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| High School Football Updates A forum for weekly updates of games in Ohio and in regards to recruiting targets of tOSU. |
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11-20-2005, 01:36 PM
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03-28-2006, 08:18 AM
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Canton
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08-16-2006, 01:20 PM
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Playoff loss lingers for McK By CHRIS EASTERLING Chris.Easterling@IndeOnline.com EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final installment in a 10-part series profiling the Massillon Tigers’ 2006 football opponents. The sting still lingers to a certain extent for the McKinley Bulldogs. Three weeks after delivering a 38-8 beating to the Massillon Tigers to cap an undefeated regular season in Week 10 at Fawcett Stadium, the Bulldogs had the tables turned on them in the regional championship game at the Akron Rubber Bowl. The 21-3 Tiger win sent McKinley into the offseason, and left a bitter taste in the mouths of most Bulldog players and coaches. “I think it’s something that’s always on your mind when you lose to your archrival anytime,” McKinley coach Brian Cross said on Tuesday afternoon. “To have beaten then in game 10 and then lose to them in Week 13, that’s something we have to live with. We know why we didn’t play well in that game. The 10th game, we played so well, maybe we were overconfident. That’s something we can’t let happen again.” The two teams will renew their annual grudge match for the 115th time on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The McKinley team which will venture into Massillon on that day will be different in some ways to the one which walked off the Rubber Bowl turf, but not at two of the most important positions on offense – running back and quarterback. A year ago as a junior, Morgan Williams seamlessly stepped into the tailback spot vacated by the graduated Ryan Brinson. All Williams did was rush for 2,417 yards and 29 touchdowns, while adding another 372 yards and two touchdowns in returns. In the regular-season finale against Massillon, Williams rushed for 234 yards and four touchdowns on 40 carries. “I think as the season went on, he realized he needed to run the ball harder,” Cross said of Williams. “It seems like he got stronger. He’s picked up where he left off. He’s starting to run the ball very hard.” Meanwhile, the guy getting the ball to Williams – quarterback Dan Grimsley – is also returning with a year’s experience under his belt. In his first year under center for the Bulldog varsity, Grimsley completed 55-of-133 passes for 1,300 yards, with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. “I think at any level it’s a tremendous asset to have a quarterback with experience,” Cross said. “He’s your leader on the field. He’s comfortable running the offense and can make good decisions. “He’s gotten bigger and stronger. He’s starting to read the coverages better because of his experience.” What Williams and Grimsley won’t have is the massive and experienced offensive line blocking in front of them as was the case last year. Center Drew McIntyre is the lone returning starter on the offensive line. Transfer Sean Whited is slated to take over at left tackle, while Max Rehfus is penciled in at the right tackle spot. Isaac Gatlin is expected to start at left guard, while Isaiah Gatlin and Alex Lyon are competing for the right guard position. “We lost a lot of size from last year,” Cross said of the offensive line. “We had two 300-pounders, a kid at 280 pounds and another at 240. This year, our biggest kid is going to be 240. So we’re going to be considerably smaller. “The positive side of that is that we’re going to be more athletic. When we do get out on the perimeter, we should be able to get to the linebacker. We don’t have the same push up front, though, because of the size.” Also gone is Grimsley’s favorite target, wide receiver Joe Morgan. Now, instead of one receiver catching 39 passes for 1,018 yards as was the case a year ago with Morgan, Cross is hoping to spread the ball around to several different receivers. “It’s going to be a committee thing,” Cross said. “We want to spread it around more. We didn’t do a good job of that last year.” Defensively, McKinley is going to be nearly as green as it is on offense. The Bulldogs will have but three returning starters – cornerback Will Sheeler, defensive end D.C. Alexander and nose guard Darius Williams – on that side of the ball, but do add former Central Catholic standout George Tabron to anchor the linebacking corps and have letterwinner Brandon Mingo back at cornerback. “Your defense always has to be what wins championships,” Cross said. “If you have a decent offense, your defense should help put you over the top. We only have three returning starters back from a year ago, but with Tabron and Mingo, we feel like we actually have five returning starters.” The Bulldogs also return Zack Campbell, who has been the team’s placekicker for the last three seasons. A year ago, Campbell hit on 63-of-66 extra points, as well as 7-of-10 field goals.
