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Booster Club Meeting Report – Week 8

Report by Rick Dalsky, Booster Club Secretary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Announcements:

We have an important game this week.

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

Door prizes were announced.

Go Tigers!! Beat Akron St. Vincent!!

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2017: Massillon 35, Akron Firestone 6

Tigers bounce back, flatten Firestone

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

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

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

Game action vs. Akron Firestone

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

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

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

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

Game action vs. Akron Firestone

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

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

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

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

Game action vs. Akron Firestone

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

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

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

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

Game action vs. Akron Firestone

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

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

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

GAME STATS

Massillon Tigers Letter Logo Editorial

The Website Corner – Week 7

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

After the 49-35 defeat to Buffalo Canisius we as Tiger fans have to increase our support for our Tiger Team.  Some may not agree with me, but our young men do pick up on the mood of our community.  Therefore, we have to be unusually diligent in our preparation for the upcoming game against Akron Firestone.  It would be easy for we as fans to take the Falcon’s 3-4 record for granted and just expect an easy win.  This is not the case.  Canisius was able to stretch our defense with the combination of a good quarterback, a good running back and a couple of very good receivers.  Akron Firestone has an eerily similar combination of athletes.  They have a tall and athletic quarterback who can throw deep.  His name is Gavin Cornelius and he is 6’ 5” and weighs 220 lbs.  He is also very athletic.  They have a very good running back, Joshua Mitchell, who is 5’ 11” and weighs 170 lbs.  He is not big but he is very fast.  They also possess two 6’ 3” receivers who are 180 lbs.  They both have very good speed.  Their names are Lafeyette Johnson and Darshun Williams. — GV

Akron Firestone comes into Tiger Stadium on Friday with a 3-4 record.  Here are their results to date:

Wadsworth (7-0) 14-55 L
Copley (3-4) 0-42 L
Revere (2-5) 6-28 L
Toledo Scott (1-6) 26-12
Akron North (0-7) 41-6 W
Akron East (6-1) 0-31 L
Akron Kenmore-Garfield (0-7) 45-12

Although the Falcons are not a polished team like others the Tigers have faced this year, they do have some very skilled athletes in several positions.  Offensively, they return seven starters from last year, including 4 of 5 linemen and a pair of wide receivers.  Look for a lot of run/pass option plays, utilizing their strong-armed 6′-5″ quarterback and hard-running speed back.  They will also run some wildcat.  The line is on the smaller side and Massillon should match up well there.  According to Assistant Coach Craig McConnell, the Tigers need to accomplish three things this week on defense: get aligned right, do the job and TACKLE (30 missed tackles were recorded last week).  Defensively, Firestone will line up in in a 3-4 with a cover 4 secondary.  Four starters return, with three on the line.  Head Coach Nate Moore calls it a “good line.”  But Moore, who was extremely dissatisfied with the team’s performance against Canisius, emphasized that the Tigers must be good enough this week to beat the Massillon team of a week ago, regardless of the opponent this week. — DE

Here is a rundown of the Computer Rankings for Region 7:

  • No. 1 Columbus Walnut Ridge – In the playoffs.
  • No. 2 – Columbus Mifflin – Needs one win. HIghly likely.
  • No. 3 Massillon — Currently in the No. 3 spot, the Tigers may need a win over Firestone to assure themselves of a playoff spot.  An additional win is needed for a first-round home game.
  • No. 4 Ashland – Needs two wins.  Favored against Lexington and West Holmes
  • No. 5 New Albany – Needs two wins.  Favored against Big Walnut, Franklin Heights and Groveport.
  • No. 6 Canal Winchester – Needs three wins.  Favored against Franklin Heights, Newark and Big Walnut.
  • No. 7 Boardman – Needs two wins.  Remaining opponents are Youngstown Ursuline (2-5), Austintown Fitch (4-3) and Ashtabula Lakeside (4-3).
  • No. 8 Licking Heights – Needs two wins.  Favored against Watkins Memorial.  Needs to beat either Johnstown-Monroe (5-2) or Licking Valley (7-0).
  • Others in need of an upset or two include Columbus Whitehall-Yearling, Columbus Northland, Westerville South, North Canton, Worthington Kilbourne, Dublin Scioto, Wooster and Columbus Franklin Heights.
  • Click here for the computer rankings.
  • — DE
Massillon vs. McK - Throwback (Large) History

Timeless Rivals to Debut in Massillon

Timeless Rivals is a documentary film that chronicles the 120 year plus history of football’s greatest rivalry between the Massillon Tigers and the Canton McKinley Bulldogs. They have been playing since 1894. In that century and a quarter, many notable players, coaches and innovations have emerged.

