Bengals Stifle Big Red Title Hopes
Jim ‘Tiger Turbine’ Smith Scores 4 TDs, Gains 184 Yards
By CHUCK HESS, JR.
The Massillon Tiger showed Friday night why he has been king so many times. He put forth the strongest side of his twany, battle worn hide at monsoon like Harding stadium in Steubenville.
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THE WASHINGTON high gridiron aggregation rode into the “Valley of Death,” marches on through it and right out the other side with a hard-fought 26-16 victory over the state’s previously top-ranked and undefeated Big Red, apparently stifling the River City’s title hopes 2 years in a row.
The estimated standing room only crowd of 13,000 got the word that the Tigers believe they still have a right to the Buckeye throne even though showing an 8-1 record. The Stubbers, likewise 8-1, also hung out the message ensigns in a formation which read, “We still deserve second spot.”
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THE BIG HERO had to be junior Tailback Jim Smith. The “Tiger Turbine” was at his best power wise, unstoppable outside, off tackle, up the middle and probably anywhere else Quarterback Trevor Young had directed him to go. He scored all 4 of his team’s touchdowns – may have had a fifth but slipped on the wet turf – and gained 184 yards in 39 carries for a 4.7 average.
Smitty’s effort got him a new team number for number of carries. The late Bob Glass had the previous mark at 31 when Massillon beat Steubenville 13-0 in 1937.
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THE WIN ALSO put the Tigers into first place in the All-American Football conference with a 3-0 mark. The Big Red, the strongest and most versatile team Massillon has played to date, dropped to second at 2-1. They do not play Niles.
Another thing which the contest served to point out is what sound, conservative football will do for you – like hatching valuable time, which the opposition would like to use, off the clock, thereby limiting the foe’s potential scoring opportunities.
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THE GAME also served to show that when the Tigers are at full strength offensively – which they weren’t when Upper Arlington handed them their only defeat – that Bob Seaman’s crew is hard to beat.
Tight End Tom Houser and Fullback Reggie Moore, both seniors and both out with injuries since the Altoona game 3 weeks ago, were back at their bruising best. Houser hacked away at defenders on his end of the line. Moore mangled them out of Smith’s path off tackle and added some timely running. Neither he nor Smith suffered any losses.
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THE BENGAL Landers stepped out to a 14-0 lead at the beginning of the second period but the tough Stubbers were in front 16-14 at halftime. The toast of Tigertown roared in front again to stay with 12 points in the goodbye canto.
Three of the 4 TDs by the Tigers came on long drives, the last after a fumble recovery close in. The Tigers moved 69 yards on 14 plays after the opening kickoff for a tally with 4:38 remaining in the first quarter.
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SMITH SCORED over left tackle on third down from the one-yard line after charging
20 yards around end on third down to the Steubenville 30 minutes earlier to keep the drive going. He might have also scored the conversion on a pitchout but slipped on the muddy turf and fell short of his target.
A 10-play, 51-yard drive after Russ Fenton’s 19-yard runback of the Stubbers’ next punt put Tiger fans into ecstasy again and took the game into the second period. As in the first drive, Smith picked up most of the yardage and tallied on second down from the one-foot line off right tackle with 11:12 left in the half. Young helped with a beautiful 33-yard scamper around end to the 3.
Young’s pass to Ertle made it 14-0.
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STEUBENVILLE took over a Massillon punt on the Tigers’ 49 midway to the second period. Six plays later junior Fullback Bob Sims, a great runner even though hobbled by a leg injury, slipped off right tackle on first down from the 25 and got the Big Red’s first 6 points with the clock showing 6:49 left.
Halfback Keith Burke got a lateral from Quarterback Dave Corsi and hit End Jim Smith for the conversion.
Sims, who picked up 65 yards on 10 carries without a loss during the night, scored the other Big Red TD. After Burke had recovered Young’s fumble on the Massillon 39, the Stubbers got their deadly passing game into high gear and scored after 10 plays.
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CORSI BEGAN hitting flanker Don Osby, connecting for 4, 14 and 16 yards. The crucial sky counter was a 4-yard fourth down pass from the 5 to Burke for a first down on the one. Smith scored over left tackle on the next play 27 seconds left in the half.
Corsi threw Bob Young for the conversion. Young making the catch on the one and going on in to put the Stubbers in the lead.
