Category: <span>History</span>

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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.

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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

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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!