Canton roundup
Canton hires new AD
CANTON, Dec. 7 -- Avon resident Diane (Dee) Stephan has been hired as the new athletic director at Canton High, effective today, Dec. 7. Stephan has previously coached at Avon, Ethel Walker and Simsbury. She was the director of Athletics at Ethel Walker in Simsbury for five years, where she led Walker to New England titles in girls lacrosse in 2009 and 2010. Stephan is a member of the Connecticut chapter of the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Two soccer players
earn All-State honors
CANTON, Dec. 3 – Three Canton soccer players were selected to play in the annual Senior Bowl showcase games. Senior goalie Mike Grisevich and midfielder Tyler Detorie were selected to play in the Connecticut High School Soccer Association’s annual event at Middletown High on Nov. 27. Grisevich was the a Senior Bowl MVP. Morgan Smith was selected to play in the Senior Bowl event hosted by the Connecticut Girls Soccer Coaches Association on Dec. 3.
Detorie earned All-State honors in boys soccer while Smith earned All-State honors for the second straight year. Smith finished her career as the leading goal scorer in school history, among the girls, with 33 goals. She had 12 this year and a school-record 17 as a junior. Allie Coutu had 11 goals this year to move her into a second place on the all-time list with 22 goals, tied with Shiny Douglas, who also had 22.
2011-12 schedules
2012 boys basketball preview
Warriors look for a winning season
CANTON, Dec. 9 -- The Canton High boys basketball took a step backward a year ago. After six straight winning seasons, the Warriors slipped under .500. Canton still qualified for the CIAC Class S tournament for a school-record seventh straight time but it was a short-lived appearance. Coach Eric Deegan hopes the Warriors (8-13, 5-11 NCCC) can get back on the winning side of the ledger but it won’t be easy.
“We don’t have the big inside guy that other teams do but I hope we’ll be able to rebound better and defend a bit,” Deegan said. Canton (8-13, 5-11 NCCC) has plenty of shooters. They weren’t afraid to put up three-point shots a year ago, sinking 116 from long range, one of the best performances in the school’s 90 years of basketball.
Junior Pat Sullivan led the way with 43 three-point shots, including seven in a win over Bolton when the Warriors sank 14 three-pointers as a team. Sullivan averaged 7.3 points a game. Leading scorer Michael Pepin, who sank 32 three-point shots and averaged 13.7 points a game, graduated along with Chad Huff, who averaged 8.7 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds a game.
But 6-foot-2 senior forward Colin Gurry, who averaged 10.4 points a game, drained 21 three-point shots and had 25 steals, returns along with 5-foot-11 senior guard Tim Gavin, who played only two games a year ago before getting injured in game three. “We need Colin and Tim to be the leaders of this team,” Deegan said. “As a team, we need to be assertive and not be satisfied with eight wins. We’re expecting a lot from them.”
Five-foot-9 senior guard Zach Powell, 6-1 junior Tyler Lange and 5-8 junior forward Jake Wood look to contribute initially for the Warriors along with sophomore guards Alexander Daley (5-6) and Andrew Zukowski (5-5).
2012 girls basketball preview
New era, new coach for Canton girls hoop team
CANTON, Dec. 7 – A new era is beginning this winter with the Canton High girls basketball team. It’s a relatively new team with a new coach.
Sarah Benedetti, one of the best players in school history, is now playing Division I basketball at St. Francis of New York, draining three-point shots for the Terriers. A three-time All-State and four-time All-NCCC player, Benedetti scored 1,653 points in her Canton career. She was one of four seniors in the starting lineup last winter for the Warriors (12-11, 10-6 NCCC).
Jeanne Holian didn’t return as coach after six years and four straight berths in the Class S tournament. In her place is first-year coach Michael Jessie, a former longtime assistant coach with Bristol Eastern. Jessie has spent the last eight years on the staff of veteran coach Tony Floyd.
Junior Amanda Curvino is the only player returning who had significant playing time last year. Kirsten Kronschnabel and Lauren Zukowski are the only seniors on the team. Curvino, Jessica Lederman, Abby Brophy and Lauren Ronge are the juniors. There are several promising sophomore players, too. It’s not a big team, either. Kronschnabel is the tallest player at 5-foot-9.
“Everyone will have to be able to handle the ball,” Jessie said. “Our athleticism is a plus. We have kids who can run and get up and down the floor.”
It will be a challenge against some talented teams in the NCCC. But Jessie sees that the team is up for it.
“They’re all working hard,” he said. “They’re all very good kids and they have the desire to get better. They know that they are going to have to step up now and making the plays.”
2012 wrestling preview
Small team but look for White, Fitzpatrick to be strong
CANTON, Dec. 9 -- With only 15 wrestlers in the program, the Warriors will have a difficult time earning dual meet victories. Canton (6-19, 1-6 NCCC) looks as they may forfeit up to four of 14 weight classes, giving up to 24 points a match. But Canton has a pair of seniors who should do well this season in Matt White (132 pounds) and Bryan Fitzpatrick (138 pounds).
Indoor track preview
Boys team looks to defend title
CANTON, Dec. 9 -- After winning two straight NCCC championships, the Canton High boys track and field team will be challenged to make it three in a row. The Warriors do have some returning athletes in Tyler Van Kirk, Jeff Lochner, Jarrett Chouinard, Tyler Fitzpatrick, Julian Franklin, Keith Wilson and Peter LeDuc.
But they have big shoes to fill with graduation of David Kucia, probably the best track and field athlete in school history, league champions Dylan Smith (shot) and Kevin Kurnat (1,000) and a host of runners that helped the Warriors win two relay titles at the NCCC championships. Kucia won the 55 hurdles at the NCCC meet in school record time and finished second in the long jump.
The girls track team has a few key veterans returning in Katie Talbot, Rose Minichiello, Sarah Allen, Jamie Haberern and Anna Waite. It’s not enough to challenge for a league title but they should do well.
Canton will have a new coach this winter. Seth Spector, a former head coach at Xavier in Middletown, will take over the two teams. The indoor track season consists of a few developmental meets and the NCCC championships, which will be held in just a few weeks on January 17.
Former basketball coach dies
CANTON, Nov. 21 -- Former Canton High boys basketball and cross country coach Harry Geraghty died on Saturday, Nov. 19, at the age of 78. Geraghty coached basketball for seven years from 1967-73 and started the cross country program in 1968. His 1970 basketball team went 16-4 in the regular season, which tied a school record for most wins in a season at that time. Geraghty coached high school sports for 40 years at Rockville, Wethersfield, Lyman Hall and South Windsor, coaching basketball along with track and field. He was named coach of the year three times by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association in 1986 (girls cross country), 1991 (boys cross country) and 1993 (girls track). In 2002, he was inducted in the CT High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
