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The Tigers will return to the Division V state championship for the first time since 1998.

LIBERTY CENTER, Ohio — On a Monday afternoon practice, a light snow begins to fall. It's the sign that December football is in sight. Only two teams are left in the Division V state playoffs. One is Perry High School (15-0), about 30 minutes northeast of Cleveland, and the other is Liberty Center.

"This is what kids dream about," Tigers head coach Casey Mohler said. "I think when you're a kid and it's Thanksgiving, it's December and you're outside playing. I think it's special to these guys. There's only so many teams playing at this point."

The Tigers boast a perfect 15-0 record this season. After falling 14-1 in the state semifinals last season, they pushed forward into territory not seen since 1998.

"It's special," senior defensive back Landen Kruse said. "I don't think in the moment we realize it, but I'm sure later on we'll get the full grasp of what's going on. It's special and it's a tremendous opportunity for our team."

The Tigers have a long history of great football teams. Under longtime head coach Rex Lingruen, the school first made it to the state title game in 1993, losing 17-14 in overtime to Steubenville Central Catholic. After winning it all in 1997, the team made another appearance in 1998.

Twenty-five years later, the Tigers are back.

"Most of our teammates had parents who played on that team so they know what it's like," Kruse said. "Most of our coaches have been there before, so they just try to prepare us for the game ahead."

Coaches and players are quick to point out that the community of fans is part of what makes this season's run possible, offering support and plenty of noise whenever they need it. The team expects to see them out in full force on Saturday.

"It's just really special," Mohler said. "I don't think this happens everywhere. We tell these guys to count their blessings, that they're blessed to have a community like this."

The Tigers kickoff vs. Perry at 3 p.m. Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. Follow WTOL 11 for coverage of the local teams in the state championships.

Here are updates from Friday’s high school football playoff game between Liberty Center and Oak Harbor. This story will be updated after each quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

Liberty Center added one more impressive drive to put an exclamation point on its big victory.

The Tigers drove 59 yards on 12 plays, with Waylon Rentz scoring on a 7-yard run and a 45-14 lead with 3:59 remaining.

THIRD QUARTER

Liberty Center stretched its lead to 31-7 midway in the quarter, taking advantage of good field position. The Tigers moved 45 yards on three runs by Waylon Rentz, the second a 40-yarder, and the third a 3-yard touchdown run at with 6:12 left in the quarter.

Oak Harbor answered with a 12-play, 80-yard scoring march capped on a 1-yard run by Jaqui Hayward that got the Rockets within 31-14 with 3:49 left in the quarter.

But the Tigers ended Oak Harbor's hopes of a comeback by responding with their own five-play, 70-yard scoring trek, this one closed on a 15-yard TD pass from Landon Amstutz to Brooks Behnfeldt for a 38-14 Liberty Center edge with 1:12 remaining in the quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

Liberty Center upped its lead to 14-0 with 10:24 left in the first half with another quick, three-play scoring play, this one covering 54 yards.

Again, Tiger quarterback Landon Amstutz's passing set up a long TD run. He connected for 10 yards to Colton Chambers and then 18 yards to Trenton Kruse, and Colton Kruse then broke free on a 31-yard scoring run.

After forcing an Oak Harbor punt, Liberty Center struck again to grab a 21-point lead.

The Tigers covered 83 yards on five plays, all runs, the biggest being a 60-yarder by Colton Kruse to the Oak Harbor 9. One play later, Trenton Kruse cut back twice during an 8-yard TD run through the middle as Liberty Center made it 21-0 with 5:46 left in the half.

The Rockets finally answered late in the half, using a seven-play, 59-yard scoring march keyed by quarterback Michael Lalonde, who completed four passes for 50 yards, and ran for the other nine yards.

Lalonde's 14-yard pass on fourth down to a leaping Ethan Stokes in the right corner of the end got Oak Harbor back within 21-7 with 42 seconds remaining in the half.

That was enough time for Liberty Center to move 52 yards, following the kickoff, and set up a 21-yard Ian Rosebrook field goal for a 24-7 Tiger lead on the final play of the half. A 34-yard Amstutz pass to Landen Kruse set up that field goal.

FIRST QUARTER

Liberty Center needed just three plays to cover 63 yards and find the end zone on the game's opening possession.

The Tigers started with a 28-yard pass from Landon Amstutz to Landen Kruse, and finished on Trenton Kruse's 33-yard touchdown run through the middle for a 7-0 lead just 1:10 into the game.

PREGAME

Arguably the most highly anticipated matchup this season between area teams, second-ranked Liberty Center (12-0) battles fourth-ranked Oak Harbor (12-0) in a Division V, Region 18 playoff semifinal at Clay High School Friday night.

