Category: <span>History</span>

These Teams Have Withstood the Test of Time

These Teams Have Withstood the Test of Time

Over 700 teams participate annually in Ohio High School football.  Once the season is over, almost half qualify for the post-season playoffs, distributed among seven divisions, with each division having four regions.  At the end of four weeks of playoffs, regional championships are awarded and state champs are crowned two weeks later.  It would appear on the surface that every team has decent odds of qualifying for the playoffs in any given year, but this is not necessarily the case.  That’s because there is a group of schools that make it in nearly every year, significantly reducing the odds for the remaining schools.  Here’s a look at that group.

This is the 51st year of the playoffs and the study arbitrarily draws a line beneath the teams in each division that have qualified for the playoffs at least 20 times.  Below are some interesting facts from 1972, the inaugural year of the playoffs, through the 2021 season:

  • There are 57 teams in the overall group, which comprises just 8% of the total number of teams playing football.  Note that Akron Hoban, with 17 qualifications, has been added as the 58th team based on recent success.
  • 38 (66%) have won at least one state title.
  • 55 (95%) have won at least one regional title.
  • 49 (86%) have won more playoff games than they have lost.
  • 12 teams are still alive in the 2022 playoffs through the regional finals.

Among D1 and D2 schools:

  • Cincinnati Moeller (37), Cleveland St. Ignatius (31) and Pickerington / Pickerington Central (30) have the most playoffs appearances.
  • Cleveland St. Ignatius (11), Cincinnati Moeller (9) and Akron St. Vincent (6) have the most state titles.
  • Huber Heights Wayne, Toledo Whitmer, Mentor, Dublin Coffman, Euclid, Massillon and Dover have never won playoff state title.
  • Cincinnati Moeller (17), Cleveland St. Ignatius (15) and Massillon (14) have the most regional titles.
  • Only Euclid has never won a regional title.
  • Cleveland St. Ignatius (74), Columbus DeSales (61) and Pickerington / Pickerington Central (59) have the most playoff wins.
  • Cleveland St. Ignatius (.787), Columbus DeSales (.709) and Lake St. Edward have the highest playoff game winning percentages.
  • Euclid, Solon and Dover have lost more playoff games than they have won.
  • Massillon (14), Columbus DeSales (9), Cincinnati Moeller (8) and Pickerington / Pickerington Central (8) have the most losses in the state semifinal and state final games.

Below is the complete list of teams and their respective playoff data:

 

2022: Massillon 48, Perry 7

GAME STATS

Don Engelhardt, massillontigers.com

Massillon Rolls Past Perry, Advances to Playoffs Second Round

MASSILLON — Top-seeded Massillon (9-1) wasted no time in establishing dominance in this playoff game enroute to a 48-7 pasting of neighborhood rival and No. 16 Perry (4-7).  On the first play from scrimmage sophomore quarterback Jalen Slaughter unloaded deep to senior wide receiver Ardell Banks on a 72-yard touchdown.  Banks, who had beaten two defenders with his 4.44 speed, first juggled the slightly overthrown ball and then quickly secured it, sprinting untouched the rest of the way.  The remainder of the night was “ground and pound” as the Tigers scored touchdowns on seven of their eight possessions, while punting only once.

For the game, Massillon rolled up 410 yards of offense in just 38 plays, while averaging a whopping 10.8 yards per play.  Leading the attack was senior running back Willtrell Hartson, who recorded his 10th consecutive 100-yard game, matching the record set a few years ago by Jamir Thomas.  He finished night with 14 carries for 111 yards and three touchdowns.  For the season Hartson has now gained 1,448 yards (7th all-time; the record is 1,976) and scored 23 rushing touchdowns (4th all-time; the record is 33).

Slaughter also had a fine outing, completing 7 of 9 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.  His main target was Banks, who recorded six catches for 150 yards and two scores.  The latter came via a halfback from wide receiver Braylyn Toles.

Also matching a record was Nate Moore, who won his 80th game as Tiger head coach, matching that of the great Paul Brown, who set the mark in 1940.

It was an uncharacteristic night of football; a night of chippyness and cheap shots and the fans of both teams vociferously disagreeing with many referee calls.  But in between, some great football was played.

Perry tried their best to establish a ground game with their antiquated Wing-T offense, but the Tiger D was just too large, too quick and too talented to allow the Panthers to finish any drive until the second team was inserted late in the game.  The Perry passing game didn’t help any, as it was simply ineffective (2 for 10 and 2 interceptions.).

Massillon scored twice in the second quarter to take a 21-0 lead into the locker room.  The first came at the end of a 10-play, 83-yard drive when Hartson bulled up the middle for a 4-yard touchdown.  The third of the night TD was set up by a 50-yard pass interception return by Zach LIebler, who had stepped in front of the intended receiver to snag the ball.  Three plays later the Tigers were sitting in the end zone courtesy of Hartson’s 19-yard run around the left end.

The onslaught continued in the second half, with Massillon scoring on three straight possessions: a 37-yard power run up by the middle by Hartson, the aforementioned 28-yard halfback pass to Banks and a 3-yard run by Mylen Lenix.  The third score came at the end of a 5-play, 98-yard drive.

With a 42-0 score and a running clock now in effect, it was time to insert the second unit to finish the game.  Perry’s lone score came against this group when Garrett Laubacher raced 67 yards to the end zone.  Up to that point Perry in their first seven possessions had punted four times, had a pass interception and lost the ball on downs.

Not to be outdone, the younger Tigers came right back and pounded one in with 39 seconds left in the game (no love lost there!).  The points were tallied by Lenix, a player who could replace Hartson next year in the backfield.  He finally had an opportunity to showcase his talent, as he rushed six times for 99 yards and scored twice.  Peytton Mitchell, who is also in contention, added six strong carries for 33 yards.

Perry had some success moving the ball on the ground in the first half, almost exclusively from sophomore quarterback Austin Mattox, a former Massillon Tiger player.  He rushed 16 times for 61 yards.  Nothing was to be gained up the middle, but he did find some room around the end.  Only, the Tiger defense eventually took this away when they spread their alignment a bit.  After that, it was all Massillon.  Four defensive players put up some good tackle numbers, including Shon Robinson (7.0), Cody Fair (7.0), De’Aire Pringle (6.0) and Ryan Page (6.0).  And Ma’Taeaun Frazier added a pick that prevented a score.  Overall, it was a good performance by the entire defense.

The downside of this game was a few injuries, some via game action and others via cheap shots.  Hopefully, these Tigers will heal up in time to support the playoff challenges that lie ahead.

With the win, Massillon advances to the second round of the regionals and will face first-time opponent Canal Winchester (7-4), a 23-6 winner over Columbus Independence.  The game will be held next Friday at home with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 pm.

