Category: <span>History</span>

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Booster Club Report – Week 4

Massillon picked up win No. 901 with a convincing 24-0 victory over Warren Harding.  With the win, the Tigers have moved up in the national ranking of historical wins and is now tied for 3rd place with Ft. Thomas Highlands, KY.

“It was a good week for the Tigers,” said Moore in opening the Booster Club Meeting.  “The defense is playing lights out.  It was also the second shutout in a row.  There’s really not a lot more good you can say about our defense.  All the guys are playing well.  Our offense is doing a lot of good things. But we need to be better on 3rd down and limit penalties.  But we’re doing a lot of things well.  Today was a pretty good practice.  So we’re off to a good start.”

Here are some other scores:

  • 7th Grade (2-1): Defeated Warren.  Plays Oakwood on Thursday away at 5:30 pm.
  • 8th Grade (3-0): Defeated Warren, 40-13.  Plays Green on Wednesday at away at 6:00 pm.
  • 9th Grade (2-1): Defeated Warren, 26-8.  Plays Cleveland Benedictine on Thursday at home at 6:00 pm.
  • JV (2-2): Defeated Warren, 24-22.  JV-A plays Cleveland Benedictine on Saturday at home at 10:00 am; JV-B plays Woodridge on Saturday at home at 1:00 pm.

The defense led the way against Warren with a smothering attack, holding the Raiders to a mere 49 yards of total offense, including negative five yards rushing.  Defensive end Mike Miller was stellar, recording five solo tackles and six assists, including a sack for a 10-yard loss.  Isaiah Clark had an interception that he ran back for 18 yards, setting up a Tiger score.  Alex Bauer kicked his fifth field goal out of six tries for the season and Magnus Haines averaged nearly 40 yards on three punts.  Another high mark was Jayden Ballard, Martavien Johnson and Caiden Woullard combining for 124 punt return yards.

The offense racked up 19 first downs and 344 yards of total offense.  But there continues to be room for improvement in converting third downs and finishing drives, according to Head Coach Nate Moore.  Against Lakewood St. Edward, the Tigers failed to convert a 3rd down in ten tries and against Bishop Sycamore was just 4 of 11.  In the first half of the Warren game the stat was 1 of 6, but that improved in the second half with a 4 of 7 mark.  Of course, Massillon’s offensive line seems to wear down opponents as the game moves along.  Watch for the coach to mix it up more among his three primary running backs as he searches for the right combination of players based on down and distance situations in order to shorten the yardage on 3rd down.

Quarterback Zach Catrone returned from injury and had a fine night, connecting on 21 of 31 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown.  Eight of the catches were to Ballard and six went to Johnson.  Many of the completions were of the short variety as Warren was giving room on the edges and dropping the safeties deep to take away the long pass.  Such is the weekly chess match as opposing coaches try to stop Tigers’ highly talented receivers.

But penalties continued to plague the team.  In three weeks they have been flagged 34 times for 329 yards, mostly of the 15-yard variety.  That’s a game’s worth.  It won’t be long until opponents begin to bait the Massillon players into committing more of those fouls.

Guest players this week were co-captains Zach Catrone and Xavier Andrews.  “It was an alright outing,” said Catrone.  “We could have done better.  We need to clean up the penalties.”  The offense has been criticized by fans recently for lack of dominating performances, but Catrone promised that the offense was going to “make a statement” this week.  “We’re really looking forward to playing this week,” added Andrews.  “We’re going for another shutout.”

Moore believes that Cleveland Benedictine, this week’s opponent, is the best team his Tigers have faced this season.  They have a better offensive line and better skill players than St. Edward.  The quarterback can throw the deep ball and their wide receivers are bigger.

The Bennies enter the contest with a 2-1 record, fresh off a 1-touchdown loss to perennial power Akron Hoban (3-0).  Their wins came against Warren Harding (1-2), 24-17, and Akron St. Vincent (2-1), 42-28.  Against Warren they had difficulty running the ball, but has since changed running backs, going to sophomore Duane Jackson (5′-9″, 190).  It’s important to keep him contained.

But the offense really revolves around an excellent quarterback in senior Ronnie Schultz (6′-0″, 180), who engineers their spread offense.  He can throw short and long and spreads the ball among his receivers.  He can also scramble out of trouble and run well in both designed plays and away from pass rushers.  Moore says that he plays with a lot of confidence.  Last year he threw for over 2,000 yards in leading his team to a 10-2 record.  Stop Schultz and you will go a long way toward stopping Benedictine.  Interested fans can check him out on YouTube, which has the full Benedictine-Hoban game from last week.

The offensive line is a veteran group, led by senior center Luke Beltavski (6′-1″, 290).  As a unit they have good size (6′-1″. 275 ave.) and are very athletic.  While not great in straight ahead blocking, they do fine job running outside zone and in pass protection.  The best position group on the team is the wide receivers, according to Moore.  Junior Marvin Conkle is featured on both the jet sweep and the deep pass, while senior Christopher Gales, although not as fast as Conkle, is the most targeted.

The defense aligns in a 3-4, similar to Massillon.  The linebacker corps is a good one, very fast and active.  Junior outside linebacker Derell Bedingfield (6′-3″, 190) is a play-maker, according Moore.  He is fast and athletic, and has a couple of D1 offers.  The rest of the defense is very capable.  The kicking game is also very good.  Coverage teams are average.

Go Tigers!

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

2020: Massillon 24, Warren Harding 0

Defense swarms as Massillon shuts down Warren Harding

GAME STATS

MASSILLON It’s awfully easy to win a football game when the other team can’t cross midfield. It’s even easier when they don’t score a point.

It may not have been the easiest of Massillon’s 901 all-time wins on Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. That said, the 24-0 victory over Warren Harding was made a lot easier by the performance of the Tiger defense throughout.

“We’re used to our offense really setting the tone in every ballgame that we play in,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, whose 2-1 team will meet 2-1 Benedictine next Friday night. “It just hasn’t been like that necessarily this year. The defense has. The defense has been outstanding all three weeks that we’ve played. Those guys are playing their tails off.”

The Tigers head into next week’s cat fight on a two-game win streak that has been highlights by a pair of glistening defensive efforts. Massillon has posted back-to-back shutout wins for the first time since doing it to Youngstown Woodrow Wilson and, interestingly enough, Warren, in Weeks 7 and 8 of the 2005 season.

For the second week in a row, the Tigers limited a team to less than 50 net yards of offense, including negative rushing yards. Columbus Bishop Sycamore managed just 46 net yards on 43 plays, including minus-26 rushing yards on 23 attempts, in last week’s 35-0 Massillon win.

Warren was only able to muster 49 net yards on 43 plays on Friday night. The Raiders’ 25 rushing yards netted them minus-5 yards.

Their record-setting senior quarterback, Elijah Taylor, was held to just 54 passing yards while completing 8-of-20 passes with one interception. Despite holding all of Warren’s career passing records, he will depart having not even topped 100 passing yards in three of his four games all-time against Massillon.

“It’s everybody doing their job on every play,” Moore said. “When guys do their job, that gives us a chance. When you have guys who can win one-on-one battles, out of 11 guys on the field, if you have nine, 10, 11 guys winning their one-on-one battle, you’re going to be pretty good.”

That defense also set up Massillon, which led 7-0 at halftime, to deliver the second-half haymaker. It turned a Caiden Woullard blocked punt into a 4-yard Raekwon Venson touchdown, then an Isaiah Clark interception into a 28-yard Alex Bauer field goal for a 17-0 lead early in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers’ defensive performance kept Warren in its own territory throughout the game. The Raiders’ 11 possessions, not counting a kneel-down at the end of the first half, never crossed midfield.

The opposite was true for the Tigers’ offense, which finished with 344 net yards on 67 plays. That included 216 passing yards, 209 of those by Zach Catrone, who returned from a one-game absence due to injury.

