TIGERS TROUNCE AVIATORS, 65-0
LONG RUNS FEATURE ORANGE AND BLACK’S IMPRESSIVE VICTORY
By KEN HARTWICK
Stark county grid history was made at Mount Union stadium, Alliance, Saturday afternoon, as the Tigers of Washington high school crushed the Alliance Aviators under a 65-0 score, the largest ever made by the orange and black in a game with a county opponent.
With every man playing his part to perfection, the Tigers fought over the Alliance goal line 10 different times to turn in the biggest count in what so far has been the most successful football season in the history of the local school and to assume an impressive lead in the three-way battle for the 1934 Stark grid championship.
Outplay Old Rivals
The score tells the story. In every department of the game the Tigers far outplayed their ancient rivals who, though they fought hard, could do nothing to stem the tide of touchdowns which engulfed them.
After the first minute of play in which the Tigers scored their first touchdown, it was only a question of how lopsided the score was to be. The points continued to mount at a rate of better than one a minute and as the gun finally ended the game and the Tigers romped off the field with their points for the season advanced to the impressive total of 274 and their goal line still uncrossed.
Tigers Get 22 First Downs
Twenty-two first downs were registered by the Tigers, 16 in the first half, while they were allowing the Aviators but three, two in the first quarter and one in the fourth. The orange and black advanced the ball 408 yards while Alliance carried it 79 yards.
The Tigers opened with two touchdowns in the first period. They put on steam to score four in the second, coasted through the third, getting one tally and put the pressure on again in the fourth for three more.
The game produced, as far as local fans were concerned, everything that makes for thrills in a football game except, of course, a tight score. Blocked punts, intercepted passes, long runs for touchdowns, passes over the goal line – all were included in the Tigers’ bag of tricks.
For the Tigers there was no individual hero. Six different, men helped in the scoring and as many and more played their valiant but largely unnoticed parts in setting the stage for the touchdowns.
Henry Krier was high-point man with three touchdowns and an extra point. Bob Shertzer and D.C. McCants each got two touchdowns and an extra point. Ed Herring scored twice and Cloyd Snavely once. Mike Byelene and Jake Gillom contributed the other two points after touchdown.
Two of Krier’s touchdowns were made on long end runs which good interference on the part of several of his teammates and some snappy stepping by Henry himself made possible. On one occasion Krier broke through from the Aviators’ 42-yard line and raced across the goal stripe. A few minutes later he repeated the stunt, carrying the pigskin from the Alliance 36.
Long Run By Shertzer
The big thrill of the afternoon was furnished by Shertzer who raced 82 yards for a touchdown after intercepting an Alliance pass. His interception ended the only serious threat made by the Aviators which came after a Tiger misplay gave them possession of the ball on the Massillon 33 early in the fourth quarter.
Another thrill was provided by Wendell Lohr late in the third frame when he took an Alliance pass on his own 35 and carried 45 yards to the Alliance 15 before being stopped. That play enabled the Tigers to score their seventh touchdown about a minute later.
Two other plays which resulted in touchdowns were pulled by Buggs and Snavely who did not figure in the scoring of those particular tallies. Early in the final period Buggs blocked an Alliance punt and Snavely recovered to go for a touchdown, shortly after, Snavely pulled an assist which enabled Shertzer to make his long romp, knocking the ball away from the potential receiver into Shertzer’s waiting arms.
D.C. McCants was in his old form and pierced the Aviators’ line consistently for substantial gains. Byelene, the sophomore quarterback, didn’t score a touchdown but was personally responsible for many of the first downs which put the ball in a scoring position.
Jack Lange, whose fine defensive work in a backfield position has gone unheralded and Molinski, Wolfe and the other unsung heroes of the line opened big holes for their backfield teammates and rolled opposing players out of the way so they could make their big gains.
Passes were few. The Tigers tried seven and completed three, with Byelene on the throwing end for 37 yards. Two were good for touchdowns. The Aviators attempted four, completing two for 12 yards. The Tigers were set back 50 yards and the Aviators 35 by penalties.
