CANTON McKINLEY TRIMS WASHINGTON HIGH 21-6 TO WIN STATE GRID TITLE
BULLDOGS’ SECOND HALF ATTACK SINKS RIDDLED TIGER TEAM
By LUTHER EMERY
Washington high’s hope for an undefeated season and state championship, that rose in a crescendo of nine straight victories, faded under an avalanche of red and black Saturday afternoon when Canton McKinley climbed to the pinnacle of fame by defeating the Tigers 21-6.
Twenty-thousand fans looked on from bleachers that circled the entire field. It was the largest crowd ever assembled to witness a sports event in Stark county and the first half produced two periods of the finest football every played on a gridiron.
Two Touchdowns in Five Minutes
It was an offensive battle from the opening kickoff and twice in the first five minutes the ball was carried across the goal. McKinley received and never stopped in a relentless march until it had scored the first seven points of the season on the Tigers.
What would Massillon do when scored on – fold up? It was uppermost in the mind of everyone of the 20,000 and the Tigers answer was a march of 64 yards from the kickoff to the McKinley goal. Massillon missed the extra point when Hank Krier was bottled up trying to carry it across and the score stood 7-6 throughout the remainder of the period and the first half.
The same offensive battle might have been staged in the second half were it not for a series of bad breaks that wrecked both offense and defense of the Tigers, causing a breaking down of morale and a necessary shift in the defensive setup that could not cope with the powerful attack of Jimmy Aiken and his Canton Bulldogs, who romped on to two more touchdowns.
Fumble Costly Break
The first bad break that preceded the turning point in the game came when the Tigers, in possession of the ball for the second time of the afternoon, marched from their own 23-yard line to a first down on the Canton 22.
They had the Bulldogs on the run and it looked line a certain touchdown until D.C. McCants fumbled on a reverse and Dick Miller, McKinley end, pounced through and recovered the ball.
Canton lashed back with another ferocious drive that put Dutton out of the game, with two probably cracked ribs. He was hurt when he blocked out a Canton receiver just as Lohr intercepted Zazula’s pass. Interference was called and the pass was declared completed. McCoy was sent in to pass for McKinley, but Lohr was again on the job and pulled down a pass on the nine-yard line. Krier was carried off the field with a badly wrenched ankle on the first play hereafter.
Loss of Krier Weakens Team
The Massillon ball carrier, ace scorer in Ohio who in the first quarter had increased his record for the season to 149 points with a 37-yard dash through the center of the Canton team, was ganged as he hit the line. Frigley jumped on his neck and underneath the pile Haas twisted the ankle that had been injured in practice earlier in the week.
Krier was out. His ankle puffed up as though inflated with air and he had to be carried by his teammates to the Massillon bench. That was the third bad break for the Tigers and with it went all hope for a Massillon victory. Up to that time Massillon looked the better team on both offense and defense.
Only close followers of the Tiger team know the importance of Krier to the Massillon lineup. First of all he is the punch of the backfield. That he displayed prior to his injury when only on one occasion did he fail to gain and statistics will show that his average gain until taken out was 11 yards, which passes the individual record of any other player on the field.
Important Defensive Man
But Krier is just as important defensively. He plays a guard position on the line and has greater penetration than either Snavely or Molinski. He demonstrated that once in the second period when he broke through and sat Jim Huff on the grass for a 10-yard loss.
With Krier and Dutton on the bench, Coach Brow had to change his entire lineup. He sent Edgar Herring, a 127-pounded, in at halfback. His blocking power against a 200 pounder was nil. The biggest shakeup, however, had to be made defensively. Snavely went into the line, a position he played last year but had not attempted to play before Saturday. Lange was called in to back up the line in place of Snavely. Snavely does not have the penetrating power of Krier at guard and Lange is not the vicious tackler that Snavely is.
It was the turning point of the game. The half ended three plays later and the Tigers were licked in the dressing room when it became apparent to all that their inspiration and main cog, Hank Krier, would be unable to play any more. He sat on the bench throughout the last two periods but could not re-enter. He was taken to the city hospital after the game for an examination and X-ray pictures will be taken today. He is hobbling around on crutches.
