The Tigers (of Massillon, that is) did what they needed to do against the Tigers of L.J. Bennett (Buffalo, NY). Playing through the absence of their starting quarterback, Massillon’s 3 rotating offensive anchors pulled their weight and got the job done. The Tiger defenders did their jobs well too, earning their first shutout of the season in a 35-0 victory.
1st Quarter
The Tigers started out on offense and ran over the Bennett defense. Savior Owens picked up 1st downs on runs (including a fake jet sweep) and quarterback Rasmus Haines completed a pass to Gio Jackson Jr. for a nice pickup. The Tigers continued to pound the ball as Anthony McMullen Jr. picked up a 1st; Savior Owens faked a jet sweep once again, sidestepped two defenders, and scored. A fake extra point attempt failed and Massillon led 6-0. Procedural penalties haunted the Tigers of Bennett on their drive and Tra’Yon Williams broke up a 3rd-down pass to force a punt. Eli Moore came in to play QB for Massillon on their second drive. Moore found Jadyce Thigpen twice and the Tigers moved the ball down the field, forcing Bennett to use 2 timeouts in the meantime. McMullen dove forward for a 1st down to the Bennett 5-yard line and the Tigers were in position for another score heading to the 2nd quarter.
2nd Quarter
Eli Moore tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Gio Jackson Jr. to open the 2nd quarter. Anthony McMullen punched the ball into the end zone for a 2pt conversion to make the score 14-0. Bennett set themselves up in excellent field position after a long return on the kickoff. Massillon’s defense made sure to keep the shutout in tact as Isaac Maxheimer and Braylon Gamble picked up a tackle-for-loss and a 4th-down pass fell incomplete. Massillon took over and moved the ball once again. Rasmus Haines picked up a 1st down on a pass to Jackson– Savior Owens followed with a pair of 1st down runs. Haines found Owens on a 3rd-down checkdown. Owens rammed a defender and took a wildcat play in for a 19-yard score on the next play to put Massillon up 21-0. The Tiger defense swarmed Bennett on their end of the field. La’Cardis Murray and Christian Culler drove back Bennett’s running back for a loss and Ja’Dyn Williams (among others) swarmed and sacked Bennett’s quarterback back at the 4-yard line. Braylon Gamble almost took the punt return all the way– Massillon was set up comfortably in scoring position at the Bennett 6-yard line. Anthony McMullen darted into the end zone soon after to put Massillon up 28-0. Braylon Gamble set the Tigers up in scoring range once again as he forced and recovered a fumble at the Bennett 19-yard line. Haines went deep to Jackson for a 31-yard touchdown to make the score 35-0. Bennett had only 7 yards of offense (0 rushing) going into their last drive. They finally found some success and picked up a couple of 1st downs. Braylon Gamble once again made sure that Bennett went no further as he picked off a lollipop-like pass down the field. The Tigers took a knee and went into the half up 35-0.
Halftime
“Na, na, na, na, na na, na, na. na, Hey Jude.” The crowd and Tiger Swing Band sang the famous lyrics to the Beatles’ “Hey Jude” as the finale of their Beatles-themed halftime show. Featuring three special songs (“Can’t Buy Me Love”, “Birthday”, and “Hey Jude”) and the usual Swing Band lineup, the excellent show got the already happy Tiger fans in an even better mood. A “band reserve” made up of parents, youth band members, majorettes, and even Director Jason Neel picked up their instruments for the grand finale.
3rd Quarter
The 2nd half went quickly with a running clock. Bennett moved the ball on a couple of Massillon penalties, but a Christian Culler sack on 4th down gave the Tigers the ball back. Savior Owens saved a play on an errant snap and picked the ball up in stride for a good gain. Anthony McMullen ran for another 1st, but a wide snap and a fumble gave Bennett the ball. Ja’Dyn Williams hammered Bennett’s QB to force an incompletion and Bennett punted.
4th Quarter
Massillon ran the clock down and punted. Eli Moore chased the punt down and dove to keep it out of the end zone. Braylon Gamble had a pick-6 called back on an interference penalty; the time quickly ran out on the L.J. Bennett Tigers, who took the long bus ride home to Buffalo with a 35-0 loss.
Postgame Comments
Head Coach Nate Moore: “Our guys at quarterback had a good performance. The O-line stepped up big time. We had James Wallace play at left tackle (which was new) and he did a nice job; we really appreciated him stepping up– the offensive line did a nice job today.”
“The defense was getting after them [Bennett] up front. We got on the ball and created pressure for their offense.”
Safety Braylon Gamble (#5): “We’d seen in the film that a lot of their play was run heavy. We needed to dominate the line of scrimmage to get this win– I think the D-line really set the tone up front. We pushed them back and stopped the run.”
“We knew we Bennett had a sophomore quarterback. We felt like we could put some pressure on him and his throws wouldn’t be daggers. Our game plan was man up and put pressure on him– he started to crumble a little bit and threw out-of-control balls. That’s when the interceptions and 4th-down stops came.”
Linebacker Christian Culler (#2): “The run game was what we looked at all week. Last week [vs Niagara Falls] they were running the ball all game. The first thing for defense in football is stopping the run and forcing them to pass– we had to stop the run; it was mandatory.
Stats
Massillon outgained Bennett 256-80 (167-27 on the ground). Savior Owens averaged over 10 yards per carry as he picked up 103 yards and 2 scores on 10 carries. Massillon’s limited passing was very efficient– Rasmus Haines went 5-7 for 66 yards and a score; Eli Moore went 3-4 for 23 yards and a score. Gio Jackson Jr. had both receiving scores. Ja’Dyn Williams picked up a sack and a TFL. Christian Culler had a sack and 2 TFLs. Braylon Gamble had 1/2 TFL, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, an interception, and almost had a 2nd INT and a pick-6 (the play was called back for interference).
Up Next
The Tigers will host undefeated St. Ed’s next week. The Eagles are coming off a win versus Glenville in which they rallied in the 2nd half to get past the Tarblooders.
Highlights
