Video courtesy of Brian Skowronski – An Ashland point of view
WOOSTER It was cold. The field had a thin layer of snow on it at the start.
In other words, it was perfect conditions for Jamir Thomas and Massillon’s defense to do what they do best in a 28-7 Division II Region 7 semifinal win over Ashland at Wooster’s Follis Field.
Game action vs. Ashland 2017
“The weather conditions were great,” a happy Massillon coach Nate Moore said after his 9-3 team advanced to next week’s regional final against New Albany at a site to be determined. “This is playoff football. I don’t know what else you want; move to Florida if you don’t like this.”
Thomas and the Tigers defense certainly felt right at home in the conditions, with a 27-degree temperature at kickoff. The former carried the Massillon offense on his back, while the latter never let the explosive Ashland offense get off the ground.
The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Thomas bulldozed his way to a career-high 196 rushing yards on 37 carries. He also scored all four of the Tigers’ touchdowns on runs of nine, three, 27 and three yards.
“He did a great job,” Moore said of Thomas, who accounted for almost half of Massillon’s 409 total yards.
Thomas provided the only first-half score, a 9-yard run just 22 seconds into the second quarter for a 7-0 Massillon lead. He would blow the game open with a pair of third-quarter runs within 114 seconds of each other – a 3-yarder with 2:24 left and a 27-yarder with 30 seconds left – to make it 21-0 Tigers going into the final quarter.
Game action vs. Ashland 2017
The final Thomas touchdown run came with 53 seconds remaining, a 3-yarder plunge.
“We got to go over and see them play McKinley (in Week 10), so I got to see them there,” said Ashland coach Scott Valentine, whose team bows out at 9-3. “We knew he was good. As time went on, he broke some runs, but I was proud of our defense the way they played, especially the first half and even in the second half as far as containing some of that stuff.”
While Ashland’s defense was able to contain Massillon some of the time, the Tiger defense was able to contain the Arrows almost all of the time. The only Ashland touchdown was a 27-yard pass from Keagan Armitage to Bryke Williams with 7:33 remaining to pull it within 21-7.
A week after the Arrows put up 48 points in a come-from-behind win at Columbus Mifflin, it could never consistently get going against Massillon as they were held to 223 total yards. At least, they weren’t able to get going enough to find the end zone.
Game action vs. Ashland 2017
Armitage, Ashland’s Mr. Football candidate, was limited to just 17-of-32 passing for 129 yards and the score. He did run for 87 yards on 17 carries, but fumbled twice.
“We played well,” Moore said. “We forced some turnovers, which was huge for us, especially in the first half. I’m really proud of our guys.”
Of course, Ashland proved to be its own worst enemy in many regards. The Arrows turned the ball over three times, compared to just one Tiger giveaway.
All three of the Arrow fumbles came in Massillon territory. A second-possession fumble at the Tiger 24; a fumble on a second-quarter run as Ashland was about to score a touchdown that went out of the end zone; and a third-quarter fumble at midfield.
Game action vs. Ashland 2017
“That’s the thing,” Valentine said. “When you’re playing good people in these situations, you can’t turn the ball over. You can’t have some of the penalties we had. Our kids laid it on the line; I’m proud of their effort. It’s just those things hurt us.”
Those turnovers also helped Massillon reach its first regional championship game since 2012
Each week during the football season the staff of massillontigers.com will provide input of their choice related to the recent games or Massillon football in genera
Many area football fans believe that Massillon and Boardman are the best teams in Region 7. As luck would have it, they were paired against each other in the opening round of the playoffs. The Tigers came out on top in a come-from-behind effort, 28-23, but it wasn’t without some nail biting. The game plan for Massillon was to pound the ball up the middle with the power running attack and wear down the defense, something that has worked in most games this year. But against Boardman, it was a different story. Aside from an opening drive that netted a touchdown, the running attack was almost completely shutdown. The reason for this, according to Coach Moore, was the different method that the Spartan defensive line used to attack, something that was different from the scouting films. And the Tiger offensive line was never able to adjust. Fortunately, Massillon pulled it out in the fourth quarter using an overwhelming passing attack, this aspect being particularly effective on first down. Also, the defense did its part when it mattered the most. Let’s hope the rest of region does not measure up to Boardman. – DE
On Saturday “Principal Sal” tweeted. “Our kids deserve to see a packed house in Wooster Friday! Forecast looks great for November football. No excuses . . . get your tickets this week! TIG!”
