Strongsville only had 30 or so 7th graders out for football in 2017? With around 250 boys per grade, that is not a good sign. But at least for now, Strongsville could have their best team in ten years. If this group can't muster a playoff spot, it might be a long time before that happens again. The Mustangs went 6-4 last year. They will need to win one of those big games (Mentor, Euclid, Solon, and Hudson) to make the playoffs this season.
I think Brunswick and Medina will be in the 3 or 4 win range. Medina brings back 15 or 16 starters, but a lot of their top guys did graduate. I would like to think the longer Laird is there, the better chance Medina has at being a top 3 or 4 GCC team. Don't know much at all about Elyria, but I imagine they will be at the basement of the GCC again along with Shaker.
Cardz,
Yeah, Strongsville only had 30 7th graders and they split the teams to be evenly bad, lol, and they both were.
The 8th grade numbers, I'm assuming were even worse. They planned on having two teams but decided to go down to one once the numbers came in. I didn't see them, but apparently there must be some talent in that class, though, because they handed a very talented Claggett (Medina) 8th grade team its only loss in their two MS seasons.
This is veering off a bit, but the numbers aren't just a Strongsville thing. Brunswick's 7th grade wasn't that much better. Both teams were good, but South maybe had 20 or so players and Willets only had about 15.
I saw one of Euclid's two teams (I'm hoping Euclid had two teams, lol.) The one I saw had 14 kids and was just as bad as either of the two Strongsville teams ... probably worse. They literally had two kids quit in the middle of the third quarter. Both walked off the field after a touchdown that made it something like 40-0 and just sat on the bench at midfield. It was sad/funny because the rest of the game there was like four coaches on the sideline and one tiny kid standing next to them.
On the bright side, Medina's numbers are extremely strong and they have a bunch of talent at the MS/freshman level. Both schools' 7th and 8th grade teams each had about 30 players and a bunch of good ones (so about 120 total kids last year between 7th and 8th ... compared to like 55 for Strongsville). Hopefully, they will have the same type of numbers in the 7th grade program this year. Anyway, it's why I'm expecting Medina to be the team to beat on the west side of the conference within the next couple of years. I wouldn't be surprised if 8-10 kids off that talented freshman class are on varsity as sophomores.
As for this year, I'll change my tune on Medina. I forgot how injury ravaged they were last year, which caused a lot of younger kids to take some lumps. But they have a pretty good group of seniors and some good juniors who should step up. I also heard they have a little bowling ball RB (like 5-5, 190) who I believe was injured all last year who is looking good. I think they should be the No. 2 on the west behind Strongsville, and maybe could push for a playoff spot. The non-conference schedule (Cleveland Heights, Highland and Wadsworth) all should be decent points wise, so they would need to go 2-1. Then handle business against Brunswick, Elyria and Shaker. If they could knock off one of Solon, Euclid or Mentor, that should be enough ... and they did end the year last year by beating Solon.
