Maxpreps.com Honors Tigers in Top 50 All-Time Rankings

Maxpreps.com, a high school sports website, includes in their archives a Top 50 all-time national team rankings.  How good is their Top 50?  Who knows.  And who really cares.  After all, for football junkies, it’s great stuff to talk about.

Over 14,000 high schools annually field football teams in a sport that has been ongoing for at least 125 years.  Over that time, it’s conceivable that there have been over a million different teams.  Creating a listing like this is certainly a tall task in that it recognizes just one out every 20,000+ schools.  So it’s the rare team that would make a list like this.

A grain salt must be added in that any team on the list must have been good for the era of that time, not necessarily across all time.  For instance, a top team from the mid-1900s would certainly not be expected to defeat a good team from the modern era.  So that must be taken into consideration.

What brings traditionally strong Massillon into the discussion is that they placed four teams in the Top 50, at least as many as any other school.  The Massillon teams include:

• 3rd – 1940. Coached by Paul Brown, Massillon finished 10-0, outscoring its opponents 477-6, with the lone defensive touchdown scored by Canton McKinley in a 34-6 victory.  Along the way, the Tigers handed four teams their only loss of the season.  Massillon was awarded both the state and national titles.  Brown would leave after the season to become the head coach at Ohio State University.  The 1940 team is the highest rated public school in the Maxpreps.com list.
• 31st – 1950. Coached by Chuck Mather, Massillon ran over all ten opponents, outscoring them 407-37.  For the effort, the Tigers were named both state and national champions.
• 37th – 1936. Coached by Paul Brown, it was one of several great Brown teams.  This one went 10-0 and topped its opponents 443-14.  Single touchdowns were scored by Mansfield and Barberton in one-sided affairs.  In the finale, the Tigers defeated unbeaten Canton McKinley 21-0 to capture the state and national crowns.
• 41st – 1953. Coached by Chuck Mather, it was his final team leading the Massillon eleven.  The Tigers were unchallenged in each of their ten games, outscoring their opponents 399-55.  Massillon was successful in defending its state and national titles from the previous year.  Mather left after the season to become the head coach of Kansas University.

The Top 50 list is headed by California’s De La Salle, which placed their 2001 and 2003 teams in the Nos. 1 and 2 positions.  The 2002 team extended De La Salle’s winning streak to 151 games.  De La Lasalle also placed two additional teams: 1998 and 2004, placing 19^th and 38^th respectively.

Valdosta, Georgia, placed four teams on the list: 1961 at 18^th, 1971 at 28^th, 1986 at 36^th and 1984 at 44^th.

Both Cincinnati Moeller and Cleveland St. Ignatius were honored three times.

• 4 – 1976 Cincinnati Moeller. Defeated Gahanna Lincoln in the state finals, 43-5.
• 6 – 1980 Cincinnati Moeller. Defeated Massillon in state finals, 30-7.
• 15 – 1993 Cleveland St. Ignatius. Defeated Cincinnati Moeller for the state title, 38-20.
• 17 – 1982 Cincinnati Moeller. Defeated Massillon in state finals, 35-14.
• 43 – 1995 Cleveland St. Ignatius. Defeated Brunswick for the state title, 41-21.
• 46 – 1989 Cleveland St. Ignatius. Defeated Massillon the state semifinals, 42-21.  Defeated Cincinnati Moeller for the state title, 34-28.

Bishop Gorman’s 2018 team was ranked 5^th.  Massillon was scheduled to open with the Nevada team in 2020, but the Covid Pandemic forced a cancellation.

From a state distribution, Ohio dominates the list with ten placings.  Texas and California has six, Florida five and Georgia four.  Thirty-three are public schools and 17 are private.

Thirty-two of the fifty teams were in the past 50 years.  Nine were prior to the 1940s.

From the beginning of football through the mid -1930s the primary offensive focus was the run game.  The best team during that period was Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in 1925.  From then through the mid-1970s, teams were mostly focused on the run, but threw the ball 20% of the time.  The best team in that group was Massillon in 1940.  Onward through the 1990s the passing frequency increased to 30%.  The best team during that time was Cincinnati Moeller in 1980.  Finally, in modern spread offense football the pass is used 40% of the time.  The best team in that period is De La Salle from California in 2001.

Here is the complete list:

