Junior Varsity defeated Lakewood St. Edward, 27-14.
Freshmen lost to Lakewood St. Edward, 42-16.
8th Grade defeated Akron Ellet, 30-26.
7th Grade defeated Medina, 45-6 and Western Crusaders, 34-26.
This week’s schedule:
Wednesday – 8th Grade vs. Western Crusaders at Massillon Middle School, 5:00 pm
Thursday – 7th Grade vs. Brunswick at Brunswick Field #3, 5:00 pm
Friday – Varsity vs. Sun Valley, Pennsylvania, at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 7:30 pm
Saturday – Freshmen vs. Cleveland St. Ignatius at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 10:00 am
Saturday – Junior Varsity vs. Cleveland St. Ignatius at St. Ignatius, 10:00 am
Tre’von Morgan (wide receiver / outside linebacker) and Jamir Thomas (running back/linebacker) were the guest co-captains.
Massillon running back Jamir Thomas presents the football he carried to break the career rushing yards record to Bailey Yoder of the Massillon Museum.
During last Friday’s game aqainst East St. Louis, Jamir Thomas broke the 58-year old record for the most career rushing yards. The previous mark was 3,090 yards, held by Art Hastings. During the Booster Club meeting, Jamir presented the football he used to break the record to Bailey Yoder, football curator of the Massillon Museum. The ball will be on display during the public soft opening of the new Paul Brown Museum, which is scheduled for Friday, October 26, from 4:00 to 9:00 pm. Thomas already holds the record for the most career carries and is poised to break the record for the most career rushing touchdowns (47), a mark currently held by Bob Glass. He needs just one more TD to tie.
“I’m really proud of this,” said Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore of Thomas’ performance. “He’s come a long way since his freshman year. He loves playing football. I’m really proud of what he’s accomplished.”
Eric Copeland was the guest assistant coach. Copeland said that the Tigers had difficulty in the first half adjusting to the speed of East St. Louis. But in the second half, the Flyers were a little slower as their 2-way players began to tire and it presented more of an even matchup. He also emphasized that the Massillon players believe that they’re a second-half team owing to their superior conditioning.
“They pushed us around,” said Copeland. “Our kids woke up. We fixed some mistakes. We made the plays when we needed to make them. I’m really proud of these guys. This is the best group of Tigers I’ve ever been around.”
Head Coach Nate Moore reviewed the game film, but noted that there were few defensive highlights due to the proficiency of the East St. Louis offense. In spite of manageable third downs, the defense couldn’t get off the field. But the Tigers made the defensive stops at the end when the game was on the line. “The crowd at the game was absolutely phenomenal,” he said. “It was definitely a factor in the game.”
Moore also boasted of his team beating the all-time win leader for the state of Illinois. That coming on the heels of doing the same feat against the New Jersey opponent, Montclair.
This week’s foe, Sun Valley of Pennsylvania, is not nearly the caliber of East St. Louis, coming in with a 3-4 record and having surrendered 195 points in their last five games. But they do have some offensive threats. Two players to keep an eye on are senior running back Julz Kelly (6′-0″, 180 lbs.) and senior quarterback Anthony Ellis (6′-2″, 190 lbs.). The quarterback rarely runs, but throws fairly well. Kelly has good speed and appears on film to be the catalyst for the offense.
The offensive line averages 6′-0″, 217 lbs. and the 3-front defensive line averages 5′-11″, 220 lbs., which places the Vanguards at a significant size disadvantage. Eight players go both ways, three of which are sophomores.
The Junior Varsity Squad is now 6-0 following recent victories over Austintown Fitch and Lakewood St. Edward.
A week ago, the Tigers downed Fitch on the road, 39-8, finishing the game with a running clock. Eric Thurman scored three touchdowns to key the win. The first two were 25-yard and 30-yard passes from Zach Catrone and the third was a 75-yard punt return. Xavier McElroy also had a 3-yard TD run. Daymiere Adams wrapped up the scoring with two touchdown passes from Catrone, the first from 40 yards out and the second from 26 yards out. Ethan Fox kicked three extra points.
Last Saturday, Massillon traveled to state power Lakewood St. Edward and came away a 27-14 victor. Jean-Luc Beasley opened the scoring with a 10-yard run. Zach Catrone then connected on two touchdown passes, 50 yards to Eric Thurman and 20 yards to Heath Manson. Raekwan Venson added a 12-yard run to put the game away. Venson also ran for a 2-point conversion. Ethan Fox converted a pair of PATs.
This week the JV Team travels to Cleveland St. Ignatius as they keep their hopes alive for an unbeaten season.
MASSILLON It was a night for records on Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Jamir Thomas broke the Massillon all-time rushing record, and moved within one of the all-time rushing-touchdown record as well. Yet, as incredible as those marks were, it was the record the Tigers emerged with at the end of the night – a 7-0 record – which was the most important one as they outlasted East St. Louis (Ill.) with a 46-40 victory.
“It means we’re national,” said Thomas, whose 116 rushing yards on the night gave him 3,121 career yards, 31 more than Art Hastings’ previous mark. “We’re national. We can get around. We’re really good.”
Thomas set the new mark with a 2-yard run early in the fourth quarter, moving him a yard in front of Hastings. However, it was the 9-yard touchdown at the end of that drive which was just as important, as it gave Massillon a 38-34 lead with 7:11 remaining.
Thomas also had a 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to make it 34-31 East St. Louis.
“It means everything,” Thomas said of the record. “It means everything to me. It means everything to our offensive line. They came with something they wanted to prove, and that is to be the best offensive line in the state. I think they are.”
However, it would be a 39-yard pass from Aidan Longwell to Jayden Ballard with 3:33 remaining which gave the Tigers the lead for good. Thomas, though, provided the final points on a two-point conversion run to make it 46-40.
That touchdown pass was one of five second-half scores for Massillon, which trailed 20-10 at halftime. The Tigers, who only had three first-half possessions, would score on five of their seven second-half drives.
They needed every one of those, as the Flyers – Illinois’ all-time wins leader – was almost equally unstoppable in gaining 538 total yards, including 418 rushing yards. They scored on three of their first four possessions to lead 20-7, then added scores on three of their six second-half drives.
The last East St. Louis score, a 21-yard Tyler Macon-to-Antonio Johnson touchdown pass, gave it a 40-38 lead with 5:26 left. The Flyers, though, would be stopped on downs and then picked off by Max Turner to end their final two possessions.
“The offense kept us in the game,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said. “The defense got the stop when they did. Hats off to the kids for keep playing hard.”
Massillon finished with 422 yards on 63 plays. That was a stark contrast to its first-half numbers, when it had just 141 yards on 24 plays.
The Tigers picked up 279 passing yards as a team, although Longwell only threw for 260 of those. He did throw three touchdowns, two of which went to Tre’Von Morgan.
However, Ballard and Longwell swapped roles to give Massillon its first lead of the game. After the Tigers recovered a fumbled kickoff by the Flyers, Longwell handed the ball off to Dean Clark on a jet sweep, who then tossed it back to Ballard coming back the other way.
Ballard then hit Longwell in stride for a 19-yard touchdown pass to give Massillon a 24-20 lead. It would be the first of five lead changes in the second half, but the fumbled kickoff which set it up was what stuck with East St. Louis coach Darren Sunkett.
“It was a great game,” said Sunkett, whose team falls to 5-2. “It was a slug-fest back and forth. I really think every game has three or four plays which really swings the momentum, and I think what it was was that fumbled kickoff coming out. That was a big swing.”
Treven Swingler rushed for 204 yards and two scores for the Flyers, while Macon added 140 and a score on the ground. East St. Louis, though, was flagged 23 times for 182 yards.
Harry Agustus Stuhldreher — Everyone’s All-American
Written by Mike Riordan Contributors: Gary Vogt and Ron Prunty
“Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, The Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore their names are Death, Destruction, Pestilence, and Famine. But those are aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Crowley, Miller and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.”
The Foursome achieved football immortality when Grantland Rice, a sportswriter for the former New York Herald Tribune, penned “the most famous football lead of all-time.” This was written after Notre Dame’s 13-7 upset victory over a strong Army team on October 18, 1924.
Notre Dame Four Horsemen: Dan Miller, Elmer Layden, Jim Crowley, Harry Stuhldreher
HIGH SCHOOL
Harry Stuhldreher was born October 14, 1901, in Massillon, Ohio. He grew up there and delivered papers with Luther Emery, the legendary Massillon sports writer. When Knute Rockne played for the pro Massillon Tigers (according to his biography in the College Football Hall Of Fame) Harry gained free entry into a pro Massillon Tiger game. While reaching for Rockne’s gear he asked, “Carry yer bag, Mr. Rockne?” Fate had drawn the two together and fate would bring them mutual immortality.
Harry (known as Hessie and Stuhlie) played for Coach John Snavely on the Tiger teams of 1917, 1918 and 1919. He was not a regular on the 1917 team, which ended with a 7-2 record and beat Canton McKinley, 7-6.
But that changed the following year. The 1918 team was 2-2-2. This was a unique season, when several games were canceled due to the Spanish Flu epidemic, including the one against the Canton McKinley game. In addition, the New Philadelphia game was forfeited when Coach Snavely pulled his players from the field because of what he believed was a biased ruling against the Tigers. Final score: New Philadephia 1, Massillon 0.
Paul Brown, Dave Stewart, Harry Stuhldreher
The 1919 team finished 8-1. Playing at a paltry 5′-5″ and weighing just 137 lbs., Harry started the first nine games. The Tigers beat McKinley that year 21-0, but he was held out due to an injured arm.
During his 3-year career at Massillon, Harry was described as a good, although not outstanding player. Unfortunately, Harry never got the chance to play in a Canton McKinley game.
In 1920 Harry moved to Pennsylvania where he played football for Kiski Prep and graduated in 1921. He was coached at Prep by future Massillon Head Coach Dave Stewart. It was Harry that recommended Coach Stewart to the Massillon administration for consideration as the coaching to succeed Elmer Snyder. Of course, Stewart (Paul Brown’s coach) went on to a very successful tenure with the Tigers.
NOTRE DAME
In college Harry played for Notre Dame’s legendary coach Knute Rockne in 1922, 1923 and 1924. Notre Dame’s record during his three years was 29-2-1 and his team captured the National Championship in 1924. “Stuhldreher was a self-assured leader who not only could throw accurately but also returned punts and proved a solid blocker. He was often labeled cocky, feisty and ambitious, but his field generalship was unmatched.”
Harry Stuhldreher – Notre Dame
Four games into his sophomore season, he beat out the older but slower Frank Thomas (future coach of Alabama). At that time players were not eligible for varsity competition until their sophomore year. Notre Dame finished 1922 with a record of 8-1-1. They tied Army 0-0 after winning the first 6 games the lost their season finale at Nebraska on Thanksgiving Day, 14 – 6.
Rockne once said of Harry Stuhldreher, “Harry made an error in his sophomore year. He never made another.”
As a junior his team recorded a record of 9-1, again losing to Nebraska late in the season. Harry would not lose another game at Notre Dame. In fact, Harry only lost to one team while at Notre Dame and that was Nebraska, in 1922 and 1923.
Luther Emery once wrote, “When Harry Stuhldreher was at Notre Dame the Massillon Tigers would start their summer practice before Notre Dame. “Stuhlie” would come down and work out with the Massillon team.”
As a senior Harry was one of the smallest quarterbacks in Notre Dame’s history, standing 5′-7” tall and weighing just 150 lbs. Notre Dame started the season 2-0 but it was after their rivalry game, a 13-7 win against Army at the Polo Grounds, that The Four Horsemen became immortalized. Notre Dame finished the season 10-0 with a season finale Rose Bowl victory over Stanford, 27-10 on New Year’s Day, January 1, 1925. Notre Dame was proclaimed National Champions by 10 poling/foundations/associations of the day. This would be Notre Dame’s last bowl appearance until the 1969 season. Harry had made All-American twice but this year he was voted Consensus First team All-American Quarterback.
Stuhldreher’s obituary reads, “The undefeated 1924 team went to the Rose Bowl and defeated Stanford 27-10. It was that year that Mr. Stuhldreher was selected virtually unanimously as All-American quarterback”
“Even as a freshman, Harry had the most promise of the Four Horsemen. He sounded the leader on the field.” — Knute Rockne
Don Miller, Harry’s roommate and member of the Four Horsemen said, “Harry was the greatest quarterback in the history of Notre Dame University … not only a great passer and blocker but also a great safety man on defense.”
Harry Stuhldreher will always be associated with the “Hail Mary” desperation touchdown pass. Jim Crowley, a member of the Four Horsemen, used this story in many of his speeches. “During a tense game against Georgia Tech, Fighting Irish lineman Noble Kizer (member of the Seven Mules) suggested a Hail Mary prayer. Shortly thereafter, Stuhldreher threw a touchdown pass on fourth down. After the game, Kizer said, “That Hail Mary is the best play we’ve got.”
PROFESSIONAL
September 16, 1925 Stuhldreher had offers to play for three pro teams in the Connecticut area, but signed a contract to play for the Providence Steam Roller in the team’s inaugural NFL season. The Steam Roller had a non-league game on September 20th, annihilating West Point Artillery club 127-0. Stuhldreher played in that game, but he jumped teams when his demand for a salary increase was refused. He immediately signed with the Waterbury/Hartford Blues for $7,500 plus a $500 bonus. On October 11, Jim Crowley, another member of the Four Horsemen, signed and joined Stuhldreher against Adams, Massachusetts.
Crowley scored three touchdowns and Stuhldreher booted two field goals and three extra points. Crowley picked up his check after the game and said adios to the Blues. On Sunday December 13 all Four Horsemen were signed (for a speculated cost of $5000 for one game) to play the Cleveland Bulldogs in their last game of the season. The Bulldogs prevailed 13-6 and the Blues ended the season 10-2
In 1926 the Brooklyn pro team of the American Football League (AFL) was named “Horsemen” after the signing of Harry Stuhldreher and Elmer Layden, two of Notre Dame’s Four Horsemen. The team’s first game was decided by a 60-yard pass from Stuhldreher to Ed Harrison. Unfortunately, that was their only offensive highlight and their only win. The Horsemen ended with a 1-3 record, playing their last game on November 7, 1926, with a 21-13 loss to the New York Yankees. They then merged with the NFL’s Brooklyn Lions to complete the season. The local media dubbed the team the “Horse-Lions.”
On November 14, 1926, and playing for the Brooklyn Lions, Harry finally got his win against the Canton Bulldogs, winning 19-0. Notable players on the Bulldog team included Washington High School’s own Ben Roderick and Canton’s greatest player Jim Thorpe.
VILLANOVA
Harry Stuhldreher was named head football coach of Villanova in 1925 and found immediate success, being tabbed, “The Man who brought horsepower to Villanova Football.”
Villanova’s president, Father Hickey, asked, “How can we bring that winning Notre Dame spirit to Villanova?” The answer was to bring on a 23 year old, a three-time All-American from Notre Dame to be the 17th head coach of Villanova.
In his 11 years (1925-1935) as head coach, his teams were 65-25-9, with an undefeated season in 1928 at 7-0-1. He had only one losing season. His winning percentage of .722 remains the highest among all Villanova head coaches with at least a 2-year tenure. And his 65 victories were more than Villanova’s first 12 coaches accumulated in 31 seasons.
Coach Harry was instrumental in picking his replacement before moving on. His choice was Maurice J. “Clipper” Smith, a Notre Dame 1920 graduate and lineman coached by Knute Rockne. “Clipper” coached eight years at Villanova. Beginning late in his first year his teams had a record of 25-2-2, sixteen shutouts and was undefeated in 1937.
Outgoing Villanova Coach Harry and Replacement Clipper Smith
WISCONSIN
In 1936 Harry Stuhldreher was hired as the 19th head football coach for Wisconsin, which the Wisconsin State Journal called, a “Coaches Graveyard.” “The little man with the big job.” Harry responded, “Gentlemen, I’ve bought a one-way ticket from Philadelphia. I plan to stay here for a long time.”
Harry served in a dual role as Director of Athletics (1936-1950) and Head Football Coach (1936-1948). In 13 seasons his teams posted a 45-62-6 record. This gives him a career record of 110-87-15 in 24 seasons.
1941 – Wisconsin played at Ohio State and first year coach Paul Brown. Ohio State prevailed 46-34. The Wisconsin band did not travel to this game and it was Harry Stuhldreher, not Paul Brown, who invited the Massillon Tiger Swing Band to perform at halftime (the band’s first appearance at Ohio State) under the direction of George “Red” Bird. George “Red” Bird would later become the Cincinnati Bengals Entertainment Director for Paul Brown.
1942 – Wisconsin finished 3rd in the Nation in the final AP poll with an 8-1-1 record and 2nd in the Big Ten at 4-1. They tied Notre Dame 7-7 and beat Paul Brown and Ohio State’s first National championship team by a score of 17-7, Wisconsin’s first ever win over a top-ranked team. This team featured All-Americans Dave Schreiner, Pat Harder and Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch.
1943 – Stuhldreher coached a college All-Star team to a 27-7 win over the Washington Redskins.
1947 – Wisconsin finished 3-2-1 in the Big Ten which placed them 2nd.
As Athletic director he developed a concept of “Athletics for All” and his leadership produced a well-rounded development of all sports and the accompanying facilities.
Harry Stuhldreher retired from football in 1950 after 33 “Hall of Fame” years as player, coach and executive.
RETIRED FROM FOOTBALL ??
After his years with Wisconsin he was known as Mr. Football. He was extremely involved and active while being so called “retired.”
This is a list of some of the activities in which he was involved:
Past President, American Football Coaches Association
Assistant to Vice President, U.S. Steel Corp.,1959 – 1965
He was past President or Director of
Junior Achievement of S.W. Pennsylvania, Inc.
Allegheny Council, Boy Scouts of America (Silver Beaver)
Boys Club of Pittsburgh
Kiski Preparatory
Pop Warner Midget Football Conference
He was principal speaker at the Canton Junior Achievement banquet in the spring of 1956
Harry Stuhldreher – 1964
Mr. Stuhldreher wrote the books, “Quarterback Play” and “Knute Rockne, Man Builder.” The latter was a source for the movie, “Knute Rockne, All American,” starring Ronald Reagan as George Gipp. He also wrote a short novel titled, “The Blocking Back.” Along with his books he was a regular contributor of articles for the Saturday Evening Post. His wife was also a writer and the couple had four sons.
In August 1962 Mr. Stuhldreher was master of ceremonies at ground-breaking ceremonies for the National Professional Football Hall of Fame. Then during Football’s Greatest Weekend in 1963, the charter class of 17 pro football greats were enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. During the ceremony, Mr. Stuhldreher made the formal presentation of Hall of Fame membership to ‘Slingin’ Sammy Baugh.’
Mr. Stuhldreher passed away at age 63 on January 26, 1965, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before his death, Harry told his family that he never really enjoyed the role of a ‘horseman.” “He hated horses, and he hated getting on that horse they always made him get on,” Harry Jr. recalled. He used to tell us he was always afraid he would fall off and get hurt or embarrass himself, and my dad did not like to be embarrassed.His son Michael said, “He loved Massillon as his home, and he was very, very proud of it ”
Harry Stuhldreher will be forever linked with Knute Rockne and Notre Dame. Towards the end of his life he made appearances with the other members of the famous Four Horsemen. One was in Massillon in 1963 and they visited the Massillon Tigers locker room prior to the Cleveland East game.
His wife once said, “Harry has become a football legend. No matter where he speaks or what he says, he is always remembered as the quarterback of the Four Horsemen.”
1963 – Four Horsemen: Elmer Layden, Jim Crowley, Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller
Mr. Stuhldreher’s Awards include
Walter Camp Consensus 1st Team All-American Quarterback, 1924
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, 1965
Staff Award for the American Football Coaches Association, 1965
Massillon, Ohio Washington High School Distinguished Citizen Award ,1994
Four Horsemen of Notre Dame $.32 U.S. Postage Stamp, issued 1998
Villanova Wall of Fame, 2002
Mr. Stuhldreher’s Hall of Fame Inductions include
Helms Foundation Hall of Fame
Notre Dame University Hall of Fame, 1958
National Football Foundation / College Football Hall of Fame at Rutgers University, 1958
Massillon, Ohio, Washington High School All-American Hall of Fame Charter Class Inductee, 1964
Madison, Wisconsin, Sports Hall of Fame ,1966
Wisconsin University Football Hall of Fame,1994
Massillon, Ohio, Washington High School Wall of Champions Charter Class Inductee, 1994
Stark County Ohio High School Football Hall of Fame Charter Member, 2002
Kiski Prep School, Saltsburg, PA. Sports Hall of Fame, 2015
Massillon, Ohio, Washington High School Tiger Hall of Fame, 2015
Wednesday – 7th Grade vs. Medina at Massillon Middle School, 5:00 pm
Wednesday – 8th Grade vs. Akron Ellet at Ellet High School, 5:00 pm
Thursday – Freshmen vs. Lakewood St. Edward at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 6:00 pm
Friday – Varsity vs. East St. Louis, IL, at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 7:30 pm
Saturday – Junior Varsity vs. Lakewood St. Edward at St. Edward, 10:00 am
Tre’von Morgan (wide receiver / outside linebacker) and Aidan Longwell (quartertback) were the guest co-captains.
“It’s really good to be 6-0,” said Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore, reflecting back on the 42-14 victory over Austintown Fitch.. “Our kids played hard again. We overcame adversity.” The Tigers held a slim 21-14 lead entering the fourth quarter, but exploded for 21 unanswered points. “It was good to pull away in the fourth quarter,” said Moore. “Our preparation and our strength and conditioning was a big part.”
The guest assistant coach was Dan Studer. “It’s been a real blessing to come back home,” he said. “It’s where I’m supposed to be. It’s a dream come true.” Studer spoke extensively about the weight room and the strength program. The middle school also has excellent facilities and it’s where the initial techniques are taught. But the real weight training begins in the freshman year at the high school, where the focus is on football conditioning and other aspects based on the position played. Studer encouraged all Tiger fans to pay a visit to the newly remodeled weight room.
Following films, Coach Moore gave a scouting report on this week’s opponent, East St. Louis from Illinois. He emphasized that every player was good and the team plays well, noting that this will be Massillon’s biggest test to date. The Flyers come into Tigertown with a 5-1 record, having lost 52-38 to undefeated King High School from Michigan in the season opener.
Offensively, the Flyers run a “college-like offense” and average 49 points a game. It’s very basic, but executed extremely well. Last week, East St. Louis rolled up 762 total yards in a 57-33 victory over previously undefeated Belleville West. They are very good at the skill positions and have tremendous speed.
The leader of the offense is Quarterback Tyler Macon (6′-0″, 180 lbs.). Although just a sophomore, he plays above his age and has a very live arm, with over 1,000 yards passing so far this year. He is also heavily used as a rusher, having gained 635 yards. Expect his number to be called often.
The primary wide receivers are junior Antonio Johnson (6′-3″, 170 lbs.) and junior Lawaun Powell, Jr. (6′-1″, 175 lbs.). Johnson is a 4-star recruit with college offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky and Virginia Tech. Powell is a 3-star recruit and has offers from Kentucky and Virginia Tech. Not to be overlooked is sophomore Kaentez Lewis (6′-2″, 170 lbs.), who is being recruited by Southern Illinois.
Alternating at the running back position are junior DaMonta Witherspoon (5′-11″, 190 lbs.) and Treven Swingler (6′-1″, 190 lbs.). Both are very effective.
The offensive line averages 6′-3″, 284 lbs. Both senior tackles are being recruited: Demond Taylor (6′-3″, 275 lbs.) by Northern Illinois and Darrell Simmons, Jr.(6′-4″, 290 lbs.), a 3-star, by Iowa State.
Defensively, the Flyers start six of their offensive starters. Moore noted that they are not as effective execution-wise on defensive as they are on offense, having surrendered 24 points a game. The defensive backs will line up in man-to-man coverage, sometimes with a safety over the top (sometimes with the safety on the back side of the defensive line). That allows them to commit the remaining defenders to the run, similar to Austintown Fitch.
The best player is senior inside linebacker Cameroon Clay (6′-3″, 200 lbs.), who has been offered by Southern Illinois. Moore said he is big and very good. The two heavily recruited wide receivers line up in the secondary. The defensive line is a 3-front, averaging 6′-2″, 263 lbs.
While the offense is outstanding and the defense is decent, the special teams are very poor, similar to a good Cleveland Glenville team.
“It’s a tremendous challenge for our football team.,” said Moore. “We’re looking forward to it.”
MASSILLON Massillon long ago learned to never take an Austintown Fitch team lightly. That’s especially true when the Tigers are carrying around an undefeated record.
So, as the two long-time combatants met Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, Massillon didn’t necessarily expect to see its run of lopsided routs continue. The only thing that mattered was continuing the Tigers season-opening win streak.
The Tigers would end up keeping their winning ways going, but it wouldn’t necessarily be easy. They scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull away for a 42-14 win over the Falcons.
“Our kids fought hard,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said after his team improved to 6-0, the school’s best start since 2013. “It was good to see us go the distance in a ballgame and win it in the fourth quarter.”
The Tigers, whose closest game in the fourth quarter previous to Friday was a 37-21 lead over Warren Harding in Week 3, would only lead 21-14 going into the fourth quarter. Massillon would score on three of its final four possessions, while the Falcons went three-and-out on each of their three drives in the fourth.
Massillon held a 151-5 edge in fourth-quarter yardage.
“I just told them I was proud of the way they fought,” said Fitch coach Phil Annarella, whose team is now 4-2. “We played extremely hard; we didn’t play well at times. Sometimes, a 5-(foot-)7 kid can’t cover a 6-5 kid or whatever he is.”
Much of the focus coming in was on Tiger running back Jamir Thomas’ assault on the school’s record books. Thomas came in just 190 yards behind Art Hasting’s career rushing mark, and four rushing touchdowns behind Bob Glass’ record.
For the first half, Thomas couldn’t find the room to run, with just 28 first-half yards on seven carries. That didn’t necessarily hurt Massillon in opening up a 21-7 halftime lead, thanks to big plays in the passing game.
Aidan Longwell threw three first-half touchdown passes, including two to sophomore Jayden Ballard. Tre’Von Morgan added an 18-yard scoring catch which put the Tigers ahead 7-0 on their first possession of the game.
Longwell hit Ballard, then, on a 58-yard touchdown pass on the first play of their second possession to make it 14-0 Massillon. Ballard added a 66-yard touchdown catch to make it 21-7 Tiger in the second quarter.
Longwell finished 13-of-20 for 263 yards and four touchdowns. He and Ballard would hook up for a third score with 11:17 remaining, a 13-yarder to make it 28-14.
The Tiger passing game had its share of issues in the second half, as Fitch was able to mix up its pressures up front. That’s where the Tiger running game, specifically Thomas, came to the rescue.
Thomas would help Massillon open up its first three-score edge of the night when he took off for a 32-yard touchdown run with 8:59 remaining. That put the Tigers in front 35-14.
Thomas finished with 105 yards on 18 carries.
The Tigers once again struggled with ill-timed penalties, with six flags for 56 yards. They also had a second-half interception.
“We had to overcome a fair amount of adversity tonight,” Moore said. “It was good to see our guys respond.”
However, Fitch also has its own hand in making things interesting. That’s especially true when quarterback Dom Montalbano’s second short scoring run, a 1-yarder, pulled the Falcons within 21-14 with 5:48 remaining in the third quarter.
Fitch made its presence known on the very first play from scrimmage, as Roddell Bebbs raced 21 yards into Massillon territory to the Tiger 44. The Falcons would eventually move as far as the 33, only to be turned away on a fourth-and-11 stop by Massillon.
That would be one of three first-half possessions by Fitch to reach Tiger territory. However, only one would actually do scoreboard damage, as Montalbano’s 3-yard touchdown run with 6:56 remaining in the first half pulled the Falcons to within 14-7.
Fitch had 165 total yards at halftime, 58 on a Bobby Cavalier-to-Reuben Talley pass which set up Montalbano’s scoring run. That total was more than the full-game outputs of three of Massillon’s first five opponents.
Tuesday – 7th Grade vs. Orrville at Massillon Middle School, 6:30 pm
Wednesday – 8th Grade vs. Austintown at Massillon Middle School, 5:30 pm
Thursday – Freshmen vs. Austintown at Austintown, 6:00 pm
Friday – Varsity vs. Austintown Fitch at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 7:30 pm
Saturday – Junior Varsity vs. Austintown Fitch at Austintown, 11:00 pm
Justin Gaddis (center), Deon Williams (offensive/defensive lineman) and Aidan Longwell (quartertback) were the guest co-captains. Dave Weber (tight ends/fullbacks) was the guest assistant coach.
Reflecting back on the Tigers’ 42-0 victory last week over Akron Firestone, Head Coach Moore said, “I’m proud of the guys. We took care of business. But we will move on quickly. We have a good opponent coming up this week. They are always physical. They always have something different for us. We had a good practice today. The kids practiced hard.”
This week’s opponent is Austintown Fitch. Their scores so far this season:
Hudson (1-4) W 20-9
Erie, PA (1-4) W 15-8
Shaker Heights (4-1) W 16-6
Warren Harding (3-2) L 14-49
Youngstown East (3-2) W 13-0
The Falcons will utilize two quarterbacks out of the spread offense: senior Bobby Cavalier (6′-1″, 166) and senior Dom Montalbano (6’0″, 175). Both will run and pass in the offensive scheme, although one is the better passer while the other is the better runner. The running back is junior C.J. Woodberry (5’8″, 161), who Moore says is adequate for the position. But he real threat is the speedy senor receiver/cornerback Ralph Fitzgerald (5’9″, 165), who is fast enough to have outrun the entire Warren Harding secondary. He is the one person who could break the big play. Their best lineman is tight end #76 Tom Leskovac (6’3″, 242). But he is usually covered up by a wide receiver in an unbalanced set and not expected in a pass receiver role. The line averages 5’11”, 238 lbs. Three returning starters on offense
Defensively, Fitch may come out in just about anything, so the Tigers will need to adjust on the fly. The defensive line is very active, with two players at 283 lbs. and 301 lbs. The other two are smallish. The linebacking corps is a strength and the secondary has good quickness with solid players at the corners. Three returning starters on defense.
Massillon’s JV Squad ran its record to 4-0 with a 49-0 whitewashing of an overmanned Akron Firestone eleven last Saturday. Once again, a running clock was utilized throughout the second half, only this one was stopped by the coaches with just under six minutes remaining because, well, what’s the point. This Saturday the JVs travel to Austintown Fitch for an 11:00 am matchup.
Touchdown scoring:
Heath Manson 20 yd. pass from Zach Catrone
Daymiere Adams 20 yd. pass from Catrone
Xavier McElroy 9 yd. run
Darien Williams 40 yd. interception return
Catrone 1 yd. run
TJ Williams 14 yd. pass from Catrone
Jarron Hodges fumble recovery
Magnus Haines was 7 of 7 on extra points. In addition, Daymiere Adams intercepted a pass and Jerron Hodges added a fumble recovery.
Methodical Massillon moves to 5-0 with rout of Firestone
Sep 21, 2018 10:18 PM MASSILLON There was a lot of words Massillon coach Nate Moore could’ve conjured up to describe his team’s 42-0 win over Firestone on Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
So, how about the word “methodical” to describe the performance?
“I think that’s a fair way to put it,” Moore said after his team improved to 5-0 on the season.
Game Action vs. Firestone
Methodical would fit perfectly with the approach the Tigers used to take care of a winless Falcon team which had come into the game having scored only 12 points in the first four games combined. Massillon, save for a pair of fumbles, came out and scored on four of its five first-half possessions, then added a fifth score to open the second half.
The Tigers would lead 35-0 16 seconds into the third quarter. That gave Massillon its fourth consecutive running-clock game, and the third time in that span in which the rule was put into effect within one play of the second half starting.
“I thought we did a good job during the week,” Moore said. “I liked out preparation. We were OK today, sloppy in a couple of places. We’ve got to get them cleaned up because we’ve got a big one coming up next week (against visiting Austintown Fitch).”
Both teams seemed content to not rush into things throughout the game, even as Massillon was opening up a 28-0 halftime lead. Firestone, in particular, was methodical when it had the football.
Despite the fact the Falcons only had four first-half first downs, and only two true drives in that span, they still owned a 15:51-8:09 edge in time of possession at the intermission. Even when Firestone set itself up with a first-and-goal from the Tiger 10 after a 63-yard quarterback keeper by George Rozier, its deliberate approach – and lack of timeouts – let the clock run out after a third-down run.
Rozier’s run accounted for 55 percent of the 114 first-half yards Firestone gained. The Falcons finished with 130 yards for the game.
“We kind of knew before the game started that it was going to be a very difficult task,” Firestone coach Eric Mitchell said. “(Massillon’s) a very good football team. They’re a disciplined football team. They’ve got players at every level: Skill, line, quarterback. Our game plan was to come in and try to shorten the game and run the ball a little bit and try to have some success with the short passing game and hopefully keep their offense off the field.”
Game action vs. Akron Firestone
The methodical approach by Firestone was countered by a Massillon offensive attack which was more than happy to play ground-and-pound. That was especially true with the Tigers short-handed due to a handful of players sidelined for a variety of reasons, including some team-discipline related.
“We had guys out because of injury and we had guys out tonight because of program expectations,” Moore said.
Massillon ran the ball 23 times – one of which was a quarterback scramble – out of its 32 first-half plays. Those 23, however, still accounted for 172 net yards and all four first-half scores.
The Tigers would finish with 282 rushing yards on 37 attempts. They had 365 total yards on 48 plays for the game.
Jamir Thomas was the primary beneficiary of the run-first approach, as he topped the 100-yard plateau for the fifth game in a row by halftime. Thomas, who had 107 yards and two touchdowns on 10 first-half carries, finished with 110 yards and three scores for the game.
That total gives him 2,900 yards and 43 rushing touchdowns for his career. That leaves him 190 yards behind Art Hasting’s school-record 3,090 yards, and four scores behind Bob Glass’ record 47 rushing touchdowns.
Thomas’s scoring runs of 11 and 21 yards on the first two Tiger drives staked Massillon to a 14-0 lead with 3:42 remaining in the first quarter. His third scoring run, a 3-yarder on the first play of the third quarter, made it 35-0 Massillon.
Marcellus Blake and Zion Phifer also had first-half scores for Massillon. Blake’s 1-yard run made it 21-0 Tigers with :51 left in the first quarter, while Phifer added a 3-yard scoring burst with 3:29 left in the half for a 28-0 lead.
Jean-Luc Beasley added a fourth-quarter touchdown for Massillon.
The Modern-Era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019 is comprised of 102 players and coaches. Among the group announced are four first-year eligible players including tight end Tony Gonzalez, linebacker London Fletcher, cornerback Champ Bailey and safety Ed Reed.
The roster of nominees consists of 47 offensive players, 39 defensive players, five special teams players and 11 coaches. The Modern-Era nominees will be reduced to 25 semifinalists in November and, from there, to 15 finalists in January.
MODERN-ERA NOMINEES FOR THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2019
*Finalist in 2018; Underline indicates first year of eligibility (Players and coaches must have last played or coached at least five full seasons to be eligible for nomination. Therefore, any individual who last played or coached in 2013 are eligible for the first time in 2019).
QUARTERBACKS
(5) – Randall Cunningham, Dave Krieg, Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, Steve McNair
RUNNING BACKS
(14) — Shaun Alexander, Tiki Barber, Earnest Byner, Larry Centers, Corey Dillon, Eddie George, *Edgerrin James, Darryl Johnston, Eric Metcalf (WR/KR/PR), Clinton Portis, Fred Taylor, Herschel Walker (also KR), Chris Warren, Ricky Watters
WIDE RECEIVERS
(9) — *Isaac Bruce, Gary Clark, Henry Ellard (also PR), Torry Holt, Chad Johnson, Derrick Mason, Sterling Sharpe, Rod Smith, Hines Ward
TIGHT ENDS
(4) — Mark Bavaro, Tony Gonzalez, Brent Jones, Jay Novacek
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
(15) — Willie Anderson (T), *Tony Boselli (T), Lomas Brown (T), Ray Donaldson (C), *Alan Faneca (G), Chris Hinton (G/T), Kent Hull (C), *Steve Hutchinson (G), Mike Kenn (T), Olin Kreutz (C), *Kevin Mawae (C/G), Tom Nalen (C), Chris Samuels (T), Richmond Webb (T), Steve Wisniewski (G)
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
(7) — La’Roi Glover (DT/NT), Russell Maryland (DT), Leslie O’Neal (DE), Simeon Rice (DE), Richard Seymour (DT), Neil Smith (DE), Bryant Young (DT)
LINEBACKERS
(14) — Carl Banks, Cornelius Bennett, Tedy Bruschi, London Fletcher, Seth Joyner, Wilber Marshall, Clay Matthews, Willie McGinest (also DE), Karl Mecklenburg, Sam Mills, Chris Spielman, Takeo Spikes, Darryl Talley, Zach Thomas
DEFENSIVE BACKS
(18) — Eric Allen (CB), Steve Atwater (S), Champ Bailey (CB), Ronde Barber (CB/S), Bill Bates (S), LeRoy Butler (S), Nick Collins (S), Thomas Everett (S), Rodney Harrison (S), *Ty Law (CB), Albert Lewis (CB), *John Lynch (S), Tim McDonald (S), Ed Reed (FS), Dennis Smith (S), Troy Vincent (CB), Adrian Wilson (S), Darren Woodson (S)
PUNTERS/KICKER
(3) — Jason Elam (K), Jeff Feagles (P), Sean Landeta (P)
SPECIAL TEAMS
(2) — Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB), Steve Tasker (ST also WR)
COACHES
(11) — Don Coryell, Bill Cowher, Tom Flores, Jim Hanifan, Mike Holmgren, Jimmy Johnson, Richie Petitbon, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, Clark Shaughnessy, Dick Vermeil
Eighteen finalists will be presented to the full 48-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee during its annual meeting on “Selection Saturday,” the day before Super Bowl LIII. The finalists will consist of 15 Modern-Era finalists, the recently named Senior Finalist, Johnny Robinson, and the Contributor Finalists, Pat Bowlen andGil Brandt.
The Selection Committee will meet on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019 in Atlanta, Ga. to elect the Class of 2019. While there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the selection process by-laws provide that between four and eight new members will be selected.
The Senior Finalist and Contributor Finalists are voted “yes” or “no” for election at the annual selection meeting and must receive at least 80 percent support from the Committee to be elected. The Modern-Era Finalists will be trimmed during the meeting from 15 to 10 and then from 10 to 5. The remaining five finalists will be voted on individually, “yes” or “no” and must receive the same 80 percent positive vote as the Senior and Contributors Finalists to earn election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Class of 2019 will be announced during the “NFL Honors” nationally broadcast award show that evening.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019 will be formally enshrined on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019 in Canton. The enshrinement is one of three marquee events, along with the Hall of Fame Game and the Concert for Legends, that are held in the spectacular Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium during Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls.
FAN VOTE
For the eighth consecutive year, fans can vote for their favorite Pro Football Hall of Fame nominees. Fans should visit www.nfl.com/hofvote to make their picks. The Class of 2019 fan vote is presented by Ford, the Official Automobile of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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