# Massillon Washington High School

Washington High School, commonly referred to as Massillon High School or Massillon Washington High School, is a 9th to 12th grade secondary school within the Massillon City School District in the city of Massillon, Ohio.
The school colors are orange and black, and the school's athletic teams are known as the Massillon Tigers.

## History

The original Washington High School was constructed in 1913 and used to sit on the corner of Oak and 1st street southeast in downtown Massillon. The current Washington High School was constructed in 1992 adjacent to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

## Academics

Washington High School provides programs including college readiness and vocational technical careers. Developing Resources for Education and Athletics in Massillon (D.R.E.A.M) is a collaborative effort through the Paul & Carol David Foundation, Massillon schools, Walsh University and the Aultman Health Foundation and provides students interested in a career in sports medicine to earn college credits in high school. Rated an "Excellent" school district by the Ohio Department of Education.

## Activities
### Football

Football came to the Massillon in 1894 with the first high school football game between Massillon High School and Canton Central High School. In the early years, the players consisted of working boys because most boys did not attend high school. By 1904 more boys began attending school past 8th grade. 1909 was Massillon's first undefeated football team. From 1910 to 1920 high school football in Massillon grew and improved, and by 1916 they were named the Scholastic Champions of Ohio. The school mascot, the Tiger, was adopted from the city's former professional football team known as the Massillon Tigers.
Paul Brown, a 1925 graduate of Washington High School, returned to Massillon in 1932 to begin his renowned coaching career. In his nine years at Massillon, Brown posted an 80–8–2 record which included a 35-game winning streak and six state championships. The school's football stadium was named in Brown's honor.
The Tigers play their home games at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The stadium currently holds 16,600 people and is named after former Tiger player and head coach Paul Brown. Besides being the regular season home of the Massillon Tiger Football team, the stadium hosts Ohio High School Athletic Association state football playoff games, divisional championship games, as well as numerous other activities such as band shows and other sports including soccer.
Every fall, the booster club provides a live tiger cub named "Obie" who is on the sidelines for each home football game. So strong is the tradition and history, the booster club provides each baby boy born in Massillon a miniature football.
In summer 2008, due to the success of the Tigers' athletic programs, ESPN nominated the city of Massillon as a candidate for Titletown USA. The final results ended with Massillon finishing in the top 4.
Prior to the implementation of the playoff system in 1972, Massillon won 24 State Championships, including two in 1950 and 1951 in American football under Coach Chuck Mather and with player Bobby Grier. In 2023, the Tigers ended a 53-year drought, winning their first state title in the OHSAA Playoff era, defeating Archbishop Hoban by a final score of 7–2. The Tigers had previously been playoff runners-up in 1980, 1982, 2005, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Massillon has been recognized as the AP High School Football National Champions nine times - 1935, 1936, 1939, 1940, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1959, 1961.

#### Rivals

McKinley Bulldogs The rivalry between these schools has been ongoing for over a century. Massillon leads the series 76-53-5. Rivalry is known as one of the first rivalries in high school football history. The rivalry between them is one of the most popular rivalries in the country and the state of Ohio. One of the most notable people part of the rivalry is former Massillon alumni and Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown.

### Massillon Tiger Swing Band

The Massillon Tiger Swing Band was created by George "Red" Bird in 1938 during the Paul Brown era of Massillon football. The band became known as "The Greatest Show in High School Football" and is still a very important part of the Massillon football tradition. The band's swing style includes moving formations and musicians marching with a swing step. The Tiger Swing band begins every home football game with the traditional hometown songs of "Massillon Will Shine", "Stand Up and Cheer" (to acknowledge the other team), “Eye of the Tiger”, “Seven Nation Army”, The W.H.S. Alma Mater, and The Star Spangled Banner/ The National Anthem. At the beginning of each half time show, they perform what is known as "Opening Routine". This is a tradition that goes back for decades and consists of the band's entrance ("Turn Arounds") followed by "Fanfare", "Tiger Rag" and "Carry On". This entire routine is marched at 180 beats per minute and is practiced from the beginning of the rehearsals through the entire season. Each home game the Swing Band performs a new halftime show for the crowd, always with a theme. The 2020 edition of the band includes two Drum Majors, four Majorettes, and the mascot, Obie.
The Swing Band is currently directed by Jason Neel, who has been the head director since 2006. The 2020 edition of the Massillon Tiger Swing Band had an enrollment of 135.

## Notable alumni

* Andy Alleman, former Kansas City Chiefs player
* Robert Arter (class of 1946), U.S. Army lieutenant general$^{:27}$
* Paul Brown, former National Football League coach and executive. Co-founder of the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns
* Earle Bruce, former college football coach
* David Canary, television actor
* Zion Clark (class of 2016), amateur wrestler, MMA fighter, and wheelchair racer
* Gareon Conley, former cornerback for the Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders
* Shawn Crable, former linebacker for the New England Patriots
* Bill Edwards, former college and Detroit Lions head coach
* Harold G. Epperson, posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, died in action during World War II at the Battle for Saipan on June 25, 1944 at the age of 21 years old.
* Homer Floyd, former halfback for the Edmonton Eskimos
* Dennis Franklin, former wide receiver for the Detroit Lions and first African American starting quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines
* Horace Gillom, former punter and offensive end for the Cleveland Browns
* Bobby Grier (Class of 1952), American football player who broke the color barrier at the Sugar Bowl in 1956 while playing for the University of Pittsburgh
* Tommy Hannon, former safety for the Minnesota Vikings
* Lin Houston, former guard for the Cleveland Browns
* Don James, former coach of Kent State
* Tommy James, former defensive halfback for the Cleveland Browns
* Mark Kozelek (class of 1984), lead singer of Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon; actor
* Lori Lightfoot (class of 1980), attorney, 56th Mayor of Chicago, and former president of Chicago Police Board
* Ernest W. Maglischo, (Class of 1956), Phd., competitive swimmer for Ohio State, author, researcher, and Hall of Fame collegiate swimming coach
* Ed Molinski, 1939 Consensus All-American guard for Tennessee Volunteers
* Jack Oliver, geophysicist who studied earthquakes and ultimately provided seismic evidence supporting plate tectonics
* Devin Smith, former wide receiver drafted by the New York Jets
* Chris Spielman (class of 1984), former player for Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns
* Stalley, born Kyle Myricks, musician and rapper
* Harry Stuhldreher, quarterback, later one of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame
* Jeff Timmons (Class of 1991), singer-songwriter/musician, founder/member of 98 Degrees
* Stanfield Wells, tight end at the Michigan Wolverines
* Erik White, Quarterback at Bowling Green and 1991 & 1992 Mid-American Conference MVP
* George Whitfield Jr., former Arena Football League player
* Alex Wood (Class of 1974), college football and NFL coach
* Justin Zwick, former Ohio State quarterback