Author: <span>Don Engelhardt</span>

News

2024 Booster Club Report – Week 10 – Post-Canton…

2024 Booster Club Report – Week 10 – Post-Canton McKinley; Preview of the Licking Heights Game

Massillon (8-2) defeated Canton McKinley (6-4), 16-7.  The Tigers now lead the overall series, 77-53-5.  It was also historical win No. 956.  This week Massillon is at home for Week 1 of the playoffs against Licking Heights (4-6) as they embark upon defense of their Division II state title from a year ago.

Link to the Canton McKinley Game Story

Link to the Canton McKinley Game Statistics

Other scores:

  • Freshmen (5-5): Defeated Canton McKinley, 18-12.  Season finished.

Review of the Canton McKinley game

Massillon defeated Canton McKinley 16-7 in the 135th renewal of this great rivalry, with all of the points being scored in the first half.  The Bulldogs came into the game as an overwhelming underdog, which was uncharacteristic for this event. And it would have played out that way had they not made any adjustments to the defense in order to hamper the well-balanced Tiger attack. So, they elected to load the box to stop the run and take a risk by playing man-to-man against the wide receivers. At times, even the free safeties crept toward the box to aid in the effort, thereby placing up to nine players in that zone. The ploy worked, at least against the run. Massillon never got untracked with their ground game, holding 1,000-yard rusher Ja’Meir Gamble to just 49 yards on 19 carries. Only, Massillon quarterback Jalen Slaughter was on the mark, completing 12 of 17 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. He was also named by the Great American Rivalry Series as the Player of the Game.  The defense blitzed early and often, putting great pressure on quarterback Kam Montgomery, who was the catalyst of the Bulldog offense. And they held the McKinley rushing attack to almost nothing until near the end of the game.  In the second half, the Tigers reverted to the game plan used in last year’s 7-2 state championship victory over Akron Hoban. That is, run the ball to burn up the clock and leave it to the defense to bring it home; i.e., play sound fundamental football against the rush, blitz sparingly and keep the receivers in check. It worked. The Bulldogs had the ball only three times in the second half.

“It was a hard fought victory,” said Massillon head coach Nate Moore at the weekly Booster Club meeting.  “We thought we would score more touchdowns.  But you have to give credit to McKinley.  They played hard.  We had trouble blocking them.  If we could have run better, we would have scored more points.  We were disappointed in all the penalties.  We need to clean that up.”  But he said that the Massillon crowd was definitely a factor in the win, especially on third down.  In spite of being disappointed that they didn’t score more points, Moore said that the field goal at the end of the first half was big, as it gave the Tigers a 2-score lead.  That changed the way the second half went.  Final kudos went to the defense.  “All eleven players were Players of the Game,” he said.

Moore noted that the seniors never lost to McKinley, from the seventh grade on.  Finally, he stated that the players handled all of the festivities and distractions during the week leading up to the game quite well.

The guest players were middle linebacker Vito McConnell and offensive lineman Nolan Davenport.  “Last week was a very hard fought win for us,” said McConnell.  “We came out strong and we wanted it more.”  Davenport agreed with McConnell and said that they can’t take Licking Heights lightly, as the team continues to move toward the goal of winning a state championship.  It’s a step in the process.

Licking Heights Scouting Report

Heights comes into the game with 4-6 record.  Their season to date:

  • Newark (7-3): 21-31 L
  • Tri-Valley (10-0): 0-31 L
  • Sheridan (6-4): 27-7 W
  • Buckeye Valley (6-4): 15-16 L
  • Lakewood (1-9): 41-0 W
  • Licking Valley (9-1): 22-28 L
  • Granville (9-1): 0-21 L
  • Mount Vernon (2-8): 14-7 W
  • Watkins Memorial (3-7): 18-36 L
  • Zanesville (0-10): 40-0 W

The Hornets participate in the Licking County League.  Over the past five years they have compiled a 21-30 overall record, including a 1-3 mark in the Division II state playoffs.  Their best finish in that span was 5-6, which occurred in both 2020 and 2021.  In 2022, at 5-6, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to North Canton Hoover, 38-7.

The Heights offense operates out of the spread behind a good-sized line that averages 6′-2″, 266 lbs.  The line best players are the two tackles, junior Fred Saunders (6′-3″, 285) and junior Matthew Schmitz (6′-3, 265).  The Hornets have a big running back in senior Jake Lopinto (6′-1, 215), who is committed to Robert Morris.  He runs hard and is a power runner.  He also has good vision and follows his blockers well.  The quarterback duties have been shared between two players, depending in the injury situation at the time.  Senior Reese Powell (5′-10″, 170) is more of the runner and will have designed run plays for him.  He is very shifty.  Junior JJ Shackleford, the passer, throws a nice long ball and is a good scrambler.  Their targets are a pair of good wide receivers in senior Josiah Ayers (5′-7″, 155) and senior Jaedin Edwards (5′-8″, 150).  Ayers is the deep ball threat, while Edwards is the speed guy and is often seen on the jet sweeps.  The Hornet offense tends to run first, but throw deep.

The base for the defense is an odd front.  But they will play some even.  the secondary aligns most often in cover-3, but they will mix it up at times.  They are not a big blitzing team, but it is in the package.  The best player on this side of the ball is Lopinto (the running back), who plays middle linebacker.  Heights wants to get him involved in every play.  And he does make plays.  Another good player is freshman Sam linebacker Robert Talbert (6′-0″, 175).  He is very athletic and covers well in space.  The defensive line averages 6′-1″, 259 lbs.  The best player in that group is senior Ahmed Ulaba Samura (5′-9″, 280).  He will explode off the ball and is solid against double teams.

Tickets for the game must be purchased through the OHSAA website, which can be accessed through this massillontigers.com link.

Go Tigers!

History

Massillon Downs Canton McKinley in Defensive Battle

Massillon Downs Canton McKinley in Defensive Battle

Statistics (pending)

No high school football program in American does “Rivalry Game-Day” better than Massillon.  Even most colleges would be envious of the atmosphere on display at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on this sunny Saturday afternoon.  The parking lots were packed with fans eager to support their teams.  The dozens of tailgate parties were in full swing.  The calliope was pounding out Tiger Rag at the stadium entrance.  The stadium speakers were blasting the music.  A near-capacity crowd of over 12,000.  And the fireworks were echoing throughout.  It doesn’t get any better than that.  All to witness a classic showdown between Massillon and Canton McKinley, with the partisan Tiger crowd enjoying a 16-7 victory in this 135th meeting.