The tag line is: Professional Roots. College Heroes. The Prep Battle that Shaped Football. These two schools have greatly impacted the modern game. It would not be the same without them. Two pro football hall of famers and ten college hall of famers have participated in the storied rivalry. Fourteen Super Bowl rings have been accumulated between Tiger and Bulldog players. Five McKinley or Massillon graduates have become NFL head coaches. In short, we export football.

The Timeless Rivals crew interviewed close to 50 players, coaches and fans. They will tell the tale of the games, the stories, the anecdotes that have shaped the rivalry and how the rivalry has, in turn, shaped football on all levels. If you played in this game, coached in this game or rooted for one of these teams, you are part of football history. We invite you to witness this great story.

Notable interviews include:

  1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, Head Coach
  2. John McVay, Former General Manager, SF 49ers
  3. Josh McDaniels, Offensive Coordinator, New England Patriots
  4. Bob Vogel, Baltimore Colts, All Pro, Super Bowls III & V
  5. Mark Thewes, Denver Broncos, Personnel Administration
  6. Mike Doss, Indianapolis Colts, player
  7. Mike Brown, Owner and President, Cincinnati Bengals
  8. Chris Spielman, Former Detroit Lions and Broadcaster
  9. Rick Spielman, General Manager, Minnesota Vikings
  10.  Jim Tressel, Former Ohio State Head Coach,
  11.  Earle Bruce, Former Ohio State Head Coach
  12.  Don Nehlen, Former West Virginia Head Coach
  13. Steve Luke, Green Bay Packers, player
  14. Jim Houston, All Pro, Cleveland Browns, NFL Champion, 1964
  15. Jon Kendle, Archivist, Pro Football Hall of Fame

Some others associated with the rivalry are: Professional Hall of Fame Inductees, Paul Brown, Marion Motley and Jim Thorpe, Percy Snow, Knute Rockne and Don James.

DVD’s are $20.00 each and will make great keepsakes and stocking stuffers this year. Go to our Timeless Rivals Facebook page to purchase copies through PayPal during or after our premiers Oct. 21-27.

https://www.facebook.com/TimelessRivals/

Film tickets are $20.00

Massillon’s Lions Lincoln Film dates and show times

Tickets $20.00 Please Call 1-800-838-3006 lionslincolntheatre.org      

Saturday              10/21     3:00pm and 7:00pm (team and band scheduled to be at the 3:00pm show ) reserved seating
Sunday 10/22     3:00pm and 7:00pm
Monday               10/23     7:00pm
Tuesday               10/24     7:00pm
Wednesday        10/25     7:00pm
Thursday             10/26     12:30pm and 3:30pm
Friday                    10/27     12:30pm and 3:30pm

Other Events happening…

Saturday              10/14     10:30 “Sports Time Machine, WHBC radio interview, Ted & Dave, Ray & Justin
Monday               10/16     11:30 PFHOF Luncheon Club, Ted and Dave guest speakers
Friday    10/27     9:00pm – 12:30am Timeless Rivals “After Party” Open to the public!! Come join the party!!
Saturday              10/28     2:00pm First MvM Game in the new Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium

 

Obie Logo (Large) News

Booster Club Meeting Report – Week 7

Report by Rick Dalsky, Booster Club Secretary

The seventh General Meeting of the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club was held in the Media Center of WHS on Monday 10/9/2017.  Booster Club President Steve Berecek welcomed all in attendance.  Steve made the following announcements:

Only one score from the week: 9th grade won vs. Louisville 28-0.

Props to former Tiger quarterback Kyle Kempt for his outstanding performance helping Iowa State upset Oklahoma.

Steve then introduced Dave Jingo and Ted Bowersox from the Timeless Rivals film.  They showed a trailer for the movie and briefly shared the rich history of the Massillon / McKinley rivalry.  They asked that those in attendance help spread the word about the movie.  It will be shown in Massillon at the Lincoln Theater and in Canton at the Palace Theater starting October 21, 2017.  Cost of a ticket is $20 and there will be a DVD available for $20.

