Kirtland football is in ninth straight state semifinal

It never gets old. While Kirtland football coach Tiger LaVerde never specifically said those words, the way he talked about his team playing in – and winning – a regional championship game screamed those four words. With its 21-7 win over Sugarcreek Garaway in the Division VI, Region 21 tilt, the Hornets won their 14th regional championship trophy in LaVerde’s 20-year tenure. The win puts Kirtland in the state semifinal round on Dec. 6 against North Robinson Colonel Crawford, a game that will be played at Byers Field in Parma. One would think winning that many regional finals would cause them at some point to start blending together. That isn’t the case for LaVerde,...