MIDDLETOWN, Nov. 21 – Vinal Tech/Coginchaug’s Andrew Cruz ran for a game-high 169 yards on 32 carries and scored four TDs to lead the Hawks to a 37-12 victory over the Warriors in the season finale for both teams on Thanksgiving Eve under the bright lights at Palmer Field. Vinal QB Kevin Doherty completed 15-of-19 passes for 218 yards to seven different receivers.
Canton (0-10) simply could not stop Vinal Tech (1-9), which scored on seven of its first eight possessions. The only defensive stop the Warriors made was when Nick Grabowski intercepted a pass and ran it back 55 yards.
“We just have to get physically stronger,” Canton coach Graham Martin said. “We saw some good things offensively. Mike Frazier did a good job and the line did a nice job. Defensively, we had a few stops when we had them third and long and we broke down.”
QB Nick Delvecchio played with a injured finger, which popped out of joint when he was tackled early in the first quarter. Delvecchio completed just 2-of-10 passes but they were long passes down the middle to Christian Plourde, who grabbed a 37-yard reception and Luke Mentzer, who pulled in a 76-yard TD reception – the longest TD pass in school history.
Vinal Tech led 19-0 at halftime but the Warriors had momentum after Grabowski’s long interception return. Canton came out on its opening drive and marched 62 yards on 12 plays, aided in part by three Vinal penalties to score on a 1-yard run by Delvecchio to cut the lead to 19-6.
Vinal responded with a 73-yard TD reception when John Flannery slipped behind the Canton defender. But Delvecchio found Mentzer down the middle on Canton’s next series and ran in the two-point conversion to cut the lead to 25-14. But that is as close as Canton would get.
NOTES: Mentzer’s long reception breaks the old record of 71 yards set in 1954 against Farmington on a pass from QB Dick Griffin to Joe Weeks. … The Canton seniors were honored at halftime in their final high school game. … Delvecchio set a new single season record with 10 TD passes, breaking the old record of 7 set by Andy White in 1952. ... The game was broadcast live on the Internet by Middletown radio station WCNX-AM. ... It was Canton's second Thanksgiving game. They beat their own alumni in 1935 by a score of 26-0 on Thanksgiving Day.
WINSTED, Nov. 17 – Canton had its opportunities but they couldn’t cash in. The Warriors repeatedly drove into Gilbert territory but couldn’t finish with scores as the Yellowjackets outlasted Canton, 27-12 at Van Why Field.
Gilbert (2-7) stopped winless Canton (0-9) on fourth down three times in the second half and two additional times in the first half to earn its second win of the season.
The Yellowjackets ran for over 200 yards for the second straight week (227) led by QB Matt Ryan, who rushed for a team-high 118 yards and three TDs.
Freshman Michael Frazier led the Warriors in rushing with 45 yards on 11 carries. Delvecchio ran for 35 yards. Delvecchio completed 10-of-18 passes for 160 yards and 2 TDs but he also threw two interceptions. Luke Mentzer caught five passes for a career-high 118 yards.
AVON, Nov. 10 – There have been plenty of achievements for Canton in their first eight games but it hasn’t added up to a victory – yet. “Even though we haven’t won a game, the offensive line has improved so much I can’t even explain it,” Canton quarterback Nick Delvecchio said. “We’re doing a lot better on defense. We used to let teams run all over us, even on kickoffs. Every aspect has improved a lot.”
Delvecchio ran for 66 yards and 3 touchdowns on 17 carries in Saturday’s 42-26 loss to Avon. Freshman Mike Frazier ran for 60 yards on 14 carries. Delvecchio also completed 11 of 20 passes for 130 yards. Offensively, the Falcons were too much for Canton (0-8, 0-4 Pequot Uncas) and its young defense. Junior Mike D’Onofrio scored five touchdowns for the second game in a row to carry the Falcons, who have won eight straight – its longest winning streak since 1983.
Canton did recover a pair of fumbles against Avon and had a pair of sacks, including freshman Nate Getler who sacked Avon QB David Wyrick on the final play of the first half. One play earlier, Wyrick had completed a 17-yard pass to Andy Roell for an apparent touchdown but it was called back due to a penalty.
Canton scored on its final two possessions. On its final scoring drive, Canton drove 85 yards in 1:43 with Delvecchio completing four of 8 passes for 54 yards including a 13-yard completion to Mike D’Apice and a 18-yard completion to Plourd over the middle with 20 seconds left to the Avon 2. Delvecchio scored with 4 seconds left. It could prove beneficial in the games with Gilbert (1-7) and Vinal Tech (0-8).
ELLINGTON, Nov. 4 – Canton couldn’t convert on its opportunities and dropped its seventh straight game in a 48-22 loss to Ellington/Somers on Sunday afternoon. The Warriors (0-7, 0-3 Pequot Uncas) forced three Ellington turnovers but Canton QB Nick Delvecchio threw a season-high four interceptions.
