Category: <span>History</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

2018: Massillon 49, Canton Glenoak 0

Tigers run wild, run past GlenOak23 hours ago

Chris Easterling – The Independent
PLAIN TWP. It was one of those nights at Bob Commings Field on Friday night.

It was a night where almost everything went right for Massillon, and everything went wrong for GlenOak. When it was all said and done, it was a night where the Tigers posted their biggest margin of victory since Week 5 of the 2016 season in rolling to a 49-0 win over the Golden Eagles.

Game action vs. Canton Glenoak

“(Massillon’s) a good football team,” said GlenOak coach Scott Garcia, whose team lost starting quarterback Kindel Richardson to a first-quarter injury. “They took it to us. They have it all. They’ve got an offensive line, the back – (Jamir) Thomas — is as good as they come, and they can spread you out at the same time. They present you a lot of problems.”

Massillon, 2-0 for the first time since 2014, had all of it on display in its biggest win since a 75-7 beating of Toledo Bowsher. The Tigers ran it, they threw it and they stifled GlenOak at every turn.

And that was just in opening up a 35-0 halftime lead.

“They showed that they’re focused,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said. “They showed they’re disciplined. They showed they play hard and really care about this season.”

The Tigers’ big night started with their big running back Thomas powering his way to 170 yards on 11 rushing attempts. All of those were in the first half, as he also ran for three touchdowns of 35, 53 and 49 yards.

Game Action vs. Canton Glenoak

The first two came on Massillon’s second and third possessions, giving it a 14-0 lead. The third came on the first play of the Tigers’ fifth drive, making it 21-0 less than two minutes into the second quarter.

“A really great night tonight,” Moore said of Thomas, who has 278 rushing yards in two games. “He really showed some flashes of some breakaway speed, which didn’t happen much last year. Glad to see that out of him.”

Thomas was just part of the Tigers’ rushing tandem that gained 254 yards in the first half and finished with 343 yards for the game. Zion Phifer, while he wasn’t able to get into the end zone, added 106 yards on eight carries.

Meanwhile, Aidan Longwell added four more touchdown passes, giving him seven on the season. He hit Aydrik Ford on scoring strikes of 35 and 46 yards, while tossing 18- and 17-yard scores to Jayden Ballard.

The final one to Ballard came on Longwell’s last pass of the night, giving the Tigers a 42-0 third-quarter lead. Longwell finished 8-of-13 for 151 yards with the four scores, but two other interceptions in the end zone.

Listen to Longwell’s TD pass to Ballard

“He’s our field general,” Moore said of Longwell. “He’s our quarterback. He’s the one who makes everything work. A couple picks tonight that we certainly don’t want but, he’ll bounce back.”

Longwell’s TD pass to Murphy

Game Action vs. Canton Glenoak

GlenOak, which suffered its worst loss since a similar 49-0 setback at McKinley in Week 4 of the 2005 season, is hoping to bounce back from consecutive tough Friday nights against potentially two of the best teams in the state. The Golden Eagles are 0-2 for the second consecutive season after setbacks to first Toledo Whitmer and now to Massillon.

It was a bit of injury thrown on top of insult, however, on this night with the loss of Richardson. The dynamic junior quarterback suffered what appeared to be a leg injury on GlenOak’s third series of the game after being sacked.

After Richardson was taken off the field on a stretcher, J.T. Cooke came in to play quarterback the rest of the way. Regardless of who the quarterback was, GlenOak finished the night with 76 total yards, 65 of those on the ground,

“We’ve to learn from it and move on,” said Garcia, whose team plays host to Royal Imperial Collegiate (Ont.) next Friday. “We have a lot of season left. Obviously, it’s going to be tough without our quarterback. I thought J.T. stepped up and did some decent things. We just have to get better. Right now, we’re playing with a JV football team.”

