Canton Citizen 2018 Spring All Stars

Freshman Liz Bickett was the driving force behind the CHS softball team’s resurgence in 2018. (Mike Barucci photo)

Boys MVP

Cordel Smith (Outdoor Track)

A senior and an All-Hockomock selection, Smith was the Bulldogs’ most consistent performer and top overall point scorer, excelling in the sprints, jumps and relays. In addition to setting a new school record in the 200 meters, Smith placed second in both the 200 and long jump at the league meet and helped lead the 4×100 relay team to a third-place finish at the divisional relay meet. Unfortunately a hamstring injury prevented him from performing even close to 100 percent at the Division 3 Championships. “Cordel is the kind of athlete any coach would love to have,” said head coach Anna Amico. “He has a true passion for track and field and competition. He pushes his teammates and himself to get better everyday and can always be seen helping his younger teammates.”

Girls MVP

Liz Bickett (Softball)

An All-Hock selection as a freshman, Bickett helped fuel the lady Bulldogs’ resurgence with a monster season at the plate, batting nearly .470 with 31 hits — including five doubles, three triples and two home runs — to go along with 22 RBIs. According to head coach Jen Robillard, Bickett impressed the coaches with her fearlessness, strong knowledge of the game, and solid defensive play at first and third base. “She hit cleanup for us and was a huge spark in our lineup,” Robillard said. “Hitting is contagious, and she is usually the spark that got it all started.”

Baseball

Matt Casamento

An All-Hockomock selection and winner of the team MVP award, Casamento was an outstanding two-way player for the Bulldogs but was especially impactful at the plate, batting .422 while leading the team in every offensive category. He finished fifth in the league with 27 hits while also notching 13 RBIs and 13 runs scored. Head coach Greg Digirolamo praised the three-year starter as a “great kid and a very effective leader by example.”

Matt Pigeon

Canton’s starting catcher and an all-league honorable mention, Pigeon was recognized as the team’s Defensive Player of the Year for his outstanding work behind the plate. In addition to calling the pitches and displaying good defensive skills, he also batted .368 and drew praise from the coaching staff for his toughness. “Matt is a great hitter, a battler,” said Digirolamo. “He plays hurt and gives you everything he has.”

Boys MVP Cordel Smith (Outdoor Track)

Rob Wilkinson

A senior starting pitcher, Wilkinson was the ace of the Bulldogs’ staff, compiling a 3-3 record with an ERA around 2.80. Over his final two seasons combined, he was credited with six of the team’s 11 wins. “Rob was such an integral part of this team,” said Digirolamo. “Rob is a pitcher, not just a thrower. He keeps the ball down and throws first-pitch strikes. His [departure] leaves us with a tough position to fill.”

Softball

Evelyn Carrington

A senior captain and an all-league honorable mention, Carrington was an important two-way contributor for one of the feel-good stories of the spring, leading the lady Bulldogs to the postseason for the first time in several seasons. In addition to showing good defensive skills in the outfield, Carrington batted .400 for the season and provided valuable leadership skills on a roster that integrated several new players into the lineup.

Boys Lacrosse

Griffin Roach

A junior captain and an All-Hockomock selection, Roach was the Bulldogs’ best all-around player and leading point scorer, finishing with 31 goals and 18 assists. In addition to being one of the team’s most consistent performers, he seemed to play at his best against top competition and had several huge goals, including the game winner in overtime in the team’s signature regular season win versus Scituate.

Dan Cohen

A junior midfielder, Cohen came through with the breakout season that head coach Bill Bendell had predicted for him earlier this spring — bouncing back from an injury-plagued sophomore campaign to score 32 points (27g, 5a) and earn an all-league honorable mention. “Dan has one of the hardest outside shots I have ever seen,” said head coach Bill Bendell. “But he is also a very dangerous dodger with the ability to create his own scoring opportunities against some of the best [defenders] around.”

Charlie O’Connor

A senior captain and four-year varsity player, O’Connor was the Bulldogs’ top faceoff man and a big key to the team’s run to the south sectional semifinals. Praised by Coach Bendell as the “ultimate team-first player,” he likely sacrificed some individual statistics to focus on his faceoff duties this season, but he still managed to tally 22 points while developing into one of the top faceoff specialists in the league.

