‘4’-WARD MARCH: Plymouth cruises past Cobras as Salem looms
Plymouth senior Ethan Sober runs for a chunk-yardage gain during his 148-yard night against Canton.
Here’s a feel-good karma story for you: During his varsity football career at Plymouth, senior Max Hornbacher had made countless blue-collar, out-of-the-spotlight blocks and tackles, but he had never scored a touchdown heading into Friday night’s game against Canton.
With 7 minutes left in the Wildcats’ 41-0 blowout win, that all changed — in dramatic fashion.
Following a botched Cobra hand-off near the Wildcat 5-yard line, Hornbacher stripped the ball-carrier of the pigskin and sprinted 95 yards for his first career score — much to delight of his coaches and teammates who have seen him pour so much blood and sweat into every practice and game the past four years.
‘Like a dream’
“The entire play was like a dream,” Hornbacher described moments after the game. “I’ve done a lot of tackling and blocking on varsity — I’m not one to score much — but that was my first touchdown.
“As soon as I got the ball, I imagined there was someone right on my tail, so I just took off and ran as fast as I could. I had no clue what was happening.”
The last time Hornbacher ran 100 yards in an athletic event at Plymouth, he was a sophomore hurdler for the school’s track and field team.
Plymouth’s win snapped a five-game losing skid and improved the Wildcats’ record to 2-5 overall and 1-5 in the KLAA West Division.
Park title at stake
A victory over Salem next week — a feat Hornbacher and Plymouth Head Coach Greg Souldourian admitted was not going to be easy — would give the Wildcats their fourth consecutive “Park” championship — the next best thing to making the MHSAA post-season.
“We’re going to enjoy this win for 24 hours, then start working on the Salem game,” Souldourian said. “This is the first time ever we’ve played the two Park teams back-to-back. Salem’s a great football team so we need to play to our potential and eliminate some of the mistakes that were hurting us during our losing streak.”
Plymouth’s thunder and lighting Friday night were senior running back Ethan Sober and junior receiver Andrae Mcsween.
Sober rumbled for 148 yards and two touchdowns, while Mcsween hauled in two Gabe Christensen touchdown passes of 56 and 13 yards. The 13-yarder resembled a classic Randy Moss reception as the well-covered Mcsween elevated over a Canton DB in the corner of the end zone to secure a well-placed pass from Christensen.
Junior ‘Skattebo’
“The kids have been calling Ethan ‘Skattebo’ (after New York Giants rookie sensation Cam Skattebo) because he’s a battering ram,” Souldourian said. “He rarely goes down on first contact. He made a few mistakes tonight, but he made up for them when it mattered most, which is what counts.
“Andrae is electric. He’s lightning in a bottle — and he’s confident in his abilities. We’re working on getting him the ball more. He was banged up for a few games in the middle of the season, but he’s 100% now.”
Plymouth’s defense was stingy all night thanks in large part to the swarming efforts of Hornbacher and senior linebacker Brady Scheffer, who makes up for his modest size with a non-stop motor.
The Wildcat defense was also energized by drive-stalling sacks from Hornbacher, Jordan Green and Isaiah Hooks — and an interception by Saamir Sain.
Plymouth defense suffocates Cobras
Kaiden Moore (two tackles and three assists) and Abdel Eldow (one tackle, five assists) also played well for the winners.
Canton (0-7) was held to just 88 yards in total offense.
Plymouth led 22-0 at the half and was never threatened over the final 24 minutes.
Canton put together a couple promising drives in the second half, but came up short.
Sophomore Alex Ryce provided a spark for the Cobras’ offense in the second half, picking up 67 yards on four carries.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