Catrone completed 21-of-31 passes with a pair of interceptions. It was his 17-yard pass to Martavien Johnson which gave Massillon a 7-0 first-half lead.

“He was wheeling-and-dealing a little bit,” Moore said of Catrone. “‘Taking what the defense was giving him.”

Massillon would have 12 possessions in the game, with the only one not reaching Warren territory the final one of the game. What cost the Tigers a chance to maximize many of those drives were 13 penalties for 145 yards, as well as three turnovers.

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

2020: Massillon 35, Columbus Bishop Sycamore 0

Milestone for Massillon: Tigers pick up win No. 900 against Bishop Sycamore

Sep 04, 2020 11:11 PM

GAME STATS

MASSILLON The win itself was historic for Massillon. The path to getting to the historic win, though, had more than its share of bumps for the Tigers.

Massilon became the first team in Ohio history to win 900 games all-time on Friday night thanks to a 35-0 victory over Columbus Bishop Sycamore at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The Tigers’ win total is tied for fourth with Mayfield (Ky.) nationally.

In order to get No. 900 in the books, though, Massillon had to battle through both its share of choppy play as well as some key injuries both before and during the game. In the end, though, the Tigers were able to overcome all of that to not just hit that milestone, but also move to 1-1 this season.

“We’re really happy to put another brick on the pile,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said. “Whether it’s 900 or 901 or 902, I don’t think that really makes much of a difference to us. That’s more a 30-years-down-the-road question, I think. We’re just trying to stack bricks right now.”

The Tigers played the entire game without starting quarterback Zach Catrone, who did not dress due while recovering from an injury suffered in the season opener. Moore declined to comment on Catrone’s injury, or any other injuries Massillon suffered during the first half Friday.

In Catrone’s place started Jayvian Crable, the son of former Tiger and University of Michigan star Shawn Crable. The sophomore appeared to get more and more comfortable as the game went on, both running the ball and throwing it.

Crable threw his first career touchdown pass with 11:07 remaining, finding Austin Brawley for a 20-yard strike to go in front 28-0. It was a milestone he had appeared to gain the previous play, when he found Martavien Johnson on a 10-yard strike, but a holding call negated the play.

The sophomore finished 11-of-18 passing for 123 yards with the one touchdown and one interception. He also ran the ball eight times for a team-high 78 yards.

“I don’t think he was, I guess, nervous going into the game,” Moore said of Crable. “I thought he was ready to go. When you’re out there with bullets flying for the first time, that’s always going to take some getting used to. Even that being said, when he pulled the ball down and took off, those were good plays.”

Multiple lengthy injury delays took some of the rhythm out of the first half. However, the two teams also contributed the choppiness by combining for four turnovers — two each — as well as 14 penalties, 11 by the Centurions, over the initial two quarters.

Despite that, however, Massillon was able to make the most of its opportunities to open up a 21-0 halftime lead. Like the game itself, it was an unconventional way the Tigers took to get to that number.

They bookended the half with a pair of safeties thanks to two bad punt snaps by Sycamore. They also got a pair of Raekwon Venson touchdown runs, an 8-yarder and a 4-yarder.

Alex Bauer’s 25-yard field goal with 11:08 remaining in the second quarter was the middle of the scoring sandwich Massillon put together in the first half. That boot gave the Tigers a 12-0 lead.

That lead alone would’ve been enough against Sycamore, a non-OHSAA online-only charter school which was a late replacement when the regular season was reduced to six games in mid-August. The Centurions struggled to consistently move the ball throughout the evening, often hurting themselves with penalty after penalty.

At halftime alone, Sycamore was flagged 11 times for 76 yards, while its 24 offensive plays netted just 3 yards. By the time the game was over, the Centurions had 18 flags for 108 yards, compared to just 46 net yards on 43 plays.

“Our defense played lights out,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of really good things going on over there. So, I think the first thing you have to acknowledge is to tip your hat to the defense. Those cats played their tails off and played really well.”

The deepest penetration for Sycamore was to the Massillon 21 on the first possession of the third quarter. That possession, though, ended with an dropped pass on fourth down from the Tiger 38.

Only two other Centurion drives moved into Tiger territory, but both never got past the 44.

Reach Chris at 330-775-1128 or chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

2020: Lakewood St. Edward 24, Massillon 23

Turnover, trickery helps St. Edward rally to stun Massillon

Aug 28, 2020 11:35 PM

GAME STATS

MASSILLON Massillon seemed to have its hands grasped around an impressive season-opening win on Friday night.

Despite the challenges of a strange offseason and then a mid-game lightning delay, the Tigers found themselves in control of the football and a six-point lead over St. Edward with less than five minutes remaining. However, five minutes later, it was all gone for Massillon.

“Very bleak,” St. Edward coach Tom Lombardo said of his team’s chances late.

Bleak turned into brilliant for the Eagles as they converted a fourth-quarter Tiger pick into a little razzle-dazzle touchdown of their own, and it was the difference in what became a 24-23 victory at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The go-ahead touchdown came when Justin Slattery took a lateral pass from quarterback Christian Ramos, then threw a strike to a wide-open Joshua Kerekes for a 72-yard touchdown with 4:01 remaining.

Kerekes’ catch-and-run, which included him tight-roping the sidelines for the final 15 or so yards, was one of just five passes caught by Eagle receivers in the game. Two of those five went for second-half touchdowns, the other a Ramos-to-Andrew Cook 4-yard pass with 3:23 left in the third to cut Massillon’s lead to 20-17.

“Being the first game and the first scrimmage, we said, ‘Just play four quarters and keep playing,'” Lombardo said. “Obviously, we were having trouble stopping them early. … Our defense really made some plays at the end and obviously, we got the double pass.”

St. Edward was just 5-of-13 passing for 107 yards. The Eagles also had just 97 rushing yards.

The loss was Massillon’s first regular-season setback since falling to St. Vincent-St. Mary in Week 9 of the 2017 season. Since that setback, the Tigers had won 32 of 35 games, including 21 consecutive in the regular season.

It appeared that the streak was going to increase to 22 in a row after Massillon, while in possession of a 23-17 lead, had the ball at the Eagle 35 with the clock nearing four minutes. However, on third-and-8, a pass to the middle of the field was intercepted by St. Edward’s C.J. Hankins, who brought it back to the Eagle 41.

“In-game mistakes, you have to self-correct and move on,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said. “We don’t have time to sit around and mope about anything. … As a player on the field, you have to self-correct and move forward. You can’t let one negative play turn into two negative plays and all those things.’

Two plays later, what had been a Tiger lead turned into a Massillon deficit. The Tigers would have two possessions after giving up the lead, going three-and-out and punting from their own 15 on the first.

The second one, which started with 37 seconds remaining at the Massillon 31, reached the St. Edward 40. However, four incomplete passes – the final one with two seconds remaining – ended the Tigers’ hopes.

The ending spoiled what was, in many ways, a solid start for Massillon. After giving up a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to Joal Castleberry with 8:07 remaining in the third quarter to fall behind the Eagles 7-3, the Tigers would score 14 straight points – on a pair of Zach Catrone-to-Jayden Ballard touchdowns – to lead 17-7 in the second quarter.

Catrone finished his first career start 14-of-29 for 262 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Ballard had a team-high 68 yards and the two touchdowns on two catches.

Raekwon Venson made his first career start as well at running back for the Tigers, rushing for 113 yards on 25 carries. That helped Massillon outgain St. Edward 396-204.

The probably for the Tigers was that they had to settle for three field goal, two of which were of less than 30 yards. Alex Bauer had two field goals of 26 yards, the last of those giving Massillon a 23-17 lead with 9:38 remaining, plus a career-long 41-yard boot.

Reach Chris at 330-775-1128 or chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

Football is a “Go,” but with Restrictions

Ten days before the first scheduled game of the 2020 season, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine gave the state’s 700+ schools the go ahead to proceed with fall football games.  His theme is that it’s all about the student-athletes and the mental strain that not playing the games would have on them.  However, given the continuing presence of the Covid-19 virus, the release comes with several constraints.

In essence, the directive issued a few weeks ago by the Ohio Department of Health still stands.  But the requirement to (1) test participants for the virus within 72 hours of the game and (2) have the results in hand at game-time have been waived for high schools.  That plus the declining number of daily virus cases in Ohio open the door for this decision.  So here are several of the restrictions in place and the impacts of each:

  • The season will consist of six regular season games followed by seven weeks of playoffs.  All teams are eligible to participate in the playoffs – The ODH wants the season wrapped up prior to Thanksgiving, fearing a rebound of the virus during the winter months.  The revised season plan does this.  However, the Governor hopes that the it won’t need to be cut short, which would result in the remaining games either canceled or perhaps played in the spring.  DeWine also gave schools the option to defer to spring football.  However, no playoffs would exist for those that elect spring.
  • Teams are limited to 60 dressed players – Massillon currently has 88 varsity players.  Therefore 28, presumably assigned to the junior varsity, will not suit up and will lose the enjoyment that comes with being on the sidelines with their brothers on Friday night.  For them the mental impact is increased.
  • Players must socially distance between the 10 yard lines while on the sidelines – This will be difficult to enforce, given that the players want to be close to the action and it will be up to the very busy coaches to police this.  It’s also a strange rule given that it never occurs throughout the many practices leading up to the games.
  • Teams are permitted one scrimmage during the week prior to the first game – This is awfully late notice.  It is not known at this time if Massillon will take advantage.
  • Fan attendance is limited only to parents and others that have close influence on the players, cheerleaders and bandsmen – This one strikes communities at the heart, with nearly a million fans affected at a time when some positive aspect of life is surely needed.  No consideration was given to those communities that have been minimally exposed to the virus.  The only alternative then is video broadcasting.  In Massillon, the high school airs games live over the Internet via pay-per-view to those that live at least 30 miles away.  The distance requirement is expected to be waived, so everyone with a computer will be able to at least view the games.  But there is still the matter of season tickets for approximately 3,500 fans.  This is a serious issue involving thousands of dollars and will need to be worked out quickly by the ticket office.  Collectively across Ohio, schools could lose out on over $50 million dollars in ticket proceeds, which help to fund football in the first place.  Finally, there is the OHSAA, which relies heavily on ticket sales, particularly during the last two weeks of the playoffs, to fund nearly their entire program.  The impact of these lost revenues will be huge.
  • Marching bands are only permitted to perform at home games – For most schools, that’s a lot of work for two or three games.  Fortunately, Massillon was able to schedule all six games at home.  The Tigers also hope to make a deep run in the playoffs, which would give the band additional opportunities to perform in front of those few hundred in attendance.

On another note, Head Coach Nate Moore has finalized the 6-game schedule.  All games are at home and on Friday night, except for the one against Canton McKinley, which will start at its traditional time of 2:00 pm on Saturday.

  • Lakewood St. Edward
  • Columbus Bishop Sycamore
  • Warren Harding
  • Cleveland Benedictine
  • Cleveland St. Ignatius
  • Canton McKinley

“The Year of the Tiger” – 50 Years Later

In Chinese lore 1970 was dubbed “The Year of the Tiger.”  According to traditional myth, “Nian,” a beastly creature, tore through the countryside eating people on the night before the New Year.  So, red decorations and firecrackers were used to frighten away the beast as the holiday approached.  Such is the respect afforded the Tiger.

For Massillon, “The Year of the Tiger” is also special, because that was the year their beloved Tiger football team fashioned one of the most perfect seasons the town had ever witnessed:  a 10-0 record, a state championship and a return to the glory years of the past.

In 1964 and 1965, under coach Earl Bruce, Massillon won all 20 games and was awarded back-to-back state titles. But Coach Bruce left for Ohio State and the Tigers fell upon hard times during the next three seasons. So the search was on for a coach that would return Massillon to the top.  In the spring of 1969, Bob Commings was hired to assume the coaching duties, having won his last 22 games at Struthers. Coach Commings would stay for five seasons before accepting the position of head coach at his alma mater, the University of Iowa. But what a glorious five seasons it was.

The first real chance for Massillon fans to meet the new coach came during the spring kickoff at the Massillon American Legion. It was there that Coach Commings would display the fire and enthusiasm that was so prevalent in his personality. His love for the game would just envelop anyone who got near.  There were handshakes aplenty as fans would hope that some of the vigor would rub off. Each person at the event left with the feeling that this man was someone special and was situated in exactly the right place and the right time atop the Tiger program.

Coach Commings inherited a team that was lean on senior talent, but he began to assemble the pieces and fill the voids with promising underclassmen. Suffering through the usual growing pains of a first-year coach, the 1969 Tigers finished the season 7-2-1. But they were competitive in every game, including in a 14-7 last minute loss to Canton McKinley (9-1). That set the stage for a run to the top.

In 1970, with several outstanding players returning and Commings’ football philosophy firmly in place, Massillon rolled to ten consecutive victories, completely dominating every opponent. This 1970 team was duly acclaimed first in the state and second in the nation. As a personal reward, Commings was selected to lead the North All-Star team in the following year’s summer classic. With several Massillon players suited up, the North won the game 14-0.

But back to the 1970 season, which became a showdown between Massillon and Upper Arlington.  In 1966, the Golden Bears played the Tigers for the first time and won on the road, 21-6.  That victory firmly cemented UA as a state power.  Arlington went on to post a 9-1 record, dropping their finale to Columbus Watterson (10-0), which was awarded the title.  But the Bears ran the table for the next three years and were awarded the Associated Press state title each time.  Included in that a 7-6 triumph over a 9-1 Tiger team in 1967.  However, preseason prognosticators believed that the 1970 Massillon team had the talent to wrestle the state title away from Upper Arlington.

The Tigers were led by a stellar cast, including:

  • Mike Mauger: 6’-0”, 195 lb. senior tailback; Ohio Class AAA player of the year; rushed for 1200 yards at 7.5 yards per carry; scored 152 points; University of Wisconsin and Kent State University; tried out with the Dallas Cowboys.
  •  Dennis Franklin: 6’-0”, 180 lb. senior quarterback; second team all-Ohio; University of Michigan, 3-year starter at quarterback; Detroit Lions.
  • Larry Harper: 5’-8”, 156 lb. senior wingback; Miami of Ohio; Churchman’s Magazine All-American; executive with Poloraid and Nike.
  • Steve Luke: 6’-2”, 186 lb. senior linebacker/tight end; third team all-Ohio; The Ohio State University; Green Bay Packers; co-founder USAthletes. Brother Bill also played in 1970.
  • Tim Ridgley: 5’-10”, 210 lb. senior defensive tackle; first team all-Ohio; Wyoming (football/baseball); Massillon head baseball coach.
  • Steve Studer: 5’-11”, 200 lb. junior center; all-Ohio (1971); Bowling Green; tried out with Chicago Bears; Massillon strength and conditioning coach.
  • Willie Spencer: 6’-2”, 189 lb. junior linebacker; all-Ohio (1971) Memphis Southmen; Washington Redskins; Minnesota Vikings.

Massillon opened the season with a 71-0 shellacking of Trotwood Madison, behind an offense that rolled up 533 yards.  Tailback Mike Mauger set the tone for the season by romping 80 yards for a touchdown on the very first play of the game.  Then, after disposing of Cleveland Benedictine 32-7 and Alliance 36-12, it was time to get down to business.

