The Division II All-Ohio Squad was well represented by six Massillon Tiger players, all of whom have played their final high school games. They were members of a team that finished the season with an 11-3 record and advanced to the regional championship game. The players include:
First Team
Nolan Davenport – Davenport was a 2-year starter at offensive tackle, plus a sophomore tenure starting at tight end, playing at 6’-6”, 290 lbs. During the season he helped his team rush for 163.5 yards per game at 6.3 yards per attempt, while scoring 34 rushing touchdowns. In the passing game, the line surrendered just 13 quarterback sacks in 14 games. After the season he was named All-Stark County and 1st Team All-District. Next year Davenport will attend the University of Wisconsin.
Michael Wright jr. – Wright was a 4-year starter as a defensive lineman, playing at 5’-11”, 285 lbs. and was perhaps the the most dominating player at that position that the Tigers have ever had. For the season he produced 47 tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss for 68 yards and 4 sacks for 26.5 yards. The two TFL numbers are both Top 10. After the season he was named All-Stark County and 1st Team All-District. Next year Wright will attend Youngstown State University.
Tyler Hackenbracht – Hackenbracht was a 2-year starter at safety, playing at 6’-2”, 210 lbs. During the season he led the team with 113 total tackles, including 63 assists, both marks of which are Top 10. He also had 4 tackles-for-loss. Hackenbracht had the uncanny ability to play down hill with speed on running plays and make physical tackles on the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage. But he also made an impact on special teams. Against Teays Valley he returned one kickoff and two punts for touchdowns, something rarely seen in a single game. The kickoff return spanned 100 yards and is No. 2 in the record book for the longest return. Hackenbracht set a new record for averaging 39 yards per punt return and tied a record with three punt returns for touchdowns in a single season, to go along with numerous other Top 10 marks. After the season, he was named All-Stark County and 1st Team All-District. Next year Hackenbracht will attend the University of Toledo.
Second Team
Ja’Meir Gamble – Gamble was a 2-year starter at running back, playing at 5’-10”, 190 lbs. During the season he rushed 189 times for 1,636 yards and scored 20 touchdowns, while averaging 8.7 yards per attempt. His yardage number is No. 4 all-time. Against Legacy School of Sport Science he rushed for 290 yards (No. 3 all-time), averaged 19.3 yards per carry (No. 2 all-time) and scored five touchdowns (No. 5 all-time). Against Warren Harding he averaged 15.2 yards per carry, which is also in the Top 10. With 4.3 second speed in the 40-yard dash, he was adept at breaking off runs toward the outside when the line was clogged. In fact, 14 of his 20 touchdowns were of 20 yards or more. After the season he was named All-Stark County and 1st Team All-District. Next year Gamble will attend Mercyhurst University.
Mylen Lenix – Lenix played running back on offense in 2023, but defensive outside linebacker was his primary focus this year, playing at 5′-10″, 205 lbs. It was there that he had an immediate impact with his aggressive play. During the season he recorded 48 tackles, 28 assists, 15.0 tackles-for-loss (Top 10) for 62.5 lost yards and a team-leading 6.0 quarterback sacks (Top 10) for 36.5 yards. He also had a pass breakup, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. Against Legacy School of Sport Science he had 2.5 sacks, which is No. 5 in the record book. After the season he was named 1st Team All-District.
Third Team
Jalen Slaughter – Slaughter was a 4-year starter at quarterback, playing at 6′-0″, 170 lbs. During the season he completed 175 of 279 pass for 2,363 yards and 22 touchdowns. His best performance of the year was against NFL Academy-London when he connected on 29 of 44 passes for 403 yards, with all three marks in the record book Top 10. He also passed for over 200 yards against Football North (Clarkson) and Canal Winchester. Three times in a game he tossed three touchdowns. He finished his career in fine company as one of the Top Four Massillon passing quarterbacks ever, along with Justin Zwick, Kyle Kempt and Aidan Longwell. After the season he was named All-Stark County and 1st Team All-District.
Seven Massillon football players recently committed to their respective colleges on Early Signing Day to further their academic and playing careers. They comprise the largest ever group of Massillon players that confirmed their commitments on an Early Signing Day. The 2024 team finished with a record of 11-3 and advanced in the playoffs to the regional finals. They also defeated Canton McKinley for the ninth consecutive time and 3-time defending Division I state champion Lakewood St. Edward for the third consecutive time. And let’s not forget that these the players were instrumental in the Tigers’ run to the Division II state championship of a year ago, during which they won all sixteen games.
Note: At the time of this story the 2024 All-Ohio team had yet to be released.
Jacques Carter – Carter will attend Southern Illinois University. He was a 2-year starter at wide receiver, playing at 5’-10”, 160 lbs. During the season he used his blazing speed to catch 29 passes for 560 yards and 8 touchdowns, at 19.3 yards per catch. For his career he caught 80 passes for 1,356 yards and 15 touchdowns at 19.4 yards per catch. His career number of receptions, yards and touchdowns are all Top 10 in the record book. He was named All-County and 2nd Team All-District. In 2023 he was named Honorable Mention All-Ohio.
