Indoor track
LeDuc breaks school record, takes 13th in New England
BOSTON, March 5 -- Mike LeDuc shattered his own school record in the 3,200 meters on Friday at the 23rd New England championships at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. LeDuc finished 13th in the field but ran a school-record time of 9:34.42, breaking the mark that he set while winning the event at the Class S meet in February by a whopping eight seconds.
LeDuc was the second runner from Connecticut in the field of 21 runners. Connor Stauffer of Joel Barlow posted a time of 9:31.94 but LeDuc beat Tolland’s Bryan Fowler by seven seconds and whipped old rival Chris Reynolds of Suffield by 18 seconds.
Senior Brian Magna ran his final track event of the season by taking 11th in the 600 meters with a time of 1:24.19, about 0.30 of a second shy of the school record he set at the Class S meet. Magna plays baseball in the spring.
Canton’s 4x800 meter relay team finished 15th with a time of 8:32.22. Magna, Nick Chekas, Ryan Gallagher and Kevin Kurnat comprised the team.
Canton didn’t score any points in the New England meet.
Girls basketball
Wamogo slips past Canton
LITCHFIELD, March 4 -- Everyone had a hand in Wamogo’s thrilling 48-46 victory over Canton in the second round of the Class S girls basketball tournament Thursday night.
Sophomore Caycee Williams had a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Morgan Grambo scored six points early in the third quarter and played solid defense on Canton’s All-State guard Sarah Bendetti, who had just 17 points – a far cry from her school-record 44 points in a tournament game earlier this week.
Paige LaBonne (11 points) hit some huge jumpers to keep Wamogo in the game and Kerri Stolle was all over the floor with nine points, eight rebounds and a team-high four steals and four assists.
No. 6 Wamogo (21-3) won their fifth straight game and for the 14th time in the last 15 games. Defense was the cornerstone of this victory. Grambo had solid position in the low post for most of the game, forcing Benedetti to throw up some awkward shots. And the shots that she missed, Wamogo rebounded.
“That is our theme,” Wamogo coach Kevin Crowley said. “One (shot) and done. We had a huge height advantage.”Benedetti did drain three 3-point shots but she wasn’t able to drive to the basket very often.
Wamogo used its height and sharp passing to race out to a 12-3 lead but for a six-minute span, Wamogo wilted under Canton’s frenzied pressure defense in the first half. Canton used an 18-0 run to take a nine-point lead with 5:04 left in the second quarter.
But Wamogo settled down and outscored Canton, 9-2 to cut the lead to two at halftime, 23-21.
“We got too confident and we began rushing things,” Stolle said. “We just had to slow it down.” Crowley said Wamogo’s recovery began with their defense. “Once we got some stops, it allowed us to relax offensively,” he said. Williams scored six of Wamogo’s final nine points of the half.
Canton (16-7) led by as much as six in the third quarter but Wamogo didn’t panic. Williams sank her own rebound and LaBonne hit a jumper with six seconds remaining to tie the score at 35 after three quarters.
The game was tied three times in the fourth quarter. Megan Roux’s drive to the basket with 1:03 left gave Canton its first lead of the fourth quarter, 44-43. But Williams hit two fouls shots with 42 seconds left and when Benedetti was double teamed in the lane with 28 seconds remaining, she turned the ball over.
Stolle added another two foul shots with 26 seconds left for a 47-44 lead and teammate Megan Layman added another foul shot with 12 seconds left for a 48-44 lead. Benedetti drove to the basket with five seconds left to cut the lead to two, 48-46.
Wamogo 48, Canton 46
At Litchfield
Canton (16-7) Sarah Getz 5-0-13, Danielle Coutu 1-0-2, Lucy Mentzer 0-0-0, Sarah Benedetti 6-2-17, Amanda Curvino 1-0-3. Totals 17-5-46
Wamogo (21-3) Sam Finch 0-0-0, Megan Murray 0-0-0, Paige LaBonne 5-1-11, Megan Layman 1-1-3, Kerri Stolle 3-2-9, Caycee Williams 8-3-19, Morgan Grambo 3-0-6. Totals 20-7-48
Halftime: Canton 23-21
Three-point goals: Getz (C) 3, Benedetti (C) 3, Stolle (W) 1
Girls basketball
New record for Benedetti
CANTON, March 1 -- Canton’s junior All-State guard Sarah Benedetti set a new single-game scoring record by scoring 44 points in a 68-27 victory over overmatched Platt Tech-Milford in the first round of the Class S tournament.
Benedetti broke the old mark set by Alena Jasinski in 2006 when she scored 40 points against East Granby. Benedetti also set a new single-game record with 15 field goals. Jasinski had 14 field goals in the game against East Granby. Against Platt Tech, Benedetti scored on 15 field goals, including four 3-point shots, and 10 foul shots.
Indoor track
Canton qualifies two individuals, relay team to compete at New Englands
NEW HAVEN, Feb. 20 -- Canton’s indoor track team continues to break down barriers. Two individuals and one relay team qualified on Saturday at the CIAC State Open to compete in the New England championships on March 6 in Boston. A year ago, only Brian Magna qualified for the New England meet.
Magna qualified by finishing sixth in the 1,000 meters at the State Open with a time of 1:24.85, about 1.4 seconds off his school-record time a week earlier that gave him a Class S championship. The top six in each event earn a trip to the New England championships.
Canton’s 4x800 relay team finished sixth with a strong finish and a school record time of 8:18.79, nipping seventh place NFA by just 0.43 of a second. NFA’s anchor runner coasted at the end of the race, slowing down significantly because they had their heat won.
Canton captured a slow heat by a significant margin and was helped by Ryan Gallagher and Mike LeDuc, who each turned in their fastest 800 meter times of the season. Gallagher topped his fastest 800 by 5.7 seconds while LeDuc topped his best 800 time by 3.0 seconds. LeDuc ran in the place of Kevin Kurnat, who was ill. Nick Chekas and Magna comprised the rest of the 4x800 team.
