by Massillon, OH: The Massillon Tigers (8-2) made it nine straight over their arch-rival Canton McKinley (6-4) with a 16-7 victory Saturday afternoon at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. While offense was tough to come by, quarterback Jalen Slaughter turned in an impressive performance, going 14-18 for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Braylyn Toles caught Slaughter’s first touchdown pass and finished with seven catches for 88 yards and a score.
First Half
McKinley received the opening kickoff, but they wouldn’t have the ball for long. On the first offensive play of the game, Massillon forced a fumble and began their drive on the Bulldog 21. Four plays later, Jalen Slaughter found Braylyn Toles for a seven-yard touchdown, putting the Tigers up 7-0 early.
Late in the first quarter, Massillon began their third drive of the game from their 48. Less than a minute into the second, Slaughter hooked up with Jacques Carter for a 27-yard Tiger touchdown, extending their lead to 13-0 after a missed extra point.
Trailing by double digits, McKinley put together an impressive drive on their ensuing possession. Facing 3rd & 10 from the Massillon 24, Kam Montgomery found a wide-open DeeJay Britt for a touchdown, drawing the Bulldogs closer at 13-7.
The Tigers would get the ball back with just over two minutes remaining in the half. Massillon moved the ball 66 yards and got on the board thanks to a Mateo Herrera 36-yard field goal, giving the Tigers a 16-7 lead at the break.
Second Half
The second half was all about defense, as neither team could work their way into scoring position. Midway through the third, the Tigers would get another field goal attempt from Herrera, but the kick missed.
Early in the fourth, McKinley would work their way almost into the Massillon red zone. Facing a fourth down on the Tigers’ 24, Kam Montgomery was picked off by Daylan Pringle, halting the scoring opportunity. Once more in the fourth, McKinley would work the ball across midfield but an incompletion on fourth down gave the ball back to Massillon.
The Tigers were able to run out the remaining 3:43 in the game to hold on for a 16-7 victory, Massillon’s 9th straight in the rivalry.
Keys to the Game
The story of this one was defense, defense, defense, on both sides. For McKinley, they held star running back Ja’Meir Gamble to just 49 yards on 19 carries. For Massillon, their defensive front kept pressure on Kam Montgomery and won the battle at the line of scrimmage.
Offensively, Jalen Slaughter turned in a solid performance. The numbers won’t wow you, but going 14-18 for 167 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions is just what Massillon needed to pull off the victory.
Next Week
Next up for McKinley are the Division I Region 1 playoffs. As of writing, the Bulldogs hold the #5 seed and would host #12 Normandy (3-7) next Friday night.
The Tigers begin their quest for another state championship in Division II. As of writing, Massillon holds the #3 seed in Region 7 and would host Licking Heights (4-6) next Friday night.
Top Performers
Canton McKinley Bulldogs
Kam Montgomery: 10-21 102 yards TD INT
Nino Hill: 18 carries 89 yards
Massillon Washington Tigers
Jalen Slaughter: 14-18 167 yards 2 TD
Ja’Meir Gamble: 19 carries 45 yards 3 catches 27 yards
Braylyn Toles: 7 catches 88 yards TD
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
FINAL |
|
| McKinley |
0 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
| Massillon |
7 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
16 |