1. De La Salle (CA), 2001
2. De La Salle (CA), 2003
3. Massillon Washington (OH), 1940
4. Cincinnati Moeller (OH), 1976
5. Bishop Gorman (NV), 2016
6. Cincinnati Moeller (OH), 1980
7. Mater Dei (CA), 2017
8. Katy (TX), 2015
9. Hampton (VA), 1996
10. East St. Louis (IL), 1985
11. Pine Bluff (AK), 1925
12. Waco (TX), 1927
13. Southlake Carroll (TX), 2005
14. Abilene (TX), 1956
15. Cleveland St. Ignatius (OH), 1993
16. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ), 2011
17. Cincinnati Moeller (OH), 1982
18. Valdosta (GA), 1962
19. De La Salle (CA), 1998
20. Everett (MA), 1914
21. Lakeland (FL), 2005
22. Harrisburg Tech (PA), 1919
23. John Curtis Christian (LA), 2012
24. Oak Park-River Forest (IL), 1912
25. Charlotte Independence (NC), 2004
26. Berwick (PA), 1983
27. Coral Gables (FL), 1967
28. Valdosta (GA), 1971
29. Little Rock Central (AK), 1957
30. St. Thomas Aquinas (FL), 2008
31. Massillon Washington (OH), 1950
32. Miami Northwestern (FL), 2007
33. Miami Booker T. Washington (FL), 2013
34. St. Thomas Aquinas (FL), 2010
35. Berwick (PA), 1992
36. Valdosta (GA), 1986
37. Massillon Washington (OH), 1936
38. De La Salle (CA), 1994
39. Odessa Permian (TX), 1989
40. Tuscaloosa (AL), 1926
41. Massillon Washington (OH), 1953
42. Louisville Trinity (KY), 2011
43. Cleveland St. Ignatius (OH), 1995
44. Valdosta (GA), 1984
45. Batesville South Panola (MS), 2010
46. Cleveland St. Ignatius (OH), 1989
47. Allen (TX), 2013
48. St. John Bosco (CA), 2013
49. Portland Jefferson (OR), 1958
50. Austin Reagan (TX), 1968

2020 Season Wrap-up

Massillon advanced to the Division 2 State Finals for the third consecutive year, but once again came up short in their quest for a first-ever playoff-era championship.  Nevertheless, 2020 was still regarded as an immensely successful season, especially given the impacts felt from the Covid-19 Pandemic.

In a normal year the Tigers would begin off-season workouts in January with weight lifting, conditioning and instructional sessions by position group.  Then during summer the players would participate in 7-on-7 passing contests and attend various college camps.  But by the end of February the spread of the virus had rapidly intensified and government health agencies had shut all of this down.  Students were sent home and provided daily instruction online, while all sports activities were curtailed.  Thus, the team wasn’t together again as a whole until the beginning of August.  As a substitute, coaches maintained contact with the players using Zoom Meeting.  Also, a computer program was engaged for the players to use in recording their daily workout regimens as provided by the lifting coach.  For those that didn’t have equipment, the Booster Club provided some help.

Safety of the players was of the utmost importance and the Ohio Department of Health took charge and it looked for a while that there wasn’t going to be a football season at all this year, given the seriousness of the disease.  But the Ohio High School Athletic Association was able to work with the ODH to develop appropriate protocols that would enable sports to resume.  But the question was to what extent would seasons be played.

In a compromise between the two organizations, the regular season was designed to start on time, but would be reduced in length to just six games.  Also, there would be no pre-season scrimmages.  And the playoffs would be open to any team that elected to participate.  So with six weeks of regular games and seven weeks of playoffs, the entire season would be completed by Thanksgiving.  This plan met the ODH’s requirement that all games be played by that date, fearing an increase in the spread of the virus as winter approaches.

Players and coaches were required to follow specific safety procedures, such as face coverings and social distancing while on the sidelines and frequent sanitation of equipment.  There was also a provision for games to be canceled on account of a specific team’s exposure to the virus at the time of play.

Fan attendance was limited to immediate family members of players, cheerleaders and bandsmen, but not to exceed the lower of either 15% of stadium capacity or 1500.  So a stadium the size of Massillon’s, with 16,000+ seats, was restricted to just 1500, but in actuality was held to much less when the family count restriction was brought into play.  Also, bands were not permitted to travel.  Fortunately, the Massillon City Schools did a great job making each game available via internet broadcasting.

With the lateness of the decision to proceed, schools had just two weeks to construct 6-game schedules.  Naturally, leagues opted to stay exclusively within their own ranks, leaving independent teams like Massillon to schedule each other.  Fortunately, Federal League member Canton McKinley was able to accommodate the Tigers on its schedule.

Massillon had originally been slated to open the season with Nevada Bishop Gorman in a Nike Classic to be held at Benson Stadium in Canton.  But that event went away early.  Gorman was replaced with Pickerington North in a game that would be played at PBTS and televised by ESPN.  Only, that game was canceled too when the Ohio Capital Conference scheduled North to play Pickerington Central in Week 1.

Thus, the Tigers were about to face one of the most difficult regular season schedules they had ever encountered.  It included the likes of Lakewood St. Edward and Cleveland St. Ignatius and Cleveland Benedictine and Warren Harding and Canton McKinley.  But at least they had six games and, fortunately, they were able to get them all in without any cancellations.  One positive was that all six games were at home.

Most Booster Club events, such as the Duncan Plaza Kickoff, McKinley game festivities and season ending banquet, were canceled or held on Zoom Meeting.  For example, the Spring Kickoff was also held in this manner, where the guest speaker was Ryan Day, head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, participating from his home in Columbus.

For the playoffs, Massillon was assigned to Region 7, a Columbus-Stark region they had participated in during the 2018 season.  This meant that a potential matchup with state-champ favorite Akron Hoban could wait until the state finals.  And that’s exactly what happened.

