State Championship 14-0 Kirtland v the 13-1 Ironton Fighting Tigers

[caliron]

First post. Most posters seem to think this game will be strictly power vs power and nobody is talking about Ironton's passing offense (and defense) which may very well be the difference in the outcome. Kirtland seems like the old Ironton that had a great very disciplined running attack but somewhat ineffective passing game. In many ways, this game is kind of like Old Ironton vs New Ironton.

Go Tigers, watching from California.

[frankie]

Hey people, READ the title. The name of the school is...………………………………













KIRTLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not Kirkland

You can't stay off an Ironton thread and have nothing to post so you spell check.

[Mad-Dogg]

A lil FYI for all the posters who have spectrum. If u have a online account with them then u don’t have to pay 10 dollars to watch the game. All u do is sign into ur account on the ohsaa site and u can stream the game on the ohsaa site. I done it for the burg volleyball semifinal game

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

THERE IS A STORM COMING UP 23 NORTH AND YOU SHOULD SEE PATCHY TO HEAVY LOADS OF ORANGE AND BLACK, DO NOT ENGAGE THESE RABID FANS , THEY HAVE ONE THING ON THEIR MIND. A 3RD STATE FOOTBALL TITLE. SO THEY MAY BE IRRITABLE AND DANGEROUS TILL AFTER THE GAME. IT'S CALLED ''IRONTON FIGHTING TIGER NATION BABY''



THE WAY THESE 2 RUN THE BALL YOU BETTER NOT BLINK OR THIS GAME WILL BE OVER. DON'T LOOK FOR A LOT OF CLOCK STOPPAGES AND BALL CARRIERS HEADING OUT OF BOUNDS. THIS IS GONNA BE AN OLE FASHIONED SLOBBERKNOCKER.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

I wonder if Coach Mark Dantonio is allowed by recruiting rules to come to the game Saturday for physical support to one of his old players (coach Pendleton)??
Just being in the stands would be electric..

I don't know any legal reason why he couldn't. be a great place to recruit.
Michigan state always carries a lot of ohioans on their roster.

[victor creed]

Does anyone have a score on the Massillon game tonight. Really thought there would be a thread

[d-5]

Does anyone have a score on the Massillon game tonight. Really thought there would be a thread

La Salle 34 Massillon 17 Final

[frankie]

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-sta ... re-looking

Nice read. 2 of 3 11w writers pick the Tigers.

[ohbuckeye2]

The Fighting Tigers had practice at Canton South High School today.

[scott1297]

Does anyone have a score on the Massillon game tonight. Really thought there would be a thread

I just finished watching it all games are being aired on spectrum news channel 1 LaSalle 34 to 17 final fun game to watch

[SpeedKillz]

To be perfectly honest, I viewed this game for most of the week as too close to call, but as the week has gone by and I have really had a chance to compare these two teams, I am confident in my opinion. I see this as a low scoring affair for the majority of the contest, until Irontons size and power starts to wear on the smaller Kirtland.

Ironton 31
Kirtland 17

[SpeedKillz]

First post. Most posters seem to think this game will be strictly power vs power and nobody is talking about Ironton's passing offense (and defense) which may very well be the difference in the outcome. Kirtland seems like the old Ironton that had a great very disciplined running attack but somewhat ineffective passing game. In many ways, this game is kind of like Old Ironton vs New Ironton.

Go Tigers, watching from California.

That's pretty fair in my opinion. It looks like Kirtland likes to throw around 3 to 5 tiimes a game, ideally. It will be interesting to see if they have to alter their approach a bit because, I gotta be honest, I do not believe they are more physical, and I do not believe they are faster, and I do not see any depth advantage for Kirtland, and I do believe Ironton enjoys the advantage of size, power and experience. Special teams, I am checking the box for Ironton as well. I think the early framers of this contest had this whole narrative backwards. I think Ironton outmuscles Kirtland.

[SpeedKillz]

Kirtland is just a different beast I just don’t see ironton keeping this close they would have to play a perfect game

what?

[Giorgio Tsoukalous]

Ironton 17 Kirtland 7

[PirateFan[69]]

Kirtland is just a different beast I just don’t see ironton keeping this close they would have to play a perfect game

what?

I agree with you on this one doom, Kirtland has it in the bag already..

[captainmorgan_]

i hear kirtland has 5 state championships in the last 10 years and runner up a couple times. they have the experience but are they as hungry as the tigers? we will see. i will say tigers too strong and will bring it home 28-14.

[burgfella69]

From Thurs Dec 5 Cleveland Plan Dealer (Cleveland.com):

Kirtland’s OHSAA state championship return starts at the ‘Church of Iron’

KIRTLAND, Ohio — Ray Sullivan opens Kirtland’s weight room every day. On Sunday mornings, it is the “Church of Iron.”

Sermons this year required extra donations of sweat and effort for what Kirtland needed to replace up front.

Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde has praised Sullivan, one of his assistants who also is the football program's strength and conditioning coordinator, during many of the Hornets' runs to the state finals. That didn't change this year, as the task increased with Kirtland losing all but two or three starters to graduation and moving up to Division V.

"Our success will have a lot to do with what they did in the offseason, and that had a lot to do with Ray," LaVerde said back in August, unsure of what to expect after last year's undefeated Division VI state championship run.

Yet here is Kirtland (14-0) ready to face Ironton (13-1) at 8 p.m. Saturday in the OHSAA D-V state championship at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.

The Hornets are smaller. Most of their defenders, outside of senior lineman Mike Alfieri, weigh no more than 200 pounds.

Their competition is bigger, moving up after championship runs in Division VI during 2018, '15 and '13.

And the results have been the same.

Sullivan said 18 players are members of their 900-Pound Club, a max-out test conducted in August of combined bench press, squad and clean lifts. Eighteen made the club last year during Kirtland's state title run, and 18 more this year despite the team being significantly smaller. Only three members of the club weigh at least 200 pounds.

"These kids push for each other," Sullivan said. "They don't just strive for the 900-Pound Club. They push for everybody."

Real Iron Men come from Ironton, Go get 'em TIgers!!

Oh my. Lost all but three starters. That answers my questions. Nobody back from that loaded state title team last year. This could get interesting. Don't know how accurate that 3 kids above 200 is though

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

SATURDAY NIGHT OLE DAD IS WATCHING THE IRONTON ''FIGHTING TIGERS'' PLAY FOR A 3RD STATE FOOTBALL TITLE AGAINST THE KIRTLAND HORNETS, WHILST RECORDING THEE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES IN THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AGAINST WISCONSIN. THEN ZIP THROUGH THE OHIO STATE GAME AND BYPASS COMMERCIALS AFTER I WATCH IRONTON. HAIN'T THAT A GRAND PLAN. GO TIGERS AND GO BUCKEYES.

[carbon_dated]

Anyone feel like giving me their Spectrum password in a pm so I can watch the game?

[bbjunky81]

Kirtland is a well oiled machine, there's no disputing that. There's a reason they've made the state championship game 8 out of 9 years (what an unbelievable stat!)

But, Ironton has more talent and is just as physically strong as Kirtland. As long as Ironton limits turnovers I think it ends:

Ironton 24
Kirtland 14