News The Football Booster Club is sponsoring a bus to Mansfield for the Big Walnut game, open to the general public. The cost is $30.00 and includes a foot long sub, chips and water. Game ticket is NOT included. The bus will depart the high school parking lot at 4:30 pm. If interested, contact Bill Brown at (330) 704-2548 or visit him at O’Reilly’s Auto Parts between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm.
News It was a night for the running backs as both teams kept their offenses focused mostly on the ground game. Massillon chugged right along, throwing a heavy dose of Willtrell Hartson at the opponent. Canal Winchester, however, just couldn’t get out of first gear in a 34-0 rout, with a running clock in effect for most of second half. It was also a night of records. Hartson rushed for over 100 yards for the 11th consecutive time, surpassing the previous mark set by Jamir Thomas in 2018. With his 141 yards, he also remains on pace to break the all-time season rushing record set by Travis McGuire (his current running backs coach) back in 1991.
But larger than that is the one set by Nate Moore, who eclipsed an achievement set over eighty years ago. That’s when Paul Brown departed Massillon in 1940 having compiled a record 80 wins. Moore has now won 81 games as a Tiger head coach. It took that long to find one that met two criteria: first, he needed to be ultimately successful year-to-year to keep being invited back; and second, he needed to fall in love with this town to point where he was willing to embrace it and become a career coach here. He has managed to do both and Massillon is fortunate to have him.
Prior to the game it was no secret that Canal Winchester was going to run the ball, while at the same time being very poor in the passing game. They were also going to load the box with their 4-4, cover-3 defense. On the other side, Massillon wanted to establish the run game and pass when needed. And Massillon, as the No.1 team in Region 7, was considered by national rating services to be a heavy favorite with their balanced offense and devastating run defense.
The game played out as expected. Massillon was able to overcome the loaded box and roll up 378 yards of offense, with 299 on the ground. Meanwhile, the Indians managed just 62 yards, all but three coming on the ground at 1.8 yards per carry. They also never crossed midfield. The only offense they could muster was the quarterback running out of the pocket after realizing that all of his passing targets were covered. It was also the second consecutive game that the Tiger first unit pitched a shutout. It should also be noted that Massillon played the defense straight up and didn’t load box.
After stalling on their first two drives, the Tigers got it going and scored touchdowns on five of their next six possessions. Canal Winchester put up a good fight early on and forced a couple of punts, but then seemed to tire a bit as they just couldn’t get off the field after that. And Hartson, behind some exceptional line play, was just a bit too much.
The first score came on 32-yard rainbow from Jalen Slaughter to Ardell Banks, who had solidly beaten the defensive back. After that score, the Indians regularly double-teamed him, which of course took a player out of the box; advantage Massillon.
With Canal Winchester limited on offense, the Tigers nearly always started in good field position following punts and took full advantage. The next score came at the end of a 53-yard drive when Hartson bulled in from the six. The third score of the first half was set up by a blocked punt by Dorian Pringle, with Malachi Card recovering at the 30. Hartson then finished off the drive with a 2-yard run.
Hartson scored his third TD midway through the third quarter when he broke free on a 34-yard run. The play was outside zone to the right. The offensive line perfectly sealed the edge and kicked out the outside linebacker, creating a nice seam for Hartson to speed through. It happened so quickly that the secondary just couldn’t recover in time.
With Hartson done for the night, the final score was tallied by sophomore Peytton Mitchell on a 1-yard run, capping an 80-drive. He finished the evening with 51 yards, as did running mate sophomore Mylen Lenix.
Slaughter ended up completing five of nine passes for 75 yards and a touchdown.
The defense was led by Marcus Moore, who recorded 6.5 tackle points (5-3) and a quarterback sack. Cody Fair added 6.0 tackle points (4-4).
All-in-all, both teams played to their potential and competed very cleanly throughout the game. What a difference a week makes. Congratulations to Canal Winchester on a fine season.
Next week Massillon will play at a neutral site (TBD) against No. 5 Big Walnut (9-2), a 35-21 winner over No. 4 Watkins Memorial, for a chance to advance to the regional finals. Last year, the Tigers downed unbeaten Big W, 38-0.
by Steve Doerschuk, The Repository
MASSILLON — Massillon’s 34-0 rout of Canal Winchester Friday night drew the OHSAA football playoffs into strangers-in-the-night phase.
Massillon and Canal Winchester have been connected since 1831 − by the Ohio Erie Canal − but Friday’s game was Canal Winchester’s first against Massillon or any other Stark County team.
As the Tigers and their crowd celebrated the team’s latest deep advance, the mood shifted to the familiar.
Just about the coolest image in the history of football appeared on the giant video board on the south side of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. It was Paul Brown himself, in a stylish jacket, hands in pockets, walking out of a mist.
