AVON, Nov. 28, 2009 – An old rivalry will be reborn in Tuesday’s Class M semifinals when undefeated Avon (10-0) hosts Berlin (8-2) at Muzzy Field in Bristol at 6:30 p.m. The two teams were members of the Northwest Conference and Nutmeg Conference for years, playing 38 games.
The two teams haven’t faced each other since 2003. This time, a berth in the Class M championship game will be on the line. The winner will face either New London or Bethel on Saturday, Dec. 5.
Avon is making its second straight CIAC playoff appearance. A year ago, they lost to eventual champion Brookfield in the semifinals. This year, the Falcons posted the second undefeated season in school history (10-0), captured their third straight Pequot Uncas Division championship and earned the No. 2 seed in the Class M playoffs.
The Falcons will be facing Berlin, which went 8-2 and won the Central Connecticut Conference Division III title in its first year in the league. Max Delorenzo is the workhorse for the Redcoats, running for a school-record 1,536 yards and 21 touchdowns this fall.
“Berlin is a very, very good team,” Avon coach Brett Quinion said. “They have more team speed than Cromwell and they’re stronger. This will be an extreme challenge.”
In its most noteworthy contest of the season, Avon beat defending Class S champion Cromwell, 37-31 by scoring two touchdowns in the final 1:15 of the game, including a 56-yard TD run by Ross McDonald as time expired.
McDonald has rushed for a school record 1,825 yards and 31 touchdowns but the strength of the Falcons success this year has been balance in effort across the field.
“I believe that we as a team are better than the sum of all of our players,” Quinion said. “I keep hearing every week how we have this weakness or that weakness and how we are not that good. This team leans on each other and is a team in every sense of the word. Every week, someone different leads us.”
This story was first published at Avon Football Online.
No. 2 Avon (10-0) vs. No. 3 Berlin (8-2)
When: Tuesday, Dec. 1
Where: At Muzzy Field, Bristol
When: 6:30 p.m.
Series: Berlin leads, 26-11-1
Of note: The game is at Muzzy Field because Avon’s field doesn’t meet CIAC requirements to hold a playoff game, notably lights and a press box. … Berlin is 1-12 in CIAC playoff games including an 0-5 record in the finals and 1-7 in the semifinals (since 1995)
About Avon
Coach: Brett Quinion, 7th year (42-30)
Conference: Pequot Conference, Uncas Division
Record: 10-0, 8-0 Pequot Uncas champions
2009 Avon statistics
About Berlin
Coach: John Capodice, 6th year (49-17)
Conference: Central Connecticut Conference, Division III
Record: 8-2, 7-0 CCC Division III champions
2009 results
Points: 300 Pts. allowed 177
Sept. 19: Wethersfield, W 34-7
Sept. 25: NW Catholic, W 21-15
Oct. 2: Weaver-Hartford, W 43-0
Oct. 9: Tolland, W 48-13
Oct. 16: Simsbury, L 14-28
Oct. 23: Rocky Hill, W 20-0
Oct. 30: Bristol Eastern, W 21-3
Nov. 6: Platt-Meriden, W 36-14
Nov. 13: Fermi-Enfield, W 48-0
Nov. 25: New Britain, L 13-27
Regular season stats
’09 Berlin leaders
RUSHING C-Yards TDs
44 Delorenzo 184-1536 21
5 Tavarozzi 90-577 8
20 Campagna 43-262 6
PASSING C-Att-Int Yds TD
12 Hackett 54-80-5 696 5
RECEIVING C-Yards TDs
7 Malloy 23-312 1
44 Delorenzo 9-149 0
20 Campagna 7-134 1
18 Powers 7-69 3
SCORING TD 2pt 1pt FG Pts
44 Delorenzo 21 0 0 0 130
5 Tavarozzi 8 0 0 0 50*
20 Campagna 7 0 0 0 42
26 Silverman 0 0 0 1 26**
*Includes safety
**Includes 23 PATs
DEFENSE
TACKLES: 18 Powers 76, 17 Connolly 61, 9 Parsons 61, 5 Tavarozzi 37, 20, Campagna 35
INTERCEPTIONS (15): 11 Undercuffler 9-26, 4 Roche 2-14, 9 Parsons 2-50
SACKS (13): 5 Tavarozzi 4-40, 17 Connolly 4-25
FUMBLE REC: 7
Max Preps statistics on Berlin
Series history: The two schools have played 38 games as members of the Northwest Conference and Nutmeg League. They haven’t faced each other since 2003. … Berlin has won 18 straight from 1984 to 2003. … Avon went 9-2-1 in the first 12 games of the series from 1964-75.
Closest game: 2 points, Berlin 8, Avon 6 (1965)
Biggest Avon win: 35, Avon 41, Berlin 6 (1967)
Biggest Berlin win: 48, Berlin 55, Avon 7 (2000)
Last tie: 1968, 6-6
Last Avon shutout: 1973, Avon 18-0
Last Berlin shutout: 2002, Berlin 46-0
