FOXBORO – After a slow start, Foxboro is back on track with its third win in a row and more importantly, remained unbeaten in the Hockomock Davenport Division with a 25-19 win over Canton.
Senior captain Ben Angelini led the way with 219 yards on a whopping 32 carries and found the end zone twice in the pivotal first half for Foxboro (3-3, 2-0), but it did not start out all roses on homecoming night for the Warriors.
After Foxboro was a quick three-and-out on their first series, Canton (4-2, 1-1) drove the field methodically with an efficient nine-play drive that ended with a Jake Marcell two-yard touchdown run and the Bulldogs were staked to a 6-0 lead early in the first quarter.
But back-to-back Angelini touchdown runs on the next two drives put the Warriors out front 13-6 with 7:30 left in the second quarter.
Quarterback Mike Marcucella made it a hat trick of touchdowns on the next series as he hit Cam DeLeskey in the seam of the Warriors’ 40 on the second play of the drive. DeLeskey did the rest with a reverse spin move down the left sideline for the 77-yard touchdown connection and the 19-6 Foxboro lead at the 3:42 mark of the second quarter.
“Our kids started kind of slow and then believed and took a good lead into halftime but give Canton credit as they came storming back and they are a good football team,” said Foxboro head coach Jack Martinelli, who is in his 43rd season at the helm. “Angelini was a man, and it was kind of weird in the beginning (of the season), I don’t know how to explain it, as he didn’t feel 100 percent with his leg from last year.”
Angelini now has nine touchdowns in the last three victories after a broken bone was found after the Super Bowl win last year as it went undetected, and the senior tailback played a majority of the 2023 season with the injury.
Canton had its chances, but multiple big-yard penalties stalled the next two of three series in the first half for the Bulldogs and dogged Canton throughout.
“I was told it was ‘words’, so I don’t know who used what word, and who said what – so it’s on the other sideline. All I have to do is accept it, but I have to talk to the kids and tell them we don’t do that,” said Canton head coach Anthony Fallon, who also praised Angelini. “Angelini is a ballplayer, the kid is fast, he is shifty, he can lower the shoulder when he wants to, and they have a nice offensive line and running schemes. He does a great job.”
The Bulldogs kept things interesting the rest of the way as they opened the second half with an eight-play touchdown drive capped off by a seven-yard pass from Jack Norton to Marcell, Marcell excelled all game long and finished with eight receptions for 84 yards and the two touchdowns.
Canton stopped Foxboro on the next series but the ruling on the field was an inadvertent touch of the football by dynamic returner Kareem Chaplin II on the ensuing punt set the Warriors back up on the Bulldogs 25-yard line after Kaden Hassett recovered the miscue.
Ryan Foley scored five plays later on a fullback dive on a tough fourth-and-goal for what proved to be the game-winner with 1:48 left in the third quarter for the 25-12 lead.
Norton would score his second touchdown on a quarterback keeper and Canton was still alive within six, 25-19, with 9:40 left to play. But the Bulldogs came up just short on their next two series.
First, on a fourth-and four-from the Warriors 31-yard line on a quarterback draw with 4:13 left to play and again, after finally stopping Angelini on a fourth-and-three on the Warriors’ final drive.
The Bulldogs got inside the red zone and on the final play of regulation, a tipped ball fell into the hands of offensive lineman James Podgurski but time expired.
