MANSFIELD — The Tygers will face their biggest challenge yet.
Mansfield Senior, fresh off last week’s win over defending Division III state champ Canfield, will head for Stark County on Friday to tangle with Massillon at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The Tigers are 2-0, including a season-opening 28-17 win over Valdosta (Ga.) in a battle of two of the most storied high school football programs in the nation.
“The group we play this week is very talented,” Senior High coach Chioke Bradley told his team during Saturday’s film-study at Arlin Field. “We’re going to have to be better this week than we were the first two weeks.”
Mansfield Senior (1-1) at Massillon (2-0): The Tygers beat defending Division III state champ Canfield last week despite the absence of quarterback Duke Reese, who was nursing a wrist injury to his throwing (left) hand. Junior Nate Dismuke filled in admirably in Reese’s absence, completing 6-of-11 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns, 45- and 58-yarders to record-setting receiver Amarr Davis. The shifty senior caught five passes for 158 yards and sealed the win when he returned an onside kick 49 yards for a TD with 1:58 remaining. In two games, Davis has 10 catches for 288 yards and three scores. Senior High struggled to move the ball on the ground against Canfield, averaging just 1.7 yards per carry. Jamir Petty led the way against Canfield with 25 yards on nine attempts. Defensively, linebacker Maurice Bradley II leads the way with 20 tackles, including six tackles for loss and two sacks. Linebacker Isaiah Darson has 13 tackles.
Massillon quarterback DaOne Owens, a transfer from Copley, has rushed for 241 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries and completed 10-of-18 passes for 184 yards and three TDs in wins over Valdosta (Ga.) and Canton GlenOak. The Tigers scored three touchdowns on their first five plays against GlenOak as Owens tossed three TD passes, two to Jacques Carter. Massillon led GlenOak 35-0 after the first quarter. Linebacker Dorian Pringle forced two first-half fumbles.
Madison (0-2) at Ontario (2-0): The Rams struggled to move the ball in last week’s 42-0 loss at River Valley. Madison managed just 92 yards of total offense and turned the ball over twice. The Rams forced three turnovers, with defensive backs Grayson Sasis and Owen Wigton each coming up with interceptions.
The Warriors dominated in last week’s 35-0 win over Centerburg. Ontario piled up 439 yards of total offense while limiting the Trojans to 112 yards, forced four turnovers and possessed the ball for nearly 33 minutes. Quarterback Bodpegn Miller completed 10-of-18 passes for 154 yards while running back Chase Studer rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Through the first two weeks of the season Miller is 24-for-40 for 341 yards and a touchdown, while Studer ranks among Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference rushing leaders with 214 yards and three scores on 41 carries. Defensively, senior linebacker Trey Booker leads the way with 18 tackles and a pair of sacks.
Clear Fork (1-1) at Lexington (0-2): The Colts couldn’t get anything going offensively in last week’s 15-0 loss to Granville. Running back Luke Schlosser has carried the ball 43 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns in two games, while quarterback Mason Sansom has run for 86 yards on 22 carries. Schlosser ranks among Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference leaders with 29 tackles, while Dawson Staley and Evan Tahlmalwash each have 20 stops.
Lexington quarterback Joe Caudill rushed for a touchdown and threw for 173 yards, including a pair of touchdowns to wideout Carter Newman, but the Minutemen surrendered 50 points in last week’s loss at Shelby. Brayden Fogle had five catches for 88 yards in the loss.