Canton South declawed in second straight loss

 Canton South declawed in second straight loss

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.com

DOVER--It may not seem like the Canton South Wildcats are at a crossroads. But after two horrifying setbacks and no touchdowns through the first two weeks save for a field goal, it is enough to raise concern for them.

Using a 21-0 second half, the Dover Tornadoes took control of a tenuous contest buoyed by two third quarter touchdowns and systematically evaporated the clock and buried the visiting Wildcats in a larger crater sized ditch translated in the form of a wire-to-wire 31-3 ravaging of Canton South Friday night in front of a healthy crowd at Crater Stadium.

Last season, both offenses owned the spotlight sans defense in a game where a combined 90 points were scored between the two teams. Only this time, it was Dover's defense that was every bit as destructive as a Category 5 twister as they made life very miserable for a Canton South team still attempting to locate it's footing two games into the season.

South had momentum coming into the second half on the strength of a Landon White 30-yard field goal to conclude the first half trailing 10-3 and the Wildcats recovered an onside kick to start the second half. But their possession stalled at the Dover 47 where they punted and the Tornadoes needed just two plays to strike like lightning as quarterback Jack Judkins took advantage of a breakdown in the South secondary and located teammate Caden Schie for a 65-yard touchdown pass on a wheel route that commenced the beginning of Dover's assault that set the tone for their clock truncating second half.

30th year Dover commander Dan Ifft pointed to his team's durability in keeping South's offense off the field most of the second half.

"Canton South had a great plan coming in. South coach Matt Dennison is a good coach and he's been doing this a long time and they had a size advantage on us with two tight ends and caused a lot of holes in the defense. So in the second half, we made an adjustment in walking up some guys and filling some of those voids and caused a lot of issues with their blocking schemes and things of that nature," Ifft said.

A portent of what was to come arrived on Dover's opening possession. Paced by a 31-yard run by running back Daylen Clark that ventured the Tornadoes into the red zone, Tornadoes quarterback Jack Judkins scored untouched on a 13-yard quarterback keeper to issue Dover a lead they maintained for the duration of the evening.

The Wildcats were led by the hard running of junior running back Xion Culver, who broke the 100 yard rushing plateau on the evening. However the Dover defense made sure to keep South sophomore quarterback Brodee Beegle in front of them and never allowed their offense to get into any kind of form save for several drives that ended in Dover territory courtesy of turning the ball over on downs.

Holding a high powered offense from last season out of the end zone was enough to elicit praise from Ifft.

"I am proud of the defense and how South came back despite holding them without a touchdown to their credit. We only had two possessions in the first half. I have never been a part of that so that was to their (South's) credit. We did a great job of milking the clock in the second half," he said.

Dover was paced by three touchdowns by Judkins with another passing score going to junior running back Justice Hughes in the fourth quarter to complete his scoring for the evening and Schie added a second score on a two-yard run to complete the 21-0 second half.

Canton South moves on to their home opener against Columbus Eastmoor, who at press time is 2-0. The Wildcats are in need of a victory to avoid a potentially brutal 0-3 beginning to a season and have now lost three in a row dating back to a grueling 42-21 state semifinal loss to eventual two-time Division IV champion Cleveland Glenville.

Dover forges ahead on the road for a contest against Millersburg West Holmes and after winning their first two home games while scoring 59 points, Ifft likes where his team is headed but has cautioned them about looking ahead.

"We just have to go one week at a time and get ready for West Holmes and it's our first road game. We just have to keep getting better," he said. "We have to keep getting better one week at a time, one day at a time, one minute at a time. We're not good enough to look ahead. We still have to keep developing."

Canton South head coach Matt Dennison confers with his team during a third quarter timeout Friday night at Crater Stadium. The Wildcats were defeated by host Dover 31-3. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

Keno Sultan is a writer for Stark County Prep Press. He can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

Wildcats attempt to avert 0-2 crater in trip to Dover

 Wildcats attempt to avert 0-2 crater in trip to Dover

By Keno Sultan 

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

CANTON TWP.--Crater Stadium is a highly familiar venue for Canton South head football coach Matt Dennison.

He only hopes that his team doesn't descend into a larger crater than last week.

Dennison's Canton South Wildcats football team will have another hefty assignment on their hands when they make their second straight road voyage, this time to Dover's Crater Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff. 

Dennison has been humongously familiar with the Tornadoes football program dating back to his 18-year tenure as the head football coach and athletic director of New Philadelphia in their 10th week rivalry contest. Now this time around, he doesn't have to worry about them as a rival but now a competitor not on a rival statistic.

"This is my 24th year as a head coach and my 22nd time facing Dover and I know them very well. They are a great program and coach Dan Ifft is one of the premier head coaches in the state of Ohio and we aspire to be like them and do the things he has done for the past 30 years. It's good to face them not as a rival," Dennison commented.

