WASHINGTON HIGH DOWNS AKRON EAST
PLACEKICK AFTER TOUCHDOWN ENABLES TIGERS TO WIN 7-6

By LUTHER EMERY

That old adage that an ox cannot lick a Tiger was once again proved conclusively before 2,500 fans on Massillon Field Saturday afternoon when 11 fighting young Bengals of Washington high school defeated a beef trust sent down by Akron East high 7-6.

Outweighed at least 30 pounds to the man and appearing like a band of David’s alongside an army of Goliaths the Tigers gave everything they had and that was plenty as one glimpse at the Akron team limping off the field revealed.

It was Massillon’s first victory in seven years over the Akron team and though the margin was small just as it has been in other years since the Tigers decisive triumph in 1925, it was a satisfactory one, very much so when one stops to think that just a few days ago they were picking East to win by five touchdowns.

A weight advantage such as Akron possessed was something for a high school team to overcome, but the Massillon gridders did it with hard tackling and blocking and the fans went home satisfied that Washington high has a team this year that will play every ounce of football that is in it.

Hefty Giants
Few there were who would have picked Massillon the winner when the Orientals trotted out on the field led by Captain Owens, their young giant, who balances the scales at 247 pounds and who sails up the field at surprisingly fast speed. And few would have picked the locals the winner once the two forward walls lined up against each other. But the Massillon midgets played under the East linemen’s chins and though it would have taken two men and a derrick to have hoisted Owens out of the road and a man on stilts to get over him even when prostrate on the ground, the Tigers somehow or other refused to be outplayed on the line and handled the boys roughly.

They were a sorry looking lot when they left the field badly battered at the end of the half. Spirited by a touchdown in the closing minutes of play, however, they made a somewhat better appearance at the end of the game..

Oddly enough though Massillon had hoped to hold Akron, get a break and take advantage of it to win the game, yet the locals did not make use of their breaks Saturday. Instead they passed up three opportunities for touchdowns after breaks and as though for the purpose of making their victory more convincing, scored their touchdown after a 40-yard march down the field.

Failure of either team to score earlier in the game, when within the shadow of each other’s goal posts, led fans to believe another scoreless tie such as that of 1931 was in the making.

In fact the closing minutes of the third period were being ticked off when one of Hinkle’s kicks went out of bounds on the Akron 40-yard line. Kester hit tackle for five yards and Shrake slipped around right end on a double pass for a first down on the six-yard line. Foster crashed through for six yards but Akron was offside and Hoyman, acting captain, wisely took the penalty leaving it first down with five yards to go. Kester picked up three of the five and Foster in two drives made it first and 10 on the 18-yard line. Shrake skirted left end for seven yards but lost a yard on his next effort. Kester picked up three yards putting the ball on the 10-yard line and Foster crashed through for a first down on the eight-yard line. Kester went through for four yards, but Akron was penalized five yards for being offside, placing the ball on the four-yard line. Foster hit for two yards and then picked up another before the gun ended the period, much to the disappointment of a couple of youngsters in the pop-priced bleachers at the south end of the field. The teams reversed the field and Foster on the first play of the fourth quarter, crashed over the north goal for the touchdown. Krier placekicked the point that actually proved to be the margin of victory.

East Picks Up
That touchdown seemed to put new fire in East or was it the replacement of Brown with Caudriet that set off the sparks? Anyway, East suddenly found new power and with Caudriet carrying the ball most of the time, began to wear down the Massillon line until toward the close of the period, Akron got the ball on its own 45-yard line and through passes and runs by Caudriet, carried the ball to the five-yard line where Caudriet fumbled, Knowlton recovering for the Tigers. Six yards were picked up before Scott as caught pushing and the Tigers were penalized back to the one-yard line. Kester got off a good punt to the 25-yard line, but Garcia, on the first play, stepped back and hurled a perfect 15-yard pass to Hinkle who took it out of the arms of two Massillon players and galloped for a touchdown.

Then came the big break of the game. The teams lined up and Garcia elected to run with the ball for the extra point. He took it over, but Kesselring, East left end, was offside and Akron was penalized five yards and given another chance. This time Garcia’s pass was grounded behind the goal. Ten seconds later the game was over.

While all of the scoring took place in the fourth quarter, the game was chuck full of action from start to finish, so much so that every fan talking football Saturday evening made the expression that he had witnessed an honest to goodness game.

Thrills From Start to Finish
There were thrills right at the start when East took the kickoff and tricked the Massillon team on spinner plays. Hinkle’s 27-yard run and Brown’s 20-yard dash giving the Akron school a first down on the Massillon five-yard line. Then and there the Tigers found themselves and realized they could cope with Akron’s weight advantage while the socking administered to the Orientals on the next four consecutive plays just about undid them for the rest of the afternoon. Four plays gained but that many yards East losing the ball on the one-yard line.

The threat over, Kester kicked back to the 27-yard line and two plays later, Shrake intercepted Garcia’s flat pass and dashed 72 yards before he was brought down on the eight-yard line. Akron braced, however and tossed back the threat, the Tigers losing the ball on the nine-yard line. East attempted to punt out of danger and once again fans got to their feet when Krier blocked the punt and East recovered after the ball had rolled halfway across the field and two Massillon players had failed to recover it though first on the ball.

Akron had but one opportunity to score in the first half, but the Tigers passed up two more chances before intermission. Brunker placed them in position once when he recovered Garcia’s fumble on the nine-yard line. Amic made a yard and Knowlton two and Kester carried to the one-yard line on a lateral before being downed. Amic failed to gain on the next play, however and the Tigers’ lost the ball. Again the locals took the pigskin on the 23-yard line on a punt, a 10-yard pass helping to gain a first down on the 10-yard stripe. Amic took it out for no gain. Kester made a yard and Amic five more but Knowlton made but a yard on the fourth attempt and the ball was lost on the four-yard line, the period ending before Akron could punt out.

First Downs Almost Even
Neither team gained any great amount of ground in the third quarter until the Tigers started their drive that ended in a touchdown. Then followed Akron’s touchdown and the end of the game.

The teams were comparatively even in first downs, Akron making 10 to Massillon’s nine.

Next Friday the Tigers will play their second N.E.O. league game, meeting Niles here in a night contest. Niles opened its season last Friday with a 12-0 victory over Salem. Niles should have one of the best teams in the league this year.

Line up and summary:
Massillon Pos. Akron East
Lohr le Kesselring
Burkish lt Owens
Krier lg Bell
Hoyman c Houston
Schimke rg Swiers
Monroe rt Little
Brunker re McComb
Knowlton qb Garcia
Amic fb Brown
Shrake hb Krino
Kester hb Hinkle

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 0 0 7 7
Akron East 0 0 0 6 6

Substitutions:
Massillon – Foster, fb; Scott, g; Snavely, g.
Akron East – Mostyn, c; Richards, hb; Caudriet, fb.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Foster.
Akron East – Hinkle.

Point after touchdown: Massillon – Krier (placekick)

Referee – Wagner (Mt. Union).
Umpire – Rang (Akron).
Head Linesman – Ellis (Springfield).