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Yappi.com writer MASSILLON--The memories are still there from the four Perry-Massillon football wars. There was Rocky Dorsey's high-step into the end zone in a 1999 regular-season game. Four weeks later that same season, the Panthers played party crashers to the Tigers in the form of a 23-6 win at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The Panthers continued their brief mastery over the Tigers a season later in wearing down Massillon for a 31-17 win at Fawcett Stadium. Two years later, leave it to Max Shafer to give Massillon the last word between the two neighboring rivals in an ultra-decisive 23-21 playoff triumph. Four years later minus Keith Wakefield and Rick Shepas, both schools are still meeting each other on the football field under different head coaches. Only this time in scrimmages. And the results still belong to the Tigers as they used a 55-yard touchdown run from senior speedster Brian Gamble and two touchdown catches from receiver Michael Porrini to come away with a hard-fought 21-7 scrimmage win at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The scrimmage was the first of two for both teams. Next week, the Panthers take on Division IV power Youngstown Ursuline at Stambaugh Stadium while the Tigers hit the road to the alma mater of former Michigan standout football player Charles Woodson, Fremont Ross to challenge the Little Giants. Under third-year head coach John Miller, the Panthers got off to a surprising start early on. They used large gains on runs of 62 and 36 yards to power their running game. While running series of 10 plays on five possessions, the Panthers ran for a whopping total of 217 yards. That stat was enough to make Massillon coaches queasy but it surprised Miller and pleased him a bit. "How did we run for 217 yards running in 10 plays" he asked with a smile and a laugh. "We were running the ball very well. We are going to get better and better. We got some good blocking and execution up front." Last year in three games, Perry was led by the rushing of Tony DiCicco and Aaron Morris, who both had 100-yard games. As well as the running game was clicking, do not be surprised if the Panthers have the backs to go over 100 yards this season in games. As well as the Panthers ran the ball in the early going, Miller knows his team went up against a Massillon program that is at it's peak under second-year head coach Tom Stacy. Miller made his thoughts felt about the Tigers and they were for the best. "First of all, Massillon is a great program and they are a great team. They have great kids and a great program and Tom Stacy is a top-notch coach," he said. "They showed us different looks and different speeds tonight." "We will be seeing that all season." Massillon got off to a sluggish start early on as a proud and spirited Perry defense limited the powerful Tigers offense to just 23 yards through their first two possessions of 10-play series. It was enough to concern Stacy until two senior Tigers showed a glance of what they can bring to the 2006 edition of the Tigers. On the Tigers fifth possession of 10-play series, senior running back Brian Gamble brought the Massillon contingent to their feet as he took a hand off and sprinted down the right sideline following a key block from senior receiver Michael Porrini to give the Tigers an early 7-0 lead. Four plays later, Porrini snagged a beautifully thrown ball from quarterback Steve Ryder and beat two Panthers defenders over the middle for a 53-yard touchdown catch. "Gamble and Porrini are phenomenal playmakers. One of the things we have to do this year is to get the ball into the hands of those guys and let them make plays," Stacy said. "Those two can make plays once the ball is in their hands." Gamble added a 32-yard touchdown run to increase the Massillon lead. Perry converted on a fourth-and-goal inside the Massillon one-yard line to complete the scoring. Stacy wants to see his legion of Tigers improve but he was overall pleased with how the defending Division I state finalists performed in the first of two scrimmages. "I thought we had good work overall and it was a good scrimmage. We have a lot of improvements to make but we will see improvement," he said. However, he wasn't too compassionate about the success that Perry had running the ball. "The yards we allowed to them tonight is a concern. We didn't game plan for them and they just ran the ball well nor did we tackle well," he said. "And that is something we didn't do too good of a job of doing to end the season." Both coaches, Miller and Stacy, agree that this scrimmage along with next week's scrimmages are a barometer of what will come out of their teams. Miller admires the spirit and dignity his Panthers have always carried with them. "These young men have carried themselves well. They do what is asked of them and they are going to have fun this season," he said. "Next week against Fremont Ross, it will be a rehearsal for our upcoming game in week 1. We will be going through game situations and the ins and outs." Stacy said. "It will be the equal of a game." After four wars on the field, the Panthers and Tigers still found a way to renew their rivalry in the form of a scrimmage. |
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