Division VI State Semifinal: Northmor (14-0) vs. Kirtland (14-0)

Kirtland4580 said:
Speaking of 16 games every year, the Steiners are on the precipice of doing something that can never be topped in state football history…16-0, 16-0, 16-0, 16-0; a perfect 64-0 senior class. Without looking that far ahead (Columbus Grove this week), how far do you think they can take their streak, @RBS?
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Most likely through this year. More than anything else, how long Goodwin sticks around.
 
Tradition continues. One of the best parts of advancing is the underclassmen playing in their Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
 

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UMFanStuckInOhio said:
You do realize Dalton scored 34 in week 1 and Perry scored 21 with 3 dropped TD passes. So it happening again is not impossible.
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I'm not sure Perry dropped 3 TD passes - they dropped one when the WR was behind the defender. Kirtland also fumbled twice inside the 10. I don't put a whole lot into week 1 results. The team Kirtland has on the field now is much more dialed in then in week one. Dalton saw the playoff Hornets last week - just a little bit different.
 
Bball216 said:
I'm not sure Perry dropped 3 TD passes - they dropped one when the WR was behind the defender. Kirtland also fumbled twice inside the 10. I don't put a whole lot into week 1 results. The team Kirtland has on the field now is much more dialed in then in week one. Dalton saw the playoff Hornets last week - just a little bit different.
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But you said no one in D6 could put 31 points on the board, and it has already happened. Sounds like you should go watch that Perry game again. Two in regulation and one in overtime. All dropped by the WRs. I know it was raining, but should have been easy TDs.
 
UMFanStuckInOhio said:
But you said no one in D6 could put 31 points on the board, and it has already happened. Sounds like you should go watch that Perry game again. Two in regulation and one in overtime. All dropped by the WRs. I know it was raining, but should have been easy TDs.
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We don't like to think about that anymore... lol there was several dropped passes that could have kept drives alive on top of the possible scoring plays also. I love the "explosive" and "exciting" offense, but wish we had a better ground game for bad weather like Kirtland and Glenville games. We're losing our qb Moses, and have some very good rb in our freshman and sophomore class now, hopefully we can establish something better over the next couple years.
 
Pirates2023 said:
We don't like to think about that anymore... lol there was several dropped passes that could have kept drives alive on top of the possible scoring plays also. I love the "explosive" and "exciting" offense, but wish we had a better ground game for bad weather like Kirtland and Glenville games. We're losing our qb Moses, and have some very good rb in our freshman and sophomore class now, hopefully we can establish something better over the next couple years.
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That surprises me as well considering where your coach came from previously. You have to believe the Perry coach knows defense and running not only traveles - but is effective in all weather conditions. I think people assume if your a running team it translates to low scoring - not true. Kirtland has the ability to go on 8min scoring drives or strike quickly with big chunk plays. I think in the last two weeks the Hornets have scored on the opening drive in 4 plays or less.

A pass oriented offense does not normally fair well come the playoffs. Perry, Dalton and Mentor come.to mind because they all bowed out last week. When your unable to operate in poor weather conditions it gives you very little chance at success. Kirtland has found a formula that really works for them in ALL conditions - but really gives them an advantage in inclement weather ( IE the playoffs). All the teams left are either a running team or a balanced team that has the ability to do both effectively. Dalton was unable to pass at all due to the combination of the Hornet defense and weather. They were unable to switch to a run only offense and still succeed. It was like they were playing with one hand behind their back. Fortunately nobody has stopped the Kirtland rushing game ( thank God). If the Hornets were forced to pass only they would be in trouble. Because they run so well they become really tough to defend - let alone beat. Their style just wears teams out. I'm sure Perry will adapt - they have a very good coach and he knows what it's going to take to win..I think this season was an eye opener. Last year they won state in a lower division with a more talented team. Also last year the weather was much nicer. They had a legit chance to beat Glenville last week if the weather was better.
 
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UMFanStuckInOhio said:
You do realize Dalton scored 34 in week 1 and Perry scored 21 with 3 dropped TD passes. So it happening again is not impossible.
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I agree that it isn’t impossible, @UMFanStuckInOhio. With two teams this stout on both sides of the ball, I’m contemplating whether to expect more of a shootout or a defensive slugfest. Congrats to the Golden Knights on making their first appearance in the Final Four. Nothing beats the feeling of the first Final Four appearance or state title appearance & I’m sure the Iberia community has been feeling electric all week in anticipation. I’m expecting a capacity crowd on the visitors side, which should make for a fantastic environment. Safe travels if you’re making the trip tomorrow!
 
