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NTL FOOTBALL: CANTON USES FAST START TO ROLL PAST NORTHERN CAMBRIA (2022-11-27)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
ALTOONA — This week during practice Canton coach Tyler Sechrist said he saw fire in his players eyes. On Saturday the Warriors let that fire loose, rolling to a 42-13 win over Northern Cambria during the PIAA, Class A football quarterfinals.

“These seniors, they know it’s their last rodeo,” Sechrist remarked. “They know every play could be their last, and, this time of year, one bad game, and it’s all over, so, they’re just excited to finish. That has been our word for the year, and I think they’re excited to do that.”

Canton couldn’t have played a better first four minutes as they dominated in all three facets of the game - Weston Bellows took the opening kick-off to the house, Hayden Ward had a touchdown run, and Riley Parker had an interception return for a score - putting themselves up 21-0.

“I know that our team, when we perform to the best of our ability is a great, and elite team, but I did not expect to have 21 points in our first three drives, with one defensive touchdown,” Brenen Taylor said.

They would go up 28-0 late in the first with a Riley Parker touchdown run. Northern Cambria would answer with a touchdown of their own to make it 28-7 at the first horn.

Both defenses settled in the second quarter as the game turned into a slog, but Hayden Ward’s second touchdown of the day, just before half, made it 34-7.

A long Hudson Ward score halfway through the third quarter put the game into the mercy rule for Canton.

“There was a bit of nostalgia coming back here, and I think that got us a little more fired up to play,” remarked Parker.

He led a strong Canton attack on the ground with 112 yards rushing on 11 touches, including a 60-yard run that set up their final score of the first half.

It was a team effort, though, as the Warriors ran for 300-yards on the dot off 40 carries. A total of five players had 40 yards or more on the ground.

Hudson Ward finished with 57-yards on three carries, Holden Ward had 48-yards on seven touches, Hayden Ward ran for 44-yards on seven carries, and Weston Bellows pounded out 41-yards on eight rushes.

“That’s huge,” Bellows said about them having that many threats to carry the ball. “To be able to not know who the ball is going to be handed to. Most teams have one, maybe two backs that you’re expecting to get the ball, and to be able to have three, four, or five guys do that, I thin is huge for us.”

While the Colts defense eventually settled in, their offense never got a handle on Canton’s physicality. The Warriors front four dominated up front, as nose guard Gage Pepper led them in tackles with 11.

Brenen Taylor and Hudson Ward had nine tackles each, while Mason Harold and Bellows both finished with five tackles.

Parker and Ben Fitch each had a pick, with Parker also getting a fumble recovery off a big Michael Davis hit.

In fact, Canton was one big Northern Cambria rushing play and a bad punt snap away from another shutout.

“On that big play, coach (Bellows) admitted that he went off the game plan a little bit,” said Taylor. “We tried to send a double middle blitz, and they found a seam, and you got a huge run.”

The Colts couldn’t get their athletes into the open field consistently, thanks largely to Canton’s pursuit and sure handed tackling.

“I feel like we’ve got some of the best tacklers in the state, with getting low and hitting hard,” said Taylor.

Most importantly, they weren’t fooled with Northern Cambria’s misdirection. The Colts ran a lot of reverses, and counters, but, for the most part, Canton snuffed them out by staying disciplined.

“That was in our game plan,” Taylor said. “We had saw that they run a lot of counters, and showing like it’s going to be a jet sweep and running back, so we told our D-ends every single play, ‘stay home, do your job, and you’ll get that tackle.’”

They held Northern Cambria’s 2,000-yard passer Owen Bougher to 71 yards through the air on 9-for-20 with two picks. Their 1,000 yard receiver had just three catches for 24-yards, while Xander Dolansky led the team with five catches for 43-yards and a score.

On the ground Colton Paronish had 70-yards rushing on 11 carries, but 64-yard came on one play. In fact, after that play Paronish’s next three carries went for negative yards.

In total the Colts had 10 plays that went backwards.

