2022 Massillon-Canton McKinley Game By the Numbers

2022 Massillon-Canton McKinley Game By the Numbers

This Saturday at 2:00 pm Massillon and Canton McKinley will renew their storied rivalry for the 133rd time in one of the longest high school football rivalries of the country.  The Tigers currently hold the all-time win-loss advantage with 74 victories against 53 defeats and five ties in a series that began in 1894.  The Bulldogs held the edge throughout the early history, but Massillon pulled even in 1950 with a 33-0 win.  Since that time, the Tigers have a record against the Pups of 49-28-0.  They have also won ten of the last eleven meetings.  This year match will be held at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, where the Tigers hold a 26-14-1 edge.  The last McKinley win at PBTS was in 2010.

The Book on Massillon

The Tigers dropped their opener against state power Cincinnati Moeller, 49-31, but have since reeled off eight straight wins.  Their signature win came in Week 5 against defending Division 1 state champion Lakewood St. Edward, which was ranked No. 1 in the state at that time.  After falling behind 14-0 early, Massillon rallied to take a 21-19 lead into the locker room.  After the Eagles went ahead in the fourth quarter and were in position end the game, linebacker Dorian Pringle stripped the St. Eds running back of the ball to give the Tigers a final chance.  Eight plays later quarterback Jalen Slaughter connected with Braylyn Toles on perfectly thrown 24-yard pass to secure a 31-28 victory.  The following week Massillon handed Austintown Fitch their only loss of the season, 49-28.  Nate Moore is in his eighth season as head coach of the Tigers and while there has compiled a record of 78 wins and 21 loses (.788), including a 6-1 mark against McKinley.

Massillon’s season:

• Cincinnati Moeller (9-1): 31-49 L (lost to Lakewood St. Edward, 6-0)
• Canton GlenOak (3-6): 35-7 W – (lost to Canton McKinley, 40-7)
• Mansfield (7-2): 33-0 W (defeated North Canton, 42-9)
• Warren Harding (2-7): 41-12 W
• Lakewood St. Edward (8-1): 31-28 W (defeated Cincinnati Moeller, 6-0; currently ranked in the National Top 50 by calpreps.com)
• Austintown Fitch (8-1): 49-28 W
• Middletown, DE (3-3): 42-28 W
• Canisius, NY (4-3): 42-7 W

Individual statistics leaders:

• Rushing: Willtrell Hartson – 177 carries for 1,197 yards (150/game) and 18 touchdowns; leading scorer with 122 points
• Passing: Jalen Slaughter – 83 of 158 (53%) for 1,295 yards (162/game) and 16 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
• Receiving: Ardell Banks – 23 receptions for 510 yards and 7 touchdowns
• Receiving: Kyler Wiggins – 20 receptions for 259 yards and 2 touchdowns
• Receiving: Braylyn Toles – 19 receptions for 249 yards and 3 touchdowns
• Defense: Dorian Pringle – 46.0 tackle points, 13 tackles-for-loss, 5 sacks
• Defense: Cody Fair – 32.5 tackle points, 6.5 tackles-for-loss
• Defense: Brandon Carmon – 9 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks

Team statistics

• Offensive points: 38 per game
• Rushing offense: 198 yards per game (5.4/attempt)
• Passing offense: 162 yards per game (8.1/pass attempt)
• Total offense: 360 yards per game (6.4/play)
• Run/pass ratio: 65%
• Defensive points: 19 per game
• Rushing defense: 80 yards per game (2.6/attempt)
• Passing defense: 189 per game (8.2/pass attempt)
• Total defense: 269 per game (5.0/play)
• Run/pass ratio: 58%

Rankings

• Computer Poll: Division II, Region 7 – 1st
• Associated Press Voting Poll: Division II – 3rd
• Calpreps.com computerized rating system: Ohio Division II – 2nd; National – 63rd

The Book on Canton McKinley

The Bulldogs started the season slowly, dropping their first four games, including losses to Mentor and Austintown Fitch.  But they then rebounded with five straight victories to take command of the Federal League standings.  During the winning stretch, they outscored their opponents by an average of 42-17.  The difference was the insertion of sophomore running back Nino Hill, an early season transfer from Alliance, and marked improvement from quarterback Keaton Rode.  McKinley’s signature win came in Week 7 when they defeated pre-season Federal League favorite Uniontown Lake, 36-26.  In that game, the Bulldogs were adept at maintaining possession of the ball with time-consuming drives and taking advantage of several Blue Streak mistakes.  Antonio Hall is in his second season as head coach of the Bulldogs and while there has compiled a record of 13 wins and 9 losses (.591), including an 0-1 mark against Massillon.

