Tigers turn over Raiders, focus sights on rival
By Keno Sultan
Stark County Prep Press writer
www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com
MASSILLON--Turnovers are the best friend for any defense.
And for the Massillon Tigers defense, their best friend was there for them in plentiful times.
Paced by Ja'Dyn Williams tone-setting 30-yard fumble return for a touchdown, Massillon opened up their contest against Warren Harding by scoring two touchdowns in a span of 48 seconds and never let the Harding offense get any kind of rhythm as they entered McKinley week with a 42-10 decimation of the Raiders to extend their winning streak to 10 over their Trumbull County rivals in front of a healthy crowd at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Massillon improved their record to 6-3 on the season while Harding suffered a demoralizing third straight loss and this one was the most painful of them all.
Massillon for all intents and purposes set out with the intention of sending their seniors out on a positive note to conclude their playing careers at home and there is still a positive chance that Massillon may obtain a first round home game or with additional help and a 10th straight triumph over Canton McKinley, obtain a first-round bye.
Massillon scored 28 points off of turnovers, their highest point total off such since 2009, when they had 35 off turnovers in a 42-21 win over Akron Buchtel. When asked about that accomplishment, Massillon head coach Nate Moore lauded his defense for their efforts.
"That was huge and we definitely played well in the first half and played with a lot of energy in producing those turnovers. Our defense came out and played well," Moore said.
"We worked on those situations in practice. Their quarterback (Amiere Cobb) looked like he wanted to throw and I was able to get a piece of the ball and the defense followed me into the end zone," Williams said of his score. "We practice those situations whether it be a fumble return or an interception and we were ready for it."
Harding was never able to generate any kind of offense on the evening and as a result of tonight's setback will not see a state playoff appearance. The year has been a challenging one for the Raiders who were setback by various injuries not to mention several freshmen and sophomores making their appearance in action with a game of this magnitude.
Second-year Harding field general Matt Richardson dejectedly admitted that the turnovers put his team behind the eight ball very early and they just didn't have the personnel to overcome their malady.
"This is very disappointing. You can't turn the ball over on the road, especially in a game like this. It set the tempo of the game and put our defense in a bad spot really early giving up 14 quick points. Our defense up to that point had been playing pretty well but tonight was disappointing," Richardson said.
The only asset that went right for Warren on a night where their offense did not score for the second straight game was Matt Richardson Jr., who returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to stop the first running clock. Harding had the momentum and was feeling good about where they were only to have the Tigers answer with an Anthony McMullen 11-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to activate the running clock this time for good.
Richardson spoke of his son's return score not as a coach but as a father. He admitted that if the Raiders were to add on another score, it may have led to greater momentum.
"The trajectory of the game would have absolutely changed if we were able to score again after that. It would have gave our kids more confidence and keep fighting and swinging that we were not going to go down," he said. "His kick return and two interceptions were nice."
Massillon's other scores came on a Manny Patterson 16-yard touchdown pass to Giorgio Jackson after Harding suffered a second straight turnover leading to a 14-0 advantage. Patterson also added another to Deontay Malone to activate the first running clock. Sabastian Harper, Christian Culler also had rushing scores for Massillon.
Massillon will now steel themselves for their first road trip of the season eight miles east to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, where they are 4-0 against McKinley, and 5-2 overall. At press time, the Bulldogs put a hammerlock on the Federal League with a 40-9 freezing of Jackson and will have their best team in front of Massillon since the 2019 season, when they entered that game with an 8-1 record.
Moore is no stranger to McKinley head coach Renzy Parnell, who was the Akron Hoban defensive coordinator for 10 seasons. Massillon was 2-3 against the Parnell-led Knights defenses, solving them in a 2019 regional final and then their classic 2023 state championship while the Knights scored wins against the Tigers, two of them coming in the state championship with the 2020 Knights, who returned 10 starters holding the vaunted Massillon offensive attack to six points in a 29-point victory.
Moore knows his team will have to be at their best to obtain a 10th straight victory over the Bulldogs, not before he showed his respect to the Raiders.
"You have to credit Coach Richardson and Warren Harding as they are a proud program and they kept fighting. The turnovers were the difference tonight. We are going to have to have a great week of practice and the Tigers have to be on all point this week," he said.
For Warren, their rivalry game will be at home against an Austintown-Fitch team that is carrying an eight-game winning streak to Mollenkopf Stadium. If nothing else, Richardson looks for his team to climb off the canvas and end their season on a healthy note against the Falcons and go into the offseason with aspirations of playing into the 11th week in 2026.
"We are playing for pride and everything else. It is our seniors last home game and so we are going to do everything we can to make sure they go out on top and the right way," Richardson said.
Turnovers are the best friend for any defense. And for the Massillon Tigers defense, it was a friendship that was beneficial to their winning cause.
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