President Berecek then introduced Coach Nate Moore who introduced two senior football players: Senior OL/DL Ty Kearns and Senior DB/WR Dyson Berry who addressed the club on the Canisius game and the upcoming game vs. Akron Firestone.  They also answered several questions from the audience and then left to finish their homework.

Coach Moore brought Defensive Coordinator Craig McConnell to the meeting. They reviewed and commented on film clips from the Canisius game and then they reviewed Akron Firestone game film and discussed their potential lineup and players.  They both answered many questions from the audience.

Final Announcement: everyone is invited to attend the Massillon Museum’s Expansion Groundbreaking (Paul Brown Museum) scheduled for this Thursday October 12, 2017.  Social at 5:00pm and Remarks and the ceremony at 5:45pm.

Door prizes were announced.

The next General Meeting of the Massillon Tiger Booster Club is scheduled for Monday October 16, 2017 at 7:00pm in the Media Center of WHS.  Memberships will be available at the door.

Go Tigers!! Beat Firestone!!`

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2017: Massillon 35, Buffalo Canisius NY 49

Canisius second-half burst ends Massillon’s streak

Chris Easterling – The Independent
Oct 06, 2017 10:59 PM

MASSILLON   Adversity had shown its face to Massillon before Friday night’s visit from New York reigning Catholic School state champion Canisius. However, not since the season opener had it bared its teeth as much as it did with the visitors from Buffalo in town.

Adversity didn’t just bare its teeth, though, at Massillon on Friday night. It took a big bite out of the Tigers, as Canisius snapped their five-game win streak with a 49-35 win at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

“It’s a team game,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said. “We win as a team and we lose as a team. We weren’t good enough tonight. We have to get better.”

Game action vs. Buffalo Cansius NY

Massillon managed to negate one two-touchdown deficit in the first half to tie the game at 21-21 at halftime. However, Canisius scored on its first four possessions of the second half to open up a 49-28 leas with 8:05 remaining.

Jamir Thomas’ fifth touchdown run of the night – a new program record – pulled the Tigers within 49-35 with 7:10 remaining. However, Massillon would fail to get any closer than that.

Thomas finished with 160 rushing yards on 36 carries on the night. He was forced to carry even more of the load when Zion Phifer, who had been sharing the running-back carries through the first six games, left in the second quarter with a knee injury.

Massillon also got a single-game receptions record from Austin Kutscher with 17 grabs for 208 yards. The rest of the Tiger receivers had a combined five catches for 89 yards.

Game action vs. Buffalo Cansius NY

Canisius, which is now 5-1, gained 220 of its 427 total yards on its first four second-half possessions. Quarterback Jayce Johnson threw a pair of second-half touchdowns – one to R.J. Barrett and one to Paul Woods – while rushing for a pair of short scores.

Johnson added a two-point conversion run as well. He was 12-of-19 passing for 220 yards, while rushing for 43 yards on 11 carries.

“I was really proud of the group,” Canisius coach Rich Robbins said. “There was some adversity tonight. There’s was a time where (Massillon) was scoring and it was tilting, and every time they were getting back in it, we responded and made some plays.”

The biggest deficit Massillon faced over its five-game win streak entering Friday’s game was two points. That came in the second quarter of the Week 5 win over Bedford, when the Tigers trailed 16-14 for about four-and-a-half minutes.

Friday night, Massillon found itself trailing by two touchdowns – at 21-7 – with just under eight minutes remaining in the second quarter. Joel Nicholas, who scored all three Canisius first-half touchdowns, ripped off a 40-yard run with multiple broken tackles included to provide the 14-point cushion at the 7:47 mark.

Just over seven minutes later, Thomas was scoring his third touchdown of the night for Massillon. That 1-yard plunge with 24 seconds remaining in the half, helped the Tigers square the game up at 21-21.

Thomas had given Massillon a 7-0 lead with a 7-yard run to close out the game’s opening drive. It was the seventh time in as many games the Tigers had scored on their first possession, and the sixth touchdown.

The junior running back also helped pull Massillon to within 21-14 with three minutes remaining in the half. Thomas, who rushes for 90 yards on 22 first-half carries, scored from two yards out.

