Carter Strang Event Scheduled for November 21

Carter Strang Event Scheduled for November 21

This a free event but you must register for tickets.

Massillon Downs Canton McKinley in Defensive Battle

Massillon Downs Canton McKinley in Defensive Battle

Statistics (pending)

No high school football program in American does “Rivalry Game-Day” better than Massillon.  Even most colleges would be envious of the atmosphere on display at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on this sunny Saturday afternoon.  The parking lots were packed with fans eager to support their teams.  The dozens of tailgate parties were in full swing.  The calliope was pounding out Tiger Rag at the stadium entrance.  The stadium speakers were blasting the music.  A near-capacity crowd of over 12,000.  And the fireworks were echoing throughout.  It doesn’t get any better than that.  All to witness a classic showdown between Massillon and Canton McKinley, with the partisan Tiger crowd enjoying a 16-7 victory in this 135^th meeting.

The Bulldogs came into the game as an overwhelming underdog, which was uncharacteristic for this event.  And it would have played out that way had they not made any adjustments to the defense in order to hamper the well-balanced Tiger attack.  So, they elected to load the box to stop the run and take a risk by playing man-to-man against the wide receivers.  At times, even the free safeties crept toward the box to aid in the effort, thereby placing up to nine players in that zone.  The ploy worked, at least against the run.  Massillon never got untracked with their ground game, holding 1,000-yard rusher Ja’Meir Gamble to just 52 yards on 20 carries.  Only, Massillon quarterback Jalen Slaughter was on the mark, completing 13 of 17 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns.  He was also named by the Great American Rivalry Series as the Player of the Game.  The defense blitzed early and often, putting great pressure on quarterback Kam Montgomery, who was the catalyst of the Bulldog offense.  And they held the McKinley rushing attack to almost nothing until near the end of the game.

The tone was set on the first series when Montgomery sent a tag screen to Dante McClellan at the 21 yard line.  McClellan was immediately swarmed by a host of Tiger tacklers and stripped of the ball by Lennox Lemon.  Vito McConnell made the recovery and from there it took Massillon just four plays to find the end zone.  Rushes by Gamble and Mylen Lenix advanced the ball to the seven.  Then, Slaughter rolled left and found Braylyn Toles wide open on a crossing route in the back of the end zone for the initial points of the game.  Mateo Herrera’s PAT was good and the Tigers would maintain a lead for the rest of the game.

On the Bulldog’s next possession they were forced to punt after gaining just three yards.  But Michael Wright Jr. leaped high over a blocker to get a hand on the ball, giving the Tigers another chance for a score.  However, following three runs and an incomplete pass, McKinley had dodged the bullet.

But Massillon came right back after another Bulldog 3-and-out and drove 52 yards in eight plays for their second score.  Thirty-eight yards came at the hands of Slaughter who completed a 14-yarder to tight end Deangelo Zimmerman and a 24-yarder to Jacques Carter for the touchdown.  Unfortunately, an unsportsmanship conduct penalty was marched off prior to the PAT and the kick was subsequently missed.  Score: 13-0.

McKinley finally got their offense untracked and advanced to the Massillon 33, but were stalled on downs.  Following a Massillon punt, the Bulldogs were on the move again.  This time they converted when Montgomery, in the face of the blitz, tossed a screen pass to Deejay Britt for a 12-yard score with 2:07 left in the half.

But the Tigers weren’t finished. Starting at their own 15, Slaughter went to work with passing game and completed 5 of 5 for 64 yards, advancing the ball to the McKinley 19.  From there, with just five seconds remaining, Herrera drilled a 36-yard field.  The points were huge as it gave Massillon a two score lead.

In the second half, the Tigers reverted to the game plan used in last year’s 7-2 state championship victory over Akron Hoban.  That is, run the ball to burn up the clock and leave it to the defense to bring it home; i.e., play sound fundamental football against the rush, blitz sparingly and keep the receivers in check.   It worked.  The Bulldogs had the ball only three times in the second half.  The first ended in a punt from the one yard line.  In the second, McKinley ran off 16 plays only to have a 4^th down pass intercepted by Daylan Pringle.  And on the third, they ran out of downs at midfield, even after benefitting from a roughing the kicker penalty early in the drive.  Meanwhile, Massillon had one scoring opportunity following the punt from the one, but missed on a 31-yard field goal attempt.

