Brother-to-brother TD pass caps Canton’s huge 48-6 victory

Canton’s football team ended its season Thursday night like it started it nine weeks earlier — with a victory stuffed with highlight-reel plays.

While the seven games sandwiched in between the two special wins were plagued with up-and-down performances, Thursday’s 48-6 triumph over struggling Wayne Memorial should serve as a solid brick in the wall for the rebuilding Cobras.

Canton never trailed the Zebras after Oluwadamilola Giwa plowed into the end zone from four yards out in the opening minutes to give the hosts a 7-0 lead (after Jack Lockhart’s extra point), although Wayne countered immediately with an 86-yard TD run by junior Brandyn Moore (the two-point conversion try failed).

Canton scored 41 unanswered points to close its season in style.

(To check out highlights from Thursday’s game, click here.)

Thursday night lights

The KLAA cross-over game was played on Thursday because all three Plymouth-Canton Educational Park teams were conference cross-over hosts and there are only two P-CEP venues available for Friday night. Canton drew the Thursday night straw given it had the worst regular-season record.

The win’s exclamation point provided one of those moments that sends chills down spines: a 30-yard touchdown pass from freshman Dylan Parrish to his senior brother Nick Parrish, who out-leaped two Wayne DBs to secure his younger sibling’s first varsity TD pass.

(To check out the Parrish brothers’ cool TD connection, click here.)

Dylan Parrish played all four quarters of Canton’s freshman team’s triumph over Woodhaven Wednesday night. MHSAA rules allow sub-varsity players to play five quarters each week, paving the way for Dylan’s third-quarter performance that led to the memorable bro-to-bro score.

Canton senior quarterback Alex Guadagni solidified his status as one of the toughest pound-for-pound players in the KLAA as he ran 12 times for 100 yards and three touchdowns — including an 8-yard score when he pin-balled through the heart of the Zebras’ defense.

Guadagni also complete seven of nine passes for 154 yards, including a 15-yard screen-pass TD to sophomore Elliott Patten.

Also factoring into the Cobras’ TD Parade was Nick Dimitroff.

Among the Cobras’ defensive standouts were Theisen Besco, who piled up several solo tackles, including a one-armed effort to bring down Wayne’s Antonio Garrett, and Ben Grenillo, who added a quarterback sack to his multiple-tackles night.

Lemuel Pettway also closed his high school football career with a bang, contributing several big hits and a sack of Wayne QB Davion Wilson.

Canton’s secondary and pass rush limited Wilson to one completion on 14 passing attempts.

Patten caught six passes for 137 yards and the TD.

Canton, which played without a junior-varsity team this season, is primed for improvement in 2025 given the return of several high-achieving underclassmen and the promising results turned in by its freshman team, which finished with a 6-3 record.

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.