Jalen Slaughter

The Bulldogs came into the game as an overwhelming underdog, which was uncharacteristic for this event.  And it would have played out that way had they not made any adjustments to the defense in order to hamper the well-balanced Tiger attack.  So, they elected to load the box to stop the run and take a risk by playing man-to-man against the wide receivers.  At times, even the free safeties crept toward the box to aid in the effort, thereby placing up to nine players in that zone.  The ploy worked, at least against the run.  Massillon never got untracked with their ground game, holding 1,000-yard rusher Ja’Meir Gamble to just 52 yards on 20 carries.  Only, Massillon quarterback Jalen Slaughter was on the mark, completing 13 of 17 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns.  He was also named by the Great American Rivalry Series as the Player of the Game.  The defense blitzed early and often, putting great pressure on quarterback Kam Montgomery, who was the catalyst of the Bulldog offense.  And they held the McKinley rushing attack to almost nothing until near the end of the game.

The tone was set on the first series when Montgomery sent a tag screen to Dante McClellan at the 21 yard line.  McClellan was immediately swarmed by a host of Tiger tacklers and stripped of the ball by Lennox Lemon.  Vito McConnell made the recovery and from there it took Massillon just four plays to find the end zone.  Rushes by Gamble and Mylen Lenix advanced the ball to the seven.  Then, Slaughter rolled left and found Braylyn Toles wide open on a crossing route in the back of the end zone for the initial points of the game.  Mateo Herrera’s PAT was good and the Tigers would maintain a lead for the rest of the game.

On the Bulldog’s next possession they were forced to punt after gaining just three yards.  But Michael Wright Jr. leaped high over a blocker to get a hand on the ball, giving the Tigers another chance for a score.  However, following three runs and an incomplete pass, McKinley had dodged the bullet.

But Massillon came right back after another Bulldog 3-and-out and drove 52 yards in eight plays for their second score.  Thirty-eight yards came at the hands of Slaughter who completed a 14-yarder to tight end Deangelo Zimmerman and a 24-yarder to Jacques Carter for the touchdown.  Unfortunately, an unsportsmanship conduct penalty was marched off prior to the PAT and the kick was subsequently missed.  Score: 13-0.

McKinley finally got their offense untracked and advanced to the Massillon 33, but were stalled on downs.  Following a Massillon punt, the Bulldogs were on the move again.  This time they converted when Montgomery, in the face of the blitz, tossed a screen pass to Deejay Britt for a 12-yard score with 2:07 left in the half.

But the Tigers weren’t finished. Starting at their own 15, Slaughter went to work with passing game and completed 5 of 5 for 64 yards, advancing the ball to the McKinley 19.  From there, with just five seconds remaining, Herrera drilled a 36-yard field.  The points were huge as it gave Massillon a two score lead.

In the second half, the Tigers reverted to the game plan used in last year’s 7-2 state championship victory over Akron Hoban.  That is, run the ball to burn up the clock and leave it to the defense to bring it home; i.e., play sound fundamental football against the rush, blitz sparingly and keep the receivers in check.   It worked.  The Bulldogs had the ball only three times in the second half.  The first ended in a punt from the one yard line.  In the second, McKinley ran off 16 plays only to have a 4th down pass intercepted by Daylan Pringle.  And on the third, they ran out of downs at midfield, even after benefitting from a roughing the kicker penalty early in the drive.  Meanwhile, Massillon had one scoring opportunity following the punt from the one, but missed on a 31-yard field goal attempt.

Massillon finished the game with 227 yards of offense, 69 on the ground and 158 in the air.  Toles caught 7 passes for 88 yards and TD.  Gamble caught 4 passes for 32 yards.  Carter caught 1 pass for 24 yards and a TD.  Tyler Hackenbracht made 13 tackles and 1 forced fumble, and averaged 38.3 yards on three punts, including two perfectly placed out of bounds.  Lenix made 8 tackles, including 4 TFLs and a sack.  Logan Allman had 8 tackles.  Michael Wright Jr. had 6 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and a forced fumble.

McKinley, which played perhaps their best game of the season, was held to 154 total yards, 57 on the ground and 97 in the air (Montgomery completed 10 of 20, after 9 of 11 in the first half).  Antonio Stevens had 7 tackles and 1 TFL.  Dante McClellen had six tackles and 2 TFLs.

Once again there was a multitude of penalties, 12 against Massillon (5 of the personal foul variety) and 12 against McKinley (2 of the personal foul variety, both occurring at the end of the game).

With the victory bell now in possession of Massillon for the ninth consecutive year, it resounded loudly for all of Tiger Nation as the players joyfully towed it across the field.  The Tigers also now lead the overall series 77-53-5.

Next week, the Massillon (8-2) hosts Licking Heights in a Division II, Region 7, first round  game.  McKinley (6-4) hosts Parma Normandy in a Division I, Region 1 game.

 

Pre-game handshake.  Michael Wright Jr. (45).

Ja’Meir Gamble eludes a potential tackler (Antonio Stevens)

Let’s play football!

Ja’Meir  Gamble is chased down the sidelines.

Jacques Carter with the touchdown catch.  Bryan Ingram (20).

Michael Wright Jr. showing the emotion.

Deejay Britt is brought down by Daylan Prngle.

Massillon head coach Nate Moore having a friendly discussion with long-time referee Tony Montana.

Braylyn Toles taking a break.

No where for the Kam Montgomery to run.  Isaaac Maxheimer (87); Lucas Shertzer (26); Daylan  Pringle (6).

Champions once again.  Eli Moore (18); Michael Wright Jr. (45).

A final celebration!

History

Get Ready for Some Football: Massillon vs. Canton McKinley

Get Ready for Some Great High School Football: Massillon vs. Canton McKinley

Massillon versus Canton McKinley.  It only happens once a year, but it’s always a great event and an enjoyable week leading up to the game.

No high school football rivalry in the nation can claim the extraordinary tradition of Massillon vs. Canton. The rivalry has festered for over 100 years. It’s bigger than a family feud and it’s more intense than a street fight. In fact, it’s almost akin to going to war. And the success or failure of each team’ season is often based on its outcome.

