Mentor quarterback Ian Kipp does it all

MEDINA — For the better part of nine weeks, the Medina football team benefited from having an all-world quarterback.On Friday, the Bees met Mr. Universe.Reigning Division I co-Offensive Player of the Year Ian Kipp did pretty much whatever he wanted in second-seeded Mentor's 49-14 Region 1 championship win over the eight-seeded Bees."I'm so glad he's in our foxhole and we get to go to battle with Ian Kipp every single year," Mentor coach Matt Gray said. "He's 19-0 against the Greater Cleveland Conference for a reason. He's a great football player, and I'm glad he is a Mentor quarterback."Kipp came into the season on a high after throwing for 2,314 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior.On Friday, the three-year starter and dual threat took what the Bees (6-4) gave him and forced them to give them even more.The 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback went 12-for-16 for 194 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two others while accounting for the Cardinals' first six scores. His main receivers were Evan Harper (4, 93, 2) and John Sierputowski (4, 64, 1).Mentor (9-1) kept Medina from becoming the fourth team in Medina County history to reach the state semifinals (1995 and 2007 Brunswick, 2013 Highland)."He makes all the right reads," Medina inside linebacker Nathan Spatny said. "He gets the ball out of his hands really quick. He's a great player. I love how he plays."Spatny wasn't the only one showing love to Kipp, who has interest from Ohio State, Bowling Green, North Carolina, Akron, Toledo, Kent State, Fordham and UMass.Bees quarterback Drew Allar has been the thorn in the sides of teams like St. Ignatius and St. Edward. At Jerome T. Osborne Stadium, the junior got to watch Kipp and came away impressed."He's an extremely talented player and quarterback," Allar said. "I saw he was throwing the ball and making big runs for them. He was just tearing the defense apart."Kipp carried the ball 10 times for 66 yards, with almost all his damage coming in Mentor's 35-point first half. "He plays the game very smart," Medina coach Larry Laird said. "He was able to use his legs to help himself out. Even on his pass plays, he was able to get himself out of situations. I thought his offensive line played really well."Kipp is 130-for-224 for 2,046 yards and 27 TDs this season. He's also kept teams honest with 59 carries for 384 yards.Against Medina, he orchestrated scoring drives of 31, 68, 60, 73, 37, 65 and 58 yards. In two games against the Bees this season, he went 31-for-55 for 354 yards and six TDs. He also ran the ball 13 times for 78 yards and three scores."Kipp is a great kid," Medina cornerback Jajuan Jackson said. "I'll give it to him. He made a lot of great plays out there against us tonight. He was a huge part of their team. I don't know where they are without him. He's great, man. The kid can play."Contact Brad Bournival at bournival929@gmail.com.