Dogs fall to Foxboro despite valiant comeback effort

Elias Camacho and Brandyn Sparks converge on the Foxboro quarterback. (Mike Barucci photo)

Foxboro jumped out to a quick first-quarter lead of 21-0, and despite a great comeback, the Bulldogs could not contain the Warriors’ running attack and fell 35-19 at home Saturday afternoon.

Canton climbed back in the game with 19 consecutive points and cut the deficit to just two in the third quarter. But the Bulldogs had trouble all game controlling Foxboro running backs Kilvone Howard, Jeff MacPherson and Brett Casey, with the Warriors dictating the tempo en route to their second straight win.

Canton, meanwhile, lost for the second time in as many weeks, and both teams now sit at 2-2 with six games to go.

Canton did not play well in the opening quarter, falling behind early as Howard, on the second play from scrimmage, broke two tackles and was off to the races for a 69-yard touchdown run. Canton then fumbled on its first possession and Foxboro took advantage, ending a nine-play drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0. The Warrior defense stopped Canton again and then took advantage of a short punt to mount another scoring drive, ending in a six-yard run by Casey.

Down 21-0 entering the second quarter, Canton quarterback Anthony Bires jumpstarted the offense with back-to back running plays for a gain of 24 yards. On the next play, he threw a 27-yard pass to a leaping Elias Camacho for a touchdown.

The touchdown inspired the defense, which forced a punt thanks to a combined sack by Brendyn Sparks and Camacho. Camacho returned the punt to the Foxboro 49-yard line, and this time it was the running of Dexter Green, Camacho and Bires that propelled Canton to its second touchdown. Green scored from one yard out as Canton went into the half trailing 21-13.

Having elected to defer possession at the start of the game, the Bulldogs got the ball right after halftime, and a reverse by Camacho set the offense at midfield. Green then scored on a 50-yard scamper thanks to great blocking from the Bulldog offensive line. Now trailing 21-19, Canton had the momentum with 9:07 left in the third quarter.

Although Foxboro mounted a drive, the Bulldog defense contained the Warriors and Canton took over, hoping to take the lead. Camacho tried valiantly to make a shoestring catch on the Bulldogs’ next drive, but the pass fell just out of his reach.

Coach Bohane with junior Omar Parkman

Foxboro then appeared to make it 24-19 on a 31-yard field goal, but a personal foul called against Canton gave the Warriors a first down deep in Bulldog territory. Howard then scored from seven yards out to extend the lead to 28-19 with 11 minutes remaining. Foxboro later added an insurance touchdown on Howard’s 42-yard run to put the game out of reach.

Green finished as Canton’s leading rusher with almost 100 yards, and Bires looked sharp in the passing game, hitting Camacho and Green on several attempts.

Defensively, Conor O’Brien was all over the field with 12 tackles and Shane Nordgren was also very active with 10 tackles. Justin Rudy returned from an injury to record six tackles.

After the game, Foxboro coach Jack Martinelli said it was his team’s best rushing game to date and also noted the huge improvement in the Bulldogs from a year ago. “They are vastly improved and I give credit to them for coming back in the game,” he said.

CHS head coach Dave Bohane said his team dug themselves too big of a hole early in the game. “Foxboro did a good job on us in the running game and we have to take a look at that,” he said.

The Bulldogs are back on the field tonight (Thursday) as they host one of the top teams in the league in Attleboro, which comes in with a 3-1 record.

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