2022 Booster Club Report – Week 5 – Post-St.…

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 5 – Post-St. Edward

Massillon (4-1) defeated Lakewood St. Edward, 31-28, to even the series with the Eagles at four wins apiece and record their 924th all-time win.  This week Massillon plays Austintown Fitch (5-0) at home.

• 7th Grade (1-4): Lost to Akron  East 7th and 8th grade team, 40-6.  Plays Austintown at home (MJHS) on Wednesday, September 21, at 5:30 pm.
• 8th Grade (4-0-1): Defeated Akron Buchtel, 37-14.  Plays Austintown at home on Wednesday, September 21, following the 7th grade game..
• 9th Grade (3-2): Lost to Lakewood St. Edward, 14-6.  Plays at Austintown Fitch Thursday, September 22, at 5:00 pm.
• Junior Varsity (4-1): Lost to Lakewood St. Edward, 21-12.  Plays at Austintown Fitch on Saturday, September 24, at 10:00 am.

It was a tremendous victory for the Massillon program over the defending Division 1 state champs.  Not only was St. Edward unbeaten and ranked first in Ohio, they were also ranked in the Top 50 nationally.  But the win didn’t come easily, for the Eagles are a VERY good team.  It took exceptional play from many Tiger players to pull it off in a game that featured both big plays and crucial mistakes by both teams and came right down to the wire.

Let’s start with sophomore quarterback Jalen Slaughter.  He passed for 295 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner, in what was clearly the best performance of his short career.  After Massillon went behind 14-0 early, lightening struck twice in terms of a Slaughter-to-Ardell Banks combination.  After Eds second touchdown, Slaughter immediately hit Banks on a slant pass and the speedster just ran away from the single defender for a 70-yard score.  After stopping the Eagles on downs at the Tiger 14, Slaughter threw long to Banks, who had stripped himself from press coverage and with the catch advanced the ball to St. Edward 32.  On the ensuing play, the QB tossed a rainbow to a well-covered Banks for another score.  By that time the Eagles had enough of Mr. Banks, who for the game caught five passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns.  So they double and triple-teamed him the rest of the way, at the expense of taking a linebacker off the field and eliminating most opportunities to blitz.  Such is the overwhelming impact Banks had on the Eagle defense.  So, Slaughter needed to find another receiver to keep the momentum going.  That player was Kyler Wiggins, who was single-covered on account of the defensive alignment over Banks.  Wiggins ended up catching seven passes for 63 yards.  Also in the mix was Braylyn Toles, who caught five for 48 yards.  And that included the winning 24-yard touchdown pass, which came with just eleven seconds remaining in the game.

So it was, somewhat alien to this Tiger team, that it was the pass that set up the run.  Thus, in the middle of all that was steady running back Willtrell Hartson, who gained 130 yards, his fifth consecutive 100 yard plus game.  His big play came on the possession following the second Tiger score when he ripped off a 59-yard run to the five yard line, with Dorian Pringle scoring on the next lay.  But credit also needs to go to offensive line, which opened many holes for the running backs and kept the vaunted Eagle rush away from Slaughter in all but two pass attempts.  By games’ end, the Tigers had amassed 421 yards of total offense (7.0 yards per play), which was an unprecedented mark against such a great St. Edward program.

Defensively, every player certainly contributed his best game.  But two really stood out.  Dorian Pringle had eight solo tackles and eight assists and was simply a beast on the field.  And he also came up with the biggest stop of the night.  Prior to Massillon’s winning score, St. Eds had possession of the ball and all they needed late in the game was a first down to kill the clock.  Their running back gained the needed yards, but high school instincts took over and the Eagle players tried to push the ball carrier for additional yards.  Only, Pringle was in the middle of the scrum and simply ripped the ball from runner’s hands and then fell on it to give the Tigers one more chance to win.

The other player was Brandon Carmen, who finished with 5.0 tackle points, three tackles-for-loss and a sack.  Time and again he out-maneuvered the massive Eagle offensive tackles to set the edge and turn sweeping running backs toward the inside, where other players did the clean-up work, negating potential long-gainers.

