The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Mentor eager for a crisp 2021 season
Everyone is welcoming a somewhat return to normalcy as the 2021 fall sports season arrives.
Maybe no one more so that Mentor coach Matt Gray.
Consider the following events that took place for Gray, who took over the Mentor program in the winter of 2019-20 after the winningest coach in Cardinals football history (Steve Trivisonno) stepped down after a decorated 23-year run:
1, Sports in Ohio, including Gray’s first winter and spring lifting sessions, came to a halt because of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
2, Summer 7-on-7s on the first-year coach’s schedule, were back-burnered and limited.
3, When workouts did resume in the summer, they did so with only small groups at a time getting together in an attempt to curtail COVID-19.
4, Gray sustained two deaths in the family during a one-week span during the season.
5, The Cardinals were forced to play a Division I state semifinal game without their two-time All-Ohio quarterback Ian Kipp, who was under COVID contacttracing
protocol.
Gray didn’t hold a parade when 2020 exited and 2021 arrived, but it would have been somewhat justified if he had.
“What last year taught us was you have to adapt and adjust,” Gray said. “You can never assume anything. Each day is a new challenge. There is always some new
challenge or something new that can show up on your desk in the morning that makes you adapt and adjust.”
Yeah, true.
But what happened last year took it to a new level, no?
“Not having the time to form chemistry in the offseason, coach having family
members pass away, Ian missing the state game,” said senior running back Brenden Panhorst, “it’s like obstacle, obstacle, adversity, adversity, obstacle. … When you look back at it, that we made it to the final four and almost won it was pretty incredible.”
Along with the rest of the state, Gray & Co. shut
down football operations on March 12 as the state mandated coronavirus measures. From then until June, there were no team workouts.
Just virtual meetings, texts and phone calls.
Not exactly what a firstyear head coach needs to get a running start.
“Thankfully we have such a great staff and everyone did a great job of adapting,” Gray said. “We didn’t get back until June 8.”
Then, he said, the first month included no football activities, only lifting and running.
“We had to get in shape to make sure we could get through a two-hour practice,” Gray said with a laugh.
When teams did get back together for workouts, it was interesting to say the least.
“Eight guys at a time, groups of 15 on the field. It was unbelievable,” Panhorst said.
Then during the playoff season, his grandfather Jack Plas and his motherin-law died within a nineday span.
The one major ray of sunshine in there was the birth of Gray’s daughter, Payton, on Oct. 29.
Besides that — whew — what a first season.
“I wouldn’t say this year has been easier,” Gray said with a laugh, “but just different challenges. When you think it’s a cakewalk, that’s when you lose it. But getting back to the weight room, back to the locker room — building that camaraderie … just kids spending time together … that’s such a huge piece of building a team.”