by Akron, Ohio – The Avon Eagles, thanks to a great performance on both sides of the ball, defeated Archbishop Hoban, 35-10, in the Division II state semifinal at InfoCision Stadium.
Avon got things started on their first drive of the game. Nolan Good had pass completions to Grant Barr, Ty Beerbohm, and Matt Maxey to move the Eagles downfield. Thanks to a one-yard touchdown run by senior Ty Kaufmann, Avon would take an early 7-0 lead at the 8:06 mark of the first quarter.
Cam Wendell rushed for a three-yard touchdown with 5:01 left in the second quarter, increasing the Avon lead to 14-0.
The Avon defense was up to the task on the chilly Friday evening. Senior defensive back Owen Garcia came up with a fumble recovery, giving the Eagles possession.
Their next drive came to an abrupt end, as junior Patrick Kinsell recovered a fumble for Hoban. The Knights looked to put points on the board before the halftime break, but had to settle for three off the leg of Jeremy Hammel. Avon headed to the halftime break with a 14-3 lead.
After forcing a punt, the Eagles got back to work on offense. Quiante Smith found the end zone from 21 yards out, increasing the Avon lead to 21-3 with 7:33 left in the third quarter.
After the two teams traded punts, Avon retained possession late in the third quarter. A Nolan Good to Grant Barr reception, followed by a Quiante Smith first down run helped move the Eagles downfield. Smith later scored on a three-yard touchdown run to increase the Avon lead to 28-3 with ten minutes remaining.
Hoban answered quickly, thanks to a kickoff return by Elbert “Rock” Hill IV deep into Avon territory. Two plays later, sophomore tailback Brayton Feister rushed for a 20-yard touchdown to cut the Knight deficit to 28-10.
After a defensive stand, Hoban looked to further cut into their deficit. But a Caden Clapham interception gave Avon back the ball with 6:31 to play. The Eagles went back to their ground game, capping their drive with a touchdown run from junior Quiante Smith. Smith’s third touchdown run pushed the Avon lead to 35-10 with 3:44 remaining.
Not only was Avon’s win over Hoban the first time they defeated the Knights, they also advanced to their first state championship since 2011. The Eagles will take on Cincinnati Anderson on Thursday, December 5th in the Division II championship game at Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
Archbishop Hoban ends their season at 12-3.
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