By Rich Winter

605 Sports

VERMILLION — As the final seconds of the 9B championship game Thursday, Avon’s Aziah Meyer was hunched over on the field overcome with emotion. 

Meyer said the emotions coming out on the field were just pure happiness after the Pirates defeated Faulkton Area 32-30 to claim the Class 9B title. 

“It was a very satisfying moment after all the hard work and the grind this team put in,” Meyer said. “We’ve been pushing each other all season and every day in practice.” 

Meyer was given the Offensive Back award and had just been named the Joe Robbie award winner after rushing for 177 yards and a touchdown.

Avon fans have known about Meyer’s athletic prowess for years and those fans eagerly welcomed Meyer when he and his family moved back to Avon after spending time in Wyoming. 

While Meyer missed his friends in Avon he went to work during that stint in Wyoming.

“I got a lot faster and bigger while I was away and I lifted almost every day,” he said.

That lifting continued through the spring of 2023 and right on into football camp this fall. 

“The sky’s the limit for Aziah,” Justin Lukkes, Avon coach said. “We’ve all seen how good of an athlete he is and I think he can get better. You can always get better, my hope is he works hard at it all offseason.”

Meyer has two younger brothers on the Avon roster. Sophomore Al’shakmon Gunter is a 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds and Alvin Gunther is an eighth-grade reserve player. 

“It is great to have the whole family back,” Lukkes said. “Al does a great job for us on the defensive line and at linebacker.”

Despite missing the first game of the season Meyer finished with over 1,500 yards rushing and 34 touchdowns. 

The sports season is not even close to done for Meyer who also plays basketball and runs track for the Pirates. 

“He will be playing basketball coming up and he’s a decent athlete there. I am sure he is improving at that, because there were a couple of times I had to tell him to go home and quit shooting around after football practice,” Tukker said. “He loves his sports and that’s good, that’s what we need in a small town, you need athletes to put in the time.