As Paul Salvino’s tweet confirms, we fans do make a difference. That was never more evident than last Friday evening as our Tigers came from behind to earn a victory over Youngstown Boardman. You could see our young men feeding off the energy from the crowd. This was the loudest PBTS has been all year. Great job Tiger Players! Great job Tiger fans!
We will need a like effort this week against Ashland. We need the Tiger Nation to get your tickets and make the trip Wooster. We need to take over the Wooster stadium. A total Massillon effort will be needed to bring home another Tiger Victory. – GV
Round 2 for the Tigers is a match against Ashland this Friday at 7:30 pm. The game will be played at Wooster High School. The Arrows come into the game with a 9-2 record, having dropped contests to 9-2 Clyde 22-19 and 5-5 Wooster 34-31. Their signature win came against Mansfield in Week 7 by the score of 41-20. Massillon Coach Nate Moore said at the Booster Club Meeting that Ashland is a well-coached team. They are a good team and play very disciplined ball. Only three players go both ways full-time.
Offensively, the game revolves around quarterback and Mr. Ohio Football candidate Keagan Armitage. A 6′-2″, 208 lb. senior, Armitage has passed this year for around 3,000 yards, including 300 in the 48-47 overtime win over Columbus Mifflin in Round 1. He has completed 65% of his passes and converted 31 touchdowns. At the other end of these passes is a fine group of receivers, including 6′-6″ Manny Langston and 6′-5″ Kamrin Knowlton Golings, who have caught 80 passes between them for 1,541 yards and 17 touchdowns. But don’t forget Bryke Williams. Although small in stature, he has grabbed 61 passes for 724 yards and 6 touchdowns. But don’t think Ashland is all about the pass. They also have two very capable runners including the quarterback Armitage (974 yards and 18 touchdowns) and Owen Reef (853 yards). Moore stated that all of the skill players have good speed and the running back “runs hard.” The offensive line averages 6′-0″, 253 lbs.
Ashland will line up in an empty backfield; that is, a quarterback in the shotgun with five wide receivers. The “running back” is one of the receivers, aligned in a slot position. Most passing plays are directly from this formation. When the Arrows want to run they motion the slot receiver/running back to quarterback for a jet-sweep handoff or a quarterback read option. Occasionally, the quarterback will run the ball on his own without prior motion. They will run the ball about 50% of the time. Massillon hopes to put pressure on the quarterback to force him into quick throws and bad decisions.
Defensively, Ashland is very similar to Austintown Fitch, who Massillon defeated 38-28 earlier in the season. The alignment is 3-3 with a cover-3. The defensive line averages 6′-0″, 243 lbs. Personnel-wise, Moore said that they have some good players at safety and defensive line. But the best player is Mason Harpster, a 5′-8″, 185 lb. linebacker. He is a tough kid that makes most of the tackles.
The Arrows punt the ball out of the same formation that they use for offensive plays. The quarterback just steps back a bit prior to the kick. — DE
The Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club held its latest General meeting in the WHS media center on Monday 11/6/17 at 7:00pm. Booster Club President Steve Berecek welcomed everyone and said “let’s keep it going.” He encouraged everyone to consider supporting the Massillon Museum levy (Issue 18) and the School renewal levy (Issue 43).
President Berecek then introduced Tiger Head Coach Nate Moore who brought Defensive Line Coach JP Simon to the meeting. They showed film from the Boardman game and answered many questions from the audience.
Coach Moore then introduced two football players: Senior Captain WR/S #3 Austin Kutscher and Junior S/WR #19 Dean Clark who addressed the club on the Boardman game and the upcoming tournament game vs. Ashland. They also answered several questions from the audience.
Coach Moore and Coach Simon then reviewed Ashland game film and discussed their potential lineup. They also answered questions from the audience.
Final Announcements:
There is one bus going to Wooster for the Ashland game. Tickets are $20 each and are available from Matt Keller at Keller’s Office Furniture store in downtown Massillon. The bus leaves the Towne Plaza Shopping Center at 5:30pm this Friday (11/17). No food will be provided. Door prizes were announced.
