WATERBURY, March 16 – There won’t be a banner on the wall this signifying what the Canton High boys basketball team achieved this year. A solid Avon team denied them championship hardware in the NCCC and in the Class S tournament, a speedy team from Kolbe Cathedral in Bridgeport ended Canton’s dreams of a state championship.
Canton senior Chris Robitaille leaps in the air one of his 18 rebounds in Monday’s Class S quarterfinal loss to Kolbe at Wilby High in Waterbury. (Photo by Glen Smyth)
But what an outstanding year it was for Canton and their fans – a year not to forget.
Canton tied a school record by winning its first 12 games, including a 78-74 OT win over Tolland when Canton coughed up a 22-point lead and a 56-point win over Portland, the second-most lopsided win in school history. Canton had three wins by over 50 points. The Warriors dropped their only regular season game to Avon in overtime and set a new school record with 19 regular season victories.
Canton rolled through the NCCC Tournament and played in the tournament championship game for just the second time before losing to Avon for a second time.
In its first Class S tournament game, Canton (22-3, 19-1 NCCC) erased a 17-point deficit to beat Old Saybrook, 58-53 in overtime. They didn’t allow a field goal in the fourth quarter and gave up just three points in the final eight minutes.
Senior Chris Robitaille, the 6-foot-5 center, was the anchor in the middle who had his biggest games against the best competition. Robitaille (19.4 ppg, 13.8 rpg) had a career-high 30 points in a win over Stafford and was huge in the loss to Kolbe with 24 points, 18 rebounds and 11 blocked shots.
Junior sharpshooter Andrew Crowley (17.4 ppg) had many spectacular games including a season-high 26 points and a five 3-point shots in the 80-71 OT loss to Avon. He led the Warriors with 48 three-point shots.
Canton’s James Rosshirt (21) splits between two Kolbe defenders on his way to the basket.
James Rosshirt averaged 10.4 points and led the team with 95 assists. Mike Setzler led the team with 44 steals while Rosshirt had 43. Connor Smyth was a solid defender and shooter all season long.
In last week’s Class S quarterfinal, No. 3 Canton nearly pulled off a big upset in a 65-62 overtime loss at Wilby High in Waterbury to No. 11 Kolbe Cathedral, the speedy inner-city school from Bridgeport that went to the Class S finals a year ago.
Expectations were true to form in the first quarter. Kolbe (16-9) scored its first basket on a dunk and used a 17-0 run to close out the opening session with a 23-8 lead with Rome Underwood scoring eight of his 12 points in the 17-point outburst.
But the Warriors adjusted and outscored Kolbe, 21-5 in the second quarter to take a one-point halftime lead and the game was on.
“We started finishing shots and got into a flow,” Canton coach Eric Deegan said. “We played at our speed. We tried to run with them in the first six to eight minutes and we just can’t do that.”
Canton’s Connor Smyth (34) has eye on the basketball and a possible rebound.
Kolbe coach C.J. Shama was impressed. “That’s a tribute to Canton,” he said. “We jumped all over them and they made some adjustments that forced us to make adjustments right to the end of the game.
“They play extremely well together,” Shama said. “They take good shots every single possession and you don’t see them take a lot of ill-advised shots. They find the mismatch and take advantage of it.”
With a balanced attack, Canton built a lead as large as seven points early in the fourth quarter, 44-37 with 7:17 remaining after Setzler drove to the basket on a feed from Robitaille and Crowley scored on a jumper off the glass.
But Kolbe was never far. Rosshirt who hustled throughout the game gave Canton a four-point lead, 56-52, with 2:07 left when he drove to the basket, was fouled and sank the foul shot. After a quick Koble basket, Rosshirt fed Setzler for a basket with 1:47 left and another four-point lead, 58-54.
However, Kolbe’s pressure defense began to take its toll and several Canton turnovers allowed Kolbe to climb back in. Underwood’s jumper off glass with 47.8 seconds left tied the game at 59-59. He had 12 points in the final quarter.
Canton’s Mike Setzler rips down a rebound.
After another Canton turnover, Kolbe held the ball for the last shot. Robitaille blocked Kolbe’s initial shot with about a second left and Cassius Collins grabbed the rebound but his shot rolled off the rim at the buzzer.
In OT, Canton took its only lead when Setzler sank one of two foul shots with 2:46 left for a 60-59 lead. Kolbe’s Max Boynton hit a pair of jumpers for a three-point lead but with 1:25 left, Robitaille grabbed his own rebound, was fouled and sank the basket to cut the lead to one, 63-62.
He missed the foul shot and Kolbe played keep away to run down the clock. They sank a pair of foul shots with 15.4 seconds left to ice the game.
“I’m so very proud of these guys. Very proud,” Deegan said afterward. “They worked so hard. They never backed down.”
Robitaille lead the way with 24 points against Kolbe but Crowley scored 14 and Setzler had 11 points and five assists.
Kolbe 65, Canton 62, OT
At Waterbury
Kolbe Cathedral (65) Dominque Livingston 7 4-5 19, Cassius Collins 0 0-2 0, Max Boynton 6 3-8 15, Jerry Laing 0 0-0 0, Rome Underwood 11 3-5 26, Donny Carmichael 0 3-4, 3, Troy Owens 0-0, Calvin Wade 1-0-2, Casrick McDonald 0-0-0.
Canton (62) Andrew Crowley 5 3-5 14, Albert Gray 0 0-0 0, James Rosshirt 4 1-1 9, Nick Quattro 0 2-2 2, Chris Robitaille 10 4-7 24, Connor Smyth 1 0-0 2, Mike Setzler 4 3-4 11. Totals 24 13-19 62
Kolbe (14-8) 23 6 8 26 6 – 65
Canton (22-3) 8 20 12 19 3 – 62
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