The *UNOFFICIAL* Massillon 2012 Thread
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skank
Don't parochial schools HAVE TO bring in kids to keep the school running? After all, didn't Commish Ross say, "parochial schools have no geographical boundries?" -
skank
GoChiefs;1228405 wrote:Well, I was ignoring it just because I didn't want to have to explain...but...
...since you requested, I'll go ahead and answer it since you can't tell the difference. As you highlighted, so I didn't think I had to explain, when Bundy brought up "bringing kids in", he brought up "bringing kids in" to the COMBINE. Which is what happens. YOU BRING KIDS IN TO A COMBINE. He's not talking about recruiting.
Your post talks about "bringing kids in" to the TEAM, you know, that you RECRUITED the kids to the team.
If you can't see the difference, well, I can't help you any further. Troll smarter and there will be no issues.
How about when he said. "Are you expecting any more commitments?"
Or, "brought in some talented kids for TRYOUTS?"
Or, "Devers dad was hooked up with a job?"
Or, "Massillon is even willing to host them for the rest of their careers?".
Or was that just innocent too? -
GoChiefs
Mooney and Ursuline? No. They've made a name for themselves. They don't have to bring in anyone, the kids come to them.skank;1228409 wrote:Don't parochial schools HAVE TO bring in kids to keep the school running? After all, didn't Commish Ross say, "parochial schools have no geographical boundries?" -
GoChiefs
This is the last of my arguing with you for tonight, if you think I'm going to sit there and analyze every post you and Bundy make, you're sadly mistaken. You received nothing but a warning. Quit crying, get over it, and get back to the Massillon talk on the Massillon thread that YOU derailed yet again. Have a good evening.skank;1228412 wrote:How about when he said. "Are you expecting any more commitments?"
Or, "brought in some talented kids for TRYOUTS?"
Or, "Devers dad was hooked up with a job?"
Or, "Massillon is even willing to host them for the rest of their careers?".
Or was that just innocent too? -
skank
Haha....Ok.
So, to sum up....Bundy doesn't break any rules when he uses words and phrases like,
"bringing in kids"
"commitments"
"assembled"
"try outs"
"hooked up his dad w/a job"
"Host them for the rest of their careers".
Because....You know "what he means by it".
BUT, when I say "bringing in kids", I get a ban threatr because...."You know what I mean?"
What we have here is a VERY VALUABLE MOD. Don't let this one go Justin....He's a keeper. -
GoChiefs
skank;1228431 wrote:What we have here is a VERY VALUABLE MOD. Don't let this one go Justin....He's a keeper.
Thank you for recognizing that. I think the fact that the only ones that complain about how this forum is moderated are just a couple people that can't follow rules speaks for itself. :thumbup: -
skank
Again....Show me where I broke rules....Show me the post that triggered you to pm me saying that I was on the verge of being banned.
The post directly before my ban threat pm, was very complimentary of Mooney and Ursuline. I simply used the exact same words that bundy used. But then again....You know how each of us meant it right?
Haha, better yet, let's just forget it and move on, I know how things work around here, and I know it's never gonna change....No big deal. I'll just start ignoring the ignorant people on this site and expect nothing from the mods....You know the status quo around here. -
Al Bundyskank;1228750 wrote:Again....Show me where I broke rules....Show me the post that triggered you to pm me saying that I was on the verge of being banned.
The post directly before my ban threat pm, was very complimentary of Mooney and Ursuline. I simply used the exact same words that bundy used. But then again....You know how each of us meant it right?
Haha, better yet, let's just forget it and move on, I know how things work around here, and I know it's never gonna change....No big deal. I'll just start ignoring the ignorant people on this site and expect nothing from the mods....You know the status quo around here. -
GoChiefs
:thumbup:skank;1228750 wrote:Again....Show me where I broke rules....Show me the post that triggered you to pm me saying that I was on the verge of being banned.
The post directly before my ban threat pm, was very complimentary of Mooney and Ursuline. I simply used the exact same words that bundy used. But then again....You know how each of us meant it right?
Haha, better yet, let's just forget it and move on, I know how things work around here, and I know it's never gonna change....No big deal. I'll just start ignoring the ignorant people on this site and expect nothing from the mods....You know the status quo around here. -
skank
Ohio Prep class of "14
Massillon's Nate Devers is Ohio's #14 prospect.
More Tigers to join the list soon. -
Al Bundy
This transfer from Southeast is a great addition for our Tigers! I am happy that we have him.skank;1229492 wrote:Ohio Prep class of "14
Massillon's Nate Devers is Ohio's #14 prospect.
