Tag: <span>Jeremy Geier</span>

History

2009: Massillon 10, Twinsburg 7

Geier’s kick lifts Massillon past Twinsburg

By CHRIS EASTERLING
The Independent

CANTON, OH – It was as good a time as any for Jeremy Geier to attempt – and hit – the longest field goal of his two-year Massillon Tiger career.

With the score tied and 28 seconds showing on the clock Saturday night, Geier connected on a 40-yard field goal to lift Massillon past Twinsburg 10-7 in a Division I regional semifinal in front of 7,621 fans at Fawcett Stadium.

“It couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Geier, whose previous career long – both for an attempted and a made field goal – was 39 yards. “That was awesome.”

The win sends Massillon, now 9-3, to the regional championship game for the first time since 2005. Standing in the Tigers’ path is archrival McKinley, which is 8-4 after routing GlenOak 48-7 earlier Saturday afternoon at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

The fifth playoff meeting between the two rivals will be held at the University of Akron’s new InfoCision Stadium. The previous four playoff meetings were all at the Rubber Bowl. It wasn’t nearly as easy for the Tigers to earn their rematch with the Bulldogs, who won the regular-season meeting 35-21 at Fawcett Stadium. In fact, Massillon found itself in a dogfight with another group of Tigers – these from Twinsburg – for almost 48 solid minutes.

“I can’t say enough about the character of this team and the way they handle adversity,” Massillon coach Jason Hall said. “They never give up. You think they’re down, and they just keep fighting. It’s a bunch of fighters. I’m just proud of these kids. I’m happy to be a small part of it.”

The only scoring prior to Geier’s field goal was a touchdown pass for each team. Twinsburg’s came on a 38-yard screen pass from Andrew Collier to Dion Johnson with 3:39 left in the first half for a 7-0 lead, while Massillon matched that with a 41-yard strike from Robert Partridge to Devin Smith with 8:46 remaining in the third quarter.
While both teams’ touchdowns came through the air, it was the running games for both which really set the tone. Twinsburg rushed for 216 yards, while Massillon gained 140 on the ground.

For Massillon, much of that rushing total came in the second half, when it made a concerted effort to utilize its size advantage up front with a variety of unbalanced looks to pound the ball against Twinsburg. The biggest benefactor was Jake Reiman, who had 19 of his game-high 26 carries and 78 of his game – and career – high 125 yards in the second half.

“I couldn’t have done it without my line or my fullback,” Reiman said. “They block their (butts) off today. … I’m just glad I got my opportunity and I’m trying to do the best I can with it.”

Both teams had plenty of chances to add to their totals. All eight of Massillon’s possessions in the game had at least two snaps on Twinsburg’s side of the 50, including a pair of drives – beyond the Tigers’ two scoring drives – which moved inside the Twinsburg 30.

But Massillon turned the ball over three times on Twinsburg’s side of the field, including a pair of interceptions, one of which came in the end zone.

“It wasn’t pretty,” Hall said. “It was not pretty. We made mistakes and I said it at halftime, we were killing ourselves. It wasn’t like they were smashing us at the line with a lot of negative plays. We killed ourselves.”

Twinsburg had its chances as well. The Summit County edition of the Tigers had seven of their nine possessions reach the Massillon side of the field, including three drives inside the Massillon 30.

Two of those drives were turned away by fourth-down stands by Massillon, and another was squelched when Bo Grunder got the first of his two interceptions on the night. Grunder also put the final nail in the Twinsburg coffin with a pick with 17 seconds left.

Twinsburg also had an 83-yard touchdown pass late in the first half negated by a holding penalty.

“This is the same problem we had last year against Hoover (in the second round of the playoffs),” said Twinsburg coach Mark Solis, whose team bows out in the second round for the second straight year, this time at 10-2. “I have to go back and work my (butt) off as a coach and figure it out. We have to do a better job when we get down in the red zone. What it is, when we get down there and people put pressure on us, we don’t handle it
well.”

