Category: <span>History</span>

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Horace Gillom – Wall of Champions

Horace Gillom – Wall of Champions

Paul Brown coached at Massillon for nine years and compiled a record of 80-8-1, winning six state and four national championships.  To accomplish that feat, he had at his disposal many outstanding high school football players.  Players such as Tommy James and Fred Blunt and Bob Glass and Edgar Herring.  But there was one player that Brown called “the best all-around athlete I coached at Massillon.”  That was Horace Gillom who, according to Brown, was “successful at everything he did.”

Horace “Big Horse” Gillom was born in Roanoke, Alabama, on March 3, 1921, but grew up in Massillon along with his two brothers, Jake and Odell, who also played for the Tigers.  His football career began in junior high where he played end and punter at Longfellow under Coach Bud Houghton.  Houghton immediately noticed Gillom’s proficiency at punting the football.  However, although he demonstrated tremendous distance and hang time for a young player, he needed more steps than normal to get his punts off.  So he simply moved Horace back an additional three yards and that gave him the room he needed.

Gillom’s varsity career spanned three years at Massillon, from 1938-40, during which time he was a starter at end, linebacker and punter.  He also had the fortunate experience of playing on three undefeated championship teams.  During his sophomore season, wearing No. 66, he scored 26 points from his end position via four receiving touchdowns and one 2-point conversion.  A sophomore starter also on defense, he was paired at middle linebacker with Vince “Rocky Snyder” in a 6-2-2-1 alignment.

As a junior, Horace really began to stand out and not just by changing his jersey number to 22.  Now, in addition to his normal duties, he was tasked with returning punts and kickoffs.  And on defense, he became the sole middle linebacker in a defensive alignment that was changed to a 7-1-2-1.  Coaches said that he was equally effective against both the run and the pass.  On a team that outscored its opponents 460-25, Gillom tallied 42 points, those coming from four receiving touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, one punt return TD and one pass interception returned for a TD.  At the end of the season he was awarded First Team All-County and First Team All-Ohio.

Coin toss prior to the 1940 Massillon-McKinley game.  Left to right – Massillon’s Ray Getz, Massillon Coach Paul Brown, Massillon’s Horace Gillom, McKinley’s Matthew Brown and McKinley Coach Johnny Reed.

Jersey No. 55 must have suited Horace more than 66 and 22, for it was during his senior year that he really dominated the football scene in Massillon.  His team finished 10-0, outscoring the opposition 477-6 and repeating as both state and national champs.  Four opponents that year finished the season with just a single loss, that coming to the Tigers.

As co-captain, playing at 6’-1”, 210 lbs., Gillom was extremely fast and became a significant deep pass threat.  He also had very large hands, well suited for a receiver.  For the year, he recorded a team-high 108 points, with ten touchdowns rushing and another eight receiving.  As a high school punter, Horace was simply unmatched, with many kicks traveling over 50 yards.

Offensively, Gillom scored at least one TD in nine of the ten games played, including four against Steubenville.  He also had an incredible touchdown reception against Canton McKinley at the end of the first half, erasing a rare 6-0 deficit.  The pass covered 45 yards, which was secured at the 20 under tremendous defensive pressure by tipping the ball into the air and then catching it with one hand.  After shedding the defender, Horace raced to the end zone, spurring Massillon on to a 34-6 victory in Paul Brown’s final game as coach of the Tigers.  He wrapped up his football career in Tigertown by repeating as First Team All-County and First Team All-Ohio.  In addition, the Associated Press named him Ohio’s Most Outstanding High School Player.

Between football seasons, Gillom spent time on the basketball court where, during his senior year, he was named All-County.  In the post-season tournament, Massillon advanced to the state semifinals, where he was named All-State Tournament 2nd Team.  The basketball squad was also coached by Paul Brown and he called Horace the greatest high school athlete he had coached during his time at Massillon.

In 1941 Paul Brown left to take over the head coaching responsibilities at Ohio State University.  Of course, Horace Gillom went with him.  Horace played freshmen ball that year, but left due to academic difficulties.

The next three years were spent in the military defending the United States in the WWII European Theater.  During his time there, he survived the Battle of the Bulge and was subsequently awarded three Bronze Stars.

After discharge, Gillom tried college football once again, this time at the University of Nevada, which was led by former Canton McKinley coach Jimmy Aiken.  He led the nation in punting that year, but he again left school due to poor academics.

That didn’t stop Paul Brown from snatching up the 6’-1”, 225 lb. punter in 1947 for a position with the Cleveland Browns, a team he stayed with through the 1956 season.  Throughout his tenure he was the full time punter, although he did play a couple of years at end, catching 74 passes for 1,083 yards.

As a punter, he was one of the best.  Paul Brown said in his autobiography that he had never seen a better one.  Here is a list of his and his team’s accomplishments:

  • 1947 – Defensive end; won AAFC championship; 2nd in league in punting with a 44.6 average.
  • 1948 – Offensive end; undefeated season; won AAFC championship.
  • 1949 – Offensive end; won AAFC championship; league absorbed into NFL.
  • 1950 – Tied for first in American Conference; won semifinal playoffs; Gillom’s punts kept the New York Giants in poor field position throughout the game; won the finals vs. Los Angeles; 2nd in the league in punting with a 43.2 average.
  • 1951 – Lost in the Championship Game; led the league in punting with a 45.5 average.
  • 1952 – Lost in the Championship Game; led the league in punting with a 45.7 average.
  • 1953 – Lost in the Championship Game; 2nd in the league in punting.
  • 1954 – NFL champs; 2nd in the league in punting.
  • 1955 –
  • 1956 – Released during the season due to a sore back.

