Massillon Tigers

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11/17/05

Tigers will be ready to compete
Thursday, November 17, 2005 By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

Repository Bob Rossiter Gotta slow him down - Any success for Massillon on Saturday starts with containing McKinley running back Morgan Williams (23), who ran for 234 yards in the Bulldogs’ Week 10 victory.

MASSILLON - There isn’t any denying what happened the first time. Massillon isn’t making excuses. Tiger head coach Tom Stacy doesn’t blame bad luck, a slow start, nerves, tension, the moon, stars or the drinking water in Canton.
Three weeks ago, Massillon was dominated by McKinley. The Bulldogs barely broke a sweat when they handed the Tigers their first loss of the season, 38-8.
Stacy, however, is confident his team’s psyche isn’t broken. He’d be lying if he denied there is a revenge factor.
“We’ve won enough games that the kids have confidence in their ability,” Stacy said. “We just have to play well. Whatever that entails, be it execution, coaching or from a technique standpoint ... will be the deciding factor this time.”
It was the last time.
Saturday night at Akron’s Rubber Bowl, Massillon and McKinley will lock up in a Division I, Region 2 title game. The winner moves on to the state semifinals. The Tigers went from consecutive 4-6 seasons to 11-1 in Stacy’s first year.
This is the fourth time the teams have met in the playoffs. McKinley has never beaten Massillon twice in the same year. The Tigers get a second chance, and revenge is on their minds.
“When you get embarrassed like we got embarrassed, you’d like to hope we come out with the idea of playing better and with a revenge factor,” Stacy said. “That’s with complete respect to McKinley. They flat-out outplayed us.”
There wasn’t much to highlight in Massillon’s first effort. The Tigers were held to less than 150 yards. They didn’t score on offense. In fact, Massillon’s only points came off a Troy Ellis interception return.
To boil down a 30-point loss in one play would be insufficient. However, if one play symbolized the Tiger’s day, it came in the first quarter. Both offenses had little success until about five minutes remained in the first quarter.
McKinley faced a second-and-10, and Massillon blitzed safety Andrew Dailey. Bulldog coach Brian Cross called a draw to running back Morgan Williams. Dailey arrived a half-second late, and the draw play opened up in the area that Dailey manned before the snap.
Williams rattled off a 47-yard gain to the Massillon 7, and the Pups took a 7-0 lead two plays later. The Tigers thought twice about blitzing a safety the rest of the half. Cross said it was a lucky call. Perhaps, but it was the perfect call. Had Dailey made the tackle, McKinley might have faced a third-and-14.
From that point, McKinley dominated both lines of scrimmages. Massillon’s defense adjusted in the second half, and the Tigers pinched both outside linebackers off the edge. McKinley, though, wasn’t concerned with yards as much as it was with consuming clock.
Massillon’s offensive line was manhandled. The Tiger offense got little going as a result of too much pressure on quarterback Bobby Huth.
“That’ll be a point of emphasis this week,” Stacy said.
It started Monday night at Stacy’s booster club meeting. A man pronounced Massillon could not block McKinley or Lakewood St. Edwards.
Stacy’s reply?
“Thank goodness our kids don’t believe that.”
“This will be an old fashioned game that will be won up front,” Stacy said.
Massillon did shut down its offense in the fourth quarter. Stacy went with basic plays.
“Were we running every trick play we have? No,” Stacy said. “At that point it would have done no good.”
The game may be more mental than physical for Massillon. The Tigers are coming off their worst winning performance of the season. They made just about every mistake, yet found a way to beat Findlay.
Another game like that, and McKinley could walk out of the Rubber Bowl with a larger winning margin. Perhaps, Massillon looked beyond Findlay to a rematch.
“It could be, but we can’t let that be an excuse or even accept that,” Stacy said. “We can never rationalize how we played Saturday night from an intelligence standpoint or a discipline standpoint. That’s never acceptable, let alone in a playoff game. “I want us to be a methodical football team this weekend,” he said. “We need to have tunnel vision, play hard and play smart. The only thing that needs to matter Saturday night is this game. We’ve played like at times. We need to be in our own little world.” Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: todd.porter@cantonrep.com

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11/17/08

Massillon vs. Canton McKinley

What, when, where: Division I regional championship game, 7 p.m., the Rubber Bowl, 800 George Washington Blvd., Akron. Call 330-972-8102.
Records: Massillon 11-1; McKinley 12-0.

