Offensive woes lead to Massillon’s second straight loss this year
By CHRIS EASTERLING
PARMA – The Massillon Tigers arrived in Parma for Friday’s game with Normandy as a team looking to put a disappointing loss to Solon the rear-view mirror. They departed a team which may very well stand at a crossroads in a season which carried such preseason promise, yet now stands on shaky ground.
Such are the facts of life on the heels of a disappointing 27-13 loss to the Invaders at Byers Field.
The loss drops Massillon to 1-2 on the season. All the Tigers have awaiting them in September are home games against a talented Ursuline team and the reigning Division I state runners-up Mentor, and a return trip to Parma to meet St. Ignatius.
Adding injury to insult is the fact the Tigers likely have lost junior Justin Turner for an extended period of time with a high ankle sprain, and reserve safety Cooper Ivan to a leg fracture.
“I haven’t been at a crossroads with a football team in a long, long time,” Tiger coach Tom Stacy said. “I’m not sure what one is. Obviously, we don’t have a lot of confidence on offense. We tried everything.”
Yet, Massillon could not, for the second straight game, discover the offense which was so explosive in the second half against Middletown. The Tigers have scored just one touchdown, a 2-yard run by DeVoe Torrence with 1:08 left which cut the Normandy lead to 20-13, in the last eight quarters.
The Tigers finished Friday’s game with 198 yards of offense, with an equal number on the ground and through the air, 99 yards each. Massillon had 12 first downs in the game, seven of those prior to halftime.
“We tried everything,” Stacy said. “We tried to go outside, we tried to go inside. We tried to throw the ball quick, we tried to throw the ball quickly. We tried pretty much everything we had. We just couldn’t get it going.”
Normandy, meanwhile dominated the line of scrimmage, especially on offense. The Invaders rushed for 205 yards on 41 carries, with Russ Galeti gaining 146 yards and scoring three touchdowns.
“All I preach is we out hit our opponents,” said Normandy coach Rich Turner, whose team is 3-0. “We know we don’t have the skill our opponents have. But if we out hit opponents and control the line, we can turn it into a scrum game, and that’s what it looked like an awful lot.”
The first four minutes of the game summed up the Tigers’ fortunes on the night. The Invaders caught Massillon with an onside kick on the opening kickoff, and recovered it at the Tiger 40.
“We did same thing against Elyria last year,” Turner said. “Elyria was a big favorite in that game. We got two in that game. I’m sort of disappointed we only got one tonight.”
Two plays later, though, Kevin Massey came up with an interception at the Massillon 4. But the Tigers gave it right back six plays later with a fumble at their own 40, which was returned four yards to the Massillon 36.
A 35-yard run by Galeti and the subsequent extra point made it 7-0 Normandy with 8:14 left in the first quarter. The Tigers answered with a drive to the Invader 4, but needed Steve Schott to boot a 22-yard field goal – the first of two first-half kicks for the senior – to cut it to 7-3 with 4:16 remaining in the quarter.
Another long Galeti run, this one of 48 yards, made it 13-3 after the PAT was missed with 8:53 remaining in the half. Again, Schott would help the Tigers whittle away at the lead with a 31-yard field goal with 1:59 left before the band show, making it 13-6.
Galeti would open up a two-touchdown edge with 4:01 left with a 4-yard run, increasing it to 20-6. Torrence would cap a furious Tiger drive against a Normandy prevent defense with his touchdown run, but the subsequent onside kick attempt was returned 50 yards for a score by the Invaders’ Jordan Ebinger.
Massillon coach Tom Stacy talked all week about how the Solon Comets weren’t about to beat themselves. And on Friday night, they didn’t.
The Tigers, however, made enough miscues to beat themselves. That fact, coupled with Solon’s strong all-around showing, resulted in a 10-3 Massillon loss at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
“We made some mistakes, and we just didn’t make some plays,” said Tiger coach Tom Stacy, whose team is 1-1 for the first time in his three-year tenure.
Massillon turned the ball over three times, while Solon (2-0) had no turnovers in the game. One of those turnovers – a muffed punt at the Tiger 6 with just over five minutes left – set up the Comets’ go-ahead touchdown, a 1-yard Jim Geitz run.
Of course, the Comet defense played a big part in the Tigers’ struggles. Massillon – a week after gaining 443 yards, including 268 on the ground – was held to 107 total yards by Solon. The Tigers rushed for 63 yards, with no ball carrier gaining more than 25 yards.
“It’s just a lot of heart and a lot of hard work,” said Geitz, who led all rushers with 128 yards. “All of our kids, they just throw all of their heart out there all the time, our defense especially. They just put (it all) on the line every single play, that’s what got us those turnovers.”
The Tigers had chances throughout, reaching at least the Comet 27 four different times. Only once did that result in points, when Steve Schott knocked through a 44-yard field goal with 58 seconds left in the first half to tie the game at 3-3.
One drive ended with a fumble at the Solon 24 in the first quarter, while another resulted in a 49-yard field goal falling short in the third quarter. The most disappointing may have come on the first drive in the second half, when Justin Turner set the Tigers up in good field position with an 87-yard kickoff return to the Solon 3.
But three running plays netted two yards, leaving Massillon with a fourth-and-goal inside the Comet 1. The fourth-down play was stuffed by the center of the Solon defense, leaving the game knotted at 3-3.
“You get the ball on the one-foot line or wherever we had it on down there, you have to punch it in, but we didn’t do it,” Stacy said. “They stopped us, and give them credit.”
The Tigers couldn’t get into Solon territory in the fourth quarter, after both third-quarter drives did. They appeared to ready to get the ball back with just over five minutes remaining, but the punt was mishandled by the return man, and Solon fell on it inside the Tiger 10.
Three straight Geitz runs – the last from 1-yard out – managed to break the deadlock, giving the Comets the lead for good with 5:08 remaining. The Tigers’ last possession resulted in an interception by Tyler Rodman, who snagged a bobbled pass for Solon.
“We just didn’t make plays,” Stacy said. “We had plays in the passing game; we had three or four drops. We just didn’t make enough plays.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Solon cracked the scoreboard first with a 35-yard Pat Jacobs field goal with 4:04 remaining in the first half. The kick capped a nine-play drive which started on the Comet 46.
The Tigers didn’t stay behind for long. Key by two big pass plays – one to Turner and another to Giorgio Jackson – Massillon took the ball from its own 33 to the Comet 27 on its next drive.
But the drive stalled at that point, and Schott was called upon to boot a 44-yard field goal. He did, with room to spare, to tie things up at 3-3.
For one half of Friday night’s season opener against Middletown, the Massillon Tigers looks liked a team trying to get adjusted – to the sweltering heat, to a boatload of new players and to the Middies themselves.
