Winter 2009
Boys basketball
Class S quarterfinals: Kolbe Cathedral 65, Canton 62, OT
Class S 2nd round: Canton 58, Old Saybrook 55, OT
2009 NCCC Tournament
Championship
Avon 71, Canton 55
Semifinals
Canton 60, Stafford 45
Avon 57, Windsor Locks 52
First round
Canton 66, Tolland 47
Avon 65, Ellington 51
Win. Locks 46, Bolton 44, OT
Stafford 51, Granby 46
Girls basketball
Class S quarterfinals: Wamogo 57, Canton 45
Class S 2nd round: Canton 51, Kaynor Tech 35
Class S 1st round: Canton 55, Lyman Memorial 35
2009 NCCC Tournament
Championship
Avon 33, Tolland 21, OT
Consolation
Ellington 65, Coventry 54
Semifinals
Avon 68, Coventry 43
Tolland 49, Ellington 43
Quarterfinals
Avon 62, Suffield 26
Coventry 48, Somers 25
Ellington 62, Canton 44
Tolland 48, Bolton 31
Wrestling
Boys indoor track
NCCC championships: 2nd
Class S championships, 7th
Girls indoor track
NCCC championships: 3rd
Class S championships, 22nd
Athletic honors
All-State
Chris Robitaille, basketball (CHSCA, Class S)
Andrew Crowley, basketball (CHSCA, Class S)
Sarah Benedetti, basketball (CHSCA, Class S)
Erik Nystrom, indoor track (3,200 meters, Class S)
Academic All-State
Rich Jones, wrestling (140)
Nate Haller, wrestling (171)
All-NCCC
Chris Robitaille, basketball
Andrew Crowley, basketball
Sarah Benedetti, basketball
Megan Roux, basketball
Matt White, wrestling (103)
Rich Jones, wrestling (140)
Brian Magna, indoor track
Erik Nystrom, indoor track
Dylan Petrascovisius, indoor track
Luke Talbot, indoor track
Tyisha Alexander, indoor track
Amanda Bronson, indoor track
Katie Bussiere, indoor track
Frances Klimczak, indoor track
Deanna Nappi, indoor track
College basketball
McFetridge
is named
All-American
WILLIMANTIC, April 6 -- Canton High graduate Ashley McFetridge earned All-American honors this winter playing with the Eastern Connecticut State women's basketball team. McFetridge, a 6-foot-2 senior forward, was named to the WBCA Division III State Farm Coaches’ All-American team. McFetridge is third individual All-American pick from ECSU, joining Robin Gaby (1990) and Allison Coleman (2001-2004), the country’s only four-time selection.
One of 10 selections, McFetridge finished a year in which she repeated as Little East Player of the Year, led the league in points (404) and was third in scoring average (13.9) and rebounding average (8.1). She ranks fourth all-time in program history in career points (1,364) and first in blocks (158). She led Eastern to a Little East regular season championship and a NCAA Division III tournament berth the last two years.
“Ashley is really the complete package. She's our No. 1 option, offensively,” ECSU coach Denise Bierly said. “Offensively, she can make shots that I don't know who taught her, and she's improved her defense.” At Canton, McFetridge was a two-time All-State player and three-time team MVP. She graduated from CHS in 2005.
Boys basketball
Canton sets new school record with 19th victory
PORTLAND, Feb. 25 – It was another record-breaking victory for the Canton High basketball team on Wednesday. The Warriors set a new single-season record for regular season victories (19) with a 88-37 victory over Portland. Andrew Crowley had a game-high 22 points including five 3-point goals to lead Canton (19-1). James Rosshirt had 14 points while Connor Smyth added 12 and Mike Setzler scored 11. Canton’s 51-point victory was its third win of 50 points or more this season.
Warriors set new school record with 18th victory
CANTON, Feb. 24 -- Chris Robitaille had a game-high 24 points and 13 rebounds while Andrew Crowley added 12 and James Rosshirt scored 11 to lead the Canton boys basketball team (18-1, 12-1 NCCC) to a school-record 18th win over East Granby Tuesday night, 71-57. It is the most regular season wins in school history. The Warriors won 17 games in 2007 and 1981. Twelve wins in the league ties a school record set in 1985 when Canton went 12-4 in the NCCC.