Sechrist said they hit the film sessions hard coming into this game, but also credits his players football IQ’s.

“The kids are smart,” said Sechrist. “They have a lot of football knowledge so they can pick up a lot of different stuff, and we’re able to do a lot.”

Bellows’ 77-yard kick-off set the tone for the game, as he stiff armed one tackler to get the outside. He then cut it back inside and found a seam all the way to pay dirt.

“It was one of the most excited moments of my life,” said Bellows. “The guys made some great blocks to spring me free, and luckily, we were able to come out to a fast start with that.”

Ferguson’s point after squeaked through and it was 7-0 just 15 seconds into the game.

Northern Cambria went 3-and-out on their first possession, with Rian Eberlin and Pepper converging for a sack on second down.

A solid Bellows return set the Warriors up at the Colts’ 35-yard line. They would need just four plays to get to the house, as Holden Ward optioned left and found his brother Hayden for the pitch, who ran it 23-yards to the end zone.

“I got the pitch and I looked forward, and it was wide open,” Hayden said about the run.

The key play was a 5-yard pass play from Austin Allen to Parker on third-and-four to get a fresh set of downs. Parker started on the left, and reversed the field to the right side, running about 40-yards to pick up those five.

Ferguson’s point after was good, and it was 14-0 with 8:32 on the clock.

Parker had the big play on Northern Cambria’s ensuing drive, stepping in front of a Bougher pass and taking it 16-yards to the house for their third touchdown of the game.

“I saw the guys coming out in motion and I wasn’t in coverage at the start,” explained Parker. “I just kind of followed him. I think the ball came out a little late for their liking, and I was able to be right there.”

Ferguson’s kick was good and it was 21-0 with 7:38 left in the opening quarter.

Northern Cambria’s ensuing drive ended like their first, a 3-and-out, but their punter had the best play of the game up to that point for the Colts, booting a 59-yarder all the way to the end zone.

The Warriors took over on their own 20-yard line, and would put together their best drive of the game. On the third play from scrimmage Holden Ward got them into Colts’ territory on a 31-yard option keeper, going right up the middle to get to the Northern Cambria 33-yard line.

“I think a lot of people maybe questioning us running a lot of quarterbacks, but that experience (Holden) got earlier in the year has been big,” Sechrist said. “He’s really running the option really well, which can be dangerous. He got a few good players there, got some confidence, and he’d had a really good game.”

Three plays later on third-and-5 Parker again had a drive saving play, this time a 23-yard gain off a counter to make it first-and-goal.

Parker would get rewarded, as three plays later, on third-and-goal from the two he walked it in for Canton’s fourth touchdown of the game. Ferguson’s kick was good, and it was 28-0 with 1:34 left in the opening quarter.

With the game getting away from them fast Northern Cambria needed something, and it got it from Paronish on their first play of the next drive. He took the hand-off, broke a tackle, and ran 64-yards to the Canton 3-yard line, caught from behind by Bellows.

Two plays later Bougher punched it in from 2-yards out to get the Colts on the scoreboard. Trey Pershing added the point after, and it was 28-7 after the first 12 minutes.

That break neck pace didn’t last, as Canton’s ensuing drive ended with a turnover on downs at the Northern Cambria 34-yard line.

The Colts would get some offensive momentum going on their next possession, keyed by a 21-yard pass play of Bougher to Myers. However, their drive came to a halt as, on third-and-short, Eberly caught Bougher at the line scrimmage. Northern Cambria went for it on fourth down, but the pass was incomplete, giving the ball back to Canton.

The Warrior offense would respond with a 3-and-out, but Davis got them out of a jam. Punting from nearly his own end zone he booted out past midfield.

The Colts looked stuff on their ensuing drive, but an 11-yard run run by Logan Dumm off a reverse gave them a new set of downs at the 50-yard line.

However, Canton’s defense held there, forcing the Colts to punt for the third time in the game.

The Warriors were pinned back at their own 13-yard line, but Parker changed that. Running over the right side he got a big block that freed him for a 60-yard run down to the Northern Cambria 27-yard line.

A Hayden Ward 5-yard run, followed by a 10-yard Bellows rush gave Canton a new set of downs at the Colts’ 12-yard line.

Holden Ward nearly had a touchdown pass to his brother Hayden, but the ball went through Hayden’s hands.

No matter, as on second down Hayden Ward took the counter 12-yards to the end zone to get the score.

“It was good, especially after that dropped ball,” Hayden remarked. “I was kind of down on myself, beating my self up, but scoring that next touchdown really helped.”

Ferguson’s kick was no good, and it was 34-7 late in the second quarter.

On the final play of the half Northern Cambria Xander Dolansky would get hit from behind by Davis, and the ball squirted free, fallen on by Parker to end that Colts’ threat.

The start of the second half was much like the second quarter, with both defenses entrenched.

Northern Cambria took the kick-off, but went 3-and-out, with Mason Nelson getting a sack on third down for Canton. The Warriors didn’t fare much better, also going 3-and-out on their first possession of the second half.

A short punt set the Colts up at Canton’s 43-yard line. However, the Warriors forced three incompletions on the next four passes as Northern Cambria turned it over on downs.

The Warriors took over at their own 39-yard line, and got some momentum going with a 7-yard Parker run, followed by a 5-yard Bellows rush to get a new set of downs at Northern Cambria’s 49.

That’s when Hudson Ward may have had the run of the night. Going left, he broke two tackles, then freed himself from the Colts’ safety with a strong stiff arm. After that he was home free for the 49-yard touchdown run.

Parker punched in the 2-point conversion, and the mercy rule came into affect with 5:50 left in the third quarter as the Warriors went up 42-7.

Canton would have a goal line stand on Northern Cambria’s next possession, as the Colts used a 26-yard run from John Zemrose to get to the Warrior 8-yard line.

Back to back Bougher runs set Northern Cambria up at the 2-yard line with two downs left. Canton would force an incompletion, then stuffed Bougher at the 1-yard on fourth down to turn it over on downs.

Canton would use a 9-yard run from Bellows to get out of the shadow of their own goal line, but were ultimately forced to punt.

However, the snap was low, and as Davis went down to get it, his knee hit, essentially downing the ball.

Northern Cambria took over at the Canton 9-yard line, and on second down Bougher hit Dolansky up the middle for a 10-yard scoring strike with 6:41 left.

The Colts didn’t convert the PAT, making it 42-13.

That’s how it would stay. Canton’s final drive ended in a punt, but Northern Cambria’s last possession ended in a Ben Fitch interception with no time on the clock.

The Warriors move on to the semifinals, where they face a familiar foe in Steelton-Highspire.

Steel-High eked out a 42-35 win over Northern Lehigh on Saturday, and will likely host the semifinal game to be played on either Friday or Saturday of next weekend.

“They’re really good,” Sechrist said about the Rollers. “We’re going to have to have a good week of practice. I mean, we can play with them, we know we can, but we’re going to have to execute, and we’re looking forward to the opportunity.”

Canton defeated Steel-High in the opening round of the state playoffs a year ago in a back and forth contest, but the Warriors know they can’t lean on that result.

“Last year was last year,” Taylor said. “We don’t think about that, we have a whole season from this year, and now we have a postseason to worry about. We’re going to study for them, and we’re going to try to shut them down.”

— —

Canton 42, Northern Cambria 13

Canton 28 6 8 0 - 42

NC 7 0 0 6 - 13

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

C - Weston Bellows 77-yard kick-off return (Bailey Ferguson kick), 11:45

C - Hayden Ward 24-yard run (Ferguson kick), 8:32

C - Riley Parker 16-yard interception return (Ferguson kick), 7:38

C - Riley Parker 2-yard run (Ferguson kick), 1:34

N - Owen Bougher 2-yard run (Trey Pershing kick), :33

Second Quarter