Massillon Cruises Past Canal Winchester, Advances In Playoffs
STATS
BRACKET
It was a night for the running backs as both teams kept their offenses focused mostly on the ground game. Massillon chugged right along, throwing a heavy dose of Willtrell Hartson at the opponent. Canal Winchester, however, just couldn’t get out of first gear in a 34-0 rout, with a running clock in effect for most of second half. It was also a night of records. Hartson rushed for over 100 yards for the 11th consecutive time, surpassing the previous mark set by Jamir Thomas in 2018. With his 141 yards, he also remains on pace to break the all-time season rushing record set by Travis McGuire (his current running backs coach) back in 1991.
But larger than that is the one set by Nate Moore, who eclipsed an achievement set over eighty years ago. That’s when Paul Brown departed Massillon in 1940 having compiled a record 80 wins. Moore has now won 81 games as a Tiger head coach. It took that long to find one that met two criteria: first, he needed to be ultimately successful year-to-year to keep being invited back; and second, he needed to fall in love with this town to point where he was willing to embrace it and become a career coach here. He has managed to do both and Massillon is fortunate to have him.
Prior to the game it was no secret that Canal Winchester was going to run the ball, while at the same time being very poor in the passing game. They were also going to load the box with their 4-4, cover-3 defense. On the other side, Massillon wanted to establish the run game and pass when needed. And Massillon, as the No.1 team in Region 7, was considered by national rating services to be a heavy favorite with their balanced offense and devastating run defense.
The game played out as expected. Massillon was able to overcome the loaded box and roll up 378 yards of offense, with 299 on the ground. Meanwhile, the Indians managed just 62 yards, all but three coming on the ground at 1.8 yards per carry. They also never crossed midfield. The only offense they could muster was the quarterback running out of the pocket after realizing that all of his passing targets were covered. It was also the second consecutive game that the Tiger first unit pitched a shutout. It should also be noted that Massillon played the defense straight up and didn’t load box.
After stalling on their first two drives, the Tigers got it going and scored touchdowns on five of their next six possessions. Canal Winchester put up a good fight early on and forced a couple of punts, but then seemed to tire a bit as they just couldn’t get off the field after that. And Hartson, behind some exceptional line play, was just a bit too much.
The first score came on 32-yard rainbow from Jalen Slaughter to Ardell Banks, who had solidly beaten the defensive back. After that score, the Indians regularly double-teamed him, which of course took a player out of the box; advantage Massillon.
With Canal Winchester limited on offense, the Tigers nearly always started in good field position following punts and took full advantage. The next score came at the end of a 53-yard drive when Hartson bulled in from the six. The third score of the first half was set up by a blocked punt by Dorian Pringle, with Malachi Card recovering at the 30. Hartson then finished off the drive with a 2-yard run.
Hartson scored his third TD midway through the third quarter when he broke free on a 34-yard run. The play was outside zone to the right. The offensive line perfectly sealed the edge and kicked out the outside linebacker, creating a nice seam for Hartson to speed through. It happened so quickly that the secondary just couldn’t recover in time.
With Hartson done for the night, the final score was tallied by sophomore Peytton Mitchell on a 1-yard run, capping an 80-drive. He finished the evening with 51 yards, as did running mate sophomore Mylen Lenix.
Slaughter ended up completing five of nine passes for 75 yards and a touchdown.
The defense was led by Marcus Moore, who recorded 6.5 tackle points (5-3) and a quarterback sack. Cody Fair added 6.0 tackle points (4-4).
All-in-all, both teams played to their potential and competed very cleanly throughout the game. What a difference a week makes. Congratulations to Canal Winchester on a fine season.
Next week Massillon will play at a neutral site (TBD) against No. 5 Big Walnut (9-2), a 35-21 winner over No. 4 Watkins Memorial, for a chance to advance to the regional finals. Last year, the Tigers downed unbeaten Big W, 38-0.
‘Paul Brown could have stayed here 30 years and won 300 games’ Record humbles Massillon’s Nate Moore
by Steve Doerschuk, The Repository
MASSILLON — Massillon’s 34-0 rout of Canal Winchester Friday night drew the OHSAA football playoffs into strangers-in-the-night phase.
Massillon and Canal Winchester have been connected since 1831 − by the Ohio Erie Canal − but Friday’s game was Canal Winchester’s first against Massillon or any other Stark County team.
As the Tigers and their crowd celebrated the team’s latest deep advance, the mood shifted to the familiar.
Just about the coolest image in the history of football appeared on the giant video board on the south side of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. It was Paul Brown himself, in a stylish jacket, hands in pockets, walking out of a mist.
On the field, the latest of the successors to the office of Massillon head coach was beaming. Nate Moore had just won his 81st game in Tigertown, surpassing Brown’s school record of 80.
