Author: Don Engelhardt

News

Referendum on Changes to Competitive Balance Formula Approved by…

The OHSAA announced today (May 17) that all 24 referendums recently presented for vote by its member schools have passed.  Included was a change to the Competitive Balance formula, which is currently used by the OHSAA to classify schools for the post-season playoffs in various sports.  But don’t expect the change as it relates to football to result in moving large numbers of teams up or down a division.

Background

Competitive Balance was introduced by the OHSAA a few years ago in response to (1) public school allegations of recruiting being performed by several parochial schools and (2) perceived advantages in sports that parochial schools enjoy over their public school counterparts .  As a compromise measure to avoid separating the playoffs, the OHSAA elected to introduce a formula that would adjust the base enrollment of a given school to account for both the number and types of transfer students that play a selected sport.  The adjusted enrollments would then be used to determine in which division each school then competes in the post-season.  Note that different formulas are used for public and parochial schools.

For public schools, the base enrollment would be adjusted upward by “1” for each student that open-enrolled in the school district prior to the 7th grade.  This is defined as Tier 1.  In addition, the enrollment would  be adjusted upward by “2” for each student that open enrolled in the school district in the 7th grade or after.  This is defined as Tier 2.

For parochial schools, Tier 1 is for students that attended a parochial grade school since the 7th grade, but not the one designated as the high school’s “feeder school.”  Tier 2 is for students that did not attend a parochial grade school or enrolled in a parochial grade school after the 7th grade.

The Change

Previously, a school was required to submit the roster of players across all grades 9-12 for the effective sports season.  The roster would then be used to calculated the Tier 1 and Tier 2 adders.  Now, incoming freshmen are not to be included on the roster, unless they participated on the varsity team during the previous year as an 8th grader.  Also, the adder for Tier 2 has been increased from “2” to “3.”

In spite of the increase in the value of the Tier 2 adder from “2” to “3”, don’t expect much change in the adjusted enrollment.  For example: assume that a school currently has 20 open enrollment students across four grades.  Previously, the total adder for Tier 2 would be 20 x 2 or 40.  With freshmen now omitted, the proportioned number of open enrollment students would now be 15.  Thus, the total adder for Tier 2 is 15 x 3 or 45.  No changes would be made to the Tier 1 part of the formula, the total of which would actually decrease proportionally as noted above.  As you can see, not much of a change.

So chalk this one up to an appeasement to the coaches, whose lives just got a little easier when it comes time to report rosters.  But it still does nothing to fix the imbalances that exist in several of the divisions, especially Division 1.

 

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Football Booster Club Kicks off 2019 Season with Spring…

WSU’s Jamir Thomas and Mike Leach

The 2019 Massillon football season was officially launched off on Friday at the Massillon Eagles with the annual Spring Kickoff Event in front of a capacity crowd of Tiger faithful.  Following social time and a steak dinner, head Coach Nate Moore spoke at length about all of the good things happening with the football program and his prognosis for the upcoming season.  He was preceded by guest speaker Mike Leach, head coach of Washington State, which happens to be the next stop for Jamir Thomas, the Tigers’ sensational running back.  Thomas set career records last year for rushing yards, rushing attempts and points scored.  Earlier in the evening Leach was featured at a “meet-and-greet” at Kozmos.

Mike Leach has been at Washington State for seven years following a successful tenure at Texas Tech, compiling an overall record of 133-83.  Twice he was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year.  Last season the Cougars finished 11-2, including a 28-26 victory against Iowa State in the Alamo Bowl.

Washington State Head Coach Mike Leach

Coach Leach utilizes the “Air Raid” offense as his primary scheme, speaking at length about its benefits in the college game and its recent influence at both the high school and professional levels.  Originally derived from the “Wish-Bone,” distribution is the key, he said.  Lots of players touch the ball.  The goal is to create space with the passing game and get the ball to the open receiver, whether it be to a wide receiver or a running back.  It’s not unusual to see the running back become the leading receiver.

The play book is not large, but every play is extensively practiced each day.  Then it’s just a matter of selecting the optimum plays to run against each opponent.  “It’s always been a game of execution,” he said.  “It’s always better to have too little than too much.”

Then it was Coach Moore’s turn, fresh off a Division II state final appearance with his 14-1 team.  The very successful Massillon coach Moore covered a lot of ground in his speech and the highlights are presented below:

  • The team goals this year are fairly simple: beat Canton McKinley and win the state title.
  • The Tigers return all of their coordinators, including John Mazur and Jarett Troxler on the offensive side of the ball and Craig McConnell and Spencer Leno on the defensive side.  Other returning assistant coaches include Cale Miller (wide receivers), Eric Copeland (running backs), Dan Hackenbracht (safeties), Jason Jarvis (cornerbacks and special teams), J.P. Simon (defensive tackles), Dave Weber (defensive ends) and Danny Studer (strength and conditioning).  New to the program are Mike Stone (fullbacks and tight ends) and Josh Garvin (offensive line).
  • Seven full-time starters and several part-time starters from among a group of 26 lettermen return from last year.  Six players have already landed athletic scholarship offers.
  • The annual Lift-a-thon was held last week and the participants lifted a combined weight exceeding 53,000 pounds.  Moore said the players did a tremendous job.
  • The College Showcase was held last Wednesday and nearly 70 coaches from all levels of college football were in attendance.  “It was a tremendous day for all of our players,” said Moore.  “Several kids got offers.  Lots of video was taken.  There will be more offers.”  Jayden Ballard ran a 4.43 40-yard dash and Andrew Wilson-Lamp ran a 4.45.  Several players were between 4.5 and 4.6.  “We’re strong and we’re fast,” summed up the coach.  “This is a highly dedicated group.  They work really hard.”  Next, the team will focus on skill development.
  • A busy summer is planned for the summer in preparation for August 1st official start of practice.  7-on-7s are scheduled for the University of Akron, Ohio State University and Pittsburgh University.  Camps are on tap at Kent State, Cincinnati, Ohio State and Akron.
  • The team GPA for the 3rd quarter was 3.05, a bit shy of the goal of 3.3.  The coach expects improvement in the 4th quarter.
  • Becca Moore, wife of the coach, will again provide preparatory work for ACT testing.
  • The Golf Outing is scheduled for August 6.
Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore

Coach Moore then gave a rundown on each of the opponents on this year’s schedule, which comprises six home games:

  • Akron St. Vincent – They were young last year and should be good this year.  They have a 4-year starter at quarterback.  Terrance Keyes returns at running back for a third season.
  • GlenOak – New coach Bo Balderson will try to get the Eagles back on track.  The quarterback, Kindel Richardson, returns.
  • At Warren Harding – They always have great skill.  This will be a tough matchup.
  • Penn-Trafford, PA – They went 9-3 last year and have a Division 1 running back.
  • Akron Firestone – Same old.
  • At Austintown Fitch – Expect another great game.
  • Gateway, PA.  They went 11-2 last year and have a Division 1 running back.  They are similar to East St. Louis, a national-power the Tigers faced last year.
  • At Barberton – The Magics are 28-2 in the regular season during the past three years and have a stellar running back returning.
  • Louisville – The final game in the series, as the contract will not be renewed following a 41-0 blowout last year.  The quarterback returns.
  • Canton McKinley – “This is the greatest high school rivalry in the country,” said Moore.  They have a new coach in Marcus Wattley, formerly of Akron St. Vincent and University of Akron (Dan Reardon has moved on to a former coaching stop, Youngstown Ursuline).  The Bulldogs return several key players.
Steve Studer Memorial Lift-a-Thon Logo History

2019 Lift-a-thon Photos and Results

 

It was first class all the way.  From the superb organization to the matching T-shirts to the very striking “Massillon” embossed weight equipment to the enthusiasm generated by both the lifters and the crowd, which counted a good number of parents and boosters urging on their favorites.  Even OSU’s Thayer Munford paid a visit. Such was the atmosphere at the 2019 Steve Studer Memorial Lift-a-thon.  And the effort put forth by the lifters was something to behold.

Two lifts were performed by each participant, first a bench press and then a squat.  Each lifter selected his preferred weight for each lift and then attempted as many lifts as he could until his arms or legs gave out.  A composite score was then used to determine the winner of each weight class based on total weight lifted and the number of reps.  It became obvious right from the start that most were going for personal bests and striving to win one of the coveted awards.  “They don’t like to lose,” beamed Tiger Head Football Coach Nate Moore, who strutted around the gym looking like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary.  He couldn’t be prouder of his troops.

The event was managed by several assistant football coaches, headed for the first time by Strength and Conditioning Coach Dan Studer.  “It was my first one running it,” he said.  “Obviously, I’ve been a part of it for a couple of years.  But it’s the first time I’ve been able to come back and run it that way I want to run it.  I’m really happy with it.  Our kids are working their butts off and they moved some really good weight today.  We’ve had a great strength program for a long time.  It’s not like I’m really bringing that much to the table.  But now that I’m a part of it and being able to run it and put my stamp on it, it means a little bit more.  And every year it’s a great event.  I’m really proud of our kids.  They work really hard.  And I’m glad they get an opportunity to display that.”

149 lb. and below winners: (3) Dominic Salvino; (1) Isaiah Roberson; (2) Ryan Zentkovich
150 lb. winners – (3) Kayontea Green; (1) Brenton Garrett; (2) Jacob Harter
160 lb. winners – (3) Isaiah Clark; (1) Jerron Hodges; (2) Magnus Haines
170 lb. winners – (3) Camden Beasley; (1) Anthony Pedro; (2) Jacob Orner
180 lb. winners – (3) Luke Murphy; (1) Ben Krichbaum; (2) Xavier Andrews
190 lb. winners – (3) Dylan Garrettson; (1) Zion Phifer; (2) Peyton Mendenhall
200 lb. winners – (3) Alex Bauer; (1) Preston Hodges; (2) Tyler Friend
Heavy Weight winners – (3) Adrian Scott; (1) Alejandro Salazar; (2) Devin Hose
Super Heavy Weight winners – (3) John Kouth; (1) Manny McElroy; (2) Cole Jones
History

Bob Vogel – Wall of Champions

The Marine Corps has a motto: If you are going to do something, do it the best you can.  No one epitomized that motto better than Bob Vogel, who played for the Tigers in 1958 and went on to star for Ohio State and the Baltimore Colts.  While always considered at the next level to be small in stature for his position on the field, he used superior technique to overcome his larger opponents.  And he transformed that approach to football into a stellar career for which he was awarded many times over and after football giving back to the community.

Bob Vogel catching a pass against Canton McKinley

Bob Vogel was born in Columbus on September 23, 1941.  After a freshman season at Brilliant and two more at Toronto, he had an opportunity to watch Massillon defeat Steubenville in 1957 and was immediately taken by the Tigers’ superb organization and high level of play.  So he asked his father if he could play his senior year in Massillon.  Being in the construction trade and with the current job wrapping up, it was a simple move for the family in order to help Bob fulfill his wish.

Vogel was large at the time for a high school player (6’-5”, 225 lbs.) and up to this point he used that size to dominate his foes.  But size alone wasn’t going to be enough to challenge the opposing players he would face in Massillon.  But Head Coach Leo Strang and a bevy of assistants quickly went to work teaching him the proper fundamental techniques.  Bob simply took off from there.

As an end he was a dominant blocker, while catching six touchdown passes (5 of the 9 tossed by quarterback Joe Sparma), including a long of 37 yards against Akron Garfield.  He also played defense and kicked off.  Helping his team to an 8-1-1 record and 4th place finish in the A.P. Poll, he was awarded 1st Team All-Ohio honors.  The following summer he was selected along with two other Ohio players (one being Massillon’s Bill Zorn) for the All-America team that would face the Pennsylvania All-Stars in the Big 33 game.

Next up was Ohio State, where he played offensive tackle under Head Coach Woody Hayes, joining the varsity as a sophomore in 1960 (freshmen were not permitted to play varsity at that time).  Although be bulked up to 250 lbs., he was still one of the smallest linemen on the team.  But that didn’t stop him from using all those techniques he learned at Massillon and shortly found himself as a starter.

During his three years as a varsity player, OSU compiled a record of 21-5-1, including an 8-0-1 mark in 1961, the only blemish coming in the first-game, a 7-7 tie vs. TCU.  But the Buckeyes ran the table the rest of the way, finishing with a 50-20 beat down of Michigan and ended up Big 10 Champs.  They were also named national champions by the Football Writers Association of America (both the AP and UPI ranked the Buckeyes 2nd behind Alabama).

In Bob’s senior year he was named a team captain and post-season a 1st team All-American by the American College Football Association.  He graduated with a B.S. degree in Marketing.

Bob Vogel with the Baltimore Colts

His final football stop was the Baltimore Colts, who selected him No. 5 in the NFL draft, the highest position ever for a Stark County player.  He was also drafted by the AFL Boston Patriots, but obviously he passed on this opportunity.

His career in Baltimore spanned ten years (1963 through 1972) and he started every game save one  when he was nursing an ankle injury and played left tackle, protecting the blind side of future Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas.  Once again he relied on superior technique to counter his much larger opponents.

Bob was part of many outstanding Baltimore teams, including the following:

  • 1964 – 12-2 record; lost the NFL championship game to Cleveland.
  • 1965 – 10-3-1 record; lost a playoff game to Vince Lombardi’s Green  Bay Packers
  • 1967 – 11-1-2 record; no playoffs due to the tie-breaker rule.
  • 1968 – 13-1 record; NFL Champs; lost Super Bowl III to Joe Namath’s AFL New York Jets.
  • 1970 – 11-2-1 record; won Super Bowl V vs. Dallas, 16-13.
  • 1971 – 10-4 record; lost conference championship to Miami.

He was 1st Team All-Pro in 1969 and participated in five Pro Bowl games (1964, 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1971).

After football, Bob worked for a while in business and then became a minister where he spent most of his time administering to prisoners.  He has also traveled extensively to Central America to help those in need.  In addition, he and his wife were foster parents to 48 infants.

But football is what Vogel is most known for.  In 1964, he was inducted in the Massillon Wall of Champions.  In 2014 he was inducted into the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame.  And in 2015 he was named to the Stark County Hall of Fame.

His fondest memory of Massillon: “The opportunity to be a part of a program that had a history of excellence.  I played at two other high schools.  They didn’t have the type of commitment or history that Massillon did.  Being part of Massillon’s football program gave me great visibility.”  – The Independent, February 20, 2015

 

News

OHSAA Proposes Changes to Competitive Balance – Revised

Revised March 26, 2019

Traditionally, high school football teams were assigned to specific divisions based on the overall school enrollment.  That is, the largest schools were classified as Division 1, the next largest as Division 2 and so on, with the schools distributed evenly among the selected number of regions as determined by the OHSAA.

Recently, several superintendents were disgruntled with the domination of state championships by the private schools and proposed that the OHSAA separate the playoffs.  Given that the OHSAA would not support this, a compromise solution was developed and then implemented for the 2017 season.  In essence, an adjustment would be made to each school’s counted enrollment based on the number of football players that did not live in the school’s district.

Each roster player, freshman through senior, would be assigned a classification of Tier 0, Tier 1 or Tier 2.  For public schools, a Tier 1 player is an open enrollment student that enrolled in the school district prior to the 7th Grade.   A Tier 2 player is an open enrollment student that entered the district in the 7th Grade or after.  All other students are presumed to be residents of the school district’s geographic boundary and would be classified as Tier 0.

For private schools, A Tier 0 player is a student that attended a private grade school that was designated by the high school as their preferred parish.  A Tier 1 player is one that attended a private grade school since the beginning of the 7th Grade.  All other players are classified as Tier 2.

For 2017, the amount added to the school’s counted enrollment was “0” for Tier 0 players, “1” for Tier 1 players and “2” for Tier 2 players.  In that most private schools were significantly affected by this new rule, several moved up one or two divisions.  For example, Akron Hoban moved up from Division 3 to Division 2 and Toledo Central moved up from Division 4 to Division 2.

On February 14 of this year, the OHSAA released a number of referendum items that were approved by the administrators and will be voted upon by the school superintendents later this year.  Included among these is Issue 2B – Change in Additional Roster Count Makeup – Bylaw 2-2-2, 2-2-6.  This issue modifies the Competitive Balance formula in two ways.  First, the adder for Tier 2 players increases from “2” to “3.”  Second, freshman players are not considered in the calculation, unless they participated in a varsity football game the prior year.  The adder for many other sports was also changed, such as for baseball and basketball, which increased from “5” to “7.”  An exception to the private school classifications was included whereby if the school has a defined enrollment boundary, then all students that reside within the boundary would become Tier 0 if enrolled in one of the district’s private schools from the beginning of the 7th Grade and Tier 1 of enrolled after.