Canton Superior Team Second Half
It was all Canton the second half. The Tigers were never in the race the last two periods. They fought back but got nothing save a severe body beating that would cause any weak liver to give up the football forever, but not the Massillon Tigers. They battled to the end and in the last few minutes began handing back medicine they had been taught not to prescribe.
McKinley added 14 more points to its score over the weakened Massillon team and could have kept piling more on the heap had not the game ended when it did.
The Tigers experienced their first bad luck at the start when they lost the toss and had to kickoff to the Bulldogs. It paved the way for the first Canton touchdown and the first points scored on Massillon this year.
Krier got off a poor kick and Zazula returned to the 35-yard line. Huff made seven at right end and ran to a first down on the 50-yard line. Halter got three at left guard and Huff raced to another first down on the 33-yard stripe. Ballos made six at center and Halter a yard. McKinley was penalized five yards. Dutton nearly intercepted Zazula’s pass but fumbled. Huff almost thrown twice, got away for a dash to a first down on the 17-yard line. Halter took it to the eight-yard line and Massillon called for time. Halter went to the five-yard line. Two plays only netted the Bulldogs two yards but the Tigers were penalized for being offside giving Canton the ball on the one-yard line. Halter wiggled across the goal and Huff carried it over for the extra point. It was 7-0 Canton.
Tigers Strike Back
Lange received the following kickoff and was downed on the 36-yard line. D.C. MCCants playing his best and last high school football game smashed through left tackle for six yards. Shertzer was unable to hold Dutton’s pass. Krier raced through to a first down on the Canton 46-yard line and the glee on the east side was throttled. Dutton passed too far for Shertzer to receive, but he smashed through left tackle for nine yards. Third down and two to go and Krier took the ball through center on a fake. A huge gap opened in the Canton line between none other than Lewis Young and Tut Allen, the giants of the McKinley team. Through it Krier raced, cut to his right and out sped the McKinley secondary, including 10-second Huff in a 37-yard run for a touchdown.
For a moment it was feared play would be called back but the violation was for Canton being offside and the touchdown was allowed. The Massillon fans thundered their approval, but their joy partially diminished when Krier was thrown in his tracks trying to run the extra point across.
Canton received but its offense was checked by the Tigers who took the ball on their
23-yard line and began another drive toward the Canton goal. They had the Bulldogs on the run, as Krier hit for 19, McCants three, Dutton four, McCants three, Krier one, Dutton nine, McCants six, Krier 1, McCants eight, Krier one and a first down on the McKinley
22-yard line. Then came the fumble and the Bulldogs charged back only to be stopped with Lohr’s interception of McCoy’s pass on the nine-yard line. There followed Krier’s injury, three plays a punt and intermission.
Bulldogs Score At Start of Third
The Bulldogs duplicated their first kickoff performance by taking Morningstar’s boot at the start of the third period and marching 62 yards. Huff made four, Ballos five, Ballos one, Halter four, Huff three and a first down on the Tiger 35. Then came squatty Red Halter around left end behind a wave of Crimson interference that bowled everybody out of the way until someone nailed the red head on the Tigers’ four-yard line. It took McKinley three plays to get it over, Huff carrying it across on a right end sweep. Haas kicked goal. Canton 14, Massillon 6.
Canton had another chance when Lange fumbled the kickoff and Allen recovered on the Massillon 34. McKinley’s chances faded, however, when Referee Eddie Howells twice caught Haas holding and the Bulldogs were penalized 30 yards. The Tigers took the pigskin but unable to make their yardage, kicked to the Canton 30. The Bulldogs charged back to the Massillon 37 where they were stopped by the Tigers who again took possession of the ball. Halter quickly got it back for McKinley, however when he intercepted Dutton’s pass and ran it back to the Massillon 37.
Again Canton threatened but was stopped on the nine-yard line. Byelene tried to make a yard on fourth down but was nailed with inches to go and Canton got the sphere on the
15-yard stripe.
