strongsville mustang football 2015 greater cleveland conference

STRONGSVILLE MUSTANG
FOOTBALL
2015
GREATER CLEVELAND CONFERENCE
NOC VALLEY CHAMPIONS
2008
PIONEER CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
1993,1994,1998,2000,2001,2003,2004
DIVISION 1 PLAYOFF QUALIFIERS
1993,1994,1995,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2008
EXPECT VICTORY!!!
The Mustang football family wants to thank the following people. This season would not
have been possible without their support.
Administration:
Superintendent
Cameron Ryba
Principal
Mark Smithberger
Athletic Director
Andy Jalwan
Athletic Secretary
Evelyn Deisner
The Strongsville High School Faculty
Trainers
Steve Pritchard
Joe Kopacz
Mustang Football Cheerleaders
Freshmen Football Coaches
Our “Bell” Guy
Tony Peskar
The Strongsville Mustang Band
The outstanding families and fans that were always there, and always gave us their full support
and believed in our goals as a program. Thank you so much for all of your support and efforts!!
The coach’s wives and families, for understanding the time involved, for believing in us, for your
support, for patience, for loving us, and most of all for your love and knowing we love you!!!
Strongsville
JV/Varsity
Football
2015/2016
#
NAME
Gr
OFF.
DEF.
Ht.
Wt.
#
NAME
1
Josh Collins
12
WR
DB
5'11
170
48
Bobby Proe
4
Justin Collins
12
WR
DB
5'11
165
49
Trevor Denning
5
Sami Mehmed
12
WR
DB
5'9
145
52
Austin Smith
6
Perry McLaughlin
11
WR
LB
6'0
175
53
Pete Schumacher
7
Brandon Clark
12
WR
LB
6'3
200
54
Ben Carrara
8
Peter Mocho
11
WR
DB
6'1
172
55
Joe Talpas
9
John Spragg
10
QB
DB
5'11
170
56
Eddie Kaminski
11
Jake Krokey
11
QB
LB
6'2
190
58
Jacob Kemelhar
13
Jon Campo
12
WR
DB
6'1
165
59
Brandon Schieferle
14
Callahan Hinckley
11
QB
DB
6'1
160
60
Jake Whitecar
15
Jimmy Keating
11
WR
LB
6'1
165
62
Cole Hinton
16
Ryan Robertson
12
QB
DB
6'4
190
63
Ian Cubberley
17
Jaxon Buike
11
WR
DB
5'6
140
65
Garrett D'Abato
18
Jack O'Malley
11
WR
DB
5'9
125
66
Jayce Heim
19
Adam Winrod
12
WR
DB
5'11
175
68
Aaron Savel
20
David Miller
10
WR
DB
5'10
140
70
Graham Shimko
21
Sean Aske
12
WR
DB
5'9
150
71
Samir Sajjad
22
Matt Pearce
10
WR
DB
5'10
150
72
Conner Mundy
23
Christian Williams
10
RB
DB
5'11
140
76
Hunter James
24
Brandon Rhoda
10
WR
DB
5'10
155
77
Jarett Andrews
25
Colin Kern
11
WR
DB
5'11
140
78
Mark Loy
26
Kyle Bakos
11
WR
DB
5'11
160
79
Vince Galassi
27
Logan Arthur
10
WR
DB
5'10
140
80
Ryan Puzzitiello
28
Regan Puzzitiello
12
RB
LB
6'0
165
81
Moe Moe
29
Josh Milum
10
WR
DB
5'7
135
85
Anthony Previt
30
Jared Volan
12
H
LB
5'8
175
88
Mitchell Hoerig
31
Nick Bauman
12
WR
DB
5'7
155
89
Connor Cormier
32
Zach Kahn
12
RB
DB
5'11
180
91
Jorden Lewis
33
Mason Reynolds
12
RB
LB
5'10
185
99
Jared Anderson
35
Matt Poyle
11
WR
DB
5'9
160
36
Matt Godenswager
10
RB
LB
5'9
155
37
Thaddaeus Stanford
12
RB
DL
5'8
175
Head Coach: Larry
38
Ben Hryszko
11
K/P
K/P
5'8
145
Asst. Coaches: Eric K
39
Terell Watkins
11
RB
DB
5'9
155
Jake
41
Adam Salti
10
WR
LB
6'0
164
Billy V
42
Tommy Zacharyasz
10
RB
LB
5'11
195
Dejon
43
Alex Zacharyasz
12
RB
LB
6'1
210
44
Justin Lockhart
10
RB
LB
5'11
205
Superintendent: Came
45
Nick Caruso
11
RB
LB
6'0
185
Principal: Mark Smith
46
Rejdi Kalaja
10
WR
DB
5'9
140
Athletic Director: And
Season Stats & Team Leaders for 10 games
