speedy Chaminade
Tigers' fifth
win in a row
improves record to 8‑1
By JOE SHAHEEN
Independent Sports Editor
The
Massillon Tigers have shown they can run the football this season, but on Friday
Rick Shepas' crew sharpened up the aerial attack and racked up over 400 yards
passing to torch Dayton Chaminade‑Julienne 48‑27,
in front of 8,138 fans at Paul brown Tiger Stadium.
It
was a record‑setting performance for two Tigers. Quarterback Justin Zwick passed for 407 yards to eclipse his own single‑game
record of 403 set one year ago. Wide receiver Devon
"Too
much Justin Zwick," said C‑J head coach
Place
wasn't exaggerating. The 6‑foot‑5, 221‑pound senior completed
24 of 39 passes for four touchdowns, and at least four other throws were
dropped. He was sharper than at anytime this season and scored a touchdown on a
scramble for good measure.
"I'm
happy with my performance but it is a team game," said Jovingo.
"We could've put more points on the board. We've got some good running
backs and that's the reason we get open because the defense is playing the run
and that leaves fewer guys to cover us."
Shepas
was pleased his quarterback spread it around.
"You
never know who he's going to," Shepas said. "You know how you like to
have it ‑ different receivers catching the ball each week."
Zwick had plenty of time sit in the pocket and find open receivers, thanks
to an offensive line that was without starting tackle J.P. Simon and began the
game without starting center Chad Hennon.
"Our
guys up front did a nice Job of pass protecting," said Shepas. "A lot
of it has to do not only with our offensive line getting better but also our
backs checking up into protection with them."
Starting
guard Doug Dickerhoof revealed the Tiger coaching
staff prepared the line for C‑J's pressure.
"We
gave Justin a lot of time and picked up all the blitzes," said Dickerhoof. "He got the ball to his receivers. They
caught the ball and took it in."
While
all is good with the Massillon offense, Chaminade's
426 yards of total offense ‑ 230 of it on the ground ‑ did not sit
well with Shepas, who knows McKinley scouts were in the stands and saw his team
miss a few tackles.
"I
really wasn't happy with the defense," Shepas admitted. "We were just
a little sloppy tonight. It just felt sloppy tonight."
Were
some Tigers looking ahead?
"I
don't think so," said Shepas. "I don't know what to attribute it to.
Our guys have maintained a high level of intensity throughout the season. We
saw a good, fast football team and we had to get adjusted to their speed. Mckinley has great speed."
David
Abdul opened the scoring with a 22‑yard field goal on the Tigers second
possession.
Chaminade's Anthony Turner showed that Zwick wasn't the
only talented quarterback in the house when he hit Andre Chattams
with a 34‑yard laser on the Eagles ensuing possession. That throw
advanced the ball to the
Three
plays later, Pernell Williams took an option pitch
around left end and exploded past the Tiger defense and into the end zone for a
22‑yard touchdown. Bryan Fecke nailed the extra
point and Chaminade owned a 7‑3 lead at 3:24 of
the first quarter.
Stephon Ashcraft provided the Tigers with a shot on the arm by returning the C‑J
kickoff 47 yards to the Eagles 45‑yard line.
After
an incompletion on first down, Tiger junior Ricky Johnson turned a sweep that
had no gain written all over it into a 45‑yard touchdown run. Johnson
started around left end, changed direction and found daylight to his right. He
cut back to the middle of the field at the 30 and sprinted untouched into the
end zone.
Abdul's
kick was true and
A
dropped pass doomed Chaminade's next possession and
Two
plays later, Zwick scrambled into the end zone from
eight yards out. Abdul's conversion kick was true and
Craig
McConnell picked Turner off on the first play of the Eagles next possession,
returning the football 26 yards to the C‑J 25.
On
first down Zwick found a wide open Jovingo at the 8. The senior wideout
turned, found no one within 10 yards and scooted into the end zone for the
score. Abdul made it 24‑7
Chaminade still had some life and marched 30 yards in eight plays to get back in
the ball game. Turner's 33‑yard run got things going for the Eagles. The
sophomore signal caller would score from eight yards out on a broken play. Fecke's kick made it 24‑14
But
the Tigers regained momentum quickly, thanks to a 21‑yard kickoff return
by Ashcraft that gave
Craig
McConnell's interception and slick 34‑yard runback set up the Tigers next
tally. David Hill made a juggling catch for a 19‑yard gain to the C‑J
8, then Jovingo latched onto
his second TD pass of the night from 13 yards out. The scoreboard read
CHAMINADE 27
M C
First downs rushing 2 12
First downs passing 18 7
First downs by penalty 1 1
TOTAL first downs 21 20
Net yards rushing 75 230
Net yards passing 407 196
TOTAL yards 482 426
Passes attempted 39 24
Passes completed 24 13
Passes intercepted 0 2
Punts 2 5
Punting average 31.5 32.8
Fumbles/Lost 1/1 3/0
Penalties 9 5
Yards penalized 49 35
CHAMINADE 7 7 0 13 27
SCORING
M
‑ Abdul 22‑yard field goal
C‑J ‑ Williams 22‑yard run (Fecke
kick)
M
‑ Johnson 45‑yard run (Abdul kick)
M
‑ Zwick 8‑yard run (Abdul kick)
M
‑ Jovingo 25‑yard pass from Zwick (Abdul kick)
C‑J ‑ Turner 6‑yard run (Fecke kick)
M
‑
M
‑
M
‑ Jovingo 13‑yard pass from Zwick (Abdul kick)
C‑J ‑ Williams 1 ‑yard run (Fecke
kick)
M
‑ Abdul 48‑yard field goal
C‑J ‑
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Chaminade rushing: Williams 17‑112,
Turner 15‑109.
Chaminade passing: Turner 13‑24‑196
TD, 2 INTs.
Chaminade receiving: Chattams
6‑91, Patrick 3‑24, Sanford 2‑38.
‑
Statistics courtesy of RICHARD CUNNINGHAM