SWEET SIXTEEN: MASSILLON CAPTURES STATE PLAYOFF CHAMPIONSHIP IN SLUGFEST

 OHIO DIVISION II STATE CHAMPIONS! 

CHAMPIONS EMBRACE. Massillon Tigers head coach Nate Moore shares a tight embrace with Massillon native Donte Stewart as the Tigers completed a 16-0 season with a 7-2 victory over Akron Hoban in Friday's Division II state championship at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

SWEET SIXTEEN: MASSILLON CAPTURES STATE PLAYOFF CHAMPIONSHIP IN SLUGFEST

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio statistician and announcer

CANTON--As Tylan Boykins pass traveled to the end zone for Jackson Callaway, it was pretty lucid that Massillon's season was either going to end with perfection or a poisonous defeat. Akron Hoban was either going to rid themselves of two straight state championship losses or absorb another state final loss.

Tigers linebacker Dorian Pringle was able to get a hand on Boykins pass and the ball floated into the lap of Callaway before rolling onto the turf.

The result was a successful stand for a tired Massillon defense and in the end, they were able to wash away 52 years of waiting for a state playoff championship and staked their legitimate claim as the best in Ohio Division II with a 7-2 victory over Hoban to punctuate an undefeated 16-0 season and with it a long overdue state championship in front of an announced crowd of 14,846 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

The victory was the first in seven tries for the Tigers as six other teams before them came up short, twice in 1980 and 1982 and then 23 years later in 2005 with those setbacks coming in Division I. Massillon endured three straight Division II title game losses from 2018-2020.

However most of Massillon's 2023 players were freshmen when they suffered a humiliating 35-6 loss to the Knights at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Three years later, they made sure not to return to Massillon without that coveted crown.

Consider that mission accomplished.

"How about that Tiger defense ? Unbelievable. The best defensive performance I've ever seen. Really a top to bottom a team victory and our offense ground it out and one touchdown did it, who would have thought?" Tigers ninth-year general Nate Moore said. "I'm so happy for kids, so happy for our coaches that worked so hard and are so dedicated to our players and our program and so happy for the city of Massillon, they showed up tonight and they showed up all year and there's people in the city of Massillon that scrape their pennies to come to our games and come to this game tonight. We can't be more appreciative of them and we're so honored to bring a gold trophy home to the city of Massillon."

Only a combined nine points were scored between the teams with the state's top defenses. A blocked punt by Massillon's Chase Bond (N.C. State commit) set up the scoring for the Tigers when Mylen Lenix concluded a six play drive that ended with him scoring what turned out the be the only touchdown of the contest.

A portent of things to come arrived early in the first quarter when Hoban took five minutes off the clock and appeared in position for an early go-ahead score but a botched snap led to what was the first of two turnovers on the evening for the Knights in the form of a fumble recovered by Pringle.

Hoban appeared to have some momentum late in the second quarter when linebacker Tanner Mintz downed Tigers quarterback DaOne Owens for a safety to truncate the Tigers lead to just five at the intermission.

LONE SCORE. Massillon running back Mylen Lenix scores what ended up being the lone touchdown in Friday's Division II state championship. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

Hoban threatened to score on several occasions but were undone by untimely penalties. They were able to get away with that in last week's state semifinal victory over Avon. However it was a different story, one that the Knights were unable to overcome.

The Hoban class of 2024 will end their legacies winners of 50 games out of 58 competed but 1-3 in state championship games, a significant differential from 2015-2018 when the Knights blazed their way to 57 victories out of 60 games, one of those a 42-28 victory over Massillon five years ago.

All three losses for the Knights have come to state champions, Cincinnati Winton Woods, Toledo Central Catholic, and now Massillon. 

DEJECTED KNIGHTS. Akron Hoban linebacker Rickey Williams holds the Division II state runner up trophy as a dejected head coach Tim Tyrrell looks down. Hoban finished runner up for a third straight year with a 7-2 loss to Massillon to finish the 2023 campaign with a 13-2 record.

When asked how would he put the last three seasons in perspective, 11th year Hoban general Tim Tyrrell paused before making his assessment.

"You're going to make me compare all three seasons," he said with a light chuckle. "You know, they're all different teams with all different personalities. I think that's why we're successful. We treat every year differently so you know this senior class is completely different than last year and last year was completely different than the year before. So we treat them as individuals and take ownership of the team and they lead and we guide them, and the seniors did an unbelievable job of leading and getting us here. So I wouldn't compare any of the years."

For Massillon, the road to that elusive championship was just as arduous as it was long. For three straight years, they were the first to receive the trophy during the presentation signifying them as a runner-up. That all changed tonight in the stadium where they now have a record of 4-2 since it's opening in 2017.

For Massillon, they were led by the 88 yards on 16 carries from Owens while Boykin rushed for 86 yards on 15 carries to lead Hoban. Overall, Hoban outgained Massillon 179-120 in total yards but suffered four fumbles, losing one and then an interception along the way by Massillon linebacker Vito McConnell.

The Tigers entered the season as the top-ranked team in Division II and completed a wire-to-wire run, the first wire-to-wire top-ranked state playoff champion from Stark County since Canton McKinley accomplished the feat 26 years ago.

The sight of young men and coaches embracing each other, black and white, will be a sight forever etched in time for everyone associated with Massillon football for their newly crowned state champions.

"It just starts at the beginning of the season. We go through all this tough, physical work and we just bond going through hard things," linebacker Cody Fair said. "When you're with a group of guys all summer long and as long as you have been growing up with all these guys, you just get closer and closer and when you see success on the field, you only get stronger and closer together."

It was four years ago before a devastating loss to Cincinnati LaSalle that the thought of immortality was at the threshold for the Tigers program. After finally knocking the door down, when asked if they reached that level, Moore assumed the initiative to finally pronounce that the Tigers had finally reached their ascension with a senior class that were winners of 50 games out of 57 played, that also included an undefeated home season and a 4-0 record against rival Canton McKinley.

"Yes. I think. I shared this with the players and I'll share it with you guys. There's an old saying that everyone dies two deaths and the first time you die is when your actual physical body dies and the second time you die is when the last person that knew you that remember you dies. And this 2023 Massillon Tiger team is immortal. They're going to live forever," he said.

