Tigers
come
so
close
Massillon
loses in overtime on wide point‑after
By
JOE SHAHEEN
Independent
Sports Editor
High school sports can
be a cruel, unforgiving endeavor, especially in the win‑or‑go‑home
scenario of the playoffs. It is a fact
of life to which the Massillon Tigers can attest today.
The Tigers fell to the
Warren Harding Raiders 21‑20 in overtime at the Rubber Bowl in a Division
I state semifinal game in front of an estimated 22,000 fans Saturday, and, they
did so in heart‑rending fashion. The margin of victory ‑ a missed
point after touchdown.
"There's not a
whole lot I can say to our kids right now," Tiger coach Rick Shepas said
amid a pack of reporters after the game. "They've got to learn from this
kind of adversity.
"Sometimes you
fall short but it doesn't mean we didn't work hard. It doesn't mean the kids
haven't played hard."
No one who watched
this classic confrontation between two of Ohio's traditional high school
football powers could possibly say such a thing. The painful emotions of the
gut‑wrenching defeat were etched on the faces of every player wearing the
orange uniform and black helmet of the Tigers.
Shepas vowed in the
days before the game his charges would leave everything on the field. They did
that and more, and yet fate seemed to conspire to prevent this proud team from
reaching the goal for which they have worked so hard for the past 11 months.
Even Warren Harding
coach Thom McDaniels seemed reluctant to accept the victory the way the contest
ended. "It was a classic," said the former McKinley mentor. "It shouldn't have ended that
way." Certainly, McDaniels could sympathize. His son missed a point after
touchdown kick in the 100th Massillon‑McKinley game that cost
the Bulldogs a one point overtime defeat.
The missed extra
point, which sailed wide left, was eerily reminiscent of the Tigers' 14‑13
defeat in the playoffs to St. Ignatius in 1991 when a Massillon extra point
glanced off the goal post upright and fell away.
The defeat ends the
Tiger season at 11‑3 and also spells the final chapter in what has to be
considered one of the greatest defensive teams Massillon has ever produced in
its proud gridiron history.
"This result
doesn't speak for the way our defense played the whole game," Shepas said.
"I want our defense to be remembered for the outstanding team they are.
They are outstanding."
It seemed Massillon
might be bound for the state championship game when Ricky Johnson bolted around
left end for a six‑yard touchdown with 1:11 to play, capping off a well‑conceived
12‑play, 62‑yard drive that featured several fine runs by Steve
Hymes out of a WingT look the Tigers hadn't deployed the entire game. Max
Shafer's point after was true and the Tigers led 14‑7.
What happened next
must have seemed like a bad dream that just repeats itself over and over as
Warren's Mario Manningham returned the ensuing kickof f to midfield, giving the
Raiders hope for overtime. It was Manningham's two kick returns for touchdowns
that helped Warren defeat Massillon 31‑27 in a week nine game at Warren.
And, befitting their
regular season state poll champion status, the Raiders took advantage as Mike
Kokal hit Treymayne Warfield with a 17‑yard touchdown pass with :17 on
the clock. Joe Spain's point after was good and the game went into overtime at
14‑14.
"We had a chance
there at the end, but we just didn't hang on," Shepas said.
Warren tallied first
in overtime but only after recovering its own fumble at the goal line. Kokal
scored on the next snap after that miscue from a yard away. Spain's conversion
kick was good and the Raiders were up 21‑14.
Johnson gained 10
yards around left end on Massillon's first play of overtime. Two plays later,
Matt Martin made a clutch throw on third and goal to A.J. Collins in the right
edge of the end zone and it was 21‑20.
On the fateful extra
point, with the wind, blowing left to right, the football sailed left of the
left upright to bring the game to an end.
"Our fans were
great," Shepas said just before leading his team to the locker room.
"They stayed in the stadium. I'd like our fans to learn to be a little bit
more positive with our kids all the time, which they've been. "We'll keep
going forward."