The opponent was Niles McKinley, an All-American Conference game that would be played on the road in front of a sellout crowd of 15,000.  It turned out to be a defensive affair, with the ground-oriented Tigers hampered by a gimpy Mauger at tailback, who was injured the previous week.  In fact, the only scoring of the first half was on a late field goal by Niles.  But Massillon came roaring back in the second half to score three unanswered touchdowns and win 22-3.  They also held the Red Dragons to just 132 yards. Niles would finish the season with a 7-2-1 record.

With the tough one behind them the Tigers went on a tear, outscoring their next six opponents 251-7.  First up was Toledo Whitmer (7-3), a 41-0 victory in which Massillon surrendered just 69 yards.  Next came a 40-0 blanking of Steubenville (6-4), behind a 416-yard offensive effort.  It took just 40 plays to take care of Barberton, winning 52-0.

In a conference game at Warren, 15,000 rain-soaked fans watched the Tigers take the Black Panthers apart 22-0.  Defense was the tone of the day and Massillon held Warren (5-5) to just three first downs and 29 yards of offense, none in the air.  As expected, there was a bit of complacency when hapless Akron St. Vincent came to town.  Massillon scored easily the first time it touched the ball to assume a 6-0 lead, only to see the Irish come right back on an 80-yard drive to take an early second quarter lead, 7-6.  But the Tigers came back to life and showed why they were destined for greatness, scoring 36 points during the remainder of the quarter enroute to a 68-7 blowout.  St. Vincent would manage just three yards for the rest of the night.

Here’s the Tigers vs. McKinley

Entering Game Ten against Canton McKinley, the Tigers were in first place in the Associated Press Poll, Upper Arlington at 9-0 was a close second and McKinley at 8-0-1 was third (the tie was vs. Niles).  Based on these standings, all that was left for the Tigers to finish in first place was to defeat the Pups.  Fans woke up that Saturday to a cold downpour, conditions that would persist for the entire day.  It wasn’t pleasant for the 22,500 fans in attendance, but the players didn’t seem to mind.  The victory dance started early when Massillon’s Larry Harper returned the opening kickoff 94-yards for a touchdown to give the locals an early 8-0 lead.  Keeping the ball on the ground for the entire game, the Tigers ground out three more scores, two by Mike Mauger and one by quarterback Dennis Franklin on a 37-yard naked boot.  The celebration was on as Massillon rolled to a 28-0 victory behind a 258-yard rushing attack.  Mauger led the way with 27 carries for 137 yards.  Franklin would throw just two passes.  Meanwhile, McKinley was held to a mere 115 yards, threatening to score just once.

Massillon game scores:

  • Trotwood Madison (71-0)
  • Cleveland Benedictine (32-7) – finished 9-1
  • Alliance (36-12)
  • Niles (22-3) – finished 7-2-1
  • Toledo Whitmer (41-0)
  • Steubenville (40-0)
  • Barberton (52-0)
  • Warren Harding (22-0)
  • Akron St. Vincent (68-7)
  • Canton McKinley (28-0) – No. 3; finished 8-1-1
  • 10-0 Record: 412-29

Upper Arlington ended their season 10-0, which at least kept them in contention for the crown.  Below are their season results:

  • Mentor (27-6)
  • Worthington (35-6)
  • Cincinnati Princeton (24-7) – finished 8-2
  • Portsmouth (27-0)
  • Akron Garfield (41-7)
  • Lancaster (21-20) – No. 6; finished 8-1-1
  • Zanesville (34-10)
  • Chillicothe (49-0)
  • Newark (51-0)
  • Marietta (27-8)
  • 10-0 Record: 336-64

Massillon was ranked No.1 throughout most of entire season, continuously from Week 5 on, and solidified that ranking in the final voting with the big victory over previously undefeated and state-ranked Canton McKinley.  Arlington was certainly hurt by a 1-point victory over Lancaster.  Here’s how the final A.P. voting went:

  1. Massillon (10-0) – 223
  2. Upper Arlington (10-0) – 210
  3. Canton McKinley (8-1-1) – 119
  4. Sidney (10-0) – 116
  5. Cincinnati Moeller (9-1) – 115
  6. Lancaster (8-1-1) – 104
  7. Sandusky (9-1) – 92
  8. Warren Western Reserve (9-1) – 84
  9. Columbus East (8-1) – 50
  10. Troy (10-0) – 25

Of course, 3-time defending champion Upper Arlington was none too pleased with the final results and there were informal talks about a post-season game to decide it in a playoff format.  The proceeds would be used to benefit the Marshall University football program, which suffered the loss of their entire team that year from a plane crash.  But the OHSAA would not approve the game.  So the final results would stand with Massillon as the state champs.  Nevertheless, the two teams met in Columbus two years later and the Tigers emerged a 14-0 victor.

1970 would be that last time Massillon was accorded Ohio Championship status.  Two years later the OHSAA would institute the state playoffs and, in spite of numerous state semifinal and final game appearances, the Tigers would never take the crown due to the dominance of the parochial schools, something that wasn’t present prior to the playoffs.  But the accomplishments of that 1970 team are still remembered by many Massillon faithful.  It was a team that outscored its opponents 412-29.  It averaged 6.5 yards per play while holding its opponents to a mere 2.2.  It wasn’t a huge team size-wise, but it possessed outstanding speed on both sides of the ball.  It also had some very talented players, several of whom played major college and professional ball.  But most of all it was a group of players that just wanted to win and win big, never letting down their guard.

The offense was a unit that could be relied upon to score the first time it touched the ball.  Its consistency to move up and down the field was uncanny.  The “bread and butter” play was a simple toss sweep to Mauger.  But the speed of the offensive line enabled the blockers to fly to the outside and pave the way for the 210 lb. tailback who, while not being the swiftest of running backs, was extremely adept at following his blockers.  When QB Dennis Franklin was not handing off to Mauger in the wing-T scheme, he would flip the ball to Larry Harper on the jet sweep.  That play was just devastating against opponents.  Franklin himself was an average passer, but he possessed great leadership ability, a trait that aided him throughout a 3-year stint as QB at the University of Michigan.

The defense was simply smothering.  Commings believed in an attacking system, one that placed eight men near the line of scrimmage to cut down opposing players before they had a chance to establish their blocks.  In fact, opponents averaged just four first down rushing per game.  Few Massillon teams controlled the line of scrimmage as well as this eleven did.  That coupled with an outstanding offense was a formula for success.

At the end of the season Coach Bob Commings was selected as the Class AAA Coach of the Year. After two years as coach of the Tigers his record stood at 17-2-1 having outscored the opposition by an average of 36-7. For his achievement he was selected as the North head coach in the 1971 Ohio All-Star Game. Commings would coach for three more years before taking over the head reigns at the University of Iowa, after compiling a record of 43-6-2, including a pair of undefeated regular seasons.

Mike Mauger was named Class AAA Back of the Year.  Tim Ridgley was awarded first team all-state offensive lineman and Steve Luke was named as second team linebacker.  Unfortunately, a couple of outstanding seniors were overlooked on this team. They included quarterback Dennis Franklin and flanker Larry Harper.

Coaching staff:

  • Head Coach Bob Commings
  • Larry Coyer
  • Edward Kinney
  • Jim Letcavits
  • Gus Pachis
  • Ducky Schroeder
  • Nick Vrotsos
  • Dale Walterhouse

The following photos are courtesy of Rob Engelhardt (1970 WHS Hi-Times)

Quarterback Dennis Franklin under center
Mike Mauger (22) heads for another touchdown; Mike McGuire (84)
Willie Spencer (82) presesures the quarerback; John Nussbaumer (68)
Kirk Strobel (76) leads the way for Tom Cardinal (33)

OHSAA Releases Updated Playoff Assignments for 2020

The Ohio High School Athletic Association has released its revised divisional and regional team assignments for the 2020 post-season playoffs.  With last year’s competitive balance formula essentially in place once again this year, there are very few changes to Division 2.

One Division 1 team, Toledo Bowsher, moved down to Division 2, while interestingly no team moved up to replace them.  Cincinnati Elder, the 2019 Division 1 state runner-up, had the potential to also drop down on account of reduced enrollment, but the competitive advantage was sufficient to keep them in the top group.  Five Division 2 teams are now in Division 3, including Columbus DeSales, Chillicothe, Alliance, Sylvania Southview and Parma Padua.  Replacing them are University School, Dayton Belmont and Independence, which moved up from Division 3.

Massillon remains in Region 5 along with Akron Hoban.  The only change to the region is the departure of Alliance.

It appears that once again Division 2 will be a formidable challenge for any team.  So one has to ask: who among the 106 teams in that Division are expected to dominate?  A few names readily jump to the top, such as Akron Hoban, Cincinnati LaSalle, Massillon and Cincinnati Winton Woods.  And several others can also be thought of as in the mix; teams such as Mayfield, Toledo Central, Hudson and Avon.

So to figure out who are the contenders, the two best factors to consider are regular season record and playoff success.  A time span of the last seven years is considered, since this is the period of time since the OHSAA created a new Division 2 by dropping several former Division 1 teams into its ranks.  Also, only teams that have won at least 40 regular season games over those past seven years are considered.  The chart below matches these two factors against each other.

The “red” data points indicate teams that have won state titles.  The “green” data points represent teams that have won regional titles, but not state titles.  The remaining teams under consideration are as indicated in “black.”  The “blue” line is a curve fit of all data points shown.  Those teams located above the line appear to excel more than their regular season record would predict otherwise.  Conversely, those below the line appear to struggle in the playoffs.

One can see that most of the teams are located in the vicinity of the “blue” line, although some, like Kings and Columbus Walnut Ridge win a lot of regular season games, but then fail in the playoffs against the better teams.  The most likely reason for this is apparent weaker schedules.

Well at the opposite end of the spectrum are the highly successful parochial schools, including Cincinnati LaSalle, Akron Hoban and Toledo Central (aside from Cleveland Benedictine, which has just a “black” data point).  These three schools have combined for six Division 2 state titles and four Division 3 state titles.  This in spite of the wide discrepancy in regular season marks, which of course vary on account of their difficulty of schedule.

Among the public schools Avon, Massillon and Hudson lead the pack.  All have shown great success both during the regular season and in the playoffs.  Although none has won that coveted season-ending prize, they have combined for nine regional titles and two state finals appearances.  Next up are Massillon Perry and Cincinnati Winton Woods.  They have garnered four regional titles and three state finals appearances.

Next year the OHSAA will increase the number of playoff qualifiers in each region from eight to twelve, giving many more teams the opportunity to record playoff wins.  Incidentally, had this system been place for the past seven years and had the teams in the region been the same as this year, Massillon would have been the only team in Region 5 to qualify for the playoffs in each and every year, while Hudson, Perry and Bedford would have qualified six times.  The Tigers would have had a bye in the first-round in five of those years; Hudson, Perry and Akron Hoban, three times each.

Below are details of all the teams that are considered the best in Division 2.

Cincinnati LaSalle

  • Regular Season Record: 48-22
  • Playoff Appearances: 5
  • Playoff Record: 22-1
  • Playoff Highlights: 4 state titles

 Akron Hoban

  • Regular Season Record: 57-13
  • Playoff Appearances: 5
  • Playoff Record: 22-1
  • Playoff Highlights: D2: 2 state titles; D3: 2 state titles

Toledo Central Catholic

  • Regular Season Record: 64-6
  • Playoff Appearances: 7
  • Playoff Record: 22-4
  • Playoff Highlights: D2: 1 regional title; D3: 1 state title; 3 regional titles; 1 state finals appearance

Avon

  • Regular Season Record: 67-3
  • Playoff Appearances: 7
  • Playoff Record: 14-6
  • Playoff Highlights: 3 regional titles

Massillon

  • Regular Season Record: 54-16
  • Playoff Appearances: 6
  • Playoff Record: 12-6
  • Playoff Highlights: 3 regional titles; 2 state finals appearances

Hudson

  • Regular Season Record: 52-18
  • Playoff Appearances: 6
  • Playoff Record: 10-6
  • Playoff Highlights: 3 regional titles

Massillon Perry

  • Regular Season Record: 47-23
  • Playoff Appearances: 4
  • Playoff Record: 9-4
  • Playoff Highlights: 2 regional  titles; 2 state finals appearances

Cincinnati Winton Woods

  • Regular Season Record: 47-23
  • Playoff Appearances: 3
  • Playoff Record: 8-3
  • Playoff Highlights: 2 regional titles; 1 state finals appearance

Olentangy Lewis Center

  • Regular Season Record: 51-19
  • Playoff Appearances: 4
  • Playoff Record: 8-4
  • Playoff Highlights: 1 regional title

Mayfield

  • Regular Season Record: 48-22
  • Playoff Appearances: 5
  • Playoff Record: 6-5
  • Playoff Highlights: 1 regional title

Anthony Wayne

  • Regular Season Record: 47-23
  • Playoff Appearances: 4
  • Playoff Record: 5-4
  • Playoff Highlights: 1 regional title

Nordonia

  • Regular Season Record: 44-26
  • Playoff Appearances: 3
  • Playoff Record: 5-3
  • Playoff Highlights: 1 regional title; 1 state finals appearance

Perrysburg

  • Regular Season Record: 50-20
  • Playoff Appearances: 4
  • Playoff Record: 5-4
  • Playoff Highlights: 1 regional title

Medina Highland

  • Regular Season Record: 50-20
  • Playoff Appearances: 4
  • Playoff Record: 4-4
  • Playoff Highlights: 1 regional title

 

Challenging Openers Nothing New for Nate Moore’s Tigers

Throughout many previous decades, as far back as perhaps Paul Brown, Massillon coaches have traditionally scheduled soft-to-moderate opening game opponents in order to give each squad the best chance of starting the season on a winning note.  But that appears not to be the case for current head coach Nate Moore.  He prefers, instead, the challenge brought on by facing a top-level foe.  And in each of his first five openers while at Massillon he has had fans on the edges of their seats hoping that the Tigers would come out victorious, knowing that the opponent was daunting.

Coach Nate Moore

This year is no exception.  On August 29, barring modifications to the season on account of the virus, Massillon will open up at Canton’s Tom Benson Stadium as part of a 6-game Nike classic against Bishop Gorman, a national power from Las Vegas, Nevada.  This should be a good matchup, but expect Massillon to be ready for the task ahead.  Coach Moore, having gained much insight over the past five years in approaching difficult openers, should know how to prepare for this one.

Moore has compiled a 50-15 overall record during his 5-year tenure at Massillon (28-2 over the last two seasons), including an 11-4 playoff mark in four appearances.  Currently, the Tigers have a 21-game regular season winning streak and have in each of the past two years advanced all the way to the Division 2 state finals game, although losing to Akron Hoban in 2018 and Cincinnati LaSalle in 2019.  In both of those years, Massillon was nationally ranked in the Top 50.  The Tigers are also ranked 5th in the nation with 899 historical victories, dating back to 1891.

When Mike Currence became the head coach in 1976, he inherited an opening game against Middletown, a team from southwest Ohio that was a state power at the time.  Regrettably, he was In the midst of replacing the previous Wing-T offense with a run-and-shoot offense, a scheme that was very alien to previous Massillon players.  It proved to be a difficult progression and Currence’s team failed to score in a one-touchdown loss to the Middles.  Although they held Middletown to just 121 yards of offense, they gained just a mere 74 themselves.  The following year, with the run-and-shoot firmly entrenched, it was off to the Akron Rubber Bowl to face Barberton.  The Tigers had high hopes that year, especially after rolling over a formidable Warren Western Reserve team in a game-condition scrimmage the previous week.  But in front of nearly 16,000 fans, Barberton’s running back Larry Ricks (Michigan) had other ideas and he led his team to a 9-7 upset victory.  It should be noted that in both of those years, when only one team qualified in each region, Massillon failed to make the playoffs, in spite of each team finishing 8-2.  To make it even more bitter, the Tigers finished that second season with a 21-0 victory over playoff state-finalist Canton McKinley.

