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2021 Booster Club Report – Week 12

In Round 2 playoff action Massillon defeated Westerville South (8-3), 50-19, to improve their record to 10-2.  All-time win No. 919.  Next up is a playoffs regional semifinal matchup against No. 1 regional seed Big Walnut (12-0) on Friday at 7:00 pm.  The game will be held at Mansfield’s Arlin Stadium.

With the victory last Friday, the Tigers have now won at least ten games in each of five consecutive season, which is a first since the introduction of the post-season playoffs some fifty years ago.  Prior to that, in seasons limited to ten games, it has never been done.

Westerville South

Coming into the South game Massillon was considered as a modest favorite by several national computerized rating systems.  But after a running clock finish, they are once again proving that at least for this year the Tigers have been generally underrated.  Or perhaps starting with the Wooster game they are finally coming into their own.

Against Westerville, Massillon scored four four straight touchdowns to open the game and took a 28-13 lead into the locker room.  They fashioned it via drives of 73, 77, 60 and 45 yards using a mixture of runs and passes.  In the run game it was a Freddie Lenix Jr., Darrius McElroy and Camden Beasley combining for 23 carries and 145 yards (6.3 per att.).  The big one was a 53-yard jaunt to paydirt by Lenix on the fourth play of the game.  Freddie finished with 226 yards and two touchdowns and is consistently proving to be an adequate replacement for the injured Willtrell Hartson.  He would later spring for an 84-yard TD run, giving the Tigers an insurmountable 43-13 third quarter lead.

Freshman Jalen Slaughter had another good day at quarterback and during the four TD drives he completed 8 of 9 passes for 107, including a 40-yard scoring pass to Austin Brawley, who found himself wide open on a crossing route post pattern.  Also catching passes were Ardell Banks, Kurtis Miller and Riley Campbell.  Slaughter finished with a 12 of 18 effort for 168 yards and three touchdowns.  Jalen’s quarterback efficiency rating is now 163.9, which is creeping up on Aiden Longwell’s career mark of 174.1.  McElroy was used exclusively in the wildcat formation in the Tigers’ 2-quarterback system.  He literally, along with the offense line, plowed the road to the end zone.  Darrius also completed 3 of 3 pass attempts.  He has now hooked up on 15 of his last 18 passes, showing that he is also a threat to pass.

Although Westerville was able to score a few touchdowns, it was Massillon that controlled the tempo throughout.  But South was able put up the best rushing numbers of any previous Tiger opponent, gaining 181 yards.  Their two tailbacks averaged a combined 6.1 yards per attempt, proving once again that every opponent n the playoffs is good in some form.   But South’s passing game was sporadic (12 of 27) and they only converted a first down on 2 of 10 third down passing attempts.  Meanwhile, the defense simply couldn’t get Massillon off the field on third down.  The Tigers converted on 9 of 12 attempts and were successful on their only try on fourth down.  They were also effective on 6 of 9 third down passing attempts.,

“It was a really good week by our offense,” said head coach Nate Moore at the weekly Monday Booster Club meeting.  “We really executed.  We played at a high level.  We had a pretty good game defensively, but had a little trouble with the outside zone.”

Guest players were inside linebacker Nathan Depuy, offensive tackle Te’Jamere Nash and long snapper Dominic Salvino.  Their comments are summarized below:

• We played as a team.  Freddie Lenix Jr. and Ryan Zentkovich really stood out.
• The offense showed up.  Played all four quarters.  Scored four straight touchdowns to open the game.
• We have lifted each other up the last couple of week and come together.
• It’s hard to play Massillon for four quarters due to the physical play and conditioning.
• We throw so much offensively at the opponent’s defense that they are prone to get confused and occasionally line up incorrectly, such as during the uncontested touchdown pass from the one yard line.
• We are now working at a high tempo on offense to pressure the defense.  We can do that now that the starting lineup has been locked down.

