Drew Gamere Bowl Champs
Varsity football ends the season with 35-28 victory over Avon Old Farms.
With 36 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, quarterback Dante Reno ’24 took the snap, stepped back, and looked down the field to the left. There, he saw tight end Luke Reynolds ’24 running to the end zone. Reno threw, Reynolds put his left hand up, caught the ball, dragged his feet in the end zone, securing the 23-yard touchdown pass. That score lifted the Cats to a 35-28 victory, and a New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) bowl championship.
Under the leadership of first-year head coach Bill Mella, CA hosted Avon Old Farms for the Drew Gamere Bowl on Friday, Nov. 17. This was the first bowl game for CA since 2016.
The game drew a large crowd both in support of CA and Avon Old Farms. The Simosa Field grandstands were filled with friends and family cheering on the teams who, after the game, would be heading into Thanksgiving recess.
CA and Avon were neck and neck for most of the game, trading touchdowns and keeping the score close. The Beavers took an early lead, but the Cats were quick to catch up. Elijah Newby ’24 (University of Southern California commit) caught a throw from Reno (University of South Carolina commit) for a 27-yard touchdown. The score was later revoked, with referees claiming CA had an illegal formation during the play. The team was quick to rally, however, with Reno throwing to Reynolds (Penn State commit) for a 30-yard touchdown.
Other critical plays included a short pass to Reynolds, who then threw to Newby for a touchdown, tying the game up 14-14 before halftime. And, in a 28-second stretch in the third quarter, three touchdowns were scored, two of which were by CA. Chris White ’24 hit a 5-yard run into the end zone, and Tristan Washington ’26 returned a kickoff for 94 yards, putting CA up 28-21.
After Reynold’s championship-winning catch in the fourth, White intercepted the Avon quarterback’s pass, closing out Avon’s chances at returning. The team, coaches, family, and friends flooded Simosa Field to celebrate CA’s win and varsity football’s 7-2 season.
See more photos from the game on our Flickr photo gallery.
