Category: History

Category: History

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2021 Booster Club Report – Week 8

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

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

Canisius

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stats:

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

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

Notes from the players and coach:

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

Wooster

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

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

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

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

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

Playoffs

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

Go Tigers!

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2021 Booster Club Report – Week 6

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

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

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

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

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

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

Player stats:

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

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

Notes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go Tigers!

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2021 Booster Club Report – Week 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Player stats:

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you in Warren.  Go Tigers!

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2021: Massillon 41, Reynoldsburg 22

Chris Easterling, The Independent

Ohio State football coach watches Willtrell Hartson key Massillon in win over Reynoldsburg

MASSILLON – Massillon has gotten good at being a second-half team.

A week ago against GlenOak, the Tigers took a two-score game at the half and turned it into a 34-point win. On Friday night, they decided to unleash a little more of that post-intermission magic to turn an even closer game into a second consecutive rout.

Massillon scored 32 second-half points to run away from visiting Reynoldsburg 41-22 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Over the last two weeks now, the Tigers have outscored their opponents 53-19 in the second half.

“I think ever since our freshman year, we’ve been a second-half team,” said senior Cam Beasley, whose 81-yard kickoff return with 7:08 left in the third quarter helped give Massillon the lead for good at 17-10. “Teams have scored on us, but when it comes to the second half, we just take off. That’s when we get our most energy. We get fired up.”Beasley was the spark to start the Tigers’ fire, both before and after the intermission. His only carry of the game, a 7-yard touchdown run with 47 seconds left in the first half, provided a 9-3 halftime lead.

Then, after Dijon Jennings’ 19-yard TD run provided Reynoldsburg with the lead, Beasley fielded a short kickoff, got out of the grasp of one defender and raced virtually untouched to the end zone for the go-ahead score. Darrius McElroy provided the two-point conversion for a seven-point lead.

“We weren’t supposed to kick it where we kicked it, but we did,” said Reynoldsburg coach Buddy White, whose 0-3 team also held a 3-0 lead after one quarter. “The guy broke the tackle and there was nobody there. They took the momentum right back and they weren’t going to let it go.”

That’s because Massillon had two things to help it slam the door shut. One was running back Willtrell Hartson, and the other was its defense.

With Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford in attendance, Hartson once again put on his own second-half showcase. The junior ran 151 of his 223 yards in the second half, including TD runs of 9 and 44 yards.

It’s the second week in a row Hartson has posted a big second half. Against GlenOak last week, he ran for 100 of his 167 yards after the break.

“It’s all those 110s (strength coach Dan) Studer had those guys run every Friday this summer,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, whose 2-1 team heads to Warren Harding next Friday. “That’s what that comes down to.”

The 223 rushing yards for Hartson is his second-best total as a Tiger. He set the single-game school record with 324 yards in a regional-semifinal win over another Columbus-area school, Westerville South, last year.

What Beasley and Hartson started, Massillon’s defense finished off. While Jennings was able to throw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Markez Gillum and run for a 17-yard score in the fourth quarter, neither of those were able to put much of a dent in the Tigers’ second-half burst.

In between those two scores, Massillon put up 17 consecutive points. That was capped by Austin Brawley’s 39-yard interception return for a score with 7:44 remaining.

“Our kids played their tails off,” said Moore, whose team gave up 270 passing yards to Jennings, who was 28-of-45 throwing the ball. “We have a great defensive staff. … Our kids trust our coaching staff and play hard for them and we try to do the very best that we can to put them in great positions. We’ve got a lot of good things going.”

That’s especially true once the game gets into the second half.

