Bulldogs down Mansfield Hornets for historic win

Jake Marcell dominated in all phases Friday night. (Mike Tureski photo)

Beating Mansfield 28-16 Friday night on the Hornets’ home field on their Senior Night is a memorable milestone for the Canton High football program.

Canton last beat the Hornets in 1990, which coincidentally was the senior season for former Bulldog and now interim head coach Jeff Eckler.

Mansfield is considered one of the elite programs in the Hockomock League and across the south shore and has won several football titles.

The Hornets have traditionally dominated their games with Canton, using an outstanding passing attack to consistently beat the Bulldog secondary. That ended Friday night as the visitors came back from a 10-0 deficit to lead at halftime 14-10 and withstood a Mansfield rally late in the game to pull ahead for good.

A go-ahead touchdown reception in the second quarter by senior captain Jake Marcell energized the Canton players on the sidelines, who were up and cheering on every play.

“The spirit in the locker room at halftime was just unbelievable,” said Eckler. “The players knew they could pull this off.”

The win was pivotable for the Bulldogs with regard to playoff seedings. Canton (6-2) moved up from sixth to third in the MIAA’s Division 4 power rankings and earned the opportunity to host a home playoff game in the state tournament.

The Bulldogs are set to kick things off tomorrow night at 7 p.m. against Wakefield Memorial (3-5. A second home game is a possibility if Canton can pull off the win.

Heroes were aplenty for the Bulldogs Friday, but one player stood out. Marcell not only intercepted the pass that changed the momentum of the game; he also caught four passes from quarterback JT Norton for 79 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown catch.

In addition, he rushed for 26 yards, was credited with a sack, and handled punting duties.

Norton, under pressure for most of the game, completed 11 of 24 passes for 195 yards while rushing for 12 yards. Receivers Antoine Jamison and Chris Pirrera combined for almost 100 yards receiving, and the receptions came in critical parts of the game.

Mansfield was able to hold Canton’s main runner, Nick Crowe, to just 30 yards, but Crowe was still able to score on a three-yard touchdown run and also hauled in a 26-yard pass to jumpstart Canton’s comeback in the second quarter. Junior Brody Baldiga contributed heavily with two runs of 25 and 29 yards, with the latter resulting in a key first down late in the game.

The defense also played well in the victory, led by linebackers Jerome Weekes (8 tackles) and Gavin Pushard (6 tackles). Besides Marcell, Jamison and Dylan Lank had interceptions.

Down 10-0 entering the second quarter, Canted mounted a comeback behind Norton’s passes to Crowe, Pirrera, Marcell and a 15-yard touchdown run by Baldiga.

Late in the second quarter, the Bulldogs stunned the Hornet defense as Norton and Marcell connected on a long touchdown reception to give Canton the four-point lead.

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but the Bulldogs seized the momentum in the fourth when Marcell tipped a pass to himself for an interception and raced 81 yards for a touchdown, foiling a Mansfield rally with a little more than 10 minutes remaining and giving the visitors a commanding 21-10 lead.

After the game, Eckler said Marcell’s interception was one of the greatest interceptions he has seen in 30 years of coaching. Commenting on Marcell’s talent, Eckler said, “He’s athletic, he’s fast, he’s tough. He can run the ball, he plays defense physically, he tackles, he blocks. He’s a great kid.”

“This is unbelievable,” a jubilant Eckler said after the game. “These kids fight through everything and care so much. This was a great win, a momentous win, an unbelievable win. I am so excited. I don’t know what to say. It’s hard to describe, but the players deserve it. They have worked so hard, and I am proud of them.”

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