Massillon downs Golden Eagles in shutout victory

Tigers’ defense smothers GlenOak; offense runs over the Golden Eagles in 45-0 rout

All Media Credit: Seth Bailey

The golden sun peeked through heavy cloud cover as the Tigers kicked off their first game in Stark County since the 2023 Division II State Championship game. Thousands of Tiger fans, eager for their first look at the 2024 gridironers, packed the visitors side at Bob Commings Field. The stadium lights shone as Massillon ran through the Golden Eagles, racking up 302 yards of offense en route to a 45-0 romp.

 

Tigers’ Offense

1st Quarter

The Tigers offense was off to a quick start, scoring on a Ja’Meir Gamble 2-yard rush, with the following Mateo Herrera kick putting Massillon up 7-0 in the first quarter. On the next drive a catch by Braylyn Toles and several big runs by Gamble led to Mateo Herrera field goal put the Tigers up 10-0.

2nd Quarter

Gamble would score yet again on an 18-yard rush, helped by a Vito McConnell catch and a Chris Fair recovery and advance of a fumble. After a punt by Tyler Hackenbracht, the Tigers’ first of the game, Massillon would recover their scoring ways with a 38-yard toss from Jalen Slaughter to a wide-open Jacques Carter, making the score 24-0 in favor of the visiting Tigers. After regaining the ball with just seconds remaining in the half, the Tigers would cap off their excellent start with yet another touchdown. Quarterback Jalen Slaughter tossed a perfect pass to Ricardo Wells into the left corner of the end zone as the clock hit 0:00, putting Massillon up 31-0 at the half.

 

3rd Quarter

The third quarter started quickly for the Tigers offense, as a big run by Gamble set up a goal-to-go situation. Peytton Mitchell smashed into the end zone for the score, and the ensuing Herrera kick put Massillon on top 38-0.

4th Quarter

The Tigers’ last drive with the starting offense on the field led to a punt. With the clock winding down, the 2nd team took the field, gaining twelve yards on a Manny Patterson to Chayce White completion before running out the clock.

Tigers’ Defense

1st Quarter

Massillon’s defense stood strong on the game’s opening drive, forcing a GlenOak punt. The Golden Eagles’ second drive also ended in a punt.

2nd Quarter

The Golden Eagles drove the ball into Tigers territory, but their drive was snuffed out by a Vito McConnell interception. GlenOak could not move the ball on the Tigers for the rest of the second quarter, punting three more times before the half.

3rd and 4th Quarters

With a running clock on, GlenOak’s only third quarter possession stretched into the fourth. It ended with an Eagles’ punt following a Lucas Shertzer sack. The next drive by the Golden Eagles was short-lived, as Lucas Shertzer batted GlenOak QB Adrion Burt’s pass in the air, where it was snatched by Tigers second-stringer Bishop Cupp and taken 12 yards into the end zone for a pick-six. With the Tigers leading 45-0, GlenOak would attempt a final drive, quickly stifled by a tackle for loss by Francesco Salvino. Yet another punt ended the Golden Eagles’ feeble day on offense, and the Tigers ran out the clock to win 45-0.

Final Statistics

The Tigers’ defense was excellent, allowing only 103 yards and holding the Golden Eagles to 5 completions on 17 attempts. They also intercepted GlenOak quarterback Adrion Burt twice (V. McConnell and B. Cupp). The Tigers D added a sack (Lucas Shertzer) and four tackles for loss (J. Williams, V. McConnell, F. Salvino, T. Williams).

Massillon racked up 302 yards of offense. Some notables include quarterback Jalen Slaughter (12-20, 174 yds., 2 TDs), running backs Ja”Meir Gamble (120 yds., 2TDs) and Peytton Mitchell (20 yds., 1 TD), and a slew of receivers, including Braylyn Toles (37 yds.), Jacques Carter (49 yds., 1 TD), Ricardo Wells (45 yds., 1 TD) and Vito McConnell (27 yds.).

Mateo Herrera was perfect on kicks for the Tigers, going 1-1 on field goals and 5-5 on extra points. Gregory Corsale nailed his only extra point attempt after Bishop Cupp’s pick-six.

Coach’s Comment…

Coach Moore: The offense was excellent. Our run game was great, and we blocked well for our backs. The defense played very well; Bishop Cupp’s interception was a fun thing to see. We need to clean up a lot of little things before next week, especially since we take on Bergen– one of the best teams in the country.

Up Next

The Tigers will return home for the first time since round 2 of the 2023 playoffs to take on Bergen Catholic (NJ). Bergen (1-1) was ranked #1 in New Jersey and #17 in the nation by MaxPreps as of week 1. They have only lost 3 games in the last 4 seasons (including the current one). They also boast multiple D-1 prospects including Ohio State wide receiver commit Quincy Porter. The game will kick off at 7:00 on Sept. 6th.

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