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!

JV Tigers Edge Cleveland St. Ignatius

Behind the strong running of Jean-Luc Beasley and Raekwan Venson along with stout defense and special teams, the JV squad improved its mark to 8-0 with a 7-6 road win over Cleveland St. Ignatius.

The Wildcats moved the ball well in the first half, but the Tiger defense was unrelenting in the red zone and held Iggy to a pair of second quarter field goals.  The first was from 29 yards out and the second from 26.  A third scoring try was thwarted when Jerron Hodges scooped up a loose ball and advanced it 25 yards to midfield.  With time running out in the half, quarterback Zach Catrone connected on a long pass putting the ball in scoring position.  But a Tiger fumble at the goal line with seconds remaining negated the effort.

The second half, however, was all Massillon.  In spite of not scoring an offensive point, the Tigers controlled all the action, with the defense coming up with the big play.  With 9:41 left in the fourth quarter, TJ Williams center-field picked an overthrown Ignatius pass and returned it 25 yards to paydirt, eluding two potential tacklers along the way.  Ethan Fox converted the PAT and the Tigers were up 7-6.  Now all they had to do was continue to play hard.  On their next possession, Massillon advanced deep into Wildcat territory, but stalled out at the ten.  Unfortunately during the drive, a 27-yard TD run was called back on account of holding.

Ignatius finally got their offense semi-untracked late in the fourth, converting their initial and only first down of the half with just 1:01 left on the clock.  But a desperation fourth down long bomb was intercepted at the Massillon five and the Tigers then just ran out the clock.

The Tigers led in first downs, 13-8.

Report by Coach Dave Weber.

A replay of this game is available on the St. Ignatius Wildcats internet site:  https://www.ignatiuswildcats.com/sibn-live#/

Massillon Museum Announces Paul Brown Museum Soft Opening

Content provided by:

Bailey Yoder
Curator of Football Heritage
Massillon Museum

Mark your calendars: A new exhibit is coming! As part of the inaugural exhibitions at the Paul Brown Museum, we have collaborated with Akron photographer Stephen Tomasko to bring his show “Loyal to the Lot” to Massillon. These images, as part of an ongoing project since 2012, are set within the huge Cleveland Municipal Parking Lot and illustrate visual stories of Cleveland Browns fans who gather there. Those who showed up in torrential downpours to cheer on the Cleveland Browns today demonstrate the deep-seeded loyalty of this fan base.

The “soft” opening will coincide with the annual Beat McKinley Parade on October 26th, and will be on view from 4-9 pm that day. Come celebrate the longstanding tradition of football in Massillon and one of the greatest coaches to come out of Ohio, Paul Brown!  And get a first look at the new museum expansion.

With support from Visit Canton
@stephentomasko
@cle_browns #football #fans #loyaltothelot #tailgate #paulbrown

Booster Club Report – Week 8

Scores from last week:

• Varsity defeated East St. Louis, Illinois, 46-40.
• Junior Varsity defeated Lakewood St. Edward, 27-14.
• Freshmen lost to Lakewood St. Edward, 42-16.
• 8th Grade defeated Akron Ellet, 30-26.
• 7th Grade defeated Medina, 45-6 and Western Crusaders, 34-26.

This week’s schedule:

• Wednesday – 8th Grade vs. Western Crusaders at Massillon Middle School, 5:00 pm
• Thursday – 7th Grade vs. Brunswick at Brunswick Field #3, 5:00 pm
• Friday – Varsity vs. Sun Valley, Pennsylvania, at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 7:30 pm
• Saturday – Freshmen vs. Cleveland St. Ignatius at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 10:00 am
• Saturday – Junior Varsity vs. Cleveland St. Ignatius at St. Ignatius, 10:00 am

Tre’von Morgan (wide receiver / outside linebacker) and Jamir Thomas (running back/linebacker) were the guest co-captains.

During last Friday’s game aqainst East St. Louis, Jamir Thomas broke the 58-year old record for the most career rushing yards.  The previous mark was 3,090 yards, held by Art Hastings.  During the Booster Club meeting, Jamir presented the football he used to break the record to Bailey Yoder, football curator of the Massillon Museum.  The ball will be on display during the public soft opening of the new Paul Brown Museum, which is scheduled for Friday, October 26, from 4:00 to 9:00 pm.  Thomas already holds the record for the most career carries and is poised to break the record for the most career rushing touchdowns (47), a mark currently held by Bob Glass. He needs just one more TD to tie.

“I’m really proud of this,” said Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore of Thomas’ performance.  “He’s come a long way since his freshman year.  He loves playing football.  I’m really proud of what he’s accomplished.”

Eric Copeland was the guest assistant coach.  Copeland said that the Tigers had difficulty in the first half adjusting to the speed of East St. Louis.  But in the second half, the Flyers were a little slower as their 2-way players began to tire and it presented more of an even matchup.  He also emphasized that the Massillon players believe that they’re a second-half team owing to their superior conditioning.

“They pushed us around,” said Copeland.  “Our kids woke up.  We fixed some mistakes.  We made the plays when we needed to make them.  I’m really proud of these guys.  This is the best group of Tigers I’ve ever been around.”

Head Coach Nate Moore reviewed the game film, but noted that there were few defensive highlights due to the proficiency of the East St. Louis offense.  In spite of manageable third downs, the defense couldn’t get off the field.  But the Tigers made the defensive stops at the end when the game was on the line.  “The crowd at the game was absolutely phenomenal,” he said.  “It was definitely a factor in the game.”

Moore also boasted of his team beating the all-time win leader for the state of Illinois.  That coming on the heels of doing the same feat against the New Jersey opponent, Montclair.

This week’s foe, Sun Valley of Pennsylvania, is not nearly the caliber of East St. Louis, coming in with a 3-4 record and having surrendered 195 points in their last five games.  But they do have some offensive threats.  Two players to keep an eye on are senior running back Julz Kelly (6′-0″, 180 lbs.) and senior quarterback Anthony Ellis (6′-2″, 190 lbs.).  The quarterback rarely runs, but throws fairly well.  Kelly has good speed and appears on film to be the catalyst for the offense.

The offensive line averages 6′-0″, 217 lbs. and the 3-front defensive line averages 5′-11″, 220 lbs., which places the Vanguards at a significant size disadvantage.  Eight players go both ways, three of which are sophomores.

JV Team Grabs a Pair of Wins

The Junior Varsity Squad is now 6-0 following recent victories over Austintown Fitch and Lakewood St. Edward.

A week ago, the Tigers downed Fitch on the road, 39-8, finishing the game with a running clock.  Eric Thurman scored three touchdowns to key the win.  The first two were 25-yard and 30-yard passes from Zach Catrone and the third was a 75-yard punt return.  Xavier McElroy also had a 3-yard TD run.  Daymiere Adams wrapped up the scoring with two touchdown passes from Catrone, the first from 40 yards out and the second from 26 yards out. Ethan Fox kicked three extra points.

Last Saturday, Massillon traveled to state power Lakewood St. Edward and came away a 27-14 victor.  Jean-Luc Beasley opened the scoring with a 10-yard run.  Zach Catrone then connected on two touchdown passes, 50 yards to Eric Thurman and 20 yards to Heath Manson.  Raekwan Venson added a 12-yard run to put the game away.  Venson also ran for a 2-point conversion.  Ethan Fox converted a pair of PATs.

This week the JV Team travels to Cleveland St. Ignatius as they keep their hopes alive for an unbeaten season.

Report from Coach Dave Weber.