Category: <span>History</span>

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2024 Massillon Tigers Featured a Big-Play Rushing Attack

2024 Massillon Tigers Featured a Big-Play Rushing Attack

There are few events in football more exciting than when a running back takes the ball a long distance to the house for a touchdown.  The play may start simple enough with a nonchalant handoff from the quarterback.  But suddenly the running back breaks free of the line and explodes into the secondary.  And then we see the speed of the ball carrier as he maneuvers himself to evade would-be tacklers and then outrace them to the end zone.  The crowd quickly shifts its focus from the line of scrimmage to the entire field of play, all the while hoping that the back finds clear sailing and then erupting in boisterous cheers when he does.  What a marvelous happening it is.

Every team has a few of these long runs each year.  But for the 2024 Tigers, they had a lot more than the norm.  Credit All-Ohio running back Ja’Meir Gamble, who rushed for 114 yards per game with a whopping average of 8.7 yards per carry.  The speedy senior, who was clocked at 4.3 in the 40-yard dash, scored twenty rushing touchdowns this past season, with fourteen of his jaunts exceeding twenty yards.  And when the hole in the line was closed he was able to plant his foot in the ground and quickly turn toward to the edge, from where he scored most of his TDs.

This high number of long touchdowns in a single season is a rare occurrence indeed, in spite of the consistent success that Massillon has had over its 129-year history.  The passing game also had its share of long touchdowns, but that is not considered unusual, since this has been the case every year since the spread offense was introduced.

The chart below shows the median distance (half more than and half less than) for both rushing and passing touchdowns during the era of Head Coach Nate Moore (2015-2024).  The data shows that the median distance for rushing touchdowns per season has varied between 3 and 7 yards.  Except the 2024.  In that year median value skyrocketed to 20.

The two charts below were arbitrarily selected and display all of the rushing and passing touchdowns for the 2018 and 2021 seasons.  The vertical bars represent the relative distances of the scores, spread left to right from longest to shortest.  Rushing TDs are grouped together on the left side of the chart and with passing TDs on the right.  The charts are typical of what was seen in every year from 2015 through 2023.  The 2018 season featured running back Jamir Thomas, who averaged 137 yards per game at 7.3 yards per attempt, whereas the 2021 season featured Willtrell Hartson, who averaged 146 yards per game at 7.3 yards per attempt.

The statistics for both of these backs are outstanding.  But neither had the number of long distance jaunts that Gamble did, as shown in the chart below for the 2024 season.  Note the contrasting difference between the slope of the data for the 2024 season, which is relatively straight, and that of the previous two, which have severe bows, indicating that the vast majority of rushing touchdowns for those two years were of the short distance variety.

One might ask, how often did Massillon have a big-play rushing attack like the one recently experienced?  It turns out that, since the time of Paul Brown, who departed in 1940, it has happened only twice.   The first was the 1949 season, which featured running back Irvin Crable.  He averaged 113 yards per game at 11.3 yards per attempt.  The second was the 1959 team, which featured Art Hastings.  He averaged 125 yards per game at 10.6 yards per attempt.  Below are the charts of those two years.  However, it should be noted that neither team faced the caliber of competition that the 2024 team did.  There were a lot of blowouts against much weaker opponents, which certainly contributed to the high number of long runs.

So it turns out that the 2024 team, with Ja’Meir Gamble in the backfield, is indeed in small company.  But the commonality is that all three backs possessed great speed and running ability.

Finally, did the long rushing touchdowns make a difference on the scoreboard?  Not really.  As exciting as they were for the fans, it just meant that the Tigers scored quicker with their TD drives.  The 2015-2023 teams averaged 6.4 plays per drive, while the 2024 team averaged 4.6.  But in terms of scoring, the 2015-2023 teams averaged 36 points per game, while the 2024 team averaged 33.  About the same.  But it sure was sure was exciting to watch Gamble, and even running mate Mylen Lenix, break free on those long runs.

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Rating the 2024 Massillon Football Team

Rating the 2024 Massillon Football Team

The 2024 Massillon football team, which finished with a record of 11-3, will be remembered as one that performed at a high level, in spite of playing an extremely difficult schedule.  Included were teams such as Bergen Catholic (NJ), Canisius (NY), Lakewood St. Edward, DeMatha (MD) and Canton McKinley.  But how does it stack up against the teams of the past ten years, corresponding to the tenure of the very successful Tiger Head Coach Nate Moore.  Under Moore, Massillon has enjoyed great success, as detailed below:

  • Won 82% of games, with only one losing season, that coming in Moore’s first year; averaged 30 or more points per game in nine of ten years; four times ranked nationally in the Top 100.
  • Holds a 9-1 record against arch-rival Canton McKinley.
  • Qualified for the Division II playoffs nine times; won 32 of 40 playoff games; captured four regional championships; appeared in the state finals four times; won a state championship in 2023.
  • Maintained a winning program, in spite of significantly elevating the strength of schedule.

A detailed data analysis was performed to rate the performance of the 2023 team against the other nine teams.  The analysis studied four statistics for which teams have control over, including yards per rush, pass efficiency, penalty yards per game and turnovers per game.  These are referred to as control statistics.  Also studied are four additional statistics, which are the end results of the control stats.  These include performance rating, yards per play, punts per game and 3rd down efficiency.  Of course, the analysis would be remiss if it didn’t also review strength of schedule, season record and scoring.

