Fallon named Head Varsity Football Coach

CHS Football coach Anthony Fallon (center) is moving from
Offensive Coordinator to Head Coach.  He is seen here with
members of the 2019 squad Jack Connolly and Lucas Bryant. 

The Canton High School Athletic Department is thrilled to introduce Anthony Fallon as our next Head Varsity Football Coach.  Fallon was selected from an impressive pool of candidates after a comprehensive process that involved an interview committee of CHS student athletes, coaches, teachers, staff, parents, and Canton Youth Football representatives.  Fallon's deep high school football resume, his extensive football expertise, his ability to build strong relationships with student athletes and his love of and commitment to CHS football combined to make Fallon a great coach to take over the reigns at this time.

Fallon's impressive high school football coaching resume includes his most recent coaching role as Offensive Coordinator of the high-powered 2019 Hockomock Davenport Champion Canton Bulldogs.  The team's explosive offense, led by Fallon's guidance, ripped through the Hock Davenport and beyond en-route to a 10-1 season. 

Fallon's Bulldog Football roots are deep.  As a 1988 CHS graduate, he was a member of the 1987 Super Bowl team that went all the way to the big game while playing EVERY GAME ON THE ROAD, as Memorial Field was being renovated.  What an amazing accomplishment.  After graduating from CHS, he continued his football career at Bridgewater State College where he earned his bachelor's degree in Physical Education.  He then went on to earn his Master's Degree in Education from Endicott College. He has been a teacher for the past 24 years. 

Newly appointed CHS Coach Anthony Fallon wore #56
for the Bulldogs in the 1987 Super Bowl at Foxboro
Stadium vs. Foxboro High School.

Fallon's first coaching position was right here at his alma mater when he took over the freshmen team under coach David Bohane in the early 1990s. He then moved on to coach throughout the rest of the decade at Bellingham High School.  He then took a break from coaching to spend time and coach his own children, Kiley and Thomas, in a variety of sports. During that hiatus, stayed active in the high school game by working as a certified football official.  He came back to high school coaching to work with coach Bohane at CHS, upon Bohane's own return to the program in 2011.  He then joined the coaching staff at Millis High School, where he works as a physical education teacher. During that time, he was able to coach his son.  Upon his son's recent graduation, Fallon was drawn back to Canton, joining the Bulldog staff in 2019 for what we all hope will be an extended run. 

Fallon resides in Millis with his wife, Darcy, of over 21 years, their two children and their three dogs. 

Fallon had this to say when asked how he was feeling about taking over the Bulldog program:

"I am incredibly excited to be the next Head Coach of the Canton Bulldogs.  Through the years, my most important and cherished job has been husband to Darcy for 21 years and father to Kiley and Thomas. Their support and love has allowed me to continually pursue my life's passion of coaching football. My journey through coaching has led me back to my lifelong dream of being the head coach at my high school and alma mater.  Being the first alumni to be the Head Coach at Canton High in over 50 years is an honor I will not take lightly.  I cannot wait to start working with the student athletes and preparing for next season!"

CHS Principal Derek Folan had this to say about the appointment of Fallon:

"We are thrilled to announce Coach Fallon as our new CHS Head Football coach. He has incredible relationships with our players, families and our community, which will only add to the championship culture and success of our football team.  I am confident that he will advance our program with high-level expertise, energy, leadership and core values.  I'm so excited for the Bulldogs!"

A personal note from the AD:

"Anthony was a year ahead of me at CHS so we were both Bulldogs in the late 80s.  I am so honored and excited to work with him in the 2020s at continuing the traditions and writing new chapters of CHS Football. He is the perfect person for this job.  Good luck to coach Anthony Fallon!"

Newly appointed CHS Coach Anthony Fallon- #56  (2nd row, 5th from left) in his CHS Football team photo from 1987. 

Update on Spring 2020 Athletic Season- updated 3/31/2020

Hello Bulldog Nation.  This blog entry includes information on our Spring 2020 Athletic Season as of Thursday, March 26, 2020. UPDATED- 3/31/2020- For the latest info from the MIAA- click here. Other updates to this blog are in red below. 

Today, we are releasing updated 2020 spring sports schedules (with the exception of Unified Track which is almost finalized.)  Below are some bulleted points about the upcoming season.

