SVillegrad
Well-known member
I might as well start a thread on this game even though there aren't many fans of either teams on here.
After some pretty good games between Strongsville and both Berea and Midpark (late 70s to early 00s), the neighboring schools will meet again for the first time in almost a decade (been over 10 years now since Strongsville and Berea played, and nine years since Strongsville and Midpark have played).
Personally, I'm glad that the series has resumed, and now with the Berea-Midpark merger, hopefully it will be an annual game.
My memory may be getting a little foggy, but while Strongsville had dominated both schools since 1993, I believe Strongsville ended a run of Berea dominance in the old Pioneer (90-92) in Russ Jacques first year at Strongsville with a 24-14 win against Berea in '93. Berea, though, shocked Strongsville in 1997 with a wild 37-35 victory by blocking a last-second FG. I can't remember the last time Midpark beat Strongsville, but there was a game in 1995 or 96, where Strongsville won 7-6 on a last-second hail mary.
For 20 years, people from Berea and Midpark people would say "if you combine us, the outcomes would be different." Now is the chance to prove it.
After a down cycle, Strongsville appears to be back to at least respectability, while it looks like the merger isn't going to result in wins as quick as I thought it would for Berea-Midpark (I really thought Berea-Midpark would enter 2-0, and not 0-2). But the game is at Finnie, and despite the hiatus (and the schools being in different conferences), its definitely a rivalry game ... if the schools continue to play.
As for storylines, I can't think of too many since the schools haven't played in so long, but there are a couple:
1. Strongsville's Oline coach Carlos Rivera was a teammate of Alex Stepanovich on the Berea line in 97, the last time Berea beat Strongsville.
2. Berea-Midpark coach Ray Hradek was the coach of Medina in 2011, when Medina snapped a 20-something year losing streak to Strongsville with a 30-27 3OT win.
3. Not football related, but Berea basketball coach Darren Collins (a Strongsville alum) wasn't retained after the merger. But Strongsville hired him as their head basketball coach this summer after Joe Lynch retired. The two schools will play in basketball this year, fwiw.
As for the game, I think Berea-Midpark has a huge crowd for what will be the first "big" home game for the combined school (just not enough history/proximity for people to get hyped up about Garfield Heights, IMO).
In the end, though, Strongsville will once again come out on top, something like 35-21. But it should be a good game and I think Berea-Midpark makes it close.
After some pretty good games between Strongsville and both Berea and Midpark (late 70s to early 00s), the neighboring schools will meet again for the first time in almost a decade (been over 10 years now since Strongsville and Berea played, and nine years since Strongsville and Midpark have played).
Personally, I'm glad that the series has resumed, and now with the Berea-Midpark merger, hopefully it will be an annual game.
My memory may be getting a little foggy, but while Strongsville had dominated both schools since 1993, I believe Strongsville ended a run of Berea dominance in the old Pioneer (90-92) in Russ Jacques first year at Strongsville with a 24-14 win against Berea in '93. Berea, though, shocked Strongsville in 1997 with a wild 37-35 victory by blocking a last-second FG. I can't remember the last time Midpark beat Strongsville, but there was a game in 1995 or 96, where Strongsville won 7-6 on a last-second hail mary.
For 20 years, people from Berea and Midpark people would say "if you combine us, the outcomes would be different." Now is the chance to prove it.
After a down cycle, Strongsville appears to be back to at least respectability, while it looks like the merger isn't going to result in wins as quick as I thought it would for Berea-Midpark (I really thought Berea-Midpark would enter 2-0, and not 0-2). But the game is at Finnie, and despite the hiatus (and the schools being in different conferences), its definitely a rivalry game ... if the schools continue to play.
As for storylines, I can't think of too many since the schools haven't played in so long, but there are a couple:
1. Strongsville's Oline coach Carlos Rivera was a teammate of Alex Stepanovich on the Berea line in 97, the last time Berea beat Strongsville.
2. Berea-Midpark coach Ray Hradek was the coach of Medina in 2011, when Medina snapped a 20-something year losing streak to Strongsville with a 30-27 3OT win.
3. Not football related, but Berea basketball coach Darren Collins (a Strongsville alum) wasn't retained after the merger. But Strongsville hired him as their head basketball coach this summer after Joe Lynch retired. The two schools will play in basketball this year, fwiw.
As for the game, I think Berea-Midpark has a huge crowd for what will be the first "big" home game for the combined school (just not enough history/proximity for people to get hyped up about Garfield Heights, IMO).
In the end, though, Strongsville will once again come out on top, something like 35-21. But it should be a good game and I think Berea-Midpark makes it close.