Massillon faces familiar opponent with gained experience, ready for challenge
By Keno Sultan
Stark County Prep Press writer
MASSILLON--36 months is a long time.
That is how long it was when Sunbury Big Walnut was undefeated and rampaging through the regular season onto the Region 7 playoffs.
However, their lack of experience in big games hit a road barrier in the form of a construction zone known as the Massillon Tigers. The Golden Eagles saw their season take a season-ending detour in the form of a 38-0 crashing defeat which sent Massillon to their fifth straight regional final and leaving Big Walnut to clean up the wreckage of that setback.
36 months later, the defending Division II state champion Tigers and Golden Eagles return to Masnfield's Arlin Field, the scene of Massillon's running clock shutout of Big Walnut. Since that humiliating setback, Massillon has compiled a 28-2 record while Big Walnut is 18-7. Massillon in regional competition is a staggering 27-1 since 2017, a phenomenal stat that constitutes to a near perfect 96 percent that also includes a 42-21 victory in a 2022 regional semifinal as well.
Massillon veteran head coach Nate Moore respectfully is not the one to get caught up in the numbers labyrinth. However, he is aware that Big Walnut has made strides to attain their big game experience which the Tigers will test Friday night at 7 p.m. with the winner advancing to the state semifinals to challenge the Cincinnati Anderson-Cincinnati LaSalle winner.
"Big Walnut is a Division II program that is well coached and they have had several runs in the playoffs and they are a good program," Moore said.
Big Walnut is coming off a dominating 28-10 victory over an undefeated Ashland team in a regional semfinal last week. Before that, they were able to stifle Perry in a 35-24 victory in a second round contest. The key to the Golden Eagles success has lied within the depths of their running game through standout running back Nolan Buirley, who has been a human joystick on the football field in the form of a sensational 26 touchdowns and 1,932 yards.
The Golden Eagles, like Massillon are a team that wants to decimate the clock with a heavy offensive line corps. It is one thing to be able to commit to that approach but it is wholly another when you can take over a game not just on the offensive end but special teams as well.
Massillon provided a factual vista of that testimony last week in a 48-14 evisceration of Teays Valley as their special teams was the highlight of the evening when sensational senior return specialist and future Toledo Rocket athlete Tyler Hackenbracht literally hacked through the Vikings widely porous special teams department in the form of two punt return touchdowns and a kickoff return touchdown ala former Chicago Bears return specialist and NFL Hall of Fame enshrinee Devin Hester, that provided 21 of the Tigers 48 points.
"We were able to get some breaks and get some long returns and when you are well coached and sound, big plays will happen," Moore said of his team's deluge that drowned the Vikings.
Both teams statistically are nearly even in the offensive department as the Tigers are averaging 35.3 points on offense with the Golden Eagles not far behind at 33.6 and in the defensive department, the Tigers are surrendering just 12 points compared to 16.1 by the Golden Eagles.
The Division II bracket is a very wicked one that feature teams with a combined 12 state playoff championships. Joining the Tigers as state champions in the remaining field is Akron Hoban with five, Cincinnati LaSalle with four, and Walsh Jesuit along with Cincinnati Anderson with one each. The experience of the remaining squads that also include Avon and Medina Highland is valuable come this time of year.
After this week, only four will be remaining and a step closer to competing in the hallowed confines of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. When asked about the wickedness of the bracket, Moore wasn't quick to refer to the bracket as such but acknowledged the accomplishments of the remaining high schools.
"There are a lot of good teams remaining in Division II. But this Friday, our focus is about Big Walnut," he said.
Under the tutelage of a longtime coach, Curtis Crager, Big Walnut has ascended from a 6-6 season to a 12-1 record in just two years. He succeeded previous head coach Rob Page, who stepped down after three seasons to devote time to his family.
Big Walnut returns the majority of the two teams who suffered playoff losses to the Tigers. Massillon has become a well-oiled machine spanning back to a 46-40 triumph over an East St. Louis (IL) team that was ranked as high as sixth in the nation. Massillon started off this season ranked highly in multiple publications nationally with one having them as second in the nation, their highest national ranking since the 1996 season under Jack Rose.
Moore lauded the experience of his squad as it prepares for it's eighth straight regional title game, a round in which they are 7-1 in that area, to which Moore is a phenomenal 8-1 overall in regional title games as a head coach spanning three high schools.
"Experience in big games is huge. We have played in games against national teams and we just have to go out, play well and execute on offense, defense, and special teams," he said.
One player who has been vital to the success of the Tigers has been the unselfishness of senior quarterback Jalen Slaughter. It was just three years ago that he became the eventual starter and developed a closeness to the incumbent starter at the time, Darrius McElroy. Last season, he split time with DaOne Owens and still remained a factor to the team. Now as a full fledged senior, he is intent on finishing his prep career with another state title.
Whereas Mike Wright Jr. has become the ferocious leader of the vaunted Massillon defense, Slaughter is the fearless leader of the Massillon offense armed with a sterling running back and a very deep offensive line led by future Wisconsin athlete Nolan Davenport.
His play over the last several weeks is a reason why the Tigers are one of eight remaining teams on the road to Canton. His ability to throw the ball, run when needed to and also stay clear of turnovers is a major catalyst to why Massillon has been successful and if the trend stays that way Friday night, the Tigers will be two wins away from becoming the first Stark County high school since Canton McKinley to record two consecutive state championships. But for low, the laser sharp focus is on Big Walnut.
"Jalen certainly has gotten better over the course of the season and the last five or six games. He is a first-team all-Stark County athlete and he is having a great senior year," said Moore.
36 months is a long time from when Massillon opposed an inexperienced Big Walnut team and ended their undefeated season. Now they meet for a third time where only one can forge ahead a step closer to Canton.
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