Indoor track
Magna takes 6th
at State Open
NEW HAVEN, Feb. 21 -- Canton’s Brian Magna finished sixth in the 1,000 meters Saturday at the CIAC State Open and set a new school record with a time of 2:39.29. Canton’s 1,600 sprint medley relay team (Chris Hyde, 200 meters; Ryan Gallagher, 200; Dylan Petruskevicious, 400 and Magna, 800) finished fifth in a school-record time of 3:44.55.Erik Nystrom finished 15th in the 3,200 meters while the 1,600 meter relay team finished 13th.
Wrestling
Leach takes third at Class S tourney
UNCASVILLE, Conn., Feb. 21 -- With four medalists, Canton finished 10th in the Class S championships for the first time since 2002.
Senior Brandon Leach (140) finished third with four straight wins to close out the tournament. He won three of the four matches by just two points. Freshman Matt White (103), junior Rich Jones (160) and Haller (171) each finished fourth. All four qualified to compete at this week’s State Open championships.
Basketball
Three All-State hoop players for Canton
CANTON, March 25 – Three Canton High basketball players have earned All-State honors. Senior Chris Robitaille, junior Andrew Crowley and sophomore Sarah Benedetti were each named to the Class S team by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association. It’s the first time that Canton has had multiple All-State basketball players in a single season. All three also earned All-NCCC honors.
Robitaille and Crowley helped Canton to a 19-1 record in the regular season and 22-3 overall. Robitaille, a 6-foot-5 center, led the NCCC in scoring with 19.6 points per game. He also pulled 13.8 rebounds a game and had a team-high 113 blocks. Robitaille played in the CHSCA Senior All-Star game on Wednesday. Crowley averaged 17.3 points a game and led the team with a school-record 52 three-point shots.
Benedetti helped the Canton girls team (17-7) to its first winning season since 2004 by averaging 18.5 points a game and hitting a team-high 38 three-point shots. She scores 20 or more in 12 of Canton’s 24 games this season.
Boys basketball
Kolbe outlasts Canton in extra session, 65-62
WATERBURY, March 16 – With a suffocating pressure defense that caused numerous turnovers, No. 11 Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport rallied from a four-point deficit with 1:47 remaining to force overtime and beat No. 3 Canton, 65-62 in the Class S quarterfinals at Wilby High. Rome Underwood had a game-high 26 points for Kolbe including 12 points in the first and fourth quarter.
Canton’s Chris Robitaille was a warrior with 24 points, 18 rebounds and 11 blocks. Andrew Crowley had 14 points while Mike Setzler had 11 points and five assists.
Canton came into the game as the higher seed but it was Kolbe that was the favored team. Kolbe went to the Class S finals a year ago and plays in the tough Southwest Conference. Kolbe Cathedral raced out to a 23-8 lead after one quarter thanks to a 17-0 run. But Canton adjusted and outscored Kolbe 21-5 in the second quarter to take a one-point lead at halftime and the game was on.
With a suffocating pressure defense that caused numerous turnovers, Kolbe rallied from a four-point deficit with 1:47 remaining to force overtime and beat Canton, 65-62.
Boys basketball
Defensive pressure lifts Canton erase 17-point deficit, win in OT
CANTON, March 12 – Facing elimination, the Canton High boys basketball team dug in their heels and played some defense to keep their season alive in the second round of the Class S tournament Thursday.
Trailing by eight points at halftime and 17 points in the third quarter, the Warriors didn’t allow visiting Old Saybrook to sink a field goal in the fourth quarter and gave up just three points in the final eight minutes as they outlasted the pesky Rams with a 58-53 victory in overtime.
“It was really good defense,” Canton coach Eric Deegan said. “We used some zone pressure and got a few steals and turned up the defensive pressure. Our defense got our offense going and we had them on their heels. We started being more aggressive and that helped.”
Chris Robitaille sank two foul shots with about a minute to go that tied the game at 47. In overtime, the Warriors outscored Old Saybrook 11-6. Robitaille, frequently double teamed, finished with a team-high 18 points. Andrew Crowely added 17 with three 3-point goals while James Rosshirt scored 15.
Old Saybrook (14-10) received 24 from Michael Carlson and 11 from Ian Rosser. “We started out really flat,” Deegan said. “Our offense was a major problem. We were having a tough time scoring.
