COMMENTARY: As football season arrives, a few reminders to pass along

 COMMENTARY: As football season arrives, a few reminders to pass along

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

CANTON--"Player XYZ messed up! He's a jerk!"

"Team ABC stinks!"

"Fire Coach JKL!"

Before fans made their completely outlandish and inconsiderate remarks, did the one fan stop to think that player he berated is the child of a mother and father not to mention he is also a cousin and uncle too (in some cases) not to mention a nephew and a grandson as well?

Did the fan that made his eviscerating comment about the team realize that the athletes on the team are high school athletes and not major college or professional players?

Did the fan who said to fire the head coach realize that he has a wife not to mention sons and daughters in the stands as well, not to mention although he is an adult, has his grandparents and other family relatives in attendance as well?

By the time this commentary is completed, most of us are hotly aware that football season is on the horizon and with the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game being played between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers, that means one of our favorite pastimes is officially here.

August is on the doorstep, Educators and administrators will start prepping their classrooms and offices  for another 180 day journey. Football coaches and players will be getting into the hot two-a-day sessions as they prepare for what they hope will be a voyage that ends in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium being one of 14 teams competing for a coveted state championship. Seniors are now in the batter's box as they will become the leaders of their teams and after playing in the same district from the time they were in kindergarten to now their last year of high school, when next summer makes it's revolution, they will make the matriculation from high school graduate to the realities of today's world and the challenges that await them.

There are a few reminders that must be observed and it's best to get those out of the way now before the official start of the high school football season come August 21st.

First, a ticket is a rite of passage into the stadium. You are there to watch the game and cheer on your respective team. Remember, you too was once a high school athlete in competition. You were praised when you made a great play. You too were berated from the stands when you made a mistake. Family members stood up for you when you were concentrating in the realm of competition on the field. Now you are in the stands and have a son or another family member competing. Just because fans may have booed you doesn't give you a pass to commit the same atrocity if an athlete makes a mistake. Don't set a negative precedent for your child. If the athlete commits a mistake, encourage them to overcome it. Be a positive example in the stands.

Second, every football player on the team has a mother or father. However, there are some who may come from one parent settings. In unlikely cases, they may be raised by an aunt, uncle or both or grandparents. When you denigrate a team after a loss, you denigrate every young man who is on the team. That includes their families and their surname. Think about this: educators and administrators wouldn't put down a child, who are you to do such? Remember, you too went to school K-12 just like the players on the field and like the family members who sacrificed for them to achieve their dreams, your parents did the same for you when you were having your comeuppance through the school years.

Third: Remember the head coach is the one who gets accolades for the victories. Also know this, he is the one who has to take the arrows in the back for the losses. He too is a parent. Think about how his kids feel after he has a tough loss. When you harshly criticize a coach, you criticize his kids and wife as well including the family members in his life.

Player XYZ is going to make plays. But at the same time, he is going to make mistakes. Don't label him as a jerk. Encourage him to overcome the mistake.

Team ABC will win their share of games. However, they will endure losses as well. Don't say they stink or any other immature statement. Encourage them to bounce back from the loss.

Coach JKL will win games. But he will have that one tough loss. His wife and children will be there for him. Don't call for him to get fired or belittle him. Encourage him that it will be OK.

Good luck to all teams this football season, players and coaches. Good luck to the educators and administrators who will be standing behind the student-community-athletes not just on the field but in their respective classrooms as well. And also, my immediate well wishes to the parents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and grandparents who will provide undivided support from the stands and thank you all for being a part in the lives of the athletes who will be on that field come Friday nights.

And finally to the seniors, the class of 2026. Enjoy the ride because once it's over, there are no do-overs. Leave it all out there on the field with no regrets.

And fans, remember that you too were on that same field as a student-community-athlete. You too had educators and administrators who provided the vitamins for your success. Now not just as a parent but a fan too, encourage the players and stand behind them.

And if anyone is thinking about attacking a player or a coach, take it out on me. I'll take the missile for the players and coaches. I took a missile for a young student-community-athlete from Dover who was unjustly lambasted (he played for the middle school basketball team) and the gentleman (whose name I won't mention) told me to "run on back to Massillon where" I came from. I am from Canton by the way. But like I said, anyone who wants to downgrade a player or coach including a family member, you take it out on me. I'm OK with it. I'm an adult. I'll take the missile for them. Let it detonate off me. Just not the kids or coaches and their respective family members.

Here's to a prosperous 2026 high school football season.

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: Racial slurs have no place in athletics regardless of level

 COMMENTARY: Racial slurs have no place in athletics regardless of level

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

CANTON--I couldn't resist any further.

As I read the headlines, once again I witnessed that dreaded specter rear it's demonic head once again that left me asking, "why?" Once again, why did that dreaded specter rear it's presence again?

Initially I considered not writing this but what I read, it left me no option but to vociferously express my feelings about a basketball rivalry that is supposed to be built on respect but has turned into something that it should never become.

Two years ago, Iowa's Caitlin Clark took the NCAA women's basketball tournament by storm by delivering riveting performances that earned her the praise of not just her teammates but female basketball fans around the nation as she led the Hawkeyes to the championship game. She was Iowa born, raised and an Iowan all the way to her heart and soul. Unfortunately, a junior at the time, Clark's season ended with a national championship loss to the LSU Tigers and their standout forward, Angel Reese.

