The Avon High football team ran for a school record 9 TDs and 707 yards in Saturday night’s win over Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby. Above, Jamie Dlugolecki (42), Ryan Rogers (54) and Geoff Kirk (12) lead Teddy Allmendinger (34).
SUFFIELD – The Avon High football team piled up the points on a wet, cold and rainy Saturday night in Suffield rushing for a school record nine touchdowns and over 700 yards in a 62-34 decision over the co-op team of Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby.
Avon (6-2, 6-1 Pequot Uncas) hopes to use a similar plan when they host undefeated Valley Regional/Old Lyme (8-0) on Saturday at Avon High at 1 p.m. The defending Pequot Conference champion Warriors have qualified for the CIAC playoffs in three of the past four seasons and have won 20 straight Pequot Conference games dating back to 2012.
“Our game plan is to play great defense and not turn the ball over,” Avon coach Jim Caouette said. “When you turn over the football bad things happen. If we can play great defense and grind it out, we’ll have a good shot to beat them.”
Valley won its first seven games in dominating fashion, scoring an average of 42 points and allowing an average of six points. Last week in the rain, Valley managed to slip past Morgan, 6-0, scoring its lone touchdown when a Morgan defender slipped and fell, leaving the Warrior receiver wide open.
Avon ran for a school record 707 yards in the win over Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby with quarterback Ian McDonald running for a career-high 265 yards and three touchdowns and Teddy Allmendinger running for 238 yards and one TD. Jamie Dlugolecki ran for 81 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.
“Our offensive line was great. Ian was clean all night long and the holes were big,” Caouette said. “Our fullbacks and receivers blocked their butts off. It was a great night for everybody. Ian can run the heck out of the football.”
The 707 yards is the third highest rushing performance in state history according to the state high school football record book. Torrington ran for 853 against Sacred Heart in 2012 and Ansonia ran for 800 yards against Naugatuck in 1936.
McDonald is back as the starting quarterback after missing four games when he was injured in the opening day loss to Ellington/Somers. Not only can McDonald run well but he is an effective passer, too. “We had a few pass plays incorporated into our game plan (last week), Caouette said. “We had a few drops but the passes were right on the money.”
Avon will need a strong effort from its defense, too. “Our inside linebackers (Geoff Kirk and Teddy Allmendinger) have been playing lights out all year long,” Caouette said. “Even in the loss to North Branford, they were all over the field. Ryan Rogers has been outstanding. He’s been one of our best football players this year. And Harry Gill played a great game at nose tackle last week.”
Avon needs a win over Valley Regional this week and Canton (7-1, 7-0 Pequot Uncas) on Nov. 15 if they want to remain in the hunt for a CIAC Class M playoff berth. The Falcons are currently 10th and the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.
“The playoffs are in our sights,” Caouette said.
A loss to Windsor Locks would have put a major dent into Avon’s playoffs hopes but the Falcons scored 20 unanswered points in the third quarter to seize control of the game.
The Raiders (5-3, 4-3 Pequot Uncas) led 12-6 in the first quarter after two long kickoff returns from Jarvis Miller and Khamri Thomas, including a 75-yard kickoff return from Miller for a touchdown. Avon led 13-12 after one quarter thanks to a pair of Dlugolecki touchdown runs and an extra point from Alden Getz.
A 32-yard touchdown run from McDonald in the final minute of the second quarter gave Avon a 28-20 halftime lead. Touchdown runs from Dlugolecki, McDonald and Luke Meaney expanded Avon’s lead to 48-20 after three quarters.
The 62 points is the second highest number points scored in a single game for the Falcons. Avon scored 63 points in a 1983 win over Plainville and a 1977 victory over Putnam.
NOTES: The nine rushing touchdowns scored by Avon against the Raiders is a new single game school record. Avon had eight rushing TDs in a 63-3 win over Putnam in 1977 and in a 63-0 win over Plainville in 1983. There was no 50-point rule in those days. … Valley Regional/Old Lyme is currently ranked No. 15 in the latest New Haven Register sportwriters top 10 poll. The Warriors have been receiving votes all season long but have yet to crack the top 10. … It’s the first time that Avon has had a pair of runners race for over 200 yards in the same game.
Avon 62, Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby 34
At Suffield
Avon (6-2) 13 16 19 14 — 62
Windsor Locks (5-3) 12 8 0 14 — 34
First quarter
WL: Jarvis Miller 3 run (kick failed)
A: Jamie Dlugolecki 5 run (kick failed)
WL: Miller 75 kickoff return (kick failed)
A: Dlugolecki 3 run (Alden Getz kick)
Second quarter
A: Teddy Allmendinger 7 run (Dlugolecki run)
WL: Khamri Thomas 32 run (Miller run)
A: Ian McDonald 32 run (Andrew Blackmore run)
Third quarter
A: Dlugolecki 5 run (Getz kick)
A: McDonald 68 run (kick fails)
A: Luke Meaney 13 run (run fails)
Fourth quarter
A: Andrew Blackmore 7 run (Getz kick)
WL: Miller 36 run (kick fails)
A: McDonald 80 run (Getz kick)
WL: Andy Cordova 1 run (Bruce D’Agata run)
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon – Ian McDonald 21-265, Teddy Allmendinger 21-238, Jamie Dlugolecki 15-81, Andrew Blackmore 10-60, Luke Meaney 5-37, Sean Del Gallo 2-21, Nick Baldwin 2-5
PASSING: Avon – McDonald 0-3-0
RECEIVING: Avon – none
RETURNS: Avon – Danny Taylor 2-31 (kickoffs)
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