Stats:

• Freddie Lenix Jr. – 22 carries for 228 yards and two touchdowns; long of 84 yards (2nd half)
• Darrius McElroy – 8 carries for 47 yards and two touchdowns; 3 of 3 passing for 21 yards; two punts averaging 35.5 yards
• Jalen Slaughter – 12 of 18 passing for 168 yards and 3 touchdowns
• Austin Brawley – 6 receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown
• Ardell Banks – 5 receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown
• Ryan Zentkovich – 9,0 (5-8) tackle points; pass interception with 31-yard return
• Nathan Depuy – 7.0 (5-4) tackle points; one tackle for loss

Big Walnut

This is the first ever meeting between Massillon and Big Walnut.  The Golden Eagles are a member of the 8-team Capital Division of the Columbus-area Ohio Capital Conference, a division that also includes Westerville South, Dublin Scioto and Canal Winchester.  In the five years previous to the 2021 season they compiled an overall record of 19-33.  In last year’s playoffs in which every team qualified they defeated Logan 62-0 and then lost to Scioto 31-13.  They also own a 17-8 all-time playoff record, which includes a Division 3 state title in 2007.

Big Walnut will enter the game against Massillon with a 12-0 record, averaging 43 points a game and giving up 13.  But they are also moving into unexplored territory owing to this year’s unusual success, with no recent playoff experience at this level.

Notable wins this season include:

• Westerville South (8-3): 38-7
• Dublin Scioto (8-4): 28-20
• Canal Winchester (7-5): 45-24 and 38-7.

Moore noted that schematically they are similar to the Tigers more than any other team they’ve played this year.  The offense operates out of a 3-back spread (quarterback, tailback, fullback) with 2 X 1 receivers.  They are very multiple in their play calling: some unbalanced, motions, shifts.  A run-first offense, they will use some play-action, screens and occasional deep throws.

Personal-wise, the offense is a young group with a starting lineup that includes just three seniors, along with five juniors and three sophomores.  Although the line is not stacked with notable players, it competes well as a group and is among the better ones Massillon has seen.  They are well coached and get off the ball.  The linemen average 6′-2″, 234 lbs.  The best among the group is junior left tackle Grant Conklin (6′-4″, 280).  Physical and athletic.

The running attack revolves around sophomore tailback Nate Severs (5′-11″, 205), who this year has gained 1,719 yards (8.5 yds/att.).  Moore considers Severs as the best running back the Tigers have faced this year.  He is a tough, physical runner, with good speed. He is also strong and possesses good patience and vision.  He will bounce it to the outside.  The backup, sophomore Garrett Stover (6′-2″, 190), is also very good.

Passing is not Big Walnut’s strength, but they do have a good possession receiver in junior Grant Coulson (5′-11″, 180),.  He is the No. 1 target with 21 catches for 268 yards and four touchdowns.  In the gun is sophomore Jake Nier (6′-2″, 190).  He’s probably more of a runner than a thrower.  Not bad on tag screens and play action.  A good field general.

The defense has aligned in a 4-3 in some games and a 3-4 in others.  The secondary uses match coverage, similar to  Massillon.  They will also use some cover-4 and some cover-6.

The strength of the defense is the front four, which averages 6′-1″, 216 lbs.  Two players stand out: senior defensive tackle Christian Takatch (6′-3″, 220) and junior defensive end Ethan Clawson (6′-4″, 220).  Takatch leads the team in tackles-for-loss and sacks.  He is strong and hard to move.  Clawson is second in both categories.  He’s tough and plays very hard.  Both can cause problems for an offense.

Other defensive players to keep an eye on are senior outside linebacker Lucas Tindall (6′-1″, 210) and Garrett, who plays safety.

Playoffs

Should the Tigers defeat Big Walnut, they will advance to face the winner of the contest between No. 7 Green and No. 14 Wooster, both of which fashioned upsets last week.  Green defeated No. 2 Hoover 14-10 and Wooster beat No.  6 Scioto 20-10.

2021: Massillon 50, Westerville South 19

GAME STATS

Freddie Lenix Jr., defense leads Massillon Tigers football to OHSAA playoffs win over Westerville South

MASSILLON – The year was different. The playoff round was as well.

The result, however, was very much similar to last year as Massillon rolled over Westerville South 50-19 in a Division II Region 7 quarterfinal on Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

It’s the second year in a row the Tigers (10-2) have ended the Wildcats’ season in the playoffs. A year ago, they won a 45-36 decision in the regional semifinals behind Willtrell Hartson’s school-record 324-yard rushing night.

