Eagles Eliminated From Playoffs By Van, 47-22

VAN—The achilles heel of the Canton Eagles showed again on Friday night in Van, as the struggling Van offense found a cure. The Vandals racked up a 26-2 lead at by end of the first quarter, and qualified for post-season play with a 47-22 win. The loss eliminated the Canton Eagles for the second consecutive season.

Coach Brady Pennington’s Vandals (6-3 overall and 3-1 in District 14-3A play) will close out their regular season schedule as they will take on the Eustace Bulldogs (4-5, 3-1) in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Friday at Eustace.

The Bulldogs fell to the Wills Point Tigers (9-1, 4-0) 54-21 at Wills Point Friday night as the Tigers claimed the District 14-3A championship.

Van and Eustace will be meeting to determine second and third place in the district but both teams will be in the Class 3-A state playoffs regardless of Friday night’s outcome.

Canton fell to 5-4 overall and 1-3 in district play as they were eliminated from any post-season consideration.

The Eagles will close out their season at home Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the Kemp Yellowjackets.

Against Canton, the Vandals registered 23 first downs and 413 yards of total offense including 352 yards rushing.

The offense was led by running back Chase Rabe (21 carries, 144 yards, four touchdowns) and running back/wide receiver/quarterback Tory Parsons (204 total yards including 143 yards rushing on 14 carries and two TD’s and three receptions for 61 yards and one TD.)

Eagle QB Chance Wallace finished the contest with 19 completions out of 42 attempts for 271 yards and three TD’s but he also threw four interceptions against the Vandal defense.

The WR duo of Roy Denbow and Trent Termin also put up impressive numbers as Denbow caught six passes for 157 yards and one TD while Termin received five passes for 50 yards and two TD’s.

Prior to kickoff against Canton, the Vandals had scored a total of 25 points in their three previous district games but surpassed that number in the first quarter as they put together four scoring drives in the opening 12 minutes.

Following an early Canton punt, the Vandals opened the scoring with a 59-yard drive in nine plays.

Rabe ended the initial march with a 3-yard TD run giving the Vandals a 6-0 lead with 8:00 remaining in the first quarter. The extra point attempt by Brad Bogue was wide left. Key plays in the first scoring drive for the Vandals included a 17-yard pass completion from starting QB Tye Hughes to WR Parsons and a 15-yard run by Parsons.

The Eagles suffered a turnover on their next offensive series as a second down and eight pass by Wallace from the Canton 28 was intercepted by Vandal linebacker Matt Broadbent and returned to the Canton 3-yard line.

Two plays later, Rabe ran one yard for a TD to extend the Vandal advantage to 12-0 with 6:36 remaining in the first quarter. The two-point conversion pass from Hughes to Parsons was incomplete.

Following an Eagle punt, the Vandals moved 69 yards in five plays to get on the scoreboard again.

The drive ended when Hughes connected with Parsons on a 41-yard TD pass play giving the Vandals an 18-0 lead. A 16-yard run by Rabe opened the scoring march for the Vandals.

On the extra point attempt by Bogue, the kick was blocked by the Eagles and picked up by Canton’s Jesse Bengston, who returned the blocked kick all the way to the end zone for two points as the Eagles cut the Vandal lead to 18-2 with 3:25 remaining in the first quarter.

After the third Eagle punt of the first quarter, the Vandals moved 41 yards in three plays to increase their advantage.

Parsons ended the drive with a 32-yard TD run and Rabe ran in the two-point conversion to give the Vandals a 26-2 lead with 22 seconds still to play in the first quarter.

Canton rallied by moving 77 yards in 11 plays for its first TD drive of the evening.

Wallace connected with Termin on a 6-yard TD pass play on third down and goal to cut the Vandal lead to 26-8 with 8:45 to play in the second quarter. The two-point conversion pass from Wallace to Denbow was incomplete.

Key plays in the Canton scoring drive included a 22-yard pass completion from Wallace to Denbow, a 19-yard run by Termin and two 15-yard penalties against the Vandals (face mask and personal foul).

The Vandals answered with a 79-yard drive in nine plays.

Parsons ended the march with a 40-yard TD run. Bogue added the extra point to give the Vandals a 33-8 advantage with 4:27 remaining in the second quarter. Rabe contributed a 12-yard run in the scoring march.

Canton’s next offensive possession ended in a turnover as Wallace’s pass on third down and 10 at the Eagle 32 was intercepted by Vandal middle linebacker Dalton Santos and returned to the Canton 29.

On fourth down and 13 at the Eagle 32, the Vandal scoring threat ended as Hughes’ pass was intercepted by Canton defensive back Kody Landes.

Deep in its own end of the field, the Eagles ran out the first half clock.

Van received the second half kickoff and moved 63 yards in four plays to increase its lead.

Rabe, carrying the ball on all four plays, ran one yard for a TD. Bogue added the extra point to give the Vandals a 40-8 lead with 10:31 remaining in the third quarter. Rabe opened the drive with a 55-yard run.

Canton’s first offensive possession in the second half ended with a turnover as Wallace’s pass on third down and four at the Eagle 28 was intercepted by Van DB Cody Daniels at the Eagle 46.

Four plays later, including a 22-yard run by Rabe, the scoring threat came to a close on second down and eight at the Canton 14 when Hughes’ pass was intercepted in the end zone by Connor Eiland and returned to the Eagle 22.

Canton then put together a 78-yard march in 11 plays ending with a 1-yard TD pass on third down and goal from Wallace to Termin to cut the Vandal lead to 40-14 with 4:59 remaining in the third quarter. The two-point conversion pass from Wallace to Denbow was incomplete. Pass completions from Wallace to Denbow covering 18, 20 and 38 yards set up the TD pass play.

Canton then executed a perfect onside kick as the Eagles recovered the ball at the Vandal 47.

The drive stalled on fourth down and six as Wallace’s pass to Denbow was incomplete.

The Vandals responded with a 57-yard drive on 10 consecutive running plays for their final scoring march of the game.

Rabe finished the drive with a 3-yard TD run. Bogue added the extra point to give the Vandals a 47-14 lead with 10:53 to play in the third quarter. Running gains of 10 yards by fullback Tanis Cotton and 11 yards by Parsons were key plays in the final Vandal scoring drive.

Canton closed out the scoring on its next series by moving 69 yards in 11 plays.

On fourth down and 18 at the Vandal 33, Wallace connected with Denbow on a 33-yard TD pass play. Wallace then hit RB Jacob Harris on the two-point conversion attempt to cut the Vandal advantage to 47-22 with 6:23 to play in the game. Pass completions from Wallace covering 16 yards to WR Nathan Morris and 16 and 24 yards to Termin were key plays in the final Canton scoring drive of the contest.

Following the only Vandal punt of the game which pinned the Eagles deep in their own end of the field at the 2-yard line, Canton moved as deep as the Vandal 31 on eight consecutive pass plays including completions from Wallace covering 19 yards to Morris, 10 yards to WR Josh Tucker and 26 yards to Denbow.

The scoring threat ended on fourth down and 10 at the Vandal 31 when Wallace’s pass was intercepted by Daniels and returned to the Van 42 allowing the Vandals to execute four consecutive running plays to run out the clock.