CANTON — The Ohio High School Athletic Association football state finals kick off with the Division II championship game between Avon (13-1) and Cincinnati Anderson (14-0) is set for Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Expect frigid conditions for the second straight year in a rematch of last year’s Division II state title game. Avon prevailed in that snowy contest 20-13. This is the third state championship game appearance for Avon and the fourth state championship game appearance for Anderson. Both schools have won one state championship.
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Blake Elder ties OHSAA Division II record in first half
Blake Elder tied the OHSAA Division II Championship Game record for touchdown throws with four in the first half. That ties him with Hoban’s Shane Hamm (2017) and Louisville’s Neal Seaman (2007). Elder is two away from tying the overall record for touchdown throws in a championship game in any Division with Joe Burrow (2014) and Ryan Uhlenake (1996).
Halftime numbers to know
Blake Elder is 9-of-13 passing for 176 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for Avon. Grant Barr has two catches for 61 yards and a touchdown to lead the Eagles in receiving. Quiante Smith has 61 yards rushing on 13 carries for Avon. Owen Scalf is 19-of-27 passing for 219 yards with no interceptions for Anderson. Scalf has a 1-yard rushing touchdown. Avon has four quarterback sacks and limited Anderson to negative 17 yards rushing in the first half.
Anderson turns ball over on downs
Anderson drives down to the 25-yard line of Avon but turns it over on downs. A sack on third down disrupted the drive and Owen Scalf was forced to scramble and was brought down by the Eagles well short of the sticks. Avon takes a knee after the change in possession to end the half. Avon leads Anderson 27-7.
Grant Barr catches touchdown for Avon
Grant Barr hauls in a 37-yard touchdown pass from Blake Elder with 2:18 to play in the second quarter. Elder got absolutely crushed on the play but stepped into the throw and hit Barr perfectly in stride. Barr was well covered but that throw was picture perfect where only he could catch it. The extra point is no good but the Eagles lead 27-7 with 2:18 to go in the second quarter.
Avon converts third-and-17
Blake Elder gets off a 24-yard pass to Grant Barr with 4:01 left in the second quarter to keep a drive going for Avon. Big play for the Eagles.
Owen Scalf puts Anderson on the board
Owen Scalf pushes his way into the end zone on a keep for a 1-yard touchdown run. The kick by Maddux Snider is good. Avon leads 21-7 with 5:18 to play in the second quarter. Scalf is playing really well considering the pressure he has been under by that Avon line. Scalf is 17-of-24 passing for 178 yards with no interceptions. Very accurate. He has made good decisions.
Anderson driving in second quarter
Anderson has a second-and-goal at the 1-yard line of Avon. The Eagles lead 21-0. Anderson has negative 22 yards rushing today and was stuffed on first down. An Avon defensive player is down leading to a timeout. Cooper Kathman caught a 43-yard pass from Owen Scalf to set the Raptors up with this opportunity.
Avon defense forced to punt
The Avon offense isn’t able to get on track this drive and is forced to punt. Anderson will take over at its own 23-yard line. Avon leads 21-0 with 6:50 left in the second quarter.
Anderson turns ball over on downs
A delay of game penalty followed by another Avon sack leads to another turn over on downs for Cincinnati Anderson. That is the third sack tonight for Avon. The Eagles take over at their own 45-yard line with a 21-0 lead. We have 8:21 left in the second quarter.
Caeden Bennett finds end zone for Avon
Caeden Bennett catches a 7-yard touchdown on third down from quarterback Black Elder to extend the Avon lead. The offensive line gave Elder all kinds of time and he was able to scramble around and find Bennett. The extra point attempt by Jensen Petro is good. Avon leads Anderson 21-0 with 9:32 to play in the second quarter.
Eli the Eagle wins mascot race
We had a mascot race in between quarter. Eli the Eagle defeated the Cincinnati Anderson Raptor. The Anderson mascot lost his shoe mid-race and that hampered his efforts.
Avon leads Anderson after the first quarter
Avon holds a 14-0 lead over Anderson. The Eagles are driving. They will have a second-and-four at the Raptor 20-yard line to start the second quarter.
