Friday night’s high school football game between the Valdosta Wildcats and Massillon Tigers more than lived up to the hype of Tigertown vs Titletown in this long-awaited matchup. Two of the top 4 schools in all time win totals in the country faced off in game 1 of the Northeast Ohio vs America celebration this weekend in Stark County.
The parking was at a premium both outside and inside the stadium because it was a packed house with not many empty seats for this historic week 1 game. Valdosta had a small section in the center of the visitor side that traveled from their great state of Georgia only to be surrounded by the overflowing Massillon fans. Valdosta started the game out on fire by scoring 2 td’s in the 1st quarter to grab command of the game at 14-0. Their sideline was determined and saying they were going to show them what Georgia boys were all about.
The game seemed to turn in the 2nd quarter when Valdosta QB, Todd Robinson rolled right towards the Massillon sideline and after the play he came up hobbling with an apparent ankle injury. He did return to the game, but he wasn’t the same player the entire night and neither were his Wildcat teammates. Massillon took advantage of that in the 2nd quarter as their run game started to produce as the offensive line was noticing they could really start to lean on the talented Valdosta defense.
This trend continued into the 2nd half whereas the game grew long with flags all over the field the entire night one team looked more conditioned to break open the game and that team was the Massillon Tigers football program. The momentum swing started from play 1 of the 2nd half where Massillon QB Daone Owens scored on a 69-yard run and later with a 21-yard td run by Massillon RB Dorian Pringle the Tigers finally battled back to take the lead 21-14 near the end of the 3rd quarter. Valdosta scored a field goal but at no point during the 2nd half did Valdosta regain their swag that they carried during the opening quarter. Owens again ripped off a 65-yard td in the 4th to seal the victory for the Tigers by making it game over for a final score of Massillon 28 and Valdosta 17.
This was the best week 1 high school football game I have ever witnessed person. Both teams were well prepared by their excellent coaching and training staffs. Valdosta’s very talented and Division 1 recruit heavy roster just seemed to run out of gas. Maybe it was the travel of the week. A school administrator that i talked to pregame said they enjoyed their time visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame and their short time here in Ohio. To me that’s what it’s all about. Bringing people together in sport for events that will be unforgettable in their lifetime. Massillon impressed me enough from seeing them in the playoffs last year vs how they started last night that maybe just maybe this is the year that Tigertown hangs another state championship banner in Titletown, Massillon O-H-I-O. I didn’t look on my way out, but I bet that the Paul Brown statue just outside the stadium had a big smile on his face because of the way football was represented tonight.
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