Avon 35, N.W. Catholic 0 AVON, Nov. 15, 2002 Playing for the third time in seven days, the Falcons rolled to a 35-0 win over N.W. Catholic. QB Chris Prudhomme threw three TD passes while Mike Puglielli rushed for two TDs. Each team committed four turnovers with the Falcons intercepting three NWC passes. Avon led 22-0 at halftime but had no first downs. Kyle Endres and Puglielli teamed for a four-yard sack to stop NWC's first possession. Later in the first period, Puglielli returned a NWC punt to the 39-yard line. After an illegal procedure penalty, Puglielli raced right for a 44-yard TD run and added the 2-point conversion for an 8-0 lead. Later in the first half, Avon took over on its own 20 following a NWC punt. On its first play from scrimmage, Travis Bracken hauled in a perfect pass from Prudhomme for an 80-yard TD pass. Bracken slipped behind the defense. The extra point failed with Avon up, 14-0. The Indians completed a 39-yard pass on its next series but eventually gave up the ball on downs. On its first play, Bracken scored on an 81-yard pass from Prudhomme and Ben Ewbank added the conversion run for a 22-0 lead. Bracken had a 36-yard interception return late in the second quarter. Brendan Walsh recovered a NWC onside kick to begin the third quarter. Puglielli gained 6 yards and Tom Healy followed with a 12-yard run for Avon's initial first down of the game. Ewbank ran for 6 yards and Prudhomme followed with his third TD pass of the game, a 26-yard completion to tight end Alex Battaglino for a 28-0 lead. In the fourth quarter, Bracken picked off his second pass of the game. The Falcons took over on the Avon 33. Healy rambled 47 yards for a first down and Dane Mealey had runs of 3, 10, and 2 yards before Puglielli bulled for the final 5 yards and the touchdown. Prudhomme's extra point kick made it 35-0. Vinal Tech/Coginchaug JV 40, Avon Developmental 22 AVON, Nov. 11 -- Playing its second game in three days, the Avon development football team led by two after three quarters but two key turnovers in the fourth quarter helped the Vinal Tech/Coginchaug junior varsity beat the Falcons. Vinal Tech returned the opening kickoff 31 yards to its own 48 yard line. Vinal marched 52 yards on six plays, scoring on a 5-yard run. The conversion run made it 8-0. However, Avon responded. Starting at its own 36, Mike Puglielli bolted 64 yards for a touchdown. The run was stopped as Vinal held an 8-6 lead. Avon stopped Vinal on its next possession but could do little on offense. The Falcons punted with Vinal returning the ball to the Avon 25-yard line. Vinal scored on a 1-yard run for a 14-6 lead. The conversion run was fumbled away. Avon began its next drive on its own 37 with Puglielli sparking the drive with a 37-yard run to the Vinal 2-yard line. Ben Ewbank scored on a 2-yard run and Puglielli added the conversion run to tie the game at 14-14. Vinal took the kickoff, returned it 30 yards to its own 45 and marched to the Avon 15 in four plays but the drive stalled. Vinal scored on its opening drive of the second half, marching to the Avon 3-yard line. A 6-yard sack and an incompletion thanks to an outstanding deflection by Chris Prudhomme delayed Vinal before they scored on a 9-yard pass. The extra point was fumbled as Vinal led, 20-14. After a kick out of bounds, Avon started on their own 39-yard line. Puglielli raced to the Tech 29-yard line and then added a 29-yard TD run. Prudhomme added the extra point on the run for a 22-20 Avon edge. Vinal responded with a drive that culminated with a 24-yard TD run. Avon fumbled the ball on its next possession and Vinal took over on the Avon 32. Five plays later, Vinal scored for a 32-22 lead after the extra point attempt failed. On its next possession, the Falcons again coughed up the ball on a fumble. Two plays later, Vinal scored for a 40-22 lead. Avon's Tom Healy had a nice 18-yard run on Avon's next possession but the Falcons gave up the ball on downs and the game ended shortly afterward. There was great fan support at the game on the warm but overcast day, with parents, students, and a physics lab all cheering. And the Avon cheerleaders were again present, doing their usual outstanding job to cheer the team to victory. Avon 23, Southington B 18 AVON, Nov. 9 -- The Falcons used some strong defense to set up a 23-18 win over the Southington B team on Saturday. Avon's defense made a statement immediately. After receiving the opening kickoff, Avon's Kyle Endres sacked the Southington QB for a 10-yard loss on third down before teammate Kellen Hayes sacked the Knight QB on fourth down to give Avon the ball on the Southington 44-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Mike Puglielli broke through for a 44-yard TD run. Ben Ewbank bulled in for a two-point run and a 8-0 Avon lead. On Southington's next possession, Puglielli intercepted the ball on fourth down, racing to the Southington 49-yard line. After short runs by Puglielli and Ewbank, Ewbank took a pitch and raced around for a 25-yard gain to the Southington 16-yard line. Chris Prudhomme completed an 8-yard pass to Travis Bracken and Puglielli ran for a first down. After a 15-yard loss on a sack, Ewbank rushed for 10 yards. Following a five-yard illegal procedure penalty, Prudhomme ran 15 yards for the score on the QB option keeper. Puglielli's two-point conversion run made it 16-0. Southington punted after its next series and Avon took over on its own 39-yard line. Ewbank had a big gain with a 36-yard delay reverse and Dane Mealey had several short gains. However, the drive stalled and a 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked. Southington took over by Tom Healy intercepted a pass and returned it to the Southington 40-yard line. After a 28-yard QB keeper by Prudhomme, Mealey took over with 5 consecutive runs, including a 5-yard TD run. The extra point kick from Prudhomme was good for a 23-0 lead at halftime. In the second half, Avon's Travis Bracken returned the kickoff 14 yards to the Avon 34-yard line. Two plays later, Mealey raced 37 yards for a first down. The Falcons earned two more first downs on the drive before it stalled when Corey Joseph was stopped on a fourth down run on the Southington 3-yard line. Southington came alive and began moving the ball. Avon's Alex Battaglino had a 5-yard QB sack while Craig Breitsprecher had a 3-yard tackle for a loss and Josh Feldman had a 5-yard QB sack to help stop the Knights' drive. Avon took over on downs on its own 14 as the quarter ended. Alex Battaglino moved to tailback and bulled for a 15-yard first down run, but Avon's drive stalled and a missed punt gave Southington the ball on the Avon 24-yard line. Southington moved to the 4 with a 20-yard pass, then Evan Huddy dropped the quarterback for a 2-yard loss, but a 6-yard touchdown pass cut the Avon lead to 23-6 deficit. Southington recovered a fumbled pitch on Avon's next possession, scoring 2 plays later on a 24-yard run, cutting the lead to 23-12. Kyle Endres had a sack for a 6-yard loss on the Knights' next possession. Southington added a final touchdown on a 20-yard pass as time expired. Avon 30, Plainville 0 PLAINVILLE, Nov. 1 -- Suffering no ill effects from last week's loss or excess Halloween candy, the Avon Developmental football team blanked Plainville, 30-0, sacking Devil quarterbacks nine times. Mike Pugielli and Ben Ewbank each scored 2 TDs. The Falcons set the tone right away. Two consecutive QB sacks by Avon's Ben Ewbank put Plainville on its heels. After a short punt, Avon took over on its own 49-yard line. Ewbank had a 12-yard run and Mike Pugielli followed with a 10-yard run for consecutive first downs but the drive stalled and Plainville took over. After another QB sack by Avon, the Devils punted. Chris Prudhomme had a 13-yard run for a first down. After a 9-yard reverse by Tom Healy, Ewbank scored on a 16-yard run. Prudhomme ran the conversion into the end zone for an 8-0 lead. On its next possession, Plainville completed a 31-yard pass play but Avon responded with back-to-back sacks and the Devils punted on third down. The Falcons took over on their own 18-yard line but marched down the field on a 82-yard drive. Puglielli had runs of 13 and 26 yards before breaking out on a 39-yard TD run. He also had the two-point conversion run for a 16-0 Avon lead. On Plainville's remaining two possessions of the first half, Avon sacked the Devil QB three more times for a total of eight. Plainville had the ball on its own 15 after an interception but sack No. 8 by Avon's Rishesh Singh forced a Devil punt. Avon opened the second half with the ball. After a 5-yard Ewbank run, Puglielli broke through for a 55-yard touchdown scamper. Chris Prudhomme snuck over for the extra point to give Avon a 24-0 edge. Plainville lost eight yards on its next possession and the Falcons took over on its ovn 49. Ewbank and Dane Mealey ran for first downs on consecutive plays before the drive stalled on the Plainville 22-yard line. After two more Plainville punts and an Avon punt, the Falcons took over on their own 35-yard line. Ewbank and Prudhomme each ran for 9 yards to give Avon a first down. After a Ewbank tough 1-yard gain, Mealey had runs of 3-yards and 6-yards for another Avon first down. Three plays later, Ewbank broke through for a 29-yard touchdown run as time expired to end the game and the final 30-0 score. Middletown 18, Avon 16 AVON, Oct. 25 -- The Falcons rallied in the second half but couldn't overcome the Dragons as the Avon Developmental squad had its four-game winning streak snapped. Middletown took advantage of three Falcon turnovers to build a 18-0 lead in the first half. Middletown took a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter after intercepting the ball and returning it to the Avon 4-yard line. The Dragons scored on a 1-yard run. After Avon's Mike Puglielli returned the kickoff to the Avon 42, the Falcons fumbled the ball on its next play. Two plays later, it was 12-0 after a 50-yard TD run. After a second interception, Middletown took a 18-0 lead on a 20-yard reverse. Middletown opened the third quarter by marching to the Avon 6-yard line. But the Falcons stiffened and took over on downs. Two penalties gave Avon a first down and Mike Puglielli earned another with a 14-yard run. On fourth down and 2, Puglielli took a short snap on a fake punt and scampered 35 yards to the Middletown 26-yard line. On third down, Puglielli ran for seven yards and Chris Prudhomme ran for 10 yards for a first down at the MHS 10. On third down, Ben Ewbank ran eight yards to the three. However on fourth down, Prudhomme was stopped on the one-yard line and Middletown took over on downs. Avon got on the scoreboard, tackling the Dragon runner in the end zone, trimming the score to 18-2. On the Middletown kickoff, Travis Bracken returned the ball 36 yards to the MHS 24-yard line. After two