MINERVA — Kirtland showed why it’s the No. 1 team in Ohio in Division VI and the defending state champions.
The Hornets (15-0) are heading to their 13th state championship football game and their eighth in a row following Friday night’s 41-7 state semifinal win over Northmor at Minerva.
“To be back here playing in Week 16 is pretty incredible. It’s a testament to how hard these kids work,” Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde said.
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Northmor (14-1) got a fumble recovery in the red zone to stop Kirtland’s first possession, but it couldn’t make use of the emotional boost.
The Hornets cobbled together a 14-play drive late in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead, and the Golden Knights answered right back when A.J. Bower found Cowin Becker for a 62-yard bubble screen to tie it with 8:54 left in the half.
However, Kirtland didn’t let up, getting two more scoring drives and picking off a Northmor pass to take a 20-7 lead into halftime. The Hornets recovered an onside kick to start the second half and scored seven plays later for a 28-7 lead. Kirtland scored two more times before the end of the third quarter to start the running clock.
“Offensively we weren’t able to make plays when we needed to,” Northmor coach Scott Armrose said. “We knew coming in we had to take advantage of every possession. We just didn’t do that tonight. We even got them to turn the ball over, and we knew that extra possession could be huge. We just couldn’t finish that drive.
“We made some mistakes offensively that we haven’t all year. We just didn’t do a good job of executing when we needed to.”
Kirtland didn’t attempt a pass, running it 58 times for 447 yards. It was also 5-for-6 on third down and 1-for-1 on fourth down. The Hornets had 30 first downs to Northmor’s 12. Danny Alfieri ended with 150 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns, and Jake LaVerde added 142 yards on 16 carries and three TDs.
For Northmor, it was held to 12 rushing yards on 15 attempts. Bower was 17 of 32 for 211 yards, while Bo Landin made eight catches for 87 yards, and Jax Wenger had six for 44 yards. The Knights were 5 of 12 on third down and 1 of 4 on fourth down.
“The DBs did a nice job, the linebacker and D-linemen had just enough pressure. I think our defense has been getting better as the year goes on,” LaVerde said. “They’re good up front. They have a good running game and very good balance. They have very good wideouts, and their quarterback is a special kid. He throws it with accuracy and velocity. I think we bothered him tonight with some pressure and that helped us.”
Kirtland will play No. 2 Coldwater for a state championship in Canton next weekend. Northmor ends its season as the best football team in Morrow County history, making it’s first Final Four appearance to go with its first Knox Morrow Athletic Conference title and first league championship since 1982.
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This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Northmor’s postseason run ends in football Final Four Friday night
