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Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2019: Massillon 42, Penn-Trafford, PA 21

Record-setting night by Aidan Longwell helps Massillon top Penn-Trafford
Chris Easterling
Sep 20, 2019 11:00 PM

MASSILLON There was only record Aidan Longwell cared about as he walked off the Paul Brown Tiger Stadium turf on Friday night. That would be Massillon’s 4-0 record.

The Tigers, though, earned that record in part because of Longwell’s ability to set a new school career passing touchdown mark in their 42-21 victory over previously-undefeated Pennsylvania visitor Penn-Trafford.

“I think a lot of people are trying to pressure us into things this year,” the Massillon senior quarterback said. “We’re overcoming it. We’re just taking it one game at a time and we’re doing a great job of it right now.”

Longwell threw four touchdown passes in the victory, giving him 65 for his career. He broke the old mark of 63 set by Justin Zwick in 2000-01.

His record-tying 63rd career scoring pass, a 54-yard strike to Andrew Wilson-Lamp, gave Massillon a 28-14 lead with 4:10 remaining in the first half. His record-setting strike, an 8-yarder to Jayden Ballard in the front left corner of the end zone as time expired in the half, gave the Tigers a 35-21 halftime lead.

For the game, Longwell was 14-of-15 for 225 yards. He goes into next Friday’s home game against Firestone needing just 31 yards to break Kyle Kempt’s career passing record of 6,034 yards set from 2010-12.

“It’s special, especially at Massillon,” Longwell said of the record. “The quarterbacks and great players who have played here. I just have to give a great shout-out to my offensive line, present and past, and my receivers. Everybody’s kind of balled for me as part of this.”

Penn-Trafford was impressive in turning the game’s first drive into a methodical 17-play, 82-yard scoring drive that took the initial 9:38 off the clock. The Warriors converted all five third downs on the possession, including a 6-yard run by quarterback Gabe Dunlap to give them a 7-0 lead.

Dunlap would prove to be a handful all evening, gaining 90 of the Warriors’ 110 rushing yards, while throwing for 257 yards and two scores. He ran for two touchdowns and threw for another.

“He’s a field general,” said Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane, whose team falls to 4-1. “He’s an underrated football player. He continually makes plays for us in the passing game, and more importantly, in the run game sometimes. There’s a lot of times where it’s tough to get him down on the sack with one guy, and he kind of showed that tonight.”

The Warriors’ opening possession would be, by far, the longest scoring drive by either team over the duration of the first half. That is, until Massillon put together its half-ending 13-play, 74-yard drive to go up 35-21 at the break.

In between, the Tigers’ other four scoring drives went for a combined 15 plays. Penn-Trafford, meanwhile, scored its other two first-half scores on a combined seven plays.

In the second half, the only scoring drive was Massillon’s 13-play, 49-yard fourth-quarter march which ended with Longwell hitting Anthony Pedro on a 5-yard touchdown pass.

Massillon, which went scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this season, would score the game-tying touchdown on the first play off the second quarter on Zion Phifer’s 3-yard run. Then, one play after stopping the Warriors on a fourth-down play, Longwell and Ballard hooked up for a 30-yard touchdown pass to go in front 14-7 with 9:54 remaining in the first half.

The Tigers would lead 21-7 on Terrence Keyes’ 8-yard touchdown run with 7:32 remaining in the half. They would also open up 14-point first-half leads on Longwell’s record-tying and record-setting scoring passes at 28-14 and 35-21.

Penn-Trafford used a pair of big pass plays to stay within reach. A 64-yard catch-and-run by Ethan Carr on a fourth-down pass from Dunlap cut it to 21-14, while Mason Frye’s 77-yard catch set up Dunlap’s 3-yard run to make it 28-21 Tiger lead with 3:55 remaining in the half.

The Warriors, who had 253 yards at halftime, had just 114 yards in the final two quarters.

“We really did a good job, in a lot of ways, in the first half,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said of his defense. “We just had to make the plays that are there.”