It was back in the summer of 2012 that I unexpectedly shared a ride on a plane to Chicago with Massillon quarterback Kyle Kempt. Of course, we talked some Tiger football, but he was mostly excited about spending time with former Tiger player George Whitfield, Jr. at his Quarterback Academy in San Diego. George must have done some good because Kyle is now one of the most recognizable college football players in the country.
Kyle Kempt, Massillon’s record-setting quarterback, has found a home at Iowa State. Since taking over the starting quarterback position for the Cyclones, Kempt has led his team to upsets over Oklahoma and Texas Christian, both ranked in the Top 5 at the time, and won four games in five starts. Following the Oklahoma game, his cinderella story exploded across the national sports networks. Perhaps Kyle’s next stop may just be mayor of Ames.
Kempt played for the Tigers in 2010 through 2012 and holds several passing records, including the following:
Career passing yards (6,034)
Single-season passing efficiency (183.7)
Single-season average yards per pass (10.5)
Single-season passing yards per game (235.1)
In 2012, Kyle’s senior year, his team finished 11-2 and advanced to the regional finals. During the season, he recorded two victories over Canton McKinley and a win over eventual Division 3 state champion Akron St. Vincent. He also completed 194 of 292 passes for 3,056 yards and 32 touchdowns and on five occasions he eclipsed 300 yards, while passing for over 200 on four others. And his team averaged over 41 points a game. For his effort Kempt was named 2nd Team All-Ohio.
Photo by Mark D. Smith, USA TODAY Sports
Following Massillon, Kyle made made his way to Oregon State and then to Hutchinson Community trying to find a home. But neither worked out. Eventually he was accepted at Iowa State as a non-scholarship walk-on. ISU head coach Matt Campbell, a former Massillon resident and Perry High School player, had recruited Kempt unsuccessfully while at Toledo, but now the two were finally united. After a year with the scout team, circumstances thrust Kempt into the starting role against Oklahoma in Game 5 and we all know how that went. Here are his stats for the five starts:
Oklahoma – Won 38-31. 18 of 24 for 343 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Kansas – Won 45-0. 13 of 20 for 122 yards and 1 touchdown.
Texas Tech – Won 30-13. 22 of 32 for 192 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Texas Christian – Won 14-7. 21 of 35 for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns.
West Virginia – Lost 20-16. 27 of 40 for 249 yards and 1 touchdown.
Total – 101 of 141 (72%) for 1,108 yards and 9 touchdowns.
With three games remaining, the Iowa State Cyclones are already bowl eligible and on the way to their best season in many years. Much of this has to do with Kyle Kempt’s steady and outstanding performance. Of course, let’s not forget Head Coach Matt Campbell. Best of luck to Massillon’s own, Kyle Kempt and Matt Campbell.
Massillon has advanced to the second round of the playoffs on the heels of a 28-23 victory over Boardman. The Tigers will now face Ashland (9-2), which defeated Columbus Mifflin in overtime, 48-47. The game will be held at Wooster High School’s football stadium next Friday at 7:30 pm. The stadium is billed as an 8,000 seat venue.
The Booster Club is offering bus transportation to the Ashland game at Wooster this Friday November 10. The bus tickets are $20 and do not include a game ticket. The bus will leave Towne Plaza at 5:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased at Keller’s Office Furniture or contact Bill Brown at (330) 704-2548 for further information.
MASSILLON Massillon threw the first punch. The Tigers threw the last one as well.
In between, they endured more than their share of body blows from a Boardman team that had no intention of letting its No. 7 seed define what kind of football team it really was. However, the final blow thrown by Massillon was enough to help it keep on playing, as it rallied for a 28-23 win in Friday’s Division II Region 7 quarterfinal at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
“You just keep swinging,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore, who picked up his first playoff win at the school, while ending the program’s three-game postseason losing streak.
Game action vs. Youngstown Boardman 2017
With just over nine minutes remaining, that streak looked like it may well be on its way to continuing. Boardman went in front 23-14 on quarterback Mike O’Horo’s 5-yard touchdown run with 9:19 left.
Then the Tiger offense, which had mustered just 50 total yards over its previous seven combined possessions, came alive. A passing game that had just 74 yards through three quarters exploded for 118 in the final 12 minutes.
On Massillon’s next two possessions after the Spartans opened up the two-score lead, it came up with touchdown passes from Aidan Longwell to Austin Kutcher, a 36-yarder with 8:40 remaining, and to Dean Clark, a 19-yarder with 5:46 left.
