What Anderson’s Stunning State Final Defeat Reveals About Their Unfinished Journey

In a tough pill to swallow, Anderson came up short against Avon once again, falling behind by 21 points that ultimately proved insurmountable in the OHSAA Division II state football championship. The Raptors’ hard-fought 14-1 season closed out with a 37-20 loss on December 4 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton — the same place their quest ended last year. Avon, matching that 14-1 record, jumped ahead early, rolling to a 21-0 lead by the second quarter and managing to fend off multiple spirited Anderson rallies. While the Raptors showed flashes of brilliance, Avon’s resilience and depth kept answering every surge, leaving Anderson coach Evan Dreyer reflecting on the margins that matter and the unfinished business ahead. The story here is about more than a scoreboard; it’s about a program on the cusp, learning painful but necessary lessons in pursuit of elite status. LEARN MORE.

CANTON, Ohio – A 21-point deficit was too much to overcome as Anderson fell to Avon for the second consecutive year in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II state football championship.

Anderson fell 37-20 to Avon Dec. 4 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Anderson finished the season 14-1, ending its season in Canton for the second straight year. Avon finished 14-1. Avon led 21-0 early in the second quarter and held off the Raptors from there. The Raptors had their chances to make a comeback, but the Eagles had an answer each time.

“Avon’s a really good football team,” Anderson head coach Evan Dreyer said. “One of those things where we just play from behind and we didn’t create opportunities for ourselves, but I think we learned our lessons from those guys. We have to do more physically at the line of scrimmage.”

Anderson went to the Final Four for the third year in a row after losing to Massillon Washington in the 2023 semifinals.

“That’s one of those cool things where I think in the last 45 games, we are 42 and 3,” Dreyer said. “Our losses have been teams from Northeast Ohio. So we have to really understand what we’re trying to do and how we’re going to get to be an elite program. This is just the beginning, and I love the fact that our program is going to keep growing. But these guys have laid the foundation of what our expectations are in the offseason and what our commitment level has to be in the summer. So we’re right there, and we’re on the cusp of something special.”

Anderson's Mark Madden (2) runs back to kickoff during the OHSAA Division II state championship game between Anderson and Avon on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. — Anderson’s Mark Madden (2) runs back to kickoff during the OHSAA Division II state championship game between Anderson and Avon on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.

Three keys to Anderson’s state final loss to Avon

Avon defensive pressure: The Eagles sacked Owen Scalf four times in the first half and five for the game. Two of them were on fourth down with the Raptors in Avon territory hoping for a crucial score. The last one of the first half came on third-and-8 from the Avon 27 in the final minute of the half. Scalf was sacked for a 2-yard loss, then on fourth-and-10, he tried to scramble and was chased down by Avon star linebacker Ryan Stolarski.

UC Bearcats commit Lance Dawson had one of the sacks.

Avon had a lot of depth and rotated a lot of players in, which helped counteract Anderson’s no-huddle attack.

“We knew they were gonna run a lot of empty (backfield) and having Lance in there and some really good defensive players, we knew we were gonna get to the quarterback, and that would be a big factor to win in this game,” Stolarski said. “So I’m just proud of our defensive line for that.”

The line shut down Anderson’s running game. On 12 rushing plays in the first half, Anderson gained six yards.

Anderson linebacker Brady Kuhn (9) lines up during their OHSAA Division II state championship game in Canton, Ohio, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.

“(Dawson’s) going to UC, and then they throw in a bunch of other guys,” Dreyer said. “(Stolarski) is a phenomenal linebacker. So I think the biggest thing was trying to get them in space. We thought we had an advantage if we just got the ball out and let our athletes play against those guys, and they did a really good job at open field tackling.”

Avon pressured Scalf into a rushed incompletion on fourth and goal from the 6 with 4:55 to go and Anderson trailing 37-20.

