Schools

Mentor's Brandon Short Chooses Lehigh

Cardinals center and his family agreed that the Bethlehem, Pa. university was the best fit

One of Mentor's football captains will study and play at a prestigious university in Bethlehem, Pa.

Brandon Short signed a letter of intent Wednesday to attend Lehigh University this fall. The Mentor senior expects to play center, the same position for which he earned first-team All Northeast Ohio Conference honors during Mentor's 2012 season and deep postseason run.

"It came down to the mix between academics and football, we felt that Lehigh gave us the best mix between both," Brandon said. "Being such a high academic school, their football program is also tops in the country, Division I-A, (Football Championship Subdivision)."

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Brandon's accolades last season included first-team all Lake County, first-team all News-Herald and second-team, all Northeast District. Mentor Head Coach Steve Trivisonno also selected him as a nominee for the Lake County Touchdown Club Student Athlete of the Year.

Brandon also excelled in the classrom with a 3.7 overall grade point average.

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"He's an excellent football, but he's also excellent academically," Trivisonno said. "Great leader, and he's going to be a success at whatever he chooses.

"We were pretty darn good, and a lot of it had to do with what he did."

Brandon signed his letter before a room full of high school staff members, family members and friends at the school district's administrative building. Accompanied by his parents, Joe and Michele, Brandon said he grew a little weary of the recruiting process.

"It was pretty hectic with coaches calling every night," he said, "but once I went to Lehigh and visited, I knew it was the place for me."

Brandon is one of two Division I recruits from Mentor High School. The other, Mitch Trubisky, announced the University of North Carolina as his school of choice during his junior year. He graduated early from Mentor and is already enrolled at the university in Chapel Hill.

Trivisonno said three of his seniors would be play football at Division III schools. Safety Reese Armstrong is the first to make a decision, deciding to play and study at John Carroll University in University Heights.


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