McKinley’s season:

• Mentor (5-3): 21-34 L
• Austintown Fitch (8-1): 14-38 L
• Dublin Coffman (6-3): 26-28 L
• Perry (4-5): 28-38 L
• Green (4-5): 51-19 W
• North Canton (6-3): 42-9 W
• Lake (8-1): 36-26 W
• Jackson (5-4): 40-23 W
• Canton GlenOak (3-6): 40-7 W

Individual statistics leaders:

• Rushing: Nino Hill – 119 carries for 971 yards (8.2/attempt) and 16 touchdowns; leading scorer with 98 points
• Passing: Keaton Rode – 76 of 152 (50%) for 1,143 yards (127/game) and 12 touchdowns, 4 interceptions
• Receiving: Cynceir McNeal: 31 receptions for 572 yards and 8 touchdowns
• Defense: Kylier Jenkins – 7 tackles-for-loss; 6 sacks
• Defense: Dante McClellan: 3 interceptions

Team statistics

• Offensive points: 33 per game
• Rushing offense: 211 yards per game (6.4/attempt)
• Passing offense: 121 yards per game (7.2/pass attempt)
• Total offense: 332 yards per play (6.6/play)
• Run/pass ratio: 67%
• Defensive points: 26 per game
• Rushing defense: 185 yards per game (4.9/attempt)
• Passing defense: 134 per game (6.5/pass attempt)
• Total defense: 319 per game (6.4/play)
• Run/pass ratio: 75%

Rankings

• Computer Poll: Division I, Region 1 – 4th
• Associated Press Voting Poll: Division I – unranked
• Calpreps.com computerized rating system: Ohio Division I – 25th; National – 665th

Summary

Both teams have shown the ability score points with dominant rushing attacks and effective passing.  Defensively, Massillon appears to have the stronger rush defense, while McKinley holds a slight edge in pass defense.

For Massillon, they need to establish the run like they have in previous games.  Willtrell Hartson has shown that he can carry the load for the entire game and has become a bruising runner, while also having the ability to break the long one.  Also, the Tigers have been quite successful with their 2-back alignment by inserting 225 lb. Dorian Pringle or 205 lb. Peytton Mitchell along with Hartson in short yardage situations.  If McKinley decides to load the box, something they have not been prone to do over the past several years, the burden may then fall on Jalen Slaughter and his talented receivers to move the ball.  The bottom line is that the Bulldogs will absolutely need to stop the run if they hope to win.

For McKinley, they need to show a balanced attack.  Few teams have had success running the ball up the middle against the Tigers and only moderate success to the edge.  But Nino Hill has proven to be an exceptional runner, one who is fast and has the ability gets those extra yards in traffic.  But he alone will not win this game.  The Bulldogs also need production from quarterback Keaton Rode, who is adept at both passing and running.  That’s where Massillon’s devastating blitz package comes into focus, something that can take away the big play.  The defensive front is sufficiently big and talented to draw double-teams from the offensive linemen, which frees up the linebackers to put tremendous pressure on the quarterback.  In fact, this group is on pace to establish a new Massillon record for tackles-for-loss.   They currently have 64 TFLs along with 19 quarterback sacks.

Look for this game to once again be close at halftime and then decided in the second half.

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 8 – Post-Canisius,…

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 8 – Post-Canisius, NY

Massillon (6-1) defeated Canisius, New York (3-3), 42-7.  The Tigers will now take a week off before hosting Canton McKinley (4-4).

