TIGERS OPEN SEASON WITH IMPRESSIVE 70 TO 0 VICTORY OVER AKRON EAST
GILLOM AND ANDERSON LEAD SCORING PARADE
Versatility of Well Balanced Massillon Team Has Fans Wondering How Strong It Really Is; 9,500 See Game
By LUTHER EMERY
The grand opening of the 1935 football season took place in a grand way here Friday evening before a crowd of 9,500 fans and all Massillon today was wondering just how powerful its Washington high Tiger team really is.
Akron East was crushed 70-0, but even East did not feel the full effect of the Tiger offensive which had much up its sleeve that was never pulled out. Trickery was not needed, for Tiger passes and power plays, executed with mid-season rhythm, produced 11 touchdowns, despite efforts to hold down the score by substitution. And East thought it was tops this year.
Tigers Score First Time They Get Ball
It didn’t take long for the Tigers to demonstrate their superiority. That which followed the kickoff revealed immediately the power that is Massillon’s this year, for receiving on their own 37-yard line, the orange and black marched straight up the field to the 12-yard line where Jake Gillom, dancing halfback, tucked the ball under his arm on a double reverse and scampered around left end for a touchdown.
A parade of touchdowns followed, with Gillom scoring three more, one on a beautiful
75-yard return of a punt, Charley Anderson, three and Byelene, Dutton, Herring and Snyder one each.
To amass so great a total, the Tigers rolled up 24 first downs, an unusually large number and held East to seven, most of which were the result of a short pass over the line of scrimmage and despite all their gaining, the local gridders lost 90 yards on penalties, as against 25 for the visiting team.
Sparkle in New Suits
Their new orange and black uniforms with white letters glistening under the floodlights of Massillon field, the Tigers looked like a college team in their parade up the field. Conceded a weight advantage over the visiting team, the new uniforms made the local players appear even much larger than they really were a psychological advantage in gridiron dress.
The game was played in a setting of splendor. The huge crowd of 9,500 fans filled the green and orange stands and formed a background for the musical and gridiron drama of the evening. The American Legion drum and bugle corps staged the same drill in which it will appear at the national competition in St. Louis Wednesday. The Washington high band strutted proudly up the field in a drill between halves that made every Massillon citizen proud of this organization. Pennants of Tiger opponents this year floated from masts on the light poles. The word “Massillon” in black letters on an orange background, stood out boldly on the top of the press box. Several hundred junior boosters whooped it up all evening in their own section of stands. They will be an important cog in the booster club from now on.
After pageantry of this kind, nothing but a sweeping Massillon victory could be in order and that which took place on Massillon field has fans pondering whether this year’s team is not better balanced than that of last fall.
The Tiger offensive was directed by two young fellows, Howard Dutton and Mike Byelene, the lightest players on the Tiger varsity but both No. 1 quarterbacks. Dutton with an edge in punting and receiving was the official starter, but Byelene, who followed him to the signal post, dazzled the visiting team with his long and accurate passes that reached their target with few exceptions. All told passes gained 205 yards for Massillon.
The play of the entire Tiger team was a delight to Massillon fans. They said last year that Lohr and Shertzer could not be replaced, but before this season is over their shoes may even give corns to Charley Anderson and August Morningstar, who did everything last night that is required of good ends.
Strong On Defense
From tackle to tackle, the visitors could do nothing. Woods, Updegraff, Voss, Held and Buggs throwing up a stonewall defense. The backfield had everything to be desired, with Jake Gillom providing the fireworks. Bob Glass, played but a few minutes for fear of aggravating an injured ankle, but was replaced by John Snyder, a product of Lorin Andrews Junior high, who score one touchdown and got away to one long run.
Eddie Molinski’s outstanding work was his backing up the line of scrimmage. He and Morningstar threw themselves into ever open breach and the gap was immediately closed.
Another fireball who sticks his feet out as though taking hurdles was Edgar Herring, a sub back and the lightest man on the team, 125 pounds. Twice he electrified the crowd with his open field running and once had cleared all opposition and was away to a long gallop when he became over balanced and fell. The Tiger forward wall was revealed in the first touchdown march.
Downed with the kickoff on the 37-yard line, Glass made four at center and Dutton two. Then Jake Gillom got away for five yards and a first down on his own 48. Glass made two and Gillom scampered 12 yards around left end to the East 38. He skirted the other side next time for a 15-yard sprint to the 23.
Dutton made three at left end and Glass plunged for a first down on the 12-yard line. Then on a double reverse, Gillom skirted his right end and scored standing up. Glass missed the try for the extra point.
Updegraff Grabs Pass
The Tigers kicked to East, but when Massillon held, the visitors returned the punt to midfield. Two grounded passes and an offside penalty set the Tigers back and Dutton punted out of bounds on the East 30. Then the visitors tried a basketball pass and Updegraff went up in the air to intercept it. On the first play, Gillom skirted his right end for the second touchdown and this time Glass kicked the extra point.
Glass was removed from the Tiger lineup and did not play thereafter. He was replaced by Snyder.
The Tigers kicked again to East, Noga bringing the ball back to the 25-yard line. Tally, however, fumbled and recovered for a loss of 12 yards and East punted out on the 25-yard line. Gillom made six yards at left tackle. Dutton shot through the right side of the goal line and Snyder carried it across. The try for point was missed leaving the score 19-0.
