The Massillon girls flag football team has had an incredible inaugural season. After finishing the regular season 7-1, they swept through two teams (Westerville Central and Shaw) in the first round of the playoffs. Last night the ladies traveled to Cleveland’s Huntington Bank Field where they battled and defeated Hoban and roared back versus Mentor before falling for the second time this season to Edgewood. The loss to Edgewood is not the end for the Tigers. By making the final four in the Browns’ North bracket, they qualified for Sunday’s state final. This game, featuring Northern squads Berkshire, Edgewood, Willoughby South, and the Tigers, as well as four teams from the Southern bracket (Cincinnati Bengals champions Mount Notre Dame, Badin, Seton, and Shroder) will face off Sunday at noon. The game will be at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Round One Versus Hoban
The Tigers won the toss and took the ball to open game one. The drive opened up with an Izzi McVay to Neela Dahlquist shovel pass for a big gain– a connection that would continue to be essential for Massillon throughout the day. The Tigers gained a first down after a couple of short tosses, but a 4th-down pass fell incomplete in the end zone to turn the ball over on downs. Hoban tried to speed past the Tigers with a quick run game, but Isabella Bowen made a flag pull in the backfield to slow the drive. The Knights’ 4th-down pass was knocked down by Haidyn Stephen and the Tigers took the ball back. Izzi McVay fired a first-play bomb to Neela Dahlquist who took the ball to the house for the first score of the game. The PAT was no good and the Tigers led 6-0. Hoban answered quickly with a bomb for a score to tie the game at 6; the PAT was no good and the game remained tied. Massillon was unable to move the ball very far, and following a couple of short passes, they turned it over on downs. A Hoban receiver caught a short pass and shot up the middle for a score to put the Knights in front. The PAT went off a receiver and was almost intercepted by Mariah Zimmerman but fell to the grass incomplete, keeping the score at 12-6. The Tigers gained a first down on a Madison Burton run and Neela Dahlquist made a grab near the goal line to set the Tigers up for a score. That score was a McVay to Zimmerman shovel pass to tie the game at 12. Massillon retook the lead with a leaping grab from Burton in the back of the end zone to make the score 13-12. Hoban had a big run on their first play of the drive, but time was quickly running out and they took a shot downfield. The pass was picked off by Dahlquist with the clock at 0:00 and almost run back for a score. At the half, the score was 13-12 in favor of Massillon.
After a short halftime break the Tigers were back at it. Hoban started out with the ball and was stopped by the Massillon defense after a leaping pass breakup by Mariah Zimmerman and a stop on a 4th-down run by Neela Dahlquist. A nice gain on a pass after great footwork by Dahlquist set up a 1st-down catch by Zimmerman. Izzi McVay fired a pass to a wide-open Madison Burton in the end zone for a touchdown. Dahlquist made a leaping grab in the corner of the end zone for the PAT, increasing the Tigers’ lead to 20-12. Hoban answered with a touchdown after a lengthy drive. The 2pt conversion was stopped as Dahlquist grabbed a flag short of the goal line and the Tigers held on to a 20-18 lead. Massillon responded very quickly with a touchdown pass to Zimmerman, making the score 26-18. The PAT was intercepted. The Knights had one more chance to tie the game. After a 1st-down run they marched down the field and across the goal line to make the score 26-24. It all came down to the 2pt conversion… a short pass was caught at the 5-yard line but Dahlquist and Emerson Smith pulled the receiver’s flags just as she was diving for the goal line. The Tigers needed one more big play to seal the game. Madison Burton delivered with a diving catch in heavy (and physical) traffic to give the Tigers a first down. The rest of the clock was kneeled out and Massillon triumphed 26-24 over Hoban.
Round One Highlights
Round Two Versus Mentor
The Tigers’ defense jumped on the Cardinals quickly in round two as Emerson Smith picked off a pass to give Massillon the ball. The Tigers threw an interception to give the ball back. Mentor went down the field quickly and scored the first touchdown of the game. Mariah Zimmerman batted down the PAT to keep the score at 6-0. Mentor intercepted a Massillon pass and took it back for a touchdown; the PAT was off a receivers’ hands and the score remained 12-0 Cardinals. The Tigers needed a score before the end of the half. They resolutely marched down the field and put the ball in the end zone. Neela Dahlquist made a diving grab in the front edge of the end zone for a touchdown; Emerson Smith caught the PAT pass in the back of the end zone to cut the score to 12-7. Mentor ran out of time in the half on the following drive.
Massillon started the second half with another dominant drive. Three consecutive catches by Lucy Herrera set up a 1st-down run by Emerson Smith. Herrera grabbed another pass that flew right over a defenders’ fingers and into the arms of the Tiger receiver. Madison Burton fooled a Mentor DB and scored a wide-open touchdown. The PAT was no good but the Tigers were on top 13-12. Massillon’s defense shut down Mentor and the Tigers quickly retook the ball. Mariah Zimmerman almost took one to the house on a deep sideline pass and the Tigers put the ball in the end zone with a run/toss from Herrera. Burton tacked on the PAT with a catch and the Tigers increased their lead to 20-12. Mentor was once again shut down by the Tigers’ D. On the Tigers’ side, Zimmerman made a leaping grab on the sideline, but a turnover on downs followed. Isabella Bowen batted a pass and Zimmerman picked off a tipped pass to seal the deal for the Tigers. Massillon made sure the Cardinals were done for and punched it in one more time on a Burton run. Zimmerman caught the PAT to make the score 27-12. Mentor turned the ball over on downs as the clock expired, and the Tigers claimed the victory. With the win Massillon also qualified to play in the state final tournament on May 18th.
Round Two Highlights
Round Three Versus Edgewood
Edgewood gave Massillon their only regular season loss. Last night they once again overpowered the Tigers with their relentless offense. Their quarterback had great ball placement as well as a good arm that was unfazed by the Tigers rushers. The Edgewood defensive backs were all over Tiger passes and shut down Massillon’s fatigued offense for most of the game.
The Tigers were able to get a stop on the first drive of the game as a 4th-down pass fell incomplete in the end zone. Edgewood picked off a Massillon pass and took it to the house on the Tigers’ second drive. The PAT was picked off by Mariah Zimmerman. Massillon moved the ball on their second drive but a tipped pass was intercepted. A great catch by an Edgewood receiver led to a first down. Emerson Smith broke up a pass in the end zone, but Edgewood was able to score on fourth down; the PAT was good to make the score 13-0. Another interception greeted the Tigers’ offense– an Edgewood touchdown made the score 20-0. The PAT was no good; at the half the score remained 20-0. Massillon moved the ball on catches by Neela Dahlquist and Emerson Smith, but the Tigers turned the ball over on downs. The Tigers forced a TOD by Edgewood and found a spark on a bomb from Izzi McVay to Neela Dahlquist for a touchdown. The PAT was no good and the score remained 20-6. Edgewood soon dashed the Tigers’ hopes of a comeback. A sideline pass was taken to the house for a touchdown and a 2pt conversion was made to make the score 28-6. A turnover on downs gave Edgewood the ball again and they scored yet again to increase their lead to 34-6 (PAT no good). Another Massillon pass was picked off; the Tigers had an interception on their end by Hajile Danzy to give them the ball with seconds remaining. A last-second pass fell incomplete in the end zone and the Tigers fell 34-6.
Round Three Highlights
Additional Photos