There is a sense of pride and purpose and the game spills over into every walk of life. The players celebrate each victory and vow to avenge any loss the following year. Such is the intensity of the competitiveness that exists between the Massillon Tigers and the Canton McKinley Bulldogs. For there is no love lost between them and the two schools really do hate each other. But they have also earned each other’s respect. For it takes two great teams to make a great rivalry.

“It was bigger than anything I did in college as a player,” said former Massillon player and Washington Huskies Head Coach Don James. “As a coach, the excitement, buildup and preparation compares to the Rose Bowl.”

But it’s also intense. A game that brings out the best in the players. “All I know is that you have a bulldog on your helmet and I have a tiger on mine. And I don’t like you,” said former Massillon player Ellery Moore.

Here’s some trivia to get you better prepared for the game.

Series started

  • 1894
Eddie Bell
Eddie Bell scores the winning touchdown in the 1974 game.

Number of games played

  • 134

Series record

  • 76-53-5 in favor of Massillon

Longest winning streak

  • Massillon – 9 games (1957- 65)
  • McKinley – 11 games (1894-1906)

Points scored

  • Massillon – 1,909 (14.2 ave.)
  • McKinley – 1,758 (13.1 ave.)

Most points scored in a game

  • Massillon – 48-7 in 1953
  • McKinley – 46-0 in 1900

Fewest points scored in a win

  • Massillon – 3-0 in 1914
  • McKinley – 5-0 in 1900 and 1903

Most shutouts

  • Massillon – 24
  • McKinley – 26
McKinley’s Jimmy Aiken and Massillon’s Paul Brown – 1936

Playoff games

  • 1994 – McKinley won 42-41
  • 2001 – Massillon won 35-19
  • 2005 – Massillon won 21-3
  • 2009 – Massillon won 10-7
  • 2012 – Massillon won 28-19

Overtime games

  • 1988 – Massillon won 10-7
  • 1994 – Massillon won 42-41
  • 2007 – Massillon won 23-20

Number of times both teams were unbeaten prior to the game

  • 1934 – McKinley won 21-6
  • 1936 – Massillon won 31-0
  • 1938 – Massillon won12-0
  • 1940 – Massillon won 34-6
  • 1942 – McKinley won 35-0
  • 1943 – Massillon won 21-0
  • 1955 – McKinley won13-7
  • 1964 – Massillon won 20-14
  • 1970 – Massillon won 28-0
  • 2005 – McKinley won 38-8

Coach with the most wins

  • Massillon – 8 by Nate Moore
  • McKinley – 11 by Thom McDaniels
Quarterback Dave Sheegog scores the winning touchdown in the 1964 game.

Paul Brown Tiger Stadium W/L

  • 28-17-1 in favor of Massillon

Fawcett Stadium W/L

  • 23-16-1 in favor of Massillon

Tom Bensen HOF Stadium W/L

  • 4-0 in favor of Massillon

Largest attendance

  • 29,110 in the Akron Rubber Bowl playoff game

First televised game

  • 1955

Calpreps.com point spreads

  • 2015 – Massillon by 3; score –  McKinley won by 2 (30-28)
  • 2016 – Massillon by 3; score – Massillon won by 2 (21-19)
  • 2017 – McKinley by 7: score – Massillon won by 1 (16-15)
  • 2018 – Massillon by 14; score – Massillon won by 7 (24-17)
  • 2019 – Massillon by 21; score – Massillon won by 10 (24-14)
  • 2020 – Massillon by 18; score – Massillon won by 28 (35-7)
  • 2021 – Massillon by 14; score – Massillon won by 22 (35-13)
  • 2022 – Massillon by 14; score – Massillon won by 10 (23-13)
  • 2023 – Massillon by 32; score – Massillon won by 35 (35-0)
  • 2024 – Massillon by 34; score – ???

Massillon player records

  • Travis McGuire 302 Rushing Yards and 5 TD’s.

    Most yards rushing – 302 by Travis McGuire in 1991

  • Most rushing touchdowns – 5 by Travis McGuire in 1991
  • Most yards passing – 285 by Kyle Kempt in 2012
  • Most touchdown passes – 3 by Rich Crescenze in 1953, Dave Irwinn in 1999 and Kyle Kempt in 2012
  • Most receiving yards – Devin Jordan 154 by Devin Jordan in 2001
  • Longest field goal – 47 yards by Steve Schott in 2006
  • Most tackle points – 11.0 by Stephan Laury in 2011 and Jamir Thomas in 2015
  • Punt returned for a touchdown – Never!
Editorial

Week 9 Computer Poll Projection

Week 9 Computer Poll Projection

With just one week remaining in the regular season the final computer numbers are starting to take shape.  Big Walnut, Columbus Walnut Ridge and Massillon are expected to finish in the Top 3, but not necessarily in that order.  It all depends on the game between Big Walnut and Columbus Westland.  Calpreps.com has Big Walnut winning a regular season game by three points, but losing a playoff matchup by three.  Drew Pasteur favors Bit Walnut by five.  So if Big Walnut wins, then they will finish first in Region 7, followed by Columbus Walnut Ridge and Massillon.  However, if they lose, then the order will be Walnut Ridge, Massillon and Big Walnut.

The first place team will most likely be matched up in the first round with Columbus Franklin Heights.  The second and third finishers will pair off with either Licking Heights or Worthington Kilbourne, as the specific placement at present is too close to call.

Barring upsets, the remaining Top 8 teams should be Ashland, Columbus DeSales, Canal Winchester, Teays Valley and Perry.

Here are some of the final games, shown in the order of expected finish, along with the Calpreps.com ratings:

Big Walnut (8-1) – rated 33.5 (predicted to win)

  • Columbus Westland (8-1) – rated 28.1

Columbus Walnut Ridge (9-0) – rated 14.0 (predicted to win)

  • Columbus Independence (4-5) – rated minus 14.5

Massillon (7-2) – rated 61.0 (predicted to win)

  • Canton McKinley (6-3) – rated 33.7

Ashland (9-0) – rated 27.4 (predicted to win)

  • Lexington (5-4) – rated 7.0

Columbus DeSales (8-1) – rated 29.4 (predicted to lose)

  • Columbus Watterson (9-0) – 51.3

Canal Winchester (7-2) – rated 23.3 (predicted to win)

  • Groveport Madison (5-4) – rated 23.9

Teays Valley (5-4) – rated 15.7 (predicted to win)

  • Logan (1-8) – rated negative 9.0

Massillon Perry (4-5) – rated 19.6 (predicted to win)

  • Canton GlenOak (1-8) – rated 6.5
News

2024 Booster Club Report – Week 9 – Post-Warren…

2024 Booster Club Report – Week 9 – Post-Warren Harding; Preview of the Canton McKinley Game

Massillon (7-2) defeated Warren Harding (6-3), 45-14.  It was historical win No. 955.  This week Massillon is at home against Canton McKinley (6-3).

