High school football coaches will tell you that, unlike at the collegiate level, they prefer speed to size because speed “kills” at that level. For the Massillon Tigers, speed is one asset they’ve had in abundance over the past few years and is one of the major reasons why they have achieved so much success in the playoffs at the state level. But it also demonstrates the untiring work these young athletes have put in to excel in life.
The past year’s team is no exception and their talents were amply demonstrated at the recent District track meet, as they came away with four first places in the sprint events.
100 meter dash – Sophomore Freddie Lenix clocked in at 11.01 seconds to place first, following by junior Austin Brawley, who placed third.
200 meter dash – Again it was Lenix in first with a time of 21.94 seconds. Freshman Ta’Shaun Smith came in third.
4 x 100 meter relay – Placed first with a time of 42.83 seconds. Runners included Lenix, Brawley, sophomore Ardell Banks and junior Javontez Bradford.
4 x 200 meter relay – Placed first with a time of 1:28.51. Runners included Lenix, Brawley, Banks and Smith.
All will advance to the Austintown regional meet. Overall, Massillon placed 7th in the meet standings. Interestingly, all of the Massillon winners are underclassmen and will return next year.
The 8th grade group, on the heels of an outstanding 8-0 football season, recently captured the junior high state track title. The final rankings were as follows: (1) Massillon – 27 pts; (2 tie) Bellbrook, Pickerington Ridgeview and Ironton – 20 pts; (5) Canal Winchester – 18; (6) Pickerington Lakeview – 17 pts. Here are the results:
100 meter dash – JaMeir Gamble placed second with a time of 11.55. The winner had 11.49.
200 meter dash – Mylen Lenix took fourth with a time of 23.75. The winner clocked 23.57.
4 x 100 meter relay – Massillon took second with a time of 45.37. Runners included Braylyn Toles, Lenix, Gamble and Jalen Slaughter. Pickerington Lakeview won with a time of 45.12.
4 x 200 meter relay – Massillon took ninth with a time of 1:38.64. Runners included Slaughter, Tyler Hackenbracht, Lenix and Gamble. The winner had 1:36.13.
Shot put – Michael Wright placed third with a toss of 47 feet, 10 inches (about two feet short of his season best). Andrew Brumfield placed 23rd. The winner posted a toss of 48 feet, 5.5 inches.
Junior High State Champs: Front row (L-R) Braylyn Toles and Jalen Slaughter; second row (L-R) Coach Greg Corsale, Coach Becca Moore, Mylan Lenix, Tyler Hackenbracht, Jameir Gamble and Coach Bridget Parkins. Not pictured: Andrew Brumfield and Mike Wright. (Photo by Massillon City Schools)
Football playoffs in Ohio began in 1972 and since then have undergone numerous changes, the latest being the addition this year of eight more teams per region. In the first eight years of the playoffs only the regional computer poll champions qualified, so each of the three divisions proceeded immediately into the state semifinals. Now, in Divisions 2 through 7, up to 60% of all participants will advance, while in Division 1 it is nearly every team on account of fewer teams in the regions. In addition, the top eight teams in each region will play Round 1 games at home, as well the higher seeded winners in Round 2.
Below is the evolution of the playoffs:
1972 – 1979: 3 divisions; 1 team per region; 12 qualifiers Massillon: 6 years; 1 appearance; 1 regional title
1980 – 1984: 5 divisions; 2 teams per region; 40 qualifiers Massillon: 7 years; 3 appearances; 3 regional titles; 2 state finals appearances
1985 – 1993: 5 divisions; 4 teams per region; 80 qualifiers Massillon: 9 years; 4 appearances; 2 regional titles
1994 – 1998: 6 divisions; 4 teams per region; 96 qualifiers Massillon: 5 years; 2 appearances
1999 – 2012: 6 divisions; 8 teams per region; 192 qualifiers Massillon: 14 years; 10 appearances; 4 regional titles; 1 state finals appearance
2013 – 2019: 7 divisions, 8 teams per region; 224 qualifiers Massillon: 7 years; 6 appearances; 3 regional titles; 2 state finals appearances
2010 (Covid-19 alteration): 7 divisions, all team qualify Massillon: 1 year, 1 appearance, 1 regional title, 1 state finals appearance
In total, Massillon has qualified 27 times throughout the 49 years of playoffs. But the question surely on the minds of many Tiger fans is: How many times would Massillon have qualified if the current 16-team format had been in existence from the start?