Nolan Davenport – Davenport will attend the University of Wisconsin. He was a 2-year starter at offensive tackle, plus a sophomore season starting at tight end, playing at 6’-6”, 290 lbs. During the season he helped his team rush for 163.5 yards per game at 6.3 yards per attempt, while scoring 34 rushing touchdowns. In the passing game, the line surrendered just 13 quarterback sacks in 14 games. After the season he was named All-County and 1st Team All-District. In 2023 he was named 2nd Team All-Ohio.
Ja’Meir Gamble – Gamble will attend Merceyhurst University. He was a 2-year starter at running back, playing at 5’-10”, 190 lbs . During the season he rushed 189 times for 1,636 yards and scored 20 touchdowns, while averaging 8.7 yards per attempt. His yardage number is No. 4 all-time. Against Legacy School of Sport Science he rushed for 290 yards (No. 3 all-time), averaged 19.3 yards per carry (No. 2 all-time) and scored five touchdowns (No. 5 all-time). Against Warren Harding he averaged 15.2 yards per carry, which is also in the Top 10. With 4.3 second speed in the 40-yard dash, he was adept at breaking off runs toward the outside when the line was clogged. In fact, 14 of his 20 touchdowns were of 20 yards or more. For his career, Gamble rushed 333 times for 2,611 yards and scored 25 touchdowns, while averaging 7.8 yards per attempt. His yardage is No. 5, while his average is also in the Top 10. After the season he was named All-County and 1st Team All-District. In 2023 he was named Honorable Mention All-Ohio.
Tyler Hackenbracht – Hackenbracht will attend the University of Toledo. He was a 2-year starter at safety, playing at 6’-2”, 210 lbs. During the season he led the team with 113 tackles, a mark that is Top 10. His 63 assisted tackles is also Top 10. And he had 4 tackles-for-loss. He finished his career with 158 tackles and 16 pass breakups (Top-10 all-time). Hackenbracht had the uncanny ability to play down hill with speed on running plays and make physical tackles on the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage. But he also made an impact on special teams. Against Teays Valley he returned one kickoff and two punts for touchdowns, something rarely seen in a single game. The kickoff return spanned 100 yards and is No. 2 in the record book for the longest return. Throughout his career he was exceptional in the return game and now finds his name in the Top 10 of 13 different categories. After the season, he was named All-County and 1st Team All-District. In 2023 he was named Honorable Mention All-Ohio.
Vito McConnell – McConnell will attend Miami of Ohio. He was a 2-year starter at outside linebacker, playing at 6’-3”, 220 lbs. During the season he recorded 59 tackles, 7 tackles-for-loss for 27 yards and a sack. He also had 5 pass breakups and a pass interception. For his career, he had 156 tackles. 11 tackles-for-loss for 41 yards, a pair of sacks, 8 pass breakups and 4 pass interceptions. After the season he was named All-County and 2nd Team All-District.
Steven Reinhart – Reinhart will attend Ohio Wesleyan University. A backup inside linebacker, he played at 5’-8”, 200 lbs. During his career he recorded 13 tackles, one tackle-for-loss and one pass breakup.
Michael Wright Jr. – Wright will attend Youngstown State University. He was a 4-year starter as a defensive lineman, playing at 5’-11”, 285 lbs. and was perhaps the the most dominating player at that position that the Tigers have ever had. For the season he produced 47 tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss for 68 yards and 4 sacks for 26.5 yards. The two TFL numbers are both Top 10. For his career, Wright recorded 145 tackles. But he is also the Massillon leader for tackles-for-loss and sacks. His leaves with 48.5 TFLs for 258 yards and 23 quarterback sacks for 161 yards. After the season he was named All-County and 1st Team All-District. In 2023 he was named 1st Team All-Ohio and the same is expected this year.
Front row (l-r): Steven Reinhart, Michael Wright Jr., Ja’Meir Gamble and Jacques Carter. Back row (l-r): Head Coach Nate Moore, Tyhler Hackenbracht, Vito McConnell and Nolan Davenport.
At the end of each season the Touchdown Club honors one of the players with the “Bob Commings Memorial Hardnose Award.” That player would have received the most votes from among weekly tallies taken by the club members. Past players honored include John Mulbach (Ohio State), David Whitfield (Ohio State), Chris Spielman (Ohio State), Shawn Crable (Michigan), Brian Gamble (Illinois/Ashland) and Dorian Pringle (Bowling Green).
Bob Commings was a very successful coach for the Tigers from 1969 to 1973, compiling a record of 43-6-2, including Massillon’s last state poll championship (1970) and a qualification for Ohio’s first ever state playoff games (1972). Commings departed following the 1973 season to become head coach of the University of Iowa and later coached at GlenOak High School, for which their field was later named.
This year’s Hardnose Award winner is Michael Wright Jr., the Tiger defensive nose tackle who led his team to an 11-3 record and a spot in the playoff regional finals.