GAME STATS

Massillon 10
Twinsburg 7

Massillon 00 00 07 03 10
Twinsburg 00 07 00 00 07

SCORING SUMMARY
T – Johnson 38 pass from Collier (Russell kick)
M – Smith 41 pass from Partridge (Geier kick)
M – FG Geier 40

Mas Twi
First downs 20 17
Rushes-yards 34-140 37-216
Comp-Att-Int 13-27-2 12-22-2
Passing yards 226 132
Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-0
Penalty yards 7-48 6-50
Records 9-3 10-2
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing:
Massillon – Reiman 26-125; Nalbach 3-14.
Twinsburg – Nero 7-95; Johnson 15-65; Collier 12-43; Hiller 3-
13.
Passing:
Massillon – Partridge 13-27-226 TD, 2 INTs.
Twinsburg – Collier 12-22-132 TD, 2 INTs.
Receiving:
Massillon – Olack 4-104; Smith 4-64 TD; Grunder 4-41; Allman 1-
17.
Twinsburg – Johnson 3-56 TD; Comar 3-30; Nero 3-24; Grant 2-16;
Francisco 1-6.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2009: Massillon 44, Akron Garfield 13

Tigers roll to fifth-straight victory, face Iggy next

CHRIS EASTERLING
The Independent

A bit of the killer instinct the Massillon Tigers showed in their first two games returned on Friday night, and not a moment too soon.

Massillon jumped out early and kept on scoring, sending Garfield to a 44-13 defeat in front of 6,995 fans at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The Tigers held a 34-7 lead, their biggest halftime margin to date, and opened the season 5-0 for the first time since 2005.

“I thought it was good,” Massillon coach Jason Hall said. “We changed the tempo up in practice this week, and I let them know that this week was about attitude and getting back after it. Our kids responded well. We’re getting better. That’s the key.”

But the preliminaries have concluded now for Massillon. Next up for the Tigers is a Saturday trip to Byers Field to take on the undefeated reigning Division I state champions and current No. 1-ranked team in Ohio, St. Ignatius.

The Tigers certainly tuned up for that showdown with the Wildcats against Garfield. In doing so, they returned to the form they displayed in wins over Buchtel and GlenOak, when they jumped in front of those two opponents 42-7 and 35-3.

That kind of start hadn’t been seen over the previous two weeks, as the Tigers dealt with choppy opening halves in eventual double-digit wins over Stow and Firestone. But it was there for Massillon against the Golden Rams, who are now 2-3.

Massillon scored on all four first-quarter drives, jumping on top 24-7 by the end of the quarter. The Tigers also picked up the tempo during the quarter by going to a quick count at times, especially on the first drive of the game.

“We came out ready to play,” Hall said. “We changed the tempo up a little bit.” The star of the first three drives was Alex Winters. The sophomore tailback registered his fourth 100-yard rushing game before the contest was even 10 minutes old, gaining 120 of his 121 net rushing yards on eight first-half carries.

“He, just like everybody else, is getting better every week,” Hall said. “He’s learning a lot. He’s taking it in like a sponge. He’s a doer. He just works hard.”

Winters had a touchdown run of 13 yards to put the Tigers up 7-0 – following the Jeremy Geier point after – just 1:03 into the game. He added a 25-yard scoring jaunt with 6:14 left in the quarter for a 14-0 lead.After Garfield cut it to 14-7 on a 56-yard run by Tyson Gulley, Winters provided Massillon’s answer, ripping off a 70-yard run for a 21-7 edge with 3:55 left in the first quarter.

The next two Tiger drives reached the Golden Rams’ red zone, but could only generate a pair of Geier field goals of 39 and 35 yards. The last came with 5:52 left in the half, giving Massillon a 27-7 lead.

Massillon tacked on a 19-yard Robert Partridge-to-Devin Smith touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining in the half for a 34-7 lead.

Garfield missed on a couple of potential scoring opportunities in the first half, reaching inside the Tiger 25 twice. One would end a yard short on fourth down, while Bo Grunder’s interception – the first of three on the night for the senior – in the end zone squelched another one. Grunder came up with a second takeaway on a fumble recovery at the Ram 19 to set up Smith’s touchdown.

“That’s why he’s got some offers himself,” Hall said of Grunder. “He’s a gritty kid. He’s tough.” The Golden Rams did capitalize on a drive into Massillon territory on the first possession of the second half, as Gulley – who rushed for 179 yards in the game – punched it in from 4-yards out to cut it to 34-14 with just under six minutes left. But Geier’s 25-yard field goal on the subsequent Tiger possession took away much of the Rams’ momentum as it gave Massillon a 37-13 lead. Mikal Mayle added an 8-yard run late for the Tigers.

GAME STATS

Massillon 44
Garfield 13

Garfield 07 00 06 00 13
Massillon 24 10 03 07 44

SCORING SUMMARY
M – Winters 13 run (Geier kick)
M – Winters 25 run (Geier kick)
G – Ty. Gulley 66 run (Martin kick)
M – Winters 70 run (Geier kick)
M – FG Geier 39
M – FG Geier 35
M – Smith 19 pass from Partridge (Geier kick)
G – Ty. Gulley 4 run (Kick failed)
M – FG Geier 25
M – Mayle 8 run (Geier kick)
Gar Mas
First downs 18 23
Rushes-yards 55-313 33-206
Comp-Att-Int 0-7-3 14-25-0
Passing yards 0 263
Fumbles-lost 2-2 0-0
Penalties-yards 6-50 9-80
Records 2-3 5-0
Individual leaders
Rushing:
Massillon – Winters 19-121 3 TDs.
Garfield – Ty. Gulley 17-166 2 TDs.
Passing:
Massillon – Partridge 13-23-243 TD.
Garfield – Hoisten 0-5-0 3 INTs; Ty, Gulley 0-1-0.
Receiving:
Massillon – Olack 5-93; Smith 5-79 TD; Grunder 2-55; Winters 1-16.
Garfield – N/A.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2009: Massillon 31, Stow 14

Tigers continue hot streak on the road

CHRIS EASTERLING
The Independent

In their first two games, the Massillon Tigers were able to run out to big early leads, then found themselves watching as their opponents put a score on the board right before halftime to steal some momentum.

On Friday night at Stow, the Tigers didn’t get off to the fast start they have been noted for. However, they did steal a tric from their first two opponents in taking the momentum right before the half.

Two touchdowns in the last half of the second quarter broke open a tie game and carried Massillon to a 31-14 victory over the winless Bulldogs in front of more than 5,000 at Bulldog Stadium.

“I thought our kids kept fighting through it and fighting through it,” Tiger coach Jason Hall said. “We score the last
series of the first half and the first series of the second half. … I thought we were the better team coming in, but you have to play the game. They made us earn our points tonight.”

Massillon’s offense sputtered and struggled to get into any rhythm early, but the Tigers were able to shift it into the gear they needed in order to improve to 3-0. After the Tigers finished the first half strong they continued a season-long trend of roaring out of the locker room as they scored on their first drive of the second half for a 28-7 lead less than three minutes into the third quarter.

“I thought their kids came out ready to play,” Hall said. “They were trying to match up personnel on and off the field. We really weren’t clicking very well. I have to hand it to our kids. This is the first time they’ve really had to handle adversity.”

The Tigers were sitting pretty less than two minutes into the game. Tyler Miller stepped in front of a Bulldog aerial and intercepted it, returning it 39 yards to the Stow 13.

After two plays netted no yards, Alex Winters rushed it in from the 13 to give the Tigers the early edge. Jeremy Geier’s point after made it 7-0 just 2:16 into the game.

Both teams spun their wheels for the remainder of the first quarter, but the Tigers began marching to open the second quarter, reaching the Stow 40. But a holding call on a third down play pushed the ball back to the Bulldog 48. Stow’s Niko Diamantopoulis then stepped in front of an errant screen pass and returned it to the Massillon 10.

Boosted by the pick, John Markulis fought his way in on the first play of the next possession for the Bulldog score. Drew Horning’s PAT evened the score at 7-7 with 10:10 left until halftime.

That score proved to be a wake-up call for the Tigers, who would march 67 yards on 10 plays – aided by a Bulldog personal foul – to take a 14-7 lead when Robert Partridge hit Devin Smith on a 4-yard fade route for a
touchdown with 6:46 remaining until the half.

Stow would stun the Tigers with a 62-yard receiver pass from Kevin Podnar to Kevin Herman to take it to the Massillon 19, but penalties and a stout Tiger defense would limit the Bulldogs to a 44-yard field goal try which fell short.

Massillon took a 21-7 lead with 2:41 left in the second quarter when Partridge hit Smith on a 33-yard pass in which Smith managed to chop his feet in the back of the end zone for the catch. That capped a seven-play, 80-yard drive.

The Tigers took the second half kickoff and marched right down the field, with Smith taking a 36-yard catch-and-run to the Stow 1. Massillon made the score 28-7 on Partridge’s 1-yard quarterback keeper.

While Partridge’s score was not exactly a long burst, he did provide a lift to Massillon’s running game, rushing for 42 first-half yards on five carries. He finished 11-of-23 passing for 181 yards.

“I think Rob handled the adversity the best,” Hall said. “A couple of balls were here or there, or maybe a receiver didn’t run a great route, but we kept running our offense and eventually you saw it start clicking. That’s a sign of a good quarterback and that’s the sign of a veteran quarterback.”

Stow would march deep into Tiger territory on its second possession of the third quarter, reaching the Massillon 26. But for the second time in the game, the Bulldogs missed short on a 40-plus-yard field goal, this one from 43 yards.

The Tigers answered Stow’s failed scoring drive with a successful scoring drive of their own. They took a 31-7 lead on Geier’s 29-yard field goal with 9:44 left in the game.