“We still have room to do much better,” Canton coach Tim O’Donnell said of the relay team.
LeDuc finished seventh in the 3,200 meters with a time of 9:46.20. But he’ll compete in the New England meet because New Fairfield’s John Raneri, who won the event with a state record time of 9:10.75, declined the invitation to prepare for national-level event.
Raneri was at the center of a controversy at the finish. He won the race by over 10 seconds and actually lapped LeDuc. When he finished, Raneri drifted in front of LeDuc, who was still racing, caused him to stumble. LeDuc regained his balance but finished 1.2 seconds out of sixth place, an All-State bid and the invitation to the New England meet.
In most meets, Raneri would be disqualified for interference but no call was made. LeDuc didn’t lose All-State status because he won the 3,200 at the Class S meet.
LeDuc also ran the 1,600 meters at the State Open, taking 10th with a school-record time of 4:30.24, cutting about a second off his previous best a week earlier at the Class S meet.
Boys basketball
Canton whips East Windsor for seventh win in last nine games
CANTON, Feb. 19 -- In the final days of the regular season, the Canton High boys basketball team will be working on more consistent efforts on the offensive side of the ledger, fewer turnovers and picking up some additional rebounds.
Canton (13-6, 11-4 NCCC) will begin play in the NCCC Tournament this weekend after completing the regular season with a game against Somers on Tuesday.
Last week, the Warriors were hurt with some inconsistent play in a 59-51 loss to Avon. But they rebounded with an enjoyable 78-44 victory over East Windsor on Senior Night complete with a slam dunk from Connor Smyth late in the third quarter.
“We came out a little flat,” Deegan said. “It was Senior Night. Everyone wanted it to be perfect. After we settled down, we got a few baskets and got into a flow. The pressure defense was really tough.”
Guard Andrew Crowely scored 25 of his game-high 31 points in the first half. Smyth finished with 17. East Windsor (2-16) had an early 7-2 lead but Canton went on a 16-5 run to take command of the game. An additional 21-5 surge made the game a blowout.
Canton has scored 78 or more points four times this season. And the victory over East Windsor was Canton’s seventh win in its last nine games.
Crowley, Smyth, Matt Setzler and James Rosshirt were honored in pre-game ceremonies with their parents. Against Avon, Crowley had 17 points and Smyth had 16.
Girls basketball
Stunning loss to Raiders stops Canton surge in NCCC tourney
CANTON, Feb. 20 -- The Canton High girls basketball looked like they were heading to the postseason on a roll.
Junior All-State guard Sarah Benedetti scored 25 of her game-high 32 points in the first half as Canton completed the regular season with a dominating 56-34 win over Avon. It was Canton’s first win over Avon since 1999, ending a 18-game losing streak to the Falcons and giving Canton (14-6, 12-4 NCCC) the No. 2 seed in the NCCC Tournament.
“It feels good to finish up this way,” Canton coach Jeanne Holian said. “Who expects to come into Avon and win like this?”
Canton broke open the game in the second period. Benedetti drained a three-point shot to extend a seven-point lead to 10. It ignited a 14-4 run that decided the contest. Benedetti scored 10 of the 14 points in the decisive run on a pair of three-point shots, a basket in the low post and off a nice assist.
Megan Roux added nine points while Katherine Curvino scored seven. And the Warriors limited Avon to just 34 points.
“Our defense has been good. We’ve been working together as a team,” Holian said.
It all came to a stop in Saturday’s NCCC Tournament quarterfinal in Canton. No. 7 Windsor Locks upset the Warriors, 47-41.
“They wanted it more than we did,” Holian said. “The last time we played them, we won by 20 but it was tied in the third quarter. They hustled more and we got frustrated.”
Benedetti was limited to 10 points. Roux had 17 but it wasn’t enough. “You’ve got to come to fight,” Holian said. “Hopefully, we’ve learned something.” Canton’s next games will be in the Class S tournament, which begins March 1.
Girls basketball
Canton girls beat Avon for first time in 11 years
AVON, February 18 – Junior All-State guard Sarah Benedetti scored 25 of her game-high 32 points in the first half as the Canton girls basketball team beat Avon for the first time since 1999 with a dominating 56-34 victory on Thursday night in the regular season finale for both team. The Warriors (14-6, 12-4 NCCC) earned the No. 2 seed in this weekend’s NCCC Tournament with the victory.
Canton broke open the contest in the second period. Benedetti drained a three-point shot to extend a seven-point Warrior lead to 10 and ignite a 14-4 surge that decided the contest. Benedetti scored 10 of the 14 points on a pair of three-point shots, a basket in the low post and off a nice assist.
Megan Roux added nine for Canton while Katherine Curvino scored seven. The win snaps an 18-game losing streak to Avon. Titi Vanriel led the Falcons (13-7, 12-4 NCCC) with eight.
Bolton earned the top seed in the NCCC Tournament by winning the league title with a 15-1 record. Avon, Canton and Ellington finished tied for second with 12-4 records. Canton earned the No. 2 seed with its wins over Ellington and Avon while Avon slips in at No. 3.
Warrior roundup
Girls basketball aiming for state title; boys hoop team surging
By GERRY deSIMAS, Jr.
Collinsville Press.com
CANTON, Feb. 15 – They won’t be seeded high in the CIAC Class S tournament but watch out for the Canton High girls basketball team.
The Warriors entered the final week of the regular season with a 13-6 record. But five losses came during a three-week,eight-game span in December and January when junior All-State forward Sarah Benedetti was on the bench after tearing a ligament in her ankle.
Since Benedetti’s return, Canton (13-6, 11-4 NCCC) has won eight of nine games including a pair of easy victories last week over Stafford, 61-37 and East Windsor, 53-19.