• 7th Grade (3-5): Lost to Canton 40-20.  Their season is finished.
• 8th Grade (7-0-1): Defeated previously unbeaten Canton, 27-14.  Their season is finished.  This class is unbeaten over the past two years.
• 9th Grade (5-3): Defeated Cleveland St. Ignatius (5-2-1), 12-0.  The Wildcat’s other loss was 28-27 to Lakewood St. Edward, while the tie was against Avon.  Massillon plays Avon at home on Thursday, October 13, at 6:00 pm.
• Junior Varsity (6-1): The game with Brush was canceled.  Plays RICC Canada Varsity on Friday, October 14, at 7:00 pm.

Canisius, NY

It was a most unusual game.  Canisius (3-3) led in first downs, 14-12.  They led in plays run, 63-36.  They held the ball for 23 minutes longer.  And the Tigers just couldn’t get off the field on defense.  The Crusaders’ sprint run game to the perimeter and short passes kept many drives alive, as nearly half of the drives ended in the Massillon half of the field.  But in the end, it was the scoreboard that counted the most and Canisius managed to achieve just a single touchdown.

One problem was that the Tigers scored so quickly when they had the ball.  Their first five TDs came on the end of drives lasting just 3, 2, 3, 4 and 3 plays in building a 35-0 lead by early in the third quarter.  Another issue was that the game mimicked that of many previous seasons when facing opponents in a game prior to Beat McKinley Week.  The level of intensity was just not there for all four quarters.  I guess that’s just the nature of the beast.

Nevertheless, this one was over by halftime, with Massillon ahead 28-0.  And they had only run 15 plays to get there.  Yes, they ran only 36 plays for the entire game, but they averaged 8.8 yards per play against a team that really wasn’t all that bad.  Massillon just had too many athletes on the field.

Quarterback Jalen Slaughter was sacked on the first play and did throw an incomplete pass on the next try.  But then it was time to light it up, which came on a 63-yard pass to Kyler Wiggins.  After that, Slaughter did just about what he wanted.  It also helped that Canisius was loading the box to stop Willtrell Hartson, which left the receivers in one-on-one coverage, setting up many mismatches.

Defensively, the front seven completely controlled the run game up the middle and pressured the quarterback all night.  They recorded nine tackles for loss for negative 37 yards, including a pair of quarterback sacks.  They also had two pass interceptions.  And, accounting for the lost yardage, held the rushing attack to just 1.6 yards per attempt.  The quarterback did complete 60% of his passes, but just for 7.5 yards per catch, which wasn’t enough to get it done when it counted the most.

“It was a really strange game,” said Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore, who is just two wins away from tying Paul Brown’s all-time win record as a Tiger coach.  “A strange flow to the game.  We scored so fast that they were able to hold onto the ball a lot.  I wish we were able to put them away earlier.  It was just a miserable game.  But we scored six touchdowns on 36 plays.  Defensively, we played well for a lot of the game.  But they were able to put some drives together.  I’m happy it’s over.”

The guest players this week were offensive lineman Mike Mercurio and linebacker Chase Bond.

• Mercurio – “They were big on the the D line.  I felt we came out really fast, but then slowed down.  I don’t know why.”
• Bond – “They were a good team.  A lot of short passes.  This team didn’t give up.  They just kept going.”

Stats leaders:

• Quarterback Jalen Slaughter: 7 of 16 for 141 yards, 0 interception and 3 touchdowns
• Running back Willtrell Hartson: 8 carries for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns; 1 receiving touchdown
• Wide receiver Kyler Wiggins: 2 receptions for 82 yards and 1 touchdown
• Wide receiver Ja’Meir Gamble: 2 receptions for 43 yards and 1 touchdown
• Linebacker Cody Fair: 8.5 tackle points (5-7); 2 tackles-for-loss
• Cornerback Zach Liebler: 8.0 tackle points (7-2)
• Linebacker Dorian Pringle: 6.0 tackle points (5-2); 4.5 tackles-for-loss
• Safety De’Aire Pringle: 6.0 tackle points (4-4)
• Safety Ryan Page: 5.0 tackle points (5-0)
• Defensive lineman Mike Wright Jr.: 2.0 tackles for loss
• Interceptions by linebacker Maverick Clark and Adonis Vaughan

Canada Prep RICC

In a rare scheduling ploy, Moore decided to take an open date in Week 9 as he was unable to secure a suitable pre-McKinley opponent.  Instead, he opted for a junior varsity game against Canada Prep’s RICC varsity team.  And it will be played on a Friday night under the lights with all the normal varsity game festivities, except for fireworks.  “I’m excited to get our young guys out there and see what they can do under the lights on a Friday night,” said Moore.