Warren Harding drew
first blood in a familiar fashion, converting a lengthy punt return into a
touchdown.
Taking the opening
kickoff, Massillon moved from its 20 to the Warren 37 on a short Martin to
Relford pass that the play‑making junior transformed into a 52‑yard
gain. The Tigers had an opportunity to get inside the Raider 20 but a dropped
pass foiled the play and they were forced to punt.
Thaddeus Walker
fielded Shafer's punt at the Warren 12, found a seam and didn't stop running
until he was pulled down 54 yards later at the Massillon 36.
Three consecutive
carries by Warren running back Richard Davis and a facemask penalty on the
Massillon defense advanced the ball to the Tiger 11. Four plays later, Stephon
Alexander appeared to be stopped on fourth‑and‑goal from the one
but the line judge ruled he broke the plane of the end zone and signaled
touchdown Warren. Spain added the point after and Warren Harding was up 7‑0
at 5:23 of the first quarter.
Massillon's scoring
drive began at 9:17 of the second quarter at the Tiger 20 yardline after
Relford picked off a Warren pass in the end zone.
But the real story of
the initial 24 minutes of play was the yellow blizzard of flags falling from
the sky. In all, game officials penalized the two state semifinalists 13 times
for 85 yards in the first half. Nine of the flags went against Massillon,
costing the Tigers 55 yards.
Martin's screen pass
to Johnson picked up 13 yards. One play later, Martin found Johnson running
alone down the right sideline for a 30‑yard completion to the Warren 36.
An interference penalty against Warren pushed the ball to the Raider 21. A
couple of five‑yard penalties pushed it back to the 31 but the Tigers
gained it back and more on an 18‑yard screen pass from Martin to Terrance
Roddy. Martin got another first down on a keeper, then hit Collins in the left
corner of the end zone for the Tigers initial score of the evening. Shafer
added the extra point and it was a tie game at 7‑7 with 3:40 to go in the
half.
Massillon 20
Warren 21
M
W
First downs rushing 4
8
First downs passing 5
7
First downs by penalty 1
0
TOTAL first downs 10 15
Net yards rushing 66
139
Net yards passing 181
125
TOTAL yards
247 264
Passes attempted 31
29
Passes completed 12
12
Passes intercepted 1
2
Punts
9 8
Punting average 34.3 33.5
Fumbles/Lost 0/0 1/0
Penalties 11 5
Yards penalized 61
35
Massillon 00 07 00 07
06 20
Warren 07 00 00
07 07 21
SCORING
W ‑ Alexander 1 yard run (Spain kick)
M ‑ Collins 9 yard pass from Martin
(Shafer kick)
M ‑ Johnson 6 yard run (Shafer kick)
W ‑ Warfield 17 yard pass from Kokal
(Spain kick)
W ‑ Kokal 1 yard run (Spain kick)
M ‑ Collins 11 yard pass from Martin (kick
failed)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
MassilIon rushing: Hymes 5‑42, R. Johnson
12‑21, Martin 3‑7, Roddy 4‑1.
Warren rushing: Davis 19‑63, Phillips 7‑34
Kokal 5‑18, Massucci 5‑15.
Massillon passing: Martin 12‑31‑181,
2TD, 1 INT.
Warren passing: Kokal 11‑22‑118, 1
TD, Phillips 1‑7‑7, 2 INT.
Massillon receiving: Relford 2‑58, R.
Johnson 4‑53, Jordan 2‑26, Collins 2‑20, 2 TDs,
Roddy
1‑18, Ashcraft 1‑6.
Warren receiving: Warfield 5‑65, 1 TD,
Manningham 3‑31, Stella 1‑13, Johnson 1‑9, Alexander 1‑7.
"Our
fans were great.
They
stayed in the stadium.
I'd
like our fans to learn to
be
a little bit more positive
with
our kids all the time,
which
they've been.
We'll
keep going forward."
Rick
Shepas
Massillon
coach