Tag: <span>Mike Doss</span>

Massillon vs. McK - Throwback (Large) History

1998: Massillon 20, Canton McKinley 42

Tigers aren’t satisfied, but have no option

By TODD PORTER
Repository sports writer

MASSILLON ‑ If you want to know how far the football program in Tigertown has to go, look no more than Saturday’s 42‑20 loss to McKinley.

Program Cover

No, not the score. In fact, the game was closer ‑much closer ‑ than it indicates. The Tigers out-gained the Bulldogs in every significant statistical category except points.

However, look at the attitude.

Since when did a 22‑point loss to McKinley become a moral victory in Massillon?

“We’re not going to take this laying down,” Massil­lon head coach Rick Shepas said. “It has taken McKinley a long time to get to where they’re at. It’s going to take us a long time to get to where we want to go. We’re not satisfied.”

Besides Shepas, the general consensus is Massillon played its best game of the season Saturday afternoon in front of 19,848. The Tigers still lost, but they gained some legitimacy, and probably sent a chill down Bulldog fans’ spines.

Massillon has come together to form ‑ of all things ‑ a team. The Tigers showed signs of that in the eighth week against Cincinnati Moeller, It was a game, like Saturday, that the Tigers lost in the sec­ond half. McKinley outscored Massillon 23‑3 in the second half.

This week, several Massillon players shaved their heads to capture the look of their clean‑shaven head coach. It was a good‑natured gesture.

It still took eight weeks for that bond to form. It took eight weeks for the players to believe in the system Shepas is running.

“I think it could have happened earlier in a lot of other places,” Shepas said. “But because there are so many people talking to our kids and in their ears, it takes longer for that bond to form.

Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1998

“I know our kids believe in the system here. With an off season that we didn’t have here last year … I wondered about that. (Former McKinley head coach) Thom McDaniels resigned early, so McKinley got an early hire.”

Shepas was not hired in Massillon until May 4. He was one of the last high school coaches hired in the state. He pressed together a coaching staff in a month. Consequently, Massillon needed the first half of the season to evaluate talent and see which players fit where.

Case in point is the quarterback position. Junior Dave Irwin spent more time leading the junior var­sity team than he did the varsity team this year. Yet, it was Irwin who had the most success. Saturday, he completed 65 percent of his passes and threw for 133 yards.
He may have broken a bone in his arm and was knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter. “I thought Dave played a helluva game,” Shepas said.

Nevertheless, Saturday’s loss was a morale victory for Massillon.

This is a team that finishes with a 4‑6 record. It is the Tigers’ worst record since 1931 and first losing season since 1966 (4‑5).

“That doesn’t bother me at all … not at all,” Shep­as said of the losing season and being one of just three Massillon head coaches with a record below .500 since 1931. “High school football isn’t always about winning and losing.

“We’ve had to take a lot of stands here I don’t par­ticularly appreciate. But they were the stands that are going to make us a better team down the road.”

If there is one good thing about this season for Shepas, it is the fact he saw a lot of players perform . Massillon may have the largest crop of returning let­termen next season.

“I want to make this clear to our people,” Shepas said. “It’s going to take a lot of time to go in the direction we want to go in. A lot of time.”

McKinley 12 7 8 15 42
Massillon 7 10 3 0 20

McK – Doss 3 run (kick failed)
Mass – Irwin 2 run (Marshall kick)
McK – Doss 2 run (Pass failed)
Mass – FG Marshall 23
McK ‑ Doss 32 run (Armatas kick)
Mass – Miller 2 run (Marshall kick)
Mass – FG Marshall 20
McK – Doss 73 run (Friedman pass from McDanields)
McK ‑ Doss 1 run (McDaniels run)
McK ‑ Chavers recovery of blocked punt (Armatas kick)

MASS McK
First downs 22 11
Rushes‑yards 47‑229 29‑205
Passing 188 116
Comp‑Att‑Int 20‑31‑0 5‑12-0
Return Yards 91 6
Punts Avg. 3‑22.7 4‑36.3
Fumbles-Lost 2-0 1-1
Penalties-Yards 7‑61 4‑30
Total play 80 41
Time of Possession 31:21 16:39

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING
Massillon:
Cleveland 22‑121,
Irwin 8‑36,
Lynn 6-34,
Wagner 1-1,
Miller 8-36,
Fichter 2-1.
McKinley:
Quincy 8‑45,
Doss 14-155,
Lucius 3-7,
McDaniels 4-(-2).

