STAFF WRITER

The sky - or at least the Pontiac Silverdome - is the limit for this year's Canton football team.

That was the assessment of Walled Lake Western coach Mike Zdebski, moments after his Warriors were grounded by the Chiefs, 48-6, Friday afternoon in a rare 4:30 p.m. game.

"That team is good enough to win a Division 1 state championship this year," acknowledged Zdebski, who knows what it takes. His team hauled a Division 1 state championship trophy out of the Silverdome in 1999.

"That's the best team we've played since the 2001 (Farmington Hills) Harrison team," Zdebski said, pointing to the Chiefs' side of the field. "They're big, strong, fast, athletic and well-coached. They play great on both sides of the ball."

The Chiefs, who have outscored their opponents 322-46 this year, are now 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the Western Lakes Activities Association. Western lost their second straight to fall to 4-3 (2-3).

"I was real happy with our defense today," Canton coach Tim Baechler said. "There was one play where Western had some nice blocks and they broke it outside on us, but other than that, we lined up right and played well.

"Offensively, our line executed well and our running backs ran hard."

The Chiefs, who normally run their offense out of a two-tight end, full-house backfield set, ran a few plays out of the power-I formation and spread against the Warriors.

"We wanted to see what Julian (Smith) could do out of the I," Baechler said. "We put it in for this week, but I don't know how much we'll run it in the future. It's something that if it works, you get into a mind-set where you think you should run it more often, but I don't want to get away from what we do best."

What Canton does best is ram the ball through the other team's mid-section, similar do what it did Friday afternoon. The Chiefs scored on their first four offensive possessions and once from the defensive side of the ball to seize a 35-6 lead.

When Canton was forced to punt with 2:50 remaining in the second quarter, it curtailed a streak in which the Chiefs' first-string offense had scored touchdowns on 15 straight possessions dating back to the Northville game Sept. 24.

Led by Smith, Canton outgained the Warriors, 424-156, in total yards. Smith high-stepped his way to 145 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries. Sophomore Deshon McClendon galloped for 75 yards on seven attempts and fullback Chuck Schumacher picked up 57 hard-earned yards on 11 carries. Quarterback Shawn Little had 55 yards on five carries Andy Rossow chipped in with 41 yards on six attempts.

Junior running back Steve Nagrant was the Warriors' most productive player, running for 41 yards on 10 rushes. Western quarterback Travis Maxey had a few shining moments, completing four-of-14 passes for 52 yards.

Canton opened the scoring with 8:22 remaining in the first quarter on Smith's three-yard TD plunge. It was set up on the previous play when he zig-zagged 31 yards on third-and-five. Collin O'Shaughnessy's first of six extra points made it 7-0.

Following Western's second straight three-and-out, Canton doubled its lead to 14-0 on a 48-yard scamper by Smith. The highlight-reel run capped a three-play, 55-yard drive.

The Warriors got back into the game on their next possession, which ended with Steve Menoian's 42-yard TD run around left end. The point after was wide left, leaving the score at 14-6.

After Canton's Andy Rossow reached paydirt on a 33-yard TD, the Chiefs' defense got into the act when defensive lineman P.J. Karam scooped up a fumble and rumbled 17 yards to the end zone to make it 28-6 with 11:28 left in the first half.

Western coughed up the ball on the ensuing kickoff and Canton's David Neu recovered, returning it 15 yards to the Warrior nine. Two plays later, McClendon scored untouched to expand the lead to 35-6.

Canton scored 13 seconds before halftime when Little lofted a fade pass to Adam Hester, who outjumped two Western defenders for the ball and a 12-yard TD to make it 42-6.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association mercy rule kicked in at the beginning of the second half, which flew by with just one score, a 10-yard TD by Canton's Chris Smith.

Canton won the first-down battle, 16-6. Western was penalized eight times for 69 yards while the Chiefs were flagged four times 40 yards.

Canton's victory served as a primer for Friday night's Western Lakes Activities Association cross-over championship game against Westland John Glenn, which brings a 6-1 mark into the contest. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

"I've seen half of one of John Glenn's games on tape, and from what I saw, they will be the most athletic team we've played since Ann Arbor Pioneer," Baechler said. "They put the ball up a lot and they have a good tailback. We'll have to go out and work hard."