Massillon general anticipates contest with much improved Bulldog team

 Massillon general anticipates contest with much improved Bulldog team

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

MASSILLON--21-19, 16-15, 24-17, 24-14, 35-7, 35-13, 23-13, 35-0 and 16-7 are proud numbers that any elementary school teacher will love to write on a chalkboard during math.

Nate Moore however is not an elementary school teacher. But don't get the perception that he is not portentously aware of the 229-105 edge his Massillon Tigers have had against Canton McKinley over the last nine years.

Nine years ago, the Massillon class of 2026 were third graders shaping up their futures at Whittier, Franklin, and Gorrell schools when the Tigers repossessed the Victory Bell with a 21-19 victory over the Bulldogs and have maintained a hammerlock on the prized possession since. And with a 10th straight victory Saturday afternoon, it will be another flawless ending to a class that will have amassed a successful high school career without losing to McKinley, joining five other Washington High School classes, 2020-2025 in that span.

Since Tom Benson Hall of Fame opened in 2017, Massillon became the first visiting team to obtain a victory as they squelched McKinley's bid for an undefeated home season and have won four in a row over the Bulldogs in their home venue while also completing undefeated regular seasons in 2019 and 2023 as well.

MASSILLON PATRIARCH. Massillon head coach Nate Moore looks on intently during the Tigers 2019 contest against Canton McKinley. On the left is assistant coach Dave Weber and J.P. Simon on the right. Massillon is gunning for a 10th straight win over the Bulldogs Saturday afternoon in Canton. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

Every year the Cincinnati native who now calls Stark County his home has a firm hold on the rivalry and it has shown much to the devout Massillon votaries.

"It's a honor to be a part of this rivalry, a part of history with two great programs going at it in this storied rivalry against a great opponent," Moore said.

Massillon is coming off their finest defensive performance of the season against an ancient rival before the Bulldogs, that being Warren G. Harding. The Tigers defense harassed the Raiders into five giveaways with one of those resulting in a tone-setting touchdown by linebacker and future Indiana Hoosier Ja'Dyn Williams as Massillon completely unraveled the Trumbull County power in the tune of a 42-10 pillaging as 28 points arrived off of turnovers. The 28 points off turnovers were the most Massillon had in a game since the 2009 season when they scored 35 off those, highlighted by linebacker Aaron Robey's first quarter 42-yard touchdown off an interception that resulted in a 21-0 first quarter lead and an eventual 42-21 victory against Akron Buchtel.

Aside from allowing 33, 50, and 34 points in home contests against Cleveland Glenville, Rabun Gap (GA) and Clarkson North (Canada), the Tigers defense has been stellar in yielding just 68 points overall in their six wins, for a stingy average of 11.3 and overall in their three-game winning streak have surrendered just 44 points for an average of 14.6.

In four games against McKinley at Benson Stadium, Massillon's defense has just given up an average of 14 points, that included a 35-0 victory on their way to setting nine defensive records and an eventual state championship. The 2025 Massillon defense may not be as feared as the 2023 defense was but at the same time under no circumstances can be overlooked.

"Defensively we are playing real well right now. We are going to need a great week of practice and preparation. Our goal was to get better with every game and it's important we have a great week of practice," Moore attested.

After a second week loss to St. Augustine Prep (NJ) and followed by a victory over Cleveland Heights, Canton McKinley became an uncontrolled freight train in Federal League competition, speeding through railroad crossings non-stop and pulverizing the opposition, most recently a 40-9 throttling of Jackson to seize the league title outright. They have the look of the 2019 team that also captured the league title outright before they suffered a late knockout loss to the Tigers when Aidan Longwell heaved a deep pass on third down that was snagged by Jayden Ballard that turned into an insurance touchdown in the form of a 79-yard pass to complete the scoring for that afternoon.

The Bulldogs (not counting Thom McDaniels lone return in 2014) have had eight head coaches since 1997. But their current boss isn't just any other boss.

27 years ago, Renzy Parnell played on an Akron Garfield team that gave the reigning Division I state champion Bulldogs all they could handle before being on the losing end of an 18-13 decision at Fawcett Stadium. Now he is the head coach of that same program he competed against as a high school senior.

For 10 seasons, Parnell was the defensive coordinator at Akron Hoban where he won five state titles as a part of Tim Tyrrell's staff and two of those came against Massillon back in 2018 and 2020. Hoban's aspirations for their elusive sixth title was soured in a 7-2 setback to the same Tigers whom his defenses helped turn back three times, one more in a 2022 state semifinal. Now he is tasked with the challenge of eradicating the Bulldogs losing streak against Massillon and will be the fourth straight head coach, joining Dan Reardon, Marcus Wattley and Antonio Hall to have their first rivalry game at home. The last first-year coach to have the rivalry game away, not counting McDaniels was Ron Johnson, who was shut-out in 2008.