Fast forward to 2024. Iowa and LSU met again in the NCAA tournament and this time, it was Clark's Hawkeyes turning away Reese and the Tigers to advance to the Final Four again but Clark's career concluded with a second straight setback in the championship game, this time to South Carolina.

This past week, in a WNBA contest, it was Clark and the Indiana Fever taking on Reese and the Chicago Sky. During a play, Clark had committed a flagrant foul and Reese responded by nearly swinging a punch on Clark before being restrained and voicing her dismay with multiple swear words not for usage. Obviously, the Fever captured a victory, improving Clark's record to 5-1 against Reese in their rivalry.

Enough of that. Now to where I can't restrain myself. This week, there was a report of fans who allegedly hurled racial slurs at Reese. It's bad enough to not like an athlete. But to hurl racially charged insults at Reese is just abhorrent. She has been called a lot of names which are not appreciated. You would think this would be a healthy rivalry like that of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Sadly the Clark-Reese rivalry has become something it should not be: racial.

As I think about the angst that engulfed me like a forest fire, it had me thinking about why athletic competition needs to be decided in fair competition and not on skin color. What was said about Reese is why we have the issues that plague competition today. Think about how Reese's parents feel. Think about how her family members feel. Think about those who know her and how they feel that she has become subjected to vitriolic distaste amid racial attacks. Even Clark didn't condone the attacks about her rival.

Simply put, racial slurs have no place in athletics regardless of level.

Having grown up in Stark County and cutting my teeth into the profession of my desire, I have seen zealous fanbases show their unwavering support for their school. At times schools will fire taunts back at other schools, such as "why so quiet", "you can't do that", "overrated", and so on. One thing I have not seen and I pray and hope it NEVER happens on my watch is any school firing a racial slur or making a racial chant toward a player, coach, team, etc.

Athletics are supposed to be fun. Athletics are supposed to be competitive. Athletics are supposed to teach life lessons in victory and defeat. How can this be reinforced when the maturity of fans disintegrates and resorting to racial behaviors such as making monkey noises toward Reese? It should never make a difference that Clark is white and Reese is black. It must never be about the color of their skin but their abilities they are blessed with that makes them the standout athletes they are.

Let's keep in mind that when an athlete is in competition, they are someone's child. An athlete may have white parents or black parents. In some cases, a child may have a black father and a white mother or the reverse side of that, a white father and a black mother. The child may also have relatives of both races as well. How do you think their parents will feel forbid an opposing section detonates racially charged dynamite toward them? What will it say about the fans of the other school? It will paint not only a demeaning vista of them but also lead to strained relationships with other schools as well.

Granted I am not aware of protocols and how athletic directors around the county will handle a situation if it were to arise. But I trust that each AD in the county will do their uncontested best to make sure their students respect opposing players and eschew the demon known as racism in the form of racial attacks, slurs, disparaging innuendo, etc. And this doesn't include athletic directors too but also principals, assistant principals, and also referees in charge.

What I saw during the Fever-Sky contest was pungent. The foul Clark committed was bad enough. Reese's response (she obtained a technical foul for threatening retaliation) was equally bad. But when fans harangued Reese with their treacherous remarks, it crossed a line. And if fans cannot keep racial slurs out of their mouths, it is best for them to just stay away from the arena. My mother taught me something growing up when I was a child and it is something that is still abided by me four decades and three years later: "Don't do something or say something to someone that your words can't get you out of."

To the fans that disparaged Reese: show some maturity. Behave as your age states. You don't want your kids descending to a flagrant level, do you? You were a child yourself once. How can you set an example for your child to be respectful when you are not being respectful in the arena?

I encourage Clark and Reese to both continue to play hard for their teams and it is my sincere hope the rivalry becomes one that is built on respect and not race. And I encourage all Stark County high schools, fans, coaches, athletic directors, principals and assistant principals to display exemplary conduct and respect not just for your school but the opposing school in competition too. 

Racial slurs have no place in athletics regardless of athletic level. Here's to a safe summer vacation and one built on love and respect for each other and not on racial inequalities.

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.

COMMENTARY: Massillon's thrill ride 20 years ago led to lifetime respect for their city and program

 COMMENTARY: Massillon's thrill ride 20 years ago led to lifetime respect for their city and program

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

MASSILLON--People from Catholic families are taught to love those as they want to be loved.

As I was sitting in the East press box before a Tigers game writing down some final notes, I felt a snapping, wet feeling on the right side of my face. My body got warm rather unseasonably. I thought to myself "what was that."

A Massillon mother, Renee, who is Catholic, had kissed me from behind and told me "Keno, that was a really nice article you wrote on the Tigers." Briefly I was surprised how she knew who I was before we both embraced and had a great talk before the Tigers game. During halftime I went to the men's room and saw she left a shining, wet, pink lip glossed imprint on my face. Wow. I smiled and left it untouched as a badge of respect from her. I felt her love. I felt her faith. I felt the touch of Massillon greatness. That kiss on my cheek was my sacrament to Massillon. That kiss on my cheek was my Communion to Massillon  But where did it all start?