A five-yard penalty helped stop this threat on the 13-yard line. Dutton kicked back to his own 46 and again the Crimson surged forward. Halter in two attempts raced in to the Tiger 25. Huff went through for 14 yards to the 11. Halter made six. Huff four and Halter knifed through for the final touchdown. Haas kicked the 21st point.
There was nothing much to it thereafter. The Tigers tried to pass for a touchdown but Halter was always in the way and intercepted two in a row.
In the final minutes of play, Haas was put out of the game for slugging and Canton was penalized 25 yards.
Then McCants came into a pileup and was charged with unnecessary roughness and Massillon was penalized 15 yards. Only the gun saved further scrapes as the teams took their final fling at each other.
15 First Downs For Canton
Statistics show Canton as making 19 first downs to seven for the Tigers. Neither team completed a forward pass, remarkable in view of the fact that passing has been a consistent ground gainer for both teams in past performances.
Canton gained 315 yards from scrimmage to the Tigers’ 143 yards but Massillon with Krier in the first half gained 126 yards to 123 for Canton and Canton in the first half lost seven yards from scrimmage while the Tigers didn’t lose a yard.
Massillon was penalized three times for a total of 25 yards and Canton nine times for a loss of 85 yards.
Two of the McKinley penalties were for holding and one for Haas’ slugging of Lohr.
Massillon fans did a lot of talking Sunday. They were particularly concerned over noticeable holding and slugging in the McKinley line and the shouts of glee that went up from the east side of the field when Krier was carried off.
Canton’s joy at seeing Krier out of the game, maybe attributed to the high strung enthusiasm that causes one to yell first and think after. Massillon fans might have given the wild whoop had Huff been ganged. In any event it is not good sportsmanship.
As to the holding and slugging there was many a Massillon fan hoping some Tiger would cut loose with a left and right to the jaw and mid-section.
It raises an old question. Is it more advantageous to teach your linemen to hold and chance getting away with a large percentage of violations or is it better to play the game within the rules and avoid penalties.
Seven members of the starting Massillon eleven, played their last football for the Tigers Saturday. They were Wendell Lohr and Bob Shertzer, the ends; Don Wolfe, left tackle; Cloyd Snavely, right guard; D.C. McCants, fullback; Henry Krier, left halfback and Jack Lange the blocking halfbacks.
The other four will be back again next season. They are August Morningstar, center; Neri Buggs, right tackle; Eddie Molinski, left guard and Howard Dutton, quarterback. Mike Byelene, Jake Gillom and Edgar Herring the other trio to see service will be back next year.
Both Coach Brown and Coach Aiken, were concerned over the time of the first two periods. A check from the Massillon bench showed they were only of eight minutes duration instead of 12, and a review of the game, reveals that each team had the ball but three times in the entire first half. Massillon kicked to McKinley and it made a touchdown. McKinely kicked to Massillon and the Tigers made a touchdown. The Tigers kicked to McKinley and forced the Bulldogs to punt. Massillon carried back to the 22-yard line and fumbled and Canton was stopped with an interception on the nine-yard line. Three plays later the half ended.
Lineup and summary:
Massillon Pos. Canton
Shertzer LE Miller
Wolfe LT Frigley
Molinski LG Allen
Morningstar C Young
Snavely RG Wertman
Buggs RT Haas
Lohr RE Green
Dutton QB Zazula
Krier LH Huff
Lange RH Halter
McCants FB Ballos
Score by periods:
Canton 7 0 7 7 21
Massillon 6 0 0 6 6
Substitutions:
Massillon – Byelene, qb-lh; Herring, lh; Gillom, fb.
Canton – McCoy, qb; Daniels, lh; Fryer, rg; Mentzer, g.
Touchdowns:
Canton – Huff; Halter 2.
Massillon – Krier.
Point after touchdown:
Canton – Huff (carried); Haas 2 (placekick).
Referee – Howells.
Umpire – Shafer.
Head Linesman – Barrett.
Field Judge – Smith
Game Is Still The Big Topic
Police and City Officials
Praise Spectators for Orderly Behavior;
Seller of Alleged Bogus Tickets Under Arrest
With the gridiron classic staged by the Bulldogs of McKinley high school, Canton, and the orange and black Tigers of Washington high school, Saturday, still the principal topic of conversation in schools, city hall, stores and on street corners, police authorities and
non-partisan fans today sung highly the praises of the general orderliness and conduct of the spectators’ before, during and after the contest.
True, there were some fights among the rabid fans liquor flasks were titled frequently, ticket scalpers were present selling bogus tickets and some confusion in the reserved seats sections was the result, but all in all Stark county’s greatest sports spectacle will go down in history as one of friendly rivalry in which the throng of 20,000 spectators was well and efficiently handled by Massillon police, state highway patrolmen, deputy sheriffs, Canton school zone police and members of Massillon Post, No. 221, American Legion.
Leo Sabroglia, of 1737 E. 19th Street, Cleveland, was arrested at the field by police after he is alleged to have sold three bogus tickets for $3 to Homer Arnold. He was jailed on a suspicion charge, but an affidavit charging him with obtaining money under false pretenses had been drawn up this morning by Prosecutor Lewis C. Wiggins. Signature of one of the city school authorities to the affidavit was awaited. He probably will be arraigned in municipal court this afternoon or tomorrow morning.
Police said Sabroglia was in possession of several bogus tickets and $6 when taken into custody. Several other persons were said by police to have been selling bogus tickets at the field but they were not apprehended.
Washington high school was broken into Saturday evening, a woman had her pocketbook stolen and a Canton man had his pocket picked at the game, police were told.
Belief was expressed today that two men who escaped guards stationed at the high school had broken into the school thinking possibly that proceeds of the game were in the board of education office.
Pocket Is Picked
A window in the rear of the building was forced open. The pair was seen in a corridor approaching the board of education office. They escaped through a door they had opened when chased by guards. A crowbar and club were left behind by the men when they fled.
Charles E. Trew, of 1000 Arlington Street S.W., Canton, reported to police today that his pocket was picked of $46 while he watched the game. A pocketbook containing $6 and 10 dance tickets was snatched from Mrs. D.H. Volzer, of 1233 Cleveland Avenue N.W., as she was leaving the game.
While Homer Eicker, of R.D. 2; Bowdil, watched the game, his auto a 1928 Chevrolet sedan bearing license E46-741, was stolen from Edwin Avenue S.E. The car had not been recovered this morning.
Chief of Police Edward M. Ertle today expressed his appreciation of the conduct of the fans. Despite the intense rivalry, Massillon was quiet Saturday evening. Students and the older fans abided by the pleas of Mayor William Limbach and police for orderliness.
Chief Extends Thanks
Thanks were extended by Chief Ertle to officers of the highway patrol for the efficient manner in which they directed traffic at important street intersections near the athletic field, the deputy sheriffs, Canton police, local patrolmen and legionnaires and all others who aided in handling the crowd.
Police of Massillon and Canton today were searching for a gang of hoodlums, believed to have been from Canton, who Friday evening severely beat Kenneth Greenfelder, 17, of 229 State Avenue N.E. and Earl Clifford of 606 Guy Street N.W. Washington high school students; abducted Greenfelder and took him about six miles from the city where they sheared off part of his hair with clippers before turning him lose.
It was said today several other Massillon boys were abducted by a Canton gang and submitted to hazing. No reports of the cases had been made directly to police, however.
A bunch of keys were found at the south end of the football field and turned over to Desk Sergeant Daniel Brady. The owner may secure them at police headquarters upon identification.
20,000 WATCH HIGH SCHOOL BOYS STAGE EPIC GRID CONTEST
By FRED J. BECKER
Independent Sports Editor
The big game is over – but not forgotten. It will be the subject of discussion for many weeks to come.
Another chapter has been written into the history of Massillon-Canton athletic rivalry by a group of valiant young warriors, who if they seek knowledge of the beginning of this rivalry, must thumb the pages of history or learn about it from old timers.
Twenty thousand spectators, in a friendly holiday mood, saw this latest chapter of Massillon-Canton gridiron rivalry go into the page of history Saturday afternoon on Massillon field.
