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Ed Molinski – Wall of Champions

January 27, 2022January 27, 2022
by Don Engelhardt

Written by Keith Jarvis

Ed Molinski wanted to be a boxer and ended up a medical doctor. But in between, he played some pretty good football, for both Massillon and the University of Tennessee. But that almost didn’t happen, as his father had different thoughts.

“Massillon is where it all started,” said the now Doctor Edward Molinski. Talking with the great Massillon sports writer Luther Emery, Molinski went on to say, “If you guys hadn’t persuaded dad to let me play football, I probably would be walking the streets with holes in my shoes.” (The Emery Wheel, Massillon Evening Independent, ——, 1963)

After attending Longfellow Jr. High, it is believed that his father thought him to be a future champion boxer. That turned out to be true. To protect Ed from serious injury, Mr. Molinski forbad Ed from playing football. On the other hand, Paul Brown saw Ed as an integral part of his Tiger football team. Considerable negotiation ensued between father and Coach Brown and it was finally agreed that Ed could play football, but Brown would allow Ed to box in the off season. It was indeed a good negotiated settlement.

And play football he did. Although he continued to box in the off season, he put together three years of exceptional football, from 1933 to 1935. He stood 5’-10” and weighed 182 lbs. and he spent his first two years at guard and linebacker. In his senior year he was moved to quarterback, which at that time was the lead blocker for the running backs in Coach Brown’s system. During Molinski’s three years with the Tigers they were 27-3, with the 1935 team capturing both the Ohio and National championships. But he continued to box in the off-season and became the Ohio state heavyweight Golden Gloves champion.

Ed wanted to attend Notre Dame after high school as he ambitiously desired more education. Only, he could not afford the tuition and ND Coach Leahy was unresponsive to several townspeople urging him to give him a scholarship. But Tennessee’s legendary coach Bob Neyland saw it differently and did offer that coveted award. Ed accepted it and went on to become a beloved man in Tennessee for his many accomplishments, football being at the forefront.

Molinski played for the Volunteers from 1938-1940 as a hard charging guard with both speed and strength. During his time there, he teamed with Bob Suffridge, which made a lethal combination of future All-American linemen. Molinski was steady and strong, while Suffridge played with emotion and speed. Both also played stalwart defense. But Ed also possessed a tough demeanor and temper, which was evident by his ejection in the 1939 Orange Bowl (Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, University of Tennessee Athletic Dept.).

During his time at Tennessee, the Vols went 31-2 and won three Southeast Conference Championships, while being invited to play in a bowl game each year. In 1938 they finished 11-0, with a 17-0 bowl win over Oklahoma, and were named National Champions. Meanwhile, the 1939 team was unscored upon in the regular season before losing to Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl, 14-0. In fact, they recorded fifteen consecutive shutouts from mid-1938 through 1939.

While all of this was taking place, Ed captained the university boxing team and again was a heavyweight Golden glove champion, this time in the state of Tennessee.

The combination of Molinski and Suffridge is renowned in Tennessee history and each went on to receive numerous awards. In 1990 Molinski was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Suffridge gained that award at the same time and they were once again side by side as the great duo guards. Molinski himself earned all of the following awards and inductions:

1^st Team All-American (1939)
Grantland Rice Football HOF
The Polish Football HOF
The National Football Foundation HOF
The Tennessee Football HOF
The College Football HOF
Massillon Tiger Hall of Fame (2016)
Massillon Wall of Champions (1994)
WHS Alumni Association Distinguished Citizens Award (2010)

But Ed Molinski was more than just about football. From Longfellow Jr. High and afterward, he had many friends in Massillon including Augie Morningstar, Ducky Schroeder and Luther Emery. Interestingly, during the 1937 football season, since freshman were not allowed to play, Ed, with Coach Neyland’s approval, decided to return to Massillon as a student volunteer police officer. He reported that a drive-by person fired a shot towards him and luckily missed.

After graduation from college Ed entered the Marine Corps and served as a 2^nd Lieutenant until he received a medical honorable discharge. With World War II over, he then went on to coach football and teach history at Memphis State and Mississippi State. In 1951 he began studying medicine at Tennessee, after having already received his Master’s Degree there. After becoming a doctor of medicine, Ed maintained his attachment to sports life by serving as the team doctor for the Memphis State football team and was also the professional fight doctor for the city of Memphis. To top off this exceptional career, Ed spent 35 years as a revered general medical doctor serving underprivileged communities in Memphis. He died in 1968 at the age of 68.

Dr. Edward Molinski is surely someone this city has much to be proud of. To learn more about this remarkable son of Massillon, Ed’s own son has a conversation on YouTube detailing much of his father’s life.

History

Steve Luke – Wall of Champions

January 17, 2022January 26, 2022
by Don Engelhardt

Steve Luke played many positions on the football field and to him it didn’t matter where he lined up. He just wanted to be in on the action. But that versatility paid off in a big way as he parlayed that experience into a stellar career, first at Massillon, then at Ohio State and Green Bay. “Back in high school, I was a center, linebacker and tight end,” he said. “I didn’t care where I lined up. I just loved to play football.”

Luke was born in Massillon on September 4, 1953, and it didn’t take long to get bitten by the football bug. “Our Sunday school teacher told us the world was going to end. I said a prayer to God, ‘Please don’t let it end until I get to play for Massillon.’ I was about 8 or 9 years old.” (Scott Shook’s “Massillon Memories”)

High School

Steve would get his chance to play for the Tigers in 1968 as a sophomore center under Head Coach Bob Seaman and by the time he was a senior had worked his way into the varsity lineup playing linebacker and tight end under Head Coach Bob Commings. He also teamed with his brother, Bill, who manned split end. Together, they helped Massillon field one of its best squads ever: the 1970 state championship team that won all ten games and outscored the opposition, 412-29.

