Correspondent photo / Michael G. Taylor. Canfield’s Donnie Ferko (15) scores a touchdown during Friday’s game against West Branch in Canfield.

CANFIELD — Special teams carried Canfield to victory in its season opener on Friday night.

Two long kickoff returns for a touchdown helped the Cardinals overcome a sluggish start and withstand an explosive West Branch offense in a 26-21 victory over the Warriors.

“We did some uncharacteristic things for us…but our guys battled,” Canfield head coach Joe Ignazio said. “Every time we were down, they battled. Even when they went for two, we kept responding. Our special teams kept us in the game with two kick returns. Those two young men, Donnie Ferko and Sami Hout, are special. … Hats off to (West Branch), great program. This is exactly how you want to open up Northeast Ohio football.”

The two teams largely traded blows throughout the first half.

On its first drive, West Branch moved the ball into Canfield territory, but stalled out and turned the ball over on downs just outside the red zone.

A couple possessions later, Canfield was able to force a three-and-out, but a fumble on the ensuing punt return was recovered by West Branch’s Damon Edwards in plus territory.

A few plays later, Jeremiah Thomas found tight end Gavin Gregory on a gadget play in the back corner of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown.

Canfield then finally found some rhythm offensively and methodically moved the ball down the field, scoring its opening touchdown on a 7-yard run by Donnie Ferko. Enzo Cocca started to connect in the passing game on the drive, hitting Bryce Roberts for 28 yards and Ferko for 25 yards earlier in the possession.

The Warriors’ aerial assault was hit-and-miss, but quarterback Grady Hirst found Jake Weingart for 34 yards to set up a 6-yard strike from Hirst to Thomas at the start of the second quarter.

It didn’t take long for the Cardinals to respond, however, as Sami Hout returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.

“Special teams was a big (difference),” Warriors head coach Tim Cooper said. “We didn’t play our best ball. We had some mistakes and penalties that were self-inflicted, and we can’t have that in tight games like that. Hats off to those guys for making plays and having a great gameplan. I thought our kids played hard and played with great effort. We just gotta clean up the details.”

Canfield took its first lead of the evening at the end of the first half when Joey Pannunzio plowed across the goal line from three yards out, as the Cardinals took a 20-15 lead into halftime.

Cocca threw an interception early in the third quarter that was picked off by Thomas. The Warriors then got points off the turnover, as Hirst found Gregory over the middle of the field on a 51-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

Just like the first half though, Canfield responded right away with its second special teams score of the night when Ferko took the kickoff 82 yards to put the Cardinals back on top 26-21 through three quarters.

“Those were really important,” Ignazio said of the two kick returns. “We were forced to play some young guys in key positions with a bunch of guys cramping and one of our linebackers going out. But we have a ‘bend, don’t break’ mentality.”

After giving up the long touchdown in the third quarter, the Cardinals’ defense made the Warriors’ offense fight for everything in the second half.

West Branch drove into the red zone and looked to retake the lead early in the fourth quarter. But a penalty and a sack backed the Warriors up and Canfield was able to break up a jump ball to Gregory in the back of the end zone on fourth-and-long.

“They’re pretty good up front,” Cooper said. “I thought we moved the ball pretty well in the second half. What I think happened was we just didn’t have as many possessions. They made us drive the football. We didn’t have a ton of explosive plays over the top. They were able to get some pressure on us, and they were exotic with that stuff.”

After the Cardinals were able to burn some clock, West Branch got the ball back on its own 13-yard line with 2:29 left. But Canfield’s defense stood tall again.

The Warriors picked up one first down, but then turned it over on downs, and the Cardinals were able to kneel out the clock to secure the victory.

“We just wanted to make them work all the way down the field,” Ignazio said. “They’re an explosive offensive team. We told our guys, defensive side of the ball is going to have to step up and weather the storm.”