GAME STATS

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

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

John McVay, Wall of Champions

John McVay always wanted to be a football coach.  You see, he was drawn to the profession when he saw first-hand the stability provided by some great leaders in the sport, specifically Massillon head coach Chuck Mather and Miami of Ohio coaches Woody Hayes and Ara Parseghian.  But eventually he would become much more than that.  Not only did McVay coach in the high school, college and professional arenas, he also served as general manager at the highest level, enjoying tremendous success in the process.  Here is his story.

John McVay was born on January 5, 1951, in Bellaire, Ohio, and moved shortly afterward to Massillon.  It was there in Tigertown that he received his first exposure to organized football.  His first two years of varsity play were under Coach Bud Houghton.  But his senior season saw a change in leadership when Chuck Mather arrived in town.  Mather’s tutelage provided the spark that would eventually launch McVay’s long career in football.

During McVay’s first season, which was his final year in high school, Mather fashioned a 9-1 record and a first place finish in the Associated Press state poll, ahead of Canton McKinley, which also finished 9-1.  John McVay was instrumental in this success and was named for his efforts as 2nd Team All-Ohio at the center position.  But McVay was also a good student at Massillon, as he was accepted into the National Honor Society.

College found him at Miami of Ohio, where he played his first two years under Woody Hayes.  Hayes finished 9-1 during his second year and then departed for Ohio State.  In came Ara Parseghian who, during McVay’s final two years there, recorded 15 wins in 19 starts.  Again McVay was right in the mix.  A 2-time MVP for Miami, McVay was also selected as All-Mid-American Conference center and served during his senior year as team captain.  With an education degree under his belt, he would later earn a Master’s Degree in School Administration at Kent State.

Now it was time for his dream job; i.e., coaching football.  After serving as an assistant at Lancaster High School for three years, McVay landed his first head coaching assignment at Franklin High School in 1956.  Although his team struggled during his only year there, he was able to return home the following year to assume the head reigns at Canton Central Catholic, a position he held for five years.  While there, McVay fashioned a fine record of 41-7, including a 9-1 mark in 1959, when his team finished 7th in the state.  When he departed, he was the winningest coach ever at Central.  Today, McVay is honored with a scholarship in his name.

McVay’s success at Central was notable and he was able to jump then to college.  His first stop was Michigan State University, where he served under legendary coach Duffy Daugherty.  Three years later, in 1965, he was hired as head coach at the University of Dayton.  During his eight years there, he recorded a record of 37-41-3, finishing 8-2 in 1962, which was one of the best marks in the Flyers’ history.

The World Football League, a short-lived venture started in 1974, called on McVay to coach Memphis.  He immediately signed three standout athletes from the Miami Dolphins that were nearing the ends of their playing careers in order to bolster attendance.  They included Paul Warfield, Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick (two are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame).  At Memphis, McVay finished a respectable 24-7, good enough to be named head coach of the New York Giants the following year.  He coached there for three seasons, which were his final years as a coach.  Following a 20-year span of head coaching assignments, McVay had won 117 games against 85 losses and 6 ties.

But he wasn’t done with football just yet.  In 1979, McVay was hired by the San Francisco 49ers to become Vice President and General Manager, a position he held for 18 years.  Under his leadership, McVay stocked the team with some outstanding players, including Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Charles Haley and Fred Dean.  In all, he brought in some 50 players who were later selected as All-Pro.  But his crowning achievement was the five Super Bowl Championships captured by the 49ers during his tenure.  Coach Bill Walsh once said, “It’s quite possible that the 49ers would not have won five Super Bowls had it not been for John McVay.”

And the beat goes on.  His grandson, Sean McVay, is the current head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.

McVay has been inducted into the following halls of fame:

  • Massillon High School Wall of Champions, 1963 (charter member)
  • Massillon High School Distinguished Citizen, 1996
  • Massillon High School Tiger Football  Hall of Fame, 2016
  • Stark County, Ohio, High School Hall of Fame, 2005
  • Miami of Ohio University Football Red Hawks, 1977
  • San Francisco 49ers, 2013
  • San Francisco Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, 2018

John died on November 1, 2022, in Granite Bay, California.