All of this information is conditional on state, local and MIAA information and is subject to change as Covid19 conditions are ever-changing. 

• The first day of practices/tryouts will be Monday, May 4th. As that date approaches, we will post sport-specific information on this blog. 
• The first contests of the season will take place on Monday, May 11th. 
• There will be a "regular season" which runs through early/mid June. As of today, our schedules are limited to Hockomock League competition. 
• It is unclear if there will be an MIAA state tournament.  We expect that information to come out on Monday, March 30th. Regardless of whether the MIAA holds a tournament or not, the Hockomock League will be looking to provide a tournament experience for our teams. The MIAA announced at a Board of Directors meeting on Monday that they will plan for a state tournament in mid/late June. 
• Tennis, Baseball, Softball and Lacrosse schedules will feature home and away contests against our fellow Hockomock Davenport schools. 
• The Track Schedule will include dual and tri-meets and a Hock Championship. 
• As mentioned above, Unified Track schedule will be released shortly- expected later this week. 
• All CHS deadlines for participation and user fees for the spring season are currently on hold. We will announce updates around this as April progresses. 
• Physical Exams on file in the Athletic Office that were conducted and dated SINCE 2/13/19 will meet the physical exam requirement for this spring. 

Thank you all for your continued patience.  I'm so looking forward to being back out there on our fields!  In the meantime, continue to find ways to grow.

Remember- "Champions train when nobody is watching."

If you have any questions for the athletic office, please email me at ericksond@cantonma.org. 

Below are links to some important information:

CHS Athletic Schedules (updated today-3/26/2020)

MIAA FAQ about spring sports

MIAA Tournament Management Committee minutes from most recent meeting

GUEST Blogger- Trainer Kristen- Tommy John Surgery

Athletic Training Blog Series #2

So Chris Sale is Having Tommy John Surgery? What does that mean?

Chris Sale announced last week during the postponement of the beginning of baseball season that he is going to have season ending Tommy John Surgery after months of mixed reports of the seriousness of his injury and many trips to a variety of physicians including the world renowned Dr. Andrews. So what does that mean? Why has this become a major issue at all levels of baseball? And what does the recovery look like?

Tommy John Surgery is a surgery that repairs the Ulnar Collateral Ligament(UCL) in the elbow. If you are looking at your elbow with your palm up- it is the ligament on the inside (body side) or medial side of your elbow. This ligament helps stabilize the elbow. The surgical repair requires using a tendon (Hamstring, Great Toe Extensor, Palmaris Longus) from your body or a cadaver tendon and attaching it as a new UCL. Tommy John was the first person to undergo this surgery (thus it is named after him). He was a professional baseball player. His surgery was completed by Dr. Frank Jobe in 1974.

UCL injuries are occurring at markedly high rates in overhead throwing athletes-particularly baseball and softball players.  It is an overuse injury that has led to lots of changes in baseball and softball over the years. This is why the new MIAA pitch count rules have been put in place. It is also why many recommend not teaching student-athletes the true curve ball technique until they are more fully grown/developed. At my previous school, I had a pitching coach who taught a different off speed pitch to all our pitches that created much less stress on the medial elbow. 

So once you’ve had the surgery-whats next? Lots of rehabilitation. An athlete will be sent home in a hinged brace similar to those you see for ACLs right after surgery that will limit motion.1-2 weeks after surgery you will begin to be able to move your arm to increase gradually your range of motion. You will be locked in the brace when not exercising, and may wear a sling as well for comfort. Hopefully by the end of the first month you will be able to fully extend (Straighten) your arm-which will mean you no longer have to wear the brace. Most athletes regain full motion in 2-4 months. After this point regaining strength will be the next goal.Aggressive stretching and strengthening will be important. Like ACL surgery it typically takes 9 months or more for an athlete to be able to return to competition.  It will be very important to work on throwing form in the late stages of this progression. Long toss will happen well before throwing off a mound. 

So why did Chris Sale wait so long? Professional sports teams are notorious for not releasing lots of information-but here are my educated thoughts on his injury. He has most likely been battling a partial tear of his UCL for over a year that they were treating in the AT facility with the Red Sox team of PTs, ATs, and MDs. Sale had probably gotten to a point where any throwing activity was causing such pain and inflammation they had to re-evaluate the plan for his long term ability to pitch. Thus, especially with the current shut down of sports) and what will most likely be a shortened season, it was the prudent decision to get the reconstruction done and focus on getting healthy for 2021. 

