(Home)             (Photos)

Now, that’s more like it.  On a hot, humid night at Memorial Stadium, the Shoremen running game of old re-appeared and led the way to a hard fought 27-20 win over Shaker Heights.  Dontez Smith accounted for 217 of Avon Lake’s 336 yards on the ground on 36 carries, racking up 3 touchdowns along the way.  Chris Jedlicka hit sophomore tight end Kyle Kuhar with  a 20 yard TD toss, and the Shoremen “D” did just enough to hang on for the win.

Shaker received the opening kick and methodically drove 85 yards, hitting a series of short passes in the flats mixed in with some strong running.  Antonio Johnson carried the last yard for the TD, and the PAT made it 7-0 Raiders halfway through the first quarter.  But the Shoremen answered with their own six minute, 73 yard drive.  Jedlicka hit Smith for a key first down on 3rd & 6 to get things rolling, and then Smith and Colin Lucas took over, ripping off some nice chunks of yardage behind solid blocking up front.  Dontez finished the drive from 5 yards out on the first play of the second quarter, and Brad Brill’s extra point tied the score.  Brill then executed a perfect “rat roll” onside kick, recovering the ball himself at the Shaker 43.  Two plays later Brad carried for 15 yards to the 25.  Then a false start penalty set the Shoremen back in 1st and 15, and they eventually turned the ball over on downs at the 16.  The “D” gave Shaker nothing, and a penalty left the Raiders punting from their end zone on 4th & 20.  But the Shoremen roughed the kicker, giving Shaker a first down at the 26.  An interference call gave them another 15 yards, and then the Raider running backs started to break way too many tackles.  Johnson got loose for a 27 yard TD and a 14-7 Shaker lead.  But again the Maroon & Gold offense answered, picking up a series of nice gains with four different backs carrying out of the jet formation.  On 2nd & 10, Jedlicka rolled right and lobbed a perfect rainbow to Kuhar to tie the game with 58 seconds left in the half.

Smith returned the second half kickoff to the 20, and then picked up five yards off right tackle.  On second down, Dontez followed Lucas’ block off right tackle, made a series of nifty moves in traffic, and outran everyone for a 75 yard TD and a 21-14 lead.  The defense forced a three and out, with Jimmy Hessel fair-catching the punt at the Shaker 49.  It took eight plays, all on the ground, to extend the lead to 27-14 as the extra point sailed wide right.  But the Raiders bounced back, driving 69 yards in six minutes with Johnson scampering 17 yards for his third TD of the game.  Michael Butrey broke through to block the try for point to keep the 27-20 lead.  After Shaker stopped the Shoremen on 4th & 1 near midfield, Avon Lake’s defense returned the favor and got the ball back on their own 34 with six and a half minutes left.  The offensive line pounded their way to five first downs, and when Shaker finally got the ball back they were at their own 10 yard line with 11 seconds left. An incompletion and a short catch later, the Shoremen notched their first win of 2011.

 

(Home)         (Photos)

 

Avon Lake

0

14

13

7

27

Shaker Heights

7

7

0

6

20

 

 

 

SH

 

A.L.

First downs

 

21

 

18

Rush Yds

 

196

 

336

Pass Yds

 

77

 

44

Passes att-comp-int

 

24-13-0

 

6-4-0

Fumbles-lost

 

2-1

 

3-2

Penalties

 

10-75

 

4-40


SH –  Johnson 1 run (Katz kick)
AL – Smith 5 run (Brill kick)
SH –  Johnson 27 run (Katz kick)
AL – Kuhar 20 pass from Jedlicka (Brill kick)
AL – Smith 75 run(Brill kick)
AL – Smith 2 run (kick failed)
SH –  Johnson 17 run (kick blocked)