HIGH GRIDDERS WALLOP AKRON CENTRAL
STEWART’S LADS UNCOVER HEFTY SCORING PUNCH
The orange and black colors of Washington high school waved in victory Saturday afternoon on the Central Steel field when the gridders of the South Mill street institution in their first test of the 1924 season administered a 34 to 0 whitewash to Akron Central, an ancient foe of the local school.
The decision attained by the orange and black standard bearers was clean cut and it was by thoroughly outplaying the Summit county eleven that Coach David B. Stewart’s squad made possible the piling up of 34 points on an eleven which but the week previous had lost to the highly touted Warren outfit by a 14 to 0 score.
As in teams of other years flaws in team play of the orange and black cropped out, but results of the Saturday fray were gratifying and indicated that the 1924 varsity when the season is brought to a close in November with McKinley high of Canton, will have attained a record in keeping with those garnered by squads of previous years and which have placed teams of the local school on a high plane in the Ohio scholastic ranks.
The orange and black veteran backfield showed it had the ability to play the part of a steam roller in crushing through its opponents line and skirting the ends. It also presented an aerial attack which in future games should prove an important factor in orange and black scoring. The entire backfield is exceptionally fast, faster than any the local school has had in recent years.
Although far from the form he displayed last season, Vincent Define , the Navarre lad, showed sufficient ground gaining ability against the Akronites to warrant the belief that he will be the same star of a year ago. Define, a dangerous triple threat man, was playing under a handicap Saturday, his leg injured in pre-season practice having kept him out of uniform for several weeks.
Probably more outstanding in the backfield than Define, was the work of Jimmy Price, orange and black field general and King, dusky warrior playing his first game for the local team although in the two previous seasons, he starred against local elevens for Wooster high. The Brewster youth used good judgment in running the team in addition to making several pretty runs in a broken field, one resulting in a touchdown. King’s speed gave him numerous gains around the ends, while he also proved to be a strong defensive player.
Borza and Kammer, the latter playing his first game as a regular, showed decided power in plunging the line. The play of Grant, alternating with Price at quarterback, was equally as good as in 1923, which proved him a brainy field general.
Massillon’s green line came through the test with colors flying. With Captain Bill Edwards and McCarthy as the only veteran linemen, the forward wall withstood the onslaught of the Akron plungers in a worthy manner, although at times it broke sufficiently long for an Akron attack to ring a first down or two. Of the linemen the work of Captain Edwards stood out above the others, the orange and black leader especially proving himself a bulwark of strength on defense.
That Ries, shifted from a backfield position, and Halco and Hise will earn their letters at guard positions was evidenced when on numerous occasions they broke through the visitors’ line to throw the runner for a loss. Weidman, a Navarre husky, playing his first scholastic game, showed well at tackle while McCarthy distinguished himself at the other tackle position. With more experience under fire Bill Price, brother of Jimmy, and Thomas should develop into two sturdy ends. J. Smith and Gump, linemen and P. Smith and Brown backfield candidates, also gave good accounts of themselves.
Standing head and shoulders above all others of the Akron eleven, was Captain Warren, big fullback. The wearer of the red and white was the only consistent ground gainer for the visitors and his defensive play was of high quality. Coach Blair’s eleven had a well-laid aerial attack with Harris serving as an excellent pivot. Several of Harris’ passes were good for substantial gains although they never brought the Summit County eleven to within scoring distance.
Penalties were frequent with the local eleven bearing the brunt of the penalties. In the first period, the only one in which the visitors held the orange and black scoring machine in check, a penalty prevented a score. With the ball on the 15-yard line Captain Edwards tried for a place kick. The oval went hurling through the air and over the crossbar but the score was not allowed as Ries was guilty of a mis-play and instead of Massillon gaining three points it was given a 15-yard penalty. This was the only instance in which a penalty served directly to prevent a score but a total of 145 yards which the orange and black was penalized proved a big difficulty to overcome. Four penalties were chalked up against the visitors for a total of 60 yards.
Massillon and the Centralites battled on even terms in the first period, although it was in this 15 minutes that Edwards booted a field goal only to lose credit for it when a local player received a penalty. The visitors opened their attack with a rush and after the initial kickoff Warren plunged through Massillon’s left side of the line for a first down. The two elevens battled in Akron’s territory most of the period but the orange and black was never able to advance the oval beyond the 15-yard line.
It was late in the second period that the orange and black sent across its first set of counters, a pass from Define to King bringing the marker. The march of Coach Stewart’s squad began on the Akron 34-yard line after Define had made a 23-yard return of one of McGowan’s punts. Plunges by King, Kammer and Define, netted a first down. Three more plays gave Massillon another first and ten with the ball on Akron’s 12-yard line. Define made a short pass over the line of scrimmage and King grabbed the oval and scampered eight yards for a touchdown.
A forward pass again reaped fruit in the third period, this time with Define on the receiving end. Massillon gained possession of the ball on the 33-yard line after the Akron safety man fumbled a local punt when tackled by Edwards. King ripped off a 13-yard gain and on the next play Massillon was given a 15-yard penalty. Then King stepped back and hurled a pass on a direct line into the waiting arms of Define and another orange and black touchdown was chalked up. Edwards kicked goal.
Touchdowns came more rapidly in the fourth period. On the first play, a double pass, Price aided by excellent interference skirted Akron’s left end for a 26-yard gain and a touchdown. The kick for the extra point was blocked. Shortly after a pass from Define to Price advanced the oval to the five-yard line from where Borza plunged across. Edwards booted for the seventh point. The same play that brought the orange and black the first touchdown of the period netted them their final, Define registering the points from the 21-yard line. Edwards kicked goal.
Although Akron failed to threaten the Massillon goal line 12 first downs were scored to the visitors’ credit against 16 for the locals. Massillon gained more consistently with the overhead attack than did the visitors, working six passes out of 20 tries for a total gain of 112 yards. The visitors were successful in five tries out of 14 attempts, gaining a total of 70 yards.
Starting Right
MASSILLON POS AKRON
W. Price le Frye
McCarthy lt Bee
Halco lg Rhulin
Edwards c Berry
Ries rg Gleasnes
Weidman rt Ferguson
Thomas re Cockan
J. Price q Pilakin
Borza lh McGowan
Krammer rh Sparks
Define f Warren
Score by periods:
Massillon 0 7 7 20 34
Touchdowns – Define 2, J. Price, King, Borza.
Points after touchdown – Edwards 4.
Substitutions:
Massillon – Grant for J. Price, J. Smith for Ries, Brown for Grant, P. Smith for Define, Ries for J. Smith, J. Price for Brown, Borza for Kammer, Hise for Halco, Kammer for Borza, Grant for Kammer, Gump for W. Price.
Akron – Harris for Sparks, Bittner for Bee, Miller for McGowan, Bee for Bittner, Berry for Spletser, Bittner for Bee, McGowan for Miller
Referee – Maurer.
Umpire – Thompkinson.
Head Linesman – Bast
Time of periods – 15 minutes.
