Canadian Downs Gunter for Trip Back to State
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Updated: December 14, 2020
Canadian Dominates Gunter 33-6 in 5th Consecutive Semifinal Showdown
Quick Update and highlights:
Canadian Wildcats' running back and linebacker, Hayze Hufstedler proves once again to be the durable, work-all-day-long player and quiet leader every coach dreams of. Hufstedler racked up 137 hard fought rushing yards and two TDs for the day.
THIS GAME:
Canadian collected a huge payback from last season’s loss to the Gunter Tigers that ended with the ball just short of the goal-line on the last play, denying the Wildcats a chance to tie or win the game. The 2020 win means this very unique, historical playoff series/rivalry in Texas High School Football is now 3-2 with possibly more semifinal matches in the future.
Crystal Ball guys near and far have ranked the Canadian Wildcats #1 and the Gunter Tigers #2 all season despite the fact that the Tigers were the defending State Champions in Class 3ADII. Most fans would ask: “why would they do that?” or “are the Tigers being disrespected?” On a perfect afternoon for December playoff football, these two teams met at the beautiful Anthony Field at ACU Wildcat Stadium in Abilene to answer those questions.
After Gunter’s Logan Hubbard put the opening kickoff into the end zone, the second play of the game gave Gunter at a tremendous early advantage when DB Cooper Wade intercepted a Josh Culwell pass intended for RB Jake Krehbiel. However, Gunter blew their chance to drive on in from the Canadian 31 yd line and take an early lead whenever a fumble by RB Ashton Bennett on the 13 yd line was recovered by Wildcat George Abraham. Josh Culwell proceeded to play as if he had no memory of the first drive ending with an INT by Gunter and put together an 11-play drive with 6 pass receptions, one featuring a 32 yd misdirection pass to RB Hayze Hufstedler to the Gunter 1 yd line. Hufstedler would then get the next call and push the ball over the goal line for the first score of the game with 7:56 left in the first quarter and K Edgar Salazar tallied his 333rd career PAT.
Canadian’s defense continued to frustrate the Tigers by halting a 12-play drive on the Canadian 38 yd line. Out of field goal range, Gunter punted into the end zone and Culwell’s fast tempo NASCAR offense then left their own 20 yd line and 10-plays later with 11:12 left in the second quarter, Culwell hit WR Twister Kelton on a jail-break screen for the second Wildcat TD from 18 yards out. The PAT was blocked by Cole Lemons and Kaden Rigsby who were unable to attempt a return.
Gunter’s next possession would be shut down by the Canadian defense in 5-plays forcing another punt that would allow the Wildcats to start another drive from the 50 yd line. The Wildcats proceeded to mount a clock burning 15-play drive with Gunter taking two timeouts to regroup and prepare to get a much-needed defensive stop. But it was all in vain as Canadian hammered away inside the 5 yd line until Culwell scored on a keeper from a power set with 5:00 left in the first half. Salazar was good on the PAT.
The Tigers were flustered enough before QB Hut Graham was stripped of the ball by LB Ethan Jackson on their next possession. But hope for Gunter sprang alive once more when Cooper Wade intercepted a Culwell pass on the 10 yd line and returned it to the 31. But Wildcat DB Twister Kelton dashed that new hope 5-plays later by intercepting Graham on the Canadian 42 yd line and returning it to the Gunter 42 yd line.
Canadian had time to run 7 plays to advance the ball to the Gunter 10 yd line and with downs and the clock running out, Salazar hit a goal from 27 yards and the Wildcats went into the locker room at halftime with a convincing 23-0 lead. Both teams had suffered from a few turnovers, however, the timing and field position of those turnovers were more devastating to Gunter.
Certainly, Canadian wasn’t taking anything for granted in yet another high-stakes game with Gunter. Just a year ago they led 17-10 at halftime against Gunter in a classic battle royal that ended with Canadian’s Twister Kelton coming up a foot short of the goal line to give Canadian a chance to tie of win the game. The Gunter Tigers are one of the best momentum fueled teams in the class and Canadian knew how fast three scores can be given up when the magical “momentum” takes effect.
