Division V State Championship: AP #1 Kirtland (14-0) vs. AP #8 Versailles (14-1)

Kirtland or Versailles?

  • Kirtland by 17+

    Votes: 20 13.8%

  • Kirtland by 10-16

    Votes: 49 33.8%

  • Kirtland by 0-9

    Votes: 32 22.1%

  • Versailles by 0-9

    Votes: 39 26.9%

  • Versailles by 10-16

    Votes: 1 0.7%

  • Versailles by 17+

    Votes: 4 2.8%
  • Total voters
    145
  • Poll closed .
Status
Not open for further replies.
It's always risky to go against a MAC team in any playoff game. And maybe I'll be wrong. Maybe Kirtland will trail for the first time in 30 games. Maybe they'll actually lose. But, for now I'm going with the take that they are just a different animal. I know exactly how this thread will go, too. Optimism and various reasons why Versailles can win. Kirtland posters generally being as decent and receptive and humble as imaginable. A general consensus that this will be a really close game that can go either way. And that's all good. It's a discussion forum and the game should be discussed and it's great that the D5 posters I've interacted with are so cordial and respective. It really is.

But, at some point in the 3rd quarter when Kirtland is up 17-7 and in the midst of some Death Star 9 minute scoring drive to crush all hope, it'll be just like the last 3 games. Mason Rus for 4.5 yards. Ramon Lescano for 3.5 yards. Gage Sullivan or Goglin for 4 yards. First down. Do it all over.

But, I'll definitely watch to see if I'm way wrong and the MAC magic gets another one -- well, I'd be shocked if the don't get two -- this one will be for the trifecta.
 
Versailles made Harvest Prep throw the ball. HP made some nice throws but threw an interception in the 3rd quarter and Versailles capitalized and took a 14 point lead. Can Versailles make Kirtland throw and get the ball out of their long time killing drives?
What an exciting opportunity for the Tigers!
 
Versailles is definitely the underdog for one factor that we can all agree upon, state title games are the hornets home away from home. They have been there before, repeatedly been there before, they know the drill, what to expect. Big advantage for Kirtland having been here before, all the other x's and o's will be discussed and argued over all we week but in my opinion experience edge to the hornets is worth 10 points alone.
 
iam416 said:
It's always risky to go against a MAC team in any playoff game. And maybe I'll be wrong. Maybe Kirtland will trail for the first time in 30 games. Maybe they'll actually lose. But, for now I'm going with the take that they are just a different animal. I know exactly how this thread will go, too. Optimism and various reasons why Versailles can win. Kirtland posters generally being as decent and receptive and humble as imaginable. A general consensus that this will be a really close game that can go either way. And that's all good. It's a discussion forum and the game should be discussed and it's great that the D5 posters I've interacted with are so cordial and respective. It really is.

But, at some point in the 3rd quarter when Kirtland is up 17-7 and in the midst of some Death Star 9 minute scoring drive to crush all hope, it'll be just like the last 3 games. Mason Rus for 4.5 yards. Ramon Lescano for 3.5 yards. Gage Sullivan or Goglin for 4 yards. First down. Do it all over.

But, I'll definitely watch to see if I'm way wrong and the MAC magic gets another one -- well, I'd be shocked if the don't get two -- this one will be for the trifecta.
Click to expand...
I tend to agree. If Kirtland does have the lead in the 3rd quarter they will not score much afterward. This is not the regular season against a lesser team where they can get a running clock and pull their starters. In close games against good teams Kirtland likes to go to what you call their “Death Star” offense and eat the clock and get the game over as quick as possible.

I have not seen any games by Versailles yet so can’t really comment on them. But I have seen Kirtland play enough MAC schools (especially MSML), and they tend to follow this exact formula if possible.
 
OG gave up a opening scoring drive last night and were behind 7-0. The Kirtland defense forced OG to punt on their first possession and they had a incredible punt whiched pinned the Hornets at the 1. What did Kirtland do with the OG fans screaming and the team all fired up ? They went on a patented Kirtland 99 yard TD drive that basically broke OG"s will, spirit and back. That is what they do.
 
Tiger fan 1 said:
Versailles is definitely the underdog for one factor that we can all agree upon, state title games are the hornets home away from home. They have been there before, repeatedly been there before, they know the drill, what to expect. Big advantage for Kirtland having been here before, all the other x's and o's will be discussed and argued over all we week but in my opinion experience edge to the hornets is worth 10 points alone.
Click to expand...
So, if Versailles wins by 4, you are saying the Tigers are actually 14 pts. better than Kirtland?
 
Stirred not Shaken said:
So, if Versailles wins by 4, you are saying the Tigers are actually 14 pts. better than Kirtland?
Click to expand...
Absolutely! That's why I made my prediction so lopsided. Anything less than a 30 point blowout is a win for Versailles.

