Link
Tigers look to slow Herron
[FONT=verdana,Times New Roman,Times,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]y CHRIS EASTERLING[/FONT] [FONT=verdana,Times New Roman,Times,arial,helvetica,sans-serif][email protected][/FONT]
The Massillon Tigers have faced plenty of talented tailbacks this season. That list has included H.D. Woodson?s D?Andre Johnson, St. Ignatius? Matt Merletti and, most recently, Akron Buchtel?s Ernest Pitts.
But none of those may be able to hold a candle to the one the Tigers will see Saturday night at Warren?s Mollenkopf Stadium ? Warren Harding?s Danny Herron, an Ohio State recruit who has already rushed for 759 yards this season.
?We?ve seen some good backs this season,? Tiger coach Tom Stacy said Monday. ?I don?t think any of them compare to Herron. He is just really, really exceptional.
?He?s got good speed, good power and great vision. He?s just an excellent player. He?s not just fast, but he?s strong. He?s not a real tall guy, but he?s close to 200 pounds and he just doesn?t let people get to his legs. Danny is as good a running back as I have seen this fall.?
Stacy is quick to add that the list doesn?t take into account McKinley?s Morgan Williams, whom the Tiger coach has yet to see this season. Then again, Stacy may not want to see Williams after all the talented runners who have crossed the Tigers path already.
?I?m tired of seeing good running backs,? Stacy said with a chuckle.
That said, Massillon has done all right against most of its opponent?s running backs. The Tigers have allowed just two tailbacks ? Merletti (221 yards on 31 carries) and North Park?s Matt Socholotiuk (147 yards on 18 totes) ? to top the 100-yard plateau.
Both of those big performances were aided by one or two long runs. Socholotiuk broke off a 56-yard scamper to boost his numbers, while Merletti had runs of 56 and 61 yards to help his total.
For the season, Massillon has permitted eight runs of 20 yards or more. Of those eight, six have been for at least 30 yards, with a seventh going for 29 yards.
?For the most part, we?ve played well,? said Stacy, whose team is giving up an average of 134.1 yards rushing a game. ?I think we?ve been a little inconsistent with it, as we have as a whole. But we?ve been inconsistent in that part of our defense. Still I think, considering all the new faces we have over on that side of the ball, we?ve done all right.?
Still, that defense figures to get as stout a test as any on Saturday from Herron, who gained over 1,500 yards a year ago. The Raider senior struggled to get going this season, and had just 60 yards on 24 carries through two games.
But four straight 100-yard rushing games, followed by a 98-yard effort against St. Ignatius last week, has boosted his per-game average to 108.4 yards. He is also averaging 5.2 yards a carry.
?You have to be gap sound up front,? Stacy said. ?You just have to play good assignment football. If somebody doesn?t do their assignment, it will give them a hole to run through.?
The Tigers prepared for the challenge of containing Herron by stopping Buchtel?s talented Pitts last week. Pitts, who rushed for over 1,300 yards a year ago, was held to just 43 yards on 15 carries ? a 2.9 yards-per-carry average ? in Massillon?s 27-12 win.
?Pitts has got great speed, quickness,? Tiger senior safety Brian Gamble said. ?He keeps his feet moving. I don?t think he really compares to Daniel Herron, though.
?Herron is a powerful back. I think he gained like 15 pounds over the offseason. He?s fast and real quick and shifty. It definitely helps us out, though. I still think we can tackle a little bit better.?
That may be the most important thing for the Tiger defense to do if it wants to prevent Herron from running wild. Missed tackles have played a major role in just about every big run Massillon has allowed, which is why the Tigers concentrated on it in the week leading up to the Buchtel game.
?We just have to try to gang-tackle and get everybody to the ball,? Tiger senior inside linebacker Cody Colly said. ?(Last) week in practice, we had a good practice. We made everybody run to the ball, and the play wasn?t over until everybody touched the running back.?
Now, the Tigers need to put that practice into practice against one of Ohio?s premier tailbacks.