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

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Thank You Fireworks Sponsors for 2021

THANK YOU to our 2021 GAMEDAY Fireworks Sponsors. 💥
Your support keeps a long standing tradition of BOOMS alive and is greatly appreciated.
FUN FACT: the tradition of single BOOMS after Tiger TDs originated as a notification system to workers in the many factories around Massillon. The BOOMS could be heard throughout the city alerting those not in attendance that the Tigers had just scored. GO TIGERS!
In addition to our BOOMS at PBTS, look for our modern day alert system on social media. Look for this graphic after Tiger TDs.
May be an image of text that says 'M TIGER TOUCHDOWN THANX YOU PIREWORKS SPONSORS REPS PRODUCTS ROOFING EXTERIOR ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL ROOFING, INC. CCSUPPLY'

Bobby Grier is the Next Entry to the Wall…

As a football player, Bobby Grier had a conventional career for one of the Massillon’s better players, starting for Tigers during his senior season and then playing collegiately.  But in 1955 civil rights discrimination in the South reared an ugly head and Bobby, as a Black player for a Northern team, was caught in the middle.  But he along with his teammates handled it admirably.  And now Bobby is finally being honored by Massillon with a spot on the Wall of Champions.

Bobby Grier suited up for the Tigers from 1949-51, playing fullback and safety under successful head coach Chuck Mather.  During his junior year Massillon finished the season with a perfect 10-0 record and was named both INS state champion and national champion.  The Tigers were completely dominant in all ten games, outscoring their opposition 407-37.  The only team to score more than once on them was No.  8 Steubenville, which lost 35-12.  In the season finale the Tigers downed No. 9 Canton McKinley 33-0.  As a backup, Grier contributed five rushing touchdowns.

In 1951, the 190 lb. senior player started at halfback was instrumental in leading his team to a 9-1 record and an INS state championship, in spite of suffering a 19-13 setback to No. 7 Warren Harding.  Since there were no 10-0 teams in the state of note that year and the Tigers had defeated both No. 2 Steubenville and No. 6 Barberton, plus the fact that they were defending state champs, the crown went to Massillon.  Numbers-wise, they outscored their opponents 316-65.

Grier was teammates with several other outstanding players, such as Henry “Ace” Grooms, Tom Straughn, Chuck Vliet and Paul Francisco.  He was also tops on the team with eleven rushing touchdowns, ahead of Grooms, who had ten, and John Francisco, who had eight.  Against Steubenville he rushed 9 times for 49 yards and scored the game-winning TD.  Then against Barberton he scored the only touchdown in a 6-0 victory.  For his efforts he was named 2nd team All-Ohio Scholastic League and earned a Division 1 scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh.

Typical of most college players, Grier worked his way through a talented roster striving for playing time.  As a sophomore he rushed 13 times for 198 yards.  But his coach was not sold on his defense at a time when players were required to play both ways.  Then in 1955, under Coach John Michelosen, Grier started the first game.  But he shared time the rest of the season.

Fortunately, he was a member of a very good Panther team that finished the year No. 11 in the country and was invited to participate in the 1956 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana.  The bowl committee had their eye on West Virginia, but in the final game of the season Pittsburgh defeated the Mountaineers 27-6 and the committee elected instead to invite Pitt.  Their opponent would be Georgia Tech.  And it was with Tech that the problems began.

Discrimination in the South was alive and well in the 1950s and a Southern team playing in a game against Black opponent players was frowned upon.  But the fact that the Black Bobby Grier was a member of the Pittsburgh team was overlooked by the bowl committee since Grier was not a starter and was not expected to play.

That didn’t keep Georgia Governor Marvin Griffin from urging Tech not to participate unless Grier was banned, which irked most of the country, more so than the Rosa Parks bus incident.  But what Griffin didn’t expect was 2,000 Tech students rioting at the governor’s house demanding that he rescind the request, while hanging the governor “in effigy.”  Even students from the University of Georgia supported Tech.  The bottom line was that the Tech students wanted their team to play in the Sugar Bowl, discrimination be damned.

Back in Pittsburgh, the players voted to stay home if Grier was not permitted to play.  “It made me feel great that the team, the university and everybody was behind me,” said Grier.

