Booster Club Report – Week 14

Scores from last week:

• Varsity defeated Wadsworth, 41-19

This week’s schedule:

• Friday – Varsity vs. Cincinnati Winton Woods (12-1) at Gahanna Lincoln Stadium, 7:00 pm

Massillon is 13-0 for the first time in their long history, owing to a convincing 41-19 playoff victory over previously undefeated Wadsworth.  The total also ties the all-time record held by the 2005 team, which lost in the Division I state finals that year and finished 13-2.  This week the Tigers have a chance to set a new total wins record when they face Cincinnati Winton Woods, a team they lost to a year ago in the Division II state semifinals.  Massillon is currently ranked No. 41 in the country by calpreps.com and No. 8 in the Midwest by USA Today.

Aidan Longwell (quarterback) and Dean Clark (defensive back / wide receiver) were the guest players.  Longwell addressed the Booster Club attendees and remarked that Wadsworth loaded the box defensively to stop the Massillon run.  “Last week they gave us good passing looks.  So we took what they gave.”  The result for Longwell was his best game passing of the year and second best during his two years as a starting quarterback.  Against Wadsworth Aidan completed 17  of 25 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns.

Then it was Clark’s turn.  “It was a good team win,” he said, turning his attention then to this week’s opponent and their stellar running back.  “If we want to win we need to wrap him up and tackle better,” he said.  “On the offensive side, we need to make plays.”

Jason Jarvis (cornerbacks / special teams) was the guest coach. “They (Wadsworth) tried to play ball control and keep it away from our offense,” he said.  “We didn’t tackle well.  This has to change.”  Wadsworth was mostly effective in doing this, rushing 56 times for 244 yards, the second most by an opponent this year behind East St. Louis.  Coupled with 150 yards of passing (3rd most), the Grizzlies racked up 394 yards (2nd most).  Welcome to playoff football.

Head Coach Nate Moore showed films of both Wadsworth and Winton Woods and said the Cincinnati team is very skilled, very fast and athletic.

The Warriorss operate almost entirely out of the spread offense, with an occasional tight, Perry-like wing-T look, often referred to as “flex bone.”  But it all revolves around junior  running back Miyan Williams (5′-10″, 210 lbs.), who this year has rushed 238 times for 2,742 yards, averages of 11.5 yards per carry and 211 yards per game.  Although he will not be the fastest player on the field, he is big and hard to tackle once he gets going, and his speed is actually pretty good.  Sophomore quarterback Mi’chale Wingfield (5′-9″, 178 lbs.) runs the zone read option and gives the ball to Williams about 70% of the time .  But when he keeps, Wingfield is pretty effective.  To date he has 95 carries for 683 yards, 7.2 yards per carry.  Considered a fair passer, he has completed 52% of his tosses for 871 yards.  Wingfield did not play in the season-opening 13-3 loss to Trotwood Madison.  The offensive line (ave. 5′-11″, 262 lbs.) has suffered through some injuries and has used some new players late in the season.  But they are a good group and very physical.  The kicker most often sends his boots into the end zone.

Defensively Winton Woods will utilize a base 3-4 box (similar to Massillon) with a single high safety and receivers in man-to-man coverage.  They don’t blitz a lot, but probably don’t need to since the strength of the defense is the line (ave. 6′-2″, 280 lbs.).  According to Moore, they are very active and pretty good at getting to the quarterback.  All of the secondary defenders return from last year.

The Warriors’ signature wins this year include:

• Upper Arlington (5-5) 52-45
• Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (8-2) 49-35
• Cincinnati Elder (8-5) 28-10
• Cincinnati Moeller (6-5) 21-17

Playoff scores:

• Olentangy (5-6) 49-42
• Little Miami (9-3) 38-12
• Cincinnati Anderson (9-4) 52-20

Jamir Thomas Named Northeast Inland District Offensive Player of…

The awards keep mounting for Massillon running back Jamir Thomas.  He was recently named by the Associated Press as the Offensive Player of the Year for the Northeast Inland District.  The 6′-1″, 211 lb. senior ball carrier has led his team to a 12-0 record and a spot in this weekend’s regional finals against Wadsworth.  For the year Thomas has rushed 233 times for 1,738 yards and 22 touchdowns, an average of 7.5 yards per carry.  He is just 238 yards shy of breaking Travis McGuire’s single-season rushing total of 1,978 yards.  He already holds career marks for yards rushing, rushing attempts, rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns.  And he is within reach of the career records for all-purpose yards and total points scored.

