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Avon Lake’s defense put on a dominating performance and the offense did enough of what was needed as the Shoremen demolished Shaker Heights 48-14 on a cloudy, blustery Saturday afternoon.  The Maroon & Gold “D” scored two TD’s and handed the ball over to the offense inside the Raiders 20 yard line three times.  Shaker’s quarterbacks were under constant pressure, rarely getting off a throw without taking a hit.  After a week of woe around town, filled with talk of doom & gloom, our guys bounced back and showed that all, indeed, is not lost.

Brad Brill flew the opening kickoff in to the end zone for a touchback.  After two Raider runs netted nothing, Justin Arkey flushed the QB out of the pocket.  Brian Mihalik knocked the ball loose from behind, and the Shoremen recovered at the 19.  Zach Johnson carried on five straight plays,  crashing in from the three.  Brill’s PAT put A.L. up by seven less than four minutes into the game.  The next two series for each team ended in punts and the Shoremen led 7-0 as the quarter ended.  

The defense struck again early in the second period.  After Brian Walborn and John Hegarty combined for a sack to make it 2nd & 16, Shaker tried a screen pass to see if they could slow down the Shoremen pass rush.  But Brian Mihalik sniffed out the play, picked the throw at the 13, and rumbled in for a touchdown.  A blocked extra point left the score at 13-0.  Again, the Raiders went nowhere against the aggressive Shoremen defense, and Pete Lancione returned the punt across midfield to the Shaker 48.  From there, it only took four plays to score as Dontez Smith cashed in on an inside run from the 28.  Smith carried again for the two point conversion and a 21-0 lead.  Another high, deep Brill kickoff and great coverage by Austin Grosel  left the Raiders starting from their own 19.  Three plays netted minus six yards and Shaker punted to their 49.  This time the Shoremen went up top on the first play, with Trent Toy hitting Ronnie Willoughby in stride for another TD to make it 28-0.  Again Shaker went three & out, and Avon Lake took over at their 24 after getting charged with unsportsmanlike conduct on the punt.  Then, just when it looked like they might have to invoke some sort of slaughter rule,  a 2nd& 8 pass bounced off Willoughby’s hands right to Shaker’s cornerback for an easy 29 yard TD return that cut the margin to 28-7.  Adding insult to injury, the Raiders recovered an onside kick at the Avon Lake 42.  A pass on the left sideline was good to the 11, and a Shaker receiver out-leaped Lancione on a fade in the end zone.  The Shoremen went to the locker room up 28-14.

Avon Lake received the second half kickoff and drove to the Shaker 21, but turned the ball over on downs.  After one first down Shaker again had to punt, but a bumbled snap gave the ball back to the offense at the Raiders’ 20.  Again the Shoremen failed to pick up a first down, with the Raiders starting this time from their 15.  On second down Lancione intercepted and ran the ball back to the two.  Johnson punched it in on 2nd & inches, Brill kicked the point, and it was 35-14 Shoremen as the quarter ended. 

Starting from their 21 after more superb kick coverage, The Raiders went three and out again.  This time Avon Lake returned the favor, and Willoughby’s punt was fair caught at the 15.  After another sack by Walborn on first down, Shaker’s QB got whacked by Jake Young, the ball rolled into the end zone, and the Shoremen recovered for their second defensive TD of the game.  Another kickoff return was stuffed at the 18, a sack by Andrue Oglesby forced Shaker to punt from their one, and Alex Grunick returned the kick to the 21.  The backup O-line punched a couple of big holes for Smith, who ran for eight yards on first down and then cruised in from 13 for his second score of the afternoon.  The reserve defense was stellar, forcing a fumble that they recovered at the five.  David King took a knee there to end the game with the final score of 48-10

 

Notes: 

·       Brill’s kickoff’s are the best I’ve seen in my time covering the Shoremen.  Brad consistently hits high, hanging kicks inside the five, giving the coverage team plenty of time to get downfield.  Six of his kicks resulted in Shaker starting from their own 21 or worse.

·       Dontez Smith, Zach Johnson, Brian Mihalik, and Andrew Bohan each scored their first varsity touchdowns.

 

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Avon Lake

7

21

7

13

48

Shaker Hts.

0

14

0

0

14

 

 

 

SH

 

A.L.

First downs

 

6

 

9

Rush Yds

 

2

 

148

Pass Yds

 

92

 

69

Passes att-comp-int

 

24-6-2

 

9-4-1

Fumbles-lost

 

6-3

 

2-1

Penalties

 

14-87

 

3-40


AL – Johnson 3 run (Brill kick)
AL – Mihalik 13 interception return (kick failed)
AL – Smith 28 run (Smith run)
AL – Willoughby 49 pass from Toy (Brill kick)
SH – Bell 29 interception return (Katz kick)
SH – Burgess 11 pass from Haley (Katz kick)
AL – Johnson 3 run (Brill kick)
AL – Bohan fumble recovery in end zone (Brill kick)
AL – Smith 13 run (kick failed)