The Regular Season

• Lakewood St. Edward (home) – In a game that had the flavor of a first scrimmage, Massillon rolled up 396 yards of total offense, including 262 yards and two touchdowns passing by Zach Catrone.  But the Tigers lost 24-23 on account of a kickoff return and a late trick play.
• Columbus Bishop Sycamore (home) – Backup sophomore quarterback Jayvian Crable filled in admirably for the injured Catrone in leading the Tigers to a 35-0 victory.  It was Massillon 900^th all-time win.
• Warren Harding (home) – Massillon continued its recent domination of the Raiders with a 24-0 victory.  Catrone completed 21 of 31 passes, eight to Jayden Ballard and six to Martavien Johnson.
• Cleveland Benedictine (home) – Johnson and Isaiah Clark combined for three pass interceptions to keep the Bennies at bay in a 28-10 victory.
• Cleveland St. Ignatius (home) – Massillon recorded its second all-time victory over the Wildcats, 21-14.  Iggy assumed a 14-6 lead late in the third quarter following an 80-yard pass interception return.  But the Tigers came right back to tie the game on a Raekwon Venson 1-yard run.  On the Wildcat’s next possession they failed to control a backward pass and Jaiden Wise pounced on the loose ball.  Venson then ran it in on the first play from scrimmage to secure the win.  Unfortunately, Venson was injured near the end of the game and was lost for the rest of the season.

• 

  Canton McKinley (home) – There were many heroes in this 35-7 victory.  Sophomore Willtrell Hartson (8.5 yards per carry) and senior Nick Liebler (6.3 yards per carry) filled in superbly for Venson and rushed for a combined 257 yards and three touchdowns.  Austin Brawley had eight solo tackles.  But, all-in-all it was a great team effort.  It was Massillon 5^th win in a row over the Bulldogs and 9^th of the last ten.

The Playoffs

• Bye Week – Having a week off following the McKinley game re-energized the Tigers as they were about to initiate playoff competition.  No hangover funk this year.

• Columbus Walnut Ridge (home) – Massillon opened up a 42-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 56-0 victory.
• North Canton (home) – The Hoover passing attack tested the Tigers secondary.  But it wasn’t enough and Massillon rolled to a 48-23 win.  Hartson rushed for 196 yards (15.1 yards per carry) and Catrone completed 9 of 10 passes.  It was the local’s 500^th all-time win at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
• Westerville South (home) – The Wildcats had the best quarterback-receiver combination in Division 2 and played a competitive game with the Tigers, losing just 45-36, after falling behind 42-9 after three quarters.  Hartson set a new Massillon single-game record with 324 yards rushing.  He also averaged 12.0 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns.
• Massillon Perry (regional finals) (at Perry) – Up just 7-6 at the half over the region’s top seeded Panthers, the Tigers ran away in the second half to secure a 43-13 victory.  Quarterback Zach Catrone completed all ten passes and recorded a pass efficiency rating of 396 to set new Massillon marks in those categories.  He also racked up 234 yards and three touchdowns.  Ballard had seven catches for 150 yards.  Liebler became second all-time with 17.0 tackle points (11 solo, 12 assists).  Clark had 11.0 tackle points.

• 

  Cincinnati LaSalle (at Marysville) – Massillon avenged the previous year’s state finals loss to the Lancers, winning 14-10.  Down 10-7 late in the fourth quarter, Catrone connected with Martavien Johnson on a 24-yard touchdown pass with 2:44 left in the game and the Tigers then held on at the end to secure the victory.

• Akron Hoban (state finals) (home) – The Knights showed why they were one of the top ten teams in the country by dominating the Tigers 35-6.  They also gained revenge from their 2019 loss to Massillon.

The formula for success for the season was running the football and playing good defense.  However, this was disrupted temporarily in Game 5 against Cleveland St. Ignatius when leading rusher Raekwan Venson (438 yards) was lost to an injury for the remainder of the season with the McKinley game looming the following week.  But it was “next man up,” and sophomore Willtrell Hartson and senior Nick Liebler answered the bell.  Hartson would finish the season rushing 138 times for 1,111 yards (8.1/att.) and 13 touchdowns.

You cannot have a stout running attack without a good offensive line.  And this group did themselves proud, finding their way with the power run game.  It might have been that much better, save for an
injury to 320 lb. Rager Els, who was lost for the season in Game 1.  His loss was severely felt against the stout front 7 of Akron Hoban.

On defense, in spite of returning just a single starter, Massillon was able to assemble one of the best groups on that side of the in many years.  This is especially significant given the difficulty of the schedule.  Credit the program the Tigers now have in place as all eleven players were keys to this success.  When weighed against other Massillon teams that faced spread offenses (23-year period starting in 1998), the Tigers were able to produce the following defensive results:

• Points per game – 14.3 (4^th)
• Rushing yards per game – 110 (2^nd)
• Total yards per game – 233 (3^rd)
• Yards per rush – 3.2 (3^rd)
• Yards per play – 4.1 (4^th)

The Tigers finished the season with 909 wins and have now moved up to third in the national rankings.  The 21-game regular season winning streak ended with the loss to St. Edward.  Against public schools, the Tigers have extended their winning streak to 31 games.