short losses, Puglielli scampered 19 yards to the MHS 8-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Puglielli ran eight yards for the touchdown. Prudhomme's two-point conversion run cut the lead to eight, 18-10. Avon attempted an onside kick but the Dragons took over when the ball bounced out of bounds at the MHS 49. Middletown failed to make a first down and Avon took over on its 32-yard line. After two short gains and an incomplete pass, Puglielli raced left and outran everyone for a 59-yard touchdown run, trimming the lead to 18-16. The conversion failed when the ball was fumbled. A second onside kick failed and Middletown drove to the Avon 31 before fumbling the ball away. But on the next play, Avon fumbled the ball away and Middletown was able to run out the clock for a hard-fought victory. Prudhomme also had a 12-yard run in the first half for the Falcons while teaming with Bracken for a 32-yard pass completion. Avon completes the road portion of its schedule at Plainville on Friday, Nov. 1. Avon 42, Rocky Hill 14 ROCKY HILL, Oct. 21 -- Despite a two-week break from the action, the Avon High developmental football team was able to pick up where they left off in a 42-14 win over Rocky Hill thanks to three TD runs from Mike Puglielli and a pair of TD scores from Chris Prudhomme. The game began on a strong note for the Falcons as Rocky Hill's first two plays from scrimmage went for losses. After a punt, Avon took over on the Rocky Hill 35-yard line. Staying on the ground with Ben Ewbank and Mike Puglielli, Avon scored when Ewbank took the ball outside for 17 yards and the touchdown and a 6-0 lead. The extra point attempt failed. On its next series, Rocky Hill couldn't manage a first down. They recovered a fumbled punt return but still could not manage a first down and punted the ball away. Avon marched 46 yards with Chris Prudhomme scoring from 6 yards out on the first play of the second quarter. Puglielli ran in for the extra point for a 14-0 lead. On the next Rocky Hill possession, the Terriers managed their initial first down, only to fumble on the next play with Avon recovering on the 50-yard line. After a facemask penalty on a sack and two short running plays, Puglielli rambled for 49 yards into the end zone. The extra point came up short but Avon led, 20-0. But Puglielli was only getting warmed up. On Avon's next possession, Puglielli raced for 88 yards and his second touchdown of the day. Travis Bracken was the holder on the extra point kick, but it was a fake kick as Bracken tucked the ball in and ran to the end zone for a 28-0 lead. Rocky Hill got on the scoreboard, aided by a pass interference penalty against Avon, a fourth-down QB sneak to keep the drive alive and a 4-yard TD run. On Avon's second possession of the third quarter, the Falcons moved the ball down the field, aided by a Mike Puglielli 13-yard run on a fake punt for a first down. After a short run, Ben Ewbank took a reverse, but fooled the defense by passing to an open Chris Prudhomme, who danced through several defenders to complete the 33-yard touchdown pass and a 34-7 lead. The extra point failed. The Terriers marched 59 yards to add its second touchdown but on its next possession, Puglielli took the first handoff, and bolted straight up the middle for an 80-yard touchdown run. Ewbank ran for the extra point to make the score, 42-14. So with the extended layoff behind them and with another game scheduled at Middletown this Friday, the Avon team looks to extend their streak. With 5 games remaining, they look to secure a plus 500 record before the week is out. Middletown should present the team with one of their tougher challenges of the season. Avon 34, East Catholic 14 AVON, Oct. 3 -- Chris Prudhomme threw a pair of touchdown passes as the Developmental team welcome back coach John McLaughlin from his honeymoon with a victory to improve to 3-0. The Eagles opened the game by scoring the first points against the squad this year with a long touchdown pass for a 6-0 lead. Avon was able to stop the two-point conversion. Early in the second quarter, Avon's Ben Ewbank scored on a 15-yard run and added the conversion run for a 8-6 Avon lead. After forcing a short East Catholic punt, Avon added another TD on a 25-yard run by Tom Healy around the right end. The extra point failed giving Avon a 14-6 edge. On Avon's next possession, Mike Puglielli returned after sitting out a week and rambled 42 yards for a score. The conversion pass was short of the end zone, giving Avon a 20-6 lead. But Ewbank recoved an onside kick by the Eagles and Prudhomme finished off the drive with a 25-yard TD pass to Travis Bracken. Prudhomme successfully completed a two-point conversion pass to Bracken for a 28-6 lead at the half. Avon fumbled away its first possession in the third quarter only to have Alex Battaglino intercept an Eagle pass. On East Catholic's next possession, Avon's Kevin Yurch recovered a fumble to end the quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Prudhomme hooked up with Healy for a 45-yard TD pass for a 34-6 lead. The conversion pass failed. East Catholic added a 37-yard TD pass and extra point to complete the scoring. Avon 38, Enfield 0 ENFIELD, Sept. 26 -- The game was played a day early due to field scheduling problems in Enfield but a short work week, damp weather and Mike Puglielli's broken rib did little to slow down the team's effort. Chris Prudhomme opened