Stow would score with five seconds left when Duane Mitchell hit Podnar on a 45-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-12.

GAME STATS

Massillon 31
Stow 14

Massillon 07 14 07 03 31
Stow 00 07 00 07 14

SCORING SUMMARY
M – Winters 13 run (Geier kick)
S – J. Markulis 10 run (Horning kick)
M – Smith 4 pass from Partridge (Geier kick)
M – Smith 33 pass from Partridge (Geier kick)
M – Partridge 1 run (Geier kick)
M – FG Geier 29
S – Podnar 45 pass from Mitchell (Horning kick)
Mas Sto
First downs 15 5
Rushes-yards 38-147 27-50
Comp-Att-Int 11-23-1 8-15-1
Passing yards 181 153
Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1
Penalty yards 5-40 5-35
Records 3-0 0-3
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing:
Massillon – Winter 26-103 TDs; Partridge 6-43.
Stow – J. Markulis 13-42 TD; Mitchell 13-7.
Passing:
Massillon – Partridge 11-23-181 2 TDs, INT.
Stow – Mitchell 7-14-91 TD, INT; Podnar 1-1-62.
Receiving:
Massillon – Smith 4-82 TDs; Grunder 3-38; Winters 2-19; Sheegog
1-22.
Stow – Herman 4-63; Podnar 2-54 TD; Ellesin 2-36.

History

2008: Massillon 30, Warren Harding 7

Tigers start streak at right time
Massillon improves to 5-3 with first victory at Harding in 22 years

By CHRIS EASTERLING
The Independent

Warren, OH –

The Massillon Tigers couldn’t have picked a better time to put together their first two-game winning streak of the season. And it didn’t hurt that they snapped a 22-year winless drought in the process.

With their playoff hopes riding on just about every game from here on out, the Tigers went into Warren’s Mollenkopf Stadium on Saturday night and emerged with a 30-7 win over the Warren Harding Raiders.

The victory marked the first time this season the Tigers – now 5-3 – have posted consecutive wins. They also won in Mollenkopf Stadium for the first time since 1986.

Massillon arrived in Warren knowing it needed a win to buoy its tenuous playoff position, as it entered the weekend ranked 13th in Division I Region 2. The exact effect the win over the 4-4 Raiders will have on the Tigers’ standing remains to be seen, but it certainly will provide a boost going into huge point games this Friday at 7-2 Mentor and in next week’s season finale against 5-3 McKinley.

“Everybody knew what we had to do,” said Tiger tailback/cornerback J.T. Turner, who rushed for a career-high 213 yards, while also intercepting a pass. “Every game from here on out is a playoff game. We just knew we had to go out here today and play a great game against a great team.”

The Tigers did just that, and did it in all three phases of the game – special teams, offense and defense.

It was Massillon’s special teams which helped stake it to a 10-0 first-quarter lead, thanks to a 30-yard Jeremy Geier field goal and a 62-yard Bo Grunder punt return for a score. Grunder’s punt return may have been the play which completely altered the game, although even Tiger coach Jason Hall admits he would have preferred the junior had gone about it a different way.

“It was a dumb play, actually,” Hall said. “That’s a situation where Bo was being a great athlete. But it was also a situation where it could have turned ugly. I know what Bo’s doing, and obviously it sparked us. I wasn’t mad at him, but I just told him he better never do it again.”

What Grunder did was wait for the punt to roll to a stop at the Tiger 38, then – with two Raider defenders around the ball – pick it up and start running up field. He then cut across the field at about the Warren 40 and raced untouched from there into the end zone for a touchdown with 4:43 left in the first quarter.

“I already knew it was a questionable call,” Grunder said. “It was a gutsy call, but it worked out. I’m glad I did it.”

The offense would take over from there, especially Turner, who surpassed his previous career best of 192 yards he set in Week Five against Garfield. He now has 946 rushing yards on the season with two games remaining.

“My line was creating great holes,” said Turner, who put the game away with fourth-quarter scoring runs of 2 and 38 yards. “It was open, so I took them. My offensive line rewarded me with touchdowns.”

But it wasn’t just running the ball where Turner did his part in lifting the Massillon offense. He also led the team in receiving with three catches for 57 yards – all on a second-quarter drive which gave the Tigers a 17-0 lead on an 8-yard Robert Partridge touchdown run.

Partridge had his best game by far at quarterback, completing 7-of-14 passes for 137 yards. His 58-yard strike to Grunder in the fourth quarter help set up Turner’s 2-yard scoring run.

The Tiger defense, meanwhile, was on top of its game from the very start, swarming the Raiders’ running game on seemingly every carry. Massillon limited Warren to just 48 rushing yards on 36 carries, almost daring the Raiders to put the ball in the air.

