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Canton, OWTS considering fielding co-op team

CANTON, Dec. 11 – Officials from Canton High and Wolcott Tech in Torrington are investigating the possibility of forming a co-op football team together next fall.

Officials from Wolcott Tech initiated the discussions about forming a co-op team with Canton earlier this fall.

“They recognized that we were in a similar situation with a low number of players and they reached out to us,” Canton athletic director John Bement said. “Everyone seems to think it would be a good move.”

Bement will meet with Wolcott Tech athletic director Ray Tanguay next week to continue working out the details of the proposal. Bement said he will need approval from Canton High principal Gary Gula and the Board of Education before making a formal proposal to the CIAC.

Canton began the year with 38 players but had just 28 healthy players dressed for the season finale with Ellington and nearly a dozen were freshmen. Thirteen players were playing offense and defense during games.

Canton went 3-7 in its fourth varsity season since reinstating its football program in 2007 after a 34-year absence. In those four seasons, the Warriors are 11-30, including a 6-4 season in 2009 – its first winning season since 1958.

Wolcott Tech finished its third varsity season in November with a 0-10 record. In three years, Wolcott Tech is 1-30 with its lone victory coming from a forfeit in 2009.

Bement said this co-op proposal isn’t about wins and losses. It is about putting players in a better position to learn in practice and compete in games.

Without enough players, it can be difficult to challenge varsity players in practice, who end up competing against freshmen and other first-year players. And in games, with many athletes playing on both sides of the ball, exhausted teams tend to fade in the second half.

The situation is similar at Wolcott Tech. While Canton dressed 28 players in its final game, Tech dressed about 25 players in its season finale with Lewis Mills. At this time, the Wildcats estimate about 16 players will return next fall while Canton expects 25-to-30 players to suit up.

Bement and Tanguay will firm up these estimates in their meetings this month.

“This (co-op) will allow us to have more productive practices,” Bement said. “Going half-speed in practice (against younger, inexperienced players) doesn’t get you ready for games.”

The co-op proposal also needs approval from teams in the Pequot Conference. Canton coach Roger Pearl said the support for the proposal was unanimous at a recent coaches meeting. In fact, in a proposed realignment of the league for 2011 by the coaches, the league has already penciled in the Canton and Wolcott Tech co-op team.

According to a preliminary co-op agreement, Canton would be the host school, the team would retain its Warrior identity and colors and would practice and play home games in Canton. Pearl, who supports the co-op proposal, would lead the combined coaching staff.

Canton needs to apply to the CIAC by May 1 but Bement said he hopes to apply for the co-op by the end of January.

One wrinkle could be the number of players from each school. In football, teams with co-op football teams are limited to 32 players each and co-op teams are not allowed to cut players.

With some success could come additional athletes wanting to play. Several co-op programs ended recently due to growing participation.

St. Paul’s 10-year co-op with New Britain’s Goodwin Tech ended this fall after interest in the St. Paul program grew. Interest in football at Coginchaug Regional in Durham ended a 10-year co-op program with Vinal Tech in Middletown. Coginchaug formed its own team joined the Pequot Conference this year. Vinal began a new co-op program with East Hampton that will make its varsity debut in the Pequot in 2011. This is the final year of a co-op program with Derby and O’Brien Tech due to an increase in athletes playing football at Derby.

Gilbert/Northwestern’s co-op team is flirting with the numbers. The Yellowjackets, who made their first-ever CIAC playoff appearance and advanced to the Class M semifinals this fall, have 28 players from Northwestern Regional.

Canton plays in the Uncas Division of the Pequot Conference, which had six co-op teams this fall among its 10 members. Avon, Canton, Granby and Enfield were the non co-op teams.

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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