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Avon vs. Avon Lake: Week 10 Football Preview

Avon vs. Avon Lake: Week 10 Football Preview

AVON LAKE, Ohio – Avon looks to secure its ninth straight Southwestern Conference title and retain the Silver Rail Trophy with a trip to rival Avon Lake on Friday night.

The Eagles (9-0, 6-0 SWC), the No. 1 team in cleveland.com’s high school football top 25, have won two straight in this series and six of their last seven. That includes a 45-0 win last year.

Avon’s defense was even stronger this year, led by Cincinnati tackle Jeremiah Kelly, junior linebacker Ryan Stolarski and junior safety Jakob Weatherspoon. They only have one shutout this year, but they have won their six SWC games by at least 21 points.

No. 20 Avon Lake (6-3, 5-1) – with just one SWC loss in double overtime two weeks ago against Olmsted Falls – bounced back with a 12-10 win at North Ridgeville on Friday last week, at Senior kicker Reece Polomsky made game-winning field goals of 22, 36, 35 and 42 yards. The 42-yarder is a season best.

“Losing a double-overtime game last week and getting to take a team that was scoring over 30 points a game to 10 points feels good in my opinion,” senior lineman Jack O’Toole said after the game.

The Shoremen offense was sparked by junior receiver Aidan Stewart (656 yards, 10 touchdowns on 41 receptions), who caught footballs from Alex Affolter (980 yards, nine touchdowns) and Owen Fach (301 yards, four touchdowns). O’Toole (four sacks, eight TFL), junior end Erik Van Euwen (three sacks) and senior linebacker Landon Lidyard (four TFL, two sacks) led the Shoremen defense.

Avon Lake will need his pressure on Avon senior quarterback Nolan Good (2,055 yards, 19 TDs with seven interceptions), his timing with receivers Matt Maxey (767 yards, five TDs, 56 receptions), Grant Barr (388 yards, five touchdowns, 24 receptions) and Cole Kepner (553 yards, six touchdowns, 25 receptions).

Both teams could meet again in the Division II, Region 6 playoffs. While Avon sits atop the region, Avon Lake is fifth and has a 96 percent chance of a home game next week in the first round, according to Drew Pasteur’s Fantastic 50 predictions.

RELATED: Complete schedule for week 10.

A look at other top games this week will follow on Thursday.

No. 1 Avon (9-0) at No. 20 Avon Lake (6-3)

When: Friday, 7 p.m

Where: Avon Lake Memorial Stadium at Avon Lake High School

Transmitted: WEOL AM-930, WDLW AM-1380

Playoff positioning: Avon is the top seed in Division II, Region 6 and would host Fremont Ross (4-5) if the playoffs began this week; Drew Pasteur’s Fantastic 50 expects the Eagles to stay in that spot against Toledo Start (6-3). Avon Lake is fifth in Division II, Region 6 and would host Rhodes (4-4) if the playoffs began this week. The Shoremen drop to seventh in the Fantastic 50 Projects and will play Sandusky (5-4).

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul via X (@mgoul), topics (@mgoul) or email ([email protected]).