Bengals Roll Over Mansfield 42-6
Orange And Black Look Like Tigers Of Old In First Half
By CHUCK HESS, JR.
The Massillon Tigers put a big X in the credit side of their ledger Friday night in Mansfield. The Bengals trounced the Mansfield Tygers 42-6 before a crowd of just less than capacity – 11,500.
It was the second straight win for the Orange and Black. It appears they’re now solidly back on the victory trail. Their record is now 4-3, putting them ahead of the .500 mark for the first time since Cincinnati Taft game four weeks ago.
After the game, cries of, “Beat Warren” could be heard from the Massillon players. The big game comes next week in the Trumbull county city. Warren is undefeated though tied by Mansfield.
For Mansfield it was a sad night. The Tygers dropped their fourth game of the season. They have won one and tied two.
Mansfield Coach Jim Dougherty closeted himself in his office at Arlin field after the game. He was unavailable for comment.
The Bengal boss, Leo Strang, was jubilant. “We’ve got our conscience back now,” he said. “This was a big win.”
“A big question in the minds of the Tiger fans was why Washington high was able to score 34 points in the first half and only eight in the second. The answer is two-fold.”
First, Strang was substituting freely. “Any time you break up your normal lineup you have trouble,” Strang said. “That’s what happened when we had all those injuries earlier in the season.”
Second, Mansfield had the ball the majority of the last 24 minutes. And if you don’t have the ball, you can’t score.
“We looked like the Tigers of old in the first half,” Strang said.
“Strang also gave his scouting and spotting crews a big pat on the back for their jobs. Milan Chovan, Bob Johnson and Larry Lorton scouted the Tygers. Coaches Nick Cosos, Nick Vrotsos and Carl (Ducky) Schroeder were in the booth.
In hanging up their 34 points on the scoreboard in the first half; the Bengals scored every time they got their hands on the ball and were after another tally when the clock ran out. In the process, WHS converted two fumbles into touchdown. The Tigers also turned the trick in the third period.
* * *
THE TIGERS used 41 plays in the first half but got only 24 in the second. A tenacious Mansfield eleven just wouldn’t give up the ball. The Tygers had 34 plays during this time but only 20 before the intermission and failed to get out of their own territory until late in the second quarter.
A big difference in the ball game was Massillon’s passing. Senior quarterback Mike Koenig, back in action after being sidelined for four weeks with an injury, and junior signal-caller Ron Swartz completed eight of 14 passes for 165 yards. Added to 227 net yards on the ground, this gave the Tigers a 392 total.
Mansfield completed only three of 10 aerials for 44 yards. The Tygers had 196 net yards on the ground and a total of 240.
Massillon wasted no time in drawing first blood. The Orange and Black had a touchdown within six plays after getting the opening kickoff. Sophomore Jim Lawrence ran the kickoff back to the Massillon 48. He tripped there or he might have gone all the way.
Koenig went through the middle for 11 yards and a first down on the first play from scrimmage. The Tigers were off and running.
Three plays later junior wingback Bill Blunt went around left end on a reverse from the 37 on fourth-and-six. He ran all the way to the three, didn’t get a block and was tackled.
Getz went off tackle with 8:55 remaining in t he first quarter for the first touchdown. He swept right end for the conversion.
* * *
AFTER ONE Mansfield series, the Tigers took over on their 15 following a punt. They drove 85 yards in 16 plays with five first downs. Three times they held onto the ball on fourth down.
Koenig had an 18-yard romp around right end to start the drive. Lawrence finished it with a wedge from the one at 10:40 of the second canto. He missed on the conversion run.
During the drive Getz had runs of 15 and nine yards to help out. He got a first down with one and brought his mates out of a second-and-13 hole with another.
After forcing Mansfield to punt, the Tigers scored again in four plays. The Orange and Black took over on its 40. A pass interference penalty gave the Bengals a first down on the Mansfield 46. Lawrence4 went through the center for two yards.
Koenig then passed to McAllister for Massillon’s third score, a 44-yarder at 8:16. Koenig tossed to Blunt for the conversion and a 22-0 margin.
* * *
A MANSFIELD FUMBLE on the first play after the kickoff gave the Tigers the ball on the Tygers’ 16. Junior long side end Mike Jones recovered.
