Category: <span>News</span>

Obie Logo (Large)

2021: Massillon 49, Warren Harding 46

Chris Easterling, The Independent

Austin Brawley’s return, Willtrell Hartson running help Massillon football top Warren

WARREN — It started with Massillon returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown. It ended with the Tigers recovering an onside kick.

In between, Friday night’s game between Massillon and Warren Harding at Mollenkopf Stadium alternated between potential rout and possible big comeback. In the end, it settled in to what ultimately became a 49-46 Tiger victory.

Austin Brawley got it all started for Massillon when he took the opening kickoff back 89 yards for a touchdown. That was actually the second attempt at the opening kick, as the initial one went out of bounds.

It’s the third consecutive game the Tigers returned a kick or punt for a score. It’s also the third game in a row Brawley has had a return of some sort for a touchdown, having brought back a punt in Week 2 and an interception in Week 3.

“It was a great way to start the game,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, whose team takes a 3-1 record and a three-game win streak into next week’s home game against St. Edward. “Proud of Austin. He saw the seam and hit it. We blocked up front for it.”

What Brawley started, Willtrell Hartson finished. Actually, Hartson had a hand both in starting and finishing it, as the junior ran for 287 yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries.

It’s Hartson’s second consecutive 200-plus-yard game, having run for 223 yards in the previous week’s win over Reynoldsburg. He’s the first Tiger running back to post back-to-back games of more than 220 yards.

“Well, my line’s picking it up,” said Hartson, who carried the ball on 10 of the final 11 Tiger plays before their game-ending kneel-down. “From the first game to this game, everything’s starting to budge. We’re all getting ready. They’re helping me out by opening up the holes for me to run through.”

Hartson had 177 yards on 21 second-half carries against Warren, his third consecutive 100-plus-yard second half. Three of his four touchdown came in the second half, too.

Hartson’s first TD put Massillon in front 28-7 with 6;19 remaining in the first half. His second-half scoring runs provided leads of 35-19, 42-25 and, finally, 49-33.

The final TD run, a 24-yard scamper, came with 5:56 remaining. That was part of a 13-carry, 93-yard fourth quarter for Hartson.

“To say he gets better as the game goes on, I think that’s kind of a hindsight thing,” Moore said. “I think what you’re seeing is our offensive line is just hammering away and hammering away and hammering away. The seams get a little bigger over the course of the game. I love Willtrell; he runs his tail off. What you’re seeing, as much as it’s Willtrell running hard, it’s our offensive line really grinding on those guys.”

Massillon was grinding, but it still couldn’t quite put away Warren. That’s because, while the Tigers were owning the rushing yards, the Panthers, as they were going by on this night to honor their 1971 state championship team, owned the air.

Junior quarterback Dalys Jett completed 21-of-35 passes for 358 yards and six TDs. Jett started his night out with a 29-yard TD pass to Dom Foster to cut it to 14-7 in the first quarter, then ended his night with a 26-yarder to Foster with 24 seconds remaining to make it 49-46.

In between, Jett also found Tyriq Ivory for three TD catches. He also hit Konyae Redd for a 33-yard score with just over four minutes left to make it 49-39.

“I can’t question our kids’ effort,” said Warren coach Steve Arnold, whose team’s final score was set up by a fumble return, which initially went for a score but was negated by a block in the back penalty. “Did we make some mental mistakes that maybe came back to bite us? I think this game shows what we’re capable of from an offensive point of view.”

Ivory finished with 182 yards on 10 catches. Foster, who also played quarterback for a series in the second quarter, added 100 yards on five catches. Jett also rushed for a 28-yard TD in the third quarter.

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

Obie Logo (Large)

2021 Booster Club Report – Week 3

The Tigers survived the potent offense of Reynoldsburg with a 41-22 victory.  Next up is a road trip to Warren Harding for a 7:00 pm contest.

  • 7th Grade (3-0): Defeated Akron East 8th Grade, 18-14.  Plays Warren away on Wednesday, September 8, at 6:00 pm.
  • 8th Grade (3-0): Defeated Oakwood, 40-6. Plays Warren at home (MAC) on Wednesday, September 8, at 6:00 pm.
  • 9th Grade (3-0): Defeated Louisville, 34-6.  Plays Warren Harding at home (PBTS) on Thursday, September 9 at 6:00 pm.
  • JV (3-1): “B” team defeated Louisville, 10-0.  “A” team defeated Canton McKinley, 28-0.  Plays Warren Harding at home on Saturday, September 11 at 10:00 am.

