Canton McKinley Bulldogs

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11/1/05


Doss Fires Up Alma Mater For Big Win


Mike Doss

By Bill Greene

Date: Oct 31, 2005

Ex-Buckeye safety Mike Doss was off this weekend as his Indianapolis Colts had a bye week, so he made the trip to check out his Canton McKinley Bulldogs play against Massillon in one of the biggest high school games of the year. Bill Greene has more.

Ten minutes before kickoff and the Canton McKinley locker room was deathly quiet. The coaches had gone over the game plan and now a familiar face was stepping forward to address the team. Mike Doss, former McKinley superstar now starring in the NFL, had returned home.
Doss is looked upon as a big brother to these McKinley players. I saw Doss speak to this team last year in a playoff win over Cleveland Glenville. He had a positive effect on that team and I was eager to see how Doss would speak to the Bulldogs today.
"This is my off week," Doss started to say. "Believe me there's no other place I'd rather be than with you guys today. My heart's beating as fast as yours. Remember back to the first time you saw McKinley play Massillon. Remember what you thought you would do if you got the chance to play in this game. Well, today is that day. This is your time. When I was your age, I remember watching Che Bryant play in this game and I remember Demarlo Rozier playing in this game. Maybe some of you remember seeing Mike Doss play in this game. Remember there's some young kid out there right now watching you play today. Today is your day. You've got three hours to lay it on the line out there. I'm just going to tell you what they tell me in the NFL. JUST WIN BABY."
Nobody wants to disappoint their big brother and these Bulldogs didn't disappoint Mike Doss in dominating the Tigers 38-8. Doss was on the sideline exhorting and encouraging the team the entire game along with former Bulldog and current Ohio State player Tyler Everett.
The Bulldogs saved their best performance for the biggest game. From the opening play the tone of the game was set by the offensive line, nicknamed "The Brute Squad." Anthony Robinson, Zach Slagle, Drew McIntyre, Tyrell McDonald and Jarrid Haywood opened up gaping holes allowing Morgan Williams to run for 239 yards and 4 touchdowns. Williams was quick to praise his line.
"Those guys are the best line in the state," said Williams. "I couldn't gain the yards without those guys. We wanted to come out and run the football. That was our plan."
As good as the McKinley offense played, their defense was better. D.C. Alexander was dominant on the line all afternoon. Alexander intercepted a pass, recovered a fumble, had a sack and helped control the Massillon running game led by junior running back Brian Gamble. Gamble was held to only 48 yards by the lightning quick Bulldog defense. Linebackers Ed Grimsley, Mike Kirksey and Jeff Vaughn ran to the football and arrived in a bad mood when they got there. Defensive backs Harriel Moore, Wil Sheeler, Mark Jackson and Brian Williams totally eliminated the Tiger passing game. For the ballgame the Tiger offense had only 120 total yards and basically was shut out, with the only Tiger score coming on an interception return by Troy Ellis.
The loss was a tough pill for the Tigers to swallow. They came into the game undefeated and featured wins over Cincinnati Elder, Cleveland St. Ignatius and Warren. It's been a great season for the Tigers under new coach Tom Stacy. A loss to McKinley is never easy to take but the Tigers are in the playoffs and have bounced back from two losing seasons to once again become a force in Ohio football. If both teams can manage two playoff wins, there will be a rematch in three weeks.
McKinley coach Brian Cross was quite proud of his team's performance on Saturday. Cross led the Bulldogs to the state title game in 2004, with the Bulldogs falling to Cincinnati Colerain.
"That score is not an indication of how tough that team is," said Cross. "We might keep winning and they probably will too, so we could meet them again. Our defensive game plan was to defend all their weapons. We wanted to eliminate any big plays and make them drive the length of the field. We really took away all the things they do well."
In the greatest rivalry in high school football there were many stars on the field. None shone brighter than McKinley junior D.C. Alexander. After the game Alexander spoke about his team's performance.
"I give all the credit to our defensive backs," said Alexander. "I knew I could take some chances because they were right behind me. They're our leaders and I think they were great."
"This is my first year playing against Massillon and I wanted to win so bad," said Alexander. "It's also my first year playing defensive end and I'm still learning. Our coaches are so good and they had us ready for anything Massillon did. I'm so happy I can't put it into words. I just want to keep this year going for the seniors."
If Saturday's performance is any indication, it appears these Bulldogs just might be able to grant Alexander his wish. It also helped that their "big brother" took time to come home and see his team play. On this day the McKinley Bulldogs took Mike Doss' words to heart and made him proud.

