MASSILLON – One hundred years ago, the Massillon Tigers played their final professional football game.
On Friday, just a few miles from where those Pro Tigers played, Cole Delaughder made a little history of his own.
The Danville senior rushed for 235 yards against Lowellville in Friday’s Division VII regional semifinal. That gives Delaughder a total of 1,673 yards on the ground this season, breaking a Blue Devil school record.
Oh, and he scored five touchdowns.
“It was the offensive line. I really wasn’t touched for a lot of these runs, so credit to them,” Delaughder said after Danville’s 41-21 victory at Wakefield Stadium in Massillon. “I can’t really describe this. It just feels great.”
His first score came with just over a minute left in the first half. He took the handoff from quarterback Walker Weckesser on a sweep right and straddled the sideline for 19 yards.
Delaughder’s most impactful touchdown came late in the third quarter, after the Rockets took advantage of a short field by scoring on a quarterback draw to get to within 20-15.
Lowellville (11-2) attempted an onside kick, which Danville covered at its own 49. On the next play, Delaughder burst through the line untouched and sprinted 51 yards to paydirt.
The play fizzled the Rockets’ spark and allowed the Blue Devils to dominate the rest of the way.
“We struggled to get going offensively, but I’m really glad with how our guys responded,” Danville coach Matt Blum said. “We will really happy with the execution up front.
“But, we have to keep getting better. We have a heck of a challenge next week.”
Delaughder, a transfer from East Knox playing his first season as a Blue Devil, has 28 touchdowns on the season, including 25 on the ground. He averages just over eight yards every time he touches the ball.
“I’m so proud of the kid,” Blum said of Delaughder. “He’s a ‘Yes sir,’ ‘I will do better sir’ type of kid. We’re blessed to have him with us.”
Delaugher didn’t have all the fun on Friday. Weckesser rushed for 141 yards on 11 carries. Aidan Burke had 43 yards on three attempts, including the game’s first touchdown on a nine-yard rush late in the first quarter.
Danville (13-0) had little success in the air on Friday. Weckesser threw 11 times, completing four for a total of 15 yards.
“We tried to connect to some passes early, but we weren’t able to, whether it was drops or just bad throws,” Blum said. “We adjusted. We went back to our pound-and-ground game. And that’s a credit to the boys up front.
“Our offensive line put us in the right places to run. But, we will have to be able to pass next week.”
Defensively, the Blue Devils tormented the Lowellville quarterback throughout the game. Michael Ballone was unable to remain in the pocket for any length of time without being pursued by Caleb Lucas, Joshua Byers or any of the Danville linemen.
At one point, Ballone was chased from the Danville 13 all the way back to midfield, before finally being forced out at the 30 for a 17-yard loss.
The victory puts Danville back in the regional final for the second straight season. The Blue Devils will face Dalton in a battle between the top two seeds in the region. The Bulldogs – whose only loss this season was to Division VI regional finalist Kirtland in Week 1 – defeated Norwalk St. Paul 48-28 on Friday.
It’s already time to prepare.
“My wife might not like this, but it’s going to be film, film, film, film,” Blum said. “Our whole offseason has been about unfinished business.”