Reynoldsburg is all about the offense, not to take anything away from a very good defense.  At quarterback was Dijon Jennings, who put up some of the best numbers against Massillon in their long history.  He also ran for 65 yards and scored two touchdowns.  Jennings completed 28 of 45 passes for 270 yards, with the first two numbers 2nd all-time for a Massillon opponent and the third 4th all-time.  But the Tigers’ defensive game plan of keeping the receivers in front of the secondary paid off in the long run, holding the passing game to just under ten yards per reception and a single 29-yard touchdown pass.  The two other scores came when Jennings broke free of heavy blitzes and scrambled to the end zone.

Not to be outshadowed by Jennings was the performance of Massillon running back Willtrell Hartson, who exploded for 223 yards on 28 carries (8.0 yds/att.) plus a pair of touchdowns.  Most of the yardage came in the second half thanks to an offense line that pounded the Reynoldsburg defense into submission.  Superior conditioning was undoubtedly a big factor in the Massillon win.

After the Tigers took a 9-3 lead into the locker at halftime, Reynoldsburg came out in the 3rd quarter and engineered an 8-play, 80-yard drive to score and go ahead 10-9.  But Camden Beasley came up big and returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown.  It literally broke Reynoldsburg’s back and it was all Massillon after that as they outscored the visitors the rest of the way, 17-6.

Joining the Booster Club members in their weekly meeting were a pair of squad leaders: defensive back / wide receiver / return specialist Austin Brawley and defensive back / wide receiver Kurtis Miller.  Their thoughts and that of Head Coach Nate Moore are as follows:

  • Massillon got the stops they needed to secure the victory.
  • Defense was the key at the start of the season and they played lights out.
  • The offense started out slow, but picked it up in the second half, with the line blocking better.
  • Our conditioning is the best in Ohio.
  • Reynoldsburg had a really good defense.
  • With the offense stymied early, the coach changed for awhile to a 2-tight end, which aided the power run game.
  • The quarterback draw has become a good play.

If you were wondering about the two penalties on the kickoff, here’s the reason.  Players on the kickoff team must now start outside of the 35 yard line.  Once the referee signals the ball in play, no player can step inside the 35.  Unfortunately, two sophomore players did just that.  And that’s the reason.

Player stats:

  • Willtrell Hartson – 28 carries for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns
  • Darrius McElr0y – 4 carries for 25 yards
  • Austin Brawley – 9.0 tackle points (7-4); 39 yard pass interception return for a touchdown; blocked field goal
  • Ryan Zentkovich – 6.0 tackle points (5-2)
  • Jaden Welch – 6.0 tackle points (5-2)
  • Camden Beasley – 81-yard kickoff return for a touchdown

This week Massillon will face Warren Harding for the 86th time.  This is the second longest series for the the Tigers, who hold a 57-25-3 in the series, including wins in the last five games.

The strength of the Harding team is the defense, which boasts several good players.  The defense aligns in a 4-2 box with a lot of cover 3. The line is anchored by a pair of outstanding defense ends in junior Jaden Hudson (6′-2″, 210) and Kincaid Tyson (6′-1″, 220).  Tyson, a 2-year returning starter,  is fast, tough and comes off the ball well. These guys will be a challenge for our tackles fullbacks.

At linebacker look for senior Davontae McElroy (6′-1″, 195), a 2-year returning starter.  Both cornerbacks are good cover guys.  senior Brysen Powell (6′-5. 155″) is really aggressive.  The edge guys in the cover-3 are both solid players.  The group is led by senior Anthony Dukes (5′-9″, 175).

Offensively, Warren’s formations will look a lot like Massillon’s; i.e., quarterback in the shotgun, a single running back, a fullback near the line and three wide receivers.  They run similar plays with a lot of zone blocking.  Not much power blocking.  The main difference is that the key to their success lies with senior Dom Foster (6′-2″, 170), who started at wide receiver last year and will be headed to Syracuse next year.  A very athletic player, his forte is more in the run game than the passing game.  At times, junior Dalys Jett (5′-9″, 160) will replace him in passing situations, with Foster moving to wide receiver.

