Logan Strano

Avon Football

[Chris Stevenson @bringthehammer]

Class of 2026:

In a world that is constantly changing, one thing will not ever: you’re an Avon Oriole. Can’t scrub it out. Can’t wash it clean. Can’t hit the reset button. The Valley is part of who you are and a springboard for the adult you will become.

That should mean something.

Tomorrow is bigger than graduation. You’ll be sitting with A Valley Of Neighbors. That is what Avon is. Hope that was your experience when you stepped foot in our room.

Work hard.
Be kind.
Do right.

And always…Defend the Valley! 🏴‍☠️

[Chris Stevenson @bringthehammer]

Sit around the right campfire in the Valley and you’re likely to hear stories about legendary Orioles who were willing to go above and beyond for the team. One Hall of Fame coach called them Send Me Guys — Orioles who a coach could confidently say, “Send him/her.”

Would a coach send 🫵🏼?

How many of these boxes can you check off?

✔️ aligned with the mission/culture
✔️ dependable without needing spotlight
✔️ trustworthy with responsibility
✔️ humble enough to serve
✔️ tough enough to handle hard things
✔️ compassionate without being soft

The best book out there put it this way:

Act justly.
Love mercy.
Walk humbly.

Want to know your worth? Be a Send Me Guy. The Valley needs more of them.

Respect all.
Fear none.

Defend the Valley! #DTV 🏴‍☠️

[Avon OrioleAthletics @OrioleAthletics]

Avon wins Final Score: Orioles 31, Millers 10. Fantastic effort by the team. #GoOrioles

[Indiana Football @IndianaFootball]

A Hoosier through & through.

Our coach, @CCignettiIU. 🎥

[Brandon Gries 👨‍💻🏀🏈 @RightyBrandon]

Unique variation of the @HuskerFootball "Fumblerooski" by @StranoLogan41 in Avon, Ind. 🫣

@AvonFBOrioles | #FN5GL | @TMobile | @Hudl

[Avon OrioleAthletics @OrioleAthletics]

Incredible finish! Avon Football takes the win home in overtime against Decatur Central. Final score: 30-28!

[Matt Shockley @AvonHSPrincipal]

Students, football players, band ALL celebrating together in the end zone after huge @AvonFBOrioles win! @OrioleAthletics

[Logan Strano @StranoLogan41]

@AshtonRB7 @coachgilbert10 @WabashFB @RobGibsonHC @CoachCam_CamQBs @OrioleAthletics @AvonFBOrioles @AvonQBClub @CoachBlackmon5 Congrats!

[Chris Stevenson @bringthehammer]

2️⃣4️⃣1️⃣ wins. But if you know that, you either looked it up or heard it from someone else because @CoachMarkBless didn’t talk to us about that kind of stuff. He talked to us about stuff that mattered, and said stuff rarely had anything to do with football.

Most good coaches are great communicators, and while I’m sure Coach Bless gave some memorable speeches, I have found that his listening abilities set him apart from other coaches. When you talk to him, he really listens. He isn’t looking at his phone. He isn’t thinking about what he is going to say. You are talking. He is listening. @raycp315 & I will miss that during our PM classes next year.

Not everyone you walk with is good. Even fewer are great. Coach Bless is special. Happy retirement, my friend! 🔨

[Logan Strano @StranoLogan41]

Congrats Coach! Thank you for everything you've done for me and my family! @CoachMarkBless

[Avon High School Athletic Director @Orioles_AD]

Congrats ⁦@CoachMarkBless⁩ on your retirement! Member of the Mooresville HS Hall of Fame, Avon High School Hall of Fame, UIndy Hall of Fame, Indiana Football Hall of Fame. He’s a Hall of Fame Coach, Leader, Father, Husband, Brother and Friend. We will miss you, Coach!

[Logan Strano @StranoLogan41]

@nateonoja02 @KentStFootball @RobGibsonHC @CoachThompson13 @RyanJBallou @fightingirish50 @bringthehammer @raycp315 @EzeObiora2 @247Sports Congrats ‼️‼️

[Nathaniel Onoja @nateonoja02]

Extremely fortunate to be given an opportunity to play football at the next level! Thank you @KentStFootball for the offer to play Division 1 Football!

@RobGibsonHC @CoachThompson13 @RyanJBallou @fightingirish50 @bringthehammer @raycp315 @EzeObiora2 @247Sports

[Rob Gibson @RobGibsonHC]

Several of our Avon football players made big-time commitments today!! Not to a college, but to Team Jesus.

They’re all in, repping His Name, Image, and Likeness.

Best commitment with the best NIL deal ever made.