In between Thomas’ first and second scores, though, Canisius would score on its first three possessions for the 21-7 lead. Nicholas would score on runs for 12, two and 40 yards to close out drives of 10, three and two plays.

Nicholas had 80 yards on nine carries.

“It was tough not having Kenyatta Huston against tonight,” Robbins said. “He’s a great player for us. But we’re real comfortable with Joel and Joe (Jamison, who led Canisius with 89 rushing yards). Joel had a bit of a coming-out party tonight.”

 

Game Stats

Massillon Tigers Letter Logo Editorial

The Website Corner – Week 6

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

Friday’s Tiger victory over Austintown Fitch was a total Tiger victory.  Our Tigers defeated Fitch 38 to 28.  The trip to Austintown was very satisfying as the Tiger Nation showed their best against a very good Austintown Fitch team.  Our players played with a world of heart and used all aspects of the game to bring home a victory.  The offense scored 38 points and used both a dominant running game and key pass completions to score and keep drives going.  The defense registered key stops to get the ball back for our offense.  Special teams played a key role in the game’s outcome, which was highlighted by a 39-yard Klay Moll field goal that provided the final margin of victory.  Our coaching staff deserves a lot of credit for the win.  They gave our Tigers a solid game plan and were instrumental in getting a large number of players on the field.  This showed as the Tigers dominated the fourth quarter.  Good job coaches. — GV

The Tiger Swing Band was the obvious superior band on the field that night.  Jason Neel’s group out performed their Austintown counterparts and provided great support to our team.  Good job Band. — GV

The Tigers will take a 5-1 record into Friday’s game against Canisius, a parochial school from Buffalo, New York.  The Crusaders, currently at 4-1, have a record of 50-7 over the past five years and were Catholic school champs in New York last year.  This year’s offense features quarterback Jayce Johnson, who stands 6′-5″, 205 lbs.  He doesn’t run much, but he has a big arm and a favorite target in Paul Woods, who has committed to Rutgers.  Running back duties fall to Kenyatta Huston, a 5’10’, 170 lb. speedsters, who has been clocked at 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash.  Woods will run behind a massive line that averages 6′-2″, 284 lbs.  The attack is balanced, although not flashy, preferring to beat teams with their edge in talent.  Defensively, the Crusaders also have good size on the line, averaging 6′-2″, 251 lbs.  They will line up mostly in an odd-front, but will occasionally switch to an even front.  The kicker normally places the ball deep in the end zone.  Classified as a Division 2 team using Ohio standards, Canisius has five players going both ways, something that could work in the Tigers’ favor.  “I feel really good about our matchups,” said Massillon coach Nate Moore.  “I have a lot of confidence in our kids,”  — DE

The weakness of Region 7 is really showing through, with just five of 27 teams sporting winning records.  Here is a rundown of where the contenders stand after six weeks:

  • Massillon — Currently in the No. 2 spot, the Tigers are a lock to make the playoffs.
  • Boardman — The Spartans have Warren, Ursuline, Fitch and Ashtabula Lakeside remaining on their schedule.  They need to win three of these games.
  • North Canton — The Vikings need to beat either Bishop Hartley (6-0) or Jackson (5-1), along with Lake and Green.
  • New Albany, Canal Winchester, Franklin Heights — New Albany and Winchester both have upcoming games against Franklin Heights.  All three should win their remaining games.  To qualify, New Albany needs to beat Franklin Heights.  Winchester also needs to beat Franklin Heights.  Franklin Heights needs to beat both New Albany and Winchester.
  • Ashland — The arrows need to beat a good Mansfield (5-1) team this week and then Wooster (3-3) in Week 10.
  • Westerville South — Needs to beat either Olentangy Liberty (4-2) or Olentangy Orange (6-0).
  • Worthington Kilbourne — Needs to beat Hilliard Darby (3-3) and Dublin Jerome (4-2).
  • Licking Heights — After the next two easy wins, Licking Heights needs to beat either Johnstown-Monroe (4-2) or Licking Valley (6-0).
  • Columbus Walnut Ridge — They are a lock.
  • Columbus Mifflin — Almost certain to make it in.
  • Click here for the computer rankings.
  • — DE
Obie Logo (Large) News

Booster Club Meeting Report – Week 6

Report by Rick Dalsky, Booster Club Secretary

The sixth General Meeting of the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club was held in the Media Center of WHS on Monday 10/2/2017.  Booster Club President Steve Berecek welcomed all in attendance.  Steve made the following announcements:

There was a moment of silence for the lives lost in the recent Las Vegas shootings.

