The tune-up went as expected for Villa Angela-St. Joseph.
The matchup the Vikings have been waiting for is now less than a week away.
Buckle up, Viking Village. The defending state champion Kirtland Hornets are next.
VASJ dismantled visiting East Tech, 43-8, on Sept. 13 in a game in which a running clock in the second half helped keep the final margin of victory down.
The win was big for the Vikings (2-1), who rebounded nicely from a tough Week 2 loss to rival Euclid. As important, the lopsided victory served as a tune-up game for a Week 4 showdown at Kirtland against the undefeated Hornets — state champions in 2011 and 2013.
Brandon Green caught a pair of first-half touchdown passes from Tre’Von Williams, Tre’Shon Walker-Smith scored on a short TD run and Jack Gallagher hit a field goal to help the Vikings jump out to a 30-0 lead at the break.
“This was a big preparation week for us because the game against Kirtland is the game everybody has been waiting for,” Green said. “Kirtland is a team we have to beat if we want to win a state championship. Next week is a chance for us to see where we are at.”
VASJ senior running back Marvelle Ross did not play the majority of the game as he was resting an ankle injury. The All-Ohioan is expected to be back for the Kirtland game.
The Hornets haven’t lost a regular-season game since 2009 and have won 18 straight games overall.
“We had to come out and play well because there was no way we could lose two games in a row before Kirtland,” Green said of the East Tech win.
“Kirtland is big. We have to try to beat them with speed. We need to wrap and tackle well. We know it’s a huge game for us.”
