Dublin Coffman brings another test to Bulldog squad looking to rebound

 Dublin Coffman brings another test to Bulldog squad looking to rebound

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio announcer and statistician

CANTON--All of last year's game between Canton McKinley and Dublin Coffman lasted an hour and 45 minutes.

The Shamrocks agonizingly sped up the game for the host Bulldogs by truncating the final 8:18 off the clock with all running plays and departing Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium with a 28-26 victory that left McKinley players in tears amid a nearly disastrous 0-3 beginning to the season.

The Bulldogs hope Friday night's affair is longer than an hour and 45 minutes with them having more points on the scoreboard than the alma mater of former Notre Dame and Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn. Whether that will happen, the answer will arrive Friday night at 7 p.m. at Dublin Coffman Stadium, the second road assignment in three weeks for McKinley.

After a successful opening 33-14 win over Warren Harding, McKinley regressed and did not possess the same aura of a team that flexed their prowess as missed scoring opportunities by the offense coupled by a dismal 10 penalties kept them stuck in reverse as Avon tainted the Bulldogs home opener with a 28-7 triumph. Aside from the missed scoring chances, what agitated third-year head coach Antonio Hall was the penalties that accrued during the course of the evening not to mention two touchdown drops by receivers that may have swung the trajectory of the contest in that fateful second half in what was an otherwise penalty marred contest as both the Bulldogs and Eagles finished with 10 penalties apiece for an embarrassing 20 penalties on the evening.

Hall has vowed his team will bandage their penalty lacerations and offensive ineptitude that led to their setback.

"We are going to talk about that in practice and implement some things to help us prepare for that. We have to be able to capitalize on our opportunities and flip the field because the place kicker and punter are very good," he said. "Field position is going to be very important offensively. We have to move the ball and keep their offense off the field."

Coffman arrives into Friday's contest with a 2-0 record by virtue of victories over St. John's Jesuit and Centerville. They have only surrendered just two touchdowns (both against Centerville) and will bring a carnivorous defense that is very parsimonious and loves to plunder quarterbacks.

Deploying a 3-3-5 stack defense, Coffman will attempt to alter the play of Bulldogs quarterback Keaton Rode, who has played turnover free football the last three weeks going back to their final scrimmage against St. Ignatius. That will be largely tested by an aggressive Shamrocks defensive 11 who will love nothing more to make life miserable for Rode and the offense.

"Their defense is very aggressive. We're going to have to protect the football and the defense will have to create some opportunities for us to get some turnovers," Hall said.

This is the first of a pivotal two-game road stretch for the Bulldogs. After this Friday, they are in Stark County the rest of the way as they will commence league competition against Perry, who will host Euclid this Friday night. The one thing McKinley does not want is to return to Stark County stuck on a single victory and then having to make the short voyage to Wakefield Stadium to challenge a Panthers team that has experienced vast success over them over the years.

A victory will be an asset to them and issue them a jolt of momentum heading into league play. Hall knows the stakes are high against Coffman but at the same time doesn't want his team to play uptight and not remember the task at hand.

A key component to Friday night will be maintaing momentum. Two weeks ago, McKinley's special teams yielded a kickoff return touchdown against Warren Harding on the final play of the second quarter and went to the intermission tied at 14-14 before coming out of the locker room and outscoring the host Raiders 19-0 in the second half. They were able to overcome that against the Raiders unlike last week when Nolan Good threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Cole Kepler to sever a 7-7 tie before halftime and handed Avon a lead they did not relinqush.

When asked if those two mishaps were likely to put pressure on the defense to keep teams off the scoreboard before intermission, Hall pointed out the scores were on two different instances.

"That first one was special teams and the other was on defense. We have to come out and keep the momentum," he said.

Hall expects to see a Bulldog team Friday poised to put behind last week's flagrant showing and return to Stark County with a win.

"We have to travel well and we have to be ready to go down there and win," he said.

Last year's confrontation with the Shamrocks ended too quickly for McKinley. They hope this contest lasts longer than an hour and 45 minutes and ending with a much needed Bulldog victory.

Canton McKinley quarterback Keaton Rode (1) looks downfield to attempt a pass in the fourth quarter of Friday's contest against Avon. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

FEDERAL CASE

Jackson, Lake, and Green were all recipients of victories over the weekend with the Polar Bears downing Mayfield 36-35, Lake stopping Youngstown Boardman 42-31, and Green emerging victorious over defending Division V champion South Range, 21-7. North Canton Hoover absorbed a 45-8 home loss to Hudson, GlenOak was routed 56-7 by Massillon, and Perry took a 16-14 loss to Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.

MORE WEEKEND FOOTBALL

Sunday afternoon, the Black College Hall of Fame Game will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium as the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers will challenge the Virginia Union Panthers with a kickoff time of 4 p.m. Morehouse finished 1-9 last season while Virginia Union completed a 9-2 season.

FAMOUS ALUMNI OF MOREHOUSE AND VIRGINIA UNION

Famous graduates of Morehouse College are well-respective movie filmmaker and actor Spike Lee, actor Samuel L. Jackson, and John David Washington, the son of Denzel and Pauletta Washington. The elder Washington will be at theaters Friday as The Equalizer 3 will open nationwide. Famous graduates of Virginia Union feature former NBA basketball standouts Charles Oakley and Ben Wallace. Wallace was a part of the 2004 Detroit Pistons NBA championship winning team that will be celebrating their 20th anniversary later on this year.

Keno Sultan can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

Canton McKinley suffers setback in penalty marred contest

 Canton McKinley suffers setback in penalty marred contest

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio announcer and statistician

CANTON--Penalties are the biggest peeve of any high school football head coach.

Multiple penalties are bound to eventually vault a coach over the edge.