The following are the results of the 2024 season analysis:

The Season Overall

  • Strength of Schedule – High Rating – Each year this author rates the schedule using a point system in that a major power is worth three points, a playoff public school or mid-sized private two points, a non-playoff public school one point and a non-competitor zero.  This year’s team had a strength of schedule rating of 22, which is the highest measurement of any team over the last ten years, and perhaps all-time.  Close behind are the 2020 and 2022 teams, each with a rating of 20.  The average over the ten-year period is 18.  Certainly, some consideration of this high rating must be respected by the readers of this story when reviewing the discussion that follows.
  • Season Record – Medium Rating – Massillon ranks 5th with an 11-3 record, against an average of 11.0 wins and 2.5 losses.
  • Scoring – Medium-High Rating – The offensive scoring is rated medium and ranks 7th at 33 points per game, against an average of 35. The defensive scoring is rated high and ranks 2nd at 12 points per game, against an average of 17.  The point differential of the offense and defense ranks 4th at 21 points, against an average of 18.

The Offense

Control Statistics

  • Yards per rush – High rating – Ranks 2nd at 6.3 yards per rush, against an average of 5.3.  It is also ranked 7th all-time and 2nd among spread offense teams, behind the 2023 team’s 6.6.  Leading the rushing effort was the speedy Ja’Meir Gamble, who averaged a whopping 8.7 yards per carry.
  • Pass efficiency – Medium rating– Ranks 6th at 150, against an average of 154.  However, the team did have its moments with efficiency ratings of 293 against Football North and 269 against Teays Valley, contributed mostly by quarterback Jalen Slaughter and a host of high-level receivers.  The 2019 team with quarterback Aidan Longwell produced the best mark, of 185.
  • Turnovers per game – High rating – Ranks 2nd at 1.0, against an average of 1.4.  The 2017 team leads the group with 0.9 per game.
  • Penalty yards per game – Low rating – Ranks 10th at 101 yards per game, against an average of 69. In fact, this is the highest value in the last 25 years.  Ironically, the second highest mark was produced by last year’s team, which recorded 81 penalty yards per game.  It is possible that the high mark influenced the number of punts per game and the 3rd down proficiency, as shown in the following statistics.  But it should also be noted that in the vast majority of the big Massillon games over the ten-year study period the number of penalties per game had little influence on the final outcome.

Impact Statistics

  • Performance rating – High rating – The performance rating measures a team’s ability to “move the sticks.”  In other words, it measures the success rate of team achieving a first down (or touchdown) after beginning with a first down.  Ranks 3rd at 85%, against an average of 82.5%.  It also ranks third among all Massillon spread offense teams.
  • Yards per play – High rating – Ranks 4th at 7.2 yards per play, against an average of 6.5.  The rushing attack certainly had the most influence over this mark.
  • Punts per game – Low rating – Ranks 9th at 3.5 punts per game, against an average of 2.8.
  • 3rd down efficiency – Low rating – Ranks 10th at 37%, against an average of 45%.  The 9th place team is 2020 at 40%.  Perhaps this stat is a bit over-emphasized, given that the 2020 team ended up in the playoff state finals.

The Defense

Control Statistics

  • Yards per rush – High rating – Ranks 2nd at 2.8 yards per rush, against an average of 3.6. This success was achieved in spite of the team returning few starters on that side of the ball.  Nevertheless, the defensive front-7, led by Michael Moore Jr., and run support provided by safety Tyler Hackenbracht, became the strength of the team.  The 2023 team is tops with 1.7 yards per rush.
  • Pass efficiency – Medium rating – Ranks 5th at 106, against an average of 108.
  • Turnovers per game – Low rating – Ranks 9th at 1.3 per game, against an average of 1.6.

Impact Statistics

  • Performance rating – High rating – Ranks 2nd at 56%, against an average of 63%.  The 2024 team is slightly better than the 2023 team, coming in at 54%.  Among all spread offense teams, the 2024 squad ranks third, while the 2002 team is second at 52%.
  • Yards per play – High rating – Ranks 2nd at 3.9, against an average of 4.7.  The 2023 team leads the field, at 3.5.
  • Punts per game – Medium rating – Ranks 4th at 4.9, against an average of 4.4.
  • 3rd down efficiency – High rating – Ranks 2nd at 26%, against an average of 30%.  The 2023 team comes in at 22%.

Summary

The statistics of the 2024 team were ranked against all of Nate Moore’s squads, covering a span of ten years.  Overall, the 2024 team receives a high mark, based on a 30% differential between offensive and defensive performance ratings.  That comes in spite of the team playing what is perhaps the most difficult schedule ever in Massillon’s long history.  The 30% mark is also the second highest among all spread offense teams (1998-2024), and just behind the 35% differential posted by the 2023 team.

The offense ranks medium-high on the basis of a high rating for the rushing attack and medium rating for the passing game.  But it also receives low marks for penalty yards, punts per game and 3rd down efficiency.  The defense ranks high, with high marks for the rushing attack and a medium rating for pass efficiency.  Most of the statistics measured ranked second, just behind the outstanding 2023 team’s defense.

So, how do all of the teams stack up?  The best way to figure this may be to jointly consider the following statistics, while weighting each one equally:

  • Season record – Because, in spite of all the stats, you still need to win the game.
  • Strength of schedule – It certainly impacts any game statistic.
  • Offensive performance – The best measurement of a team’s proficiency.
  • Defensive performance – Ditto.

In spite of what may have happened in the playoffs, here are how the teams rank, based on their performances over the entire season:

Michael Wright Jr. Receives Touchdown Club Award

Michael Wright Jr. Receives Touchdown Club Award

At the end of each season the Touchdown Club honors one of the players with the “Bob Commings Memorial Hardnose Award.”  That player would have received the most votes from among weekly tallies taken by the club members.  Past players honored include John Mulbach (Ohio State), David Whitfield (Ohio State), Chris Spielman (Ohio State), Shawn Crable (Michigan), Brian Gamble (Illinois/Ashland) and Dorian Pringle (Bowling Green).

Bob Commings was a very successful coach for the Tigers from 1969 to 1973, compiling a record of 43-6-2, including Massillon’s last state poll championship (1970) and a qualification for Ohio’s first ever state playoff games (1972). Commings departed following the 1973 season to become head coach of the University of Iowa and later coached at GlenOak High School, for which their field was later named.

This year’s Hardnose Award winner is Michael Wright Jr., the Tiger defensive nose tackle who led his team to an 11-3 record and a spot in the playoff regional finals.

It didn’t take long for Wright to become a Tiger varsity starter, as his knack for disrupting opposing team’s offenses early in his freshmen season did not go unnoticed by the coaches.  In fact, his career on the frosh team lasted all of two games.  And once moved to varsity he quickly became a starter, and thereafter always demanded a double-team from opposing offenses.  Head Coach Nate Moore looked back on Mike’s 4-year career and recalled his level of athleticism and football prowess as key factors in the move.  Then, over the last four years he marveled at his growth both on and off the field.  Moore believes that Wright will be remembered as one of the best defensive linemen to ever suit up for the Tigers.

During his four years of varsity ball Wright posted the following numbers:

  • Freshman – 26 tackles, 4 tackles-for-loss for 21 yards lost and 2.5 sacks for 16 lost yards.
  • Sophomore – 36 tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss for 73 yards lost and 6 sacks for 43 lost yards.
  • Junior – 36 tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss for 96 yards lost and 10.5 sacks (all-time record) for 76 lost yards (all-time record)
  • Senior – 47 tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss for 68 yards lost and 4 sacks for 27 lost yards.

His record-setting career numbers are as follows:

  • 145 tackles
  • 48.5 tackles-for-loss (all-time record)
  • 258 lost yards from tackles-for-loss (all-time record)
  • 23 sacks (all-time record)
  • 162 lost yards from sacks (all-time record)

He also had 3 tackles-for-loss against Middletown, DE, in 2022 and 3 sacks against Canton McKinley in 2023.  He ends his career with a team record of 50-8 and a Division II state championship.  He was also named 1st Team All-Ohio in 2023 and will mostly receive that same honor this year.  Next year he plans to play for Youngstown State University.

The guest speakers at the event were Glen Weirich, a Hardnose Award winner in 1971, and Bob Commings Jr., son of Bob Sr., for whom the award was named.  The trophy was presented to Wright by Commings.

Congratulations to Michael Wright Jr.

(l-r) Dad Michael Sr., Michael Jr., mom Alicia, Touchdown Club Chairman George Mizer and Head Coach Nate Moore.

 

 

 

 

 

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Fourteen Massillon Players Receive All-District Honors

Fourteen Massillon Players Receive All-District Honors

The Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association (OPSWA) has released its 2024 Northeast Inland District All-Star Team for Division II.  Fourteen Massillon players are included, six on offense and eight on defense.  Massillon currently sports a record of 11-2, with the two losses coming to nationally ranked Bergen Catholic, NJ, and DeMatha, MD.  This week they participate in the Regional 7 playoff finals against Big Walnut.

First Team

  • Senior quarterback Jalen Slaughter
  • Senior running back Ja’Meir Gamble
  • Senior offensive lineman Nolan Davenport
  • Senior defensive lineman Michael Wright Jr.
  • Senior linebacker Mylen Lenix
  • Senior defensive back Tyler Hackenbracht

Second Team

  • Senior wide receiver Jacques Carter
  • Senior linebacker Vito McConnell
  • Senior defensive back Daylan Pringle
  • Junior linebacker Ja’Dyn Williams

Honorable Mention

  • Senior wide receiver Braylyn Toles
  • Senior tight end Deangelo Zimmerman
  • Junior defensive back Lennox Lemon
  • Junior defensive back Tra’Yon Williams

The Offensive Player of the Year is quarterback Keller Moten of Walsh Jesuit.  The Defensive Player of the Year is shared between defensive lineman Carson Noonan of  Medina Highland and linebacker Eli Lee of Akron Hoban.  The Coach of the Year is Mike Gibbons of Medina Highland.

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Massillon Has Had Great Success in Playoff Regional Finals…

Massillon Has Had Great Success in Playoff Regional Finals Games

This season marks the 53rd year that the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) has been conducting playoffs to determine football state championships.  While most armchair fans of the sport cite the number of state titles won by a team as the sole measurement of success, the number regional titles should also receive some consideration.  And it may be even a better measure of historical achievement, given the much larger dataset of games.  Besides, even the OHSAA gives regional titles enough respect that they award trophies to the champions.

Massillon has performed extremely well in both reaching regional games and winning those games.  In fact, among large schools, they have more regional titles than any other public school in the state and trail only parochial counterpart Cincinnati Moeller when considering all schools.  Through the 2023 season, as shown in the chart below, the Tigers have reached the regional championship game 19 times out of 45 tries (45%) (only one team per region qualified during the first eight years).  Massillon reached the game 12 times in 33 years (36%) in Division I and 6 times in 12 years (50%) in Division II, including the last seven.  Of those 19 regional final games played, Massillon has won 14 (74%), 8 of 12 in Division I and 6 of 7 in Division II.

In state semifinal games the Tigers have a record of 7-7; 5-3 against public schools and 2-4 against parochial schools.  In state finals games the Tigers have a record of 1-6, with all games having been played against parochial schools.  They have never faced a public school in the finals.  The schools Massillon has most frequently faced in those two games have been Akron Hoban (1-3), Cleveland St. Ignatius (0-3), Cincinnati Moeller (0-2), Cincinnati LaSalle (1-1) and Cincinnati Winton Woods (1-1).

The chart below shows the large schools across the state that have won the most regional championship games along with their respective number of state titles.  Two sets of calendar data are displayed, marking the realignment of the divisions that occurred in 2013.  For contrast, the public and parochial schools are shown separately.

Among public schools, Massillon leads the way with 16 regional titles, ten in Division I and six in Division II.  Well behind are Canton McKinley and Chardon with nine apiece.  Eight of the eleven schools listed have secured one or more state titles.  Three have not, including Avon, Mentor and Toledo Whitmer.  Interestingly, all of the regional titles earned by McKinley, Princeton and Whitmer and most of those by Upper Arlington and Steubenville occurred prior to realignment of the divisions, while all but one of Avon’s titles came after the realignment.  Of course, it should be noted that prior to the alignment both Massillon and McKinley were fortunate enough to be assigned to regions that did not include a major parochial school.  And McKinley was unfortunate following the realignment to be moved to the Cleveland region that includes both Cleveland St. Ignatius and Lakewood St.Edward.  Finally,  just 19% of the regional champions in this group went on to win a state title.

Among parochial schools, Moeller leads the way with 19, followed by Cleveland St. Ignatius with 15 and Lakewood St. Edward with 13.  Moeller was the dominant team in the 1970s and 1980s, while St. Ignatius had their powerhouse teams immediately after Moeller, but most prior to the realignment.  Ironically, they have has captured just one regional title following the realignment of the divisions, while recently it has been St. Edward at the top of the heap.  Most of Akron Hoban’s and Cincinnati LaSalle’s titles have come after the realignment, of course for different reasons.  Hoban increased its focus on championship football shortly before the realignment took place and LaSalle benefited from moving down from Division I to Division II.  Overall, the parochial schools have been dominant with a whopping 81% of regional champions going on to win the state titles.

This week the regional championship games will be held once again, with the field stocked with the teams shown in the chart, as indicated by the yellow highlighting.  In fact, 10 of the 24 teams in the top three divisions are in this group.  Six are expected to come on top, while all three eventual state champions are expected to come from this group.  But at the end of the day, Massillon and Moeller will still remain atop the regional championship pack.

2024 Booster Club Report – Week 13 – Post-Teays…

2024 Booster Club Report – Week 13 – Post-Teays Valley; Preview of the Big Walnut Game

Massillon (11-2) defeated Teays Valley (8-5), 48-14.  It was historical win No. 959.  This week Massillon travels to Mansfield for a regional championship playoff game against Big Walnut (12-1).

Link to the Teays Valley Game Story

Link to the Teays Valley Game Statistics

Review of the Teays Valley game

Tyler Hackenbracht

Massillon advanced to the Region 7 championship game with a 48-14 victory over Teays Valley.  It was an odd first half of football as the Tigers ran just four plays offensively and scored three touchdowns, while the special teams returned three kicks for additional scores, to take a 42-7 lead into the locker room.  The offensive TDs came on a 7-yard run by Mylen Lenix, a 77-yard pass from quarterback Jalen Slaughter to Braylyn Toles and a 52-yard run by Ja’Meir Gamble.  Tyler Hackenbracht tallied all three special team touchdowns on punt returns of 50 and 81 yards, along with a touchdown return of 100 yards.  Meanwhile, the defense held Teays Valley to a net zero yards rushing and ten yards passing during the half.  The backups played most of the second half with a running clock in effect.  Peytton Mitchell led all Massillon rushers with 12 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown.  Inside linebacker Ja’Dyn Williams led the team on defense with five tackles and a sack.

“It was a big win last week,” said Massillon head coach Nate Moore.  “Every playoff win is a good win.  The Tigers pretty much rolled.  It was a great performance by a lot of guys. ”  Moore also singled out the outstanding play of Tyler Hackenbracht, who returned two punts and a kickoff for touchdowns.  And following his third punt return attempt when he was finally tackled by Teays Valley, he received a standing ovation from the Massillon crowd, along with loud joyous relief evident from the other side of the field.

The guest players were wide receiver Jacques Carter and defensive lineman Michael Wright Jr.  “It was a good game,” said Carter.  “Got the young guys in early.  It was a good team win.”  “It was fun,” added Wright.

Preview of the Big Walnut Game

Big Walnut enters the game with a 12-1 record.  Their season to date:

  • Columbus Watterson (13-0): 0-20 L
  • Dayton Dunbar (3-7): 56-8 W
  • Groveport-Madison (7-5): 24-13 W
  • Delaware Hayes (7-4): 41-21 W
  • Westerville South (5-6): 31-28 W
  • Franklin Heights (3-7): 45-12 W
  • Worthington  Kilbourne (5-7): 31-0 W
  • Westerville North (6-5): 32-31 O.T. W
  • Dublin Scxioto (1-9): 38-10 W
  • Columbus Westland (8-3): 34-33 W
  • Logan (1-10): 42-0 W
  • Massillon Perry (6-6): 35-24 W
  • Ashland (12-1): 28-10 W

The Golden Eagles finished the regular season 9-1 and are 3-0 in the playoffs, while averaging 34 points per game and giving up 16.  In contrast, Massillon averages 35 points per game and gives up 12.  Big Walnut is seeded first in Region 7 by Harbin.  In Calpreps.com they are ranked second behind No. 1 Massillon.

Big Walnut participates in the Capital Division of the Ohio Capital Conference, which is located in the Columbus area.  Over the past five years they have compiled an overall record of 45-16, including a 9-4 mark in the Division II state playoffs, an event in which they participated in each of those years.  Their best finish in that span was 12-1, which occurred in 2022.  In that year, they fell in the playoffs to Massillon, 38-0.  The following year they also played the Tigers in the post-season and led 9-0 early.  But the Tigers quickly regrouped and won comfortably, 42-21.

Massillon during the last five years has compiled a record of 60-9, including a 21-3 mark in  the state playoffs.  They also captured the Division II state championship in 2023 with a perfect 16-0 record.  During that 5-year span they won all three games against Lakewood St. Edward, 3-time Division I state champion, and all five games against Canton McKinley.