This time, it was a different back who ran wild on the Wildcats. With Hartson sidelined for five of the last six games with an injury, Freddie Lenix Jr. stepped in and did the heavy lifting to carry Massillon into next week’s regional semifinal against undefeated and top-seeded Big Walnut at a site to be determined. Lenix rushed for a career-high 226 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. He put the Tigers up for good with a 53-yard run just 1:22 into the game, then helped them open up a 43-13 lead with an 84-yard dash with 5:21 remaining in the third quarter.

“Man, it’s just amazing,” Massillon left tackle Toddrick Lee said of Lenix, who has rushed for 570 yards in the last four games. “I just block, and I’m watching him just run off for 70 yards. It’s just amazing. I just get so happy.”

In between Lenix’s two runs, the Tigers found the end zone on four of their five possessions. The only two they didn’t score on was a drive late in the first half after they had built up a 28-13 lead.

Both Massillon quarterbacks, Jalen Slaughter and Darrius McElroy, had a hand in building up the lead. McElroy scored on a pair of first-half runs of 17 and 1 yard, while Slaughter threw two of his three TD passes in the first three quarters.

“I thought our offensive line did a great job,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, who’s now guided the Tigers to a program-best five consecutive 10-win seasons. “All the guys who got some seams did some damage. Just proud of everybody.”

Slaughter, who was 12-of-18 for 168 yards on the night, hit Austin Brawley on a 40-yard TD strike on the first play of the second quarter. He also tossed a 1-yard scoring pass to Jaden Welch, then added an 18-yarder to Ardell Banks in the fourth quarter to make it 50-19.

Part of the Tigers’ success on the scoreboard was their success on third down. They converted 9 of 12 third downs on the night, with Lenix’s first scoring run and Brawley’s TD catch each coming on third down.

“We had several opportunities on third-and-long in that first half that we needed to win,” said South coach Matthew Christ, whose team bows out at 8-3. “They made big pass plays to extend drives. I feel like that’s kind of their MO. They just kind of grind you and wear you out.”

Christ’s team pulled within 14-6 and 28-13 in the first half on Dominic Birtha TD passes. The first was a 21-yarder to Javi’er Willis in which Willis pulled in a deflected pass, while the second was a 5-yard slant to Kaden Saunders.

Birtha finished 17-of-27 for 151 yards with the two TDs. South’s final score came on a 21-yard run by Nasir Phillips, who led it with 98 rushing yards on 14 attempts.

Phillips’ score pulled the Wildcats within 43-19 with 1:44 remaining in the third quarter. However, unlike a year ago, when they outscored Massillon 27-3 in the fourth quarter to turn a lopsided score into a more respectable one, the Tigers didn’t allow them to gain any more ground.

“Basically, we just had to play our game of football and just not quit,” said Massillon safety Ryan Zentkovich, who ended the first half with an interception. “Last year, I’m pretty sure we got complacent and just slowed down. This year, we just wanted to keep on the pedal.”

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

2021 Booster Club Report – Week 11

In Round 1 playoff action, Massillon defeated Columbus Independence (5-6), 76-22, to improve their record to 9-2.  All-time win No. 918.  Next up is a second round playoff home game against Westerville South (8-2) on Friday at 7:00 pm.

• JV (9-2): Defeated Medina Highland, 23-14.  It was Highland’s first loss.  Season over.

Columbus Independence

It’s playoff time, when winners move on and losers go home.  It’s a time when serious contenders “take no prisoners.”  And the Tigers did just that in dismantling an outgunned Columbus Independence eleven, 76-22.  Massillon left no doubt by scoring 62 first-half points, a feat that is ranked 3rd all-time behind Sun Valley’s 73 in 2018 and Youngstown East’s 71 in 1991.

It was obvious from the start that Head Coach Nate Moore wanted to give his freshmen quarterback, Jalen Slaughter, some reps in the passing game when the Tigers went to the air early.  “We hit them with tag screens right away,” said Head Coach Nate Moore.  “If we get 5 yards we are happy.”

In one half of play (the backups played the second half), Slaughter connected on 13 of 15 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns.  That included a long one of 50 yards to Ardell Banks who, while streaking down the left sideline, caught the ball in stride to set up the next TD.  “Slaughter was really dealing,” said Moore.