The best lineman is senior Davelle Trimble (6′-0″, 275), a 2-year returning starter, who Moore calls a really good player. The running back is senior Brysen Powell (5′-7″, 155).  He is speedy and more of a scatback.  Likes to get to the outside. The wide receivers are a good group, led by senior Tyriq Ivory (6′-2″, 170).

See you in Warren.  Go Tigers!

Obie Logo (Large)

2021: Massillon 41, Reynoldsburg 22

Chris Easterling, The Independent

Ohio State football coach watches Willtrell Hartson key Massillon in win over Reynoldsburg

MASSILLON – Massillon has gotten good at being a second-half team.

A week ago against GlenOak, the Tigers took a two-score game at the half and turned it into a 34-point win. On Friday night, they decided to unleash a little more of that post-intermission magic to turn an even closer game into a second consecutive rout.

Massillon scored 32 second-half points to run away from visiting Reynoldsburg 41-22 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Over the last two weeks now, the Tigers have outscored their opponents 53-19 in the second half.

“I think ever since our freshman year, we’ve been a second-half team,” said senior Cam Beasley, whose 81-yard kickoff return with 7:08 left in the third quarter helped give Massillon the lead for good at 17-10. “Teams have scored on us, but when it comes to the second half, we just take off. That’s when we get our most energy. We get fired up.”Beasley was the spark to start the Tigers’ fire, both before and after the intermission. His only carry of the game, a 7-yard touchdown run with 47 seconds left in the first half, provided a 9-3 halftime lead.

Then, after Dijon Jennings’ 19-yard TD run provided Reynoldsburg with the lead, Beasley fielded a short kickoff, got out of the grasp of one defender and raced virtually untouched to the end zone for the go-ahead score. Darrius McElroy provided the two-point conversion for a seven-point lead.

“We weren’t supposed to kick it where we kicked it, but we did,” said Reynoldsburg coach Buddy White, whose 0-3 team also held a 3-0 lead after one quarter. “The guy broke the tackle and there was nobody there. They took the momentum right back and they weren’t going to let it go.”

That’s because Massillon had two things to help it slam the door shut. One was running back Willtrell Hartson, and the other was its defense.

With Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford in attendance, Hartson once again put on his own second-half showcase. The junior ran 151 of his 223 yards in the second half, including TD runs of 9 and 44 yards.

It’s the second week in a row Hartson has posted a big second half. Against GlenOak last week, he ran for 100 of his 167 yards after the break.

“It’s all those 110s (strength coach Dan) Studer had those guys run every Friday this summer,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, whose 2-1 team heads to Warren Harding next Friday. “That’s what that comes down to.”

The 223 rushing yards for Hartson is his second-best total as a Tiger. He set the single-game school record with 324 yards in a regional-semifinal win over another Columbus-area school, Westerville South, last year.

What Beasley and Hartson started, Massillon’s defense finished off. While Jennings was able to throw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Markez Gillum and run for a 17-yard score in the fourth quarter, neither of those were able to put much of a dent in the Tigers’ second-half burst.

In between those two scores, Massillon put up 17 consecutive points. That was capped by Austin Brawley’s 39-yard interception return for a score with 7:44 remaining.

“Our kids played their tails off,” said Moore, whose team gave up 270 passing yards to Jennings, who was 28-of-45 throwing the ball. “We have a great defensive staff. … Our kids trust our coaching staff and play hard for them and we try to do the very best that we can to put them in great positions. We’ve got a lot of good things going.”

That’s especially true once the game gets into the second half.

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

Obie Logo (Large)

2021 Booster Club Report – Week 2

Massillon picked up its first win of the season and evened the slate at 1-1 with a 34-0 thumping of Canton GlenOak.  Next up is home game against Reynoldsburg, with the kickoff slated for 7:30 pm.

