Big plays help Lewis Mills/Wolcott Tech beat Avon in rainy season finale

AVON, Nov. 25, 2025 – The Central Connecticut Conference is a tough place for sophomores and freshmen to play varsity football.

The largest league in the state (32 schools) has teams that ranked among the top 10 teams in the state every year and has squads that seldom play a sophomore on the varsity field.

That’s not the case with Avon and their Thanksgiving week opponent Lewis Mills/Wolcott Tech, the only co-op program in the CCC. Both programs have a healthy amount of sophomores and underclassmen on the field.

Both programs have had their moments this season. They just haven’t had enough moments of success to cobble together many victories.

On Tuesday night, Lewis Mills/Wolcott Tech took advantage of three scoring plays of 50 yards or more that helped the visiting Spartans beat Avon for the first time since 2019 with a 19-6 CCC Tier IV decision in steady rain.

Avon’s Matt Eckerlin ran for a game-high 140 yards on 17 carries to lead the Falcons (1-9) while Max Funderburk ran for 39 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Funderburk had an interception and Harry Fawad recovered a fumble as the Falcons forced two turnovers.

But it wasn’t enough to beat Mills/OWTS (2-8), which snapped a seven-game losing streak with the win.

Marcos Muniz caught an 80-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter from sophomore QB Jayce McDonald while junior Mason Scanlon scampered up the middle for a 50-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and sophomore Gryfn Koblarz had a 44-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

It was the longest pass completion for a touchdown and the two longest runs for TDs all season for Mills/OWTS.

“I am proud of the way we came out and battled for four quarters,” Spartan head coach Jason Pace said. “We finally put together a four-quarter effort.”

Muniz (four receptions, 137 yards) outleaped an Avon defender for the ball on a 20-yard pass from McDonald and then raced away down the near sideline for a touchdown with 3:51 remaining in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead. The extra point was blocked.

Mills/OWTS successfully recovered an onside kick and promptly drove to the Falcon 25-yard line before the drive stalled.

On their next possession, Mills/OWTS had Scanlon break through the middle of the line and into open space on the way to a 50-yard touchdown run and a 13-0 lead with 8:37 left in the second quarter.

Mills/OWTS made it 19-0, scoring on their first possession of the second half. Scanlon gained 17 yards to the Mills 47-yard-line. Two plays later, it was Koblarz with a 44-yard touchdown run, weaving his way through the Falcons defense, breaking two tackles to score the touchdown for a 19-0 lead with 6:22 left in the third period.

“We’re still building,” Pace said. “Our motto all year has been the drive continues. We know it will take years to build a better program. We’re proud on how we were able to compete this year.”

Avon got on the scoreboard for the first time since losing to East Catholic in mid-October with a nine-yard touchdown run from Funderburk with 6:03 left in the game. Eckerlin had an 18-yard run to the Mills 32-yard line and had an 11-yard run to the Mills nine-yard line.

Avon had been shutout in their last three games.

“This is the youngest group I’ve had since we’ve been coaching here,” Avon head coach Matthew Redman said. “There are a bunch of guys who weighed 150 pounds and really showed up every day and gave everything they absolutely could.

“Obviously, we took our lumps but in watching the film, I don’t think we were ever embarrassed on the field,” he said.

Last week, Avon’s junior varsity team played Farmington and many of the sophomores that played against Mills and other varsity squads this fall played against the River Hawks.

“We got to see the young guys play last week against Farmington,” Redman said. “They had fun together and played not worrying if they were outmatched by weight, size and skill. It was a great opportunity for them. They shouldn’t be seven or eight sophomores playing serious varsity minutes but that is what we were dealt this year.”

Even with the soaking rain, players were not quick to exit the field following the final game of the season.

“There were a lot of positives this year from the attitude and effort that developed on the practice field and on the football field. It is just building the culture.”

Avon beat Tolland in October, 29-12, with this highest scoring effort of the season with Eckerlin (14-121) and Jaidyn Perry (7-114) each rushing for more than 100 yards in the game.

“There is no quit in these guys,” Redman said. “They wanted it and kept pushing, pushing and pushing. They guys did a hell of a job this year. I love these guys.”

With the win, Mills snapped an four-game losing streak against the Falcons.

Lewis Mills/Wolcott Tech 19, Avon 6
At Avon
Lewis Mills/WT (2-8)    6  7  6  0  — 19
Avon (1-9)                           0  0  0  6  — 6
First quarter
LM: Marcos Muniz 80 pass from Jayce McDonald (kick failed), 3:57
Second quarter
LM: Mason Scanlon 50 run (Grady Fredericks kick), 8:37
Third quarter
LM: Gryfn Koblarz 44 run (kick fails), 6:22
Fourth quarter
A: Max Funderburk 9 run (run fails), 6:03
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon – Max Funderburk 9-39, Matthew Eckerlin 17-140, Lorenzo Casto Rodriguez 2-6, Wellington Mahoney 1-3, Alex Schwarz 2-0, Dwane Edward 1-1, Harry Fawad 1-2, Jaidyn Perry 6-24, Jaden Scott 1-1; Mills/WT: Jackson Henry 6-45, Patryk Klonowski 2-22, Gryfn Koblarz 2-64, Mason Scanlon 7-88, Jayce Cichy 1-5
PASSING: Avon – Funderburk 0-1, Schwarz 0-1; Mills/WT: Jayce McDonald 8-16-1, 148
RECEIVING: Mills/WT: Marcos Muniz 4-137, Koblarz 3-7
Interception: Funderburk (A) 1-10, Fumble recoveries: Harry Fawad (A), Owen Mignola (LM/WT)