H.S. Football Playoffs: Defense carries Avon Lake to easy win

AVON LAKE — The Shoremen had plenty to celebrate Friday night. The defense dominated. They scored in a variety of ways. A school record was set. They picked up their first playoff win since 2023, 44-0 over Toledo Waite. "It feels great," said Avon Lake coach Matt Kostelnik, whose team will travel next Friday to Toledo Central Catholic, the No. 1 seed in Division II, Region 6. "I'm super pumped what the guys were able to come out and do and execute." The celebration was subdued after three scary injuries for Avon Lake. Standout sophomore receiver/defensive back Chris Gaulding sustained a shoulder injury in the first quarter trying to break up a pass and was taken to the hospital. Coach Matt Kostelnik didn't know the severity of the injury. In the fourth quarter, senior receiver Gabriel Smith Williams sustained a neck injury when he landed in the end zone trying to make a catch, was immobilized and taken to the hospital. Kostelnik said Smith Williams was "moving everything." The game, which featured a running clock in the second half, was called with 37 seconds left when Avon Lake sophomore Eduardo Granja stayed down at midfield with a neck injury. He eventually got up and joined the postgame team huddle. "Sending two kids to the hospital and almost a third … it sucks," Kostelnik said. Senior Mitchell Streeter was thrilled about his two early fumble recoveries that led to a 13-0 advantage less than 11 minutes into the game but was also processing the injuries. "It's actually really rough because those are like my two best friends," he said. "It really sucks. So I'm probably going to go visit them as soon as I can. Those are my dawgs." Streeter and the defense set the tone from the start. Waite, which finished 6-5 and is still looking for the first playoff win in school history, didn't stand a chance. Streeter recovered a fumble three plays into the game on the Waite 16-yard line. Two plays later the Shoremen were on top after a 7-yard run by Drake Rudnicki. Waite fumbled on its second possession, and Streeter got his second recovery, this time on the Waite 38-yard line. Dawson TenBrink completed a 16-yard pass to Gaulding on third-and-10, Thomas Rodkey lined up at quarterback and sneaked for 2 yards on fourth-and-1, TenBrink rushed for 5 yards on third-and-5 and Rodkey sneaked for a 1-yard score. "I've never even had a fumble recovery ever, man. That's my first time. It feels great," Streeter said. "Mason Ambrose, I think Levi Ventrice were the ones that forced the fumbles and I just saw the ball and I got it. "We came into the game thinking we had to start off strong. We had to just punch them in the mouth every single play. So those two plays probably set up the whole, entire game. So it feels good that I got to start off the game like that." The Shoremen scored in just about every way imaginable. Jacob Perry returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown, then had a 5-yard touchdown catch from TenBrink. Rodkey added another 1-yard touchdown. Andrew Good caught a punt blocked by Ambrose and went 10 yards for the score. Kyle Anderson finished the barrage with a school-record 51-yard field goal that was good by 5 yards. "Oh, I was hyped. I wanted that," said Anderson, who said his previous long was 39 or 40 yards. "We've been practicing that and I was ready for the moment. "I got all of it." Avon Lake's offensive statistics were modest because the defense kept giving it short fields. TenBrink went 11-for-14 passing for 119 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He didn't play in the second half. The Shoremen stuffed Waite on the ground early, prompted it to pass and made life miserable for quarterback Shayne Curns. He was under constant quick pressure and started throwing it up for grabs. The Shoremen had two interceptions to go with the two fumble recoveries -- all in the first half. Waite finished with 63 yards rushing, and 40 came on its final drive. It threw for 58 yards. "Our whole goal this week was zero points. Zero points allowed no matter what," Streeter said. The Shoremen went 3-7 last year to miss the playoffs, then started this year 0-3. "I'm really proud of our seniors. The way that they battled back and now to come out and get a home playoff game for the first time in a long time and win that game," Kostelnik said. Contact Scott Petrak at (440) 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @scottpetrak on X. Avon Lake 44, Toledo Waite 0 Toledo Waite&emsp;0&emsp;0&emsp;0&emsp;0&emsp;—&emsp;0 Avon Lake&emsp;13&emsp;28&emsp;3&emsp;0&emsp;—&emsp;44 Scoring AL — Drake Rudnicki, 7 run (Kyle Anderson kick) AL — Thomas Rodkey, 1 run (kick blocked) AL — Jacob Perry, 40 interception return (Anderson kick) AL — Perry, 5 pass from Dawson TenBrink (Anderson kick) AL — Rodkey, 1 run (Anderson kick) AL — Andrew Good, 10 blocked punt (Anderson kick) AL — Anderson, 51 field goal