By CHRIS MANNINGValley Sports Report
CANTON — Sayre played well defensively, but couldn't find a rhythm offensively as it was held to just 143 total yards in a 20-7 loss to Canton in NTL Small School football action Friday at Miller A. Moyer Field.
The Warriors held senior Hudson Malanoski to 67 well-earned yards on 15 carries, while senior Declan Barry was just 5-for-27 through the air, including 15 straight incompletions to start the second half.
"Our timing was just off," said Sayre coach Guy Kapichok. "It kind of like that all night. We could have scored four times, but we just couldn't. They played great defense, they really stuffed Hudson, and that's what really won the game."
He noted that Canton's defensive line kept Sayre from getting to the Warrior second level.
"We couldn't climb to the linebackers, and they played really good there," Kapichok said.
Coming in on a two-game win streak this was the first time his players had felt the excitement, and nerves, of a big game.
"When you play in a big game it comes down to two or three plays, and (Canton) made the two or three, and that's how it goes," said Kapichok.
Barry threw for 77-yards with one touchdown, and two interceptions. Brayden Vorhis had three catches for 59 yards, including the touchdown reception.
The Redskin defense held Canton to under 100 yards rushing as a team, led by Owen Moore's 43 yards on 11 carries.
But the Warriors had some big plays through the air as Moore was 12-for-17 for 164 yards and one touchdown.
Aaden Dowling had four receptions for 61 yards and the score, with Rylan Wesneski hauling in three catches for 35 yards, and Bailey Gardner getting two receptions for 37 yards. Six different receivers caught a ball for Canton.
Dowling (five carries, 28 yards) and Jaiden Ortiz (six carries, 28 yards) also had touchdown runs.
Canton got the opening kick-off and marched 70 yards down the field in just over two minutes to pay dirt.
The 8-play drive ended with an Ortiz 5-yard scoring run up the middle. Ortiz's 24-yard to get inside the Sayre red zone was the key play of the drive.
A Moore 10-yard pass to Monte Whitehead on third down also kept the drive alive.
Sayre's ensuing drive saw them scratch and claw their way to the Warrior 40-yard line as they converted one fourth-and-short.
Eventually, back to back incompletions saw them forced to punt.
The second Canton drive ended in a 3-and-out, setting Sayre up at the 50-yard line.
The Redskins picked up one first down but not a second as Brayden Tucker dropped Sayre's Braydan Northrup 5 yards deep on 2nd-and-five to eventually force a punt.
Sayre returned the favor on the ensuing Canton drive as on third-and-short a duo of Redskin linebackers brought Ortiz down behind the line-of-scrimmage to force a punt.
This back-and-forth continued over the next two drives until Sayre took over at its own 44-yard line and went 56 yards on five plays to get into the end zone.
A 37-yard hook-up from Barry to Vorhis on third-and-long got the Redskins to the Canton 20-yard line.
Two plays later, Vorhis fought off Canton pass interference to haul in a 20-yard scoring strike from Barry.
Malanoski's kick was good, and it was 7-6 Sayre with 4:31 left in the half.
Falling behind lit a fire under Canton in their next drive as Moore ripped off a 15-yard run on the first play from scrimmage.
Two plays later, he hit Rylan Wesneski for a 21-yard gain. Two plays after that Gardner ran 13 yards to get inside the Sayre red zone.
Once there, things started to unravel as a chop block call wiped a touchdown off the scoreboard. On the next play, Malanoski sacked Moore 6 yards deep for a third-and-25 at the 27-yard line.
Moore got 13 yards of those back on a run, then, on fourth-and-long, Moore hit a diving Dowling for a 14-yard gain down to the Redskin 1-yard and a fresh set of downs.
Dowling punched in the touchdown to finish off the 10-play scoring drive. Another penalty wiped away the 2-point conversion, but Canton was back on top 12-7, which would be the halftime score.
Sayre got the opening kick-off in the second half and went on a 12-play drive that eventually stalled at the Canton 41-yard line. The Redskins were able to convert two fourth-and-shorts, but the possessions ended with three straight incompletions.
Canton's ensuing drive saw them fumble the ball away on third down with Sayre taking over at the Warrior 43-yard line.
Canton's defense responded, forcing another turnover-on-downs at the 28-yard line.
However, four plays into their drive Canton once again fumbled the ball away to Sayre, with the Redskins taking over at the Warrior 44-yard line.
That drive would in a punt, which is how the next two drives ended.
The Warriors finally got the breathing room they needed when they took over at their own 49-yard line.
On the first play from scrimmage Moore ran 22 yards to get inside the Sayre 30-yard line. After a holding call backed them up, Moore found a wide open Dowling, who snuck out of the backfield, for a 40-yard scoring strike with 6:51 left to play.
Moore would find Rylan Wesneski for the 2-point conversion, and it was 20-7.
Sayre's ensuing drive ended two plays in with a Leeland Tubach interception, but the Redskins got one final chance as Malanoski blocked a Canton punt near midfield.
"We knew we'd get a punt," said Kapichok. "Coach Johnston is our line coach, and he is also our special teams coach, and he was pretty dialed up on that. We worked it out all week, and that was fun."
Canton's defense, though, forced four straight Sayre incompletions to get the ball back.
Sayre forced another punt, but Canton got this one off, pinning the Redskins down at their own 17-yard line with just under three minutes to play.
Barry ended his incompletion streak with a 13-yard pass to Quin Chandler, but two plays later Dowling stepped in front of a Barry pass, and Canton was able to kneel on it the rest of the way.
Sayre knows things get tougher next week as they host Montgomery, who beat Wyalusing 73-0 this week.
"Next week's a tough one, so we've just got to heal up, and execute what we can execute," Kapichok said. "We've got to catch some passes, we can't rely on Hudson all the time in our run game. We've got to throw it, we've got to pass protect - the whole thing was a big off today."
——————————
IN PHOTO 1: Sayre's Declan Barry. IN TOP PHOTO: Sayre's Hudson Malanoski. ... PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING.
——————————
CANTON 20, SAYRE 7
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
C - Jaiden Ortiz 5-yard run (kick failed), 9:28
Second Quarter
S - Declan Barry 20-yard pass to Brayden Vorhis (Hudson Malanoski kick), 4:31
C -Aaden Dowling 1-yard run (conversion failed), 1:10
Fourth Quarter
C - Owen Moore 40-yard pass to Aaden Dowling (Moore to Rylan Wesneski), 6:51
Individual Stats
SAYRE
Rushing
Hudson Malanoski 15-67, Tucker Green 4-12, Braydan Northrup 4-1, Declan Barry 2-(-9)
Passing
Declan Barry 5-27-77-1-2
Receiving
Brayden Vorhis 3-59-1, Tyrese Hayes 1-5, Quin Chandler 1-13
CANTON
Rushing
Jaiden Ortiz 6-28-1, Bailey Gardner 4-8, Aaden Dowling 5-28-1, Rylan Weseneski 1-0, Owen Moore 11-43, Team 4-(-10)
Passing
Owen Moore 12-17-164-1-0
Receiving
Aaden Dowling 4-61-1, Rylan Wesneski 3-35, Monte Whitehead 1-12, Bailey Gardner 2-37, Leeland Tubach 1-6, Brayden Tucker 1-15
TEAM STATS
Sayre Canton
Rushes/Yards 36/66 31/97Passing Yards 77 164
First Downs 8 12
Penalties/Yards 6/45 11/100
Fumbles/Lost 3/0 4/2
Interceptions: Canton - Leeland Tubach, Aaden Dowling