Massillon finished the game with 227 yards of offense, 69 on the ground and 158 in the air.  Toles caught 7 passes for 88 yards and TD.  Gamble caught 4 passes for 32 yards.  Carter caught 1 pass for 24 yards and a TD.  Tyler Hackenbracht made 13 tackles and 1 forced fumble, and averaged 38.3 yards on three punts, including two perfectly placed out of bounds.  Lenix made 8 tackles, including 4 TFLs and a sack.  Logan Allman had 8 tackles.  Michael Wright Jr. had 6 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and a forced fumble.

McKinley, which played perhaps their best game of the season, was held to 154 total yards, 57 on the ground and 97 in the air (Montgomery completed 10 of 20, after 9 of 11 in the first half).  Antonio Stevens had 7 tackles and 1 TFL.  Dante McClellen had six tackles and 2 TFLs.

Once again there was a multitude of penalties, 12 against Massillon (5 of the personal foul variety) and 12 against McKinley (2 of the personal foul variety, both occurring at the end of the game).

With the victory bell now in possession of Massillon for the ninth consecutive year, it resounded loudly for all of Tiger Nation as the players joyfully towed it across the field.  The Tigers also now lead the overall series 77-53-5.

Next week, the Massillon (8-2) hosts Licking Heights in a Division II, Region 7, first round  game.  McKinley (6-4) hosts Parma Normandy in a Division I, Region 1 game.

Pre-game handshake.  Michael Wright Jr. (45).

Ja’Meir Gamble eludes a potential tackler (Antonio Stevens)

Let’s play football!

Ja’Meir  Gamble is chased down the sidelines.

Jacques Carter with the touchdown catch.  Bryan Ingram (20).

Michael Wright Jr. showing the emotion.

Deejay Britt is brought down by Daylan Prngle.

Massillon head coach Nate Moore having a friendly discussion with long-time referee Tony Montana.

Braylyn Toles taking a break.

No where for the Kam Montgomery to run.  Isaaac Maxheimer (87); Lucas Shertzer (26); Daylan  Pringle (6).

Champions once again.  Eli Moore (18); Michael Wright Jr. (45).

A final celebration!

Massillon Shuts Down Legacy Sports from Texas

Massillon Shuts Down Legacy Sports from Texas

Game Statistics

Each week at the Booster Club meeting Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore distributes to the members a detailed scouting report on the upcoming opponent.  For Legacy School of Sport Sciences it showed that the Titans had a boatload of Division 1 athletes on offense, but was a bit lacking on defense, particularly in the front seven.  So, he firmly believed that the Tigers could have some success running the ball.  And that they did, to the tune of 385 yards.  Coming up big in that category was running back Ja’Meir Gamble, who had a career day, rushing for 290 yards on just 15 carries.  He also scored five touchdowns.  In addition, the defense had another fine outing, particularly against the run, holding the visitors to just 41 yards on the ground.

The Tigers led 21-0 at the half and 34-0 at the end of the third enroute to a 41-0 victory.  A running clock was in effect for the entire fourth quarter.  With the win the Tigers have improved their record to 6-2, while averaging 34 points per game and giving up 13.  In their six wins they have averaged 40 points per game, while giving up 9.

Massillon On Offense

Gamble, who runs a blistering 4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash, scored three touchdowns in the first half on runs of 22, 24 and 34 yards.  He then added a couple more in the second half on runs of 68 and 77 yards.  Once he gets into the secondary, he is a hard player to stop.  Gamble has a tendency to bounce his runs to the outside and was effective doing that in this game.  But the offensive line was also able to exploit their counterparts on many long runs, with the defensive end on Massillon left side lining up wide to aid his pass rush.  So, guard Michael Looney and tackle Nolan Davenport took full advantage, opening gaping holes for Gamble.

In the passing game, quarterback Jalen Slaughter was under duress most of the night for his few passes, owing to a strong pass rush by the Titan front-4.  However, he did manage to complete 6 of 9 passes for 99 yards, including a 41-yarder to a wide open Ricardo Wells Jr. on a 3^rd and 20 and a 33-yarder to a well-covered Braylyn Toles.  But the remaining passes were of the short yardage variety, as Legacy played very good man-to-man coverage with their cover-1 alignment, taking the deep routes mostly away.

In the fourth quarter running back Peytton Mitchell finally got some meaningful carries, rushing 4 times for 17 yards, including a nifty run 12-yard run to the one, followed by the TD.

