Roell, D'Onofrio named All-State
AVON, Dec. 20 – For the first time since 1967, two Avon High football players have earned All-State honors in the same season. Senior receiver Andy Roell and junior defensive back/running back Mike D’Onofrio were named to the Connecticut High School Coaches Association’s Class M All-State team in voting by coaches from around the state.
Both players were also named to the second team of the Hartford Courant’s All-State football team.
In 1967, Avon guard Dennis Daly and back Bill Loeffler were named to the New Haven Register’s Class B/C All-State team after the Falcons posted an undefeated season (8-0).
Roell caught 32 passes for 603 yards and a school-record 9 TDs. D’Onofrio led the team in rushing (1,042 yards) and scored a school-record 23 TDs and record 142 points. He twice tied a school record with 5 TDs in a single game. Defensively, he made 86 tackles and picked off two passes.
They are the first All-State football players at Avon since Matt Keefe was honored by the Hartford Courant and the CHSCA in 1997.
Six Falcons named to
All-Uncas team
AVON, Dec. 4 – Six Avon High players were named to the Pequot Conference’s All-Uncas Division team in voting by the league coaches. QB David Wyrick, WR Andy Roell and lineman D.L. McDonald were named to the offensive team while safety Mike D’Onofrio, linebacker Mike Dugan and defensive end Zak Locke were named to the defensive squad.
Roell and D’Onofrio were named All-Uncas for the second straight year for the Falcons (9-1), who captured won the Uncas Division championship. Each of the Pequot Conference’s two divisions (Uncas and Sassacus) named All-Star teams. No single Pequot All-Star team was selected.
D’Onofrio, a junior, was stellar on both sides of the ball, leading the team in rushing (1,042 yards) and scoring a school-record 23 TDs and record 142 points. He twice tied a school record with 5 TDs in a single game. Defensively, he made 86 tackles and picked off two passes.
Wyrick, a junior, completed 69 of 121 passes for 1,103 yards and a school-record 12 TDs. He had just four interceptions in 10 games. He also made 61 tackles and had two interceptions on the defensive side of the ball.
Roell, a senior, caught 32 passes for 603 yards and a school-record nine TDs. McDonald was a solid performer on the offensive line who played on both sides of the ball. He was fourth on the team with 91 tackles and a team-leading 2½ sacks. Dugan led the team with 142 tackles while Locke had 74 tackles.
Punter Jared Marshall, Bobby Pearson and T.J. Stolzenberg each received honorable mention honors.
Despite 9-1 record, Falcons stay home
AVON, Nov. 23 – For just the second time in school history, Avon finished 9-1 but it wasn't enough to qualify for the CIAC football playoffs. Weaver (9-1) beat Hartford Public, 19-0 to clinch a spot in the Class M semifinals. The only other Avon team to finish 9-1 was the 1980 team that finished third in Class S. In 1980, only the top two teams qualified for the CIAC playoffs.
Tolland (8-2) beat Ellington/Somers, 33-0 on Thursday to qualify for the Class SS playoffs while Cromwell (10-0) qualified in Class S.
Falcons need help to reach playoffs
AVON, Nov. 22 – The Falcons are still alive to qualify for a berth in the Class M playoffs but they need two teams to lose on Thanksgiving morning. Jonathan Law-Milford (8-1) needs to lose to crosstown rival Foran (2-7) and Ledyard (7-1) needs to lose to Fitch (6-2) for the Avon to have a shot at qualifying.
Weaver losing to Hartford Public won't hurt but the Beavers will probably get bonus points to finish with a higher average than Avon.
Avon will probably finish with an average of 124 points but they could get to 125. The Falcons cannot catch Bristol Eastern or Berlin. Teams get 100 points for a victory and bonus points for wins by teams they have beaten.
ELLINGTON, Nov. 17 – Avon clinched its first championship since 1993 and the 12th in team history with a hard-fought 13-6 win over Ellington/Somers. Avon (9-1, 8-0 Pequot Uncas) captured its first title since winning the four-team NCCC in 1993.
Three times, Ellington drove inside the Falcon 20-yard line and twice, they made it inside the 10-yard line. They didn’t score a point on those drives. On one of the three drives, the Knights had first-and-goal from the five.
Twice, Avon forced Ellington (7-2, 5-2 Pequot Uncas) to turn the ball over on downs and the third time, Mike D’Onofrio ran back an interception from the goal line 38 yards. D’Onofrio ran for two TDs and a team-high 106 yards despite feeling ill.
“It feels great,” Avon coach Brett Quinion said. “They’re trailblazers. It says a lot about them. They’ve come a long way.”
The win is Avon’s ninth straight after losing its season opener to Haddam-Killingworth in September. It’s the second-longest winning streak in school history and the longest since Avon won eight straight in 1983. It’s only the second time in school history that the Falcons have won nine games in a single season. Avon went 9-1 in 1980.
Avon’s Terence Olsen recovered two fumbled punts in the final five minutes to run out the clock and secure the championship.
n Read more about the thrilling championship victory by clicking on the following link.
Former Avon High coach dies in boating accident
BELGRADE, Maine, Nov. 11 – Thomas Kopp, who coached the Avon High football team from 1962-65, died Saturday, Nov. 10 in a boating accident. Kopp, 69, was on a family camping trip with his son and three grandsons when their boat capsized on Great Pond. No one else was hurt.
Under Kopp, Avon won a pair of CIAC Merit Awards in 1964 and 1965 with 7-1 records. He was 22-7 with the Falcons, and posted the best winning percentage in team history (.758). His 1965 team set a school record for fewest points allowed in a season (26).
A native of Naugatuck, Kopp went to UConn and played football for three years (1958-60) where he was a QB and punter. He was team captain his senior year. He also played on the 1959 UConn baseball team that went to the College World Series. After leaving Avon, he served as an assistant coach at UConn under coach John Toner from 1966-70 and was an assistant coach at Dartmouth.
