Opponent Preview: Brunswick (Week 7)

Week 7

Who:  Brunswick

What:  Northeast Ohio Conference (Valley Division) game

Where:  Brunswick Auto Mart Stadium

When:  October 10th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach:  Luke Beal (5th season at Brunswick, 24-17 record)

History:  Mentor has won all three regular season meetings as NOC members.  Mentor also won the playoff game last season, 42-0.  The teams played in the 2007 state semifinal, in which Mentor won 39-14.  

Looking Back...

Brunswick finished 6-5 last season as they fell to Mentor in the first round of the playoffs. The Blue Devils best win last season was against Elyria, another playoff team in Region 1.  Brunswick had a tough schedule that included losses to Mentor, Hudson, and Fitch - three of the top teams in NEO last season.  The Cards outscored the Blue Devils 85-3 in the two games.  Brunswick sneaked into the playoffs as the 15 seed in light of a 6-4 record.  Brunswick had 8 players receive all-district recognition.  All but one of those players were seniors.  WR/DB Zach Parker, LB Elijah Galloway. and DL Justin Boey are among the standouts that graduated.  

Schedule...

Brunswick has five teams (Mentor, Fitch, Solon, Elyria, and Hudson) on the schedule that made the 2013 playoffs.  Rivalry games with Strongsville and Medina are always key to the season.  The NOC Valley schedule will be more challenging than last season.   Games against Normandy (0-10), Padua (4-6), Medina (3-7), and Twinsburg (2-8) are very probable wins.  How the Blue Devils perform against Elyria, Solon, and Strongsville will be the difference between making the playoffs or not.   

2014 Brunswick Outlook...

Coach Beal's teams have steadily improved to finish 5-5, 6-4, and 7-3 in his first three seasons.  Brunswick's 6-4 record last season was a step back in terms of wins, but they did make the playoffs.  Most of the prominent players from last season have graduated, but there are 40 upcoming seniors on this team that are ready to contribute.  The Blue Devils return six starters on each side of the ball, so experience will be on their side.  This is a deep and experienced group led by returning QB Steven Ficyk (6'4, 215).  The senior threw for over 1,600 yards last season and 14 TD's.  He will be key to the team's success.  RB/WR Joe Pinzone (439 all-purpose yards last season) and WR/TE Ethan Engelka (6'3, 218) return to give Ficyk some talented targets.  DL Tom Knuff (6'2, 285) is the best returning lineman. 

Next Preview:  Solon (Week 8)

Opponent Preview: Shaker Heights (Week 6)

Week 6

 

Who: Shaker Heights

What:  Northeast Ohio Conference crossover game

Where: Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium

When: October 2nd at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Jarvis Gibson (4th season at Shaker, 16-14)

History:  Mentor and Shaker played annually in the Lake Erie League from 1993 to 2010.  Mentor held a slight edge (9-7) during that time.  Mentor won 52-14 last season.  The two will soon be together in three different leagues (LEL, NOC, GCC) over a 5 year period starting next season.  Mentor and Shaker will join Solon, Strongsville, Elyria, Brunswick, Medina, and Euclid in the Greater Cleveland Conference beginning in the 2015-16 season.  

Looking Back...

Shaker Heights is coming off a very successful back-to-back stint.  After finishing 8-2 in 2012, the Red Raiders found their way into the expanded Region 1 playoffs (for the first time since 2005) as the 16 seed.  It ended up with a 49-0 defeat from St Edward, but it was another step in the process of Gibson building the program.  Shaker graduated 8 seniors that signed with DI college football programs.  In spite of their talent on the field, Mentor was able to put it to Shaker Heights at home with a 52-14 win.  

Schedule...

Shaker has kicked their schedule up a notch or two from last season.  The Red Raiders still have University (2-8 in 2013) to open the season.  But they have replaced JFK and Cleveland Central Catholic with Solon and Avon Lake - two of the premier programs in the Cleveland area for many years.  The NOC River (the middle division) has long been the most equally balanced in terms of competition.  Mayfield, North Royalton, Medina, Elyria, and Stow join Shaker in the River.  Normandy (0-10 last season) and Mentor are the NOC crossovers.  Shaker will really have to earn their way back to the playoffs with this schedule.  