It didn’t take long for Wright to become a Tiger varsity starter, as his knack for disrupting opposing team’s offenses early in his freshmen season did not go unnoticed by the coaches. In fact, his career on the frosh team lasted all of two games. And once moved to varsity he quickly became a starter, and thereafter always demanded a double-team from opposing offenses. Head Coach Nate Moore looked back on Mike’s 4-year career and recalled his level of athleticism and football prowess as key factors in the move. Then, over the last four years he marveled at his growth both on and off the field. Moore believes that Wright will be remembered as one of the best defensive linemen to ever suit up for the Tigers.
During his four years of varsity ball Wright posted the following numbers:
Freshman – 26 tackles, 4 tackles-for-loss for 21 yards lost and 2.5 sacks for 16 lost yards.
Sophomore – 36 tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss for 73 yards lost and 6 sacks for 43 lost yards.
Junior – 36 tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss for 96 yards lost and 10.5 sacks (all-time record) for 76 lost yards (all-time record)
Senior – 47 tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss for 68 yards lost and 4 sacks for 27 lost yards.
His record-setting career numbers are as follows:
145 tackles
48.5 tackles-for-loss (all-time record)
258 lost yards from tackles-for-loss (all-time record)
23 sacks (all-time record)
162 lost yards from sacks (all-time record)
He also had 3 tackles-for-loss against Middletown, DE, in 2022 and 3 sacks against Canton McKinley in 2023. He ends his career with a team record of 50-8 and a Division II state championship. He was also named 1st Team All-Ohio in 2023 and will mostly receive that same honor this year. Next year he plans to play for Youngstown State University.
The guest speakers at the event were Glen Weirich, a Hardnose Award winner in 1971, and Bob Commings Jr., son of Bob Sr., for whom the award was named. The trophy was presented to Wright by Commings.
Congratulations to Michael Wright Jr.
(l-r) Dad Michael Sr., Michael Jr., mom Alicia, Touchdown Club Chairman George Mizer and Head Coach Nate Moore.
Massillon’s dream of a consecutive Division II state championship came to a sudden end when they were upset by Columbus-area Big Walnut, 14-7, in the Region 7 finals. The Golden Eagles returned a kickoff to start the second half for a touchdown to break a 7-7 tie and that ended up being the difference in the game on the scoreboard, although the statistics show a much different story.
Ja’Meir Gamble
The two teams played at Mansfield’s Arlin Field and they were met with a miserable night of weather. The temperature was around 40 degrees and there was a 20 mile per hour wind howling along the length of the field, with rain coming down in sheets throughout the contest. In spite of that, the Tigers were able to put up 378 yards of offense against 170 yards for Big Walnut. In fact, Massillon running back Ja’Meir Gamble rushed for 184 yards (8.4 yards per carry), eclipsing the entire Eagle offense. The Tigers even led in first downs, 16-10. But they couldn’t translate that performance onto the scoreboard, as a slew of penalties prevented them from finishing drives.
The Massillon offensive line was whistled for an unprecedented nineteen false starts, at least one occurring during eight of their nine possessions. In fact, one drive alone saw six flags thrown for that infraction. From this writer’s vantage point there appeared to be two possible reasons for this and probably a combination of both. The first was that the smaller Golden Eagle line needed to gain some advantage or else be blown off the ball on run plays by the larger Tiger line. So, as a legal football ploy, many times Jalen Slaughter went into his snap cadence, the 3-man line in unison quickly shifted a half gap or a full gap to one side or the other. That required the offensive linemen to rapidly readjust their blocking plan. The Eagles did this on every play. And it might have been too much for these young minds to handle. But sometimes it might have been players reacting to the twitching movements.
The second was that the Big Walnut crowd was quite enthusiastic throughout the game and brought the noise every time Massillon had the ball. It’s possible that the offensive line had difficulty hearing Slaughter’s cadence and they began to anticipate the snap.
Massillon received the opening kickoff and returned it to the 20 yard line. They did advance to the 40, but a pair of false start penalties hampered the try and they were forced to punt. Big Walnut returned the favor a few plays later and the Tigers this time started at their own 18, only to punt from the 44. With anticipated difficulty in throwing against the wind they kept it mostly to the ground. In other words, the goal may have been to get through that first quarter unscathed and then turn on the offense.
Unfortunately, the Golden Eagles, which had the wind at their backs, took over at their own 45 and proceeded on their lone scoring drive of the night. They covered the distance in ten plays, with quarterback Eli Stumpf completing all four of his passes for 30 yards and short runs covering the rest. The score came early in the second quarter when Stumpf, on third down and three, was able to elude a heavy pass rush and connect with Brody Hatfield for a diving catch just over the goal line.
With the field now reversed, the Tigers now had the wind. From the 25, Slaughter went to play action pass on the first play and lofted a beautiful rainbow to a streaking Braylyn Toles. He gathered the ball near midfield and raced untouched to the endzone. It was a remarkable pass connection given the speed of the wind. Nolan Hendrick’s kick was good and the score was tied.
Unfortunately, Massillon had only one other possession in the second quarter and this one stalled out at the Big Walnut 28. They did have a fourth and one at the 18, but four consecutive false start penalties put that drive in the drawer.
