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A Look Back at Past Massillon Teams – Part…

A Look Back at Past Massillon Teams – Part 3 – The 1992 Season

This is the third of a 10-part series looking back at all of the Massillon teams of the 1990s.

Head Coach: Jack Rose (1st Year)
Overall Record: 5-5
Regular Season Record: 5-5
Playoff Results: Division I, Region 3; did not qualify for the playoffs
Key Players: Mike Danzy (QB), Andre Stinson (RB), Alonzo Simpson (WR), Jerry May (WR), Dan Hackenbracht (DB), Marty Gugov (DB), Leon Ashcraft (RTN), Jason Brown (K)
All-Ohio: Dan Hackenbracht (1^st Team), Brandon Jackson (SM)

Assistant Coach Jack Rose was promoted to head coach following Lee Owens’ departure and began the first season of a 6-year career in this position.  Typical of a new head coach, he struggled to a 5-5 record.  But his team did register a few quality wins, one of which snapped a 4-game losing streak to Akron Garfield (6-4), Cincinnati Moeller (7-3), Austintown Fitch (8-2) and North Central of Indianapolis (8-3).

PIVOTAL GAMES

Alliance – Massillon opened the season with a 17-8 victory over the Aviators, which finished the year with an 8-2 record and runner-up spot in the Federal League to unbeaten Perry.  The Tigers scored the first 17 points on a 20-yard field goal by Brown, a 27-yard touchdown pass from Danzy to Simpson and a 10-yard run by Hackenbracht.  Alliance scored their lone TD in the fourth quarter.

Walsh Jesuit – Week 2 brought the Warriors to town.  Down 14-0 at the end of the third quarter, Massillon exploded in the fourth to win in overtime, 27-24.  In that fourth, the Tigers scored three consecutive touchdowns: a 5-yard pass to Simpson, a 75-yard punt return by Hackenbracht and a 59-yard pass from Danzy to May.  But Walsh clawed back and tossed a TD pass to tie the score, finishing off a 78-yard drive with just 19 seconds remaining in regulation.  In the overtime, the Warriors moved to the one, but needed to settle for a 24-yard goal due to a penalty.  The Tigers then found paydirt when Danzy connected with May on a 15-yard pass.  Walsh finished the year with a 7-2 record.

Bloomington South, IL – The Panthers were cruising through the season unbeaten with seven consecutive victories and a defense that had given up less than seven points per game.  But a 3-4 Massillon squad found something in tank and came out with a superb defensive performance to grab a convincing 38-0 victory.  In the first half alone they scored 32 points to put the game away early.  For the game, the Tigers held South to just 134 total yards, with negative two on the ground.  Following the game the Panther head coach said that Massillon was very physical and hurt his team with the blitz.

 Canton McKinley – The Bulldogs, with a 8-1 record entering the contest, were a clear favorite.  But the Tigers played them tough, at least on the scoreboard, and lost by just 14-6.  The six came in the form of two field goals by Brown, of 22 yards and 24 yards.  And Massillon even led 3-0 at the half.  But McKinley scored in the third on a long pass off a double screen and in the fourth with a 15-yard run.  The Bulldogs finished the season with a 9-1 record, but failed to qualify for the 4-team regional in the playoffs due to insufficient second-level points.

A Look Back at Past Massillon Teams – Part…

A Look Back at Past Massillon Teams – Part 2 – The 1991 Season

This is the second of a 10-part series looking back at all of the Massillon teams of the 1990s.

 Head Coach: Lee Owens (4th Year)
Overall Record: 10-3
Regular Season Record: 8-2
Playoff Results: Division I, Region 2; advanced to the state semifinals; lost to Cleveland St. Ignatius, 14-13
Key Players: Nick Mossides (QB), Travis McGuire (RB), Falando Ashcraft (RB), Jason Stafford (WR), Eric Wright (LB), Brandon Turley (LB), Troy Burick (DB), Jason Woullard (LB), Steve Miller (OL)
All-Ohio: Travis McGuire (1^st), Eric Wright (1^st), Jason Woullard (2^nd), Steve Miller (HM), Falando Ashcraft (HM)

The backfield tandem of Travis McGuire (Ohio State) and Falando Ashcraft (US Army) led the Tigers in the playoffs to the Division I state semifinals.  There, they lost to eventual champion Cleveland St. Ignatius, 14-13, with a missed extra point spelling the difference.  McGuire rushed for 1,976 yards that year, setting a new Massillon single-season record.  He also scored 20 touchdowns.  Ashcraft added 1,353 yards rushing and 21 TDs.  Eric Wright and Brandon Turley recorded 103 and 98 total tackles, respectively.

