STORY OF 1st actual game follows this story
Wooster vs. Massillon
(This Game Considered a Scrimmage or Exhibition)
THE FOOTBALL SEASON OPENED
High School is Defeated 15-5 by Rowdies
MANY STARS ARE DEVELOPED
Rowdies Too Heavy for High School Players,
but the Latter Fought a Brave Fight Against Big Odds
H.S. Gives Promise for the Coming Season
Sheehan Shows Good Points
The High School and Rowdy football teams made a march on the Tigers and Reserves Friday and ushered in the 1904 football season with the first practice game in this vicinity. The High School lads have been practicing for the past week and their formations went off well. The Rowdies, a team on which were two of last year’s Reserve team, played aggressively, but without team work, the score standing 15-5 in their favor at the end of twenty and fifteen minute halves.
The practice served to show up the strong and weak points of both teams and incidentally unearthed a player, heretofore unthought of, in the person of Sheehan, who played fullback for the picked team during the second half. Sheehan is a novice at the game. He weighs about one hundred and sixty pounds, and the way he tore the High School line to pieces on line bucks and broke up interference shows that he will be a valuable addition to the second team squad. On three occasions he broke up end runs and tackled Albright for losses of from ten to twenty-five yards.
Tim Nolan, another Reserve player, was a star of the game, his end runs, line bucks and tackles assisting his team to win. Pat Nolan, a younger brother to Tim, played like a little Tiger at end and tackled on numerous occasions for losses. With more weight young Nolan would be a valuable man to the Reserves.
For the High School Albright made the largest gains on the offense and his defensive work was up to the standard. B. McFarren ran the team in good shape from the quarterback position. Smith at left end for the High School made many star tackles on the defensive. Kirchhofer’s line bucks from the fullback position were surprisingly effective for one so light, and with practice the High School team promises to show well against the average high school teams of the state. Merwin looks well after the right end, tackling fiercely and stopping end runs effectively.
Nick Myers, captain of the Rowdies, began the game at the fullback position and played a hard game, sustaining a slight injury in one scrimmage which necessitated a change in the lineup, Lipps going to half and Myers to center, where he and Tucker battled royally for honors. Trotter, at right guard for the Rowdies, gives promise of developing into a valuable man for the Reserves. Burkle who played the quarterback position for the Rowdies, did some star tackling, on one occasion saving a touchdown after a long run by Albright. Another player who gives promise for the second team is Buchman, who played left halfback for the Rowdies.
The lineup with scored and summary was:
Rowdies – 15 Pos. High School – 5
Lipps, Myers Center Tucker
Hammer R.G. Ratchford
Trotter R.T. Pierson
Nolan R.E. Merwin
Slicker L.G. G. Kaylor
Fricker L.E. Smith
Meinhart L.T. Jones
Burkle Q.B. McFarren
N. Myers
Sheehan F.B. Kirchhofer
Buchman, Nolan L.H. Albright
List R.H. Burkhart
Referee – Stewart.
Time of halves – 20 and 15 minutes.
Score,
first half – 5 to 5;
final score – 15 to 5 in favor of Rowdies.
WOOSTER vs.
MASSILLON HIGH
This afternoon the Massillon High School and Wooster High School football teams open the season in Massillon. The new park grounds have been laid off in good shape by Manager Charles Breiter and the crowd of spectators will probably see a good game, unless the visitors come loaded with foreign talent.
The Massillon High vs. Wooster High School game Wednesday showed that the locals have some strong material for the season in spite of the handicap which they have to work against when pitted against such husky opponents as was their lot Wednesday. Wooster’s beef and brawn proved too much for the locals at times during the game. The score should have been 0-0, however, as the touchdown made by Wooster was a fluke pure and simple, a Wooster man making a thirty-five yard run for a touchdown on a fumble.