“We wanted their quarterback to beat us,” Hall said. “They really like to run the ball with the two athletes they have (Mike Dorsey and Aunre’ Davis). They’re good athletes, and we knew that coming in. Obviously we wanted to try to make them one-dimensional. To be honest with you, they made some plays passing. … But still, all in all, I thought we did a good job of not letting them really be consistent.”

Warren had few scoring opportunities, advancing inside the Tiger 30 just twice all evening. The Raiders reached the Massillon 19 in the first half, but was turned away on downs.

The Raiders did break into the scoring column with 7:30 remaining when Davis hit Sergio Allen in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-17 play. That momentarily cut the deficit to 17-7, although Massillon would score on its next two possessions to put the game away.

GAME STATS

Massillon 30,
Warren Harding 7
at Mollenkopf Stadium

Massillon 10 7 0 13 30
Warren Harding 0 0 0 7 7

SCORING SUMMARY
M – Geier 30 FG
M – Grunder 62 punt return (Geier kick)
M – Partridge 8 run (Geier kick)
WH – Allen 25 pass from Davis (Montecalvo kick)
M – Turner 2 run (Kick failed)
M – Turner 38 run (Geier kick)

Mas WH
First down 15 12
Rushes-yards 32-235 36-48
Comp-att.-int. 7-14-0 15-29-1
Passing yards 137 155
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalty yards 8-60 6-39

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing

Massillon:

Turner 20-213 2 TDs;

Grunder 1-13;

Partridge 4-11 TD;

Nalbach 2-5.

Warren Harding:

Dorsey 14-30;

Hymes 7-19;

Penman 2-6;

Taylor 1-2.

Passing

Massillon:

Partridge 7-14-137.

Warren Harding:

Davis 15-29-155 TD. INT.

Receiving

Massillon:

Turner 3-57;

Grunder 1-58;

Zimmerman 1-14;

Adkins 1-5.

Warren Harding:

Williamson 7-66;

Bruner 2-35;

Bland 2-265;

Allen 1-15 TD.

Records:

Massillon 5-3;

Warren Harding 4-4.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2008: Massillon 69, Brantford, Ont. Canada

Tigers bully Brantford
Massillon rebounds from Iggy loss with rout of Canadian foe

By CHRIS EASTERLIN
The Independent

MASSILLON, OH —

The phrase “Turnabout is fair play” rang loudly through Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on Friday night.

A week ago, the Massillon Tigers suffered through a 42-point loss to St. Ignatius. On Friday night, it was they who did the beating as the Tigers handed winless Brantford (Ont.) Collegiate an even worse loss, 69-7, in front of around 7,500 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

“We just ran our base stuff,” said Tiger coach Jason Hall, whose 4-3 team heads to Warren next Saturday to meet Warren Harding. “Obviously it’s nice to win after the way we played last week. Obviously, understanding the team that we’re playing you don’t know a lot about them. They came and they have a great coach and I thought for what they had, their kids were playing hard. We’re excited about winning. Obviously from here on out, every game is a playoff game for us.”

Seven days after trailing 49-0 at halftime, the Tigers walked into the locker room on Friday night with a 48-0 lead of their own. All this came after Massillon led just 10-0 after the first 12 minutes of play.

The teams played with a running clock after Massillon took a 55-0 lead 1:51 into the second half. Massillon held a 62-0 lead through three quarters.

“Before halftime, I kind of felt like, ‘Wow,’” said Tiger defensive lineman Joey Studer, who returned a fumble for a touchdown. “It just didn’t feel right at halftime that I wasn’t even playing any more. I was just sitting out.”

The Tigers had a different look to them on offense from the first time they took the field on offense. Robert Partridge made his first start at quarterback and completed 4-of-7 passes for 55 yards with a 33-yard touchdown to Michael Clark, who had started at the position for the first six games.

That touchdown made it 38-0 Tigers with 5:24 left in the first half. It was one of only five offensive touchdowns for Massillon, which finished with 362 yards on 43 plays.

Massillon also played the first half without the services of J.T. Turner, who was on the sidelines due to a team matter. Even with the game in hand at halftime, he did get in the game to start the third quarter on offense, rushing for a team-high 65 yards on three carries, including a 43-yard touchdown to make it 55-0.

“We had just an in-house situation,” Hall said. “Justin’s a great team player for us, and he understands what’s going on. Justin didn’t do anything that was crazy or anything out of the ordinary. We have team rules and policies, and as a captain and a senior, he understands them. There’s no issues with J.T. It’s done and gone. If you don’t have organization and structure and discipline, you can’t have a football team.”