“I’m really proud of the kids,” said a joyful Head Coach Nate Moore.  “A lot of guys stepped up and made huge plays.  St. Eds made mistakes and we capitalized.  A lot of great performances.  That’s what it takes.  But now we all have to forget about Eds.”

The guest players were:

• Sam Snodgrass – “It was really fun.  We played great.”
• Chase Bond – “It was an intense game.”
• Angelo Salvino – “Coach Moore brought us together (after the 14-point deficit).  It rallied the team to come back.  Today’s a new week and Fitch is a really good team.”
• Willtrell Hartson – “Craziest game ever.  But it’s a new week.  So, let’s get to it.”

Stats leaders:

• Quarterback Jalen Slaughter: 18 of 32 for 295 yards, 0 interception and 3 touchdowns
• Running back Willtrell Hartson: 18 carries for 130 yards (7.2)
• Ardell Banks: 5 receptions for 164 yards, 2 touchdowns
• Kyler Wiggins: 7 receptions for 63 yards, 0 touchdowns
• Braylyn Toles: 5 receptions for 48 yards, 1 touchdown
• Dorian Pringle: 12.0 tackle points (8-8), 1 fumble recovery
• Cody Fair: 7.0 tackle points (3-8)
• Ryan Page: 6.0 tackle points (5-2)
• De’Aire Pringle: 5.5 tackle points (5-1)
• Brandon Carman: 5.0 tackle points (5-0), 3 tackles-for-loss, 1 sack
• Marcus Moore: 4.5 tackle points (1-7), 0.5 tackle-for-loss, 0.5 sack
• Jaden Welch: 4.0 tackle points (4-0)

Friday marks the 28th all-time meeting between Massillon and Austintown Fitch.  The Tigers currently own a 19-8 edge in the series that began in 1985.  Last year the Tigers came back from a 14-point deficit to defeat the Falcons, 31-21.  Fitch comes into this week’s game with a 5-0 record, having defeated the following teams:

• Foothill, Nevada (1-4): 42-10
• Canton McKinley(1-4): 38-14
• Canton GlenOak (1-4): 48-18
• Youngstown Ursuline (4-1): 42-34
• Bennett, New York (1-2): 42-20

The Falcons are averaging 42 points per game and are characterized as a team that has really good skill players.  The standouts include:

• Junior quarterback Deshawn Vaughn (5′-10″, 175) – Toledo offer.  Good player.  Played safety last year.  Has a big arm and is accurate.  Runs well.
• Senior running back Jamell James (5′-10″, 210) – Bowling Green offer.  Excellent player.  Good size and speed.  Physical.  Will run some out of the wildcat.
• Junior backup running back D.J. Williams (5′-10″, 190) – Toledo offer.  Good speed and vision.
• Senior wide receiver / safety Cam Smith – Iowa State offer.  Athletic.  Number 1 target.
• Senior Jayden Eley (6′-1″, 165) – Deep threat

The defense is led by:

• Junior lineman Brian Robinson (6′-5″, 235) – Georgia and LSU offers, among others.  Excellent player.
• Senior lineman Josh Fitzgerald (6′-3″, 275) – Youngstown State offer.  Big.  Physical.
• Senior linebacker Christian Latone (5′-10″, 180).  Athletic and fast.  Also, blitzes a lot.
• Cam Smith

Offensively, Fitch aligns similar to Massillon with their multiple spread formations.  A run-oriented team, they will also throw a lot of short stuff and screens and then go over the top with some deep passes.

The defense utilizes mostly 3-4 alignments, with some 3-3.  According to Moore they “do a lot of things.”

Go Tigers!

