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#1
11-24-07, 09:04 PM
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State Championship: Mentor
Next Saturday, December 1st
the St. Xavier Bombers (14-0) will meet the Mentor High Fighting Cardinals (12-2) at Canton's Fawcett Stadium - 7:00 PM for the 2007 Division 1 State Championship title. Mentor High School football websites..... http://www.mentorhigh.com/sports07/fall/football/ http://www.1team1dream.com/ 
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#2
11-24-07, 09:08 PM
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2007 game results for Mentor....
8/24 A Cardinal Mooney (13-0) [4:13] L 10-21 8/31 H Strongsville (6-4) [1:1] W 44-28 9/7 A Solon (9-3) [1:1] W 27-0 9/14 H St Ignatius (8-3) [1:1] W 38-17 9/21 A Massillon Washington (6-4) [1:2] W 56-52 9/28 A Euclid (9-2) [1:1] L 34-35 10/6 A Shaker Heights (1-9) [1:1] W 49-7 10/12 H Maple Heights (7-3) [2:5] W 55-0 10/26 H Cleveland Heights (3-7) [1:1] W 66-35 11/3 H # Riverside (7-4) [1:1] W 38-14 11/10 N # Solon (9-3) [1:1] W 23-13 11/17 N # Glenville (10-3) [1:1] W 41-40 11/24 N # Brunswick (13-0) [1:2] W 39-14 # - Ohio playoff game
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#3
11-24-07, 09:25 PM
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Mentor lost in the 2006 State Championship game - 2 OTs
against Hilliard Davidson. Here's article from their website re: last year's game... CARDINAL FOOTBALL ENDEAVOR Support came from all around the globe. Visitors arrived from California for the game. License plates from Tennessee were seen outside the stadium supporting the Cards with their window chalk. An email arrived Saturday morning from Hong Kong, China wishing coach Triv and the Cardinals "Good Luck." Fans drove from all around to pack Fawcett Stadium only see the season end on a 36-35 loss to the Hilliard Davidson Wildcats in the 2nd overtime. Mentor scored first after only 3 minutes with a 27 yard TD pass from Bart Tanski to Brandon James. The Cards increased the lead to 14-0 in the 2nd quarter on a 20 yard strike from Tanski to Tyler Schutz. Hilliard then scored twice to tie the score. Mentor took the lead with 8:50 left in the 4th quarter on Tanski's second TD toss to Schutz for 6 yards. Hilliard tied the game again with 3:29 left in regulation as the game headed into overtime. Hilliard scored first in the OT only to be matched by a Tanski to Steve Orkis strike. In the second OT, Mentor scored first on a Bill Deitmen 1 yard run. The extra point was good giving Mentor a 7 point lead. Hilliard ran into the end zone and then successfully ran for a 2 point conversion giving the Cards the heartbreaking 36-35 loss. The team ends the highlight packed season with a 13-2 record and lasting memories for all who supported us ... including those half way around the world. GO CARDS!
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#4
11-24-07, 11:00 PM
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AP article re: Mentor's Semi-Final victory...
Tanski throws for 3 TDs in Mentor's 39-14 win over Brunswick PARMA, Ohio (AP) — Bart Tanski passed for 321 yards and three touchdowns to lead Mentor to a 39-14 win over Brunswick in a Division I state semifinal Saturday night. Mentor (11-2) will play Cincinnati St. Xavier (14-0) in the championship next Saturday in Canton. The Cardinals lost the title game last year to Hilliard Davidson, 36-35, in double overtime. Trailing 14-10 at halftime, Mentor forced four second-half turnovers and scored 29 unanswered points, sending Brunswick (13-1) to its only loss of the season. Brunswick's Sean Bedevelsky threw two touchdown passes in the first half but had three interceptions in the second half. He finished with 260 yards passing. Last edited by NYCBlue : 11-25-07 at 06:08 AM.
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#5
11-25-07, 06:14 AM
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Cleveland Plain Dealer game article...