After six failures in state playoff championship games, the sun finally shined on the Massillon Tiger regime and it has no intention of setting anytime soon.

NUMBER ONE. The Massillon Tigers celebrate their Division II state championship. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

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

 

Massillon's final roadblock to clear title path arrives from Summit County heavyweight

 Massillon's final roadblock to clear title path arrives from Summit County heavyweight

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio statistician and announcer

CANTON--Massillon and Akron Hoban first traversed paths 12 years ago in a regular season game at InfoCision Stadium.

In the 12 years since Massillon concluded their regular season with a 7-3 record and Hoban finished 1-9 that included a 38-16 loss to the Tigers, both programs have become familiar with each other.

For the fifth time since their regular season contest, the Tigers and Knights will cross paths for a third time in six seasons with yet another Division II state championship on the line in what is expected to once again sell out Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium Thursday evening with a kickoff time of 7 p.m.

The Tigers and Knights have also competed against each other in a regional final and state semifinal. However, destiny seems to be on the side of top-ranked Massillon as they have been the best team in Division II through 15 weeks by obliterating nearly everyone on their schedule aside from a 15-13 victory over two-time Division I state champion Lakewood St. Edward (who will aim for a third straight title Friday night against Springfield) with 11 of their wins coming via a running clock and last week transformed Cincinnati Anderson into an extinct species with a rousing 55-7 temblor in their state semifinal at Historic Crew Stadim in Columbus

On the other hand, third-ranked Hoban needed to survive a missed 44-yard field goal in the closing seconds of regulation to capture a punishing 17-14 win over second-ranked Avon, their fifth straight semifinal win over the Eagles.

Massillon head coach Nate Moore is no stranger to these battles and for one, he relishes yet a fourth opportunity to have the Tigers in position to have their trophy handed to them second, which means the Tigers will have completed their task of winning their first state playoff title since the inception of the OHSAA playoff format dating back to 1972. And what better challenge for it to come against the 13-1 challengers from Summit County.

"It is two great teams playing on the biggest stage and bringing out the best in each other in competition," Moore said.

In the fifth installment of the Massillon-Hoban rivalry, it was the Knights short-circuiting Massillon's season with a 41-20 victory in the state semifinals with the final score being a misnomer largely in part to Hoban assuming a shocking 14-0 first quarter lead by virtue of two consecutive trick plays that caught Massillon's defense off guard for scores. Subtract 14 of those points and the Knights only walk away with a 27-20 finality in part to how well the Tigers defense played aside from those two stunning scores that left them playing catchup.

When asked if last year's loss will benefit his charges in the sense they will be ready if the Knights attempt to run some trickery against his ferocious defense, Moore mentioned the importance of disciplined football.

"We have to stay at home and be disciplined. We must stay home and play good football," Moore cautioned.

The urgency of Thursday's contest cannot be any greater. Whereas Massillon is 0-6 in state title games (three of those losses were in Division I), Hoban is stewing after losing two straight state final appearances to Cincinnati Winton Woods and last year's champion Toledo Central Catholic (who will aim for a Division III title Friday afternoon against Columbus Bishop Watterson). Winning five state titles in six years seems like a fossilized past for a Knights team who nearly cannot afford a third straight loss on the biggest stage no more than Massillon cannot afford another missed opportunity, losing three straight Division II title games, their last appearance three years ago, a dismal 35-6 defeat to Hoban at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium that was just as devastating as it was demoralizing.

Fast forward to this season. Massillon has weaponry on offense and defense evidenced by averaging 40.7 points while only allowing 8.1 defensively. 

One game set the trajectory for the season. In a nationally anticipated contest to commence the season, Massillon trailed Valdosta (GA) 14-0 when quarterback Da'One Owens came into the contest. His first carry was a long touchdown run and from that point, the Tigers outscored the Wildcats 28-3 as the visitors punted five times and suffered an interception leading to a 28-17 Massillon victory. What impressed Moore the most was how his team did not panic at their early deficit.

"We learned a lot about ourself down 14-0. We continued to play football and I was proud of the way they reacted," he said.

Hoban, like Valdosta and St. Edward will bring physicality to this battle for supremacy. Youngstown native Tim Tyrrell is in his 11th season at Hoban. Tyrrell also is familiar with Stark County having served as head coach of St. Thomas Aquinas before relocating to Florida where he coached Chaminade-Madonna College Prep for five seasons before returning to Ohio and transforming the Knights into an instant contender.

Hoban has seven running clock victories and like Massillon, if they are not winning by a rout, they are wearing down opponents with their deep offensive line as well. Offensively the Knights are averaging 33.1 points while yielding 7.1 on defense.

Could this game come down to not so much the offense but defense not to mention special teams as well? 

"Hoban is a very good team, they are physical and well coached. Tyrrell is a great coach I have a ton of respect for and what their program stands for and the similarities between us," Moore said. "We just want to have one more touchdown than them at :00"

For the Massillon class of 2024, they have an overall record of 49-7. That includes a postseason record of 17-3 not to mention an undefeated regular season this season, an undefeated home season, and most of all, a flawless 4-0 record against archrival Canton McKinley.

The only asset missing from that ledger is a state championship. A state championship with an undefeated record will make Massillon the first Stark County school since the star-studded 1997 Canton McKinley team to start a season ranked #1 in the state and complete the task wire-to-wire. Achieving that accomplishment will take a laser focus and Moore is OK with that.

"We just have to focus on the things we can control and let all that other stuff go. That has been our approach all year," he said.

Massillon and Akron Hoban crossed paths 12 years ago in a regular season game. 11 years later, both schools are battling for Division II supremacy for the third time in six seasons.

Massillon running back Kyshad Mack scores on a touchdown run in the third quarter of the 2018 Division II state championship against Akron Hoban to pull the Tigers within 34-21 late in the third quarter. Celebrating on top is receiver Jayden Ballard (#9) The two state powers meet for the state title Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. (Keno Sultan)

HOBAN VS. MASSILLON OVER THE YEARS

2011--Massillon 38, Hoban 16 (regular season)

2018--#1 Akron Hoban 42, #2 Massillon 28 (Division II state championship)

2019--#1 Massillon 17, #3 Akron Hoban 14 (Division II regional championship)

2020--#1 Akron Hoban 35, Massillon 6 (Division II state championship)

2022--#2 Akron Hoban 41, #3 Massillon 20 (Division II state semifinal)

OHSAA STATE FOOTBALL FINALS FACTS

*This will be the 52nd year of the OHSAA state football playoff format and the third straight year all seven title games will be in Canton.