  • 7th Grade (2-0): Defeated Warren, 28-16.  Plays Akron East 8th Grade at home (PBTS) on Wednesday, September 1, at 6:00 pm (schedule change)
  • 8th Grade (2-0): Defeated Cleveland Heights Roxboro, 40-6.  Plays Oakwood away on Wednesday, September 1 a6 6:00 pm (schedule change)
  • 9th Grade (2-0): Defeated Canton GlenOak, 18-14.  Plays Louisville away on Thursday, September 2 at 6:00 pm.
  • JV (1-1): Defeated Canton GlenOak, 47-0.  The “A” team plays Canton McKinley at home on Monday, September 6 at noon; the “B” team plays  Louisville at home on Saturday, September 4 at 10:00 am.

GlenOak (1-1), under new / returning head coach Scott Garcia, is in the process of putting the program back together and they provided a good test for Massillon’s  young offense.  The Tigers netted just one touchdown and a pair field goals to take a slim 13-0 lead into the lockeroom and needed to execute the 2-minute drill perfectly in order to grab the lone TD.  Fortunately, Massillon was able to break it open in the second half with three scores, one coming via a punt return.  Meanwhile, the Eagle offense struggled to move the ball against a stout Tiger defense and finished the game with just 66 yards of total offense, 48 on the ground and 18 in the air on 3 of 13 completions.  In fact, GlenOak never passed midfield throughout the game.

‘It was a great day to be a Tiger,” said Head Coach Nate Moore about the victory over GlenOak.  “The offense got it going from the last drive of the first half.  They had a nice plan against us defensively; 11 guys playing the run.”  But in the second half, as quarterback Darrius McElroy began to fine the range, the Eagles were forced to respect the pass a bit more and that provided additional opportunities for the Massillon run game.  “Our defense played really well for the second week in a row,” Moore added.  “We feel really good the way we’re going.”

Moore also talked about several players emerging from the sophomore group that were able to contribute at the varsity level, this from a class that was thought not to be exceptionally talented.  “We’re playing a lot of young kids and they’re going to get better and better,” he said.

Four unit leaders were on hand, including senior running back / outside linebacker Camden Beasley, senior inside linebacker Nathan DePuy, senior wide receiver / safety Austin Brawley  and senior wide receiver / cornerback Kurtis Miller.  The four addressed several questions from the Booster Club members and noted the following:

  • The defense played “lights out.”
  • They met the challenge of holding GlenOak under 100 yards.
  • Reynoldsburg is really fast.
  • The offense needs to get rolling early.

Player stats:

  • Willtrell Hartson: 21 carries for 167 yards and a touchdown.
  • Darrius McElroy: 8 carries for 36 yards and a touchdown; 12 for 21 passing for 116 yards and a touchdown.
  • Kurtis Miller: 6 receptions for 35 yards.
  • Zach Liebler: 4 receptions for 30 yards.
  • Camden Beasley: 6.0 tackle points (5-2)
  • Austin Brawley: 5 punt returns for 140 yards and a touchdown.

This week’s opponent is Reynoldsburg (0-2), which will be a first-time opponent for the Tigers.  They play in the same league division as Pickerington Central.  In week one the Raiders lost to Upper Arlington 42-41 and last week they dropped a close one to Huber Heights Wayne, 17-15, in a game that was decided in the final minutes.

Expect to see a large number of athletes on the field come Friday, especially on offense, which appears to be their strength.  In fact, according to the Massillon coach, Reynoldsburg has 3 or 4 players that are being sought after by Power-5 colleges.

Offensively, they run out of the spread 90% of the time.  They will also throw in some 2-back and 3-back sets.  The best player is senior quarterback Dijon Jennings (6′-1″, 185), who is a returning starter.  He is adept at scrambling and is effective both running and throwing the ball on the run.  Definitely a play-maker.  Moore said that he is the best QB the Tigers have faced this year.

The running back is senior Zion Jackson-Wilborn (5′-11″, 210).  He handles the position decently and is physical.  The line in front of him is considered average, but senior guard Caleb Turner (6′-1″, 330) is a powerful player.  The wide receivers are all excellent.  The fastest is senior Markez Gillam (5′-5″, 155), who runs a 4.3 forty.

The defensive line, in their 4-3 alignment, is the strength on that side of the ball.  The best player is senior 2-year returning starter Keyshaun Slaughter (6′-2″, 345).  While the linebacker corps is average, it is supported by a very good secondary.  Junior safety Alex Crump-Whitson (6′-0″, 185) is extremely fast and can cover a lot of ground.

