Author: <span>Don Engelhardt</span>

Coaches

Former Massillon Coach Bob Seaman Passes Away

Bob Seaman, former head coach of the Massillon Tigers, died on August 13 at the age of 86.  Seaman led the team from 1966 through 1968 and also taught mathematics at WHS.

During his three years at the helm, Seaman compiled a record of 20 wins, 9 losses and one tie, having had the dubious honor of succeeding Coach Earl Bruce.  While both heralded from Sandusky and had good success there, it was Bruce who went 20-0 at Massillon and captured a pair of state titles, whereas Seaman suffered through an initial 4-5-1 mark.  It was the first time the Tigers posted a losing record since 1931, something that didn’t sit too well with the fans. The season started off well enough with a pair of wins, in spite of the Tigers losing their best running back between Games 1 and 2 due to a motorcycle accident.  But a 0-0 tie against Mansfield in Week 3 broke a 30-game winning streak and then a 20-12 loss to Niles two weeks later ended a 32-game unbeaten streak.  In the Niles game, Massillon led 12-0 entering the fourth quarter, only to see the Red Dragons score 20 unanswered points and grab the win.  Recall that it was the Tigers that broke Niles’ 48- game winning streak just two years before.  Three more close losses followed and the Tigers were now 3-4-1 with the state’s No. 1 team Steubenville coming to town.  It seemed like it couldn’t get any worse.

The game started an hour and a half late due to a blown transformer, but that didn’t keep the Tigers from engineering one of their biggest upsets in history.  Not only did they beat the Big Red 12-0, they also held them to just 39 yards of offense, 11 on the ground and 28 in the air.  Two long Massillon drives that culminated in touchdowns by halfback back Tom James and quarterback Craig Maurer were all that was needed.  Unfortunately, the Tigers couldn’t repeat the feat the following week against an under-performing McKinley eleven, and the losing record was assured.

Seaman semi-redeemed himself the following year by going 9-1 and finishing as A.P. state runner-up.  Only a 7-6 loss to eventual state champ Upper Arlington kept Massillon from the top spot.  Nevertheless, a 7-3 finish the following year, including a 26-6 loss to McKinley, the 2nd in three years, was enough for the fans to cry and the Massillon Board to eventually seek a new coach.  That coach turned out to be the very successful Bob Commings.

After Massillon, Seaman landed in Wichita State as an assistant, but an unfortunate event the following year thrust him into the head role.  Two planes left for a game against Utah State, but the one carrying the first team failed to make it safely, with 37 players, coaches and support staff lost.  Seaman was promoted to head coach and he remained there for four years, earning a winning season only during the last one.  But it wasn’t good enough, so he was out once again.  After some collegiate assistant roles he eventually landed at Worthington High School, where he was the head coach for the final nine years of his career.

Later, Seaman was inducted into the Halls of Fame for both Sandusky High School and the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association.  He was also a two-time head coach of the Ohio North-South All-Star Game, once for the North and once for the South.  The final honor was recognition by Worthington High School for his contributions to the football program.

Bob is survived by his wife, Jean, three daughters and a number of grandchildren an great grandchildren.  He was also a veteran of the U.S.Army.

 

News

Tigers Even the Score Against St. Edward

In 2017, a youthful Massillon squad faced off against a powerful Lakewood St. Edward team in the final scrimmage and was pasted quite handily in one half of football, 31-0.  This year however these same Tigers, now older and loaded with talent and experience, returned to the field against the Eagles and came away a 21-14 winner.  What a difference a year makes.  Throughout the scrimmage, Massillon was able to effectively go toe-to-toe with St. Eds and looked at least on par with a team that is considered as a contender for the Division 1 state title.

Both offenses came out ready to showcase their explosive offensives and they didn’t disappoint.  On the first play from scrimmage, the Eagle running back broke through the Tiger line and raced 65 yards to the Massillon five.  From there, St. Eds scored on a 3rd down 5-yard pass that just crossed goal line, going up 7-0.

