Massillon native Farrington thriving as Purple Raiders forward

 Massillon native Farrington thriving as Purple Raiders forward

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

ALLIANCE--Accountability is a trait that was ingrained into Elijah Farrington the day he walked onto the floor at Massillon Washington High School as a freshman.

As a freshman, he was inspired by the 2019-2020 Tigers team that compiled a 19-4 record but also defeated two top 5 and undefeated teams very late near the end of the regular season on back-to-back nights, downing Wooster, who was ranked in the top 5 in Division I and then Ridgewood, who was #4 in Division III.

It is a reason why he was able to thrive as a Tigers forward and not only is he one of seven Stark County basketball players on the University of Mount Union roster but after seeing vast time as a freshman, he is now one of three Stark products starting on a Purple Raiders team that is 8-4 on the season and undefeated at 5-0 in OAC competition after a bruising 82-77 victory over a gritty Marietta team, whose 4-8 (1-4 OAC) record belies them in terms of being a quality team, a team that has always pushed the Purple Raiders for years.

The 2023 Massillon graduate thrived under the tutelage of current sixth year floor boss Josh Hose, a 1998 graduate and former football and basketball standout, who was part of the Tigers 1997 Division I district final competing team, spearheaded by 6'9'', 235 lb. shot blocking mammoth, Marco Morgan.

Farrington averaged 19.5 points as a senior on a team that finished 14-10, their season concluding with a loss to eventual state champion Akron Hoban. His production was a reason why 14th year Purple Raiders general Mike Fuline, a state championship winning head coach of the Jackson High School boys basketball team in 2010 was able to lure Farrington to Mount Union, where he has flourished.

SHOOTING STAR. Former Massillon Tigers forward Elijah Farrington takes a jump shot during pregame activity before Mount Union's OAC contest against Marietta. The Purple Raiders remained undefeated in the conference with an 82-77 victory. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

"What brought me to Mount Union was that I knew that there was a lot of people that was coming here and I really liked the culture, the winning culture, it's just a great atmosphere with great academics here and it was really close to home," Farrington said.

It is no secret that Farrington has chosen accounting as his desired major. He has always believed in accountability and it is something that he imposed on his teammates as a high school senior and looks to have a future as an accountant once his playing days conclude.

Last season, Mount Union advanced to the OAC title game where their season concluded with an 88-86 loss to John Carroll, who will be departing for the NCAC conference after this season. Missing an at-large berth was something that gnawed at the Purple Raiders for a full year and with another strong team returning, their goal is to capture the regular season and conference titles at the same time while not leaving anything to chance.

Farrington showed some leadership traits in the closing seconds of the Purple Raiders contest against Marietta. After missing two free throws, the Pioneers had a chance to steal away an unlikely victory when Jayden Bradshaw drove hard for a point blank range layup, however Farrington was able to alter the shot attempt and his defense atoned for the two missed free throws near the end and a reason why they are still undefeated in the conference. Farrington finished with 11 points on the evening.

"My mentality there was next play. I told our guys we're going to pull through and do everything we could to secure the win," Farrington said of the decisive sequence that transpired into a victory.

During his four years at Massillon, Farrington developed into a standout athlete who not only succeeded on the floor but in the classroom as well. Playing under Hose ingrained the ferocity that made him the successful Tiger he was on the floor.

A mantra that longtime revered Massillon administrator Butch Hose (the father of Josh Hose) always told his students in his 40-year administrative journey was to always "be the best student you can always be." That was something Farrington took to heart whenever he was in the halls of Washington High School and on the basketball court whether it was in practice or a game. 

Farrington credited Hose for the tough and fierce practices as they helped prepare him for the collegiate level.

"Coach (Josh) Hose coached us really hard and he loves us all. He got us ready for that next level whether it is on the court or off the court, he really built me as a player and as a character, so a huge shout-out to him," he said.

Mount Union begins a pivotal three-game stretch that will start Saturday afternoon at home against a Heidelberg squad that is 4-1 in the conference with their only setback coming to Muskingum and have responded well in the form of a four-game conference winning streak. Challenges also ensue against Baldwin Wallace and Ohio Northern and it is a stretch that will be portentous as to how the Purple Raiders season will transpire as conference play gets deeper.

RAIDER ON DEFENSE. Elijah Farrington (left) defends against Marietta's Jack Main during the first half of Wednesday's OAC contest. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

Attending Mount Union is not for the faint of heart. It takes strong academic rigors and the ability to manage time and classes at the same time and if one is not ready for the challenge, their time at the university will be woefully short. Farrington left some advice for anyone, especially in his hometown of Massillon that is looking at Mount Union as a school to attend in the near future.

"Get to know people, there are a lot of great people here that are willing to help you," he said.

Accountability is a trait that was ingrained into Elijah Farrington the day he walked the halls of Massillon Washington High School as a freshman. And he is still abiding by those standards as a starting forward for the Mount Union Purple Raiders basketball squad.

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