the scoring on the initial drive with a 3 yard touchdown run and Tom Healy, playing for the injured Puglielli, added the conversion run to give Avon a quick 8-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Enfield ended up with the ball on its own 1-yard-line. The Falcons were able to tackle the Enfield runner in the end zone for a safety, swelling the lead to 10-0. In the second quarter, Tom Healy caught a four yard touchdown pass from Prudhomme, and Ben Ewbank's conversion run gave Avon an 18-0 lead. Ewbank added the final first half score with a 1 yard touchdown run up the middle for a 24-0 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, Prudhomme scored his second touchdown of the day as he raced 4 yards into the end zone untouched on a quarterback reversal for a 30-0 lead. The conversion run failed. In the fourth quarter, Travis Bracken added to Avon's lead with a fine 21 yard touchdown reception from Prudomme. Avon had a first and goal at the Enfield 1-yard line, but two consecutive penalties moved the ball back to the 21-yard line to set up the touchdown pass. Bracken caught the pass from Prudomme for the two-point conversion and a 38-0 edge. Prudhomme finished the game with two rushing TDs and throwing a pair of touchdown passes. Healy did a terrific job as tailback with several long runs. For the second game in a row, the offensive and defensive lines controlled the line of scrimmage to put the game out of reach early. Avon 26, Berlin 0 BERLIN, Sept. 20, 2002 -- On a great Friday afternoon for a football game, Avon dominated with a 26-0 road victory in dominating fashion. After a scoreless first quarter, Avon's Mike Puglielli had a touchdown called back on a penalty, but scored on a 15 yard touchdown run on the very next play. The extra point conversion failed, giving Avon a 6-0 lead. On the ensuing series, Puglielli raced into the Berlin backfield, knocked the ball loose, picked it up and bolted into the end zone for the second Avon score. The Falcons took a 12-0 lead after the PAT conversion failed. After a scoreless third quarter, Avon took up the march again in the fourth quarter when Ben Ewbank grabbed a 3 yard pass from Chris Prudhomme for a touchdown. Puglielli's conversion run increased Avon's lead to 20-0. Prudhomme finished the scoring on a broken play as he picked up a loose ball and rambled 34 yards for Avon's final touchdown of the day. The offensive and defensive lines played well, allowing the Avon runners to rack up long gains and prevented Berlin from getting anything going when they had the ball. |
2002 Developmental team results Final record: 8-2 Thur. 11-21: Avon 22, Farm. 8 Avon 22, Farmington 8 Thursday, Nov. 21 at Avon Avon 0 8 8 6 --22 Farmington 0 0 8 0 -- 8 A: Mike Puglielli 49 interception return (Evan Huddy pass from Chris Prudhomme) F: Berlandy 4 run (Berlandy run) A: Alex Battaglino 15 pass from Prudhomme (Prudhomme run) A: Ben Ewbank 6 run (no conversion attempted) Avon 35, N.W. Catholic 0 Friday, Nov. 15 at Avon NW Catholic 0 0 0 0 -- 0 Avon 8 14 6 7 --35 A: Mike Puglielli 44 run (Puglielli run) A: Travis Bracken 80 pass from Chris Prudhomme (run fails) A: Bracken 81 pass from Prudhomme (Bew Ewbank run) A: Alex Battaglino 28 pass from Prudhomme (kick blocked) A: Puglielli 5 run (Prudhomme kick) Vinal Tech JV 40, Avon 22 Mon. Nov. 11 at Avon Vinal Tech 8 6 6 20 -- 40 Avon 6 8 8 0 -- 22 A: Mike Puglielli 64 run (run fails) A: Ben Ewbank 2 run (Puglielli run) A: Puglielli 29 run (Chris Prudhomme run) Avon 23, Southington B 18 Sat. Nov. 9 at Avon Avon 8 15 0 0 -- 23 Southington 0 0 0 18 -- 18 A: Mike Puglielli 44 run (Ben Ewbank run) A: Chris Prudhomme 15 run (Puglielli run) A: Dane Measley 5 run (Prudhomme kick) Avon 30, Plainville 0 Sat. Nov. 1 Avon 8 8 8 6 -- 30 Plainville 0 0 0 0 -- 0 A: Ben Ewbank 16 run (Prudhomme run) A: Mike Puglielli 39 run (Puglielli run) A: Puglielli 55 run (Prudhomme run) A: Ewbank 29 run Middletown 18, Avon 16 Avon 0 0 10 6 -- 16 Middletown 0 18 0 0 -- 18 A: Safety. Runner tackled in end zone A: Puglielli 8 run (Prudhomme run) A: Puglielli 59 run (run fails) |
This page was last updated on: November 24, 2002
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Avon High varsity football First season 1960 |
Avon Football Online Avon, Connecticut |
JV team eliminated AVON -- Due to numerous injuries, there will be no junior varsity team this year for the AHS football team. Younger players will be up with the varsity or play on the developmental team, which is primarily freshmen and some sophomores. |
2002 Developmental team results Final record: 8-2 Thur. 11-21: Avon 22, Farm. 8 Avon 22, Farmington 8 Thursday, Nov. 21 at Avon Avon 0 8 8 6 --22 Farmington 0 0 8 0 -- 8 A: Mike Puglielli 49 interception return (Evan Huddy pass from Chris Prudhomme) F: Berlandy 4 run (Berlandy run) A: Alex Battaglino 15 pass from Prudhomme (Prudhomme run) A: Ben Ewbank 6 run (no conversion attempted) Avon 35, N.W. Catholic 0 Friday, Nov. 15 at Avon NW Catholic 0 0 0 0 -- 0 Avon 8 14 6 7 --35 A: Mike Puglielli 44 run (Puglielli run) A: Travis Bracken 80 pass from Chris Prudhomme (run fails) A: Bracken 81 pass from Prudhomme (Bew Ewbank run) A: Alex Battaglino 28 pass from Prudhomme (kick blocked) A: Puglielli 5 run (Prudhomme kick) Vinal Tech JV 40, Avon 22 Mon. Nov. 11 at Avon Vinal Tech 8 6 6 20 -- 40 Avon 6 8 8 0 -- 22 A: Mike Puglielli 64 run (run fails) A: Ben Ewbank 2 run (Puglielli run) A: Puglielli 29 run (Chris Prudhomme run) Avon 23, Southington B 18 Sat. Nov. 9 at Avon Avon 8 15 0 0 -- 23 Southington 0 0 0 18 -- 18 A: Mike Puglielli 44 run (Ben Ewbank run) A: Chris Prudhomme 15 run (Puglielli run) A: Dane Measley 5 run (Prudhomme kick) Avon 30, Plainville 0 Sat. Nov. 1 Avon 8 8 8 6 -- 30 Plainville 0 0 0 0 -- 0 A: Ben Ewbank 16 run (Prudhomme run) A: Mike Puglielli 39 run (Puglielli run) A: Puglielli 55 run (Prudhomme run) A: Ewbank 29 run Middletown 18, Avon 16 Avon 0 0 10 6 -- 16 Middletown 0 18 0 0 -- 18 A: Safety. Runner tackled in end zone A: Puglielli 8 run (Prudhomme run) A: Puglielli 59 run (run fails) |
