CLEVELAND, Ohio — Avon’s bid to defend its OHSAA Division II state football championship comes with a different look.
For one, the Eagles graduated All-Ohio quarterback Nolan Good — last year’s cleveland.com Offensive Player of the Year — to Kent State. His departure could knock any team from state-title contention, but Good’s replacement at Avon already had experience in stepping in for him.
Blake Elder started two playoff games for Good two years ago because of an injury he endured against Olmsted Falls. They happened to meet again Friday night in Avon, as Elder faced the school he made his debut against as a sophomore.
As a senior this time, Elder threw for 163 yards on 13-of-20 passing in Avon’s 28-0 win.
“They were challenging us to run the ball because we threw the ball a lot last week, and we were doing it very well,” senior left tackle Max Hauck said. “I’m sure him playing that sophomore year built his confidence.”
Elder has thrown for 978 yards on 72-of-120 passing through the first five games. He has nine touchdown passes to just two interceptions for Avon (4-1), which is ranked No. 2 in the cleveland.com Northeast Ohio Top 25. Elder completed 10 of 15 passes for 232 yards and five TDs the previous week in a rout of North Ridgeville. He also steered Avon to a big Week 3 win against Glenville, which challenged the Eagles’ run game.
He also threw for 239 yards and two TDs in his season debut, a 40-14 win against St. Ignatius. It marked his first start since being thrown into the role as a sophomore in place of Good.
“I’ve had two more years to practice,” Elder said after that win, “but I think we’re doing pretty good right now.”
So far so good for Elder and these players who are enjoying breakout seasons:
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⦁ Janiere Cook, Streetsboro: Cook has exploded on offense this year as a senior with 835 yards and 13 touchdowns on just 86 carries. He has added 182 yards and two TDs in the receiving game while remaining a contributor on defense with 11 tackles and three tackles for loss at Streetsboro (4-1). Cook rushed for 702 yards as a junior, but that ranked third on a 12-1 team behind graduated quarterback Cohen Klimak and Marcus Council. Cook had 63 tackles and 10 TFL as a junior, too.
⦁ Blake Elder, Avon: As a sophomore, Elder came on against Olmsted Falls in place of Good and steered the Eagles to a victory in the regional semifinals then started their 28-14 win against Highland in the regional finals during the 2023 season. The son of Avon coach Mike Elder waited as a junior and played JV games before getting his chance again this season.
⦁ Jonny Evanchick, St. Edward: The Eagles sought a new quarterback after last year’s run to the Division I state semifinals, needing a replacement for graduated starter Thomas Csanyi. Evanchick entered his senior season in a competition with junior left-hander Langston Lucas. They shared snaps through the start of the season, but coach Tom Lombardo went with Evanchick for the entirety of their 28-14 win vs. Glenville. Evanchick has thrown for 667 yards and 10 TDs to two interceptions on 46-of-70 passing for St. Edward (4-1). He also has rushed for 163 yards and a score.
⦁ Steven Fakult, Nordonia: The Knights (5-0) are off to a perfect start with their new junior quarterback, who has thrown for 1,131 yards and 12 TDs. He has just one interception on 65-of-119 passing. Fellow junior Dominick Jackson also could be considered one of the top breakout players as Fakult’s top target with 429 yards and six TDs on 19 receptions.
⦁ Marcus McMahon, Midview: With Michael Passerrello Jr. transferred to Amherst, McMahon has taken the lead back role by storm for the Middies. He has rushed for 651 yards and 11 TDs on 111 carries. McMahon also is a threat in the pass game with 103 yards and a score on nine receptions, which ranks third on the Middies (3-2).
⦁ Austin Tatulinski, Strongsville: Junior teammate Kendrick Boddie also had been enjoying a breakout season as expected as Strongsville’s lead back before an injury kept him out the last two weeks. In his place, Tatulinski has back-to-back 200 yards games for the Mustangs (4-1) behind a potent offensive line, led by tackle Adam Suleiman and Quinten Young. Tatulinski, though, is just a freshman. He has 475 yards and three TDs in the last two weeks.
⦁ Dylan Maddox, Berea-Midpark: The Titans’ 4-1 start has come with an explosive passing game and two quarterbacks have gotten the job done in Vince Weaver and Dylan Papushak. The constants have been the receivers, including Maddox and junior Tyson Clay. Maddox is putting together an All-Ohio resume on both sides of the ball with four touchdowns, 503 yards on 24 receptions. His 50-yard interception return for a touchdown sparked the Titans’ season-opening win against Brunswick, while his receiving has propelled them to a three-game winning streak entering Friday’s Southwestern Conference showdown with Avon.