Jack Connolly

Only a sophomore, Connolly solidified his standing as one of the brightest young stars in the Hock with another stellar season in the cage. After a decent first few weeks, Connolly really heated up over the second half of the season and into the playoffs, finishing with 177 saves while surrendering only 6 goals per game. “Jack had another great year,” noted Coach Bendell. “It’s amazing to think that he’s only a sophomore and still hasn’t reached his full potential because he’s been a beast for two full seasons already.”

Girls Lacrosse

Maggie Connolly

A junior midfielder and an All-Hockomock selection, Connolly got off to a blazing start and remained one of the lady Bulldogs’ go-to offensive weapons all season long, finishing second on the team with 34 goals and 12 assists. She also racked up 42 draw controls and drew praise from her coaches for her speed, decision making, and contributions as a defender.

Check out the spring sports wrap-up in our June 28 edition.

Leah McClellan

One of Canton’s two breakout offensive stars along with Connolly, McClellan split time between attack and midfield and really caught fire over the second half of the season, tallying a team-best 40 goals and 13 assists to go along with 37 ground balls and 42 draw controls. “Leah has completely come out of her shell and has gained a lot of confidence throughout the season,” said head coach Laurie Chabot. “She is a very, very skilled and talented player.”

Alexa Maffeo

A two-year varsity player and still just a sophomore, Maffeo earned the lady Bulldogs’ Most Valuable Player Award for her all-around contributions and hardworking, selfless mentality. “She’s sort of like a silent assassin,” said Coach Chabot. “She doesn’t get the most goals or assists but she’s everywhere on the field and always makes plays for us.” In addition to handling the draws, Maffeo contributed offensively with nine goals and 11 assists and was voted by her teammates to serve as a captain for 2019.

Boys Tennis

Justin Diep

A senior captain, Diep stepped into the No. 1 singles spot after teammate Jake Wolicki suffered a season-ending injury and he did his best to keep the team afloat while consistently going up against the opposing team’s best player. He proved to be a steadying force for the team and was recognized by the league’s coaches with an All-Hockomock honorable mention.

Girls Tennis

Natalie Keppler

Only a freshman, Keppler earned the first singles position coming out of the preseason and more than held her own against a tough slate of opponents, finishing 8-8 while being named to the Hockomock League All-Star team. She was especially tough to beat over the second half of the season and showed her tenacity and resilience with a three-set win over Milford’s Julie Rabinowitz after losing to her in straight sets earlier in the spring.

Rachel Kupferman

Another first-year phenom, Kupferman seized the No. 2 singles spot and quickly emerged as one of the brightest young stars in the Hock, earning all-league honors while leading the Bulldogs with a 12-4 individual record. “She dominated the competition over the season at that position and got better and better as the season went on,” said head coach Joel Chamberlain.

Boys Track

Colin Messinger

A senior and an All-Hockomock honorable mention, Messinger really his stride as a distance runner this season, becoming the boys track team’s top performer in both the mile and two-mile. He also ran the 4×800 relay and tremendously improved his 800-meter time. He placed fifth in the two-mile at the Hockomock Championships and 11th in the mile at the Division 3 meet.

Girls Track

Sarah Collins

An All-Hockomock League honorable mention, Collins was the last CHS track athlete standing this spring, advancing all the way to the All-States in the 400 hurdles after placing third at the league championships and second at the Division 3 meet with a school-record time of 65.55 seconds. She also had the team’s top time in the 800m and 400m and was part of both the 4×800 and 4×400 relays throughout the season.

Madison Rousseau

Rousseau made an instant impact on the girls outdoor track team in her freshman season with her sprinting and jumping talents. In addition to scoring points in multiple events in every meet, she posted state-qualifying marks in the 100m, 200m, and 400-meter hurdles and was the anchor of the qualifying 4×100 relay team. She also posted the team’s second-best performance in the triple jump and 100m hurdles and was the highest finishing underclassman at the state heptathlon.

Share This Post

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=39309