Massillon rides defense to first state title

CANTON — Mylen Lenix scored on a 6-yard run midway through the second quarter and the defense did the rest as Massillon Washington defeated Akron Hoban, 7-2, in the Division II state championship game on Nov. 30 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Massillon finishes the season a perfect 16-0 and wins its first OHSAA state championship game. Hoban, playing in its eighth state final since 2015, finished 13-2 and runner-up for the third straight year. The Tigers had infamously not won a state championship in the playoff era across 30 appearances since 1972. Massillon was voted state poll champs in its respective division 24 times from 1909-70 before the playoff format was implemented, including 13 AP poll titles from 1948-70. Norwalk native and Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown led the Tigers to six straight poll titles from 1935-40 before moving on to Ohio State. Massillon fell in the state title game six times, including three years in a row to Hoban and Cincinnati LaSalle from 2018-20. The defenses were the story of the night. Massillon entered the game averaging 40.7 points per game on offense, while Hoban was averaging 33.7 points per game. In the state final, however, the defenses forced a combined 11 punts and held the offenses to a combined 3.2 yards per play in the lowest scoring state championship game since 1995 when Clyde beat Chagrin Falls Kenston, 3-0, in a Div. III title game. The game drew 14,846 to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, the fourth largest crowd to watch a Division II state title game and the largest crowd for any state title game since 2018, when 16,213 watched Hoban defeat Massillon. DIVISION VI Kirtland 32, Versailles 15 Kirtland rushed for 311 yards and Will Beers returned a kickoff 90 yards for a score as the Hornets defeated Versailles, 32-15, in the Div. VI state championship game. Kirtland (15-1) becomes the ninth school with at least seven football state championships. All seven of Kirtland's titles have come since 2011. Versailles (13-3) finishes runner-up for the fourth time to go along with seven state titles of its own. AJ Griesdorn got Versailles on the scoreboard with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Michael Osborne just over a minute into the second quarter. Beers, however, returned the kickoff 90 yards — a Division VI championship game record— for another Kirtland touchdown to extend the Hornets' lead to 19-7. The kick return broke the record held by Norwalk native Jordan Wangler, who returned the opening kickoff 88 yards for St. Paul in the 1999 title game vs. Delphos St. John's, also played in Canton. DIVISION III Toledo C.C. 27, Columbus Watterson 7 Top-ranked Toledo Central Catholic's (16-0) defense forced three turnovers and the offense ran for 247 yards in a 27-7 win over No. 4 Columbus Bishop Watterson (14-2) in the Div. III state championship on Friday afternoon. The Fighting Irish defense limited the Eagles to -6 rushing yards (139 total yards), scored seven points off the three Bishop Watterson turnovers, totaled eight tackles for a loss and four sacks. Central Catholic senior running back Marquan Braswell led the Fighting Irish rushing attack with 22 carries, 169 yards and two touchdowns. 2023 marks the fifth state championship in Central Catholic's school history and the first back-to-back state title win for the Fighting Irish (beat Akron Hoban 28-21 in Div. II). Central Catholic outgained Watterson by 179 total yards (318-139) and won the time of possession battle (25:56-22:04). Collins went 7-for-11 with 71 passing yards, one touchdown and four rushing yards while Watson finished with on 12 carries, 41 rushing yards and a touchdown. Fighting Irish junior receiver Lavelle Stokes led the team in receiving with 16 yards. DIVISION I Lakewood St. Edward 31, Springfield 21 Sophomore Brandon White ran for 235 yards and three touchdowns to lead Lakewood St. Edward to a 31-21 win over Springfield in the Div. I state title game Friday night. St. Edward (15-1) wins its third straight state title and seventh overall, becoming the eighth school with at least seven football state titles and the 12th school to win at least three consecutive state titles. Springfield (10-6) finished runner-up for the third consecutive season. The teams combined for 42 first-half points before St. Edward's defense and dominant rushing attack took over the second half. After halftime, Springfield's offense was limited to 70 total yards on five possessions that ended in three punts and two turnovers. St. Edward, meanwhile, mounted two scoring drives in the fourth quarter to salt the game away. Kellen Moyer converted a 36-yard field goal with 6:54 left for a 24-21 lead, and White closed the scoring with a 3-yard run with 1:27 left. The Springfield-St. Edward matchup marked just the second time in OHSAA playoff history that two teams met in three consecutive state championship games. Coldwater and Canton Central Catholic played in three consecutive Division V title games from 2014-16. DIVISION VII Marion Local 38, Dalton 0 Maria Stein Marion Local's 48th consecutive win delivered its 14th football state title as the Flyers defeated Dalton, 38-0, in the Div. VII state championship game Saturday morning. Marion Local (16-0) won its third straight state title and 14th in 17 championship game appearances, all of which have come since 2000. The Flyers' 14 championships are the most of any school in the state of Ohio. Marion Local's 48-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the state and already ranks as the fourth longest in state history (including postseason games). The Flyers' last loss was in the 2020 regional finals to New Bremen. Dalton (13-2) — which defeated St. Paul (8-5) in the third round on Nov. 10 — was making its first appearance in a football state championship game. Marion Local scored four touchdowns three different ways and tacked on a field goal to build a 31-0 halftime lead. Marion Local's defense limited Dalton to 177 total yards and posted its fifth shutout in six postseason games. The Flyers allowed only seven total points in the six-game postseason. Attendance at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium was 6,331, the fifth-largest crowd in Div. VII championship game history. DIVISION V Perry 21, Liberty Center 14 No. 1 Perry (16-0) fended off No. 2 Liberty Center's (15-1) late comeback attempt to win the Div. V state championship game, 21-14, on Saturday afternoon. Liberty Center controlled the time of possession (29:40) in the game and had the same number of possessions as the Pirates (10). However, Perry outgained the Tigers, 437-275. The game saw three lead changes and two ties. With 3:23 left in the game, the Tigers took over and orchestrated a 14-play drive. However, the Tigers' comeback effort fell short, when Liberty Center turned the ball over on the Perry 17-yard line with 17 seconds left in the game. It marks Perry's first state championship in school history. DIV. IV Cle. Glenville 38, Kettering Alter 3 Cleveland Glenville used a dynamic offense and smothering defense to defeat Kettering Alter, 38-3, in the Div. IV state championship game Saturday night. Glenville (13-2) wins its second straight state title in its fourth appearance in a state final. Alter (12-4) finishes runner-up for the fourth time to go along with state titles in 2008 and 2009. Glenville scored touchdowns on each of its four first-half possessions, piling up 287 yards of offense, while limiting Alter to 51 yards on 13 plays in the first half. The Tarblooders led 26-3 after two quarters. Glenville finished the game with 461 total yards (254 rushing, 207 passing) on 63 offensive plays while surrendering just 130 yards (69 rushing, 61 passing) on 35 plays for Alter.