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A History of Massillon Football Comeback Victories

A History of Massillon Football Comeback Victories

Few events in football are more exciting than watching a team come from behind in the fourth quarter to win the game.  Perhaps not surprisingly, Massillon has not seen a lot of that, since the vast majority of its games are well into the right end of the score by that time.  But who can forget the ones that weren’t.

Including the time of Paul Brown, starting with 1932, Massillon has played 1,030 games through 2025.  That occurring across 94 different seasons.  Of those, the Tigers have won 78% of the time (807 wins, 195 losses and 18 ties).  And 86% of those wins were by a touchdown or more.  But the other 14% were a bit of struggle in that the Tigers were behind at some point in the fourth quarter, but were able to pull out a win by game’s end.  It is indeed a small number over a long period of time: just 32 times, or 4% of the 807 wins.

When factored with the total number of losses, the comeback success ratio is 14%.  In other words, Massillon has recovered to win 14% of the games in which they fell behind in the fourth, around one in seven.  Conversely, Tigers have lost games after having the lead entering the fourth period 32 times, or just 4%.

The chart below lists all 33 comebacks.  The yellow highlights indicate the games in which Massillon trailed by more than a touchdown.

The Greatest Comeback Victories

The largest fourth quarter deficit occurred in the 1964, in front of the largest crowd ever at Tiger Stadium (22,685).  Both teams entered the game with 9-0 records and ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the state.  The Bulldogs put two scores on the board in the first quarter and that 14-0 lead held up as the two foes entered the fourth quarter.  But the final frame belonged to the Tigers.  Jim Lawrence and Bob Hewitt each scored from the one yard line and quarterback David Sheegog, who had replace the injured starter, converted the PAT after the second TD to tie the game at 14 apiece.  With one chance remaining to win the game, Sheegog returned a McKinley punt 33 yards to the Bulldog 17.  Then, on third and seven, he faked a handoff and broke clear of the line, only to be met by the goal line by two defenders.  But by shear determination, Sheegog was able to will himself into the end zone for the winning points.  It came with just 54 seconds left in the game.  With the 20-14 victory, the Tigers were awarded their 22nd state title.

Next in line was a 12-point deficit against Cleveland St. Ignatius in the 2005 game at Byers Field.  The fourth quarter began with the Wildcats up 26-14.  That’s when Massillon engineered a 16-play, 90-yard drive, closing the margin to 26-21 when Brian Gamble went over from the one.  It then took another long drive, of 13 plays and 72 yards, to pull out the victory.  Substitute quarterback Shawn Weisend was the difference maker with a 5-yard run, coming with just ten seconds remaining in the game.  The Tigers went on to play in the Division I state finals.

In 2014 Massillon trailed Perry by 11, 30-19, entering the fourth quarter, but then rebounded to score 18 unanswered points to secure a 37-30 victory.  Included in the barrage was a 49-yard field goal by Andrew David, a 5-yard run by JD Crabtree that tied the score and a 16-yard scamper by Danny Robinson for the winning points, which came with just under a minute remaining in the game.

Twice Massillon came from ten points behind in the fourth.  In 1978, the Tigers trailed McKinley 10-0, but quarterback Brent Offenbecher passed his team to a pair of TDs for a 13-10 victory.  Then in 2005, Massillon trailed Lakewood St. Edward 17-7 in the state semifinal game.  Gamble again stepped up, with an 18-yard TD pass from Bobby Huth and a 5-yard run with 1:56 remaining in the game for a 21-17 win.  Gamble also converted a 3^rd and 30 situation on a pass reception from Huth during the second drive.

One of the more exciting comebacks had to be the 2018 game against East St. Louis, Missouri.  Massillon was down 20-7 in the second quarter and clawed back to take 24-20 lead.  Then they were down 34-24 late in the third, but came back to take a 38-34 lead midway through the fourth.  But once again they fell behind, 40-38.  But the Tigers were not done.  With three minutes left, quarterback Aidan Longwell hoisted a perfect 39-yard touchdown pass to Jayen Ballard.  The defense then played the final few minutes to perfection to take home the victory.   The two teams ended up combining for 960 yards of offense.  The win also preserved a potential undefeated season, with the Tigers not losing a game until the state finals.

