Avon Gridders Roll to School Record 14 Wins

“There’s more to winning than counting the W’s”

With their fifth Final Four appearance in the last six years, the Avon Eagles made a great run at Akron Archbishop Hoban at Parma’s Byers Field two weeks ago. Avon eventually fell in the state Div. II semifinal game, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of Eagle head coach Mike Elder for long.

“People ask me if I’m sad. There is more to winning than counting the W’s. It’s about relationships,” said Elder in the team huddle after the 17-14 decision. Yes, it was a game that could have gone either way after Avon had built a 14-3 lead at the half. But Hoban scored 14 unanswered points after the intermission to edge the Eagles.

“This team is beyond blessed,” said Elder a week earlier after defeating Medina Highland in the regional. “We are breathing rare air.”

Indeed, the Avon football program is in the stratosphere as the 2023 season ends. A school record 14 wins. A regional championship. Their 8th straight Southwestern Conference champion and individual awards, almost too many to count. It’s a tradition unmatched, and you can bet that next year’s varsity is already in the weight room getting ready for 2024.