Paul Mitchell’s reliability anchors Cazenovia’s Section III title ambitions
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Cazenovia High School’s football program has a mantra: “Hold the rope.”
If one player was on the ledge of a cliff, holding onto life with nothing more than a rope, who would they want on the other end of that rope? Who would hold on to them? Who would keep them from falling? Danny Bliss, a senior linebacker and receiver for the Lakers, knows the answer.
There are few people he’d choose over his teammate, Paul Mitchell.
“Paul represents that perfectly,” Bliss said. “I can speak for myself and a bunch of guys on this team; we’d want Paul up there holding that rope for us. That’s the type of guy he is.”
Mitchell, a senior cornerback and wideout at Cazenovia, has evolved into that kind of reliable threat for the Lakers’ offense. He put up 614 yards as a sophomore and tacked on 642 more as a junior. Cazenovia head coach Kyle Martin said he “blocks like a maniac,” while Bliss, who’s played with Mitchell since seventh grade, said Mitchell sets the tone during fourth-quarter drives.
He excels all over the football field. That’s why he’s the primary target for a Cazenovia offense looking to trek to the JMA Wireless Dome for the Section III championships on Nov. 14.
“We’re not going to get to play high school football ever again after this,” Bliss said. “The mindset is to leave it all out there.”
Paul Mitchell carries the ball down the sideline for Cazenovia. Mitchell comes from a football family and looks to help the Lakers to a Section III championship. Courtesy of Shioban Reilley Photography
Mitchell’s football journey began thanks to his family. He wears No. 33 because his father wore the same number for Cazenovia before coaching Paul in youth leagues. Mitchell’s grandfather, Paul Johnson, played for Cazenovia, starred at Penn State and reached the NFL. His uncle also played at Cazenovia before heading to Penn State.
“My dad made me fall in love with the game of football,” Mitchell said. “He used to take me to youth practices, and my mom has supported me through every single one of my sports.”
Through lacrosse, basketball and golf, Mitchell developed the athleticism he uses to create separation on the gridiron. When Mitchell didn’t play football his freshman year, lacrosse helped him learn to drop his hips and change direction on a dime. Those skills translated to his route-running when he returned to football as a sophomore.
But Mitchell doesn’t rely solely on his athleticism to get open. Growing up playing Pop Warner football, he formed a strong relationship with his quarterback and “best friend,” Bobby Livingston.
“We just had a connection,” Mitchell said. “I would just run around, and he’d give me the ball anyway he could.”
Eventually, just running around wouldn’t cut it. Defenses began adjusting to Mitchell by shifting safeties over the top, forcing him to rely on his IQ to find open space. His experience as a cornerback helped him recognize opposing defenses’ tendencies.
“It makes me think about the gaps I can hit when I’m route-running,” Mitchell said. “If they’re in a Cover 3, I can split the corner and the safety running a skinny post. In man coverage, I’m throwing a jab to make him flip his hips so I can get around him.”
That thought process has followed him at Cazenovia. When teams shade extra help toward Mitchell on the outside, Martin shifts his route. Cazenovia often aligns Mitchell as the single receiver on the backside of trips sets, letting him pick his route based on the cornerback’s leverage. He said he prefers to run a comeback, 12 yards out and two yards back, before “hopefully” making his defender miss.
I can speak for myself and a bunch of guys on this team; we’d want Paul up there holding that rope for us. That’s the type of guy he is.Danny Bliss, Cazenovia linebacker and receiver
But Mitchell has more in his arsenal than just a comeback. Martin has watched Mitchell’s route tree expand each season through film study. He often hosts the team in his office to break down defensive fronts, and the players bond over slices of Caz Pizza before each session. They look for gaps to exploit, something Martin said Mitchell has a knack for.
As a sophomore, Mitchell simply did what he was told, Martin said. The next season, the wideout had more freedom and confidence to improvise.
Now, the Lakers head coach expects an even bigger leap from his top target.
“This year, it’s more explosive. When he makes a break now, he’s exploding out of it. It’s a full hustle,” Martin said. “If he gets from Point A to Point B faster, the ball will be there.”
Last fall, in a game against Skaneateles, Martin saw a preview of that explosiveness. It was fourth-and-goal, late in the game, and the Lakers were on Skaneateles’ 17-yard line. Martin called a timeout, drawing up something his team had never run in practice before.
He shifted Mitchell into the secondary slot, designed a route to isolate him into the flat and let his receiver do the rest. It was a footrace, Martin said. Mitchell broke into a dead sprint, tracked the ball to the pylon and dragged his toes across the sideline for the go-ahead touchdown.
“It was just, ‘Hey, we’re going to run this,’” Martin said. “And for Paul to go in there, do that and make a toe-touch catch on fourth-and-goal … it won the game.”
The Lakers were falling off the cliff. Mitchell was there to hold the rope.
