Tigers Dominate All-County Team

Eleven senior Massillon football players were voted by the Stark County Coaches Association to their 2020 all-star team.  This, following the Tigers’ third consecutive trip to the state finals.  In an unusual year of schedule adjustments on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, Massillon won five of six regular season games, including a 2nd all-time win over Cleveland St. Ignatius and a 35-7 pasting of Canton McKinley.  Then they survived a grueling 7-game playoff road to reach the state finals, culminating in a fine 10-2 record.  Over the past three seasons the Tigers have posted a mark of 38 wins against just three losses.

Here are the all-stars:

Jayden Ballard: Wide receiver, 3-year starter, Ohio State commit.  Ballard caught 36 passes for 573 yards and 7 touchdowns.  Included in that were 8 catches against Warren Harding, 6 against North Canton and 7 against Perry.  He also had three TD catches vs. the Panthers and two against Lakewood St. Edward.  Ballard is Massillon’s all-time leading receiver for yards and touchdowns.

Terrence Rankl: Offensive lineman, 6′-5″, 285 lbs., 2-year starter, University of Pittsburgh commit.

John Kouth: Offensive lineman, 6′-1″, 320 lbs., 2-year starter.

Rankl and Kouth were instrumental in leading a Tiger rushing attack that averaged 5.0 yards per rush attempt and surrendered just eight quarterback sacks going in to the finale.  The 6.1 yards per play stat ranks 9th among Massillon’s spread offense teams over the past 33 years.  They indeed showcased a clinic on power run football.

Alex Bauer: Kicker, 4-year starter.  Bauer connected on 46 of 47 extra points and was perfect until the last try, when a 15-yard penalty hurt his chances on that one.  He also converted 8 of 11 field goal tries.  Bauer holds the all-time career marks for extra point attempts and conversions.

Caiden Woullard: Defensive lineman,  6′-4″, 235 lbs., 2-year starter.  Woullard finished the year with 33.5 tackle points, 10.5 tackles-for-loss (2nd on the team) and 2.5 quarterback sacks (1st on the team).  Last year he set a season high record of 18.0 tackles-for-loss.

Mike Miller: Defensive lineman, 6′-2″, 235 lbs..  Miller had 43.5 tackle points and was a force on the edge, constantly hounding the opposing quarterbacks.

Jaiden Wise: Outside linebacker, 6′-1″, 200 lbs.  Wise showcased his talents in the preseason and earned a starting position to begin the season, covering the wide side of the field.  He recorded 54.0 tackle points (2nd on the team), 11.0 tackles-for-loss (1st on the team) and two pass interceptions.

Andrew Wilson-Lamp: Cornerback, 2-year starter, West Virginia commit.  Also played wide receiver.  Lamp was a shut-down corner that finished the year with 19.5 tackle points, including 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sack.  He also had eight pass breakups.  Offensively, Lamp caught 11 passes for 319 yards and one touchdown.

Martavien Johnson: Cornerback.  Also played wide receiver.  Johnson had 30.0 tackle points and 7.0 tackles-for-loss.  He also intercepted two passes and recorded 7 pass breakups.  On offense, he caught 33 passes for 486 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 46-yard game-winner against Cincinnati LaSalle.  He also rushed 21 times for 134 yards and a touchdown.

Magnus Haines: Punter, 4-year starter.  This year he punted 36 times for 1,492 yards, an average of 41.1 yards per try (3rd all-time).  Haines holds the career marks for total punts and total yards.  Magnus also kicked off, averaging 53.6 yards per kick with 11 touchbacks.

Nick Liebler: Most Valuable Player, inside linebacker. 5′-11″, 190 lbs.  Liebler finished with 79.0 tackle points (3rd on the team), including 4 tackles-for-loss.  This was an incredible year for Nick, having returned to football following a serious leg injury.  Two of his performances stand out especially.  The first came against Canton McKinley, when running back Raekwon Venson was lost to injury in the previous game.  As a backup to replacement starter Willtrell Hartson, he rushed 11 times for 69 yards and a touchdown.  The second was during a 43-13 playoff win over Perry, when he recorded 11 solo tackles and 12 assists.  This effort ranks second all-time for the Tigers, behind Chuck Vliet in 1950.

Congratulations to these fine Tiger football players.

Booster Club Report – Week 13

The Massillon Tigers are going to STATE!!!  For the third consecutive year, the Tigers will participate in the Division 2 state finals with a chance to win their 25th state title and the first since the playoff system was introduced in 1972.  The foe will be Akron Hoban, a team with which Massillon has split a pair of games over the past two seasons.  A 14-10 victory last week over defending D2 champion Cincinnati LaSalle secured local’s spot in the final game.

“At this point they’re all big wins,” said Massillon head coach Nate Moore at the weekly Booster Club meeting.  “That was a four-quarter ballgame.  Our guys kept fighting, kept swinging.  It was a great performance.  I’m proud of them.  I thought our defensive coaches had a great game plan and the kids executed it well.”

LaSalle scored first late in the opening period when quarterback Zach Branam broke loose on a 76-yard run that carried the ball to the Tiger 4 yard line.  The Lancers scored the touchdown three plays later.  Massillon responded with a 10-play, 62-yard drive, with Jamacius Portis plowing in from the three to tie the game.  The TD was set up by a 24-yard pass from Zach Catrone to Caiden Woullard, erasing a 3rd and 19 situation.

