Massillon Poised to Make a Deep Run in the Playoffs
After sitting out Round 1 with a bye, the Tigers get their opportunity this week to participate in the playoffs when they host Columbus St. Francis DeSales on Friday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Massillon is seeded No. 3, while DeSales is No. 6.
DeSales, with a record of 8-3, enters the fray on the heels of a 56-14 victory over No. 11 seed Watkins Memorial. Meanwhile, a rested Tiger team finished the regular season with a 9-1 mark and a 31-0 victory over rival Canton McKinley.
These two teams faced each other last year in Round 3 in a game played in Columbus. In that one, Massillon rolled to a 27-7 halftime lead and eventually won the game, 48-14. It was a junior player that carried the day for each team, with the Tigers’ Savior Owens rushing 18 times for 215 yards and three touchdowns, and DeSales quarterback RJ Day completing 13 of 26 passes for 125 yards and one TD.
So, how well positioned is this year’s Tiger team to win the region after falling short the previous two years? Where are they strong and where are they not as strong? Below is an assessment, which is based on comparisons to previous successful Massillon squads.
Strength of Schedule
Over the past seven years Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore has greatly added to the number of challenges the Tigers face during the regular season, by replacing the odd-week cupcakes of previous coaching tenures with nationally ranked teams. In fact, one might say that Massillon itself is considered to be a national Top 100 team. The benefit of these difficult schedules is that they help prepare the Tigers for what they might see in the playoffs. In this year’s schedule, seven of the opponents are playoff caliber, while NFL Academy-Europe, Lakewood St. Edward and Cornerstone Christian (TX) fall into the national elite category.
Rushing Offense
Under Moore, Massillon has been a run-first team, in spite of operating out of the spread formation. Typically, the Tigers run 66% of the time. And this year is no exception, while even kicking it up a notch with a 70% ratio. And why not? They have a big, athletic line that averages 6’-5”, 282 lbs., blocking for 225 lb. running back Savior Owens (Michigan State), Throw in two exceptional substitute running backs, plus a 6’-6” tight end with Division 1 offers, and the tools are certainly in place to excel in this aspect of the game. In addition, offensive coordinator Evan Berbari has introduced zone-blocking, which allows the running backs to pick their holes rather than focus on a single spot on the line. And the backs have the talent, experience and speed to work within this concept.
As a team, the Tigers are averaging 221 yards per game on the ground, which ranks 3rd among all Massillon spread offense teams (1998 to present). They also average 6.5 yards per carry, which is second among the spread offense teams and right behind the 2023 state championship team’s mark of 6.6.
Rushing Defense
A strong defense against the rush is another reason why this team has been so successful. The run-stop concept, under defensive coordinator Jeff Kent, involves all eleven players, while not necessarily sacrificing greatly in pass defense. The front-7 is stocked with athletic, physical, speedy players that know how to play the game. It starts with middle linebacker Brayton Feister (Oregon), who holds the distinction of being previously named All-American at the position. Meanwhile, several players are in position to finish the season in the records book for quarterback sacks and tackles-for-loss.
Through the regular season, the Tigers have surrendered just 72 yards on the ground per game, which is ranked second among all twelve of Moore’s teams and just behind the 2023 team. In addition, the defense holds opponents to just 2.9 yards per carry, which is ranked third. It is also ranked fifth among all spread offense teams.
Kicking Game
Manning the placekicking chores is 4-year starter Mateo Herrera. This year he has converted 36 of 38 PATs and 7 of 9 field goals. He also regularly puts his kickoffs into the end zone. The punting duties go to Rasmus Haines, who averages 34.8 yards per kick.
Passing Offense
Surely, the stellar rushing attack overshadows the passing game, but this part of the offense certainly has the talent to challenge opponents. The quarterback is Rasmus Haines, who has completed 58% of his passes, with a quarterback efficiency rating of 146. He also holds Division 1 offers. His favorite targets are Deontay Malone (Ohio State) and Gio Jackson Jr. (Miami of Ohio).
As a team, the Tigers average 131 yards passing per game, which ranks just 10th among all Moore teams. However, the effectiveness of the passing game as measured by average yards per pass ranks as high as fourth, with the potential finish in the record book top ten. Therefore, opponents shouldn’t sleep on this aspect of the Tiger offense.
Passing Defense
The secondary features Malone (Ohio State) at cornerback and Braylon Gamble (Boston College) at safety and both individually provide great run defense. However, pass defense as a group is not high on the statistical ranking, having surrendered 51% pass completion and 14.1 yards per catch, well above other Moore teams. Then again, much of this should be credited to caliber of the opponents the Tigers have faced this year. These teams have well-balanced offenses with great execution.
Putting It All Together
Strength-of-Schedule – This year’s schedule is significantly more difficult than that of an average Moore team. This better prepares the Tigers for late-round playoff games.
Scoring – The average score in a game this year was 34-14, with a differential of 20 points. Coach Moore’s teams over the previous eleven years have averaged 36-17, with a differential of 19 points. So, this year’s team is right on track, in spite of the schedule strength.
Total Team Offense – This year’s team averages 352 yards per game, which is ranked seventh among all Moore teams. They average 7.3 yards per play, which is ranked third behind 2018 and 2019, while tied with the 2023 team.
Total Team Defense – This year’s team gives up an average of 203 yards per game, which is ranked second among all Moore teams and fourth among all spread offense teams. They surrender 4.7 yards per play, which is ranked fifth among all Moore teams.
First Down Performance – The 2026 team performs at 83%, which is ranked third among all Moore teams and fifth among all previous Massillon teams (1958 to present) when adjusted for strength of schedule. The defense performs at 67%, which is average for a Moore team, but third when adjusted for strength of schedule.
Turnovers – This is an oddity in that Massillon has taken the ball away just nine times, including just two pass interceptions. Normally, a Massillon team will have 15-20 takeaways during the regular season. The reason for this disparity may be that top level teams just don’t turn the ball over that much.
The Bottom Line – Based on the performance of both the rushing attack and the defense against the run, this year’s Massillon team is well-positioned to make a deep run in the playoffs and perhaps take home the crown at the end.
