No. 22 Massillon 16, No. 6 Canton McKinley 15: Fourth-down gamble pays off for Tigers

CANTON, Ohio – Aiden Longwell connected with Tre'Von Morgan on an 8-yard touchdown pass with just over six minutes to play to give Massillon a 16-15 win over Canton McKinley in the 128th playing of the rivalry at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium Saturday afternoon.

With Massillon, ranked 22nd in the cleveland.com top 25, facing a fourth down at the 8 and trailing by six, head coach Nate Moore decided to go for a touchdown instead of playing for a field goal and then trying to get the ball back.

“Thought about possibly playing for a field goal,” Moore said. “But how often do you get that close and have a chance like that? So we took a chance and the kids executed.”

Longwell dropped back and found a wide open Morgan in the left side of the end zone. It was a redemption play of sorts for Morgan, who had earlier dropped a potential TD catch. When Klay Moll’s PAT went through the uprights, Massillon held a 16-15 lead.

“I dropped one in the end zone and they told me to keep playing, so I kept playing,” Morgan said.  “They are a very good defense but I was wide open.”

Canton McKinley had a chance to regain the lead, but a 45-yard field goal attempt by Sam Snyder sailed wide left with 1:24 left. After a first-down run by Jamir Thomas, Massillon was able to go into victory formation.

The Bulldogs had taken the lead in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Josh Chandler and made it a 15-9 game with a successful two-point conversion. Massillon then went 72 yards in nine plays to score the game-winner.

Canton McKinley, the sixth-ranked team in the cleveland.com top 25, took the opening kickoff and drove 55 yards on 10 plays for a touchdown on Keyshawn Watson’s 13-yard run. Massillon also scored on its first drive, but settled for a 21-yard field goal by Moll after the Canton McKinley defense stopped a direct snap to Thomas on third down.

Watson returned the ensuing kickoff for an apparent touchdown, only to have it called back on a penalty. After that drive stalled, the Tigers took their first lead of the game at 9-7 in the second quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run by Thomas.

Longwell completed 11 of his 17 passes for 121 yards and Thomas was the workhorse for the Massillon offense, carrying the ball 42 times for 124 yards. Thomas was named the most valuable player of the game, which was part of the Great American Rivalry Series.

“He is so important to our offense,” Moore said. “We limited his snaps on defense because we needed him to be the horse on offense.”

For Canton McKinley, Chandler had 107 yards rushing on 17 carries, while Javon Lewis ran for 89 yards and Watson rushed for 33 yards.

The two teams will both continue their seasons next week when the Ohio High School Athletic Association playoffs begin with regional play on Friday, Nov. 3. According to Joeitel.com, Massillon (7-3) will host a regional quarterfinal, while Canton McKinley (8-2) will play their regional quarterfinal on the road. The official pairings and locations will be announced on Sunday.

Ryan Isley is a freelancer from Akron.