Link to the Warren Harding Game Story

Link to the Warren Harding Game Statistics

Other scores:

  • Freshmen (4-5): Defeated Warren Harding, 30-6.  Plays at Canton McKinley on Wednesday, October 23, at 6:00 pm.
  • Junior Varsity (4-1-2): Defeated Warren Harding, 43-0.  Season finished.

Review of the Warren Harding game

Massillon traveled to Warren Harding and came away with a 45-14 victory.  Ja’Meir Gamble led the Tigers by rushing 10 times for 152 yards and three touchdowns, and receiving a pass for a fourth.  Massillon scored on four of six first half possessions and took a 24-7 lead into the locker room.  Gamble’s 80-yard touchdown run in the third quarter sent the game into a running clock situation.  Quarterback Jalen Slaughter completed 11 of 19 passes for 177 yards and two scores, with Braylyn Toles catching five aerials and Jacques Carter four.  Massillon as a team rolled up 411 yards with just 40 plays.  Meanwhile, the Raiders were limited to 74 yards on the ground, while suffering five quarterback sacks.

Canton McKinley Scouting Report

McKinley comes into the game with 6-3 record, having lost last week to Massillon Jackson, 20-7.  However, they still managed to finish in a first place tie for the Federal League championship.  Their season to date:

  • Warren Harding (6-3): 26-19 W
  • Avon (9-0): 14-21 L
  • Detroit Cass Tech, MI (6-2): 3-20 L
  • Canton GlenOak (1-8): 35-6 W
  • Massillon  Perry (4-5): 38-7 W
  • Green (6-3): 26-17 W
  • North Canton (6-3): 28-21 O.T. W
  • Uniontown Lake (5-4): 35-21 W
  • Massillon  Jackson (6-3): 7-20 L

Last season the Bulldogs compiled a 9-4 record, including a 35-0 loss to Massillon.  In the playoffs they defeated Strongsville and Cleveland St. Ignatius, before losing to eventual Division I state champion Lakewood St. Edward, 41-17.  Their 5-year record is 37-21 and they qualified for the playoffs each time in that span.  The series with the Bulldogs is the Tigers’ longest and currently stands at 76-53-5 in favor of Massillon.  The Tigers have also won 12 of the last 13 meetings, including the last eight.

McKinley returns seven starters on offense and five on defense including the following:

  • Senior quarterback Kam Montgomery (6′-5″, 210) – 120 of 185 (65%) for 1,534 yards and 12 touchdowns; has a decent arm with good accuracy and throws a nice ball when he has his feet set.
  • Senior running back Nino Hill (6′-0″, 205) – 2-star recruit; 129 carries for 759 yards (5.9 ave.); good player; rushed 8 times for 2 yards in last year’s game.
  • Senior running back Jamar Johnson (5′-11″, 185) – 5.1 ave.; good player; GlenOak transfer; rushed 13 times for 81 yards for GlenOak in  last year’s game.
  • Senior wide receiver Keith Quincy (6′-2″, 190) – 2-star recruit, 14.9 ave.; good player; 4 pass receptions for 35 yards and 3 tackles in last year’s game; 2023 2nd Team Division 1 All-Ohio.
  • Junior wide receiver Darius Hill – 25 receptions for 426 yards (17.0 ave.); good player.
  • Senior defensive lineman K’Vuone McNeal (6′-3″, 235) – 13 tackles-for-loss; 7 sacks.
  • Senior defensive lineman Dior Garner (6′-4″, 280).
  • Senior linebacker Dante McClellan (6′-2″, 210) – 4-star recruit; Missouri offer; 11 tackles-for-loss; 38.3 ave. on punts; 9 tackles and 2 sacks in last year’s game; 2023 2nd Team Division I All-Ohio.

Offensively, McKinley operates mostly out of the spread with some pro and empty sets.  The run-pass mix is balanced.  Defensively, they are mostly in an odd front and frequently in cover-1 with man-to-man coverage.  The strength of this unit is the defensive line.

“This game is so special,” said Massillon head coach Nate  Moore.  “The rivalry is so special.  All the guys that came before!  We understand that on Saturday you have a great responsibility to play this game the right way and bring home a victory.”

The event was attended by all of the varsity football players.  Each of the seniors was asked to recall his greatest moment in a Massillon-McKinley game.  “This is really a great senior class,” said Moore.  “I’ve seen  these guys play football since the 7th grade.  I really like  watching these guys grow.”

Massillon Season Statistics To-Date

Rushing

  • Ja’Meir Gamble: 113 carries for 1,029 yards (9.1 ave.) and 16 TDs
  • Mylen Lenix: 26 carries for 269 yards and 4 TDs
  • Peytton Mitchell: 21 carries for 43 yards (2.0 ave.) and 1 TD

Passing

  • Jalen Slaughter: 123 of 195 for 1,550 yards and 13 TDs

Receiving

  • Braylyn Toles: 31 receptions for 349 yards (11.3 ave.) and 3 TDs
  • Jacques Carter: 23 receptions for 393 yards (17.1 ave.) and 5 TDs
  • Ja’Meir Gamble: 21 receptions for 207 yards (9.9 ave.) and 1 TD
  • Deontay Malone: 19 receptions for 182 yards (9.6 ave.) and 2 TDs
  • Ricardo Wells Jr.: 16 receptions for 267 yards (16.7 ave.) and 1 TD

Defense

  • Tyler Hackenbracht: 74 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 interception
  • Ja’Dyn Williams: 65 tackles, 10 TFLs, 4.5 sacks
  • Mylen Lenixs: 44 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 4 sacks
  • Logan Allman: 41 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1.5 sacks
  • Vito McConnell: 17 tackles, 3 TFLs, 0.5 sacks, 1 interception
  • Trayon Williams: 33 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 interception
  • Michael Wright Jr.: 26 tackles, 7 TFLs, 0.5 sacks
  • Daylon Pringle: 24 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 interceptions
  • Lennox Lemon: 21 tackles, 2 interceptions
  • Bishop Cupp: 1 interception

Kicking

  • Tyler Hackenbracht: 32 punts for 38.3 ave.
  • Mateo Herrera: 39 of 40 PATs, 4 of 5 field goals

Go Tigers!