 

The Time When the Tigers Faced an Inconceivably, Unlikely…

The Time When the Tigers Faced an Inconceivably, Unlikely Playoff Scenario

It’s playoff time and once again the Tigers are poised to make a run for the state title.  The post-season has been around since 1972, some 51 years, and during that time Massillon has qualified more times than not.  While it was difficult to qualify back in 1972 when only one team from each region was selected, now sixteen teams qualify from each region.  So, it’s much easier for a state power like Massillon to make it in every year going forward.  If only the format was that way from the beginning.  Research shows that the Tigers would have qualified each and every year with a sixteen-team format.  And not may schools can say that.

Nevertheless, there have been times when Massillon was on the bubble, which was particularly the case in 2008, when the format called for eight teams per region.  Here’s a story from Gary Vogt that shows how the stars aligned that year to put the Tigers in.

“In what is one of the most unlikely chain of events, the Massillon Tigers qualified for the playoffs in 2008.  After week nine there were four teams vying for the eighth and final spot in Division One, Region Two.  Massillon finished in eighth place and qualified with 21.4912 points, ninth was Fremont Ross with 21.4187, then came Toledo St. Johns with 21.1429 and finally Akron Garfield with 21.0500.  These four were vying for the eighth spot.  And there could have been another contender had Nordonia lost to Garfield Heights.  But Nordonia won 32-12 and thus locked up the sixth seed.

The following series of events had to occur in order for the Tigers to make the playoffs that year:

  1. Massillon had to defeat Canton McKinley which they did, 17-0.
  2. Parma Normandy (5-5) which the Tigers defeated earlier in the season had to beat North Royalton (5-5) which they did, 35–21.
  3. Brantford Ontario Collegiate defeated highly favored Pauline Johnson 20–17 by completing an eighty yard hook and lateral pass on the last play of the game, giving the Tigers the essential computer points.
  4. Holland Springfield (6-4) defeated Perrysburg (6-4), 40-24.  If Perrysburg wins, Fremont Ross would have qualified with 21.9742 points. Had any of the above three events not occurred, Fremont Ross would have qualified for the playoffs.
  5. Toledo Bowsher defeated Toledo Rogers in overtime, 23-16. If Rogers wins Toledo St. Johns would have made the playoffs with 21.7551 points.
  6. Beaver Local (4-6) defeated Akron North (6-4), 15-14. Akron North was ahead 14-0 at the end of three quarters. Beaver scored a TD minutes into the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 14-7.  With less than two minutes left in the game Beaver scored again and was successful on their two conversion to win by a point.  Had Akron North won, Akron Garfield would have made the playoffs with 21.5500 points.

This unlikely series of events led Massillon to qualify for the playoffs in 2008.  Unfortunately, the Tigers lost the next week to 14-7 North Canton Hoover and bowed out of playoff contention.

It is amazing that all six of these events had occur for the Tigers to qualify.  This is certainly one of the most unlikely scenarios that led to a team making it in.  Think about it, a win in a rivalry game, two wins by teams whose opponents had like records, a win by successfully going for a two point conversion, an overtime win and an eighty yard touchdown on the last play of a game played outside the Unite States.  In the history of the playoffs in Ohio, there probably have been other remarkable scenarios whereby a team qualified, but very, very few that were more astounding than the 2008 Massillon Tigers.”

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 10 – Post-Canton…

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 10 – Post-Canton McKinley

Massillon (8-1) defeated Canton McKinley (5-5), 23-13.  The Tigers will next play at home against Massillon Perry (4-6) in the first round of the playoffs, this Friday at 7:00 pm.

PLAYOFF BRACKET

Canton McKinley

Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore wanted his team to start off quickly in last Saturday’s contest, and that they did by scoring a touchdown in each of their first three possessions, while negating any semblance of a Bulldog offense.  After that, although they didn’t score again save a for a safety, the Tigers did control the tempo and maintained at least a 2-score advantage the rest of the way.  It wasn’t the blowout many fans were expecting, but rather a typical Massillon-McKinley affair, hard-hitting and low-scoring. But credit McKinley’s run defense, which did put up a commendable effort.  But it was a satisfying win, nevertheless.  With the victory, Massillon now leads the overall series, 75-53-5.

Not since 1953, some 75 games ago, has Massillon scored three consecutive touchdowns on the Bulldogs to start the game.  And throughout the series’ long history spanning 133 games, in only eight games did the Tigers score at least 21 points in the first half.  Such a remarkable achievement it was.

The scores came like this:

  • Possession No.1: 11-play, 77-yard drive.  The touchdown came off a perfectly thrown ball from Jalen Slaughter to Ardell Banks, who outran two defenders and caught the the 40-pass five yards into the end zone. Massillon was running “4 verticals” with Banks on the right edge.  The corner was beaten right away, so the safety, who had lined up over the slot, broke for Banks, creating the double-team.  But he couldn’t catch him either.  What wasn’t noticed, however, is that the slot receiver was wide open in the center of the field, streaking toward the end zone.  It would been a much easier throw to the slot receiver, but we’ll take the touchdown as it was.
  • Possession No. 2: 12-play, 67-yard drive.  This one was set up by a 40-yard pass from Slaughter to Braylyn Toles that  advanced the ball to the McKinley ten. The play was “smash-Z-post”, where the wide receiver crosses with the slot receiver about ten yards down field.  The quarterback then reads the action of the safety.  It worked perfectly and the McKinley safety bit on the wide receiver, leaving Toles wide open.  Yet, with the ball a bit overthrown, Toles jumped high and made a fantastic catch.  Massillon then drove to the end zone, with Willtrell Hartson finishing off the drive with a one yard blast, his first of two touchdowns.
  • Possession No. 3: 3-play, 38-yard drive.  The third score came following a 22-yard punt by McKinley, giving the Tigers great field position at the Bulldog 38.  This time Slaughter went right to work, tossing a perfectly thrown pass to Hartson, who was running a wheel route down the right sideline.  From the eight, Dorian Pringle gained four yards and then Hartson dove in from the four to complete the drive.

McKinley did manage to score two touchdowns on the only times they moved the ball any significant distance.  The first came with just five seconds remaining in the half when Keaton Rode connected with Alex Vazquez for a 40-yard TD.  Unfortunately, the lone Tiger in the vicinity was just a bit late to the tackle at the 20 yard line to prevent the score.  A second TD came in the last minutes of the game, a 5-yard pass from Rode to Keith Quincy.  In between, the Bulldogs struggled to generate any semblance of offense, with stellar sophomore running back Nino Hill gaining just 27 yards off of 10 carries.  McKinley also gifted the Tigers two points when the center snapped the ball over the punter’s head for a safety.  One needs to wonder if it wasn’t done on purpose as McKinley was sitting on their own five at the time and the score margin was 14, meaning that it would still be a 2-score game.  Punting had been an issue all day and a short punt may have led to a game-clinching score by the Tigers.