Twenty thousand fans saw the great Bulldogs of Canton McKinley high school plunge and dash their way through the great, but not quite great enough, Tigers of Washington high school for a 21 to 6 victory that brought to the Bulldogs recognition as Ohio scholastic champions and a string of 11 straight victories in 1934. It brought joy and rejoicing to all of Canton, particularly to Jimmy Aiken, McKinley coach and his intrepid gladiators. They stand out as the high school champions of Ohio, probably of the nation. They have a great team; they proved it in the heat of conflict against their oldest enemy.
In Massillon there is no rejoicing for the mighty Tigers lost the game they wanted to win more than any other on their schedule. It was their first defeat in 10 battles; the first time during the season they had seen an enemy march across their goal line. Certainly Massillon is sad but it took its beating standing up. No one can blame Paul Brown and his courageous Washington high lads if they were downhearted Saturday night but their heads were not bowed in humiliating defeat.
They gave the best they had, they went down fighting, they never gave up. They were conquered by a superior enemy, a foe that struck with the swiftness and deadliness of lighting. Even in defeat those orange and black clad lads came off the field with the praises of the multitude ringing in their rears. They had fought a good fight even in defeat and they deserve a lot of credit for it.
TWO COSTLY BREAKS HURT TIGERS
Of course the game is over, Canton won a well deserved victory and a state championship that it merited, but one can not help but wonder just what the ultimate result of that great battle would have been had not the two most costly breaks in the contest gone against the youthful Tigers.
Had they not occurred the final outcome might not have been changed but no one can deny that Massillon was not the equal if not the superior of the vaunted Bulldog until those breaks popped into the picture to ruin what looked like a fine opportunity for Massillon to pull the Bulldog’s fans for the first time in three years.
Both those breaks came in the second quarter. The first occurred when D.C. McCants, powerful Negro fullback, fumbled the ball on Canton’s 26-yard line, the Bulldogs recovering and halting a Massillon march that seemed destined not to end until the Tigers had placed the ball back of Canton’s goal.
The second break came a few minutes later when Henry Krier, Massillon’s great halfback, plunged through the Canton line, went down under a mass of Bulldog tacklers and never came back again to take part in that game. A severely twisted ankle forced Krier to the sidelines and out of the combat. He had to be carried off the field. He was severely wrenched by Canton tackles as he went to the ground.
With the loss of Krier went Massillon’s chances for victory. The loss of this great star was a severe blow but it seems as if the deciding turn in the game came when McCants fumbled.
A fumble may occur at any time and fate picked upon McCants, who had been playing a whale of a game, to be its victim It was a tough break for the boy – not only for him but for the Massillon cause. But that is football.
FIRST HALF A SPECTACULAR BATTLE
No more sensational game of football has ever been played anywhere than those stalwart teams unfolded before that huge crowd in the first half. It was as brilliant a spectacle of offensive performance as any one would want to witness.
So swiftly did both teams strike that fans were left almost breathless as they attempted to take it all in. Canton received and starting from its 35-yard line marched right down the field with Jim Huff, lanky Negro ace and Red halter, slashing midget halfback driving back the Tigers with vicious thrusts off tackle and around the ends, a drive which did not stop until Halter knifed his way though the line for a touchdown, the first scored against Massillon this year.
It all happened in less than five minutes. But what followed was even more breath-taking. Massillon received. The Massillon receiver was downed on his 35-yard line. Then like the th5rusts of a rapier Krier and Howard Dutton cut into that Canton line. Krier made a first down. A Tiger pass failed. Dutton slashed for eight. Another Massillon pass failed to connect. And then Krier brought the fans to their feet in a mad burst of cheering as he dashed through the Canton line, shook off Bulldog tackers as if they were paper dummies, ran by the astonished and fleet Jim Huff as if he were standing still and raced unmolested across 38 yards of turf for a touchdown – a truly great feat.
Massillon failed to make the extra point but the Tigers were just coming into their own. A few minutes found them again in possession of the ball and once again they began cracking great gaping spaces in that Canton line as Krier, McCants and Dutton paraded steadily down the field toward the Canton goal.
