Avon Lake Shoremen Sail Onto Week 1 Victory Over Strongsville Mustangs (21-12)

Strongsville, Ohio – The Strongsville Mustangs hosted the Avon Lake Shoremen at Pat Catan Stadium to open their 2024 regular season. The Shoremen went on to secure a 21-12 week one win over the Mustangs on the road.

Strongsville started off the game with the ball on their own 35-yard line. The Mustangs and Shoremen alternated punts on their respective first drives. On Strongsville’s second drive, the Mustangs marched down the field into enemy territory and coughed up the ball on their own 11-yard line late in the first quarter. This resulted in a Shoremen magical 76-yard passing touchdown from Alex Affolter to Luke Stuewe to give Avon Lake a 7-0 lead going into the second quarter.

Strongsville and Avon Lake battled on the defensive end during the whole second quarter; The Mustangs blocked a field goal and forced a turnover on downs on the Shoremen’s first two drives in the second quarter, while Avon Lake forced a turnover on downs and blocked a Strongsville punt on the Mustang’s first two drives. On the next drive, Avon Lake scored a 24-yard passing touchdown from Alex Affolter to Aiden Stewart on a last play drive right before taking a 14-0 lead into halftime.

The Mustang defense came out strong to start the second half and forced a turnover on downs, resulting in an explosive drive from a Kendrick Bodbie 87-yard rushing touchdown, cutting the Shoremen’s lead down to 8. The Mustangs missed the extra point making it a 14-6 Shoremen lead. Avon Lake then went on to drive down the field and the Mustangs yet again blocked a Shoremen field goal.

Going into the fourth quarter, the Shoremen had a lot of determination and fight left in them, resulting in a late 1-yard rushing touchdown from star running back Anthony Benedict, giving the Shoremen a 21-6 lead with 1:55 remaining in the game. The Mustangs then marched down the field with grit and determination to fight back into the game. Nolan Beard threw a dime to wide receiver Matt Wilkison for an 11-yard touchdown to shrink the deficit to a 21-12 score; the Mustangs went for a two-point conversion to try to keep their hopes alive, but the pass went incomplete, resulting in the Shoremen taking a knee to end the game. Both teams put up a great fight for the opening week of the season. The future is bright for both schools, as the season is just beginning.

Next Week

The Strongsville Mustangs (0-1) look to rebound from a hard-fought loss as they travel to Stewart Field to take on their conference rival, Solon Comets; Kickoff at 7 PM on Friday, August 30th.

The Avon Lake Shoremen (1-0) are looking to stay hot as they host the Benedictine Bengals for their home opener at Avon Lake Memorial Stadium; Kickoff at 7 PM on Friday, August 30th.

Player of the Game:

Alex Affolter (QB)- Avon Lake: 16-22 completed passes, 214 pass yards, 2 passing touchdowns

Top Performers

Avon Lake Shoremen

Alex Affolter: 16-22, 214 pass yards, 2 TD

Luke Stuewe:  148 receiving yards, 1 TD

Strongsville Mustangs

Nolan Beard: 11-17, 76 pass yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Kendrick Bodbie: 94 rush yards, 1 rush TD

Scoring Summary 

1st Quarter

Avon Lake  0:55 – Alex Affolter to Luke Stuewe, 76 yards (kick good)  (7-0 Avon Lake)

2nd Quarter

Avon Lake  0:23 – Alex Affolter to Aiden Stewart, 28 yards (kick good)  (14-0 Avon Lake)

3rd Quarter

Strongsville  5:31 – Kendrick Bodbie, 87-yard run (kick no good)  (14-6 Avon Lake)

4th Quarter

Avon Lake  1:55 – Anthony Benedict, 1-yard run (kick good)  (21-6 Avon Lake)

Strongsville  0:25 – Nolan Beard to Matt Wilkison, 11 yards (2-point unsuccessful) (21-12 Avon Lake)

Re-watch the KEE On Sports Game of the Week here:   Strongsville Vs. Avon Lake