CLEVELAND, Ohio — The smallest school in the cleveland.com high school football Top 25 packs one of the biggest punches.
Kirtland continued its climb up the area rankings, moving to eighth this week after a 27-7 win Friday at Solon.
In a year where Harbin points don’t factor into playoff qualification, Kirtland has managed to schedule two Division I opponents in the Comets and Shaker Heights. Each time, the defending OHSAA Division V champions emerged with a victory. They now have won 35 straight games with their biggest regular-season triumph in program history.
“This is by far the toughest regular-season game that we’ve scheduled, for sure,” Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde said. “The kids performed really well, and I’m real proud of them. We’ve had some good wins and had some bad losses, but this is a fun one.”
The most impressive part of Kirtland’s victory could be that it did not punt at Solon, which entered the season ranked fifth in the area but began its season two weeks ago. Solon (0-2) slipped to 24th, while the top seven teams remain intact since last week.
Here’s how the area stacks up, regardless of division or region:
1. Archbishop Hoban (4-0)
Last week: Ranked No. 1, won at St. Vincent-St. Mary 37-9
This week: Thursday at No. 21 Walsh Jesuit
The skinny: So much for rust from a week off. Hoban rushed for 273 yards at STVM and limited the Fighting Irish to just 96 total yards. Hoban has won eight straight rivalry games with STVM, this one being the first in that stretch away from the University of Akron’s InfoCision Stadium.
2. St. Edward (4-1)
Last week: Ranked No. 2, beat Columbus Bishop Sycamore 35-8
This week: Friday at No. 15 Benedictine
The skinny: While St. Edward had similar success vs. Bishop Sycamore that St. Ignatius, Aurora and Massillon enjoyed, the Eagles had perhaps the most convincing performance by jumping out to a 35-point lead in the first half. While Hoban is favored to earn the top seed in Division II, Region 5 this week, the same can be said for St. Edward in Division I, Region 1. The Eagles' other three wins are at Massillon, a 28-24 comeback victory on the road at Mentor to likely dictate Region 1′s top seed and the 17-0 shutout of St. Ignatius in Week 4 at FirstEnergy Stadium.
3. Mentor (4-1)
Last week: Ranked No. 3, beat Elyria 45-14
This week: Friday vs. No. 22 Strongsville
The skinny: Mentor won its second straight game, as the backups got plenty of action and starter Hutch Baird caught TD passes from Ian Kipp and Jacob Snow against Elyria.
4. Avon (5-0)
Last week: Ranked No. 4, beat Berea-Midpark 63-12
This week: Friday at Midview
The skinny: Niko Pappas led Avon’s air show Friday vs. Berea-Midpark, as the Eagles won their third straight Southwestern Conference game in convincing fashion after two close calls to begin the year against rival Avon Lake and Olmsted Falls. Coincidentally, those two meet this week.
5. Avon Lake (4-1)
Last week: Ranked No. 5, won at North Olmsted 45-0
This week: Friday vs. No. 11 Olmsted Falls
The skinny: The defense is tuning up in Avon Lake, which has given up just seven points in its last three games. Something will give this week, considering Olmsted Falls has scored 159 points in the last three weeks.
6. Hudson (5-0)
Last week: Ranked No. 6, won at Highland 42-21
This week: Friday vs. North Royalton
The skinny: The running game should carry Hudson a long way in the Division II playoffs. It gave the Explorers 345 yards, including 147 yards by senior running back Drew Lightner, at Highland.
7. Chardon (5-0)
Last week: Ranked No. 7, beat Mayfield 35-14
This week: Friday at Brush
The skinny: The state’s top-ranked team in Division III took down defending Western Reserve Conference champion Mayfield to continue their march toward the postseason. Chardon put up 465 yards against Mayfield with senior running back James Pettyjohn accounting for 190 yards rushing with three TDs.
8. Kirtland (5-0)
Last week: Ranked No. 10, won at Solon 27-7
This week: Idle
The skinny: The defending Division V state champions now have two victories against D-I teams this year, following their Week 2 win at Shaker Heights with a big one at Solon. They not only beat a D-I playoff regular, which entered the season ranked fifth in the area, but they did not punt. Kirtland owns a 35-game winning streak, too.
9. St. Ignatius (1-2)
Last week: Ranked No. 8, lost at Massillon 21-14
This week: Saturday at Cincinnati St. Xavier
The skinny: For the second straight week, turnovers undid any chance St. Ignatius had of securing a sizeable victory. The Wildcats committed five turnovers in a 17-0 loss to St. Edward. A fumbled lateral pass midway through the fourth quarter Friday at Massillon led to the Tigers scoring the winning TD.
10. Brecksville (4-1)
Last week: Ranked No. 11, won at Stow 15-13
This week: Friday vs. Wadsworth
The skinny: Joe Labas made his biggest play on special teams with a 61-yard punt and his offensive skill players around him gutted out strong defensive performances, as Brecksville’s stars shined brightest in unexpected spots.
11. Olmsted Falls (4-1)
Last week: Ranked No. 12, beat Amherst 56-35
This week: Friday at No. 5 Avon Lake
The skinny: Falls rushed for 347 yards, including 173 by Andrew Parkowski, to erase an early deficit and showcase an offense that scored on seven straight possessions. Junior quarterback Charlie Ciolek got in on the act, too, with 184 yards passing. Jimmy Cooney broke loose with five receptions for 92 yards, setting up the Bulldogs for one more big matchup before the playoffs.
