Kirtland football: Coach Tiger LaVerde notches 200th win as Hornets' coach
Aug. 19—The legacy of Kirtland football coach Tiger LaVerde continues to grow.
With the Hornets' 34-8 win over Harvey in the season opener Aug. 19, LaVerde notched his 200th win as the Hornets' head coach. Since taking over the program in 2006, LaVerde is 200-18 (.917). Including his three years coaching in Pennsylvania, LaVerde's career record overall is 219-28 (.887).
"It's something you don't dream of when you're coaching," LaVerde said. "We've had a great combination of kids and coaches, kids who are willing to work hard."
LaVerde's first win as Kirtland's head coach was a 45-18 win over Beachwood on Aug. 26, 2006. His winning percentage of .917 at Kirtland is the highest in OHSAA history, ahead of Newark Catholic's J.D. Graham (220-30-1, .880).
"I remember a lot about that first game," LaVerde said. "Rossi Santo, who is on our staff now, was a sophomore and he took a punt back for a touchdown. It's pretty cool he's on our staff now."
With 200 wins in 218 games in Ohio, LaVerde reached that plateau faster than any other coach in Ohio history. LaVerde also:
—Has 137 wins in the last decade, the most in Ohio over that span.
—Is 54-9 in playoff games since taking over the program.
—Has won 10 regional championships and is 10-0 in state semifinals.
—Has led the Hornets to six state titles and four state runner-up finishes.
"It's been really special," he said of his tenure at Kirtland. "When I took the job, they had never won a playoff game. We were just trying to sneak in (to the playoffs) and win one. When we broke through and one a state championship in 2011, we broke through and won a bunch. But you never think of that happening. But we showed it's not a pipe dream anymore."
In the landmark win over Harvey, Kirtland outgained the Red Raiders, 387-163. Senior son Philip LaVerde ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns, freshman son Jake LaVerde ran for 60 yards and a touchdown, and the Hornets also got TD runs from Gino Blasini and Macguire Boyd.
Kirtland plays its home opener Aug. 26 against Lutheran West.
