Wind knocks down Novi passing game as Canton rushes to a 35-6 victory
Chris Jackett
Oct. 20, 2011
Reprinted with permission of the Novi News
The crowd was light because of the 4 p.m. kickoff and windy weather, but the contest at Canton was unsightly for the Novi fans who showed up.
It took five plays and 2:24 of game time before Canton (6-2, 3-2 KLAA South) took an early lead when senior Kyle Adams (216 yards on 12 attempts) broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run up the left side that junior Scott Piwowar capped with the first of five successful point-after kick attempts. Things didn't change much as the Chiefs rolled to a 35-6 victory.
“They ran trap and made a real good block and we didn't bend like we're supposed to,” Novi coach Todd Pennycuff said. “They got through the second line and our secondary got sucked up on the run and overran it and the kid made a great play and ran (65) yards.
Novi senior Derek Cingel returned the ensuing kickoff 25 yards from his own goal line, but a tackle by Canton junior Matt McKoy forced a fumble that junior Matt Suppelsa regained for the Chiefs. Six plays later, Adams ran 10 yards into the right side of the end zone and the Chiefs had a 14-0 lead 5:05 into the game before the Wildcats (3-4, 3-2 Central) would take a single snap.
“That's a great football team our kids played and the kids didn't quit and I'm proud of them. They kept battling back, kept fighting,” Pennycuff said. “We came out, we knew we were playing a very good team. Up front they're very good and we knew we were in for a battle. We just couldn't stop them on defense. We felt like we had to score every time we had the ball and, when we don't, that put us behind.”
A roughing the kicker penalty against Canton kept Novi's next drive going, allowing senior quarterback Derek Ince (8-for-21, 127 yards) to connect with senior Logan Regnier (80 yards on four catches) for 25- and 14-yard catches, the latter which was a touchdown. However, Suppelsa blocked junior Justin Danks' point-after kick to keep the score 14-6.
“We just couldn't put enough of them together,” Pennycuff said of his team's lone touchdown.
Canton sophomore Malcolm Hollingsworth (190 yards on 26 attempts) ran up the center for a 41-yard touchdown on the Chiefs' next drive early in the second quarter to make it 21-6.
After a 12-play, 32-yard Novi drive ate up 5:34 of clock time and stalled, Adams (4-for-5, 53 yards) connected with senior Kevin Buford (49 yards on two catches) for a 41-yard gain to Novi's 35. Buford also had 55 rushing yards in 10 attempts. The gains led to an eventual two-yard touchdown pass from Adams to senior Nick Tata with 13 seconds left in the half, giving the Chiefs a 28-6 halftime lead.
Hollingsworth tacked on another Canton touchdown with a 28-yard run up the center during the Chiefs' first drive in an otherwise low-key second half as the wind was replaced with a steady rain.
Down 35-6, the ‘Cats couldn't get more than three yards into Canton's end in the third quarter, but junior Grant Wheeler (15 tackles, four solo) and senior Alex King (14 tackles, seven solo) led the Novi defense in shutting down Canton's runners for the rest of the game.
“Wheeler was doing a very good job. King came in and stepped it up. We also had a great play out of (Jon) Mencer,” Pennycuff said. “The thing is, we had some good plays all over the place, we've just got to have all 11 making the plays at the same time and not having breakdowns.”
Momentum nearly shifted 25 seconds into the fourth quarter when senior Ryan Jones fumbled the ball at Canton's 35 on a hit by Novi senior Chris Diacono (five tackles, two solo) and Mencer (12 tackles, three solo) recovered it. However, Ince threw an interception to Canton senior Blake Owens at the Chiefs' 27-yard line on the very next play.
“I thought that took some air out of us. That hurt us. We thought we could get the ball back, get another score, get some momentum for our kids and that,” Pennycuff said. “That was something that was a bad timing for an interception, but that's going to happen when you throw the ball as much as we do, too.”
Neither team would score again, as Canton took a knelt three times at Novi's eight-yard line to wrap up the 35-6 victory.
The Chiefs outran the ‘Cats 394-91, leading to a 447-218 total yardage difference on offense. Canton also dominated time of possession, holding onto the ball nearly 31 of 48 minutes.
In a few bright spots for Novi, the Wildcats had just two penalties, went 6-for-12 on third down and 1-for-2 on fourth down. Senior Justin Brooks added 77 yards on 15 carries, including a 46-yard break.
“I think Brooks ran real hard again,” Pennycuff said. “I'm amazed at how he has really matured here at the end of the season and I look forward to seeing what he can do next week against Saline.”
Ince also averaged 44.3 yards on three punts (shy of the 44.7-yard record from 2004) while recording a school-record 19th touchdown pass of the season. Despite not starting three games this season, he has one more game to up that record.
“I think he did OK. We played a real good defense. The wind probably took a couple of his balls,” Pennycuff said of Ince's quarterback work. “We just play and do the best we can with what kind of weather we're playing in. It's one of those situations where you're going to live by the sword and die by the sword.”