*There is only one #1 vs. #2 in a state championship game (Division V, #1 Lake County Perry (15-0) vs. #2 Liberty Center (15-0). Last year there was three #1 vs #2 state finals.

*Massillon vs. Hoban is one of two state championship rematches with Lakewood St. Edward and Springfield being the other in Division I for a third straight year.

*Five undefeated teams are challenging for titles (Massillon, Toledo Central Catholic, Marion Local, Lake County Perry, and Liberty Center).

*Four returning state champions are back in the title game (Lakewood St. Edward, Marion Local, Toledo Central Catholic, and Cleveland Glenville)

*Three state runner-ups from last season are back in the title game (Hoban, Kirtland, and Springfield).

*Three Ohio schools are nationally ranked and playing for titles (Massillon, Hoban, and Lakewood St. Edward)

STATE FINAL CONTESTS

Thursday, November 30: Division II state final, Massillon (15-0) vs. Akron Hoban (13-1), 7 p.m.

Friday, December 1: Division VI state final, Kirtland (14-1) vs. Versailles (13-2), 10:30 a.m.

Friday, December 1: Division III state final, Tol. Cent. Cath (15-0) vs. Cols. Bishop Watterson (14-1), 3 p.m.

Friday, December 1: Division I state final, Lakewood St. Edward (13-1) vs. Springfield (10-5), 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 2: Division VII state final: Marion Local (15-0) vs. Dalton (13-1), 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, December 2: Division V state final: Lake County Perry (15-0) vs. Liberty Center (15-0), 3 p.m.

Saturday, December 2: Division IV state final: Cleveland Glenville (12-2) vs. Kettering Alter (12-3), 7:30 p.m.

TOP GINN. Glenville head coach Ted Ginn Sr. patrols the sidelines during last season's Division IV state title game against Cincinnati Wyoming, a 26-6 Tarblooders victory that made them the first inner city Cleveland area school to win a state title. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio).

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

Massillon lone Stark County representative in state final with 55-7 assault of Cincinnati Anderson

 Massillon lone Stark County representative in state final with 55-7 assault of Cincinnati Anderson

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio staff report

COLUMBUS--The Massillon Tigers broke a school record for victories in a season at Historic Columbus Crew Stadium with a 55-7 assault of #4 Cincinnati Anderson in a Division II state semifinal.

After a 7-7 deadlock, the Tigers, who were ranked #1 in Ohio Division II erupted for 48 unanswered points in what became their 11th running clock victory on the season.

Massillon will advance to their fourth Division II state championship game for a fourth time in six seasons by virtue of a 15-0 record as they will oppose #3 Akron Hoban, a 17-14 winner over #2 Avon in another state semifinal.

This will be the sixth meeting between the two heavyweights overall, fifth in the last six playoff seasons and third meeting in the state championship. Last season in a state semifinal, the Knights used two gadget plays on their first two possessions to construct a 14-0 first quarter lead and captured a 41-20 decision at InfoCision Stadium before losing to Toledo Central Catholic in last season's title game, 28-21. The Knights have fell short in their last two state title games, also losing to Cincinnati Winton Woods 21-10 in 2021.

Hoban leads the overall series 4-2 with Massillon's victories coming 38-16 in a 2011 regular season contest and 17-14 in a 2019 regional final while the Knights scored victories of 42-28 and 35-6 in the 2018 and 2020 state championship games respectively with the latter coming at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium during the coronavirus pandemic.

Massillon is 3-2 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium dating back to the 2017 season, a 16-15 winner over Canton McKinley, stopping the Bulldogs bid for an undefeated home season. The Tigers are aiming for their first ever state playoff championship in it's illustrious history.

Kickoff for the Division II state championship will be Thursday night at 7 p.m.

Canton South season concludes with setback to defending state champions

WADSWORTH--Stark County's bid to have two local teams competing for a state title came up short as Canton South was defeated by battle-tested Cleveland Glenville 42-21 in a Division IV state semifinal at Art Wright Stadium.

The Tarblooders led 28-7 at halftime and it was more than what the Wildcats could handle as their season concluded after 14 wins.

Glenville will defend their Division IV title next Saturday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium against Kettering Alter with a kickoff time of 7:30 p.m. Kettering Alter downed Steubenville 48-0 in the other Division IV state semifinal.

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

The Road To Canton: State Semifinal Capsules

 The Road To Canton: State Semifinal Capsules

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio statistician and announcer

CANTON--Five weeks ago, there were 448 teams that fueled up for the road to Canton and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

420 of those teams reached a dead end on the path to Canton. Now only 28 of those 448 remain and only 14 of those will complete the final voyage to the hallowed and prestigious Pro Football Hall of Fame complex and the OHSAA high school state football championships November 30 to December 2.

Here are the 28 teams remaining and the state semifinal matchups with kickoff times slated for Friday at 7 p.m.

Division I state semifinals: #1 Lakewood St. Edward Eagles (12-1) vs. #6 Hilliard Bradley Jaguars (13-1), Springfield (9-5) vs. Cincinnati Moeller (10-4)

CHAMPIONSHIP: Friday, December 1, 7:30 p.m.

St. Edward Eagles

Points For: 465

Points Allowed: 179

Points For average: 33.2

Points Allowed average: 12.7

Hilliard Bradley Jaguars

Points For: 396

Points Allowed: 193

Points For average: 28.2

Points Allowed average: 11.3

Springfield Wildcats

Points For: 333

Points Allowed: 229

Points For average: 23.7

Points Allowed average: 16.3

Moeller Crusaders

Points For: 458

Points Allowed: 222

Points For average: 32.7

Points Allowed average: 15.8

Division II state semifinals: #4 Cincinnati Anderson (13-1) vs. #1 Massillon (14-0), #2 Avon (14-0) vs. #3 Akron Hoban (12-1)

CHAMPIONSHIP: Thursday, November 30, 7 p.m.

