The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Alfieri continues Kirtland-JCU pipeline
Mike Alfieri was recently on college visits to the likes of Ohio University and Miami of Ohio.
The thought of playing football at the Mid-American Conference schools was not in the cards.
Then the Kirtland graduate visited John Carroll, and everything changed and stayed the same all at once. After his visit, Alfieri not only was set to attend JCU, he committed to play football for Coach Rick Finotti’s program that’s 24-7 the past three seasons.
A Kirtland football player committing to JCU is beginning to be the norm and not the exception.
Alfieri will be the eighth former Hornets player at JCU since Ben Madden — a converted quarterback who switched to tight end in college — played there in the late 2000s. He was followed by defensive lineman Lino Desapri.
From there, it was Scott Eilerman — a standout quarterback at Kirtland who became an all-conference cornerback for JCU — then running Sam Kukura, who rushed for 1,513 yards and 25 touchdowns in thee seasons after transferring in from Kent State.
Currently, there are three Kirtland grads on JCU’s roster, and two are starters from 2019. Defensive back Joey Bates is expected to start at cornerback or safety in 2020, and converted running back Joey Torok started as a freshman at slot receiver last year.
He had 26 catches for 444 yards, and even threw a TD pass as a freshman in 2019.
Also on the roster from Kirtland is Khalid Alabsi, a 300-pound offensive lineman who is recovering from knee surgery.
Alfieri said JCU coaches told him he will play defensive end in college. At Kirtland, he rotated between defensive tackle and the edge, and said his preference is defensive end.
“Playing there, I’m really excited about that,” said Alfieri. “I started playing on the end the second half of my senior year, and I loved it. A lot of fun.”
Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde said the Kirtlandto-JCU pipeline that’s been ongoing for more than a decade began when former JCU assistant Brian Cochran recruited Madden and Desapri.
Cochran graduated from Lake Catholic and JCU, where he was an All-America defensive end. When he returned to coach at JCU as an assistant, his area to recruit was Lake County.
An obvious spot to hit was Kirtland, which as a smaller school is similar to JCU.
“That’s the thing,” said Laverde. “It’s close, it’s small like Kirtland, and I think our kids are comfortable when they get there. That’s what I tell them. You will make great friends there, and make great memories.”
Alfieri committed to JCU on March 3 because of what they had to offer from a “one-on-one” perspective.
“The moment I got there, I felt so comfortable,” he said.
At 6-foot, 230 pounds, Alfieri will come to college as a versatile player. He was twoway standout for the Hornets, and on the offensive line graded out at 91 percent thanks to his strength and quickness. Laverde said The News-Herald first-team football all-star selection has been timed at 4.75 seconds in the 40.
“He was so explosive for us when we put him at defensive end,” said Laverde. “Tight ends were going up against him, and he just blew them up. He’s very strong, very fast.”
He’s also extending Kirtland’s pipeline to JCU — something Laverde would like to see continue.
“These guys were sending (to JCU) are the greatest workers we’ve ever had,” he said. “They’re great role models that turn into great leaders.”