Nevada, Cleveland Browns, Horace GillomFor his career, he is ranked as the 2nd best punter in NFL history with a 43.8 average.  His punts had very little chance of return on account of his tremendous distance and hang time.  In fact, he punted over 400 times before one was returned for a touchdown.  “Gillom had such a powerful leg and kicked the ball so far; before that punters used to line up 10, 12 yards behind the center,” running back Sherman Howard later said.  “He started the 15-yard drop.  And with Horace, he would kick it so high that by the time guys got down, the ball was coming down, so most guys had to fair catch.”  Lebovitz, Hal (May 28, 1978). “What does the ledger show?”. Cleveland Plain Dealer. p. 2

He holds the Browns’ record for the longest ever punt at 80 yards against the New York Giants in 1954.  He also had a 75-yarder against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1950.   “Horace was the greatest punter I’ve ever seen play pro football,” said Lin Houston, former Cleveland Browns player.  “They can talk about Ray Guy all they want.  He couldn’t hold a candle to Horace.”

Gillom was also one of the first black athletes to play professional football, but never saw himself as a pioneer in that regard.

Horace and his wife Mamie raised a son and daughter and he split work between the Los Angeles Recreation Department as an Assistant Athletic Director and a local hospital where he was a security guard.  Unfortunately, Gillom left us too early, dying of a heart attack at the age of 64 on October 28, 1985.

In 1985 Gillom was inducted into the Canton Negro Oldtimers Athletic Association Hall of Fame.  In 1994 Massillon honored him with a place on the Wall of Champions.  In 2007 he became a Cleveland Browns Legend, which denotes the best players in their history.  And in 2009 he was inducted into the Stark County Hall of Fame.

 

 

Tom Hannon – Wall of Champions

Tom Hannon – Wall of Champions

He was lightning fast and shifty on the gridiron.  Could break it for a long run on any play, daring any opponent to chase him down.   By season’s end he had rushed for over 1,300 yards, scored nearly 100 points and helped his Massillon Tigers to an undefeated regular season and berth in the first-ever Ohio high school football playoffs.  And after a stellar career in both college and professional football, Tom Hannon was honored in 1994 with a place on the Wall of Champions.

No. 45 was called “The Man with the Flying White Shoes,” by sportswriter Chuck Hess.  “We had a neighborhood with a bunch of kids who wanted to play for the Tigers,” said Hannon.  “And everybody who wanted to play for the Tigers ended up playing for the Tigers.  Before the games on Friday night we would always play in somebody’s yard.  I was always Bill Blunt because he was my idol.  He was number 45.  After that Tommy James was 45.  After that it was Larry Harper.  And after that it was me.” – from Scott Shook’s “A Century of Heroes.”

Tom Hannon was born in Massillon on March 5, 1955 and became a 3-sport athlete at WHS, participating in football, basketball and track.  Following an undefeated sophomore football season, Tom began his varsity career as a junior in 1971.  Not wasting any time in showcasing his talents, he made an immediate impact on special teams, returning 21 punts for 192 yards and averaged 23.4 yards per kickoff return on eleven attempts.  In addition, he played running back behind the great Willie Spencer, Sr., rushing 30 times for 190 yards (6.3 yards/attempt) and scored eight points.   He also played in the defensive secondary, recording five pass interceptions.

But his senior season was a breakout year in which he became the featured tailback, at 6’-0”, 186 lbs., while also serving time in the defensive secondary.  For the season Hannon rushed 253 times (3rd all-time) for 1,392 (7th all-time) and scored 14 touchdowns.  Eight times in eleven games he eclipsed the 100-yard mark.  Tom also caught two passes for 22 yards and even completed one of two halfback pass attempts for 15 yards and a TD.  He continued his exploits on special teams, where he returned 24 punts for 217 yards and twelve kickoffs for an average of 22.8 yards per return, including one for an 87-yard touchdown.  He also scored 94 of the team’s 193 total points.  Defensively, he intercepted three passes and recovered a pair of fumbles.  It seemed as if he never left the field.

Tom Hannon bursts through the Upper Arlington Line. Also shown is Larry Mayles (66) and Terry Edwards (42). (Massillon Yearbook photo)

Massillon won all ten regular season games that year, outscoring the opposition 179-29, but two contests really jumped off the page: Upper Arlington and Canton McKinley.  Upper Arlington had defeated the Tigers in 1966 and 67 and captured the state poll title in 1967, 68 and 69, whereas the locals won the same title in 1970, in spite of the Golden Bears finishing unbeaten for the fourth consecutive year.  So it’s no surprise that, according to Hannon, Coach Bob Commings absolutely hated Upper Arlington and approached the game like it was Massillon vs. McKinley.  It’s all he talked about in the weeks leading up to the contest, Hannon remarked.   Now, with the game finally back on the slate, it was time to settle matters on the field and determine who would lay claim to Ohio dominance.

The two teams met in the third week of the season, at Upper Arlington, in front of sellout crowd of 11,000.  So excited were the fans of Massillon that as soon as the gates were opened they rushed the stadium to get choice seats, as only general admission seats were sold for this one.  Gate attendants never had a chance to collect the ticket stubs.