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09-27-2006, 06:09 AM
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Canton
H.S. football: McKinley lines using other ways to stop foes Wednesday, September 27, 2006 By Chris Beaven REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER CANTON Questions up front abounded for the McKinley High School football team when the season began. Halfway through the season, with the Bulldogs unbeaten, McKinley?s rebuilt offensive and defensive lines are holding up well. ?They?re getting better up front, both offensively and defensively,? GlenOak head coach Jack Rose said Saturday after his team lost 28-3 to McKinley. Improvements up front have the Bulldogs off to a 5-0 start heading into a Friday?s Federal League home game against Austintown Fitch. The Bulldogs entered the season with one full-time starter back on each line ? center Drew McIntyre on offense and nose guard Darius Williams on defense. McKinley head coach Brian Cross knew he could count on those two as leaders, but what pleases him is how others are stepping in around the two veterans. McKinley?s offensive line is coming off a game in which it paved the way for tailbacks Morgan Williams and Will Sheeler to rush for 100 yards each. ?Our offensive line played very well,? Cross said. ?After watching films, most of our grades were about 75 percent. I?d say overall, that?s a ?B? to a ?B-plus.? ? McIntyre is surrounded by right tackle Max Rehfus, right guard Alex Lyon, left guard Isaiah Gatlin and left tackle Sean Whited. The tight end is Steve Laubacher or Jewone Snow. Their work has the Bulldogs averaging 249.4 rushing yards and 37.2 points. Williams has gained 691 yards; Sheeler has 369. ?Our offensive line has made great strides,? Cross said. ?They?re doing what they?re asked. With our backs, they don?t need to create gigantic holes, just a crease. They know they don?t have to blow people off the ball. They just have to get hats on everybody like they?re supposed to.? McKinley?s offensive line averages 232 pounds, making this unit significantly smaller than recent lines. Last year?s crew averaged 280. This year?s smaller line had Cross thinking the Bulldogs would not use as much zone blocking as a year ago. But it has not worked out that way. ?Even though we?re not quite as big, we move better,? Cross said. ?We?re taking advantage of that.? Preseason plans also have given way to in-season adjustments on defense. With only Darius Williams back up front, McKinley switched from its traditional 4-3 defense to a 3-5. But in recent weeks, the Bulldogs have become primarily a 4-3 team. ?It wasn?t working the way we felt it could,? Cross said. Middle linebacker George Tabron is another reason for the switch. He transferred to McKinley over the summer, after the Bulldogs already had made the switch. But Cross calls Tabron ?an ideal middle linebacker? for the 4-3. ?Our personnel matches up better in that,? Cross said. ? We have run the 4-3 at McKinley for a long time. We feel comfortable making the adjustment.? McKinley?s four-man front features Isaac Gatlin at one end and Gaylan Roberson or Martavian Thigpen at the other end. Williams plays nose guard and the defensive tackle is either Charles Taylor or Isaiah Gatlin. Like the offensive line, McKinley?s defensive line is not huge. The 251-pound Taylor is the biggest up front; Roberson and Thigpen each weigh 210. ?Because of our lack of size, we?ll have problems with bigger teams,? Cross said. ?We?ll have to find ways to move those people and give those people different looks.? McKinley was outsized last week but limited GlenOak to 201 total yards. Fitch will have the size advantage this week. ?With their size,? Cross said, ?we have to move our defensive line and hope that works against them.?
