Panthers Open Season Under the Browns' Spotlight — and Host Berea-Midpark Tonight

When Euclid High School football took the field at Korb Field in Lyndhurst on Aug. 21, the Panthers weren't just opening their 2026 season against Brush — they were doing it with Cleveland Browns cameras rolling. The game had been selected as the Browns' first High School Game of the Week of the year, a designation pre-selected by the Browns. Euclid delivered on both stages, grinding out a 14-6 victory to start the season 1-0.

Tonight the Panthers look to build on that momentum when they host Berea-Midpark at Euclid Community Stadium.

The win over Brush was a defensive struggle that stayed close throughout. Euclid's 14 points came on a first-quarter safety and two touchdowns from sophomore running back Cameron Elston, who rushed for 79 yards on 14 carries — all while wearing a protective cast on his left hand. A 35-yard reception helped set up his first score, a 4-yard run in the third quarter.

Two weeks before the opener, the coaching staff thought Elston's season might be over. "Two weeks we thought his season was over," head coach Damion Creel said. "I can't say enough about him, and we're expecting some big things from him only being a sophomore."

Creel credited the offseason for putting his team in position to close out a tight game. "We went to work in the offseason, 15 plus weeks in the weight room, summer time we grinded in the middle of the day, in the middle of the heat," he said, adding that the difference from past seasons showed when the game got uncomfortable. "We handled the bad moments that we weren't able to do in the earlier years of our program. I'm just elated for our kids."

The Browns' Game of the Week program, determined by fan voting from games nominated by Browns panelists, awards $3,000 to the winning team's football program each week during the 10-week regular season. Euclid's nomination brought broadcast infrastructure and regional visibility to Korb Field — and the community that showed up to claim the spotlight.

Tonight's opponent arrives in a different position. Berea-Midpark enters at 0-1 after falling to Brunswick 47-42 on Aug. 21 — a shootout that suggests the Titans can score but struggled to stop people. The Panthers edged Berea-Midpark 28-26 last season.

After tonight, Euclid faces St. John's Jesuit on Sept. 4, Lorain on Sept. 11, and Strongsville on Sept. 18 — a challenging non-conference stretch where early momentum matters. A 2-0 start would be the Panthers' strongest opening in recent memory, built on the kind of week that doesn't come around often: a gritty road win, and the Browns validating what Euclid already knew was worth watching.