Educators from school districts recall careers and rivalry ahead of big week

 Educators from school districts recall careers and rivalry ahead of big week

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

CANTON--Losing has become a painful pill for Canton McKinley to swallow over the last eight years.

The taste of it is even more unbearable largely in part to the success of their archrival, Massillon, who has had a lot to do with that, especially also capturing their third and fourth wins in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in a two month span last season, the second one ending with an undefeated season and a Division II state championship on the Bulldogs field.

Losing doesn't venture into the mind of longtime Canton native and 37-year teaching veteran, Theresa Barbato.

The 1983 McKinley graduate has had many players who have been students in her classroom from all three levels, elementary, middle school, and high school and they have mostly gone on to compete as Bulldogs on the football field.

It has been 43 years since she was a high school sophomore when the 1981 edition of the Bulldogs stopped Massillon 9-6 to end the regular season 10-0 before netting three playoff wins, the last of those, a riveting 13-0 upset of Cincinnati Moeller to win the first state playoff title in the illustrious annals of the program. 

She recalled the rivalry week against Massillon based on her experiences that was a fun moment in her life.

"The pride of the Bulldogs, it permeates the whole city. Downtown or whether you are by the high school, or you talk to former and current McKinley athletes, students, parents or fans, they all have the same passion for the red and black, it doesn't matter their age, it is just a lot of pride and passion," Barbato said.

As a current counselor at Stephanie R. Patrick Elementary School, she has come across many students who all have aspirations of one day being Bulldogs taking the field against the Tigers. Many of her students have fathers that have donned a McKinley jersey and the majority of her classmates are also fathers who have had sons wear a jersey as well.

It has been nine years since Fawcett Stadium was replaced by Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, the last time her alma mater rang the Victory Bell in the form of a 30-28 win over the Tigers that was secured when Dominique Robinson (now a Chicago Bears defensive lineman) scored on a one-yard touchdown plunge for the final score that overcame two Massillon kickoff return touchdowns by Keyshawn Watson and Deionne Harper along with an interception return for a touchdown by Dakota Dunwiddie.

Fawcett Stadium was also the home of the annual NFL AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game every summer. What made that stadium special to Barbato was the fact McKinley was able to secure an undefeated regular season in a defensive tilt and the momentum carried over afterwards.

"I just remember being in the cheering section with my friends. We would go to every game dressed in red and black from head to toe and just the fact we could beat such a distinguished team, it was amazing, it was so exciting to see our team hold together and have the strength and power to just do it," she said. "We had cheered them on all season but that game was huge and we did it."

PROUD ALUM. McKinley graduate and Patrick Elementary School counselor Theresa Barbato (submitted photo)

---A WELL RESPECTED NAME---

For 44-year-old Massillon native Josh Hose, a loving father to two sons and two daughters, being born in a city where his father Butch became the face of Massillon administration over a 40-year tenure, education became his destiny.

The 1998 Massillon Washington graduate grew up following his father who was a receivers coach under the direction of John Maronto, who was the Tigers head coach from 1985-1987 before moving on to Florida and becoming a successful prep coach in the state.

Hose is no stranger to the rivalry himself having been a part of it from 1994-1997 where he was the Tigers place kicker who went on to kick collegiately at John Carroll University (the alma mater of 1995 McKinley graduate Josh McDaniels, who won six Super Bowl titles as an assistant coach with New England) and is in his sixth year as the boys head basketball coach at Massillon after a ultra successful eight-year run as Tuslaw girls basketball coach.

Butch Hose's famous tagline was always for students to "be the best student you can always be." And that is something the younger Hose recalled for students who had goals and hopes for wearing a Massillon jersey, especially the 10th week against the Bulldogs.

"I have experienced that being a part of the rivalry as my dad was a teacher and a coach. Every game against McKinley was a packed house and it is just a unique atmosphere," Josh recalled. "My dad used to hold me and my sisters to a high standard and demand nothing but the best of ourselves whether you are in a job of your choice be the best at it. He lived it as a coach, teacher and a parent and now I am experiencing that."

Hose was 1-3 against Canton McKinley in his career, the lone win coming in 1994, a 42-41 overtime heart stopper at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium as the Willie Spencer Jr. led Tigers sent Massillon residents home an ecstatic crowd well after 5 p.m., five hours before George Foreman created a massive temblor by becoming the oldest heavyweight champion at 45 with a seismic come-from-behind knockout of WBA/IBF champion Michael Moorer.

Although the Tigers came up short in Hose's sophomore through senior seasons, he recalled an emotional moment as head coach Jack Rose addressed the team one final time before facing a McKinley team that was ranked #1 in the nation. A year earlier, Massillon was ranked #2 in the nation before taking an unexpected 21-0 loss to the Bulldogs in a game that Massillon's vaunted running attack never got going at all despite having a stronger offensive line and being half of McKinley's smaller defensive front.

"Going into the McKinley game in 1997, we knew it was Jack Rose's last game as head coach and he just wanted to enjoy the week. He wanted us to enjoy it because four years goes by fast."

---SUCCESS FROM BOTH ENDS---

For Barbato, she knows what the week will bring in her hometown. She also knows how meaningful the game will be to the seniors who will play one final time with one last chance to end their losing streak to Massillon.

It has been 25 years since a visiting team captured the Victory Bell. The last team to do that was the 1999 Massillon Tigers who were led by ferocious and inspirational defensive lineman Ellery Moore. Massillon was in trouble after a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown by Preston Chavers that tied their contest at 7-7. The top-ranked Bulldogs had all the momentum before a 14-play drive that took eight minutes off the clock ended with a touchdown and the Tigers, who were ranked #3 in Division I powered their way to a 35-7 triumph and a 10-0 regular season.

