Tigers Beat Newark 50-6 Before 10,387
Three Passes, Long Runs Feature Bengals’ Opening Night Victory
By CHUCK HESS JR.
They said it would be a breather. And the experts called it right.
The Tiger roared to the tune of 50-6 at Tiger stadium Friday night in its first outing in quest of a third straight state championship.
Washington high school’s first victims of the 1961 season were the Newark Wildcats.
There were a few hitches here and there during the evening but nothing that can’t be ironed out with more hard work on the practice field.
Coach Leo Strang commented, “Our rushing game was a little sluggish and when we had our reserves in during the second half, our defense ran into a little difficulty.”
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STRANG explained that the first team backs were missing assignments early in the game.
The Tiger machine ran smoothly after a few adjustments until the reserve backs had trouble in the second half.
“Our backs are still green,” Strang said, “but they’ll come around. “Dean (Ken) was out due to the death of his father, and Brown (Co-Captain Charlie) had sore feet and we couldn’t use him too much. When we’re able to use them fully, it’ll make a difference.”
While on the subject of his backfield, Strang commented on the work of left Half Ron Davis, a junior, and senior Fullback Fred Philpott. “I was really pleased with the performance of both of these boys,” Strang said.
Philpott scored one touchdown and one conversion. Davis two six-pointers and a two-pointer.
Strang singled out Tackle Ben Bradley, a junior, and seniors Willie Poole and Charlie Whitfield for their work on defense. Poole was in the line. Whitfield was linebacker. All three did yeoman service.
The quarterbacking of senior Jim Alexander and sophomore Terry Getz looked good. Both handled the ball well. Alexander passed for three touchdowns. Getz was a little off. But being a southpaw the Tiger offense is naturally a bit awkward for him. Strang was pleased with their work.
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THE BENGALS scored in each quarter before a good opening night crowd of 10,387. Massillon’s best effort came in the first period when the Tigers tallied 16 points.
The Tigers made good use of scoring opportunities, tallying seven of 11 times that they had the ball. They came up with four TD’s the first half and three the last.
The Bengals rolled up 445 total yards to 104 for Newark. Massillon did not lose any yards rushing. The Tigers gained 279. Neward garnered 117 and lost 24. Passing yardage was 166 to 11 in favor of the Bengals. First downs were 18 to 6 on the Massillon side of the ledger.
Newark Coach Jim Allen in his first year, had high praise for the Wildcats. “We hustled all the way,” he said. “I think we can improve on last year’s record (1-8-1).”
The Tigers had the scoring all to themselves until the final period. When Newark scored with 1:41 left to play.
Massillon started thing off midway through the first period. The Tigers took over after a Newark punt on their own 30-yard line. On the second play of the series Alexander and long side End Larry Ehmer got together on a 61-yard TD pass, the aerial coming on a second-and-one situation after Brown had blasted nine yards through the middle to the 39. The score came with 4:13 remaining. Brown then cracked off the right side for the conversion and an 8-0 tally.
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MINUTES LATER the Tigers again forced Newark to kick. Howard Ridella punted from his 38. Safety Bob Baker grabbed the ball on his 30 and raced down the sideline for the
70-yard tally. Fred Philpott carried off the right side for the conversion. The score was
16-0 with 1:48 remaining.
One play before the first period ended Ridella punted to Baker, who was nailed on his own 34. Five plays and two first down later came the third score. Philpott ran two successive plays, gaining 10 yards and a first down. Brown picked up 22 yards on the next two plays, taking the ball to the Newark 34 for a first and 10 situation. Alexander then passed to Wingback Ron Schenkenberger down the right side. Schenk grabbed it on the 10 and went into the end zone with 9:16 remaining. Davis went between the tackles for the extra points.
Alexander got into the scoring act again late in the quarter. The Tigers forced Ridella to kick, this time from his own 36 to Massillon’s 26, where the ball rolled dead. In eight plays and four first downs the Bengals had their fourth tally.
