And right then is when the offensive linemen who so often excel while hidden in the shadows, stepped into the spotlight.

Canton put the game upon its young offensive line and that unit emphatically delivered.

Rylan Sakers, Mason Harold, Jake Pepper, Michael Beers and Jason Mahosky helped Canton grind out three first downs and run out the clock as quarterback Ben Fitch’s late first-down, three-yard run sealed a thrilling 27-21 win Friday at Rodney K. Morgans Stadium in a showdown between two Class A unbeatens. Canton (5-0) dominated the first three quarters before South (4-1) staged a furious rally and looked like it may pull off a storybook comeback.

Ultimately, Canton’s unsung heroes stifled the rally and the two-time defending District 4 champions made a major statement against what had been the top-ranked team in the district standings.

Kaiser Kistner of South Williamsport looks for running room against Canton in South Williamsport Sept. 22, 2023. Canton won 27-21. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“We knew it was up to us,” Sakers, a the team’s stalwart center, said. “It was on us whether we got the first downs or not. We kept telling each other we have to have guts and we showed it there and did it.”

Sakers is one of four new starters up front with Harold being the only one who had varsity starts under his belt entering this season. The names have changed but the results have not and this rebuilt line finally dropped the hammer on a team which never went away when the it seemed like Canton had landed an early knockout blow.

After Dylan Scheller ran for a 5-yard touchdown and Amir Kemrer made a kickoff tackle at the 9-yard line, South seemed in prime position to complete the comeback as its fans who filled the stands on Homecoming Night roared. The Mounties still had two timeouts, but the line surged and Fitch (83 yards) reciprocated it, running hard on first down runs of eight, 15 and, finally, three. Canton faced a 3rd-and-3 with a little more than a minute remaining and South out of timeouts and South braced for the charge.

Sakers, however, burst from his stance and the line joined in as they moved the pile back and Fitch bulled ahead for the game-clinching yards. The Warriors could finally ice up and breathe a sigh of relief following this 12-round battle.

“I was kind of excited that it was up to us, but there’s always that little bit of nervousness,” Sakers said after also playing a strong game at linebacker. “We just went out there and got it done.”

Johah White of South Williamsport blocks an extra point attempt by Canton in South Williamsport Sept. 22, 2023. Canton won 27-21. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“When we needed it, we were able to get them. We have a lot of young guys in there and that was big for them. Being in big moments like this is huge,” Canton coach Tyler Sechrist said. “When you build a culture and you build a program, you do it to play in games like this. That just fuels and propels the program when the kids are in games like this.”

Michael Davis played a fabulous game, running for 100 yards and three touchdowns, while forcing two fumbles and adding a sack before suffering a fourth quarter injury. Linebacker Hudson Ward again was a force at linebacker, making 16 tackles and forcing a first-quarter fumble while every player did his part to help Canton do just enough against a valiant contender which came fighting off the ropes.

Now, South is hoping that its performance helps fuel its program as it keeps moving forward. Instead of folding, South came roaring back against a team which has made consecutive state Final 4 appearances, scoring three touchdowns in less than seven minutes. The result was not what South wanted, but in defeat, it might have built a launching pad.

“I thought the guys did some really good things. I think the sky is the limit because we know Canton has a great football team and right now they’re still the measuring stick, but we competed,” South coach Chris Eiswerth said. “This hurts, but we can look at the film and learn, and if these guys can keep their grades up and keep working, we can do some great things because we have a great nucleus of kids.”

So does Canton and the perennial title contenders played an exciting, hard-hitting game which lived up to the pregame hype. The only unexpected thing was the how wild the game’s ebbs and flows were. The Warriors seemed like they might be on their way to a mercy-rule win when Davis’s third touchdown run put it up, 27-0 with 4:06 remaining in the third quarter.

Landyn Gephart of South Williamsport reaches for a pass against Canton in South Williamsport Sept. 22, 2023. Canton won 27-21. The ball bounced short and was incomplete. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

South was down but not out and Ryan Casella, Kaiser Kistner and Scheller scored touchdowns. Both teams were dealing with injuries and either played the entire game or stretches without multiple starters. But neither squad backed down either and just when it felt like one had taken control the final two quarters, the other kept responding.