Anderson Raptors

Points For: 563

Points Allowed: 239

Points For average: 40.2

Points Allowed average: 17

Massillon Tigers

Points For: 556

Points Allowed: 107

Points For average: 39.7

Points Allowed average: 7.6

Avon Eagles

Points For: 565

Points Allowed: 132

Points For average: 40.3

Points Allowed average: 9.4

Hoban Knights

Points For: 447

Points Allowed: 94

Points For average: 34.3

Points Allowed average: 7.2

Division III state semifinals: #1 Toledo Central Catholic (14-) vs. Chardon (11-3), Celina (12-2) vs. #4 Columbus Bishop Watterson (13-1)

CHAMPIONSHIP: Friday, December 1, 3 p.m.

Toledo Central Catholic Fighting Irish

Points For: 572

Points Allowed: 152

Points For average: 40.8

Points Allowed average: 10.8

Chardon Hilltoppers

Points For 486

Points Allowed: 203

Points For average: 34.7

Points Allowed average: 14.5

Celina Bulldogs

Points For: 409

Points Allowed: 242

Points For average: 29.2

Points Allowed average: 17.2

Bishop Watterson Eagles

Points For: 487

Points Allowed: 129

Points For average: 34.7

Points Allowed average: 9.2

Division IV state semifinals: #5 Cleveland Glenville (11-3) vs. #4 Canton South (14-0), #2 Steubenville (13-1) vs. Kettering Bishop Alter (11-3)

CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, December 2, 7:30 p.m.

Glenville Tarblooders

Points For: 499

Points Allowed: 170

Points For average: 35.6

Points Allowed average: 12.1

Canton South Wildcats

Points For: 558

Points Allowed: 334

Points For average: 39.8

Points Allowed average: 23.8

Steubenville Big Red

Points For: 477

Points Allowed: 221

Points For average: 34

Points Allowed average: 17

Bishop Alter Knights

Points For: 399

Points Against: 137

Points For average: 28.5

Points Allowed average: 9.7

Division V state semifinals: #1 Lake County Perry (14-0) vs. #7 Canal Winchester Harvest Prep (12-1), #6 Germantown Valley View (13-1) vs. #2 Liberty Center (14-0)

CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, December 2, 3 p.m.

Perry Pirates

Points For: 536

Points Allowed: 84

Points For average: 38.2

Points Allowed average: 6

Harvest Prep Warriors

Points For: 437

Points Allowed: 141

Points For average: 31.2

Points Allowed average: 10

Valley View Spartans

Points For: 644

Points Allowed: 217

Points For average: 46

Points Allowed average: 15.5

Liberty Center Tigers

Points For: 649

Points Allowed: 96

Points For average: 46.3

Points Allowed average: 6.8

Division VI state semifinals: #2 Sugarcreek Garaway (14-0) vs. #1 Kirtland (13-1), #9 Columbus Grove (12-2) vs. Versailles (12-2)

CHAMPIONSHIP: Friday, December 1, 10:30 a.m.

Garaway Pirates

Points For: 543

Points Allowed: 103

Points For average: 38.7

Points Allowed average: 7.3

Kirtland Hornets

Points For: 597

Points Allowed: 116

Points For average: 42.6

Points Allowed average: 8.2

Grove Bulldogs

Points For: 465

Points Allowed: 188

Points For average: 33.2

Points Allowed average: 13.4

Versailles Tigers

Points For: 471

Points Allowed: 118

Points For average: 33.6

Points Allowed average: 8.4

Division VII state semifinals: #10 Hamler Patrick Henry (12-2) vs. #1 Maria Stein Marion Local (14-0), #5 Dalton (12-1) vs. Caldwell (11-3)

CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, December 2, 10:30 a.m.

Patrick Henry Patriots

Points For: 485

Points Allowed: 326

Points For average: 34.6

Points Allowed average: 23.2

Marion Local Flyers

Points For: 612

Points Allowed: 96

Points For average: 43.7

Points Allowed average: 6.8

Dalton Bulldogs

Points For: 534

Points Allowed: 142

Points For average: 38.1

Points Allowed average: 10.9

Caldwell Redskins

Points For: 478

Points Allowed: 142

Points For average: 34.1

Points Allowed average: 18.7

Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Home of the OHSAA state football championships. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

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

THE ROAD TO CANTON: Massillon and Canton South advance to state semifinals

 THE ROAD TO CANTON: Massillon and Canton South advance to state semifinals

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio staff report

NORTH CANTON--No one from the 2023 Massillon Tigers football team mentioned their 2021 regional final loss to Green that paused their trail of four straight regional titles.

The fact no one in the Tigers regime mentioned it was perfectly OK.

Using 17 plays with all of them being running plays, Massillon showed why once again their offensive line is the deepest and most durable in the state as they erected an early 14-0 lead and short-circuited Green's high scoring offense in building up a 31-0 lead and seizing their sixth Region 7 title in seven seasons by putting the brakes on the Bulldogs season with a 31-6 triumph in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,000 at North Canton Memorial Stadium.

Massillon was paced by scores from running backs Mylen Lenix and Mike Wright Jr., as both scored on runs of 14 and 10 yards respectively in the first quarter and then the Tigers scored 17 points with Vinny Keller connecting on a 35 yard field goal and Jacques Carter scoring on a 50-yard reverse and quarterback DaOne Owens adding a 10-yard touchdown run to actuate the state mandated running clock.

Green's only touchdown came on a 64-yard touchdown strike from Samino Manson to Zachary Baglia. The Bulldogs concluded their season at 10-3 while Massillon, tying the record for most wins in school history at 14-0 moves to a Division II state semifinal to oppose 2007 Division II state champion Cincinnati Anderson, who outpaced Cincinnati Withrow 49-28 to win the Region 8 championship. The Raptors (formerly Redskins) under then-head coach Jeff Giesting defeated Stark County school Louisville 31-25 to win their only state football title at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

Massillon head coach Nate Moore commended his team for their first two drives before turning the page to next Friday's contest with the Raptors.

"It was a great way to start the game and we started off going into the wind and you want to be able to run the football and you will have to complete some passes but we were going to run the football and our offensive backs ran hard and our offensive line blocked well, our receivers blocked well and kudos to the whole offense," Moore said. "On Anderson, everyone at this point is tough. They are a great team, I don't know much about them this year but I am sure they are a great team and very well coached. We will have our hands full and need a great week of preparation."