In the run game it was literally no match as Massillon’s line had its way against the lesser skilled 76ers.  Meanwhile, Freddie Lenix continues to run well behind it after being inserted as a starter just a few games ago.  He finished his half with 99 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Independence did show some spark on offense, particularly in the passing game, with quarterback Antonio Harris completing a respectable 12 of 21 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns.  But once again, the Tigers held the running attack in check, surrendering under 100 yards for the 9th time in 11 games.

The special teams locked down the game with a Ryan Zentkovich punt block along with a Cam Beasley return for a touchdown and a long punt return by Austin Brawley for another TD

Moore said that they knew the 76ers weren’t good, while Massillon executed at a high level.  He was pleased with the Tigers’ performance and said they played an “overall good game.”  “They weren’t very good,” he said.  “We executed at a high level, we had a really good day.  Their offensive tempo gave us some problems.”

Guest players were long snapper Dominic Salvino, offensive / defensive lineman Jaiden Woods and offensive tackle Te’Jamere Nash.  Their comments are summarized below:

• It’s game-on now (with the playoffs underway).
• The plan was to go hard and fast so the younger players can play.
• The prep was good.  They matched what we prepped for.  Everything we saw in practice we saw on the field.
• We were the better team.  We hit quick and got to our backups.
• Approximately 60 guys got to play.
• The last six quarters have been the best Tiger football of the season.

Stats:

• Freddie Lenix, Jr. – 12 carries for 99 yards and four touchdowns
• William Marshall – 9 carries for 57 yards
• Cam Beasley – one rushing touchdown; punt return TD
• Rasean Card – one rushing touchdown
• Jalen Slaughter – 13 of 15 pass completions for 209 yards and two touchdowns
• Anthony Hillard – 1 touchdown pass
• Ardell Banks – 4 receptions for 97 yards
• Kurtis Miller – 4 receptions for 77 yards
• A.J. Jordan and Jalen Sample – one TD catch each
• Ryan Zentkovich – 8.5 (8-1) tackle points; 1 tackle for loss; 1 fumble recovery; blocked punt
• Nathan Depuy – 6.0 (5-2) tackle points
• Austin Brawley – 5.0 (4-2) tackle points; 53-yard punt return for a TD
• Nolan Hendricks – 6 PAT kicks

Westerville South

This is the 4th meeting with South, with Massillon holding a 3-0 advantage.  The score of last year’s game was 45-36, after the Tigers held a 42-9 lead going into the 4th quarter.  They are not as good as last year’s undefeated team, but they have good skill players.  Their season thus far:

• Olentangy (3-8): 29-17 W
• Hilliard Darby (8-3): 31-34 L
• Dublin Scioto (8-3): 41-22 W
• Big Walnut (11-0): 7-38 L
• Westerville North (3-8): 62-21 W
• Delaware Hayes (3-8): 49-7 W
• Canal Winchester (7-4): 16-14 W
• Franklin Heights (0-8): 65-0 W
• Worthington Kilbourne (4-7): 29-6 W
• Uniontown Lake (5-5): 32-10 W

Offensively, they utilize the spread formation, but don’t feature the pass as much as last year with the departure of stellar quarterback Peter Petrozo.  Stepping into his place is sophomore Dom Birtha (5′-9″, 175) (67-115, 911 yds, 12 TDs), who has been the starter since game 6 (a 38-7 loss to Big Walnut) and has been the spark for the offense since .  Moore says plays well for his grade .  Look for more of a balanced attack.  The line is average, although they have a good pair of running backs in senior Brandon Armstrong (5′-8″, 160) (111-883, 10 TDs) and sophomore Nasir Phillips (5′-10″, 195).  The best lineman is junior guard Craig Horton (6′-0″, 280).  The best position group is the wide receivers, led by returning starter senior Kaden Saunders (5′-11″, 165) (30-321, 4 TDs), who holds an offer from Penn State.  He is also ranked No. 56 nationally in the senior recruiting class.  Last year against Massillon he caught 9 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns.  He may be the fastest player on the field Friday night.

Defensively, they align in a 3-4 with some cover-1 and cover-3.  The secondary players tend to allow some margin in coverage.  They also don’t feature the secondary in the run support.  The line is average-to-good, as are the linebackers.  Both safeties are good.  And Saunders is also found at cornerback.  The best interior players are senior outside linebacker Jack Bates (5′-11″, 155) and junior inside linebacker Ethan Hanna (5′-11″, 195).  Bates has 62.5 tackle points, including 15 tackles-for-loss, and Bates has 53.5 tackle points.

