It Was an Award-Winning Year for the 2023 Tigers

The Massillon Tigers continue to reap rewards for the success of their 2023 football campaign, which culminated in winning the Division II State Championship.  Recently, Head Coach Nate Moore (99-22) was named by Maxpreps.com as their National Coach of the Year, having already won a similar accolade in the state of Ohio.  But, if you ask the coach about all that, he would quickly credit the dedication and hard work his team and coaches put in prior to and throughout the entire season, as they compiled a 16-0 record and captured Massillon’s first state title in 53 years.

Deservedly, six players were named All-County, twelve All-District and ten All-Ohio, led by Dorian Pringle, who was named Ohio Division II Co-Defensive Player of the Year.  Here’s a look at all the awards and milestones gathered to date by the team and players:

Team

• Division II State Championship, the Tigers’ first state title during the playoff era
• 25^th state championship, the most among all Ohio schools
• 16 wins in a season, setting a new Massillon record
• 24^th undefeated regular season and first fully unbeaten season during the playoff era
• New record set for Harbin System points, which are used to qualify for the playoffs
• Moved into a tie for second place for the most historic wins in the country (948)
• Ranked No. 10 in the country by Maxpreps.com (No. 3 among all public schools)
• Ranked No. 10 in the country by USAToday (No. 3 among all public schools)

 Head Coach Nate Moore

• Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association Division II Co-Coach of the Year
• Maxpreps.com National Coach of the Year

Dorian Pringle – Senior linebacker / running back

• All-County
• 1^st Team All-District
• District Co-Defensive Player of the Year
• 1^st Team All-Ohio
• Ohio Co-Defensive Player of the Year
• SBLive High School Football All-American Team
• Set new season and career records for tackles-for-loss and tackles-for-loss yards
• Signed with Bowling Green

Da’One Owens – Senior quarterback

• Great American Rivalry Series Most Valuable Player in the Canton McKinley Game
• All-County Coach’s Selection
• 1^st Team All-District
• District Co-Offensive Player of the Year
• 1^st Team All-Ohio

Michael Wright Jr. – Junior defensive lineman / running back

• All-County
• 1^st Team All-District
• 1^st Team All-Ohio
• Set new season and career records for quarterback sacks and quarterback sack yards
• Set a new record for quarterback sacks in a McKinley game (3.0)

Chase Bond – Senior defensive lineman

• All-County
• 1^st Team All-District
• 2^nd Team All-Ohio
• Signed with North Carolina State

Nolan Davenport – Junior offensive lineman

• All-County
• 1^st Team All-District
• 2^nd Team All-Ohio

Cody Fair – Senior linebacker

• 1^st Team All-District
• 3rd Team All-Ohio
• Signed with the U.S. Naval Academy

Brady Jones – Senior offensive lineman

• All-County
• 2^nd Team All-District
• Honorable Mention All-Ohio

Tyler Hackenbracht – Junior safety

• All-County
• 2^nd Team All-District
• Honorable Mention All-Ohio

Jacques Carter – Junior wide receiver

• 2^nd Team All-District
• Honorable Mention All-Ohio

Ja’Meir Gamble – Junior running back

• 2^nd Team All-District
• Honorable Mention All-Ohio

Adonis Marshall – Senior cornerback

• Honorable Mention All-District

Braylyn Toles – Junior wide receiver

• Honorable Mention All-District

Jalen Slaughter – Junior quarterback

• Set new season record for quarterback efficiency
• Set new season record for passing yards per attempt