by AVON, Ohio – The Avon Eagles, after losing for the first time since 2022, get back on track, defeating the Glenville Tarblooders 28-16 in front of a near sellout crowd!
Avon got the ball early and got going right from the kickoff. On their opening drive, they ran the ball once with running back Quiante’ Smith before quarterback Blake Elder started throwing the ball. Elder found his favorite target in Grant Barr for passes of 37 and 11 yards, respectively, on this drive before he found Dylan Luker for a 7-yard touchdown pass to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
Glenville got the ball and had a long 10-play drive to answer back. Quarterback Arvell Nelson found receivers Chase Ivory, Pauly Sadler, and Joseph Safford on the drive. On the ground, the duo of Romell Philips and Arvell Nelson ran seven times, including a 3-yard touchdown run by Phillips, tying the game 7-7.
On the next Avon drive, wide receiver Fin Jerdonek lined up as a halfback and threw a 27-yard pass to Grant Barr. Elder found Barr on the next play for 10 more yards. Following an exchange of penalties, Elder found Barr again, this time for 33 yards. Running back Cam Wendell ran six yards then found the end zone on the next play to give Avon a 13-6 lead. The rest of the half, both defenses stood strong, as no points were scored, and the game entered halftime at 13-6.
In the 2nd half, Glenville started with a quick 3 and out on their first possession. After a poor snap on their punt attempt, the turnover gave Avon the ball with great field position. Elder connected with receivers Gavin Khoeler and Grant Barr before Wendell found his way back in the end zone to give Avon a 20-6 lead.
On the next possession, Glenville’s quarterback Nelson threw the ball to Saffold for 39 yards, followed by another 37 yards. Following the receptions, the Tarblooders turned back to the ground game of Nelson and Da’von McDougle where McDougle would run for a 5-yard touchdown. On a 2-point conversion attempt, running back Nelson found Ivory for the score, trimming the lead to 20-14.
Following that drive, Avon’s quarterback Blake Elder connected with receivers Sammy Ulery, Clapham, and Barr before he found Jerdonek for a 21-yard touchdown pass. The Eagles then successfully converted on a 2-point conversion, making the score 28-14. In the ending moments, Glenville added a safety on Avon to make the score final at 28-16.
With the win, Avon improves to 2-1 and will open SWC conference play next week at North Ridgeville. In the loss, Glenville falls to 2-1 and will play the St Edwards Eagles on the road next week.
Player of the game:
Avon Eagles wide receiver Grant Barr was our player of the game, catching the ball 10 times for 158 yards and a catch on a 2-point conversion. While he did not score a touchdown, he was the favorite target of quarterback Blake Elder and came up big with a catch whenever Avon needed him. He always seemed to be open and made difficult plays all night for the Eagles, who are yet again one of the best teams in the state of Ohio.
