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Massillon Tigers scouting report
The teams: The Massillon Tigers finally played a team from Ohio last Saturday, but fell behind 24-0 in the first quarter on their way to a 48-14 loss to Moeller at Cincinnati?s Paul Brown Stadium. Massillon gave up a punt return for a score, an interception return for another score, as well as a total of five turnovers in the loss. That setback comes on the heels of a pair of wins over out-of-state opponents: North Park Collegiate (Ont.) 68-6 in the season opener, then H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.) 59-7 in Week Two.
The Hamilton Huskies out of Chandler, Ariz., have only been a football program since 1998, but that hasn?t prevented them from rising to the top of the heap in Arizona?s big-school (Class 5A) division. Hamilton is 93-11 all-time as a program, and that is including the Huskies? two wins this season over Red Mountain 21-7 in the season opener and 49-7 over Paradise Valley last week. Hamilton has played in four of the last five Arizona Class 5A state championship games, winning in 2003 and 2004 while losing by a 15-14 score against Brophy out of Phoenix in last year?s title game at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.
The strategies: Woody Hayes wouldn?t recognize the offenses these two teams utilize. Both Massillon and Hamilton have a variety of packages they can go to, with a variety of talented skill players to run those packages. The Tigers are more apt to be in the traditional I-formation than the Huskies, looking to get the running game going with All-Ohio candidate Brian Gamble. But Massillon has shown it is just as likely to put quarterback Bobby Huth (if healthy and able to play) in the shotgun and put four receivers ? including Gamble ? spread out in the formation. Huth has a multitude of targets to choose from in the passing game, as six different Tiger players have at least four catches on the season, led by Andrew Dailey and Gamble with nine and eight, respectively. Hamilton, meanwhile, figures to be as diverse an offense as the Tigers face this season. As Tiger coach Tom Stacy said this week, ?They?ll run the Wing-T. They?ll run some I-formation. They?ll run no-back. They show you a lot of different things.? Husky coach Steve Belles said over the summer his goal is to be somewhere between 50-50 and 60-40 in a run-pass ratio, but that is all dependent on what the opposing defense is giving Hamilton?s offense. So far, the Huskies have been fairly consistent in the breakdown, throwing the ball 26 times in each of their first two games, while running the ball 30 times in the opener and 31 times last week. Hamilton does run the option a bit with senior quarterback Brad Gruner, who is coming back from a knee injury suffered in the season opener of 2005. Gruner isn?t the quickest player on the field, but he has been effective in running it. Where Gruner is dangerous is in the passing game, where he can spread the ball to dangerous weapons like receivers Kerry Taylor (an Arizona State recruit) and Trey Peacock, or running backs like Tony Sims, Covaughn Deboskie or Nathan Jeffery.
Defensively, both teams want to bring the pressure, but will do so out of differing fronts. Massillon has shifted to a 3-4 front full-time this season, and it has put added pressure on the Tiger linebackers to make plays. So far, so good, though, as all four of Massillon?s starting linebackers ? outside linebackers Dailey and Dorie Irvin and inside linebackers Cody Colly and Antonio Scassa ? are in the top five in total tackles for the season. The key has been to get the new-look defensive line, anchored by returning starter Emery Saunders, to occupy the offensive line, while also adding pressure to the quarterback. Hamilton, meanwhile, is a 4-3 front that also relies heavily on its linebackers, specifically middle linebacker Matt Sanford and outside linebacker Andy Workman, to make plays. But, like the Husky offense, the defense will also shift into a variety of packages dependent on the opponent. Hamilton has shown a 50 look and a ?Bear? look during the course of the season. In the secondary, they have flip-flopped between man coverage and Cover 2, going to the former a lot in the red zone when the Huskies are most apt to blitz.
