Week 8 Recap and Week 9 Look Ahead

Welcome back to the latest edition of the "Prep Lowdown with Lou." In this week's segment we will take an inside look at what the final two weeks of the regular season has to offer as area teams figure out if the computer rankings and team's playoff positioning are going to reflect a portion of all the hard work that the players and coaches have put into the 2011 season. Conference races are winding down and it appears that  as many as 11 teams from the News-Herald coverage area could make the playoffs. One team that has unofficially clinched their spot in post-season play are the Division I - No. 1 state ranked, Mentor Cardinals. Let's start by heading out to Center St. to check in on Cardinal Country.

Mentor blew out Medina in Week 8, 45 - 7. Quarterback and Mr. Football hopeful, Mitch Trubisky, led the way by going 19 - 27 passing for 334 yards and four touchdowns through the air. The win, coupled with Cinncinnatti Moeller's loss, propelled the Cardinals to the top spot in the Division I state poll, as well as, the top spot in Division I - Region I computer rankings. Trubisky is having one of the more talked about seasons in recent memory especially when you take into account the level of competition he has played against and the manner in which he has performed. Trubisky has completed 165 of 249 passes for 2554 yards with 25 TD tosses against 10 interceptions. The standout junior has also contributed 353 yards and nine TD's on the ground for the 8 - 0 Cardinals. The game that has stood out is the 470 yard passing game against long time Ohio powerhouse St. Ignatius, where Trubisky threw for four TD's and ran for two more on the ground. St. Ignatius is the No. 6 ranked team in the Division I state poll.

Next up: Mentor travels to take on Strongsville.


The Premier Athletic Conference continues to be the most compelling conference race in the area, as University School absolutely crushed Eastlake North, 41 - 7. The Preppers moved to 7 - 1 overall and 4 - 1 in the PAC, where they trail undefeated Willoughby South at 5 - 0 in the PAC and 6 - 2 overall. The Preppers dominated the Rangers from the start and forced five turnovers in the route. US was led by running back Kevin Smith, who steamrolled his way 220 yards rushing and four short TD runs. Quarterback Tyler Eden threw two TD passes to Jordan Barham and the defense only yielded a late fourth quarter TD pass from George Gresko for the Rangers. US now sits at 3rd place in the Division III - Region 9 computer rankings while North is on the outside looking in at 9th place in the Division I - Region 1 computer rankings. Willoughby South sits at 5th place in Division I - Region 1 after their 58 - 18, win over Lakeside. Kareem Hunt had 213 yards rushing on just 13 carries for the Rebels and now has an area leading 1684 yards rushing and 31 total TD's on the year. South now controls its own destiny with two games to play having already beat US. Madison blanked Geneva, 27 - 0 and is now in 5th place in the Division II - Region 5 computer rankings. The Blue Streaks are 6 - 2 overall and 3- 2 in the PAC.

Next up: US hosts Chardon. South travels to Riverside. North hosts Geneva. Madison travels to Lakeside.


The Chagrin Falls Tigers shut out Chagrin Valley Conference - Chagrin Division foe West Geauga, 17 - 0. The win has the 8 - 0 Tigers sitting at atop the Division III - Region 9 computer rankings. The Tiger defense held the Wolverines to 114 total yards. Quarterback Tommy Immarino completed 11 of 12 passes for 118 yards and chipped in a three yard TD run. Jack Campbell carried the ball 15 times for 86 yards for Chagrin Falls and the defense did the rest. West G is the 9th ranked team in the Division II - Region 5 computer rankings and needs to win out and most likely receive some help to get in the playoffs. Aurora cruised past Perry, 54 - 25 and is 4th in the Division II - Region 5 computer rankings. The Greenmen are 7 - 1 on the year with their lone loss coming at the hands of the Tigers and they check in as the 9th ranked team in the Division II state poll. Kenston drilled Harvey, 55 - 6 and is 4 - 1 in the CVC - Chagrin Division, but has tough games remaining against West G and Aurora.

Next up: Chagrin Falls travels to Orange. Kenston hosts West G before ending the year at Aurora in Week 10.


