High school football roundup: Kenston rolls to set up rematch against VASJ

Oct. 27—A rash of injuries didn't stop the Kenston football team from advancing in the Division III playoffs.

Sean Patrick ran for 178 yards, Lucas Kaltenbach threw for 296 and fourth-seeded Kenston hammered 13th-seeded Dover, 34-7, at Bomber Stadium.

The win puts Kenston (10-1) in a Region 9 quarterfinal next week against VASJ. The Vikings (7-3) defeated University 48-13, in their regional opener.

"We're still missing a couple of guys, but we had some younger guys step up and kept their offense pretty much in check," Kenston coach Jeff Grubich said. "All we've heard is how dynamic their offense is, and we pretty much shut them down. I don't think a lot of people respect what we do defensively. I think our kids showed it doesn't matter what kind of offense we see. We're going to line up and play with the best of them."

Kenston held Dover to 213 yards and limited the Tornadoes' passing game to 75 yards.

Meanwhile Kenston dominated on offense. Patrick had a 17-yard touchdonw run as part of this 178-yard rushing night, and he also caught five passes for 106 yards. Cohen Clark also ran for 112 yards and a score.

"It was all about execution this week," Grubich said. "Dover came out in a 4-4 and gave us an eight-man box. We chucked it around to get them out of it, and then the offensive line took over in the trenches. We were able to push Dover around."

The win sets up a game against fifth-seeded VASJ in a rematch of a Week 4 game where Kenston took a 49-27 win.

Amani Powell scored two first-quarter TDs, Bo Jackson scored twice in the second quarter and the Vikings cruised to set up the rematch.

"We don't consider it a rematch," Grubich said. "It's a new season. They're a different team, and we're a different team than in Week 4. It doesn't matter who we play — we're going to look forward to it."

Chardon crushes CVCA

Chardon might have three losses to its name, but there might not be a more dangerous three-loss team in Ohio.

The Hilltoppers, seeded seventh in Division III, Region 9, put on a physical clinic Oct. 27 in a 42-0 annihilation of 10th-seeded CVCA at Memorial Field. The win puts Chardon (8-3) in a regional quarterfinal next week against second-seeded Geneva. The Eagles (10-1) defeated Hawken, 56-19.

"This is a senior class that was 3-3, and I think a lot of people wrote them off," Coach Mitch Hewitt said. "To see what they've done is a testament to their character. An undefeated season is nice, but there's a life aspect to a season with bumps on the road. This is a team that has grown up."

Chardon dominated every phase of the game. Vinny Colombi ran for 77 yards and three touchdowns, Will Francis ran for 91 yards and a score, and the Hilltoppers' defense held CVCA to four total yards of offense (22 passing and negative-18 rushing).

"Our defense is playing really fast and really violent," Hewitt said. "It's what we were hoping to accomplish tonight, but it's nice when it comes to fruition."

Of Chardon's 308-yard rushing night, Hewitt said, "We've got a lot of backs who can carry the mail. We've got five kids who are dangerous. Plus, a big offensive line."

Next up is a Geneva team that put up 415 yards of offense against Hawken. Bryce Peet ran for 83 yards and a touchdown to put him over 1,000 yards for the season, and Kenny Young threw for 133 yards and two touchdowns against the Hawks.

Donovan Moorhead threw for 270 yards for the Hawks, but Geneva's run defense held the Hawks to 60 yards.

Hewitt said his team will be motivated for the game against Geneva.

"They're No. 2 in the region. A fast, physical and big team," Hewitt said. "They are the favorites in my mind. They're a team ranked top-10 in the state, and we've struggled against ranked teams this year. It's nice to go in as the underdog. Our kids will be reminded of that this week."

Kirtland rolls over Columbiana

The Kirtland football team cruised to a 49-6 win over Columbiana in a Division VI, Region 21 opener Oct. 27.

The Hornets (10-1) led, 42-0, at the half and coasted from there. The win puts the Hornets in the region quarterfinal round next weekend against Canton Central Catholic, which defeated Cardinal, 26-10.

Rocco Alfieri ran for 32 yards and two touchdowns, Will Beers ran for 73 yards and a score — and Kirtland threw four TD passes (two by Jake LaVerde and two by Max Paul). Gino Blasini caught two touchdown passes for the Hornets.

Kirtland outgained Columbia, 249-128.

Perry crushes Crestwood

Jayden Studio scored on the first play from scrimmage for Perry on Oct. 27, and the rout was on.

Perry ran out to a 49-0 lead in the first half and cruised to a 56-09 win over Crestwood in a Division V playoff opener Oct. 27. The win puts the Pirates in a regional quarterfinal next week against Sandy Valley, a 42-21 winner over Cortland Lakeview.

Studio ran for 103 yards and a touchdown on only four carries, Dare'on Howand ran for 95 yards and two scores and Walter Moses threw for 66 yards and a touchdown in limited action.

Benedictine falls in OT

The Benedictine football team nearly came up with the upset of the night Oct. 27, but the 14th-seeded Bengals fell to third-seeded Hudson, 20-19, in overtime.

The Bengals scored first in overtime, with Chris Maloney scoring on a six-yard run. But the conversion was failed. The Explorers scored, kicked the extra point and ran away with the win.

Benedictine (4-7) got 147 rushing yards from Maloney and 124 from Luke Reed. The Bengals outgained the Explorers, 339-265.