In 2000, in a game at St. Edward, the Tigers fell behind 27-18 in the fourth.  But a 20-yard halfback pass from Terrence King to Montale Watkins was followed by a 36-yard David Abdul field goal to complete a 28-27  comeback victory.  The final score came with just 12 seconds remaining in the game.  The field goal followed a 52-yard pass/run completion from quarterback Justin Zwick to Watkins that moved the ball into scoring territory.

Older fans will remember the 1974 McKinley game when Greg Wood connected with Eddy “Tinker” Bell on a 33-yard pass into the end zone with just seconds left to give the 5-4 Tigers a 20-15 victory.  In that one, the Bulldogs roared back from a 14-point deficit to go up by one with less than two minutes remaining.  But Bell engineered the final drive using several key pass receptions, including the game winner.  The upset also knocked the unbeaten Bulldogs out of the playoffs.

Then there was the 1961 game against Parma Senior, which was played at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.  Massillon was behind 20-8 at halftime and then 20-15 entering the fourth quarter.  But Ken Dean’s 1-yard TD run at the end made the difference in a 21-20 victory.  The following week the Tigers bested Canton McKinley 7-6 to wrap up a perfect 11-0 season.  Subsequently, they were awarded their third consecutive state championship and second national championship in three years.

Comeback Data for the Head Coaches

Below is comeback data for all of the coaches, starting with Paul Brown, through the 2025 season.

Some interesting information among long-term coaches:

• Chuck Mather won 57 of 60 games, for a winning percentage of 95%, tops among all coaches. Paul Brown is second at 90%.
• Nate Moore has the most games decided by less than a touchdown, while owning a 10-4 record in these games. Jack Rose has the highest percentage of close games, at 20%, with an 8-5 record.
• Moore has the most games pulled out in the fourth quarter, with 6. Leo Strang has the best comeback success ratio in the fourth quarter, recovering 20% of the time.
• Jason Hall and Lee Owens lost 10% of the time when leading in the fourth quarter. At the other end of the spectrum, Brown never lost a game in which his team was ahead in the fourth.  However, Brown also never won a game in which he was behind in the fourth, joining Bob Commings and Chuck Mather in this category.

For short-term coaches:

• Earle Bruce won all three games in which his teams were behind in the fourth quarter. He also never lost a game in which the Tigers were ahead in the fourth.  He joins a list of Tom Harp, Bud Houghton, Elwood Kammer and Augie Morningstar in the latter category.
• Augie Morningstar had the most close games, with five. Interestingly, all five games ended in ties during his 5-0-5 season.

 

 

Here are the Top Massillon Kickers and Punters of…

Here are the Top Massillon Kickers and Punters of All Time

Like with most sports, football is not immune to evolution of the game.  Take kicking the ball, for example.  Throughout perhaps the first fifty years, kicks were made by first dropping the ball or setting it on a mound of dirt.  Then, in the late 1940s tees were introduced for kickoffs, extra points and field goals, with the heights of the tees varying over time.  The style of kicking also changed, from the drop kick, to the straight-on kicker with the flat toed shoe, to the present-day soccer-style kicker.  Even the lengths of field goals at the high school level have increased remarkably over time.

The extra point, at least in Ohio, initially involved three options: kicking the ball through the goal post, running the ball over the goal line or passing ball, with each option worth a single point.  In 1958, the high school extra point rules were changed such that a kick was worth one point and a run or pass worth two.  However, owing to the lack of accuracy of straight-on kickers at that time, coaches more often than not preferred to go for two.  Field goals were also used as a last resort. How that changed when the soccer-style kicking became popular.  Now, kicking PATs is simply an afterthought.

