2008 team talent & sleepers

[mtigers96]

Besides JT who do we got coming back in "08" that will make a differance and who will be the sleeper kid(s)?

[ChronicTiger]

I am hoping for Team, Team, Team...........

[tig62]

Don't know much about individual personnel; I'm eagerly awaiting a strong, mobile offensive line as part of the big picture. :2thumbsup:

[Tiger77]

O-line should be better able to move this year with Dingler and Myers as returning starters. No 300 pounders though which is good imo. Ivan coming back from injury. Rose on defense and maybe O-line. There are several kids who can make an impact if put in the right positions.

[CarlE]

I am hoping for Team, Team, Team...........

THERE'S the post we wanted to see.

[DAWGH8R]

Time to retire the #1 jersey again. No one ever lives up to that.

While your at it, bring back:

Championship Banners

White Helmets

Always have booms after TD's

Big 'GO' thumb !!

Ralleyes EVERY week

United tailgates & fans in general

Kids that WANT to play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back

Some sort of fan participation for kickoffs

25 cent hot dogs !!

:tig:

[macguy]

Time to retire the #1 jersey again. No one ever lives up to that.

While your at it, bring back:

Championship Banners

White Helmets

Always have booms after TD's

Big 'GO' thumb !!

Ralleyes EVERY week

United tailgates & fans in general

Kids that WANT to play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back

Some sort of fan participation for kickoffs

25 cent hot dogs !!

:tig:

BINGO!

Let me add to your list.

-White helmets with the original leaping Tiger.

-Take the names off of the backs of the jerseys altogether.

I don't know if they will go for the 25 cent hot dogs. We're more likely to have a personal greeting from Frankie the Keener Weiner!

[macguy]

Back to the topic.

I don't know of specific players at this time, but I do know that we had a pretty good freshman class last season that could put a few guys on the varsity dress list on Friday nights as sophmores.

[mommy]

who was the LAST PERSON who DID LIVE UP to the #1 on the back of their football jersey playing for massillon???

[ChronicTiger]

Some sort of fan participation for kickoffs



:puke:

[Tigerfan]

Some more returners: JB Price
Spencer Leno
Brian Arelt

[Tigerfan]

Sleeper: Josh Remark

[macguy]

Some more returners: JB Price
Spencer Leno
Brian Arelt

Arelt.

That kid is a heck of a player and has a nose for the ball. I will enjoy watching him blast opposing ball carriers next year!

[Tiger77]

All these have some varsity experience. I think we've got some good talent coming back.

[massillonmarine]

who was the LAST PERSON who DID LIVE UP to the #1 on the back of their football jersey playing for massillon???

Willie Spencer was close, but probably Travis was the last.

[CATS44]

I dont care much about talent right now. Talent will sort itself out.

I want kids who want to be Massillon Tigers...kids who dont care what position they play, as long as they can play somewhere that helps the team the most. I want kids who will hit the books, hit the weights, hit the field, hit SOMEBODY.

[The Voice]

'44..Best post yet.. Agree 100%

tv

[Coke Guy]

Please just put the best 11 players on the field on both sides of the ball, in the wright position! Had we done this in 06 and 07 maybe things would have been different.

[LakeCountyTiger]

I dont care much about talent right now. Talent will sort itself out.

I want kids who want to be Massillon Tigers...kids who dont care what position they play, as long as they can play somewhere that helps the team the most. I want kids who will hit the books, hit the weights, hit the field, hit SOMEBODY.

Like God intended....Now I'm pumped!

[Massillon7]

Kyle Pizzino is a good talent and can be a Trey Miller type impact player if he works hard this offseason.

Cody Nickels might be the best linebacker on the team if he gets his priorities in order. Watch for him. He's running back fast in a linebacker body.

Dingler is a hell of a talent and you will see more of that this year with grizzard gone hes looking to be playing both ways on the line. He has grown to around 6'3-6'4 and can make a big impact.

Anyways I think this team CAN be really good. Its their decision how good they want to be. I'm excited to watch them.

[Red50Go]

I dont know about sleeper but at the most key position I think Partridge has huge upside at QB.

[Broder]

I know this thread is about key players and sleepers...but...Massillon always has it's share of talent. Some years are leaner than others. But there is always talent.

The key is what CATS44 said; We need players that like each other and want to play as a single unit. You will have players that will stand out, but will they gel with other players to become a single unit. We have to have players that WANT to be Massillon Tigers. That is what I'm looking forward to. You have to have the talent, but they have to play together and for each other. I can remember the 1980 team. Had some talent, but they had heart and boy did they play together as a unit. They were always the smallest team on the field, but played with the biggest heart.

