2017: Massillon 16, Canton McKinley 15

October 28, 2017October 29, 2017
by Eric Smith

Massillon rallies to take out archrival McKinley
Oct 28, 2017 5:54 PM

CANTON The last time Massillon played archrival McKinley, in the last game at Fawcett Stadium, it saw its heart ripped out by a late Bulldog score. The first time the Tigers played in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, their archrivals’ sparkling new home, they weren’t about to allow lightning to strike twice.

Massillon emerged from the 128th meeting against McKinley with a 16-15 victory which wasn’t completely secured until Sam Snyder’s 45-yard field goal with 90 seconds remaining was pushed wide left.

“It was swinging back and forth, back and forth,” said Massillon running back Jamir Thomas, who rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown on 42 carries. “It was a hard-fought game, really. They’re a really good team; they’re top-10 in the state in Division I. Us coming in and beating them, that’s a good thing.”

The Tigers, who will take a 7-3 record into Friday’s Division II Region 7 quarterfinal against Boardman at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, took the lead for good on Tre’Von Morgan’s 8-yard touchdown catch – and Klay Moll’s point-after kick – with 6:02 remaining. For both Morgan and Moll, there was a bit of redemption.

Morgan dropped a sure touchdown catch on Massillon’s first possession of the second half, which would have extended its 9-7 halftime lead. Moll, meanwhile, suffered his first missed PAT kick of his career after the Thomas’ 2-yard run in the second quarter put the Tigers in front.

Morgan, though, atoned on the go-ahead drive with a 52-yard catch-and-run to the McKinley 25, then with the touchdown which tied the game at 15-15. Moll, then, gave Massillon the lead with the point-after kick.

“It’s was very big,” said Morgan, who had a team-high 77 yards on four catches. “I dropped one in the end zone, and they just kept telling me to keep playing. So I kept playing.”

One part of Massillon’s team which kept playing the entire game was its defense, which never allowed McKinley’s high-octane offense to get into a consistent groove. The Bulldogs did gain 267 total yards to the Tigers’ 248, but the explosive plays weren’t there.

The biggest play for McKinley was a 40-yard run by Javon Lewis to the Massillon 31 on the final Bulldogs drive of the game. However, that drive netted just three yards before Snyder’s field-goal try.

“A lot of it was heart,” Massillon linebacker Logan Anania said. “It was just who wanted it more. I feel like we did.”

McKinley’s two scoring drives accounted for 127 of the 267 yards. The first, a 55-yard march, put the Bulldogs in front 7-0 with 8:13 left in the first quarter on Keyshawn Watson’s 13-yard touchdown run.

The second, a 72-yard drive, ended on a Josh Chandler 1-yard run with 9:15 remaining. Sio Saipaia ran in the two-point conversion on a counter play for a 15-9 McKinley lead.

Chandler, playing just his second game after missing four with an injury, ran for a team-high 107 yards on 18 carries for McKinley. Watson, the former Tiger playing in his second game for the Bulldogs, was limited to just 32 yards, while also having a kickoff return for a touchdown negated by a hold and then muffing a punt.

McKinley rushed for 242 yards as a team on 38 attempts.

“We felt we were able to run the ball on them,” said McKinley coach Dan Reardon, whose team enters the playoffs at 8-2. “And we really did a good job. I don’t know what the yardage was, but we felt like our ability to run the ball never wavered. (But) we put ourselves in some long yardage situations with some penalties.”

If there was an Achilles’ heel for McKinley all day, beyond the Tiger defense, it was those penalties. The Bulldogs were flagged 13 times for 110 yards, including nine for 65 in the first half alone.

“Cost us the game,” Reardon said of the flags.

One negated Watson’s kickoff return for a score immediately after Massillon went ahead 9-7. The Bulldogs also help set up the Tigers’ first touchdown when it was flagged for holding on the kickoff, then hit for a hold and a false start to force them to put from their own 10.

