Vandals Earn Post-Season Berth With Impressive Win Over Canton, 47-22

VAN—Throughout the 2009 football season, the Van Vandals have had to face numerous challenges including injuries and illnesses.

Earlier this season, the Vandal coaching staff talked to their players and explained to them that they basically had two choices, keep fighting and continue to work even harder to achieve the goals that they had set for the 2009 campaign or throw in the towel.

The Vandals responded by continuing to show a strong work ethic and their efforts were rewarded Friday night when they dominated their Van Zandt County rival, the Canton Eagles, 47-22, to clinch a berth in next week’s Class 3-A state playoffs.

"This was an awesome win for our team and our program," emphasized Vandal head coach Brady Pennington. "I am so proud of our coaches and our players. Our team is resilient. They are fighters. We have gone through a season of adversity. It is a compliment to our Vandal tradition. It was so easy for us to lay down when all of the injuries started to pile up. This is a sweet feeling and I won’t forget it."

A struggling Vandal offensive unit was looking for momentum against Canton and they found it Friday night as they exploded for 26 first quarter points.

A 26-2 lead at the end of the first quarter set the tone for the rest of the contest as the Vandals closed out their first season in the new Van Memorial Stadium undefeated at 5-0.

The Vandals (6-3 overall and 3-1 in District 14-3A play) will finish 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. (See related story in this issue.)

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

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.)

For the first team this season, the Vandals executing a much higher percentage of running passes instead of passing plays.

Van ran 55 offensive plays against Canton and 50 were running plays.

"We are going to do offensively whatever gives us the best chance to win," said Pennington. "I would anticipate that we will continue to emphasize running the football in our Power-I set but you will also continue to see some spread formations as well."

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.

"Our defensive coaching staff put together a great game plan against Canton and our kids did a very good job of executing the game plan," pointed out Pennington. "Our defense has been so consistent in the last several games. They have given us hope each week."

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.

"Tye was starting his first game at quarterback since he was in the eighth grade," pointed out Pennington in discussing his starting senior signal caller. "I am so impressed with his coolness and confidence in pressure situations."

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 Conner Eiland.

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 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.

Pennington recognized the following individual performances against Canton:

Senior Joseph Gable (five tackles on kickoff coverage).

"Our kickoff coverage team did a tremendous job against Canton," said Pennington.

Others recognized by the Vandal head coach included:

Senior defensive back Daniels (six tackles, two interceptions and four pass breakups); senior defensive back Hughes (nine tackles and two pass breakups); junior defensive end Corey Fuller (nine tackles and four QB pressures); senior linebacker Ryan Wigley (eight tackles and one QB pressure); senior defensive back Addison Neal (five pass breakups); senior linebacker Broadbent; sophomore middle linebacker Santos; senior RB Rabe; senior wingback/QB/receiver Parsons; and members of the offensive line including sophomore Demond Dean, junior Nick McLean, senior Devon Pickard, sophomore Clay Hendon and Santos.

Pennington also recognized the efforts of senior noseguard Jacoby Alexander.

"Despite being double and triple-teamed most of the game, Jacoby had six quarterback pressures and one quarterback sack," said Pennington.