PERRY—Kirtland can add another regional title to its collection after the Hornets went 4-0 at the Ohio High School Football Coaches’ Association Division II regional 7-on-7 tournament on Monday at Alumni Stadium.
“I thought the team came together well today for it being one of our first 7-on-7s,” said Kirtland quarterback Jake LaVerde. “The defense looked great, and we had plenty of guys able to square up man-to-man.”
Kirtland defeated both Salem and Cleveland Central Catholic in pool play to earn the No. 2 seed in the bracket portion of the event. Perry, who also went 2-0 in pool play, earned the No. 1 seed.
The Hornets went on to defeat Salem in the semifinals, 17-0, and cruised past Central Catholic, who upset Perry in the semifinals, to win the regional crown, 26-0.
LaVerde, who throws more passes in a 7-on-7 game than he’ll throw all season on Friday nights, was impressive throughout the day as he developed a strong rapport with his receivers.
“It’s a lot of fun to sling it around because it’s almost like a different sport for us in these 7-on-7s. We just like to go out there and have fun because we know that come August 1, real football begins,” he said. “Ryan Caimi looked (good) getting open along with Evan Koprowski. We rotated a lot of guys into new positions, and I think the (underclassmen) stepped up and took on their roles great.”
With their regional win, the Hornets advanced to next week’s inaugural state championships as one of four No. 1 seeds from around the state.
The state championships will be held at St. Charles Prep in Columbus on June 23.
“We’re looking forward to the state tournament for 7-on-7 to get some good reps in and hopefully win them all,” LaVerde said.
Despite the upset loss in the semifinals, Perry also qualified for the state tournament as one of the top four finishers at the regional tournament.