But the Tigers came right back, driving 70 yards for their initial score using a combination of Jamir Thomas runs and short-to-mid range passes from Aidan Longwell to a variety of receivers.  It all culminated in a leaping catch in the end zone by Tre’von Morgan, which covered 11 yards and knotted the score at seven apiece.

St. Edward’s next drive was stopped on fourth down at the Massillon five, in spite of a 38-yard run on the first play of the series.  However, Massillon failed to score and punted from the 14.  The Eagles then drove rapidly down field, but a Tyree Broyles interception in the end zone of a 32-yard pass brought an early termination the threat.  Unfortunately, the Tigers gave it right back after a pass bounced high off the hands of Aydrik Ford, with the defender timing the hit perfectly, which resulted in an interception.  It took just a couple of plays for the Eagles to cross the end zone, making the score 14-7 in their favor.

The Tigers, however, came right back and moved 70 yards for the tying score, coming on an 18-yard  pass from Longwell to Morgan.  Tre’von ran a very good post pattern and was hit right on the numbers at the goal line in front of several defenders.

After both teams punted twice, Kyshad Mack came up with one of the biggest plays of the game, picking off a pass at the 25 and racing untouched into the end zone.  That made the final score 21-14,  to the delight of the couple hundred Tiger fans in attendance.  The score came with just 24 seconds left on the clock.

After the break, both first units played one more series each, with Massillon gaining 25 yards and St. Edward failing to move the ball.  Overall, during first team action, Massillon led in total yards 204 to 186.

Then the backups took over, during which the Zach Catrone tossed a 21-yard pass to Andrew Wilson-Lamp and another TD pass to Darien Williams.

Offensively, Massillon showed a balanced attack with several players making key plays throughout.  The entire offense seems to have picked up where it left off at the end of last year.  Thomas ran harder and looked quicker than last year.  Longwell is bigger and stronger and has improved his accuracy.  Particularly effective was the bubble-screen to Ford, who has a knack for juking out the first potential tackler and gaining at least ten yards aided by a serious block from Morgan before being stopped.  In fact, all of the receivers showed that this group is a very dangerous lot.

Defensively, the long runs were the result of over-pursuit, something that was corrected by the second quarter.  In fact, the defense look stronger as the scrimmage progressed to the point where they were completely shutting down the Eagle offense near the.  In fact, during the last four series, the Tigers surrendered just 28 yards.  This is a unit that is much quicker and more physical than last year.

Massillon will open the season next Friday as they host Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.  Lake St. Edward will face Mentor.

News

Coach Moore Names 2018 Tiger Captains

Six seniors and one junior comprise the list of position captains for this year’s football team.  All played significant roles last year in helping Massillon to a 10-4 record and a spot in the playoff state semifinals.  The players named are as follows:

Dean Clark – Defensive back.  Second on the team last year with 68.5 tackle points, including 44 solo tackles and 49 assists.  4.5 tackles for loss and one sack.  Also caught seven passes for 131 yards and one touchdown.

Justin Gaddis – Offensive line.  Returning starter anchoring a line that rushed for 2,353 yards and surrendered just nine sacks through 14 games.

Aidan Longwell – Quarterback.  Completed 166 of 282 passes for 2,423 yards and 21 touchdowns.  Threw just five interceptions.  His pass efficiency of 322 and yards per attempt of 19.1 against Youngstown Ursuline ranks first all-time.

Kyshad Mack – Linebacker.  Assumed the starting role midway through the season.  Sixth last year with 38.5 tackle points.  Three tackles for loss and one sack.  Will also play some wide receiver this year.

Tre’von Morgan – Wide receiver.  Caught 36 passes for 489 yards and 2 touchdowns, including the game winner last year against Canton McKinley.

