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Booster Club Meeting Report – Week 2

Report by Rick Dalsky, Booster Club Secretary

The second General Meeting of the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club was held in the Media Center of WHS on Tuesday 9/5/2017.  Booster Club President Steve Berecek welcomed all in attendance.  Steve made the following announcements:

There was a moment of silence on the passing of long-time booster Karen Rogers.

Scores from the week: 8th grade lost to Glenoak 20-10, 9th grade won against Glenoak 28-13 and the JV won against Glenoak 40-6.

Schedule this week: Freshman at home on Thursday 9/7/17 at 6:00 pm vs. Warren Harding.

Booster Club bus to Warren leaves the Town Plaza shopping center at 4:30 pm this Friday (9/8/17).  Tickets cost $25; include a snack but not a game ticket.  Tickets are on sale at Keller’s Office Equipment store.

Remember to bring the booster coupons from the newspapers to future meetings.

Booster Club meetings will be on Monday nights the rest of the football season.

Remember to bring canned goods to future meetings to help us win the “Beat McKinley” food drive.

Coach Moore brought two senior football players to the meeting.  Senior WR Austin Kutscher and Senior OL Jared Foss addressed the club on the Glenoak game and the upcoming Warren Harding game.  They also answered questions from the audience.

Coach Moore commented on the GlenOak game and the upcoming Warren Harding game. He showed film clips from the GlenOak game and commented on the action. Then he reviewed the Warren Harding game by showing game film from their first game and reviewing their potential lineup and players.  He also answered questions from the audience.

The next General Meeting of the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club is scheduled for Monday September 11, 2017 at 7:00 pm in the Media Center of WHS.  Memberships will be available at the door.

Massillon Tigers Letter Logo Booster Club

Booster Club Bus to Warren

The Booster Club will be offering bus transportation to the game at Warren this Friday, September 8.  The bus tickets are $25 and do not include a game ticket.  A sub sandwich and a bottle of water will be provided.  The bus will leave Towne Plaza at 4:30 PM, not 11:00 as advertised in the Independent.  Tickets can be purchased at Keller’s Office Furniture or contact Bill Brown at (330) 704-2548 for further information.  Buses will also be provided for the Austintown Fitch game on September 29.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2017: Massillon 24, Canton Glenoak 10

Massillon Keeps Ball, Win Away From GlenOak

Chris Easterling – The Independent
Sep 01, 2017 10:45 PM

Massillon played a game of keep-away on Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

The Tigers spent much of the game keeping the ball away from GlenOak. That led directly to Massillon keeping the win away from the Golden Eagles as well, as it emerged with a 24-10 victory to even its record at 1-1.

Aided by a 33-carry, 107-yard effort from Jamir Thomas, Massillon was able to run 80 plays in the game to just 43 for GlenOak, which is 0-2 for the first time since 1998. The Tigers finished with 356 total yards, while the Golden Eagles’ 188.

“There’s no doubt about it he was a part of it,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said of Thomas, who had missed the season-opening loss to Mentor due to disciplinary reasons. “But great performance by our offense and a great performance by our defense, especially in the first half. I’m proud of those guys.”

The tone of the game was set in the first half. Massillon’s first two drives took 19 and 21 plays, respectively.

Even more importantly, they both resulted in points. Klay Moll ended the first one with a 23-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead; Thomas ended the second one with a 1-yard plunge to give the Tigers a 10-3 lead.

By halftime, Massillon had already run 45 plays for 166 yards to just 16 plays for GlenOak for 61 yards. Of those, nine plays and 30 yards came on the Golden Eagles’ first drive, which ended in a Dean Sarris 20-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3.

Game Action vs. Canton Glenoak

“The first half, obviously, we just couldn’t get off the field defensively,” GlenOak coach Scott Garcia said. “They ran the ball right down our throats. I think it was 45 plays for them in the first half to 16 for us. You’re not going to win games like that.”

The running game certainly was the backbone of the Tiger win. Massillon ran for 157 net yards on 55 carries – including 28 yards on 12 carries on a 15-play, game-sealing fourth-quarter scoring drive that ended on an Aidan Longwell 1-yard run with 2:33 remaining.

Game Action vs. Canton Glenoak

However, two pass plays may have been the ultimate difference. The first was a 33-yard Longwell-to-Austin Kutscher touchdown pass immediately after a Dyson Berry interception in the third quarter to put the Tigers in front 17-3.