So for the next 37 years coaches scaled it back and, for the most part, steered clear of top-level competition for Game 1.  Thirteen times Massillon faced a team from the Akron City Series.  Eight times they played Massillon Perry, including six in a row from 1978 to 1983.  They also had games against Alliance, Dover and Westerville South.  As a result, it wasn’t surprising that the Tigers compiled a record of 34-3 in those openers.  Two of the losses were to Buchtel and a third was to Clovis West, California (a rare tough opener).

But it’s obvious that Nate Moore has another mindset.  With eight teams per region making the playoffs these days, the odds are much better if the opening game is not won.  And although Nate enjoys the challenge, it’s also a good opportunity for his team’s weaknesses to be exposed before they get too far into the season.  Plus, the incentive to gear the pre-season around a challenging opponent, the experience of playing in big game early and an opportunity to play four quarters of football with the first unit on the field can all pay dividends down the road.  In 2015, in his very first game as a Massillon coach, the opener was Perry, a team stocked with two great running backs in Keishaun Sims and Tevian Cleveland.  The Tigers started out strong and then, after falling behind, scored late in the game to secure a 41-37 victory, in spite of Sims and Cleveland combining for 435 yards of offense and four touchdowns.  Perry went on to finish with a record of 12-3, losing to Cincinnati LaSalle in the Division 2 State Finals.

The next year it was Division 1 power Mentor, which sported a record of 56-11 over the previous five years (10-4 in the Division 1 playoffs).  Massillon opened with them in 2016 and 2017, but dropped both by one-sided scores.  However, it did show the program just how far it needed to go if the Tigers hoped to return to past glory.

For the past two years, Moore started off with Akron St. Vincent, a recurring opponent Massillon had faced during each of the previous six years.  But those six had not gone well, with the Tigers winning just two.  During that span, the Irish compiled a record of 67-16, including a 19-4 playoff mark and a pair of Division 3 state titles.  They also had a great running back returning in Terrance Keyes, who rushed 198 yards against the Tigers in 2016.  But the experience gained against Mentor finally had paid off and the Tigers walked away in the first one with a 35-7 victory, holding Keyes to just ten yards in eleven carries.  Later that year they defeated nationally-ranked East St. Louis in an offensive shootout.  The next year’s result was no different and with Massillon prevailed 44-14.  That season-opening experience was parlayed into a 17-14 playoff victory over 2018 Division 2 state champion Akron Hoban.  To top it off, Massillon has won the last four meetings against arch-rival Canton McKinley.

Now it’s Bishop Gorman, which promises to be yet another challenging opener.  Over the past 13 years Gorman has built an impressive resume: 175-15 overall record (122-13 in the regular season, 53-2 in the state playoffs); 10 state championships; 3 national championships (2014-2016); 8 times in the National Top 50.  Last year, the Gaels were 11-2, losing in the 3rd round of the Nevada state playoffs, in a rare year that they did not make the state finals.  They were also ranked No. 78 nationally.

Gorman will be a formidable foe for Nate Moore’s Tigers in this year’s lid-lifter.  But that’s nothing new for the highly successful coach, who obviouisly relishes the challenge.

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Tigers’ Win Streak On the Line in 2020

In 2019 Massillon wrapped up the regular season with a 24-14 victory over arch-rival Canton McKinley.  In so doing, they extended their regular season winning streak to 21 games, defeating an impressive list of opponents along the way.  They also went unbeaten for consecutive seasons, the first time the Tigers had accomplished that feat since Earl Bruce’s 1964 and ‘65 state championship teams.  Then, to top it off, they advanced to the Playoff State Finals in each of those years.

But now new challenges await during the upcoming 2020 season, particularly in the opening game, which is slated to be against a to-be-named national opponent.  Should the Tigers get by that one, they will face more tough foes down the road.  But winning another ten games it is certainly an achievable goal.  Nevertheless, as sweet as that sounds, it’s certain that the players would gladly trade all of that for a championship trophy at the end.  Nevertheless, the streak is real, it can’t be ignored and is it ranked right up there with the accomplishments of other great Massillon teams.

Winning streaks do not happen by accident and in each one at least a couple of influential factors can be found.  Some schools have an exceptional class come through that can produce consecutive 10-win seasons, like Barberton in 2017 and ’18.  Combined with 2016 and 2019, the Magics ran off 26 straight regular season wins.  Another example is Avon, which had a streak of 28 straight regular season victories between 2015 and 2018.   Upper Arlington in the late 1960s took advantage of “back-to-back” exceptional classes to win over 40 games in a row.  Others have solid football programs with equally impressive coaches, like Steubenville, which recently fashioned a 42-game winning streak (including playoff games) and just last year had a 63-game regular season win streak come to an end.

Then there are those that benefit from a continuous pipeline of top-level athletes, like the large parochial schools which, because of their inherent scholastic and athletic opportunities, attract many exceptional players each year.  In the 1970s Cincinnati Moeller put together a 40-game+ winning streak.  Then, after a loss to Cincinnati Princeton, they went on to win another 45 straight games.  Strength of schedule also plays into winning streaks; that is, a schedule devoid of competitive opponents.  Combine many of the above traits into a smaller school and a long winning streak is often the result.  A good example of that is private school Kettering Alter, the likes of which is one of the reasons behind implementation of competitive advantage for the post-season playoffs.

Prior to the playoffs, it was important for the large top schools to play very competitive schedules in order to receive the support of the various sportswriters who voted for the state champion.  Therefore, it was difficult at that time for those schools to produce long winning streaks.  They also didn’t have the benefit of additional playoff games to add wins in a particularly good year.  Massillon’s longest streak throughout its 120 plus years of history is 38 games, which was fashioned from 1937 to 1941.  During that span the Tigers captured the state championship each year and also added a pair of national championships.  In the 7th game of the 1937 season, Paul Brown’s Tigers were defeated by New Castle, Pennsylvania 7-0.  It was their only loss that year.  The following week they defeated Youngstown Chaney 28-6 and they didn’t stumble again until Game 5 of the 1941 season when, under coach Bud Houghton, the Tigers were tied by Mansfield 6-6.  During the streak, the average game score was an impressive 39-3.

But along the way, the Tigers also defeated some great teams.  In 1937 they dropped Canton McKinley from the ranks of the unbeatens by the score of 19-6, repeating that feat the following year with a 12-0 victory.  In 1939 Massillon defeated Alliance 47-0, which was their only loss that year.  Similar fates awaited several teams in 1940, including Cleveland Cathedral Latin (9-1) 64-0, Weirton, WV (9-1) 48-0, Erie East, PA (7-2-1) 74-0, Alliance (8-2-1) 40-0, Toledo Waite (9-1) 28-0, Youngstown East (8-2) 26-0, and Canton McKinley (8-1-1) 34-6.  It was indeed an impressive lot, enough to place a legitimate stamp on the record.

With the tie to Mansfield, however, the winning streak had come to an end.  But not the unbeaten streak, which was extended to nearly the end of 1942 season.  In that final game they were beaten by Canton McKinley, but they did establish an all-time Massillon record for that mark at 52 games.

Incidentally, the national all-time winning streak stands at 151 games, which was set by Concord De La Salle, California, in 1992-2003.  The Ohio all-time winning mark is 58 games, set by Delphos St. Johns at 57 in 1996 through 2001.  The corresponding unbeaten streak is owned by Ironton.  Their best is 58 games, which was established in 1983.  Massillon’s 52-game unbeaten mark ranks fourth in Ohio.