The answer is 47, based on the makeups of the regions at the times. Only in 1974 and 2004 would the Tigers fail to qualify.
The 1974 team had a record of 6-4 and finished in 22nd place. However, one must consider that there were only three divisions at that time and there were 54 teams in the region, unlike today where there are just half that many teams. So Massillon would likely have qualified with a 7-division format. But the Tigers did defeat No. 1 Canton McKinley in the regular season finale that year, 20-15.
The 2004 team finished 4-6, having overscheduled with the likes of Cleveland Benedictine, Cleveland St. Ignatius and Lakewood St. Edward. They finished in 17th place in the Division 1 region, one place shy of qualifying. There were six divisions in 2004. But seven teams ahead of them were moved to Division 2 when the seventh division was added later. So, most likely they would have qualified in that year also.
So, considering that there are currently seven divisions in the playoffs, it appears that Massillon would have qualified in each of the 49 years of playoffs, had there also been seven divisions from the start.
In terms of home games, the Tigers would have hosted the Round 1 game 76% of the time and potentially hosted a Round 2 game 51% of the time. In Division 2, it was 7 home games out of 8 in Round 1 and five potential Round 2 home games.
Some of the more interesting Round 1 opponents include:
1978 – at Louisville. Massillon finished 9-0-1 that year and failed to make the playoffs due to most of the regular season opponents having substandard years. The Leopards were 9-1 with wins over Jackson, GlenOak, North Canton and Perry.
1986 – at Jackson. Massillon was 7-3 , coming off a 23-6 loss to McKinley. The Polar Bears finished 8-2, with no big wins but losses to Wooster and North Canton.
1987 – at Lancaster. Massillon at 6-4 vs. the Gales at 7-3.
1990 – home to Perry. Massillon was 7-3 and Perry was 6-4, including a 23-7 loss to Steubenville.
1994 – home to Perry again. This time the Tigers were 9-1, while the Panthers were 7-3. The common opponent was Alliance, with Massillon winning 20-0 and Perry winning 9-7.
1998 – at Canton McKinley. With the Tigers finishing 4-6, they grabbed the No. 16 spot, but had to face the Bulldogs in back-to-back games. McKinley eventually won the playoff state championship.
2010 – home to Perrysburg. Massillon would have had an earlier look at Perrysburg prior to that fateful 2014 game.
2011 – at Canton McKinley. The Tigers were 7-3 and the Bulldogs were 8-2. In the previous week, McKinley scored on the last play of the game to win 23-20.
I hope this gives you your trivia fill for the day.
The list of players from Massillon’s 2020 Division 2 state runner-up team that have committed to play football at the next level continues to grow. Recently added to the rolls are Xavier Andrews and Nick Liebler. Andrews will attend John Carroll University and Liebler will enroll at Wittenberg University. Both schools participate at the NCAA Division 3 level.
Andrews was one of four players named as co-captain prior to the season and immediately evolved into one of the most vocal leaders on the team. A force on the field at inside linebacker, he recorded 30 solo tackles and 21 assists. Included in that was 8.5 tackles in the backfield, accounting for 33 lost yards and a pair of quarterback sacks. Xavier also broke up two passes. His most productive game came against North Canton Hoover, during which he had five solo tackles and four assists. He also had 2.5 tackles for loss against Warren Harding.
Liebler started alongside Andrews at middle linebacker. He was second on the team behind Isaiah Clark in total tackle points (54.0), including 29 solos and 50 assists, plus four tackles for loss. Against Perry in the playoffs Nick had a career day, recording 11 solo tackles and 12 assists for 17.0 tackle points. The single-game mark ranks 2nd all-time in the record book for the Tigers. Leibler also had a chance to shine on offense in the 35-7 victory over Canton McKinley. Starting running back Raekwon Venson was lost for the season in the previous game and was replaced by Liebler and and sophomore Willtrell Hartson, both of whom had little varsity experience at that position for the Tigers. But both responded admirably to the challenge. Nick finished the game with about a third of the carries and rushed 11 times for 69 yards, including a long run of 18 yards and a 1-yard touchdown at the end of the third quarter that gave Massillon an insurmountable 21-7 lead. His per carry average of 6.3 yards says it all.