The Kirtland Hornets are rolling right along after a 33 - 0, victory over Beachwood. The 8 - 0 Hornets are ranked 1st in the Division V - Region 17 computer rankings.  They have unofficially clinched a playoff birth and are ranked 2nd in the Division V state poll. Wideout Zach Santo hauled in a 60 yard TD pass to open the scoring and Damon Washington added a 30 yard TD run, a 14 yard TD run, and had a 45 yard interception return for a TD. Christian Hauber tallied 119 yards rushing on 16 carries including a 3 yard TD run of his own. Kirtland's defense held Beachwood to 139 total yards and nine first downs.

Next Up: Kirtland travels to Fairport.


The Lake Catholic Cougars used a familiar season long game plan by rolling up 235 rushing yards on their way to a 48 - 26, win against Padua. Evan Gormley led the way with 113 yards on 13 carries including three TD runs. Defensively, Richie Miller helped the cause with a 59 yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter for the Cougars. Quarterback Mark Baniewicz added 91 rushing yards on 18 attempts, but was only 3 of 6 passing with an interception. Lake Catholic is now 7 - 1 on the year and 3 - 1 in the North Coast league. The Cougars are 2nd in the Division III - Region 9 computer rankings and are ranked 5th in the Division III state poll. The Cougars are definitely capable of running their way deep into the playoffs with their strong running game and overachieving defense, but one has to wonder if they happen to get down big along the way, will the Cougars unpolished passing game come into play.

Next up: Lake hosts Akron Hoban.


That wraps up the latest edition of the "Prep Lowdon with Lou." Be sure to follow me on Twitter @SweetLou_21 for scores, pics and updates on some of the action on Friday night. Also, tune into "The Breakdown," a two hour sports talk show featuring former Willoughby South All-Ohio and Case Western Reserve University All-American quarterback Dan Whalen and myself every Monday night from 8pm - 10pm on Clevelandsportsforums.com Radio. "The Breakdown" is a football related talk show focusing on the Cleveland Browns, other NFL action, the Ohio State Buckeyes, The Big Ten and the upcoming High School Football Playoffs. We will also check in on the World Series and stay tuned for updates on upcoming guests.


Below are the unofficial, but pretty darn close, current Ohio High School Football Computer Rankings.

Rank	W-L	ID #	City	School	Average	Level 1	Level 2	L2 divisor	Playoff Status (unofficial)	max Avg (win out)	min Avg (win out)	max Avg (lose out)	min Avg (lose out)	L2 divisor (final)
1	8-0	1016	Mentor	Mentor	26.7000	46.0	209.5	100	clinched playoff spot	38.5000	32.7500	33.7000	26.7500	100
2	7-1	1354	Cleveland	St Ignatius	21.6089	40.5	160.5	97	control own destiny	37.5417	29.7812	27.9042	21.3938	96
3	7-1	1428	Solon	Solon	18.3000	40.0	133.0	100	control own destiny	30.7500	23.8000	24.8500	17.9000	100
4	7-0	385	Cleveland Heights	Cleveland Heights	18.1862	40.0	111.0	89	control own destiny	31.1768	25.9495	24.1035	18.9331	88
5	6-2	1440	Willoughby	South	17.0750	33.0	129.5	100	control own destiny	27.2000	25.8000	20.8500	18.3500	100
6	6-2	1346	Lakewood	St Edward	15.4293	33.0	104.0	92	control own destiny	32.8152	25.2065	21.3435	15.0391	92
7	6-2	238	Youngstown	Boardman	15.2721	34.5	108.5	99	control own destiny	27.2258	25.0540	18.9551	16.8338	99
8	7-1	784	Cleveland	John F Kennedy	15.0676	38.5	100.5	98	.	21.9398	18.6235	19.7684	16.4520	98
9	6-2	1122	Eastlake	North	11.6750	35.0	73.0	100	.	23.5500	17.9000	17.1000	11.3500	100
10	4-4	980	Mayfield	Mayfield	10.5500	24.0	75.5	100	.	20.5500	16.9500	14.1500	10.5500	100

