Canton’s Eddie Melton ran for a career-high 41 yards in Friday night’s win over Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton. Teammate Shane Toland (58) follows the play.
COVENTRY – Canton High lineman Shane Toland knows that there are some special athletes in the offensive backfield. “We’re gifted with some outstanding backs,” he said Friday night after the Warriors won their fourth straight game with a dominating 42-8 Pequot Uncas Division victory over the Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton co-op team.
For the first time since the program was reborn in 2007, three Canton backs ran for over 100 yards in the same game. It’s probably an all-time school record, as well. Dan Delos ran for 114 yards and two touchdowns while Sebby Gumbs ran for a career-high 101 yards and a touchdown and Cam Daley rushed for a career-high 115 yards and a touchdown.
Canton (4-0, 4-0 Pequot Uncas) scored on its first six possessions to grab a 42-0 lead. The Warriors are now 4-0 for just the fourth time in school history and the first time since 1952.
“They’re a well-coached team,” Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton coach Tony Bonito said. “They’re strong. They lift and they do all of the right things. They’re a good-looking football team. They’re big and strong and (they) have five or six excellent backs.”
Gumbs, a two-time Pequot Conference All-Star, had his best game of the season. He had a 51-yard run in the third quarter and a 29-yard scamper in the first quarter. He also caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Alex Higley late in the second quarter.
“It was good to get (Sebby) going,” Canton coach Paul Philippon said. “He has been battling injuries since the summer. He’s worked extremely hard to get back.”
It gives the Warriors another weapon in the backfield. “When you have Dan Delos carrying the ball, Cam Daley carrying the ball, Sebby Gumbs carrying the ball, it’s hard to make a bad play call (offensively),” Philippon said. “We have a wealth of talent in the backfield.”
Gumbs showed good speed. Delos will run over you and Daley is adept at finding the holes in the line and accelerating into open space.
Canton ran for over 300 yards and scored on its first six possessions Friday night.
It didn’t take Canton long to assume command. After a short kickoff, the Warriors marched 55 yards in five plays in less than two minutes. Gumbs scored on a 29-yard run with 10:17 remaining in the first quarter. On Canton’s second drive, they marched 80 yards on nine plays with Henry Bonini scoring from the 1-yard line for a 14-0 lead. Daley had a 34-yard run on the drive to get it moving.
Canton’s Pearse Walsh stripped the ball from the Patriots’ Daniel Gebhardt and recovered the loose ball early in the second quarter. The Warriors marched 60 yards in nine plays with Daley (19 yards) and Delos (15 yards) pulling off big runs. Delos scored from the five-yard line for a 21-0 lead.
The Warriors made it 28-0 when Gumbs scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Higley with 54 seconds left in the first half. Daley had a 26-yard reception to move the Warriors deep into Patriot territory.
Thanks to three big penalties that kept a drive alive, the Patriots marched inside the Canton 10-yard line early in the third quarter. Canton was flagged for pass interference after an incomplete pass on fourth down to keep the drive going.
On third and goal from the six, Gebhardt powered his way to the four-yard line. But because his helmet popped off when he was being tackled, he had to leave the field. In high school, if a player takes off or loses his helmet on the field, he has to sit out a play before returning. Canton sacked Louis Warfield for a one-yard loss on fourth down and took over.
Daley extended the Canton lead to 42-0 with a 41-yard run around the right side. Canton kicker Eddie Melton was 7-for-7 kicking extra points. Gebhardt, who ran for a game-high 142 yards on 22 carries, scored from the one with 5:12 remaining to get the Patriots on the board. He ran on eight of the scoring drive’s 11 plays.
Philippon was pleased with the win and the effort. But he saw plenty of areas where the Warriors need to improve. “We’re just trying to get better. We’ll have a challenge every single week,” he said.
Bonito said he team is very young. Fifteen freshman played in the game. “We started a lot of freshmen and sophomores and when that happens, sometimes you take your lumps,” he said.
And he praised Canton. “This is their year. Good for them and good for (Philippon). He’s a good guy.”
NOTES: Canton beat the Patriots for the third straight year. They won by one and two points, respectively, in the previous two contests. … Canton travels to Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby next week for a 1 p.m. contest. … Canton didn’t have a varsity team in 1961 and 1962 and from 1965 through 2006. … Twice, the Warriors have started the season with five consecutive wins in 1952 and 1945. … Only once since 2007 has Canton had multiple 100-yard rushers in a single game. It happened against Enfield last season when Delos ran for 109 yards and Terrence Brophy ran for 101 yards.
Canton 42, Coventry/WT/Bolton 8
At Coventry
Canton (4-0) 14 14 7 7 — 42
Cov/WT/Bolt (1-3) 0 0 0 8 — 8
First quarter
C: Sebby Gumbs 29 run (Eddie Melton kick), 10:17
C: Henry Bonini 1 run (Melton kick), 1:59
Second quarter
C: Dan Delos 5 run (Melton kick), 5:36
C: Gumbs 30 pass from Alex Higley (Melton kick), 0:54
Third quarter
C: Delos 9 run (Melton kick), 4:05
Fourth quarter
C: Cam Daley 41 run (Melton kick), 11:10
Cov: Daniel Gebhardt 1 run (Terrance Luke pass from Daniel Lawrence), 5:12
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Canton – Brock Steinfeldt 4-18, Eddie Melton 5-41, Cam Daley 9-115, Sam Jenkins 3-5, Sebby Gumbs 6-101, Henry Bonini 4-30, Dan Delos 13-114, Alex Higley 1-minus 4; Coventry/WT/Bolton – Daniel Gebhardt 22-142, Daniel Lawrence 4-13, Ethan Valdes 1-1, Louis Warfield 1-minus 1, Konnor Schenk 5-33, Kevin Hampton 2-3
PASSING: Canton – Higley 2-4-0, 56; Coventry/WT/Bolton – D. Lawrence 2-13-0, 18
RECEIVING: Canton – Gumbs 1-30, Daley 1-26; Coventry/WT/Bolton – Ryan Lawrence 1-6, Schenk 1-12
KICKOFF RETURNS: Bonini (C) 1-7, Kevin Hampton (Cov) 4-58, Schenk (Cov) 2-20
FUMBLE RECOVERY: Pearse Walsh (C) 1-0
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