The season included six defensive shutouts along with a 28-0 victory over previously undefeated Canton McKinley. Following the McKinley game, Tiger assistant coach Dale Walterhouse remarked, “We’re claiming the best linebackers in the state. Steve Luke and Tom Cardinal can move and hit. McKinley has been claiming to have the best linebackers in the state. I guess we proved it today.” – Canton Repository, Ken Sherer

Luke had good size for the time at 6’-2”, 186 lbs. and was a team co-captain, along with Mike Mauger, Tim Ridgley and Dennis Franklin. Defensive statistics are not available for that year, but on offense Luke caught five passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns, including a 68-yarder against Trotwood Madison and a 37-yarder against Steubenville. He also grabbed a 13-yard pass against the Bulldogs. All of the passes were thrown by Franklin, who Luke would later face as a foe when he was at Ohio State and Franklin at Michigan.

As a result of his outstanding performance for the Tigers, Steve was named 3^rd Team All-Ohio and received a scholarship to play for the Buckeyes.

College

Luke spent four years at Ohio State, playing football for the legendary Woody Hayes and graduating in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Athletics and Business. While there, he experienced three Big 10 championships and started in three Rose Bowl games, one as an offensive center and two at defensive back. His playing size was 6’-2”, 197 lbs.

In his sophomore year (freshmen weren’t eligible at that time), he was placed at center. But that was about to change the following year. “I missed my workout with the linemen one day and I came in and was working out with the defensive backs,” he recalled. “A defensive backs coach saw me go through some drills and he came up and asked if I’d ever thought about playing defensive back. I told him that I’d never played it before, but was willing to take a gamble and Coach Hayes was willing to let me go back and try it and it worked out.” – Independent.

Ohio State Results:

1972 – Tied Michigan for the Big 10 championship; regular season record, 9-1; lost to Michigan State, 19-12; defeated Michigan, 14-11; lost to Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl, 42-17.
1973 – Tied Michigan for the Big 10 championship; regular season record, 9-0-1; tied Michigan, 10-10; beat Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl, 42-21.
1974 – Tied Michigan for the Big 10 championship; regular season record, 10-1; lost to Michigan State, 16-13; defeated Michigan 12-10; lost to Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl, 18-17.

Following his senior season, Luke was named UPI All Big Ten and Family Weekly All American. He also started in the All-American Bowl all-star game.

Professional

Luke was a childhood fan of the Green Bay Packers ever since their victory over Dallas in the “ice bowl game” (-13 deg.) and their wins in the first two Super Bowls, led by HOF quarterback Bart Starr. Surprise to him, he was drafted by the Packers in the 4^th round (No. 88 overall), by whom other than newly hired head coach Bart Starr. Although he played cornerback for the Buckeyes, his position changed to strong safety. Luke would enjoy six years in Green Bay.

He initially reported to the Packer training camp weighing 215 lbs., thinking that he needed more muscle. But they wanted him 195-200. He was almost cut. Soon he was back down to 197.

Special teams became his assignment for the first year, where returned six kickoffs for 91 yards. But that was about to change during his second year when he was named a starter in the game against St. Louis. “Steve has been improving all along and has impressed the coaches when he’s played,” Packer coach Bart Starr said. “We thought this would be a good opportunity to start him.” Starr called him one of the hardest workers in training camp and through preseason. Luke would go on to start 75 consecutive games, while playing in 90 overall.

Known around the league as a hard hitter, he led the team in tackles in 1978, while breaking the team’s single season tackling record (133 solos and 17 assists). He also led the team in interceptions in 1977, accumulating four of his ten career picks for 149 yards. His longest return was 63 yards against Chicago, which went for a touchdown. Add to those feats six fumble recoveries and six quarterback sacks. So it comes as no surprise that he was rated among the Top 4 safeties in the NFL from 1977-1980. And so respected was he that he was the Packers’ team captain during the latter time he was there.

In Year 6 he was hampered by an injury that occurred against Cleveland. So at the end of the season he was traded to Atlanta, but was released before the start of the 1981 season. Thus, pro football came with a cost; i.e., a fused neck and two hip replacements.

Post Football

After Green Bay, Luke became Vice President/Director of Account Services for Russell, Luke, Mercier Advertising Inc. He also founded USAthletes Sports Agency, 1987-1996, representing Chris Spielman plus several Packer players. And he was an investor/partner in Buckeye III Custom Home Builders.

But most of his energy assuredly went into several civic programs, including the following:

Development Board of Children’s’ Hospital in Columbus
Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America
Board of Directors of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Telethon Chairman for the United Negro College Fund for Central Ohio
Worked with both the Worthington and Columbus Public Schools in their tutoring and mentoring programs
Started New Fun Learning (NFL) Math and Science Sports Camp, 1992

In 1982 he was named Outstanding Young American and in 2000 received the Ohio Award of Excellence. He’s also listed as Who’s Who among Black Americans.

But it was Massillon that Luke credits for his achievements. “Massillon made me who I am. I’ve often said that Massillon taught me how to win. Massillon taught me a good, strong work ethic and that never-say-die attitude. If I didn’t have the success I had at Massillon, I would not have had the success I had at Ohio State or Green Bay.” – Independent

Luke was inducted into the Massillon Wall of Champions in 1994 as a charter member and the Tiger Hall of Fame in 2016, also as a charter member.

History

Joe Sparma – Wall of Champions

December 30, 2021January 11, 2022
by Don Engelhardt

Massillon’s Joe Sparma went all the way, from high school football to collegiate football and baseball and eventually to baseball at the professional level. Sparma was the ultimate athlete and success followed him at every stop.

Joe was born in Massillon on February 4, 1942. After a stint at Jones Junior High, he began his football career at the varsity level in 1957 as a third string sophomore quarterback under Head Coach Lee Tressel. He wasn’t initially a starter but, due to his prowess as a fastballer in baseball, he was able to get on the field when a long pass was needed.

That was certainly the case against Warren Harding in the infamous “clock game.” Warren was ranked first in the state coming in, but the Tigers were able to open up a 14-0 halftime advantage. Only, the Panthers stormed back in the second half to tie it up at 14 apiece in this evenly matched game. There were just seconds left. Massillon had the ball at midfield and the play called for a long desperation pass. In comes Joe. He dropped back and launched a 46-yard bomb toward the end zone, with Clyde Childers as the intended target. Childers leaped high against the defender and tipped the ball into the air at the four yard line. Then, after separating himself, he gathered the pigskin at the three and raced over the goal line for the win. It was Sparma’s only pass of the game, but it put him on target for great things to come.

