Massillon has been playing football since 1893 and has participated in over 1200 games covering 125+ years.  The question often asked is: what are the Tiger’s greatest victories?  But any response is sure to spur much debate.  Regardless, the selection criteria surely must cover several areas, including the significance of the game, the caliber of the opponent, the degree of challenge required to win, the excitement of the finish, and the lasting impact of the victory.

massillontigers.com has taken a detailed stab at this task and come up with what we believe to be Massillon’s greatest victories within each decade.  The lists can be accessed at the links shown below:

• The 2010s
• The 2000s
• The 1990s
• The 1980s
• The 1970s
• The 1960s
• The 1950s
• The 1940s
• The 1930s
• The 1890s to the 1920s

Finally, we have made our picks regarding the five greatest victories of all time:

1^st – The 100^th Massillon-McKinley game, which was played in 1994.  A 42-41 victory, this one checks all of the boxes.  It was played against the historical rival, both teams were enjoying outstanding seasons, the Tigers were the underdog, there was unbelievable hype prior to the game, it finished in overtime, and the Massillon community secured bragging rights for virtually forever.  Can you do any better?

2^nd – The 1964 game against Niles McKinley, won 14-6.  In front of over 30,000 fans at the Akron Rubber Bowl, Massillon broke Niles’ 48-game unbeaten streak and went on to win the state title.  And once again, unbelievable hype prior to the game.

3^rd – The 1974 game against Canton McKinley, won 20-15.  A huge underdog, Massillon scored on a 33-yard pass with just seconds left to defeat the undefeated Bulldogs and knock them out of the playoffs.

4^th – The 1964 game against Canton McKinley, won 20-14.  Two undefeated teams vying for the state title.  Down 14-0, the Tigers roared back in the fourth quarter to pull it out, scoring the winning points with less than a minute remaining, then holding off the Bulldogs’ final charge.

5^th – The 2005 playoff game against Lakewood St. Edward, won 21-17.  The Tigers came from two scores down to win in the final minutes and advance to the next week’s Division 1 state championship game.