Legacy On Offense

The Titans were led by 6’-4” Keisean Henderson, who is rated as the top junior quarterback in Texas and has committed to play next year for the Houston Cougars.  In the first half he completed 14 of 19 passes for 109 yards, but all of the completions were for short yardage.  In the second half he was just 3 of 8 for 13 yards.  He was also pressured the entire night by blitzing Tiger linebackers, who managed to get to him three times for sacks.  Wide receiver Michael Brown, who has an offer from Ohio State, caught six of the passes for 55 yards.  But two passes were picked off; one by Daylan Pringle and one by Braylon Gamble.  And  Lucas Shertzer recovered a fumble when Henderson mishandled a snap.

Meanwhile, the running attack gained just 41 yards and averaged just 1.9 yards per attempt.  Of course, the sack yardage figured into this number.  The Tigers recorded nine tackles-for-loss for the night.  The one consistent bright spot for the Titan offense was running back Landon Binford, who carried the ball 13 times for 71 yards (5.5 ave.).

Special Teams

Mateo Herrera handled all of the kicking duties and did a great job of moving his kickoffs around the field.  However, his long streak of 54 consecutive extra points came to an end.  On the punting end, Tyler Hackenbracht only had two attempts, but made the most of them with boots of 64 and 48 yards.

The Record Book

Gamble’s 290 yards now occupies the third spot in the single game rushing category, behind Willtrell Hartson’s 324 against Westerville South in 2020 and Travis McGuire’s 302 against Canton McKinley in 1991.  His 19.0 yards per carry average occupies the second spot, behind Mike Mauger’s 20.0 ave. against Cleveland Benedictine in 1970.

Mylen Lenix’s 2.5 quarterback sacks enters the fifth position in that category.

Unfortunately, Hackenbracht’s 64-yard punt was just one yard shy of the Top Ten.

The Penalties

The one glaring downside to the game was the number of penalties.  A total of 25 were dropped: fifteen on Massillon ten and Legacy.  So, the head coaches were in the faces of the referees throughout the contest, causing several delays.  But most of the flags were probably deserved, with the Tigers penalized eight times for five yards, three times for ten yards and four times for fifteen yards.  They were also off-sides on every kickoff, but fortunately were called on that only once.

Next Game

Next week Massillon (6-2) will travel to Warren (6-2) for a renewal of that long rivalry.  Legacy (3-4) will hit the road again, this time to LaPlace, Louisiana, to face St. Charles Catholic (1-4).

Go Tigers!

Photos by Rob Engelhardt

Tyler Hackenbracht returns the opening kickoff; Savior Owens (25); Francesco Salvino (63).

Ja’Meir Gamble is halted by the referee!

Ja’Meir Gamble (21).

Blocked punt attempt by Ja’Dyn Williams (9), Mylen Lenix (5) and Vito McConnell (3).

Jacques Carter is stopped on the tag screen play.

Lennox Lemon breaks up a potential touchdown pass.

Legacy player Omari McNeil (14) loses his hat against the bigger Nolan Davenport (61); Jacques Carter (7).

Ja’Meir Gamble enroute to the end zone for one of his five touchdowns.

Ja’Meir Gamble is congratulated by Michael Looney (75); Deangelo Zimmerman (4).

Peytton Mitchelll (32) scores for the Tigers; Camden Lynch (12); Mandwell Patterson is in the background.

Pass breakup.

Savior Owens (25) tries his luck around end; Andre Robinson (62); Mandwell Patterson is in background.

2024 Booster Club Report – Week 6 – Post-DeMatha…

2024 Booster Club Report – Week 6 – Post-DeMatha Catholic; Preview of the Football North Game

Massillon (4-2) lost to nationally-ranked DeMatha Catholic, MD (3-1), 20-14.  This week Massillon hosts Football North (Clarkson) (4-1).

Link to the DeMatha Game Story

Link to the DeMatha Game Statistics

Other scores:

• 7th Grade (3-3): Lost to Brunswick, 44-20.  Plays home to Austintown Fitch on Wednesday, October 2, at 6:00 pm.
• 8th Grade (5-1): Defeated Memorial (South Euclid/Lyndhurst), 16-14.  Plays home to Austintown Fitch on Wednesday, October 2, at 7:30.
• Freshmen (3-3): Defeated Gilmour Academy JV, 14-7.  Plays home to Cleveland Glenville (JV?) on Thursday, October 3, at 6:30 pm.
• Junior Varsity (3-1-1): The Uniontown Lake was canceled.  Plays home to Cleveland Glenville on  Saturday, October 5, at 10:00 am.

Review of the DeMatha game

In a matchup of two nationally ranked high school football teams, parochial school power DeMatha Catholic (3-1) came out on top of Massillon (4-2) 20-14 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.  Simply put, although the Tigers played to their capabilities, the Stag were bigger, stronger and faster, and they used those assets to control the game from start to finish.  The Stag also took advantage of a short field on three of their four scores.  But the Tiger defense never quit and kept the game score under control.

