Tiger Football Schedules Have Stretched Far and Wide

February 10, 2026
by Don Engelhardt

Tiger Football Schedules Have Stretched Far and Wide

In 1932 legendary Massillon Head Coach Dave Stewart loaded his team onto a train and traveled over 300 miles to the center of Pennsylvania to face Harrisburg in a high school football game. It was the first time that the Tigers had ever played a team that was not from the state of Ohio. And it would not be the last.

Since that first match and over a span of some 93 years Massillon has played 51 different non-Ohio teams. But it wasn’t necessarily by choice. Throughout most of the Tigers’ 130-year history they have been classified as an independent team; i.e., not a member of an organized league. That poses an immediate problem in terms of the ability to schedule Ohio teams.

With nearly the rest of the teams in the state residing in a various conferences, most are committed to playing league games in Weeks 4 through 9. That leaves just the first three weeks of the season as the only slots available to schedule Ohio opponents, except for the annual Week 10 match against rival Canton McKinley.

The second issue is that for the past ten years Massillon has developed into a formidable program that most potential foes, particularly public schools, would much rather avoid. Except of course for the inner-city teams that are more than willing to come in for a pay day.

One of the few respites was from 1963 through 1979 when the Tigers were members of the legacy All-American Conference. During that time they faced just one out-of-state opponent, Altoona, Pennsylvania, in a 5-game series.

Regardless, Massillon has always scheduled non-Ohio teams from time to time. In fact, including that initial match in 1932, Massillon has played 60 non-Ohio teams. From 1936 through 1942, covering the latter years of legendary Coach Paul Brown and for a couple years thereafter, the Tigers played 16 of these foreign entities. But mostly, it’s been just one game in a given year.

But that all changed in 2015 when Nate Moore became the head coach. With his program firmly in place following three years of growing pains, it was time to take the next step. It started with a game against nationally-ranked East St. Louis. In one of the more exciting contests ever played at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, Massillon outlasted the Missouri team by the score of 46-40. The win kick-started the Tiger program into national prominence, leading to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and three consecutive trips to the playoff state finals. Then in 2023, they captured the title to cap off yet another unbeaten season, while enjoying multiple Top-25 national rankings.

But, throughout that time scheduling has become an even more dire issue, as the only teams in Ohio willing to schedule have been a few long-time rivals and the major parochial schools. So, Coach Moore has annually been forced to search the entire country to fill the slate. In fact, his teams over the past eight years have played 22 games against non-Ohio teams. Fortunately, they have also enjoyed success against them with a 17-5 mark. While some have been moderately good, several others own national rankings, including the following:

East St. Louis, MO
Valdosta, GA
Bergen Catholic, NJ
DeMatha Catholic, MD
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee, GA
Football North, ONT

For the record the Tigers have historically played 82 non-Ohio games against 51 different teams from 20 different states, plus Canada and the United Kingdom, while producing a win-loss mark of 69-13. The most common state is Pennsylvania, involving 22 games with 12 teams, with a record of 19-3. Within that state, the most common opponent was Altoona. The two teams matched up for five games in a series that began in 1964 and then another 2-game series in 1987 and ’88.

Massillon fans have seen four different teams from Indiana, highlighted by North Central, from Indianapolis. The two faced off in five consecutive games, with Central winning the one played in the Hoosier Dome.

On the lighter side was the game against NFL Academy-London, which was played in Oregon, and the ten games against five different teams from Ontario, Canada. But not so light was sports academy Football North, with which the two teams split a pair of matches.

Below is a map depicting the different states involved in these games.

Map of the United States depicting the states from which Massillon’s out-of-state opponents hail. Number of opponents in the state shown in parentheses.

News

Three Tiger Football Players Sign Collegiate Letters-of-Intent

February 4, 2026February 4, 2026
by Don Engelhardt

Three Tiger Football Players Sign Collegiate Letters-of-Intent

There’s Early Signing Day, which was this past November, and then there’s the traditional Signing Day. February 4 was the latter and involved three Massillon football players. They include Anthony McMullen (Ball State University), Noah Jenkins (Walsh University) and Tra’Yon Williams (Central State University).

Anthony McMullen played running back for the 2025 Tigers and shared duties with teammate Savior Owens. During the season he rushed 141 times for 710 yards (5.0 ave.) and scored six touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 42 yards and returned five kickoffs for 102 yards (20.4 ave.). His best game was against Warren Harding when he rushed 22 times for 158 yards (7.2 ave.) and scored a touchdown on an 11-yard run. McMullen will play next year for Division I Ball State, an Indiana university that is a member of the Mid-American Conference. Last year the Cardinals finished with an overall record of 7-5, while going 3-7 in league play.

