MASSILLON
DOWNS
ITS OLD RIVAL 9 TO 0
ON MUDDY FIELD
ENDS CAMPAIGN
WITH STERLING
GRID TRIUMPH
Captain Bob Pflug’s educated toe and Harry Potts’ uncanny ability to dash
into the midst of a struggling group of players and grab a forward pass were
the main reasons why the orange and black gridiron team of Washington high
school Saturday afternoon trounced its perennial foe, McKinley high, of Canton,
9 to 0 in the annual battle between the two ancient enemies staged on a
rain-soaked and mud-covered battlefield at Lakeside Stadium, Canton, before at
least 6,000 rabid, cheering fans, probably the largest crowd which has ever
seen these two scholastic rivals in action.
It was Massillon’s third consecutive triumph over the red and black of
Canton in three years and the victory not only brought about another downfall
of Canton before the athletic supremacy of Massillon but also resulted in Coach
David B. Stewart’s huskies annexing the scholastic championship of Stark county
for the second straight time and possession for one year of a large silver cup
offered to the winner by the Canton University club.
Adherents of the Canton
eleven may try to console themselves by saying that because their down-trodden
and oft-defeated held the Massillon eleven to nine points that the red and
black emerged from the churned up gridiron a moral victor. But a moral victory doesn’t mean
anything. The only victory that is worth
while is the one that comes through having more points to show after the game
than the other fellow. And Canton
McKinley can pat itself on the back that the game was not played on a dry, firm
field. Had the gridiron been solid
instead of the quagmire that it was Canton would
have been fortunate to hold Massillon
to 30 points.
One glance at the field
convinced most any one who saw the game that the team which scored would indeed
be fortunate and have a driving power that carried a decided punch. Fast work was out of the question on a
battleground that was ankle deep in mire and water but Coach Stewart’s athletes
showed that they possessed far more punch than their perennial enemies by
plowing through the Canton
defense for a field goal and a touchdown to amass their nine points.
PFLUG IS STAR
The lion’s share of the glory
for Massillon’s third successive triumph over a Canton eleven must go to
Captain Robert Pflug, sturdy and capable leader of
the orange and black who finished his high school gridiron career last Saturday
in a blaze of glory.
It was not because he hoofed
a field goal from the 17 yard line early in the third quarter that gave Massillon its first
points that made Captain Pflug the hero of this
titanic battle but he was the shining light because of his steady all around
performance throughout the entire battle.
He was a tower of strength on the line where he has performed so
steadily all season and his long distance punts throughout the tussle were the
real deciding factor of the game.
How Orange And Black
Trimmed Its Old Rival
FIRST QUARTER
Massillon
won the toss and received, defending the north goal. DeMinno kicked off
to Borza, who was downed on his 38-yard line after a
return of 15 yards. V. Define went off
left tackle for one. Schrader hit the
same hole for five and Pflug then punted 35 yards to Volzer, who was run out of bounds on his 33-yard line after
a return of 10 yards. Fellows made one
at left tackle. Edwards tackled DeMinno after a gain of five through right tackle. DeMinno punted 18
yards to Massillon’s
41-yard line. Borza
made two at left tackle but Edwards was penalized 15 for holding. Borza was forced
out of bounds on his 30-yard line. Pflug punted 40 yards to Volzer,
who was tackled on his 30-yard line. DeMinno’s punt was blocked by Massillon
and Fletcher covered for Massillon on Canton’s 22-yard line.
V. Define fumbled and McConnell covered for Canton on his 22-yard line. Johnson made on at the line and Edwards
tackled Volzer after a gain of one around right
end. Fellows hit the line for two and DeMinno then punted 39 yards, the ball going out of bounds
on the 40-yard line, but both teams were ruled offside and the ball was brought
back.
DeMinno then punted 35 yards to V.
Define, who was downed on Massillon’s
43-yard line. Price made three at left
tackle but Borza was tossed for a loss of two. Pflug punted 45
yards to Volzer, who was downed by McCarthy on Canton’s 15-yard
line. Johnson made three at the
line. Fellows failed to gain. So did Volzer, and DeMinno punted 40 yards to
V. Define, who was tackled in midfield.
Price made three off left tackle.
Schrader made two at the line and Pflug punted
out of bounds on Canton’s
12-yard line. DeMinno
attempted to return the kick but the punt was blocked and Hug covered on Canton’s 26-yard
line. A Massillon
man was offside and Canton
took the gain made on the recovered fumble for the penalty and thus registered
a first down. Johnson went through on a
delayed buck for six before being tackled by Edwards. DeMinno made three
more in two plunges as the quarter ended with Canton in possession of the ball on its
32-yard line.
Score: Massillon 0, Canton
0.
SECOND QUARTER
DeMinno punted 50 yards to V.
Define who was tackled on his 21-yard line.