He joined Colby College in Waterville, Maine, as an assistant football coach in 1978. He was a head coach at Colby before moving to the admissions department in 1983. He was a senior associate dean of admissions. He also worked for the Minnesota Twins.
Win sets up game for Uncas title
Falcons run past Canton for 8th straight victory
AVON, Nov. 10 – The Falcons may not have expected such a competitive spirit from a winless football team in its first varsity season in 43 years. But behind junior Mike D’Onofrio and QB David Wyrick, Avon scored on seven of its first nine possessions to win their eighth straight game with a 42-26 win over Canton on Senior Day.
For the third time this year, D’Onofrio scored five TDs in a single game. He led all rushers with 177 yards on 17 carries and established new single-season records for TDs (20) and points (130). D'Onofrio has scored 10 TDs in his last two games. Wyrick completed 6-of-8 passes for 118 yards and a TD.
The victory moves Avon (8-1, 7-0 Pequot Uncas) into position to win its first championship since capturing a NCCC title in 1993. The Falcons play Ellington/Somers (7-1, 5-1 Pequot Uncas) for the title on Saturday in Ellington.
“Offensively, we played OK. Defensive, we had a lot of problems and didn’t play that well,” Avon coach Brett Quinion said. “We have a lot of work to do to get ready. (Ellington) runs a lot of traps inside and that is what Canton hurt us with today.”
Canton QB Nick Delvecchio rushed for 66 yards on 17 carries and three TDs. The Warriors (0-8, 0-4 Pequot Uncas) scored a pair of TDs in the final 5:39 to tighten the final score.
PLAYOFF UPDATE: Avon didn’t get much help this weekend in its bid to earn a CIAC playoff berth for the first time. Jonathan Law easily beat Hillhouse, 36-8 and Berlin beat Middletown, 29-19. Avon remains the sixth seed in Class M and the top four qualify for the playoffs.
NOTES: Seniors Billy Kenyon, Bobby Pearson, Reggie May, Zak Locke and Andy Roell were honored in pre-game ceremonies. … D’Onofrio’s 20 TDs breaks the old record set by Tim Gillett (16) in 1994. … D’Onofrio’s 130 points breaks the old record set by Gillett in 1994 (102). .. Wyrick was 6-for-6 kicking extra points against Canton and he broke the school record for most PATs in a season. Wyrick now has 26, breaking the old record of 23 set by Dan McCollum in 1993. … Avon’s current eight-game winning streak is the longest since the Falcons won eight in a row in 1983. They also had an eight-game winning streak in 1980-81. The school record is 11 straight wins, set in 1966-67.
Avon earns 7th straight win
D'Onofrio scores another 5 TDs in win over Housy
FALLS VILLAGE, Nov. 3 -- For the second time this year, junior Mike D’Onofrio ran for a school-record 5 TDs in a single game as Avon scored 46 unanswered points to win its seventh straight game with a 52-12 victory over Housatonic/Wamogo on a windy, cold Saturday afternoon. It was 6-6 at halftime, helped in part by the Falcons turning the ball five times with three fumbles and two interceptions.
But in the third quarter, D’Onofrio scored 4 TDs and a pair of two-point conversions to lift the Falcons. D’Onofrio finished with a game-high 195 yards on 21 carries. Freshman Ross McDonald rushed for a career-high 83 yards and 2 TDs on 8 carries.
Avon’s seven-game winning streak is its longest since 1983 when they won eight in a row. The school record for consecutive wins is 11, set in 1966-67.
NOTES: Mike D’Onofrio set a new school record for most rushing TDs in a single season. He has rushed for 15 TDs, which breaks the previous record of 13 set by Tim Gillett (1994), Sam Candidate (1987) and Henry Brown (1980). D’Onofrio, who has caught 1 TD pass, is also tied for most TDs scored in a season (16) with Gillett, who scored 16 in 1994, including 1 receiving and two on kickoff returns. … Avon leads the series against the Mountaineers, 11-3. … In terms of the Class M playoff race, the Falcons kept pace in the hunt for a playoff spot. Avon needs to win its remaining games and get some help. Next week is a big week with Berlin facing Middletown and Jonathan Law facing Hillhouse.
Playoffs are
a possibility
AVON, Oct. 29 -- For the first time since 1989, Avon is in contention for a CIAC playoff berth. To qualify for the Class M playoffs, the Falcons (6-1) probably need to win their remaining three games and get some help. The top four teams in each class qualify for the playoffs. Teams earn points for each victory and they get bonus points for wins and ties by teams they have defeated.
It’s always a risky proposition trying to predict high school games. But a likely scenario for a Avon playoff berth would have Middletown (6-1) beating Berlin (6-1), Jonathan Law (6-1) losing to Hillhouse (5-2) and the Falcons winning its remaining games. Avon is currently seeded 6th.
The Falcons have never qualified for the CIAC tournament since it began in 1976. Avon’s best-ever finish in the CIAC seedings was in 1989 when they were seeded third in Class S. However, only the top two teams in each division qualified for the state playoffs at that time. Avon was 8-2 that season.
Six straight wins for Avon
Falcon defense blanks Raiders
AVON, Oct. 28 – Andy Roell caught a pair of touchdown passes and the Falcon defense earned its third shutout of the season to lead Avon to a 26-0 win over Windsor Locks/Suffield on Sunday night under portable lights. It was the sixth straight win for Avon (6-1, 5-0 Pequot Uncas) – its longest winning streak since capturing eight in a row in 1983.
“I’m real proud of our defense,” Avon coach Brett Quinion said. “We tackled well. We’re not big but we’re scrappy and we fight well. (Jerome) Hill is a heck of a back.” Hill rushed for a game-high 121 yards on 27 carries but the visiting Raiders never moved any closer than the Avon 19-yard line. David Wyrick intercepted a pass and teammate Bobby Pearson recovered a fumble.
