By PAUL GOTHAM
AVON, N.Y. — Josh Harter and Trevor Stroud have made a name for themselves on the hardwood over the past few years.
The teammates and cousins have set records and helped the Avon Braves to two regional appearances in three years.
Harter holds the Section V record for 3-pointers made in a game with 14. Stroud poured in 25 points last March to help clinch a spot in the state quarterfinal.
Those are just a couple examples.
On Wednesday night, the duo showed once again that those skills extend beyond the basketball court and on to the pitch.
Harter and Stroud scored a goal apiece as No. 5 Avon defeated No. 12 Bishop Kearney/Chesterton Academy, 2-0 in Section V Class B Boys’ Soccer action.
“It feels good to advance to the next round,” said Stroud who netted his team-leading ninth goal of the season in the seventh minute to provide all the offense needed. “We’ve been working hard all week.”
That Harter set up the goal should come as no surprise. The two backcourt mates on the basketball team have been feeding each other since they were in elementary school.
Harter’s assist was his fifth of the season – another team-high.
“We play well off each other,” Harter said.
That’s an understatement.
Avon finished the night with a 15-6 advantage in shots on goal. The duo combined for more than half of those attempts on frame. When they weren’t peppering shots at the Kearney/Chesterton goal, Harter and Stroud were finding angles and seams in the defense to send each other into the open field.
“We got a lot of opportunities,” Stroud said. “We’re always trying to find each other because we know where we’re going to be. We practice those runs all the time.”
Stroud didn’t directly factor into Harter’s goal.
That fact doesn’t take away from the effort.
Harter took a pass from Ryan Weslowski inside the 18-yard box and with a couple touches turned and placed the ball in the opposite side netting.
“It was all because of Ryan,” Harter said. “He made a really good effort to win the ball and then cross it in. It was kind of a lucky shot. I had it and swung. It was a good turn, but really it was all him. He had a great effort. Without him, I’m not scoring that goal or getting that shot off.”
Class B 61’ Josh Harter with a beauty of a goal. If this was the hardwood, that was a turnaround jumper on the block. @avon_central 2 @BKHS_Sports 0 pic.twitter.com/T4AiWC04PS
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 23, 2024
Jack DeVito made light work of the six saves needed for his 10th shutout of the season.
This despite Avon playing without Brody McDowell. The senior center back sat out the contest because of a red card received in the Riverhawks final regular season match when he knocked away a shot heading toward an open goal with his hand.
Outside back Ryan Hillman moved into the middle third, and sophomore Josh Polland stepped into the backline for his first varsity start.
“It was definitely weird,” McDowell said. “This was the first game that I sat out in two years. I was doing the best I could to help them (from the sidelines), but it was definitely weird.”
Avon’s defensive swarmed opposing ballhandlers throughout the contest and did not allow an open looks in the final third of the field.
“This was devoted to him,” Avon head Tony Patti said of McDowell. “He’s our best player. To go into this game without him was tough. That was against a very talented Kearney team. They have a lot of speed and a lot of capable players.”
Avon (10-6-1) will play No. 4 Dansville in the quarterfinals. A 6 p.m. kickoff is scheduled for Saturday.
“Willing to give anything we can to win; that’s our motto,” said Harter looking ahead to Saturday’s game. “Play for each other.”
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