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11/1/05

Bulldogs driven to top spot


Hard-working McKinley goes 10-0, claims BJ Poll

By Tom Gaffney

Beacon Journal sports writer


Talent took Canton McKinley so far. Work ethic did the rest.

That combination helped propel the Bulldogs to an undefeated season, a first seed in the state playoffs and a No. 1 ranking in the final Beacon Journal poll announced today.

``We don't accept anything except the best from them (the players),'' McKinley coach Brian Cross told reporters Saturday after his club's 38-8 victory over archrival Massillon.

``There are times when we are extra hard on them and I am sure they don't like it. Today (Saturday), they can see why we do it.''

The 2005 Bulldogs lost superstar tailback Ryan Brinson, the leading rusher in school history, to graduation, from a team that lost to Cincinnati Colerain in the state title game last season.

But junior tailback Morgan Williams took over for Brinson and rushed for 1,935 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. Meanwhile, a defense that had seven returning starters allowed more than one touchdown in only one game.

The result was a perfect regular season in which the 10 victories came by an average score of 41-9.

McKinley will be attempting to avoid an emotional letdown Saturday in its first-round playoff game at home against Brunswick, which finished fifth in the final Beacon Journal poll.

``The 11th week of the season is always very difficult for us because our kids always get jacked up for Massillon,'' Cross said.

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11/5/05

McKinley set for state playoff

Saturday, November 5, 2005


By Chris Beaven REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER



CANTON - They saved the best for when it mattered the most a year ago.
Tonight, the McKinley Bulldogs see if they can duplicate that feat when they meet Brunswick in the first round of the state high school football playoffs. The Division I regional quarterfinal begins at 7:30 at Fawcett Stadium.
McKinley is 10-0, ranked No. 2 in the state, and full of confidence after beating previously undefeated Massillon, 38-8, last week. The Bulldogs, the state runner-up last year, are eager for another playoff run.
“They know what it’s like to get in the playoffs and play those types of games,” McKinley head coach Brian Cross said. “They’ve been in this type of atmosphere. ... It’s their goal to get back to the championship game.
“They have to take it one week at a time. They also know it’s final each week. If you lose, you’re done. There’s no next Saturday.”
The Bulldogs’ ability to handle that pressure keyed their playoff run last fall.
“When you’re playing during the season, there’s always next week,” Cross said. “You won’t have the next week unless they get this week. I believe last year they got better each game.”
The Bulldogs have shown improvement the last few weeks in beating their three strongest opponents — Jackson, North Canton and Massillon. They have been relatively loose all season. But in getting ready for Massillon, they buckled down for a strong week of practice. Cross does not expect that to change.
“Knowing the finality of it all will help them get ready,” Cross said.
McKinley played some of its finest football last week. Offensively, the Bulldogs put together long scoring dives and made big plays.
“It was gratifying because we hadn’t done that against a team with the defense of Massillon,” Cross said. “.... They executed the game plan.”
It began up front, with the offensive line playing “extremely well,” Cross said. That enabled tailback Morgan Williams to rush for 234 yards. McKinley also got its short passing game going, as quarterback Dan Grimsley was patient and accurate.
Defensively, McKinley allowed no offensive touchdowns and made Massillon’s offense play nearly the entire game on its half of the field.
Cross, however, is not totally satisfied with his team.
The offense needs to be more consistent and continue to work at using all of its weapons. Defensively, Cross wants to see better tackling.
“We’re going for the big hit too much,” Cross said. “I think our guys are watching too much TV. They might as well have their arms taped to their side because all they’re using is their shoulders.”
Cross planned to “teach the art of tackling” all over again this week because “good backs and receivers are going to bounce off those type of hits.”
If the Bulldogs stay focused, Cross knows his team is capable of winning big games. And the Bulldogs already have proven to their coach that they can achieve their goals.
“I remember taking with our captains before the season, and they truly believed they had a chance to go undefeated,” Cross said. “That was a goal ... They accomplished that.”
The Bulldogs go after their next goal starting tonight.
Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail: chris.beaven@cantonrep.com

[BearBuck27]

McK is up 14-3 in the 2nd Qtr.