Tiger tunnel at Gorrell

Obie Logo (Large) News

Massillon Continues to Dominate Warren Harding

Massillon Continues to Dominate Warren Harding

Game Statistics

It might be with 89 games played Massillon’s second longest rivalry in their illustrious history, but of late it has been extremely one-sided, particularly on the scoreboard end of things.  In fact, the Tigers have won the last nine meetings, including Friday’s 45-14 whipping at Warren’s Mollenkopf Stadium.  However, even with a new coach in place this year, the Raiders are still considered to be a formidable opponent.  Just not as talented as Massillon.  With the win, the Tigers now have a record of 7-2, while Harding falls to 6-3.  Massillon also maintains an edge in the series, 61-25-3.

The other story is Tiger running back Ja’Meir Gamble, who for the consecutive week had a great outing, rushing 10 times for 152 yards (15.2 ave.) and three touchdowns, while catching a pass for a fourth.  In addition, his 80-yard touchdown run at the end of the third quarter pushed him over the 100-yard mark for the fourth time this year and also sent him past the 1,000-yard mark for the season.  Meanwhile, the defense held Warren’s rushing attack to a mere two yards per carry.

The Tigers received the opening kickoff and set up shop at their own 45 yard line.  With the cornerbacks playing ten yards off the wide receivers, the run-pass option called for tag screens.  A throw to the left.  Dropped!  A throw to the right.  Also dropped!  Not a great start to a big game on the road.  So quarterback Jalen Slaughter looked down the field instead and launched a perfectly thrown bomb down the center to a wide open Braylyn Toles, who gathered it in at the Warren 22 and danced his way to the end zone.

Next, it was time to play field position.  Following a kickoff by Nolan Hendricks into the end zone, Sebastian Harper stripped Raider quarterback Chaz Coleman of the ball and Lennox Lemon secured it for his team.  That turnover resulted in a 29-yard field goal by Mateo Herrera, giving the Tigers an early 10-0 lead.

Again, Harding was deep in its own territory and was forced to punt from the ten.  Only, Massillon gave it right back with a fumble.  Finally, Warren was able to mount some offense when sophomore backup quarterback James Jones entered the game.  Four successive completions put Warren at the Tiger 12, but the defense stiffened and Harding was forced to settle for a field goal attempt.  Only, the try resulted in a knuckle ball that was missed wide left.

Now it was time for Massillon to get to work and get firm control of the game.  It started with an 8-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Gamble’s first touchdown, a 31-yard screen pass.  That was followed by a 4-play, 53-yard drive, culminating in a 24-yard TD run by Gamble.  Suddenly, the score had ballooned to 24-0 and a running clock was imminent.

However, Warren was able to cut the deficit near the end of the half when Coleman connected with a wide-open Ariz Coleman-Bey on a 30-yard wheel route with eleven seconds remaining.  The drive started at their own 37 with 1:24 left in the half.  With little time left, the Tigers opted to engage with a nickel-back defense (5 DBs).  Only, the alignment lacked overall effectiveness as Coleman was several times able to abandon a pass attempt and run for good gains owing to a lack of edge defenders.

Warren’s production in the third quarter mirrored that of the start.  It began with three plays and a punt from deep in their own territory.  But Daylan Pringle return the punt 26 yards to the Raider 22.  From there, Massillon scored on its second play on a 22-yard run by Gamble.  Score, 31-7.   Warren tried coming back, but was stopped on downs at the Massillon 29.  That was followed on the next attempt by field goal attempt that clanged off the upright.  Finally, near the end of the third quarter, Gamble broke through the line off left tackle, eluded a few would-be tacklers, and took it 80 yards to the house to finish his work for the night and send the game into a running clock situation.

After that, the Tiger backups had a go at the Warren starters.  Each team scored once during the fourth quarter.  Coleman tallied on a quarterback sneak following a muffed punt at the three.  And Savior Owens sped around left end for a 55-yard touchdown.

Massillon ended up with 411 yards of offense, 228 on the ground (11.4 ave.) and 183 in the air.  Slaughter completed 11 of 19 for 177 yards and two touchdowns.  Five passes were caught by Toles and four by Jacques Carter.  In a contrast to last week, the Tigers committed just four penalties for 35 yards.

Warren garnered 215 total yards of offense, 74 on the ground (2.1 ave.) and 141 in the air.  Penn State commit Coleman ended up having a rough night.  He did complete 10 of 16 passes for 72 yards, but he was also sacked four times.  And, as his  team’s season leading ball carrier, he rushed for a net 47 yards, losing 29 on account of the pressure.  The backup, Jones, showed good form, completing 4 of 8 for 72 yards, with one sack.

It was clear in this game that the Tigers were not looking ahead to next week’s matchup against their No. 1 rival, Canton McKinley.

Warren Stadium

Warren is in the midst of some major improvements to their stadium.  In the south end zone they recently constructed a beautiful indoor facility in the south end zone, which also houses the locker rooms for both teams, while moving the band into a new shell in the corner.  On the north side, they installed a new scoreboard with a large video screen and state-of-the-art sound system.  And following the season will finally replace the deteriorating seats on the visiting side and hopefully the antiquated rest rooms.

But they still have a couple of issues to address.  The first is the lighting.  The stadium field illumination is entirely inadequate for a football game, making it extremely difficult to even read the numbers on the player jerseys, let alone have a crisp look at the play.  The second issue was having speakers at the scoreboard north end with the indoor facility located to the south.  As seen in the photo below, the building wall was made almost entirely of glass.  The result was an echo retort off the glass anytime the speakers were being used.  And of course, the speakers were cranked up well beyond what was needed.  Relocating the speakers to the south end zone would fix this.  Nevertheless, the overall facility is indeed impressive.

The following photos are by Rob Engelhardt

Jacques Carter with the catch while Donovan  Salero-McCoy (17) looks on.

DJ Zimmerman (4) blocks Chaz Coleman (1) while Jalen Slaughter (2) hands off to Ja’Meir Gamble (21).

