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News Valdosta, GA at Massillon – The Nation’s No. 1 winningest team, Valdosta, vs. No. 4 at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. It doesn’t get any better than this. Last year the Wildcats finished 8-3, losing in the first round of the playoffs. However, they did beat their local rival, Lowndes, 13-6. Massillon posted a 12-2 record and a spot in the Division 2 state semifinals. Big wins came against Lakewood St. Edward, 31-28, Austintown Fitch, 49-28 and Canton McKinley, 23-13. Both Massillon and Valdosta are loaded with returning talent.
Lakewood St. Edward vs. Center Grove, IN – Last year the Eagles finished 15-1 and captured the
Division 1 state championship with a 28-14 victory over Springfield. Their lone loss was 31-28 to Massillon in the regular season. But they defeated Division 2 champion Toledo Central, 23-20, Cincinnati Elder, 17-14, and Cincinnati Moeller, 6-0. Center Grove recorded a 12-2 mark and finished in their 5-round playoffs as the best team in Indiana. Both teams are early favorites to repeat as state champions.
Ben Davis, IN at Cincinnati Moeller – Always strong Ben Davis is coming off an uncharacteristic 6-4 season, with a 35-34 loss to state champ Center Grove. The Crusaders, having rebounded from several substandard years, finished 13-2, with two victories over Cincinnati St. Xavier, 20-17 and 28-7, a 42-14 win over Elder and a 38-20 victory over Lakota West. The regular season loss was 6-0 to Lakewood St. Edward. Their season came to an end in the Division 1 state semifinals with a 28-24 loss to Springfield.
Lakota West at Cincinnati St. Xavier – Lakota West, the top team in the Greater Miami Conference, was unbeaten through thirteen games last year, including wins over Cincinnati St. Xavier, 16-13, and Cincinnati Elder, 30-10. But the run ended in the regional finals where they lost 38-20 to Moeller. St. Xavier lost 28-7 to Moeller in Round 2 of the playoffs. Last year Lakota West prevailed in this game 16-13.
Pickerington North at Cincinnati Elder – It’s the Ohio Capital Conference versus the Greater Catholic League in this intriguing matchup. North finished 8-4 last year, defeating Upper Arlington in the regular season, 18-13, but losing 28-20 to Pickerington Central in the playoffs. Elder finished 10-4, with wins over Pickerington Central, 17-7, and St. Xavier, 42-10. In the playoffs, they lost 30-10 to Lakota West.
Hudson at Medina Highland – This is a battle of D2 teams from opposing divisions of the Suburban League. Both finished the regular season last year undefeated. In the playoffs Hudson defeated a good Walsh Jesuit team, 34-7, and a rising Painsville Riverside, 16-14, but ended up losing 41-7 to Akron Hoban in the regional finals. Meanwhile, Highand lost 42-6 in Round 2 to eventual state champ Toledo Central.
Cincinnati Colerain at Cincinnati LaSalle – Neither of these teams has been playing up to par of late, but a win for one of them may provide a kick start to better times. Last year Colerain finished 4-7 and LaSalle ended up 2-9, with LaSalle winning the season opener against these two teams, 17-13. The big money this time around is on Colerain.
Mansfield at Akron St. Vincent – The Tygers last year recorded a 10-3 record with a 42-7 shellacking of North Canton Hoover coupled with a 33-0 loss to Massillon, both in the regular season. In the Division 3 playoffs they lost 17-16 in Round 3 to Cleveland Holy Name. The Irish finished 8-4, posting a 21-14 win over Austintown Fitch before losing 47-7 to Akron Hoban in the 3rd round of the Division 2 playoffs.
Cleveland St. Ignatius vs. Springfield – Last year’s game was rained out, but the Wildcats may wish this one will be rained out as well. Ignatius is very young this year, with a new coach, and is just not the same team they were a few years ago. But they can still be competitive. In 2022 they finished 7-4 with a 24-21 win over St. Xavier and a 28-7 loss to St. Edward in Round 3 of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Springfield, at 14-2, with two wins over Centerville and a win over Huber Heights Wayne, advanced to state finals for the second consecutive year, before losing to St. Eds 28-14.
Steubenville at Youngstown Ursuline – Steubenville finished 12-3 in 2022, with a 32-20 loss to Cincinnati Wyoming in the Division 4 state semifinals. Ursuline was 10-3, losing 33-25 in Round 3 of the Division 3 playoffs to eventual state champ Canfield.
News Massillon traveled to Cincinnati Moeller for the second of two scrimmages in preparation for the Tigers’ 2023 season opener next Friday against Valdosta, Georgia, the winningest team in the U.S. Moeller is coming off a 2022 season during which they compiled a 9-1 record and won the Division 1 Southwest Region in the playoffs. This year they are ranked second in Ohio D1 behind Lakewood St. Edward and 35th in the nation per maxpreps.com. Meanwhile, Massillon also finished 9-1 last year and captured their region in Division 2. The Tigers are currently ranked 3rd in D2 behind Akron Hoban and Avon, a team they scrimmaged and defeated last week.
The Crusaders struck first on the second play of their initial possession with a long bomb. But their offense was completely stymied the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the Tigers put up three scores to win 21-7. The first came at the end of a long drive when Mike Wright powered the ball into the end zone from four yards out. Vinnie Keller then converted the first of three PAT attempts. In the second quarter Daone Owens connected with Braylyn Toles for a 35-yard score. VIDEO. Toles beat the defender down the left sidelines and grabbed the ball touched his foot down in the end zone just inches away from the line. That upped the score to 14-7. Massillon’s first possession of the third quarter also went to paydirt when Jalen Slaughter hit Ja’Meir Gamble on a 35-yard strike. With the score sitting at 21-7, the starters vacated the field in favor of subs.
Moeller won 14-7 with the backups in. The Tigers’ score occurred when Eli Moore completed a 30-yard pass over the middle to Ricardo Wells, who made an acrobatic catch. VIDEO.
The freshmen won 21-6.
Videos courtesy of Becca Moore.
News AUG 08, 2023
Hey, Tiger fans! As construction continues on our new elementary buildings, parking options for varsity football games will be as follows. Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate construction.
Option 1: The Massillon City School District Transportation Department will run continuous loops from the Target and The Massillon Recreation Center parking lots beginning at 5:15 PM on game nights. Buses will begin transporting fans back to Target and the Massillon Recreation Center on a continuous loop after halftime.
Option 2: Limited parking will be available at The Leven Good Company parking lot located at 1861 Harsh Ave. SE Massillon, OH 44646 – The lot will open at 5:00 PM
Option 3: Limited parking will be available at Gerstenslager Hardwood parking lot located at 343 16th Street SE Massillon, OH 44646 for $5 – The lot will open at 5:00 PM
All parking on school property will be PASS ONLY. Parking passes are currently sold out.
Editorial The 2023 season opens on August 18 with 104 Division 2 teams competing for the ultimate prize: a state championship. But first they need to qualify for one of the sixteen spots available in each of the four regions in order to at least have a shot. Then, the eventual winner needs to win six consecutive games to survive the field and be crowned the new champion.
How the playoff landscape has changed over the years. A wise man once said that there is nothing so certain as change. And that is ever so true for Ohio high school football. There was a time long ago that teams had up to four weeks and three scrimmages to prepare for a 10-game season, with the opening games scheduled for the Friday after Labor Day. Now, the season starts before the corn is even ready to pick, with one less scrimmage and considerably less preseason prep time. And all for the sake of adding additional rounds of playoff games, which is a format that most coaches don’t necessarily support. But money talks.
Here’s a look back at the various changes that have occurred to the playoff system over years:
Looking back, Massillon was initially a Division 1 team and a pretty competitive one at that, performing well against the best teams in the state. Through 41 years they captured more regional championships than nearly any other team in the division and three times they advanced to the state championship game. But they were caught up in the 2013 restructuring on account of decreasing enrollment and were thus moved down to Division 2. Clearly, the competition in D2 is less than that of D1 for a team like Massillon, but there are still a few formidable teams to be concerned about, including Akron Hoban, Cincinnati LaSalle, Cincinnati Winton Woods and Avon.
During the first two years in Division 2, the Tigers were assigned to the Toledo region. That changed in 2015 when they were transferred to the Columbus region. There, Massillon has stayed, except for 2019 when they were assigned to the Cleveland region. Massillon this year is once again in Region 7, a group comprised of 28 teams. Twenty are from the Columbus area, six are from the Stark County area and two are located in remote parts of the state.
