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Yappi.com writer CANTON—The siren sounded after every touchdown by the host team inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium. The all-points bulletin is still out on the top suspects from Stark County on the most wanted list, the Canton McKinley Bulldogs. And for the seventh straight week, they eluded capture from another undefeated Federal League team in the Perry Panthers. When the chase for the top position in the Federal League ended, the Bulldogs left smoke trailing behind the rearview mirror as they outdistanced a tough Panthers team 38-20 in front of 16,000 fans Saturday night. Unarguably, it was the biggest night game for the Bulldogs in nearly nine years, going back to their 1997 classic against Cleveland St. Ignatius. And with some fans occupying end zone seats, it might be enough to make for an argument in that stance. But no one can argue that the Bulldogs are right now the kings of the Federal League. And no one is more aware of that than fourth-year leader of the pack, Brian Cross. And the fact that his legion of Bulldogs are used to playing big games under the lights worked well in their favor. “I told our kids if this was the first big game for Perry, it was a positive for us. I was confident that it was going to be to our advantage,” he said. “Anytime you fill a stadium, it is an advantage for the home team.” Cross even threw a bone for the Canton McKinley fans. “We have the best fans supporting us in Stark County, the Canton McKinley Bulldogs fans. They are very faithful and they will follow us to Boardman next week.” The red and black were led by superstar senior running back Morgan Williams, who went over the 200-yard mark with 241 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Dan Grimsley added two touchdown passes while George Tabron added one. Known for their iron-will and toughness, the Panthers were prepared in the biggest game of the season. And early in the first quarter, when they seized an early 7-3 lead on Marc Fry’s four-yard touchdown run, the message was sent that it was not going to be a rerun of two straight 44-10 losses. Despite their first loss of the season, Perry head coach John “Spider” Miller spoke emphatically about his team’s refusal to quit and vowed they will bounce back from their bitter taste of defeat and come back a better team in their home finale against Jackson. “I’m proud of my kids! They fought their tails off and they never gave up one time tonight,” the emotional Miller said. “Our kids fought all game long and gave it their all and you can’t ask for more. We are not going to fold the tent over one loss. We are going to keep fighting and that is what we will do.” The Panthers came to do just that in the first quarter. Trailing early 3-0 thanks to Zach Campbell’s early 28-yard field goal, the visitors settled down and embarked on a seven-play drive, all runs that carried them to the Bulldogs four-yard line. Fry’s four-yard touchdown run and John Clark’s extra point gave Perry a 7-3 lead. In a you-score-we-come-back-and-score sequence, Canton McKinley only needed five plays to reclaim a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the evening. Williams exploded for a 46-yard touchdown sprint and in a matter of two minutes and nine seconds; Canton McKinley was back on top 10-7. Perry had their most serious drive on their third possession. But a series of holding, and false start penalties generated by the charged-up Bulldog crowd forced them to punt. The penalties were regrettable as they were driving to reclaim the lead. >From the 25-yard line, Williams exploded once again in the form of a 73-yard scamper before finally being taken down by Rob Dugan. Tabron finished the four-play drive with a one-yard plunge through Panthers defenders for a 17-7 lead. Were the Panthers done? Don’t bet your life on it. Using a 68-yard drive, the Panthers edged closer to the hosts when junior running back Eric Magnacca stormed through the left side of the field for a Perry Panthers touchdown on a 22-yard run. The Panthers were in striking distance at 17-10. But their momentum was short lived. Williams added his second score on a seven-yard run before intermission and now the Panthers were fighting a mountainous battle as they trailed 24-14. It took its toll on the visitors as they started to feel the effects of fatigue setting in. Canton McKinley’s success in the running game opened the passing game as Grimsley tossed touchdown passes of 35 and five yards respectively to Lonnie Richardson and Steve Laubacher in the second half. Perry’s final score came in the form of a Magnacca nine-yard touchdown run. But this night was strictly for the Bulldogs. Despite the Bulldogs win, when asked if he felt that his team was better and were tougher than the Panthers, Cross shot down the question. “I can’t say that we were better or tougher than the Panthers. You have to give Perry credit. They played tough and with great intensity.” In the last three meetings, Canton McKinley has averaged 42 points in their last three wins while Perry has only averaged 13.3 in those contests. “That is a testament of talent and we have that talent,” Cross said. If it’s any consolation for the Panthers, tonight might have been a possible playoff preview in region 2. But for right now, they don’t expect to let the loss linger into next week. Not under the direction of the steely-eyed Miller. “We are going to watch film and see what we did well tonight and try to correct the bad things,” Miller said with his voice rising. “I don’t care what anyone says. We will bounce back from this.” The Canton McKinley Bulldogs are public enemy #1 on the run and still on Stark County’s most wanted list. |
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