A young Canton softball team had an up-and-down season in 2026. The Warriors went 6-14 on the year, but showed potential for the future.

"I would say the biggest takeaway this season has been realizing the quality of play in this area," said first year Canton coach Kareem Ragab. "There are a lot of good players and coaches throughout this league. Coaching a young team can have its challenges but rewarding on many levels. We were extremely young in Canton, but overall the league is fairly young as well."

Canton opened the season with a 15-0 win over Sayre. After a pair of losses, including a thrilling 21-18 barn burner in a loss to NEB they turned around and beat Bucktail 15-0, who ended up being the top seed for the district playoffs in Class A.

Four straight losses followed, but then came their best stretch of the season, a 3-game win streak.

They opened with a victory over Millville (21-4), got revenge on NEB (6-5), then secured the season sweep of Sayre (19-2).

They battled playoff team Wellsboro in back to back losses (6-0, 7-6), then split a double header with Williamson (7-3, 11-1).

Canton ended the season with a 5-game losing streak.

Freshman Raya Preston led the way for Canton, hitting .400 with 20-RBI, seven doubles, two triples, and one home run. She also did the lion's share of pitching, striking out 74 against 33 walks.

Jaylee Ward hit .327 with seven doubles, 20-RBI, and a team high 22 runs scored.

"I was very happy with a lot of our young players stepping in and facing some really good teams," Ragab said. "Raya Preston threw 86+ innings and led us in hitting, as a freshman. Jaylee, I thought had a very nice season for us, and was pretty bummed to lose her for the last 5 games. She was on a “heater”when she got injured."

Lucy Proseus had a strong season, as well, with a .327 average, with four doubles, and two triples.

Lindley Sechrist hit .300 with 18 runs scored while senior Tara Gilbert batted .280 with four doubles.

"Losing Tiffany Acla in CF and Tara Gilbert at 1B will be tough for us, but we have young girls who are hungry and ready for their opportunity," Ragab said.

Returning seven of nine starters will help the Warriors as they look to take the next step in 2027.

"I’m excited for the future," said Ragab. "Our players are learning the expectations and more importantly are looking forward to working more in the off season. I am looking forward to seeing what a good off season of training and reps can do for some of the girls. Of course some of our girls play multiple sports here, but staying active is key and any extra swings and tosses we can get in, is huge. It was a big learning season on many fronts here in Canton and we will be ready to go next year!"