TIGER POWER HOUSE CRUSHES PORTSMOUTH
Orange and Black Wave Submerges Visiting Men of Troy 70-0 in Brilliant Exhibition of Offensive Football
By LUTHER EMERY
Portsmouth’s sturdy wall held back the Ohio River, but it couldn’t stop the wave of orange and black Friday evening and the men of Troy were washed out 70-0 on Massillon Field.
A powerful running attack with every man doing his part, battered down the Trojan defense and though replacements were tossed into the ranks just as sandbags were piled against the famous flood wall, the men of Troy could not withstand the battering. What was a small leak in the Trojan wall in the opening minute when “Echo” Herring raced 47 yards to a touchdown, quickly developed into a washout as 10 more touchdowns and 24 first downs poured through.
Score Surprises Fans
To the 7,000 fans who attended the game, the 70 points were as much of a surprise as they must have been to the large crowd that gathered in Portsmouth to hear a play by play account sent directly from the local football field.
The game was heralded as the best home contest of the season outside of the
Massillon-Canton game, but Portsmouth, though previously undefeated and with the record of tying Hamilton, a claimant of the state title last year, failed to put up the performance expected of it.
Perhaps the way the Tigers drove over two touchdowns in the first few minutes had something to do with it. Perhaps it was the long trip, the crowd or the general setting that unnerved the visitors. Whatever it was, the visiting eleven though presenting the appearance of a well drilled team, failed to show any offense, making but two first downs, one in each half and continually gained ground when on the defensive.
Tigers Kept The Ball
The fact is, the high geared offense of the Tigers enabled them to keep the ball most of the time and rarely did the Trojans get possession of it.
While the Tiger eleven was continually marching up the field, the Portsmouth gridders only succeeded in getting the ball in the locals’ territory twice and on both occasions the Massillon second team was in action.
The visitors had their big moment toward the close of the first half when Ford’s quick kick went over Shrake’s head, 60 yards to the five-yard line. Pizzino, trying to punt from behind his goal, got off a poor kick that Venthrino caught on the 10-yard line and ran back to the two-yard stripe. Then, after one play had failed and with second down coming up the gun cracked ending the first half.
Toward the close of the fourth quarter, George Brown recovered a Massillon fumble on the Tigers’ 15-yard line. Ford gained three yards but on third down he fumbled while attempting a pass and a flock of Massillon men pounced onto the ball to end the threat.
Save for these two occasions, the Tiger goal line was never in danger, while the Massillon gridders were a threat every time they came into possession of the ball.
Tiger Offense At Best
The Massillon offense was at its best last night just as it was high in the Portsmouth game of 1935. Ball carriers were given the finest of blocking and Mike Byelene’s passes had the accuracy of a sharpshooter. He and Dick Shrake completed 11 passes for a gain of 196 yards and two points after touchdown. Only one was intercepted and five incomplete.
The Tiger machine was thrown into gear at the kickoff. Capt. Copeff of the Trojans booted the ball to Charley Anderson, who headed up the alley to be brought down on the 33-yard line by Covert, Portsmouth center. Herring ran 15 yards and Byelene five to the Trojan 47-yard line. There Herring shot around his right end, cut back to the middle of the field where he picked up his interference and raced across the goal line with three men looking vainly for somebody to take out of the way. Glass failed to kick the extra point.
Portsmouth received and Cave brought Glass’ kick back to the 31-yard line where Don Snavely got him. Three plays gained seven yards and Frazier barely got away his kick to Herring who caught it on the Massillon 30 and came back eight yards. The Tigers again set their sails for the Portsmouth goal and although penalized 15 yards for failing to stop long enough on the shift, one of seven penalties inflicted on them for the same infraction, they slashed back to their own 42-yard line where Herring once more dashed away through his right tackle for a run of 58 yards and a touchdown. He had three men running interference for him as he crossed the goal line. Glass kicked the ball over on his first attempt but Massillon was penalized 15 for holding and when the Tiger back tried it a second time, the ball soared wide of the posts and the score stood at 12-0.
Intercepted Pass Starts Another
After an exchange of punts that followed the kickoff, Herring intercepted Ford’s pass on the Massillon 40-yard line and raced all the way back to the 10-yard stripe before being tackled by Monk. On the first play, Glass hit center for the touchdown and this time Byelene passed to Charley Anderson for the extra point, hoisting the score to 19-0.
In the closing minutes of the period, three Massillon linemen rose up in front of Ford’s punt and blocked it on the 28-yard line. It being fourth down the ball went to the Tigers. Byelene tossed 18 yards to Gillom for a first down on the 10-yard line. Herring made two at right tackle and the quarter ended with the ball on the eight –yard line.
On the first play of the second period, Byelene skirted his left end for a touchdown. Glass’ placekick was wide of the posts and the score was 25-0.
The Tigers’ kicked off and after Portsmouth failed to advance the necessary ground, Ford quick kicked to Herring who caught it on his 45 and got back only five yards. Byelene tossed 29 yards to Charley Anderson, who barely got his finger tips on the ball and dropped it. Interference was called on George Brown and the pass was declared completed giving the Tigers a first down on the 21-yard line. In two plays, Anderson went around his left end for a touchdown but the ball was called back and Massillon was penalized 15 yards for failing to pause on the shift. Byelene and Glass got it back quickly, however, putting the ball on the one-yard line in two plays and Glass plunged through for the touchdown. Byelene passed to Anderson for the extra point bringing the score to 32-0.
