Massillon Battles St. Xavier to a Draw in Scrimmage…

Two of Ohio’s high school football powers knocked heads in Cincinnati on Thursday in the final tune-up before the start of the 2021 season.  It was an abbreviated affair, most likely due to the 95-degree weather, with each team running two series of 10 plays each.  But next week it gets serious, with the Tigers hosting 2020 Division 1 state finalist Pickerington Central and the Bombers facing Queen City contender Lakota West, a team Xavier beat last year in their regional finals, 10-7.

Massillon was the Division 2 state finalist in each of the past three years and currently holds a 31-game winning streak against public schools.  St. Xavier, on the other hand, captured the Division 1 state championship last year.  These two teams last met In 2005 at Fawcett Stadium to decide the D1 title, with X winning by a touchdown.

The Tiger offense took the field first, starting at their own 35 and advanced to their own 49 before being forced to punt.  But the second try started off with a bang.  Returning running back Willtrell Hartson, who showed flashes of brilliance throughout the second half of last year’s season, broke through the line on the first play for 50 yards and wasn’t caught on a shoestring tackle until he reached the Xavier 15.  The next play netted just two yards and a second down pass fell incomplete.  On third and eight the Tigers opted for a run, but gained just five yards.  So they settled for a 25-yard field goal by freshman Nolan Hendricks.

St. X came right back with a 9-play, 48-yard drive that ended in a 27 field goal.  The big play was a screen pass while the Tigers were in an all-out blitz that advanced the ball from the Massillon 32 to 12 yard line.  But the Tigers stiffened at that point to force the kick.

Massillon’s third series ended after six plays with a punt from their own 49 and the final series ended at the Xavier 41 when they ran out of plays.

Meanwhile, Xavier drove to the Massillon 26, but also used up their allotment of ten plays.

Statistics wise, Massillon’s running backs gained 67 yards in 7 carries (9.6 ave.).  Quarterback Darrius McElroy completed 2 of 6 passes for 27 yards and was sacked three times.  Total yardage was 94.

St. Xavier’s backs gained 43 yards in 9 carries (4.8 ave.).  Their quarterback completed 6 of 9 passes for 78 yards.  Total yardage was 121.

On offense, Massillon struggled to get the running game going against the Bomber 3-3 odd stack defense, except for on Hartson’s long run.  The passing game was a struggle with the receivers needing to fight through press coverage by the cornerbacks.  In addition, for the second week in a row, the offensive line was unable to keep the defensive linemen and blitzers at bay, which prevented the quarterback from settling in to make good throws.

Defensively, the Tigers played very vanilla, with a cover-4 secondary against what is perhaps the most potent offense in the state.  For example, last year St. X with their vaunted passing game put up 62 points on St. Ignatius the week after Massillon beat the Wildcats 21-14.  With eight returning starters, including their quarterback and entire line, they run a fast-pace offense with multiple formations and plays, and looked the part of a polished team all day.  Nevertheless, the Tigers held their own against this challenge.

Now Massillon must take what they have learned from these first two outings and improve on any obvious shortcomings.  They can also now game-plan for specific opponents, something that wasn’t the case for the scrimmages.

Following the first team work, Massillon had a chance to run several plays using the second team offense.  Freshmen quarterback Jalen Slaughter was one for four for 15 yards, including one sack.  The run game produced 16 yards in 7 attempts.

The junior varsity was bested 14-7, with both teams scoring on long drives and St. Xavier also scoring on a long pass play.

The freshmen continue to show great potential as they defeated the Bombers 28-0.

Massillon Opens the Preseason with the Annual Avon Scrimmage

It’s early, early in this new season and teams are just now learning what a football looks like.  But that didn’t stop Massillon and Avon from getting together to knock heads, something they’ve been doing for several years now in a first scrimmage venue. This time Avon was the host.

Both teams have achieved much success over the past few years, something that always bills this matchup as a good one.  The Tigers have played in the Division 2 state finals in each of the past three years and the Eagles have won four straight regional titles in the same division.  Therefore, this scrimmage gives head coaches Nate Moore and Mike Elder excellent first looks at their players against worthy opposition in order to figure out who their starters and backups will be.

