The Tigers moved to 4-0 on Friday as they took down the #5 team in New York, the Crusaders of Canisius. Despite missing several key personnel, Massillon dominated from start to finish, holding Canisius under 40 yards of offense (and -3 yards rushing) until the final drive of the game and rolling on the offensive side en route to a 42-0 running clock win.
Massillon honored America’s military veterans on Friday night, a night which fell on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Patriotic gear and patriotic ceremonies were seen all evening. The Tigers ran out carrying dozens of US flags, veterans lined up on the sideline, and representatives of the branches of the military held banners during pregame and halftime. Four T-34s flew over the stadium as the anthem played, and the halftime show was America-themed. The Tigers also had special military warmups; Canisius wore patriotic uniforms (as seen in the photo below).
Game Recap
Canisius took the ball first to start the game. The Crusader offense featured NY’s #1 running back and the #24 back in the nation in Elijah Kimble, but the Tiger defense was all over him from the start. Anthony Hoover was in the backfield on the first play from scrimmage, taking Kimble down for loss. An incomplete pass with Kysen Crable covering and a personal foul on the Crusaders forced a punt. Massillon went to the air on their first drive as Rasmus Haines found Dashun Williams, Deontay Malone, and Gio Jackson Jr. to move the ball down the field. Jackson caught a slant and walked into the end zone for a touchdown to put Massillon up 7-0 early. The Tigers’ defense was on the run once again as Brayton Feister picked up a pair of tackles for loss. Finding themselves well short of the line to gain on 4th down, Canisius punted. Haines rolled out and found Malone for a big gain and followed it up with a short pass to George Rivera. Gary Yeager took the ball in for a touchdown, but the play was called back on a hold. The Tigers kicked a field goal on 4th down as Mateo Herrera hit from 30 yards out. Massillon’s defense once again made quick work of the Crusaders. Feister ate up a run in the backfield and Malone stopped a short pass to force another punt. The Tigers put the ball on the ground as Gary Yeager picked up a pair of 1st downs. Feister swept around the end untouched and scored to put the Tigers up 17-0.
Hoover and Ke’Aun Fowler combined on a TFL, but Canisius moved downfield on a long pass. Isaac Maxheimer put pressure on a pass a few plays later to force an incompletion and another punt. Gary Yeager led the Tiger offense down the field, but an interception in the end zone ended the drive. Canisius was quickly shut down again and punted. Braylon Gamble returned the punt, spinning out of a tackle, breaking another, and making his way across the field and over the goal line for a touchdown. On the defensive side, Maxheimer delivered a big hit and jarred a ball loose on a pass attempt; Canisius recovered but ran out of time trailing 24-0.
Massillon took the ball to start the second half and moved speedily down the field. Haines went deep and found Jackson for a huge gain; Gary Yeager punched in in soon after to extend the lead to 31-0. Deontay Malone broke up a pass and Joe Karder picked up a sack, forcing another punt. The snap on the punt sailed over the punter’s head and he wisely booted it out the back of the end zone for a safety. On the ensuing free kick, Malone almost took it back for a score and set Massillon up in great field position. Brayton Feister smacked a defender en route to the goal line and put Massillon up 40-0. Another safety on the Canisius side occurred as Maxheimer once again laid the wood– this time in the end zone– and forced a throw to no one which was ruled intentional grounding and a safety. As the 4th quarter rolled around, the Tigers put many of their backups in. They punted after picking up one 1st down with Adrian Pascley at running back. The clock ran out quickly; an unfortunate series of events led to a pair of Tigers being ejected, but outside of these moments the last few minutes were rather uneventful. The Crusaders would pick up a few nice gains on the last drive but were stopped short of the end zone on a Braylon Gamble tackle for loss. The final: Massillon 42 – Canisius 0.