Bball216 said:
That surprises me as well considering where your coach came from previously. You have to believe the Perry coach knows defense and running not only traveles - but is effective in all weather conditions. I think people assume if your a running team it translates to low scoring - not true. Kirtland has the ability to go on 8min scoring drives or strike quickly with big chunk plays. I think in the last two weeks the Hornets have scored on the opening drive in 4 plays or less.

A pass oriented offense does not normally fair well come the playoffs. Perry, Dalton and Mentor come.to mind because they all bowed out last week. When your unable to operate in poor weather conditions it gives you very little chance at success. Kirtland has found a formula that really works for them in ALL conditions - but really gives them an advantage in inclement weather ( IE the playoffs). All the teams left are either a running team or a balanced team that has the ability to do both effectively. Dalton was unable to pass at all due to the combination of the Hornet defense and weather. They were unable to switch to a run only offense and still succeed. It was like they were playing with one hand behind their back. Fortunately nobody has stopped the Kirtland rushing game ( thank God). If the Hornets were forced to pass only they would be in trouble. Because they run so well they become really tough to defend - let alone beat. Their style just wears teams out. I'm sure Perry will adapt - they have a very good coach and he knows what it's going to take to win..I think this season was an eye opener. Last year they won state in a lower division with a more talented team. Also last year the weather was much nicer. They had a legit chance to beat Glenville last week if the weather was better.
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I agree that having a running game matters, but it is not the end all be all in the playoffs. Having a passing game or a balanced offense does not mean teams are just chucking the ball 30 or 40 yards down field.

As far as Daltons passing game goes, several teams across divisions were able to have a viable passing game last week in the rain. So I do not think it was the weather as much as it was that Daltons passing game is not complex enough to win games against good teams in any conditions. Dalton had some sucess in their short, quick passing game. There just was not enough of it to get a rhythm and sustain drives.

Kirtland dominated that game, like most because they were simply the more physical team with blocking and tackling way more than the weather impacted an average passing team. If a team wants to beat Kirltand they are going to have to match their physicality and refuse to be bullied, no matter if that is running or passing the ball.
 
Bball216 said:
I'm hearing possible snow in the forcast. The worse the weather the more Kirtland loves it. They unlike most teams embrace bad weather - it makes their running game even harder to defend.
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Being in the" traditional " snow belt is their advantage!
 
Kirtland4580 said:
I agree that it isn’t impossible, @UMFanStuckInOhio. With two teams this stout on both sides of the ball, I’m contemplating whether to expect more of a shootout or a defensive slugfest. Congrats to the Golden Knights on making their first appearance in the Final Four. Nothing beats the feeling of the first Final Four appearance or state title appearance & I’m sure the Iberia community has been feeling electric all week in anticipation. I’m expecting a capacity crowd on the visitors side, which should make for a fantastic environment. Safe travels if you’re making the trip tomorrow!
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The community is just happy to be along for the ride. The team is still hungry. I am leaning towards a defensive slugfest. I think both teams are extremely physical and that leads to battle of will by both defenses. Should be a fun one to watch.
 
Most of the teams that you play in high school have players you can key on. Last week vs Dalton the Hornets knew that the running back and the QBs brother (WR) were the players that were key to stop. The QB was athletic - but was not much of a running threat. However when you face Kirtland there are several players that can beat you. First you have that powerful line that is performing at an elite level. Then you add in 4 runners that can all take it to the house. When you add in the miss direction and efficiently that they execute their plays - it's impressive. Dalton tried to get physical - the problem was Kirtland's physicality was at a different level. I think Northmor is at a slight disadvantage because they are playing Kirtland for the first time. The flip side is that Kirtland has been here and pretty much has seen it all. The Hornets are used to playing a MAC school yearly - hard to get more physical then that.

Northmor will not be the first team to get physical with Kirtland and they won't be the last. It is just really hard to duplicate what they will face tomorrow night while facing the scout team. I look forward to some really good football and I enjoy watching a team I've never seen before. The excitement comes from the unknown. Northmor has to deal with everything they have heard and know about Kirtland and Kirtland gets to learn on the fly about an opponent they know very little about. Two unbeaten schools looking to advance to the state championship game - what more can you ask for.
 