Jayden Ballard set a new record for career pass reception yards (2,363) and touchdowns (37).  He was also invited to participate in the Under Armour All-American All-Star game.  Unfortunately, the game was canceled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

In other records, kicker Alex Bauer established career marks for total attempts (213) and total conversions (205); he also tied the record for field goal percentage (77.8); punter Magnus Haines set new career records for punt attempts (119) and punt yards (4,405); Caiden Woullard tied the record for career quarterback sacks (8.5).

Eleven players were named to the Stark County All-Star Team.  Sixteen were honored on the Division 2 All-Inland District Team, headlined by Jaeden Wise, who was named Defensive Player of the Year.  Nine advanced to the Division 2 All-Ohio Team, including first teamers Jayden Ballard, Terrence Rankl and Caiden Woullard.

Three players took advantage of NCAA early signing: Jayden Ballard (Ohio State), Terrence Rankl (Pittsburgh) and Andrew Wilson-Lamp (West Virginia).  Many other players will be signing later.

The state finals were originally scheduled to be played in Columbus at Fortress Obetz Stadium and it was in fact the site for the Division 1 game, which was played a week prior to the other divisions.  But during the following week, the City of Columbus put further restrictions on sporting events and it needed to be relocated.  In a late move, Massillon stepped up to the plate and hosted the remaining six games over a 3-day period to the relief of the OHSAA.

Let’s hope that in 2021 the football season returns to normal.

All-Ohio Team Dotted with Tigers

Nine Massillon players have been named to the 2020 Division 2 All-Ohio Team, four on offense, four on defense and one on special teams.  Included are:

• Jayden Ballard – First team wide receiver, senior
• Terrence Rankl – First team offensive line, senior
• Caiden Woullard – First team defensive line, senior
• Jaiden Wise – First team linebacker, senior
• Mike Miller – Second team defensive line, senior
• Martavien Johnson – Second team defensive back, senior
• Magnus Haines – Second team punter, senior
• Willtrell Hartson – Honorable mention running back, sophomore
• Andrew Wilson-Lamp – Honorable mention wide receiver, senior

Massillon finished as the Division 2 playoff state runner-up for the third consecutive year, winning 10 of 12 games.  They also during the season recorded their 900th all-time victory and currently rank 3rd in the nation in total wins.  Over the past three years, the Tigers have compiled an outstanding 38-4 record and placed 24 players on the All-Ohio teams.

Tigers Dominate All-County Team

Eleven senior Massillon football players were voted by the Stark County Coaches Association to their 2020 all-star team.  This, following the Tigers’ third consecutive trip to the state finals.  In an unusual year of schedule adjustments on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, Massillon won five of six regular season games, including a 2nd all-time win over Cleveland St. Ignatius and a 35-7 pasting of Canton McKinley.  Then they survived a grueling 7-game playoff road to reach the state finals, culminating in a fine 10-2 record.  Over the past three seasons the Tigers have posted a mark of 38 wins against just three losses.

Here are the all-stars:

Jayden Ballard: Wide receiver, 3-year starter, Ohio State commit.  Ballard caught 36 passes for 573 yards and 7 touchdowns.  Included in that were 8 catches against Warren Harding, 6 against North Canton and 7 against Perry.  He also had three TD catches vs. the Panthers and two against Lakewood St. Edward.  Ballard is Massillon’s all-time leading receiver for yards and touchdowns.

Terrence Rankl: Offensive lineman, 6′-5″, 285 lbs., 2-year starter, University of Pittsburgh commit.

John Kouth: Offensive lineman, 6′-1″, 320 lbs., 2-year starter.

Rankl and Kouth were instrumental in leading a Tiger rushing attack that averaged 5.0 yards per rush attempt and surrendered just eight quarterback sacks going in to the finale.  The 6.1 yards per play stat ranks 9th among Massillon’s spread offense teams over the past 33 years.  They indeed showcased a clinic on power run football.

Alex Bauer: Kicker, 4-year starter.  Bauer connected on 46 of 47 extra points and was perfect until the last try, when a 15-yard penalty hurt his chances on that one.  He also converted 8 of 11 field goal tries.  Bauer holds the all-time career marks for extra point attempts and conversions.

Caiden Woullard: Defensive lineman,  6′-4″, 235 lbs., 2-year starter.  Woullard finished the year with 33.5 tackle points, 10.5 tackles-for-loss (2nd on the team) and 2.5 quarterback sacks (1st on the team).  Last year he set a season high record of 18.0 tackles-for-loss.

Mike Miller: Defensive lineman, 6′-2″, 235 lbs..  Miller had 43.5 tackle points and was a force on the edge, constantly hounding the opposing quarterbacks.