The second, maybe bigger, one came on the final scoring drive. Facing a second-and-21 from the GlenOak 38, Longwell hit Dean Clark on a wheel route for 36 yards to the Eagle 2.

Three plays later, Longwell powered in from the 1 for a 24-10 Tiger lead. GlenOak would go four-and-out on its next possession to squelch any further threat.

“It was a great throw,” Moore said of the Longwell-to-Clark pass. “It was sort of a back-shoulder throw. Great call by our offensive coaching staff. The kids executed, and that’s what it takes to win big games.”

Longwell, in his second start, was 15-of-25 for 209 yards with the one touchdown pass.

Meanwhile, GlenOak quarterback Tate Rhoads was never able to get the one part of his game that had Tiger defensive coaches most concerned in the week leading to the game. That would be his rushing ability.

Game Action vs. Canton Glenoak

Rhoads, who had 78 yards on six first-half carries before leaving with a broken collarbone in the teams’ 2016 meeting, was held to just six rushing yards on four carries.

“He missed a couple of reads that he should’ve given the ball,” Garcia said. “He just didn’t do it. He didn’t play very well and he knows it, and we’re going to move on.”

Rhoads was 16-of-24 for 145 yards with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Chris Armstead with 8:01 remaining to cut Massillon’s lead to 17-10. He also had the interception, which Berry made on a diving catch after the ball deflected off of the receiver.
Click Here for: Game Statisitics

 

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo Editorial

The Website Corner – Week 1

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

Week one was a rough night.  We have to move on to Canton GlenOak who also lost.  They lost to Toledo Whitmer 38-24.  The outcome of the GlenOak game is essential to the success of our 2017 season.  Next week’s winner will depend on which team is most successful in regrouping and improving on week one.  We all need to get behind our Tigers as our support is critical this week.  Go Tigers! — GV

This year the Tigers are competing in Division 2, Region 7 for one of the eight post-season playoff spots.  Based on last weekend’s scores, certain teams have already established themselves as contenders.  Start with Westerville South.  They competed last year in Division 1 and posted a 1-9 record.  But they moved down this year and started off with a bang, trouncing Dublin Scioto, 50-14.  Running back Jaelen Gill, an OSU recruit, led the Wildcats with 138 yards rushing and four touchdowns.  North Canton’s 43-12 victory over Brush looks good on paper, but aside from that, there were no real eye openers.  Here are the teams that should contend: Massillon, North Canton, Lake, Boardman, Ashland, Wooster, Westerville South, Worthington Kilbourne, Dublin Scioto, New Albany and LIcking Heights. And save a spot for one of the Columbus city teams.  In what is arguably the weakest region in D2, only 12 of the 27 teams posted victories last weekend.  Normally a team would need win seven or eight teams to qualify.  But with the weakness of this region, it is conceivable that one or more teams could get in with just six victories. — DE

This will be the 9th game with GlenOak in the recent series.  In that six of the last seven were decided by three points or less, one can expect the same type of nail biter this time around.  GlenOak’s offense revolves around Tate Rhoads, a returning starter at quarterback.  Stop him, according to Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore, and you win the game. Rhoads is a threat to both run and throw the ball off the read option.  He knows when to run and he knows where to run, causing headaches for opposing defenses. In the passing department, Rhoads favors the short toss, particularly to receiver Darius Stokes.  So it is imperative that the Tigers get pressure on him in passing situations.  Although the skill position starters are a talented group, nearly all of them play both ways.  The offensive and defensive lines, dominated by underclassmen, are considered their weak areas.  — DE

Game statistics start from the line of scrimmage so the first thing I want to talk about is how the yard line (spotting the ball for statistics) is determined. If any part of the ball lies on or above a yard line future action is computed from that yard line. If all of the football has been advanced beyond a yard line the next yard line is the yard line used for spotting the ball and calculating statistics. However, for statistical purposes there must always be at least one yard to be gained for a first down or touchdown This comes into play when the game officials spot the ball within one yard of a first down, or within one yard of the goal line, or between the 11 and 10 yard line. The statistical yard line is one yard back. — JB

Obie Logo (Large) Booster Club

Booster Club Meeting Report – Week 1

Report by Rick Dalsky, Booster Club Secretary

The first General Meeting of the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club was held in the Media Center of WHS on Monday 8/28/2017.  New Booster Club President Steve Berecek welcomed all in attendance.  The following events took place:

Gary Vogt briefly gave an update on the new Booster Club web-site.  He thanked all who worked on this project and then introduced Don Engelhardt, who presented an overview of the new web-site. The site is a work in process but the amount of information available and its design is very impressive.  Be sure to check it out.

