Granby can’t hold onto ball in big loss to Avon

Granby’s Connor Field is surrounded by Avon’s Gabe Folkwein (51), Luke Meaney (80) and Andrew Marshall (44) in Friday night’s win in Granby,

GRANBY – The Granby High football team has installed a new option veer offense this year. When run well, the option veer is an offense of deception and big runs. The Bears are still learning how to run it. 

Granby fumbled eight times and lost six as Avon dominated in a 50-21 victory Friday night under the lights. The Falcons ran back two fumbles for touchdowns and rebounded from an opening week loss to Ellington/Somers. 

“Our problem right now is execution,” Granby coach Rich Gadoury said. “When we execute, this team will be a dangerous football team. We come to play football and we like to hit. But when you put the ball down on the carpet six times, you’re not winning football games.” 

A week ago, Granby (0-2) coughed up the four times in a loss to 41-14 loss to Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby. That’s 10 turnovers in two games. “It’s the speed of playing against another varsity team,” he said. “We’re young. We have only four seniors in the whole program.” 

Stinging from its loss to Ellington/Somers, Avon was thrilled to shut down the Bears for the fifth and final time. Avon will leaving the Pequot Conference next fall for the Central Connecticut Conference. Jamie Dlugolecki recovered three fumbles and ran one back 20 yards for a touchdown. Teddy Allmendinger had a 30-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown along with a three-yard touchdown run. Allmendinger ran for a game-high 137 yards on 20 carries. 

“If you don’t play assignment football against a team like that, they will hurt you,” Avon coach Jim Caouette said. “I thought we pursued to the ball very well. Defensive coordinator Billy Woods put a great game play together.” Granby ran for a little over 100 yards, led by quarterback Dom Pagano with 39 yards on 15 carries. 

A week ago, Avon lost their top two quarterbacks against Ellington/Somers. Ian McDonald is out for several weeks with an arm injury and backup QB Dom DeBerardino hurt his shoulder. But junior Sean Del Gallo is proving to be an ample replacement. 

Del Gallo threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to tight end Geoff Kirk on Avon’s first offensive play and Del Gallo completed 6-of-10 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. “Sean Del Gallo stepped up big time for this team this week,” Caouette said. 

Avon’s Teddy Allmendinger (34) ran for a career-high 137 yards and scored 2 TDs.

Avon (1-1) took charge from the beginning. Dlugolecki recovered a fumble on the Granby 30-yard line with 2:06 gone in the game. The ball was stripped from the ball carrier by Kirk. Del Gallo’s touchdown pass to Kirk put Avon up 6-0. The extra point failed due to a poor snap from center. 

On Granby’s next series, the Bears got a first down but Allmendinger tackled Gage Fiorentino for a five-yard loss. Jeremy McCamish and Dlugolecki sacked Pagano for a nine yard loss and on the next play, Allmendinger scooped up the loose ball on a fumble and ran 30 yards for the touchdown and a 13-0 lead after the extra point from Alden Getz. 

Avon held Granby to minus three yards on its next series. After a punt, the Falcons drove to the Granby 16-yard line where Getz hit his first career field goal, a 33-yard attempt to give Avon a 16-0 lead with 25 seconds left in the first quarter. 

After another Granby fumble recovered by Avon’s Gabe Folkwein, Allmendinger scored on a three-yard run early in the second quarter for a 23-0 lead. Andrew Blackmore added another touchdown with 21 seconds left in the first half for a 30-0 lead. 

In the third quarter, Del Gallo hit Luke Meaney with a 35-yard pass to the Granby 31-yard line. Two plays later, Blackmore scored his second touchdown of the day from 24 yards away for a 37-0 lead. Dlugolecki scored on a one-yard touchdown run with 3:00 left in the third quarter for a 44-7 lead and Dlugolecki scooped up another fumble with 2:40 remaining and ran 20 yards for a touchdown and a 50-7 lead for Avon. 

Granby was led by junior Connor Field, who had an outstanding game. Field returned seven kickoffs for 170 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He caught four passes for 128 yards and two touchdown receptions of 70 and 25 yards. He ran for 37 yards on 11 carries. “Connor is our offensive machine right now,” Gadoury said. 

NOTES: Kirk’s touchdown reception was the first of his career. It was also Del Gallo’s first career TD passes. … Getz was five of seven kicking extra points. A bad snap spoiled one attempt and the second was just wide of the upright. Getz did hit his first career field goal. … Allemendinger’s 137 yards is a career-high. … The last team to recover six fumbles in a game was Coventry/Windham Tech against Gilbert/Northwestern in 2011. … The six fumble recoveries is believed to be a single game school record for Avon. … It’s the most points scored in a game by Avon since they had 51 against Enfield five years ago in 2009.

Avon 50, Granby 21
At Granby
Avon (1-1)           16  14  20  0  — 50
Granby (0-2)      0  0  14  7  — 21
First quarter
A: Geoff Kirk 30 pass from Sean Del Gallo (kick fails), 9:45
A: Teddy Allmendinger 30 fumble return (Alden Getz kick), 6:49
A: Getz 33 FG, 0:25
Second quarter
A: Allmendinger 3 run (Getz kick), 11:18
A: Andrew Blackmore 2 run (Getz kick), 0:21
Third quarter
A: Blackmore 22 run (Getz kick), 11:07
G: Connor Field 70 pass from Dominic Pagano (Mark McDermott kick), 10:03
A: Jamie Dlugolecki 1 run (Getz kick), 3:00
A: Dlugolecki 20 fumble return (kick fails), 2:40
G: Field 77 kickoff return (Fred Moffa kick), 2:25
Fourth quarter
G: Field 25 pass from Pagano (Moffa kick), 7:52
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon – Teddy Allmendinger 20-137, Jamie Dlugolecki 4-11, Andrew Blackmore 6-27, Sean Del Gallo 2-0, Leon Ashbury 2-2; Granby – Dom Pagano 15-39, Connor Field 11-37, Logan Strain 5-15, Tyler Disbella 1-0, Trevon Samuels 1-5, Jacob Hauser 1-9, Gage Fiorentino 8-3
PASSING: Avon – Del Gallo 6-10-0, 172; Granby – -Pagano 4-6-0, 128
RECEIVING: Avon – Geoff Kirk 2-82, Luke Meaney 3-75, Jordan Williams 1-15; Connor Field 4-128
RETURNS: Granby – Field 7-170 (kickoffs); Avon – Dominic Martinez 2-0 (kickoffs)