Big win keeps Avon in contention for division title, playoffs

The Avon High football scored on their first eight possessions of the game Friday night in a 55-20 win over East Catholic for their fifth win of the season.

This fall, the CIAC modified the point system for determining which eight football teams qualify for the CIAC playoffs in Class LL, L, M and S. The modification was to reflect the strength of the schedule of the opponents a team faces.

But there are too many variables to consider to do predictions or scenarios of which team has clinched a playoff berth. The variables of COVID-19 and games being cancelled have also complicated the situation.

It’s really simple, now. Win your games and wait until after Thanksgiving when the playoff points are compiled with all of the information is available.

The Avon High football team finds themselves in contention for the CIAC Class M playoff berth and a CCC Tier 4 championship.

Avon improved to 5-2 on Friday night with a 55-20 CCC Tier 4 victory over East Catholic. Tabor Engle ran for a team-high 192 yards and three touchdowns and threw for two touchdowns. Tyler Brokenshire caught two touchdown passes, the first Falcon receiver with two TD receptions in a single game since 2013.

The win leaves Avon (5-2, 4-0 CCC Tier 4) in command of the race for a division championship. If the Falcons can beat Rocky Hill (5-3, 4-1) on Thursday night on the road and beating Lewis Mills (2-3, 4-5) five days later on Nov. 23 in Avon, the Falcons will win the CCC Tier 4 title.

It would be Avon’s first championship since claiming the CCC Division III East title in 2015, their first year in the Central Connecticut Conference.

The CIAC playoff picture is more uncertain simply because we can’t do scenarios at the moment due to the complexity of the point system.

Avon is ranked fourth in Class M with the top eight teams making the playoffs. The best chance for the Falcons to qualify is to win their final two games. A victory over a five-win Rocky Hill team would be very helpful. And then sit and wait for the final calculations to be computed on Thanksgiving after completion of the morning contests.

Avon put themselves in position for a CCC Tier 4 title and a Class M playoff berth with a dominating 55-20 win over East Catholic on Friday night at Cheney Tech in Manchester.

Avon scored on eight of their nine possessions. The ninth possession ended the game. Engle scored on runs of 39, four and one yard. Cameron Dawiczyk scored on an eight-yard TD run while Camryn Telford scored his first varsity touchdown with a 24-yard run. Dawiczyk ran for a career-high 125 yards on 13 carries.

Brokenshire scored three touchdowns. He had touchdown receptions of 11 and 30 yards and scored on an eight-yard run as well.

It was the most points in a single game for Avon since beating Simsbury by a 55-26 score in 2015.

Avon 55, East Catholic 20
At Manchester
Avon (5-2)                            13  14  21  7 – 55
East Catholic (2-7)                7    7   0   6  — 20
First quarter
A: Tabor Engle 1 run (Toby Klafter kick), 5:33
EC: Ben Carso 66 pass from Matthew Zazzaro (Ethan Rainha kick), 4:35
A: Cameron Dawiczyk 8 run (kick failed), 2:49
Second quarter
A: Engle 39 run (Engle run), 4:48
EC: Rainha 13 pass from Zazzaro (Rainha kick), 1:54
A: Tyler Brokenshire 11 pass from Engle (kick failed), 0:00
Third quarter
A: Brokenshire 30 pass from Engle (Engle run), 9:33
A: Engle 4 run (kick failed), 6:10
A: Brokenshire 8 run (Klafter kick), 1:39
Fourth quarter
EC: Carso 8 pass from Zazzaro (conversion failed), 10:52
A: Camryn Telford 24 run (Klafter kick), 5:49
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon — Tabor Engle 21-192, Cam Dawiczyk 13-125, Cameron Casey 4-41, Connor Lavore 4-33, Tyler Brokenshire 3-24. Team total 502 yards
PASSING: Avon — Engle 3-6-0, 46
RECEIVING: Avon — Brokenshire 2-41, Lavore 1-5

Friday’s results
Avon 55, East Catholic 20
Tolland 14, Rocky Hill 7
Sheehan 53, Hartford Public 0

Saturday’s game
Lewis Mills 14, Northwest Catholic 10

Thursday’s game
Avon at Rocky Hill, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 23
Lewis Mills at Avon, 6 p.m.
E.O. Smith at Tolland

Thursday, Nov. 25
East Catholic at Northwest Catholic, 10 a.m.

CIAC Class M rankings
With results through Saturday, Nov. 13

GR: Game remaining