Bball216 said:
Most of the teams that you play in high school have players you can key on. Last week vs Dalton the Hornets knew that the running back and the QBs brother (WR) were the players that were key to stop. The QB was athletic - but was not much of a running threat. However when you face Kirtland there are several players that can beat you. First you have that powerful line that is performing at an elite level. Then you add in 4 runners that can all take it to the house. When you add in the miss direction and efficiently that they execute their plays - it's impressive. Dalton tried to get physical - the problem was Kirtland's physicality was at a different level. I think Northmor is at a slight disadvantage because they are playing Kirtland for the first time. The flip side is that Kirtland has been here and pretty much has seen it all. The Hornets are used to playing a MAC school yearly - hard to get more physical then that.

Northmor will not be the first team to get physical with Kirtland and they won't be the last. It is just really hard to duplicate what they will face tomorrow night while facing the scout team. I look forward to some really good football and I enjoy watching a team I've never seen before. The excitement comes from the unknown. Northmor has to deal with everything they have heard and know about Kirtland and Kirtland gets to learn on the fly about an opponent they know very little about. Two unbeaten schools looking to advance to the state championship game - what more can you ask for.
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Perry vs kirtland game it wasn't hot out, it was cooler and rain and both Kirtland and us had kids going down or coming off the field every few plays cramping. Kirtland is very physical and any group of kids that play them will have to completely empty the tank and then go another 50 miles after the low fuel lights on. They are not an easy team to break, which is why they are who they are obviously...
 
Pirates2023 said:
Perry vs kirtland game it wasn't hot out, it was cooler and rain and both Kirtland and us had kids going down or coming off the field every few plays cramping. Kirtland is very physical and any group of kids that play them will have to completely empty the tank and then go another 50 miles after the low fuel lights on. They are not an easy team to break, which is why they are who they are obviously...
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There is a reason why Perry and Kirtland will play each other every year - because both teams will come out of the game better then they were prior.
 
Bball216 said:
Most of the teams that you play in high school have players you can key on. Last week vs Dalton the Hornets knew that the running back and the QBs brother (WR) were the players that were key to stop. The QB was athletic - but was not much of a running threat. However when you face Kirtland there are several players that can beat you. First you have that powerful line that is performing at an elite level. Then you add in 4 runners that can all take it to the house. When you add in the miss direction and efficiently that they execute their plays - it's impressive. Dalton tried to get physical - the problem was Kirtland's physicality was at a different level. I think Northmor is at a slight disadvantage because they are playing Kirtland for the first time. The flip side is that Kirtland has been here and pretty much has seen it all. The Hornets are used to playing a MAC school yearly - hard to get more physical then that.

Northmor will not be the first team to get physical with Kirtland and they won't be the last. It is just really hard to duplicate what they will face tomorrow night while facing the scout team. I look forward to some really good football and I enjoy watching a team I've never seen before. The excitement comes from the unknown. Northmor has to deal with everything they have heard and know about Kirtland and Kirtland gets to learn on the fly about an opponent they know very little about. Two unbeaten schools looking to advance to the state championship game - what more can you ask for.
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All true, only thing I would argue is Kirtland does not appear that diverse on video. Stop 1 and 37 as they are their primary ground gainers for the year and 34 is a must find and block on defense every play. Now doing that is way harder, than it sounds because of both lines of scrimmage. That is where this game is going to be won is in the trenches.

As you said two.undefeated teams battling it out to advance. Should be a great one to watch.
 
UMFanStuckInOhio said:
I agree that having a running game matters, but it is not the end all be all in the playoffs. Having a passing game or a balanced offense does not mean teams are just chucking the ball 30 or 40 yards down field.

As far as Daltons passing game goes, several teams across divisions were able to have a viable passing game last week in the rain. So I do not think it was the weather as much as it was that Daltons passing game is not complex enough to win games against good teams in any conditions. Dalton had some sucess in their short, quick passing game. There just was not enough of it to get a rhythm and sustain drives.

Kirtland dominated that game, like most because they were simply the more physical team with blocking and tackling way more than the weather impacted an average passing team. If a team wants to beat Kirltand they are going to have to match their physicality and refuse to be bullied, no matter if that is running or passing the ball.
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As much as I would love to see it. They would have ZERO percent chance against Glenville.
 
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