Tigers Again Come From Behind To Beat Alliance 20-6
Touchdowns In Last Two Periods Produce Locals’ Fourth Victory
By LUTHER EMERY
The Washington high Tiger football team out fumbled and outscored the Alliance Aviators 20-6 before 15,000 fans in Tiger stadium Friday evening to record their fourth straight triumph of the season.
The fumble count was Massillon 7, Alliance 4, but the Tigers managed to recover three of their bobbles, while the Aviators lost the pigskin on all four occasions.
It was the third week in a row the Tigers had to come from behind to win and they looked like an improved ball team doing it. With Alliance scoring first in the opening period after both teams had fumbled away opportunities, the Tigers struck back to mark touchdowns in each of the last three periods and win the game.
In past weeks they had to dig in during the last half to overtake Canton Lincoln which last night edged Canton McKinley 6-7 and Steubenville which dropped its second game to Campbell Memorial. It takes a scrappy team to come from behind and win and the Tigers have plenty of the old fight in them.
In fact the desire to win seems more than ever the Tigers’ best asset, and it is one that is hard to beat. Discounting their loose ball handling, they also looked like an improved ball club which is another argument in their favor. In fact, they are looking better with each succeeding game, and well they might for Mansfield, Warren, Cleveland Latin and Barberton are coming along in that order, and that’s a tough row of potatoes for anyone to dig.
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THE 20-6 score left the Tigers with a greater margin of superiority than statistics would indicate. First downs were only 15-11 in their favor and they gained but 26 more yards than the visiting team.
Fumbleitis was costly to both elevens, and both teams became afflicted with it immediately after the kickoff. The Tigers grabbed the pigskin, marked up two first downs as they carried the ball into Alliance territory, and then lost it when Clarence Flitcraft pounced on Dick Jacobs’ fumble on the Alliance 41. A few plays later found the Aviators breathing hard on the goal line until Mike Maccioli fumbled as he was going across and Jack Hill pounced on the ball in the end zone to stop the threat – but only momentarily, for on the very next play, Al Brown fumbled and George Balogh covered on the Massillon 26. This time Alliance was not denied.
Mel Knowlton, Alliance coach, evidently had the Tigers well scouted at Steubenville and knew the Massillon team was a sucker for a deep reverse. He sent John Edwards whirling around the left flank in an end around play that planted the ball on the six-yard line and on fourth down Balogh nudged it over for the last year. Al Benton’s attempted placekick was smothered, leaving Alliance in front 6-0.
The Tigers made their first touchdown bid after the kickoff and marched the leather from their 47 to the three-yard line where Clarence Johnson bored his way through on the first play of the second period for a touchdown. Gene Schludecker tried to kick the extra point but it was to the right of the uprights.
The Tigers lost a golden opportunity to score in the second quarter when they carried the ball to within six yards of the goal only to lose it on downs by a foot.
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ALLIANCE had the ball in Tiger territory early in the third period, but lost it on the 25 when Jacobs pounced on Maccioli’s fumble. They got it back near midfield by recovering Clarence Johnson’s fumble, but the Tigers held and got the ball on a punt on their own 34, which touched off a drive that finally produced a touchdown. A 17-yard sprint by Brown helped to put the ball on the 33 where Jack Hill pitched a strike to Ben Roderick who raced to the three-yard line where he was declared down though his momentum had carried him over the goal. Johnson moved it up two yards and Brown circled his left end for the T.D. This time Schludecker kicked the extra point which at the time looked as though it might be a most important point.
In the middle of the fourth period, Brown got away for a 67-yard run that put the ball o n the six-yard line but it was called back and the Tigers were penalized five yards for being in motion.
Alliance eventually forced the locals to make their only punt of the game, but they fumbled trying to pass on fourth down and Joe Jones got the leather on the Aviators’ 36-yard line. The Tigers went backward as Brown was thrown for a nine-yard loss and Johnson for one yard but Jacobs, itched into the flat to Brown who got to the 13 and Badarnza hurled another to Jacobs for a first on the three. Time was ticking away and only 10 seconds remained when Badarnza tossed a quickie over the center of the line and into the waiting arms of Earl Johnson in the end zone for the final touchdown of the game. Schludecker kicked the extra point.
The defeat was Alliance’s second of the season; Barberton having beaten the Aviators by an identical score last week.
The visitors were as dangerous as they were expected to be. Maccioli was a threat every time he carried the ball, but toward the end of the game was slowed down by vicious tackling.
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THE TIGERS, who kept shifting their defense according to the down and the yardage needed for a first down, almost stopped Alliance cold in its pass offense. Only one pass did the visitors complete and it happened to be the first toss of the game, a 12-yarder. Five others were thrown and the passer was smeared several times before he could get rid of the ball.
The locals on the other hand completed five tossed for 77 yards and three different players, Hill, Jacobs and Badarnza were on the hurling end of the completions.
Alliance out-rushed the Tigers 259 yards to 220 yards, but the locals had the edge in the passing yardage and finished with a net total of 283 yards to Alliance’s 257 yards.
How well the offenses of the two teams clicked until they gave the ball away on fumbles, can be seen from the number of punts. There were two, one by Massillon and one by Alliance. The Aviators once again were smothered when they tried to pass on fourth down.
The game was keenly contested and while no player was seriously hurt both coaches had to make substitutions because of injuries. Jacobs was knocked out after recovering a fumble in the third period and was revived on the sidelines. He later re-entered the game. Ronald Williams, had several stitches taken in a cut under his nose when, kicked toward the close of the game.
Victory No. 4
MASSILLON POS. ALLIANCE
Johnson LE Fogoros
Eberhardt LT Flitcraft
Morrow LG Nixon
Olenick C Slabaugh
Farris RG Shafer
Wittmann RT L. Nicholson
Roderick RE Edwards
Badarnza QB Elton
Jacobs LH Maccioli
Brown RH Thorpe
C. Johnson FB Balogh
Score by periods
Alliance 6 0 0 0 6
Massillon 0 6 7 7 20
Substitutions:
Massillon – Houston, rg; Williams, lg; Hill, qb; James, lh; Schludecker, re; Jones, lt.
Alliance – Reese, lg; Addison, c; Shells, hb; Varley, qb; Fudoli, qb; Benton, rg; Davidson, e; Vernon, t.
Touchdowns:
Massillon – Brown; C. Johnson; E. Johnson.
Alliance – Balogh.
Points after touchdown: Massillon – Schludecker (placekicks).
Referee – Gross.
Umpire – C.W. Rupp.
Head Linesman – Carl Brubaker.
Field Judge – Clayton Schlemmer.
Statistics
Massillon Alliance
First downs 15 11
Yards gained rushing 220 259
Passes attempted 6 6
Passes completed 5 1
Passes had intercepted 0 0
Yards gained passing 77 12
Total yards gained 297 271
Yards lost 14 14
Total net yardage 283 257
Times kicked 4 2
Average kicks (yards) 49 46
Times punted 1 1
Average punts (yards) 41 16
Average return of kicks 19 21
Average return of punts 0 3
Fumbles 7 4
Fumbles recovered 3 0
Fumbles lost 4 4
Times penalized 5 5
Yards penalized 35 45
