ORANGE AND BLACKS DOWNS CANTON, 3 – 0
HIGH SCHOOL TEAM SNATCHES VICTORY AS BIG GAME ENDS
For a period of forty-three and one-half minutes, Saturday afternoon, warriors of Massillon and Canton high schools indulged in one of the most brilliant gridiron battles ever witnessed by fans in this vicinity on the field at League Park, Canton. For 43y minutes, 1,500 wildly shouting enthusiastic fans stood and shivered in the near zero weather and yelled themselves hoarse at the fierce attempts of each team to score. During the same period the two old rivals – the orange and black and the red and black – battled unable to make a point, although each had been within striking distance of the opponents’ goal line.
HOW GAME WAS WON
Time was going fast; only half a minute of play remained. Massillon had the ball on Canton’s 4-yard line. Time was taken out to get the crowd off the field. When play was resumed, quarterback Hollinger, of the orange and black, called fullback Henrich around left end. He was thrown for a loss of two yards by a vicious Canton tackler, but the ball had been placed directly in front of the Canton goal posts. Fifteen seconds to play. People were leaving the park in droves, nothing but a scoreless tie was expected to be the outcome of the big battle between the ancient rivals. Then it happened. Hollinger motioned for right tackle, Eckstein to attempt a goal from placement. Standing on Canton’s 16-yard line, the big tackle waited for the pass from center Spuhler. Time was nearly up; those who had stuck to see the finish were in a frenzy lest the timer’s whistle blow before the kick could be made. Hollinger motioned for the ball, there was a thud as Eckstein’s toe met the pigskin and in the early shades of evening the ball sailed across the bars and Massillon high had triumphed over its foe and evened up the count.
HOURIET’S PLAY BRILLIANT
Eckstein’s kick won the game, the greatest victory of the season and the championship of Stark county for the orange and black, but to Houriet, right end, should be given the credit for snatching victory from the very jaws of defeat. Soon after the fourth quarter had started, Canton, after making an attempt to gain by the forward pass, was forced to punt. The ball rolled out of bounds on Massillon’s 11-yard line. Henrich went through the line for four yards. On the next play Hollinger fumbled the pigskin and center Griffith, of Canton, fell on it on Massillon’s 16-yard line. At this point, Snyder, captain of the red and black squad, who had received a broken collar bone three weeks ago, was rushed into the fray in a last supreme effort to register a victory. A forward pass from Snyder to Shafer placed the oval on Massillon’s five-yard line. A touchdown seemed a certainty. A line play was broken by Theis. The next play resulted in an attempted forward pass. Snyder shot the ball straight at the Canton end. It was almost in his hands when Houriet rushed in, grabbed the ball and raced 62 yards down the field, towards Massillon’s goal before being downed. The quick action of the brilliant wing man had saved the game for the orange and black.
Steady line plunging with R. Smith and Henrich carrying the ball, made two fast downs for Massillon and placed the ball in position for the placekick made by Eckstein.
It was a brilliant culmination of a brilliant football season. It will be a victory that will secure a prominent place in Massillon high school’s history and students Saturday evening celebrated the event by bonfires and parades.
TWO PLAYERS HURT
Two accidents marred the contest. Cholly, Canton’s brilliant pivot man, received a fractured shoulder in the second period and had to retire. Harrold, right end for Massillon high, sustained a broken collar bone in the same period when he tackled a Canton man.
Hope sank in the breasts of Canton rooters when Cholly was forced to quit the field. This player had been practically the whole Canton team during the early stages of the contest. He had been carrying the ball for big gains. Massillon stock rose a full 100 percent when Moyer was substituted for Cholly.
SMITH THE STAR
Reports from Canton before the game were to the effect that the red and black was going to stop Capt. Smith, the little demon of the orange and black squad.
For 44 minutes they tried and then – failed. The white headed leader of Massillon high closed his gridiron career Saturday afternoon in a blaze of glory. He tackled fiercely and more than one Canton player now has lots of respect for this stocky individual. When carrying the ball he was like a locomotive. On the first play of the game he tore through left tackle for 30 yards. He never failed to gain and ripped off several big gains.
STARS OF THE GAME
Every man was a star Saturday. They all played hard. Every player was in the game to win and the result was that the contest fairly glowed with brilliant line plunges, end runs and tackles.
The local team put up a bear of a game but the work of three players stands out prominently. Capt. Smith, Henrich and Houriet were the big cogs on the Massillon team. Henrich played his first game at fullback and showed oceans of football ability. He hit the line hard and punted well.
Massillon made seven first downs while Canton plowed through for eight. Play was pretty nearly even during the whole game. Several times each team started to rush the ball toward the goal line but lacked the power to keep up the pace.
Following is the line up and summary
Canton – 0 Pos. Massillon – 3
Shafer le Harrold
Sapsford lt Theis
Shellenberg lg D. Snyder
Griffith c Spuhler
Volzer rg Graybill
Pontius rt Eckstein
Jackson re Houriet
Cholly qb Hollinger
Fisher lh R. Smith
Moyer rh Bunker
Marz fb Henrich
Substitutions:
Canton – Moyer for Cholly; Francis for Moyer; Snyder for Moyer; Moyer for Francis.
Massillon – H. Smith for Harrold; Zorger for H. Smithy.
Goals from placement:
Massillon – Eckstein.
Referee – Blythe (Mt. Union).
Umpire – Merwin – (Massillon).
Head Linesman – Snyder (Ohio State).
Time of periods – 12 and 10 minutes.