As a whole, Moore believes that the Big Walnut offense is better than its defense.  The offense uses a pro-style, with a lot of tight end looks, usually with two and often with three in the formation.  To confuse the defense, they will frequently flip tight end/offensive tackle to gain a blocking advantage.  In the passing game, they are not shy about using empty sets.  The offense is a young group, starting four seniors, four juniors and three sophomores.

The best player is sophomore running back Nolan Buirley (6′-1″, 185).  He has good speed and can run with power.  He also has another gear when he’s through the line.  Buirley has the ability to put up a lot of yards in a game.  In empty sets he will line up in the slot.  Watch for tag screens to him in that situation.  The quarterback is sophomore Eli Stumpf (6′-3″, 180).  Moore says he does an nice job.  He throws a good ball and has decent speed when escaping the pocket.  He also has some designed runs.  Stumpf’s primary receiver is junior tight end Owen Pollock (6′-4″, 225), a 3-star recruit with an offer from Miami of Ohio.  The offensive line averages 6′-1″, 253 lbs.

“Big Walnut is a heavy-run team,” said Wright.  “We have to stop the run.  It’s a big game for me.  I need to do my job.”:

The defense aligns in a 3-4 odd front.  At times they will slide a linebacker up to present an even front.  The secondary utilizes cover-3 or cover-4, with zone coverage.  But they will occasionally mix in some man-to-man, with cover-1.  The strength of this unit is the linebacker corps.  Like the offense, this group is also young, starting three seniors, six juniors and a pair of sophomores.

The best player on this side of the ball is junior outside linebacker Clint Stover (6′-2″, 195), a 4-star recruit.  His brother, Cade, played defensive end for Ohio State and was drafted earlier this year by the Houston Texans.  Stover wlll come off the edge and is the primary blitzer.  He is also good in pass coverage.  The defensive line is on the smaller side, averaging 6′-2″, 213 lbs.  However, as a whole, the front seven is an extremely active group.

“We need to attack the corners,” said Carter.  “We can get it done if the quarterback (Slaughter) is on his  game.”

Massillon will be the visiting team.

Notes

Braylyn Toles

Here are some Massillon player statistics over the past six games:

  • Running back Ja’Meir Gamble:  80 attempts for 864 yards and 12 touchdowns.  Averaged 144 yards per game at 10.8 yards per carry.
  • Quarterback Jalen Slaughter: 61 completions in 93 attempts for 926 yards and 10 touchdowns.  Averaged 154 yards per game and 15.2 yards per completion with a completion percentage of 65.6%.  Way ahead of most high school quarterbacks.
  • Wide receiver Braylyn Toles: 26 receptions for 439 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Averaged 16.7 yards per catch.
  • Linebacker Mylen Lenix: 28 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles-for-loss.
  • Lineman Michael Wright Jr.: 22 tackles, 3 sacks and 7.5 tackles-for-loss.
  • Defensive back Tyler Hackenbracht: 41 tackles and three kick returns for touchdown.

Academically, the Tigers produced a fine grade point average of 3.47.

The available cash for post-game player meals has been exhausted.  The Booster Club is look for additional funding.  Please help.

To Tigers!

 

 

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Massillon Throttles Teays Valley, Advances to Regional Finals

Massillon Throttles Teays Valley, Advances to Regional Finals

Statistics

Coaches will tell you that there are three phases to the game of football: offense, defense and special teams.  They are all equally important.  In fact, the Tigers during each and every practice focus first on special teams.  And how that part of the game impacted the Division II, Region 7, Round 3 game at Zanesville, which Massillon won convincingly over Teays Valley (8-5), 48-14.  For it was special teams that set the tone.

Tyler Hackenbracht

The group of eleven guys in that phase of the game were simply marvelous in returning the ball for three first-half touchdowns.  Among them was Tyler Hackenbracht, who was on the receiving end of all three.  The first two were punt returns, of 50 yards and 81 yards, and the third was a 100-yard kickoff return.  The third score gave the Tigers a 35-7 lead midway through the second quarter and the game was essentially over that point.

The second phenomenon in this game involved the offense.  Normally, a defense is tasked with keeping the opposing offense off the field.  Only in this game, it wasn’t the Teays Valley defense, but the Tiger special teams that relegated the Massillon offense to the bench for nearly the entire first half.  Of course, the offense itself also had something to do with that.  Nevertheless, by halftime the Tigers had run just four plays.  But with those four plays they scored three touchdowns and racked up 144 yards of total offense.  The game eventually ended with the Tigers amassing 232 yards of offense in 23 plays, at 10.1 yards per play.  Just 23 plays?  Unheard of for a winning team.  That, coupled with the special teams TDs, is surely something that the Massillon program has never experienced in their long history.

The third story of the night was the defense.  Once again, they were simply dominating.  Dominating to the tune of holding Teays Valley’s power running game to a mere ten yards in 31 carries, including four quarterback sacks that accounted for 37 lost yards.  The Vikings’ passing game was limited to 104 yards.

Teays Valley received the opening kickoff, quickly lost four yards in three plays and was forced to punt.  That’s when Hackenbracht retrieved the ball off a bounce and immediately headed across the field to the right side.  Once turning the corner, he was escorted by a host of blockers to the end zone.

On Teays Valley’s next possession they were again forced to punt.  This time Hackenbracht caught the ball on the fly and repeated the jaunt of the first score.

The third Viking possession started at their own seven after the kickoff returner initially bobbled the ball.  They did manage to advance to the 20, but the punt snap was bobbled and the Tigers tackled the punter, taking over at the seven.  From there it took just one play for Mylen Lenix to find his way into the end zone.

