Massillon Tigers Football Mid-Season Report Card
With no game this past week for the Tigers on account of the forfeiture of the Farrell, Pennsylvania, game, perhaps it’s a good time to assess the performance of the 2026 team as compared to past teams of this caliber.
Prior to the season the expectation of success was extremely high, based on the number of returning starters and the number of stellar athletes at key positions. In fact, many pointed to Massillon as being perhaps the best team in state. And so far, they appear to be right on track, based on their perfect 7-0 record and Top-25 national ranking. But it’s always interesting to compare them to past Tiger teams.
The peers for this study are head coach Nate Moore’s five previous regional championship teams, considered as the best from among his previous eleven seasons. These include:
- 2018 – 10-0 in the regular season; signature win: East St. Louis (46-40); defeated Cincinnati Winton Woods 41-20 in the regional finals. Featured quarterback Aiden Longwell (2,642 yards), running back Jamir Thomas (1,918 yards), linebacker Ben Krichbaum (10.5 TFLs) and cornerback Max Turner (6 picks).
- 2019 – 10-0 in the regular season; signature win: Canton McKinley (24-14); defeated Akron Hoban 17-14 in the regional finals. Featured quarterback Aidan Longwell (2,604 yards), running back Terrence Keyes (1,592 yards), wide receiver Jayden Ballard (1,202 yards), wide receiver Andrew Wilson-Lamp (1,049 yards) and defensive end Caiden Woullard (6 sacks, 18 TFLs). Perhaps Moore’s best-ever offense.
- 2020 – 6-0 in the regular season (Covid year); signature win: Cleveland St. Ignatius (21-14); defeated Perry 43-13 in the regional finals. Featured quarterback Zach Catrone (1,574 yards), running back Willtrell Hartwell (1,111 yards), wide receiver Jayden Ballard and several outstanding defensive players. Perhaps Moore’s best-ever defense.
- 2022 – 9-1 in the regular season; signature win: Lakewood St. Edward (31-28); defeated Uniontown Lake 24-6 in the regional finals. Featured quarterback Jalen Slaughter (2,043 yards), running back Willtrell Hartson (2,042 yards), wide receivers Braylon Toles and Kyler Wiggins, and linebacker Dorian Pringle (21.5 TFLs).
- 2023 – 10-0 in the regular season; signature win: Valdosta, GA (28-17); defeated Union Green 31-6 in the regional finals; defeated Akron Hoban 7-2 in the state championship game. Featured quarterback DaOne Owens (2,868 total offensive yards), running back Ja’Meir Gamble, wide receivers Braylyn Toles and Jacques Carter, linebackers Dorian Pringle (24.5 TFLs) and Cody Fair (86 tackles), and defensive lineman Michael Wright Jr. (10.5 sacks). Certainly, Moore’s best-ever team at Massillon.
Some basic game statistics are used to make the assessment of the 2026 team, as shown in the table below. Note that the statistics are derived only from those of “competitive” games in order to balance the variances in “strength of schedule.”
Offense – The 2026 team features two stellar running backs in senior Savior Owens (Michigan State) and sophomore Gary Yeager (12.6 ave.). It also returns offensive linemen Marcus Garner and Davionne Floyd, plus newcomers Micah Walker on the line and Da’Shun Williams at tight end, both of whom have Division 1 offers. Although junior quarterback Rasmus Haines is still gaining varsity experience, he is effective in moving the chains and is very good at managing the offense with his check downs at the line of scrimmage. Haines is supported by two outstanding receivers in Giorgio Jackson Jr. (Miami of Ohio) and Deontay Malone (Ohio State.) So, it comes as no surprise that the Tigers want to run the ball first, which they do two-thirds of the time. But in order to win a state championship, the passing game will need to become a more integral part of the offense. The stat comparison shows that the 2026 team performs in the middle of the group in each category. Therefore, the offense receives a positive rating.
Defense – The 2026 team returns most of the players from last year’s squad and has added a few impact players via the transfer route. The strength of the unit is the front-7, which is built around senior linebacker Brayton Feister (Oregon) and junior defensive end Brydon Feister. Senior lineman Joe Karder and senior linebackers Isaac Maxheimer and Christian Culler also return from last year. In the secondary are returning starters Malone at cornerback and senior Braylon Gamble (Boston College) at safety. The stat comparison shows that, just like the offense, the defense performs in the middle of the group in each category. Therefore, the defense also receives a positive rating.
Overall – The Tigers own some big wins this season, the high point being a 23-21 road win over previously unbeaten Lakewood St. Edward, one of the favorites to win the Division I state title. Other notable victories came against Cleveland Glenville, NFL Academy-Europe and Canada’s Football North. The strength of the team appears to be defensive front-7. But the team also brings a level of physicality to the game that few opponents can match. When combining the offense with the defense, the 2026 team ranks 5th out of the six teams. But this is also 5th among all eleven Moore teams. So, it is certainly in the ballpark when compared to the peer group and receives a passing grade. Plus, they surely have the look of a legitimate Division II state title contender. Now, it’s up to the players to see if they can capture the region and then challenge for another playoff state championship.
