High school football preview 2022: Culture of accountability breeds success at Avon

Something special is building in Avon. For the past decade, the Eagles have steadily become a Division II powerhouse. The last five seasons have ended in the state semifinals and the last six have resulted in at least a share of the Southwestern Conference crown. Dozens of young men have gone on to play college football, and many more on Avon's roster are receiving offers — with as many as four Division I athletes among the senior class and two juniors already getting similar attention. The plot twist: Maybe aside from the actual playbook, there aren't many secrets behind the curtain. In fact, Avon coach Mike Elder doesn't hesitate when asked about the driving forces behind the success. It takes a deep roster, skilled players, community support, dedicated coaches and, most importantly, a culture built on accountability. "Everybody can know what we're doing, but are you willing to do the work that's required?" he said. "We're going to ask a lot from you and it could be one of the most important classes you take in high school. It's a program that's built on accountability. If you don't show up for things, you will constantly be questioned. Our coaches are going to be part of your academics. "I've had kids say, 'Hey, you're not my dad.' And I say I'm not, but if you don't want me involved in your academics or what you're doing socially, then don't play football because that's part of the deal. That's what you signed up for. Our why is a lot bigger than football games, it's developing young men and in some cases young women who have come through our program. "We will take anybody, as long as you work hard." THE FOUNDATION Football has always been a numbers game, and Avon is blessed with some gaudy ones. The city has grown significantly since the turn of the century, ballooning from Division III to a Division II powerhouse. The Eagles went from watching their rivals to the north win a state championship and play for another to having Avon Lake's full attention in what's become Lorain County's most intense rivalry. It's one thing to have a deep pool, it's another to get those kids into the program. When Elder took over, there were only about 40 kids on the team — and Avon was still in Division III. Now the team fields a varsity roster that dwarfs many Division I schools. This year the roster lists about 120 players, more than 50 freshmen and will field two junior varsity teams and a freshman squad. More are on the way because the middle school will field two seventh- and two eighth-grade teams. They combine for more than 100 kids. "It's a numbers game," Elder said. "If you get kids interested because you make it fun and you get them to want to be part of it and you develop them, you have a recipe for success. We can play with so many seniors every year." The key is the youth programs. Elder said Avon holds five youth camps each summer, with last year's setting a record for attendance. Kids get involved as early as first grade. And once they reach the pinnacle of the program, they go right back to help run the camps. Senior defensive end Austin Mitchell remembers playing with fellow captains Sam DeTillio, Drew Lindsay, Ethan Holbrook and Amin Abdul from the very beginning. Now they're the players the next generation of Eagles look up to. "The reason why I get myself and my friends to go to those camps is because I can remember clear as day every varsity player who was at that camp," Mitchell said. "You thought they were a superhero. I remember Sam Gerak, Jake Sopko, Cole Lindsay and all those guys would be there. You just looked up to them like they were Greek gods, and now it's kind of crazy that you are that guy. "When I was a little kid I thought that those guys were on top of the world. They have to feel superhuman. Now that we're here, you don't feel like you're that guy, but when my younger brother's buddies come over, they know my name and my friends' names and I never met them before. You might not know it, but you leave a lasting impact on those kids because they look up to you. You always have to set a good example." Avon's sixth senior captain — linebacker/running back Gavin Ehrhardt — brings a different perspective since he moved into the district the summer of his freshman year. While he didn't come up through the program like many of his classmates, it didn't take him long to embrace the culture. "I was shocked at how amazing everything was," he said. "The culture, I had never seen anything like it before. There aren't groups on the team, everyone loves each other and they brought me into the family right away." THE INVESTMENT Avon's athletic programs receive a lot of support from the administration and the community. One of the examples this offseason was a nearly $500,000 investment to renovate the football locker rooms. The new space features a locker bay for each class, meeting areas that include a room that can be used by all the sports teams to watch film, a players lounge and a coaches locker room, among other upgrades. The team got to help with the construction process as groups of eight to 15 players tore down the old lockers and walls. "Hanging out with my teammates now is very, very nice compared to the old locker room," Ehrhardt said. "We took down the brick walls with hammers. The hard work paid off, it's a nice locker room to have." The facilities are just brick and mortar, the real investment comes from the players who take advantage of the infrastructure. Elder said there were at least 15 scheduled summer workouts, and those who make it to 12 join the "Dirty Dozen Club," getting a sticker on their helmet and a T-shirt. The workouts begin at 5:45 a.m. for upperclassmen, and freshmen get there at 7. The kids learn quickly that sleeping in is not an appropriate excuse to miss them. However, if an athlete is doing work in another sport and can't attend, they still get credit because Avon encourages multisport participation. Ehrhardt, for instance, is committed to play baseball at Cincinnati. Lifting and practice continues throughout the season, the program blocks time at T3 for speed drills throughout the year and open turfs begin in the spring. Players not competing in another sport are expected to participate. And the seniors are expected to lead by example. "Most of our kids I'm proud to say stay," Elder said. "And none of that stuff has anything to do with athletic ability. None of it. It's all about work ethic, accountability, showing up, making yourself better and improving. I don't