Akron North Is Subdued 27-0 By Local Gridders
When Ted Rosenberg and “Tink” Ulrich, a pair of sturdy young gentlemen now busily engaged in carving an niche for themselves in the athletic hall of fame at Washington High school reach the age where active participation in the realms of sport is no longer appealing, they might go on the stage and make good in a playlet entitled “How We Beat North High of Akron on a chilly Saturday afternoon in October, 1921.”
For it was these youths who carried the orange and black standard of the local school to a 27 to 0 victory over Akron North last Saturday afternoon in the third engagement of the 1921 campaign. The game was played on the Pearl street lot.
Although Rosenberg and Ulrich ripped the visiting aggregation to pieces by their fierce plunging they were given able support and assistance by their teammates who saw to it that large, gaping holes were rammed into the Akron line and that the attack of the invaders was effectually checked before it could carry the ball across Massillon’s goal line.
Coach Stewart, local athletic tutor, had to conform to the rules of football which calls for four men in the backfield, but with Ulrich and Rosenberg unfailingly successful in their efforts to gain through the visiting eleven, Coach Stewart might just as well have pulled his other two halfbacks out of the contest and saved them for another game.
But at that Hax, Borza and Bishop, who performed along side of Ulrich and Rosenberg, did yeomen service in furnishing interference for their two ground gaining comrades. The Orange and Black line also gave a first class account of itself both on offense and defense, the brilliant defensive of Ted Roth, center, and “Jimmers” Jamison standing out prominently.
This Roth lad bids fair to become the defensive star of the local team. He tackles hard. He was in practically every play. He was forced out of the contest in the second quarter due to a slight injury to his shoulder in tackling an Akronite, but he was right back in the fray during the last two quarters, his capable tackling stopping the Akron backs many times before they reached the line of scrimmage.
But getting back to the performance of Ulrich and Rosenberg. With Captain Hess, star halfback on the sidelines nursing a damaged hand, somebody had to take the Orange and Black leader’s place in the calsomine circle. So “Tink” and Ted decided that they would divide honors. Akron North’s athletes soon reached the conclusion that if they wanted to win they had to stop the Massillon battering rams. They failed and Ulrich and Rosenberg smashed their way through the line or skirted the ends without difficulty. These two gridders carried the ball practically every time and 23 first downs were registered by Massillon to five for the visitors.
But for several poor passes the score might have been higher. Roth was guilty of these miscues but his defensive work more than made up for his poor passes. Three times the Orange and Black had worked the ball within Akron’s 10-yard line but each time Roth hurried his pass and it went over the heads of the halfbacks.
The first quarter ended in a scoreless tie. North received and punted. Ulrich fumbled the ball and Nipple covered for North on Massillon’s 10-yard line. Akron was held and kicked over the goal line. With the ball on its 20-yard line the Orange and Black, with Ulrich and Rosenberg doing the offensive work, carried the oval to North’s 15-yard line. Rosenberg clipping off 30 yards on an end run from a double pass formation. Then Roth inserted one of his three poor passes and Ulrich covered the ball on his 45-yard line. Once more the local team started a march to Akron’s goal line but with the ball on the five-yard line Roth cut loose another bad pass and Nipple covered for North on his 18-yard line. Akron immediately punted and Massillon made two first downs before the quarter ended.
With the ball on the 13-yard line Ulrich and Rosenberg hit the line for a first down and on the next play, Ulrich dashed through the Akron team for Massillon’s first touchdown. He kicked goal. North received and punted and the Orange and Black launched another march toward the visitor’s goal. With the ball on Massillon’s 24-yard line Ulrich and Rosenberg set their machine in motion and did not stop ramming the Akron line until Ulrich crossed the goal with the second set of counters. He failed at goal.
North was in possession of the ball when the third quarter ended, having made three first downs, one coming on a penalty inflicted on Massillon.
North received but Massillon gained possession of the ball on Akron’s 40-yard line when Ulrich covered the ball after a short kickoff. Shortly afterward Firestone intercepted a Massillon pass and North ripped off two first downs before being forced to punt. Firestone again intercepted a Massillon forward but North could not gain and punted. Again the Massillon juggernaut was set in motion and this time Rosenberg worried his way through the visitors for Massillon’s third touchdown. He kicked goal. The quarter ended with Massillon in possession of the ball.
The fourth touchdown came shortly after the final quarter had commenced, Ulrich going across the line after a plunge from the one-yard line. He kicked goal. During the remainder of the quarter both teams resorted to the overhead game, North trying desperately to score during the last few minutes.
