Canadian Wins one for the Ages

By Chris Doelle
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Updated: October 20, 2018

Photos by Alan Hale

Canadian Leads District 3-3A DII
In Thriller with Childress

CANADIAN - When a UIL district contains two teams that rank in the top 10 of the state, it will assuredly gain statewide attention. But when those same two teams have a history beyond the ranking and season records, you have a formula for parents and fans to experience pure nervous emotion from beginning to end as long as either team is still in the game. That was the case on Friday night when the Childress Bobcats hit the road with an epic payback to deliver on the Canadian Wildcats.

Against all odds, the Wildcats held off the best team Childress has fielded in a decade and won the eighth consecutive challenge in a series that saw the Bobcat’s last win at home 21-20 in 1999. To do that, it took the Canadian squad to overcome four turnovers and fighting to the very last second of the game to accomplish what might be the District 3-3A DII Championship.

As the first half of hard-hitting, fight-it-out football ended, Canadian led 17-16 due to a 30 yard FG by sophomore Wildcat kicker Edgar Salazar. Salazar was perfect on the night with four PATs and the FG. In the end, his 3-point contribution with 1:02 left in the 1st quarter would be enough to give Canadian the “upset” win according to the predictions, even though they had the home field advantage. Canadian’s big break in the first half was the turnover due to the fumble recovered by WR Garrison McCook on the 3-yard line of a muffed punt return by WR Stephon Harris. The next play would prove to secure the turnover conversion as QB Casen Cavalier went through a hole into the end zone standing up for the TD.

Childress QB Luke Latimer established his dominance early with a 50 yard TD run with less than five minutes into the first quarter. Latimer’s arm was a constant threat also as he tossed a 3-yard TD pass to RB Miguel Salinas with 24 seconds left in the first half to go in at the break only 1-point down.

Only the first half of a great fireworks show was over. And as everyone knows, the second half of a fireworks show includes a specially prepared finale and the Wildcats were the team that prepared it.

With Canadian still leading 24-22 in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats were on the Childress 12-yard line threatening to open the lead to 31-22 when Cavalier fumbled near the 5-yardline. The officials did not whistle the play dead, as most watching expected, and by rule the ball was still live and scooped up by LB Isaiah Darter and returned to the Canadian 33. Three plays later Latimer hits WR Jared Cummins from 30 yards out, then connects with RB Kaden Hunter for the 2-point conversion re-taking the lead 30-24 with 4:21 left in the game.

After a penalty against Canadian on the kickoff, Wildcat QB Cavalier mounted up and charged his cavalry from their own 15-yard line. The epic game winning drive included a sack by Bobcat LB Isaiah Darter, a 32-yd gaining pass to RB Hayze Hufstedler, and two penalties on Canadian before Cavalier hit WR Trent Evens on an out route in the end zone to tie the game 30-30. Once again, K Edgar Salazar had the weight of the entire game on his kicking leg and the PAT was good with 16 ticks left on the clock.

An unsportsmanlike penalty against Childress was enforced on the ensuing kickoff and Salazar easily put the ball in the end zone. Latimer completed one pass to WR Kaden Hunter to the Childress 42-yard line, spiked the ball on the next down to stop the clock with 3 seconds left. The final play was an attempted series of hook-and-ladder exchanges that ended with a fumble on the Wildcat 49-yard line.

A battle of bitter rivals was over with an ending that no one could have scripted. The possibility that last season will see a repeat of a rematch of these two 3A powerhouses in the playoffs is yet to be seen. However, we all know what the high school football pundits and media are hoping for.

Next week Childress will host the battle of the Bobcats with Dimmitt and Canadian will hit the road to Friona, the second of three district road games that are six plus hours round trip.

Jerry Brunson for Lone Star Gridiron
@CHSWildcatNews

Alan Hale

Stats courtesy of Ron Shrader, Canadian ISD

	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Canadian	10	7	7	7	31
Childress	8	8	0	14	30

	Canadian	Childress
First Downs	19	17
Rushing Yds	224	166
Passing Yds	200	195
C - A - I	20-33-3	17-34-0
Total Yds	424	361
Punts-Avg	4-36	6-32
Fumbles-Lost	1-1	1-1
Penalties	13-130	8-81

Scoring

1st Q

CH – Luke Latimer, 50 yd run (Latimer 2-pt conv run good) 7:09
C – Casen Cavalier, 2 yd run (Edgar Salazar kick good) 5:28
C – Edgar Salazar 30 yd FG 1:02

2nd Q

C - Casen Cavalier, 4 yd run (Salazar kick good) 5:40
CH – Miguel Salinas, 3 yd pass from Latimer (Latimer 2-pt conv run good) 0:24

3rd Q

C – Hayze Hufstedler, 77 yd run (Salazar kick good) 0:27

4th Q

CH – Devron Sims, 9 yd Latimer pass (2-pt conv pass failed) 11:15
CH – Jared Cummins, 30 yd Latimer pass (Hunter pass from Latimer 2-pt conv good) 4:21
C – Trent Evans, 6 yd pass from Cavalier (Edgar Salazar kick good) 0:16