By season’s end Joe had passed for three touchdowns, the one against Warren and two against Canton McKinley in a 25-7 victory. For the year, the Tigers finished 8-1, with a 2^nd place ranking in the final A.P. Poll. The lone loss was to champion Cleveland Benedictine, 13-7.

The following year, with new head coach Leo Strang taking over from Tressel, Sparma became a full-time starter on a team that finished 8-1-1. The only blemishes were a 6-0 loss to Warren and an 8-8 tie with Alliance. For the season Joe completed 33 of 74 passes for 556 yards and nine touchdowns. He also ran for another two. In a 38-16 win over McKinley he was 6 of 9 for 106 yards and two touchdowns. But he was also was a bit flamboyant. When asked by WHBC’s Jim Muzzy who he thought was the best team the Tigers had played that year, Joe responded, “Our second team.” (Scott Shook’s “Massillon Memories”).

With Joe again at the helm in 1959 it all came together. Massillon fashioned an undefeated 10-0 season, outscoring the opposition 431-46. The only competitive game was a 14-0 win over Alliance. At season’s end, the Tigers were ranked first in both the state and the nation and Sparma was named First Team All-Ohio. He completed 28 of 85 passes for 660 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed 22 times for 54 yards and two TDs. His best statistical game came against Canton Lincoln when he passed for 127 yards and four touchdowns.

Joe currently holds the Massillon record for 23.6 yards per completion over a complete season. His 26 career touchdown passes ranks 7^th at the time of this story. Although Sparma was not considered a great passer compared to modern day quarterbacks, he had a strong arm and was accurate for the day. He was also a decent punter, booting 36.9 yards per attempt. He wrapped up his high school career by leading his team to victory in the Ohio North-South All-Star Game.

“He was one of the finest athletes we ever had in Massillon,” said Carl “Ducky” Schroeder, Sparma’s baseball coach. “He was captain of the baseball, basketball and football teams. He was a good student. I can’t say enough about him. He’s been a real good friend through all the years.” (Scott Shook’s “Massillon Memories”)

For the next level, he accepted a scholarship offer from Ohio State University. It was considered an odd choice at the time as the Buckeyes under Head Coach Woody Hayes rarely threw the ball. But the opportunity to also play baseball for OSU may have influenced his decision. Joe was considered a good long thrower and the best technician among the Buckeye quarterbacks.

“Joe Sparma was a pure passer. Just an outstanding pure pro passer. That’s the reason I wanted him to go to school where he could pocket pass. But Woody Hayes was a hell of a salesman. Woody didn’t want him to go to a school in the Big 10 and pass against him. I don’t think there’s any doubt about it that Sparma could have been a great pro football player.” – Leo Strang (Scott Shook’s “Massillon Memories”)

“Joe Sparma was a helluva nice kid. Handsome, good looking kid. Had a great arm. A lot of moxie.” – Bo Schembechler (Scott Shook’s “Massillon Memories”)

Freshmen didn’t play varsity in those days, so Sparma suited up initially in 1961. The Buckeyes finished 8-0-1 that year and were champions of the Big Ten. Meanwhile, Joe was a 3^rd string quarterback at 6’-1”, 194 lbs., but he did see some playing time. For season, he completed 16 of 38 passes for 241 yards and six touchdowns, two each against Iowa, Indiana and Michigan. Some of those passes went to leading receiver and future NFL Hall of Famer Paul Warfield.

In his junior year, Sparma was again a backup and completed 30 of 77 passes for 288 yards, with a score against UCLA and another against Wisconsin. But he quit the team after the Indiana game and that would be the end of his football career. Although in line to be the starter the following year, he apparently had differences with Hayes and left to pursue major league baseball.

Sparma initially had an opportunity to play for Cleveland, but selected Detroit owing to a higher paycheck and a $32,000 bonus. He began with stints in 1963 for both the Knoxville Smokies of the old South Atlantic League and Duluth-Superior of the Northern League. The following year, after returning for a short time with the Knoxville Smokies, now of the new Southern League, he was called up to pitch for the Tigers. His numbers at Detroit and at his final stop Montreal were as follows:

1964 – Detroit: 5-6 record; ERA 3.00; KO 71
1965 – Detroit: 13-8 record; ERA 3.18; KO 127
1966 – Detroit: 2-7 record; ERA 5.30; KO 61 (a pre-season accident curtailed most of the season)
1967 – Detroit; 16-9 record; ERA 3.76; KO 153
1968 – Detroit: 10-10 record; ERA 3.70; KO 110
1969 – Detroit: 6-8 record; ERA 4.76; KO 41
1970 – Montreal: 0-4 record; ERA 7.06; KO 23 (released after 27 innings

Joe was the starting pitcher vs. the New York Yankees in 1964 on “Mickey Mantle Day”. He approached Mantle before the first pitch and said, “You know, I’ve never had a chance to meet you in person, and I’ve always admired you.” They shook hands and then Sparma proceeded to strike him out. – Bill Freehan, “Behind the Mask”

Joe ended up pitching in 183 games, starting 142, recording a 52-52 record and an ERA of 3.94 to along with 586 strikeouts. At the plate he batted .119 over 309 appearances. He also pitched in relief in the 1968 World Series game against St. Louis. Following limited action with Montreal he was released. His playing career over, he was offered a job as a minor league coach but declined.

Later, he was inducted into the Stark County Baseball Hall of Fame (1978), the Massillon Tigers Wall of Champions (1994) and the Stark County Football Hall of Fame (2011).

After baseball Joe worked in sales for Worthington Steel and made a home in Worthington, raising three children. But he died young in 1986 at the age of 44 in Columbus after suffering a heart attack and undergoing heart bypass surgery.

Joe is remembered as the ultimate athlete and certainly made Massillon proud.

History

Five Tigers Named All-Ohio for 2021

December 8, 2021December 10, 2021
by Don Engelhardt

Five football players from Massillon’s 11-3 team have been named by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association to the Division II All-Star Team. They include:

Jaiden Woods – Senior offensive lineman – 1st Team All-Ohio,
Austin Brawley – Senior defensive back – 1st Team All-Ohio,
Marcus Moore – Junior defensive lineman – 2nd Team All-Ohio
Riley Campbell – Senior defensive lineman – 2nd Team All-Ohio
Nathan Depuy – Senior linebacker – 2nd Team All-Ohio

All five were previously named 1st Team Northeast Inland All-District. And all except Depuy were earlier named All-Stark County.

