The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Kirtland preparation tackles all eventualities
At halftime Nov. 14 of a Division V state semifinal against Kirtland, Otsego players sprinted to their locker room with a confidence in their stride — and reasonably so, locked in a tight game.
The voice of one Knights fan emanated from the cacophony of noise.
“You’re in their heads,” he stated.
Eh ... not quite. While the fan’s belief in his team was laudable, there are several reasons Kirtland is, well, Kirtland.
Particularly in this instance, it was why a 15-13 halftime score turned into a 39-13 rout, as the Hornets eye a sixth state championship next weekend.
Their preparedness instills patience.
Their postseason experience as a five-time state champion in its 58th playoff game all-time, having seen virtually every eventuality along the way, instills poise.
And the way they handle their business instills respect from across the Buckeye State.
The “heads,” in this case, are brimming with focus, knowing what must be done.
The scoreboard read 13 points for the Knights at halftime — and thanks to the Kirtland defense,
that LCD readout never flinched in the second half.
Otsego, led by standout 6-foot-6 quarterback Joseph Dzierwa, had success in the intermediate passing game in the first half.
In the second half? Punt, punt, punt, punt, punt.
“Defensively, we were getting beat on all those little short slants and out routes and everything like that,” Hornets senior cornerback Danny Davidson said. “So what we did was we really didn’t make that much of an adjustment. We just kind of told our middle linebackers and outside linebackers and all of our defensive backs where they needed to align themselves up and what to look for. And luckily, we just went out and did it.”
That’s part of what
makes what Kirtland does deep fall run after deep fall run so impressive.
The Hornets just go out and do it.
How smooth that process is when it ultimately matters most starts with their preparation.
And it could be argued state semifinal week is the toughest of all when Kirtland embarks on these state final runs.
The Hornets are now 9-0 all-time at that level of the postseason, presented with teams that have been an average of 171 miles, or 2 hours, 36 minutes, away from Kirtland — albeit with a neutral site at which to play. This is not a knock against these programs, mind you — because they have all earned their way to this point of the playoffs.
But when it’s Otsego or Fort Frye (2018; 171 miles) or Nelsonville-York (2017; 223 miles) or Lucasville Valley (2014; 241 miles) or Liberty-Union (2012; 187 miles), there is an element of unknown on short notice.
State finals, should that level be reached, typically means, say, Marion Local, Coldwater, Minster or Ironton beckons.
State semifinals, on the other hand, bring more of an unknown. That means the Hornets have to maximize every day of game week — and do they ever. “Definitely the film,” Davidson said. “The week after we win or whatever — last week we won. So we go in on Sunday morning, we get doughnuts from Coach (Dean) Morrison and watch film for about two hours. Then we lift and get our jog in.
“But I think film has a lot to do with it. It kind of gives us a mindset of what they do and what they’re good at. I think the biggest thing is we find our weakness from the week before to see what they think they can run. And then we perfect it.”
As in pitching a shutout after halftime in a state semifinal.
“The big thing was their passing and their routes, for the defense at least,” Davidson said. “Because teams have been passing on us all year, a lot of spread teams. And there’s a lot of route combos that just get us. It doesn’t matter if we’re in zone or man. They do whatever they can do to get the ball down the field.
“So I think that’s the big thing. But we also did a lot with our linebackers and defensive line, just getting them to know where they’re going each time.”
Davidson sounds a lot like his coach, who regularly expounds the virtue of his squad’s preparedness and work behind the scenes to achieve the success that’s exhibited for a broader audience.
“I think these kids, we play a hard schedule, like Lake Catholic — and they’re in the state championship,” Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde said. “We’ve played Solon. We’ve played Shaker. We’ve played a tough schedule. We compete hard every day at practice. I think that’s how you get better. It’s no secret: You’ve got to work hard, and you’ve got to compete hard.”
And you’ve got to prepare hard, which the Hornets get to do again, seeking a third straight state title.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Davidson said. “It’s something I’ll remember forever and I’ve thought about forever. I just want to go out and get the job done.”
Indeed, the only thing in their heads is focus on sizing up another crown.