A Look Back at Past Massillon Teams – Part 1 – The 1990 Season
This is the first of a 10-part series looking back at all of the Massillon teams of the 1990s.
Head Coach: Lee Owens (3rd Year)
Overall Record: 8-4
Regular Season Record: 7-3
Playoff Results: Division I, Region 2; advanced to the regional finals; lost to Sandusky, 27-7
Key Players: Barry Shertzer (QB), Falondo Ashcraft (RB), Travis McGuire (RB), Steve Brown (TE), Duane Scott (OL), Eric Wright (LB), Dan Hackenbracht (DB), Chad Buckland (DB), Brent Bach (OL)
All-Ohio: Duane Scott (2nd)
The Tigers were coming off of a very successful 1989 campaign in which they recorded a win over Canton McKinley followed by playoff regional championship. The 1990 season promised more of the same beginning with wins over Stow (8-2) and Covington Catholic (9-1), along with a 1-point loss to Cincinnati Moeller. But a 14-7 setback to Austintown Fitch (8-2) showed that there were kinks in the armor. And those kinks were ever so present in one-sided losses to McKinley and Sandusky at the end of the season. On the plus side, Massillon would return several promising junior players for the next season.
KEY GAMES
Covington Catholic, KY – In Week 2 of the season the Tigers traveled to Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium to participate in the multi-game Buddy LaRosa Classic. The event was billed as Cincinnati vs. the rest of the country; Massillon was part of the “country” and was matched with Covington Catholic, which is located just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. Covington scored early in the first quarter when they returned a pass interception 35 yards for a touchdown. But after that it was all Massillon, as they outscored the Colonels 39-7 the rest of the way, eventually winning 39-14. Falando Ashcraft came up big in Owens “run-and-boot” offense, rushing 28 times for 190 yards and a touchdown run of 35 yards. Quarterback Barry Shertzer also tallied twice from his quarterback position.
Cincinnati Moeller – The Tigers had lost four straight games to the Crusaders coming into this one, but saw ahead of them a great opportunity to finally turn the table. And they nearly pulled it off. After the first quarter it was tied at seven. After the second it was tied at 14. And after the third the Tigers led 21-17, expanding the lead to 23-17 during the fourth. But in the closing seconds of the game, with Moeller facing a fourth down near midfield, they threw a pass toward the front of the Massillon bench. Upon seeing the ball skip to the receiver, the coaches removed their headsets and began to celebrate. However, it was short lived when the referee ran to the spot and ruled it a catch. Dramatically, on the next and final play of the game, Moeller launched a 39-yard pass into the end zone to Carlos Collins for a game-tying touchdown. The Crusaders then walked off with a 24-23 victory following the successful PAT. It would take a few more years before the locals finally conquered Moeller.
North Central, Indianapolis, IN – It is not unusual for the Tigers to play opponents from out of state. But the invite to North Central surprisingly turned into a 5-game series. In this opener, Massillon came out on top in a close, competitive battle, 21-15.
Canton McKinley – Massillon was never in this one and lost to the Bulldogs, 20-7. The Tigers did manage to tie the score at seven apiece in the third quarter, but McKinley had the last say, closing the season with a 5-4 record.
Massillon Jackson – In the first round of the playoffs the Tigers were paired with Jackson, which entered the fray with a 9-1 record. The Polar Bears came out hot both running and throwing the ball and grabbed a 15-0 lead after one quarter behind a 54-yard run and a 21-yard pass. Nevertheless, Massillon scored the next three touchdowns to win 21-15. But the win was not without controversy. Jackson had the ball inside the Tiger 30 near the end of the game and ahead 15-13. On a pass play the Tigers’ Mark Murphy shot through the line unblocked and sacked the quarterback, who apparently lost the ball and then rolled over it. At that point everyone thought the play was dead, including a celebratory Murphy as he sprinted to the sidelines waving his arms. All except Jeff Perry. And the referees. So, Perry quickly scooped the ball up and raced 72 yards for the winning score. Many today still wonder if the QB might have been down before the fumble. But the game film proves otherwise. Ashcraft led Massillon with 23 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Sandusky – The University of Akron’s Rubber Bowl was host to Massillon’s second round playoff game against unbeaten Sandusky. Although the Tigers led 7-0 after the first quarter, the Blue Streaks controlled the rest of the game and won 27-7. The following week Sandusky would lose to eventual state champion Warren Harding, 27-14.