The Co-Offensive Player of the Year is Green wide receiver Trey Martin. The Co-Coach of the Year is Rob Page of Big Walnut.

All-Ohio players from Tiger opponents:

Pickerington Central – D1

CJ Doggette – defensive lineman – 1st Team
Tyler Gillison – defensive lineman – 1st Team
Alex “Sonny” Styles – defensive back – 2nd Team
Kyle Imboden – offensive lineman – Honorable Mention

Canton GlenOak – D1

None

Reynoldsburg – D1

Markez Gillam – wide receiver – 1st Team
Dijon Jennings – quarterback – 2nd Team

Warren Harding – D2

Dom Foster – wide receiver – Honorable Mention
Kinkade Tyson – defensive lineman – Honorable Mention

Lakewood St. Edward – D1

Christian Ramos – quarterback – 1st Team
Joe Lavelle – offensive lineman – 1st Team
Michael Kilbane – defensive lineman – 1st Team
Zyion Freer-Brown – linebacker – 1st Team
Danny Enovitch – running back – 3rd Team
Giovanni Kennedy – offensive lineman – 3rd Team
Wyatt Gedeon – defensive lineman – 3rd Team
Joel Castleberry – defensive back – 3rd Team
Ben Lavelle – punter – Honorable Mention

Austintown Fitch – D2

Devin Sherwood – quarterback – 1st Team
Josh Fitzgerald – offensive lineman – Honorable Mention
DeShawn Vaughn – defensive back Honorable Mention

Euclid – D1

Claishon Ivory – wide receiver – Honorable Mention
Aiden Turos – kicker – Honorable Mention
Chase Smith – defensive lineman – Honorable Mention
Ryan Merrill – linebacker – Honorable Mention

Wooster – D2

Micah McKee – wide receiver – 2nd Team
Drew Rader – kicker – 3rd Team

Canton McKinley – D1

Harold Fannin – defensive back – 1st Team
Stefan Monahan – offensive lineman – 2nd Team
Nehemiah Saipaia – defensive lineman – 3rd Team
Khris Williams – running back – Honorable Mention

Columbus Independence – D2

Jalin Sample – Columbus Independence linebacker – Honorable Mention

Westerville South – D2

Kaden Saunders – wide receiver – 1st Team
Tyler O’Riley – offensive lineman – 2nd Team
Brandon Armstrong – defensive back – Honorable Mention

Big Walnut – D2

Nate Severs – running back – 1st Team
Garrett Stover – defensive back – 1st Team
Aiden Hernandez – offensive lineman – 1st Team
Nicky Pentello – wide receiver – 2nd Team

Green – D2

Trey Martin – wide receiver – 1st Team
Trevor Van Horn – quarterback – 2nd Team
CJ Dawson – offensive lineman – 2nd Team

History

All-County Team Announced

November 30, 2021December 1, 2021
by Don Engelhardt

WHBC recently announced its all-county team, which is selected by the area coaches, and six Tigers received honors. Darrius McElroy was named the Most Valuable Player for Massillon. The senior quarterback and co-captain completed 47 of 83 passes for 448 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 84 times for 431 yards and 11 TDs. Darrius was instrumental in leading his team to a 35-13 victory over Canton McKinley for which he was named the Great American Rivalry Series Most Valuable Player.

Other honorees included:

Austin Brawley (senior wide receiver) – Second on the team in receptions, with 35 for 589 yards (16.8 yds/rec.) and 4 touchdowns, with a long of 72 yards.
Te’Jamere Nash (senior offensive lineman) – Helped his team rush for 5.6 yards per carry, which is ranked 5th among all spread offense teams and 15th among Massillon teams all-time.
Marcus Moore (junior defensive lineman) – Recorded 31.5 tackle points, including 19 solos and 25 assists. Also had 10.5 tackles for loss with 2.0 quarterback sacks. Also intercepted a pass against Wooster and returned it 53 yards, nearly for a touchdown.
Riley Campbell (senior defensive lineman) – Recorded 46.0 tackle points, including 31 solos and 30 assists. Also had 10.0 tackles for loss and a team leading 4.5 quarterback sacks.
Austin Brawley (senior defensive back) – Senior defensive back. Second on the team with 72.5 tackle points, including 57 solos and 31 assists. Also had 1.0 tackles for loss, two pass interceptions, four pass breakups and one fumble recovery. Blocked 7 kicks and returned 4 kicks for touchdowns. He also set or tied school season records for punt return yards, punt return touchdowns, kick returns and blocks.
Dominic Salvino (senior long snapper) – Co-Captain. As a result of consistently excellent snaps, the kickers were able to convert 59 of 60 extra points and 9 of 14 field goals.

Canton McKinley’s Harold Fannin was named Player of the Year. Alliance’s Thomas Butt received the Jim Muzzy Scholastic Achievement Award.

Massillon finished the 2021 season with an 11-3 record and was runner-up in the playoff regional championship game.

History

2021: Massillon 38, Big Walnut 0

November 13, 2021November 20, 2021
by Don Engelhardt

GAME STATS

Chris Easterling, The Independent, Nov. 12, 2021

Darrius McElroy, defensive adjustments help Massillon Tigers football take down Big Walnut

MANSFIELD — Big Walnut had all of the momentum through the first quarter. Massillon, though, had all of the points.

Once the Tigers took the momentum away from the Eagles as well, that was all they needed to take Friday’s Division II Region 7 semifinal with a 38-0 victory at Arlin Field.

“They had a great plan against us defensively,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, whose 11-2 team will make its fifth consecutive regional title game appearance next week against Green at a site to be determined. “They threw the kitchen sink at us with motions, shifts screens, throwbacks. We saw it all in that first quarter and a half, and we just bowed up.”

Big Walnut’s first three possessions reached as deep as the Massillon 12, the 50 and the Tiger 8. The Eagles outgained Massillon 133-58 and ran 23 plays to the Tigers’ six over the initial 12:30.

