History The Region 5 Matchup tonight between Massillon and Perry will be replayed on the following MCTV Channels.
Big Time Sports – Channel 128 Friday 11pm and Saturday 9am
WHS TV – Channel 611 Friday 11pm and Saturday 9am
GO TIGERS!
News In spite of having offers to play football for nine different Division 1 colleges, in the end it was baseball that ultimately won out. Thus Massillon’s star quarterback Aidan Longwell made November 12 a memorable day for himself and his family as he announced his decision at a WHS press conference that he would be attending Kent State University next year to play baseball. As quoted in the Independent, “This is always where I’ve had my heart set,” said Longwell. “I’ve enjoyed playing baseball. I’ve loved it my whole life. I love football, too, but I just see my future better in baseball.”
Aidan will enter his fourth season next spring as a starter for the Tiger baseball team, where he plays pitcher and outfield. He was injured in the final tournament game of his sophomore year when reaching for first base on a head-first slide and that curtailed much of his junior year. But he is now fully healed and will be ready to go for his final season.
Most Massillon fans know Longwell from his exploits on the football field, where the 3-year starting quarterback has led the Tigers to 35-6 record, including a Division II regional championship in 2017 and a D2 State Finals appearance the following year. He is also 3-0 as a starter against Canton McKinley. This year Massillon is 11-0 and hopes to return to the state finals to take care of unfinished business.
From an initial appearance in a varsity game as a freshman until now, Aidan has completed 440 of 710 passes (61%) for 6,952 yards and 75 touchdowns. All except total attempts are all-time Massillon records. He also owns the record jointly with wide receiver Jayden Ballard for the longest touchdown pass of 95 yards, which occurred during a 49-7 victory over Monroeville Gateway, Pennsylvania. In addition, he holds single game marks against Youngstown Ursuline for both yards per attempt (19.1) and pass efficiency (322).
In that Ursuline game while just a sophomore, Longwell completed 11 of 17 passes for 324 yards and five touchdowns. He also threw for four touchdowns each against Austintown Fitch and Wadsworth in 2018 and this year against Penn-Trafford, Pennsylvania. In a 44-14 victory over Akron St. Vincent in the season opener, Aidan connected on 20 of 23 passes for 322 yards.
Congratulations to Aidan Longwell on his verbal commitment to Kent State.
Previously this year, two other Tiger players also made verbal commitments, to play football. Jayden Ballard will attend Ohio State University and Luke Murphy selected Kent State University. Ballard is Massillon’s leading receiver this year with 50 catches for 903 yards and 15 touchdowns. Murphy is the leading tackler with 26 solos and 32 assists. He also has a pair of pass interceptions.
All three athletes were named this week to the WHBC All-County Football Team.
News Round 1 of the playoffs goes to the Tigers as they posted a convincing 55-0 victory over Warren Harding. It’s the second time this year that Massillon defeated the Raiders, the first during the regular season, 49-7. The Tigers are now 11-0 for the second consecutive year and have won 896 games all-time. Next up is Massillon Perry.
The Booster Club is sponsoring a bus to the Perry game, which will leave at 4:30 pm from the K-Mart parking lot. The cost is $20.00. No food or beverage will be provided. Tickets can be purchased at Keller’s Office Furniture.
Senior Linebacker Ben Krichbaum was the guest player. “Defensively, we have a big challenge ahead of us,” said Krichbaum in addressing the Perry game. “We had a good practice today and we’ll be ready.”
Head Coach Nate Moore was very pleased with the outcome last Friday and had special praise for defensive lineman Manny McElroy. “We played pretty well defensively,” he said. “Our guys played really well up front. Manny is a force on the inside. He doesn’t show up stat-wise, but he really makes our defense go. He is a really good player. He’s so big and powerful. Incredibly strong.”
Massillon pretty much had its way in this one, with the game going to a running clock for most of the second half. Terrance Keyes once again came up big, rushing 12 times for 188 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, the Tigers held Warren to just three total rushing yards off of 35 carries. Overall, the Raiders totaled just 104 yards of offense and never penetrated the Massillon 35 yardline.
This week’s game will mark the 18th meeting of Massillon and Perry, with the locals leading the series with 15 wins against two losses. One of the losses came in the playoffs in 1999, while the Tigers own two playoff wins against the Panthers, in 2002 and 2006. The last time the two teams met was in the 2015 season opener, with the Tigers prevailing 41-37. Perry would go on to lose that year to Cincinnati LaSalle in the Division II State Finals. “It worked out like we wanted,” said Moore, referring to the match with Perry.
Offensively, Perry utilizes almost exclusively a variation of the Wing-T, but with two wingbacks and one split end. The jet sweep sets up the plays. Look for lots of fullback dives and buck sweeps. The primary running backs are Joshua Lemon, a 5′-10″, 180 lb. junior, and Dion Cundiff, a 6′-1″, 240 lb. senior. Lemon has rushed 141 times for 1,350 yards (9.6 yds/att.) and Cundiff has rushed 194 times for 1,457 yards (7.5 yds/att.). The pair take advantage of an offensive line that has three good sized players in Vinny Sciury, a 6′-4″, 290 lb. senior tackle, Max Millin, a 5′-11″, 275 lb. senior guard, and Adam Luster, a 6′-0″, 260 lb. senior tackle.
The quarterback is 5′-9″, 165 lb. Hayden Vinas, a junior. He engineers the offense well and even runs some. However, there is very little passing involved. In fact, Perry this year has thrown just 42 times in eleven games and completed just under half of them. Sometimes passes are thrown from play-action and other times the QB is in the shotgun. The most passes they threw in any one game was nine against Jackson in a losing effort. In that one they only completed three.
