Eagle comeback bid falls short in Area round, 35-28
Photos by David Kapitan
Canton players run through their breakthrough and onto the field before the Area round game against the Lorena Leopards.
The Canton Eagles were undoubtedly the comeback kids of the Van Zandt County football scene in 2015, rallying time and time again from tough circumstances to put together a bi-district championship winning season.
After starting the season with a disappointing 0-3 record, the Eagles showed their resiliency by finishing their season with six wins in their final nine contests. Along the way, Canton rallied from a 19 point deficit to top rival Wills Point, a 16 point deficit against Emory Rains in sloppy conditions for a key district win, and a 13 point deficit against Gladewater in the bi-district round of the playoffs to move on to the Area round and a date with the Lorena Leopards Nov. 20.
The Eagles came painfully close to adding yet another chapter to their thrilling season against the Leopards, nearly rallying back from a 14 point deficit against Lorena before falling 35-28 at the final whistle Friday night.
Canton started the game on offense, getting a big run from Jordan Jackson on the first play from scrimmage and several quick completions to move the ball into the Lorena territory. The drive eventually fizzled out without any damage being done on the scoreboard, with Leonard getting a key interception to get their first chance on offense.
The Leopards struck quickly, getting a big pass completion from junior quarterback Cole Baker to Brandon Williams down the right sideline for a 7-0 lead over the Eagles.
Canton found its rhythm on the following possession, with more running by Jordan Jackson, and completions to Zach Brown, Brazos Hesskew and Logan Nace moving the ball deep into Leopard territory. On the ninth play of the drive, Canton quarterback Hunter Moore followed the surge of his offensive line up the middle of the field for the game tying touchdown.
The score would remain 7-7 until the early second quarter when another big Leopard pass play, from Cole Baker to Jake Abel, helped Lorena double up the Canton advantage.
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