“Obviously, we didn’t like taking the loss,” said Massillon head coach Nate Moore.  “Our defense played incredibly.  They stood tall.  Mike Wright had a great game.  We were right there with a chance to win at the end.”

The guest players were defensive back Tyler Hackenbracht and defensive lineman Michael Wright Jr.  “They had a lot of really good skill players,” said Hackenbracht.  “But we kept going.  We  kept coming back.  That shows our improvement.”  Wright added that the defense “really showed up.”  He said that the defense could have given up.  But they didn’t.

Football North Scouting Report

Football North, which is affiliated with Clarkson Secondary School, is located in Mississauga, Ontario, just west of Toronto.  Their goal is to educate students while also focusing on American-style football in order to create academic/athletic opportunities at American universities.  As such, they play exclusively American competition.  They are also a member of the East Coast Power Prep League, along with Life Christian Academy (VA), Mt. Zion Prep (MD), St. Francis Regional (MD) and Virginia Academy (VA).  They currently have a 4-1 record, as shown below:

• Impotep Charter, PA – Lost 38-20
• Life Christian Academy – Won 36-6
• Virginia Academy – Won 41-13
• Mt. Zion Prep – Won 50-0
• Ironton – Won 28-27

Last year the Chargers finished with a record of 3-3, with a 35-15 loss to Lakewood St. Edward and a 24-21 loss to Cleveland St. Ignatius.  In 2022 they defeated Mentor, while losing to Akron Hoban, St. Edward and St. Ignatius.  They also have a 5-year record of 9-21.  Massillon has never played Football North.

This is not your typical Canadian team, one that would lose 50-0.  Think of them as Ontario’s all-star team and they are good enough to defeat most American football teams.  They play fast and physical and correct mistakes from the previous weeks.  “They’re big.  Maybe, the biggest line we’ve seen all year.  They have good skill with speed.  A good quarterback.  He does a nice job of running the offense.”

The offense aligns in 10 and 11 personnel (one or two wide receivers).  They run plays similar to the Tigers, although there is an element of rawness to the unit.  Nevertheless, they are all good players, both on the line and in the skill positions.

It starts with the offensive line, which appears to be the strength on that side of the ball.  Behind that beef, North tries to establish the run first.  Afterwords, they aim to get the ball to their receivers in space, using primarily tag screens and corner routes.  But they are also not shy about chucking it deep.  Below is a breakdown of the offensive line:

• Senior left tackle Dejan Guzina (6′-7″, 354); 2-star recruit; University of Maine offer; massive and mean.
• Senior left guard Tamarley Smith (6′-5″, 295); 3-star recruit; Eastern Michigan commit; huge body.
• Senior center Owen Taylor (6′-4″, 290); Mercyhurst offer.
• Sophomore right guard Matteo Capilongo (6′-2″, 285); 2-star recruit.
• Junior right tackle Owen Richardson (6′-6″, 280); University of Maine offer.

The quarterback is senior Winston Chapman (5′-10″, 195).  He can pass and run equally well, often in set pieces.  Consider him a run threat.  But he can also throw into tight windows.  So it will imperative to get pressure on him.  Behind the QB is senior running back Lucas Shannon (5′-11″, 210).  Moore calls him a “bruiser.”  He has good vision and will get vertical.  All of the receivers have good size and speed.

The defense aligns mostly in an even front, with 4-2 and 4-3 looks.  The secondary utilized a lot of cover-4, with some cover-2 and man-to-man mixed in.  Often, they will walk down a linebacker and present a 5-1 look.  The line has good size, averaging 6′-2″, 240 lbs.  The best player in this group is sophomore Graham Harburn-Welburn (6′-2″, 240).  He is quick off the ball and gets off blocks.  He also has a big motor.  Senior inside linebacker Brock Schaubel (6′-1″, 205) is also very good.  He can shed blocks and make plays.  Senior strong safety Kash Grewal (6′-1″, 185) is perhaps, according to Moore, the most athletic player in the secondary.  He has great speed and drives on the ball.  He also holds an offer from Maine.

The game does not count in the Harbin System.  As such, the Tigers will receive an average of the total season points earned.

Go Tigers!

2024 Booster Club Report – Week 5 – Post-St.…

2024 Booster Club Report – Week 5 – Post-St. Edward; Preview of the DeMatha Catholic Game

Massillon (4-1) defeated Lakewood St. Edward (3-2), 31-21.  Massillon now leads the series 6-4.  It was also historical win No. 952.  This week Massillon hosts DeMatha Catholic (2-1).

