Sixteen Avon, Canton, Granby players named to All-Pequot Western Division team

Avon’s Jimmy Murphy (36) leaps over a defender in a win over Lewis Mills at Muzzy Field in Bristol.

AVON – Sixteen players from the Avon, Canton and Granby High football teams were named to the All-Pequot Conference Western Division All-Star team in voting by the league coaches recently.

All three teams had winning records, all three finished tied for second in the Western Division with 4-2 records behind league champion Gilbert/Northwestern and the three teams combined for a total of 21 victories.

Avon (8-3, 4-2 Pequot West) had seven players named to the All-Pequot Western Division team – more than Gilbert/Northwestern, which had six.

Avon linebacker and running back Jimmy Murphy was named the Western Division co-player of the year along with Gilbert/Northwestern’s fantastic running back and defensive back Tony Ortiz.

Avon QB Noah Hahn, Murphy, WR Dylan Marquis, offensive lineman Ryan Rogers, placekicker John Burdick, defensive back Avik Vimal and linebacker Stephen Griffin were recognized by the league coaches.

Murphy was a catalyst for the Falcons this season. He became the 11th player in school history to run for more than 1,000 yards in a single season, rushing for 1,140 yards and 19 TDs. He also caught 24 passes for 346 yards and 5 TDs. He returned eight kickoffs for 141 yards. Defensively, he was a stalwart at linebacker consistently making big plays.

He earned All-Pequot honors for the third straight year – the first player to achieve that since Mike D’Onofrio from 2006-08.

Hahn rewrote the Avon High record books when it comes to passing. He completed a school-record 101 passes for 1,667 yards and 25 touchdowns – also school records. Before this season, the career record for TDs thrown at Avon High was 24.

Hahn set a new single game record with 301 yards passing in a 21-18 loss to Valley Regional. He threw four TD passes in a 34-33 loss to Gilbert/Northwestern and threw three TD passes in five other games.

Marquis led the team in receptions (25) and TDs (8). Rogers helped anchor an offensive line that allowed Murphy and Hahn to flourish this season and score 376 points – the second-highest total in school history.

Burdick connected on 40 of 44 extra points this season and made four of five field goal attempts. His longest was 32 yards against Granby. Burdick tied a school record with 11 points in win over Haddam-Killingworth with five extra points and two field goals. His 52 points is the third highest in school history for a kicker in a single season.

Vimal shared the team lead in interceptions (three) with Marquis.

Griffin was a versatile linebacker who started all four years of his career. He rushed for four TDs and 267 yards while catching 12 passes for 138 yards and three TDs. Last year, Griffin was an All-Pequot Uncas Division selection at defensive end.

Canton (7-4, 4-2 Pequot West) had five players recognized — offensive lineman Pierre Walsh, utility player Sebby Gumbs, punter Eric Scott, DB Cam Daley and defensive lineman Shane Toland. It’s the second year in a row that Daley and Gumbs have earned All-Pequot honors.

Daley made big plays on both sides of the ball. Defensively, he led the Warriors with 106 tackles and had five interceptions. Offensively, he chipped in where he could. He ran 29 times for 139 yards and 3 TDs. As a receiver, he caught 18 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown. He returned 15 kickofs for 268 yards.

Gumbs was one of Canton’s most explosive players who was deployed in a variety of positions. He led the team with 20 receptions for a team-high 410 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for 214 yards and two TDs on 45 carries. Defensively, he led the Warriors with seven interceptions and recovered two fumbles. He also returned punts and kickofs.

Walsh was one of Canton’s most consistent linemen at left tackle. He helped the Warriors score a school-record 313 points this season. Toland had an outstanding season and was the team’s leading tackler on the defensive line with 60 stops and 1½ sacks.

Most fans remember Scott playing quarterback for the Warriors. The third-year starter completed 58-of-120 passes for 1,170 yards and a school record 11 touchdown passes. But he was recognized for his punting skills, averaging 32.4 yards a kick. He had four punts this season over 50 yards.

Granby (6-5, 4-2 Pequot West), which had its first-ever winning season, had four players named to the All-Pequot Western Division team – wide receiver Ian Downey, offensive linemen John Brucker and Matt Selander and defensive lineman Jason Largay.

Downey caught a team-leading 45 passes for 768 yards and seven touchdowns. On defense, he shared the team-lead with three fumble recoveries. Largay, a 6-foot-5 senior, led the Bears with 68 tackles (26 solo) and a had three fumble recoveries, a blocked punt and two blocked field goals.

Brucker and Selander helped QB Curtis Field throw for a school record 1,578 yards and 11 TDs this season and helped sophomore running back Dominic Pagano become the first Bear to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season. Pagano ran for 1,004 yards and 11 TDs. 

2013 Pequot Western Division All-Star Team

Player of the Year (tie): Jimmy Murphy RB/LB, Avon and Tony Ortiz, RB/S, Gilbert/Northwestern

Offense
QB: Noah Hahn, Avon
RB: Jimmy Murphy, Avon; Tony Ortiz, Gilbert/Northwestern
WR: Dylan Marquis, Avon; Ian Downey, Granby
TE: Paxton Lewis-Franklin, Gilbert/Northwestern
OL: Pierce Walsh, Canton; Ryan Rogers, Avon; John Brucker, Granby; Kevin Wheeler, Nonnewaug, Matt Selander, Granby
K: John Burdick, Avon
Flex: John Lippincott, Gilbert/Northwestern, Sebby Gumbs, Canton 

Defense
DB: Seth Dayton, Gilbert/Northwestern; Cam Daley, Canton; Max Stone, Lewis Mills; Avik Vimal, Avon
LB: Ryan Ott, Gilbert/Northwestern, Stephen Griffin, Avon; Cam McHale, Lewis Mills
DL: Jason Largay, Granby; Mitchell Jackson, Gilbert/Northwestern; Gene Llenga, Nonnewaug; Shane Toland, Canton
P: Eric Scott, Canton