For the third time in four years, No. 3 Canton (22-2) advances to the quarterfinals where they will be challenged by No. 11 Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport (15-10) on Monday night at 7 p.m. at Wilby High in Waterbury.
“They like to play 94 feet of defense,” Deegan said. The key for Canton will be handling the Kolbe pressure.
The Cougars throttled Windsor Locks on Thursday, 81-54. Ronnie Underwood led Koble with 33 points on drives, pull-up jumpers and a pair of three-point shots. Max Boynton added 19 points while Dominque Langston scored 16. Kolbe has played strong competition all season. In the recent SWC quarterfinals, Kolbe snapped Stratford’s school-record 34-game winning streak with an 82-81 OT victory. Stratford earned the No. 2 seed in Class L.
Girls basketball
Veteran Wamogo squad eliminates Canton
BURLINGTON, March 12 – A veteran Wamogo Regional squad overpowered Canton in the second half to eliminate the Warriors with a 57-45 victory in the Class S quarterfinals on Thursday at Lewis Mills. Canton’s Sarah Benedetti hit her third 3-point shot of the night late in the third quarter to tie the game at 32-32 but Wamogo went on a 7-1 run fueled by strong inside play and pulled away.
Benedetti, only a sophomore, led No. 9 Canton (17-7) with 22 points and 15 rebounds while sophomore guard Megan Roux had 16 points. No. 1 Wamogo improves to 22-1.
Basketball
Doubleheader on Thursday night
CANTON, March 10 -- The Canton boys and girls basketball teams will be in action on Thursday night. The No. 3 Canton boys (21-2) open up play in the Class S tournament as they host No. 14 Old Saybrook (13-8) at the high school at 7 p.m. In nearby Burlington, the No. 9 Canton girls (17-6) will face top-ranked Wamogo (21-1) at 7:45 p.m. in the Class S quarterfinals at Lewis Mills.
Girls basketball
Canton pulls away from Kaynor Tech to earn spot in quarters
WATERBURY, March 6 – For the first time since 1999, the Canton High girls basketball team has advanced to the Class S quarterfinals in consecutive seasons after a 51-35 win over No. 7 Kaynor Tech Friday night. All-NCCC sophomore forward Sarah Benedetti led the way with a game-high 28 points and 11 rebounds. Katherine Curvino had 10 points while Danielle Coutu had nine assists to go along with her two points.
Canton had a 10-point lead at halftime and the Panthers cut the lead to two, 32-30, late in the third quarter but the Warriors went on a 6-0 run to pull away. Canton outscored Kaynor, 13-5 in the final quarter. No. 9 Canton (17-6) will face top-ranked Wamogo (21-1) in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12 at Lewis Mills in Burlington at 7:45 p.m.
Boys basketball
Avon tops Canton in NCCC final
AVON, March 4 -- With a swarming defense and opportunistic offense, the Avon High boys basketball team ran away from Canton Thursday night to win the NCCC boys basketball tournament for the fourth time in seven years with a dominating 71-55 victory in front of a vocal crowd of several hundred that packed the Avon High gym.
Girls basketball
Season-high 29 points for Benedetti in win over Lyman
CANTON, March 4 – No. 9 Canton (16-5) won its Class S tournament opener with a 55-35 win over Lyman Memorial-Lebanon (8-13). The Warriors hit the road for their second round game and will face No. 8 Kaynor Tech-Waterbury on Friday night at 7 p.m. Canton led by nine after one quarter and used a 15-5 surge in the third quarter to take command of the contest. Sarah Benedetti had season-high 29 points, including four 3-point goals to lead Canton. Megan Roux added 10 for the Warriors.
Canton girls opens play in
Class S tournament Tuesday
CANTON, Feb. 25 -- Canton earned the No. 9 seed in the Class S girls basketball tournament. They will host No. 24 Lyman Memorial (8-12) on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the high school. A win on Tuesday will send Canton in the second round against either No. 23 Wheeler (8-12) or No. 8 Kaynor Tech-Danbury (16-4) on Friday, March 6.
A potential quarterfinal matchup on Thursday, March 12 could be against No. 1 Wamogo-Litchfield (20-0). The semifinals are Monday, March 16 with the finals at the Mohegan Sun Arena on March 20 or 21.