Can the Pro Football Hall of Fame be far off for John McVay?

Mike Riordan provided the materials for this story.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

2018: Massillon 35 , Akron St. Vincent St. Mary…

Tigers defense steals show in stifling St. V-M

MASSILLON The storyline going into Friday night’s season opener between Massillon and St. Vincent-St. Mary was simple. It would be the Tigers’ talent-laden offense against the Irish experienced and strong defense.

Turns out, someone forgot to tell the Massillon defense it was going to have to take second billing.

The Tigers forced four St.Vincent-St. Mary turnovers, while stifling the Irish offense most of the night, to help key a 35-7 victory at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

“I thought we really controlled the line of scrimmage,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said. “I thought our front seven played really well. I thought they did a good job of reading their keys. A lot of mid-direction stuff and jet-sweep stuff and they did a really good job with that.”

The key to the Tiger defensive effort, as much as the takeaways, was the way they did not allow the Irish to get their running game established. At least, not with highly-regarded tailback Terrance Keyes Jr.

A year after rushing for 198 yards against Massillon in a 13-10 Irish win in Week 9, Keyes was held to just 10 yards on 11 carries. As a team, St. Vincent-St. Mary had just 85 rushing yards on 32 carries, including just 20 yards on 14 second-half carries.

“I think we definitely had trouble establishing the run,” said Irish coach Bobby Nickol, who was making his head-coaching debut. “There was a couple of small things we wanted to do, get the passing game going (because) we thought there was a couple of holes we were going to be able to take advantage of. We knew they were athletic; we knew that blocking-scheme-wise, we had to do a couple of different things up front to keep their blitzing off-base.”

The Tigers, though, made sure that even when St. Vincent-St. Mary was able to get things going, it didn’t go far. Of the four takeaways Massillon had, three of those came in its territory.

The first, a fumble recovery by Deon Williams a the Tiger 45 on the Irish’s first possession, set up Massillon’s first score. Aidan Longwell hit Aydrik Ford on a 24-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-and-seven play to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 4:51 remaining in the first quarter.

It was one of three touchdown passes by Longwell, who was 14-of-21 for 150 yards. He added second-half scoring tosses to Tre’Von Morgan and Dean Clark, which helped to blow open what had been a 21-7 game at the half.

“We were efficient in the passing game at times,” said Moore, whose team ran for 177 yards, including 109 yards and a score by senior Jamir Thomas. “There’s some things we have to sharpen up.”

The Irish helped to turn the relatively close game at the break into a lopsided one with giveaways on three of its first four second-half possessions. Ben Krichbaum recovered a pair of fumbles on strip sacks for Massillon, while also intercepting a pass at the Tiger 15.

It was more than just turnovers which helped the Tigers turn away the Irish. They also managed to swing momentum to their side almost instantaneously after St. Vincent-St. Mary appeared to get it going its way.

The Irish capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive when Luke Lindsay hit Joshua Jones on a 19-yard fade route to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:53 remaining in the first half. Massillon, though, turned the subsequent kickoff into an 88-yard Tyree Broyles touchdown for a 14-7 lead which it would never relinquish.

“It was freaking huge,” Nickol said of Broyles’ return. “It was absolutely huge. It’s 7-7, we have a lot of momentum going and things are kind of pushing our way. … As soon as he brings that back, it just kind of took the wind out of our sails.”

GAME STATS

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

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club President 2006 - Ben Bradley

Ben Bradley – Wall of Champions

Ben Bradley Was a Giant of a Man On and Off the Field

Research material provided by Mike Riordan.

He seemed larger than life when he trotted onto the field prior to the Ohio High School North-South All-Star Game.  He was 6’-2”, 282 lbs., dwarfing future NFL Hall-of-Fame teammate Alan Page.  And at the time he was the largest player to ever don a Massillon Tiger Jersey.  But he was also a gentle giant, devoting his later years to making Massillon a better place.

