by The Avon Lake Shoremen and Lake Catholic Cougars met Friday night for a rematch of last season’s matchup, with both teams looking for their first win of the season. Last year, Lake Catholic came away with a 21-14 victory, and the Cougars once again found themselves on the winning side of a close game Friday, escaping Avon Lake with a 14-13 victory.
Both teams entered the night 0-1, but Lake Catholic wasted little time making its presence felt. Running back No. 22 broke free for a big 36-yard run on a long touchdown drive, giving the Cougars an early lead and establishing their rushing attack as a major part of the offense.
Avon Lake responded quickly. The Shoremen moved the ball through the air, using a pair of screen passes to wide receiver Chris Gaulding that totaled 27 yards and helped set up Avon Lake’s first score of the night.
Lake Catholic continued to find success on the ground as the game progressed, adding another touchdown and putting pressure on an Avon Lake defense that struggled at times to contain the Cougars’ rushing attack. The Cougars also mixed in an occasional deep pass to keep the Shoremen from loading up against the run.
Despite Lake Catholic controlling much of the early offensive momentum, Avon Lake remained within striking distance. Penalties became a major storyline throughout the game, with both teams repeatedly being flagged for infractions including unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct. The physicality and intensity of the rivalry were on full display as the game remained close heading into halftime, with Lake Catholic holding a 14-10 advantage.
Coming out of halftime, Avon Lake put together its longest drive of the game. The Shoremen leaned on running back No. 24 to move the ball down the field and worked their way deep into Lake Catholic territory. However, the drive stalled in the red zone, forcing Avon Lake to settle for a field goal that cut the Cougars’ lead to one point at 14-13.
From there, the game became a defensive battle.
Neither offense was able to find much consistency, as both quarterbacks struggled to find open receivers and the rushing attacks faced increasingly difficult challenges against the opposing defenses. With the score still 14-13, every possession became increasingly important.
Avon Lake had one of its best opportunities late in the fourth quarter when the Shoremen drove deep into Lake Catholic territory with a chance to take the lead. The Cougars’ defense, however, came up with a critical fourth-down stop, turning the ball over on downs and preserving their one-point advantage.
The Shoremen would get another opportunity later in the quarter, but Lake Catholic once again refused to give up the lead. The Cougars came through with another fourth-down stop, effectively ending Avon Lake’s final chance to complete the comeback.
Lake Catholic’s defense had made the plays it needed to make when the game was on the line, allowing the Cougars to escape with the 14-13 victory.
For Avon Lake, the player of the game was quarterback Michael Ambrose who led the offense, completing 11 of 16 passes for 101 yards while adding 33 rushing yards on six carries.
For Lake Catholic the player of the game was quarterback Max Pisano, he helped lead the Cougars on both sides of the offense, completing five of seven passes for 84 yards while rushing for 36 yards and a touchdown on five carries.
With the victory, Lake Catholic improves to 1-1 on the season, while Avon Lake falls to 0-2. The Cougars will look to build on their first win of the season, while the Shoremen will continue searching for their first victory.