Coaches will tell you that there are three phases to the game of football: offense, defense and special teams. And to be a great team you need to have all three. Massillon has been fortunate to have that third one throughout the past past four years, particularly with punter / kicker Magnus Haines, who recently announced his intention to continue his academic-athletic career at Kent State University.
Magnus has been a punting specialist for the Tigers throughout his 4-year career and the go-to guy for kickoffs the last two. He currently holds all-time records for career punt attempts (119) and career total yards (4,405). His average over that span (37.0) ranks sixth all-time. Eight times his punts flew in excess of 50 yards, including a career-long of 60 yards, and 26 were downed inside the 20-yard line. Long hang time has also been a trademark. As a result, during last season only 9 punts were returned for 62 yards and in 2019 only 5 were returned for 9 yards, a 2-year average of just over 5 yards per return.
Haines was primarily responsible for kicking off during the past two years, kicking 169 times and averaging 53.4 yards per kick. Forty-one kicks went into the end zone. Although he was certainly capable of reaching the promised land on each kick, he was asked by the coaches to drop the ball inside the 5-yard line and between the hash mark and sideline to give the coverage team a better chance of tackling the returnee inside the 20. This he was masterful in doing.
I was doing some research a few days ago on former Tiger player and coach Elwood Kammer and ran across a rather interesting news story from the local paper describing some shenanigans following the Massillon-McKinley Game. What was most surprising is that the story was written in 1925, nearly a hundred hears ago. A decade before Massillon’s Paul Brown and Canton’s Jimmy Aiken really put the big game on the map. Anyway, the triviality of the story and the intricate details presented make for a great read. Please enjoy this look into the past.
Egg Throwing Episode After Football Game Lands Two Canton Boys in Court November 23, 1925
An aftermath of the Massillon-Canton football game last Saturday at Canton was presented in municipal court this morning when Edgar Robinson, 18, a Canton McKinley high school student, and his companion, Milton Rutherford, 17, of Canton, were arraigned before Judge Kaley on charge of disorderly conduct growing out of an egg throwing episode Saturday evening about 5:30 o’clock when Robinson and Rutherford came to Massillon celebrating Canton’s victory.
Robinson is alleged to have tossed a rather ripe article of hen’s fruit through the window of a street car filled with Massillon rooters, said egg striking a coat worn by Miss Dortha Crowell, of Navarre, and almost ruining the garment. With Miss Crowell were the Misses Thelma and Velma Hostetler, of 1216 Wood Street.
Then Robinson is alleged to have driven his automobile into the rear of a car belonging to J.F. McMillen of 118 Wood Street, damaging a bumper.
Both Robinson and Rutherford denied they had thrown any eggs but declared that they had been made a target for a lot of Massillon sharp-shooters on the curb in East Main Street who hurled numerous eggs at them as they drove down East Main Street.
Police reported that the street car on which the girls were riding stopped at Lincoln Avenue. Robinson and Rutherford were traveling west in Main Street in Robinson’s roadster. When their car stopped at Lincoln Avenue it is alleged they started throwing eggs, one going through the window and striking Miss Crowell.
When the boys continued on their way and later collided with McMillon’s car when it is alleged the brakes on Robinson’s car were defective.
Robinson was arraigned before Judge Kaley on charges of disorderly conduct and operating a car with defective brakes. He pleaded not guilty to both charges and after a trial was found guilty of the disorderly conduct charge. Sentence was deferred for three days in order to give the boy a chance to file a motion for a new trial. He will be tried on the defective brake charge this afternoon.
Rutherford, because of his age, was turned over to Probation Officer Allen who released him, subject to call.
The egg-throwing episode which resulted in the boys’ arrest was not the only one to be staged here Saturday night as victory mad groups of Canton rooters invaded the city. More than one egg battle was fought out along Main Street and about 9 o’clock Saturday night grocers were reporting a shortage of hen fruit. Over-ripe tomatoes also made their appearance.
One group of Canton rooters, it is said, came to Massillon on a truck, bringing with them a goat. On the side of the truck was banner bearing the words “We got Massillon’s goat.” As they headed east to Main Street to return to Canton they were made the target for a heavy bombardment of eggs. Then when the egg supply ran out the Massillonians, whoever they were, chased the truck to near the city limits, overhauled it and captured the goat. Mr. Goat was said to have been seen trotting around Massillon streets Sunday morning about 1 o’clock.
