FeedsChief expectations
Canton prepares another run at state championship
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Canton's linemen get a workout last week during the Chiefs' first week of practice.There’s no use saying the Canton Chief football team was one win away from a state championship last year.
They know it, the community knows it already and, well, just about everyone knows it.
The pressure to repeat last year’s success is on, preferably with a different outcome—a state championship—but that doesn’t mean the expectations are any higher than any other year for Canton Coach Tim Baechler.
“The expectations have always been high,” he said. “The good thing about getting there once is you know you can do it finally. The expectations have been the same the last six years. The bottom line is us and getting better every day, improving throughout the year and staying healthy when the playoffs come and hoping to get a favorable draw and make good on it.”
With high school football it’s hard to tell how well a team will do because of the usually large turnover rates with graduating seniors. For Canton it won’t be any different.
The Chiefs lost about 26 seniors from last year’s roster. Included in the bunch were halfbacks Andy Rossow and Matt Sweda from the prolific backfield, linemen Ryan Jonik and linebacker Jeff Piper. However, the biggest hole to fill could have opened up at starting quarterback, where Shawn Little who formerly held that title, graduated in June.
Junior Ben Vaughn and newly added senior Steve Paye have battled it out for the spot during camp so far this summer.
Baechler hinted that they might go with the younger Vaughn but nothing had been decided yet. He said he liked Paye’s ability to play outside linebacker as well as quarterback.
Quarterbacks are often thought of as the leader of the offense, the field general but it’s a mystery as to how important the position is in a run-first offense like Canton’s.
“I think the pressure isn’t on a Canton quarterback as much because we’re not throwing the ball 20 times a game,” Baechler said. “But what we do when we do decide to make a play, whether it’s him running it or throwing it, he has to make the plays. For a kid to go 10-for-20 in some offenses, that’s a pretty good game. A kid goes for us goes 3-for-6 that’s not good enough, usually. That’s what Shawn (Little) was good at the last couple of years. When we needed him to make a play he did.
“So the pressure is a little heavier on our quarterbacks in the fact that 500 is not really that good of a percentage for him. He has to make that play when it’s there.
“Both kids have shown a lot,” he added. “I think athletically we’ll be right there where Shawn was. As far as huddle, presence, confidence and what he gave to our team as leadership, that’s just going to have to develop.”
It’s not all about how many and whom Canton lost, though. The Chiefs had 26 juniors listed on last year’s roster along with 12 sophomores and 11 freshmen. The defense will be most impacted by returnees with three starters in the defensive backfield, three linemen that played a lot and a linebacker.
“We have a lot of kids who have a lot of playing experience just because we were so banged up last year,” Baechler said. “Last year we only had three returning on defense and two on offense so you never know. But it’s nice to know that you have some experienced kids.”
Baechler’s offense will lack the most experience. He will have senior running back Deshon McClendon, the team’s leading rusher the last two years.
The star rusher beefed up to about 185 pounds, up from about 163, since November’s state finale showing. He also shaved off about two-tenths of a second from his 40s time, making him stronger and faster.
“The size will help a lot because I’m running through the middle a lot,” McClendon said. “I have to not only be able to maneuver but be able to throw people off of me, too, and that extra 23 pounds should help with that.”
“He’s a lot stronger and faster,” Baechler said of McClendon. “That’s just working in the weight room and growing another year older. When you’re 20 pounds heavier and two-tenths faster that can only benefit you.”
With the first two weeks of conditioning and practice wrapping up this week, everyone feels good about where the team is.
“We’re feeling strong,” McClendon said. “We’re definitely further along than we were last year and everybody knows where they’re going. This is the best prepared we’ve been so far.
“Winning a state championship is definitely a personal and a team goal,” he added. “I just want to perform to the best of my ability like always and try my hardest to help the team out.”
Although Canton tends to make it look so sometimes, the season is never easy. Canton will open the year with three road games against Ann Arbor Pioneer (Friday, Aug. 25), John Glenn (Thursday, Aug. 31) and Plymouth (Friday, Sept. 8). Their home opener is scheduled against Walled Lake Western at 4:30 pm on Friday, Sept. 15.
Baechler admits their division is tough from head to toe.
“We just have to control what we can control and that’s getting better everyday in practice,” he said. “Hopefully the wins and losses and scoreboard just take care of itself.”