Kutscher’s catch, part of a seven-catch, 104-yard night, pulled the Tigers within 23-21. Clark’s catch — one play after he nearly pulled in a pass in the end zone — put Massillon ahead to stay.
“We had great practices all week,” said Moore, whose team will play Ashland in a regional semifinal next Friday at a site to be announced. “For some reason tonight, the shots weren’t falling. They just weren’t. But if you play hard and keep swinging, hopefully you have a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter. That’s what happens.”
Longwell, who was 6-of-9 for 118 yards with the two scores in the fourth, finished the game 13-of-25 for 192 yards with the two touchdowns and one interception.
Game action vs. Youngstown Boardman 2017
It took all of 16 seconds for Massillon to throw the first punch of the game. Tyree Broyles took the opening kickoff virtually untouched to the end zone for a 91-yard touchdown return and a 7-0 Tigers lead.
“We actually thought that if they kicked it to Tyree, that we would take it to the house,” Moore admitted.
It was a lead that lasted less than two-and-a-half minutes. After Jujuan Forte brought back the subsequent kickoff 55 yards to the Massillon 35, Boardman took a quick six plays to traverse that distance for the game-tying score.
Maurice Pickard did the honors for the Spartans, scoring on a 7-yard run with 9:22 left in the first quarter. Tommy Fryda’s point-after kick squared it at 7-7.
Massillon’s response was almost as fast as Boardman’s. The Tigers took all of 2:19 to go 57 yards in eight plays, with Jamir Thomas running it in from the Spartan 6 for a 14-7 lead after Klay Moll’s PAT kick with 6:56 remaining in the first quarter.
With three touchdowns in the first 5:04 of the game, it seemed like a shootout was on the way. Except that it would take just over 14 minutes of clock time — and six combined possessions between the two teams — before another score.
Boardman would end the scoring moratorium with an 8-yard touchdown run by O’Horo with 4:47 remaining in the first half. The Spartans, though, missed the PAT kick to keep the Tigers in front at 14-13.
Massillon, after scoring the first two times it touched the ball, was limited to just 60 yards on its final five first-half possessions. Boardman, meanwhile, was held to 50 yards on its four non-scoring drives in the first half.
Boardman would take the lead on the opening drive of the second half. Fryda’s 36-yard field goal just sneaked over the crossbar to cap a 14-play, 52-yard drive to make it 16-14 Spartans.
O’Horo’s 5-yard touchdown run with 9:19 remaining made it 23-14 Boardman. O’Horo finished with 48 rushing yards on 17 carries, while throwing for 89 yards while completing 12-of-21 passing.
Each week during the football season the staff of massillontigers.com will provide input of their choice related to the recent games or Massillon football in general.
One could point to any number of attributes that led to a Tiger victory over our arch rival Saturday. When you win by one point there are usually a number of areas that decides why one team wins and the other does not.
Our opponent was undisciplined and numerous penalties hurt their ability to compete. The Tigers had a distinct advantage in the passing game. The Tigers did not turn the ball over. Our Tigers possessed the ball. Jamir Thomas had forty-two carries. The Tigers were able to pass with some success while McKinley was held to just 25 yards. Klay Moll’s field goal provided just enough points to outscore McKinley.
All these items are currently in the past and our focus is now turned toward Youngstown Boardman. So, what can we bring forward from our win, to use as we take on this week’s opponent. The biggest attribute that we displayed last week that can be brought forward to this week’s game is the physicality with which our Tigers played. Being physical and playing with great energy will help bring home another win this Friday.
We as fans need to bring that energy in supporting our team. Massillon kids have always been able to feed off of the energy of our crowd. Bring your “A” game and help our Tigers play with that physicality that they displayed last week. Go Tigers beat Boardman. — GV
Massillon finished No. 2 in Region 7 and will host No. 7 Boardman this Friday at 7:30 pm in the first round of the playoffs. Boardman brings a 6-4 record into the fray with a signature win over Jackson (8-2) 39-36 coming in Week 3. The four losses followed a 3-0 start when their star running back was lost to an injury. Two losses were to undefeated Steubenville (41-21) and undefeated Canfield (17-7). The others were to 6-4 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (21-7) and 6-4 Austintown Fitch (28-7). While the Tigers bested Fitch 31-21, both teams own wins over Warren Harding by similar margins.
