HIGH GRIDDERS SHOW CLASS IN OPENER TO TRIM AKRON EAST
5 TOUCHDOWN REGISTERED BY STEWART CREW
With “Cannon Ball” Kammer denting the line for steady gains with his bullet-like thrusts, Captain Vince Define cutting loose with several neat dashes around the wings and McConnell, a tall, rangy but hard driving youngster, playing his first game of varsity football, thrilling a crowd of about 4,000 by some spectacular catching of forward passes, the orange and black football team of Washington high school last Saturday afternoon auspiciously ushered in its 1925 campaign by burying the heavy Akron East high team under a 30 to 0 score on Massillon Field. Five touchdowns were rolled up by Coach David B. Stewart’s warriors, three of these coming in the last quarter when the Massillon youngster cut loose with a dazzling array of open play formations and an aerial attack that swept the invading rubber city lads off their feet and made their defeat convincing and crushing.
The air of uncertainty which has hovered over the local football hemisphere ever since the high school team started its training over a month ago about Coach Stewart’s green line being able to stand up under a heavy battering and come through without being shattered was somewhat dispelled during the progress of Saturday’s initial fray when those much discussed linemen delivered with flying colors and for all but a few minutes of tussle stopped the plunges of the heavy Akron backs almost in their tracks. These lads demonstrated that Coach Stewart right now has in the making as brawny and capable a set of linemen as has ever worn the colors of the local school.
True they still need polishing to rub off some of the rough spots but more practice and the experience they gained Saturday in actual conflict will prove invaluable to them and unless all indications fail they will improve with each succeeding contest. In fact the entire team is still a bit show of the machine like play that marks the successful attack of a winning aggregation but Coach Stewart has promising football material in abundance with plenty of speed and driving power that should give the orange and black an outfit that can hit the line, run the ends or forward pass as the occasion demands.
AUDDETH AKRON STAR
The only time that Akron East really threatened was for a few minutes in the second quarter when Suddeth, the giant Negro fullback of the visitors, began to tear up the dirt with his number tens and ram his way through a temporary weak spot he found in the right side of the Massillon line. Suddeth, a powerful chap weighing about 185 pounds, certainly plugged away like a good fellow during those few minutes. Akron East carrying the ball from deep in its own territory to well into Massillon ground, making four first downs without a break but then just as the whistle halted hostilities Kammer shot a devastating shell into the Akron camp by picking one of Suddeth’s passes out of the air on his 20-yard line and removing the Akron menace.
During the rest of the game Suddeth and his companions rammed the Massillon line time after time and seldom succeeded in jarring it. The best thing to prove the tenacity of the Massillon line is a comparison of the first down made by the rival elevens.
Akron East moved the 10-yard line but five times. Massillon registered 20 first downs. This shows better than anything the relative strength of the two teams. Massillon did not get a first down in the second quarter but it was mighty hard to stop in the other three. Akron never got within Massillon’s 20-yard mark so it could hardly be said that the rubber city lads at any time threatened the Massillon goal line enough to suffer the calm serenity of Coach Stewart who smiled to himself as he saw his charges rip to pieces the invading crew.
Until the fourth quarter the Massillon attack was successfully conducted by Messers Kammer and Define, each of whom scored two touchdowns. Kammer’s came on vicious thrusts through the Akron line. Define made his dashes around the ends. Williams broke into the scoring in the fourth period when he grabbed a forward pass from Brown and raced 34 yards for the final set of markers. Defensively the entire team played a good game, Bill Price probably tackling harder than most of his teammates. Bill got his head too close to Suddeth’s feet in the third quarter and went to the bench to shake the cobwebs from his brain.
DEFINE’S KNEE O.K.
Captain Define’s knee, injured last season and somewhat of a question mark this yEar, did not seem to bother him a bit. He twisted, dodged and squirmed in his old style and came up every time without any apparent bad effects. The battle did uncover that in Paul Smith, stocky little quarterback, Massillon has the makings of as great a little punter as ever played on any high school team. Smith had to retire after the first quarter with an injured side but during the first period he booted the ball over the head of the Akron safety men every time he punted, one of his drives being good for 80 yards. For a little fellow he certainly gets a lot of power behind his kicks.