Regardless of the outcome of Saturday's game, she wants every player, some of them she may have had to always remember the larger picture in terms of their futures after high school. If they don't have a pro career, that is OK but success is always at the top of the mountain and not just being a football athlete.

"I think whether a former student is a football player or in your case what you are doing, I have pride in my former students and especially for you. As far as the players in this game, I have seen them become athletes, seen them in band when they play, I see former students who message me and they are in all different careers so I am excited when any of my students do well and when they go on to have a professional career in athletics be it football, basketball, or whatever, I beam with pride that I knew them when they were young," Barbato said. "So I am happy to have known them."

Barbato admits that she too has been hurt by the Bulldogs eight-year losing streak to the Tigers. In four of those eight losses, the Bulldogs had momentum and the lead only to have Massillon snatch away the contest with a late drive in part to their durable offensive line that has used drives spanning eight or nine minutes that have all ended with Tigers touchdowns and leaving McKinley worn down.

The most painful of those losses was a 16-15 decision in 2017. McKinley seized a 15-9 lead only to have the Tigers march slowly and methodically down the field and ending a nine-minute drive with Aidan Longwell's eight-yard touchdown pass to Tre'Von Morgan to had Massillon their final lead. Sam Snyder's game-winning field goal hooked wide in a violent wind gust at the last second and McKinley's bid for an undefeated home season vanished and jumpstarted Massillon's ascension to where they are at as a program.

Since then, McKinley has not been able to overcome Massillon's durability. Barbato hopes that this will be the year her alma mater solves the Massillon labyrinth.

"I wouldn't lie if I say it, but it was devastating," she said of Massillon's 2017 win that really added to McKinley's troubles. "Anytime you attend that game it doesn't matter what the records are. Anything can happen so we know that. It is devastating because you keep thinking this is our year and we're going to get the bell back and we just haven't. We have had great teams we have had great coaches and we have had the ability to win those games. But I think this year we are going to do it.

Fortunately for Hose, he has yet to see Massillon lose to McKinley in football since he became the basketball head coach and an educator himself. The last time McKinley defeated Massillon in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium was back in the 2010 season when Massillon had two touchdowns taken off the scoreboard via questionable calls and a missed field goal in that span left Tigers fans booing their team off the field and an eventual 40-17 setback.

Massillon has won six in a row at home against McKinley since that deflating setback. Three of the six wins came in double digits, 31-21 in 2014, an emphatic 35-7 triumph in 2020, and most recently a 23-13 contest that really wasn't as close as the final indicated after Massillon raced out to a 21-0 lead on their first three possessions.

Hose recalled a year when the Tigers lost to McKinley and he saw his father embrace a player who was sobbing profusely and offering him words of care and compassion in his time of severe grief and sorrow. 

Josh does not want to see that happen Saturday afternoon. He wants to see the Tigers obtain congratulatory hugs, the same he gave his basketball players five years ago when they took out two undefeated teams on back-to-back nights, Wooster and Ridgewood, who both were a combined 31-0 and ranked in the top 5 AP Division I and III polls respectively.

"That was Coach Hose (Butch) who felt for the player at the time. When you lose that game, it's like you let down your city and you have to wait 365 days to get another shot at them. No one wants a part of that," he said. "That moment I had with my players, I was letting them know I loved them and I cared about them and how I felt for them. That basketball team we had in 2019-20 was very special and those were great nights."

---FUTURE ASPIRATIONS---

After 48 minutes are completed, both the Bulldogs and Tigers will advance to their respective playoff tournaments, McKinley (6-3) in Division I and Massillon (7-2) in Division II. While emotions will definitely be running at a high motor for both squads, it will be imperative for each player to remember the city and schools they are representing and the fact they are playing for the men who played before them and the young kids in Barbato and Hose's cases will be playing after them.

How they conduct themselves will be a portent of something to come for a kid who is in elementary school or middle school.

Despite the odds stacked against McKinley, Barbato wants the players to believe in themselves and know that a victory is attainable if they can overcome the challenge that the reigning Division II state champion Tigers will bring not to mention a Massillon crowd that has become the Stark County version of the Pittsburgh Steelers through their ability to create false starts and delay of game penalties unlike any other team.

"I teach kids to believe in themselves. When they are young, they may not understand the law of attraction but thoughts are energy and as little as kindergarten and first grade, I teach them they have control over their thoughts, their anger, over their emotions and that's the first thing. And the second is to believe in themselves to know they are worthy, they are special and they matter and to this day whether I worked with kids in the high school, middle school and down to elementary, I've been down to all three levels and helps any child and that has been my mantra," she said. "Believe in yourself, love who you are. You do have control over your brain and your thoughts and that you matter and can make a difference and do whatever you can in life."

For Hose, it is pretty clear. He hopes to see a ninth win over McKinley and at the same time for the players playing to remember also that education is firstly and foremost.

"Education is very important in life. You have to have great pride being from Massillon. Every kid aspires to play in week 10 and to be the best on that day," he said.

Losing has never ventured in the mind of of Theresa Barbato. Being the best in everything ventures in the mind of Josh Hose. One thing is for sure: Saturday afternoon either McKinley will put a shimmering smile on the face of Barbato, a 1983 McKinley graduate or Massillon will have Hose, a 1998 Massillon graduate eliciting a smile from ear-to-ear for a ninth straight year.

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

Jackson shines in the spotlight, freezes McKinley's bid for outright crown

 Jackson shines in the spotlight, freezes Canton McKinley's bid for outright crown

By Keno Sultan

Stark Count Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

CANTON--Jay Rohr knows the feeling.

