Avon, Farmington will be in action as high school season opens Thursday

The 2024 high school football season gets underway on Thursday night when Avon hosts Bristol Eastern at 6 p.m. at the high school in the first game under new head coach Matt Redman.

Farmington hosts E.O. Smith on Thursday at 6 p.m. at George Bennett Field.

On Friday night, the Granby/Canton co-op opens their season in Canton when the Bears host the SMSA co-op squad at 6:30 p.m. on the turf field. Granby/Canton plays one of their five home games in Canton with the other four in Granby.

The top team in the GameTimeCT top 10 preseason poll is New Canaan with Darien, Staples, West Haven and Greenwich rounding out the top five. Five teams – New Canaan, Darien, Staples, Greenwich and Maloney – received first place votes in the preseason poll of state writers and broadcasters.

Area teams at a glance

Avon High
Head coach: Matt Redman, first year
Nickname: Falcons
Conference: CCC Tier IV
Last season: 3-7, 1-6 CCC Tier III
Last winning season: 7-3 in 2021
CIAC playoff class: Class M
Playoff appearances: 4 (0-4)
Last CIAC playoff appearance: 2021
League or division championships: 17. Most recent title: 2021 CCC Tier IV
Opening day record: 32-31. Last opening day win: 2023, Avon 36, East Catholic 0
Social media: Twitter or X: @AHS_Falcons
Team website: none
Of note: This will be the 64th season of varsity football at Avon High. Redman is the tenth coach in team history. … With the move to CCC Tier IV, Avon lost their game with Farmington, which remained in CCC Tier III. The Falcons do play two Tier III schools (Eastern and Wethersfield) along with one CT Football Alliance game against the Abbott Tech/Immaculate co-op team out of Danbury.

2024 schedule
Thur. Sept. 12: BRISTOL EASTERN, 6 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 20: WETHERSFIELD, 6 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 27: at Abbott Tech/Immaculate (ATI), 6 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 4: at Bloomfield, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 18: NW CATHOLIC, 6 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 25: EAST CATHOLIC, 6 p.m.
Thur. Oct. 31: at Plainville, 6:30 p.m.
Thur. Nov. 7: at Tolland, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 15: ROCKY HILL, 6 p.m.
Tues. Nov. 26: at Lewis Mills, 6 p.m.

Granby/Canton
Head coach: Erik Shortell, 9th season, 44-30
Nickname: Bears
Conference: Pequot Conference Uncas
Last season: 8-3, 5-2 Pequot Conference Uncas, tied 2nd place. Lost in Class SS quarterfinal to Watertown, 26-12
Last winning season: 8-3 in 2023
CIAC playoff class: Class SS
Playoff appearances: 5 (0-5)
Last CIAC playoff appearance: 2023
League or division championships: 2. Most recent title: 2021 Pequot Uncas (shared)
Opening day record: 5-8. Most recent opening day win: 2023, Granby/Canton 28, Valley Regional/Old Lyme 0
Social media: Twitter or X: @GMHSFootball860; @CantonWarriors; Facebook: GranbyFootball, Instagram: @GranbyCantonFootball
Team website: none
Of note: This is the fifth year of the co-op with Canton. As part of the co-op agreement, the team plays four home games in Granby and one game in Canton each season. In five years, the team has played in the playoffs four times.

2024 schedule
Fri. Sept. 13: SMSA co-op at Canton, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 20: at Coventry co-op, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 27: at Rockville, 7 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 4: WINDSOR LOCKS/SUFFIELD/EAST GRANBY, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 11: at CREC co-op, 6 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 25: at Stafford/Somers/East Windsor, 6 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 1: ELLINGTON, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 8: CAPITAL PREP/ACHIEVEMENT FIRST, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 15: At Morgan/Old Saybrook/Westbrook, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 22: NORTH BRANFORD, 6:30 p.m.

Simsbury High
Head coach: Dave Masters, 9th season, 37-45
Nickname: Trojans
Conference: CCC Tier II
Last season: 1-9, 1-6 CCC Tier 1
Last winning season: 10-2 in 2019
CIAC playoff class: Class L
Playoff appearances: 5, (1-5)
Last CIAC playoff appearance: 2019
League or division championships: 17. Most recent title: 2009 CCC Division I (shared)
Opening day record: 54-51-3. Last opening day win: 2021, Simsbury 37, New Britain 0
Social media: Twitter or X: @masters_coach; Instagram: @simsburytrojanfootball
Team website: https://www.simsburygridiron.org/
Of note: This is the first time that Simsbury has dropped to Tier II since the CCC began four division play that was not regional in 2009. Simsbury still plays two Tier I schools (New Britain, Glastonbury)

2024 schedule
Fri. Sept. 13: at Newington, 6:30 p.m.
Thur. Sept. 19: WINDSOR, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 27: FITCH, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 4: at Enfield, 6 p.m.
Thur. Oct. 17: CONARD, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 25: at Platt, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 1: at New Britain, 7 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 8: at Berlin, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 15: SOUTH WINDSOR, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 22: GLASTONBURY, 6:30 p.m.

Farmington High
Head coach: Chris Machol, 15th season, 63-79
Nickname: River Hawks
Conference: CCC Tier III
Last season: 2-8, 1-6 CCC Tier III
Last winning season: 6-4 in 2018
CIAC playoff class: Class L
Playoff appearances: 3 (1-3)
Last CIAC playoff appearance:2013
League or division championships: 10. Most recent title: 1999 Nutmeg Conference
Opening day record: 37-53-3. Most recent opening day win: 2013, Farmington 26, Simsbury 14
Social media: Twitter or X: @Farmington_FB; Instagram: @farmington.football
Team website: https://www.fhsfootball.org/
Of note: Farmington is looking to snap a seven-game losing streak. Machol has the second-longest tenure in the football program. Only Bruce Wearne (16 years) coached more seasons in three separate tenures.

2024 schedule
Thurs. Sept. 12: E.O. Smith, 6 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 20: at Tolland, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 27: WESTHILL, 7 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 4: at Bristol Eastern, 7 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 18: MIDDLETOWN, 6 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26: at RHAM, noon
Thur. Oct. 31: at Platt, 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 2: BRISTOL CENTRAL, 6 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 8: NEWINGTON, 6 p.m.
Thur. Nov. 14: at Wethersfield, 7 p.m.
Wed. Nov. 27: at Plainville, 6:30 p.m.

Lewis Mills
Head coach: Jason Pace, first season; career (12 years)  72-46
Nickname: Spartans
Conference: CCC Tier IV
Last season: 0-10, 0-7 CCC Tier IV
Last winning season: 7-3 in 2015
CIAC playoff class: Class SS
Last CIAC playoff appearance: none
League or division championships: none
Opening day record: 6-7. Most recent opening day win: 2022: Lewis Mills 28, Plainville 14
Social media: Twitter or X: @LSMFootball1
Team website: none
Of note: Pace previously coached six seasons at Wolcott High (2011-16) and six seasons in Newington (2017-22), leading Wolcott to the CIAC playoffs four times and Newington to the playoffs once (2019). … Mills enters the season with a 14-game losing streak, which is one loss shy of the program record set from 2012-13.

2024 schedule
Fri. Sept. 13: At Montville, 6 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 21: E.O. Smith, noon
Fri. Sept. 27: NORTHWEST UNITED co-op, 6:30 p.m.
Thur. Oct. 3: at Rocky Hill, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 18: PLAINVILLE, 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26: TOLLAND, 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 1: at Bloomfield, 6:30 p.m.
Thur. Nov. 7: at East Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 16: at NW Catholic, 10:30 a.m.
Tues. Nov. 26: AVON, 6 p.m.

Top 10 poll

The GameTimeCT state sportswriters top 10 football poll. First-place votes in parentheses and points tabulated on a 30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-11-10-9-8-7 basis.
Preseason, Sept. 8, 2024