“It was all-time win No. 926,” beamed Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore.  “We kept the bell home.  It was the seventh win in a row.  I’m really proud of that.”  Moore was also ecstatic about his players’ 3.55 grade point average following the first quarter.  Twelve to 15 players recorded a GPA of 4.0 or above.  Only 10 out of 71 players were below 3.0.  But now he has raised the bar.  The second quarter goal is 3.6.

It was also a wild time at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on this warm, sunny day.  Tailgates started early in the morning and were in evidence throughout the parking lots.  The music blared.  The fans were rowdy.  And great excitement was in the air.  Then the stadium began to fill.  It was definitely a college-game atmosphere, something that has been missing over the past few years.  Hopefully it stays that way.  Otherwise, this great rivalry will be lost forever.  The attendance was 14,476.  “Our fans turned out,” said Moore.  “I’ve never seen a stadium like that.  It was awesome to see.  So much energy coming from our fans.”

“I’m proud of our guys,” summed up Moore.  “It as a very physical game.  Both sides played hard.  We had a chance to put the game away earlier.  But a lot of good football was played.  We didn’t bust a long run.  But we had a lot of 4-5 yard runs.  Both lines played good.”

Three guest players were on hand:

  • Defensive lineman Marcus Moore: “We just needed to “ground and pound” to win the game.
  • Offensive lineman Mike Mercurio: “McKinley came in like a 5-0 team and played the way we expected.  We chipped away.  Kept chopping.  Felt they can’t go all four quarters.”
  • Cornerback Zach Liebler: “How disciplined our team came out.  Pups just couldn’t handle us.”

Stats leaders:

  • Quarterback Jalen Slaughter: 10 of 14 for 157 yards, 1 interception and 1 touchdown
  • Running back Willtrell Hartson: 35 carries for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns
  • Running back Dorian Pringle: 8 carries for 37 yards
  • Running back Mylen Lenix: 6 carries for 33 yards
  • Wide receiver Ardell Banks: 4 receptions for 63 yards and 1 touchdown
  • Wide receiver Braylyn Toles: 4 receptions for 53 yards
  • Safety Ryan Page: 6.5 tackle points (6-1)

Massillon Perry

The final computer rankings resulted in Massillon holding down the No. 1 spot in Division II, Region  7, meaning that they are matched against the No. 16 team in the first round.  With Perry’s unexpected loss to Canton GlenOak and Columbus Northland upsetting Columbus Beechcroft, the Panthers dropped to the No. 16 spot.  At least this game will draw some fan interest and help negate that familiar post-McKinley game letdown.  The alternative would have been a game with Teays Valley, with the Tigers being a 52-point favorite.

This will be the 20th meeting of these backyard rivals, with Massillon owning the series edge, 17-2.  The last time they met was in the regional finals of the 2020 season, a year that the Tigers finished second in the state.  It was the year of Covid and, since many games were canceled, the OHSAA elected to have the various coaches vote for seeded positioning.  Massillon and Perry were clearly the two best teams in the region and nearly every coach voted as such.  But Perry’s Keith Wakefield placed the Tigers 9th, assuring that his team would play the regional finals at home.  What he didn’t  expect was that the voting would be made public a few days later, to his embarassment.  But it all backfired when Massillon came away with a convincing 43-13 victory, in what turned out to be Wakefield’s last game at Perry.  It was a game that should have been held in Massillon.  And this Friday it will be.

In typical fashion, Perry continues to run the Wing-T offense, which sets up well for the Tiger front seven.  With the exception of Cincinnati Moeller and Lakewood St. Edward, this group has held every opposing starting running back under 50 yards.  They have also surrendered just 2.5 yards per carry for the season, the best mark by any Massillon team since the spread offense came into vogue in the late 1990s.

Perry comes into the game with a 4-6 record, having dropped five of their last six.  Preceding that drought, the Panthers did secure a big victory over Canton McKinley.  But aside from a 35-7 loss to Lake, they were in every game.  Their season:

  • Canton Central Catholic (6-4): 51-28 W
  • Clarkson Football North, ONT (3-4): 21-26 L
  • Euclid (1-9): 42-21 W
  • Canton McKinley (5-5): 38-28 W
  • Jackson (5-5): 31-32 L
  • Louisville (3-7): 40-14 W
  • North Canton (7-3): 14-24 L
  • Green (4-6): 35-38 L
  • Lake (9-1): 7-35 L
  • Canton GlenOak  (4-6): 21-28 L

The Perry offense uses the Wing-T, but has added some shotgun sets, with a few modern plays thrown in.  Moore believes that the offensive line does not have any outstanding players, but “the whole is better than the parts.”  They play really hard and are physical.  The best lineman is senior Jayden Kelly (6-3, 255).  He is athletic and powerful and blocks well.  Eight different guys have regularly run the ball, none standing out per Moore.  But keep an eye on senior De’Andre Church (5-10, 190).  He was a difference maker against Central in the game this writer attended.  The quarterback is sophomore Austin Mattox (6-1, 165), a former Massillon Tiger.  He stands out more as a runner than a passer.  The wide receiver group is pretty good, but Perry doesn’t do much with the passing game.  Nevertheless, the defense needs to play good assignment football or Perry will complete a first down pass here or there or break a long run.

Defensively, the Panthers are exclusively aligned in a 4-4 with cover-3.  They blitz very little.  The line does not have great size, averaging 6′-1″, 218 lbs.  The strength is the linebackers.  The best player is senior Brayden Fellouzis (6-0, 200).  He reads well and and is physical.  Overall, the front-8 is well-coached and will present a good challenge for the Tigers, who will most likely come out in a balanced attack to take advantage of mismatches in the secondary.

Miscellaneous

The win over McKinley was Moore’s 79th as a Tiger Coach, who is in the midst of his eighth year at Massillon.  The mark ties that of Mike Currence (9 years) and is one short of Paul Brown (9-years).

Moore said that having an open date prior to the McKinley game was all positives and he would consider doing it again.  It’s a long season and it gave his charges a week to rest and recharge before the 7-game stretch to come.

Throwing of candy at the beat McKinley parade is still an issue and may jeopardize the ability to hold future parades.  Participants should take note.

The Football Banquet will be held on December 15 at the Greek Orthodox Church.  Doors will open at 5:30 pm and dinner will be served at 6:00 pm.