SIXTH SENSE. Massillon Tigers football players celebrate their Region 7 championship Friday night over Green at North Canton Memorial Stadium. It was the Tigers sixth regional title in seven seasons. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

DIVISION IV: Canton South 35, Struthers 13

TALLMADGE: The Canton South Wildcats season extended their deepest run in the school's program with a 35-13 dismantling of Struthers in a regional final at Tallmadge High School. The Wildcats are now 14-0 and will take on defending Division IV state champion Cleveland Glenville next week at a site to be determined. The Tarblooders (11-3) turned away Sandusky Perkins 36-26 to set up their showdown with the Wildcats.

The last time Glenville played against a Stark County school in the playoffs was back in 2009 when they defeated Massillon in a Division I state semifinal 31-17 at InfoCision Stadium in Akron as the Tarblooders wore down the Tigers with two fourth quarter touchdowns from quarterback Cardale Jones, who threw a 71-yard touchdown pass to Shane Wynn and then ran for a 26-yard scamper to close out that contest.

STATE SEMIFINALS (games kickoff at 7 p.m. Friday with sites to be determined)

Division II: Akron Hoban (12-1) vs. Avon (14-0), Massillon (14-0) vs. Cincinnati Anderson (13-1)

CHAMPIONSHIP: Semifinal winners, Nov. 30, 7 p.m. at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium

Division IV: Canton South (14-0) vs. Cleveland Glenville (11-3), Steubenville (13-1) vs. Kettering Archbishop Alter (11-3)

CHAMPIONSHIP: Semifinal winners, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m. at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium

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

Canton McKinley mentor looks back on season with optimism

 Canton McKinley mentor looks back on season with optimism

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio announcer and statistician

CANTON--There has never been any surrender or quit in a Canton McKinley Bulldog when Antonio Hall was a three-year varsity starter from 1997-1999.

There wasn't any surrender or quit in the 2023 Canton McKinley Bulldogs under his watch as head coach.

The Bulldogs improved their win total by three wins this year and exceeded the eight wins from 2021 as the team concluded their season with a respectable 9-4 record by advancing to the regional semifinals for a second straight season and also an outright Federal League title to their testament. Along the way, the team went on a six-game winning streak spanning the second week of the season up to the ninth week and found a way to capture two playoff wins after ending the regular season with losses to GlenOak and Massillon.

In addition to that, McKinley won their first opening game in three years with a 33-14 win over Warren Harding, survived a broken down bus on the road to neutralize Dublin Coffman and overcame a 20-point halftime chasm to stop Green, who at press time faces Massillon Friday in a Division II regional final at North Canton Memorial Stadium.

Through it all, Hall was very pleased with the fight in his team, something he prided himself on during the watchful eyes of Thom McDaniels and Kerry Hodakievic.

"Our guys demonstrated a lot of fight through every up and down especially in the playoffs and that is what I was proud of the most," he said.

Last week, the Bulldogs season concluded with a 41-17 loss to two-time defending Division I state king Lakewood St. Edward. For a quarter, McKinley battled the Eagles evenly but saw their bid for a quality victory ravaged by a 21-point second quarter from the Eagles, whose experience in big games under ninth-year Eagles head coach Tom Lombardo proved vital in the school's fourth ever meeting at Byers Field in Parma.

It was key turnovers and missed opportunities that poisoned McKinley's chance at a seismic upset. When asked if last week's setback was a carbon copy of a 42-0 regional semifinal loss two years earlier at the same venue, Hall did not view it as such.

"That second quarter was huge for them. St. Edward moved the ball well and we hacd costly turnovers and batted down balls and you can't have those. But this game was much better than the first time as we were a different team this year than from two years earlier," he said.

Offensively, McKinley aside from a six-turnover affair against Green took adept care of the football as evidenced by their 24 points averaged on the season while averaging 28.3 in league competition.

The previous season, it was Keaton Rode and Amarion Williams that split time at quarterback. With Williams graduating, Rode became the full-time starter and captained an offense that featured speedy receivers Keith Quincy and Dante McClellan along with running backs Nino Hill and Stephon Thomas, who filled in admirably for Hill when the primary back sat out the Dublin Coffman contest due to a private matter.

Defensively, the Bulldogs were not bad either. They only yielded 20 points overall and just 16 in league competition. Playmakers such as Dior Garner, Shaukeer Hatcher and Ja'Diss Jackson were vital in them being an attacking defense that was capable of constructing turnovers and changing the trajectory of contests in terms of field position.

"We had a lot of ups offensively and we challenged everyone to get involved and everyone was in a rhythm and it was our job to do what we could do to create momentum. And defensively, we had guys at 100 tackles and nine players got between 70 and 90 tackles. It was a team effort. Our front seven in the box played well and our secondary was strong this year," Hall said.

As of right now, McKinley does not have any seniors who have committed to any university to continue their academic or athletic career. 23 seniors will close the book on their McKinley careers with two Federal League championships to their testament and winners of 28 contests in a four-year span.

They were sophomores when a scandal caused nearly the entire upheaval of the previous football coaching staff along with 22 players transferring to other area schools. The credibility of the McKinley football program was on the verge of a disastrous end two years ago when the team suffered two thunderous home losses and were in danger of a third straight loss on the road before recovering to win six of their last eight contests that changed the course of the direction contrary to where it was headed.

If not for a win over an undefeated Huber Heights Wayne two years earlier in what was a true crossroads contest, who knows where the McKinley program may have ended up not just in 2022 but this year and likely for the future.

With McKinley now joining 392 other Ohio teams in the 30-day no-contact state mandated period before offseason conditioning commences for them on December 11, Hall knows that his juniors will get one more chance to put on a Bulldogs jersey and the sophomores will have two more chances while the freshmen will get three more chances.

"I want the returning players to reflect on what we accomplished. Obviously it's not fun losing when you have turnovers, missed assignments and self-inflicted opportunities. We want them to reflect on those and then come back better for next season," Hall said.

There was never any surrender or quit in Antonio Hall when he starred as a three-year starter for Canton McKinley. That fact remained the same and defined the 2023 edition of the Canton McKinley Bulldogs.

