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.