Thursday, October 31, 2019

Tim Taylor takes over as Head Boys Lacrosse Coach

The CHS Athletic Department is happy to announce the appointment of Tim Taylor as our Head Boys Varsity Lacrosse Coach.

Coach Tim Taylor
Taylor is a member of the Canton Police Department and currently serves as the School Resource Officer for the three elementary schools in town.

Officer Taylor will have a lifetime of lacrosse experiences to draw from as he embarks on his journey as Canton High's coach.  His ties to the program are deep.  He was a member of the first-ever CHS Lacrosse teams from 2000-2003.  He then went on to a successful four-year career at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts.  He has been coaching on a volunteer basis with the CHS Boys Lacrosse program and with Canton Youth Lacrosse since 2015.

Taylor described his appointment as head coach as a "dream job."  He went on to say, "I'm looking forward to continuing the successes of this program and to taking steps to improve upon it.  We have a very talented pool of student athletes playing lacrosse at CHS.  The future looks great."

Things will be put in motion right away as there will be a date released soon for a player meeting to meet the new coach.  Keep your eye on this blog for more details.

Good luck to coach Taylor!

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Spring/Winter Captains Conference

Varsity Captains of Winter and Spring sports teams will be attending an important Leadership Conference on Wednesday, November 13th at Franklin High School.  All spring and winter captains are expected to attend and should pick up a permission slip in the Athletic Office ASAP. Permission slips are due on Wednesday, November 6th.

Monday, October 28, 2019

MIAA Tournament Information- updated 11-14-19

Four Bulldog fall teams have qualified for the MIAA State Tournament this season.

This blog entry will be updated throughout the teams' tournament runs.




Football-(8-0)- Seeded #1 in the D5 South Sectional tournament defeated #8 seeded Scituate 34-14 in round when, then went on to beat #4 Foxboro 15-0 in the Sectional Semi-Final.  They will face # 2 Holliston on Friday, November 15th at 7:00pm at Canton High School in the D5South Finals.

Ticket Prices- $10 for adults and $7 for students/senior citizens....no booster passes accepted. NOTE higher student prices. 

Click Here for D5 South Bracket

Volleyball- (21-3)- Sectional Champions! The Bulldogs were seeded #2 in D2 Central Sectional tournament.  They defeated #10 Tantasqua, 3-0, defeated #3 seeded North Middlesex, 3-0, defeated #4 Westborough in the Sectional Finals, 3-1, and defeated Minnechaug Regional in the State Semi-Final, 3-1.  They are playing in the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP match on Saturday vs. Danvers. Click Here for information about the State Finals.

Eliminated-

Field Hockey-(12-4-3)- Seeded #9 in D1 South Sectional tournament fell to #8 seeded Needham in First Round action on Saturday, November 2nd, 1-0.
Click Here for D1 South Bracket

Girls Soccer- (12-9)- Seeded #14 in D2 South Sectional tournament defeated #3 seeded Southeastern Regional, 8-0 and then defeated #6 Somerset-Berkley, 2-0.  They fell to #2 seeded Holliston, 5-0 in the South Sectional Semi-Final.
Click Here for D2 South Bracket

Swim Team Informational Meeting

There will be a brief but important meeting for any CHS student interested in joining the Swim Team this winter, on Wednesday, November 6th from 2:30-3:00pm in the CHS Library.

Coach Cavanaugh will be present to discuss meet and practice schedules, uniforms, and other important team-related information.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Fall Regular Season wrapping up- Playoff Season Begins!

It's been yet another highly successful fall season in Bulldogland as all of our teams have competed well and many have already been crowed champions.

Here is a run-down of how each of our teams has done and what lies ahead:

Field Hockey- Hockomock League Davenport Champions!  Regular season record of 12-3-3 with a league mark of 12-1-3.  The team will enter the D1 South MIAA tournament this upcoming week.

Volleyball- Hockomock League Davenport Champions!  Regular season record of 16-3 with a league mark of 13-3.  The squad has one regular season match left as the will travel to Quincy on Monday. The team will enter the D2 Central MIAA tournament this upcoming week.

Football- Undefeated Hockomock Davenport Champions! Regular season record of 7-0 with a league mark of 5-0. The team will enter the D5 South MIAA tournament this upcoming week as the top seed.