 

Some Great Records Were Set in Past McKinley Games

Some Great Records Were Set in Past McKinley Games

Throughout the long rivalry of Massillon vs. Canton McKinley there have surely been some great games. But within those games there have been several outstanding individual performances.  Here’s a look at the best of them:

Rushing

  • In 1991, the Tigers won 42-13 behind a great outing by running back Travis McGuire.  In that one, he rushed for 302 yards, scored five touchdowns and tallied 30 points, all of which are McKinley game records.
  • Jamir Thomas carried the ball 42 times in 2017 during a 16-15 victory.
  • The longest run by a Tiger in this game was 80 yards, by Homer Floyd in 1953, helping to propel his team to a 48-7 blowout.

Passing / Receiving

  • Kyle Kempt threw the ball for 285 yards to set a new passing record.  The feat was accomplished in the 2012 regular season game, a 37-29 victory.
  • The most completions in a game came from Justin Zwick,  who connected in 2001 on 34 passes.  Also in that game, Devin Jordan set a record for the most receiving yards with 154.  The Tigers won that one 29-26.
  • The longest completion came just a few years ago, in 2019, when Aidan Longwell hooked up with Jayden Ballard on an 80-yard touchdown pass to seal a 24-14 victory.

Defense

  • The record for tackle points is 11.0, set jointly by Stephan Laury in 2011 and Jamir Thomas in 2015.
  • The record for the longest interception return for a touchdown is owned by Darius Edwards, at 76 yards.  He set it during the 29-7 victory in 1971.

Special Teams

  • The record for the longest field goal belongs to Steve Schott, who kicked a 47-yarder in 2006, helping Massillon win 10-7.
  • The longest kickoff return for a touchdown was 97 yards.  The record is owned by Keyshawn Watson, who set the mark in 2015.
  • Ironically, the Tigers never returned a punt for a touchdown against McKinley, although Martavien Johnson had his called back for a penalty in the 2020 game.

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 9 – Pre-Canton…

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 9 – Pre-Canton McKinley

Massillon (7-1) had an open date last week.  This week the Tigers will host Canton McKinley (5-4).

  • 7th Grade (3-5):  Their season is finished.
  • 8th Grade (7-0-1): Their season is finished.
  • 9th Grade (5-3): Defeated Avon, 24-12.  Plays Lakewood St. Edward at home on Thursday, October 20, at 6:00 pm.
  • Junior Varsity (7-1): Defeated RICC Canada Varsity, 35-8.  Their season is finished.

The Booster Club Meeting turned into a rousing kickoff to “Beat McKinley Week”, with a large crowd in the WHS auditorium.  It started off with recognition of the success achieved by the 8th grade team, which was on hand for the accolades.  This year they finished with a record of 7-0-1.  Combined with their undefeated mark of last year as 7th Graders, this group has been unbeaten over the last two years and will be intact as a group for next season’s freshman campaign.

Next up was the 9th Grade team, whose only losses came against Cincinnati Moeller (14-19), Lakewood St. Edward (6-14) and Austintown Fitch (12-14).  They were scheduled to play Canton McKinley this week, but the Bulldogs canceled the game.  Head Coach Nate Moore mused that perhaps they didn’t want a repeat of what happened earlier this year in the JV game (a 50-6 beat down).  In actuality, McKinley is short several players due to suspensions related to an incident in the previous week’s game against Canton GlenOak.  Nevertheless, it turns out that Lakewood St. Edward’s freshman game this week against Akron Hoban was also canceled.  So the Tigers and Eagles will rematch on Thursday at PBTS.

Finally, the varsity seniors were introduced.  Each was asked to recall his best moment from his playing career with the Tigers.

Then Moore previewed the game against McKinley.

The evening wrapped up with musical entertainment provided by the Tiger Swing Band and cheerleaders.

Canton McKinley

The season:

  • Mentor (5-3): 21-34 L
  • Austintown Fitch (8-1): 14-38 L
  • Dublin Coffman (6-3): 26-28 L
  • Perry (4-5): 28-38 L
  • Green (4-5): 51-19 W
  • North Canton (6-3): 42-9 W
  • Lake (8-1): 36-26 W
  • Jackson (5-4): 40-23 W
  • GlenOak (3-6): 40-7 W

Both Massillon and McKinley have faced Fitch and GlenOak.  The Tigers beat Fitch 49-28 and beat GlenOak 35-7.  McKinley lost to Fitch 14-38, but then beat GlenOak last week 40-7.

The Bulldog offense is similar to Massillon in scheme.  They are heavy into the run gap and utilize the run-pass option.  They will occasionally take shots over the top.  The biggest threat is senior wide receiver Cynceir McNeal (6′-4″, 200).  This year he has caught 31 passes for 572 yards and 8 touchdowns.  At quarterback is junior Keaton Rode (6′-0″, 175).  He has completed 76 of 152 passes (50%) for 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns, with four interceptions.  He will also run from the scramble off of designed sets.  The featured running back is sophomore Nino Hill (6′-0″, 200 lbs.).  Hill has carried the ball 119 times for 971 yards (8.2/attempt) and scored 16 touchdowns.  He is also the leading scorer with 98 points.

Defensively, they have switched from a 4-3 front to a 3-4.  But there may be some growing pains with this as opposing teams have shown a run-pass ratio of 75%, much greater than the 60-65% normally seen with today’s spread offenses.  The strength of the defense is the line, with a pair of seniors leading the way: Al’Vonte Ivory (6′-3″, 280) and Garrett McCole (6′-3, 250).  The remainder of the defense is considered good, but not exceptional.

McKinley is a senior-dominated team with nine on offense and six on defense.  The offensive line averages 6′-2″, 264.  The wide receivers are a tall group, averaging 6′-3″, 190.  The defensive front goes 6′-3″, 248.

“Our biggest concern is ourselves,” said Moore.  “The most disciplined team will win this game.  We will enjoy the festivities this week, but our focus is on Saturday.  Our job is to win the game.  I expect (the Tigers) to start fast and take care of business.”

Go Tigers!

2022: Massillon 42, Middletown, DE, 24

GAME STATS

Peter Holland Jr., The Repository

Massillon football’s defense brings the pressure, beats Middletown to extend win streak

 

 

MASSILLON — On a chilly, fall night at Paul Brown Tigers Stadium, the Massillon Tigers brought some heat to the visiting powerhouse from Delaware, beating the Middletown Cavaliers 42-24 Friday.

Middletown just couldn’t handle the pressure. The pressure of Massillon’s defensive front, which helped the Tigers win their sixth straight game.

The Tigers’ defense got after it as they registered five sacks and a handful of hurries on Middletown’s quarterback Austin Troyer. While he did throw for three touchdowns, two in the first half, the Tigers’ defensive line made their presence known in the backfield. According to Massillon head coach Nate Moore, the key was forcing Middletown to eliminate running the football and making the Cavs a one-dimensional offense.