More Tigers to join the list soon. -
Rocket08
This is actually Southeast's accomplishmentskank;1229492 wrote:Ohio Prep class of "14
Massillon's Nate Devers is Ohio's #14 prospect.
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skank
Wrong, It's actually Devers' accomplishment....But coming from you, I understand the mixup.
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skank
[h=1]Massillon's Bardawil happy with offense's progress[/h] Chris Easterling
[email protected]
Updated: Thursday, July 19, 2012
Massillon’s Gareon Conley reels in a catch over Northwest’s Jake Marty during 7-on-7 drills Thursday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon. INDEPENDENT KEVIN WHITLOCK
MASSILLON Rome wasn’t built in a day. Likewise, first-year Massillon offensive coordinator Badre Bardawil is well aware that what one sees in a 7-on-7 scrimmage in July isn’t necessarily going to translate over to what one sees in Weeks 8, 9 or 10 of the regular season.
That said, Bardawil couldn’t suppress his enthusiasm for what he has seen out of the Tigers as they close in on the end of their 10 summer camp days.
“I’m really pleased,” Bardawil said Thursday evening, after the Tigers wrapped up a five-team 7-on-7 competition at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium that featured Northwest, Lake, Norwayne and Springfield Northwestern. “The kids are working really, really hard. They’ve caught onto our system well.”
View a photo gallery from the 7-on-7 drills
Thursday’s 7-on-7 extravaganza was Massillon’s third this month. It started July 12 with one at Louisville, then the Tigers had two this week — Monday against Orrville prior to Thursday’s.
In that short time span, Bardawil has seen the offense take measurable steps forward. Thursday, the Tigers’ varsity went against Lake, Northwest and Norwayne, and they showed explosiveness from a variety of spots on the field against all three.
Massillon scored at least a half-dozen times in each of its three 20-minute offensive periods. The Tigers scored on short out routes that turned into big plays, they scored on deep post patterns and they scored on routes in between.
But while big plays have been a staple of all three 7-on-7s for Massillon, what has pleased Bardawil the most is the little nuances in which the offense is growing.
“I think we’ve gotten better every one,” said Bardawil, who admits the Tigers have about 75 percent of the offense installed, with roughly 95 percent or so expected to be in by the start of two-a-days July 30. “We made a lot of big plays against Louisville, but we made a lot of mechanical mistakes at receiver. Those improved in the second one against Orrville. We were a little sloppy in our first series, then we got in a groove toward the end.
“I see the progression to today; today was good. And we faced some good teams out here. Northwest, Lake and Norwayne will probably all be playoff teams, and they’re good. We challenged our kids to come out and be competitive against every team.”
Bardawil gives a lot of the credit for the smooth way the offense has looked to the Tigers’ senior quarterback, Kyle Kempt. The University of Cincinnati recruit was impressive throughout Thursday’s event, hitting receivers in stride while both in the pocket and while on the run.
“I think it starts with Kyle,” Bardawil said. “Kyle’s had an outstanding offseason. He’s put a lot of work in, both physically and mentally, as well as his mechanics. He’s really gotten down the rhythm of this passing game, which is key. When our rhythm and timing is down, and Kyle’s putting the ball where it’s supposed to be, we have the athletes to throw it to.”
That was very evident Thursday, as a variety of receivers got into the mix for Massillon. Gareon Conley, Beau Huffman, Brody Tonn, Ernie Baez, Ryne Moore and Alex Dailey were just a few of the players who made big plays for the Tigers.
Of course, Bardawil acknowledges the 7-on-7 format — which does not allow for a run game nor a pass rush from the defense — doesn’t allow for a complete look at the offense. The Tigers’ attack figures to have a significant ground presence with Moore, Eric Copeland and Kentrell Taylor running the ball behind an offensive line featuring the massive Nathaniel Devers and Chase Lash.
Still, with what the Tigers have been able to do so far, Bardawil feels good about where they stand entering this weekend’s team camp at Ashland University.
“We want to push the tempo, and our kids have absolutely bought into it,” he said. “We only have one of our tempos in right now. That’s a big part of our weekend. We feel like we can change things up on teams and try to keep teams off-balance. We’ll see what happens from there.” -
skank
Sunday Special: Massillon liking looks of new offense, roster
Zoom
Photos
IndeOnline.com / Kevin Whitlock
Massillon offensive coordinator Badre Bardawil calls a play during 7-on-7 drills against Lake on Thursday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon.