2014 Shaker Heights Outlook...

Coach Jarvis Gibson has helped bring some excitement back to the Shaker football program.  Last season's playoff appearance combined with the success of the individual talent made for a memorable run.  But with last year's team being featuring seniors so heavily, there wasn't a lot of opportunities for the underclassmen.  Shaker will have their hands full in replacing players such as DE Joe Henderson (Tennessee), OL Ja'Marez Brown (Cincinnati), and WR Odell Spencer (Cincinnati).  All of their top skill players on offense (including QB Brian Jones) have graduated.  Gibson will have his hands full this year by putting a lot of last year's JV players into key positions on the team.  Among the few returning players with varsity experience are WR Marcus Carthon, RB Jeff Massey, and linemen Gary Harris/Jerson Gaskins.  Look for senior Adin Leibovich to be the starting QB.  One thing that will help is the incoming transfer of RB Casimier Mitchell (1,000-yard rusher for Lakewood last season).  

Next Preview:  Brunswick (Week 7)

Opponent Preview: Brush (Week 5)

This is the fifth of my previews of Mentor's opponents for the 2014 season.

Week 5

Who:  Brush

What:  NOC Crossover

Where: Jerome T Osborne Stadium

When:  September 26th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Josh Wells (3rd season, 14-6 record)

History:  Mentor and Brush played last season for the first time since their old GCC days.  Mentor won the offensive battle 62-43.

Looking Back...
Last season Brush had a successful season as they finished 7-3 and went to the Region 3 playoffs.  The Arcs lost to top seeded Glenville (DII state runners-up) in the first round.  The Week 5 game at Brush last season was certainly one of the most challenging regular season games of the season for the Cards.  The high powered Brush offense caught Mentor sleeping as they jumped out to a commanding 28-7 lead.  Mentor eventually played up to their potential on both sides of the ball as they went on a 55-7 run.  The game was a wakeup call for the Mentor defense.  After surrendering 43 points to Brush, the Cards gave up just a total of 53 points over the next 8 games.  

Schedule...
Besides Mentor, Brush plays only two teams that had winning records in 2013.  The schedule sets up nicely as Brush plays in the least competitive division of the NOC.  The nonleague games are Padua, Lakeside, and Kenston.  The schedule provides a lot of opportunities for wins.  Key games on the season are Kenston (made playoffs last season), local rival Mayfield, and Garfield Heights (7-3 last season).  A win over Brush should mean a good amount of computer points for Mentor.  

2014 Brush Outlook...
Brush has a lot of talent to replace from last season.  QB Stephen Shorts, WR Ugochhukwu Onunwor, RB Javari Gill, and top lineman Jonah Harper were among the standouts on a very talented offense.  Brush returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2005.  As the Arcs look to build on that appearance, the cupboard is hardly bare.  LB Matthew Draper (6'1, 215) - a transfer from Glenville - is the most talented player on the Brush roster.  Draper has several DI offers that include Kentucky, Louisville, and Cincinnati.  RB Darryl McCluney (6'3, 215) was one of the leading rushers (754 yards, 8 TD's) for the Arcs last season.  WR Jordan Overton (offers from several MAC schools) made an impact on the offense last season as a sophomore.  Finding a replacement for the dynamic Shorts will be a big key to their season.  If they can do that, a return to the playoffs is within reach.

Next Preview:  Shaker Heights (Week 6)

Opponent Preview: Twinsburg (Week 4)

Week 4

Who: Twinsburg
What:   Northeast Ohio Conference (Valley) game
Where:  Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium
When:  September 19th at 7:00pm
Opposing Coach: Joe Schiavone (3rd season at Twinsburg, 15-15 record)
History:  An original NOC member, Twinsburg joined the Valley division (2011) at the same time Mentor joined the conference.  Twinsburg upset a 9-0 Mentor team (No. 1 in AP poll at the time) in the 2011 regular season finale, 38-35.  Mentor has outscored Twinsburg by a total score of 90-0 the past two seasons.

Looking Back...

Twinsburg (2-8 in 2013) had its first losing season since 2007.  Their schedule was brutal (played seven playoff teams), and the Tigers were in a rebuilding season.  The Week 4 game at Twinsburg was called early in the second half due to severe storms and a 49-0 Mentor lead.  It was a coming out party for a Mentor offense that didn't really get on track early in the season.  The Cards put up over 400 yards of offense in barely over a half of football.  Twinsburg did improve throughout the season.  After averaging just 8 points a game in the first half of the season, the Tigers scored 20+ in four of their last five games.

Schedule...