Eventually, the governor’s request was rejected by the Georgia State Board of Regents by a vote of 13-1.  First off, the contract had already been signed and second, they really wanted Tech in the game.  But still the board created a policy barring Georgia and Tech from playing integrated teams in future games, before integrated crowds, in segregated states, a ruling which seemed to appease the governor.  Only the policy was never enforced.

That brings us back to Bobby.  As luck would have it, the Pitt starting halfback was injured during a practice prior to the game and Grier was quickly thrust into the lineup.  So the game was held and everyone survived, with Blacks and Whites sitting together without incident.  But in the end, Bobby Grier became the first Black player to participate in a bowl game in the South, the significance of which was not realized until many years later.  Overall, the prejudice was a new experience for Grier.  “In Massillon, we learned to get along with people,” he said.  “We learned to play together as a team and do a good job of it.  We had our differences, but we always came together in the end.”

Although Pittsburgh lost the game 7-0, Grier led all rushers with 51 yards.  In an ironic twist, Grier was called for pass interference late in the game and the ball was placed at the one yard line, setting up the lone touchdown.  Bobby was beside himself later in the locker room.  And many thought it was Southern home cooking, noting that Grier was ahead of the receiver on the play and had been pushed to the ground prior to the ball sailing over both of their heads.  But later it was determined that the referee who made the call was from Pittsburgh.  After the game, following a review of the game film, the referee admitted that he simply made a mistake.

No other northern team was invited to the Sugar Bowl until nine years later when Syracuse made the trip.  Times were changing and the Orange featured two black players (future NFL stars Floyd Little and Jim Nance) with little fanfare.

After college, Grier joined the Air Force and became a missile officer.  Following his service, he was an administrator at a Pittsburgh community college

In 2009 Bobby was honored as a Washington High School Distinguished Citizen.  Then in in 2019 he was inducted in the Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame.

Now, in August of this year, he will be added to the Massillon Wall of Champions.  Congratulations, Bobby Grier.

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2021: Pickerington Central 26, Massillon 7

GAME STATS

Chris Easterling, The Independent

Pickerington Central football pulls away from Massillon in battle of state runners-up

MASSILLON – No football teams in Ohio may better understand the need to not overreact to opening night than the two teams that squared off on Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

Between Massillon and Pickerington Central, the teams had made a combined nine state semifinals and six title games over the last five years. That includes both teams reaching their respective championship games a year ago, the former in Division II and the latter in Division I.

So as both teams walked off the field after Pickerington Central’s 26-7 win, there was a sense of perspective from both sides. That perspective was simple: It’s not just about Week 1; it’s about 15 weeks.

“It’s just got to be process-driven” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, whose team was tied at 7-7 midway through the second quarter. “We’re a process-driven program. We prefer to have positive outcomes at the end of games, but we’re worried about the process. We have to move on from this fast. We want to have the best practice we’ve ever had on Monday.”

The words spoken by the orange-and-black clad Tigers was really no different from those spoken by the purple-and-white clad Tigers. That’s even after Pickerington Central ended the game on a 19-0 run and finished with a 343-135 edge in total yards.

Tyler Gillison, who gave Pickerington Central a 7-0 lead on a 20-yard touchdown catch on fourth down late in the first quarter, may have summed it up best. For the victors, it’s not about winning a game in Stark County in August, but winning one here in December.

“It gets us ready for the playoffs,” said Gillison, who had a key fumble recovery early in the fourth quarter as well. “Our first four games this year, they’re really going to test us this year. It’s just going to get us ready for the playoffs.”

For Massillon, the challenge was two-fold. Part of it was playing an ultra-talented Pickerington Central team that has at least a half-dozen Division I college recruits.

The other part was essentially breaking in 18 new starters on either side of the ball. Yet, for all of that relative inexperience, it was just a handful of plays on either side of the ball that separated it from a different outcome.