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Lancers managed to kick a field goal and take a 10-7 lead.  Faced with a 3rd and 3 at the Massillon 13, Branam kept the ball on a stretch play to the right, looking for a hole to dive through.  But none was found.  A host of Tigers had sealed off the line and Portis dropped him for a 1-yard loss.  That forced the field goal and LaSalle led 10-7.

Massillon gained just 16 yards on their ensuing possession and were forced to punt.   Fortunately, Magnus Haines unloaded a 43-yarder that pinned the Lancers back at their own 13.  It was one of four outstanding punts by Haines, who averaged 46 yards on his boots, with all landing inside the LaSalle 20.  But time was not on the side of the Tigers as the fourth quarter was waning away.  They needed a big stop, and Martavien Johnson delivered, breaking up a 3rd down pass an forcing a punt.  The Tigers would have one more chance.

The punt traveled to the Lancer 48 and Massillon had about two minutes left to at least tie the game with a field goal.  It took just a single play to get the job done.  Johnson lined up at left end with Andrew Wilson-Lamp in the slot.  Catrone dropped back to pass and was secured in the pocket by great pass protection provided by the offensive line.  Meanwhile, Johnson streaked down the sideline and then headed for the post, while Lamp cut it short on an out route.  Johnson was able to use his speed advantage to outrace the defender and caught Catrone’s pass at the 15.  He then eluded a pair of would-be tacklers and scored the winning touchdown.  It was certainly the Tigers’ biggest catch of the year.  Massillon then held LaSalle at bay to secure the win.

“A great throw by Zach,” said Moore.  “A great catch by Martavian.  Martavian had a heck of a game.  We get another game this week.  Another great opponent.”

Willtrell Hartson turned in another 100-yard plus night, rushing 26 times for 129 yards.  Catrone completed 5 of 13 passes for 109 yards and one score.  Johnson caught three passes for 70 yards and touchdown.  On defense, Portis had 5 solos and 4 assists, including a tackle for loss.  Isaiah Clark had 4 solos and 6 assists.  Nick Liebler had one solo and 10 assists.  Johnson had three pass breakups and Jaiden Wise had a pair.

The guest co-captains were inside linebacker Xavier Andrews and offensive tackle Terrence Rankl.  “The last game went down to the wire,” said Andrews.  “Our defense got some big stops and made the plays.”

“Our job as captains is to keep the ship level,” said Rankl when addressing adversity.  “And we got a great win.  Having a loss (against St. Edward in Game 1) gives us a great drive.  We don’t want that to happen again.  I believe you learn more from a loss than a win.  And that will help us (against Hoban).”

The Knights come into the contest with 10-0 record, with wins over two common Massillon foes: Lakewood St. Edward (35-0) and Cleveland Benedictine (31-24 and 37-0).  They have also defeated Akron St. Vincent (37-9), Mayfield (42-0), Hudson (31-14) and Avon (28-18).  “They’re a really good football team,” said Moore.

The strength of the opponent lies with the defensive front seven, who Moore calls “very, very, very. very good.”  The line has three returning starters within the even front, including senior strong side end Darryl Peterson (6′-3″, 245), senior weak side end Luke Bauer (6′-1″, 245) and nose tackle sophomore Jason Martin (5′-11″, 288).  Peterson is the best defensive lineman the Tigers have seen this year.  He has the full package, according to the coach.  Bauer is the second best they’ve seen, fast and quick), while Martin is the best interior linemen they’ve seen.  The linebacking corps is also solid, led by seniors A.J. Kirk (6′-1″, 200) and Damon Ollison (6′-0″, 220).  Ollison plays with great physicality.

The offense gives the opponent multiple looks with their various alignments.  But in essence they just want to run the football.  Two outstanding players alternate at the running back position in senior Victor Dawson (6′-0″, 225) and sophomore Lamar Sperling (5′-10″, 190).  Dawson is a patient runner, a vertical runner, with good speed.  Sperling contrasts that with dynamic play and shiftiness.  Both get the job done.  In last year’s game, which the Tigers won 17-14, Dawson rushed 5 times for 20 yards.

Operating under center is 4-year returning senior starter Shame Hamm (6′-200).  He is an accurate passer and throws a nice deep ball.  He also is an effective runner.  Against Massillon last year he completed 13 of 21 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown.  He also rushed 13 times for 25 yards.  In the 2018 state title game against Massillon, Hamm completed 4 of 9 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing 9 times for 67 yards.  The No. 1 pass target is senor Brayden Fox (6′-3″, 205).  He is a 3-year starter (one at GlenOak) and has an offer from Rutgers.  Against the Tigers  last year he caught three passes for 57 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown.

The skill players will operate behind a veteran line that averages 6’2″, 285 lbs.  It is led by senior tackle Luke Petit (6′-4″, 284).  A center last year, he is considered an excellent puller.

Friday’s game can be viewed on Spectrum and can be pulled up on the Internet through this website.

Go Tigers.  Bring it home!

Booster Club Report Week 12

Massillon captured its fourth consecutive regional title with a convincing 43-13 victory over top-seeded and previously-undefeated Massillon Perry.  With the win the Tigers advance to the state semifinals where they will face Cincinnati LaSalle, the team that defeated Massillon last year 34-17 in the Division 2 state finals.

“What a tale of two halves,” said Massillon head coach Nate Moore in opening the weekly Booster Club meeting.  “Things couldn’t have started any worse.”  On the first play from scrimmage the Tigers lost 23 yards when the center snapped the ball over the quarterback’s head and it was recovered at the six yard line.  That series ended quickly in a punt.  Perry then drove the ball to the Massillon 23, but missed a 40-yard field goal attempt.  On Massillon’s second try, they picked up just a single first down before punting again.  Perry then used their double-win offense to engineer a 15-play, 81-yard drive for the game’s first score.