“I thought they played well,” Moore said after the game. “They couldn’t run the ball on us, at least consistently and that was key to the ballgame. Even when they were a good throwing team, we were able to make them one-handed. Then when you get to them in long situations … we were able to bring the pressure and started to get home during the game.”

2022 Ohio high school football:scores, schedule for Greater Canton

Dorian Pringle, Michael Wright Jr. and Malachi Card were the sack leaders on Massillon’s defense. Brandon Carman forced a fumble, and Chase Bond recovered it early in the third quarter. Cody Fair also recovered a fumble created by Pringle and Ryan Page.

“We had to get the ball out quickly. No. 45 (Wright Jr.) is a wonderful football player,” Middletown’s coach Zachary Blum said. “I’m sure he is going to play Power 5 football somewhere. Their linebackers did a great job in the pressure game. Our thought is to get the ball out quickly, hit on the edges  and the perimeter and make these guys tackle in space.”

Massillon’s defense prevented that for the most part. Middletown did take an early 12-0 lead, then it was all Massillon. The Tigers (6-1) scored 35 unanswered points to take control of the game.

“After that first touchdown, it was kind of a wake-up call for us and it kind of set the tone for us the rest of the game and we knew what we were getting ourselves into,” said Zach Liebler, who led the Tigers in receiving yards with 56 yards and a touchdown.

What was working for the Tigers was running the football, led by senior Willtrell Hartson again. He ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns a week after netting 274 yards in their victory over Austintown Fitch. Sophomore quarterback Jalen Slaughter threw three TD passes and was 10-of-18.

Hartson said the Tigers got off to a slow start, “but we picked it up and started running hard.”

Liebler gave credit to Massillon’s defense for its limitless amount of pressure. “They completely dominated the game … to put the pressure on the quarterback and stop the run game.”

2022: Massillon 35, Canton GlenOak 7

GAME STATS

Mike Popovich, The Repository

‘Did a little bit of everything right’: Massillon football rolls past GlenOak to first win

 

PLAIN TWP. — It’s always a long high school football season.

In Massillon’s case, it has felt a lot longer thanks to successful playoff runs over the past few years.

That’s why the Tigers could not overreact after a Week 1 loss to one of the best teams they will see all season. Friday was a new day. GlenOak was the next challenge.

Massillon successfully seized this opportunity.

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Willtrell Hartson’s three touchdown runs helped lift the Tigers to a 35-7 win over the Golden Eagles at Bob Commings Field. On the heels of last week’s loss to Moeller, Massillon grabbed the lead less than two minutes in and improved to 1-1.

“We did a little bit of everything right,” Tigers head coach Nate Moore said. ” … We have to stay committed to getting better every day in practice and every week.”

The Massillon defense came within seconds of positing a shutout after allowing 500 yards to Moeller. GlenOak scored its only points with 5.2 seconds left on Katour Ashcraft’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Cole Anderson.

Meanwhile, Hartson continued his hot start to the season. He scored on a pair of 1-yard runs, had a 4-yard touchdown run and finished with 158 yards on 23 carries. He has 284 yards rushing and seven touchdowns in two games.

Hartson did not let an early fumble when the Tigers could have led 14-0 set him back.

“Handling adversity is hugely important,” Moore said. “It’s not the fumble per se. Things are going to go wrong all the time. It’s inevitable. You have to be able to handle it which means keep fighting, keep swinging and keep playing hard.”

Hartson’s third touchdown run and Braylyn Toles’ TD reception from Jalen Slaughter in the third quarter put Massillon in command at 28-0. Mylen Lenix added a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter for the Tigers.

The Golden Eagles had their chances to break even with the Tigers in the first half. They drove inside Massillon territory twice, but came up empty.

When Hartson scored with 43 seconds left in the first half, the Golden Eagles found themselves down 14-0.

“Our defense played hard and kept us in it,” GlenOak head coach Scott Garcia said. “We couldn’t do anything offensively.”

Knowing that it’s a long season, the Golden Eagles have to pick themselves up now. They celebrated a 51-24 win over Shaker Heights last week. Now it’s their turn to deal with adversity.

“A lot of guys never played in situations like this and games like this,” Garcia said. “It’s a learning experience. We’re going to grow from it and move on.

“I thought our kids played with great effort. As long as they do that and come back to work, we’ll be alright.”

Reach Mike at mike.popovich@ cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @mpopovichREP

2022 Massillon vs. Canton GlenOak Game Statistics

MASSILLON WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

Massillon vs Canton GlenOak (Aug 26, 2022)

 

 

 

 

Scoring Summary

 

Scoring Summary (Final)
Massillon Washington High School
Massillon vs Canton GlenOak (Aug 26, 2022 at Canton, OH) Massillon (1-1) vs. Canton GlenOak (1-1)

Date: Aug 26, 2022 • Site: Canton, OH  • Stadium: Bob Cummings Field  •  Attendance:

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 Score 
Massillon  7 7 21 35 
Canton GlenOak  0 0 7 7 
SCORING SUMMARY  MASS -GLENOAK  
1st 10:09 MASS  Willtrell Hartson 1 yd run (Vinney Keller kick) 
      6 plays, 51 yards, TOP 1:51 7 – 0 
2nd 00:43 MASS  Willtrell Hartson 4 yd run (Vinney Keller kick) 
      8 plays, 50 yards, TOP 3:24 14 – 0 
3rd 09:30 MASS  Braylyn Toles 50 yd pass from Jalen Slaughter (Vinney Keller kick) 
      1 play, 50 yards, TOP 0:09 21 – 0 
 00:40 MASS  Willtrell Hartson 1 yd run (Vinney Keller kick) 
      8 plays, 59 yards, TOP 2:42 28 – 0 
 10:45 MASS  Mylen Lenix 1 yd run (Vinney Keller kick) 
      3 plays, 14 yards, TOP 1:06 35 – 0 
 00:06 GLENOAK  Cole Anderson 21 yd pass from Katour Ashcraft (Luc Thompson kick) 
      7 plays, 93 yards, TOP 3:49 35 – 7 
Kickoff time: 7:07 PM  • End of Game: 9:31 PM  • Total elapsed time: 2:24
Referee: Danny Kleckner  •  Umpire: M Steigerwald  •  Linesman: Dan Kozma  •  Line judge: Vince Guardado  •  Back judge: Gary Witts  •  Scorer: Jim Barkan Jr  •
Temperature: 76 F  • Wind: 8MPH NW  • Weather: Dry

 

 

Team Statistics

 

Team Statistics (Final)
Massillon Washington High School
Massillon vs Canton GlenOak (Aug 26, 2022 at Canton, OH)

