Canton High students Carter Chambers (11), left, and Vinny Forte (2) combined for five of Canton’s six TDs scored in Friday night’s 40-6 win over SMSA co-op.
CANTON, Sept. 13, 2024 – As part of their co-op agreement, the Granby/Canton football team plays one of their five home games in Canton each season.
It was appropriate that two Canton High players got the chance to shine on their home turf. Quarterback Vincent Forte completed 7-of-15 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown while running for three TDs of his own while Carter Chambers caught four passes for 52 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns as Granby/Canton rolled to a 40-6 win over the battered SMSA co-op football squad on Friday night in the season-opening contests for both programs.
Granby/Canton has eyes on the playoffs, a Pequot Conference Uncas Division championship and a state championship. So, this game loomed big on the schedule with SMSA co-op having won the last two Pequot Conference Uncas Division titles and having scored a school-record 409 points a year ago along with securing a CIAC tournament berth.
But the Tigerhawks are young. They have just five players back that played in the starting lineup a year ago.
And SMSA co-op, which consists of players from six Hartford schools (SMSA, Bulkeley, HMTCA, University High, Classical Magnet and Pathways Academy of Technology and Design), lost their top two starting quarterbacks due to injury. They finished the game with a freshman behind center.
“Despite the outcome of the game, they showed me a lot of effort,” SMSA co-op coach Donnell Smith said. “They showed me grit and that’s what you want in a football team. That is something we can build off of.”
Granby/Canton has played in the last four CIAC state tournaments. They are coming back from consecutive 8-3 seasons. But they have yet to win a CIAC playoff game.
“Our goal is win week by week,” said Granby/Canton coach Erik Shortell, who is beginning his ninth season with the Bears. “We want to win the week. We’re not looking ahead. Now, we’re onto to Coventry.”
SMSA’s Andres Laureano Baez is chased down by Canton defender Ben Vrabel during Tuesday’s high school game in Canton.
The Bears won their opening game for the fourth time in the last five years.
“We had a great game defensively,” he said. “We were flying around, swarming to the ball and making tackles. It was a smothering defense.”
It took the Bear offense longer to get going. Forte completed just one of his first five passes for four yards. He completed 6-of-his final 10 passes for 98 yards and a 30-yard touchdown pass to Chambers.
“It’s sweet,” Forte said. “We’re undefeated as a co-op in Canton and this was probably the best team we’ve played (as a co-op) here.” The co-op began in 2019.
Added Carter, “The Canton fans bring the atmosphere. It’s always a game here.”
Forte is one of the veteran players returning for the Bears. A year ago, he led the team in rushing (166-814) and rushing TDs (12). As a passer, he completed 89-of-186 passes for 1,367 yards and 14 TDs.
Last year, Chambers led the Bears in receptions (29) and receiving yards (425). Canton teammates Ryan Cuniowski (18-370, 5 TDs) and Ben Vrabel (11-219, 4 TDs) also return for Canton/Granby.
After a poor punt, Granby/Canton began their second series of the game on the SMSA 34-yard line. Forte scrambled 33 yards to the one-yard line and scored on the next play to give the Bears a 6-0 lead. The extra point was blocked.
SMSA responded quickly. They marched 80 yards on nine plays to tie the game at 6-6 on Taj Fredericks’ 17-yard pass to Andres Laureano Baez. The Tigercats also missed their extra point attempt.
SMSA’s starting QB Dushawne Simpson hurt his knee on a three-yard run to the Granby/Canton 22-yard line. On fourth down and nine, Fredericks entered the game and found Baez for the TD reception.
Granby/Canton took a 12-6 lead on a one-yard run from Forte with 6:13 remaining the second quarter to cap off a 13-play, 47-yard drive. The Bears converted three times on third down and once on fourth down.
Chambers scored his first touchdown with 34.2 seconds left in the second quarter with a four-yard run. He also had an eight-yard reception that put the ball on the four-yard line for an 18-6 lead at the break.
Fredericks hurt his neck after being tackled awkwardly in the third quarter resulting in 25-minute delay to get treatment for Canton paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in the third quarter.
When play resumed, Granby/Canton’s Hayes Horst blocked a punt to end the Tigerhawks’ first possession of the second half. Forte found Chambers for an 30-yard touchdown reception and a 26-6 lead after Chambers’ successful two-point run.
The Bears made it 33-6 on Forte’s two-yard run with 3:48 remaining in the third quarter. A 34-yard reception from Forte to Horst put the ball close to the end zone.
Joseph Lewie led the Bears on defense with 10 tackles, a 16-yard sack and three tackles for losses. Ryan Cuniowski had two interceptions in the game.
Granby/Canton 40, SMSA co-op 6
At Canton
SMSA co-op (0-1) 6 0 0 0 — 6
Granby/Canton (1-0) 6 12 15 7 — 40
First quarter
G: Vincent Forte 1 run (kick blocked), 7:35
S: Andres Laureano Baez 17 pass from Taj Fredericks (kick failed), 40.7
Second quarter
G: Forte 1 run (pass fails), 6:13
G: Carter Chambers 4 run (run fails), 34.2
Third quarter
G: Chambers 30 pass from Forte (Chambers run), 9:38
G: Forte 2 run (Hayes Horst kick), 3:48
Fourth quarter
G: Elijah Sam 8 run (Horst kick), 1:28
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Granby/Canton: Elijah Sam 1-8, Joe Lewie 1-4, Carter Chambers 17-65, Vincent Forte 14-69, Hayes Horst 3-6; SMSA – Dushawne Simpson 5-1, Taj Fredericks 4-6, Amir Pitts 4-31; Justin Rolon 1-1, Chauncey Jones 1-minus 3, Sharief Richards-Cook 7-16
PASSING: Granby/Canton: Vincent Forte 7-15-0, 102; SMSA – Dushawne Simpson 5-8-0, 88, Taj Fredericks 6-10-54, Amir Pitts 5-11-1, 39
RECEIVING: Granby/Canton: Carter Chambers 4-52, Hayes Horst 2-37, Ben Vrabel 1-13; SMSA co-op: Trevor Thomas 4-36, Chauncey Jones 5-48, Richards-Cook 2-33, Joanel Serrano 3-54, Fredericks 1-minus 2, Baez 1-17
INTERCEPTIONS: Ryan Cuniowski 2; BLOCKED PUNT: Horst; SACK: Lewie (G) 1-16; FUMBLE RECOVERY: Baez (S), Taj Fredericks (S)