Last season, both squads engaged in an unforgettable production of high octane offensive fireworks as led by quarterback Poochie Snyder, the Wildcats came away with a 50-40 triumph at Clyde Brechbuhler Stadium on their way to an undefeated regular season and an appearance in the Division IV state semifinals.

That seems like a long time ago. Dennison however wants to see his Wildcats not get involved in another pinball affair like that.

"We had to replace a ton of talent from last year's team. Most of Dover's skill on their line is back. We have to start strong and finish strong from start to finish," he said.

Dover has always been a perennial contender in the three decades Ifft has been atop the post. It has been 12 years since the Tornadoes last made a deep run into the postseason via the state semifinals as they exited with a loss to eventual Division III state champion Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (who also won the Division III title again the following season). But you can always count on them to be competitive with a plethora of depth at various positions.

The Tornadoes are coming off a 28-24 win over Green to jumpstart their season. This will be the Tornadoes final season in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference (OVAC) before commencing next season as a member of the Ohio Cardinal Conference (OCC) and they are poised to make the most of this season before then.

Canton South didn't have the best of Fridays last week as their 10-game regular season winning streak was eliminated by virtue of a 43-0 loss to Cleveland Benedictine. Dennison however doesn't want anyone to put any stock on just one abhorrent evening knowing there are nine games left but at the same time does not want his team looking hard at an 0-2 beginning to the season.

"Last week we ran into a buzzsaw. They really got after us and were physical and are expected to be contenders for the Division III title this season," Dennison said. "I also double as the athletic director and I wasn't happy that we scheduled them but we also like to see where we stack up at and go from there."

Necessarily it may not seem like a must-win for Canton South but with a dangerous Columbus Eastmoor team on deck, they nearly cannot afford to head into their home opener next week pulling the brunt of an 0-2 start, which may be a huge shock to everyone after last season's playoff run. Dennison knows the atmosphere of Crater Stadium will be hostile. It may not be that of a New Philadelphia crowd but close enough for it.

If last year's contest was a portent of something in the air, it will be pretty lucid that whoever can play defense and create game-altering turnovers will be celebrating around 9:45 p.m.

When asked if there is a difference between coaching at New Philadelphia and Canton South with Dover as the key school, Dennison admitted it as such.

"They are two different schools and the scenes are wholly different. I had to adjust to having Dover as an opponent and not as a rival," he said.

Despite the heavy losses to graduation, South is not ready to climb into a foxhole and see their season wither away. Resiliency has always been a tenet of Dennison coached teams and they will need every bit of that Friday night in order to come away from Crater Stadium with a victory in the win column.

"At Canton South, we always talk about scoring first. You have to go down there and not let the crowd affect you. We have to start strong and finish strong," he said.

Crater Stadium is a highly familiar venue for Canton South field boss Matt Dennison. His hope is that the Wildcats don't fall into a larger crater this week against his former rival in Dover.

*Conquering the Oregon trail: Division II state champion Massillon returns to Ohio after their 35-20 victory over NFL UK (London) in Beaverton, OR this past Thursday. It was Massillon's first road contest out of the state of Ohio since the 1992 season when they competed against North Central (IN) in the RCA Dome. Massillon will be on the road against GlenOak, who dropped a 47-7 decision to Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph. Current GlenOak head coach Scott Garcia had a three-year run at Massillon as linebackers coach under Tom Stacy, who was the Tigers head coach from 2005-2007.

*Fetch!: Canton McKinley won their second straight season opener under Antonio Hall last week 26-19 against Warren Harding. Hall was 0-2 in season openers as McKinley's head coach. Both wins have come against the Raiders, who are at home Friday against Akron Buchtel while the Bulldogs take on Avon, a 42-21 winner over Cleveland St. Ignatius in their season opener.

*Irish claws: Perry plays host to St. Vincent-St. Mary at Wakefield Stadium this Friday. Keith Wakefield, who had two stints as Perry's head football coach is back on Zach Slates's staff as the defensive coordinator. Wakefield had a short stint also as the head coach of the Irish, now coached by former Ohio State standout and NFL player Doran Grant.

Keno Sultan is a writer for Stark County Prep Press. He can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

Aviators grounded in 34-6 setback to Padua Franciscan

 Aviators grounded in 34-6 setback to Padua Franciscan

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

ALLIANCE--There was a lot of love dashing on the football field inside the confines of Kehres Stadium. 

Unfortunately for the Alliance Aviators, it just was not for them.