The top-seeded Tigers of LC coach Casey Mohler have outscored opponents 48.9 to 6.3 per game, and coach Mike May's No. 4-seeded Rockets have topped foes by an average of 44.7 to 7.4 per game.

The winner will advance to next week’s regional final against the winner of Friday’s other Region 18 semifinal between the No. 2 seed, 10th-ranked Milan Edison (11-1), and the No. 3 seed, fifth-ranked Coldwater (11-1).

Liberty Center has won back-to-back Northwest Ohio Athletic League titles, and reached the D-V state semifinals in 2018 and last year, when the Tigers ended 14-1 overall. LC won a state title in 1997 and was runner-up in 1993 and 1998. The Tigers also reached state semifinals in 1992, 1999, and 2000.

Oak Harbor won the Northern Buckeye Conference championship this season after capturing the Sandusky Bay Conference's Bay Division title last year. The Rockets reached the Division V state semifinals in 2019. Oak Harbor also advanced to previous state semifinals in 1999 and 2006.

The two teams met in the 2018 postseason, with Liberty Center taking a 14-0 second-round victory that year.

The Tigers' offense is directed by senior quarterback Landon Amstutz, who is 53 of 84 (63 percent) passing for 749 yards and eight touchdowns.

Liberty Center's vaunted ground attack is led by two of the team's three senior triplets — Colton Kruse, who has carried 114 times for 1,356 yards (11.9-yard average) and scored 30 touchdowns, and Trenton Kruse, who has rushed 84 times for 884 yards (10.5 average) and scored 19 TDS.

Amstutz's top passing targets have been senior Colton Chambers (14 catches, 247 yards, 3 TD) and Landen Kruse (12 catches, 194 yards, 3 TD).

The Oak Harbor offense is triggered by junior quarterback Michael Lalonde, who is 142 of 187 (76 percent) passing for 1,971 yards and 24 touchdowns with just four interceptions.

The Rockets' big play-maker has been senior receiver/back Jaqui Hayward, who has caught 69 passes for 868 yards and 11 touchdowns, rushed 62 times for 654 yards and 10 scores, and returned two punts for TDS.

Oak Harbor's ground game has been led by bruising 6-0, 205-pound senior back Dalton Witter (150 carries, 876 yards, 16 TD), and Lalonde's No. 2 passing target has been speedy 6-4, 165-pound junior receiver Ethan Stokes (25 catches, 436 yards, 5 TD).

First Published November 10, 2023, 3:00pm

Led by Brayden Richards and Luke Sivon, the Pirates overcame a second-half deficit to cap an unbeaten season and win their first state title in program history.

CANTON, Ohio — Pound-for-pound, it might've been the best matchup of the weekend at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, and it did not disappoint.

In a battle of the two best football teams in Division V, it was Perry which wound up victorious, outlasting Liberty Center 21-14 to win the OHSAA state football championship Saturday afternoon. It's the first-ever state title for the Pirates, who capped a 16-0 season by overcoming a 14-7 halftime deficit.

RELATED: More high school sports coverage from WKYC

Senior Brayden Richards led the way, rushing for 124 yards and the deciding touchdown while also completing 3 of 4 passes for 61 yards and a score. He even added eight tackles on defense, aiding a unit that held the Tigers scoreless over the final 17-plus minutes of play.

Pirates take the lead with a 60 yard TD run! With 4:07 left in the 3rd, Pirates lead 21-14. pic.twitter.com/HyupwPzqlA

— Perry Local School District (@PerryLocal_Lake) December 2, 2023

Both teams traded touchdowns in the first half before Liberty Center (15-1) took its first lead of the game on a 4-yard TD pass from Landon Amstutz to Colton Kruse midway through the third quarter. However, on the very next drive, it was Luke Sivon who took a short throw from RIchards and ran it 37 yards for the tying score. Sivon, a junior, finished the afternoon with seven catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns after also grabbing a deep TD strike from quarterback Walter Moses in the opening quarter.

Perry's stifling defense forced a three-and-out, and on the second play of the next series, Richards would dash 60 yards to the end zone to put his team back ahead. Over the remainder of the action, the Tigers would twice manage to get deep into Pirate territory onto to be stopped, including a fourth-down incompletion from Amstutz at the 27-yard line with just 17 seconds to play.

Coming in allowing less than 10 points per game, Perry held high-powered Liberty Center to 4.4 yards per play. Armani Chiappone finished with a game-high 12 tackles, Kent State commit Jayden Studio had a tackle for loss, and Sivon contributed with a pair of pass breakups.

Kruse was solid for the Tigers, tallying 168 total yards and both of the squad's touchdowns. Amstutz struggled, though, completing only 5 of 17 passes for 37 yards along with a TD throw.