Offensively, David Wyrick (6-10, 89 yards) had a sharp 16-yard TD pass to Roell between two defenders and also had a 29-yard reception to Terence Olsen to the Windsor Locks 1-yard line. “He had some unbelievable throws,” Quinion said. “They had pressure on him. Some of his throws had to perfect or they wouldn’t have been touchdown throws.”
Avon had a few stumbles. The Falcons drove to the Windsor Locks 1-yard line on their first drive but turned the ball over after Wyrick couldn’t handle a high snap from center. In the third quarter, Olsen fumbled the ball away at the Windsor Locks 1 after a 29-yard pass reception.
NOTES: Ross McDonald had a 73-yard kickoff return on the first play of the game. … Wyrick has thrown a school record 10 TD passes this season. … Roell has caught a school-record 8 TD passes this season.
Windsor Locks game moved to Sunday night
AVON, Oct. 27 -- Saturday's game with Windsor Locks/Suffield has been postponed to Sunday night at 6 p.m. due to the rain.
Without Rowley, Avon leads Uncas Division
AVON, Oct. 26 – Despite the loss to two-time 1,000-yard rusher John Rowley, the Avon High football team is doing well. "John was a great kid, and I wish him well at Weaver," Avon coach Brett Quinion told the Hartford Courant. "That was kind of a rallying point early on, where our team knew we had to rely not as much on any one player, but have a whole bunch of players step up. And we really have that." Rowley has rushed for 801 yards and 17 TDs in five games for Weaver. "We have a great group of kids who have all bought into the program," Quinion said. "Some years are better than others in that respect. You need everybody to back each other up."
TD pass with
9 seconds left lifts Avon to win
AVON, Oct. 20 – Kyle Livingstone scored on a 28-yard TD pass from David Wyrick with nine seconds left in regulation to lift Avon (5-1, 4-0 Pequot Uncas) to a thrilling 21-14 victory over Tolland (4-2, 2-1 Pequot Uncas). The Falcons rallied from a 14-point deficit in the first quarter with 21 unanswered points to secure the win over an Eagle team that shared the Uncas Division title a year ago and qualified for the CIAC Class SS playoffs.
Avon wins fourth in a row
Falcons pitch another shutout
WINSTED, Oct. 13 – For the second time this season, QB David Wyrick threw three TD passes and the Falcon defense pitched a second straight shutout for the first time in 23 years to lead Avon to a 33-0 victory over Gilbert/Northwestern at Van Why Field.
With its fourth straight win, Avon improved to 4-1 and 3-0 in the Pequot Uncas Division setting up a huge game with Tolland (4-1, 2-0) next Saturday in Avonat 1:30 p.m. The winner will hold first place in the division.
Wyrick (5-8-0, 56 yards) threw a pair of TD passes in the first quarter. He had a 26-yard TD pass to Roell, who outleaped the defender for the ball and an 11-yard TD pass to Mike D’Onofrio for a 14-0 lead. Wyrick had a 27-yard in the initial scoring drive. In the second drive, Avon marched down the field with 79 yards on the ground in eight plays before converting on the TD pass.
With Avon up 21-0 in the third, Kyle Livingstone broke out of the pack and raced downfield before he was caught at the one after a 66-yard run. D’Onofrio scored his team-leading 10th touchdown on the next play from the one.
After freshman Tyler D’Onofrio intercepted his third pass of the year, the Falcons marched downfield again with Roell catching an 11-yard TD pass from Wyrick.
With back-to-back shutouts, Avon allowed no points in consecutive games for the first time since 1984 when they shutout St. Paul (24-0) and Plainville (42-0). A week ago, the Falcons beat Stafford, 41-0.
RECORD WATCH: Wyrick’s three TD passes give him eight on the season, which ties the single-season record currently held by Tony Casorio (2003) and George Matava (1966). … Wyrick did establish a new career record for most TD passes thrown. He had six a year ago and now has 14 in his career, snapping the old record held by Mark Pane, who had 13 from 1979-81. … Roell holds the career record for most TD receptions (10). The old record was 7 set by Bob Liledahl (1966-67) and Mike Murphy (1979-80).
Falcons win 3rd straight
Record-setting day for D'Onofrio
AVON, Oct. 6 – Junior Mike D’Onofrio tied a school record with five TDs in a single game to help lead Avon to a 41-0 win over Stafford/East Windsor (1-3, 1-1 Pequot Uncas). The Falcons (3-1, 2-0 Pequot Uncas) have now won three in a row and seven of their last eight games.
“I give all the credit to the offensive line,” said D’Onofrio, who rushed for a career-high 238 yards on 13 carries. “They had some huge holes for me. I just went where they told me to go.”
D’Onofrio scored a 73-yard TD on Avon’s first offensive play of the game and added TD runs of 31, 23, 21 and 4 yards. He also threw a 17-yard TD pass to Terence Olsen.
D’Onofrio joins three other Avon players to score 5 TDs in a game. Phil Demerville (Berlin 1999), Chuck Welsh (Putnam 1977) and Brian Dully (Farmington 1977) also scored 5 TDs in a game. D’Onofrio’s 238 yards was the highest single rushing performance since Demerville rushed for 255 on 31 carries against St. Paul in 1999.
The Falcon defense forced four Stafford turnovers, intercepting three passes and recovering a fumble.
On its first drive of the game, Stafford marched 42 yards on 10 plays to the Falcon 27 before Avon stiffened. On Avon’s first offensive play, D’Onofrio took the ball on a reverse and weaved his way upfield for a 73-yard TD run. On Stafford’s next possession, they ran only two plays before coughing up the ball on an interception by Olsen. Wyrick completed a key six-yard pass to T.J. Stolzenberg on third and 2 to keep the drive alive. Two plays later, D’Onofrio scored from the four for a 13-0 lead.
D’Onofrio bounced off a Stafford player and broke a tackle with a 31-yard run for his third TD with 5:36 left in the second period and a 20-0 lead. Other big plays were a 55-yard kickoff return from Kyle Livingstone and a fumble recovery by Wyrick on a Stafford kickoff.