Down at Ashland University, Jason Hall is hoping something special is happening this weekend. Washington High School’s head football coach has taken his team to a three-day camp there to bond and begin installing a new offensive system that offensive coordinator Badre Bardawil is bringing with him.
The Tigers are using their remaining camp days and will take a brief break before two-a-days begin in August. Hall, however, likes what he has seen thus far.
Quarterback Kyle Kempt, who already has verbally committed to the University of Cincinnati, has grasped Bardawil’s system.
“I think Kyle has a lot of confidence in what we’re doing now,” Hall said. “I don’t want to compare last year to this year, but I think Kyle is confident. He likes the style we’re going with this year. It fits to his strengths.”
Kempt has a solid group of skilled position players to work with, including Gareon Conley and Marcus Whitfield. There has been a buzz about Whitfield, a junior. He is the nephew of renowned quarterback coach George Whitfield Jr. Whitfield is a young Division I prospect. Conley, a defensive back as well, has verbally committed to Michigan. He will play both ways.
“(Whitfield) hasn’t caught a varsity pass yet,” Hall said, trying to downplay Whitfield’s impact. “Marcus is a great kid. He had a great offseason, and he’s competing for a role on both sides of the ball. He’s one of our up-and-coming juniors we’ve been excited about.”
Whitfield is about 6-foot-1, 180 pounds.
What should make Massillon a formidable offense this year hasn’t even been discussed. Traditionally, the Tigers have had a difficult time finding size on the offensive line and making that a strength. Depth is usually a concern.
But this year, Hall has a couple of Division I prospects on the offensive line as well.
Chase Lash, Lash is a 6-foot-4, 295-pound tackle. Lash is getting a lot of interest from Mid-American Conference schools. Lash is a junior as well.
Nathanial Devers is 6-31⁄2 and 280 pounds and likely will man one of the guard spots, probably next to Lash. Hall said Devers has MAC offers. Devers also is on Michigan’s radar. Remember, Michigan head coach Brady Hoke spoke at Massillon’s spring kickoff banquet.
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skank
[h=1]Massillon defenders use 7-on-7s as way to help learn tweaks in defensive scheme[/h] Chris Easterling
[email protected]
Updated: Monday, July 23, 2012
Massillon linebacker Devin Ingram covers a Lake receiver during a 7-on-7 scrimmage last week at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Massillon coaches have used 7-on-7s to sharpen up the players’ technique and mental focus. THE INDEPENDENT KEVIN WHITLOCK
MASSILLON It’s very understandable why offensive football coaches like the 7-on-7 passing scrimmages that have become the centerpiece of many teams’ summer programs. That’s especially true for the offensive coaches who have systems built around a lot of passing.
But for defensive coaches, it can be a little different. The 7-on-7 format basically makes defenses play with one hand figuratively tied behind their backs.
The format doesn’t provide for a pass rush, the biggest weapon most defenses have against a passing offense. It also takes much of the physicality out of the equation.
So what is it that defensive coaches can get the most out of during the 10 summer coaching days they are provided? Actually, quite a bit.
“It’s all about technique and mental,” Massillon defensive coordinator Luke Durbin said recently. “Am I making the checks? Is my technique correct? We’re putting in blitzes, so are we running our tracks? Are we getting where we’re supposed to be? All of that stuff you take care of now, so when we put the pads on, now that physical aspect, that rises to the top.”
So far, it’s been good for the Tigers in that regard. Obviously, though, it’s far from a finished product.
Still, from what he’s seen through the coaching days, Durbin’s feeling good about what the Tigers have to grow on once two-a-days start up next week.
“We’ve been very focused, and that helps,” Durbin said. “I just think the tempo that we’ve played with is good. We’ve got some athletes. Mentally, we’re really tuned in.”
A year ago, Durbin was stepping into a new role in his first season as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator. A year later, things have been running more smooth as the players work to refresh their memories to what they ran a year ago.
There have been changes in the scheme, but not nearly the complete overhaul Massillon had gone through offensively. The Tiger defensive coaches spent time with the University of Michigan’s defensive staff during the winter, picking their brains for a variety of ideas to tweak the scheme.
However, those tweaks are minimal in the grand scheme of things. That’s why Durbin believes he’s seeing the Tigers taking to the installation of the defense this summer much quicker than before.