After halftime, though, the Tigers looked like a team which had made those adjustments, and cruised to a 42-21 victory over Middletown in front of an impressive opening-night crowd at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers went from a 14-7 halftime edge to a 42-14 advantage with 2:46 remaining in the game. A big reason for that was the Massillon running game of DeVoe Torrence and K.J. Herring, who combined for 252 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries.
“I think our running game wore them down,” Tiger coach Tom Stacy said. “I think DeVoe and K.J. started to pound on them. I think our conditioning paid off in the second half.”
Torrence led the way for the Tigers with 157 yards on 20 carries, many of those impressive runs where he churned out extra yards after the initial hit, or by dancing around the first defender he came across. It was the Ohio State recruit’s first appearance in front of the Tiger fans in a regular-season game after transferring in from Canton South in the spring.
“I was very excited,” said Torrence, who gained 122 yards in the second half. “We’ve been working hard. I knew our linemen were working hard. I was amped, though, since Day One. I had to try to prove myself.”
He did so, as he added another 49 yards on three receptions in the game.
The Tigers finished with 443 yards in the game, 228 of those after halftime.
“I think the first half, we had a lot of jitters,” Tiger center Blake Seidler said.
Middletown took advantage of the Tigers’ young defense on its first play, as Caleb Watkins hit Allen Roberts in stride down the middle of the field. Roberts took the ball to the Massillon 3, where Justin Turner finally dragged him down.
On the next play, J.J. Greenwood ran it in off left tackle for a Middies score. Zach Ferrell’s PAT made it 7-0 just 2:29 into the season.
“They had a big hit right off the bat,” Stacy said. “That was a great play on their part.”
The Tigers answered on their next possession with a crisp four-play, 57-yard scoring drive of their own. The final 37 of those yards were covered by a Willoughby-to-Kevin Massey touchdown pass down the right sideline.
Steve Schott evened it up with a PAT with 8:09 left in the first quarter
It would stay that way until Steve Yoder plowed in from a yard out with 13 seconds left in the half to make it 14-7 Tigers after the PAT. The score was set up by a bad snap on a Middletown punt try, which gave Massillon the ball at the Middie 22.
In between those two Tiger scores, the two teams took turns spinning their wheels. Massillon had a drive reach the Middletown 34, only to be halted by a fumble. Another reached the Middie 48, but also went nowhere.
The best Tiger scoring chance between the two touchdowns came on their next-to-last drive of the half, which reached the Middletown 1. However, a fumbled snap, lost yardage on a run and eventually a missed 26-yard field goal dashed Massillon’s hopes for a change to the scoreboard.
Middletown did not have much better success, only getting on the Tigers’ side of the 50 once after its initial score. That drive, which reached the Massillon 33, was snuffed out when Turner came up with an interception.
The Middies evened thing up with an eight-play, 80-yard scoring drive to start the second half, with Roberts catching a 13-yard touchdown pass with 9:11 left in the third. They would get the ball right back after Massillon fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but could do nothing with the opportunity.
Massillon, however, was able to kick it into high gear the next time it touched the ball. With Torrence carrying it six times for 52 yards on the drive, the Tigers ripped off an eight-play, 66-yard scoring drive, the last four coming on a Torrence run with 4:53 left in the third to grab a 21-14 lead.
From there, the Tigers simply took off. On their next drive, K.J. Herring ripped off a 40-yard scoring run to make it 28-14 Tiger, which was the third-quarter score.
Tiger quarterback Mike Clark added a 13-yard scoring run, while Torrence capped his night with a 36-yard touchdown scamper with 2:46 left. Middletown did score with 1:04 remaining on a Watkins 26-yard run.
Tigers don’t capitalize on scoring opportunities in loss to Whitmer Division I Region 2 Semifinal
By CHRIS EASTERLING Chris.Easterling@IndeOnline.com
The Massillon Tigers figured if they held Toledo Whitmer to just a pair of touchdowns, chances were good they would find themselves back in a regional championship game for the second year in a row.
Massillon was able to do just that, but will still be putting the equipment away this week after it suffered a 14-10 defeat at the hands of the Panthers in a Division I Region 2 semifinal on a cool, rainy Saturday night at Parma’s Byers Field.
Two old, familiar problems showed up to sabotage the Tigers’ dreams of matching last year’s magical playoff run – a dangerous running quarterback, and the lack of big plays on offense.
“Their quarterback is a good player,” said Tiger coach Tom Stacy, whose team bows out at 7-5. “We knew that coming in, and he ran the ball well. But it was our inability to finish on offense that really hurt us. When you give up 14 points in the playoffs, you should win. We just didn’t do enough on offense to get it done.”
Game Action vs. Whitmer 2006
Game Action vs. Whitmer 2006
Game Action vs. Whitmer 2006
Game Action vs. Whitmer 2006
Game Action vs. Whitmer 2006
Game Action vs. Whitmer 2006
Game Action vs. Whitmer 2006
Game Action vs. Whitmer 2006
Game Action vs. Whitmer 2006
Whitmer’s quarterback-in-a-fullback-body, Donnie Dottei, hurt Massillon with 113 yards rushing on 23 carries, including a third-quarter score that put the Panthers on the board for the first time. Many of those runs were on designed quarterback counter plays similar to the ones which caused the Tigers so much trouble in a loss to Mentor earlier in the season.
“We never saw that tape, but we knew that Mentor had a good game plan also out of the spread offense,” said Whitmer coach Joe Palka, whose team will take a 9-3 record into this Friday’s regional final against McKinley at Byers Field. “We knew that the quarterback run could give them problems.
“Fortunately today, it worked well for us. Donnie is one of our best runners, so it worked out good.”
Dottei also hurt Massillon with his arm – somewhat. It was his 24-yard touchdown strike to tight end Kevin Koger, a ball Koger made a nifty adjustment on to grab behind a Tiger defender, which provided the winning points with 8:22 remaining in the game.
The Tigers did enough to jump in front 10-0 in the first half, even with all-state tailback Brian Gamble limited to just defensive duties for much of the game due to an ankle injury. Massillon scored on its first possession of the game – a drive that started at the Whitmer 47 following a punt – when junior K.J. Herring ripped off a 37-yard touchdown run with 9:54 remaining.
Herring and sophomore J.T. Turner picked right back up where they left off a week ago in the win over Perry, when they combined for 96 yards rushing. In fact, they bettered those numbers as Turner finished with 117 yards on 18 carries, while Herring ran for 99 on 16 totes.
“They did a good job,” Stacy said of Herring and Turner. “They did a good job. Still, when you lose an all-state tailback, it’s big. He does so much for us, not just running the football, but catching it also. But the two young guys did a nice job.”
Massillon’s second – and final – score came on the Tigers’ first drive of the second quarter. Starting at its own 20, Massillon methodically drove the ball to the Panther 10, but stalled. Facing a fourth-and-6 situation, Steve Schott was called on to kick a 27-yard field goal, which he did to make it 10-0 Tigers with 3:55 left until halftime.
