2023: Massillon 35, Uniontown Lake 6

Massillon Overcomes Missed Opportunities to Defeat Uniontown Lake

Game Statistics

Often when a team loses a game, they cite missed opportunities as the culprit.  A dropped pass.  A key penalty.  A missed tackle.  A blown coverage.  On Friday in the Division 1, Region 7 semifinal game against Lake, Massillon had several of them.  But in this case the Tigers proved they are a strong enough team to overcome those misses.  And by game’s end, they were fully in control of the outcome, winning going away, 35-6.  The Tigers will now face Green next Friday in the regional finals with a chance to advance to the state tournament.

But credit also needs to be given to Lake, which played as hard as any opponent Massillon has faced this year, especially on defense.  But they just lacked the offensive firepower.  Nevertheless, they were able to stay in the game for nearly the entire first half.  Only, come the fourth quarter, they were simply out of gas and the Tigers had their way with them, finishing with 421 yards of offense, with 349 on the ground and another 72 in the air.  The Blue Streaks ended with 138 yards, with 52 on the ground and 86 in the air.  Federal League Player of the Year running back Nathan Baker was held to just 46 yards on ten carries.

Massillon received the opening kickoff and it was returned by Tyler Hackenbracht behind some great blocking to the 43 yard line.  On the first play from scrimmage every receiver went deep and they were all comfortably open down the field.  Quarterback Da’One Owens targeted and let it fly.  It was on the money and a sure touchdown.  Only, to the disappointment of all the pass was dropped.  The first of several missed opportunities.  And it set the tone for the remainder of the first half.  Two short runs afterwards and the Tigers were forced to punt.

Lake took over at their own 19 and advanced into Massillon territory, but a 3^rd down sack by Malachi Card quelled the effort and forced a punt.  Massillon in turn failed to move the ball and punted back.  On the first play Lake’s Noah Kennedy found Ethan Hunt open down the right sideline with the Tiger defender out of position for a 52-yard touchdown.  The PAT was missed.

Massillon then drove to the Lake 28, only to see a touchdown pass to Kyler Wiggins called back due to a man downfield and a subsequent pass into the end zone to Jacques Carter overthrown by inches.  Two more missed opportunities.

Following yet another punt by Lake the Tigers finally put together a drive, of 73 yards.  Owens carried the ball four times for 40 yards and JaMeir Gamble added three carries for 15 yards.  Finally, Mike Wright Jr. bulled it in from the one on his third attempt.  Vinny Keller’s PAT was true and Massillon had a lead that they would not relinquish for the rest of the night.

The Tigers would get one more chance with minutes left in the half, starting at their own five.  A 24-yard run by Owens kick-started the effort, which was followed by a 26-yard run by Owens and a 22-yard sprint by Gamble.  Then, from the 29-yard line, Owens found Braylyn Toles at the back of the end zone for a touchdown with one second remaining on the clock.  Thus, Massillon took a 14-6 lead into the locker room.

The second half began with punt exchanges until Owens got loose for a 34-yard touchdown run.  The onside kick that followed nearly came up short when Keller’s rolling ball lost energy and took a left turn after nine yards.  But it eventually righted its direction and very slowly turned over at the 50.  Patiently waiting to secure the ball were four Tiger players, with nary a Blue Streak player in sight.  However, the drive stalled (another missed opportunity).

The next possession went much better, when Mylen Lenix carried seven times for 57 yards to complete a 71-yard drive, scoring himself from the eight.  Following a Zach Liebler interception of a long pass, Massillon quickly turned that into another score.  A 46-yard run by Gamble, with 27 yards in penalties tacked on, and a 12-yard Gamble TD run completed an 85-yard drive.  Then, the Tigers recovered the ensuing kickoff and closed out the game.

Owens ended up with 17 carries for 164 yards and a touchdown.  He also completed 10 of 19 passes for 72 yards.  Gamble rushed 15 times for 131 yards and a score.  Lenix added 9 carries for 56 yards and a TD.  Card had 5.0 tackle points, 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles-for-loss.  Vito McConnell had 4.0 tackle points and Wright had 1.5 TFL’s and a rushing touchdown.

Go Tigers!

Seven Tigers Named All-Stark County

Seven Tigers Named All-Stark County; Owens is MVP

WHBC recently announced its all-county team and six Tigers received honors.  The group was selected by vote of the area coaches.  Da’One Owens was also named MVP.

The Massillon all-county players include Nolan Davenport and Dorian Pringle, repeat honorees from 2022, and first-timers Chase Bond, Tyler Hackenbracht, Brady Jones and Mike Wright Jr.  Three seniors and three juniors.  Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore was very proud to acknowledge these players at the Booster Club meeting.  It is unfortunate that just six from Massillon received this honor, since at least ten others off this national Top 15 team deserve recognition.