This story attempts to recognize all of the good kickers and punters that Massillon has had throughout its many years.  Unfortunately, except for scoring data, limited individual statistics are available prior to the late 1950s.  That problem is especially true for punters.  It was not until 1958 that Massillon began to officially record game stats.  As a final note, the Ohio High School Athletic Association did not award All-Ohio status to kickers and punters until 1989.  In essence, it was extremely difficult to select the deserving players from those earlier years.

Please enjoy the final entry in this series.

1920s

Bob Pflug (Kicker, 1922-23) – Pflug played under head coach Dave Stewart.  He recorded his first points as a kicker during his junior year when he booted three extra points.  As a senior he was the primary kicker, accumulating 26 extra points and three field goals, with the final tally a 17-yard field goal against Canton McKinley in a 9-0 victory.  Pflug was also a fine football player overall.  He is a member of the Massillon Wall of Champions.

Bill Edwards (Kicker, 1922-1924) – Edwards played three years under head coach Dave Stewart.  He was also the starting kicker in two of those years, sandwiched around Bob Pflug.  In 1922 Edwards recorded 13 points, all via extra points.  In 1924 he converted 32 extra points and two field goals, one of 40 yards vs. Alliance.  Later, he played running back for New York University and was named NCAA All-American.  Edwards is a member of both the Massillon Tiger Football Hall of Fame and the Massillon Wall of Champions.

Art McConnel (Punter, 1925) – McConnel played under head coach Dave Stewart.  Against Warren Harding he set a record with an 81-yard punt.

1930s

 Henry Krier (1933-34) – Krier played under head coach Paul Brown.  In addition to being an outstanding running back, he was also the starting kicker for two years, in a era when most teams just went for two following a touchdown.  In 1933 he recorded 17 points kicking and the following year he upped that to 21.  He was also named 1^st Team All-Ohio (as a running back).

 1940s

Horace Gillom (Punter, 1938-40) – Gillom played three years under head coach Paul Brown, while experiencing three state titles and two national titles.  In addition to being an outstanding end, he excelled in the punting game.  Twice he was named 1^st Team All-Ohio.  Later, he played for Nevada and then was the punter for the Cleveland Browns.  He holds one record book top ten.  He is also a member of both the Massillon Tiger Football Hall of Fame and the Massillon Wall of Champions.

Ray Getz (Kicker, 1938-40) – Getz played three years under head coach Paul Brown.  In two of those years he was the designated kicker.  In 1939 he recorded 29 points and in 1940 he had 35, all extra points.  Following the season, he was named 1^st Team All-Ohio as a running back.  Getz is also a member of the Massillon Tiger Football Hall of Fame.

1950s

Jerry Krisher (Kicker, 1948-50) – Krisher experienced three state titles and one national title under head coach Chuck Mather.  In 1949 he kicked 36 extra points.  The following year he had 45 extra points and one field goal.  Following the season Krisher was named 2^nd Team All-Ohio as an offensive center.

Tom Boone (Kicker, 1952-53) – Boone was the kicker during both his junior and senior seasons under head coach Chuck Mather.  In each year he kicked 44 points after touchdown.  And both of his teams finished as state and national champions.  Following his senior year, he was named 2^nd Team All-Ohio as a defensive lineman.

1960s

Wilbur Paisley (Kicker, 1961) – Paisley enjoyed an 11-0 state and national championship campaign under head coach Leo Strang.  He did not become the kicker until five games left in the season, and only after there was a dearth of missed opportunities throughout the first half of the season when attempting to run the ball for 2-point conversions after touchdowns.  Paisley ended up with 16 successful PATs, including the difference maker in a 7-6 victory over Canton McKinley.

1970s

Mark Westover (Punter, 1976-77) – Westover played two years of varsity ball as a linebacker under head coach Mike Currence.  He was also the starting punter during his senior year, when he kicked 19 times, averaging 37.8 yards per try.

Jeff Fry (Kicker, 1978-79) – Fry played under head coach Mike Currence.  During his senior year the team finished the regular season with a 10-0 record and regional championship.  Fry was the starting kicker that year and he recorded 35 points, including three field goals.