The Golden Eagle dagger came when Nolan Buirley returned the second half kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. Ironically, with wind at their back, the Tigers elected to kick short of the goal line and the low kick got there a bit too quickly for the coverage team to get into position to make the stop.
One quarter remained for the Tigers to take advantage of the wind before the field was reversed. But the first attempt was squashed by a false start penalty. Subsequently, they had Big Walnut stopped in their side of the field and would have had great field position, but they roughed the punter. Two plays later they incurred an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. By the time the Eagles punted they were at the Massillon 34 and downed the ball at the three yard line.
The Tigers tried to move out from the goal line, but were hampered by three false start penalties. Fortunately, it was Big Walnut that now roughed the punter, giving Massillon new life. They took advantage. Aided by Gamble runs of 17 and 29 yards they advanced to the Eagle nine yard line, where they faced a fourth and two. Mylen Lenix got the call this time and he dove high over the line for an apparent first down. But he came up short the drive ended there.
The Tigers had three more tries in the fourth quarter, now operating into the wind, but never got out of their own territory. Of course, there were three additional false start penalties during those drives.
But credit Big Walnut for playing good fundamental football and making sound coaching decisions. The stunting by the defensive line appeared to be an effective technique in causing havoc for the Massillon line. And they employed five pass defenders against three receivers to pressure the Tiger passing attack. Nevertheless, they did only score one offensive touchdown, which is the norm for most of the games this year, so the Massillon defense did its job.
Slaughter ended up completing 7 of 18 passes for 163 yards, with the long one going for 75. Dante Malone caught three balls for 66 yards and Toles had two for 76 yards and the score. Linebacker Jadyn Williams led the defense with 11 tackles.
For Big Walnut, Buirley rushed 24 times for 92 yards (3.8 ave.) and Stumpf completed 11 of 16 passes for 67 yards (6.1 ave.) and the TD. Four passes went to Owen.
The Tigers bow out with a fine record of 11-3 record and can look back at several big wins, including NFL Academy-London, Buffalo’s Canisius, Lakewood St. Edward (for the third consecutive year) and Canton McKinley. For the Golden Eagles, they move on to the state semifinals to face Cincinnati Anderson.
Prior to the game; Chris Fair (52); Francesco Salvino (63)
Prior to the game.
Tyler Hackenbracht catches the opening kickoff.
Ja’Meir Gamble looks for running room; Gavin Kappes (57)
Ricardo Wells Jr. with the kickoff return; Judah Stewart (4)
Ja’Meir heads to the sideline; Judah Stewart (4)
Michael Wright Jr. sacks quarterback Eli Stumpf
Mylen Lenix with the carry; Logan Allman (13); Clint Stover (8)
Jalen Slaughter retrieves the errant snap in the end zone; Ja’Meir Gamble (21)
Tyley Hackenbracht is roughed following the punt
Ja’Meir Gamble is tackled; Michael Looney (75)
Pass to Jacques Carter broken up by Brody Hatfield (2)
Ja’Meir Gamble is chased by Big Walnut players; Will Clawson (36); Clint Stover (8); Landon Doan (34)
A dejected Chris Fair.
Post-game; James Wallace Jr. (50); Gavin Kappes (57); Francesco Salvino (63)
The Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association (OPSWA) has released its 2024 Northeast Inland District All-Star Team for Division II. Fourteen Massillon players are included, six on offense and eight on defense. Massillon currently sports a record of 11-2, with the two losses coming to nationally ranked Bergen Catholic, NJ, and DeMatha, MD. This week they participate in the Regional 7 playoff finals against Big Walnut.
First Team
Senior quarterback Jalen Slaughter
Senior running back Ja’Meir Gamble
Senior offensive lineman Nolan Davenport
Senior defensive lineman Michael Wright Jr.
Senior linebacker Mylen Lenix
Senior defensive back Tyler Hackenbracht
Second Team
Senior wide receiver Jacques Carter
Senior linebacker Vito McConnell
Senior defensive back Daylan Pringle
Junior linebacker Ja’Dyn Williams
Honorable Mention
Senior wide receiver Braylyn Toles
Senior tight end Deangelo Zimmerman
Junior defensive back Lennox Lemon
Junior defensive back Tra’Yon Williams
The Offensive Player of the Year is quarterback Keller Moten of Walsh Jesuit. The Defensive Player of the Year is shared between defensive lineman Carson Noonan of Medina Highland and linebacker Eli Lee of Akron Hoban. The Coach of the Year is Mike Gibbons of Medina Highland.
Massillon Has Had Great Success in Playoff Regional Finals Games
This season marks the 53rd year that the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) has been conducting playoffs to determine football state championships. While most armchair fans of the sport cite the number of state titles won by a team as the sole measurement of success, the number regional titles should also receive some consideration. And it may be even a better measure of historical achievement, given the much larger dataset of games. Besides, even the OHSAA gives regional titles enough respect that they award trophies to the champions.
