Avon, Canton athletes earn All-State and All-NCCC honors in the fall season

The Avon High boys soccer team celebrates after earning a piece of the Class L state championship in November.

Several athletes from Avon and Canton earned All-NCCC and All-State honors for their play during the fall season. 

Six Canton High athletes and five Avon High athletes earned All-State honors. Avon’s Stephen Dorney, a 6-foot-4 defender on the Avon boys soccer team, was recognized with All-New England and All-American honors as well. 

Four Canton cross country runners earned All-State honors. Sophomore Emily Briggs, who finished 12th in Class S, was named to the All-State team. Senior Dean Yost and juniors Jake Whittingslow and Will Briggs, earned All-State honors for their performances at the Class SS championship meet. Whittingslow was 11 while Yost was 14th and Briggs was 15th. They helped Canton finish second behind Haddam-Killingsworth. 

Avon’s Molly Hamel and Colin Pritchard earned All-State honors in cross country. Hamel finished sixth in Class MM as the Avon girls won the state title for the second time in three years. Pritchard finished seventh in Class MM as Avon took second and brought home its first CIAC championship trophy since 1983.

In boys soccer, Canton’s Rieley Hoffman, who scored 10 goals this season, earned All-State honors. In field hockey, Canton’s Maggie Bidwell was named All-State for the Warriors. In girls soccer, Avon’s Michaela Marcus earned All-State honors for the Falcons, who lost in the Class L championship game. 

In football, Avon’s guard Ryan Rogers earned Class M All-State honors. He also was named to the Walter Camp Foundation All-State team as an offensive guard. 

The Hartford Courant selected an All-Courant team for the 82 Connecticut towns that they consider their primary circulation area. 

In football, Rogers was selected as an All-Courant defensive lineman along with Canton’s Dan Delos, selected as an All-Courant linebacker. In boys soccer, Hoffman, Dorney and Avon’s Riley Strassner were named to the All-Courant team. In girls soccer, Marcus and Holtzman were selected to the All-Courant team. 

In cross country, Canton’s James Yost and Hamel were named to the All-Courant squad. In field hockey, Sawicki was one of two goalies named to the All-Courant team. 

All-NCCC
Boys soccer: Canton – Rieley Hoffman, Riley Hollis; Avon – Stephen Dorney, Matt Fuge, Riley Strassner
Girls soccer: Canton – Katie Walker; Avon – Hannah Davey, Amanda Holtzman, Michaela Marcus, Christine Oberhausen
Boys cross country: Canton – Will Briggs, Dean Yost, Jake Whittingslow, James Yost; Avon – Colin Pritchard, Andrew Suter
Girls cross country: Canton – Emily Briggs, Jocelyn Rossitto; Avon – Molly Hamel
Volleyball: Avon – Sammy Maniatty, Brooke Fisher, Abby Laszewski
Field hockey:  Canton – Maggie Bidwell, Sarah First; Avon – Shelley George, Rachel Moore, Natalie Sawicki, Emily Stross, Abbey Hagan 

Avon boys ranked fourth in Region 1 poll

POLLS: The Avon High boys soccer team was ranked fourth in the final National Soccer Coaches Association of American Region I soccer poll. Concord-Carlisle (Concord, Mass.) was ranked first with a 18-0-1 record followed by Needham, Mass. (17-0-4), Glastonbury (15-5-2) and Avon (16-1-4). They were the only Connecticut teams in the top 10. 

In the final Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association poll of state soccer coaches, Avon was ranked third in the Large School poll (Class LL and L) behind Class LL champion Glastonbury and Farmington. Lewis Mills was ranked sixth in the final Small School poll (Class M and S). 

BOYS SOCCER: Class LL/L
                               Rec.     Pts.    LW
Glastonbury (14)   15-5-2   140     NR
Farmington           17-4-1    120     2
Avon                     16-1-4    110     5
Danbury                14-4-3     80     NR
Branford                13-6-3     75    NR
Fairfield Ludlowe   16-1-3     47     1
Suffield                  16-1-1     43     3
Darien                   14-5-2     38    NR
Greenwich             15-5-2     25    NR
Simsbury               14-5-2     24    NR
Joel Barlow           12-5-6      24   10
Others receiving votes: South Windsor 11, RHAM 8, Stamford 7, Hand 6, Hall 4, Naugatuck 2, New Milford 2 Norwalk 2, Fairfield Prep 1, Shelton 1
Coaches voting: Dan Woog, Staples, Chris Laughton, Norwalk; Mark Landers, Glastonbury, Dave Yanosy, Southington, Jim Lewicki, Wilton, Joe Maher, Guilford, Joe Mancini, Pomperaug, Stan Latkowski, Hand, Arthur Branco, Cheshire, Paul Winstanley, Barlow; Zeke Seguro Hall; Arnie Jandreau, Lyman Hall; Dave Zlatin, Avon, Tony Fernandez, Bethel, Vic Santos, Independent 

BOYS SOCCER: Class M/S
                               Rec.     Pts.   LW
Ellington (10)         16-3-2   100     8
Tolland                  14-6-1     83    NR
Somers                 15-2-3     75      7
Bacon Academy    17-2-2     61     2
East Hampton       12-4-3     60    NR
Lewis Mills            16-1-1     48      1
St. Joseph              9-9-2     33     NR
Cromwell              16-4-1     30     NR
Montville                              17      4
Hadaam-Killingworth           12     NR
Others receiving votes: Granby 10, Old Lyme 9, Northwestern 3, Griswold 2, Plainville 2, East Lyme 1, Valley Regional 1, Waterford 1
Coaches voting: Chris Cap, Coginchaug; Jim Leahy, Tolland; Colin Delaney, Montville; Rob Andrulis, Litchfield; Dave Emery, Granby; Tim Brown, Plainville, Roy Gurnon, Ellington; Andy Campbell, Northwestern; Joe Mendonca, Waterford; Sam Barnes, Old Saybrook; Ben Kulas, Lewis Mills, John Mancuso, Enfield; Tony Leone, St. Paul; Ryan Fabry, Lyman Memorial, Vic Santos, Independent