Link to the St. Edward Game Story

Link to the St. Edward Game Statistics

Other scores:

• 7th Grade (2-2): Awaiting the score from the Madison game.  Plays at Brunswick on Wednesday, September 25, at 6:00 pm.
• 8th Grade (4-1): Lost to Warren, 36-14.  Plays home to Memorial (Euclid) Wednesday, September 25, at 6:00 pm.
• Freshmen (2-3): Lost to St. Edward, 28-6.  Plays at Gilmour Academy on Saturday, September 28, at 6:00 pm.
• Junior Varsity (3-1-1): Lost to Lakewood St. Edward, 21-10.  Plays home vs. Uniontown Lake on Saturday, September 28, at 9:00 am.

Review of the St. Edward game

In one of best matchups of the season, the top two teams in the state of Ohio (per national rating service Calpreps.com) battled it out for 48 minutes at Lakewood’s First Federal Stadium, with Massillon coming out on top, 31-21. It was the third straight victory by the Tigers over the Eagles, with the wins coming in consecutive years.  The Massillon offensive and defensive lines held the advantage throughout, rushing for 236 yards against 51 yards for St. St. Edward.  Running back Ja’Meir Gamble had his best outing of the season, carrying the ball 22 times for 144 yards and scoring two touchdowns.  On defense, Ja’Dyn Williams recorded 16 tackles.

“We’re happy for the victory,” said Massillon head coach Nate Moore.  “The Tigers played well.  In places were were undersized.”  Moore was also appreciative of the support the several thousand Tiger followers brought to the event.  “Our fans were amazing,” he said.  “At the critical moments you guys showed up.  It was a huge side of the victory.  You guys are the 12th man!”

The guest players were running back Ja’Meir Gamble, linebacker Ja’Dyn Williams and safety Tyler Hackenbracht.  Collectively, they felt that the Tigers dominated in all three phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams.  On offense, Massillon finally got the running game going, rolling up 236 yards on the ground at 6.6 yards per tote.  On defense, they held the Eagles to little yardage on the ground, including three stops on fourth down.  And on special teams, they blocked a punt, negated a field goal attempt and kicked a crucial field goal.  But this week, against DeMatha, the players said that they are facing some big lines and a good quarterback.  But nothing they haven’t seen before.

DeMatha Catholic Scouting Report

DeMatha is the No. 3 team in Maryland per Calpreps.com, behind Archbishop Spalding (28-14 win over Hoban) and St. Francis Academy.  They hold wins over Zion Prep, MD (0-3), 48-0, and Roman Catholic, PA (4-1), 49-12, with a loss to Spalding (5-0), 26-10.  The “Stag” plays in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference along with 2023 Massillon opponent St. John’s College,  DC.  Last year DeMatha finished 9-2, with victories over Ohio Division I runner-up Springfield, OH, 35-7, and St. John’s, 21-14 in the regular season and 21-3 in the playoffs.  The Stag has a 5-year record of 35-13, along with two league playoff runners-up.

“Out of the frying pan and into the fire,” remarked Moore.  ”  DeMatha is one of the best teams in the country.  Their offensive line is really big.  The running back is going to Maryland.  It’s the best quarterback we’ve seen.  He can throw and run.  And they have a wide receiver going to Penn State.  Great players everywhere.”

According to the scouting report DeMatha is a team with a great collection of  talent.  What the coaches need to see is if that great talent can play as a team to the level needed to win against good competition.

The offense operates out of the spread.  This is the the fastest and most athletic offense to have faced the Tigers this year, particularly at quarterback and running back.  Their offensive line is massive, averaging 6′-3″, 295 lbs., about the size of line on last year’s Lakewood St. Edward’s team.  Their top personnel are as follows:

• Senior quarterback Denzel Gardner (6′-0″, 185), 3-star, Marshall commit; best offensive player; designed runs; good arm
• Junior wide receiver Lavar Keys (5′-11″, 170), 3-star, Penn State commit; favorite target; good route runner
• Senior running back Bud Coombs (5′-10″, 195), 4-star, Maryland commit; downhill runner with good speed; can get to the outside
• Senior fullback Michael Boxley (6′-0″, 220); solid; finishes blocks; physical
• Junior tackle Zion Smith (6′-5″, 300), 2-star, Syracuse offer
• Senior tackle Anthony Chuman (6′-1, 300), Syracuse offer