Jaiden Wise: Outside linebacker, 6′-1″, 200 lbs.  Wise showcased his talents in the preseason and earned a starting position to begin the season, covering the wide side of the field.  He recorded 54.0 tackle points (2nd on the team), 11.0 tackles-for-loss (1st on the team) and two pass interceptions.

Andrew Wilson-Lamp: Cornerback, 2-year starter, West Virginia commit.  Also played wide receiver.  Lamp was a shut-down corner that finished the year with 19.5 tackle points, including 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sack.  He also had eight pass breakups.  Offensively, Lamp caught 11 passes for 319 yards and one touchdown.

Martavien Johnson: Cornerback.  Also played wide receiver.  Johnson had 30.0 tackle points and 7.0 tackles-for-loss.  He also intercepted two passes and recorded 7 pass breakups.  On offense, he caught 33 passes for 486 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 46-yard game-winner against Cincinnati LaSalle.  He also rushed 21 times for 134 yards and a touchdown.

Magnus Haines: Punter, 4-year starter.  This year he punted 36 times for 1,492 yards, an average of 41.1 yards per try (3rd all-time).  Haines holds the career marks for total punts and total yards.  Magnus also kicked off, averaging 53.6 yards per kick with 11 touchbacks.

Nick Liebler: Most Valuable Player, inside linebacker. 5′-11″, 190 lbs.  Liebler finished with 79.0 tackle points (3rd on the team), including 4 tackles-for-loss.  This was an incredible year for Nick, having returned to football following a serious leg injury.  Two of his performances stand out especially.  The first came against Canton McKinley, when running back Raekwon Venson was lost to injury in the previous game.  As a backup to replacement starter Willtrell Hartson, he rushed 11 times for 69 yards and a touchdown.  The second was during a 43-13 playoff win over Perry, when he recorded 11 solo tackles and 12 assists.  This effort ranks second all-time for the Tigers, behind Chuck Vliet in 1950.

Congratulations to these fine Tiger football players.

Booster Club Report – Week 13

The Massillon Tigers are going to STATE!!!  For the third consecutive year, the Tigers will participate in the Division 2 state finals with a chance to win their 25th state title and the first since the playoff system was introduced in 1972.  The foe will be Akron Hoban, a team with which Massillon has split a pair of games over the past two seasons.  A 14-10 victory last week over defending D2 champion Cincinnati LaSalle secured local’s spot in the final game.

“At this point they’re all big wins,” said Massillon head coach Nate Moore at the weekly Booster Club meeting.  “That was a four-quarter ballgame.  Our guys kept fighting, kept swinging.  It was a great performance.  I’m proud of them.  I thought our defensive coaches had a great game plan and the kids executed it well.”

LaSalle scored first late in the opening period when quarterback Zach Branam broke loose on a 76-yard run that carried the ball to the Tiger 4 yard line.  The Lancers scored the touchdown three plays later.  Massillon responded with a 10-play, 62-yard drive, with Jamacius Portis plowing in from the three to tie the game.  The TD was set up by a 24-yard pass from Zach Catrone to Caiden Woullard, erasing a 3rd and 19 situation.

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Lancers managed to kick a field goal and take a 10-7 lead.  Faced with a 3rd and 3 at the Massillon 13, Branam kept the ball on a stretch play to the right, looking for a hole to dive through.  But none was found.  A host of Tigers had sealed off the line and Portis dropped him for a 1-yard loss.  That forced the field goal and LaSalle led 10-7.

Massillon gained just 16 yards on their ensuing possession and were forced to punt.   Fortunately, Magnus Haines unloaded a 43-yarder that pinned the Lancers back at their own 13.  It was one of four outstanding punts by Haines, who averaged 46 yards on his boots, with all landing inside the LaSalle 20.  But time was not on the side of the Tigers as the fourth quarter was waning away.  They needed a big stop, and Martavien Johnson delivered, breaking up a 3rd down pass an forcing a punt.  The Tigers would have one more chance.

The punt traveled to the Lancer 48 and Massillon had about two minutes left to at least tie the game with a field goal.  It took just a single play to get the job done.  Johnson lined up at left end with Andrew Wilson-Lamp in the slot.  Catrone dropped back to pass and was secured in the pocket by great pass protection provided by the offensive line.  Meanwhile, Johnson streaked down the sideline and then headed for the post, while Lamp cut it short on an out route.  Johnson was able to use his speed advantage to outrace the defender and caught Catrone’s pass at the 15.  He then eluded a pair of would-be tacklers and scored the winning touchdown.  It was certainly the Tigers’ biggest catch of the year.  Massillon then held LaSalle at bay to secure the win.

“A great throw by Zach,” said Moore.  “A great catch by Martavian.  Martavian had a heck of a game.  We get another game this week.  Another great opponent.”

Willtrell Hartson turned in another 100-yard plus night, rushing 26 times for 129 yards.  Catrone completed 5 of 13 passes for 109 yards and one score.  Johnson caught three passes for 70 yards and touchdown.  On defense, Portis had 5 solos and 4 assists, including a tackle for loss.  Isaiah Clark had 4 solos and 6 assists.  Nick Liebler had one solo and 10 assists.  Johnson had three pass breakups and Jaiden Wise had a pair.

