5 Interceptions Help Canyon Whip Buena : Strong Cowboy Rush Forces Mistakes in 45-14 Victory

Big plays in big ways lifted Canyon High to a big win, a 45-14 thumping of visiting Buena on Friday night in a Southern Section Division II semifinal and a trip to the Big Game--next week’s championship.

The Cowboys (11-2), who rolled to their 11th consecutive win, will play Antelope Valley, a 23-13 winner over Palmdale, for the title.

It marks the fourth time in Coach Harry Welch’s 7 years that Canyon will play for the championship.

“It feels wonderful to be back in the championship game,” said Welch, who led Canyon to Southern Section championships in 1983, 1984 and 1985. “I feel at home in the finals. It’s nice to be home again.”

Canyon’s defense, which limited the Bulldogs (10-3) to 4 yards rushing and intercepted 5 passes by quarterback Jason Isaacs, led the way for Welch.

Jason Stanley had 3 interceptions, 1 to set up a touchdown. Linebacker John Bietsch (2 sacks) and nose tackle Justin Fix (1) sacked Isaacs for minus-27 yards.

Isaacs, a junior who threw 25 interceptions this year, completed 16 of 32 passes for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns. “I played so crappy,” said Isaacs, who passed for 2,505 yards this season. “I don’t feel very good at all.”

Said Buena Coach Rick Scott: “We had a great year. But the best team won. They had people flying in there everywhere.”

The Cowboys’ biggest playmaker was Brian Schroeder, who had 2 touchdown catches, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Schroeder, who caught 4 passes for 65 yards, caught fourth-quarter touchdown passes of 13 and 24 yards as Canyon, which led, 17-0, at halftime, exploded for 28 second-half points.

“Just movin’ around tonight,” Stanley said.

With his team trailing, 24-0, in the third quarter, Isaacs hit Danny White with a 7-yard touchdown pass to cap a 61-yard drive.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Isaacs threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to running back Tony Williams and hit Jason Phipps for the 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to 31-14.

But for the most part, Isaacs spent the game running from green jerseys. “We put it together,” Fix said. “I don’t know who can stop us.”

Tailback Chris Peery (21 carries, 103 yards and 3 touchdowns) gave Canyon a 7-0 lead with a 4-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Peery ran 2 yards for a score early in the third quarter and capped the scoring with a 4-yard blast in the final minute.

“The defense is playing really well right now,” Welch said. “People ask if we’re doing anything different. We’re just playing our typical defense.”

Canyon quarterback Rod Baltau (9 of 17, 114 yards, 2 touchdowns) gave Canyon a 14-0 lead in the final minute of the first half with a 1-yard sneak.

Steve Mann booted a 39-yard field goal for a 17-0 halftime lead.