Where are they now: fall athletes

Canton native and Xaverian Brothers graduate Maurice Hurst Jr. (center) is one of the top returning defenders on the No. 5 ranked University of Michigan football team. (Photo courtesy of U-M Photography)

School is back in session and there is a crispness in the air, and along with the change in seasons comes the promise of a new sports calendar.

For fans of Canton High School athletics, the action begins in earnest with several season openers this week. Meanwhile, the college sports season is already well underway, and once again there is no shortage of hometown athletes to root for across a number of different sports.

On the college gridiron, expectations are sky-high this season for the Jim Harbaugh-led Michigan Wolverines, and among the team’s top returning defenders is Canton native and Xaverian Brothers alumnus Maurice Hurst Jr.

The 6’2”, 281-pound defensive tackle enjoyed a breakout season last year for the Wolverines, and while he missed the team’s home opener due to an injury — a 63-3 thumping of Hawaii — he is expected back for this weekend’s game against Central Florida.

A disruptive presence along Michigan’s defensive interior, Hurst has started to generate some buzz among NFL talent evaluators and was recently given a first round draft grade by Pro Football Focus, slotting in as the third best returning interior lineman in the country.

Last season, Hurst saw action in 13 games as a reserve, and while he played only 418 snaps, he was wildly productive whenever he saw the field, racking up 35 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss and three sacks.

In terms of raw talent and ability, Hurst may be the best athlete to come out of Canton in a generation. Yet he is not the only local product who has gone on to play football collegiately.

Last year’s Canton High School team, in fact, sent five of its players off to the college ranks, including 2015 Davenport Division MVP Jake Ragusa, who is now a linebacker for the Merrimack College Warriors. Also advancing to the next level of the sport are Ragusa’s former teammates Joe Bires, a linebacker for Mass Maritime; Mac Brown, a fullback for Dickinson College; Kymauny Roland, a defensive end for Hudson Valley Community College; and Woanyen Mahn, a cornerback for Wesleyan University.

Mahn joins another former Bulldog standout in Elias Camacho, who begins his third season as a defensive back for the Cardinals, while Brown teams with fellow Canton native Aturo Adkins, a junior defensive lineman and a graduate of St. Sebastian’s.

And Wesleyan and Dickinson are not the only college football teams with two Cantonites on the roster. The same is true at UMass Dartmouth, where senior defensive end Anthony LaRose (CHS ’11) is joined by sophomore defensive back Derrick Harris (CHS ’15). Both saw playing time in the Corsairs’ season opener — a 40-9 road victory over Mount Ida on September 2.

Over at Fitchburg State University, one of Harris’ former Bulldog teammates, Sterlin Garvin, also saw some game action as he helped lead the Falcons to a 27-20 win over Becker College. A sophomore running back, Garvin rushed for a team-high 44 yards on just eight carries and is expected to be a bigger part of the offense this season after playing in seven games as a freshman.

Also looking to build on a promising freshman campaign is Canton native Rory Donovan, who begins his second season as a wide receiver for the UNH Wildcats. A graduate of Cardinal Spellman and a former Catholic Central League MVP, Donovan appeared in 10 games as a freshman and finished with 188 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including one in the Wildcats’ playoff game against Colgate.

But it’s not just the Canton men who are finding success in college athletics. Several local female athletes continue to make their mark for their respective teams, including a few who are competing at the Division 1 level.

Arguably the most decorated of the group is 2013 CHS graduate Lauren Berman, a former three-time Hockomock League girls soccer MVP who is now a junior midfielder for the Boston College Eagles. Since transferring to BC from Maryland, Berman has started all 26 games for the Eagles, including the first six games of the 2016 season. Her squad is off to a blistering start (5-0-1) and Berman has been a big part of that success with two goals and two assists, putting her in a tie for third with six points.

One of BC’s early wins came against Providence College, which features another former Bulldog standout on the roster in sophomore defender Hailee Duserick. Last year as a freshman, Duserick played in 22 games, including 15 starts, and helped lead the Friars to the brink of a Big East championship. She recently saw her first game action of 2016 against Colgate, netting an assist in the eventual 5-0 win.

Besides Berman and Duserick, two other members of the 2012 MIAA state finalist team are still playing soccer competitively, including Hailee’s big sister, Brianna Duserick, now a senior midfielder for the Stonehill Skyhawks, and Kim McNally, a junior defender for Sacred Heart University. Brianna Duserick was recently named to the Catholic Cup All-Tournament Team after registering two assists and leading her squad to the title in the season-opening tournament. McNally has played in every game of her college career to date, including the first six games of 2016.

While Canton girls soccer has produced several standout players in recent years, so too have the volleyball and field hockey programs, two of the region’s perennial powerhouses.

Right now, in fact, there are four former Hockomock volleyball MVP winners from Canton who have continued their athletic careers in college, led by Julia Murphy (CHS ’13), who is the two-time reigning Little East Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

Also competing on the court this season are fellow Hockomock MVPs Avery Devoe ’14, a redshirt sophomore middle hitter for Division 1 Ball State University; Erin Proctor ’15, a sophomore setter for Salve Regina University; and Elizabeth Hamilton ’16, a freshman outside hitter for Johnson & Wales University.

As for the field hockey alumni, expectations are undoubtedly high for Merrimack sophomore midfielder Mary McNeil after the former three-sport CHS standout led the Warriors to the Division 2 state finals in her unforgettable freshman campaign. McNeil, who notched an assist in the team’s first game this season, will be joined this year by fellow CHS alumna Lindsey Nolte.

Besides McNeil and Nolte, several other CHS field hockey players are competing on college teams this season, including Kellie Stigas, a redshirt sophomore who has started all four games thus far for the Northeastern Huskies; Jacki Merrigan, a junior forward/midfielder who has two goals in two games for Babson College; Casey Considine, a junior defenseman for the Holy Cross Crusaders; and Mary Nee, a freshman midfielder for St. Anselm College in New Hampshire.

Did we miss your collegiate accomplishments? Send us an email at submissions@thecantoncitizen.com.

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