by Lucas Regal
Marcus Canton is a junior at Irvington High School with quite the resume. He is the star running back for the football team, starting point guard for the basketball team, a league champion in track and field, and does all of this while being an incredible student.
I had the pleasure to sit down with Canton and discuss his athletic achievements, starting with football. He said, “Football is my favorite sport, my passion. I’ve been dedicated to improving my game year by year”. That has proven to be true, as he earned All-Section honors for his performance as the starting running back and free safety.
“My favorite part of football is breaking through the line, and then it’s off to the races.” It’s no surprise that he loves getting out into the open field, since he recently recorded a 4.5 second 40 yard dash, similar to that of NFL running backs. He went for 1098 total yards and 13 touchdowns in his Junior year, a very impressive statline. He’s looking forward to next season, stating, “I want to make a run in the playoffs, and I know we can do it”.
Shifting to basketball, Canton made his way into the starting lineup as a hard-nosed point guard with a knack for driving to the hoop and effective playmaking. “I thought my play was pretty solid. I had a bigger role to fill and I did what I could with the chances I was given.”
This past season, the team went 12-8 and made it to the second round of the playoffs after defeating their rival, the Dobbs Ferry Eagles. Canton was driving and thriving in his role, leading the team to a successful season.
Last but certainly not least is Canton’s performance on the track. Canton specializes in the 100M, 200M, 4×100, and 4×400. His best times are 11.44 seconds in the 100M and 23.23 seconds in the 200M. He expects to be All-League this year, and he’s having fun along the way.
“I enjoy competing above everything. It feels amazing to put in the work everyday at practice and to come out and compete,” said Canton.
Even with all of his athletic progress, his academic performance might be most impressive. He earns High Honors every quarter and maintains a 4.03 GPA. This student athlete cares about his sports and academics.
Canton is very excited for his senior year for all of his sports. He looks to score even more touchdowns on the field, record more points on the court, and run even faster on the track, all while continuing to be a stellar student and a great person.