I think this will happen with a new coach. I'm sure we will find someone that will meld these young men into a unit. That is when you will see Tiger Football, as it once was!!

[monte81]

TEAM FOOTBALL!!! We always have a superstar or all-ohio guys on the team but we need to grind it out together as a team. The best player on the team is only as good as the person lined up to his right or left in the game! Everyone has to line up on the practice field EVERYDAY like its a game to bring out the best in every player. same thing in the weight room, classroom, and community. Each player must step up and maximize thier potential.:weightlift:


I want the best 11 kids playing at all times even on special teams. it does not matter if we have 20 players or 100---THE BEST 11 GET ON THE FIELD AND WE WIN!

[giant lugey]

Right now the biggest sleeper is the coach. No one knows who he is

[Broder]

Right now the biggest sleeper is the coach. No one knows who he is

Your RIGHT!! But that's not what I'm reading.

[Massillon7]

How can we expect the kids to have the "heart of a tiger" if our coach doesn't know what our tradition is about. IMO we need to get a Massillon raised coach into power to bring back that edge we once had. Can I get a Yeehaw for B.J. Payne ?

[giajay54]

Oh my! Some of you people need to pull yourself out of the past and come to reality. Massillon isn't what it used to be. There are various reasons for this. Two big ones which all of you know already are the fact that industry has left and transfers have other options. OHSAA cracked down on transferring and the playoff expansion has also added to the problem. Kids can get to the playoffs and get noticed anywhere. Heck you can play in D VI and pull a full ride scholarship. Why do they need Massillon? Now with the new facility erecting this may change. The number of boys has shrunk and the transfers aren't as great. Heck Massillon is almost D II. It makes sense. But with all this happening Massillon is still competing. They were just in the State Championship a couple years ago and they make the playoffs, regional finals, and the state semi finals all the time. What more can you ask for? What more do you want? A state playoff title? I would too. We have never won a playoff title even when we had "heart" with some of the other teams that have been mentioned. Maybe they didn’t have heart either. That should tell you that winning a state title is extremely difficult and being a small school in D I makes it even harder. I don't care if you wear Massillon on the front of your jersey or not. Winning a state title takes more than heart, tiger pride, home grown coaches, etc... We compete every year. Massillon is solid head to toe 8 out of 10 years. The schedule is a killer. There will be losses. My point in all this is where do some of you get off saying that there is no heart or little heart, we need home grown coaches to understand the tiger pride, and we need more kids that understand tiger football.

Heart....How do you judge heart? Is it by victories? What is being used to judge these recent teams heart? Hell they only went to the state finals and won regions and districts while being a SMALL school and D I. Do some of you really know what it takes to play football? The effort, time, the commitment, discipline, sacrifice, etc.. How do you know if a player is not giving it their all all the time? Are you their body knowing that they haven't pushed themselves to the limit? Are you in the weight room with these kids seeing that they haven't put all their heart into their weight training? Are you there seeing them slack while running, jump roping, hitting the sled, throwing passes, running routes, and going through plays? Are you at their house seeing them devour a big mac and fries instead of lean meat, vegetables, and brown rice? Are you there seeing that they have gone to bed late while playing video games instead of studying? There are so many things that you would have to look at. Unless you know this individual and are with them all the time like a coach, or better yet a parent, you can't judge their heart accurately. You will say well look at the team. They aren't winning. I know people who know them. I know the coach. Blah Blah. It seems the only way heart has been evaluated in Massillon is if they are winning. That’s why I don’t understand some people of you people. They win. Times have changed. They are not the most dominant team in the state anymore. It will never be the same again. But that doesn’t mean there is not heart inside the walls of that school. Winning takes heart, but that's not all. Heck you can win on talent alone and no heart. Heart will only get you so far on the football field. We all know that player with all the heart in the world, but he never touched the field. There are too many good coaches and good kids in that school to say that they need more heart. Please, these kids and coaches work their tails off all year long to entertain you people. They don't need some fan judging the effort that they have put into their football career.

