NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio – For the eighth consecutive season, the Kirtland Hornets are regional champions.
Behind senior running back Danny Alfieri and a relentless defense, No. 1 seed Kirtland defeated No. 6 Dalton, 41-6, in the OHSAA Division VI, Region 21 championship at Serpentini Stadium at North Royalton on Friday.
The Hornets (14-0) advance to play Galion Northmor (14-0) – a 37-6 winner over Columbus Grandview Heights – in the state semifinal next Friday at a site to be determined.
On a night in which the nasty elements were unfailing, the Hornets attempted one pass as the offensive line paved the way to the tune of 369 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Alfieri was the main beneficiary, totaling a game-high 202 yards and four scores on 23 carries.
“The seven guys up front have been really good all year and they did it again tonight,” said Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde, whose team has won 27 straight games, a run that includes last season’s Division VI state final. “I can’t say enough about the job they do up front.”
Alfieri – who has now totaled 670 yards and 16 touchdowns this postseason – did most of his damage in the first half, totaling 182 yards and four TDs on 19 attempts.
“He is stronger and thicker and he’s hard to bring down,” added LaVerde, talking about his senior back. “He actually has better cuts then you think and he’s a bit elusive. He’s playing well right now.”
In a rematch from the Hornets’ Week 1 win, they left no doubt from the start, forcing a three-and-out and scoring in two plays. Alfieri found the end zone on a 32-yard run.
On the ensuing drive, sophomore Lucci Cantini recovered a Bulldogs fumble to give the Hornets a short field. Alfieri cashed it in three plays later on a 14-yard run.
“When the weather is like this, pinning them deep and getting a turnover and a lead was huge,” said LaVerde. “We like to run it, and this weather certainly helped us tonight.”
The Hornets’ defense continued to wreak havoc, forcing a turnover-on-downs and recording two interceptions – both by senior Jack Lessick. Alfieri turned two of those into points – a 44-yard TD run and a 4-yarder to give the Hornets a 28-0 lead with minutes to go before the break.
“The line opened up big holes for me and I ran through them,” said Alfieri. “I just want to run downhill and get as many yards as I can.”
The Hornets opened the third quarter with another quick score – a 48-yard run by John Silvestro – to put the running clock in motion.
The Bulldogs, who came into the game averaging 40 points per game, found it tough to move the ball all night, especially in the windy and rainy conditions. They totaled just 183 yards – 65 of which came on the final drive of the game.
A big reason was the Hornets’ relentless defense, which has given up just 19 points in their last seven games. They recorded three takeaways and forced four turnover-on-downs to aid the dominant effort.
LaVerde was quick to point to the weather as a helpful source.
“The weather helped us tonight on the defensive side of the ball,” said LaVerde. “It took away a lot of what they like to do.”
Sophomore Sebastian Becker added a 9-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to put the finishing touches on another convincing playoff win for the Hornets.
“These kids have been here before so it’s not new. I think that’s helpful to us,” said LaVerde. “We’re going to practice Thanksgiving Day, which is always a blessing and just appreciate each day with these kids.”
Austin Opfer is a freelancer from Cleveland.