Bulldogs open with dominant road win vs. Franklin

With the realignment of the Hockomock League and creation of the Davenport and Kelley-Rex divisions, the Canton High football team had not faced Franklin, a large school opponent, since the 2011 season.

Senior QB JT Norton shined in Friday’s opener. (Mike Tureski photo)

On Friday evening in Franklin, the Bulldogs made a lasting impression, piling up over 400 yards of offense en route to a dominant, 34-0 shutout over the Panthers. It was the program’s first win over Frankin since 1990. In addition, the convincing win will pay extra dividends when strength of schedule points are considered in determining playoff eligibility.

The win, while important, is only the first step in what the Bulldogs want to accomplish this season, according to head coach Anthony Fallon. The victory showed the potential of an explosive offense, led by senior quarterback JT Norton, who threw for over 342 yards to go with three touchdown passes, and dynamic receiver Jake Marcell, who caught 11 passes for 192 yards. Norton also hit several other receivers for gains, including Thomas Rose, Antoine Jamison and Chris Pirrera.

The Bulldog defense was also praiseworthy, pitching a shutout and holding the Panthers to one sustained drive the entire game. The Panthers did not record a first down throughout the first half. Marcell also made his presence felt on defense, recording four tackles and two sacks. In all, the Bulldog defense allowed three first downs while recording five sacks and two turnovers.

Fallon, very excited about the win, pointed to the performance at Franklin as a showcase of what the team can do.

“This is what we’ve been building towards the last four or five years,” Fallon said. “We knew we could get there, and we could do this if we did the right things. The guys bought in, and they want to be at this level. We’re working on getting the program to where it used to be and where it should be.”

While praising his team, Fallon said he and his coaching staff are not happy with the large number of penalties the team committed (13) as well as the production in the running game (only 100 yards gained). “We’ve got work to do and lots of things to cleanup,” said the Bulldogs’ coach, who called for a 7 a.m. film review session the following morning.

Norton struck early and often in the win, capping an 80-yard drive with a 17-yard strike to a wide-open Marcell. With 6:11 remaining in the first quarter, kicker Tiernan Ritson connected for what would be three extra points.

In the second quarter, following a sack to Norton, Norton connected on a 65-yard bomb to Marcell, who caught the pass in stride over two defenders and raced in the end zone.

The Bulldogs went into halftime with a 14-0 lead and began to pull away in the third quarter. Canton’s Gavin Pushard recovered a fumble and passes to Rose and Marcell set up the offense at the six-yard line. Paul Mellon then took a jet sweep around the left side for the Bulldogs’ third score of the game.

Fallon was quite excited for Mellon and Marcell since both were injured for much of the 2024 campaign. He said their hard work in rehabilitation, conditioning, and in the weightroom paid off.

The running game also showed signs of life in the second half. After sacks by Marcell and Rhancy Jean Baptiste, Canton took the ball over on downs at the Panther 41-yard line. Nick Crowe, on a misdirection play, rumbled for 35 yards, setting up a wide-open touchdown pass to Rose.

Into the fourth quarter, the Canton offense went on an 86-yard drive, set up by a 30-yard reception to Marcell and a five-yard touchdown run by Crowe.

The Bulldogs will now face Norwood, who defeated Stoughton last week, Friday night at 6 p.m. at Norwood High.

Captains for the Bulldogs this year are Norton, Marcell, Crowe, Pushard, Jean Baptiste, and Owen Sasin.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Sep 12 2025. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.