Takeaways for our athletes-

• If and when your elbow hurts- SPEAK UP DO NOT WAIT
• Start throwing progressions now while we are in social distancing with a sibling or parent
• Building arm strength is important
• Develop other pitches. Do not live in one place all the time.
• Rest between throwing sessions

Some informational links:

• https://www.nfhs.org/articles/focus-on-health-of-pitchers-continues-in-high-school-baseball/
• http://www.miaa.net/gen/miaa_generated_bin/documents/basic_module/MIAA_Pitch_Count_2020.pdf
• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/tommy-john-surgery-ulnar-collateral-ligament-reconstruction

Hope you are all practicing social distancing and staying healthy. Can’t wait to get back on the fields soon I hope.

Kristen

Our Athletic Facilities are NOT open to our students

Dear families,

In an effort to adhere to the expectation of social distancing and to limit group gatherings, the Canton School District has closed all CPS athletic facilities to our students.

We understand there is a desire to be outside and practice at the school venues. However, students cannot be gathering at our facilities. Coaches have been instructed to share and reinforce this message as well. We all need to play a role in keeping our community safe and healthy, and we must follow the expectations of social distancing.

Thanks for your understanding and taking this responsibility seriously. 

GUEST Blogger- Athletic Trainer Kristen Sasonoff- National AT Month 2020

It’s March, which means it is National Athletic Training Month-a time when ATs around the country and world self promote our beloved profession. Each year there is a theme, 2020s theme is Healthcare through Action. Well….since there is no Bulldog action, Mr. Erickson and I decided I would write some blogs about a variety of topics in relation to athletic training. I thought I would start with “What is an Athletic Trainer?”

Athletic Trainers are healthcare professionals who render services or treatment under direction of or in collaboration with a physician, in accordance with their education and training and state statutes, rules, and regulations. As part of the healthcare team, services provided by Athletic Trainers (ATs) include injury and illness prevention, wellness promotion and education, emergency care, examination and clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic Training is recognized as a healthcare profession by the American Medical Association.

So what that means-Certified Athletic Trainers have attended an accredited program completing a Bachelors of Science degree (it is becoming a Master’s level program starting in the fall 2020) This includes many hours of hands on internships with a variety of sports, and levels. The course load includes Anatomy and Physiology, Kinesiology, Exercise Science, Injury Evaluations, Therapeutic Rehabilitation and Modalities. At the conclusion of the educational program students sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) exam, and once passed they can officially call themselves a Certified Athletic Trainer. In Massachusetts, ATs are also required to maintain licensure through the Board of Allied Health. We complete 50 hours of continuing education every 2 years, 10 of which have to be Evidence Based Practice to maintain certification, as well as maintain CPR certification.

Athletic Trainers work in a variety of settings:

• Secondary Schools
• College/Universities
• Professional Sports
• Hospital Systems
• Physical Therapy Clinics
• Sports Medicine Clinics
• Occupational Settings
• Government/Military/Law Enforcement
• Physician Offices
• Dance and Fine Arts

For me personally, I went into Athletic Training because I loved the idea of combining my love of sports and medicine. I could never imagine sitting in an office or building all day. 16 years later-still a perfect fit

I will be trying to put together a lot of these over the coming days-so if you have things you would like to see covered (specific injuries, questions/answers, rehabs) please reach out to me: sasonoffk@cantonma.org

Looking forward to spreading some knowledge from my couch. Stay healthy and socially distanced so we can get to the things we love sooner rather than later.

Kristen

Update on Spring Sports- March 17, 2020

Hello Bulldog Nation!  I realize that it has been a strange time period for all of us to say the least.  I hope this blog entry provides our student athletes, coaches, parents and Bulldog fans with some helpful information as well as some hope for the coming months.

When will Spring Sports Practices/Tryouts Start?  The MIAA voted yesterday to delay the beginning of the spring season to Monday, April 27th. This means that even if we go back to school on 4/7/2020 we will not be able to start our season until 4/27/2020.

When will Spring Sports Games/Matches/Meets Start?  This is not quite as clear. Typically the MIAA requires that the first date for contests is 11 calendar days after the first day for practice/tryouts.  There has been some discussion at the state level to waive that this year but that has not yet occurred. Bottom line- contests will most likely begin the first week of May.