Noah Jenkins was a backup at free safety to start the season and worked his way into a starting position during Week 7 against Cardinal Ritter, Missouri. For the season he recorded 13 solo tackles, 15 assists, 2 pass interceptions (returned for 97 yards) and 2 pass breakups. Against Cornerstone Christian, TX, he was had his best outing numbers-wise with 4 solo tackles and 5 assists, with his nine tackles ranking second best on the team. Jenkins will play next year for Division II Walsh University. The Cavaliers last year finished with an overall record of 6-5, including 3-5 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

Tra’Yon Williams was a 2-year starter at free safety. During his 3-year career he had 56 solo tackles, 33 assists, 6.0 tackles for loss, 1 quarterback sack, 1 pass interception (returned for 30 yards), 3 pass breakups and 1 forced fumble. Tra’Yon will play next year at Central State University, a Division II college located in Wilberforce, Ohio. Last season the Marauders posted a record of 3-7 and 3-5 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

“Early Signing Day” was beneficial for three other players, including Jay’Dyn Williams (Indiana University), Lennox Lemon (Kent State University) and Sam Dossous (Bowling Green State University).

(l-r) Noah Jenkins (Walsh University, football), Aiden Koehler (Defiance College, golf), Brody Thornsberry (Malone University, soccer), Francesco Salvino (Indiana Tech, wrestling), Tr’Yon Williams (Central State University, football) (Massillon Washington High School photo)

History

The Massillon “Coaches House”

February 1, 2026February 1, 2026
by Don Engelhardt

The Massillon “Coaches House”

by Carter E. Strang

From 1954 – 1964, a trio of consecutive Massillon head football coaches — Tom Harp, Lee Tressel, and my father, Leo Strang — and their families lived at 818 17th St., earning it the nickname the “Coaches House.”

If its walls could speak, they would recount tales of Massillon Tiger football triumphs, perseverance, achievements, tradition, and rich history.

The Massillon Coaches House

History

Massillon has Experienced Several College/Pro Venues

January 13, 2026January 15, 2026
by Don Engelhardt

Massillon has Experienced Several College/Pro Venues

In 1940 Coach Paul Brown’s formidable Massillon squad (state and national champions) was scheduled to play a football game in Alliance. However, the match was enormous, with the Aviators coming off of a 7-1-1 record from the prior year and with their sole loss coming at the hands of the Tigers. In addition, with thousands of fans from both cities expected to attend, Alliance’s Mount Union Stadium was deemed simply too small to host such a game. So, it was moved to the Akron Rubber Bowl. It was a sound decision as the stadium that night was filled to capacity with over 33,000 patrons in attendance. It was also first high school football game that Massillon had ever played in a major college stadium. Incidentally, Massillon won that night, 40-0.

Over the next 85 years Massillon would visit several other college facilities. Some were for regular season games, while others were for playoff matchups, with the large stadiums used in order to accommodate the many Tiger fans that travel to road games. And then there were a few classics.

The most frequently visited stadium is the now demolished Akron Rubber Bowl, where the Tigers played 29 games. Their record in those is 17-12, including 9-4 during the regular season and 8-8 in the playoffs. Included in these were many memorable ones that were witnessed by some very large crowds. Here are those that stand out:

Niles McKinley (1964) – The Red Dragons took a 48-game winning streak into the Week 2 contest to face first-year Massillon head coach Earl Bruce. In front of 30,128 fans, the Tigers overcame an early 8-0 deficit and took a 14-8 lead into halftime. And that score held up. Bruce remarked after the game that, “it was the night I became Tiger.” Massillon would go on to finish 10-0 and capture their 22nd state championship.
Cincinnati Moeller (1981) – Traditionally strong Massillon was scheduled to face upstart Moeller in game that would presumably establish Ohio’s modern-day dominant team. However, some of the luster was removed as these two teams matched up earlier than expected, in the prior year’s playoff state championship game. The Crusaders ended up winning 24-6 at the Rubber Bowl in front of nearly 24,000 fans.
Cleveland St. Ignatius (1991) – It was in the state semifinals that Massillon and Ignatius battled it out, with 20,156 patrons in attendance. With the score tied 7-7 entering the fourth quarter, the Tigers connected on a long pass to Jason Stafford for the go-ahead score. But the extra point attempt was just wide on account of the narrower-width college goal post. Subsequent to that, the Wildcats tallied in the final seconds and went away with a 14-13 victory. Iggy would capture the state title the following week.
Canton McKinley (1994) – In Week 10 host Massillon defeated McKinley 42-41 in overtime to capture the 100^th game in that long rivalry. Only, they would meet again two weeks later in a Rubber Bowl playoff matchup. This time, it was the Bulldogs that prevailed, in front of 29,110 fans, by the score of 27-20.
Brunswick (1996) – 6,500 fans braved the six inches of snow that fell throughout the contest in an event that resembled anything but football. Massillon found the end zone in third quarter in an 89-yard run by Christian Morgan. But the PAT failed when the kicker slipped during the try. Unbeaten Brunswick responded late in the fourth and subsequently converted its PAT for the win. But first Brunswick called time out in order to remove enough snow for the kicker to have decent footing.
Warren Harding (2002) – It was a state semifinal game against two evenly-matched teams in front of a crowd of 22,000. Fittingly, it went into overtime. But just like the St. Ignatius game described above, the Tigers missed the extra point and lost the game.
Canton McKinley (2005) – The Tigers entered the Week-10 rivalry game unbeaten, but were defeated soundly by the Bulldogs, 38-8. Three weeks later they play again, in the Rubber Bowl. This time, it was Massillon that controlled the action and routed McKinley, 21-3.
Lakewood St. Edward (2005) – One couldn’t ask for a colder Saturday afternoon for this Division 1 state semifinal matchup, with temperatures in the low teens and a brisk wind blowing in from the open end of the Bowl. The unbeaten Eagles were posed to advance, owing to a 17-7 lead late in the fourth quarter. But the gritty Tigers, led by All-Ohio player Brian Gamble, found a way to score twice, helped by successful conversion of a 3^rd and 30 situation, and won a classic game, 21-17.

University of Akron’s InfoCision Stadium – The Akron Rubber Bowl is gone now, only to be replaced by InfoCision. There, the Tigers own a 3-3 record. The best game occurred in in 2017 when Massillon defeated Akron Hoban 17-14 in the playoffs to advance to the state finals, including survival of a final Hoban TD push near the goal line.

University of Cincinnati’s Nipper Stadium – In 1980 Massillon traveled to Cincinnati to face Moeller in the playoff state championship game in an event that drew 22,751 fans. It was the second largest crowd ever to attend an Ohio single high school football game. The Crusaders enjoyed a 30-7 victory in coach Jerry Faust’s last forray as head coach before departing for Notre Dame.

Kent State University’s Dix Stadium – The 2012 Round 2 playoff game showcased a rematch of Massillon and Canton McKinley. This one was all Tigers, behind Ryne Moore’s 227 rushing yards, in a 28-18 victory

Ohio State Stadium – The OHSAA’s very first playoff games were held in 1972 at Ohio State. Owing to a 10-0 record Massillon qualified (only one team per region at that time) and played in the first of two state semifinal games. In spite of leading 14-3 at the half, the Tigers fell to Cincinnati Princeton, 17-14. With Chris Spielman in the lineup, Massillon would return to Ohio State ten years later to face Moeller in the state finals, but came up short, 35-14. The crowd of 31,409 was the largest ever to attend an Ohio high school football event (two games held).

Youngstown University’s Stambaugh Stadium – Two games were played in Younggstown against host Ursuline. Unfortunately, the Tigers did not fair well in either, losing 23-13 and 23-14.

Massillon has also played in four different professional stadiums, involving seven different games.

Cleveland Municipal Stadium – In 1945 The Tigers tied Cathedral Latin 6-6 and in 1947 they lost to Latin 16-12. In 1961, Massillon defeated Parma 21-20 and would go to finish the year 11-0 and capture both the state and national championships.

Cincinnati Bengals’ Riverfront Stadium – In 1990 the Tigers participated in the Buddy LaRosa Classic. There, they defeated Kentucky’s Covington Catholic, 39-14. Falando Ashcrarft and Travis McGuire combined for 242 yards rushing to spearhead the attack.

Cincinnati Bengals’ Paul Brown Stadium – The Tigers play two games in classics at this stadium. The first occurred in 2005 when Massillon bounced Cincinnati Elder, 35-31. The Tigers’ Brian Gamble had huge game that day, rushing for 173 yards on just 15 carries (11.5 ave.) and scoring a pair of touchdowns. Massillon finished as Division I state runner-up that year. The second was in 2006, with Moeller coming out on top, 48-14.

Indianapolis Colts’ Hoosier Dome – In the late 1980s and early 1990s Massillon and Indianapolis North Central went at it with a 5-game series. Four games were played in Massillon, with the Tigers winning in all four. The lone game in Indianapolis was played at the Hoosier Dome. But with Massillon struggling that year, they fell 35-20 to the host team.

Then there were the two oddballs in this story.