• Da’One Owens – Senior quarterback (6′-1″, 200).  Has completed 82 of 135 passes (61%) for 1,322 passes and 16 touchdowns.  Leads the team in rushing with 90 attempts for 874 yards (9.7 ave.) and 12 TDs.  Passed for 277 yards and 3 TDs against Warren Harding and 341 yards and 4 TDs vs. Grove City Central Crossing.  Rushed for 241 yards and two TDs against Valdosta, GA, 134 yards and 1 TD against Austintown Fitch and 130 yards and 2 TDs against Mansfield.
• Chase Bond – Senior defensive lineman (6-4, 245).  2-year starter.  11.5 tackle points.  5.0 tackles-for-loss.  2.5 quarterback sacks.  Committed to North Carolina State.
• Nolan Davenport – Junior offensive lineman (6’-6”, 260).  Played tight end last year, earning all-county honors.  Moved to tackle due to loss of an injured lineman.  Instrumental in helping the offense average 228 yards rushing per game and 6.5 yards per attempt.  Has received several Division 1 offers.
• Tyler Hackenbracht – Junior defensive safety (6’-2”, 195).  Lost sophomore year due to an injury.  18.0 tackle points.  Two pass interceptions returned for 29 yards and one touchdown.  Eight pass breakups.
• Brady Jones – Senior offensive lineman (6’-3” 245).  2-year starter.  Plays center.  Instrumental in helping the offense average 228 yards rushing per game and 6.5 yards per attempt.
• Dorian Pringle – Senior inside linebacker and running back (6’-0”, 215).  2-year starter.  Leads the team in tackles with 50.5 tackle points, 21.5 tackles-for-loss, 114 lost yards, 8.0 quarterback sacks and 73 lost yards.  Recovered two fumbles.  Blocked a kick.  Recorded 8.5 tackle points in the victory over Lakewood St. Edward.  Rushed 50 times for 246 yards (4.9 ave.) and 12 touchdowns.  Rushed six times for 54 yards (9.0 ave.) against Canton McKinley.  Leading scorer with 64 points.  Several Division 1 offers.
• Mike Wright Jr. – Junior defensive lineman (5’-10”, 280).  2-year starter.  19.0 tackle points.  11.0 tackles-for-loss.  80 lost yards.  7.5 quarterback sacks.  61.5 lost yards.  Two pass breakups.  Had a monster game against McKinley with 3.0 quarterback sacks (No. 2 single game all-time; No. 1 single-game all-time vs. McKinley).

Chase Bond, Nolen Davenport, Tyler Hackenbracht, Brady Jones, Dorian Pringle and MIke Wright Jr.

2023 Booster Club Report – Week PO2 – Post-Westerville…

2023 Booster Club Report – Week PO2 – Post-Westerville South Game; Preview of the Uniontown Lake Game

Massillon (12-0) defeated Westerville South (7-4), 50-7.  This week the Tigers travel to North Canton to face Uniontown Lake (8-3) for a Friday, 7:00 pm kickoff in the third round of the playoffs.  The Tigers are No. 1 in Division 2, Region 7, while the Blue Streaks come in at No. 4.  Massillon leads the all-time series, 1-0, with the last game played in the 2022 playoffs when they defeated the Lake 24-6 in the “ice bowl.”

Link to the Westerville South Game Story

Link to the Westerville South Game Statistics

Review of the Westerville South game

It was win No. 944, which keeps Massillon in the No. 3 position nationally for all-time wins.

It didn’t take long for Massillon to put this game out of the reach of visiting Westerville South, winning 50-7.  With machine-like precision, the offense scored the first three times it touched the ball, on drives of 93, 59 and 49 yards, and led 42-0 at the half. A fourth TD that followed came via a fumble return, making the score 28-0 early in the second quarter.  Meanwhile, the defense was its usual self, this time holding the opponent to a mere 75 yards of total offense, with most of that coming in the second half against the backups.  The defense has now held nine of the last ten opponents to less than 100 yards rushing.  Only St. John’s College surpassed that mark.  Quarterback Da’One Owens rushed for two touchdowns and passed for a third.  Ja’Meir Gamble rushed for 99 yards and scored once.  South tallied their lone touchdown against the backups.

“I’m proud of the way our guys played,” said Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore at the Monday Booster Club meeting.  “The defense had a great day.  The offense did a great job; 42-0 at halftime.  And we were able to get some younger guys in during a playoff game.”  Moore also noted that there were three freshmen on the kickoff team.

The guest player was defensive back Ryan Page.  “We had a pretty good game overall,” he said.  “We locked in and locked it down.”  Looking ahead to Lake, Page singled out running back Nate Baker as their primary threat.

The scout team players of the week were four freshmen: R.Celle Hill, Briar Mattox, Deontay Malone and Isaac Maxheimer.

Statistics leaders:

• Ja’Meir Gamble: 13 carries for 99 yards and 1 touchdown
• Da’One Owens: 3 of 6 passing for 90 yards and 1 touchdown; 3 carries for 46 yards and 2 touchdowns
• Mylen Lenix: 10 carries for 56 yards
• Emy Louis Jr and Ricardo Wells: 1 touchdown reception each
• Shon Robinson: 3.5 (2-3) tackle points; 0.5 tackles-for-loss
• Mike Wright Jr.: 1 sack; 2 TFLs
• Deangelo Zimmerman: 2 TFLs

Uniontown Lake Scouting Report

Lake plays in the Federal League.  The Wildcats are currently 9-3 with a 5-2 conference record.  Their big win of the year came in Week 8 when they defeated North Canton Hoover, 21-7.  Scores to-date:

• Alliance (6-5): 7-12 L
• Boardman (1-9): 42-31 W
• Brecksville (6-6): 17-14 o.t. W
• Canton GlenOak (7-5): 10-7 W
• Louisville (1-9): 49-0 W
• Massillon Jackson (5-6): 19-7 W
• Canton McKinley (9-3): 22-29 L
• North Canton (6-6): 21-7 W
• Massillon Perry (4-7): 37-14
• Green (9-3): 0-28 L
• Massillon Perry (4-7) (PO): 35-14
• BigWalnut (6-6) (PO): 21-20 3 o.t. W

The Lake offense operates out of the spread, with mostly 10 and some 11 (tight end) alignments.  They also have a heavy package that they use in the red zone.  The best player is senior running back / wide receiver Nate Baker (5′-11″, 175), whom they try to get the ball to as much as possible.  An all-county player, he is a hard runner, can break tackles and follows his blocks well.  As a wide receiver, he is the quarterback’s favorite target.  During the regular season, Baker rushed 211 times for 1,183 yards (5.6 ave.) and scored nine touchdowns.  He is also the leading scorer with 60 points.