Print Season Stats
SHS
OPP
Total yds
3,439 1,197
Passing yards 1,154 733
Passing yards per game
115.40 73.30
Pass completions/attempts 84 / 184
Pass completion %
45.65 %
Passing TDs
7
16
59 / 92
64.13 %
Rushing yards 2,285 464
Rushing yards per game
228.50 46.40
Rush plays/average
447/5.11
Rushing TDs
5
16
97/4.78
3rd Down Conversions
(20.00 %) 8
(50.00 %) 16
4th Down Conversions
(40.00 %) 4
(57.14 %) 4
First Downs
37
48
Turnovers
3
2
Sacks 22
4
PASSING
#16 R. Robertson
1068 yds, 77 for 162 (47.53 %), 15 TDs, 8 INTs
RUSHING
#32 Z. Kahn
1591 yds, 309 carries, 9 TDs, 3 Fum
RECEIVING
#1 J. Collins
435 yds, 30 catches, 9 TDs, 0 Fum
DEFENSE
#42 T. Zacharyasz
115 total tackles, 2 sacks, 3 FF
Passing Stats
#
NAME GAMES
LNG TD
INT
CMP ATT
SACKED
CMP %
RAT
YDS
16
R. Robertson 10
8
79
77
162
47.53 %
1,068 6.59
106.80 86
15
2
J. Major
-
5
70
6
17
35.29 %
79
4.65
15.80 39
1
8
P. Mocho
-
6
95
1
1
100.00 %
7
7.00
1.17
7
-
32
Z. Kahn10
0
-
1
0.00 % -
0.00
-
-
1
-
0.00
YDS/ATT
YDS/GAME
9
J. Spragg
39
1
-
2
0.00 % -
0.00
0.00
-
-
-
14
C. Hinckley
39
1
-
1
0.00 % -
0.00
0.00
-
-
-
84
184
45.65 %
Total:
0
1154 6.27
115.40
16
9
YDS/CARRY
YDS/GAME
LNG
TD
74
Rushing Stats
#
NAME GAMES
FUM
CARRIES
YDS
32
Z. Kahn10
309
1,591 5.15
159.10 74
2
J. Major
5
44
219
4.98
43.80 24
1
-
1
J. Collins
9
19
177
9.32
19.67 75
2
-
16
R. Robertson 10
38
116
3.05
11.60 15
3
2
37
T. Stanford
10
17
88
5.18
8.80
22
-
-
23
C. Williams
4
5
34
6.80
8.50
28
1
-
9
J. Spragg
1
3
21
7.00
21.00 10
-
-
28
R. Puzzitiello 10
3
18
6.00
1.80
16
-
-
43
A. Zacharyasz 7
1
16
16.00 2.29
16
-
-
4
J. Collins
9
1
2
2.00
0.22
2
-
-
5
S. Mehmed
7
2
2
1.00
0.29
2
-
-
33
M. Reynolds 10
3
1
0.33
0.10
2
-
-
14
C. Hinckley
1
2
-
0.00
0.00
7
-
-
447
2285 5.11
16
5
Total:
Receiving Stats
228.50
9
3
#
NAME GAMES
REC
YDS
YDS/REC
1
J. Collins
9
30
435
14.50 48.33 73
9
-
4
J. Collins
9
17
315
18.53 35.00 52
3
-
5
S. Mehmed
7
18
157
8.72
22.43 53
1
-
8
P. Mocho
6
4
117
29.25 19.50 86
1
-
13
J. Campo
10
5
85
17.00 8.50
51
1
-
32
Z. Kahn10
6
20
3.33
2.00
19
-
-
35
M. Poyle
7
2
15
7.50
2.14
9
-
-
30
J. Volan
1
1
10
10.00 10.00 10
1
-
33
M. Reynolds 10
1
-
0.00
-
-
-
16
0
Total:
84
0.00
1154 13.74 115.40
YDS/GAME
LNG
TD
FUM
Defensive Stats
#
NAME GAMES
TACKLE
SOLO ASSIST SACK TFL
RET YDS
FF
FUM REC
FUM RET YDS DEF TD
SAFETY INT
INT
42
T. Zacharyasz 10
3
-
115
37
78
2
14
-
-
-
3
33
M. Reynolds 10
-
101
30
71
3
7
-
-
-
3
43
A. Zacharyasz 7
-
74
27
47
1
5
-
1
-
1
21
S. Aske 10
-
72
31
41
-
1
-
2
25
-
-
7
B. Clark
2
-
10
2
48
11
37
6
7
-
1
29
3
45
N. Caruso
1
-
10
-
44
4
40
1
6
-
1
-
-
13
J. Campo
-
10
-
44
10
34
-
-
-
3
-
1
48
B. Proe 8
-
32
4
28
1
1
-
-
-
-
1
28
R. Puzzitiello 10
-
28
9
19
1
1
-
-
-
-
37
T. Stanford
3
58
10
2
27
8
19
6
6
-
-
-
1
19
A. Winrod
-
7
-
27
12
15
-
-
-
1
15
-
26
K. Bakos
1
-
8
-
24
11
13
-
1
-
1
-
-
52
A. Smith
-
8
-
21
1
20
-
3
-
-
-
-
35
M. Poyle
-
7
-
15
4
11
-
1
-
-
-
-
77
J. Andrews
-
6
-
14
2
12
-
1
-
-
-
2
79
V. Galassi
3
52
5
-
11
2
9
-
1
-
-
-
2
11
J. Krokey
-
9
-
10
2
8
-
-
-
-
-
-
72
C. Mundy
-
9
-
9
3
6
-
-
-
-
-
-
8
P. Mocho
-
6
-
5
2
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
24
B. Rhoda
-
4
-
4
2
2
-
1
-
-
-
-
23
C. Williams
-
4
-
4
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
6
P. McLaughlin 3
-
4
