2021 Booster Club Report – Week 9

Massillon defeated Wooster (4-5), 31-0, to improve their record to 7-2.  All-time win No. 916.  Next up is a road game at Canton McKinley (6-3) on Saturday at 2:00 pm.

• 7th Grade (8-0): Season over.
• 8th Grade (6-2): Defeated Chardon, 34-16.  Season over.
• 9th Grade (7-1): Defeated Wooster 28-0.Plays home to Canton McKinley on Thursday, October 21, at 6:00 pm.
• JV (8-2): Defeated Wooster, 29-0.  Season over.

Wooster

Call it a tune-up for the big one if you like, but the Tigers took care of business early in a 31-0 victory over Wooster.  Two punt returns kick-started the effort and Massillon cruised the rest of the way, while keeping a very good Generals passing attack in check.

On Wooster’s first possession they faced a 4th and 2 at their own 38 and tried to draw the Tigers across the line early.  Failing to do that, the quarterback elected to punt from a short drop.  But a Massillon lineman got a hand on the ball and it landed at the Wooster 48, from where an alert Nathan Dupuy scooped it up and raced untouched to the end zone for the first score.  The second return was from Mr. Reliable, Austin Brawley.  He field a punt from the Generals’ second attempt and sped through the pursuers for a 44-yard TD.  By halftime Massillon held a 31-0 lead and the game for all intensive purposes was over.

Stats:

• Freddie Lenix, Jr. – 13 carries for 68 yards and two touchdowns in his first action of the season at running back
• Jalen Slaughter – 6 of 14 passing for 48
• Darrius McElroy – 4 of 5 passing for 19 yards
• Ardell Banks – 3 pass receptions for 32 yards
• Jaden Welch – 3 pass receptions for 19 yards; 4.5 (4-1) tackle points
• Shane Rue – 5 kickoffs into the end zone; 3 punts averaging 45.3
• Austin Brawley – 5.0 (4-4) tackle points; punt return for touchdown
• Nathan Depuy – punt return for a touchdown
• Camden Beasley, Marcus Moore – Each had a pass interception
• Beasley, Depuy, Mike Wright, Jr., Maverick Clark, Jaiden Woods – combined for 4 quarterback sacks

This being the week of the big rivalry game with Canton McKinley, the Booster Club invited the senior players, bandsmen and cheerleaders to get the week started.  Head Coach Nate Moore introduced the players and invited each one to share their best memory of a previous Massillon-McKinley game or other big moment in their career.

“The one thing that is consistent is they always go out and play hard,” said Moore of this year’s team.  And that starts with the seniors.  We only returned four starters and there was a lot of growing that had to happen pretty quickly.”

The coach said that in spite of the inexperience it all came together in the game against Austintown Fitch.  The Tigers were down seven starters and were playing against a pretty good team on the road who had a great quarterback.  But Massillon kept swinging throughout the contest.  Moore recalled two plays that defined the game.  The first was when Ryan Zentkovich ran down and stripped the ball from a Fitch receiver who was on his way for a certain score.  The second was at the end game when the Tigers fumbled in the red zone and a Fitch player picked up the loose ball was streaking down the sideline for a touchdown that would have made it a one-score game.  That’s when Ardell Banks jetted across the field and caught the him at the Massillon ten.  After that, the defense held on all four downs to close out the contest.  “I’m really proud of these players,” said Moore.

Canton  McKinley

The Tigers and Bulldogs will face each other for the 132nd time in a rivalry that began in 1894.  Massillon currently holds a 73-53-5 lead in the series.  McKinley enters with a 6-3 record, with early losses to Mentor and Austintown Fitch and a recent setback to North Canton Hoover.  Their season thus far:

• Mentor (4-5): 7-49 L
• Austintown Fitch (5-3): 28-42 L
• Huber Heights Wayne (7-2): 28-12 W
• Massillon Perry (2-7): 27-25 W
• Green (6-3): 34-14
• North Canton (7-2): 0-24 L
• Lake (5-3): 28-16 W
• Massillon Jackson (8-1): 29-28 W
• Canton GlenOak ((2-6): 26-34 W

McKinley has won six of their last seven games and is really playing good football right now, according to Moore.  They feature several skill players that are really good, while the offensive line has been improving.

The Bulldogs operate out of the spread offense and prefer the pass to the run in order to take advantage of their skill players.  Their passing scheme will present a lot of variety.

Two different players man the quarterback position: senior Amerion Williams (5′-8″, 165) and sophomore Keaton Rode (6′-1″, 175).  Williams is quick and scrambles well.  He is also good on option reads.  Considered an average passer.  Rode also runs well and is good on option reads.  Also considered an average passer, but has completed some big passes.

