Canadian Assaults Record Books enroute to Title
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Updated: December 7, 2020
Canadian Captures Region I Championship from Scrappy Childress
Quick Update and highlights:
CANADIAN RUNNING BACK
Hayze Hufstedler unofficially sets a new Class 3A record for the longest rushing TD from scrimmage with a 99 yard sprint to paydirt outrunning some fast Childress defenders to do so.
CANADIAN KICKER
Edgar Salazar extends his Texas State High School record career PATs to 332.
Canadian has now won seven consecutive Regional Championships to make it into the final four and play in a semifinal for a chance at a State Championship. This will be the fifth consecutive year the Wildcats will face Gunter in one of the most historic post-season series in Texas High School Football.
The #10 Childress Bobcats came into this Region I Final with a lot to prove against the #1 Canadian Wildcats. Obviously one of their highest priorities was to not allow Canadian to end the game with a 50-point lead as they did in the week 11 beatdown of the Bobcats in Childress of 63-13. Anyone paying attention knew that the Bobcats have improved a lot since week 11 and they DID prove that with the upset of #6 Spearman in the Regional Semifinal on November 27. But the Bobcats absolute top priority was to simply win the game.
Mentally and physically, they had prepared to execute a game plan to do so even though Head Coach Jason Sims had to remain behind to play his own game against the COVID. It would become an effort by Childress that would indicate the Bobcats actually played FOR Coach Sims instead of just playing WITHOUT him.
Canadian won the toss and chose to receive, starting on their own 38 yd line with a relative short kickoff to work with. In the typical NASAR mode, the Wildcat offense covered the yardage needed to score in 7 plays, setup by a 43 yd reverse run by WR Gary Anderson. Running back, Hayze Hufstedler went into the end zone standing up from 4 yards out for the first score of the game at the 9:31 mark. Edgar Salazar was good on the PAT.
But not to be shaken, the Bobcat offense came out to do their own damage by eating up the clock with a 13-play drive that ended with a 4th down and goal pass play from QB Collin Bishop to WR Lamont Nickelberry for a 10 yd TD. Caesar Rojas was good on the PAT and just like that, Childress evened the score and burned almost 5 minutes of the first quarter - just as planned. Canadian’s next drive was typical, taking 7-plays to get inside the red zone, but missed a TD opportunity when a Josh Culwell pass to WR Reagan Cochran was caught just outside the back of the end zone from 11 yds out on 3rd down. Salazar was called in and made the 28 yd field goal to salvage points from the series.
The next offensive series for the Bobcats was turned back as a 3-and-out by the Canadian defense, getting the possession back for the Wildcats at their own 27 yd line. This drive would use up 4 minutes of clock as they swapped ends for the second quarter and Hufstedler’s number was called again for a 2 yd power play into the end zone with 11:06 left in the first half.
The next Childress possession was stopped after 7 plays on the Canadian 42 yd line and Collin Bishop’s punt backed up Canadian on their own 2 yd line. A false start penalty was called on the Wildcats placing the ball on the 1 yd line. What would happen next would be the biggest pour of lightning out of RB Hayze Hufstedler’s bottle in his career when he ran by LB Lane Foster, then cut off of a block by WR Gary Anderson on Devron Sims to bounce out to the sideline with Lamont Nickelberry and Nick McMinn in hot pursuit. The defenders never gained on Hufstedler and the play became what is currently the unofficial new Class 3A record for the longest rushing TD from scrimmage
The 99 yd blast would be Hufstedler’s third of four TDs of the night and he would take the last one 65 yards. But the first half still had 7:07 left to play and with the clock running out, Culwell found RB Jake Krehbiel for a 15 yd TD pass and the Wildcats took a hard fought, much earned 31-7 lead to the locker room at halftime.
As time ran out in the third quarter, Bobcat Lamont Nickelberry scored on a 16 yd pass from Bishop, which would be the last time Childress would score this season. Shortly after the start of the fourth quarter, Hufstedler ripped off another rushing TD for 65 yards. The next offensive series for the Bobcats proved to be disastrous and dashed any hopes of a late comeback when on the fifth play of the drive Bishop was intercepted by up-and-coming Freshman DB Luke Flowers and returned it for a 50 yd pick-six with 10:05 left in the game. The Canadian defense held and the offense got a much-deserved rest as a squad from the bench protected the ball and made some of their own impressive yardage, closing out the win 45-14. Salazar finished the night 6-for-6 on PATs and a 28 yd FG.
With this win the Canadian Wildcats notched their seventh consecutive Region I Championship and will proceed to the final four to play Gunter in the Semifinal round scheduled for a 4:00 P.M. kickoff at Abilene Christian University’s Wildcat Stadium on Friday, December 11th .
This particular Semifinal matchup has become somewhat historic in its own right, as this will be the fifth consecutive season these two teams have met in this round for a trip to AT&T Stadium. The Class 3A DII State Championship match that will be played against either Waskom or Franklin from Regions III & IV will be on the line for the Wildcats and Tigers this coming Friday.
by Jerry Brunson
@CHSWildcatNews – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Stats and scoring courtesy of Ron Shader, Canadian ISD
SCORING
CANADIAN 10 21 0 14 - 45
CHILDRESS 7 0 7 0 - 14
Q1
CAN – Hayze Hufstedler 4 yd run (Salazar kick good) 9:31
CHD – Lamont Nickelberry 10 yd pass from Collin Bishop (Caesar Rojas kick good) 4:49
CAN – Edgar Salazar 28 yd FG - 2:55
Q2
CAN – Hayze Hufstedler 2 yd run (Salazar kick good) 11:06
CAN – Hayze Hufstedler 99 yd run (Salazar kick good) 7:07 [New Class 3A record of longest
rushing TD from scrimmage]
CAN – Jake Krehbiel 15 yd pass from Josh Culwell (Salazar kick good) 00:33
Q3
CHD – Lamont Nickelberry 16 yd pass from Collin Bishop (Caesar Rojas kick good) 0:00
Q4
CAN – Hayze Hufstedler 65 yd run (Salazar kick good) 11:38
CAN – Luke Flowers 50 yd pass interception return (Salazar kick good) 10:05
CHI - CAN First Downs 21 - 19 Yards rushing 168 - 318 Yards passing 126 - 174 Total yards 294 - 492 Comp-Att-Int 12-32-1 - 15-21-1 Punts 5-34 - 3-33 Fumbles-Lost 1-1 - 0-0 Penalties 6-45 - 7-71
Photos by Alan Hale Photography
Friday Night Legends Historic Teams
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Want to see how the Canadian teams stack up against some of the best all time?
We have the 2015 Championship and 2017 teams already created and football fans and game board players around the world are coaching the Canadian Wildcats against some of the greatest teams in history.
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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