Tiger Head Coach Nate Moore was named District Coach of the Year.

Other Massillon players receiving awards include:

First Team

• Dean Clark – defensive back
• Kyshad Mack – linebacker
• Tre’von Morgan – wide receiver
• Max Turner – defensive back
• Deon Williams – offensive line

Second Team

• Justin Gaddis – offensive line
• Aidan Longwell – quarterback
• Kameron Simpson – linebacker
• Hunter Wantz – defensive line

Honorable Mention

• Jayden Ballard – wide receiver
• Tyree Broyles – defensive back
• Benjamin Krichbaum – linebacker
• Jory Mattox – offensive line

Congratulations to all of these deserving Tigers.

Booster Club Report – Week 12

Scores from last week:

• Varsity defeated Columbus Walnut Ridge, 45-14

This week’s schedule:

• Friday – Varsity vs. Columbus Whitehall-Yearling (10-1) at Mansfield Arlin Field, 7:00 pm

Seven Massillon players have been named WHBC All-County, including Jamir Thomas (running back), Aidan Longwell (quarterback), Tre’von Morgan (wide receiver), Dean Clark (defensive back), Deon Williams (offensive lineman), Kyshad Mack (linebacker) and Justin Gaddis (most valuable player).  The honorees were selected by the area coaches and will be officially announced at the WHBC banquet scheduled for November 15.

Terrance Roddy was the guest coach.  Guest players were Jamir Thomas and Tre’von Morgan.  All commented on the sluggish start in last Friday’s win over Walnut Ridge.  “We came out slow,” said Thomas.  “Week 11 (following the emotional McKinley game) is always the hardest week.”  But the Tigers came out after the band show ready to play and outscored Walnut Ridge 28-7.  “We came out in the second half and did what we needed to do,” said Morgan.

Massillon head coach Nate Moore said that Walnut Ridge had some great college-bound players, but he expected to have better success early in the game.  Only, the opponent stacked the box with seven or eight players at a time, nearly negating the vaunted Tiger running attack.  In fact, it was the only time this year that all-time rushing leader Jamir Thomas was held under 100 yards.  Moore said it was more guys than they could block.  With little success on ground, the Tigers went to the air starting in the second quarter and had much better success moving the ball.

Moore also recognizes that the week after the McKinley game has always been one of the toughest for his team.  The players are coming off the biggest game in the state and prone to an emotional letdown.  Plus there is one less day to prepare, since the game is played on a Saturday.  Then there is the playoff game itself.  The coach said it just has a different feel to it than a normal home game.  There is no pregame music, no tunnel, no fireworks and the crowd is significantly smaller.  All of this just leads to a lack of energy. “It almost feels like a JV game,” said Moore.  “It might feel better if we played on the road.”   It took a full half to get over the funk, but the Tigers came away the winner and are alive for Round 2.

Columbus Whitehall-Yearling is the next opponent for the Tigers and enters the fray on the heels of a 38-31 victory over Dover (8-3).  With a current mark of 10-1, they have recorded significant wins over Columbus Northland (8-2), 31-28, Grandview Heights (7-4), 46-13 and London (10-1), 34-15.  The lone loss was 19-6 to Ohio Capital Conference member Westerville Central (5-6) in Week 1.  During the regular season they averaged 40 points a game and gave up 14 against a schedule that is dominated by Division 4 and 5 teams.  But they have beaten those teams handily.  Whitehall is not an inner-city school, rather more like the demographics found in Canton.

The Rams are led by speedy senior quarterback Raymell Byrd (6′-1″, 175 lbs.), who makes a living with his legs, having rushed for 1,562 yards and 23 touchdowns (Jamir Thomas numbers).  A fair passer, he has thrown for 906 yards and five TDs, mostly to senior Christian Gordon (5′-7″, 140 lbs.), who has 31 catches for 500 yards and 6 touchdowns.  Gordon also has great speed.  Byrd is the principle return man on special teams.