However, those possessions ended in a fourth-down incompletion, a fumble at midfield and a fumble at the Massillon 10. The Tigers turned the first fumble into a 7-0 lead on Freddie Lenix Jr.’s 21-yard touchdown run with 2:52 left in the first quarter.

Lenix rushed for 140 yards on 23 carries for Massillon, his third 100-yard rushing night in four games.

“Listen, when you play a really good football team that is big and physical and fast and closes space, you can’t make mistakes,” said Big Walnut coach Rob Page, whose team bows out at 12-1. “When there’s opportunities there, you have to strike. That’s where we failed. The No. 1 stat in football is turnovers, and we turned it over, and they didn’t.”

The Eagles’ next two drives reached the Tiger 28, after starting at the Massillon 35, and the Tiger 42. However, the first ended in a fourth-down stop by the Massillon defense, while the second ended in a punt.

Big Walnut’s offense would net just 63 yards on its final 23 plays. The Eagles finished with 196 net yards on 46 plays, with 2,000-yard rusher Nate Severs held to 100 yards on 21 carries.

“Our game plan going into it was just to make our checks,” Tiger senior safety Austin Brawley said. “At first, they ran a little different stuff than they showed on film. We had to adapt to that, calm down and make plays.”

Massillon made those missed opportunities hurt the Eagles in the second quarter. That’s when the Tigers’ offense started to make the kind of big plays to compliment the ones the defense was coming up with.

It started with a fourth-and-7 for Massillon at the Big Walnut 47. Darrius McElroy, the Tigers’ punter and backup quarterback, perfectly executed a fake punt by hitting Ryan Zentkovich for an 8-yard gain to the Eagle 39.

McElroy then got a chance to finish the job off when he scored on a 23-yard run four plays later to make it 14-0 Tiger with 4:27 remaining in the half. It was the first of two TD runs for the Massillon senior quarterback, who ran for 66 yards on eight carries.

“We knew that he goes in as, I guess you could call it a quasi-wildcat quarterback,” Page said of McElroy. “He’s not just a runner; he can throw the ball some. We knew that they did something like that when they put him in. We knew that they’re going to run power and iso and they’re going to throw quicks to the perimeter. We just didn’t defend them.”

However, it was McElroy’s arm that really helped Massillon completely alter the direction of the game. After a punt put the Tigers at their own 30 with 1:08 remaining in the half, McElroy perfectly guided Massillon to a five-play, 70-yard TD march for a 21-0 lead, capping it with a 5-yard run with 27 seconds left in the half.

McElroy was 3-of-4 passing for 65 yards on the drive, with two huge passes to Brawley for 33 and 25 yards. He finished 5-of-6 for 78 yards on the night.

“Every time I come in, they’re screaming, ‘Run, run run,'” McElroy said. “‘Eight’s in. It’s a run.’ I have to pass it out there so they can get off my back.”

Massillon essentially shed Big Walnut off its back on the first drive of the third quarter, when Jalen Slaughter hit Ardell Banks for a 64-yard TD pass to make it 28-0 Tigers. It was one of two scoring strikes for the Massillon starter, who also hit Kurtis Miller late in the game for a score as part of a 7-of-12, 126-yard passing night.

Shane Rue added a 20-yard field goal for a 31-0 Tiger lead with 4:07 left in the third.

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

History

2021: Massillon 35, Canton McKinley 13

October 24, 2021October 25, 2021
by Don Engelhardt

GAME STATS

Chris Easterling, The Independent, Oct. 23, 2021

Massillon turns big plays, turnovers into another win over McKinley

‘Watched them break right in front of us’: Massillon Tigers football rallies to another win over Canton McKinley

CANTON – Massillon wanted to do something that hadn’t happened in six decades. McKinley just wanted to accomplish something it hadn’t done in six years.

On Saturday afternoon in the 132nd installment of The Game, the Tigers celebrated like it was the 1960s. They did so thanks to a 35-13 win over the Bulldogs in front of 11,094 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, extending their win streak in the series to six in a row.

It is the longest win streak by either team in the series since Massillon won nine in a row from 1957-65. It makes it the fourth-longest win streak in the series.

“We just played better football,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said after he improved to 6-1 against McKinley. “We came out and continued to play hard and execute a little better and make some plays. Football’s a funny game. Sometimes you’re playing hard and things aren’t going your way and you just have to keep playing hard.”

The Tigers will take a five-game win streak, and an 8-2 record, into their Division II, Region 7 playoff opener next week. Their likely opponent will be Columbus Independence.

McKinley falls to 6-4, but will head into the playoffs as a top-four seed in Division I, Region 1. The Bulldogs will await official word on their first-round opponent Sunday.

“In the second half, their guys made plays when they needed to,” McKinley coach Antonio Hall said. “We left some plays out there. Hat’s off to their guys, because they executed when they had to.”

Big plays and turnovers were the story of the game for both teams. In the first half, it helped McKinley hold a 13-7 lead.

In the second half, it helped Massillon surge to the win. The Tigers scored 28 unanswered points in the second half, while forcing two of the Bulldogs’ three turnovers in the game.

“We didn’t do anything differently,” said Massillon safety Austin Brawley, who set up the Tigers’ third touchdown with an interception and also blocked a point-after try on McKinley’s first score. “We just played our brand of football. Just watched them break right in front of us.”

Two big pass plays helped to set up the Bulldogs’ two first-half scores. On their first drive, Harold Fannin Jr. took a swing pass and ran 25 yards into Massillon territory to the 35.

Three plays later — including a Tiger pass interference — Khris Williams ran it in from 13 yards out for a 6-0 McKinley lead with 8:20 remaining in the first quarter. Brawley, though, blocked his seventh point-after kick to keep the lead there.

Freddie Lenix Jr.’s 49-yard touchdown run provided the Massillon answer five plays later. Shane Rue’s PAT kick gave the Tigers a 7-6 lead with 5:53 left in the first.

Lenix finished with 179 rushing yards on 16 carries, scoring two touchdowns. Both scores were on long runs where he was barely touched.

“My line made it easier, for real,” Lenix said. “Them boys made it way easier for me. They did every little thing they were supposed to. That’s why I love them.”

It took the second big first-half pass play for the Bulldogs to retake the lead. With less than five minutes remaining in the half, Cynceir McNeal pulled down a contested 50-yard pass to the Tiger 23.

