Author: <span>Eric Smith</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1932: Massillon 12, Akron South 6

TIGERS DEFEAT AKRON SOUTH 12-6 IN HARD EARNED VICTORY VICTORY
IS FOURTH STRAIGHT TRIUMPH FOR LOCAL ELEVEN

By LUTHER EMERY

CENTERING their entire offense in two mighty thrusts, the Washington high school Tigers drove through Akron South Saturday afternoon to a 12-6 victory, their fourth consecutive triumph of the season.

Presenting a deceptive offense and a lateral pass off a pivot that especially bothered the Tigers, South gained far more ground from scrimmage than did the Massillon team, but with one exception, faltered when within striking distance of the goal line and either lost the ball on downs or fumbled.

Straight Football Brings Scores
Washington high on the other hand put on but two offensive exhibitions and both resulted in touchdowns, earned touchdowns, not the result of breaks but long drives up the field with nothing but straight football resorted to.

The Tigers had several other opportunities to score but fumbles set them back for losses and ended the threats. The game proved to be another thriller making three in a row of the hair raising type for the Massillon fans. South in fact injected the spice into the game when with Massillon leading 12-0 at the end of the third period, the Cavaliers came back with a rally that scored one touchdown and had every Massillon fan waiting with abated breath, fingers crossed, pulling for the Tigers to stop a second offensive that did not end until a South fumble was recovered on the 11-yard line.

South was driving for its second touchdown when the fumble occurred. But even had Williams, Cavalier ball carrier held the pigskin when brought to earth it still would have been fourth down with five yards to go and the unusual would have been necessary to have kept the Tigers from regaining possession of the ball.

Tigers Badly Crippled
South’s fourth period rally, however, came with the Tiger team badly riddled with injuries. Both ends were out, as was Krier, guard while Monroe and Amic were none too strong because of injuries sustained earlier in the game. Likewise Schimke, regular guard did not play which meant that only three of the regular linesmen were on the forward wall to stave off the South thrusts.

The Cavaliers however had to fight for every inch of ground they gained in scoring their first touchdown and then barely pushed it over on the third down by inches.

Kester gave the fans a thrill early in the game when he grabbed the first Akron punt on his own five-yard line and raced back to the Akron 39-yard line before being tackled. He was caught from the rear when he slowed up in an effort to get around the Akron safety man. A Massillon player was behind the Akron man but was unable to spill him for fear of penalization for illegal clipping. The Tigers worked the ball down to the 30-yard line where Kester kicked outside on the five-yard stripe. South returned the kick and soon the Massillon team was again down on the 23-yard stripe with a first down when Kester muffed a pass from center that was slightly off direction for a loss of 18 yards. That ended this threat.

Start Touchdown Drive
Following an exchange of the ball, Shrake intercepted Anderson’s pass on the Massillon
45-yard line and raced back to South’s 35-yard stripe before being tackled. Shrake made three yards and Amic a first down in two off tackle smashes. He cracked left tackle for two more before the period ended with the ball on the 20-yard line.

The Tigers became touchdown hungry and South could not stop them. Shrake picked up a yard, Knowlton two yards and Amic hammered through for a first down on the 12-yard line, Amic hit his left guard for four yards on the next play and two more on another attempt, placing the ball on the six-yard line. Behind big Burkish he plowed through from this point for a touchdown. Krier’s attempted kick was low and wise.

The half ended with the score 6-0, neither team getting near their opponent’s goal the remainder of the period.

The second half brought forth more action. South staged the first rally, carrying the ball from its own 39-yard line to the Massillon 18-yard stripe where it surrendered the pigskin on downs. Massillon then put on a rally which carried the ball straight up the field 82 yards for a touchdown. Knowlton, Amic and Shrake were principal gainers in advancing the ball to their own 41-yard line. Knowlton then got off to a jaunt on a spinner that brought a first down on the Cavaliers’ 42-yard stripe. Amic gained five yards in two plays and Knowlton wiggled through for a first down on the South 35-yard line. Amic made three yards through center. Then it was that Shrake provided the most sensational run of the day when he took the ball on a reverse and circled his left end for a touchdown. He appeared to be stopped momentarily by three Akron players but he pulled out of the group and pranced on for his six points. Heben failed to make the extra point by inches.