Most of the teams in Region 7 have returned this year. But there was one change in that Dover moved down to Division 3 and Grove City Central Crossing moved into the region from Division 1.
Traditionally, those teams that placed in the Top 8 of the standings following the regular season have had the best shots at winning the region. So, let’s assume that the Region 7 participants had been in place over each of the past five years and evaluate their overall performances. Here are the results:
Having qualified for the playoffs, the next measure of performance is the playoff games themselves. Below is a performance breakdown covering the past ten years for the current teams in Region 7:
As expected, the Tigers have achieved some very good success during the ten years following the reassignment. In nine out of ten years they qualified for the playoffs. Five times they advanced to the state semifinals after winning the region. And three times they played in the state finals.
So, since the restructuring of the divisions, few teams in the current Region 7 have consistently been in position to effectively compete for a regional title. And even less, six out of 28, have ever experienced a regional championship game. But let’s face it. Based on the above data, the bottom line is that it’s annually Massillon’s region to lose. And in most years they ARE the team to beat. Nevertheless, you still need to play the games. And those other teams want to win, too.
Statewide, if one was to predict the Division 2 final four, they would probably come up with these teams:
Here are the Division 2 state champions since the realignment:
News Massillon and Avon, two perennial contenders to capture their respective Division II regional championships, locked horns Saturday in their annual scrimmage. This match-up has been ongoing for several years and has always been productive, in that it was a chance, albeit with just a few practices under their belts, for these teams to get some snaps in for perspective starters and, more importantly, evaluate all the talent looming underneath. The final score is simply a secondary outcome.
In the first part of the scrimmage, each team started at its own 35 and ran ten plays, with down-and-distance, in each of two possessions. Avon had the ball first and advanced on a nice drive to the Massillon 15 before running out of downs. Their attack was almost exclusively in the air. The Tiger defense was pretty basic with a 3-man front and blitzed only sparingly.
Then it was the Tigers’ turn. Daone Owens was the first under center and then was replaced halfway through the ten plays by Jalen Slaughter. This alternating routine they did for the entire scrimmage. Starting at the 25, Massillon advanced to the Avon 46, but was stopped on downs. The Tigers used a balanced attack, with modest production on the ground, but not much in the air, owing to the constant linebacker blitzing from the Eagles, which gave the quarterbacks little time to set up. Keep in mind that there is minimal game-planning for a scrimmage, whereas for a regular season game certain schemes would be employed to offset the blitz.
Now, many starters were being replaced. On Avon’s next possession they first lost two yards and punted. Then they gained seven yards and punted. Finally, they gained five yards and by that time consumed their ten plays. Massillon gained eight yards and punted. Then they ran out of plays without gaining a yard.
In part two the teams started at the opponent’s 25. Avon was intercepted at the goal line by Kyler Wiggins. Restarting, the Eagles lost seven yards and punted. Again restarting, they were intercepted by Tyler Hackenbracht. Starting once more, they ran out of downs at the Tiger 25. At this point, with the apparent starting defense on the field, the Tigers began to dominate.
Massillon scored on its first try from the 25 when sophomore Jaydyn Williams went over from the one. Vinny Keller’s PAT was successful. The next try went for two yards and was stopped on downs.
Part three involved each team starting at the opponent’s ten. Avon scored twice in two possessions, once on a 2-yard run and once on a 10-yard pass. Massillon also scored twice. Williams picked up his second TD on a 10-yard run and Ricardo Wells caught a 10-yard pass from Owens. Keller kicked both extra points.
After that the punt and field goal units got in some work.
The junior varsities each ran two series and tied 1-1, with quarterback Eli Moore crossing the goal line from five yards out.
The Tigers will be back in action next Thursday when they travel to Cincinnati to scrimmage Moeller. Game time is 2:00 pm. All of this in preparation for the season opener one week later when Massillon hosts Valdosta, Georgia.
News The following is a reprint of a story from the Valdosta Daily Times Newpaper announcing the football game between Massillon and Valdosta. It was written by Clint Thompson and published on February 9, 2023.
Valdosta to open against national power to start ’23 season
VALDOSTA – The Valdosta Wildcats’ mantra is they do not back down from playing anybody. That includes one of the top football programs in the country in the Washington Tigers (Massillon, Ohio).
The two prestigious programs will kick off next season on Friday, Aug. 18 at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. It is one of four games that comprise the inaugural Northeast Ohio vs. America Showcase.
Valdosta head coach Shelton Felton talked about the opportunity that awaits his Wildcats.
“It’s very exciting,” Felton said. “The opportunity to play in the Showcase game, an out-of-state game with two of the best programs in the nation from day one, it’s a great opportunity. It’s very exciting to be leading the Wildcats with an opportunity to play the game.”
Felton said Valdosta and Massillon have always wanted to compete against each other. The promoter for Ohio contacted Felton with the proposal.
“At the time, we had a game scheduled but they canceled. We jumped on board with the opportunity to play,” Felton said.
Valdosta ranks first in the country in high school football wins, while Massillon ranks fourth. Valdosta has 944 wins compared to Massillon’s 932. Valdosta finished 8-3 last season and third in Region 1-7A. Massillon finished 12-2.
The trip northward not only provides Valdosta a great opponent and electric atmosphere to start this season, it also provides Felton’s players a chance to see a part of the country they may not have seen before. That experience will be just as invaluable.
“Some of these kids won’t leave Valdosta after graduation. They’ll stay here and work, be great young men, great citizens. To be able to use football to see the world and see something different is an awesome opportunity,” Felton said. “There’s more stuff in the world than Valdosta, Georgia.”
News The long-awaited 2023 football season is finally here. It should be an exciting year, as a challenging schedule awaits a talented Tigers team that is stocked with a wealth of returning starters. But first, there are several events to be enjoyed, all leading up to the opening game against Valdosta, Georgia.
Monday, July 31 – First official day of football practice. Massillon will utilize both Paul Brown Tiger Stadium and the Paul L. David Athletic Training Center, located at Washington High School.
Wednesday, August 2 – Media Day at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Group photographs of the varsity and freshmen teams and individual photos of all players will be taken by the website staff, the local media and commercial firms. Freshmen at 5:00 pm and varsity at 6:00 pm. Open to the public. Photos will appear in this website prior to the first game.
Saturday, August 5 – First scrimmage, vs. Avon, at Avon Football Field Mark Walberg Chevrolet Stadium. Game time is 11:30 am. Avon participates in the playoffs in Division 2 and has achieved five regional championships and one runner-up over the past six years. Their 10-year record is 111-17. Last year the Eagles finished 12-2, losing in the regional finals to eventual state champion Toledo Central Catholic. They are led by long-time coach Mike Elder.
Sunday, August 6 – Sideliners Picnic at Washington High School, starting at 12:00 n. The Sideliners is a group of Massillon supporters that act as “Big Brothers” for the varsity players. The members interact with the players on a weekly basis throughout the season and are also accessible to the players for help anytime in helping to resolve any personal problems that they might have.
Thursday, August 10 – Second scrimmage, vs. Cincinnati Moeller, at a site in Cincinnati to be determined. Game time is 2:00 pm. Moeller opened with the Tigers last season and went away with a 49-31 victory. Having resurged in recent years, the Crusaders won the championship in their Division 1 region in each of the last two seasons. They are led by first-year coach Bert Bathiany, who recently coached at Lexington Catholic in Kentucky.
Saturday, August 12 – Football Booster Club Golf Outing at the Massillon Elms Country Club. The 18-hole, shotgun start begins at 1:00 pm. Dinner will follow golf.
Tuesday, August 15 – First Touchdown Club meeting of the season. The event is held weekly at Eagles 190 at 11:30 am. The meetings are a lunchtime affair and members receive from the Head Coach reviews of past games and scouting reports of upcoming opponents. Team captains also provide nsight. Occasionally, the meetings are enhanced with guest speakers. At the end of the season the Club honors one player with the Hardnose Award. Memberships can be obtained in this website or at the door.
Wednesday, August 16 – Season Kickoff Rally at Duncan Plaza, beginning at 6:00 pm. Greet the team. Enjoy entertainment provided by the Tiger Swing Band and cheerleaders.