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09-30-2006, 06:08 AM
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10-06-2006, 06:32 AM
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Canton
Bulldogs score all over field Friday, October 6, 2006 By Chris Beaven REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER CANTON - Turn away from a McKinley High School football game at your own risk. There?s no telling what type of long play could be missed by just looking the other way for a few seconds. Just as they did a year ago, when they made the big play their calling card, the Bulldogs are unbeaten thanks to their ability to score from anywhere. Their latest example was last week?s 28-7 win over Austintown Fitch, where they won despite running 17 fewer plays than the Falcons. McKinley got it done by scoring on runs of 76 yards and 67 yards by Morgan Williams, and having Dan Grimsley throw touchdown passes of 38 and 26 yards. ?We scored quick,? coach Brian Cross said, ?and we really didn?t get a chance to run a lot of different things offensively.? Not that Cross is complaining. ?We?ve been able to win every game, and defensively, we?re getting better every week,? he said. ?We?re playing solid enough so that we don?t have to score a lot of points to win.? McKinley is averaging 35.7 points a game despite returning just three starters from last year?s offense, which averaged 36.9 a game. A year after having 29 scoring plays of 30 yards or longer, the Bulldogs have 14 long-distance TDs. That?s why, despite having run 27 fewer plays than its opposition this season, McKinley is 6-0 heading into Saturday?s 7 p.m. showdown with Perry at Fawcett Stadium. Cross would like his Bulldogs to establish a more consistent passing game. But their ability to break big plays means they have short TD drives ? 21 of 28 have been four plays or less ? and they have leads to protect late in games. ?We?re scoring points; they?re just long-distance plays,? Cross said. ?We haven?t had the opportunity to throw as frequently as we?d like. In practice last week, we threw every other down because we want to start establishing more of a passing attack.? The Bulldogs called passing plays on nine of their 20 first-half plays and six of their 15 second-half plays. ?We?d like to get to the point where we?re throwing the ball 40 percent of the time,? said Cross, whose team hit that mark for the first time Friday. MR. BIG PLAY McKinley?s leader in long-distance scores is Williams, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior. His two long runs Friday showed Williams at his best. The first, a well-blocked 76-yard burst, saw him hit the hole in a hurry, bounce to the left, then take off from there. His 67-yard TD displayed his creativity and vision. He took a handoff on a sweep around left end. Two defenders looked to have an angle on him, but he used his speed to get past them. When it looked like Fitch had the play defended, Williams cut all the way right and dashed into the end zone. ?That wasn?t a well-blocked play,? Cross said. ?That?s what happens when you have a great running back.? Williams did get a big open-field block from Grimsley, who crushed a Fitch defender. ?I was right there and saw it was going to happen,? center Drew McIntyre said. ?I told him, ?The quarterback had the biggest hit of the night.? ? Williams has 21 TD plays of 30 yards or longer in his three-year varsity career. His career long, a 97-yard run, came against Perry as a sophomore. His long run last year was 90 yards, though, he also scored on a 91-yard kickoff return. ?They have a great, great back,? Fitch coach Neal Kopp said. ?If you don?t gang tackle him, and he gets loose, there?s not too many in the state who are going to bring him down in the open field.? Fellow tailback Will Sheeler also has three TD runs of 30 yards or longer. The passing game has supplied long scores by receivers Lonnie Richardson and Kenyad Blair. With all the big plays, Cross does not overlook the work of his offensive line. Only McIntyre returned up front as a starter, but others have developed. He was joined last week by guards Alex Lyon and Andy Sewell, and tackles Max Rehfus and Sean Whited. ?For the amount of time they played, I thought they played well,? Cross said. McIntyre was pleased not only with the performance his line, but the entire team after the Fitch win. But he knows, big plays or not, the Bulldogs have a lot of work ahead. ?We?re doing good for Week 6,? he said. ?But good enough for Week 6 will not be good enough for Week 7. We have to keep getting better.?
