Volume 6, No. 8
Friday, December 13, 2019
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CHRONICLE ONICLE ND KIR TLA
State Champions Again
Big Plays Lead Hornets To 5th Title By Rich Kelly sports@geaugamapleleaf.com
To reach a state title takes courage, heart and execution. It’s something the Kirtland Hornets know well in the team’s thrilling 17-7 win over Ironton, its second state title in two years. It was the fifth overall under head coach Tiger LaVerde in the Dec. 7 night game played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, completing another 15-0 season. With the Division V title and undefeated record, Kirtland became only the 47th team in Ohio history to run the table and win the title. Last year they did it in Division VI. “We’ve had injuries all season that hurt us,” Laverde said. “Whenever we asked, though, kids stepped right in and played their roles. With other guys out, kids like Mason Rus
BILL FUGATE/KMG
Kirtland’s Gage Sullivan catches this third quarter TD pass from QB Liam Powers to give the Hornets a 17-0 lead en route to a 17-7 win over Ironton in the Division V state championship game. It marks the second straight championship for the Hornets, who are now 30-0 in the last two seasons. Visit http://bit.ly/KirtlandChamps2019 for more photos.
came in tonight and played nearly 40 snaps on defense, and look at the numbers we achieved. Ironton is just so big and strong, we felt
that if we could force them to pass, it would work to our advantage. I didn’t want those big guys beating up our kids all night.”
Kirtland lost Joey Mongelluzzi before he could play a down this season. Anthony DeMarco missed See Football • Page 8
Kirtland Welcomes ‘New Kids on the Block’ By Magdalene Pesch news@kirtlandchronicle.com At the Dec. 2 Kirtland City Council meeting, a new mayor and new city council members took their oaths of office. “The tapestry between your city management and its citizens is a delicate dance. One partner, your mayor and council, provides services, balances a budget and preserves the good while moving the city forward. The other, the citizens, need to support those efforts wholeheartedly. And although there will undoubtedly be disagreements, imagine if both partners began the dialogue with the belief that each had the betterment of Kirtland, Ohio, as its common goal. What a magnificent dance that would be,” Lake County Clerk of Courts Maureen Kelly said as she administered the oaths of office. Kirtland’s new mayor, Kevin Potter, raised his right hand and swore
his oath, as did new council members Scott Haymer, Jeff Ruple and Kelly Wolfe, as well as the re-elected councilman Joe Smolic. Ruple was unanimously elected as the new president-pro-tempore. Councilman Rich Lowery was unanimously elected as the new council president. “Big shoes to fill. Mayor Potter sat in this chair, so I’ll do my best,” said Lowery. “Humbled to be here, and I do thank council for putting me in this position. It’s okay to ask a lot of questions. And it’s also okay to agree to disagree. But most important — we need to listen to each other. And ultimately, a compromise is better than nothing at all. So, with that, my role, my focus will be to continue to move this city forward in a way that benefits all of us.” Potter also offered an anticipatory statement of his years to come. “Over the course of the last few See Council • Page 8
Coffee with Council The next Coffee with Council is scheduled for Dec. 21, 9-10 a.m., at Kirtland City Hall. For more information, contact Joe Smolic at jsmolic@kirtlandohio.com or 440-487-8984.
2020 Publication Schedule January 10 July 3 February 7 August 7 March 6 September 4 April 3 October 2 May 1 November 6 June 5 December 11
MAGDALENE PESCH/KMG
Newly-elected Mayor Kevin Potter took his oath of office during the Dec. 2 Kirtland City Council meeting as his wife, Jeni, held the Bible, and his family looked on.
The Kirtland Chronicle publishes once a month. Karlovec Media Group reserves the right to change, cancel or add publication dates at any time.