Canton coach Jeanne Holian is looking forward to this weekend’s NCCC Tournament and then to the Class S tournament. “I’m excited about it,” she said. “It is about who is playing the best at this time. Everyone is tired at this point of the season. Who can suck it up and play hard for another three or four weeks?”
While the Benedetti injury was difficult, it did give her teammates time to gain the confidence to score and make big plays. Megan Roux and Sarah Getz aren’t afraid to take the big shot if Benedetti is being smothered defensively.
“We’re not fast breaking as I thought we would be,” Holian said. “I hope our defense will continue to be a strength. And we’re getting scoring from players other than Sarah.”
In the NCCC Tournament, Holian sees no reason why the Warriors can’t be competitive with Ellington, Suffield, Bolton, Coventry and Avon. Earlier this year, Canton beat Ellington for the first time since 2000 and played well in a two-point loss to Bolton that was decided in the final five seconds. And Avon is good but they aren’t the dominant power they have been over the past decade.
In the Class S tournament, Canton will have to deal with contenders from Thomaston, Capital Prep in Hartford, Bolton and St. Paul in Bristol. “Our goal is to win a state championship and we have as good a shot as anyone in the top 10,” Holian said. “It is who is playing on top of their game.”
In games last week, Benedetti had 24 points while Katherine Curvino added 12 and Getz scored 10 in a 61-37 win over Stafford. The Warriors led 32-15 at halftime. Against East Windsor, the Warriors had a 27-4 halftime lead in a 53-19 rout. Benedetti led the way with 20 points while Roux added 12.
BOYS BASKETBALL: With a pair of victories last week over Stafford and East Windsor, Canton extended its winning streak to five straight. The Warriors (12-5, 10-3 NCCC) have won six of their last seven games.
Connor Smyth had a career-high 29 points in a dominating performance in a 78-67 win over Stafford. He sank 11 of 14 shots from the field, pulled down nine rebounds and had a game-high seven blocks.
Mike Setzler had eight points, a team-high 10 assists and 11 rebounds, all on the defensive end of the floor, while Andrew Crowley had 13 points and a team-leading 11 rebounds.
Canton will need other players to step forward in the coming weeks when opponents collapse on Crowley, who leads the team with 22.2 points a game.
Smyth had another stellar effort on Friday night with 21 points in Canton’s 69-59 victory over East Windsor. Crowley had 21 points and Setzler added 10 points.
The Warriors host East Windsor on Friday night in the regular season finale and Senior Night. They complete the regular season on Tuesday at Somers with the NCCC Tournament beginning the weekend of February 26-27.
BOYS BASKETBALL ALUMNI GAME ON FRIDAY: Over 25 players that played Canton basketball from 1973-88 under coach Bill Mudano will meet on Friday night to play in an alumni game at the high school at 6:15 p.m.
The 20-minute game will be held between the junior varsity and varsity game between Canton and East Windsor. Mudano will attend and coach one of the teams. Among those expected to attend are former All-State players Roger Coutu, Steve Whirty, Bill Mudano, Jr. and Brennan Glasgow.
In his 15-year tenure at Canton, Mudano’s teams played in two Class S championship games, winning in 1978 and losing in 1981. The Warriors won three Northwest Conference Division II championships and three CIAC Class S regional titles. Mudano’s teams won a school-record 173 games.
Wrestlers win three of five, Benedetti breaks 1,000 career mark; Boys hoop wins 3 straight
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
CANTON, Feb. 8, 2010 – With his wrestling coaching career now down to a matter of days, Canton High mentor Bill Phelps saw his Warriors pick up three victories last week. In his final home match before many former wrestlers, parents and friends, the Warriors beat Granby, 54-28.
On the weekend, they picked up another two victories at the Groundhog Duals in South Windsor by beating Portland, 43-33 and Lyman Memorial, 64-12. The Warriors (10-20, 2-4 NCCC) nearly beat Rockville in a 43-38 loss and dropped a 60-18 decision to South Windsor.
In the loss to Rockville and the other Groundhog Dual bouts, Canton gave up 18 points (three weight classes) in forfeits. However, forfeits due to illness and a lack of wrestlers has been a challenge for the Warriors all season long.
The win over Granby was an emotional one for the team and Phelps, who was honored in the final home match of his 27-year career. Many former wrestlers and their parents were among the crowd who were treated to a brief slide show of Phelps coaching the Warriors throughout the years and words of congratulations from his long-time assistant coach Ed deSimas.
“Seeing all of those kids. That was the most touching moment,” Phelps said. “The letters and notes that I’ve received from kids and the parents was great. That is what meant more to me. It’s not about the wins and losses. It’s about the friendships we’ve made along the way.”
Thanks to five forfeits in the first eight weight classes, Canton took command early against Granby. Nate Getler (140 pounds) and Chris Giesselman (103) had pins for the Warriors while Matt Grisevich (135) earned a 12-2 decision.
At the Groundhog Duals, the Warriors went 2-2 but Matt White (119) and Steve Carpenter (125) and Rich Jones (160) each went 4-0. Carpenter (31-2) had three pins and a technical fall while White (23-4) had three pins.
Jones, who has a team-high 35 wins in 37 matches, had two pins. His 27 pins are four shy of the single-season school record of 31 set by Kacy O’Connor nearly a decade ago.
Getler (135) went 3-1 to improve to 30-3 on the year. His only loss was to defending State Open champion Joe Sargenti of South Windsor, 8-1. Grisevich (130) went 3-1 to improve to 26-7.
Canton concluded its regular season campaign on Wednesday at Somers but they wrestle in the NCCC Tournament this weekend in Granby. Canton could be a contender in the league tournament. Getler, Carpenter and Jones each have over 30 wins. White and Matt Grisevich each have over 25 wins. Brian Fitzgerald was wrestling well before getting the flu two weeks ago.
The key to Canton’s success lies in the consolation round of the double-elimination tournament. If the wrestlers can shake off a loss, return and win some matches, they could be dangerous.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Sarah Benedetti has become the fourth Canton girls basketball player to score over 1,000 career points. Benedetti, a junior forward, broke the 1,000 point barrier last Thursday in a low-scoring 34-28 victory over Coventry.
