2025 Booster Club Report – Week PO4 – Preview of the Big Walnut Game
Link to the Columbus DeSales Game Story
Link to the Columbus DeSales Game Statistics
Link to the Division II Playoff Bracket
No. 3 seeded Massillon (9-3) defeated No. 2 seeded Columbus DeSales (9-3) in Round 3 of the playoffs, 48-14. Next week, the Tigers travel to Zanesville to face No. 1 seeded Big Walnut (11-1), which defeated Canal Winchester last week, 35-0.
This is the fourth meeting between these two schools. The Tigers won 38-0 in 2021. Freddie Lenix Jr., rushed for 140 yards, helping his team put over 400 yards of offense. Massillon won again in 2022, 42-21, after falling behind 10-0 early in the game. In that one, Willtrell Hartson rushed for 211 yards and scored three touchdowns. The Golden Eagles took a 14-7 decision in last year’s regional finals, in spite of the Tigers holding the edge in total offense, 378-170.
Review of the Columbus DeSales Game
Massillon used a devastating ground attack against Columbus St. Francis DeSales to overwhelm the host team 48-14 in Round 3 of the state playoffs. With the win, the Tigers advance to the regional championship game. Running backs Savior Owens and Anthony McMullen Jr. combined for 303 yards and five touchdowns on 32 carries, with an average of 9.5 yards per attempt. On defense, the Tigers held the Stallions to just 54 yards in 21 tries. In addition, highly-touted quarterback RJ Day was limited to 125 yards passing, intercepted twice, sacked once and completed his only TD pass while a running clock was in effect. Deontay Malone’s 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown is ranked as Massillon’s third all-time longest. The Tigers led in total yardage, 343-179. The second half was played mostly under a running clock situation.
Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore addressed the gathering at the weekly Booster Club meeting, remarking that they are very happy with the win. But there are a lot of areas that need to improve.
Big Walnut Scouting Report
The Golden Eagles play in the Capital Division of the Ohio Capital Conference and are currently 11-1, with a 6-0 record in league play. The loss came against unbeaten Columbus Watterson in the season opener. The Golden Eagles average 38 points per game and give up just 6. Only three teams have scored more than a touchdown against them. Last year they were 13-1, with a 14-7 win over Massillon in the regional finals, followed by a 28-24 loss to Cincinnati Anderson in the state semis. Over the last five years Big Walnut has compiled a record of 51-13 in the regular season and 9-5 in playoff competition.
Below are their scores:
- Columbus Watterson (11-0): 15-37 L
- Dayton Dunbar (3-7): 47-0
- Groveport Madison (6-6): 36-10
- Delaware Hayes (2-8): 45-7
- Westerville South (9-3): 28-7
- Parma Padua (1-9): 42-0
- Worthington Kilbourne (7-4): 35-20
- Westerville North (3-7): 37-3
- Dublin Scioto (5-5): 35-6
- Galloway Westland (5-6): 56-0
- Columbus Walnut Ridge (8-4): 43-0
- Canal Winchester (10-2): 35-0
Big Walnut utilizes the spread offense, with a gap-scheme rushing attack, similar to the Tigers. They want to use power and run downhill between the tackles. At quarterback is junior Eli Stumpf (6′-4″, 195). In the playoff game against Massillon last year he completed 11 of 16 passes for 67 yards and one touchdown. Moore says that he is really good. He runs the offense well and is also a pretty good runner himself. The running back is junior Nolan Buirley (6′-2″, 210). He is big, he is strong and he is fast. Moore considers him to be their best offensive player. In the game last year he carried the ball 24 times for 92 yards. He also returned the second half kickoff 96 yards for what turned out to be the winning points. In the passing game the “go-to” wide receiver is senior Brody Hatfield (5′-10″, 170). He caught three balls last year for 17 yards and a touchdown. But, all of the receivers are considered to be good football players. Including senior tight end Owen Pollock (6′-4″, 235), who caught four passes for 32 yards. The offensive line has good size, averaging 6′-3″, 263 lbs.
The defense uses a 3-4 scheme, although one of the linebackers is normally positioned standing up on the line. The three down linemen average 6′-1″, 237 lbs. The best linebacker is senior Eli Helton (5′-11″, 215). Last year against the Tigers he recorded 11 tackles, 1 sack and 2.5 tackles-for-loss. Senior Will Clawson (5′-10″, 195) is also an excellent linebacker. He had 10 tackles in the 2024 game. The secondary will interchange cover-3 and cover-4, while playing exclusively zone coverage.
“We will stick to taking care of our business,” said Moore in closing. “But there is a little bit of revenge factor. We had a great practice today. We need to play disciplined in spite of what the defense may do to draw our offensive linemen offsides (referring to last year’s debacle).”
Go Tigers!
