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Woah, we’re halfway there! To the OHSAA football playoffs. And boy, is it shaping up to be good in all seven divisions? I thought today would be a perfect day to talk about the teams that are ruling the regions in Northeast Ohio and what things look like for them. This is in no particular order, but rather eight teams that are setting Northeast Ohio on fire right now.
Mentor Cardinals (D1R1): Mentor remains the only undefeated team in this region. After narrowly defeating the Olmsted Falls Bulldogs, the Cardinals have had relative ease regarding their schedule. In their first two Greater Cleveland Conference games, they took care of business with wins over Brunswick and Medina 45-7 and 49-0 respectively. Mentor’s biggest game upcoming will be on October 3rd against the Strongsville Mustangs at JTO Stadium. That could easily be the GCC championship game as Mentor’s other opponents do not have winning records.
St. Ed’s Eagles (D1R1): Despite being upset by the Massillon Washington Tigers, the Eagles have been putting the whole state on notice. Ed’s will also have to deal with two out of state opponents in Bishop McNamara (Maryland) and Football North Inc. (Canada) with both games being in Lakewood. Their only road game in the second half of the season is their last game, when they play the Archbishop Hoban Knights. The Eagles have a gauntlet left in their schedule, but we’ll see how they fare in the second half.
Lake Blue Streaks (D2R5): Who would’ve guessed the Lake Blue Streaks? After finishing last season 6-5, they are having no problems aside from a test against Rocky River (which they won 34-28), and sit pretty up top the region. This second half won’t be easy for Lake, as they’ll be dealt Massillon Jackson, McKinley, and Hoover from weeks 7-9. This is where we’ll see if the Streaks continue to show if they’re for real. They have sent South Range and Rocky River their only losses of the season thus far. This team could be a problem in the playoffs and go up against some of the big schools.
Walsh Jesuit Warriors (D2R5): After a dogfight with Toledo Central Catholic, the Warriors have cruised through their opponents. They are yet to give up more than 14 points this season, and have outscored the opposition 32.25-3 in their last four games. But one of their biggest two foes in the second half of the season will be the Archbishop Hoban Knights, as they will try to duplicate their epic win over them last year. Their other tough team will be the Trotwood-Madison Rams, who will play the Warriors after a week off.
Nordonia Knights (D2R5): Don’t sleep on Jeff Fox and his Knights. In a Suburban League National Conference that is definitely up for bid, the Knights are one of the two undefeated teams there. But like Lake, weeks 7-9 will be their toughest slate as they’ll go up against Twinsburg, Wadsworth, and Hudson. While Wadsworth is the only undefeated team of those three, the Grizzlies will have to travel to Boliantz Stadium giving the Knights home field advantage. This is a great team, and they may surprise some folks with a conference crown.
Highland Hornets (D2R6): The o-line is weaker. The d-line is weaker. The weapons aren’t gonna step up. That’s all the Highland Hornets heard over the offseason, and they responded in the best way possible: steamrolling all their opponents. Crushing McDowell in Pennsylvania, shutting out Hudson in a big inter-conference matchup, stopping Avon Lake after a long road trip, shutting down their arch nemesis Aurora, and then beating a red hot Copley team. The schedule from here on out is rather easy, and the American Conference should be theirs barring something crazy.
Wadsworth Grizzlies (D2R6): The Grizzlies are for real and have a lot of similarities to the aforementioned Hornets. The most points they surrendered was 14 and the fewest points they scored was 35. Just last week, they shut out previously undefeated Twinsburg and hung 39 on them. As mentioned with Nordonia, the Grizzlies will be on the road for their game against them on week 8. Another notable game will be the week prior when they go to Hudson to play the Explorers. This team is a heavyweight not just in the National Conference, but in the region.
Avon Eagles (D2R6): No recap of tough teams is complete unless you have a reigning state champion there. The Eagles saw their long regular season win streak end in Florida to Spruce Creek, but they have beaten their other opponents rather easily. One of those games including the 55-7 beatdown at North Ridgeville on week 4. The Southwest Conference should be theirs once again, with their toughest opponent being this week against the Berea-Midpark Titans. The road to a repeat begins soon for the Eagles, and Mike Elder would love nothing else but another title.