The last Canton girl to score over 1,000 points was Laura Mack in 2000. Patty Sarmuk Canny and Natasha Progna are the other CHS girls to achieve this milestone.
It was a tie ballgame at halftime but the Warriors outscored Coventry by a 13-7 margin in the third quarter to take control. Benedetti finished with 12 on the evening while Megan Roux added 11. Sarah Getz scored eight points – all from the foul line. It gave Canton its fifth straight win.
Bolton, which lost its first game of the season last week, got back on the winning track against Canton last Saturday night with a 46-44 victory when Ali Caless scored the game-winning layup with 4.7 seconds left in regulation.
Benedetti had 20 points while Roux added 10 in the losing effort. Canton slipped to 11-6 and 9-4 in the NCCC.
Canton began last week with an easy 58-30 win over East Granby behind 26 points and 10 rebounds from Benedetti along with 10 points and nine rebounds from Getz. Roux chipped with 17 points.
BOYS BASKETBALL: It was a perfect week for the Warriors, who won three straight games to improve to 10-5 overall and 8-3 in the league. Coming off three losses in their four previous games, Canton began the week with a 72-39 rout of East Granby led by Andrew Crowley with 27 points and Nick Quattro with 12.
The Warriors scored 28 points in the first quarter of a 69-52 rout of Coventry, outscoring the Patriots by 17 in the first eight minutes. Crowley had 24 points while James Rosshirt added 16 points. Connor Smyth chipped in with 15 points.
Canton closed out the week with a 67-47 win over Bolton with another explosive first quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs by a 24-11 margin. Crowley had 25 points while Rosshirt had 14 rebounds, eight points and seven assists. Quattro scored 13 for the Warriors.
Warrior roundup
Boys hoop seeks consistency,
Girls hoop qualifies for Class S,
more track records fall,
short-handed wrestlers lose
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Special to the Press
CANTON, Feb. 1, 2010 – At the midway point of the NCCC campaign, the Canton High boys basketball team is looking for more consistency, especially on the offensive end of the floor. The Warriors (7-5, 5-3 NCCC) beat Windsor Locks last week by a 66-60 margin but dropped their third game in the last four with a 70-61 loss to Enfield last Friday.
“We went against a more quicker team (Enfield),” Canton coach Eric Deegan said. “We had a lot of turnovers against their press. It was tough to maneuver and a lot of passes got tipped.”
Canton actually had a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter but were outscored 14-6 in the final seven minutes. Andrew Crowley had a team-high 17 points, including three 3-point shots while Connor Smyth added 16.
Enfield’s Terrance Jones scored six of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Raiders (8-4) won their sixth straight game. Nate Lindo had a game-high 22 points and 14 rebounds for Enfield.
“We definitely need to work on our ball handling and ball control within our offense,” Deegan said.
Deegan is pleased with the way the team has been shooting this week. Crowley had 21 points in the victory over Windsor Locks while Smith added 17 points. Crowley leads the team with a 22.6 average and a team-high 15 3-point shots. Smyth is averaging 12.4 points and a team-high 8.7 rebounds. Smyth has blocked 16 shots.
James Rosshirt is averaging 10 points a game and a team-high 3.6 assists.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Canton (9-5, 7-3 NCCC) qualified for the Class S tournament last week by sweeping a pair of games from Windsor Locks and Enfield. Good defense in the first and fourth quarter lifted the Warriors to a 49-29 victory over Windsor Locks and a berth in the Class S tournament. Sarah Benedetti had 14 points while Sarah Getz chipped in with 12 points. Canton outscored Locks, 11-4 in the first quarter and 19-5 in the final eight minutes.
Against Enfield, Canton had three players in double figures to win its third straight game with a 72-27 victory. For the Warriors, it was their highest scoring game in 11 years since they scored 73 against East Granby in 1999. Benedetti scored 27 to lead the Warriors while Kathyrn Curvino and Megan Roux added 12 points each.
WRESTLING: Short on bodies due to illnesses, Canton gave up 30 points before the first match began thanks to five forfeits in a 54-29 loss to defending NCCC champion Avon. On the mat, Canton actually outscored the Falcons, 29-24 with four pins and a tech fall. Would Canton have won all five bouts if they had been held? It’s hard to say. The only thing for sure is that Avon had a 30-point advantage this evening.
Canton’s Rich Jones (160) earned his team-leading 26th win with his victory over Avon’s Ryan Pearson but he had to work for it. Pearson got the first two takedowns of the match to take a 4-1 lead. Late in the first period, Pearson turned Jones to his back to take a 8-3 lead. But Jones (26-2) rallied to tie the match at 8-8 and pin Pearson in 2:18.
Canton’s Steve Carpenter (125) improved to 23-2 with a first period pin while teammate Nate Getler (135) improved to 22-2 with a pin in less than a minute. Matt Grisevich (130) also had a pin and raised his record to 20-5. Matt White (119) won by technical fall to raise his record to 18-2.
The Warriors (6-15, 1-4 NCCC) actually had an 18-0 lead after three matches but forfeited five of the final 11 bouts and won one of the remaining six matches. Avon improved to 16-4 on the year and 5-0 in the league.
INDOOR TRACK: Snow and ice postponed the NCCC championship meet at Hillhouse in New Haven until Monday, February 8. It will be a challenging meet for the Warriors.
On the boys side, a very deep Ellington team returns two defending conference champions and Suffield has a strong group of distance runners along with some high jumpers and pole vaulters. Enfield has a strong group of sprinters. Canton has depth among its runners and will need to gather points throughout the meet to contend for a championship.Last year, the Canton boys finished second in the NCCC behind Tolland, which joined the Central Connecticut Conference in September.