The format for most of the scrimmage was such that each team ran ten plays, commencing at their own 25 yard line.  If a fourth down play was called for, the team either punted or attempted a field goal and then returned to the 25 until the plays were exhausted.  Throughout the affair both coaches mixed up their first and second units.  The 3^rd and 4^th played later.  Here’s a breakdown of the series for each team:

Massillon

• Darrius McElroy at quarterback.  Advanced to the Avon 12.  Field goal was wide.  Willtrell Hartson was running very effectively during this drive.
• QB Jalen Slaughter connected with Austin Brawley in the corner of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown pass.  Vinny Keller kicked the extra point.  The play was set up by fine end around run by Freddie Lenix, Jr.
• Ran a couple more plays to end the series.
• McElroy now at QB.  Advanced to their own 30 and punted.
• Advanced to their own 39 and punted.
• Threw a 60-yard pass interception.
• Slaughter at QB.  Brawley ran an end around for 74 yards and touchdown, but it was called back for holding.  Punted from the 22.
• Intercepted pass.
• Advanced to their own 40 and ran out of plays.
• McElroy at QB.  Advanced to their own 36 and punted.
• Advanced to the Avon 8 and ran out of plays.  Keller kicked a 25-yard field goal.  However, Avon was called for offsides, which negated the play.  On the next try the same player was offsides, but the penalty was not called by the referee.  The kick was wide owing to the interference of the player who was now literally standing next to the holder as Keller kicked the ball.
• Slaughter at QB.  Advanced to the Avon 49 and punted.
• Slaughter threw a 76-yard touchdown pass to Riley Campbell, who had separated from the defender.  He gathered the ball at midfield and then outraced the Avon secondary to the end zone.  Keller kicked the PAT.
• Total points scored: 14

Avon

• Advanced to their own 33 and punted.
• Advanced to the Massillon 40 and ran out of plays.
• Advanced to the Massillon 19 and missed a field goal.  Lots of short passes underneath the coverage.  Had difficulty running the ball.
• Advanced to their own 39 and punted.
• No gain and ran out of plays.
• Advanced to the Massillon 29 and kicked a 46-yard field goal.  Advanced to their own 31 and punted.
• Advanced to the Massillon 45 and ran out of plays.
• Total points scored: 3

Each team then ran one series starting at the opponent’s 40.

Massillon

• McElroy hit Brawley on a 34-yard TD pass.

Avon

• Kicked a 21-yard field goal.

Each team finished with a two series each starting at the opponent’s 20.

Massillon

• Hartson scored on a 5-yard run, untouched as he sped through the line.  Keller’s PAT attempt was good.
• McElroy tossed a 20-yard pass to wide open Campbell for a touchdown.  Keller again kicked the extra point.

Avon

• Failed to move the ball.
• Kicked a 29-yard field goal.

Observations:

• Rushing offense – The backs used the most were Hartson, Camden Beasley and Ressieo Kirksey.  All ran hard and the line blocked for them very well given this early in the season.
• Passing offense – Both McElroy and Slaughter had their moments, but pass completions were not the main contributors to the offensive production.  McElroy curtainly has the long arm, which bodes well down the road for quick touchdowns.  And the faster Slaughter, while only a freshman, showed a lot of poise and made a few big plays with his arm.  Brawley showed that he will give secondaries fits.  The 6’-4” Campbell also appears to be a good target.  Look for these two to dominate the stats, depending on whether someone else steps up.
• Rushing defense – The middle was completely clogged up for Avon.  What little success they had came around the end, but only when a defensive back missed a tackle or two.
• Passing defense – This area will take some time.  Granted most of the short passes are surrendered by design, the middle seemed to be a good target for Avon and this will need to be shored up.  Also, Avon dropped a couple of longer passes, which might have resulted in touchdowns.  Time will improve this, as the secondary certainly has the talent.
• Kicking game – McElroy as a punter is not Magnus Haines in any way, but he is effective and did get one boomer off during the scrimmage.  Keller is consistent with his extra points and the sophomore will only get stronger with kickoffs and field goal attempts as he gets older.

Next up is a Thursday scrimmage at Cincinnati St. Xavier, the 2020 Division 1 state champions.  Start time is 2:00 pm.

Willtrell Hartson sprints into the Avon secondary.

Ardell Banks goes high for the long pass against the Avon defender.

Quarterback Darrius McElroy lets loose from the pocket.

Austin Brawley completes a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Slaughter.

WHS Continues to Expand Its Sports Hall

Massillon residents are quite aware that athletics are a big deal at Washington High School, particularly when it comes to football, which owns 24 state and 9 national championships and is considered as an annual contender to win another.  The tradition of the sport is lengthy, encompassing a time span of over 120 years, and many Tiger fans are eager to protect and maintain it.  So what better place to demonstrate that to the public but in the athletic wing of the high school.  There fans will have an opportunity to witness the ever growing displays that honor the great players and coaches of Massillon’s past.

The recent additions to the sports hall are just the start of what is envisioned to become a massive exhibit.  It all started during the initial construction of the high school with traditional trophy cases.  Next came the Wall of Champions with the large painted portraits of their inductees, later to be replaced by commemorative plaques.  Then the Massillon Football Hall of Fame was born, with additional plaques for those honorees.  Now, during the past few months, there have been two new additions.  The first was display cases for a large collection of footballs that were actually used during some of Massillon’s big wins.  And just recently, there hangs a massive Tiger flag that has a unique history of its own.