Columbus Historic Crew Stadium – In 2023 Massillon faced Cincinnati Anderson in the Division II state semifinals. The venue was a professional soccer arena. Although it was a fine facility for the fans, the team needed to be spread among two different locker rooms. But it didn’t affect the outcome, as the Tigers prevailed in big way, winning 55-7. The following week Massillon would capture its first ever playoff state championship.

Nike Headquarters – The other oddball occurred the following year in the season opener when the Tigers traveled to Beaverton, Oregon, to face NFL Academy London. The game was held at the Nike Complex on a field that was nearly devoid of appropriate seating. Nevertheless, Massillon took care of business and came away with a 35-20 victory. Quarterback Jalen Slaughter led the way by completing 29 (2^nd in the record book) of 44 passes (5^th) for 403 yards (2^nd) and 3 touchdowns. Nine passes went to Braylyn Toles and 7 were caught by Ricardo Wells.

Overall, the Tigers have been fortunate enough to have played in twelve different non-high school venues. Given that most of these games were played against top competition, one wouldn’t expect domination in the win-loss column. But Massillon has held its own, producing an overall record of 26-23-1. And the players had great experiences playing in front of some very large crowds.

News

2025 Massillon Football Squad Closes the Books with Award…

December 17, 2025
by Don Engelhardt

2025 Massillon Football Squad Closes the Books with Award Ceremony

It was the final opportunity for coaches, parents and fans to pay one final tribute to the efforts put forth by the players of the 2025 Massillon football team. The event was held on Tuesday evening at the Washington High School auditorium.

Father Ed Gretchko was on hand once again to open the festivities with an invocation, while he spoke of the players coming together as a community to strive for a common goal.

Next up was outgoing Massillon Tiger Booster Club President Mary Lou Wilton, who was recognized as the first ever woman president of the club. Mary Lou thanked everyone for their support. “You (the players) all have made my year very, very special,” she said. Next year’s president is Jim Mutigli.

Finally, it was a turn at the mic for Coach Nate Moore, the winningest head coach in Tiger history, having just completed his 11^th year at the helm. He opened by thanking everyone: players and coaches and all who contributed to the program, individuals and organizations alike.

“What a tremendous season,” he said, “I’m proud of these guys. To win nine games with the schedule we had? Ninth consecutive regional finals. Beating No. 1 Lakewood St. Edward. Complete domination of North Canton Hoover and Columbus DeSales. Nothing better than beating our rivals to the east; ten straight victories is very special and it won’t be forgotten.

“So proud of our senior class (with just 16 players at season’s end). I want to thank you guys across the board. It was a rebuilding year. And the seniors supported that effort. I love this senior class. What a fun group. I will miss you guys.

“Underclassmen, 2026 will be the Year of the Tiger. We can’t wait to get back at it. Lead, follow or get out of the way!”

Below are all the award winners:

Ja’Dyn Williams
Most Valuable Player – Ja’Dyn Williams (Sr.) (1^st Team All-Ohio)
Offensive Player of the Year – Savior Owens (Jr.) (1^st Team All-Ohio)
Defensive Player of the Year – Ja’Dyn Williams (Sr.)
Special Teams Player of the Year – Deontay Malone (Jr.) (2^nd Team All-Ohio)
Junior Varsity Offensive Player of the Year – Sabastian Harper (Jr.)
Junior Varsity Defensive Player of the Year – Jaxson Perry (So.)
Junior Varsity Lineman of the Year – Briar Mattox (Jr.)
Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year – Sabastian Harper (Jr.)
Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year – Jaxson Perry (So.)
Scout Team Lineman of the Year – Zay-Shawn Murray (Sr.)
Hardnose Award (previously awarded by the Touchdown Club) – Ja’Dyn Williams (Sr.)
Carl “Ducky” Schroeder Outstanding Lineman Award – Davionne Floyd (Jr.)
Lifter of the Year – Christian Culler (Jr.)
Brandon Burlsworth Character Award – Anthony McMullen Jr. (Sr.)
John Pizzino, Sr. Academic Football $1,000 Scholarship – Owen Sirgo (Sr.)
Paul David Memorial Academic Award – Logan Allman (Sr.)
Bob Smith / Bill Snyder Sportsmanship Award – Ja’Dyn Williams (Sr.)
Coach Lee Tressel Citizenship Award (Sideliners) – Noah Jenkins (Sr.)
Tom Harp Coaches’ Award – Eli Moore (Sr.)
Nick Vrotsos Coach of the Year Award – Jeff Kent (Defensive Coordinator)
Sam Dossous – 3^rd Team All-Ohio

During the event each player was recognized by his respective position coach and also received several momentos related to his participation on the team.