In 1963-67, coaches Leo Strang, Earl Bruce and Bob Seaman combined to fashion a 30-game winning streak.  It began with a 38-0 victory over Mansfield, following a 13-6 loss to Akron Garfield the previous week, and it ended three years later with a 0-0 tie to Mansfield.  In 1963 the Tigers finished 9-1 with a second place state ranking.  But under Earl Bruce Massillon in each of the following two years  they went 10-0 and was awarded the state title.  Ironically, it was the Tigers in 1964 that defeated Niles McKinley 14-8, ending their 48-game winning streak (currently ranked 4th in Ohio).  Massillon then wrapped up the season with a 20-14 comeback victory over the previously-undefeated Bulldogs.

Number 3 in the Massillon record book is a 25-game winning streak set in 1951-54 by Chuck Mather and Tom Harp.  Mather won the first 23 games and then Coach Tom Harp added two more before losing to Alliance 19-7.  With an overall record of 38-2 during those four seasons, the Tigers were able to capture the state championship each year and national championships in ’52 and ’53.  They also bested their opponents by an average score of 41-15.

That brings us to the current streak of 21, which also matches Paul Brown’s second longest.  Coach Nate Moore has been at the helm throughout, finishing 7-3 in 2017 and 10-0 in both 2018 and 2019, not counting his 8-2 playoff mark during those two years.  The average score of the games throughout the streak was 45-18.  It began following a 13-10 loss in Game 9 to Division 3 state semifinalist Akron St. Vincent.  The first win was over Canton McKinley (8-3) 16-15.  In 2018 Massillon went 10-0 and defeated Warren Harding (8-3) 51-21, Austintown Fitch (8-3) 42-14, East St. Louis, Illinois (9-3) 46-40 and Canton McKinley (9-3) 24-17.  Then last year they again finished 10-0, downing Akron St. Vincent (8-3) 44-14, Harrison City Penn-Trafford, PA (11-2) 42-21, Monroeville Gateway, PA (12-3) 48-12 and Canton McKinley (9-3) 24-14.  The Tigers have a chance to improve their ranking this year and, if they are fortunate enough to run the table, they will move into second place.

Brown’s 21-game streak occurred in 1935-37 and began after a season-ending loss in 1934 to State No. 1 Canton McKinley.  During the streak, the Tigers were completely dominant, outscoring the opposition by an average of 51-3 and compiling three state and two national championships.  In 1936 they gave the Bulldogs their only loss of the season by the score of 21-0.  The streak came to an end in Game 2 of the 1937 season with a 6-6 tie vs. Mansfield (once again).  But a new streak, the aforementioned one of 38 games, was started just a few weeks later.

Twice Massillon compiled 20-game winning streaks.  The first was in 1949-51 by Chuck Mather, which included three state championships and one national championship.  The second was in 1958-60 by Leo Strang.  During that one, the Tigers captured two state crowns and one national title.

The Top 3 “unbeaten” streaks are 52 games in 1937-41, 32 games in 1963-66 and 31 “regular season” games in 1977-80.  Combined, those years include eight unbeaten seasons.

A complete list of Massillon streaks can be found here.

OHIO WINNING STREAKS

  • 57 – Delphos St. John’s (1996-2001)
  • 54 – Versailles (1993-97)
  • 49 – Dayton Jefferson Twp. (1970-75)
  • 48 – Niles McKinley (1959-64)
  • 45 – Cincinnati Moeller (1978-81)
  • 44 – Marion Pleasant (1969-73)
  • 42 – Steubenville (2005-07)
  • 42 – Miami Trace (1976-80)
  • 42 – Upper Arlington (1967-71)

OHIO UNBEATEN STREAKS

  • 58 – Ironton (1977-83)
  • 57 – Delphos St. John’s (1966-2001)
  • 54 – Versailles (1993-97)
  • 52 – Massillon (1937-42)
  • 49 – Dayton Jefferson Twp. (1970-75)

NATIONAL WINNING STREAKS

  • 151 – Concord De La Salle, CA (1992-2003)
  • 109 – Charlotte Independence, NC (2000-07)
  • 104 – Pahranagat Valley, NV (2008-16)
  • 92 – Shattuck, OK (2003-09)
  • 90 – Morrison, OK (1989-95)

 

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Joe Sparma – Wall of Champions

Throughout the course of life we all make decisions that affect our future.  While these choices are usually of a minor nature, oftentimes a big decision at an early age can have a profound effect on one’s ultimate destiny.  Such was the case with former Tiger Joe Sparma.  After achieving enormous success as a multi-sport athlete in high school, Joe chose to continue on the path of football at Ohio State University.  Only that decision snowballed into a resolve to leave college early and pursue a career in major league baseball.

Woody Hayes, the Ohio State head coach in the late 1950s, recruited Sparma after a successful couple of seasons quarterbacking the Massillon Tigers.  Joe’s greatest asset was passing the ball, during a time when most high school teams preferred to keep it on the ground.  But now it was college ball, where passing was more common.  It all sounded so good.  But Woody’s offense was unlike other schools, preferring the run to the pass, believing that three things can happen when you pass the ball and two of them are bad.  In fact, OSU fans commonly referred to his offense as “three yards and a cloud of dust.”  There just wasn’t a place at Ohio State for a passing quarterback.

So many local fans tried to discourage Sparma from choosing the Buckeyes, saying that all he would do is hand the ball off to the tailback.  But Woody apparently wanted Joe badly and surely didn’t relish him lining up across his Buckeyes wearing another Big Ten uniform.  So he went hard after Sparma and secured his commitment.

“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 school in the Big 10 and passing against him.  I don’t think there’s any doubt about it that Sparma could have been a great pro football player.” – Coach Leo Strang from Scott Shook’s “Massillon Memories”

Joe did end up starting 11 of the 18 games in which he played and he did manage to pass the ball some.  However, he had developed differences of opinion with Hayes during his sophomore year and subsequently elected to leave school.  Ironically, the relentless Woody talked him into staying for his junior year.  Nevertheless, Joe’s relationship with Woody did not change by the following year and it was finally time for him to leave.  Fortunately, professional baseball was waiting.  How his life might have been different had he chosen a college that utilized a more balanced attack.  Joe always wondered what it would have been like to play quarterback in the NFL.

MASSILLON

Joe Sparma was born in Massillon, Ohio, on February 4, 1942.  It was at an early age that he found his calling, playing sports.  “I remember exactly the day I first wanted to do well in sports,” he earlier mentioned to Steve Doerschuk from the Massillon Independent.  “I was a fifth grader at Franklin School watching the older kids play a basketball game.  I watched the team score.  I heard the cheers from the handful of people at the game.  Something went through me.”

That ‘something’ caught big and Sparma went on to become a 3-sport athlete at Massillon, lettering multiple times in football, basketball and baseball.

“He was one of the finest athletes we ever had in Massillon.  He was captain of the baseball, basketball and football teams.  He was a good student.  He may have had a record of being a little hard to get along with, but never with me.  I can’t say enough about him.  He’s been a real good friend through all the years.” – Ducky Schroeder, former Massillon assistant.

His high school career spanned three seasons, the first in 1957 as a backup quarterback under Lee Tressel and the next two as a starter under Leo Strang.  As a sophomore his numbers were modest, finishing the year with one rushing touchdown and three passing.  His team finished No. 2 in the state with an 8-1 record, losing to No. 1 Cleveland Benedictine 13-7 on a 4th quarter TD.  The Bennies were led by running back and future NFL assistant coach George Sefcik.  It didn’t help that several Tiger starters were hit with the flu bug during the week of the game.