2022: Massillon 31, Lakewood St. Edward 28

GAME STATS

2022: Massillon 41, Warren Harding 12

GAME STATS

2022 Massillon vs. Warren Harding Statistics

Score by Quarters     1  2  3  4   Score
-----------------    -- -- -- --   -----
Warren Harding......  6  0  0  6  - 12       Record: (1-3)
Massillon...........  7 20  7  7  - 41       Record: (3-1)



Scoring Summary:
1st 07:59 WARREN - Dalys Jett 85 yd run (Jake Daugherty kick failed), 3-73 1:44, WARREN 6 - MASS 0
    04:59 MASS - Nolan Davenport 34 yd pass from Jalen Slaughter (Vinney Keller kick), 7-80 3:00, WARREN 6 - MASS 7
2nd 11:17 MASS - Ardell Banks 52 yd pass from Jalen Slaughter (Vinney Keller kick), 6-80 2:00, WARREN 6 - MASS 14
    04:00 MASS - Braylyn Toles 45 yd pass from Jalen Slaughter (Vinney Keller kick failed), 6-80 2:08, WARREN 6 - MASS 20
    01:07 MASS - Willtrell Hartson 12 yd run (Nolan Hendricks kick), 4-56 0:58, WARREN 6 - MASS 27
3rd 05:51 MASS - Ardell Banks 16 yd pass from Jalen Slaughter (Nolan Hendricks kick), 10-51 4:24, WARREN 6 - MASS 34
4th 09:45 WARREN - Naujeat Jones 31 yd pass from Dalys Jett (Dalys Jett pass failed), 16-85 8:01, WARREN 12 - MASS 34
    00:22 MASS - Peytton Mitchell 5 yd run (Nolan Hendricks kick), 9-72 5:32, WARREN 12 - MASS 41



                                 WARREN     MASS
FIRST DOWNS...................       15       19
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............   29-121   33-184
PASSING YDS (NET).............      125      248
Passes Att-Comp-Int...........  24-12-0  19-14-0
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....   53-246   52-432
Fumble Returns-Yards..........      0-0      0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............      0-0      1-3
Kickoff Returns-Yards.........    6-143      1-0
Interception Returns-Yards....      0-0      0-0
Punts (Number-Avg)............   2-27.5   1-18.0
Fumbles-Lost..................      0-0      1-1
Penalties-Yards...............    8-149    9-115
Possession Time...............    26:32    21:28
Third-Down Conversions........  5 of 13   5 of 9
Fourth-Down Conversions.......   2 of 4   2 of 3
Red-Zone Scores-Chances.......      0-1      3-3
Sacks By: Number-Yards........     2-12     2-15


RUSHING: Warren Harding-Dalys Jett 13-99; Ryan Powell 10-32; Javonte
Jones 2-7; Oryan Dukes 1-5; Devin Boss 1-minus 4; Team 2-minus 18.
Massillon-Willtrell Hartson 18-109; Peytton Mitchell 4-50; Dorian Pringle 4-37;
Ja'Meir Gamble 1-11; Mylen Lenix 1-1; Kyler Wiggins 1-1; Jalen Slaughter 3-minus
12; TEAM 1-minus 13.

PASSING: Warren Harding-Dalys Jett 12-24-0-125. Massillon-Jalen Slaughter
14-19-0-248.

RECEIVING: Warren Harding-Devin Boss 4-10; Naujeat Jones 3-62; Jacob
Lawrence 2-40; Raylin Weaver 2-12; Javonte Jones 1-1. Massillon-Ardell Banks
6-132; Braylyn Toles 6-76; Nolan Davenport 1-34; Ricardo Wells 1-6.

INTERCEPTIONS: Warren Harding-None. Massillon-None.

FUMBLES: Warren Harding-None. Massillon-Braylyn Toles 1-1.

Stadium: Paul Brown Tiger      Attendance: 0
Kickoff time: 7:00 PM   End of Game: 9:34 PM   Total elapsed time: 2:34
Officials: Referee: John Schuller; Umpire: Bob Rauc; Linesman: Tony Gliozzi;
Line judge: Brian Kroth; Back judge: Jason Barr; Scorer: Jim Barkan Sr;
Temperature: 81 F      Wind: light S   Weather: Clear Sky

           Warren Harding vs Massillon (Sep 9. 2022 at Massillon, OH)

SACKS (UA-A): Warren Harding-Jaden Hudson 1-0; Nysier Coleman 1-0.
Massillon-Kalix Collins 2-0.