Golf- Hockomock League Davenport Champions! Final record of 13-1 with a perfect 10-0 Davenport record.  The team's season is complete.

Girls Soccer- Have qualified for the MIAA state tournament.  They currently sit with a 9-8 record with one game to play vs. Milford on Monday at home.

Boys Cross Country- Final record of 2-4 with a 2-3 league mark.  Members of the team are still competing in MIAA level meets.

Girls Cross Country- Final record of 1-5 with a 1-4 league mark. Member of the team are still competing in MIAA level meets.

Boys Soccer- Currently sit with a record of 3-11-2 with two games remaining.

Cheer- Competition season begins soon!

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Upcoming changes to the Athletic schedule

Due to weather and other issues around the league, the following contests have been scheduled this weekend:

Varsity Football will play at North Attleboro High School on Saturday, October 19th at 2:00pm.

Varsity Boys Soccer and JV Boys Soccer will play at Oliver Ames on Sunday, October 20th at 2:00pm.

There is also a big Field Hockey game already scheduled for Saturday, October 19th at 10:00am at home vs. Walpole.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Weather-related changes to schedule- Friday, October 11th

Due to the crummy weather, the following changes have been made to today's CHS Athletic Schedule:

  • Golf match is postponed until next Friday, Oct. 18th. 
  • Boys Soccer games at OA are postponed until Sunday, October 20th at 2:00pm. 
  • Tonight's Football game vs. Milford at Canton is ON at 7:00pm. Dress for the weather!

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Weather-related schedule changes- Thursday, October 10th

Due to the weather, the following changes have been made to the CHS Athletics Schedule for Thursday, October 10th:

Subvarsity Boys Soccer game with Sharon is postponed.

JV Girls Soccer game with OA is postponed.

JV Field Hockey game with OA is postponed.

Golf Match with Sharon postponed until 10/15 (tri-meet with KP).

Varsity Girls Soccer and Varsity Field Hockey are ON as scheduled.


Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Important Need to Knows about CHS Athletics- Expectations

This Blog entry is aimed at laying out clear expectations regarding a number of important school and athletic policies key to having a successful year as a student athlete.  There are many expectations, rules and norms that all parents, coaches and especially student athletes should be aware of as the year kicks into gear.

I have set this entry up in a FAQ format.

Questions around Attendance:

What is the attendance rule for CHS Athletics?
A student must be present in school to be eligible to participate in CHS Athletics on that day. The student must be present for at least the final 5 periods of the day.  That means that they must check in at the office prior to 8:56am.

Are there any exceptions to the "5-period rule?"
Yes. Students who have a doctor's appointment or other unavoidable appointment will be excused from the 5-period rule if they provide proper documentation from the appointment. A parent note does not suffice.  Other excused absences including funerals, college visits, etc. MUST BE APPROVED IN ADVANCE by the athletic office or the rule may not be waived.

If a student is feeling sick, and goes home to rest can they return for athletics that day?
No. The student cannot return for athletics for that reason.

What if a student is "in school" for the 5-periods but skips a class or two?
Any student who skips even one class on any day is NOT eligible to participate that day.

What happens if a student plays in an athletic contest on a day that they were not in compliance with the attendance rule?
The student's team would be forced to forfeit the result of that contest.

Questions around Chemical Health:

What constitutes breaking the MIAA Chemical Health rule?
A student who uses, consumes, possesses, buys/sells, or gives away any beverage containing alcohol, any tobacco product (including e-cigarettes, VAP pens and similar devices), marijuana (including synthetic), steroids, drug paraphernalia, or any controlled substance is in violation of the MIAA Chemical Health Policy. This includes products such as "NA or near beer" inhalants (definded as any substance that produces a mind-altering effect when inhaled), and misuse of over-the-counter medications and substances used for the purposes of altering one's mental state.

Does it matter when and where the violation occurs?
The rule applies to the school year beginning on the first day of fall season practice and running through the last day of school or last day of the school's spring season- whichever is later.  As for the "where," it does not matter where or when the violation occurred. The violation is handled the same with regards to the MIAA rule whether it is on school property or not.  However, if the violation takes place at school, on school grounds or at a school event, additional non-athletic consequences will likely occur as well.

What is the consequence if a student athlete is found in violation of the Chemical Health rule?
If in season, the student athlete will be ineligible to participate for 1/4 of the season's contests. If there is not 1/4 of the season remaining, the suspension will carry over to the student athlete's next season of athletic participation.  If out of season, the suspension will begin with the student athlete's next season of participation.

