Obies Deflate Aviators’ Silk 20-14
By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Maybe Massillon’s Tigers weren’t as sharp as in the first 3 games and maybe they caused the faithful to overheat on a cold Dad’s night. But a victory over a Mel Knowlton-coached Alliance high team is not to be sloughed off.
The undefeated Washington high eleven got its fourth victory of the season before 11,277 fans at Tiger stadium Friday night via a 20-14 count. The spirited Aviators slipped to 2-2.
TIGER Coach Bob Seaman admitted his team was listless. “We weren’t ready,” said Seaman. “The pep rally at the high school this afternoon was the flattest I’ve ever seen.” But, at the same time he was “pleased with the way his charges came back” after spotting a “real fine” Alliance team to an 8-6 halftime lead.
Debits such as poor tackling, not enough pressure on the quarterback and broken plays went into the Obiemen’s book. But there were also credits such as some good passing, an outstanding inside ground game for good ball control and the keeping of Alliance in poor field position most of the night.
KNOWLTON pegged the field position angle as one of the most important aspects of the game. “If we could have gotten out of the hole, we’d have been in business. We had good position only twice and scored both times. It was our own fault. It’s tough to throw when you’re backed up against your own goal line.”
Seaman agreed, “We punted 5 times and they returned 5 times for about 2 yards each time. That’s decent punt coverage.”
He thought Tom Houser’s punts and Reggie Moore’s kickoffs were exceptionally good and helped put Alliance in the hole.
MOORE switched to tailback Thursday in an effort to spell junior Jim Smith who has an acing left shoulder, combined effectively with Smith off tackle and through the center. Smith netted 70 yards and 2 touchdowns in 18 tries, Moore 63 in 13.
The Orange and Black found another receiver, Houser, the tight end, who “runs well for a 230-pounder,” Seaman said.
He added, “The took away the sweep and left us with the off tackle and passing opportunities.”
SEAMAN explained the broken plays occurred because the Tigers were running a lot of automatics or changes at the line on a noisy night.
Through the years, the Tigers have had a lot of trouble with Knowlton’s off tackle and sweep plays and Friday night was no exception. Lionel Grimes, George Lear and Stan Terrell all did well. Grimes going for 42 yards in 7 tries, Lear, 38 to 8, and Terrell, 40 in 11. Terrell and Lear each scored TDs.
IT WAS A GAME of breaks as the Tigers lost a fumble early in the second quarter on the Alliance 5-yard line, recovered by Grimes. Seaman said had his Bengals gone on in to score, on the 51-yard drive, it might have been all over.
But Obieman Bill Snowball and George Whitfield recovered an Alliance fumble on the Aviator 8 early in the third quarter and scored moments afterward on what Seaman called the turning point.
Smith, bulldozer No. 1, went over on the first play, crashing right tackle with 11:54 left in the third period. Moore, bulldozer No. 2, went the same direction for a 14-8 lead.
NEITHER team got out of its own territory the remainder of the period except when Tiger quarterback Trevor Young got off a 20-yard pass-run combination to Houser good for a first down on the Alliance 42. But there the Bengal attack sputtered.
Early in the last period, Houser’s punt, a combined tackle effort by Co-Captains Young and Ron Ertle and Dave Gipp, plus an offensive interference penalty left Alliance with fourth and 16 on its 9. Marc Malinowski ran back Nick Sucaciu’s punt from the Aviator 42 to the 36. Nine plays later the Tigers had the winning score.
AIDED BY a fourth down pass from Young to a leaping junior split end Bert Dampier, the Obiemen picked up 9 yards and a first down on the 9. Moore ran through the center to the 3 and Smith carried over on the next play at 4:57. Moore missed on the conversion run.
Alliance capped the night’s scoring with 52 seconds left after an 82-yard drive in 9 plays. The big play was a 38-yard pass run combination from quarterback Kurt Utterbeck to halfback George Lear. Larry Shumar, a junior “monster” back for the Tigers, brought Lear down on the Massillon, 44 halting the TD threat for the moment. But the 6-pointer came 6 plays later, aided by a 15-yard holding penalty on the Bengals.
