Kirtland Football has won enough football games over the years that there aren’t many situations the Hornets haven’t experienced.
Friday night gave them one of the rare ones.
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In a back-and-forth shootout in which neither offense could be slowed for long, the Hornets survived one final push from host Poland and escaped with a 36-34 victory.
It wasn’t comfortable.
It wasn’t easy.
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And that was exactly why Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde enjoyed it so much.
“It was awesome,” LaVerde said. “There’s no doubt about it.”
The victory moved Kirtland to 2-0 following their Week 1 win over Taft and gave them the kind of early-season test LaVerde wants his team to experience before the stakes get even higher.
Poland made sure the Hornets had to earn every bit of it.
“They were tough,” LaVerde said. “Their quarterback could run. No. 5 is a good little runner, and they blocked well. They had a big tight end, 6-5, 230, and they got the edge a couple times. We had to fight and scratch. It was a battle.”
Hornets Run Wild
The answer for Kirtland was the same one that has worked so many times before: line up, run the football, and make the opponent prove it can stop it.
Poland couldn’t.
Kirtland finished with 412 rushing yards on 51 carries, produced 25 first downs and did not turn the ball over.
At the center of it was Tommy Caimi, who carried 22 times for 238 yards and two touchdowns.
“Our offensive line was dominant, and then Tommy Caimi was special tonight,” LaVerde said.
Caimi was quick to send the credit back toward the guys clearing the path.
“The key for us will always be knowing your role and getting your job done,” Caimi said. “The guys up front know what they need to do, and they get the job done. It’s on us backs to make a guy miss and fight for yards.”
Caimi wasn’t alone.
Zander Perko rushed 13 times for 70 yards and two touchdowns, Sebastian Becker added 58 yards on eight carries, and Ben Loncar ran eight times for 46 yards and a touchdown.
Kirtland’s four primary ball carriers combined for 412 yards.
That production allowed the Hornets to answer Poland every time the Bulldogs threatened to seize control.
Poland Refuses to Go Away
Caimi opened the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run, and Marko Valentic added the extra point for a 7-0 Kirtland lead.
Poland answered in the second quarter to tie it at 7.
Perko’s 4-yard touchdown put Kirtland back ahead, 14-7, only for Poland to respond again and send the teams into halftime tied at 14.
It was the type of game where neither sideline could ever feel settled.
Poland opened the second half with a 30-yard field goal to take its first lead, 17-14.
Kirtland answered.
Loncar scored from 3 yards out to make it 21-17.
Poland answered with another field goal.
Kirtland answered again.
Caimi burst through for an 18-yard touchdown and then ran in the two-point conversion, stretching the Hornets’ lead to 29-20.
“My first touchdown came after a great long drive where we just powered through their defense,” Caimi said. “My second one came after we were set up with great field position. The linemen and tight ends gave me great space to run through, and they’re the real reason I get to get into the end zone.”
The Bulldogs still weren’t finished.
A fourth-quarter touchdown cut Kirtland’s lead to 29-27.
Then it was Perko’s turn.
The junior broke loose for an 18-yard touchdown, and Valentic’s extra point pushed Kirtland’s advantage to 36-27.
Again, Poland came back.
A 25-yard touchdown run followed by the extra point brought the Bulldogs within 36-34.
That left Kirtland needing one final drive — not necessarily to score, but to make sure Poland didn’t get enough time to steal the game.
A Final Drive With a Different Goal
LaVerde’s thinking near the goal line offered a glimpse into just how unusual the finish became.
Kirtland drove inside the Poland 2-yard line, but LaVerde was thinking about the clock as much as the end zone.
“If we score, we’re up eight, and if we miss the extra point — which in high school is no guarantee — I thought that was their best chance,” LaVerde said. “I was telling my guys to go down at the 1.”
Kirtland ultimately didn’t score, but it drained the clock to roughly 35 seconds before Poland took possession near its own goal line.
Then things got interesting.
