Sorry, I've been busy this season and haven't had a chance to attend a lot of games.
I did however attend the Mentor @ St. X game in Cincinnati ... my observation, the Cincy programs are talented, and I never seen Mentor so lethargic before in many decades. Maybe it was the long bus trip (they stopped at OSU and toured the facilities along the way). Not sure why this was a Friday night game. I do know one thing, that it always appears that this travel across the State to play each others seems a HUGE disadvantage to the traveling team. Case in point: St. Ignatius beat St. X last Saturday.
It will be St, Ed's verse Cincinnati's best in the Finals, IMO. Ed's killed Moeller last week (49-17) and have wins over Elder as well.
Sorry if I am a Johnny come lately on some of these topics, but I live here in Berea and my kids attend the Berea Schools. Berea-Midpark Titans won't do anything in the playoffs until they start getting better competition on the regular schedule. They had ONE (yes one) D1 opponent on their schedule this season and it was Lakewood who is currently 0-9. I like many of the Big programs attitude of, "If we can't beat'em in the regular season than we don't deserve to be in the playoffs"
I feel bad for Ignatius. I hear that in inking a new deal to play at Byers field that they had to agree to play the other teams that share that stadium (Normandy, Valley Forge and Parma) who are a combined 4-23 at this stage in the season. That is hurting Iggy's chances of making the playoffs. If Berea-Midpark had Iggy's schedule they would be 3-5 and sitting home this post season.
Iggy may have to beat Ed's in order to make the playoffs.
Mentor is missing something this year. They are not that good, but remind me of OSU. They have talent but are just not clicking. Their schedule isn't "tough" but it is solid with opponents combining for a 48-41 record to-date. Wins over St. Ignatius (5-3), Euclid (7-2) are the highlight. A crushing blow-out to St. X (5-4) and a loss to Solon (7-2) pit them within mediocrisy. I don't expect much from them in the playoffs and possibly even a first round exit.
Don't count Ignatius out. I've seen Coach Kyle take a stumbling mediocre first-half of the season team and have them more than ready for the playoffs. It's why them and Mentor usually split wins/losses against each other when they face one another in the regular season and then again in the post season.
It may take Ignatius beating Eds in order for Moeller to get into the playoffs ... ouch.
My Sleeper pick to "make some noise" is EUCLID (as much as I hate to say that, as growing up in Mentor they were our hated rival). They were returning a huge amount of Seniors who now have another season under their belt. With losses only to Glenville & Mentor and a win over Solon, Strongsville, Elyria, Brunswick & Medina in consecutive weeks - they are fairly solid and could make a post season run and cause an upset. They are currently #4 in computer points.
Here is the standings at this hour for Region #1:
#1 St. Eds (Clinched #1 seed)
#2. Westerville Central
#3. Stow-Monroe Falls (hasn't played a D1 school yet this year)
#4. Euclid
#5. Mentor
#6. Olentangy
#7. GlenOak
#8. Olentangy Liberty
#9. Whitmer
#10. Solon
#11. Canton McKinley
#12. Start (Toledo)
The last 4 spots are up for grabs, with front runners being: Austintown Fitch, Berea-Midpark, and Elyria. Those with a fighting chance are Ignatius, Jackson, Lorain and Strongsville.
Here is the standings at this hour for Region #2:
#1. Colerain
#2. Hilliard Davidson
#3. Lancaster
#4. Huber Heights Wayne
#5. Gahanna-Lincoln
#6. Upper Arlington
#7. Mason
Controls own destiny: Elder, Pickerington Central, St. X, Fairfield, Hilliard Darby, Dpirngboro and Centerville. Others with a chance include: Lakota West, Reynoldsburg, Central Crossing, Moeller, Beavercreek and Dublin Coffman.
Bring On Post Season Play!