SANDUSKY–Chagrin Falls fell to top-seeded Ottawa-Glandorf 2-0 in a Division IV state semifinal on Tuesday.
The Tigers rounded out a stellar 2024 campaign as Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division champions, adding sectional, district, and regional championships to their resume.
“It was an unbelievable season,” said Chagrin Falls head coach Joe Ciuni. “It always hurts to lose, but from where we were last year to this year was such a turnaround—huge credit to the seniors for leading this group. The young players developed nicely, and they all worked so hard. I am very proud of this group for making the final four.”
Ottawa-Glandorf drew first blood on a set piece off a Delaney Duling corner kick that led to a Carlie Brinkman strike in the 30th minute.
The Titans held that lead into halftime and added another goal in the 67th minute on a free kick by Megan Horstman that set up Liv Grothause for the score.
Ottawa-Glandorf succeeded on set pieces throughout the night, ultimately playing the difference.
“They’re just tremendous at set pieces,” Ciuni said of Ottawa-Glandorf. “That’s one of the strengths of the team, and unfortunately, they made them count tonight. We gave them too many at times, but we did a really good job of fighting. They are really good in the air and on those set pieces and were able to put two in on us.”
In addition to their set-piece success, the Titans also played five defenders, which presented another challenge for the Chagrin Falls attack.
“They kept five players back pretty much the whole game,” Ciuni said of the Titans’ defense. “That makes it tough to play the ball forward at times, and we were never able to make that connection. There were a few moments where it looked like we might break through, but they’re a strong team. They were there, had numbers, and were able to shut it down.”
In 2023, the Tigers won just five games. This season, thanks to a large group of seniors, they have 13 wins.
Those 10 seniors were part of the Tigers’ 2021 state championship squad.
“The seniors were impact players as freshmen on the title team,” Ciuni said of his seniors. “They’ve been here having a huge impact on the program from day one. We’re going to miss this class tremendously. It’s a group of 10 that is really close with the younger players, trying to bring them along nicely and teaching them what it means to be a Chagrin Falls Tiger. I hope everybody watches how hard these seniors worked because they leave their entire hearts out on the field every time.”
Not only did the juniors and underclassmen learn from a special group of seniors, but they also racked up plenty of playing time throughout the season, especially down the stretch.
“The hope is that all the younger players learn from this season,” Ciuni said. “Hopefully, they will feel this atmosphere around them, and hopefully, we can be back here next year and in the years to come.”
Chagrin Falls ended the 2024 season with a record of 13-6-4.