Falcons soar past Vinal Tech
MIDDLETOWN, Sept. 28 – The Falcons (2-1, 1-0 Pequot Uncas) rolled to their second straight win and their sixth win in the last eight games with a 56-22 win over winless Vinal Tech/Coginchaug on Friday night at Palmer Field. With 10 minutes gone in the game, Avon led by three TDs, 21-0.
“I thought we were sloppy but we did make a lot of big plays, especially big passing plays” Avon coach Brett Quinion told the Middletown Press. QB David Wyrick completed 6 of 12 passes for 147 yards including four completions for 109 yards to senior receiver Andy Roell. Avon rushed for a season-high 226 yards on 34 carries.
D’Onofrio (11-72) and Kyle Livingstone each rushed for 2 TDs. Billy Kenyon (2-33) scored his first TD of the year. The 56 points is the second highest scoring performance in team history and the most points that Avon has scored in a game since they had 55 points in a win over East Catholic in October, 1994. The school record for most points in a game is 63 in 1983 and 1977.
The Falcons had three sacks in the game, led by T.J. Stolzenberg with 1.5 sacks. Brandon Burciaga and D.L. McDonald each had one. Wyrick and Terance Olsen each had interceptions for the Falcons.
Vinal Tech coach John Bozzi was not happy. “I thought we would be able to run the ball and we couldn’t,” he told the Middletown Press. “I thought we might be able to pass the ball and we couldn’t. I thought we might be able to defend and we didn’t.”
Wyrick sparks win over Patriots
COVENTRY, Sept. 22 – QB David Wyrick tied a school record with 3 TD passes in a single game but credit his teammates on the Avon defense to shutting down the Patriots in an impressive 34-14 win over Coventry/Windham Tech on Saturday. The Patriots shared the Pequot Uncas title a year ago and qualified for the CIAC playoffs the past two years.
D.L. McDonald and Zak Locke played well inside to slow big Coventry fullback Tyler Doiron (6-4, 240 pounds) while T.J. Stolzenberg was outstanding in slowing down Coventry back Austin Hall and the Patriot sweep play. Linebackers Mike Dugan and Zak Blawie also played well forcing Coventry into several passing situations on third down. Stolzenberg and freshman Tyler D’Onofrio, in his first varsity start, each had interceptions.
Offensively, Avon (1-1, 1-0 Pequot Uncas) spread out the ball on the ground with Wyrick, Mike D’Onofrio, Billy Kenyon, Patrick Lesczinski and Kyle Livingstone running well on the ground. Coventry led 7-0 but Wyrick threw a pair of TD passes to Andy Roell and Stolzenberg to give Avon a 14-7 lead at halftime. The Falcons extended the lead to 21-7 in the third quarter on a 23-yard run by Mike D’Onofrio.
Coventry/Windham Tech (0-2, 0-1 Pequot Uncas) cut the lead to seven on another TD run, 21-14, but Avon added two more TDs to ice the contest. Roell caught a pair of TD passes for the second time in his career.
Wyrick joined a select group of Falcon QB with three TD passes in a game. Tony Casorio (vs. Farmington, 2003), McMahon (vs. Gilbert, 1967) and Jim Eacott (vs. Watertown, 1965) have thrown 3 TDs in a game. Wyrick also threw 3 TDs in a win over Gilbert last November.
Cougars hold off late Avon rally
AVON, Sept. 15 – Early mistakes and a strong defensive effort from Haddam Killingworth hurt the Falcons in a 22-16 season-opening loss. H-K sacked Avon QB David Wyrick four times and intercepted a pass in the end zone with 20 seconds left to seal the win.
Avon had a 27-yard TD pass to Terence Olsen in the second quarter called back on a penalty (illegal man downfield). With 2:39 left in the half, punter Jared Marshall dropped the snap and was tackled for an eight-yard loss. H-K converted with a five-play, 30-yard drive to take an 8-0 lead. The Falcons responded by driving to the Cougar 15 but Wyrick was sacked to end the half.
H-K took a 16-0 lead when they opened the second half with 66-yard drive on 10 plays but Avon got back into the contest with its passing game. Wyrick completed just two of his first 13 passes. But he completed 10 of his final 16 attempts for 153 yards and a TD.
Avon cut the Cougar lead to eight on a 10-yard TD pass from Wyrick (12-28-1, 196) to Terence Olsen (4-42) with 7:53 remaining but H-K took over on the Avon 40 when an attempted onside kick didn’t travel 10 yards. H-K scored in less than two minutes on four plays to take a 22-8 lead.
Avon cut the lead to six, 22-16, on a one-yard TD run by Wyrick, who also ran in the two-point conversion with 4:02 to go. After forcing H-K to punt with 1:12 remaining, Avon took over and drove to the Cougar 35-yard line with 20 seconds left before H-K’s Mike Digregorio outleaped Mike D’Onofrio (12-36 rushing) for the game-ending interception.
NOTES: Wyrick led the Falcons in rushing with 48 yards on 18 carries. Olsen, who had a 35-yard kickoff return, caught four passes for 44 yards while T.J. Stolzenberg had a career-high 5 catches for 97 yards. ... Avon lost for the third straight year on opening day and slips to 25-23 on opening day.
A happy fifth anniversary
AVON, Sept. 15 – Avon Football Online celebrates its fifth anniversary today. Avon Football Online began chronicling the achievements of the Falcons on Sept. 15, 2002 when we covered the season-opening loss to St. Paul/Goodwin Tech. In the past five years, we have provided game-by-game coverage, individual game and season statistics and action photos for thousands of readers. This site helped spawn two additional sister sites – St. Paul Football Online and Canton Football Online, all part of the Collinsville Publishing family of sports information Web sites. We’re proud to be one of the oldest continuously published football sites in the state.
Avon's landmark tower is gone
AVON, Sept. 12 – The old tower is gone. As part of the current renovations at the high school, the tower that overlooked the football field since the school was built has been torn down. It leaked and was a bit ugly until it was painted in recent years. School officials said the tower came down because it was unsafe and the school needed to construct handicapped seating around the field as mandated by the state.