The Blue Streaks play two quarterbacks.  Senior Cale Jarvis (5′-11″, 185) has an average arm, but is a threat to run.  During the regular season he completed 52 of 89 passes (58%) for 477 yards (9.2/compl.) and two touchdowns.  Junior Noah Jeb Kubasky (6′-3″, 215) is the better passer and at times will line up at wide receiver.  He completed 34 of 55 passes (62%) for 472 yards (13.9/compl.) and five TDs.  At times, both will be in the game.  Lake will play seven different receivers, including Baker and former Massillon Tiger senior Kam’ron Fouty-Koonce (6’0″, 165).

The offensive line has a couple of sizeable book-end tackles in junior Cohen Stuli (6′-5″, 290) and senior Anthony Miller (6′-0″, 290).  Stuli plays with good technique and is physical.  Miller is all-county.  He plays aggressively and physically.

The defense aligns in an even front with cover-3.  It presents like a 4-4.  The strength of this unit is the linebacker corps.  The best player is junior middle linebacker Charlie Christopher (6′-1″, 220), an all-county selection.  He is a physical, downhill player and reads keys well.  Through ten games he recorded 11.0 tackles-for-loss.  Will play running back in the heavy package.  Senior Evan Brady (5′-11″, 215) is also a physical, downhill player and tackles well.  At outside linebacker is senior Joseph Garro (6′-1″, 210), who has 14.0 TFLs.

The line is one of the smallest the Tigers have faced this year, averaging 6′-2″, 220 lbs.  The best of the group is senior Dane Jarvis (6′-2″, 220).  He has a quick come-off, is strong and is very active.  Also, keep an eye on junior Ryan Lippe (6′-4″, 220), an all-county player who leads the team with 19.0 TFLs through ten games.

Baker is the best defensive back.  He is very athletic and tackles well.

The punter is senior Celton Dutton (6′-1″, 190), who doubles as an outside linebacker.  He has a good average at 36.6 yards per kick.

Go Tigers

Shon Robinson!

2023: Massillon 50, Westerville South 7

Massillon Downs Westerville South, Advances in Playoffs to Round 3

Game Statistics

It didn’t take long for Massillon to put this game out of the reach of visiting Westerville South, winning 50-7.  With machine-like precision, the offense scored the first three times it touched the ball, on drives of 93, 59 and 49 yards.  A fourth that followed came via a fumble return, making the score 28-0 early in the second quarter.  Meanwhile, the defense was its usual self, this time holding the opponent to a mere 75 yards of total offense, with most of that coming in the second half against the backups.

With the win the Tigers next face Uniontown Lake, a 21-20 triple-overtime winner over Big Walnut.  The site of the game will be announced on Sunday.  The other half of the regional bracket involved Canal Winchester defeating Watkins Memorial, 7-3, and Green besting North Canton, 23-21.

Massillon received the opening kickoff, but returned it only to their own seven, as the call was for a return to the opposite side of the field.  Only, they failed to secure a block against South’s Isaac Patterson, who made a fine stop at the Tiger seven.  But, after a 7-yard run by Ja’Meir Gamble, quarterback Da’One Owens kept on the next play and rumbled all the way to the Massillon 35, giving the offense some breathing room.  And they took full advantage.  Two plays later the Tigers were in the endzone when Owens hit Emy Louis Jr. with a precise sideline pass and Louis then outraced the defender to the goal line to complete a 40-yard score.  Vinny Keller kicked the extra point, his first of six straight.

The Wildcats showed their only promising offense of the night against the Tiger starters on their first possession when they managed to pick up consecutive first downs and advance to the Tiger 41.  But they were stopped on downs following a run for no gain and three incomplete passes.

Massillon responded with a 9-play 59-yard touchdown drive.  The key play was a 20-yard pass from Owens to Braylyn Toles that placed the ball at the South 21.  From there it took just three plays: a 12-yard jet sweep by Kyler Wiggins, a 5-yard run by Gamble and a 4-yard run by Owens.

The third score came on the first play of the second quarter when Owens faked the handoff and sprinted 21 yards into the end zone.  Then came the fumble.  On first and ten from the South 36, running back Nasir Phillips was stripped of the ball in the backfield by a hard-charging Mike Wright Jr.  Vito McConnell was right there to pick it up in stride and he then raced 30 yards to the end zone.   With Massillon leading 28-0, the game was essentially over at that point.

Later in the quarter, the Tigers engineered a 7-play 54-yard drive, which ended when Gamble scored from the seven.  Gamble carried the ball in all seven plays with runs of 15, 12, 8, 3, 9, 0 and 7 yards.  As expected South, similar to several previous Massillon opponents, was in blitz mode the entire game.  But it was mostly ineffective, as Gamble was able to find the seams to get the big yards.

With 46 seconds remaining in the half, the Wildcats tried one more time to find some points.  But on 3^rd and 6 from their own 22, quarterback Dominic Birtha unloaded an errant pass that was promptly picked off by Tyler Hackenbracht and returned 29 yards for a touchdown, making the score 42-0.