As a high school senior under the tutelage of Jackson Polar Bears commander Phil Mauro, it was 23 years ago in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,000 at North Canton Memorial Stadium, Rohr came to life as he rushed for over 200 yards as Jackson inflicted an unlikely 20-10 loss on a North Canton Hoover team that was undefeated and favored to win the Federal League title outright.

23 years later as a 41-year-old father of four and in his third season as head coach of his alma mater, history was on Jackson's side again but of an even greater significance.

Riding two first quarter touchdowns on their first three possessions, the Polar Bears leaned on their defense and made life a hectic conundrum for a Canton McKinley offense that was averaging 32 points during their five-game winning streak and with timely blitzes and repeated sacks of Bulldogs quarterback Kam Montgomery along with forcing two turnovers, Jackson quashed a 17-game losing streak to McKinley and obtained a monumental 20-7 victory inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium that put a red light on the Bulldogs path for an outright Federal League title at least till next Friday.

Jackson now heads home to the pristine confines of Robert Fife Stadium next week with a chance to own a share of the league title against their archrival North Canton Hoover, who at press time downed Lake 18-17 on a walk-off field goal.

Jackson's victory over McKinley was a carbon copy of Rohr's senior season as the Bulldogs reminded him very much of the Vikings team that had a high powered offense that scored in a variety of assortments but was held to 10 points, the same as McKinley's team was held to a single touchdown. Rohr recalled that game briefly before acknowledging his respect for Bulldogs head coach Antonio Hall and his team for going out with class and dignity.

"You know, that's a long way back. I certainly remember my teammates and coaches and obviously that was a special day," Rohr said. "Again I have to give Coach Hall and this McKinley football team credit. There's a reason they were undefeated in the Federal League and 6-2 overall. Our team is blessed. We have a team that believes in each other, believes in the coaches, believe in the culture and I couldn't be anymore prouder of our players."

The Bulldogs will rue a variety of missed opportunities that for the second straight year in a row has them waiting to see if they will claim the league outright on a late Friday. Last season, it was GlenOak scoring on the final play to stifle their bid for the outright title which they captured anyway when Green shut out Lake. Only this time, their bid for an outright crown may have been extinguished for good.

McKinley looked nearly nothing like a team that was averaging over 32 points during their five-game winning streak against a Jackson team that has only surrendered an average of 14 points over the last four weeks.

Not only did missed opportunities puncture the Bulldogs winning streak but repetitive penalties once again made it's presence felt like a nagging spouse who failed to stop harassing their partner repeatedly and for the first time, Hall had a look in his eyes that made it abundantly clear his patience was withering away with the miscues.

"Taking nothing away from Jackson, I think it was more us. It was us putting ourselves behind the chains and penalties and I think it was us not executing and us not picking up blitzes in certain situations across the board," Hall said. "We had some key drops in situations and couldn't move the chains to get something going. Turnovers across the board."

Jackson's second drive dictated that the contest was going to be played on their terms. On a second-and-five from the McKinley 43, quarterback Lucas Ecrement completed a short pass to running back Kristian Satterfield and with a Bulldog defender missing a sure tackle, Satterfield raced all the way to the McKinley three yard line and a single play later, Satterfield scored the first of two Jackson touchdowns and Cooper Mizeur's extra point kick issued the visitors a 7-0 lead they did not relinquish.

Jackson's third possession was aided by a McKinley personal foul on a late hit and several plays after the flagrant transgression, Polar Bears back Foster Stanley scored on a one-yard run and with over 11 minutes having been played, Jackson concocted a 14-0 advantage.

The advantage allowed Jackson defenders to blitz repeatedly, something they did not do in losses of 40-23 and last season 27-7. Their repeated sacks of Montgomery made life enjoyable for the purple and gold front seven led by veteran linebacker Jordan Warmath.

"We have a lot of veterans. Our defense is the backbone of our team right now. I love our offense and special teams and they do a good job too. We knew we brought back a lot of guys defensively and we trust those guys. We have players too who believe and we are just blessed."

McKinley provided a faint pulse near the end of the first half when senior running back Nino Hill got going.  Running on eight straight plays, Hill accounted for McKinley's lone score on a two-yard touchdown run that pulled them within a touchdown of the Polar Bears at 14-7.

Jackson answered with a vital drive before the half and once again aided by a McKinley personal foul, found themselves deep in Bulldog territory. Mizeur kicked a 38-yard field goal at the intermission to put the Polar Bears back up double digits. Mizeur added on another 38-yard field goal on their opening possession of the second half that took up six minutes of the third quarter making the score 20-7.

When asked if his team was intent on getting a lead and playing keep away, Rohr did not see that as the case as his team just played Jackson Polar Bear football.

"We didn't approach it that way. We just played. Again even at halftime I was asked what did we do and we just did nothing. We just had to continue to play like we did in the first half. We played together, we played physical tonight," he said.

For McKinley, they head into next weekend's battle with Massillon a team with more question marks than answers for the second year in a row. At press time, the Tigers posted a 45-14 win over Warren Harding and will bring a 7-2 record into the 135th game that very easily may be 9-0 if not for slightly missed breaks against state champions Bergen Catholic (NJ) and DeMatha Catholic (MD).

Last season, McKinley absorbed a humiliating 35-0 thrashing at home to the Tigers that was marred by a post-game altercation that saw police from Canton and Massillon get involved. When asked if his team will have an agitated morale going into Paul Brown Tiger Stadium based on their eight-game losing streak to the Tigers not to mention the hatred that boiled over from last season's setback, Hall could not commit to that.

"I don't know for sure what our mindset is going to be but we need to fix some things before then," he said solemnly.

Jackson has not won a league title since 2017 when Tim Budd was head coach of the Polar Bears. Their opportunity to capture a crown will come next Friday and it is a challenge that Rohr and his family of Polar Bears are excited for with an opportunity to end a four-year losing streak to North Canton and their long tenured head coach Brian Baum Sr.

"North Canton Hoover is our next game. We are going to approach it one practice at a time and one game at a time. We will start tomorrow in the film room and we'll get back to practice on Monday and we are looking forward to playing them next Friday," Rohr said.

Jay Rohr knows the feeling of ending a team's shot at an outright league title. Next week, they have a chance to be rewarded for their accomplishment that they hope will conclude with a shared title inside Robert Fife Stadium.

GLEEFUL BEARS. Jackson High School players celebrate their 20-7 win over Canton McKinley at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. It was Jackson's first win over McKinley since the 2007 season, a 14-7 win at Robert Fife Stadium. (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.

Second chance to win league outright awaits Bulldogs

 Second chance to win league outright awaits Bulldogs

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

CANTON--Last season, Canton McKinley watched with shock as the GlenOak Eagles celebrated an unlikely 7-3 victory that put the brakes on an outright Federal League title.

McKinley clinched the league title outright a week later thanks to Green upending Lake in the final game of the regular season only to wake up on the wrong end of a humiliating 35-0 thrashing at the hands of their archrival Massillon, who needless to say returned to the Bulldogs home stadium, Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium six weeks later and made the venue their celebratory headquarters in the form of an undefeated season and the Division II state playoff title.

Fast forward a year later, McKinley is back in a familiar position once again with an opportunity to claim the luscious pizza all to themselves. But Jackson would love nothing more to relegate the Bulldogs to potentially sharing the wealth with not just them but most likely Green as well.

It has been said that sharing is caring. But that doesn't mean anything to fourth-year McKinley field general Antonio Hall, who has his team on the cusp of a third straight league title and potentially second outright crown. Since joining the league 20 years ago, McKinley has cpatured outright or shared the crown 10 times in that span. Jackson, on the other hand has not possessed a league title since the 2017 season when Tim Budd was the patriarch of the program and before him, Phil Mauro.

Sharing is caring? Don't be quick to mention that to Hall, not before he knows what his team will encounter against a Polar Bears squad that has seized three wins in a row after a competitive 21-17 loss to Green three weeks ago.

"Jackson is a great opponent and they are much improved from the offense down to the defense and their special teams. They are well coached and play with a lot of toughness and tenacity. They are a great ninth week challenge for us with an opportunity to win the league outright," Hall said.

Jackson stumbled out of the gate 0-2 and found their season at an early crossroads. A 31-6 victory over Stow at home transfused life into their season and they have won five of their last six since. Both the Bulldogs and Polar Bears have clinched playoff spots with McKinley having a home playoff game in two weeks and Jackson fighting to obtain a home playoff game. As it stands in Region 1, McKinley is second and Jackson is seventh.

Jackson however has not defeated McKinley since the 2007 season, a 14-7 triumph at Robert Fife Stadium. Thom McDaniels, who coached Hall at McKinley and then resuscitated life back into the Warren Harding regime was the last coach at Jackson to win. Since then, Beau Balderson, Tim Budd, and current head coach and graduate Jay Rohr have not been successful as all three were a combined  0-16 against the Bulldogs.

For that to change, Jackson obviously will have to play turnover free football and have some breaks go their way. Last season, they held a 7-6 lead before McKinley erupted for 21 straight points and departed Robert Fife Stadium in the form of a 27-7 triumph as they eventually wore down the hosts. 

Hall was complimentary of Rohr and what he has accomplished since taking over for Budd.

"Jay is doing a great job as a coach and the kids are buying into him. He installed a good offseason program and there is a different attitude over there and you can see the difference on the film," he said. "Jackson attacks and they get after it."

McKinley's offense has started to finally show it's true form. In their five-game winning streak, McKinley has scored 162 points, an average of 32.4 points and have broken the 30-point plateau three times in that run. A lot of that has to do with senior quarterback Kam Montgomery, who has taken control of the offense not to mention the offense staying on the field longer, which means they are not turning over the football.

Early on in the season, there were questions raised about whether Montgomery could lead a team after throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown against Warren Harding eight weeks ago. He has terminated those questions with sound answers based production of the offense over the last five weeks in league play.

"Kam has settled in and has improved on his footwork, mechanics along with his progressions and reads. It also helps that the offensive line has improved up front and are fast. His receivers are up to speed and getting to where they need to be and he has gotten better," Hall said.

Their offense will be largely tested against a Jackson team that defensively has been every bit as parsimonious as they can be. After allowing 63 points in their first two contests, the Polar Bears have buckled down and scoring has become arduous for opposing teams. Aside from Green scoring 21 points, Jackson has surrendered 60 points, 34 of those during their three-game winning streak.

It is clear McKinley wants to avoid a repeat of last season when a field goal was not enough to stifle GlenOak. If the game is close in the second half, the Polar Bears defense will provide a huge test for the Bulldogs.

"Their defense is fast up front. They are experienced especially at the linebacker position and they are getting to the ball more. They have a different attitude from last year and their defense brings a lot of intensity," Hall said.