On the girls side, Suffield is the definite favorite with several girls from the team that finished second in Class M during the cross country season and several athletes from the girls soccer team. Ellington and Coventry should also be in the mix. Canton has some good athletes but may not have enough depth to challenge for a title.
Even as the Warriors prepare for the NCCC championships and the Class S championship meet just five days later on February 13, they have been breaking some school records.
For the second time this winter, the school record in the 1,600 meters went down. This time, it was Brian Magna, who ran a time of 4:35.16 at the Shoreline Coaches Invitational, breaking the school record set earlier this winter by Mike LeDuc (4:39.50).
Alexandra Summa broke the school record in the 55 meter dash for the second time this winter with a run of 7.96 seconds at the Shoreline Coaches meet, snapping the mark of 8.01 seconds set by Katie Talbot a week earlier. And Summa did it without starting blocks, which weren’t allowed.
Canton’s 4x400 meter boys relay got bumped and dropped the baton in at the Shoreline Coaches meet but they nearly erased a 10-second deficit to finish second in their heat and eighth overall. James Solomon, Kevin Kurnat, Ryan Gallagher and Magna still were able to run their fastest time of the year, 3:44.30.
The boys 4x200 meter relay team also set a school record at the recent Yale Interscholastic Track and Field Classic. Solomon, Gallagher, Brian Lochner and Magna finished sixth in 1:37.66 out of a field of 22 teams. Teams from throughout the Northeast, New York and New Jersey participated in the 28th annual event.
At the same meet, Canton’s girls 4x200 meter relay team finished 13th with a season-best time of 2:00.32. Summa, Elise Minichello, Rose Minichetto and Talbot ran that race.
Warrior roundup
Just another close game for Canton girls; Slow starts bite Canton boys
By GERRY deSIMAS, Jr.
Collinsville Press.com
CANTON, Jan. 25 – The Ellington High girls basketball team had just extended its lead over Canton to five points late in the third quarter Friday night in Canton. But the Warriors didn’t panic. They kept playing. Less than a half minute later, Canton’s Sarah Getz scored off an inbounds play to cut the Ellington lead back to three points.
Just another close game for the Warriors. “We’ve been in so many close games, they just play,” Canton coach Jeanne Holian said. “They don’t show any emotion or excitement.”
Perhaps it’s due to the limited size of the varsity team. With only six players who regularly see action, the Warriors can’t waste their energy on celebrations. They need it all for the game. The remainder of the bench is freshmen and sophomores.
Canton forced two turnovers and hit four of six foul shots in the final two minutes to earn a thrilling 48-45 win over Ellington – the first Canton victory over the Knights since 2000.
“It’s like a blur to me,” Holian said. “In the last three minutes, it was our defense. We had some key rebounds, too.”
Tied at 42-42 with 2:40 remaining, Megan Roux stole the ball and fed Sarah Bendetti, who was fouled. She hit one of two shots. With about a minute left, Ellington’s Kelly Conley drove to the basket, scored and was fouled. She sank the foul shot for a two-point Knight lead, 45-43.
Getz responded almost immediate with a jumper to tie the game again. On Canton’s next possession, Danielle Coutu was fouled. She sank the first foul shot but the second bounced off the rim and was on the way out of bounds. Benedetti reached over, tapped the ball back into play to Getz, who was fouled. She sank two foul shots for a 48-45 lead.
Benedetti finished with a game-high 24 points and 22 rebounds. Getz, who finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, was eager to take a shot with the game on the line. That’s the kind of initiative the Warriors need since Benedetti will be sure to attract heavy defensive attention for the rest of the year.
Benedetti had 31 points and 16 rebounds earlier in the week as the Warriors beat Granby, 58-46. Coutu added 13 while Roux scored eight points. Canton got out to a big lead early as Benedetti hit her first three shots, including a pair of three-point goals, and four of her first six. Canton led 36-14 at halftime.
The schedule down the stretch won’t be easy. Canton have three games next week against teams with winning records. They host East Granby on Tuesday and Coventry on Thursday before traveling to Bolton, which finished this week at 11-0, for a game on Saturday, Feb. 6.
BOYS BASKETBALL: The Warriors (6-4, 4-2 NCCC) got behind twice last week and paid for it. Canton scored just eight points in the second period and saw their fourth quarter rally fall short in a 57-51 loss on the road at Granby. Three days later, the Warriors managed to score just five points in the first quarter of a 53-51 loss to Ellington.
Against Granby, Andrew Crowley scored 16 points while Connor Smyth added 13. James Rosshirt scored 12 but a fourth quarter rally wasn’t enough. A 16-0 by the Bears in the second quarter put Canton in a deep hole.
In the Ellington game, Crowley tied a career-high with 32 points. Rosshirt added 10 but the rest of the team struggled to score, combining for just nine points. Still, Canton was close. The game was tied before Ellington’s Zack Graves sank a jumper with 18 seconds left to put the Knights ahead. Graves, who scored 50 in a game earlier this season, finished with 13 points.
Boys hoop team rallies to beat Suffield; Girls hoop wins fifth game; track getting ready; gutsy performance by wrestlers
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
CANTON, Jan. 18 – With Canton’s All-State forward Andrew Crowley shut down by a pesky, aggressive Suffield High defense, Crowley’s Warrior teammates picked up the slack and earned a magical victory last week.
Crowley, Canton’s newest 1,000 point scorer who was averaging 25 points a game, was held to just four points. And the Warriors were down six points with two minutes remaining.
With some defensive pressure and strong play inside, Canton rallied to earn a 48-44 victory over Suffield. Coupled with a 61-43 win over East Granby and another lopsided victory over Portland on Saturday night, 83-62, the Warriors (6-2, 4-0 NCCC) ended the week with five straight victories and an undefeated record in the league.
Suffield presented a big challenge to Crowley and his teammates. “They played a diamond-and-one defense on him,” Canton coach Eric Deegan said. “We didn’t work hard enough to get him shots.”