Will there be a State Tournament?  As of right now, yes.  The plan is to have a truncated regular season and have a state tournament. Those details will be worked out in the coming weeks by the MIAA.

What will the Game/Match/Meet schedule look like?  First off- the original contest schedules for all of our spring sports have been scrapped.  ALL contests that had been scheduled prior to this halt in things are no longer being used. The Hockomock League is currently working on a new schedule. I will be keeping everyone posted on new schedules as I add them to the MIAA Canton High site.   One thing is for sure.  The new schedule will have a reduced number of contests from the original, typical schedule.

Is this set in stone?  Unfortunately the answer to that is no.  Like everything else in the nation right now, things are quite fluid.  The dates and information I've provided are accurate for now BUT will be re-evaluated regularly by the Federal Government, State Government, local Government, the MIAA, and the Hockomock League.  Bottom line- final decisions around all spring sport opportunities will be made based on the health and safety of all.

Final Note for now- I hope each of us is finding ways to grow personally while we are all home doing our part to protect the greater good.  Bulldogs- please use this unique time wisely.  Build your brain, body, and spirit.  There are so many ways to make sure you grow each day.  Don't waste away the time on X-Box, apps and streaming.  Work on that lax cradle.  Read. Work on that baseball/softball swing off a tee. Read. Work on your distance running and sprints. Read. Work on your footwork.  Read. Do your PLT4M workout!  Use technology as a tool to help your growth...not a time drain.  Tons of YouTube content for athletes who want to get better while nobody is watching.  You can all find that content easier than I can.

And one more thing---- be sure to be a help around the house! Your parents/guardians are your biggest fans and they need you to be part of the solution to this time period.  You got this Bulldogs!

I'll be keeping you updated on any updates.

A Championship Salute!

It's certainly not how any of us envisioned it or hoped it would happen, but once again, Canton is on the top of the Massachusetts Hockey world with both our Boys Hockey Team and our Girls Hockey Team being crowned State Champions this week.  As I post this blog entry, we are within an hour of when we were all supposed to be cheering on our Bulldogs at the Garden. Let's be sure that we don't let the strangeness of this moment decrease, in anyway, the amazing seasons that these two teams have just completed.

Let's look at the CHS Hockey dominance this year and in recent years:

The Girls Team-

• 2020 State Champions
• 2018 and 2020 Hockmock League Champions
• 2020 Record-19-1-4....What a record!
• 2017, 2018 and 2020 State Finalists
• Record over past 4 seasons- 62-15-18.....What a record!
• Head Coach Dennis Aldrich earned his 100th victory on the Bulldog bench earlier in the season.

The Boys Team-

• 2019 and 2020 State Champions
• 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Hockomock Davenport Champions
• 2020 Record- 20-1-3...What a record!
• Record over past 2 season- 44-1-4 including a 43 game unbeaten streak.....Amazing!

What the numbers don't show is the sweat, smiles and tears that are part of this amazing program. Our coaches have built on the foundation established by the Canton Youth Hockey community in providing an athletic experience that is unparalleled in its impact. Canton, Massachusetts truly is Hockeytown, USA!

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't publicly state how proud I am of how our hockey players have handled the abrupt end to their season. As Athletic Director, I have seen student athletes and teams have to deal with countless emotionally challenging situations but nothing that really compares to this strange ending to a journey.  I can only say to each of them, that as time goes on, I hope they realize just how amazing the journey was and that they did all that they possibly could do.  They beat every team that they were asked to in this tournament run. The final win may just come in the consolation of knowing that they all did their part in helping to keep us all as safe as possible during a very challenging time.

State Champs x2!

Spring Athletic Season Start date DELAYED

The MIAA announced today that schools will not be permitted to begin spring season practices until March 30th.  Practices and tryouts were set to begin at CHS on Monday but these will not be taking place.

No team practices or other activities will be permitted. Follow this blog for any updates.

Hockey Teams are Garden-Bound!-UPDATE- Games are cancelled

The MIAA announced this afternoon that due to Covid19 concerns and to ensure the safety of student athletes and spectators, the State Finals Games scheduled for Sunday and discussed below are CANCELLED. 

Congratulations to both of our teams on amazing seasons and on your state Championships! 

