Go Tigers! is a gritty documentary set in Massillon, Ohio in the fall of 1999 about high school football, traditions, and the financial struggles of a working class town. Director Kenneth Carlson pulls the viewer in immediately when the president of the football booster club is presenting a new born male with a mini football hoping that this will be the first step in continuing a long tradition of football in Northeast Ohio. In the following scene they show a funeral director displaying a casket decked out in Massillon Tiger colors and logos. From birth to earth, these opening scenes set the tempo for a town, a school, a team, and their unwavering passion for football.
The Massillon High School Tigers were coming off a 4-6 season and had high expectations for the upcoming year. To intensify those expectations, a vote was coming up on a levy for the school district. I had no idea what a levy was while watching this except that’s where Don McLean drove his Chevy to in the song American Pie. Apparently, a levy is where you increase property tax on the citizens of the town to fund the educational system. If this vote does not pass, the state then makes cuts where they see fit. People in Massillon live for Friday nights and Saturday afternoons. The levy has been voted down in the previous years and it’s no coincidence that these rejections came during seasons were the team had not defeated rival The McKinley Bulldogs in 4 years and had their first losing season since 1966. If the Tigers win, residents are happy, but if they don’t they are not shy about voicing their opinions in interviews with the mayor, high school principal, and Alumni. Classic Midwest values wrapped around 120 yards of turf.
I first heard of the legendary Tigers program when I was in high school. Chris Spielman, middle linebacker of the Detroit Lions was one of my favorites growing up. I admired the way he played hard, every day, every practice, and every game. As I researched Spielman further, I found out he was one of Massillon favorite sons and was the 1983 Dial National Scholar Male Athlete of the Year. He attended Ohio State where he was a two time All-American and played 10 seasons in the NFL where he was a three time All-Pro. All those accolades aside, what I admired him most for was when his wife was diagnosed with cancer he shaved his head and took the entire 1998 season off to help her battle her illness. He was a man’s man. As this documentary describes the town’s characteristics of passion, dedication, and loyalty they might as well have been talking about Chris Spielman.
Every good high school football documentary spotlights coaches and players. This one in particular takes a look at the three co-captains. The first is Dave Irwin, a tough, intense competitor at quarterback. Second is, Ellery Moore, a talented defensive end and vocal leader. Last, but not least Dan Studer, a shaved head, neck roll, son of a coach straight out of central casting. This documentary follows these guys from the classroom, to practice, and even the after party. You forget at times during the film that these players are only 18 years old and no matter what their status in the school is, they are still trying to navigate themselves through everyday life like any other high school student.
Not all the people of Massillon admired the football program. The documentary does a solid job of giving the other side of the fence. Several student and citizens resented the football program because of their success and a feeling that because they are athletes they get preferential treatment. One controversy in the documentary is the recruiting allegations against Massillon when Perry High School’s running back, Jessie Scott, transferred to Massillon. This allegation led to a court case and a physical, chippy game between the two programs during the regularly season. Massillon’s English teacher speaks out against the redshirting of 8th graders to give them another year to mature for football. Both Dave Irwin and Dan Studer participated in this practice. All three of the featured players are struggling academically to qualify for NCAA eligibility. Clearly if you are a person who doesn’t care about football in any capacity in Massillon you are looked at as an alien from another plant.
Tiger game weeks are always special but the McKinley game holds a much higher level of significance. This rivalry, which spans present day a 130 years, is a six day intense celebration of Tiger pride. The marching band director treats this week as intensely as the football coach does. He receives permission from the mayor to take the band Friday morning and play throughout the town. They go into libraries, restaurants, and other businesses playing music and no one seems to mind. That week the streets are lined with Beat Mck signs. In fact all throughout the week residents answer phone by saying Beat McKinley. Obie #30, an actual live tiger cub and the teams mascot even mentally prepares himself for the big game. There are big press conferences, booster club breakfast, and there is even a Vegas line on the game (In case you’re wondering Massillon was -1 in 1999). Intensifying the game even more in 1999 is that it was being played in Fawcett Stadium which is in the same location as the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This particular McKinley week was not devoid of drama with Irwin almost losing his index finger in a shop class, Moore getting a visit from Penn State even though his test scores weren’t high enough to make him eligible, and the Studer household filled with anxiety around the levy vote and Dan’s father, Steve getting laid off due to budget cuts. On top of all that, an undefeated season was on the line and the levy vote was three days away. After getting off to a slow start, as did most games in the 1999 season, the Tigers blew out the Bulldogs 35-7 and captured the Victory Bell. It would mark the first time the class of ’99 would get their hands on the coveted trophy.
This documentary gives you an inside look of what big time high school football looks like. It takes on the journeys of the pressures not only on the field but also off it to succeed. It has been 20 years since I had watched this documentary and it still had me on the edge of my seat. It shows you the heights you can reach when you have the full support of the residents, administration, and alumni. All of this comes at a price of course. What Go Tiger! really shows is the intrinsic value of sports and how it can give people of a town meaning and a sense of purpose. Massillon, Ohio is definetly a destination on the bucket list for Traveling Coach.
RATING: 4/5 Stars
Best Quotes:
“I have seen this brown pig skin do more for some people in this town than a text book ever has”.
–Resident, Truck Driver, Booster Club Member
“My family has always been kind of broken up, so I have always been searching for another family, and when I got to Massillon I found that family”.
-Ellery Moore ’00 Ohio All-State & Defensive player of the year.
Traveling Bro of the Documentary:
Steve Studer, the Father of linebacker Dan Studer, and the Massillon Tigers Strength and conditioning coach. He had an intense stare, a bald head, cut off sleeves on his sweat shirts, and big glasses. He was a proud Ohio guy who loved football and his family. He was the kind of guy who looks as if he ate steel cereal for breakfast. He unfortunately passed away in 2004. His son Danny now holds the same position at Massillon that his father did. Family and Football.