Jalen Slaughter (2) is chased by Deshawn Wynn (7).

Jacques Carter (2) with the catch with Mathew Richardson (11) defending.

Tyler Hackenbracht attempts to elude Aiden Allen (11) and Elijah Phillips (14) during the punt return.

Ja’Meir on his way to the end zone.

There’s no room for Jacques Carter against Deshawn Wynn (7) and Tyler Smith (3).

Chaz Coleman (1) is sacked by Vito McConnell (3), while Michael Wright Jr. (45) closes in.

Chaz Coleman (1) is sacked again.  This time by Michael Wright Jr. (45) and Logan Allman (13).

Daylan Pringle (6) is brought down by Matthew Richardson (1) and Donovan Salero-McCoy (17).  In the background is Richard Harris Jr.  (39).

Ja’Meir Gamble (21) turns the corner and is off to the end zone, escorted by Braylyn Toles (1).

Braylon Gamble (30)

News

Week 8 Computer Poll Projection

Week 8 Computer Poll Projection

We’re down to the final two weeks of the regular season and Massillon’s playoff stock continues to rise.  Barring upsets, the Tigers have a great chance of finishing in second place in Region 7 by winning the final two games.  And they could push to first if Lakewood St. Edward can defeat both Cincinnati Moeller and Akron Hoban.  However, the Tigers will need to win both games to assure themselves of a Final-4 finish, which also awards home games in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Should all games across the board go as predicted, then it could set up a playoff run for Massillon something like this: Worthington Kilbourne (4-6), Teays Valley (6-4), Big Walnut (9-1) and Columbus DeSales (8-2), with the latter two games at neutral sights, presumably Mansfield.

Below is a detailed look at each of the top seven teams, shown by projected order of finish.  Also included are their win/loss records to date, the current Calpreps.com ratings (note: the ratings shown in parentheses are negative numbers) and the projected computer rating.

Columbus Walnut Ridge (8-0) – 11.6 – 30.95 pts.

  • Columbus Briggs (5-3) – (3.4)
  • Columbus Independence (3-5) – (17.9)

Opponent W/L record: 8-8; favorite to win both games; currently No. 2; should finish No. 1.

Massillon (6-2) – 60.2 – 29.43 pts.

  • Warren Harding (6-2) – 25.8
  • Canton McKinley (6-2) – 35.7

Opponent W/L record: 12-4; favorite to win both games; currently No. 7; should finish No. 2, benefiting from the win/loss records of the remaining opponents.

Big Walnut (7-1) – 32.3 – 28.05 pts.

  • Dublin Scioto (1-7) – (6.4)
  • Columbus Westland (7-1) – 25.5

Opponent W/L record: 8-8; favorite in both games; currently No. 1; should finish No. 3; however, a loss to Westland would drop them to No. 5.

Ashland (8-0) – 28.7 – 25.96 pts.

  • Wooster (2-6) – (6.5)
  • Lexington (4-4) – 4.1

Opponent W/L record: 6-10; favorite to win both games; currently No. 5; should finish No. 4.

Columbus DeSales (7-1) – 28.8 – 23.13 pts.

  • Cincinnati Northwest (2-6) – (16.5)
  • Columbus Watterson (8-0) – 46.3

Opponent W/L record: 10-6; favorite this week, but underdog to Watterson; currently No. 3; should finish No. 5; a win over Watterson would move them to No. 3.

 Canal Winchester (6-2) – 22.8 – 21.05 pts.

  • Lancaster (3-5) – (0.2)
  • Groveport Madison (4-4) – 22.1

Opponent W/L record: 8-13; favorite to beat Lancaster, but the game against Groveport is a tossup; currently No. 5; should finish No. 6, regardless of the outcome in the Groveport game.

Teays Valley (5-3) – 15.7 – 17.60 pts.

  • Pickerington Central (6-2) – 32.9
  • Logan (1-7) – (12.1)

Opponent W/L record: 7-9; big underdog to Pickerington Central this week; favorite in the finale; should finish No. 7.

 

The remaining nine teams would finish as follows:

8. Columbus Northland

9. Westerville South

10. Columbus St. Charles

11. New Albany

12. Massillon Perry

13. Columbus Briggs

14. Licking Heights

15. Worthington Kilbourne

16. Woooster

 

Obie Logo (Large) News

2024 Booster Club Report – Week 8 – Post-Legacy…

2024 Booster Club Report – Week 8 – Post-Legacy Sport; Preview of the Warren Harding Game

Massillon (6-2) defeated Legacy School of Sport Sciences, a team from Spring, Texas (3-4), 41-0.  It was historical win No. 954.  This week Massillon travels to Warren Harding (6-2).

Link to the Legacy Sport Game Story

Link to the Legacy Sport Game Statistics

Other scores:

  • 7th Grade (3-5): Lost to Canton, 14-8.  Season finished.
  • 8th Grade (6-2): Lost to Canton, 30-0.  Season finished.
  • Freshmen (3-5): Lost to Akron Hoban, 35-8.  Plays home against Warren Harding on Thursday, October 17, at 6:00 pm.
  • Junior Varsity (3-1-2): The game against Ironton was canceled.  Plays home against Warren Harding on  Saturday, October 18, at 10:00 am.

Review of the Legacy Sport game

Massillon used a devastating running attack along with a crushing defense to shut down Legacy School of Sport Sciences, 41-0.  Ja’Meir Gamble had a career night, rushing 15 times for 290 yards and five touchdowns.  His 290 yards is 3rd in the Tiger record book, while his 19.0 yards per carry is second.  Meanwhile, the defense held the Titans to just 41 yards rushing and twice turned the opponent away scoreless in the red zone.  Tyler Hackenbracht recorded nine tackles, while Mylen Lenix had seven, along with 2.5 quarterback sacks and 4.5 tackles-for-loss.  Unfortunately, the game was marred by 25 penalties, fifteen by Massillon and ten by Legacy.

“We had a lot of great things on the field,” said Tiger head coach Nate Moore.  “Our defense played really, really well.  They (Legacy) had three really good receivers.  But we really made the quarterback uncomfortable.  The offensive line had their best game of the year. They executed really well.”  That, he said, was what led to Gamble’s big night.  He also mentioned that Tyler Hackenbracht showed great effort punting, with his two kicks going 64 and 48 yards.  Finally, he singled out the play of inside linebacker Logan Allman, whom he said had his best game of the year.  He played more physical.

