Massillon Dazzles Bulldogs
With Air, Ground Attack And Herculean Defense
As They Get Revenge Before 22,000 Fans
Desire
plus blocking plus tackling.
That
was the formula for success – the sweetest victory of the 1957-football
season. The formulators were those
supercharged peerless Massillon Tigers.
That
25-7 triumph they ran up over old rival Canton McKinley Saturday afternoon was
the salt of the earth. Scrumptious…fetching…masterful…sensational…terrific…great.
These
and many more superlatives are needed to tell the story of the lion-hearted
lads who beat McKinley. And how they
beat them!
They
ran through, over and around the erstwhile state champs. They kept the Bulldogs gasping with a whale
of a passing attack. And they added
insult to injury with a rugged defense that on only three occasions allowed
more than nine yards.
* * *
YES, IT’S OUR turn to howl and rightfully so today the city of champions is living
it up.
Getting
revenge for those last two setbacks, the Tigers struck for four touchdowns and
one extra point.
Something
like 22,000 fans saw an awesome offense which powered to 234 yards on the
ground and 125 in the air; a net of 359.
McKinley made 212 yards on the ground with an 83-yard gainer on an
end-around giving the Bulldogs, who failed in their only two aerial attempts,
their biggest lift. The Tigers hit on
nine of 14 passes and carved out 16 first downs to McKinley’s seven.
And
it could easily have been more than an 18-point difference at the finish.
Leading
by 18-0 late in the first half, the Tigers saw an electrifying 26-yard pay dirt
prance by Ivory Benjamin erased by a penalty.
Late in the third period, with the score at 18-7, the blazing Bengals
were pounding at the touchdown door when a fumble cost them the ball at the
Bulldog 10.
Outside
of the 83-yard gallop by End Charley Reeves, the closest the host team got to
the Tiger goal was the 23. The first
time they had the ball the Bulldogs went on the march from their own 40 and
they got down to the 23 before a field goal attempt failed. Consider it a break that they got past the
Tiger 43.
From
that point, with fourth down and four yards to go, sub Dave Sitzman went back
to punt. It was a low pass from center
and Sitzman dropped the ball but picked it up and was able to move 21 yards
before being grassed.
* * *
BEFORE BENJAMIN’S second period jaunt was called back it looked like the
Tigers were headed for a fourth touchdown of the half. End Clyde Childers got behind the McKinley
secondary at the 21 but the pass was thrown short and Reeves, racing toward his
own goal, leaped high into the air for an eye opening interception that momentarily
slowed up the orange and black express.
A
mental lapse cost the Tigers a shutout as Reeves, finding a hole off the right
side, simply outran would be tacklers.
After he got past the line of scrimmage there was nobody in front of him
as the defenders on the left side were “suckered” to the opposite side of the
field.
So
there you have it. Massillon had a big
statistical advantage and with a break here and there might have punched out a
six or seven touchdown margin.
But
nobody is beefing. Beating McKinley by
one or 41 doesn’t make much difference.
We
would have settled for even a one-point win Saturday.
McKinley
was no slouch. Some coaches, players
and fans rate them on a par with Cleveland Benedictine, only team to up-end the
Tigers this year. That the Bulldogs
were a bunch of hard-hitters will be attested by the Tigers.
The
Canton club, whose only previous loss was inflicted by Warren, gave ground
begrudgingly. They were in there
battling all the way. But the odds were
too great.
* * *
COACH LEE TRESSEL moved his backs like chessman. Halfbacks ran from both left and right posts
and fullbacks ran from halfback slots.
Five different boys threw passes with one of them, Halfback Corky
Pledgure, getting off the first of his scholastic career.
Defensively,
the Tresselman certainly lived up to their reputation. Offensively, a major factor was the blocking
by the linemen.
The
coaches knew the weak points of the Bulldogs and the Tigers concentrated on
those spots.
The
highly cherished victory was the eighth in nine games for the Tigers and No. 30
for Massillon in the long, colorful series.
McKinley has won 27 but only twice in the last 10 meetings. The win snapped a 25-game win string for the
Bulldogs at friendly Fawcett stadium.
Still
very much alive and kicking are Massillon hopes for a state championship.
The
official Associated Press poll will include Thanksgiving Day games – meaning
the local boys could get a big assist from Cleveland St. Ignatius.
If
Benedictine loses to St. Ignatius in the senate championship fray Nov. 28,
Massillon apparently would have the inside track on the gonfalon.