Home Grown Coaches....We’ve never needed home grown players to win games, so why do we need home grown coaches to win? First off I would bet my life on it that Massillon can bring in thousands of coaches that would top B.J. Payne. Not saying that he wouldn't fit, but what has he done? We need someone with more than just knowledge of Massillon football tradition. The very first thing that you need is not someone that knows Massillon football tradition (please explain what that is), but someone that knows x's and o's and has all the tangibles that the hiring staff has laid fourth. I played at Massillon and before I transferred I didn't know a lick of Massillon tradition. I started both ways over home grown talent that knew more than me about Massillon football. I blew many away in the weight room and was picking them up on the steps of the stadium in the summer heat. I gelled with the entire team and made great friends for life. I knew football. In the end we worked great as a unit and we lost to only the National Champion in Mckinley, a Cin. Moeller team that went to the state finals (which we lost to in the last 5 mins of the game in Cin.), and the defending state champ Lima Senior. We did all that with many transfers and coaches from other parts of the state. Coaches don't need to be home grown to win games. They need to know football, kids, and the importance of education to build a solid program. Massillon tradition would be last on my list when hiring a coach. Now with that said we do need someone in there that can pound home the Massillon mystique. Coach Stu took care of that before and with his passing there laid a big hole in the program. Not sure if anyone filled that void and if they did they filled some big shoes of coach Stu (continue to rest in peace my friend). The kids do need to know where this program came from and whom it represents, but that is only a small fraction of the equation that translates into victories.

Team Unity…Now that is a concern. If you don’t play and work together as a team and push each other then you’re going to have some problems. But you can put that on the coaches and the players. There is no way that one person or a small group of players should overshadow the team goal. If this is happening then something needs to be done right now. It should not affect a season, a game or a couple practices yeah, but a whole season no. Hell if you have great leadership it should never happen. If it does then there is a problem with the coaching staff and the player’s leadership. That is one thing that is essential to winning. I look at the last couple of years and I see team unity. Victories and playoff wins prove that. This last year was rough. Heard lots of stories (true maybe), but this was just one year. This past year should not reflect on the foundation of this program. The program is where it needs to be, we just need a new leader since ours just left. Coach Stacey did a great job, but now we need a replacement. I’m sure they have a great one lined up.

[Tiger77]

Many valid points. Whew! :gotigers:

[tiger4life2304]

Sleeper: Josh Remark

I agree Tigerfan! #44 Josh Remark is a heck of a ballplayer and has a nose for the football. I look to see him playing the same role at safety as Corey Hildreth did for us for 2 years. Get ready to see some serious hits by this kid!

[Red50Go]

Besides JT who do we got coming back in "08" that will make a differance and who will be the sleeper kid(s)?

I think Alex Love will be a nice complement to JT in the backfield. And Sean Clark also, saw alot of action at fullback last year.

OL & DL will be where some guys need to step up.

[Red50Go]

I agree Tigerfan! #44 Josh Remark is a heck of a ballplayer and has a nose for the football. I look to see him playing the same role at safety as Corey Hildreth did for us for 2 years. Get ready to see some serious hits by this kid!

"Remark-able", "Smart Remark", etc, the sports writers will love this kid if he does well, lol.

[monte81]

I think Alex Love will be a nice complement to JT in the backfield. And Sean Clark also, saw alot of action at fullback last year.

OL & DL will be where some guys need to step up.


I dont want to talk about sleepers just tell me we wont lose to teams we should smash ANY year! The whole team should be trying to step up and prove to the football world that MASSILLON TIGER FOOTBALL IS BACK! the end of my junior year when Coach Moronto left ALL of refused to let that stop us, the kids have to bond together right now and go get it!:rockon:

[march]

Keep this team in proper perspective and be patient.We face a difficult schedule and lack varsity experience in alot of areas.All I ask is for their best effort.
Does anyone know if Rose is coming back at LB?Im sure his dad will not be back,will he move also?

[BigTime]

Keep this team in proper perspective and be patient.We face a difficult schedule and lack varsity experience in alot of areas.All I ask is for their best effort.
Does anyone know if Rose is coming back at LB?Im sure his dad will not be back,will he move also?

Matt is a Tiger. He will be here if at all possible.

[march]

That's good news.What about Al Checca?

[hitman]

That's good news.What about Al Checca?


Still a finalist at STA, possible DC at Green, and applying for a asst. job with Spider at Perry. So by the looks of that, probably not.

[mtigers96]

Still a finalist at STA, possible DC at Green, and applying for a asst. job with Spider at Perry. So by the looks of that, probably not.

With that being said,what coaches will be back

[slider63]

I would like to see coach Kovac's stay. I thought he was an excellent D coordinator for us. Slider, out!!!

[ak-rowdy]

I would like to see coach Kovac's stay. I thought he was an excellent D coordinator for us. Slider, out!!!

i would like to see him stay aswell