The Raiders have advanced to (at least) the regional finals the past three seasons.

By ERIC HAMILTON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

As another undefeated regular season wound down for the South Range High football team, a Division V playoff berth was a certainty. But who the next opponent was still a mystery late into last weekend.

The Raiders (10-0) earned the top spot in Region 17 and had assured themselves a home playoff game for the fourth straight year. There was just the matter of what team would make the trip to North Lima Friday night.

Finally, after a lot of number crunching from OHSAA officials, it was announced that Kirtland had secured the eighth and final spot in the region, edging Cleveland Cuyahoga Heights. The teams had tied for that position. The OHSAA used level 3 points as the tiebreaker, which Kirtland won 351.5-335.0.

Of course during that time, it didn’t matter much to South Range coach Dan Yeagley and his team who would come calling next. The Raiders were just thrilled to be playing in Week 11 again.

“In the playoffs, every team is good, from 1 to 8 in each region,” said Yeagley. “If you don’t come to play your best each week, you’re going to lose. Having been in the playoffs before, we know that.

“This is a fantastic time for our great young men that have worked so hard and achieved their goals. It will be nice playing at home because our fans and our band and our community are great.”

South Range will look to make another big run in the postseason like it has the past three years. In three straight seasons, the Raiders have advanced at least to the regional finals. In 2005, they played in the state semifinals.

This year’s run will be just as difficult, as the region is filled with solid programs. One big change is the absence of Warren JFK, which dropped down to Division VI, and the addition of Ursuline, which moved down from Division IV.

Yeagley says that while his team clearly knows who all the participants are, they are only concerned with Kirtland right now.

“We’re not looking ahead; we know that if we don’t play well against Kirtland there won’t be a second game,” said Yeagley. “You never know who you are going to run into in the playoffs. We’ve played good teams like JFK and Smithville and Patrick Henry.

“We know Ursuline is a great team and Dan Reardon does a great job over there. We can’t really judge who we play, we just have to focus on our next opponent and play well.”

In Kirtland, South Range will face a team with a big, experienced offensive line with solid skill players. The Hornets play in the Valley Division of the Chagrin Valley Conference in the Cleveland area.

They lost two games in the regular season in back-to-back weeks during a time Kirtland was fighting injuries. Since then, the Hornets have won four in a row, outscoring opponents 153-14.

“Their quarterback throws the ball real well and runs when he needs to,” said Yeagley. “Offensively, they are like a Mineral Ridge that features one back, but has others that can come right at us as well.”

The Hornets are led by standout running back Rossi Santo, a two-year starter. The junior has scored 26 touchdowns this season. His running mate in the backfield is Eric Ritossa.

Yeagley says defensively, Kirtland resembles Crestview, a team that “plays an odd front and really moves around a lot on defense.”

South Range and Kirtland share one common opponent this season, having both played Independence. The Hornets lost 34-28 in double overtime, while the Raiders scored a 42-7 victory.

“But that was back when Kirtland was struggling with injuries,” Yeagley pointed out. “They are back and healthy right now and playing their best football of the year. We know we’ll have to be ready to play on Friday night.”