MANSFIELD — Uniontown Green quarterback Trevor Van Horn fired a 12-yard touchdown pass to Trey Martin with 24 seconds remaining and Eli Noirot’s PAT was the game-winner during a stunning, 26-25 upset of Massillon in Friday night’s Division II, Region 7 championship game at Arlin Field.
The sequence concluded a wild fourth quarter in which both teams had the lead and lost it.
Fourth-seeded Massillon (11-3) jumped in front 7-0 early in the first quarter on Darius McElroy’s 8-yard TD dash with less than 90 seconds gone in the game. It was the first of three times the Tigers’ standout found paydirt.
But the seventh-seeded Bulldogs (11-3) tied it when Van Horn and Martin connected on an 8-yard scoring pass at the 8:31 mark of the second period.
McElroy’s 2-yard run and the PAT pushed Massillon back on top 14-7 with 2:03 to play in the first half.
Yet Green climbed within 14-13 when Van Horn hit Zach Baglia for a 3-yard score just six seconds before intermission. The failed PAT left the Tigers on top 14-13.
Midway through the third quarter, Martin hauled in a 70-yard touchdown pass from Van Horn to give the Bulldogs a 19-14 advantage.
That set up a frantic final 12 minutes.
A Green interception thwarted Massillon inside the 10. Still, after a short Bulldog punt, McElroy broke loose on a 33-yard TD bolt and the two-point conversion gave Massillon a 22-19 edge with 9:01 remaining.
The Tigers expanded the gap to 25-19 on Shane Rue’s 36-yard field goal with 3:59 showing. It looked like Massillon had the game clinched when an interception stopped Green at the 2:25 mark.
But just seconds later the Tigers promptly fumbled near midfield to give Green the final chance it needed. The Bulldogs quickly cashed in to capture the school’s first regional crown since 2001.
McElroy paced the Massillon offense with 138 yards on 19 carries and 3 TDs. Freddie Lenix Jr. finished with 67 yards on 14 attempts as the Tigers ran for 214 yards.
But Massillon suffered three turnovers and a whopping 19 penalties for 184 yards, blunting numerous scoring chances.
Meanwhile, Green followed Van Horn’s lead. The Bulldogs’ quarterback completed 31-of-56 passes for 276 yards and 4 touchdowns. Martin was his favorite target, catching 10 passes for 129 yards.
Green enjoyed a 330-263 total yardage advantage, while surviving three turnovers. The Bulldogs’ 10 penalties for 78 yards were not as costly as Massillon’s flags.
Green is a true Cinderella story. The Bulldogs finished the regular season at 3-3 for a fourth-place showing in the Federal League. Yet the squad got hot at just the right time and have now won five straight to advance to next week’s state semifinals. The location will be announced this weekend by the Ohio High School Athletics Association.
Massillon was making its fifth straight appearance in the regional championship game. The defeat snapped this season’s eight-game winning streak.
In recent action on Nov. 5, Massillon faced off against Westerville South.
We want your feedback on the accuracy and quality of this article. Take a 1-minute survey and be registered to win a $25 Visa gift card.
For statewide results and expert analysis of the best teams and prep athletes in Ohio, sign up for our free newsletter. It’s required reading for high school sports fans. This news brief was powered by ScoreStream and Lede AI, the world leaders in fan-driven sports results. To see more game results from your favorite team, download the ScoreStream app today.