It would be the final time the Tigers would change the number on their side of the scoreboard this season.
The Tigers were able to eliminate the turnovers for the third straight game.
But they did set up Whitmer’s first score with a bad snap on a punt which moved the ball from the Panther 39 to the Massillon 17. Two plays later, Dottei was in the end zone to make it 10-7 Tigers with 8:54 remaining in the third quarter.
Massillon had its share of chances throughout the game, snapping the ball 30 times on Whitmer’s side of the 50 on the evening. Every second-half drive by the Tigers reached at least the 50, and three of the four possessions moved at least to the Whitmer 39.
But none of those drives could produce points, not even a last-ditch drive which reached the Panther 20 following a 37-yard Turner run. Three incomplete passes, as well as an 8-yard loss on a screen pass, sealed Massillon’s fate.
“We had a lot of opportunities to make plays tonight, and we didn’t make them,” Stacy said. “It’s really a hard thing to explain. We didn’t protect (quarterback Bobby Huth) very well, again. That was really disappointing. We just didn’t make plays when we had to, to win.”
Massillon’s loss brings an end to the Tiger careers of 27 seniors, including the likes of Gamble, Huth, Andrew Dailey, Trey Miller, Antonio Scassa and Emery Saunders. It was those players Stacy was thinking about most as he stood outside the same locker room from which the Tigers emerged following their historic win over St. Ignatius just a year earlier.
“I just feel bad for our seniors,” Stacy said. “It’s a great group of kids. They took us to the state championship game last year. I just feel bad for them. The Gambles and Daileys and Saunders. They’ve done so much for our program the last three years, I just feel really bad for them.
“We have a lot of guys hurting in there. They’ve invested a lot of time and effort into the program. You lose a game like this, you’re hurting. We have a lot of guys hurting in there right now.”
Massillon 7 3 0 0 10
Whitmer 0 0 7 7 14
SCORING SUMMARY
M ‑ K.J. Herring 37 run (Steve Schott kick)
M ‑ Schott 27 field goal
W ‑ Donnie Dottei 7 run (TreCaris kick)
W ‑ Kevin Koger 24 pass from Dottei (Caris kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Massillon rushing: J.T. Turner 117; Herring 16‑99 TD; Gamble 3‑14; Tommy Leonard 3‑8.
Whitmer rushing: Dottei 23‑113 TD; Dewayne Frazier 11 ‑42; Jeremy Jones 1‑0.
Massillon passing: Bobby Huth 7‑16‑67.
Perry passing: Dottei 2‑9‑41 TD.
Massillon receiving: Andrew Dailey 2‑17; Josh Cross 1‑32; Bryan Sheegog 1‑15; Giorgio Jackson 1‑8; Trey Miller 1‑3; Brian Gamble 1‑(‑8).
Massillon big‑play offense shines against neighborhood rival Perry
By CHRIS EASTERLING Chris.Easterling@lndeOnline.com
Kudos were tossed in the direction of the Massillon Tiger defense for getting the team in the playoffs with a stifling performance in the regular‑season finale against McKinley. The offense can now take a bow for helping the Tigers advance into the second round.
Behind an efficient offensive effort, Massillon made its first trip to Perry Stadium a successful one, outscoring the never‑say‑die Perry Panthers 41‑20 in a Division I Region 2 quarterfinal game on Saturday night.
The sold‑out throng of more than 7,000 that packed the stands and wrapped around the field had to be surprised to see the scoreboard change as much as it did. But they weren’t the only ones stunned to see a game between the two backyard rivals result in a combined 61 points and 776 yards of offense for both teams.
Massillon finished with 428 offensive yards in the game. Perry, meanwhile, racked up 348 yards in defeat.
Game Action vs. Perry 2006
Game Action vs. Perry 2006
Game Action vs. Perry 2006
Game Action vs. Perry 2006
Game Action vs. Perry 2006
Game Action vs. Perry 2006
Game Action vs. Perry 2006
Game Action vs. Perry 2006
Game Action vs. Perry 2006
Game Action vs. Perry 2006
“I didn’t think it would be this high‑scoring,” said Tiger coach Tom Stacy, whose 7‑4 squad will now meet Toledo Whitmer in this Saturday’s regional semifinal at Parma’s Byers Field. “We knew we were capable on offense; we just had to start making some things happen. I think throwing the ball really helped our running game. We were able to throw it, and that really helped our running game.”
It was a running game that suffered a major blow on the next‑to‑last play of the first quarter, when Tiger senior tailback Brian Gamble re-injured his ankle while playing defense. Gamble spent the remainder of the game on crutches, but Stacy was optimistic he will be able to play against Whitmer.
With Gamble on the sideline, the onus of the offense shifted to senior quarterback Bobby Huth, and Huth delivered. The two‑year starter completed 11‑of‑16 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns, two of those on beautifully‑thrown balls to Giorgio Jackson and the other a 36‑yard strike to a wide‑open Andrew Dailey which gave Massillon a 7‑0 lead just 1:36 into the game.
“I was kind of in a zone,” Huth said. “Giorgio made a lot of great plays for me. He went up and got the ball.”
Huth also benefited from having time to find his receivers. Stacy spent much of the week talking about the necessity of his offensive line to elevate its game after a disappointing showing against McKinley, and the line responded by keeping Huth clean for much of the game.
“Coach pretty much came to the line this week ‑ both (offensive line coach Matt) Leisure and Coach Stacy ‑ and said, ‘We need to get this done,”‘ Tiger center Blake Seidler said. “‘We’ve been having trouble lately. We haven’t produced the way we wanted to.’ Pretty much, it was a challenge, we were either in or out. We were either going to make it and make a run, or not.”
Perry’s hopes for a long playoff run after a 9‑1 regular season were dashed by the Tiger offensive explosion. But that doesn’t mean the Panthers went quietly into the cool Saturday evening.
Twice Perry cut the deficit to one touchdown ‑ at 14‑6 with 3:30 left in the first half and at 21‑13 less than two minutes into the second half ‑ on Eric Magnacca runs of 40 and 59 yards.
“That’s what got us here,” Perry coach John “Spider” Miller said of the running game. “At halftime, we said ‘Let’s run our double tights with our double wing and we’re going to run it.’ That’s what we did, and we got back into the ballgame.”
Both runs came on similar off‑tackle runs in which Magnacca ‑who finished with 192 of Perry’s 304 rushing yards found a crease in the Tiger defense and then simply outran the defenders to the end zone. He would add a third touchdown run of 29 yards in the fourth quarter.
“It’s a lot of (responsibility breakdowns), Tiger linebacker Antonio Scassa explained. “We messed up a couple of times. We didn’t get off the blocks, he found a seam and he took it.”