Turner’s fill-in at cornerback, Tyler Miller, made up for his absence, intercepting a pair of passes. He returned the second one 23 yards for a touchdown and a 45-0 lead with 4:38 left in the half.

“I was just ready to play,” Miller said. “All of us are always coached to be ready to play. Coach Hall always says to be ready when a man goes down, so we have to be ready to do that.”

Miller’s interception was one of three defensive or special-team touchdowns Massillon scored in the first half. Bo Grunder also had a 60-yard punt return for a score and Studer had his fumble return for a score.

The Tigers forced five turnovers in the first half, converting four of those into scores. At one point, defensive lineman Tim Busson was able to literally take the handoff from the quarterback at the Brantford 26 for a turnover.

The Tigers added a 47-yard interception return for a score by Dannie Mack with 7:47 left in the third quarter to make it 62-0.

“It’s real important to get that, because it helps out the offense a lot,” Miller said. “It’s just easier on them.”

Brantford, which was limited to 55 total yards on 47 plays, finally broke into the scoring column with 2:08 left in the game. Kyle Giancola fought in from four yards out.

GAME STATS

Massillon 69
Brantford Collegiate 7

At Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
Brantford 00 00 00 07 07
Massillon 10 38 14 07 69

SCORING SUMMARY
M – Roberson 9 run (Geier kick)
M – Geier 31 FG
M – Grunder 60 punt return (Geier kick)
M – Partridge 7 run (Geier kick)
M – Studer 13 fumble return (Geier kick)
M – Clark 33 pass from Partridge (Geier kick)
M – T. Miller 23 interception return (Geier kick)
M – Silva 22 FG
M – Turner 43 run (Silva kick)
M – Mack 47 interception return (Silva kick)
M – Litman 1 run (Silva kick)
BC – Giancola 4 run (Dinsmore kick)

Bran Mass
First down 7 17
Rushes-yards 30-40 36-307
Comp-att.-int 4-17-4 4-7-0
Passing yards 15 55
Fumbles-lost 2-2 2-1
Penalty yards 10 60

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing:

Massillon – Turner 3-65 TD;

Roberson 5-53 TD,

Nalbach 9-47;

Reiman 3-29;

Haring 5-24;

Mattox 3-24;

Patterson 1-22;

Mack 2-22;

Litman 2-10 TD;

Olack 1-10;

Partridge 1-7 TD.

Brantford – Giancola 12-31 TD;

Rodgers 17-16.
Passing:

Massillon – Partridge 4-7-55 TD.

Brantford – Gibbons 3-11-16 2 INTs;

Kelly 1-6-(-1) 2 INTs.

Receiving:

Massillon – Clark 1-33 TD;

Zimmerman 1-15;

McCarthy 1-5;

Remark 1-2.

Brantford – Rodgers 2-1;

Archibald 1-9;

Bage 1-5.
Records:

Massillon 4-3;

Brantford 0-5.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2008: Massillon 45, Parma Normandy 14

Tigers vent in big victory
Massillon rolls up a 45-14 win over Parma Normandy

By CHRIS EASTERLING
The Independent

MASSILLON, OH —

An angry football team can be a dangerous football team. The Massillon Tigers were an angry team as they entered Paul Brown Tiger Stadium for Friday night’s game against Normandy – angry over last week’s last-second loss to Jordan (Utah), and angry at the memories of last year’s loss to the same Invaders they lined up against on this evening.

They took some of that anger out on the Invaders early on, building up a 21-0 second-quarter lead. While Normandy got within seven at halftime, Massillon regained its composure and pulled away for a 45-14 victory at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

“No. 1, last week we talked about getting that chip off our shoulder,” said Tiger coach Jason Hall, whose team takes a 2-1 record into next Friday’s game against reigning Division V state runner-up Ursuline at Youngstown State University. “No. 2, they had something prove from last year. I don’t think our kids thought they went up there and played their best game.”

Both defenses were forced to make stands in the first quarter. Normandy missed a 42-yard field goal after getting an interception on the first play of the game, while the Tigers missed 32-yard field goal of their own after their defensive stop.

Bo Grunder made sure the Tigers’ next defensive stand didn’t go to waste. After a three-and-out on Normandy’s second possession, he took the punt at his own 18, eventually cutting his way across the field and running all the way back for an 82-yard touchdown at the 1:24 mark of the first quarter for a 7-0 Tiger lead.

Tiger quarterback Michael Clark’s nifty running and sleight of hand helped Massillon get a 21-0 lead just 1:22 into the second quarter.

