Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde knows how dangerous an undefeated team in an upswing program that is playing its first state final four can be. He and his Hornets were in that position back in 2011, sitting at 13-0 heading into their game against Bucyrus Wynford in a state final four game in which his program had never played. “We were up 35-0 at halftime and the kids were like 5-year-olds at Christmas,” LaVerde said. “We actually got a 15-yard penalty because our kids were laughing and having such a good time because we were going to play for the state championship the next week. I couldn’t believe we got that penalty, but the kids were just so excited.” Now the tables have flipped somewhat on LaVerde & Co. Now, Kirtland is the team expected to be in the state final four and now the Hornets have to find a way to repel the talent and emotion of another undefeated team playing its first state final four. It will all go down at 7 p.m. on Nov. 29 when the 14-0 Hornets face 14-0 Galion Northmor in a Division VI state semifinal at Minerva’s Hines Stadium. Not only is this Northmor’s first state final four game, but it is also its first season with double-digit wins and the first time the Golden Knights have won a conference championship since 1982. The matchup parallels Kirtland’s 2011 state championship team so much that it is giving LaVerde concern. “It’s a very disciplined, very athletic team,” LaVerde said. “They’re the best team in school history. They’re going to be a problem.” Coach Scott Armrose’s team is coming off a 37-6 win over Grandview Heights, a game in which the Golden Knights gave the Bobcats their first and only loss of the season. Northmor is on an impressive six-game stretch in which no team has come closer than two touchdowns, no team has scored more than seven points and the Golden Knights have outscored those six foes by a combined score of 238-26. “It’s been a blast,” Armose said of the ride his team has been on this season. “First of all, it’s a great group of young men who worked very hard in the offseason. For them to reap the benefits of their work is awesome. Our thought all along is just extending this one more week, one more week, one more week — to have more time to spend together.” Northmor quarterback A.J. Bower, a three-year starter, has thrown for 2,800 yards and 37 touchdowns against only four interceptions. Jax Wenger (48 catches, 1,110 yards, 16 touchdowns), Bo Landin (32 catches, 761 yards, eight touchdowns) and Cowin Becker (37 catches, 556 yards, nine touchdowns) are hit favorite targets. “He sees the field well. He’s thrown for more than 7,000 yards in his career,” Armrose said of Bower. “He’s like having an extra coach on the field. We don’t really consider A.J. an athletic quarterback — he’s not a runner. But what he does well is move around in the pocket and find the open receiver.” Northmor can get it done on the ground, too. Becker has run for 965 yards and 16 touchdowns, while Carson Campbell has run for 893 and 17 scores. “They’ve got really, really good skill positions,” LaVerde said. “They have three good wideouts, a really good quarterback and good running backs. their big up front, too. Just a very solid team.” On the flipside, Kirtland has been just as big of a wrecking ball over the past two months, hanging a running clock on seven straight opponents and outscoring the past seven opponents by a combined score of 302-19 with four shutouts. Kirtland is coming off a 41-6 win over reigning Division VII state runner-up Dalton in which the Hornets ran for more than 400 yards. Danny Alfieri ran for 202 yards and four touchdowns to pace the Hornets’ ground-and-pound offensive game. For the season, Kirtland has carried 570 times for 4,718 yards, an average of 8.3 yards per carry and an average of 337 yards per game. The return of quarterback Jake LaVerde (989 yards rushing) from a seven-game layoff with a broken arm gives the Hornets their full complement of backs among Alfieri, LaVerde, John Silvestro (607 yards), Jack Lessick (394 yards) and others. “They’re a very fundamental football team,” Armrose said. “They do things the right way. They have great team speed. The things they do offensively and defensively and how they take advantage of a team’s mistakes is beyond anything we’ve seen. They’re so very physical, too, that’s the secret to their success.” Armrose said his team has faced a few opponents this season who play Kirtland’s run style in Mapleton and Mount Gilead, but Armrose noted, “Obviously, no one does it as well as Kirtland.” Both teams have excelled on defense all year long. The Golden Knights boast three players with more than 100 tackles — Garrett Deisch (114 tackles, 8.5 TFLs), Ashton Clark (105 tackles, 20 TFLs, eight sacks) and Cameron Goldbach (102 tackles, 22 TFLs, 10 sacks). Kirtland has all-district defenders in defensive linemen Ty Bledsoe and Teddy Prusock, linebacker Tyler Turk and defensive backs Nico Samac and Jack Lessick. Turk has double-digit sacks and TFLs, while Lessick has an area-best eight interceptions. “We can’t let them beat us over top (with long passes) and make them have 20-play drives,” LaVerde said. “Usually, our offense gets better as the game progresses. It’s supposed to be cold and windy. That doesn’t affect s as much as other teams that throw the ball around a lot.” Said Armrose of his team’s keys, “We have to be able to match Kirtland’s fundamental play. And we have to protect our quarterback. They’re going to blitz from all over the place. They’re really good at that. We’ve got to give our quarterback time to throw. If we do those things, we’ve got a chance.” Galion Northmor vs. Kirtland What: Division VI state semifinal game When: 7 p.m., Nov. 29 Where: Hines Stadium, 501 Stadium St., Minerva Records: Kirtland 14-0, Galion Northmor 14-0 TV: OHSAA.tv Kirtland’s path: Defeated Rootstown, 62-0, def. Smithville, 39-0, def. Columbia, 41-7, def. Dalton, 41-6 Galion Northmor’s path: Defeated Caldwell, 42-0, def. Centerburg, 39-7, def. Ridgewood, 21-7, def. Grandview Heights, 37-6 On deck: Winner will advance to the state championship game to face the winner of Coldwater (13-1) and Bluffton (13-1)