NOTES: The Falcons are 25-22 on opening day. ... Avon is 1-1 against Haddam-Killingworth. They lost to the Cougars in 1996 and won in 1997.
Falcons return several skill specialists
AVON, Sept. 1 – The Falcons may lack some size but fifth-year head coach Brett Quinon hopes his athletic team can make progress in the Pequot Conference’s Uncas Division this fall. In year two, Avon (5-5, 4-3 Uncas) exchanges games with Hyde (8-2) and North Branford (9-2) for games with Haddam-Killingworth (6-4) and Canton, playing in its first varsity season since 1964. Avon hosts H-K on Saturday, Sept. 15 in the season opener at 1 p.m.
Avon returns Jr. QB David Wyrick (44-92-6, 641 yards, 6 TDs), Jr. FB Mike D’Onofrio (104-511, 6 TDs) and receivers Jr. Terrence Olsen (8-99, 1 TD) and Sr. Andy Roell (30-462, 5 TDs). However, Avon has to replace four of six starters on the offensive line and John Rowley, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher who transferred to Weaver in Hartford seeking to attract more interest from college recruiters.
D’Onofrio was an All-Pequot defensive back a year ago with two interceptions, 52 tackles and one fumble recovery. Sr. Jared Marshall earned All-Pequot honors as a punter, averaging 34.3 yards per punt and four within the 20. In the secondary, he had 10 solo and 30 overall tackles.
Wyrick, Olsen and Marshall return in the secondary. Senior co-captains Zak Locke returns at right tackle along with D.L. McDonald at right guard. With just five seniors, the Falcons look to be young but Quinion hopes his skilled, athletic team can enough plays to succeed.
Brandon Burciaga and Joey Donino look to step in offensively while Bill Kenyon and T.J. Stolzenberg look to play in the secondary with Mike Dugan, Bobbie Pierson and Zak Blawie moving to play linebacker.
NOTES: Rowley led the team with 1,133 yards and 12 TDs, one shy of the school record for most rushing TDs in a season. … Roell’s 5 TD receptions tied a school record for most TD receptions in a year set by Mike Murphy in 1980. Roell earned a spot on the All-Uncas Division team. … Avon will play three night games this year, including a game at home against Windsor Locks/Suffield on Oct. 27.
Falcons add night game at home
AVON, Aug. 20 – The Falcons added a night game to the schedule. Avon will host Windsor Locks at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27.
Individual leaders
Final 2007
RUSHING Att-Yds TDs
M. D'Onofrio 136-1042 22
Wyrick
80-415 4
McDonald 35-214 3
KLivingstne 27-171 2
Lesczynski 23-103 0
Olsen 11-100 2
Kenyon 15-100 1
Givens 3-18 0
Tripodi 4-13 0
Lee 1-5 0
Stolzenberg 1-2 0
Jediian 2-1 0
ALivingstne 3 (-3) 0
Marshall 1 (-8) 0
PASSING C-Att-Int Yds TDs
Wyrick 69-121-4 1103 12
MD'Onofrio 3-3-0 65 3
ALivingstne 2-2-0 14 0
Graff 0-1-0 0 0
RECEIVING C-Yds TD
Roell 32-603 9
Olsen 16-202 2
Stolzenberg 12-232 1
M. D'Onofrio 6-64 1
McDonald 5-35 0
KLivingstne 1-28 1
Doebler 1-10 0
Hailu 1-4 0
POINTS
TDs PAT 2pt Pts
M. D'Onofrio22-1 0 2 142
Roell 0-9 0 1 56
Wyrick 4-0 27 1 53
Olsen 2-2 0 2 28
McDonald 3-0 0 1 20
KLivingsn 2-1 0 0 18
Kenyon 1-0 0 1 8
Stolznbrg 0-1 0 1 8
Blawie 0-0 1 0 1
FIELD GOALS: none
PUNTING: Mashall 15-521 (34.7 avg.); Wyrick 6-182 (30.3)
PATs: Wyrick 27-34, Blawie
1-1
Return yardage
KICKOFFS: Olsen 4-76, K. Livingstone 2-58, McDonald 6-156, Kenyon 1-23, T. D'Onofrio 1-12, Rogers 1-0, Schroeder 1-0, Wyrick 2-11
PUNTS: M. D'Onofrio 12-229, Stolzenberg 2-33
Defense
Interceptions (11): Olsen 3,
T. D'Onofrio 3, M. D'Onofrio 2, Wyrick 2, Stolzenberg
Fumble recovery (9): Wyrick,
M. D'Onofrio, Dugan, Pearson, Locke, Burton, Donino, T. D'Onofrio, Blawie
SACKS (6): D.L. McDonald 2.5, T.J. Stolzenberg 1.5, Brandon Burciaga 1.5, Alex Hodgson 1, Locke 1, Bobby Pearson 0.5
TACKLES: 1) Mike Dugan 142 tackles for 217 points; 2) Zak Blawie 106 tackles for 156 points; 2) Mike D'Onofrio 86 tackles for 156 points; 4) D.L. McDonald 91 tackles for 137 points; 5) T.J. Stolzenberg 73 tackles for 127 points; 6) Jarod marshall 78 tackles for 122 points; 7) Dave Wyrick 61 tackles for 109 points; 8) Tyler D'Onofrio 60 tackles for 108 points; 8) Zak Locke 74 tackles for 108 points; 10) Bobby Pearson 76 tackles for 105 points; 11) Terrence Olsen 50 tackles for 99 points; 12) Brandon Burciaga 46 tackles for 83 points
n Players get 3 points for each solo tackle and 1 point for every assist.
Final standings
Team Rec. Pts. Avg.