Cardinals fly past Devils, back to final For Mentor, it's never been about finishing what it started this season. It's always been about completing what the Cardinals left undone last year. Haunted for 12 months by a double-overtime loss in the 2006 state championship game, Mentor will face those demons head on this week in another Division I state final. The Cardinals earned the right after clearing an enormous hurdle Saturday night in Byers Field. Led by a stunning second-half defensive performance, Mentor came from behind and ran away with a 39-14 victory over Brunswick in the much-anticipated Division I state semifinal showdown of Greater Cleveland's powerhouse offenses. Trailing, 14-10, at halftime, Mentor forced four second-half turnovers and scored 29 unanswered points. "We talked about it all year," Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno told his players after the game. "Now you're going back to the state finals. Now we're going to finish." Mentor (11-2), ranked 10th in the final state poll, plays No. 1 Cincinnati St. Xavier (14-0) at Canton Fawcett Stadium next Saturday at 7 p.m. St. Xavier, also ranked No. 2 in several national polls, beat Dublin Coffman in the other semifinal, 10-7. "This is a big moment for us," Mentor quarterback Bart Tanski said. "Going back [to the state final] two years in a row is huge, and to beat a good team like Brunswick is a big accomplishment for our team." Tanski passed for 321 yards and three touchdowns. Brunswick finished 13-1, and the loss was just the second quarterback Sean Bedevelsky and many of the Blue Devils seniors suffered at any level of high school football, including a 24-2 varsity record the past two years. "It's been so much fun," Bedevelsky said, choking back tears. "My freshman year, I never thought we'd be this good, but we kept proving people wrong. It had to end somewhere, and tonight was our night." Bedevelsky threw touchdown passes of 16 and 54 yards to Jordan Gribble and Ben Karaba in the first half, but Bedevelsky threw three interceptions in the second half and another reception resulted in a fumble. He passed for 260 yards. "They picked up what we were doing great in the second half," Bedevelsky said. "They were dropping defensive ends into coverage and switching up man to zone. It was hard to pick up what they were doing." Mentor junior safety Nick Krantz had an interception and forced a fumble. The Cardinals also forced a punt that resulted in a safety. Other big performers included defensive linemen Nick Koshiol, Josh Freeman and Ben Pike, as well as linebackers Shane Mytro and J.J. Laseak. Pike and Mytro also had interceptions. "This gives us more motivation for next week that we can play with any offense in the state of Ohio," Laseak said. The Cardinals outscored Brunswick, 15-0, in the first six minutes of the third quarter for a 25-14 lead. Tanski threw touchdown passes of 7 and 9 yards to Cory Zikesch and Mike Popelas, respectively. In between, a snap over punter Bedevelsky's head forced him to kneel in the end zone for a safety. A series of three turnovers late in the third quarter, two by Brunswick and one by Mentor, ended with the ball in the Cardinals' hands at the Mentor 32. Seven plays later, Steve Orkis caught an 11-yard pass to the 15, and on the next play, Orkis threw a big block to free Tom Worden for a 15-yard touchdown run and a 32-14 lead 22 seconds into the fourth quarter.
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#6
11-25-07, 06:17 AM
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Cleveland PD game reaction article...
Cardinals happy, but not satisfied Mission accomplished. Almost. Mentor (11-2) became the fourth Ohio public school to reach the big-school division state finals in consecutive seasons with its 39-14 win over Brunswick at Byers Field in the state semifinals Saturday. Now the Cardinals, who lost to Hilliard Davidson, 36-35, in two overtimes in the Division I state finals last season, are seeking their first-ever state championship. "We knew the key was containing their quarterback [Sean Bedevelsky]," Cardinals junior linebacker Nicholas Koshiol said. "But it wasn't easy." The Blue Devils' defense bent but did not break in the first half as Brunswick held the potent Cardinals offense, which had been averaging about 40 points per game, to 10 points - a 24-yard field goal by Kevin Harper and a 45-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bart Tanski to senior wide receiver Steven Orkis. Harper also missed 42- and 25-yard field goal tries in the first two quarters. No one expected Mentor to shut out the Blue Devils in the second half, but the game unraveled quickly for Brunswick (13-1). The Cardinals' defense adjusted, Tanski got hot and Brunswick came out cold in the third quarter on a chilly, numbing night when having ice in your veins wasn't a problem for either team. "It was a big night, but we still have another game to go," said junior defensive back Nicholas Krantz, who recovered a fumble by Brunswick senior wide receiver Ben Karaba and also intercepted Bedevelsky at the Mentor 48-yard line in the second half. "We knew they were going to come out passing and if we could keep them out of the end zone, we'd come back and win." The Cardinals scored quickly in the third quarter to take a 17-14 lead, and stopped Brunswick on three plays at the 26-yard line. But on fourth down, Brunswick's center snapped the ball over the head of Bedevelsky - who was in to punt - and into the end zone where Bedevelsky fell on it for a safety and Mentor led, 19-14. The Cardinals scored seven plays later as Tanski found wide receiver Cory Zikesch open in the end zone and the Blue Devils never recovered. "It was one of several things that didn't go right for us," Brunswick coach Rich Nowak said. "We came a little unglued. But my kids never gave up. We're hurting a little, now, but we lost to a very good football team. I wish them the best." Down, 32-14, Bedevelsky tried to rally his team. But the Cardinals were ready for the pass. "Brunswick was running lots of hitches, so we tried to move out on them and pick one off," said senior linebacker Shane Mytro, who intercepted Bedevelsky at the Mentor 47-yard line with less than five minutes to play in the game. "I was able to get underneath and made a big play. But we still have business to take care of next week."
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#7
11-26-07, 05:59 AM
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From 2'day's Cleveland Plain Dealer....