The key matchups: Massillon?s secondary vs. Hamilton?s passing game. While the Huskies have been balanced in their play calling, the yardage isn?t so balanced ? 442 passing compared to 286 rushing. Couple that with the fact Hamilton boasts two of the more athletic and fast receivers in Taylor and Peacock the Tigers will see all season, and it?s no wonder why the onus will be on the secondary of cornerbacks Trey Miller and Kevin Massey and safeties Gamble and Darion McGuire to contain that attack. If Massillon can either limit the touches or limit the yards after catch, it can force the Huskies to drive the ball, opening up more opportunities for Hamilton to make a mistake.
Another matchup to keep an eye on pits Massillon?s offensive line against Hamilton?s defensive front. A week ago against Moeller, the Tigers struggled to keep the running game going against the aggressive Crusader defense, as Massillon averaged just over three yards a carry on 30 attempts. So the focus will be on how the Tiger offensive line responds to the challenge this week against a front four which isn?t nearly as big as Moeller?s, but may be just as quick if not quicker, especially at the end positions.
Streaks, stats and facts: Massillon has never played a team from Arizona in its history. ? Looking for a bright spot in the Tiger loss, try the defense. Even though Moeller put up 48 points ? 35 against Massillon?s defense ? the Tigers only allowed the Crusaders to actually drive the football once, that being a time-consuming 11-play, 52-yard march in the third quarter which resulted in a field goal which pushed the Moeller lead to 27-14. For the game, the Tigers limited Moeller to just 205 yards, which was less than the 217 they allowed North Park to gain. ? The Tigers limited Moeller to just 4-of-11 on third-down conversions, but none may have been as big as the third-and-18 the Crusaders converted in the third quarter with a 26-yard completion. Moeller was on its own 12 at the time. ? The Tigers have had three different leading receivers ? by yardage ? in their three games this season. Last week, it was Bryan Sheegog with four catches for 70 yards. In the previous two weeks, it was Dailey (3 for 80 vs. North Park) and Gamble (4 for 79 vs. Woodson). ? As for overall numbers, Dailey?s nine catches for 138 yards are both team highs, while Gamble is second with eight grabs for 103 yards. Giorgio Jackson is third on a team with seven catches (for 63 yards), while Sheegog and Miller each have five grabs ? for 85 and 39 yards, respectively. Tommy Leonard is the only other Tiger with multiple catches, having snared four for 31 yards. ... The depth at linebacker has been tested over the last couple of weeks. It started with a recurring chest injury to outside linebacker Michael Porrini, which has kept him sidelined since Week Two. Then there was a concussion suffered by Colly against Woodson which put him on the bench vs. Moeller. Colly?s backup, K.J. Herring, has been battling a stinger which limited his playing time against the Crusaders as well. Colly does return this week, while Herring figures to be a game-time decision. ? Speaking of linebackers, Irvin continues to show a nose for the football, recording eight solo tackles, plus one assisted stop and a tackle for loss against Moeller. For the season, the first-year starter has made a team-high 15 solo tackles to go with three assisted stops, three tackles for loss, a sack, a pass break-up and a caused fumble. ? The Tigers? leading tackler is Gamble, who has made 19 total stops ? 12 of those solo ? from his strong safety position. Irvin?s 18 total tackles is second on the team, followed in order by Scassa (18 total), Colly (13) and Dailey (10). ? The Tigers came up with two more interceptions against Moeller ? one by Massey and the other by Miller ? giving them five for the season. Massey and Miller each have a pair of picks, while Gamble has one. Massey and Gamble each returned an interception for a score against North Park. ? After not recording a sack in the season opener, Massillon has done a good job of getting to the quarterback in the last two weeks. The Tigers had 3.5 sacks against Woodson in Week Two, then recorded three more against Moeller. Scassa had one from his inside linebacker position, while both defensive ends ? Steve Yoder and Nate Heimann ? recorded a sack as well. ? Corey Hildreth provided a spark for the Tigers in the third quarter when he rushed up the middle and blocked a Crusader punt. Not only did he get the