Nine student-athletes from the 2020 Ohio Division 2 State Runner-up football team signed commitment letters on February 3 to continue their academic/football careers at their respective institutes of higher learning. They join three other teammates who last fall took advantage of Early Signing Day.
The signees are as follows:
Alex Bauer – Kicker. Committed to Baldwin Wallace College. Holds the career records for both PAT kicks made and PAT kicks attempted (205/213). In 2020, converted 46 of 47 PATs and 8 of 11 field goal tries, including a long of 42 yards. All-County. 2nd Team All-District.
Zach Catrone – Quarterback. Committed to Marietta College. Completed 93 of 168 passes for 1,574 yards and 12 touchdowns, with just 8 interceptions. Holds single-game records for completion percentage (10/10), yards per attempt (23.4) and pass efficiency (396). Honorable Mention All-District.
Isaiah Clark – Safety. Committed to Ashland University. Led the team in tackle points with 42 solo tackles and 40 assists. Also, recorded 4.5 tackles-for-loss and 5 pass interceptions, which he returned for 94 yards. 2nd Team All-District.
Dylan Garretson – Offensive lineman. Committed to Wheeling University. Multi-purpose lineman who broke into the lineup in 2019.
Martavien Johnson – Wide receiver/cornerback. Committed to West Virginia University. Caught 36 passes for 498 yards and 3 touchdowns, including the game-winner against Cincinnati LaSalle in the state semi-finals. Rushed 21 times for 124 yards (6.4 ave.) and one touchdown. On defense, recorded 23 solo tackles and 14 assists, including 7 tackles-for-loss and two pass interceptions. All-County. 1st Team All-District. 2nd Team All-State.
John Kouth – Offensive lineman. Committed to Walsh University. Anchored a line rushed for 5.0 yards per carry and surrendered just 13 quarterback sacks in 12 games. All-County. 2nd Team All-District.
JumaciusPortis – Inside linebacker. Committed to Alderson Broaddus University. Recorded 20 solo tackles and 22 assists, including 6.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 quarterback sacks. Honorable Mention All-District.
Darien Williams – Cornerback. Committed to Ashland University. Did not play in 2020 due to an injury. In 2019, he recorded 9 solo tackles and 8 assists.
Caiden Woullard – Outside linebacker/defensive end. Committed to Miami of Ohio University. Recorded 24 solo tackles and 19 assists, including 10.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 quarterback sacks. No. 2 in the record book for both career tackles-for-loss (29.5) and tackle-for-loss yards (100). All-County. 1st Team All-District. 1st Team All-State.
Last fall, three players committed to their respective universities, including Jayden Ballard (Ohio State), Terrence Rankl (Pittsburgh) and Andrew Wilson-Lamp (West Virginia). All three are currently enrolled at the next level.
Also recently committing was offensive lineman Rager Els to Cleveland State University for wrestling. He was expected to be major contributor in 2020, but was lost for most of the season due to injury.
Following Signing Day, wide receiver/kick return specialist Eric Thurman committed to Marietta. Last season he caught five passes for 52 yards and returned six kickoffs for 133 yards (22.2 ave.).
It was a season-ending banquet unlike any previous one on account of the Covid-19 Pandemic. With the team, coaches and families barred from gathering for a meal and award ceremony, this one was done on Zoom Meeting. In spite of this constraint, it came off without a hitch and was very professional.
Outgoing Booster Club President Eric Smith opened the event by thanking all of the support he received from the many club members throughout the year. He emphasized that the job is really time-consuming and takes away from one’s family and personal endeavors for an entire year. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. “This job as president is an honor,” he said. “I love this town. I love this team. And I never apologize for being a Tiger fan.” Eric then introduced next year’s president, Tim Boerner, who will be the 88th leader for a club that has been in existence since 1934. Finally, he turned the banquet over to Head Coach Nate Moore, who handled the rest of the night.
