THE ECHO

The Orioles trailed 22-7 with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter against Decatur Central, last year’s 5A champions, on Aug. 22.

A 25-yard Shawn Curry touchdown reception and a 72-yard pass from quarterback Jace Cameron to Curry on fourth down cut the deficit to 22-20. Running back (and linebacker) Bryce Reynolds rushed in the two-point conversion, completing the comeback.

In overtime, another Cameron-to-Curry connection gave the Orioles the lead, and a successful two-point conversion catch by tight end Rayvon Martin put Avon in the driver’s seat. Decatur scored on their overtime possession but the Oriole defense held strong, preventing the two-point conversion attempt, ending the game in a 30-28 victory for Avon.

Cameron finished the game with 14 completions on 24 attempts for 166 yards and three touchdowns. Ashton Carter led the Orioles with 86 rushing yards, including an 83-yard touchdown. Curry led the way with 103 receiving yards and three touchdowns. TJ Stewart also made an impact, with five receptions for 39 yards.

On defense, Silas Cross led the team in tackles, with 16, including two tackles for loss. Reynolds added 13 and Eli Exline tallied 11. Jalen Ferrell and Branden Love each had a sack on the Decatur quarterback. TJ Stewart finished with an interception.

Avon moved from unranked to 10th place in the Coaches Poll after the victory. The Orioles travel to Ben Davis to face off against the No. 8 ranked Giants on Aug. 29. Ben Davis lost 8-0 to 5A No. 1 Cathedral in their Week 1 matchup.

Photo by Nikola Meissner