“We were flat,” Canton coach Graham Martin said. “We had 392 yards of total offense and we got beat.” Delvecchio rushed for 2 TDs and a pair of two-point conversions. Justin Rice rushed for 81 yards on 17 carries before leaving the game with an injury while freshman Mike Frazier ran for 89 yards on 12 carries.
Leading receiver Christian Plourd caught four balls for 67 yards while Luke Mentzer had four receptions for 89 yards. Ellington was led by QB Peter Varnvillis, who completed 11 of 12 passes for 260 yards and 5 TD passes. After Ellington took an 8-0 lead, Canton rallied to cut the lead to two on a 4-yard run by Delvecchio. The two-point conversion failed leaving the Knights with an 8-6 lead.
Justin Prosser intercepted a Varnvillis pass and the Warriors drove to the Ellington 5-yard line before the drive stalled. Then, the Knights (7-1, 5-1 Pequot Uncas) added two scores to give themselves a 20-6 cushion at halftime.
Canton rallies but Valley scores late to earn win
DEEP RIVER, Oct. 26 – The Warriors played another thrilling Friday night game under the lights and came so close to its first victory. But Valley Regional/Old Lyme’s Rich Mau scored on a 3-yard TD run with 4:50 left to lift Valley to a 43-36 win in the rain. Matt Carl caught a two-point conversion pass from QB Logan Whaley.
On its next possession, Canton drove to the Valley 20 but were stopped on a fourth-and-two possesion.
Valley took a 20-0 lead only to see Canton rally behind senior QB Nick Delvecchio, who threw a school-record 4 TD passes to receiver Christian Plourd. Canton (0-6) took its first lead of the game, 36-35, in the fourth quarter after Delvecchio scored on a 15-yard TD run and ran in the two-point conversion. Plourd set a new school record with 4 TD receptions in a game.
“It was sweet,” Valley coach Tim King told the New London Day. “It's a monkey off our back. The biggest thing is that (the kids) didn't give up.”
RECORD-SETTING: Delvecchio broke the single-game record for TD passes, which was previously held by Dick Griffin (Farmington, 1954), Andy White (American School for the Deaf 1952 and Farmington 1952) with two each. … Plourd set a new single game record for TD receptions in a game. The previous record was 2 held by Jim Emilio on three occasions (ASD 1952, Farmington 1952, Housatonic 1954). … The 68-yard TD pass from Delvecchio to Plourd was the second-longest in school history. Joe Weeks caught a 71-yard TD reception from Dick Griffin against Farmington in 1954. … Plourd is the third player to score 24 points in a game and the first since Tom Calabrese did it against Housatonic in 1958. Calabrese holds the single-game scoring record with 26 points against Farmington in 1958.
Life on road doesn't get easier in loss to Morgan
CLINTON, Oct. 20 – Life on the road isn’t easy for the first-year Canton High football team. The Warriors (0-5, 0-2 Pequot Uncas) are playing all 10 games on the road because they don’t have a home field.
Saturday night’s game against the Morgan School in Clinton began 35 minutes late after the second of Canton’s two buses bring players to the game was hit by a car in Higgnaum. No one was injured but the bus was damaged and the offensive players on the bus had to wait until the first bus dropped the players off and get them.
Still, Canton continued to show improvement in a 33-21 loss to the Huskies.
“I’ve seen a lot of progress,” Canton coach Graham Martin said. “We’re getting better. We’re moving the ball offensively and defensively, we had some nice stops.”
The problem defensively is that Canton is being overpowered. Morgan’s Jim Kostek ran for a reported 342 yards and scored four TDs on 32 carries. Several times, Canton had Kostek and his teammates stopped. “Seventy-five to 80 percent of the time, we were there (defensively) for no gain or a little gain but he broke tackles,” Martin said. “That is where the weight room (and strength) makes a difference.”
Morgan took a 21-0 lead but the Warriors cut the lead to eight on a 7-yard run by Nick Delvecchio and a 5-yard TD pass from Delvecchio to Tyler Plourd. But Kostek scored two more TDs to help the Huskies pull away.
Delvecchio threw an 28-yard TD pass to Jake Burditt and continued to improve as a QB. Justin Rice and Michael Frazier ran well for the Warriors. “We probably had 300 yards of offense ourselves,” Martin said.
Housatonic pulls away FALLS VILLAGE, Oct. 13 – Canton’s young defense had a difficult time stopping Housatonic/Wamogo’s hard running offense in a 38-20 defeat Saturday. The Mountainers rolled up 162 yards in the first quarter to take a 12-point lead after eight minutes, 18-6.
Canton (0-4, 0-1 Pequot Uncas) has made an adjustment, reducing the number of players who are going both ways to hopefully keep them stronger throughout the game. Only Mike D'Apice is playing on both sides of the ball. The defense is young with 60 percent of the players either sophomores or freshmen. Housatonic has a tough offense to stop because the Mountaineers operate out of the shotgun with no consistent QB behind center. One to three running backs can take the snap.
