KIRTLAND–A series of early defensive stands helped Kirtland settle in after a tight first quarter, paving the way to a 35–7 win over Smithville in Friday’s Division VI, Region 21 semifinal at Wilson Stadium.
A year ago, the teams were tied 0–0 after one quarter before Kirtland ran away with a 39–0 victory. This time, it was 7–7 after one, but the script looked strikingly similar once the Hornets settled in.
Kirtland struck first when Mario Lorber jumped a route for an interception early in the first quarter, setting up Jake LaVerde‘s 41-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Caimi with 9:45 left. Smithville answered on a 43-yard fumble return by Isaiah Lee, but the tie didn’t last long.
“We knew they were a good team, and we knew that if we kept playing Kirtland football, we could wear them down,” said receiver/defensive back Ryan Caimi.
From there, the Hornets did exactly that. Their defense delivered two fourth-down stops in their own territory before halftime, helping Kirtland flip the momentum. Meanwhile, the backfield trio of John Silvestro, Ty Bledsoe, and LaVerde began to take control behind a surging offensive line.
“We have been in that situation where things are slow in the beginning, but we always turn it up when we get into the groove of things,” Bledsoe said.
Bledsoe gave Kirtland the lead for good with a 5-yard touchdown run at the 5:31 mark of the second quarter, then added a 7-yard score with 25 seconds left in the half for a 21–7 advantage.
The Hornets came out of the locker room in full command.
Just 50 seconds into the third quarter, LaVerde hit Ryan Caimi for a 41-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 28–7. Minutes later, a major defensive moment arrived: with Smithville reaching the red zone for the first time, Caimi intercepted a pass inside the Kirtland 5 and returned it all the way to the Smithville 40.
“We had a really good week of practice, and everyone executed and did their job, and it allowed me and everyone else to make big plays,” he said.
Silvestro capped the ensuing drive with a 19-yard touchdown run with 5:26 remaining in the third, finishing off a 146-yard night on 18 carries. Bledsoe added 72 yards and two scores, and LaVerde chipped in 64 rushing yards while completing 4-of-6 passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Tommy Caimi (65 yards) and Ryan Caimi (51 yards) each caught a touchdown, while kicker Marko Valentic went a perfect 5-for-5 on extra points.
The defense sealed the dominant win with a fourth-and-goal stop at the 5-yard line in the fourth quarter — the unit’s third fourth-down stand of the game.
“We played really hard the whole game, and Coach (Ryan) Beeler made some really good calls to stop them,” said Caimi.
With the victory, Kirtland advances to a state-record 16th straight regional championship game. The Hornets will face Sugarcreek Garaway on Friday at Louisville High School as their quest for another state title continues.
