MASSILLON — North Canton Hoover entered Friday night as a nine-win high school football team that had suffered two losses by a combined seven points. The Vikings hadn’t allowed more than 21 points in a game all season.
Massillon had 21 points by the 3:11 mark of the first quarter Friday.
It was all Massillon at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on Nov. 7 as the Tigers rolled over the Vikings 62-7 in a Division II, Region 7 quarterfinal.
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Massillon’s 62 points are the second most allowed in Hoover football history, topped only by a 66-0 loss to Minerva in 1932.
Asked if he saw a result like this coming for his No. 3 seed Tigers (8-3), Massillon head coach Nate Moore said, “If you would’ve said, if we play as good as we’re capable of playing, is that a possibility? I would’ve said, ‘Yes.’ But playing up to that type of level isn’t easy. … I’m just really impressed how our kids operated the past two weeks and going into this game. It was really good.”
After a brief pause, Moore added, “But can we sustain it? That’s the thing.”
If they can, the rest of Region 7 and Ohio’s Division II landscape best beware. The Tigers advance to play at No. 2 seed Columbus DeSales (9-2) next week in a regional semifinal.
Massillon junior quarterback Manny Patterson threw for 226 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He completed 12 of 13 passes, with the one incompletion being a drop, for a Massillon offense that had 14 points seven plays into the game. The Tigers’ 62 points were their most since a 76-22 win against Columbus Independence in the first round of the 2021 playoffs. They rolled up 480 yards of offense as they won their 28th straight game against a Stark County opponent.
Giorgio Jackson Jr. caught seven passes for 109 yards and one touchdown. Deontay Malone turned a wide receiver screen into a 66-yard TD. Both of Jadyce Thigpen’s catches went for scores, one a 21-yarder and the other a 16-yarder.
Savior Owens ran for touchdowns on his first two touches and finished with 90 yards on eight carries. Anthony McMullen added 79 yards and a TD on six carries.
“We’ve got to tackle better,” Hoover head coach Brian Baum said with a shake of his head. “But when you have great athletes in space, that’s what happens. They’re a good football team and we did a lot of damage early to ourselves. It cost us points early on, and they got more and more confident as the night went on.”
Stunningly, No. 6 seed Hoover actually led 7-0 51 seconds into the game.
John Collins hit Jack Andes in stride and Andes pulled away from the Massillon defense for a 73-yard touchdown.
“We had kind of a blown coverage and Andes is a great player,” Moore said. “They made a play. Good for them.”
Tied 7-7, Hoover had a nice drive going on its next possession before linebacker Isaac Maxheimer picked off Andes on a halfback pass on fourth down.
The game quickly spiraled from there with Massillon’s offense breaking off chunk plays and its defense pinning its ears back.
“There was a point on our third or fourth series offensively where it seemed like they didn’t quite have the juice they had at the start of the game,” Moore said.
Most of Hoover’s running attempts ended in the arms of big, ol’ Zay-Shawn Murray, a 6-foot, 295-pound senior defensive tackle who made his season debut Friday.
Moore declined to give a reason why the McKinley transfer Murray didn’t play earlier in the season. Whatever the case, the wait was worth it.
Murray was credited with seven tackles, including 1.5 for losses and one sack. He also blocked a punt.
“We just got him ready to roll for the first time this week, and I’m sure that was a big surprise for everybody,” Moore said. “He’s a great player.”
Maxheimer led the Massillon defense with nine tackles — three for loss — to go with a sack and the interception. Safety Noah Jenkins picked off two passes, including one he returned for a 24-yard touchdown.
Collins was 9-of-16 passing for 172 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Andes caught three passes for 117 yards and the TD and added 31 yards on seven carries.
A good night for Moore got even better when his son, senior Eli Moore, ran for an 11-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter after replacing Patterson at quarterback.
“I’m just super proud of him,” Nate Moore said. “He’s put in a lot of work. He’s a team captain. It’s hard enough to be a team captain. It’s really hard to be a team captain if you’re not a starter on offense or defense. But he earned that. I’m really proud of him. His leadership hasn’t wavered all season. It didn’t waver when he lost the quarterback battle. It didn’t waver at all all season.
“As a dad, it was really nice to be able to take the headset off there at the end of the game and just watch my son play quarterback for the Massillon Tigers.”
Here’s how the game played out through our live updates.
FINAL: Massillon routs Hoover 62-7
The Tigers improve to 8-3 and advance to the regional semifinals. Hoover ends its season at 9-3.
Massillon puts another on the scoreboard
Eli Moore runs for an 8-yard touchdown. PAT is no good. Massillon leads Hoover 62-7.
Massillon leads Hoover 56-7 after three quarters
Noah Jenkins snagged his second interception of the night in the third.
Massillon’s Jadyce Thigpen scores his second TD of the night
He scores a 16-yard touchdown on a WR screen. Herrera adds the PAT. Massillon leads Hoover 56-7 midway through the third quarter.
Second half underway for Massillon and Hoover
The Tigers start on their 45 after recovering a Hoover onside kick.
Halftime: Massillon leads North Canton Hoover 49-7
It is all Tigers here in Massillon. We will have a running clock in the second half.
Massillon almost has 50 points in the first half
The Tigers aren’t taking their foot off the gas pedal. Manny Patterson throws a pretty 20-yard touchdown pass to Gio Jackson in the back of the end zone. Herrera adds the PAT. Massillon leads Hoover 49-7 with 20 seconds left in the half.
Massillon piling it on Hoover
Deontay Malone takes a short pass and goes 66 yards for a touchdown. Herrera adds the PAT. Massillon leads Hoover 42-7 with 1:49 left in the first half.