Avon 35, N.W. Catholic 0 AVON, Nov. 15, 2002 Playing for the third time in seven days, the Falcons rolled to a 35-0 win over N.W. Catholic. QB Chris Prudhomme threw three TD passes while Mike Puglielli rushed for two TDs. Each team committed four turnovers with the Falcons intercepting three NWC passes. Avon led 22-0 at halftime but had no first downs. Kyle Endres and Puglielli teamed for a four-yard sack to stop NWC's first possession. Later in the first period, Puglielli returned a NWC punt to the 39-yard line. After an illegal procedure penalty, Puglielli raced right for a 44-yard TD run and added the 2-point conversion for an 8-0 lead. Later in the first half, Avon took over on its own 20 following a NWC punt. On its first play from scrimmage, Travis Bracken hauled in a perfect pass from Prudhomme for an 80-yard TD pass. Bracken slipped behind the defense. The extra point failed with Avon up, 14-0. The Indians completed a 39-yard pass on its next series but eventually gave up the ball on downs. On its first play, Bracken scored on an 81-yard pass from Prudhomme and Ben Ewbank added the conversion run for a 22-0 lead. Bracken had a 36-yard interception return late in the second quarter. Brendan Walsh recovered a NWC onside kick to begin the third quarter. Puglielli gained 6 yards and Tom Healy followed with a 12-yard run for Avon's initial first down of the game. Ewbank ran for 6 yards and Prudhomme followed with his third TD pass of the game, a 26-yard completion to tight end Alex Battaglino for a 28-0 lead. In the fourth quarter, Bracken picked off his second pass of the game. The Falcons took over on the Avon 33. Healy rambled 47 yards for a first down and Dane Mealey had runs of 3, 10, and 2 yards before Puglielli bulled for the final 5 yards and the touchdown. Prudhomme's extra point kick made it 35-0. Vinal Tech/Coginchaug JV 40, Avon Developmental 22 AVON, Nov. 11 -- Playing its second game in three days, the Avon development football team led by two after three quarters but two key turnovers in the fourth quarter helped the Vinal Tech/Coginchaug junior varsity beat the Falcons. Vinal Tech returned the opening kickoff 31 yards to its own 48 yard line. Vinal marched 52 yards on six plays, scoring on a 5-yard run. The conversion run made it 8-0. However, Avon responded. Starting at its own 36, Mike Puglielli bolted 64 yards for a touchdown. The run was stopped as Vinal held an 8-6 lead. Avon stopped Vinal on its next possession but could do little on offense. The Falcons punted with Vinal returning the ball to the Avon 25-yard line. Vinal scored on a 1-yard run for a 14-6 lead. The conversion run was fumbled away. Avon began its next drive on its own 37 with Puglielli sparking the drive with a 37-yard run to the Vinal 2-yard line. Ben Ewbank scored on a 2-yard run and Puglielli added the conversion run to tie the game at 14-14. Vinal took the kickoff, returned it 30 yards to its own 45 and marched to the Avon 15 in four plays but the drive stalled. Vinal scored on its opening drive of the second half, marching to the Avon 3-yard line. A 6-yard sack and an incompletion thanks to an outstanding deflection by Chris Prudhomme delayed Vinal before they scored on a 9-yard pass. The extra point was fumbled as Vinal led, 20-14. After a kick out of bounds, Avon started on their own 39-yard line. Puglielli raced to the Tech 29-yard line and then added a 29-yard TD run. Prudhomme added the extra point on the run for a 22-20 Avon edge. Vinal responded with a drive that culminated with a 24-yard TD run. Avon fumbled the ball on its next possession and Vinal took over on the Avon 32. Five plays later, Vinal scored for a 32-22 lead after the extra point attempt failed. On its next possession, the Falcons again coughed up the ball on a fumble. Two plays later, Vinal scored for a 40-22 lead. Avon's Tom Healy had a nice 18-yard run on Avon's next possession but the Falcons gave up the ball on downs and the game ended shortly afterward. There was great fan support at the game on the warm but overcast day, with parents, students, and a physics lab all cheering. And the Avon cheerleaders were again present, doing their usual outstanding job to cheer the team to victory. Avon 23, Southington B 18 AVON, Nov. 9 -- The Falcons used some strong defense to set up a 23-18 win over the Southington B team on Saturday. Avon's defense made a statement immediately. After receiving the opening kickoff, Avon's Kyle Endres sacked the Southington QB for a 10-yard loss on third down before teammate Kellen Hayes sacked the Knight QB on fourth down to give Avon the ball on the Southington 44-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Mike Puglielli broke through for a 44-yard TD run. Ben Ewbank bulled in for a two-point run and a 8-0 Avon lead. On