Borza made five off left tackle. Schrader gained two though the line. Pflug punted 45
yards to Volzer, who was tackled on his 39-yard
line. Johnson made one through
McCarthy’s tackle. Volzer
was tackled
without gain by Edwards on a long run around right end. Johnson made five at
left end on a triple pass before being tackled by Schrader and Borza. DeMinno punted 40 yards to V. Define, who returned 10 to
his 35-yard line. Schrader hit through
right tackle for five. Borza was thrown for a loss of five by Seiple. Pflug punted 40
yards to DeMinno, who was dropped in his tracks by
Potts, who made a pretty flying tackle. Volzer lost three on a triple pass. Johnson made two at the line and DeMinno on a delayed pass made six at the line before being
tackled by Edwards. DeMinno
punted 28 yards to V. Define, who fumbled, Canton covering on the 43-yard line.
Potts spilled Johnson after gain of two yards around his
end. Vol.zer
hit left tackle for three but Johnson fumbled on the next play and Fletcher
covered on Massillon’s
45-yard line. V. Define went through
right tackle for two. J. Define failed
to gain at left tackle and Pflug punted 45 yards to Volzer, who fumbled but covered on his 19-yard line. DeMinno punted to
V. Define, who was downed on Canton’s
43-yard line. Potts missed a long pass
from Fletcher. Johnson grabbed
Fletcher’s next pass but could not hold the slippery ball.
Pflug punted to Canton’s 21-yard line as the quarter ended.
Score: Massillon 0, Canton
0.
THIRD QUARTER
Massillon
received and DeMinno kicked off to Grant, who
returned 15 to his 36-yard line. V.
Define knifed through right tackle for 13 and Massillon’s first first
down. Define made three at left
tackle. McConnell had his left knee hurt
and time was taken out. Borza went around Canton’s
left end for 17 and another first down, taking the ball to Canton’s 25-yard line. Schrader hit left tackle for five. Both teams were ruled offside and the gain
was not allowed. Schrader hit Canton’s right tackle for
six and a first down, taking the ball to the 14-yard line. Borza made three at
left tackle and V. Define made one at right tackle. With the ball on the 10-yard line, Pflug dropped back to the 17-yard line and kicked a goal
from placement for the first points of the game. Grant held the oval.
Score: Massillon 3, Canton
0.
Massillon
received and DeMinno kicked off to Edwards, who was
tackled on his 38-yard line. Herbert was
hurt and time was taken out. Pflug punted to Volzer, who was
tackled by V. Define on Canton’s
44-yard line. Johnson lost one. Hug’s pass was grounded and his next one went
wide. DeMinno
punted 25 yards to Massillon’s
30. Pflug
returned the kick, punting to Volzer who was tackled
by Potts on his 40-yard line. Boerner
smashed Hug’s attempted forward to Volzer. Seiple then passed
to Volzer for 11 and first down. Potts tossed Seiple
for a loss of 15 when he crashed through and nailed the Canton end as he was about to make a
forward. De Minno
failed to gain at right end and Grant intercepted Hug’s pass on Massillon’s 42-yard line.
V. Define dashed around Canton’s
left end for 31 yards, the longest gain of the game, taking the ball to Canton’s 25-yard
line. V. Define made three at left end
and then lost two on his next attempt.
Grant los six and Pflug’s place kick from the
39-yard line went wide, Canton
putting the ball in play on its 20-yard line.
DeMinno punted 30 yards to V. Define, who was
tackled on Massillon’s
45. Young was hurt. V. Define made nine off left tackle and came
back and made five through the line for a first down. He was thrown for a loss of three on his next
attempt. Boerner passed 10 yards to Potts,
who ran 30 yards for a touchdown. Potts
grabbed the ball as it landed in the midst of a group of struggling players,
broke free and romped away for the score.
The total gain was 44 yards. Pflug kicked goal but the point was not allowed, the
officials ruling a Massillon
man had held as the kick was made.
Score: Massillon 9, Canton
0.
Massillon
received and DeMinno kicked off to Edwards who was
tackled by Johnson on his 41-yard line.
The quarter ended here.
Score: Massillon 9, Canton
0.
FOURTH QUARTER
Pflug punted 45 yards to Volzer, who was tackled on his 16-yard line by Potts. Pflug blocked DeMinno’s punt but Johnson covered for Canton
on Canton’s
12-yard line. DeMinno
punted to V. Define, who was tackled on Canton’s
30-yard line. V. Define made one at
right tackle. Schrader made three
through the same hole and Boerner plunged through right tackle for a first
down, carrying the ball to Canton’s
28-yard line. V. Define made two at
right end but Massillon
was penalized five for offside play . Schrader ripped
through the line for six. Boerner made
three at left tackle but the gain did not count as both teams were
offside. Boerner made four at right
tackle and V. Define one. Pflug’s place kick from the 25-yard line was blocked by
Young and covered by Seiple, who carried the ball
back to Canton’s
45-yard line before being tackled. Two
line plunges made three and Hug’s pass was grounded. DeMinno punted to
V. Define, who was thrown out of bounds for Johnson on Massillon’s 35-yard line. Pflug punted 45
yards, the ball going out of bounds on Canton’s
30. Johnson made eight before being
tackled by Boerner and Grant. Canton was offside and
drew a five-yard penalty. DeMinno punted to V. Define, who was tackled on Massillon’s 44-yard
line. Pflug
dropped back to punt but the pass was low and the kick went only eight yards to
the line of scrimmage, where Seiple fell on it for
Canton. Johnson made two at right
tackle. Brooks dropped Streb for a loss of three and Pflug
tackled Streb for a loss of five. Black punted 10 yards to Edwards, who was tackled
on his 45-yard line. Both coaches were
sending in their substitutes.