On the field, the latest of the successors to the office of Massillon head coach was beaming. Nate Moore had just won his 81st game in Tigertown, surpassing Brown’s school record of 80.
A while later, in the locker room, Moore, whose eight-year record improved to 81-21, turned the spotlight on “PB,” whose record in Tigertown from 1932-40 was 80-8-2.
“He’s arguably the greatest coach of all time,” Moore said, “especially when you’re talking about innovation. Those things started here. He was an innovator at Massillon, and at Ohio State, and with the Browns, and beyond.
“It’s already an honor to be here, and be the head coach here at Massillon, in many ways because of Paul Brown. Paul Brown could have stayed here for 30 years and won 300 games. So, you know, it’s nice, I appreciate all the sentiment from everybody, but tomorrow, we’re going to be working on whoever we play Week 13.
“This is shared with all the kids here who played for us, and the coaches. Those people … I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Six-foot-2, 305-pound senior Marcus Moore, who was a defensive ringleader in the shutout that got Moore to No. 81, was born years after Brown died in 1991.
“But I hear about him 24-7, living in Massillon,” Moore said. “He’s such a big part of the history. It means a lot to be part of this with Coach Moore. Now we’ve got to get back to work and keep building on those wins for him.”
Under a plump moon meandering through an odd tapestry of clouds, the Tigers powered to a 21-0 halftime lead and won their 10th straight game. They advanced to the third round of the Division II tournament, where they will face Big Walnut (10-2), which beat Watkins Memorial 35-21 Friday.
The game will be at a neutral site to be announced. Massillon crushed Big Walnut 38-0 in the third round of last year’s playoffs. In a 2022 regular-season finale, Canal Winchester beat Big Walnut, a 21-14.
A playoff encounter against Massillon struck an eerie note for Canal Winchester head coach Jake Kuhner, who was a Pickerington senior playing against the Tigers 20 years ago. A 14-0 loss was the final game of his high school career.
“It was a real good game in the third round of the playoffs,” Kuhner recalled. “It was in Mansfield on a night that was so cold the puddles were ice. (Shawn) Crable was a defensive end. They had an outstanding receiver (Devin Jordan).
“We know Massillon has some great history, past and right now.”
The 2002 Tigers, after beating Pickerington, fell in overtime to Warren Harding in the Division I state semifinals. The 2022 Tigers must win three more games to reach the Division II finals, but they seem an obvious threat to do so.
In scouting Massillon, Kuhner said it was burned in his head that “No. 18 is a burner and a playmaker, and the quarterback throws him a nice ball almost every time he’s down the field deep.”
Massillon’s second play was a deep throw from QB Jalen Slaughter to No. 18, Ardell Banks. It was a nice-looking ball, but out of Banks’ reach, leading to a punt that encouraged the Canal Winchester camp. It also discouraged against over-stacking the box to deal with running back Wiltrell Hartson.
Slaughter again went deep on the second series. Incomplete again. Another punt, in keeping with a proud Canal Winchester defense which, in its last three games, against teams with a 23-9 record, allowed a combined 30 points.
Ohio high school football:OHSAA football calendar set as 2022 season gets set to begin; two divisional changes
The Tigers kept pounding Hartson and going deep to Banks, who got wide open on his third try, on the third series, and glided under a 32-yard TD pass from Slaughter. Yes, it was a nice ball.
It was 6-0 with 3:30 left in the first quarter. A Canal Winchester offense averaging below 20 points punted for a third straight time after linebacker Dorian Pringle stuffed a keep by QB Maxton Brunner on third-and-long.
How long could that defense keep Canal Winchester afloat? Not long.
Hartson, Pringle and Mylen Lenix took turns in an all-run series capped by Hartson’s 4-yard TD run. A second missed point-after kick kept it at 12-0 with 7:10 left in the half.
Pringle finished off a big first half with a blocked punt setting up Hartson’s 2-yard TD run, followed by Pringle’s two-point conversion run, for a 20-0 lead just before halftime.
By then, Hartson had rushed 16 times for 87 yards. Those three deep casts to Banks were Slaughter’s only throws of the first half.
Hartson broke free on the right side for a 32-yard TD providing a 27-0 lead midway through the third quarter.Massillon’s defense mastered a foe that was afraid to pass against it.
MASSILLON — Massillon’s 34-0 rout of Canal Winchester Friday night drew the OHSAA football playoffs into strangers-in-the-night phase.
Massillon and Canal Winchester have been connected since 1831 − by the Ohio Erie Canal − but Friday’s game was Canal Winchester’s first against Massillon or any other Stark County team.
As the Tigers and their crowd celebrated the team’s latest deep advance, the mood shifted to the familiar.
Just about the coolest image in the history of football appeared on the giant video board on the south side of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. It was Paul Brown himself, in a stylish jacket, hands in pockets, walking out of a mist.