It all started back to the 2004 season when I was an intern for a semi-pro football team with kicking expert and general manager Bill Shafer who hired me on as the team director of media relations. It was after being around former Tigers and the city in general, I figured about the possibility of writing for the Massillon football team. As a student at Mount Union College (now University of Mount Union) and having graduated from McKinley High School, I was always going on MassillonProud to see what was going on with the Tigers. I couldn't believe the support they received year after year after year. As a college sophomore I dabbled with the thought of wanting to cover them locally for The Repository. From talking to a former writer I personally know who is retired, many people didn't want to cover the team because everyone knew Massillon was going to pass the ball a whole lot and the contest would not end until the deadline for publication.

It was then as a college senior I got the break I was looking for. I was going to be an assistant writer for the Tigers football team. Massillon was coming off two straight 4-6 seasons and were desperate to regain relevance. Massillon was kicked into two straight losing seasons with the start of it being an agonizing 21-20 Division I state semifinal loss to undefeated Warren Harding, whose head coach, Thom McDaniels had tormented Massillon for years as McKinley's field commander and now had done it to them again.

Tom Stacy, who was the Ashland offensive coordinator was now tasked to be the one to lead the Tigers. Most people thought Tigers defensive coordinator Tyrone Partridge was going to nail down the post with his Einsteinian knowledge as a defensive genius and ability to subtract teams opposing offenses as evidenced by his work in the 2001 and 2002 season as Massillon defensive coordinator.

As a Mount Union senior, I made my way over to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium after my final class, American Government History ended at 3:50 p.m. I was excited. What I didn't know was this was the beginning of something that would lead to a respect that would become lifetime.

Me and former Massillon head coach Tom Stacy. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

Massillon was opening up their regular season against the Dover Tornadoes and their long tenured patriarch Dan Ifft. The game was sold out in front of 18,000 and it was the first non-McKinley regular season sellout since the Tigers 2002 game against St. Ignatius. 

As I got my food in the pressbox, a lady told me "Keno, you better get that Obie cake first." I questioned her with an expression that read "are you kidding me"? Her response? "Does it look like I'm kidding?" I knew that was serious. It's been said dessert is the last thing you eat after the meal but I knew if I wanted to last long in the Tiger City, I had to eat that cake first!

Everything went Massillon's way in a 34-0 victory over the Tornadoes and it jumpstarted an unbelievable path. The 2005 Massillon Tigers were a team that found ways to win games. Along the way they finally recorded wins over St. Ignatius and Warren Harding, two teams that were construction roadblocks in Massillon's previous seasons.

But in the 10th week, everything had gone Massillon's way. Everything also was going the way of the school I graduated from. Both teams were 9-0 heading into the 113th renewal of the rivalry. No tickets were sold at the door. Media coverage was humongous. Massillon's regular season came crashing down in a nasty 38-8 loss to McKinley and now for the first time, we would see how the Tigers were going to respond.

I wrote in a story "the pride of the Massillon Tigers is on life support. Whether they will be able to get back up from this loss will tell a lot about them." I was called out by a fan who at the time said for me to say their pride was on life support was a crime in their city. I understood his anger. But for the first time, I knew just how much pride Massillon had. They not only got back up but left an unspeakable path of immolation, scoring playoff wins over North Canton Hoover, Findlay, Canton McKinley and Lakewood St. Edward going into their showdown against #1 ranked Cincinnati St. Xavier.

Downtown Massillon was on fire after the comeback win over St. Edward. For the first time, I felt chills. I felt the pride of the city. I felt my destiny within me. All week, experts were predicting a blowout for the Bombers, who left teams in tatters and had a national ranking of ninth in the nation. No one gave Massillon a prayer except for their fans. Tigers fans were irate and they showed it before kickoff when 19,000 Massillon fans in Fawcett Stadium took their jackets off in the seven degree cold in unison as a sign of bravery that Massillon Tiger football was not going to be scared of the Bombers.

Massillon played St. Xavier tough unlike no one else had. Sadly it ended with a 24-17 loss to the Bombers. Even in defeat, the fans continued their chants of "T-I-G...E-R-S" and "We Are Massillon". I did enough to fight back tears as even in defeat, I gained an appreciation for their fans. Those same Massillon fans who stood up for me when fans from other schools disrespected me and said things about me at times that hurt and internally angered me. 

What I learned from that 2005 season as it will be 20 years ago they played for that state title was that Massillon will never back down from anyone. Massillon's class that I witnessed still burns radiant whenever I return to the city. The student-community-athletes, coaches, faculty, administrators, alumni are all a part of my heart. The tailgates, the good times, the excitement is still always there.

Although I am not Catholic, that kiss I got from Renee is one I still feel to this day 14 years ago. I still feel the brimming zealousness of Bill Shafer, who I am proud to say is my friend and longtime general in the department of my profession. I still feel the excitement of the 2005 Tigers who left great memories that are still talked about to this day.

There are many people I can thank here but I am just going to say a big thank you to everyone who provided what was a sparkling thrill ride 20 years ago, one that not only led to my eventual graduation from Mount Union but also a lifetime respect for the city of Massillon and their program.

In memory of former Massillon CB Troy Ellis.

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.

Massillon football hires to prove advantageous to Tigers

 Massillon football hires to prove advantageous to Tigers

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

MASSILLON--Christmas arrives once a year as the month of December is transitioning into January and a new year is on the horizon.

Although it is seven months away, Christmas has come once again, this time for the Massillon Tigers football regime. And this time, it may prove advantageous.