Ben Bradley at WHS

“Big Ben” Bradley was born in Anderson, Alabama, to parents Oscar and Blanche, on November 26, 1944.  Early in life the family moved to Massillon and as a high schooler Ben took up the sports of football, wrestling and track.  He also sang in the choir.  But it was football where Ben made his mark.  At a time when high school lineman weighed in from 175 to 200 lbs., Ben played his sophomore season at 6’-0, 220 lbs. and grew to 6’-2”, 265 lbs. by the time his senior season rolled around.

Playing under the very successful Coach Leo Strang, his teams finished 10-1 in 1960 (state champs), 11-0 in 1961 (2nd in the state A.P. poll, 1st in the state UPI poll), and 6-5 in 1962.  Along the way, he had two opportunities to play in the annual Massillon-McKinley fracas and his team was victorious both times.

Ben’s normal position was center, but he occasionally filled in at offensive tackle when needed.  In recognition of his outstanding play, he was named All-Stark County in 1961 and 1962, and 1st Team A.P. All-Ohio in 1962, while being named that year as a Massillon Co-Captain and subsequently its most valuable player.  The awards didn’t stop there as they moved to the national scene, where was named 1st Team Pre-Season All-American by “Complete Sports” magazine and 1st Team All-American by “Scholastic Coach” magazine.

High School football success brought Ben to the University of Dayton, where he continued his football career and was named Outstanding Freshman Football Player.  He eventually transferred to Northwood Institute College in Michigan to complete his studies.  At Northwood, he continued to excel on the gridiron and was named 1st Team NAIA Conference at Offensive Tackle.  Ben was eventually drafted in 1967 by both the NFL Kansas City Chiefs and the Montreal Allouettes of the Canadian Football League.

Post-football, Ben spent his entire career with General Motors and retired in 1993 as General Supervisor of Inland GM, Lake St. Louis, Missouri.  He remained active in Massillon, but died too young on June 8, 2008 at the age of 63.

In 2008, Bradley was inducted into the Massillon Wall of Champions and 2019 he was inducted into the Tiger Football hall of Fame.

“Big Ben” was a true community role model.  In fact, his accomplishments on the football field are rather insignificant when compared to his community involvement.  But never one to stay away from football, Ben also took a turn in 2006 as President of the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club.  In addition, he also held these positions, when he wasn’t selling tickets for the freshmen and JV games:

  • Athletic Advisory Council, President
  • Second and first vice president of the Massillon Tiger Booster Club (2005, 2006)
  • Incumbent 2008 President of the Massillon Tiger Touchdown Club

Away from sports, Ben was heavily engaged in community organizations, including:

  • Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Stark County Community Action Agency Committee
  • Member of the Massillon Parks and Recreation Board
  • City Planning Commissiondon n
  • African American Men’s Association
  • Member of the Mayor’s Drug Task Force
  • Trustee at Friendship Baptist Church
  • Board Member of the Lion’s Lincoln Theater (1st African-American)
  • Board of Directors, Lighthouse Visions, Inc., President 2004 and 2008
  • Chairman of the Board of the Civil Service Commission, 2008

Esther Bryan, founder of Lighthouse Visions, honored Ben with the creation of the Benjamin T. Bradley scholarship.  This is awarded annually to a worthy Massillon-area college student.  Also, Ben was so beloved in the community that they named Bradley Place senior apartments after him in 2010.

“Big Ben” certainly accomplished his goal of leaving Massillon a better place than he found it.

Bradley Place
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

Tigers to unveil new scoreboard and features in 2018

The Tigers open the 2018 home schedule on Friday August 24th against Akron St. Vincent St. Mary and will do so with a new addition to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium; a brand new scoreboard.

The new scoreboard is an upgrade of the scoreboard/video board in the south endzone from 2005 through the 2017 season. The new scoreboard will fit within the same framework as the scoreboard constructed in 2005 (27 ½ ‘ H x 81’ W).

