Once every
several years, a highly anticipated sporting event comes along that
elevates above its lofty hype and becomes embedded in its witnesses'
memory banks forever.
Saturday's Canton-vs.-Novi-Detroit Catholic Central Division 1
Regional
final football game qualifies for the above-listed standard.
In a highly
entertaining showdown that mirrored a heavyweight fight that goes the
distance, the 12-0 Shamrocks won 31-24 in overtime to move on to next
Saturday's semifinal against Holt.
Following a noble effort that would have been good enough to
defeat 99 percent of the teams in the state, the Chiefs fell to 10-2.
"I'm very proud of these guys," said Canton coach Tim Baechler.
"They played hard, they battled. Neither team deserved to lose this
game, but it is what it is. They made a couple more plays than we did."
The game's biggest point differential was eight when CC's Niko
Palazeti bulldozed into the end zone from 18 yards out with 7:40 left
in the third quarter to expand his team's lead to 17-9.
The Chiefs, who never led, nearly won the game at the end of
regulation, but Alex Dixon's 47-yard field goal attempt fell short.
Canton compiled more total yards than the Shamrocks, 372-337,
but CC won the time-of-possession battle, 27:58-20:02.
"We played against a very good defense today," said Baechler.
"They gave up three touchdowns all season before today and we scored
three against them, so I was happy with our offense. I didn't expect to
give up as many points as we did today, but, hey, they're a tough,
physical team."
CC grabbed a 3-0 lead with 2:37 left in the first quarter on a
28-yard field goal by Justin D'Agostino. The key play in the 10-play
possession was an 18-yard Sam Landry-to-John Jakubik hook-up on a
third-and-9 from the Canton 32.
The Chiefs answered on their next possession, driving from their
20 to the CC 6 before settling for a 23-yard Conner Shennan field goal.
A 58-yard pass from Kevin Delapaz to Dakota Dark-Bird set up the score.
After both teams exchanged pointless possessions, the Shamrocks
grabbed a 10-3 advantage 1:20 before the half when Palazeti capped a
clock-eating 14-play, 83-yard possession by plunging in from two yards
out. The Chiefs nearly stopped the drive in its infancy, but CC's
fleet-footed halfback Anthony Capatina picked up 14 yards on a draw
play on a third-and-13 play from the Shamrock 10.
CONTINUED
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