What to watch: A crowd of about 25,000 is expected to watch the renewal of one of the state's oldest rivalries on neutral turf. McKinley, ranked second in the state, won the 113th regular-season meeting, 38-8, on the final weekend of the season as it dominated up front on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs, state runners-up last year, beat two of the best teams in the Pioneer Conference, Brunswick and Elyria, by a combined 70-26 in its playoff games, while the Tigers whacked North Canton Hoover before slipping past Findlay, 27-20, last week with a huge goal line stand as the game ended. McKinley's offense centers around junior tailback Morgan Williams, who rushed for 1,977 yards and 24 touchdowns during the regular season. Quarterback Dan Grimsley has two lethal targets in Joe Morgan and Mark Jackson. Massillon relies on junior tailback Brian Gamble, who gained 1,054 yards and scored 11 TDs in 10 games. Until the McKinley game, Massillon quarterback Bobby Huth had thrown just one interception against 12 TD passes. McKinley picked him off three times. This is the fourth time the two Stark County rivals have played twice in the same season. It also happened in 1980 (split), 1994 (split) and 2001 (Massillon sweep).

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11/18/05


Quote:

Bulldogs vs. Tigers, Round 2, upon us
Saturday, November 19, 2005 By CHRIS BEAVEN

Their historic meeting three weeks ago did not live up to the hype. What looked to be an exciting clash of two evenly matched high school football teams quickly became one-sided.

Will tonight’s rematch meet expectations?

No one knows.

But expect two confident teams to take the field tonight at a packed Rubber Bowl in Akron when McKinley and Massillon meet again. The Division I regional final kicks off at 7.

McKinley and Massillon enter the game three wins away from winning a state championship. Each appears to have the necessary talent to win a title.

They both feature dangerous running backs, big-play passing attacks, strong defenses and solid special teams. They also both have a nice mix of athletes with big-time futures at the college level, in addition to guys who are outstanding high school players.

When they met the first time around, though, it was all McKinley. The Bulldogs won, 38-8, quickly removing any potential suspense from the first meeting in 41 years where both teams entered 9-0.

And yes, that win gives McKinley plenty of confidence. But not too much.
“Our kids will be ready to play,” McKinley head coach Brian Cross said. “They’re mature enough to know that what happened before is over and done with. This is a whole new, different ballgame.”

Massillon, of course, hopes the game plays out entirely different. Don’t expect the Tigers to be one bit timid because of that loss.

“We’ve won enough games that the kids have confidence in their ability,” said Massillon head coach Tom Stacy.

The Tigers were far from their best last week. Turnovers and penalties plagued them, but they preserved and won, 27-20, over Findlay with a goal-line stand on the final play.

To ensure a “total focus” this week, Stacy closed practice this week and the players were off-limits to the media.

Stacy wanted a proper intensity this week, and he does not think the players will get too uptight.

The Bulldogs never appear to be even close to uptight. They have been an extremely loose team. “Sometimes too loose,” Cross has said on occasions.
Senior safety-receiver Mark Jackson, one of four McKinley captains, said the Bulldogs have their share of fun.

“It’s the most fun I’ve ever had, just on a daily basis,” Jackson said. “We have fun in practice. We have fun when we see each other in school. And we have fun when we’re watching films.”

But whenever Cross has challenged his Bulldogs, or an opponent has tested them, they have responded.

