School Spirit on the Rise

The Class of 2014 has shown the other grades what it means to be active in the school community, whether it is attendance at a sports game, musical performance, or school dance, the current Seniors have been leading the participation since they were Sophomores. After many years of decline things are looking up and students are once again taking pride in being a Warrior.
Many new initiatives are being taken this year, including the addition of a homecoming as well as the restoration of the full Spirit Week.  The new administration has even went as far as to extend the functions to this coming Friday, kicking off the festivities with a sports and club pep rally.
Out in the halls, this news is being received exceptionally well, Senior Class Vice-President Eric Scott is really impressed with how the school is shaping up.  "Every day, I can see CHS transforming into a school that students are truly excited to be a part of, we have the spirit and involvement of schools three times our size." A transformation has definitely occurred here in Canton. The Track and Field Complex is the first of its kind for a small school in the NCCC, putting Canton a cut above the rest.  It's not just the taxpayers who are showing their dedication to the school, but the administration and faculty are being quite supportive as well.  Each morning, Principal Drew Dipippo or Vice Principal Eric Verner broadcast sports and club news over the intercom, something that just hadn't happened in years past.  Things must be working because students have been attending events in droves.
"This year I am  really getting into Canton sports," the words of Senior Carter Janssen can sum up the mentality of the entire school. Because of the small size of the school coupled with its high participation levels, CHS has often had difficulty putting a decent number of fans on the sidelines, due to the fact that most of the students are out playing a sport of their own.  However, this year athletes have been making it a priority to support one another.  It has not been uncommon to see a throng of people leave immediately from their sport to go and attend the games of their peers.  With a home football game this weekend and several night games next week, it can be assured that attendance will be high in the Warrior camp.
Revisions in Spirit Week are more than just athletic showcases, the core ideas have been revised as well. Student Council created an itinerary that works to unify the school as a whole, rather than just pit one class against another.  While a little competition is good, the focus is not on which class is the best, but more in recognition that Canton is the best.

Traditionally, there has been a dance on the Thursday of Spirit Week. This year, the Senior Class decided to make a shift to reflect a more classic high school approach.   The Homecoming Dance this Friday, is similar to what goes on at many other schools near by.  It will be a semi-formal affair where having a date is suggested, but obviously not required. All that really matters is that the students get out there and have fun and support the school.  Votes for Homecoming King and Queen will be cast in CHAT on Wednesday, mirroring schools like Farmington.  Although Homecoming King and Queen are usually voted on during the half-time of the homecoming football game, that is not just possible this year.  The dance is on a Friday and the game is on Saturday, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that would not work.  So, the creative Senior Class Officers have come up with away to make this trial run as best as they possibly can given current limitations.
This year is an opportunity for Canton High School to show what it's made of. Terrence Brophy, a senior, recognized that "the current Senior Class has helped to restore school spirit to levels they had in the 80's."  The traditions established in the coming week might be initiated by the Seniors, but they will not be able to carry them on for years to come, that will fall on the administration and more importantly the lower grades.  That time has not yet come, and when it does the Juniors will surely rise to the occasion. But for now the Warriors should just bask in the sunlight of the new dawn that has risen in Canton.

Lady Warriors Nurse Wounds After a Tough Battle out on the Pitch

It's too bad the Canton Girls Varsity Soccer will not play Windsor Locks again in the regular season, because if they did they would be coming for blood. The girls were wounded this Friday with a 2-1 loss to the Raiders, not just metaphorically, but physically too. The blood spilled on the field was on par with the gore in the Spartan Movie 300.  While that might be an exaggeration, a cleat to the face for Senior-Captain Erin Detorie in the second half was game over for her, as she was forced to sit on the bench attempting to allay the stream of blood gushing from her nose.  This injury really took the wind out of the sails of the Warrior offense as Detorie was the sole goal scorer for Canton this game. 

The first and only goal for the Varsity Girls was a penalty kick in the first ten minutes of the game, catapulting Canton to an early lead.  A handball in Windsor's 18-yard box gave Detorie the opportunity to finesse a shot just inside of the far right post.  The next thirty minutes or so were quiet from both sides,  with exception of the occasional hard tackle (foul) from Junior Olivia Sullivan drawing excited reactions from the contingent of students that spent the beautiful Friday afternoon watching the action unfold on the pitch.

The second half was a tough one for the Lady Warriors with the Raiders putting one in the net at 54 minutes and then again at 66 minutes, adding insult to Erin's injury.  However, Detorie was not the only captain to be injured durin the game.  Senior-Captain Natalie Grisevich was escorted off the field by Athletic Trainer Mark Lebeda after a minor sprained ankle partway through the second half.  With two of the three Captains laid-out, it was up to Senior Alex Martin to lead the team through the tail end of the second half. Locking down the defensive end, with the aid of sophomore center midfielders Maggie Tracey and Devon Daubert, Martin was able to keep Windsor Lock's from scoring again.  

