Shaun Bennett and Tim Gebhardt
The Chronicle-Telegram
HURON — Twice during the second half, Avon shot itself in the foot by taking penalties that set up big deficits, and twice senior quarterback Ryan O’Rourke found a way to convert those downs and keep drives alive.
A holding penalty erased a 33-yard pass from O’Rourke to senior running back Alex Tabar and gave the Eagles a third-and-23 from their own 10-yard line midway through the third quarter.
Tiffin Columbian blitzed on the left side and O’Rourke sent a long pass over the defenders to senior wide receiver Garrett Gronowski, who turned up field and ran for a 34-yard gain and a first down.
On the next drive, another holding call gave the Eagles a second-and-23 from their own 9, and O’Rourke again found Gronowski for a 28-yard gain and a first down.
“I know Larry Kehres at Mount Union College used to yell at us linemen and say, ‘You got a play for third-down-and-60?’” Avon coach Mike Elder said. “One of the linemen answered him one time and it wasn’t a pretty sight.
“We have playmakers and they stepped up and made plays.”

Going for it

Avon wanted to play conservatively on their opening drive of the game, but the Tornadoes wouldn’t let them. The drive had seemingly stalled on the Eagles’ 44-yard line, and Gronowski lined up to punt on fourth-and-1.
Then Tiffin Columbian called a timeout.
“They called that timeout and we were going to send our punt team on the field,” Elder said. “Then we go out and we saw they were in punt.”
So Elder decided to go for it instead.
“I was a little upset that they didn’t spot the ball quicker because then it’d be a no-brainer,” he said. “They did get their defense up but we got the yard. It was kind of a gamble, and if it works than I’m a genius and if it doesn’t I’m the dumbest guy in the stadium.”

Familiar goal

Avon athletic director Erich Frombach gave Kalahari Field at Huron’s Memorial Stadium a familiar look for the Eagles. The goal posts had the purple Eagle pads applied to them.
Frombach happily carried one of the pads off the field at the conclusion of Avon’s 13-6 playoff win.

No. 1 gone

Avon finished the season as the second-ranked team in the state in Division III. The top-ranked team — Thornville Sheridan — was knocked out Saturday by Columbus Eastmoor, 28-6.

Deserted town?

There couldn’t have been many folks left behind Saturday night. The Eagle side at Huron was packed full of Avon faithful.

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