Friday night, that is exactly what occurred at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium as Canton McKinley looked nowhere near the team they were from last week in a 33-14 dismantling of Warren Harding as they were repeatedly short-circuited by hordes of penalties that eventually caught up to them in a 28-7 setback to Avon in their home opener.

Avon had their series of penalties as well but it was a big fourth quarter that propelled them to victory as running backs Tyler Kaufmann and Jakorion Caffey both scored touchdowns to turn an otherwise competitive football game at 14-7 into a three-touchdown triumph.

For 17th year Eagles head coach Mike Elder, his team has always been a contender in Division II. Elder always has had his teams on the verge of a trip to Benson Stadium but their season always stalled a game short of the state final. Although the state finals are only 14 weeks away, Elder had a reason to enjoy his first trip to Canton and hopes there is a second one awaiting them in 14 weeks assuming they do not run into construction roadblocks in either Akron Hoban or Massillon Washington, two teams that have ended the Eagles season repeatedly and used them as springboards for state championship contests in 2018 and 2020 respectively.

What impressed Elder the most was his defense as for the second straight week, they only yielded seven points.

"They did a good job of understanding their roles within the defense and we played good team defense and our guys just don't freelance, they are expected to be in places and they are disciplined guys. Because of that, they are playing well," he said of his team's second straight stellar performance on defense.

It was the Eagles second offensive series that got them on the scoreboard. Spanning 12 plays, the visitors converted three fourth down situations that eventuall ended with Caffey scoring the first of his two touchdown runs and an early 7-0 lead.

It remained that way until McKinley's offense finally ascended on their fourth possession when highly touted junior running back Nino Hill plowed his way for a hard two-yard touchdown run to issue McKinley some much needed momentum with 9:33 left before the intermission and a tie score at 7-7.

That momentum didn't last long when for the second straight week in a row, McKinley yielded a touchdown to end the first half when Eagles quarterback Nolan Good threw a 26 yard touchdown pass to Cole Kepner, who got behind a Bulldog defensive back with 29 seconds remaining to hand the Eagles a 14-7 lead they repossessed and maintained.

McKinley overcame that situation last week. That wasn't the case this time. And no one was more frustrated about that than Hall himself.

"It was poor execution. We had drive stallers and penalties, we just didn't get the job done," he said tersely.

McKinley actually had a chance to edge closer to the Eagles in the third quarter but two dropped passes that had touchdown spelled on them and then a sack on fourth down impaled their chances severely as the second half dwindled away.

Not coming away with a score after a botched Avon punt loomed large. When asked if momentum may have swung their way had they converted one of those for a touchdown, Hall attested he didn't know largely because of his team's failure to convert.

"You really don't know, you would think that would change something. You just don't know because it didn't happen. So there is a lot of football we wish we could get back," he said. "It all starts with me, we have to make those corrections and come back better next week."

"Our defense made some crucial stops. We had two holding penalties and a shanked punt and all the momentum was on their side and we talked about trying to get that back and I think our defensive coordinator Jared Cecchetti and our defense played lights out and this victory goes to them tonight," said Elder of the third quarter. "It was tough sledding offensively tonight because of the penalties and those were hard to overcome but in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line, the defense made some crucial stops and we were finally able to grind it out with our run game. For our defense to play the way they did, I'm so proud of them and we leaned on our offensive line and our backs of Kaufmann and Caffey to close it out."

For McKinley, they will have to look into the mirror and see what kind of team they want to be. With Federal League play on the horizon, they do not want to be on a two-game losing streak as they travel to Dublin Coffman, who defeated Centerville 22-14 at press time. Coffman stifled McKinley 28-26 last season by draining the final eight minutes off the clock that left many players in tears as they took a frustrating loss.

Hall is interested to see how his team will respond after the penalty filled madness that engulfed his legion of Bulldogs.

"We have to clean up all of our mistakes on both sides of the ball and we have to be able to control the ball offensively and not have things blow up in our face with penalties on both sides," he said.

Canton McKinley junior running back Nino Hill scores on a two-yaard touchdown with 9:33 remaining in the second quarter of Friday's contest against Avon. It was not enough as the host Bulldogs absorbed a 28-7 loss to the Eagles. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

Keno Sultan can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

A great start to the football season

 A great start to the football season 

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio announcer and statistician

CANTON--It was a wonderful first week of high school football and a fantastic way to commence the season for various county teams.

This past week, Canton McKinley obtained their first opening week win under third-year Canton McKinley head coach Antonio Hall as the Bulldogs overcame a 7-6 deficit and a tied halftime score to conquer Warren Harding 33-14 at Mollenkopf Stadium. It marked McKinley's fourth straight triumph over the Raiders, equal to the run that Harding possessed from 2000-03 when former McKinley general Thom McDaniels piloted the team for seven seasons and was 4-0 against the Bulldogs in that span.

McKinley will receive another test Friday night as the Avon Eagles make what they hope will be the first of two trips to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, with the second coming hopefully for them in 14 weeks provided they don't have to cross either Akron Hoban or Massillon, two schools that have brought an antagonizing end to the Eagles season a round short of the state final. 

Avon was in dominant form as they plundered Brunswick 49-7 in their season opener. A victory for McKinley will advance them to a 2-0 record for the first time since the 2019 season when Marcus Wattley served as head coach. A win will be important going on the road next week against Dublin Coffman, who at press time is 1-0 off a 24-0 win over St. John's Jesuit.

McKinley maintained their momentum from the St. Ignatius scrimmage offensively as for the second straight week quarterback Keaton Rode and the offense did not turn the ball over and the McKinley defense buckled down in the second half, styming the Raiders. Aside from allowing a kickoff return touchdown, the Bulldogs defense limted the Raiders to a single offensive touchdown. They will have to maintain that success against an Eagles team capable of scoring points in a hurry.