Five plays later Koenig sneaked in with six minutes remaining before the half. Koenig was unable to get rid of the ball on a pass try for the conversion.
Mansfield fumbled on the second play following the next kickoff. Senior linebacker Paul Fabianich hopped on this one on the Mansfield 43.
The Tigers tallied on the next play. Swartz now in the game, tossed to Blunt on the five. He made a great overhead catch and went on in at 4:40. Swartz tossed to Lawrence on the conversion try. But the first- year fullback fell down in the flat.
After the ensuing kickoff, Mansfield drove to the Massillon 26. But a fourth-and-two pass was incomplete in the end zone.
The Tigers then went to the air. Swartz passed four times to Blunt and once to Jones to get the Bengals to the Mansfield 19 where the clock ran out. Jones’ lone reception was good for 19 yards. Blunt’s catches were good for 12, 7 and 18 yards. The Bengals got five first downs in succession on this drive.
Mansfield’s third fumble came on a drive after the second half kickoff. Senior Co-Captain Ben Bradley of the Tigers hopped on the errant pigskin at his 32 from his middle guard spot.
The Bengals drove back to the Mansfield 34. Junior safetyman Willie Hawthorne intercepted a Swartz pass intended for junior wingback Graydon Eckard. But Mansfield fumbled two players later. Junior linebacker Tom Roderick made the recovery on the Tygers’ 17.
* * *
TWO PLAYS LATER, Swartz ran the left side option in at 2:25. Blunt made a beautiful catch in the corner of the end zone for the conversion, and Massillon’s scoring was finished for the night.
Mansfield took over on its 30 following the kickoff. Then came the Tygers’ only touchdown of the night. They covered the 70 yards in 10 plays with two first downs.
Senior halfback Frank Petty capped the drive with a six-yard sweep of right end with 9:50 remaining in the game. Senior quarterback Rich Poling had set up the score with a
21-yard rollout play from the 36 to the 15.
Senior halfback George Haag’s pass was incomplete on the conversion try.
Massillon lost the ball after two first downs following the kickoff. But Mansfield fumbled right back to them on the Tygers’ 28. Eckard made the recovery. However, the Orange and Black got no further.
Mansfield regained control and marched to the seven. But Eckard intercepted a pass in the end zone with five seconds remaining. One play later finis had been written to the Tigers’ seventh game.
A Big Victory’
MASSILLON – 42
Ends – Jones, McAllister, Franklin, Goodnough and Hose.
Tackles – Clendening, Morgan, Profant, Mercer, Tarle, Miller, Fabianich and Franks.
Guards – Castile, Geckler, Roderick, Rivers, Swisher and Mathias.
Centers – Bradley, Scassa, Rambaud and Paisley.
Backs – Koenig, Swartz, Lawrence, Eckard, Rink, Blunt, Getz, Toles, Kanner, Sullivan, Thomas, Pope and Davis.
MANSFIELD – 6
Ends – Payton, Prats, Backer and Bell.
Tackles – Armstrong, Russell, C. Coe and Balcolm.
Guards – Bucher, Winbigler, Jividen, Snyder and Potter.
Centers – Cindrich and Prosser.
Backs – Hawthorne, Lindsay, Poling, J. Coe, Dougherty, McDonald, Paar, Haag, Moore, Hutchins and Petty.
Massillon 8 26 8 0 42
Mansfield 0 0 0 6 6
GAME STATISTICS
Mass. Opp.
First downs – rushing 14 10
First downs – passing 6 2
First downs – penalties 0 1
Total first downs 20 13
Yards gained rushing 242 206
Yards lost rushing 15 15
Net yards gained rushing 227 196
Yards gained passing 165 44
Total yards gained 392 240
Passes attempted 14 10
Passes completed 8 3
Passes intercepted by 1 1
Times kicked off 7 2
Kickoff average (yards) 56.9 36
Kickoff returns (yards) 45 163
Times punted 1 2
Punt average (yards) 43.0 42.0
Punt returns (yards) 8 4
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 1 5
Lost fumbled ball 0 5
Penalties 3 2
Yards penalized 45 10
