One championship down. Another remains firmly in sight.
Kirtland Football rushed for 398 yards and six touchdowns and recorded its third consecutive shutout in a 40-0 win over visiting Fairview Football on Friday.
The victory improved the Hornets to 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division and secured the outright conference championship with one regular-season game remaining.
Kirtland already owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over second-place Conneaut Football (8-1, 5-1) following its 48-0 win over the Spartans on Sept. 18.
For senior Tommy Caimi, who rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries, the conference title represents an important step toward the Hornets’ ultimate goal.
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“It’s a goal we’ve had all season, but we’re not done yet,” Caimi said. “We’ve got a long way to go to be ready for the playoffs. We need to be a lot better if we want to be able to compete for another championship.”
Kirtland certainly looked like a championship contender against the Warriors.
The Hornets scored two touchdowns in each of the first three quarters, built a 28-0 halftime lead, and finished with 422 yards of total offense while limiting Fairview to just 88.
Zander Perko opened the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and Caimi added a 17-yard scoring run to extend Kirtland’s lead to 14-0.
Quarterback Mario Lorber scored on a 17-yard run in the second quarter before Caimi broke free for a 23-yard touchdown that pushed the halftime advantage to 28-0.
The Hornets continued their dominance after the break.
Perko scored his second touchdown on another one-yard run in the third quarter, and Caimi capped the scoring with a 39-yard touchdown run.
Marko Valentic converted four extra points.
Caimi’s three-touchdown performance highlighted another dominant effort by Kirtland’s veteran offensive line, which consistently created running lanes against the Warriors.
“The lanes I get to run through are great,” Caimi said. “The guys up front have all played at a high level for multiple years. They’re going to get their job done every week. It’s on me to break free and make a guy miss.”
Kirtland averaged 10.2 yards per carry, and several players contributed to the productive ground attack.
Sebastian Becker rushed for 73 yards on just five carries; Perko finished with 56 yards and two touchdowns on 10 attempts, and Lorber added 49 yards and a score on seven carries.
Rylan Martinez contributed 34 yards on two attempts, while Lorber completed 2-of-6 passes for 24 yards, with both completions going to Caimi.
Senior offensive lineman Caden Fall credited the Hornets’ preparation and execution for another dominant performance.
“We played really well as a team,” Fall said. “It was a really important game for us as we clinched the CVC title, which is a big stepping stone on the pathway for a big playoff run.”
Fall said the offensive line’s commitment to preparation has been a major factor in Kirtland’s success on the ground.
“The offensive line played really well as a whole tonight to make that happen and to make holes for our backs to score,” he said. “It was very important to me and our line to make sure we had a good week of practice in order to get the job done on Friday and get the win.”
While the offense continued to pile up yards and points, Kirtland’s defense delivered another overwhelming performance.
The Hornets held Fairview to just 10 rushing yards on 27 attempts, recorded five sacks, and intercepted three passes.
Lucci Cantini led the pass rush with two sacks, while Jack Turk, Matt Schweinfurth, and Graycen Look each recorded one.
Brandon Oppenheim, Caimi, and Jackson Cramp each intercepted a pass.
Fairview’s Cal Reis led the Warriors with 39 rushing yards on 10 carries and completed 3-of-13 passes for 51 yards.
Connor Joyce completed 2-of-3 passes for 27 yards and caught a 42-yard pass, while Will Dachtler added a 14-yard reception.
Lamarcus Clark was limited to minus-eight rushing yards on 13 attempts, while Graham Hewitt lost eight yards on two carries.
The Warriors (0-9, 0-5) managed just nine first downs, converted 2-of-12 third-down opportunities, and committed four turnovers.
Kirtland’s defensive dominance continued a remarkable turnaround from the beginning of the season.
The Hornets surrendered 34 points to Poland in Week 2 and 31 to Perry in Week 3, but they have allowed just 10 points in six games since their loss to the Pirates.
During that stretch, Kirtland has outscored its opponents, 274-10, while winning six straight games.
The Hornets have recorded four shutouts in those six victories and haven’t surrendered a point since Chagrin Falls kicked a field goal on Sept. 25.
Caimi said the defense has worked to correct the issues that surfaced in the early part of the season.
“We’ve worked on a lot of stuff since we gave up 34 to Poland and 31 to Perry,” he said. “We know that’s the main area we need to improve on going forward. We’ve had a few guys step up, but we need more. We need more playmakers out there.”
Despite the lopsided victory, Kirtland still has some areas to clean up before the postseason begins.
The Hornets were penalized 10 times for 114 yards and lost one fumble against Fairview.
Those miscues provide additional motivation for a team that has already secured its conference championship but remains focused on playing its best football when the postseason arrives.
Kirtland, ranked fourth in Division VI in the Associated Press state poll, closes out the regular season at home against Berkshire Football on Friday, Oct. 23.
The Hornets will look to finish 9-1 overall, complete a perfect 6-0 run through the CVC Valley Division, and carry a seven-game winning streak into the playoffs.
The first championship is secured, but Caimi and his teammates know their biggest challenges—and opportunities—are still ahead.
Game statistics
Kirtland 40, Fairview 0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kirtland | 14 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 40 |
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
KIR—Zander Perko 1 run (Marko Valentic kick)
KIR—Tommy Caimi 17 run (Valentic kick)
Second Quarter
KIR—Mario Lorber 17 run (Valentic kick)
KIR—Tommy Caimi 23 run (Valentic kick)
Third Quarter
KIR—Zander Perko 1 run (kick unsuccessful)
KIR—Tommy Caimi 39 run (kick unsuccessful)
Individual Leaders
Kirtland
- Rushing: Tommy Caimi 11-173, 3 TD; Sebastian Becker 5-73; Zander Perko 10-56, 2 TD; Mario Lorber 7-49, TD; Rylan Martinez 2-34.
- Passing: Mario Lorber 2-6, 24 yards.
- Receiving: Tommy Caimi 2-24.
- Interceptions: Brandon Oppenheim 1, Tommy Caimi 1, Jackson Cramp 1.
- Sacks: Lucci Cantini 2, Jack Turk 1, Matt Schweinfurth 1, Graycen Look 1.
Fairview
- Rushing: Cal Reis 10-39; Lamarcus Clark 13-(-8); Graham Hewitt 2-(-8); Connor Joyce 2-(-13).
- Passing: Cal Reis 3-13, 51 yards, INT; Connor Joyce 2-3, 27 yards, INT; Lamarcus Clark 0-2, INT.
- Receiving: Connor Joyce 1-42; Will Dachtler 1-14; No. 20 1-13; No. 12 2-9.
Team Statistics
| Category | Fairview | Kirtland |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 9 | 23 |
| Rushing | 27-10 | 39-398 |
| Passing Yards | 78 | 24 |
| Total Yards | 88 | 422 |
| Passing | 5-18 | 2-6 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 3 | 0 |
| Fumbles Lost | 1 | 1 |
| Penalties-Yards | 5-44 | 10-114 |
| Sacks Recorded | 0 | 5 |
