CANTON — The flavor of McKinley-Massillon week permeates the Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
The six-man class includes three McKinley standouts, two from Massillon, and one from GlenOak. The class features the following:
The Class of 2026 will be honored at a banquet Friday, Feb. 27, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ticket information will be coming soon. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour followed by dinner and the program at 6:30.
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Here’s a look at the Class of 2025.
Napolean “Nap” Barbosa, Canton McKinley
Barbosa was Stark County MVP for 1955 on the coaches’ all-county team.
He was the quarterback of a 10-0 Bulldogs team that outscored the opposition 396-40. In a 13-7 win over Massillon, he scored a touchdown on offense and also played end on defense. McKinley and Massillon finished 1-2 in the final statewide poll.
Barbosa also played on the 1954 team that went 8-2. He died in 2007.
Andrew Dailey, Massillon
Dailey was a force on defense, returning a fumble 80 yards for a touchdown as 2005 junior, and making a pick-six as a 2006 senior. He was a big, fast, versatile player who caught a 36-yard TD pass in a playoff win over Perry.
In the 2005 state semifinals, his sack of St. Edward QB Brandon Frohnapple factored heavily into a 21-17 win. He made first-team All-Ohio on defense in 2005 and ’06. He helped the Tigers play Cincinnati St. Xavier tough in the state title game before they lost 24-17.
The 6-foot-2 Dailey played both safety and linebacker over the course of his careers with Massillon and Penn State.
Ed Kinney, GlenOak
Kinney was a 6-3 tough guy who who began his junior year at defensive end in a close loss at Massillon. He became a fixture for head coach Bob Commings’ defense the next two years, amassing 16 sacks. He played both quarterback and receiver on offense.
His leadership as a high school player reflected the fact he was a coach’s son. His dad, also named Ed Kinney, was a respected GlenOak assistant.
Kinney went on to letter for three seasons at Harvard, where he was a captain in 1994.
Steve Miller, Canton McKinley
Miller was a defensive line standout whose three-year varsity career included wins over Massillon in 2009 and 2010. He played at an intimidating 6-4, 245 pounds, and made second-team All-Ohio in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Miller went on to Ohio State and played in parts of four different seasons. He was a senior starter in 2014 on a Buckeyes team that beat Michigan 42-28, routed Wisconsin 59-0 in the Big Ten Championship Game, and thumped Oregon 42-20 in the national championship game.
This Hall of Fame is based on high school play, but it bears noting that Miller prompted one of the greatest fan eruptions in Ohio State history on New Year’s Day 2015, in New Orleans.
Locked in a shootout with No. 1 Alabama in the third quarter, the Crimson Tide had the ball with a hope of driving to a lead. Smith intercepted Blake Sims and returned the ball 41 yards for a touchdown. The Buckeyes emerged with a 34-21 lead and wound up winning 42-35.
Kinta Mitchell, Canton McKinley
Mitchell became a tremendous two-way player as a bruising blocker and ball carrier on offense and as a linebacker on defense.
He was a key junior on the 1993 team that beat Massillon and reached the playoffs. As a 1994 senior, he scored four touchdowns in the 100th McKinley-Massillon game, a 42-41 overtime loss soon avenged in the regional semifinals, a 27-20 McKinley win.
He went on to play at Bowling Green.
Jerome Myricks, Massillon
Myricks began playing running back and defensive back as a sophomore. By his senior year of 1987, he was a threat to score any time he touched the ball.
In games against Altoona (Pennsylvania) and Barberton, his touchdown plays covered 34, 43, 50, 54 and 60 yards. The Tigers lost to McKinley, but Myricks ran 50 yards for a TD on one play and 145 yards overall. He rushed for 1,170 yards and averaged 21.3 yards on 12 catches as a senior.
Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame automatic finalists for next class
The five modern-era candidates who made the top 10 in voting for this class but were not elected are now automatic finalists for the next class. Those five are:
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame welcomes 6 new members
Reporting by Steve Doerschuk, Canton Repository / The Repository
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