The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
SWC race keeps Eagles pushing harder than ever before
For the first time since 2015, Avon’s destiny in the Southwestern Conference is not of its own choosing.
Falling to rival Avon Lake in Week 3 — the Eagles’ first regular season loss in 28 games — Avon finds itself in unfamiliar territory with a date against Amherst coming up in Week 9. But that doesn’t mean the Eagles aren’t growing and playing for everything the team can get.
Coming off a state final four appearance last season, the Avon core has remained mostly intact with a few new faces making an impact. One of the returning core players is senior quarterback Ryan Maloy, who has seen varsity time behind center since his sophomore year.
Growing up in the purple and gold of Avon under head coach Mike Elder, Maloy said he and his teammates have learned more about themselves in this unfamiliar place than ever before as each game means that much more.
“It’s definitely surreal because it’s our senior year and it’s that close to being over. I mean, you’re only guaranteed 10 games, so Week 9, everyone’s just not taking it for granted and working hard,” Maloy said. “In practice, we’re coming together as friends and as teammates, and hopefully we’ll make the most out of the run we get.”
No stranger to success, Elder has put the Avon program on the map not only as one of the toughest perennial forces in Division II, but as a program that produces athletes who play at the next level.
Elder has seen this year’s team get better each week with the ultimate goal of being primed and ready for a postseason run.
“For the playoffs, if we win out, we get a home game and that’s pretty important to us,” Elder said. “Only thing we can do is win our last two football games against two quality opponents, and our goal always is to be playing our best football Week 10.
“So, at this point, we always want to win that conference championship. We hope to get a share of it, but there’s bigger fish to fry out there, and I think our kids are excited about it and playing very well right now.”
Over the years, losing one player has never defined an Avon season as guys step up and overcome those injuries to keep the train going. But when special players such as junior Nick Perusek go down and return, it only helps to further energize the team.
“The guys that were in there when he (Perusek) was out did a great job. We lost one game, and it was 31-28 and we rushed the ball really well in that game,” Elder said. “But anybody who’s watched us play knows that he’s pretty special. He takes those plays where some guys get 12 to 13 yards, and Nick can go 40 to 50 because he’s one of the fastest guys on the field. He just has a different gear, and that makes him really special for us.”
Sidelined with a high ankle sprain earlier in the season, Perusek took some time to learn and craft his game even without the football in his hand. Still working with his team and studying film, Perusek got more out of his time off the field than he expected. “(I learned) just to be patient and good things will come after you wait, and I’m really excited to be back,” Perusek said. “It’s so much fun (to be back out there). I was getting bored watching everything, so it’s a lot better to be out there playing and I love everyone I play with.”
With nothing assured yet in terms of playoffs and even a share of the SWC title, Avon has its work cut out for it over the final two weeks of the regular season.
Up first in Week 9 is 5-3 Amherst, currently in the eighth and final playoff spot in D-II, Region 6 standings. Next, a Week 10 showdown with 5-3 Berea-Midpark, ranked 11th in D-I, Region 1.
Knowing both sides will treat each week as a playoff game, Maloy says his team will get the best the Comets have to offer as Amherst attempts to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
“We can’t take them for granted because they’ve got some extremely talented players on their team,” Maloy said. “But, if we execute the way that our coaches talk about in film and if we execute the game plan correctly, we can win. I believe we also have some pretty outstanding football players as well, so I’m confident in us and the players on our team.”