Defensively, expect to see the Panthers in an even front, with Sciury and Millon also playing on the defensive line. Throughout the year they have gone with four linebackers and a cover-3, but this may not work well against the Tigers explosive passing game. So they might switch to three linebackers with cover-4 to stop the deep pass like most teams the Tigers have faced this year. Or they may to stay traditional and try to stop the run, something they’ve had good success with against average opponents. They will bring some pressure on third down, but they’re not considered a big pressure team.
Coach Moore thought Massillon would have an edge on special teams, in spite of them having a good punter.
Go Tigers.
News When a team completes the regular season undefeated and is considered an odds-on favorite to compete for the Division II State Title for the second straight year, it’s no wonder that eleven players are recognized by the head coaches of Stark County for outstanding performance. This year’s honorees include six offensive players (quarterback Aidan Longwell, offensive lineman Cole Jones, wide receivers Jayden Ballard and Andrew-Lamp and running backs Terrance Keyes and Zion Phifer), four defensive players (lineman Manny McElroy, linebacker Preston Hodges and safeties Luke Murphy and Robbie Page) and one special teams player (kicker Alex Bauer).
Aidan Longwell – Quarterback. Longwell, a repeat county all-star, is a 3-year starter that has set Tiger all-time career records for yards passing, pass completions and touchdowns. He also connected with Jayden Ballard for the longest ever touchdown pass, good for 95 yards. To date this year, he has completed 113 of 171 passes for 1,851 yards and 21 touchdowns, with just 5 interceptions. Aidan will attend Kent State University next year on a baseball scholarship.
Cole Jones – Offensive Lineman. Jones, a 6′-3″, 305 lb. senior center, anchors a tremendous offensive line that has been instrumental in opening holes for the running backs and protecting the quarterback. Through eleven games, the Tigers are averaging of 46 points and 395 yards per game, with just four quarterback sacks. Expect Cole to play at the next level.
Jayden Ballard – Wide Receiver. Ballard, a repeat county all-star, has 50 catches for 903 yards and 15 touchdowns. The speedy junior caught a season-high nine passes against Canton McKinley and his high yardage game was 145 vs. Gateway, PA. Jayden has verbally committed to play for Ohio State.
Andrew Wilson-Lamp – Wide Receiver. Lamp has 38 catches for 674 yards and six touchdowns. The junior receiver burst onto the scene in the opening game against Akron St. Vincent when he caught 11 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown. The effort set a new Tiger single-game record for receiving yards. Andrew has received offers to play at the next level from several Power-5 schools.
Terrance Keyes – Running Back. The senior Keyes has become an explosive force this year in the Tiger backfield and is a major reason why the offense has racked up over 200 yards rushing per game. To-date Terrance has rushed 194 times for 1,465 yards (7.6 yds./att.) and 23 touchdowns. Six times he has eclipsed the 100-yard mark.
Manny McElroy – Defensive Lineman. McElroy, a 5′-11″, 330 lb. senior, plays like a bull in a China shop, reeking havoc against opposing offenses. Often double-teamed on account of his tremendous size and strength, Manny is skilled at bursting through the blocks to completely clog up the middle of the line. He is part of a stout front-7 that has held opponents to just 2.5 yards per carry, the best mark since the spread offense came into vogue in the late 1990s.
Preston Hodges – Outside Linebacker. Hodges, a senior, has a duel role in defending both the run and the pass and has done a stellar job throughout the season. Currently, he has 23 solo tackles and 38 assists and is ranked 2nd on the team in tackle points. Preston has also intercepted a team-high four passes and returned one for a touchdown.
Luke Murphy – Safety. Murphy is the leading tackler on the team with 29 solo tackles and 33 assists, to go along with a pass interception and a blocked punt. He has been instrumental in bottling up opposing running backs on sweep attempts. Murphy will attend Kent Sate University next year on a football scholarship.
Robbie Page – Safety. Page is also among the leaders defensively with 22 solo tackles and 9 assists to go along with two interceptions. Woe is the receiver that catches the ball in his zone, because a big hit is on the way.
Alex Bauer – Kicker. Bauer, a junior, had a another great season as the Tiger kicker. This year he converted 60 of 62 extra point\ triess and 4 of 6 field goal attempts. Alex is on pace to set many season and career Tiger kicking records by the time he graduates.
Zion Phifer – Most Valuable Player. Phifer, who filled in admirably last year when running back Jamir Thomas missed the final game and a half, has committed himself to doing anything the coach wanted to help his team to victory. Whether it be at running back, fullback or linebacker, Zion has given it his all. This year he has rushed 55 times for 254 yards and scored eight touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 84 yards.
Congratulations to all these fine Tiger players.
History MASSILLON The concern going into Friday night’s Division II Region 5 playoff opener for Massillon was two-fold
There was the concern about a potential letdown coming off of the previous week’s emotional win over archrival McKinley. There was also a worry about potentially coming out lacking in focus due to the 42-point Week 3 regular-season win the Tigers had registered back over their first-round opponent, Warren Harding.
Those concerns proved to be unfounded. Very unfounded.
Massillon would use big plays and stifling defense to roll to a 55-0 victory over the visiting Raiders in Friday night’s regional quarterfinal at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
“Obviously, you have to come out playing hard against a team like Warren,” said Massillon senior defensive lineman Manny McElroy, who forced a fumble which was returned by Caiden Woullard for a third-quarter touchdown. “They’re a great team. They’ve got great players and they’re able to make big plays. When we all do our jobs, we can make big plays. Everybody did their one-11th.”