The first time, he perfectly executed a play fake to J.T. Turner on a jet sweep, only to keep it on the bootleg to the left and run virtually untouched for a 60-yard touchdown. The second one came when he ran for 33 yards after Grunder recovered a Normandy fumble at its 39, finally being brought down at the Invader 6.

“The defense, they have to watch for us to hand off to J.T.,” said Clark, who finished with 127 yards rushing in the game. “I think we had run that play earlier in the game and got 30 yards. They have to respect that. As soon as they do, you keep it.”

Turner took the next play the rest of the way for the Massillon touchdown at the 10:38 mark of the second quarter and a 21-0 lead.

But Normandy came to life after that score, grinding out two long scoring drives to make it 21-14 at halftime.

The first drive went 68 yards in seven plays, with Michael Louis scoring from 6- yards out at the 7:50 mark of the first half. The second one chewed up 81 yards on just six plays – one of which was a 61-yard run by Squirek – with Squirek doing the honors from 3-yards out with 3:31 left in the half.

Squirek was a bull for the Tiger defenders to deal with all night, rushing for 167 in 18 first-half carries alone. He finished the game with 207 yards on 26 carries.

“He was tough to take down,” Turner said. “He was a big dude. He was a load to bring down.”
Normandy came out of the locker room after the half and drove to the Tiger 20, but Spencer Leno dropped the Invaders for a 2-yard loss on fourth down. Boosted by the stop, Massillon hopped on the back of Turner on the next drive, moving 78 yards in eight plays – seven of those Turner runs – before the senior ran in from 3-yards out for a 28-14 Massillon lead with 3:55 left in the third.

Turner had 71 yards rushing on the drive, after gaining just 46 in the first half. He finished with his third straight 100-yard rushing game with 156 yards on 23 carries.

“I started catching cramps at halftime,” said Turner, who broke the game open with a 17-yard touchdown run on the final play of the third quarter for a 35-14 Tiger lead. “I took a few pills, drank some Gatorade and (Tiger assistant Elden) McVicker just told me to go out there and keep running hard.”

GAME STATS

Massillon 45
Normandy 14
At Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

Normandy 00 14 00 00 14
Massillon 07 14 07 10 45

SCORING SUMMARY
M – Grunder 82 punt return (Geier kick)
M – Clark 60 run (Geier kick)
M – Turner 6 run (Geier kick)
N – Louis 6 run (Cook kick)
N – Squirek 3 run (Coon kick)
M – Turner 3 run (Geier kick)
M – Turner 17 run (Geier kick)
M – Geier 30 FG
M – Partridge 7 run (Geier kick)

Nor Mas
First Downs 15 17
Rushes-Yds 54-323 41-309
Comp-Att-Int 1-9-0 4-12-1
Passing Yards 4 63
Fumbles-Lost 3-1 0-0
Penalty yards 44 25

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing:

Massillon

Turner 23-156 3 TDs;

Clark 8-127 TD;

Reiman 7-22;

Partridge 2-4 TD.

Normandy

Squirek 26-207 TD.

Passing:

Massillon

Clark 3-11-51 INT;

Partridge 1-1-12.

Normandy

Pierce 1-9-4.

Receiving:

Massillon

Price 1-32;

Adkins 1-12;

Gaines 1-10;

Grunder 1-9.

Normandy

Sala 1-4.

Records:

Massillon 2-1;

Normandy 1-2.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

2008: Massillon 45, Akron Buchtel 29

Tigers give Hall his first Grunder’s four TDs help Massillon pull away from Buchtel

By CHRIS EASTERLING
The Independent

MASSILLON, OH —

There were mistakes and turnovers; dropped passes and penalties. But at the end of Jason Hall’s first game as the Massillon head coach, there was also a win for the Tigers on Friday night.

While far from a clean opening-night performance, the Tigers were able to put together the plays when they had to in posting a 45-29 win over the Buchtel Griffins in front of about 8,000 fans at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

“We have to play better next week,” Hall said. “That’s what we talked to our kids about tonight. No. 1, we have to capitalize in the red zone and not make mistakes going in, and we have to make smart decisions coming out when we’re pinned deep.

“We just have to keep training our kids to be smart football players. We have to be more fundamentally sound when we have the ball. I thought our kids did a good job adjusting tonight.”

While there were plenty of things the Tigers will cringe about in the film session, one thing they won’t be grimacing over was the performance by Bo Grunder at receiver.

All the 5-foot-9, 159-pound Grunder did was catch four touchdown passes on five receptions on the night, for a total of 112 yards. He had scoring catches of 26, 40, 17 and 24 yards, the last which gave the Tigers a 38-15 lead.