South Scores
South began to threaten in the last period. The Cavaliers started their first march when they took the ball on Knowlton’s punt on the Massillon 34-yard line. The Tigers had been set back to the five-yard stripe because of a 15-yard penalty for using the hands on offense. Neidert got five yards in two attempts and Williams on the clever lateral circled his right end for 14 yards and a first down on the 14-yard line. Neidert failed to gain but picked up three yards on a second attempt. Williams then went around left end on the same lateral for six yards. Kotch picked up the yard needed for a first down on the Massillon
three-yard line.

Kotch failed to gain, but Neidert picked up two yards placing the ball within a yard of the Massillon goal. Neidert then dove over for the touchdown. Anderson’s attempted dropkick was low and wide. South’s next offensive began on the 40-yard line and did not end until Williams’ fumble was recovered by a Massillon player on the 11-yard line. He had again attempted to circle the left end on the lateral pass but this time the Massillon defense was waiting for him and a hard tackle by Shrake upset him so badly that he muffed the ball on the way down and a Massillon player quickly pounced upon it. Shrake got away to a 15-yard dash around his left end to give the Tigers a first down and take the ball out of danger.

The Tigers were not at their best Saturday and it appears did not care to be. They resorted to little more than straight football and frequent substitutions kept the personnel of the Massillon lineup changing continually. In brief the Massillon team appeared to be under cover. Kester played little more than a full quarter and Heben’s only efforts were off tackle smashes which gained but a few yards.

South Leads In First Downs
South made 13 first downs to Massillon’s nine and tried four passes one of which was intercepted. Massillon tried but one pass which was grounded. South was penalized
15 yards and Massillon 40 yards.

Massillon probably had 700 fans among the crowd of 2,000 spectators who attended the game. The Tigers next opponent will be New Philadelphia which will be played Friday evening at New Philadelphia.

Lineup and summary:
Massillon Pos. Akron South
Lohr le Kapper
Burkish lt Wonn
Krier lg Sekerich
Hoyman c Kalgreen
Critchfield rg Hyschak
Monroe rt Sahur
Brunker re Geissinger
Knowlton qb Anderson
Kester lh Lee
Shrake rh Neidert
Amic fb Kotch

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 6 6 0 12
Akron South 0 0 0 6 6

Substitutions: Massillon – Heben, lh; Swihart, le; Mansbury, fb; Snavely, rt; Adams, rt; Jones, rt; Keller, re; Bray, lt.
Akron South – Rozuk, re; Williams, lh; Rechnor, rh.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Amic; Shrake.
Akron South – Neidert.

Referee – Shazer (Case).
Umpire – Morgan (Youngstown).
Head Linesman – Kester (Mt. Union).

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1932: Massillon 8, Niles 0

WASHINGTON HIGH CAPITALIZES ON BREAKS TO DEFEAT NILES 8-0
SAFETY AND FUMBLE PAVE WAY FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE VICTORY

By LUTHER EMERY

Making the breaks by fast rushing and taking advantage of them, Washington high school won its third victory of the season on Massillon Field Friday evening, defeating a stubborn, fighting Niles’ eleven 8-0 in an N.E.O. league encounter.

It was not an upset, though the Tigers can consider themselves fortunate that they pulled through with a victory, for Niles, it seems could have won just as well, but lacked a little something, perhaps alertness and fly paper, to keep in the running.

Races 55 Yards For Touchdown
With 5,000 people in the stands and on the sidelines, the two teams put up a great battle, the score being in doubt for three and one-half periods until Krier picked a fumbled pass out of the air and raced 55 yards for a touchdown while the crowd roared and Niles groaned. That gave the Tigers six points and brought their score to eight, they having tallied a safety in the second period when in a mix-up in signals the Niles center passed the ball over the goal line where it was downed by Petty with Brunker and Lohr, Tige ends on top of him.

