Canadian Rolls Eastland 56-14

By Chris Doelle
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Updated: November 27, 2017

Photos by Alan Hale

Canadian Earns Area Championship Win

Any team entering an Area Championship contest with an 8-3 record has a right to believe they have an opportunity to advance in the playoffs. Unfortunately, for Eastland, that expectation was robbed from them long before the first half was over. The Canadian Wildcats (13-0) stayed true to form by fielding a shutout minded defense and one of the most dynamic slice and dice high tempo offenses in Class 3A in the State. In the locker room, they just call it “playing fast”.

Many had a lot to say about the Wildcat’s offensive line after this game, as they were frequently mentioned in interviews of the coaches and offensive skill players by regionally distributed news media. But don’t think for a minute they are an overnight success. This unit, led by line Coach Hayden Merket, has been striving all season to find the communication and coordination needed for O-linemen to be successful each week with the various game plans needed in making a fast-to- snap, high tempo offense as dangerous as Canadian’s. Whenever you read the stats or hear the names called of any Wildcat skill players on the radio broadcast, it was Derrick Holdstock, Harrison Culwell, Brenden Wyatt, Noah Carter, Jackson Anderson, or Senior Captain Tyler Richardson that were battling in the trenches to move the chains and get someone with the ball into the end zone. This day’s effort amassed 687 total offensive yards to Eastland’s 140.

Canadian was not forced to punt by the Maverick defense during the entire game. Every Wildcat possession scored with the exception of a fumble on the Eastland 2-yard line, a fumble recovery scoop and score by Maverick DB Brodi Forrest, and a missed FG by K Edgar Salazar. Salazar was 8 for 8 on PAT attempts.

Canadian’s defense has only allowed opponents to score on average 7.23 points per game throughout this season’s 13 outings, and gave up only one TD to the Mavericks. The first quarter scoring started with Casen Cavalier throwing a fade to WR Matthew Lynch from 17-yards out, then with 1:21 left in the first, hit WR Garrison McCook for a 37-yard TD on a bubble screen with McCook shaking two tackles and outrunning the last Maverick DB left to the end zone.

The second quarter yielded two more TDs for the Wildcat offensive onslaught with Cavalier taking it in with a keeper from 18-yards and then with 49 seconds left in the first half, Fr. RB Hayze Hufstedler scored on an 8-yard run.

Canadian’s Jr. QB Casen Cavalier was allowed one more series in the second half and topped it off with another keeper from 39-yards out that proved his injury didn’t affect his quick feet and deceptive speed. The next series went to Soph. QB Grant McCook, who took the reins for a 6-play, 74-yard scoring drive, 57-yards of which became a TD pass to his older brother Jr. WR Garrison McCook.

Eastland got on the board with 3:02 left in the third quarter when QB Behren Morton scored from 7-yards out on a read option keeper. Morton also kicked a good PAT with Zack Brown holding. However, Canadian wasn’t done with the third quarter and QB Grant McCook took a counter style keeper to the house from 21-yards out with only 8 seconds left before starting the fourth quarter.

With 9:31 left in the game, Wildcat QB McCook took a big hit on their own 27-yard line that jarred the ball loose. Maverick DB Brodi Forrest was there to gather the ball with clear sailing to the end zone down the Canadian sideline. Morton’s PAT was good.

Canadian drove down to the Maverick’s 8-yard line and McCook hit WR Carlos Ochoa in the end zone for the final score of the game. Eastland’s Morton was able to drive the Mavericks down to Canadian’s 36-yard line, but overthrew a pass to WR Bryson Blackwell to be intercepted by DB Carlos Ochoa. Two snaps later and McCook took a knee to run out the clock.

Eastland finishes the season with an 8-4 record and Canadian (13-0) moves on to face Colorado City in Vernon’s Leo Brittain Field at Lion Stadium for the Regional Semifinal. Kickoff will be at 7:00 P.M. on Friday, December 1, 2017. This marks the 20th season out of the last 21 that Canadian has appeared in the playoffs and the 16th consecutive season the Wildcats have advanced to at least the Area Championship.

Jerry Brunson for Lone Star Gridiron
@CHSWildcatNews

Stats courtesy of, Ron Shrader, Canadian ISD