Opponent Preview: Brunswick (Week 7)

Week 7

Who: Brunswick Blue Devils (5-5 in 2017)

What: Greater Cleveland Conference game

Where: Jerome T Osborne Stadium

When: October 11th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Mark Pinzone (3rd season at Brunswick, 6-14 record)

History: Mentor has won nine in a row (including a playoff win in 2014) over Brunswick since the two joined the same league in 2010. One of the biggest games in the histories of both programs was a state semifinal matchup in 2007. Mentor defeated Brunswick, 39-14. 

Looking Back...

From 1995-2009, Brunswick had 12 playoff appearances that included multiple league championships and two regional titles. Pinzone followed up a solid first season with a very tough 2018. The Blue Devils finished 1-9 after a 5-5 season the year before. Mentor shutout Brunswick (35-0) last season. Offensively, the Blue Devils scored 7 or less points in seven of their ten games. They only scored more than 17 points once - a 31-0 against Elyria. The last thing Brunswick wants to do is to look back on 2018. 

Schedule...

In non-conference, Brunswick has three different opponents from 2018. Lorain (6-4 in 2018), North Royalton (4-6), and Rhodes (2-8). These are all games that the Blue Devils should be competitive, and quite possible have chances to win. A 2-1 start before league play would not be surprising. Brunswick struggled in league play last year, as their only victory was against winless Elyria. The top of the league is going to be a daunting challenge for the Blue Devils. League games against Shaker, Elyria, and rival Strongsville will make or break their season. 

2019 Brunswick Outlook...

QB Jacob Scherette returns after starting last season as a sophomore. He was used more in a running role than passing. If there is some hope for Brunswick to improve in 2019 on offense, the running game will need to be a strength. All-district tackle Tomas Rimac (6'6, 280) will lead the offensive line. Defensively, the team is going to need to get some consistency if they are going to try and build back into becoming a program that can make the playoffs. For this season, there are a few winnable games. But against the top of the league, expect this to be another challenging season for the Blue Devils. 


Next Preview: Shaker Heights (Week 8)

Pre-Season All GCC Team

Offense

QB Ian Kipp, Mentor - All eyes will be on the talented dual threat junior QB (1,427 passing yards, 12 TD's in 2018) that has several DI offers

RB Brian Trobel, Mentor - The deepest position in the league, Trobel stands out as a 1st Team All-Ohio back with over 1,400 yards and 28 TD's

RB Khalil Eichelberger, Solon - As a sophomore, Eichelberger was the workhorse as he ran for nearly 1,000 yards to go along with 12 TD's

WR Luke Floriea, Mentor - One of the top slot receivers in Ohio, the Boston College commit has been an impact player since his sophomore season

WR Luke Hensley, Medina - As a sophomore, he was one of the leading receivers on a record setting offense last year

WR Justin Luke, Mentor - The second leading returning receiver behind Floriea, expect a big season as Kipp should air it our more in 2019

OL Blake Miller Strongsville - The 6'6, 300-pound sophomore already has a handful of DI offers, including Indiana and Iowa State.

OL Hunter Colao, Mentor - Started at guard as a sophomore last season, will transition to tackle in 2019

OL John Brown, Euclid - The lone returning starter from a big and talented offensive line a season ago

OL Tomam Rimac, Brunswick - The 6'6, 280-pound senior was the lone Blue Devil with any All-District recognition in 2018

OL Nick Ferguson, Shaker - This big (6'5, 320) and athletic junior, who also plays basketball, has an offer from Toledo

Defense

DE Najee Story, Solon - Solon's defense will start up front with this talented junior who has offers that include Alabama and Ohio State

DT Ty'wan Johnson, Euclid - The senior tackle is a key returning starter up front for the Panthers

DE Noah Nunn, Medina - The 6'3, 220-pound senior was 1st Team All-District for the Bees last season

DE Andrew Keating, Strongsville - The 6'3, 215-pound senior was one of the Mustangs' biggest defensive playmakers a season ago

LB Jackson Paglio, Mentor - After transitioning well to linebacker in 2018, the three-year starter will continue to be a central part of Mentor's defense

LB RJ Howard, Solon - A talented athlete on both sides of the field that makes his presence known by getting into the backfield to make plays

DB Grant McCurry, Solon - The two-way standout led the Comets in interceptions and was the leading tackler in the secondary in 2018

DB Noah Gladish, Mentor - One of three returning starters from the secondary, the junior had a breakout game against Strongsville in Week 11 with two pick-sixes

DB Cameron Jones Jr., Shaker - The three year starter received All-District honorable mention in 2018

DB Atiba Fitz, Euclid - Dangerous in all three facets of the game, the junior standout will be one of Euclid's top playmakers

Opponent Preview: Solon (Week 6)

Week 6

Who: Solon Comets

What: Greater Cleveland Conference game

Where: Solon Stewart Field

When: October 4th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Jim McQuaide (133-50 record at Solon, 219-112 overall)

History: These two power programs have played every season since the late 90's. Mentor narrowly leads the overall series, 13-12. Solon leads the regular season series 12-9, but the Cards have won all four playoff matchups (2002, 2006, 2007, 2011). 