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
4
J. Collins
-
9
-
3
1
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
49
T. Denning
-
4
-
3
1
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
32
Z. Kahn10
-
2
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
15
J. Keating
-
7
-
2
2
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
1
J. Collins
-
9
-
1
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
65
G. Dabato
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
9
J. Spragg
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
76
H. James
-
2
-
1
-
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
36
M. Godenswager
-
1
-
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
Rest of team
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
1
Total:
748
221
527
22
57
0
10
69
17
15
XP %
PTS
110
4
Kicking Stats
#
NAME GAMES
FGM/FGA
99
J. Anderson
4 / 11 36.36 %
Total:
9
4 / 11 36.36 %
FG % LNG
36
XPM/XPA
33 / 33 100.00 %
33 / 33 100.00 %
45
45
Punting Stats
#
NAME GAMES
PUNTS YDS
99
J. Anderson
9
37
37
1270 34.32 127.00 7
Total:
YDS/PUNT
YDS/GAME
1,270 34.32 141.11 7
IN 20 LNG
49
Kickoff Return Stats
#
NAME GAMES
RETURNS
YDS
4
J. Collins
9
12
285
23.75 31.67 -
32
Z. Kahn10
8
159
19.88 15.90 -
24
1
J. Collins
9
2
44
22.00 4.89
-
24
49
T. Denning
4
3
14
4.67
3.50
-
10
48
B. Proe 8
2
8
4.00
1.00
-
7
15
J. Keating
7
1
2
2.00
0.29
-
28
512
18.29 51.20 0
Total:
YDS/RETURN YDS/GAME
TD
LNG
TD
LNG
65
2
Punt Return Stats
#
NAME GAMES
RETURNS
YDS
YDS/RETURN YDS/GAME
32
Z. Kahn10
12
216
18.00 21.60 1
29
1
J. Collins
9
1
1
1.00
0.11
-
1
4
J. Collins
9
1
-
0.00
0.00
-
-
Rest of team
3
-
0.00
0.00
-
-
Total:
17
217
12.76 21.70 1
GAME 1 AVON
No. 7 Avon football rides big night
from Jake Sopko in 41-24 win over
Strongsville (photos)
1 / 16
The Avon cheering section celebrates the kickoff of a new season with a talcum powder explosion in a game
between the Strongsville Mustangs and the Avon Eagles. Friday, August 28, 2015. Pat Catan Stadium,
Strongsville (Thomas Ondrey/The Plain Dealer)
Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer
By Ryan Isley, Special to Northeast Ohio Media Group
on August 28, 2015 10:51 PM
0
Reddit
Email
08/28 - 7:00 PM Football
Final
Avon
41
Strongsville
24
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio – Senior quarterbackJake Sopko had 306 yards passing and threw for
four touchdowns while running for another as the Avon Eagles football team defeated
Strongsville, 41-24, Friday night.
Avon started off quickly, scoring three touchdowns in the game’s first 10:11. The Eagles rode
their strong defense in the first quarter to continue getting good field position and made it pay
off.
On the first offensive drive, Sopko found senior running back Gerett Choat for a 9-yard score.
Then Choat took the ball on the second drive and ran it in from a yard out. On the next
possession, Sopko threw his second touchdown pass of the night – this one a 7-yard strike to
Michael Nose to put Avon up 21-0.
Check cleveland.com/hssports on Saturday for another story with several videos from this game,
including action highlights.
Zach Kahn got Strongsville going in the second quarter with a 69-yard punt return for a
touchdown, and then the Mustangs added a field goal to make the halftime deficit just 21-10.