“It was an incredible year for the Massillon Tigers,” he said, referring to the entire football program. “I’m excited about 2021.” These are some of the many accomplishments the program enjoyed:
Varsity – Finished 10-2; state runnerup
Junior Varsity – Finished 6-3; defeated Lakewood St. Edward twice
Freshmen – Finished 8-3; beat Cleveland St. Ignatius and Canton McKinley
8th Grade – Undefeated 8-0 season with wins over McKinley and Mentor; outscored opponents by an average of 35-9
As much as Moore is looking toward the future, he said he will miss the 33 seniors that depart this year’s team. “It was an unbelievable season,” he said. “I’m proud of our guys. We made a good run in the playoffs. This is the strongest senior class we’ve had since I’ve been here.” In three years this class finished with an overall won-loss record of 38-4, including two undefeated regular seasons. They won three regional playoff championships and finished as the state runnerup each year. And they defeated Canton McKinley all three years, extending the winning streak over the Bulldogs to five games. They won revenge games over defending state champions Akron Hoban and Cincinnati LaSalle. And they were the second Massillon team to defeat Cleveland St. Ignatius. And don’t forget the dominating victories over Perry in the playoffs. They also got it done in the classroom, posting a 3.50 GPA. “What an incredible thing to be a part of,” remarked Moore. “I can’t think of a group I’d rather have. Great games are won by great seniors.”
Then it was time for the awards. First, the various assistant coaches announced individual awards within the position groups, such as letters and first and second-year honors, plus various participation momentos. Moore emceed the big awards, which were presented by selected players. These honors are:
Captain Awards – Xavier Andrews, Zach Catrone, Terrence Rankl and Andrew Wilson-Lamp
Brandon Burlsworth Character Award – Darien Williams
Thayer Munford ACT Award – Magnus Haines
John Pizzino, Sr. Academic Football $1,000 Scholarship – Isaiah Clark
Paul David Academic Award – Alex Bauer
Bob Smith / Bill Snyder Sportsmanship Award – Nick Liebler
Lee Tressel Citizenship Award – Zach Catrone
Lunch Pail Award – Jaiden Wise
Lifters of the Year – Andrew Edwards and Terrence Rankl
Tom Harp Coaches’ Award – Andrew Wilson-Lamp
Hardnose Award – Caiden Woullard
Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year – Ra’Sean Card
Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year – Andrew Edwards
Special Teams Player of the Year – Magnus Haines
Carl “Ducky” Shroeder Outstanding Lineman Award – Terrence Rankl and John Kouth
Co-Offensive Players of the Year – Jayden Ballard and Willtrell Hartson
Co-Defensive Players of the Year – Isaiah Clark and Caiden Woullard
Most Valuable Player – Martavien Johnson
All-County – Jayden Ballard, Terrence Rankl, John Kouth, Alex Bauer, Caiden Woullard, Mike Miller, Jaiden Wise, Andrew Wilson-Lamp, Martavien Johnson, Magnus Haines, Nick Liebler
All-District – 1st Team: Jayden Ballard, Andrew Wilson-Lamp, Terrence Rankl, Willtrell Hartson, Mike Miller, Caiden Woullard, Jaiden Wise (Defensive Player of the Year), Martavien Johnson, Magnus Haines; 2nd Team: John Kouth, Alex Bauer, Xavier Andrews, Isaiah Clark; Honorable Mention: Zach Catrone, Michael Billman, Jumacius Portus
All-State – 1st Team: Jayden Ballard, Terrence Rankl, Caiden Woullard, Jaiden Wise; 2nd Team: Mike Miller, Martavien Johnson, Magnus Haines; Honorable Mention: Willtrell Hartson, Andrew Wilson-Lamp
Several No. 1 performance records were set during the season, including:
Willtrell Hartson – Single game rushing yards – 324 vs. Canton McKinley
Zach Catrone – Single game pass completion percentage – 100% (10/10) vs. Perry
Zach Catrone – Single game yards per attempt – 23.4 vs. Perry
Zach Catrone – Single game pass efficiency rating – 396 vs. Perry
Jayden Ballard – Career receiving yards – 2,737
Jayden Ballard – Career receiving touchdown – 39
Alex Bauer – Career PAT kicks made – 205
Alex Bauer – Career PAT kicks attempted – 213
Alex Bauer – Career field goal percentage – 77.8 (21/27)
Magnus Haines – Career punt yards – 4,405
Magnus Haines – Career punt attempts – 119
Caiden Woullard – Career quarterback sacks – 8.5
Early NCAA signees were announced, including:
Jayden Ballard – Ohio State University
Terrence Rankl – University of Pittsburgh
Andrew Wilson-Lamp – West Virginia University
For those who entered the 900th win game ball raffle, it was won by George Elum.