Fast charging on the part of the Massillon team helped to make those breaks and alertness on the part of the Tiger players took advantage of them. They were always on the ball.

Heralded as a veteran and powerful team, Niles came to Massillon Friday evening fresh from an 18-0 conquest of Salem last week and feeling confident that the pelt of the Tiger would be back in Niles today.

Start Early Drive
The visitors even looked their part the first time they secured possession of the ball and drove two wedges into the Massillon line for first downs. Then the local team braced. From then on until the fourth quarter Niles had to fight for every yard and failed to make a first down again until the fourth quarter when it rolled up four of them, two on forward passes.

The ability of two backfield men, Woods especially and Antennuci, veteran of last year, made the visitors threat from start to finish. Frequently on the first down, one of the two would get away for a five to seven yard gain, but the second or third down invariably found a Massillon player crashing through to toss the ball carrier for a loss of several yards forcing his team to punt.

Niles had a fine line drive and from the start of the game it appeared as though the visitors would aim their attack on the center of the Massillon forward wall. Fairly successful at first they found the Tiger forwards getting down low and grabbing them by the shoe tops as they came though.

Touchdown Not Allowed
The Niles offense actually crossed the goal line before the Tigers succeeded in stopping them, but the ball was called back for an infraction of the rules, using the hands on offense and the touchdown was not allowed and a 15-yard penalty inflicted on the visitors.

Niles had gained the ball on a punt, a 15-yard penalty inflicted on the Massillon team for tackling a runner after he had signaled for a fair catch, advancing the pigskin for first down on the Massillon 15-yard line. Three plays gained but four yards and on the fourth down a triple pass, Antennuci to Woods to Petty sent Petty around the Massillon left end for a touchdown. The play was not allowed however, for Referee Jenkins caught a Niles player using his hands illegally on the offense and the ball was brought back and Niles was penalized 15 yards. The visitors never succeeded in getting that near the Massillon goal the remainder of the game.

The same triple pass was in the process of execution when Krier slipped through to snare the ball and race 55 yards for the only touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter. The ball was on the Massillon 45-yard line with third down coming and four yards to go when Quarterback Infante called for the triple pass. Antennuci took the ball and swung around toward his left end but when he attempted to hand it to Woods who was circling toward the right end, Woods bobbled the ball and as it popped out of his hands Krier, Tiger guard came crashing through to snare it before it could touch the ground and race unmolested 55 yards for a touchdown. Had the ball touched the ground before being recovered by the Massillon player it would have been first down at the point of recovery. A runner cannot recover a fumble that has touched the ground and run for a touchdown. Krier’s attempted placekick for the extra point went wide of the goal posts.

Niles Threatens in Fourth
Niles’ only threat after the first period came late in the fourth quarter. Getting the ball on their own 19-yard line the visitors came tearing back with a determination for a score that carried the ball to a first down on the 27-yard line. Two passes, one for 16 yards and another for 15 yards were largely instrumental in advancing the ball. From the 27-yard line, however Niles began to move backward. Antennuci received a bad pass from center and was tossed by Brunker for a 13-yard loss. Burkish batted down Antennuci’s pass and grounded resulting in two five-yard penalties for two successive incomplete passes, the Tigers securing possession of the ball on the 50-yard line. The game ended a short time later.

If there were any outstanding performers they were Andy Heben, the half-pint halfback who filled the shoes of Bo Kester and Brunker, right end.

With Kester kept on the bench because of an injured shoulder, Heben broke into the game and played every minute, running back punts and flashing around the ends with the speed expected of him. Brunker, several times broke through to toss Niles ball carriers for big losses. Burkish and Monroe tacklers likewise played a good game on the line. While Foster did little in any offensive way, his punting kept Niles back in its own half of the field. He likewise placed two balls outside back of the 20-yard line and only a bad bounce kept a third from going out on the one-yard line.

