RUSHING: Avon – Mike D’Onofrio 13-219, David Wyrick 1-1, Terrence Olsen 2-17, Zach McGreevey 3-36, James Lee 1-5, Pat Leszczynski 4-34, Ross McDonald 5-32. Totals 29-344
AVON, Oct. 4 – Sophomore back Ross McDonald rushed for a career-high 109 yards and 3 TDs as the Falcons (3-1, 3-0 Pequot Uncas) rolled to a 55-21 win over Housatonic/Wamogo at home. It was Avon’s 12th win in its last 13 games. Terence Olsen caught three passes for 97 yards and a TD. QB David Wyrick completed 5-of-7 passes for 145 yards, all in the first half.
Many of the starters didn’t play in the second half but the second team offense still marched for a pair of TD scoring drives. Joe Rosati, Jerry Condon, Chris Dlugolecki, Clint Wallberg, Dan Matthews, Leo Hebert and Jason Conner played well in the second half for the Falcons. Running back Mike D’Onofrio sat out the game with a hip pointer.
A strong Mountaineer team scored on its opening drive but the Falcons adjusted to keep Housatonic from stringing together any more scoring drives. “We’re doing many things well,” Falcon coach Brett Quinion said. “But there are many things that need improvement to compete with the better teams.”
Avon had three tough games ahead beginning on the road next week at Hyde-New Haven and night games at Tolland and against Ellington at home. ... The 55 points ties the fourth-highest scoring output in team history.
Wyrick sparks Avon past Pats in home opener
AVON, Sept. 28 – Falcon QB David Wyrick was 8-of-10 for 174 yards and a pair of TD passes as the Falcons captured their home opener on a sunny Sunday afternoon with a 40-7 win over Coventry/Windham Tech. The game was moved to Sunday due to rain.
AHS receiver T.J. Stolzenberg (5-127) pulled in TD passes of 21 and 31 yards. Mike D’Onofrio ran just seven times, gaining 56 yards and scoring a pair of TDs. Avon (2-1, 2-0 Pequot Uncas) led 40-0 after three quarters. Coventry slips to 2-1, 1-1 Pequot Uncas.
WINDSOR LOCKS, Sept. 20 – Senior Mike D’Onofrio ran for 219 yards and 4 TDs on 13 carries to lead the Falcons to a 48-0 victory over Windsor Locks/Suffield. D’Onofrio also had seven tackles and an interception.
QB David Wyrick completed 5-of-8 passes for 64 yards and had a team-high 15 tackles on defense, including four unassisted stops. Avon (1-1, 1-0 Pequot Uncas) had six sacks in the game, led by Brandon Burciaga with a pair. Wyrick nailed 6-of-7 extra points for the Falcons.
The 48-point win was the fourth largest in school history and the most lopsided victory since a 57-point win over Putnam in 1977 by a 63-6 score. D'Onofrio scored 4 TDs or more in a game for the fifth time in his career.
Cromwell wears down Falcons
CROMWELL, Sept. 13 – Robert Jordan scored a pair of touchdowns to lead Cromwell to a 21-0 win over Avon in the season opening game for both teams. Avon started well, driving to the Panther 16-yard line with a long 13-play drive but Cromwell’s Jamie Scott blocked the 21-yard FG attempt. "They've just put some new people in new spots. That's a good team. They're going to give team fits," Cromwell coach Sal Morello told The Herald Press.
Leading 7-0, Cromwell opened the second half with a 12-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Mike Zimmitti scoring from the 1-yard line for a 14-0 lead. The Panthers ate up nearly seven minutes of the fourth quarter with a 15-play, 69-yard drive for its third TD. Zimmitti had a pair of key first down runs and Dominique Carr caught a pair of passes for first downs as well. "I think we wore them down at the end," Morello said. "Our conditioning definitely paid off."
The win snapped a nine-game winning streak for Avon, the second-longest streak in school history.
AVON, Sept. 9 – The Falcons will receive a stiff challenge when they put a nine-game winning streak on the line in the season opening game at Cromwell at 1:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Middletown's WCNX-AM (1710) and CNXradio.com. Avon was 9-1 and won the Pequot Uncas championship but missed the Class M playoffs. Cromwell finished undefeated at 10-0 and won the Pequot Sassacus title for the second straight year before bowing in the Class S semifinals to New London, 34-14.
