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Hitchcock-Tulare blanks Avon in top-five Class 9B tilt
Hitchcock-Tulare's Erik Salmen (45) breaks a tackle against Avon on Friday in Tulare.
(Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

Hitchcock-Tulare blanks Avon in top-five Class 9B tilt

Sep 16, 2022
  

By Ryan Deal

605 Sports

TULARE — On a pristine afternoon for football, Hitchcock-Tulare played to near perfection in a Class 9B showdown. 

The No. 2 Patriots blanked No. 4 Avon, 52-0, in a Friday afternoon matinee contest featuring a pair of Class 9B contenders. But unlike last year’s 30-28 Avon victory, this one featured little drama and was over at halftime. 

“It was a team effort and everybody did their job,” said Hitchcock-Tulare running back Erik Salmen, who had 149 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. “We wanted to come out firing.” 

The Patriots (5-0) were firing on all cylinders and in all three phases. Hitchcock-Tulare piled up 331 total yards — 175 rushing and 156 passing. The Patriots scored on all seven possessions and hit their season average for points per game (51.8). 

Defensively, Hitchcock-Tulare pitched their third shutout of the season, held Avon to a season-low 63 total yards and forced two turnovers. It was Avon’s first time being shutout in 23 games. 

On special teams, Landon Puffer scored on a 70-yard punt return and Hitchcock-Tulare didn’t punt all game. 

“This was a full game,” said Hitchcock-Tulare coach Tom Salmen, who is Erik’s father. “We have been waiting for this all year. The four games we had so far, it just wasn’t us, and this was us. So I am excited to see it and it was a perfect day to bring it out.”


The Pirates (3-2) went three and out on the game’s opening possession. Hitchcock-Tulare struck early to set the tone for the afternoon.

Salmen, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound bowling ball, scored Hitchcock-Tulare’s first touchdown on an 18-yard reception from Carter Binger. Salmen caught a pass in the backfield, broke a host of tackles and plowed his way into the end zone. 

Hitchcock-Tulare’s Landon Puffer intercepted Avon’s Paxton Bierema on the next drive, which set up another scoring drive. It was again Salmen, who strolled into the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown run. Puffer’s punt return for a touchdown made it 22-0 with four minutes left in the first quarter. 

Avon's Cade Faulkner carries the ball as Hitchcock-Tulare's Erik Salmen moves in for a tackle on Friday in Tulare. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

The Pirates found their offensive footing on the next drive, but the Patriots pounced on a fumble and it set up a Salmen 10-yard touchdown run. Puffer added back-to-back touchdown receptions from Binger and Riley Fliehe’s one-yard touchdown run reached the final margin late in the second half. 

Binger threw for 176 yards and three touchdown passes, while Puffer had 109 receiving yards on five catches and two touchdown receptions. 

Avon came into the game averaging 33.5 points per game and 320.5 yards per game, including 294 yards on the ground. Avon’s stable of running backs were bottled up and were held to a season-low 50 rushing yards. 

“I am so proud of my defense and I expect my defense to play like that every time,” Tom Salmen said. “But it’s beautiful to see it come to fruition.”

Bierema finished with 13 passing yards and 17 rushing yards. Cade Faulkner added 13 receiving yards. The Pirates play at Corsica-Stickney on Sept. 23.

Hitchcock-Tulare hosts Sunshine Bible Academy on Sept. 23.

“It’s a huge shot of confidence,” Tom Salmen added about the win. “Hopefully not too much, but it’s great and you can’t beat this.”