Ron Prunty who has been filming the Massillon Tiger football games since 1979 asked if anyone would be interested helping him carry his equipment from his car before the game up onto the stadium roof.  The stairs to the roof have been removed and the only access is through a “hole” in the press box. Ron also would like some help getting the equipment down and back to his car after the game. If anyone is interested in helping please contact President Berecek or Ron.

Coach Moore brought two senior football players to the meeting.  Senior WR Austin Kutscher and Senior DE, RT Ty Keirns addressed the club on the Mentor game and the upcoming GlenOak game.  They also answered questions from the audience.

Coach Moore commented on the Mentor game and how the team was preparing for the next game against GlenOak. He gave an injury update and mentioned several positive performances. He showed film clips from the Mentor game and gave comments on the action. Then he previewed the GlenOak game by showing game film from their first game and reviewing their potential lineup and players.

John Lieberman reminded Boosters to clip the booster coupons from the local newspapers and bring them to future meetings.  We are trying to win this $2,000 contest for the 5th straight year.

Away game bus tickets for Warren and Fitch are available at Keller’s in downtown Massillon for $25 each. See Matt Keller if interested in purchasing one.

Nick Pribich reminded Boosters to bring canned goods to future meetings to help us win the annual food drive vs. McKinley.

The next General Meeting of the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club is scheduled for Tuesday September 5, 2017 at 7:00pm in the Media Center of WHS.  Memberships will be available at the door.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2017: Massillon 14, Mentor 49

Momentum Shift Buries Massillon In Opener

Chris Easterling
The Independent
Aug 25, 2017 10:48 PM

MASSILLON Things were going just fine for Massillon for a quarter in its season opener against Mentor at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The Tigers held the lead and were keeping the high-flying Cardinals out of the end zone.

Then, on Massillon’s second play of the second quarter, a tipped deep ball was intercepted by Mentor’s Billy Gorka – with Gorka lying on his back.

Almost like it was an omen, that play changed everything.

The Cardinals would score on their next seven possessions, turning a seven-point Tiger lead into a 49-14 Mentor opening-night rout.

“They played well,” a subdued Massillon coach Nate Moore said afterwards. “They’re really good offensively.”

Game Action vs. Mentor 2017

After being held to just 40 yards on 11 first-quarter plays, which ended with Massillon in front 7-0, the Cardinals would gain 413 over 29 plays in the next two quarters alone. They would lead 42-14 after three quarters, then make it 49-14 three plays into the fourth quarters.

Mentor finished the game with 501 yards. Massillon, which had 96 yards in the first quarter, ended things with 249 total yards.

Of those 249 yards, 66 came on a touchdown pass from Aidan Longwell to Austin Kutscher in the third quarter. That made it briefly 28-14.

Game Action vs. Mentor 2017

“We just needed to settle in,” Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno said. “They were really geared up, and probably too much. I tried to crack a joke, but it didn’t work. After that, we were a really good football team.”

The ending was such a far cry from the beginning, especially for the Tigers.

Massillon couldn’t have scripted a better start to the football season. A three-and-out by the Tiger defense on the first Cardinals possession led to great starting field position, at the Mentor 42.

A bad snap on first down, though, was followed by a 23-yard pass from Aidan Longwell to Austin Kutscher. The very next play, Marcellus Blake raced virtually untouched for a 21-yard touchdown run to give Massillon a 7-0 lead 94 seconds into the season.

“It was a good start,” Moore said.

Game Action vs. Mentor 2017

Blake, who finished with 10 yards on 47 carries, found himself in a featured role due to the absence of a pair of Tigers, Jamir Thomas and Louis Partridge. Both players did not play, according to Moore, due to internal matters he wouldn’t discuss further.

Compounding things, Blake left the game early in the third quarter with an injury on a punt coverage. His status for the Week 2 home game against GlenOak is unknown.

Mentor’s offense began to get going on the next two first-quarter drives, reaching Massillon’s 25 and 34, respectively. The first one, though, ended on a diving interception by Dyson Berry, while the second one was halted on a fourth-down incomplete pass in the end zone on the first play of the second quarter.