PIVOTAL GAMES

 Canton McKinley – The Tigers handed the Bulldogs their worst rivalry loss in 31 years, winning 42-13.  It was back in 1960 that Massillon defeated McKinley, 42-0.  It was also the second highest number of points ever scored against the Bulldogs in this rivalry game, ranking just behind the 48 points tallied in 1953.  Massillon was ahead just 21-13 at the half, but pulled away in the final two quarters with three McGuire touchdown runs, of 6, 1 and 79 yards, for a total of five rushing TDs for the day.  He also set a new Tiger record with 303 yards rushing (8.4 yards per att.).  With Ashcraft sitting out most of the game on account of an injury, McGuire told Coach Owens that he would carry the load.  And that he did.  “Just give me the ball,” he said.  What made the win even more special is that the Tigers had not defeated a quality team up to that point, with losses to Cincinnati Moeller and Akron St. Vincent.

 Toledo St. John’s – The Titans opened up a 21-7 lead one play into the third quarter and it appeared that the Tigers were in trouble in this regional finals playoff game.  But they were able to right the ship after that and outscored St.  John’s 35-0 the rest of the way behind a crushing ground attack.  Massillon ended up gaining 438 yards (7.7 yards per att.) on the ground, with McGuire putting up 229 and Ashcraft contributing 165.  Each scored three touchdowns.  The defense once again played superbly against the rush, holding St. John’s to just 59 yards in the 42-21 victory.

Cleveland St. Ignatius – It was a defensive battle throughout as these two state powers went toe-to-toe for all of four quarters.  Massillon led 7-0 at the half, with quarterback Nick Mossides hooking up with Marc Stafford on a 53-yard touchdown pass.  In the third quarter the Wildcats tied the score, setting up a dynamic fourth quarter finish.  With under two minutes remaining, Mossides again went long again, this time to Jason Woullard, for a 42-yard score.  But the extra point was missed just wide of the college-width narrower goal post.  Subsequently, a mis-hit on the ensuing kickoff gave Ignatius good field position.  The Wildcats were then able to consume the remainder of time on the clock for one final drive that culminated in a 2-yard touchdown run.  The PAT was good, thereby giving Ignatius a 14-13 win.  The Wildcats would defeat Centerville the following week to win the state titlte.  For the Tigers, however, the road to the finals had suddenly come to an end.  Massillon led in total yards, 293-182, with McGuire rushing for 118 yards.  But for the first time that season, neither McGuire nor Ashcraft were able to find the end zone.

A Look Back at Past Massillon Teams – Part…

A Look Back at Past Massillon Teams – Part 1 – The 1990 Season

This is the first of a 10-part series looking back at all of the Massillon teams of the 1990s.

Head Coach: Lee Owens (3^rd Year)
Overall Record: 8-4
Regular Season Record: 7-3
Playoff Results: Division I, Region 2; advanced to the regional finals; lost to Sandusky, 27-7
Key Players: Barry Shertzer (QB), Falondo Ashcraft (RB), Travis McGuire (RB), Steve Brown (TE), Duane Scott (OL), Eric Wright (LB), Dan Hackenbracht (DB), Chad Buckland (DB), Brent Bach (OL)
All-Ohio: Duane Scott (2^nd)

The Tigers were coming off of a very successful 1989 campaign in which they recorded a win over Canton McKinley followed by playoff regional championship.  The 1990 season promised more of the same beginning with wins over Stow (8-2) and Covington Catholic (9-1), along with a 1-point loss to Cincinnati Moeller.  But a 14-7 setback to Austintown Fitch (8-2) showed that there were kinks in the armor.  And those kinks were ever so present in one-sided losses to McKinley and Sandusky at the end of the season.  On the plus side, Massillon would return several promising junior players for the next season.

