The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
A state football title in Avon?
The Eagles have a strong shot at being the Journal area’s first football state champions since the 2009 St. Paul Norwalk team
Hello, faithful Journal readers. It is I, your favorite Journal Guru. And it has been a while.
That, however, is by design; I have not felt the need to interject my opinion on the high school football goings-on this season as nothing captured my interest. Until now, that is. And this is because the Avon Eagles and their playoff exploits have caused me to take notice.
That’s not to spurn the runs of Bay or Olmsted Falls — they were great runs in their own ways. But, they ended as predicted, prior to a state title.
That’s not the case with Avon. They, in my humble opinion, could etch their name in Morning Journal lore by claiming that ever-elusive state title.
But what makes my opinion valid when it pertains to state championship caliber teams?
I’ve been around for a while and seen plenty.
And by that, I mean I have seen plenty of Lorain, Erie, Huron and Western Cuyahoga county football in my years as a journalist to know what it takes for a team from these areas to win it all.
I could not care less about the other Northeast Ohio teams to win titles (that is a not so subtle hint to St. Edward and St. Ignatius), as the journey to a championship is much different for teams from outside the Journal area.
I’ve seen what it takes to not only make it to a state final, but to win it all.
Olmsted Falls in 2000. Avon Lake in 2003. St. Paul Norwalk in 2009. All teams that won a state title as I looked on.
Olmsted Falls in 2002. Avon Lake in 2004. Avon in 2011 and 1996. St. Paul Norwalk in 2014, 2006, 2004, 1999, 1997 and 1996. All teams that made it to state semifinals and failed to win the final two games.
And there is a stark difference between the first list and the second one — besides the obvious one of the first list hoisting a trophy and ending its season with a victory.
The first three are what I like to consider “chameleons.” They could adjust their play at any given moment to adapt to the situation they faced and ensure a victory. If a team had a strong run defense, they could air it out without missing a beat. The opponent had a strong pass game? Not a problem. The defense featured athletes who could switch from clogging the middle to hawking the secondary as if they had done it all season.
The 2017 Avon Eagles are chameleons.
Consider what they’ve done. A balanced attack all season, the Eagles proved they could blend in with the other teams in the Southwestern Conference by being run-first through the playoffs thus far. And not only that, but Avon has adjusted its lineup due to illness and still emerged a run-strong unit.
Defensively, Avon has yet to be exposed. It stopped a high-powered pass game in Berea-Midpark during the regular season but also shut down Olmsted Falls’ prolific run game not once, but twice.
And next up is Akron Hoban.
Yes, the Knights are twotime defending Division III champions. They are considered favorites to make it back to a state title game. But until Hoban beat Barberton last week, it had not done anything too special or impressive in the playoffs, ending the seasons of a pair of teams playing way above their heads in Mayfield and Brush.
Meanwhile, Avon has had to prove itself all season, and that arduous road did not change in the playoffs.
To put it differently, I’m not worried about Hoban.
Avon fans. Book your hotels for Canton — but make sure you book a few nights because the OHSAA can’t make a simple announcement to let all of us hardworking people know if the Eagles will play Thursday or Friday — and get ready to celebrate.
These Eagles are special, and they are going to prove it on Friday.
I’ll see you there.