For this game, Massillon will suit up every varsity player, except for the normal starters.  So it will be somewhere between a varsity and a JV squad.

Incidentally, the open date will result in the Tigers receiving an average of the other nine games in the computer rankings and it will actually provide a benefit in that RICC has yet to win a game.

Schedule to date:

• Cincinnati LaSalle: 70-7 L
• The Hun School, NJ: 49-6 L
• Erie McDowell, PA: 48-6 L
• Academy of the New Church, PA: 35-34 L

RICC is comprised of a mixture of Canadian and international players.  Their roster is on the smaller side and they have struggled with the American game.  Their strength is in the size of the offensive and defensive lines, which may present some challenges for their Massillon counterparts.  The quarterback is pretty good and he has some fine receivers to target.  But the Tigers will have a decided advantage in the skill positions.

The RICC offense normally aligns with the quarterback in the shotgun, a single running back, three wide receivers and a tight end.  Defensively, they use a 4-3 front group with two deep safeties.

Go Tigers!

2022: Massillon 42, Canisius, NY 7

GAME STATS

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 7 – Post-Middletown,…

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 7 – Post-Middletown, DE

Massillon (5-1) defeated Middletown, Delaware, 42-24.  The Cavaliers are the No. team in Delaware.  This week Massillon plays Canisius, New York (3-2).  The all-time series is tied 1-1.

• 7th Grade (3-4): Defeated Central Catholic 7th & 8th, 26-12.  Plays Canton at home (PBTS) on Tuesday, October 4, at 6:00 pm.
• 8th Grade (6-0-1): Defeated Akron Jennings, 35-12.  Plays Canton at home (PBTS) on Thursday, October 5, at 6:00 pm.
• 9th Grade (4-3): Defeated University School, 58-20.  Plays Cleveland St. Ignatius at home on Thursday, October 6, at 6:00 pm.
• Junior Varsity (6-1): Defeated Ironton, 14-12.  Plays Lyndhurst Brush on Saturday, October 8, at 10:00 am.

Middletown, DE

The Cavaliers struck early with an effective passing attack.  Scoring on  their first and third possessions of the night, quarterback Austin Troyer completed 10 of 15 passes for 171 yards, including long completions of 29 and 30 yards.  But after that, Massillon pulled up the corners and safeties and blitzed often.  That kept Middletown in check for the better part of the next two quarters, while the Tigers built an insurmountable 35-12 lead by the end of three.

The offense also started out slowly.  Massillon had practiced against an odd front all week and then Middletown came out with an even front.  It took a couple possessions to adjust, but then the “O” just took off, scoring touchdowns on its next three possessions and rolling up 148 yards of offense on 21 plays.

Willtrell Hartson had another good night, recording his 7th consecutive game of 100 yards or more rushing.  This time he rambled for 198 yards and scored three touchdowns, bringing his season totals to 1,096 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.  Quarterback Jalen Slaughter also had an effective night, tossing three touchdown passes, two to Ardell Banks (7) and a third to Kyler Wiggins, his first of the  year.  The offense converted 6 of 11 third down tries.  For the season, Tigers have been successful 51% of the time on third down, which is the best mark achieved during Nate Moore’s 8-year tenure as head coach.

On defense, the front seven continues to excel, this time holding the Cavaliers to negative ten yards on the ground.  They also sacked Troyer five times for a loss of 57 yards.  Middletown only converted 4 of 12 third down tries.  For the year, the Tigers have surrendered just 2.8 yards per rush, a mark matching that of Massillon’s great rushing defense of last season.  The group has also sacked the quarterback this year 16 times, which ranks 7th all-time for a complete season.  The record is 29 and it may be in jeopardy of falling.

“That was a good football team,” said Moore.  “The quarterback was as good as advertised.  They had treat receivers.  WE got pressure on the quarterback.  Got some stops.  Got the offense going.  And it secured the game.”

The guest players were Willtrell Hartson, Mike Mercurio and Chase Bond.  Their comments were as follows:

• The team started off slowly and then picked it up. (Hartson)
• This deep into the season, the game is not necessarily slowing down, but getting easier. (Mercurio)
• It was a great feeling picking up the fumble.  But the stumble slowed me down.  The next time I plan to score a touchdown. (Bond)
• Middletown didn’t quit, unlike Fitch, and always played to the whistle. (Mercurio)
• Constant defensive pressure on the quarterback disrupted the passing game. (Bond)

Stats leaders:

• Quarterback Jalen Slaughter: 10 of 18 for 148 yards, 0 interception and 3 touchdowns
• Running back Willtrell Hartson: 28 carries for 198 yards and 3 touchdowns
• Wide receiver Zach Liebler: 4 receptions for 56 yards and 0 touchdowns
• Wide receiver Ardell Banks: 3 receptions for 52 yards and 2 touchdowns
• Safety Ryan Page: 7.5 tackle points (6-3)
• Defensive lineman Michael Wright Jr.: 4.5 tackle points (4-1), 3.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack
• Linebacker Dorian Pringle: 4.5 tackle points (3-3), 3.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks
• Defensive lineman Malachi Card: 3.0 tackle points (3-0), 2.0 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks

Canisius, NY

Massillon will face Canisius this Friday in a battle of Ohio vs. New York.  The Crusaders are making their third trip to Tigertown, having won the first encounter, 45-35, and dropped the second (last year), 23-13.  Canisius appears to be struggling somewhat this season, while dealing with a roster of just 30 players.  Although, they have won three of five games.  Their scores so far:

• Walsh Jesuit (5-2): 6-48 L
• Aquinas Institute (1-4): 14-13 W
• WNY Maritime / Health Sciences (co-op) (0-2): 43-30 W
• St. Joseph Collegiate (4-1): 33-22 W
• Lancaster (5-0): 20-24 L

“I like the out-of-state matchups,” said Moore.  “Seeing what they are doing.”  He also said that Massillon in this one represents the state of Ohio.  He’s hoping the team will have an Ohio flag in their hands when they come out of the tunnel on Friday.

Offensively, Canisius lines up in multiple formations, often employing four wide receivers in a twin set.  The offensive line is good up the middle, while they have a big, strong running back in junior Dyrell Howard (6′-1″, 220).  Quarterback Nicholas Penuvchtev is a good player and can make plays.  His primary receiver is sophomore Jayden Clark (5′-11″, 175).  But also keep an eye on senior Mike Doctor (6;-2″, 195).

Defensively, they utilize four linemen, while the secondary aligns in a 2-high set with quarter coverage.  The best player on the line is Howard.  The top linebacker is junior Nyzell Lash (6.-0″, 180), who is their No. blitzer.

Depth and experience could be issue for the Crusaders.  Five starters go both ways.  In addition there are only three seniors on offense and three on defense.  Finally, Moore believes that there are areas that the Tigers can exploit.

Hartson Hits the Record Book — AGAIN!!!

Hartson Hits the Record Book — AGAIN!!!

It’s not often that you see a game like Massillon’s 49-28 victory over Austintown Fitch; one in which the Tigers ran the ball 64 times for 406 yards. The last time the Tigers did that against a good team was in 1991 when they defeated Canton McKinley, 42-13.  In that one, they ran the ball for 402 yards on 60 attempts.   Spearheading that performance was Travis McGuire, who rolled his way through 302 yards, setting a new Massilon single-game rushing record.  He also scored a whopping five touchdowns.

In last Friday’s game it was Willtrell Hartson, who carried the ball 40 times and gained 274 yards, while scoring four touchdowns.  It was also his sixth consecutive 100-yard+ game.  Here’s how those stats stack up historically for the orange and black:

• 40 attempts – 3rd all time behind Elwood Kammer’s 44 in 1925 vs. Erie Academy, PA and Jamir Thomas’ 42 in 2017 vs. Canton McKinley.
• 274 yards – 5th all time.  Hartson also holds the record with 324 yards in 2020 vs. Westerville South.  That mark bested Travis McGuire’s record noted above.  It is Hartson’s third entry into the Top 10 for that category.
• 4 touchdowns – Tied for 10th with a slew of other players.  The record is currently owned by Edwin “Dutch” Hill, who scored eight touchdowns against Akron North in 1922.
• 6 consecutive 100-yard+ games – Tied for 3rd all time with Travis McGuire and Terrence Keyes.  The record-holder is Jamir Thomas, who produced nine.

With six games in the books, Hartson has now carried the ball 141 times for 898 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.  Should Massillon advance to the state finals, here is what Hartson would need to make the record book for single season records:

• Attempts – 79 to make the Top 10 (8 per game); 209 to set the record (23 per game)
• Yards – 474 to make the Top 10 (53 per game); 1,079 to set the record (120 per game)
• Touchdowns – 8 to make the Top 10 (1 per game); 21 to set the record (2.4 per game)

The team offense also cracked the Top ten for the number of rushing attempts in a single game with 64, tying the Mansfield game of 1993 and placing 3rd.  The record is 69, set by the 1992 team vs. Youngstown East.  Unfortunately, the 406 yards gained on the ground did not make the Top 10.  The current No. 10 mark is 452.

Earlier this year, in Massillon’s 41-12 victory over Warren Harding, quarterback Jalen Slaughter complete 14 of 19 passes for 248 yards and 4 touchdowns with no interceptions, earning an efficiency rating of 252.8.  That performance is now No. 10 in the record book.

Incidentally, Massillon has now scored 30 or more points in six consecutive games, which is ranked 6th all-time.  The record was set by Paul Brown’s 1939 team and later tied by Nate Moore’s 2018 team, which each had nine.

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 6 – Post-Austintown…

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 6 – Post-Austintown Fitch

Massillon (5-1) defeated Austintown Fitch, 49-28.  The Tigers now lead the series with the Falcons, 20-8-0.  It was the second consecutive victory over an undefeated, state-ranked team, the former being Lakewood St. Edward.  This week Massillon plays the first of two out-of-state opponents: Middletown, Delaware (2-1), at home.  The Cavaliers are rated No. 1 in Delaware.

• 7th Grade (2-4): Defeated Austintown, 20-16.  Plays Central Catholic at home (MJHS) on Tuesday, September 27, at 6:00 pm.
• 8th Grade (5-0-1): Defeated Austintown, 50-28.  Plays Akron Jennings at home on Wednesday, September 28, at 6:30 pm.
• 9th Grade (3-3): Lost to Austintown Fitch, 14-12.  Plays University School at home on Thursday, September 29, at 6:00 pm.
• Junior Varsity (5-1): Defeated Austintown Fitch, 28-21.  Plays Ironton on Saturday, October 1, at 1:00 pm.

Austintown Fitch rolled into town last Friday with their high-powered offense, one that was loaded with skilled athletes.  And they did not hide the fact that they were bent on breaking a 5-game losing streak to Massillon in this showcase of two state-ranked teams.  But the Tigers avoided a letdown following the St. Eds game and brought the wood in a literal beat down, sending the Falcons home with their first loss of the season.  They did it with a bruising rushing attack that racked up over 400 yards on the ground.  It was a game that was won in the trenches, on both sides of the ball, with the defense holding Fitch to a mere 49 yards on the ground.  Any offense the Falcons had came through the air.  A one-dimensional attack is just not enough to stay with a team the caliber of Massillon.

For the record, the Tigers rushed 64 times for 406 yards at 6.3 yards per carry.  Nearly all of the runs were up the middle as the offensive line simply punished the Falcon front seven.  It was so devastating that according to the guest players they simply had enough by the end of the third quarter.  Senior Willtrell Hartson, while producing his sixth consecutive 100 yard plus game, racked up 275 yards in 40 carries.  For the season he now has 898 yards.  Junior Dorian Pringle added 77 and sophomore Peytton Mitchell another 44 , which were big nights for both of these players.

But a ball-control ground attack was not the original game plan.  The plan called for more of a balanced attack.  Only, after the first few passes did not end well and it was evident that there was a mismatch in the run game, the coaches decided to just stay with the run for the rest of the game.  By the end, the offense had doubled Fitch’s time of possession and racked up 28 first downs (Top 10 all-time) and seven rushing touchdowns (4 by Hartson and 3 by Pringle), and they never punted.  Although two passes were intercepted in scoring territory.  They also converted 10 of 12 third downs, while picking up the remaining two on fourth down runs.  The 2-back offense was also effective in short yardage situations.

“The story of the game was the offensive line,” said Head Coach Nate Moore.  “It was a dominating game from start to finish.  The backs ran hard.  I know we have the best coaching staff in the state of Ohio.  This is the first time we made Fitch’s defensive line tap out.”  And it may have been the best performance since Moore has been at Massillon.

The game is reminiscent of Massillon 42-13 victory over Canton McKinley in 1991.  In that one, the Tigers rushed 60 times for 402 yards.  And Travis McGuire carried the ball 36 times for 302 yards, setting a Massillon rushing record for total yards in a single game.  Only three passes were thrown.

The Falcons, in spite of their defensive shortcomings, did display some of the offense that they are known for this year, at least in the air.  Junior quarterback Deshawn Vaughn completed 16 of 23 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns.  He also scored a rushing TD.  In the receiving department, Jayden Eley caught six passes for 143 yards and a touchdown and Dan Evans III grabbed six for 48 yards.  But their two stellar running backs were held to a combined 30 yards on 12 carries.

The guest players were:

• Offensive lineman Mike Mercurio – “This game was won in the trenches.”
• Defensive lineman / tight end Chase Bond – “It was a great game plan by the coaches.  All the pieces came together.”
• Special teams player Angelo Salvino – “We made them quit.  They had big names, but we didn’t let it affect us.”

Stats leaders:

• Quarterback Jalen Slaughter: 6 of 10 for 50 yards, 2 interception and 0 touchdowns
• Running back Willtrell Hartson: 40 carries for 274 yards (6.8) and 4 touchdowns
• Running back Dorian Pringle: 10 carries for 77 yards (7.2) and 3 touchdowns
• Running back Peytton Mitchell: 10 carries for 44 yards (4.4)
• Safety De-Airre Pringle: 5.0 tackle points (4-2)
• Defensive back Adonis Vaughn: 4.0 tackle points (3-2)
• Cornerback Jaden Welch: 4.0 tackle points (2-4); 0.5 TFLs

Middletown

Middletown, is located in the northern part of Delaware, some 56 miles south of Philadelphia.  With a population in 2020 of 23,192, their football team participates with ten other schools in Division 3A, which is the largest classification in the state.

This year the Cavaliers have a 2-1 record, having defeated rival Smyrna 21-14 and lost to Philadelphia St. Joseph  Prep, the nation’s No. 25 team, 42-0.  In the prior five years they compiled an overall mark of 46-8, including a state championship last year and three prior state runners-up.  Later this year they will play Florida’s IMG Academy, the nation’s No. 5 team.

“They are a very good team,” said Moore.  “Very seasoned team.  Really good at the skill positions.”

Offensively, they operate out of the spread formation, led by junior quarterback Austin Troyer (6′-3″, 185).  He has offers from UConn and Temple.  He’s very accurate and has good arm strength.  The top receiver is Ty’Renne Hynson (6′-2″, 175).  He has good size, good hands, is very athletic and makes a lot of plays.  The running back is senior Michael Pearson (5′-9″, 195), who has committed to Navy.  But they struggle running the ball and therefore put it in the air around 65% of  the time.

On defense, they are normally in a 3-3 odd-stack or 3-4 alignment.  Some 4-man line.  They have really good team speed and skill and fly to the ball.  All are solid players.  Junior safety Ronnell Davis (6′-2″, 180) has an offer from West Virginia.  Junior defensive end Tristen Graham (6′-3″, 245) is a very physical player, who runs a 4.5 40-yard dash.

Football Showcase

Next year Massillon will host a football showcase sponsored by a Northeast Ohio football group.  The event will feature four games at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium during the first week of the season.  Presumably, there will be four top NE Ohio teams, including Massillon, playing four out-of-state teams.

Go Tigers!

2022: Massillon 49, Austintown Fitch 28

GAME STATS