By tim cleveland

sports@vindy.com

KIRTLAND

McDonald High football coach Dan Williams was clear on his team’s strategy entering Friday’s Division VI Region 19 quarterfinal against Kirtland.

Williams said the Blue Devils needed to run the ball successfully and control the clock against the Hornets, last season’s Division V state runner-up.

Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, they were never able to get their running attack going, rushing for minus-15 yards and having just five drives that lasted more than three plays in a 57-0 loss.

“We talked about controlling the clock and running the football,” Williams said. “We talked about tackling.

“They had some big, strong runners,” Williams said of the top-seeded Hornets. “[Sam Kukura] and [Adam Hess] can carry the football. They’re physical runners.

“We missed too many [tackles] in the first half,” Williams said. “As bad as we played, a big play here or there, could’ve at least kept us around a little longer. We needed momentum somewhere on offense. We just never got the offense clicking.”

It was a recipe for defeat as the Blue Devils finished their season 7-4.

SDLqThey were just a more experienced football team,” said junior running back Cameron Ifft, who rushed for 6 yards on six carries. “They’re a really good football team.

“They overpowered us,” Ifft said. “We played our hearts out; we left it all out here.”

Things got off to an inauspicious start for McDonald, as an interception led to a Kirtland score and a 13-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

A lost fumble on the second play of the subsequent drive led to a 20-yard TD run by Hess.

Hess led Kirtland (11-0) with 135 yards on 16 carries and scored four touchdowns. The Hornets had 474 yards rushing on 49 carries.

The closest McDonald came to scoring was late in the first half. Starting on their 42, the Blue Devils drove to the Kirtland 41.

On second and 10, Ben Carkido connected with Jake Reckard on a pass near the sideline. The ball was lateraled to Matt Morrell, who ran to the 20.

After a pass interference call moved the ball to the 10, Carkido failed to connect on three passes and the half ended with McDonald trailing, 34-0.

Ifft, participating in his first postseason game, said it was a different experience.

“It was not like a regular-season game by any means,” Ifft said. “It was a whole different level of intensity.”

With the season over, Williams and Ifft said the Blue Devils will put in the work needed to get past Week 11 next season.

“We’ve got a young group of kids here,” Williams said. “I’m proud of our seniors; our seniors put us back in the playoffs.

“We only graduate eight seniors, so we’ve got a lot of young kids on this team. They got a nice taste of what postseason play is like. They’re going to fight to get back here.”

Ifft said, “We need to hit the weight room. We need to run every single day — get bigger, faster, stronger. We want to get to a high level; the level they’re at. We want to make state runs.”