Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

M.H.S. WINS 21-7

Orange And Black Opens Season With Victory Over West

It isn’t always the big fellow who wins.

Football warriors of Washington High school proved this Saturday afternoon while defeating West High of Akron, 21 to 7 on the Pearl street gridiron in the opening scholastic combat of the season. Outweighed from 8 to 10 pounds to a man by the beefy Summit county aggregation the Orange and Black lads outplayed the Invaders and practically wore them out by a relentless attack which showed that the coaching ability of David B. Stewart, new athletic tutor, would bring some highly satisfactory results before the curtain is lowered next November.

West, with a veteran lineup that captured the scholastic championship of the Rubber city a year ago, looked decidedly superior to the local team as the two elevens pranced up and down the field before the opening of the battle. But once the fighting spirit of the youthful Tigers was aroused the attack of the visitors was checked and time after time rolled back for a loss.

Although Massillon’s attack was ragged at times and its tackling just a bit off form the youthful Tigers displayed sufficient ability in their initial encounter to encourage the flock of fans who witnessed the duel. It was due to poor tackling that West scored its lone touchdown in the second quarter. This touchdown came from a cleverly executed forward pass and was the only time that the Akronites really threatened the Massillon goal.

It was due to the phenomenal offensive play of Captain “Chuck” Hess that hoisted the Orange and Black colors upon victory’s standard. The Massillon leader scored all of the local team’s points, three times dashing across the Akron goal line and three times annexing points from goal after touchdown.

The Massillon leader brought the crowd to its feet when early in the second quarter he grabbed an Akron punt on his 15-yard line and dashed 85 yards through the visiting eleven for Massillon’s first touchdown. It was a brilliant run, but Hess’ dash would never have been possible had he not been afforded almost perfect interference by this teammates. For just as soon as he received the punt the local lads began to blaze a pathway for him through the West eleven by dumping prospective tacklers until the Orange and Black leader found himself out in a clear field where his speed enabled him to elude the few remaining Akronites who were still on their feet.

But that did not finish his afternoon’s work. Again in the third quarter he plunged through the Akron team from the 10-yard line for Massillon’s second touchdown and early in the fourth quarter skirted Akron’s right end for another 10-yard drive and Massillon’s third set of counters.

But while Hess’ work stood out prominently he did not bask in calsomine rays alone. Sharing honors with him was Rosenberg, his running mate, whose line plunging and sturdy defensive work stood out prominently throughout the entire struggle. Rosenberg plowed through the heavy Akron line time after time for substantial gains and his work on secondary defense broke up many an Akron attempt to gain.

The thing which probably was most impressive was the game fight which the Massillon line put up against the invaders. Although made up practically of green men the Orange and Black line outfought the Akronites and gave them such a drubbing that during the fourth quarter the visiting line was a leaky as a sieve.

Coach Stewart’s lads depended practically upon straight football for their gains. They attempted only one forward pass and this was successful, Hess tossing to Hax for a gain of 30-yards in the fourth quarter. Few end runs were attempted. Off-tackle bucks were largely used and the steady pounding of the Orange and Black had its effect upon the visitors who were forced to send practically all of their reserve players into the fray, but their efforts to half the Orange and Black proved futile.

During the first two quarters it appeared as if the invaders might worry the local team with an aerial attack for the Akronites seemed to have exceptional ability in the aerial game. They worked five successful passes, one of which gave them their touchdown, before Coach Stewart’s lads succeeded in breaking them up and West’s next eight attempts to gain by the air route were frustrated.

Gram, quarterback, was the star for Akron West.

Starting Right

Akron West – 7 Pos. Massillon – 21
Niehaus LE Jamison
Thomas LT Nelson
Henry LG Shaidnagle
B. Smith C Roth
Tripplett RG Rutherford
Brewster RT Snyder
Wallace RE Pflug
Gram QB Rosenberg
H. Smith LH Hess
Marino RB Hax
Gentach FB Potts

Score by quarters:
Massillon 0 7 7 7 – 21
Akron West 0 7 0 0 – 7

Substitutions: Massillon – Lyons for Pflug, Rohr for Lyons,
Lyons for Jamison, Jamison for Lyons, Bishop for Rosenberg,
Ulrich for Potts, Borza for Ulrich, Potts for Borza, Wendling
for Potts.
Akron West – Carney for Henry, Wagner for B. Smith.

Massillon scoring – Touchdowns – Hess 3.

Goals after touchdown – Hess

Akron scoring – Touchdowns – Smith.

Goal after touchdown – Gram.

Referee – Blythe, Mount Union.
Umpire – Blackburn.
Headlinesman – Wilson.

Time of quarters – 14 minutes.

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