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10-25-2006, 05:26 AM
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Canton
McKinley defensive line has become a solid unit Wednesday, October 25, 2006 By Chris Beaven REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER McKINLEY AT MASSILLON 2 p.m. Saturday Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, TV Canton Time Warner Cable Channel 11, Massillon Cable Channel 22 CANTON No one knew what to expect from the defensive linemen before the McKinley High School football team began the 2006 season. They didn't overwhelm anyone with size. They didn't feature tons of varsity experience. But what the guys on the McKinley defensive line had was confidence, a strong leader in the middle and a good work ethic. That's been enough to help them play a key role in McKinley taking a 9-0 record into Saturday's 2 p.m. game at Massillon. "It's been a hodgepodge on the defensive line, shuffling people in and out, trying to find the combinations," head coach Brian Cross said. "They've battled and done well." With just one returning starter up front and adapting to changes through the season, McKinley's defensive front has come together. The work up front has helped the Bulldogs limit teams to 78.8 yards rushing and 11.6 points per game. "I was confident we'd do all right," senior captain Darius Williams said. "And everyone's stepping up, working in (well)." A 5-foot-7, 237-pound pound nose tackle, Williams is the lone returning starter. An all-league player a year ago, he has been the anchor up front and is among the team's top tacklers. But what's made the difference is the emergence of others around him. Junior twins Isaac and Isaiah Gatlin saw action last year and have done well in expanded roles at end and tackle, respectively. Seniors Martavian Thigpen and Gaylan Roberson have stepped up at end. Seniors Trent Bush and Charles Taylor provide depth along the interior. "They're not really big, but we move them around," Cross said. "We've tried to coach them to read certain keys, and from there it's progressed to us knowing what they do well and fitting them into positions." An example is the use of the 409-pound Bush as a run stopper in the middle. He has seen extensive action against teams that power the ball and has done well. Coaches found Thigpen a spot to use his athleticism. The 6-2, 210-pound Thigpen is a former quarterback who has been making an impact at end. "He's got good strength, he gets good leverage and he's very quick," Cross said. "He makes up for lack of size with his quickness." The defensive line also has adjusted in the team's change from a traditional 4-3 look last year to a 3-5 earlier this year before going back to the 4-3 in recent weeks. Williams said that wasn't a big deal. The Bulldogs made the transition and played to their strengths. Cross knows the Bulldogs likely face their biggest challenge up front at Massillon. "They have the biggest line I have seen," Cross said. "These guys are gigantic. We were big last year, and they would make our guys look small. We have to use our quickness, slant and angle some people." Williams said the Bulldogs don't back down from the challenge of bigger offensive lines. "The bigger the better," he said. "We're faster, and we use our speed as an advantage. Plus we're strong, too." Williams will be starting his third game against Massillon and is playing against the Tigers for the fourth time. "I'm real pumped," he said. The anticipated large crowd combined with the hype that comes with a rivalry dating to the late 19th century makes this game unlike any other. "It's a whole 'nother level," Williams said. "You want to play harder and harder every play. The key is just staying focused and paying attention to what they bring to us. We have to keep everyone focused and in line and don't get too hyped before the game. We have to stay relaxed."
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10-25-2006, 08:00 AM
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10-26-2006, 10:50 AM
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Assuming McKinley gets to the state championship game, do you think they can and will beat the top Cincinnati team? I'm from Canton, and know about Mckinley's potent team, but know little about the Cincinnati team. But the Cinci teams seem to always beat teams from N. Ohio. I noticed that St. Xavier, a few weeks ago, lost by 3 to Florida,s lakeland who is ranked 1st. nationally. St. Xavier is #8. McKnley isn't ranked in top 25 Bu the Nat'f Prep Football Poll. Nine players from Lakeland have commited to SEC schools. Hope it is not the same school.