The defense is a 4-front with three linebackers, but plays like a 4-2-5, with one linebacker having defensive back skills.  The line on this side of the ball also has good size, averaging 6′-3″, 266 lbs.  The strength of the group is the linebacker corps.  Their top personnel are as follows:

• Senior nose tackle Anthony Chuman (6′-1″, 310), 2-star, Syracuse offer; strong and holds ground well
• Sophomore end James Pace (6′-4″, 225), 4-star, Florida offer
• Senior middle linebacker Jermaine Minnis (6′-1″, 215), 3-star, Ohio U commit; very athletic and moves well
• Senior outside linebacker Noah Chambers (6′-2″, 210), 4-star,  Virginia Tech commit; very good tackler; makes a lot of plays
• Senior outside linebacker Terry Dorsey (6′-1″, 195), 2-star, Akron offer
• Senior cornerback Jacob Wallace (6′-2″, 175), 2-star, Marshall offer; explosive out of his breaks
• Junior safety Darrell Carey (6′-2″, 175), 2-star, West Virginia offer; fast and physical; covers a lot of ground

“In games like this, the best TEAM is going to win,” said Moore.  “We have plenty of good players, too!”  In other words, DeMatha has some great personnel based on the number of college offers.  But how well they play as a team will determine the outcome the game.

2024: Massillon 31, Lakewood St. Edward 7

Massillon Downs Lakewood St. Edward in Battle of Defending State Champions

Game Statistics

In one of best matchups of the season, the top two teams in the state of Ohio (per national rating service Calpreps.com) battled it out for 48 minutes at Lakewood’s First Federal Stadium, with Massillon coming out on top, 31-21.  It was the third straight victory by the Tigers over the Eagles, with the wins coming in consecutive years.

The intensity in the game displayed by both players and fans rivaled that of a good Massillon-McKinley game, given its playoff atmosphere and overflow crowd.  The Tigers displayed a crushing defensive front-7 that brought the Eagle run offense to its knees, forcing them to go to the air, especially after they had lost the lead at the end of the first half.  By the time the game ended Massillon had held its St. Edward and their huge offensive line to a mere 51 yards on the ground, against 251 yards through the air.  But it is a rare day when the Tigers lose a game to a one-dimensional passing team.

The Tigers had struggled to run the ball consistently in their previous four games.  So, the key for this one was to establish the run and mix in the pass to consistently move the sticks.  Although they did sputter at times with both, there was enough of each to get the job done.  Ja’Meir Gamble had his best outing of the year, rushing 22 times for 144 yards (6.6 ave.) and two touchdowns, including a burst up the middle for a 47-yard jaunt to the end zone.  Late in the game, part-time running back Mylen Lenix added a 39-yard touchdown run that sealed the victory.  Quarterback Jalen Slaughter added just enough, completing 14 of 22 passes for 106 yards and a score, that one going to Braylyn Toles.  Five passes were caught by Deonte Malone.

Defensively, junior linebacker Ja’Dyn Williams had a marvelous day, recording 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 3 tackles for loss.  On one play he literally in one motion knocked the blocking running back to the ground and then proceeded to sack the QB seven yards past the attempted block.  Cornerback Daylan Pringle added another nine tackles.  Michael Wright Jr. was a beast on the field disrupting the Eagle runs up the middle and three times he was in the backfield helping to stop the runner for a loss.  Kicker Mateo Herrera converted a 26-yard field.

For St. Edward, quarterback Thomas Csanyi, who was also the starter in last year’s game, had perhaps his best outing of the season.  He completed 19 of 30 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns.  Twice he hit deep, with a touchdown throw of 69 yards and another of 39 yards that advanced his team to the red zone.  Running back Tyrese Buchanan, who played in place of the injured Elijah Kimble, carried the ball 20 times for 49 yards (2.5 ave.).

Both teams were quickly stopped on their initial possessions.  The Eagles, on their second try, used seven plays to advance the ball from their own 30 to the Tiger 10, aided by Csanyi’s 39-yard bomb to Zach Hackleman.  But, after being stopped on downs, they attempted a 42-yard field goal, only to have it blocked by Malone.

Massillon then went on an 11-play 59-yard drive that was halted at the St. Ed 9 yard line.  But it wasn’t for naught, as Herrera gave his team a 3-0 advantage with a 26-yard field goal.  Late in the drive, sophomore Savior Owens plowed 11 yards up the middle from the wildcat position, reminiscent of his older brother’ Da’One’s modus operandi during last year’s state championship run.

