The Fishers Tigers traveled to Avon on Friday night for an Indiana high school Hoosier Crossroads Conference battle falling to the Orioles, 36–26. Fishers’ defense delivered a strong second half, allowing no offensive points as Avon’s only score after halftime came on a late pick‑six.

Offensively, freshman quarterback Roman Wessel powered the Tigers with a standout performance, throwing for 439 yards and four touchdowns. His top targets were Max Hopkins (13 catches, 158 yards, 1 TD), Keegan Gates (10 catches, 2 TDs, over 100 yards), and Hayden Skelton (8 catches, 86 yards, 1 TD).

Avon opened the game with a big run on the second play. A tackle for loss from Cullen Wolf helped limit the drive to a 32-yard field goal. Wessel connected with Girton for 32 yards on the opening drive. Gates then caught a middle-pass TD to give Fishers a 6–3 edge. Avon answered with an 85-yard keeper for a touchdown. Fishers countered again, highlighted by a 19-yard catch from Skelton. Wessel then connected with Gates from three yards out to reclaim a 12–9 advantage.

The Orioles closed a high‑scoring first quarter with a long touchdown pass to move back in front. Early in the second quarter, Fishers appeared to score on a touchdown reception, but a penalty wiped it out. Two more penalties pushed the Tigers deep into their own territory, forcing a punt. Graham Stout pinned Avon at their 13 with a well-placed punt. The defense rose to the challenge. A tackle for loss by Wolf produced another punt from the end zone. A long Avon punt reversed field position, and after two strong completions to Hopkins, Fishers’ fourth‑down pass was intercepted. Avon capitalized with two more touchdown passes before halftime, extending its lead to 29–12.

Fishers opened the second half with a promising drive. A penalty stalled it, but the defense quickly swung momentum as Jayden Bogan recovered a fumble at midfield. The Tigers converted a fourth down by drawing Avon offsides. Wessel soon found Hopkins for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 29–19.

Avon drove deep into Fishers territory, but a pass deflected off a receiver’s helmet. However, Bogan secured his second turnover of the night, an interception. Fishers marched down the field again, including a clutch fourth‑down completion to Donovan Proll, but Avon intercepted a pass at the goal line to halt the drive.

The Orioles drained clock on the ground until Drew Spicer broke up a third‑down pass, giving Fishers possession with under four minutes remaining. Wessel then hit Skelton along the sideline for a 9‑yard touchdown, pulling the Tigers within 29–26 with under two minutes left. Fishers crossed midfield on the final drive, and an apparent holding call erased a potential touchdown, setting up fourth and long. Avon intercepted the fourth‑down pass and returned it for a pick‑six, sealing the 36–26 final.

Article by Matt Poisel