The OHSAA stated that these changes are being proposed based on feedback from the various schools.  For one, freshmen do not necessarily have much impact on tournament games.  Secondly, coaches may exclude transfer students from their freshman teams to massage the adjusted number downward.  Also, schools may elect not to field freshman teams.

The original release of this story, lacking specific Tier numbers for each school, assumed that for all schools 30% of the affected players would be Tier 1 and the remaining 70% would be Tier 2.  However, additional research was conducted using roster sizes for specific schools and back-calculating the competitive advantage numbers.  The belief is now that this assumption was incorrect, particularly for the private schools.  A better assumption would be as follows:

  • Public Schools: 70% Tier 0, 10% Tier 1, 20% Tier 2
  • Private Schools: 10% Tier 0, 60% Tier 1, 30% Tier 2

These numbers work well for most private schools.  However, a few have Tier 2 percentages are significantly higher, including Toledo Central and Akron St. Vincent.  With the new adder Central would remain in Division 2, while St. V could move up from D3 to D2.

Surprisingly, and by using this new assumption, the school assignments for both Divisions 1 and 2 would remain virtually unchanged.  Note: The effect on the lower divisions was not evaluated.

History

George Slusser – Wall of Champions

George Slusser – War Hero, Wall of Champions

Written by James C. DeLong.  Photos from Massillon Tiger Football Museum collection.

The last of the great passers developed at Washington High School during Paul E. Brown’s coaching career here from 1932 through 1940 was George Slusser, who was also a fine runner.

As a youth, George strengthened his arm by spending many hours in his west side neighborhood tossing the pigskin back and forth with anyone willing to join him.  As a result, when he reported to Coach Elwood W. Kammer at Lorin Andrews Junior High School in the fall of 1935 he already possessed the strong arm that coaches look for in a quarterback.

George had an outstanding career at Lorin Andrews as an apprenticeship to his making the 1937 Washington High School squad.  Like any other Tiger sophomore quarterback, Slusser was unable to become number one field general; however, he did start several games, tossed two passes for touchdowns and ran one.

When his junior year rolled around in 1938, George had the know-how to step in as the starting signal caller.  Directing the Tigers like a seasoned veteran, the Massillon eleven rolled to ten straight impressive victories and 302 points, the highest total of any team in the state.  Slusser had three fine receivers to throw to – ends Horace Gillom and Fred Toles and halfback Ray Getz – as he hit on 8 touchdowns passes.  He also ran for 7 touchdowns totaling 42 points.  His total passing yardage was 885 yards as he passed for 100 yards in six games.

Slusser was nothing less than sensational in his senior year in 1939 as he again quarterbacked the Tigers to ten straight victories, another state title an 480 points for the season, again the most scored by any scholastic grid iron team in Ohio.  In his final year, his running equated his deft passing as he banged over for 18 touchdowns, the most ever scored by a quarterback during Coach Brown’s coaching career here.  He also fired ten touchdown passes.  His favorite receivers were Horace Gillom, Ray Getz and Tommy James.  His total passing yardage for the season was 953 yards as he exceeded 100 yards in five games.

Slusser holds the distinction of being the only quarterback in Massillon’s long football history to lead the Tigers to two consecutive undefeated, untied seasons.  They were 10-0 in both 1938 and 1939 under Slusser’s leadership.

When George completed his career with the Tigers he was the recipient of many college athletic scholarships and after much debate, he selected Dartmouth College as he desired to play under the Indians’ head coach, Earl (Red) Blaik.  Shortly after George completed a great freshman year at Dartmouth as their starting quarterback, Blaik returned to his alma mater, the U.S. Military Academy, as head coach.

With Blaik’s departure, George departed from Dartmouth and in early January 1941, enrolled at Ohio State University to rejoin his former Washington High School teammates, Lin Houston and Earl Martin.  Two weeks later Paul Brown was appointed head coach of the Buckeyes, and after sitting out the 1941 campaign, he played an important role as a sophomore in Brown’s 1942 national champion team at OSU.

In February, 1943, George enlisted in the military service and on January 27, 1945, while piloting an Okinawa-based P-47 Thunderbolt in an air assault on the Japanese mainland, he was shot down and killed by anti-aircraft fire.  His plane crashed on the island of Amami-O-Shima.

Although George’s lifetime was shortened due to the misfortune of war, his outstanding qualities and great contributions to Washington High School football will never be forgotten.

