Statistics

Statistics provided by Matt Hersher

As the cliché goes, “big players make big plays in big games.” And that cliche was ever so true in Saturdays 136^th renewal of this great rivalry in which Massillon defeated Canton McKinley, 21-14. For it took just one big play, a 50-yard punt return for a touchdown, to tilt a tight contest that appeared headed for overtime in the Tigers’ favor.

With the score tied at 14 apiece and neither team mounting any serious scoring threat throughout the second half, the Bulldogs were faced with a 4^th down and 14 at their own 16. All day long the McKinley punter was lofting kicks high and deep, forcing fair catches by the Massillon return team. But on this one the punter was under tremendous pressure and was forced to unload early. So, Tiger junior Deontay Malone took full advantage by fielding the punt unopposed. He then immediately headed to the left side of the field, cleared two potential tacklers and raced untouched through the open green turf to the end zone, while being escorted by a host of Tiger teammates. There was one Bulldog player at the 20 and another at the 5, but they were quickly brushed aside. The score came with 5:05 left in the game. All Massillon need do after that was stave off the opponent one more time to secure the victory. And that they did.

But let’s not forget the incredible effort of the Tiger defense in the second half. Needless to say, they were simply overwhelming. Although the stats were fairly even in the first half, Massillon completely dismantled the Bulldog offense after the break as evidenced by the following:

Zero points, with no serious scoring threats.
One first down, that occurring following the punt return.
28 rushing yards in 10 attempts (2.8 ave.).
3 of 12 passing for negative 2 yards.
22 total plays for just 26 yards (1.2 ave.).
Four punts and one 4^th down pass interception.
In addition, McKinley failed to get a first down on its last three possessions of the first half.

What an effort!

1^st Quarter

After receiving the opening kickoff, Massillon wasted no time getting the offense rolling. On the fist play from scrimmage Savior Owens broke free and sped 25 yards for a first down. On the next play Manny Patterson lofted a perfectly placed pass to a well-covered Gio Jackson Jr. to advance the ball to the Bulldog 25. Only, the drive stalled on account of a holding penalty and the Tigers punted to the McKinley ten.

The Massillon defense aligned itself to stop the run and control the short passing game by using a single safety and all of the linebackers in the box. The scheme was effective in that the Bulldogs lost a yard on the first play, gained it back on the second and lost a fumble after a zero-yard pass on the third, caused by Braylon Gamble and recovered by Tra’Yon Williams. Then, on the first play Owens took the ball through the middle of the McKinley line and into the end zone for the TD.

Score: 7-0.

After Chayce White leaped high and intercepted a long, overthrown Bulldog pass, the Tigers were on the march again, starting at their own 32. It took eight plays to cover the 68 yards to paydirt. Included were a 22-yard pass from Patterson to Jaydce Thigpen, a 12-yard run by Owens and a 14-yard touchdown run around the left end by Owens.

Score: 14-0.

2^nd Quarter

With the 2-score lead, Massillon changed its defense to defend the downfield pass by inserting a fifth defensive back and removing some players from the box. Only, that risked McKinley getting right back in the game with their ground attack. And it did happen when sophomore running back Keyelin West broke free for a 45-yard touchdown run.

Score: 14-7.

Now concerned about Owens’ running ability and also that of Anthony Jr., McKinley abandoned their standard defensive alignment in favor of a bear defense. In essence, they covered each wide receiver one-on-one, moved all of their linebackers to the line and re-positioned the two safeties as inside linebackers in an all-out attempt to both stop the run and put maximum pressure on Patterson. The scheme worked quite well and they remained in that alignment for the remainder of the game, controlling the run and sacking Patterson four times.

Following a Massillon punt, the Bulldogs drove to the Massillon 16 for a first down. Three plays later they faced a 4^th down at the 18 and attempted 35-yard field goal, which was missed short. Only, one of the Tiger rushers interfered with the center and ensuing penalty gave McKinley new life with a 4^th and 1 at the ten. From there, Shad Davis skirted the left side of the line for the TD.

Score: 14-14.

So, the half ended with Massillon controlling the first quarter and McKinley the second. And the stats were relatively even, with 14 first downs apiece and the Tigers holding a slight edge in total yards, 189-152.

Second Half

After the break the Tigers returned to a run-stopping defense and the change paid off in a big way. Not only did the Bulldogs fail to get a first down until after the big punt return, they were also hemmed in at their own end of the field throughout the entire half. In fact, their average starting field position on their six possessions was their own 24 yard line. Meanwhile, although Massillon was unable to score, they did have opportunities, with each of its four possessions ending in McKinley territory. Unfortunately, on one of the series a 40-yard TD run by McMullen was called back due to a holding penalty.

But, as an example of the execution and physicality of both defenses, the Tigers were just 2 of 9 on third down conversions and the Bulldogs 1 of 9.

With neither reaching the red zone, it all came down to Malone returning the punt for the winning score.

Score: 21-14

Post-game

Owens finished the game with 21 carries for 114 yards (5.4 ave.) and two touchdowns. He was also named the Great American Rivalry Series MVP. McMullen Jr. added 60 yards on 14 carries (4.3 ave.). Patterson was 6 of 10 for 191 yards. Thigpen and Malone caught two passes each. Isaac Maxheimer had 8 total tackles and Ja’Dyn Williams had 6.

For McKinley, West had 19 carries for 113 yards (6.0 ave.) and a TD. However, take away his two long runs of 45 and 27 yards, and his average was just 2.4 yards per attempt. West also had 4 pass receptions. Shad Davis and Antonio Stevens had 7 total tackles each.

Following the game, perhaps in response to the post-game incidents of two years ago, the players of each team headed immediately to opposing ends of the field, while the co-captains and coaches shook hands in the center.

Massillon has now defeated McKinley ten years in a row and 14 of the last 15. They have also won all five games played at Tom Bensen Stadium.

With the win the Tigers (7-3) earn a bye week in the first round of the playoffs, after which they will host the winner of the North Canton vs. Columbus Northland game. The Bulldogs (8-2) also have a bye week and will then face the winner of the Strongsville-Medina game.

Photos by Marlene Kanipe