In summary, watch for Saunders throughout the game, as he never leaves the field.  Wide receiver and some wildcat on offense (9-14, 94 yds); cornerback  on defense; return specialist on special teams.  He even punts.

South defeated Lake last week.  Moore was hoping for Lake win, since the Tigers have never faced them.

Playoffs

Should Massillon defeat Westerville South, they would face the winner of No. 1 seed Big Walnut and No. 9 seed Canal Winchester, presumably in Mansfield.

Go Tigers!

2021: Massillon 76, Columbus Independence 22

GAME STATS

Slaughter, Lenix Jr. help Massillon blitz Independence and set a record

MASSILLON – Massillon lit up the scoreboard in Friday night’s Division II Region 7 opener against Columbus Independence. That was well before the game even made it to halftime.

2021 Booster Club Report – Week 10

Massillon defeated Canton McKinley (6-4), 35-13, to improve their record to 8-2 and finish No. 4 in the final computer poll for Division 2, Region 7.  All-time win No. 917.  Next up is a first round playoff home game against Columbus Independence (5-5) on Friday at 7:00 pm.

• 7th Grade (8-0): Season over.
• 8th Grade (6-2): Season over.
• 9th Grade (8-1): Defeated Canton McKinley, 34-30.  Season over.
• JV (8-2): Plays home to Medina Highland on Saturday, October 30, at 10:00 am.

Canton McKinley

The last time Massillon scored four touchdowns in a half against Canton McKinley was 1953 in a 47-7 blowout.  In fact, the Tigers have only accomplished that feat three times prior to last Saturday, the other two coming in 1951 and 1940.  Incidentally, all three Tiger teams captured state championships.  While the ’51 and ’53 Bulldog teams were not considered very good, this year’s team finished a respectable 6-4, while the 1940 squad went 8-1-1.  So it was history of sorts in the making.  And one could say that it was the most productive half of football against McKinley in over 80 years.

Quarterback Darrius McElroy went down with an injury against Lakewood St. Edward in Week 5 and the freshman Jalen Slaughter has since done a good enough job to become the primary signal caller.  So in the minds of most fans the lingering question was how can Head Coach Nate Moore find a role for his senior captain.  That answer came in the second half of the game against Canton McKinley when Darrius was inserted into the offense as a “wildcat” quarterback with an empty backfield formation.  In essence, he became both the QB and the running back simultaneously  Obviously, the scheme worked as he helped lead an attack that resulted in  four touchdowns in five possessions, with the fifth ending in a fake field goal.  By game’s end, McElroy had rushed for 88 yards and scored two touchdowns.  He also had a 14-yard TD pass called back due a penalty prior to the fake field goal.  For his effort, Darrius was named Player of the Game by the Great American Rivalry Series.  The coaching staff had developed McElroy’s scheme throughout the week and debated whether to use it early or late, but couldn’t settle on which.  In the end it was the start of the second half, but it could have been used earlier if needed.

Also coming up big was running back Freddie Lenix, Jr., who rushed for 179 yards and scored two touchdowns, on long runs of 49 and 68 yards.  Lenix, who hadn’t run the ball since the 8th grade, was inserted into the lineup as recently as last week in place of the injured Willtrell Hartson.  Based on these results, the rust is off and future opponents must be aware of his speed and athleticism.  For his performance, Freddie was named Player of the Game by WHBC.

Aiding in all this was the outstanding play of the offensive line, which was the key in accumulating 371 yards rushing.

Meanwhile, the defense was simply spectacular, holding the Pups to just 64 yards on the ground (1.9 yards per attempt) and 114 yards in the air, while giving up a mere 41 total yards in the second half.  Nathan Depuy recovered his fourth fumble of the season, which ties the all-time Massillon season record.  And Brawley got his 7th block of the season during a PAT kick attempt after McKinley’s first touchdown.

The Tigers have now won six straight games vs. the Bulldogs and ten of the last eleven, upping the series record to 74-53-5, while retaining the bell for at another year.

