Plymouth-Canton Gridiron Rematch Should Heat Up a Chilly Friday Night

Tonight promises to be the coldest night of the fall -- everywhere, that is, except on the P-CEP varsity football field.

Cross-campus rivals Canton and Plymouth will renew their red-hot rivalry in an encounter that carries higher-than-ever stakes at 7 p.m. on the field, located at 8145 N Canton Center Rd.

The winner of tonight's Division 1 district final contest will advance to next week's regional final against the victor of Saturday's Detroit Catholic Central-Northville battle.

The Chiefs gained the upper-hand in the regular-season meeting with the Wildcats, running away with a 36-0 triumph on Oct. 8.

Coach Tim Baechler's 10-0 team has since earned a No. 1 ranking in the state by the Associated Press, outscoring its opponents, 464-81.

Plymouth has also been on a roll since its lopsided loss to Canton, having gone 3-0, including 48-7 and 27-7 routs of Adrian and Saline, respectively.

"They're blocking  the outside zone with pulling linemen," said Canton coach Tim Baechler, when asked what Plymouth is doing different since the Oct. 8 game. "They have a very athletic center (Tyler Goble), which allows them to do that. They're also lining up their tailback deeper, which gives him more time to read the defense and for the play to develop."

Baechler said the Wildcats will see the same faces across the line of scrimmage as they did a month ago, but the extra seasoning his younger players have gained can only help.

"Our offensive line is better just because they're young and they have three more games under their belts," Baechler said. "I don't think our backs blocked particularly well in week 7, so we'll need them to do a better job."

Plymouth has made significant personnel changes since the setback they suffered at the hands of the Chiefs and judging by the results, the moves have been golden.

"Our offensive line has jelled and really come together since the last time we played Canton," Plymouth head coach Mike Sawchuk said. "As a result, our running game has improved."

Sawchuk said the game film from recent Canton contests has revealed something he already knew.

"They're very, very good," he said. "And usually, the deeper you get in the playoffs, the better the really good teams get."

Sawchuk said the Wildcats have enjoyed a stellar week of practices.

"The kids have been very focused on what they have to do," he said.

Canton has knocked Plymouth out of the playoffs the past two seasons. In 2009, the Chiefs won, 40-17, one year after eliminating  the 'Cats, 35-28.

Ed Wright is the owner-operator of PlymouthCantonSports.com, a local sports website that covers all levels of sports in Plymouth and Canton.