The Warrior offense did its best to keep the pesky Mountaineers off the field. Senior Justin Rice rushed for a career-high 177 yards on 24 carries and one TD. His five-yard run with 1:26 left in the second quarter cut the Housatonic lead to six, 18-12. But the Mountaineers, who threw just three times, scored on a 66-yard TD pass from Tom Kennedy to Gian Lodevold.
Canton QB Nick Delvecchio (14-33-2) threw for a career-high 212 yards. Christian Plourd had five catches for 61 yards. Freshman Michael Frazier scored his first varsity TD and Delvecchio scored the first two-point conversion run of the season late in the fourth quarter.
Housatonic (3-1) was led by junior running back Will Kennedy with 194 yards and two TDs on 18 carries. Senior back Jameson Martin (6-79) also scored a pair of TDs.
Old Saybrook hands Canton its third defeat
OLD SAYBROOK, Oct. 6 -- A week after being shutout by Haddam Killingworth, the Warriors (0-3) got on the scoreboard Saturday but they still fell to undefeated Old Saybrook/Westbrook (3-0), 47-13. The Warriors struggled to run the ball effectively but did have some success throwing the ball. Senior receiver Christian Plourd made a great catch, diving to pull in the reception. "We need to establish a running game," Canton coach Graham Martin said. "We're throwing the ball too often."
Punter Jake Burditt did well punting and the efforts of Canton’s special teams improved. In the first two weeks, opponents scored four TDs off mistakes while punting. Against Old Saybrook, the punts all got away cleanly.
Martin said there would be some changes this week but didn’t get specific about them. “We played slow,” he said. “Everything was in slow motion.”
Old Saybrook's Pat Zingarella led all rushers with 65 yards on eight carries. OSW quarterback Brian Cormier completed 7-of-8 passes for 158 yards and 2 TDs. Canton QB Nick Delvecchio completed 9-of-17 passes for 112 yards. OSW outgained Canton, 270-137 in total yards.
Cougars gouge
young Warrior team
HIGGANUM, Sept. 29 – The Warriors looked like a young, first-year team in a 48-0 loss to undefeated Haddam Killingworth (3-0) Saturday. Canton trailed 29-0 after one quarter and 42-0 at halftime. After a high snap to punter Jake Burditt, the Cougars scored on a 17-yard fumble recovery and later in the quarter, H-K’s Nick Auer blocked a Burditt punt and scored a TD for a 23-0 lead with 4:34 gone in the game. Canton (0-2, 0-1 Pequot Uncas) had a poor day tackling and had little success running the ball. “When the bell rang, we just didn’t respond,” Canton coach Graham Martin said. “I’m not even sure if we came out of the corner.”
QB Nick Delvecchio completed 9-of-21 passes for 110 yards including three passes to Christian Plourd for 60 yards. Trailing by 29 late in the first quarter, Delvecchio marched Canton from their own 26 to the Cougar 10-yard line before the drive stalled. Delvecchio completed four of his first five passes on the drive, including a 20-yard completion to Plourd and 17-yard completion to Burditt.
Canton also drove to the Cougar 13 late in the second quarter, thanks to a 36-yard completion to Plourd. But the Cougars stiffened and on fourth down, a potential TD pass from Delvecchio was just out of reach of a diving Plourd in the end zone. Nick Stockwell and Mark Frigon each recovered Cougar fumbles for Canton.
NOTES: Long snapper and linebacker Justin Prosser was hurt and couldn't play. Phil Eseppi took his place. ... The 48-point loss was the second-most lopsided defeat in school history. The last time Canton lost by 48 was to Gilbert in its final game in 1964. The school record for most points allowed in a game is 59 by Gilbert in 1953.
STAFFORD, Sept. 21 – Penalties and errors on special teams were the difference as Stafford/East Windsor beat Canton, 24-18 Friday night in Stafford. Tied at 18 with 22 seconds left on the Canton 45 yard line, the Warriors were set to punt when the snap sailed through the punter’s hands and the Bulldogs recovered it on the Canton 11. A penalty moved the ball to the six and Stafford’s Sean Heald (29-145, 3 TDs) broke a tackle in the backfield to score with 16 seconds remaining for the win.
CANTON, Sept. 20 – The Warriors face a young Stafford/East Windsor squad when they open the season on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Stafford High. The Bulldogs, in the third year of a co-op with East Windsor, were whipped by Morgan last Friday, 35-0. The Huskies scored all 35 points in the first quarter. We made so many mistakes at the beginning of the game, but we regrouped at the end,'' Stafford’s first-year coach David Jedidian told The Journal Inquirer. “I put in some freshmen in that played better than expected. We definitely have some things to look forward to.'' Sean Heald led Stafford with 107 yards rushing while Matt Harrison threw for 116 yards and a pair of fourth quarter TDs.
n Records: Canton (0-0, 0-0 Pequot Uncas) vs. Stafford/East Windsor (0-1, 0-0 Pequot Uncas)
n Series: Canton leads, 5-0-2
n Last game: 1950
n Opponent’s key players: QB Mike Harrison (6-1, 205), RB Sean Heald (5-9, 155), LB Ricky Buckland (5-7, 175), DE John Locke (6-3, 220)
n Of note: The most points scored in the series was 25 by Canton in 1948. The Warriors won with a safety in 1949, 2-0. … Canton shutout Stafford six times in seven games from 1938-50. … The contest is just the second night game ever for the football program.