Offensively, they operate out of the spread and most running plays are quarterback keepers.  They like to throw the tag screens, but have a wealth of trick plays in their book.  So the Tigers will need to be prepared for anything.  The fullback, Wayne Blackshear (6′-0″, 230 lbs.), is used mostly as a blocker.  The line has good size and averages 6′-0″, 257 lbs.

On defense, expect the Rams to stack the box and send the linebackers on nearly every play, similar to Walnut Ridge.  The secondary will most often play man-to-man on the receivers with a single safety on top.  The defensive line is smallish, averaging 6′-0″, 194 lbs., while the three linebackers go 5′-11, 195 lbs.  So it will almost be akin to playing against seven linebackers.  The defense is led by seniors Keon Freeman (6′-0″, 220 lbs.) and Isaiah Oney (5′-10″, 190 lbs.).  Freeman has 85 tackles, including 20 for loss.  Oney has 70 tackles, including seven for loss.  Both double as running backs and are the only 2-way players for Whitehall.

Go Tigers!

Booster Club Report – Week 11

Scores from last week:

• Varsity defeated Canton McKinley, 24-17
• Freshmen defeated Canton McKinley, 28-13.  Final record: 6-4

This week’s schedule:

• Friday – Varsity vs. Columbus Walnut Ridge (9-1) at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 7:00 pm

Last Saturday was a tremendous day for the Massillon football program in more ways than one. Not only did the Tigers defeat the Bulldogs, but Massillon also won the blood battle, the food drive and the pull-up challenge.  More than 2500 out-of-town fans paid $5.00 each to watch the game live on the internet, covering some 29 states and two foreign countries.

The effort to feature the tiger head blowup tunnel at each school during the week was a resounding success.  The kids were thrilled and many parents turned out to take photos.  Even the teachers got into the action.

This week’s first round playoff game against Columbus Walnut Ridge will start at 7:00 pm.  Parking passes for the west lot will be honored.  Tickets are available on Tuesday for season ticket holders and Wednesday through Friday for the general public.  Hours are 7:00 pm to 5:30 pm, although the office may close early on Friday.

Justin Gaddis (center) and Dean Clark (defensive back) were the guest players.  Over 25,000 social media followers watched the replay of Clark’s thrilling pancake of the McKinley running back.

The guest coach was J.P. Simon.  Simon said that the team trained in the off-season to maintain their intensity over a 4-quarter game and a 15-week season.  He noted that it was the main factor in defeating the Bulldogs.  Statistics-wise, McKinley ran just four plays and a punt in the fourth quarter to the Tigers’ 24.  “Physicality and toughness are our core values,” said Simon.  When asked about the sledge hammer he carries around during pre-game warmup, Simon said it was trophy that the linemen won during a summer camp at the University of Pittsburgh.  Called the “Big Man Challenge,” each of the 60+ teams competed in five events, including a tug-of-war at the end.  Not only did Massillon finish on top of the field, they won each of the five events.  “It was kind of cool to win that award,” he said.

Head Coach Nate Moore reviewed film of several plays from last Saturday’s game then turned his attention to Walnut Ridge.

General notes:

• The Scots play in the Columbus City League
• Their regular season record was 9-1, the loss being 26-20 to Eastmoor
• They average 48 points a game and give up 8
• Five times they scored over 50 points
• Only two teams have scored more than once (Eastmoor and Marion Franklin)
• Ten players go both ways
• The quarterback and two wide receivers have received college offers (Valparaiso, Kentucky and Cincinnati)

Offense

• The quarterback (6′-4″, 200 lbs.) has has thrown for 1,756 yards and 28 touchdowns.  He will run some, but not effectively.
• The running back (5′-9″, 185 lbs.) is a sophomore.  He has rushed for 1,048 yards and 14 touchdowns.
• The top wide receivers are both over 6-foot.
• The offensive line averages 6′-2″, 238 lbs.  Two of the players are on the smaller size.
• They operate out of the spread offense, with some jet sweep.  Run-pass ratio is 60:40.