Slusser’s Career with the Tigers

  • 1937: 8-1-1, 228-50, 1st in state
  • 1938: 10-0-0, 302-60, 1st in the state
  • 1939: 10-0-0, 460-25, 1st in the state

Slusser’s Individual Achievements

  • Touchdowns passes thrown in career – 20
  • Total points scored in career – 157
  • Most points scored in one season (1939) – 108
  • Total varsity games played – 30
  • Longest touchdown pass (to Horace Gillom, Massillon vs. Mansfield, 1938) – 55 yards
  • Total yards gained passing in career – 1,938
  • All County 1st Team – 1938 and 1939
  • All Ohio 1st Team – 1939

News

Mike Leach to Speak at Spring Kickoff Event

Likened to an annual rite of passage, several hundred Tiger fans gather each spring to revel in another upcoming Massillon football season and eagerly take in the words of the head coach as he offers his prognosis for future success.  The event this year will be held on May 3rd at the Massillon Eagles and will highlight guest speaker Mike Leach, the head coach of Washington State University.  Leach’s presence comes on the heels of Alabama Coach Nick Saban and former Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer, who addressed the Tiger faithful during the previous two years.

Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore

Mike Leach is entering his eighth season as head coach of the Cougars and sports an overall record there of 49-40.  However, most of his success has been over the past four years, where he compiled a mark of 37-15 (26-10 in the PAC-12) and finished in the Top 3 of its conference division each year.  Having split four bowl games during this time period, last year he defeated Matt Campbell’s Iowa State University team, 28-26, and finished 10th in the country, while setting a new school benchmark for total wins in a season (11).  Coach Leach last year also recruited Jamir Thomas, Massillon’s all-time leading rusher and scorer.  Prior to coming to WSU, Leach was the head coach of Texas Tech, leaving with an impressive 84-43 record through ten years and participating in a bowl game each season.

Nate Moore returns to coach Massillon for a fifth time, fresh off a Division 2 state finals appearance, where the Tigers lost a close game to Akron Hoban.  Following a 4-6 start in Massillon, Moore has since compiled a win-loss record of 32-8, including three trips to the playoffs, two regional championships and the aforementioned state runner-up.  Expectations are high again in Tigertown as a fine nucleus returns from last year’s 14-1 squad, including a 2-year starter at both quarterback and inside linebacker and a wealth of talent manning the skill positions.  Massillon will open the 2019 season on Friday, August 30 against state-power Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.  Last year the Tigers defeated the Irish 35-7 enroute to an undefeated regular season.

See you at the Eagles.

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2019 Scrimmage Schedule Released

Massillon, the 2018 Division 2 state runner-up, will play the same scrimmage foes this year as they did last year, only the sites have been reversed.  The teams are Avon, Berea Midpark and Lakewood St. Edward.

Friday, August 9, 7:30 pm – at Avon.  Last year the Eagles, a Division 2 school from Region 6, finished with a record of 12-2 and were tournament regional champs.  They were eventually ousted by Akron Hoban in the state semifinals, 42-7.  The Tigers hosted Avon in the first scrimmage of 2018 and had their way, outscoring the Eagles 4-1 in down-and-distance play and 4-0 in overtime simulation.

Friday, August 16, 7:30 pm – home to Berea Midpark.  The Titans are a Division 1 team that finished 5-5 in 2018.  In last year’s spirited scrimmage they were manhandled by Massillon, 6-2, in a contest that was shortened when the referees walked off the field following some brief skirmishes between the players.  They ended the season in a high-scoring affair, losing 77-47 to Avon.

Thursday, August 22, 7:30 pm – home to Lakewood St. Edward.  The Eagles were Division 1 state champions last year, defeating Cincinnati Colerain in the finals, 24-10, and finishing with an 11-3 season record.  Nationally, they were rated 10th by Calpreps.com.  Massillon and St. Eds faced each other in a final 2018 scrimmage, with play for the most part being fairly even.  For those keeping score, the Tigers broke a 14-14 tie when Kyshad Mack intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards for the deciding score.

In other news:

The Nike Football Program is scheduled for March 30 at the indoor facility.  The event is open to all football players from 8th grade through senior high school.

The annual Lift-a-thon  is scheduled for April 20 at WHS.

