Football Game Preview: Euclid Panthers vs. Mentor Cardinals

Euclid hasn't had much luck against Mentor recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Panthers will head out on the road to take on the Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Euclid took a loss when they played away from home last Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They strolled past Medina with points to spare, taking the game 32-14.

Meanwhile, Mentor put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Lorain 38-6. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Cardinals' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio football rankings (they are ranked 16th, while the Titans are ranked 420th).

Mentor's win came from a few key players Euclid will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Justen Hodge, who picked up 137 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was no stranger to the big play, cutting upfield on a catch that went for 65 yards. Another player making a difference was Brogan Jones, who threw for 182 yards and three TDs on only 15 passes.

Mentor was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 288 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 163 rushing yards in 19 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Mentor's win bumped their record up to 9-0. As for Euclid, their victory bumped their record up to 4-5.

Euclid was taken down by Mentor 51-14 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Panthers were down 44-12.