Canton savors its first crown

Chiefs claim regional by running through Detroit King, 48-21
Saturday, November 12, 2005
BY COREY ROEPKEN
News Sports Reporter
 

CANTON TOWNSHIP - Seconds before Matt Sweda wept, he was the rowdiest Canton Chief of them all. He hooted. He hollered.

He made sure to get a piece of the Division 1 regional championship trophy that had broken into three pieces.

But then, with the snap of two fingers, he cried. The eye black on his face smeared as the tears streamed down each cheek. The enormity of the Canton High School football team's first regional title hit him all at once.

"It was perfect,'' he stuttered. "It was beautiful.''

And it was never in doubt.

Host Canton (10-2) raced to a 48-21 victory over Detroit Martin Luther King that was more lopsided than the final score indicated. The Chiefs will play Macomb Dakota in a state semifinal at 1 p.m. Saturday at Troy Athens High School.

One play from scrimmage after returning the opening kickoff 65 yards, junior running back DeShon McClendon scored on a 6-yard run to give Canton a 6-0 lead. Just like that, the Chiefs were off and running.

That's all they were doing, too.

Little never attempted a pass as the Chiefs racked up 470 rushing yards on 57 plays. Seven of those carries went for more than 20 yards, and four touchdowns measured at least 23 yards. The Chiefs scored touchdowns on each of their first seven drives.

"We played a team that did not know how to defend us,'' Canton coach Tim Baechler said. "It's not a scheme thing. It's a technique thing. They were trying to search for a scheme instead of a technique.''

McClendon led the way with 165 yards and three touchdowns, while Dalton Walser racked up 114 yards on 14 carries and one touchdown. Little carried four times for 56 yards and scored twice.

The King defense wasn't all that the Canton players busted, either. Amidst the postgame celebration, the championship trophy broke into three pieces. Athletic director Sue Heinzman gave a piece to Chad Boes, then Sweda requested the Upper Peninsula, which he got.

With more celebrating to be done, however, Sweda eventually lost track of the U.P. and scampered back to midfield to retrieve it. Unable to find it, he ventured back toward the locker room.

"I lost my Upper Peninsula,'' he screamed. "Where's the Upper Peninsula?''

But earlier, still overcome with emotion, Sweda said the team could taste just how close it is to a state championship.

"We've gotta work on some stuff, but we really want to get there,'' he said. "We're gettin' there. Nothin' stops us now.''

Corey Roepken can be reached at croepken@annarbornews.com or (734) 994-6812.