Scores from the week: 8th grade won vs. Akron Buchtel 18-14, 9th grade lost vs. Fitch 16-0 and the JV won vs. Fitch 26-22.

President Berecek then introduced Coach Nate Moore who thanked Steve and the Booster Club for their continued assistance.  He then introduced two senior football players: Senior OL/DL Ty Kearns and Senior DB/WR Anthony Ballard who addressed the club on the Fitch game and the upcoming game vs. Canisius (Buffalo).  They also answered several questions from the audience.

Coach Moore reviewed and commented on film clips from the Fitch game and then he reviewed Canisius game film and discussed their potential lineup and players.  He also answered many questions from the audience.

Coach Moore brought Assistant Coach Dave Weber – Special Teams and Offensive Line Coach to the meeting.  He is excited to be back in Massillon and tries to share the great Massillon Tiger tradition and history with this year’s team. He also answered questions from the group.

Final Announcement: please support the Eagles 190 fall draw-down on 10/21/17.  Tickets are $50 and if you are interested please see Steve Berecek.

Door prizes were announced.

The next General Meeting of the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club is scheduled for Monday October 9, 2017 at 7:00pm in the Media Center of WHS.  Memberships will be available at the door. Go Tigers!! Beat Buffalo!!

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2017: Massillon 38 Austintown Fitch 28

Massillon ditches Fitch to keep roll going

Chris Easterling – The Independent

AUSTINTOWN There aren’t many places in which Massillon has played multiple games at where it can say it has accumulated a losing record over the years. The home of the Austintown Fitch Falcons, however, is one of those places.

Well, the proper verb tense would be the past tense of “was” now.

The Tigers went into Greenwood Chevrolet Falcon Stadium on Friday night and both evened their all-time record there while extending their 2017 win streak with a 38-28 victory over Fitch.

“We’re definitely proud of our guys tonight,” Massillon coach Nate Moore said. “They played hard tonight. It was a hard-fought victory.”

Game action vs. Austintown Fitch

The win, the fifth in a row for the Tigers, improves them to 5-1 on the season. Meanwhile, Massillon – which had lost its previous two trips to Fitch – is now 6-6 all-time in Austintown.

Like most trips to Fitch, the Tigers had to fight through their share of adversity. That started before the game even began with a scoreboard clock which didn’t operate, requiring the officials on the field to keep them abreast of the time.

“It was awful,” Moore said. “It’s not their fault; their scoreboard malfunctioned. It was difficult. We kept our own time on the sideline. We knew it wasn’t going to be perfect, but it was going to be a good estimate. The referees did a great job of communicating time to us. It was handled as well as it could possibly be handled.”

There was also a blocked punt which Fitch’s Mike Ferree recovered in the end zone for a touchdown to help the Falcons tie the game at 14-14 in the second quarter. That punt came at the end of a series in which Massillon was flagged for an offensive pass interference to put them well behind the chains.

It was one of only two times the Tigers – or either team, really – punted on the night. But it would the second of four times in which Fitch was able to tie the game, also matching Massillon at 7-7, 21-21 and 28-28.

Game action vs. Austintown Fitch

The Tigers, though, never had to play from behind. A big reason for that was a punishing offensive game plan which featured a whole lot of running the football with Jamir Thomas and Zion Phifer.

Thomas ran for a game-high 163 yards on 30 carries, while scoring touchdowns to give Massillon leads of 7-0, 14-7 and 28-21. Phifer added 92 yards on 21 carries and a score which gave the Tigers a 21-14 third-quarter lead.

“That’s pretty much the game plan,” said Moore, whose team ran for 254 yards on 52 carries in the game. “We used our offensive line that’s played really well. They played really well tonight.”

The go-ahead touchdown for Massillon, though, came through the air. Aidan Longwell found Tre’Von Morgan for a 12-yard touchdown with roughly 4:30 remaining for a 35-28 lead.

