Knights beat Canton in T-Day romp

Captains Logan Cerruti, Jakiel Moses-Harris, Brandyn Sparks, and Josh Matt with honorary captain Bill Cravens (Mike Barucci photo)

For the seventh consecutive year, Stoughton continued its dominance over Canton on Thanksgiving Day, cruising to a 27-7 win in a heavily attended game at Canton High.

Stoughton held a 7-0 lead at the half and scored three times in the second half, including a score aided by a blocked punt. Canton scored its lone touchdown in the third quarter after recovering a fumbled punt. On fourth down, Canton quarterback Anthony Bires hit receiver Elias Camacho on a short pass, and the talented junior ran 22 yards for the score.

The victory by Stoughton ends its season at a respectable 6-5, but a convincing win by Oliver Ames over Sharon kept the Knights from reaching the playoffs. Both teams finished in a tie atop the Davenport Division at 3-1; however, OA owned the tiebreaker after beating Stoughton 24-14 in their only head-to-head matchup of the season. The Tigers were due to face unbeaten Pembroke (10-0) on November 29 in the Division 3 state semifinals.

As for the rivalry with Canton, which dates back to 1926, the Black Knights now lead the overall series with 43 wins, 39 losses, and four ties. The last time the Bulldogs scored a victory over Stoughton was in 2004.

For the Bulldogs, the loss ends their season at 3-7, signaling a step in the right direction after a winless campaign a year ago.

Thursday’s game was essentially decided by the Stoughton defense, which shut down the three-headed running attack of Dexter Green, Camacho and Bires. For the game, Canton had a total of three first downs and 92 yards on offense, including 22 on the touchdown play and 41 yards on the ground by junior Shane Nordgren.

The Stoughton defensive line completely controlled the tempo of the game, led by Brandon Alves (6’2”, 275 lbs.) and Andrew Parades (5’11”, 275 lbs.). At times, Stoughton used eight players to stop the run. When Canton tried to pass, either the receivers dropped the ball or Bires faced heavy pressure, getting sacked several times throughout the game.

Senior QB Anthony Bires

The Canton defense had its moments, particularly in the first half. Junior Justin Rudy and senior Jakiel Moses-Harris led the team in tackles with six, followed by junior Conor O’Brien with five. Rudy and O’Brien looked dominant at times, both stopping Stoughton runners cold with solid tackles. Green and senior Andre Etienne recorded sacks, and senior Justin Saccone played well in the secondary.

Canton’s one lapse on defense in the first half came after the Bulldogs had apparently foiled a Stoughton scoring drive at the Canton 25-yard line. On a fourth and 10 play, Stoughton connected on a 16-yard pass play from quarterback Alex Fernandes to receiver Marcus Middleton, and four plays later, Aaron Mack scored the first of his four rushing touchdowns.

Stoughton would take the second half kickoff and methodically march down the field on a five-play, 65-yard drive. On Canton’s next possession, the Knights blocked the punt and recovered the ball at the Canton 15-yard line. Three plays later, Stoughton made it 21-0 with 4:01 left in the third quarter.

After the game, Stoughton head coach Greg Burke noted the improvement of the Bulldogs, but praised the work of his defense and the patience of the offense.

“The defense played phenomenal, and we went back to our basic offense,” Burke said. “It means a lot to our team to win today and especially for our seniors. The kids really wanted to keep this trophy. That’s a pretty good Canton team out there. When I saw them on tape, I kept seeing them score touchdowns. Hats off to Canton. We are pleased with the way we finished up and hope it continues.”

CHS head coach Dave Bohane said he was disappointed with the loss but proud of his team’s overall effort.

“I knew it was going to be a physical game and it was,” Bohane said. “We tried some things in the backfield with some passes, but they were dropped. Offensively, we didn’t get into a rhythm. Defensively, we played pretty decently, and if the offense had moved the ball, it might have made a difference. It was disappointing Stoughton was ready for us. But we will bounce back from this.”

Game notes: Both the Canton and Stoughton stands were full and both sidelines were lined with fans … Bill Cravens, a longtime supporter of Canton athletics, was named an honorary Bulldog captain … Members of the undefeated 1981 CHS team were honored before the game on the 30^th anniversary of the team’s last Super Bowl victory … CHS senior Logan Cerruti wore No. 27 in memory of the late Ricky Shannon. Cerruti’s hard hit caused a Stoughton fumble, but Canton couldn’t capitalize on the scoring opportunity … A 100-piece Stoughton marching band with three directors entertained at halftime. The band has won several awards … The game was played with 10-minute quarters because of playoff implications. Normally, the Canton-Stoughton Thanksgiving Day game is played with 12-minute quarters.

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