A 30-yard punt by McKinley put Massillon on the Bulldog 40. Seven plays later, the Tigers scored on Thomas’ 2-yard run for their first lead of the day.

It wouldn’t last the remainder of the game. However, Massillon would still have the last lead of the game.

GAME STATS

Redemption story: Morgan’s TD catch keys Massillon win against McKinley
Oct 28, 2017 6:30 PM

CANTON Redemption is available in high school football.

Seizing it is another matter entirely.

Massillon’s Tre’Von Morgan snatched his Saturday afternoon. McKinley’s Sam Snyder came painfully close to grabbing his own.

Morgan’s 8-yard touchdown reception and Klay Moll’s ensuing extra point midway through the fourth quarter rallied Massillon to a 16-15 win against McKinley at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in the 128th edition of this rivalry.

A crowd of approximately 14,000 braved wet, cold conditions to christen Benson Stadium in a matchup that dates back to 1894.

Saturday wasn’t a masterpiece, but as is usually the case it was close at the end, with the game being decided by two points or less for a third straight year.

Junior Jamir Thomas, who two years ago had McKinley’s Dominque Robinson flip over him for the winning score and last year helped bleed out the clock in a Massillon win, called the feeling “incredible” after the Tigers beat the Bulldogs for the sixth time in the last seven meetings and improved to 70-53-5 in the series.

No one would have been surprised if he had described the feeling as “dead tired,” considering he carried the ball a season-high 42 times for 124 yards and a touchdown Saturday.

“I feel good. I feel real good,” said Thomas, a Canton native, who waved good-bye at the McKinley stands after the game. “We lift and prepare for this and we come out here and wear teams down. That’s our motto and that’s just what we do.”

Morgan, a 6-foot-6 junior, dropped what would have been a 29-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter. That would have put the Tigers up two scores. They eventually turned the ball over on downs, and then found themselves trailing early in the fourth quarter when McKinley’s Josh Chandler scored on a 1-yard touchdown run.

“They just told me to keep playing,” Morgan said about his teammates, “so I kept playing.”

Good thing.

With Massillon down 15-9, it was Morgan’s 47-yard catch and run that flipped the field. The Tigers eventually faced a fourth-and-3 from the McKinley 8. After a timeout, sophomore quarterback Aidan Longwell found Morgan wide open on a fade route for the score with 6:02 left.

Moll, who missed a point-after try earlier in the game for the first time in his career, knocked this one through to give the Tigers the 16-15 lead.

“Roll the dice. Big game,” Massillon head coach Nate Moore said about his decision. “We thought about playing for field goal-field goal, but how often do you get that close with a chance like that? We took a chance and the kids executed.”

Morgan finished with four catches for 77 yards, while Austin Kutscher added six catches for 37 yards. Longwell, who had been knocked out of the game briefly in the first half with a leg injury, returned to complete 11 of 17 passes for 121 yards, the one TD and no interceptions.

“That shows a lot of guts,” Moore said about Longwell.

McKinley got two shots after Morgan’s touchdown.

The first one was short-circuited by a penalty — a theme throughout the day for the Bulldogs.

The second one had life when Javon Lewis broke loose on a 40-yard run.

McKinley eventually faced a fourth-and-7 from Massillon’s 28 with 1:30 left. After a timeout, Bulldogs head coach Dan Reardon elected to have Snyder, his senior kicker, try a 45-yard field goal for the lead.

It was Snyder who missed from 37 yards last year in the fourth quarter against Massillon with his team down 21-19.

“I felt good about Sam kicking it,” Reardon said about Saturday. “A bunch of kids said, ‘Yeah, give him a chance. He’ll make this kick.’ And we went with it. He felt good about it.”

But Snyder’s attempt sailed just to the left of the uprights. Massillon ran out the clock from there.

Massillon dominated the time of possession 31:00 to 17:00 thanks in part to its running game with Thomas and clutch play on third down (9 of 17), but also because the Bulldogs couldn’t get out of their own way.

