Tigers Overwhelm Canada’s Football North with Big-Play Offense
Game Statistics
Massillon (5-2) returned to its winning ways with a 45-6 rout of visiting Football North (Clarkson) (4-2), a team that hails from Toronto suburb Mississauga, Ontario. The Tigers used a balanced attack in scoring early and often and took the game into a running clock situation with their first touchdown of the second half.
North is not your typical Canadian team. Rather, they are an all-star group of Ontario-area athletes that participates in a league comprised of U.S. teams. In fact, they play exclusively American teams and are trained to play American-style football, similar to that of the NFL Academy-London. They have a huge offensive line, a very aggressive defensive line, multiple speed players and quarterbacks with big arms that are adept at finding open receivers.
But Massillon was clearly the better team in this encounter, rolling up 415 yards of offense, while holding North to just 49 yards on the ground. On offense the 3-headed backfield monster of Ja’Meir Gamble, Mylen Lenix and Peyton Mitchell combined for 146 rushing yards, 46 receiving yards and a touchdown. Even Big Mike Wright Jr. got into the action with 24 rushing yards and a score. In the air, Jalen Slaughter had another great night, completing 8 of 12 passes for a whopping 205 yards and a pair touchdowns. And he mixed those passes among six different receivers. He was also adept at avoiding a ferocious pass rush from North’s four down lineman. On defense, inside linebacker Ja’Dyn Williams was simply a monster, coming up with seven solo tackles and two assists. In addition, Tyler Hackenbracht was all over the field, as he recorded four solos, three assists and a pass interception.
With little yardage available on the ground, North went to the air with two signal callers. Winston Chapman completed 7 of 11 for 110 yards and a touchdown, that coming on a 77-yard bomb on the second possession of the game. On the receiving end of that score was Lucas Weir, who also caught four other balls. Quarterback Jacob Mueller added 47 yards on an 8 of 19 effort. But it was still a struggle, since in passing situations linebackers Williams and Logan Allman were coming hard and flew through the big North line. Although the QBs were only sacked twice, they were severely pressured and often took hard beatings on hits just after pass releases.
On North’s first possession they elected to go for it on a 4th and 1 at their own 31. Only, while attempting to sweep the right end, the running back was stuffed in the backfield by a hard rushing Tiger defense, led by Lenix. After that, it took Massillon just four plays to cover the necessary yards, with Wright “speeding” around the left side for an 8-yard score. It was on North’s subsequent possession that they hit the big pass play, only to have the PAT attempt blocked.
The Tigers came right back, but the 11-play drive ended a bit short. Mateo Herrera then enter the game and, with Francesco Salvino snapping and Savior Owens holding in perfect execution, easily drilled a 20-yard field goal, upping the score to 10-6.
Massillon tallied three times in the second quarter to essentially put the game away. The first was on a 64-yard burst through the middle of the North line by Lenix, who outraced three defenders to the end zone. The second was a 22-yard pass from Slaughter to Deontay Malone, who eluded the defender and found himself wide open and standing in the end zone waiting on the ball. The third score came with just 43 seconds on the clock when Slaughter threw another long pass to Malone, who caught the ball at the five and finished the play for a 44-yard TD. So, the Tigers took a 31-6 lead into the locker room.
Massillon got the ball in the third quarter and Slaughter immediately threw long to a wide-open Jacques Carter for a 73-yard score. And that was it for the first unit. Six touchdowns, one field goal and only a single punt.
But the second unit also wanted a piece. First, quarterback Mandwell Patterson launched a bomb to a well-covered Richard Harris, who executed a back shoulder catch to the delight of the crowd. Patterson finished it on the next play with a lob pass in the corner of the end zone to Gio Jackson Jr. for his first of many varsity touchdowns to come, making the final score 45-6.
Massillon will be at home again next week when they face Legacy School of Sports Science, from Texas. Football North will travel to Lakewood St. Edward.
Go Tigers!
Photos by Rob Engelhardt
Jordan Jones (58)
Vito McConnell (3), Mylen Lenix (5), Jalen Pringle (6), Logan Allman (13) and Ja’Dyn Williams (9) following the 4th down stop.
Peyton Mitchell after the catch.
Ja’Meir Gamble tries to elude a pair of tackles.
Gavin Kappes (57)
Ricardo Wells Jr. (11)
Mylen Lenix enroute to a 73-yard score.
Deontay Malone with his first touchdown.
Braylon Gamble with the near interception.
Maxwell Tanner (67), Tyler Hackenbracht (24), Michael Looney (75), Coach J.P. Simon, Gavin Kappes (57), Ayden McElroy (79), Van Hawkins (29) and Reymir Jackson (81).
Vito McConnell celebrates the victory.