Jamir Thomas – Running back.  Rushed 349 times for 1506 yards, an average of 4.3 yards per carry.  Scored 21 touchdowns.  Set a new mark for total carries in a season, eclipsing the old one by 96 carries.  Third all-time in total yards for a season.  His 42 attempts against Canton McKinley is the second highest all-time.  Also played linebacker, recording 27 tackle points.  One interception.

Deon Williams – Offensive line / defensive line.  Returning starter on both sides of the line.  Last year recorded 23.5 tackle points and one quarterback sack.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo News

Massillon Merchants Jump on the Opportunity to Feed the…

It’s takes a concerted effort to feed the Tiger football players during all-day camp days prior to the season.  In appreciation, the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club thanks all of the Tiger moms, grandmas, aunts and little sisters that organized this program.  The Club also thanks the following local Massillon-area merchants for their generous donations.  Tiger fans are encouraged to support these organizations:

  • Arby’s
  • BW3
  • Danbury’s
  • Eagles 190 of Massillon
  • El Campensino
  • Grace United Church of Christ
  • Hot Head Burritos
  • Kraus’ Pizza of Amherst
  • Lamoore’s South Erie Pizza
  • Mandy’s Menu
  • Menches Brothers
  • Smiley’s
  • Smitty’s Food Truck
  • Santangelo’s Restaurant
  • Top of the Viaduct
  • Wendy’s of Lincoln Way
  • Your Pizza
News

Tigers Explosive in Berea Midpark Scrimmage

The wealth of skill-level talent on this year’s Massillon football squad was on full display in Berea as the Tigers put on an impressive offensive display in their second of three scrimmages.  Both the running and passing games were uncorked, helping Massillon to move the ball almost entirely at will.  Defensively, the players were aggressive and brought a high degree of physicality to the game, completely shutting down the Titan running attack.

Midpark is a D1 team that one would probably rate as average, except for having a very good quarterback in Trevor Bycznski, a 6’-5”, 230 lb. senior.  He makes the Midpark eleven something special offensively.

The scrimmage was staged in two phases, the first involving two 10-play series for each team and the second one half of football.  Here is a rundown of each drive:

10-Play Series

Massillon – Advanced from their own 35 to the MIdpark 2 using a mix of running and passing plays.

Midpark – Advanced from their own 35 to the Massillon 10 using exclusively pass plays designed for short receptions.

Massillon – Scored on a 35-yard pass from Aidan Longwell to Jayden Ballard.  With five plays remaining in the series, advanced from the Massillon 35 to the Midpark 1.

Midpark – Advanced from the MIdpark 35 to the Massillon 45.

One Half of Football

Massillon – Scored on a 58-yard Jamir Thomas run, with a fine block thrown by Jayden Ballard at the ten springing Thomas free for the score.  Jamir seemed to kick it into a second gear once he passed the line of scrimmage.  Score: 7-0.

Midpark – Scored on a 63-yard pass from Bycznski.  Massillon missed an open-field tackle at the 50.  Score: 7-7.

Massillon – Scored on a 3-yard run by Preston Hodges.  Score: 14-7.

Midpark – Scored on a 55-yard pass from Bycznski.  Massillon was in a blitz and missed an open-field tackle at the Tiger 40.  Score: 14-14.

Massillon – Scored on a 57-yard pass from Aidan Longwell to Aydrik Ford.  The score came on the second play of the drive, which was set up by an 18-yard bubble screen to Ford.  Score: 21-14.

Midpark – Moved the ball 13 yards and punted.  End of the first quarter.

Massillon – Scored on a 1-yard run by Zion Phifer.  Score: 28-14.

Midpark – Scored on a 33-yard pass from Bycznski.  Score: 28-21.

Massillon – Game stopped with the ball at the Midpark 21.