Finally, after the Vikings’ next punt, they were able to avoid a return, placing the Tigers at their own 20.  Now, the Massillon fans finally had an opportunity to settle back and enjoy a nice, multi-play drive to the end zone.  But it didn’t happen.  Following a 4-yard penalty for a false start, quarterback Jalen Slaughter tossed a short pass to Braylyn Toles to for a 2nd and 7.  But it was a setup ploy.  On the next play, Toles broke his pattern over the middle on a skinny post and was wide open for the pass, which he snagged around his 40 and raced untouched to the end zone.  That made the score 28-0.

At that point, Teays Valley found some offense, driving 73 yards in 12 plays for a touchdown.  It ended in a 6-yard pass from quarterback Brady Farmer to Luke Burgett, a tight end that had slipped out of a bunch formation.  The drive included 41 yards rushing, 6 yards passing and the remainder in defensive penalties.

But it didn’t take the Tigers long to respond as Hackenbracht secured the subsequent kickoff at the goal line and raced through a gaping hole on the left side of the Viking pursuit, off for his third  touchdown of the night.

After holding Teays Valley again, Hackenbracht had a third chance to return a punt.  But this time he was tackled with little gain.  Only, the fans on both sides of the field were cheering, the Vikings for finally making a stop on Hackenbracht and the Tigers for the appreciation of Hack’s great efforts.

More Massillon points came just one play later when Ja’Meir Gamble, on his sole carry of the night, broke through the line and sped untouched 52 yards to the end zone, making the score 42-7.

The third quarter started with the backups in the game and a running clock in effect.  Only, the Vikings’ Tyler Tietz picked up a loose ball and ran 44 yards to the end zone, ending the running clock.  So, Massillon head coach Nate Moore temporarily reinserted his first team offense.  Finally, the Tiger fans got to experience a nice long drive, this one of 50 yards in 11 plays.  It culminated in a 3-yard touchdown run by Peytton Mitchell.  The backups then returned to finish it out.

Peytton Mitchell led all Massillon rushers with 12 carries for 61 yards and a TD.  Gamble’s lone attempt resulted in a 52-yard score.  Slaughter completed 4 of 6 passes for 105 yards and a TD, which Toles took to the house.  Hackenbracht had 226 return yards, which enters the record book as No. 2 for 129 punt return yards in a single game.  He will also finish in the Top 10 for single season yards and tied for first for single season punt return touchdowns, along with Bo Grunder and Austin Brawley.  Inside linebacker Ja’Dyn Williams finally returned from injury and led the team with five tackles and a sack.

For Teays Valley, Peter Graham had 12 carries for 40 yards.  Farmer completed 12 of 19 for 104 yards and TD, going to Burgett.  Chase Cahill was high on the team with five tackles.  The Vikings were 2 of 11 on third down conversions.  They also had a time of possession of 33:32, as compared to the Tigers’ 14:28.   Such was the weirdness of the game.

The Zanesville school officials did a great job hosting the game.

Massillon (11-2) will next face Big Walnut (12-1) in the regional  finals at a site to be determined.

The Tigers enter the field prior to the game.

A final moment by Michael Wright Jr. (45)

Ja’Dyn Williams sacks Brady Farmer.

Tyler Hackenbracht (24) heads to the end zone on the punt return.  Ethan Schwalbaugh (16) gives chase.

Tyler Hackenbracht (24).

Mylen Lenix (5) slipping by the defender prior to the score.  Peytton Mitchell (32); Michael Looney (75); Logan Allman (13); Griffin Gray.

Dayvionne Floyd (68) gets to the quarterback (Brady Farmer).

Ja’Meir Gamble gets a celebratory lift from Nolan Davenport.

Brady Farmer is in all kinds of trouble.  Isaac Maxheimer (87).

Peytton Mitchell with the carry.

No where to go for Luke Burgett.

2nd team action.  Avery Blake (41).

2nd team action.  Kavon Sankey with the sack.

Game over!  Michael Wright Jr. (45), Bishop Cupp (20), Dayvionne Floyd (68).

 

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Eight Tigers Named 2024 All-Stark County

Eight Tigers Named 2024 All-Stark County

WHBC recently announced its All-County team and eight Tigers received honors.  The group was selected by vote of the area coaches.  In addition, Jacques Carter was named by Nate Moore as the coach’s pick Most Valuable Player.  Massillon is currently 10-2 on the season and plays Friday against Teays Valley in Round 3 of the state playoffs.  They are also ranked nationally in the Top 100 by Calpreps.com.

Jacques Carter

The All-County players, as selected by the area coaches, include Jalen Slaughter, Ja’Meir Gamble, Braylyn Toles, Nolen Davenport, Michael Wright Jr., Vito McConnell, Tyler Hackenbracht and Daylan Pringle.  Davenport and Wright are repeat honorees from last year and Davenport was also named All-County in 2022.  Coach Nate Moore was excited to acknowledge these players at the Booster Club meeting last Monday.  But he also noted that there were other Tiger players that deserved recognition.