The problem for Perry was that Massillon had a counterpunch for everything the Panthers did. Massillon scored on the subsequent possession after all three Perry scores, preventing the Panthers from getting any sort of momentum.
In the first half, after Magnacca’s initial scoring run, the Tigers marched right back down the field. Buoyed by a pair of big Huth‑to‑Trey Miller pass plays, Massillon moved to the Panther 5, where K.J. Herring made it a two‑score game again at 21‑6 with his lone touchdown run of the game at the 1:46 mark of the first half.
After Magnacca cut it back to an eight‑point game on the first drive of the third quarter, the Tigers came right back down the field. This time, it was J.T. Turner ‑ the other half of the tandem filling in for Gamble ‑ doing the honors, scoring on a 20‑yard run with 7:19 remaining in the third.
The extra point was wide left, keeping it at 27‑13.
“Our kids would answer, and then their kids would answer,” Perry’s Miller said. “You can’t go back‑and‑forth like that. We needed to punch another one in or eat the clock up and keep the ball away from them. That’s what you’re supposed to do. That’s what we tried to do. That’s what we wanted, and that’s what we’ve done all year.”
Massillon would get the three‑score breathing room it needed on its next possession. On the second play of the drive, Huth lofted a perfect throw down the right sideline to Jackson, who broke clear of the Panther defense to catch the ball in stride and race into the end zone for a 70‑yard score with 4:56 left in the third quarter.
“The (route) was an out-and‑up,” said Jackson, who had a game‑high 114 receiving yards on three catches. “We just called it, the guy was a little bit in front of me, I saw I could make a play and just outran the rest of the defenders.”
Magnacca gave the Panthers momentary hope with his third long touchdown run of the game ‑this one a 29‑yarder ‑ to cut it to 34‑20 with six seconds left in the third. But Jackson sealed the Panthers’ fate with a leaping 32‑yard touchdown catch over a Perry defender in the end zone with 8:56 left to provide the final margin.
“(Scoring) 41 points is awesome,” Tiger inside linebacker Cody Colly said. “We hadn’t really been able to do that all season. We finally did it.”
And because of it, the Tigers live to play another day.
By CHRIS EASTERLING Chris.Easterling@IndeOnline.com
Football isn’t a game of life-or-death. That is, unless one is talking about a team’s playoff life or an offseason spent wondering “What if?”
The Massillon Tigers didn’t fall asleep Saturday night pondering that question. They didn’t have to, after knocking off previously-undefeated McKinley 10-7 in front of 17,950 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium earlier in the day.
Program Cover
“I’m really proud of this group of kids,” Tiger coach Tom Stacy said. “It’s really special, because they fought and they fought. We’ve been so close all year to winning a big game. To finally able to do it against your archrival, and an undefeated team, is big.”
The win punches Massillon’s ticket back into the Division I playoffs, sending the Tigers to Perry to face the 9-1 Panthers in a Region 2 quarterfinal game.
There was a chance – a good one – Massillon could have qualified for the postseason, even with a loss to McKinley. But, for the 6-4 Tigers, Saturday’s win was certainly a confidence-builder – as players puffed up their chests and sprinted across the turf to take the Victory Bell back from the Bulldogs.
“This is probably the best win I’ve ever experienced in my life,” said senior linebacker Antonio Scassa. “We beat McKinley and we’re going to the playoffs and we’re going to make a run. It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had.”
The record will officially state that it was Steve Schott’s career-long 47-yard field goal with 6:38 left in the third quarter which won the game for the Tigers.
But, the Tiger defense deserves a lot of the credit.
The Tigers forced three Bulldog turnovers, held All-Ohio running back Morgan Williams out of the end zone and set up both Massillon scores with big plays.
Game Action vs. McKinley 2006
Game Action vs. McKinley 2006
Game Action vs. McKinley 2006
Game Action vs. McKinley 2006
Game Action vs. McKinley 2006
Game Action vs. McKinley 2006
Game Action vs. McKinley 2006
Game Action vs. McKinley 2006
Game Action vs. McKinley 2006
Game Action vs. McKinley 2006
“We just figured we had to come out and play defense,” Tiger senior free safety Darion McGuire said. “The defense always says that we can win the game ourselves. No putting down our offense, but we know that they can’t win if they (the other team) can’t score.”
McKinley scored on its third play of the game, when fullback George Tabron ripped off a 23-yard touchdown scamper on a simple trap play. Tabron ran through a gaping hole and wasn’t touched until his teammates swarmed him in the end zone.
Zack Campbell’s extra point made it 7-0 Bulldogs with 9:31 left in the first quarter.
The Tigers wouldn’t give McKinley many more chances to score. In fact, the closest the Bulldogs would get to the Massillon end zone was the Tiger 35 in the fourth quarter, a drive which ended on an incomplete pass on fourth down.
Not that McKinley didn’t move the ball on Massillon. Williams, who rushed for over 300 yards combined in two games against the Tigers a year ago, looked well on his way to another huge performance in the first half.
The Bulldog senior rushed for 131 yards on 17 first-half carries. Because of Williams, McKinley took at least one snap in Massillon territory on four of six first-half possessions.
Williams found the sledding much tougher in the second half. He would only muster 29 yards after halftime on 12 carries.
“It’s hard to keep Morgan in check if you just play regular football,” McGuire said. “If you play off of your emotion and heart, then you can keep any running back or any offense in check. … Everybody just played with a lot of heart today.”
It was the Tigers’ ability to change the field position with a big defensive play that made all the difference. All three of Massillon’s fumble recoveries were made in McKinley territory, including one by Cody Colly at the Bulldog 47 which set up Schott’s go-ahead field goal.
“You can’t beat your sister if you turn the ball over three times,” said McKinley coach Brian Cross. “A couple of those were pretty good hits, but a couple of those, we just didn’t secure the ball. That’s the name of the game.”
But it was a big play in the special teams department which got Massillon back in the game in the first half. After McKinley was forced to punt at their own 45, Corey Hildreth swooped in up the middle on the rush and blocked the kick, and Colly fell on the ball at the Bulldog 30.
It was Hildreth’s second blocked punt of the season. He also blocked one, which he returned for a score, against Moeller.
“It was a totally different scheme (than against Moeller),” Hildreth said. “There was totally different blocking up front, so we had to do a totally different scheme. The blocking for our team was amazing. It opened the hole right up, and I just came right through.”
Two plays later, Bobby Huth hit Trey Miller down the right sideline for a 29-yard touchdown pass at the 7:21 mark of the second quarter. Schott’s PAT tied the game at 7-7.
“We run a lot of outs, quick outs and stop routes,” Stacy explained on the call. “When we get opportunities in the red zone, we like to go over the top some. People overplay those routes sometimes. We had an opportunity to do it. Bobby put it up there, and Trey ran underneath it. I think their defensive back slipped. That was a big play for us.”