The backups played the entire second half, under a running-clock situation.  The Tigers scored when quarterback Eli Moore fired a 25-yard pass to Ricardo Wells, who won a wrestling match with the defender for possession of the ball and came down with it in the end zone for the score.  The 2-point conversion try was successful when Moore faked a handoff and strolled untouched across the goal line.

South responded with a 6-play, 62-yard drive, with Birtha converting a 20-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Keilmeyer.

Massillon racked up 343 yards of offense, with 221 rushing and 122 passing, while averaging 7.8 yards per play.  South had a net 75 yards, with 19 in the first half against the Tiger starters and 56 in the second half against the backups.  Massillon punted just once, with Hackenbracht booting a wind-aided 40-yarder.  The Wildcats punted five times.

Gamble led all rushers with 13 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown.  Mylen Lenix added 56 and Owens 46.  Owens completed 3 of 6 passes for 90 yards and one TD.  Linebacker Shon Robinson, who filled in for the injured Dorian Pringle for the nearly the entire game, led all defenders with five tackles.  Wright and Deangelo Zimmerman recorded two tackles-for-loss each.  Wright also had a sack.

For South, the speedy Phillips carried 19 times and 43 yards.  Birtha completed 5 of 16 passes for 31 yards and one TD and avoided all but one of the many sack attempts.  Safety Jordan Wheeler had eight tackles and linebacker Kawa Preston had six, with one TFL.

Go Tigers!

Massillon’s Complete Team Effort Keeps Them Undefeated

Massillon’s Complete Team Effort Keeps Them Undefeated

Through eleven games this year the Tigers continue to be unblemished in the win-loss column.  But from a statistics standpoint, it’s a bit strange.  Normally, on an unbeaten team there are a small handful of players that make the biggest difference.  A big-time passer, or a big-time runner, or a defender that literally takes over the game.  But not on this team.

There is no 1,000-yard rusher.  There is no 1,500-yard passer.  And there is no one defender that makes most of the tackles.  That’s because this Massillon team has outstanding players at every position on the field.  Offensively, they spread the ball around several running backs and speedy receivers.  And defensively, they play as a single unit, with each player responsible for a different facet during the game, with inevitably all of them making plays.

And it’s not like the schedule was favorable for this success.  Massillon this year has faced one of the most difficult slates in their long history, with the likes of Valdosta, GA, Lakewood St. Edward, St. John’s College, DC, Middletown, DE, Austintown Fitch and Canton McKinley.  And nine of their ten regular season opponents have qualified for the playoffs.  In addition, Massillon’s 45.76 Harbin points is the highest amount in the history of the playoffs, regardless of division.  Finally, all of the national rating services have the Tigers ranked in the Top 20.

Here’s a look at the performance statistics for this year, with some comparisons to prior years.

Offense

• Averages 40 points per game. This is the 18^th time this has happened in Massillon history.
• Averages 410 yards per game, exceeded only by six other teams.
• Averages 7.6 yards per play, surpassed since the time of Paul Brown by only the 1959 team, which averaged 8.4 yards per play. That team finished first in both Ohio and the nation.
• Averages 16.8 yards per pass completion, the most since 1981.

Da’One Owens and Jalen Slaughter split time at quarterback throughout the first half of the season, until Slaughter suffered an injury.  Since then,  Owens has become the primary signal caller.  He has an efficiency rating of 175.2, completing 79 of 129 passes (61%) for 1,232 yards and 15 touchdowns.  Slaughter has an efficiency rating of 188.7, completing 34 of 60 passes (57%) for 685 yards and 9 touchdowns.  Both are currently ranked all-time in the Top-5 for single-season pass efficiency.

The Tigers have most often used four wide receivers who all possess great speed and good hands.  The group is led by Braylyn Toles, who has 33 receptions for 471 yards and 7 touchdowns, and Jacques Carter, who has 32 receptions for 709 yards and 7 touchdowns.  Kyler Wiggins, last year’s leading receiver, has 13 catches for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns and Emy Louis Jr. has 12 catches for 273 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Carter and Louis are the best deep threats, averaging over 22 yards per reception.  On occasion, fullback Deangelo Zimmerman will be on the receiving end of a pass.  He has one touchdown to his credit.

Owens has also rushed 87 times for 828 yards (9.5 ave.) and 10 touchdowns.  Ja’Meir Gamble has rushed 84 times for 566 yards (6.7 ave.) and 3 touchdowns and Peyton Mitchell has rushed 56 times for 383 yards (6.8 ave.) and 1 touchdown.  Dorian Pringle, inserted in short yardage situations, has rushed 50 times for 246 yards (4.9 ave.) and 14 touchdowns.  He is also the team’s leading scorer with 84 points.

But all of this couldn’t be done without a stellar line.  This group includes Jaezen Lewis (6’-6”, 400) and Nolan Davenport (6’-6”, 245) at tackle, Sam Snodgrass (6’-2”, 285) and Mike  Looney (6’-0”, 245) at guard and Brady Jones (6’-3”, 245) at center.  Gavin Kappes (5’-11”, 260) also sees significant time on the line.

The Tigers are converting first downs 86% of the time, which is the best mark in over 60 years.

Defense

• Gives up an average of 8 points per game, the fewest since 1986.
• Gives up an average of 1.6 yard per rushing attempt, the fewest since 1979.
• The first unit has surrendered just one rushing touchdown (on a 5-yard drive).
• Has held 8 of 11 opponent to under 100 yards rushing.
• Has forced 65 punts, nearly six per game.