“I never thought I’d score four TDs in a game, but I did,” Grunder said. “Me and (quarterback Michael) Clark connected. That’s going to be all season.”

Grunder also contributed on defense, picking off a pass on the goal line and also recovering a fumble on the first play of the season.

As for the guy throwing the ball to Grunder, Clark made the most of his first game action since Week Four of last season. He completed 10-of-18 passes for 170 yards and four touchdowns, as well as a pair of interceptions, one of which was returned 100 yards by Buchtel’s Tahj Dent for a touchdown.

“We’re all starting to get clicking,” Clark said. “The offensive line, everything. It’s just really coming together, and it’s going to lead to big things.”

However, for both teams, the turnovers were a major issue on this evening. Massillon turned it over three times, two of which lead to Buchtel scores. The last one – the Dent interception – was returned the length of the field for a score which cut the deficit to 17-15 with 9:46 left in the third quarter.

The Tiger defense, though, stiffened on the two-point conversion try, not allowing the Griffins to tie the score.

“Any time a team goes for two,” Hall said, “when you stop a team from going for two, you take away an instant chance to change momentum. They had a chance to tie, and they don’t, and momentum can shift just like that in high school football.”

It would begin to shift heavily to Massillon after that stop. The Tigers scored on consecutive drives for a 31-15 lead through three quarters, while the Griffins turned it over on consecutive drives to help set up that change in momentum.

Massillon finished the game by scoring on four of its last six possessions, with Clark adding a rushing touchdown to cap the Tiger scoring.

Buchtel wouldn’t go quietly, though, as Dent scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. The senior quarterback finished with 124 yards on the ground and a pair of scores, plus 136 yards through the air.

“The quarterback was quick,” Grunder said of Dent. “He had moves. We couldn’t wrap him up. He kept juking our linemen.”

The Tigers looked to start the game off with a bang. However, they spent much of the first quarter starting and stopping with the momentum, mostly stopping.

“It was our first game, so we were really excited,” Clark said. “I think we all stuck together.”

Their first possession – which started at the Griffin 34 – ended a yard short of picking up a first down. After taking a 7-0 lead on a 26-yard Clark-to-Grunder touchdown pass on their second possession, the next three times the Tigers touched the ball – literally – they gave it up to Buchtel.

An interception was brought back to the Tiger 4, which resulted in a 1-yard John Coleman touchdown run which evened the score at 7-7 following the PAT. The subsequent kickoff was fumbled at the Massillon 11, but the Tiger defense held on a fake field goal try.

The very next Tiger play, the Buchtel defense swooped in and stuffed the ball carrier in the end zone for a safety and a 9-7 Griffin lead.

But just as quickly as the first quarter changed to the second, the momentum moved to Massillon. Clark and Grunder hooked up for another long touchdown pass – this one for 40 yards – to give the Tigers the lead for good at 14-9.

Jeremy Geier capped Massillon’s next possession with a 26-yard field goal, the first of his career, to make it 17-9 with 48 ticks left on the first-half clock.

GAME STATS

Massillon 45
Buchtel 29
at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

Buchtel 9 0 6 14 29
Massillon 7 10 14 14 45

SCORING SUMMARY
M—Grunder 26 pass from Clark (Geier kick)
B—Coleman 1 run (Dent kick)
B—Kashrelle King safety
M—Grunder 40 pass from Clack (Geier kick)
M—Geier 26 field goal
B—Dent 100 interception return (rush failed)
M—Ivan 1 run (Geier kick)
M—Grunder 17 pass from Clark (Geier kick)
M—Grunder 24 pass from Clark (Geier kick)
B—Dent 35 run (Parker pass from Dent)
M—Clark 6 run (Silva kick)
B— Dent 8 run (pass failed)

Buchtel Mass
First Downs 12 21
Rushes-yards 35-126 46-254
Comp-Att-Int 9-23-2 10-18-2
Passing yards 136 170
Fumbles-Lost 4-3 1-1
Penalty yards 56 20

Individual statistics:
Rushing:

Massillon

Turner 22-140;

Reiman 4-46;

White 4-33;

Clark 8-26;

Roberson 3-7;

Patterson 2-4;

Ivan 3-2.

Buchtel

Dent 20-124.
Passing:

Massillon

Clark 10-18-170 4 TDs,INT

Buchtel

Dent 9-23-136 2 INTs..

Receiving:

Massillon

Grunder 5-112-4;

Turner 2-7;

Ivan 1-29;

Gaines 1-13;

Price 1-9.

Buchtel

Parker 3-54;

Lovelace 3-52.

Records

Massillon 1-0,

Buchtel 0-1.