PIVOTAL GAMES

Covington Catholic, KY –  In Week 2 of the season the Tigers traveled to Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium to participate in the multi-game Buddy LaRosa Classic.  The event was billed as Cincinnati vs. the rest of the country; Massillon was part of the “country” and was matched with Covington Catholic, which is located just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati.  Covington scored early in the first quarter when they returned a pass interception 35 yards for a touchdown.  But after that it was all Massillon, as they outscored the Colonels 39-7 the rest of the way, eventually winning 39-14.  Falando Ashcraft came up big in Owens “run-and-boot” offense, rushing 28 times for 190 yards and a touchdown run of 35 yards.  Quarterback Barry Shertzer also tallied twice from his quarterback position.

Cincinnati Moeller – The Tigers had lost four straight games to the Crusaders coming into this one, but saw ahead of them a great opportunity to finally turn the table.  And they nearly pulled it off.  After the first quarter it was tied at seven.  After the second it was tied at 14.   And after the third the Tigers led 21-17, expanding the lead to 23-17 during the fourth.  But in the closing seconds of the game, with Moeller facing a fourth down near midfield, they threw a pass toward the front of the Massillon bench.  Upon seeing the ball skip to the receiver, the coaches removed their headsets and began to celebrate.  However, it was short lived when the referee ran to the spot and ruled it a catch.  Dramatically, on the next and final play of the game, Moeller launched a 39-yard pass into the end zone to Carlos Collins for a game-tying touchdown.  The Crusaders then walked off with a 24-23 victory following the successful PAT.  It would take a few more years before the locals finally conquered Moeller.

North Central, Indianapolis, IN – It is not unusual for the Tigers to play opponents from out of state. But the invite to North Central surprisingly turned into a 5-game series.  In this opener, Massillon came out on top in a close, competitive battle, 21-15.

Canton McKinley – Massillon was never in this one and lost to the Bulldogs, 20-7.  The Tigers did manage to tie the score at seven apiece in the third quarter, but McKinley had the last say, closing the season with a 5-4 record.

Massillon Jackson – In the first round of the playoffs the Tigers were paired with Jackson, which entered the fray with a 9-1 record.  The Polar Bears came out hot both running and throwing the ball and grabbed a 15-0 lead after one quarter behind a 54-yard run and a 21-yard pass.  Nevertheless, Massillon scored the next three touchdowns to win 21-15.  But the win was not without controversy.  Jackson had the ball inside the Tiger 30 near the end of the game and ahead 15-13.  On a pass play the Tigers’ Mark Murphy shot through the line unblocked and sacked the quarterback, who apparently lost the ball and then rolled over it.  At that point everyone thought the play was dead, including a celebratory Murphy as he sprinted to the sidelines waving his arms.  All except Jeff Perry.  And the referees.  So, Perry quickly scooped the ball up and raced 72 yards for the winning score.  Many today still wonder if the QB might have been down before the fumble.  But the game film proves otherwise.  Ashcraft led Massillon with 23 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown.

Sandusky – The University of Akron’s Rubber Bowl was host to Massillon’s second round playoff game against unbeaten Sandusky.  Although the Tigers led 7-0 after the first quarter, the Blue Streaks controlled the rest of the game and won 27-7.  The following week Sandusky would lose to eventual state champion Warren Harding, 27-14.

Massillon’s History with a Theoretical 12-Team Playoff

Massillon’s History with a Theoretical 12-Team Playoff

“There’s no place like home,” Dorothy exclaimed near the end of the legendary movie, “The Wizard of Oz.”  And Massillon Tiger football fans can say the same following the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s (OHSAA) decision to revamp the state football playoffs.  With the change, in spite of fewer teams now qualifying, there are better opportunities to host post-season games.

