CANTON, Ohio — Just one week ago, Kirtland passed Versailles for the second-longest winning streak in Ohio High School Athletic Association football history. Saturday night, the Tigers got revenge on Kirtland and won something more meaningful.
Versailles was a 20-16 winner in the OHSAA Division V football championship game, defeating Tiger LaVerde’s Hornets, ending Kirtland’s 55-game winning streak, which was the longest active one in the nation.
The Tigers won a seventh football state championship, but their first in 18 years (2003). Versailles struck first, on a Carson Bey 15-yard touchdown run on the game’s first drive. It marked the first time Kirtland trailed in a game in more than two calendar years. That streak lasted an astonishing 1,414 minutes and 37 seconds, going back to a playoff game against Sandy Valley on Nov. 9, 2019.
A balanced offense was the key for the Tigers in a game state didn’t feature a lot of it. Versailles totaled 263 yards, split between 134 on the ground and another 129 in the air. Kirtland also had 263 total yards (162 passing, 101 rushing).
Here’s the replay pic.twitter.com/cGxGfjY9pE
— High School Blitz on Spectrum News 1 (@SpecSportsOH) December 5, 2021
Credit is given to the Tigers’ defense, forcing four turnovers, including three interceptions, two of which came at key moments in the second half.
Gage Sullivan was outstanding in the backfield for the Hornets, carrying 13 times for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Nifty run from @kirtlandsports @gagesullivan12 to pull the Hornets to 20-10 in the fourth quarter.
Get to @SpectrumNews1OH or the Spectrum News App now for the finish! pic.twitter.com/73iLgHsxLl
— High School Blitz on Spectrum News 1 (@SpecSportsOH) December 5, 2021
Kirtland made things interesting late, scoring a touchdown in the final minute to cut the lead to 20-16 after a blocked extra point, but could not recover the onside kick, and the Tigers went into victory formation.
Celebrate with @VTigerSports as Versailles celebrates its seventh @OHSAASports football state title! pic.twitter.com/jwtGVoE9NO
— High School Blitz on Spectrum News 1 (@SpecSportsOH) December 5, 2021
Versailles was the second Midwest Athletic Conference team to win a state title Saturday, joining Marion Local in Division VII in the morning game. The Flyers now have the most-ever football titles in OHSAA history, a list their MAC counterparts also may be found on:
- 12 – Marion Local
- 11 – St. Ignatius
- 9 – Moeller
- 8 – Newark Catholic, Cardinal Mooney
- 7 – Benedictine, Coldwater, Versailles
- 6 – Akron STVM, Delphos St. John’s, Kirtland, St. Henry
- 5 – St. Edward, Hoban
The MAC has won 39 titles now in football, all since 1989, an average of more than one per season. Here is how those championships are distributed, with nine of 10 members that play football on it:
- 12 – Marion Local
- 7 –Coldwater
- 6 –Delphos St. John’s, St. Henry
- 3 – Minster
- 2 – Versailles (only 2 in MAC, 7 total)
- 1 – New Bremen, Fort Recovery, Anna
Versailles is the seventh school in the conference to win a football state championship in the last seven years:
Midwest Athletic Conference
OHSAA Football Titles Since 2015
- Versailles – 2021
- Marion Local – 2021, 2019, 2017, 2016
- New Bremen – 2020
- Coldwater – 2020, 2015
- Anna – 2019
- Minster – 2017
- Fort Recovery – 2015
It’s the fourth state title (fall sports) in the 2021-22 school year, joining New Knoxville (beat St. Henry in Division IV volleyball) and Minster (girls cross country Division III).
All-time, the MAC has 144 team state championships. All 11 schools in the conference, have at least one.