Thursday, August 17 – Valdosta Game Tailgate Party at Duncan Plaza, sponsored by Downtown Massillon Association and City of Massillon-City Hall. 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm. Games, live music and food trucks.
Thursday, August 17 – Freshmen football opener vs. Lake St. Edward at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 pm.
Friday, August 18 – Varsity football opener vs. Valdosta, Georgi,a at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:07 pm. The game is part of the NE Ohio vs. America Showcase. Valdosta, with an historical record of 944-262-34, is the No. 1 team in the USA in terms of total wins, while Massillon, a former USA No. 1 with a record of 932-299-36, is currently 1st in Ohio and 4th in the nation. Last year, the Wildcats finished 8-3, with a loss in the first round of the playoffs. They are led by third-year Head Coach Shelton Felton.
Note: Parking will be a premium due to the construction of the new elementary school in the east parking lot. There will be no parking in the east lot. The tailgate lot and upper and lower lots west of the stadium require a permit. Non-permit fans are encouraged to park at Target and take the shuttle bus to the stadium. Buses are scheduled to begin their runs at 5:00 pm.
Monday, August 21 – First Booster Club meeting, at Washington High School’s auditorium on the first floor, starting at 7:00 pm. Open to all Booster Club members (minimum membership is $10.00, which can be purchased in this website or at the door). Listen to Coach Nate Moore review the past game along with game film and preview the next opponent.
History Last Thursday, in conjunction with the Booster Club Reverse Raffle event, five new members were inducted into the Massillon Tiger Football Hall of Fame, including Arvine Ulrich, Larry Larsuel, Gary Vogt, Ron Ertle and Devin Smith. In addition, Rick Spielman was inducted into the Massillon Wall of Champions. Each also will receive a commemorative plaque at halftime of the Valdosta Game.
Arvine “Tink” Ulrich played quarterback for the Tigers in 1920-22 under legendary Coach Dave Stewart. He was also a team captain.. During his senior year, the team finished 10-0 and was named state champion. Later, Ulrich played for Wittenberg College and was the class president. Following his return to Massillon, he was elected in 1934 as the Booster Club’s first president. He also held leadership roles in several Massillon-area civic organizations.
Larry Larsuel was a lineman for Massillon in 1962-64 first under Coach Leo Strang and then Earl Bruce. During his senior year the team finished 10-0 and was voted state champion. Twice he was named All-County and All-Ohio and later participated the Ohio North-South All-Star Game.
Gary Vogt, a former Massillon basketball player and 1966 graduate, has held several positions within the Booster Club, including Chairman of the Tiger Sideliners and President of the Club. In the latter position, he was instrumental in bringing several stadium projects to fruition, including installation of the Omni Sand Turf and installation of a rubberized running track. Also, under his watch, the “TIG-ERS” fan cheer was developed. He is currently the Booster Club’s Historian, a position he has held for the past 14 years.
Ron Ertle played offensive lineman and linebacker for the Tigers from 1966-68. In his senior year his team compiled a 9-1 record, capturing the All-American Conference championship and earning 2nd place in the sportswriters’ state poll. Ertle, a co-captain, was named 1st Team All-Ohio linebacker. And he participated in the Ohio North-South All-Star Game. After high school, he played football for the University of Cincinnati.
Devin Smith was a 2-year standout for Massillon at wide receiver from 2009-10, leading the team in receptions, yards and scoring each year. He was also named 1st Team All-Ohio in both years. During his junior year the team finished with a 10-4 record and a spot in the Division 1 state championship game. An All-County basketball player, he also captured three first place medals in state track meets. Following high school, Smith played football for four years at Ohio State, with his team capturing the national championship during his senior season. He also played in the NFL for the New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys.
Rick Spielman played linebacker for the Tigers during his junior year and then switched to quarterback for his senior year. As a linebacker, he was instrumental in helping his team compile a 10-2-1 record and advance in the playoffs to the Division 1 state championship game. In college, he played linebacker for Southern Illinois University, earning 1st Team All-Gateway Conference honors, with his team once capturing the NCAA Division 1-AA national championship. Post-college, he achieved a long career in the NFL, holding various administrative positions within different organizations, including general manager of both the Miami Dolphins and the Minnesota Vikings.
Congratulations to the latest inductees.