1980s

Lee Hurst (Kicker, punter 1986-89) – Hurst played four years of varsity football: two under head coach Chuck Shuff and two under head coach Lee Owens.  His primary position was quarterback, but he also had kicking duties during each of the four years.  In his freshman season he kicked 23 extra points and four field goals.  The next year he had 25 PATs and two field goals, including seven extra points against Warren Harding.  He also did kickoffs.  During his junior year, Hurst recorded 13 PATs.  He also kicked a 23-yard field goal in overtime to defeat Canton McKinley, 10-7.  And he was the kickoff specialist and punter.  In his senior year he focused more on his quarterback duties and just did kickoffs.  His team also captured the regional championship that year.  Following his career, he was named Honorable Mention All-Ohio.  He holds three records book top tens.  Later, he played for Kent State University.

Ken Hawkins (Punter, 1985-86) – Hawkins played two years under head coach Chuck Shuff.  During his junior year he punted 32 times, averaging 38.8 yards per kick.  In his senior year he punted 37 times, averaging 36.0 yards per punt.  He holds four records book top tens.  Later, he played for Syracuse.

 1990s

Chris Roth (Punter, 1989-90) – Roth played two years under head coach Lee Owens.  The 6’-7”, 240 lb. tight end was also the punter.  During his junior year he punted 36 times, averaging 33.7 yards per punt.  The following year he punted 41 times, averaging 38.7 yards per punt.  He owns six records book top tens.

Luke Shilling (Punter, 1997-98) – Shilling was the starting punter for two years, with one under head coach Jack Rose and then a second under head coach Rick Shepas.  During his junior year, he punted 51 times, averaging 39.9 yards per try.  As a senior year, on a team that finished the regular season unbeaten, he punted 33 times, averaging 33.2 yards per kick.  Following that year, he was named 1^st Team All-Ohio as a punter.  He holds game records with ten punts vs. Glen Mills, PA, and 373 yards punting vs. Walsh Jesuit, both coming in 1998.  He also holds career records with 60 punt attempts and 2,392 punt yards.  And he has 12 records book top tens.  Later, he played for the University of Akron.

Josh Hose (Kicker, 1995-97) – Hose started at the kicking position for three years under head coach Jack Rose.  As a sophomore he connected on 24 PATs.  During his junior year he hit 29 extra points.  He also had a 23-yard field goal in a 10-9 victory over Austintown Fitch.  Hose concluded his career with 28 PATs and four field goals as a senior.  He was also the kickoff specialist.  Hose is the current head coach of the Massillon basketball team, which recently captured the Division II state title.

 2000s

David Abdul (Kicker, 2000-01) – Abdul was the starting kicker for two years under head coach Rick Shepas.  He was also Massillon’s first soccer-style kicker.  As a junior he was true on 33 extra points and set a season record with 14 converted field goals.  In a road game against Lakewood St. Edward he kicked a game-winning field goal of 36 yards as time expired to give the Tigers a 28-27 victory.  Against Lima Senior he was good on four of five field goal attempts.  He also set distance records of 50 and then 56 yards, the latter coming against Akron Garfield.  Following the season, he was named 1^st Team All-Ohio.  During the next year Abdul converted 61 of 62 PATs and broke his season field goal record with 15.  In the Mansfield game he hit a 54-yard field goal in a 17-14 victory.  Again, he was named 1^st Team All-Ohio.  During his career his kicks were true on eight different field goals of 50 or more yards.  Abdul holds game records with four field goals made and five field goals attempted.  He also holds season records for 15 field goals made and 23 field goals attempted.  In addition, he has 26 records book top tens.  Meanwhile, his two teams finished with records of 8-3 and 12-2 (regional champions).  After Massillon, Abdul played for the University of Pittsburgh.  He is a member of the Massillon Tiger Football Hall of Fame.