“This is a good football team,” said Nate Moore.  Massillon will need to exploit a defense that has shown some vulnerability to the run and minimize the big plays while on the other side of the ball.  Let’s hope this one doesn’t turn into a track meet.

The meeting next week will be at the Eagles 190.

Go Tigers!

Obie Logo (Large)

2021: Massillon 34, Canton GlenOak 0

Chris Easterling, The Independent

Darrius McElroy, Willtrell Hartson help Massillon offense come alive to roll past GlenOak

MASSILLON — It sometimes just takes a little two-minute drill to get an offense going.

Massillon had only mustered a pair of field goals over the first 22 minutes of Friday night’s home game against GlenOak. But over the final two minutes of the first half, the Tiger offense came alive, and the Golden Eagles were doomed.

Two touchdowns sandwiched around halftime helped Massillon turn a one-score game into a rout as it rolled to a 34-0 win over GlenOak at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

“I thought that last drive was very important,” said Tigers senior quarterback Darrius McElroy, whose 1-yard run and 47-yard pass to Ardell Banks turned a 6-0 lead into a 20-0 third-quarter edge. “We needed to do that to start that second half off strong. I felt like that last drive where we scored, we really needed that energy to finish off the game.”

McElroy, in particular, found his rhythm on the last first-half drive, which started with 1:56 remaining. He hit his first five passes of the drive for 37 yards to move the Tigers to the GlenOak 15.

McElroy also ran it eight times for 36 yards on the night. Two of those carries and 15 of those yards, as well as his only score, came on that final first-half possessionWe’re just going to continue to get better,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, whose 1-1 team hosts Reynoldsburg next Friday. “That’s what happens with a young team and new starters and all that who are playing varsity football for the first time. It was a good job.”

The last drive of the first half also loosened up the GlenOak defense for Massillon. Much like Pickerington Central did a week earlier, the Golden Eagles obviously keyed on Tiger running back Willtrell Hartson until they were certain the passing game was able to hurt them.

Hartson still ran for 67 yards on 10 first-half carries, which helped to set up a pair of Shane Rue field goals. Once McElroy found the rhythm and GlenOak started to come out of the box more, the junior running back took off.

Hartson finished with 167 yards on 21 carries, rushing for an even 100 on 11 second-half carries. He opened the fourth quarter with a 1-yard run for a 27-0 Massillon lead.

“We got outside zone going there a little bit, which is good to see,” said Moore, whose team also got a 78-yard punt return for a score by Austin Brawley in the fourth quarter.. “We were able to hit a little play-action, which was good.”

Up until that final first-half drive, GlenOak had the game at its pace. The only problem for the Golden Eagles was their own inability to get any drive going.

GlenOak had just one first down and 25 net yards in the first half. It finished with four first downs and 66 net yards, and never got any closer to Massillon territory than its own 47 midway through the second quarter.

“I thought our kids played hard in the first half,” said Golden Eagles coach Scott Garcia, whose 1-1 team plays Austintown Fitch next Friday. “In the second half, I was disappointed in our effort. Our effort was awful in the second half. We’ve got to get that fixed.”

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

Obie Logo (Large)

2021 Booster Club Report – Week 1

Massillon opened the season with a 26-7 loss to Pickerington Central.  Central was the Division 1 runner-up in 2020.  Next up is a home game against Canton GlenOak, with the kickoff slated for 7:30 pm.

  • 7th Grade (1-0): Defeated Canal Fulton Northwest, 34-18.  Plays Warren at home (PBTS) on Tuesday, August 24, at 6:00 pm (schedule change)
  • 8th Grade (1-0): Defeated Canal Fulton Northwest, 30-0.  Plays Cleveland Heights Roxboro at home (MMS) on Wednesday, August 25 a6 6:00 pm (schedule change)
  • 9th Grade (1-0): Defeated Pickerington Central, 17-3.  Plays Canton GlenOak home on Thursday, August 25 at 6:00 pm (location change).
  • JV (0-1): Lost to Pickerington Central, 14-12.  Plays Canton GlenOak away on Saturday, August 27 at 10:00 am.

