By STEVE BRADLEY
HENRIETTA, N.Y. – Earlier this week Avon football coach Andy Englert offered the following insight when asked what it takes to win games during the postseason.
“Teams are successful when you have guys in the trenches that buy in,” he said.
Consider the Avon River Hawks fully invested.
Buoyed by a senior-laden offensive line and the dynamic running combination of Wes Farley and Kal Dolgos, the top-seeded River Hawks rolled to a 28-0 victory over second-seeded Alexander in the Section V Class D championship game played Saturday afternoon on Rush-Henrietta’s Werner Kleemann Field.
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Farley carried 26 times for 198 yards and two touchdowns and Dolgos rushed 18 times from the quarterback position for 78 yards and two scores as unbeaten Avon (11-0) earned its eighth Section V football title and sixth in Englert’s 27 seasons.
“This was a program win,” said Englert, who credited long-time assistant coaches Mike McGough and Justin Dueppengiesser for their contributions during each championship run he has experienced. “When you get to this time of year the target on your back gets bigger and bigger and people get after you, but the kids have been able to respond and really deal with the challenges. Anytime you win a block and a patch, I think that’s good for the program.”
The River Hawks, who are ranked second in the New York State Sportswriters Class D poll, did it in dominating fashion, outscoring their three postseason opponents by a combined score of 122-3.
The defenses controlled the early portion of the game with each side stopping the other on downs in plus territory.
The River Hawks finally broke through on a 19-yard run by Farley with 7:08 remaining in the half. Blayden Borsching caught the conversion pass from Dolgos for an 8-0 lead. The TD came one play after defensive end Travis Hollada recovered a fumble.
“I couldn’t see it,” Hollada said of the football. “I was looking up in the air to try and pick it, but it ended up falling on the ground and I saw it and dove on it.”
The turnover was the spark Avon needed as Dolgos delivered a 17-yard scoring run on the River Hawks’ next series. Sophomore Gabriel Mayan converted the kick for a 15-0 lead with 1:07 to play in the half.
Alexander (9-2), the fourth-ranked Class D in the state, nearly scored on a crazy play at the end of the first half.
River Hawks’ defensive back Brice Ballew intercepted a pass deep in Avon territory but Mason Snyder forced a fumble on the return. Alexander lineman Nicholas Marzolf recovered and was headed toward the goal line before being tackled by Dolgos at the 15-yard line.
Dolgos, who was named the game MVP, said the Riverhawks were not satisfied with their play in the first half despite having a two-score lead.
“We all knew that we had to do better, so we just came out and put the pedal to the medal,” Dolgos said.
Indeed, they did.
The River Hawks executed a crisp drive to start the second half with Farley carrying the ball the final two yards with 9:16 left in the third. Mayan’s kick made it 22-0.
“The second half we came out firing and we got the job done,” said Farley, who was named the game’s most outstanding offensive player.
Dolgos closed out the scoring with a 20-yard run with 11:32 to play. The TD came on the first play after an Alexander fumble.
The Avon defense took it from there, keeping an Alexander offense that entered the game scoring 29.4 points per contest, off the scoreboard.
“Our defense flies everywhere and we just get the job done,” said Farley, who contributed nine tackles and a sack from his linebacker position. “I could not be more proud of everyone on that defense.”
Junior linebacker Bobby Bridges led Avon with 11 tackles and a forced fumble and was named the game’s most outstanding defensive player.
“He came up huge on the edge,” Englert said. “Alexander is really a strong team and he came to play. He’s been playing great all year.”
Borsching contributed 10 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery and Hollada finished with eight tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.
The title was especially sweet for Hollada, a 6-3, 180-pound senior who suffered a torn ACL during the 2023-24 basketball season and had to work hard to get back on the field this season.
“It feels great,” Hollada said. “There’s just no words to describe it.”
It also isn’t easy to articulate the effectiveness of the Avon running game. Farley has now run for 1,590 yards and 23 touchdowns while Dolgos has gained 1,293 yards on the ground and scored 29 TDs.
“Both of those guys work really well together and I think our offensive line wants to see success on each play,” Englert said. “The big thing for Kal and Wes is having trust in each other and moving the football. Their vision is really different on the field and we are just blessed to have them.”
The River Hawks are also fortunate to have the likes of Hollada, who plays guard, and Brady Driscoll, Connor Smith, Ryan Davis, Kellan Schneider and Noah Boor paving the way up front.
“The chemistry is great,” Hollada said. “All of us get together sometimes and go get food and we just have a bond that a lot of people don’t have.”
Avon advances to play Section VI champion Clymer-Sherman-Panama, the top-ranked team in the New York State Sportswriters Association Class D poll, in the Far West Regional at 5 p.m. Friday at SUNY Brockport.
Senior Dylan Pohl was recognized as the game’s outstanding lineman for Alexander, which was seeking its first Section V football title since 2018.
Another great article, Steve! Regards to Cathy and your kids!
For the record . . . Andy Englert was a star member of York’s 1st Sectional FB Championship 🏈team “back in the day” under former Head Coach Dan Caraher!
He is a great guy and comes from a quality family👍