NEITHER TEAM ABLE TO SCORE TOUCHDOWN IN THRILLING GAME
Washington High Tigers And Barberton Magics In Scoreless Tie
By KEN HARTWICK
PAUL Brown’s Washington high school Tigers and Jimmy Price’s Barberton high Magicians played a mighty interesting game of football at Massillon field before a large crowd Saturday afternoon, but failed to reach a decision, the fracas ending in a scoreless tie after four quarters of thrilling play.
Although not one touchdown, at least one that counted, was made during the game, it was anything but a dull affair. To be exact, “Jumping Joe” Williams, Barberton’s star, intercepted a Massillon pass on his 25-yard line and ran down the west side of the field to the Tigers’ goal line but he was called back to the Massillon 44 where officials ruled he had been forced out of bounds.
Ball Close Several Times
That was the only time the ball was carried over a goal line but on several other occasions it was so close that it seemed only a miracle or a bit of tough luck could prevent it from going across. No miracles occurred but several tough breaks in the form of fumbles and intercepted passes made their appearance and, as a result, there was no scoring.
Proof that the game was anything but a defensive affair is furnished in the fact that the Tigers ran up 13 first downs, enough to win several battles, while the Magics collected 10. Unfortunately most of them were made where they didn’t mean touchdowns and whenever the goal line was neared something happened to prevent a score.
Tigers Keep Fighting
Right at the start of the game the Tigers got two tough breaks in the form of 15-yard penalties which could have been enough to have ruined their morale, but that didn’t mean anything to the orange and black gridders. They kept fighting as hard as ever and were still fighting when the final whistle blew although several of them appeared to be dead tired.
The Tigers got what might be considered a minor good break shortly after the game began. Barberton kicked off and it was Massillon’s ball on its own 35-yard line. Two plays produced only four yards so the Tigers punted. The potential Barberton receiver touched the ball but failed to hold it and Hoyman recovered for Massillon on Barberton’s 40.
First down No. 1 was made immediately, Heben getting it on a nine-yard gain after one yard was made on the first play. A lateral pass, Schrake to Heben, produced six yards more but on the next play Massillon got its first 15-yard penalty. A pass was tried and it was intercepted by Sellers who returned to his own 32.
Their second long penalty was given the Tigers a few minutes later after Barberton tried two plays for two yards and punted to Massillon’s 45. Knowlton made three yards before the play which brought the 15-yard setback. The penalty necessitated a punt, which put the ball on Barberton’s 49-yard stripe from where the visitors made their first threat.
On the first play, Sellers, flashy right half, crashed through for about 16 yards and a first down. Williams swept around right end for six yards and Sellers went through again for seven, putting the ball on Masillon’s 21. Williams added four yards, a lateral produced no gain and Williams got four more making it fourth and one. Again Williams carried and made a first down on Massillon’s seven.
Fight Off Threat
With their backs to their goal, the Tigers fought off the threat, downing Williams on their four-yard stripe on the fourth play.
Barberton threatened again after taking Massillon’s punt on the Tigers’ 31 but this time they were not so successful in gaining and lost the ball on downs on the 28. A five-yard penalty for Barberton and a nice run by Heben gave the Tigers a first down but they couldn’t get another 10 yards and Heben punted out on Barberton’s four-yard marker. Williams and Sellers produced a first down as the quarter ended.
To start the second frame Barberton tried two plays with small gains before Williams punted to Massillon’s 48. At that point the Tigers started to go places. A lateral with Knowlton carrying produced seven yards and Amic added eight for a first down.
Heben, Knowlton and Amic gained 12 yards more on three plays and it was first and 10 on Barberton’s 19. Amic went through for five and Knowlton got two before Barberton put up a stone wall which resulted in no gain on the next play. With fourth down and two to go Amic fumbled and Letwak recovered for Barberton on his own 10-yard line.
The visitors tried two plays before punting, Massillon getting the ball on Barberton’s 40. Heben started around right end found a nice hole and picked up 12 yards. Amic went through for four, Knowlton added three on a spinner play and Amic produced another first down on Barberton’s 16. A lateral pass lost four, an attempted pass was no good and a spinner produced one before Burdette snagged a Massillon pass on his own 12.
Visitors Try Passes
After an exchange of punts Barberton took the ball on its own 20 and on the first play Williams brought the fans to their feet with a net run around the left side of the line. He was well on his way to a touchdown when Heben brought him down on Massillon’s 45. A 15-yard penalty for Barberton after a gain of five yards resulted in Barberton’s first attempted passing attack of the game. Williams hurled two long passes but his men could not get to them. Williams picked up about nine yards as the half ended.
Both teams played nice defensive ball to get the second half started. Both tried punt before Massillon started its new threat. To get it going Heben received a Barberton punt and returned 15 yards to Barberton’s 35. On a lateral pass he went around right end to the 24. Amic gained a yard through the line, Schrake was tossed back a yard and a pass was no good to make it fourth down and still about 10 to go. Right there the Tigers seemed to have outsmarted the visitors. Heben fell back and hurled a pass to Schrake which was good for 13 yards, putting the ball on the visitors 11.
Amic made a short gain and then added five more, putting the ball close to the goal line. No gain was made on the next play and on the fourth down Heben was stopped five yards from a touchdown.
It was Barberton’s ball and the visitors immediately made a first down aided by a five-yard penalty for the Tigers. They couldn’t produce another, however, and had to punt, Williams sending the ball out of bounds on his own 45. Heben and Amic picked up a first down and helped by a five-yard Barberton penalty, added another, putting the ball on the visitor’s 23. Heben gained three on the last play of the quarter. The opening play of the final stanza brought no gain but on the next Shrake took a pass from Knowlton on the 18 and carried to the eight.
Fumbles Near Line
Amic hit the line for two before Heben fumbled again and Campbell recovered for the visitors. It was a tough one for Heben as he got his fingerson the ball as a lateral pass was tried but could not hold it.
Williams picked up 12 yards for Barberton on the first play but the visitors were smothered on the next two plays and had to punt, Williams sending the ball out on the 50. An exchange of punts preceded the Tigers’ next first down. After Heben returned a punt 12 yards to Barberton’s 44, Knowlton and Schrake gained four yards and Heben crashed through Barberton’s line to the 27-yard stripe. Heben got another yard before a pass of his was intercepted by Williams who did some fancy stepping down the side of the field and carried the ball over the Massillon goal line.
The rejoicing of the Barberton fans was short lived, however, because the ball was called back to Massillon’s 44. The Magics were not disheartened, however, and, after Williams was thrown for a loss on the first play, he tossed a pass to Brooks, substitute end, who carried to Massillon’s 30. Williams produced five yards more, Weller found a hole for two more and Brunker tossed Williams for a two yard loss before Williams threw another successful pass, this one to Letwak which just was good enough for a first down on Massillon’s 20.
Barberton found a stone wall after that and Williams again resorted to long passes but two of them were incomplete and the Tigers took the ball on their 25. On the first play Hutsell fumbled and Werner recovered for Barberton on Massillon’s 29.
A five-yard penalty for Massillon and a gain by Williams made it first and 10 on Massillon’s 16. Williams crashed the line for six yards but on the next play he got a bad pass from center and was downed on the 26.