Seven of the Tigers’ opponents made the playoffs last season.  Twinsburg maintains one of the toughest schedules of any team in Division II.  Their nonleague slate includes Aurora, Nordonia, and Avon - three teams that will all be serious contenders for a state title.  Twinsburg is stuck in the most competitive division in the NOC with the big school Valley Division.  Playing Mentor, Solon, Brunswick, Hudson, and Strongsville makes it very difficult to pick up wins in a rebuilding process.  Garfield Heights (7-3 last season) and North Royalton are the league crossovers on Twinsburg's schedule.

2014 Twinsburg Outlook...

Twinsburg took a major step back last season and it won't be easy to climb back up.  Twinsburg used a lot of seniors in key spots last year, including their QB (Mike Peelman), All-District receiver (Tailin Johnson), and top defensive players (DE Cameron Dial and LB Jacob Turray).  One of the most talented returning starters is Darius Jones, a threat on offense as a receiver or getting carries out of the back field.  Other top returning starters include DB/RB No'ah Edwards (2nd leading rusher in 2013) , DB/WR DeVonte Washington (younger brother of former QB stud Jalen Washington), RB Deyonte Groce, and LB Joe Leondarides (3rd leading tackler last season).  Considering the difficult schedule and a continued dropoff in talent/depth, it is tough to see Twinsburg winning any more than 1 or 2 games this season.

Next Preview:  Brush (Week 5)

Opponent Preview: Euclid (Week 3)

This is the third of my previews of Mentor's opponents for the 2014 season.

Week 3

Who:  Euclid Panthers

What:   Home opener

Where:  Jerome T Osborne Stadium

When:  September 12th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach:  Tom Gibbons (7th season, 33-29 record)

History:  Mentor and Euclid have played one another for decades, having been in the GCC and LEL together.  The Cardinals have a slight edge (21-16) in the overall series.  The two will both be part of the newly formed GCC starting next season.

Looking Back...
In hindsight, Mentor's comfortable 36-0 win at Euclid during Week 3 last season was an important game for the Cardinals.  After some uncertainty in the QB position, it was the first game in which eventual All-Ohio QB Conner Krizancic would start from beginning to end.   The shutout was a great showing for the defense.  Euclid (5-5) closed their season on a four game winning streak, but missed out on the playoffs.  It was not a banner year for the Panthers (who went 0-5 against playoff teams), but youth and inexperience played a great deal into that.   LB Rayanthony Bruster and OL/DE Jeremiah Peters are among they key player that were seniors last season.

Schedule...
The 2014 schedule includes a rugged non-conference slate of Hudson (10-2), VASJ (9-2), and Mentor (13-2).  The LEL schedule is headlined by Cleveland Heights (27-5 last three seasons), Bedford (10-2 last season), and Warren Harding.  Euclid was a respectable 5-2 against the LEL last season.  Currently, Euclid has a nine game schedule.

2014 Euclid Outlook...
Dual threat QB Ryshon Johnson has been starting since he was a sophomore.  His continued development will be a big part of the team success.  Johnson was injured during the second half of last season.  Terry Duckworth, a sophomore last season, filled in for Johnson and helped the Panthers end the season on a winning note.  He will probably have a place on this team somewhere.  RB Taji Holden will be a key part of the Patherns' offense.  LB Harrison Roberts (Bowling Green commit) leads the defense and has the most impact of any player on the team.  LB Christian Woods is another key returning player on defense.  Given the returning players and looking at their schedule, it would be a success if the Panthers could find a way to have a winning record.

Next Preview:  Twinsburg (Week 4)

Opponent Preview: St Ignatius (Week 2)

This is the second of my previews of Mentor's opponents for the 2014 season.  See the Week 1 preview here.

Week 2

Who: St Ignatius

What:  Non-league game

Where: Byers Field

When: September 6th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Chuck Kyle (32nd season, 11 state titles)

History: St Ignatius leads the regular season series (6-3) dating back to 2005.  These Region 1 juggernauts have played in the playoffs four times since 2003 (Mentor leads playoff meetings 3-1).  

Looking Back...
St Ignatius was 8-5 (including playoffs) in 2013. One of the highlights of their roller coaster regular season was a pretty easy 26-6 win at Mentor in Week 2.  In an expanded Region 1 field, the Wildcats were able to make the playoffs as the 11 seed.  Ignatius picked up a couple of impressive playoff wins to set up another showdown with the Cardinals.  For the third straight season, Mentor and St Ignatius had a Week 13 rematch.  For the third straight season, the loser of the regular season game flipped the script in the playoff meeting.  In a cold, windy, and snowy November evening at Byers Field - Mentor had an impressive 26-3 win.  

