Boys golf
Canton boys golfers finish 2nd in Division IV
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
CANTON, June 10 – It’s has never been easy for the Canton High boys golf team this season. The Warriors came into the season hoping to contend for a NCCC championship. The first obstacle was losing three-time All-State senior Ryan Allen for the first month of the season as he recovered from breaking his leg last February.
A one-stroke loss to Granby on opening day didn’t help. Eventual league champion Coventry won the league title with back-to-back wins over Canton (12-3-1, 8-2-1 NCCC) and Avon in May on its home course.
At last week’s CIAC Division IV golf tournament, a battered Warriors team took the course at Timberlin Golf Course in Kensington. Junior Blayne Houlihan was under the weather but still played. Allen had a hole drilled into his thumbnail after accidentally getting his hand slammed in a car door over the weekend.
Still, Canton came home with the second place trophy, finishing 11 strokes behind Northwest Catholic of West Hartford, 314-325. It’s the best finish ever in team history. They had finished sixth a year ago.
Senior Brad Parliaman led the Warriors with a six-over-par 78, good enough to finish tied for third in the tournament. Senior James Solomon had a 79 while Houlihan shot an 83. Allen shot an 85 and junior David Roux scored an 86.
Northwest’s top two golfers Ryan Strid and Brendan Lemp each shot a 75 to win the tournament.
“I’m very proud of these guys,” Canton coach Bill Phelps said. “They did an outstanding job all year along. I’m ecstatic about about our golf team in Canton. We don’t have a golf course in town anymore.”
Canton played with three Catholic schools in the tournament, including Northwest Catholic. The Warriors beat Trinity Catholic-Stamford (340) and Immaculate-Danbury (345).
Parliaman earned All-State honors. Allen would have been named All-State but he didn’t compete in at least 10 matches during the season.
At the NCCC Tournament at Skungamung in Coventry, Canton was fourth with a 319. Ellington easily won the tournament with a 296. Suffield (314) and Coventry (317) finished ahead of Canton. Avon was a distant sixth with 328.
“It was the first time we’ve played 18 this year and we didn’t shoot well,” Phelps said. “We didn’t play the course well. We don’t like the narrow, short courses but it was a good lesson to help get ready for the state tournament.”
Parliaman, Houlihan and Allen each earned All-NCCC honors. Canton finished tied with Avon for third place in the league with an 8-2-1 record. Coventry (10-1) won the league title with Ellington (9-2) finishing second.
How challenging was the NCCC this season? Three league teams finished second in CIAC tournaments and six finished in the top five of their respective state tournaments.
Canton was second in Division IV, Granby was second in Division III and Avon was second in Division II. League champion Coventry was fourth in Division IV with a 330 while Suffield and Ellington were fourth and fifth, respectively in Division III.
Girls golf
Many accomplishments, tough finish for Canton
CANTON, June 10 -- Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that Canton is one of the smallest schools in the state fielding a girls golf team.
The Warriors won the Southern Connecticut Girls Golf League championship in 2008 and 2009. In both years, they were one of 16 teams to qualify for the CIAC championship tournament. This season, the Warriors set a new school record with 18 victories in 22 matches. Still, the last few weeks of the season were disappointing for a team used to success.
In the league tournament at Traditions Golf Course in Wallingford, the Warriors stumbled. On the front nine of the 18-hole tournament, the Warriors competed against Mercy-Middletown, who turned in one of their best scores of the season in a 184-202 victory.
That loss gave Canton a record of 9-3 in the SCGGL, one match behind Avon and Cheshire at 10-2. Cheshire won the title on differential or essentially a better scoring average. If Canton could have beaten Mercy and finished in a three-way tie for first place, they would have won the league title on differential.
Mercy won the 18-hole SCGGL tournament with a 373 with Cheshire (379) and Avon (380) taking second and third. Canton was fourth with a 390. Kelly McAlindin led the Warriors with an 88.
Nikki Liucci earned first team All-SCGGL honors for the second straight year. McAlindin, Sarah Getz and Megan Roux earned second team All-SCGGL honors.
At the CIAC tournament, the Warriors were seeded ninth in the field of 15 teams. They finished 14th with a 425. Megan Roux was the only Canton golfer to break 100 with a 99, including a 44 on the front nine. Nikki Liucci (104), McAlindin (103), Sarah Getz (119) and Danielle Coutu (128) each scored over 100.
Canton (18-4, 9-3 SCGGL) had some noteworthy accomplishments this spring. They were the only team to hand state champion Farmington a loss in a 199-206 victory at Blue Fox in April. They had a season-low 184 in a 60-stroke win over Suffield in May and beat Glastonbury, Simsbury (twice) and Lauralton Hall. Getz, Liucci and Roux were each medalists during the season.
Baseball
Warriors run ends in semifinal loss to Cromwell
By GERRY deSIMAS, Jr.
Collinsville Press.com
CANTON, June 8 – For three innings, the Canton High baseball team was in control of its Class S semifinal game with No. 1 Cromwell at Muzzy Field. Senior pitcher Travis Lane had his way with the Panthers striking out five and not allowing a hit.
The Warriors had five hits and two stolen bases. But its lead was precarious. Canton managed just two runs and stranded five runners, including leaving the bases loaded in the first inning.
Cromwell (20-4) rapped out five hits and scored five runs in the fifth inning to break open a one-run ballgame and eliminate the Warriors (18-5) from the Class S tournament with a 6-2 victory.
And Cromwell hurler David Grande got stronger as the game progressed. After allowing six hits and two runs in the first four innings, he gave up just one hit and struck out five in the final three innings.
After finishing second to Ellington in the regular season, the Warriors won the NCCC Tournament for the first time with an eight-inning win over Avon and a victory over Ellington in the title game. A pair of one-run decisions in the Class S tournament over Coventry, 2-1, and Coginchaug, 7-6, put Canton in the semifinals for the first time since 2005.
“We played hard all year,” catcher Tyler Plourd said. “We won a lot of games that way.” Plourd, Lane, Brian Magna and Kyle Beattie have been playing on the varsity for four years. Plourd has caught every inning the last four years and is a two-time All-NCCC player. Lane went 8-1 this year and earned All-State honors. Magna earned All-State honors in cross country and indoor track earlier this year.
“It’s been a great four years,” Canton coach Brian Roy said. “These kids have been unbelievable.”
Many of these players have been playing baseball together for years in the spring, summer and sometimes the fall. “They work hard every day,” Roy said. “The unity has been unbelievable.”
The game started well against Cromwell. Lane had his way against the Panthers in the first three innings. However, Canton couldn’t take advantage of its opportunities against Grande.
