A STEP FORWARD: Canton McKinley bounces back with 37-13 corralling of Strongsville
By Keno Sultan
C-Town Radio announcer and statistician
CANTON--After last week's 35-0 loss to Massillon, many outsiders were quick to assume that the death of Canton McKinley's 2023 season was coming fast and they were a psychologically damaged team for their Region 1 first round playoff game.
The Bulldogs said otherwise.
After a dismal two weeks that saw them fail to score a touchdown in eight quarters, any thoughts of McKinley's season being terminated after the 11th week were very premature as the Bulldogs showed much needed life as they overcame an early 7-6 deficit to score the next 31 points and capture a 37-13 win over a Strongsville team that shared the same troubles as the Bulldogs. The only difference, McKinley ended their two-game losing streak and the Mustangs ended their season with a six-game losing streak amid a 3-8 record.
No one was happier about than McKinley head coach Antonio Hall, who wanted to see how his battalion of Bulldogs would respond after a humiliating running clock setback to a Massillon Tigers team that has championship aspirations in Division II.
"I'm very pleased with our effort and pleased with our execution. I still think we left too many points on the field but that's something we have to keep working through," he said. "Strongsville came out and gave us their best shot and I respect their coach (Lou Cirino), their team. But our guys just found a way to keep plugging away."
After both teams traded early touchdowns, that is when McKinley took control of the game. Keaton Rode's 20 yard field goal allowed McKinley to regain a lead they did not relinquish in the second quarter after Mustangs quarterback Harsh Patel connected to tight end Jerome Williams on a five-yard scoring pass on their opening possession after Rode commenced the scoring with a 12 yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Dante McClellan.
McKinley committed serious damage in the decisive quarter when Rode found junior receiver Keith Quincy, who took a pass, eluded a defender and raced for a 68-yard touchdown to extend the Bulldogs advantage to 15-7.
However, the play of the game arrived in the third quarter when Patel threw a pass that was easily intercepted by Quincy, who returned the theft for a 60-yard touchdown that for all intents and purposes took the air out of Strongsville's wind. McKinley's defense also recorded a safety as well.
"Quincy did what he was supposed to do in that coverage. We mixed up between the one high and two high look. Keith pushed to the side he was supposed to push to. He saw it clear as day, everyone saw it from the sidelines setting up, did what he was supposed to do and taking it to the house," Hall said.
Junior running back Nino Hill scored two touchdowns on the evening, a two-yard scoring run 30 seconds before halftime and a 50-yard scamper that acutated the running clock that ceased late in the fourth quarter when Patel threw a five-yard touchdown pass to running back Xavier Belvin to conclude the scoring.
Despite the setback, Cirino was very proud of his defense and team for continuing to fight despite the adversity of six straight setbacks.
"Our kids just care so much and it is what it is. When you put so much into the game week after week and year after year, you see the seniors fighting out there in the last game of their life and I'm proud of them," he said. "It was a two score game at halftime and things didn't go our way in the second half. But I'm proud of the way our kids battled. They never quit. They never backed down. They never fell apart and I love them."
For McKinley, they will welcome back the Cleveland St. Ignatius Wildcats to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium for a second round contest in Region 1 as the Wildcats stunned Mentor at press time 10-7. These two teams scrimmaged 11 weeks ago and it was the Wildcats prevailing in game like conditions via a last second touchdown pass for a 20-19 win. Only this time, the stakes are higher with a 7 p.m. kickoff at Benson Stadium with the winner advancing to the regional semifinals.
It will be the first playoff meeting between the two high schools in 10 years. In 2013, St. Ignatius turned back McKinley 37-14 in a first round playoff game at then Fawcett Stadium. Chuck Kyle was the Ignatius field general while Todd Filtz was in his second and final season as McKinley's head coach.
St. Ignatius is 3-8 but don't expect Hall and his team to be fooled by the Wildcats record after Mentor fell a second time to them.
McKinley is 2-3 against St. Ignatius all time in the Division I playoffs with four of the five meetings occurring in the state semifinals in 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998.
"We have a familiarity with St. Ignatius as we have scrimmaged them for many years. We have to score when we get into the red zone. We can't leave points on the board moving forward," he said.
Many outsiders exaggerated that the death of McKinley's season was coming after last week's shut out loss to Massillon. Turns out for one night, the Bulldogs were just fine.
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