On the field, the latest of the successors to the office of Massillon head coach was beaming. Nate Moore had just won his 81st game in Tigertown, surpassing Brown’s school record of 80.
A while later, in the locker room, Moore, whose eight-year record improved to 81-21, turned the spotlight on “PB,” whose record in Tigertown from 1932-40 was 80-8-2.
“He’s arguably the greatest coach of all time,” Moore said, “especially when you’re talking about innovation. Those things started here. He was an innovator at Massillon, and at Ohio State, and with the Browns, and beyond.
“It’s already an honor to be here, and be the head coach here at Massillon, in many ways because of Paul Brown. Paul Brown could have stayed here for 30 years and won 300 games. So, you know, it’s nice, I appreciate all the sentiment from everybody, but tomorrow, we’re going to be working on whoever we play Week 13.
“This is shared with all the kids here who played for us, and the coaches. Those people … I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Six-foot-2, 305-pound senior Marcus Moore, who was a defensive ringleader in the shutout that got Moore to No. 81, was born years after Brown died in 1991.
“But I hear about him 24-7, living in Massillon,” Moore said. “He’s such a big part of the history. It means a lot to be part of this with Coach Moore. Now we’ve got to get back to work and keep building on those wins for him.”
Under a plump moon meandering through an odd tapestry of clouds, the Tigers powered to a 21-0 halftime lead and won their 10th straight game. They advanced to the third round of the Division II tournament, where they will face Big Walnut (10-2), which beat Watkins Memorial 35-21 Friday.
The game will be at a neutral site to be announced. Massillon crushed Big Walnut 38-0 in the third round of last year’s playoffs. In a 2022 regular-season finale, Canal Winchester beat Big Walnut, a 21-14.
A playoff encounter against Massillon struck an eerie note for Canal Winchester head coach Jake Kuhner, who was a Pickerington senior playing against the Tigers 20 years ago. A 14-0 loss was the final game of his high school career.
“It was a real good game in the third round of the playoffs,” Kuhner recalled. “It was in Mansfield on a night that was so cold the puddles were ice. (Shawn) Crable was a defensive end. They had an outstanding receiver (Devin Jordan).
“We know Massillon has some great history, past and right now.”
The 2002 Tigers, after beating Pickerington, fell in overtime to Warren Harding in the Division I state semifinals. The 2022 Tigers must win three more games to reach the Division II finals, but they seem an obvious threat to do so.
In scouting Massillon, Kuhner said it was burned in his head that “No. 18 is a burner and a playmaker, and the quarterback throws him a nice ball almost every time he’s down the field deep.”
Massillon’s second play was a deep throw from QB Jalen Slaughter to No. 18, Ardell Banks. It was a nice-looking ball, but out of Banks’ reach, leading to a punt that encouraged the Canal Winchester camp. It also discouraged against over-stacking the box to deal with running back Wiltrell Hartson.
Slaughter again went deep on the second series. Incomplete again. Another punt, in keeping with a proud Canal Winchester defense which, in its last three games, against teams with a 23-9 record, allowed a combined 30 points.
The Tigers kept pounding Hartson and going deep to Banks, who got wide open on his third try, on the third series, and glided under a 32-yard TD pass from Slaughter. Yes, it was a nice ball.
It was 6-0 with 3:30 left in the first quarter. A Canal Winchester offense averaging below 20 points punted for a third straight time after linebacker Dorian Pringle stuffed a keep by QB Maxton Brunner on third-and-long.
How long could that defense keep Canal Winchester afloat? Not long.
Hartson, Pringle and Mylen Lenix took turns in an all-run series capped by Hartson’s 4-yard TD run. A second missed point-after kick kept it at 12-0 with 7:10 left in the half.
Pringle finished off a big first half with a blocked punt setting up Hartson’s 2-yard TD run, followed by Pringle’s two-point conversion run, for a 20-0 lead just before halftime.
By then, Hartson had rushed 16 times for 87 yards. Those three deep casts to Banks were Slaughter’s only throws of the first half.
Hartson broke free on the right side for a 32-yard TD providing a 27-0 lead midway through the third quarter.Massillon’s defense mastered a foe that was afraid to pass against it.
At halftime, Brunner was 0-for-1 passing and took a sack, while running seven times. For the game, backs Kaseem Wade and Corey Howard, frequent producers before Friday, split 20 carries and gained 44 yards.
Hartson wound up with 20 carries for 142 yards and three TDs. It was his 11th straight game above 100 yards, a Massillon record.
“On defense,” said Marcus Moore, “we held ’em under 70 yards (62, to be exact). You can’t really ask for any more than that.”
Coach Moore touched on the early flurry of deep passes to Banks.
“We’ve got to get out there and see how they’re defending us, and take what they’re giving,” he said. “If they’re giving us a one-on-one with Ardell, we’re going to take it. They started putting two, sometimes two-and-a-half guys on Ardell, and we just ran the football. Less guys in the box. Do the math.”