Rank	W-L	ID #	City	School	Average	Level 1	Level 2	L2 divisor	Playoff Status (unofficial)	max Avg (win out)	min Avg (win out)	max Avg (lose out)	min Avg (lose out)	L2 divisor (final)
1	6-1	1614	Cuyahoga Falls	Walsh Jesuit	18.6573	31.5	126.0	89	control own destiny	29.1055	24.2179	24.2303	18.2191	89
2	8-0	736	Warren	Howland	17.0057	41.5	117.0	99	.	26.4032	19.9426	25.3976	19.4426	89
3	6-2	1106	New Philadelphia	New Philadelphia	16.4242	32.0	123.0	99	.	27.5333	22.3818	21.3818	16.1798	99
4	7-1	146	Aurora	Aurora	16.2000	36.0	117.0	100	.	26.1000	20.8000	22.1000	15.7500	100
5	6-2	922	Madison	Madison	16.1000	32.0	121.0	100	.	25.1000	19.6500	21.2500	15.8500	100
6	6-2	304	Canfield	Canfield	15.8875	31.5	119.5	100	.	27.4833	21.3217	21.3823	15.2207	99
7	6-2	1522	Tallmadge	Tallmadge	14.7500	34.0	105.0	100	control own destiny	25.1500	23.9000	18.5000	16.1500	100
8	7-1	1326	Kent	Roosevelt	14.5375	37.5	98.5	100	.	23.7500	22.2500	18.5500	16.1500	100
9	6-2	1678	Chesterland	West Geauga	14.1625	32.5	101.0	100	.	25.6000	20.4000	18.7000	14.4500	100

Rank	W-L	ID #	City	School	Average	Level 1	Level 2	L2 divisor	Playoff Status (unofficial)	max Avg (win out)	min Avg (win out)	max Avg (lose out)	min Avg (lose out)	L2 divisor (final)
1	8-0	346	Chagrin Falls	Chagrin Falls	21.0500	42.0	158.0	100	clinched playoff spot	30.9000	26.6500	26.8000	21.6500	100
2	7-1	824	Mentor	Lake Catholic	19.2730	35.0	146.0	98	control own destiny	31.2847	25.6724	24.8776	19.3163	98
3	7-1	1571	Hunting Valley	University School	17.8250	37.0	132.0	100	control own destiny	27.6000	23.4000	23.2500	18.0000	100
4	7-1	1384	Akron	St Vincent-St Mary	16.0683	37.0	111.0	97	.	28.3500	20.1729	22.3458	15.2625	96
5	7-1	1281	Ravenna	Ravenna	15.6750	37.0	110.5	100	control own destiny	27.4000	24.9500	20.1000	16.7500
6	6-2	196	Cleveland	Benedictine	15.1881	31.0	112.0	99	control own destiny	27.0592	21.6000	19.7837	15.4980	98
7	8-0	1448	Ravenna	Southeast	13.4500	34.0	92.0	100	.	23.1000	19.9000	18.0000	14.1000	100
8	6-2	448	Cuyahoga Falls	Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy	12.5250	27.0	91.5	100	.	20.4000	19.5000	15.4500	13.6500	100
9	6-2	774	Jefferson	Jefferson Area	11.9250	29.0	83.0	100	.	21.3258	15.8207	16.7889	11.2838	99
10	8-0	590	Oberlin	Firelands	10.6000	36.0	61.0	100	.	21.1000	18.3000	15.1500	11.4500	100
11	5-3	1180	Chardon	Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin	10.5875	27.5	71.5	100	.	23.3960	17.8404	15.5278	9.9722	99