From what I'm gathering it seems highly unlikely Kirtland will go to a passing style offense, so Versailles has a marked increase in the potential for a few turnovers to make a huge difference in the game.

The key to the game in my mind is field position (special teams ) and tigers offense vs Kirtland defense. Kirtland offense is likely going to do their ground and pound and Versailles will not have a great chance of stopping the slow, long, drives.
 
Worm02 said:
3-3 makes them "MAC slayers?"
Click to expand...
Kirtland can compete with MAC teams, but are BY NO MEANS "MAC Slayers". As a matter of fact on average MAC schools are the few who have won against Kirtland. I'm saying this as a Kirtland Alum and fan. Can Kirtland win against the MAC, Yes. Can MAC teams win against Kirtland, Yes. Kirtland hasn't faced a MAC School I think since 2018 and vice a versa. This is the first time these 2 teams will have played each other , so we have no idea about the match up in a way other then 2 great programs competing Saturday. Will either teams be intimidated by the other, nope. This is why this is such a good quality matchup and fittingly the last game of the tournament. Having said all this as Hornet fan you all know who I'm going with.
 
Last edited:
Kirtland4580 said:
Saturday will be a fun day for you all. May as well just stay in Canton the whole day & watch three games in a row! Expecting to see a very strong showing on the home side at 7:30.

This is the third straight year Tiger LaVerde will face a Tiger-nicknamed team in the final. How ironic!

To me, and feel free to correct me, I feel this Versailles team is something like the Anna team from a few years back; just a stellar class that returned a ton of talent; a class of destiny if you will. And look where it led them…

I can’t wait for Saturday. Best of luck to your Cavaliers against Carey! Sounds like you guys handled business tonight…
Click to expand...
I think the comparison to Anna is close, I don’t think that Versailles will have near the drop off that Anna did after winning, that team was almost 100% Seniors while this Versailles team has some underclassmen who contribute. I don’t know how you pick against Kirkland in this one, but this will be the only close game involving MAC schools, and I think Versailles could pull it off.
 
Understandably, Versailles is the underdog in this one - Kirtland has an awesome program and shows up big in big games.

But the Tigers have a realistic chance - they have a dynamic offense and a tough defense. As Stirred has prophesied, if Versailles can complete some downfield passes they will compete.

V - 28
K - 27

This will hopefully be one of the best games in the finals. Go Tigers!! Go MAC!!
 
D4fan said:
Absolutely! That's why I made my prediction so lopsided. Anything less than a 30 point blowout is a win for Versailles.

From what I'm gathering it seems highly unlikely Kirtland will go to a passing style offense, so Versailles has a marked increase in the potential for a few turnovers to make a huge difference in the game.

The key to the game in my mind is field position (special teams ) and tigers offense vs Kirtland defense. Kirtland offense is likely going to do their ground and pound and Versailles will not have a great chance of stopping the slow, long, drives.
Click to expand...
Versailles has a very good run defense more so than their pass defense. Don't know how many yds. HP ran for against Versailles but the Tigers held New Bremen to less than 30 yds. rushing, and Lefeld of ST. Henry to less than 60 yds. Only team to have success vs. Versailles running the football was Marion Local with 180 yds. rushing. Basically, strength vs strength.
 
The big difference is that because of the offense Kirtland runs - you cannot focus on one or two RBs. They have as many as 4 guys on any given play that may get the ball. The defense cannot be as aggressive as they would be trying to stop a team.with a single RB in the backfield. If you guess wrong they just pile up yards and minutes. That is why Kirtland consistantly negates a lot of teams strong run defense.
 
Bluestreak1980 said:
www.news-herald.com

Kirtland football: Hornets top Ottawa-Glandorf, 28-6, will play for state championship next weekend

CLYDE — The War for Four is coming to Canton. Gage Sullivan and Mason Rus combined for 334 yards rushing and four touchdowns as Kirtland beat Ottawa-Glandorf, 28-6, in a Division V state semifinal …
www.news-herald.com www.news-herald.com
Guy in article says Kirtland going for 6th state title. Sorry buddy they did that last year lol.
Click to expand...
That guy was not the only one. There has been a few oopsies this year.
 
Bball216 said:
The big difference is that because of the offense Kirtland runs - you cannot focus on one or two RBs. They have as many as 4 guys on any given play that may get the ball. The defense cannot be as aggressive as they would be trying to stop a team.with a single RB in the backfield. If you guess wrong they just pile up yards and minutes. That is why Kirtland consistantly negates a lot of teams strong run defense.
Click to expand...
This. They run like 8 plays (ok, more than that, but it seems like 8 at the most). And in reality they probably run about 3 actions where 3 different guys can get the ball. The OL is so sharp and quick off the ball and everyone who touches the ball is quick. It's not that they are some sort of devastating physical team -- I mean, they are physical -- but to see them in person is to really appreciate how fast and quick they are. There were plays where I thought South Range made a pretty good play and I looked at the sticks and they got 4 yards.
 
iam416 said:
This. They run like 8 plays (ok, more than that, but it seems like 8 at the most). And in reality they probably run about 3 actions where 3 different guys can get the ball. The OL is so sharp and quick off the ball and everyone who touches the ball is quick. It's not that they are some sort of devastating physical team -- I mean, they are physical -- but to see them in person is to really appreciate how fast and quick they are. There were plays where I thought South Range made a pretty good play and I looked at the sticks and they got 4 yards.
Click to expand...
This was my key to the game. Could OG handle Kirtland's speed. I think the weather and field conditions played a big part in this one.
 