“The base defense, the big stuff that we do, that’s what we do,” Durbin said. “It’s what we did last year and it’s what we’re doing again this year. I think that helps. You can really see it in the kids, like, OK, this is the second year now, they’re used to the system and we’re building upon that.”
It doesn’t hurt to have a few key players back on that side of the ball to help with that process. Especially at positions such as cornerback and linebacker, two positions that can get ample opportunity to work on their games through those 7-on-7s.
The Tigers boast two returning starters at cornerback in Gareon Conley, a Michigan recruit, and Brody Tonn. Those two have provided the anchors Durbin is looking for in the secondary.
“I think any time you have two returning corners — and two returning corners as good as we have — it really takes the pressure off of everybody else on the defense,” Durbin said.
Meanwhile, Kentrell Taylor is back at inside linebacker, where he’s played significantly over the past two seasons. But it has been the emergence this summer of Eric Copeland at another linebacker spot that has Durbin just as enthused.
“He’s a very smart kid,” Durbin said of Copeland. “He makes all of our calls. Between Trelly being there physically and just emotionally, and Eric being there mentally, that’s a good duo to have inside.” -
youngfart67How did it go against Mansfield todayy
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skank
Haven't been able to get over. Did you get over there yesterday? Did Mansfield do pretty well against the Tigers?
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youngfart67Idn who did what I would like toknow
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skank
[h=1]Massillon dividing linemen in half to help them learn nuances of new system[/h] Chris Easterling
[email protected]
Updated: Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Massillon offensive linemen Chase Lash (72) and Nathaniel Devers block for quarterback Kyle Kempt (7) during a two-a-day practice Monday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. INDEPENDENT GLENN B. DETTMAN
MASSILLON Sometimes half of something is better than the whole.
That’s a philosophy Massillon football coaches are taking with regard to the Tigers’ offensive line and how it adjusts to the new spread offense being installed.
As a group, the Massillon offensive players are all trying to get acclimated to coordinator Badre Bardawil’s new scheme, which features a wide-open style. While many of the blocking schemes involved aren’t far off from what the Tigers have run in the past, the coaching staff has taken a different approach to how to teach it, especially with the linemen.
“What we’ve decided to do as a staff is we’ve kind of separated our team into a quick and a strong side,” Tiger offensive line coach Matt Leisure said this week. “Our kids are really only learning half of our offense. They’re learning the front side of one play, and the other side’s learning the back side of the same play. The terminology and the things they’ve been learning has all been cut in half.”
Leisure has noticed that the condensed schemes the linemen are learning are sinking in quicker than some of the past ones. The process is still relatively early, as the Tigers opened two-a-days on Monday and weren’t able to even put on shoulder pads until Wednesday.
However, that short period of time — along with the 10 camp days permitted in June and July — has given the coaches a belief that it’s a success to date.
“What we’re seeing out of that is just better production out of our kids,” said Leisure, who’s being assisted with the linemen by ex-Tiger Greg Dickerhoof. “They know what to do, so they’ll flop sides when they need to. Shrinking it all down has really accelerated our offensive growth.”
What has also helped is the experience Massillon possesses, at least among the five linemen who have regularly worked with the first unit early on in two-a-days. Senior quick guard Emmanuel Brantley and junior strong tackle Chase Lash both were starters for the Tigers a year ago.
Also on that line is junior strong guard Nathaniel Devers, who was a special-mention All-Ohioan at Southeast last season. That trio has been joined on the top group by a pair of potential first-year starters in senior center Colt Brakefield and sophomore quick tackle Devin Williams.
“It’s one of our more experienced groups we’ve had the last couple of years,” Leisure said. “The thing that we do have is Nate moved in from another district. … They all kind of group together as friends. We went to the Ashland camp, and they were all hanging out and talking and having a good time. … It’s like they’ve been together and they’re not sophomores or seniors, they’re all just one group.”
One thing that has the Tigers excited about the line is the prospects of the aptly-named strong side of the line, where Lash and Devers both reside. Both juniors stand 6-foot-5, with Devers weighing in at 273 pounds and Lash tipping the scales at 298 pounds.
Both have also drawn plenty of interest from Division I college coaches. Devers, in particular, already owns a scholarship offer from Toledo, while a number of upper-level Big Ten schools are also in pursuit.
“Having Nate and Lash next to each other is very exciting,” Leisure said. “You’re really excited to see what they can do. They’re both experienced kids. They’ve played varsity football, and now it’s gelling together as offensive linemen an friends is the next step. … It’s really exciting to see how far they push it.”