Perry's win continues what has been a magical weekend for Northeast Ohio teams in the OHSAA football finals, with Massillon Washington, Kirtland, and St. Edward already taking home state championships in their respective divisions. Additionally, Dalton made it to the D-VII title game but lost 38-0 to Marion Local, while Cleveland Glenville is playing Archbishop Alter for the D-IV crown Saturday night.

Danielle Hamilton entered the soap making business in 2021.

Since then, Hamilton has opened 33 Buff City Soap stores and is opening her 34th store at Liberty Center in Liberty Twp. in November.

“We see the growth there and around the area,” Hamilton said. “We fell in love with the concept at Liberty Center.”

Hamilton was introduced to Buff City Soap by friends who owned a franchise.

“They showed us what it was and we thought the product was great,” Hamilton said.

Then Hamilton and her husband visited a location in Memphis where Buff City Soap was founded and decided to become franchisees.

“Everything is made there in the store,” Hamilton said. “You can see all of the ingredients going into the product. People are into wellness and the ingredients in their products they are using.”

Buff City Soaps are all plant-based without parabens or phthalates.

“We make the soap every day in the store,” said Ellie Walls, Buff City Soap Regional Manager. “It is raw goods to packaged goods every day.”

Each location sells a broad assortment of soaps in a variety of scents.

“We have laundry soap, dryer balls, candles, scent boosters, bar soap, bath bombs and shower oils and anything we carry can be customized in 30-plus scents,” Walls said.

Those scents are what grabs guests when entering a store.

“They are going to smell how amazing everything is,” Hamilton said. “The aroma is going to capture them.”

Narcissist is the number one selling scent, according to Walls. It is a mix of raspberry and peach with hints of patchouli and sandalwood. Commando is a popular masculine scent featuring a mix of vanilla, lavender, smoke and cedar.

Buff City Soap stores are available for soap-making parties.

“Host bath bomb parties, your next girls night out, corporate events, birthday parties,” Walls said. “You pick out soap scent, then pick color, make the bath bombs. Walk away with about four or five bath bombs per person from the experience.”

Hamilton, who is also a licensed registered nurse, moved to Mason about 12 years ago with her husband and two daughters and has Buff City Soap locations in Ohio, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida and Alabama. Six locations are in the Greater Cincinnati area.

“We have a great team and great business partners,” Hamilton said. “Could not have that growth without this team.”

Saturday’s upcoming Division V state football final between Liberty Center and Perry is Ohio’s ultimate matchup in the 2023 playoffs.

Both teams enter that 3 p.m. contest at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton with 15-0 records, and Perry’s Pirates were ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press state poll while Liberty Center’s Tigers were No. 2.

Only one of these D-V powers will leave unbeaten on Saturday, and just which team it is may come down to a battle of wills between the two hard-hitting small-town powers.

The Henry County village of Liberty Center, population 1,108, has long had a love affair with its Tigers, which will be competing in their fourth state football final, winning a D-V crown in 1997 with a 49-8 victory over Amanda-Clearcreek, and falling in D-V title games in 1993 and 1998.

In northeast Ohio, the Lake County village of Perry, population 1,598, also has a strong community following for its Pirates, who currently have two links to the NFL — Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley (2001 grad), and former Ohio State and current Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Luke Farrell (Class of 2016).

The Pirates will be making their first championship-game appearance on Saturday.

“We’re pretty stoked to be here and pretty excited for the opportunity,” third-year Perry coach Bob Gecewich said. “Perry’s a small, closed-enrollment community, so to be able to do it with our kids has been pretty awesome.”

Gecewich’s Pirates have outscored their opponents 558-93 in 15 games, and average of 37.2 to 6.2 per game.

This season, seventh-year coach Casey Mohler’s Liberty Center Tigers have outpointed foes 663-106, an average of 44.2 to 7.1 per game.

When Liberty Center has the ball

The Tigers have a run-heavy attack that operates behind an offensive that averages 6-1 and 231 pounds and is anchored by All-Ohio lineman Landon Bockelman (6-foot-4, 265 pounds) and senior guard Seth Navarre (6-2, 230) on the left side.

Backs Colton Kruse (141 carries, 1,535 yards, 32 total TD), Trenton Kruse (145 carries, 1,270 yards, 25 total TD), and Waylon Rentz (61 carries, 567 yards, 9 TD) head up the ground game for senior quarterback Landon Amstutz, who is 69 of 116 passing for 1,025 yards and nine touchdowns with three interceptions on the season.

His top targets are Landen Kruse (21 catches, 366 yards, 3 TD) and Colton Chambers (15 catches, 257 yards, 3 TD).