The Tigers again kicked off to East and the Orientals worked the ball to their own 47-yard line for their first first down of the game, a pass, Noga to Talley advancing the ball nine yards. Two more passes were attempted. One was blocked and the second was intercepted by Morningstar on the East 47-yard line just as the first period ended.
Second Quarter
Another touchdown drive immediately got underway. Gillom scampered for nine yards at right end, but Massillon was penalized 15 for holding. Byelene who replaced Dutton, rifled a pass to Morningstar for gain of 23 yards and Gillom took a lateral from Byelene and traveled to the visitors’ 20. Next time he circled right end for a 15-yard dash to the
five-yard line. Byelene sneaked through for three and Gillom went over for the touchdown. Byelene’s pass for the extra point was too high for Morningstar to reach.
The Tigers kicked off and East brought the ball back to midfield where Massillon held and forced the visitors to punt. Getting the ball on the 10-yard line the Massillon offensive again went into action. Byelene hit for five and Snyder made it first down on the Tiger 20. Gillom got loose and ran 30 yard to midfield. Byelene made five on a spinner and then fired a pass to Anderson for a first down on the visitors’ 20. Snyder failed to gain and two passes were grounded, but on fourth down, Byelene gambled and passed again. This one Anderson took to the five-yard line before he was tackled. Byelene went around left end for the touchdown. Eddie Molinski kicked the extra point.
The entire varsity was removed from the field and second stringers carried on the remainder of the half with no further scoring.
Third Quarter
East kicked off to Massillon at the start of the second half; Gillom receiving and carrying back to the 25. He made five at left tackle and 11 more on an end jaunt. Dutton’s pass was blocked and the Tigers were penalized five yards for being in motion. When Dutton and Gillom failed to negotiate a first down, Dutton punted to the visitors’ 33. Failing to gain, East punted back to the Massillon 25-yard line. Gillom caught the ball, sidestepped the ends and struck out to his left sideline as his interference formed. Twisting and out running tacklers in a change of pace and supported by excellent blocking, the Tiger safety man scampered 75 yards for a touchdown, his fourth of the game. Molinski’s kick for the extra point was low.
The Tigers kicked to East, but the Orientals after grounding two passes and failing to gain in a line plunge kicked to the Massillon 30. Snyder made three yards at left tackle and Dutton four on a spinner. Dutton shot a long pass to Anderson for a first down on the East 33. Another pass was grounded, but Gillom made up for it by galloping to a first down on the 15.
Dutton made five at left tackle and Gillom went over but the ball was called back and the Tigers penalized 15 yards. Dutton ran to the goal line on a fake and went over on his second attempt for a touchdown. Molinski missed the kick.
The Tigers kicked off to East, but the visitors lost 15 yards for holding and kicked out of bounds on their own 25. Dutton’s pass was grounded and Snyder failed to gain, but Dutton shot the ball on the third down to Anderson who made a pretty catch and ran for a touchdown. This time Molinski kicked the extra point and the score was 51-0. That ended the scoring of the third period.
Fourth Quarter
The Tigers kicked off to East and the ball was brought back to the 30-yard line. However, the visitors lost 15 yards on a lateral pass and punted to Byelene, who caught the ball on the East 30. Byelene immediately ripped through for 15 yards and on the next play heaved the ball to Herring for a touchdown. His pass for the extra point was grounded.
East struck back on the following kickoff with its best offensive of the game and carried the ball to the Tigers 35-yard line where Snyder recovered Tally’s fumble. Byelene made three yards but Massillon was penalized five. Herring fumbled for a loss of five more. Then Herring got loose and ran his right end to midfield, a dash of 25 yards. He was clear of opponents but was set off balance by the last East tackler and stumbled and fell. Another penalty set the Tigers back five yards, but it didn’t matter for Byelene sailed the ball to Anderson for a gain of 50 yards and a touchdown. Molinski missed the extra point.
The last touchdown followed Molinski’s interception of an East pass on East’s 46-yard line. Herring struck for seven yards and Snyder dashed to the East 15. Herring made five, but Massillon was penalized 15 for holding. Byelene then passed 30 yards to Anderson for the score. Byelene carried the ball for the extra point. The game ended with a steam of substitutions continually changing the personnel of the Massillon lineup.
The lineup and summary:
MASSILLON Pos. AKRON EAST
Anderson LE Averitte
Held LT McMullen
Updegraff LG Smith
Voss C Pisel
Woods RG Schenz
Buggs RT Hupp
Morningstar RE Skinner
Dutton QB Hicks
Gillom LH Noga
Molinski RH Mitchell
Glass FB Talley
Score by periods:
Massillon 19 13 19 19 70
Substitutions:
Massillon – McDew, re; O. Gillom, le; J. Anderson, lt; Mofett, rt; Russ, lg; Miller, rg; Snavely, c; Byelene, qb; Herring, lh; Spillman, rh; Snyder, fb; Carter, lh.
Akron East – Sutfin, lh; Maluke, rt; Boggs, qb.
Touchdowns:
Massillon – Gillom 4; Anderson 3; Dutton; Snyder; Herring; Byelene.
Point after touchdown:
Massillon – Glass (placekick); Molinski 2 (placekick). Byelene (line buck).
Referee – Jenkins (Akron).
Umpire – Boone (Canton).
Head Linesman – Tyler (Western Reserve).