1. Bris. Eastern 10-0 1470 147.0
2. Ledyard 8-1 1310 143.5
3. Weaver 9-1 1420 142.0
4. Berlin 9-1 1350 135.0
5. Avon 9-1 1240 124.0
6. Jon. Law 9-1 1230 123.0
This week's results
Avon 13, Ellington/Somers 6
Weaver 35, New Britain 0
Berlin 41, East Catholic 6
Thanksgiving
Weaver 19, Hartford Public 0
Bristol Eastern 42, Bristol Central 14
Jonathan Law 42, Foran 14
Ledyard 41, Fitch 21
Avon 13, Ellington 6
At Ellington
Avon (9-1) 0 7 6 0 – 13
Ellington/Som (7-2) 0 0 6 0 – 6
Second quarter
A: Mike D’Onofrio 1 run (David Wyrick kick), 7:19
A: M. D’Onofrio 60 run (kick blocked), 5:19
Third quarter
E: Mel Thorne 28 pass from Peter Vamvilis (pass fails), 3:05
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon – Ross McDonald 12-38, David Wyrick 13-48, Mike D’Onofrio 16-106, Patrick Leszcyznski 1-1; Ellington/Somers – Derek Lussier 6-16, Shane Hatheway 7-32, Peter Vamvilis 3-12, Sam Ziter 15-118, Deadrick Baker, Jr., 1-minus 2, Cody Anselmo 1-5
PASSING: Avon – Wyrick 7-11-0, 38; Ellington/Somers -- Vamvilis 7-13-1, 71
RECEIVING: Avon – Andy Roell 5-38, McDonald 2-minus 3; Ellington/Somers – Hatheway 1-6, Mel Thorne 2-46, Derek Lussier 3-23, Ziter 1-minus 3
SACKS: Avon – Zak Locke 1-10; INTERCEPTIONS: Mike D’Onofrio 1-38
FUMBLE RECOVERY: Zak Blawie (A) 1, Mel Thorne (E) 1, Terence Olsen (A) 2
RETURNS: Nate Tembi (Ellington) 1-6 kickoff, 1-9 punt; Ryan Moustafa (E) 2-23 kickoff, D.J. McDonald (A) 1-10 kickoff, David Wyrick (A) 1-11 kickoff
PUNTING: Wyrick (A) 4-107
Avon 42, Canton 26
At Avon
Canton (0-8) 6 0 6 14 – 26
Avon (8-1) 14 7 14 7 – 42
First quarter
A: Mike D’Onofrio 13 run (David Wyrick kick), 7:54
C: Justin Rice 1 run (kick blocked), 2:20
A: M. D’Onofrio 5 run (Wyrick kick), 0:55
Second quarter
A: M. D’Onofrio 3 run (Wyrick kick), 3:19
Third quarter
A: M. D’Onofrio 38 run (Wyrick kick), 10:26
C: Nick Delvecchio 2 run (pass fails), 7:22
A: Andy Roell 30 pass from Wyrick (Wyrick kick), 4:54
Fourth quarter
A: M. D’Onofrio 14 run (Wyrick kick), 11:54
C: Delvecchio 8 run (Mike D’Apice pass from Jake Burditt), 5:39
C: Delvecchio 2 run (pass fails), 0:04
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon – Billy Kenyon 3-24, Patrick Leszcynski 3-7, Joe Tripodi 2-7, Kyle Livingstone 1-5, Mike D’Onofrio 17-177, Ross McDonald 3-42, David Wyrick 6-63, Terence Olsen 1-7, Andy Livingstone 1-minus 1, Cody Jedidian 1-minus 2; Canton – Kyle Bento 1-0, Justin Rice 9-32, Nick Delvecchio 17-66, Mike Frazier 14-60, David White 8-13, Sam Hartzel 1-8
PASSING: Avon – Wyrick 6-8-0, 118; Canton – Delvecchio 11-20-0, 130; Jake Burditt 1-1, 17
RECEIVING: Avon – Terence Olsen 4-50, McDonald 1-38, Andy Roell 1-30; Canton -- Jake Burditt 5-47, Tyler Plourd 4-70, Luke Mentzer 1-minus 1, Mike D'Apice 2-31
RETURNS: Avon – Mike D’Onofrio 2-30 (punts), 1-30 (kickoffs), Ethan Schreoder 1-0 (kickoff), Wyrick 1-0 (kickoff), McDonald 2-38 (kickoff); Canton – Tyler Plourd 1-15 (kickoff), Mike Frazier 1-5 (kickoff), Jake Burditt 3-33 (kickoff), Luke Mentzer 2-39 (kickoff)
SACKS: Nate Getler (Ca) 1½-11, Ethan Bealevander (Ca) 1-6; Fumble recovery: Kyle Bento (Ca) 1, Nathan Scott (Ca) 1
Avon 52, Housatonic 12
At Falls Village
Avon (7-1) 0 6 30 16 – 52
Housatonic (3-4) 0 6 0 6 – 12
Second quarter
H: Sam Schwartz 19 run (kick failed)
A: Mike D’Onofrio 2 run (kick failed)
Third quarter
A: Mike D’Onofrio 64 run (T.J. Stolzenberg pass from David Wyrick)
A: Mike D’Onofrio 6 run (M. D’Onofrio run)
A: Mike D’Onofrio 1 run (M. D’Onofrio run)
A: Mike D’Onofrio 1 run (run failed)
Fourth quarter
A: Ross McDonald 18 run (McDonald run)
H: WIll Kennedy 4 run (run failed)
A: McDonald 18 run (Billy Kenyon run)
Individual results
RUSHING: Avon -- MIke D'Onofrio 21-195, Ross McDonald 8-83, David Wyrick 6-51, Patrick Leczcynski 1-9, Kyle Livingstone 1-minus 2, Terence Olsen 2-3, Billy Kenyon 3-19; Housatonic -- Tanner Brissett 4-22, Jon Habacker 6-14, Will Kennedy 22-64, Jameson Martin 13-26, Sam Schwartz 10-80
PASSING: Avon -- David Wyrick 6-9-2, 121; Housatonic -- Will Kennedy 2-2-0, 19, Jameson Martin 0-5-0
