CANTON – It hasn’t been easy for youngsters in the Canton High football program the past few years. Due to a low number of athletes on the team, the Warriors haven’t fielded a junior varsity team since 2012 and won’t this year either.
For freshmen and sophomores to get any experience, they have to play varsity games. Some youngsters are big enough and strong enough to compete. Others are simply not big enough yet.
It doesn’t get any easier this year for the Warriors. Canton has 24 players on the roster and just four are seniors. Eight of 11 starters on offense are likely to be sophomores.
Despite the challenges, there is a sense of optimism around the program. Head coach Mike Guy can see the progress. “It’s coming,” he said. “The guys aren’t fighting what we’re teaching them. They’ve been great. They’re a good bunch of kids to work with.”
Guy is no stranger to high school football. He won over 104 games in 30 years coaching at Housatonic Valley, leading the Mountaineers to the Class S championship game in 1990. After stepping down at Housatonic after the 2003 campaign, Guy spent the next decade in a variety of assistant coach positions at Torrington, St. Paul, Lewis Mills and other schools.
It won’t be anything too fancy this season with the Warriors, who have lost 11 straight games dating back to the 2014 Class S Small semifinal. “We’re going to play fundamentally sound offensively, defensively and in the kicking game,” Guy said. “The tackling has been pretty good but it’s been tough to pick up blocking.”
Canton does have some returning players. Senior QB Alex Higley, who started six games in Canton’s magical 2014 season, completed 57 passes for 785 yards and three touchdowns a year ago. Senior center and lineman Jerry LeFave returns along with 6-foot-2 running back Braeden Bean and 6-foot-2 offensive tackle and defensive end Ben Robinson, who are also seniors.
Sophomores Gavin Wood (tight end/linebacker), Dugan Lloyd (receiver/defensive back) and Jack Szczepanski (RB/LB) should see plenty of playing time along with sophomore Braydon Fluckgier (lineman/LB) and 6-foot-4 junior Yu Xiang Lin (lineman).

Canton’s Jack Szczepanski played as a freshman last year. He’ll back on the field for Canton this fall. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)
The challenge will be to make it through the season. With just 24 players, there is a thin margin of error with injuries.
Canton (0-10, 0-5 Pequot West) is the Western Division of the revamped Pequot Conference with Lewis Mills, Gilbert/Northwestern and Nonnewaug. They play all three schools in the first three weeks of the season.
Then, Canton gets a schedule that would have challenged the 2014 championship team with games against Ellington, North Branford, Cromwell/Portland, Morgan and Valley Regional/Old Lyme.
Ellington (8-2, 6-0) and Cromwell/Portland (8-2, 4-1) were the top two teams in the Pequot East a year ago while Morgan (9-2, 5-0), North Branford (6-4, 3-2) and Valley Regional/OL (6-4, 3-2) were the top three teams in the Pequot South division.
The Warriors finish the season with a road game against the CREC co-op, a second-year team from Hartford, and the Thanksgiving morning game against Granby (10-1).
NOTES: Canton fell hard in 2015. With a young, small and inexperienced team, the Warriors didn’t win a game. They scored 96 points and gave up 386. It is the fewest points Canton has scored since they revived the program in 2007 and the most ever they’ve allowed. … The Warriors play five night games this season including four on the road against Gilbert/Northwestern, Ellington, North Branford and Morgan. Canton hosts Ellington in a night game on Friday, Oct. 14, at 6:30 p.m., as part of their Alumni Weekend events. … A year ago, Canton went 0-10 for the third time since 2007. Canton had 10 seniors on that team including Matt Bangs and Will Carlson, who both earned All-Pequot Conference Western Division honors. … Canton’s 2014 championship team had just 27 players but the difference that there was a core of strong, experienced players that team.
CANTON
Coach: Mike Guy, 1st year (0-0, 104-163-7 career)
Last year: 0-10, 0-5 Pequot Conference West
Home field: Canton High turf field
Last championship: 2014 Pequot Conference Uncas Division
Last playoff berth: 2014, Class S Small semifinal
Last winning season: 2014, 10-2
Canton 2016 schedule
Saturday, Sept. 10: NONNEWAUG, 1 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 16: at Gilbert/Northwestern, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 24: at Lewis Mills, 1 p.m.
Bye week
Bye week
Friday, Oct. 14: ELLINGTON, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 21: at North Branford, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 29: CROMWELL/PORTLAND, 1 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 4: at Morgan, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 12: VALLEY REGIONAL/OLD LYME, 1 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 19: vs. CREC at Public Safety Academy, 11 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 24: GRANBY, 10 a.m.
2016 Pequot Sassacus
North: North Branford; Cromwell/Portland, Coginchaug; SMSA/University
South: Morgan, Valley Regional/Old Lyme, Haddam-Killingworth; Old Saybrook/Westbrook
2016 Pequot Uncas
West: Canton, Lewis Mills, Gilbert/Northwestern, Nonnewaug
East: Granby, Ellington, Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby; Stafford/East Windsor/Somers; Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton
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 30 years.


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