 Team Totals MASS GLENOAK 
FIRST DOWNS 16 10 
   Rushing 11 7 
   Passing 2 2 
   Penalty 3 1 
NET YARDS RUSHING 209 51 
   Rushing Attempts 40 38 
   Average Per Rush 5.2 1.3 
   Rushing Touchdowns 4 0 
   Yards Gained Rushing 230 133 
   Yards Lost Rushing 21 82 
NET YARDS PASSING 102 86 
   Completions-Attempts-Int 5-13-1 5-9-0 
   Average Per Attempt 7.8 9.6 
   Average Per Completion 20.4 17.2 
   Passing Touchdowns 1 1 
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS 311 137 
   Total offense plays 53 47 
   Average Gain Per Play 5.9 2.9 
Fumbles: Number-Lost 2-2 1-0 
Penalties: Number-Yards 5-51 9-65 
PUNTS-YARDS 3-100 8-244 
   Average Yards Per Punt 33.3 30.5 
   Net Yards Per Punt 34.3 27.9 
   Inside 20 1 0 
   50+ Yards 0 0 
   Touchbacks 0 0 
   Fair catch 1 2 
KICKOFFS-YARDS 5-229 2-82 
   Average Yards Per Kickoff 45.8 41.0 
   Net Yards Per Kickoff 41.0 9.5 
   Touchbacks 0 0 
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD 3-21-0 1–3-0 
   Average Per Return 7.0 -3.0 
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD 2-63-0 4-24-0 
   Average Per Return 31.5 6.0 
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD 0-0-0 1-0-0 
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD 0-0-0 0-0-0 
Miscellaneous Yards 0 0 
Possession Time 21:49 25:22 
   1st Quarter  6:40  5:20 
   2nd Quarter  6:10  5:50 
   3rd Quarter  8:59 14:12 
Third-Down Conversions 2 of 8 0 of 9 
Fourth-Down Conversions 2 of 2 0 of 1 
Red-Zone Scores-Chances 4-6 0-0 
Sacks By: Number-Yards 4-39 1-9 
PAT Kicks 5-5 1-1 
Field Goals 0-0 0-0 

 

 

Individual Statistics

 

Individual Statistics (Final)
Massillon Washington High School
Massillon vs Canton GlenOak (Aug 26, 2022 at Canton, OH)

Massillon
Canton GlenOak
RUSHING No. Gain Loss Net TD Lg Avg. 
Willtrell Hartson 23 162 4 158 3 27 6.9 
F Lenix Jr  9 52 3 49 0 18 5.4 
Shon Robinson  2 9 0 9 0 7 4.5 
Mylen Lenix  2 6 0 6 1 5 3.0 
Marquavion Young 2 0 5 -5 0 0 -2.5 
Jalen Slaughter 2 1 9 -8 0 1 -4.0 
Totals… 40 230 21 209 4 27 5.2 
RUSHING No. Gain Loss Net TD Lg Avg. 
Jamar Johnson  5 29 0 29 0 10 5.8 
Avantae Burt  17 39 18 21 0 13 1.2 
Cole Anderson  1 10 0 10 0 10 10.0 
Adrion Burt  15 55 64 -9 0 23 -0.6 
Totals… 38 133 82 51 0 23 1.3 
  
  
PASSING Cmp-Att-Int Yds TD Long Sack 
Jalen Slaughter 5-13-1 102 1 50 1 
Totals… 5-13-1 102 1 50 1 
  
PASSING Cmp-Att-Int Yds TD Long Sack 
Adrion Burt  3-7-0 31 0 19 4 
Katour Ashcraft 2-2-0 55 1 34 0 
Totals… 5-9-0 86 1 34 4 
RECEIVING No. Yds TD Lg 
Braylyn Toles  4 103 1 50 
Kyler Wiggins  1 -1 0 0 
Totals… 5 102 1 50 
  
  
RECEIVING No. Yds TD Lg 
Xavier Harris  2 53 0 34 
Cole Anderson  1 21 1 21 
Katour Ashcraft 1 14 0 14 
Avantae Burt  1 -2 0 0 
Totals… 5 86 1 34 
PUNTING No. Yds Avg Long In20 TB 
Nolan Hendricks 3 100 33.3 39 1 0 
Totals… 3 100 33.3 39 1 0 
PUNTING No. Yds Avg Long In20 TB 
Gino Kelley  8 244 30.5 41 0 0 
Totals… 8 244 30.5 41 0 0 
  Punts Kickoffs Intercept 
ALL RETURNS No Yds Lg No Yds Lg No Yds Lg 
Braylyn Toles  2 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Zachary Liebler 1 11 11 1 41 41 0 0 0 
Ricardo Wells  0 0 0 1 22 22 0 0 0 
Totals… 3 21 11 2 63 41 0 0 0 
  
  Punts Kickoffs Intercept 
ALL RETURNS No Yds Lg No Yds Lg No Yds Lg 
Xavier Harris  0 0 0 1 -3 0 0 0 0 
Avantae Burt  0 0 0 2 27 14 0 0 0 
Muhammad Malka  0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
Hunter Kurylo  1 -3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
Totals… 1 -3 0 4 24 14 1 0 0 
ALL PURPOSE Rush Rcv KR PR IR Total 
Willtrell Hartson 158 0 0 0 0 158 
Braylyn Toles  0 103 0 10 0 113 
Zachary Liebler 0 0 41 11 0 52 
F Lenix Jr  49 0 0 0 0 49 
Ricardo Wells  0 0 22 0 0 22 
Shon Robinson  9 0 0 0 0 9 
Mylen Lenix  6 0 0 0 0 6 
Kyler Wiggins  0 -1 0 0 0 -1 
Marquavion Young -5 0 0 0 0 -5 
Jalen Slaughter -8 0 0 0 0 -8 
Totals… 209 102 63 21 0 395 
ALL PURPOSE Rush Rcv KR PR IR Total 
Xavier Harris  0 53 -3 0 0 50 
Avantae Burt  21 -2 27 0 0 46 
Cole Anderson  10 21 0 0 0 31 
Jamar Johnson  29 0 0 0 0 29 
Katour Ashcraft 0 14 0 0 0 14 
Hunter Kurylo  0 0 0 -3 0 -3 
Adrion Burt  -9 0 0 0 0 -9 
Totals… 51 86 24 -3 0 158 
  
  
  
FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS 
FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS 
KICKOFFS No. Yds TB OB Avg. 
Nolan Hendricks 5 229 0 1 45.8 
KICKOFFS No. Yds TB OB Avg. 
Luc Thompson  2 82 0 0 41.0 
FUMBLES: Massillon-Willtrell Hartson 2-2. Canton GlenOak-Avantae Burt 1-0.

