Canton Little League team looks to keep the fun going at New England Regionals
CANTON -- Bags were packed and a large crowd assembled by 6:30 a.m. Friday at JFK Elementary in Canton. A short time later, the Canton Little League team hit the road for Bristol, Connecticut, where they'll play in the New England Regionals over the next week.
The Bulldogs are the top seed in their region and will play their first game Saturday morning against Vermont. They are just three wins away from a trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
"It's starting to sink in. We're starting to realize how important this is," said Patrick Furbush, a pitcher for the Bulldogs.
"It's cool, I feel like a professional player now," said Cam Lyons, who plays centerfield.
It's hard not to feel that way given the large sendoff for the team Friday morning, not to mention the escort they received from State Police all the way to the Connecticut border.
Canton is 14-0 and coming off their first state championship. Now they're looking to punch their ticket to Williamsport in the double-elimination regionals. If they win Saturday, the Bulldogs will play again Monday. Lose, and they'll play Sunday afternoon and need a win to play again Wednesday night. If they keep winning, they'll end up in the New England Regional championship game Thursday night.
"We'd never even been past the Sectional championship," said head coach Ryan Archibald. "The road is District-Sectional-State, so we never got past the Final 16. To be here is incredible."
"I'm a little nervous, but I shouldn't really be because it's going to be fun," said Lyons. "I have my friends around me for support."
This is a team made up of friends, many of whom have been playing together since they were eight. Coach Archibald pointed out Friday that his team had never experienced anything like having cameras in their faces and all the other extras that come with reaching this stage.
Now they're off to enjoy another brand new experience together. Their coach had a simple message as they departed Canton on Friday: Just have fun.