TIGERS DEFEAT AKRON SOUTH 12-6 IN HARD EARNED VICTORY VICTORY
IS FOURTH STRAIGHT TRIUMPH FOR LOCAL ELEVEN

By LUTHER EMERY

CENTERING their entire offense in two mighty thrusts, the Washington high school Tigers drove through Akron South Saturday afternoon to a 12-6 victory, their fourth consecutive triumph of the season.

Presenting a deceptive offense and a lateral pass off a pivot that especially bothered the Tigers, South gained far more ground from scrimmage than did the Massillon team, but with one exception, faltered when within striking distance of the goal line and either lost the ball on downs or fumbled.

Straight Football Brings Scores
Washington high on the other hand put on but two offensive exhibitions and both resulted in touchdowns, earned touchdowns, not the result of breaks but long drives up the field with nothing but straight football resorted to.

The Tigers had several other opportunities to score but fumbles set them back for losses and ended the threats. The game proved to be another thriller making three in a row of the hair raising type for the Massillon fans. South in fact injected the spice into the game when with Massillon leading 12-0 at the end of the third period, the Cavaliers came back with a rally that scored one touchdown and had every Massillon fan waiting with abated breath, fingers crossed, pulling for the Tigers to stop a second offensive that did not end until a South fumble was recovered on the 11-yard line.

South was driving for its second touchdown when the fumble occurred. But even had Williams, Cavalier ball carrier held the pigskin when brought to earth it still would have been fourth down with five yards to go and the unusual would have been necessary to have kept the Tigers from regaining possession of the ball.

Tigers Badly Crippled
South’s fourth period rally, however, came with the Tiger team badly riddled with injuries. Both ends were out, as was Krier, guard while Monroe and Amic were none too strong because of injuries sustained earlier in the game. Likewise Schimke, regular guard did not play which meant that only three of the regular linesmen were on the forward wall to stave off the South thrusts.

The Cavaliers however had to fight for every inch of ground they gained in scoring their first touchdown and then barely pushed it over on the third down by inches.

Kester gave the fans a thrill early in the game when he grabbed the first Akron punt on his own five-yard line and raced back to the Akron 39-yard line before being tackled. He was caught from the rear when he slowed up in an effort to get around the Akron safety man. A Massillon player was behind the Akron man but was unable to spill him for fear of penalization for illegal clipping. The Tigers worked the ball down to the 30-yard line where Kester kicked outside on the five-yard stripe. South returned the kick and soon the Massillon team was again down on the 23-yard stripe with a first down when Kester muffed a pass from center that was slightly off direction for a loss of 18 yards. That ended this threat.

Start Touchdown Drive
Following an exchange of the ball, Shrake intercepted Anderson’s pass on the Massillon
45-yard line and raced back to South’s 35-yard stripe before being tackled. Shrake made three yards and Amic a first down in two off tackle smashes. He cracked left tackle for two more before the period ended with the ball on the 20-yard line.

The Tigers became touchdown hungry and South could not stop them. Shrake picked up a yard, Knowlton two yards and Amic hammered through for a first down on the 12-yard line, Amic hit his left guard for four yards on the next play and two more on another attempt, placing the ball on the six-yard line. Behind big Burkish he plowed through from this point for a touchdown. Krier’s attempted kick was low and wise.

The half ended with the score 6-0, neither team getting near their opponent’s goal the remainder of the period.

The second half brought forth more action. South staged the first rally, carrying the ball from its own 39-yard line to the Massillon 18-yard stripe where it surrendered the pigskin on downs. Massillon then put on a rally which carried the ball straight up the field 82 yards for a touchdown. Knowlton, Amic and Shrake were principal gainers in advancing the ball to their own 41-yard line. Knowlton then got off to a jaunt on a spinner that brought a first down on the Cavaliers’ 42-yard stripe. Amic gained five yards in two plays and Knowlton wiggled through for a first down on the South 35-yard line. Amic made three yards through center. Then it was that Shrake provided the most sensational run of the day when he took the ball on a reverse and circled his left end for a touchdown. He appeared to be stopped momentarily by three Akron players but he pulled out of the group and pranced on for his six points. Heben failed to make the extra point by inches.

South Scores
South began to threaten in the last period. The Cavaliers started their first march when they took the ball on Knowlton’s punt on the Massillon 34-yard line. The Tigers had been set back to the five-yard stripe because of a 15-yard penalty for using the hands on offense. Neidert got five yards in two attempts and Williams on the clever lateral circled his right end for 14 yards and a first down on the 14-yard line. Neidert failed to gain but picked up three yards on a second attempt. Williams then went around left end on the same lateral for six yards. Kotch picked up the yard needed for a first down on the Massillon
three-yard line.

Kotch failed to gain, but Neidert picked up two yards placing the ball within a yard of the Massillon goal. Neidert then dove over for the touchdown. Anderson’s attempted dropkick was low and wide. South’s next offensive began on the 40-yard line and did not end until Williams’ fumble was recovered by a Massillon player on the 11-yard line. He had again attempted to circle the left end on the lateral pass but this time the Massillon defense was waiting for him and a hard tackle by Shrake upset him so badly that he muffed the ball on the way down and a Massillon player quickly pounced upon it. Shrake got away to a 15-yard dash around his left end to give the Tigers a first down and take the ball out of danger.

The Tigers were not at their best Saturday and it appears did not care to be. They resorted to little more than straight football and frequent substitutions kept the personnel of the Massillon lineup changing continually. In brief the Massillon team appeared to be under cover. Kester played little more than a full quarter and Heben’s only efforts were off tackle smashes which gained but a few yards.

South Leads In First Downs
South made 13 first downs to Massillon’s nine and tried four passes one of which was intercepted. Massillon tried but one pass which was grounded. South was penalized
15 yards and Massillon 40 yards.

Massillon probably had 700 fans among the crowd of 2,000 spectators who attended the game. The Tigers next opponent will be New Philadelphia which will be played Friday evening at New Philadelphia.

Lineup and summary:
Massillon Pos. Akron South
Lohr le Kapper
Burkish lt Wonn
Krier lg Sekerich
Hoyman c Kalgreen
Critchfield rg Hyschak
Monroe rt Sahur
Brunker re Geissinger
Knowlton qb Anderson
Kester lh Lee
Shrake rh Neidert
Amic fb Kotch

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 6 6 0 12
Akron South 0 0 0 6 6

Substitutions: Massillon – Heben, lh; Swihart, le; Mansbury, fb; Snavely, rt; Adams, rt; Jones, rt; Keller, re; Bray, lt.
Akron South – Rozuk, re; Williams, lh; Rechnor, rh.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Amic; Shrake.
Akron South – Neidert.

Referee – Shazer (Case).
Umpire – Morgan (Youngstown).
Head Linesman – Kester (Mt. Union).