Jaren Suttles lands at Avon Old Farms searching for college commitment

Jaren Suttles steps up to take a penalty kick for Avon Old Farms. (Mike Gridley/New England Soccer Journal)

Heading into the 2018-19 school year, Jaren Suttles thought he was heading to West Point to play college soccer. The Springfield, Mass., native had just wrapped up his U-19 Development Academy season with the Boston Bolts, leading them with 11 goals.

But “things didn’t work out," Suttles said, and he found himself scrambling some. The 18-year-old forward turned to the prep school route, enrolling as a postgraduate at Avon Old Farms one day before classes started in early September.

“It was all a really quick turnaround,” said Avon Old Farms coach Joe Martinez, adding it helped that headmaster Ken LaRocque is from nearby Chicopee, Mass.