The OHSAA’s playoff system used to determine football state championships was introduced in 1972 at the request of the association coaches.  But inspite of the great intentions the OHSAA had at the time, it was not an optimal system at the start and a host of changes have occurred since that time.  Initially, just one team qualified from each of four regions across three divisions.  In 1980 two more divisions were added and the number of qualifiers per region doubled.  In 1985 it became four teams per region, followed in 1994 by the addition of a sixth division.  Four per region became eight in 1999 and a seventh division was added in 2013.  Whew!  That’s a lot of changes.

But it might have remained that way, except that the Covid year of 2020 messed it all up.  On account of several canceled games due to the impact of the ailment and the resulting difficulty in selecting qualifiers, the OHSAA opened the door to every team in the state.  The following year, with the OHSAA believing that it was beneficial for many schools to enhance the number of participants, the number of regional qualifiers was increased to sixteen.  Not discussed was the additional revenue afforded to the OHSAA from the additional 112 games across the seven divisions, considering that the OHSAA also at that time took over control of sales and collection of money from the purchase of playoff game tickets.

Regardless of the OHSAA’s beliefs, the coaches apparently were never in favor of a 16-team region, preferring twelve instead, with the top four qualifiers receiving byes in the first round.  It should be noted that a 12-team format was the format going into the 2020 season until it was derailed by Covid.  Now finally, the coaches have gotten their way.

Per this author, the right number is probably eight teams per region.  However, the method used to select the teams, i.e., the Harbin System, has several flaws and is considered incapable of selecting these eight teams, let alone seeding them properly, as compared to algorithm-based methods that utilize true strength-of-schedule components, not just a simple summation of opponent wins.  For, all teams are just not created equal.  The author’s study shows that, in order to assure that the best eight teams are included, at least twelve teams from the Harbin System must be selected.  Thus, a 12-team format is therefore considered optimal, although it doesn’t solve the seeding problem and corresponding earned rights to home games.

With the recent modification, the top four seeded teams receive a bye in the first round.  The remaining teams face off, with 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10 and 8 vs. 9.  In Round 2, No. 1 faces the winner of 5 vs. 12, No. 2 faces the winner of 6 vs. 11, etc.  The next two weeks are then used to determine the regional champion.  In Weeks 1-3 the higher-seeded team hosts the game.  The Week 4 championship game is then played at a neutral site.

With this format, the ideal seeded positions are Nos. 1 and 2.  Not only do these teams receive a bye week, they are also guaranteed the potential of two home games.  The next favorable positions are Nos. 3 and 4.  These teams receive a bye week plus one guaranteed home game.  After that comes Nos. 5-8, with one guaranteed home game.

Now for the fun part.  Had the new playoff format been in place since the start of the playoffs in 1972, a span of some 53 years, how would Massillon have faired year-to-year?  The chart below presents the raw numbers.

The Tigers were in Division I from the start through 2012.  The data shows that they would have qualified for the playoffs 36 times out of 41 attempts, or 88% of the time.  Of the five years in which they failed to qualify, twice (1998 and 2004) they had four wins and twice (1974 and 2007) they had six wins, so that’s understandable.  Ironically, they would have qualified in every year under a 16-team format.

The outlier came in 1978 when Massillon finished in the 14^th position with a record of 9-0-1 and would have failed to qualify.  Again, the flaws of the Harbin System are cited.  The problem that year was with the opponents, most of which failed to win many games.  In fact, outside of Canton McKinley (7-2) and Warren Harding (7-2-1), the remaining teams won just a third of their games, something the Tigers had no control over.  Of course, there were only three divisions at that time.  In a 7-division format they would most likely have qualified.

About a third of the time they would have been seeded first or second.  They would have finished in the top four and received a first-round bye 20 times, or about half.  And they would have finished in the top eight and hosted at least one game 30 times, or about three-quarters.

In 2013 the divisions were restructured, with the Tigers assigned to Division II, since the number of teams placed in Division I was lowered.  Over the next twelve years Massillon would have qualified in every year.  Seven times, or 58%, they would have been seeded first or second.  They would have received a first-round bye ten times, or 83%.  And they would have hosted at least one game eleven times or 92%.  The only year in which they would not have hosted a game was in Coach Nate Moore’s first year, when the team finished in 11^th place with a record of 4-6.  However, the playoffs would have been interesting that year, given that Massillon defeated eventual regional champion Perry during the regular season.