Special thanks to Warren Harding graduates Joe McConnell and David Baugh for their updates this past week.

TIGERS MAKE EMPHATIC STATEMENT

In a matchup of two stories programs that are ranked first and fourth nationally in prep wins, Valdosta (GA) landed two vicious left hooks ala Felix Trinidad on Massillon's chin in the form of two Todd Robinson touchdown passes and held a 14-0 advantage in the first quarter at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. 

However, the Tigers showed they weren't a team with the fragility of Fernando Vargas (who was downed five times and stopped after going down three more times in the 12th round of their 2000 WBA/IBF jr. middleweight classic). Instead, Massillon turned to their ever durable offensive line and ran their way back into the contest as paced by two long touchdown runs by junior quarterback Daone Owens and senior running back/lineback Dorian Pringle as they wore down the Wildcats, outscoring them 28-3 the rest of the contest en route to a 28-17 win.

Valdosta's last six possessions featured five punts and an interception and only a field goal to show for their futility in the third quarter.

I know I will catch grief for it, a lot of it and I'm OK with that. Everyone knows I am a graduate of McKinley High School and always proud to be a Bulldog. Last Friday night though, I was never prouder to wear orange and black in a show of support, not just for the state of Ohio but more importantly the Massillon Tigers in what became a monumental victory for the Tigers. Do not be alarmed if they arrive to Canton with another solid record in eight weeks. Like them or not, you have to love the way they compete, especially the play on the offensive line. Their mindset is 'we are the Massillon Tigers and we are going to lean on you, wear you down, impose our durable strength, keep your offense benched, wear out your defense and take the game out of your hands.'

Valdosta will rebound from this. Don't be quick to discredit them after one setback. But Friday night definitely belonged to the Tigers.

OHIO PRIDE REIGNS

Massillon's win over Valdosta was part of the Northeast Ohio vs. America showcase. Three other contests were played at Benson Stadium last Saturday and it was a clean sweep for the Buckeye state as Lakewood St. Edward dominated Center Grove (IN) 27-10, Akron Hoban lassoed Frederick Douglass (45-7) and in the nightcap, Cleveland Glenville stopped Dinwiddie (VA) 36-13.

It was a blessing to interview Ted Ginn Sr. 90 minutes before the contest. It was several years ago he was diagnosed with cancer and told by doctors to send his final goodbyes to family members and friends. End of life was not on Ginn Sr's. mind as he vowed to defeat cancer. A word given and a word kept. Ginn Sr. is alive and well along with doing what he has done since the 1997 season when he was hired as Glenville's head football coach.

Ginn Sr. is a devout believer in God and attested that God had him overcome cancer and beat it for a reason. The Tarblooders enter the year as defending Division IV state champions as they ravaged Cincinnati Wyoming 26-6 last season to become the first inner city high school in Cleveland to win a state title after multiple failed attempts and having that moniker of 'can't win the big one' for years. Never again will Ginn Sr. ever have to hear that moniker.

OTHER FEDERAL LEAGUE WINNERS

GlenOak, Green, and North Canton Hoover all joined McKinley as winners from the first week of competition. Lake and Jackson were on the short end of losses at home to Alliance and Mentor.

Keno Sultan can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

Tigers feast on Wildcats in 28-17 triumph, Canton McKinley wins opener

Tigers feast on Wildcats in 28-17 triumph, Canton McKinley wins opener

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio announcer and statistician

MASSILLON--The Massillon Tigers stared at an early two-touchdown deficit last season against AP #1 state ranked Lakewood St. Edward in the first quarter.

No problem.

Friday night against Valdosta (GA), the host Tigers found themselves down again via a two-touchdown deficit in front of a capacity crowd at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

Once again, no problem.

After weathering the early assault from the Wildcats, Massillon turned to their running game and durability through their offensive line along with a plethora of big plays and two touchdown runs from backup quarterback Daone Owens that spanned 60 and 65 yards in the second half and Massillon outscored the visitors from Georgia 28-3 the rest of the way to kickoff the Northeast Ohio vs. America Showcase with a rousing 28-17 triumph in a battle of teams ranked first and fourth respectively in prep wins nationally.

Durable strength on the offensive line has been the main catalyst of Massillon Tiger football in the Nate Moore era dating back to a 16-15 win over McKinley back in 2017 which the Tigers controlled the clock via a 14 minute edge in time of possession. 

A former offensive lineman at the University of Dayton, Moore is an avid reader of durability and knows when a defense is winded and languishing. His Massillon football team embody what it means to be a Tiger and being the fresher team down the stretch and at the end of contests.

Massillon's comeback triumph over the Wildcats was nearly similar to last season's 31-28 win over St. Edward when the Tigers outscored the Eagles 31-14 after a 14-0 deficit. Friday's affair became a testament of the Massillon will that kept them in the contest and allowed them to eventually take control of the confrontation against the Georgia state power.

"It's a great experience, I think that's probably the national game of the week. I know that every college coach in America was tuned in, so it's a great opportunity for our kids and our program and it's easy to say that but win or lose it was a great experience and in a game like that someone's going to win," Moore said.

Early on the Tigers were staggered when Todd Robinson connected on touchdown passes of 16 and 61 yards to Eli Lewis and Prince Jean. Massillon was having difficulty generating offense on their first three offensive series until their fourth series.

Inserting in Owens, he had a 60 yard run on a quarterback keeper that put the hosts in Wildcat territory where senior fullback/linebacker Dorian Pringle finished off a seven play drive with a one-yard touchdown run on fourth and goal at the one yard line at the 6:22 mark to truncate the Valdosta lead to 14-7.

Valdosta's last six possessions ended with four punts and an interception. Their only offense in the second half was a field goal. After a Shakevious Wright 70 yard run on the first play, he was bottled up as he only gained 40 yards the rest of the way and finished with 111 yards on 19 carries.

Owens rushed for 241 of Massillon's 348 yards. His 60 yard jaunt on the opening play of the third quarter handed Massillon a 21-14 lead they did not relinquish. Moore couldn't helped by the glow over his junior quarterback and once again glorify his team's strength on the offensive line.

"Daone Owens is special, he's special. He can throw the football but he is very special running the football. And we're able to do some things with him in the quarterback run game," he said. "To end that game with our offensive line with our offensive line, our tight ends and fullbacks along with running backs they planted out tough yards and that's not the first time we've done that. To close out the game like that, it feels great."

The Tigers will bask in this one before welcoming in the GlenOak Eagles, who at press time defeated Cincinnati Western Hills in their opener. Eagles longtime coach Scott Garcia, a former player of Bob Commings when he coached GlenOak served two years as Tigers linebacker coach under Tom Stacy.

Massillon has no intention of just basking in this monumental win. Their aim now is to go forward and take the momentum into the second week of the season.

"They are going in the right direction. Scott Garcia is a tremendous football coach and we will have our work cut out for us," Moore said.

Massillon found themselves trailing by two touchdowns against Valdosta Friday night. But that was no problem to the orange and black hosts who once again left their fans something to cheer for with their courageous stand at home.

  

Massillon ninth year head coach Nate Moore observes the action while assistant coach J.P. Simon gestures from the bench during the fourth quarter of Massillon's home opener against Valdosta (GA). Massillon prevailed 28-17 to start the season 1-0. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

Canton McKinley 33, Warren Harding 14

WARREN--Canton McKinley found themselves in a tight affair against host Warren Harding before outscoring the Raiders 19-0 in the second half to post a 33-14 win at Mollenkopf Stadium to win their first opening game in the Antonio Hall tenure. McKinley has now defeated Harding four straight times dating back to the 2017 season.

The Bulldogs have their home opener next Friday night against Avon, a 7 p.m. kickoff at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. It will be the first meeting between the two high schools.

Keno Sultan can be reached at 330-455-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

National showcase features Ohio state and other powers from U.S.

 National showcase features Ohio state and powers from U.S.

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio announcer and statistician

MASSILLON--In nine seasons at Massillon, Nate Moore has witnessed it all.

He has seen his program progress from a four-win season in 2015 to two 14-win seasons in his first five seasons, two undefeated regular seasons, two consecutive final top 25 appearance in multiple national publications, not to mention a seven-game winning streak against rival Canton McKinley and being the first visiting team to win a game in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, denying the Bulldogs an undefeated home season in 2017. That also includes three straight Division II state championship game apppearances along the way.

Friday night however introduces a new chapter in the Tiger football kingdom.

Massillon will welcome to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, the Valdosta (GA) Wildcats in what will be a matchup of two fabled programs who are in the top five when it comes to total victories nationwide. The Wildcats are first in the nation for wins while Massillon is fourth for wins. The 7 p.m. kickoff at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium will be the first of four games played in the Northeast Ohio vs. America Showcase this weekend and three others at Benson Stadium in Canton.

Massillon is a serious contender for a state championship in Division II evidenced by last season's 12-2 record and a fourth regional championship in five seasons. A fourth state championship game appearance in six seasons will start against a Wildcat team who also has high expectations in class 7A, the largest classification in the state of Georgia following an 8-3 season. Massillon has not sold out a home opener since the 2005 season, a 34-0 win over Dover in Tom Stacy's first of three years atop the Massillon realm but this may be the closest to obtaining 18,000.

When asked if this will be the biggest home opener in the Tiger program, Moore attested it as such.

"Yes, there is no doubt about that. That's a big opening game, like last year against Cincinnati Moeller and Pickerington Central before that," he said.

One asset that has defined the Tiger football program the last six years has been the durable conditioning of the offensive line. The trajectory of that stance spans back to the 2017 contest against McKinley in a game where the Tigers trailed 15-9 in the fourth quarter before relying on the play of their line and ending a long drive with an Aidan Longwell touchdown pass to Tre'Von Morgan to complete a 16-15 triumph in which Massillon doubled up the host Bulldogs in the time of possession department 31:00-17:00 and have accomplished that in the last five confrontations as well against their storied rival.

The offensive line has been the strength of the Massillon squad and that is where Moore is impressed at the depth and strength of that position and a reason why Massillon has a chance to start off their season with a win provided their ability to keep the Wildcats offense on the bench for long periods during the game.

When defenses are tiring and hung out to dry, that is where Massillon's offensive line is very dangerous in the trenches.

"Our offensive line is led by Jon Mazur, who does a good job with them and we return three starters and we got some up and comers who will also be working with them," Moore said. "It is us playing physical up front and developing football techniques and J.P. Simon and Joey Studer take those guys and develop the techniques and play hard."

The Valdosta offense is an offense that is capable of scoring evidenced by their speed. That is something the Tigers will have to neutralize. Defensively according to Moore, their defensive line will be the best line his team will see all year per his testimony.

One thing Massillon will have the benefit of are two things: longevity on the coaching staff and experience.

Five years ago, Massillon welcomed in an East St. Louis Flyers (IL) team that was ranked sixth in the nation, undefeated and state champions in Illinois. The Tigers faced adversity for the first time as they were down 20-10 at the intermission but turned the tide and outscored the visitors 36-20 in the second half translating into an unforgettable 46-40 victory, a victory that catapulted Massillon into the national ranking and a #2 ranking in the Associated Press state poll. Most of the staff remains from that game and that will be vital.

When asked if Friday night's contest against the Wildcats will be reminiscent to that, Moore acknowledged the likeliness of that.