  • Jalen Slaughter – Senior quarterback (6’-0”, 170). Has completed 164 of 255 passes (64%) for 2,095 yards and 20 touchdowns.  Completed 29 of 44 passes for 402 yards and three TDs against NFL Academy-London, in a game played in Eugene, Oregon.  The yardage ranks No. 2 in the record book, while the number of completions is tied at No. 1 and the number of  attempts ranks No. 5.  Also eclipsed the 200-yard passing mark against Football North and Canal Winchester.  Completed an 81-yard pass for a touchdown against Canal Winchester, which ranks No. 7 in the record book for longest reception.  Slaughter holds offers from Akron and Kent State.
  • Ja’Meir Gamble – Senior running back (5’-10”, 190). Has rushed 166 times for 1,400 (8.4 ave.) yards and 19 touchdowns.  His yardage mark currently ranks No. 8 in the record book.  Rushed 15 times for 290 yards against Legacy School of Sport Science, placing third in the record book.  Named 2nd Team All-District and Honorable Mention All-Ohio in 2023.  Gamble holds offers from Central Michigan and Temple.
  • Braylyn Toles – Has caught 49 passes for 590 yards (12.0 ave.) and 6 touchdowns. Caught 9 passes for 114 yards and a TD against NFL Academy-London.  Caught an 81-yard TD pass against Canal Winchester, which ranks No. 7 in the record book for longest reception.  Named 2nd Team All-Ohio in 2023.
  • Nolan Davenport – Senior offensive tackle (6’-6”, 290). Has helped his team rush for 162.3 yards per game (6.2 ave.) and score 31 touchdowns.  Has also helped protect the quarterback in the pocket, yielding an average of just one sack per game.  Named 1st Team All-District and 2nd Team All-Ohio in 2023.  Committed to the University of Wisconsin.
  • Michael Wright Jr. – Senior defensive lineman (5’-11”, 285). Recorded 37 tackles, 3.0 quarterback sacks for 21 lost yards and 11.0 quarterback sacks for 41 lost yards.  Also forced two fumbles.  Recorded 2.0 sacks and 2.5 tackles-for-loss against Canal Winchester.  Has helped his team limit rushing to 87.5 yards per game (3.0 ave.).  Named 1st Team All-District and 1st Team All-Ohio in 2023.  Committed to Youngstown State University.
  • Vito McConnell – Senior linebacker (6’-3”, 220). Has recorded 49 tackles, including 1.0 quarterback sack for 7 lost yards and 5.0 tackles-for-loss for 22 lost yards.  Also, intercepted a pass and blocked a kick.  Temporarily moved from outside inside linebacker to inside linebacker to fill in for an injured player.  Committed to Miami University (Ohio).
  • Tyler Hackenbracht – Senior safety (6’-2”, 210). Led the team with 96 tackles.  Also recorded 3.5 tackles-for-loss for 8 lost yards.  Intercepted one pass.  Named 2nd Team All-District and Honorable Mention All-Ohio in 2023.  Committed to the University of Toledo.
  • Daylan Pringle – Senior Cornerback / safety (6’-0”, 170). Has recorded 29 tackles and one tackle-for-loss.  Leads the team with 3 pass interceptions.  Also has three pass breakups, a recovered fumble and a blocked kick.  Pringle holds a Grand Valley State offer.
  • Jacques Carter – Has caught 28 passes for 547 yards (19.5 ave.) and a team high 8 touchdowns. Caught 4 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown against Canisius, NY, and 3 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown against Canal Winchester.  Named 2nd Team All-District and Honorable Mention All-Ohio in 2023.  Carter holds offers from Bowling Green, Miami of Ohio, Ohio University and Temple.

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Massillon Defeats Canal Winchester, Advances to Playoff Round 3

Massillon Defeats Canal Winchester, Advances to Playoff Round 3

Statistics

Sixty-four teams entered the Division II state football tournament and three quarters of them are gone in just over a week.  And the field will be reduced to four in just over another week.  It goes that fast.  In Region 7 four teams of the original sixteen remain, including No. 3 seed Massillon, No. 1 Big Walnut, No. 4 Ashland and No. 7 Teays Valley.  In Round 3 the Tigers will be matched up with Teays Valley, while Big Walnut will entertain unbeaten Ashland, with all remaining games played on neutral fields,

Massillon put up another running clock in their 37-7 victory over Canal Winchester at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, but again it wasn’t a cake walk.  Rather, it was more of a chess match between the two coaches as each tried to figure out the best way to move the ball.  Only, by the time the Indians at least had a clue, the game was pretty much over.

Canal Winchester typically aligns their defense in a 4-4, cover-1.  Massillon attacked initially with a tight formation; i.e., a single wide receiver, a tight end or two and three or four in the backfield.  So, the Indians countered by placing their best defensive back against the lone wide receiver and the remaining ten players in the box, including the safety, who was a mere seven yards off the ball.  Cover zero.  Just like Canton McKinley and Licking Valley before them, they knew that if they didn’t stop run, it would be near impossible to pull off an upset.  The Tigers, like any team against that kind of defense, would struggle to run the ball, and they did indeed struggle.  Also, the passing game to the single wide receiver, given the athleticism of the covering cornerback, turned into a stalemate.  So, Massillon head coach Nate Moore brought in three more wide receivers in order to spread out the defense.  The ploy worked.  Running back Ja’Meir Gamble suddenly became a factor, finding seams along the edges of the line for good gains.  In addition, the passing game got into gear.  Thus, by the end of the first half, the Massillon offense had become a dynamo, scoring 31 points and putting up 360 yards of total offense.

On the other side of the ball, the Tiger defense blitzed the two middle linebackers on nearly every play, causing great pressure on the quarterback, who was not the most adept at escaping the pocket.  So, he ended up being sacked four times and most of the passes were rushed.  In addition, the running game was also affected and it didn’t gain a single yard throughout the first half, with numerous tackles-for-loss, while the passing game netted just 20 yards.  The only bright spot for the Indians was a 91-yard kickoff return that set up their lone score of the game.  Perhaps, given that the middle linebackers were constantly blitzing, they might have used the flair pass to the running back a bit more, something with which they had some success in the second half.

On the negative side, the game was marred by a host of penalties, by both teams.  In the first half alone, Massillon was whistled for ten infractions, including eight for holding (seven accepted), and Canal Winchester was called for eight, with three being pass interference, along with several 5-yarders.  The referees just couldn’t let these guys play.

After an exchange of punts to open the game, Massillon quarterback Jalen Slaughter found Jacques Carter open over the middle for a 72-yard touchdown, speeding away from the pursuing defenders for the majority of the yards.  With Francesco Salvino snapping and Savior Owens holding, Mateo Herrea’s PAT kick was good and the Tigers were up 7-0.