Moore said he felt good both before and after the game.  “I thought the kids were absolutely ready to go,” he said.  “Our kids just kept playing hard.  We ran away with a pretty decent victory.  There were no halftime adjustments (referring to the deficit at the break).  When you keep playing hard, good things will happen.”

The coach cited the outstanding play of several players.  He noted specifically that Jaiden Woods had his best game of his career and fullback Nate Hatheway has really improved.

Guest players were offensive tackle Te’Jamere Nash, offensive / defensive lineman Jaiden Woods, wide receiver / outside linebacker / defensive lineman Riley Campbell and offensive guard Reece Turpin.  Their comments summarized below:

• We came in focused.  Strictly business.  We kept pushing.  They started to give up.
• The offensive  line played really well.  Lenix really stepped it up.
• We held each other accountable and helped each other through all the McKinley trash talk.

Stats:

• Freddie Lenix, Jr. – 16 carries for 179 yards and two touchdown
• Darrius McElroy – 13 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns
• Jalen Slaughter – 5 of 10 passing for 86
• Ardell Banks – 2 pass receptions for 70 yards
• Ryan Zentkovich – 5.0 (4-2) tackle points
• Nathan Depuy – 4.5 (3-3) tackle points; 2 tackles for loss; fumble recovery; 2 yard rushing touchdown
• Maverick Clark – 4.0 (3-2) tackle points; 2 tackles for loss (1 sack)
• Austin Brawley – 3.0 (1-4) tackle points; pass interception returned for 28 yards; blocked extra point
• Nate Watkins – 2 tackles for loss (1 sack)
• Zach Liebler – fumble recovery

The first quarter grades are in and Moore was proud to announce that the team scored a 3.34 GPA.  Another win for the Tigers, he said.

• Highest Honors 4.0+ – 14 players
• High Honors 3.50 to 3.99 – 26 players
• Honor Roll 3.30 to 3.49 – 6 players

Columbus Independence

The Tigers and 76ers will face each other for the first time in the initial round of the post-season playoffs.  Their season thus far:

• Columbus Northland (3-6) – 54-6 W
• Columbus DeSales (6-4) – 14-48 L
• Hillard Davidson (7-3) – 0-20 L
• Columbus West (0-9) – 76-6 W
• Columbus Eastmoor Academy (6-3) – 16-47 L
• Columbus Marion Franklin (4-6) – 28=30 L
• Columbus South (7-3) – 22-54 L
• Bolumbus Briggs (2-6) – 40-22 W
• Africentric Early College (6-3) – 42-6 W
• Columbus Walnut Ridge (1-7) – 36-6

Independence utilizes an old-style I-formation offense.  Defensively, they line up in a 3-4 odd front, but sometimes go to a 3-3.  The secondary likes cover-1, cover-3 and cover-4.

Playoffs

Massillon finished fourth in the computer poll, behind Big Walnut, North Canton Hoover and Olentangy Berlin.  The placement will provide the Tigers with a second home game should they be successful this Friday, against the winner of the game between Westerville South and Uniontown Lake.  Click here for the complete Division 2 bracket.

Go Tigers!

2021 Booster Club Report – Week 9

Massillon defeated Wooster (4-5), 31-0, to improve their record to 7-2.  All-time win No. 916.  Next up is a road game at Canton McKinley (6-3) on Saturday at 2:00 pm.

• 7th Grade (8-0): Season over.
• 8th Grade (6-2): Defeated Chardon, 34-16.  Season over.
• 9th Grade (7-1): Defeated Wooster 28-0.Plays home to Canton McKinley on Thursday, October 21, at 6:00 pm.
• JV (8-2): Defeated Wooster, 29-0.  Season over.

Wooster

Call it a tune-up for the big one if you like, but the Tigers took care of business early in a 31-0 victory over Wooster.  Two punt returns kick-started the effort and Massillon cruised the rest of the way, while keeping a very good Generals passing attack in check.

On Wooster’s first possession they faced a 4th and 2 at their own 38 and tried to draw the Tigers across the line early.  Failing to do that, the quarterback elected to punt from a short drop.  But a Massillon lineman got a hand on the ball and it landed at the Wooster 48, from where an alert Nathan Dupuy scooped it up and raced untouched to the end zone for the first score.  The second return was from Mr. Reliable, Austin Brawley.  He field a punt from the Generals’ second attempt and sped through the pursuers for a 44-yard TD.  By halftime Massillon held a 31-0 lead and the game for all intensive purposes was over.

