TIGERS CRUSH CEDAR RAPIDS THUNDERBOLTS 39-0
GLASS ROMPS BEHIND FINE INTERFERENCE
Carries Ball Most of Time To Score Five Touchdowns; Massillon Ready To Cast Vote for Albert Eddy for All-Iowa Honors
By LUTHER EMERY
The rumble of the Cedar Rapids Thunderbolts was lost in the roar of the Washington high Tiger here Friday evening as the Massillon eleven coupled passing with power to chalk up a surprising 39-0 triumph before 8,000 fans in a conquest for Midwest scholastic football honors.
It was the Tigers’ third victory of the season and stretched their undefeated record to 24 consecutive games. It was likewise the second intersectional triumph of the season for the Massillon gridders who in their opening game defeated Horace Mann high of Gary, Ind., the Hoosier state champion last year. The Franklin high Thunderbolts previously undefeated and unscored on are headed for the state title of Iowa.
Visitors Not as Strong as Expected
Disappointing in their performance, the Cedar Rapids gridders failed to give the Tigers the opposition expected of them. They were victims of a lot of hard luck and got but few breaks of the ball game.
Their only thunder was an occasional flash by Albert Eddy, a great quarterback, who twice got away to long runs without any great amount of assistance.
Eddy produced the only offense that visitors were able to muster, intercepted a Massillon pass on the five-yard line that would have produced a touchdown and played a fine defensive game. A candidate for All-Iowa honors, Massillon would give him a vote if given the chance.
Glass Carries Massillon Burden
But while Iowa had its Eddy, Massillon had its Bob Glass and the big halfback scored five of the Tigers’ six touchdowns. In fact he carried the ball practically all the time the first two periods of the ball game and only got a rest when George Slusser elected to try an occasional forward pass.
With Glass’ running and Slusser’s passing producing most of the Tiger offense, the Massillon gridders had the Thunderbolts moving backward from the start.
They scored a touchdown in the first quarter, three more in the second, one in the third and one in the fourth, gaining the huge total of 536 yards by rushing; the 129 yards by passing. The offensive maneuvers produced 18 first downs to the Thunderbolts’ five and only twice did they punt. The latter, lacking little in an offensive way save the running of Eddy, gained 140 yards by rushing and 15 by passing.
Glass was not alone in his efforts, his fellow backs, Messrs. Slusser, Snyder and Zimmerman and Guards, Houston and Wyatt cut down Iowa tacklers viciously last night, while Gus Peters, Junior Anderson, Bob Howard, Don Snavely and Earl Martin charged through to open holes so large that a youngster could have walked through.
Robert Lorence, crack Iowa guard, occasionally diagnosed a play and stopped Glass without gain, but seldom was the Massillon ace downed for loss. In fact, statistics show the local gridders lost but seven yards from scrimmage all evening.
Passes Hit Mark
Slusser’s accurate passes kept the Iowa secondary from closing in on the line of scrimmage and aided materially in the effectiveness of the Tiger running attack.
Two of his long pegs produced touchdowns while a third carried the ball to the four-yard line, from which point Glass swept wide around his right end to score standing up.
Slusser is the answer to Brown’s prayers for a successor to Mike Byelene and he looks every bit as good as Mike when the latter was a soph.
The crowd had hardly cooled down with the excitement that accompanies the opening kickoff until the Tigers were driving toward the Iowa goal.
Having not played a common foe, the comparative strength of the two teams could only be judged by the size of players and records produced in distant fields.
The Thunderbolts came to Massillon groomed as possibly champions of Iowa and no wonder Massillon fans bellowed with delight when Glass reeled off 12 yards around his right end the first time he lugged the leather. The drive went straight to the 10-yard line, where a 15-yard penalty and a bit of nice defensive work on Lorence’s part stopped the Massillon eleven and put the ball in Iowa’s hands on the 17-yard line.
Eddy flashed once as he gained six yards, but the series could not gain a first down and Currell punted the ball to Slusser who returned four yards to his 46-yard line.
Tigers Score First Touchdown
There the Tigers launched their first touchdown. Glass carried the ball 14 yards on his first trip and when Guy broke up a pass intended for Snavely, Slusser gave Glass the ball seven times in succession and he went over from the two-yard line, and placekicked the extra point.
After the following kickoff, the Thunderbolts experienced the first of their misfortune when a 15-yard pass from Currell to Eddy was nil because an Iowa player was offside. A moment later Bob Howard intercepted one of Eddy’s passes, but the Tiger drive was smothered when the visitors recovered a fumble.
They punted back to Slusser, who returned from his 48-yard line to the Iowa 37.
Again the ball was given to Glass who, after a gain of 17 yards, was tackled so hard by Eddy, he flew into the air and came down kayoed. After a few minutes he resumed play and assisted by Zimmerman, carried the leather to the six-inch line, where he lunged over. This time the attempt for the extra point was wide of the posts and the score stood at 13-0.
A poor pass from center that bounded out of Eddy’s hands into the arms of Don Snavely, gave the Tigers the ball immediately after the kickoff on the Iowa 34-yard line. Eddy grounded two Massillon passes, but on third down, Slusser sneaked back and spiraled the ball to Glass who took it on the 10-yard line and went over in a hurry. He kicked the extra point.
The next touchdown came just as easy. The visitors gained but one yard after the kickoff and Currell punted to Slusser who returned nine yards to his 41-yard line. On the first play he stepped back and fired the ball to Casper Lechleiter, who got to the four-yard line before being downed. Glass cut wide around his right end and crossed the goal while three Iowa players were strewn on the ground behind him where they had been knocked down by Massillon blockers.
Mehegan Nearly Got Away
Glass’ attempted placekick for the extra point was wide. On the following kickoff, William Mehegan took Bill Hout’s kickoff and got back to his own 48-yard line before being downed. A new Massillon team went into the game and the visitors plunged for their first first down of the game as they carried the ball to the Tiger 40-yard line when the gun ended the first half.
The Tiger regulars went back into the game at the start of the third period and spent most of the time passing.
It was midway in the period before Glass, after punting for the first time in the game, intercepted Currell’s pass on the 35-yard line and got down to the nine yard line before being downed. In two plays he went over the goal. He missed his kick for the extra point.
Eddy Get Cheer
The Tigers launched another drive in the closing minutes of the quarter but Eddy stopped it when he intercepted Slusser’s pass on the six-yard line. A moment later he brought the spectators to their feet as he eluded one Massillon tackler after another before being brought down by Slusser, Tiger safety man on his 30-yard line. Guy reeled off seven yards and the visitors appeared in the midst of a successful offense when a fumble put the ball in possession of Massillon on the Iowa 40-yard line.
An exchange of punts gained the Tigers the ball on the Iowa 46. Zimmerman advanced it to the 42-yard line where Slusser whipped a pretty pass to Snavely who took the ball on the 20 and raced to a touchdown as Lechleiter cut down Eddy when he came over to make the tackle. Slusser plunged the extra point across.
The visitors made their longest march of the ball game after the following kickoff. A double lateral off a forward pass produced a first down and Eddy ran to a first down on the 21-yard line. With hundreds of Massillon fans urging the visitors on, the attack faded when Snavely gathered in one of Eddy’s passes on the line of scrimmage.
The crowd was the second largest of the season here. All seats were filled with the exception of an empty spot in the reserved section. Several hundred fans stood at the fence at the north end. Some of them would trade that spot for the best seat in the grandstand.
The Canal Fulton band represented Iowa and gave a pleasing exhibition between halves. So did the Tiger musicians. Not at all stingy, the two bands kept pouring martial music into the ears of spectators throughout the game.
The Thunderbolts remained in Massillon all night and shortly before noon headed for home.
All day Friday and prior to the ball game, Coach Orville Rust received telegrams from home town folks extending the team best wishes.
The visitors never gave in as their last offensive effort reveals and played as clean a game of football as Massillon fans have been privileged to see. None was injured and though they lost, the Iowa boys had one on the Tigers gridders – a pleasant and safe journey.
MASSILLON POS. CEDAR RAPIDS
Howard LE Martin
Peters LT Deal
Houston LG Leonard
Martin C Keller
Wyatt RG Lorence
Anderson RT Bowne
Snavely C Kanellis
Snyder QB Eddy
Glass LH Guy
Slusser RH Miles
Zimmerman FB Currell
Score by periods:
Massillon 7 19 6 7 39
Substitutions:
Massillon – Doroslov, qb; Toles, lh; Lucius, rg; Fabian, fb; Lechleiter, re; Brown, le; Machmichael, lt; Harsh, rt; Pedrotty, lg; Hout, c.
Touchdowns:
Massillon – Glass 5; Snavely.
Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Glass 3 (placekicks); Slusser (carried).
Referee – Gross.
Umpire – Boone.
Head Linesman – Howells.
Game Statistics
MASSILLON
Yards gained rushing 536
Yards gained passing 129
Total yards gained 665
Yards lost rushing 7
Net yards gained 658
First downs 18
Passes attempted 11
Passes completed 4
Passes intercepted 1
Passes grounded 9
Yards penalized 55
Number of punts 2
Average of punts (yards) 30
