BURTON — No. 3 Rootstown made history Saturday afternoon at Berkshire High School, edging No. 11 Kirtland, 1-0, to capture its second straight Division V district championship — and the fifth in program history.
The victory also marked a personal milestone for longtime head coach Charlie Voth, who notched the 250th win of his storied career as the Rovers improved to 14-4-1 on the season. With the triumph, Rootstown advances to face top-seeded Warren Champion in a regional semifinal on Oct. 29 at Byers Field in Parma.
“It was fun,” Voth said. “I’ll tell you what, that was a great game. The weather was perfect, and both sides played as hard as they could. Luckily, we came out in front.”
Rootstown broke through midway through the first half when Zach Pastor finished a low cross from Jacob Sturm at the 24:26 mark. The play was set up by a crisp give-and-go along the right wing between Tycho Smolk and Sturm, whose pinpoint service allowed Pastor to bury what turned out to be the game-winner.
The early goal allowed the Rovers to settle into their rhythm.
“I think it settled the coach down,” Voth joked, “but I think for the kids, we were pushing our offense really well. The shots were 14-3, but they kept on. It was a good midfield battle, and we kept on winning the second or third pass, and then we could attack.”
Rootstown controlled much of the possession, finishing with 14 shots on goal to Kirtland’s 7, while goalkeeper Noah Zager made three saves to secure the shutout.
Voth credited the defensive unit and midfield play for containing Kirtland’s potent attack.
“Bryson Scarlett, our center midfielder, was battling,” Voth said. “He mainly won the battles, and when they tried to sneak the ball through our outsides and our sweeper, our back four played really, really well. They didn’t get a breakthrough or anything, unless it was from the sides, and we kept our spacing and shape and everything worked out well.”
For Voth, the championship and career milestone carried a deeper meaning — one rooted in longevity, consistency, and camaraderie.
“Wow, I’ve been around too long,” he said with a laugh. “It means a lot. Every day, you practice with a bunch of young men who are eager to learn the game and also keep me and the coaching staff young. Aaron Miracle and I have been with each other for a long time. He played three years for me on the field, and then he became my assistant coach for the last 22 years.”
The Rovers will look to keep their postseason run alive when they meet Warren Champion in the regional semifinals, aiming to extend not only their title streak — but their coach’s remarkable legacy.