The Tigers improved to 11-0 on the season. They will advantage to next Friday’s regional semifinal against Perry, a 37-27 winner over Hudson Friday at a site to be announced Sunday afternoon by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
It will be the first time the two schools, located less than three miles apart, have played since the 2015 season opener, Nate Moore’s first game as head coach at Massillon. It will be the fourth playoff meeting between the two, the first since a 41-20 Tiger win at Perry in the 2006 first round.
“It’s Week 12,” Moore said. “It’s Week 2 of the playoffs. It’s the next step. We’re happy to still be in it.”
After leading 27-0 at halftime, Massillon would use a 28-0 third-quarter advantage to take a 55-0 lead into the fourth quarter. The Tigers would force fumbles on three consecutive Raider possession to help create that bulge, including a 20-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Woullard.
For the game, Massillon would force five turnovers, while limiting the Raiders to just 107 total yards, including three net rushing yards. That included one on Warren’s first possession, which helped kick-start the Tiger rout.
“It definitely boosts our confidence more,” Woullard said of the turnovers. “It definitely gets us more confident. We just want to get back at it.”
On the fourth play of the game, Massillon’s Isaiah Roberson deflected a Raider pass and teammate Luke Murphy came up with the interception, which he brought back to the Tiger 46. Seven plays later, Terrance Keyes Jr. ran 11 yards for a touchdown to give Massillon a 6-0 lead – the point-after try failed after a misplayed snap – with 8:13 left in the first quarter.
Keyes would make it 13-0 with 1:17 remaining in the first quarter when he took off on a 75-yard jaunt on the first play of the Tigers’ fourth possessions. His third touchdown run of the night, a 3-yard jaunt, would make it a 34-0 Massillon lead with 8:27 left in the third.
Keyes would rush for 154 of his 188 yards on just eight first-half carries. Zion Phifer and Raekwon Venson would each add a second-half rushing touchdown.
“We like picking up yards,” Moore said. “We like scoring points. How that happens doesn’t really matter.”
Aidan Longwell would tie the Massillon career completions record when he hit Jayden Ballard for a 58-yard touchdown 17 seconds into the second quarter to make it 20-0. Longwell, who would go 5-of-11 for 110 yards with a score in the game, broke the mark on a screen pass on the next possession.
Longwell now has 440 career completions. The old mark was 437, set by Justin Zwick in 2000-01.
Zach Catrone added a 30-yard touchdown pass to Eric Thurman in the third quarter.
Reach Chris at 330-775-1128 or chris.easterling@indeonline.com.
News Massillon extended its regular season winning streak to 21 with a 24-14 victory over previously once-beaten Canton McKinley. The current streak now ranks 4th all-time, tied with a mark fashioned by Paul Brown in 1935-37. After Brown’s streak was broken by New Castle, PA, in a 7-0 loss, Brown in combination with successor Bud Houghton went on to win the next 38 games, which stands as the current record.
The win in Massillon-McKinley Game No. 130, which was also all-time Tiger win No. 895, pushed the series to 72 wins, 53 losses and 5 ties, in favor of the Tigers. Massillon has now won four straight games and 8 of the last 9. The Tigers also fashioned back-to-back undefeated seasons for the first time since 1965, under legendary coach Earl Bruce.
Massillon, in competition with the City of Canton, won the Stark County Hunger Task Force Food Drive for the second year in a row. Massillon collected 49,267 pounds of food to Canton’s 36,563. Thanks to everyone who contributed.
The entire varsity football team was on hand to greet the Booster Club members upon arrival at the weekly meeting. Following a post-practice pizza party, the players continued celebrating the achievement of a 3.37 first quarter grade point average, this time with the Booster Club. “We have a damn good football team,” beamed Head Coach Nate Moore. “And we’re proud of that. But we also have great student athletes.”
Moore then turned his attention to the victory over McKinley. “I’m proud of our kids,” he said. “It was a hard fought win. I thought our defense played really well. They were a really good football team. They were big. We had great pursuit all day.”
Several big efforts keyed the win, including:
Regarding that Lamp pass breakup, McKinley faced a 4th and 4 at the Massillon 17 yard line. They lined up with a tight end on the right and a pair of receivers on the left and upon the snap all three headed for the end zone. Although the wide receiver was covered up by Lamp, the slot receiver was open due to the Tiger safety stumbling and the tight end was uncovered on the right. From the sidelines it looked extremely dire, according to Moore. For if the pass was caught the Tigers would need to score with little time remaining in order to pull out the victory. The Bulldog quarterback locked onto the open slot receiver and it looked like a sure touchdown. But Lamp reacted immediately, leaving his man and racing to the ball, tipping it away from the receiver just at it reached his hands, thereby saving the day. It was surely the play of the game. “It has to be one of the most legendary plays in the series,” said Moore afterwards.
Prior to the long TD pass to Ballard at the end, Moore called time out to discuss the play with his coaches. “There were not a lot of good options,” he stated, feeling that the odds were against picking up a first down. “Why not take a shot,” he decided, prodded by quarterback coach Jarrett Troxler. “It’s a really good call based on personnel matchups. It wasn’t an oddball call.” And Longwell put it right on the money. With a half step on the defender, Ballard finger-caught the ball, avoided a stumble and ran the final 30 yards untouched for a touchdown, to the delight of over 6,000 Tiger fans.
This Friday marks the beginning of the 5-week state playoffs. In a first-round matchup, Region 5, No. 1 seed Massillon will host No. 8 seed Warren Harding in a 7:00 pm start. The Warriors lost to the Tigers in Week 3 of the regular season 49-7 and hope to turn it around in this second meeting. In that first encounter, the Tigers overcame a sluggish start to open a 28-7 halftime lead and were comfortably ahead 42-7 at the end of three. Massillon rolled up 420 yards of offense to Harding’s 164 by game’s end. The Tigers led in first downs 19-7. Terrance Keyes rushed for 98 yards and scored once, while Aidan Longwell hit 15 of 20 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Warren’s only bright spot was 13 of 28 passing for 94 yards, including a 35-pass TD pass in the first quarter to lead 7-0.
