JV Team Wins Again!!! Downs Canton GlenOak

The following story was provided by David Lee Morgan, Jr. WHS English/Journalism Teacher and Varsity/JV Running Backs Coach  

PLAIN TOWNSHIP: Camden Beasley is somewhat of a quiet person. But when the Massillon sophomore walks his 6-foot, 180-pound frame onto the football field, his actions speak louder than words.  Beasley scored four touchdowns in helping the Massillon junior varsity football team defeat GlenOak 42-6 Saturday afternoon (Sept. 6, 2019) at Bob Commings Field.  Although Beasley’s longest touchdown run was just six yards, he showed his durability by carrying the ball 14 times for 64 yards.  “Camden is a kid who comes to practice every day and has gotten better each and every day,” said Massillon’s varsity and junior varsity offensive line coach Chip Robinson. “He continues to do things the right way.”  Another bright spot at running back for the Tigers (2-0) was the performance of 5-7, 135-pound sophomore Ramier Kyles. He may not have size like Beasley, but Kyles has impressive speed and quickness.  Kyles only played the second half but led Massillon with 65 yards and added an impressive 35-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, which was the Tigers’ final score.  And on special teams, sophomore place kicker Shane Rue was perfect on all six PAT (point after touchdown) attempts.

Sophomore quarterback Tanner Pierce had a solid performance completing 12-of-20 passes for 102 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The receivers were led by juniors Eric Thurman, who had eight catches for 67 yards, and Daymiere Adams, who finished with four catches for 44 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown reception.  Massillon’s defense gave up its only touchdown midway through the third quarter, and was led by sophomore cornerback Darrius McElroy with six tackles and sophomore defensive lineman Toddrick Lee and Thurman with three tackles each.  “Our kids started out a little slower than we liked but found their stride in the second half,” said Tigers’ varsity defensive ends coach and head JV coach Dave Weber.  Meanwhile, one of the biggest hits of the game came on the last play, and it wasn’t a Massillon player laying the pads. It came when Tigers’ sophomore linebacker Aaron Baecker intercepted a GlenOak pass near midfield, then scrambled down the Massillon sideline looking to return it for a touchdown.  However, a Golden Eagles player hit Baecker so hard that Baecker had his glasses knocked off his face as he landed five yards into the Tigers’ sideline.  That’s when Baecker picked up his glasses, popped right up and started jumping up and down while pumping his chest to signal that the hit didn’t faze him.  “When I caught it, I just gunned it,” Baecker said. “I knew there was a guy behind me but I just saw a clear path and a gateway straight to six points.  Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the biggest quarterback I’ve ever seen.”  Baecker was referring to GlenOak’s 6-2, 225-pound quarterback.  “He destroyed me,” Baecker said. “But when he hit me I didn’t feel anything. My blood was pumping so much I had a big grin on my face and when I saw my teammates I was happy because I proved myself.  That feeling was foreign to me because I haven’t felt that in a long time.”

Baecker’s teammates rallied around him, patted him on the helmet and gave him high fives as the team showed how impressed they were by his toughness.  “Honestly, I feel like to get hit like that takes courage,’’ Lee said. “I was impressed.”  So was Massillon varsity and junior varsity defensive tackles coach J.P. Simon, who is often seen after varsity games wearing a junk-yard dog chain around his neck while carrying a sledgehammer to symbolize the team’s toughness.

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JV Team Off and Rolling

The following game report was provided by Coach David Morgan

After Massillon junior wide receiver Andrew Wilson-Lamp set a single-game receiving record for yards in a game (232, on 11 catches) against Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary on Friday, junior wide receiver Eric Thurman had his own spectacular performance in the junior varsity game the following day.  Thurman caught three passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns (39 and 74 yards) as the Tigers defeated the Irish 29-7 in the season-opener for both teams Saturday morning at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

Sophomore quarterback Tanner Pierce completed 7 of 10 passes for 261 yards and two touchdown passes and junior Daymiere Adams showcased his speed and quickness with a 65-yard touchdown run.  Sophomore Camden Beasley scored on a 1-yard run and sophomore kicker Shane Rue kicked a 37-yard field goal to complete the Tigers’ scoring.

Defensively, Massillon was led by sophomore defensive back Austin Brawley with six tackles and an interception, while junior defensive lineman Michael Billman added five tackles.  Rue had four tackles at linebacker and sophomore defensive back Darrius McElroy and Defensive lineman Toddrick Lee had three tackles each.  Junior linebacker Raekwon Vinson registered two sacks.

The Massillon junior varsity (1-0) will play at GlenOak Sept. 7 at 12 pm.

Massillon Football Kickoff Rally Photos – 2019

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Scrimmage Report: Massillon vs. St. Edward

The final tune-up of the preseason pitted 2018 Division 2 State Runner-up Massillon against 2018 Division 1 State Champion Lakewood St. Edward.  This was a great match-up in that both of these teams are ranked nationally and expected to contend once again for their respective state titles.

