Canton 30, Livonia Stevenson 0
Canton stuns Stevenson, 30-0


By Dionne Wilson / Special to The Detroit News Online

LIVONIA -- Entering Friday's Western Lakes matchup, Canton and Livonia Stevenson had two of the best records in the league. It didn't look that way on the scoreboard, though.
   Canton stifled Stevenson's offense and pounded 333 rushing yards of its own in the 30-0 win.
   Canton senior halfback Reggie Joyner rushed for 115 yards and scored a touchdown. He was only part of the offensive power that ended Stevenson's win streak at four.
   "Their offense took over the game tonight," Stevenson Coach Tim Gabel said. "I am a little disappointed that we kind of melted down in the second half. I thought we would come out and battle."
   The defense was the story of the first quarter, as both teams went scoreless.
   In the second quarter, Canton started to gain momentum. The Chiefs scored first on a field goal by senior Ankit Kachal with 9:00 left in the half.
   Sophomore halfback Devin Thomas added to Canton's lead as he scored the first touchdown of the game off a David Nicoloff pass on a fourth-and-13, just seconds before halftime.
   "It was huge," Canton Coach Tim Baechler said of the last-second play. "I felt like it was always there. We worked on it for three weeks, we just hadn't run it yet."
   Gabel agreed on the importance of the play.
   "That was the turning point in the game," he said.
   In the second half, Canton's offense dominated Stevenson, led by senior halfback Corey Rutledge.
   Rutledge scored two touchdowns, including a five-yard run with 6:46 left in the third quarter to give the Chiefs a 17-0 lead.
   Stevenson could not find any answers offensively, as Canton's defense caused many turnovers for the Spartans.
   "We got down so fast, which made us go for bigger plays rather than stay with our offense. That had a big effect on us," Gabel said.
   Nicoloff connected on 17 passes and Kachal kicked converted three field goals for Canton.

Dionne Wilson is a free-lance writer.