Toward the end of the first quarter, play between the two teams started to get chippy and then some cheap shots and retaliations were seen after the whistle well into the fourth quarter.  This is something that the referees should have gotten control over immediately.  But with their failings, the chippiness just escalated.  Following the final recorded play, a Massillon player removed of the action appeared to be targeted and was unceremoniously punched to the ground.  The Midpark offender was immediately ejected, but the referees elected at that time to vacate the field with just over two minutes remaining, marking the end of the scrimmage.  Unfortunately, the JV teams did not get their opportunities.

Regarding statistics for one half of football, Massillon led in total yardage, 319 to 238.

Observations

Offense – run: Many running backs stood out, but particularly Zion Phifer, who ran with both power and speed while bursting time and again through a bevy of would-be tacklers to pick up chunks of yardage.  The new split backfield was also effective in producing good results.

Offense – pass: Aidan Longwell was much improved from the last scrimmage and connected on most of his passes.  It didn’t matter if they were short, medium or long.  The passes were where and when they needed to be.  The receivers also showcased the athletic talent this group possesses.

Defense – run: Midpark never got untracked, many times being caught in the backfield.  On a few occasions, the outside linebacker would blitz, which allowed the back to spring for some yardage.  But this did not appear to be the result of any errant play.

Defense – pass: It appeared that the Tigers were willing to give up the short pass and concentrate on making the sure tackle.  This worked all day, except for the two touchdowns noted above.  All of the deep passes were well-covered.  It’s just a matter of making the play.

Kicking game: All of the extra points were made.  Kickoffs landed around the 10-15 yard line.

The final scrimmage is scheduled for Friday, August 17 against Lakewood St. Edward.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm at St. Edward High School at 13500 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood.

News

Massillon and Avon Spar in Opening Scrimmage

Two Division 2 Regional Champions from 2017 squared off on Tuesday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in a much-anticipated matchup.  If you were keeping score, it was Massillon getting the better of Avon 16 touchdowns to 2.  But in reality a score doesn’t mean much in a first scrimmage.  It’s more important for the coaches to evaluate all of the players and also to find out what the key takeaways are as they prepare for their respective openers.  Nevertheless, several hundred Massillon and Avon fans were able to get an early football fix during the nearly 3-hour scrimmage.

The format for both the varsity and JV teams was a minimum 10-play series starting at their own 35 yardline, with the ability to keep the ball as long as first downs were attained.  After several reps, the teams practiced overtime simulations.  Here is how it all played out:

Varsity – Down and Distance

  • Avon – Stopped on a fumble at the Massillon 20.
  • Massillon – Stopped on downs at their own 43.
  • Avon – 18-yard touchdown pass.
  • Massillon – 24-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Pedro to Luke Murphy.
  • Massillon – 21-yard touchdown run by Zion Phifer.
  • Avon – Stopped at the Massillon 39.
  • Avon – Stopped at the Massillon 39 again.
  • Massillon – 70-yard touchdown pass from Aidan Longwell to Aydrik Ford.
  • Massillon – Stopped at the Avon 35.
  • Avon – Stopped at the Massillon 45.
  • Avon – Stopped at the Avon 35.
  • Massillon – 23-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Pedro to Heath Manson.

Varsity Overtime Simulation

  • Avon – 12-yard touchdown pass.
  • Massillon – 25-yard touchdown run by Zion Phifer.
  • Massillon – 25-yard touchdown pass from Aidan Longwell to Jayden Ballard.
  • Massillon – 3 yard touchdown run by Jamir Thomas.
  • Avon – Missed 32-yard field goal.
  • Avon – Stopped at Massillon 30.
  • Massillon – Lost ball on fumble.
  • Massillon – 25-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Pedro to Luke Murphy.
  • Massillon – Stopped on pass interception.

JV

  • Down and Distance: Massillon outscored Avon 4-0.
  • Overtime Simulation: Massillon outscored Avon 4-0.

