Josh Hartman | Managing Editor
Another school year has started, which means another football season just days away from kick off! Football teams throughout the state will take the field on Friday, August 20th to kick off their seasons, and Avon is no exception. The journey to State begins at home against the Lawrence North Wildcats. Going into his 12th year of coaching, head coach Mark Bless has been getting his team prepared for the start of the season.
“It’s cliché, but we take it one week at a time,” Bless said. “Opening up the season [this] Friday will be special.”
One of Bless’ favorite parts of coaching are the bonds he forms with his players and getting to watch them grow.
“Watching teams develop, from week one to the playoffs, watching players develop, from freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors; I think that’s the most gratifying thing,” Bless said.
Bless highlighted a few key players who have worked extremely hard to prepare for the season.
“I would say Daniel Norocea,” Bless said. “[He] had a great off-season, and not only has he pushed himself to work hard but he has pushed others to work hard.”
According to Bless, getting back into the swing of things is something the team is ready for, even though gamedays can be hectic.
“We’ve got assistant coaches and coordinators that do a lot of game planning nowadays, so I don’t do that,” Bless said. “[I] just make sure all the coaches and all the players have everything they need to be successful.”
Bless acknowledged how many players came out for the team this year; it was the most in multiple years.
“This year, we have over 100 sophomores through seniors. So, I think the program is back on an upswing,” Bless said.
The Avon Echo 
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