Thus, if Massillon’s success over the past several years continues, there is a high probably of having a bye in the first round of the playoffs, something that is beneficial for three reasons.  The first is that it provides the program a chance to regroup both physically and mentally following an intense rivalry game.  Second, they could reach the finals while playing one less game than previously.  And third, they could continue to have a high probability of hosting two playoff games.  Because, let’s face it; there’s no place like home!

The Common Thread that Unites Ohio’s Football Dynasties

The Common Thread that Unites Ohio’s Football Dynasties

Throughout the history of Ohio high school football there have always been a select few teams that dominated the scene.  Many have had noteworthy periods of year-to-year success that sports fans like to refer to as “dynasties.”  Several good teams, like Massillon, Cincinnati Moeller and Cleveland St. Ignatius for example, have withstood the test of time and still dominate today, while the dynasties of many others have come and gone.

And it’s no secret that the one trait these dynastic schools have in common is long-term, highly successful head coaches.  The most notable of these are Massillon’s Paul Brown, Moeller’s Gerry Faust and St. Ignatius’ Chuck Kyle.  But there was also Cincinnati Colerain’s Kerry Coomb, Canton McKinley’s Bup Rearick and Upper Arlington’s Marvin Morehead.  Plus many others.

This story presents what is judged to be the best dynasties since the beginning of scholastic football in Ohio, covering a span of some 130+ years.  Also included is some background on each of the teams’ successful head coaches.

First off, a little clarification regarding the definition of the word “dynasty.”  A dynasty is considered to have been achieved when a school develops sustained success over a significant period of time; for this story it is a minimum of ten years, with an unbroken string of season records of 7-3 or better, while at times including the rare outlier.  There must have been dominance over most competitors.  The school must have brought something unique to the game that produced this success.  And finally, after the dynasty ends, it is documented in the history books and/or recalled by most football fans through common knowledge.

The list of dynasties shown below, ranked by duration, includes solely Division I and Division II schools.  With all due respect to the highly successful smaller schools, they aren’t necessarily playing the top competition in the state.  The exception is Division III Toledo Central Catholic, which plays mostly DI and DII schools.

Massillon – 33 years, from 1933 to 1965 (191-30-2; .861).   The winning tradition at Massillon has endured for nearly a hundred years.  But it really took off with the hiring of head coach Paul Brown in 1932.  Throughout his eight years at Massillon, he compiled a record of 80-8-2, winning six state championships and three national championships.  After leaving Massillon he went on to coach Ohio State, the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals.  Brown put a remarkably successful program together that has endured to this date.  While many coaches have the talent to win a vast majority of their games, often the successful performances diminished once they departed.  But the City of Massillon committed itself to retaining what Brown had built.  As a result, the consistent success of the Tigers has remained ever since, attesting to this endeavor.  Concurrent with that, a string of subsequent successful coaches was also a key to maintaining the program.  Two of these were Chuck Mather and Leo Strang.  Mather (1948-53) won 57 of 60 games and captured the sportswriters’ state title each year, in addition to three national championships.  Strang (1958- 63) also came up big, with a record of 54-8-1, including two state championships and three national championships.  The dynasty concluded with back-to-back unbeaten seasons by future Ohio State head coach Earl Bruce.

Massillon also enjoyed three other noteworthy periods.  Bob Commings (1969-73) had a 5-year record of 43-6-2, with a state championship in 1970 and a spot in Ohio’s first ever state playoffs game in 1972.  He left to become the head coach of the University of Iowa.  Mike Currence (1976-84) had a fine 8-year run from 1976 to 1983, compiling a record of 80-15-2, with two state finals appearances.  And current head coach Nate Moore (2015-24) has a record of 110-25, with a Division II state championship in 2023, six regional championships and five state finals appearances.

 Cincinnati Colerain – 30 years, from 1991 to 2020 (285-33; .843).  Colerain had two coaches during this period: Kerry Coombs (1991-2006) and Tom Bolden (2007-18).  Coombs had instant success with his program and compiled a record of 161-34, with a state title in 2004, along with five regional titles.   Subsequently, he coached at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio State and with the Tennessee Titans.  Bolden took over in 2007 and produced a fine record of 132-21.  During his time there the Cardinals captured three regional titles and reached the state finals once.   He left in 2018 to become the head of coach of Lakota West.