With senior running back Roderick Love leading the way for Parma Padua Franciscan, the three-year starter accounted for two touchdown runs spanning 35 and 33 yards and also caught one of two touchdown passes from quarterback Nick Barker with receiver Riley Cervenka snagging the other in he first quarter as the Bruins raced out to an early 13-0 lead and eventually clawed their way to a 34-6 triumph over the host Aviators in the season opener for both squads.

Unlike the Aviators, Padua was left viewing the playoffs at home after the 10th week as they missed qualiying with a 4-6 record. Last season it was the Bruins defense that anchored them and they showed why they were an attacking squad as they held Alliance to just one touchdown. But the offense showed fervent life and Love will have a humongous hand in that as they look to play beyond the 10th week of the season.

"Rod is a three-year starter at running back. He's a natural leader for us and he's also a three-year captain. As he goes, the Bruins go," second-year boss Kevin Kubit said.

The Bruins second possession was a portent of things to arrive on the evening. Love took a handoff and with adept blocking from their heavy offensive line, he scored on a tone-setting 35-yard scamper and from there on they controlled the evening.

The Aviators were unable to generate any scoring opportunities with the exception of their sixth possession when Brady White returned a short kickoff deep into Bruins territory. Three plays after the spectacular return, Davis threw a 14-yard scoring strike to junior receiver Ravhan Hawkins to provide albeit a faint pulse for the Aviators that pulled them to within 20-6, the score at intermission.

But their inability to contain Love, who went over the 100 yard rushing mark is something that Aviators head coach Tim Goodman lamented in a solemn postgame meeting with his comrades.

"We know that he was a heck of a back for them. We knew that coming in and you can't duplicate what he does in practice. So we knew we had our work cut out for us. It only takes one guy not to be in the right spot and he will make you pay and he did that and that is demoralizing for a defense," he said. "But credit to our kids they played their tails off to the end and we're going to keep getting better. We lost a lot of seniors from last year and several underclassmen were getting their first start this week. It's a long season I thought it was a good experience for our kids and our kids are ready to get back to work and get after it next week."

Padua had multiple chances to actuate a state mandated running clock in the fourth quarter but the Alliance defense made sure to not let that happen and it is something they can take away into the second week of the season.

"The kids are resilient and they are going to keep fighting, competing and playing football and no matter what the score is, we're going to continue to play our brand of football," Goodman said.

The Bruins on the other hand will move toward a second week battle against Sandusky Perkins, a regional runner-up in Division IV last season to eventual back-to-back state champion Cleveland Glenville. It is just another step for a team who wants to keep the momentum arcing as they attempt to return to the postseason.

According to Kubit, if the Bruins show that same finishing instinct against Alliance and carry it over next week, the Bruins just may be playoff competitors very soon.

"Last year it's no secret we lost week 10 and our motto since then has been to finish and at halftime we were up two touchdowns, we wanted to finish the game off and not let them back in it," he said. "We have a formidable opponent next week against Sandusky Perkins and we have to correct our mistakes. It wasn't a perfect game and we're going to correct those in practice."

Alliance running back Rahvan Hawkins (#3) goes up field as he looks to elude Padua Franciscan defensive back Ryan Arko (#5) in the first quarter of Friday's game at Kehres Stadium. Alliance took a 34-6 setback to the Bruins. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

Keno Sultan is a writer for Stark County Prep Press. He can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

Canton McKinley overcomes a spirited Warren Harding squad to capture season opener

 Canton McKinley overcomes a spirited Warren Harding squad to capture season opener

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

CANTON--With former Canton McKinley and Warren Harding football head coach Thom McDaniels in attendance tonight at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, both teams were determined to put on a pleasing display of football that would have pleased their mentor.

Both schools did not disappoint.

In a contest that featured three ties and no deficit greater than six points till the fourth quarter, it was the Bulldogs needing every asset in their offensive arsenal through their running game to stop the visiting Raiders in their tracks 26-19 to claim their first victory of the 2024 season. Their victory was not secured until Harding quarterback Chaz Coleman had a fourth down pass broken up at the McKinley 40 yard line and two plays later, Bulldogs running back Nino Hill ran for a first down that allowed McKinley to evaporate the clock.

McKinley's defense had their work cut out in attempting to stifle the 6'5'' Coleman, who provided shades of former Harding field general Maurice Taylor, who was a two-year starter for the Raiders back in the 1998 and 1999 seasons. No one was relieved to escape with the triumph more than McKinley mentor Antonio Hall, who played against Taylor in his career and saw shades of him through Coleman.

"Ultimately, we found a way to overcome adversity. We stayed together, there was no finger pointing when things weren't going our way," Hall said. "There were similar dynamics between the two although Coleman is a little bigger and to me he throws a great ball especially off his back foot away from the play and throwing against his body and some of the throws he was making tonight, I don't know how a high school quarterback could have made those."