The scoring part of the venue involved a half of regulation football and the Eagles came out on top 14-0.  But for the Tigers, it was turnovers and missed opportunities that defined the night, at least from a fan’s observation.  From a coach’s perspective, however, it was a great opportunity for the Tigers to face one of the best teams in the state with the goal of exposing their weaknesses.  This will only make Massillon better as they prepare for next week’s opener against Akron St. Vincent.

Massillon led in total offensive yards, 163-152, so play was fairly even throughout.  However, there were those missed opportunities that kept them off the board.  The Tigers had a golden opportunity on St.  Ed’s first possession when Preston Hodges went high to tip a bubble screen pass and Isaiah Roberson snagged the ball, returning it to the Eagle 15.  However, a fumble at the eight negated the opportunity.  Later in the scrimmage, Massillon drove to the red zone, but fumbled a pass reception into the end zone.  Finally, with 50 seconds remaining, St. Edward scored on a 1-yard run, capping a 38-yard drive, which was set up by a pass interception off a tipped ball.

After a short intermission, the two teams traded 10-play series starting with the first teams and progressing through the JV players.  For Massillon, Jayden Ballard caught a 51-yard touchdown pass and Andrew Wilson-Lamp hauled in a 70-yard TD pass, both coming from Aidan Longwell.  Alex Bauer kicked a pair of extra points.  St. Edward scored once, on a 7-yard run.

It should be noted that the Massillon quarterback was “hands off” and the referee was quick to whistle Longwell down, many times before the receiver patterns were fully developed.  Also, any attempt by Aidan to run the ball out of trouble was quickly halted.  Such is life in a scrimmage.

Offensively, Massillon had difficulty running the ball against a very veteran Eagle defensive front, which returns several starters from last year.  It didn’t help that running back Terrence Keyes was not in uniform, although Zion Phifer and Preston Hodges ran as well as expected.  In the passing game, St. Eds had the speedy athletes to stay with Ballard and Wilson-Lamp on the deep routes and few of these passes were successful.  However, Longwell and his receiving corps did an excellent job with the shorter passes and ended up with 116 yards in this area.

Defensively, the Tigers played physically, but at times were often overwhelmed by the size of the St. Ed’s line (note that big Manny McElroy was held out) and vulnerable to quarterback keepers (different scrimmage rules for the Eagles).  Nevertheless, the secondary continues to show improvement.  St. Edward finished with 72 yards rushing and 80 yards passing.

The following is the drive sequence for the regulation part of play:

• St. Edward – Started at their own 30.  Interception returned to the 15.
• Massillon – Started at the St. Edward 15.  Fumbled at the 8.
• St. Edward – Started at their own 8.  92-yard drive for a touchdown; pass of 11 yards.
• Massillon – Started at their own 30.  3 and out, punt.
• St. Edward – Started at their own 28.  3 and out, punt.
• Massillon – Started at their own 30.  35-yard pass from Longwell to Ballard to the 16.  Pass reception at the 5, but fumbled into the end zone and lost.
• St. Edward – Started at their own 20.  Advanced to the Massillon 43 and punted.
• Massillon – Started at their own 20.  Lost ball on downs at the St. Edward 28.
• St. Edward – Started at their own 28.  3 and out, punt.
• Massillon – Started at their own 19.  Interception at their own 38.
• St. Edward – Started at the Massillon 38.  Touchdown drive; 1-yard run with 50 seconds remaining.
• Massillon – Started at their own 30.  Advanced to the 45 and ran out of time.

Big Plays Highlight Second Scrimmage

The Tigers took another step forward Friday night in their preparation for the season opener against Akron St. Vincent, which comes in just two weeks.  The opponent in this second of three scrimmages was Berea Midpark and the Tigers came away with a 27-6 victory in one half of game action.  Prior to this, the teams traded 10-play series during which Massillon outscored the Titans, 10-7.  In game conditions, the Tigers led in total yards 295-140, with nearly all of the Berea yards coming via the pass, while Massillon was effective in both the run and the pass.

Several potential starters were held out for various reasons, including Aidan Longwell at quarterback, two offensive linemen, a linebacker and a safety.  But backup QB Zach Catrone did a commendable job engineering the offense as it continued to demonstrate its explosive character with numerous long runs and passes.  For the night, Catrone connected on three touchdown passes.

Substitution was the script for the night and Coach Moore surely came away with a wealth of film on all of the players.  This was especially important for the defensive backfield as this area of the lineup appears to be very unsettled at the moment.  Pursuit and tackling was good throughout, but pass defense seemed to be an issue.  However, that’s not to overlook a good performance by the Berea quarterback, who displayed good accuracy and target selection.  In addition, the Titans ran a lot of slip screens to the flats, which are not necessarily something a defense would prepare for in a scrimmage. Nevertheless, the coaches utilized a virtual parade of candidates to see who could consistently perform on the field.