PASSING
Massillon:
Irwin 15‑23‑133-0‑0,
Fichter 5-8-55-0-0.
McKinley:
McDaniels 5-12-116-0-0.

RECEIVING
Massillon:
Lynn 7-66,
Radich 1-8,
Dorsey 5-50,
Price 4-49,
Allman 1-2,
Cleveland 2-13.
McKinley:
Friedman 1-28,
Hooks 3-65,
Lucius 1-23.

Pups finish off Tigers
wait till next year
Tigers seek respect;

By TODD PORTER
Repository sports writer

MASSILLON ‑ With a 4‑5 record, there was not much the Massillon Tigers could have gained by winning Saturday’s game against McKinley at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

Pride and a..500 record.

More importantly, respect was on the line.

That was one thing first‑year Tiger head coach Rick Shepas wanted for his program. It looked as if Massillon was going to get it when the Tigers took a 20‑19 lead with 3:20 to play in the third quarter.

However, breakdowns and costly penalties on both sides of the football erased any hopes of a Massillon upset. McKinley won the 105th game, 42‑20.

The final margin came when the Pups blocked a punt and fell on the ball in the end zone in the game’s final seconds.

When asked if the Tigers had earned respect, McKinley head coach Kerry Hodakievic said, “They played. well in the first half, anyway. We played our kind of football in the second half and we played well then.”

But no respect.

“We’re not going to get any respect until we win this game,” Massillon head coach Rick Shepas said. “What their coach says doesn’t matter. I’m not going to get caught up in saying things just because my town wants to hear them.”

The Tigers played their best game to date. They had a solid game plan and exposed many of the Bulldogs’ weaknesses. In fact, Massillon probably worried the Pups and scared their fans.

Massillon outgained McKinley 417‑321. It was the first time all season the Tigers gained more than 400 yards in total offense. They held the ball for 31:21, while McKinley had it for just 16:39. They doubled McKinley in first downs (22-11) and con­verted two field goal attempts.

The killer for the Tigers?

Penalties … again.

Massillon was penalized seven times for 61 yards, and most of them could not have come at worse times.

For example, a difference-­maker in the game came when Massillon quarterback Dave Irwin threw a strike to Joe Price. Irwin faked a reverse handoff to running back Marc Cleveland and Price left a McKinley defender wondering where he went. Price was wide open and Irwin delivered the ball for what appeared to be a 76‑yard touchdown.

Massillon was called for hold­ing, and Irwin may not have been able to throw the pass if not for the hold.

“I think we blow it open right there if we hit on that play,” Shepas said. “That was a big play. I really think the game is blown open.”

But it wasn’t. The Tigers con­tinued on the drive and place ­kicker Brett Marshall was able to muster a field goal. But the Pups still led 12‑10.

Believe it or not, the Tigers committed a bigger penalty. With the score 27-20, the Massillon defense looked at if it were going to force McKinley to punt after just three plays.

On third‑and‑8 from the McKinley 32, Bulldog quarterback Ben McDaniels overthrew his receiver. It should have been fourth down. But a Massillon player pummeled McDaniel well after the play and McKin­ley had a first down. The Pups went on to score and take a 35-20 lead.

“I didn’t get to see the play, but I’m sure it was the right call,” Shepas said. “The officials called a great game in a big game like this.”

Shepas was left to ponder what might have been.

“There was no pressure on us,” he said. “We had nothing to lose before today.”

The Massillon program may have gained some legitimacy for the first time all year. Maybe the Tigers made believers out of some.

The one thing they still lack is respect.

“We’re not going to take this laying down,” Shepas said.

They still have a lot left to gain.


Marc Cleveland

Massillon vs. McK - Throwback (Large) History

1997: Massillon 14, Canton McKinley 27

PUPS TOO TOUGH

Tigers make it a game, but McKinley prevails

Tigers throw scare into dogs with second-half turnaround

By JOE SHAHEEN
Independent Sports Editor

It started as if a rout was the order of the day. It ended with the Massillon Tigers giv­ing the McKinley Bulldogs a bit of a scare before succumb­ing 27‑14 in the 104th meeting between the two Ohio high school football giants in front of a full house at Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium in Canton this afternoon.