A key to the line, though, may fall on the one senior newcomer to the group in Brakefield. In the past, the Tiger quarterbacks have had to deal with both direct snaps and shotgun snaps.
However, in Bardawil’s system, all of the snaps are out of the shotgun. The centers and quarterbacks have spent at least an extra 10 minutes prior to the start of each day working on those snaps, with Brakefield and senior quarterback Kyle Kempt working together in those sessions.
“There’s a lot of pressure on Colt,” Leisure said. “He’s the center of our offense. He’s in charge of making all the defensive calls and really setting up our blocking schemes. He has the ball in his hands and he has to get it to Kyle in a good snap so that we’re able to execute our offense.” -
Al Bundy
It is good to see that our coaches are making things as simplified as possible for the Tigers. Athletically, we have assembled the most talented team in the state. However, the state report card clearly shows that Massillon kids learn at well below average. This is a brilliant move by our coaching staff to reduce the learning required in a new system. We will roll to the 2012 state title!skank;1239230 wrote:Massillon dividing linemen in half to help them learn nuances of new system
Chris Easterling
[email protected]
Updated: Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Massillon offensive linemen Chase Lash (72) and Nathaniel Devers block for quarterback Kyle Kempt (7) during a two-a-day practice Monday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. INDEPENDENT GLENN B. DETTMAN
MASSILLON Sometimes half of something is better than the whole.
That’s a philosophy Massillon football coaches are taking with regard to the Tigers’ offensive line and how it adjusts to the new spread offense being installed.
As a group, the Massillon offensive players are all trying to get acclimated to coordinator Badre Bardawil’s new scheme, which features a wide-open style. While many of the blocking schemes involved aren’t far off from what the Tigers have run in the past, the coaching staff has taken a different approach to how to teach it, especially with the linemen.
“What we’ve decided to do as a staff is we’ve kind of separated our team into a quick and a strong side,” Tiger offensive line coach Matt Leisure said this week. “Our kids are really only learning half of our offense. They’re learning the front side of one play, and the other side’s learning the back side of the same play. The terminology and the things they’ve been learning has all been cut in half.”
Leisure has noticed that the condensed schemes the linemen are learning are sinking in quicker than some of the past ones. The process is still relatively early, as the Tigers opened two-a-days on Monday and weren’t able to even put on shoulder pads until Wednesday.
However, that short period of time — along with the 10 camp days permitted in June and July — has given the coaches a belief that it’s a success to date.
“What we’re seeing out of that is just better production out of our kids,” said Leisure, who’s being assisted with the linemen by ex-Tiger Greg ****erhoof. “They know what to do, so they’ll flop sides when they need to. Shrinking it all down has really accelerated our offensive growth.”
What has also helped is the experience Massillon possesses, at least among the five linemen who have regularly worked with the first unit early on in two-a-days. Senior quick guard Emmanuel Brantley and junior strong tackle Chase Lash both were starters for the Tigers a year ago.
Also on that line is junior strong guard Nathaniel Devers, who was a special-mention All-Ohioan at Southeast last season. That trio has been joined on the top group by a pair of potential first-year starters in senior center Colt Brakefield and sophomore quick tackle Devin Williams.
“It’s one of our more experienced groups we’ve had the last couple of years,” Leisure said. “The thing that we do have is Nate moved in from another district. … They all kind of group together as friends. We went to the Ashland camp, and they were all hanging out and talking and having a good time. … It’s like they’ve been together and they’re not sophomores or seniors, they’re all just one group.”
One thing that has the Tigers excited about the line is the prospects of the aptly-named strong side of the line, where Lash and Devers both reside. Both juniors stand 6-foot-5, with Devers weighing in at 273 pounds and Lash tipping the scales at 298 pounds.
Both have also drawn plenty of interest from Division I college coaches. Devers, in particular, already owns a scholarship offer from Toledo, while a number of upper-level Big Ten schools are also in pursuit.
“Having Nate and Lash next to each other is very exciting,” Leisure said. “You’re really excited to see what they can do. They’re both experienced kids. They’ve played varsity football, and now it’s gelling together as offensive linemen an friends is the next step. … It’s really exciting to see how far they push it.”
A key to the line, though, may fall on the one senior newcomer to the group in Brakefield. In the past, the Tiger quarterbacks have had to deal with both direct snaps and shotgun snaps.
However, in Bardawil’s system, all of the snaps are out of the shotgun. The centers and quarterbacks have spent at least an extra 10 minutes prior to the start of each day working on those snaps, with Brakefield and senior quarterback Kyle Kempt working together in those sessions.
“There’s a lot of pressure on Colt,” Leisure said. “He’s the center of our offense. He’s in charge of making all the defensive calls and really setting up our blocking schemes. He has the ball in his hands and he has to get it to Kyle in a good snap so that we’re able to execute our offense.” -
Al Bundy
It is good to see that our coaches are making things as simplified as possible for the Tigers. Athletically, we have assembled the most talented team in the state. However, the state report card clearly shows that Massillon kids learn at well below average. This is a brilliant move by our coaching staff to reduce the learning required in a new system. We will roll to the 2012 state title!skank;1239230 wrote:Massillon dividing linemen in half to help them learn nuances of new system
Chris Easterling
[email protected]
Updated: Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Massillon offensive linemen Chase Lash (72) and Nathaniel Devers block for quarterback Kyle Kempt (7) during a two-a-day practice Monday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. INDEPENDENT GLENN B. DETTMAN
MASSILLON Sometimes half of something is better than the whole.
That’s a philosophy Massillon football coaches are taking with regard to the Tigers’ offensive line and how it adjusts to the new spread offense being installed.
As a group, the Massillon offensive players are all trying to get acclimated to coordinator Badre Bardawil’s new scheme, which features a wide-open style. While many of the blocking schemes involved aren’t far off from what the Tigers have run in the past, the coaching staff has taken a different approach to how to teach it, especially with the linemen.
“What we’ve decided to do as a staff is we’ve kind of separated our team into a quick and a strong side,” Tiger offensive line coach Matt Leisure said this week. “Our kids are really only learning half of our offense. They’re learning the front side of one play, and the other side’s learning the back side of the same play. The terminology and the things they’ve been learning has all been cut in half.”
Leisure has noticed that the condensed schemes the linemen are learning are sinking in quicker than some of the past ones. The process is still relatively early, as the Tigers opened two-a-days on Monday and weren’t able to even put on shoulder pads until Wednesday.
However, that short period of time — along with the 10 camp days permitted in June and July — has given the coaches a belief that it’s a success to date.
“What we’re seeing out of that is just better production out of our kids,” said Leisure, who’s being assisted with the linemen by ex-Tiger Greg ****erhoof. “They know what to do, so they’ll flop sides when they need to. Shrinking it all down has really accelerated our offensive growth.”
What has also helped is the experience Massillon possesses, at least among the five linemen who have regularly worked with the first unit early on in two-a-days. Senior quick guard Emmanuel Brantley and junior strong tackle Chase Lash both were starters for the Tigers a year ago.
Also on that line is junior strong guard Nathaniel Devers, who was a special-mention All-Ohioan at Southeast last season. That trio has been joined on the top group by a pair of potential first-year starters in senior center Colt Brakefield and sophomore quick tackle Devin Williams.
“It’s one of our more experienced groups we’ve had the last couple of years,” Leisure said. “The thing that we do have is Nate moved in from another district. … They all kind of group together as friends. We went to the Ashland camp, and they were all hanging out and talking and having a good time. … It’s like they’ve been together and they’re not sophomores or seniors, they’re all just one group.”
One thing that has the Tigers excited about the line is the prospects of the aptly-named strong side of the line, where Lash and Devers both reside. Both juniors stand 6-foot-5, with Devers weighing in at 273 pounds and Lash tipping the scales at 298 pounds.
Both have also drawn plenty of interest from Division I college coaches. Devers, in particular, already owns a scholarship offer from Toledo, while a number of upper-level Big Ten schools are also in pursuit.
“Having Nate and Lash next to each other is very exciting,” Leisure said. “You’re really excited to see what they can do. They’re both experienced kids. They’ve played varsity football, and now it’s gelling together as offensive linemen an friends is the next step. … It’s really exciting to see how far they push it.”
A key to the line, though, may fall on the one senior newcomer to the group in Brakefield. In the past, the Tiger quarterbacks have had to deal with both direct snaps and shotgun snaps.
However, in Bardawil’s system, all of the snaps are out of the shotgun. The centers and quarterbacks have spent at least an extra 10 minutes prior to the start of each day working on those snaps, with Brakefield and senior quarterback Kyle Kempt working together in those sessions.
“There’s a lot of pressure on Colt,” Leisure said. “He’s the center of our offense. He’s in charge of making all the defensive calls and really setting up our blocking schemes. He has the ball in his hands and he has to get it to Kyle in a good snap so that we’re able to execute our offense.”