 Also I thought that Morgan commited to Michigan State last year? Has that changed? Last edited by smartone; 10-26-2006 at 10:54 AM. Reason: Providing source on McKinley's national ranking
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11-03-2006, 06:36 AM
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McKinley regroups Friday, November 3, 2006 By Chris Beaven REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER CANTON - Lamenting any loss to Massillon can fill days for supporters of the McKinley High School football program. That's a part of life when the Bulldogs lose to Massillon as they did last week. But coach Brian Cross spent this week reminding his team plenty of season could remain despite last week's 10-7 loss. "We don't have time to sit back and feel sorry for ourselves," Cross said. The Bulldogs spent this week preparing for their third straight trip to the Division I state playoffs. As the No. 2 seed in Region 2, they host No. 7 Toledo St. John's at 7 p.m. Saturday at Fawcett Stadium. McKinley is 9-1 after its 24-game regular-season winning streak ended last week. Having a perfect season ruined is just part of the pain the Bulldogs felt from losing to Massillon. "That game is so big you take some crap from people," Cross said. "It's something you have to deal with for a year. It's a part of this game, part of this tradition. But we've got to clear it from our heads and get on to the task of beating Toledo St. John's. They're a good team. We know they're excited about coming in here." St. John's has a mix of size, athleticism and experience. The Titans (8-2) showed they are capable of making a playoff run by beating defending Division II state champion Toledo Central Catholic last week. McKinley, though, has every reason to believe it, too, can enjoy postseason success. The Bulldogs are experienced at key positions. Tailback Morgan Williams leads the offense, having rushed for 1,683 yards. Linebackers Disi Alexander and George Tabron join cornerback Will Sheeler and nose guard Darius Williams on defense. Don't be surprised if the Bulldogs come out hungrier. "They finally see the urgency," Cross said. "I'm not sure we did before. "The urgency in practice, the urgency in everything. Really, the last two weeks, our defense has stepped it up, and I see an urgency in them doing everything full speed, doing it right." The Bulldogs did make a statement defensively Saturday. The 140 yards they allowed was their best performance of the last eight weeks. They flew to the football and arrived with authority, usually with more than one Bulldog ready to make the tackle. "Our defense is getting better at the right time," Cross said. McKinley relied on quickness to offset Massillon's size, which it must repeat this week against a bigger St. John's team. "That's one thing we have a great tradition of," Cross said. "We know if we play great defense and have a good kicking game, you're going to have a chance to win a lot of games." McKinley did have some special teams breakdowns last week. Twice, the Bulldogs muffed punts, losing one. They also had a punt blocked. Those mistakes were magnified by an offense that struggled. After a promising start running the ball, McKinley was bottled up in the second half. With the passing attack producing 21 yards, the Bulldogs were unable to move the ball. Cross blamed missed assignments for problems in the running game. "Physically, they weren't beating us up front," he said. "When we got hats on them, we gained yardage." On several occasions, missed assignments resulted in Massillon defenders heading unimpeded to the backfield. Cross said the Bulldogs must continue to work at getting their short passing attack consistent. "We're trying to get into a better rhythm throwing the ball," he said. " ... We just have struggled there a little." One area McKinley had not struggled in was hanging on to the ball. The Bulldogs lost just five fumbles in their first nine games before giving it away three times last week. "You've got to take care of the ball if you're going to win," Cross said. "We lost an opportunity for three possessions because of that."
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11-06-2006, 12:10 PM
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11-10-2006, 06:22 AM
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Canton
Bulldogs must bring even more Friday, November 10, 2006 By Chris Beaven REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER CANTON A nice comeback kept the McKinley High School football team's season alive last week. The Bulldogs, though, know if they want play beyond this week, they need a better performance in Saturday's second round of the playoffs. McKinley faces an unbeaten Brunswick team eager to avoid being eliminated by the Bulldogs for a third straight year. "Our effort will have to go up, no doubt," McKinley head coach Brian Cross said. "We played them two years in a row, and they will want to get over that hump against us, and they're going to come after us." McKinley (10-1) and Brunswick (11-0) meet in a 7 p.m. Division I regional semifinal Saturday at Kent State's Dix Stadium. The Bulldogs beat the Blue Devils, 35-14, and, 35-17, in the past two postsasons. The game that is freshest in the minds of the Bulldogs is last week's 28-21 win over Toledo St. John's. McKinley won its eighth straight first-round playoff game, but it did not come easily. The Bulldogs looked strong at times but also gave up 21 unanswered points in the second half. "I don't think we played very well on either side," Cross said after reviewing the game tapes. "We played just well enough to win. But we're definitely capable of playing a lot better. And we'll have to play better in order to move on." Defensively, Cross thought the Bulldogs did not read their keys well. "We weren't in the right spots," he said. Cross also said