Avon to renew rivalry with Farmington in 2021; play several Friday night games

There won’t be any mud or grass stains playing on a turf field but Avon will resume its football rivalry with Farmington in October. The last time these two schools played on the gridiron was in 2005 when Ben Ewbank (28) scored two TDs including this 19-year run in a 21-20 win for the Falcons.

Friday Night Lights is coming to Avon this September.

A majority of the high school football schedules for state schools were released by the CIAC on Monday with Avon scheduled to play four games under the lights, including the renewal of the rivalry with neighboring Farmington.

Avon has played night games in the past at the high school but always under temporary lights on the track surrounding the field. Permanent lights were installed this spring around the turf field, enabling the Falcons to play on Friday nights.

Seven of the nine games on the schedule are on Friday night. “It will be more like (traditional) high school football,” Avon coach Jeff Redman said.

Avon gets to renew its spirited rivalry with Farmington on the gridiron. The two schools played yearly from 1960 through 2005 (excluding 1996 and 1997) before Farmington moved to the Central Connecticut Conference. In most years, it was the final game of the regular season.

Avon will host Farmington on Friday, Oct. 22, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in just the third night game between the two schools.

Avon moved to the CCC in 2015 but Farmington has established a Thanksgiving Day rivalry with Plainville. Avon was teamed up with Simsbury for their Thanksgiving week contest. But outside of Avon’s initial win over Simsbury in 2015, the Falcons have been overwhelmed by the larger Simsbury program.

Both schools were happy to move on to different opponents for Thanksgiving week.

Avon will play Lewis Mills on Tuesday, Nov. 23, which should be a much more competitive game for both schools. Mills is closer in size to the Falcons than Simsbury, which plays in Division I.

Simsbury will play Bloomfield on Thanksgiving week on Tuesday, Nov. 23, and the Warhawks have shown the ability to be competitive with much larger programs.

Simsbury remains in Division I in the CCC and will play their traditional opponents, which include New Britain, Hall, Conard, Southington, Glastonbury and East Hartford. The season opens Friday, Sept. 10 at Holden Field when the Trojans host New Britain.

Canton will be teaming with Granby for the third year with a co-op team. The CIAC approved another one-year extension for the program. The team will be playing in the Pequot Conference and open the season in Granby on Friday, Sept. 10, against the SMSA co-op team that includes Bulkeley.

Granby/Canton will play one of their five home games in Canton on Friday, Sept. 17 when the Bears host the Stafford/East Windsor/Somers co-op program at 6:30 p.m.

Granby/Canton will return to action on Thanksgiving morning for the first time since 2016 when they will travel to Winsted to take on Gilbert/Northwestern at 10 a.m.

Lewis Mills begins their second season in the CCC will have three Friday night home games in Burlington under portable lights, including the home opener against Hartford Public at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17. The CCC realigned their football divisions and Hartford Public dropped down into Division III with Berlin moving up to Division II.

2021 high school football schedules
Subject to change

Avon
Friday, Sept. 10: Tolland, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 17: @Rocky Hill, 7 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 25: @Notre Dame-Fairfield, 1 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 8: @Bloomfield, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 22: Farmington, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 29: Hartford Public, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 5: Branford, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 12: @East Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 23: Lewis Mills, 6 p.m.

Granby/Canton
Friday, Sept. 10: SMSA co-op, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 17: Stafford/East Windsor/Somers at Canton, 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 25: @Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby, 1 p.m.
Week of Oct. 1-2: bye week
Friday, Oct. 8: @Ellington, 6:30 p.m.
Week of Oct. 14-15: bye week
Friday, Oct. 22: Rockville, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct 29: @Cromwell/Portland, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 5: @Valley Regional/Old Lyme, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 12: Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton/Lyman, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 19: Coginchaug/Hale-Ray/East Hampton, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 25: @Gilbert/Northwestern, 10 a.m.

Simsbury
Friday, Sept. 10: New Britain, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 17: @Hall, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 24: @Maloney, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 1: Glastonbury, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 29: @Conard, 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 5: Southington, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 12: East Hartford, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 23: @Bloomfield, 7 p.m.

Lewis Mills
Friday, Sept. 10: @Capital Prep/Achievement First, 6 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 17: Hartford Public, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 24: @Killingly, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 1: East Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 8: Plainville, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 22: @E.O. Smith, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 6: Rocky Hill, noon
Saturday, Nov. 13: NW Catholic, noon
Tuesday, Nov. 23: @Avon, 6 p.m.

Farmington
Friday, Sept. 10: RHAM, 6 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 17: @E.O. Smith, 6 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 24: @Newington, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 1: Bristol Central, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 9: Rocky Hill, 2 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 22: @Avon, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 29: Bloomfield, 6 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 12: @Bristol Eastern, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 25: Plainville, 10 a.m.