Opponent Preview: Strongsville (Week 9)

Week 9

Who: Strongsville Mustangs (2-4 in 2020)

What: Greater Cleveland Conference game

Where: Pat Catan Stadium

When: October 15th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Lou Cirino (5th year at Strongsville, 66-45 overall coaching record)

History: These two have played every season since 2006. During that time, Mentor leads the series 14-2. Strongsville won both meetings in 2008 (including a playoff rematch). Mentor beat the Mustangs last season, 41-7. 

Looking Back…

The Mustangs played five GCC games during the shortened 2020 regular season. They finished the grind with a 2-3 record. The most impressive win of their season was a 35-26 upset against Euclid. Their first playoff game was a rematch with Medina. The Mustangs season ended with a 37-7 loss at the hands of the Bees, who would eventually advance to the Region 1 final. Three of their four losses were against Mentor/Medina, the two regional finalists. Even though Strongsville could've added games onto their schedule after the playoff loss per the special circumstances of the 2020 season, the Mustangs didn't add any additional games. Among the standout seniors that graduated were Second Team All-District defenders Jack Stephenson and Kyle Patrick.  

Schedule…

The Mustangs' nonleague schedule begins the season with a couple schools from the Southwest Conference: Avon Lake and Midview. The Shoremen were one of the top teams in DII last season. Midview is a game that Strongsville should be favored in. Brecksville follows in Week 3. The Bees are coming off a strong season in which they won their first two playoff games before being knocked out by Avon, the eventual Region 6 champs. Cleveland Heights is the lone DI team on their non-conference schedule. The Tigers are pretty talented and will be a favorite to win the Lake Erie League. Dover is a fifth non-conference opponent. In the league, Strongsville has been close to a .500 team in GCC play (12-14 record) since Cirino took over. Most of those losses came at the hands of Mentor, Euclid, and Solon. Last year's win over Euclid snapped a 30-game losing streak to that trio. Since 2009, the Mustangs are 1-31 against the Big Three of the GCC. Now that Medina has become a major factor in the league and region, Strongsville's league schedule becomes even more daunting. The playoffs are assured, but the Mustangs will look to get some big wins in the GCC in order to avoid a more difficult Week 11 playoff opponent. 

2021 Strongsville Outlook…

If you see Strongsville this season, the first player that will stand out will be senior tackle Blake Miller (6'6, 300). The lineman has been a mainstay for the Mustangs since he was a freshman. Miller is a Clemson-commit after choosing the Tigers over offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Florida, and many others. The offensive line isn't just about Miller. Senior Andrew Hudak is one of the better lineman in the league. QB Maddux Beard got some starts as a sophomore before taking over full time in 2020. He returns as a three-year varsity starter, so expect his experience to be an important part of the team's success. Beard is a dual threat QB that demonstrates a lot of ability to run the football in addition to his growth in the passing game. 

Defensively, the linebacker position looks to be a strength with some key returning starters that include Michael Novak and Anthony Gentile. Novak led the defense in tackles last season as a sophomore. The team graduated the core of their secondary, so replacing this group will be key to stopping the dangerous passing games in the league. Up front, the defensive line will have some new faces too.

The strong line play and the experience of Beard should help put the team in good positions to win. Several new starters on defense will make for a difficult transition against the best teams on the schedule. Cirino has the program going in the right direction, but they are still looking for the program's first playoff win since 2008's magical run to the regional final. 

Next: Euclid (Week 10)