"That's a fair comparison. East St. Louis had a QB who ended up going to Missouri. Our kids kept battling and playing hard. That was the first game where Jayden Ballard showed out and ripped down a catch in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown in the final two minutes," Moore excitedly recalled.

Although it is only the first week of the season, a victory will defintely send shockwaves around various antennas. This may be one of those games that will translate into something special. The buzz has been building like the lead up to a Super Bowl via the weeklong festivities and pregame show since it was announced in the offseason. Massillon will love nothing more to capture not only a victory but bragging rights and a huge wave of momentum that may eventually lead to greater avenues for the 2023 Tigers.

It is one of those games that fans have waited for a long time. All there is left now is to kick the ball away and play some football. And Massillon will have their crowd at their back, a crowd that creates false starts and delay of game penalties unlike any other school.

"The crowd has to be a factor Friday night. It is week one and everyone is excited and I am hoping it will sell out, Moore said. "It will be packed but at the same time it will feel like it's sold out."

In nine seasons at Massillon, Nate Moore has witnessed it all. Now he and the Tigers will witness what will be unarguably the biggest season opener in it's history.

Paul Brown Tiger Stadium will be the venue for the Tigers home opener against Valdosta (GA) Friday evening. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

OTHER SHOWCASE CONTESTS IN CANTON

Ohio vs. Indiana: Lakewood St. Edward has won the last two Ohio Division I state football championships and look to become the first team since the 1993 Cleveland St. Ignatius Wildcats to win three straight big school championships as they will oppose Indiana 6A state champion Center Grove, who are the three time state champions in their division. St. Edward is 30-2 the last two seasons with losses coming to Cincinnati Moeller and Massillon respectively. Kickoff for that contest is at 12 p.m.

Ohio vs. Kentucky: Akron Hoban has been stinging the last two seasons after consecutive state championship losses in Division II to Cincinnati Winton Woods and most recently, Toledo Central Catholic, who moved down to Division III. Prior to those losses, Hoban had won five titles in a six-year span, four straight from 2015-18 and one in 2020. Their first two titles were in Division III. Frederick Douglass, out of Kentucky arrives with a class 5A state championship and were 15-0 last year. The Broncos boasted the division's top-ranked defense. Kickoff for that battle is 4 p.m.

Ohio vs. Virginia: Don't make the mistake of going to the refrigerator, you might miss some scores as Division IV state champion Cleveland Glenville competes in the closing game against Dinwiddie, the Virginia class 4A state champions, who scored a monstrous 761 points last year. This has the making of a track meet. The Tarblooders were 16-0 last season with a 26-6 win over Cincinnati Wyoming for their first ever state title, making Ted Ginn Sr. the oldest prep coach to win am Ohio state title. Kickoff for that affair is 8 p.m.

Keno Sultan can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

Bulldogs travel on road to face heavyweight test against longtime stalwart

 Bulldogs travel on road to face heavyweight test against longtime stalwart

By Keno Sultan 

C-Town Radio announcer and statistician

CANTON--Antonio Hall has had his share of heavyweight contests in his playing days against Warren Harding.

Aside from a 30-9 win in 1997 on the way to an undefeated season with the prizes being an Ohio big school and USA Today national championship, the 1996, 1998, and 1999 contests against the Raiders were won by a combined eight points with the 1998 and 1999 contests clinching playoff spots for Canton McKinley and the 1996 game keeping their season afloat before salvaging the final playoff spot against a Massillon team who at the time was ranked #1 in Ohio Division I and #2 in the nation.

24 years after his playing days concluded with him being the Ohio Division I player of the year and committing to the University of Kentucky for a four-year run, Hall is back in Canton as the patriarch of his alma mater's football program in his third season as McKinley commences the 2023 season Friday night against a Warren Harding team that is expected to be vastly improved than last season's 2-8 team. 

Although the Raiders graduated multitalented quarterback Dalys Jett to Walsh University, Hall quickly mentioned the four matchups with the Raiders from his prep days and knows they will be the same team, physical and hard-hitting when they take the field at 7 p.m. at Mollenkopf Stadium.

"They were a physical bunch and they have a similar tradition in common with McKinley. They will be a formidable team to play against," Hall cautioned.

One thing that has defined Harding football over the years is their always lethal special teams. The Raiders are always a kick or punt return score from changing the trajectory of any contest, and that also includes blocking a field goal or punt and scoring, something the Raiders pride themselves on.

Case in point. 21 years ago, Harding wide receiver Mario Manningham recorded two special teams touchdowns against McKinley's rival Massillon, a kickoff return for a touchdown and then a game-winning punt return touchdown in the closing seconds to complete a 31-27 win in a contest that the Tigers were dominating but the Raiders special teams proved superior in the second half when it counted most in overcoming a 27-17 deficit with over seven minutes remaining.

Although the Raiders may no longer have Manningham, who is 18 years removed from a stellar career that took him to Michigan and then a Super Bowl championship with the New York Giants, that doesn't mean they are not a threat in the special teams department. Hall knows McKinley will have to be adept in that phase and not yield any big returns or miscues that will lead to Raiders scores.

"Special teams is a big emphasis for us. We practice that for a reason. We have to be sound in all three phases of the game, offense, defense, and special teams. Northeast Ohio teams have very good special teams and utilize that well. We want to be the best coverage team and pride ourselves on that," he said.

In last week's scrimmage to Cleveland St. Ignatius, McKinley fell short by virtue of a 20-19 decision but what left Hall pleased was the fact that his team did not turn the ball over in two quarters from his varsity and senior quarterback Keaton Rode has taken the initiative to protect the football. Add in the hard running of junior tailback Nino Hill and a sturdy offensive line, the McKinley offense looks to be in early season form.