Last week, Elyria gave McKinley some problems early, but not nearly enough to prevent the Bulldogs from winning, 35-9.

“We’re a laid-back team, but we’re laid back and focused at the same time,” Jackson said. “We don’t want to be a team that’s too uptight that we won’t be ready to play. We’re laid back, but always ready and always focused.”

Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail: chris.beaven@cantonrep.com


tonight
Kickoff at 7 p.m.
MCKINLEY VS.
MASSILLON
Division I, Region 2 title game
Rubber Bowl, Akron
TV Tape-delayed at 11 on Time Warner Cable Channel 11, Massillon Cable Channel 22, Akron Time Warner Cable Channel 17
RADIO WHBC-AM 1480,
WNPQ-FM 95.9, ESPN-AM 990
central catholic vs. youngstown mooney
Division IV, Region 13 title game Tiger Stadium, Twinsburg RADIO Tape-delayed at 9:30 on WNPQ-FM 95.9

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11/20/05

UPDATE: Massillon’s on its way to Final Four
4:28 AM, Sunday, November 20, 2005 By DON DETORE Repository sports editor

Repository Scott Heckel Massillon quarterback Bobby Huth leads players and fans in singing the alma mater after the Tigers defeated McKinley, 21-3, in the Division I, Region 2 championship Saturday night at the Rubber Bowl. SEE STORY ON PAGE C-1.

Related Stories
Gamble helps in all phases for Tigers

Playoff results statewide

McKinley-Massillon notebook

Five former Tigers on list of 15 finalists

Tigers beat Bulldogs



AKRON - Believe it, Massillon. Your Tigers are headed to the state semifinals.
The Washington High School football team slayed another giant in its improbable season, beating McKinley, 21-3, Saturday night in the Division I, Region 2 finals before a crowd of 16,111 at the Rubber Bowl.
Running back Brian Gamble ran for one touchdown and passed for another, while quarterback Bobby Huth threw for 121 yards and another score as the Tigers avenged a 38-8 loss to the Bulldogs three weeks ago in the regular-season finale.
“The Final Four, baby!” shouted first-year Massillon head coach Tom Stacy, who inherited a team coming off back-to-back 4-6 seasons. “That’s what it’s all about in Massillon.”
The Tigers will meet Lakewood St. Edward on Saturday in a state semifinal. Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. at the Rubber Bowl. The winner of that game will play for a state title the following Saturday in Fawcett Stadium.
McKinley, last year’s Ohio Division I runner-up, finishes 12-1.
“Maybe someday, we’ll sit back and enjoy what we accomplished this season,” McKinley head coach Brian Cross said, “but right now, it hurts. We have no excuses.” This marked the fourth playoff meeting between the Stark County rivals and the first time they have met in the Division I playoffs since 2001. Massillon leads the all-time series, 60-49-5. “The fans, the community, the school, the players ... they deserve this,” Stacy said. “This is for them.”

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11/21/05

Stacy gets rest amid celebration
Monday, November 21, 2005 By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

Repository Scott Heckel Massillon Washington Head Coach Tom Stacy (left) accepts congratulations from McKinley coach Brian Cross following the Tigers’ 21-3 Division I football playoff win over the Bulldogs on Saturday night at the Rubber Bowl in Akron. The Tigers face Lakewood St. Edward in a state semifinal Saturday again in Akron.

