Football team tops nonleague Quincy

Canton's Dexter Green has added a whole new dimension to the Bulldogs' offense this season.

After going winless last season, the Canton High varsity football team continued to show great improvement in all areas of the game with a 26-12 win over Quincy last Friday at Memorial Field.

The Bulldogs improved to 2-0 on the season, although the real test comes this week, when they host league power North Attleboro, which is also 2-0 after convincing wins over Foxboro and Bishop Feehan.

“As always, North Attleboro looks good,” said head coach Dave Bohane. “They have a real good quarterback, are big and strong. This should be a good test for us.”

Still, the Bulldogs have to be pleased with last week’s victory, which avenged a crushing, 41-14 road loss to the Presidents early last season. This year, Canton scored 26 points — including 20 in the first half — while limiting Quincy to a pair of first-half touchdowns.

According to Quincy head coach Bill Reardon, this year’s Bulldogs are much different.

“They are bigger, faster and stronger,” Reardon said. “It’s obvious that they spent a lot of time in the weight room. Canton won tonight because we made more mistakes, and Canton made more key plays.”

It was a battle of the Greens: Dexter for Canton and Jalen for Quincy. Both were dominant in the running game and played well as defensive backs, with Jalen also handling kickoffs and punts for the Presidents.

For Canton’s Green, Friday night’s game was a highlight film as the talented junior rushed for 208 yards and two scores, caught another touchdown, and contributed five tackles on defense. Last week, he tallied 142 yards on the ground.

“To me, Dexter is a blue chip kid,” said Bohane. “He has worked hard off the field and in the classroom. He certainly has a bright future, and this is a breakout year for him.”

For the second consecutive game, Canton had an explosive ground attack, led by Green, Elias Camacho, Shane Nordgren and quarterback Anthony Bires, as well as an improving offensive line behind Brandyn Sparks, Devin Costa, Calvin Winchell, Jordan Rodman, Ryan Dwyer, Peter Sheehan, and Austin Hurley.

Senior Brendan Monagle (Mike Barucci photo)

Defensively, the Bulldogs had three players finish with seven tackles, including Sparks, Conor O’Brien and Ian Flavin. O’Brien also had two of the team’s five sacks, while Sparks, Flavin, and Tavon Jacobs each had one.

Canton scored first at the 6:05 mark in the first quarter when Bires found Camacho all alone down the sideline for a 45-yard touchdown. Quincy came back to tie the game at 6 on a 20-yard touchdown pass, but a three-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion — both by Green — gave Canton the lead for good with 1:52 remaining in the first.

Quincy managed to cut the deficit to two with a second quarter touchdown, but the Bulldogs responded before halftime, set up by long run by Green, who cut inside a for 51-yard gain. On the next play, Green took a short pass from Bires, evaded two tacklers and jumped into the end zone to give the Bulldogs a commanding 20-12 lead.

The final Bulldog score came on a long drive that began at the Canton one-yard line. Four consecutive runs by Green set up the offense at the Canton 36. On a third-and-seven situation, Bires hit Green out of the backfield and he broke several tackles to move the ball to the Quincy 10-yard line. One play later, Green scored from 10 yards out on the final play of the quarter.

While it wasn’t a perfect game for the Bulldogs, Bohane said afterwards that he was pleased with the effort and proud of his team’s performance.

“Once again the kids showed me they could persevere through a tough game,” he said. “They made some mistakes but also made some good plays. The defense played well and we are showing better tackling and good, physical play.”

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=8142

Posted by Mike Berger on Sep 21 2011. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.