Nick Quattro ripped a one-out double in the first inning and scored on Lane’s two-out RBI single to centerfield. A single from Austin Bronson and a walk to Plourd loaded the bases but Grande got Aras Banevicius to fly out to right field to end the threat.
In the third inning, Canton made it 2-0. Beattie led off the inning with a walk, stole second base and scored on Plourd’s two-out single to right field. But Plourd was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double.
In the fourth inning, Banevicius led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a successful sacrifice bunt by Tyler Detorie. But that was it. Grande got the next two batters to ground out and end the inning. From this point, Canton had just one hit remaining.
Cromwell cut the lead to a single run in the fourth. Grande led off the inning with a single, stole second base and scored on an RBI single from Bobby Jordan. In the fifth, Steve Radziewicz coaxed a leadoff walk and moved to second on a one-out single from Dan Smith. Both moved up one base on a passed ball.
Leadoff hitter Chris Edelbaum ripped a shot that deflected off Banevicius at third base, allowing Radziewicz to tie the game at 2-2. Grande followed with a dribbler that just went up the third base line, scoring Smith. Jordan broke the game open with a two-RBI double to left field for a 5-2 lead.
Track and field
LeDuc, Smyth win state titles for Canton
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
CANTON, June 7 – It was an afternoon of dramatic performances and excellence for the Canton High boys track and field team at the Class S championships at Willowbrook Park in New Britain. Mike LeDuc and Connor Smyth became the first Canton athletes to win state titles in outdoor track and field.
Canton athletes set school records in seven events, had four athletes qualify to compete in the State Open and finished a strong third. Northwest Catholic won with 92 points with Coginchaug second with 72. Canton finished with 59.
After a gut-wrenching battle in the 1,600 meters where LeDuc lost by 0.23 of a second to Northwest Catholic’s Nick Greco, LeDuc rolled to a state championship victory in the 3,200 meters, pulling away with 400 meters to go for a solid six second victory. LeDuc knocked 18 seconds off his own school record time.
In the 1,600 meters, LeDuc went out to win. He pushed the pace of the race and led for more of the way. Greco spent much of the race trying to get past LeDuc and he finally was able to get past LeDuc in the final 25 meters. Still, LeDuc’s time of 4:20.59 broke the school record set by Nate Bussiere in 2007 by 12 seconds and it’s one of the top 10 times in the state this spring.
Smyth won the long jump with leap of a school-record leap of 20 feet, 11 inches, just one inch better than Somers’ Evan Wocik. That wasn’t good enough for one coach who protested vigorously that Smyth had fouled on his winning jump. But the protest was denied.
David Kucia competed in three events and brought home three medals. The lanky junior was second in the 110 high hurdles (15.78 seconds), third in the triple jump and fifth in the 300 hurdles (43.29 seconds). His leap of 39 feet, 2.5 inches in the triple jump was a new school record, beating a Smyth jump from 2008 by a half inch.
Kucia has made his living in the hurdles. Sheehan Michaels of Coginchaug beat Kucia by 0.60 of a second in the 110 hurdles.
All three Canton relays earned points by finishing in the top eight. The 4x100 relay (Kyle Hall, Brian Lochner, Tyler Matt, Jeff Lochner) finished seventh with a school-record time of 45.91. The 4x400 relay (Nick Chekas, Tyler Fitzpatrick, Kevin Kurnat, Brian Lochner) was seventh in 3:37.60 and the 4x800 relay (Jon Cahill, Chekas, Fitzpatrick, Kurnat) was seventh with a school-record time of 8:33.13.
Dylan Smith finished third in the shot with another school record throw of 44 feet, 2.5 inches, breaking the mark he set a week earlier at the NCCC championship meet.
The top five finishers in each event qualify for the State Open. .... The Canton girls competed in the meet but didn’t score any points. ... Three Canton athletes have won state titles in indoor track. LeDuc won the 3,200 meters at the Class S meet this past winter while Brian Magna won the 600 meter event. Erik Nystrom won the 3,200 meters in 2009.
STATE OPEN: In New Britain, Mike LeDuc knocked 10 seconds off the time he ran at the Class S championships in the 3,200. His time of 9:27.12 was good enough for fifth place. ... Connor Smyth was 13th in the long jump with a leap of 21 feet. ... David Kucia was 16th in the 110 hurdles and 25th in the 300 hurdles.
NEW ENGLANDS: In New Britain, Mike LeDuc dropped another eight seconds running the 3,200 meters in 9:19.75 to finish 13th in New England. He was the sixth runner in the race from Connecticut.
NCCC Tournament
Strong pitching lifts Canton first NCCC Tournament title
By GERRY deSIMAS, Jr.
Collinsville Press.com
WINDSOR LOCKS, May 28 – Despite winning seven of its last eight games, the Canton High baseball team came up short in its attempt to win a share of the NCCC championship finishing a strong second behind Ellington, which won its second straight league championship.
The Warriors (16-4, 12-4 NCCC) didn’t let its opportunity to win the NCCC Tournament slip away. With some outstanding pitching and key hitting, Canton won the NCCC Tournament for the first time with an 8-3 decision over Ellington at Veteran’s Park.
“We played five games in five days and the pitching has been great all week,” Canton coach Brian Roy said. On Monday, Canton outlasted East Granby, 7-6 to remain alive in its bid to grab a piece of the league title but the next day, Ellington beat Suffield, 15-3 to clinch its second straight NCCC title.
On Wednesday, Ellington scored one run in the seventh inning to beat the Warriors, 5-4, when Ellington’s Mitch Plourde tripled and scored on Kevin Dwire’s sacrifice fly. Dustin Mocadlo, who got the win in relief, worked a scoreless seventh. The next day, Canton wrapped up its regular season with pitcher Travis Lane improving to 7-0 with a three-hit shutout victory over East Windsor, 5-0. On Friday, Canton played a pair of games in the NCCC Tournament at Veteran’s Park in Windsor Locks.
Some unlikely stalwarts rose to the occasion. In the finals of the NCCC Tournament, the Warriors started sophomore Geoff Brisco on the mound. Brisco had pitched just five innings this year. “He kept us close and threw strikes,” Roy said. Brisco allowed just three runs in three innings of work.
With Canton holding a 5-3 lead, Roy turned to shortstop Nick Quattro to take the hill. In his varsity debut, Quattro struck out eight in four innings to secure the tournament title. Quattro pitched in Little League and in junior high but hasn’t been needed to pitch in high school.
The Warriors received some key hitting as well. They took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a RBI single from Austin Bronson and a sacrifice fly from Tyler Plourd. Trailing by one in the fourth, Colin Gurry scored from second on a groundout to tie the game and three batters later, Lane gave Canton a 5-3 lead with a two-RBI double up the middle and the lead for good. He finished with two hits and three RBI.