Left to right: Gary Vogt, Ron Ertle, Devin Smith and Stacy Larsuel Howard for Larry Larsuel
Top (L-R) Irvine “Tink” Ulrich, Larry Larsuel and Gary Vogt; bottom (L-R) Ron Ertle, Devin Smith and Rick Spielman.
History The Football Hall of Fame recognizes those individuals that have made outstanding contributions to the Tiger football program, whether it be a player, coach, band director or just an individual who has been influential in a positive way. Inductees are honored in the WHS Sports Hall with plaques that display the inductees’ contributions. As of 2022, a total of 105 members have been inducted. Five more will be inducted this year.
Complete List of Massillon Tiger Football Hall of Fame Inductees
This entry is Part 6 of a series that presents past inductees by playing position. This edition features the ends and wide receivers. Five players have gained Hall of Fame distinction as ends or wide receivers, including Horace Gillon, Jim Letcavits, Bob Vogel, Curt Strawder and Devin Jordan.
Horace Gillom (1938-40)
Paul Brown said there “has never been a better punter than Horace.” Gillom specialized in distance and hang time and averaged over 40 yards per kick. But he was also a tremendous end and linebacker and helped Massillon to three consecutive state championships.
As a sophomore playing on varsity, he caught four touchdowns passes, including two against Mansfield of 35 and 55 yards. The Tigers finished with a 10-0 record and were named state champions.
In his junior year Massillon repeated as state champs and was also given the same accolade nationally. Gillom, now a starter, had an immediate impact and at the end of the season was named 1st Team All-Ohio. He scored four receiving touchdowns, accumulating 42 points. Against New Castle, PA, he caught a 34-yard TD pass and returned a blocked punt 18 yards for another score. Then, against Canton Lehman, he grabbed a 40-yard pass for a TD and on defense returned an interception 80 yards for a second TD.
His senior year was more of the same: outstanding at his playing positions; 10-0 team record; state champs; national champs. But he also became a very good ball carrier. Now as team captain, he led the team in scoring with 102 points, including eight touchdowns rushing and nine receiving. His punting skills were also the best around. Against Steubenville he scored four TDs and had another three against Cleveland Cathedral Latin. At the end of the season he was named both 1st Team All-Ohio and A.P. Most Outstanding Player. He also found some time to play basketball.
Paul Brown left the following season and took the graduated Gillom with him to Ohio State. But war duties were calling following his freshman season and he spent the next three years in the U.S. Army, returning home with three bronze stars.
That led to a year at Nevada (1946), where he was No. 1 in the nation in punting. But once again, Paul Brown was calling. This time it was for the Cleveland Browns, where he played from 1947-56. Gillom served as the punter and utility end on both offense and defense.
Horace is credited for aligning himself further back from the line of scrimmage (15 yards) when punting in order to have more time to get off his 3-step kick. This he started doing in high school and the 15 yards is replicated today at the college and professional level. His longest punt with the Browns went 80 yards, which is a team record that stands today. In 2007 he was named a “Browns Legend.” And in 2009 he was inducted into the Stark County Football Hall of Fame.
Jim Letcavits (1951-53)
Letcavits played end under Head Coach Chuck Mather and was the beneficiary of three state and two national titles. His first exposure to varsity ball came during his junior year when he recorded one rushing touchdown. But, as a senior, he played well enough to be named 1st Team All-Ohio. Unfortunately, few individual statistics are available from that time period, although it’s noted that he did score four receiving touchdowns, including a 44-yarder against Canton McKinley in a 48-7 victory. The following summer he participated in the Ohio North-South All-Star Football Game and was named the Most Valuable Player.
Following high school, he received a scholarship to play for the University of Kansas (1958-62), again under Coach Chuck Mather. As a tight end, during his junior year he caught 14 passes for 246 yards and during his senior year caught 10 passes for 176 yards and two TDs. In both seasons he was named All Big-8.
Then it was off to professional football, for a 6-year stint in the Canadian Football League, as tight end and punter. The first stop was Edmonton, where he caught 142 passes for 2,429 yards and scored 13 touchdowns in five seasons. Then, he wrapped up his career in Montreal.