Third-year McKinley head coach Antonio Hall looks on during the Bulldogs pregame warmup against Massillon earlier this year. Hall is now 23-15 as the head coach at his alma mater. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

MASSILLON HUNGRY FOR BULLDOG SECONDS

Through 13 contests, Massillon, the #1 Ohio ranked team in Division II has been playing Pac-Man against their opposition. One of their wins included an emphatic 35-0 triumph over Canton McKinley three weeks ago. However, the Tigers also look to keep their postseason train rolling as they will face another Bulldog team, Green, in the second ever meeting between the two schools. Two years ago, Green used a last-second touchdown pass from Trevor Van Horn to Trey Martin to pause Massillon's four-year run as regional champions with an unlikely 26-25 win at Arlin Field in Mansfield. Kickoff for their regional final will be 7 p.m. Friday night at North Canton Memorial Stadium, where a sold-out crowd of 10,000 will be expected.

WINNING WILDCATS

In the three years since being hired as head football coach and athletic director at Canton South, all Greg Dennison has done is win, dating back to his long tenure as New Philadelphia head coach and athletic director. Evidence of that is them being the second of two undefeated teams in Stark County (Massillon, the other) at 13-0 still in the hunt for a state playoff title. The Wildcats will oppose Struthers at 7 p.m. in a Division IV regional final at Tallmadge High School.

UP NEXT ON THE ROAD TO CANTON

The Massillon-Green winner will challenge the Cincinnati Anderson-Cincinnati Withrow winner in a Division II state semifinal next week at a site to be determined. Anderson is one of two teams remaining that have won a Division II state title dating back to 2007, a 31-25 victory over Louisville. Jeff Giesting at the time was Anderson's head coach. In Division IV, the Canton South-Struthers winner will face the Sandusky Perkins-Cleveland Glenville in a state semifinal next week at a site also to be determined. Glenville became the first Cleveland area public school to win a state playoff title by completing a 16-0 0 run last season with a 26-6 win over #1 Cincinnati Wyoming in what was one of three #1 vs. #2 state championship contests.

STATE FINALS

The road to Canton will end with the Division II championship played Thursday, November 30th at 7 p.m. The Division VI championship will be played at Friday 10:30 a.m, Division III at 3 p.m. and Division I at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the Division VII championship will kickoff at 10:30 p.m., the Division V championship at 3 p.m., and the Division IV championship at 7 p.m.

Massillon Tigers wide receiver Tre'Von Morgan prepares to field a punt in the 2018 Division II state championship against Akron Hoban. (Keno Sultan)

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

THE ROAD TO CANTON: Canton McKinley season concludes, Massillon and Canton South advance on

 McKinley season concludes, Massillon and Canton South advance on

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio staff report

PARMA--The Canton McKinley football season concluded tonight at Byers Field in a Division I regional semifinal with a 41-17 setback to two-time Division I state champion Lakewood St. Edward.

The Eagles used a 21 point second quarter to break open their contest and advance to a regional final while McKinley concludes their season at 9-4. St. Edward is now 12-1 on the season.

Keith Quincy caught two touchdown passes of 46 and 13 yards from quarterback Keaton Rode, who also kicked a 30 yard field goal in the loss.

St. Edward is now 4-0 all-time against Canton McKinley.

MASSILLON 35, LAKE 6: At North Canton Memorial Stadium, Massillon fell behind early for the first time since the eighth week of the season but responded with 35 unanswered points to close the door on the Blue Streaks season in a Division II regional semifinal in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,000. 

Massillon rushed for 349 yards, 164 of those from senior quarter DaOne Owens and held a time of possession edge of 30:33 to Lake's  17:27.

The Tigers will oppose Green next Friday in a regional final at a site to be determined. Two years ago, it was the Bulldogs upsetting Massillon 26-25 when quarterback Trevor Van Horn threw a touchdown pass to Trey Martin in the closing seconds to stun the defending four-time regional champions.

Massillon is now 13-0 while Lake finishes the year at 9-4.

CANTON SOUTH 40, WEST BRANCH 21: The Canton South Wildcats team punched their ticket to a regional final in Division IV with a 19-point victory over former NBC conference opponent West Branch at Louisville Leopard Stadium.

South remained undefeated at 13-0 while the Warriors concluded their season at 11-2.

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

Four local area schools out of 112 overall remain on the road to Canton

 Four local area schools out of 112 remain on the road to Canton

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio statistician and announcer

CANTON--The OHSAA high school playoffs enter the third week of competition and 112 high schools are still traveling on the path to Canton and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Four Stark County area schools are of the 112 in contention.

Canton McKinley, Massillon, Lake, and Canton South are the county hopefuls remaining as they attempt to edge closer to a coveted state playoff championship. Spanning back to 2016, Canton Central Catholic is the last county school to win a championship after losses in the 2014 and 2015 Division V state final to Coldwater. Since then, Perry and Massillon both have come up short with the Panthers falling to Cincinnati LaSalle in the 2015 and 2016 Division II state championship and Massillon on the short end with three consecutive losses also in the Division II championship with two losses to Akron Hoban in 2018 and 2020 and also to LaSalle in 2019 with the 2018 and 2019 losses ending the Tigers bid for an undefeated season after 14 straight wins.

Here is a look at the remaining county teams on the road to Canton:

CANTON MCKINLEY (9-3): The Bulldogs survived a feisty Cleveland St. Ignatius team with a 28-24 comeback win to punch their ticket to the regional semifinals. Their reward: a regional semifinal rematch with defending two-time Division I champion Lakewood St. Edward (11-1) at Byers Field Friday evening in Parma. McKinley does not have a healthy playoff history against the Eagles in the form of losses to them in a 2017 first round game (37-21) and most recently in 2021, a 42-0 loss. McKinley will have to absolutely play a perfect or near-perfect game to defeat an Eagles team that closed the book on GlenOak's season with a 35-0 victory. Massillon is the only squad to defeat the #1 ranked Eagles back in the fifth week of the season, a 15-13 win. St. Edward is attempting to join St. Ignatius as the most recent Division I school to win three consecutive state titles (Ignatius won five in a row from 1991-1995).