LEAR went off right tackle on first down from the 4 for the tally. A pass to split end Bruce Cartwright failed on the conversion try.
Massillon got on the scoreboard first during the typical Knowlton game which saw him scare the living daylights out of the Bengals.
Junior Mark McDew ran back a punt from the Tigers- 31 to the 36 to ignite a 9-play, 64-yard drive. Moore and Smith took turns running the ball. Young, who completed 4 of 8 passes during the night, hit Houser on a 13-yard, second down pass from the Alliance 37.
THREE PLAYS later Houser pulled in another Young toss on the 25, cut to the left and went the remainder of the distance for the score with 3:05 remaining in the first quarter. McDew failed to reach pay dirt on a conversion.
Alliance took an 8-6 lead into the dressing room at halftime something no other team had done to the Orange and Black this year, when junior halfback Stan Terrell, very elusive all night off tackle, scooted 17 yards through the left side with 44, seconds left. Senior end Jim Terrell caught an Utterbeck pass for the conversion.
ALLIANCE had moved 80 yards in 9 plays following a Tiger punt. Big plays were an
8-yard run by Lear, a 12-yard pass-run play to Jim Terrell, a 10-yarder to Stan Terrell and a 28-yarder to Cartwright.
Had Aviator receivers been able to hold onto passes the rest of the night as they did during this and their other scoring drive, the outcome might have been different.
The Tigers hit their first All-American High School football league opponent here next
Friday night in a tough Niles McKinley team under new Coach Fred Conti. The contest will also end the current 5-game home stand as the Bengals head for Altoona Pa., the following week.
ALLIANCE –14
Ends – Cartwright, Dailey, J. Terrell. B. Young.
Tackles – R. Trieff, Ickes, Brienza, Andreani, Weaver, Weir.
Guards – Thomas, Stanley.
Center- B. Trieff.
Quarterback – Utterbeck.
Halfbacks – Grimes, Lear, S. Terrell, Sucaciu, Williams.
Fullbacks – Banks, Wable, Slifkin.
MASSILLON – 20
Ends – Dampier, Houser, Richards, Twiggs.
Tackles – Snowball, Ricker, Laase, Snyder.
Guards – Ertle, D. Gipp, Whitfield, Russell.
Centers – B. Moore, Skelton.
Quarterbacks – T. Young, Malinowski, Shumar.
Halfbacks – Smith, R. Moore, Fenton, McDew, Evans, Autrey.
Fullbacks – Simon, M. Gipp.
Alliance 0 8 0 6 14
Massillon 6 0 8 6 20
Touchdowns: Massillon – Houser (36-yard pass-run from Young);
Smith 2 (8 and 3-yard runs).
Alliance – S. Terrell (17-yard run); Lear (4-yard run).
Extra points: Massillon – Moore 2 (run).
Alliance – J. Terrell 2 (pass from Utterbeck).
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Massillon
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Young 8 7 0.9
Moore 13 63 4.9
Smith 18 70 3.9
McDew 7 26 3.7
Alliance
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Grimes 7 42 6.0
Lear 8 38 4.8
Terrell 11 40 3.7
THE GRIDSTICK
Mass. Opp.
First downs – rushing 11 8
First downs – passing 4 5
First downs – penalties 0 1
Total first downs 15 14
Yards gained rushing 132 134
Yards lost rushing 11 14
Net yards gained rushing 151 120
Net yards gained passing 76 128
Total yards gained 247 248
Passes completed 4-8 7-17
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 12 0
Times kicked off 4 3
Kickoff average (yards) 45.2 30.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 27 58
Punt average (yards) 5-33.0 6-31.0
Punt return (yards) 23 2
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 1 3
Lost fumbled ball 1 1
Yards penalized 3-35 4-38
Touchdowns rushing 2 2
Touchdowns passing 1 0
Total number of plays 62 52
OFFICIALS
Referee – John Cseh.
Umpire – Dr. Robert Schotz.
Head Linesman – Pete Lanigan.
Field Judge – Charles Lorenze.
Attendance: 11,277