Morgan Williams has a TD carry, but appears to be out of the game for an unknown reason. (according to yappi)

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11/6/05

No big plays, but still no problem for Bulldogs

Sunday, November 6, 2005 By CHRIS BEAVEN

Scott Heckel McKinley’s Will Sheeler breaks loose on a 15-yard run during the second quarter Saturday night at Fawcett Stadium.

CANTON - They created such high standards during the regular season, Saturday’s playoff opener qualified as a quiet night.
Big plays did not come with ease to the McKinley Bulldogs for one of the few times this high school football season. No long runs by tailback Morgan Williams. No long returns of kicks or turnovers. Only one long pass to receiver Joe Morgan.
All that said, McKinley still put together a workmanlike, if not an impressive, effort in a 35-17 win over Brunswick in a Division I regional quarterfinal game. A crowd of 12,376 watched at Fawcett Stadium as the Bulldogs improved to 11-0 behind three touchdowns by Williams.
The Blue Devils played McKinley tougher than anyone this season, but the Bulldogs used two fourth-quarter TDs to put the game away. It is the second straight year McKinley beat Brunswick in the playoffs.
“We knew they were going to fight, fight and fight us,” McKinley head coach Brian Cross said. “ ... We didn’t play our best game, but it was good enough. And that’s all that counts at this time of year.”
McKinley, ranked No. 2 in the state, advances to play Elyria, a 21-9 winner over Toledo St. John’s. The site of Saturday’s 7 p.m. regional semifinal will be announced today.
McKinley did not breathe a sigh of relief until fullback Mike Kirksey scored on a 17-yard run with 1:44 left in the game. It was McKinley’s third straight TD drive, giving the Bulldogs a 35-17 advantage.
“Our fullback had a big game for us,” Cross said.
Kirksey delivered 59 yards rushing and had a key 11-yard catch. Also big was Williams, who rushed for 109 second-half yards to key the McKinley offense. Williams finished with 175 yards on 28 carries, becoming the second Bulldog to surpass 2,000 yards in a season. He has 2,110.
“I didn’t think he ran his hardest in the first half, but then he stepped it up a notch, and we needed that,” Cross said.
Williams capped scoring drives of 74 and 65 yards earlier in the second half with TD runs. He scored from 20 yards out with 2:40 left in the third. His 3-yard TD run came with 7:13 left in the game.
Each time, though, Brunswick had answers to keep things interesting. Quarterback Anthony Lanzara scrambled and willed his way to 244 yards passing, hitting 20 of 36 attempts with two TDs.
“He’s the best player we’ve seen this season,” McKinley linebacker Joe Grimsley said.
“I thought we had them covered pretty well,” Cross said. “But their quarterback scrambles around so long, and we took our eyes off the receivers and watched him. And all he needs is about two steps, and he’ll drill the ball in there.”
The Blue Devils, in the playoffs for the fifth straight year, took the field under difficult circumstances. One of their ballboys, 12-year-old Kody Salzman, was killed in a four-wheeler accident earlier Saturday.
“He’s been with us for three, four years,” Brunswick head coach Rich Nowak said. “He was one of our guys.”
Nowak said, “In the grand scheme of things,” Saturday’s game does not matter.
“But it was nice to be together as a team,” he said. “... It was a tough thing (for the players). But they wanted to play, they wanted to play hard.”
Brunswick took the opening kick and immediately put together a nice drive. But two penalties stalled it after reaching the McKinley 29.
The Bulldogs responded with an 80-yard TD drive the first time they touched the ball. Williams ran the ball 10 of the 14 plays, and scored on a 1-yard run with 2:14 left in the first quarter.
“Our offense really picked us up tonight,” Grimsley said. “And it’s always easier to play with a lead.”
McKinley’s next possession lasted just four plays, long enough for their second score with 9:29 left in the half. Dan Grimsley lofted a perfect deep ball to Morgan, who ran under and scored on the 60-yard play.
Brunswick closed the half with a 14-play, 79-yard drive that produced a 22-yard field goal by Branko Rogovic.
McKinley had a chance to break the game open early in the third. But an illegal block nullified a 60-yard TD run by Kirksey. That was one of eight McKinley penalties.
“That’s something we have to eliminate,” Cross said. “But we didn’t lose our cool. ... There was no panic or anything. We weren’t at our sharpest, but we got it done.” Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

This Saturday at 7:00pm.........

At Parma Byers Field
(1) Can. McKinley (11-0) vs. (5) Elyria (9-2)