block, he also picked up the pigskin and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown. It was the second time Massillon has blocked a kick of some form. Sheegog blocked an extra point against North Park. ? The stinger to Herring opened the door for J.T. Turner to pick up some early carries as Gamble?s backup against Moeller. He finished with six carries for 34 yards. ? Stacy awarded Scout Team Player of the Week honors to Tim Adkins (offense) and Brian Wade (defense). Marcus Bigsbee was Lifter of the Week, while Seth Stanton?s performance in French II class earned Student of the Week recognition. ? Hamilton?s Gruner has completed 29-of-51 passes for 424 yards, with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He threw three TDs against Paradise Valley last week. ? Taylor and Peacock are neck-and-neck for the lead in receiving yards. Taylor has 14 catches for 172 yards, while Peacock has 10 grabs for 174 yards. Peacock is coming off of a four-catch, 100-yard effort vs. Paradise Valley. ? Sims is Hamilton?s leading rusher with 74 yards on just 14 carries. Two others have at least 50 yards ? Deboskie with 67 yards on 12 carries and Jeffery with 50 yards on only five carries, all of that against Paradise Valley. ? Sanford is leading the team is tackles with 18, followed by 15 tackles for Workman and another 14 for defensive end Kory Boxberger. ? Boxberger is second on the team in sacks with two. Fellow defensive end Chris Schaan has a team-high three sacks. ? The leader in the Hamilton secondary is safety Glenn Love. Love has a pair of interceptions on the season, one in each of Hamilton?s two games. Those two interceptions are tied for the team lead with cornerback Tanner Chitwood. ? Hamilton has forced eight turnovers this season, including five interceptions. ? Hamilton may have the smallest offensive line the Tigers have faced this season. The Huskies? front averages 249 pounds a man, a number boosted by 6-foot-2, 280-pound guard Zack Melton and 6-5, 265-pound tackle Patrick Jamison. ? Hamilton?s defensive line is much smaller than Moeller?s, which averaged 261.7 pounds a man. The Huskies? biggest defensive lineman is nose guard Kori Rutt, who stands 6-2, 230 pounds. The unit as a whole averages 215 pounds. ? Hamilton?s kicking game is strong with placekicker Brent Blaylock. Blaylock has kicked off 10 times this season, and seven of those have reached the end zone for touchbacks. ? Speaking of placekickers, Steve Schott is a perfect 17-for-17 on extra-points this season. ? Workman also serves as Hamilton?s punter and is averaging 37.2 yards on six punts. That includes a 47-yarder. ? As for the Tigers? punter, Robb Maylor is averaging 35.6 yards on seven punts. His longest is a 42-yarder. All of those punts came against Moeller. ? For the second week in a row, the Tigers will be facing a team coached by a Notre Dame alumnus. Last week, it was former Fighting Irish All-American linebacker Bob Crable. This week, it is Belles, who was a backup quarterback and special teams player for Notre Dame for Gerry Faust and Lou Holtz in the last 1980s. He was Tony Rice?s backup on the Fighting Irish?s 1988 national championship team.
Coach speak: ?I think they?re a very good defensive team and a very athletic defensive team,? Massillon?s Stacy said. ?Their two returning starters are defense are Matt Sanford, who we think is an excellent Mike linebacker and had an excellent state championship game last year, and their outside linebacker Andy Workman, who we also think is a good player. Kory Boxberger stands out to me. He?s not very big, but he?s very active.
?I think they?re really hanging their hat on being a really good offensive football team. They?re led by Brad Gruner, their quarterback. I think he?s a good passer. They do run a lot of option with him, even though I don?t think he?s extremely fast, I do think he does an effective job running the option. Tony Sims, Trey Peacock and Kerry Taylor are their three skilled guys. They?re all track kids and they?re all three 4.4, 4.5 40 guys. They have good speed, they have good size. They?re very, very talented on offense.?
?We know they?re still a good team, even after losing,? Hamilton?s Belles said. ?I don?t think last Saturday (against Moeller) is any indication of how good they are. I?m sure they?re anxious to get back out on the field and prove that wasn?t the real them. I just think that was one of those games that got away from them. I don?t think you can overlook this team at all.?
- CHRIS EASTERLING