Avon 37, Cincinnati Anderson 20
CANTON, Ohio - Blake Elder completed 12 of 18 passes for 216 yards and four touchdowns and Quiante Smith ran 31 times for 180 yards and a score to lead Avon to a 37-20 win over Cincinnati Anderson and its second straight Division II state championship.
Avon (14-1) is the first repeat Division II state champion since Akron Archbishop Hoban in 2017 and 2018. The Eagles have won 30 of 31 games over the past two seasons.
Anderson (14-1) was making its fourth championship game appearance. The Raptors have finished runner-up three times (2008, 2024, 2025) to go along with a Division II state title in 2007.
Elder’s four touchdown passes, all of which came in the first half, tied a Division II state championship game. His counterpart, Anderson’s Owen Scalf, set Division II championship game records for completions and passing yards; he finished 32 of 47 for 376 yards and two touchdowns.
Elder’s four first-half touchdown passes went to four different players and staked Avon to a 27-7 halftime lead.
After punting on the game’s opening possession, Elder threw touchdown passes on three straight drives to put Avon up 21-0. He threw a 15-yard TD pass to Finn Jerdonek, a 22-yarder to Caden Clapham and a 7-yarder to Caeden Bennett while Anderson punted and turned the ball over on downs three times on its first four drives.
Trailing 21-0, Scalf hooked up with Cooper Kathman on a 43-yard pass play and two plays later scored on a 1-yard plunge to cap a 7-play, 77-yard drive that took just 1:36 and got Anderson on the scoreboard.
Elder responded with his fourth touchdown pass of the half, 37 yards to Grant Barr, three minutes later to send Avon into halftime in front 27-7.
Anderson took the second half kickoff 80 yards in nine plays, with Scalf tossing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Brayden Martin on fourth-and-1. The point-after cut Avon’s lead to 27-13.
Anderson’s defense then forced a turnover on downs, but Avon’s Jairel Fenton made a diving interception of a Scalf pass on the ensuing possession and Quiante Smith score on a 6-yard run on fourth-and-1 and extend Avon’s lead to 34-13.
Scalf’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Tysin Weaver on the first play of the fourth quarter drew Anderson back within 34-20, but Avon answered with a 30-yard Jensen Petro field goal with 7:16 left that set the final margin, 37-20.
The teams combined for 827 yards of offense. Avon finished with 433 (217 rushing, 216 passing) while 376 of Anderson’s 394 yards came through the air.
Smith carried the ball 18 times for 119 yards in the second half alone. Elder’s 12 receptions were spread around to six different receivers.
Weaver was Scalf’s top target, tying a Division II championship game record with 11 catches. He finished with 125 yards and a score. Kathman caught seven passes for 114 yards for Anderson.