Massillon's
team effort
leads to rout
of Buchtel
By JIM THOMAS
Repository sports writer
MASSILLON
‑ Massillon and Buchtel both stressed the need for a balanced offense
entering the high school football season.
Balanced
the Tigers were, on offense, defense and the kicking game.
With
new quarterback Justin Zwick throwing for five scores, kicker David Abdul
booting two long field goals and the defense throttling Buchtel back Tim
Murphy, Massillon posted a surprising 40‑7 victory Friday in the 2000
opener at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Zwick's
first game in orange and black was about as good as it gets. The Tigers'
offense scored three times on two Zwick‑to Jeremiah Drobney passes and 46‑yard
Abdul field goal the first half to build a 17‑7 lead it never relinquished.
Zwick
then fired another scoring pass to Drobney and two to Montale Watkins in the
third quarter to tie the school record of five in a game. The feat tied 66‑year‑old
mark set by Mike Byelene against Niles in 1934.
In
the third period, Massillon outgained the Griffs 127 to minus‑17 yards.
"I
could get open, They were blitzing a lot," said Drobney, who caught seven
passes for 62 yards and the three scores. "We were just trying to stop
their blitzing from working,
"I
thought he threw the ball pretty well tonight," Drobney said of Zwick, 18‑for‑32
passing
"That's
not usually the case,' Massillon head coach Rick Shepas said of the receiving
of Drobney and Watkins. "Usually it will be more spread. It will change as
the season goes."
Watkins
snared six for 107 yards to complement Drobney's effort.
Massillon
also ran the ball effectively. Perry James contributed 81 yards on eight
carries. But it was the passing that moved the chains for the Tigers.
The
aerial attack also ran the Buchtel defense ragged.
“You
just can’t make mistakes against Massillon and win games,” said Buchtel coach
Claude Brown. ‘We needed to put pressure on (Zwick), but they picked it up.
“My
hat off to them. They just beat us.”
The
Massillon defense was on fire, too. While new Buchtel quarterback Charlton
Keith struggled (3-for-10), 30 yards) in his debut, Murphy was doing more with
his one leg (seven punts) than two (15 rushes, 71 yards).
Murphy
scored the Griffins’ touchdown on a run of 52 yards for Buchtel’s lone
highlight. The Griffins never got closer than seven points early in the second
period, when Abdul nailed his 46-yarder for a 10-7 lead. He added a school
record 50-yarder in the third quarter.
“We
knew we were going to have a chance in the kicking game.” Shepas said. “Anytime
you can get points from any place on the field, it’s nice.”