A late-hit penalty gave the Bulldogs room. A long gain moved them near midfield. Suddenly, a game Kirtland had seemingly put away had life again.
“We took the clock down to 35 seconds, so they had to go 99 yards in 35 seconds,” LaVerde said. “Then we late-hit the quarterback in the end zone, which gave them 15 yards, and then the kid ran it out to the 50. If their next play would have been a first down, we could have been in trouble.”
Kirtland stopped the next play short of the sticks, forcing Poland to scramble to the line.
By the time the Bulldogs spiked the ball, only a few seconds remained.
One final desperation play was all Poland had left.
It went nowhere.
Kirtland survived.
“It got too close for comfort, that’s for sure,” LaVerde said.
Exactly the Kind of Test Kirtland Wanted
For a program accustomed to playing deep into November and December, the regular season is about more than stacking victories.
It is preparation.
That is one reason Kirtland intentionally loaded the front of its schedule with games capable of exposing weaknesses.
“It’s a ton of fun,” Caimi said. “We scheduled these hard games early in the season so we can go out and have games like that. These games give us stuff to learn from in the film room. It helps us grow as much as possible before we get to the playoffs, where the real thing begins.”
There will be plenty on that film.
Kirtland’s offense was nearly unstoppable, but Poland also rushed for 339 yards as the two teams combined for 751 rushing yards.
Neither team committed a turnover. Kirtland never punted. Poland punted just once.
It was a game decided by possessions, execution, and ultimately Kirtland’s ability to make one more stop than Poland.
And the Hornets won’t have much time to celebrate it.
Another Big One Awaits
Kirtland’s reward for surviving Poland is another road trip and another unbeaten opponent.
The Hornets travel to Perry Football on Friday to face the 2-0 Pirates in the CVC TV Game of the Week.
For Caimi and his teammates, it is another game they have been anticipating for months.
“We’ve been looking forward to this game all offseason,” Caimi said. “We know it’s going to be a tough game, and that’s why we’re so excited. We love the atmosphere.”
After what Kirtland experienced at Poland, the Hornets should be ready for just about anything.
More Football Coverage From OhioVarsity.com
2026-2027 Kirtland Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Series* | Result | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 22, 2026 Saturday | vs  Taft | 1-0 | W 51-6 | 7:00 PM | Ridgewood Generals Stadium Watch |
| Aug. 28, 2026 Friday | @  Poland | 1-0 | W 36-34 | 7:00 PM | Poland Watch |
| Sep. 4, 2026 Friday | 15-19 | L 10-31 | 7:00 PM | Alumni Stadium, Perry, Ohio Tickets Watch | |
| Sep. 11, 2026 Friday | 4-0 | W 50-7 | 7:00 PM | Rootstown | |
| Sep. 18, 2026 Friday | 1-0 | W 48-0 | 7:00 PM | Kirtland Watch | |
| Sep. 25, 2026 Friday | 13-9 | W 45-3 | 7:00 PM | Chagrin Falls Watch | |
| Oct. 2, 2026 Friday | 4-0 | W 32-0 | 7:00 PM | Crestwood Watch | |
| Oct. 9, 2026 Friday | 31-11-1 | W 59-0 | 7:00 PM | Kirtland Watch | |
| Oct. 16, 2026 Friday | 3-0 | W 40-0 | 7:00 PM | Kirtland Watch | |
| Oct. 23, 2026 Friday | 32-19-1 | W 49-7 | 7:00 PM | Kirtland Watch | |
| Nov. 6, 2026 Friday | vs  BrookfieldPOSTSEASON | 2-0 | W 50-0 | 7:00 PM | Kirtland Watch |
Perry Pirates
Rootstown Rovers
Conneaut Spartans
Chagrin Falls Tigers
Crestwood Red Devils
Beachwood Bison
Fairview Warriors
Berkshire Badgers* Historical series data: Records shown are based on the OV Sports Engine historical football database beginning with the 1972 season. Earlier meetings may not be included.
