Washington cracks under Avonworth’s pressure
IRWIN – For at least a few nights, the memory of Jax Miller will haunt their dreams and disrupt their sleep.
Miller, a 6-1, 183-pound senior tailback from Avonworth High School, had a dream game.
Miller carried a whopping 43 times for 291 yards and score on four one-yard runs to carry Avonworth to a 28-6 victory over Washington in the WPIAL Class 2A championship game on a cold Saturday at Norwin High School.
Avonworth, which moved to 14-0, advances to the PIAA semifinals to play District 10 champion Wilmington, which disposed of District 9 winner Ridgway-Johnsonburg, 45-27, at Slippery Rock Friday night, over Thanksgiving weekend.
Washington, the top seed and champion of the Century Conference, fell to 13-1 and saw its hopes for a second WPIAL championship in the past three seasons dissolve under the running of Miller.
Avonworth, the champion of the Allegheny Conference, won its first outright title in school history. The Antelopes tied Union, 13-13, in the 1959 Class 2A championship. Avonworth’s last trip to the finals came five years ago and ended with a loss to Clairton for the Class A title.
“We talked all year about building a foundation,” said Miller. “There is this building over in California and they only dug 50 feet into the ground for the foundation. Now, they have to redo the building and it’s going to cost like a billion dollars. One thing we tried to focus on was digging it 250 feet, setting a foundation for the other players.”
It wasn’t just Miller. Avonworth blew open huge holes along a Washington front line that was allowing an average of only 95 yards per game and permitted 200 or more rushing yards just twice during the season. Avonworth didn’t try to disguise what it wanted to do, running out of the wildcat formation for most of the game.
“We knew he was a special player,” said Wash High head coach Mike Bosnic of Miller. “What happened was we didn’t match their intensity and they pushed us around.”
It wasn’t just Avonworth’s offense that dominated. The Antelopes shut Washington down until the Antelopes’ reserves came in for the final four minutes. Quarterback Zack Swartz had 69 rushing yards on six carries, the last one a five-yard touchdown run with 1:20 to go. Until that series, Swartz had 13 carries for minus-10 yards.
“You saw what this win means to the fans. They are still here 20 minutes after the game,” said Avonworth head coach Duke Johncour. “It means a lot. Wash High has been here. They’ve won it. They’ve done it. It’s something special when it’s your first time.”
Washington finished with 152 total yards and gave up a touchdown in each quarter.
“Right now, (this loss) stings,” said Bosnic. “Any time you’re this far into the season, playing for a WPIAL championship, I’d call it a success, a great season.”
A steady diet of Miller gave Avonworth a 14-0 lead at halftime. A Swartz fumble, recovered by the Antelopes’ Ethan Syam, set the ball up at the 33-yard line. It took three plays for Miller to reach the end zone with 12 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The second score took longer, 10 plays, and covered more ground, 63 yards, for Avonworth to take a two-score lead. Miller went over from one yard.
Washington had its worst first half of the season, allowing Miller 157 yards on 21 carries. The Antelopes had 165 rushing yards and held Wash High to 37 total yards.
Notes
This was the first meeting between the teams. … The Prexies have made the postseason 10 times in Bosnic’s 11-year coaching tenure. … Swartz completed 5 of 12 passes for 32 yards.