High school football: Chardon looks sharp in 10-7 scrimmage performance vs. Mentor
Aug. 12—Chardon's scrimmage against Mentor on Aug. 12 won't show up in the won-lost column, but the Hilltoppers are happy with where they stand as the regular-season opener on Aug. 19 nears.
Zach Fay scored on a short touchdown run, Joseph Evans booted a 42-yard field goal, and the Hilltoppers experienced defense locked down Mentor's offense for most of the night in a 10-7 scrimmage that served as the final preseason tune-up for both teams.
Chardon opens the season on Aug. 19 against visiting Olmsted Falls, while Mentor hosts Canton McKinley that night.
Alex Kisley and Logan Bryant give @topperfb a passing grade in tonight's scrimmage, but more work awaits them before a week 1 game with Olmsted Falls. pic.twitter.com/kfAmY2ubkC
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) August 13, 2022
"We've got more work to do," said senior defensive lineman Alex Kisley. "We have to be more disciplined. But it's looking good."
Led by Kisley, one of four Hilltoppers defenders with All-Ohio honors to their names from a year ago, Chardon's first-string defense kept Mentor off the scoreboard. The Cardinals did put a score on the board with 1:27 remaining in the half of game-situation scrimmaging, but it came against Chardon's second-string defense.
Tremendous angle by @topperfb Logan Bryant to stuff @MentorRedline at the goal line. Then Caleb Hewitt blocked the field goal attempt. pic.twitter.com/3NILXPrfoA
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) August 12, 2022
"Look, we're going to hang our hat on our defense this year. I think everybody knows that," Chardon coach Mitch Hewitt said.
Coach Mitch Hewitt of @topperfb likes what he saw from his team on a scrimmage with @MentorRedline pic.twitter.com/6Q95JxVdVY
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) August 13, 2022
That defense came up big time and time again against the Cardinals, the biggest stop coming late in the first quarter when Logan Bryant burst through the line on third-and-goal from the 1 and tackled Mitchell Waite in the backfield. Chardon then blocked a field-goal attempt and recovered the ball.
"I probably should have scooped-and-scored it, but we got the ball back and they didn't get the three points," said Caleb Hewitt, son of Chardon's head coach, who recovered the blocked kick."
Caleb Hewitt of @topperfb discusses a key red zone stop on Chardon's scrimmage with @MentorRedline pic.twitter.com/nfWTLyljtO
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) August 13, 2022
Chardon took the early lead when Fay bulled in from the 3. The score was set up by a long pass play from Alex Henry to Caleb Hewitt Chardon's only other score came on the long field goal from Evans, who kicked at Mentor last year but moved to Chardon in the offseason.
Joseph Evans of @topperfb — who moved from @MentorRedline in the off-season — boots a 42 yard field goal. Chardon leads 10-0. pic.twitter.com/ooRWt67Nlx
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) August 12, 2022
"We've got pretty good skill," Hewitt said. "I think our offensive line hung in there against a really good (Mentor) defense."
Chardon starts two sophomores and a freshman on its offensive line.
"I think we did well for where we are right now," said Bryant, a junior and lone returning starting lineman for the Hilltoppers. "We've got a week to improve. We can get a lot better in a week."
Mentor coach Matt Gray said the same thing about his team — there's a lot of room for improvement between now and the opener against McKinley.
Scotty Fox, as he did in the scrimmage with Kenston, got the start at quarterback. Fellow QB Jacob Snow, who now starts at safety for the Cardinals, was scheduled to get some quarterback reps against Chardon, but Gray said a hand injury kept Snow from doing that.
"... At this point, Scotty will be that guy to start us out, with where Jake is at health-wise," Gray said of opening night.
Nick Jares from Scotty Fox, @MentorRedline gets in the scoreboard with 1:27 in the half of this scrimmage. @topperfb leads 10-7. pic.twitter.com/hCwF02ry0s
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) August 12, 2022
Gray said the physical nature of the Chardon program was a good test for his Cardinals with the regular season on the doorstep.
"We like scrimmaging these guys," he said of the Hilltoppers. "We know they're going to strap it up and it's going to be a challenge from the physical and mental side of things.
"We've got to finish plays. We have to keep our composure and get the running game going a little more. That's going to be the big emphasis between now and next Friday night."
Coach Matt Gray of @MentorRedline likes the physical test his team got tonight in a scrimmage with @topperfb pic.twitter.com/W5WQHvwrE3
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) August 13, 2022