RECEIVING: Avon -- Terence Olsen 1-10, Mike D'Onofrio 1-13, T.J. Stolzenberg 2-70, Andy Roell 2-28
PUNTING: none
RETURNS: Kyle Livingstone 1-3 (kickoff), Ross McDonald 1-17 (kickoff), Mike D'Onofrio 1-42 (punt)
INTERCEPTIONS: None; FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Zak Locke, Mike Burton, Joey Donino, Tyler D'Onofrio
Avon 26, Windsor Locks 0
At Avon
Windsor Locks (0-7) 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Avon (6-1) 6 14 0 6 – 26
First quarter
A: David Wyrick 23 run (kick fails), 2:47
Second quarter
A: Andy Roell 6 pass from MIke D'Onofrio (pass fails), 4:31
A: Roell 16 pass from Wyrick (Terence Olsen pass from Wyrick), 1:25
Fourth quarter
A: Olsen 55 run (run fails), 6:38
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon – Ross McDonald 4-15, Patrick Leszcynski 3-27, Kyle Livingstone 3-5, Terence Olsen 1-55, Mike D’Onofrio 14-53, David Wyrick 4-33; Windsor Locks – Issac Jimenez 11-29, Jerome Hill 27-121, Colin McGhee 11-37
PASSING: Avon – David Wyrick 6-10-0, 89, Mike D'Onofrio 1-1-0, 6; Windsor Locks – Jimenez 0-2-1, 0
RECEIVING: Avon – Andy Roell 4-68, Terence Olsen 2-31, Ross McDonald 1-minus 4
RETURNS: Avon – Ross McDonald (kickoff) 1-73, Mike D’Onofrio (punt) 1-7
PUNTING: Wyrick (A) 2-73
SACKS: Bobby Pearson (A), D.L. MacDonald and Brandon Burciaga (A) 1-5
INTERCEPTIONS: Wyrick (A) 1-15; FUMBLE RECOVERY: Pearson (A)
Avon 21, Tolland 14
At Avon
Tolland (4-2) 14 0 0 0 -- 14
Avon (5-1) 0 0 14 7 – 21
First quarter
T: Cody Backus 1 run (run fails), 7:50
T: Matt Fox 1 run (Chris Leonard run), 3:22
Third quarter
A: Andy Roell 42 pass from Mike D’Onofrio (kick failed), 8:01
A: Mike D’Onofrio 5 run (Roell pass from David Wyrick), 1:51
Fourth quarter
A: Kyle Livingstone 28 pass from Wyrick (Wyrick kick), 0:09
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon – David Wyrick 9-15, Mike D’Onofrio 10-21; Tolland – Chris Leonard 19-92, Matt Gavin 2-21, Matt Fox 13-53, Cody Backus 16-91, Kevin Rioux 4-7, Patrick Halgren 2-18
PASSING: Avon – David Wyrick 9-14-0, 121; Mike D’Onofrio 1-1-0, 42; Tolland – Matt Gavin 2-5-1, 0
RECEIVING: Avon – Andy Roell 6-108, Mike D’Onofrio 2-22, Kyle Livingstone 1-28, Ross McDonald 1-4; Tolland – John Brow 1-minus 5, Chris Leonard 1-5
SACKS: Paul Lipcius (T) 2-5
INTERCEPTIONS: Mike D’Onofrio (A) 1-37, Devon Tremblay (T) 1-35
FUMBLE RECOVERY: Mike D’Onofrio (A) 1-25, MIke Dugan (A) 1
RETURNS – Chris Rogers (A) 1-0 (kickoff), Mike D’Onofrio (A) 1-17 (punt), Ross McDonald (A) 1-28 (kickoff), Terence Olsen (A) 1-18 (kickoff); Scott West (T) 3-49 (kickoffs)
PUNTING: Jarod Marshall (A) 2-71
Avon 33, Gilbert/NWR 0
At Winsted
Avon (4-1) 14 7 12 0 -- 33
Gilbert/NWR (0-5) 0 0 0 0 -- 0
First quarter
A: Andy Roell 26 pass from David Wyrick (Wyrick kick)
A: Mike D’Onofrio 11 pass from Wyrick (Wyrick kick)
Second quarter
A: Wyrick 6 run (Wyrick kick)
Third quarter
A: D’Onofrio 1 run (kick failed, wide)
A: Roell 11 pass from Wyrick (kick failed, blocked)
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Gilbert – Tim Terwilliger 7-19, Matt Ryan 9-38, Bob Lippincott 11-23, Jerry Hiles 1-1, Jay Farkas 1-7; Avon – Mike D'Onofrio 15-81, Dave Wyrick 4-40, Joe Tripodi 1-0, Pat Lesczenski 5-19, Terence Olsen 2-3, Billy Kenyon 2-5, Cody Jediian 1-3, Kyle Livingstone 5-84, Lamberg Givens 3-18
PASSING: Gilbert – Paul Kurtz 0-4-0, Bob Lippincott 1-4-1, 9; Avon – David Wyrick 5-9-0, 65; Andrew Livingstone 1-1-0, 4
RECEIVING: Gilbert – Terwilliger 1-9; Avon – Terence Olsen 1-9, Andy Roell 3-45, Mick Hailu 1-4, Mike D'Onofrio 1-11
RETURNS: Punts -- Mike D'Onofrio (A) 3-44
PUNTING: Jarod Marshall (A) 4-168
Interceptions: Tyler D'Onofrio (A)
SACKS: D.L. MacDonald (A) 1-2
Avon 41, Stafford/EW 0
At Avon
Stafford (1-3)0 0 0 0 -- 0
Avon (3-1) 13 7 21 0 – 41
First quarter
A: Mike D’Onofrio 73 run (David Wyrick kick), 6:27
A: M. D’Onofrio 4 run (kick wide), 2:30
Second quarter
A: M. D’Onofrio 31 run (Wyrick kick), 5:36
Third quarter