Both teams absorbed early turnovers on their first possessions. However, Harding obtained a big boost when cornerback Airiz Coleman-Bey snagged a pass from Bulldogs quarterback Kam Montgomery and returned the theft for a 29-yard touchdown score early in the second quarter to answer an early touchdown from the Bulldogs when Montgomery connected on a 31-yard touchdown strike to D.J. Britt, who got behind a Harding safety to commence the scoring.

Missed extra points by both kickers allowed this game to be close to the vest throughout. Despite not being able to possess a lead tonight, it is brightly lucid that under the instruction of first-year head coach Matt Richardson, these are no longer the Raiders who were known for melting down at the earliest whiff of adversity.

Under Richardson, those days are terminated.

"We have a lot of potential on what we can do. Anytime you play a good team, the team who makes the least mistakes will win the game and McKinley made less mistakes than us," he said. 

Both teams did heavy damage with their running games. After surrendering the interception return that was a score, McKinley turned to the ground express on their fifth possession with senior tailbacks Hill and Jamar Johnson, with Hill accumulating for most of the damage during a drive that took 14 plays and over four minutes off the clock that allowed them to reclaim the lead late in the second quarter at 19-13 only to have Harding retaliate with an equalizer when Coleman tossed the first of two scoring strikes as he eluded multiple McKinley defenders and tossed a 42-yard scoring bullet to Marcus Crum Jr. who caught the ball for an easy score in part to a lack of communication in the Bulldogs secondary.

The Bulldogs took back the momentum when Montgomery converted a critical pass on a third down and needing 20 yards when he found Britt over the middle for a first down and a play later, Montgomery delivered a quick strike to Darius Hill and despite the missed extra point kick, McKinley led 19-13 at halftime.

Harding showed their resiliency as well with a 14-play drive of their own that lowered eight minutes off the third quarter clock with Coleman showing his artistic prowess through his arm and feet and his one yard touchdown run had the visiting Raiders feeling great.

McKinley answered the Harding score with a 10-play drive culminating with a second touchdown run from Hill to start the fourth quarter. Harding would only get as close as to the McKinley 40 late in the game before turning the ball over on downs and losing their fourth contest to McKinley in a row.

It wasn't the result Richardson desired in his second return to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium dating back to his final year as Akron Hoban offensive coordinator that ended with a stinging 7-2 loss to undefeated Division II state champion Massillon but he knows that the pride in Warren football has been restored and it is only a matter of his charges staying the course and eventually becoming a title contender in Division II.

"I want them to know that we have the ability to win games. We just have to make less mistakes, practice a little bit harder, follow our procedures and do what we have to do to win the game," he said.

Montgomery led the McKinley passing attack with two touchdowns while Hill added two scores for them on the ground and was over the 100-yard rushing mark for the evening while Coleman threw for a score and ran for another to pace Harding. When asked if Coleman's play was reminiscent of Taylor, Richardson rehashed Taylor's playing days having coached at Warren Harding dating back to the 2000 season.

"The one thing I will say abot Chaz is that he is 6'5" and Taylor was about 5'11'' so it is different and both have different styles. Chaz has a lot more upside although Taylor himself was a great player," he said.

The Bulldogs will receive another test against Avon next Friday on the road. Hall knows his team had their share of mistakes they were able to overcome tonight but vowed that those mistakes have to be non-existent if they are to be 2-0 after next Friday. Last season, Avon defeated McKinley 28-7 in the second week of the season and eventually completed an undefeated regular season only to have it tainted in the Division II state semifinals against Hoban once again.

For now, Hall wants his team to enjoy the victory but not before he turned his sights to the Eagles and the challenge of overcoming them on the road next Friday.

"We have to avoid turnovers, sloppy special teams play, missed assignments and penalties. So we have to get better in all those categories this week if we intend to contend against Avon," Hall said.

With former McKinley and Harding head coach Thom McDaniels in attendance, both schools were determined to put on a pleasing display of competitive football. Both teams did not disappoint but in the end, it was McKinley celebrating a victory over a resurgent Harding football team.

Canton McKinley running back Nino Hill is hoisted in the air by his offensive linemen during the fourth quarter of Thursday's home opener. The Bulldogs obtained their first win of the season 26-19 over Warren Harding. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

Keno Sultan is a writer for Stark County Prep Press. He can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

Bulldogs await challenge from old rival

 Bulldogs await challenge from old rival

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

CANTON--Seven years ago, Canton McKinley competed in their first high school game inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium against Warren Harding.

Antonio Hall and Matt Richardson were not on the sidelines at the time.

84 months later, the two teams will square off Thursday night to commence the start of the 2024 season and it will be another chapter in the series between these two teams who were known for multiple hard-hitting contests in the 90s.

