AVON — Football truly is a game of inches and that was proven on Friday night. Lafayette Harrison tailback Bowdie Linsenmeyer was tackled at the 1-yard line on a two-point conversion to end the Avon’s 26-25 overtime victory over the visiting Raiders.
Playing without injured star players on each side of the ball — tailback Taje High and defensive end Montez Robinson — the Orioles were able to defeat their Hoosier Crossroads Conference rival.
“You’ve got to play with who you have,” Avon coach Dave Shelbourne said. “We always tell the kids they’ve got to be ready to play. I’m proud of our effort.”
The Orioles blew out the Raiders 31-2 in last season’s match-up in Lafayette.
“There isn’t much of a doubt that Harrison is a much improved team,” Shelbourne said.
Avon (2-1) got off to a quick start when High’s replacement — sophomore Darren Oliver — scampered 64 yards on the third play from scrimmage. Despite a missed extra point, the long run gave the Orioles a 6-0 lead just over a minute into the game.
However, the Raiders (1-2) responded to the score with a 10-play drive that covered 70 yards and resulted in a 20-yard field goal.
Midway through the second quarter, the Orioles struck again. Fullback Pat Serak’s 1-yard touchdown plunge gave Avon a 12-3 lead going into halftime.
With 1:31 remaining in the third quarter, Oliver scored again, this time on a 4-yard run, to give the Orioles a 19-3 advantage.
However, the Raiders were not ready to give up. With 5:14 remaining in the game, Harrison quarterback T.K. Rock hit Levi Armstrong for a 13-yard touchdown strike. Linsenmeyer converted on the two-point conversion to make it a one-score game — 19-11.
With 1:21 remaining, and their backs against their own goal posts, Rock hit Corey Shandrick for a 68-yard touchdown. Armstrong converted the two-point conversion to tie the game and take it to overtime.
The Orioles drew first blood in the extra session with a 2-yard touchdown by Oliver.
The Raiders responded with an 18-yard touchdown strike from Rock to Shandrick. After deciding to go for the two-point conversion and the win, Linsenmeyer was tackled at the 1-yard line and the Orioles escaped with the victory.
Oliver rushed 15 times for 116 yards and three touchdowns, while fellow sophomore Malcolm Jones rushed for 61 yards on nine carries. Shelbourne is impressed with the Orioles’ depth at the running back position, particularly the emergence of the sophomore class.
Quarterback Jake Harris completed 17-of-28 passes for 174 yards. Nine of those passes went to senior receiver Darvon Blackmon for 100 yards.
“Jake and Darvon began to work well together at the end of last season,” Shelbourne said. “They now have a lot of chemistry.”
Linsenmeyer totaled 162 yards on 25 carries for Harrison, while Rock completed 9-of-15 passes for 172 yard and three touchdowns.
Shelbourne hopes to have his pair of standouts back next Friday when the Orioles travel to battle Fishers. He said that the pair will be evaluated in the upcoming days.
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Related Photos
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Avon’s Landon White (33) starts to celebrate after teammate Jeff Urch (82) stopped a Harrison two-point conversion attempt in overtime, sealing the win for the Orioles. / Photo by Dorian McDaniel Dorian McDaniel
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