“No one player stands out,” said Moore. “But they have good players.” Their base defense is 3-3, with some even. But they struggle against good teams in this area. As a result, Warren’s coach has shifted some players around since that earlier game. The strong-side linebacker has been moved to nose tackle, replaced by the middle linebacker, who was replaced by a defensive lineman. They are good on special teams, with a fine punter and kicker. But watch for some crazy stuff on kickoffs.
Warren has a 7-3 record with losses to Canton McKinley (32-27), Massillon (49-7) and Akron St. Vincent (42-37). They have yet to beat a team with a winning record, but came out on top against 5-5 Austintown Fitch (10-7).
Go Tigers.
History CANTON Two passes by two teams with two different results.
However, there was just one ultimate result from both of them: A 24-14 Massillon victory over McKinley in their 130th meeting, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Saturday afternoon, giving the Tigers their second consecutive 10-0 regular season.
The first pass came with just over three minutes remaining and the Tigers clinging to a 17-14 lead. McKinley had moved the ball to the Massillon 17, where the Bulldogs faced fourth-and-4.
Elijah Wesley threw toward tight end Jasper Robinson. However, Andrew Wilson-Lamp, who played his season high in defensive minutes, deflected the pass to turn the ball over the Tigers on downs.
“(Cornerbacks coach Jason Jarvis) always talks to us about staying ready,” said Wilson-Lamp, who did not have a pass break-up all season entering the game. “I stayed ready. My time came today.”
The fourth-down stop still left Massillon with three minutes to burn off in order to preserve a fourth consecutive win over its archrival. The Tigers managed to burn about half that off, but still were left with about 80 seconds and a third-and-6 from their own 21.
With both teams still owning a timeout, conventional wisdom suggested running the ball to force McKinley to use its final timeout. The Tigers, though, threw conventional wisdom — and the ball — into the wind.
The result was a 79-yard game-sealing touchdown pass from Aidan Longwell to Jayden Ballard. It provided Massillon with the first two-score lead of the day at 24-14 with 1:13 remaining.
“We’ve got matchups,” said Longwell, who shook off an injury both in last week’s win over Louisville as well as in the second quarter Saturday to throw for 206 yards and two TDs. “We had Drew and Jayden on that play, just looking for the better matchup. Jayden was the one who had the matchup. We trust him to go make the play.”
It was the perfect book-end on the day for the Tiger passing combo, who had connected on a 12-yard score with 2:21 remaining in the first half to tie the game at 7-7. Ballard finished with nine catches for 114 yards and the two scores.
McKinley, which saw its six-game win streak come to an end to finish the regular season at 8-2, gave Massillon everything it could handle throughout the game.
“It was a great environment,” first-year head coach Marcus Wattley said. “The fans were great. We did some stuff that was out of character and made some mistakes, but the atmosphere was electric. It’s nice that it’s not over, that the season didn’t end on that note. We’ve got to get over it and move forward.”
The Bulldogs, who likely will host Solon in the Division I playoffs Friday, capitalized on a pair of Tiger turnovers for each of their leads.
After a punt bounced off the back of a blocking Massillon player, McKinley recovered at the 50. Seven plays later, Wesley threw a perfect 34-yard strike to Xavier Black in the end zone for a 7-0 lead with three seconds left in the first quarter.
After Massillon had milked the first 7:20 of the third quarter, Harold Fanin came up with a fourth-down interception at the McKinley 20. Eight plays later, Lameir Garrett ripped off a 48-yard TD run to give the Bulldogs a 14-10 lead with 1:28 remaining.
That lead lasted all of 16 seconds. That’s how long it took for Terrance Keyes Jr. to get loose for a 63-yard TD run on the first play of Massillon’s next possession, giving the Tigers the lead back for good at 17-14.
“It was just getting a feel of it,” said Keyes, who rushed for 141 yards and a score on 21 carries. “Like I said, the atmosphere, it was just crazy. It was kind of nerve-wracking. … I just had a mindset that, I don’t care if I score, I don’t care about the stats, I just want to get the win.”
Garrett’s 48-yard run helped him rush for 159 yards on 25 carries, the most rushing yards by an individual against Massillon this season. Of McKinley’s 300 net yards, 179 came on the ground, which also was a season high allowed by the Tigers.
However, it still wasn’t enough to prevent the Tigers from extending their hot streak in the series to 8-1.
“We did some things that were out of character a little bit,” McKinley senior linebacker Joseph Saipaia said. “The effort was there, but we just didn’t execute.”
Massillon has won 21 consecutive regular-season games as it heads into the Division II state playoffs.
“Our mentality has always been there’s going to be big plays,” Massillon linebacker Benjamin Krichbaum said. “This is a big game. Big plays are going to happen because these are both two good teams. When they do, we focus on next play. Go to the next play.”
Reach Chris at 330-775-1128 or chris.easterling@indeonline.com.
On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE
History This is the 4th part of a 7 part series that relives some of the greatest Massillon Tiger victories in the Massillon vs. Canton McKinley rivalry. These games were chosen by the writers as critical games throughout Massillon’s football history.
The Tigers fell 16-7 in the regular season showdown at Massillon, but the Tigers got revenge in 1980 on their way to an appearance in the 1980 State Championship.
Tigers beat McKinley 14-6 for first state playoff win
By ROLLIE DREUSSI
Independent Sports Editor
The Massillon Tigers had the last words Friday night before an overflow crowd in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium.