McKinley was penalized 13 times (which matched a season high) for 101 yards. A holding penalty in the first half negated Keyshawn Watson’s 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and the flags plagued the Bulldogs throughout.

“Cost us the game,” Reardon said, the disappointment seeping out of him.

McKinley (8-2), which has lost two straight after starting 8-0, did not look like the No. 8-ranked team in the state in Division I. Junior QB Alijah Curtis completed only three passes for 24 yards and was intercepted once. Watson muffed a punt.

Chandler, in his second game back after missing four straight because of a knee injury, carried 18 times for 107 yards. Watson, the former Massillon player, had a 13-yard touchdown run on the game’s opening drive. McKinley finished with 242 yards on the ground.

Both McKinley and Massillon had clinched playoff spots entering Saturday. The Tigers (7-3) will host Boardman next week in the first round of the Division II, Region 7 playoffs, according to JoeEitel.com’s projections. Official pairings will be announced Sunday by the OHSAA.

McKinley could have earned a home game in Week 11 by beating Massillon. Now the Bulldogs will go on the road to either Cleveland St. Ignatius or Lakewood St. Edward next week.

SCALZO: In gritty game, Tigers ride workhorse to victory

Joe Scalzo – Canton Repository
CANTON The upset was complete, the victory bell was ringing, the party was starting, but before he joined his teammates, the Tiger at the end of the postgame handshake line wanted to leave a parting message for his arch-rivals.

So Massillon junior Jamir Thomas jogged over to the nearly-empty home stands at Tom Benson Hall of Fame stadium, formed a “W” with his hands and waved goodbye.

Two years after McKinley quarterback Dominique Robinson dove over Thomas’ body and into the end zone in the final game at the former Fawcett Stadium, Thomas was leaving Canton’s iconic field in a much better mood.

“This definitely feels better,” he said moments after singing the alma mater with his teammates in front of Massillon’s student section following the 16-15 victory. “Two years ago, him (Robinson) diving in the end zone really killed everything, especially coming in the last moments of the game.

“This year, we were able to run the ball, control the line of scrimmage and control the game clock. We came out here to win, and that’s what we did.”

In a game that had all the beauty of a construction site, the 6-foot-1, 212-pound Thomas repeatedly pounded away at the inside of the McKinley defense, chipping paint off his helmet and precious seconds off the clock, 3.0 yards at a time.

He carried the ball 42 times for 124 yards — exactly half of the Tigers’ total offensive output — as Massillon controlled the ball for 31 of the game’s 48 minutes.

It was the type of game only Jim Tressel (or Mike Fratello) would love, but it was the type of game Massillon needed to play.

“We had a plan going in and we were able to see that through in a lot of ways,” said Tigers coach Nate Moore, who improved to 2-1 in the rivalry against McKinley coach Dan Reardon. “We felt it was important to help our defense out.”

At times, the Pups seemed to feel the same way. They were flagged 13 times for 101 yards. They muffed a punt. They made attempting a forward pass seem as risky as buying junk bonds.

It was all the more mystifying considering this is a team that has more seniors than the Hartville Kitchen at lunchtime.

Massillon, meanwhile, was supposed to be a year away from contention after graduating four FBS recruits, a two-year starter at quarterback and its most dynamic wide receiver. But the Tigers’ young team kept getting better, while the Bulldogs’ experienced team — one that looked like state championship contenders just a few weeks ago — seems to have stalled.

“That team is good and we were definitely the underdogs,” Thomas said. “But in this game, it really doesn’t matter. You can be 0-9. Anybody can win.”

McKinley still finishes the regular season with an 8-2 record. It still has a share of the Federal League title. It still has its third straight playoff berth. But all that seems empty as the Pups stumble into the postseason for the second straight year.

Instead of hosting a first-round playoff game, the Bulldogs will likely travel north to play one of Cleveland’s two Catholic powerhouses. If they win, the other one likely awaits.

Anyone like those odds?

