If you like high school football, then make sure to read this book. While not about Texas high school football, this book on the Massillion Tigers in Ohio is just as great a portrait of the game as anything that has been written or produced on television or the movies. Here is my review of the book on their 2019 season.
Title/Author:
“The Massillion Tigers: 15 for 15" by David Lee Morgan Jr.
Tags:
Football (American), high school
Publish date:
September 8, 2020
Length:
224 pages
Rating: to
5 of 5 stars (excellent)
Review:
When one thinks of towns that are passionate about high school football, one usually thinks of Texas. However, there are other towns around the country that have that passion and one of them is Massillion, Ohio. In 2019, they adopted a motto "15 for 15". The team would need to win 15 games to win the state championship and after each win, the team would do the corresponding number of push-ups. Their drive for the championship is chronicled in this book by the running back coach of the team, David Lee Morgan Jr.
The best word to describe reading this book is fun. Right from the start, when Morgan talks about when he first declined the coaching job so as not to disappoint his wife after promising her more time together to the final gathering of the team after the season (no spoilers – read the book to find out their record) the reader will learn a lot about the important players on the team, the coaches and others who make Massillion football a vital part of the town's personality.
While each chapter is about one game on the Massillion schedule, including playoffs, and the football writing digs well into the game action, that isn't the best aspect of this book. There is plenty of material on other aspects of the high school football experience. One chapter is dedicated to the band. There is a nice write-up about the head coach and his wife – she plays just as important a role in the success of the team as much as he does, at least according to the author. The stories about the fans traveling to away games or filling their side of college stadiums for playoff games are excellent. Although the best story is one already mentioned – when Morgan got the coaching job after initially rejecting the offer.
One doesn't have to be a high school football fan or even have played or supported his or her school to enjoy this great story of a team's quest for glory and the town that supports their Tigers. At times, reading this book will place the reader right in the bleachers of the game and that is the strength of this book – the reader will feel the experience of Massillion Tigers football.
I wish to thank Fayetteville Mafia Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)
Buying Links:
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