With acting Captain Kammer winning the toss, Massillon started off by receiving, defending the south goal, and, following an exchange of punts, carried the ball down the field over 40 yards for a touchdown. After two plays at the line Smith punted from his 20-yard line, the ball going over Kromer’s head and rolling over the goal line, a distance of 80 yards.
Akron put the ball in play on its 20-yard line and, failing to gain, punted. The kick was weak and Massillon got the ball on Akron’s 42-yard mark. Then came a steady battering at the Akron line with Kammer doing most of the ball toting, Smith, Halpin and Laughlin took a few shots at the visitors’ forward wall but for the most part sturdy Kammer did the busting and finally he had rammed the ball down to Akron’s eight yard line from where he plunged through the left side of Akron’s line for the fist touchdown. He missed goal. Play was even during the remainder of the quarter.
SECOND QUARTER SLOW
Numerous substitutes jumped into the Massillon lineup at the start of the second quarter and the team was unable to get started. Along toward the end of the period Akron East got the ball on its 25 yard line and with the aid of an offside penalty managed to make a first down. Then Suddeth heaved a pass to Nickles for nine and Thomas squirmed through for another first down. Suddeth then ripped off two first downs in succession by dashes through the right side of Massillon’s line. Then he tried a forward and Kammer intercepted as the quarter ended.
Massillon confined itself to straight football during the fist half but its attack changed at the start of the third and it began to open up with Define cutting loose around the wings and hurling forward passes. However, it was not until well in the quarter that Massillon’s attack began to bear fruit. After Define, by a neat bit of dodging, had run back an Akron punt 20 yards to Akron’s 29-yard line Massillon opened up and a pass from Define to Thomas made 11. Kammer smashed the Akron line four times in a row for a first down, carrying the ball to the five-yard line from where Define raced around Akron’s right end for Massillon’s second touchdown. Goal was missed.
Define put the orange and black in scoring position early in the fourth quarter by a 16-yard run, putting the ball within Akron’s 30-yard line only to have Suddeth reach into the air and intercept a pass. Akron had to punt and then the Brown-McConnell forward passing combination started to work. Brown heaved a pass to “Mac” for eight yards. Kammer then hit the line for nine and just to show he could run the ends went around the left wing on the next play for 15, lugging the ball to the 13-yard line. Then Define made a first down around right end and Kammer took it over on the next play.
Fricker covered an Akron fumble on the visitors’ 20-yard line a few moments later and another Massillon touchdown was in the making for Halpin hit for five and then Define tucked the ball under his arm and raced 15 yards around end for the fourth touchdown.
FAST WORK
The final Massillon score came in double quick fashion on three forward passes in a row. Getting the ball on Massillon’s 40-yard line after a punt, Halpin tossed a pass to McConnell for 12 yards. Brown then followed with another heave to McConnell for 15 and on the third play Brown passed to Williams who grabbed the ball out of the air and ran 34 yards for a touchdown. The game ended shortly after.
Massillon needs to develop a place kicker. Kammer failed in four attempts to score points after touchdown while Halpin failed to make the riffle in his only try. Twenty-four men were used by Coach Stewart and at least enough for another team watched the game from the bench.
Not So Bad
Massillon – 30 Pos. Akron East – 0
Gump LE Keney
N. Harris LT Bell
Singer LG Walker
Price C Ferguson
Washlick RG Bergie
W. Harris RT Kloza
Thomas RE Catch
Smith QB Kromer
Laughlin LHB Thomas
Kammer RHB Nickles
Halpin FB Suddeth
Score by quarters:
Massillon 6 0 6 18 30
Touchdowns – Define 2, Kammer 2, Williams.
Massillon substitutions – Define, Storrie, Dommer, Crone, Tipton, Agler, Spuhler, Fulton, Kelly, McConnell, Lipps, Williams, Brown, Fricker.
Akron substitutions – Soloyle, Fela, Kavendish.
Referee – Jenkins, Akron U.
Umpire – Tompkinson, Akron U.
Head Linesman – Michaels, Ohio State.
Time of quarters – 13 1- 3 minutes.