10-Play Series

• Berea – Completed a 24-yard touchdown pass.  Score: 0-7.
• Massillon – Catrone tossed a 16-yard pass to Jayden Ballard in the corner of the end zone.  The pass was set up by a 34-yard run by Preston Hodges.  PAT by Magnus Haines.  Score: 7-7.
• Berea – Lost two yards in three plays.  Restart at the 30.  Gained 35 yards and ran out of plays.  Tiger blitz very effective.  Berea run game completely stymied.
• Massillon.  Gained 45 yards ending in a 42-yard field goal by Alex Bauer.  A previous 14-yard touchdown pass was negated on account of holding.  Score: 10-7.

One Half of Action

• Berea – Completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to a wide open receiver.  PAT failed.  Score: 0-6.
• Massillon – Catrone passed to Ballard for 33 yards on the first play.  Anthony Pedro took a short pass and worked his way to the Berea 17.  Terrence Keyes flew up the middle for an 11-yard TD run.  PAT by Bauer.  Score: 7-6.
• Berea – 3 and out.  Punt.
• Massillon – Zion Phifer ran 20 yards to the Berea 40 on the first play.  Catrone hit Pedro for a 23-yard touchdown pass.  PAT by Bauer.  Score: 14-6.
• Berea – Moved the ball to the Massillon 3 but stalled and surrendered it at the 30.  The drive was halted by two critical penalties.
• Massillon – Keyes with an electrifying 70-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage.  Used several open field cuts to defeat would-be tacklers and sped untouched thereafter to the endzone.  PAT by Haines.  Score 21-6.
• Berea – Lost five yards and punted.
• Massillon – Catrone ran for a first down on fourth down at the Berea 34.  But the play was negated since quarterbacks are not permitted to run in this scrimmage, giving the ball to Berea on downs.
• Berea – Gained 10 yards and punted.
• Massillon – Starting at the Berea ten Catrone connected with Ballard on a 53-yard pass.  However, the drive stalled at the Berea 40 and the Tigers punted.
• Berea – Pass intercepted by Ahmon Williams at the Berea 37.
• Massillon – Catrone tossed a post pattern pass to Andrew Wilson-Lamp for a 37-yard score on the first play.  PAT failed.  Score 27-6.
• Berea – Gained 15 yards and punted.
• Massillon – Underthrown long bomb intercepted at the goal line.  End of action.

Observations

• Quarterback – Catrone played well and will continue to improve with more playing time.
• Running backs – Once again, all of the backs ran hard and with good speed.
• Wide receivers – Very effective part of the game.
• Offensive line – Struggled early to protect the quarterback.  This settled itself during game-condition football.
• Defensive front seven – Completely negated any attempt by Berea to run the ball.  Manny McElroy was unmovable in the middle and made several tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
• Secondary – As described above.
• Kicking game – Both kickers showed field goal excellent range.  Haines with booming punts.

JV Scrimmage (2 ten-play series each)

Massillon won three touchdowns to none.  Ramier Kyles 2-yard run set up by a 40-yard pass from Tanner Pierce to TJ Williams.  Defense recovered a fumble in the end zone.  30-yard TD pass from Pierce to Nate Watkins.  Defense solid throughout.  Offense effective primarily with the run.

Next scrimmage: Thursday, August 22 at 7:30 pm against Lakewood St. Edward.

Can’t Get Enough Massillon Football? Join the Touchdown Club

Each Tuesday throughout the season, the Touchdown Club meets at the Massillon Eagles where members can enjoy a delicious lunch and listen to Tiger Head Coach Nate Moore and his player guests discuss both the previous game and the upcoming opponent.  It’s always a great time as the atmosphere is more casual and intimate than the Monday evening Booster Club event, with players and coaches sitting alongside the members during the meal, which makes for some great football talk.

In addition, each member is provided an opportunity to cast a weekly vote that culminates in the selection of the annual Bob Commings Memorial Hardnose Award winner.  Some of the past winners include John Mulbach (Ohio State), David Whitfield (Ohio State), Chris Spielman (Ohio State), Shawn Crable (Michigan) and Brian Gamble (Illinois/Ashland).

The Club is open to anyone eager to discuss Massillon football.  The membership fee is $25 and can be purchased at the door prior to any gathering.  This fee covers the cost of coach and player lunches, the Hardnose Award trophy and administrative fees.  The weekly cost for lunch is $8.00, except for the week of the McKinley game, when the cost is $12.00.  That meeting includes all of the senior players, plus entertainment by the Tiger Swing Band and cheerleaders.  Guests can attend one meeting for the cost of the lunch.

The first meeting of the 2019 season is scheduled for August 27 at 11:30 am.  See you there.

Inquiries can be made to Linda Waechter, Co-Chairman, at (330) 833-8421.