Off the field, the math added up to 81 wins for the coach. A few thousand stuck around to show their appreciation.
Editorial In 2013 the OHSAA increased the number of playoff divisions from six to seven. Then in 2018 they realigned the playoff divisions such that there are now 72 teams in Division 1 and 106 teams in Division 2. This is the tenth year that the 7-division format has been in place and it’s time to take a look at the impact.
All of the participating schools are supposed to have reasonable chances to qualify for the playoffs and achieve at least some success. To aid that goal, the OHSAA over time has introduced several modifications that were designed to balance inherent discrepancies between schools.
First, The number of divisions was expanded from the original three in 1972 to the current level of seven to better distribute the schools based on differences in enrollment. In addition, the size of Division 1 was reduced significantly to further increase the odds in Division 1, where the span of enrollments is much greater than in the other six.
Second, Open Enrollment was introduced to help public schools “even the playing field” with the parochial schools, although later modifications restricted the benefit to a degree (first-year transfer players in public schools are required to sit out the second half of the season).
Finally, Competitive Advantage was introduced. This came after the member schools’ proposal to separate the tournament into independent public and parochial venues was rejected by the OHSAA and it never made it to a vote by the member schools. Competitive Advantage mostly accounts for the benefits in talent gained by parochial schools in securing players from large geographical areas. The impact is that schools with large competitive advantage numbers are potentially moved into higher divisions to again “even the playing field.” But, as of now, zero Division 2 parochial schools have been moved into Division 1, while several from Division 3 were added to Division 2, thereby increasing the competitiveness of this division. Meanwhile, no fixes were made to Division 1. Divisions lower than D3 did, however, did receive benefit from this change.
Since the realignment only 21 teams out of these 178 in D1 and D2, a mere 12%, have been able to claim at least a regional championship and only nine (5%) have been crowned state champs. Meanwhile, only three public schools, Pickerington Central, Loveland and Cincinnati Winton Woods, have won either a D1 or a D2 title in the last ten years.
Most of the Division 2 titles have been captured by Akron Hoban and Cincinnati LaSalle. Hoban, which was moved into D2 on account of Competitive Advantage, has won five, two in Division 3 and three in Division 2. Cincinnati LaSalle, always a member of D2, has four. Cincinnati Winton Woods took the 2021 trophy, while Toledo Central, which is also in D2 on account of competitive advantage, has one from Division 3. Below is a breakdown of the ten teams that dominate this division. Note that all, with the exception of Perry, which was ousted last week by Massillon, are still alive this year.
In Division 1, Lakewood St. Edward has four titles, Pickerington Central has two and one each belong to Cincinnati Moeller and Cleveland St. Ignatius. Eleven teams are in this group and all are alive with the exception of Huber Heights Wayne and Cincinnati Colerain. Below is their breakdown.
From the looks of this data, it appears that there is still some work lying ahead for the OHSAA.
News Massillon (9-1) defeated Massillon Perry (4-7), 48-7, for all-time win No. 929. The Tigers will play next at home against Canal Winchesster (7-4) in the second round of the playoffs, this Friday at 7:00 pm.
Perry
The offense was in high gear last Friday in demolishing Perry, scoring seven touchdowns in eight possessions. The only blemish was a punt from midfield on the second possession. The victory was a complete team effort, as the offense rolled up 410 yards using a balanced attack. Meanwhile, the defense held the Panthers to 138 yards in first-team action and 206 yards overall.
“It’s always good to win,” said Nate Moore, who won his 80th game as a Tiger head coach, matching that of Paul Brown. “It’s even better to win in the playoffs. But, it’s really good to beat Perry. Sad to see how the game ended up with the shenanigans from the other side. But our kids played well. Played the right way. And took care of business.”
As expected, Perry loaded the box with their 4-4 defensive alignment and no amount of Massillon passing was able to move them out of it, even after Jalen Slaughter connected with Ardell Banks on a 72-yard touchdown pass to open the game. But it didn’t slow down the offense, which had been accustomed to facing much stiffer competition throughout the season.
The guest players were Zach Liebler and Banks.
Canal Winchester
The No. 9 seeded Indians compete in a division of Columbus’s Ohio Capital Conference with the likes of Big Walnut and Westerville South, two teams that he Tigers faced in last year’s playoffs. Their 6-4 regular season record includes a 4-3 conference mark, with a 21-14 win over division runner-up Big Walnut and losses to division champ Westerville South (20-35) and Worthington Kilbourne (7-9).
They run a pro-style offense with the quarterback sometimes under center and other times in the shotgun, utilizing multiple tight end sets. The preference is to run the ball and they do that around 70% of the time. They will also throw some screens, so the Tiger linebackers will need to account for this.
