Five Canton athletes earn All-State honors during fall

Canton’s Ty Aleksa (14) scored seven goals in the last five games of the year. He earned All-New England honors. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

CANTON – Five Canton athletes earned All-State honors for their performance on the field this fall for the Warriors. Soccer players Ty Aleksa, Jackson Miner, Julia Langou earned All-State honors along with cross country runner Julia Caputo and field hockey player Abby Charron.

Aleksa, a junior defender, also earned United Soccer Coaches Association’s All-New England honors. Aleska finished with 11 goals on the year but had seven of those goals in the final five games of the season for the Warriors, who finished third in the NCCC with a 12-2-2 record.

Canton junior Jackson Miner (24) scored 27 goals this fall to earn All-State honors. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

Miner had a team-leading 27 goals including four-goal performances in victories over Somers and Hartford Classical. Twenty-seven goals in a season was the third best performance by a single player in team history. Only All-American players David Vaudreuil (28 goals in 1983) and Karl Schilling (33 in 2003) scored more in a Canton uniform.

Canton senior Abby Charron (23) looks to control the ball in a state tournament game in North Branford. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

In field hockey, Charron earned All-State honors in her third sport. She is a three-time All-State player in girls lacrosse and has been named to the All-State team twice in girls basketball. Charron, who has signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse at UConn beginning in the spring of 2021, had eight goals this season for Canton and scored 37 in four season for the Warriors.

A year ago, Charron had a career-high 17 goals as a junior with Canton when she was named to the All-State second team. This fall, Fiona McNally, who had a team-high 19 goals, was named to the All-State second team.

Canton’s Julia Caputo finished fourth at the Class SS championships. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

Junior Julia Caputo earned All-State honors in cross country for the first time with a fourth place finish in the Class SS championship race. Caputo finished 15th at the State Open to become the first Canton girl to ever qualify for the New England championships. Caputo finished 32nd at the New England meet.

Defender Julia Langou had two goals this year for the girls soccer team but provided solid play across the field to earn All-State honors for the first time. She helped the Warriors earned a berth in the Class S tournament.

Canton defender Julia Langou, center, earned All-State honors for the first time. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Record: 12-3, 10-3 NCCC. 4th at NCCC championships. S at Class SS championships
All-NCCC: Jack Dendinger
All-State: none

BOYS SOCCER
Record: 13-3-2, 12-2-2 NCCC (third). Lost Class S quarterfinals to Cromwell, 3-0
All-NCCC: Ty Aleksa, Jack Freedenberg, Jackson Miner, Spencer Mix
All-State: Ty Aleksa, Jackson Miner
All-New England: Ty Aleksa
All-Courant: Ty Aleska

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Record: 12-3, 10-3 NCCC. 4th at NCCC championships. Eighth at Class SS championships
All-NCCC: Maeve Balavender, Julia Caputo, Grace First
All-State: Julia Caputo
Note: Caputo was named to second team on GameTimeCT’s All-State team as compiled by Hearst Media.
All-Courant: Julia Caputo

GIRLS SOCCER
Record: 6-10-1, 6-9-1 NCCC. Lost Class S 1st round to Old Lyme, 4-0
All-NCCC: Julia Lau, Julia Langou
All-State: Julia Langou

FIELD HOCKEY
Record: 12-5-1, 5-3 NCCC (second). Lost Class S quarterfinals to North Branford, 3-1
All-NCCC: Leightyn Antarsh, Abby Charron, Ashley Huff, Fiona McNally, Poet Watson
All-State: Abby Charron and Fiona McNally (2nd team)

FOOTBALL (co-op)
Record: 8-3, 8-2 Pequot Conference (tied for second). Lost Class M quarterfinals to Waterford, 10-6
All-Pequot Conference: Colin Mackin (defensive back)
All-State: none
Note: Canton is part of the Granby/Canton football co-op team. Linebacker Sam Attianese from Granby earned CHSCA Class M All-State honors. Attianese was also named to the All-Courant team.

VOLLEYBALL
Record: 9-13, 3-7 NCCC. Lost first round Class S tournament to Coginchaug, 3-0
All-NCCC: MacKenzie Archangelo
All-State: none