The Tigers were suddenly down 6-0 and had run just seven plays.  But the game was suddenly about to turn.  On the first play following the kickoff, quarterback Zach Catrone dropped back to pass and hit Jayden Ballard in stride on a 72-yard touchdown pass.  Alex Bauer’s extra point made it  7-6 and the rout was on.  Perry would not score again until the fourth quarter, when Massillon had a commanding 35-6 lead.   By the end of the game the Tigers had scored 43 points and run just 24 plays during the scoring span.

“The quarterback scrambling hurt us,” said Moore.  “Key mistakes in key moments.  But we came out in the second half and scored touchdowns and put pressure on Perry.  I’m proud of the guys.  They didn’t flinch.”  But as Moore noted later, every team at this stage of the playoffs is good.

A couple of Tiger players had incredible nights.  Catrone completed all ten of his pass attempts, a feat that had never before been accomplished by a Massillon quarterback when at least ten passes had been thrown.  Couple that with Catrone passing for 324 yards and converting three touchdowns without throwing an interception and his pass efficiency rating for the night was a whopping 396.  That surpassed the previous record of 322 set by Aidan Longwell in 2017.  “He managed the game really well for us,” beamed Moore.  “He made great decisions.”

Seven of Catrone’s passes went to OSU-bound Ballard, who caught three for touchdowns of 72, 15 and 33 yards.   Martavien Johnson caught two passes for 28 yards and West Virginia recruit Andrew-Wilson Lamp hauled in a 56-yard pass, but was unfortunately tackled at one, denying him the score.

Willtrell Hartson once again led the ground attack, rushing 18 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns.  “Hartson ran hard,” said the coach.  “He’s really special.  Perry’s defensive line was tough.”

Also having a big night was linebacker Nick Liebler, who recorded 11 solo tackles and 12 assists, totaling 17.0 tackle points.  He now takes over 2nd place all-time behind Chuck Vliet, who had 42 combined tackles against Warren Harding in 1950.  “It was a great performance by Nick,” said Moore.

Isaiah Clark also had a big night with 8 tackles and 6 assists, as the safeties for the Tigers by design are actively involved in run defense.  Caiden Woullard added two more tackles-for-loss and now has a career total of 29.5. as he closes in on the all-time record of 30.0.

A couple of other highlights came from special teams.  The first was when one of the Tiger players was assessed a personal foul following a TD and Massillon was forced to kick off from its own 25.  But Magnus Haines answered the bell and launched a beauty that landed at the Perry seven and scooted into the end zone for a touchback.  No harm done there.  The second was following a quick punt by Perry that forced safety Austin Brawley to sprint down field to cover the ball.  He retrieved it off a bounce at the 20, circled a pair of would-be tacklers, cut back across the field and was then escorted by a host of teammates who paved the road down the sidelines for an 80-yard score.  That TD essentially put the game away.  The 80-yard return is the 10th longest in Massillon history.

The guest co-captains were Catrone and Xavier Andrews.  “Offensively, we ran a very efficient game, both running and passing,” said Catrone.”  “It was a hard fought game,” added Andrews.  “We owned the line of scrimmage.  Now we need to get revenge on LaSalle.”

“We have a heck of a challenge this week,” cautioned Moore.  LaSalle (8-2), the 2019 Division 2 state champions, captured Region 8 with a 35-10 win over Cincinnati Winton Woods, which finished the season with a 9-1 record.  Other big wins this year were 53-52 in overtime against Cincinnati Elder (5-4) and 55-30 over Cincinnati Anderson (7-3).  A pair of losses came against Cincinnati St. Xavier (8-2) by the score of 24-10 and Indianapolis Cathedral (8-1) by the score of 37-28.  They return five starters on offense and five on defense.  Like Massillon, they failed to achieve a first place vote in the bracket seedings on account of a loss or two against a superior schedule as compared to the weaker teams in their respective regions.

Offensively, the Lancers line up in many different formations.  But they have one primary focus: moving the ball on the ground with quarterback Zach Branam.  The senior is 5′-10″,  200 lbs. and is the leading rusher on the team with 114 yards per game and 14 overall touchdowns.  He has also thrown for 155 yards per game with 10 touchdowns.  “He is a fantastic football player,” said Moore.  “The best we’ve seen.  An OK thrower, but a tremendous runner.  He runs with power and has good vision.”  In last year’s game against Massillon, Branam rushed 22 times for 154 yards.

Branam will operate behind a big line that averages 6′-2″, 287 lbs.  Three of the five are returning starters.  The best lineman is junior Paul Haywood (6′-3″, 325).  He’s huge and is a powerful player.  The running back for this game was expected to be the speedy returning starter Gi’Bran Payne, who rushed in last year’s title game for 141 yards.  But he is apparently out with a stress fracture in his ankle.  Taking his place is senior Jack Rutz (6′-0″, 200).  Moore says he is a good running back, but not at the level of Payne.

The No. 1 pass target is senior fullback Cole Schneider (5′-11″, 180).  This year he has caught 29 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns.  They will also utilize three or four wide receivers, but they are mostly in to block.  But they block really well according to Moore.  None has any remarkable pass receiving stats.