The defense is similar to Perry, in that they line up in a 4-4 with cover-3. Although, they blitz much more than Perry, around 45% of the time. The strength of the defense is the inside linebackers.
Go Tigers!
History Don Engelhardt, massillontigers.com
Massillon Rolls Past Perry, Advances to Playoffs Second Round
MASSILLON — Top-seeded Massillon (9-1) wasted no time in establishing dominance in this playoff game enroute to a 48-7 pasting of neighborhood rival and No. 16 Perry (4-7). On the first play from scrimmage sophomore quarterback Jalen Slaughter unloaded deep to senior wide receiver Ardell Banks on a 72-yard touchdown. Banks, who had beaten two defenders with his 4.44 speed, first juggled the slightly overthrown ball and then quickly secured it, sprinting untouched the rest of the way. The remainder of the night was “ground and pound” as the Tigers scored touchdowns on seven of their eight possessions, while punting only once.
For the game, Massillon rolled up 410 yards of offense in just 38 plays, while averaging a whopping 10.8 yards per play. Leading the attack was senior running back Willtrell Hartson, who recorded his 10th consecutive 100-yard game, matching the record set a few years ago by Jamir Thomas. He finished night with 14 carries for 111 yards and three touchdowns. For the season Hartson has now gained 1,448 yards (7th all-time; the record is 1,976) and scored 23 rushing touchdowns (4th all-time; the record is 33).
Slaughter also had a fine outing, completing 7 of 9 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. His main target was Banks, who recorded six catches for 150 yards and two scores. The latter came via a halfback from wide receiver Braylyn Toles.
Also matching a record was Nate Moore, who won his 80th game as Tiger head coach, matching that of the great Paul Brown, who set the mark in 1940.
It was an uncharacteristic night of football; a night of chippyness and cheap shots and the fans of both teams vociferously disagreeing with many referee calls. But in between, some great football was played.
Perry tried their best to establish a ground game with their antiquated Wing-T offense, but the Tiger D was just too large, too quick and too talented to allow the Panthers to finish any drive until the second team was inserted late in the game. The Perry passing game didn’t help any, as it was simply ineffective (2 for 10 and 2 interceptions.).
Massillon scored twice in the second quarter to take a 21-0 lead into the locker room. The first came at the end of a 10-play, 83-yard drive when Hartson bulled up the middle for a 4-yard touchdown. The third of the night TD was set up by a 50-yard pass interception return by Zach LIebler, who had stepped in front of the intended receiver to snag the ball. Three plays later the Tigers were sitting in the end zone courtesy of Hartson’s 19-yard run around the left end.
The onslaught continued in the second half, with Massillon scoring on three straight possessions: a 37-yard power run up by the middle by Hartson, the aforementioned 28-yard halfback pass to Banks and a 3-yard run by Mylen Lenix. The third score came at the end of a 5-play, 98-yard drive.
With a 42-0 score and a running clock now in effect, it was time to insert the second unit to finish the game. Perry’s lone score came against this group when Garrett Laubacher raced 67 yards to the end zone. Up to that point Perry in their first seven possessions had punted four times, had a pass interception and lost the ball on downs.
Not to be outdone, the younger Tigers came right back and pounded one in with 39 seconds left in the game (no love lost there!). The points were tallied by Lenix, a player who could replace Hartson next year in the backfield. He finally had an opportunity to showcase his talent, as he rushed six times for 99 yards and scored twice. Peytton Mitchell, who is also in contention, added six strong carries for 33 yards.
Perry had some success moving the ball on the ground in the first half, almost exclusively from sophomore quarterback Austin Mattox, a former Massillon Tiger player. He rushed 16 times for 61 yards. Nothing was to be gained up the middle, but he did find some room around the end. Only, the Tiger defense eventually took this away when they spread their alignment a bit. After that, it was all Massillon. Four defensive players put up some good tackle numbers, including Shon Robinson (7.0), Cody Fair (7.0), De’Aire Pringle (6.0) and Ryan Page (6.0). And Ma’Taeaun Frazier added a pick that prevented a score. Overall, it was a good performance by the entire defense.
The downside of this game was a few injuries, some via game action and others via cheap shots. Hopefully, these Tigers will heal up in time to support the playoff challenges that lie ahead.
With the win, Massillon advances to the second round of the regionals and will face first-time opponent Canal Winchester (7-4), a 23-6 winner over Columbus Independence. The game will be held next Friday at home with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 pm.
History It’s playoff time and once again the Tigers are poised to make a run for the state title. The post-season has been around since 1972, some 51 years, and during that time Massillon has qualified more times than not. While it was difficult to qualify back in 1972 when only one team from each region was selected, now sixteen teams qualify from each region. So, it’s much easier for a state power like Massillon to make it in every year going forward. If only the format was that way from the beginning. Research shows that the Tigers would have qualified each and every year with a sixteen-team format. And not may schools can say that.
