State Champs! Sports Network

CANTON — Walled Lake Western coaches had no idea how this team would respond needing to play all four quarters. Last week, Western’s starters only played the first half against Farmington, but the Warriors didn’t disappoint.

Western back-up quarterback Cody White led a game winning drive to beat Canton 33-30 on the road.

“It took a lot longer to get settled in this week,” White said. “But we knew Canton was going to be a test. They’re a really good squad with a lot of good players. Once I settled in, everything started to slow down for me.”

White was asked again this week to fill in for injured starting quarterback Johnny Tracy who is still week-to-week with a shoulder injury. And, White rose to occasion yet again.

Down three, 30-27, after Canton hit a 33-yard field goal, the Warriors (2-0) offense sprung into gear behind White’s arm and feet.

White kept an eight-play drive alive with his feet as he scampered towards the chains to preserve Western’s lone timeout, and to chew up as much clock as possible. The four minute drive was capped by what White called was “the perfect play.”

“It couldn’t have been run any more perfect,” he said. “ (Justin) Thomas ran a stop and go, and I wanted to make sure I could hit him in the back corner of the end zone.”

Thomas was clutch all game. The junior only had two catches for 88 yards, but both catches were for touchdowns.

“I knew I had to perform better this week, than I ever have,” Thomas said. “We’ve spent extra time this week making sure our timing was down after practice. That extra work paid off.”

Canton (0-2) started the second half hot, forcing two three-and-outs, and also receiving long two touchdown runs (60 and 51-yards) by Colin Troupe and Markus Sanders for a 27-20 lead.

“We tried to make two adjustments at the half. Turns out those adjustments didn’t work,” Walled Lake head coach Mike Zdebski said. “We ran one adjustment, bam touchdown. We came out and ran the second adjustment, bam touchdown. We went back to what we prepped for and we had a much better second half because nobody panicked.”

After senior Jalen Marshall had a big 46-yard touchdown to bring the Warriors within a score, 27-20, White used his feet to tie the game on a 60-yard to start the fourth quarter and tie the game at, 27-27.

Coach Zdebski said that if it wasn’t for his team’s high football IQ, this outcome would have never had happened.

“I’m fortunate to coach these kids. Canton hasn’t been 0-2 since 1998, but what makes our team great is that they’re coachable,” he said. “We can fix things during the game and they get it instantly.

That comes from watching a lot of film. Putting a lot of time in on the board, and in practice. All to win a game like this.”

White, who is committed to Michigan State as a wide receiver, finished his second game at quarterback with 10 carries 102 yards and touchdown. He also was 9-for-22 for 190 yards an interception and two touchdowns.