After returning home, he coached at Jackson for five years, before being lured away by Massillon’s Bob Commings. There he enjoyed a 27-year career as an assistant coach. During that span, he was part of the 1970 state championship team and had two trips to the Division 1 state championship game. His teams also won seven All-American Conference championships (1980 and 1982). He retired from coaching in 1995.
Later, Letcavits was inducted into the Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame and in 1998 the Massillon Wall of Champions. He was also President of Stark County Football Presidents Association for two years.
Bob Vogel (1957-58)
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.
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 for the All-America team that would face the Pennsylvania All-Stars in the Big 33 game.
In college he played offensive tackle at Ohio State under Head Coach Woody Hayes. During his three years as a varsity player (1960-62), OSU compiled a record of 21-5-1, including an 8-0-1 mark in 1961 during the National Championship year. In Vogel’s senior year he was named a team captain and post-season a 1st team All-American by the American College Football Association.
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. His career in Baltimore spanned ten years (1963 through 1972) and he started every game except one. He was also part of the Colts’ 1970 Super Bowl victory. In 1969 he was named 1st Team All-Pro and he participated in five Pro Bowl games (1964, 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1971).
In 1964, he was inducted in the Massillon Wall of Champions.
Curt Strawder (1976-78)
Strawder was perhaps the first Massillon player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on the basis of being a true wide receiver and having a significant number of pass receptions. He was a natural, while playing under Head Coach Mike Currence with his “run-n-shoot” offense. As such, Strawder became the go-to possession receiver. When a third down pass was necessary, it was Strawder that often ran a 10-yard dig, setting up a pass completion for quarterback Brent Offenbecher. But he was also equally effective in other pass patterns.
Strawder was “the fleet wide receiver with gazelle-like grace and more moves than a belly dancer.” – Rollie Dreussi, Independent Sports Editor.
Curt became a starter during his junior year and caught 26 passes for 518 yards, scoring five touchdowns. The team finished with a record of 8-2. Strawder’s most heroic effort came against Gahanna Lincoln, when he dove to catch a 4th down and 41-yard pass with 1:11 left in the game to advance the ball to the Lincoln 29. That set up the winning touchdown in a 28-22 victory. In that game, he caught six passes for 169 yards, and also scored a touchdown on a 62-yard reception in the first quarter.
During his senior year, he continued on with 42 receptions for 53 yards and four touchdowns, helping his team to a 9-0-1 record. He was also named team captain. In the game against Canton McKinley, the Tigers were behind 10-0 with half of the fourth quarter remaining. But then the offense finally began to click, with Strawder catching multiple passes from Offenbecher, including a pair of touchdown receptions for a 13-10 victory.
His best performances were as follows:
Devin Jordan (2000-02)
Devin Jordan may have been the best wide receiver the Tigers have ever had. He holds Massillon single-season records for both Massillon and Stark County, including most receptions (98), most yards (1,492), average receptions per game (7.0) and touchdowns (18). And, for his career, he holds first or second place in each of these four categories. He parlayed that success into a roster spot for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Jordan saw limited action as a sophomore and caught nine passes for 188 yards, scoring one touchdown, under Head Coach Rick Shepas.
In his junior year he became a starter and was magnificent on the field, catching passes from future Buckeye quarterback Justin Zwick. During the season, he caught 98 passes for 1,492 yards (15.2/rec.) and scored 18 touchdowns in helping his team to a 12-2 record and a spot in the state semifinal game. His 110 points scored was a team high. His best performances were as follows:
As a senior, the Tigers finished 11-3 and again advanced in the playoffs to the state semifinal level. Jordan recorded 45 receptions for 893 yards and 12 touchdowns, while scoring 72 points, second on the team. His numbers weren’t as impressive as the previous year, since opponents were now aware of his impact and double-teamed him throughout the games. So, the Tigers, under quarterback Matt Martin, resorted to a more balanced passing attack. But somehow, during the playoffs, he was left free to roam and had these performances:
For his career, he finished with 152 receptions for 2,503 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Jordan was on the Ohio State team from 2003-05. But a leg injury during his first year severely hampered his ability to play. So, in his senior year, he became a student assistant coach. That led to many paid coaching opportunities after college. Stops included Wittenberg, Otterbein, Walsh, Malone, Youngstown State and Akron, before he returned to Ohio state as an offensive assistant, a position he has held for the last two years.