Behind blocking from teammate Andrew Blackmore (24), Avon’s Teddy Allmendinger (34) is about to score his first touchdown of the night.
HARTFORD – It’s been nearly a month but the Avon High football team hasn’t forgotten its season opening loss to Ellington/Somers. The visiting Purple Knights took advantage of four turnovers in a 14-point victory.
“I’m seeing a much more clearer focus in practice,” Avon coach Jim Caouette said Thursday night after the Falcons routed the Sports Medicine Science Academy/University High co-op team, 48-0 at Dillon Stadium. “That left a bad taste in our mouths. I see (the focus) in practice. I see it in their attitude. I see it in their body language.”
Since that September afternoon, Avon has ripped off three straight victories. The Falcons (3-1, 3-1 Pequot Uncas) rolled over Granby, 50-21 and dominated Stafford/East Windsor, 42-6 a week ago. Another big factor is that Avon hasn’t turned the ball over since week 1.
Caouette praised starting quarterback Sean Del Gallo, who had another outstanding evening against the host Tigerhawks. Del Gallo completed 9-of-12 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns. That’s an outstanding performance for a player that spent the entire preseason at wide receiver. He was pressed into emergency duty at quarterback in week one when starter Ian McDonald and backup Dom DeBerardino were both injured in the game.
“He’s done an outstanding job stepping up at quarterback,” Caouette said. “He’s making great decisions and has been real effective directing the offense. And we’re not turning the ball over. We tend to lose games when we turn the ball over.”
It was SMSA/University that had a hard time keeping their hands on the ball Thursday night. The winless Tigerhawks (0-4, 0-4 Pequot Uncas) threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles.
Avon was in control from the start. Freshman Jordan Williams returned the kickoff 64 yards to the Tigerhawk 18-yard line. Four plays later, Teddy Allemendinger scored from the one. Alden Getz’s extra point made it 7-0 just 1:39 into the game. On Avon’s second drive, Allemendinger ran six times for 47 yards including a three-yard TD run for a 14-0 lead.
The Tigerhawks tried to get back into the game. Daunte Brickley returned a kickoff 45 yards to the Avon 37-yard line. Runs of 11 yards from Pharoh Mathis and a 14-yard run from Allen Walker put SMSA/University on the Avon 12-yard line.
But the drive stalled and Avon’s Luke Meaney intercepted Tigerhawk QB Blake Breglia on fourth down and returned the ball 33 yards. It took Avon six plays to march 63 yards with receiver Geoff Kirk making a nice catch and scoring on a 26-yard touchdown reception from Del Gallo with 11 seconds left in the first quarter for a 21-0 lead.
SMSA/University players show their frustration after Avon’s Luke Meaney (80) makes an interception. Meaney had a 33-yard return.
Avon took advantage of a SMSA/University mistake when the Tigerhawks didn’t have their punter on the field early in the second quarter on their own 20-yard line. Not realizing this, the center fired the ball backward and Avon’s Leon Asberry recovered in the end zone for a 28-0 lead.
Later in the second quarter, Meaney had a nice run on a 15-yard touchdown reception from Del Gallo for a 34-0 lead. Jamie Dlugolecki and John Jones scored on runs of seven and 10 yards, respectively, in the third quarter.
Avon also had two long touchdown runs nullified by penalties. Jordan Williams had a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown brought back because a teammate blocked a SMSA defender 10 yards behind the play. Jones had a 92-yard run for a touchdown nullified for the same reason.
The Falcons played well defensively with 10 tackles for a loss. Kurt Ollstead had a sack with Meaney, Kirk and Jones each getting interceptions. Jake Corrigan stripped a SMSA receiver of the ball in the second quarter and recovered the fumble. The Tigerhawks did come close to scoring at the end of the first half. QB Blake Breglia completed an 11-yard pass to Daunte Brinkley but Corrigan made a big hit on Brinkley at the 1-yard line with no time left on the clock to keep him out of the end zone.
“It was a great team effort. We played well in all three phases of the game,” Caouette said.
The Falcons will now turn their attention to Enfield, who visits next Friday night for the annual Spirit Night contest at Avon High.
NOTES: The 48-point margin of victory was the largest since a 49-point win over Housatonic/Wamogo in 2010. There are only been three other games with a larger margin of victory in Avon High football history. … It was Avon’s second game ever at Dillon Stadium. Avon also won in 2012 with a 47-19 decision. … Getz hit a 25-yard extra point after Avon was called for a illegal motion penalty in the second half. Getz converted on 6 of 7 extra point attempts.
Avon 48, SMSA/University 0
At Hartford
Avon (3-1) 21 13 14 0 — 48
SMSA/Univ. (0-4) 0 0 0 0 — 0
First quarter
A: Teddy Allmendinger 1 run (Alden Getz kick), 10:19
A: Allmendinger 3 run (Getz kick), 5:15
A: Geoff Kirk 26 pass from Sean Del Gallo (Getz kick), 0:11
Second quarter
A: Leon Asberry recovers fumble in end zone (Getz kick), 10:29
A: Luke Meaney 15 pass from Del Gallo (kick fails), 4:36
Third quarter
A: Jamie Dlugolecki 7 run (Getz kick), 10:24
A: John Jones 10 run (Getz kick), 3:27
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon – John Jones 6-62, Leon Asberry 9-60, Nick Baldwin 1-1, Sean Del Gallo 3-7, Andrew Blackmore 6-22, Jamie Dlugolecki 4-22, Geoff Kirk 1-10, Teddy Allmendinger 10-74; SMSA/Univ – Team 2-minus 14, Jordan Young 2-10, Allen Walker 13-59, Blake Breglia 1-minus 3, Pharoh Mathis 8-18
PASSING: Avon – Del Gallo 9-12-0, 126; SMSA/Univ. – Breglia 9-21-3, 112; Jack Forbes 1-3-0, 7
RECEIVING: Avon – Jordan Williams 2-22, Kirk 2-59, Allmendinger 2-18, Luke Meaney 2-24, Blackmore 1-3; SMSA/Univ. – Allen Walker 1-8, Devyn Lozada 3-41, Daunte Brinkley 3-43, Nickolas Lajara 2-20, Devon Daniels 1-7
KICKOFF RETURNS: Avon – Williams 1-64; SMSA – Daunte Brinkley 2-55, Jordan Young 5-49, Allen Chan 1-4
INTERCEPTIONS: Meaney (A) 1-33, Kirk (A) 1-18, Jones (A) 1-4; FUMBLE RECOVERY: Jake Corrigan (A) 1-0, Leon Asberry (A) 1-0; SACK: Kurt Ollstead (A) 1-3
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