The first half was scoreless as neither team was able to generate much offense.  But after Coach Commings delivered an inspiring halftime talk mixed with colorful expletives (according to Hannon), the Tigers came out in the second half and simply overwhelmed the Bears, coming away with a 14-0 victory.  Tommy led the way by rushing 16 times for 169 yards, including runs of 17, 12 and 31 in the third quarter and 16, 12 and 52 in the fourth.  He finished with 24 carries for 224 yards (9.3 yards per carry).  Upper Arlington was held to just 130 total yards of offense (60 rushing and 70 passing).  They eventually finished the year 6-2-2, losing to Zanesville 21-20 and tying Cincinnati St. Xavier and Cincinnati Princeton, 0-0.

Against McKinley, in front of a sellout crowd of 22,371 fans, Hannon rushed 28 times for 108 yards.  He also returned five punts/kickoffs and intercepted a pass as his team went on to defeat the Bulldogs 12-3, with all the points scored in the first half.  McKinley ended the year with an 8-2 record, the other loss coming to Akron Garfield, 12-6.

“It was just like Super Bowl week on a smaller scale,” said Hannon.  “It was so crazy.  That’s one crazy week.  It wasn’t like you could prepare for the game.  There were so many distractions.  I was like, ‘Let’s just play football.’  But I really enjoyed it.” – from Scott Shook’s “Massillon Memories”

The win wrapped up an undefeated regular season and first place in the All-American Conference.  The Tigers were also awarded State Champions by the Associated Press.  But the award was only symbolic, since it was the first year of the state playoffs.  Nevertheless, with only one team qualifying in each region that year, it was only fitting that the owner of 24 previous state crowns participate in the very first playoffs.

The game was held as part of a Class AAA double header at OSU Stadium with Massillon facing Cincinnati Princeton in a morning start and Warren Western Reserve going up against Toledo Scott in the afternoon.  The event drew a huge crowd of around 30,000, with a sizeable majority coming from Tigertown, as they filled both upper and lower decks on their side of the horseshoe.  On the second play of the game, Hannon energized the stadium throng by racing 64 yards for a touchdown.  He then added a 2-point conversion to give the Tigers an early 8-0 lead.  The Tigers scored again on a 40-yard pass from Kevin Westover to Terry Edwards, that one coming near the end of the second quarter.  In between those two scores, Massillon was stopped on downs three consecutive times inside Princeton territory, the third time at the 6 yard line.  It was a complete domination by the Tigers until the final play of the half, when Princeton’s Rick White kicked an unprecedented 47-yard field goal, extremely rare for that era.  Nevertheless, Massillon held the lead 14-3 and it might have been 21-3.  Hannon was superb, rushing 15 times for 139 yards.

But the second half was a different story, as the bigger Vikings wore down the Tiger lines on both sides of the ball and eventually won the game 17-14, in spite of Massillon leading in total yards.  Hannon was held in check and Princeton reeled off 34 plays to the Tigers’ 18.  Near the end, Massillon advanced to the Princeton 26, but a pass to the 11 yard line was intercepted ending Massillon’s final chance to win.  Hannon finished the game with 159 yards rushing on 22 carries.

At the conclusion of the season, Tommy was recognized for his achievements by being named All-County Most Valuable Player and First Team All-Ohio.  He also received the Reese’s Raiders “E” Award.

Throughout his senior year, Hannon gained the attention of several major colleges.  He shared one interesting story about his contact with Ohio State.  Upon leaving the locker room following the Upper Arlington game he was approached by OSU Head Coach Woody Hayes.  Along with him was former Massillon and OSU player Steve Luke and OSU quarterback Cornelius Green.  The discussion of course centered around Tom playing running back for Buckeyes and he was offered an opportunity to split time with Archie Griffin.  Well Archie just happened to win the Heisman Trophy in 1974 and 75.  So I believe everyone, including Hannon, knows today how that would have turned out.

Subsequently, he had a good talk with highly respected Tiger defensive backfield coach Larry Coyer, who advised him to switch to defense for college ball, since that would provide him a better opportunity to play professionally.  Hannon admitted that he never really thought about play pro ball until after that conversation.  Eventually a solid match was made with Michigan State, a place where he was very comfortable with the coaches, calling them “really nice guys.”  So off to MSU he went, lining up at defensive back for all four years and again wearing No. 45.  His career went like this:

  • 1973 – Coach Dennis Stoltz; record: 5-6-0
  • 1974 – Coach Dennis Stoltz; record 7-3-1; 24 punt returns for 199 yards; 2 pass interceptions for 25 yards; 5 tackle points (39, 16)
  • 1975 – Coach  Dennis Stoltz; record 7-4-0; 15 punt returns for 116 yards; 2 pass interceptions for 1 yard; 93 tackle points (59, 34) 3rd on team; 4 tackles for loss; 4 pass breakups; 2 fumble returns
  • 1976 – Coach Darryl Rogers; record 4-6-1; 2 punt returns for 17 yards; 108 tackles points (68, 40) 2nd on team; 3.0 tackles for loss; 8 pass breakups

In both his junior and senior years, Hannon was named All-Big Ten and was also named to a couple All-American teams.