On defense, look for 3-3 and 3-4 alignments with multiple coverages by the defensive backs.  The strength of the unit is the defensive backfield, where three players have offers from Alabama, Miami and Cincinnati.  The linebacking corps is also good, led by junior JJ Ruffin (6′-3″, 227) and senior Jaylen Johnson (6′-3″, 210).  Both play on the edges and are really, really good.  Johnson is OSU-bound.

In 2018 Massillon revenged a state semifinal loss to Cincinnati Winton Woods and in 2019 they revenged a state finals loss to Akron Hoban.  Can they repeat that same effort this year against LaSalle?  We will find out Friday in Marysville.  Game time is 7:00.  Tune to Spectrum through this website to watch all the action.

Announcement: The post-season banquet has been canceled.  In its place, player awards will be announced via a zoom meeting, scheduled for December 16.  Watch this website for details.

Go Tigers.

Booster Club Report Week – 11

It was certainly a memorable Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.  Not only did Massillon beat previously undefeated Westerville South 45-36 to advance to the regional championship game for the fourth consecutive season, but running Willtrell Hartson broke a single-game yards rushing record that has stood for 29 years.  The previous standard belonged to Travis McGuire who, in 1991, helped his team to a 42-13 victory over Canton McKinley.  Both efforts were works of art.  The two running backs showed power in breaking tackles.  They displayed finesse in style.  And they brought bursts of speed in outracing defenders to the end zone.

By the numbers, McGuire had 36 carries, 302 yards (8.4 yds/carry) and 5 touchdowns.  Willtrell Hartson had 27 carries, 324 yards (12.0 yards/carry) and 3 touchdowns.  Included in Hartson’s totals were long runs of 54, 53, 39, 25, 23, 23, 17 and 15 yards.  Sounds something like what he did last week.  For the season, Willtrell has now rushed 85 times for 847 yards, for a whopping per carry average of 1o.o.

As a sophomore, that’s really, really good,” said head coach Nate Moore.  “He had great vision and open field cuts.  It’s also an offensive honor,” in that the Tigers’ massive offensive line constantly opened holes in the South defense.  The wide receivers also had great downfield blocks to extend many runs.

“It was a funny game in a lot of ways,” Moore said.  “After the first possession, we played really, really well.”  That was an understatement.  Combined with Hartson’s effort and a game-controlling defense, Massillon rolled to a 42-9 lead by late in the third quarter.  At that point the Tigers had amassed 404 yards in total offense, 316 rushing and 88 yard passing.  Zach Catrone connected on 3 of 5 pass attempts, including a 72-yarder to Martavien Johnson for a TD.  In fact, the Tigers scored a touchdown on six consecutive possessions during that span.  Meanwhile, South totaled 283 yards, but had just nine points to show for it.

Westerville tried to make a game of it in the latter part of the contest, crossing the goal line four times, but eventually came up a couple scores short.  They were indeed a good playoff team, exceptionally good with the passing game.  “Those guys came back and made some plays,” said Moore.  “But we got the stops when we needed to (early in the game) and got the win.”

The guest co-captains were quarterback Zach Catrone and wide receiver/defensive back Andrew Wilson-Lamp.  “Last week we ran a very efficient game,” said Catrone.  “Willtrell Hartson did an absolutely great job.  Our offensive line and wide receivers did a great job.”

“The defense played really well,” Lamp remarked.  “We gave up some points, but they were a really good team.  Every time a team plays us, they’re going to give us their best shot.”

Next up for the Tigers is Perry for the regional championship.  The Panthers are 9-0 with playoff wins over Canal Winchester (42-0), Dublin Scioto (35-10) and Olentangy (14-10).  The also have signature wins over North Canton Hoover (20-14) and Canton McKinley (35-23).  Massillon owns a 16-2 advantage in an on-and-off series that began in 1978.  Last year the Tigers defeated Perry in the regional semifinals 35-7, with all of the points coming in the first half.

The Perry offense utilizes their traditional double-wing concept with a tight end.  It revolves around running back Joshua Lemon, who has amassed 1,597 yards (7.9 yards per attempt) and 18 touchdowns.  The offensive line is a good group and comes off the ball well, according to the coach.  They all play with great effort and are an athletic group.  Look for a heavy dose of various runs between the ends with a few jet sweeps thrown in, although normally very little passing.  Coach Moore highlighted the following players:

• Left tackle Anthony Brumbaugh – 6′-1″, 218; senior; 2-way returning starter; pretty good player overall.
• Strong guard Vinny Hildebrand – 6′-1″, 220; junior; best offensive lineman.
• Running back Lemon – 5′-10″, 185; senior; 2-year starter; runs with power and can take it to the outside.
• Wingback Dominic Vinas – 5′-9″, 180; senior; runs hard.
• Wide receiver Devonte Armstrong – 5′-9″, 155; senior; 9 receptions for 142 yards.
• Quarterback Hayden Vinas – 5′-9″, 185; senior; returning starter; runs tough; makes decisions in the passing game fairly accurately.

The defense is mostly in an even front, more like a 4-4.  The line is pretty good with hands and come off the ball well.  But the linebackers are the strength of the defense.  Top players per Moore are:

• Strong side end Anthony Jones; 6′-205; senior; a good player.
• Weak side end Cameron Nickson; 6′-200; junior; pretty athletic;  good hands and feet.
• Middle linebacker Dominic Vinas – reads keys fast; quick.
• Middle linebacker Cayman Williams – 5′-11,215; senior; excellent downhill player; gets off blocks; very physical.
• Safety Devonte Armstrong – returning starter; really good;  good speed.