Moore knows Saturday will be a chess match against Parnell, whose defense is just yielding 15.7 points on defense. Offensively they are scoring 29.2 points with Hoban transfer Trent Hayden leading the offense with running backs Kyelin West and Isaac Brooks wearing out teams over the course of a contest. One thing that will be an advantage for the Tigers is that they were one of three teams in 2018 to dent the Parnell-coached Knights defense for 28 points in the Division II state championship, a 42-28 loss but the fact they scored that much against their #1 overall defense provides confidence for the Massillon offense, an offense featured around running back Savior Owens and lethal receivers Deontay Malone and Giorgio Jackson Jr. along with their ever-durable offensive line corps.

"Renzy Parnell has them very well coached and they are a disciplined team, the same that we saw of them on film and it will be a great challenge and a battle," he said of facing a Parnell coached defense for the seventh time overall.

BULLDOG GENERAL. First-year McKinley head coach Renzy Parnell chats with Lake head coach Dan DeGeorge before their contest two weeks earlier. Having won the Federal League outright, Parnell and his batch of Bulldogs hope to end a nine-year losing streak to the Massillon Tigers. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

10 years ago, Moore reached the lowest point of his prep coaching career. A one-yard touchdown plunge by McKinley quarterback Dominique Robinson with 18 seconds left allowed the Bulldogs to close the Fawcett Stadium chapter with an unlikely 30-28 victory and end at the time what was a four-game losing streak to their rivals. Two kickoff return touchdowns and an interception return for a score were not enough to put the Tigers ahead of the scoreboard after 48 minutes, leading to emotions ranging from sadness to anger in the locker room.

If that wasn't enough, it hit really deep coming out of the locker room when he saw his then eight-year-old son Eli (now a senior), who also was in tears. The elder Moore wept on his son's shoulder and both wept in each other's arms. The next year, Moore endured another adversarial situation away from the field and at that same time, one of his players now an assistant coach, Edwin Glick, like Moore was enduring a personal situation in his life before the rivalry contest.

The only difference? Moore was able to hug Glick and both wept in each other's arms not in defeat but in victory. Moore put both situations in perspective.

"That loss was devastating in 2015 and as devastating as that is, I don't wish that on anyone. What I learned from that when you fall short of your goal, it doesn't mean that you worked as hard as you can. The unmistakable lesson is that you don't know how much impact it will have on you in the future, it was devastating but also it shaped us for why today we are 9-1 during that time," he said of his embrace with his son before turning to his embrace with Glick. "We both went through a lot that year and there was a picture of us both embracing at the end. This rivalry is unlike anything else."

Canton McKinley has already secured a first-round bye and home playoff game into the 12th week of the season. With a victory Saturday afternoon, Massillon has a chance to obtain a potential first round bye and not play again till the 12th week of the season. Otherwise, they will begin their playoff path with a second straight away contest. 

Right now, the only thing that matters is the 136th confrontation. Whatever happens after that is anyone's guess but right now, winning is simply on the mind of Moore and his hordes of Tigers as they look to keep the Victory Bell in Massillon for another year.

"There are a lot of variables that go into this week and we just want to keep our focus on the game," he said.

Nate Moore may not be an elementary school teacher teaching math but scores of 21-19, 16-15, 24-17, 24-14, 35-7, 35-13, 23-13, 35-0 and 16-7 are numbers proudly written on a chalkboard and his team would love nothing more to add another winning tally to that lesson.

HAIL TO THE TIGERS. Massillon players sit in front of the Victory Bell after last year's 16-7 win over Canton McKinley. Massillon will look for a 10th straight victory over the Bulldogs and fifth straight at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium Saturday afternoon. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

PREP PRESS PIECES

*Tornadoes and Quakers: Friday will be the 122nd meeting of Ohio's third oldest rivalry when Dover hosts New Philadelphia at Crater Stadium in what will be a sellout crowd. Both teams are eliminated from playoff contention as the Quakers look to capture a second straight win and a winning season at 6-4 while Dover at 3-6 will look to end their season on a high note with a victory to conclude their season. Both Matt Johnson and Matt Rees of their respective alma maters, Johnson at New Philadelphia and Rees at Dover graduated three years apart from each other, Johnson in 2001 and Rees in 2004.

*Second home away from home: Massillon is 5-2 all-time at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Massillon's only losses were to Akron Hoban and Cincinnati LaSalle, both in the Division II state finals. LaSalle returned to Stark County for the first time since the 2019 state title game and defeated Louisville 35-24. Pat McLaughlin, who succeeded Moore at LaSalle is in his eighth year as Lancers head coach.

*Playoff positioning: At press time, McKinley and Jackson have clinched home playoff games in Division I, Region 1 with the Bulldogs having a bye. Lake has clinched a first round bye and a home playoff game in Division II, Region 5.

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