the defensive line needs to do better at fighting off blocks and rushing the passer. Offensively, Cross thought the size of St. John's gave McKinley trouble inside. The Bulldogs dropped some passes that cost them. But quarterback Dan Grimsley bounced back from the Massillon game by throwing for 108 yards. "He managed our offense well, ran a couple of times and did a nice job hitting some big passes for us," Cross said. Receiver Kenyad Blair returned after missing a couple of games with an injury. "It was good to have him back on the field," Cross said. "He was a little bit rusty, but he did some good things." McKinley was at its best offensively on its final two drives after St. John's took a 21-14 lead with 8:58 left. In a span of 6 1/2 minutes, the Bulldogs had touchdown drives of 74 and 79 yards to win. The use of tailbacks Morgan Williams and Will Sheeler on the field at the same time produced several key plays. "We seemed to surprise them a little bit, and it gave us big plays," Cross said. McKinley will need more of those big plays this week. Brunswick is solid in all phases. The Blue Devils will not beat themselves often, and they can break big plays. Cross said the Bulldogs need to eliminate some of the mistakes plaguing them the past two weeks. "There was not the urgency we needed to see (last week)," Cross said. "When you're in the playoffs, you can't make mistakes and look forward to playing next week. That's something we have tried to impress upon our kids. There will be no next week unless they give their best." RECORDS UPDATE Senior tailback Morgan Williams needs 186 yards to tie Ryan Brinson as McKinley's career rushing leader. Brinson set the mark at 4,772 yards in 2004. Williams has started 24 games since Brinson graduate, and rushed for at least 100 yards in 23. Williams is nearing his second straight 2,000-yard season. He has 1,856 yards. He set a school record with 2,417 last year. Williams passed Brinson as the school's scoring leader last week with 342 points. Brinson scored 336. ... McKinley senior kicker Zack Campbell ranks fifth all-time with 220 points, having passed legends Ralph Pucci and Mike Doss in recent weeks.
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11-14-2006, 06:22 AM
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Another step for McKinley Tuesday, November 14, 2006 By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER CANTON No crosstown hype. No soldout stadium. No rematch. But the McKinley Bulldogs get something better than an opportunity for revenge against Massillon. They get to play again this week and with it another chance to step closer to a state title. It's been on their minds since losing in the playoffs last year. "Our kids realize that," McKinley head coach Brian Cross said. "I don't think we have to talk about the opportunity too much. What we have to talk about is playing hard, making plays and making sure our kids realize now, if you lose, you're done." Toledo Whitmer elbowed Massillon out of the postseason by virtue of a 14-10 win Friday night. Cross saw plenty on the game film to get his attention. He started getting his players' attention Monday. McKinley plays Whitmer at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Byers Field. The Bulldogs seem to be focused on the postseason, not satisfied with inflated stats, no time for school records. The goal is to win a state title. "These guys believe if they play hard, they've got a chance to beat anybody," Cross said. "Our tailback is running with zest. He wants the football, and he's going to get it. He's running tremendously hard. The line is blocking well for him. Our quarterback's confidence is rising each game. ... They believe they can play with anybody. That's where it starts." Whitmer took pleasure in beating a storied program in Massillon. Imagine what the approach this week is and what that might do for the Panthers' confidence to knock off two of the country's most visible high school programs in consecutive weeks. Massillon didn't have a Morgan Williams, who had 410 all-purpose yards Friday against Brunswick. A punt snap that went 45 yards past Massillon's punter led to one Whitmer score. It also sucked away momentum from Massillon's sideline. But that is Whitmer's calling card. The Panthers didn't move the ball well against Massillon, but they made the most of what was given them. Cross is stressing playing as error-free as possible this week. Whitmer got past No. 1-seeded Fremont Ross when, down 17-14, it tipped an option pitch in the fourth quarter, and the Panthers defender grabbed the ball and returned it for a touchdown. "They're a very opportunistic team," Cross said. Whitmer also has an aggressive defense. The Panthers blitzed the Tigers constantly and usually had pressure on quarterback Bobby Huth. McKinley's offense is different. Williams is the focal point, and Massillon was able to catch Whitmer in blitzes and gash the Panthers with runs. "They bring a minimum of six players every play," Cross said. "They come from all angles. ... We have to get a hat on everybody and try to find a seam for Morgan, and we're going to have to throw the ball in the short passing game. We need to complete some of those and keep them off balance." Whitmer relies on quarterback Donnie Dottei. He lumbers out of the shotgun spread offense at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds. Dottie can lower his shoulder and run over a linebacker. The Panthers don't throw the ball well, but they are effective. Dottei seems to favor 6-4 tight end Kevin Koger. "They try to spread you out and create seams for the quarterback," Cross said. "You have to be disciplined and tackle well. ... Massillon defended them well. Take away that punt snap that went over the punter's head, and it might be a different story." Maybe. But the story is the same in the McKinley locker room: Play on.
