Euclid, Massilon football players slug it out at Mt. Union camp

By TODD PORTER

REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

ALLIANCE A team football camp at Mount Union College built more than chemistry Thursday afternoon. It bruised and bloodied bodies as well.

A fight between Massillon Washington High School football players and Euclid players erupted off the field and became so big that Alliance Police responded to the scene. The fight happened between camp sessions and around dinner time. It did not take place on the field.

Calls to new Tigers head coach Jason Hall were not returned. A message for him could not be left because his voicemail box was full. A message left for Euclid head coach Mike Rezzolla was not returned.

North Canton Hoover veteran assistant coach Dick Gross witnessed the fight and he praised Massillon’s coaching staff for trying to keep the two teams separated. Hoover’s team was at the camp as well, but not involved in the scuffle.

“Euclid was the aggressor,” Gross said. “They were hanging around the Massillon dorm. Some of the Euclid kids came out from dinner and there was a confrontation.

“It could have been really, really bad. Was it bad? I don’t think so based on what I saw. Massillon coaches did their best to keep them separated.”

Veteran Massillon assistant coach and former Tiger head coach Jack Rose was hurt during the fight. However, Rose said he was fine Thursday night.

“I’m 61, and I felt every bit of it on the bottom of the pile,” said Rose, who was punched in the side of the head by a Euclid player. Rose declined to elaborate on any details of the fight and deferred to Hall.

The Mount Union camp was a three-day team building camp, and head coaches often use three of their Ohio High School Athletic Association allotted camp days to attend college campuses, participate in 7-on-7 passing drills, practice and build team chemistry.

The bad blood between Euclid and Massillon didn’t just begin on Thursday, according to coaches at the camp.