“I told the boys before the game and at halftime it’s going to take four quarters to win this game. These are two physical tough teams that aren’t going to quit, so you have to play four quarters,” Sechrist said. “We can’t play just two and we almost played just two tonight. You see guys on both sides of the field that are going to be sore (Saturday) morning.”

Kistner helped ignite South’s comeback with some hard-nosed running on a 67-yard scoring drive which bridged the final two quarters. Casella capped that march with a 3-yard touchdown and Kistner came up huge just seconds later when he recovered a fumble at the Canton 31-yard line. Quarterback Tadd Lusk took over for injured starter Radley Knapp and found Kistner for a 24-yard touchdown over the middle two plays later. In just, 69 seconds, South scored 14 points and was right back in the game with 10:03 left.

South forced a three-and-out on Canton’s ensuing series before Scheller and Kemrer made highlight plays which sparked a 62-yard touchdown drive. Scheller somehow caught a 34-yard pass after the ball was tipped and as he juggled it while falling to the ground. Kemrer then saved a wayward pitch, reversed field and turned what would have been a 10-yard loss into a 21-yard gain.

The Mounties faced a 4th-and-goal from the 5 and dialed up a fabulous play as Scheller took a flea flicker reverse and beat the defender to the edge. After being down 27 early in the quarter, South was within six points and still had some time on its side.

Landyn Gephart (11), Jonah White (44) and Garrett Cooley (8) of South Williamsport all take down Michael Davis (20) of Canton in South Williamsport Sept. 22, 2023. Canton won 27-21. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“It’s a bitter sweet thing, but sometimes when you lose, you win and I told the guys that because we have the tools,” Eiswerth said. “It’s about the marathon. We’ll look at the film and see where we’re at, but I think that was the Single A game in the state tonight.”

It’s hard to argue with that. But for a while it looked like this game was playing out like the two last year when Canton pounded South by a combined 89 points. In both games, the Warriors feasted on South turnovers and Ward continued the script when he returned a fumble 33 yards to the 7-yard line on South’s first possession. Davis scored from a yard out two plays later.

Canton put together a long drive in the second quarter and Fitch capped it with a 2-yard score, making it, 13-0 at halftime. Davis then had it looking like a blowout when he made a jarring hit on a sack which forced a fumble at the 16-yard line and set up his two yard touchdown run. On South’s next play, Davis forced another fumble at the 14 as needed two plays to score his third touchdown, giving Canton 14 points in 41 seconds.

Davis was a huge part of a new defensive look as Canton went to a 6-3 front in an effort to slow South’s run. It worked like a charm for three quarters, too, and Canton allowed just 95 yards through the first three quarters. On South’s final 15 first-half plays, the Warriors surrendered just 18 yards.

“As a team we’re very versatile,” Sakers said. “Other guys step up.”

Radley Knapp of South Williamsport is sacked by Michael Davis of Canton in South Williamsport Sept. 22, 2023. Canton won 27-21. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

That included Fitch who moved from safety to defensive end to help solidify Canton’s new look. Davis was all over and the interior line clogged running lanes. South’s defense stiffened in the fourth quarter and Kistner and Casella combined for 16 tackles. Garrett Cooley also made some key plays, while Chris Confer, Evan Tortellet and Ben Ferris all were tough up front.

“It was exciting,” Eiswerth said. “Canton did the things they needed to do to win the game.”

Dylan Scheller of South Williamsport celebrates a touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Canton in South Williamsport Sept. 22, 2023. Canton won 27-21. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Dylan Scheller of South Williamsport pulls in a one-handed catch against Canton in South Williamsport Sept. 22, 2023. Canton won 27-21. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Canton pressures Radley Knapp during Friday's game.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Samaj Hale (9) runs the ball on a sweep behind the blocks of Brady Neenan (79) and Yazhir Slaughter (11) in the first quarter.