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11-21-2006, 06:54 AM
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Canton
New week, same offense vs. McKinley Tuesday, November 21, 2006 By CHRIS BEAVEN CANTON A familiar task awaited the McKinley High School football team Monday afternoon. For the fourth straight week, the Bulldogs went to work on defending the spread offense. They face their fourth such alignment in as many playoff games when they play Mentor in a Division I state semifinal Saturday. But McKinley coach Brian Cross is making sure his team knows it will see a spread offense unlike any other in the 7 p.m. game at Massillon?s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. ?This will be the best spread offense we?ve played all year long, and it may be one of the best in the state,? Cross said. Mentor?s offensive numbers tend to back that up. Led by junior quarterback Bart Tanski, the Cardinals rolled up 412 total yards in a 34-24 over Warren Harding last week. The Cardinals are averaging 39.3 points over the last eight games ? all wins. In that span they?ve beaten Maple Heights and Euclid in the regular season and Solon, Glenville and Harding in the playoffs. The Cardinals also beat Glenville and Solon during the regular season, in addition to Massillon and Strongsville. Their lone loss came in Week 4, 27-14 against St. Ignatius. ?They?ve played all the good football teams,? Cross said. ?... I don?t think we have anything that will be different from what they?ve seen before.? What Mentor offers that McKinley has yet to see is a team that goes exclusively no-huddle. ?The most difficult thing to simulate in practice is they run a play every 15 seconds,? Cross said. ?They look to the sideline to get a play and they run it as soon as the ball is set.? McKinley does not substitute a lot of defensive personnel so that is not a concern to Cross. What is a concern is players adjusting to the game?s tempo and focusing on the next play quickly. ?You usually have time after the play where you reflect very quickly and regroup, and call the next defense,? Cross said. ?Against them you make a tackle, get up, and go and you get your thoughts on the next play.? To simulate Mentor?s no-huddle the Bulldogs will get creative in practice. ?What you have to do is try to have two huddles ready to go, so as soon as one team?s done, the next team?s coming out,? Cross said. Mentor?s spread offense has been in high gear since beating Massillon, 19-7, in Week 5. In the eight games since, the Cardinals have eclipsed 40 points four times. Their lowest output came two weeks ago when they beat Glenville, 29-19. Cross is not surprised by how well Mentor runs the spread. ?They?ve run it from seventh grade on up,? he said. ?They?ve seen every defense possible. They?ve faced speed, size ... We have to be as disciplined as possible and tackle very well.? Against Harding, Tanski passed for 191 yards (14 of 21) with three TDs, and rushed for 88 yards on 16 carries. He has passed for 2,111 yards and rushed for 691. His ability to run the QB draw was instrumental in Mentor?s win over Massillon. ?Their quarterback is excellent,? Cross said. ?He?s a runner and a thrower. And they?ve got guys that can catch the football.? Tyler Schutz caught seven passes for 78 yards and a score last week. Brandon James made three catches, two going for TDs, in totaling 59 yards. Another skill player to watch is senior running back Bill Deitmen. He ran for 128 yards and two TDs on 28 carries. ?They spread the ball around to everybody,? Cross said. McKinley?s defense is coming off a dominant showing against Toledo Whitmer?s spread. The Bulldogs completely shut down Whitmer?s run game (25 yards on 28 carries) and did not allow the Panthers to score until 69 seconds remained. The Bulldogs were disciplined in their assignments and physical once they got to the ball. ?It was good for our defensive kids,? Cross said. ?The previous two weeks, (the opposition) moved the ball on us pretty well. It was a little frustrating.? The Bulldogs must duplicate that effort this week against an even better opponent. ?We?re not trying to reinvent the wheel,? Cross said. ?We have to be focused and sound in what we do, and try to let our athletes take over.?
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11-21-2006, 07:03 PM
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Quote:
could the triple option be next?
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