Massillon, meanwhile, benefits from playing in Division II, Region 7, the same region Perry rolled through over the past two years en route to back-to-back state championship game appearances. With the Panthers stuck in Division I and no frightening foe looming in the first three rounds, does anyone think the Tigers can’t do the same?

But all that can wait. The playoffs should never overshadow high school football’s biggest rivalry. Saturday’s game may not have been an instant classic — more like a distant throwback — but it was everything the city’s fans come to expect.

Meaningful. Emotional. Consequential.

Oh, and physical. Boy, was it physical.

“A lot of it was heart,” Tigers linebacker Logan Anania said. “It was just who wanted it more.

“We feel like we did.”

Booster Club

Sideliners honor longtime supporter Dick Bordner

October 27, 2017
by Eric Smith

The Sideliner program celebrates the 60th anniversary in 2017. The Sideliners were organized in 1957 during the final season of Coach Lee Tressel. His concept was to create a group of Massillon supporters that could act as “Big Brothers” for the varsity players. Serving as personal mentors, the members became accessible to the players throughout the season for help in resolving any personal problems that they might have. In many cases, these associations evolved into long-term relationships.

Dick Bordner was among that inaugural group of men chosen to mentor young Tigers. For 60 years Dick Bordner has been a part of the Sideliner tradition. While not assigned a player every year, he remained a true supporter of the great program Lee Tressel organized. Truly touched by the honor of recognition Bordner teared up while thanking everyone for allowing him to be part of the Massillon tradition. Dick spoke briefly of the many players he mentored over the years with apologies for not being able to name everyone.

We are grateful and honored to recognize Dick Bordner for his contributions to the Sideliner Program.

Thank you Dick! Go Tigers!

Editorial

The Website Corner – Week 9

October 25, 2017October 26, 2017
by Don Engelhardt

Each week, the staff of massillontigers.com will provide input of their choice related to the current season or Massillon football in general.

Massillon will face Canton McKinley this week in the 128th renewal of this longstanding rivalry. The Bulldogs enter the contest with an 8-1 record, owning signature wins over Hudson (6-3) 39-27 and Jackson (7-2) 35-23. Their lone loss came last week to Perry (8-1) 28-20. Both teams faced Warren Harding and Canton GlenOak, with each wininng both games.

Offensively, McKinley will run the spread, utilizing a read-pass option; i.e., choosing to either run or pass depending on how many defenders are in the box. The feature back is speedy Javon Lewis, a 5’6″, 162 lb. senior, who has scored eight TDs and rushed for 633 yards, at 5.6 yards per carry. But he was replaced for the most part against Perry by former Tiger player Keishan Watson, who recently became eligible following academic and transfer suspensions. Quarterback duties fall to 5’9″, 172 lb. junior Alijah Curtis. He has completed 68% of his passes for 1,647 yards, while throwing nearly 20 passes per game. The primary receiver is Prayer Wise, a 5’7″, 144 lb. senior. Wise has 53 catches for 641 yards and seven touchdowns. Most of the passes have been either tag screens or deep balls. With this offensive scheme, the Bulldogs force defenses to defend the entire width of the field.

On defense, McKInley has very few weak links, according to Massillon Coach Nate Moore. They are pretty good everywhere. Senior laden with very good speed. The main cog in the defense is 6’0″, 218 lb. linebacker Josh Chandler, a transfer from GlenOak, who has been hobbled over the last month with a leg injury. Also, keep an eye on junior defensive tackle Micha Clemson, a 5’11”, 198 lb. junior. Moore stated that he is one of the best defensive lineman the coaches have seen this year. Look for the Bulldogs to line up balanced against the Tigers, mimicking that of Akron St. Vincent, allowing their superior athletes to make the plays. Don’t expect a lot of blitzing. Massillon will need to run the ball effectively and be efficient in the passing game to have success in this area.

