Underdog Canton South Wildcats 'keep racking up this crazy record,' go to Wadsworth for state semis

Ethan Fricke (rhymes with sticky) was in first grade when he first stuck his nose into tackle football.

Now he's an old-E, a fourth-year man on the Canton South High School defense.

Never once has he heard, "You guys rip. I pity anyone who has to face you."

Even now that South is 14-0 and in the state final four he calls this "the underdog season."

"When we started the playoffs I heard people say, 'They're gonna lose by 21. Then ... they're gonna lose by 14.' Even after we got a little more respect, it was, 'They're gonna lose by 7."

His school hasn't won tons of football playoff games. Prior to last year, it had never won more than one in any year.

However, anyone who has seen the 2023 Wildcats at their best can attest they are tremendous, relative to how one might suppose a good Division IV team appears.

They deserve to be treated with tremendous respect.

Now comes the issue of location for Friday's state semifinal game against defending Division IV state champion Cleveland Glenville.

At first, it was scheduled for Euclid Community Stadium, which amounted to treating the underdog like a dog, rather than one that has presented a historic moment to its community.

State semis are supposed to be at neutral sites. At Euclid, South faced a 69-mile trip, compared to 6.7 miles for Glenville.

This was bogus. Finding a willing host isn't easy, but it is necessary.

The site has been switched to Art Wright Stadium in Wadsworth. Credit to the Ohio High School Athletic Association for fixing a surly situation.

The Wadsworth stadium is 36 miles from Canton South, 45 miles from Glenville.

For what it's worth, Greg Dennison was Wadsworth's head football coach for 21 years. Greg's brother Matt is Canton South's head coach.

South was prepared to suck it up and embrace Euclid. "It is where it is, boys."

Now the site is Wadsworth, but the opponent is the same, and Glenville is a beast.

Fricke and friends loved being the underdog, if that's what they were, in Friday's 35-13 drubbing of Struthers in the Division IV regional finals.

"We keep racking up this crazy record," he said.

He spoke from the field at Tallmadge High School, 47.6 miles from Struthers High School, 32 miles from CSHS.

It was a perfect night to stay in, 45 degrees and rainy, but Wildcats of all ages — both teams were Wildcats — turned out in droves.

It was a rich atmopshere in a misty rain blowing sideways across the Friday night lights.

Struthers broke a 50-yard run while the shuttle buses were still dropping people at the gate.

South people didn't know what to expect from a game this deep in the playoffs.

Watching their Wildcats drive for touchdowns the first five times they had the ball was pleasantly astonishing.

At one point, a program that never came close was on the verge of reaching the final four on a "mercy rule" running clock.

"Can you believe this?" veteran teacher Chris Bergert said.

Captain Max believes.

Senior tackle Max Cochrane has had three years to appreciate Matt Dennison, who took over the Wildcats in 2021.

"Without him," Cochrane said, "I don't think we'd be here.

"This is a dream come true, winning something big for the school and the community."

Record-setting quarterback Poochie Snyder did Poochie things against Struthers.

The play of the night was an improvisational wonder on which Snyder weaved a half mile to get a touchdown ball to Tre Wilson.

"It was third down," Snyder said. "They were taking 'T' (Tavon Castle) and Tre away most of the night. We were looking to get (Ma'Taeaun) Frazier the ball on the short side. They brought outside pressure.

"I stepped up into the rush, looking to keep my eyes downfield. I didn't see anything so I scrambled to my right. I probably should gave gone left.

"They had us covered. I backpedaled out. I saw Tre − he's lightning fast − break across the middle. He made a great catch."

The reaction of the South crowd was along the lines of, "If we're making plays like that, we're no underdog."

"T" is Poochie's top dog. Those two are one of the most prolific pass-catch duos in Stark County history.

"The coaches bring it up every practice," Castle said. "They say nobody at our school has been in this moment. For us to be in this moment means a lot."

Early in 2000, Dennison had just ended an 18-year run at New Philadelphia job when he heard the South job was open. He called then-athletic director Andy Harms to recommend a friend.

"Why don't you take it?" Harms said.

They talked. Nearly four years later, they laugh.

"I always scouted Canton South. I always knew there were players here," Dennison said. "I knew there was an opportunity for a program that could be consistent.

"I knew there was a kid who had started at quarterback as a freshman. I heard he was pretty good."

The Wildcats will have to be real good against Glenville, a consensus super team.

"It's not my first rodeo against a super team," said Dennison, who, at New Philly, coached playoff games against Hoban, Bishop Hartley and Chardon.

"You don't back down. You fight and you make them uncomfortable."

"I don't care who it is," said the receiver, Castle. "I just know we're the Canton South Wildcats, and we're gonna bring a whole bunch of heart."

Poochie Snyder takes the long view.

"Being in the final four, every team is good," he said. "You've got to play your best game.

"They have a couple Ohio State guys and a lot of other guys going to the next level. Coach (Ted) Ginn is a great coach.

"Glenville is the defending state champs. Why would you not want to knock off the defending state champs?"

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton South readies for Glenville in OHSAA football final four