That just does not line up with reality. The last Massillon-Big Red contract ran out in 2015. Arguably the two best Big Red teams of the last decade were in 2016 and 2017, the two years following the contract ending. Suffice to say 2016 and 2017 were not banner years for Massillon. If Big Red were cherry-picking its best teams to pit against average to below average Massillon teams, those years would have been pretty obvious (and it was obvious for years in advance that those Big Red teams were going to be really good).
I just took a quick look at the years we've played since the renewal of the series ...
2009: Big Red 13-3
2010: Massillon 28-7
2011: Big Red 24-7
2012: Massillon 24-7
2013: Massillon 37-21
2014: Massillon 26-13
2015: Big Red 48-21
If anything, from a talent perspective, the years from 2012-14 was probably the worst stretch of teams Big Red has had in the last 20 years. In that three year span, Big Red lost 12 regular season games.
Then, in the three years immediately following (when the contract with Massillon ran out), Big Red's record was a combined 41-3 with three straight state title game appearances and one title.
Just doesn't pass the smell test. I'd say of the seven times we've played recently, only two of the Big Red teams would be considered "good" for our standards... 2011 and 2015.
Again, I'd love to see the series restarted. This year and last year, Massillon would've been big favorites. In 2016-17, Big Red would've been big favorites. That is the sign of a good rivalry.
Oh, and Ignatius probably wouldn't happen primarily because they have an enrollment of over 1,500 boys and Big Red has an enrollment of a little over 300. They're five times our size. lol