MASSILLON - After the biggest win of the season — perhaps decades — in this football-crazed town, Tom Stacy didn’t dance into the night or stick around for pats on the back.
“I came home, spent some time with my family, and watched the USC-Fresno State game on TV. Then I just collapsed,” Washington High School’s head football coach said Sunday afternoon before beginning to work on a game plan for the 14th time this season.
The Tigers dominated for four quarters and redeemed themselves after a 38-8 loss in the regular-season finale by beating McKinley, 21-3, Saturday night at the Rubber Bowl. Massillon advances to a Division I state semifinal game against Lakewood St. Edward at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Rubber Bowl.
Oddly enough, that site is where Stacy became seasoned as a football coach. He was a former University of Akron assistant coach under another former Massillon coach, Lee Owens. It was that experience that allowed Stacy to remove the personal consequences of a possible second loss to McKinley.
“I don’t worry about myself. I worry more about the kids and the overall football program,” Stacy said. “I’ve been through the battles, whether as an assistant coach here or in college football.
“Regardless, we’ve had a great year. If you worry about the consequences of losing, you’d get out of the coaching business. I learned a lot going through the tough losses in college football. I always say you learned more from the losses than you do from the win.”
After the first McKinley game, Stacy felt his game plan wasn’t very good. Defensive assistant coaches like Steve Kovacs, Mike Babics and Scott Garcia lose sleep when a game plan doesn’t work.
“Coach Kovacs and the defensive coaches, they stayed up until 11:30 each night thinking of ways to stop that offense,” Massillon nose tackle Lorenzo Grizzard said of the Bulldogs.
Since that first McKinley game, Kovacs worked on a new plan — even while preparing for playoff games against Findlay and North Canton Hoover.
“After the first game, coaches thought ahead, especially Steve,” Stacy said. “He coached at McKinley. He’s been around. He talked to me several times during Hoover week and Findlay week. He’d say, ‘Hey, I’ve got some things I think will hurt them if we get to that point again.’ I told him to jot them down and keep them under his hat.”
Massillon’s biggest defensive adjustment was bringing run blitz pressure from the weak side, usually with safety Brian Gamble. The game plan was to bottle up Bulldogs’ 2,000-yard running back Morgan Williams and limit his big-;ay ability.
“We felt if we could stop Morgan Williams, and with our secondary, things would work out well,” Stacy said. “Our defensive backs take a lot of pride in the way they play and were upset with the way they played the first game.”
Massillon’s physical cornerbacks also jammed McKinley’s wide receivers at the line, throwing off the timing of the Bulldogs’ passing game.
“And we got pressure on (Dan) Grimsley,” Stacy said. “We didn’t want him getting into a rhythm. We wanted him throwing on the run, or throwing with someone in his face.”
The unsung hero for the Massillon defense was cornerback Neil James, who stayed with speedy McKinley receiver Joe Morgan most of the night despite playing with the flu.
“He played a great game,” Stacy said. “He looked terrible Saturday ... the kid was sick all day. We weren’t sure if he’d be able to play and he just said, ‘I’m playing.’ ”
Offensively, Stacy felt he saw a Bulldog weakness while watching tape of McKinley’s playoff win over Brunswick. He thought the Bulldogs were susceptible to screen passes. Also, Gamble, who starts at tailback, played in the same backfield with backup Lanale Robinson.
“Offensively we didn’t change plays, we window-dressed them,” Stacy said. “We also used a tight end wing set that helped a lot.”
Massillon has used that set, but not with the personnel it did Saturday. Safety Andrew Dailey, defensive lineman Dirk Dickerhoof and Steve Yoder, a transfer from Northwest who became eligible to play last week, was used.
“It was the same look, but it was with three different guys attacking them three different ways,” Stacy said. “I think that surprised them a little. I don’t think the X’s and O’s matter as much as the kids executing them. If you don’t execute, no matter how good the plan, it still looks like you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Stacy rested Saturday night. There will be less time to sleep this week. The Tigers are a win away from playing for a Division I state title.
“We’ve had to come off big wins this year and we handled it well,” Stacy said. “It depends on how far the kids want to go. Now we’re in the state semifinals. There are four teams left. We’ve got as good a shot as anybody.” Repository writers Don Detore and Chris Beaven contributed to this report. Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: todd.porter@cantonrep.com.

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This Saturday at 1:00pm....

Saturday
At Akron Rubber Bowl (1) Lakewood St. Edward (12-0) vs. (3) Massillon Washington (12-1), 1 p.m. Saturday