The upside was that Canton turned in its best defensive performance to date. “We extended our defense a little more and kept the dribbler in front of us,” Deegan said.
Down by six with two minutes remaining, Deegan told his players to drive to the basket. After a timeout, James Rosshirt drove to the basket for a layup to cut the lead to four. After holding Suffield scoreless, Crowley sank a rebound to trim the lead to two.
On Canton’s next possession, the Warriors had three opportunities to score. On the third rebound, Connor Smyth sank the basket and was fouled. He sank the foul shot to give Canton a one-point lead. Then, Rosshirt got a big steal and Mike Setzler sank two foul shots to help ice the victory.
Smyth led Canton with 16 points, including 11 in the pivotal fourth quarter. Mike Pepin added 10 points. Setzler played for the first time this year and scored nine points, including a three-pointer. A starter a year ago, he injured his ankle during the summer. It is still stiff and sore but he is able to contribute some valuable minutes.
Canton wasn’t particularly sharp in the win over East Granby. Crowley led the way with 20 points, 12 rebounds and five steals while Rosshirt added 16 points.
Against Portland, Crowley tied his career-high that he set in the opener (also against Portland) with 32 points while Smyth had 17 points and 16 rebounds. Rosshirt added another 16 points.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: The Warriors (5-5, 3-2 NCCC) moved within three games of qualifying for the CIAC Class S tournament with a thrilling 41-38 victory over East Granby last week. Sarah Getz had a career-high 20 points and hit the game-winning three-point shot with 1.5 seconds left in regulation. The original shot by Katherine Curvino was blocked but Getz grabbed the rebound and hit the shot.
Megan Roux added 10 as the Warriors outscored the Crusaders, 14-7 in the final eight minutes thanks to some key defensive plays.
However, later in the week, Canton had difficulty scoring in a 48-33 loss to Suffield. Canton trailed by 10 at halftime and by 18 after three quarters. Getz led the way with 12 points while Katherine Curvino added nine.
INDOOR TRACK: The Warriors continue to prepare for the NCCC championship meet next Wednesday, Jan. 27, at Hillhouse High in New Haven. For the first time, Canton competed at the Yale Interscholastic Track and Field Classic at Coxe Cage on the Yale campus. Teams from throughout the Northeast, New York and New Jersey participated in the 28th annual event.
Canton senior Ryan Gallagher finished 14th in a field of 127 competitors in the 300 meters with a time of 37.40, the third-best time in team history. Senior James Solomon ran a time of 40.44, good enough for 80th place.
Mike LeDuc took 17th place in the 3,000 meters with a time of 9:04.03. Kevin Kurnat was 61st in the field of 274 runners with a time of 9:26.53.
Gallagher also finished 25th in the 400 meters with a time of 52.81. David Kucia finished 51st in the 55 hurdles with a time of 8.83, his second-best effort of the season.
On the girls side, Tyisha Alexander was 53rd in the 55 hurdles with a time of 10.21. She also finished 53rd in the 55 meter hurdles in 10.21 while teammate Katie Talbot was 73rd in a field of 191 runners in the 55 meter dash (8.05 seconds). Alessandra Summa was close behind Talbot in 79th place with a time of 8.1 seconds.
Summa ran her fastest time of the year in the 300 (47.55 seconds) and finished 62nd.
WRESTLING: Just four days after dropping a 27-point decision to Stafford in a non-league match, Canton went toe-to-toe with the Bulldogs last week in a NCCC match. Each team forfeited two weight classes leaving 10 weight classes to decide the match. Both teams won five matches each, four by pin.
The difference in Stafford’s 40-39 victory was the Bulldogs earning four points with a nine-point decision at 145 pounds while Canton earned just three with a six-point victory at 140 pounds. Matt White (119), Steve Carpenter (125), Matt Grisevich (130) and Greg Cole (160) had pins for the Warriors.
On Saturday, Canton (6-13, 1-2 NCCC) was undermanned with eight wrestlers out of the lineup. Three were sick or injured, two were at a family funeral and three had religious commitments. Canton fielded a team of just eight wrestlers, giving up six forfeits (30 points) in each match. The Warriors fell to Seymour (45-15), Derby (54-24) and Gilbert (46-24).
Steve Carpenter (125) went 3-0 with two pins to remain undefeated at 19-0. He has 12 pins on the season. Junior Nate Getler (135) also won a pair of matches to remain undefeated (17-0).
Junior Matt White (119) lost his first match of the season, dropping a 6-4 decision to Seymour’s Carlos Vidal, giving up a two-point reversal in the final five seconds. White (13-1) finished the day with another two pins.
Senior Rich Jones (160) lost his first match of the season in a 9-4 loss to Ansonia’s Nick O’Connor. Jones got behind 4-1 in the first period and couldn’t catch up. Jones (22-1, 18 pins) had two more pins to finish the afternoon.
Strong start for indoor track;
Crowley only 4th boy to score more than 1,000 points; Four wrestlers are undefeated
CANTON, Jan. 11 – Indoor track is a unique sport among high schools in Connecticut. There are no dual meets. Many of the meets are developmental events geared to provide young athletes with an opportunity to try an event or two and get a feel for the sport of track and field.
For Canton, there are really just two big meets – the NCCC championship meet on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at Hillhouse High in New Haven and the CIAC Class S championship meet on Saturday, Feb. 13, also at Hillhouse.
The idea is to allow athletes to performing their best at these meets. So, it is a bit surprising for a team to set a new school record in the first meet of the season. But four Canton runners did that at the Bacon Academy developmental meet in the last week of December.
Ryan Gallagher, Mike LeDuc, Kevin Kurnat and Brian Magna ran on Canton’s 4x800 meter squad that shattered the school record with a time of 8:41.31. The old record was 9:00.01 set twice last year.
Gallagher ran the 800 meters for the first time and LeDuc turned in his best-ever time for 800 meters.