“We stopped ourselves a few times and Strongsville’s kids never quit,” Avon coach Mike Elder
said. “It was disappointing because I felt like we could have 42 on the board in the first half. At
halftime, we talked and I told our kids to relax and execute. I thought the first drive (of the
second half) was our best one of the game, and it kind of set the tone for the second half.”
Avon took the opening drive of the second half and marched down the field, with Sopko
finishing off the drive with a 4-yard run where he lowered his head and bulldozed into the end
zone.
“It was definitely huge, it was something we needed,” Sopko said of the drive. “They were
starting to get momentum and we talked in the locker room that some things needed to change
but to just stick with it and that’s what we did.”
The Eagles jumped out to their largest lead of the game in the first minute of the fourth quarter
when Sopko hit Will Heilman for the first of his two touchdown catches on the night. The
touchdown ended a 14-play, 89-yard drive that took 5:39 off the clock and gave Avon a 34-10
lead.
Josh Collins hauled in an 89-yard touchdown reception for Strongville just 20 seconds later, but
a failed onside kick and then a 2-yard pass from Sopko to Heilman put the game out of reach.
GAME 2 HUDSON
Strongsville football comes from
behind to upset No. 16 Hudson,
17-10
1 / 30
The Strongsville High School Mustangs kicked off Friday night football against the Hudson High School
Explorers.
Mary Kilpatrick, cleveland.com
By Joe Magill, Special to Northeast Ohio Media Group
on September 04, 2015 11:30 PM, updated September 05, 2015 2:12 AM
0
Reddit
Email
09/04 - 7:00 PM Football
Final
Strongsville
17
Hudson
10
HUDSON, Ohio -- Brandon Clark returned an interception 27 yards for the winning points
Friday as visiting Strongsville came from behind to pull a non-conference upset against Hudson,
17-10.
It was Hudson's first regular-season loss since October 25, 2013, which entered the game ranked
16th in the cleveland.com Top 25. The Explorers (1-1) jumped to a 10-0 lead early in the second
period but failed to score for the remainder of the game.
The Mustangs (1-1) came back with 10 points of their own in the second period on a 69-yard
touchdown pass to Justin Collins and a 41-yard field goal by Jared Anderson. Collins ended the
night with 93 yards on five receptions. Clark's interception return accounted for the only points
in the second half.
Strongsville plays at Brush on Sept. 11 and Hudson hosts North Canton Hoover.
GAME 3 BRUSH
Game Story
Ohio High School Football - Brush trounced by Strongsville
(September 11, 2015: Lyndhurst, OH 44124) The Strongsville Mustangs walloped the
host Brush Arcs football team by a count of 49-14 in Friday's non-league outing.
With the win, Strongsville upgrades its record to 2-1 on the season. The Mustangs
host Shaker Heights (Shaker Heights, OH) to confront the Red Raiders in a Northeast
Ohio - Valley outing on Friday, September 18. The Red Raiders go into the outing with a
record of 3-0. Shaker Heights won 50-0 in their recent non-league outing against John
F. Kennedy (Cleveland, OH)
With the loss, Brush moves to 0-3 on the season. The Arcs host Madison (Madison,
OH) to confront the Blue Streaks in a Premier outing on Friday, September 18. The Blue
Streaks go into the outing with a record of 2-1. Madison lost 27-26 in their recent nonleague outing againstPerry (Perry, OH)
GAME 4 SHAKER HTS
No. 20 Strongsville football topples
Shaker Heights, 27-8
By Bryant Kizer, Special to Northeast Ohio Media Group
on September 19, 2015 12:22 AM
0
Reddit
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09/18 - 7:00 PM Football
Final
Shaker Heights
8
Strongsville
27
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- Zach Kahn ran for nearly 170 yards as the Strongsville Mustangs
bucked Shaker Heights from the unbeaten ranks with their 27-8 victory Friday in a Greater
Cleveland Conference opener.
Kahn powered his way for 167 yards and a touchdown. Senior quarterback Ryan Robertson
threw two touchdown passes.
The Raiders (3-1, 0-1) had a 2-0 lead in the first quarter. However, back-to-back touchdown
passes by Robertson put away the game. Josh Collins hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass and
finished with six receptions for 104 yars. John Campo got his hands on a 6-yard score.
In the third quarter, Collins let loose for a 75-yard touchdown run.
For the Raiders, Keiyshon Fisher scored on a 2-yard run. Fisher rushed for 81 yards on 19
carries. Quarterback Jamir Dismukes finished 11-of-21 for 177 yards.
The Mustangs (3-1, 1-0) will visit Medina on Friday, Sept. 25. The Raiders host Mentor on
Saturday, Sept. 26.
GAME 5 MEDINA
You are here: Home / Sports / High School Sports / High School Football / High school football: Strongsville dominates
Medina in GCC win
High school football: Strongsville dominates Medina in GCC
win
Filed on September 25, 2015 by Rick Noland
5 Comments
MEDINA — The Strongsville football team killed Medina with the pass in the first half, then buried the
Bees with the run in the second.