12. Streetsboro (5-0)
Last week: Ranked No. 14, beat Ravenna 63-14
This week: Friday at Norton
The skinny: Streetsboro continues to dominate its regular-season schedule with Richtell McCallister rushing for 230 yards and four TDs last week. Defensively, the Rockets enjoyed contributions across the board without injured standout Mike Hall Jr. Safety Chris Golson stepped up for a team-high seven tackles with two tackles for loss.
13. Euclid (3-2)
Last week: Ranked No. 16, beat Medina 31-28
This week: Friday at Elyria
The skinny: Euclid shook the Strongsville loss for an important Greater Cleveland Conference loss that should help it with seeding for the Division I, Region 1 playoffs. The Panthers have win against Medina and Brunswick, both of which beat Strongsville.
14. Stow (3-1)
Last week: Ranked No. 13, lost to Brecksville 15-13
This week: Friday at Nordonia
The skinny: Stow had chances to remain unbeaten with a late drive and a field-goal try to take the lead. Neither manufactured the points needed by Stow.
15. Benedictine (2-3)
Last week: Ranked No. 9, lost to Austintown-Fitch 42-14
This week: Friday vs. St. Edward
The skinny: Benedictine took a loss Saturday vs. Austintown-Fitch that will hurt its positioning on the Division II, Region 5 playoff bracket. Quarterback Ronnie Schultz also took a tough hit and didn’t return during the third quarter against Fitch. However, this week begins on a positive note for Benedictine. Third-year starting linebacker Terrance Hollon announced Sunday he committed to Howard University.
16. Brunswick (3-2)
Last week: Ranked No. 18, won at Strongsville 35-14
This week: Friday vs. Garfield Heights
The skinny: When Brunswick can initiate the physicality, good things happen for the Blue Devils. That’s what happened at Strongsville, as coach Mark Pinzone’s team is 2-0 against its nearby rivals in the Mustangs and Medina.
17. Aurora (4-1)
Last week: Ranked No. 20, won at Cuyahoga Falls 34-6
This week: Friday vs. Twinsburg
The skinny: Alex Moore’s efficient passing night, completing 12-of-15 passes for 254 yards, sets up for a matchup vs. Twinsburg and Kent State cornerback recruit Alex Branch. It will serve as one last tuneup before the Division III playoffs for Aurora, which hopes to repeat and exceed last year’s state semifinal run.
18. St. Vincent-St. Mary (3-2)
Last week: Ranked No. 15, lost to Archbishop Hoban 37-9
This week: Idle
The skinny: STVM’s offense struggled against Hoban, but so have most teams. The Fighting Irish have one more tuneup before the Division III playoffs, and it’s against another strong D-II program.
19. Medina (2-3)
Last week: Ranked No. 19, lost at Euclid 31-28
This week: Friday vs. No. 24 Solon
The skinny: Medina’s three losses are against Mentor, Brunswick and the Panthers. The Bees lost by three despite completing only 11-of-30 passes at Euclid.
20. Riverside (4-1)
Last week: Ranked No. 22, won at Madison 51-7
This week: Friday vs. Eastlake North
The skinny: Riverside bounced back from that tough 35-7 loss two weeks ago vs. Chardon, led by Matthew Spofford’s 162 yards rushing and three TDs.
21. Walsh Jesuit (4-0)
Last week: Ranked No. 24, beat Lake Catholic 42-28
This week: Thursday vs. No. 1 Archbishop Hoban
The skinny: Walsh Jesuit is 3-0 vs. future Crown Conference members with the win vs. Lake Catholic. Will Rumple ran for two TDs. The Warriors are in line for a high seed in Division II, Region 5, which could lead them to a second meeting with this week’s opponent in Hoban.
22. Strongsville (2-2)
Last week: Ranked No. 21, lost to Brunswick 35-14
This week: Friday at No. 3 Mentor
The skinny: Momentum is zapped for Strongsville, which enjoyed a big Jack Crotty rushing game with special teams standouts two weeks ago at Euclid.
23. Cleveland Heights (3-1)
Last week: Not ranked, beat Bedford 49-23
This week: Friday vs. Shaker Heights
The skinny: All of Cleveland Heights' games have been decided by at least 15 points, including the Tigers' lone loss in Week 3 against Euclid. They bounce back the last two weeks, as has a 3-2 Maple Heights team that served as their biggest win to start the year.
24. Solon (0-2)
Last week: Ranked No. 17, lost to Kirtland 27-7
This week: Friday at No. 19 Medina
The skinny: The start of Solon’s season has come with two smaller, physical opponents in St. Vincent-St. Mary and Kirtland. The Comets now will have their secondary tested against Medina, which will sling the football as much as anyone in the state.
25. Perry (4-1)
Last week: Ranked No. 25, won at Ashtabula Lakeside 40-34
This week: Friday at Geneva
The skinny: Perry found itself in an early 12-7 deficit in Ashtabula, but Jaylen Anderson’s 241 yards rushing and four TDs paced the Pirates' comeback.
DROPPED OUT
Amherst (3-2, was No. 23)
ON THE CUSP
Copley (4-0), Garrettsville Garfield (5-0), Keystone (5-0), Revere (3-1), Wickliffe (5-0)
Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com).