The primary targets are senior Harold Fannon (6′-3″, 220) and junior Cynceir McNeal (6′-4″).  Fannon is the No. 1 target and is considered by  Assistant Coach Craig McConnell to be the best receiver we’ve seen this year.  He gets off well and uses his big body to shield himself from defenders.  McNeal has great speed and is perhaps their deep threat.

Two players will rotate at running back: senior Khris Williams (5′-10, 190) and junior Treytonj Mackey (5′-9″, 210).  Both run vertical and run hard.

The offensive line has good size, averaging 6′-3″, 301 lbs.

The defense aligns in a 4-3, with a lot of cover-3 and cover-1.  They don’t blitz a lot, but are very active in the secondary.  Both Fannin and McNeal are found on the field in this area.  Massillon will need to play hard, tough, physical football and foremost, establish the run.

The defensive front averages 6′-1″, 204 lbs.  Expect the Tigers, which average 6′-1″, 278 lbs., to have a sizeable advantage in this area.

Playoffs

A win over McKinley will assure Massillon of a Top-4 placement in the final computer ratings.  That would set the Tigers in position to have two home games in the playoffs.

Go Tigers!

2021: Massillon 31, Wooster 0

GAME STATS

Nathan Depuy, Austin Brawley, Marcus Moore help Massillon Tigers swarm Wooster Generals

MASSILLON – A Week 9 trap game? Not a chance for Massillon.

Any concern that the Tigers might get caught looking past Friday’s game against Wooster toward their rivalry game against McKinley was eliminated by the time they took their first offensive snap. Then again, almost any hope the Generals had of springing the upset at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium had also evaporated by that point.

Two punt returns for touchdowns to open the game were just the accelerant Massillon needed to kick-start what turned in a 31-0 rout of Wooster.

“I think it was really huge, because the past couple of weeks, the defense started out really slow,” said senior linebacker Nathan Depuy, whose 48-yard punt return gave Massillon the lead for good 2:22 into the game. “With that big play that I made, I think it really boosted everybody’s confidence, especially on defense. We came out and we just balled out.”

It was 14-0 before the Tigers even snapped the football thanks to punt returns by Depuy and Austin Brawley. It was 17-0 after their first offensive series, and 24-0 before the Generals even got across midfield.

By halftime, Massillon had opened up a 31-0 lead and was well on its way to a 7-2 record. At that point, most of the focus was starting to head to next Saturday’s showdown at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium against McKinley in the 132nd meeting between the two.

Depuy started things for the Tigers when he picked up the loose ball on a quick kick and raced nearly untouched for the score with 9:38 left in the first quarter. He also provided a nice bookend to the first half when he preserved the shutout with a fumble recovery at the Massillon 21 after Marcus Moore’s strip sack.

“When the kicker punted the ball, I just saw the ball land,” Depuy said. “I didn’t hear a whistle. I was like, ‘I’m going to take this ball and score.’ That’s exactly what I did.”

Brawley didn’t make Tiger fans wait long for his obligatory big play. After a three-and-out on Wooster’s second possession, he returned a punt 44 yards for a 14-0 lead with 7:24 remaining in the first quarter.

Massillon started its first offensive possession at the Wooster 22 thanks to Cam Beasley’s interception one play after Brawley’s return. Shane Rue kicked a 36-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 17-0 lead.

“You have special teams errors and you have turnovers and you will not beat a team with as much talent as Massillon,” said Wooster coach Austin Holter, whose team is 4-5. “It won’t happen. That’s what happened to us in the first half. … In an environment like this, you have to be able to close that out and play your best football, and we didn’t do that.”

The Tiger offense finally got its first TD of the evening on their second possession. Freddie Lenix Jr. ran 12 yards for the score with 3:43 remaining in the first quarter to make it 24-0.

Lenix saw his first action of the season at running back as Willtrell Hartson was sidelined with an ankle injury that was reaggravated in the Week 8 win over New York-power Canisius. Lenix, though, did his part with 68 yards on 13 carries, including a 3-yard score to make it 31-0 early in the second quarter.

That score was set up by the second interception of the night by Massillon. This one was courtesy of Moore, who tipped a screen pass to himself and rumbled 53 yards to the Wooster 3.

Moore’s return on the pick gained nearly as many yards as the Tigers netted during the first half. Massillon gained 59 first-half yards, and finished with 128 for the game.

The Tiger defense, though, continually made life tough for the Generals. Massillon sacked Wooster quarterback Drew Becker four times, and limited it to just 1 net rushing yard for the game.

