Defending State Champion Avon Opens 2026 Against St. Ignatius at Browns Stadium

Avon will waste little time testing itself at the start of the 2026 Ohio high school football season.

The two-time defending Division II state champions open the season against St. Ignatius at Huntington Bank Field, home of the Cleveland Browns, before hosting Pennsylvania power Pine-Richland the following week.

The Holy War

The contest with St. Ignatius is developing into an annual rivalry ritual, already earning the tile of "Holy War." The game, which has seen crowds exceeding 20,000 fans, draws statewide television coverage while creating a NFL-style experience for both schools. The stadium has also become home to numerous Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) state football playoff games and other showcase contests featuring Northeast Ohio high school football powers.

Avon dominated the last two seasons, with wins of 40-14 and 42-21.

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— Coach Elder (@coach_elderm) May 20, 2026

Pine-Richland Offers a Major Challenge

In Pine-Richland, the Eagles will face a program coming off of an 11-2 season. The Rams advanced to the second round of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class 5A playoffs and won 10 straight games at one stretch of the season.

The contest will be Avon's home opener. In last year's home opener, the Eagles also hosted an out-of-state visitor and suffered their only loss of the season, following to Florida's Spruce Creek, 25-22. From there, Avon rolled off 13 consecutive victories to claim its second straight state crown. In those 13 wins, Avon averaged 41.6 points per game.

The Eagles Have 30 Wins and Two State Titles Since 2024

The Eagles followed a 16-0 campaign in 2024 by going 14-1 last season while winning their second straight OHSAA Division II state title with a 37-20 win over Anderson.

Avon finished the 2025 season ranked No. 4 in the final High School On SI Ohio Power 25.

The Eagles other home opponents in 2026 include North Ridgeville, Berea-Midpark, Amherst and Elyria in the regular season finale on Oct. 23. The rest of Avon's road slate includes visits to Upper Arlington, Olmsted Falls, Midview and Avon Lake.

Below is Avon’s schedule for 2026.

(All games on Friday unless noted; All games at 7:00 pm unless noted)

2026 Avon Football Schedule

Aug. 21: vs. St. Ignatius (at Cleveland Browns Stadium)

Aug. 28: vs. Pine-Richland (Pennsylvania)

Sept. 4: at Upper Arlington

Sept. 11: vs. North Ridgeville

Sept. 18: at Olmsted Falls

Sept. 25: vs. Berea-Midpark

Oct. 2: at Midview

Oct. 9: vs. Amherst

Oct. 16: at Avon Lake

Oct. 23: vs. Elyria

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