In an emotional moment, Coach Moore said farewell to his son Eli with a long hug. Although Eli did not reach his goal of becoming the starting quarterback, he was highly instrumental in helping his teammates as both a player on the field and a co-captain leader off to achieve the successes that they did. For there is nothing better for a football coach than to have mentored his son in a sport that both love.

Just recently, Ja’Dyn Williams was named the recipient of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association’s Art Teynor Award. This honor recognizes excellence in football performance, leadership, character and academic achievement. It is likened to the Mr. Football Award that is annually presented by the OHSAA to the best player in the state of Ohio.

“Ja’Dyn represents everything this award stands for,” Massillon head football coach Nate Moore said in a statement he released earlier. “He is a relentless competitor, a leader in our program, and an outstanding student. His legacy at Massillon will be the type that other great players are measured against.” A 4.0 student, Williams was also selected All-Stark County, 1^st Team All-District and 1^st Team All-Ohio. Next year he will attend Indiana University to both play football and continue onward with his academic career.

News

Four Massillon Players Selected as All-Ohio

December 11, 2025
by Don Engelhardt

Four Massillon Players Named All-Ohio

The Ohio High School Athletic Association has recognized four 2025 Massillon football players with Division II All-Ohio honors. The group includes junior running back Savior Owens, senior linebacker Ja’Dyn Williams, junior defensive back Deontay Malone and senior defensive lineman Sam Dossous. The four were members of a squad that finished the season with a 9-4 record and advanced to the regional championship game.

First Team

Savior Owens – The 5′-11, 210 lbs., junior running back brings both power and speed to the game. During the season he carried the ball 222 times for 1,572 yards and scored 21 touchdowns, while averaging 7.1 yards per attempt. Included in that was eight 100-yard games. His 293 yards against Big Walnut ranks third in the Massillon record book, just behind Willtrell Hartson’s 324 and Travis McGuire’s 302. He also ranks 5^th with 304 single-game all-purpose yards. For the season he is 6^th in total yards, 7^th in yards per game and 7^th in touchdowns. Owens holds an offer from the University of Wisconsin of the Big Ten.
Ja’Dyn Williams – Williams was a 3-starter at inside linebacker, standing at 6′-2″, 205 lbs., He plays the game right, with high level of speed and physicality, along with great anticipation in responding to the play. Williams finished the year first on the team in total tackles (108), tackles-for-loss (12.5), quarterback sacks (5.5) and recovered fumbles (5). In addition, his performance numbers have landed 14 times in the Tiger record book. Ja’Dyn will play next year at Indiana University of the Big Ten.

Second Team

Deontay Malone – Malone was selected as an All-Ohioan at defensive cornerback, but the 6′-0″,175 lb., junior also excelled on offense at wide receiver and special teams as a returner. During the season he recorded 39 tackles, 3 pass interceptions, 6 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. The speedy receiver was also second on the team with 34 pass receptions for 498 yards and 7 touchdowns. In addition, he returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown against Columbus DeSales, the third longest in Massillon history. And he averaged 15.7 yards per punt return, which ranks 9th in the book. To tap it off, he returned a punt 50 yards against Canton McKinley to both win the game and become the first ever Tiger player to score against the Bulldogs on a punt return. With a year to go, Malone holds an offer from North Carolina University of the ACC.

Third Team

Sam Dossous – The 6′-4″, 220 lbs., senior defensive lineman had a monstrous year after not even starting the first game of the season. He finished the year 5th on the team with 43 total tackles, 2nd with 10.5 tackles-for-loss and 2nd with 3.0 quarterback sacks. His quickness off the ball turned him into a devastating disruptor of opponents’ rushing attacks. Next year Dossous will play for Bowling Green University of the Mid-American Conference.

Savior Owens heads for daylight against Canton McKinley.

Ja’Dyn Williams forces a fumble against Football North.

Deontay Malone on his way to the end zone for the winning score against Canton McKinley.

Sam Dossous causing all kinds of problems for the Cornerstone Christian quarterback.

News

Three Massillon Players Sign Early for the Next Level

December 6, 2025December 6, 2025
by Don Engelhardt

Three Massillon Players Sign Early for the Next Level

Early signing day came up big for three Tiger players as they selected their respective colleges in order to continue their football and academic journeys. All will be playing next year in Division I, including Ja’Dyn Williams (Indiana University), Lennox Lemon (Kent State University) and Sam Dossous (Bowling Green University). The 2025 team finished with a record of 9-4 and had several major accomplishments, including a fourth straight victory over Division I, Region 1 champion Lakewood St. Edward, a victory over Missouri power Cardinal Ritter, a tenth consecutive win over rival Canton McKinley and a spot in the Division II, Region 7 finals.