The Ohio North-South All-Star Football Game returns to Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium this year on April 27 starting at noon.  Two games are on tap, first for the lower division players and then for those from the upper divisions.

The Massillon Tiger players will participate in a clinic attended by various college coaches on May 1 at the indoor facility.

May 18 is the date for the Gold Card sale.

The Gareon Conley Youth Camp will be held on June 12 at indoor facility.  Start time is 3:00 pm.

Look for the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club booth on June 15 at the Cruise-On-In and Dance Party held in downtown Massillon.

The Tigers will participate in three 7-on-7 scrimmages: June 15 at University of Akron, June 17 at Ohio State University and June 22 at Pittsburgh University.

The Massillon Tiger Golf Outing is tentatively scheduled for August 11 at the Elms Country Club.

 

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2019 Massillon Football Schedule Finalized

According to a recent article published in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Massillon will play Gateway High School from Monroeville, Pennsylvania, in Week No. 7.  Gateway joins league rival Penn-Trafford on the Tiger schedule, with both games slated for Paul Brown Tiger Stadium and Penn-Trafford playing in Week No. 4.  Barberton, which is also new to the schedule, will play Massillon in Week No. 8.  The remaining opponents are holdovers from last year.  The Tigers will have six home games and four road games.

Both PA teams fell into open dates after one of their Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League members opted to compete independently starting in 2019.  Gateway is classified as a AAAAA school, which is equivalent to a Division 2 Ohio program.  Last year they finished 12-1 and were ranked as the 12th best team in Pennsylvania according to CalPreps.com.  Penn-Trafford is also AAAAA.  They finished 9-3 last year and were ranked No. 53 by CalPreps.com.  Gateway got the better of Penn-Trafford in last year’s match, 27-7.

Here is the complete schedule:

DAYDATETIMEOPPONENTLOCATIONSCORERESULTMEDIASTATS
Fri.Aug. 227:00Cleveland GlenvilleH27 - 33 O.T.LStoryStats
Fri.Aug. 297:00Canton GlenOakH44 - 10WStoryStats
Fri.Sep. 57:00Rabun Gap-Nacoochee, Rabun County, GAH35 - 50LStoryStats
Fri.Sep. 127:00L. J. Bennett, Buffalo, NYH35 - 0WStoryStats
Fri.Sep. 197:00Lakewood St. EdwardH21 - 14WStoryStats
Fri.Sep. 267:00Football North, Clarkson Secondary School, Mississauga, ONTH2 - 34LStoryStats
Fri.Oct. 37:00Cardinal Ritter College Prep, St. Louis, MOH28 - 14WStoryStats
Fri.Oct. 107:00Cornerstone Christian, San Antonio, TXH45 - 20WStoryStats
Fri.Oct. 177:00Warren HardingH42 - 10WStoryStats
Sat.Oct. 252:00Canton McKinleyA21 - 14WStoryStats
P.O.
Fri.Nov. 77:00North Canton HooverH62 - 7WStoryStats
Fri.Nov. 147:00Columbus DeSalesA48 - 14WStoryStats
Fri.Nov. 217:00Big WalnutN21 - 27LStoryStats
History

Tommy James – A Champion at Every Level

Tommy James fashioned one of the most stellar careers of any Tiger player in Massillon’s long history.   As a Wall of Champions honoree, he was indeed worthy of the recognition, for he played on championship teams at all three levels of football: high school, college and pro.  There were state titles at Massillon, a national championship at Ohio State and professional crowns with the Cleveland Browns.  But as rare as it might sound, all of the awards came under the same head coach, the legendary Paul Brown.

Tom James was born on September 16, 1923, and resided on Genoa Avenue in Perry Township.  Since Perry did not have a high school at that time, he was free to choose either Canton Lincoln or Massillon for high school.   But the choice was simple, albeit with a little urging from Tiger assistant coach Bud Houghton: go west to Massillon and play for the state’s best team and one that would give him a better opportunity to play later in college.

MASSILLON

After a year at Longfellow Junior High, James took his skills to the big field and played the next three years under Coach Paul Brown.  In spite of having a diminutive frame (5’-8”, 148 lbs.), he was extremely quick and immediately found a spot at halfback and tailback in the single wing offense.  As all eleven players played on both sides of the ball at that time, he also saw duty at defensive back.

