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.
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.
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.
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.
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.'”
Game action vs. Akron St. Vincent St. Mary
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.”
Game action vs. Akron St. Vincent St. Mary
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.
Game action vs. Akron St. Vincent St. Mary
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.”
History 