 Cincinnati Moeller – 21 years, from 1970 to 1990 (217-24; .900).  It took a while for inaugural Crusader coach Gerry Faust (1962-1980) to get it going, but once he did there was success after success.  Moeller’s record during his time there was 178-23-2 and during the dynasty he captured five state championships, seven regional championships and four national championships.  Faust left to become the head coach of Notre Dame and then the head coach at the University of Akron.  In 1982 Steve Klonne (1982-2000) became the head coach and during his 19 years he had a record of 169-48.  He won two state titles and three regional titles, plus a national title in 1982.

 Pickerington Central – 19 years, from 2006-24 (191-40; .827).  In 2003 Pickerington High School split into North and Central and Jay Sharett (2003-22) was hired to become Central’s first coach.  Once the program matured his squad became one of the most dominant teams in Ohio, something that has continued to this day.  He retired after last season with a record of 211-42, including two state titles, eight regional titles and two state runners-up.  In fact, Central captured the regional title each year from 2016 to 2020.

 Canton McKinley – 18 years, from 1933 to 1950 (148-25-10; .836).  Three different coaches were the major contributors at this time, including Jimmy Aiken (1932-35), John Reed (1936-40) and Bup Rearick (1942-49).  Aiken compiled a record of 34-7-1 and won a state title in 1934.  He went on to coach at Akron, Nevada and Oregon.  Reed succeeded Aiken and had a record of 39-7-2 over five years, but was stymied by Paul Brown’s Massillon teams, which wiped out four potential unbeaten seasons.  Rearick produced a record of 67-8-4, with state championships in 1942 and 1949.  He was also a long-time McKinley basketball coach.

14 years, from 1968-81 (125-25-3; .827).  Again, three different coaches contributed to the run, including Ron Chismar (1965-69), John Brideweser (1970-79) and Terry Forbes (1980-81).  Chismar coached for five years and was 37-13.   Five years later he was the head coach of Wichita State.  Brideweser coached for ten years, all within the dynasty, and was 77-21-3.  Finally, Forbes coached for the last two, with a record of 22-2.  His 1981 team went 13-0 and captured the Division I state title.  Later, Forbes was an assistant coach for both the University of Akron and Notre Dame University.

The Bulldogs also had a good 7-year run, from 1992 to 1998, with all except one year under head coach Thom McDaniels, who had an overall record there of 131-41.  During the run, the Bulldogs captured three regional titles and a state title, in 1997.  They also won the national title that year.  Kerry Hodakievic coached the final year of the 7-year run and also had a state title.

 Lakewood St. Edward – 17 years, from 1970 to 1986 (140-35-3; .795).  The Eagles were highly successful in the ‘70s and ‘80s, mostly under head coach Dan Flaherty (61-23-2), who accounted for approximately half of the seasons.  Other contributing coaches included Fred Orr, Denny Martin, Mike Currence and A. O’Neil.  St. Eds won three regional crowns during that time.

14 years, from 2010 to 2023 (161-25; .866).  This dynasty was led by two coaches: Rick Finotti (62-15) for the first five years and current coach Tom Lombardo (103-22) for the next nine.  During that time, the Eagles captured eight regional titles and seven state titles.  Finotti went on to become an assistant coach at Michigan and head coach at John Carroll.

Cleveland St. Ignatius – 15 years, from 1988-2002 (157-17; .902).  In 1988 St. Ignatius supplanted Cincinnati Moeller as the dominant team in Ohio.  And they went on to put together a string of fifteen very successful campaigns, all under head coach Chuck Kyle (1983-23).  Recently retired, Kyle’s teams went 379-117-1 during his career.  Throughout the stretch, Ignatius won twelve regional championships and nine state championships.  The school was also named national champion in 1989, 1993 and 1995.

