The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES
Avon Lake bludgeons Elyria in opening of new Ely Stadium to start season with win
• Amherst 33, Clearview 0
• Lorain 44, Midview 14
• Elyria Catholic 56, Brookside 0
• Bay 27, Keystone 6
• Columbia 35, Independence 6
• Vermilion 56, Oberlin 13
• North 52, Westlake 43
• Rocky River 30, Fairview 24, 3OT
• Edison 41, Firelands 23
There was a ton of hoopla in anticipation of Elyria opening up its new stadium Aug. 24 against Avon Lake.
The Shoremen wanted to hear no more, bludgeoning the Pioneers in a 42-15 win.
Avon Lake scored on the opening drive going 68 yards, capping it off on a 2-yard touchdown run from Matt Sanders and never trailed.
Senior running back Konner Riggs rushed for 120 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns, while quarterback Jack Mikolich tossed 83 passing yards on 8 of 12 passing and rushed for two touchdowns.
Avon Lake (1-0) outgained Elyria (0-1), 246 yards to 180, and the Shoremen often had good field position by creating three turnovers and blocking two Pioneers punts.
“We wanted to drop them (Elyria) to the ground on the first play,” Sanders said. “It means a lot. We’re a young team on defense and a little more experienced on offense.
“We wanted to drop them (Elyria) to the ground on the first play. It means a lot. We’re a young team on defense and a little more experienced on offense.” – Avon Lake’s Matt Sanders
“We owe it all to the coaches. I couldn’t ask for a smarter coaching staff and everybody around us is so positive and it showed on the scoreboard tonight.”
Avon Lake entered halftime with a 28-0 lead—— including connecting on a 8-yard touchdown pass to Cole Schraff as time expired in the first and on a 10-yard rushing TD from Riggs late in the second.
There was a ton of question marks entering the season on defense for the Shoremen returning only two starters. But they responded in a big way, and it could be a sign of things to come.
“All the guys on defense are really great friends and I think that helps with communication,” Sanders
added.
Elyria, despite the blowout, did have flashes of potential they can build on. Junior Adaveon Drummer scored the Pioneers’ first touchdown in Ely Stadium on an 85-yard touchdown catch from QB Jermele Nolen early in the fourth and Ty Allgood blocked and recovered a punt for a TD with 7:07 remaining to cut it, 35-15.
Avon Lake was forced to put back its starters, and scored on a 1-yard touchdown rush from Mikolich for the final nail in the coffin. Nolen tossed 110 passing yards and rushed for 34.
Elyria coach Sean Arno said the Pioneers kicked themselves in the foot.
“Too many mistakes,” he said. “I’ve been involved in coaching for 25 years and I can’t remember having two punts blocked in the same game. We played the entire game on our side.
Hats off to them, they’re a very good team. We knew that coming in. Very disappointing opening like this, but we’re going to work to get better. We’ve got young kids out there and they’re going to get better as they go.”
Avon Lake coach Matt Kostelnik warned his players about the intensity of the crowd, and walking in a new stadium had a different feel for them, too. They responded. “We knew they would be amped up and we had to keep our heads on straight,” he said. “Play discipline football and get after them early. I was really proud of the kids, man. Coming in to a new stadium throws off the team a little bit and I actually thought we were flat in the pregame. But this is a beautiful stadium and congratulations to Elyria and good luck to them the rest of the season.”