Looking Back...
In a series that has seen some ebbs and flows, Solon has lately been getting the better of Mentor as they have won three of the last four games. That included last season's 29-28 overtime win at the JTO, spoiling Mentor's hopes of their first undefeated season since 2003. Solon had an 8-2 regular season that included the Comets winning their first six games. Solon followed up one of their most impressive regular season wins under McQuaide with a narrow win over Shaker and an upset loss to Medina. The Comets lost in the first round of the playoffs to Canton McKinley, 28-15. Solon graduated several All-District talent, including OL/DT Nate Leskovec (Harvard), WR Trevon Raphael, LB Jeff Barnett (Ashland), OL Ron Carr (Duke), DE David Marbury, and DE Nick Close. 

Schedule...
Solon maintains a smart non-conference schedule filled with winnable games against nearby teams that all have experienced some level of recent success.  All three (Twinsburg, Stow, and Hudson) play in the Suburban Conference. Hudson (3-7 in 2018) had an unusual losing season after seven straight playoff appearances from 2011-2017. Twinsburg finished 5-5 last year after several losing seasons in a row. Stow, a team with four playoff appearances since 2013, has beaten the Comets three of the last four meetings. Solon has every reason to believe they can start 3-0, but it won't be a walk in the park. In the league, the Comets have done fairly well in the GCC. They have split their eight games against fellow top dogs Mentor/Euclid since the league was formed in 2015. Since 2004, Solon has gone 38-4 against Shaker, Strongsville, Medina, and Elyria. The Comets have lost to Medina the past two years, so that is a game they would certainly like to right. Solon should be favorites in at least 7 or 8 of the games on their schedule. 

2019 Solon Outlook...
Solon had put a couple sophomores in prominent positions last season. Now as experienced juniors, QB Pat McQuaide and RB Khalil Eichelberger will be counted on to lead the offense. McQuaide completed 48% of his passes last year and ended up with 1,144 yards and 12 TD's. Eichelberger rushed for 900 yards and 15 TD's last season. While they bring back their starting running back, the Comets did graduate their biggest playmakers at receiver. Ethan Wong (10 catches, 153 yards, 4 TD's) is the most experienced returning wideout. Grant McCurry and Ethan McGhee were experienced varsity players last year that should be important parts of the offense in 2019. After easing into the position, Solon's offense will rise and fall on the arm of McQuaide. The majority of the starting offensive line, led by Leskovec/Carr, will need to be replaced. Expect the running game to be solid, but the passing game will need to be efficient in order for Solon to beat Mentor, win the league, and be a threat in the Region 1 playoffs. Disappointing ending aside, the team Mentor saw in Week 8 last season played like a playoff team. 

For the last 20 years, Solon has been one of the most consistently good teams defensive side of the ball in Northeast Ohio. That side of the ball will need to continue to be a strength, even though they graduated a lot of talent. The defensive line took a big hit with Leskovec, Marbury, and Close. The good news is they bring back another standout from the Comets' 2021 class. Junior Najee Story, offered by Ohio State and Alabama, is one of the most highly recruited players at his position in country. Story (6'4, 235) will command a lot of attention by opposing lines. At linebacker, expect RJ Howard to have a big season. He played extremely well (17 tackles) in the upset win over Mentor in 2018. Grant McCurry, like his older brothers before him, returns as a standout in the Comet secondary. Solon did lost the majority of their defensive starters, but some good pieces return. Not to mention, the coaching staff has done a great job at preparing the "next man up" on that side of the ball. 

Solon will be one of Mentor's toughest games as usual. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Comets still undefeated by the time Mentor travels to Stewart Field in Week 6. The league title and lots of computer points should once again be at stake in this highly anticipated rivalry matchup.

Next Preview:  Brunswick (Week 7)

Opponent Preview: Medina (Week 5)

Week 5

Who: Medina Bees (5-5 in 2018)

What: Greater Cleveland Conference game

Where: Jerome T Osborne Stadium

When: September 27th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Larry Laird (4th season at Medina, 18-14 record)

History: Mentor has played Medina six times in league play since 2011, winning all six. Last season, the Cardinals won on the road by a score of 49-10. 

