. The Bees had a roller coaster regular season and finished with a 3-3 record. Losses to Euclid, Brunswick, and Mentor meant the Bees finished a surprising 4th in the GCC. However, the team chemistry and health came together for a memorable playoff run. A season after surrendering 73 points in a loss to St Edward, the Bees defense showed much improvement in a 35-31 upset win over the top seeded Eagles. The win in the regional semifinal over St Ignatius was as big of a win as any in Medina's program history. QB Drew Allar and WR Luke Hensley (now at Youngstown State) earned the majority of the praise on offense as the two were All-Ohio standouts. Departed seniors that earned First Team All-District in 2020 include Hensley (Offensive Player of the Year), LB Nathan Spatny (Ashland), OL Otto Weight (Butler) and DL/RB Dorian Boyland (Drake). 

Schedule...

The non-conference schedule is highlighted by Avon, a program that has advanced to the state semifinals in Division II for four straight seasons. County rival Wadsworth is back on the schedule and is an important game for both programs each season. Stow is a team with a handful of super talented players that will be playing major college football. Warren Harding and Lorain are two programs on the rise. Games against longtime conference foes Brunswick and Strongsville feel like must-win games. The Bees have struggled against the Big Three (Mentor, Euclid, and Solon) of the GCC. Medina is just 4-16 against those three schools since the inception of the league in 2015. In order to meet their expectations of winning the league, they will need to check off wins against all of them. The schedule has plenty of opportunity for Medina to show just how serious this team is about competing for a Region 1 title once again. A perfect season is in reach, and it would be quite impressive considering the opponents on the schedule. 

2021 Medina Outlook...

Offensively, Medina brings back super quarterback Drew Allar. The Penn State commit is one of the most coveted recruits at his position in the country. After getting a few starts late in his sophomore season, Allar took full reigns of the starting job in 2020. He capped off an All-Ohio junior season with 2,857 yards and 26 TD's. Now an experienced and talented senior, Allar is going to be a problem for every opposing defense. Expect Drew Hensley (younger brother of Luke) and junior Brennan Schramm to be among Allar's top targets at receiver. Matt Spatny (6'3, 245) is a three year starter that is a versatile player for the Bees in playing a variety of positions on both sides of the ball. Over the past few seasons, Coach Laird has utilized a lot of empty backfield looks with 5 wideouts, but the offense is at its best when it is more balanced with a running attack. Last year's back  graduated, so the Bees will need to find a good replacement to take some of the pressure off Allar and the passing game. The offensive line was pretty senior heavy in 2020. The new starters up front will play a big role in the success of the offense. With Allar running the show, expect this offense to be as good as any on Mentor's schedule. 

Defensively, Medina took some positive strides forward last season. The Bees have multiple returning starters at all three levels of the defense. The line is big and experienced with Ryan Farrell (6'3, 240), Mason Pogue (6'5, 240), and Nick Manley (6'4, 270) leading the way. At linebacker, Medina returns Spatny in addition to senior Matt Hamula, the leading tackler for the Bees last season. Hamula was First Team All-District in 2020. Talented corners JaJuan Jackson and Keon Johnson should be two of the best in the GCC. Jackson is a three-year starter, has earned All-District recognition each of the previous two seasons, and will also be a factor as a receiver on offense as well. 

Coach Larry Laird has guided Medina to five playoff wins, which accounts for all of the postseason wins in program history. Expectations have never been higher for the Bees. Behind Allar and a deep senior class, this team has what it takes to make another deep November run. 

Next Preview: Solon (Week 8)