 

 

Drive Chart

 

Drive Chart (Final)
Massillon Washington High School
Massillon vs Canton GlenOak (Aug 26, 2022 at Canton, OH)

  Drive Started Drive Ended Consumed   
Team Qtr Spot Time Obtained Spot Time   How Lost Pl-Yds TOP RZ 
MASS  1st M49 12:00  Kickoff G00 10:09 * TOUCHDOWN 6-51 1:51 # 
MASS  1st G27 10:06  Kickoff G05 07:18   Fumble 8-22 2:48 # 
MASS  1st M25 03:23  Punt M34 01:25   Punt 3-9 1:58   
MASS  2nd M11 09:10  Punt M35 06:24   Punt 6-24 2:46   
MASS  2nd M50 04:07  Punt G00 00:43 * TOUCHDOWN 8-50 3:24 # 
MASS  3rd M50 09:39  Punt G00 09:30 * TOUCHDOWN 1-50 0:09   
MASS  3rd G29 07:41  Punt G09 07:28   Fumble 2-20 0:13   
MASS  3rd G41 05:47  Punt G15 05:06   Interception 4-26 0:41 # 
MASS  3rd M41 03:22  Punt G00 00:40 * TOUCHDOWN 8-59 2:42 # 
MASS  3rd G14 11:51  Punt G00 10:45 * TOUCHDOWN 3-14 1:06 # 
MASS  3rd G43 07:57  Downs G49 03:55   Punt 4–6 4:02   
MASS  3rd G48 00:00  Kickoff G48 00:00   End of half 0-0 0:00   
  
GLENOAK  1st G05 07:18  Fumble G44 03:23   Punt 9-39 3:55   
GLENOAK  1st G40 01:25  Punt M39 09:10   Punt 8-21 4:15   
GLENOAK  2nd G30 06:24  Punt G20 04:07   Punt 3–10 2:17   
GLENOAK  2nd G16 00:35  Kickoff G16 00:00   End of half 1-0 0:35   
GLENOAK  3rd G26 11:54  Kickoff G10 09:39   Punt 3–16 2:15   
GLENOAK  3rd G19 09:24  Kickoff G15 07:41   Punt 3–4 1:43   
GLENOAK  3rd G09 07:28  Fumble G11 05:47   Punt 3-2 1:41   
GLENOAK  3rd G20 05:06  Interception G25 03:22   Punt 3-5 1:44   
GLENOAK  3rd G10 00:40  Kickoff G02 11:51   Punt 3–8 0:00   
GLENOAK  3rd G35 10:45  Kickoff G43 07:57   Downs 4-8 2:48   
GLENOAK  3rd G07 03:55  Punt M00 00:06 * TOUCHDOWN 7-93 3:49   
  1st 2nd 3rd 4th   1st 2nd     
Massillon  Qtr Qtr Qtr Qtr   Half Half   Total 
Time of possession  06:40  06:10  08:59   –    12:50  08:59    21:49  
3rd Down Conversions   1/4   1/2   0/2   –     2/6   0/2     2/8  
Average field position  M49   M30   G41   –     M41   G41     G48  
4th Down Conversions   1/1   0/0   1/1   –     1/1   1/1     2/2  
  
  1st 2nd 3rd 4th   1st 2nd     
Canton GlenOak  Qtr Qtr Qtr Qtr   Half Half   Total 
Time of possession  05:20  05:50  14:12   –    11:10  14:12    25:22  
3rd Down Conversions   0/1   0/2   0/6   –     0/3   0/6     0/9  
Average field position  G22   G23   G19   –     G22   G19     G20  
4th Down Conversions   0/0   0/0   0/1   –     0/0   0/1     0/1  

Drive Chart (By Quarter)

  Drive Started Drive Ended Consumed   
Team Qtr Spot Time Obtained Spot Time   How Lost Pl-Yds TOP RZ 
MASS  1st M49 12:00  Kickoff G00 10:09 * TOUCHDOWN 6-51 1:51 # 
MASS  1st G27 10:06  Kickoff G05 07:18   Fumble 8-22 2:48 # 
GLENOAK  1st G05 07:18  Fumble G44 03:23   Punt 9-39 3:55   
MASS  1st M25 03:23  Punt M34 01:25   Punt 3-9 1:58   
GLENOAK  1st G40 01:25  Punt M39 09:10   Punt 8-21 4:15   
MASS  2nd M11 09:10  Punt M35 06:24   Punt 6-24 2:46   
  
GLENOAK  2nd G30 06:24  Punt G20 04:07   Punt 3–10 2:17   
MASS  2nd M50 04:07  Punt G00 00:43 * TOUCHDOWN 8-50 3:24 # 
GLENOAK  2nd G16 00:35  Kickoff G16 00:00   End of half 1-0 0:35   
GLENOAK  3rd G26 11:54  Kickoff G10 09:39   Punt 3–16 2:15   
  
MASS  3rd M50 09:39  Punt G00 09:30 * TOUCHDOWN 1-50 0:09   
GLENOAK  3rd G19 09:24  Kickoff G15 07:41   Punt 3–4 1:43   
MASS  3rd G29 07:41  Punt G09 07:28   Fumble 2-20 0:13   
GLENOAK  3rd G09 07:28  Fumble G11 05:47   Punt 3-2 1:41   
MASS  3rd G41 05:47  Punt G15 05:06   Interception 4-26 0:41 # 
GLENOAK  3rd G20 05:06  Interception G25 03:22   Punt 3-5 1:44   
MASS  3rd M41 03:22  Punt G00 00:40 * TOUCHDOWN 8-59 2:42 # 
GLENOAK  3rd G10 00:40  Kickoff G02 11:51   Punt 3–8 0:00   
MASS  3rd G14 11:51  Punt G00 10:45 * TOUCHDOWN 3-14 1:06 # 
GLENOAK  3rd G35 10:45  Kickoff G43 07:57   Downs 4-8 2:48   
MASS  3rd G43 07:57  Downs G49 03:55   Punt 4–6 4:02   
GLENOAK  3rd G07 03:55  Punt M00 00:06 * TOUCHDOWN 7-93 3:49   
MASS  3rd G48 00:00  Kickoff G48 00:00   End of half 0-0 0:00   

 

 

Defensive Statistics

 

Defensive Statistics (Final)
Massillon Washington High School
Massillon vs Canton GlenOak (Aug 26, 2022 at Canton, OH)