Southington's next possession, Puglielli intercepted the ball on fourth down, racing to the Southington 49-yard line. After short runs by Puglielli and Ewbank, Ewbank took a pitch and raced around for a 25-yard gain to the Southington 16-yard line. Chris Prudhomme completed an 8-yard pass to Travis Bracken and Puglielli ran for a first down. After a 15-yard loss on a sack, Ewbank rushed for 10 yards. Following a five-yard illegal procedure penalty, Prudhomme ran 15 yards for the score on the QB option keeper. Puglielli's two-point conversion run made it 16-0. Southington punted after its next series and Avon took over on its own 39-yard line. Ewbank had a big gain with a 36-yard delay reverse and Dane Mealey had several short gains. However, the drive stalled and a 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked. Southington took over by Tom Healy intercepted a pass and returned it to the Southington 40-yard line. After a 28-yard QB keeper by Prudhomme, Mealey took over with 5 consecutive runs, including a 5-yard TD run. The extra point kick from Prudhomme was good for a 23-0 lead at halftime. In the second half, Avon's Travis Bracken returned the kickoff 14 yards to the Avon 34-yard line. Two plays later, Mealey raced 37 yards for a first down. The Falcons earned two more first downs on the drive before it stalled when Corey Joseph was stopped on a fourth down run on the Southington 3-yard line. Southington came alive and began moving the ball. Avon's Alex Battaglino had a 5-yard QB sack while Craig Breitsprecher had a 3-yard tackle for a loss and Josh Feldman had a 5-yard QB sack to help stop the Knights' drive. Avon took over on downs on its own 14 as the quarter ended. Alex Battaglino moved to tailback and bulled for a 15-yard first down run, but Avon's drive stalled and a missed punt gave Southington the ball on the Avon 24-yard line. Southington moved to the 4 with a 20-yard pass, then Evan Huddy dropped the quarterback for a 2-yard loss, but a 6-yard touchdown pass cut the Avon lead to 23-6 deficit. Southington recovered a fumbled pitch on Avon's next possession, scoring 2 plays later on a 24-yard run, cutting the lead to 23-12. Kyle Endres had a sack for a 6-yard loss on the Knights' next possession. Southington added a final touchdown on a 20-yard pass as time expired. Avon 30, Plainville 0 PLAINVILLE, Nov. 1 -- Suffering no ill effects from last week's loss or excess Halloween candy, the Avon Developmental football team blanked Plainville, 30-0, sacking Devil quarterbacks nine times. Mike Pugielli and Ben Ewbank each scored 2 TDs. The Falcons set the tone right away. Two consecutive QB sacks by Avon's Ben Ewbank put Plainville on its heels. After a short punt, Avon took over on its own 49-yard line. Ewbank had a 12-yard run and Mike Pugielli followed with a 10-yard run for consecutive first downs but the drive stalled and Plainville took over. After another QB sack by Avon, the Devils punted. Chris Prudhomme had a 13-yard run for a first down. After a 9-yard reverse by Tom Healy, Ewbank scored on a 16-yard run. Prudhomme ran the conversion into the end zone for an 8-0 lead. On its next possession, Plainville completed a 31-yard pass play but Avon responded with back-to-back sacks and the Devils punted on third down. The Falcons took over on their own 18-yard line but marched down the field on a 82-yard drive. Puglielli had runs of 13 and 26 yards before breaking out on a 39-yard TD run. He also had the two-point conversion run for a 16-0 Avon lead. On Plainville's remaining two possessions of the first half, Avon sacked the Devil QB three more times for a total of eight. Plainville had the ball on its own 15 after an interception but sack No. 8 by Avon's Rishesh Singh forced a Devil punt. Avon opened the second half with the ball. After a 5-yard Ewbank run, Puglielli broke through for a 55-yard touchdown scamper. Chris Prudhomme snuck over for the extra point to give Avon a 24-0 edge. Plainville lost eight yards on its next possession and the Falcons took over on its ovn 49. Ewbank and Dane Mealey ran for first downs on consecutive plays before the drive stalled on the Plainville 22-yard line. After two more Plainville punts and an Avon punt, the Falcons took over on their own 35-yard line. Ewbank and Prudhomme each ran for 9 yards to give Avon a first down. After a Ewbank tough 1-yard gain, Mealey had runs of 3-yards and 6-yards for another Avon first down. Three plays later, Ewbank broke through for a 29-yard touchdown run as time expired to end the game and the final 30-0 score. Middletown 18, Avon 16 AVON, Oct. 25 -- The Falcons rallied in the second half but couldn't overcome the Dragons as the Avon Developmental squad had its four-game winning streak snapped. Middletown took advantage of three Falcon turnovers to build a 18-0 lead in the first half. Middletown took a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter after intercepting the ball and returning it to the Avon 4-yard line. The Dragons scored on a 1-yard run. After Avon's Mike Puglielli returned the kickoff to the Avon 42, the Falcons fumbled the ball on its next play. Two plays later, it was 12-0 after a 50-yard TD run. After a second interception, Middletown took a 18-0 lead on a 20-yard reverse. Middletown opened the third quarter by marching to the Avon 6-yard line. But the Falcons stiffened and took over on downs. Two penalties gave Avon a first down and Mike