Man About Canton: Coach of the Year

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Canton High School girls hockey coach Dennis Aldrich was named by the Boston Globe as the Division 2 Coach of the Year. Aldrich led the Bulldogs to a 14-5-6 record and an appearance in the Division 2 state finals this past season. Dennis is a 1976 Canton High School graduate and has been the girls’ coach for five years. His career record is 54-38-13. This year, Aldrich took his 14th-seeded lady Bulldogs all the way to the TD Garden before losing to the top-ranked defending champions, Notre Dame Academy of Hingham (22-0-1), 5-2 in the Division 2 MIAA girls state finals. The championship game defeat was just Canton’s second loss in the last 19 games.

The CHS girls hockey team finished the season No. 2 in the final Boston Herald Division 2 rankings, No. 3 in the HNIB News D2 Poll, and No. 4 in the MassHSHockey. com D2 rankings.

MAC liked what Dennis said about this year’s team: “They were the best public school team from one town and one zip code.”

Also recognized by the Boston Globe this winter was CHS junior goalie Colleen Kelleher, who was named to the All-Scholastic girls hockey team and was chosen as one of six Players of the Year. In 60 career games, Colleen has allowed only 66 goals for a 1.10 goals-against average. The two-year captain has a career .945 save percentage and 18 shutouts.

CHS senior Sebastian Melendez was named to the Boston Globe All-Scholastic boys swim team for the second straight year. Melendez finished first in both the 100- and 200-meter freestyle in this year’s Division 2 state meet.

Jen Robillard is the new Canton High School head softball coach. Assisting Robillard this year are coaches Olivia Kenyon (junior varsity), David Needham (freshman), and varsity football coach Dave Bohane, who will serve as a coaching assistant.

For the first time in 70 years, there will be no men’s softball league in Canton.

Former Cantonite Charlie Stevenson Jr. retired at the end of last season as the head football coach at Xaverian Brothers High School. Stevenson completed his 24-year career with a 206-63-1 record, 14 Catholic Conference championships, and seven Division 1 Super Bowl titles. Charlie’s team averaged 8.6 wins per year.

Major League Baseball has undergone a small but significant change: An intentional walk will occur without actually throwing four pitches outside. It is interesting to note that there were 932 intentional walks last year with 600 in the National League, where batters are walked to bring the pitcher’s slot to the plate.

The Canton American Legion Post 24 Scholarship Fund Duffers Golf Tournament will be held at Wampatuck Country Club in Canton on Monday, May 15, with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Entry fee is $100 with five people on a team with an 18-hole Florida style. For more information, call the Legion at 781-828-9766.

Canton School Business Administrator Barry Nectow has recommended a three-year bus contract with current vendor Michael J. Connolly & Sons valued at $3.7 million with options for two one-year extensions.

The Canton American Legion is sponsoring a trip to Foxwoods on Sunday, May 7. The bus will leave from the Legion at 9 a.m. and return at 6 p.m. The cost is $30 per person and includes $10 in slot money and $10 for food or for the full buffet. Those interested should call the Legion at 781-828-9766.

Canton’s new recreation director, Elizabeth Francis, officially began work on April 28.

The average salary for a Boston city teacher is $90,467. There are 4,367 teachers in Boston with 1,419 earning six-figure salaries.

The late President John F. Kennedy would have turned 100 years old on May 29.

At the upcoming 2017 annual town meeting, $106 million will be appropriated by Canton voters for next year’s expenditures.

It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.

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

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

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