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Tigers developing plenty of weapons
By CHRIS EASTERLING
Chris.Easterling@IndeOnline.com
The focus of Massillon’s opponents this fall figures to be squarely on Brian Gamble and Andrew Dailey while trying to defense the Tigers’ offense. And Tiger coach Tom Stacy isn’t denying that’s who they should be eyeing.
“The two guys we have to get the ball to are Dailey and Gamble,” Stacy said. “There’s no question about that. We’re going to design our offense around those two guys.”
That said, the Tigers have spent their first two 7-on-7 passing scrimmages looking for players to step into those complementary roles who will be able to rise to the occasions when the defenses focus all of their attention on Gamble at tailback and Dailey at tight end. The results have been very pleasing thus far for Stacy and the offensive coaches.
“You have to have other guys to go to,” Stacy said.
The Tigers have developed a stable of wide receivers who figure give quarterback Bobby Huth options in the passing game. Trey Miller is a returning starter from a year ago, but Michael Porrini, Bryan Sheegog and Giorgio Jackson all have put together solid summers, as has Brendan Baker at tight end.
“We had some great catches,” Stacy said of the Tigers’ most recent 7-on-7 competition, Tuesday at Ashland University. “I thought Bryan Sheegog played really well. Giorgio Jackson continues to improve each day. I saw a lot of good things.”
But those complimentary players aren’t just limited to the receiver positions. K.J. Herring has emerged this summer as a viable alternative in the backfield with Gamble.
“We’re counting on K.J. as one of our tailbacks to spell Brian,” Stacy said of Herring. “He’s almost 195 pounds now.”
CORNERING THE MARKET – Two of the bigger losses the Tigers suffered from their defense from a year ago was at cornerback. Troy Ellis and Neil James provided Massillon with a pair of shut-down type players on the corners, as was evidenced by the way they locked up such players as McKinley’s Joe Morgan (seven catches, 106 yards combined in two games a year ago).
This summer, Miller and junior Kevin Massey have worked in with the No. 1 defense during the Tigers’ 7-on-7 scrimmages, and earned a tip of the cap from Stacy for the way they have grown in the position over the offseason.
“I thought Trey had a great day at cornerback (Tuesday at Ashland),” Stacy said. “Kevin Massey continues to improve. He’s had a good summer. He’s worked really hard all winter and into the spring. It’s paid off for him this summer.”
BACKUP BATTLE – Stacy continues to look at all the Tigers’ potential backup quarterback candidates during the 7-on-7s, which concludes this evening at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium against Elyria and Hudson.
Four players – senior Darian McGuire, juniors Chris Willougby and Steve Ryder and sophomore Tim Adkins – have been involved in the competition to get the No. 2 job behind Huth this summer. All four have had some opportunity during the 7-on-7s to showcase themselves, but Stacy is withholding final judgment until the conclusion of two-a-days.
Still, he knows what he is looking for in his candidate.
“I’m just going to sit back and look and see who wants to play,” Stacy said. “The way I attack it, I want to see who wants to be the guy. I want that guy to step up and show it.”
The value of the backup quarterback was shown in graphic detail in Massillon’s win at St. Ignatius a year ago, when Shawn Weisend came off the bench in the fourth quarter after Huth suffered a concussion. Weisend guided the eventual game-winning touchdown drive, scoring not only the go-ahead touchdown, but also the subsequent two-point conversion.
“The guy who gets the job has to be able to handle the pressure,” Stacy said.
STAYING HEALTHY – Obviously, summer workouts are non-contact affairs, but that hasn’t prevented players in the past from suffering the occasional injury. Stacy said – keeping his fingers crossed, no doubt – that the summer has been a fairly incident-free one.
The second-year coach mentioned only three significant injuries to arise: senior James Poe, and sophomores Cody Nickels and Griffin Erlitz. Stacy was uncertain as to the trio’s status for the upcoming season.
i do feel bad for the other massillon teams because they never get any recognition like perry and jackson. i dont really see the big deal with washington being the most looked at school in ohio for everything. they make their movies and everything but everytime i have been to massillon either half the fans were bandwagoners or nobody in the city even knew the state games were taking place that weekend. this weekend the guy at the hotel on lincoln way didnt even know washington was in the state game.
maybe the football capital should be moved to delphos