Yard after yard they pushed back the Bulldogs until they had the ball on Canton’s 26. On one of the plays Shertzer was knocked out but gamely stuck to his post. Then McCants darted toward the left side of his line. He reached for the ball but it bounced out of his outstretched hands. It rolled along the ground as players of both teams dove for it. But Dick Miller, Canton left end, was head of them all and it was Canton’s ball.
That break gave the Bulldogs new courage and when Krier was hurt a few minutes later they were on their way, not to be stopped again.
Canton was not the best team on the field in the first half but it was by far the best in the second half when it scored the two deciding touchdowns.
Two splendid ball carriers had a lot to do with Canton’s victory. They were Huff and Halter. The Tigers found them harder to stop than tax collectors but great as Huff and Halter are they probably wouldn’t have gone far had it not been for the brilliant interference they had all afternoon.
Not detracting at all from their great performance but any halfback even a six-year-old boy, could have gained ground Saturday with the interference the Bulldogs threw up to protect their ball toters. It was beautiful to watch even though destructive to Massillon hopes. Few high school teams have ever possessed the interference Aiken developed for his Bulldog ball carriers.
CROWD ORDERLY, WELL HANDLED
Although the crowd was the largest to ever witness an athletic event in Massillon or Canton, it was well handled and for that school authorities, police of Massillon, Canton, the state highway patrol and American Legion members deserve credit.
Every inch of space in the field was jammed with spectators. They started to come early and an hour before game time the park was loaded to the gunwales. Long lines of automobiles were parked all around the field for blocks in either direction. Sale of phoney tickets caused a slight stir early in the afternoon but this situation was soon remedied. Some people may not have gotten the seats they thought they bought but there were only a few instances of this.
It was a friendly crowd, too, in which a spirit of good feeling manifested itself throughout the afternoon. True there were one or two minor battles but these were quickly squelched by the strong arm of the law. A few fans, who had looked into the bottle that cheers, too frequently were evidenced but they were having a good time and so were the others who saw them.
After the game the crowd left the field in an orderly manner. Traffic away from the field in some instances traveled slowly and an hour after the conclusion of the game cars were still packing the streets leading from the field and the highways out of town particularly to the east.
The city, however, quickly settled back into its normal routine. Restaurants were busy at noon and in the evening. But Saturday night passed without any serious disorder, a situation which was feared by many. There were no snake dances, no free for all battles, in fact two hours after the game no one would have thought Massillon had been host to the largest crowd in its history.
The day went off without anything unusual, other than the huge crowd and great football game.
WEATHER IDEAL FOR FOOTBALL
Mother Nature furnished a perfect setting for the big day. It was cloudy in the morning but at noon the sun broke through and sent its rays earthward the remainder of the day. Ideal weather conditions existed. The air was snappy but not too cold to make it uncomfortable for spectators.
The crowd and field presented a colorful sight. Cheer leaders and bands of the two schools kept the vast throng entertained for two hours before the game. The bands of both schools drilled and played as they never have before and both were praised for their exhibitions.
Photographers, newspapermen and radio announcers were dashing here, there and everywhere. A Goodyear blimp soared over the field with a big banner with “Yea Tigers. Yea Bulldogs” streaming out behind.
Great cheers went up as the players came out on the field. Coaches and assistants first looked over the playing surface and then went back into the clubhouse to give last minute instructions to their warriors.
Canton was first on the field. Several minutes later the Tigers made their appearance. Photographers snapped pictures of the crowd, the cheer leaders, the mascots, the players, coaches and officials – in fact they were shooting right and left with reckless abandon.
The game was hard fought, at times it was rough. Earl Haas, Canton right tackle, finally was ejected by officials for his roughness. The cheer that came up from the Canton bleachers when Krier was carried off the field was not at all to the liking of many Massillon fans. To them it appeared a bit unsportsmanlike. Officials also were panned a bit for alleged laxness in enforcing penalties.
But those things are bound to happen in a rivalry such as Massillon and Canton have known for years.
From a Canton angle it was a perfect day in all respects. From a Massillon angle it was perfect except for one thing—the wrong team won but another year is coming.
