MASSILLON’S 74-0 TRIUMPH AMAZES OVER 20,000 FANS
Cathedral Prep Takes First Local Bow Saturday Afternoon Meeting Ashtabula in Stadium; Colonels Invade Sharon Friday Night
By Charles Haughney
STILL stunned, dazed and unbelieving of what had been its role in the most astounding chapter in the history of local scholastic football, the task of picking up the pieces of East’s shattered Scarlet and Grey gridiron machine was begun today to carry out a city series assignment against Tech’s Centaurs Friday night in the Stadium.
The Warriors, while what was estimated at a record shattering throng of over 20,000 sat, stood and hung pop-eyed around the concrete banks of the Stadium Saturday night, went down to the worst defeat ever suffered in 20 years of campaigning – a 74 to 0 score rolled up by Massillon’s mighty Tigers.
Again the Massillon line with its brilliant charge and stonewall defense, was an outstanding factor in the Tigers’ big victory. Most noticeable of all from an offensive standpoint, was the passing attack which accounted for five of the touchdowns.
The percentage of completions, 9 of 21 was not particularly impressive but the fact that five of the pegs scored touchdowns tells a different story. Two passes were intercepted, 10 others were grounded.
East, for some unknown reason, did not take to the air until the last period. The Warriors tried 11 passes, but only completed one for a gain of seven yards.
For the first minute of the game, it appeared that the inspired East team might give the Tigers a busy evening. Ray Getz only moved a couple of yards with the kickoff before he was downed. Tom James smashed at right tackle, the same play that doomed Warren a week ago, but he was met hard by Erie tacklers and gained but two yards. Fred Blunt poked his way through for six, but with fourth down coming up, Horace Gillom dropped back and lofted the ball to the Erie 34-yard line. That was one of three times the Tigers failed to score when they got the ball. Pass interceptions halted their other two efforts. The Warriors moved the ball up four yards on three attempts and Ed Skovron punted to Tom James who caught the leather on the 20 and brought it back to his 34.
James Gets Going
There Massillon began to move. On the second play James shook himself loose and was in the open when Bill Crotty brought him down from behind on the 27-yard line while he was staggering, trying to regain his balance. It was a run of 36 yards. James and Getz moved the ball to the 17 and Blunt on his second attempt, went through the Warrior line as though fired from a cannon, to score standing up. Getz kicked the extra point.
The 7-0 score was the lowest first period score of the season, but it only missed being 14-0 by a play, for on the first play of the second period, Blunt plunged over from the one foot line for a touchdown that ended a drive from the 13-yard line where Eli Broglio, swarthy tackle, had covered an Erie fumble.
The Tiger attack reached devastating proportions and the heavier Erie team was completely demoralized thereafter. The Warriors received, but on the first play, Skovron fumbled, and John Hill, who had substituted for Jim Russell while the latter was getting some sideline instruction, was on the bottom of the pile on the East 39-yard line. The Warriors closed in to stop the Tiger ball carriers so James eased back and fired a long shot to Herman Robinson who made a fine catch and raced over the goal for the 20th point. Getz missed the placekick.
The Warriros received and when they stopped, Skovron attempted to punt. Russell crashed through and blocked the ball. It fell into the arms of Robinson who raced over the goal for his second touchdown in 60 seconds. Getz planted the 27th point between the uprights.
East earned its only first down after the following kickoff when Skovron and Fran Lininger gained 12 yards on two plays. The drive was stopped on the Warrior 41, however and Skovron’s punt to the Massillon 24 was the signal for another Tiger march. Gillom, Blunt and James carried the leather to midfield, where James faded back and fired a long pass that Gillom caught on the East 14 and ran for a touchdown. Getz’s kick was wide of the goal posts.
When Erie failed to make its yardage after the following kickoff, Skovron punted to James who returned brilliantly from the 30 to the 49-yard line. He ran to a first down on the 31, passed to Robinson for a first down on the nine-yard line and followed it with a pass to Gillom for a touchdown, Gillom taking the ball in the corner of the field. Getz kicked the 40th point.
Another Touchdown
The Tigers received at the start of the second half and began moving from their 34. A pass to Robinson was good for 14 and Getz took the ball from James on a Statue of Liberty for another first on the 35. Getz and James took the ball to the seven-yard line, where James pegged it to Robinson for a touchdown. Getz kicked goal and four Massillon subs entered the game.
No more scores were made in the third period but the Tigers’ were well on their way at the end of the quarter, having marched from their 35 to the East six-yard line when the period ended. Pizzino in two smacks at the line put the ball on the one-yard line and Adams bucked it over. Pizzino kicked the extra point and it was 54-0. Fred Cardinal had blocked a punt and Gordon Appleby had covered to put the Tigers in position for the score. Another blocked punt put the locals in position for their next touchdown. This time it was Pizzino who drove through the East line and stopped the ball, Keve Bray covering for Massillon on the 13-yard line. Junior White moved it up two yards and Pizzino on four attempts took it over and kicked the extra point.
Hard plunging by Chuck Holt and a 13-yard run by Adams brought the ball on the next attempt to the East 31. There Holt added seven more and White circled left end for 24 yards and a touchdown. Pizzino’s kick was wide.
The last Massillon touchdown came with the third team in the game. Having stopped the Warriors’ on the ground and in the air the third stringers got the ball on the East 44. Frank Erdley passed to Power for a first down on the 34 and came right back with a second peg to Bob Graber for a first on the 19. Erdley and Holt advanced it to the 10 where Erdley dropped back and pegged to Dallas Power for a touchdown. Holt plunged the 74th and final point across.