If receiving nine straight home games along with the possibility of not departing Stark County till after the 12th week of the 2025 season was a blessed present, their next present got even greater in the offseason.

The Tigers added to their staff two new coordinators that are grand slam hires. Former Massillon Tiger football standout Evan Berbari and assistant coach Jeff Kent were hired respectively as the Tigers offensive and defensive coordinators for the upcoming season.

11th-year Massillon patriarch Nate Moore, who doubles as the school athletic director was very elated with the background of the new hires, which he figures to be a continuation of what former coordinators Alex Wood and Spencer Leno brought during their times in the Tigers kingdom.

Berbari, a 2014 graduate was a former Massillon two-way starter on the offensive and defensive lines who played under Moore's predecessor, Jason Hall was part of the Tigers first Division II competing team. The highlight of that season was an emphatic 34-7 road victory over an undefeated Canton McKinley team that possessed the county's top-ranked offense and dynamic joystick quarterback in Eric Glover-Williams, whose play reminded many of the once-dynamic Michael Vick in his early days with the Atlanta Falcons. That win allowed the Tigers to witness football after the 10th week. 

Since that game, Massillon as a Division II school against McKinley is a wealthy 11-1 against the Bulldogs (Berbari was 3-2 against McKinley in his Tigers career). And Berbari, who worked on the Ashland staff with former Massillon head coach Tom Stacy, who coached the Tigers for three seasons will love nothing more to extend that number in the left hand column and no one is more ecstatic about it than Moore himself.

Last season, the Tigers offense scored 487 points, for an average of 34.7. That number may improve a few notches.

"I was happy with the hires. Evan brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from Ashland University and a college background he brings to the Massillon Tigers offense. Being a Washington alum, he brings a deep knowledge to Massillon football," Moore said of Berbari.

Defensively, the Tigers are still going to be an attacking force under Kent, who comes over from the southern part of the U.S. and has amassed productive experience having attained success at various schools.

Last year's Massillon's defense yielded just 171 points, an average of 12.7 Two years ago in their state championship season, the Tigers defense was reminiscent of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens as they allowed 116 points all season for an astonishing average of just seven points and had shades of the 2019 Tigers who were similar to the 2023 team in just surrendering the same average of points.

With the defense expected to be strong again, opposing teams may be experiencing nightmares again venturing into Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

He may not be Clark Kent as Superman but one thing is for sure: Jeff Kent prides himself on steel tough defenses and the Tigers figure to be not just according to Moore, "men of Massillon" but also the men of steel.

What previous defensive coordinators Craig McConnell and Leno (now the head coach at Perry) have accomplished with the Tigers defenses over the years is something Kent will continue with steely focus.

"He has done really well at the high level in the Georgia and Tennessee areas and also at Colquitt County and Valdosta," Moore added. "He now brings that experience to Massillon and our defense with a level of attention to detail with also our inside linebackers, which is very unique."

Moore has infused his staff embedded with Massillon grit and girth. Overall, there are nine Tigers on the staff who all competed in the orange and black, with two of the nine being part of an undefeated regular season, Jason Jarvis and Danny Studer, who both along with an inspirational performance from Ellery Moore helped the Tigers stun #1 state ranked Canton McKinley 35-7 in 1999 on the road to not only annex the Victory Bell but swing the pendulum of the rivalry.

This coming season, the Tigers will be at home for the first nine weeks, starting with an August 22nd contest against Cleveland Glenville. It will be the first meeting for the two schools since the 2009 season, a 31-17 Tarblooders victory in the Division I state semifinals when eventual Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones engineered two scoring drives that stifled Massillon's momentum after they had tied the score at 17-17 going into the fourth quarter.

Overall, Massillon will compete against out-of-state schools in Rabun Gap Nacoochee (GA), Buffalo Bennett (NY), Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio, TX), Clarkson North (Canada), and Cardinal Ritter College Prep (St. Louis, MO). GlenOak, Lakewood St. Edward and Warren Harding complete the home slate for the Tigers.

"That is a challenging schedule with a lot of national matchups and we get to play inside Paul Brown Tiger Stadium and there is no place I would rather be," Moore said "We get nine home games and we don't take that for granted or lightly."

Berbari and Kent will also have their presence felt also when the annual Steve Studer Lift-A-Thon arrives this Saturday. According to Moore, he attests that is when the start of football season begins. And it may be a year that just may likely end with a second title in three years for Massillon but for right now, they are concentrating on the now.

"We have the Steve Studer Lift-A-Thon coming up this Saturday and to many in Massillon, that is the beginning of football season and we hope to give everyone in attendance a good showing," Moore said.

Christmas arrives once a year in December. And for Massillon, Christmas came very blessed and early for the Tigers in the form of two new and experienced coordinators along with nine home games inside the football colossus named after Paul Brown.

MOORE AGGRESSION. Massillon head coach Nate Moore aggressively watches the action unfold during the Tigers 135th meeting against Canton McKinley, a 16-7 victory last season. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

RETURN TO MASSILLON

For the first time in 35 years, a former head coach will return to Massillon on the sidelines. Rick Shepas, who coached the Tigers for seven seasons from 1998-2004 will be on the Warren Harding sidelines as their athletic director in the ninth week of the season. Shepas, 60, will be the first former Tigers coach on the opposing sideline since Bob Commings in 1989, when Commings was in his 10th season as GlenOak's football coach. Commings coached Massillon for five seasons spanning the 1969 through 1973 seasons. Shepas was 53-27 as Tigers coach, with an undefeated regular season in 1999 and an undefeated home season in 2001. He coached Waynesburg University for 12 seasons.

