Mentor Boys' Basketball Team Prepares for New Season

’s deflating loss to St. Ignatius in the Division I regional final a couple of weeks ago signaled the end of football season to many members of the community.

As for Bob Krizancic, it undoubtedly meant something else – basketball season.

As is often the case, many football players are also on the basketball team, so you can pardon yourself if you believe you might have walked into the wrong sporting event when the Cardinals open their 2011-2012 campaign hosting Willoughby South at 7:30 p.m. this evening.

One can imagine Coach K might have had something in the way of divided loyalties when it came to football season. Sure, he wanted the football team to win, especially with his on board.

Then again, you can’t blame a guy for wanting to get back to work. And this year, work will look a little different as Mentor will be switching to a new league that will allow them to gain revenge on the team that ended its 2010-2011 season.

In moving from the Lake Erie League, which it won last year, to the Northeast Ohio Conference, the who defeated them, 85-68, in the Division I, Region 2 final.

The Cardinals produced another strong season with a 21-5 record, but Trey Lewis’ 32 points cut it short. Fortunately for the Cardinals, Lewis is at troubled Penn State.

Unfortunately for Mentor, , the coach’s son who now plays at Ashland, competed in his final high school game that night and won’t have a chance to avenge the loss, but his younger brother Connor will. The move to the NOC’s Valley Division drops the Cardinals right in the Bulldogs’ lap.

“In talking to the Plain Dealer, I hear (Garfield Heights) will be ranked No. 1, and we’ll be No. 3 in the poll. But polls really don’t matter so much right now,” Krizancic said. “Our schedule will be strong. It’ll be good for us to face Strongsville, Brunswick, Medina and Elyria. Plus we’ll have four games in Tennessee.”

In some respects, Coach K couldn’t be happier as he’ll get two cracks at coach Sonny Johnson’s Bulldogs. The Cardinals will host the Bulldogs on Jan. 13 and travel to meet them on Feb. 17.

“We missed a chance at going to state. We missed a ton of free throws, and you can’t do that against what was then the No. 1 team in the state,” Krizancic said.

, who was named second team All-Ohio last season, will be the highest returning scorer. Fritts broke his hand several weeks ago and missed a few weeks of practice but has been cleared to play. Senior guard Danny Wallack is the other returning starter.

Mentor starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky will trade in his cleats for gym shoes and the team should expect significant contributions from Kyle Morris, Jeff Foreman and Caleb Potter.

As usual, the basketball team will have a lot to live up to. Under Krizancic, the Cardinals have been to the Division I final four in 2010 and nine regional appearances, including eight in the last 11 years. They had also captured the Lake Erie League crown eight times under Krizancic.