What makes this unit so good is the front seven, which has been simply dominant against the run.  The three down linemen include Mike Wright Jr.(5’-10″, 280), Malachi Card (6’-2”, 195) and North Carolina State bound Chase Bond (6’-4”, 255).  These three very talented players control the middle and force double teams from opposing offensive lineman, which leaves the linebackers free to do their job.  Many teams have tried then to test the outside, but this group has been the best seen in awhile in setting the edge and funneling running backs toward the inside linebackers.  The linebacking group includes Dorian Pringle and Cody Fair on the inside and Maverick Clark and Vito McConnell on the outside.  Help  is also provided by a speedy secondary that includes Zach Liebler and Adonis Marshall at cornerback and Ryan Page and Tyler Hackenbracht at safety.

Pringle has 49.5 tackle points, 8.0 sacks and 21.5 tackles-for-loss.  Right behind is Fair, who has 44.0 tackle points, 4.0 sacks and 12.0 tackles-for-loss. Page has 27.5 tackle points and cornerback Marshall has 26.0 tackle points.  Marshall also has three pass interceptions.  Wright has 6.5 sacks and 9.0 tackles-for-loss, Card has 4.5 TFLs, Bond has 4.0 TFLs and McConnel has 4.0 TFLs.

Opponents are converting first downs just 57% of the time, which is the best mark in the last twenty years.

Special Teams

The kicking game is manned primarily by Vinny Keller, who has converted 33 of 35 extra points.  Also kicking is Mateo Herrera, who has made all 22 of his PAT attempts.  Hackenbracht handles the punting shores, averaging 30.1 yards per attempt.  Of course, the Tigers have punted only 23 times this year.

2023 Booster Club Report – Week PO1 – Post-Grove…

2023 Booster Club Report – Week PO1 – Post-Grove City Central Crossing Game; Preview of the Westerville South Game

Massillon (11-0) defeated Grove City Central  Crossing (4-7), 41-6.  This week the Tigers host Westerville South (7-4) for a Friday, 7:00 pm kickoff in the second round of the playoffs.  The Tigers are No. 1 in Division 2, Region 7, while the Wildcats come in at No. 9.  Massillon leads the all-time series, 4-0, with the last game played in the 2021 playoffs.

Link to the Central Crossing Game Story

Link to the Central Crossing Game Statistics

Review of the Central Crossing game

It was win No. 943, which keeps Massillon in the No. 3 position nationally for all-time wins.

Massillon scored the first four times it had the ball in routing the Grove City Central Crossing, 41-6.  A running clock was in place for the entire fourth quarter. With the Comets blitzing on nearly every play to stop the run and pressure quarterback, the Tigers resorted to the passing game with great success.  Da’One Owens completed 20 of 27 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns.  The 341 yards is ranked six all-time in the Tiger record book.  On the receiving end were Braylyn Toles with 8 receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns and Jacques Carter with 6 receptions for 100 yards and a TD. Dorian Pringle was in on nine tackles and recorded three tackles-for-loss.  The Comets’ only score came in the third quarter on a 5-yard drive following a blocked punt.

“Last week we struggled running the football,” said Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore.  “Central Crossing went with the Warren Harding plan, loading the box.  You have only so many guys that can block that.  And they did a lot of UFO stuff.  So we threw it.  So, that’s the answer.  And it went really good.  But it doesn’t feel good (not being able to run the ball).”

Nevertheless, Moore thought the offense had a great day and the defense played “lights out”, holding the Comets to a net 47 yards of total offense.  But he also pointed out some miscues on special teams.  Some dumb mistakes that will get corrected.

Prior to the game Moore said that Central Crossing was fundamentally sound and well-coached, but lacked athletes in numbers.  All of that was true, but the Comets still came to play.  “I thought their kids played really hard,” he said.  “It was a good quality win.”

The guest players were linebacker Cody Fair and quarterback Da’One Owens.  “It wasn’t the cleanest game, but we will fix it,” said Fair.  “They played pretty physical, but we got on them,” added Owens.  “Westerville South will run the same defense.  The offense is a little undersized.  They have a good running back.  And the quarterback is OK.  Good size at receiver.”

Statistics leaders:

• Da’One Owens: 20 of 27 passing for 341 yards and 4 touchdown
• Mylen Lenix: 6 carries for 47 yards
• Braylyn Toles: 8 receptions for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns
• Jacques Carter: 6 receptions for 100 yards and 1 touchdown
• Emy Louis Jr.: 3 receptions for 48 yards and 1 touchdown
• Dorian Pringle: 7.0 (5-4) tackle points; 3 tackles -for-loss; 2 rushing touchdowns
• Cody Fair: 6.0 (5-2) tackle points; 1 tackle-for-loss
• Michael Wright Jr.: 3.5 (3-1) tackle points; 1 quarterback sack; 2.5 tackles for loss
• Chase Bond: 1.5 quarterback sacks; 1.5 tackles-for-loss

Westerville South Scouting Report

Westerville South plays in the Capital Division of the Ohio Capital Conference.  The Wildcats are currently 7-4 with a 5-2 conference record.  Their big win of the year came in Week 6 when they defeated previously undefeated Westerville North, 21-13.  Scores so far:

• Dublin Jerome (3-8): 15-20 L
• Westerville Central (2-9): 33-30 W
• Olenttangy (10-1): 14-31 L
• Dublin Scioto (2-9): 42-10 W
• Big Walnut (6-5): 22-7 W
• Westerville North (9-2): 21-13
• Delaware Hayes (8-3): 33-36 L
• Canal Winchester (10-1): 14-35 L
• Franklin Heights (2-8): 37-13 W
• Worthington Kilbourne (0-10): 26-0 W
• Columbus Briggs (7-4): 49-30 W

The Wildcats have good athletes at the skill positions in their spread offense, but the lines struggle a bit.  On offense they will mostly use 10 and 11 personnel, with occasional empty backfield.  They will pass as much as they run.