From there, it became a chess match of sorts. Neither team could get an edge on the other – until Scassa forced the fumble early in the third quarter.
The Tigers took the fumble recovery and moved the ball to the Bulldog 27. But a sack pushed the ball back, and Massillon slowed to a halt at the McKinley 30.
That brought Schott on to kick the 47-yarder while the wind swirled through the stadium. But the junior got plenty of leg on it, and the ball – which seemed in slow motion as it sailed through the air – cleared the crossbar with a little room to spare to give the Tigers the lead.
“Right off my foot, I knew it was good,” Schott said. “I didn’t have any second-guesses about that.”
No doubt, some may have second-guessed Stacy late in the game when he elected to go for it facing a fourth-and-3 at the McKinley 27. A field goal there, and it’s a six-point game.
“We talked about it,” Stacy said of kicking the field goal. “The thing I didn’t want to have happen was them block it and have a chance to return it. If they were going to win it, they were going to have to earn it by driving the football against our defense. Obviously, our defense, the way they played in the second half, had a pretty good chance to stop them even if we didn’t get it.”
But the Tigers went for it, and the move paid off when Huth hit fullback Tommy Leonard in the flat for an eight-yard gain to the 19. From there, all that was left was the countdown to the playoffs for the Tigers.
Tiger offense makes good on pledge:
No turnovers
By CHRIS EASTERLING
Chris.Easterling@IndeOnline.com
The Massillon Tigers finished Saturday’s game with 140 yards of total offense. Or, to put it differently, 20 yards fewer than Bulldog All-Ohioan Morgan Williams rushed for in the game.
But, when the dust settled in the 115th installment of the “The Game” at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, the only numbers that mattered at all to the Tigers were illuminated on the scoreboard. Those numbers read, Tigers 10, Bulldogs 7.
“I don’t care if you win by a point in this game,” Tiger coach Tom Stacy said. “It doesn’t matter. A win’s a win. I can’t reiterate enough, I thought both teams played outstanding defense.”
And while the Massillon offense may not have worn out the lights on the scoreboard, it did something even more important, something which was critical to the Tigers’ success.
It took care of the football.
“No turnovers,” Tiger senior Brian Gamble said with a smile in the locker room afterwards.
“No turnovers” was a mantra for the Tigers in the days leading up to the McKinley clash. That’s because, in the seven games prior to it, Massillon had turned the ball over 21 times.
But on a day in which the weather was typical Ohio – dreary, then rainy, then snowy, then sunny, all the while windy and cold – Massillon took care of the football like it was its first-born.
“We emphasize it every week,” Tiger senior Andrew Dailey said. “We talk ball security, ball security. People stepped up in the big game. We played to our potential.”
The Tigers struggled to get the big play on offense for much of the day.
The first such play came in the midpoint of the second quarter, after Massillon blocked a Bulldog punt and recovered at the McKinley 30. On the second play of the series, Bobby Huth rolled to his right, avoided the rushing defender, and threw downfield.
Trey Miller, who had run an out pattern, turned up field and got by the Bulldog defensive back. About the time the defender fell down, Miller hauled in the pass and raced into the end zone for the game-tying touchdown.
Amazingly enough, that was one of only three plays which went for more than 10 yards for Massillon all game long. That doesn’t count a 33-yard touchdown pass to J.T. Turner which was called back due to a penalty.
In fact, the Tigers only amassed 46 yards in the second half. But, considering the way they were protecting the football, and the way their defensive counterparts were taking it away from McKinley, it was more than enough.
“We certainly didn’t play well enough on offense,” Stacy said. “That’s to the credit of their defense. I just thought they played tremendously. They have a tremendous defense. You just have to give their staff a lot of credit.”
“We had trouble moving the football period in the second half. I’m just thankful we got a pass there for the first down to run the clock out. That was big.”
As big as the numbers on the scoreboard which recorded the Tiger victory.
Bottom line for Dogs: ‘We didn’t execute’
By GREG KOHNTOPP
Greg.Kohntopp@IndeOnline.com
McKinley had already wrapped up a playoff berth and a first-round home game by the time it traveled to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium to face rival Massillon in Saturday’s 115th showdown between the two storied programs.
Massillon, on the other hand, was fighting for its playoff lives.
It would be easy to say Massillon just wanted it more, but don’t tell that to McKinley head coach Brian Cross after the Tigers’ upset No. 3-ranked McKinley 10-7.
“That had nothing to do with it,” the fourth-year coach said after his team fell to 9-1. “We turned the ball over, and we didn’t get the job done. We had a lot to play for, too. We played for pride, and that’s bigger than anything else. That’s what this game was about. It’s pride. You have to live with it for 365 days, so they had nothing more to play for than we did.”
The Bulldogs lost three fumbles and had a punt blocked, leading to all 10 of Massillon’s points.
The Tigers’ first seven points came immediately following Corey Hildreth’s blocked punt, which was recovered at the McKinley 30. It set up a Bobby Huth to Trey Miller 29-yard touchdown strike with 7:21 remaining before the half.
The final three points came after Massillon linebacker Antonio Scassa blitzed McKinley quarterback Danny Grimsley in the third quarter, chased him back 12 yards then stripped the ball. Fellow inside linebacker Cody Colly fell on the loose ball at the McKinley 47. From there, the Tigers only penetrated to the 30-yard line, but it was close enough for Steve Schott to split the uprights for a 47-yard field goal for the winning points.
“We had two turnovers lead to those 10 points,” said Cross. “That’s the name of the game. That’s what it’s all about. You have to give them credit for forcing those.”
There is no doubting how big of an impact the turnovers had. But it was more than turnovers that put the Bulldogs on the short end of the score. McKinley put the ball on the turf two more times and also had a muffed punt, which the Bulldogs recovered on their own three yard line. Then, there was the 2-of-12 passing for 21 yards for McKinley.
“We didn’t throw the ball well,” Cross said. “We didn’t execute and that’s the bottom line. We had guys open and we didn’t make plays. We have got to do a better job throwing the ball.”
If there was a bright spot in the defeat, it was how well the McKinley defense played. That unit held the Tigers to just 57 yards rushing on 40 carries and 83 yards through the air.
Linebacker George Tabron was a part of 14 tackles and defensive end Martavian Thigpen was also in on several plays, including a pair of sacks.
“Looking at the stats, I thought our defense played really well,” said Cross. “We held them to 40 rushes and 57 yards. You can’t play much better than that.
Only thing standing between Massillon and postseason is nemesis McKinley
By CHRIS EASTERLING Chris.Easterling@IndeOnline.com
Normally, conversation about the McKinley Bulldogs must wait until the Massillon Tigers have finished off their Week Nine opponent.
