1969: Massillon 52, Hamilton Garfield 12

October 17, 1969July 27, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tiger offense improved in 52-12 win
Streeter scores 3 touchdowns Herring throws for three scores

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Bob Commings’ remedial course in blocking began to pay off Friday night as the Washington high offense began to move again.

But while the line fired out much better than in the previous two weeks in a 52-12 win over Hamilton Garfield on homecoming night at Tiger stadium, Commings would like to see more improved technique.

The Tigers’ fifth win in seven games, including a loss and a tie, came before a home-coming crowd of 9,170 smallest of the season. The Griffins fell to 3-4 in the non-league affair.
* * *
BEFORE FRIDAY, Massillon had scored only once in the last eight quarters. This time the Obies counted in each quarter as senior tailback Darnell Streeter crossed into that payoff land paved with streets of goal five times, three times for touchdowns.

Quarterback Gary Herring threw two six-pointers and two two-pointers, one of each to split end Dan Byelene, starting his first game. The senior played two years ago but did not come out in 1968.

The Tigers had some defensive problems with the triple option with which Niles handcuffed them three weeks ago. With Griffin backs running merrily around the ends, Hamilton netted 131 yards rushing to the Tigers’ 100 before the intermission. But Commings placed an end on the pitch in the second half and held the Giffs to 68 yards rushing while Massillon gained 104.

The big difference was in passing as the Orange and Black completed seven of 14 while Hamilton connected on only two of a like number with totals of 206 and 27 respectively.

The Tiger defense picked off four of seven Hamilton fumbles and Griff receivers – perhaps hearing the pitter-pat of Tiger paws behind them – mishandled three potential touchdown passes. One, in the first quarter, would have gone for 61 yards, and might have helped to get Lou Florio’s charges off to a flying start.
* * *
HAMILTON APPEARED to be rolling after the opening kickoff when Tiger Junior line backer Tom (Beanie) Cardinal recovered a fumble at the Griffins’ 48. In seven plays the Obies had their first score.

Streeter carried six times for 41 yards, “The Bopper” going the remaining 20 on second down through the middle with 7:01 left. Herring added two points on a keeper.

End Mike Mauger picked up another fumble after a punt hit a Tiger defender, with Hamilton recovering on the Massillon 38. Mauger added an eight-yard run to the recovery and the WHSers took over on the Hamilton 42.

Herring lofted one to Byelene on the one and fullback Mike Autrey added a conversion run to make it 16-0 with 2:19 left in the welcome stanza. Although this was Autrey’s only score, his continued hard-nosed running, coupled with Streeters, put the spotlight again on one of the best one-two punches around.

With halfback Roy Kidd returning the kickoff 24 yards, the Griffins were off on a 12-play, 67-yard scoring romp aided by a 29-yard option jaunt by halfback Barry Allen and a
20-yard fourth-down, pass-run from quarterback Dan Wells to Allen for a first down on the Massillon 16.
* * *
THREE PLAYS later, Kidd took a six-yard scoring pitch with 10:04 left in the second quarter. Wells missed on the conversion keeper.

Massillon scored in five plays after the touchdown after Mauger got things started with a 30-yard kickoff runback to the Massillon 46. Autrey picked up 31 yards and Streeter romped 19 yards off tackle on a pitch of the score with 7:58 remaining and slashed off tackle for the conversion counters.

Linebacker Pat Midgley, who along with Cardinal, proving a good team for the Orange and Black, picked up a Griffin fumble on their 32, but on the next play halfback Steve Luttrell intercepted a pass on the 11 and added a 37-yard runback. A fumble, not lost this time, aborted the effort.

However, Allen ran the next punt back 31 yards in midfield and Garfield had its last TD in nine plays. A 14-yard third down keeper by Wells aided the cause by providing a first down on the Tiger 11.

Three plays later Kidd again scored on a pitch. Cardinal decked Wells on the conversion pass try and it was 24-12 with 1:41 left.
* * *
STREETER’S KICKOFF runback was for 27 yards to the WHS 39. A 25-yard Herring to Larry Harper pass-run put the ball on the Hamilton 34. Herring and Streeter executed a screen pass touchdown on the next play and Herring hit Streeter again for the conversion with 59 seconds left.

