Canadian Handles Highland Park Easily
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Updated: October 15, 2020
Photos courtesy Alan Hale Photography
Canadian Holds Clinic at Highland Park: 81-6
Canadian 81, Highland Park 6
An outmanned, out-gunned Highland Park Hornets squad hosted the state-ranked Canadian Wildcats Friday night with devastating results for the Hornets. Although the Wildcats are known for their prolific scoring abilities, fans have witnessed time and again when a second half running (mercy) clock is still chewed up even more by Head Coach Chris Koetting slowing down the tempo and playing everyone on the bench.
Koetting, who never runs up scores on weaker opponents intentionally, said after the game, “I really didn’t intend for that to happen.”
However, when your starters end the first half up 61-6, it’s difficult to not allow the players off the bench that work hard all week not to play their game also.
The Hornets took the opening kickoff to be stifled for three-and-out on the first series of the game. Canadian wasted no time driving down the field to give RB Hayze Hufstedler a chance to break to the outside on a counter play and out-run the Hornets defense for a 25 yd TD run. K Edgar Salazar added the PAT.
The next offensive series for the Hornets was cut short by the first Wildcat interception of the night by DB Twister Kelton, with the offense converting on that turnover with a 22 yd TD pass from QB Josh Culwell to RB Jake Krehbiel. Salazar missed the PAT, possibly his first PAT miss of the season.
Highland Park managed to record a nice first-down play on their next offense possession, however, it ended in 4 plays. The next Canadian offensive series ended with a 22 yd pass to WR Reagan Cochran, with Salazar good on the PAT. The next Hornet possession created a lot of excitement for the Highland Park fans, as QB Cade Thompson’s pass intended for WR Damion Serna was tipped by Wildcat LB Ethan Jackson, but was received “immaculately” by WR Jax Reese in stride and quickly had 2 or 3 steps on all of the Canadian DBs for a 64 yd TD.
The ensuing kickoff dampened the uplifted spirits of the Hornets due to a 90 yd kickoff return by Twister Kelton with another good PAT kick by Salazar. But neither HP nor Canadian had yet realized there was a man-on-a-mission on the field that would practically take over the game just as the first quarter ended.
DB/WR Gary Anderson scored for the Wildcats an unbelievable four times before the half would end. With 32 seconds left in Q1, Anderson picked off a Cade Thompson pass for a 63 yd pick-six TD. With 10:31 left in Q2, Anderson took in a 10 yd screen pass for a TD, then with 6:25 left Anderson was the recipient of a beautiful 35 yard over-the-shoulder pass from Culwell. Twister Kelton then took his turn catching passes from Culwell with a 6 yd TD catch on a slant route. But Anderson wasn’t finished nor was he satisfied with the hat-trick. With 1:50 left in the first half, Anderson picked off a Carson Seaman pass and ran it back for another pick-six from 35 yds out. Salazar missed another PAT, but added the rest, making the halftime score 61- 6 Canadian.
The opening kickoff by Highland Park to Canadian was returned by Trace Michell for a 58 yd
return being pushed out by the Hornet’s Tavian Williams for a TD saving play at the 5 yd line. The next play, taking over for Josh Culwell, freshman QB Cameron Cavalier handed off to fellow freshman RB Luke Flowers for the 5 yd TD run with a Salazar PAT with 10:33 left in the third quarter. Running back Landon Smith took in a 5 yd TD run with 5:40 left in the third and Salazar missed the PAT. Running back Aiden Dickinson took in a 4 yd TD with 8:50 left in the game finishing the Canadian scoring for the night. Unfortunately, the Hornets couldn’t muster up any more scoring in the second half to the credit of Canadian’s defense off the bench.
Next week, Canadian will host Dimmitt at home, with the twice cancelled Homecoming festivities being executed during halftime. The Homecoming Queen has already been crowned at a pep rally style event at school. We won’t issue a spoiler here for anyone who doesn’t know who the 2020 Homecoming Queen is. Tune in next week to find out who she is!
by Jerry Brunson
@CHSWildcatNews – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
1st 2nd 3rd 4th - Total
CANADIAN 34 27 13 7 - 81
HIGHLAND PARK 6 0 0 0 - 6
SCORING
Q1
CAN – Hayze Hufstedler 25 yd run (Salazar kick good) 9:55
CAN - Jake Krehbiel 22 yd pass from Josh Culwell (Salazar kick failed) 8:44
CAN – Reagan Cochran 22 yd pass from Culwell (Salazar kick good) 6:06
HP - Jax Reese 65 yd pass from Caden Thompson (2-pt conv failed) 3:30
CAN –Twister Kelton 90 yd kickoff return (Salazar kick good) 3:15
CAN – Gary Anderson 65 yd INT return (Salazar kick good) 0:32
Q2
CAN – Gary Anderson 10 yd pass from Culwell (Salazar kick good) 10:34
CAN – Gary Anderson 35 yd pass from Culwell (Salazar kick good) 6:25
CAN – Twister Kelton 10 yd pass from Culwell (Salazar kick good) 3:15
CAN – Gary Anderson 34 yd INT return (Salazar kick failed) 1:50
Q3
CAN – Luke Flowers 5 yd run (Salazar kick good) 10:33
CAN – Landon Smith 4 yd run (Salazar kick failed) 5:40
Q4
CAN – Aiden Dickenson 2 yd run (Salazar kick good) 8:50
STATS
HP - CAN
First Downs 7 - 18
Yards rushing 159 - 236
Yards passing 159 - 155
Total yards 199 - 391
Comp-Att-Int 8-22-4 9-11-0
Punts 6-29 - 0-0
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 - 0-0
Penalties 3-35 - 2-15
(see slideshow)
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2015 Canadian - The Wildcats won the Class 2A Division I State Championship with a convincing 41 point win over Gulf Coast power Refugio. This was Canadian's 4th Championship win in 5 Championship games since 2007.
2017 Canadian - The Wildcats extended their winning streak to 16 years. All 16 years they have had 8+ wins. This team made it to the Semifinals with a high scoring offense and great defense.
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