Scrimmage Preview: Massillon vs. Cincinnati Moeller
Massillon will entertain Cincinnati Moeller this Thursday at 2:00 pm for the second of two scrimmages as they continue preparation for the 2025 football season. The Crusaders come in fresh off a Division I state finals appearance in last year’s playoffs, in which they lost to Olentangy Liberty, 28-14.
Moeller, under Head Coach Gerry Faust, burst onto the Ohio high school football scene in 1975 with a 14-12 victory over Lakewood St. Edward in the state finals and enjoyed great success for several years thereafter (Eds at the time was led by Mike Currence, who incidentally left the following year for Massillon). The Crusaders went on to capture the state title six more times through 1985, up to when Cleveland St. Ignatius took over the limelight. However, Moeller did win two more titles since then, in 2012 and 2013.
But two years later the program slipped drastically, recording just one winning record in a span of six years, with a win-loss mark of just 22-36. Fortunately, they found two coaches that could right the ship in Mark Elder (2020-22) and Bert Bathiany, the current coach. Under this pair Moeller has resurged and won four consecutive regional championships through last season. Locally, Bathiany started his tenure there with a 49-31 road victory over Massillon.
The Crusaders are led by all-everything quarterback Matt Ponatoski. Last season he led his team to a 14-2 record, while losing in the state finals to Liberty. In that game he completed 16 of 30 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 34 yards. But for the season, he completed 281 of 405 passes (69%) for 4,217 yards (15.0 yds. ave.) and 57 touchdowns. He also rushed for another nine TDs. Following the season he was named both Ohio’s Division I Player of Year and Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year.
He was also a standout shortstop in baseball, batting .462, while helping his team to a 25-4 record and a spot in the regional finals. Ponatoski was named 1st Team All-Ohio and once again honored by Gatorade as the POY.
Coming into his senior year, the 6’-2”, 190 lb. Ponatoski is rated as the No. 18 quarterback in America (also the No. 16 shortstop in America). He also committed to Kentucky over Oregon, Alabama, Arkansas and Cincinnati to further his career, with opportunities to participate in both football and baseball. Of course, Moeller this year is the pre-season pick to win the Division I state title.
Also for the Crusaders, keep an eye on the following players, all of whom were named 1st Team All Greater Catholic League (GCL) last season:
• Senior running back Tyler Josleyn (5’-9”, 185)
• Senior tight end Cooper McCutchan (6’-4”, 230), a North Carolina recruit
• Senior linebacker Conner Cuozzo (6’-1”, 220)
• Senior defensive lineman Christian Harris (6’-1”, 270)
• Senior defensive back Ricky Thomas (6’-1”, 185)
Coach Bethiany was named GCL Coach of the Year.
Massillon and Moeller have met each other in scrimmage action the past two years in very competitive matches, with both played in Cincinnati. In 2023 the Tigers, during their championship run, came out on top 21-7. And last year they bested the Crusaders in a close one, 10-7. This should be another interesting matchup and maybe a pretty good show as well.