“The kids had a really good practice today,” Moore said in closing.  “The scout team did really well.  We just need to come out and play Massillon Tiger football and bring home another regional championship.”

Game time Friday is 7:00 pm.  It will be broadcast on Spectrum.

The freshmen dropped their finale to Lakewood St. Edward, 14-6.  They finished the season with a record of 8-3.

A game ball from Win No. 900 is  being raffled off.  Tickets are $10.00.  Watch social media for details.

Chris Spielman is under consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Fans can participate in the preliminary voting on www.profootballhof/fanvote.

Go Tigers!

Booster Club Report Week – 10

Massillon hit another major milestone last Friday in its 48-23 Round 3 playoff victory over North Canton Hoover.  The Tigers have now won 500 games at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.  The facility opened in 1939 and is the largest single-school, high school football stadium in Ohio, with a capacity 16,884.  Earlier this season Massillon defeated Columbus Bishop Sycamore for all-time win No. 900.  The current count of 906 ranks third in the U.S., behind Valdosta, Georgia (935), and Louisville Male, Kentucky (911).

With the win over Hoover, the Tigers will now play Westerville South, with the winner facing the survivor of the match between Perry and Olentangy.

In other contests:

• 7th Grade (4-3): The season is over.
• 8th Grade (7-0):  The season is over.
• 9th Grade (8-2): The “A” Team defeated Lake, 35-10.  The “B” Team defeated East Cleveland Shaw, 35-0.  Plays Lakewood St. Edward on Thursday away at 6:00 pm.
• JV (6-3): The season is over.

“It was a great week last week,” said head coach Nate Moore at the weekly Booster Club meeting.  It’s good to win in the playoffs.  It’s great to beat a Stark County team.  I  thought our kids played. well.  We played a really good quarterback.  But overall, we stopped the run and got after their QB.”

That quarterback was Connor Ashby, who finished the night 9 of 18 for 209 yards and a touchdown.  It was a good performance against a stout Massillon defense in that he was under pressure all night and very few passes were launched from the pocket.  He was also sacked three times.  But the run game couldn’t match the passing effort and produced just 101 yards.

The Viking defense also struggled against a Massillon ground attack that has recently found its identity in the power-run game.  The Tigers racked up 334 yards at 9.3 yards a carry, led by running back Willtrell Hartson, who picked up 193 yards and four touchdowns in just 13 carries.  Backup Camden Beasley also had a fine night.  “We have a sophomore running back that has great vision,” remarked Moore, who also noted the superb blocking of the offensive line.  Hartson had long runs of 43, 30, 25, 25, 23, 15 and 13 yards.  This against a team that game into the game with a 5-2 record.  In the last three games, after taking over for the injurer Raekwon Venson, Harston has rushed 41 times for 449 yards and 11 yards a carry.  You need go back to the 1950s and Art Hastings to find a 3-game mark that productive.

When needed, the Tigers went to the air and quarterback Zach Catrone had another fine night, completing 9 of 10 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown.  Jayden Ballard caught six passes for 96 yards and one score.  But that 42-yard score followed a spectacular catch in which the ball was tipped and Ballard secured the loose ball while falling to the ground.  Ballard also that night broke the all-time Massillon record for career receiving yards, surpassing Devin Jordan.  “Every time we complete a pass, it makes the power run game better.” said Moore.

Defensively, Massillon kept Hoover in check for the most part, while themselves scoring on nearly every possession to maintain a comfortable margin.  “The quarterback (Ashby) made some plays,” said Moore, “but we did a nice job against him.  All-in-all, we played well, very aggressive.”  The strong pass rush constantly forced Ashby out of the pocket and he struggled to find open receivers against the Tigers’ smothering pass coverage.  Linebacker Xavier Andrews and defensive lineman Mike Miller led in tackles with 7.0 and 6.0 tackle points, respectively.  Michael Billman also had a big night, with 3.5 tackles-for-loss, including a pair of quarterback sacks.

On special teams, Alex Bauer continues to be perfect on extra point attempts while Magnus Haines continues to punt deep and drop his kickoffs near the goal line.

The guest co-captains were quarterback Zach Catrone and offensive tackle Terrence Rankl.  “Overall we played a very fundamentally sound game,” said Catrone.  “We took what they gave us.  Right now I feel like the whole team is playing their best ball.”

“We had a good game against Hoover,” added Rankl.  “This (Westerville South) may be our last game at Tiger Stadium.  We’ll play with a chip on our shoulders.”

Westerville South, a member of the Ohio Capital Conference (Columbus), brings a 7-0 record into Paul Brown Tiger Stadium following a pair of  playoff wins: 56-28 over Watkins Memorial (4-4) and 56-29 over Olentangy Berlin (5-4).  Other big wins this year include 42-28 over Dublin Scioto (7-2) and 32-28 over Westerville North (6-3).  They average a whopping 48 points a game, but give up 28.  Their lowest offensive production was against North.

Offensively, the Wildcats utilize a spread formation and feature a lot of quick throws in something Nate Moore calls an “Air Raid” offense.  At QB is Peter Pedrozo (5′-11, 185) who has thrown for 2,228 (318 yards a game) and converted 28 for touchdowns.  According to Moore, he is the best quarterback they have seen this year.  He gets the ball out quickly and is very accurate on short- and mid-range passes.

Pedrozo has a bevy of good wide receivers to throw to and this is perhaps the best position group on the team.  Four different receivers have caught at least 20 passes and scored at least five touchdowns, led by Penn State-bound Kaden Saunders, who has grabbed 37 for 779 yards and 11 TDs.  All four stand around 6-foot.  Two, including Saunders, are considered deep threats.

