Boys basketball
Enfield's knockout punch takes out Avon
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
AVON, Jan. 27 – It didn’t take long Friday night for defending NCCC champion Enfield to assert themselves. The Raiders scored the first 13 points of the game and never looked back in a 65-45 victory over the Falcons.
The two teams came into the game tied for first place in the NCCC with 8-0 records. Enfield hadn’t lost a game yet this season with 12 victories. Avon was 9-2 with seven straight victories and a defense that had given up an average of 46 points the last four games.
Avon (9-3, 8-1 NCCC) gave up 36 by halftime to the Raiders, who received 20 points from Hugh Lindo, 18 from Tia Preston and 15 from Paul Lima, who drained five 3-point field goals including one that beat the buzzer at the end of the first quarter.
“We came out and executed very well,” Enfield coach Cory O’Connell said. “I thought we would be able to use our quickness and athleticism to pull away.”
The Raiders (13-0, 9-0) used it to break the Falcons early. Enfield led 13-0 and 16-4 using its speed to harass the Falcons into turnovers and get around them on offense. Avon did cut the lead to nine with 28 seconds left in the first period when Brandon Feinberg put back a rebound into the basket.
But Lima’s three-pointer at the buzzer boosted the lead back to 12 points, 21-9 and Avon never got any closer.
“From the opening tip, Enfield was a better team at both ends of the floor,” Avon coach Chris Vozzolo said. “They played the game at a different speed than we did.” Jacob Forcheimer led the Falcons with 12 points but no other player broke into double figures. Sean Herrmann scored eight along with Feinberg.
“Enfield is smart,” Vozzolo said. “They have players who know their roles and they get the job done. They controlled the tempo of the game. We were just overwhelmed at the start.”
While Avon lost to Farmington and Bristol Eastern earlier this season, they were in the game in the fourth quarter. The Falcons also beat Glastonbury, a Class LL school. But against Enfield, they had few answers. “We were out of this one in the first two minutes,” Vozzolo said. “We were shellshocked.”
O’Connell was surprised but he expects to see a different Avon team on the floor when they play a return contest on February 14 in Enfield. “They are a much better team than they showed tonight,” he said. “They’re bigger than we are and play good man-to-man defense. They break the press well and move the ball. It was just one of those nights.”
CELEBRATION: At halftime, the Class L champion girls soccer team unveiled the updated state championship banner on the gym walls with the new 2011 patch and received a warm welcome from the crowd.
Enfield 65, Avon 45
At Avon
Avon (45) Jared Rosenblatt 0-0-0, Ryan Marioni 0-4-4, Jacob Forcheimer 2-7-12, Patrick McKearney 0-0-0, Billy Stevens 0-1-1, Sean Herrmann 3-0-8, Brad Fisher 0-2-2, Jason Leaning 0-1-1, Brandon Feinberg 3-2-8, Connor Larson 1-0-2, Austin Curry 0-0-0, Will DiStefano 2-0-4, Justin Reichler 1-0-2. Totals 13 16-22 45
Enfield (65) Hugh Lindo 9-2-20, Tia Preston 9-0-18, Paul Lima 5-0-15, Tony Romano 1-0-2, John Cerrato 2-0-4, Josh Gaines 1-0-2, Justin Thomas 0-0-0, Ra Preston 1-2-4. Totals 28 4-7 65
Enfield
21 15 17 12 – 65
Avon 9 11 10 15 – 45
Three-point shots: Forcheimer (A), Herrmann (A) 2, Lima (E) 5
Records: Enfield 13-0, 9-0 NCCC; Avon 9-3, 8-1 NCCC
Field hockey
Avon doesn't have to share title
AVON, Dec. 1 – The Avon High field hockey team won’t share the NCCC championship this fall. The Falcons finished 11-1 in the league. Their only loss was a 2-1 decision to eventual Class S champion Granby in the second-to-last game of the season. However, due to the lengthy power outage following the Oct. 29 snowstorm that cut power to 831,000 Connecticut Light and Power customers across the state, Granby wasn’t able to complete its league schedule.
Granby, like Avon, Canton, Farmington and Simsbury, was hard hit by the outage and there was no school and no opportunity for Granby to play its final league game against Stafford. Granby finished 10-1 in the league, earning 20 points (two points for every win). Avon earned 22 points for their 11 victories. The league athletic directors met in mid-November to discuss the issue and voted not to grant an exemption to the league bylaws.
Avon High 2011-12
Boys basketball preview
Plenty of experience returns for Falcons
AVON, Dec. 9 -- Five players graduated from the Avon High basketball team, including All-NCCC forward Tyler D’Onofrio. Still, the Falcons return a solid, veteran core of players that should have Avon contending for a NCCC championship.