State-final experience? Playing in their second state final is a big deal for most of Mentor's football players. Some, however, already have been there, done that. A trio of seniors - offensive tackle Brad Bednar and wide receivers Cory Zikesch and Tyler Schutz - are headed to their third state final in 12 months. They not only played in last December's double-overtime loss to Hilliard Davidson, they also were on the baseball team that lost to Lakota West, 4-0, in the state final last June. That's a lot of silver and no gold. "Now we know what we have to do, because we've lost in two state championships, and both times we could have won it. That just pushes us more. We want to win," Zikesch said. Zikesch was the leadoff hitter and center fielder on the baseball team. Bednar and Schutz were backups who did not play in the final. "I didn't used to think experience was that big a deal if you had the athletic ability," Schutz said. "I've learned experience is a big factor, especially with nerves in big games. Experience calms you down and you're more confident in your ability." All three Cardinals are prominent players this fall as Mentor (11-2) gears up to face Cincinnati St. Xavier (14-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday in Canton's Fawcett Stadium. The state finals in all six divisions Friday and Saturday will be telecast live by SportsTime Ohio. St. Xavier, ranked No. 1 in the final state poll and No. 2 in most national polls, beat Massillon in the 2005 football title game. Saturday's game will match the state's top offense and defense. St. Xavier has allowed 9.5 points per game against a schedule that included Glenville, St. Edward and St. Ignatius. After beating nationally ranked Colerain in a regional final, 31-6, St. Xavier struggled in a 10-7 state semifinal win over Dublin Coffman, particularly against Coffman's spread offense. Mentor lives by the spread. Quarterback Bart Tanski has passed for 3,001 yards and 25 touchdowns. He has four senior receivers, including Steve Orkis and Mike Popelas, among whom he distributes the ball evenly. Running back Tom Worden leads a ground game that has rushed for more than 200 yards each of the last two weeks. St. Xavier's offense has overcome the loss of injured quarterback Jon Hurley six weeks ago with the steady play of sophomore Luke Massa. Stellar tailback Darius Ashley is healthy after missing four regular-season games. Mentor's oft-maligned defense is coming off its best game of the season, a 39-14 victory over Brunswick. Schutz watched a televised replay of the St. Xavier-Coffman game Sunday and came away impressed, to a point. "Defensively, they're going to be the best team we've played all year, and they have a great running back and offensive line," he said. "If we're clicking on all cylinders, there's nothing you can do, regardless of what kind of athletes you have. There's so many weapons, you can't key on anyone." Last edited by NYCBlue : 11-26-07 at 12:44 PM.
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#8
11-26-07, 06:43 AM
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Canton Ohio weekend weather forecast
per National Weather Service.... Friday... Partly cloudy in the morning...then becoming cloudy. A chance of rain or snow showers. Highs around 40. Chance of precipitation 30 percent. Friday Night... Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s. Saturday... Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 30s. Saturday Night... Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow showers. Lows in the lower 20s. Sunday... A chance of snow showers in the morning. Cloudy with a chance of rain showers. Highs in the lower 40s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent
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#9
11-26-07, 08:02 AM
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Cleveland PD has video & pix from Mentor's Semi-final victory over Brunswick.....
http://www.cleveland.com/hsfootball/hsfootballweekly/
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#10
11-26-07, 08:15 AM
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Links re: Bart Tanski - Mentor's star QB.....
http://ohiostate.rivals.com/viewpros...1&pr_key=59273 http://www.cleveland.com/hssports/pl...110.xml&coll=2 http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/2...rt-tanski.html http://blog.cleveland.com/tlr/2007/0..._ignatius.html
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#11
11-26-07, 08:27 AM
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Quote:
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#13
11-27-07, 12:09 AM
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Quote:
 Was I at the same game?
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#14
11-27-07, 12:13 AM
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#16
11-27-07, 07:38 PM
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Weekly Web Interview with St X Head Coach Steve Specht... http://www.stxavier.org/s/106/images...11-27-2007.wav
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#18
11-28-07, 07:11 AM
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Per Cleveland PD HS Gridiron blog...
The Cardinals Return to Canton Here we go again. The Mentor Cardinals become the fourth public big school to make back-to-back appearances in the state championship game. They join Warren Western Reserve, later known as Warren Harding, (1973-75), Cincinnati Princeton (1987-88), and Canton McKinley (1997-98) in this prestigious list. All three of those teams won at least one state championship during their consecutive visits to Ohio's big-school championship game. Mentor would love to join them on that list. The Long and Winding Road The road to the state finals began in the closing moments of last year's hearbreaking 36-35 double-overtime loss to Hilliard Davidson in the 2006 state championship game. Coach Trivisonno, the rest of the coaching staff, players, parents, and fans were absolutely stunned at the absolute horrible finish to what was a memorable and succesful season. In order to make a return to Fawcett in December of 2007, the team would have to recover from the losses of a big and talented defensive line, their starting running back (Bill Deitmen), and top wide receiver (Brandon James). Ten starters from the most succesful team in Mentor history returned for their senior seasons. Of course, Mr. Football hopeful Bart Tanski highlighted the returnees. All-Ohio lineman Brad Bednar, receivers Tyler Schutz, Steve Orkis, and Mike Popelas, linebacker J.J. Laseak, and kicker Kevin Harper were among the other notable