Hall knows this better than anyone else. A three-year two-way starter for McKinley, he was 3-0 in varsity competition against the Raiders with two of the three having playoff implications. Now in his fourth season atop the Bulldogs post, he knows this Harding team will be much different from the last several teams McKinley has faced in the past.

"I am very impressed with them and they have a lot of dynamic athletes and they are physical so we have to execute and compete to match their physicality, Hall said. 

McKinley showed promise with last week's scrimmage against Cleveland Heights. After spotting the Tigers an early 13-0 lead, the Bulldogs responded with 27 consecutive points with incumbent starter Kam Montgomery tossing three scoring aerials and Jamar Johnson scoring on a short touchdown run to conclude the scoring. What was even more pleasing was that McKinley did not turn the ball over, a sight that left Hall pleased and feeling fervently excited about his offense especially his defense how they did not surrender another score and stymied the Tigers offensive attack afterward.

On the other hand, Harding is a team attempting to get back to it's ways through a punishing offense and a predatory defense, something Hall's coaching counterpart, Richardson wants to do immediately after replacing Steve Arnold, who retired after a 12-year reign as Harding's head coach. A 1994 graduate of Warren John F. Kennedy, Richardson was also a running backs coach for the Raiders under the direction of Thom McDaniels, who was 4-0 against McKinley as Harding's field general. Richardson recently completed a run at Akron Hoban as the Knights offensive coordinator as they won five state championships in six years. He also was part of two national championship squads at Youngstown State under the tutelage of Jim Tressel, who coached Ohio State to an undefeated season and the 2002 national championship. Richardson also was part of an Eagles state championship team as well under veteran head coach Tony Napolet.

Accountability is something Richardson wants out of his battalion of Raiders as they look for their first winning season since 2020 and most importantly, truncate a 12-21 slide that has been uncharacteristic of the Raiders football regime through three consecutive losing seasons.

"I want my players to follow the proper protocol to be where you are expected to be and do the little things first. If we do that then the rest will take care of itself," he said.

Last year, Harding scored on a kickoff return for a touchdown to conclude the second quarter and went to the locker room tied at 14-14 only to have the visiting Bulldogs strip away the momentum from Harding and posted a 33-14 victory. 

Hall recalled the touchdown but at the same time commended his players for their response coming onto the field for the second half.

"We emphasize special teams and at the time it was a let down for us but in the second half, we took control of the game," he said. "But those were two different teams and it is about this year's contest."

You never mention Warren football without the names of Maurice Clarett, Carl Diggs, Deryck Toles, Dave and Dan Herron, Mario Manningham and others who have donned the black and gold. From 2000-2003, the Raiders won 43 of 50 games, posted two undefeated regular seasons, and competed for a state title in Division I.

Richardson was blessed to see uphand just how punishing the Raiders were during that run and he wants his legion of Raiders to experience that for themselves. A step in that direction would be coming away with a victory on the road. For that to happen, they have to set the tone by scoring first, something McKinley has accomplished during their four-game winning streak against Harding in which they have outscored them 122-62 in the four contests.

"It's very important to score first and set the tone. If you do that, you will give yourself a chance so we have to do that Thurdsay," Richardson acknowledged.

Hall has never traversed paths with Richardson but he knows about the pedigree of coaches he has been around, starting with McDaniels and being with Dan Reardon (who coached McKinley from 2015-2018) and then with Hoban's Tim Tyrrell. Richardson's Hoban teams led the state in rushing yards in the five years they won the state title, two of them coming in Division III and the last three in Division II.

Although this game is only the season opener, it always has a playoff feel for Hall, who was part of two wins over the Raiders in 1998 and 1999. Both games McKinley survived early deficits to claim victory. However the 1998 game was the most memorable for Hall because of the adversity the Bulldogs were facing in what was a do-or-die situation with the top four teams in the region at the time qualifying for the playoffs as they trailed 16-7 before scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter and completing a 20-16 win that kept Harding, who was ranked as high as #3 in the nation out of the postseason as they finished fifth with an 8-2 record.

"That was as physical as a game could get. We knew we had to take charge right away and execute in that fourth quarter. We were able to do what we had to do and got the win and that is something we will have to do like that in order for us to be 1-0 on the season," Hall acknowledged.

For the Raiders, they open up with two of their first five on the road with another trip to Stark County to face Perry in two weeks. But for now, Richardson wants his team to develop the expectation of winning and a victory Thursday night will pay dividends along the way to getting Harding back to contending status and eventually their first state championship since 1990, their last crown under the late Phil Annarella.

When asked if these Raiders will be different from the last 12, Richardson didn't comment on the teams under Arnold but hinted at what his team will be like under his watch laced with veteran assistant coaches.