Gunter went to work after receiving the kickoff to start the second half and took the ball down inside the 10 yd line on a 13-play drive taking more than 5:30 off the clock and causing Canadian to burn two timeouts. Just as the Tigers planned to get back in the game with their first TD of the day on third and goal, RB Ashton Bennett dropped a handoff from Graham which he recovered on the 11 yd line, fourth and goal.
As deflating as that mistake was, is seemed even worse for the Tigers when they sent Logan Hubbard out to salvage the long drive with a field goal, but Hubbard kicked the ball from the hold low and wide right. Canadian had achieved a goal line stand that turned Gunter away with zero to show for their best drive of the day. The Tigers, although frustrated and disappointed in the missed scoring opportunity continued to battle on. Culwell would gather up the Wildcats again and although at a much faster pace, marched his troops down to the Gunter 2 yd line and ran out of downs as they met a proud and stiff goal line stand by the Tigers. But Canadian’s Salazar, who continues to add to the new Texas High School career record for PATs, would come out to salvage the drive with a 19 yd field goal. The scoreboard graphically flipped the new digits to read 26-0.
Gunter’s next series fizzled out in 7-plays on their own 41 yd line and had to punt again, while Canadian demonstrated their own version of a 7-play drive. From their own 33, two of those plays consisted of a 37 yd QB draw by Culwell and the next play after that was a 23 yd TD run by Hufstedler with 8:34 left in the game. The scoreboard digits added up Canadian’s new total to 33-0.
Canadian fans were beginning to get “shutout fever” as that would have been the cherry on top of the Semifinal trophy. But as expected, Graham came out on the next series playing the role of gunslinger and when WR Cade Roller got a step on DB Gary Anderson running a go route down the Gunter sideline, Graham dropped it over his shoulder to perfection. The Tigers had just spared themselves of the embarrassment of being shutout. Graham set up for the 2-point conversion but was intercepted by LB Reagan Cochran. When the scoreboard changed this time, it would change for the last time: 33-6 Canadian.
Gunter unsuccessfully attempted the onside kick which was fielded by Cochran. Culwell began to run the plays called to burn clock, but also threw an incompletion downfield on a fourth and seven and turned the ball over on downs. Gunter’s coaches had Graham to continue the long ball attempts, but nothing else materialized for them. Canadian allowed some fresh, healthy, sure handed guys off the bench to take care of the ball and give the offense a much-deserved rest and the clock wound down to history.
The Franklin vs Waskom Semifinal thriller on the other side of the bracket ended 14-13 with Franklin on top. The 2020 Class 3ADII State Championship will see the Canadian Wildcats and the Franklin Lions preparing during the shortest week of the season for the biggest game of the season. It’s exactly what both teams worked for so hard all year.
Mark it down as it should be a good one:
Thursday, December 17, 2020
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
3:00 P.M.
by Jerry Brunson
@CHSWildcatNews – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Stats and scoring courtesy of Ron Shader, Canadian ISD
SCORING
CANADIAN 7 16 3 7 - 33 GUNTER 0 0 0 6 - 6
Q1
CAN – Hayze Hufstedler 1yd run (Salazar kick good) 7:56
Q2
CAN – Twister Kelton 18 yd pass from Josh Culwell (Salazar kick good) 11:12
CAN – Josh Culwell 5yd run (Salazar kick good) 5:08
CAN – Edgar Salazar 27 yd FG - 0:00
Q3
CAN – Edgar Salazar 19 yd FG - 2:41
Q4
CAN – Hayze Hufstedler 23 yd run (Salazar kick good) 8:34
GUN – Cade Roller 45 yd Hut Graham pass (2-pt conv intercepted) 7:44
GUN CAN First Downs 15 26 Yards rushing 93 241 Yards passing 155 173 Total yards 248 414 Comp-Att-Int 10-20-3 14-23-2 Punts 3-30 1-30 Fumbles-Lost 3-2 0-0 Penalties 2-20 6-60
Photos by Alan Hale Photography
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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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