Massillon dominating Hoover
Manny Patterson finds a wide-open Jadyce Thigpen for a 21-yard touchdown pass. Herrera adds the PAT. Massillon leads Hoover 35-7 with 4:37 left in the second quarter.
Massillon stuffs Hoover on fourth down, scores on next play
A QB sneak by John Collins was stopped short on fourth-and-1, giving Massillon the ball at Hoover’s 46. Anthony McMullen Jr. breaks a tackle and goes 46 yards for a TD on the next play. Herrera adds the PAT. Massillon leads Hoover 28-7 with 8:17 left in the second quarter.
Massillon leads Hoover 21-7 after first quarter
The Tigers will have first-and-10 from their own 29 when the second quarter begins. Massillon making it look easy on offense right now.
Massillon defense scores this time
Noah Jenkins intercepts an overthrown ball from John Collins and returns it 25 yards for another Massillon score. Herrera adds the PAT. Massillon leads Hoover 21-7 with 3:11 left in the first quarter.
Massillon gets turnover, soon gains lead
The Vikings drove to Massillon’s 17, but Isaac Maxheimer intercepted a halfback pass from Jack Andes on fourth-and-6. The Tigers quickly went the other way, scoring on an 8-yard TD run by Savior Owens. Herrera adds the PAT. Massillon leads Hoover 14-7 with 5:07 left in the first quarter. A 56-yard hook-up from Manny Patterson to Gio Jackson keyed the drive.
Massillon with the quick answer
On their third play, the Tigers get it right back. Savior Owens squirts through a hole and runs 51 yards for a TD. Mateo Herrera adds the PAT. Massillon and Hoover are tied 7-7 with 10:26 left in the first quarter.
Hoover starts game with a bang
On the third play of the game, John Collins hits Jack Andes over the top and Andes pulls away from the Massillon for a 73-yard touchdown. David Wadley adds the PAT. Hoover leads Massillon 7-0 with 51 seconds into the game.
Massillon and Hoover are underway in this OHSAA football playoff game
The Vikings start on their 20 after a touchback.
Tonight’s captains for Massillon and Hoover
The captains for the Tigers are Savior Owens, Braylon Gamble, Deontay Malone, Eli Moore, Ja’Dyn Williams and Dayvionne Floyd. The captains for the Vikings are John Collins, Jack Andes, Aidan Kish, Carter Lukens and Jack Ziarko.
Hoover will receive the opening kickoff
Massillon won the coin toss and chose to defer.
Massillon vs. North Canton football series
The Tigers hold a 5-1 advantage on the Vikings all-time. The most recent meeting was a 48-23 Massillon home win in the second round of the 2020 playoffs. Hoover’s lone win in the series was 14-7 in a first-round home playoff game in 2008, which was the last time the Vikings advanced past the second round. If Hoover wins tonight, it would give the program its first double-digit win season since that 2008 campaign, when it went 12-2. Massillon has won 27 straight games against Stark County opponents, a streak that dates back to early in the 2016 season.
Massillon football offense vs. Hoover defense
The Tigers are led by junior RB Savior Owens (5-11, 210), who picked up an offer from Wisconsin earlier this season. Owens is 26 rushing yards from 1,000 and has scored 13 touchdowns. He runs behind a line that averages almost 270 pounds a man, anchored by junior center Dayvionne Floyd (6-2, 290). Senior TE Logan Allman (6-2, 240) and junior FB William Hymes (5-10, 220) also are big factors in the run game. Junior QB Manny Patterson has dangerous weapons to throw to in juniors Giorgio Jackson (6-4, 185) and Deontay Malone (6-0, 175). Malone had a fourth-quarter punt return TD to win the McKinley game. Hoover is led by senior LB Carter Lukens (5-11, 190), who has 50 more tackles than anyone else on his defense. He’s totaled 20 tackles for loss, five interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Fellow senior LB Chase Lukens (no relation) has 104 tackles, while DLs David Tully, Aaron Brubaker and Owen Williams have seven sacks each. Senior CB Carson Morris has five interceptions.
Hoover football offense vs. Massillon defense
The Vikings are led by Jack Andes (5-11, 175) — a Bowling Green baseball recruit and possibly the most explosive football player in the county. The senior wide receiver has 1,348 yards from scrimmage this season and 20 overall touchdowns. Senior Brycen Beyer has 23 receptions for 531 yards and five TDs. He also has two kickoff return TDs. Andes has one. Senior QB John Collins (6-3, 193) has thrown for 18 touchdowns and run for nine. Senior Jack Ziarko (6-4, 285), a Miami University recruit, anchors the Hoover line. Massillon is led by senior LB Ja’Dyn Williams (6-2, 205), an Indiana commit who has 40 more tackles than anyone on his defense. He has 11.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks and four fumble recoveries. Junior LB Isaac Maxheimer (6-1, 210) has 55 tackles, 6.5 for loss. DE Samuel Dossous (6-4, 220) has 8.5 TFLs and three sacks. Junior safety Braylon Gamble (6-2, 190) has three interceptions.
Up next for Hoover or Massillon in OHSAA playoffs: DeSales or Ashland
The winner of this quarterfinal gets the winner of No. 2 Columbus DeSales (8-2) and No. 7 Ashland (10-1). The higher seed will host that regional semifinal on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.
Massillon Tigers football scores, schedule
North Canton Hoover Vikings football scores, schedule
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: OHSAA football playoff scores, Massillon vs North Canton Hoover recap
Reporting by Josh Weir, Canton Repository / The Repository
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