Avon advanced to the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II semifinals after beating Medina-Highland 28-20. The undefeated Eagles, who are now 14-0, will face Archbishop Hoban in the state semifinals for the sixth time since 2017. Historic matchups show a tough rivalry, with Hoban winning all previous meetings, including a narrow 17-14 victory last year when Avon was without their starting quarterback. Avon’s defense has been a standout, successfully shutting down two powerful fouls in recent games, boosting confidence heading into this match.

By the numbers

• Avon has reduced their opponents to 30 and 25 points less than their average in their last two matches.
• Hoban is averaging 33.5 points per game while allowing just 11.1 points per game defensively.

State of affairs

• Avon leads the game series against Hoban 0-5 and seeks its first win in this rivalry.
• Both teams are showing strong performances, with Avon coming into the match at 14-0 and Hoban at 12-2.

What’s next

The Eagles hope to break their losing streak against Hoban next Friday at InfoCision Stadium in Akron as they look to secure their first state title. The outcome of this match could impact future recruiting and program prestige for both schools.

In short

Avon must play to its defensive strengths and learn from previous encounters to beat Hoban in this crucial semi-final, as the stakes for a potential first state title partnership are higher than ever.