Countdown to the season opener
Seniors have key roles
CANTON, Sept 19 – Seven seniors will have big roles when Canton opens its season against Stafford/East Windsor on Friday night. QB Nick Delvecchio threw for 616 yards and eight TDs a year ago against junior varsity competition including 12 passes for 207 yards and 3 TDs to senior WR Luke Mentzer. Delvecchio was the team’s second-leading rusher with 521 yards and 6 TDs behind big Justin Rice with 805 yards and 12 TDs.
The competition will be bigger and stronger than it was a year ago when Canton went 6-2. The Warriors will be young. Some freshmen could play and consider that last year’s starting team was 63 percent freshmen and sophomores. “We have some young kids who are pushing kids that started a year ago,” Canton coach Graham Martin said. “Competition is what breeds success.”
n Watch Canton Football Online for daily updates as we count down to Friday’s season opener.
Town excited about team
CANTON, Sept 18 – The community has embraced the Canton High football team, who return to field for the first time since October 1964. The Warriors had nearly 400 fans crowd around deSimas Field for its scrimmage in late August. One Friends of Football member arrived before the scrimmage and wondered why parking was hard to find but it was due to the scrimmage. Without a home field, the Warriors will play all 10 games on the road beginning with Friday night’s game against Stafford/East Windsor in Stafford at 7 p.m. Look for a big crowd at nearby Avon on November 10 to face the Falcons.
Understanding the game
CANTON, Sept. 17 – It’s only a matter of days before the Canton High football team returns to the gridiron. With a bye in week one, several players and coaches traveled to nearby Avon to see the Falcons play Haddam Killingworth. “We’re getting better,” Canton coach Graham Martin said. “We’re progressing. We’re getting some aggressive play and we’re starting to understand what football is about.” Canton faces Stafford/East Windsor on Friday at 7 p.m. in its first varsity game since 1964.
Bye week before season opener at Stafford
CANTON, Sept. 13 – As Canton approaches its first varsity game in 43 years, the Warriors get a bye week in the opening week of the season. Canton will face Stafford/East Windsor on Friday night, Sept. 21 in Stafford at 6:30 p.m. Despite seniors at several skill positions, the Warriors are primarily a team of juniors and sophomores.
Senior QB Nick Delvecchio returns along with RB Justin Rice, who scored a team-high 12 TDs and ran for 805 yards against junior varsity competition a year ago, E/DE Mike D’Apice and WR/DE Luke Mentzer, who led the squad with 12 receptions for 207 yards and 3 TDs.
“We’re way ahead of where we were last year,” said Canton coach Graham Martin. “We’ve gone forward with some big steps, huge steps.”
But Martin isn’t satisfied. He coached 23 years at Bulkeley and led the Bulldogs to the 1991 Class LL title game. “I’m expecting an ‘A’ effort and I’m getting a ‘B’ effort,” he said midway through preseason workouts. “We have to learn to play at a high level, every snap of the ball. When they learn that, Canton football will be pretty good.”
Canton went 6-2 with a club team that faced primarily junior varsity teams a year ago. Its last varsity game was in October 1964 when the team folded due to a lack of players. The Warriors have lost their last 12 varsity games. Canton’s last win came in the 1959 season finale against Farmington, 12-8.
The night game against Stafford will be the second night game in team history. In 1958, the Warriors lost to Sacred Heart-Waterbury, 28-8 at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury. … With no home field, Canton will play all 12 games on the road this year. … The Thanksgiving Eve game with Vinal Tech/Coginchaug was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving at Palmer Field in Middletown but it was changed to Wednesday night by Vinal in an attempt to get more fans and not compete with the traditional Middletown/Xavier game on Thanksgiving morning.
Warriors prepare for debut
CANTON, June 21 -- Forty-one players, including 34 from last fall’s club team, participated in 10 days of spring practice in preparation for the first varsity season in 43 years for the Canton High football team. It also included a full day at the CFM Foundation’s annual football fundamental mini-camp at Bulkeley High in Hartford, run by current Jets head coach Eric Mangini and includes over 60 NFL, college and high school coaches and players teaching the latest and most effective football techniques.
“We got an awful lot accomplished,” Canton head coach Graham Martin said. “We ran non-contact drills with the helmets on and did a lot of teaching. The nice thing was that many of the kids retained what they learned last fall and built on that.”
