CHS football team earns 4th straight T-Day win

The Bulldogs hoist the trophy after beating the rival Knights on their home field. (Mike Tureski photo)

The Canton High varsity football team capped off a very successful fall campaign with a hard-earned, 26-18 victory over rival Stoughton in the annual Thanksgiving Day game played last Thursday morning at Stoughton High. The win marked Canton’s fourth in a row in the series, which will celebrate 100 years next fall with the Black Knights holding a narrow lead at 49-46-4.

In the 99th meeting between the two rival schools last week, the Bulldogs seized control behind a punishing ground attack, led by senior standout Nick Crowe, who carried the ball 23 times for 148 yards. The defense was led by Jake Marcell and Crowe, who combined for 11 tackles. Also making key stops were junior linebacker Gavin Pushard, who returned to action after missing a few games with a back injury, and senior co-captain Rhancy Jean Baptiste. Junior Tommy Rose picked up a sack for the Bulldogs, and seniors Jerome Weekes and Nolan Harney both recorded interceptions.

CHS co-head coach Jeff Eckler will be the first to admit that it wasn’t Canton’s finest performance, but he was pleased to see his squad come away with the victory. Eckler was especially happy for his seniors, who became the first CHS class to finish with four winning seasons in a tough Hockomock League.

Also excelling for Canton as he has done all season long was Marcell, who was chosen by his teammates to wear the No. 27 jersey in honor of the late Ricky Shannon. An annual Thanksgiving Day tradition, the jersey is given to a player who exemplifies the play, work ethic, and character of the former Bulldog legend who passed away in a house fire in 2008.

Marcell caught five passes for 57 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown; ran three times for 14 yards; and had several good punts despite a fierce wind. “Jake is an awesome kid [and] an awesome player,” said Eckler. “He represents what Ricky Shannon was all about.”

Canton led 12-6 at the half, extended the lead to 19-12 after three quarters, and pushed the lead to as much as 14 in the fourth quarter before Stoughton narrowed the gap with a 40-yard touchdown bomb on the very last play of the game. Stoughton’s other scores came on a 55-yard interception return and a 40-yard run on a busted play after a near Canton tackle.

Although Stoughton scored first in the game, the Bulldogs battled back in the second quarter, tying the game on a 28-yard rushing touchdown by Crowe and then taking their first lead of the contest with a four-yard touchdown pass from reserve quarterback Brian MacGillivray to Rose.

Stoughton would come back to tie the score in the third quarter with a pick-six, but MacGillivray redeemed himself later in the period as he connected with Marcell on a 14-yard touchdown throw to give Canton the lead for good.

For the game, MacGillivray, who was making his third straight start in place of injured classmate JT Norton, finished eight of 12 for 81 yards with two touchdown passes. Three of his completions went to sophomore Antoine Jamison, who also rushed for 42 yards and gave the Bulldogs some much-needed insurance with a 21-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Junior Tiernan Ritson also got on the scoreboard with a pair of extra-point kicks.

Co-head coach Marty Sasin said there are wins and even bigger wins — like beating your rivals on Thanksgiving Day. Sasin said this year’s seniors were lucky to be a part of four such victories and leave a special legacy for future classes to follow.

Jean Baptiste said after the game that some of the legacy was the leadership from all of the captains and a resilience shown by all of the players who refused to quit, no matter the circumstance or score.

Eckler noted that this year’s team produced four All-Hockomock League honorees in Marcell, Crowe, Jean Baptiste and Norton, while offensive/defensive lineman Owen Sasin earned an all-league honorable mention.

Seventeen seniors played their last game in a Bulldog uniform last week, including Crowe, Harney, Jean Baptiste, MacGillivray, Marcell, Norton, Sasin and Weekes, along with Nick Dietrich, Avery Gibson, Brady Harte, Ryan Hickey, Brian Kaelin, Derek Pfingston, Chris Pirrera, Logan Rice and Nate Toussaint.

Returning to serve as honorary captains for the game were several former players from the Class of 2015, including Jake Ragusa, Joe Bires, Mike McMahon, Mac Brown and Woanyon Mahn.

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