Happy Easter! @AvonFBOrioles

[Chris Stevenson @bringthehammer]

Bridge the Gap: 💪🏼1️⃣4️⃣1️⃣💨

Spring Break back again! For some of you, getting to day 1️⃣4️⃣1️⃣ has maybe felt like the uphill climb of a rollercoaster: long and slow. Not to worry. The last 39 will feel like the way down: 💨.

Take the first week of spring break off. Rest. Recover. Recharge. We will be back in business the second week: Monday, March 31; Wednesday, April 2; and Friday, April 4: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM.

#TPW | #DBS 🔨

Defend the Valley! #DTV 🏴‍☠️

[Chris Stevenson @bringthehammer]

Bridge the Gap: 💪🏼1️⃣2️⃣9️⃣💨

3 Things

The new coach walks into the room, a room split with athletes in favor of his arrival, those impartial to any particular leader, and disgruntled players leftover from the previous staff who want their old coach back. Change is hard. But change is inevitable.

He approaches the podium, eyeballs the microphone, and sidesteps to the front of the stage, choosing instead to speak without the aide of electronics. They will not be needed. Won’t need a whistle either. His voice carries, and the room is quiet.

He speaks:

Noise is just noise, so I will not exchange the normal pleasantries that a job like this usually bores listeners with: the thank you’s, the background information, etcetera. The sooner I get done talking, the sooner we can get going. Right on?

Some people repeat the two words, others nod in assent, and a few sit like statues.

He continues:

I’m going to tell you the three things that I will do here each day, and I will follow up said things with three simple questions for you. We will call these the prerequisites for my position and yours. You will, without question, know what the standard is going to be around here, and it should make it very easy for you decide if you want to be a part of it.

I will work hard.

Will 🫵🏼?

I will be kind.

Will 🫵🏼?

I will do the right thing.

Will 🫵🏼?

We are all different. Some of you are happy to be here. Some of you want to be somewhere else. Some of you are on the fence. But we all have at least one thing in common: control over working hard, being kind, and doing right. It is not a matter of can do or cannot do. It is a matter of will do or will not. They are choices, not abilities.

If you will do these things, follow me. If you will not, go find somewhere else to be. You can be average in a lot of places. Not going to be average here, though. We are going to leave our mark. Come see.

He exits the room. Do you follow?

A leader makes the choice to do 3 things: work hard, be kind, and do right. Not abilities. Just choices.

Think you’re a leader? What choices are you making today?

#TPW | #DBS 🔨

Defend the Valley! #DTV 🏴‍☠️

[Chris Stevenson @bringthehammer]

Bridge the Gap: 💪🏼1️⃣0️⃣1️⃣💨

Suppose you are one of the best to ever do it at Avon. Picture yourself getting that scholarship. Imagine them putting your picture up next to the legends who came before you. Maybe that will happen. Cool if it does.

But even if all of the above comes to fruition, you don’t want that to be the best thing people remember about you. You think you do. But you don’t. And what a waste if it is.

Nobody is going to care about how good you were in high school 20 years from now. Are you a good spouse? Are you a good parent? Are you a good neighbor? Is the community you are part of better with you in it? Those are the big questions that matter in 20 years, not if you could throw a football over a mountain like Uncle Rico.

Athletics end for all us, but your character is your fate. Develop one hard to forget. Easier to be remembered that way.

#TPW | #DBS 🔨

Defend the Valley! #DTV 🏴‍☠️

[Chris Stevenson @bringthehammer]

X has a smorgasbord of @SHREDmillSpeed videos. We have posted our fair share since we got ours a year ago. But…not every ShredMill run is 🏆. If you’re starting your year off with brand new units, this Gear 2🧵is for you:

Chase Shapes, not Speed. ⬇️

[Chris Stevenson @bringthehammer]

Bridge the Gap: 💪🏼9️⃣3️⃣💨

There are a lot of things our students — current and former — can say about us, but you’ll never hear any of them say that we don’t love coming to school each day. It should be obvious.

Love what we do! Love the students we serve. And love being an Oriole!

#TPW | #DBS 🔨

Defend the Valley! #DTV 🏴‍☠️

[Chris Stevenson @bringthehammer]

Bridge the Gap: 💪🏼8️⃣1️⃣💨

Call today what it was: an opportunity. An opportunity to get a personal best. An opportunity to get outside your comfort zone. An opportunity to make an impact on the Orioles you encouraged. An opportunity to gain respect by the way you competed.

You had an opportunity today. Can’t get a redo. Luckily, the sun will rise tomorrow, giving you another opportunity. Cease it.

#TPW | #DBS 🔨

Defend the Valley! #DTV 🏴‍☠️

[Avon Football @AvonFBOrioles]

Officially welcoming our new Head Coach Rob Gibson @robgibsonov !!
We are excited for him to get started!