That was especially true of Massillon’s defense. It came up with a huge goal-line stand in the second quarter and, despite allowing 178 rushing yards to Orlando Kamara, limited Pickerington Central to just 2-of-12 on third-down conversions.

On offense, Massillon reached the other side of the 50 four times during the course of the evening. Its downfall proved to be a pair of fumbles lost, which led to 10 Pickerington Central points.

Massillon also was dropped for a safety on the second play after it stopped Pickerington Central at the goal line. That provided a 9-7 lead with 6:18 left in the first half.

“Our kids played hard, on both sides of the ball,” said Moore, whose team tied the game at 7-7 on Willtrell Hartson’s 1-yard run 59 seconds into the second quarter. “Our kids played hard. There’s some hitting going on out there, some great solo tackles. … A lot of flashes of really good football. Just not enough.”

Both teams started new quarterbacks: Darrius McElroy for Massillon and Braden Mantooth for Pickerington Central. McElroy provided some effective yards on the ground, netting 25 rushing yards despite having to handle multiple tough snaps.

Mantooth, meanwhile, threw for a pair of touchdowns as part of his 104-yard passing night. His 26-yard strike to Kobi Gorman on the final play of the third quarter opened up a 16-7 lead.

Mantooth also added a 1-yard fourth-quarter run. He ran for 27 yards.

“I felt really confident with him,” Pickerington Central coach Jay Sharrett said. “… In high school football, we didn’t fumble any quarterback-center exchanges. You take them for granted, but when you’re in a hard-hitting game like this, that’s the No. 1 thing. He made some good checks at the line and we’re 1-0.”

One game. One win for one team, one loss for the other. For both, though, nothing more and nothing less.

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

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2021 Football Season is Fast Approaching

It seems like summer just got here and already we are nearing the start of the 2021 high school football season.  With the post-season playoffs being expanded this year, the date of the first regular season game has been pushed back yet another week, now at its earliest date in OHSAA history.  So what’s going on this year?  Here’s a quick look.

Massillon finished the regular season last year with a 5-1 record in a schedule that was shortened on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.  With all of Ohio’s teams invited to the playoffs, the Tigers marched through their slated games, defeating 2019 state champ Cincinnati LaSalle in the state semifinals, before losing to Akron Hoban in the finals.  It was Massillon’s third consecutive trip to the Division 2 state championship game.  During that 3-year span, the Tigers compiled a record of 34-4.  They also currently own a 31-game winning streak against their peers, the public schools.

Head Coach Nate Moore begins his 7th year at Massillon, following a brief stint at Cincinnati LaSalle, where he captured the Division 2 state championship.  His overall record in Tigertown is 60-17 (.779), which includes five trips to the playoffs and a post-season mark of 16-5.  His win total ranks third all-time behind Paul Brown (80) and Mike Currence (79).  After a 4-6 start in 2015 as he was installing a new program, his record since has been 54-11 (.831).

Per the OHSAA, the official mandatory start of practice is August 1, although every team has been working out in some form since school let out in May.  The OHSAA now sanctions team practices throughout the summer, replacing the previous 10-session limit.

A 5-day acclimatization period must be completed prior to contact, which consists of helmets only for two days, followed by helmets and shoulder pads for two days and finally all gear.  The first two days may be completed in July.  For Massillon, they have the week of July 26 off then begin in earnest on August 2 with shoulder pads on Monday and Tuesday, full gear on Wednesday and contact on Thursday.  Friday is shoulder pads only as they prepare for their first scrimmage the next day.

Scrimmages are used to prepare a team for the season, giving coaches a chance to select their starters and fine tune their offenses and defenses.  This year, teams are limited to two 3-hour scrimmages following the first day of full contact practice.  As the number of official practice days and scrimmages has been reduced, it seems like teams have less and less time to prepare for the opener.  That’s why a solid off-season program is so important now.