Canton coach Tim O’Donnell isn’t sure if the team will remain together for the NCCC or Class S meet. There are other ways to employ the runners to score points with the move of Tolland to the Central Connecticut Conference, Canton is a legitimate contender for the NCCC championship among the boys.
The Canton boys finished second in the NCCC a year ago, 37 points behind Tolland. Ellington is the favorite with a deep squad while Suffield and Enfield look strong again.
Preparations continued for the Warriors over the weekend. The boys finished seventh at the Shoreline Invitational in New Haven. The medley relay team of Brian Lochner (200 meters), James Soloman (200), Kevin Kurnat (400) and Brian Magna (800) finished second with a 3:50.76, four seconds than its winning time of a year ago. Old Lyme had a new meet record that was a second faster.
Magna also finished third in the 1,000 meters in 2:43.39 and 3,200 meters in 10:19.83. LeDuc was fourth in the 1,000 and 1,600 meters. David Kucia continued to chip away at his own school record in the 55 hurdles with a sixth place finish in 8.57.
The Canton girls competed at the Shoreline Invitational and did well, despite not scoring a point. “They only score through the first six places,” O’Donnell said. “We were competitive and very solid but just in seventh to tenth place.”
Alli Summa knocked a second off her school record in the 55 meters, running 8.00 seconds and finishing ninth. Teammate Katie Talbot was tenth with a time of 8.01. Deanna Nappi was eighth in the 1,000 meters while Summa took seventh in the shot.
BOYS BASKETBALL: Andrew Crowley became just the fourth boy in school history to score over 1,000 points when he scored 28 points in Friday’s 60-47 win over Bolton. He is the first boy to surpass 1,000 points at Canton since Bill Mudano, Jr. in 1987.
“He had to work real hard to get his points,” Canton coach Eric Deegan said. Bolton had two players on Crowley in the first quarter until his teammates starting scoring and rebounding to get some fast break opportunities.
Crowley, a 6-foot-1 guard, is averaging 25.2 points a game and scored a career-high 32 points in the season-opening win over Portland.
“He’s a better athlete this year,” Deegan said. “He is stronger and his first step gives him the ability to get separation (from the defender). It’s hard to keep him from the rim.”
And because he is stronger, Crowley is better able to withstand the physical play in the lane. “It doesn’t knock him off his stride as much this year,” he said.
Crowley had 22 points and hit two free throws with eight seconds remaining to lift the Warriors (3-2, 2-0 NCCC) to a 55-54 victory over Somers in the initial league contest of the season for Canton. The Warriors trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: The Warriors (4-4, 2-2 NCCC) had a pair of challenging contests a week ago. Somers rallied to earn a 47-44 victory over the Warriors despite 17 points from Megan Roux and 10 points from Kathryn Curvino. Last Friday, Canton struggled to score in a 45-23 loss to undefeated Bolton. Danielle Coutu led the way with 10 points while Roux added six.
WRESTLING: Senior Rich Jones (160 pounds) had three pins on Saturday to run his individual record to 18-0 as the Warriors participated in the Northwestern Regional Duals. One of four wrestlers on the squad with undefeated records, Jones has 16 pins.
Senior Steve Carpenter (125) had three pins this weekend and improved to 15-0 with nine pins while Matt White (119) improved to 10-0 with a pair of wins and two forfeits. Junior Nate Getler (135) is 13-0 with seven pins but didn’t wrestle this weekend for violating school rules.
In the tournament, Canton (6-9, 1-1 NCCC) went 1-3 with a win over Rocky Hill (48-36) and losses to Stafford (54-27), Gilbert (48-30) and Morgan (45-36). The Warriors were giving up three forfeits (18 points) in each match.
Warrior roundup
Canton girls bring home tournament trophy
CANTON, Jan. 4 – The Canton High girls basketball team is without their best player. Junior Sarah Benedetti tore ligament in her ankle in the second game of the season. But the Warriors are embracing the challenge of playing with Benedetti, who scored a career-high 32 points in a season opening victory over East Windsor.
When a team has a dominant player like Benedetti, teammates frequently defer to her, letting her take the big shot, grab the big rebound or make the key stop.
Now, the Warriors are learning to play without Benedetti and win. Canton lost the first two games they played without Benedetti but they have won the last two – a pair of overtime decisions in the Derita Construction Classic at Haddam-Killingworth to give Canton its first regular season tournament championship in school history.
The Warriors (4-2, 2-0 NCCC) beat St. Bernards in the semifinals, 37-36 and then beat host Haddam-Killingworth in the final, 49-45, despite the Cougars hitting a big three-point shot at the buzzed to force overtime.
“They’ve realized they can do this,” a proud Canton coach Jeanne Holian said. “They believe now.”
Adding to the challenge was the fact that Canton was expecting just seven experienced players to fill out the varsity lineup. The remainder of the team was freshmen and sophomores with little or no varsity experience. But one player decided not to play and when Benedetti was hurt, there were just five experienced players left.
Holian isn’t afraid to play the youngsters but wants to be fair to them and not put them into overwhelming situations. Canton did upgrade its schedule this year to prepare for the Class S tournament.
Junior guard Megan Roux, senior Danielle Coutu, junior Kathryn Curvino, senior Lucy Mentzer and senior guard Sarah Getz are playing the majority of the minutes. And Holian was proud that these five played primarily man-to-man defense in the championship win over H-K.
“We figured we would start off the game in man but we ended up in it for the whole game, four and a half quarters,” Holian said. “They way they gutted that out was unbelievable.”
Canton trailed by six at halftime and was down by as many as eight points. But they wouldn’t go away. Roux had 16 points and Coutu had six of her eight points in the fourth quarter on two big baskets and two foul shots. Curvino sank her only field goal (a three-pointer) and two foul shots in the fourth quarter. Mentzer, whose job was to slow down 5-foot-9 Megan Schultz of HK, hit two free throws. Getz finished with 10 points
“Everyone made some big play,” Holian said. “Defensively, it was fun to watch. They just would not give up.”
