Massillon picked up a much-needed victory over Cardinal Ritter Prep (St. Louis, Missouri) on Friday. The Tigers ran over the Lions with 222 yards on the ground and 3 rushing touchdowns. Ritter scored on a pair of big plays- the Lions picked up 321 yards but were held out of the end zone most of the game.
1st Quarter
The Tigers had not scored in 6 quarters coming into Friday night’s game. They scored in 3 plays on their first drive of the night. Savior Owens (a name that was called many times for the Tigers on Friday) got the drive going with a 1st down run. He burst through the line on a wildcat run for a 45-yard house call to put Massillon up 7-0 soon after. Ritter’s offense went to the ground game and picked up a 1st down on the edge. They thrived on hitting the sideline and picking up quick runs off counter plays with running back Manny Ellis leading the way. The Lions went to the air on 3rd-and-long, but Massillon safety Chayce White read the play and made a leaping interception downfield at the Tiger 29. Massillon failed to convert as a crossing route pass fell incomplete. Following a Massillon punt, Ritter picked up several 1st downs with a consistent run game. Down inside the 10, Massillon’s defense made a stand. Corner Deontay Malone pushed back a run for a loss, and the Tigers jumped the run once again on the following play. Lineman Sam Dossous poked the ball out and fellow defensive lineman Joe Karder jumped on the pile to recover the ball for the Tigers. Massillon gained one 1st down by way of penalty but was forced to punt soon thereafter. Ritter picked up a 1st down on a screen pass, but Marcus Garner shut down a run to cap off a good 1st quarter for the Tiger defense.
2nd Quarter
Facing 4th down at the Massillon 46, Ritter decided to go for it. A deep pass fell incomplete as safety Noah Jenkins had tight coverage in the Ritter receiver– Massillon took over in good field position. Savior Owens took 7 handoffs on the Tigers’ drive, picking up a pair of 1st downs before shooting through and scoring from 10 yards out to put the Tigers up 14-0. Ritter found the sideline play that they were looking for as Manny Ellis shot down the field for a 70-yard score. The 2-point attempt was good, and the Lions cut the Tiger lead to 14-8. The Tigers were set up in great field position following a Deontay Malone 54-yard kickoff return and a defensive personal foul. They squandered the opportunity on a fumble and gave the ball back to Ritter. The Tiger defense quickly made sure that the offense had another scoring opportunity. Linebacker Isaac Maxheimer helped Sam Dossous clean up a run in the backfield, eventually forcing a punt. The Ritter long snapper rolled the ball on the ground, and Christian Culler recovered it at the Lions’ 12. Massillon tried a little trickeration as Savior Owens flipped the ball to Manny Patterson, who rolled out and tossed a touchdown to Jadyce Thigpen. Ritter was not done in the half– with only 19 seconds to move the ball they marched it into position for a Hail Mary pass. The attempt as time expired landed in the hands of a Ritter receiver who was standing amongst a group of Tigers. The 2-point try was incomplete, and the score at the half was 21-14 in favor of Massillon.
3rd Quarter
Ritter moved the ball on the 1st possession of the 2nd half but turned it over on downs as Christian Culler and Tre’Yon Williams knocked a Ritter receiver down short of the line to gain. Massillon moved the ball down the field but once again could not score as a pass bounced off a receiver’s hands and was picked off. Ritter landed a throw into triple coverage for a 1st down but were unable to move it further. Defensive linemen did the work for the Tigers– Joe Karder picked up a TFL, and Marcus Garner and Sam Dossous stopped a 4th-down scramble to force a turnover.
4th Quarter
Christian Culler had not touched the ball on offense all season; he had played primarily at linebacker as well as special teams. His first touch of the 2025 football season was an explosive 44-yard touchdown run. It seemed that the Tigers had finally put away Ritter, but the Lions stayed feisty and fought their way down to the Massillon 5. The Tiger D stood strong– no gain (Maxheimer, Karder), pass breakup (Ja’Dyn Williams), and tackle-for-loss (Williams, Maxheimer) were the next 3 plays for Ritter. A 4th-and-goal play ended in a Marcus Garner pass defense as the Ritter quarterback desperately scrambled and threw. The Tigers picked up one 1st down on an Anthony McMullen run but had to punt. A 38-yard punt from Rasmus Haines and a pair of personal fouls set Ritter up way back at their own 13. Sam Dossous once again made a big play and sacked Ritter’s quarterback; the Lions waved the white flag and punted. Massillon ran the clock and picked up a first down on a personal foul; they then took knees and claimed a 28-14 victory.
Stats
Savior Owens led the Tigers in offense once again. Owens had 168 rush yards on 27 carries (6.2 ypc) and 2 touchdowns. Christian Culler got his first 3 touches of the season and had 40 yards and a score. Isaac Maxheimer led the Tigers in tackles for the second week in a row with 9. He had a tackle-for-loss and a fumble recovery as well. Samuel Dossous continued his success on the D-line, picking up a sack and 2.5 tackles-for-loss.
Highlights