Opening day milestones
Record: 25-23
Biggest win: '76, Avon 42, Pomperaug 0
Last win: 2004, Avon 28, Wright Tech 0
Biggest defeat: 1999, Windsor 40, Avon 0
D'Onofrio, Wyrick look to defend Uncas title
AVON, Sept. 11 – The Falcons return several outstanding specialists with All-State running back Mike D’Onofrio and All-Uncas QB David Wyrick but significant rebuilding of the offensive and defensive line could be challenging this season. D’Onofrio rushed for 1,042 yards and set single season records with 23 TDs and 142 points while Wyrick completed 69 of 121 passes for 1,103 yards and a school record 12 TDs.
Avon (9-1, 8-0 Pequot Uncas) has 11 seniors and will lean heavily on them. The Falcons will have three new starters on the defensive line and some new starters on the offensive line. All-Uncas LB Mike Dugan, Terence Olsen and All-Uncas lineman D.L. McDonald bring solid experience to the squad. T.J. Stolzenberg, Brandon Burciaga, Zak Blawie and Lambert Givens look to be key contributors.
The Falcons, who had their best record in 27 years (1980, 9-1), will be challenged by games with Cromwell and Hyde-New Haven this year. Tolland and Ellington look to battle with the Falcons for the Uncas Division title.
Avon to host Ellington under the lights
AVON, Aug. 12 – The Falcons have added another night game to the 2008 schedule. Avon will host a game under the lights at the high school on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. when they host Ellington/Somers. Avon also plays a pair of night games on the road at Tolland and at Stafford.
Falcons to train at Camp Rell
AVON, July 29 – As part of their preseason preparations for the 2008 season, the Falcons will practice for three days (Aug. 21-24) at Camp Rell in Niantic with New Britain High and Hartford Public. The state National Guard runs conditioning programs in the morning and teams can go through triple sessions of football practice and a professional leadership program. On Saturday, Aug. 23, Ledyard and Wethersfield will scrimmage with Avon, New Britain and Hartford Public. Practice begins for the Falcons on Monday, Aug. 18.
Season opener on radio and the net
MIDDLETOWN, July 14 -- Avon’s season-opening game with Cromwell on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 1 p.m. will be broadcast on WCNX-AM (1710) radio in Middletown and CNXRadio.com. A CD copy of the game broadcast will be available for $24.95 through CNXRadio.com.
Athletes get $150 bill to play
AVON, July 9 – As part of measures to cut $1.52 million from the education budget, the Avon Board of Education will institute a new $150 fee for students to participate in high school athletics beginning in September. The board also cut three staff positions and eliminated most of the interscholastic athletic program at the middle school. Field hockey, cross country and track will continue as interscholastic events at the middle school while the remaining sports were eliminated. Students at the high school will have to pay $150 for each sport they want to participate in. The school plans to add a new indoor track team this winter only if 67 students participate to make the program self-funded.
ROCKY HILL, July 7 – The New Britain Herald reports that Rocky Hill has applied to join the NCCC. "The coaches got together and we talked and the majority of the coaches wanted to go to the NCCC," Rocky Hill football coach David Coyne said. "So that's where we applied." Rocky Hill currently is a member of the Northwest Conference and plays in the Nutmeg League in football. But with Farmington’s departure to the CCC this fall and Berlin, RHAM, Plainville and Middletown reportedly applying to the Central Connecticut Conference, the Terriers didn’t want to be left out in the cold.
Enfield, a member of the NCCC, plays football in the Nutmeg Conference. The addition of Rocky Hill could jumpstart a pure NCCC league in football with Avon, Canton, Windsor Locks, Ellington, Stafford and Coventry already fielding teams. But at this point with no official words from any league officials, it is all pure speculation.
AVON, April 15 – One reason that the Avon High football missed the CIAC playoffs despite a 9-1 record in 2007 was because their strength of schedule was low. That shouldn’t happen in 2008. Avon will play two of the strongest teams in the Pequot Conference’s Sassacus Division with a pair of road games at Cromwell and at Hyde-New Haven this fall.
Cromwell went 10-0 in the regular season last fall, won the Sassacus Division championship for the second straight year and qualified for the Class S playoffs for the fourth time in five years. Hyde, 8-2 last year, won back-to-back Class S titles in 2004 and 2005. ... Former Avon High assistant coach Roger Pearl, who coached with the Falcons from 2001-03, was named as the new head coach at Canton.
Sunblade honored
ROCKY HILL, Feb. 29 – Jeff Sunblade, Avon’s athletic director, received a Distinguished Service Award from the Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors on March 27.
n Avon sophomore Ross McDonald (39) rushed for a career-high 109 and 3 TDs in a 55-21 win over Housatonic/Wamogo on Saturday in Avon.
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