Stats:

• Freddie Lenix, Jr. – 13 carries for 68 yards and two touchdowns in his first action of the season at running back
• Jalen Slaughter – 6 of 14 passing for 48
• Darrius McElroy – 4 of 5 passing for 19 yards
• Ardell Banks – 3 pass receptions for 32 yards
• Jaden Welch – 3 pass receptions for 19 yards; 4.5 (4-1) tackle points
• Shane Rue – 5 kickoffs into the end zone; 3 punts averaging 45.3
• Austin Brawley – 5.0 (4-4) tackle points; punt return for touchdown
• Nathan Depuy – punt return for a touchdown
• Camden Beasley, Marcus Moore – Each had a pass interception
• Beasley, Depuy, Mike Wright, Jr., Maverick Clark, Jaiden Woods – combined for 4 quarterback sacks

This being the week of the big rivalry game with Canton McKinley, the Booster Club invited the senior players, bandsmen and cheerleaders to get the week started.  Head Coach Nate Moore introduced the players and invited each one to share their best memory of a previous Massillon-McKinley game or other big moment in their career.

“The one thing that is consistent is they always go out and play hard,” said Moore of this year’s team.  And that starts with the seniors.  We only returned four starters and there was a lot of growing that had to happen pretty quickly.”

The coach said that in spite of the inexperience it all came together in the game against Austintown Fitch.  The Tigers were down seven starters and were playing against a pretty good team on the road who had a great quarterback.  But Massillon kept swinging throughout the contest.  Moore recalled two plays that defined the game.  The first was when Ryan Zentkovich ran down and stripped the ball from a Fitch receiver who was on his way for a certain score.  The second was at the end game when the Tigers fumbled in the red zone and a Fitch player picked up the loose ball was streaking down the sideline for a touchdown that would have made it a one-score game.  That’s when Ardell Banks jetted across the field and caught the him at the Massillon ten.  After that, the defense held on all four downs to close out the contest.  “I’m really proud of these players,” said Moore.

Canton  McKinley

The Tigers and Bulldogs will face each other for the 132nd time in a rivalry that began in 1894.  Massillon currently holds a 73-53-5 lead in the series.  McKinley enters with a 6-3 record, with early losses to Mentor and Austintown Fitch and a recent setback to North Canton Hoover.  Their season thus far:

• Mentor (4-5): 7-49 L
• Austintown Fitch (5-3): 28-42 L
• Huber Heights Wayne (7-2): 28-12 W
• Massillon Perry (2-7): 27-25 W
• Green (6-3): 34-14
• North Canton (7-2): 0-24 L
• Lake (5-3): 28-16 W
• Massillon Jackson (8-1): 29-28 W
• Canton GlenOak ((2-6): 26-34 W

McKinley has won six of their last seven games and is really playing good football right now, according to Moore.  They feature several skill players that are really good, while the offensive line has been improving.

The Bulldogs operate out of the spread offense and prefer the pass to the run in order to take advantage of their skill players.  Their passing scheme will present a lot of variety.

Two different players man the quarterback position: senior Amerion Williams (5′-8″, 165) and sophomore Keaton Rode (6′-1″, 175).  Williams is quick and scrambles well.  He is also good on option reads.  Considered an average passer.  Rode also runs well and is good on option reads.  Also considered an average passer, but has completed some big passes.

The primary targets are senior Harold Fannon (6′-3″, 220) and junior Cynceir McNeal (6′-4″).  Fannon is the No. 1 target and is considered by  Assistant Coach Craig McConnell to be the best receiver we’ve seen this year.  He gets off well and uses his big body to shield himself from defenders.  McNeal has great speed and is perhaps their deep threat.

Two players will rotate at running back: senior Khris Williams (5′-10, 190) and junior Treytonj Mackey (5′-9″, 210).  Both run vertical and run hard.

The offensive line has good size, averaging 6′-3″, 301 lbs.

The defense aligns in a 4-3, with a lot of cover-3 and cover-1.  They don’t blitz a lot, but are very active in the secondary.  Both Fannin and McNeal are found on the field in this area.  Massillon will need to play hard, tough, physical football and foremost, establish the run.

