Massillon rolls past DeSales 48-0 as Ryan Day watches son RJ's final high school game
Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon, Ohio (MassillonTigers.com — file photo)Massillon blanked Columbus St. Francis DeSales 48-0 on Friday night in an OHSAA Division II playoff game, ending the high school career of Stallions quarterback RJ Day while his father, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, watched from the DeSales sideline.
The Tigers led 35-0 by halftime and never let up, outgaining DeSales 392-5 in net yards. The Massillon defense held the Stallions to five total yards, negative-13 rushing yards and just two first downs in the regional quarterfinal at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
RJ Day, a senior who threw for more than 8,000 yards in four years as DeSales' starting quarterback, went 2-of-6 passing for 18 yards and spent much of the night running from the Massillon rush. He finishes his high school career with a 31-14 record as a starter, and DeSales ends its season 8-4.
On one signature play, Day scrambled into open field only to be run down by Massillon senior Brayton Feister, who is headed to the University of Oregon. Feister, who was heavily recruited by Ryan Day before choosing Oregon, kept it classy afterward. “He showed a lot of class to me when we spoke to each other on the field,” RJ Day said. “The words we exchanged were all good stuff.”
“He's a heck of a coach,” Feister said of Ryan Day. “He's got national championship on his belt, so I'm very respectful. I'll be watching Oregon-Ohio State at home. Go Ducks.”
Massillon running back Savior Owens ran for three early touchdowns, and Tigers quarterback Rasmus Haines completed two deep passes to Ohio State commit Deontay Malone. The Tigers overwhelmed a DeSales team that had stopped Massillon on the game's first series before being crushed on both sides of the ball.
“We played really well tonight,” Massillon head coach Nate Moore said. “We played physical, with great effort. We really raised our level of execution on both sides of the ball. Our goal is to play at a level it's hard for other people to match. We certainly did that tonight.”
Ryan Day watched his son's last high school game from the DeSales sideline, then waited on the field while RJ finished an interview. “The same way that everybody else wants to hug their dad and mom after their last high school game, I want to hug mine,” RJ Day said. Afterward, RJ stayed on the field consoling teammates and saying goodbyes. “We got overwhelmed by their physicality and size,” he said. “Looking at the score, it's hard to swallow.”
Moore shared a moment with Ryan Day before the Ohio State coach headed back to Columbus for the Buckeyes' 3:30 p.m. kickoff against Oregon on Saturday. “Ryan Day is a first-class man and a good father to come up here on a Friday night to watch his son,” Moore said. “He's a hell of a ball coach, one of the best to ever do it.” About 6,000 fans were in attendance, most of them aware the Ohio State coach might be there.
Massillon (10-1) advances to a regional semifinal next Friday at Sunbury Big Walnut (11-0), which beat Louisville 37-7. The teams will meet in the playoffs for a third consecutive season, and the Tigers need four more wins to claim the Division II state championship.
Sources: The Repository (Canton Rep), “Massillon football routs DeSales as Ryan Day watches son's final game” (Nov. 7, 2026); USA TODAY, “Ryan Day attends son's final high school game ahead of massive clash with Oregon” (Nov. 6, 2026); The Columbus Dispatch, “OHSAA football playoff scores for Ohio second-round games” (Nov. 6, 2026).
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