GERMANTOWN — Leading by three points late in the fourth quarter of a TSSAA football game on Sept. 18, Houston coach James Thomas did something that might have left football fans everywhere perplexed. With his team receiving a kickoff, junior quarterback Canon Day was the primary returner.
The second-year starter caught the ball as it bounced in front of him and dropped to his knees just past the 25-yard line. For the remaining four-plus minutes, Day ran numerous times, using his size and athleticism to earn first downs before sliding to keep the clock ticking.
“Anytime you got Canon Day back there, you got a chance to win,” Thomas said. “Heck of a guy, heck of a leader. He’s kept us in every ballgame.”
Houston (2-3, 1-0 Region 7-6A) defeated Bartlett,
38-35, and Day delivered a game to remember. He ran for a 40-yard touchdown and threw multiple TD passes to help Houston earn a critical region win.
Watch: TSSAA football on the NFHS network
“Winning the region is our main goal,” Day said. “It was a huge win. We prepped for this all week, and we were really looking forward to this Bartlett game.”
Day’s preparation and football IQ have skyrocketed over the past 12 months.
In 2023, he watched his brother Chandler led the Mustangs to the Division I Class 6A state championship as the starting quarterback, and the pair played together in 2024 during Canon’s freshman season.
Chandler and Canon both played basketball, too. Chandler is now a pitcher for Tennessee.
When Canon took over the starting spot in 2025 as a sophomore, Houston struggled to a 3-8 record. Day admitted that he didn’t listen to his brother’s advice during his first year as a starter, but that changed in the summer between his sophomore and junior seasons.
“I kind of got distracted a little bit my sophomore year,” Canon said. “But this summer, he helped me see the field a lot better because he was such a great quarterback. So I’m just trying to do what he did.”
Day, alongside running back Raderius Robertson, ran the show offensively for the Mustangs. Day ran for a touchdown while throwing two more, and Robertson punched in a pair of his own.
The duo controlled the line of scrimmage and helped Houston close out the win over Bartlett (3-2, 0-1). Day and Robertson established themselves on the ground, which allowed the Mustangs to start airing it out downfield.
“It’s very hard for defenses to pick up on two dual threats in the backfield at once,” Day said. “If they stop Raderius, they’re gonna have to stop me too, so I think we’re a very good 1-2 combo.”
It took Bartlett some time to settle into its groove. After falling behind 20-7, the Panthers scored 14 unanswered points to end the first half and take the lead. Coach Ben Bowden and quarterback River Hollard began to feed Oregon football commit Pierce Washington.
The two-way wide receiver and cornerback was a tough cover, using his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame to outmatch the Mustangs’ secondary. Washington caught two touchdown passes Sept. 18.
Thomas has deliberately scheduled games against high-caliber opponents, including Southwind and Tupelo.
“It beat us up a little bit, I ain’t gonna lie about that,” Thomas said with a laugh. “But I do think playing better competition helps you figure things out.”
Reach The Commercial Appeal's high school writer, Ryan Myers at ryan.myers@commercialappeal.com and on the X platform @RyanMyers_23.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why Houston QB Canon Day finally took brother's advice as Mustangs beat Bartlett
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