HIGH GRIDDERS TRIM CANTON
IN ANNUAL DUEL
ORANGE AND BLACK
IS 13-12 WINNER IN MUDDY ENGAGEMENT
A football game hung
in the balance!
Only a few seconds of
play remained. Eleven tired and mud
be-spattered but grimly determined youths stood within the shadow of the goal
line they had so nobly defended.
Opposite them stood eleven other tired and mud be-spattered but as
grimly determined lads who by sheer strength had forced their way to within
four yards of the goal line.
Upon the next play
rested the outcome of the encounter. But
one point separated the rival gladiators, so thoroughly soaked with mud that it
was almost impossible to discern friend from foe. But in the faces of eleven of those sturdy
lads was written the grim resolve not to yield one more inch of ground. In the countenances of the others could be
seen an equally firm determination to score the touchdown which meant victory.
On the sidelines
several thousand highly excited persons stood in breathless silence as they
waited for this final test of strength.
The atmosphere vibrated with the tenseness of the moment. The opposing warriors took their positions.
Then—“Time!” That single word echoed across the
field. A sharp blast of a whistle
pierced the air. And for the fifth time
in nine years the orange and black waved triumph over the red and black. Massillon had defeated Canton! By a single point had victory been achieved. Washington
high school’s football team had won its annual encounter with its perennial
foe, McKinley high, of Canton, by a score of 13 to 12.
On one side of the
field at Lakeside stadium, Canton, pandemonium broke loose. Cheer after cheer rent the air as the
victorious Massillon lads trotted off the field. On the other side quiet prevailed. With heads bowed, the defeated athletes
trudged through the mud. They had fought
gamely in this the biggest battle of the year.
The defeat was a bitter pill but they bore their cross manfully. Needless to say, Massillon celebrated Saturday night.
Thus
ended the annual gridiron fracas between the scholastic elevens of Massillon and Canton. In
1920 Canton came to Massillon and handed the orange and black a 14 to 0
lacing. This year Massillon turned the tables and the balance of power
rests with the local school, for of the nine games played, five have been Massillon victories.
Three have been won by Canton,
while one ended in a tie.
Saturday was far from
being an ideal football day. A steady
downpour, which lasted until after the game had begun, turned the field into a
quagmire of mud and water. With the mud
several inches deep, fast playing was out of the question. Straight football had the call and with a
team several pounds to the man heavier than Massillon’s aggregation, the advantage rested with Canton.
But once more Massillon grit and fighting spirit conquered.
After the first few plays the rival players were so covered with mud
that it was hard to distinguish one from the other.
Under such conditions
victory would go to the team which secured the breaks. Massillon secured the breaks but they resulted because of the hard and fierce
playing of Coach Stewart’s lads who entered the fray to do or die. Canton’s
points were made because of
the ability of its heavy backs to plunge through the lighter Massillon eleven.
Although Ted Roth,
Massillon’s splendid center, was injured and forced out of the game before the
second quarter ended, it was his fierce tackling which paved the way for
Massillon’s first touchdown in the initial period. For it was he who tackled Kennedy, Canton’s
star halfback, so hard as he came through the line that the wet ball slipped
from his grasp and was pounded upon by Boerner,
Massillon’s halfback, on Canton’s 20-yard line.
Then Captain Hess, whose ankle which was injured in the Dayton Steele game
several weeks ago was still weak, sneaked through the Canton line for three
yards and on the next play heaved a pass to Boerner,
which brought a first down and placed the ball on Canton’s 10-yard stripe.
Next came a double pass.
Rosenberg to Hess and the orange and black leader dashed around Canton’s
right end, being forced to the extreme edge of the field before he crashed into
an opposing player and slid over the goal line for Massillon’s first touchdown. He kicked goal and that point later was to be
the deciding point of the battle.
Not until the third
quarter did Massillon’s next opportunity to score present
itself. A Massillon punt was downed on Canton’s two-yard line. The red and black was given five yards to
punt. Bob Shaidnagle,
a husky lineman, who had not played since early in the season because of a
broken collar bone, had just entered the game for Massillon.
Kennedy dropped back to punt. As
he received the pass, Shaidnagle shot through the
line and blocked the kick, the ball rolling over the Canton goal line where Potts fell on it for Massillon’s second touchdown. Hess failed at goal.
Canton’s first touchdown came after an unbroken
march of 60 yards. The Cantonians launched their drive as the first quarter
ended. With Kennedy, the star of the
Canton offense, playing the part of a
battering ram, the red and black smashed its way through the Massillon eleven
for five first downs, the march not being halted until Kennedy dove through the
orange and black line for a touchdown from the four yard line. Canton
then had a chance to tie the score but Kennedy missed goal.
Canton’s second touchdown came early in the
fourth quarter. As the third period
ended Hess had fumbled a Canton
punt. Beachy covering for Canton on Massillon’s 30-yard line. On
the first play of the fourth quarter, Kennedy shot around Massillon’s right end for a gain of 11 yards bringing
the ball to Massillon’s 19-yard line. Three smashes into the line netted Canton another first down and carried the ball to
the five-yard line. Kennedy was called
into action and on his second attempt pierced the Massillon line for his second touchdown. Again Canton had an opportunity to tie the score but
once more Kennedy’s attempt was low and was batted down by a Massillon warrior.
Massillon was leading by one point. The quarter was nearly half over and
indications were that the orange and black would triumph. But Canton came back strong and presented a first
class running attack which carried the ball deep into Massillon territory.
The wet condition of the field and ball made good punting impossible and
as a result Massillon was unable to punt the oval out of danger.
Two bad passes by
Potts, who had replaced Roth at center, which prevented, Hess from punting gave
Canton possession of the ball on Massillon’s 10-yard line with but a minute to
play. A line plunge netted two
yards. Then Hess batted down an
attempted Canton forward.
Another dive into the line took the ball to the five-yard line. Canton
had goal to gain on the next play or lose the ball, but before the play could
be put into motion time expired and the duel was over.
Played on a dry field
the game might have ended differently.
With solid footing Massillon’s speedy backfield stars more than likely would have given Canton plenty of trouble but speed was no asset
on a field such as the rival elevens played on Saturday. On only a few occasions were Hess, Ulrich and
Rosenberg able to show flashes of their fleetness of foot. The heavy mud made it impossible for them to get
started. Forward passes and trick plays
also were difficult to execute.
As it was statistics
show that Canton, so far as the actual amount of ground
gained, outplayed Massillon.
The red and black made 12 first downs to five for Captain Hess’ aggregation. Each team punted 11 times. Massillon completed two forwards out of eight attempts. Canton
completed none in four attempts. Neither
team intercepted a forward.
Although all of its
regulars performed, Massillon was far from being in first class shape. Hess’ ankle bothered him. Ulrich entered the game with his injured knee
bandaged. Roth’s shoulder, hurt several
weeks ago, gave way and he was forced to leave the contest. Boerner sustained a
badly wrenched hip in the second quarter attempting to catch a forward pass and
he had to be helped to the sidelines.
But even though injuries did weaken them, Coach Stewart’s lads deserve a
world of praise for their game and determined fight. To them there is no such work as quit and to
them goes all the honor for winning cleanly and fairly
in this, their greatest battle the year.
A Sweet Morsel
Massillon
– 13 Pos. McKinley – 12
Lyons LE Ashcon
Snyder LT Viethmeyer
Rutherford LG Gibson
Roth C Hoffman
Kallaker RG Bob Wade
Nelson RT Kartman
Jamison RE Frease
Rosenberg QB McGlashan
Hess LH Kennedy
Boerner RH Hamilton
Potts FB Johnson
Score by periods:
McKinley 0 6
0 6 – 12
Massillon 7 0
6 0 – 13
Substitutions – McKinley: Beachy for Viethmeyer, Ralph Wade
for Bob Wade, Mayforth
for Hamilton, Hamilton for McGlashan,
Kirk for Mayforth, Deal for Hamilton, Harmon for Kennedy, Bob
Wade for Ralph Wade, Rebillot for Ashcon.
Massillon: Bischoff for Boerner,
Ulrich for Potts, Potts for Roth,
Pflug for Rutherford, Shaidnagle for Pflug, Hax for Bischoff.
Touchdowns – Kennedy 2, Hess, Potts.
Goal from touchdown – Hess 1.
Missed goals from touchdown – Hess 1, Kennedy 2.
Referee
– Paige of Ohio Wesleyan.
Umpire
– Bletzer of Mount Union.
Head
linesman – Zimmerman of Mt. Union.
Time of periods – 15
minutes