Avon High football coach Jim Caouette
AVON – When coach Brett Quinion took over the Avon High football program before the 2003 season, there has been just one winning season in the previous decade. The last league championship had come 10 years earlier and the Falcons had never qualified for the CIAC playoffs.
Quinion stepped down last December after 10 seasons and the program is much better than he found it. He led Avon to a record of 67-37, five Pequot Conference Uncas Division championships and three CIAC playoff appearances.
New Avon coach Jim Caouette doesn’t shrink from the legacy left by his predecessor.
“I’m thankful that he put the foundation into place,” Caouette said. “It’s my job to build upon that legacy. I embrace that. I’m ready for the challenge.”
In recent years, the Falcons built their success on running the ball with outstanding, quick running backs such as Colin Moore and Ross McDonald, who could break through the offensive line, get into open space and speed away from defenders. Defensively, the Falcons were solid up front. A year ago, Avon went undefeated in the regular season (10-0) for the second time in four years before a hard-fought loss to New Canaan in the Class L quarterfinals, 16-7.
Caouette hopes to throw the ball more this season but he’ll work with his team throughout preseason workouts that began last week.
“The football team I hope will walk onto the field will be one that is extremely prepared, will disciplined and one that won’t make penalties,” he said. “We’ll fight for 48 minutes. You’ll have to work for 48 minutes to beat us.”
Avon has four scrimmages scheduled as they prepare for its season opening game on Thursday, Sept. 12 against Canton in Avon at 4:30 p.m.
The Falcons will travel to Watertown on Monday, Aug. 26, for a 5 p.m. contest. Two days later, Avon will compete in a five-team jamboree in Simsbury with Tolland, Gilbert and Westfield, Mass.
Avon will be at Holy Cross in Waterbury on Saturday, Aug. 31, at 10 a.m. and conclude its scrimmage work at Stonington on Tuesday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m.
This is his first head coaching job but Caouette brings 20 years of coaching experience to the table. He has coached at Western Connecticut State University, Woodland Regional, Cheshire High, Wolcott High and Wilby High in Waterbury.
At Wolcott High, he was part of a staff that helped turn around the team. Playing in the challenging Naugatuck Valley League, Wolcott had back-to-back eight win seasons for the first time in the program’s history in 2008 and 2009. Caouette was the offensive coordinator of the Eagle team in 2009 that had over 4,000 yards of total offense and was ranked No. 2 in the NVL. In 2008, he was Wolcott’s defensive coordinator and the Eagles were ranked No. 2 in the NVL and No. 12 in the state.
At Woodland, he was part of the 2007 team that won its first-ever NVL Cooper Division championship and qualified for the CIAC Class SS semifinals
Avon should face tougher competition on the field this fall. The 21-team Pequot Conference split into three divisions – its first new realignment in over 20 years. The league will be divided into the West, North and South Divisions.
Avon is the West Division with with Gilbert/Northwestern (7-3), Canton (7-3), Granby (4-6), Housatonic/Wamogo (0-10), Nonnewaug (2-8) and Lewis Mills (0-10).
However, the new Pequot schedule also provides Avon (10-1, 10-0) with challenging games with North Branford (12-1, 10-0 Pequot),Valley Regional/Old Lyme (7-3), Cromwell (8-2), Haddam-Killingworth (5-5) and Ellington/Somers (9-2, 9-1).
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