KELKER BROTHERS WHIP WASHINGTON HIGH TIGERS 18-0 AT DOVER
COLORED BOYS STAR BEFORE LARGE CROWD WITH BRILLIANT RUNS
By LUTHER EMERY
Doc and Spider Kelker, of the Dover high school football team, almost single handed defeated the Washington high Tigers 18-0 Friday afternoon before an Armistice Day crowd of 3,000 at the Dover fair grounds.
The celebration angle was taken out of the game for the Massillon boys as the Crimson romped to a touchdown in the first quarter and struck back to score again in the third and fourth periods.
Run 67 and 80 Yards For Scores
It was the stalwart work of the colored brethren that gave the Crimson the advantage. Doc Kelker romped 67 yards to a touchdown in the double reverse end around play which was heralded before the game but which other elevens besides Massillon have been unable to stop and Spider after getting away for several long gains, finally snared a Massillon pass and twisted his way for a run of 80 yards and a touchdown.
Dover’s offense was built around these two boys and their defensive playing likewise twice stopped possible Massillon touchdowns when they brought down Andy Heben, Tiger halfback, after he had eluded all others with his fleet footwork.
As has been the case in most instances this season, the Tigers lacked drive hear the goal line and saw two good scoring chances fade away as Dover held for downs. The power just wasn’t there.
With the Kilkers lugging the ball most of the time, Dover unleashed its withering attack in the second half after being played on comparatively even terms the first two periods.
Dover Scores Early
In fact the showing of the first stringers against the Crimson in the first half, led many Massillon fans to believe the Tigers would come back after intermission to win the game in the third period. Just the opposite occurred, however, and the hopes of the Massillon supporters faded as Dover cashed through for a touchdown in the first few minutes of the quarter.
Dover’s score in the third period came almost as suddenly as its initial marker in the first quarter, when a fleet of Massillon substitutes were in the game.
Coach Brown decided to try a bit of strategy yesterday and started his substitutes expecting to wear down the Crimson to the point where the regulars could go in and crash through for a touchdown.
The subs, however, though warned repeatedly, allowed Dover’s double reverse with Doc Kelker coming around from his end position to fool them and the elongated, long stepping wingman ambled 67 yards for a touchdown. Less than half the period had expired when the score was made. In went the Massillon regulars and neither team threatened throughout the remainder of the half, though Andy Heben nearly got away once, dashing around left end from midfield to Dover’s 22-yard line.
Punt Causes Trouble
A poor punt against a high wind that went to Dover on the Massillon 35-yard line placed the Crimson in position for its rapid thrust of the third quarter.
Doc Kelker on the double reverse end around play carried for a first down on the Massillon 19-yard line. Spider lost a yard and a half. Don Godfrey hit for three yards and Spider came back to wiggle through within six inches of a first down. Maurer plunged through for a first down on the Massillon eight-yard line. On the first play, Godfrey plunged to the one-yard line from which point he went over for a touchdown. He attempted to pass for the extra point but it was knocked down by Knowlton.
Heben brought the Tiger fans to their feet in the fourth period with the longest Massillon run of the day, when he scooped up a Dover punt, emerged from a huddle of players and dashed up the sidelines 48 yards before being brought down 24 yards short of the Dover goal. Heben struck through right tackle for seven yards and Krier plunged for a first down on the 14-yard line. Krier carried on the next four attempts and failed to make a first down by a foot; Dover getting the ball on its own four-yard line.
Spider Intercepts Pass
Dover punt out safely to its own 35-yard line and Knowlton stepped back to shoot a pass in an attempt to score, but Spider Kelker was on the job snared the ball and set sail along the south sideline for the longest and prettiest run of the day. Catching the ball on his own 20-yard line he slipped along the sideline until near midfield when he reversed his field and aided by fine interference, outran the Massillon team to cross the goal line in the northwest corner of the field. The attempted kick for the extra point was wide of the posts.
The victory was Dover’s eighth of the season and 16th consecutive triumph, the team havhing closed its 1931 season with eight in a row.
The Crimson would only be another football team without the Kelker brothers, but with the Kelkers appears to have the second best eleven in the N.E.O. Big Ten league, with Alliance its only superior.
The Crimson made 13 first downs to Massillon’s eight and completely stopped the Tigers passing attack. Only one Massillon pass was completed and that as a result of interference on the part of the Dover secondary, a Dover man grabbing Bray by the arm to keep him from snaring a pass from Knowlton. The umpire caught the violation.
Line up and summary:
Massillon Pos. Dover
Brinker le Mason
Bray lt Dale Godfrey
Snavely lg Mizer
Hoyman c Rose
Critchfield rg Benfer
Monroe rt Seibert
