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The Shoremen set up a classic battle with Amherst for the Southwestern Conference with a workman-like 31-14 win over an tough but outmanned Westlake squad. Mike Mansnerus ran for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dan Schneider and Cody Bennington each added a touchdown and Dan Ohlemacher booted a 27 yard field goal. Pete Hart completed some key 3^rd down passes as the Shoremen aerial attack showed some signs of life. Avon Lake was able to rest some key players so they could heal nagging injuries and should be near full strength when the 8-1 Comets invade Memorial Stadium next Friday.

Avon Lake kicked off and stuffed the return at the 15. The Demons hit a 24 yard fade pattern on second down to move the ball out to their 41. Three plays later on 4^th & 3, Westlake ran the most obvious fake punt in football history. The pass was completed at the line of scrimmage, but the receiver never had a chance of advancing for the first down. So the Shoremen took over at midfield and put together a methodical 10 play drive, with Bennington powering the last eight yards for the score. Ohlemacher hit the first of his four conversion kicks and the Shoremen led 7-0. The Demons managed one first down on their next possession, but a very short punt set up the home team at the A.L. 48 yard line. On 2^nd & 10 from the Demons’ 39, Steve Mares broke through the line an a counter, racing to the 17 but fumbling as he went down. Westlake recovered the loose ball and started at their own 17. On the very next play, Ryan Smugala fumbled and Nick Brill recovered for the Shoremen at the 20. Six plays later Mansnerus plunged in from the two for a 14-0 lead. This time, the defense held Westlake to three & out, and Nick Brill made a nice punt return to the 50. Mansnerus carried 10 yards for a first down at the forty, and Hart hit Kevin Morissette for nine yards on third & six. Runs by Mares & Mansnerus move the ball to the five, then a substitution penalty cost the Shoremen 5 yards. No matter, as Hart found Schneider in the end zone for the score. Westlake came back with a five play, 63 yard drive, capped by a 40 yard TD pass on a deep fade down the left sideline to make it 21-7. After some sort of a goofy bloop kickoff was fielded by James Lekan at the their 40, the Shoremen drove to the 10 and Ohlemacher booted his 27 yard field goal. The score at the half stood 24-7.

The third quarter was scoreless as the Shoremen lost one fumble & turned the ball over on downs twice, each time well into Westlake territory. Gentry Rohn came up with a huge interception on a yet another fade, Westlake had to punt once, and then turned it over on downs at the fifty early in the final period. After a holding penalty set the Shoremen back to their 44, Hart pitched the ball to Mansnerus running right. Mike turned the corner & sprinted 56 yards to score and stretch the lead to 31-7. Westlake came out in a heretofore unseen spread formation, with the QB lined up about ten yards deep and an up back 5 yards in front of him. The Shoremen defense seemed a little confused and Westlake scored to make the score 31-14 with seven minutes to go. But after the kickoff, the Shoremen backups took control, keeping the ball for the final seven minutes of the game while moving from their own 25 to the Demons’ 10 before the game ended.

Notes:

· Mansnerus has rushed for over 900 yards in the last three games, and well over 1400 in the six full games he has played.

· Ohlemacher has now made five of his six field goal attempts this season.

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Avon Lake	7	17	0	7	31
Westlake	0	7	0	7	14

	W	A.L.
First downs	13	22
Rush Yds	72	363
Pass Yds	163	52
Passes att-comp-int	25-12-1	17-8-0
Fumbles-lost	3-1	2-2
Penalties	3-25	4-25

AL – Bennington 83 run (Ohlemacher kick)
AL – Mansnerus 2 run (Ohlemacher kick)
AL – Schneider 10 pass from Hart (Ohlemacher kick)
W – Lowe 40 pass from Bishop (James kick)
AL – Ohlemacher 27 FG
W – Bishop 9 run (James kick)
AL – Mansnerus 56 run (Ohlemacher kick)