Coach Nate Moore’s charges will match up with a pair of top-notch programs that will give the Tigers excellent chances to expose their weaknesses and focus on correcting them before the season gets underway.  The goal, of course, is maintaining a constant road of improvement throughout the regular season and then navigating successfully through the playoffs for another opportunity to compete for a state championship.

Massillon will travel to Avon on August 7 for an 11:30 am varsity scrimmage.  The freshmen will compete against Avon at 9:00 am.  Avon has won the Division 2, Region 6 title in each of the last four years and Coach Mike Elder’s group always provides excellent competition in this venue.  On Thursday, August 12, the Tigers will be at Cincinnati St. Xavier.  The freshmen and JV will face off at noon and varsity action will get underway at 2:00 pm.  Last year the Bombers defeated Pickerington Central 44-3 in the Division 1 state finals and are expected to return a wealth of talent this year.

The regular season schedule is one of the better ones that Massillon has assembled, starting out with a bang against Pickerington Central, which is perhaps currently the best public school in Division 1.  Also called the Tigers, they captured the D1 state title in both 2017 and 2019 and lost in the finals last year.  Central currently owns a 21-game winning streak against public schools.  Other top games this year include:

  • Lakewood St. Edward – Edged Massillon the season opener last year, 24-23.
  • Canisius, NY – Returns to the schedule after having defeated the Tigers in 2017.
  • Canton McKinley – The annual rivalry; lost to Massillon last year 35-7.

Aside from Pickerington Central, first time opponents this year are:

  • Reynoldsburg – Plays in Pickerington’s division of the Ohio Capital Conference; lost head-to-head last year, 38-13.
  • Euclid – Competes in Mentor’s conference; expected to challenge this year for the conference title; always a formidable Division 1 playoff foe.
  • Wooster – Not really a first-timer, but it’s been about a hundred years since the last game; this begins a 2-year home-and-home series.

The playoffs will begin on October 29 and will be the first of six weeks of additional games, culminating in the state finals on December 2-4.  Sixteen teams in each region will qualify, meaning that nearly every team in Division 1 and two-thirds of the teams in the other divisions will participate.  Although football will last that much longer with the extended playoffs, the format does provide schools with opportunities to challenge themselves during the regular season with top-level opponents without jeopardizing playoff spots.  For the 2021 season, Massillon will remain in Division 2, Region 7, along with the Columbus-area schools and a few local ones.  In fact, there will be no regional assignment changes across the state this year as the OHSAA rebounds from last year’s Covid issues.

Expect to see many new faces in the Massillon lineup in 2021, as the Tigers graduated nearly every starter from last year’s team.  Although this group is expected to be somewhat lacking across the board on varsity experience, it may still be senior-dominated while very talented.  Look for more of a re-loading year than a re-building year as Moore’s charges become “program players.”  The key to success then is the development of these new starters over the course of the season with goal of peaking when the playoffs commence.  Below is a list of the more recognizable returnees and a couple new ones:

  • Austin Brawley (5′-10″, 170) – senior – safety  (36-23-47.5) / wide receiver (5-125, 1 TD) / return specialist – 2nd in total tackles – 4th leading receiver; started last year at safety
  • Toddrick Lee (6′-1″, 250) – senior – offensive lineman – returning starter
  • Jaiden Woods ( 6′-0″, 259) – senior – offensive lineman –  returning starter
  • Reece Turpin (6′-2″, 340) – senior – offensive lineman -backup
  • Te’Jamere Nash (6′-4″, 290) – senior – offensive lineman – backup
  • Michael Mercurio (6′-1″, 245) – junior – offensive lineman – backup
  • Willtrell Hartson (5′-10, 200) – junior – running back – leading rusher (138-1125, 13 TDs) – Honorable Mention All–Ohio in Division 2; became the starter in last year’s game against Canton McKinley follow an injury to Raekwon Venson – single game rushing leader (324 yards vs. Westerville South)
  • Camden Beasley ( 6′-2″, 205) – senior – running back (44-251, 2 TDs) / linebacker – 3rd leading rusher; last year’s No. 2 running back
  • Nathan DePuy (5′-11″, 205) – senior – inside linebacker – backup
  • Freddie Lenix (5′-10″, 180) – junior – defensive back – backup
  • Dominic Salvino (6′-175) – senior – long snapper – starter
  • Marcus Moore (6′-2″, 300) – junior – defensive lineman – transfer from Beachwood – 3rd Team All-Ohio at defensive lineman in Division 5 – relative of former Massillon All-Ohio defensive lineman Ellery Moore
  • Riley Campbell (6′-4, 205) – senior – wide receiver / linebacker – transfer from Canton Central – leading receiver last year – 2nd Team All-Ohio at linebacker in Division 6
  • Several other players with varsity experience, many starting on special teams

Look for the Tigers to attack much the same as the last few years.  That is, with a run-heavy offense, utilizing a massive line that features both zone and power blocking, opening interior holes for Hartson and Beasley.  Quarterback duties will be most likely be in the hands of senior Darrius McElroy, who has really developed in the off-season with both size and arm strength.  He spent most of his time last year on the defensive side of the ball and on special teams.  McElroy will be backed up by freshman Jalen Slaughter, who last year led his dominant 8th grade team to perfect 8-0 mark.  The wide receiver group will be speedy, with Brawley leading the way.

Defensively, Massillon returns just Brawley.  However, the coaches will not have any problem finding talented players to fill the open spots.  Marcus Moore will fit quite nicely on the line as will Nathan DePuy at linebacker.  Brawley will return to his safety position.  Also, watch for backup junior Freddie Lenix to fill in well at corner.  Kicking duties will fall to senior Shane Rue.

During the 2020 Covid-19 season, severe attendance restrictions were placed on the students and fans.  For Massillon, they were limited to just 1500 and most fans were forced to watch the games from home on internet broadcasts.  However, there will be no limit on spectators this year.  So come on out and support your Tigers.  It should be a great season and an exciting playoff run.

Mark these dates on your calendar:

  • August 3 – Media Day (check out the team photos as they go up on the website)
  • August 5 – Sideliners Reverse Raffle
  • August 7 – Scrimmage at Avon, starting at 11:30 am
  • August 8 – Sideliners Picnic
  • August 12 – Scrimmage at Cincinnati St. Xavier, starting at 2:00 pm
  • August 14 – Alumni  Association Golf Scramble (tee times still available)
  • August 17 – First Touchdown Club Luncheon at 11:30 am
  • August 18 – Downtown  Kickoff Rally at 6:30 pm
  • August 20 – Season opener vs. Pickerington Central, starting at 7:30 pm

Note to season ticket holders: Season ticket passes will not be mailed this year.  They can be picked up at the Ticket Office starting August 3 or at the first game.  No information is available at this time regarding tickets for away games.

Massillon Gearing Up For Another Successful Playoff Run

Massillon’s student enrollment of late has placed the football team into Division 2 for the past eight years and they have settled in quite nicely as one of the best among a group of 107 teams.  Only Akron Hoban and Cincinnati LaSalle have provided staunch competition.  And this year is expected to be no different, although there are always a few other teams that could make some noise.  Here is a detailed look at the recent history in this division.

Region 5

Akron Hoban – Since the Knights entered D2 in 2017 on account of the competitive advantage formula they have become the annual clear favorite to win Region 5, if not the state.  In those four years they have captured three state championships and had one other regional finals appearance.  Their only playoff loss during that time span was to Massillon in the 2019 regional finals.

Hudson – Regional finalist in 2020, losing to Hoban.

Maple Heights – Regional finalist in 2018, losing to Hoban.

Watch List – Walsh Jesuit, Austintown Fitch, Mayfield and Cleveland Benedictine.

