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Yappi.com writer Third in a series of five CANTON—For three years as a varsity quarterback and four years in high school overall, Ben McDaniels never had to experience the feeling of losing to archrival Massillon. It was 1998, my sophomore year and the first of three as a sports editor for the school newspaper that my views on McDaniels were all impressive. We are talking about a quarterback here that compiled a 27-3 record in 30 games played as a quarterback of the Canton McKinley Bulldogs. Big games are nothing new to McDaniels. This season, he returned to his storied alma mater as quarterbacks coach under fourth-year Canton McKinley head coach Brian Cross, who also doubles as the team’s offensive coordinator. Going 4-0 and never losing to Massillon is like 1991 Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard never experiencing the feeling of losing to Ohio State in his four years at the University of Michigan. Did going 4-0 over Massillon validate McDaniels career? It was an accomplishment but validated might be a bad word choice on my part as he led the Bulldogs to a state and national championship in 1997 under Thom McDaniels (his father) and 1998 under Kerry Hodakievic. “I don’t know if it’s validation to my high school career but it was a proud accomplishment in high school that we never lost to Massillon in high school and that is what I am proud of to have been part of a class that never lost to the Tigers,” he said via phone interview. “Not too many classes can go through four years without losing to Massillon.” The enjoyment of McDaniels getting the best of the Tigers began on a chilly November 1996 inside the confines of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Massillon entered the game at 9-0 and was ranked #1 in the state and high as #2 in the nation under Jack Rose. Canton McKinley needed a win to qualify for the playoffs, as before the 1999 season, the top four teams in their regions were the ones that qualified for the postseason. The Bulldogs strutted their stuff early and often and departed from an angry Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 21-0 winners over the Tigers. It only got better for the Bulldogs after that as the next year in front of 23,000 at Fawcett Stadium, they punched their ticket early to a 10-0 season by downing their archrivals once again, this time leading 27-7 after the first half on their way to a 27-14 win. But McDaniels feels that score should have been worse and he touched base on one Massillon rout going back to the 1991 season. “In 1997, we should have hammered them but we only won 27-14. I recall being disappointed after the game because in 1991, the Tigers won at Fawcett Stadium 42-13 and I remember Travis McGuire having a breakout game,” McDaniels said. McDaniels led the Bulldogs to their last win as seniors, winning once again inside the stadium that will host this year’s game 42-20. He eventually led the Bulldogs to their second state crown that year and compiled a record of 4-0 inside Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Bulldogs quarterback Dan Grimsley has given McDaniels shades of himself and his style of play. If anything, nothing would make Grimsley happier to leave that stadium along with his teammates as winners for the fourth time in five meetings over the Tigers. That would extend McDaniels streak of never losing to the Tigers. But that might mean dealing with the crowd noise, which will be off the decibels Saturday afternoon. “Paul Brown Tiger Stadium is a tough stadium to play in. The noise in that stadium is loud. You have to speak up loud and be heard in the huddle and not let the noise get to you,” McDaniels said. “You have to come into the game with a real focused mind. The game is a lot of fun but it’s even more fun when you win. There will be a lot of emotions in that game and this one Saturday. It will be competitive. You have to know your routes and your assignments. This game is like the Super Bowl.” Funny he mentioned the Super Bowl, because his older brother Josh McDaniels (a former Canton McKinley quarterback) was a member of three Super Bowl championships this decade with the New England Patriots…and two of those three postseasons, this young man had to endure watching him celebrate two conference titles over my longtime favorite team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both McDaniels brothers will get a pass on that. But back to Saturday’s 115th game…Ben McDaniels would love nothing more to be 5-0 against the orange and black after 4:20 p.m. >From the Massillon end of things, this game marks the beginning of the playoffs for the Tigers. But for Massillon natives Brian Pachis and Tim Menches, both gentlemen are well aware of this rivalry and not only have they played in the game, but they have coached in it. Pachis, a 1992 graduate of Massillon is the junior varsity head coach while Menches is a 1993 graduate of Massillon and serves in his third season as the head freshman coach. Setting the tone for this rivalry falls on the shoulders of Menches. The younger brother of former Massillon offensive tackle Tom Menches, Tim knows all too well about this rivalry having played as a strong safety. The highs and lows of this rivalry are greatly intense. Last season, the Massillon freshman team was 7-0-1 going into their season ending game against winless Canton McKinley. The game ended on a sour note for the Tigers as they walked off their home field in tears, their hopes of an unbeaten regular season swept under the rug 28-14. It was a loss no one saw coming. Heck, this writer didn’t even know Canton McKinley was winless until he found out in an interview with head coach Robert Pukansky afterwards. Massillon didn’t see this loss coming and from looking into the eyes of Tim Menches, it looked like he was nearly in tears. Disappointed? Yes. Close to tears? Not on his terms. “I was disappointed in the loss but I wasn’t about to cry. We were about ready to get back into that game having rallied from a 14-0 deficit. It would have been nice to end that season undefeated but we just came up short,” he said via phone interview. “No one saw that loss coming. I talk to my players all week about it but we have to play the game and play it hard. But sometimes, the better team gets knocked off.” That isn’t the first time something has happened like that. The 2002 freshman team entered the McKinley game undefeated but allowed a 70-yard-touchdown from quarterback Kyrk Freeman on a fourth down that sealed a 21-20 loss for the Tigers. But how times changed three years later as those men that started out as freshmen led the Tigers to a Division I state championship game appearance. Menches also serves as a world history teacher at Massillon. He is the kind of coach who wears his emotions on his sleeves. He is the kind of person a man of my stature would go to bat for in a heartbeat. Let’s not forget that Pachis also has been involved in this rivalry. Last season, his junior varsity Tigers team defeated Canton McKinley 16-8 as the Bulldogs picked up four 15-yard penalties, three of those on late hits as Robb Maylor kicked a 23-yard-field goal to ice the game for the Tigers. Players that want to play at Massillon against Canton McKinley know not to lose their composure. A loss of that will lead to players being yanked from a game and being disciplined. “We told our kids on that last drive to keep their composure. There will be emotions in this contest and we told them to keep their composure,” Pachis said of last year’s game via phone. Composure will be a vital asset Saturday afternoon as the teams hook up for the 115th meeting. For Massillon, this week begins the playoffs for them. But you might as well call it a state championship game if you want to get even more serious. They are sitting at 5-4 and have played a tough schedule while Canton McKinley has had the luxury of being 9-0 and two-time Federal League champions. The Bulldogs have had nothing but royalty given to them and they are the kind of team that sleeps on a silky smooth bed while Massillon has had to fight for everything and have slept on a bed full of rough edges. Sometimes, this person wonders could this game be reminiscent of the second fight between Roy Jones and Antonio Tarver. It was two years ago that Tarver’s overhand left transformed Roy Jones from a tough steel beam to broken shards in less than two rounds. Could that happen to Canton McKinley? Hey, this is a rivalry and both the Bulldogs and Tigers will both agree with one thing: records be damned. “Last year’s playoff win over Canton McKinley was very important because it lets us know going into Saturday’s game that we can play with them and that was huge after the (butt) whipping we took in week 10 last year,” Pachis said. “My senior year was an important year. To win at Fawcett Stadium like we did with Travis McGuire running for 305 yards was huge.” Menches was not as fortunate as his senior year the Tigers lost a close contest to the Bulldogs. “I wish I could have that last game back but you just have to deal with it and move on. I still think about that game,” he said. This game is a dangerous game for the Tigers. But in a program like Massillon, you thrive off these situations. That also goes for Canton McKinley. This is a game that everyone in Stark County looks forward to and as McDaniels said, it is like the Super Bowl. People are quick to ask this writer who will I side with for the big game. On one side, it is expected that my leads will take me to Canton McKinley given that is where my prep roots are. On the other side, Massillon fans expect me to take their side given that my presence has been felt in the city the last two years. If it’s any consolation, this individual doesn’t have to feel that pressure once inside the Luther Emery press facility. Once that suit and tie go on my body, even a person like me has to keep a level head. And keeping a level head is just the beginning according to Menches and Pachis. “You want to stay focused and stay free of distractions. You have to focus on your job,” Menches said before adding a special nugget. “Everyone knows about Canton McKinley players stomping on the ‘M’ logo two years ago. If they want to try and do that, we will protect it and we will do it the right way.” “You want to do your job in this game and not worry about what others have to say. Work hard in practice and listen to your coaches. But you also want to enjoy the game,” Pachis said. At least this Saturday, I will be taking the advice of one McKinley graduate and two Massillon graduates with me Saturday inside the Luther Emery pressbox at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Tomorrow: Gospel group features Canton McKinley graduates that love their Bulldogs, win or lose. |
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