Canton earned a spot in the finals with a 3-2 win over Avon in eight innings. The Warriors took a 2-0 lead but Avon cut the lead to one in the fifth. Avon tied the game in the seventh and had the bases loaded with one out. But the Falcons grounded into a double play to end the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, three walks from reliever Brendan Telfer loaded the bases leading to Quattro ripping an two-out RBI single between first and second base to win the game. CHS pitcher Kyle Beattie went the distance to earn the win, scattering six hits.
It was Canton’s third appearance in the NCCC Tournament but the first time they had won a game.
NCCC boys track and field
Canton wins NCCC Tournament title
ENFIELD, May 25 – Mike LeDuc and David Kucia won two events each while Brian Lochner led a top three sweep in the long jump to lead the Canton High boys track and field team to its first-ever victory in the NCCC championship meet Tuesday at Enfield High. The Warriors won the meet by 20½ points, beating Ellington, 122½ to 102. LeDuc swept the 1,600 and 3,200 meters and grabbed fourth in the 800 meters. Kucia won the 110 high hurdles and 300 hurdles while grabbing a sixth in the triple jump.
Connor Smyth was second the long jump and javelin while Dylan Smith took second in the shot. Ellington won the overall NCCC championship with Canton taking second.
Canton sports roundup, May 24
Canton boys golf team finishes 2nd in NCCC
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
CANTON, May 24 – Sometimes you need a little luck to win a championship. The Canton High boys golf team came close in its quest for a NCCC championship this spring but the Warriors won’t finish any higher than second.
A day after beating Avon for the first time in 14 years in a non-league contest, the Warriors and Avon battled to a 160-160 deadlock at Blue Fox in Avon that clinched the league title for undefeated Coventry.
The Patriots ended the week with a 10-0 record in the league with two matches remaining. Canton is 7-2-1 in the league with two matches left with Enfield and Granby. Avon is third at 6-3-1 with two matches remaining.
Coventry got the benefit of playing Avon and Canton in a three-day span on its own home course at Skungamung Golf Club in Coventry earlier this month.
On Tuesday, May 11, the Patriots beat Avon by four strokes, 152-156. Two days later, the Patriots were even more impressive in a 147-159 win over Canton. Four Coventry players broke 40 with scores of 38, 34, 36 and 39. Mark Amoroso in the fifth spot led the Warriors with a 36 while Blayne Houlihan at No. 2 shot a 38. Brad Parliament shot a 41 while David Roux and Jon Phelps each had a 44.
Still, Canton coach Bill Phelps is pleased with the progress of his team. “They’re shooting some great scores,” he said. “They’re doing very well.”
Amoroso has surged in the past few weeks and three-time All-State Ryan Allen is back after missing the first half of the season after breaking his leg in February while ice skating. In his first match of the season, Allen shot a 37 and shared medalist honors with Parliament in a 153-192 win over East Granby on May 17 – Canton’s lowest score of the season.
The next day, Canton (10-2-1, 7-2-1 NCCC) snapped a 25-match losing streak against Avon with a 157-160 victory over the Falcons and Wethersfield (165) at Wethersfield Country Club in wet, rainy conditions. It was Canton’s first win over Avon since 1996.
Houlihan was medalist with a one-over par 36 while Allen shot a 37. Parliament had a 41 and James Soloman shot a 43. Cameron Riccio and Justin Fishler each had a 38 for Avon. “Winning at a neutral course in bad weather was phenomenal,” Phelps said.
Earlier in the month, Parliament had a 36 while Houlihan shot a 38 in a 157-213 win over Stafford at Tower Ridge in Simsbury. Parliament has been medalist four times this spring.
GIRLS GOLF: Canton still in SCGGL title hunt
CANTON, May 24 -- The Warriors (16-3, 10-2 SCGGL) rebounded from a two-shot Southern Connecticut Girls Golf League loss to Cheshire on May 5 with a six-stroke victory over the Rams a week later, 200-206.
Nikki Liucci and Megan Roux each shot a 47 to lead the Warriors, just one shot shy of medalist Andra Frapper of Cheshire at Tower Ridge in Simsbury. Canton’s Kelly McAlindin shot a 52 and Emily Goeler shot a 54.
However, Canton stumbled badly in a 12-shot loss to Avon on its home course on May 17. Avon prevailed 208-220. Simsbury was a distant third with 244.
The Warriors won their next two matches with a dominant 45-stroke win over Hand, 190-235 and Haddam-Killingworth, 190-238 with Roux earning medalist honors with a 44 at Banner Lodge in Moodus. Against Hall, Liucci was medalist with a 44 at Tower Ridge in a 209-243 victory.
BASEBALL: Canton title hopes remain alive
CANTON, May 24 -- Canton (12-3, 10-3 NCCC) kept their hopes for a NCCC championship with a pair of victories last week. Canton beat Avon for the first time since 2006 with a 6-4 victory and scored nine runs in the fourth inning of a 14-5 victory over Somers.
With wins in its final three league games this week with East Granby, East Windsor and Ellington (15-1, 12-1 NCCC), the Warriors could earn a share of the league championship provided that Ellington loses to either Somers (5-24) or Stafford (5-25).
This week's schedule
Mon. 5-24: At East Granby; Wed. 5-26: ELLINGTON; Thur. 5-27: EAST WINDSOR
The two victories gave Canton wins in seven of its last eight games. Against Avon, pitcher Travis Lane outdueled Falcon ace Sean Lanahan. Lane went the distance, scattered five hits and struck out eight. Aras Banevicius went 2-for-3 with two RBI for Canton while teammate Nick Quattro had a double and one RBI.
Against Somers, the Warriors ripped 19 hits to earn the victory. Kyle Beattie was 3-for-5 with three RBI while Banevicius was 3-for-4 with three doubles and four RBI. Tyler Plourd and Tyler Detorie each had two hits. Plourd scored three runs and Detorie had three RBI.
SOFTBALL: Canton looking to earn spot in NCCC Tournament
CANTON, May 24 -- The Warriors (10-6, 10-4 NCCC) are finding that they’ll have to execute in all phases of the game for an opportunity to defend their Class S state championship. Canton has struggled hitting against some of the better pitchers in the league in the final weeks of the season.
They had just two hits in a 9-0 loss to Suffield and managed just three in a 1-0 loss to Somers. “We’re not getting our bunts down against good pitching,” Canton coach Doug Clements said. “We haven’t had to bunt against some of the weaker teams in the league.” Bunting puts pressure on the defense to make a play and that can lead to run-scoring rallies.