Completely dominating in every aspect, the Mustangs rolled to an impressive 42-19 Greater Cleveland
Conference victory Friday night that left Medina coach Dan Sutherland shaking his head.
Medina’s Dylan Fultz tries to break loose from Strongsville’s Tommy Zacharyasz during the first quarter. (RON SCHWANE /
GAZETTE)
“Maybe our kids and coaches read the press clippings and thought they’d arrived,” Sutherland said after
his team fell to 3-2, 1-1. “Press clippings don’t win games. In this league, you’ve got to bring it every
week.”
Under the direction of former Medina coach Larry Laird, the Mustangs (4-1, 2-0) brought it to the Bees in
every way possible.
With both teams operating without a huddle, the Mustangs ran an incredible 89 plays and finished with
532 yards total offense, while Medina had 53 plays for 280 yards in a game that took 2 hours, 56 minutes.
With Zach Kahn carrying the ball 41 times for 203 yards — almost all his attempts came between the
tackles — Strongsville finished with 355 yards on 66 rushes. The Bees rushed 23 times for 20 yards, with
star tailback Jimmy Daw held to 6 yards on 10 carries.
All that led to the Mustangs accumulating a whopping 30 first downs to Medina’s 14, six of which came on
a 12-play, 89-yard march that put the Bees up 7-0 with 7:26 left in the first period.
“We got punched in the face and we went into the corner in the second quarter,” Sutherland said. “We
picked a horrible day to play a bad game. We laid a goose egg tonight.”
Known as a run-first coach, Laird had senior quarterback Ryan Robertson (11-for-23, 177 yards, 2 TDs,
int; 14 carries, 56 yards, 2 TDs) throw the ball all over the field in the first half.
Robertson, who was 0-for-3 passing after intermission, was 11-for-20 for 177 yards over the first two
quarters, including a perfectly thrown 53-yard bomb to Sami Mehmed that tied the score and an 11-yard
slant to Josh Collins that put the Mustangs up 14-7 with 4:52 left in the opening period.
“We saw some things on film we could expose,” Kahn said. “Passing was a big part of our game plan.
Once that happens, everything else opens up.”
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Kahn, who put the Mustangs up 21-7 with a 17-yard scamper with 9:49 left in
the second period, had 22 carries for 88 yards in the first half, when Strongsville ran an incredible 50
plays while piling up 318 yards.
Medina had 101 yards total offense in the first half, when it ran 16 plays for 12 yards after its initial 89yard scoring drive.
Daw, whose 86-yard scoring scamper on a fourth-quarter reverse screen helped him finish with seven
catches for 135 yards, had six carries for minus-2 yards at halftime and didn’t get into positive yardage
until his ninth rush.
“They took away Jimmy (on the ground),” Sutherland said. “We didn’t respond.”
Medina quarterback John Curtis (16-for-30, 260 yards, 3 TDs) had a good night passing, including TD
passes of 16 and 10 yards to Jordan Fultz (4 catches, 49 yards), but missed a wide-open Dylan Fultz (3,
33) for a touchdown in the second half.
“We were going to make them beat us throwing,” Laird said. “We felt if we let (Daw) get it going (on the
ground), it was going to be a long night.”
Strongsville led 28-7 at intermission after Robertson scored on a 7-yard run with 4:51 left in the second
quarter, but Medina made it 28-13 on Jordan Fultz’s second TD catch of the night, this one with 3:08 left
in the third.
Mehmed fumbled on the ensuing kickoff and it looked like the Bees had recovered, but somehow the
Mustangs came out of the pile with the ball. Four plays later, Strongsville was up 35-13 after the speedy
Collins went 35 yards untouched while serving as the Wildcat quarterback.
From there, Kahn just grinded away with 4- to 8-yard rushes.
“I get stronger throughout the game,” Kahn said. “We’re very well conditioned. Even when we were up in
the second half, we kept playing fast. We were able to wear them down.”
Medina only committed one turnover — Strongsville had 13 penalties for 125 yards — but it was costly,
as Curtis and Daw botched a handoff that gave the Mustangs the ball on the Bees 23-yard line with the
score 7-7.
“We just didn’t execute,” Sutherland said. “It’s a simple play we’ve run 1,000 times and we screwed up.”
Three plays after the turnover, Collins (5 catches, 52 yards; 6 rushes, 77 yards) hauled in his 11-yard TD
and Strongsville never looked back.
“We couldn’t make plays (defensively) in the passing game in the first half,” Sutherland said. “In the
second half, it was straight bread and butter down our throat.”