So, exactly when did the McKinley talk begin for the Tigers on Saturday night?
Program Cover
“Pretty much after I came out of the game after halftime,” said senior linebacker Antonio Scassa after Massillon dispatched of overmatched Cincinnati Western Hills 65‑6 in front of 6,641 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on Saturday. “Everybody was talking about getting the Bulldogs.”
If the Tigers can get the Bulldogs ‑ who are 9‑0 for the second straight year ‑ this Saturday afternoon at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, they can punch their ticket into the Division I playoffs for the second year in a row. Massillon, which improved to 5‑4 with the win over the Mustangs, is expected to jump back into the top eight in Region 2 when the computer rankings are released Tuesday.
A win over McKinley could not just secure the playoff spot, but just might be enough to catapult the Tigers all the way into the top four in the region. According to a popular web site which projects the rankings, Massillon was ranked No. 6 in the region as of Sunday morning.
“We have to have the best week of practice we’ve had all season,”
Tiger coach Tom Stacy said. “We’re playing obviously a great opponent, an undefeated team. We probably have to win to get into the playoffs. It’s on the line for us. This will be the first week of the playoffs for us. It’s started.
“We can accomplish every goal we set out for, except an undefeated season. All of our other goals which we have up on our board in the locker room are attainable. Our kids know that. It’s obviously going to take a great effort against a great team a week from (Saturday) to get a win.”
The Tigers didn’t need a great effort to dispatch of Western Hills last Saturday. Still, Massillon was more than efficient in dissecting the Mustangs, who fell to 3‑6.
Game Action vs. Western Hills 2006
Game Action vs. Western Hills 2006
Game Action vs. Western Hills 2006
Game Action vs. Western Hills 2006
Game Action vs. Western Hills 2006
Game Action vs. Western Hills 2006
Ten of the Tigers’ 17 first‑quarter plays either picked up first downs or touchdowns as Massillon opened up a 21‑0 lead after one quarter. Two came on Bobby Huth touchdown passes ‑ one to Brendon Baker and the other to Tommy Leonard ‑ while K.J. Herring also ran for a score.
Huth added two more touchdown passes, to Baker and Giorgio Jackson, to push Massillon’s lead to 35-0 at halftime. Huth finished 14‑of‑18 for 169 yards and four touchdowns.
“We just came in thinking we can’t lose any more,” said Jackson, who caught three passes for 51 yards, including a touchdown. “We just consider every game like it’s the state championship game. Every game is like the last game we’re playing. We just have to keep on doing that.”
By the midpoint of the third quarter, the Tigers were liberally substituting on both sides of the football. The only question was whether or not Massillon would get the shutout, which was broken up by a 68‑yard David Shavers run on the option with 6:08 left in the third, a score which cut the Tiger lead to 38‑6.
All of this was accomplished without the services of All‑Ohioan Brian Gamble, who sat out the game with an ankle injury. Stacy said Gamble could have played if needed, but will definitely return for McKinley.
“If he had to play, we could have played him,” Stacy said of Gamble.
In Gamble’s absence, Herring and J.T. Turner split the tailback duties, and did so with solid results, finishing with 146 yards on 19 carries, and a pair of second‑half touchdowns, while Herring ran for 84 on 11 carries with a score.
When it was over, Massillon had scored on nine of its 12 possessions in the game. The Tigers also came up with a defensive score when Jeff Combs returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown with 5:55 left to make it 58‑6.
Combs finished with a pair of interceptions, which was half of the Tigers’ total as a team on the night. Corey Hildreth and Cody Colly also had picks.
About the only thing which really had Stacy upset afterward was two Tiger fumbles in the first half, which raises the team’s turnover total to 21 on the season. Both came on Western Hills’ side of the 50 and spoiled potential scoring chances.
“We can not turn the ball over next week or we will not win,” Stacy said. “We have no chance if we do that. Other than that, I thought our kids played well out there. We did some good things.”
Massillon’s loss to Warren puts team in must‑win mode
By CHRIS EASTERLING Chris.Easterling@lndeOnline.com
The math is pretty simple for the Massillon Tigers. If they have hopes of playing in the postseason for the second straight year, the Tigers have to put back‑to‑back wins together in their final two games.
No other options remain for Massillon, not after it suffered its fourth loss in the last five games, this one a 21‑16 setback to Warren Harding on Saturday night in front of about 10,000 at Mollenkopf Stadium.
The loss drops the Tigers back to the .500 mark at 4-4, with only Cincinnati Western Hills this Saturday and the Oct. 28 showdown with McKinley left on the 2006 regular‑season schedule. Not that Tiger coach Tom Stacy is looking any farther than this Saturday’s home game with Western Hills.
“We’ve got to win our last two games,” Stacy said outside a quiet Tiger locker room Saturday. “But our kids want to win every game. When you’re at Massillon, you strive to win every game.
Game Action vs. Warren 2006
Game Action vs. Warren 2006
Game Action vs. Warren 2006
Game Action vs. Warren 2006
Game Action vs. Warren 2006
“We didn’t go into this week (leading up to the Harding game) thinking we needed to win two out of three, or one out of three to make the playoffs or whatever. We don’t even talk about that. We’re out there to win every game. Unfortunately we didn’t get it done.”
Those looking for the Tigers’ season in a nutshell needed to look no farther than Saturday’s game. Especially on offense, where Massillon racked up 258 yards, but had three turnovers, two of which the Raiders returned for back‑breaking touchdowns.
The opportunity was there for the Tigers, despite falling down 21‑10 at halftime, to win the game. Massillon, which cut it to 21‑16 on a Trey Miller fourth‑quarter touchdown catch, had the ball on the Raider 24 with just over 3:00 remaining.
But a fourth‑down pass to the end zone sailed out of the reach of the intended receiver’s outstretched arms, sealing the Tigers’ fate.
“We’re making too many turnovers, obviously,” Stacy said. “We’re not making a key play and a key point in the game when we need it. That’s what’s hurting us right now. We went through all those turnovers in the first half; all that horsecrap, and still we have an opportunity to win the football game. We’re just not making the play at the end of the game to win the game.”
As valiant as the Tigers’ comeback try was, it wasn’t enough to erase the damage inflicted by the turnovers. More specifically, the two turnovers which Harding returned for scores.
The first, a 49‑yard interception return by Harding’s Sidney Glover, gave the Raiders the lead for good at 14‑10 with 6:08 left until halftime. The second, a 65‑yard fumble return by Lazarus McCrae, capped Harding’s 21‑point second quarter and gave the Raiders a 21‑10 edge with 3:37 remaining until the band show.
“I think it pretty much can be summed up by no turnovers for the Raiders and some turnovers for the Tigers,” said Harding coach Thom McDaniels, whose team is now 6‑2. “I’m certain that’s the difference in the ball game.”
