Weather Cannot Stop Canadian

By Chris Doelle
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Updated: October 9, 2017

Photos: Alan Hale Photography
Video: stadium light outage

Canadian Hosts Vernon to Inspiration and Cancellation

The 2017 Canadian Homecoming celebration could not have been any more inspirational or unpredictable to the delight of Canadian Wildcat Fans. A pregame ceremony featured the 2007 and 2008 State Championship teams, of which 34 former Wildcats from the first State Champion team in school history (2007) and the first Back-to-Back State Champions (2008) were individually introduced to the crowd as this year’s Honor Teams. After the more recent Back-to-Back Championships in 2014 and 2015, Canadian became the only Amarillo area program to accomplish two separate Back-to-Back Championships. Head Coach Chris Koetting, who served as Offensive Coordinator from 2007 to date, mentioned during a radio interview earlier in the week that having these former Champions at the game served as a viable motivation for the Wildcats facing an improved Vernon Lion program.

The weather forecast became more reality than forecast as the night moved on. With 25-35 mph winds already a factor at kickoff, hopes to get the game played before a line of thunderstorms hit melted as another 15-20 minutes of delay came due to a stadium lighting issue late in the third quarter. Nevertheless, in true Texas High School Football fashion, fans and students made the best of a field lit only by the scoreboard, press box, and cell phones, by breaking out in singing and chanting cheers. With 8:51 left in the third, the lights warmed up enough to resume play and the clock rolled down to 4 minutes or so before the officials called the 7-mile/30-min lightning delay rule. With an even larger line of storms to hit within the 30-minute delay time, the officials cancelled the game with Canadian leading 28-0.

The Lions overcame a rough start, which saw them unable to convert a fourth down conversion after a 9 play opening drive. It was apparent the Lions were all-in to take on the Wildcats going for the fourth down conversion on their own 41-yard line. The failed conversion allowed Canadian to score two plays later with a 26-yard keeper by QB Casen Cavalier (13 for 19, 187 yds, 1 INT, 65 yds rushing).

Canadian scored again with 1:02 left in the first quarter on a 29-yard strike from Cavalier to WR Tate Mitchell, his only reception of the night.

Canadian’s Matthew Lynch halted a Lion drive late in the second quarter when Vernon put together a 16-play, 71-yard drive. Lynch grabbed the INT from QB Brysan Garrard (6 for 9, 63 yds, 2 INT) intended for WR Anthony Garza on the 1-yard line and returned it to the 30-yard line.

Canadian promptly drove down to the Lion’s 28-yard line; but Garrard got some payback on Cavalier and Lynch by intercepting a pass on the 4-yard line from his DB position that fell short intended for Lynch. The Wildcat defense forced another three-and-out and the punt by Vernon’s Ryan Powell went all the way to the Wildcat 24-yard line with the strong south wind.

It looked as if Vernon would be able to hold Canadian to only 14 points in the first half; however, it was not to be. Cavalier drove the Air Canada offense down to the Lion 12-yard line before hitting WR Kelton King (4 for 4, 59 yds, 2 TDs) on a counter screen to make it 21-0 with 57 seconds left in the second.

Wildcat DB Matthew Lynch notched his second INT when Lion QB Garrard tried to hit Garza again deep. Canadian took a knee on their 6-yard line with less than 20 seconds left in the half.

Within the first three minutes of the third quarter, DB Kelton King picked off Vernon QB Garrard at their 49-yard line, running it back to the 20. Five plays later, King, now in at WR caught a 20-yard pass thrown under great pressure from the Lion defense in the end zone to make it 28-0, Canadian.

When the clock read 8:51 left in the third, the stadium lights went out, but the fun in the Canadian bleachers never let up. The delay to get the lights back on eliminated any chance of finishing the game before the thundershowers hit Canadian. At around 4:30 left on the clock, officials cancelled the remainder of the game and within minutes, the rain began to move in.

Canadian will face their greatest challenge in their first conference game next week on the road at Childress. Vernon will have an open week preparing for Iowa Park on October 20th.

Jerry Brunson for Lone Star Gridiron
@CHSWildcatNews

Stats provided Ron Shrader, CISD