PantherSkin said:
I think the comparison to Anna is close, I don’t think that Versailles will have near the drop off that Anna did after winning, that team was almost 100% Seniors while this Versailles team has some underclassmen who contribute. I don’t know how you pick against Kirkland in this one, but this will be the only close game involving MAC schools, and I think Versailles could pull it off.
Click to expand...
i thought that one point Versailles starts 19 seniors, might be different now, but my understanding is that the tigers have several good classes behind these seniors.... where Anna had maybe 4 juniors on that 2019 team....
 
I will point out one big difference between Kirtland and the MAC schools. Kirtland is a small school in a suburban area. It's a small school. It's definitely not small-town football. The MAC has perfected small-town football. While so many other small-town sports have declined, the MAC schools have maintained a proud tradition. It's been depressing watching small-town sports fall off a cliff in so many areas.

This will be a great game. I will say Kirtland by a field goal.
 
algernonsidney said:
I will point out one big difference between Kirtland and the MAC schools. Kirtland is a small school in a suburban area. It's a small school. It's definitely not small-town football. The MAC has perfected small-town football. While so many other small-town sports have declined, the MAC schools have maintained a proud tradition. It's been depressing watching small-town sports fall off a cliff in so many areas.

This will be a great game. I will say Kirtland by a field goal.
Click to expand...
Very true.
 
algernonsidney said:
I will point out one big difference between Kirtland and the MAC schools. Kirtland is a small school in a suburban area. It's a small school. It's definitely not small-town football. The MAC has perfected small-town football. While so many other small-town sports have declined, the MAC schools have maintained a proud tradition. It's been depressing watching small-town sports fall off a cliff in so many areas.

This will be a great game. I will say Kirtland by a field goal.
Click to expand...
Having lived in Kirtland I can tell you its a small town. 2 or 3 street lights and very rural. About a 45 minute drive to down town Cleveland. Its in Lake County not Cuyahoga. Separated from Mentor by I-71. If you have been there you can tell its much more rural then suburban. Think of Kirtland a suburb to the suburbs.
 
mono79 said:
Having lived in Kirtland I can tell you its a small town. 2 or 3 street lights and very rural. About a 45 minute drive to down town Cleveland. Its in Lake County not Cuyahoga. Separated from Mentor by I-71. If you have been there you can tell its much more rural then suburban. Think of Kirtland a suburb to the suburbs.
Click to expand...
Come to Mercer Co., Darke Co, Auglaize Co. sometime you will than appreciate the word rural.
 
mono79 said:
Having lived in Kirtland I can tell you its a small town. 2 or 3 street lights and very rural. About a 45 minute drive to down town Cleveland. Its in Lake County not Cuyahoga. Separated from Mentor by I-71. If you have been there you can tell its much more rural then suburban. Think of Kirtland a suburb to the suburbs.
Click to expand...

This is somewhat debatable. Lake County is one of seven counties that has over 1,000 people per square mile. The population is 232,603 with only 228 square miles. It is also the smallest county in Ohio by land area.

I will admit that I have not been to the city. I guess it depends largely on what is in between Kirtland the main city. How much open space is there?
 
algernonsidney said:
This is somewhat debatable. Lake County is one of seven counties that has over 1,000 people per square mile. The population is 232,603 with only 228 square miles. It is also the smallest county in Ohio by land area.

I will admit that I have not been to the city. I guess it depends largely on what is in between Kirtland the main city. How much open space is there?
Click to expand...
And how many corn fields are located next to the school?
 
Stirred not Shaken said:
And how many corn fields are located next to the school?
Click to expand...
Kirtland is large area wise…about 400 people per square mile. Definitely rural compared to Mentor right next to it, but not as rural as western Ohio. It is small school football (I think about 300 students in the high school), but is near Mentor, Euclid, and somewhat near St. Ignatius and St Ed’s so helps to give it a small school football feel being near so many D1 schools
 
Stirred not Shaken said:
And how many corn fields are located next to the school?
Click to expand...
Hardly any I would think anymore all though from what I understand way back when they used to have to get the cattle off the football field for practice. Kirtland is next door to Chesterland and Chardon also Cardinal and Burton which still does have farming I believe. Corn field next to the school is a true measure of a small town but is that the only measure?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top