Clement likes his defense. There have been games when the Warrriors have been unfocused but overall, they have had a nice campaign.
Sophomore Stephanie Gauthier is the starting catcher with freshman Lee Fitzgerald (first base), sophomore Christina Cardwell (second base), senior Melissa Parente (shortstop) and freshman Brittany King (third base) in the infield. The outfield is patrolled by senior Elise Minchiello (RF), senior Sarah Sepia (CF) and Deanna Nappi (LF).
Canton was 3-2 last week with a 10-0 win over Avon and a doubleheader sweep of East Windsor, 8-0 and 7-2. Against Avon, pitcher Mo Gauthier struck out nine and allowed just two hits. Canton pounded out 16 hits led by Nappi, who was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Parente was 3-for-5.
Against East Windsor, Mo Gauthier tossed her fourth no-hitter of the season, striking out six in a 8-0 win in five innings. Only one error kept her from a perfect game. In game two, Canton had 10 hits, led by King (3-for-3, triple), Nappi (2-2) and Parente (2-3).
Canton played well but dropped a 1-0 decision to Somers, who scored when Allie Dubanoski doubled and scored on a single from pitcher Jojo Meunier in the sixth inning. Mo Gauthier struck out eight and allowed just two hits. Meunier allowed three hits but struckout 13 Canton batters.
On Saturday at home, Canton managed 12 hits off Fitch hurler Cindy Mancini but gave up 13 hits in a 16-4 loss to defending Class LL champion Fitch. Canton lost to Fitch, 1-0, on opening day in April but Fitch (15-3) has improved. Brianna Turgeon went 3-for-4 with six RBIs, including a first-inning triple for her 100th career hit. King was 4-for-5 with a double for Canton.
Two teams have opportunities to earn a share of the NCCC championship this week. Granby concluded its league campaign at 14-2 to clinch a piece of the title. Ellington (15-3, 13-2 NCCC) can earned a share of the championship with a win over Canton on Tuesday, May 25. Suffield (14-4, 13-2) has its chance to grab a share with a win over Enfield on Monday, May 24.
Canton needs to beat East Granby (Monday, May 24) and Ellington to earn the fourth seed in the NCCC Tournament. Somers needs to beat Windsor Locks on Monday. If both teams finish 12-4 in the league, Canton will probably get in for scoring more runs. The top four teams in the league qualify for the NCCC softball tournament on Saturday, May 29 in Windsor Locks.
Canton sports roundup, May 17
Canton 9 moves into contention with 2 wins
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
CANTON, May 17 – It’s been a big week already for the Canton High baseball team. It’s chances to win a share of the NCCC championship hinged on what they accomplishes this week against Avon and East Windsor.
The Warriors snapped a six-game losing streak against Avon with a 6-4 victory on Monday. Pitcher Travis Lane went the distance and struck out eight in the victory over an Avon team that had won 10 straight league games before falling to Granby, 7-2 last Thursday. Included in that 10 game winning streak was an 11-2 rout of Ellington, the only loss of the year so far for the Purple Knights.
If Canton (11-3, 9-3 NCCC) beats East Windsor (Wednesday), Somers (Friday) and East Granby (Monday), they’ll end their regular season against Ellington (15-1, 12-1 NCCC) next Wednesday at 3:45 p.m. at Bowdoin Field.
If Ellington drops a game to Suffield or Somers, Canton could earn a share of the league championship with a win. Canton’s last title came in 2005 when they went 14-2 in the league to earn a piece of the league title with Windsor Locks. With wins over Suffield (May 19) and Somers (May 25), Ellington clinches the NCCC championship.
Canton put themselves in position for all of this speculation last week with two solid victories that moved them into second place in the league. The Warriors throttled Bolton, 13-2 and shutout East Windsor, 3-0.
Against Bolton, pitcher Brian Magna went the distance, allowing just three hits and striking out six. At the plate, Magna was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Kyle Beatie had two hits and two RBI while Tyler Plourd was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI. Aras Banevicius had two hits and two RBI while Travis Lane belted a two-RBI home run.
Against East Windsor, pitcher Kyle Beattie threw a complete game, allowing just two hits and striking out five. Lane had a home run for the second straight game while Tyler Detroie and Colin Gurry (1-for-3) each had a single and one RBI. Canton has won six of its last seven games entering this week.
SOFTBALL: Cardwell earns first varsity victory
CANTON, May 17 -- The Warriors (7-4, 7-3 NCCC) rebounded from a tough loss to Suffield with an 11-2 rout over Bolton. Freshman Christina Cardwell earned her first varsity victory on the mound, allowing just four hits. Mo Gauthier got a day off from her pitching duties and was a stellar 4-for-4 at the plate.
A day earlier, Suffield Angie Moskwa shutdown the Warriors in a 9-0 rout. Moskwa allowed just two hits and struck out 12 batters as Canton was blanked for the second time this season. Suffield’s Alyssa Wagner led the Wildcats (13-3, 11-1 NCCC) with a single, double, triple and one RBI.
The second game with defending Class LL champion Fitch-Groton that was suspended in the first inning earlier this month will be completed on Saturday (May 22) at noon at the high school. Canton erased a three-run deficit to take a 4-3 lead before the game was postponed. It will be replayed in its entirety.
Canton is looking to finish strong in its last five league contests to earn a spot in the NCCC softball tournament on Friday, May 28. The top four teams in the league earn invitations.
GIRLS LACROSSE: Scoring still difficult
CANTON, May 17 -- Scoring is still a challenge for the Warriors (0-9, 0-7 NCCC). Last week, they scored three goals in an 18-3 loss to Farmington. Only twice this year, they have scored more. They had four goals in a 12-goal loss to Somers in April and scored five goals in a 10-goal loss to Ellington on May 4.
“Getting the ball out of our defensive end is a challenge,” Canton coach Andy Dylag said. Canton goalie Anna Burbank has played well all season long but she seldom gets a break and any miscues are usually costly.
Dylag is seeing progress from his squad. Unfortunately, it’s not resulting in additional goals or victories but he can see the improvement. Against Farmington, the defense had more interceptions of enemy passes “We’re seeing the improvement,” he said. “We’re not down on ourselves.”
Sophomore defender Becca Madigan has been playing well. In a 15-1 loss to Avon earlier this month, she held the Falcons’ high-scoring forward J.J. Gower to just three assists when she was in the game.
Senior defender Kate Hurd has played well to help solidify the defense. She began the year at attack. Senior midfielder Maggie Keane scored her first goal of the season and has been doing well taking draws at midfield.