“It wasn’t the outcome we wanted, but we got a lot of feedback,” said Head Coach Nate Moore.  “Our kids played their tails off.  The defense played a great game against a very good team.”

Under Moore the Tigers have traditionally opened with strong competition in order to expose their weaknesses and correct them before they get too far into the season.  Pickerington Central, with several potential collegiate Division 1 players on hand, provided just such a test.  Moore said that in spite of a disappointing outcome, there were a lot of good takeaways.  And he was certainly not disappointed in the play of the kids.

Four unit leaders were on hand, including senior running back / outside linebacker Camden Beasley, senior wide receiver / safety Austin Brawley, senior inside linebacker Nathan DePuy and senior long snapper / co-captain Dominic Salvino.  The four addressed many questions from the Booster Club members and noted the following:

  • It was a very physical game.
  • In spite of seemingly adequate hydration and pickle juice, still several players still suffered from cramps.
  • There were just a few plays that made the difference in the final outcome.
  • They need to fix the mistakes.
  • They were pumped up by the big crowd, something that was lacking last season due to the Covid Pandemic.
  • The goal line stand was the highlight of the defensive effort.

Coach Moore noted during the film  session that Pickerington running back Olando Kamara was exceptional and ran behind a really big offensive line.  On offense, the coaches knew it would be difficult to protect the quarterback against such a great front-7, but quarterback Darrius McElroy did a tremendous job taking care of the ball.  Moore also singled out the play of several starting underclassmen.

Player stats:

  • Willtrell Hartson: 14 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown.
  • Camden Beasley: 7 carries for 28 yards.
  • Ressieo Kirksey: 8.5 tackle points, including a tackle for loss
  • Jaden Welch: 8.0 tackle points, including an interception and return for 32 yards
  • Austin Brawley: 7.5 tackle points, including a tackle for  loss

GlenOak, next week’s opponent, returns to the schedule after a 1-year absence, now under the guidance of Scott Garcia, who coached there previously.  Last Friday they defeated Shaker Heights 31-22, recording their first victory since the first game of the 2019 season.  This will be the 17th meeting of these two teams, with Massillon owning a 16-4 advantage in the series.  In 2019 the Tigers came out on top, 55-13.

Offensively, the Eagles operate out of a 2-back set, but will throw in some spread and wildcat.  Also, look for some buck sweeps, screens and deep passes.  The best player on this side of the ball is senior quarterback Isaiah Knox, a 2-year starter.  Keep an eye on Avantae Burt, who tops the group in skill level.  The line has three underclassmen.

The defense will align in a 3-4 with cover-4 and some press coverage.  Nearly every player on the defensive side also sees significant time on offense, indicating a lack of depth, which may be a factor Friday in the hot weather.

Go Tigers!

 

Obie Logo (Large)

2021: Pickerington Central 26, Massillon 7

GAME STATS

Chris Easterling, The Independent

Pickerington Central football pulls away from Massillon in battle of state runners-up

MASSILLON – No football teams in Ohio may better understand the need to not overreact to opening night than the two teams that squared off on Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

Between Massillon and Pickerington Central, the teams had made a combined nine state semifinals and six title games over the last five years. That includes both teams reaching their respective championship games a year ago, the former in Division II and the latter in Division I.

So as both teams walked off the field after Pickerington Central’s 26-7 win, there was a sense of perspective from both sides. That perspective was simple: It’s not just about Week 1; it’s about 15 weeks.

“It’s just got to be process-driven” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, whose team was tied at 7-7 midway through the second quarter. “We’re a process-driven program. We prefer to have positive outcomes at the end of games, but we’re worried about the process. We have to move on from this fast. We want to have the best practice we’ve ever had on Monday.”

The words spoken by the orange-and-black clad Tigers was really no different from those spoken by the purple-and-white clad Tigers. That’s even after Pickerington Central ended the game on a 19-0 run and finished with a 343-135 edge in total yards.

Tyler Gillison, who gave Pickerington Central a 7-0 lead on a 20-yard touchdown catch on fourth down late in the first quarter, may have summed it up best. For the victors, it’s not about winning a game in Stark County in August, but winning one here in December.