returning starters. While all of these experienced players (some of which have been playing since they were sophomores) have brought Mentor back to Canton - don't overlook the play of "The Replacements". The Replacements It is a tough task to replace three defensive linemen (Steve Matas, Brady Demell, and Fred Hale) who all received Division I scholarship offers, but senior Josh Freeman (1st Team All-District this season) along with juniors Ben Pike and Nick Koshiol have done a good job replacing that departed college talent. They have gotten good pressure on QB's despite being a pretty small line. Pike's interception of Bedevelsky in the state semifnal was a thing of beauty. Who could replace the production of WR Brandon James? It is tough to replace someone of his size (6'3, 190), speed and talent. Look no further than Cory Zikesch. The senior wideout waited his turn behind the talented James to have a huge 2007. Zikesch led the team in receptions, touchdowns, and yards per catch. He joins Schutz, Orkis, and Popelas to form the most deadly receiving core in the state. Mentor graduated its entire secondary from 2006. Departed seniors like Ryan Dugan, Nate Wilson, Brandon Mack, and Danny Kelly were valuable assets to Mentor's run last season. Replacing the quartet are junior cornerbacks Nick Krantz and Ryan Mack (younger brother of Brandon) along with safeties Tim Moore and Jimmy Thompson, the lone senior in the defensive backfield. Moore and Krantz have been especially huge in this postseason run. Krantz forced two turnovers against Brunswick Saturday night and Moore has been making tackles left and right in the secondary. With no disrepsect to fantastic replacements like Zikesch, Freeman, Moore, and Krantz - the first-year starter with the biggest impact has been junior RB Tom Worden. The two previous backs earlier this decade were Matt Lieb (01-03) and Bill Deitmen (04-06). Both were 1st Team All-Ohio backs as seniors. After watching Mentor's running game struggle mightily against Mooney (Worden was unavailable in Week 1), it looked like the offense would be in trouble without a legitimate running back. Well, Worden started Week 2 against Strongsville and picked up over 150 yards and 2 touchdowns. The rest, as they say, is history. The 1st-Team All-District running back has gained over 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. History Speaking of history, the Mentor athletic program has a relatively vacant history when it comes to state championships. Despite having one of the most populous high schools over the last 30+ years, Mentor has only three state championship banners hanging in their gym. The most recent is the boys soccer team's 1994 state championship. No offense to soccer, track, or cross country (the only sports where Mentor has a state title) - but the school lacks a state championiship in one of the major boys/girls sports like football, volleyball, basketball, and baseball/softball. I wrote more about the heartbreaks for Mentor in an entry around this time last season. Instead of focussing my attention on the falls of Mentor teams from earlier this decade (you can read more about that in the other entry), let's take a look at Mentor athletics over the past 12 months. It has been quite a ride... December 2, 2006 - Mentor football falls to Hilliard Davidson, 36-35. Because of the magnitude of high school football in Ohio (and in Mentor), this was the toughest loss of any sport in school history. June 2, 2007 - Six months to the day of the football final, the baseball team made a run to the championship game. Football players like Brandon James, Cory Zikesch, Brad Bednar, and Tyler Schutz were on the baseball team that fell to Lakota West, 4-0. This wild game was delayed by thunderstorms and didn't even start until 10:30 p.m. Who knows what would have happned if the game started when it should have. November 2, 2007 - The boys soccer team wins the regional final by defeating Massillon Jackson, 1-0 in a shootout. The volleyball team won a thriller against Solon in the regional final. The volleyball team advanced to their 20th straight regional tournament and 4th state tournament under Coach Woodman. November 3, 2007 - A year after finishing 5th in the state, the boys cross country team once again finished near the top - but fell to 8th place. November 6, 2007 - As a result of some technicalities, the boys soccer team had to forfeit the win over Jackson and wasn't able to go the soccer state tournament. November 8, 2007 - Following a heated meeting with soccer parents, Mentor AD Dale Garris resigns from his position. November 9, 2007 - The volleyball team fell in the state semfinals to future state champion, Cincinnati St. Mother of Mercy. November 26, 2007 - The football team has one of their biggest victories in school history as they defeat Brunswick 39-14. It guarantees the team their second-straight appearance in the Division I state championship game. December 1, 2007 - 364 days after the football team fell to Hilliard Davidson, Mentor has a chance to redeem last year's loss as well as a hearbreaking past year of Cardinals' high school sports. Will they do it? I don't know, but I sure hope so.
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#19
11-28-07, 07:26 AM
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Latest Canton area weather report
per National Weather Service... Friday: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. West wind 7 to 10 mph increasing to between 15 and 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 36. Saturday Night: A chance of snow or rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Sunday: Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 39. Chance of precipitation is 60%. GO BOMBERS!!!
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#20
11-28-07, 08:04 AM
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Link to Columbus Dispatch HS football podcast...
Dispatch Assistant Sports Editor Scott Davis and high school sports reporters Steve Blackledge and Mark Znidar talk about last weekend's state semi-finals and this weekend's finals. X/Dublin Coffman discussion begins about 2 minutes into the podcast. X/Mentor preview starts about 14 minutes into the podcast. Interesting X analysis - some positive/some negative... from outside Cincy observers. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content.../number15.html Last edited by NYCBlue : 11-28-07 at 09:53 AM.
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#21
11-28-07, 09:53 PM
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Mentor QB = Mr Football '07
Per AP...
