Canadian Avenges Loss to Iowa Park

By Chris Doelle
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Updated: September 7, 2021

Canadian Evens the Score on Iowa Park, 41-20

Last season the Canadian Wildcats (3ADII) drove home from Iowa Park (4ADII) after their only loss of the season on their way to a dramatic State Championship win over Franklin at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in December. Lessons were learned in that 28-21 loss to the Hawks, but that didn’t make it ‘okay’. As Head Coach Chris Koetting put it: “It left a bad taste in our mouth.”

It was the Wildcats turn to host another very good Hawks team this season, led by 6-3, 195 lb., RB/LB Ty Cunningham and 5-8, 190 lb. RB/LB C.J. Miser. To counter the Hawks impressive athletic abilities, Canadian fielded a team of young guns, most being tested in their very first varsity starting roles, but not void of experience due to last season’s Championship run.

Although separated by two UIL Class levels, this re-match was still a game that many had circled on their calendar as a game-of-the-week. After receiving the opening kick-off, the Wildcat offense did their best impression of the human cannonball act at the circus. They ripped through the Hawk’s defense going 75 yards in four plays scoring on an 18-yard jailbreak pass from QB Camren Caviler to WR Angel Garcia with less than a minute off the first quarter clock. But Iowa Park was not shaken enough to prevent them from digging in on a 14-play, 85-yard drive that ended with a C. J. Miser 4-yard TD run and Kolten Sadberry was good on the PAT.

Canadian’s next possession would end in a failed fourth down conversion attempt still barely in Hawk territory. However, the Hawks could not convert on the turnover due to a Luke Flowers interception of an Evan Dietrichson pass intended for Brayden Bajo on the Canadian 19-yard line. Canadian didn’t convert and had to punt on the following series, however, the Hawks RB Jaydon Southard fumbled on their own 26-yard line and 6-plays later Cavalier tossed a beautiful 15-yard misdirection screen pass to Luke Flowers that pulled literally all of the Hawk defense away from the weak side giving Flowers and his blockers smooth sailing into the end zone.

BIG INT BY A BIG GUY

The next two series produced only one 1st down for Iowa Park and Canadian went three-and-out. Hawk’s Dietrichson and WR Mason Cravens had just missed connecting for a TD pass on 2 nd down, and the Hawks found themselves on their own 43-yard line with a 3rd & 11 to go when the magic happened for D-lineman Corbin Throgmorton (6-0, 265lbs). Dietrichson’s attempted screen pass to RB Jaydon Southard went directly into the hands of Throgmorton on the 40-yard line, who rumbled down to the Hawks 19-yard line befor being pushed down by Southard. You can be for sure the Wildcat fans appreciated the rare event of a big lineman grabbing an interception that close to the goal line. The next play converted the INT into points with a 19-yard TD run by Flowers, who cut off of a Throgmorton block he made as a result from pulling from his guard position. A fitting end to what will be a great football memory for the Wildcat lineman.

After near disaster for Iowa Park with a muffed kick-off return by Kolten Sadberry, the Hawks got focused and dug their way out of a hole from their own 4-yard line. Nine plays later from the Hawk 33-yard line Dietrichson hit Ty Cunningham across the middle at the 48, going on in for a 67-yard TD pass. The PAT by Sadberry failed due to a bad snap. It was just that kind of night for Iowa Park. With just a little over two minutes left in the first half, Canadian had to punt away and the Hawks Southard fumbled away a reception he had just made that was scooped up by Freshman DB Julian Dominguez as the first half clock ran out.

Although Iowa Park had issues with a lot not going their way, they opened the 3rd period with a scoring drive that made everyone in the stadium realize this game was going to be worth the price of admission. On the first play from scrimmage, Cunningham went through the middle of the Wildcat defense for 68 yards before Luke Flowers could bring him down at the Wildcat 3-yard line. Four plays later Southard took in a 1-yard TD run with a good PAT by Sadberry, bringing the Hawks within 1 point of Canadian, 21-20.

THE NEW WILDCAT TRADITION: THE KICKING GAME

The next two offensive series by both teams ended with punts, but the Wildcat offense were spring-loaded after Angel Garcia was taken down hard by Cunningham receiving the Hawk’s punt. Cavalier commenced to move the Wildcat offense in NASCAR fashion and had Iowa Park on their heels until halted at the Hawk 12-yard line. As mentioned in last week’s recap, the kicking game has issued the third-generation kicker to wear jersey number 29, and this was the momentous first call for a field goal attempt. Sophomore kicker Emiliano Hernandez trotted on out and nailed a 30 yarder, the first of what many folks believe will be very important points to tack on to scoreboards far and wide for the next three seasons. 24-20, Canadian.