Defense

• 3-4 alignment
• All three defensive linemen go both ways
• The line averages 6′-4″, 225 lbs.
• The Sam linebacker (who also plays receiver) is being recruited by Kentucky.

Go Tigers!

It’s Another Great Day To Be a Tiger

A new McKinley Game tradition was started this week when the blowup tiger head tunnel made the rounds of all the Massillon City Schools.  Each student was given the opportunity to run through the tunnel and show their enthusiasm for the Tigers.  Even the parents showed up to take photos of their children standing at the tunnel entrance.  Starting with Whittier on Monday, it progressed on successive days to Gorrell, Franklin, the middle school and finally the high school.  The tunnel even made a stop at Smith to entertain the pre-school kids.  Enjoy below Booster Club President Ben Lieberman’s photo of the Tiger tunnel at the middle school with the sun about to rise from behind the building.

And that is how we do that.

Booster Club Report – Week 10

Scores from last week:

• Varsity defeated Louisville, 41-0
• Junior Varsity defeated Louisville via forfeit.  Final record: 9-0
• Freshmen lost to Louisville, 18-14

This week’s schedule:

• Wednesday – Freshmen vs. Canton McKinley at Canton’s Don Scott Field, 7:00 pm
• Saturday – Varsity vs. Canton McKinley at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 2:00 pm

The Massillon Museum is staging a soft opening of the new Paul Brown Museum on Friday, October 26, from 4:00 to 9:00 pm.  All Tiger fans are encouraged to stop by.

The Beat McKinley Parade will begin at 7:00 pm on Friday.

The Tiger head tunnel is making the rounds at the various schools this week.  Students receive a Beat McKinley strip and an opportunity to run through the tunnel.

Massillon made national sports last Saturday when an avid fan held up a sign supporting the Tigers at ESPN’s College GameDay show.

The Booster Club meeting got off to a rousing start when the cheerleaders and senior band members entertained the crowd.  The senior football players then shared their thoughts on this week’s game.

“It’s really a good group of guys,” said Massillon head coach Nate Moore.  “They’re a lot of fun to be with.  I’m looking forward to them playing hard, tough, physical football against McKinley.”

The Bulldog offense is led by senior quarterback, Alujah Curtis (5′-9″, 184 lbs.), who is committed to Army.  A 2-year starter at the position, Curtis’ forte is passing the ball, having accumulated 1,965 yards and 15 touchdowns.  Moore said he throws a good ball and is fairly accurate.  He will also run some.  On the receiving end of most passes are senior Khyree Woody (5′-10″, 168 lbs.) and junior Jalen Ross (6′-2, 191 lbs.), both of whom possess good speed.  Woody has 45 receptions for 944 yards and eight touchdowns.  Ross has 34 receptions for 587 yards and three touchdowns.  Junior Lameir Garrett (5′-10″, 181 lbs.) took over the featured running back duties following dismal ground performances in the first three games.  He has rushed 146 times for 965 yards (6.6 yards per carry).  The offensive line averages 6′-0″, 253 lbs.

McKinley will normally align in a 4-receiver set, with an occasional empty backfield.  They have consistently run the ball 70% of the time in each game, but 60% of the yards are gained via the passing game.  Watch for a lot of jet-sweeps and bubble screens.  As a team, they have completed 66% of their passes.  Statistically, their passing game mirrors that of Massillon in terms of yards per attempt and yards per catch.  But schematically, they are completely different.

Defensively, the Bulldogs have changed their alignment from last year’s 4-front.  They now utilize a 3-front odd-stack, similar to GlenOak.  The strength of the unit is the linebacking corps, led by sophomore Cayman Williams (5′-11″, 200 lbs.).  Williams has 65 tackles, include five for loss.  The leading tacklers on the team are their free safeties (not a good stat to have), junior Chamber Stokes-Williams (5′-10, 182) and sophomore Brian Pinkney (5′-10, 174 lbs.).  Stokes-Williams has 70 tackles, while Pinkney has 74.  The defensive line averages 5′-11″, 252 lbs.

McKinley produces an average of 390 yards per game, while surrendering 321.  They give up 4.4 yards per carry and opponents have completed 53% of their passes for 150 yards a game.  Their average score has been 37-18.