"I can't speak for the last 12 Harding teams and what they looked like but I can tell you that we are going to compete. How we behave off the field is the way we will play on the field," he said.

Seven years ago, Antonio Hall and Matt Richardson were not on the sidelines when McKinley and Harding played their first game in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Seven years later, their paths cross and one of their teams will be gleeful after Thursday night.

Canton McKinley Bulldogs head coach Antonio Hall walks the field during warmups before the Bulldogs scrimmage against Cleveland Heights. Hall is now in his fourth year as head coach of this alma mater. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

*A Massillon connection: Shawn Crable, who was a three sport athlete at Massillon and was part of two regional championships as a Tigers linebacker and a district basketball champion center with the Tigers is the Bulldogs defensive line coach. Crable, a 2003 graduate of Massillon was also part of the Michigan Wolverines 2003 and 2004 Big Ten title winning teams and a member of the 2007 New England Patriots AFC championship winning team.

Shawn Crable (center) watches as McKinley players stretch during warmups before their scrimmage. Crable joined the McKinley staff this season, coaching the defensive line. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

*Another Massillon connection: Rick Shepas, who served as the athletic director along with the head football coaching duties at Massillon from 1998-2004 is the athletic director at Warren Harding. Shepas was 5-3 against McKinley as Tigers head coach, 2-1 against them at Fawcett Stadium. Shepas also had a 12-year run as head coach of NCAA Division III program Waynesburg. Shepas was 0-4 against Warren Harding as Massillon's head coach with a devastating 21-20 overtime loss to the Raiders in the Division I state semifinal. It was Harding's second win over Massillon in five weeks dating back to the ninth week of the 2002 regular season, a 31-27 win in front of 15,000 at Mollenkopf Stadium.

*Raider royalty: Former McKinley head coach Thom McDaniels was a combined 8-0 against McKinley and Massillon from 2000-2004, going 4-0 against both schools. Harding's largest win against Canton McKinley was in 2001, a 57-9 victory in which after yielding an early touchdown and trailing for the first time all season, Harding responded with 57 consecutive points in a battle of top 5 AP teams in the Division I poll with Harding ranked #1 and McKinley #4. It was Harding's second win over an AP top 5 team that season, having defeated Division IV champion and #1 ranked Youngstown Ursuline 56-16 as the Raiders led 35-0 at halftime.

Special credit to Warren Harding historians David Baugh and Joe McConnell for the additional information.

Keno Sultan is a writer for Stark County Prep Press through Ohio High School Football Media. He can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

McKinley ends scrimmage with 27 unanswered points, shifts focus to Warren Harding

 McKinley ends scrimmage with 27 unanswered points, shifts focus to Warren Harding

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

CANTON--School is not in session for another week but for the Canton McKinley Bulldogs they were in need of an extra cup of coffee.

The timing was adeptly sufficient in their seventh season at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

After spotting the visiting Cleveland Heights Tigers an early 13-0 lead, the host Bulldogs utilized a huge second quarter that witnessed them outscore their adversaries 20-6 in the second quarter and held their Cuyahoga County opponent scoreless for the duration of the contest and came away triumphant with a 27-13 decision in what was the final tune up for both squads before shifting their focus to the regular season with McKinley hosting Warren Harding next Thursday and Heights hosting Trotwood-Madison next Friday.

Canton McKinley quarterback Kam Montgomery pretty much solidifed his status as the starter as he connected on three touchdown aerials spanning 29, 30, and 47 yards respectively while running back Jamar Johnson, a former GlenOak running back scored on a one-yard touchdown run. What was aesthetically pleasing was despite the mistakes made at times by the Bulldogs was that they did not turn the ball over, a stat that pleased fourth-year head coach Antonio Hall, a 2000 McKinley graduate and former standout offensive lineman at Kentucky.

"I just think we had to settle in both offensively and defensively. It was our first time under the lights and guys first time playing in the stadium. It was a game time atmosphere and once guys settled in and started to execute, I think we were fine," Hall said.

The play of the evening came in the third quarter on a running clock when Montgomery under heavy pressure took a huge hit from a Tigers linebacker and still delivered a 47-yard scoring bomb. When asked if the score deflated the Tigers, Hall didn't believe so but it motivated his battalion of Bulldogs.

"I don't know if that necessarily broke their backs but it definitely woke us up. Once we got going, the defense fed off the offense, the offense fed off the defense and it was a great team experience," he said. "But we made a ton of mistakes, a ton of mistakes we have to fix if we want to have this same feeling next week."

Canton McKinley running back Jamar Johnson scores on a one-yard touchdown run during the second quarter of Friday's scrimmage. McKinley prevailed over Cleveland Heights 27-13 and will host Warren Harding next week in their season opener. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

Warren Harding on the other hand has gone through a slide where they have won only 12 games in the last three years and have not had a winning season since the 2020 season. Under first-year head coach Matt Richardson, a 1994 Warren John F. Kennedy graduate and a state champion player with the Eagles, Richardson comes over from Akron Hoban where he was part of five state championship teams with two coming in Division III and the last three in Division II as the Knights offensive coordinator.

Since the rivalry resumed, McKinley has won all four contests, especially last year's 33-14 victory at Mollenkopf Stadium. Seven years ago, these two schools played the first high school game inside Benson Stadium, a McKinley 29-7 victory highlighted by the Bulldogs stifling the Raiders on four straight downs all from the one-yard line and preventing them from scoring.

Hall knows about the toughness the Raiders will display and knows based on his experiences as a player and coach, Thursday's regular season tilt will not be one his team will take lightly.

"Warren is just like us with a rich tradition and a lot of pride and football means something to them. You look at that rivalry and there have been a lot of epic games and a lot of players from both sides and you know, Coach Richardson, I don't know him personally but I know his work and guys who coached with him at Hoban and he's trying to build a culture over there," Hall said.

School is not in session for another week but the Canton McKinley Bulldogs were in need of an extra cup of coffee. The timing was just right against Cleveland Heights and the Bulldogs hope the smell permeates to another celebration next week.

Keno Sultan is a writer for Stark County Prep Press. He can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

2024 high school season on the horizon

 2024 high school football season on the horizon

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press

CANTON--19 Stark County head football coaches commiserated over dinner, social hour, laughs and a very good time at least for one night.

In two weeks, they will be testing each other's minds on the football field of battle through 10 regular season games and maybe again in the 11th week or further.

Wednesday night at St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church, it was the annual high school football coaches dinner to kickoff the start of the 2024 season. Last season it was Massillon and Canton South that emerged as the hottest teams in the county as both completed undefeated regular seasons and made deep playoff runs with the Wildcats finishing 14-1 as their only setback came in a valiant effort against eventual Division IV state champion Cleveland Glenville and the Tigers ended 52 years of playoff futility that ended with the program capturing their first state playoff title to go with their 24 Associated Press state poll championships (the most before the playoff era) with a 7-2 win over Akron Hoban in the Division II state championship while garnering national recognition in the process not to mention their defense setting a staggering nine state records on defense to cap their 16-0 season, the first wire-to-wire undefeated state champion since the 1997 Canton McKinley squad accomplished the feat in the big school division 26 years ago.

Massillon Tigers 10th year head coach Nate Moore addresses the audience at Wednesday's Stark County Coaches Dinner. Moore is the first and only Ohio prep coach to win a state championship at a private school and a public school in a nine-year span with Cincinnati LaSalle and most recently, Massillon. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

Here is the preview of each team in the county and comments from their respective head coaches:

Alliance Aviators

Head Coach: Tim Goodman

Years at school: 4

Last season's record: 6-5 (lost to Aurora in Division III first round playoff)

Returning Lettermen: N/A

Season Outlook: "We play a strong schedule this year with a lot of Stark County foes. We also face Marlington and Minerva and we are excited to go against those guys as well."

Canton South Wildcats

Head Coach: Matt Dennison

Years at school: 4

Last season's record: 14-1 (PAC-7 champions, lost to Cleveland Glenville in Division IV state semifinal)

Returning Lettermen: N/A

Season Outlook: "We are going to be a young team but we have a lot of talent. We talked about building a program and this is a program year for us. This is the year that we establish ourselves as a program at Canton South. We play a tough schedule but we don't back down from anyone."

Central Catholic Crusaders

Head Coach: Jeff Lindesmith

Years at school: 11

Last season's record: 7-5 (lost to Kirtland in Division VI first round playoff)

Returning Lettermen: N/A

Season Outlook: "We are all about preparation, accountability, and effort. I was taught that by coach Lowell Klinefelter years ago. We are going to play teams that are more talented than us and we have to win those battles."

East Canton Hornets

Head Coach: John "Spider" Miller

Years at school: 9

Last season's record: 2-8

Returning Lettermen: N/A

Season Outlook: "We have six juniors that are returning seven sophomores who played as freshmen last year. We are playing hard and working hard."

Fairless Falcons

Head Coach: A.J. Sarbaugh

Years at school: 7

Last season's record: 4-7 (lost to South Range in Division V first round playoff)

Returning Lettermen: 19

Season Outlook: "We have 53 guys this year which is the most we have ever had from 9-12. We have nine seniors this year and five captains."