Boerner made two at the line. J. Define lost three at right end and Pflug punted 50 yards to Canton’s 10-yard line as the game ended.
Score: Massillon 9, Canton
0.
As It Should Be
Massillon
– 9 Pos. Canton – 0
Potts L.E. Seiple
McCarthy L.T. Whipple
Miller L.G. Henning
Edwards C McConnell
Pflug R.G. Young
Brooks R.T. Herbert
Fletcher R.E. Hug
Price Q Volzer
V. Define L.H. Johnson
Borza R.H. DeMinno
Schrader F Fellows
Score by quarters:
Massillon 0 0 9 0 9
Substitutions:
Massillon – J. Define for Borza;
Grant for Price; Borza for J. Define; Boerner for Borza; Harris for McCarthy; Price for Grant; J. Define for
Schrader; Thomas for Fletcher; Hise for Brooks;
Murdock for V. Define; Reis for Boerner.
Canton – Black
for Volzer; Kreighbaum for DeMinno; Streb for Johnson;
Mitchell for Fellows; McFarren for Henning; Whitmer for Herbert; Poet for McConnell.
Touchdown – Potts.
Field goal – Pflug.
Referee – Hazelwood (Grove City).
Umpire – Daniels (Ohio Wesleyan).
Head Linesman – Howells (Sterling).
Time of quarters – 13 minutes.
Canton Wanted Something
Out Of
Game So It Took Ball
It is always customary and a mark of good sportsmanship on
the part of the losing team to let the victors march off the football field in
possession of the ball which was used during the game. But Canton
evidently forgot its sportsmanship Saturday when Coach Smith of the McKinley
high eleven ran out on the gridiron after the game and took away from one of
the Massillon
players the ball which had been used.
Canton furnished the ball and
Canton can have
it, if it wants it that badly, but the east enders
would have looked just a little bit better in defeat if they had acted the part
of good sports and given the orange and black the trophy of victory. Well, Canton’s
sportsmanship some day might equal that of Massillon but it still has a long way to go.
**********
Rain and snow failed to dampen the ardor of the fans who jammed their way into Lakeside Stadium to see the
battle. Practically every inch of
seating space and standing room was filled to capacity long before the rival
elevens trotted upon the field to see how deep the mud was. And Massillon
was not in the minority so that it could be noticed.
**********
Supporters of the orange and black packed the bleachers
which ran the entire length of the east side of the gridiron as well as the
grandstand. Canton fans occupied the west side bleachers.
And when it came to rooting, Massillon
was every bit as good as its east end neighbors. The spectacle reminded one of the old days
when Massillon and Canton used to fight for the professional
football championship.
***********
The Massillon
band, hired through donations by local citizens, was on hand to help out the
high school band. Canton had its high school band on the
field. Between halves the two bands
marched to the north end of the field where they massed and played, “The Star-Spangled
Banner,” as the American flag was hoisted to the top of a flag pole. And several thousand males shivered as they
stood bareheaded while Old Glory was run up to the top of the pole.
**********
The day was very similar to a day two years ago when the two
rivals clashed on the same field. And
the field, while mighty bad, was not as sloppy as the gridiron of two years
ago. Massillon
won that game by a 13 to 12 score, stopping Canton within the shadow of its goal posts in
the last two minutes of play.
**********
Early comers were greeted to a snow storm before the game. Snow fell quite steadily for about half an
hour. A light rain was falling just
before the battle started but ceased once the rival athletes started their
fuss.
**********
That Coach Stewart’s warriors were in the best of shape to
stand such a grueling battle as was fought Saturday was evidenced by the fact
that not once during the game did a Massillon man take time out because of an
injury . The first Canton
man to be hurt was McConnell, who maintained a wrenched knee in the third
quarter. But after that several red and
black warriors went down for the count.
**********
Both coaches began sending in their substitutes toward the
close of the game and there was a steady stream of athletes running to and from
the field as new blood was injected into the fracas to replace the lads who had
fought so hard throughout the duel.
**********
Massillon
tried but three forward passes and completed one of these for a total gain of
44 yards and a touchdown. This
successful pass came in the third quarter when Potts made his spectacular catch
and scampered 30 yards for the score.
Fletcher tried two of his long heaves in the second quarter but both
failed.
**********
Canton
completed but one forward out of six attempts.
Four failed and Grant intercepted one in the third period.