Can a student athlete who is seeking help for a chemical health issue be found in violation of this rule?
As long as the student seeks treatment prior to any violation of the rule.  For example, a student who has not yet been found in violation, voluntarily comes to the nurse at CHS and asks to enroll in a substance abuse program, is NOT in violation by seeking help.

Questions around Transportation:

Is transportation provided to CHS student athletes for contests/practice?
CHS does NOT provide any transportation to or from any CHS contests held inside the town of Canton. Many of our teams have practices and contests off CHS campus in Canton.  It is the responsibility of the student athlete to arrange for transportation to and from these practices/contests.  CHS DOES provide transportation to/from nearly all contests/practices outside of Canton.

Are there any cases of transportation NOT being provided by CHS to/from any out of town contests?
There are very few cases of this, but they do exist. They are mainly for sports where individuals are participating rather than a full, large team and only for certain, limited contests.  Parents will be made aware of these early on in any season.

Can parents provide their own transportation for student athletes to away contests?
A parent can do so, BUT they must provide the CHS Athletic office with a note or email indicating that they will be providing transportation to their child. This should be done in advance. We do expect that student athletes will take the bus with the team to all contests as it is an important part of the athletic experience. However, we do understand that sometimes there is a need to go home with parents.

Can a student athlete drive themselves or other students to away contests?
Absolutely not.  Student athletes are NOT permitted to drive themselves or teammates to away contests. This is not allowed even if a parent grants permission. We understand that this may seem like a good solution to a scheduling conflict, but it is not an option.

Questions around Injuries:

After suffering an injury, what should a student athlete do?
I realize this is a pretty broad question and all injuries are different in their severity and nature. But generally speaking, make sure you check in with our athletic trainer as a first step.  Clearly there are more serious injuries that will force an emergency room visit or a trip to your doctor, but for anything less serious than that, start by visiting trainer Kristen Sasonoff.  Her training room is in the athletic hallway at CHS. They should also provide medical notes and documentation to CHS nursing.

What protocol must a I follow if I go to the doctor/ER/Urgent care for an injury?
Any time a student athlete visits a medical professional for an injury sustained in the sport, the student athlete must get a note from the doctor clearing them  to return or laying out a plan of return or a date of return. This is the case EVEN IF THE DOCTOR SAYS YOU ARE FINE and can return immediately.  Visiting the doctor makes a student athlete ineligible until a clearance note comes to the athletic trainer.  Always get a clearance note! They should also provide medical notes and documentation to CHS nursing.

Miscellaneous Questions:

What is the Bona Fide Team member rule?
This MIAA rule states that a student athletes must prioritize high school athletics above any other athletic commitment.  It specifically states that a student athlete cannot miss a high school practice or contest for a non-high school team event.  The MIAA will allow up to one waiver of this rule per student athlete per season.  These waivers must be done 30 days in advance of the conflict and are only granted for high level events.

What are the consequences if the Bona Fide Team member rule is broken?
A student athlete who breaks the Bona Fide Team member rule will be ruled ineligible for a 1/4 of the season's remaining contests. Much like the Chemical Health rule, this can carry over to the next season.

What if a student athletes needs extra help in a class and it conflicts with an athletic commitment?
A student's academic classes are always the top priority.  The key to navigating effectively when it comes to missing practice time for extra-help is good, early communication with the coach.  Students should always keep their coaches posted on how classes are going and if they are struggling in any particular classes.  When a student is seeking extra help and it causes them to be late for a practice, they should just communicate that with the coach EARLY....not last minute.  Coaches can also be great resources for helping student athletes get back on track academically. Don't hide academic struggles from coaches. Keep them in the loop!

What about answers to other important questions?
You can always find valuable information on the CHS Athletics Blog. Consider signing up for email notifications of updates to the Blog.  The CHS Athletic website has a great deal of information as well. Or, if all else fails, reach out to me at 781-821-5050 x6 or ericksond@cantonma.org.



Monday, October 7, 2019

Dani Aquino named Varsity Girls Lacrosse Coach

Coach Danielle Aquino
It is with great excitement that the CHS Athletic Department officially announces the appointment of Danielle Aquino as our Head Varsity Girls Lacrosse Coach.