Developed in partnership with Daktronics, the new scoreboard digital area measures 21’ H x 69’ W and can show live video, making it one of the largest high school video boards in Ohio. (NOTE: A High School in Georgia has the “Largest” but they are unable to show LIVE video on it). Putting the size into perspective, the old scoreboard replay area measured approximately 15’ H x 19’ W.

With a digital area measuring approximately 1,449 square feet in size, the new board is a whopping 408 percent larger than the former digital scoreboard area. To put that into context, it’s the equivalent of approximately 290 60-inch televisions. The scoreboard also features 1.7 million LED lights, and high-definition 1080p technology.

“The picture will be much clearer than the old one. The pixel spacing on the old board was 23mm. The new one is 15mm spacing. (Same as FirstEnergy Stadium)” – Dave Wagner (Scoreboard Operations Manager)

The new state of the art scoreboard/video board is full LED meaning replays and live video will be crisp and easy to see. The board from an operation standpoint is fully dynamic meaning it can be configured in a variety of ways to accommodate various events going on at PBTS.  With the ability to record UP TO 8 different cameras for replay at one time it will give a whole new experience to PBTS. “It is believed WHS-TV should have at least 4 cameras from WHS-TV every home game.” says Wagner

“With that said, we will be able to show more information and graphics on the screen than we have ever been able to do.” said Wagner

Also being upgraded is the Lincoln Way marquee. Using the current and existing framework the marquee will also be full LED digital display.

The old scoreboard is currently in the process of being removed. Deconstruction began on Monday July 9th. Below are some photos of the removal process.

Thank You to the sponsors of the new scoreboard: MCTV, Massillon City Schools, Aultman, Huntington, Spectrum Orthopedics, Midwestern Industries, WHS Class of 1983, Freshmark, Walsh University, and BellStores.

 

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Spring Kickoff – Excitement Grows in Tigertown

It was difficult for the coaches to curb their enthusiasm at the Spring Kickoff when talking about this year’s Massillon football team.  That’s because they are blessed with a wealth of talent and experience returning from the 2017 team, which finished 10-4 and captured the Region 7 title.  In addition, the entire coaching staff returns.

Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coach Moore and several key assistants spoke at the Kickoff and provided these highlights:

J.P. Simon – Defensive Line and Off-Season Conditioning

  • “This off-season has been great.  Our guys really attacked the weight room and agility.  We came back with something to prove.”
  • “All of the linemen were on the wrestling team.  They really worked hard.”
  • “The (strength and conditioning) program is a throwback to the days of Steve Studer.”

Craig McConnell – Defensive Coordinator / Outside Linebackers

  • “We’re very excited about this season.  We have a lot coming back.”
  • “We want to be competitive every day.”
  • Not much will change defensively.  The base alignment will be 3-4 with cover 4.  But they will have the ability to change to a 4-man front and cover 3.
  • Goals: Win 1st down 70% of the time; get off the field on 3rd down; dominate the red zone.
  • “Dean Clark will be the leader of the defense.  I wish I had eleven of him.”

John Mazur – Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line

  • “We’re way ahead of last year; lots of experience.  We had four extra weeks of practice last year (e.g., playoff weeks).”
  • “We (offensive line) will be strong.  A lot of 6’-1”, 280 lb. guys that can move.  They will have the best feet (he’s seen since he’s been here).”
  • Three starters return on the offensive line.
  • Fifteen players have been timed in the 40-yard dash at 4.7 seconds or faster.
  • The offense will throw the ball a little more this year, in addition to running the power.

Jarrett Troxler – Quarterbacks

  • Skill guys are hard workers.
  • Quarterbacks and receivers have been working together over the winter early in the morning.  Also working with film.
  • Lots of depth at the skill positions.  A high level of competition is expected this summer.
  • The offense will be multiple with lots of formations.  A lot of guys to get the ball to.  No huddle set.  Will throw the ball more than last year.
  • “We need to manage the expectations for next year.”

