History...
Mentor's 31-0 win the in the regional semifinal in 2003 was a milestone victory in their football program. Since that game, St Ignatius has a slight 6-5 edge in head-to-head meetings. The Wildcats currently have a 5-3 lead in the regular season series dating back to 2005. This has become the premier big school public/private rivalry in the state. That is largely due to the success of the programs. Since the 2001 season, these teams have combined for 41 playoff wins (19 belong to Mentor), 11 regional final appearances (six for Mentor), six regional titles (three for each), five state final appearances (two for Mentor), and three state titles (all by St Ignatius).Week 1...
Both teams played out of state opponents to open the season. Mentor edged Erie McDowell (PA) at home, 44-30. St Ignatius fell 29-20 on the road to Brother Rice, the back-to-back state champions from Michigan. What does that all mean? Hard to say. Ignatius was down 27-6 late in the 3rd quarter. Mentor got down 16-0 halfway through the 1st quarter. Both teams had some offensive struggles at times. Both teams had some trouble keeping the other offense off the field for good chunks of the game. It is safe to say that even though Mentor is somewhat pleased with their Week 1 performance, the Wildcats are not alone in feeling that vast improvement is needed.What to expect...
St Ignatius senior QB John Thomas is still unproven, but he does have some talented receivers in Michael Siragusa, Jacky Hyland, and Nick Fabian. Siragusa and Faban both had 80-yard touchdown plays against Brother Rice. St Ignatius has a big offensive line (featuring a Notre Dame commit and a sophomore already offered by OSU) that will look to establish the running game. Senior RB Mike Vitale didn't get a lot of carries against Brother Rice, but he did have a late touchdown run that brought Ignatius within a score. While this offense doesn't seem quite as potent as most recent Ignatius teams, they still have talent. And a good offensive line.Mentor will use strength verse strength as their line is the most talented unit on defense. Seniors Kent Berger and Delvon Maddox will have to get some pressure on Thomas and not allow time for their talented receivers to get open for big plays. The three-man tackle rotation of Nico Lautanen, Trevor Morrison, and Billy Hudson (averaging roughly 6'3 and 260) will have to be effective in stopping the run. The secondary was not tested at all against McDowell, a heavy running team. Their ability to keep the very talented Siragusa in check is a big key to the game.
When Mentor has the ball, they will try to solve St Ignatius' 3-3-5 stack defense. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they will have to continue their season without All-Ohio LB Kyle Berger. The Ohio State commit suffered a season-ending injury in their last scrimmage. Berger was a one-man wrecking crew against Mentor last season. Stopping the Ignatius pass rush will be very important for Mentor to win - especially if they play sophomore QB Matt Eiswerth a lot. The youngster will need some time in the pocket to be comfortable. When Conner Krizancic is in at QB, look for him to keep the Wildcats on their toes with his ability to throw and run.
One thing Mentor can count on is an advantage in the receiver-defensive back matchup. Brother Rice's QB had a lot of success throwing on the unproven corners and safeties of St Ignatius. Mentor's talented trio of Brandon Fritts, Conner Krizancic, and Corey Plavcan will be a threat every play. In order to open up the passing game, Mentor has to make sure they establish the run with Eddie Daughterty. The junior RB averaged roughly 10 yards per carry in Week 1.
Prediction...
Before the season, this was the only regular season game I predicted a Mentor loss. With the injury to stud LB Kyle Berger to go along with another season ending injury to a key player (QB John Mahoney), the Wildcats aren't at full strength. That is a big advantage to Mentor. Berger was as important to the St Ignatius defense as Trubisky was to Mentor's offense. I predict the defense will play better than in Week 1 with a more traditional (though potentially more dangerous) offense. I think Eiswerth and Krizancic will both be effective in their own ways.Prediction: Mentor 34 St Ignatius 28
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