BY ANGELO VELOTTA
Gazette Newspapers
KIRTLAND- Kirtland is abuzz-the Hornets football team has just earned its eighth state championship.
And while Friday, December 5th was the epic moment that the Hornets secured the championship with a decisive 41-6 victory over Hopewell-Loudon, another date was just as pivotal this season: Saturday, October 4th.
Hornets head coach Tiger LaVerde said that despite a 38-7 victory over Berkshire on the night before, his team had an unprecedented 21 penalties for over 200 yards. He knew, and the team knew, that this wouldn’t bring them to the state championship, let alone win it, so they had their toughest practice yet on that Saturday morning, a day that refocused the laser-like focus of the Kirtland team.
Flash forward two months later, and the Hornets played the Chieftains for the right to be named the Division VI state champions of Ohio.
“It’s very, very important to get off to a big start. Last year we were down 7-0, then 14-0, and they started to play with more zip. It snowballed against us. This year was the total opposite,” LaVerde said.
After driving down the field Kirtland found the end zone on a seven-yard touchdown run by senior John Silvestro, his first of four times across the pylon. The Hornets would get a stop, and then go up 14-0 on a four-yard run by Silvestro, and that would be the score at the break in the big game.
“They start giggling, laughing, playing with more zip; tackling harder,” LaVerde said of his team starting to feel the moment within their grasp.
With a two-touchdown lead, LaVerde had an important halftime talk.
“They had been running the ball, and we were kicking it off. If they score it’s 14-7, and they get momentum, and now it’s a football game,” he said.
The Hornets defense would sting Hopewell-Loudon’s hopes, as they were held to a three-and-out. Kirtland’s offense would have the ball, third and eight, and senior quarterback Jake LaVerde executed a perfectly timed triple option as he pulled the ball and pitched it to Silvestro, who raced down the field to the three-yard line.
“I had confidence in him and the play call. He ran it to perfection,” LaVerde said.
Silvestro would run it in right after, and now Kirtland was up 21-0 after the third extra point sailed through the uprights by Marko Valentic.
Silvestro would score his fourth touchdown on a 62-yard gallop, and he finished with 255 yards rushing on 20 carries with the ball.
“He got better and better as the season went on. I think he had 900 yards in the playoffs (alone),” LaVerde said.
“They came back and scored, and tried for an onside kick, but we got it, and returned it twenty yards,” LaVerde said.
Ty Bledsoe would make it a 34-6 game to cap off the third quarter on a 10-yard touchdown run.
“To make it 34-6, I started to feel comfortable, smile, and tell our kids how proud I am of them,” LaVerde said.
Jake LaVerde would find the end zone on a three-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, making it 41-6, the eventual final score of the game.
LaVerde threw for 37 yards, including a big first quarter completion to Ryan Caimi to continue an important drive, and ran the ball 14 times for 112 yards and the one touchdown.
“He threw a beautiful ball to Ryan,” LaVerde said of the early play.
“He’s been our starter for four years; he took us to four state championships. He led the team in tackles both in our sophomore championship win and this year, and was the leading rusher in the sophomore state championship win,” LaVerde said.
“He’s been remarkable for four years,” he added.
LaVerde is proud of the whole team, a team who scored 604 points on the year while allowing 118 against them.
“The misfits,” LaVerde said affectionately of this team.
“This group of seniors was in-and-out of the principals’ office in ninth and tenth grade. They weren’t all choir boys, but they matured so much, and turned into really nice young men,” he added.
“They should be proud of themselves. They told me ‘I’ve worked hard for four years, and I’m glad I did.’,” LaVerde shared.
110 teams in Division VI, and it’s the Kirtland Hornets who are the 2025 state champions!
“Honestly, I am proud that we won an eighth State Championship but, I am equally as proud of how our athletes treat opposing teams in the heat of a game. The culture that has been created in our football program by Coach LaVerde is something truly special. Actually, it is the way I feel about all of our Athletic Teams,” Matt Paul, Kirtland Athletic Director said.
On the year the Hornets had a strong season statistically: Jake LaVerde threw for 648 yards five touchdowns and Mario Lorber threw for another 463 yards and eight touchdowns; John Silvestro ran for 2,345 yards and 37 touchdowns, Ty Bledsoe ran for 1,397 yards and 17 touchdowns, and Jake LaVerde ran for 1,042 yards and 14 touchdowns; Ryan Caimi led receivers with 576 yards and six touchdowns, and Tommy Caimi added 303 yards receiving and 4 touchdowns; Tommy Caimi also led the team with five interceptions.
Congratulations to the Hornets, champs once more.