Nate Moore – Head Coach

  • “What a different feeling it is this year to know how far ahead we are from a year ago.  We have an unbelievable staff.”
  • Pro Days went very well according to Moore.  There were several colleges in attendance, including Ohio State, Northwestern, Illinois, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Miami, Toledo, Bowling Green, Kent State and Eastern Michigan, plus several lower division schools.
  • Four players have received scholarship offers to play Division 1 college football, including Jamir Thomas (Michigan State, Pitt and Kentucky), Tre’von Morgan (Akron, Toledo and Eastern Kentucky), Dean Clark (Yale, Toledo, U.S. Air Force and Army), and Jayden Ballard (Akron, Bowling Green and Eastern Kentucky).  Three other players have received offers from lower division schools.
  • The Booster Club has been instrumental in helping to fund several summer camps, including Notre Dame of Cleveland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Pitt.
  • The coach is really excited about the schedule, citing eight home games.  “There is nothing better than playing at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.”  The schedule also features three out of state teams and a first time visit to Louisville
  • “Talent-wise we’re in a really good place.  The quality of our young men is outstanding.  We have great kids and great coaches.”
  • “Last year’s team loved playing for Massillon.  That has to continue.”
  • Keys for this year: summer development utilizing position units; leadership (much difference place than a year ago) and continue to win with toughness.

 

 

Urban Meyer Featured at Spring Kickoff

Nearly 300 avid Tiger fans packed the Massillon Knights of Columbus for the annual Spring Kickoff and they didn’t go away disappointed.  That’s because the evening belonged to Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer, who talked at length about his connections to Massillon, and Tiger Coach Nate Moore, who with his staff provided an in-depth preview of this year’s football edition.

“I’ve been a Massillon Tiger football fan my whole life,” said Meyer, praising the city, the players and the coaches.  He also had a soft spot for former Massillon and OSU coach Earl Bruce, who accepted him as a graduate assistant while at Ohio State.  “Earl Bruce was like a father to me,” he said.  “He believed in team first ahead of self.  Above all he believed in toughness.”

Coach Meyer spoke extensively about his career, while interjecting comical stories that entertained the crowd throughout the speech.  But he also had praise for former Massillon and OSU players Gareon Conley and Devin Smith.  He called Conley one of his all-time favorite players.  Now he has Thayer Munford, his starting left offensive tackle.  “He has done everything right,” said Meyer.  “If he keeps doing what he has, this is going to be a great story.”

Tomorrow: 2018 Tiger football team preview.

2018 Football Spring Kickoff – Guest: OSU Head Coach…

Urban Meyer – Head Football Coach, The Ohio State University

Date – Monday, May 14
Location – Massillon Knights of Columbus; 988 Cherry Rd. NW, Massillon, OH 44647

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Steak Dinner
Doors Open – 6:30 pm
Dinner – 7:00 pm
Urban Meyer Speaks – 7:30 pm
Massillon Coaches Speak – 8:00 pm
Ticket Outlets – Massillon Ticket Office and Keller’s Office Furniture
Ticket Sales – From Tuesday, May 1st through Friday, May 11th (no tickets sales at the door)
Cost – $40

Social Hour with Coach Meyer
Doors Open – 5:45 pm
Event – 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Cost – $150 (includes open bar and dinner)

DISCLAIMER

Due to NCAA regulations, there will be NO autographs signed.  In addition, middle school and high school students are NOT permitted to attend.

 

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Time to Purchase That Commemorative Brick

Spring is here and that means graduation is just around the corner . If you have a graduating bandsman, athlete, or student from WHS or college, a great way to honor them is with a brick in the Walk of Pride at Tiger Stadium.  They are available in 4 x 8 or 8 x 12 inch sizes for $100 or $250, respectively.  You may have the message of your choice inscribed on the brick along with a pre- selected location. Orders should be made by May 10 to insure arrival by graduation date .

Click this link to order a brick.

Any questions please call John Liebermann at 330-445-9250