It began to look like the Big Red’s passing warfare might be too much for the Tigers, but secondarymen Mark McDew, Bert Dampier and Marc Malinowski, all juniors, were equal to the task in the second half.
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ANOTHER JUNIOR, Larry Shumar, starting at “monster” back for the first time as senior Bill Simon was lost to the team for the remainder of the season with fractured neck vertebra put a lot of pressure on to dent the Big Red’s running hopes. Simon’s injury showed up in X-rays taken Friday after he had complained of neck pain all week.
Steubenville failed to get past the Massillon 46 in the second half as the Tigers put on a great defensive show to go with their offensive masterpiece.
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TAKING OVER ON their 21 after a Steubenville punt near the end of the third quarter, the Obies opened up their ground attack still more by utilizing Wingback McDew on short, sliding pass pattern to the right, the first time the locals attempted to pass during the night.
Eleven plays later Smith had his third score with 10:41 left in the last quarter. Big plays were on Young-to-McDew connections on the aforementioned slides – 32 yards to the Big Red 48 and 16 yards to the Stubber 28, both setting up first downs on third down strategy.
Smith scored through the middle on first down from the 3. Burke knocked down a conversion aerial headed for McDew.
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DAMPIER INTERCEPTED a pass intended for Burke on the Steubenville 47 with 3:04 left in the game. Massillon was unable to get the first down, Malinowski’s punt traveled only about 20 yards but Steubenville was offside, giving Malinowski another try.
Burke muffed the catch attempt on his 15, senior Tackle Bill Ricker, replacing the injured Ernie McGeorge, hopped on the ball and the Tigers continued in business. Three plays and 2 penalties later, Smith went off tackle from the 3 for the clincher with 30 seconds remaining in the contest.
Corsi grounded Young’s conversion pass to Ertle.
MASSILLON – 26
Ends – Houser, Dampier, Richards, Ertle, Twiggs.
Tackles – Snowball, Ricker, Laase, M. Snyder.
Guards – Whitfield, D. Gipp, Russell, M. Cardinal, Doll, Couto.
Centers – B. Moore, Skelton.
Quarterbacks – T. Young, Malinowski, Shumar.
Halfbacks – Jim Smith, Fenton, McDew, Fichter, Autrey, Evans.
Fullbacks – R. Moore, M. Gipp. Streeter.
STEUBENVILLE – 16
Ends – Jim Smith, B. Smith, Styles, Monroe.
Tackles – Reid, Mills, Brimmer, Muklewitz, Manfred, Brondo.
Guards – Jackson, Patterson, (unreadable) Haire.
Quarterback – Corsi.
Halfbacks – Osby, B. Young, (unreadable) Burke, Edwards.
Fullbacks – Sims, Culbreath.
Massillon 6 8 0 12 26
Steubenville 0 16 0 0 16
Touchdowns: Massillon – Jim Smith 4 (1, one-half, 3 and
2 yard funs).
Steubenville – Sims 2 (25 and 1-7ard runs).
Extra points:
Massillon – Ertle 2 (pass from T. Young).
Steubenville – Jim Smith 2 (pass-lateral from Corsi to Burke);
B. Young 2 (pass from Corsi).
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Massillon
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Young 17 49 2.9
Smith 39 184 4.7
McDew 4 16 4
Moore 6 23 3.8
Steubenville
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Sims 10 65 6.5
OFFICIALS
Referee – Dr. Phil Davidson.
Umpire – Tom Costello.
Head Linesman – Tom Stratis.
Field Judge – Ed Sutton.
Attendance: 13,000 (estimate)
THE GRIDSTICK
Mass. Steub.
First downs – rushing 16 5
First downs – passing 2 3
Total first downs 18 8
Yards gained rushing 288 86
Yards lost rushing 17 9
Net yards gained rushing 271 77
Net yards gained passing 49 75
Total yards gained 320 152
Passes completed 2-3 7-20
Passes intercepted by 2 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 15 0
Times kicked off 5 3
Kickoff average (yards) 43.8 40.3
Kickoff returns (yards) 31 80
Punt return (yards) 5-33.0 6-35.8
Had punts blocked 15 41
Fumbles 2 1
Lost fumbled ball 1 1
Yards penalized 6-55 3-20
Touchdowns rushing 4 2
Total number of plays 72 47