The game had only started when the Tigers scored touchdown No. 1. On the first play after getting the ball on his own 20, Korleski fumbled for Alliance and Molinski recovered. Two successive five-yard penalties put the pigskin on the 10 and after Krier made five yards through the line he circled left end for the tally. His kick for the point failed.
On the first play after the next kick Korleski again fumbled on his 35 and Massillon recovered. Five plays put the ball on the 12 and Byelene passed to Shertzer behind the goal line. A bad pass from center prevented a try for the point.
March From Own 35
Alliance got its first two first downs before the Tigers started a march from their own 35, carrying to the three-yard stripe before the quarter ended. McCants went over on the first play of the second period and Krier carried for the point.
A few minutes later Krier made his 42-yard run for the fourth touchdown and got No. 5 shortly after on a 36-yard jaunt. Shertzer and Byelene scored the points by carrying the ball over the goal line.
An 80-yard march produced the next Tiger tally. Byelene did most of the carrying as the ball was advanced to the Alliance 24 where he then passed to Lohr for 13 yards to the 11. McCants gained five yards and Herring circled right end for the remaining distance. Lohr’s try for point was unsuccessful. The half ended shortly after with the Tigers holding a 39-0 advantage.
Early in the third period shortly after the Tigers’ first punt, Lohr made his 45-yard return to the Alliance 15. Two plays made it first down on the two-yard marker and Alliance held for two plays before McCants walked over the goal line. He also carried for the point.
On three first downs the Tigers a little later carried from their own 25 to the Alliance 36 where a penalty necessitated a punt their second of the game as the period ended.
It was Alliance’s ball on its own 20 as the final quarter started. Three plays brought no gain and Korleski dropped back for a punt. Buggs fought in and blocked it and Snavely scooped up the ball in the midst of the entire Alliance team to run the short distance for a touchdown. Krier’s kick for the point was blocked.
Exciting Plays
A 15-yard penalty on the Tigers after Lohr returned a punt to his own 41 set the stage for the two exciting plays which followed. Failing to get the required 10 yards in three plays, Gillom dropped back for a punt. The throw from center was to the side and before Jake could try a punt he was downed on his own 33 giving the Aviators the ball.
Small gains by Korleski and Dantzler and a seven-yard pass from Korleski to Seufts gave the Aviators a first down on the Massillon 23. Another advance of a yard was made before Korleski dropped back for a pass. It was intended for Seufts but before it got to him Snavely tipped it to Shertzer who showed himself as a potential 100-yard dash man as he raced 82 yards down the west sideline in record time. The kick for point failed.
Another fumble by Korleski which was recovered by McDew on the Alliance 37 gave the Tigers their final touchdown, a pass from Byelene to Herring being good for the tally. Gillom grabbed the pass from center to go over the line for the last point.
An interception of a pass by Morningstar a minute later came as the game ended.
The game was attended by a crowd of approximately 3,000 fans with Massillon evidently having as many present if not more than Alliance. Rain fell several times during the fracas but failed to slow down the Tigers.
Saturday, Akron West’s Cowboys come here to battle the Tigers. Records of the two teams so far indicate a victory for the orange and black.
The summary:
Massillon Pos. Alliance
Lohr LE Koch
Buggs LT Wenzel
Molinsk LG Fete
Morningstar C Johnston
Snavely RG Cassidy
Wolfe RT Pfeiffer
Shertzer RE Starks
Byelene QB Long
Krier LH Zumbar
Lange RH Korleski
McCants FB Dantzler
Substitutions:
Massillon – McDew, re; Herring, lb; Gillom, fb; Carter, qb; Schimke, rg; Miller, lg; Peters, rt; Price, rt.
Alliance – Seufts, le; Greenwalt, c; Shively, lg; Zamatlas, lt; LaNave, qb; Oyster, rg; Raber, lg; Grimes, rg; Czkita, rh.
Score by quarters:
Massillon 12 27 7 19 65
Touchdowns:
Massillon – Krier, 3; Shertzer 2; McCants 2; Herring 2; Snavely.
Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Krier; Shertzer; Byelene; McCants; Gillom.
Referee – Howell (Sebring).
Umpire – Boone (Grove City).
Head Linesman – Barrett (Sebring).