The
Tigers really played like kings Saturday.
They virtually ran the Bulldogs off the premises.
One
big reason was the whirling dervish named Ivory Lee Benjamin.
* * *
THE BULLDOGS found out why Massillon thinks so much of the mercury-footed
co-captain.
He
scored the first touchdown of the game, capping an 80-yard drive with a 17-yard
foray that really was a beaut. He
sparked the drive with runs of 11, 3 and 20 in that order.
In
the second stanza he ran for 11 and Gene Stewart passed to Ronnie Williams for
22
yards to help put the pigskin on the McKinley 26. From that point Ivory came up with the best individual effort of
the sunny afternoon.
He
hit off left tackle and turned on the gas, spinning away from three red-shirted
defenders and the last 10 yards he was strictly on his own. He began dragging tacklers with him at the
10 and the last five yards it looked like practically the whole McKinley team
was trying to pull him down. He fought
his way in but a clipping penalty was called at the 15.
His
other long run was for 23 yards in the third quarter. On that one he was aided by Dave Dean’s fine fake.
Benjamin
again led the Tiger leather-luggers as he racked up his 17th
touchdown of the year and made 96 yards in 14 carries. That’s an average of 6.1 yards per try.
* * *
FOR THE ENTIRE season Ivory accounted for 1,564 yards with 1,138 of that total coming
on 146 trips with the mail.
Scott
Kanney averaged 6.4 yards in seven tries while Anthony and Dean, who will be
back next year, averaged 5 yards each.
Co-Captain
Chuck Beiter was slowed by a leg injury but the Tigers got a hard- nosed effort
from the senior fullback. He averaged
3.5 yards a try.
In
the passing department the Bengals staged on of their better productions.
The
nine completions were good for 125 yards and two touchdowns. The receivers worked their way into the
clear and the passers, Anthony, Joe Sparma and Gene Stewart, threw the ball on
target – and at the right time.
McKinley
had Tiger fans on edge shortly after the tussle got under way. Massillon received, gained eight yards in three
plays, and had to punt with Sparma’s short, wobbly boot going out of bounds at
the Bulldog 40.
After
making one first down the hosts got to the 43 before going into punt
formation. It was at this point that
Sitzman picked up the low pass from center and ran right for 21 yards to the
Tiger 22.
* * *
THE MASSILLON defense got tough and three plays later McKinley had lost a yard.
With
the ball on the 23, McKinley tried a field goal at 5:40.
Guard
Jesse Chenault’s boot from the 32 just missed.
The ball struck the crossbar and fell harmlessly to the turf in front of
the goalpost.
Apparently
all this served as a shot in the arm to Massillon’s spirit.
The
Tigers showed class and precision as they marched 80 yards. Benjamin started the ball rolling with an
11-yard sweep and then winged off 20 yards after he picked up three and Scott
Kanney churned for five.
A
sideline pass, Anthony to lanky Clyde Childers, was good for 20 yards and Tiger
followers were blowing their top as the ball moved to the 17.
Then
Benjamin, tearing out of the grasp of tacklers twice, showed his heels and went
into the end zone standing up at 2:40.
Sophomore Jim Hershberger’s placement on the extra point try sailed to
the left but everybody from Tigertown was happy indeed.
And
it wasn’t long until the Tresselmen again had their rooters raving.
Hase
McKey kicked off twice. His first went
out of bounds and on the second, the twisting leather hit at the 27 and as a
couple of McKinley players watched helplessly, end Al Pierce came in to cover.
* * *
IT WAS MASSILLON’S ball on the Bulldog 25 and the Tigers were off to
the races.
Benjamin
fumbled and recovered for a gain of one, Beiter picked up three, Anthony hit
Benjamin on a short running pass for three, Benjamin got some sharp blocking
and went for five, Anthony rammed for six and Beiter came back with two as the
first period ended.
On
the first play of the second canto Dean got three and a first down before
Sparma, on an option play to the left, just had room to get over the final
stripe. At 11:16 Hershberger’s kick was
wide but few fans were worrying. It was
12-0.
After
the kickoff McKinley made one first down as Bob Kettlewell and Bob Cook
collaborated for 12 yards but at the 43 the red and black was forced to punt.
Defensive
end Leaman Williamson, a tower of strength for the Tigers all season, barreled
in to block Sitzman’s kick and second string defensive tackle John Donat
pounced on the pighide at the McKinley 40.
Another
touchdown play was pulled off by the Bengals as Sparma, given beautiful
protection, threw down the middle to Anthony, all alone at the 23. Mark chugged in at 7:08 and still it was
18-0 as a bad pass from center ruined the extra point try.
There
was no further scoring the first half but late in the second chapter the Tigers
were pounding hard.
* * *
STEWART THREW like a pro to Williams for 22 yards and Benjamin, cutting back off the
left side, fought his way for 11 yards before the same kid zipped 26 yards –
but to no avail.
McKinley’s
score in the third period came after an exchange of punts. On the first Massillon series Kanney got off
a 20-yarder but at the McKinley 40 Sparma had to punt with Jordon Fronimo being
smeared at the 13.
Cook
gained two and Fronimo two before Reeves carried on an end-around. He had just enough room to get through the
right side and was gone. Sub back John
Fontes made it
18-7
at 4:20.
That
was McKinley’s last chance to stand up and cheer.
After
the kickoff Benjamin got loose for 23 yards and Dean, on a dive play off the
right side, blasted for 13 before a fumble gave the Bulldogs possession at
their 10.
After
an exchange of punts in the final round the Tigers added another clincher. They used air and ground maneuvers to go 65
yards with the choice bits being a 15-yard pass from Anthony to Childers, an
11-yard pass from Anthony to Benjamin and a 12-yard jaunt by Kanney.
* * *
THE DRIVE WAS climaxed at 2:20 when Williams made a terrific catch of a Sparma pass
in the end zone. This time McKey tried
the extra point and made it. Five plays
later Massillon’s revenge victory entered the record books.
Jubilant
Massillon players and fans cut loose as soon as it was over. Coach Tressel was carried from the field and
the Tiger locker room, close to 30 minutes afterward, was a mass of
hysterically happy humanity.
Besides
Childers, Beiter, Williamson, Williams, Getz, Benjamin, Stewart, Anthony and
Kanney, the seniors are Harold Slabuagh, Joe Brownlee, Tom Heine, Pete Heimann,
Al Slicker, Paul Lawson, Noah Taylor, Jesse Steele, Dan Swartz, Maury Snavely,
Jim Cook, Bobo Hagan, Roger Reese, and John Halter.
The summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS
– Childers, Williams, Hagan, Zorn, Mitchell, Wood, Steele, Pierce, Snavely.
TACKLES
– Slabaugh, Slicker, Brownlee, Halter, Donat, Karrenbauer.
GUARDS
– Heine, Heimann, McKey, Bendar, Taylor, Cook.
CENTERS
– Williamson, Swartz.
QUARTERBACKS
– Getz, Sparma.
HALFBACKS
– Benjamin, Pledgure, Anthony, Allen, Snively, Lawson, Clark, Stewart, Hershberger.
FULLBACKS
– Kanney, Beiter, Dean, Reese.
McKINLEY
ENDS
– Reeves, Bowes, Tolson.
TACKLES
– Swimmer, Patterson, Guedel.
GUARDS
– Chenault, Bender, Connor, Rossetti.
CENTERS
– Bridges, Hodge.
QUARTERBACKS
– Cook, Sitzman.
HALFBACKS
– Fronimo, Kettlewell, Fontes.
FULLBACKS
– Martin, Turner.
Massillon 6 12 0 7 25
McKinley 0 0 7 0 7
Massillon scoring:
Touchdowns – Benjamin (17-run), Sparma (2-run); Anthony (40-pass); Williams
(10-pass).
Extra points – McKey (placement).
McKinley scoring:
Touchdown – Reeves (83-run).
Extra point – Fontes (placesment).
STATISTICS
Mass. McK.
First downs, passing 5 0
First downs, penalties 0 0
First downs, total 16 1
Yards gained, running plays 254 235
Yards lost, running plays. 20 23
Net yardage, running plays 234 212
Passes attempted 14 2
Passes completed 9 0
Passes had intercepted 1 0
Yards gained passing 125 0
Total yardage, running,
passing 359 212
Number of kickoff returns 2 4
Yardage, kickoff returns 24 77
Average length of
kickoff returns 12 19
Number of punt returns 1 0
Yardage, punt returns 19 0
Average length of punt
returns 19 0
Number of punts 4 5
Total yardage on punts 100 137
Average length of punts 25 27
Number of penalties 4 2
Yards lost on penalties 50 10
Number of fumbles 4 1
Own fumbles recovered 2 0