“It gets us ready for the playoffs,” said Gillison, who had a key fumble recovery early in the fourth quarter as well. “Our first four games this year, they’re really going to test us this year. It’s just going to get us ready for the playoffs.”

For Massillon, the challenge was two-fold. Part of it was playing an ultra-talented Pickerington Central team that has at least a half-dozen Division I college recruits.

The other part was essentially breaking in 18 new starters on either side of the ball. Yet, for all of that relative inexperience, it was just a handful of plays on either side of the ball that separated it from a different outcome.

That was especially true of Massillon’s defense. It came up with a huge goal-line stand in the second quarter and, despite allowing 178 rushing yards to Orlando Kamara, limited Pickerington Central to just 2-of-12 on third-down conversions.

On offense, Massillon reached the other side of the 50 four times during the course of the evening. Its downfall proved to be a pair of fumbles lost, which led to 10 Pickerington Central points.

Massillon also was dropped for a safety on the second play after it stopped Pickerington Central at the goal line. That provided a 9-7 lead with 6:18 left in the first half.

“Our kids played hard, on both sides of the ball,” said Moore, whose team tied the game at 7-7 on Willtrell Hartson’s 1-yard run 59 seconds into the second quarter. “Our kids played hard. There’s some hitting going on out there, some great solo tackles. … A lot of flashes of really good football. Just not enough.”

Both teams started new quarterbacks: Darrius McElroy for Massillon and Braden Mantooth for Pickerington Central. McElroy provided some effective yards on the ground, netting 25 rushing yards despite having to handle multiple tough snaps.

Mantooth, meanwhile, threw for a pair of touchdowns as part of his 104-yard passing night. His 26-yard strike to Kobi Gorman on the final play of the third quarter opened up a 16-7 lead.

Mantooth also added a 1-yard fourth-quarter run. He ran for 27 yards.

“I felt really confident with him,” Pickerington Central coach Jay Sharrett said. “… In high school football, we didn’t fumble any quarterback-center exchanges. You take them for granted, but when you’re in a hard-hitting game like this, that’s the No. 1 thing. He made some good checks at the line and we’re 1-0.”

One game. One win for one team, one loss for the other. For both, though, nothing more and nothing less.

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

Obie Logo (Large)

Pickerington Central Game Preview

Massillon vs. Pickerington Central

  • Friday, August 20, 7:30 pm
  • Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
  • Internet broadcast via Washington High School (access link through massillontigers.com)
  • Plenty of tickets available at the gate

Massillon Head Coach: Nate Moore

  • 7th season
  • Record at Massillon: Regular season 44-12, playoffs 16-5, total 60-17 (.779)
  • Won Division 2 State Championship in 2014 while coaching Cincinnati LaSalle

Pickerington Central Head Coach: Jay Sherrett

  • 19th season
  • Record at Central: Regular season 151-26, playoffs 40-15; total 191-41 (.823)
  • Named head coach in 2003 after Pickerington HS split into two schools, Central and North

Massillon’s recent success

  • Division 2 state finalist in 2018, 2019 and 2020; regional champion in 2017
  • 2020 Results: 10-2 record; Division 2 finalist; lost to Akron Hoban 35-6
  • Defeated East St. Louis (IL) in 2018, Akron Hoban in 2019 and Cincinnati LaSalle in 2020; won the last five games against Canton McKinley
  • 31-game winning streak against public schools, longest in the state in D1 and D2.  Includes wins over Canton McKinley (3), Winton Woods, East St. Louis, Penn Trafford (PA), Gateway (PA) and Avon.  Last loss was in 2017 to Winton Woods.

Pickerington Central’s recent success

  • Division 1 state champion in 2017 and 2019; state finalist in 2020; regional champion in 2016 and 2018
  • 2020 results: 11-1 record; Division 1 finalist; lost to Cincinnati St. Xavier 44-3
  • Defeated Cincinnati Elder in 2016 and 2019, Mentor in 2017, 2019 and 2020, Huber Heights Wayne in 2016, Colerain in 2017 and Hilliard Davidson twice in 2018.
  • 21-game winning streak against public schools, second longest in the state in D1 and D2.  Includes a pair of wins against Mentor.  Last loss was in 2019 to Groveport Madison.