GAME 6 EUCLID
Football playoffs brackets for all 26 regions statewide (printable, interactive)
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FOOTBALL
No. 22 Euclid football ends
winning ways of No. 16
Strongsville, 33-7 (photos, videos)
1 / 16
Euclid's Javon Avery bursts through the Strongsville line to score a touchdown and put his team up 33 -7 in a
game between the Strongsville Mustangs and the Euclid Panthers played at Pat Catan Stadium in
Strongsville on Friday, Oct 2, 2015. (Thomas Ondrey/The Plain Dealer)
Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer
By Scott Patsko, Northeast Ohio Media Group
on October 02, 2015 10:32 PM, updated October 03, 2015 9:00 AM
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10/02 - 7:00 PM Football
Final
Euclid
33
Strongsville
7
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio – Euclid got two interceptions from Keon Williams and two
touchdowns apiece from David Wright and Jovan Avery in its 33-7 Greater Cleveland
Conference win Friday at Strongsville, ending the Mustangs' four-game win streak.
The Panthers (4-2, 2-1 GCC), No. 22 in the cleveland.com Top 25, stay in contention for the
GCC title, but also should move up in Division I, Region 1 of the OHSAA computer rankings,
where they are No. 16.
The Mustangs (4-2, 2-1 GCC) are No. 4 in Region 1, No. 16 in the Top 25. They had won four
straight after a season-opening loss to Avon.
RELATED:Watch action highlights of Euclid's win against Strongsville.
The Panthers have led at halftime in each game, and led 12-7 on Friday. For the second straight
week they had a big fourth quarter. Touchdown runs of 72 and 55 yards by running back Javon
Avery put the game out of reach.
“Today was a coming of age for them,” said Panthers coach Jeff Rotsky. “We played four ranked
teams in six weeks. I’m just incredibly proud.”
Williams was the spark. The senior defensive back/wide receiver had an early punt return
touchdown called back by a hold, but later intercepted Mustangs quarterback Ryan Robertson to
set up the Panthers’ first score.
In the second quarter, Williams caught a pass about 20 yards downfield, then the 5-foot-10, 165pounder juked and slithered his way into the end zone to complete the 47-yard play. It gave the
Panthers a 12-0 lead.
“He’s a baller,” said Rotsky. “If that kid isn’t wearing a Division I uniform somewhere, then
somebody is (crazy). He’s a baller on both sides of the ball and he has the heart of a champion.”
GAME 7 SOLON
Week 7 Varsity Blitz Rewind:
Friday’s top storylines, action
videos, upsets, top performers and
more 2015 (photos)
1 / 20
Solon's Jake McCurry pulls in a catch for a touchdown against Strongsville in the second quarter. Joshua
Gunter, Northeast Ohio Media Group Friday, October 9, 2015.
Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
By Tim Bielik, Northeast Ohio Media Group
on October 10, 2015 1:02 AM, updated October 10, 2015 2:45 AM
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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Mayfield's late rally against Chardon to stay undefeated was one of
many highlights of Week 7 high school football action throughout Northeast Ohio on Friday
night.
The Wildcats, ranked No. 4 in the cleveland.com Top 25, got a late touchdown in the fourth
quarter from Jack Longo to beat the Hilltoppers, 28-21.
But while Mayfield needed a late score to avoid defeat at home, several other strong teams made
statements with the playoffs just a few weeks away. Get caught up on all the top storylines,
performers and upsets from 68 area games.
Behind a five-touchdown night from RB Weston Bridges, Copley stayed undefeated with a
41-10 win against No. 24 Highland in Suburban League American Division play.
No. 15 Solon continued the momentum from its upset win against Mentor in Week 6 by
defeating No. 19 Strongsville, 38-14, thanks to five touchdowns from QB Johnny Mooney.
The Southwestern Conference featured two games between ranked teams.
In Grafton, No. 2 Midview pulled away from No. 25 Olmsted Falls in the fourth quarter for a
35-10 win. No. 10 Avon got off to a fast start on its way to a 48-14 win against No. 22 North
Ridgeville. North Ridgeville RB and Ohio State commit Demario McCall left the game in the
second quarter due to a leg injury and did not return.
GAME 8 MENTOR
No. 7 Mentor football comes from
behind to defeat No. 22
Strongsville, 35-24
1 / 34
Mentor running back Alex Mathews dives for extra yardage as he is tackled by Strongsville linebacker
Regan Puzzitiello in the second quarter. John Kuntz, Northeast Ohio Media Group
John Kuntz, cleveland.com
By Ryan Isley, Special to Northeast Ohio Media Group
on October 16, 2015 10:34 PM, updated October 16, 2015 11:17 PM
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Final
Mentor
35
Strongsville
24
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio – The Mentor football team dug itself an early hole but was able to
mount a comeback for a 35-24 road win overStrongsville on Friday night in a Greater Cleveland
Conference game.