A while later, in the locker room, Moore, whose eight-year record improved to 81-21, turned the spotlight on “PB,” whose record in Tigertown from 1932-40 was 80-8-2.
“He’s arguably the greatest coach of all time,” Moore said, “especially when you’re talking about innovation. Those things started here. He was an innovator at Massillon, and at Ohio State, and with the Browns, and beyond.
“It’s already an honor to be here, and be the head coach here at Massillon, in many ways because of Paul Brown. Paul Brown could have stayed here for 30 years and won 300 games. So, you know, it’s nice, I appreciate all the sentiment from everybody, but tomorrow, we’re going to be working on whoever we play Week 13.
“This is shared with all the kids here who played for us, and the coaches. Those people … I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Six-foot-2, 305-pound senior Marcus Moore, who was a defensive ringleader in the shutout that got Moore to No. 81, was born years after Brown died in 1991.
“But I hear about him 24-7, living in Massillon,” Moore said. “He’s such a big part of the history. It means a lot to be part of this with Coach Moore. Now we’ve got to get back to work and keep building on those wins for him.”
Under a plump moon meandering through an odd tapestry of clouds, the Tigers powered to a 21-0 halftime lead and won their 10th straight game. They advanced to the third round of the Division II tournament, where they will face Big Walnut (10-2), which beat Watkins Memorial 35-21 Friday.
The game will be at a neutral site to be announced. Massillon crushed Big Walnut 38-0 in the third round of last year’s playoffs. In a 2022 regular-season finale, Canal Winchester beat Big Walnut, a 21-14.
A playoff encounter against Massillon struck an eerie note for Canal Winchester head coach Jake Kuhner, who was a Pickerington senior playing against the Tigers 20 years ago. A 14-0 loss was the final game of his high school career.
“It was a real good game in the third round of the playoffs,” Kuhner recalled. “It was in Mansfield on a night that was so cold the puddles were ice. (Shawn) Crable was a defensive end. They had an outstanding receiver (Devin Jordan).
“We know Massillon has some great history, past and right now.”
The 2002 Tigers, after beating Pickerington, fell in overtime to Warren Harding in the Division I state semifinals. The 2022 Tigers must win three more games to reach the Division II finals, but they seem an obvious threat to do so.
In scouting Massillon, Kuhner said it was burned in his head that “No. 18 is a burner and a playmaker, and the quarterback throws him a nice ball almost every time he’s down the field deep.”
Massillon’s second play was a deep throw from QB Jalen Slaughter to No. 18, Ardell Banks. It was a nice-looking ball, but out of Banks’ reach, leading to a punt that encouraged the Canal Winchester camp. It also discouraged against over-stacking the box to deal with running back Wiltrell Hartson.
Slaughter again went deep on the second series. Incomplete again. Another punt, in keeping with a proud Canal Winchester defense which, in its last three games, against teams with a 23-9 record, allowed a combined 30 points.
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The Tigers kept pounding Hartson and going deep to Banks, who got wide open on his third try, on the third series, and glided under a 32-yard TD pass from Slaughter. Yes, it was a nice ball.
It was 6-0 with 3:30 left in the first quarter. A Canal Winchester offense averaging below 20 points punted for a third straight time after linebacker Dorian Pringle stuffed a keep by QB Maxton Brunner on third-and-long.
How long could that defense keep Canal Winchester afloat? Not long.
Hartson, Pringle and Mylen Lenix took turns in an all-run series capped by Hartson’s 4-yard TD run. A second missed point-after kick kept it at 12-0 with 7:10 left in the half.
Pringle finished off a big first half with a blocked punt setting up Hartson’s 2-yard TD run, followed by Pringle’s two-point conversion run, for a 20-0 lead just before halftime.
By then, Hartson had rushed 16 times for 87 yards. Those three deep casts to Banks were Slaughter’s only throws of the first half.
Hartson broke free on the right side for a 32-yard TD providing a 27-0 lead midway through the third quarter.Massillon’s defense mastered a foe that was afraid to pass against it.
‘Paul Brown could have stayed here 30 years and won 300 games’ Record humbles Massillon’s Nate Moore
Steve DoerschukMASSILLON — Massillon’s 34-0 rout of Canal Winchester Friday night drew the OHSAA football playoffs into strangers-in-the-night phase.
Massillon and Canal Winchester have been connected since 1831 − by the Ohio Erie Canal − but Friday’s game was Canal Winchester’s first against Massillon or any other Stark County team.
As the Tigers and their crowd celebrated the team’s latest deep advance, the mood shifted to the familiar.
Just about the coolest image in the history of football appeared on the giant video board on the south side of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. It was Paul Brown himself, in a stylish jacket, hands in pockets, walking out of a mist.
On the field, the latest of the successors to the office of Massillon head coach was beaming. Nate Moore had just won his 81st game in Tigertown, surpassing Brown’s school record of 80.
