Three weeks of high school football in the books already? I think the only other thing moving faster along than the 2011 season might be the Mentor Cardinal's 5-Wide, spread you out, run a play every 9 seconds, high flying offense. That is just one of the topics I will hit up in this, the next chapter of the "Prep Lowdown with Lou."
Where else is there to start other than the St. Ignatius vs. Mentor game? It had all makings of what high school football football in Ohio is all about. Roughly 4000 people packed into Jerome T. Osborne III Stadium in Mentor and they got to see quite a show from the Cardinal's junior quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Trubisky was lethal in the passing game by finishing 28 of 44 for 469 yards and three touchdown passes as Mentor went on beat the Wildcats, 38 - 24. Wideout Cameron Kavan hauled in 14 of those passes for an astonishing 283 yards. Trubisky did manage to throw four interceptions, two of which were in the red zone and another that was returned for a St. Ignatius touchdown. All Trubisky did to make up for his four misfires was rush for 84 yards on 20 carries including two rushing TD's. I'm guessing that not many opposing quarterbacks have had that kind of day against the long-standing traditional powerhouse that is St Ignatius.
Next up: Mentor travels to Mayfield who is coming off a 14 - 0 loss to Olmstead Falls. Look for the Mentor offense to again rack up some big numbers and let's see if the Cardinal's defense can post some gaudy numbers of their own. Mayfield must find a way to slow down Mentor and get their offense going as well. Tough task for Wildcat's coach Larry Pinto and company.
The Madison Blue Streaks own bragging rights over the Perry Pirates by knocking off their neighbors and rivals, 34 - 6. In the road win, Madison was led by running back Mark Murray who tallied 123 yards rushing on 17 carries to go along with two short TD runs. Senior quarterback Andy Karlson was 9 of 15 passing for 138 yards and one TD pass. Madison has the look of a real contender in the Premier Athletic Conference and a playoff team. It's early, no question, but I'm getting the feeling Madison could be on the verge of a special season. More on this game later.
Next up: Madison hits the road to take on University School. US will playing it's first game since their switch to the PAC and the Preppers will have all they can handle in the Blue Streaks. US standout quarterback Tyler Eden will have to find a way to challenge a tough senior-layden Madison defense. Perry travels to take on Orange.
The West Geauga Wolverines and head coach Lou Cirino are off to a blazing start to the season at 3 - 0, by defeating the Willoughby South Rebels, 42 - 28. It was their third win of the year against a PAC team, two of which came on the road. Joe Ziccardi ran for a 141 yards on 32 carries with three TD's. But the thing to keep an eye on is the development of quarterback Zak Kucera. Kucera finished the night 10 of 15 for 132 yards and found wideout Nick Cuthbert for two scoring strikes, one of which that was in the fourth quarter of a tight game. I mentioned in an earlier blog that it would be tough for Kucera to replace the now departed Joe Drenski, but it seems Kucera might be up to the task. The young Rebels are going through some growing pains. Quarteback Casey Klicman had a rough night going 13 of 23 for 202 yards with two interceptions. Running back Kareem Hunt was a bright spot for South gaining 117 yards on the ground and also punched in four rushing TD's. Head coach Matt Duffy must find a way to get his defense to play better and slow some teams down.
Next up: West G hosts Harvey who is coming off back to back losses. South travels to play Geneva.
Player(s) of the Week: This honor is going to go to the Madison Blue Streak's defense. In their 34 - 6 win at Perry, the Pirates were only able to manage 166 total yards. The Madison defensive front held Perry to 96 rushing yards. One of the contributing factors may have been the return of running back/linebacker Josh March. March is well known for his physical style of running, but he is just as capable as a linebacker. Combine that with senior leadership and a rivalry game as motivation, Madison proved they are a team that is balanced and ready to see how far they can take this thing.
Game to Keep an Eye On: Lake Catholic at Youngstown Cardinal Mooney. The Cougars just continue to impress. Coming off an eye opening win against Youngstown Ursuline where the defense pitched a shut out in a 9 - 0, win, Lake Catholic has put to rest all the conversation about how hard it would be to replace 21 departing seniors from last year's team. The 2011 Cougars are their own team with their own players and in next week's blog, those players are going to come to light.
Most Confusing Coaching Move of the Week: These situations are always tough to comment on and I might not have all the facts, but in Eastlake North's game against Midpark last week, the Rangers jumped all over the Meteors. It was 14 - 0 after two minutes of play thanks to two interception returns for touchdowns and it snowballed into a 55 - 7, halftime lead. For some reason, North coach George Burich thought it was necessary to run out his first team offense for the start of the second half and throw a bomb a few plays into the series that went for a touchdown. That made the score 62- 7. I'm wondering if anyone else has a problem with this. I like to think most 50 point halftime leads are safe unless you strike a deal with the opposing coach to have your players blindfolded for the second half. I have a soft spot for Eastlake North in my heart. My father is a 1965 grad and was recently inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame for track and field. I am friends with many coaches and teachers at North and it is a school I privately root for so there is no ax to grind. The Rangers are off to a great start to the year and I know the North fan base loves the high-powered offense, but at the cost of seeming classless?
That wraps up another look at some of the high school football action in northeast Ohio. For scores and updates on Friday nights throughout the fall, follow me on Twitter @SweetLou_21.
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