McClendon's 3 TDs power Canton over Plymouth, 42-7

October 8, 2005

BY MICK McCABE
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Deshon McClendon is only 5-feet-5, but when he shows up for school Monday he just might be the biggest guy in the Canton school district.

McClendon turned Friday's showdown with Plymouth into a personal highlight film with three spectacular touchdowns to lead Canton to a surprisingly easy 42-7 victory.

The win leaves Canton (5-2 overall, 3-2 in the Western Lakes) only one victory away from the state playoffs, but it had more meaning because it came against a school that shares the same campus.

"You see those guys in school every day," said McClendon, a junior. "We talk every day. It's a big rivalry, and it means more because they're a great team."

The game was a defensive struggle until McClendon caught a screen pass from Shawn Little late in the first half. He spun out of the grasp of a defender, regained his balance and sprinted 37 yards for a 7-0 lead.

"I wasn't going to spin, I was going stiff-arm the guy, but it felt funny," McClendon said. "So I did a looppedy-loop, and when I got by the guy I said: "Look, open field.' "

Dalton Walser's 20-yard run on the second half's opening possession gave Canton a 14-0 lead. The game began to get away when McClendon hurdled a defender and tight-roped the sidelines for a 27-0 lead midway through the third quarter.

The game was essentially over on Canton's next possession when McClendon scored again on a terrific 23-yard run.

"I saw an opening to my left and the guy slipped, so I had to hurdle him," McClendon said. "I started to go down, but I put my hand down and I thought: 'That's coach (Tony) Boucher.' He's our halfback coach, and he's one of my favorites. He has this drill where we put our hand down to get our balance and that's what I did."

By then there wasn't much Plymouth (5-2, 3-2) could do to get back in the game.

"They got it going in the third quarter, and they got the momentum," Plymouth coach Jay Blaylock said. "Their offense started making plays, and we missed some tackles. McClendon made some great plays, so I guess it was a combination of him and the missed tackles."

McClendon finished with 129 yards rushing, and Little continued his fine play after missing three games, two of which Canton lost.

"Shawn is a great player, and it hurt when he was out," said coach Tim Baechler. "Deshon is just a little guy and he's only a 4.8 in the 40, but he's so strong and his lateral speed and vision is Barry Sandersesque."

Contact MICK McCABE at 313-223-4744 or mccabe@freepress.com.