McKinley has very good special teams. Watch for some rugby punts throughout the game. The Tigers will need to cover and tackle well due to the speed the Bulldogs have at the return positions. — DE

With one week remaining in the regular season, there are still 13 teams in contention for the Top eight spots. Four spots are spoken for, while the remaining are up for grabs. Ironically, as many as nine of these teams are expected to lose this week, which should make for an interesting Friday evening of score chasing. Here is a rundown on each team’s chance:

Columbus Walnut Ridge, Massillon and Columbus Mifflin – These teams are in, win or lose.
Ashland – Should beat Wooster to qualify. But if not, it will be dicey.
Boardman and New Albany – Both are expected to win and will qualify, barring a couple upsets.
Dublin Scioto, Columbus Whitehall-Yearling, Westerville South and Licking Heights – Each team is expected to lose and be eliminated from contention. However, an upset a top spot.
North Canton, Canal Winchester and Columbus Northland – Each team is expected to lose and be eliminated from contention. However, an upset would result in a chance for a top spot pending some upsets.
If all goes as predicted, the Tigers would finish 2nd, win or lose this week, and face Columbus Whitehall-Yearling in the first round. However, if Columbus Mifflin upsets Aurora, then the Tigers would slide to third and possibly face New Albany. But with upsets brewing, who knows.
Click here for the computer rankings.
— DE

News

Booster Club Meeting Report – Week 9

October 24, 2017
by Don Engelhardt

Report by Rick Dalsky, Booster Club Secretary

The Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club held its last General meeting of the regular season in the WHS auditorium on Monday 10/23/2017. The band and cheerleaders lead the crowd in support of the Tigers. Coach Moore and his staff brought the entire varsity football team plus the freshman team to the rally. Booster Club President Steve Berecek welcomed everyone and thanked them for their attendance.

President Berecek then introduced Tiger Head Coach Nate Moore who thanked the band and cheerleaders for their support this season. He commented on last week’s game vs. Akron St. Vincent and the upcoming rivalry game at McKinley. Coach Moore talked about emotion, effort and responsibility.

Coach Moore then brought up all the Senior football players who each spoke on “What Massillon means to them”. He reviewed the McKinley scouting report and answered questions from the audience.

Final Announcements:

2 SARTA busses will be leaving in front of Tiger stadium this Saturday at Noon and 1:00pm to take fans to the McKinley game. Roundtrip ticket costs $3, correct change is required.

Go Tigers!! BEAT McKINLEY!!

News

SARTA to Provide Bus Transportation to the Game

October 22, 2017
by Don Engelhardt

SARTA will be providing transportation to the Canton McKinley game next Saturday, October 28. There will be two buses leaving Tiger Stadium at noon and two more leaving at 1:00 PM. The four buses will be available for the return trip following the game. THE COST IS $3.00 ROUND TRIP AND YOU MUST HAVE THE CORRECT CHANGE. Contact Bill Brown at 330-704-2548 with any questions.

Massillon v. McKinley

Beat McKinley Week Schedule of Events

October 21, 2017October 22, 2017
by Don Engelhardt

Monday

12:00 noon to 7:00 pm – Blood Battle, Massillon Recreation Center
7:00 pm – Booster Club Meeting, HIgh School Auditorium; public invited (players, band, cheerleaders)

Tuesday

8:00 am to 2:00 pm – Blood Drive, Washington High School
11:30 – Touchdown Club, Massillon Eagles #190

Thursday

6:00 pm – Massillon vs. McKinley Freshmen Game, Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm – Washington High School Open House
7:00 pm – Band Concert, Washington High School Main Gym

Friday

1:15 pm – Rally, Washington High School
7:00 pm – Parade, Downtown

Saturday

2:00 pm – 128th Massillon vs. McKinley Game, Benson Field, Canton

History

2017: Massillon 10, Akron St. Vincent St. Mary 13

October 20, 2017March 27, 2018
by Eric Smith

Irish bottles up Tiger offense in come-from-behind victory

Chris Easterling – The Independent

MASSILLON There equation was simple for Massillon’s offense through eight games. Run the football to win football games.