Max Shafer (Kicker, punter, 2002-03) – Shafer was the kicker and punter for two years under head coach Rick Shepas.  During his junior year he converted on 48 of 61 extra points and 4 of 10 field goals.  His big kick came in the playoffs against Perry when he connected on a field goal of 35 yards as time expired in a 23-21 victory over Perry. He also punted 40 times, averaging 33.6 yards per attempt, with a long of 62 yards.  The team that year finished with a record of 11-3 and a regional championship.  As a senior he shared the kicking duties and was true on 9 of 13 PATs and 4 of 7 field goals.  He also punted 37 times, averaging 36.0 yards per try, with a long of 50 yards.  Shafer holds 12 records book top tens.

Shawn Weisend (Punter, 2003-05) – Weisend was the starting punter in 2004 under head coach Rick Shepas and in 2005 under head coach Tom Stacy.  As a junior, he punted 24 times, with an average of 34.7 yards per kick and a long of 50.  During his senior year he punted 48 times, while averaging 38.9 yards per attempt and a long of 70 yards.  Following the season he was named 1^st Team All-Ohio as punter.  The team also finished with a record of 13-2 and state Division I runner-up.  Weisend holds eight records book top tens.

Steve Schott (Kicker, punter, 2005-07) – Schott was the starting kicker for three years under head coach Tom Stacy.  As a sophomore he converted 61 of 63 PATs and 7 of 14 field goal attempts.  The team that year finished with a record of 13-2 and as state Division I runner-up.  During his junior year he kicked off and was also good on 40 of 41 extra points and 10 of 14 field goal attempts.  His highlight came when he kicked a 47-yard field goal against Canton McKinley in the 3^rd quarter to break a 7-7 tie and win the game 10-7.  Following the season, he was named 2^nd Team All-Ohio. As a senior he was good on all 38 PATs and 7 of 13 field goal tries.  In the game against McKinley he was good on a 41-yard field goal early in the game in a 23-20 victory.  He also kicked off, with 33 touchbacks, and punted, averaging 36.3 yards per kick. After the season, he was named 1^st Team All-Ohio.  Schott owns the season record with 100% success rate in PATs in 2007.  He also has 23 records book top tens.  Later, Schott played for Ball State University.  He is a member of the Massillon Tiger Football Hall of Fame.

Jeremy Geier (Kicker, 2008-09) – Geier was the starting kicker for two years under head coach Jason Hall.  In 2008 he converted 34 of 36 extra points and 9 of 13 field goals attempts.  He also kicked off.  In 2009 Massillon recorded a 10-4 record and captured the regional championship.  Geier was good on all 45 of his PAT attempts and also connected on 9 of 13 field goals.  Against Twinsburg in the playoffs he kicked a 40-yard field goal, his career long, in the fourth quarter to secure a 10-7 victory.  The following week, Geier connected on a 21-yard field goal against Canton McKinley for another 10-7 win.  He holds the season record for 100% PAT conversion rate, along with 14 records book top tens.

2010s

Andrew David (Kicker, Punter, 2012-14) – David was a 4-year varsity player under head coach Jason Hall, and for all four years he was the starting kicker and punter.  Throughout his career he converted 162 of 174 PAT kicks (93%) and 32 of 55 field goals (60%).  As just a freshman, David kicked four field goals in excess of 40 yards including a long one of 46 yards in a 38-16 victory over Akron Hoban.  In 2012 the Tigers finished with a record of 11-2 and advanced to the regional championship game, while David conntinued his kick accuracy.  In his junior year he hit 40 of 43 extra point attempts and was 7 of 14 on field goal tries, including a 20-yarder against Canton GlenOak to win the game 23-20 in the third overtime period.  Following the season, he was named 3^rd Team All-Ohio.  As a senior David was 34 of 36 on PATs and 12 of 17 on field goals, including a record long of 58 yards against St. John’s Collegiate, Ontario.  In the kickoff department, 59 of 63 went into the end zone on the fly.  He also averaged 50.0 yards per punt against Warren Harding.  After the season, he was awarded 1^st Team All-Ohio.  David owns career records with 32 field goals made and 58 field goals attempted.  He also has 29 entries in the records book top ten.  Four times he was named 1st Team All-County, the first Tiger to ever receive this honor.   Later, he was the punter for the University of Michigan, Texas Christian University and Northwestern.