Puglielli earned another with a 14-yard run. On fourth down and 2, Puglielli took a short snap on a fake punt and scampered 35 yards to the Middletown 26-yard line. On third down, Puglielli ran for seven yards and Chris Prudhomme ran for 10 yards for a first down at the MHS 10. On third down, Ben Ewbank ran eight yards to the three. However on fourth down, Prudhomme was stopped on the one-yard line and Middletown took over on downs. Avon got on the scoreboard, tackling the Dragon runner in the end zone, trimming the score to 18-2. On the Middletown kickoff, Travis Bracken returned the ball 36 yards to the MHS 24-yard line. After two short losses, Puglielli scampered 19 yards to the MHS 8-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Puglielli ran eight yards for the touchdown. Prudhomme's two-point conversion run cut the lead to eight, 18-10. Avon attempted an onside kick but the Dragons took over when the ball bounced out of bounds at the MHS 49. Middletown failed to make a first down and Avon took over on its 32-yard line. After two short gains and an incomplete pass, Puglielli raced left and outran everyone for a 59-yard touchdown run, trimming the lead to 18-16. The conversion failed when the ball was fumbled. A second onside kick failed and Middletown drove to the Avon 31 before fumbling the ball away. But on the next play, Avon fumbled the ball away and Middletown was able to run out the clock for a hard-fought victory. Prudhomme also had a 12-yard run in the first half for the Falcons while teaming with Bracken for a 32-yard pass completion. Avon completes the road portion of its schedule at Plainville on Friday, Nov. 1. Avon 42, Rocky Hill 14 ROCKY HILL, Oct. 21 -- Despite a two-week break from the action, the Avon High developmental football team was able to pick up where they left off in a 42-14 win over Rocky Hill thanks to three TD runs from Mike Puglielli and a pair of TD scores from Chris Prudhomme. The game began on a strong note for the Falcons as Rocky Hill's first two plays from scrimmage went for losses. After a punt, Avon took over on the Rocky Hill 35-yard line. Staying on the ground with Ben Ewbank and Mike Puglielli, Avon scored when Ewbank took the ball outside for 17 yards and the touchdown and a 6-0 lead. The extra point attempt failed. On its next series, Rocky Hill couldn't manage a first down. They recovered a fumbled punt return but still could not manage a first down and punted the ball away. Avon marched 46 yards with Chris Prudhomme scoring from 6 yards out on the first play of the second quarter. Puglielli ran in for the extra point for a 14-0 lead. On the next Rocky Hill possession, the Terriers managed their initial first down, only to fumble on the next play with Avon recovering on the 50-yard line. After a facemask penalty on a sack and two short running plays, Puglielli rambled for 49 yards into the end zone. The extra point came up short but Avon led, 20-0. But Puglielli was only getting warmed up. On Avon's next possession, Puglielli raced for 88 yards and his second touchdown of the day. Travis Bracken was the holder on the extra point kick, but it was a fake kick as Bracken tucked the ball in and ran to the end zone for a 28-0 lead. Rocky Hill got on the scoreboard, aided by a pass interference penalty against Avon, a fourth-down QB sneak to keep the drive alive and a 4-yard TD run. On Avon's second possession of the third quarter, the Falcons moved the ball down the field, aided by a Mike Puglielli 13-yard run on a fake punt for a first down. After a short run, Ben Ewbank took a reverse, but fooled the defense by passing to an open Chris Prudhomme, who danced through several defenders to complete the 33-yard touchdown pass and a 34-7 lead. The extra point failed. The Terriers marched 59 yards to add its second touchdown but on its next possession, Puglielli took the first handoff, and bolted straight up the middle for an 80-yard touchdown run. Ewbank ran for the extra point to make the score, 42-14. So with the extended layoff behind them and with another game scheduled at Middletown this Friday, the Avon team looks to extend their streak. With 5 games remaining, they look to secure a plus 500 record before the week is out. Middletown should present the team with one of their tougher challenges of the season. Avon 34, East Catholic 14 AVON, Oct. 3 -- Chris Prudhomme threw a pair of touchdown passes as the Developmental team welcome back coach John McLaughlin from his honeymoon with a victory to improve to 3-0. The Eagles opened the game by scoring the first points against the squad this year with a long touchdown pass for a 6-0 lead. Avon was able to stop the two-point conversion. Early in the second quarter, Avon's Ben Ewbank scored on a 15-yard run and added the conversion run for a 8-6 Avon lead. After forcing a short East Catholic punt, Avon added another TD on a 25-yard run by Tom Healy around the right end. The extra point failed giving Avon a 14-6 edge. On Avon's next possession, Mike Puglielli returned after sitting out a week and rambled 42 yards for a score. The conversion pass was short of the end zone, giving Avon a 20-6 lead. But Ewbank recoved an onside kick by the Eagles and Prudhomme finished off the drive with a 25-yard TD pass to Travis Bracken. Prudhomme successfully completed a two-point conversion pass to Bracken for a 28-6 lead at the half. Avon fumbled away its first possession in the