The entire banquet can viewed at the following link:
Staying true to form, Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore has scheduled another powerhouse to open the season. This time it’s Pickerington Central, which is perhaps the best public school program in Ohio Division 1 football. Massillon, of course, can lay claim to being the best public school program in Division 2, with three consecutive state finals appearances to back it up. In 2020 Pickerington Central lost to Cincinnati St. Xavier 44-3 in the state finals, whereas Massillon dropped its state finals game to Akron Hoban, 35-6. But regardless of division, Massillon and Central finished 4th and 5th, respectively, in the state of Ohio according to calpreps.com, a computer-based ranking system. The two were also Nos. 82 and 119 in the country out of over 14,000 schools.
Last season, Pickerington Central placed five players on the Division 1 All-Ohio team, including senior wide receiver Lorenzo Styles, Jr., who was named Offensive Player of the Year. He holds the school record for career receiving yards (1,529) and career varsity starts (55). Thirteen players were placed on the All-District team.
Massillon was supposed to open last year with Pickerington North, but the pandemic forced a change whereby the Tigers faced Lakewood St. Edward and North became Central’s opener as the Ohio Capital Conference elected to keep their regular season games close to home. Central beat North in that one-sided affair, 35-9. In signature games, Pickerington Central defeated Mentor 38-31 and Massillon downed Cincinnati LaSalle 14-10.
Massillon has one prior game against a team from Pickerington, winning 14-0 in 2002. The following year, Pickerington split into North and Central and the two schools have since had contrasting success. Whereas North became a fairly decent D1 school, Central simply dominated all local competition and achieved consistently great success in the playoffs. Since the split, Central has compiled a regular season record of 151-26 and a playoff mark of 40-15, missing the post-season only once, in 2005. Twice they have won the Division 1 state title, beating Mentor in 2017 and Cincinnati Elder in 2019. They have also won their regional title in each of the last five years.
Pickerington Central is not shy about scheduling some of the best teams in the country to open the season before league games begin. But, as good as they are each year, they appear to have the same problem that most public schools have; i.e., beating the private schools in the playoffs. They are currently 2-5 in that category.
Here is the yearly data on Central (year / regular season record / playoff record / playoff results):
2020 / 6-0 / 5-1 / lost to Cincinnati St. Xavier in the state finals.
2019 / 9-1 / 5-0 / beat Cincinnati Elder in the state finals.
2018 / 8-2 / 3-1 / lost to Cincinnati Colerain in the state finals.
2017 / 9-1 / 5-0 / beat Mentor in the state finals.
2016 / 9-1 / 4-1 / lost to Cincinnati St. Xavier in the state semifinals.
2015 / 8-2 / 0-1 / lost to Upper Arlington in Round 1.
2014 / 10-0 / 1-1 / lost to Cincinnati Moeller in Round 2.
2013 / 7-2 / 1-1 / lost to Cincinnati Colerain in Round 2.
2012 / 7-2 / 0-1 / lost to Pickerington North in Round 1.
2011 / 7-2 / 4-1 / lost to Cleveland St. Ignatius in the state finals.
2010 / 9-0 / 2-1 / lost to Hilliard Davidson in the regional finals.
2009 / 9-1 / 1-1 / lost to Hilliard Davidson in Round 2.
2008 / 10-0 / 3-1 / lost to Cincinnati Elder in the state semifinals.
2007 / 10-0 / 1-1 / lost to Dublin Coffman in Round 2.
2006 (D2) / 9-1/ 4-1 / lost to Piqua in the state finals.
2005 (D2) / 6-4
2004 (D2) / 9-1 / 1-1 / lost to Columbus Brookhaven in Round 2.
2003 (D2) / 9-1 / 0-1 / lost to Louisville in Round 1.
MASSILLON The rubber match belonged to Hoban. So, too, did the 2020 Division II football state championship trophy.
Shane Hamm led Hoban to a 35-6 win over Massillon on the Tigers’ own home field Friday night.
Hoban and Massillon met for the third consecutive year in the playoffs, with Hoban winning for the second time in a state title game.
The game was played at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium because of a site change made the day before by the OHSAA. All six state title games this weekend were moved from Fortress Obetz outside of Columbus because of the Franklin County stay-at-home advisory.