Senior Day for the Warriors will be in the final home game against Somers on Monday (May 24) beginning a 3:30 p.m. at the football field.
BOYS GOLF: Canton stumbles against Coventry
CANTON, May 17 -- On its home course, Coventry beat NCCC contenders Avon and Canton in a three-day span last week. On Tuesday, May 11, the Patriots beat Avon by four strokes at Skungamung River Golf Club in Coventry, 152-156.
Two days later, the Patriots were even more impressive in a 147-159 win over Canton (6-2, 6-2 NCCC). Four Coventry players broke 40 with scores of 38, 34, 36 and 39. Mark Amoroso in the fifth spot led the Warriors with a 36 while Blayne Houlihan at No. 2 shot a 38. Brad Parliament shot a 41 while David Roux and Jon Phelps each had a 44.
However, Canton still remains in the thick of the hunt for the NCCC championship. Avon is 6-2 in the league and Coventry is 7-2.
Earlier last week, the Warriors whipped Stafford, 157-213 at Tower Ridge in Simsbury, led by Parliament with a 36. Houlihan shot a 38 with Roux shooting 41, Amoroso 42 and Phelps 44.
GIRLS GOLF: Canton tops Cheshire in rematch
CANTON, May 17 -- The Warriors (12-2, 8-1 SCGGL) rebounded from a two-shot Southern Connecticut Girls Golf League loss to Cheshire on May 5 with a six-stroke victory over the Rams a week later, 200-206.
Nikki Liucci and Megan Roux each shot a 47 to lead the Warriors, just one shot shy of medalist Andra Frapper of Cheshire at Tower Ridge in Simsbury. Canton’s Kelly McAlindin shot a 52 and Emily Goeler shot a 54. The Warriors also beat Suffield last week, 184-244 at Copper Hill in Suffield.
TRACK & FIELD: League meet is next Tuesday
CANTON, May 17 -- The NCCC championship meet is on Tuesday at Enfield High. A loss to Stafford, 87-60, nearly 10 days ago will keep Canton (8-3, 7-3 NCCC) out of the hunt for the league championship but the Warriors will be looking to improve on its third place finish of a year ago. Canton did beat East Granby, 85-65.
TENNIS: Canton boys earn second win
CANTON, May 17 -- The Canton girls picked up their second win of the season in a 4-3 victory to East Granby. However, the Warriors (2-10, 2-10 NCCC) dropped the second game of a doubleheader with the Crusaders, 6-1. They also dropped a close 4-3 decision to Coventry and a 6-1 decision to Suffield. Nancy Kutz at No. 3 singles was the only Canton winner against Suffield.
Canton sports roundup, May 10
Four-game winning streak for softball
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
CANTON, May 9 – Canton High softball coach Doug Clement liked the spunk displayed by his defending Class S champion Warriors in a 3-2 loss to Granby in eight innings. It’s true that Canton batters struck out 16 times.
But they had seven hits and made Granby pitcher Julie Marks work for every out. “She is one of the best pitchers in the league,” Clement said. “But we were fouling lots of pitchers and getting full counts. They were quality at bats. We were scrapping.” Granby’s Sara Hammick won the game with a one-out, walkoff home run.
Since then, Canton (6-3, 6-2 NCCC) has won four straight games. They had a game with defending Class LL champion Fitch rained out in the first inning. But it was an exciting inning with the Warriors erasing a three-run deficit to take a 4-3 lead. The game will be made up in its entirety later this month.
The momentum that began against Granby continued in a 2-1 victory over Somers. The Warriors rallied with two runs in the sixth inning. Trailing 1-0, freshman pinch hitter Olivia Bonini led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. She scored when Stephanie Gauthier reached on an error. Gauther scored on Melissa Parente’s RBI triple.
“That was out best game of the year,” Clement said. “It was a quality win and one we came from behind to win.” Canton got six hits off Somers pitcher JoJo Meunier, who has a 0.82 ERA after 10 games. Somers was 8-4 as of last Friday.
The Warriors have also beaten Enfield, 12-2 and Windsor Locks, 18-3 in six innings. Canton made it four straight wins on Friday with an 8-5 win over Coventry, sparked by a fifth inning grand slam from Melissa Parente that erased a 3-2 deficit and put Canton ahead for good.
Parente, a senior shortstop, has been struggling offensively this season with a torn muscle in her upper thigh. Defensively, she has been flawless at shortstop but the injury has diminished some of her power. “It’s been hard on her but she is still our leader,” Clement said. “She comes to practice with a smile.”
Parente has received a scholarship to play softball at the University of Rhode Island next spring – an outstanding accomplishment for a Canton athlete. Many Canton athletes have competed at the collegiate level but few have received scholarships to play at the Division I level.
Against Windsor Locks, the Raiders took a quick 3-0 lead. But Canton responded with nine runs in the bottom of the first inning. Stephanie Gauthier had a single and home run in the first inning. Her sister, Mo was 3-for-4 at the plate.
Against Enfield, Mo Gauthier pitched her second no-hitter of the season, striking out 12 and walking just one. At the plate, Mo Gauthier hit two home runs, scored four runs and knocked in four RBI.
After eight games, Mo Gauthier was hitting. 464 with four HR and eight RBI. Stephanie Gauthier is hitting .310. Sophomore Christina Cardwell (.375), senior Elise Minichello (.350) and freshmen Kathryn Winsor (.384) and Lee Fitzgerald (.315) have also been hitting well.
BASEBALL: Lane allows just 4 hits in win
CANTON, May 9 -- Canton (8-3, 6-3 NCCC) split a pair of games last week, rolling over Coventry, 11-2 and falling to Enfield, 7-2.
Against Coventry, pitcher Travis Lane went the distance, allowing just four hits. At the plate, Lane was 2-for-4 with one RBI while teammate Tyler Plourd had two hits and two RBI. Colin Gurry had a single and one RBI.
Earlier in the week, visiting Enfield had 11 hits off starting pitcher Kyle Beattie in a 7-2 victory at Bowdoin Field. Nick Oudenhove had three hits and three RBI while teammate Justin Thomas had a solo home run. The Warriors had just six hits with Nick Quattro going 2-for-4 with a RBI and Lane getting two hits. Tyler Detorie had a double while Brian Magna was 1-for-3 with a run scored.
BOYS TENNIS: Warriors earn second victory
CANTON, May 9 -- In the first four weeks, the time on the court has been limited for the Canton High boys tennis team due to rain and foul spring weather. “We had eight full practices,” Canton coach Dante Boffi said. “We’ll have an action-packed second half of the season.”
In the first month of the season, the Warriors got in just four matches, going 1-3 with a 5-2 victory over Windsor Locks/East Granby. They began the month of May with another 5-2 decision over the Locks/East Granby co-op team.