Offensively, the Spartans will aim to establish the run, something they have favored this year on 80% of the plays. They typically operate out of the spread formation, with a tight end and three receivers. The offense flows through quarterback Mike O’Horo, a 6′-1″, 200 lb. senior. Massilllon Coach Nate Moore calls him a “really good football player.” Expect O’Horo to carry the ball a majority of the time, occasionally using the read-option to set up his runs, something that gave that Tigers problems earlier in the season.. The featured running back is 5′-11″, 202 lb. senior Domonhic Jennings. He’s a strong runner, but not particularly fast, as compared to previous Tiger opponents. The offensive line averages 6′-1″ and all are between 240 and 250 lbs. Although this group comprises only two seniors, it’s the two juniors that have impressed Moore the most. The passing game is OK at best.
The line is the strength of the defense, which averages out at 6′-2″, 234 lbs. Although the linebacking corp is on the smaller side, the middle linebackers appear to play well. Expect a 4-4, cover-3 alignment, with 2-high in passing situations. Boardman will occasionally blitz, usually from the edge. Once again, it will be a chess match to see if the Tigers try to pound it out or take advantage of several mismatches in the passing game. – DE
Here are some interesting facts on the eight teams in Region 7:
Three teams qualified with 6-4 records, including New Albany, Boardman and Canal Winchester.
New Albany played the most D1 or D2 teams (10), followed by Canal Winchester (9) and Massillon (8), although it’s hard to call Ursuline or St. Vincent anything less than D2.
Massillon faced the most playoff teams (5), followed by Boardman (4) and Columbus Walnut Ridge (3).
Massillon played three private schools; Columbus Whitehall and Boardman played two each.
The most potent offenses belong to Ashland (37) and Columbus Mifflin (34). However, neither boasts of a strong schedule.
The best scoring defenses are Canal Winchester (16) and Walnut Ridge (17).
The biggest signature wins were Massillon over both Bedford (9-1) and Canton McKinley (8-2), Boardman over Jackson (8-2) and New Albany over Reynoldsburg (7-3).
Unexpected losses were both Licking Heights (6-4) and Big Walnut (4-6) over New Albany and Wooster (5-5) over Ashland.
Additional notes:
Had Warren Harding defeated Football North from Canada last week, Boardman would have moved to 5th in Region 7 and the Tigers would be playing Ashland this week.
Had Massillon been in Division 1, they would have ousted 9-1 Perry from the playoffs with the win over McKinley and traveled to Cleveland St. Ignatius for Round 1.
The Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club held its latest General meeting in the WHS media center on Monday 10/30/2017. Booster Club President Steve Berecek welcomed everyone and said it was a great week to be a Tiger. He informed everyone that at this week’s game vs. Boardman parking passes will be honored. Also there will be no fireworks or the Tiger balloon, but the tunnel can be used. He reported that the Freshman football team beat McKinley 21-6 this past Thursday.
Senior Board member Bill Dorman encouraged everyone to consider supporting the Massillon Museum levy (Issue 18). Also, President Berecek encouraged those in attendance to consider supporting the school renewal levy (Issue 43).
President Berecek then introduced Tiger Head Coach Nate Moore who was given a standing ovation. He enjoyed the past week’s festivities especially the parade and the post-game downtown victory celebration. He mentioned the great execution by the defense against McKinley.
Coach Moore brought Safeties Coach Dan Hackenbracht to the meeting. He commented on the McKinley game and said our defense tackled well. He also discussed the upcoming game vs. Boardman and answered questions from the audience.
Coach Moore then introduced two Senior football players: Captain WR/S #3 Austin Kutscher and Captain LB #1 Logan Anania who addressed the club on the McKinley game and the upcoming tournament game vs. Youngstown Boardman. They also answered several questions from the audience.
Coach Moore reviewed and commented on film clips from the McKinley game and then he reviewed Boardman game film and discussed their potential lineup. He also answered questions from the audience.
Final Announcements:
President Berecek informed those in attendance to embrace the moment, but we must look forward and stay focused.
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.
Tre’Von Morgan
“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.
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.
Tre’Von Morgan
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.
Jamir Thomas
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.
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.
History 