Martin and his coaching staff want the players participating in the weightlifting program this summer. Friends of Canton Football, the parent-sponsored booster club that is footing the bill for the entire football program, recently donated equipment to set up a weight room at the high school in an old boys locker room that was being used to store equipment.
“We’re not very strong physically,” Martin said. “We’re behind the eight-ball in weighlifting.” He hopes to get the players to participate in a program at the school five days a week. Practices begins on Monday, August 20 for preseason conditioning. The first day of contact drills is Saturday, August 26.
Night games, Thanksgiving game highlight '07 schedule
Canton’s new varsity football team will play three night games, including a game on Thanksgiving Eve this fall. Canton opens its first varsity campaign since 1964 on Friday, Sept. 21 when Stafford/East Windsor hosts the Warriors at 7 p.m. in Stafford. The second night game is Friday, Oct. 26, against Valley Regional/Old Lyme in Deep River at Valley’s facility at 6:30 p.m.
The Thanksgiving Eve game will be at Palmer Field in Middletown against Vinal Tech/Coginchaug at 6:30 p.m. at Palmer Field in Middletown. The last time that Canton played on Thanksgiving was 1935 and 1936 when they faced the CHS alumni. Ten days of spring practice for the Warriors begin Tuesday. The Warriors, who joined the Pequot Conference, have a bye in week one.
CANTON, May 1 -- Ten days of spring practice for the Canton High football team begins Tuesday, May 29. One of the sessions will be at the annual CFM Foundation’s annual football fundamentals mini-camp at Bulkeley High School in Hartford on Saturday, June 2 with players and coaches attending.
The Foundation is named in honor of Carmine and Frank Mangini, the father and uncle, respectively, of current New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini, who played under current CHS coach Graham Martin at Bulkeley. Over 60 NFL, college and high school coaches and players will teach the latest and most effective football techniques.
Last year, over 800 players attended the camp with more than 120 volunteers helping run the one-day event. Players receive breakfast and lunch.
CANTON, April 5, 2007 -- Graham Martin, who led Canton’s club football team to a 6-2 record last fall against junior varsity teams, has been hired as the head coach of Canton’s varsity team that begins play in September. The Warriors will play in the Pequot Conference and with no home field, Canton will play all 10 games on the road. Martin was the head coach Bulkeley High in Hartford for 23 years from 1981 to 2003, compiling a record of 69-144-8. He led the Bulldogs to the 1991 CCC South championship and into Class LL championship game where Bulkeley fell to Greenwich, 14-0.
Board of Education approves move to varsity
CANTON, Jan. 28, 2007 -- In September, Canton High will field its first varsity football team since 1964. In an unanimous vote last week, the Board of Education approved fielding a varsity team. Canton will have varsity and junior varsity teams in the Pequot Conference.
In November, the board had approved a junior varsity squad for this fall. But things changed when Canton got accepted into the Pequot Conference in December. With the success of the club team last year (6-2) and finishing the season with 50 kids, a push was made to upgrade to varsity status.
With no home field, the Warriors are scheduled to play all 10 games on the road, including a game with rival Avon. Depending on the Pequot Conference schedule, there is a possibility of a game on Thanksgiving. League officials are still working out the details of the schedule.
Canton will practice closer to home this fall at DeSimas Field near the high school. A year ago, the team practiced a short 60-yard field on Bicentennial Field next to the sewage treatment plant near the Farmington River. The next step on the agenda is to hire a head coach and assemble a coaching staff.
