Padua crushes Tiger state title dreams
By ROLLIE DREUSSI
Independent Sports Editor
Tiger cheers turned to tears Saturday night in the Akron Rubber Bowl, and there will be no state football championship in Massillon this year.
The much ballyhooed showdown between Cincinnati Moeller ‑ king of the computer ‑ and Massillon former AP poll king ‑ will have to wait until another day.
The Parma Padua Franciscan Bruins outplayed the Tigers in the Class AAA semifinal game Saturday night and emerged as an unexpected 12‑0 victor.
“We knew who Massillon was but I don’t think they knew who we were,” Padua coach Tom Kohuth said following his team’s win in its first playoff appearance.
The Bruins failed to be intimidated by the large, boisterous Tiger following that began filling the stands two hours before game time, cheering and waving their orange “Tiger Bags” and thoroughly enjoying their first playoff game since 1972.
The Bruins also failed to be intimidated by the Tigers’ defense – as halfback Dave Kaminski scored two touchdowns and quarterback Dan Schodowski continually came through with key first downs on third‑and-fourth down situations.
The offense exhibited a knack for controlling the ball that proved terribly frustrating for the Tiger defense.
And the Tiger offense staggered by the loss of starting quarterback Bill Scott ‑ suffered its first shutout in 38 games (the last one being a 10‑0 loss to Gahanna Lincoln in the second game of the 1976 season).
Tiger coach Mike Currence offered no excuses.
“We were not looking ahead (to Moeller),” Currence said. “We just didn’t play a good ball game. We did not play with a lot of emotion. If we could have gotten a couple of the big plays it would have helped.
“But they just didn’t make any mistakes against us.” he added.
The difference was that Padua made the big plays ‑ both offensively and defensively ‑ and played a very emotional game.
The Bruins gained momentum early when they stopped the Tigers on a fourth‑and‑goal situation at the six‑inch line on the Tigers first possession when a sneak by quarterback Bill Scott fell short.
The Tigers got the ball back after a Padua punt at the Bruin 34 yard line, but on third‑and‑four from the 28, Scott’s pass for Bill Beitel was intercepted by Joe Bush at the 13 and he returned it 43 yards to the Tiger 44.
The real damage on that play was Scott injuring his knee while trying to make a tackle. Dave DeLong took over at quarterback, but he could not help the Tigers put any points on the board.
The Padua defense didn’t help matters much, harassing him with strong pressure when he tried to throw.
“When Scott sprained his knee, that hurt,” Currence said of the effect on his team of the injury to his starting quarterback. “He’s been our best passer, and we couldn’t throw the way we wanted to.”
Currence agreed that the Bruins’ goal line stand turned the tide of the game.
“We had momentum. We should have scored. But we didn’t and the momentum turned the other way. You can’t make those mistakes and win.
“And our defense got frustrated because we couldn’t stop, them. Our linebackers were gambling, trying to create a turnover of some sort.
“We had estimated their strengths quite well: Kaminski and (Ed) Murphy running the ball and Schodowski to (Tom) Hardy.
“They had the biggest offensive line and the biggest running back (Kaminski) we faced all year. And you have to give their passing game credit too.
“They had a lot of quickness on defense. There were some things we thought we could do, but they would make the tackle and drop us for a loss.
“Our kids just got beat. What do you do? You just tell them to back out and try harder.”
Kohuth had a simple explanation for his team’s victory: “We made the big plays when we had to. This was our toughest game all year. They have the toughest defense we faced all year. But in key situations, we were able to control the line of scrimmage.”
The Bruins first touchdown was set up by a big play. It was a 56‑yard pass from Schodowski to Hardy that was the Bruins only completion in the first half.
Padua faced a third‑and‑13 at its own 13 yard line with 3:17 left in the first half when Schodowski found Hardy wide open down the right sideline. The play carried to the Tiger 31.
Murphy then broke a sweep around right end for 26 yards to the Tiger five. Two plays later Kaminski scored from a yard out with 2:11 left in the half. The Bruins tried a flea‑flicker on their two‑point attempt but it failed.
On their first possession of the second half, Schodowski came up with another big play.
On fourth‑and‑15 at the Tiger 32 yard line Schodowski was chased from the pocket and he sprinted for the right sideline, just barely making the first down.
Six plays later, on fourth-and‑goal inside the one, Kaminski banged over for his second score of the night. The two‑point conversion pass failed and Padua led 12‑0 with 4:15 left in the third quarter.
The Tigers never penetrated farther than the Padua 30 yard line the rest of the game, however, and the Bruins won the right to meet Moeller (a 31‑7 winner over Toledo Whitmer) in the Class AAA championship game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Rubber Bowl.
“It hurts a lot,” Currence said of the Tigers’ loss. “We really wanted to get into the finals and get a shot at Moeller. It’s going to be a good game (the championship contest). Unfortunately, I’m going to have to buy a ticket to get in.”
FINAL STATISTICS
MASS OPNT
First downs:
Rushing 5 7
Passing 5 4
Penalty 0 0
Total 10 11
Yds gain rush 89 140
Yds lost rush 30 37
Net yds rush 59 103
Net yds pass 79 99
Total yds gain 138 202
Pass attempted 21 13
Pass completed 8 5
Pass int by 1 2
Pass int yds 14 43
Kickoffs 1 3
Kickoff 54.0 46.0
Kickoff ret yds 46 20
Punts 4 4
Punt ave 37.2 31.2
Punt ret yds 0 5
Punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 1
Fumbles lost 0 1
Penalties 8 8
Yds penalized 63 53
TDs rushing 0 2
TDs passing 0 0
TDs by int 0 0
Other TDs 0 0
No. of plays 52 58
Time of poss 20:52 28:08
Attendance 20,061
PADUA 0 6 6 0 12
MASSILLON 0 0 0 0 0
Pad ‑ Dave Kaminski 1 run (run fail)
Pad ‑ Kaminsi 1 run (pass fail)
Unheralded Bruin’s win playoff semifinal 12-0
Tiger, Bruin lineups
TIGERS
Offense
Quarterback: 10 ‑ Bill Scott (Sr., 6‑1, 170), 15 Dave DeLong (Sr., 5‑10, 169);
Fullback: 49 ‑ Sam MeDew (Sr., 5‑7, 167):
Halfbacks: 22 ‑ Bill Beitel (Sr., 5‑7, 162), 31 Bill Burkett (Sr., 5‑11, 162):
Ends: 25 ‑ Marty Guzzetta (Sr., Sr., 5‑11, 165), 87 ‑ Greg Evans ‑Sr., 5‑10, 168), 42 ‑ Paul ‘Turner (Jr., 6‑1, 158):
Tackles: 76 ‑ Mark Kircher (Sr., 6‑2, 218), 74 Gerald Wesley (Sr., 6‑0, 233);
Guards: 65 ‑ Larry ‑Massie (Sr., 5‑7, 206), 66 ‑ Wally Neff (Sr., 5‑9, 175):
Center: 51 ‑ Andy Weber (Sr., 6‑0, 190). 53 Doug Eberhart (Jr., 5‑10,” 191).
Defense
Ends: 80 ‑ Tom Mummertz (Sr., 6‑5, 190), 86; Mike Hodgson (Sr., 6‑6, 208);
Tackles: 77 Dave Geschwind (Sr., 6‑0, 200), 44 ‑ Bryant Lemon (Sr., Sr., 5‑11, 215);
Middle Guard: 55 ‑ (Sr., 6‑0, 205); Monster Back: 23 Jim Blogna (Sr., 5‑10, 176);
Safety: 21 ‑ Jamie Schlegel (Sr., 6‑0, 170) ;
Halfbacks: 27 ‑ Len Robinson (Sr., 5‑!0, 153), 24 ‑ Dan DiLoreto (Sr., 5‑9,162).
Kickers: 20 ‑ Jeff Fry (Sr.. 6‑0, 180), placements; 86 Hodgson, punter.
BRUINS
Offense
Quarterback: Dan Schodowski (Sr., 5‑9, 165);
Halfbacks: 24 Dave Kaminski (Sr., 6‑0, 185), 42 _Ed Murphy (Sr., 5‑8, 180);
Flanker: 21 ‑ Ron Kornowski (Sr., 6‑0, 175);
Ends: 20 ‑ Tom Hardy (Sr., 6‑0, 190), 82 Tom Krukemeyer (Sr., 6‑2, no);
Tackles: 70 Tom Andrews (Sr., 6‑5, 230), 71 ‑ Jim Mio (Sr., 5‑10, 260);
Guards: 67 Greg Myles (Sr., 6‑0, 210), 66 ‑ Bob Hager (Sr., 6‑0, 180);
Center: Forrest Gregg (Sr., 6‑2, 220).
Defense
Ends: 46 ‑ Mike Gentile (Jr., 5‑10, 1.70), 35 Dennis Dunn (Jr., 5‑11, 180);
Tackles: 52 ‑ John Pavia (Jr., 5‑10, 185), 61 ‑ Joe Cassel (Sr., 6‑0, 230);
Middle Guard: Jim Liggett (Sr., 5‑10, 175);
Linebackers: 58 Tony Czacj (Jr., 6‑1, 215), 8 Rocl Miller (Jr., 6‑2,195) ;
Cornerbacks: 21 ‑ Kornowski, 7 ‑ John Adams (Sr., 6‑0, 185) ;
Halfbacks: 80 ‑ Joe Bush (Sr., 6‑2, 175); 20 ‑ Hardy.
Series: First meeting.
Records: Massillon 10‑0, Padua 9‑1.
