Texas Football

To an outsider, Canadian's run to the Class 2A Division II state championship was just short of shocking.

The Wildcats were underdogs in all but the first of six playoffs games. And don't forget the region Canadian calls home: The Panhandle, an area that hadn't produced a state champion above the 1A level since Dumas beat PSJA in the 1962 Class 3A state final.

Add in the fact that Canadian had installed a spread offense just before the start of the 2007 season, and you can see why some were quick to ignore the Wildcats.

But to an insider, someone close to the Canadian program, anything short of the state title might have been equally shocking.

That new offense? Let's say Canadian figured it out. First-year quarterback Coleman Bentley threw for 3,711 yards and 43 TDs, and Canadian as a team outscored its opponents by a nightly average of 36 to 15.

As for the naysayers ... while much of the state picked whoever lined up across from Canadian, the far reaches of the Panhandle showed up to back their neighbor. Inside the fieldhouse, Canadian coach Kyle Lynch posted numerous letters and emails of support from folks in towns like Spearman, Amarillo and nearby Pampa.

For one fall, Canadian was the Panhandle's team.

Visitors to Canadian's stadium can't help but notice the rock formation that shaped into the number "212" in one of the end zones. It's not the Canadian area code.

At 212 degrees Fahrenheit, water boils. Anything short of 212 and the water is calm, still, and harmless in appearance.

But raise it just that necessary one degree, and chaos breaks out. Bubbles rapidly form, and that calm water is now a dangerous yet useful tool.

All season long, coach Lynch charged his players to play at 212 degrees -- nothing short would allow Canadian to accomplish its goals. The Wildcats had to play with a chaotic yet unified intensity.

So when the Wildcats hit the playoffs, their temperature was off the charts. Forget 212 -- Canadian was in the 300 range, boiling over opponents with each successive round of the playoffs.

And when trailing Elysian Fields, 13-7, early in the state championship game, Canadian raised its level to a fever pitch, scoring 26 straight points in the second quarter. The Wildcats' fiery play iced the game and secured the title with an eventual 40-25 win.

Several months later, Canadian hasn't halted the celebration. Last weekend, the players received their state rings; not one player had to dip into his own wallet. The city formed a "Parents for Rings" committee and raised every dollar needed to purchase a ring for each player.

And Monday night, at the school's all-sports banquet, DCTF staff and Sgt. Godfrey of the U.S. Army were on hand to present the Wildcats yet another honor.

It's no surprise Canadian made the run to the state championship. And it's no surprise their effort was deserving of the 2007 Army Strong/Texas Football 2A Team of the Year.