SWARMING BULLDOGS. Canton McKinley defenders K'Voune McNeal (#18), Dante McClellan (#9), Dior Garner (#54) and Keith Quincy (#11) close in on Perry running back Ryder Hartshorn during a Federal League contest earlier in the year. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

MASSILLON (12-0): The Tigers completed a third undefeated home season under the direction of ninth-year head coach Nate Moore with a 50-7 declawing of Westerville South in a second round contest. This Tigers team may be even better than the 2018, 2019, and 2020 teams that competed for titles. Massillon has the state's #1 defense and lead the state also in time of possession. They are only surrendering nine points and are averaging a staggering 35 points on offense. Their road to Canton continues with a rematch of last season's regional final against Lake, who they will face a round sooner Friday night at North Canton Memorial Stadium in a regional semifinal. Massillon last season concluded Lake's year with a 24-6 win at Byers Field.

DURABLE STRENGTH. Massillon offensive linemen Nolan Davenport (#61), Brady Jones (#64), Michael Looney (#75), Jaezen Lewis (#77) and Samuel Snodgrass (#53) have imposed their will and worn down teams on their way to an undefeated record through 12 games this season. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

LAKE (9-3): After a first round win over Perry and then an emotionally draining 21-20 triple-overtime victory over Sunbury Big Walnut, the question is just how much does the Blue Streaks have left in the tank. If their win over Big Walnut took something out of them, Massillon isn't buying it nor are the Blue Streaks showing it. Lake will have to play just about a flawless game to defeat a Massillon team, who unarguably is the best team they will see all year. Since 2015, Massillon is 20-4 against Federal League schools and have won six in a row against them, the only loss, a 26-25 loss to Green in a regional final in 2021.

INTENT FOCUS. Lake junior linebacker Charlie Christopher sits on the bench against Canton McKinley in the third quarter of an earlier contest. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

CANTON SOUTH (12-0): Under the tutelage of third year head coach Matt Dennison, the Wildcats have evolved into a team that can score anytime they are on the field with Poochie Snyder at quarterback. The Wildcats face off against West Branch in a regional semifinal at 7 p.m. at Louisville Leopards Stadium in a game that will sure have fireworks across the field and on the scoreboard.

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

 

 

BULLDOGS SHOW GRIT IN COMEBACK VICTORY

BULLDOGS SHOW GRIT IN COMEBACK VICTORY

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio announcer and statistician 

VICTORIOUS BULLDOGS. Canton McKinley players celebrate their 28-24 win over Cleveland St. Ignatius in a Division I, Region 1 quarterfinal Friday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

CANTON--The season for Canton McKinley was on the line.

There was no debating, discussing, or negotiating the situation. 

Cleveland St. Ignatius lined up in power formation on a fourth down and needing one yard. A first down would all but end the season for the host Bulldogs. A stop and they had a chance to put the game in the hands of their offense.

McKinley's defense was able to generate a fourth down stop and senior quarterback Keaton Rode directed the McKinley offense for one final drive where he tossed a nine-yard touchdown pass to Alex Vazquez to reclaim the lead they had lost earlier in the game. St. Ignatius quarterback Joshua Papesh engineered a final rally that reached the Bulldogs 32 yard line where a Hail Mary pass floated into the end zone and for a second it seemed the Wildcats had handed the host Bulldogs a severely crushing setback.

When the pile cleared, Bulldogs receiver and defensive back Keith Quincy emerged with the football and McKinley received another 48 minute extension to their season with a heartstopping 28-24 victory over a gritty Wildcats team that was every bit as better than their 3-9 record stated.

"Never die easy. Never! It's all about heart and we always said we may be down but we're never out," exclaimed Bulldogs head coach Antonio Hall. "We just had to refocus and realign mentally. They (Ignatius) were good. We were on the ropes but we got it together and came out swinging."

Such a contest didn't look like it would need any dramatics on the Bulldogs opening quarter that started with a drive that spanned 12 plays and ended with junior tailback Nino Hill scoring on a three-yard touchdown run to introduce the scoring.

On the second St. Ignatius offensive possession, the McKinley defense struck as Papesh threw a pass but didn't see linebacker Shaukeer Hatcher, who swooped in front of the Ignatius receiver and returned the interception 60 yards for a 14-0 lead.

Both teams traded scores in the second quarter. Ignatius kicke Tommy Kilbane got the Wildcats on the scoreboard with a 27-yard field goal only to have McKinley answer back when Rode delivered a 38-yard touchdown pass to Quincy, who juggled the ball but held on for a 21-3 advantage.

Right before halftime though, the Wildcats went on a key drive that eventually got them back into the game when Papesh found receiver Cody Haddad for a 33-yard scoring pass to get them to within 11 at the intermission.

That set up a wild second half as that score was part of a 21-0 run that included two more touchdown passes by Papesh to 6'4'' target Jonathan Merimee that handed Ignatius their first lead of the contest at 24-21.

"That run was amazing. It was 21-10 at halftime and that was impressive. We got on a roll there and we fought like (heck) to get the lead and that's what you love to see as a coach," St. Ignatius first-year boss Ryan Franzinger said. "We gave a great effort. McKinley jumped out early and we got things together and made a great game of it."

Three weeks earlier, McKinley failed to stifle GlenOak on their final possession. And that was staring them in the eyes again. Only this time McKinley was on the happier end of the deal as they closed the year 4-3 at Benson Stadium and the only time McKinley will play there one more time is if they reach the Division I state championship game.

But for now, McKinley advances to a regional semifinal to take on two-time Division I state champion Lakewood St. Edward, who handed GlenOak a humiliating 35-0 defeat at press time. Two years ago, St. Edward dominated the Bulldogs 42-0 in a regional semifinal on their way to the first of two straight big school titles. Hall knows what his team will have to do in order to extend their season to the regional finals.

"St. Edward is very big, very physical team and they are well coached and very deep. We will have to play our best season by far," he said.

For St. Ignatius, their season ends but the future is very bright for their program under Franzinger, who intends to have the Wildcats being more than just a three-win team. He expects them to return to the prowess that carried them to 11 state championships and in hopes of claiming a 12th title under his watch.

"We have a lot of young kids that are coming up and our seniors did a good job with them. They were able to learn from them. We had a good team and a group of grreat young men. We are going to come back and work harder and get better," he said.

Hall has had his share of wars against Ignatius as a player. But when asked was this his biggest win against Ignatius, Hall didn't mince words out of excitement.

"It's not quite as big as the Rubber Bowl (in 1997) but definitely as a coach, you bet your (butt)," he said.

The season was on the line for Canton McKinley and there was no debate, discussion, or negotiating the situation. With one fourth down stop and a final possession, McKinley's season extended another week for another 48 minutes.

DEJECTED WILDCAT. Cleveland St. Ignatius offensive lineman Leo Rick is consoled by an assistant coach as the Wildcats season ended with a 28-24 loss to Canton McKinley in a regional quarterfinal. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

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

Familiar heavyweight returns to Canton 12 weeks later with heavier stakes

 Familiar heavyweight returns to Canton 12 weeks later with heavier stakes

By Keno Sultan

C-Town Radio announcer and statistician

CANTON--No longer is Chuck Kyle patrolling the sidelines of the Cleveland St. Ignatius Wildcats.

Don't get the perception under first-year head coach and St. Ignatius 2002 graduate Ryan Franzinger that the Wildcats are a team in rebuild mode.

Sure the Wildcats are 3-8 under Franzinger, a former fullback and linebacker who was part of their 1999 and 2001 Division I state title winning teams and the longtime defensive coordinator before Kyle elevated him to head coach after his retirement that spanned 50 seasons, 11 Division I state championships and three national championships along the way.

Two of those three wins however came against Mentor, the same Cardinals team who Ignatius defeated in the second week of the regular season and last Friday, departed Jerome T. Osborne Sr. stadium amid a stunned Mentor crowd with a 10-7 upset in a Region 1 first round contest.

Canton McKinley can only hope that they are not joining Mentor as another school to put away their helmets and pads till next summer as the longtime Division I stalwarts will oppose each other in a Region 1 second round contest Friday night with a 7 p.m. kickoff time at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

11 weeks ago in a scrimmage, it was Ignatius prevailing 20-19 as they completed a late drive on their final possession to secure a comeback victory. Only this time, it is a situation that counts as the winner will move on to the regional semifinals and a step closer toward a big school state championship.

McKinley head coach Antonio Hall as a two-way lineman faced off against the Wildcats, going 3-4 against them during his four-year career. He knows better than anyone else his legion of Bulldogs will get the best shot of the 11-time state champions. 

"When I think of St. Ignatius, you think of their tradition and what they accomplished over three decades. They are a traditional program. I recall playing against them vividly and my first time against them as a varsity player came in the 1996 state semifinals and then the epic battles in 1997 and 1998 and those were some very tough games," Hall said.

McKinley was able to apply a tourniquet to their bleeding in the form of a two-game losing streak. Any doubts of a hangover after last week's 35-0 setback to Massillon were washed away as after trailing Strongsville 7-6, they scored the next 31 points to actuate a running clock and posted a 37-13 victory.

It also helped that they were able to truncate the same problems that stifled them against GlenOak and Massillon. It started with the restructuring of the Bulldogs offense and it paid dividends hugely evidenced by two touchdown passes by senior quarterback Keaton Rode and a 155 yard rushing performance by junior running back Nino Hill that included two touchdowns.

They will need that same near or close to error-free performance against the Wildcats. Neither team turned the ball over during the scrimmage but both defenses allowed a combined five passing touchdowns of over 50 yards. That can spell the conclusion of the season for either team.

"We were able to minimize the turnovers and minimize the the penalties as we only had six and that was a huge step for our offense," Hall said. "We have to continue to get better by executing at a high level."

St. Ignatius has had an uncharacteristic regular season as evidenced by just two regular season wins and five running clock defeats. But don't get the perception they will be a pushover. They are a team that will continue to compete until the final whistle, an embodiment of their program under Kyle and it has transported over to Franzinger. Despite their lack of wins, they are in the playoffs for a reason and their brutal schedule just may benefit them if McKinley for whatever reason dismisses the Wildcats as a threat.

That is not happening under Hall's direction nor will he allow it.

"Their record is a very deceiving record. They are a dynamic football team with a lot of Division I players across the board and they played a lot of tough schools from the Midwest," he said. "We are going to have to tackle well and be gap sound and play with great efficiency. Defensively, we have to keep them in front of us and not get beat."

The times have changed for both schools. Since McKinley won consecutive Division I titles in 1997 and 1998, Ignatius has won titles in 1999, 2001, 2008, and 2011. McKinley has had (not counting Thom McDaniels return for one season) seven head coaches to just one for St. Ignatius. 

When asked if he saw some differences between Kyle and Franzinger, Hall deferred his thoughts on the question and was quick to point out both teams were feeling each other out 12 weeks ago.

"I don't know that yet other than all I know is that he (Franzinger) is a protege of Kyle and his team are going to come in and play hard. Both teams were trying to figure out their personnel and see what we could come up with in a game situation," Hall said. "We must keep them in front of us."

Don't get the perception that Cleveland St. Ignatius is in a rebuild mode. They are still a formidable opponent that McKinley will have to traverse through in order to advance a round further in the state playoffs.

Canton McKinley running back Nino Hill looks for running room during the second half of McKinley's 37-13 win over Strongsville last Friday in a Region 1, first round contest. (Keno Sultan/C-Town Radio)

PLAYOFF HISTORY

McKinley and St. Ignatius have met five times, four of them in the Division I state semifinals with Ignatius being triumphant in 1994 and 1996 with McKinley prevailing in 1997 and 1998. McKinley is 2-3 against the Wildcats in playoff competition with the last setback coming in 2013, a 38-14 loss in a first round game. McKinley started that season 9-0 but ended with a two-game losing streak as then head coach Todd Filtz resigned after two seasons.

MORE BULLDOG-WILDCAT HISTORY

Since 1994, McKinley and St. Ignatius have played each other 14 times, nine of those in regular season competition. Overall, St. Ignatius has a 10-4 edge and a 7-3 record against McKinley in the regular season.

EAGLE BOWL

The winner of Friday's regional quarterfinal will advance to a regional semifinal at a neutral site to be determined to face the winner of the GlenOak-Lakewood St. Edward quarterfinal. McKinley dropped a 7-3 decision to the GlenOak Eagles three weeks ago and were downed 42-0 by the St. Edward Eagles in a 2021 regional semifinal. St. Edward's only setback came against Massillon, a 15-13 loss eight weeks ago.

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