Bulldogs upset Stoughton in annual T-Day game

Senior captain Elias Camacho cemented his legacy with a memorable performance against the Black Knights last week. (Mike Barucci photo)

Both Canton and Stoughton High head coaches were right on target in their postgame assessment of Canton’s 28-26 overtime upset of the 9-2 Black Knights on Thanksgiving Day.

“You have to tip your cap to Canton,” said veteran SHS coach Greg Burke. “They played well and we didn’t do enough to slow them down. It was a tough, emotional game and they made some big plays out there.”

“I knew we could match and beat any member in the Davenport Division,” remarked Canton head coach Dave Bohane. “The players believed it and went out and won the game. I’m glad to see all the hard work put in by everyone finally paid off.”

The Bulldogs (3-6) ended a seven-game losing streak against Stoughton that dated back to 2004, when the Bulldogs last beat the Knights 7-6 on a cold and muddy day in Stoughton under former CHS head coach Tom Bresnahan. On this Thanksgiving, the weather was almost balmy as temperatures hovered around 55 degrees with clear blue skies and little wind.

Canton overcame two deficits and a near-devastating fumble at the Stoughton one-yard line with less than a minute to go in the game, but as Bohane has said so many times this year, his players have always believed they can win — especially the seniors.

That belief had carried the Bulldogs in their recent overtime win over Oliver Ames, and it was apparent throughout Thursday’s game as the Bulldogs pulled off their biggest upset in years.

The resulting celebration was an emotional one, with teammates hugging each other and families taking pictures of the senior class and of the players holding the Thanksgiving Day championship trophy. What had been a familiar sight on Thanksgiving for the Knights turned to stunned silence as Canton fans and players celebrated on their rival’s field in front of television cameras (Fox 25).

In retrospect, the Bulldogs won this very even and competitive game because they did not allow the Knights to score on three out of four two-point conversion attempts. And the Bulldogs’ offensive line and three-headed rushing attack of seniors Elias Camacho, Dexter Green, and Shane Nordgren proved too much for the Black Knight defense as the Bulldogs rushed for nearly 300 yards.

Although Canton gave up two big plays on defense that resulted in scores, for the most part, the Bulldogs were able to contain the talented offensive punch of Stoughton’s Marcus Middleton, Aaron Mack. Malachi Baugh, and quarterback Dan Eckler.

After four hard-fought quarters of football, the two teams entered the overtime period knotted at 20 all, with the Black Knights winning the coin toss. Morris scored from the two-yard line to put the hosts up 26-20, but the two-point conversion was stuffed by a combination of Sir D’Wayne Reid and Brian Hagan.

On Canton’s turn from the opponent’s 10-yard line, Nordgren crashed over the goal line from five yards out to tie the score. Then it was Green’s turn to play the hero as he dove into the end zone for the winning two points.

“I just saw an opening and some space and dove for the goal line. We believed in our team, and this belongs home,” said Green after the game, pointing to the Thanksgiving trophy.

As amazing as the finish was, the start of the game did not go well for the Bulldogs as they fumbled on their first possession. Stoughton recovered at the CHS 42-yard line, and six plays later the Knights had an 8-0 lead on a one-yard run by Morris and a successful pass from Eckler to Baugh for the two-point conversion.

The score remained in Stoughton’s favor until early in the second quarter, when the Bulldogs came back to tie it on a 30-yard touchdown run by Green and a two-point conversion run by Camacho.

Canton’s ability to move the ball and control the clock started to become evident later in the quarter, as the Bulldogs marched 50 yards for the go-ahead score, ending in a two-yard touchdown burst by Camacho with 25 seconds left in the half.

The 14-8 advantage was Canton’s first halftime lead on Thanksgiving Day in several years, but it didn’t last long as Stoughton came back to tie the game early in the third quarter on a 30-yard touchdown run by Baugh.

The game remained tied at 14 going into the fourth quarter, but Canton had possession and was well into Stoughton territory after long runs by Green, Camacho, and Nordgren. A five-yard run by quarterback Ian Flavin gave Canton a key first down on the seven-yard line, and one play later, Camacho swept in for a touchdown to give the Bulldogs a six-point lead with nine minutes to go.

Refusing to go down quietly, Stoughton stormed back to tie it at 20 as Eckler hit Middleton for a wide-open 30-yard touchdown pass. Four Canton tacklers — Michael Foley, Reid, Omar Parkman, and Hagan — stuffed the ensuing two-point rushing attempt.

With 6:50 remaining in the game and the score tied, the Bulldogs mounted another dominating drive to end the game. Beginning from its own 25-yard line, the Bulldogs methodically marched down the field with runs by Nordgren, Camacho and Green, gaining positive yardage on every play. On a fourth down and one from the Stoughton 21, Camacho swept right, got the first down and kept going. Near the goal line, he was hit, the ball was jarred loose and appeared to go out of bounds, but the referee ruled Stoughton recovered the ball at the one yard line with 58 seconds left in the game.

Despite the controversial fumble, Camacho turned in an outstanding two-way performance for the Bulldogs, gaining 149 yards on the ground and finishing with four tackles and a sack on defense. Green finished with 70 yards rushing, and Nordgren had 68 tough yards, most of which came inside the tackles. The defense was led by senior Conor O’Brien, who was all over the field with 12 tackles, and senior Justin Rudy, who added six tackles. The Canton offensive line was also outstanding behind Rudy, Frankie Powers, Peter Sheehan, Austin Hurley, O’Brien, Reid, Ryan Dwyer, and Michael Foley.

After the game, O’Brien said he had been dreaming about beating Stoughton since he moved to Canton in the third grade. He also remembers when the team was winless a few years ago and noted how much the program has improved. “I always thought we could win again,” he said.

Rudy said all the players were excited at practice over the last 10 days and had confidence that they could win on the road against a very good Stoughton team. “We came in with a good game plan and went out and executed it,” he said.

In other Bulldog news:

* CHS senior Michael Foley, who played split end and defensive back, was chosen to wear No. 27 in honor of the late Ricky Shannon. Voted by the players and coaches, this honor is given out annually to the player who best exemplifies Shannon’s competitive spirit and team values. “[Foley] is the ultimate team player and was the unanimous choice of his teammates and coaches,” said Bohane.

* The evening before the game, the team continued the annual tradition of the “burning of the shoe” in honor of the seniors as they prepared to play their last game in a Bulldog uniform. Senior football players included Camacho, Dwyer, Flavin, Foley, Green, Hurley, Nordgren, O’Brien, Parkman, Reid, Rudy, Sheehan, Kyshani Dumott, Joe Khoury, and Rashaan Rogers. Senior cheerleaders for the fall season included Jamie Tran, Lexi Hansen, and Jamie Hines.

* Frank Tricomi, head coach of the 1987 team, which went 10-0 and was the last Canton team to reach the Super Bowl, led a host of former players onto the field for the coin flip. Among those serving as honorary captains along with Tricomi were Brian McGowan, Tom Keleher Jr., Rob Delello, Terry Gillis, Gary King, and Jim Smith.

* Camacho, Green, and Rudy were named to the All-Hockomock team. Bohane said this year’s all stars comprise “one of the most talented Hock teams [he’s] ever seen.”

* The team banquet will be held next Thursday, December 6, at 7 p.m. at the Canton Town Club.

* The Bulldogs’ victory on Thursday was their 40^th win in the Stoughton-Canton rivalry series, which dates back to 1926. Stoughton leads the all-time series 43-40-4.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Nov 29 2012. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.