The guest co-captains were inside linebacker Xavier Andrews and offensive tackle Terrence Rankl.  “The last game went down to the wire,” said Andrews.  “Our defense got some big stops and made the plays.”

“Our job as captains is to keep the ship level,” said Rankl when addressing adversity.  “And we got a great win.  Having a loss (against St. Edward in Game 1) gives us a great drive.  We don’t want that to happen again.  I believe you learn more from a loss than a win.  And that will help us (against Hoban).”

The Knights come into the contest with 10-0 record, with wins over two common Massillon foes: Lakewood St. Edward (35-0) and Cleveland Benedictine (31-24 and 37-0).  They have also defeated Akron St. Vincent (37-9), Mayfield (42-0), Hudson (31-14) and Avon (28-18).  “They’re a really good football team,” said Moore.

The strength of the opponent lies with the defensive front seven, who Moore calls “very, very, very. very good.”  The line has three returning starters within the even front, including senior strong side end Darryl Peterson (6′-3″, 245), senior weak side end Luke Bauer (6′-1″, 245) and nose tackle sophomore Jason Martin (5′-11″, 288).  Peterson is the best defensive lineman the Tigers have seen this year.  He has the full package, according to the coach.  Bauer is the second best they’ve seen, fast and quick), while Martin is the best interior linemen they’ve seen.  The linebacking corps is also solid, led by seniors A.J. Kirk (6′-1″, 200) and Damon Ollison (6′-0″, 220).  Ollison plays with great physicality.

The offense gives the opponent multiple looks with their various alignments.  But in essence they just want to run the football.  Two outstanding players alternate at the running back position in senior Victor Dawson (6′-0″, 225) and sophomore Lamar Sperling (5′-10″, 190).  Dawson is a patient runner, a vertical runner, with good speed.  Sperling contrasts that with dynamic play and shiftiness.  Both get the job done.  In last year’s game, which the Tigers won 17-14, Dawson rushed 5 times for 20 yards.

Operating under center is 4-year returning senior starter Shame Hamm (6′-200).  He is an accurate passer and throws a nice deep ball.  He also is an effective runner.  Against Massillon last year he completed 13 of 21 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown.  He also rushed 13 times for 25 yards.  In the 2018 state title game against Massillon, Hamm completed 4 of 9 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing 9 times for 67 yards.  The No. 1 pass target is senor Brayden Fox (6′-3″, 205).  He is a 3-year starter (one at GlenOak) and has an offer from Rutgers.  Against the Tigers  last year he caught three passes for 57 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown.

The skill players will operate behind a veteran line that averages 6’2″, 285 lbs.  It is led by senior tackle Luke Petit (6′-4″, 284).  A center last year, he is considered an excellent puller.

Friday’s game can be viewed on Spectrum and can be pulled up on the Internet through this website.

Go Tigers.  Bring it home!

Booster Club Report Week 12

Massillon captured its fourth consecutive regional title with a convincing 43-13 victory over top-seeded and previously-undefeated Massillon Perry.  With the win the Tigers advance to the state semifinals where they will face Cincinnati LaSalle, the team that defeated Massillon last year 34-17 in the Division 2 state finals.

“What a tale of two halves,” said Massillon head coach Nate Moore in opening the weekly Booster Club meeting.  “Things couldn’t have started any worse.”  On the first play from scrimmage the Tigers lost 23 yards when the center snapped the ball over the quarterback’s head and it was recovered at the six yard line.  That series ended quickly in a punt.  Perry then drove the ball to the Massillon 23, but missed a 40-yard field goal attempt.  On Massillon’s second try, they picked up just a single first down before punting again.  Perry then used their double-win offense to engineer a 15-play, 81-yard drive for the game’s first score.

The Tigers were suddenly down 6-0 and had run just seven plays.  But the game was suddenly about to turn.  On the first play following the kickoff, quarterback Zach Catrone dropped back to pass and hit Jayden Ballard in stride on a 72-yard touchdown pass.  Alex Bauer’s extra point made it  7-6 and the rout was on.  Perry would not score again until the fourth quarter, when Massillon had a commanding 35-6 lead.   By the end of the game the Tigers had scored 43 points and run just 24 plays during the scoring span.

“The quarterback scrambling hurt us,” said Moore.  “Key mistakes in key moments.  But we came out in the second half and scored touchdowns and put pressure on Perry.  I’m proud of the guys.  They didn’t flinch.”  But as Moore noted later, every team at this stage of the playoffs is good.

A couple of Tiger players had incredible nights.  Catrone completed all ten of his pass attempts, a feat that had never before been accomplished by a Massillon quarterback when at least ten passes had been thrown.  Couple that with Catrone passing for 324 yards and converting three touchdowns without throwing an interception and his pass efficiency rating for the night was a whopping 396.  That surpassed the previous record of 322 set by Aidan Longwell in 2017.  “He managed the game really well for us,” beamed Moore.  “He made great decisions.”