Program Cover

The Tigers went one‑two-­three punt on each of their first three possessions, while McKinley put together scor­ing drives of 4, 11 and 11 plays to jump to a 21‑0 lead early in the second quarter. At that point, the Bulldogs seemed very deserving of their No. 1 rating in USA Today’s national high school rankings.

But a funny thing happened to the Pups on their way to a blowout. Massillon’s out­manned Tigers, riding the grit and savvy of quarterback Tip Danzy, the hard running of fullback Dave Hodgson and a defense that wouldn’t quit when it was down, made it a game and then some.

“The kids came back and we made a few adjustments at halftime,” said Tigers coach Jack Rose. “I told them a less­er team would have thrown in the towel when it was 27‑7 at halftime and get blown out.

“There’s no quit in these young men. They carne out in the second half and played their hearts out.”

McKinley bench boss Thom McDaniels did not want to hear any talk of his team let­ting down after building a three touchdown lead at the intermission.

Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1997

“I don’t think we let down,” he said. “I think we got a little sloppy in the second half. I think our execution dimin­ished, but I don’t think there was any kind of a conscious letdown. We just didn’t play as well.

“The team on the other side of the field was good. Again, you have to maintain concen­tration and try to execute for 48 minutes. We had our lapses primarily with penalties we had some really inoppor­tune penalties.”

The Tigers got excellent field position when Julian Miller returned the opening kickoff to the Tiger 44, but three plays and just two yards later were forced to punt. McKinley took over at its 45 after an 18 yard return by Fred Wilcox.

On third‑and‑six from the 49, Ben McDaniels found Matt Curry on a short slant pattern, and Curry did the rest, sprinting across the grain to the Tiger 26. On the next play, DeMarlo Rozier took a pitch around left end and outran the Massillon defense to the end zone. Phil Armatas’ conver­sion kick made it 7‑0 McKinley at 9:22 of the first period.

Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1997

Once again Miller ‑ and a facemask penalty on the Pups ‑ gave the Tigers good field position at their 45. But Massillon could pick up just five yards in three snaps and were forced to punt.

Rozier got the ball on the first four snaps of McKinley’s second possession, as the Bulldogs moved from their 29 to just beyond midfield. Then McDaniels bootlegged left and hit Wilcox for 22 yards to the Tigers 26. Rozier again got the ball on four consecutive snaps, setting up second and goal at the Massillon 8. McDaniels scrambled for five yards to the 3, before Isaiah Robinson found a small hole over right guard and scored the second TD of the game.

Armatas was again true with the PAT and McKinley, led 14‑0 at 2:59 of the first quarter.

McKinley’s third touch­down drive again followed a Massillon punt and began at its 41. A third down roughing the passer penalty gave the march life at the Tigers 40. On third and four from the 34, Rozier ripped off a nine‑yard gain over left guard for a first down at the 25.

McDaniels hooked up with Curry for 11 yards to the 16 and three plays later Rozier burst through a hole over his right guard and into the end zone from seven yards out. Armatas capped off the 11­play drive with the PAT at 9:33 of the second quarter to make it 21‑0 and McKinley fans were ready to party.

It looked like they’d get their chance after Massillon again couldn’t move the foot­ball and was forced to punt from its 18. But Josh Hill turned the game around by slicing through the McKinley offensive line to nail Richard Bradley for an 11‑yard loss on a sweep play. Josh Kreider forced McKinley to punt by bringing Bradley down in the open field after he snared a McDaniels third‑down pass in the flat.

“What happened defensive­ly is we finally adapted to their speed,” explained Rose. “Initially we were taken aback a little. They have such great speed and it is difficult to simulate that in practice. Once we got in the flow a little bit, we did better.”

Massillon took over at its 27 after McKinley punted. Hodgson got the ball on four straight plays and picked up 25 yards, including 13 on a draw play that moved the ball to the McKinley 48. On third and 10, Danzy dropped back to pass, saw a seam open up in the middle, and took off for an 11-yard gain and a first down.

Then Danzy found Andy Cocklin on the right sideline for 16 yards. A late hit flag on McKinley moved the ball to the 10. After a first down play lost four yards, Danzy again dropped back and again saw the red sea of Bulldogs jer­seys part. He never hesitated, sprinting 14 yards to paydirt and Massillon was on the board at 21‑7 with 2:37 left in the half.