An ineligible-receiver-down-field penalty was called and then rescinded.

Streeter’s 20-yard runback of the second half kickoff ignited a five-lay 65-yard TD effort. Autrey, “old reliable,” gained 21 of the yards. Junior tailback Mike Mauger was given the task of scoring on a 36-yard draw with 9:33 left. Herring hit Byelene for the conversion.

Tackle Bill Dorman recovered a Hamilton fumble on the Tiger 27. Thirteen plays later it was gold carat time again for Massillon. A 41-yard Herring-to-Harper pass-run, which saw Harper execute a beautiful escape at the Tiger 40 and tightrope the sideline to the Giffs’ 38, and a pass interference call helped the drive.

Successive passes to Harper, a junior wingback, on the 13 and into the end zone accounted for the score with 58 seconds left in the third quarter. Herring was rushed but got the later pass away and “The Scooter” leaped into the air at the end line to snare the spheroid. Streeter missed the conversion.
* * *
THE FINAL Tiger tally came with the Cubs playing Harper’s 18-yard punt runback set the stage for a six-play 32-yard drive. Quarterback John Fromholtz found end Mike Cline for a 23-yard pass run to the four.

On the second play fullback Cardinal rammed home between guard and tackle with 1:40 left in the game. Fromholtz got decked in attempting to pass for two more points.

HAMITON – 12
Ends – Bennett, Wells, Fowler, Townsend.
Tackles – Helton, McDaniel, Dennis Briggs, Davis, Brown.
Guards – Sexton, Petrak, Rogers, Barnaky, Alexander, Turner.
Centers – Arndt, Cadle, Lancaster.
Quarterbacks – Wells, Turpin.
Halfbacks – Rod Harbrecht, Jones, Kidd, Don Briggs, C. Jackson, Allen, Luttrell, Floyd.
Fullbacks – G. Jackson, Harrison, Schmitz.

MASSILLON – 52
Ends – McConnaughead, Robinson, Cline, Maxhimer, Byelene, Pribich, Snyder, Lewis.
Tackles – Ridgley, Heck, Bingle, Reinerts, Celik, Strobel, Dorman, R. Luke.
Guards – Miller, Pifer, Jasinski,Kulik, Indorf, Ferguson, Midgley, Hout, Eckroate, McLin, Sims.
Center – S. Luke.
Quarterbacks – Herring, Fromholtz.
Halfbacks – Streeter, Harper, Mauger, Gamble, Sheaters, Brand, B. Luke, Ammond, Pattinson.
Fullbacks – Autrey, Cardinal.

Massillon 16 16 14 6 52
Hamilton 0 12 0 0 12

SCORING SUMMARY
M – TB Darnell Streeter, 20-yard run, Herring PAT (run).
M – E Dan Byelene, 42-yard pass-run from QB Gary Herring, Autrey PAT (run).
H – HB Roy Kidd, 11-yard run.
M – Streeter, 19-yard run, Streeter PAT (run).
H – Kidd, six-yard run.
M – Streeter, 32-yard screen pass from Herring, Streeter PAT (run)
M – TB Mike Mauger, 36-yard run, Byelene PAT (pass from Herring).
M – WB Larry Harper, 13-yard pass from Herring.
M – TB Tom Cardinal, three-yard run.

THE GRIDSTICK
M H
First downs – rushing 13 12
First downs – passing 7 1
First downs – penalties 1 0
Total first downs 21 13
Yards gained rushing 235 218
Yards lost rushing 31 19
Net yards gained rushing 204 199
Net yards gained passing 206 27
Total yards gained 410 226
Passes completed 7–14 2–14
Passes intercepted by 1 1
Yardage on passes intercepted 0 33
Kickoff average (yards) 8–46.5 3–46.3
Kickoff returns (yards) 80 89
Punt average (yards) 3–43.3 4–30.5
Punt returns (yards) 36 32
Lost fumbled ball 1–2 4–2
Yards penalized 2–30 3–25
Touchdowns rushing 4 2
Touchdowns passing 3 0
Total number of plays 52 67