by Avon, Ohio- The resilient Avon Eagles did it again! Once again riddled by injuries, this time starting QB Danny Zeh with an injury to his non throwing elbow, the Eagles, behind the brilliant play of backup QB Niko Pappas, kept the ball rolling with an impressive 33-13 wipeout of physical but out manned Wooster in the opening round of the Division II State playoffs.
In front of a decent, yet chilled crowd at Joe Firment Stadium, Avon showed why they are once again primed for a deep playoff push. Adversity is no match for these young men, they play beyond their years and the visiting Generals felt what ten others did this season.
Eagle QB Zeh was removed late in the first quarter with a left elbow injury and did not return. But it didn’t faze Avon one bit. Junior QB Niko Pappas came in and ran the offense to perfection. Dazzling running and just enough passing to keep Wooster defenders honest, Pappas ran for 112 yards on 13 carries with 2 TDS and passed for 48 more yards.
Avon drew first blood as Wooster QB Owen Roach fumbled on the General’s first drive at the Avon 39, Mike Matlak scooped it up and the Eagles were in business early. 12 plays and 61 yards later Zeh hit Joey Lance from 13 yards for an early 7-0 lead. On the ensuing Wooster possession, which netted zero yards and forced a punt, Bruce Deuley block it and recovered it on the General 15. Two plays later, Zeh found Lance again on a 15 yard strike and quickly the visitors dug themselves a hole down 14-0.
With Zeh out of the game, Wooster forced a punt and they themselves punted on their next possession but a roughing the kicker penalty kept the drive alive. The Generals settled down and started using their vaunted run game and drove 67 yards behind Roach’s running and WR Ezra McKee with two huge third down catches. Brayden Taylor took it in to narrow the gap to 14-7 midway through the second quarter.
A very unusual game for Taylor who came into the game with 642 rushing yards and 13 TD. He finished tonight with 2 more scores but only had two carries for two yards.
Then the Niko Pappas show began. A 13 play, 80 yard drive, 11 of those running plays led by Pappas and Devon Hunter, capped off by a five yard run by Pappas lifted Avon to a 20-7 halftime lead.
Hunter, who has filled in admirably for Senior RB Nick Perusek, pitched in with 77 yards on 9 carries and one TD.
The second half was filled with silly personal foul penalties on both sides, both teams came out of the locker room no where near resembling a playoff team. Multiple personal foul dead ball penalties on Wooster led to Avon stretching their lead to 26-7 on another Pappas run from 4 yards and it let the wind out of Wooster’s sails.
The lone touchdown for the Generals in the second half came at the nine minute mark once again Taylor from a yard out and after a missed two point conversion, Wooster had a pulse, down 26-13.
The Generals held Avon on the next possession and for the ball back on their own 19. Greg Adams then took a handoff and fumbled at his own 43 and Lance picked it up for Avon and rambled to the Wooster five, where on the next play Hunter took it in to seal this one.
Wooster has nothing to hang their head about. Dropping their first three games this season they held together and won the Ohio Cardinal Conference winning seven straight games including an undefeated Mansfield Senior squad. They will return a load of starters next season and will be a team to reckon with once again.
The Eagles march continues next week as they will play Benedictine, who posted a 41-38 come from behind win vs Brecksville-Broadview Heights. Best of luck to all of our area teams as they move forward.