The Massillon Football Museum has been home to around fifty special footballs from past games, many dating back to the 1940s and 1950s.  But until this year very few fans have had the opportunity to view them.  Now, with the addition of several display cases, many of the balls can be viewed.  And more balls will be included as display cases are added.  The display cases have been installed in the hallway that connects the high school to the indoor facility.

In 1938, during Paul Brown’s coaching tenure in Massillon, an avid fan constructed a 15’ x 8.5’ applique flag to celebrate Brown’s achievements.  On the flag was stitched a running tiger and the years in which Brown won state championships, later adding the same award earned under Coach Bud Houghton.  The last time the flag was seen was in 1942 when it flew from a flag pole during the Massillon-McKinley game, the day the Bulldogs snapped Massillon’s 52-game win streak.  It was alleged that two former Canton players snatched the flag after the game and hid it in an attic in Canton.  Later, Dr. David Leffler, a student at the time, informed police that after the flag was removed from the flag pole, it was ripped from his arms by a “Canton fan.”  When the thievery went public, the deviant panicked and moved the flag to Youngstown, where it was eventually hung on the wall of a local lawyer.  It took a long time to locate the flag, but in 1987 its whereabouts were finally discovered and the flag then promptly returned without penalty.  Until recently it in hung in the basement of the old Massillon Post Office, which serves as the home of the Football Museum.

Through a tremendous effort of many volunteers and commercial organizations, the flag has been preserved and is now on display to the public for the first time in 79 years.  Framed and behind a protective plexiglass cover, the flag can be viewed in the hallway that connects the high school to the indoor facility.  Below is a list of the project participants:

• The Massillon Museum – Alex Nicholis Coon, Director of the Museum, and Bailey Yoder, Curator of Football Heritage, provided general management of the project as part of their relationship with the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club and their ownership of the Paul Brown Museum.
• Museum Acrylics of New Philadelphia – Breanna Skelton assisted the Massillon Museum with conservation and preservation.  Jointly, over 100 hours were invested in this effort.   Owner George Lawrence provided engineering design and production of the display case.  He also directed the installation, a process that involved dozens of steps and was executed flawlessly.
• Massillon Plaque – Neal Hodgkiss conducted design consultation with both Gary Vogt (Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club and Massillon Football Museum) and long-time Massillon football supporter Dave Weaver.
• Washington High School – Nate Moore and Brian Pachis approved the installation and determined the display location.
• Massillon Tiger Football Team – The following players provided the heavy lifting during the installation:  Reece Turpin, Caden Edwards, Te’jamere Nash, Marcus Moore, Toddrick Lee, Nick Hathaway and Sam Snodgrass.

All of this could not have been done without the backing of Mr. Dave Weaver, who has been instrumental through his vision and support throughout the construction of the sports hall.  The installation of the football cases and flag are a continuation of his plan over the next few years to fill the hallway with sports displays.  In fact he plans to expand next into the hall adjacent to the weight room.  It is within this latter area that the Wall of Champion photos will be rehung.  He also envisions a section honoring all Tiger football players that suited up professionally.

More good things to come.  Be sure to stop by the next time you are in the high school.

The crew in front of the finished product (Gift of Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club (2014.39.212) Collection of the Massillon Museum)

Massillon Will Remain in the Columbus Region for the…

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) has released its preliminary regional post-season playoff assignments for the 2021 season.  Massillon will remain in Region 7, which is the region associated primarily with teams from the Columbus area.  Also, all teams across the state will stay in their respective divisions as assigned in 2020, which for Massillon is Division 2.  In 2022 the divisions will be reassessed.

Last season the Tigers captured their 14th regional crown, then defeated Cincinnati LaSalle in the state semifinals, while losing the Akron Hoban in the finals.  It was Massillon’s third consecutive trip the Division 2 state finals and 6th state finals historically.

There are 25 teams in Region 7, with 16 qualifying for post-season play.  The teams include the following:

From the Massillon area:

• Massillon Washington
• Massillon Perry
• North Canton Hoover
• Uniontown Lake
• Green

From the Columbus area:

• Westerville South
• Worthington Kilbourne
• Olentangy
• Olentangy Berlin
• Dublin Scioto
• Big Walnut
• Mount Vernon
• Canal Winchester
• Watkins Memorial
• Columbus St. Charles
• Columbus Independence
• Columbus Mifflin
• Columbus Northland
• Columbus Walnut Ridge
• Columbus Whetstone
• Columbus Whitehall – Yearling

From other areas:

• Wooster
• Licking Heights
• Marion Harding
• Logan

Region 5 includes Akron Hoban, Cleveland Benedictine, Hudson, Mayfield, Austintown Fitch, Walsh Jesuit and Warren Harding.  Region 6 includes Avon, Avon Lake, Barberton, Wadsworth, Toledo Central Catholic, Toledo St. Francis and Toledo St. John’s.  Region 8 includes Cincinnati LaSalle, Cincinnati Winton Woods and Kings.