Later in the quarter Massillon engineered a 10-play, 79-yard drive for a second score, this one coming on a 4-yard run by Mylen Lenix.  The Tigers withstood two holding penalties during the drive, including one that wiped out a 14-yard TD run by Gamble.  But they were also the beneficiary of an equal number of penalty yards suffered by the Indians.  The key play was a 26-yard run by Gamble through several would-be tacklers that converted a 1st and 20 at the Massillon 45 into a first down at the Winchester 29.

It was after that when the Indians’ Dennis White returned the kickoff 91 yards to the Massillon 6.  Winchester was stuffed on three running plays up the middle, but they eventually scored from the three to open the second quarter when quarterback Quinton McGhee connected with Caleb Clay in the end zone.

Midway through the period, Slaughter found Braylyn Toles open in the middle of the field on a left-to-right skinny post.  He then turned on the jets, eluded his defender and sped down the right sideline for the score, aided by the two receivers on the right side of the field that each shielded off their defenders to clear the way.  Score, 21-7.

On the second play of the Tigers’ next series, Gamble broke through the right side of the line untouched and outraced the defense to the end zone for a touchdown that covered 57 yards.  Score, 28-7.

That’s when things got interesting.  Winchester’s Kavon Sanke returned the kickoff to his own 37.  A first down was gained at the 47.  Time out Massillon.  Loss of a yard.  Time out Massillon.  Quarterback sack.  Time out Massillon.  A punt to the 15, with 1:57 remaining in the half.  Only Massillon was forced to punt it right back from their own 20 following a holding penalty.  Winchester has the ball at the Massillon 47.  Picks up a first down from a holding penalty on the defensive back.  A 50-yard field goal attempt was missed with 45 seconds left.  Encroachment on Massillon; ball at the 15.  26-yard pass to Ricardo Wells Jr.; ball at the Tiger 49.  Holding penalty.  19-yard pass to Carter; ball at the 40.  Pass interference on the Indians; ball at the 25.  Another pass interference on the Indians; ball at the 12; five seconds left.  Hererra finally ends it with a 29-yard field goal and the Tigers go into the locker room up a comfortable 31-7.

After a fine halftime show by both bands, Massillon scored its final touchdown on a 6-yard play-action pass from Slaughter to Vito McConnell.  The PAT was missed.  The remainder of the game was played under a run-clock, with the Tiger backups on the field.

Gamble finished the game rushing 15 times for 154 yards (10.3 ave.) and a touchdown.  Slaughter completed 10 of 19 for 228 yards (22.8 ave.) and 3 TDs.  Carter, Toles and Wells each caught three passes. McConnell recorded six tackles, Michael Wright Jr. had a pair of sacks and ten different players were involved in tackles-for-loss.

For Winchester, Corey Howard rushed 14 times for 43 yards (3.1 ave.) and Quinton McGhee completed 9 of 26 (35%) for 73 yards and the one score.  Dre Jackson caught four passes.  Ausar Imani led the Indians with seven tackles.

Massillon compiled 413 yards of well-balanced offense, with 185 on the ground and 228 in the air.  Canal Winchester produced 138 yards, with 65 on the ground and 73 in the air.

Next week the Tigers (10-2) will play Teays Valley (8-4), a 10-7 victor over Worthington Kilbourne.  The game will potentially be played at Mansfield’s Arlin Field.

Vito McConnell with the touchdown catch.

Ball on the ground in second team action.  Stephen Reinhart (14); Maxwell Tanner (67); Deangelo Zimmerman (4).

Savior Owens showing the power.

Daylan Pringle on the punt return.

Jalen Slaughter on the move.

Ricardo Wells Jr. has his pass reception broken up.

Ricardo Wells Jr. with the almost catch.

Daylan Pringle with the punt return.  Tyler Hackenbracht (24) with the block on Eric Hardy.

Head Coach Nate Moore signals one point following the touchdown.

Braylan Toles eludes the defender on the way to the end zone.

Jacques Carter (7) gets the TD lift from Marcus Garner (60).  Richard Harris Jr. (23); Jalen Slaughter (2).

Carter Strang Event Scheduled for November 21

Carter Strang Event Scheduled for November 21

This a free event but you must register for tickets.

Join Carter Strang, son of Leo E. Strang, for a free History Happy Hour at the Massillon Museum on Thursday, November 21, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.! All ages are welcome to attend. A cash bar will be available for guests ages 21 and older. Registration is requested but not required. Register at www.MassMu.org/Tickets or by calling 330-833-4061.
Leo E. Strang served as head coach of the Massillon Tigers football team from 1958 to 1963. He led the Tigers to three consecutive state titles (1959, 1960, and 1961), two national titles (1959 and 1961), and a 7th place national ranking (1960). He posted a 86.5% win-loss percentage (54-8-1) with the Tigers and was 6-0 against Canton McKinley. 22 of his Massillon players were All-Ohio and 14 were high school All-Americans. MaxPreps listed Strang as one of the nation’s all-time 50 greatest high school football coaches. A football innovator, he pioneered the use of vinyl helmet team logos and award stickers, white shoes, a barefoot soccer-style kicker, a defensive analyzation circuit board to help call plays, summer conditioning, and a point-based playoff system. Strang, who was the 1959 Ohio High School Football Coach of the Year, is a member of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame.
Carter E. Strang is a Leader-in-Residence at Cleveland State University College of Law and a retired trial attorney. He is a graduate of Kent State University (B.S. and M.Ed.), where he was a member of the honors college and the football and ice hockey teams. A teacher and coach prior to obtaining his JD at CSU Law, Carter is past president of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association Northern District of Ohio Chapter, and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation.