BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports Report
Canton (1-3) will travel to Montgomery (3-1) on Friday with a 7 p.m. kick-off.
The Warriors are looking to bounce back from a tough loss to North Penn-Mansfield last week that saw the Panthers rally for a fourth quarter win.
“We are working on the small details,” said Canton coach Tyler Sechrist. “We’re focusing on cutting back on the mental mistakes.”
The Red Raiders have started the season strong, winning their last two games by a combined 86-6.
“Montgomery has a good young team that is trending up,” Sechrist said.
The Raiders use several different backs to run the ball so Canton we’ll have to be ready.
“We have to be aggressive and tackle better,” said Sechrist.
KEYS TO THE GAME
Canton - No yards after contact. Canton did a solid job of getting to NP-Mansfield runners last week, but struggled to bring them down. Montgomery has a similar backfield with the same mix of power and speed, to slow them down the Warriors will need to stop them at the point of contact.
Montgomery - Slow down Bailey Gardner. Gardner had a big day last Saturday, and it was almost enough to beat an undefeated NP-Mansfield team. The Raiders will need to not let Gardner run wild and force other players to beat them.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bailey Gardner, Canton, RB/LB - Not just one of the NTL’s best running backs, Gardner is also one of the team’s best linebackers. They’ll need him to have a big game if they’re going to get the win.
Trace Furman, Montgomery, RB - Furman had two touchdowns and 144 total yards in the Raiders’ win last week over Wyalusing. He’s dangerous in the backfield and downfield.