The guest players were offensive tackle Nolan Davenport and defensive lineman Michael Wright Jr.  Davenport said it was a good night for the offense, also noting that Ja’Meir had a great game.  “We’re trying to get better this week,” he added.

Warren Harding Scouting Report

Harding enters the game with a fine 6-2 record, although none of the six wins were against strong competition.  Their season to date:

  • Canton McKinley (6-2): 19-26 L
  • Akron Buchtel (3-5): 20-18
  • Massillon Perry (3-5): 15-9
  • Akron St. Vincent (1-7): 26-0
  • Youngstown Ursuline (7-1): 0-35 L
  • Solon (2-6): 24-0
  • Boardman (5-3): 19-14
  • Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (2-6): 20-6

Last season Warren finished with a 5-7 record, including a 48-14 loss to Massillon, and lost in the second round of the playoffs to Hudson, 24-21.  Their 5-year record is 25-29 and they qualified for the playoffs four times in that span.  The series with Warren is the Tigers’ second longest and stands at  60-25-3 in favor of Massillon.  The Tigers have also won the last eight meetings.

Moore liked that Massillon is playing an Ohio team this week.  “It’s like being in the playoffs,” he remarked.  “It will feel strange to have someone familiar.  It’s been a strange schedule.”

The Warren offense, which returns three starters, operates out of both the spread and pro formations with multiple 12 and 21 personnel.  The focus is on senior quarterback Chaz Coleman (6′-5″, 230).  He is a 3-star recruit with an offer from Penn State, among others.  Against Massillon last year he completed 9 of 20 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns.  This season he has completed 34 of 54 passes (63%) for 411 yards and four TDs and, as also the leading ball carrier, rushing 103 times for 500 yards (4.9 ave.) and five scores.  “He is a good thrower, really good runner,”  said Moore.  A lot of called quartertback runs.  Wright said that the game plan is the same as last week; i.e., get after the quarterback.  Look for a lot of power reads,  iso and draw plays.  At times Harding will insert the backup quarterback and Coleman will line up at wide receiver.

The running back is senior B.J. Coleman (5′-1-“, 200).  He hits the hole hard and is a good runner, according to Moore.   The most targeted receiver when Coleman is not at QB is Marcus Crum, who has caught 18 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns.  Also keep an eye on senior Airiz Coleman-Bey (5′-10″, 165).  Two of  their lineman have shown good football prowess, including senior Kenneth Byrd (6′-1″, 249) and senior Anthony Simpson (6′-2″, 265).

This is a much improved offense from earlier in the season.  They want to power it up the middle, but will use their speed at times to get to the edges with jet sweeps and screens.  They will also test the secondary with deep throws.  Per game, Warren averages 168 yards rushing (4.8 ave.) and 70 passing for a total of 238 (5.1 ave.).  Their run/pass ratio is 75%.

The 3-4, cover-4 defense returns five starters, including Chaz Coleman, who has also been pressed into also playing defense this year.  But it also comes as no surprise that he is their best defender.  He lines up at outside linebacker and will be standing upright on the edge of the line for most plays.  Watch for his spin move on the pass rush to defeat blocks.  Coleman has been in on 53 tackles, including 13 tackles-for-loss, five quarterback sacks and three pass interceptions.  Junior inside linebacker Rai’Twan Hill (5′-9″, 195) leads the team with 65 tackles.  He plays bigger than he is and is a good tackler.  He is also the primary blitzer.  Linebacker mate Junior Tyler Smith (6′-0”, 200) has recorded 33 tackles.  He is very good at filling holes and tackling.  Both of the offensive lineman mentioned above also start on the defensive line, where they appear to be much more effective.

Go Tigers!

 

 

 

Obie Logo (Large) History

Massillon Shuts Down Legacy Sports from Texas

Massillon Shuts Down Legacy Sports from Texas

Game Statistics

Each week at the Booster Club meeting Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore distributes to the members a detailed scouting report on the upcoming opponent.  For Legacy School of Sport Sciences it showed that the Titans had a boatload of Division 1 athletes on offense, but was a bit lacking on defense, particularly in the front seven.  So, he firmly believed that the Tigers could have some success running the ball.  And that they did, to the tune of 385 yards.  Coming up big in that category was running back Ja’Meir Gamble, who had a career day, rushing for 290 yards on just 15 carries.  He also scored five touchdowns.  In addition, the defense had another fine outing, particularly against the run, holding the visitors to just 41 yards on the ground.

The Tigers led 21-0 at the half and 34-0 at the end of the third enroute to a 41-0 victory.  A running clock was in effect for the entire fourth quarter.  With the win the Tigers have improved their record to 6-2, while averaging 34 points per game and giving up 13.  In their six wins they have averaged 40 points per game, while giving up 9.

Massillon On Offense

Ja’Meir Gamble

Gamble, who runs a blistering 4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash, scored three touchdowns in the first half on runs of 22, 24 and 34 yards.  He then added a couple more in the second half on runs of 68 and 77 yards.  Once he gets into the secondary, he is a hard player to stop.  Gamble has a tendency to bounce his runs to the outside and was effective doing that in this game.  But the offensive line was also able to exploit their counterparts on many long runs, with the defensive end on Massillon left side lining up wide to aid his pass rush.  So, guard Michael Looney and tackle Nolan Davenport took full advantage, opening gaping holes for Gamble.

In the passing game, quarterback Jalen Slaughter was under duress most of the night for his few passes, owing to a strong pass rush by the Titan front-4.  However, he did manage to complete 6 of 9 passes for 99 yards, including a 41-yarder to a wide open Ricardo Wells Jr. on a 3rd and 20 and a 33-yarder to a well-covered Braylyn Toles.  But the remaining passes were of the short yardage variety, as Legacy played very good man-to-man coverage with their cover-1 alignment, taking the deep routes mostly away.

In the fourth quarter running back Peytton Mitchell finally got some meaningful carries, rushing 4 times for 17 yards, including a nifty run 12-yard run to the one, followed by the TD.

