Ken Coleman
GRANGER TWP. — If there was a defining play in Friday’s Region 6 quarterfinal, it might have come with 7:07 to play in the third quarter.
That was when Avon Lake, which had driven from its 20-yard line to the Highland 37 in 11 plays, was faced with fourth down and 7 yards to go. The Shoremen were sitting in that problem area that’s too far for a field goal attempt yet too close for a punt that would likely result in a touchback and, therefore, a difference of only 17 yards.
Avon Lake decided to go for the first down. The ball went to Steve Mares. The ball and Mares went no farther than the line of scrimmage.
The score remained 14-3. Had the Shoremen been able to sustain the drive, with their 3 or 4 or 5 yards on every snap, they might have been able to waste a few more minutes and punch the ball into the end zone for a very manageable 14-10 score heading into the fourth quarter.
That was the best case-scenario. What Avon Lake got was the worst that could have happened.
Not only did the Shoremen get stopped, but on the next play Chris Snook, Highland’s sensational running back, blasted through the line and ran almost untouched 63 yards for a touchdown that put the Hornets ahead 21-3 with 6:57 remaining in the period.
“That was the key to the game,” Highland coach Tom Lombardo said. “That gave us the three-score lead we were looking for.”
The potential 14-point turnaround also illustrated the biggest difference between Highland and Avon Lake. The Hornets had far greater quick-strike ability.
“Our problem is that we can’t come back quickly because we’re a ground-oriented team,” Avon Lake coach Dave Dlugosz said.
The ground game worked fine most of the year. The Shoremen scored at least 31 points in eight of their 10 regular-season games this year. Against a defense like Highland’s, however, relying purely on the run wasn’t working.
“That defense is solid,” Dlugosz said. “It’s tough for us to move the ball on that defense.”
The Shoremen didn’t have a sustained drive until the final 2:46 of the first half, after Highland had made the score 14-0.
“I would say it was between them and Brecksville,” said offensive lineman Joe Coyne when asked if the Hornets were the best defense he had seen in 2008.
“But they were the best,” Coyne said. “They have a tough core of linebackers. It was hard even to hit them.”
The Shoremen did manage touchdowns on three of their last four possessions. By then it was too late.
“I’m not disappointed in our effort,” Coyne said. “We never gave up. To me, that’s even more important than winning.”
Contact Kenneth Coleman at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

Scoring summary

First quarter
HIGHLAND 7, AVON LAKE 0. Kyle Callari 31 pass from Nicholas Knerem (Eric Duale kick), 0:21. DRIVE: 2 plays, 55 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 0:16. KEY PLAY: Aaron Maslowski 23-yard carry on first play of drive to AL-31.
Second quarter
HIGHLAND 14, AVON LAKE 0. Masklowski 41 pass from Knerem. (Duale kick), 2:41. DRIVE: 3 plays, 45 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 1:28. KEY PLAY: Drive started at H-45 after Highland forced Avon Lake to punt from own 20.
HIGHLAND 14, AVON LAKE 3. FG Dan Ohlemacher 25, 0:00. DRIVE: 8 plays, 71 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 2:46. KEY PLAYS: Steve Mares 48-yard run to H-9 with 0:05 remaining in half.
Third quarter
HIGHLAND 21, AVON LAKE 3. Chris Snook 63 run (Duale kick), 6:57. DRIVE: 1 play, 63 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 0:10. KEY PLAY: Avon Lake failed on fourth down at H-37.
HIGHLAND 28, AVON LAKE 3. Jarrod Swick 20 run (Duale kick), 3:18. DRIVE: 4 plays, 64 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 1:37. KEY PLAY: Ben Brown 36 pass from Knerem to AL-24.
HIGHLAND 28, AVON LAKE 9. Steve Mares 1 run (kick failed), 1:23. DRIVE: 6 plays, 71 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 1:51. KEY PLAYS: Two Pete Hart passes to tight end Dan Schneider for 39 and 33 yards.
Fourth quarter
HIGHLAND 28, AVON LAKE 15. Pete Hart 1 run (run failed), 7:37. DRIVE: 10 plays, 65 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 2:52. KEY PLAY: 26-yard Mike Masnerus run followed by 15-yard penalty on Highland marked off after the play for first down at H-24.
HIGHLAND 35, AVON LAKE 15. Snook 25 run (Duale kick), 4:19. DRIVE: 7 plays, 51 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 3:15. KEY PLAY: 12-yard run by Maslowski to set up touchdown run.
HIGHLAND 35, AVON LAKE 23. Ryan Kirkpatrick 56 pass from Hart (Kirkpatrick pass from Hart), 1:04. DRIVE: 9 plays, 80 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 3:10. KEY PLAY: 5-yard run by Mares on fourth-and-3 at own 27-yard line.

Highland 35, Avon Lake 23

Avon Lake        0    3    6    14    —    23
Highland        7    7    14    7    —    35
Scoring
H — Kyle Callari 31 pass from Nicholas Knerem (Eric Duale kick), 0:21.
H — Masklowski 41 pass from Knerem. (Duale kick), 2:41.
AL — FG Dan Ohlemacher 25, 0:00.
H — Chris Snook 63 run (Duale kick), 6:57.
H — Jarrod Swick 20 run (Duale kick), 3:18.
AL — Steve Mares 1 run (kick failed), 1:23.
AL — Pete Hart 1 run (run failed), 7:37.
H — Snook 25 run (Duale kick), 4:19.
AL — Ryan Kirkpatrick 56 pass from Hart (Kirkpatrick pass from Hart), 1:04.
Team statistics
        AL    H
First downs        17    14
— by rushing    11    7
— by passing    5    6
— by penalty        1    1
Yards Rushing    208    197
Yards Passing    157    169
Total Yards        365    366
Passes Att/Comp    20/8    15/10
Intercepted by    0    0
Penalties        6/35    7/57
Individual statistics
RUSHING — (AL) Mike Mansnerus 28-125, Steve Mares 7-66, Cody Bennington 4-11, Pete Hart 4-5. (H) Chris Snook 19-153, Nicholas Knerem 5-(-14), Aaron Maslowski 4-33, Ben Brown 2-5, Jarrod Swick 1-20.
PASSING — (AL) Pete Hart 8-20-157-1-0. (H) Nicholas Knerem 10-15-169-2-0.
RECEIVING — (AL) Ryan Kirkpatrick 4-71, Dan Schneider 2-73, Jordan Market 1-3, Kevin Morisette 1-7. (H) Kyle Callari 5-65, Tyler Houska 1-5, Chris Snook 1-25, Ben Brown 2-35, Aaron Maslowski 1-41.

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