Massillon Washington surges since loss to Warren Harding

The Tigers have won four straight entering Saturday's state semifinal.
By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
MASSILLON -- There will be more than one big game in the state of Ohio on Saturday.
One will be "The Game" and the other "The Rematch."
One will be at Ohio Stadium and the other at the Rubber Bowl.
But will one team have the advantage over the other since Warren Harding beat Massillon during the regular season?
"It doesn't matter," said Massillon coach Rick Shepas of any advantage or disadvantage the second time around since the Raiders' 31-27 victory at Mollenkopf Stadium in Warren on Oct. 19.
"Harding did a great job during the season," Shepas said. "They found ways to win."
In that game, sophomore Mario Manningham surprised the Tigers by scoring four touchdowns -- two via pass reception and one apiece on punt and kickoff returns.
Rolling
That loss dropped Massillon to 7-2 and kept Harding unbeaten at 9-0. Since that date, the Tigers have won four straight and the Raiders are rolling along at 13-0.
"Our guys dealt with our bumps in the road and we've kind of improved our question marks," Shepas said. "We feel good about the way we're playing and where we're at. We're blessed to have the opportunity because it's tough to get into the playoffs."
The coach seems especially pleased with the team's attitude now.
"I like our focus. I like the way we're practicing, I like the way the kids are conducting themselves off the field and I like our sportsmanship on the field. We prepare for every opponent with great respect -- whether it's Harding or Woodrow Wilson -- and that's something that took a long time to instill here."
Although Harding has had previously injured strong safety Prescott Burgess back the last few games, he didn't play against Massillon the first time.
Full strength
The Tigers, too, will have a little more help this time around.
Safety Markeys Scott and running back Terrance Roddy are back as is Max Shafer, the kicker who was disciplined a day before the Oct. 19 Harding game.
In addition to Roddy, others in Massillon's backfield will be Ricky Johnson, fullback Andy Zalalskains and quarterback Matt Martin.
Roddy and Johnson are halfbacks in the Tigers' gun no-huddle spread offense. Johnson was his team's leading rusher against the Raiders with 95 yards.
If the kicking game was a problem that night, Shepas has addressed it -- and more.
"We played good defense against the rush, but we didn't do well defending the three-step pass and we struggled, offensively, our first four possessions. We want to correct things. That's not indicative of the way we can play. We just want to come out and play four quarters of football."
Oct. 19, a day of close finishes -- when Ohio State beat Wisconsin, 19-14, when Harding beat Massillon by four points and when Barry Bonds homered in his first at-bat to help the Giants beat Anaheim, 4-3, in Game 1 of the World Series.
Nov. 24, the day after "The Rematch."
If only there were a crystal football.