Pictured (from left) are Matt Gunnis, Garrett Bryden, Braden Price and Zac Merillat. (Ed Wright photo)

Middle layer of Chiefs' three-tiered
defense packs some serious pop

  Like bees to honey, Canton's talented quartet of linebackers have devoured some pretty sweet running backs this fall.

  The most notable speedster to watch his yards-per-carry plummet was Notre Dame-bound Grand Blanc tailback Justice Hayes, who managed to pick up just 10 yards on 10 carries against the Chiefs, due in large part to the play of the red swarm of 'backers that have wreaked havoc on opposing offenses this fall.

  "The No. 1 thing about this group is that they're very aggressive," said Canton head coach Tim Baechler, referring to outside linebackers Matt Gunnis and Zac Merillat; and inside guys Garrett Bryden and Braden Price. "They're very fast, too, and they're all so smart. When we're watching film, they ask intelligent questions."

  Gunnis and Bryden were both big-time contributors on the Chiefs' stellar 2009 defense, which held six of their 12 opponents to seven points or less.

  Merillat, a transfer from Tecumseh, and Price, whose family returned to Canton after living in Alaska for two years, joined the mix this season.

  It didn't take the four long to mesh.

  "We had great chemistry the first week of two-a-days," said Price, who leads the Chiefs with 75 tackles. "It's hard to tell what you have until you start knocking helmets with other teams, but with all the speed we had, we knew this defense had a chance to be really good."

  And it has been, limiting opponents to just 6.1 points per game and 3.2 yards per carry.

  The last time the Chiefs gave up a non-special teams touchdown was Sept. 24 at Westland John Glenn.

  "They're all pretty much the same guy; it's hard to separate one from the other," said Baechler. "We could move Bryden outside and Gunnis inside, and we wouldn't miss a beat.

  "Bryden is the one who makes all the checks out there. He's very savvy and has such a nose for the ball."

  The Chiefs' linebackers referred to their defensive scheme as amoeba-like.

  "We don't really have a base defense; we just adapt to the offense we're playing against," said Merillat. "In the beginning, there was a lot to learn with this defense, but once you learn it and have it pounded into your head, it becomes second nature."

  In addition to combining for close to 200 tackles this season, the Chiefs' fantastic four have recovered five fumbles, one of which Price turned into six points.

  And Bryden leads the team with three interceptions, two of which he's taken to the house.

  One huge reason for the Chiefs' defensive success this season has been the high level of competition they see in practice every day, Merillat added.

  "Our scout team guys are great," Merillat said. "Guys like Ryan Jones and Nick Alaniva are as fast as a lot of the starters for most teams we play, which helps."

  The No. 1-ranked Chiefs' next test will come Friday night when they host Ann Arbor Pioneer in a first-round MHSAA Division 1 playoff game.

  "Being No. 1 is a great privilege, but we all know we have to build off of it, not just accept it and live with it," Price acknowledged. "We need to use it to our advantage and get better from it."

  Ed Wright can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or info@plymouthcantonsports.com.

Canton linebackers Zac Merillat (21) and Braden Price (4) combine with Austin Mach to bring down a Grand Blanc ball carrier. (Ed Wright photo)

Garrett Bryden returned this interception for a touchdown against Grand Blanc. (Ed Wright photo)

Matt Gunnis puts the wraps on a Livonia Churchill runner. (Ed Wright photo)

Zac Merillat pursues a Northville running back. (Ed Wright photo)