The biggest takeaway for Massillon was the level of depth exhibited at each of the different offensive and defensive positions on the field.  This asset was prevalent throughout both the varsity and JV squads.  The coaches constantly shuffled players in and out and the Tigers did not miss a beat with their progress down the field.  Couple that with great athleticism and speed at the skill positions and you have the potential for something special this year.

Scheme-wise, the offense has been expanded a bit in two particular areas, both on account of the talent at the running back position.  The first is an occasional split back formation in the backfield, giving the QB two options in the running attack, as opposed to a single back with the fullback pushed up towards the line.  The second is the ability to float the ball to a back out of the backfield, now that there is better speed at that position.  Both of these techniques resulted in good success throughout the scrimmage.

Defensively, the Tigers utilized their traditional 3-4 alignment.  However, the speed and aggressiveness has definitely improved over last year.  Avon had only modest success on the ground and needed to rely on a very good quarterback to move the ball in short bursts.  But still Avon had great difficulty scoring in the red zone.

Massillon will be back in action on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. when they visit Berea Midpark and then at Lake St. Edward the following Friday at 7:00 pm.

Jamir Thomas (16) heads through the line on one of his few carries. Also shown are Deon Williams (50), Justin Gaddis (52) and Alejandro Salazar (72).
Jayden Ballard makes a leaping catch for a first down.
A Massillon receiver looks for running room after catching a pass over the middle.
The pass is just over the outreached hands of the Tiger receiver.
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo News

What’s New on the Tiger Website?

The massillontigers.com website has recently undergone some modest changes in format and content that should make the site more navigable and informative.  Here is a quick rundown:

Revised the header menu, eliminating the sub-sub menus

Added photos of the 2018 Tigers team – Link

Added photos of individual 2018 players – Link

Added photos of the 2018 coaches – Link

Added photos of the 2018 Booster Club Officers – Link

Updated the photos of the weight room – Link

Added a photo of the indoor facility interior – Link

Added photos of the locker room – Link

Added a list of all past team captains – Link

Added a list of NCAA Division 1 recruits – Link

Enjoy.

News

First Day of Contact

The pads were cracking at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on Saturday morning as the Massillon football players got their first taste of contact, formally initiating the 2018 season.  This came following ten summer camp workouts and a week-long instructional camp.  The practice was extremely organized, with every activity timed to the minute.  And coaches were quick to transform into classroom teaching mode when the needs arose.  Although there is a lot of work to accomplish before the season opener against Akron St. Vincent, it was evident on this day that the Tigers were raring to get it started.  Enjoy the photos.

 

History

Ben Bradley – Wall of Champions

Ben Bradley Was a Giant of a Man On and Off the Field

Research material provided by Mike Riordan.

He seemed larger than life when he trotted onto the field prior to the Ohio High School North-South All-Star Game.  He was 6’-2”, 282 lbs., dwarfing future NFL Hall-of-Fame teammate Alan Page.  And at the time he was the largest player to ever don a Massillon Tiger Jersey.  But he was also a gentle giant, devoting his later years to making Massillon a better place.

Ben Bradley at WHS

“Big Ben” Bradley was born in Anderson, Alabama, to parents Oscar and Blanche, on November 26, 1944.  Early in life the family moved to Massillon and as a high schooler Ben took up the sports of football, wrestling and track.  He also sang in the choir.  But it was football where Ben made his mark.  At a time when high school lineman weighed in from 175 to 200 lbs., Ben played his sophomore season at 6’-0, 220 lbs. and grew to 6’-2”, 265 lbs. by the time his senior season rolled around.

Playing under the very successful Coach Leo Strang, his teams finished 10-1 in 1960 (state champs), 11-0 in 1961 (2nd in the state A.P. poll, 1st in the state UPI poll), and 6-5 in 1962.  Along the way, he had two opportunities to play in the annual Massillon-McKinley fracas and his team was victorious both times.

