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| The entrance gates of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on a Friday night game in August/2023. (Photo: Gene Simmons/Ohsfbmedia.com) |
MASSILLON, Ohio - The Tigers of Massillon have done it, simply put, they got the monkey off their back by capturing the OHSAA Div. II State Championship on a not-so-normal November night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in front of what looked like their whole community.
For so long, many doubted that this would happen to a program rich in tradition and has national attention year in and year out, but it happened, a close victory over what many perceive to be a rival when it comes to playoffs over the last few years. The Akron Archbishop Hoban Knights, who won State crowns from 2015-2018 and again in 2020 (vs. Massillon).
Massillon Head Coach Nate Moore, who is the football program's winningest coach in history surpassing the legendary Paul E. Brown who was hired in 2015 to lead the program back to prominence, simply put bring a championship to Massillon Ohio after winning a state title the year before at Cincinnati LaSalle so the writing was on the table did Massillon get their guy?
Moore's first season at the helm was a losing season, going 4-6 and did not qualify for the postseason, and a loss to arch rival Canton McKinley, so in the minds of those who followed Massillon football, was this the right hire? Many wondered. Following the 2015 season, Moore would have to pull a rabbit out of his hat if the 2016 campaign would resemble the previous season to much anticipation, the Tigers finished 8-3, making the playoffs, and losing in the first round to Dublin Scioto.
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| Logo courtesy/Massillontigers.com |
After the 2015 season, Moore and company never saw a losing season in his tenure leading up to his state title win going 10-4 (2017), 14-1 (2018) loosing state title game to none other than the Knights of Archbishop Hoban, so close, but the title eluded them again, (2019) again Moore takes his team to an undefeated regular season and making the state title game again. Only to lose to his former program, Cincinnati LaSalle, once again, the title eluded them.
2020 was an unusual year because of the pandemic, although going 10-2 and making another state title run and having the privilege to host it on their home field, the results were still the same; the title eluded them, being defeated by none other than the Knights of Archbishop Hoban. The 3rd consecutive year coming up empty, so again, many speculated about Moore winning the big one, considering the wins that he was piling up along the way.
2021 was no different than previous seasons going 11-3 winning key games heading for a deep run in playoffs, but this year the train stopped in the regional finals with an unusual loss to Federal League foe the Green Bulldogs at Mansfield Arlin Field many questioned the officiating that particular game but once again the state title had eluded them once again.
The 2022 season had the same feel. Massillon was primed to run the tables again for another shot at that elusive state title, going (12-2), but again losing to those pesky Archbishop Hoban Knights in the State Semi-finals at Akron Infocision Stadium, another season where the State title eluded the Tigers.
Finally, in 2023, the mighty Tigers of Massillon opened up the season with a victory over a well-known high school program, the Wildcats of Valdosta, and a week five win over, at the time 3-time state champion, the Eagles of Lakewood St. Edward. This had to be a sign that this could finally be the year the Tigers get that so elusive State Championship trophy, going undefeated again in the regular season and a strong playoff push would land them in the State Title game once again against a familiar foe in the Archbishop Hoban Knights. The stage was set.
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| Logo courtesy/Massillontigers.com |
The 2023 edition of the Massillon Tigers was different than that I have seen in previous years, a very balanced team with a lot of intention and purpose. I personally covered week one, week five, and the first round of playoffs versus Westerville South.
Massillon dominated the better part of the season, putting running clocks on 11 opponents and dominating throughout the playoffs. It had to be the year of the Massillon Tigers, being led by Senior QB DaOne Owens and senior linebacker and Bowling Green commit Dorian Pringle (who was questionable for the game due to injury suffered in the first round of playoffs). He suited up and put on for the city.
Well, folks, what we thought was impossible turned out to be possible after a grueling defensive battle that produced only 9 total points for a championship game. The Massillon Tigers captured that elusive state championship trophy that had eluded them for so many years, finally landing on 1 Paul E. Drive SE, under the guidance of none other than Nate Moore, who will forever be etched in the proud and tradition-rich history of the Massillon Tigers, and because of this, you now have 25 state championships.
**This article was originally published on July 23, 2024, and has been updated and edited to enhance reader engagement**
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