In 1977, although he always wanted to play for the Browns, Hannon was drafted in the 3rd round (No. 83 overall) by the Minnesota Vikings.  There he played safety for eight years, as a starter in all but one, and of course wore No. 45.  During that span he participated in 117 games and started 103, recording 13 fumble recoveries and 15 pass interceptions, which he returned for 202 yards.  One pick went for 41 yards and a score in a 34-14 victory over Chicago.  His team made the playoffs in 1977, 78, 80 and 82.

It was after his first year at Minnesota that he returned to Michigan State to complete his degree and by chance developed a good relationship with the university’s president.  That led to an opportunity after his pro career had ended to join the sales staff at Oscar Meyer, where he Tommy worked professionally for 23 years.  Now retired, he currently resides in Southfield, Michigan.

In 2011 Hannon was inducted into the Stark County HS Football Hall of Fame and in 2018 was honored as a Massillon Distinguished Citizen.

When looking back at his days at Massillon High School, Tom said he enjoyed every minute of it and never missed a day of school.  Tommy, we’re fortunate to have had you as a Tiger.

 

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Chuck Vliet and a Tiger Record for the Ages

The Massillontigers.com website maintains over 2,500 player and team game records.  The data comprises 270 categories, such as rushing, passing and receiving, and lists the Top 10 record holders in each category.  For the last several months I have been reviewing past history to verify the accuracy of these entries.  Some of the more obvious ones are Jamir Thomas and Aidan Longwell as the all-time career rushers and passers.  Then there are remote ones, like Chauncey Watson having the longest touchdown run of 99 yards against Akron Garfield 1991 and Art McConnel with the longest punt of 81 yards vs. Warren in 1925.

But there is one record that always bothered me: Chuck Vliet’s 42 tackles in the 1950 game against Warren Harding.  How could this be?  Is that even possible?  The No. 2 player on the list, Cooper Ivan, has just 14 tackle points.  Fortunately, the aging Chuck is still with us to tell the story.  And it’s a good one.  I had a chance recently to sit down with Chuck and talk about that record, but first a little background.

Chuck played football in 1949-51 under the legendary coach Chuck Mather.  During his 6-year tenure, Mather racked up an inconceivable 57 wins in 60 games.  In all six years his teams were honored as the best in the Ohio and three times named national champs.

“I thought he was a great coach,” Vliet said about Mather.  “One thing I liked about Chuck Mather and his whole staff, they never yelled or cussed at us.  They would walk up to us with a calm voice and look at us straight in the eye.  They might put their hand on your shoulder and say, ‘What is your assignment on this play?  What are you supposed to do?’  He always told us, ‘You play the game the way you practice.’  If someone made a nice block and they had their head and shoulders on the wrong side, they were told about it.  We were all graded.  Our position coaches were the ones that graded in that position.”

It was during the 1950 season (Mather’s 4th) that Vliet, a 5’-8”, 160 lb. junior running back / linebacker set the record.  It was one of those years when Massillon was undefeated and both state and national champions.  And they outscored the opposition 407-37.   Along the way they defeated No. 8 Canton McKinley 33-0 and No. 9 Steubenville 35-12.

Game 7, held on October 17, 1950, was against Warren Harding, who entered the fray with a 5-1 record, having lost earlier to the Bulldogs 19-7.  Massillon led 7-0 at the half and pulled away after the band show to win 23-6.  Harding’s only score came on a 72-yard pass, but overall was held to just 87 total rushing yards in 46 attempts.

This is where Chuck Vliet, who proudly wore No. 49, enters the story by setting a record for the most tackles in a single game.  The amazing part is that out of 58 plays Warren ran that night, 12 were passes and Chuck did not tackle any of the three players who caught a pass.  In addition, Harding lost a fumble, which means that, if you do the math, Vliet made 42 tackles out of 45 opportunities, which was simply amazing.

Here’s how Chuck told the story:

“At the beginning of this game against Warren in 1950 on our field we practiced a solid week for their passing offense.  Back in our time we didn’t run into many teams that threw a lot and we had to gear up for that particular game.  So the whole week our defense was all pass.  It was pass here, pass there.  We had to learn what they were doing, read the quarterback, and so on.

“So we came out that night onto the field.  Did our exercises.  Came off the field.  We’re in the locker room.  I’m standing there.  Mather came over.  He says, ‘Vliet.  We’re going to change the defense tonight.’  I said, ‘What, coach?’  He said, ‘We’re changing the defense.’  I said, ‘What for?’  He said that we found out that their quarterback on Wednesday twisted his ankle quite bad and cannot play in this game.  So they brought a second quarterback in which cannot throw, so that Warren will be running all night.  He says, ‘So what we’re going to do on defense, we’re going to make a 7–man front and we’re going to have you as a roving linebacker.’  I thought that time I got a big old goose bump all over me because I didn’t know what he was talking about.  And I was going to be the only linebacker.  He said, ‘You will be my roving linebacker.’  I said, ‘Roving linebacker?’  He said, ‘Yes.  You have to cover from sideline to sideline.’  Again, that hit me real hard.  I said, ‘Coach.  What about Joe Gleason and Ray Lane?  They’re both seniors.’  He said,’ I want you!’  Well, I was scared.  I really was.

