TIGERS COME FROM BEHIND TO DEFEAT WARREN HIGH 23-6 RECORD CROWD CHEERS MASSILLON COMEBACK
Power Plays Wipe Out Warren Touchdown After Tigers Trail for First Time in Three Years; 10,000 Fans See Game
By LUTHER EMERY
The Tigers have what it takes! They picked themselves off the floor after being knocked down in the first three minutes at Warren Friday evening and came back to triumph 23-6 and convince 10,000 spectators they have a fine football team.
It was the largest crowd that ever attended a football game in Warren. More wanted to get in but there wasn’t room to put them.
Tigers Prove Themselves
The green turf, flanked on the side by a new concrete stadium, on the other by wooden stands and enclosed at the ends by temporary bleachers, was a proving ground for the Tigers who last week tied 6-6 by Mansfield for the first time in 22 games.
Whether the Tigers were overrated or whether they were under par in their engagement with Mansfield last week were questions to be answered.
For five minutes the Massillon eleven looked like the team of a week ago. Tigers’ fumble on the first play after the kickoff gave Warren the ball on the Tiger 36-yard line. A ruling of interference on a pass moved it 10 yards nearer the Massillon goal.
From the 26-yard line, Bartholomew, Warren fullback, amazed Tiger fans as he punctured the Massillon line in two plays to drive to a first down on the four-yard line. Davis banged straight through center for the touchdown, but his attempted kick for the extra point was wide.
Trailing 6-0 for the first time in three seasons, the Tigers snarled and the turf began to fly.
Tigers Take Lead
They couldn’t tie it up the first quarter but they punched the ball to the 34-yard line where they missed first down by a foot.
They penetrated again to the one-yard line where Warren again stood its ground, but the withering attack of Bob Glass and Warren Wyatt, combined with an 11-yard pass from George Slusser to Don Snavely, tied the count early in the second quarter, Glass going over from the 10-yard line. Glass’ well aimed placement kick gave the local eleven a one point advantage and Massillon was the better ball team the rest of the way.
A long and high 57-yard punt to Junie Davis, who Wyatt dropped in his tracks on the Warren eight-yard line, set the stage for a safety. When two plays gained but three yards, TOtterdale dropped back to punt; Snavely broke through, blocked the ball and Bud Lucius dove on it just as it skidded out of the end zone. It was an automatic safety for Massillon. Had Lucius got to the ball a moment sooner, it would have been a touchdown.
A little stalling on the part of Warren might have saved the two points, for the Tigers ran but one play after the following kick before the half ended.
Glass’ toe went to work the third period and drove the Presidents backward until the Tigers finally got the ball by midfield. There they struck again, Wyatt and Glass carrying the ball for a first down. Just as the attack appeared to bog, Wyatt broke loose and dashed 24 yards to the four-yard line. On a delayed back, Glass went over the goal and kicked the extra point from placement.
Glass Over Again
The fourth period opened with the Tigers in midst of another touchdown as a result of Lucius; recovery of a Warren fumble on the latter’s 33-yard line.
Once more Glass and Wyatt alternated at lugging the leather, Glass finally bounding over through his right tackle from the 10-yard line.
The game slowed down in the fourth period with both coaches alternating their lineups. The Tigers got down to the 38-yard line but lost the ball on an intercepted pass. Warren spurted in the last minute to chalk up two first downs and save for a first down granted by penalty, it was the first time the Presidents had made their yardage since their touchdown. They made two first downs in their touchdown drive, one by penalty to the third period and the two at the end of the game.
The Tigers on the other hand made 15 first downs, four in the first period, three in the second, five in the third and three in the fourth.
It was a different Massillon team last night, more versatile, more aggressive.
Slusser Comes Through
Sophomore Slusser, stepped into the breach in the first quarter and proved himself the find Coach Brown has been looking for. He tossed five passes, completing three of them for 43 yards and did a nice bit of work to in his safety position.
The hardest played game of the past two seasons, the Tigers showed the effects. Alvin Greenfelder received a bad charley horse the first period and was only able to hobble around on one leg last night. Snavely and Wyatt suffered sprained ankles. Junior Andreson sustained a split lip and the eleven as a whole took a battering.
Warren absorbed punishment also as a large number of times out will attest.
It more ways than one, the game was a proving ground.
It not only brought out Slusser’s possibilities but enabled Coach Brown to make another experiment. In the fourth quarter he moved Wyatt back to guard a position he played last year and inserted George Fabian into the backfield. Fabian made a number of gains but neither team scored while the new combination was on the field.
From end to end and around the backfield, the Tigers played fine football.
Glass’ Punting Outstanding
Glass’ punting was more sensational than his ball carrying and continually kept Warren on the defensive. They improvement of Wyatt was pleasing to the eye and the defensive work and blocking of Snyder was outstanding.
The fact that Warren failed to earn a first down from its touchdown to the last minute of the game attests to the defensive game put up by Martin Anderson, Gus Peters, Lucius, Houston, Howard and Snyder. They stopped most everything thrown at the line and ripped openings for Glass and Wyatt to tear off yardage.
The Massillon backs gained most of their ground between tackles. Totterdale bottled up the right end smashes. He was hard to take out. A delayed buck was Glass’ best weapon, while Wyatt gained most of his yardage through “Hogan’s alley.”
The 10,000 spectators completely circling the field formed a spectacular setting for the game. The stands appeared filled when the Tiger special arrived, five minutes after the game started, but the Massillon delegation marched in behind the Washington high band to take seats reserved for them.
Most of the 500 fans who rode the special missed Warren’s touchdown. Their ears flapped out as they approached the stadium and heard the wild shout that went up when Davis plunged over the goal.
There couldn’t be enough Massillon fans to make all that noise and the vanguard made a wild rush for the entrance to learn what it was all about.
Massillon Cheers Last
When the Tigers tied the score the Massillon fans made so much noise as to cause one to wonder if the spectators were not almost equally divided.
Warren officials, however, estimated that Massillon had some 2,000 spectators at the game. In addition to the 500 who traveled the special train, many hundreds drove.
The special returned at 1 a.m.
The Tiger band made Massillon fans proud with its music and maneuvering on the field. A large “M” was formed in front of the Massillon stands while the band played “Alma Mater Massillon.” Reversing the field the band appeared before Warren in the shape of a large W and played Ohio State’s battle song.
After the game the band reflected Massillon’s joy by marching back and forth across the field while admiring spectators stood in the stands, cheering and applauding.
The Warren band, dressed in flashing scarlet suits, gave a great exhibition between halves. With a young miss who struts and does acrobatic dancing serving as one of the drum majors, the Warren band was one of the snappiest high school outfits Tiger fans have seen.
Lineup and summary:
Massillon Pos. Warren
Howard LE Totterdale
Peters LT Brutz
Houston LG Camp
Martin C Canzonnata
Greenfelder RG Hyde
Anderson RT Wareham
Snavely RE Fetchko
Snyder QB Henry
Glass LH Davis
Toles RH Johnson
Wyatt FB Bartholomew
Score by periods:
Massillon 0 9 7 7 23
Warren 6 0 0 0 6
Substitutions:
Massillon – Slusser, rh; Macmichale, rt; Lucius, rg; Fabian, fb; Wyatt, rg.
Warren – J. Marzulla; H. Bartlett; A. Bugzayick; N. George.
Touchdown:
Warren – Davis.
Massillon – Glass 3.
Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Glass 3 (placekicks).
Referee – V. Jenkins (Akron).
Umpire – R. Rupp (Lebanon Valley).
Umpire – J. Hetra (Westminister).
Head Linesman – S. Ensign (Ohio Wesleyan).
