Avon returns to the field and rallies for a victory over NW Catholic

Avon QB Tabor Engle (9) ran for 259 yards and 3 TDs as the Falcons won their season-opening contest Friday night over Northwest Catholic, 20-15.

WEST HARTFORD, October 1, 2021 – It had been a little more than 22 months since the Avon High football team had last played a game. The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the entire 2020 season and a few positive tests among students and contact tracing protocols erased the first three games of this season for the Falcons.

But for a few hours on Friday night, the Falcons were back playing the game they love.

Their new white uniforms were stained with dirt from the natural grass field at Northwest Catholic’s Brewer Field. Avon players dropped more than a half-dozen snaps from center thanks to the slick dew on the field. And it was hard to hear over the constant roar of the portable lights illuminating the field.

It was great and the Falcon players couldn’t stop smiling after a 20-15 win over Northwest Catholic to open the season – the squad’s first opening day win since 2017.

“It was awesome. We’ve been waiting for this opportunity for two years,” Avon quarterback Tabor Engle said. “It’s awesome to have the guys out there and have some fun.”

Avon nose tackle and guard Nate Andrews said, “It is the most satisfying thing I can image. It’s been so long. This is what we needed. It felt good to hit.”

Engle, who was the starting QB two years ago when the Falcons last played, ran for a game-high 259 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. Avon rambled for 312 yards on 49 carries.

“Our footing wasn’t real good and we had to keep changing the ball because it was getting wet on the grass. That is why we had so many fumbled snaps. But it is part of the game and we adjusted and kept on going,” Avon High coach Jeff Redman said.

“I am really proud because the game comes down to blocking and tackling and I think we did that really well tonight,” he said. “We did the basics, fundamental football, and that is why we came out on top.”

Avon’s Cameron Dawiczyk (2) turns upfield in Friday night’s win over Northwest Catholic.

The Falcon defense also rose to the occasion, intercepting two passes and making a crucial safety in the fourth quarter to turn the tide of the game.

Trailing by three points, 15-12, Avon marched from their own seven-yard line to the Northwest Catholic two on 14 consecutive running plays. Engle had seven carries for 48 yards. But the Falcons fumbled three consecutive snaps from center and went backwards. The drive died on the Lion five-yard line.

The Lions took over. But on Northwest Catholic’s first snap from center, Avon’s Cameron Casey broke through the line and got a hand on Lion QB Matt Churchro, who wiggled away but Falcon teammates Nate Andrew and Chris Bourquin were right behind and sacked Churchro in the end zone for a safety, cutting the lead to one point, 15-14, with 6:46 remaining.

After the Lions were penalized for the kickoff sailing out of bounds, Avon took over the Lion’s 45-yard line. Three plays later, Engle broke through the offensive line and rambled 34 yards for the touchdown to give Avon a 20-15 lead with 4:30 remaining.

On Northwest Catholic’s next drive, their progress was stymied by an 11-yard sack from Avon’s Connor Lavore of Churchro. The Lions got the ball back with 32 seconds on their own 22-yard line but didn’t cross midfield and Engle ended the game with an interception.

Engle got banged up several times in the game, requiring the trainer to examine his knee or help stretch out a hamstring.

What was it like to finally play a real game?

“Oh my goodness, it is unexplainable there are no words,” Engle said. “We all the love the game so much and we’re having fun. That’s the main thing. We tired them out. It was a good game. It was fun and it will be a fun bus ride home.”

Avon (1-0, 1-0 CCC Tier 4) began moving the ball from the outset. They marched 50 yards on seven plays to the Lion 30-yard line before NW Catholic’s Kyle Pickering intercepted Engle and returned the ball 67 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

The Falcons tied the game with a 14-yard touchdown run from Engle with 8:33 left in the second quarter. The extra point was blocked and the Lions led, 7-6.

Avon took the opening drive of the third quarter and capped off an eight-play, 65-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run from Engle to take s 12-7 lead. The conversion run failed.

Key plays on the drive were a 12-yard run up the middle from Connor Lavore on a fourth down and one play at the Avon-44 yard line to keep the drive going and a 41-yard run from Engle to the Lion two-yard line.

Avon receiver Tyler Brokenshire (23) finds little running room during Friday night’s CCC Tier 4 game in West Hartford.

Northwest Catholic (1-2, 0-2 CCC Tier 4) with an impressive of their own. Churchro completed four of five passes on the drive including a 15-yard scoring pass to Luke Rice to give the Lions a 15-12 lead with 5:15 left in the third quarter. Churchro scored on a two-point conversion run.

Churchro completed 12-of-26 passes for 107 yards for the Lions and was the team’s leading rusher with 38 yards on 11 carries. Avon gave up just 37 yards rushing.

NOTES: Engle’s 259 rushing yards is tied for ninth most in a single game in school history. The record is 293 yards by Colin Moore in 2012 against Coventry/Windham Tech.  … It was the latest opening day game for the Falcons since year one of the program when Avon made their varsity debut on October 1, 1960 with a 14-6 win over Bethel. … It was a nice win for the Falcons considering that on their last visit to this field in 2019, the Lions won the game with a 26-yard TD pass as time expired. … The Falcons return to action next Friday when they travel to Bloomfield to face the Warhawks (4-0) at 7 p.m.

The Falcons face off with Northwest Catholic Friday night as the sun sets over Avon Mountain.

Avon 20, Northwest Catholic 15
At West Hartford
Avon (1-0)                              0  6  6  8  — 20
NW Catholic (1-2)                 7  0  8  0  — 15
First quarter
NWC: Kyle Pickering 67 interception returns (Boomer Staunton kick), 6:21
Second quarter
A: Tabor Engle 14 run (kick blocked), 8:33
Third quarter
A: Engle 2 run (run fails), 7:47
NWC: Luke Rice 15 pass from Matt Churchro (Churchro run), 5:15
Fourth quarter
A: Safety. Nate Andrew and Chris Bourquin tackle Churchro in end zone, 6:46
A: Engle 34 run (run fails), 4:30
Individual statistics
RUSHING: NWC – Matt Churchro 11-38, Dallas Cruz 3-5, Kyle Pickering 2-minus 6; Avon – Tabor Engle 31-259, Cameron Dawiczyk 10-34, Cameron Casey 3-5, Connor Lavore 3-13
PASSING: NWC – Churchro 12-26-2, 107; Avon: Engle 2-8-1, 9
RECEIVING: NWC – Dallas Cruz 1-6, Brady Brennan 5-36, Luke Rice 4-51, Boomer Staunton 2-14; Avon Mason Eckerlin 1-8, Tyler Brokenshire 1-1
INTERCEPTIONS: Andrew Sielski (A), Tabor Engle (A) 1-0, Kyle Pickering (NW) 1-67; SACK: Connor Lavore (A) 1-11, Chris Bourquin (A) 1-5