McKinley is just as dominant in the defensive department as Jackson is. The same as Green only scoring 21 against Jackson, McKinley has only surrendered 21 points twice in league competition in wins over North Canton Hoover and Lake. In league play, the Bulldogs are yielding only an average of 14.4 points per game while Jackson is surrendering 13.7 at press time. This is one of those contests where points may be minimal and either a defensive or special teams touchdown may be the difference between which team goes into their rivalry week high off a win or flat with a loss.

The Bulldogs have proven that their resiliency in the face of adversity has benefitted them. Aside from a razor sharp 21-14 loss to Avon, who is ranked #1 in the Ohio Division II AP poll, McKinley has displayed the mettle that has allowed them to claim close triumphs against Green and recently two weeks ago against North Canton Hoover, a 28-21 overtime thriller. 

Hall is a devout believer that teams who face adversity and prevail are those strong not just physically but mentally too. He attests that his fourth installment of this McKinley team is bred for those moments. One thing they have going for them also is that it will be the last regular season contest for the seniors who four years ago were tasked with the assignment of returning McKinley back to relevance after a pizza-eating scandal nearly tainted beyond repair the pride of the program. 

Since that incident, McKinley has won a respectable 25 of 40 games. A victory will net them a league title. But an even greater confirmation of their return to prominence awaits them next week against Massillon (who currently has an eight-game winning streak against McKinley), who at press time travels to Warren for a showdown with a resurgent Raiders team who lost to McKinley 26-19 in the season opener for both schools.

"We have displayed a lot of resiliency and you need that in the Federal League. We showed that in close games against Green and then in overtime against North Canton. We hve guys who are prepared to go out and execute when needed and they go full go. Our defense has been the cornerstone of our team this year," Hall said. "I want my seniors to go out and enjoy their moment Friday night. I want them to play that way."

Last seaon, McKinley watched in shock as GlenOak celebrated the brief stoppage of an outright league title. Winning the title Friday night and not waiting on it is the Bulldogs only prerogative.

LASER FOCUS. McKinley head coach Antonio Hall has the Bulldogs on the verge of a second straight league title. McKinley takes on Jackson Friday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at 7:30 p.m. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press).

---PREP PIECES---

*We meet again: Massillon and Warren Harding will meet again Friday night at Mollenkopf Stadium. Since the 2015 season, Massillon general Nate Moore is 8-2 against the Raiders. Harding has not defeated Massillon since the 2016 season, a 41-28 decision in which Harding overcame a 21-7 halftime deficit to stun the Tigers behind six touchdowns by quarterback Lynn Bowden, who scored a staggering 11 touchdowns in two games against the Tigers. Bowden had five scores in the Raiders 48-41 win in 2015, the last Harding victory in Mollenkopf Stadium.

*Interesting stat: If McKinley and Massillon both win Friday night, both teams will enter the 135th contest with identical 7-2 records. The last time that happened was back in 2011 when Tyler Foster scored on a game-winning four-yard touchdown run to complete a Bulldogs come-from-behind 23-20 victory at Fawcett Stadium. The last time both teams entered with 7-2 records at the site of this year's game, Paul Brown Tiger Stadium was in 2010, McKinley captured a 40-17 victory as Massillon was decimated by injuries and depleted by fatigue in the second half, a 26-7 McKinley scoring edge.

*Speaking of Bulldogs and Tigers: Former Bulldogs head coach Ron Johnson is in his 13th season as head coach of Salem High School while former Tigers boss Jason Hall after a run as the football head coach at Westlake is now the athletic director at North Royalton High School. Johnson is the last McKinley coach to have a winning record against Massillon, going 3-2 against the Hall-led Tigers. Hall was the last Massillon head coach to defeat McKinley in the playoffs, executing the accomplishment in the 2009 and 2012 seasons. Johnson and Hall were both hired in 2008 at their respective schools, with Hall's Tigers obtaining a 17-0 shutout of McKinley behind a sensational performance from senior running back Justin Turner's 208 yards rushing.

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

COMMENTARY: As rivalry week gets closer, let's not lose focus of sportsmanship

 COMMENTARY: As rivalry week gets closer, let's not lose focus of sportsmanship

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

Last week I could not help but to think about a bizarre scene that raised eyebrows around the state of Texas that eventually went nationwide.

How many times have you heard a parent whether it be a mother, father, aunt, uncle or grandparents tell their unruly child to go get their belt? We all have heard it at some point in our lives. And yes we all were spanked with belts if we got out of line.

Last week, Willis High School out of Texas did just that literally. After a 77-0 win over Cleveland High School, the Willis players had belts in the post-game handshake line and spanked, yes, spanked Cleveland players in the line as they exchanged what was supposed to be positive pleasantries that turned into a stunning fiasco and then flaunted off their belts via video.

You can imagine an adult spanking a misbehaving child with a belt. But certainly not a high school athlete spanking other in that BTA challenge, known as "belt to (butt)." It truly was a denigration of what sportsmanship is supposed to be about. The actions of the Willis football players in my frame deducted from what was an otherwise good win. Where was the student-community-athlete formula at? Did Willis players not forget that they are students first, then members of the community, and finally an athlete? Where were the coaches at to address their players about the flagrant transgression?

As rivalry week approaches there are multiple rivalry games to be played around Stark County a week from now. Tuslaw vs. Fairless, Perry vs. GlenOak, North Canton Hoover vs. Jackson, Canton Central Catholic vs. St. Thomas Aquinas and many others concluding with the biggest hamburger on the plate, the 135th Canton McKinley-Massillon contest on that pristine fall Saturday afternoon.

I want to remind players, fans and coaches about the tenet of sportsmanship. Sportsmanship is something that is ingrained into an athlete the moment they sign up to play pee-wee football that carries over to junior high all the way to high school and hopefully a playing career in college leading to the professional league. Coaches have an obligation to infuse the tenet of sportsmanship into a young man. The player is obligated sans debate, discussion, or negotiation regardless of the finality of the contest regardless of happiness or sadness (even in their understandable anger of losing) to shake hands with his opposing competitor, tell him "good game" and wish him luck. 

Think about this. Cleveland players were already feeling awful about their 11 touchdown setback. How do you think their family relatives felt seeing their loved ones spanked by teenagers their same age in the 14-18 age department? Those same athletes at Willis High responsible for the transgression just might cross paths with those players again in college or beyond that if life takes them that far. And forbid if that BTA challenge descends to the lower levels via junior high or pee-wee for that matter. That's sending a negative message and it is one truly not OK at all.

The players from Willis were suspended for the first half of their next game and relegated to community service. With all due respect, a first half suspension is a benign slap on the wrist. The players liable for that reprehensible display of tawdry sportsmanship need to be made an example of. They need to be suspended for the entire season to think about their actions, seniors or not. Imagine how they would feel if they were on the wrong end of that 77-0 score and Cleveland players were the ones smacking Willis players with belts. 

What I viewed from that video, you can honestly say that no coach in Stark County will have condoned that, especially the old guard coaches. A McKinley Bulldog would have never spanked an opposing player with a belt under Thom McDaniels. A Lake Blue Streak would have never spanked a weeping player with a belt under Jeff Durbin. A Central Catholic Crusader surely would have NEVER thought of committing the same loathsome action with a belt under Lowell Klinefelter. I can go on and on with that but the bottom line is that sportsmanship was tossed out of the stadium and it needs to be addressed.

Please not lose the meaning of sportsmanship. Displaying sportsmanship means shaking hands with your adversary regardless of the finality of the score. Displaying sportsmanship means exchanging positive good will to your competitor for a good game. Displaying sportsmanship means wishing your opponent the best of luck as they continue on with their season. Displaying sportsmanship is reinforcing the true meaning of a student-community-athlete and that is student first, member of the community second, and then an athlete; not student-athlete but student-community-athlete.

Willis High players lost sight of that. They lost sight of the fact that they were playing for those who played before them and those who will play after them. How do you think a kid will feel seeing high school players commit the action they saw? Next think you know they will think that it is OK to execute an abhorrent behavior by spanking your opponent after a win. Think about how former Willis players felt seeing the men competing after them when they saw the belts go across Cleveland players.

Stark County players and coaches, when you play your rivalry games, show how sportsmanship is supposed to be performed. Don't descend to the level of Willis and their athletes. Display why Stark County is one of the best places to watch high school football on Friday nights. Let handshakes do the talking, not belts.

Cleveland displayed proper sportsmanship by not retaliating in the handshake line that may have caused an even greater temblor against their tormentors. I wish them nothing but the best for better days will come for them.

Stark County high schools, show how sportsmanship is performed. Display why Stark County is one of the best places for high school football. End the game with handshakes, not belts.

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

 

Mount Union masterful in 59 point rout of Wilmington

 Mount Union masterful in 59 point rout of Wilmington

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

ALLIANCE--Scoring 21 points against Otterbein last week and winning by a shutout according to players and coaches in the Mount Union regime is not what they attest to as "the standard."

How that all changed in one week.

Mount Union went for the early knockout and never let the winless Wilmington Quakers breathe as their offense was sharpened with precise flawlessness as they scored on their first eight possessions and left no doubt about their improvement in the form of a 78-19 ravaging of the visitors in front of a decent crowd at Kehres Stadium on Homecoming afternoon.

Everything went the way of the Purple Raiders from their first possession that only took four plays as senior running back Tyler Echeverry set the tone with a 45-yard scoring scamper. The game was only two minutes and 40 seconds old but the tone was set on an afternoon that saw Mount Union generate 684 yards of total offense against a Quakers team that was yielding at press time an anemic 199 points defensively.

Putting Wilmington away early was the mantra according to fifth-year Purple Raiders head coach Geoff Dartt.

"The first thing is I heard some rumblings like we were supposed to score a bunch of points against Otterbein. That was a good football team. I know their record didn't show it. The guys really took ownership of not being at the standard we was against Otterbein but that game's over," Dartt said. "We got prepared for Wilmington and they did a great job of handling that today."

Echeverry rushed for 97 yards and found the end zone three more times on the afternoon for the Purple Raiders (4-0, 3-0 OAC). Quarterback Noah Beaudrie was every bit as flawless as the offense as he completed all 15 of his attempted passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns, connecting to receivers Nick Turner and Tyrell Sanders while also running for an eight-yard score as well. Running back Darnell Williams also etched his way into the scoring column with touchdown runs of 33 and one yard respectively.

The fact that Mount Union returned to their standard was pleasing to Beaudrie, who has the look of every Mount Union quarterback that has come before him in terms of precision and leadership.

"Last week we really focused on our opponent and not ourselves and how good we can be. We had to redial back in and realize it's not about who we are playing but it is about us," he said. "We wanted to get the ball to the edge and we did a good job of doing that today."

Freshman cornerback Zack Liebler, a former Massillon Tigers defensive back who was part of the Tigers undefeated Division II state championship last season defended a pass and broke up another in action today. 

Mount Union returns to action at home next week against Heidelberg, who at press time dropped a 35-7 decision to Marietta, who like Mount Union is undefeated in what may be a titanic showdown for the potential outright conference title and automatic bid to the NCAA Division III football playoffs four weeks from now.

Dartt acknowledges that Heidelberg will be ready to compete and expects the same of his horde of Purple Raiders.

"They are really aggressive on defense and always had great personnel on defense so we have to attack that. They always have dynamic running backs and wide receivers. They have our attention and we are excited for the challenge," Dartt said. "We're going to watch film and then get ready for next Saturday."

Last week, Mount Union did not compete up to the standard. All it took was one week to return to "the standard" in a resounding manner.

COACH AND QB. Mount Union head coach Geoff Dartt confers with quarterback Noah Beaudrie on the sidelines after a first quarter touchdown. Mount Union defeated Wilmington (0-4, 0-3 OAC) 78-19 to advance to 4-0 (3-0 OAC) on the season. (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.

Tigers hit jackpot in shutout of Titans

 Tigers hit jackpot in shutout of Titans

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

MASSILLON--Betting on Ja'Meir Gamble can either result in a jackpot or a total loss of money.

For the Massillon Tigers, their gamble was an absolute jackpot.

The 5'10'', 190 lb. senior tailback had a career game reminiscent of former Tiger back Willtrell Hartson as he rushed for 291 yards and tallied five touchdowns on the ground as Massillon disposed of Legacy Sports & Science (Texas) to the tune of a 41-0 rout in the Tigers final home contest before their annual showdown two weeks from Saturday at home against Canton McKinley (who wrapped up a share of the Federal League title at press time with a 35-21 win at Lake).

In a game that was at times snappy with hordes of personal foul penalties between the schools and with Massillon being penalized a concerning 15 times in the contest, Gamble was a bright spot for a Tigers team who is starting to hit their stride as the playoffs are only two weeks away.

It also conjures up dividends that he is running behind an offensive line that prides itself on durability, a tenet of the Nate Moore era and a reason why Moore is a two-time Division II state title winning head coach.

"Honestly, our offensive line dominated their defensive front and that is what they wanted to do." Gamble said.

Nolan Davenport is one offensive lineman who prides himself on being a part of the Tigers deep offensive line corps and his play is a major reason why he will be playing inside the confines of Camp Randall Stadium on Saurdays as a Wisconsin Badger next season under former Ohio State interim head coach and Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell.

Davenport was quick to attribute the success to Massillon's strength and conditioning program which has been a paramount factor in their line emaciating opposing teams over the course of 48 minutes.

"We call ourselves the trench line as a unit and we take pride in how we dominate the line of scrimmage and all week, that was our emphasis that we wanted to sustain blocks and we executed that well tonight. When we have teams worn down, that is when we have to attack and we all know that," he said. "When you have teams down like that, you have to finish them off and put them away."

Massillon's opening possession was just a portent of what was to arrive on the evening. On the ninth play of their drive, quarterback Jalen Slaughter completed a 32-yard pass to senior Braylyn Toles to put the ball deep in Titans territory and from there, Gamble burst through the first of a plethora of holes on the evening erected by the Massillon offensive line for a 22-yard touchdown run and an early 7-0 lead.  

Their second possession was even better as Gamble ran for 23 yards in to Titans territory and four plays later he was in the end zone for a second time, this time from 24 yards away and Massillon compiled a 14-0 lead after the first 12 minutes of competition.

Gamble only got stronger as the game progressed, bringing back memories of former Tigers running back Zion Phifer, who was remembered for spelling Jamir Thomas in the fourth quarter and running the ball on a drive that took nine minutes and ending with a touchdown and a 10-0 season six years ago against Canton McKinley in a competitive 24-17 home victory.

By the time halftime arrived, Gamble already had 112 yards. When asked if he saw himself like Phifer, Gamble offered his assessment respectfully.

"Zion was one of the great backs at Massillon. He is a bigger guy than I am, the one thing I do have is speed," he said.

Legacy had two chances deep in Massillon territory that was thwarted with interceptions by Daylan Pringle and Braylon Gamble. A missed chip shot field goal from 24 yards didn't assist their cause and their porous defense was evident once again as Massillon became the newest team to crack the 40-point plateau against the Titans.

Massillon head coach Nate Moore was pleased that his team played hard but does want to see a cleaner effort in truncating penalties that hinder drives and most importantly, momentum.

"Legacy is a good team with great players and our guys played really really well. We were able to get pressure on their quarterback (Keisean Henderson) and that affected his ability to throw the ball downfield. Our DB's did a great job covering their receivers downfield," Moore said. "Those things (penalties) are disappointing but they are teachable moments and we'll coach our guys on that."

Gamble added three more spectacular touchdown runs of 34, 68, and 77 yards to conclude his evening. Peytton Mitchell added the final score, a one-yard touchdown run amid a running clock following Gamble's fifth touchdown scamper.

Massillon will travel to Warren for a week nine tilt against a Raiders team that is experiencing a resurgence under first-year general and Warren native Matt Richardson. At press time, the Raiders are 6-2 with a 20-6 win over Youngstown Cardinal Mooney.

Massillon has not lost to the Raiders since the 2016 season, a 41-28 victory in which Lynn Bowden calmly led Harding from a 21-7 halftime deficit to outlast the Tigers eight years ago. Harding's last win at Mollenkopf Stadium against Massillon was nine years ago, a 48-42 decision in which Bowden accounted for six touchdowns in what was a pinball machine scoring affair between the teams.

Personal fouls is something that Moore wants his battalion of Tigers to beware of in the next two weeks, starting with the Raiders in a game he wants his squad singularly focused on and nothing before that.

"Avoiding personal fouls has been a focus most of the year and we didn't do a good job of that tonight. We're going to have to be better for sure next week," he said.

Betting on Ja'Meir Gamble can either result in a jackpot or a total loss of money. For the Massillon Tigers, Gamble was their jackpot on a night they cashed in a sixth victory.

READY TO PASS. Massillon WB Jalen Slaughter looks downfield during the Tigers contest against Legacy Sports & Science (Texas). Massillon improved their record to 6-2 with a 41-0 victory at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. (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.

Mustangs ride tough before undefeated Manchester runs to seventh straight triumph

 Mustangs ride tough before undefeated Manchester runs to seventh straight triumph

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

TUSCARAWAS TWP.--The Tuslaw Mustangs were down 12 at halftime but were feeling good about themselves.

A fourth-down touchdown pass by quarterback Ethan Haer to Parker Reinhart slimmed the Manchester lead to five and everything was traversing way inside William E. Kurtz Stadium following a massive blocked punt by the Mustangs special teams.

In two plays after their score, their momentum literally parted.

Manchester sophomore running back Phil Partin's 86-yard touchdown scamper up the middle late in the third quarter immediately quashed the momentum Tuslaw generated and in the end it was just too much for the hosts to overcome as Manchester remained flawless by virtue of a 27-7 second half that parlayed into a 46-14 victory in a PAC-7 contest.

Too much Partin, too many big plays once again resulted in a fourth straight running clock defeat for the Mustangs and first-year general Broc Dial. However, unlike the last three weeks, the running clock wasn't activated until the final three minutes of the contest. After being scored 135-14 the last three weeks, the Mustangs offense was able to score two touchdowns, a bright spot for Dial in what has been an arduous year for him, one year after coaching Dalton to a state championship game before taking the Tuslaw reins.

"I felt like this was a team that got better tonight. We played three quarters tough and a lot of good things. We just have to build on it and continue to get better," Dial said.

Partin will definitely be in the nightmares for the Mustangs. He was responsible for five of the Panthers six offensive touchdowns as he also added on scoring rushes of 19, 8, 2 and 21 yards and was well over 200 yards rushing and he is one that second-year Panthers head coach Kevin Stacy truly is salivating over.

"We just stayed the course and our kids were fighting. Credit to them (Tuslaw). They were really well coached and they were giving us everything they could handle and Partin was able to bust one there and take the momentum back there and were able to put together some drives there," Stacy said.

Partin's first two carries came in large chunks of 21 and 19 yards with the latter resulting in an early 7-0 advantage. On the Panthers fifth possession after an interception by linebacker Jayce Mauger garnered them possession again seven plays after Tuslaw's Nate Eberhart snuffed out a Manchester drive with an interception, Partin would score on an eight-yard touchdown run and early in the second quarter it seemed like Manchester was on the cusp of a running clock victory.

TOP MUSTANG. Tuslaw head coach Broc Dial prepares for Friday night's contest against undefeated Manchester at William E. Kurtz Stadium. The Mustangs succumbed to Manchester 46-14. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press).

Tuslaw got a much needed voltage of energy when Haer converted a deep pass on fourth down and needing six yards as Reinhart made a sterling catch deep in Panthers territory. Three plays later, Mustang running back Joey Medure willed his way into the end zone and truncated Tuslaw's deficit to 12-7.

Before the intermission, Manchester survived two holding penalties and quarterback Yadin Sharp found receiver Jake Livingston in the back corner for a touchdown and Manchester took a 19-7 lead into the locker room.

Leading at halftime was something these Panthers were not used to last season in a 1-9 campaign that saw them lose multiple games that were close. No one knew that better than Stacy, a former Northwest quarterback whose father, Tom was the patriarch of Massillon for three seasons as their head football coach and once the offensive coordinator under Lee Owens from 1988-1991.

"Last year these kids got their butts kicked. And they grew from it. They never quit and that was a big motivator for us to get into the weight room and get better," he said. "Coach Dial is doing the same thing with those guys and they are going to be a force to be reckoned with soon. For us, it was learning the hard way and coming out on the short end of the stick too many times last year, we have learned a lot and are still growing and that's great to see."

Tuslaw had one last gallop in them through the blocked punt and Haer's touchdown pass to Reinhart before Partin's long scoring run deflated their hopes. Evan Kusmits scored the final touchdown for the visitors with a 21-yard scoring run that actuated the running clock.

Manchester has the vista of a team that  poised for a deep playoff run. But for now, they are seriously thinking about an outright PAC-7 conference title; however they will be immensely challenged by Triway (6-1 at press time) and 5-2 Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (CVCA) with Fairless at 3-4 sandwiched between them.

Stacy wants his charges to enjoy the wins but also to stay laser focused on what got them to their undefeated record, the same approach that his father took at Massillon that allowed them to overcome two consecutive 4-6 seasons and restore the Tigers program to respectability.

"One week a a time. Our players are doing a good job of not looking ahead," Stacy said.

For Tuslaw, the pains of losing continue at 2-5 but this game was not an early running clock as their last three losses were save for a 17-0 season opening loss to Smithville, a sign that Dial has his legion of Mustangs trending in the proper direction.

Salvaging a .500 season is now the goal for the Mustangs going forward, something that will start next week against Orrville and finishing up with Canton South and Fairless as those teams are a combined 8-13, providing hope for Tuslaw and it will start with them looking to score more than just two touchdowns.

"We just have to keep the kids focused and we have three weeks left so we have to continue to get better the next three weeks, focusing day-by-day and get better," Dial said.

FORCEFUL PANTHER. Manchester head coach Kevin Stacy watches his team warmup prior to Friday's game at Tuslaw. Manchester defeated the Mustangs 46-14 to improve their record to 7-0 on the season. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press).

Keno Sultan is a writer for Stark County Prep Press. He can be reached at 440-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.