third quarter only to have Alex Battaglino intercept an Eagle pass. On East Catholic's next possession, Avon's Kevin Yurch recovered a fumble to end the quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Prudhomme hooked up with Healy for a 45-yard TD pass for a 34-6 lead. The conversion pass failed. East Catholic added a 37-yard TD pass and extra point to complete the scoring. Avon 38, Enfield 0 ENFIELD, Sept. 26 -- The game was played a day early due to field scheduling problems in Enfield but a short work week, damp weather and Mike Puglielli's broken rib did little to slow down the team's effort. Chris Prudhomme opened the scoring on the initial drive with a 3 yard touchdown run and Tom Healy, playing for the injured Puglielli, added the conversion run to give Avon a quick 8-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Enfield ended up with the ball on its own 1-yard-line. The Falcons were able to tackle the Enfield runner in the end zone for a safety, swelling the lead to 10-0. In the second quarter, Tom Healy caught a four yard touchdown pass from Prudhomme, and Ben Ewbank's conversion run gave Avon an 18-0 lead. Ewbank added the final first half score with a 1 yard touchdown run up the middle for a 24-0 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, Prudhomme scored his second touchdown of the day as he raced 4 yards into the end zone untouched on a quarterback reversal for a 30-0 lead. The conversion run failed. In the fourth quarter, Travis Bracken added to Avon's lead with a fine 21 yard touchdown reception from Prudomme. Avon had a first and goal at the Enfield 1-yard line, but two consecutive penalties moved the ball back to the 21-yard line to set up the touchdown pass. Bracken caught the pass from Prudomme for the two-point conversion and a 38-0 edge. Prudhomme finished the game with two rushing TDs and throwing a pair of touchdown passes. Healy did a terrific job as tailback with several long runs. For the second game in a row, the offensive and defensive lines controlled the line of scrimmage to put the game out of reach early. Avon 26, Berlin 0 BERLIN, Sept. 20, 2002 -- On a great Friday afternoon for a football game, Avon dominated with a 26-0 road victory in dominating fashion. After a scoreless first quarter, Avon's Mike Puglielli had a touchdown called back on a penalty, but scored on a 15 yard touchdown run on the very next play. The extra point conversion failed, giving Avon a 6-0 lead. On the ensuing series, Puglielli raced into the Berlin backfield, knocked the ball loose, picked it up and bolted into the end zone for the second Avon score. The Falcons took a 12-0 lead after the PAT conversion failed. After a scoreless third quarter, Avon took up the march again in the fourth quarter when Ben Ewbank grabbed a 3 yard pass from Chris Prudhomme for a touchdown. Puglielli's conversion run increased Avon's lead to 20-0. Prudhomme finished the scoring on a broken play as he picked up a loose ball and rambled 34 yards for Avon's final touchdown of the day. The offensive and defensive lines played well, allowing the Avon runners to rack up long gains and prevented Berlin from getting anything going when they had the ball. |
Avon 22, Farmington 8 AVON, Nov. 21 The Falcons forced four Farmington turnovers including a 49-yard interception return as the Avon developmental squad finished the season with a 24-8 win over Farmington. Avon finished 8-2 with four wins in its last five games. Ben Ewbank recovered a Farmington fumble in the first quarter but the Falcons couldn't capitalize. Tom Healy, Mike Puglielli and Ewbank helped Avon get a first down but a procedure penalty doomed the drive. The Indians began moving the ball but a 9-yard sack by Puglielli stopped the drive. Chris Prudhomme got the ball back for Avon with an interception, returning the ball to the Avon 33. After a 17-yard run by Puglielli, the drive sputtered. After an unsuccessful fake punt, Farmington took over on its own 45. But Puglielli intercepted the ball on the 49-yard line, sprinted to the outside, eluded two tacklers and raced to the end zone for the TD. A successful conversion pass from Prudhomme to Evan Huddy gave Avon an 8-0 lead. Farmington's next drive went nowhere thanks in part to a 12-yard sack by Alex Battaglino. Avon's Dane Mealey recovered FHS' onside kick to begin the third quarter but the Indians took over two plays later after an Avon fumble. The Indians tied the game on a 4-yard run by Berlandy. But Avon didn't back down. Travis Bracken recovered a short kickoff on the Avon 37. Puglielli had 1st down runs of 10 and 13-yards while Ewbank added a 6-yard run. Puglielli ran for 1-yard, and Ewbank added 3 for another 1st down. After two no gains, Farmington was assessed with a late hit penalty which moved the ball to the Farmington 15-yard line. On the next play, Chris Prudhomme hooked up with Alex Battaglino for a 15-yard scoring pass. Prudhomme then swept right into the end zone to make the score for a 16-8 Avon lead. A 7-yard sack by Tom Healy helped stymie Farmington's next drive. Late in the fourth quarter, Avon took over on downs at the Farmington 41. Puglielli immediately raced for 21 yards for a first down. He added 3 more yards, and Ewbank bulled for 6 yards, which also caused two Farmington penalties and moved the ball to the 3-yard line. On the next play Ewbank pounded into the end zone as time expired for the final 22-8 score. |
