State semifinal pairings are announced

Find out where the Avon football team is playing its Division II state semifinal, plus the rest of the Ohio schedule.

For seven days, the Kenston football team listened to and read about how good Canfield was on the defensive side of the ball.

When the Bombers and Cardinals walked off the field following their Division III, Region 9 championship game on Nov. 16, one thing was evident:

Kenston knows how to play defense, too.

The Bombers’ proud defensive unit smothered Canfield’s running offense, paving the way for a 33-7 win at Warren Mollenkopf Stadium.

The win puts Kenston (12-1) in a state semifinal game against Columbus Eastmoor Academy (12-1) on Nov. 23.

Kickoff at New Philadelphia is 7 p.m.

“We’ve got a pretty good defense,” said Kenston coach Jeff Grubich. “They showed up and showed out against Canfield. I’m proud of them.”

Canfield came into the game with experience in that the Cardinals played in the regional final a year ago against Akron St. VincentSt. Mary. Kenston, on the other hand, hadn’t played in a regional final in 23 years.

The game featured the unstoppable force — a Kenston offense that scored 37 or more points 10 times in 12 games — against the immovable defense in Canfield, which allowed just one team to score 20 points on it this year.

Advantage Kenston. Sometimes defense doesn’t win championships.

Junior running back Jack Porter ran for 151 yards and three touchdowns, junior quarterback Jon Tomcufcik threw for 166 yards and two scores, and a Kenston offensive line that has only given up two sacks through 13 games dominated the contest.

“I give credit to our coaches and the kids,” Grubich said. “That was one of the best weeks of preparation we’ve ever had. You practice how you play, and you play how you practice.”

Grubich said as good as the numbers look on paper, improvement can be made. He noted two deep passes that were not caught, and also a pair of big plays that the defense surrendered.

“Can we get better? Yeah,” Grubich said.

In recent years, Thanksgiving Day at Kenston’s Bomber Stadium has been reserved for a Turkey Bowl game, where alumni can come back and play a fun game with other Bombers of years gone by. It’s a good way to rekindle friendships, rehash memories, and have a good time before Thanksgiving dinner is put on the table.

That game will have to be back-burnered this year.

“We’ve invited the alumni back, and it’s still going to be a great opportunity to bring the community together,” Grubich said. “But we’ve got a real practice scheduled for Thanksgiving. That’s a great thing.”