James never lost a game during his three years at Massillon, with his teams going 30-0 and winning the state title each year.  They also won two national titles.  In his junior season, Tommy recorded ten touchdowns and had the distinction of scoring the first TD in the new Tiger Stadium.  The points came against Cleveland Cathedral Latin, which owned a 17-game winning streak, and propelled the Tigers to a 64-0 victory.  James also threw the first touchdown pass in the new stadium, a 50-yard completion to Horace Gillom.  His team punctuated the season by christening newly opened Canton Fawcett stadium with a 20-6 victory over Canton McKinley.  For his effort, Tommy was named 2nd Team All-County.

In his senior season, James added to his responsibilities by throwing most of the passes. “My senior year I was the tailback (left half) in the old single wing,” he said.  “You handled the ball more, called the signals, did the passing.  The right half was Ray Getz.” – Jim Thomas, Canton Repository, February 2, 2003.   He was both the leading rusher (13 TDs) and the leading passer (10 TDs) in a season that included three rushing touchdowns against Erie East, Pennsylvania, and three passing touchdowns against Warren Harding.

“About every game was (special) because he was such a good passer,” said Getz.  “He was a passer, and it was pretty rough to stop a passer in the single wing.  And his running was good.  He was fast.  He could run around end or off-tackle.” – Jim Thomas, Canton Repository, February 2, 2003.

Tommy James carries the ball in a game against Canton McKinley

James’ 1940 team was utterly dominant, outscoring the opposition 477-6.  They gave Cathedral Latin their only loss of the year.  They played Alliance in the first-ever high school football game at the Akron Rubber Bowl, beating the Aviators 40-0.  They defeated Erie East, 74-0, giving East their worst loss in 20 years.  And they broke Toledo Waite’s 19-game winning streak with a 28-0 victory and prevented them from unseating the Tigers as Ohio’s state champs.  Weirton won the West Virginia state championship, but fell to Massillon, 48-0.

The lone touchdown they surrendered that year was to Canton McKinley.  Ironically, it was the first points of the game.  “We all looked at each other,” he recalled.  “We didn’t know what to do.  We hadn’t been behind.  But I threw a touchdown pass (45 yards) to (Horace) Gillum before the half that put us ahead 7-6.” – Jim Thomas, Canton Repository, February 2, 2003.   Massillon would go to win 34-6.

Following the season James was named First Team All-County and First Team All-State, and was later inducted in the Stark County High School Hall of Fame.

For his high school career, he scored 23 touchdowns.

OHIO STATE

The goal for James was always to play collegiately and this was fulfilled when he secured a spot on the Ohio State roster.  He first played in 1942 under Paul Brown and his team captured the National Championship.  But war duties caused a 30-month hiatus, during which Tommy became part of the Army Medical Corps.  James would return in 1946 to play under Coach Paul Bixler and then be elected captain for the 1947 season.  But he passed that up to sign with the Detroit Lions of the NFL.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

James’ time at Detroit was short-lived, however, due to a broken arm and he was released.  But Paul Brown saw an opportunity and signed him to a contract to play for the Cleveland Browns beginning in 1948.

“I started playing defense all the time,” said James.  “I always wanted to play offense.  But when I went into the pros, Paul Brown told me ‘I can find better offensive players, but when I get a good defensive back that’s the place I’ve got to put them.’” – Jim Thomas, Canton Repository, February 2, 2003.  

James played for the championship every year while in Cleveland, first in the All-American Football Conference and then in the NFL.  His teams would capture five AAFC and NFL titles.

Tommy stayed in Cleveland for eight years and was released in 1955.  But he would play one more year professionally, for the Baltimore Colts.  For his career he recorded 34 interceptions.

In 1951, 1953 and 1956 he played in the annual College All Stars-NFL Grid Game at Chicago, a contest he participated in while in college in 1943 and 1947.

MISCELLANEOUS

Standing: Don, Tommy and Art; Seated: Bob

James would spend the professional off-season completing his college education and graduated from Kent State with a BA in Education.

Post-football, Tommy was a salesman for Priority Freight Systems, in Akron.  He had three brothers (Art, Don and John) and two sons (Tommy Jr. and Mike).  Brother Don became head coach of the Washington Huskies and won the National Championship there in 1991.

Tommy James lived a long life and enjoyed watching his two sons and grandson play football for the Tigers.  He died on February 7, 2007, age 83.