Man About Canton: 87-Year Rivalry

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Canton High School will face Stoughton in the classic Thanksgiving Day matchup tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Memorial Field in Canton. Each year, MAC publishes some facts, records, and trivia from the Canton/Stoughton rivalry that started in 1926. So here we go for this year.

The rivalry now stands in Stoughton’s favor with 43 wins, 40 losses, and four ties. Stoughton has moved ahead by beating Canton 15 of the last 18 games. Last year CHS (3-6) stunned Stoughton (9-2) 28-26 in overtime in one of the biggest upsets in the 87-year rivalry. Dexter Green made a two-point conversion run after Shane Nordgren scored on a six-yard touchdown run to win the game.

In the previous seven Thanksgiving Day games, Stoughton had outscored Canton 229-35, or an average score of 33-5. Canton, before last year, beat Stoughton in 2004 (7-6) and in 2003 (27-12) with Owen Hughes setting a CHS record by rushing for 251 yards on 34 of Canton’s 58 total plays. The old record was 203 yards held by Mike Toomey (1984).

Stoughton running back Aaron Bascon holds the rushing record of 305 yards on 33 carries set in 1993. In that game, won by Stoughton 30-15, Stoughton scored all 30 points in the third quarter, the most points ever scored in one quarter in a CHS/SHS Thanksgiving Day game. The 15 points scored by CHS in that game was the most points scored by Canton in a losing game. The 26 points scored by Stoughton last year was the most points scored in a losing game.

Since the Canton and Stoughton football teams started playing against each other in 1926, 42 out of the 87 games have ended in shutouts. In fact, out of the first 17 games played (1926-1942), 15 ended in shutouts.

The Canton High Bulldogs actually had their first Thanksgiving Day game against Hanover High in 1925, with Canton winning 6-0.

Stoughton High School was a well-organized team, officially established in 1922. Canton High had some informal teams prior to 1925, but a team was not officially organized until Bill Donovan took over in 1926. Donovan coached CHS from 1926 to 1942. He was inducted into the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1965. Donovan went on to be the principal of Canton High for many years. In fact, he was the principal when MAC was in high school.

Stoughton’s Joe Jeudy scored 26 points against Canton in 2006 as SHS beat CHS 34-0. He then went on to set a CHS/SHS game-scoring record of 30 points as Stoughton clobbered Canton 47-14 in 2007. The score at halftime was 40-6, which is the biggest margin at halftime in the Canton/Stoughton rivalry.

Between 1949 and 1951, CHS won 25 games and lost only twice; both losses were to Stoughton in 1950 and 1951. In 1950, Stoughton snapped the Bulldogs’ 17-game winning streak with a 7-6 win.

Between 1979 and 1981, Canton went undefeated for 29 straight games, one of the longest streaks in Massachusetts high school football history.

Between 1977 and 1990, Canton High School won eight Hockomock League football titles; that’s eight titles in 14 years. Since 1990, the CHS football team has not had a winning season in the Hockomock League; i.e., the past 23 years. Ouch!

Canton’s Best Offensive and Defensive Teams

1. The 1981 team went undefeated (11-0) and won the Division III Super Bowl. The team scored 357 points while giving up only 63 during the season.

2. The 1930 team produced Canton’s first undefeated season (9-0), as the Bulldogs outscored their opponents 241-13.

3. The undefeated 1935 team (9-0) scored 176 points while giving up only 6 points.

4. The 1986 CHS team was the best defensive team in eastern Massachusetts, allowing only 35 points. However, the Bulldogs only went 6-3-1, losing to Foxboro (7-0), North Attleboro (7-0) and Sharon (6-0); but they did beat Stoughton 48-0, the most points scored in the 87-year rivalry.

This year’s Thanksgiving Day game will again have Canton High (3-7) a huge underdog to a powerful Stoughton High (9-2) team. Earlier in the season, Stoughton beat Canton 40-14. MAC predicts a 30-12 Stoughton win, but one never knows what might happen when these two old rivals meet on the football field for the 88^th time. One only has to look at last year’s 28-26 CHS upset win.

The Canton-Stoughton Thanksgiving Day game is the only game played with 12-minute quarters; all other games use 10-minute quarters.

This is all for now folks. See you next week.

Joe DeFelice can be reached at manaboutcanton@aol.com.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=23165

Posted by Joe DeFelice on Nov 27 2013. Filed under Featured Content, Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.