But they did manage to defeat No. 4 Warren Harding 20-14 in the infamous clock game.  In front of 21,384 fans, Sparma entered the contest with little time left on the clock and proceeded to toss a 46-yard pass to Clyde Childers (Georgia), who made a miracle catch inside the ten, first tipping the ball and then catching it and racing the final yards into the end zone for the win.

In 1958 Joe became a regular and led his team to an 8-1-1 record, outscoring the opposition 220-45.  It was good enough for a 4th place finish in the state poll.  The lone loss was to 7-2-1 Warren Harding by the score of 6-0.  But the Tigers did tie No. 1 Alliance 8-8.  Sparma finished the year with nine passing touchdowns and two TDs rushing.

His senior year was spectacular as the Tigers finished 10-0 and were named both Ohio State Champs and National Champs.  They outscored their opponents 431-46.  For the year, Joe completed 28 of 85 passes for 660 yards and 14 touchdowns.  He also rushed for a pair of TDs.  His best statistical performance came during a 65-0 victory over Canton Lincoln when he threw for 127 yards and four touchdowns, three to James Wood (his No. 1 receiver) and one to Bob Barkman.

Massillon also defeated Canton McKinley that year, 20-0.  “Right before the McKinley game, Jim Muzzi (WHBC) asked Joe Sparma who was the best team he played against all year.  Sparma’s remark was ‘Our second team.’  Muzzi about dropped his teeth.” – Leo Strang –from Scott Shook’s “Massillon Memories”.

The statement was not meant to demean McKinley since beating them was always at the top of his list.  It’s just that Massillon’s overall program at that time was just that good.  “Dad always remembered where he was from.  Beating McKinley meant as much to him as winning the World Series.” – Joe’s son, Blasé Sparma.

Following the season Sparma was named First Team All-Ohio.  He was also invited to play in the Ohio North-South All-Star Classic, where he led the North to victory.  Incidentally, the South quarterback was Roger Staubach (Dallas Cowboys and Pro Football HOF).

Sparma’s baseball career at Massillon was equally impressive.  According to former Massillon assistant coach Ducky Schroeder, he was the best pitcher in the state.   “When he was in a groove, there wasn’t anybody in high school who could hit him.  He pitched a no-hitter against McKinley when he was a just sophomore and recorded five no-hitters when he was a senior.”

Then it was off to Ohio State, where he played both football and baseball.

OHIO STATE

In 1961 Sparma joined the varsity football team as a sophomore (freshmen were not permitted to play at that time) initially as a backup quarterback, entering games on occasion to pass.  Eventually, he worked his way into the No. 1 role and was named the starter in four games.  He ended up completing 16 of 38 passes for 288 yards and six touchdowns, including a 200-yard passing effort against Michigan.  During that final game he connected with Bob Klein on an 80-yard touchdown pass, currently ranked 6th all-time in the OSU record book for the longest completion.  The Buckeyes as a team finished 8-0-1 and 6-0 in the Big Ten.  “We weren’t picked to do much that year,” said Sparma.  “But after we beat Michigan (50-20), we were ranked first in the nation in one of the polls (Football Writers Association of America).”

By winning the Big Ten, the Buckeyes were eligible to participate in the Rose Bowl.  But the OSU faculty voted not to go, concerned that athletics was beginning to have too much influence on campus.  Also, the Big Ten contract with the Rose Bowl had expired in 1959 and it needed to be modified to prevent the west coast teams from receiving the bulk of the sponsorship money.

“As I look back, it would be nice to reflect on having played on a state championship football team, pitching for a World Series champion and playing quarterback in the Rose Bowl,” said Sparma.  “But Ohio State officials voted not to let us go.  I don’t know whether it was because they were on some academic kick, or what.  But it was very weird.  The students almost rioted.”

The students actually did riot.  Nevertheless, No. 2 Minnesota went instead and ended up losing to Washington, 17-7.

Joe Sparma crosses the plate after hitting his only home run at Ohio State, in 1962 as a sophomore

The following spring Joe was on the mound, playing for Manager Marty Karol, whose career with the Buckeyes spanned 25 years.  A fastball pitcher, Sparma helped his team to a 19-14-1 record, including a 9-5 mark in the Big Ten, good enough for a 3rd place finish.  Joe was 5-5 with a 3.05 ERA, both tops on the team.  He also struck out 102 batters in 79.2 innings of work.

After the season, he received a contract offer from professional baseball for $40,000.  But it was then that Woody Hayes talked him into another year on the gridiron.

During the 1962 football season Ohio State finished with 6-3 record.  Joe, playing at 6’-1”, 194 lbs., started seven of the nine games and completed 30 of 71 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns.  Then in the spring of 1964 he again excelled in baseball, going 6-3 with 93 strikeouts in 88.1 innings.  His team went 23-13-1 and finished 3rd in the Big Ten with a 9-6 mark.

But that was it and he left Ohio State for the next level.   “I really loved football,” he said.  “But I loved baseball, too.”

DETROIT TIGERS

In 1963, Sparma accepted a contract with the Detroit Tigers, which included a $32,000 signing bonus.  After playing minor league ball with Knoxville and Duluth-Superior in 1963 and then again with Knoxville during part of the next year, he was called up to the majors.

In 1965 he became a starting pitcher for the Tigers, recording a 13-8 record and striking out 127 batters.  Sparma had a fastball that clocked in a 98 mph and he could consistently throw in the low 90s.  The first time he faced Mickey Mantle, he struck him out twice.  Mantle said he had never seen anyone throw faster.  Joe ended up beating the Yankees five times that year.

In the first meeting, he was assigned to be the starting pitcher on “Mickey Mantle Day” in New York.  When Mantle came to bat for the first time in the game, Sparma walked off the mound, approached Mantle, and said: “You know, I’ve never had a chance to meet you in person, and I’ve always admired you.”  Sparma and Mantle shook hands, and Sparma went back to the mound and struck Mantle out. Mantle turned to Detroit’s catcher Bill Freehan and said: “They have a day for me and your manager’s got to put some hard-throwing kid out there. Couldn’t he have put in some soft-tossing left-hander for me to hit off of, so I could look like a hero in front of all those people?” (Bill Freehan, “Behind the Mask” (1970), pp. 7–8)

Prior to the 1966 season he had a car door slammed on his pitching hand, causing him to miss spring training.  He subsequently went 2-7.  But he returned to form the following year posting a 16-9 record, including eleven complete games, five shutouts, 153 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.76.

In 1968 he pitched a 1-run, complete game vs. the New York Yankees to clinch Detroit’s first pennant since 1945.  The Tigers would go on to win the World Series over the St. Louis Cardinals.  But Sparma was used sparingly during the series, relieving starter Denny McClain in Game 4.

Joe Sparma is in Row 4, 4th from the left

In 1970, with his pitching numbers diminishing, Sparma was traded to the Montreal Expos.  But he was released after pitching just 27 innings with a record of 0-4.

During his major league career, Sparma compiled a 52-52 record.  He also had an ERA of 3.94 along with 586 strikeouts over 183 games.  Offensively, at a time before implementation of the designated hitter, he batted a respectable .119.

POST-BASEBALL

Joe Sparma with wife Connie

Joe had only pitched eight years and was still in his late 20s, but his services were no longer required.  Following his release, he was offered a position as a minor league coach, but he turned that down and opted instead to join Worthington Steel.  There, he worked his way up to vice president of sales and marketing for Buckeye Steel, a subsidiary.

Unfortunately, he died on May 14, 1986, at the age of 44 after a heart attack and subsequent heart bypass surgery.  He was survived by wife Connie, two daughters and a son, Blase, who lettered three years on the Ohio State baseball team (1994-96).

HONORS

 In 1994 Joe Sparma was honored with a place on the Massillon Tiger Wall of Champions, joining the second class of inductees.  Then in 2011 he entered the Stark County Hall of Fame.