Following a punt by the Eagles, the Tigers came right back and this time scored a touchdown on a 15-yard run by Gamble.  It took 8 plays to methodically advance the ball 43 yards to paydirt.

Then it was the Eagles’s turn.  First was an 8-play, 50-yard drive, with a 14-yard pass to Bradley Eaton.  Then it was a 69-yard pass to Hackleman for a second score, that one coming on the first play of the series, to put St. Edward up 14-10 with 2:58 left in the half.

But Massillon wasn’t yet done.  A 15-yard run by Gamble, a 12-yard carry by Slaughter and an 18-yard 3^rd down pass to Deontay Malone set up a final 7-yard pass to Toles for a score, as the Tigers regained the lead at 17-14.

Massillon received the second half kickoff and made the most of it, driving 80 yards in just four plays.  After Slaughter connected with Malone on a 25 yard pass, Gamble on the next play broke through the line and outraced the secondary to the end zone for a 47-yard touchdown.  It put the Tigers up 24-14 and suddenly the Eagles had their backs against the wall.  So, for the rest of the game, they focused on the pass.

Two series later St. Edward’s Csanyi completed a 4-yarder to Joe Saffold to close the margin to 24-21 and that’s as close as they got for the rest of the game, as Massillon then focused on defense.  On St. Ed’s next drive they were stopped on downs at the Massillon 35.  They next punted from the Tiger 41.  On the third try they were stopped on downs at the Massillon 40.

But Massillon had the ball at the Eagle 39 and a minute and a half remaining.  And the Eagles were out of timeouts.  So, it might have been time to take a knee.  But Lenix found a gap on the right side of the line and quickly burst through it.  After that, it was clear sailing to the end zone.  But on the downside, it gave St. Eds time to potentially score and then attempt an onside kick.  But as it turned out, with Massillon now aligned in a prevent defense, they managed to move the ball just to the Tiger 31, where they were stopped on downs.

This game has turned into quite a rivalry and looks to continue into the future.  It has certainly proved competitive from year-to-year.  Massillon now owns a 6-4 lead in the series.

Next week the Tigers (4-1) return home to face another outstanding opponent in DeMatha from Maryland.  The Eagles (3-2) also have another tall task as they host Cleveland Glenville.

Go Tigers!

The Tigers enter the field at Lakewood First Federal Stadium

Braylyn Toles (1) looks for running room after the catch.

Savior Owens (25) on the wildcat

Jacques Carter (7) after the catch; Deonte Malone (80)

Ja’Meir Gamble (21) cuts to the outside; Michael Looney (75)

Michael Wright Jr. (45) with assistant coach J.P. Simon

Deonte Malone (80); can anyone say “pass interference?”

Ja’Meir Gamble (21) heads around end; Marcus Garner (60)

Ja’Meir Gamble (21) with the ball.

Mylen Lenix (5) on his way to the end zone.

2024: Massillon 41, Canisius, NY 7

Massillon Uses Big Plays to Take Down Canisius

Coaches will tell you that there are three phases to the game of football: offense, defense and special teams.  And the performance of each is measured following the game.  If one looked at just the scoring statistics, all three measured up quite well for the Tigers, as they cruised to their third win in four starts, defeating Canisius, 41-7.

Massillon scored in nearly any way they could in the game of football.  There were two rushing touchdowns.  There was a passing touchdown.  There was a pick-6 interception return.  A punt was returned for a score.  And even a fumble was returned to the house.  All of that negated a fine defensive performance by the Crusaders.

On Canisius’ first possession they ran the ball twice to set up a 3^rd and 5 from their own 40.  The  situation against the stingy Tiger defense called for a pass.  Only, quarterback Matteo Brusco threw the ball right into the hands of Massillon’s Lennox Lemon, who promptly returned it 44 yards to pay dirt.  Mateo Herrera’’s kick gave the locals a 7-0 early advantage.

Following a punt by the Crusaders, the Tigers went on a 9-play, 83-yard drive for their second score.  The key play was a 43-yard pass from quarterback Jalen Slaughter to Jacques Carter.  Carter was covered by a glove as he headed down the middle of field and both players had a hand on the ball.  But after it received several more touches Carter managed to secure it at the six yard line.  Then, after losing five yards on the next play, Mylen Lenix took a handoff from the jumbo set, the first time it had been used this year, and sped around the right side for the score.

In the second quarter, Canisius punted from their own ten and the ball bounced past return player Tyler Hackenbracht.  It looked as if he was going to just let it go, but the ball had a lot of momentum.  So, in order to protect field position, he caught it on the bounce while running toward his own end zone and pulled an Austin Brawley by reversing field.  Following some fine blocking down the left sideline, he raced for a 52-yard touchdown return.  That made the score 21-0.