Those turnovers and the Tigers’ inability to get that big play to turn the momentum have marred their four losses. Against Harding, Massillon had more yards’ more first downs and a better third‑down conversion percentage than the Raiders. The Tigers reached at least the Harding 38 on seven different occasions, only to get 16 points out of it.
“It’s not any one thing,” Stacy said. “We’ll make some plays and get a couple of key first downs, and then somebody will break down, and then another part of our game breaks down. We just take turns. That’s what’s frustrating about it. … We just have to make more plays on offense. That’s all there is to it.”
Adding to the frustration was the defensive effort which the Tigers turned in was good enough to win the game. Harding only mustered 126 yards of offense and just eight first downs for the game.
Massillon knew coming in the threat posed by Harding’s Ohio State‑bound tailback Danny Herron, and adjusted their defensive look accordingly. The Tigers rolled outside linebacker Dorie Irvin up to the line of scrimmage to provide a fourman front to aid in stopping Herron.
It worked, as Herron was held to just 75 yards on 30 carries, In fact, the 5‑foot‑11, 193‑pound senior’s longest run of the night was a 9‑yard scamper in the third quarter.
“We gave them a different defense, a little bit different look than what they have seen,” Stacy said. “Like I said, our defensive coaches just did an outstanding job of game‑planning. I thought our kids defensively just played great.
“It’s a great defensive effort. Herron has to be one of the top running backs in the state, a great back. Their offensive line does a great job. I thought our kids just did a great job on defense.”
Warren Harding 21
Massillon 16
Massillon 7 3 0 6 16
Warren Harding 0 21 0 0 21
SCORING SUMMARY
M ‑ Brian Gamble 2 pass from Bobby Huth (Steve Schott kick)
Massillon overcomes four turnovers to end two‑game losing skid
By CHRIS EASTERLING Chris.Easterling@lndeOnline.com
It was anything but an Instant Classic, but when you’re trying to fight your way into the playoffs, anything will work.
Certainly, the Massillon Tigers aren’t about to give back the 27‑12 victory they secured over the Buchtel Griffins on Friday night in front of 7,728 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Proram Cover
“I’ll tell you what, when you’re playing our schedule, you’ll take them anyway you can get them,” Tiger coach Tom Stacy said. “I thought our kids really played hard. Obviously, the turnovers kept it from being a lopsided game, and our inability to score in the red zone again. We have to continue to work on that. But I thought our kids played hard.”
The win snaps a two‑game-losing streak for Massillon, which is now 4‑3 heading into next Satur day’s road test at Warren Harding. It is also the Tigers’ first win against an Ohio team this season.
But it didn’t come easy, as Massillon turned the ball over four times ‑ three on fumbles. The Tigers also were just 2‑of‑5 in red‑zone scoring chances.
“It feels good, but we’re looking to next week now,” said Tiger senior Brian Gamble, who rushed for a game high 135 yards while also catching a touchdown pass and intercepting a pass. “It’s over with.”
The first half set the tone for the whole game, as both teams struggled with .turnovers ‑ the Tigers had ,.three while Buchtel turned it over once ‑ and missed chances.
Still, the Tigers were able to muster the biggest offensive play of the half when Bobby Huth hit Giorgio Jackson for 62‑yard touchdown with 3:42 left in the first quarter to put Massillon ahead 10‑6 after Steve Schott’s extra point. Jackson caught the pass at about the Buchtel 40, side‑stepped a defender or two, then outran the rest into the end zone for the score only offensive touchdown of the half.
Jackson had 135 yards on eight catches. Many of those were simple out patterns in which he was able to turn it up field and get yards after the catch.
“I love getting the ball to Giorgio,” said Huth, who threw for a season‑high 261 yards. “I can throw that five‑yard out, and he can turn it up for 20 yards. He’ll break a couple of tackles.”
The only other touchdown before the intermission gave Buchtel a 6‑0 lead just 2:17 into the game. On the first play of the Tigers’ second possession, the ball squirted free and was picked up by the Griffins’ Johnny Adams, who simply outran everybody to the end zone for the score. The extra point was missed, keeping it at 6‑0 Buchtel.
Game Action vs. Buchtel 2006
Game Action vs. Buchtel 2006
Game Action vs. Buchtel 2006
Game Action vs. Buchtel 2006
Game Action vs. Buchtel 2006
Game Action vs. Buchtel 2006
The Tigers would hold onto the football on their next drive, which consumed 4:07 off the clock and moved them from their own 33 to inside the Griffin 1. However, while Massillon was lining up to try to punch it in on fourth down, it was flagged for a false start, moving it back past the Buchtel 5. Schott was called to boot the 23‑yard field goal, which he did to cut it to 6‑3 Buchtel with 5:23 left in the first quarter.
With the Tigers up 10‑6, Massillon’s Mike Sampson would force a Buchtel fumble with less than eight minutes remaining in the half, and his teammate Steve Yoder would fall on it at the Griffin 38. The Tigers would pickup 13 yards on the drive to the Griffin 25, but stalled again. Schott padded the Massillon lead by hitting a 42‑yard field goal for a 13‑6 edge with 6:02 left until the band show.
The Tigers would get two more possessions in the half, both of them reaching Griffin territory. But both would result in turnovers, once on a fumble at the Buchtel 40 and the other an interception at the Griffin 5.
“I think it’s a matter of some of them, we were forcing the play,” Stacy said. “Instead of throwing it away and going to the next down, we’re trying to force the ball in there and trying to make something out of nothing. You can’t do that, especially in the red zone. You can’t take points off the board.”
Buchtel would reach Massillon’s 30 on its next‑to‑last possession of the half ‑ the only time in the first half it ran more than one offensive play in Tiger territory ‑ but turned the ball over on downs.
“I think our defense just played hard,” said Tiger linebacker Cody Colly. “I think that’s what it was. We just knew we had to get the job done because there was a lot on the line. We just played our hearts out and that’s what got it done.”
Things would change on Massillon’s first drive of ‑the second half , which started at the Buchtel 40 following a punt. On the fourth play, Huth hit a wide‑open Gamble down the right sidelines, and Gamble ran into the end zone for the touchdown. Schott’s PAT made it 20‑6 Tigers with 9:29 left in the third quarter.
Gamble would give the Tigers good field possession for their second drive when he came up with an interception at the Griffin 49. Four plays later, Huth hit tight end Josh Cross just inside the front right pylon for a 15‑yard touchdown and 27‑6 Tiger lead after the PAT with 7:28 left in the third.
Adams tacked on an offensive touchdown when he caught a 15‑yard scoring pass from Glen Campbell on a fourth‑and‑5 play. The score cut it to 27‑12 with 2:55 left in the third after the PAT kick failed.
