PARMA, OHIO — There was no shortage of excitement down the stretch in Friday night’s battle of undefeated teams.
A fourth quarter Victor Dawson touchdown followed by a pair of interceptions by Kharion Davis in the final two minutes sealed a 28-14 win for Hoban.
Avon stumbled out of the gate, as a long field goal attempt missed wide right on their opening drive.
On the ensuing Hoban possession, the Knights marched down the field and scored on an 11-yard touchdown carry by Victor Dawson.
Friday Featured Game 🏈
*Division II State Semifinals*1Q | 1:13
Archbishop Hoban Knights – 7
Avon Eagles – 0An impressive drive for Hoban ends in an 11-yard TD run for Victor Dawson.@HobanAthletics @HobanFootball @avoneagles pic.twitter.com/HUS74oEZHc
— Northeast Ohio HS Sports (@NEOhsSports) November 14, 2020
After both teams exchanged several punts throughout the remainder of the half, Hoban was set up with great field position with just over a minute on the clock after forcing a turnover on downs.
This is when Rutgers commit Brayden Fox hauled in a touchdown pass from Shane Hamm to extend the Hoban lead to 14-0 heading into halftime.
Friday Featured Game 🏈
*Division II State Semifinals**Halftime*
Archbishop Hoban Knights – 14
Avon Eagles – 0Brayden Fox 😱 This TD catch by the Rutgers commit extends the Hoban lead in the closing seconds of the half.@HobanAthletics @HobanFootball @avoneagles pic.twitter.com/OzgHTcMuSg
— Northeast Ohio HS Sports (@NEOhsSports) November 14, 2020
Hoban held this lead until the 3:59 mark of the third quarter, when Avon broke their scoring drought with a touchdown pass from Niko Pappas to Tim Conwell.
Friday Featured Game 🏈
*Division II State Semifinals*3Q | 3:59
Archbishop Hoban Knights – 14
Avon Eagles – 7Avon is on the board! Pappas connects with Conwell for a big time touchdown.@HobanAthletics @HobanFootball @avoneagles pic.twitter.com/w1Wh9STkpO
— Northeast Ohio HS Sports (@NEOhsSports) November 14, 2020
Then early in the fourth quarter, Pappas scored on a 2-yard touchdown carry to even the score at 14-14.
On the sidelines, Hoban looked calm and collected. This experienced group has been in this situation before.
A quick drive ended in a Victor Dawson touchdown carry, his second of the night. This would put Hoban ahead 21-14 with 6:37 remaining.
In addition to his two touchdowns, Dawson finished the night with 110 yards on 17 carries.
Friday Featured Game 🏈
*Division II State Semifinals*4Q | 6:37
Archbishop Hoban Knights – 21
Avon Eagles – 14Hoban strikes back! Victor Dawson gets in for his 2nd TD of the night to give the Knights the lead.@HobanAthletics @HobanFootball @avoneagles pic.twitter.com/vFbRT27AYg
— Northeast Ohio HS Sports (@NEOhsSports) November 14, 2020
The dagger came with under two minutes in regulation. That’s when Kharion Davis returned a fourth down interception for a touchdown to give Hoban a 28-14 lead
Friday Featured Game 🏈
*Division II State Semifinals*4Q | 1:40
Archbishop Hoban Knights – 28
Avon Eagles – 14PICK 6 HOBAN!
Kharion Davis takes the interception to the house, and that could be the dagger.@HobanAthletics @HobanFootball @avoneagles pic.twitter.com/KZKRpu4sLR
— Northeast Ohio HS Sports (@NEOhsSports) November 14, 2020
Davis intercepted another desperation pass with seconds left, giving him two picks in the final two minutes.
It was a valiant effort for Avon (10-1), who fell one win short of the state championship for the fourth consecutive year. Three of those losses have come to Archbishop Hoban.
Hoban (10-0) will face Massillon Washington (10-1) in the Division II State Championship on Friday, November 20th at 7:00 pm.
The game will be played at Fortress Obetz, a multipurpose facility just south of Columbus.
All championship games are closed to the general public due to COVID-19 restrictions. 750 tickets will be available to each school to distribute to families of the athletes.
The meeting between Hoban and Massillon will be full of storylines. Massillon, who defeated Cincinnati La Salle 14-10 on Friday night, is seeking their first OHSAA state championship.
On the other side, Hoban looks to avenge their state semifinal loss to Massillon from last season. A championship this year for Hoban would be their fifth in six years.
___________
Hoban 7 7 0 14 28
Avon 0 0 7 7 14
John Doss
November 16, 2020 at 11:02 pm
Victor Dawson is so underrated. One the best running backs in the state. His stats are just as good as previous backs from Hoban.