Ben’s normal position was center, but he occasionally filled in at offensive tackle when needed.  In recognition of his outstanding play, he was named All-Stark County in 1961 and 1962, and 1st Team A.P. All-Ohio in 1962, while being named that year as a Massillon Co-Captain and subsequently its most valuable player.  The awards didn’t stop there as they moved to the national scene, where was named 1st Team Pre-Season All-American by “Complete Sports” magazine and 1st Team All-American by “Scholastic Coach” magazine.

High School football success brought Ben to the University of Dayton, where he continued his football career and was named Outstanding Freshman Football Player.  He eventually transferred to Northwood Institute College in Michigan to complete his studies.  At Northwood, he continued to excel on the gridiron and was named 1st Team NAIA Conference at Offensive Tackle.  Ben was eventually drafted in 1967 by both the NFL Kansas City Chiefs and the Montreal Allouettes of the Canadian Football League.

Post-football, Ben spent his entire career with General Motors and retired in 1993 as General Supervisor of Inland GM, Lake St. Louis, Missouri.  He remained active in Massillon, but died too young on June 8, 2008 at the age of 63.

In 2008, Bradley was inducted into the Massillon Wall of Champions and 2019 he was inducted into the Tiger Football hall of Fame.

“Big Ben” was a true community role model.  In fact, his accomplishments on the football field are rather insignificant when compared to his community involvement.  But never one to stay away from football, Ben also took a turn in 2006 as President of the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club.  In addition, he also held these positions, when he wasn’t selling tickets for the freshmen and JV games:

  • Athletic Advisory Council, President
  • Second and first vice president of the Massillon Tiger Booster Club (2005, 2006)
  • Incumbent 2008 President of the Massillon Tiger Touchdown Club

Away from sports, Ben was heavily engaged in community organizations, including:

  • Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Stark County Community Action Agency Committee
  • Member of the Massillon Parks and Recreation Board
  • City Planning Commissiondon n
  • African American Men’s Association
  • Member of the Mayor’s Drug Task Force
  • Trustee at Friendship Baptist Church
  • Board Member of the Lion’s Lincoln Theater (1st African-American)
  • Board of Directors, Lighthouse Visions, Inc., President 2004 and 2008
  • Chairman of the Board of the Civil Service Commission, 2008

Esther Bryan, founder of Lighthouse Visions, honored Ben with the creation of the Benjamin T. Bradley scholarship.  This is awarded annually to a worthy Massillon-area college student.  Also, Ben was so beloved in the community that they named Bradley Place senior apartments after him in 2010.

“Big Ben” certainly accomplished his goal of leaving Massillon a better place than he found it.

Bradley Place
Booster Club

Tiger Signs Are Ready for the 2018 Season

Each spring a group of dedicated Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club members spends several evenings at the old Massillon High School making signs to support the Tiger program.  Throughout the season, these signs are displayed in the windows of the various Massillon merchants.

Tiger sign making assembly lIne

Henry Ford would be proud of the assembly line precision on display during the production of several thousand signs.  On a given evening, two lines are in operation.  Each is crewed by 4-5 workers who are constantly in motion to complete the silk-screening of over 600 signs.  One worker feeds the silk-screening frame, a second does the actual silk-screening, a third removes the completed signs and others stack the signs in racks for drying.

Some signs are devoted to specific games (i.e., “Beat Akron St. Vincent”), while others are general (i.e., “Go Tigers Go”).  While most have single color lettering, some have two colors and are run through the assembly line twice, once for each color.

Chairman Paul Ream and his crew do a remarkable job completing around 5,000 signs by end of the spring.  “I’ve been doing this as a committee chair about six years,” Paul said.  “We have probably about twelve guys each day.  We go through one night a week and do two signs a week.”  The best part of doing this according to Paul: “Just getting together with guys from the Booster Club.  For all the Tiger fans.  For the kids.  Something we can take pride in.”

Each week during the season over 400 businesses receive signs honoring the Massillon football program.  Be sure to support them.

Silk screening Tiger signs
Completed signs