Massillon has performed extremely well in both reaching regional games and winning those games. In fact, among large schools, they have more regional titles than any other public school in the state and trail only parochial counterpart Cincinnati Moeller when considering all schools. Through the 2023 season, as shown in the chart below, the Tigers have reached the regional championship game 19 times out of 45 tries (45%) (only one team per region qualified during the first eight years). Massillon reached the game 12 times in 33 years (36%) in Division I and 6 times in 12 years (50%) in Division II, including the last seven. Of those 19 regional final games played, Massillon has won 14 (74%), 8 of 12 in Division I and 6 of 7 in Division II.
In state semifinal games the Tigers have a record of 7-7; 5-3 against public schools and 2-4 against parochial schools. In state finals games the Tigers have a record of 1-6, with all games having been played against parochial schools. They have never faced a public school in the finals. The schools Massillon has most frequently faced in those two games have been Akron Hoban (1-3), Cleveland St. Ignatius (0-3), Cincinnati Moeller (0-2), Cincinnati LaSalle (1-1) and Cincinnati Winton Woods (1-1).
The chart below shows the large schools across the state that have won the most regional championship games along with their respective number of state titles. Two sets of calendar data are displayed, marking the realignment of the divisions that occurred in 2013. For contrast, the public and parochial schools are shown separately.
Among public schools, Massillon leads the way with 16 regional titles, ten in Division I and six in Division II. Well behind are Canton McKinley and Chardon with nine apiece. Eight of the eleven schools listed have secured one or more state titles. Three have not, including Avon, Mentor and Toledo Whitmer. Interestingly, all of the regional titles earned by McKinley, Princeton and Whitmer and most of those by Upper Arlington and Steubenville occurred prior to realignment of the divisions, while all but one of Avon’s titles came after the realignment. Of course, it should be noted that prior to the alignment both Massillon and McKinley were fortunate enough to be assigned to regions that did not include a major parochial school. And McKinley was unfortunate following the realignment to be moved to the Cleveland region that includes both Cleveland St. Ignatius and Lakewood St.Edward. Finally, just 19% of the regional champions in this group went on to win a state title.
Among parochial schools, Moeller leads the way with 19, followed by Cleveland St. Ignatius with 15 and Lakewood St. Edward with 13. Moeller was the dominant team in the 1970s and 1980s, while St. Ignatius had their powerhouse teams immediately after Moeller, but most prior to the realignment. Ironically, they have has captured just one regional title following the realignment of the divisions, while recently it has been St. Edward at the top of the heap. Most of Akron Hoban’s and Cincinnati LaSalle’s titles have come after the realignment, of course for different reasons. Hoban increased its focus on championship football shortly before the realignment took place and LaSalle benefited from moving down from Division I to Division II. Overall, the parochial schools have been dominant with a whopping 81% of regional champions going on to win the state titles.
This week the regional championship games will be held once again, with the field stocked with the teams shown in the chart, as indicated by the yellow highlighting. In fact, 10 of the 24 teams in the top three divisions are in this group. Six are expected to come on top, while all three eventual state champions are expected to come from this group. But at the end of the day, Massillon and Moeller will still remain atop the regional championship pack.
2024 Booster Club Report – Week 13 – Post-Teays Valley; Preview of the Big Walnut Game
Massillon (11-2) defeated Teays Valley (8-5), 48-14. It was historical win No. 959. This week Massillon travels to Mansfield for a regional championship playoff game against Big Walnut (12-1).
Massillon advanced to the Region 7 championship game with a 48-14 victory over Teays Valley. It was an odd first half of football as the Tigers ran just four plays offensively and scored three touchdowns, while the special teams returned three kicks for additional scores, to take a 42-7 lead into the locker room. The offensive TDs came on a 7-yard run by Mylen Lenix, a 77-yard pass from quarterback Jalen Slaughter to Braylyn Toles and a 52-yard run by Ja’Meir Gamble. Tyler Hackenbracht tallied all three special team touchdowns on punt returns of 50 and 81 yards, along with a touchdown return of 100 yards. Meanwhile, the defense held Teays Valley to a net zero yards rushing and ten yards passing during the half. The backups played most of the second half with a running clock in effect. Peytton Mitchell led all Massillon rushers with 12 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown. Inside linebacker Ja’Dyn Williams led the team on defense with five tackles and a sack.
“It was a big win last week,” said Massillon head coach Nate Moore. “Every playoff win is a good win. The Tigers pretty much rolled. It was a great performance by a lot of guys. ” Moore also singled out the outstanding play of Tyler Hackenbracht, who returned two punts and a kickoff for touchdowns. And following his third punt return attempt when he was finally tackled by Teays Valley, he received a standing ovation from the Massillon crowd, along with loud joyous relief evident from the other side of the field.
The guest players were wide receiver Jacques Carter and defensive lineman Michael Wright Jr. “It was a good game,” said Carter. “Got the young guys in early. It was a good team win.” “It was fun,” added Wright.