The size of the crowd undoubtedly the largest that has seen Washington high play in three years, was a manifestation of the interest shown in this year’s team and conclusive evidence that Massillonians will turn out to see football when football is played. The Tigers are not loafing on the job. They tackled and blocked with ferocity last night, forcing Niles to take time out five times for injuries while the local team never once stopped the game for that reason.

Niles made six first downs to Massillon’s four and completed three passes out of nine attempts for a total gain of 40 yards. Massillon’s two pass attempts were incomplete. Niles was penalized 65 yards and Massillon 60 yards.

Line up and summary:
Massillon Pos. Niles
Lohr le Fasanelli
Burkish lt Gales
Krier lg Predika
Hoyman c Ragazzo
Schimke rg Kovalik
Monroe rt Kramer
Brunker re Snowball
Knowlton qb Infante
Schrake lh Woods
Heben rh Petty
Foster fb Antennuci

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 2 0 6 8

Substitutions:
Massillon – Brinker, le; Jones, rt; Amic, fb; Snavely, lg; Mansbury, lh; Keller, re; Bray, lt.
Niles – Naples, lh; Hess, rt; Knight, lg; Honiak, qb.

Touchdown:
Massillon – Krier.

Safety – Petty (tackled by Brunker and Lohr).

Referee – Jenkins (Akron).
Umpire – Michaels (Ohio State).
Head Linesman – Soller (Akron).

Time of periods – 12 minutes.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1932: Massillon 7, Akron East 6

WASHINGTON HIGH DOWNS AKRON EAST
PLACEKICK AFTER TOUCHDOWN ENABLES TIGERS TO WIN 7-6

By LUTHER EMERY

That old adage that an ox cannot lick a Tiger was once again proved conclusively before 2,500 fans on Massillon Field Saturday afternoon when 11 fighting young Bengals of Washington high school defeated a beef trust sent down by Akron East high 7-6.

Outweighed at least 30 pounds to the man and appearing like a band of David’s alongside an army of Goliaths the Tigers gave everything they had and that was plenty as one glimpse at the Akron team limping off the field revealed.

It was Massillon’s first victory in seven years over the Akron team and though the margin was small just as it has been in other years since the Tigers decisive triumph in 1925, it was a satisfactory one, very much so when one stops to think that just a few days ago they were picking East to win by five touchdowns.

A weight advantage such as Akron possessed was something for a high school team to overcome, but the Massillon gridders did it with hard tackling and blocking and the fans went home satisfied that Washington high has a team this year that will play every ounce of football that is in it.

Hefty Giants
Few there were who would have picked Massillon the winner when the Orientals trotted out on the field led by Captain Owens, their young giant, who balances the scales at 247 pounds and who sails up the field at surprisingly fast speed. And few would have picked the locals the winner once the two forward walls lined up against each other. But the Massillon midgets played under the East linemen’s chins and though it would have taken two men and a derrick to have hoisted Owens out of the road and a man on stilts to get over him even when prostrate on the ground, the Tigers somehow or other refused to be outplayed on the line and handled the boys roughly.

They were a sorry looking lot when they left the field badly battered at the end of the half. Spirited by a touchdown in the closing minutes of play, however, they made a somewhat better appearance at the end of the game..

Oddly enough though Massillon had hoped to hold Akron, get a break and take advantage of it to win the game, yet the locals did not make use of their breaks Saturday. Instead they passed up three opportunities for touchdowns after breaks and as though for the purpose of making their victory more convincing, scored their touchdown after a 40-yard march down the field.

Failure of either team to score earlier in the game, when within the shadow of each other’s goal posts, led fans to believe another scoreless tie such as that of 1931 was in the making.

In fact the closing minutes of the third period were being ticked off when one of Hinkle’s kicks went out of bounds on the Akron 40-yard line. Kester hit tackle for five yards and Shrake slipped around right end on a double pass for a first down on the six-yard line. Foster crashed through for six yards but Akron was offside and Hoyman, acting captain, wisely took the penalty leaving it first down with five yards to go. Kester picked up three of the five and Foster in two drives made it first and 10 on the 18-yard line. Shrake skirted left end for seven yards but lost a yard on his next effort. Kester picked up three yards putting the ball on the 10-yard line and Foster crashed through for a first down on the eight-yard line. Kester went through for four yards, but Akron was penalized five yards for being offside, placing the ball on the four-yard line. Foster hit for two yards and then picked up another before the gun ended the period, much to the disappointment of a couple of youngsters in the pop-priced bleachers at the south end of the field. The teams reversed the field and Foster on the first play of the fourth quarter, crashed over the north goal for the touchdown. Krier placekicked the point that actually proved to be the margin of victory.