With Davis, Alexander and Schenkenberger taking turns running the ball, Massillon brought the ball to the Newark 26, first and 10. The big gains in the drive were eight and 10 yards by Schenkenberger and 15 by Alexander. Schenkenberger picked up two first downs, so did Alexander.
The touchdown play was Alexander’s pass to End and Co-captain Ken Ivan with 3:59 remaining. Ivan hauled the ball in one the 10. Alexander was short on the conversion try.
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SENIOR Fullback Jack Lash set up the fifth tally with a fumble recovery on the “Cats” 25. With Getz engineering the attack, the Bengals scored in two plays.
Davis swept right end from the 18 after Brown had picked up nine yards through the center. The tally came on a second-and-one play with 7:42 left in the third stanza.
A delay penalty cost the Tigers a chance to make the conversion. Ivan tried to kick from the eight and missed.
Massillon took over the ball just before the third period ended on its own 43 and on the first play of the fourth canto, with 10 seconds gone, Philpott shot between the long side guard and inside tackle for 57 yards and the score. Lash missed on the conversion.
The Tigers had one more scoring opportunity. It came on a 67-yard drive from Massillon’s 33 after Newark’s lone TD. During the drive the Bengals garnered four first downs, all of them coming on consecutive plays. One was on a 13-yard run by John Kanney, junior halfback; one on a 13-yard pass Alexander to Ivan, and the last on a 16-yard run by Davis.
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DAVIS WENT OVER on first-and-seven on a sweep around the right side with 20 seconds remaining in the game. Kanney tallied the conversion.
Newark Halfback Jim Tims stopped two other Massillon scoring opportunities himself on pass interceptions. He grabbed an Alexander to Schenkenberger aerial in the end zone for a touchback on the Tigers’ first series of the game.
Just before the end of the first half. He picked off a pass of senior Quarterback Bob Baker’s on the Newark five.
The ‘Cats’ lone tally came on a 64-yard drive, starting on their own 36 when many of the Tiger reserves were in. The big gainers were by senior Quarterback Gordon Johnson, another southpaw, and junior Halfback Jim Cocanour. During the drive Newark picked up five first downs.
Johnson threw to junior Halfback Jeff Wortman at the one, and Wortman went over, the score coming with 1:41 remaining. Junior Guard Don Kennin tried to kick the conversion, but missed
A Good Start
NEWARK
Ends – Pyle, Klein, Hunt and Bartlett.
Tackles – Myers, Walters, Hazelett, Cashdollar, and Miller.
Guards – Gordon, Kennon and Holten.
Centers – Lowery and Bibart.
Backs – Johnson, Wortman, Tims, Ridella, Arnold, Cartner, Cluggish, and Cocanour.
MASSILLON
Ends – Ivan, L. Ehmer, McDew, Pierce, Dewald and Garland.
Tackles – Strobel, Spees, Brenneman, Mercer, C. Bradley, Dekan, Profant, Magiiacho and Clendening.
Guards – Clendenin, Miggee, J. Ehmer, Matecheck, Relford, Whitfield, Poole, Mickley and Caldwell.
Centers—B. Bradley, Heckathorn and Heine.
Backs – Alexander, Schenkenberger, Brown, Philpott, Baker, getz, Jarvis, Lash, Williams, Snively, Franklin, Sullivan, Davis and Kanney.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Newark 0 0 0 6 6
Massillon 16 14 6 14 50
STATISTICS
Massillon Newark
First downs – rushing 13 6
First downs – passing 5 0
First downs – penalties 0 0
Total first downs 18 6
Yards gained rushing 279 117
Yards lost rushing 0 24
Net yards gained rushing 279 93
Yards gained passing 166 11
Total yards gained 445 104
Passes attempted 10 3
Passes completed 5 4
Passes intercepted by 1 2
Times kicked off 8 2
Kickoff average (yards) 38.2 35.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 16 121
Times punted 2 6
Punt average (yards) 41.5 30.0
Punt return (yards) 73 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 0 3
Lost fumbled ball 0 1
Penalties 4 0
Yards penalized 40 9