TACKLES (UA-A): Warren Harding-Nysier Coleman 4-0; Drew McKowan 3-1;
Dalys Jett 3-0; Airiz Coleman-Bey 1-4; Raylin Weaver 2-1; Javonte Jones 1-3;
Devin Boss 2-0; Cayden Murphy 1-2; Emmanuel Washington 1-2; Bryan Powell 1-1;
Nehemiah Alexander 1-1; Jaden Hudson 1-1; Devin Morgan 1-0; Naujeat Jones 1-0;
Tamairi Jackson 1-0; Brandon Coleman 1-0; Bryson Williams 0-2. Massillon-Vito
McConnell 3-2; Cody Fair 1-6; Deairre Pringle 3-1; Dorian Pringle 3-1; Ta'Shaun
Smith 3-0; Ryan Page 2-2; Marcus Moore 1-4; Kalix Collins 2-0; Malachi Card 1-2;
M Wright Jr 1-1; Jaden Welch 1-1; Christian Kring 1-1; Shon Robinson 1-0; Adonis
Vaughan 1-0; TEAM 1-0; Maverick Clark 1-0; Chase Bond 1-0; Angelo Salvino 1-0;
Vinney Keller 0-1; Zachary Liebler 0-1.



Player participation:


Warren Harding: 3-Bryan Powell, 5-Javonte Jones, 6-Devin Boss, 7-Jaden Hudson, 9-A Coleman-Bey, 10-Dalys Jett, 12-Jake Daugherty,
14-Naujeat Jones, 16-Nysier Coleman, 19-Drew McKowan, 20-Raylin Weaver, 21-Devin Morgan, 22-Ryan Powell, 23-Jacob Lawrence,
25-Oryan Dukes, 28-Brandon Coleman, 54-E Washington, 58-N Alexander, 61-Tamairi Jackson, 67-Cayden Murphy, 68-Bryson Williams.

Massillon: 1-Jaden Welch, 2-Jalen Slaughter, 3-Angelo Salvino, 4-W Hartson, 5-Vinney Keller, 6-Adonis Vaughan, 7-Maverick Clark,
10-Zachary Liebler, 13-Vito McConnell, 14-Kalix Collins, 16-Ryan Page, 18-Ardell Banks, 19-Kyler Wiggins, 20-Ja'Meir Gamble,
21-Braylyn Toles, 28-Mylen Lenix, 30-Deairre Pringle, 32-P Mitchell, 33-Cody Fair, 34-Dorian Pringle, 35-Ta'Shaun Smith,
41-Shon Robinson, 45-M Wright Jr, 49-Christian Kring, 56-Marcus Moore, 80-Ricardo Wells, 84-Chase Bond, 87-Nolan Hendricks,
94-Nolan Davenport, 95-Malachi Card.

2022 Massillon vs. Lakewood St. Edward Statistics

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 3 – Post-Mansfield

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 3 – Post-Mansfield

Massillon (2-1) traveled to Mansfield last Friday and came away with a 33-0 victory.  The Tigers currently lead the series, 44-4-5.  Massillon returns home next week to face Warren in the first of six and possibly eight consecutive home games.

• 7th Grade (1-2): Lost to Akron Armor (club team), 54-14.  Plays Warren at home (PBTS) on Wednesday, September 9, at 6:00 pm.
• 8th Grade (3-0): Defeated Mansfield, 39-22.  Plays Warren away on Wednesday, September 9, at 6:00 pm.
• 9th Grade (2-1): Defeated Mansfield Junior Varsity, 42-20.  Plays Warren Harding away on Thursday, September 10, at 5:30 pm.
• Junior Varsity (3-0): Defeated Canton McKinley, 50-6.  Plays at Warren Harding on Saturday, September 10, at 11:00 am.

Defense carried the day in shutting out Mansfield at Arlin Field last Friday, giving them their first loss of the season.  On the heels of a record-setting 15 tackles-for-loss against Canton GlenOak, the D recorded 12 TFLs against the Tygers.  In addition, they held Mansfield’s rushing attack to negative 30 yards, which is the third fewest rushing yards allowed in a game throughout Massillon’s long history.  Mansfield was stuffed up the middle, the linebackers were flying to the edges and the various blitzes were simply overwhelming.  Plus, the whole front group was extremely physical.  In the air the Tygers did complete 15 of 24 passes, but most of them were halted within a few yards of the line of scrimmage, owing to the great pursuit and fundamental tackling of the secondary and outside linebackers.

