First Half Turnovers Cost OA Football in Loss to Canton [VIDEO]

From the opening kickoff, the was just one step faster than Friday night at Muscato Stadium.

Thanks to senior quarterback Anthony Bires’ three-touchdown night (two rushing, one passing) a relentless running game featuring Dexter Green and Elias Camacho and an opportunistic defense that forced three turnovers, the Bulldogs put a dent in the Tigers’ Davenport Division hopes with their 27-21 victory and earned their first Hockomock League win of 2011.

“I think we have just turned a corner,” said first year Canton coach Dave Bohane, whose team improved to 3-5 on the season (1-5 Hock, 1-2 Davenport). “Our offense is kind of syncing in a little bit with a first year staff and it showed tonight.”

Despite a three-touchdown effort from senior running back Carlton Williamson, two of which came on a kickoff return from 90-plus yards, OA kept shooting themselves in the foot with three first half fumbles in Canton territory.

Out of those three turnovers, Canton capitalized twice, scoring 13 points from OA’s miscues.

“We were moving the ball well early, but those two first half fumbles really hurt us,” said OA coach Jim Artz, whose team dropped to 4-4 on the year (2-4, 1-1). “Carlton [Williamson] kept us in the game singlehandedly with his two kick returns. But they played a good ball-control offense and they worked the clock right from the very beginning shortening the game on their end.”

Moments after Bires connected for his first of three touchdowns on Canton’s opening possession – a 60-yard pass to Camacho – Oliver Ames fumbled on its first posession, giving the Bulldogs the ball back at midfield.

From there Bires capped off a 7-play, 35-yard scoring drive on a quarterback sneak to give Canton a quick 14-0 lead just 4:09 into the contest.

Even though Williamson seemed to provide a spark with his first kickoff return for a touchdown to cut the lead to 14-7, OA miscued again on the ensuing possession, committing a roughing the kicker penalty after what would have been a three and out. Instead, Canton capitalized on its second chance just four plays later when Bires scored on a two-yard quarterback keeper to up the lead to 21-7.

Towards the end of the first half, Langston coughed up his second fumble – recovered by Canton – and left the game with a chest injury. Bires took a knee on the next play to secure the 21-7 halftime lead.

Despite Williamson's second kickoff return for a touchdown, Canton's offense went right back to work.

On Canton's first offensive possession of the second half, Green capped off a 15-play 60-yard drive - spanning over seven minutes - to reclaim the two posession lead at 27-14.

Williamson added a six-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to keep OA within six at 27-21. OA got the ball back with 22 seconds left in regulation, but could not convert as time expired.

“We kept running the clock a lot and kept their offense off the field,” Bohane said. “That helped us a lot today and defensively we improved as well creating those turnovers and giving our offense a chance to capitalize on those.”

Canton travels King Philip for an inter-division matchup Friday at 7 p.m.

OA, meanwhile, now faces a must win situation Friday at Stoughton at 7. A Stoughton victory would earn them the small Hock crown and a berth in the state playoffs.

“As crazy as this sounds we can still control our destiny if we beat Stoughton next week,” Artz said. “I told the boys afterwards that it’s not how we wanted it to play out and it’s not what we dreamed of to start the season and we have to play the hand that’s dealt to us now.

“Somehow, someway we have to find a way to win next week; rally the wagons and hopefully the chips fall in the right places.”

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