Nevertheless, there have been times when Massillon was on the bubble, which was particularly the case in 2008, when the format called for eight teams per region. Here’s a story from Gary Vogt that shows how the stars aligned that year to put the Tigers in.
“In what is one of the most unlikely chain of events, the Massillon Tigers qualified for the playoffs in 2008. After week nine there were four teams vying for the eighth and final spot in Division One, Region Two. Massillon finished in eighth place and qualified with 21.4912 points, ninth was Fremont Ross with 21.4187, then came Toledo St. Johns with 21.1429 and finally Akron Garfield with 21.0500. These four were vying for the eighth spot. And there could have been another contender had Nordonia lost to Garfield Heights. But Nordonia won 32-12 and thus locked up the sixth seed.
The following series of events had to occur in order for the Tigers to make the playoffs that year:
This unlikely series of events led Massillon to qualify for the playoffs in 2008. Unfortunately, the Tigers lost the next week to 14-7 North Canton Hoover and bowed out of playoff contention.
It is amazing that all six of these events had occur for the Tigers to qualify. This is certainly one of the most unlikely scenarios that led to a team making it in. Think about it, a win in a rivalry game, two wins by teams whose opponents had like records, a win by successfully going for a two point conversion, an overtime win and an eighty yard touchdown on the last play of a game played outside the Unite States. In the history of the playoffs in Ohio, there probably have been other remarkable scenarios whereby a team qualified, but very, very few that were more astounding than the 2008 Massillon Tigers.”
History Massillon (8-1) defeated Canton McKinley (5-5), 23-13. The Tigers will next play at home against Massillon Perry (4-6) in the first round of the playoffs, this Friday at 7:00 pm.
Canton McKinley
Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore wanted his team to start off quickly in last Saturday’s contest, and that they did by scoring a touchdown in each of their first three possessions, while negating any semblance of a Bulldog offense. After that, although they didn’t score again save a for a safety, the Tigers did control the tempo and maintained at least a 2-score advantage the rest of the way. It wasn’t the blowout many fans were expecting, but rather a typical Massillon-McKinley affair, hard-hitting and low-scoring. But credit McKinley’s run defense, which did put up a commendable effort. But it was a satisfying win, nevertheless. With the victory, Massillon now leads the overall series, 75-53-5.
Not since 1953, some 75 games ago, has Massillon scored three consecutive touchdowns on the Bulldogs to start the game. And throughout the series’ long history spanning 133 games, in only eight games did the Tigers score at least 21 points in the first half. Such a remarkable achievement it was.
The scores came like this:
McKinley did manage to score two touchdowns on the only times they moved the ball any significant distance. The first came with just five seconds remaining in the half when Keaton Rode connected with Alex Vazquez for a 40-yard TD. Unfortunately, the lone Tiger in the vicinity was just a bit late to the tackle at the 20 yard line to prevent the score. A second TD came in the last minutes of the game, a 5-yard pass from Rode to Keith Quincy. In between, the Bulldogs struggled to generate any semblance of offense, with stellar sophomore running back Nino Hill gaining just 27 yards off of 10 carries. McKinley also gifted the Tigers two points when the center snapped the ball over the punter’s head for a safety. One needs to wonder if it wasn’t done on purpose as McKinley was sitting on their own five at the time and the score margin was 14, meaning that it would still be a 2-score game. Punting had been an issue all day and a short punt may have led to a game-clinching score by the Tigers.
“It was all-time win No. 926,” beamed Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore. “We kept the bell home. It was the seventh win in a row. I’m really proud of that.” Moore was also ecstatic about his players’ 3.55 grade point average following the first quarter. Twelve to 15 players recorded a GPA of 4.0 or above. Only 10 out of 71 players were below 3.0. But now he has raised the bar. The second quarter goal is 3.6.
It was also a wild time at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on this warm, sunny day. Tailgates started early in the morning and were in evidence throughout the parking lots. The music blared. The fans were rowdy. And great excitement was in the air. Then the stadium began to fill. It was definitely a college-game atmosphere, something that has been missing over the past few years. Hopefully it stays that way. Otherwise, this great rivalry will be lost forever. The attendance was 14,476. “Our fans turned out,” said Moore. “I’ve never seen a stadium like that. It was awesome to see. So much energy coming from our fans.”
“I’m proud of our guys,” summed up Moore. “It as a very physical game. Both sides played hard. We had a chance to put the game away earlier. But a lot of good football was played. We didn’t bust a long run. But we had a lot of 4-5 yard runs. Both lines played good.”
Three guest players were on hand:
Stats leaders:
Massillon Perry
The final computer rankings resulted in Massillon holding down the No. 1 spot in Division II, Region 7, meaning that they are matched against the No. 16 team in the first round. With Perry’s unexpected loss to Canton GlenOak and Columbus Northland upsetting Columbus Beechcroft, the Panthers dropped to the No. 16 spot. At least this game will draw some fan interest and help negate that familiar post-McKinley game letdown. The alternative would have been a game with Teays Valley, with the Tigers being a 52-point favorite.