The 1950 defense: (Row 1, L-R) linemen Thomas Zeller, James Geiser, James Shumacher, Jack Strobel and Allen Murray; (Row 2) linebackers Joe Gleason, Chuck Vliet and Ray Lane; (Row 3) defensive backs Robert Khoenle, William Stoner and Ernie Russell

“So he got us together, and this was about ten minutes before we were ready to go back onto the field, and on our defensive front, at right guard, he said, ‘We’re going to put those two on double duty.’  And (Jerry) Krisher let out a little bit of noise.  He didn’t like that.  And, anyhow, he took Ray Lane and put him over defensive guard on the right side he took Joe Gleason, the outside linebacker, and put him on the left side.  They put Krisher in (Jack) Strobel’s place and (Jim) Richenbach over the nose man.  And he said, ‘This is what we call our 7-1-2-1.”  What we now know as a diamond defense.  We never practiced that beforehand.  We never practiced that the whole time I was there.  And we never used that defense again.

“He told each one of the defensive people up front, ‘keep the lineman off of Vliet.  Hit them and hold them up at the line and let him (Vliet) do his job.’  And I called them My Magnificent Seven because I didn’t have anyone coming out hitting me and I had free range from one side of the field to the other side.  And I did not know at the end of the game or that week or thereafter how many tackles I made in that game until I read that piece in the paper (the following year in an article presenting Vliet and Frank Gibson as the captains of the 1951 team).

“It was a defense that nobody played against us.  He threw this at them because they knew our regular defense.  And they were always set up to block a regular defense.  And this threw them off balance.  And then telling our defensive line people, ‘Keep the offensive players off of Vliet.’  And that worked.  And they did a job.  I’m not kidding you.  I used to think sometimes that he was psychic.  He just seemed to know how to do everything and sprung that on us.  But we had the type of people, whatever they were told to do, they could do it.  That’s the type of people we had.”

It’s a record that’s sure to never be broken.  Lee Nussbaum, a member of that 1950 team, said later, “If I could tackle as well as Chuck Vliet, I’d have been first string at Ohio State in 1954.”  The mark is documented on the Ohio High School Athletic Association website under “Individual Miscellaneous Feats.”

So, if you see an SUV going down the road with a license plate that reads “CV 49”, give a wave to former Tiger great Chuck Vliet, a Massillon Tiger forever.

Chuck Vliet (49) positions himself to make the tackle after Ernie Russell (29) slows the runner down. Also shown is Allen Murray
Chuck Vliet (on the ground) brings down the Warren ball carrier. Assisting is Erie Russell

2019: Massillon 35, Avon 10

Backs, line answer the bell for Massillon
Nov 29, 2019 10:18 PM

GAME STATS

PARMA Massillon coach Nate Moore believes in a workmanlike approach to a game.

To the fifth-year Tiger mentor, it’s all about punching the clock on game night and putting in a full 48-minute effort. That’s regardless of who the player is or what may be their perceived role.

On Friday night in a Division II state semifinal against Avon at Parma’s Byers Field, those business-like approaches helped the Tigers run their way to a 35-10 win and a second consecutive berth in the state championship game.

Massillon, 14-0, will face Cincinnati La Salle on Thursday night in Canton for the state title.

The approach started with senior running back Zion Phifer, who stepped into the starting role due to an injury to Terrance Keyes Jr. Phifer clocked and helped to knock out the Eagles thanks to a 146-yard, four-touchdown performance on 20 carries.

“He went out there and did his job,” Moore said. “I’m proud of him for it.”

Phifer’s four touchdown runs came in a variety of styles. There were runs where he was virtually untouched and others where he ran over defenders.

Then, there was his final run, a 25-yarder in the third quarter, in which he spun out of the pile and ran into the end zone. That provided Massillon with a 28-10 lead.

The final score came thanks to Raekwon Venson, a one-yard run with just over seven minutes remaining. Venson ran for 54 yards on nine carries.

“They’re physical, obviously,” Avon coach Mike Elder said of Massillon’s running game. “If you’re going to win these games, you do it in the offseason, you do it in the weight room. You do it with genetics, that’s part of the deal. They’re a physical football team.”

That physicality started up front with a Massillon offensive line which was forced to shuffle a bit when guard John Kouth went down with an early injury. Dylan Garretson, however, came in to fill the void.

It wasn’t the first time Garretson has been called upon to help fill in a vacancy. Like Phifer and Venson, though, the performance was exactly what Moore expected to see when he went in the game.

“He did his job when called upon,” Moore said. “That’s not something, that’s the expectation. That’s the expectation. I’m not going to make it into something it’s not.”

That line helped Massillon rush for 185 net yards on 32 carries. Both Phifer and Venson averaged at least 6.1 yards a rush.

“I’m proud of them,” Moore said. “I’m super proud of them. But I’m proud of everybody.”

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

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

2019: Massillon 17, Akron Hoban 14

Massillon Brings an End to Hoban Dynasty

by Chris Easterling
November 22, 2019
GAME STATS

AKRON Style points can be for some sports. When it comes to ending a high-school football dynasty, though, the only points that matter come on the scoreboard.

The only points that mattered on Friday night in the Division II Region 5 championship game inside The University of Akron’s InfoCision Stadium: Massillon 17, Hoban 14.

“We just wanted to score more points than they did,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said. “That’s all.”

Like that, the Tigers not only won a program-best third consecutive regional title, but also ended the Knights’ run as four-time state champions.

For Massillon, it’s off to its second consecutive 13-0 start. The Tigers will play Avon, also 13-0, in a state semifinal next Friday night. The likely site will be Brunswick, although that will be made official on Sunday by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

“Everybody came out and played hard,” Moore said. “Everybody played hard. I’m really proud of all of them.”

Hoban, which finishes 11-2, was denied a chance to join St. Ignatius as the only school to win five consecutive state playoff titles. The Wildcats had done that from 1991-95.

The Knights never led in the game, although they were able to tie it twice at 7-7 and 14-14. Alex Bauer’s 31-yard field goal for Massillon with seven seconds left in the first half provided the difference in the game, a play set up by one of two Hoban fumbles.

“Everything has to end,” Knights coach Tim Tyrrell said. “You don’t want it to end, but it has to end. Next year’s our time to restart our tradition and keep moving forward.”

Massillon made sure Hoban wouldn’t be able to keep moving forward because of a defensive effort, especially in crunch time. No time was bigger than with just over two minutes remaining and the Tigers holding on to their three-point lead.

Hoban faced a fourth-and-11 from the Massillon 19. A week earlier against Mayfield, the Knights had taken the lead for good when Shane Hamm hit Kharion Davis for a 13-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-6 play with just under 90 second remaining to erase the exact same deficit

Ben Krichbaum, though, made sure history wouldn’t repeat itself. The Massillon senior linebacker swarmed Hamm for a three-yard loss to give the Tigers the ball back with 2:05 left.

“Our kids held, man,” Moore said. “They held. Backs against the wall.”

Massillon would make sure that would be the final time Hoban touched the ball. Facing third-and-2 from its own 30, Zion Phifer would be given the ball and would fight his way forward to get the necessary yards to move the chains.

It was Massillon’s only first down of the second half. It was enough, though, to set off the celebration as the Tigers got into victory formation.

“A huge first down at the end,” Moore said. “That was huge. I’m just proud of them.”

Massillon’s ground game proved to be huge throughout the game. Terrance Keyes and Phifer combined to rush for 147 yards on 38 carries.

Keyes finished with a game-high 87 yards on 17 carries. The senior running back played despite a 30-hour period leading into the game of question surrounding his involvement in an August incident in Akron, one which came to the surface on Thursday.

Moore would not comment on the controversy.

“Everybody came out and played hard,” Moore said. “I’m really proud of all of them.”

As a team, the Tigers finished with 138 net rushing yards. They would have 80 passing yards on the night, 53 of those on Aidan Longwell’s touchdown pass to Andrew Wilson-Lamp to give Massillon a 7-0 lead with 6:30 remaining in the first quarter.

Longwell would also throw a nine-yard shovel pass to Phifer to give Massillon a 14-7 lead with 1:02 remaining in the first quarter. The senior quarterback was 4-of-12 with two interceptions.

Hamm would hit Brayden Fox for a 40-yard scoring pass to tie the game at 7-7 with 4:39 left in the third. Victor Dawson would add a four-yard touchdown run to tie it at 14-14 with 6:30 remaining in the second quarter.

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

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

Obie Logo (Large)

A Host of Tigers Honored on All-Northeast Inland District…

The Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association has released its All-Northeast Inland District Football Team and 16 Massillon players have been mentioned.  Heading the list is quarterback Aidan Longwell, who was named Offensive Player of the Year.  A 3-year starter for the Tigers, Longwell has to date completed 459 of 745 passes for 7,289 yards and 80 touchdowns.  All except pass attempts are Massillon career records.  Also, as a starting quarterback, Longwell’s teams have compiled a mark of 36-5, with two regional titles.  This week he hopes to lead the orange and black to a 3rd straight regional title, with a second consecutive chance at a state championship.  The defensive Player of the Year is Devin Hightower, who plays linebacker for this week’s Tiger opponent, Akron Hoban.

Below is the complete list of honorees:

First Team

  • Aidan Longwell (senior) – Quarterback
  • Terrance Keyes (senior) – Running Back
  • Jayden Ballard (junior) – Offensive End
  • Cole Jones (senior) – Offensive Lineman
  • Caiden Woullard (junior) – Defensive Lineman
  • Preston Hodges (senior) – Linebacker
  • Luke Murphy (senior) – Defensive Back
  • Magnus Haines (junior) – Punter

Second Team

  • Andrew Wilson-Lamp (junior) – Offensive End
  • Alejandro Salazar (senior) – Offensive Lineman
  • Manny McElroy (senior) – Defensive Lineman
  • Ethan Tobin (senior) – Defensive LIneman
  • Ben Krichbaum (senior) – Linebacker
  • Robbie Page (senior) – Defensive Back

Honorable Mention

  • Isaiah Roberson (senior) – Defensive Back
  • Alex Bauer (junior) – Kicker

2019: Massillon 35, Massillon Perry 7

Massillon airs it out to topple Perry
Nov 15, 2019 10:12 PM

GAME STATS

LAKE TWP. The one thing Massillon didn’t want to have happen in Friday night’s Division II Region 5 semifinal was Perry to get an early lead. To fall behind early to the Panthers meant potentially dealing with their ability to constrict the game behind their run-heavy offense.

So, the Tigers made sure they didn’t fall behind. At all.

Massillon scored on its first five possessions to take control of things almost from the start in rolling to a 35-7 victory over Perry in front of a capacity crowd at Lake High’s Blue Streak Stadium.

The Tigers will now take a 12-0 record into next Friday’s regional championship game against four-time reigning state champion Hoban in a rematch of last year’s state title game at a site to be determined. The Knights, 11-1, rallied late to beat Mayfield 21-17 in the other Region 5 semifinal.

“We’ll figure that out later,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said. “The coaches will be in working all weekend. We’re going to celebrate this tonight. We’re going to enjoy it.”

The Tigers got the party started early by taking the opening kickoff and turning it into a 14-yard Aidan Longwell-to-Andrew Wilson-Lamp touchdown pass with 5:46 remaining in the first quarter. The two would hook up against to close out the second Massillon possession of the quarter, this time on a 36-yard strike to make it 14-0.

Longwell and Wilson-Lamp would connect eight times for 142 yards. They would hook up for a third touchdown, this time a 48-yarder with 25.6 second remaining in the half to give Massillon a 35-7 lead.

“We had some matchups on the outside,” said Longwell, who was 14-of-15 for 300 yards with five touchdowns in the first half alone, “They were giving us a different look than they were showing us on film. We took advantage of it.”

Longwell would finish the game 19-of-26 for 337 yards. While Wilson-Lamp caught three of his five touchdown tosses, he didn’t forget about the other star receiver on the team, Jayden Ballard.

Ballard had a game-high 10 catches for 186 yards. He also caught a pair of touchdowns as well on virtually the same play, albeit a little different the second time around.

Ballard’s first scoring catch was a 57-yarder just 45 seconds into the second quarter. That put Massillon in front 21-0.

His next touchdown catch, though, was a demonstration in concentration. On third-and-3 from the Tiger 18, Ballard ran a similar post pattern deep, although the ball was deflected by Perry’s Amir Betts.

That deflection, though, was enough to give Ballard a chance to bring in the pass. It would end up being an 82-yard scoring play to put Massillon ahead 28-0.

“We always do tip drills in practice,” Ballard said. “It just gets our hands better for what we do on Fridays.”

That big lead was enough to put Perry in a bind from which it never could really recover. That was especially true after back-to-back three-and-outs to start the game, followed by a punt on its third possession.

The Panthers would finally put together their best drive of the night to get on the board late in the first half. With Dion Cundiff and Josh Lemon leading the way, Perry would march 80 yards on 13 plays to pull within 28-7 on Lemon’s five-yard run with 1:10 remaining in the half.

Lemon would finish with 92 yards on 18 carries. Cundiff would add 77 yards on 17 carries.

Perry would finish with 208 rushing yards in the game, a season low. The Panthers would have 261 total yards, with three of their nine possessions reaching Massillon’s side of the 50.

“Listen, they’re a well-coached football team,” Massillon defensive coordinator Craig McConnell said. “I respect what they do and what those kids have done. They play hard. Our kids were ready. We were patient with our calls and our kids read their keys and tackled. We were lucky enough to get ahead of the chains in a lot of situations.”

Just like Massillon was able to get ahead of Perry on the scoreboard early.

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

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

Massillon vs. Perry TV REPLAY Information

The Region 5 Matchup tonight between Massillon and Perry will be replayed on the following MCTV Channels.

Big Time Sports – Channel 128 Friday 11pm and Saturday 9am

WHS TV – Channel 611 Friday 11pm and Saturday 9am

GO TIGERS!

2019: Massillon 55, Warren Harding 0

Twice as nice: Massillon opens with another rout of Warren
Nov 08, 2019 9:58 PM

GAME STATS

MASSILLON The concern going into Friday night’s Division II Region 5 playoff opener for Massillon was two-fold

There was the concern about a potential letdown coming off of the previous week’s emotional win over archrival McKinley. There was also a worry about potentially coming out lacking in focus due to the 42-point Week 3 regular-season win the Tigers had registered back over their first-round opponent, Warren Harding.

Those concerns proved to be unfounded. Very unfounded.

Massillon would use big plays and stifling defense to roll to a 55-0 victory over the visiting Raiders in Friday night’s regional quarterfinal at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

“Obviously, you have to come out playing hard against a team like Warren,” said Massillon senior defensive lineman Manny McElroy, who forced a fumble which was returned by Caiden Woullard for a third-quarter touchdown. “They’re a great team. They’ve got great players and they’re able to make big plays. When we all do our jobs, we can make big plays. Everybody did their one-11th.”

The Tigers improved to 11-0 on the season. They will advantage to next Friday’s regional semifinal against Perry, a 37-27 winner over Hudson Friday at a site to be announced Sunday afternoon by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

It will be the first time the two schools, located less than three miles apart, have played since the 2015 season opener, Nate Moore’s first game as head coach at Massillon. It will be the fourth playoff meeting between the two, the first since a 41-20 Tiger win at Perry in the 2006 first round.

“It’s Week 12,” Moore said. “It’s Week 2 of the playoffs. It’s the next step. We’re happy to still be in it.”

After leading 27-0 at halftime, Massillon would use a 28-0 third-quarter advantage to take a 55-0 lead into the fourth quarter. The Tigers would force fumbles on three consecutive Raider possession to help create that bulge, including a 20-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Woullard.

For the game, Massillon would force five turnovers, while limiting the Raiders to just 107 total yards, including three net rushing yards. That included one on Warren’s first possession, which helped kick-start the Tiger rout.

“It definitely boosts our confidence more,” Woullard said of the turnovers. “It definitely gets us more confident. We just want to get back at it.”

On the fourth play of the game, Massillon’s Isaiah Roberson deflected a Raider pass and teammate Luke Murphy came up with the interception, which he brought back to the Tiger 46. Seven plays later, Terrance Keyes Jr. ran 11 yards for a touchdown to give Massillon a 6-0 lead – the point-after try failed after a misplayed snap – with 8:13 left in the first quarter.

