Welcome high school football fans to what should be another exciting and compelling year in northeast Ohio. Hopefully this blog will you give you insight and answers to the many questions looming at the outset of the new year. My name is Lou Colagross and I have been a stringer at the Lake County News-Herald covering high school and local college sports for over 10 years. I am a 1995 Mentor High grad and I'm sure that will spark some debate as the year rolls on. I'm a licensed insurance agent at Diversified Insurance Concepts covering all your home, auto and business needs. I am also employed at Cleats Club Seat Grill in Mentor where I am a bartender. I spend as much time talking sports and as I do making drinks so feel free to stop in and take me to task on anything you might read here. I am always down for a constructive debate.
While we are on the subject of debating, let's get right at it. Yes I went to Mentor High. Yes I am a fan of their football team. It's my Alma Mater, why wouldn't I be. But let the record show, I will have a biased opinion of their team---but only from a fan perspective. My goal is to let my writing show that I have passion for all the teams in our area as well as all the coaching staffs, the parents of the student athletes and most importantly, the student athletes themselves. I am Ohio born and bred and I feel the state of Ohio pumps out some of the most college ready athletes that our great state has to offer. I have lived in Austin, Texas so I have seen what other states have to offer when it comes to high school football and let me tell you---they can play some pretty serious ball in Texas. That is a battle I will choose not to pick. But overall, I put Ohio in my "TOP 5 High School Football States" along with California, Florida, Alabama and previously mentioned Texas.
But let's get the ball rolling with some topics I will be keeping a close eye on in the 2011 season. I want to start in Willoughby where the South Rebels have to replace a ton of experienced talent starting with the departure of Ray Russ who became South's fifth All-Ohio quarterback in a row. The burden falls on the young shoulders of junior Casey Klicman. Klicman has an ace in his sleeve though by way of South Rebel coach Matt Duffy. Duffy in his ninth year with South and I regard Duffy as one of the top coaches in the area. Any coach picking from the limited talent pool that South is forced to choose from (concerning the size of their enrollment) that rolls into Jerome T. Osborne Stadium in Mentor and nearly pulls off one of the all-time great upsets in area history is worth mentioning. South lost by 1 point to Mentor last year in the greatest regular season football game a I have witnessed in my 11 years at the News-Herald. The South Rebels will in no way feel sorry for themselves if they get off to a rough start to the season, Duffy won't let that happen, but I expect this to be a "growth" year for South.
Lake Catholic head coach Mike Bell must find a way to replace 21 of 22 starters from last years playoff team. Bell is the perfect coach for this type of adversity. In his tenth year at the helm of the Cougars, Bell has a firm grasp on the program and the returning players must step up and realize expectations are always high in Cougar Country.
The Mentor Cardinals look primed for a deep playoff run. With eight returning starters on defense, Mentor will have a shot to be in striking distant in every game despite their usually tough schedule. Junior quarterback Mitch Trubisky can flat out play. This kid is going to spread the ball to his talented bunch of receivers, but the thing that separates Mentor from other teams is the pace in which they get their plays off. Mentor's frantic pace is tough to keep up with and opposing defenses seem to wear down as the game goes on and that's where the Cardinals do most of their damage. Get out to a Mentor game and keep an eye on the opposing D-linemen. You will see their hands on their hips trying to catch their breathes as Mentor is about to snap the ball. Huge advantage for the Cardinals offense.
The Chardon Hilltoppers welcome back a friendly face to the sidelines as former Chardon All-Ohio and Bowling Green University standout Mitch Hewitt returns to take over the reigns as head coach to a program that has struggled as of late. Hewitt might just be what the team and close-knit community need to get back to their winning ways. Chardon was monster program in the area for years and Hewitt has the attitude and the mindset to get the new crop of young Hilltoppers going in the right direction.
All eyes in Madison will be on senior running back Josh March who might get a shot at breaking the school's single season rushing record that has stood for 17 years. March fell about 150 yards short of breaking the record set by good friend and local legend John Hedges back in 1994. The Blue Streaks more importantly as a team have a real legitimate shot at winning a Premier Athletic Conference Championship. The South Rebels have had a strangle hold on that distinction as of late, but Madison has a senior quarterback in Andy Karlson and eight senior starters on defense. Head coach Tim Willis is an experienced coach now in his twelfth year and this is a real shot for him to get his guys into the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
These are just the first five teams that I will be keeping a close eye on throughout the year. The best way for me to mention or write about any team in the area is for those teams to show me something through out the year. I will be attending as many as three games each friday night all over the News-Herald coverage area. I look forward to seeing as many upsets, hard hits, bold coaching decisions and the maturation process as young athletes develope into playmakers throughout the area landscape.
Good luck to all the coaches, their staffs, the parents and especially the young athletes that give us something to look forward to each and every beautiful fall friday night in northeast Ohio.
Follow me on Twitter @SweetLou_21 for scores every friday night and updates on upcoming blogs.