Avon (13-11, 11-9 NCCC) has eight players returning with varsity experience. “We can go 10 (players) deep,” third-year coach Chris Vozzolo said. “We have the talent and a big rotation.”
Avon was one of two teams to beat league champion Enfield during the regular season behind 14 points from guard Jacob Forcheimer and the Falcons advanced to the NCCC Tournament finals for the fourth time in the last five years.
Several seniors will lead the Falcons this winter.
Forcheimer, who averaged 7.5 points a game and attacks the basket well, is the top returning scorer. Guard Billy Stevens, who averaged 4.4 points, is a smart player who brings a sense of calmness to the floor. Forward Matt Naddaff, one of the team’s best defenders, was the sixth man off the bench a year ago with great energy, including his season-high 15 point effort in the NCCC final against Enfield. Guard Sean Ade is an outstanding shooter.
Junior forward Brandon Feinberg, averaged 7.4 points a year ago, but he had some outstanding performances including 14 points in a win over Ellington and 17 in a win over East Granby. Vozzolo expects Feinberg to help carry the load for the Falcons this year at the offensive end and be a force on the boards rebounding. Junior point guard Ryan Marioni saw spot action a year ago but has improved tremendously over the summer.
Girls basketball preview
Rebuilding year for AHS
AVON – It’s been a long, fruitful run for the Avon High girls basketball team at the top of the North Central Connecticut Conference. The Falcons have won 10 of the last 12 league championships, including last year when they went 15-1. Avon played in the finals of the NCCC Tournament every year from 1999 through 2010.
In the last 13 years, the Falcons have played in two state championship games, winning it all in 2008 when they captured the Class L championship.
That run could be at an end this year. It is a very young Falcon team that will take the court this season. Four of five starters from have graduated and only two of the top seven players from last year’s team have returned.
“Our goals are a little bit different than they have been in the past,” long-time Avon High coach Frank Waters said. “This year, we’re trying to get better every week, to compete and be in the top division of the NCCC. Hopefully, we can come of age at tournament time.”
Winters had hoped to lean on Caroline Jadovich, an All-NCCC selection last winter with a team-leading 17.6 points a game, a team-high 63 three-point shots and 47 steals. But Jadovich decided to return to Miss Porter’s in Farmington where she spent the first two years of high school career. Jenna Donahue, the team’s No. 2 rebounder a year ago with 6.9 caroms a game, did not choose to play basketball this winter.
The two most experienced players returning for the Falcons (18-6, 15-1 NCCC) are senior Chelsea Foster, who was the sixth player off the bench last year, averaging 5.1 points and 2.0 rebounds a game, and sophomore point guard Anna Schrecengost, who averaged 5.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and a team-high 3.6 assists per game as a freshman. She is the lone returning starter.
Look for sophomores Julia Schrecengost, Caroline Schaefer, Madison Mains, Lauren Miller and Emma Hartman to get plenty of playing time along with freshmen Michaela Marcus and Shannon Curry. “This is the youngest, least experienced team I’ve had since I’ve have been coaching here,” Waters said. He took over in 1998.
Boys swimming preview
Swimmers hope to continue improvement, pick up wins
AVON, Dec. 9 -- A new era in Avon High swimming begins this winter. Clayton Northgraves has resigned after 22 years as head coach, allowing long-time assistant Diana Cesaro to step forward. Cesaro expects to end up with a team of about 45 swimmers and five divers.
Avon went 7-5 a year ago as an independent. Cesaro didn’t offer a prediction on wins and losses. “My personal goal is to work technique and all aspects of the race,” she said. “In doing this, everyone will improve. We have a number of swimmers who could step up this year and really add to our depth.”
The top swimmer is probably Cesaro’s son, Zac, a senior freestyle and backstroke specialist who finished fifth in the backstroke at last year’s Class M championships, the only Falcon swimmer to earn a medal by finishing in the top six. Senior Jordan Alter (butterfly, individual medley), junior Charlie Anderson (sprint freestyle and butterfly) look sharp early along with senior Max Pierce and junior Thomas Yukabinas (diving).
Since Avon doesn’t offer girls swimming in the fall, girls train and compete with the boys team. They can qualify for the Class M trials but they must qualify under the boys times. Junior Kelly Culkin (freestyle, butterfly), sophomore Erin Hartigan (distance) and freshman Tara Toppazzini (freestyle, backstroke) have swum well in early practices.
The girls do have a chance to compete against girls at the Splash Classic, a statewide meet for girls that compete during the boys swimming season. Avon has won the last five Splash Classic events. Avon hosts their home meets at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington and will compete against valley rivals Farmington (Jan. 27 at Miss Porter’s) and Simsbury (Feb. 16 at Westminister) this winter.
Ice hockey preview
Farmington joins co-op team with Avon, squad moves up
AVON, Dec. 9 -- A year ago, Avon kept its hockey program alive by forming a three-team co-operative program with Windsor and East Granby. Called the WAVE, the squad went 17-6, captured the CCC South championship with an 8-0 record and advanced to the semifinals of the CIAC Division III tournament.
This year, a new team has joined the co-op. East Granby and its lone player has graduated. The squad will be a three-school co-op between host Windsor (six players), Avon (10 players) and Farmington (9 players).
Avon senior Nick Berns leads a talented group of impact players including Farmington senior Dominic Bazzano, Avon junior Jeff Demers and senior Max Leopold, Farmington junior Austin Grouten and sophomore Dan Quirk. Each is capable to scoring goals. Shoring up the defense is returning defenseman Tyler Stoll of Windsor, junior Al Georger of Farmington and sophomore Jack Wendler out of Avon. Farmington goalies Kyle Krajick and Tyler Bailey look to be solid between the pipes.
First-year coach Scott Percival takes over the squad that will be competing in the CCC East this winter with East Catholic, Wethersfield and Northwest Catholic. Thanks to its semifinal finish in Division III last year, Windsor/Avon/Farmington has moved up Division II in the CIAC tournament. Despite the loss of 12 seniors, Percival expects the squad to be competitive in the race for a CCC East title and qualify for the Division II tournament.
Indoor track preview
Program continues to grow
AVON, Dec. 9 -- The indoor track program is still young at Avon, now entering its third season since it was revived. The Avon boys had a team in the 1960s and 1970s while this recent revival is the first opportunity for girls at Avon to compete in indoor track. Al Daddario was the team’s lone coach for the first two seasons. Now, there are enough athletes, about 50, for a second coach – Matt Mooney.
A year ago, Brianna Noonan (high jump) and Greg Rendeiro (long jump) won NCCC titles and Noonan took second in Class M. But both graduated.
Among the girls, there should be some strength in the distance and sprints with Katie McIntyre, Madison Zapatka and Molly Hamel, who earned All-NCCC honors in cross country, sprinter Stephanie Koo, Emily Arciero, an regional All-American field hockey player, and Maddie McHugh on the squad. On the boys side, Mike Oberhausen, Sean Deneen, Ethan Buyse and Bryan Jennings bring experience from cross country while George Kostal and Lenny Dupee have experience in the shot. Graydon Stewart took third in the 300 meters at the NCCC meet a year ago.
Wrestling preview
Winning a fifth straight NCCC title will be challenging for AHS
AVON, Dec. 9 -- The Falcons have won the last four NCCC championships and have a 27-game match winning streak within the league that dates back to 2007. Winning a fifth straight league title may be a bit tougher than it was a year ago. Avon (14-8, 7-0 NCCC) has just 24 wrestlers out for the team, one of the smaller teams under coach John McLaughlin in the last few years.
“We’re struggling to fill all (14) of the weight classes,” he said. “We might be a better tournament team. In the dual meets, we might have some holes (in the lineup).”
One thing won’t change, though. There will still be some talented wrestlers in the Falcon lineup. Senior Alex Heston, junior Tyler Mattioda, sophomore Joe Murphy and junior Jessica McCamish are all back on the mat. Heston was 24-8 a year ago at 119 pounds and won a NCCC title. Mattioda (22-10) also won a NCCC championship at 103 while Murphy was 32-4 with an NCCC title and a fifth place finish at the Class L tournament at 152 pounds. McCamish missed all of last season with a knee injury but she won 22 matches as a freshman and was an All-American wrestler when she was in middle school.
One big loss was sophomore Jimmy Murphy who broke his hand in the final game of the football season against Windsor Locks. He is out for eight weeks and will see limited action.
There will be 10 new weight classes this winter after the wrestling rules committee of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) approved 17 wrestling rules revisions last April. The lightest weight class will rise from 103 pounds to 106 pounds. By the end of the season, it will be up to 108 pounds.
The new weight classifications have just three weight classes from 125 to 145 pounds when there used to be four and there will be five weight classes from 171 to 285 instead of four. The new weight classes will be 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220 and 285.
“The change in weight classes resulted from a three-to-four year process,” said Dale Pleimann, chair of the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee. “The rules committee was able to analyze data from almost 200,000 wrestlers across the country, with the goal to create weight classes that have approximately 7 percent of the wrestlers in each weight class.”
