Letchworth senior Bucky Hendrickson (32) leads the team off the field following Friday night's 14-7 victory over Avon.

AVON — You know it must be an intense, physical game when Letchworth football coach Tim McMullen’s forehead is still covered with dry blood at the post-game interview from a congratulatory headbutt he gave one of his players in the first half of his Indians’ huge Livingston D-II match-up with Avon Friday.

But McMullen didn’t care — he was just happy to look on as his Indians proved once again that ‘Ironman’ football is alive and well with their thrilling come-from-behind 14-7 victory, spoiling the Braves’ homecoming party.

Both teams were unbeaten coming in as Avon entered the game ranked No. 3 in the state in Class D while Letchworth was 15th in Class C.

“This was just an old-fashioned Livingston Division Two, smashmouth football game,” said coach McMullen. “We don’t have a lot of kids (18), but the ones we have, are as tough as they come.”

The game wasn’t decided until the final 10 seconds as the Indians capped off a 10-play, 55-yard scoring drive with a Bucky Hendrickson 1-yard TD run.

The drive saw Letchworth sophomore Chris Nevinger pound his way for 28 yards on six carries. The drive was also aided by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty against Avon that put the ball deep in Avon territory.

“We made some mistakes out there that cost us,” said Avon coach Andy Englert. “We can’t make those types of mistakes against a team like Letchworth. They made us pay for them tonight.”

The game started out like a chess match with each team trying to jockey for field position.

Late in the first, Letchworth’s defense came up with a huge stop on a fake punt on fourth and two at midfield as Seamus Donegan was stopped a yard short by the aggressive Indians’ defense.

Avon had been averaging more than 50 points a game in their previous three wins but it took the Braves nearly a quarter and a half to finally get their offense clicking as they took over at their own 13 with just over nine minutes left in the first half and put together a well-executed 12-play, 87-yard scoring drive that saw the Braves excite the home crowd by converting two third-and-long plays.

Facing a third-and-14, junior quarterback James Stanton would drop back and find Patrick Campbell for a 29-yard reception.

Then, after the Braves moved deep into Letchworth territory, back-to-back sacks would force them into a third and goal at the 22.

No problem.

Stanton would drop back and this time hit senior wideout Patrick Hayes for a 22-yard TD pass that put the green and white up 7-0 following Garret Kesel’s PAT with 3:45 left in the half.

Avon led 7-0 at the break.

But Letchworth didn’t waste any time getting their engines started in the second half as Karter Button lit the spark with a 50-yard kick-off return that put the ball at the Avon 32.

Eight plays later Letchworth finally put one through as the senior Hendrickson plowed through for a 5-yard TD run that made it 7-7 after Ryan Owens’ PAT kick sailed through with 7:36 left in the third.

Letchworth’s defense, led by Brandon Maines, Ric Stone and David Woolley, would come up big on Avon’s ensuing series as they would stop the Braves’ top running back Richie Welch on a fourth and one call at the Indians’ 30.

Maines led Letchworth with 10 tackles and one sack while Woolley added nine tackles. Stone and Nevinger chipped in with seven stops apiece.

Nevinger added 65 tough yards of rushing on 16 touches while Owens, the sophomore quarterback, went for 21 yards on 14 carries. He was 4-of-7 passing for 33 yards.

Hendrickson finished with 30 yards on seven carries with two TD’s.

“I am very proud of this group of kids — they worked their tails off tonight and showed a lot of heart out there,” said coach McMullen. “This is a very tight-knit group — a very unselfish group.”

The Letchworth defense limited Welch to just 51 yards on 13 carries. The Avon junior had been averaging nearly 12 yards a carry.

Avon senior wideout Garrett Kesel was held to just three receptions for 32 yards.

Stanton finished 10-of-16 passing for 158 yards and one TD. He ran for 30 yards on 10 carries.

Welch led Avon with 14 tackles while Pat Teta had 10 tackles and one sack.

“We knew we could stop them up the middle,” said Nevinger. “We thought going in that we were the more physical team. This was definitely a hard-hitting game.”

The victory for Letchworth (4-0) gave them the LCAA D-II title outright. They only have one divisional game left (Warsaw) and have already beaten Cal-Mum (3-1) and Avon (3-1).

“I am very happy for the kids,” said coach McMullen. “This is always a tough division. But there’s still plenty of games left and we’d like to make a sectional run.”

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