Nate Scott didn’t drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 victory while Peter Jutras (No. 2 singles) and Mason Case (No. 4 singles) also earned victories. The doubles teams of Alex Boonyonostade and Ben Corbitt won along with Matt Herman and Tyler Van Kirk.
“The one thing we can take solace is that everyone else is in the same boat as we are,” Boffi said. “There is nothing we can do about it. We just have to be more effective.”
Canton (2-6, 2-6 NCCC) has faced three of the top teams in the league with matches against Suffield, Granby and Avon. “When you play better competition, you’re going to get better,” Boffi said.
GIRLS TENNIS: Canton comes close but falls
CANTON, May 9 -- Canton (1-7, 1-7 NCCC) came close to their second win of the season in a 4-3 loss to Coventry. The Warriors swept the three doubles matches with Nancy Kurtz and Kassie Grecula winning at No. 1 doubles, Stephanie Kupchik and Jill Miller winning at No. 2 and Kailynn Malay and Kelsey Poe earning a 9-8 victory at No. 3 doubles. But four losses in singles was the difference. In a second match last week, Avon shutout the Warriors, 7-0, last Friday.
TRACK AND FIELD: Canton boys win three to improve to 7-2; Canton girls earn first victory
CANTON, May 9 -- David Kucia won three individual events and Mike LeDuc won two events and ran on a winning relay to lead Canton (7-2, 6-2 NCCC) to a 82-68 win over Coventry. The Warriors also beat East Windsor, 96-45 and throttled Bolton, 132-18.
LeDuc swept the 1,600 and 3,200 meter races while Kucia swept the 110 hurdles, the 300 intermediate hurdles and triple jump. LeDuc also ran on the winning 4x800 relay team along with teammates Jon Cahill, Jon Melite and Nick Chekas. Tyler Matt (100), Dylan Smith (shot) and Greg Cole (javelin) also earned wins for Canton.
On the girls side, Lucy Mentzer (200) and Katie Talbot (100) came up with individual victories and 4x100 relay team of Camila Rich, Mentzer, Shiny Douglas and Talbot came up with a win as Canton earned its first win of the season with a 70-43 win over Bolton. The Warriors (1-8, 1-7 NCCC) lost to Coventry, 117-43 and just fell short in a 72-68 loss to East Windsor.
Rich was second in the 110 hurdles while Jessi Chance was second in the 1,600 and third in the 800 meters. Anna Waite was second in the shot and third in the javelin.
BOYS GOLF: Five-match win streak snapped
CANTON, May 9 -- Canton (6-2, 5-1 NCCC) had its five match winning streak snapped in 10-stroke loss to Portland at Portland Golf Club, 153-163. The Warriors did outlast Hale-Ray, which shot a 188. Earlier in the week, Brad Parliament earned medalist honors, shooting a 36 in a 154-191 win over Bolton.
GIRLS GOLF: Cheshire beats Canton by 2
CANTON, May 9 -- Kelly McAlindin tied for medalist honors for the first time this season by shooting a 44 at the Southington Country Club but the Warriors fell two strokes shy of Cheshire in a 194-196 loss. McAlindin shared medalist honors with Cheshire freshman Andra Frappier. Canton slips to 9-2 and 6-1 in the SCGGL.
GIRLS LACROSSE: Six goals in 2 losses for CHS
CANTON, May 9 -- The Warriors (0-7, 0-6 NCCC) played their first game in nearly two weeks but dropped a 15-5 decision to Ellington. It didn’t get much better in a 15-1 loss to Avon last Friday.
Canton sports roundup, May 3
Special victory for girls golf team over Farmington
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
CANTON, May 3 – The past two seasons, the Farmington High girls golf team was the top seed going into the CIAC tournament. Four starters returned from last spring’s team that finished second in the state.
That made Canton’s big win last week over Farmington so much more special. The Warriors handed Farmington its first loss of the season, 199-206 and also beat NCCC rival Avon, 199-210 in the same meet.
Farmington sophomore Jen Whaley was clearly the best player on the course at Blue Fox Golf Course in Avon with a four-over-par 40. Teammate Amanda Failla shot a 45. But the remaining two Farmington players shot a 60 and 61.
That opened the door for Canton (9-1, 6-0 SCGGL). Nikki Liucci and Megan Roux each shot 47 while Kelly McAlindin had a 50 and Danielle Coutu had a personal-best score of 55.
Canton also got a bit of revenge for an earlier non-league loss to Avon (6-2, 2-1 SCGGL) with a 11-stroke victory. Jackie Serreta led Avon with a 46 with Alexa Gentile scoring 50. Blaire Jarvis and Alana Pulling each a 57. The Warriors also had wins over Mercy, 203-224, and Lauralton Hall-Wallingford, 201-203 last week.
BOYS GOLF: Canton beats contender Suffield
CANTON, May 3 – When the season began, Suffield was tagged as one of the contenders for the NCCC championship. Canton (4-1, 4-1 NCCC) nipped the Wildcats last week, 170-171 for its fourth straight win on a windy afternoon at Tower Ridge in Simsbury.
Brad Parliament shot a 37 to lead the Warriors, who were trailing by two strokes after the first three golfers into the clubhouse. Jon Phelps in the fourth spot came in and won by three strokes to give Canton the victory.
Canton gets a boost this week when three-time All-State golfer Ryan Allen returns. Allen broke his leg ice skating in February. “He gives us a more dangerous lineup,” Canton coach coach Bill Phelps said.
Canton also beat Windsor Locks last week by 31 strokes, 156-187 with Roux earning medalist honors for the second time this season. Three different Canton players have been medalists this spring with Blayne Houlihan and Parliament (twice) also earning top honors.
BASEBALL: Warriors off to 7-2 start
CANTON, May 3 – The Warriors won two of three games last week to improve to 7-2 on the year and 5-2 in the NCCC. “We’re a little ahead of where I thought we would be,” Canton coach Brian Roy said. “If you told me we would be 7-2 after nine games, I would have taken that. In the two games we lost, we didn’t hit well against Windsor Locks and we committed five errors against Granby.”
One of the baseball team’s most intense rivals is Windsor Locks. Canton and the Raiders have battled for league titles and Class S titles over the past half-dozen years. And as usual, the Warriors faced Lock’s top pitcher, Mike Lord in a 6-1 loss.
Lord struck out 13 and allowed just five hits. Tyler Plourde had two hits and scored Canton’s lone run. Canton hurler Brian Magna pitched well, striking out and scattering 12 hits.