Looking Back...

Medina had one of the toughest schedules in Ohio last season. They faced only one two teams with losing records. Their three non-conference opponents were a combined 25-5. They also had to deal with a top four in the GCC that was as strong as ever. The Bees started off the season 2-1 before a five game losing streak halted their season. They won their final three, which included a big win over Solon, to climb to .500. The Bees were just a fraction of a point away from making the playoffs on the strength of their wins over Cleveland Heights (7-3 in 2018), Highland (8-2), and Solon (8-2). QB Ryan Fischer, WR Chris Kelly, and OL Ralph King are among the All-District standouts that graduated. Fischer set the single season team record for passing yards last season. 

Schedule...

According to simulation guru Drew Pasteur, Medina had the 7th toughest schedule in Division I last season. For 2019, the schedule is the same. This is the biggest obstacle to a hopeful season for the Bees. The non-conference portion features three tough opponents that all won 7+ games in 2018. Medina did beat Cleveland Heights and Highland last season, but both of those teams will be stiff challenges out of the gate. In Week 3, the Bees have Wadsworth - a team that was undefeated in the regular season in 2018. That is followed by games against Euclid and Mentor, the favorites in the GCC. The first half of Medina's schedule has teams that combined to go 42-8 last season. Finding a way to survive the first five will be the difference between Medina being in playoff contention or not. If they can start at least 2-3, the second half of the schedule is much friendlier. From start to finish, Medina has one of the tougher schedules in Ohio. 

2019 Medina Outlook...

Medina was a senior-laden team in 2018, but their football numbers are growing and their JV/freshman teams were strong last season. Laird has helped move the football program in the right direction. One of the top returning players is WR Luke Hensley, who had a standout sophomore season in 2018. Hensley will be a top target for the new QB. Joining Hensley on offense is returning reciever Kaedin Andrasik, who had a solid season in 2018. Ryan Gillespie (6'4, 225) was the backup last year as a sophomore. The 6'4 lefty looks to be in line to take over for last year's record-setting QB, Ryan Fischer. Laird transitioned last year's offense to a five-out set without a RB. It is unknown if that same offense will carry over into 2019 with some new faces at QB and WR. 

Defensively, it starts up front with DE Noah Nunn (6'4, 225). Nunn was a 1st Team All-District player last season that also could see some snaps on offense if a tight end is called for. LB's Nathan Spatny and Ethan Silvis are key returning starters that should help bring strength to the front seven. The Bees will need to improve some on defense last year after surrendering 35 points per game during their five game losing streak in 2018. 

Next Preview: Solon (Week 6)

Opponent Preview: Elyria (Week 4)

Week 4

Who: Elyria Pioneers

What: Greater Cleveland Conference game

Where: Ely Stadium

When: September 20th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Devlin Culliver (1st 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 three games against the Pioneers, averaging 55 points per game. 

Looking Back...
Nearly four 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 4-27 since that Week 10 win over Mentor in 2015. Last season was Coach Sean Arno's second and last season, as they were just 1-19 since 2017. They were shutout four times last season and the defense gave up 40+ points in eight games. The last thing Elyria wants to do is look back. 

Schedule...
The Pioneers begin the season with Midview (2-8 in 2018) and Bedford (1-9), a couple of teams that struggled last season as well. Bedford's only win last year was against Elyria. Lorain (6-4) is the toughest of the Pioneers' non-conference schedule. Elyria has finished last in the GCC the past three seasons. They were winless in 2018 and the closest league loss was by 23 points. Competing in league games, let alone finding a win or two, will not come easy. 

2019 Elyria Outlook...
Elyria's third coach in four seasons is hoping to turn some things around. Devlin Culliver takes over the program after coaching a few different area programs (Shaw, Harvey, Maple Heights) over the past 20 years. Culliver coached Shaw in the early 2000's before heading over to Harvey in 2006. Culliver guided Harvey to a 15-15 record in three seasons, which included two league titles. He returned to coaching in 2012 at Maple Heights, where he had guided the Mustangs to a 2014 playoff berth. Elyria is the first DI coaching job for Culliver. Under a new coaching staff, Elyria has to climb out of the basement of the GCC now in order to approach where the program was earlier this decade under coach Kevin Fell. Elyria did open up a brand new stadium last year, so this will be Mentor's first trip to the newest stadium in the GCC.