“Our kids played hard,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, whose team held Wooster to 189 total yards. “They’re a good football team that made some plays and got a couple of drives. We just made enough plays to get off the field.”

Wooster had two golden scoring chances in the game, one in each half. The first was halted at the Tiger 9 with less than 30 seconds remaining when Moore swallowed up Becker and forced him to fumble.

The other came on the Generals’ first second-half drive. They reached the Massillon 5, but a fourth-and-3 throw into the end zone was broken up.

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

2021: Massillon 23, Canisius, NY 13

‘We didn’t break’: Jalen Slaughter, Austin Brawley help Massillon Tigers beat New York football power Canisius

MASSILLON — The visitors from Buffalo aired it out with a senior quarterback aiming to take Canisius back to the Big Apple.

The home team ground it out with a freshman … until it was time to let it fly in a 23-13 Massillon win.

Senior QB Tyler Baker looked as good as advertised for a Canisius football team that won a New York state Catholic championship in 2019 and might do it again after the 2020 playoffs got erased by COVID-19. The Crusaders remain fixed on the 2021 title game in New York City, despite falling to 4-1.

Massillon had the last word in Tigertown behind freshman QB Jalen Slaughter. The Tigers improved to 6-2, showing the look of a program with a 16-4 postseason record across the last four years.

“It was a great win against a really good team,” head coach Nate Moore said.

“Our kids are down right now, but coming here is a tremendous experience,” Canisius head coach Bryan Gorman said. “Nate runs an amazing program.”

Gorman said he hopes the teams will meet again, perhaps at Canisius.

In Friday’s battle at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, one wouldn’t have guessed early on where this game was going with these QBs.

Canisius put its offense in the hands of Baker, who led the Crusaders to a 143-15 halftime lead in passing yards. Slaughter handed the ball to Willtrell Harston and Camden Beasley, who led the Tigers to a 99-7 halftime lead in rushing yards.

“We were trying to get the running game going so we could open up the passing game,” Massillon senior playmaker Austin Brawley said. “We gashed them on some big runs.”

Massillon led 9-6 at halftime and got the biggest play of the third quarter from Slaughter. From deep in his own territory, he scrambled left and fired a 15-yard completion to Ardell Banks. Soon it was third-and-9, time for another “biggest play of the game.”

From the pocket, with good protection, Slaughter unloaded a deep ball over the middle. Brawley won a jump ball, pivoted, and ran the rest of the way for a 72-yard touchdown. The Tigers led 16-6.

“Jalen made some really good throws under pressure,” Moore said. “He settled in the pocket. it wasn’t like we were wide open. The long throw to Austin … he absolutely ripped that thing. Austin made a great play.”

“I knew Jalen was going to be something special from the time he was younger,” Brawley said. “He’s making leaps and strides.”

Massillon’s defense put enough of a pass rush on Baker to cool him off.

Early in the fourth quarter, on third-and-11, Slaughter fired a first-down strike over the middle to Brawley. Then he uncorked a 19-yard TD pass to Jaden Welch, who scored despite blanket coverage from cornerback Donovan Davenport.

Slaughter wound up 8-of-9 passing for 160 yards. Baker was 23-of-41 for 220 yards.

If you took the 35-mile drive from Niagara Falls to the stadium where the Buffalo Bills play, you would drive by Canisius, which is just off Lake Erie. Most teams would as soon swim over the Falls as play Canisius, whose previous game entailed a nine-hour trip to Boston.

The Crusaders made the long bus trip to Massillon once before, winning 49-35 in 2017. The return match was played in a rich atmosphere, with a big crowd cheering as if the business part of the season has arrived.

The 6-foot Baker is trying to attract offers from a major-college crowd that likes its quarterbacks taller.

“It’s nice when you see guys like Drew Brees, Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson and Baker Mayfield prove guys wrong,” Baker said. “You use those guys for motivation. You get told a lot you’re not tall enough. They show it can be done.”

The 5-10 freshman Slaughter isn’t being rushed by Moore. He isn’t being babied, either.

“We’ve known for a while he’s going to be good, but he’s even still exceeded expectations,” Moore said. “He’s got plenty of room to grow, also.”

The tension in this game was Grade A.

The Tigers led 2-0 when a Canisius snap sailed over the punter’s head and into the south bleachers.

Massillon was choppy at first in getting off plays out of the shotgun. Several times, the play clock almost ran out. One time, a snap sailed over Slaughter’s head.

Runs by Harston and Beasley made up a 65-yard TD drive. Hartson motored left for a 5-yard touchdown and a 9-0 lead with 4:33 left in the second quarter.

Baker quick-passed Canisius down the field, showing a perfectly relaxed demeanor that held up on a third-and-goal from the 6 with a running clock. He fired a 6-yard corner pass to Josh Fillion for a TD as the half expired.

It stayed 9-6 when the Tigers stuffed a two-point conversion run.

Massillon regained control and built a 23-6 lead that negated the impact of a long return after Slaughter threw a pick.

“This was a really good win,” Brawley said. “We brought a lot of energy right away. It got down to the nitty gritty and we didn’t break. We just kept playing.”

Reach Steve at steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP

2021 Booster Club Report – Week 7

Massillon exploded with 36 second-half points to walk away from Euclid (0-7), 50-16, and improve their record to 5-2.  Next up is a home match against Canisius (4-0), the current No. 1 team in New York.

• 7th Grade (6-0): Defeated Canton Central 7/8, 30-20.  Plays at Canton (Don Scott) on Tuesday, October 5, at 5:00 pm.
• 8th Grade (5-1): Idle.  Plays at home (PBTS) against Canton on Wednesday, October 6, at 5:30 pm.
• 9th Grade (5-1): Idle.  Plays at Cleveland St. Ignatius on Thursday, October 7, at 6:00 pm.
• JV (5-2): Defeated Euclid, 37-6.  Plays at Avon on Saturday, October 9, at 12:00 am.

Every Massillon team seems to express a characteristic unique to its own self.  For this year’s team, it appears to be starting the game slowly, at least on the scoreboard, and then turning it on the rest of the way.  Through seven games, the Tigers have scored just 17 first quarter points and have only tallied once in first possessions of the game.  But it wasn’t for lack of trying.  A fumble here.  An interception there.  A missed pass.  All have caused breakdowns.  Here’s how it’s gone so far on first possessions:

• Pickerington Central – Punt, hampered by a penalty.
• Canton GlenOak – 3 and out, punt.
• Reynoldsburg – 3 and out, punt.
• Warren Harding – 7-play drive covering 36 yards for a touchdown.
• Lakewood St. Edward – 3 and out, punt.
• Austintown Fitch – Punted from the Fitch 38 following an incomplete pass to a wide open receiver for a sure score.
• Euclid – Fumbled into the end zone for a touchback.

The coaches and players are fully aware of this trait and hope to do better this week.  “We can’t keep starting slowly,” said Riley Campbell, who joined Jayden Woods as the guest players.

Against Euclid, Massillon fell behind 9-0 as the Panthers scored on their first two possessions via a field goal and a touchdown.  The Tigers then got it into gear and tallied 28 consecutive points to take control midway through the third period.  Camden Beasley kick-started the effort with a 67-yard gallop to the end zone.  He would end the game with 163 yards on 17 carries along with three touchdowns.  Also coming up big was the duo of quarterback Jalen Slaughter and receiver Ardell Banks, who joined during the game for four pass receptions.  On one series, after Beasley broke loose for a 49-yard run to the Euclid 2, Massillon suffered an errant snap and two consecutive penalties, which moved the ball back to the 23.  That’s when Slaughter on third down connected for a touchdown with Banks, who leaped high over the defender for the score.  Basketball does have its advantages for this guy.  For the rest of the game the Tigers kept Euclid at bay by scoring five consecutive touchdowns to close it out.

“I’m really proud of the guys,” said Head Coach Nate Moore.  “That was a tough game, a tough opponent.  That was a good team.  They played the best schedule in Ohio and they had a lot of great players.  We played hard.  We pulled some distance in the second half.  It was a really nice win for us.”

Euclid entered the game with a 0-6 record.  But the mark was certainly deceiving in that every opponent holds a winning record and three were unbeaten at the time.  Euclid has an excellent quarterback (17-30-230) and some very good receivers, particularly in Claishon Ivory (7-145), who is being sought by the next level.  The Panthers just made to many mistakes to stay in the games against high caliber teams.

Player stats:

• Jalen Slaughter – 9 of 14 passing for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
• Darrius McElroy – 2 of 2 passing for 43 yards.
• Camden Beasley – 17 carries for 163 yards and 3 touchdowns; 7.5 (6-1) tackle points.
• Ardell Banks – 4 pass receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown.
• Austin Brawley – 3 pass receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown; 5.0 (4-2) tackle points; 1 interception; 1 blocked kick; 50 return yards.
• Maverick Clark – 6.5 (4-5) tackle points.

Notes from the coach and players:

• We got it together in the second half.  We can’t keep starting slowly.  We picked things in the second quarter and second half.
• Euclid was using an unorthodox linebacker alignment and it took some time for the offensive line to adjust.  Once the Tigers learned their tendencies, they were able to open up the run game.
• The defensive ends (Chase Bond and Riley Campbell) did a good job containing the quarterback in the option game.
• Nate Watkins had another good game at outside linebacker.
• Euclid had two really talented receivers that put a lot of pressure on the cornerbacks.
• On Ressieo Kirksey’s 36-yard touchdown run, the call was for power left.  But with the Panther linebackers overrunning the play and the opposite side linemen taking strange outside routes, a gaping hole was created in the middle of the line.  So Kirksey cut back (something you don’t normally do in the power run game) and sped for the end zone.  With only the safety blocking his path, Ressieo gave a powerful stiff arm that literally pushed the defender to the ground and that’s all it took finish it off.  Moore beamed, “that was awesome.”

Canisius returns to the Massillon schedule for a second time, the first being in 2017 when they defeated the Tigers, 49-35.  In that one, the Crusader quarterback connected on 12 of 17 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns.  They also ran for another 207.  The game was tied 21 apiece at halftime, but 21 third quarter points by Canisius spelled the difference.  Moore said this year’s team is similar to Lakewood St. Edward in that there are no bad players on the field.

Canisius will again feature a strong passing attack, led by senior quarterback Tyler Baker (6′-1″, 180), who Moore considers may be the best player on the team.  He currently has offers from Army, Columbia and Penn, according to Maxpreps.com.  He can scramble and throw and is very accurate with short and mid-range passes, although not considered as a runner.

Offensively they utilize the spread offense with 2 x 2 and 3 x 1 receiver alignments.  Mostly 1-back, but some 2-back.  The offensive line has good size and skill with senior center Milan Milakovic (6′-1″, 295) as their best lineman.  The line is very good with pass protection.  The receivers are all good.  The best in the group is senior Josh Fillion (6′-1″, 195), who is also the No. 1 target for Baker.  He runs great routes and has great hands.  At running back is senior Lamar Thomas (5′-11″, 175), who Moore considers to be a good high school running back.

Defensively, the Crusaders align their front-7 similar to Massillon.  The secondary, however, is normally in a cover-2 with the press coverage on the corners.  This allows the safeties to support the corners on any deep routes, at the expense of not supporting the run game.  But that front-7 is very good.  The top lineman is sophomore Darrell Hamilton (6′-0″, 275), who is really good; strong, quick, good hands; best we’ve played against. Both inside linebackers are really good.  They play physical and downhill and are really well coached.  They will blitz often.  The secondary is good in zone coverage, although they tend to play a lot of man-to-man.

A win on Friday will go a long way in helping Massillon secure a Top-4 placement in the final computer ratings.  That would set the Tigers in position to have two home games in the playoffs.

Go Tigers!

2021: Massillon 50, Euclid 16

Beasley and Brawley help lead Massillon to Win Over Euclid

MASSILLON — Cam Beasley could’ve hung his head following an early turnover. Instead, the Massillon senior running back picked himself up and took out his frustrations on Euclid.

Beasley fumbled on the goal line on the Tigers’ first drive of Friday night’s game at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The next three times he got close to the goal line, he crossed it with the football, helping to push Massillon to a 50-16 win over the winless Panthers.

Euclid gave Massillon trouble early on and led 9-0 into the second quarter.

Beasley soon changed all of that. His 67-yard TD run ignited the Massillon attack. TD runs of 10 and 11 yards followed, the latter coming in the third quarter. The nine-point deficit was now a 21-9 Massillon. Soon, the rout was on and the Tigers were on their way to being 5-2.

Austin Brawley did Austin Brawley things — a touchdown catch on offense, an interception on defense and another blocked kick on special teams, not to mention some good work on returns.

Freshman QB Jalen Slaughter continued to make his mark, as did receiver Ardell Banks. Seven Tiger defenders made at least three tackles. Massillon’s defense came up with seven tackles for loss and forced two turnovers.

But at the center of it all, especially when Massillon was looking to take control of the game, was Beasley

He started at running back for the second game in a row in place of star Willtrell Hartson. The junior was cleared to play by the OHSAA earlier in the day but was held out as he recovered from an ankle injury suffered in the Week 5 loss to St. Edward.

For the second game in a row, Beasley showed he’s more than capable of running the football as well. After going for 85 yards in the win at Austintown Fitch, he followed it up with 163 yards and three scores on 17 carries

And oh yeah, he remained a force on defense, where he made a team-high 7.5 tackles.

Euclid receiver Claishon Ivory, a Division I college prospect, caught seven balls for 145 yards to lead his team’s offense. Euclid’s 80-yard TD drive, which ended in a TD, early in the second quarter gave the Panthers their 9-0 lead.

Beasley’s 67-yard TD run provided a quick response. His 10-yard TD gave Massillon the lead for good with 7:42 left in the first half. His 11-yard TD with 8:16 left in the third started to give the Tigers some separation.

Slaughter then helped them put the game away. His 23-yard TD pass to Banks pushed the lead to 28-9 with 4:37 left in the third. His 47-yarder to Brawley put Massillon ahead 36-16 early in the fourth. Ressieo Kirksey’s 36-yard TD provided the Tigers with yet another big play and turned the game into a rout.

Slaughter finished with 156 yards passing and the two TDs on 9-of-14 passing with no interceptions. Banks caught four passes for 68 yards. Brawley gained 112 all-purpose yards.

2021: Massillon 31, Austintown Fitch 21

Austin Brawley, freshman QB, others help Massillon Tigers rally to win at Austintown Fitch

AUSTINTOWN — The outside focus was on the players not in uniform for Massillon on Friday night. That focus, though, failed to take into account the players who still wore Tiger uniforms.

And those players made sure that they were accounted for in a big way in a 31-21 come-from-behind win at Austintown Fitch.

Massillon had multiple key players out due to an OHSAA suspension. It also was down another starter, quarterback Darrius McElroy, because of an injury sustained a week ago.

Then, on top of all of that, the Tigers fell into a 14-0 hole one play into the second quarter, and a 21-17 deficit going into the fourth quarter. All of that would’ve been enough to seal the fate of most teams.

Most teams, but not Massillon.

“Great win against a really good team,” Tigers coach Nate Moore said after his team improved to 4-2 on the season. “Austintown Fitch played hard and those guys hit. We played hard and we hit. You’ve got to make some plays in there when you have two good teams going at it.”

There were a multitude of players who made plays for Massillon — starting with Austin Brawley, be it on offense or in special teams.

Brawley finished with a team-high 142 yards on six catches. He also averaged 24 yards on three kickoff returns, while blocking two Fitch field goal tries.

“A lot of people are a little soft,” said Brawley, who has blocked five kicks this season. “As soon as I just see that ball flinch, I go. It’s really big. They have to chase points after I block those kicks.”

It was Brawley’s 45-yard catch with just under 10 minutes remaining that helped set up the Tigers’ go-ahead score. It moved Massillon to the Fitch 10, and two plays later, Cam Beasley ran it in from the 4 for a 24-21 lead with 8:36 remaining.

Beasley, filling in for the absent Willtrell Hartson, finished with 85 yards on 25 carries.

Brawley and Beasley shared the spotlight with a variety of teammates. That includes Jalen Slaughter, who was just the second freshman quarterback to start in Tiger history.

Slaughter shook off a pair of interceptions — one of which set up Fitch to take a 14-0 lead — to complete 11 of 21 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He threw a pair of TD passes in the first half to Ardell Banks, the second one giving Massillon a 17-14 lead.

A huge defensive play by Ryan Zentkovich set up that score. After Tyler Evans raced 70 yards on a reception, Zentkovich knocked the ball out of Evans’ hands shy of the goal line, and it rolled out of the back of the end zone for a touchback to give Massillon the football.

That was one of three turnovers for Fitch. All three led to Tiger touchdowns, including a Nathan Depuy fumble recovery and a Maverick Clark tip-and-grab interception.

Slaughter’s final scoring strike, a 7-yarder to Riley Campbell, gave the Tigers a 31-21 lead with 7:44 remaining.

“I think that the first pick really shook him, but then he did what good young quarterbacks do,” Fitch coach T.J. Parker said of Slaughter. “He kept throwing the ball outside and giving his receivers a chance. He didn’t necessarily put it on him. He looked for one-on-one situations and gave his receivers a chance and those guys came through for him on 50-50 contested balls.”

For all of the offensive standouts for Massillon, it took some big defensive plays to help it emerge with the win. That was especially true considering the way Fitch quarterback Devin Sherwood made plays throughout the night.

Sherwood finished the game 21-of-44 for 398 yards passing, including a 26-yard TD to Evans to give the Falcons a 21-17 lead with 8:25 left in the third. Sherwood also ran it 23 times for 42 yards, 20 of those coming on a TD run to put Fitch in front 14-0 on the first play of the second quarter.

However, Sherwood also had the interception and a fumbled an handoff exchange in the second quarter to set up Massillon’s first TD. He was also sacked five times, three by Campbell and two others by Nate Watkins.

“It’s next man up,” Moore said. “We were facing a great quarterback, who’s as good as they come. He played a whale of a game. We needed to keep him in the pocket a little bit better, and we did a better job of that in the second half, especially as the game began to wind down.”

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

2021 Booster Club Report – Week 5

Massillon dropped a hard fought game against Lakewood St. Edward (5-0), 35-18.  Next up is a road game against Austintown Fitch (3-1).

• 7th Grade (5-0): Defeated Akron Kenmore-Garfield, 48-26.  Plays Austintown at home on Tuesday, September 21, at 6:00 pm.
• 8th Grade (4-1): Lost to Akron Buchtel, 22-20.  Plays Austintown away on Wednesday, September 22, at 6:00 pm.
• 9th Grade (4-1): Lost to Lakewood St. Edward, 28-12.  Plays Austintown Fitch at home on Thursday, September 23 at 6:00 pm.
• JV (4-2): Lost to Lakewood St. Edward, 35-0.  Plays Austintown Fitch at home on Saturday, September 25 at 11:00 am.

Lakewood St. Edward, the No. 37 team in the nation according calpreps.com, came into Brown Brown Tiger Stadium with a balanced offense and stingy defense and showed why they are a serious contender this year to capture the Division 1 state title.  But Massillon fought hard for four quarters, in  spite of missing several players due to injury, and were actually in the game until the Eagles scored the clinching touchdown with 4:41 remaining in the contest.

“I’m really proud of the kids and how we played,” said Head Coach Nate Moore at the weekly Booster Club meeting.  “Our kids fought their tails off.  The defense played as good as expected.  We played well enough to to win, defensively.  We need more things offensively.  But we got it going in the second half.”

St.  Eds opened up a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter, helped by pass completions of 40 yards and 42 yards.  But the Tiger offense was stymied until freshman substitute kicker Nolan Hendricks, connected on a 28-yard field goal last in the first half.  The key play was a 72-yard run by 3rd string running back Ressieo Kirksey in which he first tried the right side of the line, reversed field, broke a few tackles and then sped for the end zone, just getting caught at the 8 yard line.  It was an “unbelievable play” according to Moore.

In the second half, backup quarterback Jalen Slaughter entered the game for the injured Darrius McElroy and completed a pretty 43-yard pass to Austin Brawley in the end zone for a score, with the Eagle defender draped all over him.  In the next possession Slaughter hooked up with Ardell Banks on a fade route for another.   “At 28-18 we had an onside kick,” said Moore.  “To be in that position at that time of the game was a good thing.”

Late in the fourth quarter, Slaughter just overthrew a wide-open Riley Campbell for what would have been a third TD.  Not a bad outing for the freshman.

Meanwhile, St. Edward quarterback Christian Ramos was the catalyst that keyed the Eagle attack.  He completed 15 of 20 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another 46.

Guest players were quarterback Darrius McElroy and outside linebacker Nate Watkins.

Coach Moore thought Watkins did a great job at his position filling in for Camden Beasley.  He also singled out the play of freshmen nose tackle Michael Wright Jr., defensive lineman Marcus Moore, Brawley and Banks.  “I thought he was the best payer on the field,” said Moore of Brawley.  He noted that all of the freshmen stepped up and played well.  In fact, Massillon fielded as many as twenty underclass players throughout the game on either offense or defense, which bodes well for the future.

Player stats:

• Darrius McElroy – 4 of 4 passing for 16 yards
• Jalen Slaughter – 9 of 22 passing for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns
• Ressieo Kirksey – 11 carries for 78 yards, including a long of 72 yards
• Austin Brawley – 5 receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown; 60-yard kickoff return; 8.0 (7-2) tackle points
• Ardell Banks – 5 receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown
• Nolan Hendricks – 24-yard field goal
• Riley Campbell – 7.0 (4-6) tackle points
• Ryan Zentkovich – 6.5 (5-3) tackle points

This week Massillon will face Austintown Fitch (3-1).  Their results are as follows:

• Youngstown Chaney (2-3): 27-0
• Canton McKinley (3-2): 42-28
• Canton GlenOak (0-4): canceled
• Youngstown Ursuline (4-1): 47-48 L
• Youngtown Cardinal Mooney (0-5): 42-7

Massillon’s owns an 18-8-0 series mark against the Falcons, including wins in the last four games.  In games played at Austintown, Massillon owns a 7-6 edge.

Fitch operates out of the spread offense, with the quarterback in the gun and a single running back.  Some tight end.  Some empty sets.  Lots of outside zone blocking.  The offensive line is considered by Moore to be athletic and they play well as a group.  Engineering the attack is senior quarterback Devin Sherwood (5′-11″, 185), who last week became their all-time leading passer.  While he’s more of a thrower, he will run some.  “He may be the best quarterback we’ve played this year,” Moore added.  The “go-to” receiver is Tyler Evans (5′-10″, 180).  Evans also plays safety.

The defense aligns in a 3-3 stack with some 4-down, and cover 1 with some cover 3.  The line is the strength on that side of the ball, led by senior Aaron Hivley (6′-3″, 225).  The linebackers are pretty good, with senior AJ Byrd (5′-11, 245) manning the middle.

Fitch averages 40 points a game and hasn’t had to punt much this year.  So this one could turn into a high-scoring affair.  It all depends on how well  the Tigers control the play of the Falcon quarterback.  Then again, Fitch is also battling the injury bug.  Finally, expect 2-3 trick plays, particularly on kickoffs.

See you in Austintown.

2021: Lakewood St. Edward 35, Massillon 18

St. Edward football stays unbeaten, eventually puts away injury-riddled Massillon Tigers

MASSILLON — Massillon had multiple starters out from the very start Friday. Its star running back lasted only two drives. Its starting quarterback had to leave the game midway through the second quarter.

Still, with half of the fourth quarter to go, Massillon found itself only down 10 to St. Edward on Friday night. Those absences, among others, ultimately proved too much to handle on top of the undefeated Eagles, who emerged from Paul Brown Tiger Stadium with a 35-18 win over the Tigers.

“Our kids absolutely played their butts off from start to finish,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said after his team fell to 3-2. “We’re not happy with the outcome. We’re really happy with the effort we got out of them, especially considering we didn’t have a great draw from the deck tonight.”

The Tigers lost Wiltrell Hartson, who entered Friday with a Stark County-best 736 rushing yards through the four games, on their second possession to what appeared to be an ankle injury. Then, senior quarterback Darrius McElroy left the game with an undisclosed injury on Massillon’s second possession of the second quarter.

Moore declined to speak on either injury specifically. Massillon plays next Friday night at Austintown Fitch, which is 3-1.

That left the running game in the hands of Reesieo Kirksey and sophomore Ta’Shaun Smith. Those two combined for 88 yards on 16 carries in Hartson’s place.

McElroy’s injury, which came after he completed his first four passes for 16 yards, opened the door for freshman Jalen Slaughter. Slaughter completed just one of his first five passes, including an interception.

However, after that pick midway through the third quarter, the freshman started to settle down a bit. He completed six of his next seven passes for 94 yards and not one, but two touchdown passes.

The first was a 43-yarder to Austin Brawley, who made a diving grab in the end zone with a St. Edward defender draped on him to pull Massillon within 21-10 with 35 seconds left in the third quarter. The second was a perfectly-placed 14-yard corner route to Ardell Banks with 8:49 remaining to help make it a 28-18 game.

“He operated really well,” Moore said. “He hit some big throws for us. Made some plays like we’ve seen him do the last couple of years where he’s staying alive in the pocket with his feet and he’s able to see receivers downfield and make an off-balanced, unorthodox throw and hit the guy in stride.”

Slaughter finished the game 9-of-22 for 137 yards passing. He did throw a second interception in the fourth quarter on a ball that deflected off the hands of a receiver.

At the time Slaughter entered the game, St. Edward had opened up a 14-0 lead with just over six minutes left in the first half. The Eagles scored on the first of three Danny Enovitch TD runs, a 2-yarder with 3:58 left in the first quarter, then came back with a 42-yard Christian Ramos-to-Rayshawn Manning Jr. score with 6:11 left in the half.

Enovitch, who rushed for 146 yards on 25 carries, added two more rushing TDs in the second half. The first, a 3-yarder, made it 21-3 Eagles in the third quarter, followed by a 13-yarder in the fourth to make it 28-10.

Ramos threw a second TD in the fourth quarter, a 14-yarder to Ryan Micklich to provide the final margin with 4:41 remaining. Ramos completed 15 of 20 passes for 233 yards, with an interception late in the first half.

“I don’t think it was our cleanest victory, but it was a victory,” said Eagles coach Tom Lombardo, whose team improved to 5-0 while holding Massillon to 252 total yards. “We made some stops when we needed to. We stopped the running game really well. We were surprised a little bit … by how well he (Slaughter) could perform under pressure.”

Massillon’s first points came from another freshman, kicker Nolan Hendricks. Hendricks knocked through a 24-yard field goal with 4:22 remaining to pull the Tigers within 14-3.

Slaughter and Hendricks were two of three different freshman to play meaningful snaps on Friday for Massillon. Mike Wright started at defensive tackle for the Tigers and finished with three solo and two assisted tackles.

Wright was part of a defense that bent a lot during the game, but didn’t necessarily break. While 11 of St. Edward’s 12 drives reached Massillon territory, only five resulted in points.

“A lot of great stuff out of our defense, especially early when we weren’t able to get them much help with field position,” Moore said.

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE