Canyon Grows Up Quickly With a 22-18 Win at Home

Harry Welch’s young Canyon High football team grew up in a hurry Friday night.

The Cowboys, trailing Chaminade by 11 points at halftime, came back to defeat the Eagles, 22-18, in a nonleague game at Canyon by playing what Welch called “Cowboy football” in the second half.

Canyon, which has not lost on its home field since 1983, evened its record at 1-1. Chaminade is 0-2.

“We’ve got a long way to go. We’re so green,” said Welch, whose club lost 41-21 to Hart last week. “But this was good for us.”

It was good for Chaminade, too--for a half.

The Eagles, who unraveled for seven turnovers in last week’s 24-10 lost to Notre Dame, dominated the first half piling up 196 yards to Canyon’s 89. Six plays into the game, tailback Tim Lavin broke loose on a 64-yard touchdown run, leaving Canyon’s Robert Leary in his wake following a missed tackle.

The Cowboys tied the game, scoring on quarterback Rod Baltau’s 1-yard sneak. Tom Gahry’s kick made it 7-7 with 2:33 left in the first period.

Chaminade then went 80 yards in 14 plays, scoring on Lavin’s 2-yard run. Chris Noonan kicked the extra point, but a procedure penalty set the ball back on the 8-yard line. The Eagles decided to go for two points and Doug Marconet’s pass found Dom Costa in the end zone for a 15-7 Chaminade lead.

The Eagles drove from their 32 to the Cowboy 20 just before the half, and Noonan kicked a 37-yard field goal for an 18-7 Chaminade lead.

Welch, known for his heated halftime discourses, told his team to “play Cowboy football” at intermission. And that’s exactly what the Cowboys did, holding Chaminade to 41 yards in the second half while outscoring the Eagles, 14-0.

Canyon drove 80 yards to a touchdown on its first series in the third period with Baltau and Cam Cross doing most of the damage.

Cross scored from two yards out with 7:21 left in the period, and Baltau hit Jason Stanley for the 2-point conversion, cutting Chaminade’s lead to 18-15.

Canyon’s Leary blocked a 47-yard field goal attempt by Noonan on the Eagles’ next series, and the Cowboys were on the move again.

Although it was Cross who scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 3-yard run, junior running back Chris Peery gained 37 yards on the 62-yard drive.

Gahry’s kick put the Cowboys up 22-18 with 8:46 to play, and the Canyon defense, weakearlier, staved off the Eagles down the stretch. The Cowboys forced the Eagles to punt on their next series and after a fumble by Peery they halted Chaminade again at their own 44.

Lavin led all rushers with 123 yards on 18 carries.

Cross finished with 80 yards on 15 rushes, and Peery had 75 yards on 14 carries.

Cross, younger brother of former Canyon running back Lance, is only going to get better, Welch said.

“When he stops thinking he has to live up to Lance, he’s going to be a wonderful running back,” Welch said. “He’s already pretty good.”

Baltau, making his first start after recovering from a broken finger he suffered before the season started, completed 9 of 16 passes for 113 yards. He was not intercepted.

Chaminade, unlike last week, played error-free football and Coach Rich Lawson was pleased with his club’s effort, despite the loss.

“I’m happy. I would have liked to have won the game, but the kids played well,” Lawson said. “We were ready to take ‘em.”