by On a perfect Friday night for football, the Avon Lake Shoremen earned their first win of the season with a dominant 31-7 victory over the previously undefeated Midview Middies in the teams’ first Southwestern Conference matchup of the season.
Avon Lake entered the game 0-3 while Midview came in with a 3-0 record, but the Shoremen’s defense set the tone early and their offense capitalized on big plays throughout the night.
Avon Lake struck first in the opening quarter when running back John Donahue caught a wheel route from quarterback Dawson Tenbrink and raced 50 yards down the sideline, setting the Shoremen up for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
Both teams put together long, clock-consuming drives during the opening quarter, but neither offense could finish in the red zone. The two defenses repeatedly came up with big stops inside the 20-yard line, keeping the game low scoring early.
The Shoremen’s offense began to find its rhythm in the second quarter behind wide receiver Chris Gaulding. Gaulding made two big plays on short throws, turning them into explosive gains. His first reception went for 41 yards before he broke away for another 34-yard gain on his next catch, helping Avon Lake move deep into Midview territory.
Avon Lake eventually added to its lead, taking a 10-0 advantage into halftime.
The first half was dominated by defense. Avon Lake recorded two sacks and an interception, while Midview added a sack and an interception of its own. The Shoremen consistently put Midview into third-and-long situations and applied pressure to Midview quarterback Brennen Newton, preventing him from getting comfortable in the pocket.
Newton was forced to rely heavily on his legs as he tried to escape pressure and create plays outside of the pocket, but Avon Lake continued to make things difficult for the Middies.
The Shoremen came out of halftime and quickly extended their lead. Tenbrink connected with wide receiver Jacob Perry on a short pass, and Perry broke a tackle before sprinting 26 yards for a touchdown. The Shoremen took advantage of a short field after a Midview mistake and quickly turned it into seven points.
Midview answered with its best offensive sequence of the night. Newton came under pressure on a dropback, escaped the pocket and extended the ball toward the pylon as he dove for a 13-yard rushing touchdown. The score cut Avon Lake’s lead to 17-7 and briefly gave the Middies some momentum.
That momentum disappeared almost immediately.
Tenbrink went deep to Gaulding, who made an incredible contested catch over a defender before racing down the field for a 58-yard touchdown. The Shoremen then struck again when Tenbrink found Perry for an 85-yard touchdown, turning the game into a 31-7 Avon Lake advantage.
Avon Lake’s explosive passing attack proved to be too much for Midview, while the Shoremen defense continued to shut down the Middies’ offense.
Gaulding finished the night with five receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns, while Perry added three receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns. The two receivers combined for 289 yards and four touchdowns, providing the biggest difference in the game.
Tenbrink also connected with Donahue on the 50-yard wheel-route reception that set up Avon Lake’s opening score.
Newton led Midview offensively, completing 18 of 29 passes for 198 yards and two interceptions. He also rushed for 20 yards and scored Midview’s lone touchdown on the 13-yard run.
With the victory, Avon Lake improved to 1-3 on the season, while Midview fell to 3-1.
Players of the Game
For Avon Lake, the Shoremen had two co-Players of the Game. Chris Gaulding finished with five receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns, while Jacob Perry recorded three receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
For Midview, Brennen Newton was named Player of the Game after completing 18 of 29 passes for 198 yards with two interceptions. He also rushed for 20 yards and scored one rushing touchdown.