The rejuvenated Massillon defense stopped McKinley after a couple first downs and forced the punt. But Massillon couldn’t move the football either and was forced to punt from its 24 with under :30 left in the half.

Les Thompson broke through the Tigers blocking scheme and blocked Luke Shilling’s kick. Robinson scooped up the ball at the 15 and raced to the end zone for the back breaking touchdown. A missed PAT made it 27‑7 at halftime.

“The last thing we wanted was to fall behind by three touchdowns to this team,” Rose said. “I said that earlier in the week.

“The blocked punt really hurt, but we had a couple plays there that if we would have executed them, we wouldn’t be punting. In a big game like this, you have to execute every time and we had a few plays where we did­n’t get the job done.”

Massillon stuffed McKinley on the Bulldogs first posses­sion of the second half. The Tigers then moved from their 33 to McKinley’s 30, where they faced a pivotal fourth-­and‑one. But the option blew up in their face for a seven­ yard loss and a scoring oppor­tunity went by the wayside.

McKinley’s next two series’ ended in a punt and a missed field goal, the latter setting the Tigers up at their own 20. After Massillon gained a first down at the 31, Hodgson raced 18 yards on a draw play and a personal foul on McKinley moved the ball into Bulldog territory at the 42. On third and seven from the 39, Danzy rolled left, then scram­bled back to the right and finally found Christian Morgan over the middle for a 21‑yard gain to the 18.

Hodgson again made the Pups pay for their over‑pur­suit by grinding out 12 yards on the draw to the McKinley 5. One play later, Danzy rolled left and completed a pass to Neil Buckosh in the end zone for the touchdown. Josh Hose was true with the PAT kick and it was McKinley 27, Massillon 14 with 10:37 to play.

The Massillon defense, smelling blood now, again shut down the McKinley attack on three plays to force a punt that Kreider fair caught at the Tiger 34. On third and four from the 40, Danzy and Hodgson executed the shovel pass to perfection to pick up 15 yards to the Bulldogs 45 and the locals were rolling.

Danzy dropped back to throw on second and seven. Tyrie Clifford made a twisting grab of the wounded duck at the McKinley 8 and the Bulldogs faithful were con­cerned.

But the Tigers failed to exe­cute a handoff following an audible on the next snap and McKinley’s Mike Doss came up with the fumble to quell the threat and effectively secure a perfect 10‑0 regular season for the Pups.

Again the Tigers could have rolled over. There was still nearly seven minutes to play in the contest and the Bulldogs would’ve loved noth­ing more than to tack on another touchdown, just for celebration purposes.

But the Massillon defense stood tall and gave the offense another shot in the waning moments. Danzy was standing in the pocket still pitching at the final gun, not willing to concede anything, even in defeat.

As the Tigers trudged off the field, there was no griping from the Massillon fans. Just thank‑yous for making a game against the nation’s top ranked high school football team.

“I’ve got to give our fans a lot of credit,” Rose concluded. “They hung in there with us today the entire time. The team appreciated that and I did, too. The fans were a great help in this.”

McKinley 27, Massillon 14
Massilion McKinley
First downs rushing 9 9
First downs passing 6 5
First downs by penalty 0 3
total first downs 15 17
rushing yards 146 183
passing Yards 151 134
total offense 297 317
passing attempts 31 23
completions 15 13
touchdown passes 1 0
interceptions 1 0
punts 6 6
punting average 26.3 37.5
fumbles 5 2
fumbles lost 2 0
Penalties 5 8
yards penalized 57 86

QUARTER SCORES 1 2 3 4
Massillon 0 7 0 7 14
McKinley 14 13 0 0 27

Massillon rushing:
Morgan 5‑0
Hodgson 18‑109
Danzy 8‑26
Spicer 1-11
McKinley rushing:
Rozier 23‑141
McDaniels 4‑12
Robinson 2 6
Doss 3‑3
Bradley 8‑21
Massillon passing:
Danzy 15‑31 151 yards 1 TD,
McKinley Passing:
McDanels 13‑23 134 yards

Massillon receiving:
Morgan 4‑34
Venables 1‑4
Cocklin 2‑19
Hodgson 3‑25
Clifford 4‑64
Buckush 1‑5
McKinley receiving:
Curry 6‑83
Rozier 3‑25
Wilcox 1‑22
Bradley 1‑3
Robinson 1‑(2)
Lucrus 1 3


Jared Stefanko