The quarterback is senior Dominic Birtha (5′-11″, 185), a 3-year starter.  As such, he has a good command of the offense.  Birtha has a strong arm, but has struggled with consistency.  He can scramble and his number will be called at times to run the ball.  Massillon faced Birtha as a sophomore two years ago in the playoffs.  In that 50-19 win he completed 17 of 27 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns.  Although, his favorite receiver at the time was Penn State-bound Kaden Saunders, who caught half the passes.

Running the ball is senior Nasire Phillips (5′-9″,190), a 3-year starter.  He is a fast and quick runner.  He tries to get vertical and can break tackles.  The Tigers will need to wrap up.  In the 2021 game he rushed 14 times for 98 yards and one touchdown.  He also caught a 26-yard pass.

The best wide receivers are senior Jeramiah McDuffie (6′-3″, 180) and sophomore Isaac Patterson (6′-1″, 175).  McDuffie appears to be the targeted receiver, while Patterson owns the best stats.  But also keep an eye on junior Tyler Kielmeyeer, a rangy player who goes 6′-7″, 230 lbs.

The offensive line averages just 6′-1″, 235 lbs., but does have a couple of good players in junior center Xavier Flemister (5′-11″, 250) and senior Manny Swaray (6′-1″, 255).

Defensively, South aligns in a 3-man odd front with four linebackers.  The backfield uses almost exclusively man-to-man coverage, with cover-0 or cover-1.  Expect the Wildcats to put eight in the box when the Tigers have three receivers in the game in an attempt to stop the run.  That will put the onus on the Massillon receivers to shed the coverage.

The strength of the defense is in the secondary.  Both safeties are good in Patterson, a 2-way player, and senior Jordan Wheeler (6′-0″, 175), also a 2-way player.  Patterson has decent speed and is a good tackler.  Wheeler has good size.  Senior cornerback Cam Garcia (5′-10″, 165) is the best corner and plays aggressively.

Should Massillon prevail in this one, they will then face the winner of the game between Uniontown Lake and Big Walnut.

Go Tigers!

A Look at the Teams in Massillon’s Region 7…

calpreps.A Look at the Teams in Massillon’s Region 7 Playoff Bracket

Division 2 Bracket

The 2023 OHSAA football playoffs gets underway this Friday with 448 teams having qualified, distributed among seven divisions, with four regions within each division.  That translates into sixteen teams in each region, which will compete during the next four weeks to determine the regional champion.  That will be followed by two more weeks of semi-final and final games to determine the ultimate champion in each division.  That’s a lot of teams and a lot of games.  A bit of overkill?  Perhaps.  But that’s the OHSAA world we live in right now.

Number 1, unbeaten Massillon will open with Number 16 Grove City Central Crossing (4-6) in a game that appears to be a mismatch on paper, not unlike the last three years when the OHSAA expanded the playoffs, first due to the Covid situation and then further to reap additional revenue through ticket sales.  In 2020 during the first round the Tigers defeated Perry, 48-7.  The next year they beat Columbus Independence, 76-22.  And last year Columbus Walnut Ridge, 56-0.  Expect more of the same this time around and the junior varsity team, which had their final two games canceled, may finally get some time on the field.

Below is a look at each of the teams in Massillon’s Region 7, with a look at their scoring, their results against notable opponents and the various computer ratings and rankings.  Please note that the number next to each team is their final position in the OHSAA computer regional ranking.  Also note that any rating shown within parentheses is negative.  The rankings are for the region only.

 1 – Massillon (10-0)

• Scoring offense – 40; Rank: No. 1
• Scoring defense – 8; Rank: No. 1
• Scoring differential – 32; Rank: No. 1
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: 49.2; Rank: No. 1
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 73.1; Rank: No. 1
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 198.0; Rank: No. 1
• Notable wins – Valdosta, GA (7-2), Lakewood St. Edward (9-1), Middletown, DE (6-1), St. John’s College (4-4), Austintown Fitch (6-3), Canton McKinley (7-3)
• Notable losses – None

2 – Canal Winchester (9-1)

• Scoring offense – 28; Rank: No. 3
• Scoring defense – 11; Rank: No. 2
• Scoring differential – 17; Rank: No. 3
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: 13.8; Rank: No. 10
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 35.4; Rank: No. 3
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 147.8; Rank: No. 3
• Notable wins – Westerville North (8-2), Delaware Hayes (8-2)
• Notable losses – Big Walnut (5-5)

3 – Green (7-3)

• Scoring offense – 27; Rank: No. 5
• Scoring defense – 16; Rank: No. 6
• Scoring differential – 11; Rank: No. 5
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: 23.8; Rank: No. 4
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 35.5; Rank: No. 2
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 153.8; Rank: No. 2
• Notable wins – South Range (9-1), Lake (7-3)
• Notable losses – Canton McKinley (7-3); Perry (4-6)

4 – Lake (7-3)

• Scoring offense – 22; Rank: No. 14
• Scoring defense – 15; Rank: No. 5
• Scoring differential – 7; Rank: No. 7
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: 21.3; Rank: No. 6
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 29.8; Rank: No. 4
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 145.7; Rank: No. 4
• Notable wins – None
• Notable losses – Canton McKinley (7-3); Green (7-3)