Overall, the Tygers advanced no further than the Massillon twenty yard line: once via a long pass on the last play of the first half and a second time near the end of the game against the backups.  Put it all together and Mansfield finished the game having been shut out for the first time since they lost 35-0 to Perry in the first round of the 2015 playoffs, a string of 82 games.

Offensively, the Tigers used a balanced attack to take control early, rushing for 115 yards and passing for 146.  While running only 44 plays, they averaged 5.9 yards per play, which is a shade below average for a Nate Moore team.  Willtrell Hartson rushed for a third consecutive 100-yard game, this time putting up 101 yards at 6.3 yard per carry.  But according to the Mansfield coach, his defense played much better than the offense.

If you check back after Week 10, you may find that this Mansfield team finished the season 7-3 or 8-2 and qualified for the Division 3 playoffs.  They have the athletes.  It’s just that playing the Tigers, currently ranked No. 217 in the nation by calpreps.com, may be a bit too much for them.  Regardless, the game was sure to prepare them for the difficult ones ahead, just like Moeller did for Massillon.

“We had a great week of practice,” said Head Coach Nate Moore in his opening remarks.  “Our pre-game focus was really good.  All those things are steadily getting better and better.  This is a talented football team.  Toughness, speed and strength.  Focus and discipline need to be homed in on.  And we have made some tremendous strides in those areas.  The unit leaders have really helped.”

Moore then got down to talking about last week’s Mansfield game.  “I’m really proud of these guys,” he said.  “We ran the ball really well.  Some things could have been better.  The offensive line has a ways to go, but they’ve been  getting better.  The defense was lights out.”

Moore remarked that Mansfield was using an unorthodox defensive alignment in their front group.  Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t.  But when it didn’t, it resulted in a big play.  Nevertheless, he felt that the offensive line did a great job of blocking it.

Guest players were Christian Kring, Sam Snodgrass, Angelo Salvino and Cody Fair.  “We fixed up a lot of mistakes from the week before,” said Kring.  “We were much more physical on both sides of the ball.”  “We played a great game as a whole,”  added Fair.  “Every week we’ve gotten better defensively.”  Salvino said that a big advantage for the Tigers came on special teams.  “That really set us apart,” he said.

Stats leaders:

• Quarterback Jalen Slaughter: 10 of 16 for 146 yards, 0 interception and 2 touchdowns
• Running back Willtrell Hartson: 16 carries for 101 yards (6.3), 1 touchdown; also caught a 43-yard touchdown pass
• Ardell Banks: 3 receptions for 58 yards, 1 touchdown
• Kyler Wiggins: 3 receptions for 18 yards, 0 touchdowns
• Ryan Page: 5.0 tackle points
• Dorian Pringle: 4.5 tackle points
• Maverick Clark: 4.0 tackle  points
• Team: 12 tackles-for-loss for 59 yards

This week marks the 87th renewal of the Massillon-Warren rivalry.  The first game was played in 1921 and the Tigers lead the series 58-25-3.  They have also won the previous six meetings, including last year’s 49-46 track meet.  But this time the game is in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.  “We’re happy to be back at home,” said Moore.

Quarterback Dalys Jett returns from last year, when he had a career day against Massillon by completing 21 of 34 passes for 358 yards and six touchdowns.  But gone are stellar receivers Tariq Ivory (10-182-2) and Dom Foster (5-100-3).  Jett is also questionable this week due to an injury, a setback for which he sat out last week’s game.

Offensively, Warren uses the spread with formations similar to Massillon.  Some 2-back sets and some heavy near the goal line.  Players to keep an eye on:

• Senior left tackle Tamairi Jackson (6′-1″, 290 lbs.).  Has really good feet and base.  Comes off the ball and finishes really well.
• Junior running back Ryan Powell (6′-1″, 215 lbs.).  A 3-star recruit according to Rivals.com.  Has several Division 1 offers.  Runs with good vision.
• Senior quarterback Dalys Jett (5′-10″, 165 lbs.).  Runs a lot more this year.  Questionable for Friday.  May be replaced by sophomore Drew McKowan (6′-3″, 170), who is also a good athletic player and effective runner.