“Massillon Tigers No. 1! Massillon Tigers No. 1!” Players and coaches shouted it out over and over in the jubilant Massillon lockerroom after the Tigers won their first playoff game in history by defeating the McKinley Bulldogs 14‑6.
“I couldn’t believe our defense,” said Tiger Coach Mike Currence, who brought his team back from the ashes of last Saturday’s 16‑7 loss to these same Bulldogs in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1980 – Playoffs
“I don’t know what the difference is,” he said, referring to the way the Tiger defense halted the Bulldogs on all five of their second‑half possessions, four of which carried into Massillon territory. Last Saturday, the Tigers’ defense yielded over 300 yards and allowed McKinley to control the ball game.
Friday night it was a slightly different defense, and a whole new story.
“We just wanted the ball game more than they did,” Currence said. “It was unbelievable.”
Currence said the win, which gives the Tigers the Division I, Region 3 championship and advances them to the state playoff semifinals, was his most important in five years as the Tigers’ coach.
“This is the biggest one,” he said. “because we did something no other Massillon team ever did: we won a playoff game. And beating McKinley made it doubly nice.”
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1980 – Playoffs
The Tigers’ next opponent in the playoffs will probably be Willoughby South which defeated Cleveland St Joseph 14‑3 Friday night. There’s also a good chance the game will be played Saturday night in the Akron Rubber Bowl. The semifinal games were supposed to be played on Friday night but the Akron City Series game was already scheduled for that night in the Rubber Bowl.
The final decisions on who Massillon will play, and when and where will be made Sunday by Ohio High School Athletic Association officials.
Back in the Tiger lockerroom Currence continued his praise of the defense.
“I thought our offense was going to give it away there. Thank God the defense wanted it.”
He revealed that two starting defensive players suffered injuries in last week’s game and were unable to play, Linebacker John Mayles broke his hand, and defensive end Bob Dodd tore ligaments in his knee.
“We had to go with some more quickness in there. It was a combination of the injuries and putting quicker kids in,” Currence explained. “But we didn’t know if the younger kids could do the job.”
They did.
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1980 – Playoffs
William Askew took Dodd’s place at defensive end, and Rick Spielman took over Mayles’ linebacker spot. Mark Haubert also played some linebacker. All are juniors.
The Bulldogs still managed to run the bill effectively – except on fourth down attempts ‑ but their passing game just wasn’t the same as it was last week.
“We put a little more pressure on (Rick) Worstell,” Currence said, “and we had better coverage by our secondary. Paul Turner did a great job on Todd Fisher, and clinic tip with the big interception.”
A big play by linebacker Tim Manion set up the Tigers’ first touchdown in the second quarter.
McKinley had driven into Massillon territory, when Mike Lynch was hit by middle guard Jeff Grove and fumbled the football at the 41. Manion scooped the ball up and raced 40 yards to the McKinley 19.
Quarterback Dave Eberhart hit Mike Feller with a 12‑yard pass for a first down at the seven. Two plays later a pass interference penalty gave the Tigers a first down at the three. An offside penalty against Massillon moved the ball back to the eight, and Eberhart ran a keeper to the left on the next play. He was hit at the three yard line and fumbled the ball into the end zone where fullback Don Fulton pounced on it for a touchdown with 9:31 to play in the half. Eberhart booted the conversion for a 7‑0 lead.
The Bulldogs came right back with a 74‑yard drive that took 15 plays and consumed 7:51 on the clock. Worstell scored from a yard out with 1:40 left in the half, but a pass for the extra points failed and the Tigers took a 7‑6 lead into the lockerroom at halftime.
The Tigers took the kickoff to open the second half, and drove 80 yards ‑ with the help of three Bulldog penalties ‑ for the game’s final touchdown.
Eberhart hit Mike Reese with a pass over the middle from the Pups’ 12 yard line. The senior wide receiver caught the ball at the three, sliced past a defender and fell over the goal line with 7:19 to play. Eberhart added the extra point for a 14‑6 Tiger lead.
The drive was aided several times by the penalties against McKinley.
On second‑and‑10 from his own 20, Eberhart hit halfback Mike Jones with a 16‑yard pass for a first down. Fifteen more yards were added on when a Bulldogs player was called for a personal foul, putting the ball on the McKinley 49.
Two plays later, the Bulldogs were called for pass interference, giving Massillon first down at the 36. The Dogs were also called for an offside penalty later in the drive, and for another personal foul on the touchdown play, with the yardage being assessed on the kickoff.
The Bulldogs then took the ensuing kickoff and started driving again, Their drive started with 7:19 to go in the third quarter, and they had the ball at Massillon’s 15 yard line on fourth‑and‑two when the period ended.
The Bulldogs’ first play of the final period set the tone for the rest of the game, when Grove and Spielman stopped the Pups’ Mike Simms for only a one‑yard gain, with Massillon taking over on downs at their own 14.
Eberhart wasted no time in going straight to the air, but his first two passes were batted down (by Gary Pounds and Troy Sanders), and one was almost intercepted.
On third down, Scott Dixon sacked Eberhart back at his own four yard line. Eberhart then punted the ball out to the 41.
Again McKinley mounted a drive. This time, on fourth‑and‑one at the 14. Spielman and defensive end Paul Spinden stopped Lynch for no gain and the Tigers took over.
But on third down, Eberhart was intercepted at his own 24 yard line by Chris Wade. Following an incomplete pass Grove sacked Worstell for a four‑yard loss. On third down, Worstell hit Fisher, but the play netted only four yards. On fourth‑and‑10, Worstell passed to Sidney Lewis coming out of the backfield, but defensive back Mike Loretto knocked him out of bounds two yards short of the first down at the Tiger 16.
The Tigers couldn’t move the ball again, and this time Eberhart punt went off the side of his foot and out of bounds 26 yards downfield at the 44.
