This year due to COVID-19 Canton and all other eight-man football teams in the state have the chance to play in the first round of playoffs. This is the first time Canton has made it to the playoffs in ten years.

Some football teams in the state had a flagged game this season, so the OSSAA is giving the football teams the option to compete in playoffs as a makeup game. A flagged game is a game that was canceled by COVID-19. 

“I am really excited. It’s the first time Canton has been to the playoffs since 2009. It is good for the kids, the school, and the town. I plan on winning by scoring more points than Okeene. We have to stick to our offensive game plan, keeping the tempo and making stops defensively,” Coach Howell, football coach, said. 

Since all the teams had the option to play in the playoffs Coach Howell let the players on the team decide if they wanted to go, and all of the players said that they would like to go. The last time Canton went to the playoffs was in 2009.

“How I feel about going to the playoffs depends on how tonight’s game turns out. To win the playoff game I have to play my heart out,” Jake Sinclar, senior, said. 

All of the players on the Canton Tiger football team are very excited to play in the playoffs and show that Canton still has a chance to be great. Canton is playing Okeene this Friday. The players have already begun getting into playoff shape.