GRINDING ON

Iowa Park started from their 30-yard line on the next drive and Dietrichson threw a 40-yard pass downfield to WR Brayden Bajo to put the Hawks down on the Canadian 30-yard line. The drive stalled due to the stingy Wildcat defense and it appeared to be do-or-die time by the Hawk’s coaches and they went for the 4th down conversion with a Dietrichson pass attempt to Cravens near the end zone falling incomplete. The momentum had shifted and Sophomore QB Cavalier engineered an 8-play 68-yard drive that ended by calling his own number on a QB draw for a 28-yard TD run with 10:54 left in the game. The Hawks had endured enough bad breaks to last a season already and a fumble on the kickoff return by Rody Williams recovered by Canadian on the Hawk 25-yard line would keep that hard luck running. Iowa Park held the Wildcats out of the end zone, but 8-plays later K Emi Hernandez hit his second field goal of the night from 27-yards with 7:40 left in the game. Iowa Park had only run three pass plays against Holliday the week before traveling to Canadian, and the lack of experience in the passing game became even more apparent when Dietrichson threw the third interception of the game to DB Aiden Dickinson on their next possession with 6:39 left in the game.

Five plays later Luke Flowers would go 30 yards to paydirt dragging several Hawks into the end zone with him from 10 or 15 yards out. The Wildcats had opened up their lead to 41-20 with 4:38 left in the game. Canadian’s defense sealed the deal with a Julian Dominguez interception, the fourth INT of the night hauled in by the Wildcats. Cavalier and company would then pick up two more 1st downs with the clock running down to a big win for the Wildcats.

Canadian Sports Network play-by-play announcer, Russell Gadbois, interviewed Coach Jeff Isom after the game who spoke of the young players that stepped up in the wake of some injuries and cramping issues this night. “We just try to preach to them you just never know when your number’s going to be called…” Freshmen Julian Dominguez and Wyatt Davis were a couple of guys able to step in and contribute, only a year after playing 8th grade ball. Next week Canadian will stay home to host the Bushland Falcons, a matchup that always produces football fireworks.

Jerry Brunson for Lone Star Gridiron
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Alan Hale Photography
Stats courtesy of Steve Forrest, CSN and CISD coaching staff

SCORING

  
          1ST 2ND 3rd 4th - Total
CANADIAN   7  14   3   17  - 41
IOWA PARK  7   6   7    0  - 20

CAN – Angel Garcia 18-yard pass from Camren Cavalier (Emiliano Hernandez kick) 11:01
IP – T.J. Miser 4-yard run (Kolten Sadberry kick) 5:01

CAN – Luke Flowers 15-yard TD pass from Cavalier (Hernandez kick) 9:48
CAN – Flowers 19-yard run (Hernandez kick) 5:16
IP – Ty Cunningham 67-yard pass from Evan Dietrichson (kick failed) 2:25

IP - Jaydon Southard 1-yard run (Kolten Sadberry kick) 10:00
CAN – Emiliano Hernandez Field Goal (30-yards) – 3:14

CAN – Camren Cavalier 27-yard run (Hernandez kick) 10:54
CAN – Emiliano Hernandez Field Goal (27-yards) – 7:40
CAN – Flowers 30-yard run (Hernandez kick) 5:16

IP CAN
FIRST DOWNS 20 19
YARDS RUSHING 166 199
YARDS PASSING 162 171
TOTAL YARDS 328 370
COMP-ATT-INT 7-20-4 15-26-0
PUNTS-AVG 4-35 0-0
FUMBLES-LOST 2-2 1-0

PASSING

Camren Cavalier: passing – 15-for-26 167 YARDS 2 TD

RUSHING

Luke Flowers: 14 RUSH 111 YARDS 2 TD
Camren Cavalier: 6 RUSH 39 YDS 1 TD
Isay Ramirez: 7 RUSH 35 YARDS

RECEIVING

ANGEL GARCIA: 4 REC 37 YARDS 1 TD
TRACE MITCHELL: 3 REC 22 YARDS
JAKE KREHBIEL: 1 REC 34 YARDS
ISAY RAMIREZ: 2 REC 31 YARDS

KICKING

Emiliano Hernandez: PATs: 5-for-5 FGs: 2, from 27 yds & 30 yds

Iowa Park

EVAN DIETRICHSON - 7/20 162 YARDS 1 TD 4 INT
JAYDON SOUTHARD - 21 RUSH 140 YARDS 1 TD
CJ MISER - 5 RUSH 26 YARDS 1 TD
TY CUNNINGHAM - 3 REC 87 YARDS 1 TD

Photos by Alan Hale Photography

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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.