A: M. D’Onofrio 23 run (Wyrick kick), 7:22
A: M. D’Onofrio 21 run (Wyrick kick), 3:15
A: Terence Olsen 17 pass from M. D’Onofrio (Wyrick kick), 1:27
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon – Joe Tripodi 1-6, Patrick Leszcynski 2-9, Ross McDonald 2-25, Mike D’Onofrio 13-238, Kyle Livingstone 5-20, Billy Kenyon 2-8, Terence Olsen 1-4, David Wyrick 2-0; Stafford/EW – Matt Harrison 2-minus 2, Rick Buckland 4-19, Billy Johnson 1-4, Sean Heald 21-98, Jake Rummel 5-18, Rob Slesinski 1-1
PASSING: Avon – David Wyrick 5-10-1, 46; M. D’Onofrio 1-1-0, 17; Matt Graff 0-1; Stafford/EW – Matt Harrison 6-19-3, 40
RECEIVING: Avon – T.J. Stolzenberg 2-23, Terence Olsen 3-31, M. D’Onofrio 1-9; Stafford/EW – Matt Dugan 1-0, Johnson 2-32, Rummel 2-8, Slesinski 1-4
RETURNS: Avon – Stolzenberg 2-33 (punts), Kyle Livingstone 1-55 (kickoff)
INTERCEPTIONS: Avon – Olsen 2, Tyler D’Onofrio 1-0
FUMBLE RECOVERY: Avon – Wyrick 1
SACKS: Avon – Alex Hodgson 1-6
Avon 56, Vinal/Cog 22
At Middletown
Avon (2-1)21 14 14 7 --56
Vinal (0-3) 0 16 0 6 – 22
First quarter
A: Terence Olsen 26 run (David Wyrick kick), 8:51
A: Mike D’Onofrio 18 run (Wyrick kick), 4:36
A: Kyle Livingstone 6 run (Wyrick kick), 2:46
Second quarter
VT: Jeremy Murphy 3 run (Murphy run), 7:12
A: D’Onofrio 4 run (Wyrick kick), 4:04
A: Kenyon 24 run (Wyrick kick), 2:40
VT: Jeff Tiedemann 35 pass from Kevin Doherty (Tiedemann pass from Kevin Doherty), 0:00
Third quarter
A: Roell 34 pass from Wyrick (Wyrick kick)
A: Kyle Livingstone 8 run (Wyrick kick)
Fourth quarter
A: Ross McDonald 5 run (Zak Blawie kick), 10:24
VT: John Carafeno 90 kickoff (run failed)
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Mike D’Onofrio 11-72, Billy Kenyon 2-33, Kyle Livingstone 4-38, Dave Wyrick 4-21, Terence Olsen 1-26, James Lee 1-5, Pat Leszcynski 4-21, Andy Livingstone 1-minus 1, Ross McDonald 6-11
PASSING: David Wyrick 6-12-0, 147 yards; Andrew Livingstone 1-1-0, 10 yards
RECEIVING: Andy Roell 4-109, Terence Olsen 1-29, David Doebler 1-10, Mike D’Onofrio 1-9
PUNTING: Jarod Marshall 2-92
RETURNS: Punt returns – Mike D’Onofrio 3-23, Kickoff returns – Tyler D’Onofrio 1-12, Terence Olsen 1-11, T.J. Stolzenberg 1-13
Avon 34, Coventry/WT 14
At Coventry
Avon (1-1)0 14 7 14 -- 34
Coventry (0-2) 0 7 7 0 -- 14
Second quarter
C: Ryan Tomlinson 1 run (Justin Gillette run)
A: Andy Roell 47 pass from Dave Wyrick (Wyrick kick)
A: T.J. Stolzenberg 8 pass from Wyrick (Wyrick kick)
Third quarter
A: Mike D’Onofrio 23 run (Wyrick kick)
C: Gillette 4 run (run failed)
Fourth quarter
A: Wyrick 9 run (Wyrick kick)
A: Roell 32 pass from Wyrick (kick failed)
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon -- Mike D'Onofrio 8-63, Terence Olsen 1-1, Billy Kenyon 3-11, T.J. Stolzenberg 1-2, Kyle Livingstone 6-23, Pat Lesczynski 4-10, David Wyrick 14-96, Andy Livingstone 1-minus 1
PASSING: Avon -- Wyrick 7-10-0, 162, 3 TDs
RECEIVING: Avon -- Andy Roell 4-120, T.J. Stolzenberg 3-42
RETURNS: Punts -- MIke D'Onofrio (A) 3-66, Kickoffs -- Billy Kenyon (A) 1-23
PUNTING: Jared Marshall (A) 2-54
INTERCEPTIONS -- Tyler D'Onofrio (A), Stolzenberg (A)
H-Killingworth 22, Avon 16
At Avon
H-Killingworth (1-0) 0 8 8 6 – 22
Avon (0-1) 0 0 0 16 – 16
Second quarter
HK: Jarrod Ramsey 2 run (Ramsey run), 1:24
Third quarter
HK: Ramsey 3 run (Ramsey run), 7:39
Fourth quarter
A: Terence Olsen 10 pass from David Wyrick (Olsen pass from Wyrick), 7:53
HK: Dave Bartolotta 15 run (pass fails), 6:10
A: Wyrick 1 run (Wyrick run), 4:02
Individual statistics
RUSHING: HK – Chris Arrigoni 12-34, Dave Bartolotta 16-120, Jarrod Ramsey 16-56, Alex Pollack 2-minus 1, Sal Zichichi 5-18, Russ Spaeth 1-4; Avon – David Wyrick 18-48, Kyle Livingstone 2-minus 2, Michael D’Onofrio 11-36, Jared Marshall 1-minus 8, Terence Olsen 2-1
PASSING: HK – Pollack 3-5-0, 28 yards; Avon – Wyrick 12-28-1, 196 yards, 1 TDs
RECEIVING: HK – Eric Auer 1-14, Ramsey 2-14; Avon – Andy Roell 3-57, Olsen 4-42 T.J. Stolzenberg 5-97
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