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF DIVISION I STATE FINALIST TEAM

The 2025 season will mark the 20th anniversary of the 2005 Massillon football team that set a record for school wins in a single season as they completed a 13-2 season that ended with a 24-17 loss to Cincinnati St. Xavier in the state final. Massillon defeated St. Ignatius for the first time ever after multiple failures against the Wildcats and also defeated undefeated teams Canton McKinley and Lakewood St. Edward in the playoffs two straight weeks. The Tigers were coached by Tom Stacy, who patrolled the Tigers sideline for three seasons. Stacy, 65, is now the Ashland offensive coordinator. Antonio James, who was a standout defensive stalwart for the Tigers and then for the University of Illinois football team is now an assistant defensive line coach.

CHAMPION COACHES

Massillon's home opener against Glenville will also be a battle of two-time champions in the coaching department. Long tenured Tarblooders elder statesman Ted Ginn Sr., a cancer survivor won his battle and led them to two consecutive Division IV state championships in the 2022 and 2023 seasons where as Moore is a champion maestro himself with two titles but the first to win not only a title at a private school but also a public school. Glenville returns to Massillon for the first time in 21 seasons, an emotional 20-17 Division I state semifinal loss to McKinley as a game-winning pass was intercepted in the end zone, halting their bid for a state title game appearance.

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

COMMENTARY: A salute to seniors as they transition into the next realm of life

 COMMENTARY: A salute to seniors as they transition into the next realm of life

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

MASSILLON--It all started at sunrise for young boys as toddlers. 

Mothers and fathers purchased the first set of football equipment for their sons. Or if the young man was not raised by either his mother or father, it was an aunt, uncle, grandfather, grandmother or someone else close in the family that purchased their football equipment and drove them to practices, games and other football related functions.

With a helmet, a jersey, pants, pads, and cleats including the football, the football journey commenced starting with pee wee football. They were taught the nuances of formations, how to execute them, how to celebrate a victory and how to accept defeat. The same young men they grew up with either became their teammates or rival players at other competing schools.

For the next 432 weeks of their lives through 108 months (excluding summer vacation) and 2,160 days of school that started with kindergarten and concluding with their senior year of high school and eventual graduation, young men were immersed in football that also led to them competing in middle school and then the high school. During that time, coaches stressed the imperativeness of academic performance in the classroom and the onus was on the player to make sure they met the requirements needed to be eligible for competition. Educators in their school district worked tirelessly to make sure the student-community-athletes in their classes were meeting not just their expectations but expectations for themselves as well.

During that time as well, young men also witnessed football players on the same high school field who competed before them as inspirations as well. A phenomenal example for one would be former Canton McKinley tailback/defensive back Mike Doss. Many kids in Canton emulated him and with great reason as he went on to capture two consecutive Division I state championships, a national championship at Ohio State, and then a Super Bowl championship with the Indianapolis Colts. Another inspirational example also is Massillon's Ellery Moore, who while defying orders from doctors to sit out the 105th game against McKinley, after suffering a season-ending injury, recorded a staggering 15 first hit tackles playing on just one leg the entire game. Both Doss and Moore are just two of many examples of players that inspired athletes to be Bulldogs, Tigers, or whatever school they are at.

Saturday afternoon at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, high school seniors from Division I all the way to Division VII competed in their final high school football contest. Next month will be graduation ceremonies for those men as they will obtain their diploma, which will be their rite of passage into the next realm of life. And for all 12 years, the road was filled with adversity but it was worth the thrill ride of being admired by classmates, teachers, administrators, coaches, and finally, family members.

Some will transcend into a college or university and continue their football careers (or play another sport) while working toward a degree. Others will attend a college or university and never play football again. There are those who will make the ultimate sacrifice to serve our country in the military, be it the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, or Coast Guard. And finally, a good number of them will enter the workforce. Soon they will eventually become husbands to loving spouses and raise sons or daughters. Eventually they will mature to uncles. And if they are blessed, will reach the peak of life when they become grandparents.

Along this path, there were many ups and downs. Players played through injuries. Players were praised by crowds for making a big play. Players in some cases (and this should NEVER happen) were jeered by fans if they made a mistake. Some went on to become state champions while others fell short of their ultimate goal. Players celebrated their victories while others cried after defeats. 

On that jeering part. That reminded me of what former Dover Avenue Elementary School principal Renee Sattler told me in what was a key life lesson for me in a conversation we had before I went on the air for ESPN 990 as Massillon was preparing for a basketball game against Dover High School: we all were kids once in our lives. I relayed to her about how I was a team manager/sports editor for McKinley High School and as a senior, our fullback Yusef Abdul-Zahir suffered a leg injury when fans cheered his injury during the third quarter of an eventual 46-24 loss as the team eventually finished a painful 3-6. I was a senior at McKinley then. I remember wanting to cry seeing that when Marcus Gravely took me aside and told me not to cry about what was going on and that the Bulldogs would bounce back. After I relayed that anecdote to her, in a moment of love and compassion, she embraced me and told me what I just referenced: we all were kids once in our lives. I felt her love for her hometown of Dover in that embrace. I felt it through my heart and soul.

