Author: <span>Don Engelhardt</span>

Editorial

A Select Few Teams Continue to Dominant the Playoffs

A Select Few Teams Continue to Dominant the Playoffs

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.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo News

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 11 – Post-Perry

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 11 – Post-Perry

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.

GAME STORY

PLAYOFF BRACKET

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.

  • Liebler: “It felt great to beat the Panthers.  It was a great team win.”
  • Banks: “We came in fired up.  We practiced hard all week and played well.”

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.

  • Quarterback: Junior Maxton Brunner (5-10,180); a threat to run; good speed; quick to scramble; not much of a thrower; 34% pass completions; around 45 passing yards per game.
  • Running backs: Sophomore Corey Howard (5-9, 185); runs with power; hard to bring down; good speed; 6.7 yards per att.; backup junior Kaseem Wade (5-9); plays a lot in 2-back sets; good runner; 3.4 yards per att.
  • Wide receivers: Junior Karson Martino (5-10, 150); No. 1 target; deep threat.
  • Offensive line: Really good as a group; good size and technique; well-coached; senior left tackle Ryan Steinbrink (6-4, 280); senior center Mason Fry (6-3, 285); senior right guard Nick King (6-0, 270).

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.

  • Defensive line: Senior right end Davonte Courtney (6-2, 255); good size; comes off the ball quickly; plays like Massillon’s Mike Wright.  May be their best player.
  • Inside linebackers: Senior Miles McKee (6-0, 210); very active; plays downhill; physical; junior Harlee Hanna (6-0, 215); plays downhill fast, strong; physical; plays like Cody Fair.
  • Defensive backs: Junior Eliyah Mason (6-0, 150).

Go Tigers!

 

 

History

2022: Massillon 48, Perry 7

GAME STATS

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

The Time When the Tigers Faced an Inconceivably, Unlikely…

The Time When the Tigers Faced an Inconceivably, Unlikely Playoff Scenario

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:

  1. Massillon had to defeat Canton McKinley which they did, 17-0.
  2. Parma Normandy (5-5) which the Tigers defeated earlier in the season had to beat North Royalton (5-5) which they did, 35–21.
  3. Brantford Ontario Collegiate defeated highly favored Pauline Johnson 20–17 by completing an eighty yard hook and lateral pass on the last play of the game, giving the Tigers the essential computer points.
  4. Holland Springfield (6-4) defeated Perrysburg (6-4), 40-24.  If Perrysburg wins, Fremont Ross would have qualified with 21.9742 points. Had any of the above three events not occurred, Fremont Ross would have qualified for the playoffs.
  5. Toledo Bowsher defeated Toledo Rogers in overtime, 23-16. If Rogers wins Toledo St. Johns would have made the playoffs with 21.7551 points.
  6. Beaver Local (4-6) defeated Akron North (6-4), 15-14. Akron North was ahead 14-0 at the end of three quarters. Beaver scored a TD minutes into the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 14-7.  With less than two minutes left in the game Beaver scored again and was successful on their two conversion to win by a point.  Had Akron North won, Akron Garfield would have made the playoffs with 21.5500 points.

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.”

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 10 – Post-Canton…

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 10 – Post-Canton McKinley

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.

PLAYOFF BRACKET

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:

  • Possession No.1: 11-play, 77-yard drive.  The touchdown came off a perfectly thrown ball from Jalen Slaughter to Ardell Banks, who outran two defenders and caught the the 40-pass five yards into the end zone. Massillon was running “4 verticals” with Banks on the right edge.  The corner was beaten right away, so the safety, who had lined up over the slot, broke for Banks, creating the double-team.  But he couldn’t catch him either.  What wasn’t noticed, however, is that the slot receiver was wide open in the center of the field, streaking toward the end zone.  It would been a much easier throw to the slot receiver, but we’ll take the touchdown as it was.
  • Possession No. 2: 12-play, 67-yard drive.  This one was set up by a 40-yard pass from Slaughter to Braylyn Toles that  advanced the ball to the McKinley ten. The play was “smash-Z-post”, where the wide receiver crosses with the slot receiver about ten yards down field.  The quarterback then reads the action of the safety.  It worked perfectly and the McKinley safety bit on the wide receiver, leaving Toles wide open.  Yet, with the ball a bit overthrown, Toles jumped high and made a fantastic catch.  Massillon then drove to the end zone, with Willtrell Hartson finishing off the drive with a one yard blast, his first of two touchdowns.
  • Possession No. 3: 3-play, 38-yard drive.  The third score came following a 22-yard punt by McKinley, giving the Tigers great field position at the Bulldog 38.  This time Slaughter went right to work, tossing a perfectly thrown pass to Hartson, who was running a wheel route down the right sideline.  From the eight, Dorian Pringle gained four yards and then Hartson dove in from the four to complete the drive.

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:

  • Defensive lineman Marcus Moore: “We just needed to “ground and pound” to win the game.
  • Offensive lineman Mike Mercurio: “McKinley came in like a 5-0 team and played the way we expected.  We chipped away.  Kept chopping.  Felt they can’t go all four quarters.”
  • Cornerback Zach Liebler: “How disciplined our team came out.  Pups just couldn’t handle us.”

Stats leaders:

  • Quarterback Jalen Slaughter: 10 of 14 for 157 yards, 1 interception and 1 touchdown
  • Running back Willtrell Hartson: 35 carries for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns
  • Running back Dorian Pringle: 8 carries for 37 yards
  • Running back Mylen Lenix: 6 carries for 33 yards
  • Wide receiver Ardell Banks: 4 receptions for 63 yards and 1 touchdown
  • Wide receiver Braylyn Toles: 4 receptions for 53 yards
  • Safety Ryan Page: 6.5 tackle points (6-1)

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:

  • Canton Central Catholic (6-4): 51-28 W
  • Clarkson Football North, ONT (3-4): 21-26 L
  • Euclid (1-9): 42-21 W
  • Canton McKinley (5-5): 38-28 W
  • Jackson (5-5): 31-32 L
  • Louisville (3-7): 40-14 W
  • North Canton (7-3): 14-24 L
  • Green (4-6): 35-38 L
  • Lake (9-1): 7-35 L
  • Canton GlenOak  (4-6): 21-28 L

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.

 

Obie Logo (Large) News

Winners of the Massillon-McKinley Squares Contest Announced

Winners of the Massillon-McKinley Squares Contest Announced

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

2022: Massillon 23, Canton McKinley 13

GAME STATS

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.”

Obie Logo (Large) History

Some Great Records Were Set in Past McKinley Games

Some Great Records Were Set in Past McKinley Games

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

  • In 1991, the Tigers won 42-13 behind a great outing by running back Travis McGuire.  In that one, he rushed for 302 yards, scored five touchdowns and tallied 30 points, all of which are McKinley game records.
  • Jamir Thomas carried the ball 42 times in 2017 during a 16-15 victory.
  • The longest run by a Tiger in this game was 80 yards, by Homer Floyd in 1953, helping to propel his team to a 48-7 blowout.

Passing / Receiving

  • Kyle Kempt threw the ball for 285 yards to set a new passing record.  The feat was accomplished in the 2012 regular season game, a 37-29 victory.
  • The most completions in a game came from Justin Zwick,  who connected in 2001 on 34 passes.  Also in that game, Devin Jordan set a record for the most receiving yards with 154.  The Tigers won that one 29-26.
  • The longest completion came just a few years ago, in 2019, when Aidan Longwell hooked up with Jayden Ballard on an 80-yard touchdown pass to seal a 24-14 victory.

Defense

  • The record for tackle points is 11.0, set jointly by Stephan Laury in 2011 and Jamir Thomas in 2015.
  • The record for the longest interception return for a touchdown is owned by Darius Edwards, at 76 yards.  He set it during the 29-7 victory in 1971.

Special Teams

  • The record for the longest field goal belongs to Steve Schott, who kicked a 47-yarder in 2006, helping Massillon win 10-7.
  • The longest kickoff return for a touchdown was 97 yards.  The record is owned by Keyshawn Watson, who set the mark in 2015.
  • Ironically, the Tigers never returned a punt for a touchdown against McKinley, although Martavien Johnson had his called back for a penalty in the 2020 game.
History

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 9 – Pre-Canton…

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 9 – Pre-Canton McKinley

Massillon (7-1) had an open date last week.  This week the Tigers will host Canton McKinley (5-4).

  • 7th Grade (3-5):  Their season is finished.
  • 8th Grade (7-0-1): Their season is finished.
  • 9th Grade (5-3): Defeated Avon, 24-12.  Plays Lakewood St. Edward at home on Thursday, October 20, at 6:00 pm.
  • Junior Varsity (7-1): Defeated RICC Canada Varsity, 35-8.  Their season is finished.

The Booster Club Meeting turned into a rousing kickoff to “Beat McKinley Week”, with a large crowd in the WHS auditorium.  It started off with recognition of the success achieved by the 8th grade team, which was on hand for the accolades.  This year they finished with a record of 7-0-1.  Combined with their undefeated mark of last year as 7th Graders, this group has been unbeaten over the last two years and will be intact as a group for next season’s freshman campaign.

Next up was the 9th Grade team, whose only losses came against Cincinnati Moeller (14-19), Lakewood St. Edward (6-14) and Austintown Fitch (12-14).  They were scheduled to play Canton McKinley this week, but the Bulldogs canceled the game.  Head Coach Nate Moore mused that perhaps they didn’t want a repeat of what happened earlier this year in the JV game (a 50-6 beat down).  In actuality, McKinley is short several players due to suspensions related to an incident in the previous week’s game against Canton GlenOak.  Nevertheless, it turns out that Lakewood St. Edward’s freshman game this week against Akron Hoban was also canceled.  So the Tigers and Eagles will rematch on Thursday at PBTS.

Finally, the varsity seniors were introduced.  Each was asked to recall his best moment from his playing career with the Tigers.

Then Moore previewed the game against McKinley.

The evening wrapped up with musical entertainment provided by the Tiger Swing Band and cheerleaders.

Canton McKinley

The season:

  • Mentor (5-3): 21-34 L
  • Austintown Fitch (8-1): 14-38 L
  • Dublin Coffman (6-3): 26-28 L
  • Perry (4-5): 28-38 L
  • Green (4-5): 51-19 W
  • North Canton (6-3): 42-9 W
  • Lake (8-1): 36-26 W
  • Jackson (5-4): 40-23 W
  • GlenOak (3-6): 40-7 W

Both Massillon and McKinley have faced Fitch and GlenOak.  The Tigers beat Fitch 49-28 and beat GlenOak 35-7.  McKinley lost to Fitch 14-38, but then beat GlenOak last week 40-7.

The Bulldog offense is similar to Massillon in scheme.  They are heavy into the run gap and utilize the run-pass option.  They will occasionally take shots over the top.  The biggest threat is senior wide receiver Cynceir McNeal (6′-4″, 200).  This year he has caught 31 passes for 572 yards and 8 touchdowns.  At quarterback is junior Keaton Rode (6′-0″, 175).  He has completed 76 of 152 passes (50%) for 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns, with four interceptions.  He will also run from the scramble off of designed sets.  The featured running back is sophomore Nino Hill (6′-0″, 200 lbs.).  Hill has carried the ball 119 times for 971 yards (8.2/attempt) and scored 16 touchdowns.  He is also the leading scorer with 98 points.

Defensively, they have switched from a 4-3 front to a 3-4.  But there may be some growing pains with this as opposing teams have shown a run-pass ratio of 75%, much greater than the 60-65% normally seen with today’s spread offenses.  The strength of the defense is the line, with a pair of seniors leading the way: Al’Vonte Ivory (6′-3″, 280) and Garrett McCole (6′-3, 250).  The remainder of the defense is considered good, but not exceptional.

McKinley is a senior-dominated team with nine on offense and six on defense.  The offensive line averages 6′-2″, 264.  The wide receivers are a tall group, averaging 6′-3″, 190.  The defensive front goes 6′-3″, 248.

“Our biggest concern is ourselves,” said Moore.  “The most disciplined team will win this game.  We will enjoy the festivities this week, but our focus is on Saturday.  Our job is to win the game.  I expect (the Tigers) to start fast and take care of business.”

Go Tigers!

News

2022 Massillon-Canton McKinley Game By the Numbers

2022 Massillon-Canton McKinley Game By the Numbers

This Saturday at 2:00 pm Massillon and Canton McKinley will renew their storied rivalry for the 133rd time in one of the longest high school football rivalries of the country.  The Tigers currently hold the all-time win-loss advantage with 74 victories against 53 defeats and five ties in a series that began in 1894.  The Bulldogs held the edge throughout the early history, but Massillon pulled even in 1950 with a 33-0 win.  Since that time, the Tigers have a record against the Pups of 49-28-0.  They have also won ten of the last eleven meetings.  This year match will be held at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, where the Tigers hold a 26-14-1 edge.  The last McKinley win at PBTS was in 2010.

The Book on Massillon

The Tigers dropped their opener against state power Cincinnati Moeller, 49-31, but have since reeled off eight straight wins.  Their signature win came in Week 5 against defending Division 1 state champion Lakewood St. Edward, which was ranked No. 1 in the state at that time.  After falling behind 14-0 early, Massillon rallied to take a 21-19 lead into the locker room.  After the Eagles went ahead in the fourth quarter and were in position end the game, linebacker Dorian Pringle stripped the St. Eds running back of the ball to give the Tigers a final chance.  Eight plays later quarterback Jalen Slaughter connected with Braylyn Toles on perfectly thrown 24-yard pass to secure a 31-28 victory.  The following week Massillon handed Austintown Fitch their only loss of the season, 49-28.  Nate Moore is in his eighth season as head coach of the Tigers and while there has compiled a record of 78 wins and 21 loses (.788), including a 6-1 mark against McKinley.

Massillon’s season:

  • Cincinnati Moeller (9-1): 31-49 L (lost to Lakewood St. Edward, 6-0)
  • Canton GlenOak (3-6): 35-7 W – (lost to Canton McKinley, 40-7)
  • Mansfield (7-2): 33-0 W (defeated North Canton, 42-9)
  • Warren Harding (2-7): 41-12 W
  • Lakewood St. Edward (8-1): 31-28 W (defeated Cincinnati Moeller, 6-0; currently ranked in the National Top 50 by calpreps.com)
  • Austintown Fitch (8-1): 49-28 W
  • Middletown, DE (3-3): 42-28 W
  • Canisius, NY (4-3): 42-7 W

Individual statistics leaders:

  • Rushing: Willtrell Hartson – 177 carries for 1,197 yards (150/game) and 18 touchdowns; leading scorer with 122 points
  • Passing: Jalen Slaughter – 83 of 158 (53%) for 1,295 yards (162/game) and 16 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
  • Receiving: Ardell Banks – 23 receptions for 510 yards and 7 touchdowns
  • Receiving: Kyler Wiggins – 20 receptions for 259 yards and 2 touchdowns
  • Receiving: Braylyn Toles – 19 receptions for 249 yards and 3 touchdowns
  • Defense: Dorian Pringle – 46.0 tackle points, 13 tackles-for-loss, 5 sacks
  • Defense: Cody Fair – 32.5 tackle points, 6.5 tackles-for-loss
  • Defense: Brandon Carmon – 9 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks

Team statistics

  • Offensive points: 38 per game
  • Rushing offense: 198 yards per game (5.4/attempt)
  • Passing offense: 162 yards per game (8.1/pass attempt)
  • Total offense: 360 yards per game (6.4/play)
  • Run/pass ratio: 65%
  • Defensive points: 19 per game
  • Rushing defense: 80 yards per game (2.6/attempt)
  • Passing defense: 189 per game (8.2/pass attempt)
  • Total defense: 269 per game (5.0/play)
  • Run/pass ratio: 58%

Rankings

  • Computer Poll: Division II, Region 7 – 1st
  • Associated Press Voting Poll: Division II – 3rd
  • Calpreps.com computerized rating system: Ohio Division II – 2nd; National – 63rd

The Book on Canton McKinley

The Bulldogs started the season slowly, dropping their first four games, including losses to Mentor and Austintown Fitch.  But they then rebounded with five straight victories to take command of the Federal League standings.  During the winning stretch, they outscored their opponents by an average of 42-17.  The difference was the insertion of sophomore running back Nino Hill, an early season transfer from Alliance, and marked improvement from quarterback Keaton Rode.  McKinley’s signature win came in Week 7 when they defeated pre-season Federal League favorite Uniontown Lake, 36-26.  In that game, the Bulldogs were adept at maintaining possession of the ball with time-consuming drives and taking advantage of several Blue Streak mistakes.  Antonio Hall is in his second season as head coach of the Bulldogs and while there has compiled a record of 13 wins and 9 losses (.591), including an 0-1 mark against Massillon.

McKinley’s season:

  • Mentor (5-3): 21-34 L
  • Austintown Fitch (8-1): 14-38 L
  • Dublin Coffman (6-3): 26-28 L
  • Perry (4-5): 28-38 L
  • Green (4-5): 51-19 W
  • North Canton (6-3): 42-9 W
  • Lake (8-1): 36-26 W
  • Jackson (5-4): 40-23 W
  • Canton GlenOak (3-6): 40-7 W

Individual statistics leaders:

  • Rushing: Nino Hill – 119 carries for 971 yards (8.2/attempt) and 16 touchdowns; leading scorer with 98 points
  • Passing: Keaton Rode – 76 of 152 (50%) for 1,143 yards (127/game) and 12 touchdowns, 4 interceptions
  • Receiving: Cynceir McNeal: 31 receptions for 572 yards and 8 touchdowns
  • Defense: Kylier Jenkins – 7 tackles-for-loss; 6 sacks
  • Defense: Dante McClellan: 3 interceptions

Team statistics

  • Offensive points: 33 per game
  • Rushing offense: 211 yards per game (6.4/attempt)
  • Passing offense: 121 yards per game (7.2/pass attempt)
  • Total offense: 332 yards per play (6.6/play)
  • Run/pass ratio: 67%
  • Defensive points: 26 per game
  • Rushing defense: 185 yards per game (4.9/attempt)
  • Passing defense: 134 per game (6.5/pass attempt)
  • Total defense: 319 per game (6.4/play)
  • Run/pass ratio: 75%

Rankings

  • Computer Poll: Division I, Region 1 – 4th
  • Associated Press Voting Poll: Division I – unranked
  • Calpreps.com computerized rating system: Ohio Division I – 25th; National – 665th

Summary

Both teams have shown the ability score points with dominant rushing attacks and effective passing.  Defensively, Massillon appears to have the stronger rush defense, while McKinley holds a slight edge in pass defense.

For Massillon, they need to establish the run like they have in previous games.  Willtrell Hartson has shown that he can carry the load for the entire game and has become a bruising runner, while also having the ability to break the long one.  Also, the Tigers have been quite successful with their 2-back alignment by inserting 225 lb. Dorian Pringle or 205 lb. Peytton Mitchell along with Hartson in short yardage situations.  If McKinley decides to load the box, something they have not been prone to do over the past several years, the burden may then fall on Jalen Slaughter and his talented receivers to move the ball.  The bottom line is that the Bulldogs will absolutely need to stop the run if they hope to win.

For McKinley, they need to show a balanced attack.  Few teams have had success running the ball up the middle against the Tigers and only moderate success to the edge.  But Nino Hill has proven to be an exceptional runner, one who is fast and has the ability gets those extra yards in traffic.  But he alone will not win this game.  The Bulldogs also need production from quarterback Keaton Rode, who is adept at both passing and running.  That’s where Massillon’s devastating blitz package comes into focus, something that can take away the big play.  The defensive front is sufficiently big and talented to draw double-teams from the offensive linemen, which frees up the linebackers to put tremendous pressure on the quarterback.  In fact, this group is on pace to establish a new Massillon record for tackles-for-loss.   They currently have 64 TFLs along with 19 quarterback sacks.

Look for this game to once again be close at halftime and then decided in the second half.