Cover Short Kickoff
Pizzino and Shrake went into the Tiger backfield. Portsmouth elected to receive and Jim Miller kicked a short one that only got to the Portmouth 46-yard line. A free ball, Pizzino hopped on it and it was first down for the Tigers. Byelene made 11 at tackle then stepped back on the next play and passed a 25-yard beauty to Gillom who caught it on the 10-yard line and raced across for the touchdown. Ford batted down Byelene’s attempted pass for the extra point and the score stood at 38-0.
Portsmouth made its first, first down of the game following the kickoff when interference was called on Byelene when Monk tried to catch Ford’s pass. Portsmouth was given the ball on its own 37. Snavely tossed Ford for a two-yard loss and Shrake intercepted Ford’s pass on his own 47 and returned to Portsmouth’s 43-yard line. Despite a five-yard penalty for being offside, Shrake and Byelene ran the ball to a first down on the 27-yard line. Pizzino made eight at left tackle and a pass to C harley Anderson gained a first down on the nine-yard line. Shrake made five at left tackle and Byelene plunged it over. Charley Anderson placekicked the extra point and the score was 45-0.
A new Massillon team took the field. There followed Portsmouth’s threat in the closing minutes of the first half when intermission came with the Trojans in possession of the ball on the Tigers’ two-yard line.
The Tigers changed shirts between halves and came out wearing white. The first string eleven went back into the ball game, took the kickoff on the 21-yard line and marched to a touchdown, Glass providing most of the excitement with a dash of 39 yards through the center of the visiting team and across the goal. A mix-up on signals for the try for point resulted in a fumble and loss of the point, leaving the score at 51-0.
Portsmouth received and after failing to gain on a line play and grounding a pass, Copen quick kicked to Herring who caught it on his own 30 and returned 19 yards. Glass carried the ball four yards and Byelene twice in advancing to the 30-yard line despite another
15-yard penalty for failing to pause a second on the shift. From the 30, Byelene snapped a pass to Herring who went over the goal line in two steps. Glass placekicked the extra point.
Misses Football
Glass kicked off to Ford who was tackled on his 30-yard line. Portsmouth sent in a complete new team. The visitors were pushed backward and Throckmorton, in attempting to punt, missed the ball entirely; Junior Anderson covering it for Massillon on the 10-yard line. Byelene snapped to Anderson for a touchdown but the ball was called back and the Tigers lost 15 yards for the shift violation. Byelene passed again but this time Venthrio intercepted. However, Portsmouth was offside on the play and it still remained Massillon’s ball. Byelene then passed the ball to Gillom who caught it behind the goal line. Glass’ attempted kick for the extra point was blocked and the score was 64-0.
A new team went in for Massillon and played throughout the remainder of the game.
The Tiger second stringers made one touchdown the last period. They came into possession of the ball on the Portsmouth 20-yard line when Ford, after fumbling a pass from center on fourth down, had no other choice but to run with the ball. Shrake twice carried the ball, once going for 10 yards and again traveling 20 for a touchdown, but on both plays the ball was called back for offside violations. Shrake got a pass to Dudley Dixon, however for a first down on the 10-yard line. Dixon made nine yards in two attempts and Wurzbacher on an end around play ran for the touchdown. Shrake’s pass for the extra point was grounded and the game ended at 70-0.
The Tigers lost 125 yards in penalties while Portsmouth lost 10 yards.
The crowd once again pleased the high school management. Though not as large as that of the opening night, it exceeded most Friday evening crowds of past years.
The Tiger band bigger than ever, gave a pleasing exhibition between halves. It is rapidly becoming one of the best schoolboy bands in the state.
Victory No. 3
Massillon Pos. Portsmouth
Gillom LE Monk
J. Anderson LT Lamm
Wyatt LG Wellman
Snavely C Covert
Miller RG Sally
Peters RT Anderson
C. Anderson RE Orth
Byelene QB Frazier
Herring LH G. Brown
Snyder RH Copen
Glass FB Cave
Score by periods:
Massillon 19 26 19 6 70
Substitutions:
Massillon – Shrake, lh; Pizzino, fb; MacMichael, t; Toles, e; Edwards, e; Herman, hb; Swoger, rh; Lee, c; Miller, lt; Greenfelder, g; Howard, g; Wurzbacher, e; Endress, c; Lucius, g; Dixon, hb; Harsh, t.
Portsmouth – Ford, qb; Venthrino, lh; H. Brown, le; Taylor, rg; Justice, lg; Sagraves, lh; Church, lt; Throckmorton, qb; Vinsen, fb; Coyle, c; McGarrey, re; McKinney, lh; Redding, rt.
Touchdowns:
Massillon – Herring 3; Glass 3; Byelene 2; Gillom 2; Wurzbacher.
Point after touchdown:
Massillon – Anderson 3 (pass 2, kicked 1); Glass (kicked).
Officials:
Referee – Howells (Sebring).
Umpire – Boone (Canton).
Head Linesman – Gross (New Philadelphia).