Let me call that for what it is: in the 18 years since I first met her (she actually knew who I was the first time she saw me when I was seven months removed from graduating from Mount Union) I am proud to say that her presence in my life has been very touching and I can feel the heartbeat of young kids that was in her school and what makes them who they are today.

Now getting back to where this is going. I want to personally commend the seniors who played their final game on the Paul Brown Tiger Stadium turf. It has been a long 12 year ride from the day you started out in kindergarten to now as a high school senior. Once you get that diploma, you will enter the next realm of life. I want to thank the parents and family members of the players for encouraging them through life lessons in times of their ups and downs. I want to commend the coaches who worked tirelessly to help the players under their tutelage prosper on the football field. I want to spread accolades to the educators and administrators who made sure the young men in their classrooms performed successfully and provided them the help they needed in times that called for it.

Some will continue their football career. Others will never play again. Someday they will be in stands watching their sons compete and they will be reminded of where they were as a child having matriculated into adulthood. They will provide life lessons for their sons. They will check in with educators and administrators to make sure their child is prospering. They will make sure they are getting the right coaching necessary.

It all started for them as toddlers. It will now end with them getting a diploma. And what better way to end a career inside the house that Paul Brown built, Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, Home of the Massillon Tigers.

To the seniors who played, the parents and family members who supported them, the educators and administrators who helped them in the classroom, and the coaches who were with them from pee wee, middle school, and up to high school, I say thank you and wish you great fortune as you transition into the next realm of life.

Thank you.

Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, site of the 80th Ohio North-South All-Star Game. (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.

A star-studded day ends with South All-Stars winning the big school game, North winning small school game

 A star-studded day ends with South All-Stars winning the big school game, North winning small school game

By Keno Sultan

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

MASSILLON--Justice Burnam may have come up short four months ago as the Cincinnati Anderson Raptors saw their bid to join the 2017 team as Division II state champions extinguished by another undefeated school, Avon.

He may not have departed Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium with that final triumph but he made sure to leave Paul Brown Tiger Stadium with some hardware.

After spotting the North All-Stars a generous 6-0 lead to commence the 80th annual Ohio North-South All-Star Game at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in the Division I-III contest, it was the South defense that dominated the rest of the contest as they captured a 24-6 victory in what was the final prep game for soon-to-be high school graduates of their respective high schools.

The North team used their opening drive that spanned 11 plays, consuming 6:33 off the clock and ending with Gabe Mansel's 17 yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone to Troy Hazuda. However the extra point was blocked and that was the only scoring of the day for the North.

What turned the contest immediately came near the end of the first quarter. South responded in just six plays with the key play being a Burnam 56-yard catch and run pass to Nate Lyman to set up real estate deep in North territory. Just three plays later, Burnam completed the first of his two touchdown passes to Gracen Goldsmith, handing South a lead that was not challenged the rest of the way. After an interception made by South, they needed just two plays with Burnam tossing another scoring strike, this time to Jackson Davis and in a span of 2:05, the South led 14-6 and cruised from there.

Ethan Thanthanavong had the third touchdown pass and kicker Sean Leonard connected on a 42-yard field goal to complete the scoring.

"We got a bunch of kids from the south that come up to play against the north and we practiced hard all week and I stepped in and got us going," Burnam, who will continue his career at Georgetown College (KY) said. "I am going to miss these guys and the guys from my team (Anderson) and it was a (heck) of a ride."

The North was represented by Stark County standouts Mylen Lenix and Daylan Pringle both of Massillon, who will play at Tiffin and Ashland respectively. Landon Ristoff of Perry, Malcolm Dudley of North Canton Hoover and Noah Colando of Jackson made up the rest of the Stark County players who competed. T.J. Arnold represented Dover in the contest.

For Lenix and Pringle, who caused and recovered a fumble, the end result was not what they wanted but to finish inside Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, where both were contributors on the 2023 Division II state championship winning team, that was the closure on their prep careers.

"I got a chance to enjoy the moment and see all my family members and my friends one last time in this stadium," Lenix said. "Going to college, I want to get better, stay focused and disciplined."

Pringle on the other hand concluded the book on his Massillon chapter, not before he recognized his brother, Dorian, whose knockdown of Akron Hoban quarterback Tylan Boykin's pass to Jackson Callaway preserved the Tigers 7-2 victory in the 2023 Division II state final and securing a state playoff championship for a Tigers program that was long starved for a title, ending a 53-year famine.

"Dorian is my brother, he's my mentor, I learned a lot from him and I look to take that to Ashland University," Pringle said.

The North team was coached by D.J. Dota, who served as Warren Harding head coach for four seasons and West Branch prior to becoming the current Youngstown Boardman head coach. The South was head coached by state title winning head coach John Sansbury, of Olentangy Liberty.

LASER FOCUSED. Massillon linebacker/running back Mylen Lenix awaits a play call during the second quarter of Saturday's North-South All-Star Game at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Lenix will continue his career at Tiffin University. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

Division IV-VIII: North All-Stars 10, South All-Stars 6

MASSILLON--In what was a defensive tilt, it was the North All-Stars prevailing as they erected a 10-0 lead with Northwest quarterback Chase Badger throwing the lone touchdown pass to Joey Jackson for the North All-Stars.