That proved not to matter.
Hoban jumped on top early to run to its fifth state championship in six years. The only year the Knights didn’t win the title was last year, when they lost to the Tigers in the regional finals.
“This means everything since we lost last year,” Hoban running back Victor Dawson said. “We took that very personal. Our goal was to make it to the state championship and they just happened to be in the way. We finished our goal.”
Reaching that goal in a year where COVID-19 altered so much added to the achievement.
“With all of this, it’s crazy,” Hoban coach Tim Tyrrell said. “Coach (Nate) Moore (of Massillon) and I talked before the game and we were just hoping to get past September.
“It means a lot for both programs to be here and says a lot about how the schools and administrations work on both sides. It’s one of those years that you’re so blessed that these kids got to play high school football.”
Hamm, who has quarterbacked Hoban to three titles in his four-year career, threw four touchdown passes in the game — two to Kharion Davis. Hamm also accounted for a score rushing for the Knights, who finished the season 11-0.
Hamm finished the game 9-of-10 passing for 172 yards with the four TDs and one interception.
“You talk about Shane Hamm, you talk about the epitome of what a high school football player is and what you want a high school football player to be,” Tyrrell said on Spectrum News 1 following the game.
Massillon, which was playing in its third consecutive state title game, finishes the season 10-2.
“We didn’t a good enough job in a lot of places,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, whose team was held to a season-low 32 net rushing yards on 28 carries and 136 total yards. “We didn’t get enough movement up front. We weren’t able to find big enough creases for our running backs in the run game, and everything really starts from there.”
The first quarter was all about Hoban’s control, starting at the line of scrimmage to allow running back Victor Dawson to get going. The Knights used that to jump out to a 14-0 lead.
Hoban’s offense was 2-for-2 on turning possessions into touchdowns in the opening 12 minutes. The Knights marched 72 yards on seven plays, capping the drive with a 2-yard touchdown plunge by Hamm with 8:01 remaining in the quarter.
After a three-and-out on Massillon’s first drive, Hoban went right back to work with another sustained march to the end zone. This time, the Knights capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive with an 11-yard Hamm-to-Davis scoring pass with 11 seconds left in the quarter.
Massillon capitalized on Hoban miscues, be it turnovers or penalties, to slice into the deficit before halftime. The problem for the Tigers was that they only managed to cash in once before the break — a 16-yard Zach Catrone-to-Caiden Woullard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left in the half.
The point-after kick, which was moved back 15 yards because of a post-score personal foul on Massillon, was missed to keep it a 14-6 deficit for the Tigers. It was the first missed PAT kick for Massillon all season after 46 consecutive made kicks.
That was one of two Massillon first-half possessions in Hoban territory. The other came thanks to an Austin Brawley interception that he returned to the Knight 25. But the Tigers gave it right back to Hoban on the next play, as Davis came up with a pick at his 8.
On Massillon’s first-half scoring drive, Hoban committed two personal fouls on hits to Catrone to keep it alive. The first was a roughing the passer on a second-and-9 play that put the ball at the Knight 27.
The second flag was for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Catrone, who scrambled on third-and-4 at the Hoban 21. Catrone remained down for a while. However, thanks to the Knights using a timeout, he didn’t miss a play.
“I got hit and I got back up,” Catrone said of the hit. “No one’s going to take me out of this game, especially in this stadium and it being my last game. I hurt a little bit, but at the end of the day, I knew my team wanted me out there. So I took it upon myself to find my inner self and get back up and get out there.”
Three plays after that penalty, Catrone hit Woullard to give Massillon momentum. That momentum didn’t last long into the third quarter, as the Tigers couldn’t advance on their first possession.
“We would’ve maybe not 100% needed that necessarily,” Moore said of not scoring on the first drive of the second half. “That would’ve put us in a really good position to come out after halftime and be able to put together a drive and score. We didn’t do it, and that’s putting our defense in a really bad position.”
Hoban turned its first second-half possession into a 21-6 lead. Hamm and Davis hooked up for a score for a second time, this one a 62-yarder with 8:48 remaining in the third.
Hamm added a 36-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Grimm on a fourth-and-7 play with 9:48 remaining in the game and a 12-yard TD to Chances Carter-Hill with 3:10 left. Tempers flared after the latter TD and a player from each team was ejected.