Five plays later, Amarion Williams pushed his way into the end zone from a half-yard out to give McKinley the lead back at 13-7 with 1:38 left in the half.

Massillon had three other first-half drives cross the Bulldog 35. All three ended in no points: a fumble at the McKinley 34, a missed 38-yard field goal and an interception in the end zone by McNeal with four seconds left in the half.

Tiger mistakes nearly derailed their first second-half possessions, as flags left them in a third-and-14 from their own 21. A big pass play, though, helped them turn it into a 14-13 lead.

History

2021 Booster Club Report – Week 8

October 12, 2021October 12, 2021
by Don Engelhardt

Massillon defeated Canisius, NY (4-1), 23-13 to improve their record to 6-2. All-time win No. 915. Next up is a home match against Wooster (4-4).

7th Grade (7-0): Defeated Canton, 20-8. Season over.
8th Grade (5-2): lost to Canton, 14-6. Plays home (PBTS) to Chardon on Wednesday, October 13, at 6:00 pm.
9th Grade (6-1): Defeated Cleveland St. Ignatius, 41-20 (34-7 lead at one point). Plays at Wooster on Thursday, October 14, at 6:00 pm.
JV (6-2): Defeated Avon, 21-7. Plays at Wooster on Saturday, October 16, at 10:00 am.

Canisius

The No. 1 team in New York rolled into Massillon last Friday to try and repeat the victory they earned in 2017. Only, this one didn’t quite go their way. In a hard-hitting affair, likened to the St. Edward game, this time Massillon manufactured the big plays and came away the victor.

“Canisius was a really good team,” said Head Coach Nate Moore at the Monday Booster Club meeting. “We knew that going into into it. Their front seven was really good. Our guys outplayed them. They played a great game. They played really hard. It was a really good win for us.”

Those big plays were the key. Freshman Quarterback Jalen Slaughter was on fire, completing 8 of 9 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns, with both scores coming in the second half. The first went to Austin Brawley for 72 yards. Slaughter’s pass was in the air for about 50 yards and the defender managed gained position for an interception while the ball was in the air. But Brawley snatched it out of the defender’s hands and raced untouched to the end zone to give the Tigers a 2-score lead. The second was a perfectly thrown 19-yard pass to heavily guarded Jaden Welch, who caught the ball in the corner of the end zone.

But the best pass may have been the one to Ardell Banks. Faced with a 2nd and 20 at their own 27, Slaughter went back to pass and was pressured out of the pocket. So he headed through the edge for open space, while being protected by Ta’Jamere Nash, who literally de-cleated the blitzing linebacker. Meanwhile, Ardell Banks after seeing the trouble broke off his deep route and gave his QB a chance. With a perfectly thrown pass, Ardell gathered in the ball as he was diving to the ground, just short of the sideline. The play went for a first down and kept the drive alive for the Slaughter-to-Welch TD pass.

Yet another big play came near the end of the game following a Canisius interception at their own five yard line that negated a potential Tiger touchdown. Banks was running a post pattern, but the throw was just a shade late and the free safety picked the ball in stride. He headed down the right sideline, then cut to the left sideline, on his way for a sure score. But who ran him down? Ardell Banks. Banks had sprinted 90 yards and caught him at the Massillon ten. Didn’t realize that Banks was that fast! Although the Crusaders eventually scored, his effort alone is worthy of mention.

For Canisius, they obviously knew they couldn’t run on Massillon, so they went almost exclusively to the air. But it seems like a broken record this year with yet another outstanding quarterback facing down the Tigers. That’s six straight now. This time it was Tyler Baker, who completed 23 of 41 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown. He quite simply had an uncanny ability to complete 3rd down passes for just enough yards to gain first downs and move steadily down the field.

Only, Massillon came up big when pass defense was needed the most. With less than four minutes remaining in the game and Canisius on the Tiger 45, the defense forced incomplete passes on four consecutive downs to take possession and run out the clock. A stiff pass rush and two knocked down passes were the keys.

While the Crusaders were great with the pass, that’s all they had on offense, for the stout Tiger eleven held Canisius to just 21 yards on the ground in 22 attempts. Rushing defense has also become become a broken record, but a good way. Previous opponents Austintown Fitch and Euclid were also stymied in the ground game, gaining just 18 and 81 yards, respectively.

Meanwhile, Massillon is starting to display a more balanced offensive attack similar to that of previous years. Against the Crusaders, they ran for 135 and passed for 174 for 309 total yards, with several players having big nights. Running backs Willtrell Hartson and Camden Beasley combined for 165 yards rushing and quarterbacks Jalen Slaughter and Darrius McElroy completed 9 of 10 passes. And although they won the game 23-13, it could have been much worse, save for that 84-yard interception return late in the fourth quarter that prevented the Tigers going up 30-6.

Stats:

Jalen Slaughter – 8 of 9 passing for 156 yards and two touchdowns
Willtrell Hartson – 13 carries for 90 yards and one touchdown
Camden Beasley – 13 carries for 75 yards
Austin Brawley – 4 pass receptions for 109 yards a touchdown; 9.0 (7-4) tackle points; 50 return yards
Ardell Banks – 2 pass receptions for 41 yards
Ryan Zentkovich – 6.0 (5-2) tackle points
Maverick Clark – 5.0 (3-4) tackle points
Ressieo Kirksey – 2.5 tackles for loss, 16 yards; 1 sack, 8 yards
Darrius McElroy – 2 punts, 38.5 ave.

Guest players were utility offensive lineman Jayden Woods, offensive lineman Nash, running back Willtrell Hartson and wide receiver / defensive lineman Riley Campbell.

Notes from the players and coach:

New York football is different than Ohio football. We played Massillon Tiger football. We showed them who we were.
We take a lot of pride in our defense (against the run). We swarmed to the ball.
The offensive line played their best game of the year.
Canisius started to shift from cover-4 to cover-3 to provide run support (The 6-man front just wasn’t enough to stop the Tiger running attack).
A lot of great effort plays.

Wooster

Massillon and Wooster will face each other for the first time since 1933, when the Tigers hung one on the Generals, 53-0. The Tigers hold a 14-5 edge in the series, which dates back to 1899. A member of the Cardinal Conference, Wooster comes into Paul Brown Tiger Stadium Friday with a 4-4 record. Their best performances of the year came in a victory over Lexington and during a 6-point loss to West Holmes, the best team in the conference. Their season thus far:

Orrville (1-7): 30-6 W
Wadsworth (2-6): 17-23 L
Louisville (0-8): 16-14 W
Akron St. Vincent (4-4): 10-42 L
Lexington (2-6): 38-14 W
West Holmes (8-0): 37-41 L
Mt. Vernon (2-6): 39-7 W
Mansfield (6-2): 16-44 L

The Generals utilize a spread offense that features the passing game, particularly the combination of senior quarterback Drew Becker (6′-0″, 190) to senior wide receiver Micah McKee (6′-4″, 180), who is also a stellar basketball player. Like Canisius, Wooster displays an “air raid” style of attack, with lots of short passes designed to move the sticks. Both of these players are very good. The run game may be placed on the shelf for this one, as has been the case against Massillon of late.

Defensively, they align in a 4-3 front, with cover-2 secondary, press coverage at the corners. Again, linebacker McKee is the best player on this side of the ball. While the secondary is good as a group, it’s the defensive front that is the best unit on that side of the ball.

The series with Wooster will end after just one game, with last year’s contest at Wooster having been canceled by the OHSAA.

Playoffs

Wins in the final two games will assure a Top-4 placement in the final computer ratings. That would set the Tigers in position to have two home games in the playoffs.

Go Tigers!

History

2021 Booster Club Report – Week 6

September 28, 2021
by Don Engelhardt

Massillon came from behind to defeat Austintown Fitch (3-2), 31-21 to improve their record to 4-2. Next up is a home game against Euclid (0-6).

7th Grade (6-0): Defeated Austintown, 30-16. This week’s game against Akron Jennings has been canceled.
8th Grade (5-1): Defeated Austintown, 52-38. Plays at Canton Central Catholic Wednesday, September 29, at 5:00 pm.
9th Grade (5-1): Defeated Austintown, 54-8. This week’s game against Euclid has been canceled.
JV (5-2): Defeated Woodridge, 20-0. Plays at Euclid on Saturday, October 2, at 10:00 am.

The Tigers fell behind 14-0 early in the contest against Fitch. But once the young replacement players settled in, they outscored the Falcons 31-7 the rest of the way. Due to injuries and some off-field issues, Massillon was without several players who normally factor into first team action. “We were down 7-8 starters and the game didn’t start out well,” said Head Coach Nate Moore. “The kids settled down and started playing.”

Following a Massillon punt to the one yard line, Austintown drove 99 yards to take a 7-0 lead. Then, after intercepting the ball at the Tiger 42, they scored again. The catalyst was stellar quarterback David Sherwood, Fitch’s all-time leading passer. On this night he completed 21 of 43 passes for 398 yards and a touchdown, the most passing yards Massillon has ever given up a game. Sherwood also ran for another 42, after taking away 53 yards in losses from five Massillon sacks. In fact, Sherwood either ran or threw on 66 of the Falcons’ 77 plays, accounting for 440 yards, while the rest of the team lost 24.

Meanwhile, after those first two scores, the Tigers were able to keep the QB at bay by adjusting their blitz to contain his scrambles. For once outside the pocket, Sherwood was extremely dangerous with his legs. In addition, the Tiger passing game got into gear to the degree that Massillon was able to take a 17-14 lead into the locker room. After forcing a fumble at the Fitch 13, freshmen quarterback Jalen Slaughter connected with Ardell Banks on a fade route for the first score. That was followed by a 42-yard field goal from Shane Rue. Then, the Tigers drove 80 yards and converted on a 30-yard pass to Banks, who just got a foot down in the end zone. The margin was helped by Ryan Zentkovich, who chased down a Fitch receiver and stripped him of the ball at the five, with the pigskin rolling through the end zone for a touchback. In the second half, Massillon started to take over the game and gave up just a single score, while adding a Cam Beasley 4-yard run and a 7-yard pass reception by Riley Campbell for touchdowns.

“It was a whale of a game,” said Moore. “We were facing tremendous adversity personnel-wise. It’s fun to win a game like that. We played a good quarterback, probably the best quarterback we’ve played. Their defense loaded the box with extra guys that we can’t block. But we were able to throw out of it.”

Player stats:

Jalen Slaughter – 11-21 passing for 205 yards and 3 touchdowns
Camden Beasley – 25 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown
Austin Brawley – 6 receptions for 142 yards; 2 blocked field goals (7 career blocks; 1st all-time); 3 kickoff returns for 72 yards
Ardell Banks – 3 receptions for 48 yards and 2 touchdowns
Nathan Depuy – 9.5 (8-3) tackle points; 1 tackle for loss; fumble recovery
Riley Campbell – 8.5 (7-3) tackle points; 3 sacks
Nate Watkins – 6.0 (6-0) tackle points; 2 sacks
Maverick Clark – 4.0 tackle points (3-2); pass interception

Guest players were wide receiver / defensive lineman / outside linebacker Riley Campbell, outside linebacker Nate Watkins, captain / quarterback Darrius McElroy and running back Willtrell Hartson.

Notes:

The younger players really stepped up.
5 blocked kicks by Brawley this year.
Ty Broyles stood out on special teams.
Zentkovich’s punch out was huge, keeping Fitch from taking an insurmountable lead.
Ressieo Kirksey’s move from inside linebacker to defensive line paid dividends with his speed at the position.
The blitz, especially off both edges, was a big factor in holding Fitch to seven points in the second half.
Fitch couldn’t run on Massillon and abandoned that part of the offense early on.
Banks is turning into an exceptional receiver.
Brawley once again had a huge game.
Slaughter came through at quarterback and played well above his freshman grade.
Fitch was loading the box on defense; but once Massillon started to pass on them the defense became overly pass cautious, which then opened up the run.

Euclid comes into Paul Brown Tiger Stadium with an uncharacteristic 0-6 record, having faced several highly-ranked teams. This is the first time Massillon has faced Euclid. Scores so far:

Aurora (6-0): 21-63 L
Hudson (6-0): 34-40 L
Cleveland Heights (5-1): 14-46 L
Cleveland St. Ignatius (4-2): 14-44 L
Brunswick (4-2): 18-38 L
Medina (6-0): 0-40 L

Moore calls them talented and dangerous. They have some very good players, several of whom can take it to the house if the defense makes a mistake.