A while later, in the locker room, Moore, whose eight-year record improved to 81-21, turned the spotlight on “PB,” whose record in Tigertown from 1932-40 was 80-8-2.
“He’s arguably the greatest coach of all time,” Moore said, “especially when you’re talking about innovation. Those things started here. He was an innovator at Massillon, and at Ohio State, and with the Browns, and beyond.
“It’s already an honor to be here, and be the head coach here at Massillon, in many ways because of Paul Brown. Paul Brown could have stayed here for 30 years and won 300 games. So, you know, it’s nice, I appreciate all the sentiment from everybody, but tomorrow, we’re going to be working on whoever we play Week 13.
“This is shared with all the kids here who played for us, and the coaches. Those people … I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Six-foot-2, 305-pound senior Marcus Moore, who was a defensive ringleader in the shutout that got Moore to No. 81, was born years after Brown died in 1991.
“But I hear about him 24-7, living in Massillon,” Moore said. “He’s such a big part of the history. It means a lot to be part of this with Coach Moore. Now we’ve got to get back to work and keep building on those wins for him.”
Under a plump moon meandering through an odd tapestry of clouds, the Tigers powered to a 21-0 halftime lead and won their 10th straight game. They advanced to the third round of the Division II tournament, where they will face Big Walnut (10-2), which beat Watkins Memorial 35-21 Friday.
The game will be at a neutral site to be announced. Massillon crushed Big Walnut 38-0 in the third round of last year’s playoffs. In a 2022 regular-season finale, Canal Winchester beat Big Walnut, a 21-14.
A playoff encounter against Massillon struck an eerie note for Canal Winchester head coach Jake Kuhner, who was a Pickerington senior playing against the Tigers 20 years ago. A 14-0 loss was the final game of his high school career.
“It was a real good game in the third round of the playoffs,” Kuhner recalled. “It was in Mansfield on a night that was so cold the puddles were ice. (Shawn) Crable was a defensive end. They had an outstanding receiver (Devin Jordan).
“We know Massillon has some great history, past and right now.”
The 2002 Tigers, after beating Pickerington, fell in overtime to Warren Harding in the Division I state semifinals. The 2022 Tigers must win three more games to reach the Division II finals, but they seem an obvious threat to do so.
In scouting Massillon, Kuhner said it was burned in his head that “No. 18 is a burner and a playmaker, and the quarterback throws him a nice ball almost every time he’s down the field deep.”
Massillon’s second play was a deep throw from QB Jalen Slaughter to No. 18, Ardell Banks. It was a nice-looking ball, but out of Banks’ reach, leading to a punt that encouraged the Canal Winchester camp. It also discouraged against over-stacking the box to deal with running back Wiltrell Hartson.
Slaughter again went deep on the second series. Incomplete again. Another punt, in keeping with a proud Canal Winchester defense which, in its last three games, against teams with a 23-9 record, allowed a combined 30 points.
The Tigers kept pounding Hartson and going deep to Banks, who got wide open on his third try, on the third series, and glided under a 32-yard TD pass from Slaughter. Yes, it was a nice ball.
It was 6-0 with 3:30 left in the first quarter. A Canal Winchester offense averaging below 20 points punted for a third straight time after linebacker Dorian Pringle stuffed a keep by QB Maxton Brunner on third-and-long.
How long could that defense keep Canal Winchester afloat? Not long.
Hartson, Pringle and Mylen Lenix took turns in an all-run series capped by Hartson’s 4-yard TD run. A second missed point-after kick kept it at 12-0 with 7:10 left in the half.
Pringle finished off a big first half with a blocked punt setting up Hartson’s 2-yard TD run, followed by Pringle’s two-point conversion run, for a 20-0 lead just before halftime.
By then, Hartson had rushed 16 times for 87 yards. Those three deep casts to Banks were Slaughter’s only throws of the first half.
Hartson broke free on the right side for a 32-yard TD providing a 27-0 lead midway through the third quarter.Massillon’s defense mastered a foe that was afraid to pass against it.
At halftime, Brunner was 0-for-1 passing and took a sack, while running seven times. For the game, backs Kaseem Wade and Corey Howard, frequent producers before Friday, split 20 carries and gained 44 yards.
Hartson wound up with 20 carries for 142 yards and three TDs. It was his 11th straight game above 100 yards, a Massillon record.
“On defense,” said Marcus Moore, “we held ’em under 70 yards (62, to be exact). You can’t really ask for any more than that.”
Coach Moore touched on the early flurry of deep passes to Banks.
“We’ve got to get out there and see how they’re defending us, and take what they’re giving,” he said. “If they’re giving us a one-on-one with Ardell, we’re going to take it. They started putting two, sometimes two-and-a-half guys on Ardell, and we just ran the football. Less guys in the box. Do the math.”
Off the field, the math added up to 81 wins for the coach. A few thousand stuck around to show their appreciation.