Klay Moll (Kicker, 2015, 2017) – Moll kicked two years for the Tigers under head coach Nate Moore.  As a sophomore he connected on all 19 PAT attempts and his lone field goal attempt.  He returned as a senior to convert 54 of 55 extra point attempts and 6 of 8 field goal tries, including a 21-yard field goal against Canton McKinley in a 16-15 victory.  Moll holds the season record with 100% PAT conversion.  He also holds career records with 98.6% PAT conversion and 77.5% field goal conversion.  And he has seven records book top tens.

Alex Bauer (Kicker, 2018-20) – Bauer was a 3-year starting kicker under head coach Nate Moore.  In 2018 he made 78 of 83 PAT attempts and 7 of 8 field goal attempts.  Against Sun Valley, PA, he converted all 14 of his PAT tries, along with a 39-yard field goal, setting game records for PAT attempts, PAT conversions and points scored.  In 2019 he was good on 81 of 83 extra points and 6 of 8 field goals, including the game-winning points in the playoff game against Akron Hoban, when he pushed through a 31-yard field goal.  As a senior, Bauer was 46 of 47 on extra points and 8 of 11 on field goals, with a long of 42 yards.  He had a great experience during his career with the Tigers winning 38 of 42 games and advancing to the state finals in each of the three years.  Bauer holds season records with 83 PAT kicks attempted (2018), 87.5% field goal conversion (2018), 83 PAT kicks attempted (2019) and 81 PAT kicks made (2019).  He also holds career records with 213 PAT kicks attempted; 205 PAT kicks made and 77.8% field goal conversion.  And he has 26 records book top tens.

 2020s

Magnus Haines (Kicker, Punter, 2017-20) – Haines was a 4-year starter under head coach Nate Moore.  His punting averages steadily increased throughout his career, with successive yards per kick stats of 32.7, 34.6, 39.4 and 41.5.  He also had the opportunity to kick for some excellent Massillon teams, with two teams recording unbeaten regular seasons and three finishing as state runner-up.  Following his junior year he was named 3^rd Team All-Ohio.  The next year he was named 2^nd All-Ohio.  Haines holds career records with 119 punt attempts and 4,405 punt yards.  Plus, he owns 17 records book top tens.  Later, he played for Kent State University, Arkansas State University and Ohio University.

Nolan Hendricks (Kicker, punter, 2021-22) – Hendricks was the starting kicker for two years and the starting punter for one under head coach Nate Moore.  In 2021 he converted all 13 PAT attempts, tying a record with 100% success.  The following year he was good on 9 of 15 extra points and 3 of 4 field goals.  And he punted 37 times, averaging 31.5 yards per kick.  He holds six records book top tens.  Last season as a true freshman at Wooster College, Hendricks converted all 29 PAT kicks and averaged 36.5 yards per punt on 47 attempts, with a long of 65 yards.

Mateo Herrera (Kicker, 2023-present) – Herrera is about to start his fourth year as a varsity kicker, while playing under head coach Nate Moore.  He has proven to be one of the most accurate kickers that the Tigers have ever had, based on having converted throughout his career a whopping 133 of 137 PAT attempts.  He has also made 7 of 11 field goal tries.  Playing as a backup as a freshman, he was good on all 22 PAT attempts.  He has since been the starter.  During his sophomore year he converted 55 of 58 PAT tries and 6 of 8 field goal attempts.  He also kicked a 36-yard field goal against Canton McKinley in a 16-7 victory.  As a junior, he was true on 56 of 57 PAT attempts and 1 of 3 field goal tries.  Herrera holds the season record with a 100% PAT conversion rate (2023).