OH-Fan-2015
Well-known member
I will be at this game as well. Anyone know where the best place to sit is in the stadium?
DIV 2 STATE FINAL Massillon 15-0 vs Akron Hoban 13-1
- Thread starter Massillon#82
- Start date
- Status
Oil Filter
Well-known member
Home side gold seats. Which I think are sold out.
Massillon#82
Well-known member
Anywhere but the away side with the stage poles in the way.
Mtowntiger0789
Well-known member
what's so special about the seats? Just curious
Mtowntiger0789
Well-known member
reason I'm asking is I've not sat there before and those are the tickets I got
underthelights
Well-known member
I mean, there had to be a better design, right? First time I watched a game there I thought the stadium's away seating was still under construction or something.Anywhere but the away side with the stage poles in the way.
topher
Member
The gold seats are padded and you also have the indoor area to get warm and your own concession stand and bathrooms.
Massillon#82
Well-known member
They used to take all of the stage down and now they just leave it up and not only does it look ridiculous but the poles are right in the line of sight to watch the game. It’s a concert facility that has a football field not the other way around.
firewatch
Well-known member
The away side was built specifically for concerts and the HOF induction ceremony. They made sure not to build it to high so you could see the top part of the HOF rotunda from the home side. The stage canopy is designed to be removed and the stage has roll out seating like most basketball arenas have. They have just chosen to leave that canopy up and not put the seats where the stage is located. It makes for horrible site lines on the visitors side.
firewatch
Well-known member
I bet you played on that 89 Walsh team, Explains the saltiness. LOL!! So close to beating Massillon but you learned the game is 4 qtrs not 2.
Just posted a Massillon-Hoban game preview on my social media. It's long, but if you like my posts on here, I think that you'll like this...
Thursday @ 7 PM: Division II
Massillon (15-0) vs. Archbishop Hoban (13-1)
At the very worst, this year's Massillon squad is, in my humble opinion, the best team that I’ve seen Harding play since the ‘97 Canton McKinley Bulldogs, who went that entire season wire to wire as the USA Today’s top ranked team in the nation. Coached by the legendary Thom McDaniels, three Bulldogs from that squad eventually made it to the NFL by way of Ohio State in Kenny Peterson, Jamar Martin, and the one that every old school Harding fan should definitely remember, Mike Doss. That doesn't include running back DeMarlo Rozier, who rushed for 97 yards & 1 TD on 18 carries in McKinley's 30-9 victory against Harding that year en route to being a First Team All-Ohio selection. He went on to play college football at Kent State.
Just mentioning this year's Tigers in the same breath as the 1997 USA Today national champs is extremely high praise, but under the direction of Coach Nate Moore, they are absolutely loaded at every position. So much so that despite one of their best defensive players, Bowling Green commit Dorian Pringle, sitting out last week’s Division II state semifinal vs. Cincinnati Anderson, Massillon still triumphed 55-7.
Senior defensive end Chase Bond, an NC State commit, picked up the slack with 7 tackles (4 for a loss), 3 sacks, and a 51-yard interception return for a touchdown against Anderson. Linebacker Cody Fair, the Tigers' leader with 72 tackles this season, registered 6 tackles (2 for a loss) and a sack. That level of domination has been present throughout their entire season as ten of their 15 games have ended with a running clock (30-point mercy rule), which doesn’t even include every game that they actually triggered one. In total, the Tiger defense has only surrendered 107 points in 15 games (7.1 PPG).
Throughout the 2000's, Archbishop Hoban was a solid program that featured some great talent. They often played against larger and/or more elite schools, which resulted in occasional lumps being taken. In fact, every Steel Valley Conference team from back then (Harding, Austintown Fitch, Boardman, Cardinal Mooney, and Youngstown Ursuline) recorded at least one double-digit victory over the Knights. That trend was capped off by Mooney's dominant 34-0 victory at Hoban in 2007.
While games from that long ago may seem irrelevant now, Hoban spending those years raising the expectations of their program was the first step. After the hiring of current head coach Tim Tyrell in January of 2013, the final piece of the puzzle was put into place as things would eventually snowball into the juggernaut that started to come to fruition in 2015. That year, Hoban won their first ever state championship, which came in Division III. The Knights didn’t stop there as they went on to add additional state crowns in 2016, 2017, 2018, & 2020. Within that time frame, the OHSAA adopted a “competitive balance” policy, which fwiw I absolutely hate everything about (whole different topic), that bumped Hoban up to Division II in 2017. As you can see, it didn’t affect the Knights’ takeover at all as they’ve cemented themselves as a one of the more elite football programs in not only all of Ohio, but the entire country.
If you need an illustration, look no further than their starting linebacker core as seniors Rickey Williams (West Virginia) and Devin Bell (Miami of Ohio) along with junior Eli Lee (Ohio State) are all committed to FBS schools. They'll look to limit a Massillon offense that has scored 611 points this season, an average of 40.7 points per game. The Knights' main focus will be to limit the production of Tiger quarterback DaOne Owens, who has accounted for 2,770 yards & 33 touchdowns worth of total offense while only throwing three interceptions.
Junior quarterback Jalen Slaughter has also made his presence felt as he's 34-of-60 for 685 yards with 9 touchdowns & 4 interceptions. Their favorite targets have been Braylyn Toles (45 catches for 614 yards & 8 TDs), Jacques Carter (39 catches for 784 yards & 7 TDs), and Emy Louis Jr. (14 catches for 364 yards & 7 TDs). Ja'Meir Gamble is the Tigers' second leading rusher as he's compiled 945 yards & 5 touchdowns on 138 carries.
Hoban's secondary will be headlined by sophomore cornerback Elbert Hill, who already has FBS offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Colorado, etc. He'll be shadowed by senior free safety and Central Michigan commit Tysen Campbell.
Offensively, the Knights are led by junior quarterback Tylan Boykin, who will look to utilize his speedy weapons in Hill, Jaylen Hightower, and sophomore Payton Cook. Among his big hogs protecting him up front include Tennessee commit William Satterwhite and sophomore Sam Greer, who already holds offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Florida, Miami, etc.
While all 24 of Massillon’s state titles came prior to the playoff era (pre 1972), there's only a select few schools that have legit "bragging rights" over them. While Harding's all-time record of 25-60-3 against the Tigers severely limits their involvement in that conversation, the Raiders' 21-20 (OT) triumph over Massillon in the 2002 Division I state semi final still haunts Massillon faithful to this day as they would've matched up very well with eventual state champion Cincinnati Elder. Over the years, the Tigers' main "kryptonite" has been Cleveland St. Ignatius (2-12 all time) & Cincinnati Moeller (2-11 all-time).
Overall, this is Massillon's seventh appearance in the OHSAA state championship game and to date, they're ranked third in the country for all-time wins with 947. A win tomorrow night vs. Hoban would not only give them their first state playoff title, but it'd tie them with Louisville (KY) Male High School for second all-time with 948 wins. Either way, they're in a good position to surpass Valdosta's (GA) 952 wins as early as next year.
Unlike their counterpart, Hoban doesn't have 100+ years of dominance under their belt. However, under Coach Tyrell, they're currently in the midst of a nine-year run that's only rivaled by a select few schools in Ohio. They have a program that, despite not winning a state title since 2020, is well inside the "dynasty" category. The coaching staff is elite and their players have fully bought into what they're being taught, which is to strive to be the absolute best regardless of who they're lined up across. To date, they're 3-2 all-time against Massillon, which includes a 3-1 record since 2018. With Thursday set to be one of the warmest days this week, expect a huge crowd at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium for one of the premiere high school football matchups in the entire country this year.
Good luck to both teams!
Thursday @ 7 PM: Division II
Massillon (15-0) vs. Archbishop Hoban (13-1)
At the very worst, this year's Massillon squad is, in my humble opinion, the best team that I’ve seen Harding play since the ‘97 Canton McKinley Bulldogs, who went that entire season wire to wire as the USA Today’s top ranked team in the nation. Coached by the legendary Thom McDaniels, three Bulldogs from that squad eventually made it to the NFL by way of Ohio State in Kenny Peterson, Jamar Martin, and the one that every old school Harding fan should definitely remember, Mike Doss. That doesn't include running back DeMarlo Rozier, who rushed for 97 yards & 1 TD on 18 carries in McKinley's 30-9 victory against Harding that year en route to being a First Team All-Ohio selection. He went on to play college football at Kent State.
Just mentioning this year's Tigers in the same breath as the 1997 USA Today national champs is extremely high praise, but under the direction of Coach Nate Moore, they are absolutely loaded at every position. So much so that despite one of their best defensive players, Bowling Green commit Dorian Pringle, sitting out last week’s Division II state semifinal vs. Cincinnati Anderson, Massillon still triumphed 55-7.
Senior defensive end Chase Bond, an NC State commit, picked up the slack with 7 tackles (4 for a loss), 3 sacks, and a 51-yard interception return for a touchdown against Anderson. Linebacker Cody Fair, the Tigers' leader with 72 tackles this season, registered 6 tackles (2 for a loss) and a sack. That level of domination has been present throughout their entire season as ten of their 15 games have ended with a running clock (30-point mercy rule), which doesn’t even include every game that they actually triggered one. In total, the Tiger defense has only surrendered 107 points in 15 games (7.1 PPG).
Throughout the 2000's, Archbishop Hoban was a solid program that featured some great talent. They often played against larger and/or more elite schools, which resulted in occasional lumps being taken. In fact, every Steel Valley Conference team from back then (Harding, Austintown Fitch, Boardman, Cardinal Mooney, and Youngstown Ursuline) recorded at least one double-digit victory over the Knights. That trend was capped off by Mooney's dominant 34-0 victory at Hoban in 2007.
While games from that long ago may seem irrelevant now, Hoban spending those years raising the expectations of their program was the first step. After the hiring of current head coach Tim Tyrell in January of 2013, the final piece of the puzzle was put into place as things would eventually snowball into the juggernaut that started to come to fruition in 2015. That year, Hoban won their first ever state championship, which came in Division III. The Knights didn’t stop there as they went on to add additional state crowns in 2016, 2017, 2018, & 2020. Within that time frame, the OHSAA adopted a “competitive balance” policy, which fwiw I absolutely hate everything about (whole different topic), that bumped Hoban up to Division II in 2017. As you can see, it didn’t affect the Knights’ takeover at all as they’ve cemented themselves as a one of the more elite football programs in not only all of Ohio, but the entire country.
If you need an illustration, look no further than their starting linebacker core as seniors Rickey Williams (West Virginia) and Devin Bell (Miami of Ohio) along with junior Eli Lee (Ohio State) are all committed to FBS schools. They'll look to limit a Massillon offense that has scored 611 points this season, an average of 40.7 points per game. The Knights' main focus will be to limit the production of Tiger quarterback DaOne Owens, who has accounted for 2,770 yards & 33 touchdowns worth of total offense while only throwing three interceptions.
Junior quarterback Jalen Slaughter has also made his presence felt as he's 34-of-60 for 685 yards with 9 touchdowns & 4 interceptions. Their favorite targets have been Braylyn Toles (45 catches for 614 yards & 8 TDs), Jacques Carter (39 catches for 784 yards & 7 TDs), and Emy Louis Jr. (14 catches for 364 yards & 7 TDs). Ja'Meir Gamble is the Tigers' second leading rusher as he's compiled 945 yards & 5 touchdowns on 138 carries.
Hoban's secondary will be headlined by sophomore cornerback Elbert Hill, who already has FBS offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Colorado, etc. He'll be shadowed by senior free safety and Central Michigan commit Tysen Campbell.
Offensively, the Knights are led by junior quarterback Tylan Boykin, who will look to utilize his speedy weapons in Hill, Jaylen Hightower, and sophomore Payton Cook. Among his big hogs protecting him up front include Tennessee commit William Satterwhite and sophomore Sam Greer, who already holds offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Florida, Miami, etc.
While all 24 of Massillon’s state titles came prior to the playoff era (pre 1972), there's only a select few schools that have legit "bragging rights" over them. While Harding's all-time record of 25-60-3 against the Tigers severely limits their involvement in that conversation, the Raiders' 21-20 (OT) triumph over Massillon in the 2002 Division I state semi final still haunts Massillon faithful to this day as they would've matched up very well with eventual state champion Cincinnati Elder. Over the years, the Tigers' main "kryptonite" has been Cleveland St. Ignatius (2-12 all time) & Cincinnati Moeller (2-11 all-time).
Overall, this is Massillon's seventh appearance in the OHSAA state championship game and to date, they're ranked third in the country for all-time wins with 947. A win tomorrow night vs. Hoban would not only give them their first state playoff title, but it'd tie them with Louisville (KY) Male High School for second all-time with 948 wins. Either way, they're in a good position to surpass Valdosta's (GA) 952 wins as early as next year.
Unlike their counterpart, Hoban doesn't have 100+ years of dominance under their belt. However, under Coach Tyrell, they're currently in the midst of a nine-year run that's only rivaled by a select few schools in Ohio. They have a program that, despite not winning a state title since 2020, is well inside the "dynasty" category. The coaching staff is elite and their players have fully bought into what they're being taught, which is to strive to be the absolute best regardless of who they're lined up across. To date, they're 3-2 all-time against Massillon, which includes a 3-1 record since 2018. With Thursday set to be one of the warmest days this week, expect a huge crowd at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium for one of the premiere high school football matchups in the entire country this year.
Good luck to both teams!
Last edited:
pup pounder
Well-known member
Anybody know the parking costs?
tigertowner
Member
Parking is 10$. Parking opens 2 hours before game. I just haven’t found anywhere that states when the stadium gates open
OBIE-WON-PIEROGI
Well-known member
Waiting to board my flight from Orlando to Cleveland.
TIG!
TIG!
clarkgriswold
Well-known member
Worm02 should be granted Yappi legend status.
pup pounder
Well-known member
ERS !
Even Spectrum News ( in partnership with the OHSAA) says Massillon is looking for their 1st state title……..it’s in the news so it’s gotta be true
Attachments
This is the kiss of death!
tigertowner
Member
Very well worth the read worm. Thanks for the effort you put into this. TIG and good luck to your raiders next year.
Oil Filter
Well-known member
Anyone else notice that the frequency of posts has decreased and the heat in those posts has been turned down as the game is getting closer?
I’m going to have to disagree hard with this comment. Massillon and Hoban are mirror images of each other with the recruiting, weight room, facilities (excluding the indoor, but Hoban still could get one). Anyone can coach the best players in the area. I’m not saying they aren’t good coaches, but they are not working with completely raw materials on the sideline.
As much as I dislike Winkler’s game day antics, I don’t think there is a better HS strength coach in the area.
Attachments
Tigerbeat2023
Member
I believe parking in $10. Sometimes you can get a spot for $5 in someone's yard.
Hoban couldn’t care less who the opponent is, they just want to win. Not everyone “gets up” for Massillon like you think.
I do agree with your second point, though: running power with a limited passing game will not get it done, as it has not in the past. Owens is the difference in this game. He needs to show out tomorrow night, and if he does, Massillon finally gets it done.
Oil Filter
Well-known member
WW was the superior team that day.
No, they don’t, but if you believe it, it’s not a lie.
Hoban to Massillon…
The Infidel
Well-known member
Well let’s hope Hoban’s coaching staff attended a few clinics this past year for their sake…
Mtowntiger0789
Well-known member
GO TIGERS
- Status