Defensively, the Raiders align in a 4-3 with either cover-4 and cover-2, depending on the situation.  The best player is cornerback Dalys Jett.

Depth and experience could both be issues for Warren in that seven players start on both sides of the ball and they have only four senior starters on offense and four on defense.

Go Tigers!

2022: Massillon 33, Mansfield 0

GAME STATS

2022 Massillon vs. Mansfield Game Statistics

MASSILLON WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

Massillon vs Mansfield Senior (Sep 2, 2022)

Tiger Defense Ties Team Record

Tiger Defense Ties Team Record

The defense was simply smothering last Friday in nearly pitching a shutout against an improving Canton GlenOak squad.  Only a long pass completion against the backups at the end of the fourth quarter kept them from achieving that goal.  But by the end of the game, they had surrendered just 51 yards on the ground (1.3 yards/att.) in a 35-7 victory.  The defense also posted 15 tackles-for-loss, which ties the all-time team record, while accounting for a whopping 79 lost yards.

The contributors to that mark included:

• Inside linebacker Cody Fair – 3.0 for 20 yards
• Inside linebacker Dorian Pringle – 2.0 for 12 yards
• Outside linebacker Maverick  Clark – 2.0 for 5 yards
• Defensive lineman Mike Wright Jr. – 1.5 for 13 yards
• Outside  linebacker Brandon Clark – 1.0 for 12 yards
• Defensive lineman Malachi Card – 1.0 for 8 yards
• Defensive back Jacques Carter – 1.0 for 5 yards
• Cornerback Zach Liebler – 1.0 for 2 yards
• Cornerback Jaden Welch – 1.0 for 1 yard
• Safety De’Airre Pringle – 1.0 for 1 yard
• Defensive lineman Kendal Thomas – 0.5 for 1 yard

The other performance that compiled 15 tackles-for-loss occurred in 2012 during a game against Akron St. Vincent.  Massillon won that one, 44-23.  Devon Ingram and JD Crabtree each had 2.5 TFLs.  Here are the next five placers:

• 14 – McKinley, 2008.  17-0 victory.  Jamison Heath-Gates – 3.0 TFLs.
• 13 – Steubenville, 2012.  24-7 victory.  JD Crabtree – 2.5 TFLs.
• 12 – Nordonia, 2013.  33-17 victory.  Danny Robinson – 2.5 TFLs.
• 12 – Bishop Sycamore, 2020.  35-0 victory.  Jamacius Portus – 3.5 TFLs.
• 12 – Warren Harding, 2020.  24-0 victory.  Mike Miller – 4.0 TFLs, Xavier Andrews – 2.5 TFLs.

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 2 – Post-GlenOak

2022 Booster Club Report – Week 2 – Post-GlenOak

Massillon (1-1) evened its slate with a 35-7 victory over Canton GlenOak and now leads the overall series 14-4.  It was also a clean sweep at every level of the program.  Next up is a road game against Mansfield Senior, with the kickoff slated for 7:00 pm at Arlin Field.

• 7th Grade (1-1): Defeated Canton GlenOak, 30-22.  Plays Akron Armor (club team) at home (MJHS) on Tuesday, August 30, at 6:00 pm.
• 8th Grade (2-0): Defeated Canton GlenOak, 38-0.  Plays Mansfield at home (MJHS) on Wednesday, August 31 a6 6:00 pm.
• 9th Grade (1-1): Defeated Canton GlenOak, 38-0.  Plays Mansfield Junior Varsity at home (PBTS) on Saturday, September 3 at 10:00 am.
• Junior Varsity (2-0): Defeated Canton GlenOak, 48-2.  Plays at Canton McKinley on Monday, September 5 at 1:00 pm.

The Tigers made good strides in all facets of the game in handling GlenOak.  Defensively, they kept the Eagles at bay nearly the entire game, surrendering a long touchdown pass with seconds left against the backups.  Along the way, they registered 15 tackles-for-loss, which ties an all-time team record.  On offense, the running game was simply pounding, with a few strategic pass completions thrown in for good measure.  Willtrell Hartson rushed for over a 100 yards for the second consecutive game and tallied three touchdowns.