But Lord and the Raiders snapped a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning when Lord’s fly ball just curved around the foul pole for a three-run home run to break the game open.
Earlier in the week, Canton shutout Somers, 4-0. Pitcher Kyle Beattie went the distance, allowing five hits, striking out six and walking none. Teammate Nick Quattro was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Austin Bronson was 2-for-2 with two RBI.
On Saturday night, pitcher Travis Lane struck out 11 and went the distance in a 5-3 win on the road over Stonington under the lights. Magna had a single and two-RBI double and stole three bases. Quattro was 3-for-4 with one RBI while Lane added a single and two RBI. The win avenges a tight 2-1 loss to the Bears in 10 innings a year ago. Stonington is coached by former CHS player Duffy Grace.
BOYS TRACK AND FIELD: Warriors come close in tight loss to Avon
CANTON, May 3 – It’s looking unlikely that Canton will come up with a triple crown of league titles this year. The Warriors have won the NCCC cross country and indoor track titles this year.
But an eight-point loss to Avon about 10 days ago, 78-70, handed Canton (4-2, 3-2 NCCC) its second loss of the year putting a crimp in its outdoor track title hopes. Teams earn two points for each NCCC dual meet victory and one point for each team they beat the NCCC championship meet on May 25 in Enfield.
Avon and Granby, which beat Canton in April, would have to lose at least one meet and then fade badly at the league championship meet.
But Canton pushed Avon in its dual meet that also included Suffield, which Canton beat, 86-63.
Mike LeDuc swept the 1,600 and 3,200 meter races while Connor Smyth won the javelin and Bryan Lochner took the long jump. David Kucia grabbed both hurdles races. Canton’s 4x400 team (David Kucia, Jon Melite, Lochner, Kevin Kurnat) also prevailed.
Avon’s big advantage came by sweeping pole vaulting since Canton had no entries in that event since they have no track facilities.
The Warriors turned in some fine performances at the Greater Hartford Invitational on Saturday. The 4x800 relay (LeDuc, Nick Chekas, Melite, Kurnat) finished fifth while the 4x400 relay was ninth. Smyth was seventh in the discus and seventh in the javelin with a school-record throw of 152 feet in the javelin, breaking his own mark by nearly seven feet.
Kucia was ninth in the 110 hurdles, only a few seconds shy of qualifying for the finals, and ninth in the triple jump.
GIRLS TRACK: Individual stars shine
CANTON, May 3 – Canton (0-6, 0-5 NCCC) has a small squad that will struggle in dual meets but there are some talented individuals. Lucy Mentzer is the only senior on the team and a sprinter. She is joined by sophomore Katie Talbot, Jamie Haberern, junior Jesse Chance (800, 1600) and Camila Rich (hurdles).Freshman Anna Waite and junior Erica Mola are doing well in shot, discus and javelin. Waite and Mola were first and second in the discus against Avon.
SOFTBALL: Canton climbs over .500
CANTON, May 3 – The Warriors (4-3, 4-2 NCCC) climbed over the .500 mark for the first time this year with a pair of victories last week, beating Somers, 2-1 and rolling past Windsor Locks, 18-3 in six innings. Stephanie Gauthier was three-for-five with three runs and three RBI against Locks.
Canton spring roundup, April 18
Baseball, girls golf begin season strong
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press
CANTON, April 19 – For the second straight year, the Canton High baseball team is off to an excellent start after winning its first three games.
The Warriors (3-0, 2-0 NCCC) won’t be able to rest on their laurels. For the next few weeks, they have three games a week and few will be easy.
Excellent pitching and timely hitting propelled Canton in their first three games. “We’ve pitched very well and we’re really concentrating on getting the ball into play and making things happen,” Canton coach Brian Roy said.
Senior pitcher Brian Magna took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of Canton’s 8-5 victory over Wilcox Tech-Meriden in the season opener. Tech lost in the quarterfinals of last year’s Class M tournament to eventual champion New London.
Magna, who struck out six in the complete game effort, gave up his first hit with one out in the seventh. Canton made four errors in the inning to allow Tech to score five runs. Canton’s Travis Lane and Tyler Detorie were each 2-for-3 with a double while Austin Bronson had a two-RBI double for the Warriors.
In a 8-2 victory over Bolton, Lane earned the win on the mound with a complete game victory, scattering eight hits and striking out seven. He added a double and one RBI at the plate.
Canton took control early with four runs in the first inning. Kyle Beattle was a perfect 4-for-4 with one RBI while Tyler Plourd had a single and two RBI. Colin Gurry had a double.
The Warriors improved to 3-0 with a 9-1 win over Stafford last week. Magna (2-0) had another outstanding performance. On the mound, he went the distance, scattering five hits and striking out eight. At the plate, he sparked a 12-hit Canton attack with three hits including a double and two RBI.
Beattie was 3-for-4 while Nick Quattro was 2-for-5. Gurry had a two-RBI double for the Warriors while Aras Banevicius had an RBI double.
SOFTBALL: Two tough losses to swallow
CANTON, April 19 -- The season is only three games old for Canton High, which is still searching for some clutch hitting. “Our bats haven’t woken up yet,” Canton coach Doug Clements said. “We’re never got that big hit and we’re having trouble getting bunts down that would have helped us.”
Canton (1-2, 1-1 NCCC) has dropped two of its first three games, including a 1-0 decision to defending Class LL champion Fitch in Groton on opening day and a 4-2 decision to Stafford in eight innings last week.
It was a scoreless game for five innings against Stafford before the Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the sixth. Canton responded in the bottom of the sixth with a double from Melissa Parente. Pitcher Mo Gauthier ripped an RBI triple to tie the score at 1-1. But Canton’s next three batters struck out, popped up on an attempted bunt and flew out to end the inning.
“We hit the ball but we couldn’t muster up enough hits,” Clement said. Sophomore first baseman Christina Cardwell went 4-for-4 in the game.
In the eighth, Stafford took a 2-1 lead on a solo home run from Emily Peirolo. They added another two unearned runs thanks to errors for a three-run lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, Gauthier ripped a monster home run with one out to deep center field to cut the lead to two runs. Stephanie Gauthier followed with a walk, Sarah Sepia reached on an error and Brittany King ripped a shot between the first and second baseman to load the bases with one out.
But the next two batters struck out and flied into the outfield to end the threat and the ballgame and visiting Stafford celebrated its first win over Canton since 1991, snapping a 19-game losing streak against the Warriors.
Stafford pitcher Jody Buckley scattered nine hits and struck out nine. Mo Gauthier struck out nine, gave up six hits and walked one.