Ja’Dyn Williams (6′-2″, 205) was a 3-year starter for the Tigers at middle linebacker. During the 2025 season he led the team in several categories, including solo tackles (59) , assists (49), total tackles (108), tackles-for-loss (12.5), quarterback sacks (5.5) and fumble recoveries (5). Included in that was 17 tackles against Cleveland Glenville and 15 against Rabun Gap, GA. Williams is also the winner of the Touchdown Club’s Hardnose Award, which is presented to the player that is considered to be the toughest on the field. Ja’Dyn, given his good size, great speed and uncanny ball instincts, will now take all of that to the Big Ten and Indiana University.

Lennox Lemon (6′-2″, 185) played two years at cornerback. Following a fine junior season he suffered a serious leg injury and was unable to return to the fold this year until the final game of the regular season. But that didn’t prevent him from receiving a scholarship offer from Kent State University of the Mid-American Conference. As a starter during his junior year he recorded 30 tackles, with a pair of pass interceptions (one returned 44 yards for a touchdown), 6 pass breakups and a fumble recovery.

Sam Dossous (6′-4″, 220) was a non-factor in 2024 and was not even listed as a starter for the first game of this year. But that didn’t last long and he ended up with a monstrous season, while parlaying that into a scholarship offer from Bowling Green University of the Mid-American Conference. From his defensive end spot, Dossous finished with 43 total tackles, 10.5 tackles-for-loss (2nd on the team to Williams) , 3.0 quarterback sacks (also 2nd) and two forced fumbles.

Congratulations to these fine Tiger players.

History

Several 2025 Tigers Make Their Mark in the Record…

December 4, 2025
by Don Engelhardt

Several 2025 Tigers Make Their Mark in the Record Book

A feature major of the massillontigers.com website is that of maintaining the historical performance records of both the individual players and the teams, for the categories of single game, single season and career. The effort goes back as far as available resources allow. It started with data gleaned from various newspaper stories. Then, beginning in the 1950s game statisticians were employed to record official numbers, initially on paper and at present using computer programs. Fortunately, most of these resources are preserved in the MassMu’s Paul Brown Museum, which simplifies the overall task of generating the Top Ten records.

This season, although the team finished with a 9-4 record, there were still moments when players shined sufficiently to have their performances recorded in the books. Making their mark are Savior Owens, Manny Patterson, Ja’Dyn Williams, Deontay Malone and Mateo Herrera.

Savior Owens was the workhorse in the ground game, mimicking that of Jamir Thomas from a few years ago. This season Owens rushed 222 times for 1,572 yards and 21 touchdowns, with an average of 7.1 yards per attempt. He also had eight 100-yard games. His greatest effort came against Big Walnut in the regional finals, when he rushed 35 times for 293 yards and 3 touchdowns. The 293 yards ranks third in the record book, just behind Willtrell Hartson’s 324 yards against Westerville South in 2020 and Travis McGuire’s 302 yards against Canton McKinley in 1991. His 35 carries fell just one short of the Top 10. He also placed 5^th with 304 all-purpose yards. For the season he ranks 6^th in total yards, 7^th in yards per game and 7^th in touchdowns.

Manny Patterson quarterbacked the team for the entire season. Although the Tigers appeared to put the passing game on the shelf following the Week 6 game against Football North, Patterson did have one last opportunity to shine. That moment came in Round 2 of the playoffs against North Canton Hoover, when he completed 12 of 13 passes for 226 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Vikings were obviously concerned about the ability to defend the pass against the Tigers’ athletic receivers and thus played well back in coverage. That opened the door for Manny to exploit the edges with tag screens, which put the receivers in advantageous positions for turning them into long gainers. His 92.3 pass completion percentage in that game ranks 3^rd in the record book and his 339.9 efficiency rating ranks 2^nd. For the season, Patterson completed 112 of 174 passes for 1,415 yards and 19 touchdowns. His 64.4 pass completion percentage ranks 2^nd in the record book and his 159.5 efficiency rating ranks 10^th. He also touches the record book in the career category, as he currently holds the Massillon record with a completion percentage of 63.4%, with a season yet to play.