Longwell was 7-of-13 for 113 yards with the one score. Morgan had four of those catches for 78 yards.

Game action vs. Austintown Fitch

The Tigers would add a 39-yard field goal by Klay Moll with roughly two minutes remaining for a 10-point cushion. The field goal was set up by the lone turnover of the game, a fumble by Fitch which was returned 35 yards by Dyson Berry.

Fitch would remain in the game thanks to its own rushing attack, which gained 296 yards on 38 attempts. Ralph Fitzgerald’s 58-yard run on the Falcons’ second play tied the game at 7-7 and was part of his 107-yard rushing night.

However, the Falcons’ biggest threat was quarterback Joey Zielinski. Zielinski rushed for 106 of his 114 yards and both of his touchdowns in the second half.

“They’re a good football team that runs the ball well,” said Moore, whose team came up with four fourth-down stops, including three on their side of the 50. “That’s what they do. Their quarterback’s a middle linebacker, so throwing the football’s not going to be their thing. They’re a good team.”

 

Massillon Tigers Letter Logo Editorial

The Website Corner – Week 5

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

Chris Easterling’s game story refers to some big numbers put up by the Tiger’s offense.  When you score 56 points and gain 420 yards in total offense, you have put up some impressive numbers.  However, the most important numbers from the Bedford game may have been four and zero.  A four to zero turnover edge was huge in determining the ultimate winner of this game.  Zero turnovers in a game is the result of good coaching by our coaching staff and good execution by our Tiger’s.  We are going to need a good week of practice by our team to keep the zero turnover record  going.  So, let’s all get out to Austintown and support our team.  It’s going to take a total Tigertown effort. — GV

Last week we faced a team with a group of tremendous athletes. When you face a team like Bedford you know there are going to be the chance for big plays and scoring that happens quickly. We saw that on Friday night, but it was the Tigers who struck first. I was impressed with the game plan our coaches came up with offensively and the toughness of our defensive to handle their responsibilities as they have been coached. Forcing two early turnovers really helped this defense have a great confidence throughout the game.  Each week I like to point out a different aspect of our team that is growing and getting better. This week that honor goes to our offensive line. They are playing in the shadows of the 2016 team which had arguably one of the biggest offensive lines since the early 90’s. These guys are gritty, tough and fundamentally sound in their responsibilities. You can see the push each week they are getting for our running backs to get down field. Great job O-Line!  See you in Austintown! Beat  Fitch! — ES

We’re halfway through the season and Region 7 is starting to take shape.  These are the contenders as I see it and they may finish in this order: Licking Heights, Columbus Walnut Ridge, Massillon, New Albany, Ashland, Canal Winchester, Columbus Mifflin and Boardman.  Westerville South is about to get into the meat of its schedule and I see just one more win for them.  North Canton (2-3) has a tough road ahead with Perry (4-1), Jackson (4-1) and Columbus Bishop Hartley (4-1). The Vikings will need to win two of these games to overtake Boardman.  Worthington Kilbourne’s finishing schedule is also a killer.  Based on all of this, and barring any collapses, the final eight should be pretty well set.  Now it’s just a matter of the final placement. — DE

This Friday the Tigers will travel to Austintown to take on the Fitch Falcons, which currently stands at 3-2.  After dropping their first two games to Hudson (4-1) and Brunswick (3-2), the Falcons have rebounded against Louisville (1-4), Warren Harding (0-4) and Youngstown East (1-4), outscoring these three three teams by an average margin of 38-16.  Offensively, Fitch operates out of the spread formation, normally with a tight end on one side and trips to the other.  The run/pass ratio is 80:20.  The quarterback is new this year, having started at middle linebacker in 2016.  Passing is not his specialty, but he regularly puts up around 100 yards rushing per game.  Both running backs return and have good ability.  The line is undersized in some positions.  Defensively, look for a 3-3 odd stack, similar to what Cincinnati St. Xavier ran against Massillon in the 2005 state title game.  When the outside guys scoot in, the 8-man front can put a lot of pressure on the opposing offense.  Fitch will blitz more than 50% of the time.  The defensive line is smallish, averaging around 200 lbs.  According to Coach Moore the Falcons are very aggressive against the run and will present a good challenge.  The are well-coached, disciplined and play with good technique.  And they really play hard to make up for the lack of size. — DE