OT: Massillon HS Football documentary

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

If you have some time to kill and like movies about football, this is a pretty good one.

It's a documentary from 2001 on Massillon-Washington HS in Ohio, documenting their 1999 season. Shawn Crable was a Freshman on their team at the time of the filming.

It really shows how big HS football is in Ohio. I uploaded it because I noticed how difficult it was to find online to watch. It's one of my favorite movies because it's just crazy how into their high school football team these people are. I've seen nothing like it here in MI. 

It's probably the closest anyone in the Midwest will get to being like Allen or Katy in Texas that have built multi-million dollar stadiums for HS teams.

Incoming Freshman kicker Andrew David is coming to Michigan from Massillon. 

In fact, the amazing NFL-style indoor practice facility that Massillon has is named after Andrew David's grandfather.

Massillon plays in a 15,000-seat stadium.

Wolverine Devotee

June 23rd, 2015 at 10:18 PM ^

If anything, that documentary is a reminder how far behind HS football in MI is behind OH in terms of support and popularity.

People here just don't get it. It can be so much more than what it currently is.

The MHSAA has the dumbest rule in the history of dumb rules that prevents any games besides the state championship games from being televised live.

It's a joke. Do better. 

814 East U

June 23rd, 2015 at 10:38 PM ^

Also people in MI have other things to do than relive their high school glory days. I wish MI high school football was bigger and better...sure. However, my cousins tailgate for Alabama high school games starting on Thursday nights, Texas builds 20,000 seat stadiums, Ohio towns shut down. Some of that is ridiculous in 2015.

OldMaize16

June 24th, 2015 at 10:39 AM ^

The best rivalry in the state of Michigan is definitely Lake Orion vs Clarkston. Sure the catholic league schools get all the attention but no game brings out the people of Northern Oakland County like LO-Clarkston. And if you really want to see a place where football is living and breathing like the cities of Ohio, come on up M-24 to Oxford, Lake Orion or Clarkston and see the town shut down on Friday night.

Blau

June 23rd, 2015 at 10:22 PM ^

That block M on the outside of their practice facility looks awfully familiar. I understand many teams starting with M use that same block style but it's funny it's at a well-known Ohio high school.

Tyrone Biggums

June 23rd, 2015 at 10:22 PM ^

It was kind of interesting, I watched it a few month ago on Netfix. As a side note there are numerous animal advocacy organizations that have been petitioning to stop the use of the live "Obie" tiger cub mascots. They've supposedly gone through 45 cubs over the last 20 years.

https://www.change.org/p/this-high-school-football-team-buys-and-discar…

There also have been numerous rape allegations surrounding players of the team over the last ten years.

I love football but this program seems to put the game before common sense and decency.

 

Wolverine Devotee

June 23rd, 2015 at 10:29 PM ^

The have something like 22 national championships and 39 state championships.

The catch: all of them are mythical, coming before high schools instituted a playoff decades ago.

They have an amazing history but just can't win the undisputed big one. That's probably why they're willing to look the other way. Football crazed small towns will forgive you if you bring them a championship, I guess. 

I mean, that indoor facility is bigger than that of the CLEVELAND BROWNS!

Tyrone Biggums

June 23rd, 2015 at 11:03 PM ^

It's no doubt they have built a win at all cost traditon there, that's kind of what the premise of the documentary seemed to be at least. *Spoiler*

They started a 19? year old senior QB with a broken hand who could barely pass his classes in the last or pivotal game in the season? One of the team captains went to jail for sexual assault, and was released to return to the team. Why is he a team captain?

I mean I get it for a lot of kids football may be their only avenue to a better future and if they don't have an opportunity to play who knows what they would be doing. But still, I just got a win at all cost vibe which rubs me the wrong way with any sport. At the high school level it should be about so much more than just winning. 

Check out "Undefeated" and "We Could Be King" both excellent, inspirational documentaries about high school football. The Massillion doc just kind of pissed me off.

NinjaDMM

June 24th, 2015 at 12:30 AM ^

Let's just hope Katy doesn't hire the same company that built Allen's, as the latter has been shut down and needed repairs due to "engineering failures."

I lived in Texas for a while and the HS Football shows they have on Friday nights are awesome! Great way to finish the night and get ready for Saturday's slate of games.




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The Mad Hatter

June 24th, 2015 at 8:47 AM ^

are fucking insane and a huge waste of money.  I would be livid if my tax dollars were spent on that instead of hiring decent teachers and buying science books that don't have a picture of Jesus riding on a dinosaur on the front cover.

I hate Texas.  And Ohio.

funandgun

June 23rd, 2015 at 10:42 PM ^

I am not sure this is the school with the rape allegations.  I know of another big football town in Ohio with those allegations, but have never heard it about Massillon.  I am not saying you are wrong, but are you sure you have the correct town?  That is kind of a big one to get wrong. 

Wolverine Devotee

June 23rd, 2015 at 10:44 PM ^

The season in the movie was 16 years ago, but one of the best players on the team (who eventually signed with PSU but failed to qualify academically and wound up at Buffalo) was a convicted rapist while on the team. 

BornSinner

June 23rd, 2015 at 11:24 PM ^

Yeah... everything about this high school screams messed up priorities to me... 

And I even graduated from a powerhouse high school when it comes to football in PA... but this is beyond anything I've seen wow... 

Felix.M.Blue

June 23rd, 2015 at 11:28 PM ^

Growing up in ohio it was a fun weekend to attend the Championship games. There were 3 games on Friday and 3 on Saturday. They changed back and forth between Tiger Stadium and Fawcett Stadium in Canton.

ThadMattasagoblin

June 23rd, 2015 at 11:54 PM ^

It's just the way it is with geography. Ohio has a lot of farm towns big on football. Michigan has more inner city places that put basketball first like Detroit Flint or Saginaw.