Badger was one of two Stark County athletes playing in the game with Jonathan Stangl of Canton Central Catholic being the other. Assistant coach Kevin Stacy of Manchester, the son of former Massillon head coach Tom Stacy was on the staff, head coached by Tim Cooper of West Branch.  Armand Tatum of Finneytown was the South head coach.

Stangl, who authored the final page on his Central Catholic career will head to Miami of Ohio to continue his academic and athletic career. Stangl was the offensive player of the game for the North All-Star team.

"It's an honor to be coming out here and playing in this prestigious event. To win it, there are no words," he said. "We were a real family, getting to know each other, rooming together and becoming real brothers. Through hard work, love it."

TALL ANGLE FOR STANGL. Canton Central Catholic offensive lineman Jonathan Stangl poses with his offensive player of the year award after the North's 10-6 victory over the South 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.

Veteran Massillon kicking coaches provide product that proves advantageous to kickers success

 Veteran Massillon kicking coaches provide product that proves advantageous to kickers success

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

MASSILLON--What if former Notre Dame wide receiver Raghib "Rocket" Ismail didn't run back two kickoff returns for touchdowns against Michigan in 1989?

What if Green Bay return specialist Desmond Howard didn't puncture a stake through the hearts of New England Patriots fans with an agonizing 100-yard kickoff return for a decisive third quarter touchdown in Super Bowl XXXI back in 1996?

What if Baltimore and Minnesota didn't have three straight kickoff return touchdowns in the first quarter in a 1998 game won by the Vikings?

What if Ted Ginn Jr. didn't run back two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same quarter in 2009?

What if Massillon didn't kick to Warren Harding savior Mario Manningham in two high school games played five weeks apart in 2002?

For veteran kicking coaches and Massillon natives Bill Shafer and David Abdul Sr., they are well aware of the answers. Bo Schembechler probably captures a national championship in his last season, something his rival coach Woody Hayes accomplished five times in 28 seasons as Buckeyes head coach, Bill Parcells is most likely still coaching the Patriots, the Ravens and Vikings do not score 21 points all on special teams, Miami likely doesn't win without Ginn's scores and the Tigers, not the Raiders will have played for a Division I OHSAA state football title.

With dangerous kickoff returners glamorizing their prowess for momentum gaining or stealing kickoff return touchdowns, Shafer and Abdul have both used their expertise to concoct a product that will benefit kickers and most importantly truncate potential kicker injuries but also more importantly, assist in potentially deterring dangerous return specialists from traversing from one end zone to the other for a touchdown.

Currently, the National Football League is using the hardened ground zero tee. But with the soft and safe Launchpad tee, which follows the specifications of all three levels, change is eventually coming and one that is hotly overdue and with excitement.

"When we first invented the Launchpad tee, it was to give people an opportunity to have a forward lean on their kickoffs like many people do and on their field goals. This was the first tee that allowed you to have an aggressive forward lean. But since the rule changes in the NFL, people are looking for a kickoff that has a different kind of trajectory and a different kind of spin," Shafer said. "This tee comes from a one inch platform and the tee the NFL is currently using, the ground zero, when you set the ball sideways, it comes up to over an inch and a half, which is an illegal ball set. All the balls, especially on the Launchpad are the one inch legal NFL limit. And when you kick a helicopter ball to the left or to the right, it creates a horizontal axis that trails off to the left like a curveball or trails off to the right and it's the rotation created by the ball set that enables the Launchpad to do things that no other tee can do."

The Launchpad tee is a tee designed to benefit kickers and cut down on not just kicker injuries but also the threat of returners scoring touchdowns on returns. (Special credit to Bill Shafer and David Abdul Sr; Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

For Shafer, he is adept about kicking power and accuracy. Evidence of that arrived 23 years ago in a Division I regional semifinal as Massillon needed the range of kicker of his son, Max to wrestle away a 23-21 victory in the form of a 35-yard field goal on the final play of their contest at Fawcett Stadium. Before that, Shafer's 21-yard field goal against Canton McKinley in the 110th meeting to end the second quarter quashed the momentum McKinley had and constructed the roadwork for a 34-17 victory eventually leading to their second straight state semifinal.

Abdul Sr. oversaw the prowess of his son, David Jr. After kicking two seasons at Lake, both father and son transcended their repertoire to Massillon and in just two seasons, Abdul Jr. became a very lethal asset to the Tigers and their special teams and during that run from 2000 to 2001, Massillon was 20-5 and Abdul Jr. eventually landed at Pitt, where he successfully conquered the Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium) labyrinth as that stadium was known for issuing kickers horrendous nightmares over the years, especially on the closed end of the stadium.

Both kickers were on the Massillon roster under the tutelage of the unitary Rick Shepas with Abdul kicking first and then Shafer.

Both gentlemen recalled the biggest kicks of their respective sons lives.

"I was the stands and before the game I just told Max to relax and be himself because that is the moment you trained for. I was sitting in the stands chewing my fingernails off all the way down to the cuticles waiting for that moment and he absolutely delivered. It was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life and the crowd went crazy and I loved it," Shafer said.

"It was huge, he wasn't getting all the opportunities at Lake and they didn't believe in the system that I was trying to help the coaches understand the process of kicking a football and it was really tough as our whole family lived in Hartville and so, it was 20 miles each way but the end result, he was a two-time All-Ohioan and the number one kicker in the country and the national high school record for 50 plus yard field goals in a high school career and a full ride scholarship," Abdul Sr. said of his son's kicks and vaunted power.