“Cincinnati Anderson is a unique offense; they’re really talented,” Avon head coach Mike Elder said. “They score points in bunches, and they can swarm fast. We have the best defensive coordinator in the state of Ohio. He’s a big reason that we have an opportunity to win state championships, and I could not be more proud of our defense. To hold that team to 20 points is a monumental, monumental effort.”

Anderson head coach Evan Dreyer leads his team on the field before their OHSAA Division II state championship game in Canton, Ohio, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.

Early mistake on special teams: The Raptors handed the Eagles an early touchdown when on fourth-and-4 from their 40, Avon recovered a bad shotgun snap at the Raptors’ 17. Avon scored its first TD in two plays after that. That play counted as a 23-yard loss in the rushing statistics.

Anderson couldn’t stop Avon’s diverse offense: Anderson came in on offense with four players having 70 or more catches. But it was the Avon offense that showed off its versatility in the first half.

Senior quarterback Blake Elder, the son of head coach Mike Elder, was 9-of-13 in the first half for 176 yards, and finished the game with 216 yards. Four of those completions went for touchdowns to four different Eagles: Finn Jerdonek, Grant Barr, Caden Clapham and Caeden Bennett. Jerdonek had four catches for 45 yards. Barr had catches of 37 and 24 yards on Avon’s fourth touchdown drive after Anderson cut the lead to 21-7. The first catch was from 24 on third-and-17. Cam Wendell had a 41-yard gain on a short screen pass.

Anderson head coach Evan Dreyer reacts during the OHSAA Division II state championship game between Anderson and Avon on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.

Dreyer said the Raptors never got enough pressure on Elder.

“He’s a really, really good player,” Dreyer said. “The o-line, gave him great protection. Our one safety was injured throughout the first quarter. He’s really, really good. And he sees defenses really well, and we couldn’t disguise it. So we had to play vanilla, and he took advantage of it, for sure.”

Anderson fans cheer on the Raptors during the OHSAA Division II state championship game between Anderson and Avon on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.

On the ground, Quiante Smith had 13 carries for 61 yards in the first half and controlled the game in the second half with the lead, finishing the game with 31 carries for 180 yards.

Key Anderson statistics

Owen Scalf was 19-of-27 passing for 219 yards for the Raptors, but was hurt by the four sacks.

Anderson's Tysin Weaver (1) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the OHSAA Division II state championship game between Anderson and Avon on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. — Anderson’s Tysin Weaver (1) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the OHSAA Division II state championship game between Anderson and Avon on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.

Tysin Weaver had six catches for 46 yards in the first half. Cooper Kathman had five for 70, including a 43-yarder to set up the Raptors’ first touchdown. Tegan Jallick had four catches for 64 yards.

Weaver finished with 11 catches for 125 yards, Kathman had seven for 114 and Jallick, six for 87. Mark Madden led the defense with 11 tackles and had a 57-yard kickoff return.

Owen Scalf sets passing marks

Anderson junior quarterback Owen Scalf completed 32-of-47 passes for 376 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for 38 and a score.

Anderson's Owen Scalf (8) celebrates during the OHSAA Division II state championship game between Anderson and Avon on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. — Anderson’s Owen Scalf (8) celebrates during the OHSAA Division II state championship game between Anderson and Avon on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.

He broke the state record for passing yards in a Division II state final, which was 333 by Alex Pidcock of Sylvania Southview against Anderson in Anderson’s 2008 state final loss. The completions and attempts are also Division II championship game records. Tysin Weaver’s 11 receptions tie a Division II finals mark.

Unofficially, Scalf had 4,960 yards for the season, with 41 touchdowns. The yardage is ninth all-time in state history, pending other numbers from around Ohio this season. He passed Kings’ Will Kocher (4,741 yards, 2022) for second place in Southwest Ohio history, behind Western Brown’s Drew Novak, who had 5,269 in 2021. Scalf finished one off Justice Burnam’s school record of 42 touchdown passes in a season.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Anderson vs. Avon, OHSAA Division II state football final