This will be the 20th meeting of these backyard rivals, with Massillon owning the series edge, 17-2. The last time they met was in the regional finals of the 2020 season, a year that the Tigers finished second in the state. It was the year of Covid and, since many games were canceled, the OHSAA elected to have the various coaches vote for seeded positioning. Massillon and Perry were clearly the two best teams in the region and nearly every coach voted as such. But Perry’s Keith Wakefield placed the Tigers 9th, assuring that his team would play the regional finals at home. What he didn’t expect was that the voting would be made public a few days later, to his embarassment. But it all backfired when Massillon came away with a convincing 43-13 victory, in what turned out to be Wakefield’s last game at Perry. It was a game that should have been held in Massillon. And this Friday it will be.
In typical fashion, Perry continues to run the Wing-T offense, which sets up well for the Tiger front seven. With the exception of Cincinnati Moeller and Lakewood St. Edward, this group has held every opposing starting running back under 50 yards. They have also surrendered just 2.5 yards per carry for the season, the best mark by any Massillon team since the spread offense came into vogue in the late 1990s.
Perry comes into the game with a 4-6 record, having dropped five of their last six. Preceding that drought, the Panthers did secure a big victory over Canton McKinley. But aside from a 35-7 loss to Lake, they were in every game. Their season:
The Perry offense uses the Wing-T, but has added some shotgun sets, with a few modern plays thrown in. Moore believes that the offensive line does not have any outstanding players, but “the whole is better than the parts.” They play really hard and are physical. The best lineman is senior Jayden Kelly (6-3, 255). He is athletic and powerful and blocks well. Eight different guys have regularly run the ball, none standing out per Moore. But keep an eye on senior De’Andre Church (5-10, 190). He was a difference maker against Central in the game this writer attended. The quarterback is sophomore Austin Mattox (6-1, 165), a former Massillon Tiger. He stands out more as a runner than a passer. The wide receiver group is pretty good, but Perry doesn’t do much with the passing game. Nevertheless, the defense needs to play good assignment football or Perry will complete a first down pass here or there or break a long run.
Defensively, the Panthers are exclusively aligned in a 4-4 with cover-3. They blitz very little. The line does not have great size, averaging 6′-1″, 218 lbs. The strength is the linebackers. The best player is senior Brayden Fellouzis (6-0, 200). He reads well and and is physical. Overall, the front-8 is well-coached and will present a good challenge for the Tigers, who will most likely come out in a balanced attack to take advantage of mismatches in the secondary.
Miscellaneous
The win over McKinley was Moore’s 79th as a Tiger Coach, who is in the midst of his eighth year at Massillon. The mark ties that of Mike Currence (9 years) and is one short of Paul Brown (9-years).
Moore said that having an open date prior to the McKinley game was all positives and he would consider doing it again. It’s a long season and it gave his charges a week to rest and recharge before the 7-game stretch to come.
Throwing of candy at the beat McKinley parade is still an issue and may jeopardize the ability to hold future parades. Participants should take note.
The Football Banquet will be held on December 15 at the Greek Orthodox Church. Doors will open at 5:30 pm and dinner will be served at 6:00 pm.
News Here are the winners of the Massillon-McKinley Squares Board Contest:
1st Quarter (6-0) – Helle Tonn ($200)
2nd Quarter (21-7) – Tammy Wolfe / Julie Verne ($200)
3rd Quarter (23-7) – Paula Russ ($200)
Final (23-13) – Bob Wagner ($400)
Thank you to everyone who participated.
News Josh Weir, The Repository
‘This game means everything’: Massillon football dominates start, cruises to win vs. McKinley
MASSILLON — Saturday’s sunny, 70-degree weather was perfect for the 133rd meeting of the Massillon and Canton McKinley high school football teams.
Perfect also could describe the first 15 minutes of the game for the Tigers.
Massillon jumped all over McKinley early and cruised from there for a 23-13 win in front of 14,474 fans at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
By the 9:03 mark of the second quarter, the Tigers led 21-0, had run 26 plays to McKinley’s six and were well on their way to a seventh straight win in the rivalry.
“We went out and executed and kind of got them on their heels a little bit,” Massillon head coach Nate Moore said. “I wish we would’ve kept the pedal to the metal. We didn’t offensively. Defensively, that was a pretty awesome performance from start to finish.”
Massillon now leads the all-time series 75-53-5. McKinley hasn’t won in Massillon since Ron Johnson’s Bulldogs were victorious 40-17 in 2010.
