The Kenston Bombers football team sure does love those Geauga County rivalries.
Game photos click here.
The Kenston Bombers football team sure does love those Geauga County rivalries.
The Bombers exerted their will Aug. 25 against Geauga County foe West Geauga, winning 49-14 at Howell Field in Chesterland.
“Since day one, since I have gotten the job, high school football is all about local rivalries,” Kenston Head Coach Jeff Grubich said. “It’s special when you see the communities be proud of their teams fighting, and I enjoy it.”
When the Bombers’ 13th-year coach took the helm in 2012, West Geauga won its first showdown between its then-Chagrin Valley Conference rivals.
Since then, the shoe has been on the other foot, with Kenston (2-0, 0-0) winning the next two games before departing for the Western Reserve Conference.
Kenston and West Geauga (0-2, 0-0) dueled again in non-conference games starting in 2017, and Kenston continued having the upper hand, winning each contest through 2019.
It had been four years since the Geauga County foes met again, but the Bombers continued to be the dominant team, recording their sixth straight victory against West Geauga.
Kenston’s offense was unstoppable, outscoring the Wolverines by a 28-0 margin in the first half, but it was their defense that provided a spark.
Having shut out Youngstown Boardman in the final quarter of their season opener Aug. 18, the Bombers’ defense extended its scoreless streak to three quarters, surrendering only 72 offensive yards to West Geauga. The Wolverines’ own scoreless streak had reached six consecutive quarters after being shutout against Geauga County foe Chardon 35-0 in their season opener.
Kenston’s defense capped off an electric first half with a goal-line stand at the Wolverine 1 after West Geauga junior wide receiver Elijah Gudger caught a 19-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Finn Keenan.
The Bombers did not break, stuffing Keenan on a quarterback keeper, then sacking him in the final play of the first half.
“We have to continue to improve, but that is what we want,” Grubich said. “It does not matter where we are at on the field, if our back is against the wall or if we have them pinned down, we have to come and bring that energy and juice, and our kids did that at the end of the half.”
The sack ended a dominant first half for Kenston that had started with a six-play, 72-yard drive capped off by a five-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Lucas Kaltenbach, putting the Bombers ahead 7-0.
Kenston’s offense hummed right along as senior wide receiver Brandon Bell scored on a 13-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 14-0.
In the second quarter, Kaltenbach delivered a 20-yard touchdown strike to junior wide receiver Dylan Krupp, and senior tailback Sean Patrick stretched Kenston’s lead to 28-0 by scoring on a one-yard touchdown run.
“It was really cool,” Kenston’s 6-foot-4 quarterback said. “We were having a lot of fun. We were not really thinking, but playing and relying on all of our hard work in practice.
“It starts with the offensive line. They played absolutely amazing, allowing zero sacks for the second week in a row, and I do not think I have been tackled in the backfield, so the offensive line is playing truly unbelievable.”
In the third quarter, the Wolverines finally snapped their scoreless drought, engineering a nine-play, 70-yard touchdown drive capped off by a two-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wideout Dominic Paros, trimming Kenston’s lead to 28-7.
The Bombers regained control with two more touchdowns, a seven-yard run by the 5-foot-11 Patrick and an eight-yard run by junior wide receiver Cohen Clark, extending their advantage to 42-7 and triggering the running clock.
Kaltenbach ignited Kenston’s offense, throwing for two touchdowns and compiling 200 yards on 14 completions out of 28 attempts, plus running five yards for a touchdown.
“Lucas is a special kid,” Grubich said. “He is talented and he works hard. He is starting to get comfortable in the offense and has improved every week, and that is a credit to those offensive coaches and Lucas’ hard work and him studying the film.”
This week, Kenston will host neighborhood foe Chagrin Falls at home, while the Wolverines will play their first road game, facing Aurora at Veterans Stadium.