“We had a nice week with a victory over GlenOak,” said Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore at the weekly Booster Club meeting.

The guest players were Christian Kring, D’Aire Pringle, Cody Fair and Sam Snodgrass.  They collectively agreed that the Tigers played fairly good in the first half, but really stepped it up in the second.  They were mostly concerned about the speed in the GlenOak backfield (the Burt brothers) with their draw and boot plays.  But managed to control the game throughout.  And winning 35-7 with three turnovers was satisfying.

Moore was also concerned with the potency of the Eagle offense.  “I was worried going into the game,” he said.  “I was surprised that we bottled them up like we did.  The Burt kids are really fast.  Our whole front seven had a lot of great clips.  They brought the pressure on defense.”

The coach said that the first half was kind of a struggle at times, alluding to GlenOak being better than the final score indicated.  But in the second half the Tigers dominated play.  What helped on defense was a change in alignment.  It was apparent that the Eagles were having difficulty throwing the ball, so Massillon changed the secondary from a 4-high to a 3-high, meaning that one of the free safeties was now playing closer to the line of scrimmage.  That freed up one of the outside linebackers to blitz on every down.  That appeared to rattle the GlenOak offensive line, as evident by the defensive linemen constantly breaking through to tackle the ball carrier in the backfield and harass the quarterback.  Thus, the fifteen tackles-for-loss.

The offense was fairly consistent with their running attack, utilizing both inside and outside zone blocking schemes and the traditional power game with the pulling guard.  And Hartson was, well, Hartson, aided by an offensive line that was simply overpowering.

Moore beamed that the kickoff return team continues to be a strength.  Right from the start Zach Liebler returned the opening kickoff to midfield, setting up the Tigers’ first score.  The kickoff cover team also did well, forcing the Eagles to start from their own 17 yard line on average.  In addition, Nolan Hendricks pooched his initial kickoff to the GlenOak 30 yard line, where it was recovered by the Tigers.

Stats leaders:

• Quarterback Jalen Slaughter: 5 of 13 for 102 yards, 1 interception and 0 touchdowns
• Running back Willtrell Hartson: 23 carries for 158 yards (6.9), 3 touchdowns
• Freddie Lenix Jr.: 9 carries for 49 yards (5.4)
• Braylyn Toles: 4 receptions for 103 yards, 1 touchdown
• Dorian Pringle: 6.5 tackle points
• Cody Fair: 5.5 tackle points
• Jaden Welch: 4.0 tackle points

This week marks the 53rd meeting between Massillon and Mansfield in a series that began in 1908.  The Tygers run a multiple offense similar to that of the Tigers.  They have great skill at wide receiver, but field one of the largest lines that Massillon will see this year, averaging 6′-3′, 293 lbs.  The best player on the line is junior Ahmaan Thomas (6′-4″, 290 lbs.).  He has good feet and power and does well with pass protection.  The running back position features junior Zylon Brown (5’9″, 190 lbs.).  Similar in size to Hartson, he has good speed and vision, but is not as powerful. The top receiver is junior Amarr Davis (6′-0″, 175 lbs.).  He is a big threat with great speed and athleticism.  The quarterback, Duke Reese (6′-4″, 205 lbs.), has very good size and flashes at times.  But he also has a big arm and can scramble.

The defense uses a 3-4 alignment, also similar to Massillon.  According to Moore, the entire defense plays hard and runs to the ball.  The defensive line does not have great size, averaging 6′-1″, 228 lbs.  The best lineman is senior Ricky Mills.  He is strong and quick and makes a lot of tackles.  Also, keep an eye on linebacker Mekhi Bradley (‘6-0″, 240 lbs.), who has an offer from Kent State.  The corners will use a lot of press coverage.  Best among these is senior Keontez Bradley (6’-3″, 195), who has an offer from the University of Kentucky.

But it should be noted that, like Massillon, Mansfield is a very young team in that they start just three seniors on offense and four on defense.  Meanwhile, the Tigers start four seniors on offense and three on defense.  So most of these players will get two cracks at each other.

2022 Co-Captains Angelo Salvino, Marcus Moore, Zach Liebler and Willtrell Hartson with Head Coach Nate Moore.