Rank	W-L	ID #	City	School	Average	Level 1	Level 2	L2 divisor	Playoff Status (unofficial)	max Avg (win out)	min Avg (win out)	max Avg (lose out)	min Avg (lose out)	L2 divisor (final)
1	7-1	644	Girard	Girard	16.9000	32.0	129.0	100	control own destiny	25.5000	20.2000	21.5000	17.1000	100
2	8-0	1174	Creston	Norwayne	14.4000	34.0	101.5	100	control own destiny	25.2500	22.2500	18.8000	15.0500	100
3	5-3	1210	Orrville	Orrville	14.2875	25.5	111.0	100	.	23.0500	18.8000	18.8000	13.6500	100
4	7-1	226	Sullivan	Black River	13.6000	32.0	96.0	100	.	22.9500	18.7500	18.3500	13.2500	100
5	7-1	256	Brookfield	Brookfield	11.9053	31.0	79.5	99	.	19.0500	14.9684	15.6510	12.5388	98
6	7-1	340	Canton	Canton Central Catholic	11.8763	34.0	75.5	99	.	21.7000	14.8122	17.1245	11.1041	98
7	5-3	818	Leavittsburg	LaBrae	11.6500	22.0	89.0	100	.	21.4500	16.7000	15.3000	11.5000	100
8	5-3	936	Akron	Manchester	9.9000	24.0	69.0	100	.	17.6500	15.7500	13.0000	10.2000	100

Rank	W-L	ID #	City	School	Average	Level 1	Level 2	L2 divisor	Playoff Status (unofficial)	max Avg (win out)	min Avg (win out)	max Avg (lose out)	min Avg (lose out)	L2 divisor (final)
1	8-0	812	Kirtland	Kirtland	17.1250	37.0	125.0	100	clinched playoff spot	25.3000	21.3000	21.9000	17.9500	100
2	7-1	1063	Woodsfield	Monroe Central	15.5347	26.5	121.0	99	control own destiny	19.8141	18.1980	18.7106	16.3874	99
3	7-1	436	Columbiana	Crestview	11.8875	29.5	82.0	100	.	18.3500	16.2000	15.6000	12.6500	100
4	6-2	1010	Campbell	Memorial	11.2875	25.5	81.0	100	.	20.2500	14.9000	15.6000	11.1000	100
5	7-1	408	Columbiana	Columbiana	11.2500	28.0	77.5	100	.	19.6500	16.6000	15.1000	11.3500	100
6	7-1	1456	Salineville	Southern	10.3875	25.5	72.0	100	.	16.2000	14.0000	13.7500	10.8500	100
7	6-2	624	Sugarcreek	Garaway	10.2625	24.5	72.0	100	.	17.8000	14.4500	14.0500	10.0000	100
8	7-1	162	Barnesville	Barnesville	9.8876	29.0	62.0	99	.	19.6194	13.3949	15.0429	9.5837	98

Rank	W-L	ID #	City	School	Average	Level 1	Level 2	L2 divisor	Playoff Status (unofficial)	max Avg (win out)	min Avg (win out)	max Avg (lose out)	min Avg (lose out)	L2 divisor (final)
1	8-0	1668	Berlin Center	Western Reserve	12.8375	29.5	91.5	100	control own destiny	19.9500	17.5000	16.6500	13.5000	100
2	7-1	1751	Youngstown	Youngstown Christian	11.4162	27.0	78.0	97	control own destiny	20.1495	15.3557	15.4835	11.4629	97
3	5-3	1406	Shadyside	Shadyside	10.6711	18.0	80.0	95	control own destiny	19.8132	15.1816	14.0632	10.2211	95
4	7-1	934	Malvern	Malvern	10.5500	26.0	73.0	100	.	16.8000	13.6000	14.5500	10.6500	100
5	6-2	1058	Mogadore	Mogadore	10.4875	25.5	73.0	100	control own destiny	18.9500	15.9500	13.8000	11.0000	100
6	8-0	848	Thompson	Ledgemont	10.4750	33.0	63.5	100	control own destiny	18.8475	15.1606	15.2697	10.8758	99
7	5-3	786	Warren	John F Kennedy	7.8406	21.5	50.5	98	.	15.2396	12.8438	11.1083	7.8271	96
8	5-3	1494	Strasburg	Strasburg-Franklin	7.3750	19.0	50.0	100	.	15.5500	14.0500	9.9000	7.6000	100
9	5-3	1364	Cleveland	Villa Angela-St Joseph	7.1610	18.5	48.0	99	.	14.2806	11.2194	9.6561	7.5133	98