Panthers open football season with home game against Mentor

Yes, Mentor is no longer a member of the Lake Erie League. But, no, that doesn’t mean that the long-running Euclid-Mentor gridiron rivalry is a thing of the past. At least, not yet.

The Panthers and Cardinals will open the 2011 football season with a 7 p.m. Friday night game, Aug. 26 at Euclid’s Sparky DiBiasio Stadium. The following week, Brunswick’s Blue Devils invade for a Sept. 2 battle under the lights.

Other Euclid home contests this fall will be against Cleveland Heights, Shaw and Lorain. The Panthers go on the road Sept. 9 for a game at Canton Glen Oak. The Oct. 21 clash with Lorain High will be Euclid’s homecoming game.

Recently, several Panther gridders were huddled on the steps near the rear entrance to the gymnasium following a pre-season workout. They willingly shared their expectations for the coming season.

“We’re going to do fine this year,” declared team captain Brian Henderson, a 5-6, 235-pound center on offense for Coach Tom Gibbons’ squad. “We have a lot of seniors on this team. We’re looking forward to making the playoffs,” the three-year senior letterman added. “And we hope to be playing in the state championship game.”

One reason for his optimism is that quarterback Benny Walker, a 6-0, 170-pound senior, gained valuable experience last season with a good deal of playing time. Walker connected on 32 of his 66 pass attempts—a very respectable 48 percent – and gained 15.2 yards per completion.

Another reason for the upbeat outlook is the return of De’Andre Rollins, a 6-0, 210-pound running back who gained 345 yards on 42 carries last season for an average of 8.2 yards per carry. Both Rollins and Walker were selected for the Euclid Observer All-Star team in 2010.

[Editor’s note: box the football schedule]

EUCLID 2011 VARSITY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE *

Aug. 26      Mentor High               Home        7 p.m.

Sept. 2       Brunswick                    Home        7 p.m.

Sept. 9       Canton Glen Oak         Away         7 p.m.

Sept. 16     St. Vincent-St. Mary    Away         7 p.m.

Sept. 23     Cleveland Heights       Home        7 p.m.

Sept. 30     Shaw High                   Home        7 p.m.

Oct. 7        Warren G. Harding     Away         7 p.m.

Oct. 14      Shaker Heights            Away         2 p.m.

Oct. 21      Lorain High **            Home        7 p.m.

Oct. 28      Bedford High               Away         7 p.m.

* Most JV games are played at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. on Saturdays. Freshman games are after-school contests on Thursday afternoons.

**Homecoming game