Seven of Catrone’s passes went to OSU-bound Ballard, who caught three for touchdowns of 72, 15 and 33 yards.   Martavien Johnson caught two passes for 28 yards and West Virginia recruit Andrew-Wilson Lamp hauled in a 56-yard pass, but was unfortunately tackled at one, denying him the score.

Willtrell Hartson once again led the ground attack, rushing 18 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns.  “Hartson ran hard,” said the coach.  “He’s really special.  Perry’s defensive line was tough.”

Also having a big night was linebacker Nick Liebler, who recorded 11 solo tackles and 12 assists, totaling 17.0 tackle points.  He now takes over 2nd place all-time behind Chuck Vliet, who had 42 combined tackles against Warren Harding in 1950.  “It was a great performance by Nick,” said Moore.

Isaiah Clark also had a big night with 8 tackles and 6 assists, as the safeties for the Tigers by design are actively involved in run defense.  Caiden Woullard added two more tackles-for-loss and now has a career total of 29.5. as he closes in on the all-time record of 30.0.

A couple of other highlights came from special teams.  The first was when one of the Tiger players was assessed a personal foul following a TD and Massillon was forced to kick off from its own 25.  But Magnus Haines answered the bell and launched a beauty that landed at the Perry seven and scooted into the end zone for a touchback.  No harm done there.  The second was following a quick punt by Perry that forced safety Austin Brawley to sprint down field to cover the ball.  He retrieved it off a bounce at the 20, circled a pair of would-be tacklers, cut back across the field and was then escorted by a host of teammates who paved the road down the sidelines for an 80-yard score.  That TD essentially put the game away.  The 80-yard return is the 10th longest in Massillon history.

The guest co-captains were Catrone and Xavier Andrews.  “Offensively, we ran a very efficient game, both running and passing,” said Catrone.”  “It was a hard fought game,” added Andrews.  “We owned the line of scrimmage.  Now we need to get revenge on LaSalle.”

“We have a heck of a challenge this week,” cautioned Moore.  LaSalle (8-2), the 2019 Division 2 state champions, captured Region 8 with a 35-10 win over Cincinnati Winton Woods, which finished the season with a 9-1 record.  Other big wins this year were 53-52 in overtime against Cincinnati Elder (5-4) and 55-30 over Cincinnati Anderson (7-3).  A pair of losses came against Cincinnati St. Xavier (8-2) by the score of 24-10 and Indianapolis Cathedral (8-1) by the score of 37-28.  They return five starters on offense and five on defense.  Like Massillon, they failed to achieve a first place vote in the bracket seedings on account of a loss or two against a superior schedule as compared to the weaker teams in their respective regions.

Offensively, the Lancers line up in many different formations.  But they have one primary focus: moving the ball on the ground with quarterback Zach Branam.  The senior is 5′-10″,  200 lbs. and is the leading rusher on the team with 114 yards per game and 14 overall touchdowns.  He has also thrown for 155 yards per game with 10 touchdowns.  “He is a fantastic football player,” said Moore.  “The best we’ve seen.  An OK thrower, but a tremendous runner.  He runs with power and has good vision.”  In last year’s game against Massillon, Branam rushed 22 times for 154 yards.

Branam will operate behind a big line that averages 6′-2″, 287 lbs.  Three of the five are returning starters.  The best lineman is junior Paul Haywood (6′-3″, 325).  He’s huge and is a powerful player.  The running back for this game was expected to be the speedy returning starter Gi’Bran Payne, who rushed in last year’s title game for 141 yards.  But he is apparently out with a stress fracture in his ankle.  Taking his place is senior Jack Rutz (6′-0″, 200).  Moore says he is a good running back, but not at the level of Payne.

The No. 1 pass target is senior fullback Cole Schneider (5′-11″, 180).  This year he has caught 29 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns.  They will also utilize three or four wide receivers, but they are mostly in to block.  But they block really well according to Moore.  None has any remarkable pass receiving stats.

On defense, look for 3-3 and 3-4 alignments with multiple coverages by the defensive backs.  The strength of the unit is the defensive backfield, where three players have offers from Alabama, Miami and Cincinnati.  The linebacking corps is also good, led by junior JJ Ruffin (6′-3″, 227) and senior Jaylen Johnson (6′-3″, 210).  Both play on the edges and are really, really good.  Johnson is OSU-bound.

In 2018 Massillon revenged a state semifinal loss to Cincinnati Winton Woods and in 2019 they revenged a state finals loss to Akron Hoban.  Can they repeat that same effort this year against LaSalle?  We will find out Friday in Marysville.  Game time is 7:00.  Tune to Spectrum through this website to watch all the action.

Announcement: The post-season banquet has been canceled.  In its place, player awards will be announced via a zoom meeting, scheduled for December 16.  Watch this website for details.

Go Tigers.

