Massillon Poised to Overtake Valdosta as America’s Top Football Wins Leader
It was in the movie “For Love of the Game” that Detroit Tigers’ player Billy Chapel was apprising a new girlfriend about his high number of losses as a pitcher. He said to her, “We count everything In baseball. That’s all we do.” And so it goes for all sports, even high school football. In fact, many publications go beyond the basic team and player statistics and attempt to list what they believe are the top teams in the entire nation. Some rankings are based on seasonal game performance. Others by the perception of historical dynasty. And then there are those that are ranked more objectively, using simply the sum totals of wins acquired throughout teams’ lengthy timelines.
It is the third method that is the subject of this story. Currently, the nation’s top team in total wins is Georgia’s Valdosta Wildcats, with Ohio’s Massillon Tigers just one game behind. While neither may be considered as the current best team in the land, both have had their fair shares of great teams and dynastic periods. But in the present, they have been in a battle to grasp and then maintain the Number 1 position in total historical wins. They even met on the field at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in a 2023 classic in order to determine if some level of bragging rights could be claimed. In that one the Tigers came out on top, 28-17.
While Massillon previously led the nation in this category for many years thanks to the accomplishments of legendary coaches Paul Brown (Ohio State, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals), Chuck Mather (University of Kansas) and Leo Strang (Kent State University), they reluctantly surrendered the top spot to Valdosta in 1987. What aided the Wildcats at the time was their opportunity to secure additional wins by taking advantage of Georgia’s extensive post-season playoff structure, whereas Ohio was late to the table and didn’t mirror Georgia’s format until much more recently. Nevertheless, the Tigers have been pursuing the Wildcats ever since. Only, that may be about to change.
For several years Valdosta has held a measurable lead in the race. But they were recently forced to vacate some wins on account of employing ineligible players. That, coupled with several forfeits from many years ago that have recently come to light, and suddenly the Tigers are just one game behind the Wildcats. In addition, two Kentucky schools, Louisville Male and Mayfield, have also returned to the hunt, trailing Valdosta by just three and five games, respectively. Here are the current standings:
- 960 – Valdosta, Georgia
- 959 – Massillon, Ohio
- 957 – Louisville Male, Kentucky
- 955 – Mayfield, Kentucky
- 943 – Fort Thomas Highlands, Kentucky
- 907 – Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania
- 903 – Muskegon, Michigan
- 900 – Highland Park, Texas
- 886 – Easton, Pennsylvania
- 882 – Canton McKinley, Ohio
One indicator that the dynamics are about to change are the win-loss trends over the past five years of the top four contenders, as shown below:
- Valdosta – 67 games played, including 17 playoff games. 36-21 record (.632) (not counting the four forfeits in 2020).
- Massillon – 70 games played, including 24 playoff games. 60-10 record (.857).
- Louisville Male – 64 games, including 14 playoff games. 51-13 record (.797).
- Mayfield – 64 games, including 14 playoff games. 55-9 record (.859).
The data shows that Valdosta has been clearly outshone by the other three teams over the past five years. If these trends continue, then any one of the three could overtake the Wildcats as early as this year. Ohio’s format for regional play now offers the prospect of winning four games and advancing to the state tournament, which entails another two games. And Massillon has been simply dominating in a region that is stocked with more average programs, winning 18 of 20 games over this period of time. Having these additional opportunities to increase the win count gives Massillon a decided advantage over the other three contenders. This is something the Tigers didn’t have available to them during the playoff formats of earlier years. And let’s not forget their consistent success in the regular season, where they own a 40-6 record during the five year period under the very successful Coach Nate Moore (110-25).
Another factor has also recently come to light. A website that reports on Georgia high school football history has lowered Valdosta’s count by one win, which according to them now stands at 959. If that number holds up it would mean that Massillon is in effect now tied for the lead, with both Louisville Male and Mayfield even closer to the top.
So, after a nearly 40-year drought, Massillon may once again stand above the rest of the country in total wins. Then they, of course, would become the team that is being pursued.
