WALLED LAKE -- The tears in his eyes and the sobs in his
voice said it all.
"It's all heart," running back Tommy Bell said following Walled
Lake Western's 21-14 overtime victory against Canton on Friday night
in a Western Lakes showdown. "Our coaches prepared us and we've
busted our (butts) all week."
Bell, who rushed for 182 yards last week, caught nine passes for
112 yards, including the deciding 10-yard score in overtime - which
he juggled while being hit - yet managed to hold on and crossed the
goal line.
"He can do a lot of things that a lot of other kids can't do,"
Walled Lake Western coach Mike Zdebski said.
Bell wouldn't have been able to do those things had it not been
for the fourth-quarter performance of senior quarterback Travis
Maxey. Maxey, who finished the game 10-of-23 for 114 yards and a
touchdown, completed five of his last six passes - all to Bell - and
scored the tying touchdown with 3:39 left in regulation on a nine
yard run.
"We wouldn't expect anything less (from Maxey)," Zdebski said.
"He's a champion at heart because he doesn't let things get to him."
Canton, which hadn't lost a division game since 2001, seemed to
be in control of the game and chewed up a great deal of the clock
with its running game. With 232 rushing yards, the Chiefs (2-1, 1-1
Western Lakes) were driving for the go-ahead score with just over a
minute left in the fourth, but came up short on a fourth-and-three
play.
Deshon McLendon led the Chiefs with 147 yards and scored both
touchdowns. The first came on the second play of the game when he
sprinted 69 yards and the second, an 18-yard burst up the middle,
put Canton up, 14-7, on the first play in the fourth quarter.
But that wasn't enough to hold off the Warriors (3-0, 2-0), who
converted a huge fourth-down play just before Maxey scrambled in for
the tying score.
"Everybody expected us to lose," said Maxey, who added it was the
biggest victory in his career.
It may not have worked out that way had Canton played its
starting quarterback Shawn Little, who has missed the last two weeks
while recovering from a ruptured esophagus.
Little's replacement, Corey Nicoloff, performed admirably in his
spot completing 6-of-10 passes for 89 yards.
The game almost didn't go to overtime. Walled Lake Western kicker
Andy Omiatek had a chance to win the game with a 34-yard kick on
first down with 22 seconds left in regulation but missed wide left.
The Warriors were out of timeouts and didn't want to risk being
stuck inbounds, according to Zdebski.
"That's a great team over there," Zdebski said. "They'll bounce
back. Anytime you can beat a Canton team, it's a great win."
Larry Cathey is a free-lance writer.