Bulldogs dominate Weston in home opener

Captains Josh Matt and Jakiel Moses-Harris get pumped up before Friday's opener. (Mike Barucci photo)

Down 14-7 at halftime and spurred on by a challenge from their coaches, the Canton High School football team exploded for 28 second-half points while the defense stifled Weston en route to a dominating 35-14 victory in Friday’s home opener.

The win was the first for the Bulldogs in over a year and also avenged a 35-7 loss to the Wildcats in last year’s season opener at Weston.

Bulldog quarterback Anthony Bires threw a pair of touchdowns to receiver Elias Camacho while also scampering for a touchdown himself. Running back Dexter Green evaded several tacklers for two touchdowns of his own.

On defense, Brandyn Sparks, Camacho, Shane Nordgren and Conor O’Brien were all over the field and produced several tackles, led by O’Brien with seven. Camacho, a defensive back, recorded three sacks, including one in which he ran across the entire side of the field to tackle the quarterback.

Nordgren had five tackles and a fumble recovery, and Ian Flavin and Logan Cerruti both came up with touchdown-saving tackles.

The offensive line came alive in the second half, giving some push and providing good blocking for Green and Bires. The line was led by Peter Sheehan, Sparks, Devin Costa, Justin Rudy, Calvin Winchell, Jordan Rodman and Austin Hurley.

The game started with an electrifying touchdown. After three runs to the Weston 38-yard line, Bires lofted a beautiful spiral to Camacho, who caught it over two defenders and raced into the end zone, giving Canton a 7-0 lead with 8:03 left in the first quarter.

Weston would regain the momentum by halftime with two scores, led by quarterback Jarrett Rowe, who surprised the Canton defense with his ball fakes and running ability. Rowe scored on a 30-yard keeper with 4:06 remaining in the second quarter and then again from five yards out with 42 seconds left in the half.

“We came into the locker room at halftime and the coaches — not just me — challenged the players,” said head coach Dave Bohane. “Talk is cheap, and the players went out and showed me they could overcome some adversity. This is something we can build on.”

Acknowledging that the team did not play well in the second quarter, Bohane said the Bulldogs shifted their focus in the second half to containing the Weston quarterback. They also showed better tackling and improved execution on offense, which allowed them to regain momentum and eventually retake the lead.

Go Bulldogs!

The players were the first ones on the field in the second half and showed genuine excitement on the sideline as they waited for the visitors to return from the locker room.

The half began with a big defensive stop, fueled by O’Brien with several big tackles and a sack by Green, which forced Weston to turn the ball over at midfield. On the second play, Bires threw a screen pass to Camacho, who used his speed to evade two tacklers for a 50-yard score with 4:51 left in the third to make it 14-14.

On the next possession, Nordgren recovered a fumble at the Weston 34, and runs by Bires and Green brought the ball to the five-yard line. Bires then scored on a keeper on the next play and kicker Brendan Monagle followed with his third extra point of the night to give Canton a 21-14 lead.

Despite recovering a blocked punt, the Bulldogs were not able to convert a 26-yard field goal try. But the defense once again responded as Sparks made a sound tackle and Costa stopped a screen pass despite being injured on the play.

Camacho then returned a punt to the Weston 30, and four plays later, Green ran it in from 11 yards out to give Canton a commanding 28-14 lead. Green would add an insurance touchdown with under two minutes remaining as he scampered up the middle for a 35-yard score.

After the game, Weston head coach Sean McHugh had nothing but praise for the new-look Bulldogs.

“Canton is a much-improved team and totally different from a year ago,” he said. “Their depth hurt us and they were more physical than we were in the second half.”

The Bulldogs now prepare for Quincy, which visits Canton tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Memorial Field. The Presidents lost to Cohasset 35-16 in their season opener.

The Bulldog coaching staff definitely had a Canton feel to it, with several Canton residents and former players serving as assistants, including Jeff Eckler, Anthony Fallon, Jared Cowens, Steve Slavin, Kevin Foley, and Tyler Matt. The game also drew a large crowd, with hundreds of CHS students and fans filling the stands and sidelines.

Just before kickoff, the team and fans held a moment of silence in honor of legendary Bulldog quarterback Michael Uliano, who perished in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Sep 14 2011. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.