5 – Columbus Northland (9-1)

• Scoring offense – 38; Rank: No. 2
• Scoring defense – 11; Rank: No. 2
• Scoring differential – 27; Rank: No. 2
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: (20.5); Rank: No. 16
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 5.8; Rank: No. 12
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 111.5; Rank: No. 12
• Notable wins – Columbus East (8-2)
• Notable losses – None

6 – Columbus DeSales (5-5)

• Scoring offense – 24; Rank: No. 11
• Scoring defense – 23; Rank: No. 12
• Scoring differential – 1; Rank: No. 13
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: 24.3; Rank: No. 3
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 23.3; Rank: No. 6
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 141.5; Rank: No. 7
• Notable wins – Columbus Watterson (9-1)
• Notable losses – Hamilton Badin (10-0), Walsh Jesuit (9-1), Columbus Ready (9-1), Columbus Hartley (8-2)

7 – Columbus Independence (5-5)

• Scoring offense – 26; Rank: No. 7
• Scoring defense – 22; Rank: No. 11
• Scoring differential – 4; Rank: No. 10
• com strength of schedule – Rating: (6.4); Rank: No. 14
• com ranking – Rating: (4.8); Rank: No. 15
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 103.4; Rank: No. 14
• Notable wins – Columbus Briggs (7-3)
• Notable losses – Grove City Central Crossing (4-6), Columbus East (8-2)

8 – Columbus Briggs (7-3)

• Scoring offense – 23; Rank: No. 12
• Scoring defense – 17; Rank: No. 8
• Scoring differential – 6; Rank: No. 8
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: (11.2); Rank: No. 15
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: (3.1); Rank: No. 14
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 96.5; Rank: No. 15
• Notable wins – None
• Notable losses – Columbus Africentric (7-3)

9 – Westerville South (6-4)

• Scoring offense – 26; Rank: No. 8
• Scoring defense – 21; Rank: No. 10
• Scoring differential – 5; Rank: No. 9
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: 18.1; Rank: No. 8
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 24.0; Rank: No. 5
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 140.3; Rank: No. 8
• Notable wins – Westerville North (8-2)
• Notable losses – Delaware Hayes (8-2), Canal Winchester (9-1)

10 – Watkins Memorial (7-3)

• Scoring offense – 26; Rank: No. 7
• Scoring defense – 12; Rank: No. 4
• Scoring differential – 14; Rank: No. 4
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: 1.6; Rank: No. 12
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 13.0; Rank: No. 10
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 124.0; Rank: No. 10
• Notable wins – None
• Notable losses – Sheridan (9-1), Licking Valley (7-3), Granville (10-0)

11 – North Canton (5-5)

• Scoring offense – 28; Rank: No. 3
• Scoring defense – 25; Rank: No. 11
• Scoring differential – 3; Rank: No. 11
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: 25.3; Rank: No. 2
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 22.6; Rank: No. 7
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 141.7; Rank: No. 6
• Notable wins – None
• Notable losses – Hudson (7-2), Canton McKinley (7-3), Lake (7-3), Green (7-3)

12 – Big Walnut (5-5)

• Scoring offense – 27; Rank: No. 5
• Scoring defense – 17; Rank: No. 7
• Scoring differential – 10; Rank: No. 6
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: 21.1; Rank: No. 7
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 21.1; Rank: No. 8
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 142.9; Rank: No. 5
• Notable wins – Canal Winchester (9-1)
• Notable losses – Columbus Hartley (8-2), Upper Arlington (7-3), Delaware Hayes (8-2), Westerville North (8-2)

13 – Perry (4-6)

• Scoring offense – 25; Rank: No. 10
• Scoring defense – 26; Rank: No. 14
• Scoring differential – (1); Rank: No. 14
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: 22.7; Rank: No. 5
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 18.3; Rank: No. 9
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 137.4; Rank: No. 9
• Notable wins – Green (7-3)
• Notable losses – Akron St. Vincent (5-5), Canton McKinley (7-3), Lake (7-3)

14 – Columbus St. Charles (5-5)

• Scoring offense – 23; Rank: No. 12
• Scoring defense – 20; Rank: No. 9
• Scoring differential – 3; Rank: No. 11
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: 5.9; Rank: No. 11
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 6.2; Rank: No. 11
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 113.8; Rank: No. 11
• Notable wins – None
• Notable losses – Columbus Academy (9-1), Columbus DeSales (5-5), Columbus Watterson (9-1), Columbus Hartley (8-2)

15 – Walnut Ridge (3-7)

• Scoring offense – 20; Rank: No. 15
• Scoring defense – 32; Rank: No. 15
• Scoring differential – (12); Rank: No. 15
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: (2.8); Rank: No. 13
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: (13.5); Rank: No. 16
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 86.2; Rank: No. 16
• Notable wins – Columbus Northland (9-1)
• Notable losses – Dayton Dunbar (7-3), Columbus Africentric (7-3), Columbus Briggs (7-3)

 16 – Grove City Central Crossing (4-6)

• Scoring offense – 15; Rank: No. 16
• Scoring defense – 32; Rank: No. 15
• Scoring differential – (17); Rank: No. 16
• calpreps.com strength of schedule – Rating: 15.4; Rank: No. 9
• calpreps.com ranking – Rating: 4.5; Rank: No. 13
• Drew Pasteur ranking – Rating: 111.2; Rank: No. 13
• Notable wins – None
• Notable losses – Westerville North (8-2), Olentangy (9-1), Pickerington Central (7-3)

2023 Booster Club Report – Week 10 – Post-Canton…

2023 Booster Club Report – Week 10 – Post-Canton McKinley; Preview of the Grove City Central Crossing Game

Massillon (10-0) defeated Canton McKinley (7-3), 35-0.  The Tigers now hold a 76-53-5 advantage in the series.  They have also won eight consecutive games and twelve of the last thirteen.  This week Massillon hosts Grove City Central Crossing (4-6) for a Friday, 7:00 pm kickoff in the first round of the playoffs.  The Tigers finished No. 1 in Division 2, Region 7, while the Comets come in at No. 16.  Massillon has never played Central Crossing.