On the opposite side, the Pirates counter with defensive linemen Jayden Studio (67 tackles, 10 TFL, 2 INT), Drew Smith (57 tackles, 11 TFL), Trent Taylor (41 tackles, 13 TFL), Joey Baldree (37 tackles, 9 TFL), and Chuck Thomas (33 tackles, 6 TFL) up front.

The Perry linebacking corps includes Owen McKoon (136 tackles, 21 TFL, 8 sacks) and Dom LaMacchia (96 tackles, 25 TFL, 8 sacks), who are backed by the secondary of Brayden Richards (84 tackles) and Armani Chiappone (59 tackles, 2 INT) at safety, and Vince Tomasic (42 tackles, 6 INT) and Sivon (28 tackles, 5 INT) at the corners.

“Offensively, we’ve got to be able to get to their linebackers and block them,” Mohler said. “Which means we’ve got to block the point of attack, and not allow their nose guard to penetrate. We’ve got to get a hat on a hat and stay on them.

“To me, it’s like playing Coldwater. We’re not going to bust a bunch of 50- and 60-yard runs. We’re going to have to be patient, and try to grind out some drives, and hopefully finish with some points.”

When Perry has the ball

The Pirates are triggered by 6-4, 175-pound junior quarterback Walter Moses (127 of 186 passing, 2,215 yards, 28 TD), whose top receivers have been Richards (42 catches, 791 yards, 8 TD) and Luke Sivon (38 catches, 849 yards, 13 TD).

The Perry run game is keyed by backs Studio (157 carries, 1,356 yards, 20 TD) and Dare’on Howard (66 carries, 426 yards, 4 TD).

“They’re very athletic and they have an elite athlete in Brayden Richards,” Mohler said. “He’s got tremendous speed, and they’ve got other guys too. Another good receiver and a quarterback who is tall and lanky with a really good arm.

“They’ve just got some really good football players. They’re not D-I [future college] athletes, but really good, and they’re aggressive.”

Liberty Center counters with a balanced and stingy defense that is anchored by linemen Bockelman (51 tackles, 25 TFL, 11 sacks, 2 INT), Navarre (32 tackles, 14 TFL, 7 sacks), and Zander Zeiter (57 tackles, 16 TFL, 8 sacks), and linebackers Trenton Kruse (96 tackles, 30 TFL), Rentz (64 tackles, 12 TFL), Colton Kruse (55 tackles, 17 TFL), and Garrison Kruse (40 tackles, 7 TFL).

The Tiger secondary includes Landen Kruse (56 tackles, 2 INT), Thomas Mohler (39 tackles, 4 INT), Cam Kahle (30 tackles, 5 INT), and Chambers (28 tackles, 2 INT).

The way Perry’s offense leans — run or pass — has varied week to week.

“Against South Range, we were able to run the ball extremely well, so we just kind of stuck with that,” Gecewich said. “Walter only threw eight times in that game, and Jayden Studio went off and had a career day in the first half. That was really good. “I think we’re fortunate that we have some versatile athletes that can play both receiver and running back, and play in both the passing game and the running game.”

Special teams

The Tigers may have a slight edge here thanks to Kahle, who has returned two kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns this season. Max Walker has punted 26 times for a 33.0-yard average and sent 41 of his 101 kickoffs for touchbacks, and kicker Ian Rosebrook is 83 of 90 on extra points, and 4 of 9 of field goals, with a long of 41 yards.

Liberty Center will win if ...

The Tigers can get a solid push from its offensive line and establish their usually potent ground game.

But, this will be easier said than done against a Perry team which has yielded little to any opponent all season. A case in point is the Pirates’ Week 3 win, 24-6, over perennial small-school power Kirtland (14-1), which is top-ranked and competing in the Division VI state final.

Liberty Center will need the Kruse brothers and Rentz to be able to pick up some key yardage to collect first downs and extend drives if they are to be successful.

Perry will win if ...

The Pirates’ defense can make Liberty Center one-dimensional by taking away the run game and forcing the Tigers to pass on third-and-long.

The Tigers did show an ability to throw in their regional semifinal win over previously unbeaten Oak Harbor, which also had a vaunted defense against the run. Amstutz completed enough passes early to loosen up the Rockets defense in that game, and that eventually freed up Liberty Center’s run attack in a 45-14 win.

Even if the Pirates do not entirely stop Liberty’s run game, Perry can also win by doing something that no team has managed all season – beating the Tigers on big plays. Richards may be the Pirates’ trump card in this game, if Moses has the time to find him downfield.

“The key is taking care of the football, and then the game is pretty much won on third downs,” Gecewich said. “The sooner each team feels the other one out and kind of gets a feel for what they can and can’t do, that team is going to give themselves an advantage.

“Just play ball, have fun, and enjoy it.”