It was another thriller in the season opener against Fitch. Freshman pitcher Alana Luzzio scattered five hits and struck out six in the 1-0 victory. Fitch’s Brianna Turgeon scored in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from Bridgit Thompson. Turgeon reached on an infield single, stole second base and moved to third base on a groundout. “We left runners on base in five of the seven innings,” Clement said.
Canton got its first win of the season in game two, a 9-1 victory over Bolton. Mo Gauthier struck out nine. Cardwell and Katherine Winsor hit the ball well along with Mo Gauthier and Parente. The Warriors stole five bases.
GIRLS GOLF: Five wins, a 1-stroke loss to Avon
CANTON, April 19 --It’s been an impressive two weeks for the Canton girls golf team. The Warriors (5-1, 3-0 SCGGL) began the season with a 83-stroke win over Haddam-Killingworth, beat Hall by 10 strokes and Glastonbury by 34 strokes. Canton followed that with a 27 stroke win over Suffield.
Canton had a very competitive three-team match against valley rivals Avon and Simsbury at Simsbury Farms last week and fell one stroke shy of a sweep. Avon nipped the Warriors by one stroke 203-204 with Simsbury taking third with a 211.
“We’re getting into the meat of the schedule and we’re doing very well,” Canton coach John Manners said. “In all of our matches, our top four are shooting in the low 50s (for nine holes) and we’re getting one or two golfers below 50. I’m pleased how we’ve started the season.”
There hasn’t been one standout for Canton. Sarah Getz was the medalist with a 47 against Haddam-Killingworth in a 204-287 win over opening day while sophomore Nikki Liucci was the medalist with a 46 in the three-team meet against Hall (214) and Glastonbury (228). Canton shot a season-low 194 in that meet.
In a 208-235 win over Suffield, Liucci was the leader for the Warriors with a 48. Kelly McAlindin and Megan Roux each led Canton with 50 in the three-team meet with Avon and Simsbury.
“The putts weren’t dropping,” Manners said of the Avon and Simsbury match. “You see how important those three-foot putts are when you lose by a stroke.” The match against Avon at Simsbury Farms was considered a non-league match. The Warriors still have two more regular season dates with the Falcons.
BOYS GOLF: One stroke away from 3-0 start
CANTON, April 19 -- Canton (2-1, 2-1 NCCC) has the talent to contend for a NCCC championship but it won’t be easy, reinforced by a one-stroke loss to Granby, 165-166 on opening day. The Warriors have rebounded with a close five-stroke win over Ellington, 172-177 and a solid 168-195 victory over Somers.
David Roux earned medalist honors against Ellington with a 39 over nine holes at Ellington Ridge, playing out of the No. 4 spot in the lineup. Brad Parliament (43) in the No. 1 spot and Jon Phelps (44) at No. 5 also shot well for Canton.
Against Somers, Parliament earned medalist honors with a 40 at Elmcrest Country Club in East Longmeadow while James Solomon (41) at No. 2, Roux (43) at No. 4 and Phelps (44) at No. 5 also shot very well.
TRACK & FIELD: Depth helps CHS top Enfield
CANTON, April 19 -- The boys track and field team used its depth to earn a big 79-67 win over NCCC contender Enfield last week. The Warriors (2-1, 2-1 NCCC) came home winners in 11 individual events, led by David Kucia with victories in the 110 high hurdles, 300 hurdles and triple jump. Connor Smyth earned a pair of wins in the javelin and high jump.
Nick Chekas (800 meters), Jon Cahill (1,600), Mike LeDuc (3,200) and Bryan Lochner (long jump) each earned individual wins for Canton.
Canton throttled Windsor Locks, 114-35, on opening day led by Smyth with four individual wins in the 400, discus, javelin and high jump and three wins from Lochner in the 100, 200 and long jump.
Granby handed Canton its first defeat earlier last week with a 89-62 decision.
The Canton girls are 0-3 after losing to Windsor Locks, Granby and Enfield. Lucy Mentzer (100, 200), Camila Rich (110 hurdles, high jump) and Jessie Chance (800, 1,600) each had two wins in the 82-48 decision against Windsor Locks while Rich (high jump, triple jump) had two individual wins in the 99-45 loss to Enfield.
GIRLS TENNIS: Competitive in two defeats
CANTON, April 19 -- A year ago, the girls tennis team missed the Class S tournament for just the second time in 18 years with a 6-14 record. After four matches this spring, the Warriors are 1-3. But coach Jerry Havrl is pleased with the progress his team is making. Canton (1-3, 1-3 NCCC) beat Windsor Locks on opening day, 6-1 but they were shutout by defending league champion Avon, 7-0.
Canton dropped a pair of matches to Granby and Suffield, however, both defeats were by 4-3 margins. A year ago, Canton didn’t earn a single win in two matches against Suffield, going 0-for-14. They were 2-for-12 in two matches against Granby.
“Those matches could have gone either way,” Havrl said. “The kids are playing hard and I’m pleased how they are working.”
Last year, sophomore Carrie Hefler and junior Katherine Eich were on Canton’s top doubles team. This year, they’re both playing singles. Hefler is at No. 1 singles with Eich at No. 2 singles. Senior co-captain Maggie Bahre is at No. 3 singles with senior co-captain MaryBeth Davis at No. 4 singles.
In doubles, juniors Nancy Kurtz and Cassie Grecula are at No. 1 with Stephanie Kupchik and Julian Miller at No. 2. Sophomores Kelsey Poe and Kaitlin Maloy are playing third doubles.
Havrl has 14 girls on the team including several freshmen. He thinks the Warriors have the talent to earn eight wins and a CIAC tournament berth. “We’re doing well,” he said.
BOYS TENNIS: Warriors beat Windsor Locks
CANTON, April 19 -- Under first-year head coach Dante Boffi, the Warriors split their first two matches. They beat the co-op team from Windsor Locks/East Granby by a 5-2 score on opening day and dropped a 5-2 decision to Suffield last week.
Nate Scott at No. 1 singles, Peter Jutras at No. 2 singles won in two sets against Windsor Locks while it took Sean Mullins at No. 3 singles three sets to earn his victory against Locks.
GIRLS LACROSSE: Scoring a challenge
CANTON, April 19 -- In its first varsity campaign, Canton (0-4, 0-3 NCCC) is finding it difficult to score goals and even more difficult to stop their opponents from taking shots and scoring. The Warriors have scored a total of 11 goals in four games. However, they give up an average of nearly 17 goals a game.
Midfielder Aylannah Dylag scored the first goal in school history in a 19-2 loss to Avon on opening day. Colleen Barnhart scored the second goal midway through the second half. Canton had four goals in a 16-4 loss to Somers and gave up just 14 in a 14-2 loss to Farmington.