Link to the Canton McKinley Game Story

Link to the Canton McKinley Game Statistics

Other scores:

• 7th Grade (4-4): Season is over.
• 8th Grade (6-2): Season is over.
• Freshmen (9-2): Defeated Canton McKinley, 44-0.  Season is over.
• Junior Varsity (3-3-1): Season is over.

Review of the Canton McKinley game

It was win No. 942, which keeps Massillon in the No. 3 position nationally for all-time wins.

It’s not unusual for the game against Canton McKinley to be chippy, given the passion each team has to win in this great rivalry.  But, it was a little more than normal in this one and it unfortunately spilled over afterwards during the handshake.  Partly through, the two teams started to mix it up.  The Tiger players quickly retreated to their own bench at the urging of the coaches, but the Bulldog players followed them enmass to the Massillon side of the field, in spite of both coaches trying to separate the two groups.  Within a few minutes the teams separated and exited the field to their respective locker rooms, sans any victory celebration and award ceremony for Massillon winning the game.

“What happened at the end of the game was really sad,” said Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore.  “I hope everyone learned a lesson.  It was disrespect to the rivalry.”

Then it was time to talk about the game.  “I couldn’t be more proud of our guys,” said Moore, who with the win became the all-time leader as a head coach in the series, ahead of Paul Brown, Mike Currence and McKinley’s Thom McDaniels.  “We played with speed.  We dominated in all three phases.  The defense had an historical performance (limiting the Bulldogs to 65 yards of total offense, sacking the quarterback five times and pitching a shutout).   “Big” Mike Wright Jr. just destroyed the center and sacked the quarterback three times.  The offense played really well.  We only punted once and we scored 35 points.”

After Massillon opened a 14-0 lead they perfectly executed an onside kick that led to a third score.  Moore credited Special Teams Coach Jason Jarvis for the call.  In film study, he saw that on kickoffs McKinley was back three yards from the fifty and immediately retreated as the kicker approached the ball.  The play called for the ball to be dribbled directly ahead by kicker Vinny Keller, with the player on either side of him tasked with blocking the two players from the receiving team that had the best chance of recovery.  The next two players provided protection for the kicker or recovered the ball themselves in the event the kicker was taken out.  Five plays later the Tigers were in the end zone with a 21-0 lead and the game was essentially over.

The guest players were quarterback Da’One Owens and offensive lineman Sam Snodgrass.  “It was exciting for my first rivalry win,” said Owens.”  Snodgrass added that “the offensive line did a great job.  Fired on all cylinders.  Pringle had a great game (running the ball).”

Statistics leaders:

• Da’One Owens: 9 of 13 passing for 108 yards and 2 touchdown; 8 carries for 52 yards
• Ma’Meir Gamble: 15 carries for 71 yards
• Dorian Pringle: 6 carries for 54 yards and 2 touchdowns; 2 (1-2) tackle points
• Braylyn Toles: 4 receptions for 61 yards and 1 touchdown
• Jacques Carter: 3 receptions for 14 yards
• Emy Louis Jr.: 30-yard touchdown reception
• Michael Wright Jr.: 4 (4-0) tackle points; 3 quarterback sacks; 3 tackles for loss; 2 carries for 11 yards and 1 touchdown
• Adonis Marshall: 5 (5-0) tackle points; pass interception
• Cody Fair: 4.5 (4-1) tackle points

Central Crossing Scouting Report

Central Crossing plays in the Buckeye Division of the Ohio Capital Conference.  The other teams in the division are Pickerington Central, Newark, Reynoldsburg, Groveport Madison and Lancaster.  The Comets this year finished 4-6 with a 2-3 conference record.  Their scores so far:

• Columbus Independence (5-5): 21-14 W
• Westerville North (8-2): 21-42 L
• Columbus Westland (1-9): 27-17 W
• Grove City (5-5) 63-0 L
• Olentangy (9-1): 35-0 L
• Lancaster (5-5): 21-24 L
• Pickerington Central (7-3): 0-48 L
• Newark (2-8): 33-27 W
• Reynoldsburg (1-9): 30-22 W
• Groveport (6-4): 0-31 L

Central Crossing Scouting Report

The comet offense operates out of the spread with a single running back and occasional tight end.  The best player is senior running back Malik Kamara (6′-1″, 190), a 2-star recruit who has committed to the U.S. Naval Academy.  He is a good, physical runner, a down hill runner, who can break tackles.  Malik also lines up at safety.

The defense lines up in an odd front with cover-3.  They will blitz often.  The two safeties are very good.  Central Crossing also has a good kicker.

According to Moore, they are well-coached and play a traditional brand of football; i.e., very fundamental, not a junk offense.  Five players go both ways, on a team with many underclass starters.

Central Crossing may not be the best team the Tigers have faced this year, but Moore emphasized the Massillon program “needs to focus on the prize.  Our goal is to win the state title.”

Go Tigers!