Hoban outgained Massillon 350-136.
Dawson ran for 145 yards on 21 carries for the Knights to compliment Hamm’s passing.
For Massillon, Catrone threw for 104 yards on 7-for-18 passing. Jayden Ballard gained 53 yards receiving on two catches. Martavien Johnson made three catches for 12 yards, while leading the Tigers with 28 yards rushing on five carries. Sophomore 1,000-yard rusher Willtrell Hartson was limited to nine carries for 24 yards.
“It was a blessing just to be here right now,” Massillon senior linebacker Xavier Andrews said. “Starting in July, we didn’t even think how far we were going to have a season. So, it was just blessing to play out the full season and get here.”
The Tigers fell to 0-6 in state title games in the playoff era, which began in 1972.
MARYSVILLE Time was winding down on Massillon’s season. It hadn’t hit all zeros yet, though, when it found one more huge play to keep its championship hopes alive.
Zach Catrone hit Martavien Johnson for a 48-yard touchdown pass with 2:22 remaining in Friday night’s Division II state semifinal, erasing a three-point Cincinnati La Salle deficit. That proved to be the winning margin for the Tigers, as they dethroned the reigning state champs — and last team to beat them in the playoffs — with a 14-10 victory at Marysville’s IMPACT Stadium.
“We were confident in our offense,” Catrone said. “We didn’t score as much as we wanted to, but we knew it was going to be a hard-fought game. We knew they had their dudes still; we knew we had our dudes. I always thought we had the upper hand on them.”
The win sends Massillon, now 10-1 after its 10th consecutive win, to its third Division II state title game in as many seasons next Friday night at 7 at Fortress Obetz outside of Columbus. Awaiting the Tigers will be Hoban, which beat Avon in the other state semifinal on Friday.
Long before Massillon could turn its attention to the Knights, against whom it’s split the last two seasons, it had to deal with La Salle. The Lancers, who are 8-3, beat the Tigers in last year’s state title game.
“Great ballgame,” said Tiger coach Nate Moore, whose team trailed 10-7 with less than 2:30 remaining. “Two worthy opponents. Our kids fought hard and it came down to the wire. We play to win, and I’m just proud of them.”
While Massillon struggled all game to get in front of La Salle, it never completely let it out of its sight either. Two drives, really, were all that the Lancers mustered against the Tiger defense.
Those two drives, though, were enough to give La Salle a pair of leads.
The first one came in the first quarter, when Lancer quarterback Zach Branam ripped off a 76-yard run to the Massillon 4 on a third-down play. Three plays later, Branam put the Lancers in front 7-0 with a 1-yard run with 20 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Branam rushed for a game-high 158 yards on 28 attempts. However, save for that one big run, he rarely found any room to get loose for big plays.
“I thought our defensive coaches had a great game plan,” Moore said. “We had a good week of preparation and practice. The kids went out and executed. We gave up the one long run, but I don’t know how many snaps we played defensively, maybe (59), and (58) of them were pretty good.”
Massillon got its own big third-down play to forge a 7-7 tie by halftime. On third-and-19 from the La Salle 45, Catrone found Caiden Woullard down the left sideline for a 39-yard pass to the Lancer 11.
Three plays later, Jumacius Portis scored on a third-and-1 play from the La Salle 3 with 5:03 remaining in the half.
La Salle put together its most sustained drive of the night over the third and fourth quarters. Starting at its own 12, it drove 72 yards in 16 plays to the Massillon 15.
However, on third-and-3 from the Tiger 15, Branam was stopped for a yard loss. Mason Luensman then hit a 33-yard field goal to give the Lancers a 10-7 lead with 7:57 remaining.
Massillon’s next drive reached its own 48, but it was forced to punt it away with 4:07 remaining. The Tigers, though, got the ball back after stopping La Salle on a third-down pass from its own 30.
They also caught a break on the punt, which hit a Lancer player trying to cover it at their 48. On the very next play, Catrone hit Johnson for the go-ahead touchdown.
“That play there was a play-action play on a post,” said Catrone, who was 5-of-13 for 109 yards in the game. “We actually had (Jayden) Ballard on a post on the backside as well. That was really just reading the defense.”
La Salle got one first down on its final possession at its own 30. But four straight incompletions set off a Massillon celebration.