Mentor QB's knack for producing wins gets him Mr. Football award (AP) — There are two things that set Mentor's Bart Tanski apart from other kids his age: He has quarterbacking abilities that can't be taught, and he listens to Celine Dion music. More on the Canadian chanteuse's songs later. What's more important is that Tanski is the winner of the 21st annual Associated Press Mr. Football award, emblematic of the top prep player in Ohio. Tanski, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior, leads Mentor into this Saturday's Division I state championship game against top-ranked Cincinnati St. Xavier. It's the second year in a row Mentor has climbed to the final, losing a year ago to Hilliard Davidson. Asked his proudest moment from his football career, the soft-spoken Tanski doesn't hesitate. "Probably this, making it back to back to the state championship," he said Wednesday before rushing off to a calculus class. "It's probably the hugest moment for me as a football player." Tanski's numbers are impressive, but not nearly so impressive as his ability to turn those numbers into wins. During an 7-2 regular season, Tanski completed 161-of-273 passes for 2,385 yards and 20 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He also ran for eight touchdowns. His coach, Steve Trivisonno, was asked if Tanski had a "Heisman moment" this year such as Doug Flutie's miracle pass against Miami, a play that separated him from all other candidates for a top award. "I don't know that you go by one play with Bart," said Trivisonno, in his 11th year with the Cardinals. "What you do with Bart, you go by the great drives he makes. Like the winning drive to beat Massillon in Massillon. Just his composure. And his winning drive the week before to beat Glenville, and taking a few of the hits he took and getting the ball away and doing what he needed to do." Trivisonno said it's evident that Tanski has that special something that many others don't. "Bart does things that most quarterbacks can't do. He's just got that innate ability to see things," the coach said. "He has full understanding of the game of football. He's one of those guys who never panics. He knows what's going on around him and he has amazing vision and he's wonderful in the clutch." Tanski is the opposite of brash, a kid who is uncomfortable speaking about himself. His father is a chemical engineer, his mother a logistics manager and he has a sister in the eighth grade. He finds it hard to be a rah-rah guy in the locker room. "I'll say some stuff, but normally I like to lead by example," he said. "I don't really give the big pep-talk speeches and stuff. I just go out there and try to show them how we need to play." He has yet to pick a college, nor even to narrow his list of possibilities. A good student, he thinks he'd like to study engineering, like his dad, or business. "My mom and my dad have been helping me out with football since like the second grade," he said. "We're a close family. We get along good." When he's not starring on the football field, he likes to hang around with his friends, play basketball and listen to music. His selections vary with his mood. "I listen to all kinds of music, like rap, rock and roll, some country, Celine Dion too," he said. Celine Dion? He laughed at how much trouble he might get into with his friends because of that admission. The Mr. Football award was initiated in 1987 by the Ohio Associated Press. Past winners include former or current college and NFL stars Charles Woodson, Robert Smith, Bobby Hoying and Andy Katzenmoyer. The award is based on balloting by a state media panel. Others considered for the honor include Youngstown Mooney quarterback Dan McCarthy, St. Xavier receiver/kicker/punter Danny Milligan, Dublin Coffman quarterback Zack Stoudt, Sherwood Fairview quarterback Ryan Radcliff, Brunswick quarterback Sean Bedevelsky and Zanesville running back Bryan Gaiters. Tanski will receive a plaque in the shape of Ohio. Last edited by NYCBlue : 11-29-07 at 07:40 AM.
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#22
11-28-07, 10:52 PM
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#23
11-29-07, 08:32 AM
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The Dream vs. The Hype
Here's an interesting perspective from NEO...
D1 is a new and dynamic organization that plans and coordinates premiere high school football combines in northeast Ohio. D1, on it's website, has billed Saturday's Div. 1 final as Mentor...The Dream vs St. Xavier...The Hype North vs. South! "The Dream" vs. "The Hype" The Division I state finals should be a familiar site to Mentor head coach Steve Trivisonno, whose team lost a heart breaker to Hilliard Davidson last season losing to the 2-point conversion. During the regular season Mentor's second loss of the season came via the 2-point conversion at the hands of playoff qualifier Euclid. That had to have seemed like deja vu to Triv, but nonetheless he kept his team focused and they have fought their way to the state finals for the second straight year. Mentor will take on nationally ranked Cincinnati St. Xavier. They return to the finals after winning the title back in 2005 over Massillon and 4 straight playoff appearances. The Bombers come into this game with a 14-0 record, but narrowly grinding out a win over Dublin Coffman last week 10-7. It's obvious, no matter how well you play during the regular season, the playoff grind can start to wear on a team. That may have been the case with St. Xavier. The Cardinals will look to Fisher award winner Bart Tanski to lead their talented offensive attack against the Bombers defense Saturday night. He'll have the weapons around him to be effective too. St. Xavier is battling a few key injuries that may hamper their offense, but have yet to be a factor in any games they play. The Bombers will have to live up to their hype against a very strong Mentor squad if they want to emerge victorious. It will definitely not be a cake walk for St.X. In the end, this game may simply come down to good coaching. Both are capable. Both have had great success. Which one will come away with a ring this weekend? The hypsters will say St.X by virtue of being nationally ranked, but that means absolutely nothing to do with who wins anything in the playoffs. This year may be different. The North may have regained the edge in this one. We'll see. Good luck to both teams. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm from Canton's Fawcett Stadium this Saturday, December 1st. Yes it's December already! The season has flown by, but not before giving us some great highlights and great memories for area teams. http://d1football.net/scoreboard.php
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#24
11-29-07, 09:51 AM
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Per Cleveland PD.....
A well-received tradition Long after the last high school football practice is over on Friday, senior Tyler Schutz will drive back to Mentor High, park by the football stadium and go for a long walk. He'll take his time. As he does the night before every game, he'll stroll past the giant scoreboard, which in his two years as a starting wide receiver has never tallied a Mentor loss. Imagine that, winning every home game. When he reaches the north end zone, his sneakers will kick up grains of black rubber from the artificial turf. It will release in him the memories of so many touchdown passes from his childhood friend, quarterback Bart Tanski, that landed in his big, soft hands. The only light on Schutz will be the soft glow of the Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium sign above the press box. A train might rumble down tracks nearby. Schutz will not hear it while his mind replays the roar of the crowd and he rewinds the great moments of a terrific career. Schutz will smile at the memory of his first touchdown in last year's season opener. He will recall thinking as he neared the goal line that August afternoon, "Oh my God, this could be a touchdown. Wow. Against Glenville. In [Cleveland] Browns Stadium. Wow." He'll remember the three touchdowns against Maple Heights; the two TD catches that beat St. Ignatius in the battle of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the area; the nine catches in the playoff win against relentless Solon; seven more receptions and a touchdown a week later when matched against Glenville's great defensive back, Cordale Scott; and five catches just last week in the state semifinal win against Brunswick. There are so many other touchdowns to recapture in his mind, 11 last year and 12 this year. Two are not good memories. Those came in the state championship game last December, one for a 14-0 lead and the next for a 21-14 lead. But Mentor suffered a heartbreaking 36-35 loss in double overtime. Some, including coach Steve Trivisonno, refuse to watch the tape. Not Schutz. He watches it over and over, driving home the pain, fermenting anger into motivation and the tears into sweat. This is nothing new for Schutz. He has a relentless inner drive that has made him an honors student and has Ivy League coaches from Cornell and Harvard visiting his house, one room of which is filled with Mentor memorabilia. They should hear the story from Schutz's elementary school days, when a teacher called upon him to answer a question about the Civil War and he did not know the answer. After school, he checked out a library book on the war and read it cover to cover. American history now is his best subject. Though he has experienced none of it on his own football field, Schutz knows the value of failure. His worst football memory is of the vaunted 2003 team known as "The Class," which lost an overtime regional final to St. Edward on a goal-line stand. Schutz was a ball boy and was struck by how quiet a locker room can be, and how loud the sounds of tearing tape and clacking football cleats echo after a devastating loss. That night, he began a regimen of pushups and sit-ups that continue to this day so his career will not end in silence. This was an important step toward making him the 6-2, 200-pound senior who Friday night will take his final steps across the field of an empty stadium, past the 10-, 20- and 30-yard lines. Schutz will stop at midfield on the giant red Cardinal's head, painted in profile. Butterflies will take flight in his stomach. That bird, those colors and this school have saturated many aspects of his existence. He's a Schutz, a fourth-generation Cardinal, carrying on a family legacy that goes back more than 90 years, back to when there was no Mentor High, just Center Street School. Sports is a big part of it. His grandmother, Joyce (Markell) Schutz, played basketball and volleyball in the 1940s. His grandfather, John Schutz, was a sprinter and hurdler and a champion at the famed Mentor Relays. Later, they were close friends with Mentor coach Lee and Eloise Tressel, whose son, Jim, is carrying on a different legacy at Ohio State. All three of Joyce and John Schutz's boys are in Mentor's Athletic Hall of Fame. Tyler's father, Don, was a star tight end and went on to start four years at the University of Akron. Tyler's Uncle Dave was a trainer, and later Mentor booster club president. Uncle Doug was one of Lake County's greatest basketball players, a graceful center with a soft shooting touch who was captain of the Akron basketball team in the 1980s. Don and Doug are in Akron's Hall of Fame. Doug has been gone 12 years now, dying suddenly after being diagnosed with cancer in 1995. Those who knew Doug say watching Tyler seems to bring a little of Doug back to life, especially Grandma Joyce. "Watching Tyler is just like watching Doug," she'll say. They are alike in ways Tyler will never know, so emotional, so smart, so dedicated. Sadder still is that everyone who knew Doug believes he would have been Tyler's biggest fan. Tyler has very close relationships with his father, Don, and his uncle, Don Ramer, who is Mayfield's baseball coach and is on the sidelines for all of Tyler's games. Don Schutz was West Geauga's head football coach for eight years, which he gave up after Tyler began to play sports, quickly establishing himself as one of the most talented young football, basketball, hockey and baseball players in Mentor. It became obvious Tyler would carry the Schutz banner to the high school. As successful as his relatives all were, none had the chance to do what Tyler's team can accomplish Saturday when Mentor plays national powerhouse Cincinnati St. Xavier for the Division I state championship at Canton's Fawcett Stadium. Mentor has never won a state football title, and has just three team state championships in the school's history. This is the reason Tyler will be standing on a darkened football field all alone in the 15th week of the season. As he steps off the Cardinal, toward the south end zone and the leafless trees beyond, Tyler will emerge from his memories and begin to live in the present. The way his family's history is interwoven with his school's gives him a wonderful appreciation of the moment at which he has arrived. He can admit to himself, as he often does, that his life seems like a movie. He'll say, "I can't believe I'm living this. I can't believe this is happening." And with that, Tyler will walk off the football field, knowing that history is a memory that is only a moment away.
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#25
11-29-07, 09:53 AM
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Per Cleveland PD....
Getting to know Tyler Schutz School: Mentor. Year: Senior. Position: Wide receiver. Height: 6-2. Weight: 200. Schutz's Mentor roots: Fourth-generation Mentor student with many former athletes in the family. His father, Don, and uncles Doug and Dave Schutz are in the Mentor Hall of Fame, and Don and Doug are in the University of Akron's Hall of Fame. Dad, Don, was West Geauga's football coach for eight years and is the Wolverines gymnastics coach. Tyler's older sister, Nicole, was a Mentor gymnast and cheerleader and younger sister, Courtney, is a seventh-grader who plays five sports. Mom's side athletic, too: Former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski is a first cousin of Tyler's mother, Vickie. Her brother, Don Ramer, played baseball at Kent State and is Mayfield's baseball coach. Their sister, Chris Ramer, played basketball at Alderson-Broaddus College and went on to become Florida's first female assistant high school football coach. Runs in the family: When Tyler and his uncle, Don Ramer, play cornhole, the trash talking gets so bad they sometimes wind up not speaking to each other. "I think he still owes me money," Ramer joked.
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#26
11-29-07, 12:24 PM
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Current Canton area weather forecast
per National Weather Service..... Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 44. Light wind becoming south between 12 and 15 mph. Friday Night: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. Southwest wind 7 to 11 mph becoming north. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 37. North wind at 7 mph becoming east. Saturday Night: A chance of snow and sleet before 9pm, then a chance of freezing rain and sleet between 9pm and midnight, then rain likely possibly mixed with sleet after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 29. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Sunday: Occasional rain. High near 50. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
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#27
11-29-07, 02:33 PM
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Per Cleveland PD.....
FOOTBALL INSIDER Small Mentor line is stepping up big Mentor coaches love to talk about what great technique their offensive lineman have. What goes unsaid is they aren't very big and not nearly as strong as many of the defensive lines they face. Recently, however, a nasty streak has emerged. The Cardinals ran for more than 200 yards against Glenville and Brunswick, both of whom had highly regarded defenses. Center Adam Watson (6-1, 215), tackles Ian Zimmerman (6-2, 215) and Brad Bednar (6-5, 240), and guards Max Wagner (6-2, 230), Alex Dudas (6-0, 225) and Ben Anderson (6-1, 210) all were graded by coaches at 85 to 95 percent against Brunswick. Wagner was credited with five pancake blocks. "We have stepped up our physical game. The better the competition has been, the more physical we have been," said Wagner, a senior two-year starter. Wagner said he expects that to continue against St. Xavier in Saturday's Division I state championship game at Fawcett Stadium in Canton. "They're good but they're beatable. They're just not good as they are hyped up to be," he said. Injury update: The only injuries Mentor faces are at left guard, where either Dudas (shoulder) and Anderson (ankle) or Steve Slavoc (knee) will line up next to Bednar. DBs delight: Mentor's most improved unit this season is the defensive backfield of juniors Nick Krantz and Ryan Mack on the corners, junior safety Tim Moore and senior safety Jimmy Thompson, the lone returning varsity regular. Krantz did not play football until last year. Mack was injured his freshman and sophomore years. Moore is a converted running back. The defensive schemes were very plain at the beginning of the season, but now that the backfield has more experience, the entire defense is doing a better job of disguising its coverage, which led to three interceptions against Brunswick. Building pressure: Mentor junior Nick Koshiol (5-11, 205) has bounced between defensive line and linebacker, but has settled in at nose tackle since Week 10. He is coming off his best game last week against Brunswick, including two tackles for losses and two sacks. "He was all over the field," defensive coordinator Jim Funk said. "He really makes a lot of things happen for us." Lucky shirt: Mentor quarterback Bart Tanski has one superstition. He wears the same David Beckham soccer jersey under his pads for each game. On the back he wrote "Jr." after Beckham's name. Tanski never played soccer, but likes to watch Beckham play. State stats: Mentor seeks to become the 13th team to win a state title one year after losing in the final. No Division I public school has done it. . . . Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno is 89-37 in 11 seasons. St. Xavier's Steve Specht is 50-3 in four years, including three 10-0 regular seasons.. . . . St. Xavier is 1-3 in state finals. It beat Massillon in 2005 and the losses were to St. Ignatius in 2001 and 1992, and Canton McKinley in 1998.
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#28
11-29-07, 02:45 PM
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Quote:
 "Coffman was the more talented team" WTF is this dude smoking?
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#29
11-29-07, 07:47 PM
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Per Cleveland PD...