Defensively, what Hall lamented was the fact his team surrendered two long touchdown passes to the Wildcats that spanned over 50 yards. Although McKinley countered with two deep passes also spanning 50 yards for touchdowns, Hall knows his team will have to shore up the deficiency in the secondary. When asked if he will resort to an aggressive pass rush in order to take the pressure off his defensive backs, Hall attested that was not the case.

"No, that was more of our defensive backs being out of position in those situations. We were also playing a lot of guys to see who is ready to take that next step and to see who needs more work. Those scores came from blown assignments but other than that I have no question about the abilities of our secondary," he said.

Warren Harding will be paced by their running game this year. Harding will want to score more points offensively as that was missing deeply last season. It's one thing to be able to score on offense but at the same time, the Raiders know they can't be just dependent on a defensive or special teams touchdown to pace them.

A key start for them will be to jumpstart their running game. If they can get that going and move the chains, it may create difficulties for the visiting Bulldogs. One thing McKinley does not want to occur is to let Harding find themselves in second and third down situations in short yardage and the only way McKinley will avert that is getting the Raiders behind the chains.

If Harding has to pass the ball, the McKinley secondary may have an opportunity to snag some interceptions and that may assist their goal of obtaining a victory and deflate the Raiders cause.

"We have to win the first down battle and get them into some second down and third down situations where the yardage is long. If we can do that, it will bode well for us," Hall said. "They have a bruising running game and we don't want to get them in second down, third down where they have short yardage, so we have to win the first down battle."

This is a critical game for McKinley with Avon arriving to Canton for the home opener next week. It may not sound like it in reality but this is a must-win for the Bulldogs as they don't want to come back to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium next week a flat team for their home opener against an Eagles team that is a strong contender for a Division II championship.

A victory Friday night will go a long way into sparking the Bulldogs into next week's home opener.

"We will have to travel well and play well. Warren Harding is going to be a challenge and we have to come ready to play," Hall said.

Antonio Hall has had his share of heavyweight contests against Warren Harding as a player. Now he will get to live it as the head coach of the school he won two Division I state championships with.

FLIP THE SCRIPT

One thing that Hall is not proud of is his record in season openers. Twice the Bulldogs suffered thunderous losses to Mentor in 2021 and 2022 and that is something he wants to change. Scoring first will help that case. "That would mean a lot to score first. We want to start fast and finish strong. We want to put our offense in a great position to score and be aggressive defensively," Hall said.

FROM THE HARDWOOD TO THE GRIDIRON

Steve Arnold enters his 12th season as the head football coach of the Raiders. A 1982 graduate of Harding, Arnold previously served as the head basketball coach of the Raiders. His 2004-05 Raiders team was ranked #2 in Ohio and battled #1 Canton McKinley for a district title, a contest won by the Bulldogs 84-41 on their way to the first of two Division I state championships. Arnold replaced Rick Rios, who was forced out after a 2-8 season back in 2011. Prior to that, Rios replaced D.J. Dota, who was picked by Thom McDaniels to be his successor after the 2006 season. McDaniels coached McKinley for 17 seasons and Harding for seven.

NATIONAL EXPOSURE

In a battle of the nation's winningest programs Friday night, Massillon will host Valdosta (GA) in a much anticipated showdown to kick off the Northeast Ohio vs. America Showcase at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Valdosta is #1 in the nation for most wins while Massillon is not far behind at #4 for wins. It will be one of four games on the showcase with the other three at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium Saturday as defending two-time Division I state kingpin Lakewood St. Edward will challenge Indiana 6A state champion Center Grove, defending two-time Division II state finalist and five-time champion Akron Hoban will combat Kentucky 5A champion Frederick Douglass and the night will conclude with Division IV state champion Cleveland Glenville matching wits against Dinwiddie.

SPEAKING OF MASSILLON

No school in the state of Ohio has more wins over AP #1 ranked teams than the Tigers. The highest ranked team in the nation to play the Tigers in the Nate Moore era now spanning nine years was the East St. Louis Flyers, who came to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium boasting a #6 ranking in 2018. Massillon overcame a 20-10 deficit to outscore the Flyers 36-20 and emerge with a 46-40 victory that eventually propelled the undefeated Tigers to a much anticipated showdown with undefeated Hoban in a #1 vs. #2 matchup for the Division II state title. Although the Tigers lost 42-28 in a valiant effort that nearly saw them wipe out a 34-7 second half deficit, they finished ranked in the top 25 in the nation and once again recorded a second straight top 25 finish in the nation the following season, another stellar 14-1 season.

QUARTER ANNIVERSARY 

This season also marks the 25th anniversary of McKinley's second consecutive Division I state title team that mowed down Cincinnati St. Xavier 33-10 in front of a sold out crowd of 18,000 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. McKinley finished the 1998 season 12-1 and a four-year run with a record of 45-7 dating back to the 1996 season.

Junior Canton McKinley tailback Nino Hill runs for yardage as he wards off a St. Ignatius defender in last week's scrimmage. Hill and the Bulldogs travel to Warren for a 7 p.m. kickoff against the Warren Harding Raiders at Mollenkopf Stadium. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio) 

Keno Sultan can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

Bulldogs come up short but show prowess in turnover free scrimmage

 Bulldogs come up short but show prowess in turnover free scrimmage

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio announcer and statistician

CANTON--Most coaches would not walk away from a scrimmage feeling good after a defeat despite not having turned the ball over.

For Antonio Hall, that is an exception.

In game situation conditions Friday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, the Canton McKinley Bulldogs were paced by three touchdown passes from quarterback Keaton Rode as McKinley overcame two early deficits to hold a 19-14 lead before a final Cleveland St. Ignatius rally derailed the host Bulldogs bid for a victory as the Wildcats scored on a six-yard touchdown pass on their final down with a minute remaining to come away with a 20-19 victory in the final scrimmage for both teams.

