Video: Massillon vs. Hoban | OHSAA football state championships
Watch video highlights of the Massillon Tigers high school football team playing Hoban in the OHSAA Division II state championship game, Nov. 30, 2023
Two more stars of Massillon’s state championship high school football team, one from each side of the ball, have picked colleges.
Massillon junior starting safety Tyler Hackenbracht found a mutual connection in the Mid-American Conference and is headed to Toledo. Tigers record-setting QB DaOne Owens, a senior, is headed out of state to Slippery Rock to play for a former Stark County football standout.
Hackenbracht’s dad, Dan, confirmed his son’s verbal commitment to the Toledo Rockets on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Dan, who also is Massillon’s safety coach, the Rockets have shown much interest in Tyler and offered him last summer.
“(Toledo defensive coordinator) Vince Kehres and their safeties coach Ross Watson had been aggressively recruiting him since they saw him at Pitt camp in the summer,” Dan told The Canton Repository. “We went to a game and loved the atmosphere, and we went up for a junior day Monday and had a chance to sit down with those guys, and it just had a Massillon feel to it. The message that they send about working hard and the focus is on growing the players as young men and athletes just feels genuine and real.”
Dan also mentioned the family followed the Rockets the last four years in support of Vinny Sciury, Tyler’s cousin. Sciury starred on the offensive line at Toledo before being a graduate transfer last month to Texas Tech. Bowling Green was another MAC program that offered Tyler.
Tyler is listed at 6-foot-1 and weighs 198 pounds. He started 14 games last season, producing 36 tackles, 11 pass breakups and three interceptions. He was part of Massillon’s historic state championship run, where the defense allowed 7.3 points a game.
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DaOne Owens chooses Slippery Rock football
Owens is heading the NCAA Division II route, announcing his commitment to Slippery Rock on social media. The Rock is fresh off a playoff appearance and finished with a 12-2 record.
In one season at Massillon after transferring from Copley, Owens produced 2,868 yards of total offense and 33 touchdowns. He broke the school record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback, becoming the first Massillon QB to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. He helped the Tigers offense average 38.6 points a game.
“After a long recruiting process, I think it’s safe to say that I found my home,” Owens wrote in the post. “With that being said I will be continuing my football and academic career at Slippery Rock. I would like to thank my family, coaches and friends throughout the process. Thank you, (Slippery Rock head coach) Shawn Lutz, for the opportunity.”
Lutz, a Jackson High School grad, is 70-19 in seven seasons as The Rock’s head coach, reaching the NCAA playoffs each of the last five seasons.
Owens had interest from Division II schools throughout his recruiting process and did land Division I offers from Southern Illinois and Temple.
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Video: Massillon beat Akron Hoban in Div. II state title game; fans rejoice
For the first time in the playoff era, Massillon Tigers won a state football title on Thursday night. From the stadium to downtown, fans celebrated.
2024-01-19 12:59:57
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