Massillon quarterback DaOne Owens still awaiting approval of OHSAA
As of Thursday afternoon, the status of Massillon quarterback DaOne Owens was still in doubt with the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
As reported first on SBLive last week, Owens was not eligible to play for the Tigers in their game against Middletown (Delaware) last Friday night, a 41-7 Massillon victory.
Sources say the issue of eligibility stems from requirements set forth by the OHSAA if a player should transfer from one public school in Ohio to another as outlined in Bylaw 4-7-2. Any player who transfers from a public school to a public school would be eligible to play the first five games of the football season and then would be deemed ineligible starting in Week 6 unless they met certain exceptions.
Owens transferred to Massillon from Copley prior to his senior year and according to an email to SBLive from OHSAA Director of Media Relations Tim Stried on Thursday afternoon, Owens' eligibility status has not yet been approved as the OHSAA is still working with Massillon on the transfer process.
Massillon quarterback DaOne Owens takes off for a run against Valdosta (Georgia) on August 18, 2023. (Photo: Jeff Harwell)
Massillon is currently the No. 1 team in the SBLive Ohio Power 25 and just outside the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 nationally.
If Owens is not approved by Friday, the Tigers would face St. John's (Washington. D.C) without him.
In the game against Middletown, junior quarterback Jalen Slaughter Jalen Slaughter, who helped lead Massillon to the state semifinals as a sophomore last season as the starting quarterback, stepped in and went 15-of-29 with 293 yards passing and three touchdowns. That included a 53-yard touchdown pass on Massillon's first offensive play of the game.
The only other quarterback listed on the Massillon varsity roster is sophomore Eli Moore.
After St. John's, Massillon heads to Austintown Fitch on Oct. 6, returns home to play Warren Harding on Oct. 13 and finishes out the regular season at Canton McKinley on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
-- Ryan Isley | ryan@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveoh
