Healthy Mentor ready for playoffs

The Mentor football has withstood a flurry of injuries.

Now the Cardinals hope to unleash their own storm as the Ohio High School football playoffs kick off this coming weekend.

Mentor has played the last trio of games short-handed, with quarterback Ian Kipp sidelined with a shoulder injury and running back Brian Trobel sitting out with an ankle injury.

But none of it stopped the Cardinals from going 9-1, winning a share of the Greater Cleveland Conference title (with Euclid) and earning the top overall seed in Division I, Region 1.

The Cardinals will face GCC foe Strongsville on Nov. 2 at Jerome T. Osborne Stadium, likely at full strength, with Kipp and Trobel expected to return to action.

“It wasn’t worth it (to bring them back early),” Coach Steve Trivisonno said. “The younger guys were playing well. We didn’t want to make any risk. The key was to get ready for the playoffs.”

With Kipp and Trobel either out or limited, the Cardinals went 2-1 down the stretch, with wins over Euclid and Elyria, and a narrow 29-28 overtime loss to Solon.

Trivisonno lauded Luke Floriea for moving from receiver to quarterback to pilot the Cardinals to the top seed in Region 1, as well as Varney Spansel for stepping in as the bellcow back.

“Those guys stepped up and did a great job,” Trivisonno said. “Really, we did this without our quarterback, running back and best receiver (who moved to QB with the injuries). But everybody stepped up, and our defense played great.”

Mentor is one of 10 News-Herald area teams that have qualified for postseason play. The others are:

• Euclid, which finished third in the Division I, Region 1 computer ratings. The Panthers (8-2), cochamps of the rugged GCC that sent half of its teams (four of eight) to the playoffs,

will host AustintownFitch (8-2) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2.

• Riverside, which finished sixth in the Division II, Region 5 ratings. The Beavers, a tri-champion of the Western Reserve Conference with Chardon and Kenston, will travel to Nordonia (9-1) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2

• Mayfield, which finished eighth in Division II, Region 5. The Wildcats lost a tight 14-6 Week 10 game to Riverside, but qualified with a 5-5 record. Mayfield will travel to top-seeded Akron Hoban (10-0) for a 7 p.m. game on Nov. 2.

• Kenston, which finished second in Division III, Region 9. The Bombers (9-1), tri-champion of

the WRC with Chardon and Riverside, missed the playoffs by three-tenths of a point last year with an 8-2 record. They will host West Holmes (8-2) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2.

• Chardon, which won six games in a row after a 1-3 start, finished fourth in Division III, Region 9. The 7-3 Hilltoppers, who gave Perry and Kenston their only losses of the season, will host Akron East (8-2) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2.

• Perry, which earned the top seed in Division IV, Region 13, finds itself crossbracketed from Stebenville and wouldn’t face Big Red (the team that ousted them from the playoffs the last two years) until the regional final. Perry (9-1) will host Akron Buchtel (7-3) on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.

• Gilmour, paced by 2,000-yard back C.J. Charleston, finished fourth in Division V, Region 17. The Lancers (10-0) will host Columbiana Crestview (6-3) at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 3 at Weber Stadium.

• Wickliffe, whose only losses are to state-ranked Cuyahoga Heights and Kirtland, finished sixth in Division V, Region 17. The Blue Devils (8-2) will travel to LaBrae (9-1) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.

• Kirtland, which earned the undisputed CVC Valley title with a win over Wickliffe in Week 10, is the second seed in Division VI, Region 21. The Hornets (10-0) will host Steubenville Catholic Central (7-3) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2.