Schedule...
The 2014 schedule includes in-state matchups with rival St Edward and Moeller, the two-time defending state champions.  Those two juggernauts along with Mentor and cross-state Jesuit rival St Xavier make up four of the top teams in Ohio according to nationalhsfootball.com.  Those are the only Ohio teams on the schedule.  Two games with Canadian teams, Erie McDowell, Lawrence Central (IN), St Joseph Prep (PA), and Paramus Catholic (NJ) make up the rest of the schedule.  On paper, Paramus (defeated Ignatius 44-10 in 2013) is easily the best of the non-Ohio teams.  The Wildcats have a few certain wins on the schedule - but the majority of the games will be very challenging.  A 7-3 or 8-2 season would be very impressive.

2014 St Ignatius Outlook...
The Wildcats are not strangers to reloading.  Coach Kyle is known to be very loyal to seniors, which explains why the majority of starters on a year to year basis are seniors.  St Ignatius will have to replace an excellent group of receivers (highlighted by Michael Siragusa), several linemen (including Notre Dame freshman Jimmy Byrne), and playmakers on defense like Dameon Willis.  As usual, St Ignatius will be working in a first-year starting varsity QB after the graduation of John Thomas.  The most talented returnee for the Cats is Dre'Mont Jones (6'4, 250) - a standout defensive end that has committed to Ohio State.  Geoff Dimassa is a talented returning outside linebacker.  Jones and Dimassa will be key to the Ignatius' 3-3 stack defense.  Junior OT Liam Eichenberg (6'5, 280) has offers from most of the major college programs - including Ohio State and Notre Dame.  Eichenberg is one of the top lineman in the country.  In the mix for starting QB is junior Dennis Grosel.  Promising junior RB James Norris and senior RB Chavez Perez could will play important roles in the offense.  Norris got some varsity experience as a sophomore - a very rare thing in Kyle's system.  Some of the receivers to look out for are David Shibley (team captain) and Cal Grbac (son of Elvis Grbac, former NFL QB).  Expect St Ignatius to have a disciplined defense and an efficient offense.  Their record may not end up reflecting it, but the Wildcats should be one of the top teams in Region 1.

Next Preview:  Euclid (Week 3)

Opponent Preview: Boardman (Week 1)

Here is the first of my previews of Mentor opponents for the 2014 season.  Every 2-3 days or so I will try to post some info on each opponent starting in Week 1 with Boardman.  It will lead up to the beginning of the season.

Week 1

Who: Boardman

What:  2014 regular season opener

Where:  Boardman Spartan Stadium

When:  August 29th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Joe Ignazio (2nd season as head coach)

History:  These two teams did not play last season.  Mentor had Erie McDowell in Week 1 and Boardman had Hilliard Darby.

Looking Back...
Boardman and Mentor had very different 2013 seasons.  The Spartans finished with just one win - and it came against Massillon Perry (0-10).  Mentor (13-2) was the state runners-up.  Offensively, Boardman averaged 9.2 ppg last season.  Mentor scored 35+ in 13 of their 15 games.

Schedule...
Aside from replacing Hilliard Darby with Mentor, the 2014 schedule is the same as 2013.  Boardman has a rugged non-conference schedule which also includes Mooney (DIV runners-up in 2013), Fitch (12-1), and Poland (DIII regional semifinalist).  Boardman plays in the Federal League - consistently one of the state's top big school football conferences.  Even with some expected improvement, the Spartans will have their hands full again in 2014 with a pretty demanding schedule.

2014 Boardman Outlook...
Moving down to Division II last season, Boardman (1-9) had one of their most disappointing seasons in their proud program's history.  A low turnout led to the program cancelling the JV season, left with roughly 40 players in the program.  Most of the top offensive players (including their QB, top linemen, and leading rushers/receivers) from 2013 were seniors.  This was a team that didn't have a lot of success and really can't blame it on a rebuilding season with the number of seniors in key starting positions.  One position of strength will be at linebacker.   Evan Croutch and Mario Graziani received all-district mention.  Croutch (6'1, 225) was a standout LB that has multiple scholarship offers, including Buffalo.  Graziani, also a standout wrestler, was a standout sophomore last season.  Unfortunately for any Boardman fans reading, I don't expect a season much better than 2013.

Next Preview:  St Ignatius (Week 2)