## Massillon  Solo Ast Total TFL/Yds FF FR-Yds Int-Yds BrUp Blkd Sack/Yds QBH 
34 Dorian Pringle   5  3  6.5  2.0/12   .  .   .   .  .  1.5/11   . 
33 Cody Fair   5  1  5.5  3.0/20   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
1  Jaden Welch   4  .  4.0  1.0/1   .  .   .   1  .  .   . 
9  Maverick Clark   3  1  3.5  2.0/5   .  .   .   1  .  .   . 
16 Ryan Page   3  .  3.0  .   .  .   .   1  .  .   . 
30 Deairre Pringle  2  1  2.5  1.0/1   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
3  Angelo Salvino   2  .  2.0  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
12 Brandon Carman   1  2  2.0  1.0/12   .  .   .   .  .  1.0/12   . 
45 M Wright Jr   1  2  2.0  1.5/13   .  .   .   .  .  0.5/8   . 
14 Kalix Collins   1  1  1.5  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
15 Da’Mart Menard   1  1  1.5  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
85 Jeremiah Clark   .  3  1.5  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
48 Steven Reinhart  1  .  1.0  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
10 Zachary Liebler  1  .  1.0  1.0/2   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
8  Ma’Taeaun Frazier  1  .  1.0  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
82 Jacques Carter   1  .  1.0  1.0/5   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
96 Malachi Card   .  2  1.0  1.0/8   .  .   .   .  .  1.0/8   . 
99 Kendal Thomas   .  1  0.5  0.5/0   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
39 Daylan Pringle   .  1  0.5  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
17 F Lenix Jr   .  .  .   .   .  .   .   1  .  .   . 
## Canton GlenOak  Solo Ast Total TFL/Yds FF FR-Yds Int-Yds BrUp Blkd Sack/Yds QBH 
30 Noah Williams   5  4  7.0  2.5/13   .  .   .   .  .  1.0/9   . 
25 Jayden Gorham   5  1  5.5  1.0/3   .  1-0   .   .  .  .   . 
7  Da’Codis Davis   4  2  5.0  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
50 Jaiden Thomas   1  6  4.0  1.0/3   1  1-0   .   .  .  .   . 
3  Muhammad Malka   2  1  2.5  0.5/0   .  .   1-0   1  .  .   . 
11 Gino Kelley   2  1  2.5  0.5/0   .  .   .   1  .  .   . 
9  Brailon Wilcox   2  .  2.0  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
1  Xavier Harris   1  2  2.0  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
29 Ethan Lucas   1  1  1.5  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
34 Joshua Coleman   1  1  1.5  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
TM TEAM   1  .  1.0  .   1  .   .   .  .  .   . 
56 Isaiah Shackleford  1  .  1.0  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
44 David Potter   1  .  1.0  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
99 Omar Ford   1  .  1.0  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
26 Robert Brown   1  .  1.0  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
60 Romeo Magueyal   1  .  1.0  1.0/2   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 
59 Ashton Rulewicz  1  .  1.0  .   .  .   .   .  .  .   . 

 

2013 GlenOak Game Needed Three Overtimes to Decide the…

2013 GlenOak Game Needed Three Overtimes to Decide the Winner

Massillon and GlenOak have been playing each other since 1982 and continuously since 2009.  Although the Tigers currently hold an edge in the series at 13 wins against four losses, nearly half of the games have been decided by three points or less.  So the competition is certainly there, compounded by the fact that games are usually played in the second week of the season, before the teams have hit their strides.  This was particularly the case in 2013 when it took three overtime periods to decide the outcome.

GlenOak came into Paul Brown Tiger Stadium having won the two previous encounters by scores of 22-21 and 26-24.  At quarterback for the Massillon was Danny Clark, a freshman who was starting his first-ever varsity game.  But he had two good passing targets in senior Marcus Whitfield and junior Reggie Rogers, plus a couple of steady running backs in senior Lyron Wilson and junior J.D. Crabtree.  GlenOak was led by junior running back Jason Simon and senior QB Austin White.

Massillon struck first on the scoreboard when Clark hit Rogers on an 18-yard touchdown pass, but the PAT attempt was blocked.  Following a Tiger turnover at their own 22 yard line, GlenOak countered with 1-yard touchdown run by Simon, making the halftime score 7-6 in favor of the Eagles.

In the third quarter, following another Massillon turnover, this time at their own 21, GlenOak converted a 28-yard field goal, which increased the lead to 10-6.

Now in the fourth quarter, the Tigers drove 81 yards in 11 plays and scored when Clark connected with Rogers for a 10-yard TD.  Andrew David’s successful PAT gave the locals a 13-10 lead with 4:46 left in the game.  But yet another Massillon turnover, this time at their own 23, set up the Eagles for a game tying field goal, which came from 31 yards out.  And that was it for regulation with the score tied at 13 apiece.  So it was overtime, with each team gaining possessions at the opponent’s 20 yard line.

On Massillon’s initial try they converted a first down at the six yard line, bit then on the ensuing play Clark was sacked for a loss of 12 yards.  Failing to advance any further, the Tigers settled for a 33-yard field goal try, but missed it wide right.  GlenOak failed to move the ball at all and their 37-yard field goal attempt fell short.  So it was off to a second overtime period.

This time GlenOak received the ball first.  They ran four straight rushing plays and scored a touchdown when Simon went over the goal line from six yards out.  The PAT gave the Eagles a 20-13 lead.  Now it was Massillon’s turn and they didn’t wait long to score.  On second and 11 from the GlenOak 21, Clark connected with Rogers for the touchdown and David’s PAT tied the score at 21.  On to a third overtime period.

This time Massillon began the action.  Clark immediately hit Whitfield for a first down at the nine, but the Tigers could only advance to the three on the next three plays.  So they settled for a 20-yard field goal.  For the Eagles, it was all rushing, and all Simon.  Five plays later GlenOak was sitting at the Tiger one yard line with a fourth and goal situation.  They decided to go for the win.  And who else to carry the ball but Jason Simon.  But this time Massillon’s Mike Smith came up big, stopping Simon in his tracks to give the Tigers the win, 23-20.

Massillon led in first downs (18-8) and total offense (288-152), although they lost the turnover battle (5-1).  Clark completed 14 of 24 passes for three touchdowns, with 3 interceptions.  Five of the receptions went to Rogers for 99 yards and two touchdowns.  Whitfield also caught five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown.  In the ground game, Wilson had 13 carries for 75 yards and J.D. Crabtree contributed 15 carries for 75 yards.  GlenOak’s Simon rushed 26 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns.  But White was held to three completions in ten attempts for just six yards.

Massillon would finish 9-3 that year, losing to Medina Highland 17-14 in the second round of the playoffs.  GlenOak clocked in at 5-5.

The Tigers would win again the following year and then the Eagles the next.  But the following five games have gone the Tigers’ way, three by blowouts.  However, with Scott Garcia back as the GlenOak head coach, these games may get a lot closer again.