FeedsCanton Chiefs earn championship
Click image to enlarge
Canton junior Dan Stoney makes it back to first before Plymoth’s Matt Priebe can tag him out in a Division 1 district semifinal at Salem on Saturday. Canton won the game, 11-6, and beat Salem 5-3 in the championship game to win its first district tournThe year was 1989 and first-year Canton Coach Mark Blomshield was a freshman at Bay City John Glenn High School the last time the Chiefs won a district championship.
The long wait is finally over and the Chiefs got what they deserved.
Canton held off a late charge in the seventh inning to beat host Salem, 5-3, in the championship game—and secure their first district crown in 19 years.
“I used that as motivation,” Blomshield said of the 19-year hiatus between championships. “I kept telling them that it was their time to get theirs. They listened and worked hard and did it.”
Canton finished the regular season strong with a 19-10 overall record. They rode that momentum all the way through the district competition, beating another cross-campus rival, Plymouth, to get to the final bout.
Against Salem, the Chiefs led 3-0 heading into the sixth. Sophomore Kevin Delapaz added what would be the winning runs in the sixth when he dropped a double over the second baseman’s head to score senior Matt Barlyski from third and sophomore Alex Dixon from second.
Delapaz was 3-for-4 he pitched a complete game for the win.
Salem countered at the top of the seventh, scoring all three of its runs, but Canton defense remained tough and held the Rocks at bay the rest of the way.
“Delapaz had a great day,” Blomshield said. “He kept the ball down in the zone and got (batters) out in front. He helped his performance on the mound with the two-RBI double in sixth, which was key for us to win.”
Senior Ryan Neu was also key at the plate. He slammed a two-run homer over the fence to give the Chiefs a 3-0 lead.
In the first game, Canton knocked Plymouth out of the tournament with an 11-6 blow.
Senior Ryan Tidwell pitched six and a third innings for the win.
“They always say that you are only as good as your pitching,” Blomshield said. Tidwell is as good as you can get. He had a great game.”
Canton scored five runs in the third to take a 7-4 lead after three innings. Neu had an RBI double in the second and finished a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBIs.
Tidwell hit a two-run homer in the sixth and finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored in the game.
This was the third meeting of the teams with Plymouth owning a 2-0 record against the Chiefs.
“We knew they were a good team and we were going to have to play a good game to try and beat them for a third time,” said Plymouth Coach Chuck Adams. “Canton was able to capitalize with runners on base, which they didn’t do in the first two games. They got the big hit when they needed it today.”
Canton is scheduled to play Novi at Birmingham Seaholm at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