Schultz, who finished with 17, hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to force OT. But the Warriors calmly came to the bench and went to work in OT, outscoring the Cougars, 8-4 to win the tournament. Roux was named the tournament MVP.
In the semifinal win over St. Bernard, Roux had 14 points while Getz had eight points. Canton sank 14-of-17 free throws in the game, led by Roux, who was 8-for-8 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter and OT.
Benedetti is expected back eventually and Canton is looking for another four wins to earn a trip to the CIAC Class S tournament.
BOYS BASKETBALL: Canton enters the new year with a 2-2 record after two tough losses to quicker teams from Avon and Bloomfield. The Warriors were able to compete with Avon in the first quarter of a 66-55 loss to the Falcons. They were blown out of their own gym by a much more athletic Bloomfield squad, 86-50. The Warhawks, who played in the Class M final a year ago, entertained the Canton crowd with several slam dunks in the first half.
“We’re not going to play anyone that is as athletic as they are again,” Canton coach Eric Deegan said. “They took us out of a lot of offensive plays. We have to learn that making that first or second pass is the key to getting us going. We weren’t able to do that in the first half and things broke down.”
Bloomfield led 30-9 after one quarter and 49-25 at halftime. An injury to guard Nick Quattro didn’t help but wouldn’t have made much of a difference.
Andrew Crowley led the Warriors with 22 points while Connor Smyth added 13. Deegan was pleased with Smyth’s inside play. “Tonight he showed the kind of fight that he has in him,” Deegan said. “He will have to dominate at times for us to be successful.”
WRESTLING: Canton Freshman Matt Graziano picked up a solid 13-2 victory over senior Aaron Kennedy and junior Nate Getler remained undefeated with a 5-0 win over Kyle Oldham to lead the Warriors to a surprising 42-26 victory over Thomaston Wednesday. The win gave Canton a 2-2 record in their five-team meet. The Warriors (4-2) also earned a win over Northwestern, 48-30.
E.O. Smith won four bouts including a 63-18 win over Canton while Farmington held on with victories from James Poggio (145) and Tyler Strauss (152) in the final two bouts to clinch the 51-30 win after Canton had cut the lead to nine points with three straight pins.
Getler went 5-0 on the day and improved to 9-0 while Steve Carpenter (130) won four bouts with two pins to remain undefeated at 6-0. Rich Jones won four times to improve to 9-0 while Matt White improved to 5-0 with a few victories.
INDOOR TRACK: The Warriors kicked off the season at the Bacon Academy developmental meet at Hillhouse High School last week. Tyisha Alexander finished tied for third in the high jump and tied her own school record with a leap of 4-foot-8.
Allie Summa took fourth in the shot (26-2) while the 4x400 relay team and the 4x200 relay team each finished third with times of 4:49.05 and 2:06.41, respectively.
On the boys side, Canton’s 4x800 meter relay team won their event and set a new school record in the first meet of the season with a time of 8:41.31, snapping the old record of 9:00.01 set twice last year.
Mike LeDuc won the 3,200 meters in 10:06.71, only about a second off the school record set a year ago when Erik Nystrom won a Class S championship. Chris Kelly was third in 10:17.19. Brian Magna finished second in the 600 meters with a time of 1:30.56.
Kevin Kurnat (1,600) and David Kucia (long jump) qualified for the Class S championships. No team scores were kept.
Boys basketball
Canton boys look for challenges to meet in '10
CANTON, Dec. 20 –The Canton High boys basketball team has been eliminated from the CIAC Class S tournament the past two years by a quick Kolbe Cathedral team from Bridgeport. Last March, the Warriors took Kolbe into overtime before dropping a quarterfinal decision.
So Canton head coach Eric Deegan has increased the difficulty of the schedule this winter to prepare for quick teams like Kolbe, Capital Prep and Hartford Classical out of Hartford or Hyde in New Haven.
Canton, which had a 19-1 record a year ago in the regular season, is playing two games with Avon and faces Bloomfield (2009 Class M finalist) for the first time since 1960 on Tuesday, Dec. 29 at home.
A year ago, Canton had only one regularly scheduled game with Avon, now a Class L school. Deegan also scheduled a scrimmage against Simsbury (Class LL) earlier this month that was, unfortunately, cancelled due to snow. The idea is to expose the Warriors to the more of the pressure defenses that they have seen deep in the Class S tournament.
“The challenge is to handle the pressure that those teams will present to us,” Deegan said. “If you can run your offense against teams like that (Avon, Bloomfield) and get off some quality shots, you’ll always be in the game.”
Speed and quickness will be the strength of this Warrior team that returns three starters but is not very big after the graduation of 6-foot-6 All-State center Chris Robitaille, now at Eastern Connecticut State. “Our team speed is our biggest asset,” Deegan said. “We hope to get a lot of transition baskets.”
Senior All-State forward Andrew Crowley returns along with senior James Rosshirt and Connor Smyth. Junior Nick Quattro and Mike Pepin have taken the other spots in the starting five. Senior Mike Setzler is still recovering from injuring his ankle during the summer and hopes to rejoin the team in a few weeks.
Crowley had a career-high 32 points in Canton’s 86-63 victory over Portland last week to open the season – its sixth straight opening night victory. Crowley had 24 points in the first half. Smyth added 16 while Pepin scored 15 – also career-highs for both players. The Warriors got out quickly, taking a 31-14 lead after one quarter.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: A strong first half effort lifted Canton (2-0) to a 56-38 win over Somers last week, playing without All-State guard Sarah Bendetti, who turned an ankle early in the game. The Warriors led 41-19 at halftime. Danielle Coutu led Canton with 18 points while Kathryn Curvino added 12.
In Canton’s 54-18 season opening win over East Windsor, Bendetti led the way with a career-high 32 points and six three-point goals. Her previous high was 31 points against Grasso Tech in the 2008 Class S playoff victory.