Preview of the Big Walnut Game
Big Walnut enters the game with a 12-1 record. Their season to date:
Columbus Watterson (13-0): 0-20 L
Dayton Dunbar (3-7): 56-8 W
Groveport-Madison (7-5): 24-13 W
Delaware Hayes (7-4): 41-21 W
Westerville South (5-6): 31-28 W
Franklin Heights (3-7): 45-12 W
Worthington Kilbourne (5-7): 31-0 W
Westerville North (6-5): 32-31 O.T. W
Dublin Scxioto (1-9): 38-10 W
Columbus Westland (8-3): 34-33 W
Logan (1-10): 42-0 W
Massillon Perry (6-6): 35-24 W
Ashland (12-1): 28-10 W
The Golden Eagles finished the regular season 9-1 and are 3-0 in the playoffs, while averaging 34 points per game and giving up 16. In contrast, Massillon averages 35 points per game and gives up 12. Big Walnut is seeded first in Region 7 by Harbin. In Calpreps.com they are ranked second behind No. 1 Massillon.
Big Walnut participates in the Capital Division of the Ohio Capital Conference, which is located in the Columbus area. Over the past five years they have compiled an overall record of 45-16, including a 9-4 mark in the Division II state playoffs, an event in which they participated in each of those years. Their best finish in that span was 12-1, which occurred in 2022. In that year, they fell in the playoffs to Massillon, 38-0. The following year they also played the Tigers in the post-season and led 9-0 early. But the Tigers quickly regrouped and won comfortably, 42-21.
Massillon during the last five years has compiled a record of 60-9, including a 21-3 mark in the state playoffs. They also captured the Division II state championship in 2023 with a perfect 16-0 record. During that 5-year span they won all three games against Lakewood St. Edward, 3-time Division I state champion, and all five games against Canton McKinley.
As a whole, Moore believes that the Big Walnut offense is better than its defense. The offense uses a pro-style, with a lot of tight end looks, usually with two and often with three in the formation. To confuse the defense, they will frequently flip tight end/offensive tackle to gain a blocking advantage. In the passing game, they are not shy about using empty sets. The offense is a young group, starting four seniors, four juniors and three sophomores.
The best player is sophomore running back Nolan Buirley (6′-1″, 185). He has good speed and can run with power. He also has another gear when he’s through the line. Buirley has the ability to put up a lot of yards in a game. In empty sets he will line up in the slot. Watch for tag screens to him in that situation. The quarterback is sophomore Eli Stumpf (6′-3″, 180). Moore says he does an nice job. He throws a good ball and has decent speed when escaping the pocket. He also has some designed runs. Stumpf’s primary receiver is junior tight end Owen Pollock (6′-4″, 225), a 3-star recruit with an offer from Miami of Ohio. The offensive line averages 6′-1″, 253 lbs.
“Big Walnut is a heavy-run team,” said Wright. “We have to stop the run. It’s a big game for me. I need to do my job.”:
The defense aligns in a 3-4 odd front. At times they will slide a linebacker up to present an even front. The secondary utilizes cover-3 or cover-4, with zone coverage. But they will occasionally mix in some man-to-man, with cover-1. The strength of this unit is the linebacker corps. Like the offense, this group is also young, starting three seniors, six juniors and a pair of sophomores.
The best player on this side of the ball is junior outside linebacker Clint Stover (6′-2″, 195), a 4-star recruit. His brother, Cade, played defensive end for Ohio State and was drafted earlier this year by the Houston Texans. Stover wlll come off the edge and is the primary blitzer. He is also good in pass coverage. The defensive line is on the smaller side, averaging 6′-2″, 213 lbs. However, as a whole, the front seven is an extremely active group.
“We need to attack the corners,” said Carter. “We can get it done if the quarterback (Slaughter) is on his game.”
Massillon will be the visiting team.
Notes
Braylyn Toles
Here are some Massillon player statistics over the past six games:
Running back Ja’Meir Gamble: 80 attempts for 864 yards and 12 touchdowns. Averaged 144 yards per game at 10.8 yards per carry.
Quarterback Jalen Slaughter: 61 completions in 93 attempts for 926 yards and 10 touchdowns. Averaged 154 yards per game and 15.2 yards per completion with a completion percentage of 65.6%. Way ahead of most high school quarterbacks.
Wide receiver Braylyn Toles: 26 receptions for 439 yards and 5 touchdowns. Averaged 16.7 yards per catch.
Linebacker Mylen Lenix: 28 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles-for-loss.
Lineman Michael Wright Jr.: 22 tackles, 3 sacks and 7.5 tackles-for-loss.
Defensive back Tyler Hackenbracht: 41 tackles and three kick returns for touchdown.
Academically, the Tigers produced a fine grade point average of 3.47.
The available cash for post-game player meals has been exhausted. The Booster Club is look for additional funding. Please help.
Coaches will tell you that there are three phases to the game of football: offense, defense and special teams. They are all equally important. In fact, the Tigers during each and every practice focus first on special teams. And how that part of the game impacted the Division II, Region 7, Round 3 game at Zanesville, which Massillon won convincingly over Teays Valley (8-5), 48-14. For it was special teams that set the tone.
Tyler Hackenbracht
The group of eleven guys in that phase of the game were simply marvelous in returning the ball for three first-half touchdowns. Among them was Tyler Hackenbracht, who was on the receiving end of all three. The first two were punt returns, of 50 yards and 81 yards, and the third was a 100-yard kickoff return. The third score gave the Tigers a 35-7 lead midway through the second quarter and the game was essentially over that point.