“This game means everything to our program,” said Moore, now 79-21 in 100 games as Massillon’s coach and just one behind Paul Brown (80-8) on the Tigers all-time wins list. “Everything we do, everything we prepare for is for this moment right here. I’m so proud of our staff and our kids and everybody associated with the Massillon Tigers.”
Both Massillon (8-1) and McKinley (5-5) move on to the playoffs next week, and both are quite familiar with their first-round opponents. According to JoeEitel.com, the Tigers are No. 1 in Division II, Region 7 and will host No. 16 Perry (4-6) in the first round. McKinley is No. 6 in Division I, Region 1 and will host No. 11 GlenOak (4-6), which just lost 40-7 at home last week to the Bulldogs.
Official pairings will be announced Sunday.
McKinley’s problems started right away Saturday when senior wide receiver Cynceir McNeal injured his ankle covering the opening kickoff and did not return. The 6-foot-4 McNeal is McKinley’s biggest weapon in the passing game and his absence certainly contributed to the nightmare start.
So did a Massillon offense that pounded at McKinley with its Willtrell Hartson-led running game.
“It was terrible,” McKinley head coach Antonio Hall said. “We couldn’t get going on the ground. We were missing reads in the pass game. Receivers and quarterbacks weren’t on the same page. Defensively, we were blowing coverages. Our eyes were bad. It was a bad start.”
The Tigers limited McKinley to 199 yards of offense, including only 26 on the ground, and put heavy pressure on Bulldogs quarterback Keaton Rode.
Meanwhile, Massillon’s ground game was productive as usual, often using six linemen and 6-foot-6, 230-pound tight end Nolan Davenport. The Tigers ran it 53 times, led by Hartson’s 131 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries. The senior Hartson, who has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in each of Massillon’s nine games, also caught a 30-yard pass to set up a touchdown.
Junior Dorian Pringle and sophomore Mylen Lenix added a combined 70 yards on 14 carries for Massillon, with Pringle doing some short-yardage damage and running in a two-point conversion. The 5-11, 220-pound Pringle also made a huge impact at middle linebacker for the Tigers, who have won eight straight games since a season-opening loss to Cincinnati Moeller.
Massillon ran the ball nine of its first 10 plays Saturday. The 11th play was a perfect 40-yard touchdown strike from sophomore Jalen Slaughter to senior Ardell Banks for a 6-0 lead.
Slaughter mixed in some good throws to complement the Tigers’ ground attack and finished 10-of-14 for 157 yards, the TD to Banks and an interception by McKinley’s DJ Lewis on a deep ball.
“He played a nice game,” Moore said about his lefty QB. “Distributed the ball well and took some shots. I’m really proud of him.”
Banks finished with 63 yards on four grabs. Braylyn Toles added 53 yards on four receptions.
McKinley found a little life late in the first half. Rode hit junior Alex Vazquez up the seam for a 40-yard touchdown with five seconds left. McKinley trailed 21-7 and was getting the second-half kickoff.
But McKinley’s first possession of the second half stalled at Massillon’s 43, with the Tigers’ Marcus Moore delivering a hit to Rode as he threw on third down.
With no McNeal and sophomore running back Nino Hill limited to 28 yards on 10 carries, the Federal League-champion Bulldogs looked nothing like the team that averaged 41.8 points during its five-game winning streak.
“We just couldn’t get a rhythm,” Hall said. “It was a bust here, a bust there. We just couldn’t get it going.
“…. We knew they were going to blitz us because they’ve been blitzing everyone all year. We prepared for it. They just played a helluva game.”
Rode threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Keith Quincy with 2:41 left and finished 11-of-25 for 173 yards, two TDs and no interceptions.
Adding to McKinley’s headaches, Kaden Billman, who handles the punting and (at times) kickoff duties, was found to have COVID on Friday and wasn’t available Saturday. So McKinley had to turn to Quincy to punt for the first time this season and brought up freshman Tommy Mankowski to handle kickoffs.
Massillon’s only points of the second half came when a McKinley punt snap sailed high over Quincy’s head and out of the end zone for a safety late in the third quarter.
The second half was disjointed for both teams. Then things turned ugly late as the jawing turned up a notch.
McKinley senior linebacker Bryan Foster and Massillon junior defensive back Adonis Vaughan were ejected for a scuffle after a McKinley onside kick. Both will have to sit the first half of next week’s playoff openers.
“It’s tough,” Moore said. “You understand the emotions of a rivalry game. But you want to win with class. And we want to make sure we do our part in that.”
Added Hall, “In this rivalry, that’s going to happen, especially at the end and things aren’t going certain guys’ ways. But we don’t teach that, we don’t coach that nor do we tolerate that in this program.”
History Throughout the long rivalry of Massillon vs. Canton McKinley there have surely been some great games. But within those games there have been several outstanding individual performances. Here’s a look at the best of them:
Rushing
Passing / Receiving
Defense
Special Teams
Steve Doerschuk