Massillon key players

  • Willtrell Hartson: 5’-10”, 195 lb. junior running back; returning starter on offense; 138 carries for 1,111 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2020; named Honorable Mention All-Ohio; several Division 1 offers
  • Austin Brawley: 5’-9”, 190 lb. senior, safety / wide receiver; returning starter on defense; 2nd in tackle points in 2020 with 47.5; 5 receptions for 125 yards
  • Toddrick Lee: 6’-2”, 250 lb. senior, offensive tackle; returning starter
  • Jaiden Woods: 5’-10”, 260 lb. senior, offensive center; returning starter
  • Te’Jamere Nash: 6’-3”, 305 lb. senior, offensive tackle; returning part-time starter
  • Riley Campbell: 6’-3”, 210 lb. senior, wide receiver / outside linebacker; transfer from Canton Central; leading receiver with 37 receptions; 2nd Team Division 6 All-Ohio at linebacker
  • Marcus Moore: 6’-2”, 340 lb. junior, defensive lineman; transfer from Beachwood; 3rd Team Division 5 All-Ohio
  • Freddie Lenix: 5’-10”, 180 lb. junior, wide receiver / cornerback
  • Camden Beasley: 6’-2”, 190 lb. senior, backup running back / outside linebacker; 44 carries for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns

Pickerington Central key players

  • Olando Kamara: 5’-11”, 205 lb. running back
  • Kobe Asamoah: 6’-4”, 295 lb., senior offensive lineman; 3 star recruit
  • Alex Styles: 6′-4″, 215 lb. junior defensive back; 5-star recruit
  • C.J. Doggette: 6’-2”, 285 lb. senior defensive lineman / wide receiver; Honorable Mention All-Ohio; 3-star recruit
  • Kobi Gorman: 6’-0”, 260 lb. junior defensive lineman
  • Reece Brancifort: 6’-0”, 195 lb. senior inside linebacker
  • Tyler Gillson: 6’-4”, 245 lb. senior defensive lineman / running back; 3-star recruit
  • Dakari Frazier: 6’-4”, 245 lb. senior defensive lineman / wide receiver; 3 star recruit

Massillon offense

  • A few starters return, mostly on the line; rebuilding the wide receiver corp.
  • 1,000+ rusher returns
  • Skill players talented, but lacking varsity game experience
  • Big, experienced offensive line
  • Offensive line / running back is the strength
  • Spread formation
  • Run first
  • Power and zone blocking

Massillon defense

  • Only one returning starter, at safety
  • Talented group, but lacking varsity experience
  • Potential to be strong across the board
  • 3-4 alignment; some 4-3
  • Some secondary cover-2, some cover-4

Pickerington Central offense

  • Lost nearly the entire offense from last year
  • Unbalanced line
  • Run first
  • Quarterback under center, occasionally in shotgun
  • 1-back and 2-back sets; some double wing
  • Mostly power and zone blocking; some draw plays; some jet sweeps
  • Quarterback will have designed runs from the shotgun
  • Good sized line

Pickerington Central defense

  • Returns several very good players within the front seven
  • Secondary is new
  • 3-4 alignment
  • Press coverage on all receivers; DBs play back on trips
  • Inside linebackers play close to the line; one middle linebacker blitzes on nearly every play
  • Good size and team speed

Keys to success for Massillon

  • Establish the run by winning the battle between the offensive line and Central’s defensive front seven.
  • Play from in front on the scoreboard; neither team may have the firepower at this point in the season to come from behind.
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

Booster Club Meetings to Get Underway

The first weekly Booster Club meeting will be held on Monday, August 23, at 7:00 pm at Eagles 190.  The meeting is open to all who have purchased a Booster Club membership, which can be obtained at the door.

The first weekly Touchdown Club meeting will be held on Tuesday August 17, at 11:30 am at Eagles 190.  The meeting is open to the general public for a seasonal fee of $25 and a weekly lunch fee of $10.  The only exception is the Beat McKinley lunch, which costs $12.  At the end of the season, the Touchdown Club presents the Bob Commings Memorial Hardnose Award to a deserving player on the basis of member votes that are tallied at the lunches.

Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore will speak at each meeting, often accompanied by several team co-captains.  Game highlight films are narrated by the coach at the Booster Club meetings only.