VT: Tom Hunsicker 73 pass from Kevin Doherty (pass fails), 6:01
C: Luke Mentzer 76 pass from Delvecchio (Delvecchio run), 4:49
Fourth quarter
VT: John Tomczak 5 run (pass fails), 10:44
VT: Cruz 5 run (kick wide), 3:12
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Canton – Michael Frazier 16-82, Nick Delvecchio 6-minus 6, Justin Rice 3-0, David White 3-4; Vinal Tech/Coginchaug – Nick D’Aquila 4-31, Andrew Cruz 32-169, Kevin Doherty 8-33, John Tomczak 4-17
PASSING: Canton – Delvecchio 2-10-0, 113; Vinal/Coginchaug – Kevin Doherty 15-19-1, 218
RECEIVING: Canton – Christian Plourd 1-37, Luke Mentzer 1-76; Vinal/Coginchaug – Jeff Tiedemann 5-60, Andrew Cruz 3-13, Jim Sherer 1-19, Jared Oppelt 1-22, Keith Johnson 3-18, John Flannery 1-73, Cody Donecker 1-3
RETURNS: Canton – Mike D’Apice 2-11 (kickoffs), Jake Burditt 4-75 (kickoffs), Frazier 1-21 (kickoffs), Vinal – Cruz 2-64 (kickoffs)
PUNTING: Canton – Burditt 2-65
SACKS: Canton -- Ethan Balevander and Phil Essepi 1-5; Vinal – Tomczak and Jarrett Jeans 1-9
INTERCEPTIONS: Canton – Nick Grabowski 1-55
Gilbert 27, Canton 12
At Winsted
Gilbert (2-7)0 6 8 13—27
Canton (0-9)0 0 6 6—12
Second quarter
G: Matt Ryan 2 run (kick failed)
Third quarter
C: Luke Mentzer 60 pass from Nick Delevecchio (kick failed)
G: Jerry Hiles 3 run (Tim Terwilliger pass from Ryan)
Fourth quarter
G: Ryan 24 run (pass failed)
G: Ryan 11 run (Hiles kick)
C: Jake Burditt 20 pass from Delvecchio (kick blocked)
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Gilbert -- Matt Ryan 20-118; Tim Terwilliger 11-83; Cody Stone 5-44; Jerry Hiles 6-22, Paul Kurtz 2-minus 9; Canton -- David White 6-3, Michael Frazier 11-45, Nick Delvecchio 10-35, Justin Rice 2-3
PASSING: Gilbert -- Kurtz 1-1-0, 6; Tim Twiliger 0-1, Matt Ryan 2-2-0, 10; Canton -- Nick Delvecchio 10-18-2, 160
RECEIVING: Canton – Luke Mentzer 5-118, Mike D'Apice 2-18, Jake Burditt 2-14, Tyler Plourd 1-10; Gilbert -- Tim Terwilliger 2-9, Cody Stone 1-7
Avon 42, Canton 26
At Avon
Canton (0-8) 6 0 6 14 – 26
Avon (8-1) 14 7 14 7 – 42
First quarter
A: Mike D’Onofrio 13 run (David Wyrick kick), 7:54
C: Justin Rice 1 run (kick blocked), 2:20
A: M. D’Onofrio 5 run (Wyrick kick), 0:55
Second quarter
A: M. D’Onofrio 3 run (Wyrick kick), 3:19
Third quarter
A: M. D’Onofrio 38 run (Wyrick kick), 10:26
C: Nick Delvecchio 2 run (pass fails), 7:22
A: Andy Roell 30 pass from Wyrick (Wyrick kick), 4:54
Fourth quarter
A: M. D’Onofrio 14 run (Wyrick kick), 11:54
C: Delvecchio 8 run (Mike D’Apice pass from Jake Burditt), 5:39
C: Delvecchio 2 run (pass fails), 0:04
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Avon – Billy Kenyon 3-24, Patrick Leszcynski 3-7, Joe Tripodi 2-7, Kyle Livingstone 1-5, Mike D’Onofrio 17-177, Ross McDonald 3-42, David Wyrick 6-63, Terence Olsen 1-7, Andy Livingstone 1-minus 1, Cody Jedidian 1-minus 2; Canton – Kyle Bento 1-0, Justin Rice 9-32, Nick Delvecchio 17-66, Mike Frazier 14-60, David White 8-13, Sam Hartzel 1-8
VR- Matt Carl 29 pass from Logan Whaley (kick failed)
VR - Mitchell King 50 fumble recovery (kick failed)
Second quarter
VR - Carl 4 run (Oliver Gregan pass from Whaley)
C - Christian Plourd 68 pass from from Nick Delvecchio (Jeff Nasson
kick)
C - C. Plourd 20 pass from Delvecchio (Nasson kick)
VR - Carl 45 run (Rich Mau run)
C - C. Plourd 44 pass from Delvecchio (Nasson kick)
VR - Mau 14 run (Jack Duggan kick)
Third quarter
C - C. Plourd 18 pass from Delvecchio (Nasson kick)
Fourth quarter
C - Delvecchio 15 run (Delvecchio run)
VR: Rich Mau 3 run (Carl pass from Whaley), 4:50
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Canton – Nick Delvecchio 19-102, Justin Rice 15-81, Michael Frazer 13-36; Valley/OL – Matt Carl 17-176, Rich Mau 18-156, Trent Rodriguez 4-30, unknown 1-10
PASSING: Canton – Nick Delvecchio 10-21-1, 199; Valley – Logan Whaley 3-6-1, 52
RECEIVING: Canton – Christian Ploude 6-162, Luke Mentzer 3-23, Jake Burditt 1-14; Valley – Matt Carl 1-29, Nate Hougrand 1-16, Jon McCue 1-7
SACKS: Valley 2-17
FUMBLE RECOVERY: Greg Cole, Ethan Balevander; INTERCEPTION: Matt Zukowski
Morgan 33, Canton 21
At Clinton
Canton (0-5)0 7 6 8 -- 21
Morgan (3-3)7 14 6 6 -- 33
First quarter
M: Jim Kostel 6 run (Dan Lee kick)
Second quarter
M: Steven French 3 pass from Erich Breinskas (Lee kick)
M: Kostek 41 run (Lee kick)
C: Nick Delvecchio 7 run (Jeff Nasson kick)
Third quarter
C: Tyler Plourd 5 pass from Delvecchio (kick fails)
M: Kostek 7 run (kick fails)
Fourth quarter
M: Kostek 22 run (kick fails)
C: Jake Burditt 28 pass from Delvecchio (Delvecchio run)
Canton statistics
RUSHING: Rice 11-41, Frazier 7-30, Delvecchio 12-88, White 6-20
PASSING: Delvecchio 7-16-0, 137
RECEIVING: C. Plourd 1-30, Burditt 1-28, Rice 2-18, T. Plourd 3-65
Housatonic 38, Canton 20
At Falls Village
Canton (0-4)6 6 0 8 -- 20
Housatonic (4-1) 18 8 6 6 -- 38
First quarter
H: Jameson Martin 58 run (pass fails), 3:40
H: Martin 6 run (pass fails)
C: Michael Frazier 2 run (kick failed)
H: Thomas Kennedy 10 run (kick fails)
Second quarter
C: Justin Rice 5 run (kick fails), 1:46
H: Gian Lodevold 66 pass from T. Kennedy (Martin pass from T. Kennedy), 1:20
Third quarter
H: Will Kennedy 6 run (run fails)
Fourth quarter
C: Michael Frazier 5 run (Nick Delvecchio run), 2:12
H: Will Kennedy 50 run (run fails), 1:25
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Canton – Michael Frazier 10-46, Justin Rice 24-177, Nick Delvecchio 5-21, David White 6-42; Housatonic – Jameson Martin 6-79, Will Kennedy 18-194, Tom Kennedy 12-68, Sam Schwartz 4-24, Jon Habacker 5-12
PASSING: Canton – Nick Delvecchio 14-33-2, 212; Housatonic – Wilbur 1-2-0, 5; Tom Kennedy 2-3-0, 71
RECEIVING: Canton – Christian Plourde 5-61, Mike D'Apice 2-15, Luke Mentzer 3-78, Jake Burditt 3-48, Justin Rice 1-25; Housatonic – Gian Lodevold 1-66, Jameson Martin 1-5
Old Saybrook 47, CHS 13
At Old Saybrook
OSW (3-0) 14 26 7 0 -- 47
Canton (0-3) 0 6 0 7 -- 13
First quarter
OSW - Pat Zingarella 5 run (John McKenna kick), 9:32
OSW - Jason Cane 20 run (McKenna kick), 3:57
Second quarter
OSW - Tom Hammerschmidt 15 pass from Brian Cormier (kick no good), 7:32
OSW - Cane 27 run (McKenna kick), 5:26
Canton - Nick Delvecchio 3 run (kick no good), 2:51
OSW - Cane 74 kickoff return (kick no good), 2:35
OSW - Nick Farbotka 48 pass from Cormier (McKenna kick), 0:12
Third quarter
OSW - Zingarella 12 run (McKenna kick), 4:20
Fourth quarter
Canton - David White 17 run (Jeff Nasson kick), 0:13
Individual statistics (Canton)
RUSHING -- Justin Rice 9-27, Michael Frazer 3-7, Nick Delvecchio 6-39, David White 1-17
PASSING -- Delvecchio 9-17-0, 112
RECEIVING -- Christian Plourde 4-66, Mike D'Apice 2-32, Jake Burditt 3-14
RETURNS: Kickoffs -- XXX; Punts -- xx
SACKS -- XXX
INTERCEPTIONS -- XXX
Punting -- XXXX
Haddam Killingworth 48, Canton 0
At Higganum
H-K (3-0)29 13 6 0 -- 48
Canton (0-2) 0 0 0 0 -- 0
First quarter
HK: Sal Zichichi 15 run (Rosendo Mendoza kick), 10:50
HK: Joe Van Huysen 17 fumble recovery (Jarrod Ramsey run), 9:05
HK: Eric Auer 44 block punt (Ramsey run), 7:26
HK: Chris Arrigoni 8 run (pass fails), 5:03
Second quarter
HK: Ramsey 8 run (kick fails), 9:07
HK: Nick Kanaras 11 run (Mendoza kick), 5:45
Third quarter
HK: Justin Simmers 3 run (run fails), 4:12
Individual statistics
RUSHING: HK – Jarrod Ramsey 4-112, Chris Arrigoni 5-59, Sal Zichichi 2-16, David Bartolotta 5-19, Nick Kanaras 1-11, Adam Cubeta 1-4, Tyler Scovill 3-36, Justin Simmers 3-12, Ryan O’Neal 4-12, Rob Kolodziej 2-1, Derek Filosi 2-4, Sean Reynolds 2-8, Randall Reynolds 1-minus 1; Canton – Nick Grabowski 2-minus 3, Luke Talbot 8-29, Samuel Hartzell 9-9, Nick Delvecchio 5-22, Michael Fraser 6-28, Jake Burditt 2-minus 14, Justin Rice 4-minus 3
PASSING: HK – Robert Flynn 0-1-0, 0 yards; Canton – Nick Delvecchio 9-21-1, 110 yards; Nick Grabowski 1-6-1, 0 yards
RECEIVING: Canton – Christian Plourd 3-66, Mike D’Apice 1-7, Jake Burditt 1-14, Luke Mentzer 2-5, Justin Rice 2-15
