‘We just kept playing hard’: Massillon pulls away from Lake
NORTH CANTON – The Massillon Tigers high school football team didn’t play a crisp game Friday night. But the top-seeded Tigers played well enough to run away with another dominant playoff win, defeating fourth-seeded Lake 35-6 in the regional semifinals.
No. 1-ranked Massillon (13-0) heads backs to the regional finals for the seventh straight year. Green awaits the Tigers in a rematch of a 2021 regional final where the Bulldogs pulled off an upset.
Things didn’t go the Tigers’ way at the outset Friday. The Blue Streaks, one of the area’s top defensive teams, were aggressive up front and shut out the Tigers in the first quarter. It’s just the third time this season Massillon didn’t score in the opening quarter.
Lake led 6-0 following a touchdown pass by junior quarterback Noah Kubasky to Ethan Hunt with 4:27 left in the quarter. Massillon had its chances to do something, but a combination of Lake’s defense and the Tigers’ own dropped passes and penalties prevented them from getting in the end zone early on.
While their passing game was up and down all night, the Tigers leaned on running the football. Massillon recorded 349 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
“I thought our backs and our quarterback ran the ball hard really well and our offensive line played very physically, “Moore said. “I’m proud of those guys.”
The Tigers found their rhythm in the second quarter, led by senior quarterback DaOne Owens.
Owens and running back JaMeir Gamble got the Tigers going in the second quarter. Nearing the goal line on the 13-play, 77-yard drive, the Tigers turned to defensive line standout Michael Wright Jr. at fullback and he scored on a short run. Vincent Keller’s PAT put Massillon ahead 7-6 with 4:27 left in the half.
The Tigers got ball back late in the half and increased their lead to 14-6 on the final play of the half. They went 95 yards in just seven plays, capped by Owens connecting with Braylyn Toles for a 29-yard TD pass.
“We just kept playing hard,” Moore said. “That’s what our kids did. They played hard, and our coaches did a great job calling the game. They are a good team, and are very physical. Big up front, so it was a good ballgame and we’re happy to come out with the win.”
Owens added a 34-yard TD run in the third quarter to help the Tigers start to pull away. Mylen Lenix and Gamble each added fourth-quarter TDs.
The Massillon defense did its part, holding Lake to just 32 offensive yards in the second half. Zachary Liebler came up with an interception for the Tigers. They also recorded four sacks among their seven tackles for loss. Malachi Card came up with 2.5 tackles for loss to lead the way.
Massillon’s defense held Lake tailback Nathan Baker, the Federal League Player of the Year, to 46 yards rushing on 10 carries. Owens ran for a game-high 164 yards on 17 carries to lead the Tigers. Gamble added 131 rushing yards on 15 attempts. Lenix ran for 56 yards on nine carries.
“They wore us down,” Lake head coach Dan DeGeorge said. “Unfortunately, we made too many mistakes. You can’t beat a team like that when you are making a mistake. They got the best of us tonight, but I’m proud to be a head coach at Lake. I love my kids and am proud of our efforts.
“I’m super proud of my kids, man. Great efforts. We hung around for two quarters. Not many people thought we could do it, so I give them credit for that. Massillon is very good.”
Massillon plays Green in the regional finals next Friday. Two years ago, Green stunned Massillon 26-25 in a regional final.
“It’s the playoffs,” Moore said. “You win, or you go home . ... We go back and get into next week, reassess, correct some things, and move forward.”