The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Hornets had plenty of motivation vs. Ironton
MASSILLON » Be careful what you wish for ... you just might get it.
For the better part of four months, members of the Kirtland football team said they chewed on socialmedia posts from southern Ohio, particularly from the Ironton area.
The Tigers wanted a rematch.
A shot at redemption. It didn’t work out for the second-ranked team in Ohio.
A year after Kirtland squeaked past Ironton, 177, in the 2019 state championship game, the Hornets pile-drived the Tigers, 38-0, in the rematch Ironton wanted.
“This team wanted us all year,” Kirtland senior lineman Kiki Grman said. “All year on social media, they were talking, talking and talking.
“They got it. They got us and they didn’t like the outcome, I can tell you
that much.”
The much anticipated game wasn’t one.
Not only did the topranked Division V team in Ohio hang a running clock on the second-ranked team in the third quarter, the Hornets outgained the Tigers, 408-58, including a second half in which Kirtland outgained Ironton, 243-17.
The win gave Kirtland its third straight state championship, its 41st
straight win and a fouryear aggregate record of 55-1.
Gulp.
“It says it’s about team,” said Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde, whose team has zero Division I college recruits to Ironton’s six. “It’s about kids who love each other, kids who grew up together in elementary schools and work hard for each other.”
Two days before game day, LaVerde sweated after his team had what he called “our worst practice of the year.” The Hornets had struggled in both the regional final and the state semifinal with penalties and turnovers.
What did the the rough day of practice mean Nov. 21?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“I don’t know if we would have played much better,” LaVerde said.
Including a big stop on fourth down in the first quarter when Ironton threatened to take the early lead.
Including a 75-yard drive that started on the Hornets’ own 4-yard and ended in a Mario Rodin field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Including a crisp 10-0 halftime lead on a Liam Powers run.
Then — just like last year — Kirtland scored on the first drive of the third quarter to open up a 17-0 lead.
Ironton turned the ball over twice in the third quarter, and Kirtland scored after both of them.
Kirtland’s defense was as dynamic as ever. For the second year in a row, Ohio State linebacker recruit Reid Carrico was a non-factor. He carried 11 times for 30 yards on offense, with six tackles on defense on Nov. 21.
Combine that with last year’s game vs. Kirtland, and Carrico carried 23 times for 70 yards in two games vs. Kirtland with a total of 16 tackles.
“Oh yeah, we played our best (game) in all three phases,” said LaVerde of his team’s offense, defense and special teams.
That might be a direct reflection of who Kirtland played this year, a seasonopening win over Lake Catholic and victories over Division I Solon and Shaker Heights.
In each of those games — Lake, Solon and Shaker — Kirtland played its best. When it mattered the most, on Nov. 21 against Ironton, the Hornets played their best again.
“If we limit penalties and don’t turn it over, we usually have a good shot,” LaVerde said.
As the final minutes ticked off the clock — a running clock in a state championship game that no one saw coming — the Kirtland fans began to chant, “Three-peat ... Three-peat ...” to signify Kirtland’s third straight state title.
For those keeping track at home, that’s six state championships and three state runner-up finishes in 10 years.
Not to mention a 41game winning streak and a gaudy 185-17 record for LaVerde at Kirtland.
“Greatest class in Kirtland history,” Grman said.
Are the Hornets more than that?
Are they now the premier small-school program in Ohio?
“Yeah, I think we are,” said senior Joey Grazia. “We’ve shown that success over the past nine or 10 years that we can compete with anybody. I think we are (the best).”