Chiefs run on Saline, but Brown shines

Rob Hoffman

Saturday, November 11, 2006

CANTON - In different ways, two prep football teams proved themselves Friday.

In rolling over Saline 56-36 to reach its second straight Division 1 semifinal, host Canton proved that its offense can do anything it wants to do - even if its defense isn't up to par.

As for Saline, the Hornets proved they are not just a running team - and certainly won't be next year, with Kyle Brown still taking the snaps.

As you might expect where two teams combined for 92 points, offense was the name of the game at Canton. Neither team attempted a punt. And the two teams totaled 41 first downs as they marched up and down the field.

You could blame the final outcome on three straight turnovers that put the Hornets in a 28-0 hole before 17 minutes had elapsed on the clock.

But that would be selling the Canton offense short.

Because it's just that good. And perhaps better than it ever has been.

With the Chiefs, it's not just the size of their linemen. Or how they create holes by positioning themselves to isolate defenders. Or the quick handoffs. Or all the ball fakes that take place before the ball disappears into someone's forearms.

It's all of the above.

The Canton offense is about as well oiled as a Maserati given premium grade Valvoline. The push at the line is almost unstoppable. And from the sideline, amid all the flurry of activity in the backfield, you'd be hard pressed to follow which one of Canton's three running backs has the ball 50 percent of theme.

As a matter of fact, it wasn't much better on the field. After one play, a referee was laughing about how he didn't know who had the ball. And on Steve Paye's fourth-quarter touchdown run, a Saline defender actually backed away from tackling the quarterback because he thought it was another fake.

Canton running back Nick Moores, a Detroit Catholic Central transfer who ran for a game-high 180 yards and three touchdowns, saw plenty of run-reliant teams during his Detroit Catholic League days. But none of them quite compare to what his new team can do on the field.

"The whole system is just impressive,'' he said.

Almost as impressive was Brown, who bounced back from an early interception to have a career night.

The thinking going in was that this would be Saline's running game vs. Canton's running game.

But the early hole put an end to that thinking. So did a first-quarter play where seven Canton players went deep into the backfield to drag down 1,500-yard rusher Vince Helmuth.

That meant it was up to Brown, who had Canton's coaches shaking their heads by the end of the night. Throwing across his body at times, the junior completed 21-of-34 passes for 349 yards - at one point, connecting on nine straight passes.

"People have said we're just a running team but the fact is that we haven't needed to throw this year,'' Saline coach Mike Glennie said. "Tonight, we needed to throw. And he came up big for us.''

It's enough to make any Hornet fan salivate at the thought of what Brown will become as a senior.

For Canton, the future is more immediate: As in next Saturday's state semifinals against the winner of today's Rockford-Milford game.

"Our offense and our whole team is clicking,'' Moores said. "It's coming at the right time.''

Rob Hoffman can be reached at rhoffman@annarbornews.com or 734-994-6814.