MISSED FIELD GOALS: none
RETURNS: Punts -- David White 1-minus 6, Kickoffs -- White 3-23, Jake Burditt 2-14, Luke Talbott 1-5
FUMBLE RECOVERY: Mark Frigon, Nick Grabowski; Punts -- none
Stafford/EW 24, Canton 18
At Stafford
Canton (0-1) 0 6 6 6 -- 18
Stafford/EW (1-1) 6 6 6 6 -- 24
First quarter
S: Sean Heald 16 run (run fails), 2:38
Second quarter
S: Heald 1 run (pass fails), 8:36
C: Justin Rice 1 run (pass fails), 6:40
Third quarter
C: Luke Mentzer 48 pass from Nick Delvecchio (run fails), 10:46
S: Jake Rummel 20 run (pass fails), 0:53
Fourth quarter
C: Delvecchio 2 run (pass fails), 3:49
S: Heald 6 run (run fails), 0:16
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Canton – Nick Delvecchio 8-10, Justin Rice 11-30, Michael Frazer 10-85, Justin Prosser 1-4; Stafford – Sean Heald 29-145, Matt Harrison 1-0, Jake Rummel 7-17, Ricky Buckland 3-9
PASSING: Canton – Nick Delvecchio 10-23-2, 183; Stafford 3-11-1, 92
RECEIVING: Canton – Luke Mentzer 3-53, Christian Plourde 3-76, Mike D’Apice 3-22, Justin Rice 1-32; Stafford – Jeremy Marshall 1-16, Rummel 2-60, Harrison 1-23
PUNT RETURNS: Canton – David White 1-20; KICKOFF RETURNS: Jake Burditt 2-33; Sean Mullins 1-0
Coach: Graham Martin, 1st year (Career: 69-144-8, 23 years)
Last year: 6-2 as club team
Top players: Nick Delvecchio, QB, Sr., 5-11, 173; Matt Zukowski, DT/OT, Sr., 6-4, 263; Mike D’Apice, DE/E, Sr., 6-1, 182; Christian Plourd, CB/WR, Sr., 5-7, 151; Justin Rice, RB/LB, 6-1, 283; Luke Mentzer, DE/WR, Sr., 5-11, 174
Outlook: Canton is fielding a varsity team for the first time since 1964 and despite seniors at several skill positions, the majority of the team is juniors and sophomores. Martin, who coached 23 years at Bulkeley and led the Bulldogs to the 1991 Class LL title game, feels Canton has the potential to be a contender in the Pequot Conference’s Uncas Division but his players are still learning how to play the game. Most of his players never played organized football before last year’s club team. With no home field, Canton will play all of its games on the road.
Site established Sept. 2006
n Above, Canton coach Graham Martin instructs his defense during Wednesday's Thanksgiving Eve game at Palmer Field in Middletown. Below, Vinal's Andrew Cruz (25) runs away from Canton's Kyle Bento (61) and David White (25).
2007 Canton High football
Fri. Sept. 21: Stafford 24, Canton 18
Sat. Sept. 29: Haddam Killingworth 48, Canton 0
Sat. Oct. 6: Old Saybrook/Westbrook 47, Canton 13
Sat. Oct. 13: Housatonic/Wamogo 38, Canton 20
Fri. Oct. 19: Morgan 33, Canton 21
Fri. Oct. 26: Valley Regional/Old Lyme 43, Canton 36
CANTON, Dec. 4 – Three Canton players were honored by coaches in the Pequot Conference’s Uncas Division by earning All-League honors. Senior QB Nick Delvecchio, senior WR Christian Plourd and TE Mike D’Apice were named to the All-Uncas Division team.
Each of the Pequot Conference’s two divisions (Uncas and Sassacus) named All-Star teams. No single Pequot All-Star team was selected.
Delvecchio completed 91 passes for 1,522 yards, a school-record 10 TDs and 12 interceptions. He was the third-leading rusher on the team (436 yards) and scored a team-high 10 TDs.
Plourd led the team with 27 receptions, 567 yards receiving and four TDs. He set a new school record with 4 TD receptions from Delvecchio against Valley Regional. Plourd missed several games in the later half of the season due to a separated shoulder. He did manage to play in the season finale against Vinal Tech and caught a 37-yard reception.
D’Apice played tight end and wide receiver for the Warriors. He caught 17 passes for 189 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sophomore Tyler Plourd earned honorable mention honors for his defensive play. Tyler Plourd caught eight passes for 145 yards but had several interceptions. Canton went 0-10 in its first season of varsity football since 1964.
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