Reach Chris at 330-775-1128 or chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo News

Booster Club Report – Week 3

It was great weekend for the Tigers and another clean sweep over their opponents.  Here are the scores from those games:

  • The Varsity defeated Warren Harding on the road, 49-7
  • The Junior Varsity defeated Warren Harding at home, 27-20
  • The Freshmen team defeated Warren, 24-0
  • The 8th Grade game was halted three minutes in on account of weather, with the Tigers up 8-0
  • The 7th Grade defeated Warren Middle School, 27-6

Head Coach Nate Moore’s assessment of last week’s performance was that the Tigers played “really well” in all phases of the game.  The defense surrendered just one TD, that following a turnover, and the offense, once it got past an early funk on its first two possessions, scored seven touchdowns in the next nine, with a running clock in effect for most of the second half.

Defensively, Massillon held the Warren rushing attack in check for nearly the entire night.  After using a spread offense throughout the first half and finding minimal success, the Raiders switched to a power-I, but did not fare any better.  Moore said that the Tigers have really good interior defensive linemen, something that was missing during the last few years, singling out the play of Manny McElroy and CJ Harris.

Linebacker play was also very good, especially on the edge by Caiden Woullard, who led the group with six tackles and one assist, including three tackles for a loss.  Then there was the big interception return by Preston Hodges.  Robbie Paige also played very well at safety, and has been improving his performance in leaps and bounds.  He makes great breaks on the ball, according to the coach.

Through three games, the defense has allowed just 3.5 yards per play (2.5 on the ground) as compared to last year’s numbers of 4.7 and 3.9 (I know, it’s early).  But the more that things stay the same within the program, the better it gets.

On offensive, Moore liked the play of Rager Els and Cole Jones.  However, as a group, the line struggled at times with pass protection due to Warren’s quickness.  Nevertheless, they surrendered just one quarterback sack, that being Massillon’s first of the year.  But it was in the run game that they really excelled and seemed to get better as the game wore on.  For the night, that phase netted 174 yards at 6.7 yards a clip.  It was a virtual clinic on how to execute inside zone blocking, with really good double teams according to the coach.  That’s the reason they were able to free Hodges and Terrence Keyes for big runs in the second half.

One scheme that really worked well was the run/pass option.  On one particular play, the line blocked like it was a run, sucking in the free safety, while Aidan Longwell (15 of 25 for 200 yards and two TDs) fired the ball to a crossing Jaden Ballard for a wide-open touchdown.  Ballard led the Tigers with seven catches for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

This week’s opponent is Penn-Trafford from Harrison City, Pennsylvania.  The game was scheduled after a team in their league opted out this year, creating an open date.  Later this season, Gateway from Monroeville, PA, also from the same league, will face the Tigers.

Last year the Warriors finished with a record of 9-3 and come into this one on the heels of a 4-0 record, having outscored the opposition by an average of 35-8.  Moore compared them to a good Avon team with skill players.

Senior Quarterback Gabe Dunlap (6’-1”, 170 lbs.) engineers a wide-open attack that features athletes both at running back and wide receiver. At times, Dunlap will also run the ball off designed plays and has racked up 397 yards and six touchdowns.  In the passing game, he has completed 53 passes for 440 yards and four touchdowns.  His favorite target is junior Ethan Carr (6’-3”, 165 lbs.), who has caught nine passes for 211 yards and four touchdowns.

The running attack has been split between two outstanding players, Caleb Lisbon and Sam Fanelli.  But it appears that both may miss this one due to injury.  However, Moore has good respect for the backup, junior Brad Ford (5’-11” 175 lbs.).

The offensive line is good, according to the coach, and returns all five starters from last year.  They average 6’-1”, 262 lbs. from tackle-to-tackle.  Moore says that they are pretty physical and really good at outside zone blocking.

Defensively, Penn-Trafford utilizes a 3-4 alignment.  The strength of this unit is the line, especially at nose tackle in senior Josh Cheplick (6’-1”, 275 lbs.), who he compared to the Tigers’ Manny McElroy.  The secondary is the next best group.