For comparison purposes, Massillon produces an average of 482 yards per game, while surrendering 211.  They give up 3.6 yards per carry and opponents have completed 44% of their passes for 101 yards a game.  Their average score has been 51-11.

McKinley has a slight edge in strength-of-schedule, according to calpreps.com,  Massillon’s signature win this year was 46-40 against East St. Louis, Illinois.  McKinley’s is 28-14 over Warren Harding, a team the Tigers beat 51-21.

“It’s a good football team,” Moore said.  “They do a lot of things well.”

Booster Club Report – Week 9

Scores from last week:

• Varsity defeated Sun Valley, Pennsylvania, 101-6.
• Junior Varsity defeated Cleveland St. Ignatius, 7-6.
• Freshmen lost to Cleveland St. Ignatius, 28-19.
• 8th Grade defeated Western Crusaders, 22-12.  Final record: 5-3
• 7th Grade defeated Brunswick, 20-0.  Final record: 6-2

This week’s schedule:

• Thursday – Freshmen vs. Louisville at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 6:00 pm
• Friday – Varsity vs. Louisville at Louisville, 7:30 pm
• Saturday – Junior Varsity vs. Louisville at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 10:00 am

The Massillon Museum is staging a soft opening of the new Paul Brown Museum on Friday, October 26, from 4:00 to 9:00 pm.  All Tiger fans are encouraged to stop by.

ESPN 990 is hosting a fundraiser at BW3 on Monday October 22, from 4:00 to 9:00 pm.  Twenty percent of the take will be donated to the Massillon Tiger Football Program.

This year’s Massillon-McKinley blood drive will be held at the Massillon Rec Center on Monday, October 22, from noon to 7:00 pm.

Dean Clark (defensive back / wide receiver) and Jamir Thomas (running back/linebacker) were the guest co-captains and spoke briefly about Louisville, this week’s opponent.

In last Friday’s win over Sun Valley Thomas scored his 48th career touchdown, breaking a record set by Bob Glass in 1937.  But he quickly put that mark behind him when when he said that all of the focus this week is on Louisville.  “We do one week at a time,” he said.

As a defender, Clark addressed the Leopard offense noting that they pass the ball 70% of the time with a quarterback that is very good.  The wide receivers are adept at finding the seams in the zone, given that most of the passes are of the short to intermediate range.

“We were proud of our kids last week,” said head coach Nate Moore.  “The kids played hard.”  But he said that they have a great challenge this week, on the road in a hostile environment.  “We’re going to play hard for you guys,” he said.

The guest this week was inside linebacker coach Spencer Leno, who addressed the Louisville offense.  “It’s going to be a backyard brawl,” he emphasized.  “This is their Super Bowl.  They’re going to be ready to play us, so we’re not looking past them.  We’re focusing on the task at hand.”

The Leopards operate out of the spread offense and align with twin receivers or trips, with an occasional empty backfield.  Junior quarterback Colton Jones (5′-11″, 185 lbs.) is very talented and is currently the passing yardage leader in Stark County this year.  But don’t look for him to run much.  Jones has a pair of good, rangy wide receivers that are his favorite targets.  Watch for junior Davis Burick (6′-2″, 201 lbs.) and senior Jared Mathie (6′-0″, 202 lbs.).  Senior Max Hartline (5′-11″, 183 lbs.) handles the running back duties and he is very effective.

Coach Moore added that the quarterback is good, with nice arm strength and a very good handle on the offense.  He throws well and will stand in the pocket under pressure.  The strength of the offense is the wide receivers.  Not a lot of size on the offensive line (average: 5′-11″, 242 lbs.).  Expect the Tigers to try and exploit this area.

Defensively, the Louisville maintains a balanced alignment, utilizing a good-sized 4-man front (average: 6′-2″, 245 lbs.).  LInebackers junior Carter Rode (5′-10″, 176 lbs.) and Mathie are good players.

Louisville is currently 5-3, having lost to Canfield (21-14), North Canton (30-14) and Perry (29-12).  But they have won five of their last six, including a victory over Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (31-12).  Only two players go both ways.

“It’s a good football team,” summed up the coach.  “They do a lot of things well.”

Go Tigers!