Keyes would make it 13-0 with 1:17 remaining in the first quarter when he took off on a 75-yard jaunt on the first play of the Tigers’ fourth possessions. His third touchdown run of the night, a 3-yard jaunt, would make it a 34-0 Massillon lead with 8:27 left in the third.

Keyes would rush for 154 of his 188 yards on just eight first-half carries. Zion Phifer and Raekwon Venson would each add a second-half rushing touchdown.

“We like picking up yards,” Moore said. “We like scoring points. How that happens doesn’t really matter.”

Aidan Longwell would tie the Massillon career completions record when he hit Jayden Ballard for a 58-yard touchdown 17 seconds into the second quarter to make it 20-0. Longwell, who would go 5-of-11 for 110 yards with a score in the game, broke the mark on a screen pass on the next possession.

Longwell now has 440 career completions. The old mark was 437, set by Justin Zwick in 2000-01.

Zach Catrone added a 30-yard touchdown pass to Eric Thurman in the third quarter.

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

Massillon vs. McK - Throwback (Large)

2019: Massillon 24, Canton McKinley 14

Late plays help Massillon answer the bell, defeat archrival McKinley
Chris Easterling
Nov 02, 2019 8:00 PM

CANTON Two passes by two teams with two different results.

However, there was just one ultimate result from both of them: A 24-14 Massillon victory over McKinley in their 130th meeting, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Saturday afternoon, giving the Tigers their second consecutive 10-0 regular season.

The first pass came with just over three minutes remaining and the Tigers clinging to a 17-14 lead. McKinley had moved the ball to the Massillon 17, where the Bulldogs faced fourth-and-4.

Elijah Wesley threw toward tight end Jasper Robinson. However, Andrew Wilson-Lamp, who played his season high in defensive minutes, deflected the pass to turn the ball over the Tigers on downs.

“(Cornerbacks coach Jason Jarvis) always talks to us about staying ready,” said Wilson-Lamp, who did not have a pass break-up all season entering the game. “I stayed ready. My time came today.”

The fourth-down stop still left Massillon with three minutes to burn off in order to preserve a fourth consecutive win over its archrival. The Tigers managed to burn about half that off, but still were left with about 80 seconds and a third-and-6 from their own 21.

With both teams still owning a timeout, conventional wisdom suggested running the ball to force McKinley to use its final timeout. The Tigers, though, threw conventional wisdom — and the ball — into the wind.

The result was a 79-yard game-sealing touchdown pass from Aidan Longwell to Jayden Ballard. It provided Massillon with the first two-score lead of the day at 24-14 with 1:13 remaining.

“We’ve got matchups,” said Longwell, who shook off an injury both in last week’s win over Louisville as well as in the second quarter Saturday to throw for 206 yards and two TDs. “We had Drew and Jayden on that play, just looking for the better matchup. Jayden was the one who had the matchup. We trust him to go make the play.”

It was the perfect book-end on the day for the Tiger passing combo, who had connected on a 12-yard score with 2:21 remaining in the first half to tie the game at 7-7. Ballard finished with nine catches for 114 yards and the two scores.

McKinley, which saw its six-game win streak come to an end to finish the regular season at 8-2, gave Massillon everything it could handle throughout the game.

“It was a great environment,” first-year head coach Marcus Wattley said. “The fans were great. We did some stuff that was out of character and made some mistakes, but the atmosphere was electric. It’s nice that it’s not over, that the season didn’t end on that note. We’ve got to get over it and move forward.”

The Bulldogs, who likely will host Solon in the Division I playoffs Friday, capitalized on a pair of Tiger turnovers for each of their leads.

After a punt bounced off the back of a blocking Massillon player, McKinley recovered at the 50. Seven plays later, Wesley threw a perfect 34-yard strike to Xavier Black in the end zone for a 7-0 lead with three seconds left in the first quarter.

After Massillon had milked the first 7:20 of the third quarter, Harold Fanin came up with a fourth-down interception at the McKinley 20. Eight plays later, Lameir Garrett ripped off a 48-yard TD run to give the Bulldogs a 14-10 lead with 1:28 remaining.

That lead lasted all of 16 seconds. That’s how long it took for Terrance Keyes Jr. to get loose for a 63-yard TD run on the first play of Massillon’s next possession, giving the Tigers the lead back for good at 17-14.

“It was just getting a feel of it,” said Keyes, who rushed for 141 yards and a score on 21 carries. “Like I said, the atmosphere, it was just crazy. It was kind of nerve-wracking. … I just had a mindset that, I don’t care if I score, I don’t care about the stats, I just want to get the win.”

Garrett’s 48-yard run helped him rush for 159 yards on 25 carries, the most rushing yards by an individual against Massillon this season. Of McKinley’s 300 net yards, 179 came on the ground, which also was a season high allowed by the Tigers.

However, it still wasn’t enough to prevent the Tigers from extending their hot streak in the series to 8-1.

“We did some things that were out of character a little bit,” McKinley senior linebacker Joseph Saipaia said. “The effort was there, but we just didn’t execute.”

Massillon has won 21 consecutive regular-season games as it heads into the Division II state playoffs.

“Our mentality has always been there’s going to be big plays,” Massillon linebacker Benjamin Krichbaum said. “This is a big game. Big plays are going to happen because these are both two good teams. When they do, we focus on next play. Go to the next play.”

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

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE