Bulldogs stay unbeaten behind dominant defense

Update: Powered by their dominant defense and three touchdowns by senior QB Johnny Hagan, the CHS varsity football team rolled past division foe Milford 35-0 on a rain-soaked night at Memorial Field. The unbeaten Bulldogs (5-0) will next head to North Attleboro on October 18 for their first away game of 2019.

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The undefeated CHS football team withstood several Foxboro rallies, overcame a rash of penalties, and brushed off two fourth quarter fumbles to edge the Warriors 26-20 Friday night at Memorial Field. It marked the second year in a row that the Bulldogs have beaten Foxboro, which had won 25 straight against Canton prior to last September.

Senior QB Johnny Hagan has led the Bulldogs to a perfect start. (Cynthia Rosina photo)

With their latest win, the Bulldogs improved to 4-0 on the season and kept their perfect league record intact heading into tomorrow night’s big home showdown with Milford (3-1), which upset North Attleboro 45-19 on Saturday. The Hawks boast the Hockomock League’s top scoring offense while the Bulldogs have the league’s stingiest defense with only 27 points allowed through four games.

As for Friday’s big win over the Warriors, the hero for Canton was senior linebacker-place kicker Owen Lehane, who sealed the victory with a late-game interception and added four tackles and a sack. Lehane was also perfect in the kicking game, converting both of his field goal tries (24 and 32 yards) and both extra-point attempts while hitting on two touchbacks.

“Owen is a great athlete at Canton High,” noted head coach Dave Bohane. “Not only does he play well in football, hockey and baseball, he is a very good student. I am not surprised. He never lets you down.”

Another excellent two-way performance was turned in by senior runner-receiver and defensive back Gersom Rivera, who caught seven passes for 93 yards, including a 33-yard, over-the-shoulder touchdown catch from quarterback Johnny Hagan for the game’s first score. Rivera also ran for 26 yards, defended well in the secondary, tipped a pass to thwart a late Foxboro rally, and was in to block an extra point after a touchdown.

Hagan, meanwhile, turned in another stellar performance as he completed eight of 10 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown to go along with two one-yard rushing scores.

While the Bulldogs dominated both sides of the ball at times, they committed too many costly penalties and allowed the Warriors to hang around until late in the fourth quarter, when Canton clamped down on defense.

With the host team clinging to a six-point lead after a six-yard rushing touchdown by Foxboro quarterback Shayne Kerrigan, the Canton front four stepped up its pressure while the secondary got its hands on seemingly every Warrior pass attempt. Rivera, Jace Emma, James Murphy, and lineman Jack Connolly each tipped a pass away from a Foxboro receiver and Lehane came up with the key interception. Foxboro managed to get the ball back for one more possession, but a tipped pass by Emma and three incomplete pass attempts ended the game for the Warriors.

Lucas Ragusa and Robbie Gallery paced the team with five tackles each with Lehane and Emma adding four apiece. Gallery and Lehane each had a sack in the game while Rivera blocked an extra point and Jahmi Aldin recovered an onside kick.

On the offensive side of the ball, Canton did most of its damage in the opening half (20 pts.) but tacked on six more points with a Hagan rushing touchdown in the third quarter. The Bulldogs also twice drove to midfield in the fourth quarter only to cough the ball up on second effort attempts by Kyle Fitzgerald (team-leading 136 rushing yards) and Hagan. Although both fumbles were questioned by coaches, Bohane said after the game that both players told him they fumbled; still, he said he could not fault them because both have done so much for the team over the past two seasons.

Bohane said he was very proud of the effort put in by his players as they fought hard until the final whistle. “I will take the blame for the penalties (including a penalty called on a coach’s encroachment on the field),” he said. “We play to the edge and sometimes we go over the edge. We play hard and tough and sometimes you take the good with the bad. We didn’t play our best, but our players kept on and finally got the win. I am very proud of this team. They kept their poise.”

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Posted by Mike Berger on Oct 11 2019. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.