Nolen Hendricks placed the ensuing kickoff on the three yard line and the return player was content to let it bound into the end zone.  Only, Hendricks used a 9 iron on this one and the ball checked up.  By the time the returner realized this he quickly retrieved the ball, but was promptly tackled at his own three yard line.  An encroachment penalty advanced it to the eight.  But three plays later the handoff was fumbled and picked up by Lenix, who had friendly company as he strolled into the end zone.  The game was essentially over at that point.

The final score of the half came on a 24-yard bomb to the corner of the end zone from Slaughter to Carter.  So, the two teams headed into the locker room with the score sitting at 35-0 and second half to be played under a running-clock situation.

On the Tigers’ first possession after the break they advanced the ball to their own 38 and punted.  Only, the ball was fumbled by the Crusaders and recovered by Lo’Quan Young at the 24.  Two plays later Ja’Meir Gamble showed his speed in racing around the left side, while eluding two would-be tacklers, for a 9-yard score.

At that point the first team was done for the night, with 1:41 left in the third quarter.  The unit had put up six touchdowns: three by the offense, two by the defense and one by special teams.  Meanwhile, d Canisius was held under 40 yards of total offense.  For the night, Massillon led in first downs 10-8 and total yards 209-131.  Gamble rushed 10 times for 63 yards and a touchdown and Slaughter completed 10 of 12 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown.  Carter caught 4 passes for 91 yards and two scores.  On defense, Lenix and Logan Allman collected five tackles each.  Herrera has now converted 41 straight varsity extra points through last season.

It should be noted that the Crusaders were operating just a bit shorthanded in two different ways.  The first was that their best player, 3-star recruit running back/receiver/cornerback Elijah Kimble, who holds offers from Michigan and Oregon, had suffered a broken hand earlier in the week when he fell off a bicycle and had the injured limb in a wrap.  In a conversation with Canisius Coach Kraig Kurzanski prior to the game, the coach said that running was doubtful and receiving was out of the question, but he would play some defense.  In the end Kimble gutted it out and did what he could, rushing 10 times for 15 yards and playing some on defense.  He also caught a kickoff one-handed.

The second issue was their small roster size, around 35 players.  Coach Kurzanski explained that, unlike the large parochial powers in Ohio that gather good players from the public schools and pay little or no tuition, Canisius experiences the complete opposite situation in that each player is responsible for paying some amount of tuition.  Also, in the city of Buffalo, public students can attend any school they desire.  As a result, some schools are loading up with talented football players, similar to Cleveland Glenville, and in fact are raiding Canisius, given that no tuition would be required in a public school.  Hence, the small roster.  Nevertheless, the players the Crusaders do have certainly play good football and they play hard to the end.

For Massillon, the Tigers had difficulty running the ball against a stout Canisius from-7 and gained just 59 yards in 19 carries.  In addition, Slaughter was under pressure most times when he dropped back to pass.  Sure, the Crusaders had some big defensive linemen.  But this is an area that needs to be shored up.  The return of the injured senior Gavin Kappes may help and he did perform well when he subbed in.  But he was slated in this game mostly for defense, which has its own problems as Coach Nate Moore appears to be still searching for the right players to start, with the goal of keeping All-Ohio Mike Wright in the middle, where he is most effective.  Nevertheless, the defense overall did put in a fine performance, particularly against the rush, giving up just 84 yards, mostLY coming against the backups.

Next week Massillon (3-1) travels to Lakewood to face St. Edward.  Canisius (1-1) is also on the road, at Erie Cathedral Prep.

Go Tigers!

Robert Blakely (59)

Lennox Lemon (0) following the interception return.

Assistant coach J.P. Simon

Ja’Meir Gamble runs for yardage; Chris Fair (52)

Jacques Carter (7) battles for the ball on the long bomb; Elijah Kimble (0)

Jacques Carter (7) secures the the ball on the long bomb; Elijah Kimble (0)

Mylen Lenix (5); Amare Wallace (23)

Tyler Hackenbracht (24) with the punt return; Jahyden Clark (1)

Mylen Lenix (5) with the fumble return; Tra’Yon Williams (27), Daylan  Pringle (6), Chris Fair (52), Logan Allman (13)

Jacques Carter (7) with the touchdown reception

Leo Wingerter, a Tiger Swing Band Senior sousaphone player, entertains Tiger fans during the band’s half time performance.