But don’t sleep on the ground game.  At running back is Brandon Armstrong (5′-7″, 165), who has rushed for 708 yards and scored nine touchdowns.  He is a scat back, speedy, shifty and explosive.

The offensive  line has good size with decent skill.  Their best player is the left guard, a sophomore who goes 6′-1″, 280.

Defensively, South aligns in a 3-4.  The line does not have great size, while the linebacker corps is about average.  But it’s a good front-7 according to Moore; an aggressive, attacking group.  The best lineman is the nose tackle, who goes 5′-9″, 220 lbs and plays like Massillon’s Michael Billman.  The secondary plays a loose man-to-man.  Overall, the scheme is designed to stopped the spread offense.

This game may just be a matter of who can reach 35 points first.  For it’s the playoffs and every team is good this time of year, both offensively and defensively.

The Massillon-Westerville South game will be broadcast on Spectrum.  Game time is 7:00 pm.

Go Tigers.

Booster Club Report – Week 9

The bye in the first round of the playoffs following the 35-7 victory over Canton McKinley couldn’t have come at a better time.  It gave the Tigers a chance to come down from the big high, heal up the bumps and bruises and re-energize themselves for the task ahead.  And they responded last Friday better than expected in rolling over Columbus Walnut Ridge, 56-0.  This against a team that had compiled a 19-1 regular season mark over the two previous seasons.  After opening up a 42-0 halftime lead, while scoring on 6 of 7 possessions, the starters gave way to the backups for the entire second half.

“It was a good week last week for the Tigers,” said head coach Nate Moore.  “I thought they came out with good intensity and focus.  We took care of business.  I’m really proud of the guys.”  Next up is North Canton Hoover on Friday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm.  The game will be broadcast on Spectrum, which can be accessed through this website or through www.ohsaa.org.

In other contests:

• 7th Grade (4-3): Defeated Western Crusaders, 32-14.  The season is over.
• 8th Grade (7-0): Defeated Canton, 22-8.  The season is over.
• 9th Grade (6-2): Defeated Louisville, 39-12.  Plays Lake on Thursday away at 6:00 pm.
• JV (6-3): Defeated Wooster, 42-16.  No game currently scheduled for this week.

The guest co-captains were inside linebacker Xavier Andrews and offensive tackle Terrence Rankl.  “Me and the team are really looking forward to Friday’s game,” said Andrews.  “Come Friday night we’re going to make them feel every play.”  “We’ve had good practices leading up to the games” added Rankl.  “This has to be our best offense and defense this week.”

On offense Massillon has become a ground attack by committee, with four different running backs having compiled significant yardage.  Against Walnut Ridge, it fell to Willtrell Hartson and Camden Beasley, who combined for 173 yards and two touchdowns, rushing at 8.2 yards per carry.  “Hartson is a really talented sophomore,” said Moore, while also praising Beasley for his effort, noting that “he really trusts his blockers.”  Quarterback Zach Catrone passed sparingly, completing 5 of 8, but did hit two long passes to Jayden Ballard and Andrew Wilson-Lamp to give the Tigers an early 14-0 lead.  “It was a great job by Zach,” said Moore.

Defensively, the Tigers continue to shine and they held the Scots to just two yards on the ground.  For the season, Massillon is surrendering just 56 yards rushing per game and 139 total yards per game.  The 1.8 yard per carry average is the best mark since 1979. “The defense played well all night,” according to the coach.  “We dominated the line of scrimmage.”  Andrews led in tackles with 4.0 tackle points, including 1.5 tackles-for-loss.  Jayden Wise and Kurtis Miller each had an interception.  TJ Williams returned a fumble 21 yards for a touchdown.

On special teams, Alex Bauer connected on all eight of his PAT attempts and now stands at 27 of 27 for the year.  Magnus Haines was masterful in consistently dropping his kickoffs on the one yard line.  Austin Brawley had a blocked punt that set up a touchdown.

Coach Moore then turned his attention to this week’s opponent, North Canton Hoover.  “We’re really looking forward to this game.” he said.  “The kids had a phenomenal practice today.  Maybe the best in the last six years.  Everything was excellent.  It was a really good start to the week.”  Massillon leads the series with North Canton 4-1, all of the games being in the playoffs.  The two teams last played in 2009, with the Tigers winning 17-10.

Hoover enters the game against Massillon with a 5-2 record, having beaten Lake twice, once in the regular season (17-14) and last week in the playoffs (48-29).  The two losses were against 7-0 Perry (14-20) and 4-3 Canton McKinley (28-40). None of their other opponents were of any note.

The Vikings are led by senior quarterback in Connor Ashby (6′-1″, 180), a 3-year starter who Moore says is the best QB they have faced this year.  For the season, he has completed 93 of 146 passes (64%) for 1,378 yards (197 per game, 14.8 per completion).  Fifteen tosses have gone for touchdowns, along with six interceptions.  Against Perry, Ashby was 13 of 28 for 196 yards and two touchdowns.  Against McKinley he was 17 of 35 for 208 yards and two touchdowns.  He’s always looking to throw, according to Moore, even when scrambling.  He’s accurate and has a strong arm.

Ashby’s primary receivers are seniors Brock Henne (6′-5″, 215) and Elliot Fornow (5′-11,185).  Henne is big, catches the ball well and runs good routes.  He has 28 receptions for 473 yards and 8 TDs.  Fornow is the faster of the two and is often targeted on the deep ball.