Girls Varsity Hockey 2019/20- Hockomock Champions

Trips to High School state finals are supposed to be rare occurrences, but Sunday will mark the 4th straight winter season when a CHS team will be playing in the Boston Garden in the State Hockey Championship contest.  To add to the accomplishments, BOTH our girls and boys hockey teams will be playing in their respective title games. It is truly an amazing achievement.  Kudos to all of our hockey student athletes, coaches, and all of the youth hockey coaches in Canton who have helped to develop such unprecedented success.

Boys Varsity Hockey 2019/20- Hockomock Davenport Champions

Details of the games:

Date: Sunday, March 15th

Place: The Boston Garden!

Ticket Prices: TBA....check this blog for updates on cost and how to purchase tickets online

Game times: Girls game is at 5:45pm......Boys game is at 7:45pm

Opponents:

Canton Girls (seeded #3) vs. Wellesley (seeded #1 and defending State Champions)

Canton Boys (seeded #1 in south) vs. Lincoln-Sudbury (seeded #2 in north and only team to defeat Bulldogs in past two seasons)

Other important information:

No Signs or Noisemakers.  These will not be allowed in the Garden.  You will have to go through Garden security like you would for any other event. Please don't bring large bags, etc.


Transportation Options-

Driving- Parking is available but is not cheap!

Live Stream- Can't make it to the game. You can watch on the NFHS Network. There is a cost but it's worth it!  Here is the link to watch the game online.

Message to Bulldog Nation- Let's fill the Garden!  Let's be loud and proud in supporting our Bulldogs!  Let's be sporting and classy as we do it!  We are on the biggest of stages- let's show our best in Green and WHITE!

Harris Commits to Springfield College for Volleyball

Taylor Harris '20 upon her official decision to
go to Springfield College

Taylor in action

The good news out of the State Championship Volleyball program just never seems to stop.  On Thursday, February 27th, Canton High School celebrated Taylor Harris' (class of 2020) decision to continue her volleyball career at Springfield College in the fall.

The ceremony was held at CHS with Taylor, members of her family, CHS coaches, administrators and friends.

Taylor led the storied Bulldogs to the program's first-ever State Championship this past November.  She not only earned this ultimate prize in Massachusetts High School Volleyball, but she also was named MVP of the competitive Hockomock League.

Taylor with her brothers Tony and
Michael and mom Karen

Taylor is the youngest of a family of four siblings who have made huge contributions to CHS Athletics over the years.  Her older brothers- Michael, Tony and Derrick made their marks here as Bulldogs but it's hard to say that their little sister hasn't outdone them all in leading her team to the State Title.  If you were at the state final match in Worcester, you would have seen her brothers there as her biggest fans. Her mom Karen has been a staple at CHS events and done so much behind the scenes for the past decade.  The family has certainly given so much the CHS Athletics.

Taylor is joining a highly successful Springfield Pride program who competes in the NEWMAC conference and posted a 16-12 record this past season. The team is coached by Moira Long, who has led the Pride to seven NCAA tournaments in her nine years at the helm. Coach Long had this to say about Taylor as she joins the Pride- 

"We are so excited to welcome Taylor Harris to the Springfield College Community and the women's volleyball program. Taylor's work ethic, confidence in herself, her teammates, desire to win and compete stood out to me from the first moment I watched her play. In addition, after speaking with Taylor and hearing of her desire to lead and serve others, we knew she was a great match for Springfield College. Taylor is going to make an immediate impact on Springfield College both on and off the court.  We are thrilled to have her join us."

Taylor with her CHS coach Pat Cawley, assistant coach
Anna Amico and CHS Athletic Trainer and Springfield
College alum Kristen Sasonoff. 

CHS Hall of Fame Coach Pat Cawley had this to say about Taylor's CHS journey and her future-

"Taylor came to us as a freshman unsure if she wanted to play volleyball and leaves us as a senior with the most kills in the state of Massachusetts for 2019!  Taylor was a supportive and unassuming player. She genuinely delighted in the success of her teammates and did whatever was needed to secure the win. Taylor appreciated the difficulty of each players job and knew success was a team effort. She is one of the most humble players to ever take the court. She has what it takes to be successful at the next level. We wish her luck and will miss her tremendously!"

All of Bulldog nation echos coach Cawley's well wishes and we will be proudly following her successes ahead!