Booster Club Report Week – 11

It was certainly a memorable Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.  Not only did Massillon beat previously undefeated Westerville South 45-36 to advance to the regional championship game for the fourth consecutive season, but running Willtrell Hartson broke a single-game yards rushing record that has stood for 29 years.  The previous standard belonged to Travis McGuire who, in 1991, helped his team to a 42-13 victory over Canton McKinley.  Both efforts were works of art.  The two running backs showed power in breaking tackles.  They displayed finesse in style.  And they brought bursts of speed in outracing defenders to the end zone.

By the numbers, McGuire had 36 carries, 302 yards (8.4 yds/carry) and 5 touchdowns.  Willtrell Hartson had 27 carries, 324 yards (12.0 yards/carry) and 3 touchdowns.  Included in Hartson’s totals were long runs of 54, 53, 39, 25, 23, 23, 17 and 15 yards.  Sounds something like what he did last week.  For the season, Willtrell has now rushed 85 times for 847 yards, for a whopping per carry average of 1o.o.

As a sophomore, that’s really, really good,” said head coach Nate Moore.  “He had great vision and open field cuts.  It’s also an offensive honor,” in that the Tigers’ massive offensive line constantly opened holes in the South defense.  The wide receivers also had great downfield blocks to extend many runs.

“It was a funny game in a lot of ways,” Moore said.  “After the first possession, we played really, really well.”  That was an understatement.  Combined with Hartson’s effort and a game-controlling defense, Massillon rolled to a 42-9 lead by late in the third quarter.  At that point the Tigers had amassed 404 yards in total offense, 316 rushing and 88 yard passing.  Zach Catrone connected on 3 of 5 pass attempts, including a 72-yarder to Martavien Johnson for a TD.  In fact, the Tigers scored a touchdown on six consecutive possessions during that span.  Meanwhile, South totaled 283 yards, but had just nine points to show for it.

Westerville tried to make a game of it in the latter part of the contest, crossing the goal line four times, but eventually came up a couple scores short.  They were indeed a good playoff team, exceptionally good with the passing game.  “Those guys came back and made some plays,” said Moore.  “But we got the stops when we needed to (early in the game) and got the win.”

The guest co-captains were quarterback Zach Catrone and wide receiver/defensive back Andrew Wilson-Lamp.  “Last week we ran a very efficient game,” said Catrone.  “Willtrell Hartson did an absolutely great job.  Our offensive line and wide receivers did a great job.”

“The defense played really well,” Lamp remarked.  “We gave up some points, but they were a really good team.  Every time a team plays us, they’re going to give us their best shot.”

Next up for the Tigers is Perry for the regional championship.  The Panthers are 9-0 with playoff wins over Canal Winchester (42-0), Dublin Scioto (35-10) and Olentangy (14-10).  The also have signature wins over North Canton Hoover (20-14) and Canton McKinley (35-23).  Massillon owns a 16-2 advantage in an on-and-off series that began in 1978.  Last year the Tigers defeated Perry in the regional semifinals 35-7, with all of the points coming in the first half.

The Perry offense utilizes their traditional double-wing concept with a tight end.  It revolves around running back Joshua Lemon, who has amassed 1,597 yards (7.9 yards per attempt) and 18 touchdowns.  The offensive line is a good group and comes off the ball well, according to the coach.  They all play with great effort and are an athletic group.  Look for a heavy dose of various runs between the ends with a few jet sweeps thrown in, although normally very little passing.  Coach Moore highlighted the following players:

• Left tackle Anthony Brumbaugh – 6′-1″, 218; senior; 2-way returning starter; pretty good player overall.
• Strong guard Vinny Hildebrand – 6′-1″, 220; junior; best offensive lineman.
• Running back Lemon – 5′-10″, 185; senior; 2-year starter; runs with power and can take it to the outside.
• Wingback Dominic Vinas – 5′-9″, 180; senior; runs hard.
• Wide receiver Devonte Armstrong – 5′-9″, 155; senior; 9 receptions for 142 yards.
• Quarterback Hayden Vinas – 5′-9″, 185; senior; returning starter; runs tough; makes decisions in the passing game fairly accurately.

The defense is mostly in an even front, more like a 4-4.  The line is pretty good with hands and come off the ball well.  But the linebackers are the strength of the defense.  Top players per Moore are:

• Strong side end Anthony Jones; 6′-205; senior; a good player.
• Weak side end Cameron Nickson; 6′-200; junior; pretty athletic;  good hands and feet.
• Middle linebacker Dominic Vinas – reads keys fast; quick.
• Middle linebacker Cayman Williams – 5′-11,215; senior; excellent downhill player; gets off blocks; very physical.
• Safety Devonte Armstrong – returning starter; really good;  good speed.

“The kids had a really good practice today,” Moore said in closing.  “The scout team did really well.  We just need to come out and play Massillon Tiger football and bring home another regional championship.”

Game time Friday is 7:00 pm.  It will be broadcast on Spectrum.

The freshmen dropped their finale to Lakewood St. Edward, 14-6.  They finished the season with a record of 8-3.

A game ball from Win No. 900 is  being raffled off.  Tickets are $10.00.  Watch social media for details.

Chris Spielman is under consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Fans can participate in the preliminary voting on www.profootballhof/fanvote.

Go Tigers!