On first down, Worstell’s pass was intercepted at the 40 by Turner, who returned it to the McKinley 30. A clipping penalty brought the ball back to the Tiger 41, and with just 2:42 left to play the Tigers looked like they had it in the bag.
However, on fourth down from midfield, Eberhart’s punt was blocked by Wade, and the Bulldogs had life at their own 49 with 1:03 to play,
The Tiger secondary was ready for the final challenge, and Worstell threw three straight incompletions.. He had a man open out of the backfield on second down, but good pressure by Askew forced a bad pass.
On fourth down, Spielman sacked Worstell when he couldn’t find an open receiver and that was the ball game.
We tried hard and we played very bad a downcast Terry Forbes said of his team’s effort. “You have to hand it to Massillon’s defense for hanging in there,” the Pup coach added.
So it won’t be a long, cold winter for Tiger fans after all. It may have been a miserable six days, but it’s like the sign – the one on the hoop the Tigers ran through before the game ‑ said: “ Win the One That Counts.”
They did, and that’s why the Tigers will be playing in the playoff semifinals next weekend while the Bulldogs will be staying home.
Massillon 0 7 7 0 ‑ 14
McKinley Senior 0 6 0 0 ‑ 6
Mas ‑ Don Futton covered fumble in end zone (Dave Eberhart kick)
McK ‑ Rick Worstell 1 run (Pass failed)
Mas ‑ Mike Reese 12 pass from Dave Eberhart (Dave Eberhart kick)
Att ‑ 20,000 (est.)
Mass McK
First downs rushing 3 11
First downs passing 5 2
First downs penalty 3 1
Total first downs 11 14
Rushes‑yards 32‑64 44‑142
Passing-yards 72 69
Return yards 66 33
Passes 6‑8‑1 8‑16‑2
Punts 2‑37 1-34
Fumbles‑lost 1‑0 2‑1
Penalties‑yards B‑70 8‑83
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING ‑ Massillon, Oliver 9‑29, Fulton 6‑17, Jones 5‑7, Eberhart 9‑7, Huth 3‑4.
McKinley, Simms 16‑86, Randle 11‑34, Lynch 5‑20, Snell 1‑6, Worstell 8‑minus‑2, Lewis 3‑minus‑2.
PASSING ‑ Massillon, Dave Eberhart 6‑8‑1‑72
McKinley, Worstell 8‑16‑2‑69.
RECIEVING ‑ Massillon, Jones 3‑32, Feller 2‑28, Reese 1‑12.
McKinley, Fisher 4‑44, Lewis 2‑15, Giavasis, 1‑9, Dixon 1‑11.
Tiger pride comes
alive in playoff win
McKinley 14‑6 victim
in regional title game
By ROLLIE DREUSSI
Independent Sports Editor
“This is what it’s all about,” Doug Eberhart screamed above the happy mayhem in the Massillon Tigers’ lockerroom.
The senior center was holding up a T‑shirt with lettering that read “MASSILLON TIGERS” across it. And in between was the word “PRIDE.”
That’s what produced the Tigers’ 14‑6 win over the Canton McKinley Bulldogs before over 20,000 fans in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium Friday night.
The Tigers were still smarting from last Saturday’s 16‑7 spanking at the hands of the Pups, but they had the desire it took to change the outcome this time.
It was a gutsy performance. One earned more on emotion and desire than on talent and execution.
The Tigers’ defense, embarrassed last weekend in the loss to the Bulldogs, turned in a simply incredible performance.
Five times in the second half they turned back the Bulldogs. Twice on fourth down and short yardage inside their own 20 yard line.
“Unbelievable,” Tiger Coach Mike Currence said.
He could offer no explanation for his defense’s dramatic turnaround, except to say his players simply wanted it more than the Bulldogs.
“We made a few changes on defense, but determination was the key factor,” Tiger middle guard Jeff Grove said.
“We wanted this game so bad. We wanted to go out and win the ball game, and that’s what we did,” he added.
One of the unlikely defensive heroes was junior Rick Spielman. He was a starting linebacker last year for the Timken, Trojans, but this year he was the team’s backup quarterback. When John Mayles broke his hand in last week’s game, Spielman started practicing at linebacker again.
“I was real excited about getting to play,” said Spielman, whose father, Sonny, is the Tigers’ quarterback and wide receiver coach.
“I played linebacker last year and after a couple of plays it all came back to me,” he explained.
Spielman was in on the tackle both times that the Tigers stopped the Bulldogs on fourth down and short yardage, He also sacked McKinley quarterback Worstell to end the Pups’ final chance with less than a minute to play.
“Ah, great,” Spielman said when asked how he felt after that sack.
That was the same reply defensive halfback Paul Turner gave when asked about his interception that thwarted a fourth‑quarter drive by the Bulldogs.
That “as a big play, since it came immediately following a poor punt that gave the Bulldogs possession at the Tiger 44 yard line.
Turner had a big job ‑ covering McKinley’s Todd Fisher, a big, fast wide receiver who gave the Tigers fits last week. Currence credited Turner with doing ‘a great job” covering Fisher.
Junior William Askew also did a fine job stepping into the breach. Defensive end Bob Dodd tore knee ligaments in last week’s game, and Askew helped defensive tackle Ed Newman hold down the right side of the Tigers’ defensive line.
And senior defensive tackle Bob James, who had a rough time last week, called on his pride to help Paul Spinden anchor the left side of the defensive line.
Then there was Tim Manion, a junior who was too talented to sit the bench as a backup quarterback and was moved to linebacker in the pre‑season. He came through in fine style.
Manion picked up a tumble caused by middle guard Jeff Grove and returned it 40 yards to set up the team’s first touchdown.
Turner’s mates in the secondary, Mike :Spicer, Mike Loretto and Dwayne Boss, improved their coverage to help upset the McKinley passing game.
And the Tigers’ offense, while almost blowing the game in the second half, still managed to put enough points on the board. And more importantly, managed to control the ball for at least almost as long as the Bulldogs.
The Tigers’ came out throwing, and the difference this time was that the offensive line gave quarterback Dave Eberhart time to pass. His 12-yard toss to Mike Reese in the third quarter was the clinching touchdown.
All in all, it was a team effort. From the players and coaching staff right down to the fans.
Currence had special praise for the Tiger fans, who started raising a ruckus before the game started and were still carrying on into the wee hours of the morning.
When told that some of the McKinley fans started leaving the game with four‑and‑a‑half minutes still to play, Currence said: “Their fans don’t compare to our fans. Our fans stay with us to the bitter end. That’s the difference between a Bulldog and a Tiger.
“We didn’t get one bad remark from anyone last week,” Currence pointed out. “They had confidence we’d come back.”
The win now gives the Tigers a 48-33-5 edge in the storied rivalry, and gives Currence a 5‑1 record against the Bulldogs.
Also, for the first time in their history, the Tigers won a playoff game. They had suffered losses in 1972 and 1979 in their only other playoff appearances.
Now they will advance to the Division I playoff semifinals, and will probably play Willoughby South, a 14‑3 winner over Cleveland St. Joseph Friday night.
It was as a Friday night no Tiger fan will ever forget. And a Tiger team Massillon will always be proud of.
TIGER GRIDSTICK
First downs 3 11
First downs passing 5 2
Total first downs 12 15
Yards gained rushing 85 156
Yards lost rushing 19 17
Net yards gained rushing 66 139
Net yards gained passing 72 70
Total yards gained 138 209
Passes attempted 10 16
Passes completed 6 8
Passes intercepted by 2 1
Yardage on passes intercepted 1 0
Times kicked off 3 2
Kickoff average 50.0 50.0
Kickoff return yardage 27 22
Punts 3 1
Punting average 25.3 33.0
Punt return yardage 0 15
Punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 1 3
Fumbles lost 0 1
Penalties 8 9
Yards penalized 70 83
Touchdowns rushing 0 1
Touchdowns passing 1 0
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Miscellaneous touchdowns 1 0
Total number of plays 42 58
Total time of possession 21.11 25.49
Attendance 20,550
MASSILLON 0 7 7 0 ‑ 14
McKINLEY 0 6 0 0 ‑ 6
MASS – Don Fulton recovered fumble in end zone (Dave Everhart kick)
McK ‑ Rick Worstell one yard run (pass failed)
MASS ‑ Mike Reese 12‑yard pass from Eberhart (Eberhart kick)
History This is the third part of a 7 part series that relives some of the greatest Massillon Tiger victories in the Massillon vs. Canton McKinley rivalry. These games were chosen by the writers as critical games throughout Massillon’s football history.
Blizzard like conditions, a soaked and muddy field played into the Tigers hands as they handed Canton McKinley a 21-0 shutout at Fawcett Stadium.
WHAT A DAY! Tigers romp 21-0
By ROLAND A. DREUSSI
Independent Sports Editor
The Massillon Tigers may not be going to the state football playoffs, but they’re number one in the hearts and minds of all their fans.
The Tigers simply tore apart the playoff-bound Canton McKinley Bulldogs by a 21-0 score before 20,339 snow capped fans Saturday afternoon on a muddy, waterlogged Fawcett Stadium field.
A NEAR blizzard in the second-quarter threatened to turn the game into a “Snow Bowl,” but a flurry of passes from Tiger quarterback Brent Offenbecher and complete domination by the Massillon offensive and defensive lines simply turned it into a rout.
Offenbecher scored the Tigers first TD on the first play of the second quarter when he bootlegged 11 yards around right end and literally dove over a Bulldog defender at the goal line, falling into the end zone.
He then hit Curtis Strawder with a 50-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and hooked up with Greg Carpenter for a 48-yard TD toss early in the fourth quarter.
Offenbecher finished the day with 7 of 9 passing for 162 yards on a field that no one thought he would be able to pass on. He ends the year with 1,369 yards passing on 84 of 146 passes, all Tiger records.
“Bridey (McKinley head coach John Brideweser) forgets he has to run in the mud when he lets the field get wet.” Tiger head coach Mike Currence chided in the jubilant Massillon locker room after the game.
HE WAS referring of course to the fact that Brideweser had declined to put the tarp on the field after the Tiger Booster Club brought it over Thursday.
“The big thing,” Currence said on a serious note, “was that we were able to throw in the mud and that we controlled the line of scrimmage. They weren’t able to run in the mud and they couldn’t throw either.
“Our lines were super,” he continued. “We beat them on the line. Their backs ran hard but they had nowhere to go.”
Brideweser’s explanation was simpler. “We just got our ass kicked,” he said. “They’re a good football team. They’re as good as anybody in the state. How they lost two games I’ll never know.”
BRIDEWESER said his players never thought about the computer poll even after Barberton eliminated itself completely by losing to Cuyahoga Falls Friday night, assuring the Bulldogs of a berth even if they lost to Massillon.
He did agree that the loss to the Tigers would make it tough for his team Friday night at 7:30 when the Bulldogs play Cleveland St. Joseph in the Class AAA semifinal game in the Akron Rubber Bowl.
The 21-0 score Saturday wasn’t indicative of the game the Tigers played. It could have been worse. Massillon completely outplayed the Bulldogs in every facet of the game, not even allowing a first down until 6:51 was left in the game, and not many McKinley fans left in the stands.
