BY ED WRIGHT
Sept. 2, 2010, 11:05 p.m.
How dominant was the performance Canton's football team turned
in against highly-touted Grand Blanc Thursday night?
Ryan Jones, the Canton back-up running back who played the role
of Grand Blanc's Notre Dame-bound speedster Justice Hayes on the scout
team all week, ended up with twice as many rushing yards
as the player he impersonated at practice.
In their first-ever visit to the Plymouth-Canton Educational
Park, the Bobcats were trounced by the Chiefs, 62-20, in a game whose
outcome was in doubt for only a hair over a quarter.
The 62-point explosion was the fifth-highest scoring night in
the history of Canton High School.
The dam totally burst on the Bobcats' chances for victory during
an eight-minute period that stretched from the mid-way point of the
first quarter to the first minute of the second.
That's when Canton extended its lead from 13-6 to 33-6 thanks to
two defensive touchdowns -- a 35-yard interception return by Garrett
Bryden and a 10-yard fumble return by Braden Price -- that were
sandwiched around a 6-yard TD run by Jones.
Canton forced six turnovers on the night.
"With the high-risk, high-reward offense that they run, the ball
is flying all over the place and there's a lot of pressure on their
quarterback," said Canton coach Tim Baechler. "We made them pay for it."
Given Grand Blanc's across-the-board size and speed, a 42-point
victory was the last thing Baechler expected.
"This was a total shock," Baechler said as he glanced up at the
still illuminated scoreboard. "We capitalized on their mistakes in the
first half, jumped on them and never looked back. The final score might
not show it, but that was a very good team we beat tonight."
Bryden intercepted more passes (two) in the game's first five
minutes than most players intercept all season.
"The first one hit me right here," said Bryden, pointing to a
spot directly between the two 1's on his No. 11 jersey. "It was like he
was throwing it to me.
"The second one was really high, so as I'm waiting for it to
come down, I'm thinking I'm going to get laid out by one of their
players. I went up and got it and was gone."
Senior linebacker Braden Price joined Bryden in the
two-turnovers-one-touchdown club. The Alaskan transfer student
recovered a pair of first-half fumbles, the second of which he returned
10 yards for a score.
"Matt Gunnis did a great job of taking the pitch man on the
option and forcing the fumble," Price said, describing his
points-producing recovery. "Hayes, who fumbled the ball, was trying to
get the ball back, but Matt held on to him for dear life.
"Luckily, I was there to scoop it up and I was close enough to
the end zone so that I didn't fall down or run out of breath."
Canton senior safety Ryan Powell, who had a great view of all
six turnovers his team forced, gave most of the credit for the turnover
barrage to the coaching staff.
"With the coverages and blitzing packages they put in, it puts
us in a position to be able to create turnovers," said Powell, who made
a touchdown-saving deflection on a first-quarter Grand Blanc bomb.
Canton grabbed a 7-0 lead 1:28 into the game when senior
quarterback Ben Merbler connected on a 21-yard TD pass to Davion
Stackhouse. The score was set up one play earlier when Bryden snared
his first interception.
Grand Blanc countered swiftly, cutting its deficit to 7-6 less
than 90 seconds later when quarterback Ryan Morely hooked up with Will
Wheat
on a 24-yard TD pass that couldn't have been covered much more tightly
by Canton defensive back Josh Nolen.
"After they scored, it was like, 'Oh man, this is going to be
one of those shoot-outs," said Baechler. "I figured we were just going
to have to outscore them. But we started getting stops and turnovers."
Traci Carson's extra point was blocked, igniting the ensuing
26-point Chief onslaught.
Zac Merillat padded Canton's lead to 13-6 35 seconds after
Hayes' TD catch when he burst through a seam in the line and cruised 49
yards to paydirt.
Following the Bryden-Jones-Price scoring sequence, Grand Blanc's
6-foot-3, 215-pound fullback Detrick Goff rumbled 52 yards to the end
zone to bring the Bobcats to within 33-13.
However, Canton scored on its final three first-half possessions
-- a 4-yard run by Stackhouse, an electrifying 80-yard sprint by Kevin
Buford and a perfectly executed 47-yard spiral from Merbler to
Stackhouse -- to take a 55-12 lead into the locker room.
A 44-yard keeper by Merbler 5:05 into the third quarter
accounted for the final Canton points.
Grand Blanc scored on a 1-yard plunge by Goff with 1:01 on the
fourth-quarter clock.
Buford paced the Chiefs' 367-yard ground attack with 99 yards on
six carries.
Merbler was flawless, completing both of his passes for
touchdowns while picking up 49 yards on four carries.
Hayes was held to 10 yards on 10 carries.
Goff had a big night for the Bobcats, churning out 180 yards on
16 hauls.
Although Price's Alaskan high school team won one state title
and finished runner-up another time, he said it's good to be back in
Canton.
"The competition wasn't as good up there as it is here," he
said. "And I won't miss those three-hour road trips to Anchorage."
Ed Wright
can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or info@plymouthcantonsports.com.
Canton
cornerback Kevin Buford separates Grand Blanc receiver Clarence Turner
from the ball. (Ed Wright photo)
Canton
quarterback Ben Merbler (3) and running back Zac Merillat celebrate a
first-quarter touchdown as Grand Blanc's Jordan Fields looks on. (Ed
Wright photo)
Canton
cornerback Sam Scott trips up Justice Hayes. (Ed Wright photo)
Canton
safety Ryan Powell knocks away a pass intended for Terrance Stocker.
(Ed Wright photo)
Senior
linebacker Braden Price scooped up a fumble and returned it for a
second-quarter touchdown. (Ed Wright photo)
Davion
Stackhouse hauled in this 21-yard touchdown pass from Ben Merbler. (Ed
Wright photo)
Blanket coverage by Canton's Josh Nolen (8)
couldn't prevent a 24-yard TD reception by Grand Blanc's Will Wheat.
(Ed Wright photo)
A large
crowd cheered on the Chiefs. (Ed Wright photo)