Hall no question will have wanted to come away victorious but the fact his offense did not turn the ball over was a bright spot that pleased him even in defeat.

"That's what you expect early on in the season. If we can improve on that next week, it will be a great start. I was pleased with our effort and our execution. But at the end we lost focus and that cost us the game," he said.

Rode was the bright spot for the Bulldogs as he threw three touchdown passes, two of them to Keith Quincy and the other to junior Dante McClellan, who figures to be a key asset to the Bulldogs receiving corps. He managed the game very well and made intelligent decisions while protecting possession of the football according to Hall.

"He's a tough kid. He wants the moment. He wants the ball. He wants that pressure and he wants to be that guy and we opened up our offense for him this season and got him some weapons and put him in better situations and so far he has capitalized," he said.

For the Wildcats, their last possession impressed first year general Ryan Franzinger. Franzinger, a 2002 St. Ignatius graduate was the team's longtime defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach and replacing longtime commander Chuck Kyle. Franzinger was a part of the 1999 and 2001 Division I state championship winning teams and was the lead blocker for record setting running back Dan Murphy as a Wildcats sophomore.

Like McKinley, Ignatius did not turn the ball over on offense and that is an asset which elicited a healthy smile from Franzinger.

"That's one of our goals and as a coach you should be impressed. That's what you set out to do and we did that. That's a good point," he said.

For both teams, the regular season kicks off next week as the Wildcats will travel to Springfield to challenge the two-time Division I state finalists while McKinley will travel to Warren Harding for an opening week road test against the Raiders.

Harding was a dismal 2-8 last season and graduated quarterback Dalys Jett, who now is enrolled at Walsh University. Hall is not placing any stock on last year's Raiders record and knows what his team will be up against next week at Mollenkopf Stadium.

"That doesn't matter. They are a tough team. I know the head coach (Steve Arnold) really well and he's a great friend of mine. They are big up front, strong, physical and they have two really good running backs," he said. "Their record last year doesn't mean anything to us. This is a tough, physical Warren team we are preparing for."

Canton McKinley head football coach Antonio Hall, a 2000 graduate interacts with his defense in the fourth quarter of Friday's scrimmage against Cleveland St. Ignatius. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

Keno Sultan can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

Coaches share good will before putting each other's minds to the test on the gridiron

 Coaches share good will before putting each other's minds to the test on the gridiron

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio announcer and statistician

CANTON--They may not possess the minds of Stephen Hawking, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein or any other scientist in the world.

What they do possess however is the ability to not just be head football coaches but also emerge triumphant in contests determined on the field in competition.

Wednesday night at St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church in Canton, 19 of Stark County's heralded football minds convened for the annual kickoff dinner that featured a variety of laughs, anecdotes and healthy good will before the commencement of the regular season next Friday.

For the Canton McKinley Bulldogs, they are two years removed from a scandal that nearly derailed their football season. Since the hiring of two-time state champion offensive and defensive lineman Antonio Hall as their head coach, they have resuscitated themselves back to contending status evidenced by last season's Federal League title (shared with Lake) after a players only meeting reversed the trajectory of their 0-4 start as they salvaged a .500 season by winning six of their last eight contests before a debilitating playoff loss on the final play of their Division I second round regional contest against longtime state title contender Mentor.

Winning the Federal League however will not satisfy the stomachs of the Bulldogs. Aside from the perennial goal of winning a state championship, McKinley has been emaciated the last seven years in the form of a seven-year losing streak to their archrival Massillon, a team they have not defeated since the final contest played at Fawcett Stadium spanning back to the 2015 season when Dan Reardon was piloting the Bulldogs. Since that time, the Tigers have captured three of the seven contests inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium by imposing their durable strength up front with their massive offensive line and dominating the time of possession statistic. With this year's game at home, McKinley will once again attain another opportunity to satisfy their long running hunger and obtain the Victory Bell in 10 weeks against a Massillon team that once again will be a durable opponent and a contender for a state championship in Division II.

For now, here is a capsule of the Bulldogs and their Federal League opponents.

CANTON MCKINLEY BULLDOGS

Head Coach: Antonio Hall

Years at school: 4th

Last season's record: 5-1 Federal (6-6 overall)

Returning letterwinners: 15

Outlook: McKinley posted the league's top ranked offense last season as they scored 237 points and the league's second ranked defense behind Lake as they surrendered only 122 points in league play to only 92 by the Blue Streaks. Hall is very optimistic about where his team is at as the Bulldogs kick off their season next Friday on the road against Warren Harding. "I'm excited to see where this team goes this season. We're a team that's playing a tough schedule and we'll have to go through some growing pains and I'm just hoping to go 1-0 for a change, I have not had that yet," he said in reference to not winning a season opener as Bulldogs patriarch. "Last season ended on a sour note for us against Mentor in the playoffs at Mentor. That left a bad taste in our mouths all season and our emphasis this year is to finish."

LAKE BLUE STREAKS

Head Coach: Dan DeGeorge

Years at school: 11

Last season's record: 5-1 Federal (13-2 overall)

Returning letterwinners: 27

Outlook: The Blue Streaks won their first league title in 27 years last season and rode the momentum to a regional final appearance where their season was short circuited by a Massillon team who won the regional title for a fourth time in five seasons. This team may be DeGeorge's best in his 11 years after succeeding longtime veteran general Jeff Durbin. "Football wise, we return 27 letterwinners from last year. So on paper they think they're pretty good. So it's my job to remind them that it takes a lot of work to do that. They had a nice offseason but we still have a long way to go," DeGeorge said.

NORTH CANTON HOOVER VIKINGS

Head coach: Brian Baum Sr.

