INDIANAPOLIS — Sometimes, statistics don’t tell the whole story.
In Friday night’s football season opener at Lucas Oil Stadium, Columbus North outgained Avon 262-217, had 13 first downs to the Orioles five and allowed only one lengthy touchdown drive all night.
The scoreboard told a different story, however, and it wasn’t pretty for the Bull Dogs. Class 6A No. 5 Avon jumped out to a 41-0 halftime lead and went on to hand North a 48-14 defeat.
“Unfortunately, this happens once in awhile where you’re down big at halftime,” North coach Tim Bless said. “We acknowledge the moral victory stink, but it’s the world that we’re in, in this circumstance, and that’s what we can do. We can come out and play better in the second half, and I was proud of our kids for doing that.”
Bless was coaching against his oldest brother Mark for the first time as a head coach. Mark’s son Tyler was coaching his first game as an assistant for his uncle at North.
The elder Bless, whose team took advantage of four turnovers and a blocked punt, showed tremendous restraint after his team built the halftime lead. The Orioles played their backups and did not throw the ball in the second half, which was played with a running clock under the IHSAA’s new mercy rule.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” Mark Bless said. “It’s difficult all week, really, and I’m sure it was for him, too, because there’s a lot of respect and a lot of love between the programs. Our coaching staff knows their coaching staff real well. The players work together in the summer. It was a difficult feel, but I was proud of our kids for the way they handled the battle and the game.”
After Avon put together it’s lone touchdown drive of the night on the game’s opening series, the Bull Dogs were primed to answer. Tight end Mitchel Collier caught a lateral pass and threw to Blake Huffman for 38 yards to put North at the Orioles 26. But on third-and-6 from the Avon 22, quarterback Hunter Huser was hit in the backfield, and Clayton Peters picked up a fumble and returned it 76 yards for a score.
Then, on the Bull Dogs’ second play, Antwain Wade intercepted a pass and returned it to the North 19. The Orioles needed only three plays to reach the end zone again and go ahead 21-0.
North drove to midfield, and had to punt and looked like it would pin Avon deep in its own territory. Tyler Anderson fielded the punt at the 10, eluded a couple of tacklers and returned it 78 yards to the Bull Dogs 12. The North defense held, though, and forced a 25-yard field goal by Nick Bandy.
After the Bull Dogs had to punt again, the Orioles needed only one play to score again. Chrishon McCray ran 62 yards, and Avon led 31-0.
A blocked punt then set up the Orioles at the North 10. Avon again needed just one play, with Henry Hesson throwing his third touchdown pass of the first half.
Following another interception, the Orioles settled for a 28-yard Bandy field goal with 26 seconds left in the first half.
“Through that, we just had momentum, and when momentum is hitting your team, and the ball is rolling your way, there’s some energy on our sidelines and out on the field,” Mark Bless said. “I thought we executed pretty well, but due to some of their errors, it kind of gave us momentum.”
The Bull Dog mistakes continued in the third quarter. They were driving at the Avon 14, but fumbled, and the Orioles’ Austin Mayo returned it 71 yards for a score and a 48-0 lead.
“When you’re playing a team that’s athletically superior to you, you have to be perfect with the football, and we were far from it tonight,” Tim Bless said. “Fortunately, (there were) some glimmers in the second half that we need to build upon and move forward.”
Those glimmers came when the Bull Dogs outscored Avon 14-0 over the final 18 minutes. First, Huffman ran 52 yards for a score to put North on the board.
After a three-and-out, North’s Royce Lofton blocked a punt, setting the Bull Dogs up at the Avon 2. From there, backup quarterback Luke Hammons snuck it in.
North got the ball back and put together another drive that ended when time ran out with the ball at the Orioles 7.
Huffman finished with 126 yards on 24 carries. Huser was 1-of-6 passing for six yards, and Hammons was 2 of 5 for 23 yards through the air.
North has a week to regroup before playing another ranked team when they visit 6A No. 10 Columbus East.
“Obviously, we have to go back and look at the film and evaluate our personnel and evaluate our coaching and try to be a better football team Week 2 than we were Week 1,” Tim Bless said.
Avon 48, Columbus North 14
Columbus North;0;0;7;7;—;14
Avon;21;20;7;0;—;48
A—Jalen Love 10 pass from Henry Hesson (Nick Bandy kick), 9:52.
A—Clayton Peters 76 fumble return (Bandy kick), 6:47.
A—Remington Gall 8 pass from Hesson (Bandy kick), 4:37.
A—Bandy 25 FG, 11:15.
A—Chrishon McCray 62 run (Bandy kick), 7:30.
A—Derrick Shaw 10 pass from Hesson (Bandy kick), 6:04
A—Bandy 28 FG, :26
A—Austin Mayo 71 fumble return (Bandy kick), 6:11.
CN—Blake Huffman 52 run (Carter Ward kick), 2:44.
CN—Luke Hammons 2 run (Ward kick), 6:33.
Individual statistics
RUSHING — Columbus North: Huffman 24-126, Connor Essick 2-26, Giovanni Alejandro 3-25, Hunter Huser 5-19, Hammons 3-13, Daveed Jolley 1-(-14). Avon: McCray 2-70, Love 7-35, Blake Fincher 3-8, Hesson 1-6, Caden Madding 2-0, JD Sherrod 1-(-3).
PASSING — Columbus North: Mitchel Collier 1 for 1, 38 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions; Hammons 2-5-23-0-0, Huser 1-6-6-0-2. Avon: Hesson 7-9-101-3-0.
RECEIVING — Columbus North: Huffman 1-38, Reed Duncan 1-18, Alejandro 1-6, Charlie Winick 1-5. Avon: Carmelo Mitchell 2-36, Gall 2-31, Tyce Ferrell 1-14, Love 1-10, Shaw 1-10.
