Massillon is a Bigger Fish in the Division II Pond

In 1972 when the OHSAA established the high school football playoffs, the Massillon Tigers were assigned to Class AAA , the highest division based on enrollment.  Later, Class AAA was renamed Division I as additional brackets were established.  And there the Tigers remained for some 41 years.  But in 2013, when the OHSAA significantly reduced the number of teams in Division I, Massillon was reclassified as Division II on account of a decline in enrollment at that time.  It didn’t matter that they were very competitive within the previous assignment.  Regardless, they appear to have settled quite comfortably into Division II, to the dismay of many other teams in that group.

While Massillon has captured just one state title in DII, that coming in 2023, they are nearly always in the mix when the discussion turns to naming the serious contenders.  In fact, the Tigers hold 7 regional titles in the 13 years following the realignment.  And, they have won 76 percent of their playoff games.  Twenty-nine times they were the higher-seed team in a playoff game and only twice came away on the wrong end of the score.  Further cementing them as a team to beat is having won five straight games over Lakewood St. Edward, which won two Division I state titles during that time and is a favorite to capture it again third this year.

The table below presents the history of Massillon’s participation in the Division II playoffs (losses are shown in yellow).  The following table shows Massillon’s data throughout the 54-year playoff history.