The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Elder, Avon Eagles have big plans this season
The Avon Eagles are looking for bigger and better things for the 2019 football season. The team went 12-2 last season, captured the SWC Championship and were a state final four team.
The goals for the team this upcoming season are to win the SWC Conference Championship, qualify for a 10th straight state playoff appearance and win the state championship.
Coach Mike Elder said his team needs to show up each day to carry over last year’s success and accomplish this year’s goals.
“You know, our goals are obviously to win the conference championship and qualify for the playoffs and then win a state championship,” Elder said.
“In order to accomplish that, for us, it’s just a matter of getting better each and every day. So we need to improve every single day in every week, and be playing our best football Week 10.”
The other goal is for the team to have a grade-point average greater than 3.5.
The team, however, lost 10 starters from last season, but it has players that have been training hard throughout their high school career that are ready to fill the shoes of the graduated.
“Well, we lose good starters every year,” Elder said. “That’s part of high school football. It’s part of college football. It’s part of the NFL when guys retire, so at the end of the day, we’ve had a lot of kids who have waited their turn. We coach every kid in this program, not just the starters, so the kids who are stepping into those roles have been playing JV football.
“So for me, it’s about a new kid getting an opportunity, and that’s exciting for me. A kid who’s maybe a senior and hasn’t had a chance to start yet like Danny Zeh, our quarterback. I’m excited for him because he sat behind a really good quarterback and now we get to see what he can do.”
This is Elder’s 13th season with Avon. In those 13 years with Avon, he has compiled a record of 12523, and each year brings a team different from the year before.
“We don’t ever at Avon compare teams from one year to the next,” Elder said. “It’s not fair to the teams before or past. Every team takes on a new identity. The common denominator though is we have a bunch of great kids who work exceptionally hard. They show up, they do all the work, and so I’m proud of our kids. We’ll see.
“Everything in terms of success on the field is relevant to how good your competition is and obviously how hard you work and what talent you have. But I feel like we’re talented enough to compete with everybody and I think we’ve put in the work and we’re continuing to do so, so it should be a fun year.”
While playing their best is important, there’s more to the game than just the number in the wins column for Elder and the Eagles.
“I’m just looking forward to the comaraderie and the growth of our team in terms of a brotherhood,” Elder said. “It’s all about the love of teammates and caring about your teammates. My favorite part of coaching is honestly watching teams grow closer and closer as they go through something that’s exceptionally hard like two-a-days. So, when we come out at the other end of this, I’m looking forward to seeing how close our team gets and that bond because I think it’s important to be successful on the field.”