Nov 23, 2019 3 min read

IRWIN – The whistle had blown and a punch was thrown by a Washington player after a kickoff with a little more than four minutes left in regulation.

That was about all the fight – albeit a split-second lapse in judgment that led to a penalty and ejection – top-seeded Washington showed Saturday afternoon.

“We didn’t match their intensity,” said Washington coach Mike Bosnic. “They pushed us around and were more physical than us. We didn’t attack. We were too hesitant. We let them bring it to us.”

Second-seeded Avonworth brought it all day long to push, pummel and pound the Prexies, 28-6, in the WPIAL Class 2A championship game at Norwin High School.

It was a rude awakening for Washington, which had won all season with its size, speed and skill. The Antelopes were just as big, looked twice as fast and diminished any skill advantage the Prexies thought they might have had.

Avonworth running back Jax Miller ran 43 times for 291 yards and four one-yard touchdowns. Miller did most of his damage out of the wildcat formation behind an offensive line that paved the way for a big performance.

“(Washington) is big. We are big, also. We have 310-, 280- and 280- (pound linemen),” Avonworth coach Duke Johncour said. “We matched even for even on the line of scrimmage. It was just going to be who wanted it more. That’s what it was about today.”

The only thing Washington (13-1) wanted was a longer halftime and more media timeouts.

Those struggles weren’t limited to the defensive side of the ball for the Prexies. Outside of a 69-yard final drive that resulted in their only score, and the 103 yards they amassed in the fourth quarter, the Prexies were limited to just 49 yards of total offense. Avonworth prevented them from crossing midfield until 2:16 left in the third quarter. The deepest Washington advanced the ball prior to its final drive was the Avonworth 49-yard line.

“We knew they could throw the ball and have some receivers,” Johncour said. “Stop their running game was first and foremost. Then defend the pass on third-and-long and control the line of scrimmage and run the football. That was our mentality. Our kids executed it well.”

The Antelopes went to a two-deep safety look after getting a lead, protecting against getting beat on a big play.

Washington had only four plays of more than 10 yards, while Avonworth had 14.

“They got the best of us up front,” Bosnic said. “That was the No. 1 key, the biggest factor. They made it really hard for us.

“The problem is I don’t know how consistent we’ve really been all year. One of our biggest issues we have had is being consistent, playing four quarters. It’s something we stressed with the guys every day. We worked on trying to stay focused. Unfortunately, we got pushed around. That was a little bit unexpected.”

Staff writer Luke Campbell can be reached at lcampbell@observer-reporter.com.