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Yappi.com writer CANTON TWP.--The Canton South Wildcats football program has only made the playoffs once in the school's history. First-year head coach Moe Daniska wants to change that. A graduate of Canton South and Mount Union College, Daniska returns to the roots of his football upbringing and looks to take the program to the next level. Known for being a hard-hitting safety at Canton South and a hard-hitting linebacker at Mount Union, he hopes to use his experiences to their advantage in leading the Wildcats to their second playoff appearance in their history. Last season, the Wildcats missed the playoffs by three places, finishing 11th in their region with an even record of 5-5. Part of the Wildcats missing the postseason can be attributed to a three-game losing streak spanning from weeks three to six. The last loss was very costly as they fell to NBC power Louisville at home after dominating most of the game, only to lose 27-21 in overtime. Daniska wants his team to play the kind of Canton South football he experienced when he played. "To me, what epitomizes Canton South football is the way our players play the game. We have very talented and fine kids on this year's team," Daniska said via phone interview. "One of the biggest compliments we had last season came from one of our opponents, which a player said that we were the hardest hitting team they faced all season." "I'm very excited about this year's football team. I have high expectations for this year. We have been holding flag football leagues for kids in grades one through six while implementing our offense and defense. This also includes work with the middle schools too. We are going to make Canton South football fun for our kids." Daniska is living out a dream that he always aspired. That dream was to become the head coach of the Wildcats program. What drove Daniska to have this aspiration to take over a program that has had only one playoff team? "The pride that I have for my school is a big reason why I wanted to come back and coach," Daniska said. " Former head coach Mike Miller taught me about pride and that is what I learned, which carried over to Mount Union College, where I played for three national football championship teams (1995-1997)." In order for Canton South to be a championship-caliber team in the NBC, they will have to contend with the league's best. Daniska has played in the NBC for four years and he is aware of the intense contests that occur every Friday. But if the Wildcats are to ascend to the next level, that will mean toppling the current king of the league, Louisville. "I don't know if we will ever exceed the expectations of what Louisville has accomplished. If we can get up there with them, along with Northwest, Carrollton, and the rest of the league, we can make a name for ourselves," Daniska said. "I'll tell you what. I have the utmost respect for the Leopards and head coach Paul Farrah and his staff. Farrah has given me advice on how to be a head coach. We have coaches in the league that know how to win in this conference." The Canton South offense will run out of a spread, no-huddle offense. If teams stack the box according to Daniska, he wants to be able to have his quarterback throw the football and take a shot downfield. Defensively, the Wildcats will operate out of a 3-5 defense. This defense is expected primarily to be a run-stopping offense. But if the Wildcats get a lead of two touchdowns or more, they can take away the run and force other teams to try and beat them by taking their chances with the pass. If the Wildcats are going to experience success this season, Daniska said that winning their non-conference games will be vital. If they can have success with those games, it will give them a lot of momentum going into NBC conference play. "I'll tell you what. Your non-conference schedule gets you ready for league play. It is hard to run the table in the NBC let alone go undefeated. If a team can get through their league with one or two losses, then they are playoff material," he said. "Again, it's hard to go undefeated in the league. If you go 0-3 to start the season but win all of your league games, that is a testament of something." With the team currently in workouts for the 2006 season, Daniska is emphatically impressed with the numbers of players who have worked out this summer. That same ethic will be even more rewarded when they carry it out to the field and gain some wins on the season. Daniska is a person who expects nothing but the best from his hordes of Wildcats. "I have high expectations and I am here to build a championship tradition. In order to have championship tradition, you must have discipline and the kids are working towards that as they are excited about the upcoming season," he said. "Our goal is not just win three of five games, our goal is to win them all! And we also hope to be competing for an NBC title along with the big dogs of the conference. There has been only one playoff team in the history of Canton South and we want to change that." Moe Daniska and his breed of Wildcats will get their chance in late-August to do just that. |
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