Week 2 of high school football preview inside

The second week of the high school football season is here. Sports Editor Jon Behm lets you know what games to watch and The Morning Journal staff picks who will win each of the 19 area games.

OLMSTED FALLS AT AVON

What: Matt Medley Memorial Game of the Week When: 7p.m., Aug. 31 Where: Joe Firment Stadium Records: Olmsted Falls 1-0, Avon 1-0 Last meeting: 2017— 31-7, Avon and 55-14, Avon For the record: It’s clear neither of these teams subscribe to the mentality of starting the schedule with easy games. The rematch of last year’s Division II, Region 6final is the Week 2game to watch, and for good reason, as this game could prove to be the one to decide the Southwestern Conference champion. Avon dominated the rivalry last year by a combined score of 86-21 in the two meetings, but this year is considerably different. Against Akron Buchtel in Week 1, the Eagles struggled at times on offense, while the defense is what carried Avon to a 19-11win. It’s not likely that an offense as potent as Avon’s will stay down for long, but if it isn’t ready to keep pace with Bulldogs, it will be a tough game. Why? Because Olmsted Falls proved that it has no plans of slowing down its high octane offense in 2018. The Bulldogs pounded Brecksville-Broadview Heights for 55points in Week 1, showing an evolution in its offense in that the passing game will be utilized and a strength this season. Senior quarterback Teddy Grendzynski was 10-for-13for 193yards and two touchdowns in the win. Expect this one to be a high-scoring affair.

NORTH OLMSTED

AT AVON LAKE

What: Southwestern Conference game When: 7p.m., Aug. 31 Where: Avon Lake Memorial Stadium Records: North Olmsted 1-0, Avon Lake 1-0 Last meeting: 2017— 21-14 (OT), North Olmsted For the record: This one is a showdown of two teams primed to take the next step in the Southwestern Conference and have legitimate playoff aspirations. Expect lots of running in this one. Avon Lake’s Konnor Riggs and North Olmsted’s Darren Anders are two of the best running backs in The Morning Journal area, and will be highly featured in this one. Both running backs are able to see such high levels of success because they have quarterbacks who can take control of the game when needed. Avon Lake’s Jack Mikolich was 8-for-12for 83yards against Elyria, but used his legs well to notch a pair of touchdowns and 21yards on five carries. A similar story can be said of North Olmsted’s Liam Fay, who was 3-for-12for 76yards, but added three touchdowns and 45yards on 15carries against Valley Forge.

KIRTLAND AT COLUMBIA

What: Nonconference game When: 7p.m., Aug. 31 Where: Columbia Raiders Stadium

Records: Kirtland 1-0,

Columbia 1-0

Last meeting: 2017— 49-14, Kirtland For the record: Columbia gets the chance to see what a state contender looks like early. And it’s by no means going to be easy. Kirtland features an offensive line that possesses a size that would make most Division I teams jealous, which is a big reason the Hornets feature a tandem of All-Ohio running backs in Joey Torok and Jake Neibecker. Columbia is not lacking in the running back department with senior Brandon Coleman. Coleman is coming off of a three-touchdown performance against Independence and is running as if his knee injury his junior year never occurred. Last season, Coleman notched a pair of scores against Kirtland, which is more than most running backs in the state could say they did against the Hornets. Expect some old-school, run heavy football in this one.

LORAIN AT EUCLID

What: Nonconference game When: 7p.m., Aug. 31 Where: Sparky DiBiasio Stadium

Records: Lorain 1-0, Euclid 1-0 Last meeting: 2014— 36-6, Lorain For the record: Lorain added Euclid to its schedule for 2018 to give the Titans a strong test in the early season. This one could be a low-scoring affair. The Titans showed their defensive prowess has not disappeared in a season-opening win against Midview; Lorain kept the Middies to negative-22yards on the ground. Not to be outdone, Euclid held what should be a very potent Glenville offense to 17points in its Week 1victory. Defenses will take the limelight in this one, so it may simply come down to which team makes the last key stop in this matchup.

MIDVIEW AT NORTH RIDGEVILLE

What: Southwestern Conference game When: 7p.m., Aug. 31 Where: Ranger Stadium

Records: Midview 0-1, North Ridgeville 0-1 Last meeting: 2017— 38-0, Midview For the record: Midview finds itself in a position it has not been since 2011— trying to rebound from a Week 1 loss. The Middies struggled mightily against Lorain in Week 1. However, it’s hard to tell if those struggles were because Lorain is just that good or Midview has that many questions it needs to answer. North Ridgeville, on the other hand, had a slow start against North Royalton, which resulted in a 42-25loss. As with Midview, there were flashes of solid play with moments of struggles in the Rangers’ loss. That’s what makes this game so unpredictable. These are two teams that are searching for how to put it all together, but have not yet. If one of them does, it could get ugly fast.