Gorka’s interception may have been the play that stood out the most as the momentum-changer, but it wasn’t the only one. Massillon’s second possession reached the Mentor 16, but the Tigers fumbled the ball away on first down.

“Not punching it in for a second touchdown also hurt,” Moore said. “If we stick that in, we go up 14-0. Obviously, that puts us in a much better position.”

That’s when the Mentor offense, which had been tuning up in the first quarter, hit the gear for which it’s become known. Three second-quarter possessions led to three second-quarter touchdowns for the Cardinals, who took a 21-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Outside of a Tiger personal foul flag on the first play of the first second-quarter possession and a Massillon offsides flag on the sixth play of the third, the three drives were textbook displays of crisp offensive football. A combined 23 plays over those three drives: 15 rushing plays for 103 yards, while 7-of-8 for 59 yards passing for quarterback Tadas Tatarunas.

All three scores were rushing for Mentor: 3-yard game-tying run by Chris Edmond; a 12-yard Tatarunas scamper for a 14-7 lead; and a 1-yard Nick Saginario plunge for a 21-7 lead.

Edmond finished with 111 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown run to make it 28-7 Mentor. Tatarunas rushed for 66 yards while completing 17-of-25 passes for 188 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns.

Massillon Tigers Letter Logo Booster Club

2017 Massillon Tiger Football Kickoff Rally

Wednesday, August 23, 2017
6:30 Tiger Growl
7:00 Rally
Duncan Plaza

Kick off the 2017 Massillon Tiger Football Season with us tonight at Duncan Plaza.
Meet the 2017 Massillon Tiger Football Team and Coaches
See the Massillon Tiger Swing Band and Cheerleaders
Head to the Massillon Museum afterwards for Tiger Stripe Ice Cream

Don’t forget the Massillon Museum has opened a new Paul Brown Exhibit.
Massillon Museum Paul Brown Exhibit

Go Tigers! #TIG

Sponsored by : Downtown Massillon Association and The Independent

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

Massillon and Mentor Eclipsed 100 Points in 2007 Game

Looking back, it’s hard to believe that this 6-4 Massillon team had put up 52 points on the eventual Division 1 state runner-up.  It’s also hard to believe that they also lost the game.  But the offenses prevailed in this one.  And if you weren’t a fan of either team, then it just might have been one of the most entertaining high school games you ever saw.  The final score was 56-52 in favor of Mentor.

Jason Hall’s Tigers entered Week 5 with a 2-2 record, having unexpectedly lost to both Solon and Parma Normandy.  Mentor, meanwhile, dropped their opener to eventual Division 4 runner-up Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, but stormed back to take the next three, beating Strongsville (44-28), Solon (27-0) and Cleveland St. Ignatius (38-17).  So there was no doubt that Mentor was the favored team.  Only the Cardinals have always struggled when playing in Tigertown and this one turned out to be no different.

The two teams lit up the scoreboard right from the onset, with Mentor taking a 21-17 lead after three possessions by each squad.  Following a 29-yard field goal by Steve Schott, KJ Herring scored from 50 yards out and then JB Price returned a fumbled punt 36 yards for a TD.

The onslaught continued right to halftime with 28 more points, 14 by each team, and Mentor holding onto a slim 4-point lead.  For the Tigers, it was two Devoe Torrence rushing touchdowns, from nine and one-yards out, finishing off a pair of 80-yard drives.  Could either team stop the other in the second half?  Not likely.

Each team scored once in the third quarter to set up a thrilling fourth.  Torrence had tallied his third from the nine yardline following a missed 49-yard field goal attempt from Schott.  So entering the fourth quarter, Mentor was up 42-38.

It was one of those games where the team that scored last was going to win.  It started quietly with a Mentor punt.  Then a 24-yard TD by Torrence with 7:25 remaining, gave the Tigers a 45-42 lead.  Mentor answered with a 2-yard TD with 4:01 to play, completing a 16-play methodical drive.  Now it was Massillon’s turn.  JT Turner returned the kickoff to the Mentor 49, with a 15-yard Cardinal penalty tacked on, placing the ball at the Mentor 34.  From there, it took just eight plays, with big Steve Yoder bulling his way up the middle for 21 yards and the score, seemingly carrying half the Cardinal defense on his back.  Schott’s kick was good and the Tigers were up 52-49.