Last week’s injury to Massillon center Dylan Garretson will result in a reshuffling of the offensive line.  Manny McElroy will return to his traditional defensive position.  Cole Jones will move to center and Terrence Rankl will take over his tackle position.  The line now averages 6’-2”, 286 lbs., and is one of the largest lines Massillon has had in recent history.

Quarterback Aidan Longwell is closing in on a couple of career records.  He needs 256 yards to tie the mark of 6,034, set by Kyle Kempt in 2012.  And he needs two touchdown passes to tie the mark of 63, set by Justin Zwick in 2001.  But I’m sure Aidan is just focused on just getting a win this Friday.  The records will come on their own.

News

Brawley Spectacular in 27-20 JV Win Against Warren Harding

The following story was written by David Lee Morgan, Jr. WHS English/Journalism Teacher and Varsity/JV Running Backs Coach  

MASSILLON: There is a reason sophomore Austin Brawley has moved up the Massillon depth chart and is now a backup on the varsity roster.  The kid can flat-out play.

Brawley put on a show Saturday morning (Sept. 14) against Warren Harding at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in a 27-20 junior varsity win.  Brawley caught six passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns.  He added another touchdown (57 yards) that was called back because of a penalty.

“Austin is one of the hardest workers and most coachable kids I have ever coached,” said veteran Massillon wide receiver coach Cale Miller.  “He works hard in the weight room and in the classroom.  He is a major asset to our program.”

Brawley (5-foot-8, 135 pounds) scored on a 70-yard reception on the first play of the game.  He also scored on passes of 68 yards and on a 59-yard TD, in which he had to tip the ball to himself and juggle it several times between two defenders before racing in to the endzone.

Sophomore quarterback Tanner Pierce was 6-of-13 for 271 yards, three TDs and an interception.  Sophomore running back Camden Beasley rushed for a 5-yard touchdown.

Defensively, the Tigers (3-0) gave up two touchdowns on long runs, but made stops in the closing minutes.

Junior linebacker Andrew Edwards (six tackles), junior defensive back Ezra Strickland (four tackles) and Shane Rue and Niles Cleveland (three tackles) led the unit, which forced six turnovers.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2019: Massillon 49, Warren Harding 7

Start doesn’t slow down Massillon dominance at Warren
Chris Easterling
Sep 13, 2019 9:49 PM

WARREN It’s never about the start. It’s always about the finish.

Or, more importantly, it’s about the final score.

Massillon found itself in its first deficit of the season after Warren Harding turned a literal bad bounce on a punt eventually into a first-quarter touchdown on Friday night at Mollenkopf Stadium. However, by the time the Tigers went into the locker room for halftime, they had once again established control of things.

By the time Massillon got on the buses to head back to Stark County, it had put together its third consecutive win to open the season, this time a 49-7 victory over Warren Harding at Mollenkopf Stadium.

“We’ve been preparing ourselves for adversity since December, since January,” said senior Preston Hodges, whose 48-yard interception return with 39 seconds left in the half gave Massillon a 28-7 lead. “Since when we were in the offseason working out, grinding. We’re prepared for the adversity to hit us at any point. We just knew we had to bounce back.”

The game was called with 3:12 remaining as lightning began to flash around the stadium. At that point, it was all academic for the Tigers, who take a 3-0 record into next Friday’s home game against Penn-Trafford out of Monroeville, Pa.

All three of Massillon’s wins have been running-clock situations in the fourth quarter. Although it took the Tigers a moment to get up and running that way on Friday night.

“We faced some adversity and came through it,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, whose team faced a 7-0 deficit after Warren turned a punt recovery into a 35-yard touchdown pass from Eliah Taylor to Ty Artis with 10:10 left in the first quarter. “So, I’m proud of the guys staying true to what got us here and to keep working. I thought we played well.”

Even after the quick Warren score, Massillon still needed to get its footing. However, it would turn to the defense first to get a stop to get the ball rolling.

Warren’s defense then forced a three-and-out on the Tigers’ first offensive possession. The Raiders would take the ball on a 14-play, 38-yard journey to the Massillon 33, but turned the ball over on down there.

That’s when the Tigers would catch fire. They would turn their next three possessions into touchdowns – two Zion Phifer runs and a 9-yard Aidan Longwell-to-Jayden Ballard pass – and a 21-7 lead, while their fourth would reach the Warren 20 before a sack and an incomplete pass on fourth down halted the march.

That proved to be no real problem for Massillon, as Hodges stepped in front of a Warren pass at the Raider 48 and raced all the way to the end zone for a Tiger touchdowns. The point-after kick made it 28-7 Massillon with 39 seconds remaining in the half.

Hodges was part of a Tiger defense which limited Warren to just 27 yards on its final 15 first-half plays. The Raiders would finish the game with 160 yards on 49 plays.

“I’m really proud of the guys,” Moore said of the defense. “I thought all three levels played well. Obviously, we’ll get in there and watch the film and all that stuff, but we feel really proud of the guys and their effort.”

The Tiger offense, meanwhile, found its groove both through the air and on the ground after the initial three-and-out. By the half, Longwell had completed 11-of-18 passes for 162 yards and the one score.

Longwell would finish the game 15-of-20 for 200 yards and two touchdowns, moving him within two scoring passes of the career record. He hit Ballard for a 19-yard touchdown strike to make it 35-7 with 3:31 left in the third quarter.

Ballard had seven catches for 94 yards and two scores.

Meanwhile, after netting one yard on its first two runs, Massillon gained 46 yards on its final 12 carries of the half. Both Phifer, who scored on two of his five first-half carries, and Terrence Keyes shared the duties.

Keyes would gain 63 of his 96 yards on his third-quarter touchdown run which gave Massillon a 42-7 lead. Hodges added 50 yards on just five carries, while Phifer finished with 32 yards on six totes.

Reach Chris at 330-775-1128 or chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

News

Booster Club Meeting Time Change for September 16

The Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club normally meets on the Monday following each game at 7:00 pm in the WHS Communication Center.  On September 16 the meeting will begin at 8:00 pm instead.  The reason for the change is that there will be a Massillon City School District Community Update in the WHS auditorium at 7:00 pm, which should last about an hour.  Booster Club members are encouraged to attend the Update and support the Massillon City Schools.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

Booster Club Report – Week 2

Five games; five wins.  The Tigers had success at every level last week, winning each game from the 7th grade through the varsity.  Here are the scores:

  • 7th Grade: Defeated Elyria Middle School, 36-12
  • 8th Grade: Defeated Oakwood (GlenOak), 34-0
  • 9th Grade: Defeated GlenOak, 44-20
  • Junior Varsity: Defeated GlenOak, 42-6
  • Varsity: Defeated GlenOak, 42-6

The guest players this week were quarterback Aidan Longwell and offensive lineman Cole Jones.  Against GlenOak, Longwell completed 5 of 6 passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns.  For his career, he has now tossed 59 touchdown passes and needs just four more to tie the record set by Justin Zwick in 2001.  Jones anchors an offensive line that has yet to surrender a quarterback sack and has helped running backs to a 5.4 yards per carry average.

The guest coach was Jarrett Troxler, co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.  “I thought the kids did a great job.” he said.  “We played to our standard (not to the competition).  Our kids handled it really well and put them away early.”

Troxler singled out the play of Longwell and emphasized the experience he brings to the game as a 3-year starter.  On one play, Troxler described how Aidan scrambled out of the pocket and had the poise to point to the spot for Ballard to run in order to convert a 36-yard touchdown pass.

Troxler said that he wants the team to get better and take the next step in this process.  And that next step is this Friday against Warren Harding.  The coach said that Warren is more athletic than GlenOak.  They have good secondary players and a really good player at linebacker in Emarion Perkins, a 6′-0″, 190 lb. junior.

After showing the highlight film of last week’s game against GlenOak and the scout films of Warren, Head Coach Nate Moore gave his impression of the Raiders, who previously lost to Canton McKinley, 32-27, and defeated Cleveland Rhodes, 56-0.  On special teams, they have a really good kicker with good range and excellent skill players in the return game.  The defense alternates between even and odd fronts.  Although smallish like GlenOak, Moore is expecting better line play out of this opponent.  Four seniors start on defense.

Offensively, Harding operates primarily out of the spread.  Leading the attack is junior Elijah Taylor, a 6′-1″, 190 lb. quarterback, who is also a returning starter with a big arm.  Against Canton McKinley in Week 1, he completed 19 of 37 passes for 346 yards and 3 TDs), albeit taking advantage of several blown Bulldog coverages.  But he was not quite as effective against Rhodes. Nevertheless, Taylor has several good receivers to throw to and this may be where you’ll find Warren’s best skill players.  The running game, however, was not productive against McKInley and netted just 81 yards in 25 attempts.  Four seniors start on offense, with a line that lacks a lot of game experience, while averaging 6′-1″, 258.

The Booster Club is sponsoring a bus to the Warren game on September 13.  The cost is $25 and includes a sandwich and drink.  Tickets can be purchased at Keller’s Office Supply.  Departure is planned for 4:30 pm at the old K-Mart on Lincoln Way E.

The WHS Ticket Office is now open on Thursdays from 5:00 to 7:00.

Game time: 7:00 pm

Go Tigers!

News

JV Team Wins Again!!! Downs Canton GlenOak

The following story was provided by David Lee Morgan, Jr. WHS English/Journalism Teacher and Varsity/JV Running Backs Coach  

PLAIN TOWNSHIP: Camden Beasley is somewhat of a quiet person. But when the Massillon sophomore walks his 6-foot, 180-pound frame onto the football field, his actions speak louder than words.  Beasley scored four touchdowns in helping the Massillon junior varsity football team defeat GlenOak 42-6 Saturday afternoon (Sept. 6, 2019) at Bob Commings Field.  Although Beasley’s longest touchdown run was just six yards, he showed his durability by carrying the ball 14 times for 64 yards.  “Camden is a kid who comes to practice every day and has gotten better each and every day,” said Massillon’s varsity and junior varsity offensive line coach Chip Robinson. “He continues to do things the right way.”  Another bright spot at running back for the Tigers (2-0) was the performance of 5-7, 135-pound sophomore Ramier Kyles. He may not have size like Beasley, but Kyles has impressive speed and quickness.  Kyles only played the second half but led Massillon with 65 yards and added an impressive 35-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, which was the Tigers’ final score.  And on special teams, sophomore place kicker Shane Rue was perfect on all six PAT (point after touchdown) attempts.

Sophomore quarterback Tanner Pierce had a solid performance completing 12-of-20 passes for 102 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The receivers were led by juniors Eric Thurman, who had eight catches for 67 yards, and Daymiere Adams, who finished with four catches for 44 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown reception.  Massillon’s defense gave up its only touchdown midway through the third quarter, and was led by sophomore cornerback Darrius McElroy with six tackles and sophomore defensive lineman Toddrick Lee and Thurman with three tackles each.  “Our kids started out a little slower than we liked but found their stride in the second half,” said Tigers’ varsity defensive ends coach and head JV coach Dave Weber.  Meanwhile, one of the biggest hits of the game came on the last play, and it wasn’t a Massillon player laying the pads. It came when Tigers’ sophomore linebacker Aaron Baecker intercepted a GlenOak pass near midfield, then scrambled down the Massillon sideline looking to return it for a touchdown.  However, a Golden Eagles player hit Baecker so hard that Baecker had his glasses knocked off his face as he landed five yards into the Tigers’ sideline.  That’s when Baecker picked up his glasses, popped right up and started jumping up and down while pumping his chest to signal that the hit didn’t faze him.  “When I caught it, I just gunned it,” Baecker said. “I knew there was a guy behind me but I just saw a clear path and a gateway straight to six points.  Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the biggest quarterback I’ve ever seen.”  Baecker was referring to GlenOak’s 6-2, 225-pound quarterback.  “He destroyed me,” Baecker said. “But when he hit me I didn’t feel anything. My blood was pumping so much I had a big grin on my face and when I saw my teammates I was happy because I proved myself.  That feeling was foreign to me because I haven’t felt that in a long time.”

Baecker’s teammates rallied around him, patted him on the helmet and gave him high fives as the team showed how impressed they were by his toughness.  “Honestly, I feel like to get hit like that takes courage,’’ Lee said. “I was impressed.”  So was Massillon varsity and junior varsity defensive tackles coach J.P. Simon, who is often seen after varsity games wearing a junk-yard dog chain around his neck while carrying a sledgehammer to symbolize the team’s toughness.

 

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2019: Massillon 55, Canton Glenoak 13

Dominant first half carries Massillon past GlenOak
Chris Easterling
Sep 06, 2019 11:46 PM

MASSILLON Darien Williams took the kickoff and, following his blockers, raced to the left and then down the field to the GlenOak 42.

The only problem, however, was a yellow flag sitting back inside Massillon’s 40. That holding flag negated what would have been a big return, plus extra yards tacked on for a horse-collar tackle.

That would be about the only thing to go wrong for Massillon in the first half of a dominant 55-13 victory over visiting GlenOak on Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

Once the Tigers were able to snap the ball – following a re-kick and then a GlenOak offsides penalty before the first play – they wasted no time laying waste to any hopes the Golden Eagles had of pulling off an upset. Massillon scored on its first six possessions, along with an interception return for a score by Preston Hodges, to jump out to a 48-0 lead just over 13 minutes into the game.

“We treat this like any other week,” Hodges said. “We come out looking to get as good as we can. We’re just looking to better ourselves as the season goes on.”

That was just the start, however. By the time the teams went to the locker room for halftime, the Tigers had already scored more points than GlenOak had given up in more than two decades, as they held a 55-6 lead.

Then only score of the half for the Golden Eagles came on a 91-yard Leeshawn Johnson kickoff return with 10:37 remaining in the second quarter. That trimmed the Massillon lead to 48-6.

GlenOak would have one other chance in Tiger territory over the first 24 minutes of the game. Jamiel Randle intercepted a Massillon pass on the Tigers’ seventh possession and returned it to the Tiger 13.

Four plays later, however, Massillon would get the ball back by stopping the Golden Eagles at the Tiger 9. Nine plays after that, Massillon would tack on its ninth touchdown of the half when Austin Brawley took a quick pass at the line of scrimmage from backup quarterback Zach Catrone and raced 35 yards for the touchdown with 3:39 remaining in the half.

If the scoreboard didn’t show the dominance of the first half, the statistics did. Massillon held a 401-21 edge in total yards, including 211-10 in rushing yards.

The Tigers also forced three turnovers in the first half. Besides Hodges’ pick-six, Robbie Page set up Massillon’s third touchdown of the night on a diving, juggling interception at the GlenOak 30. There was also a recovery by Isaiah Clark of an uncovered kickoff.

GlenOak did not pick up a first down until the 2:45 mark of the third quarter on a 29-yard run by Johnson to the Tiger 38. By that point, Massillon held an 18-1 edge in that stat.

Johnson would score GlenOak’s other touchdown as well on a 9-yard run with 4:54 remaining.

“We’re real young offensively right now,” said GlenOak coach Beau Balderson, whose team was out-gained 466-115 in total yards, and out-first-downed 21-4. “We’re taking our lumps. We’re going to continue to get better and they’re going to continue to fight and not point fingers at each other. We’re going to build from the positives of tonight and move on.”

All of that was done with the Tiger starters essentially calling it a night after Hodges ripped off a 16-yard scoring run to put Massillon ahead 48-0 with 10:53 remaining in the half. That was on the first play after Clark’s kickoff recovery.

Those starters, however, did the most with the little opportunity. Aidan Longwell was 5-of-6 passing for 155 yards and three touchdowns, completing his final five pass attempts.

Jayden Ballard, meanwhile, turned both of his catches into touchdowns for a total of 109 receiving yards. Andrew Wilson-Lamp added two catches for 38 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown catch.

All of that passing came after Massillon ran the ball on 11 of its first 12 plays, for 117 yards. Terrence Keyes would gain 79 of his 83 rushing yards on seven of those plays, while Zion Phifer added 29 of his 47 yards on four carries.

“We weren’t trying to establish the run,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said. “We were just calling the plays we thought would be successful. The kids executed.”

Both would score on 2-yard touchdown runs for a 14-0 Massillon lead with 6:25 left in the first quarter.

Reach Chris at 330-775-1128 or chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

Booster Club Report – Week 1

The first Football Booster Club meeting of the 2019 season was held on Tuesday at the WHS Communications Center.  Head Coach Nate Moore reviewed last week’s 44-14 victory over Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary and previewed this week’s opponent, Canton GlenOak.

Guest players were Inside Linebacker Ben Krichbaum, who will return to action this week, and Defensive Lineman Manny McElroy, who Moore called “unblockable” after his stellar performance last Friday.  Against the Irish, Manny was able to continuously fight through double-teams to totally disrupt the Irish’ iso run game, leaving the linebackers “clean” to make the tackles.

The guest coach was Jason Jarvis, who coaches cornerbacks and special teams.  Jarvis noted that of the three phases of football (offense, defense and special teams), it was the special teams that graded the highest.  Their effort included three kickoffs in the end zone by Magnus Haines, who also averaged 45 yards a punt in his two attempts.  Alex Bauer converted all six of his extra point tries.  Coverage teams were great, according  to Jarvis.  And in the return game, St. Vincent elected to kick off short and out of bounds all night long, except after a safety, which might have been a miss-hit by the kicker.  For Jayden Balled returned that one 66 yards for a touchdown, a play that included a downfield block by Zion Phifer that lasted five seconds, as he waited for Ballard to clear his area.  “The drive to win is what makes them play well,” beamed Jarvis.

Coach Moore singled out Andrew Wilson-Lamp for his record-setting  performance last week in which he caught eleven passes for 232 yards and a touchdown.  The all-time Massillon single game record for yards now stands as follows:

  • Andrew Wilson-Lamp, 232 yards vs. Akron St. Vincent, 2019
  • Austin Jasinski, 222 yards vs. Mentor, 2016
  • Austin Kutscher, 208 yards vs. Canisius, NY, 2017
  • Devin Jordan, 206 yards vs. Dayton Chaminade, 2001
  • Reggie Rogers, 206 yards vs. Austintown Fitch, 2013

GlenOak enters this week’s contest against the Tigers coming off a 42-13 win over John Adams of South Bend, Indiana.  New coach Beau Balderson is trying to right the ship after the Golden Eagles suffered through a 1-9 campaign last season, which included a 49-0 home loss to Massillon.

On offense GlenOak utilizes multiple sets, some with tight ends and some with spread.  Two players share responsibility at quarterback, one a sophomore and the other a junior.  Moore likes the soph, Isaiah Knox, 6′-0″, 143 lbs.  Defensively, the coach says their are strong at cornerback, a position that includes Kindel Richardson, last year’s quarterback and a Michigan recruit.  Recall that It was Richardson that the Tigers put out of action for the remainder of the season when he tried to run the ball up the middle of the Massillon line after failing to find an open receiver.  Also keep an eye on inside linebacker Devon Blanchard, a 5′-10″, 220  lb., sophomore.

Depth may be a problem for the Golden Eagles in that several players go both ways.  They will also start seven underclassmen on offense and six on defense.  The offensive line averages 6′-0″, 248 lbs.and includes two seniors.  The junior-laden defensive front four average 5′-11″, 201 lbs., which may be a problem matching up against Massillon’s 278 lb. line.

“This is a rivalry game,” said Moore.  “A Stark County game.  They have some good players.  They will come ready to play.”

The Booster Club is sponsoring a bus to the Warren game on September 13.  The cost is $25 and includes a sandwich and drink.  Tickets can be purchased at Keller’s Office Supply.  Departure is planned for 4:30 pm at the old K-Mart on Lincoln Way E.

Go Tigers!