Senior running back Drew Robinson (6′-0″, 180) is more than capable.  “He’s a pretty good player,” said Moore.  “He has a really good feel for running the ball.  A smooth runner.  Good vision.  Can also catch the ball.”  So far, he has 153 attempts for 842 yards (5.5/carry) and nine touchdowns.

Junior Alec Lehman (6′-1″, 250) is their best lineman.  He comes off the ball well and is physical.  On the defensive line, look for junior Drew Logan (6′-4″, 230).  Moore says that he is a pretty good player.

The Vikings will utilize some spread offense and some tight end.  The defense is aligns in a 4-3.  Earlier in the season they used a 3-3, but did not have much success with it against the run.  So they switched up in mid-season.

Go Tigers!

2020: Massillon 56, Columbus Walnut Ridge 0

No rust as Massillon has no problem with Walnut Ridge

GAME STATS

Oct. 16, 2020 9:55 PM

Booster Club Report – Week 8

The state playoffs began last week, but for the Tigers it was a first-ever bye week.  It was a time to get over the funk traditionally experienced following the McKinley game.  Also, a chance to heal the bumps and bruises from that 35-7 victory and refocus on this week’s opponent, Columbus Walnut Ridge.

Two years ago Massillon faced the Scots in the first round of the playoffs and came away with a 45-14 victory.  But it was a game in which it took awhile to adjust to some unusual offensive and defensive formations.  In fact, the Tigers led just 17-14 until late in the third quarter.  Eventually, a 21-0 fourth quarter put the game away.  Walnut Ridge loaded the box on defense and effectively shut down the Massillon ground game.  So it was up to quarterback Aidan Longwell and his talented receiving corps to respond.  And he did just that with a big night, completing 22 of 33 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown.  Jaydan Ballard had eight catches and Kyshad Mack grabbed six.  The Scots were held to just 27 yards on the ground, but had success passing, finishing with 229 yards.

In other contests:

• 7th Grade (3-3): Was idle.  Plays the Western Crusaders on Wednesday away at 5:30 pm.
• 8th Grade (6-0): Defeated Mentor, 40-6.  Plays Canton on Wednesday away at 5:00 pm.
• 9th Grade (5-1): Defeated lost to Kirtland JV, 10-7.  Plays Louisville on Thursday at home at 6:00 pm.
• JV (4-3): Defeated Lakewood St. Edward, 28-18.  Plays Wooster on Saturday at home at 10:30 am.

The guest co-captains were quarterback Zach Catrone and linebacker Xavier Andrews.  “The team is really looking forward to this week,” said Andrews.  “We’re ready to make a good run in the playoffs.”  Catrone talked at length about the opportunity during the bye week to heal the bruises and get refreshed in preparation for the dive into the playoffs.

Head Coach Nate Moore was unable to attend the Booster Club meeting, so in his place were several assistant coaches.

Strength and Conditioning Coach Dan Studer was first up and focused on his two assignments: (1) preparing the Tigers physically for battle and (2) keeping the players off the field during the game.  He jokingly referred to the latter responsibility as the “get back coach.”  Studer talked about the difficulties encountered during the off-season on account of the Covid pandemic.  “It’s been rough,” he said.  “We took that long break from March to June.”  It did help that the Booster Club purchased conditioning-related software that the coaches could use to define workouts and the players would use to report on progress.  Not all players had access to weights and they did what they could, but without physical coaching access to the players it was just not the same.  “Coming back, I didn’t think we were really at full capacity until two weeks ago, both physically and mentally,” he said.  “The tougher schedule was a benefit.”  But the coaches are just now figuring out who are the top  performers.  “We’re in a pretty good spot now,” he added.  “The bye week was the best thing that happened from a strength and conditioning standpoint.  It let us rest up and get refocused.”

Defensive Coordinator Craig McConnell addressed the Walnut Ridge offense.  This is a 100% senior-laden group and some of the players participated in the game played two years ago.   The Tigers will need to contain running back Javarus Leach, a 5′-10″, 208 lb., 3-year letterman (he also lays inside linebacker).  McConnell said that he is a pretty good player, thick and runs hard.  Aside from running back, he will also line up at other skill positions in order to take advantage of his talent.   In essence, they tend to want him to touch the ball on nearly every play.  As a sophomore in the 2018 game, he carried the ball 17 times for 50 yards.  The quarterback Howard Thornton.  His favorite target is William Felts (5′-11″, 165 lbs.).  The best linemen is 6′-6″, 267 lb. Jamarius Dinkins, a 3-year starter.  He is very physical and comes off the ball well.  He has offers at the next level from Michigan State and Kentucky.

Addressing the other side of the ball was Offensive Coordinator Jarrett Troxler.  Trox said the Scots play defense like an old-school 50-defense.  All three interior linemen go both ways, with Dinkins and 6′-4″, 240 lb. Ras Anderson considered the better players.  The defensive backs are athletic and utilize a lot of man coverage.  “The defense loaded the box two years ago and the run game took some adjustments to get going,” said Troxler.  So the coaches will need to game-plan for many potential alignments.

Cornerbacks and special teams coach Jason Jarvis addressed the special teams.

Note: There will be no public sale of tickets for all playoff games.

Go Tigers!

Booster Club Report – Week 7

“It was a tremendous win by the Tigers.  These guys have no idea what it means to lose to McKinley.”  With those words, Head Coach Nate Moore opened the weekly Booster Club meeting in reference to Massillon’s 35-7 shellacking of Canton McKinley.  The Tigers have won the last five over the Bulldogs and nine of the last ten in what has recently become a one-sided affair.  For the numbers, it was Game No. 131 and the locals command a 20-game lead in the series, at 73-53-5.

