The Biggest Question Surrounding Avon Old Farms Football As We Enter the 2026 Season

Avon Old Farms did just about everything possible to establish itself as Connecticut's top high school football team in 2025.

The Winged Beavers went 10-0, captured the NEPSAC Class A championship and finished No. 1 in the state's final Massey rankings. They also return Class A Offensive Player of the Year Matthew Baer and have added one of New England's top receivers.

Yet Avon Old Farms enters 2026 at No. 3.

Choate Rosemary Hall and St. Thomas More have moved ahead of the defending champions, giving Avon something it didn't have much of last season: something to prove.

Matthew Baer Leads a Loaded Avon Offense

Baer led his team to a perfect 10-0 record and multiple dominant performances throughout the season, with a 65-35 win over Salisbury along with multiple 40-point performances. Not to mention, they have Jon Wholley as their Head Coach. Wholley has 16 years of Division 1 coaching experience, and the talent he has on this roster is second to none.

Baer, a class of 2027 James Madison University commit, will return for his senior season. Last year he was First-Team All-New England, throwing for over 2,000 yards with 21 passing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also had 19 rushing touchdowns and 450 rushing yards. Baer is a 6-foot-2 lefty quarterback who will now have Xaverian (MA) transfer receiver Christian McIntyre by his side.

Last season for the Hawks, McIntyre accumulated 1,560 receiving yards, 26 touchdowns, and four interceptions, solidifying himself as one of New England's best two-way players. Pairing McIntyre with Baer gives Avon one of New England's most intriguing quarterback-receiver combinations.

Avon Defense Has Division I Talent

Avon's returning talent isn't limited to offense. One of their key defensive players, Jaiden Roach, is ranked as a three-star recruit and mainly plays defensive back for the Winged Beavers.

Roach allowed just six catches last season and zero touchdowns, and holds 15 Division 1 offers. He was a First-Team Class A defensive back. Along with Roach is Myles Carter, a 6-foot defensive back committed to Cornell, who shuts down just about anything for opponents' offenses.

Choate, St. Thomas More Start Ahead of Avon

Avon's No. 3 ranking has as much to do with the teams ahead of it as anything the Winged Beavers lost from last season. Choate Rosemary Hall opens at No. 1, followed by St. Thomas More at No. 2.

Choate's place at the top can certainly be defended based on its returning talent. St. Thomas More presents the more unusual case. It played only three games in 2025, all against opponents from outside New England, and lost all three. The Chancellors return to a more traditional schedule in 2026 and enter the season with a roster loaded with talent.

Add us as a preferred source on Google