It looks like linebacker should be a position of strength for the Pioneers. Seniors Ben Doehr and Michael Knapp are returning starters that received All-District recognition in 2018. DE/TE Tyren Lee (6'6, 255) is a big two way player that also received some league and district honors last season. Halfway through the season, Elyria had a QB change as sophomore Daylan Sharlow was inserted during the Shaker Heights game. He held onto the job the rest of the season and showed some potential. This year, Sharlow is a junior QB with a good amount of varsity experience. Some other skill players got time as sophomores in 2018, such as WR Jesse Stephens and RB Jaheim Atkinson. This should help provide Sharlow with some familiarity. It will be a transition year for the Pioneers and new coach, Culliver. After an 0-10 season, they will be looking to take baby steps toward returning to being a winning football program. The first two weeks of the season are the most likely places for Elyria to find some victories. If they start 0-2 against Midview (2-8 last year) and Bedford (1-9), it could be a very long season. 

Next Preview: Medina (Week 5)

Triv's Top Regular Season Wins (2011-2018)

In honor of Coach Trivisonno's final season as Mentor head coach, I took a trip down memory lane to highlight the top ten wins over his career. The first five were highlighted here. Here is the rest of the top ten, in date order:

Mentor 38 St Ignatius 24 (2011): The 2011 Mentor team can easily be forgotten when thinking of Triv's all-time great teams due to them not winning the region - something that five other Mentor teams have done. But this team was really, really good. The offense threw away the RB position and relied on a 5-out spread offense led by junior QB Mitch Trubisky. The defense featured DE Tom Strobel and LB Kurt Laseak, two of the very best Triv has coached on that side of the ball. This group gave St Ignatius, the eventual state champions, all they could handle. The Wildcats' ferocious defense allowed an average of 13.6 points per game, not including this Week 3 loss. But on this night, the Mentor offense was clicking on all cylinders as Trubisky threw for nearly 500 yards. A trio of standout receivers (Cameron Kavan, Brandon Fritts, and Conner Krizancic) had their way in the Ignatius secondary. Kavan had a team-record 283 receiving yards. This is the first of two times that Mentor would have a win over a soon-to-be state champion.

Mentor 44 Solon 20 (2011): No team has played Mentor more times than Solon since Triv became coach. Of all the regular season wins over the Comets, this is the one that stands out most. It was a Thursday night. Both teams were 6-0, the top ranked teams in NEO. A packed house at Solon Stewart Field in front of a large and lively crowd. The game was live on Fox Sports Ohio - a showcase night for both teams as they had tens of thousands of HS football fans across the state watching. Mentor jumped out to an early lead and never really let up. The Trubisky-led offense, which also featured Brandon Fritts and Conner Krizancic, was on full display for the entire state to see. The Comets (10-2, both losses to Mentor) were a good football team, nearly upsetting the Cards in a November rematch. Mentor showed on this televised night that offense was truly destined for greatness. On the strength of quality wins like St Ignatius and Solon, the team would soon become the No. 1 ranked team in the AP poll for the first and only time in Triv's career.

Mentor 63 St Ignatius 56 (2015): These two friendly rivals have squared off 19 times since 2003. In hindsight, neither of these teams ended up meeting the pre-season hype or expectations set before them. Mentor finished with an 8-4 record that included a Week 12 loss to St Edward. St Ignatius went on miss the playoffs for just the second time since the late 80's. But at the time the game was played, this win was as exciting and fulfilling as any in the series. Entering the game, Mentor and St Ignatius were the top ranked teams in the Cleveland-area. The game featured over 1,400 yards of total offense from both teams. Sophomore QB Tadas Tatrunas had a night to remember with a record 523 passing yards. Receiver Jason Blizzard surpassed Cameron Kavan's single game receiving record (also set against St Ignatius) with 342 yards. Both teams moved the ball and scored at will. But it was Mentor that got the last score with 8 seconds left in a game that ultimately became the difference between one team making the playoffs and one team sitting at home in Week 11.

Mentor 42 St Edward 39 (2018): Last season, Mentor was coming off a surprising state final run that really began with an upset over the Eagles in the regional semifinal. These two met in Week 1 in a highly anticipated matchup. Mentor was breaking in first year starters at key positions, like sophomore QB Ian Kipp and junior RB Brian Trobel. Running behind a strong offensive line, the Cardinals churned out 386 yards on the ground as they ran the ball down the Eagles' throat. After a modest offensive night through three quarters (Mentor held a 21-14 lead), the two teams exploded for 46 4th quarter points. Mentor was mostly in control as the Eagles scored a last second touchdown to close the gap at the end. Kipp was excellent in his debut - efficient with his arm (14-18, 114 passing yards) and dangerous with his legs (192 rushing yards). Trobel finished with 192 yards and 4 TD's. This was followed by a 21-7 win at Byers against St Ignatius, making it arguably the most successful back-to-back regular season stretch in Mentor history. The Eagles would eventually beat Mentor in a November regional final rematch and win their 4th state title. This was the second regular season win that Triv had over an eventual state champ. 

