It does not matter if it is the school’s first or eleventh state title, bringing home the championship is always a great feeling.
For two Greater Cleveland teams, that was the case this weekend as Kirtland won the school’s first ever state football championship in Division V and St. Ignatius added yet another title to its Division I storied history. The Avon Eagles, meanwhile, came up just short in their quest for the Division II trophy, as they fell to Trotwood-Madison.
Here is a glimpse at each of the games:
Division V – Kirtland vs. Coldwater
Led by power running back Christian Hauber, the Hornets dominated nearly every facet of the game en route to a 28-7 victory over Coldwater in the Division V finale.
Hauber, injured ankle and all, carried the ball 30 times for 196 yards and a pair of scores. The ankle injury, suffered in the second quarter, seemed to be an afterthought as the game moved on.
"A kid got under me and rolled it," said Hauber. "It was painful, but I got it taped up and I was ready to go.”
In total, Kirtland piled up 410 yards of rushing, compared to only 11 yards through the air. The result led to the Hornets holding on to the ball for more than 30 minutes of the game.
"The more I run, the more I want to pound it," added Hauber. “The defense winds down in the fourth quarter."
In addition to being the first football championship in school history, it was also the first state title for any public school in Lake County.
Division II – Avon vs. Trotwood-Madison
The Eagles ran into a buzz saw by the name of Isreal Green, who broke nearly every Division II state championship rushing record, as Trotwood-Madison came away with the 42-28 victory.
Green rushed for 326 yards on 35 carries and tacked on an all-division record six touchdowns for the Rams.
"We needed to play a near-perfect game," Avon coach Mike Elder said. "Green's a great runner. They have a 296-pound [average] offensive line and a 245-pound fullback. That's just physics."
Eagles quarterback Justin O’Rourke finished the night 27 of 50 for 325 yards and three touchdowns in the losing effort.
Division I – St. Ignatius vs. Pickerington Central
The St. Ignatius Wildcats put on a show in the big school state championship, with a 34-13 dismantling of the Pickerington Central Tigers at Fawcett Stadium in Canton.
With the win, the Wildcats collected their state-best 11th title, but for head coach Chuck Kyle, this one was all about his players.
“The credit goes to those kids,” Kyle said. “That’s what this is really all about.”
A well-rounded victory would be an understatement, as St. Ignatius got key contributions on offense by running back Tim McVey and quarterback Eric Williams. Defensively, the Wildcats were led by linebacker Zack Ryan, and on special teams the always reliable Tim Shenk came through with two field goals.
McVey’s speed and power is what eventually wore down the Tigers defense.
"I have a lower center of gravity and keep the ball strong," McVey said. "I just let them hit me and try to keep my balance."
The victory came after St. Ignatius failed to make the playoffs in 2010, the first time the postseason eluded the Wildcats in 23 years.
