This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Sports

Shock and Awe Again as Avon Trounces Shoremen in Gridiron Season Opener

For the second year in a row, the Eagles best Avon Lake

Shock and awe. 

It is a military doctrine based on the use of dominant battlefield awareness, dominant maneuvers, and spectacular displays of force to paralyze an adversary's perception of the battlefield and destroy its will to fight.

Thursday night, you might say it was Avon coach Mike Elders game plan, because it was exactly what happened to the Shoremen as they opened the season with a 38-7 loss to Avon.

Find out what's happening in Avon-Avon Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Utilizing a defense that displayed great force, and an offense that was spectacular, Avon was able to stymie the Shoremen.

"We had kids starting for the first time on Friday night, and all your worries, - fumbles, interceptions and penalties, all those things happened," Avon Lake coach Dave Dlugosz said. "And when you give them some extra possessions you are going to have all kinds of problems like we did tonight. Avon is a good ball club, but we helped them a lot today."

Find out what's happening in Avon-Avon Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In a matter of minutes--it actually took one play--the Shoremen's sails were deflated. After Chris Jedlicka fumbled on the Shoremen’s third play of the game, the Eagles took over on the 35-yard line. The net play it was 7-0 as Justin O'Roarke hit Matt Eckhardt for a 35 yard score.

On the Shoremen's next possession, another miscue led to yet another Avon score, this time a 20-yard field goal. If there was a positive out of it, the Shoremen put on a great goal line stance but by half it was 24- 0.

"We've had our years where we were really really dominate, this is one of their years," Dlugosz said. "It was kind of a carbon copy of last year, all kinds of turnovers. It's something we have to address and figure it out."

In all the Shoremen managed just 183 yards, none via the air and had two interceptions, one fumble and seven penalties.

Dontez Smith was the one positive note as he had 97 yards on the night, but despite that fact, Dlugosz wasn't taking any positives out of the game as he said from top to bottom everyone made mistakes.

"We have a veteran coaching staff and hopefully can we bring these guys back because right now they are thinking can we do this, so you have to bring that confidence level back, and fix the problems instead of rant and rave," Dlugosz said. " These kids will pop back Its tough looking at that scoreboard because that doesn't happen a lot here at Avon Lake, and its tough, but we have a short memory and that has to be a life lesson for those kids too, that its not always going to go your way, you have to get it done."

Avon Lake avoided the shutout in the fourth quarter when Chris Jedlicka scrambled in from 14 yards out, but by then most of the Avon regulars were on the bench.

The Shoremen have now lost the last two matchups against their border rival, but still lead the series 16-13.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Avon-Avon Lake