Avon athletes sign on dotted line

Local athletes at Avon signed their National Letter of Intent on Feb. 6. Four Eagles signed on the dotted line: Jack Roesch (football), Ryan Maloy (football), Noah Lindon (soccer) and Nate Brooks (baseball). Roesch signed with the Air Force Academy where he will serve his country and play football. “It’s definitely the school I wanted and I’m excited about the opportunity to play at a high level,” Roesch said. “And then I get an opportunity to serve my country afterward, it’s something I always dreamed about.” Roesch is a multi-sport athlete, excelling at wrestling and baseball. His older brother, Andrew, plays football at Mount Union.

Playing under coach Mike Elder was an experience he’ll always cherish. “I’m thankful I got to play with the kids I grew up with in a great community with the greatest coaching staff I could have ever asked for,” he added. Maloy will play football at Bowling Green University. The star quarterback led Avon to back-to-back state final fours. He also considered Toledo, Akron and Ball State. He plans to major in forensic science or business. “I was going to go there even if I wasn’t playing football,” Maloy said. “Their new coaches told me they would give me an opportunity to play football and I wasn’t going to pass it up.” Maloy, like Roesch, credited the culture at Avon that’s helped him mature over time. “When I was younger, I learned from mistakes,” he said. “I’ve had something to rely on and avoid some situations and it’s helped me know right from wrong.” Noah Lindon signed with Notre Dame College to continue his soccer career. Lindon, a second team All-Ohio defender, helped Avon win a Division I district championship last season and has often been called the top defender in the area by coach Chris Dore. He was also a Morning Journal first-team All Star last year. Brooks will continue his athletic career at the University of Findlay to play shortstop and plans to major in business finance. He helped the Eagles make it to the regional semifinals in 2017. “I wanted to be somewhere near so my parents can watch me play,” Brooks said. “This is a lot of hard work and it feels great for it to pay off and to be able to share this moment with the other three athletes.”