After falling behind 17-7 in the second quarter, Mentor, ranked seventh in the cleveland.com
Top 25, was able to put a touchdown on the board late in the quarter and then scored three
touchdowns in the third quarter to take the lead and control of the game.
Check cleveland.com/hssports on Saturday for another story with several videos from this game,
including action highlights.
“That was an ugly first quarter and a half,” Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno said. “We just battled
and just kept getting better and we took it to them in that third quarter.”
The game started out like it was going to be a high-scoring affair.
Strongsville freshman quarterback Johnny Major scored on a rushing touchdown in the first
minute of the game to give the No. 22 Mustangs (4-4, 2-3) an early lead. Major replaced Ryan
Robertson in the starting lineup in a switch that came as a surprise to many since Major wasn’t
even on the varsity roster prior to the game.
Mentor quarterback Tadas Tatarunas hit Logan Shea for a 40-yard touchdown pass less than a
minute later to tie the game for the Cardinals (6-2, 4-1).
Strongsville running back Zach Kahn then took a handoff 74 yards on the next possession to give
Strongsville the lead back. After a field goal gave the Mustangs a 17-7 lead in the second
quarter, Mentor scored the next four touchdowns.
Mentor’s offense turned to running back Alex Mathews, who didn’t disappoint. The senior ran
for 178 yards on 25 carries and scored three touchdowns, including the one to end the first half
and the first two scores of the third quarter.
“Once our (offensive) line settled in and got a little comfortable, the run game opened up big
time,” Mathews said. “This is probably one of the most fun games for a running back.”
Strongsville started to drive in the third quarter but Major was injured and Robertson came in to
replace him. Robertson threw an interception in the end zone that bounced off his receiver and
then an interception on the next drive that was returned for a touchdown by Michael Ballentine
to give Mentor a 35-17 lead late in the third quarter.
Major returned to the game in the fourth quarter and hit Justin Collins on a 40-yard touchdown
pass but then the Mustangs turned it over on downs inside the Mentor 10 on their final
possession.
Both teams will be at home next week when Mentor will play Brunswick, while Strongsville
hosts Elyria.
GAME 9 ELYRIA
High school football: Elyria defeats Strongsville in OT on Josh
Lewis’ field goal
Filed on October 24, 2015 by Tim Gebhardt
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STRONGSVILLE — Coach Kevin Fell wanted someone, anyone, to step up and win a game for Elyria.
He couldn’t have guessed it would be a soccer player.
Five-foot-7, 140-pound Josh Lewis fulfilled Fell’s wishes Friday with a clutch 31-yard field goal in overtime
to nail down a 24-21 win over Strongsville in Greater Cleveland Conference play. The win kept Elyria’s
fading playoff hopes alive at least until next week, when the Pioneers close out the regular season by
hosting Mentor. Elyria enters Week 10 at 5-4. Strongsville is 4-5.
“I played for a field goal,” Fell said. “He doesn’t know the meaning of the word choke. I knew he’d make
the kick. It was just time for us to win a freaking game.”
“It was just like practice,” Lewis said. “You warm up for it. You kick it a bunch of times. It’s nothing new
and if you let it get to you it will. It doesn’t get to me. I’ve practiced it enough.”
Strongsville had to come from behind to send the game to overtime. Elyria appeared to have the game
sewn up with less than two minutes left as it lined up for a second-down play at its 47-yard line leading
21-13.
However, 300-pound senior Vince Galassi stole the ball from the arms of quarterback Donte Beckett and
lumbered toward the goal line. He wouldn’t be pulled down until he got to the 14-yard line. The Mustangs
scored two plays later — an
11-yard strike from Ryan Robertson to Josh Collins to slice the lead to 21-19.
Robertson then flipped the ball to tailback Zach Kahn and drifted to his left, where Kahn hit him with a
pass in the end zone for the 2-point conversion and a tie.
Strongsville had the first possession in overtime but missed a 36-yard field goal.
“I don’t care what the score was, we deserved to win that game,” Fell said. “We played about as hard as
we could play. We should have won it two or three times.
“I told them at the half, there’s a time when we (as coaches) can’t play for you. You have to step up and
play and you have to win a game. We can’t coach everything. We should have put them away in the first
quarter and we didn’t.”
Elyria nearly did. The Pioneers caught the Mustangs off-guard on the first play from scrimmage as junior
Chris Atkinson, the 6-2, 195-pound bundle of muscle, broke up the middle for a 55-yard touchdown.
Lewis’ kick made it 7-0 with only 14 seconds off the clock.
Then Lewis dribbled the kickoff just over the midfield stripe, where Zack Mason cradled it to give Elyria
the ball again. Six plays later, it was 14-0 with 10:12 still left in the first quarter.