In other contests:

• 7th Grade (3-3): Lost to Austintown, 22-6.  The Mentor game scheduled for this week has been canceled.
• 8th Grade (6-0): Defeated Austintown, 36-0.  Plays Mentor on Wednesday at home at 5:00 pm.
• 9th Grade (5-1): Defeated Canton McKinley, 45-0.  Plays Kirtland on Friday away at 6:00 pm.
• JV (4-3): Was idle.  Plays Lakewood St. Edward on Saturday at home at 10:30 am.

The Massillon Booster Club members in attendance were ecstatic about the large margin of victory over McKinley.  But at the same time were puzzled at the apparent lack of consistent effort put forth by the Bulldog players.  Aside from an 87-yard touchdown drive early in the third period and quarterback Elijah Wesley’s 77-yard gallop on the first play of the game, McKinley’s other drives accounted for a net 20 yards and the longest drive was just 35-yards, which came on their last possession.  The Tiger defense completely controlled the line of scrimmage and held the Bulldogs’ vaunted passing game to a mere 16 yards (4 of 9) as Wesley was constantly hounded by rushing defenders.  Was it the lack of pre-game festivities or was it simply that they knew coming into it they were overmatched?  Only the Pups can figure that out.  But most people in Massillon hope they can.  For it takes two great teams to make this rivalry what it has always been.

Meanwhile, the Tiger offensive line put on a virtual clinic, propelling the team to 285 yards rushing and five touchdowns.  With several running backs unable to go on account of injury, Coach Moore inserted little used sophomore Wittrell Hartson, who responded with 188 yards on 22 carries, including a pair of touchdown runs.  Twice he broke long gainers to energize touchdown drives, with sprints through the middle of the line of 37 and 61 yards.  Moore also inserted senior Nick Leibler, who had never run the ball past the freshmen level.  Leibler was masterful, with 11 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown.  Although running back was Nick’s second position during the pre-season, he had not practiced in that area until just this past week.  “Nick came in and answered the bell,” said Moore.

The guest co-captains were senior quarterback Zach Catrone and senior wide receiver/cornerback Andrew Wilson-Lamp.  “We kicked their butts.” beamed Catrone.  “Offensively, the run game was working.  Hartson and the offensive line did a great job.  The whole line beat the snot out of McKinley.”

“As a defense, our job was to shut them down,” said Lamp.  “And I think we did that pretty well.  I’m super proud of our guys and we proved we’re one of the best defenses out there.”  It was Lamp who ran Wesley down inside the ten and shoved him out of bounds on that first play of the game.  “It gave us a shot to get on the field and defend the goal line,” said Moore.  On the subsequent play, the McKinley running back was stripped of the ball by C.J. Harris, who also recovered it.  That spearheaded a 9-play 95-yard touchdown, which gave the Tigers a lead they never relinquished.

“It was a good day to play our best game,” Moore added.  The Tigers won the battle of special teams, as evidenced by each team’s average starting field position: Massillon at their own 37 and McKinley at their own 21.  Most of the credit belongs to punter Magnus Haines, who averaged 42.0 yards per kick on his three attempts and 52.0 yards per kickoff.  He even ran down a punt snap that went over his head and boomed a 36-yarder rugby-style, just avoiding the block.  Alex Bauer connected on all five PAT attempts and continues to extend his career records in that area.  Even Martavien Johnson returned a punt for a touchdown, only to have it be called back due to a holding penalty.

As noted above, the defense was smothering on all but one play.  “We did a great job all game with our alignments against their unbalanced line,” said Moore.  “The whole defensive effort was a highlight reel.”  Several times the Bulldogs tried to block 6′-4″, 235 lb. Caiden Woullard with their 5′-8″, 180 lb. running back.  It was like sending a lightweight against a heavyweight in a boxing prize fight.  Woullard would simply throw the blocker aside and run down the quarterback.  Then there was junior Austin Brawley, who played downhill from his safety position to break up many attempts to run the ball.  He finished with eight solo tackles and one assist.  Isaiah Clark, the other safety, was in on four solo tackles five assists.  But at the end it was a total team effort as many player shared in the action, including Johnson who had two tackles-for-loss.

Moore noted that McKinley’s defense greatly feared Massillon’s tag screens and shaded their outside linebackers in that direction to provide extra support.  All that did was open up the run.  “So we just kept running up the middle,” said the coach.  “And McKinley never adjusted.”  As a result, the Tigers threw the ball just eight times.  But Catrone was right on target to Wilson-Lamp on a 32-yard pass that set up Massillon’s fourth touchdown.

The Tigers will now take a week off after receiving a first-round bye in the playoffs.  On October 16 they will host the winner of this week’s game between Columbus Walnut Ridge and Columbus Independence.

Playoff notes: All tickets will be sold online, with codes provided to parents of players and bandsmen.  Open purchase of any remaining tickets will commence on Friday at noon.  The OHSAA will control all TV / Internet broadcasts through Spectrum.  In the event Spectrum does not cover a particular game, the participating schools will be permitted to provide video coverage.  As of this moment, the stadium attendance limitations imposed by the Ohio Department of Health have not changed (1,500 or 15% of stadium capacity, whichever is lower, plus any variances allotted by the ODH; Massillon’s limit is 1,776).

Go Tigers!