The second phenomenon in this game involved the offense. Normally, a defense is tasked with keeping the opposing offense off the field. Only in this game, it wasn’t the Teays Valley defense, but the Tiger special teams that relegated the Massillon offense to the bench for nearly the entire first half. Of course, the offense itself also had something to do with that. Nevertheless, by halftime the Tigers had run just four plays. But with those four plays they scored three touchdowns and racked up 144 yards of total offense. The game eventually ended with the Tigers amassing 232 yards of offense in 23 plays, at 10.1 yards per play. Just 23 plays? Unheard of for a winning team. That, coupled with the special teams TDs, is surely something that the Massillon program has never experienced in their long history.
The third story of the night was the defense. Once again, they were simply dominating. Dominating to the tune of holding Teays Valley’s power running game to a mere ten yards in 31 carries, including four quarterback sacks that accounted for 37 lost yards. The Vikings’ passing game was limited to 104 yards.
Teays Valley received the opening kickoff, quickly lost four yards in three plays and was forced to punt. That’s when Hackenbracht retrieved the ball off a bounce and immediately headed across the field to the right side. Once turning the corner, he was escorted by a host of blockers to the end zone.
On Teays Valley’s next possession they were again forced to punt. This time Hackenbracht caught the ball on the fly and repeated the jaunt of the first score.
The third Viking possession started at their own seven after the kickoff returner initially bobbled the ball. They did manage to advance to the 20, but the punt snap was bobbled and the Tigers tackled the punter, taking over at the seven. From there it took just one play for Mylen Lenix to find his way into the end zone.
Finally, after the Vikings’ next punt, they were able to avoid a return, placing the Tigers at their own 20. Now, the Massillon fans finally had an opportunity to settle back and enjoy a nice, multi-play drive to the end zone. But it didn’t happen. Following a 4-yard penalty for a false start, quarterback Jalen Slaughter tossed a short pass to Braylyn Toles to for a 2nd and 7. But it was a setup ploy. On the next play, Toles broke his pattern over the middle on a skinny post and was wide open for the pass, which he snagged around his 40 and raced untouched to the end zone. That made the score 28-0.
At that point, Teays Valley found some offense, driving 73 yards in 12 plays for a touchdown. It ended in a 6-yard pass from quarterback Brady Farmer to Luke Burgett, a tight end that had slipped out of a bunch formation. The drive included 41 yards rushing, 6 yards passing and the remainder in defensive penalties.
But it didn’t take the Tigers long to respond as Hackenbracht secured the subsequent kickoff at the goal line and raced through a gaping hole on the left side of the Viking pursuit, off for his third touchdown of the night.
After holding Teays Valley again, Hackenbracht had a third chance to return a punt. But this time he was tackled with little gain. Only, the fans on both sides of the field were cheering, the Vikings for finally making a stop on Hackenbracht and the Tigers for the appreciation of Hack’s great efforts.
More Massillon points came just one play later when Ja’Meir Gamble, on his sole carry of the night, broke through the line and sped untouched 52 yards to the end zone, making the score 42-7.
The third quarter started with the backups in the game and a running clock in effect. Only, the Vikings’ Tyler Tietz picked up a loose ball and ran 44 yards to the end zone, ending the running clock. So, Massillon head coach Nate Moore temporarily reinserted his first team offense. Finally, the Tiger fans got to experience a nice long drive, this one of 50 yards in 11 plays. It culminated in a 3-yard touchdown run by Peytton Mitchell. The backups then returned to finish it out.
Peytton Mitchell led all Massillon rushers with 12 carries for 61 yards and a TD. Gamble’s lone attempt resulted in a 52-yard score. Slaughter completed 4 of 6 passes for 105 yards and a TD, which Toles took to the house. Hackenbracht had 226 return yards, which enters the record book as No. 2 for 129 punt return yards in a single game. He will also finish in the Top 10 for single season yards and tied for first for single season punt return touchdowns, along with Bo Grunder and Austin Brawley. Inside linebacker Ja’Dyn Williams finally returned from injury and led the team with five tackles and a sack.
For Teays Valley, Peter Graham had 12 carries for 40 yards. Farmer completed 12 of 19 for 104 yards and TD, going to Burgett. Chase Cahill was high on the team with five tackles. The Vikings were 2 of 11 on third down conversions. They also had a time of possession of 33:32, as compared to the Tigers’ 14:28. Such was the weirdness of the game.
The Zanesville school officials did a great job hosting the game.
Massillon (11-2) will next face Big Walnut (12-1) in the regional finals at a site to be determined.
The Tigers enter the field prior to the game.
A final moment by Michael Wright Jr. (45)
Ja’Dyn Williams sacks Brady Farmer.
Tyler Hackenbracht (24) heads to the end zone on the punt return. Ethan Schwalbaugh (16) gives chase.
Tyler Hackenbracht (24).
Mylen Lenix (5) slipping by the defender prior to the score. Peytton Mitchell (32); Michael Looney (75); Logan Allman (13); Griffin Gray.
Dayvionne Floyd (68) gets to the quarterback (Brady Farmer).
Ja’Meir Gamble gets a celebratory lift from Nolan Davenport.
Brady Farmer is in all kinds of trouble. Isaac Maxheimer (87).
Peytton Mitchell with the carry.
No where to go for Luke Burgett.
2nd team action. Avery Blake (41).
2nd team action. Kavon Sankey with the sack.
Game over! Michael Wright Jr. (45), Bishop Cupp (20), Dayvionne Floyd (68).
WHBC recently announced its All-County team and eight Tigers received honors. The group was selected by vote of the area coaches. In addition, Jacques Carter was named by Nate Moore as the coach’s pick Most Valuable Player. Massillon is currently 10-2 on the season and plays Friday against Teays Valley in Round 3 of the state playoffs. They are also ranked nationally in the Top 100 by Calpreps.com.
Jacques Carter
The All-County players, as selected by the area coaches, include Jalen Slaughter, Ja’Meir Gamble, Braylyn Toles, Nolen Davenport, Michael Wright Jr., Vito McConnell, Tyler Hackenbracht and Daylan Pringle. Davenport and Wright are repeat honorees from last year and Davenport was also named All-County in 2022. Coach Nate Moore was excited to acknowledge these players at the Booster Club meeting last Monday. But he also noted that there were other Tiger players that deserved recognition.
Jalen Slaughter – Senior quarterback (6’-0”, 170). Has completed 164 of 255 passes (64%) for 2,095 yards and 20 touchdowns. Completed 29 of 44 passes for 402 yards and three TDs against NFL Academy-London, in a game played in Eugene, Oregon. The yardage ranks No. 2 in the record book, while the number of completions is tied at No. 1 and the number of attempts ranks No. 5. Also eclipsed the 200-yard passing mark against Football North and Canal Winchester. Completed an 81-yard pass for a touchdown against Canal Winchester, which ranks No. 7 in the record book for longest reception. Slaughter holds offers from Akron and Kent State.
Ja’Meir Gamble – Senior running back (5’-10”, 190). Has rushed 166 times for 1,400 (8.4 ave.) yards and 19 touchdowns. His yardage mark currently ranks No. 8 in the record book. Rushed 15 times for 290 yards against Legacy School of Sport Science, placing third in the record book. Named 2nd Team All-District and Honorable Mention All-Ohio in 2023. Gamble holds offers from Central Michigan and Temple.
Braylyn Toles – Has caught 49 passes for 590 yards (12.0 ave.) and 6 touchdowns. Caught 9 passes for 114 yards and a TD against NFL Academy-London. Caught an 81-yard TD pass against Canal Winchester, which ranks No. 7 in the record book for longest reception. Named 2nd Team All-Ohio in 2023.
Nolan Davenport – Senior offensive tackle (6’-6”, 290). Has helped his team rush for 162.3 yards per game (6.2 ave.) and score 31 touchdowns. Has also helped protect the quarterback in the pocket, yielding an average of just one sack per game. Named 1st Team All-District and 2nd Team All-Ohio in 2023. Committed to the University of Wisconsin.
Michael Wright Jr. – Senior defensive lineman (5’-11”, 285). Recorded 37 tackles, 3.0 quarterback sacks for 21 lost yards and 11.0 quarterback sacks for 41 lost yards. Also forced two fumbles. Recorded 2.0 sacks and 2.5 tackles-for-loss against Canal Winchester. Has helped his team limit rushing to 87.5 yards per game (3.0 ave.). Named 1st Team All-District and 1st Team All-Ohio in 2023. Committed to Youngstown State University.
Vito McConnell – Senior linebacker (6’-3”, 220). Has recorded 49 tackles, including 1.0 quarterback sack for 7 lost yards and 5.0 tackles-for-loss for 22 lost yards. Also, intercepted a pass and blocked a kick. Temporarily moved from outside inside linebacker to inside linebacker to fill in for an injured player. Committed to Miami University (Ohio).
Tyler Hackenbracht – Senior safety (6’-2”, 210). Led the team with 96 tackles. Also recorded 3.5 tackles-for-loss for 8 lost yards. Intercepted one pass. Named 2nd Team All-District and Honorable Mention All-Ohio in 2023. Committed to the University of Toledo.
Daylan Pringle – Senior Cornerback / safety (6’-0”, 170). Has recorded 29 tackles and one tackle-for-loss. Leads the team with 3 pass interceptions. Also has three pass breakups, a recovered fumble and a blocked kick. Pringle holds a Grand Valley State offer.
Jacques Carter – Has caught 28 passes for 547 yards (19.5 ave.) and a team high 8 touchdowns. Caught 4 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown against Canisius, NY, and 3 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown against Canal Winchester. Named 2nd Team All-District and Honorable Mention All-Ohio in 2023. Carter holds offers from Bowling Green, Miami of Ohio, Ohio University and Temple.
News 
This year’s Hardnose Award winner is Michael Wright Jr., the Tiger defensive nose tackle who led his team to an 11-3 record and a spot in the playoff regional finals.