Legacy On Offense

The Titans were led by 6’-4” Keisean Henderson, who is rated as the top junior quarterback in Texas and has committed to play next year for the Houston Cougars.  In the first half he completed 14 of 19 passes for 109 yards, but all of the completions were for short yardage.  In the second half he was just 3 of 8 for 13 yards.  He was also pressured the entire night by blitzing Tiger linebackers, who managed to get to him three times for sacks.  Wide receiver Michael Brown, who has an offer from Ohio State, caught six of the passes for 55 yards.  But two passes were picked off; one by Daylan Pringle and one by Braylon Gamble.  And  Lucas Shertzer recovered a fumble when Henderson mishandled a snap.

Meanwhile, the running attack gained just 41 yards and averaged just 1.9 yards per attempt.  Of course, the sack yardage figured into this number.  The Tigers recorded nine tackles-for-loss for the night.  The one consistent bright spot for the Titan offense was running back Landon Binford, who carried the ball 13 times for 71 yards (5.5 ave.).

Special Teams

Tyler Hackenbracht

Mateo Herrera handled all of the kicking duties and did a great job of moving his kickoffs around the field.  However, his long streak of 54 consecutive extra points came to an end.  On the punting end, Tyler Hackenbracht only had two attempts, but made the most of them with boots of 64 and 48 yards.

The Record Book

Gamble’s 290 yards now occupies the third spot in the single game rushing category, behind Willtrell Hartson’s 324 against Westerville South in 2020 and Travis McGuire’s 302 against Canton McKinley in 1991.  His 19.0 yards per carry average occupies the second spot, behind Mike Mauger’s 20.0 ave. against Cleveland Benedictine in 1970.

Mylen Lenix’s 2.5 quarterback sacks enters the fifth position in that category.

Unfortunately, Hackenbracht’s 64-yard punt was just one yard shy of the Top Ten.

The Penalties

The one glaring downside to the game was the number of penalties.  A total of 25 were dropped: fifteen on Massillon ten and Legacy.  So, the head coaches were in the faces of the referees throughout the contest, causing several delays.  But most of the flags were probably deserved, with the Tigers penalized eight times for five yards, three times for ten yards and four times for fifteen yards.  They were also off-sides on every kickoff, but fortunately were called on that only once.

Next Game

Next week Massillon (6-2) will travel to Warren (6-2) for a renewal of that long rivalry.  Legacy (3-4) will hit the road again, this time to LaPlace, Louisiana, to face St. Charles Catholic (1-4).

Go Tigers!

Photos by Rob Engelhardt

Tyler Hackenbracht returns the opening kickoff; Savior Owens (25); Francesco Salvino (63).

Ja’Meir Gamble is halted by the referee!

Ja’Meir Gamble (21).

Blocked punt attempt by Ja’Dyn Williams (9), Mylen Lenix (5) and Vito McConnell (3).

Jacques Carter is stopped on the tag screen play.

Lennox Lemon breaks up a potential touchdown pass.

Legacy player Omari McNeil (14) loses his hat against the bigger Nolan Davenport (61); Jacques Carter (7).

Ja’Meir Gamble enroute to the end zone for one of his five touchdowns.

Ja’Meir Gamble is congratulated by Michael Looney (75); Deangelo Zimmerman (4).

Peytton Mitchelll (32) scores for the Tigers; Camden Lynch (12); Mandwell Patterson is in the background.

Pass breakup.

Savior Owens (25) tries his luck around end; Andre Robinson (62); Mandwell Patterson is in background.

Editorial

Week 7 Computer Poll Projection

Week 7 Computer Poll Projection

With three weeks to go in the regular season we are now in the home stretch.  A look at the current computer poll for Division II, Region 7 shows that the Top 7 teams have separated themselves from the remainder of the field.  And those seven teams should finish as a group, but not necessarily in the order they are at present.  While most of the remaining games for these teams have clear favorites identified, per Calpreps.com, there are still a couple of potentially close games that could affect the order.  Specifically, Big Walnut vs. Columbus Westland and Canal Winchester vs. Groveport Madison.

As it stands right now, barring upsets Massillon should find itself in the No. 3 position at the end.

Below is a detailed look at each of the seven teams, along with their win/loss records to date and the current Calpreps.com ratings (note: the ratings shown in parentheses are negative numbers):

Columbus Walnut Ridge (7-0) – 7.1

  • Columbus Eastmoor (4-3) – (9.4)
  • Columbus Briggs (4-3) – (5.2)
  • Columbus Independence (3-4) – (18.7)

Opponent W/L record: 11-10; favorite in all remaining games; currently No. 2; should finish No. 1.

Big Walnut (6-1) – 29.6

  • Westerville North (4-3) – 20.9
  • Dublin Scioto (1-6) – (7.9)
  • Columbus Westland (6-1) – 24.1

Opponent W/L record: 11-10; favorite in all remaining games; currently No. 1; should finish No. 2; however, a loss to Westland would drop them to No. 4.

Massillon (5-2) – 58.1

  • Legacy School of Sport Sciences (3-3) – 30.9
  • Warren Harding (5-2) – 24.7
  • Canton McKinley (5-2) – 33.9

Opponent W/L record: 13-6; favorite in all remaining games; currently No. 7; should finish No. 2, benefiting from the win/loss records of the remaining opponents.

Ashland (7-0) – 24.0

  • West Holmes (4-3) – 6.4
  • Wooster (1-6) – (10.5)
  • Lexington (4-3) – 5.6

Opponent W/L record: 9-12; favorite in all remaining games; currently No. 5; should finish No. 4.

Columbus DeSales (6-1) – 26.2

  • KIPP Columbus (1-6) – (12.8)
  • Cincinnati Northwest (1-6) – (17.6)
  • Columbus Watterson (7-0) – 44.6

Opponent W/L record: 9-12; favorite in the next two games; underdog to Watterson; currently No. 3; should finish No. 5; a win over Watterson would move them ahead of Massillon to No. 3.

Teays Valley (5-2) – 18.5

  • Newark (4-3) – 4.0
  • Pickerington Central (5-2) – 29.9
  • Logan (1-6) – (13.2)
  • Opponent W/L record: 10-11; favorite in Weeks 8 and 10; underdog to Pickerington Central; currently No. 4; should finish No. 6.

 Canal Winchester (5-2) – 20.8

  • Logan (1-6) – (13.2)
  • Lancaster (3-4) – 0.0
  • Groveport Madison (4-3) – 21.1
  • Opponent W/L record: 8-13; favorite in the next two games; underdog to Groveport; currently No. 6; should finish No. 7; a win over Groveport would keep them at No. 7.