The hype around the Massillon Tigers this offseason has been off the charts. They were finally able showcase their talent on Friday morning versus the back-to-back DII champion Avon Eagles, and Tiger fans were not disappointed. In the regular portion of the scrimmage, Massillon shut out the Eagles while scoring a pair of touchdowns, and in the red zone portion (in which the ball was placed at the 25-yard line) the Tigers scored 2 touchdowns to Avon’s 1, “winning” the scrimmage by a combined score of 28-7.
Drive Summary
FULL DRIVE PORTION
Avon was able to play four separate drives on a limited amount of plays. They punted twice, fumbled once, and ran out of playing time on the last drive. Massillon’s pass rush, run defense, and secondary skills were all on display as they shut the Eagles down repeatedly, only allowing one big play, a run that broke contain for a first down.
Massillon started off their first drive well with a Rasmus Haines-to-Gio Jackson Jr. first down pass. Savior Owens broke tackles for a good gain but the Tigers were forced to punt. Haines pinned the Eagles on the 10-yard line with his kick. On the Tigers’ second drive, Savior Owens took a pitch and (set up by a great block by WR Gio Jackson Jr.) took the ball 65 yards for a touchdown. The Tigers moved the ball once again on the third drive but ran out of playing time.
On Avon’s second set of drives, the Tiger defense once again roared. Chayce White and Johnny Adams both played excellent coverage and forced an Avon punt. The second drive was also a punt as Tiger linebackers and the defensive line put heavy pressure on Avon’s quarterback. The Eagles ran out of playing time on their final drive.
Massillon picked up a pair of good gains on the ground behind sophomore running back Adrian Pascley to start their second set of drives. Gio Jackson Jr. broke ankles and slipped down the sideline for a long touchdown, but it was called back for a hold. Quarterback Rasmus Haines responded on the next play with a ball floated over the heads of defenders for a score to Deontay Malone to cap off the Massillon drive.
Red Zone Portion
Each team had 5 plays from the 25-yard line to score as much as possible. Avon scored on 1 of their 5 plays on a pass over the middle, their only score of the game. Massillon stuffed a few runs and held their ground, keeping Avon away from the goal line. The Tigers, set up by a good gain off a George Rivera reception, scored quickly as Deontay Malone scooped up a pass at the goal line for a touchdown. Massillon scored on the following play as a Haines-to-Malone pass was once again caught for a score. The Tigers almost scored on the final play but a pass slipped through the receiver’s fingers.
Game Notes
On the defensive side, the Tigers seemed nearly flawless. Outside of 3 plays– a run that broke contain, a broken tackle on a screen, and a slant over the middle for a touchdown– the Tigers shut down Avon in every facet. Pass coverage was solid and very few passes were caught by Eagles’ receivers. Run defense was swarming and the linebackers were consistently waiting for any Eagles runner who might escape the front. The pass rush was perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Tiger defense. There was a constant stream of Tigers in the backfield, and Avon could do little to prevent what may have been sacks had the game been full-contact with the quarterbacks. Isaac Maxheimer, Christian Culler, Brayton Feister, Joe Karder, Brydon Feister, Noah Garner, and Marcus Garner were all in close pursuit of an Avon QB on one play or another. This structure of the Massillon defense and the fact that they can consistently blitz from multiple areas may be a game-changer during the regular season and beyond. The defense overall looked to be moving in a synced mid-season form and was very impressive for a first showing.
Massillon’s offense also clicked very well. There were a few plays with missed blocks and a few balls that perhaps should have been caught, but as with the defense it was an impressive display for scrimmage number one. The Tigers have a wealth of receivers– Ohio State commit Deontay Malone, Miami (OH) commit Gio Jackson Jr., Boston College commit Braylon Gamble, highly offered tight end Da’Shun Williams, and receiver George Rivera among them– and they also have found the quarterback to get them the ball. Rasmus Haines was excellent all day both on short and long passing– he will also be able to display his running abilities as the season progresses (the scrimmage did not allow for QB scrambles). Running back is also a deep skill position for the Tigers. Senior Savior Owens took the majority of the snaps, with sophomores Gary Yeager and Adrian Pascley also finding good time. The Tigers did not play two of their main 3 running backs (Brayton Feister and Christian Culler) as both were at linebacker– expect to see them play both ways for much of this season.
Highlights
Tigers jump on a fumble
Tiger stuff a run
Savior Owens slips past defenders
Savior Owens goes 65 yards for a score
Gio Jackson Jr. goes all the way for a score
Deontay Malone scores a touchdown
Malone scores a second touchdown (below)
Malone scores a third touchdown