Aquino comes to CHS after a stint coaching the varsity program at Cardinal Spellman High School. Previous to that, her lacrosse experiences have been numerous. She has been a coach at Starland Sports where she has run lacrosse clinics for many years. She played and captained her team in the Advanced Wormen's BSSC lacrosse league out of Harvard University.

Her athletic career has not been limited to Lacrosse.  She currently serves as the Assistant Head Coach of the women's volleyball team at Stonehill College.

"I am thrilled to be joining the Bulldog Athletic Coaching staff," said Aquino. "The level of play in Canton and in the Hockomock League is something that I very much look forward to being a part of. I believe there is so much potential in this program and I'm excited for the challenge ahead."

"Coach Dani" lives in Quincy with her wife Sarah Aquino (CHS math teacher and coach) and their dog Bowser. When Dani isn't coaching volleyball or lacrosse or working at Alliance Elite Club, she's writing or walking her pup on Wollaston beach.

Friday, October 4, 2019

Schedule changes with Milford (Soccer/Field Hockey)

The following is an update of schedules for Boys and Girls Soccer and Field Hockey contests with Milford on 10/7 and 10/28:

Girls Soccer- 
10/7- Games at Milford....JV at 4:00 and Varsity at 4:30
10/28- Games at Canton.....JV at 4:00 at turf and Varsity at 6:00 at turf

Field Hockey-
10/7- Both Varsity and JV games will be played in Canton at 4:00pm...Varsity on Turf and JV at Gibson

Boys Soccer- 
10/7- Games at Canton....JV at 4:00 at JFK.....Varsity at 6:30 at turf
10/28- Games at Milford.....JV at 4:00 and Varsity at 6:00


Thursday, October 3, 2019

Rodman Ford helping CHS go to Gillette

The CHS Boys and Girls Soccer teams will be facing off against Sharon High School on Tuesday, October 22nd at Gillette Stadium and thanks to the generosity of Rodman Ford, the $25 ticket price has been dropped to $5 for CPS students. The Girls and Boys teams are hopeful to have their classmates behind them in this great venue. 

These special $5 tickets are available in lunches beginning Friday, October 4th. 

Thank you Rodmans!

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Gerety sends message of gratitude to our Bulldogs

Two-plus weeks have gone by since a packed CHS Morse Auditorium was treated to a great speech and message from renowned speaker Ed Gerety.  Ed spoke to our Bulldog athletes and parents about the importance of teamwork, selflessness and gratitude.  His stories brought tears, thoughts and plenty of belly laughs from the audience.

His challenge to us all was to make sure that as we go through our athletic season this year, we make sure to be grateful for the opportunities we have and for those who help us along the way. So- be sure to do just that! Thank someone today! And tomorrow!  Put that reminder in your phone and be sure to go out of your way to thank someone who is helping you along your journey.

If the members of our teams can all do that, our CHS Athletic journey will be so much more rich and impactful.

I'll go first-----Thank you Ed Gerety.  I am so thankful for the positive messages you sent to us all.  Now let's go do it Dogs!

And for those of you that wanted proof---here is the photo of Ed with Sweetness himself- Walter Payton. I guess it does pay to get out of your comfort zone!


Visit Ed Gerety's site by clicking here. 

Captains Meeting

Attention CHS Captains!

There will be a meeting of all sports captains on Thursday morning, October 10th at 7:15am in the library.  This is a MANDATORY meeting for varsity captains of our fall, winter and spring teams.

We will start promptly at 7:15am. Feel free to bring a drink and breakfast
(sandwich, donut, bagel, etc). We will wrap up by 7:50am.

Spread the word. Attendance will be taken.

See you then!

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Ace for Ant on Friday

The first place Girls Volleyball team will be hosting Ace for Ant on Friday, October 4th during the teams' matches with Notre Dame Academy (Hingham).  The fundraiser event will be raising money for the Epilepsy Foundation of New England in honor of Anthony Maffie- CHS graduate who passed away this past winter from an epileptic event.

The Fundraiser will include raffles, a bake sale, pizza, t-shirts and three great volleyball matches:
Freshmen- 3:45
JV-4:45
Varsity at 5:45

Two great events on campus that night as the Football team hosts Foxboro at 7:00. Please consider supporting the volleyball team, the Maffies and the fight to cure epilepsy then head down to the turf for the Hock Davenport Football clash.