Offensively, they operate out of the spread. The quarterback, while not scrambler, throws a good ball to some very talented receivers. The running back is really good, fast, quick and hard to bring down.

On defense, look for a 3-3 stack with cover-3 and some cover-1. The strength of this unit is the defensive line, especially the nose tackle, but all three are pretty good. Expect to see something resembling a 3-5 alignment designed to stop the run. This will be a hard group to block and the Tigers may once again need to rely on the passing game to move the ball.

Coach Moore asked the Massillon fans to bring more energy and fan noise to the games, since these young players feed off of this and play better.

Nick Pribich drew the Booster Club members to a website that is offering a cash prize of $500 to the school that clicks their site the most. The link is c1cu.com. Nick encouraged everyone to visit the site everyday throughout the rest of the season.

Go Tigers!

History

2021 Booster Club Report – Week 3

September 8, 2021September 9, 2021
by Don Engelhardt

The Tigers survived the potent offense of Reynoldsburg with a 41-22 victory. Next up is a road trip to Warren Harding for a 7:00 pm contest.

7th Grade (3-0): Defeated Akron East 8th Grade, 18-14. Plays Warren away on Wednesday, September 8, at 6:00 pm.
8th Grade (3-0): Defeated Oakwood, 40-6. Plays Warren at home (MAC) on Wednesday, September 8, at 6:00 pm.
9th Grade (3-0): Defeated Louisville, 34-6. Plays Warren Harding at home (PBTS) on Thursday, September 9 at 6:00 pm.
JV (3-1): “B” team defeated Louisville, 10-0. “A” team defeated Canton McKinley, 28-0. Plays Warren Harding at home on Saturday, September 11 at 10:00 am.

Reynoldsburg is all about the offense, not to take anything away from a very good defense. At quarterback was Dijon Jennings, who put up some of the best numbers against Massillon in their long history. He also ran for 65 yards and scored two touchdowns. Jennings completed 28 of 45 passes for 270 yards, with the first two numbers 2nd all-time for a Massillon opponent and the third 4th all-time. But the Tigers’ defensive game plan of keeping the receivers in front of the secondary paid off in the long run, holding the passing game to just under ten yards per reception and a single 29-yard touchdown pass. The two other scores came when Jennings broke free of heavy blitzes and scrambled to the end zone.

Not to be outshadowed by Jennings was the performance of Massillon running back Willtrell Hartson, who exploded for 223 yards on 28 carries (8.0 yds/att.) plus a pair of touchdowns. Most of the yardage came in the second half thanks to an offense line that pounded the Reynoldsburg defense into submission. Superior conditioning was undoubtedly a big factor in the Massillon win.

After the Tigers took a 9-3 lead into the locker at halftime, Reynoldsburg came out in the 3rd quarter and engineered an 8-play, 80-yard drive to score and go ahead 10-9. But Camden Beasley came up big and returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown. It literally broke Reynoldsburg’s back and it was all Massillon after that as they outscored the visitors the rest of the way, 17-6.

Joining the Booster Club members in their weekly meeting were a pair of squad leaders: defensive back / wide receiver / return specialist Austin Brawley and defensive back / wide receiver Kurtis Miller. Their thoughts and that of Head Coach Nate Moore are as follows:

Massillon got the stops they needed to secure the victory.
Defense was the key at the start of the season and they played lights out.
The offense started out slow, but picked it up in the second half, with the line blocking better.
Our conditioning is the best in Ohio.
Reynoldsburg had a really good defense.
With the offense stymied early, the coach changed for awhile to a 2-tight end, which aided the power run game.
The quarterback draw has become a good play.

If you were wondering about the two penalties on the kickoff, here’s the reason. Players on the kickoff team must now start outside of the 35 yard line. Once the referee signals the ball in play, no player can step inside the 35. Unfortunately, two sophomore players did just that. And that’s the reason.

Player stats:

Willtrell Hartson – 28 carries for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns
Darrius McElr0y – 4 carries for 25 yards
Austin Brawley – 9.0 tackle points (7-4); 39 yard pass interception return for a touchdown; blocked field goal
Ryan Zentkovich – 6.0 tackle points (5-2)
Jaden Welch – 6.0 tackle points (5-2)
Camden Beasley – 81-yard kickoff return for a touchdown

This week Massillon will face Warren Harding for the 86th time. This is the second longest series for the the Tigers, who hold a 57-25-3 in the series, including wins in the last five games.

The strength of the Harding team is the defense, which boasts several good players. The defense aligns in a 4-2 box with a lot of cover 3. The line is anchored by a pair of outstanding defense ends in junior Jaden Hudson (6′-2″, 210) and Kincaid Tyson (6′-1″, 220). Tyson, a 2-year returning starter, is fast, tough and comes off the ball well. These guys will be a challenge for our tackles fullbacks.

At linebacker look for senior Davontae McElroy (6′-1″, 195), a 2-year returning starter. Both cornerbacks are good cover guys. senior Brysen Powell (6′-5. 155″) is really aggressive. The edge guys in the cover-3 are both solid players. The group is led by senior Anthony Dukes (5′-9″, 175).

Offensively, Warren’s formations will look a lot like Massillon’s; i.e., quarterback in the shotgun, a single running back, a fullback near the line and three wide receivers. They run similar plays with a lot of zone blocking. Not much power blocking. The main difference is that the key to their success lies with senior Dom Foster (6′-2″, 170), who started at wide receiver last year and will be headed to Syracuse next year. A very athletic player, his forte is more in the run game than the passing game. At times, junior Dalys Jett (5′-9″, 160) will replace him in passing situations, with Foster moving to wide receiver.

The best lineman is senior Davelle Trimble (6′-0″, 275), a 2-year returning starter, who Moore calls a really good player. The running back is senior Brysen Powell (5′-7″, 155). He is speedy and more of a scatback. Likes to get to the outside. The wide receivers are a good group, led by senior Tyriq Ivory (6′-2″, 170).

See you in Warren. Go Tigers!