Montalvo helps set the table in East Catholic’s win over the Falcons

East Catholic’s Joey Montalvo looks toward the end zone on his second TD run of the game Friday night in Avon. The Eagles beat Avon, 27-6. More game photos

AVON, Oct. 25, 2024 – East Catholic likes to get the ball into the hands of their outstanding junior Joey Montalvo.

The speedy receiver came into Friday night’s Central Connecticut Conference game with Avon with 32 receptions for 564 yards and eight touchdowns in the first five games of the season. He also had seven kickoff returns for 370 yards and three touchdowns.

On Friday night, the Eagles dispensed with the quarterback and put Montalvo at QB for much of the first half. He jumpstarted the Eagle offense rushing for 77 yards and two touchdowns to lead East Catholic to a 27-6 win over the Falcons.

“There is something new for him every night,” East Catholic head coach Tommy Seaver said. “We trust him with the football. We can count on him and he does a lot of great things for us.”

Avon (0-6) kept it close through two quarters. The Eagles led 13-0 at the break. But the Falcons really couldn’t get their offense going.

Avon did throw their first touchdown pass since 2021 and their longest touchdown pass since 2015 when Ethan Lavoie connected with Carter Davies for a 68-yard scoring strike down the far sideline with 1:51 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“We came in with a good attitude and the guys were eager and ready to fight,” Avon coach Matt Redman said. “There was some promise out there but there is a lot that we still need to work on.

“We have to finish tackling. It takes more than hands. Arm tackles doesn’t get it done,” he said.

East Catholic was able to extend several plays but breaking through attempted tackles with arms and high on the body.

Montalvo finished with a team-leading 90 yards rushing with two touchdowns on 13 carries along with two receptions for 57 yards. Twice, he lined to return punts but Falcon punter Oliver Lojewski kicked the ball out of bounds instead of giving Montalvo the opportunity to run back a punt for a touchdown.

Montalvo was the featured player on East Catholic’s opening drive. The Eagles marched 71 yards on 13 plays with Montvalo scoring from the five-yard line. He ran the ball nine times for 56 yards on the opening drive. The extra point was wide and the Eagles led 6-0.

Montalvo began to share the ball in East Catholic’s second drive but Montalvo ended the march with an 11-yard run to the corner of the end zone for a 13-0 lead after the successful extra point from Brett Cattanach.

East Hartford’s Joey Montalvo, right and Charles Penders (22) celebrate an East Catholic touchodwn Friday night in a CCC game in Avon. East Catholic won, 27-6. More game photos

Avon ate up nearly eight minutes with a second quarter drive of their own, twice converting on third down to keep the drive alive.

The Falcons advanced as far as the East Catholic 21-yard line before the drive stalled. Oliver Lojewski attempted a 40-yard field goal but it was blocked by East Catholic’s Trevor Kincheloe.

In the third quarter, the Eagles extend the lead on a 13 yard pass to Charles Penders from QB Christian Morales. In the fourth quarter, Andrew DeLaura scored a touchdown on a 36-yard TD reception from Morales for a 27-0 lead.

Avon (0-6) threw their first touchdown pass of the year when Ethan Lavoie found Carter Davies down the far sideline and Davies ran for a 68-yard TD reception. It was the first TD pass for the Falcons since 2021 and the longest since 2015 when Ian McDonald connected with receiver Luke Meaney for a 72-yard TD reception against Berlin.

“We run so much no one sees it coming,” Redman said with a smile.

The Falcons continue on their quest for their first victory of 2024 when they travel to Plainville next week while East Catholic continues on a push for a playoff berth when they travel to Rocky Hill. 

East Catholic 27, Avon 6
At Avon
East Catholic (5-1)     6  7  7  7  =– 27
Avon (0-6)        0  0  0  6  — 6
First quarter
EC: Joey Montalvo 5 run (kick fails), 4:39
Second quarter
EC: Montalvo 11 run, (Brent Cattanach kick), 8:30
Third quarter
EC: Charles Penders 13 pass from Christian Morales (Cattanach kick), 0:00
Fourth quarter
EC: Andrew DeLaura 36 pass from Morales (Cattanach kick), 6:40
A: Carter Davies 68 pass from Ethan Lavoie (kick blocked), 1:51
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon – John Murphy 9-42, Ethan Lavoie 5-17, Nik Meltser 14-44, Carter Davies 2-1, Oliver Lojewski 4-4; East Catholic – Charles Penders 4-37, Ryan Carroll 3-11, Joey Montalvo 13-90, Jared Macaluso 3-9, Christian Morales 1-5, Andrew DeLaura 2-14
PASSING: Avon – Ethan Lavoie 1-2-0, 68; East Catholic – Joey Montalvo 0-1, Christian Morales 6-14-0, 181
RECEIVING: Avon – Carter Davies 1-68, East Catholic – DeLaura 3-113, Montalvo 2-57, Penders 1-13

More game photos