GlenOak Eagles

Head Coach: Scott Garcia

Years at school: 17

Last season's record: 7-5 (lost to Lakewood St. Edward in Division I second round playoff)

Returning Lettermen: 15

Season Outlook: "We had a great offseason. It started in the weight room and our kids have brought into the challenge and want to get back to where we want to be. Our weight numbers have been unbelievable. Our junior class is very talented and our sophomore class is also talented too."

North Canton Hoover Vikings

Head Coach: Brian Baum Sr.

Years at school: 10

Last season's record: 6-6 (lost to Green in Division II second round playoff)

Returning Lettermen: 20

Season Outlook: "Last year we played a lot of young guys. This year we return a lot. The expectations are there. It's a tough and challenging schedule for us. We have guys developing into veterans."

Jackson Polar Bears

Head Coach: Jay Rohr

Years at school: 3

Last season's record: 5-6 (lost to Berea-Midpark in Division I first round playoff

Returning lettermen: 20

Season Outlook: "We have 180 football players and I am blessed to be in the situation I am in. We have a new offensive coordinator, Badre Bardawil, who comes over from McKinley. Since January 4th we have had 110 players in the weight room and that is just tremendous."

Lake Blue Streaks

Head Coach: Dan DeGeorge

Years at school: 12

Last season's record: 9-4 (lost to Massillon in Division II regional semifinal)

Returning Lettermen: 21

Season Outlook: "We lost a lot from last season and we have lots of holes to fill. The Federal League is strong and we are going to be tested every week."

Louisville Leopards

Head Coach: Chris Kappas

Years at school: 2

Last season: 1-9

Returning Lettermen: N/A

Season Outlook: "We have made significant changes in our program. We had a great offseason. We want to set the tone and get Louisville football back to being the Louisville football it used to be."

Marlington Dukes

Head Coach: Joe Cardinal

Years at school: 2

Last season's record: 6-4

Returning Lettermen: 18

Season Outlook: "We have five offensive starters returning and four defensive starters returning.  We have 14 seniors."

Massillon Tigers

Head Coach: Nate Moore

Years at school: 10

Last season's record: 16-0 (OHSAA DIVISION II STATE CHAMPIONS)

Returning Lettermen: 32

Season Outlook: "We have to take the next step like everybody else. We are right square in thinking about the development of our football team. Our focus is squarely on whatever we're doing at any given moment, at practice, whatever the drill, whatever the rep is. We return 8 starters on offense and three on defense. We're still the Massillon Tigers. We are still the men of Massillon."

Canton McKinley Bulldogs

Head Coach: Antonio Hall

Years at school: 4

Last season's record: 9-4 (lost to Lakewood St. Edward in Division I regional semifinal)

Returning Lettermen: 24

Season Outlook: "The Federal League is wide open and we go to GlenOak in week four. I am excited to see how our team is going to jell. That will determine our success.

Minerva Lions

Head Coach: Tim Speakman

Years at school: 3

Last season's record: 0-10

Returning Lettermen: N/A

Season Outlook: "We want to get Minerva back to where it once was. The commitment to that has been key in the weight room. We got a commitment to the weight room where everyone has been showing up. We will have a better chance to compete with teams this year."

Northwest Indians

Head Coach: John DeMarco

Years at school: 5

Last season's record 5-6 (lost to Canton South in Division IV first round playoff)

Returning lettermen: N/A

Season Outlook: "We graduated five seniors and we return a lot of lettermen and we are going to be competitive."

Perry Panthers

Head Coach: Zach Slates

Years at school: 4

Last season's record: 4-7 (lost to Lake in Division II first round playoff)

Returning Lettermen: 20

Season Outlook: "Our kids worked hard in the offseason. Last year was rough. We have 22 seniors this year and nine starters returning on offense and defense. They know what is expected for them."

St. Thomas Aquinas Knights

Head Coach: Kevin Henderson

Years at school: 2

Last season's record: 0-10

Returning Lettermen: 10

Season Outlook: "The numbers are up from last year and the attitude is improving. We have kids that are buying into our culture."

Sandy Valley Cardinals

Head Coach: Brian Gamble

Years at school: 8

Last season's record: 7-5 (lost to Lake County Perry in Division V second round playoff)

Returning Lettermen: N/A

Season Outlook: "Many of our veterans are starting to blend together. We return four offensive starters, six defensive starters and have 12 seniors."

Tuslaw Mustangs

Head Coach: Broc Dial

Years at school: 1

Last season's record: 2-8

Returning Lettermen: N/A

Season Outlook: Dial comes to Tuslaw from Dalton after coaching the Bulldogs to the Division VII state championship game, a 38-0 loss to Maria Stein Marion Local.

Keno Sultan is a writer for Stark County Prep Press. He can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.