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Massillon had to wait a year to get its revenge but it tasted as sweet as suger as the Tigers overcame 15 penalties to eliminate Marion Harding from the playoffs with a blowout 31-0 victory in front of a littel over 9,000 crazy fans at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. It was a payback of sorts for the Tigers, who lost a controversial 17-13 first round playoff decision to Marion Harding last playoff season in a game that also saw 15 penalties called on Massillon, including a holding flag that nullified what would have been the game-winning touchdown run by quarterback Justin Zwick in the final minute of play. Zwick threw for two touchdowns but it was his contributions to the running game that helped put Marion Harding away. The 6-foot-5, 221-pound senior rushed six times for 68 yards as Massillon amassed 415 yards of total offense against a Presidents defense sort of looked helpless at times. Some might say that mr.zwick had his best game ever as he took control of the game from the start. Robert Oliver led the high powered offense as he had 172 yards on 14 carries,the offensive totals for Massillion would read like this,243 rushing yards and 172 passing yards. It was the Tiger defense's best game of the season as Free safety Markeys Scott had two interceptions - including a perfectly timed pick deep in Massillon territory on Marion's first possession of the night - and outside linebacker Andy Alleman played like a beast as he help force Marion quarterback Adam Huddle to have 4 turnovers. Massillon took a 10-0 lead at halftime thanks to a David Abdul 27-yard field goal and a screen pass to Oliver that went for a 37 yard touchdown. Massillon all but put the final nail in the coffin on its first possession of the second half after David Hill recovered an onside kick at the Tiger 30,and the offense would go to work. Zwick would throw a pass that oliver would make a Randy Moss type catch on. The next play Zwick would gain 14 yards as he once again used his running skills to make it happened.Rickey Johnson would pound the middle of the Harding defense as he gianed 25 yards.Zwick would use his feet again getting the ball all the way inside the 10 giving the Tigers another 1st down.Johnson would score as a sweep to the left giving the home hero's a 16-0 lead,that went to 17 after the best kicker in the state David Abdul made the extra point. After another great defensive effort the Tiger's offense again would put a drive togater that saw Oliver get 33 yards on only 3 carries.Johnson would take his turn next getting 13 yards on 2 hard runs.then zwick a future Buckeye would find the soft handed Marquis Johnson who after catching the ball made a Emmit Smith type moved and scored. The score board would read after the extra point. Cody Smith would let the fat ladt sing as he picked off a pass with 4:18 left in the game,and doing his best Deon Sanders impression did not stop running until he hit pat dirt. DAVID (PLEASE GO TO OHIO STATE) ABDUAL would end the scoring with the extra point. newarkcatholicfan |