Ja’Dyn Williams, Massillon’s stellar inside linebackers, had two remarkable years as a starter. As a result, his name is all over the defensive categories. In fact, he placed a whopping 14 times including the following:

13.0 single tackle points vs. Cleveland Glenville (5^th)
59 single season solo tackles (7^th)
83.5 single season tackle points (8^th)
5 single season fumble recoveries (2^nd)
109 career solo tackles (5^th)
101 career assisted tackles (9^th)
210 career total tackles (6^th)
159.5 career tackle points (4^th)
26.5 career tackles for loss (6^th)
124 career tackles for loss yards (3^rd)
11.0 career quarterback sacks (3^rd)
87.5 career quarterback sack yards (3^rd)
3 career forced fumbles (3^rd)
5 career fumble recoveries (2^nd)

Deontay Malone was involved in every aspect of the game: offense as a wide receiver, defense as a cornerback and special teams as a return man. Against Columbus DeSales in Round 3 of the playoffs, Malone returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. That puts him in 3^rd place in the longest kick return category, behind John Francisco, who returned one 105 yards against Alliance in 1952, and Tyler Hackenbracht, who return one 100 yards against Teays Valley last year. For the season, Deontay averaged 15.7 yards per punt return, including a 50-yard romp for the winning score against Canton McKinley. The season average mark ranks 9^th in the record book. He also excelled in kick returns, fielding 15 balls and returning them for 393 yards. The 15 returns ranks 9^th and the yards ranks 4^th. Incidentally, the punt return against the Bulldogs is the first one ever for a TD in the long history of that rivalry.

Mateo Herrera is Mr. Reliable when it comes to kicking points after touchdown. This was his third year as a varsity kicker during which he converted 56 of 57, with a 98.2% success rate. These numbers rank him 5^th for kicks made, 7^th for kicks attempted and 9^th for kick percentage. During his 3-year career, Herrera has converted 133 of 137 kicks, at 97.1%. These marks rank him 4^th for kicks made, 4^th for kicks attempted and 4^th for kick percentage. For makes and attempts he is behind some great company, including Alex Bauer (205 of 213), Steve Schott (171 of 178) and Andrew David (162 of 174).

Congratulations to these fine players, all of whom return next year, with the exception Ja’Dyn Williams, who is off to Indiana University.

News

Ja’Dyn Williams Receives Touchdown Club’s Hardnose Award

November 25, 2025
by Don Engelhardt

Ja’Dyn Williams Receives Touchdown Club’s Hardnose Award

At the end of each season the Touchdown Club honors one of the players with the “Bob Commings Memorial Hardnose Award.” That player would have received the most votes from among weekly tallies taken by the club members. Past honorees include John Mulbach (Ohio State), David Whitfield (Ohio State), Chris Spielman (Ohio State), Shawn Crable (Michigan), Brian Gamble (Illinois/Ashland) and Dorian Pringle (Bowling Green).

Bob Commings was a very successful coach for the Tigers from 1969 to 1973, compiling a record of 43-6-2, including Massillon’s last state poll championship (1970) and a qualification for Ohio’s first ever state playoffs (1972). Commings departed following the 1973 season to become head coach of the University of Iowa and later coached at GlenOak High School, for whom their field was later named.

This year’s Hardnose Award winner is Ja’Dyn Williams, the outstanding linebacker who led his team to a 9-4 record and a spot in the playoff regional finals.

Williams was a 3-year starter for the Tigers and reached his pinnacle during his senior year both on and off the field. He is everything a coach would want in a linebacker. He has good size at 6′-2″, 205 lbs. and he plays the game right, with a high level of speed and physicality. He also possesses the ability anticipate the play and respond quickly toward it. In game action he was tops in several statistical defensive categories, while recording the following numbers:

59 solo tackles (1st) and 49 assists (1st) for 108 total tackles (1st)
12.5 tackles-for-loss (1st) for 61 lost yards (1st)
5.5 quarterback sacks (1st) for 41 lost yards (1st)
1 pass interception, 2 pass breakups
5 recovered fumbles (1st) and 1 forced fumble
1 blocked kick (1st)

Against Cleveland Glenville he started the season with a bang, with 17 total tackles, including 9 solos. He also had 15 against Rabun Gap, 12 against Canton GlenOak and 9 against Lakewood St. Edward.

While Williams was great on the field, Tiger Head Coach Nate Moore, when addressing the members of the Touchdown Club, talked at length about his attributes as a co-captain and leader of the team. Moore predicted that Ja’Dyn, being the person he is both on and off the the field, is setting himself up to enjoy a long career in the sport. Nate also felt that Ja’Dyn ranks right up there with the best linebackers to ever play for Massillon. Come December 3rd Williams will sign a letter-of-intent to play football for the Indiana Hoosiers of the Big Ten Conference.

The guest speaker at the event was Bob Commings Jr., son of Bob Sr., for whom the award was named. Bob also presented the trophy to Ja’Dyn.

Congratulations to Ja’Dyn Williams.

(l-r) Booster Club President Mary Lou Wilton, Head Coach Nate Moore, Ja’Dyn Williams, Bob Commings Jr. and Touchdown Club Chairman George Mizer.

History

Mistakes Prove Costly in Playoff Loss to Big Walnut

November 22, 2025November 22, 2025
by Don Engelhardt

Mistakes Prove Costly in Playoff Loss to Big Walnut

Statistics

Bracket

Revenge was on the minds of the Tiger football family for the entire season as both Massillon and Big Walnut appeared headed for a showdown in the Division II, Region 7 finals. But it wasn’t to be. The Golden Eagles played a nearly perfect game in a 27-21 victory, while the Tigers were the ones that made the mistakes and literally gave the game away.

The errors were numerous. In the first quarter a punt snap sailed high over the head of the punter, placing the ball at the five yard line. Three plays later Big Walnut quarterback Eli Stumpf (2^nd Team All-Central District) found Brody Hatfield (1^st Team All-District) open in the back corner of the end zone for the score. In the second quarter the Tigers surrendered a blocked punt, giving the ball away at the six. Stump subsequently carried it in on second down. And then there were the two Eagle field goals, both following short drives, of 25 and 31 yards. One of these was set up by a pass interception. Then, there were the ten penalties for 100 yards, many of which hampered the Massillon offense early in the game.

The Tigers might have overcome all of that had they possessed any kind of a passing attack. The quarterback rarely had time to set up, the receivers weren’t getting open and the passes were mostly errant as a result. Perhaps the coaching staff anticipated this, as they spent the entire night running ball. In fact, Massillon threw just three times up to the point when they fell behind 27-21.

While statistics don’t tell the whole story, Massillon did out-gain Big Walnut 355-196 in total yardage, with a 287-100 advantage in rushing yards. Running back Savior Owens, behind the fine blocking of the linemen, was the lone offensive bright spot with a monster game, as he churned out 293 yards and three touchdowns off of 35 carries, while averaging 8.4 yards per attempt. Included in that were TD runs of 29, 44 and 58 yards.

Defensively, the players were put in difficult situations. However, they did manage to hold the Central District’s Offensive Player of the Year to just 104 yards (4.7 ave.) and no touchdowns.

It was on Massillon’s second possession that the errant punt snap occurred. After an exchange of possessions, the Tigers went on a 10-play, 83-yard drive, with all plays on the ground, culminating in Owens’ 29-yard touchdown run to tie the score.

On the next series Massillon scored again, this time moving 64 yards in 3 plays, with Owens racing in from the Big Walnut 40. Then came the blocked punt, with the score quickly tied at 14 apiece, followed shortly thereafter by an Eagle field goal by Owen Pyles of 28 yards. Thus, the halftime score was 17-14.

Big Walnut received the kickoff to start the third quarter and produced their only long offense of the night, an 8-play, 66-yard drive, ending with a 1-yard quarterback sneak. It upped the margin to 24-14.

Only, the Tigers got right back into it when Owens broke loose for a 58-yard touchdown run on the second play of a 63-yard drive. Now it was just a matter of finding that fourth score. Even with Big Walnut tacking on a 24-yard field goal to start the fourth quarter and a score of 27-21 there was still a chance.

The Tigers had three cracks at it. On the first they drove to the Eagle 22 with 4:30 left and elected to forgo a 4^th down field goal attempt, only to be stopped on downs when a pass was broken up. On the second, following a recovered fumble at the Big Walnut 35, they faced a fourth and four from the eight with 2:45 left. Again they opted to go for the first down. But the attempt picked up just two yards and they turned the ball over.

The final try began at the Eagle 43 with 1:30 left on the clock and all three time outs having been used. The Tigers managed to get off nine plays, with quarterback Manny Patterson completing three passes. The first was four yards to Malone and out of bounds to stop the clock. Following a sack, the second was 16 yards on fourth down to Braylon Gamble, who made a great catch, while leaping high, then bobbling the ball and finally securing it for a first down. The ball was then spiked to stop the clock. Then, on 4^th and 23, following yet another sack, Patterson launched a desperation pass toward the end zone. Within a mad scramble for the ball, Jadyce Thigpen was able to run it down and went immediately out of bounds at the 12 with just 1.7 seconds left. One last try. But Patterson never got the pass off as he was sacked for the third time.

Massillon ends the season with a 9-4 record, the second worst in Nate Moore’s eleven years as Tiger head coach. Big Walnut improves to 12-1 and advances to face Cincinnati Anderson (13-0) in the state semifinals in a repeat of last year’s match.

Photos by Marlene Kanipe