New coach, captains keep CHS football spirit alive
By Mike Berger
Players and coaches hoist the Thanksgiving trophy after beating rival Stoughton in 2019. (Kim Levis photo)
New coach, senior captains keep CHS football spirit alive
As a proud Canton High football alumnus with many years of experience as both a referee and coach, Anthony Fallon understands perhaps better than most the allure of Thanksgiving Day.
“You dream about it all those years,” said the newly appointed Bulldogs head coach. “The sense of tradition and the importance of this game hits you like no other. You want to represent the town, the history, and your teammates well. The morning of your senior year everything is in slow motion. You have this sense that for most, it could be your last time playing the game you love and playing with guys you’ve known since kindergarten. It’s a combination of excitement, adrenaline and nostalgia.”
Sadly, for this year’s team and for high school players across Massachusetts, there will be no such feelings this Thanksgiving with the football season having been postponed due to the coronavirus. For Canton and its cross-town rival Stoughton, it snaps a 94-year streak of Thanksgiving Day games played between the two schools — an historic and fierce rivalry dating back to 1926. The Black Knights, who lead the all-time series 48-42-4, were supposed to host the game on their new athletic field after playing the last three installments at Canton’s WWII Memorial Field while their school was under construction.
Instead, hope now turns to 2021 and the chance for an abbreviated season beginning in late February in what the MIAA is calling “Fall 2.”
In the meantime, Coach Fallon and his four senior captains — Matt Connolly, Cam Sanchez, Jack Albert and Carson Campbell — are carrying the torch and doing their best to maintain excitement until the season begins.
They all will miss the pageantry of Thanksgiving Day, the 10 a.m. kickoff, and the talk among residents and fans of the two rival towns.
But the one aspect that Fallon and his captains will miss the most is the annual team get-together on the night before Thanksgiving where the seniors hold the “Burning of the Shoe,” a tradition believed to have begun under former head coach Dave Bohane in which the seniors share stories of their CHS football experiences and then hand down their cleats to the younger players. It’s a chance to bond and unite as Canton football players from seniors to freshmen.
“It will be something we continue; it’s a great tradition,” said Fallon.
“I remember going to the game my freshman year and how excited we all we were,” said Connolly. “Canton upset Stoughton that year and what an upset that was. Stoughton was having such a great year. The great thing about Thanksgiving is everyone goes into the game 0-0. Anyone can win.”
Fallon himself is no stranger to Canton football. He wore No. 56 for the Bulldogs in the 1987 Super Bowl versus Foxboro High School and has had several coaching stints with the program, most recently in 2019 as varsity offensive coordinator for a 10-1 team under Bohane.
“I have been involved in football my whole life,” Fallon said following his appointment in April. “For me, being the head coach at Canton High is a dream come true.”
Reflecting on what Thanksgiving and football mean to him, Fallon said …
See this week’s Citizen to continue reading. Fall Subscription Promo: $30 for 1 year or $50 for 2 years for new in-town subscribers. Click here to subscribe today.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=71365
Posted by Mike Berger
on Nov 25 2020. Filed under High School, Sports.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
