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The Avon Pirates are Dome bound after a thrilling 38-28 victory over Colman-Egan on Friday night. The game got off to a rough start for the Pirates with an early fumble, but the defense stood tall and kept Colman-Egan from capitalizing. Avon struck first when Trent Soukup broke free for a 98-yard touchdown run, with Grayson Ratzlaff adding the two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead. Colman-Egan answered late in the first quarter, narrowing the score to 8-6. In the second quarter, Cale Cooper punched in a three-yard touchdown, followed again by a Ratzlaff two-point conversion, giving Avon a 16-6 advantage at the half. The third quarter brought challenges as the Pirates’ defense allowed two scores, but Cooper reignited momentum with a 57-yard touchdown run, keeping Avon ahead 22-20 heading into the fourth. The Pirates sealed the win with two more touchdowns in the final quarter — a seven-yard run by Weston Bierema with Al’Shamon Gunter adding the conversion, and an eight-yard run by Soukup capped by a Jamie Pelton two-point conversion. Though Colman-Egan managed one more touchdown late, Avon held strong to secure the 38-28 win. Offensive leaders: • Trent Soukup — 138 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns • Cale Cooper — 78 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns • Weston Bierema — 32 yards rushing, 1 touchdown Defensive standouts: • Grayson Ratzlaff — 8 tackles, 3 assists, 1 tackle for loss • Weston Bierema — 6 tackles, 6 assists, 1 tackle for loss • Al’Shamon Gunter — 6 tackles, 1 assist, 1 defensive fumble recovery • Cale Cooper — 5 tackles, 3 assists • Randall Powers — 4 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss • Braylon Fathke — 4 tackles, 2 assists • Dominic Doom — 3 tackles, 3 assists • Treyvan Talsma — 2 tackles, 1 assist • Jamie Pelton — 1 tackle, 4 assists With this victory, the Pirates advance to the DakotaDome in Vermillion to play for the Class 9B State Championship on Thursday, November 14, against St. Mary’s. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. Good luck Pirates — bring home the title!