by Berea, OH: All eyes were on George Finnie Stadium in Berea, as the Massillon Tigers (5-0) took down St. Edward (4-1) 23-21, the Tigers’ fifth straight win over the Eagles. It took all 48 minutes to secure the victory, as the Eagles had a Hail Mary pass broken up at the goal line as time expired. Sophomore Gary Yeager shined for Massillon, rushing for 226 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. Tight end Joe Moore led the way for the Eagles, hauling in seven catches for 116 yards and two scores.
First Half
St. Edward received the opening kickoff and they quickly moved the ball past midfield. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the offense stalled out and they were forced to punt. Massillon also took their opening possession across midfield, but Landon Lehmer picked off Rasmus Haines to halt the momentum.
The Tigers started their next drive in St. Edward territory late in the first quarter. Three plays into the second, Savior Owens took the handoff and sliced through the defense for a 16-yard touchdown, putting Massillon up 7-0. Both defenses stood strong on each side’s ensuing possession, forcing punts.
With just over two remaining in the second, the Eagles began their drive deep in their own territory. Langston Lucas connected with Joe Moore for a 20-yard gain, moving the ball into Massillon territory. Two plays later, the pair connected again, this time for a 10-yard touchdown that tied the game at 7-7.
Massillon would take possession with six seconds left, taking a knee to send the game to halftime.
Second Half
The Tigers received the second half kickoff and wasted no time in moving down the field. Facing third and one from the 50, the snap flew over the quarterback’s head. Luckily for the Tigers, Gary Yeager snagged it out of the air and was off to the races, sprinting for a 50-yard Massillon touchdown. The extra point was blocked, giving Massillon a 13-7 lead early in the third.
St. Edward would work the ball into Massillon territory, but Lucas was picked off by Deontay Malone, giving the Tigers the ball near midfield. The Eagles’ defense stood strong, forcing a quick three-and-out to get the ball back to their offense.
Late in the third quarter, Massillon started a drive backed up on their own 12-yard line. On the second play of the drive, Gary Yeager exploded again, this time picking up 55 yards to move the ball into Eagles’ territory. Another 20-yard carry by Yeager moved the ball inside the red zone, but the offense stalled out. On came Mateo Herrera, who drilled a 35-yard field goal to extend the lead to 16-7 early in the fourth.
Needing a score to stay in the game, Head Coach Tom Lombardo dug deep into his bag of tricks. Facing a third and three inside Massillon territory, St. Edward pulled out a double reverse pass that ended up being a 33-yard completion from Lucas to Moore. On the next play, Colin Tedesco plowed in from six yards out to draw the Eagles closer at 16-14.
Massillon started their next drive at midfield and Gary Yeager struck again, this time a 9-yard run that put Massillon up 23-14 with 2:33 remaining in the game. Trailing by two scores, St. Edward needed a touchdown in a hurry. Langston Lucas locked in, going 4-4 for 57 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown pass to Joe Moore that made it closer at 23-21.
St. Edward attempted the onside kick, but a Massillon Tiger came out of the pile with the football. Massillon was able to run 1:11 off the game clock, but that left nine seconds for the Eagles to strike. On the last play of the game, Lucas heaved the ball towards the end zone but the pass was broken up, sealing a 23-21 for Massillon.
Next Week
After dropping their first game of the season, St. Edward will look to get back into the win column next week when they host St. John’s College (DC) (3-0). The Cadets were set to play West Boca Raton (FL), but the game was postponed due to weather.
Following their fifth straight win over the Eagles, Massillon will have revenge on their minds next week when they host Football North (ON) (2-1). Massillon suffered a massive upset in last year’s matchup, falling 34-2.
Top Performers
Massillon Tigers
Gary Yeager: 15 carries 226 yards 2 TD 1 catch 9 yards
Savior Owens: 18 carries 55 yards TD
St. Edward Eagles
Joe Moore: 7 catches 116 yards 2 TD
Langston Lucas: 15-24 208 yards 2 TD INT 10 carries 62 yards
Scoring Summary
2nd Quarter
Massillon 10:43- Savior Owens, 16-yard run (kick good)
St. Edward 0:15- Langston Lucas to Joe Moore, 10 yards (kick good)
3rd Quarter
Massillon 10:20- Gary Yeager, 50-yard run (kick blocked)
4th Quarter
Massillon 8:35- Matteo Herrera 35-yard field goal
St. Edward 5:47- Colin Tedesco, 6-yard run (kick good)
Massillon 2:33- Gary Yeager, 9-yard run
St. Edward 1:24- Langston Lucas to Joe Moore, 10 yards (kick good)
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FINAL | |
| Massillon | 0 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 23 |
| St. Edward | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