 Avon – 15 years, from 2010 to 2024 (178-22; .890).  Avon owes their success to long-time and current coach Mike Elder (2001-24).  He has compiled a career record there of 232-52 and accounts for all fifteen years of the dynasty.  Eight times Avon has won the regional title, including seven times in the last eight years.  Finally, in 2024, the Eagle were able to take home the Division II state championship.

Hilliard Davidson – 13 years, from 2004 to 2016 (132-24; .846).  Head coach Brian White (199-58) spent 17 years at Davidson, from 1999 to 2016.  Under his leadership, the Wildcats were a dominating force in the Columbus area for a 13-year period of time.  Five times they captured the regional championship and twice were the state champions (2006 and 2009).

Toledo Central Catholic – 13 years, from 2012 to 2024 (177-25-2; .873).  Greg Dempsy (1000-24) has been the head coach of the Irish for the last 25 years, with an overall record of 266-55.  He has had an ongoing dynasty for the last thirteen, during which Central has won six regional titles and two state titles in Division III and three regional titles and two state titles in Division II.

Centerville – 12 years, from 1976 to 1986 (112-11; .911).  Bob Gregg coached at Centerville for 28 years, compiling a record of 219-62.  He had his best run from 1976 to 1986 during which time the Elks claimed a Division I regional title, in 1984.  Later, Gregg was the coach in 1991 when Centerville competed in the state finals.

 Upper Arlington – 11 years, from 1964 to 1974 (99-9-2; .909).  The Golden Bears burst onto the scene in 1966 when they scored a 21-6 victory over 2-time defending state champion Massillon.  The following year they also turned the trick with a 7-6 win, this time achieving a state title, a crown they again won in both 1968 and 1969.  Two coaches contributed to the 11-year run: Marvin Moorehead and Pete Corey.  Moorehead coached from 1955 to 1969, compiling a 57-1 record during the streak.  Cory took over from Moorehead and coached through 1986, with a record of 42-8-2 during the streak.  Although Corey left at that time, he returned from 1986 through 2021 as offensive coordinator.

 Akron Hoban – 10 years, from 2015 to 2024 (129-16; .890).  Current coach Tim Tyrell assumed the reigns of Hoban in 2016 and has been the primary contributor to the dynasty, with an overall record of 118-12.  During the 10-year span the Knights captured two state titles in Division III, along with seven regional titles and three state titles in Division II.

Huber Heights Wayne – 10 years, from 1981 to 1990 (85-17-3; .824).  Mike Schneider was the head coach for Wayne for 17 years, from 1981 to 1997, compiling a record of 128-43-3.  His dynasty spanned 1981 through 1990.

Massillon’s Record-Setting Defenders

Massillon’s Record-Setting Defenders

 The MassillonTigers.com website maintains all of Massillon’s football records, which can be found at this link.  Below are the record setters for the defense category.  But first a couple of key items.

1. Individual player defensive data was not recorded in detail until 1982. Therefore, the individual player records maintained by the football program are derived only from official game statistics gleaned from that date forward, unless discovered by some other means.
2. Two different methods have been derived over time to calculate a player’s number of tackles. The first is total tackles, which is the sum of both solo tackles and assisted tackles.  The second is tackle points, which is the sum of solo tackles and one half of assisted tackles.  Both methods are prevalent throughout the sports world, so both are recognized in the official Massillon records.

Chris Spielman (1981-83): 5 records

• Single season solo tackles, total tackles and tackle points – In 1982 Spielman in 13 games recorded 113 solo tackles and 43 assists, totaling 156 total tackles and 5 tackle points. He also had four pass interceptions and recovered two fumbles.  Following the season he was named 1^st Team All-Ohio at linebacker.  The Tigers finished the year with a 12-1 record and advanced in the playoffs to the Division I state finals.  Although Spielman wasn’t the fastest player on the field, his ability to read the play prior to the snap based on the opponent’s formation and also anticipate of the flow of the play when it began was perhaps unmatched by any previous Massillon player.
• Career unassisted tackles and tackle points – Spielman was a starter at inside linebacker for three years. Unfortunately, defensive statistics were recorded only during his second and third seasons, so his full career stats are not available.  Nevertheless, he was still able to set two records, including 190 solo tackles and 220.0 tackle points.  In 1983 Spielman was again named 1^st team All-Ohio, but also All-American.  From there, he started four years at Ohio State and enjoyed a long career with the Detroit Lions.

