MAC: Canton All-Scholastics

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Over the past few months, the Patriot Ledger newspaper has listed its All-Scholastic picks for the 2020-21 athletic year. In football, honorees from Canton included Jack Albert, a senior captain who led the Bulldogs in tackles; Matt Connolly, a 6’2” senior captain who starred on the offensive and defensive lines; and Liam Connor, a senior captain and standout defensive end/offensive lineman at Blue Hills Regional who played a key role in the Warriors’ undefeated season.

Representing Canton on the Ledger’s All-Scholastic golf team were CHS junior Will Gefteas and senior Owen Donovan, who helped power the Bulldogs to a perfect record (10-0) and a fourth consecutive Hockomock Davenport Division title. Gefteas, this year’s Davenport Division MVP, posted the lowest single-season, nine-hole scoring average in program history (37.3), while Donovan posted the second-best single-season scoring average (37.6).

The boys track All-Scholastics from Canton for the fall 2 season included Jonathan Chery, the Hockomock League’s 300m champion who was also undefeated in dual meets in the 100m and 200m. Chery, a repeat All-Scholastic selection, holds the school record in the 55m with a time of 6.50. Also earning a spot on the team was Deyontai Dennis, the Hockomock League’s high jump champion who also set a school record in the long jump (21’11.5”), beating the old record by one inch that had stood since 1966.

In girls track, Maddie Rousseau made the Ledger All-Scholastic list as well. The recent CHS graduate owns the school record in the 100m hurdles (14.6 seconds) and tied the school record in the 200m with a time of 25.9 seconds.

In volleyball, CHS senior Liz Bickett earned her second consecutive Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic nod. An outstanding all-around talent, Bickett led the Bulldogs to a Davenport Division title and was recognized with Davenport MVP honors while also earning a spot on the Division 2 All-State team.

MAC congratulates all of Canton’s All-Scholastic winners on a job well done this year.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, in comments prior to the MLB All-Star game, voiced support for regulating infield shifts by requiring two infielders to be on either side of second base. MLB is experimenting this year at Double-A by requiring infielders to keep both feet within the outer boundary of the infield dirt at the start of every play, but not preventing three or more defenders to either side of second base.

Manfred also said that seventh-inning doubleheaders and starting extra innings with runners on second base likely will be dropped after this season. Manfred went on to say that the crackdown on the use of foreign substances on balls has been a success with strikeouts and walks down while batting averages and slugging percentages are improving.

The Topsfield Fair, Americas oldest fair, is back on this fall from October 1-11. The fair, which first opened in 1818, has only been canceled three times: in 1918 because of the Spanish flu pandemic; 1943-1945 due to World War II; and in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Revere Beach, America’s first public beach, celebrated its 125th anniversary on Tuesday, July 13.

There is an interesting Canton connection with the state champion Taunton High School girls softball team, one of the best teams in the history of girls softball in Massachusetts. The team finished the season undefeated (20-0) while recording 19 shutouts and outscoring opponents by a combined margin of 203-2, which is amazing. The Canton connection starts with Hanna Aldrich, known as one of the Tigers’ “big three” along with Kelsey White and McKenzie McAloon. Hanna finished the regular season leading the Tigers in batting average (.681), home runs (13, a new single-season record), RBIs, runs scored, at-bats and hits. Her father is Keith Aldrich, who played in the Canton Men’s Softball League for Brilliance Auto Body (and with MAC for a few years) during their 12-year championship run. Keith is the nephew of Canton’s Dennis Aldrich, who is the coach of the CHS girls hockey team.

And finally, Rich and Cathy Kulas recently had the exciting opportunity to throw out the first pitch at the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Wareham Gatemen vs. Orleans Firebirds game in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary.

Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.  –Dwayne Johnson

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

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

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Posted by Joe DeFelice on Jul 30 2021. Filed under Featured Content, Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.