Avon defense forces turnover on downs
The Avon defense is playing extremely well. Especially the front seven. Anderson is able to move the ball through the air at times in chunks but the Avon pass rush is causing all sorts of problems. Avon just forced the Raptors to turn it over on downs after a sack on their own 49-yard line. That’s the second sack of the night for the Eagles. Anderson has negative 18 yards rushing. Avon leads 14-0 with 1:13 to go in the first quarter.
Anderson begins next drive
The Raptors got a decent kick return out to their own 37-yard line to start the next drive. Avon leads 14-0 with 2:20 left in the first quarter.
Caden Clapham extends Avon lead
Caden Clapham catches a 22-yard touchdown pass from Blaker Elder with 2:39 left in the first quarter. The extra point attempt by Jensen Petro is good. The Eagles lead Anderson 14-0. Elder is 3-of-5 passing for 78 yards with two touchdowns. Quiante Smith has 43 yards rushing for Avon in the first quarter. Things trending well early for the Eagles.
Anderson forced to punt on second drive
Anderson quarterback Owen Scalf drove the Raptors to their own 47-yard line before the drive stalled out. Anderson got off a really good punt and it rolls down to the Avon 13-yard line where it rolls dead. Avon takes over with a 7-0 lead and 5:05 to play in the first quarter.
Penalty on kickoff backs up Anderson offense
An illegal blindside block backs Anderson up to its own 14-yard line to start this drive. Anderson trails Avon 7-0 with 7:10 left in the first quarter.
Finn Jerdonek gives Avon the lead
It doesn’t take long for Avon to cash in on the field position. Finn Jerdonek catches a 14-yard touchdown from Blake Elder with 7:16 to play in the first quarter. The Jensen Petro kick is good. Avon leads Anderson 7-0.
Anderson turns ball over deep in own territory
Anderson was lined up to punt from its own 40-yard line but the snap went over the head of the punter and rolled down to the Raptor 17-yard line. The Anderson punter recovered but was tackled on the spot. Avon sets up at the Anderson 17-yard line. No score with 7:27 left in the first quarter.
Avon forced to punt on opening drive
Avon picks up a first down but is forced to punt from its own side of the field. The Eagles get a nice roll to the sideline and it goes out of bounds at the Anderson 19-yard line. It goes as a 37-yard punt for Avon.
Cincinnati Anderson takes a timeout
The Raptors saw something they didn’t like before the first offensive snap and took a timeout. We have 11:53 to go in the first quarter. No score between Avon and Anderson.
Avon receives opening kickoff
Avon receives the opening kickoff and returns it to the Eagle 27-yard line. Avon will start the game from that spot.
Warren Moon in attendance for this game
Former Houston Oiler great Warren Moon was just introduced to the crowd here at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Great to see a Gold Jacket in attendance for this game.
Cincinnati Anderson and Avon officially take the field
We have less than five minutes on the clock and the Cincinnati Anderson Raptors were just officially introduced to the crowd here at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Avon is being introduced now. This game will be underway shortly. I’ll have frequent updates for you once we get underway.
Avon and Cincinnati Anderson warming up at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
Hello from chilly Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium! We have 35 minutes on the clock here on the electronic scoreboard. We should be getting underway at around 7:10 p.m. tonight. It’s extremely chilly. Temperatures are expected to be near single digits. I don’t think you’ll find either of these teams complaining. Avon will be wearing purple jerseys with yellow helmets and yellow pants. Cincinnati Anderson is in the white jerseys, black helmets and orange pants. This should be a terrific game! It certainly was a memorable game in 2024.
Avon vs. Cincinnati Anderson, a look back at 2024
Graduated All-Ohio QB Nolan Good was the star of the game, accounting for 333 yards of total offense and two of Avon’s three touchdowns, a 71-yard scoring run and a 44-yard TD pass through the snow to fellow senior Matt Maxey. The game temperature was just 23 degrees in the fourth quarter as snow fell throughout and winds reached 13 mph. The weather conditions played a huge role in the game, altering play calls, causing fumbles, and making things tough on players and fans alike.
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Anderson vs. Avon football score, live updates, OHSAA highlights
Reporting by Cliff Hickman, Canton Repository / The Repository
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