Michael Wright Jr. (2021-24): 3 records

• 

  Single season quarterback sacks – Wright was a 4-year starter on the defensive line and set a record with 10.5 quarterback sacks during his 2023 junior season. It was a year in which the Tigers captured the Division II state championship at the end of an unbeaten16-week campaign.  In a 35-7 victory over Canton McKinley, he recorded 3.0 quarterback sacks, setting a game record for that series.

• Career quarterback sacks and tackles for loss – Wright finished his career with 23.0 quarterback sacks, 9.5 sacks ahead of the second place Dorian Pringle (2022-23). He also had 49 tackles for loss, eclipsing Pringle’s mark by 3 TFLs.  What is remarkable is that Wright played at 5’-10”, 280 lbs.  But he had tremendous strength and an uncanny quickness off the snap to enable this success.

Billy Relford (2001-03): 2 records

• Single season pass interceptions – In 2002 Relford intercepted 12 passes to set the single-season record. Four of the picks came against North Canton Hoover during a 31-0 playoff game victory.  Included in that was returned 50-yard return for a score.  He also ran back an interception 80 yards for TD against Cleveland St. Ignatius.  The Tigers finished 12-3 that year and advanced in the playoffs to the Division I state semifinals.
• Career pass interceptions – During his 3-year career Relford intercepted 16 passes. Three were returned for touchdowns.

 Spencer Leno (2007-09): 2 records

• Career assisted tackles and total tackles – During his 3-year career Leno, playing at linebacker, recorded 123 solo tackles and 173 assisted tackles, for a total of 296 tackles. He also had 21 tackles for loss.  His most productive games came in 2009 against Steubenville (11 solos, 4 assists) and Cleveland St. Ignatius (6 solos, 7 assists).  Following the 2009 10-4 season Leno was named Special Mention All-Ohio.

 Chuck Vliet (1948-50): 1 record

• Single game total tackles – In 1950 in a game against Warren Harding, Vliet recorded an unbelievable 42 tackles. Vliet’s asset was that he was incredibly adept at finding the ball carrier during the play, whether it was a running back or a receiver.  So for this game, Head Coach Chuck Mather told Vliet that he wanted him to make all of the tackles.  Meanwhile, the remaining ten players were instructed to prevent the Harding players from blocking Vliet.  The ploy worked and the Tigers went on to win 23-6.

 Paris McCall (2003-05): 1 record

• Single game quarterback sacks – In the 2005 season opener against Dover, McCall set a single-game record with 5 quarterback sacks. He also had 8 solo tackles and one assist, with 2.0 tackles for loss.  Massillon won the game, 34-0.  By season’s end, McCall led the team in total tackles, tackles for loss and quarterback sacks.  He was also named 2^nd Team All-Ohio.  As a team, the Tigers finished 13-2 and advanced in the playoffs to the Division I state finals.

Troy Ellis (2003-05): 1 record

• Single game pass interceptions – In Game 2 of the 2005 season Massillon traveled south to face Cincinnati Elder in Paul Brown Stadium. Defensive back Troy Ellis had a career day against the Panthers by intercepting 5 passes.  He also returned a fumble 25 yards for a score.  Massillon led 35-7 at the end of the third quarter, but managed to hold on to win, 35-31.

 Ben Krichbaum (2016-18): 1 record

• Single season assisted tackles – In 2018 Krichbaum recorded 78 assisted tackles in a 15-game season. He also led the team that year with 119 total tackles and 80.0 tackle points, with 10.5 tackles for loss.  As a team Massillon was perfect in the win-loss column until the Division II state finals.

Dorian Pringle (2022-23): 1 record

• Single season tackles for loss – In 2023 Pringle recorded 24.5 tackles for loss, while also finishing second in total tackles and quarterback sacks. His 2023 record erased the previous mark of 21.5, which he also set in 2022.  His fortes were the abilities to find the ball in a crowd to make the tackle and also exhibit a ferocious pass blitz.  Simply put, he was a “player,” along the lines of a Chris Spielman.