The defensive front averages 6′-1″, 204 lbs.  Expect the Tigers, which average 6′-1″, 278 lbs., to have a sizeable advantage in this area.

Playoffs

A win over McKinley will assure Massillon of a Top-4 placement in the final computer ratings.  That would set the Tigers in position to have two home games in the playoffs.

Go Tigers!

2021: Massillon 31, Wooster 0

GAME STATS

Nathan Depuy, Austin Brawley, Marcus Moore help Massillon Tigers swarm Wooster Generals

MASSILLON – A Week 9 trap game? Not a chance for Massillon.

Any concern that the Tigers might get caught looking past Friday’s game against Wooster toward their rivalry game against McKinley was eliminated by the time they took their first offensive snap. Then again, almost any hope the Generals had of springing the upset at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium had also evaporated by that point.

Two punt returns for touchdowns to open the game were just the accelerant Massillon needed to kick-start what turned in a 31-0 rout of Wooster.

“I think it was really huge, because the past couple of weeks, the defense started out really slow,” said senior linebacker Nathan Depuy, whose 48-yard punt return gave Massillon the lead for good 2:22 into the game. “With that big play that I made, I think it really boosted everybody’s confidence, especially on defense. We came out and we just balled out.”

It was 14-0 before the Tigers even snapped the football thanks to punt returns by Depuy and Austin Brawley. It was 17-0 after their first offensive series, and 24-0 before the Generals even got across midfield.

By halftime, Massillon had opened up a 31-0 lead and was well on its way to a 7-2 record. At that point, most of the focus was starting to head to next Saturday’s showdown at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium against McKinley in the 132nd meeting between the two.

Depuy started things for the Tigers when he picked up the loose ball on a quick kick and raced nearly untouched for the score with 9:38 left in the first quarter. He also provided a nice bookend to the first half when he preserved the shutout with a fumble recovery at the Massillon 21 after Marcus Moore’s strip sack.

“When the kicker punted the ball, I just saw the ball land,” Depuy said. “I didn’t hear a whistle. I was like, ‘I’m going to take this ball and score.’ That’s exactly what I did.”

Brawley didn’t make Tiger fans wait long for his obligatory big play. After a three-and-out on Wooster’s second possession, he returned a punt 44 yards for a 14-0 lead with 7:24 remaining in the first quarter.

Massillon started its first offensive possession at the Wooster 22 thanks to Cam Beasley’s interception one play after Brawley’s return. Shane Rue kicked a 36-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 17-0 lead.

“You have special teams errors and you have turnovers and you will not beat a team with as much talent as Massillon,” said Wooster coach Austin Holter, whose team is 4-5. “It won’t happen. That’s what happened to us in the first half. … In an environment like this, you have to be able to close that out and play your best football, and we didn’t do that.”

The Tiger offense finally got its first TD of the evening on their second possession. Freddie Lenix Jr. ran 12 yards for the score with 3:43 remaining in the first quarter to make it 24-0.

Lenix saw his first action of the season at running back as Willtrell Hartson was sidelined with an ankle injury that was reaggravated in the Week 8 win over New York-power Canisius. Lenix, though, did his part with 68 yards on 13 carries, including a 3-yard score to make it 31-0 early in the second quarter.

That score was set up by the second interception of the night by Massillon. This one was courtesy of Moore, who tipped a screen pass to himself and rumbled 53 yards to the Wooster 3.

Moore’s return on the pick gained nearly as many yards as the Tigers netted during the first half. Massillon gained 59 first-half yards, and finished with 128 for the game.

The Tiger defense, though, continually made life tough for the Generals. Massillon sacked Wooster quarterback Drew Becker four times, and limited it to just 1 net rushing yard for the game.

“Our kids played hard,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, whose team held Wooster to 189 total yards. “They’re a good football team that made some plays and got a couple of drives. We just made enough plays to get off the field.”

Wooster had two golden scoring chances in the game, one in each half. The first was halted at the Tiger 9 with less than 30 seconds remaining when Moore swallowed up Becker and forced him to fumble.

The other came on the Generals’ first second-half drive. They reached the Massillon 5, but a fourth-and-3 throw into the end zone was broken up.

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE