MP News: Tigers need to recapture the magic

[MP News Bot]

Critical game against St. Ignatius on Saturday

Read the story HERE... (http://www.massillonproud.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?id=1190945666)

Comments Welcome!

[Obie Wan]

"continue toward mediocrity"? Damn, dude.

[ChronicTiger]

"continue toward mediocrity"? Damn, dude.

yes...the article killed my buzz a couple times.

:cylon:

[TigerVic]

I usually enjoy TigerDon's articles, but this one was unnecessarily depressing. I don't think the losses to Whitmer, Solon, and Normandy (and others since 2004) can be attributed AT ALL to declining enrollment, etc. (and I'm sure fans might eventually and mistakenly lump the Mentor game in that category as the years erode last week's game).

However, I don't think this is the appropriate time to dredge up the real reasons again.

If anything, I hope the article is meant to fire up the Tigers who might be reading it.

BEAT IGNATIUS!!

[Tiger Don]

Fire up, exactly. But it's hard to hide behind the stats.

[Tiger Flame]

Tiger Don-great article as you point out the realism of our situation. A lot of tiger fans want to bury their head in the sand and not face up to the reality of where we are at with the program. Just because you give the facts about this situation does not mean that you are not supporting the tigers but we have most people with blinders on and will not face it and they get mad at people who does and say they are being negative. I love the tigers and if I had my way then we would never lose a game but it is time to face up to this situation as where we are at now ! It has been 37 years sense we won the State Title and what has changed ? We used to be the top or near the top ,all the time and what has changed ? The facts speak for themselves and realism sets in for those who have a open mind. I hate the fact that this is happening but I am not blind to it like most posters on this forum. How many of you will blast me for facing up to the facts and the truth of of this situation ? GO TIGERS BEAT IGGY

[TigerVic]

I don't think the losses against Whitmer, Solon, and Normandy were part of a general decline (Which there has been to some extent- I'm not burying my head in the sand). There were other major reasons for those specific losses, reasons that have been discussed on TTT ad nauseum but that we shouldn't get into at this moment. Let's just say that this specific 2007 Tiger team should not be 2-3 at this time- more like 4-1 or 5-0, no matter what our enrollment is.

We saw some sparks of the magic last Friday. Let's open it to a full flame Saturday night!!

[Tiger Flame]

I totaly agree with you Vic on the 4-1 record but because we walk such a fine line now with this situation, we have to be doing just about every thing right with our program or we will lose games. We don,t have the depth because of numbers like we use to have and therefore we are not as good and struggle with programs who have this advantage and the problem is not going to go away. We are one of the smallest Division 1 schools in the state and we do a great job with what we have but it has been 37 years sense a title and it is not going to get easier. Thats a fact and we have to face it. In order for us to have any chance to meet this challenge then our feeder system must be under outstanding supervision and we must have a coach who stays on top of this and has proven credentials that he will develope our athletes on speed and size and motivation. This will be our ony chance to stay competitive with the larger schools. There is no other way ! GO TIGERs BEAT IGGY

[pyromaniac]

To do as you suggest, we need to drop the change the coach every 3-5 years mentality and get someone in here for the long haul.

[Mass6]

To do as you suggest, we need to drop the change the coach every 3-5 years mentality and get someone in here for the long haul.

And someone that only wants to coach High School Football, not looking to go to the next level from here (Jason Hall or Thom McD come to mind). Hopefully we need not worry of this and we have Coach Stacy for a very long time!!!! Good Luck Tigers, let's only worry about executing on Saturday night and silence all the critics!!!!!

[Obie Wan]

But it's hard to hide behind the stats.
I don't think it's a question of whether the facts are accurate - it's a question of timing and presentation.

[massillon catholic]

Look at Mooney's enrollment and they beat Mentor. The enrollment angle is a farce!

[ChronicTiger]

Look at Mooney's enrollment and they beat Mentor. The enrollment angle is a farce!

private school isnt it.....not a good comparison...

[Tiger Flame]

When you are a private school and being able to draw from a large area, you cannot compare. The QB. for Iggy is from Willoughby and that is a long way from the high school. Another obstacle for public schools to overcome. GO TIGERS BEAT IGGY

[massillon catholic]

When you are a private school and being able to draw from a large area, you cannot compare. The QB. for Iggy is from Willoughby and that is a long way from the high school. Another obstacle for public schools to overcome. GO TIGERS BEAT IGGY

We can still draw from all bording schools via open-enrollment and we got Torrence. Sorry, I don't buy the declining enrollment and never have. Its always used by a coach and their supporters whenever a team isn't doing good. Didn't hear a damn thing about it in 2005.

[c1john]

I too found this to be a depressing article and not the best timing for it. I always have the fear that the Tigers as I have known them will cease to exist. If it does happen, I probabaly won't be here to see it so that comforts me. However, having said that, we have an amazing program coming to Massillon called Dream and we may be surprised how that may help us. Massillon is still doing some growing- we need to improve our state school rating because that is what people look at when they decide where to send their kids- I believe our program is alive and well and we should look to the future with hope and pride. Go Tigers Beat Iggy

[massillon catholic]

I too found this to be a depressing article and not the best timing for it. I always have the fear that the Tigers as I have known them will cease to exist. If it does happen, I probabaly won't be here to see it so that comforts me. However, having said that, we have an amazing program coming to Massillon called Dream and we may be surprised how that may help us. Massillon is still doing some growing- we need to improve our state school rating because that is what people look at when they decide where to send their kids- I believe our program is alive and well and we should look to the future with hope and pride. Go Tigers Beat Iggy

I agree that D.R.E.A.M. provides for an exciting future. I believe that before the completion of the project we need to hire a energetic young coach (preferably from Massillon) to lead the football program for many many years. The days of hiring a new coach every 3-5 years are over. We need a coach that is committed to Massillon all the way down to the grade school level.

[football49]

Does anyone have the score on the Mass and Iggy game? Please!

[Drbord]

I don't buy the declining enrollment excuse either. This declining enrollment drivel has been around for many years. We can play with any team in the nation and we can win. We've got the best kids, the best program and the best support of any school around. I've seen a lot of great high school football in other parts of the country and nothing compares to a Massillon game and watching the Tigers. They play harder and hit harder than anybody!! I agree with MC, you didn't hear this kind of talk in 2005. We may not dominate every teamevery week like we did in the 40's, 50's & 60's but we still are the premier team in the country. They might have numbers but football is in our blood and that makes a tremendous difference.

Go Tigers, Beat the SNOT out of Iggy!!!

[obiefan]

0-0 until saturday night!



Does anyone have the score on the Mass and Iggy game? Please!

[Obie Wan]

I agree that D.R.E.A.M. provides for an exciting future. I believe that before the completion of the project we need to hire a energetic young coach (preferably from Massillon) to lead the football program for many many years.

Can you name 3 suitable candidates from Massillon?

[npaflas]

And look how good Mentor really is. They lost 35 to 34. And they were winning big.

[massillon catholic]

Can you name 3 suitable candidates from Massillon?

Massillon boys: Huffman, BJ Payne, Daniels, Studer, Spicer. Outside of Masillon: McDaniels, Hall, Whiting.

[massillon catholic]

And look how good Mentor really is. They lost 35 to 34. And they were winning big.

Mentor isn't that good. There defense is terrible and their offense, although it can't be stopped it can be controlled. Something we didn't know how to do. Wrong scheme!

[Obie Wan]

Massillon boys: Huffman, BJ Payne, Daniels, Studer, Spicer.
Serious question: have those Massillon boys won 100 games between them?

[massillon catholic]

Serious question: have those Massillon boys won 100 games between them?

I'd be willing to bet that combined they have 100 wins. More importantly, they know what it takes to win at Massillon, they've been here and been through it. How many wins did Stacy have at all of his head coaching jobs prior to Massillon? Something like 24 or 25? Besides, if you are looking for a coach with 100 wins as a head coach. You aren't going to find a young coach.

[Drbord]

I agree we need to find a coach that is willing to stay for the long haul. It would only improve our program if we find the right guy. My question is, Why in the world would anybody want to stay here very long? If they lose 2 games they start to see "For Sale" signs in their yard and get calls from drunk people late at night. Nobody would put up with that for very long. You'd have to see a change in the attitude of the fans, to take the good with the bad, to get the right coach to stay for a long time

[massillon catholic]

I agree we need to find a coach that is willing to stay for the long haul. It would only improve our program if we find the right guy. My question is, Why in the world would anybody want to stay here very long? If they lose 2 games they start to see "For Sale" signs in their yard and get calls from drunk people late at night. Nobody would put up with that for very long. You'd have to see a change in the attitude of the fans, to take the good with the bad, to get the right coach to stay for a long time

It will only happen when the "old guard" dies off.

[Drbord]

I think some of the "young guard" are just as bad.

[Tigers53]

And when the old guard dies off, there will not be half the support, physically and financially that there is now.

The old guard were the ones who set the standards. Its the new guard who cannot meet them!