Buchtel would get the ball right back at the Tiger 48 after a fumble following a reception. But the Griffins fumbled it right back five plays later at the Tiger 36, a drive which would end in a missed field goal.
“We fought hard,” said Buchtel coach Claude Brown, whose team falls to 3‑4. “We made a couple of mistakes there. We’ve got to catch the ball, we have to hold our blocks and we have to make plays.”
Massillon 27
Buchtel 12
Buchtel 6 0 6 0 12
Massillon 10 3 14 0 27
SCORING SUMMARY
B ‑ Johnny Adams 28 fumble return (Kick failed)
M ‑ Steve Schott 23 FG
M ‑ Giorgio Jackson 62 pass from Bobby Huth (Schott kick)
M ‑ Schott 42 FG
M ‑ Brian Gamble 30 pass from Huth (Schott kick)
M ‑ Josh Cross 15 pass from Huth (Schott kick)
B ‑ Adams 15 pass from Glen Campbell (Kick failed)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Massillon rushing: Gamble 27‑135; Tommy Leonard 5‑31; Andrew Dailey 1‑0.
Buchtel rushing: Kameron Alexander 12‑58; Ernest Pitts 15‑43; Norman Wolfe 1‑10; Adams 2‑6.
By CHRIS EASTERLING Chris.Easterling@IndeOnline.com
Thanks to the one-man show that was St. Ignatius senior Matthew Merletti, the Massillon Tigers find themselves at a crossroads in their season. One way leads back to the playoffs, the other to an end of the road after the week 10 game with McKinley.
Program Cover
“We need to probably win out, or come close, to make the playoffs,” Tiger coach Tom Stacy said after his team fell to 3-3 following a 30-16 loss to St. Ignatius on Friday night in front of 12,458 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. “Any time you lose a couple of games in a row, you worry about people jumping ship on you. We told our guys, we can’t have any of that happen and win out. We have to have everybody with us – coaches, players, everybody from the third-stringer to the first-stringer. They’re going to have to rally around.”
Merletti single-handedly put the 6-0 Wildcats on his back on this evening, rushing for a game-high 221 yards on 31 carries, while adding a back-breaking 79-yard interception return for a score in the fourth quarter. He finished with 398 yards total between his rushing, receiving and return yards.
“Tony Gonzalez had a pretty big game here a few years ago,” said St. Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle, whose team is now 6-0. “It was one of those types of things. Tom and I even talked about Matt before the game. He said, ‘That 22 (Merletti) is just a tremendous player.’ And I said, ‘We need him to be.'”
Afterwards, the senior talked about how he and his Wildcat teammates were inspired all week by memories of Massillon’s 29-26 win over Ignatius a year ago. That broke an 0-8 skid against Ignatius by the Tigers.
“We definitely thought about that, no question about it,” Merletti said. “That was a big motivator.”
Now Massillon needs a similar kind of motivation as it heads into the final four games of the season. It starts next Friday night when Buchtel visits Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
“We have to coach better and we have to play better,” Stacy said. “If you want to win games, that’s what you have to do.
“It’s going to be our job to pull them together. That’s why you coach. I’m really confident will bounce back next week. I really am.”
Game-Action-vs. Ignatius 2006
Game-Action-vs. Ignatius 2006
Game-Action-vs. Ignatius 2006
Game-Action-vs. Ignatius 2006
Game-Action-vs. Ignatius 2006
Game-Action-vs. Ignatius 2006
Game-Action-vs. Ignatius 2006
The Tigers went back to good, old-fashioned smash-mouth football on their second series of the game, one which ended with Steve Schott kicking a 33-yard field goal to give Massillon a 3-0 lead with 4:32 left in the first quarter. The drive took 15 plays, with 10 of those being running plays, including a 3-yard run by Brian Gamble on fourth-and-1 from the Ignatius 23 to keep it alive.
But the Wildcats answered, thanks in a large part by a 56-yard run by Merletti, who was untouched until Gamble tackled him at the Tiger 6. Two plays later, Merletti gave Ignatius the lead with a 3-yard run with 3:00 left in the quarter, making it 7-3 Wildcats after Nick Yako’s PAT kick.
Gamble again needed to save the Tiger defense on Ignatius’ next possession – but only momentarily. Merletti ripped off a 61-yard run through a gaping hole up the middle to the Massillon 12, where Gamble finally brought him down.
Once again, it took Ignatius two more plays after Merletti’s big run to find the end zone, this time on a 2-yard run by Merletti. Yako’s PAT made it 14-3 Ignatius just 38 seconds into the second quarter.
Massillon’s offense mixed it up on its subsequent possession, balancing a Gamble run with big pass plays in the flats to Trey Miller, Andrew Dailey and Bryan Sheegog to move to the Ignatius 6. However, a big sack on third-and-5 pushed the ball back to the Wildcat 15, and Schott was called on to hit a 32-yard field goal to cut it to 14-6 with 6:04 left in the half.
The Tigers would again move the ball on their next drive, boosted by a big 29-yard pass from Bobby Huth – who was 11-of-14 for 139 yards in the second quarter alone – to Miller to the Wildcat 31. But a fumbled pitch short-circuited the drive, which ended with an incomplete pass on fourth down from the Ignatius 26.
Massillon would get a final shot at points in the half when an Ignatius punt was downed at the 50. Two quick passes moved it to the 29, where Schott hit his third field goal of the half – a 46-yarder – to cut it to 14-9 Ignatius at halftime.
Merletti again prevented the Tiger defense from getting off the field on the Wildcats’ first drive of the second half. This time, it was a 43-yard catch-and-run on a simple swing pass that turned a third-and-7 from the Ignatius 41 into a first-and-10 at the Tiger 16.
As was the case the first two times Merletti ripped off a big play, it took the Wildcats just two more plays to find the end zone. This time, it was a 16-yard run off right end for a touchdown with 8:22 left in the third quarter to lift St. Ignatius to a 21-9 lead after the extra point.
The Tigers’ evening may have been defined by their two third-quarter possessions. The first, which reached the Ignatius 32, ended with a fumble.
But it was the second which may have left the mortal wound. After Kevin Massey returned an interception for Massillon to the Wildcat 10, the Tigers were able to move to the 3, where they faced fourth-and-goal. But the pass into the end zone was high and broken up, leaving the score at 21-9.
“I had some really bad calls in the red zone I wish I had back,” Stacy said. “I blame myself for that. I really believe that was a turning point in the game.”
Ignatius would tack on a 28-yard Yako field goal seven plays after it recovered a muffed punt on the Tiger 32 midway through the fourth quarter to make it 24-9. Merletti would then cap the night with a 79-yard interception return for a score with 5:09 remaining that made it 30-9 Wildcats after the extra point was blocked.
Huth would provide the final margin with a 2-yard run with 2:47 remaining.
History 