“They don’t work real well on turf,” Fell said of the surprise onside kick. “I knew if we could get them on
grass, we could get one. I don’t know if I’d always call that right off the bat like that but I thought we could
get one.”
Atkinson was the workhorse for the Pioneers on offense. He collected 187 yards on the ground and
scored twice on big runs. Beckett contributed 91. Elyria finished with 324 yards on the ground but only
had 14 yards through the air.
The Pioneers fumbled four times and threw two interceptions. When Galassi made his play, it looked like
Elyria was doomed.
“It was a tough one,” Strongsville coach Larry Laird said. “We preach fumbles, interceptions and penalties
and I thought that’s what it came down to. We kept on shooting ourselves in the foot.
“That’s not a knock on Elyria. I thought Elyria played a very good football game. We spotted them 14
points in the first two minutes. We played from behind the rest of the game and we left too many points on
the field.”
The Elyria defense bent but never broke. Mason made a slew of tackles from his linebacker position and
several others contributed big plays. Cameron King, Deandre Roseboro and Simeon Lawrence anchored
the line. Mason, Kyle Jackson, J.T. Brown and Kyreesce Little made key stops. Shamur Lucky, Orlando
Scott, Javon Oliver and Brendon Price nailed down the defensive backfield.
“Zach Mason had a helluva football game,” Fell said. “Thank God. We put the defense in the hole a
couple times the second half but they responded. The fact that they got two field goals was a testament to
the defense because those could have been touchdowns.”
Strongsville knocked on the door all night. Kahn carried the ball 45 times but for only 152 yards — a 3.3yard average. Brendon Price and Brown recovered fumbles.
“We played 110 percent the whole game,” said Mason, who leads the area in tackles. “We had a good
week of practice. We knew these guys were going to be tough. We knew we weren’t going to come in and
roll over them. I’m proud of our defense.”
GAME 10 BRUNSWICK
FOOTBALL
Strongsville football gets 4
touchdown passes from Ryan
Robertson to defeat Brunswick,
42-14
By Ryan Isley, Special to cleveland.com
on October 30, 2015 10:47 PM, updated October 30, 2015 10:57 PM
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10/30 - 7:00 PM Football
Final
Strongsville
42
Brunswick
7
BRUNSWICK, Ohio – The Strongsville football team rode senior quarterback Ryan Robertson
and a stifling defense to a 42-14 away win overBrunswick in a Greater Cleveland Conference
game to keep its playoff hopes alive.
Robertson threw for 245 yards and four touchdown passes, with three of them coming in the first
half. He hit Justin Collins on a 52-yard strike on Strongsville’s first possession and then hit Josh
Collins on a 28-yard touchdown pass later in the first quarter. He finished his impressive first
half with a 10-yard pass to Jared Volan that followed an interception by Sean Aske.
Strongsville now waits for Saturday's St. Edward-St. Ignatius and Euclid-Shaker Heights games
to be completed. It's believed the Mustangs will get the last playoff spot in Division I, Region 1
should No. 1 St. Edward win and Shaker upset the No. 12 Panthers.
Check cleveland.com/hssports on Saturday for another story with several videos from this game,
including action highlights.
“I saw a boy become a man, to be quite honest,” Strongsville coach Larry Laird said of
Robertson. “He has dealt with some adversity the last few weeks and he really stepped up.”
Strongsville (5-5, 3-4) added a defensive touchdown in the first half when Thaddeaeus Stanford
picked up a fumble by Brunswick quarterback Nick Horton and ran in for a score with 2:07 left
in the first half to make it 28-0 at halftime.
Not only did the Mustangs score a touchdown on defense, but their defense allowed the offense
to keep momentum and grow the lead in the first half. Strongsville was up to the challenge
against the triple option of the Blue Devils, keeping the Brunswick (3-7, 3-4) offense on the
sidelines for the better part of the first half.
“It’s assignment football when you’re playing these guys and our guys didn’t miss many
assignments,” Laird said. “I thought our guys really stepped up and played great assignment
football.”
Brunswick was able to get on the board twice in the third quarter on touchdown passes from
Horton to Victor Talley and then from Horton to Drew Kratche. Strongsville added two
touchdowns in the second half as well, the first another pass from Robertson to Josh Collins and
then finished the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
Strongsville is hoping to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
“I don’t know any scores right now,” Laird said. “(I am) sick to my stomach. We need St.
Edward to win and so we are going to be some St. Edward fans, that’s for sure.”
2015 MUSTANG AWARDS
BOOSTER CLUB AWARD______________
MUSTANG AWARD__________________
MOST VALUABLE DEF. FRONT_________
MOST VALUABLE OFF. LINE___________
MOST VALUABLE OFF. SKILL___________
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER_____________
BELL RINGER AWARD_________________
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER______________