Mentor 29 Euclid 7 (2018): This game was probably the most hyped Mentor/Euclid showdown in many years, maybe ever. Both teams were looking strong as Region 1 contenders. Mentor was coming off a stunning 29-28 overtime loss at home the prior week. During that Solon game, Mentor lost QB Ian Kipp to injury. Star RB Brian Trobel was also dealing with an injury. Heading into Mentor's first game at Euclid's beautiful new stadium, things weren't looking good. With the offense unable to be at full strength, the game was put in the hands of Mentor's defense. They answered the call by stuffing Euclid's strong running attack, which featured talented Michigan State-bound RB Brandon Wright. For the game, Euclid had just 118 yards on the ground. Junior defensive back Marco Toth was responsible for three turnovers. Luke Floriea was Kipp's replacement at QB as the offense did enough to get the job done. RB Varney Spansel spelled Trobel and got in the endzone twice. Considering the talent of the opposition and the injuries to two key players, it was one of the most impressive regular season wins under Trivisonno. The win helped secure Mentor's standings near the top of the region as well as win the GCC. 

Coming Soon: Triv's Top Ten Playoff Wins

Opponent Preview: Clarkson Football North (Week 3)

This is the third of my previews of Mentor's opponents for the 2018 season.  See the Week 2 preview (St Ignatius) here

Week 3

Who: Clarkson Football North (Canada)

What: Non-league game

Where: Jerome T. Osborne Stadium 

When: September 13th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Larry Jusdanis

History: Mentor has absolutely zero history with Clarkson Football North. This is believed to be the first time that Mentor is playing a team from Canada. 

Looking Back...
Football North is a Canadian football academy school that aims to be a big time attraction for the best of the best in Canada, and even some players from the United States. As they look to establish a talented roster, the program tries to put themselves on the map by playing quite a daunting schedule. Last season, Football North played several teams from Ohio: Moeller, Elder, St Xavier, St Ignatius, and Lorain. They went 1-4 in those games (beating Lorain), but Football North was pretty competitive in some losses. The closest was a 21-13 loss to Region 4 runner-up, Elder. Overall, the team finished 6-6. The biggest win on the year was against Erie Cathedral Prep, a state champion last season. 

Schedule...
Due to their chase of high profile status, Football North maintains their high profile schedule. Half of their schedule are Ohio schools: St Ignatius, St Edward, Elder, St Xavier, Lorain, and Mentor. If last year was any indication, don't expect a whole of computer points to come from Football North. They do play a 12 game schedule, but only 10 will be included in the computer point calculations. Cathedral Prep (PA), a two-time defending state champion, is back on the schedule. They also play one of the IMG Academy teams, Maryland powerhouse Saint Frances (a team that beat them 64-6 last season), and their partner school - St Joseph Football North. Football North managed to finish 6-6 last year, but this schedule is even tougher than last year. 

2019 Football North Outlook...
Due to the nature of being a Canadian school as well as being a type of football academy where players often come and go, it isn't easy at this point to project what Football North will bring to the table. For instance, last year's star RB (Brendan Barrow) has transferred for his senior season to a school in Florida. Barrow has several DI college offers. In terms of individual talent, this team will still have some. QB Quincy Vaughn, named the team's MVP in 2018, is a 6'4 senior that has committed to play at Old Dominion. Fellow QB Callum Wither already has a few MAC offers before his sophomore season has even started. Justin Stevens (6'6, 285) is an offensive lineman that has a few offers from MAC schools. Tyrell Lawrence (6'7, 370), who boasts an offer from Tennessee, is another huge offensive lineman. On defense, 6'1, 185-pound DB Peter Kemeni recently committed to play football at Ohio University. 

It can't be denied that there is some quality individual talent on this roster. They have several guys on their roster that will be playing college football. But throwing together a bunch of individual pieces doesn't work out so well in a team-oriented game like football. Mentor, and all of the Ohio teams they play, will have a huge advantage in continuity and consistency. Football North has bit off more than they can chew when it comes to the schedule, but wins and losses aren't as concerning for them as they are for Ohio teams. This is a game that was scheduled out of desperation on Mentor's part. Clearly, very few teams in NEO want any part of the Cardinals. Football North will get to showcase their team to a lot of talented teams across Ohio. Getting victories will be tough to come by. This is a game that Mentor should win, but not one that will generate much in terms of computer points. 

Next Preview: Elyria (Week 4)