Years at school: 9

Last season's record: 4-2 Federal (8-4 overall)

Returning letterwinners: 19

Outlook: North Canton Hoover returns a team that will be contenders for a league title again this year. However this is a Vikings team that does not have a lot of seniors but does have depth that may be a determining factor in the success of the team Baum possesses since taking over for Don Hertler Jr. in 2015. "We're going to play with a purpose. We have a young roster. If we can jell and avoid injuries, we'll be able to compete," Baum said.

JACKSON POLAR BEARS

Head coach: Jay Rohr

Years at school: 2

Last season's record: 2-4 Federal (6-6 overall)

Returning letterwinners: 16

Outlook: Jackson will once again field a team that has high numbers and the commitment to the program has impressed Rohr, who was a running back on the last Jackson team to win the Federal League 22 years ago. Rohr also brings to his staff Phil Mauro, who coached Rohr in high school. "Last year we had 41 seniors and this year we go down to 16. So it certainly is a change but we have 16 seniors that have really taken over the leadership role," Rohr said. "We have had a tremendous offseason in the weight room. They have bought in and they work their butts off."

GLENOAK GOLDEN EAGLES

Head coach: Scott Garcia

Years at school: 15

Last season's record: 2-4 Federal (4-7 overall)

Returning letterwinners: 26

Outlook: In Garcia's first go-around as GlenOak head coach, the Eagles were perennial league title contenders and were a thorn in the side of both McKinley and Massillon, where Garcia was an assistant coach at under Tom Stacy before returning to his alma mater in 2007 as head football coach. The Eagles boast a team that may be back in the winner's circle in no time attested by the talent they wield. "Last year we played a lot of young guys and they took their lumps the last couple of years and I am proud of the guys who stuck with it," Garcia said. "It was a process from the weight room and all the things they had to do to get back to where we are right now. I commend our kids for sticking with it and hopefully we have a lot of success this year."

PERRY PANTHERS

Head coach: Zach Slates

Years at school: 3

Last season's record: 2-5 Federal (4-7 overall)

Returning letterwinners: 12

Outlook: Slates, a disciple of veteran Perry general Keith Wakefield is in his third year as the Panthers field boss. The Panthers return another young team but not to be discredited is their willingness to compete, a staple of Wakefield coaches teams and something Slates intends to continue. "We played a lot of sophomores last year because of injuries and it was a trial by fire. So we played a lot of young guys and they worked their butts off in the weight room this offseason, doing what they have to do to get better every day," he said.

GREEN BULLDOGS

Head coach: Mark Geis

Years at school: 5

Last season's record: 2-4 Federal (4-7 overall)

Returning letterwinners: 21

Keno Sultan can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

Winding down of summer, beginning of school, and most of all...FOOTBALL!

 Winding down of summer, beginning of school, and most of all...FOOTBALL!

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio announcer and statistician

CANTON--As summer moves into the late phases of the season right around this time, parents are completing their final shopping assigments for their children. Most kids around this time will be on their way to a respective college or university of their commitment. Others will be facing the rigorous challenges of high school, the comeuppance of middle school, and the forging of an early future path in elementary school.

August means back-to-school. And that also means the return of a pasttime sport we all love...football.

We all remember those days as summer vacation started to cease. Most of us looked forward to another school year while others were not ready to return, which is understandable. However, the moment anyone mentions football, that will stir up rampant excitement in a hurry.

Yesterday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (formerly Fawcett Stadium), the Cleveland Browns competed in their second Pro Football Hall of Fame Game for the first time since their return to NFL competition after a three-year hiatus away from the league when late and oft-maligned owner Art Modell relocated the team to Baltimore to close the 1995 season. Like the 1999 Hall of Fame Game when they were triumphant over Dallas, the Browns defeated a New York Jets team that was making their first appearance in the annual preseason contest for the first time in 31 years.

Football also means tailgating and camaraderie as well. Whereas Sundays will mean a slate of professional football contests, Saturdays call for a huge diet of college football matches, and Fridays possess a platter of high school confrontations. And then there will be the occasional Monday and Thursday night NFL affairs (several college games may be included in that as well). It will be a long seven-month march of big plays, game-winning moments, the thrill of triumph and the dejection of defeat that will end for high school teams in Ohio with an appearance in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium as one of 14 teams in seven divisions competing for an OHSAA state playoff championship in late November or early December, for four college teams in late December and early January gunning for a national championship in the final College Football Playoff before it widens to 12 teams, and concluding in February with the AFC and NFC champions competing for the 58th Super Bowl title in Las Vegas, which will mark the third straight season an NFL championship will be played inside a dome.

Now let's return to the school part of this post. Parents are already at work on back-to-school shopping for their children. Teachers are constructing the final touches on their classrooms as they will welcome students back for another year along with administrators. There will be pristine classrooms for students, new challenges, old friends and new friends and everything else that arrives as the academic year is on the horizon.

A new year also means final activities to celebrate the end of summer. Pupils will receive new school supplies not just from stores but community centers and churches too along with new clothes, shoes, and backpacks along the way. There will be prayer services for children and parents for safety and success for the upcoming year. Young children will also receive the free traditional haircuts (boys) and the styling of hair (girls) and a lot of momentum traversing into the 2023-24 school year. Parents will either drive their kids to school or gleefully watch them make their way up the steps on the school bus amid that traditional goodbye wave. And let's not forget the notes left in a child's lunch too.

Canton City Schools will commence the new year August 16th. With that said, here is to all boys and girls from elementary and middle up to high school, teachers, administrators, and coaches for a very prosperous year with many blessings of happiness and good will for success. And also, best wishes to Canton residents who are staying in state or traveling out of state for their respective college or university of their choice.

Also a special shout-out to Aaron Sims Sr., Jeff Woodson, and everyone else who have inspired me during my time as a sports journalist. You are all respected and loved by me so much.

Keno Sultan can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.