care if you're the worst player on the team, as long as you show up and make all those goals you'll thrive in our program." Needless to say, it's a commitment that's not for everyone. Sophomore year tends to be the tipping point, as all six captains remember that being the toughest adjustment period. Though not all played on Friday nights right away, sophomores practice with the other upperclassmen who have two or three years of development and experience under their belts. "Sophomore year is a really hard year because you're coming in there and you're not as physically prepared," Lindsay said. "You're getting beat up a little bit. You don't feel as confident because these guys are older than you. But our coaches promote that if you have an issue they'll take extra time to talk with you about that. We have a big playbook and it's hard to learn, but if you spend time the coaches will spend time with you." Mitchell remembers his first snap against Chris Pepe, who went on to play for Dayton. The team goes to Mount Union for a three-day camp during the offseason, and Mitchell — a freshman — was on the scout team against Pepe, a senior. On the first play of camp, Pepe drove Mitchell back about 15 yards and drove him into the ground. But when the pads came off, Mitchell and Abdul credited Pepe for helping them reach their full potential, with Abdul saying Pepe gave him the confidence he needed to be a great player. Pepe was one of many alumni mentioned who helped this senior class transition into the program so they could carry the torch now. "When I came in sophomore year, there are kids more physically developed and have more experience," Holbrook said. "It's different and it scared me a little as a sophomore seeing all these guys used to it and I'm not used to any of it. They had been great leaders to us." THE CULTURE Avon tests its players in many ways, some of which might not be obvious at first. For instance, the captains are expected to remind the rest of the team about what's required. Abdul said if anyone on the squad misses a weigh-in, everyone does up downs. At Monday lifts the team is expected to wear a purple shirt and if they don't, they do up downs. "Coach Elder takes those little things very seriously," Abdul said. "As a captain you have to text everybody and remind them of those little things. Those little things help on the football field. All it takes is someone accidentally jumping or twitching just a little bit. That's a tiny thing, but it's a 5-yard gain that could hurt us and maybe cost us the game. Those little things help us in the long run." That accountability extends to the practice field, where the coaching staff will routinely run strenuous game situations and challenge their players to execute again and again and again so that by the time the team is faced with a big moment — say a fourth-and-long in overtime against Toledo Central Catholic in the Division II, Region 6 championship — it won't sweat it. Last season, the Eagles converted that fourth down, got into the end zone and, instead of going for the tie, staked their season on a perfectly executed 2-point try that sent them to their fifth straight state semifinal. "These coaches put so much time in," Holbrook said. "Whether it's film studies before practice, getting in the weight room or just the principles that Coach Elder talks about every day — hit, hustle, know your assignments and care about your teammates. Care about your teammates is probably the one he emphasizes the most because he wants us to — and we should — bring the younger ones up so when they are in this position they can do it, too." It's not just the big games. Avon is 160-28 under Elder in his 15 seasons, which is less than two losses per season. It's never had a losing season under his guidance, and eight of the 28 losses can be found in two 6-4 seasons — 2007 and 2009, the only years the Eagles didn't make the postseason during that span. Last year was the first time Avon lost three games since 2009. It has seven undefeated regular seasons and 12 straight playoff appearances. Only 16 programs can say they've beaten the Eagles since Elder took over, with only four producing multiple victories. "We treat every single team the same," Ehrhardt said. "If we're playing a team that's not so hard compared to a playoff team, we'll do the same amount of preparation. If we roll into a game without preparing, we'll probably lose that game. We need to be in the best situation each and every game." THE GOAL Every team wants to win the state championship, but Avon has positioned itself to realize that dream with six trips to the state semifinals under Elder, including a runner-up finish in 2011. The Eagles have been close, but Archbishop Hoban has blocked their path in four of the last five seasons. The Knights are once again poised to be one of the top teams in all of Ohio. Avon isn't making any excuses. "We've closed the book on the narrative that it's not fair with the Catholic schools and the open-enrollment schools," Elder said. "The truth is, though, that they can go out and grab players every year. We're playing with the kids who are on our roster last year and then the kids we've developed. I don't think anyone on our staff and in our community would want to do it any other way. "If we're going to get over that hump, we have to celebrate what we have and not put too much emphasis on what we don't. We have a brotherhood that I'd argue is as strong as anybody's because we have kids who have been connected for so long through this awesome game." The gap between Avon and Hoban is closing. A combined 34.5 points decided the first two meetings in 2017 and 2018, with Avon scoring fewer than 10 in both games. Avon lost 28-14 in 2020 and had a chance to drive for the tying score with less than two minutes remaining, but a pick-six sealed the Knights victory. Last season, Avon lost 31-24 in another thrilling finish. The Eagles tied the game with 7:57 left, but Hoban strung together a six-minute, 10-second drive capped with the go-ahead score. While getting past the state semifinals against Hoban — or whoever may be there — and winning the championship may be the highest goal, not winning it won't diminish everything accomplished. "I don't think winning the state championship is a make or break to our season, but it would be a great addition," DeTillio said. "We're trying to win the last one. We've been trying for a while and this would be a great year to get that done." Contact Chris Sweeney at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on Twitter.