2018 Football Schedule Released

Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore has released the 2018 schedule, having filled the remaining open spot with Montclair, New Jersey.  Montclair joins two other out-of-state opponents, including East St. Louis, Illinois, and Sun Valley, Pennsylvania.  This marks the fifth time that three or more non-Ohio teams have appeared on the schedule.  The Tigers also have eight home games for the first time since 2004.  Once again it will be a very challenging schedule.

Here is a rundown of each opponent:

Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary – 2017 record: 10-4.  The Irish move to the opener from Week 9, replacing Mentor.  Last year St. V scored a touchdown with 3:15 remaining in the game to defeat the Tigers 13-10.  In the Division 3 playoffs they advanced to the state semifinals where they lost to Tri-Valley, 24-6.  The Irish have defeated Massillon in four of the last five years.

Canton GlenOak – 2017 record: 3-7.  Last year the Golden Eagles had an uncharacteristic subpar season, which included a 24-10 loss to Massillon.  The Tigers have won four of the last five matches.

Warren Harding – 2017 record: 3-6.  The Panthers suffered through the loss of graduated quarterback Lynn Bowdon.  One of the losses was to Massillon, 31-21.  The Tigers own a 3-2 edge over the past five years.

Montclair, NJ – 2017 record: 12-0.  Last year Montclair captured the New Jersey North I Group 5 championship with a 35-14 win over Union City.  This should be a balanced matchup for the Tigers.

Akron Firestone – 2017 record: 4-6.  The Falcons return to the schedule for the third consecutive year.  Last year the Tigers defeated Firestone 35-6.  The Falcons were 3-2 in Akron City Series competition.

Austintown Fitch – 2017 record: 6-4.  Last season Massillon broke a 28-28 tie in the fourth quarter by scoring 10 consecutive points.  The Tigers have now won the last two meetings following three consecutive losses.

East St. Louis, IL – 2017 record: 10-2.  This may be the toughest opponent on Massillon’s schedule.  East St. Louls, with Cleveland Glenville-like talent, is considered to be a national power and annually plays teams from across the country.  Last year they lost to another national power in Evangel Christian Academy (Shreveport, LA), 14-6.  There is a chance that this game will be televised nationally.

Sun Valley, PA – 2017 record: 5-7.

Louisville – 2017 record: 5-5.  Having been booted out of the NBC, the Leopards are now forced to schedule independently.  Ergo, the Tigers will visit Lousville this year in a first-ever meeting.  Last year the Leopards started out with three consecutive losses: Canfield (28-48), North Canton (14-41) and Austintown Fitch (21-42).

Canton McKinley – 2017 record: 8-3.  Last season Massillon held off the Bulldogs 16-15 in the inaugural meeting of these two teams at Canton’s Tom Benson Stadium.  The Tigers now have beaten McKinley in six of the last seven games, with the lone loss coming in 2015 by the score of 30-28.  The Bulldogs advanced to the playoffs last year but were defeated in the first round by Lakewood St. Edward.

Tiger Fundraiser at Smoke The Burger Joint

Smoke The Burger Joint has generously offered to host a fundraiser for the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club.  The event will be held at the Massillon restaurant (15 Tommy Henrich Drive NW) on Thursday, February 22, 2018, from 4:00 pm to 8:00.  Fifty percent of the proceeds during the sale event will be donated to the Booster Club, which helps support the Tiger football program with items such as post-game meals and training equipment.  Be sure to come and bring all your friends and relatives.

Massillon Perry Returns to Division 2 for the 2018…

Perry’s foray into the ranks of Division 1 for the post-season playoffs turned out to be a brief one year.  Next season the Panthers will return to Division 2, most likely aligned with the Massillon Tigers in Region 7.  Starting with last year’s introduction of competitive balance by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, team assignments are now made annually rather than every other year.  The reassignment must be welcome news for the Perry camp, which qualified for the playoffs last year with a fine 9-1 record only to lose 24-7 to Cleveland St. Ignatius in the first round.  In each of the two previous years the Panthers advanced to the Division 2 state finals, losing both times to Cincinnati LaSalle.

Several schools have vacated Division 2 due to changes in effective enrollment, but they are being replaced by Perry and the following:

• Cuyahoga Falls (dropping from Division 1)
• Maple Heights (moving up from Division 3)
• Toledo Central Catholic (moving up from Division 4 due to a high number of transfers; note that the OHSAA has rescinded the one-division restriction)
• Dover (moving up from Division 3)
• Tri-Valley (returning to Division 2 from Division 3)

Given these changes, and if the OHSAA continues with the current assignment scheme, Region 5 will have 28 members, Region 6 will have 26 members, Region 7 will have 30 members and Region 8 will have 23 members.  To balance out the regions, expect the OHSAA to reassign some of the teams in Region 7 to Region 8.

Notes:

• Perry has the highest effective enrollment in Division 2 with 617 (adder of 6)
• Massillon is ranked 18th out of 107 schools with an effective enrollment of 550 (adder of 50, which is the highest adder of all D2 public schools)
• Tri-Valley and Dover were both moved up to D2 on account of the adder.
• 23 schools have zero adder.
• The average adder among public schools that have a adders is 10.
• Parochial school adders are as follows: Toledo Central (200), Cleveland Benedictine (169), Cincinnati LaSalle (137), Akron Hoban (136), Toledo St. Francis (134), Walsh Jesuit (114), Columbus St. Charles (99) and Toledo St. John’s (97).
• Toledo Central’s adder of 200 increased their base enrollment by 85%, which is by far the highest percentage increase of all schools in the state.
• Regions 5, 6 and 8 each have at least one significant parochial school member.,

Art Hastings Inducted into Stark County Football HOF

Art Hastings, Massillon’s stellar running back from some 60 years ago, has been inducted into the Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame.  He joins the 2018 Class that also includes Alliance quarterback Charles Babb, Canton McKinley receiver Reggie Corner, Central Catholic running back Vince Gliatta, North Canton running back / defensive back Charlie Grandjean, Canton Lincoln coach Don Nehlen and Canton McKinley end Erie Sheeler.

The list of Hastings’ accomplishments for the Tigers is impressive.  After rushing for 571 yards during his 1958 sophomore season, he lit it up the next year by rushing for 1,245 yards with an average of 10.6 yards per carry (3^rd all-time).  Art also rolled up 1,485 all-purpose yards.   For his effort he was named 3^rd Team All-Ohio.

Hastings topped it off during his senior year by rushing 159 times for 1,274 yards, scoring 20 touchdowns and tallying 134 points.  He also returned 12 kickoffs at an average of 21.5 yards per return.  Arguably Hastings’ best performance was a 220-yard rushing effort against Canton McKinley in a 42-0 victory, where he rambled for touchdowns of 15, 29, 51 and 5 yards .  He also set the record for the longest touchdown run from scrimmage, 93 yards vs. Springfield South.  At the conclusion of the season Art was named 1^st Team All-Ohio.

During his 3-year career for the Tigers, Hastings racked up 3,090 yards (first among all Massillon running backs), while scoring 34 touchdowns.  He also contributed to three wins against Canton McKinley.  His teams, coached by Leo Strang, compiled a record of 28-2-1, capturing two state / national championships (1959 and 1960).

Congratulations to Art Hastings.