Mentor vs. Cincinnati St. Xavier What, when, where: Division I state final, 7 p.m., Fawcett Stadium, 1835 Harrison Ave. N.W., Canton. Call 330-458-2084. Records: Mentor, 11-2; St. Xavier, 14-0. What to watch: If Mentor’s defense plays well, it can win a championship that for months most of Ohio assumed belonged to the No. 1-ranked Bombers. The key will be if Mentor’s small but tenacious front line of Josh Freeman (6-2, 230), Nick Koshiol (5-11, 205) and Ben Pike (6-2, 210) can at least slow the St. Xavier running game led by a strong offensive line and Louisville recruit Darius Ashley (1,311 yards, 25 TDs). The Bombers’ other big threat is receiver/returner Dan Milligan (46 catches, 697 yards, 9 TDs). Efficient sophomore QB Luke Massa will start his seventh game (61-of-100, 902 yards, 9 TDs, 1 interception). The marquis matchup pits Mentor’s relentless spread offense, averaging 456 yards and 40 points per game, against a star-studded St. Xavier defense that is allowing 9.5 points a game. While much is made of QB Bart Tanski (3,001 yards passing, 25 TDs) and senior wideouts Steve Orkis, Mike Popelas, Tyler Schutz and Cory Zikesch, Mentor quietly averages 220 yards rushing per game. Tackle Brad Bednar (6-5, 240), a Miami (Ohio) recruit, typifies a very athletic offensive line, and junior TB Tom Worden (1,435 yards, 18 TDs) runs out of a one-back set. The Bombers love to blitz with LBs Evan Miller and Nick Schneider and safety Fred Craig (6-2, 210), a Stanford recruit. Blitzing is dangerous against Tanski, who throws well on the run, has uncanny vision and often runs for first downs. St. Xavier DE Greg Scruggs (6-5, 230) has offers from Michigan and Louisville, and tackle Patrick Muldoon (6-4, 240) could present Mentor some matchup problems inside. Both teams feature strong kicker-punters in Milligan and Mentor’s Kevin Harper, but St. Xavier has the better return units. PD pick: Mentor will finish it, grabbing the title that slipped out of its grip last year.
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#30
11-30-07, 05:14 AM
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Per Cleveland PD....
State championships becoming area of concern More than a state football championship will be at stake Saturday when Mentor plays nationally ranked Cincinnati St. Xavier in the Division I title game. Greater Cleveland's reputation as a high school football mecca might be in jeopardy as well. If Mentor is unable to upset St. Xavier, ranked fifth in the country by USA Today, on Saturday night at Canton's Fawcett Stadium, it will mark three years since a Cleveland/Akron area school won it all. The area has never gone three seasons without a championship. No winners among the six divisions? That would be 18 state title games in which Greater Cleveland wasn't represented or its representative failed to bring a title home. Only one school -- Mentor -- has made it to the state championship game the past three years. All this from an area that likes to think of itself as high school heaven. "I don't know if three years is a trend, I just think the rest of the state is catching up to Greater Cleveland," said Nordonia coach Jason Hall. "Greater Cleveland was the hotbed for high school football, especially with the run that St. Ignatius had. Now, Columbus has caught up, Cincinnati has caught up. In fact, Cincinnati is off the charts." How can that be? Has the edge been lost? "It is impossible to describe how difficult it is just to get to the finals," said Manchester coach Jim France, who has taken a team to the playoffs 16 times in 37 seasons. "Most people have no clue, they just don't get it. I've always felt that anyone who even makes the playoffs should be given some sort of an award." The most recent state champion from The Plain Dealer's seven-country coverage area was Division III Benedictine, which won its sixth state title in 2004. "Everyone has gotten better," Benedictine coach Art Bortnik said. "Not too long ago, it was St. Ignatius and us. Now there are a number of teams that have a chance. The public schools have gotten better, and that has created more parity." Coaches rattle off what needs to happen as easily as they recite their children's names. Talent and luck, probably in that order, are the staples in any championship season. Above all, you must have talent. Not just one or two all-stars, but five or six, accompanied by enough unsung heroes to fill a school cafeteria. "Teams in the south are catching up," said Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno, whose team lost in last year's Division I title game, 36-35, in double overtime, to Hilliard Davidson. "Look at the Columbus schools. For years, especially at the upper levels, they were just OK. Now there are all the Dublin and the Hilliard schools. Cincinnati, there are about four or five schools that you know are going to be good, and that's it. Here, there might be eight to 10 that in any given year are capable of winning a state title." Luck needs to be sitting on the edge of your bench, ready to make an impact. A football has a point on each end. Hence, it bounces in strange ways. It had better bounce your way at critical times. Officials make calls. They had better be in your favor. "Stop and think about it," said France, whose team lost the 1997 Division IV state championship game in five overtimes to Germantown Valley View. "A team can do practically everything right for 10 regular-season games, win 'em all and get to the playoffs. It can do practically everything right in its first four playoff games, win 'em all and get to the finals. And, it might do everything right for the first 50 plays of the 15th game of the year. Then, on that 51st play, a critical mistake is made. It could cost you a state championship." Included in luck is keeping your players on the field. "You had better be healthy," said St. Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle, whose teams carried the banner locally by winning five straight Division I titles between 1991-95 and has won more state championships than any coach in Ohio. "If you aren't healthy, you aren't going to make it. Second, you cannot have one bad quarter. Humans make mistakes. You can probably survive one bad series, but not an entire bad quarter. And, certainly not in the finals. At that level the consistency of the quality is remarkable." Area schools have done well since the Ohio High School Athletic Association adopted an equitable playoff policy for the 1972 season. The formula is based on two key elements -- school enrollment and the strength of each school's schedule. Since 1972, 16 area schools have won 39 state championships, led by St. Ignatius, the king in Ohio with a state-leading nine titles. Since 1972, 30 area schools have played for a state championship, compiling a record of 39 wins and 33 losses in those games. Since 1979, area schools have put together three stretches of six years each in which someone came home with state title hardware. Only 10 times since 1972 has any team from the Cleveland/Akron area failed to win a state championship. And, only three times -- in 1974, 1985 and 2005 -- has the area been totally blanked, failing to win a state title or produce a runner-up.
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