But scoring was not the intent on that play and the TD came too early, leaving 1:52 on the clock.  Too much time for the high-powered Mentor offense.  And they did just what they were expected to.  The winning 8-yard scoring pass came at the end of a 10-play, 79-yard drive, leaving a mere 24 seconds on the clock.  Not enough time for Tigers to pull it out.

Massillon finished with 498 yards, rushing for 433 and passing for another 65.  Chris Willoughby was 6 of 17.  Devoe Torrence rushed 36 times for 283 yards and four touchdowns and KJ Herring added another 109.

Mentor rolled up 588 yards, rushing for 289 and passing for 299.  Bart Tanski was 25 of 38.  Tom Worden rushed 27 times for 226 yards and 3 touchdowns.

So how could a Massillon team that had been basically written off a week before do this to a Mentor team that was destined for greatness?  Simple.  Pure effort and intensity.  And they kept that up for the rest of the season.  Although they dropped a decision to Cleveland St. Ignatius the following week, the Tigers finished strong, winning their final four games and posting a winning record.

 

Obie Logo (Large) News

Massillon Struggles in Final Scrimmage

A nice crowd turned out at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on Friday night to watch Massillon and Lakewood St. Edward square off in a final pre-season scrimmage.  Unfortunately, the Eagles had the better of it, winning 31-0 in one half of football.

St. Eds showed why they won Division 1 state titles in 2014 and 2015, while losing in overtime in a regional finals game last year.  They have great size and speed, plus a wealth of experience.  And their intensity level is beyond what Massillon saw in its first two scrimmages against Avon and Berea MIdpark.  The youthful Tigers just didn’t match up well in this one.

The Eagles scored three touchdowns and a field goal in their first four possessions to open up a 24-0 advantage as the second quarter got underway. For the night, they rolled up 343 yards of offense, scoring on runs of 23, 25, 25 and 2 yards and kicking a 25-yard field goal.  Defensively, they held Massillon to just 44 yards and three first downs.  In fact, the Tigers never crossed midfield, except when Jamir Thomas intercepted a pass and returned it to the Eagle 31.  Only they turned the ball over on downs four plays later.

On the bright side, the coaching staff has plenty of game film to use in pointing out areas that must be improved upon prior to the season opener against Mentor.

In earlier action, both the JV and the Freshmen teams scrimmaged.  The format was four 10-play series each, starting at the opponent’s 40 yardline.  The JV team lost to St. Eds four touchdowns to two.  The Freshmen team defeated St. Eds six touchdowns to three.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo News

Tigers Prepare to Face Challenging Schedule

This Friday evening, the Tigers will conclude their preseason when they take on perennial state power Lakewood St. Edward.  It will be a difficult task to be sure. But they hope to parlay that experience into a victory over another power in Mentor, which invades Paul Brown Tiger Stadium the following Friday.  For without a league title in which to contend, it’s all about making the state playoffs, which must come before any talk about post-season success.

The magic number is “7.”  That’s the number of wins a typical Massillon team would need to qualify for the playoffs.  But there’s more to it than just winning games. The win total must also include a significant number of teams that are also winners in order to accumulate sufficient computer points.

The playoffs have been around since 1972.  Here’s a look back at the win totals of past Tiger teams regarding the number of teams that would have finished in the top eight of the region, taking into account that the present setup was not in place until 1999.

  • 10 wins: 5 of 5 qualified for the playoffs
  • 9 wins: 7 of 8
  • 8 wins: 12 of 12
  • 7 wins: 8 of 10
  • 6 wins: 3 of 7
  • 5 wins: 0 of 1
  • 4 wins: 0 of 4

So with at least seven wins, the Tigers qualified for the playoffs 91% of the time.  Even with six wins there was a fighting chance.  Of course, seven wins isn’t a guarantee, since a weak schedule can work against you, as it did in both 1978 (9-0-1) and 2011 (7-3).  But an overly strong schedule can also work against.  In some years, the schedule was just too difficult to overcome as the following discussion will point out.

We’ll start by rating the strength-of-schedule for each year using the following point system:

  • Rating 0 – The team is flat out not very good at football; ex. Toledo Bowsher
  • Rating 1 – Public or smaller parochial school that did not win at least seven games and did not qualify for the playoffs
  • Rating 2 – Public or smaller parochial school that did win at least seven games or qualified for the playoffs
  • Rating 3 – Large parochial school

The overall strength-of-schedule is then determined by summing all of the ratings for the ten-game regular season.  For example, in 2015 the strength-of-schedule was 18, given that 9 teams made the playoffs (rating = 2) and one team was rated zero.