Massillon will once again feature a very competitive schedule, opening on Friday August 20 at home against Pickerington Central, the 2019 Division 1 state champs and 2020 Division 1 state finalist.  Other major opponents include 2018 Division 1 state champion Lakewood St. Edward, Austintown Fitch, Canisius from New York and Canton McKinley.

Linemen Have Their Way in Pittsburgh

It may still be several weeks until the official start of the practice for the 2021 football season, but the Massillon Tigers are not taking the summer off.  They are working hard in the weight room and improving their speed with a regimented training program.  Last Sunday (June 28) they had a chance to showcase their talent at the U. Pittsburgh Camp by participating in the 7-on-7 tournament for skill players and going head-to-head with other high schools in the Big Man contest.

“Big” is an understatement for these future offensive and defensive linemen, as the photo below can attest to.  And they literally walked away with first place, earning a sledge hammer with “Pitt” written on the head.  After showing their wares in the weight lifting and tractor tire events, Massillon won the final activity of the day by graciously dragging their opponent over the line in a tug of war that lasted all of five seconds.

Incidentally, Massillon had previously taken first at the camp in 2018 and second in 2019.  The camp was not held in 2020.

Although the skill players didn’t win their event, they did well enough in early competition to be recognized as the top seed going into the tournament portion.

Playing host was 2020 Tiger Terrence Rankl, who is a freshmen for the Panthers.

Front Row (L-R): Toddrick Lee, Te’Jamere Nash and Reece Turpin.  Standing (L-R): Donte Holloway, Michael Mercurio, Jaiden Woods, Marcus Moore, Coach J.P. Simon, Terrence Rankl, Dom Salvino and Landon Peteros.

Tiger Relay Team Places 3rd at State Meet

The Massillon 4 x 200 meter relay team didn’t disappoint at the state level, placing 3rd in Division 1 in the final 8-team group and setting a new Massillon High School record in the process.  It was a blistering pace throughout the race and the Tigers had the lead with but a 100 yards left.  But they were overtaken in the final few yards by the 1st and 2nd place teams.  They ended up finishing a mere half second from first.

In the Friday preliminaries, Massillon turned in the second fastest time with a mark of 1:27:65, which they bettered in the Saturday finals by more than a second.  Incidentally, the state record for this event is 1:24:42, set by Pickerington Central last year.

Here are the final results:

• 1st – Pickerington North – 1:25.96
• 2nd – Gahanna Lincoln – 1:26:38
• 3rd – Massillon – 1:26:43
• 4th – Canal Winchester – 1:27:03
• 5th – Granville – 1:27:63
• 6th – Centerville – 1:28:63
• 7th – Thomas Worthington – 1:29:23
• 8th – Solon – 1:29:24

Freddie Lenix competed in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes, but didn’t qualify for the finals in either event.  His time in the 100 was a very respectable 10.93 seconds (the leader posted 10.46).  Just a sophomore, his day will come.

But hard work certainly paid off for these fine athletes.  All underclassmen, the team includes freshman Ta’Shaun Smith, sophomores Ardell Banks and Lenix, and junior Austin Brawley.  We’ll see all of you on the football field come August.

Four Tiger Speedsters Advance to State Track Meet

Massillon will participate in three events at next week’s state track meet following continued success at the Austintown Regionals.  The events include the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash and 4 x 200 meter relay.  The 4 x 100 meter relay was disqualified in the finals due to a lane violation, in spite of turning in the field’s fastest time during the preliminaries.

• 100 meter dash – Freddie Lenix placed first with a time of 11.22 seconds, edging out runners from Stow and Boardman.  During the preliminaries he posted a time of 10.98.
• 200 meter dash – Lenix took third in the event with a time of 22.76.  The winning time was 22.62.  He also took third in the prelims.
• 4 x 200 meter relay – Massillon took first with a time of 1:30.05.  The next two spots were captured by Nordonia and Stow.  The Tiger runners included freshman Ta’Shaun Smith, sophomores Ardell Banks and Lenix, and junior Austin Brawley.
• 4 x 100 meter relay –  Massillon had the fastest time in the preliminaries, 42.89, a quarter of a second ahead of second place University School.

Overall, Massillon placed 7th as a team among a field of 44 schools that recorded points.

The state meet will be held on June 4-5 at Hilliard Darby High School.  In addition to the four players mentioned above, Angelo Salvino and Javontez Bradford will be available as alternates.

Tiger Moms Hold Fundraisers

Monte Carlo Night Slated for May 7