With the NFL kickoff rules stressing for balls to be placed inside the 20 yard line and from the end zone, the Launchpad tee has a major advantage for kickers for it puts the onus on a returner to locate the ball accurately or risk misplaying the ball and either obtaining a minimal return or a turnover in the form of the kicking team recovering the ball. Abdul attested that returners who misplay the ball won't know where it is going and it can be a special teams detriment for them.

Before the ground zero tee, teams kicked off with the traditional orange tee. Had the Launchpad tee come to fruition, football history may have been altered in a variety of cases. Shafer was quick to point out Ismail's two kickoff return touchdowns that was 14 of Notre Dame's 24 points in a five-point win over the Wolverines. Take away one of those scores and the result will have ended up in Michigan's favor as their defense only allowed just 10 points.

"The Rocket (Ismail) was as fast as anyone on the planet and he had moves and he had a football acumen so he understood to field it as soon as he caught the ball. Even back then, the Launchpad offers sets at the one inch level in the NCAA and the NFL levels so a kickoff specialist can make the ball do things that other tees can't do," Shafer said. "So if it's a forward tumbling ball or a ball that trails off to the right or a squib kick, you can use these kicks to limit any dangerous returner like Ismail."

Both gentlemen are still entrenched in the Massillon tradition. For Abdul Sr. he will have a chance to see the namesake at work again as his grandson, Boston will be kicking for Lake High School this upcoming fall.

And the prowess of the Launchpad just won't end at Massillon. This product is poised to find its way not just to Ohio high schools but high schools also around the national scene as well. And it will be the asset that kickers will need especially in a late game situation to put their defense in a more favorable position to stifle an offense needing a mandatory score to either force overtime or win a contest.

The Launchpad isn't there to usurp the opposition. It is there to become the best friend of a kicker with all specifications followed to a tee. And it will also avoid potential foot injuries forbid a kicker's foot comes in contact with the traditional hard tee compared to the comfortable texture and feel of the soft Launchpad.

"The Launchpad is what I liken to a golf game. Imagine you have one club in the bag and you hit the same ball every time or imagine if you had the Launchpad, you have a full set of clubs and you can use any kind of a hit and that is what the Launchpad allows you to do," Shafer said. "So say you don't have a blue chip kicker who can't reach the end zone with a kickoff. This tee allows that kicker as he develops and learns his skill to do kicks that don't require all that power and it will throw off the return team and make it difficult for them to understand what is coming their way. And at the high school level, it will make it difficult for them to return. It is tailor made for the high school game."

"Depending on where you set the ball, the different leans you put on the ball will dial up the kick you want as you are pulling out different golf clubs out of your bag and that's huge," Abdul said.

There are two games that still stings Shafer to this day. Massillon's two tilts against Warren Harding ended with the Raiders triumphing by scores of 31-27 and 21-20 in an overtime thriller that saw the Raiders pull out an unlikely victory after Massillon captured their only lead of the contest at 14-7 with 1:11 to play in regulation during the 2002 Division I state semifinals.

Manningham ended up public enemy #1 on Tigers fans lists as his two return touchdowns wiped out a 27-17 Massillon advantage in the regular season confrontation. And in the state semifinal, he had a humongous kickoff return that awarded them vital field position leading to their winning score. As much success as the Tigers had going 23-0 against the rest of the opposition from 2001 and 2002, it stings Shafer that Massillon was 0-5 combined against St. Ignatius and Harding, which didn't help matters with grizzled veterans in Chuck Kyle and Thom McDaniels (who coached Canton McKinley for 17 seasons) both piloting their respective teams, the Wildcats and Raiders.

When asked if the Launchpad will have decimated Manningham's ability to score, Shafer pointed out as such.

"That's a great question because we have seen this happen over and over again. Kickoffs returned for touchdowns. When you scout the team you're playing and you have a Mario Manningham back deep, you want to kick away from him and if you are going to kick to him, you want to give him a ball that is difficult to manage and that is what the Launchpad does. It offers a full array of kickoffs that teams don't understand. They are not getting the same ball over and over again. They are getting balls trailing to the left, trailing to the right and had these kicks been allowed, those 14 points will have come off the board."

The 2025 NFL season is only five months away. But with fearless confidence and a cold refusal to abdicate, both Shafer and Abdul believe that the Launchpad tee will eventually become the official tee of not just high school but most importantly the NCAA and the NFL. Having met all the specifications at each level, this is a tee that is the safest friend for any kicker and an asset that will bolster the strength of a team's special teams, something that will prove large in a tight contest, especially come the playoffs adding also to the longevity of kickers for their respective teams.

According to both gentlemen, the time for launching is now.

"So many kickers, their teams can't put the ball in the end zone so they would do a squib kick and it bounces all over the field. Teams are used to that. But with the Launchpad, we can execute different kicks we want and other kicks that they won't be prepared for," Abdul Sr. said. 

"If the NFL will just take a look at it and it will stir up enough dust that they have to look at it and what you saw today, they will have to accept this. It's the only tee that sets the ball at the legal NFL one inch level for all ball sets and safer than any tee in the game today," Shafer said.

The Launchpad is poised for launching and the time for takeoff is now. And with Bill Shafer and David Abdul Sr. at the controls, it's poised to happen.

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