Region 6

Avon – All the Eagles do is win.  Regular season and playoffs.  Except when they play Massillon or Akron Hoban.  They have captured the regional title in each of the past four years, then lost the following week in the state semifinals, three times to Hoban and once to Massillon.

Toledo Central – Another product of competitive advantage, the Irish lost to Avon in the 2018 regional finals and lost to Cincinnati LaSalle in the 2019 state semifinals.

Avon Lake – Advanced to the regional finals in each of the last two years, losing both times to Avon.

Watch List – Wadsworth, Barberton and Olmsted Falls.

Region 7

Massillon – It’s no secret that with the Tigers in this region, everyone else is playing for second place.  Massillon started slowly when Division 2 was reorganized in 2013, but they have come on strong in the past four years, winning the regional title each year.  In 2017 they lost in the state semifinals to Cincinnati Winton Woods.  But they broke the door down in 2018 by avenging the loss to Winton Woods and advancing to the state finals, losing to Akron Hoban.  In 2019 they turned the tables on Akron Hoban in the regionals and didn’t lose until the state finals, to Cincinnati LaSalle.  Year 2020 saw the revenge factor again with a win over LaSalle in the state semifinals, but another loss to Akron Hoban.  The only other teams in Division 2 with this much consistent playoff success are of course Hoban and LaSalle.

Perry – Regional finalist in 2020, losing to Massillon.

Olentangy – Regional finalist in 2019, losing to Toledo Central.

Watch List – Westerville South, Dublin Scioto, Worthington Kilbourne and North Canton.

Region 8

Cincinnati LaSalle – Four state titles in the past eight years (2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019).  Enough said.  Lost to Winton Woods in the regional finals in 2017.  Failed to make the playoffs in 2018.  Defeated Massillon in the 2019 state finals.  And lost to Massillon in the 2020 state semifinals.

Cincinnati Winton Woods – Chief competition for LaSalle.  Lost to Hoban in the 2017 state finals.  Lost to Massillon in the 2018 state semifinals.  Lost to LaSalle in the 2020 regional finals.

Watch List – Kings, Piqua, Cincinnati Turpin, Cincinnati Anderson and Troy.

Tiger Football Players Don’t Just Play Football

Last week it was the track team that drew the area’s attention by placing 3rd in the state meet in the 4 x 200 meter relay.  This week the focus is on Zach Catrone, Massillon’s 2020 quarterback, who was recently named Northeast Ohio Division 1 1st Team All-District for baseball.  The pitcher/infielder helped lead the Tigers to a 21-5 record and a spot in the district championship game against Mayfield.  Teammate Jaylen Leedy was also honored, as a 2nd Teamer.

As good as the Tigers were this year, Zach was the one batter capable of causing major headaches for opposing pitchers.  He hit hard according to Coach Spike Ridgley and his statistics reflected that, with a .412 batting average and 35 RBIs in just 101 plate appearances.  He also recorded five doubles and struck out just 14 times.  Ridgley said that his strike out stat is one of the major reasons he was named to the All-District team.

On the mound, he became the No. 1 pitcher and was called upon to face several of Massillon’s best foes.  He finished with a 6-3 record, but his ERA was outstanding at 2.01.  Zach also struck out 65 batters during his 47-2/3 innings of work.

As a quarterback last year in football, Catrone helped lead Massillon to a 10-2 record and a runner-up finish in the Division 2 state championship game.  For the season he passed for 1,574 yards and 12 touchdowns.  Next year he plans to play football for Marietta.

Rager Els placed at the state wrestling meet in the 285 pound weight class and finished the year with an outstanding 32-5 record.  At state, he lost in the first round, picked up a win in the first consolation round and then was eliminated in the second consolation.

In football, Rager was part of a dominant offensive line, but was felled in by injury in the first game against Lakewood St. Edward and missed the remainder of the season.  Fortunately, he recovered in time to wrestle.  Next year he will compete with Cleveland State.

Good luck to both of these outstanding Tigers.