In case you were wondering, here is Massillon’s winning percentage against each of these groups since 1972:

  • Rating 0: 32-0-0 (100%)
  • Rating 1: 215-15-1 (93%)
  • Rating 2: 84-80-3 (51%)
  • Rating 3: 2-18-0 (10%)

If you pull out the Massillon teams that won at least seven games, here are the percentages:

  • Rating 0: 21-0-0 (100%
  • Rating 1: 178-8-1 (95%)
  • Rating 2: 69-40-2 (63%)
  • Rating 3: 2-9-0 (18%)

Therefore, it could be concluded that the difference between the Massillon teams that qualified for the playoffs and those that didn’t was better performance against the Rated 2 opponents.  The qualifiers won 63% of these games, whereas the non-qualifiers won just 27%.  Pretty obvious, of course.  But strength-of-schedule still factors in when you consider both number of better opponents on the schedule and Massillon’s traditional winning percentage against those teams.  The list below shows the number of teams that qualified for the playoffs for each total strength-of-schedule rating:

  • Strength-of-schedule 11 to 12: 7 of 10 qualified for the playoffs
  • Strength-of-schedule 13 to 14: 21 of 22
  • Strength-of-schedule 15: 4 of 9
  • Strength-of-schedule 16 to 18: 2 of 7

The data shows that the optimum strength-of-schedule rating is 13 to 14.  But it also shows the problems of both weak and overly strong schedules.  With a weak schedule, the computer points are lacking in spite of having a lot of wins.  Conversely, with a strong schedule, the wins are sometimes lacking, resulting in insufficient computer points.

Historically, since the introduction of the playoffs, Massillon’s strength-of-schedule has trended upward from 13.5 to the current 14.5, right around the optimum.  Last year’s rating was 14.  For the previous year, Coach Nate Moore’s first, it was 18.

Keep in mind that for the majority of public school programs across the state, these statistics do not hold up.  When these teams are good, they’re good.  And when they’re bad, they’re bad.  Strength-of-schedule doesn’t seem to matter much.  That’s because their programs are not as solid and predictable as Massillon’s.  The Tigers tend to put out a good product every year, so it’s the strength-of-schedule that can have a larger influence on the outcome.

That brings us to this year.  How strong is the schedule and is it conducive based on the statistics for the Tigers to make the playoffs?-  Let’s start by looking at each opponent.

  • Mentor – Qualified for the D1 playoffs in 8 of the last 10 years. Returns a 3-year starter at quarterback for a team that emphasizes the pass.  Rating = 2.
  • Canton GlenOak – Qualified for the D1 playoffs in 8 of the last 10 years. Rating = 2.
  • Warren Harding – Would have qualified for the D2 playoffs in 5 of the last 10 years. Rating = 1.5.
  • Youngstown Ursuline – Struggled last year. Expected to struggle again.  Rating = 1.
  • Bedford – Now a D2 team, would have qualified for the D2 playoffs in 3 of the last 4 years. Returns a good nucleus of skilled athletes.  Rating = 2.
  • Austintown Fitch – Qualified for the D1 playoffs in 5 of the last 6 years. Rating = 1.5.
  • Canisius, NY – Large parochial school from New York. Parochial state champs last year.  Rating = 3.
  • Akron Firestone – Finished 4-6 in 2016. Expected to be better this year.  Rating = 1.
  • Akron St. Vincent – Qualified for the playoffs in 9 of the last 10 years. Rating = 2.
  • Canton McKinley – Qualified for the D1 playoffs in 8 of the last 10 years. Rating = 2.

Based on the above, the strength-of-schedule for the 2017 season is predicted to be 18.  This would make it the most difficult schedule the Tigers have faced since the introduction of the playoffs, matching that of the 1989 and 2014 seasons.  Seven or eight of the opponents would be expected to qualify for the playoffs and that includes Canisius.  But it is not an impossible task as demonstrated by second-year coach Lee Owens, who also faced a strength-of-schedule rating of 18.  He fashioned his 1989 team into an 8-2 record and advanced to the D1 regional finals before losing to eventual state champ Cleveland St. Ignatius. And Coach Moore’s first team was one play away from qualifying.

Based on both the strength-of-schedule and the expectations of the other teams in the region, with this schedule six wins might just be enough to be playing in Week 11.  But let’s not settle for that.  Let’s just win them all!