All the Tiger fans were there though. Glued to their seats – when they weren’t standing to cheer – by a performance many just hadn’t expected to see. Sure, they new the Tigers could win, but few expected such a performance.
The condition of the field before the game was so bad that you had to wonder if the Tigers’ run and shoot offense might not turn into a slip and slide. It looked like a defensive battle might be waged.
“AT THE beginning,” Offenbecher said, we came in and saw the field and thought there was no way we could pass. Then we got out there, and it was bad, but it wasn’t real bad.”
Offenbecher showed the Tigers weren’t afraid to pass when he threw twice in the first series. One was complete to Mark Pringle for the Tigers first first down of the game and the other fell incomplete. The first drive, which included a 13-yard bootleg by Offenbecher and some good running and blocking by his teammates, ended when Mark Westover’s 34-yard field goal attempt was wide left.
The Tiger defense forced the Bulldogs to punt and Mike Hickey returned the ball five yards to midfield with 5:38 to go in the first quarter.
After one first down, the Tigers faced a third and six at McKinley’s 39 yard line. Offenbecher found Pringle open for 11 yards and a first down.
The Tigers then stuck to the ground and an eight-yard run by Carpenter gave them a first down at McKinley’s five. He then lost six yards on the last play of the first quarter, and the Tigers faced a second and goal from the 11.
Offenbecher took to the air again, this time by running 11 yards around right end and diving over a Bulldog defender into the end zone. Westover’s kick was no good and the Tigers look a 6-0 lead.
Following another Bulldog punt, Massillon took over on its own 43. Offenbecher fooled everybody, including his coach, when be took the ball and ran 24 yards around a wide-open left end.
That gave Massillon a first down at the McKinley 33. The Tigers drove to the eight when Offenbecher was hit and fumbled the ball attempting to pass on third down. McKinley recovered and ran out the clock, trailed only 6-0 at the half.
The Tigers kicked off to open the second half and like clockwork, the Bulldogs punted four plays later.
The Tigers took over at their own 40 and after four running plays and an offside penalty, faced a third and 11 at midfield.
OFFENBECHER dropped back to pass and spotted Strawder cutting across the middle at about the 25. He threw him the ball and the junior sprinted to the zone untouched, after his defender fell down.
Offenbecher then rolled right and hit Pringle with a two-point conversion pass to make it 14-0 Tigers.
Following several punts by each team, the Tigers took over at the McKinley 49 early in the fourth quarter.
Following a holding penalty against the Tigers, a run for no gain and a 19-yard pass to Mike Grove, the Tigers faced a third and nine at the Bulldog 48.
Offenbecher dropped back to pass again and hit Carpenter on the left sideline at about the 25. The senior wingback then broke down the sideline and didn’t stop until he crossed the goal line. Westover’s kick was good and the Tigers had a 21-0 lead with 8:34 left in the game. Many McKinley fans headed for the exits.
IT WASN’T until 6:51 left that Rick Asberry broke off a 14-yard run for the Pups’ initial first down. They made three more in the drive, but Kevin Gowins kept them out of the end zone when he picked off a Mike Brown aerial inside the Massillon 10.
The Bulldogs, who lost 7 3 to Massillon last year, have yet to score a touchdown against Currence.
The statistics bear out the fact that it was a super team effort by the Tigers. They gained 162 yards passing and 115 rushing while allowing the Bulldogs 81 rushing (51 of which came in their last drive) and six passing.
GRID STICK
M C
First downs rushing 8 4
First downs passing 5 0
Total first downs 13 4
Yds. gained rushing 160 101
Yds. lost rushing 45 20
Net yds. gained rushing 115 81
Net yds. gained passing 162 6
Total yds. Gained 277 87
Passes attempted 9 5
Passes completed 7 1
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Times kicked off 4 1
Kickoff average (yards) 54 5 47 0
Kickoff returns (yards) 17 68
Times punted 2 7
Punt average (yards) 39.0 23.4
Punt returns (yards) 11 1
Fumbles 1 1
Lost Fumbled ball 1 0
Penalties 3 0
Yds. Penalized 25 0
TD’s rushing 1 0
TD’s passing 2 0
Total number of plays 52 47
Total time of possession 25:51 22:09
MASSILLON 0 6 8 7 21
McKINLEY 0 0 0 0 0
MASS – Brent Offenbecher 11 run (kick failed);
MASS – Curtis Strawder 50 pass from Offenbecher (Mark Pringle pass from Offenbecher);
MASS – Greg Carpenter 48 pass from Offenbecher (Mark Westover kick).
Attendance: 20,339.
News News Release: MassMu to Extend Hours Friday Evening
The Massillon Museum will remain open before the Massillon-McKinley parade until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 1, to allow an extra opportunity for football fans to visit the Paul Brown Museum. Admission is always free and open to everyone.
The current Paul Brown Museum exhibitions—125 Years of the Greatest High School Rivalry and Evolution of the Football Jersey—feature artifacts and photographs illustrating Stark County’s football heritage.
In addition to the Paul Brown Museum, visitors can see Nature Configurations: The Drawings of Sandra Benny in Studio M; Artwork by Members of the Boys and Girls Club of Massillon in the Fred F. Silk Community Room Gallery; and The Immel Circus.
Anderson’s in the City, the lobby café, will also be open late on Friday, offering sweets and beverages for sale.
The Museum receives operating support from the Ohio Arts Council and ArtsinStark.
The Massillon Museum, where art and history come together, is located at 121 Lincoln Way East in Massillon. For more information, call the Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit massillonmuseum.org. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free.
Media Contacts:
Alexendra Nicholis Coon – Massillon Museum Executive Director – 330.833.4061 x111
Margy Vogt – Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator – 330.844.1525