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MASSILLON, OH – Thanks to big nights from Kharion Davis, Shane Hamm and AJ Kirk, the Hoban Knights secured their 5th State Championship in 6 years. They defeated the Massillon Tigers 35-6 to avenge their 17-14 defeat to them last year and once again hoist championship gold.
Shane Hamm who is now a part of 3 State Championships in 4 years of starting for Hoban had a big night. People may have questioned his ankle coming in, but he put those fears to rest quickly. Hamm finished the night with 172 yards passing, on 9 of 10 attempts with 4 touchdowns. He also rushed for the games first touchdown.
Kharion Davis also had the game of his life, this young man is lightening quick and very special. Davis went off tonight, for 2 touchdowns receptions on 2 catches for 73 yards. He also threw a touchdown pass that was called back for holding. He did it on defense as well with a crucial interception in the Tiger Redzone as well as a strip and fumble recovery. The young man did it all!
Victor Dawson was once again a force to be dealt with. Dawson piled up 145 yards on 21 carries but didn’t find the endzone. He didn’t need to as those 145 yards led to multiple touchdowns. Dawson is a special young man and an incredible talent!
The Hoban defense was once again a force tonight and gave the Tigers offense fits all nights long. They held Tiger quarterback Zach Catrone to 7 of 18 passing, with 104 yards and 1 touchdown. He was sacked 5 times.
They also did an outstanding job keeping Andrew Wilson Lamp clamped down. Lamp had zero catches and managed to pick up more penalty yards than anything else. Including a crack back block that cost the Tigers a huge gain late in the third quarter when they were trying to mount a comeback. The West Virginia commit did have an amazing career as a Tiger however and has a lot to be proud of.
The biggest story may have been the total yards in favor of Hoban. Hoban had 350 yards compared to the Tigers 136. They also dominated the time of possession with a whopping 29:44 to 18:16 advantage. Hoban overcame 8 penalties for 85 yards. The only down portion of this game was the countless personal fouls on both sides of the ball, something you hate to see in a championship game.
The game started with back to back penalties, first a false start on Hoban followed by a long pass interference by Massillon. The next play was even crazier as Victor Dawson raced down the sidelines for a 37-yard gain before fumbling out of bounds.
Moments later the Knights would be faced with a fourth and one from the Tiger 16. Coach Tim Tyrell pulled the trigger and they went for it. The gamble paid off as Dawson took it for 11 more yards and the first down. Two players later Shane Hamm would rumble in under center to give the Knights a 7-0 lead. It was a 8 play 72 yard drive in all for Hoban.
It looked like Dawson would break loose again to start Hobans next drive after forcing a 3 and out of the Tigers. An Austin Brawley tackle saved what may have been a surefire touchdown run from about 60 yards out. A Shawn Parnell reception on the next play would move the ball to the Tigers 40, and put Hoban in Massillon territory again.
A couple of passes to Lamar Sterling would move the chains again and inch Hoban closer to the redzone. From there it was Sterling doing it again with his legs, using beautiful cutback runs to march the ball down to the Tiger 13.
It wouldn’t be much longer until Shane Hamm threw a bullet to Kharion Davis on a slant from 11 yards out to extend the Hoban lead to 14-0 with 11 seconds left to play in the opening quarter.
It was a dominant quarter for Hoban that saw them control the ball for 10 minutes. Dawson picked up 80 yards on 8 carries. Hamm went 4 of 4 for 48 yards and a touchdown. It was all Hoban!
The Massillon Tigers had a decent drive going to start the second quarter but it would fizzle quickly thanks to one big stop after another from Michigan State commit AJ Kirk of Hoban. Before they could start another drive, it was Austin Brawley picking off Hamm to put it to a halt at the Hoban 25. Brawley read Hamms eyes perfectly and made a perfect read on the ball.
It would all go for not as on the very next play the Knights would pick off Tiger quarterback Zach Catrone. It was interception number 8 on the season for Kharion Davis who continues to do it all. Hoban also struggled to convert, giving the ball back to Massillon near midfield after a punt.
The Tigers combined some nice plays by Martavien Johnson with a 15-yard penalty on Hoban to move the ball inside the Knight 25-yard line. Another personal foul on a sideline helmet to helmet hit would move the ball to the Hoban 13-yard line with 42 seconds to go in the half.
Moments later after the helmet to helmet hit, Zach Catrone would bounce back and find Caiden Woullard over the middle for a 16-yard touchdown. Woullard caught it at the 4 and made a great second effort to break the plain with Hoban defenders draped on him.
However, another personal foul, this time on Massillon would make the extra point try a 35 yarder in which they promptly missed. Hoban would take a 14-6 lead into the break. Massillon only had two penalties for 30 yards in the first half, both cost them big.
The Tigers would get the ball back to start the second half but couldn’t do anything with it before punting it back to Hoban. The Knights wasted no time and Shane Hamm hit Kharion Davis on a 5-yard dump off, that Davis broke for a 62 yard touchdown streak down the sidelines. Just like that, with 8:48 to play in the third quarter it was 21-6 Hoban. The quarter would end by that same score.
Tim Tyrell would go for it again on a fourth and seven from the Massillon 36-yard line to start the fourth quarter. Tyson Grimm made that gamble payoff instantly getting behind the Tiger Secondary as they handled the blitz and Grimm was wide open to catch the over the shoulder toss from Shane Hamm straight into the endzone to put the game on ice. It was now 28-6 with 9:43 left to play.
Still up 28-6 with under 4 minutes to go, it appeared that Hoban would run out the clock, but things got real chippie real fast and they went for more points. Shane Hamm checked back into the game and promptly threw a touchdown pass to Chances Carter Hill from 12 yards out to extend the lead 35-6. The play was followed up ejections and personal fouls.
This Hoban team may have been the best during this incredible run. So much talent and excellent coaching. Congrats to the Knights. Also congrats to the Tigers on another great season.
Player of the game for Hoban – Kharion Davis
AJ is a Michigan commit
Mich state actually