Recordpub.com - Playoff football preview: Ravenna at Mentor Lake Catholic

By Colin Harris

Record-Courier staff writer

The last time the Mentor Lake Catholic Cougars hosted Ravenna, it took a last-minute miracle for them to escape with a 21-20 win.

As Ravenna head coach Jim Lunardi prepares his current Ravens squad for a return trip to Mentor, don’t think that memory hasn’t been at the forefront of his mind.

“We’re really looking forward to going up (to Mentor) and competing,” said Lunardi. “We have all the respect for Mentor and how they play. We know we’re flying under the radar, and we’re fine with that.”

Ranked No. 1 in Division II, Region 5, Lake Catholic (9-1) enters tonight’s game as one of the top teams in the area.

The Cougars played a tough schedule, squaring off with playoff teams such as Ursuline, Cardinal Mooney, Padua Franciscan and Hoban, with their only loss coming in Week 5 to Mooney.

This Lake Catholic team differs a bit from the one Ravenna saw two years ago, thanks to a dynamic passing attack.

Led by senior quarterback Jerrod Ronyak, this year’s Cougars rely more on the pass than in recent years. The 6-foot-3 signal-caller has posted good numbers (1,596 yards, 15 touchdowns, 3 interceptions) against top-caliber competition.

“(Lake Catholic) is similar to Roosevelt in how they like to throw the ball around,” said Lunardi. “(Roosevelt quarterback) Evan Shiminsky liked to run around more, but Ronyak has a good arm, and he’s really on the same page with their receivers.”

Ronyak’s favorite target, senior Zach Cvelbar has benefited in a big way from Lake’s no huddle spread attack, catching 41 balls for 707 yards and eight touchdowns.

On the flip side, the Cougars’ defense — led by defensive end Andrew Forrai and inside linebacker Joe Ribeiro — has really come into its own in recent weeks.

After a slow start to the season, they rebounded to hold Hoban, Padua and Holy Name to a combined three points over a three-week stretch.

Lunardi said that their defensive playmakers should pose a challenge to senior running back Parnell Taylor and a Ravens attack used to hitting the home run.

“What we’re going to have to do is focus on moving the chains,” said Lunardi. “It’s going to be hard to get those big plays we’ve gotten during the regular season. We have to worry about getting 10 yards and then getting another and another to move those chains.”

That close finish in 2007 has done little to sway prognosticators, with the Cougars favored to win tonight by both forum communities.

Despite that, Lunardi and his team look at this game as just another opportunity to prove that early-season losses to Louisville and Canton South don’t tell the story of this Ravens team.

“I really enjoy being the underdog,” he said. “Until we prove ourselves, I’d rather not have all the press and have everyone talking about us.

“Regardless of what happens, we’ve been flying under the radar all season and that’s helped us enjoy everything a little more.”

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Colin Harris can be contacted at charris@recordpub.com or 330-298-1123