The final ten minutes of the match were by far the most exciting. The Warriors rallied, creating a number of options utilizing the freshman sensation Emily Mitchell. The quick feet of the forward were almost able to level the score off of an over-the-top pass from Martin.  Unfortunately, Mitchell's well placed shot was deflected off the hand of the Windsor Locks keeper and then swept up by another girl in the Raider's defensive line.  Even Grisevich taped-up and jumped back in the game for the final minutes.

Alas, the final push mustered by the Varsity Squad was not enough to overcome the one goal deficit.  A different day, with out the injuries or the "gym class calls" made by the referees (as Coach K. McKenna endearingly put it), this game could have gone different for the girls. But the past is past and the girls are now preparing for Mondays away game at East Windsor, hoping to bring home a victory there.

Sickness Descends on CHS

If you don't have stock in Kimberly and Clark now is a good time to buy some as Canton High School is going through Kleenex at an astounding rate.  Normally, this kind of devastation doesn't occur until late November at the earliest.  Symptoms of this virus are a runny nose and a sore throat. However mild this may sound, it is crippling students by the dozens.  The symphony of sniffles in the classroom is being echoed by the coughs and sneezes of students at home in their beds.  Absences are being used up, and summer is not even technically over.  With four days to go until the Autumnal equinox, the classrooms are looking much more like early-February, than mid-September.  While it seems strange that students are so sick, it is fairly easy to explain.
Long gone are the days of sleeping in late, and enjoying the comforts the vacation has to offer. Late nights crunching homework coupled with the early bus-pickup times leave students 'burning the candle at both ends'. It's fair to say that some students might just be burnt out.  The first few weeks were a gentle stagger but after last week, the first full week, some students immune systems weren't ready to handle it.  The classrooms in school are more crowed than any beach in the summer, and now that the temperature is dropping, they are certainly much colder as well.  In fact, this time of year is when class rooms are the coldest, the temperature can fall down to about 60 degrees Fahrenheit or so, low enough to give a chill, but not quite frigid enough for the central heating to whir to life.
For now the best advice for students is to bundle up, pop some Airborne, and try to catch up on sleep.  If you are thinking about visiting CHS, you might want to wait a while, but if you must, a hazmat suit is recommended.

*Authors note*
I am currently sick, NyQuil has been the cold medicine of choice.

A Real Cinderella Story: Canton Football beats Avon 16-13

The echoes of the cheers of victory reverberated all throughout the Farmington Valley Thursday night. The Goliath that is Avon football had been stopped by David; the smallest town in the Valley.
The Canton Warriors have put in all the hard work and preparation to have a great season, beyond fundraising heavily throughout the year to drop 10k on new uniforms, they have put in more time than any previous team in the weight room, if you haven't noticed their hulking frames in the hallway, it might be time to take a look up from your iphone.  The summer of a Warrior football player never involves sleeping in, the boys would arrive at the locker room doors as early as 7 o'clock in the morning, if that doesn't constitute dedication, not much else might.  The sleep deprivation they sweated through is sure to continue to pay off as they progress in the season. The conference has shifted slightly form last year, so new challengers (many regional schools) will be coming forward but if the success from last year and Thursdays victory continues, Canton could be looking at the top spot.
The usual workhorses of the team were out in full force, Dan Delos rushed for 101 yards, working through the overwhelming heat and humidity.  For a time he was out on the sidelines, crouched down all fours, losing his breakfast, lunch, and probably his appetite for dinner as well.  Victory was the sole thing he was hungry for and nothing could stop him from achieving that. Sebastian Gumbs up a few yards rushing and receiving, but proved his real value on the punt returns eclipsing over half a century on one run (totaling 130 yards in his three returns) as well as having a key interception to his resume. Even sophomore kicker Eddie Melton made a huge contribution of four points through one field goal as well as an extra point. In the words of Senior-Quarterback-Captain Eric Scott "If you look at the score, it was 16-13 if we didn't have the points from Meltdown {sic} we wouldn't of had that victory." He certainly didn't live up to his endearing nickname on Thursday, he kept his cool and put up a critical amount of points. Many others deserve praise as this was a team effort with a lot of unique contributions summing up to the final score.
In perhaps the biggest play of his High School career, Terrence Brophy felled the giant.  With no time on the clock Terrence evaded the Avon defense and, while being devilishly close to the line, dove and managed to connect the ball in his hand to the pylon at the edge of the end zone.  In the ensuing seconds the referee made the Canton fans wait as he gave the situation a good look. The seconds seemed like a lifetime but when the ref's hands went up, the Canton crowd exploded.  The clock was run down and Canton was left the champions versus Avon for the first time since CHS was accepted into the Pequot Conference in 2007.
Terrence Brophy came in clutch right when the team needed him. So much so that "came in like Brophy" is almost a more appropriate phrase, because who even know the origin of 'clutch' anyway.

Terrence Brophy High School Hero                    Photo: Debbie Sugar