Then, in the ninth game against St. Vincent-St. Mary, the Tigers were held to their lowest rushing total of the season. Not surprising, the Massillon offense was also held to its lowest point total of the season as the Irish came out of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium with a 13-10 victory.

“We couldn’t get anything going running the football,” said Tigers coach Nate Moore, whose team will take a 6-3 record into next Saturday’s showdown at archrival McKinley. “That’s where football’s started for 150 years. You have to be able to run the football.”

Game action vs. Akron St. Vincent St. Mary

Instead, Massillon was held to just 111 yards on the ground on 32 attempts by a St. Vincent-St. Mary defense which posted its signature performance of the season. The previous season low for the Tigers on the ground was 123 yards in the opener against Mentor, which was, not surprisingly, also a loss.

Of Massillon’s rushing yardage, 40 came on its opening drive of the game. That ended in a 30-yard Klay Moll field goal for a 3-0 lead with 6:45 remaining in the first quarter.

“They just fought,” said an emotional Irish coach Marcus Wattley, whose 6-3 team took the lead for good at 13-10 on a 10-yard Ryan Fischer-to-Scott Walter touchdown pass with 3:15 remaining. “I told them before the game, ‘It’s going to take 48 minutes. Nothing short of that; not 42, not 24. It’s going to take 48 minutes.'”

Massillon, which went three-and-out on its subsequent possession after the Irish go-ahead score and never saw the football again, took a 10-0 lead on Jamir Thomas’ 7-yard run with 4:20 remaining in the second quarter. That score was set up by an interception one play earlier by Max Turner which he returned 42 yards.

The Tigers wouldn’t get closer than the Irish 41 after that play. That possession was ended when St. V’s Joshua Jones came up with an interception on a deep pass by Aidan Longwell, only his second pick thrown this season.

Longwell was 5-of-16 passing for just 32 yards. His longest pass was a 10-yarder to Tre’Von Morgan in the first quarter.

The Irish safeties remained deep for the entirety of the game, taking away the deep routes from Massillon. Moore said the defensive scheme made perfect sense because of what the Tigers were unable to do all night.

“We have to run the football,” Moore said. “If they can play off, and we can’t run the football, then why would see a coverage that would allow us to just throw the ball down the field.”

While St. Vincent-St. Mary was bottling up Massillon’s offense, the Tiger defense was doing a solid enough job of keeping the Irish in check as well. St. V had just 108 total yards in the first half, which ended with the Tigers in front 10-0.

The struggles Massillon created for the Irish was enough to force Wattley to make a quarterback change. Fischer came on for the final two first-half possessions, after Turner’s pick helped set up the Tigers with a two-score lead.

Fischer would make a huge 21-yard pass to Walter to set up the Irish’s first score, a 1-yard run by Terrence Keyes with 9:26 left in the third quarter. The point-after kick was blocked, making it 10-6 Tigers.

Fischer finished 7-of-15 for 73 yards. Keyes rushed for 198 yards on 31 carries.

“Ryan came off and he led,” Wattley said. “I can’t say enough about it. He prepares himself like he’s a starter. He got his opportunity to make plays today, and he made them.”

GAME STATS

Editorial

The Website Corner – Week 8

October 19, 2017October 19, 2017
by Don Engelhardt

Each week, the staff of massillontigers.com will provide input of their choice related to the current season or Massillon football in general.

This week our Tigers face Akron St. Vincent – St. Mary. This year’s version of the Fighting Irish is a typical St. Vincent – St. Mary team.

The strength of this year’s version is their offensive line. Their offensive line averages 280 lbs. and they are very physical. They return four starters from last season and they are very good. As a result they are a run first team, but they have a returning quarterback in Luke Lindsay and can throw very well to spread out the defense. Their receivers are tall, but not as tall as we have seen in past weeks from Canisius and Firestone. Their base offensive formation is the pro-I formation and they run the ball very well.

On defense they employ a multiple front depending on what their opponent does offensively. Their base defensive alignment is a 4-3 and they are very well coached and are extremely disciplined. In the secondary they employ a cover four and their safeties are very good at supporting the run. This is a typical Fighting Irish team which means they are very good. Their record is 5-3 and as a young team they are improving every week.

Our Tigers need to improve again this week to secure a victory. Offensively we need to possess the ball by running it and make big plays with the passing game. Defensively we need to get off the field and turn the ball over to our offense. We will also need a superior game from our special teams.

As fans we need to support our Tigers with our best effort to help our Tigers bring home a victory. This game is very important to keep the momentum going and will require a total effort from our Tiger Nation. Go Tigers! — GV

Akron St. Vincent takes a 5-3 record into the game this week against 6-2 Massillon. Although they don’t possess the offensive firepower they did a year ago, the defense is pretty stout and will create a good challenge for the Tigers. The Irish have struggled a bit with their offense, utilizing sophomores at both quarterback and running back, although both played some last year. The best wide receiver is also a soph, one Coach Nate Moore calls “pretty good.” The offensive line is massive, averaging 6′-4″, 280 lbs. But Moore will be first tell you that in high school size isn’t everything. Football skill is much more important. St. V prefers to run the ball with the QB under center, but will go the shotgun in passing situations (60 times vs. Cincinnati LaSalle). But it’s in that aspect of the game that inconsistency prevails. Defensively, St. Vincent returns just three starters. Two of them comprise their strong and free safeties and are perhaps the best players on the team. So this should be a good test for Massillon’s passing game. The front seven is “adequate” so look for the Tigers to pound the ball most of the night. From the Irish, look for a cover-4 defensive alignment with the safeties reading the run, will serve as two additional linebackers. St. Vincent hasn’t given up many points, but they are particularly good against the run. Coach Moore expects to get St. Vincent’s best, as they showed against LaSalle in losing 17-9, but didn’t show against Barberton in a 35-14 loss. — DE

Based on the scores across the to state here is where the computer numbers stands:

The following teams are a near lock to make the playoffs: Columbus Walnut Ridge, Massillon, Columbus Mifflin and Ashland.
The following teams will likely make the playoffs, barring upsets: Boardman, New Albany and Columbus Northland.
The following teams have a shot, but either need to pull an upset or get some help from the teams above: Licking Heights, Canal Winchester, Big Walnut and Wooster.
The following teams are unlikely to make the playoffs: Westerville South, North Canton, Columbus Whitehall-Yearling, Franklin Heights and Worthington Kilbourne.
Click here for the computer rankings.
— DE

History

Booster Club Meeting Report – Week 8

October 17, 2017October 17, 2017
by Don Engelhardt

Report by Rick Dalsky, Booster Club Secretary

The eight General Meeting of the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club was held in the Media Center of WHS on Monday 10/16/2017. Booster Club President Steve Berecek welcomed all in attendance. Steve made the following announcements:

Scores from the week: 8^th grade won at Fitch 38-14, Freshman game was cancelled and the Junior Varsity beat Strongsville 35-18.

Note: this Thursday (10/19) the Freshman will be playing St. Vincent at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium at 5:30 pm.

Annual Blood Drive will be held Monday October 23 at the Massillon Rec Center and Tuesday October 24 at WHS from 7:30 am – 1:30 pm. Help us Beat McKinley in this annual drive.

Next Monday’s Booster Club meeting will be the Annual Beat McKinley Rally held in the auditorium of WHS at 7:00 pm. The team, band and cheerleaders will be there and cookies and punch will be provided by the Booster Club after the rally. Everyone is invited to attend.

This Friday night we are honoring those businesses that helped with the Tiger Summer Feeding Program at halftime. It is also Senior night for the players, band and cheerleaders.

Congratulations to Tiger Head Baseball Coach Tim Ridgley and Tiger Assistant Coach Terrance Roddy on the recent births of their sons.

We were well represented at last Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony at the Massillon Museum for the Paul Brown Football Museum. It should be a wonderful addition to the community.

President Berecek then introduced Coach Nate Moore who introduced two senior football players: Senior WR Austin Kutscher and Senior LB Logan Anania who addressed the club on the Firestone game and the upcoming game vs. Akron St. Vincent.

Coach Moore brought Offensive Coordinator John Mazur to the meeting. They reviewed and commented on many film clips from the Firestone game and then they reviewed Akron St. Vincent game film and discussed their potential lineup. An injury report was given and they both answered many questions from the audience.

Final Announcements:

We have an important game this week.

Remember to bring canned goods to the next meeting to help us win the food drive.

Door prizes were announced.

Go Tigers!! Beat Akron St. Vincent!!

History

2017: Massillon 35, Akron Firestone 6

October 13, 2017October 13, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers bounce back, flatten Firestone

Chris Easterling – The Independent
Oct 13, 2017 10:19 PM

MASSILLON Massillon’s first possession Friday night against visiting Firestone went for a three-and-out. It was the first time the Tigers failed to score on their opening possession.

Problem for the Falcons was that Massillon had plenty of other possessions after that one in which it didn’t go three-and-out. In fact, more often then now, they went for touchdowns, as the Tigers bounced back with a 35-6 win over Firestone at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

“I think we were focused and dialed in, which is what we needed to do,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said after his team bounced back from a Week 7 loss to Canisius (N.Y.) to improve to 6-2. “I don’t know how much better we got; we definitely played better. We need to get the film evaluated and evaluate this game just like we did the previous games and continue to get better every week.

Massillon also shook off any first-possession disappointment to make sure it established control of the game before the teams went to the locker room for halftime. The Tigers scored on four consecutive drives after its first one to open up a 28-0 lead going into the break.

It would take Massillon until its second possession of the second half to get on the board as well. That’s when Aidan Longwell hooked up with Aydrik Ford for a 17-yard touchdown to make it 35-0 with 4:31 remaining in the third quarter.

That was one of three touchdown passes for Longwell. He also hit Jayden Ballard and Austin Kutscher for touchdowns in the first half.

“We wanted to come out and make an effort to be more balanced,” said Moore, whose team racked up 360 total yards in the game. “Certainly not perfect, but I thought we did well”

While the Massillon offense generated the points, the Tiger defense was able to do something it had struggled to do at times, even during the five-game win streak. It was consistently able to get off the field quickly.

Two passes to Darshun Williams – a 13-yarder on the Falcons’ first drive and a 39-yarder on their sixth – accounted for the only two times in the first half in which Firestone managed to get across the 50. The first time, which reached the Tiger 43, ended in a punt from the Massillon 46.

The second one put the Falcons on the Massillon 19. The next four plays netted minus-5 yards before Anthony Ballard intercepted a pass in the end zone on fourth down with :38 remaining in the first half.

That was one of two first-half interceptions for the Tigers. Max Turner – who started due to a handful of players being suspended for the first quarter due to a violation of team rules – came up with a one-handed pick to squelch Firestone’s second drive.

Remove Williams’ two big plays and Firestone’s offense netted just 38 yards on 25 first-half plays. Williams would put the Falcons on the board with a 34-yard touchdown catch from Joe Namsick with 8:49 remaining in the game.

The Falcons would finish with 232 yards on 54 plays. Of those, 83 came on the lone scoring drive of the game.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt we played better,” Moore said. “Did we play to our potential? No. We need to continue to evaluate and improve. We’ll do that again this weekend.”

That defensive performance was counted by a workmanlike effort by Massillon’s offense. One fact which was obvious from the very first possession was the Tigers’ desire to work both the run and pass.

Of the four first-half touchdown, two were passes by Longwell and two were runs. Ballard and Kutscher each caught a score in the first quarter, while Tyree Broyles and Jamir Thomas each ran for a score in the second quarter.

At halftime, Massillon had run the ball 18 times for 111 yards, while Longwell was 11-of-14 for 136 yards passing. The Tigers would finish with 163 rushing yards on 35 attempts, while Longwell was 15-of-19 passing for 197 yards.

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