CANTON – Chris Weller, the current Canton High boys soccer coach, was an assistant back in 2021 when the Warriors lost to Old Saybrook in overtime in the Class S championship game. Jackson Bowne, now a senior defender for Canton, was in eighth grade and watched from the stands because his older brother was on the team.
Two years ago, Old Saybrook knocked Canton out of the state tournament in the second round. Weller was a year away from taking over for long-time coach Bill Phelps; Bowne and this year’s group of seniors were sophomores. It was the Warriors’ second loss that season to Old Saybrook; the Rams, which went on to the Class S title beat them earlier, 3-1.
This season, Canton opened its season with Old Saybrook, which won five straight Class S titles between 2018-2023.
This time was different: The Warriors won, 2-1.
“It’s always a hard game against Saybrook and we’ve had history against them and it’s not a winning history,” Bowne said. “So it was good to feel we could beat them.”
It was the beginning of a wild ride that has the Warriors at 9-0, their best start in school history.
Oddly, the ride skidded to a halt almost two weeks ago when some games were cancelled and rescheduled. The last time Canton played was against Rockville, a 6-0 win on Sept. 29, a game that senior goalkeeper Owen Weller said was the team’s best so far.
“We were so fluid with the ball,” said Owen, who is Chris’ youngest son. “We were so connected. We were able to dismantle them.”
Canton, No. 1 in the Class S state rankings, will face Somers (7-2-1-1) in its next game Saturday.
“I don’t know if it’s a curse or a blessing,” head coach Chris Weller said of the two-week mid-season layoff. “Kids with injuries had a chance to heal, but it also takes away the competition. I’ve had to kind of create pseudo-competition just to keep them going. I think we’ve done a good job. We’ll find out Saturday.”
Canton has 13 seniors, most of whom have been playing together since they were very young.
“We had a team called the Canton Galaxy, it was our first team,” Owen Weller said. “We were probably about 6. Before that we had indoor teams, the Canton Crew, the Super Troopers – we wore storm trooper shirts. It was fun. Almost every single one of (these players) were on those teams.”
Canton senior goalie Owen Weller tracks down a shot at practice Thursday. Canton boys soccer is off to its best start in program history at 9-0. (Photo by Lori Riley)
Ten of the seniors are starters.
“I moved here from Londonderry, N.H. in fourth grade,” Bowne said. “It’s been the same group of guys since then. It definitely helps our communication and what we do on and off the field. We’re mostly on the same page – whether it’s through balls or going out to dinner, we pretty much know what each other likes to do.”
Bowne, Weller and senior midfielder Quinn Aleksa are captains.
“Quinn – he’s pretty good at finding the ball and he does a little ‘hesi’ move so he fakes left and goes right,” Bowne said. “Sometimes it’s hard to read but since I’ve been playing with him for a long time so I know what he does.
“Against Rockville, he came to me, then pulled a defender and ran long and I hit long and he got an assist to Brad Balgach.”
Balgach is Canton’s leading scorer with 11 goals and nine assists. Aleksa has 10 goals.
Canton senior Jackson Bowne is the heart of the defense for the Warriors, who are off to their best start in program history at 9-0. (Photo by Lori Riley)
Last year, Bowne and Aleksa were out for most of the season with injuries; Aleksa with a broken bone in his spine and Bowne with turf toe, a ligament sprain at the base of the big toe joint.
Canton lost in the first round of the Class S tournament to WCA, 4-3, after leading 3-0 in the first half.
“We’ve been good about that, getting up and not letting the other team come back,” Aleksa said. “We’re solid but our defense is really good.”
“Our goal is to win states,” Bowne said. “That’s been our goal for a while.”