East Picks Up
That touchdown seemed to put new fire in East or was it the replacement of Brown with Caudriet that set off the sparks? Anyway, East suddenly found new power and with Caudriet carrying the ball most of the time, began to wear down the Massillon line until toward the close of the period, Akron got the ball on its own 45-yard line and through passes and runs by Caudriet, carried the ball to the five-yard line where Caudriet fumbled, Knowlton recovering for the Tigers. Six yards were picked up before Scott as caught pushing and the Tigers were penalized back to the one-yard line. Kester got off a good punt to the 25-yard line, but Garcia, on the first play, stepped back and hurled a perfect 15-yard pass to Hinkle who took it out of the arms of two Massillon players and galloped for a touchdown.

Then came the big break of the game. The teams lined up and Garcia elected to run with the ball for the extra point. He took it over, but Kesselring, East left end, was offside and Akron was penalized five yards and given another chance. This time Garcia’s pass was grounded behind the goal. Ten seconds later the game was over.

While all of the scoring took place in the fourth quarter, the game was chuck full of action from start to finish, so much so that every fan talking football Saturday evening made the expression that he had witnessed an honest to goodness game.

Thrills From Start to Finish
There were thrills right at the start when East took the kickoff and tricked the Massillon team on spinner plays. Hinkle’s 27-yard run and Brown’s 20-yard dash giving the Akron school a first down on the Massillon five-yard line. Then and there the Tigers found themselves and realized they could cope with Akron’s weight advantage while the socking administered to the Orientals on the next four consecutive plays just about undid them for the rest of the afternoon. Four plays gained but that many yards East losing the ball on the one-yard line.

The threat over, Kester kicked back to the 27-yard line and two plays later, Shrake intercepted Garcia’s flat pass and dashed 72 yards before he was brought down on the eight-yard line. Akron braced, however and tossed back the threat, the Tigers losing the ball on the nine-yard line. East attempted to punt out of danger and once again fans got to their feet when Krier blocked the punt and East recovered after the ball had rolled halfway across the field and two Massillon players had failed to recover it though first on the ball.

Akron had but one opportunity to score in the first half, but the Tigers passed up two more chances before intermission. Brunker placed them in position once when he recovered Garcia’s fumble on the nine-yard line. Amic made a yard and Knowlton two and Kester carried to the one-yard line on a lateral before being downed. Amic failed to gain on the next play, however and the Tigers’ lost the ball. Again the locals took the pigskin on the 23-yard line on a punt, a 10-yard pass helping to gain a first down on the 10-yard stripe. Amic took it out for no gain. Kester made a yard and Amic five more but Knowlton made but a yard on the fourth attempt and the ball was lost on the four-yard line, the period ending before Akron could punt out.

First Downs Almost Even
Neither team gained any great amount of ground in the third quarter until the Tigers started their drive that ended in a touchdown. Then followed Akron’s touchdown and the end of the game.

The teams were comparatively even in first downs, Akron making 10 to Massillon’s nine.

Next Friday the Tigers will play their second N.E.O. league game, meeting Niles here in a night contest. Niles opened its season last Friday with a 12-0 victory over Salem. Niles should have one of the best teams in the league this year.

Line up and summary:
Massillon Pos. Akron East
Lohr le Kesselring
Burkish lt Owens
Krier lg Bell
Hoyman c Houston
Schimke rg Swiers
Monroe rt Little
Brunker re McComb
Knowlton qb Garcia
Amic fb Brown
Shrake hb Krino
Kester hb Hinkle

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 0 0 7 7
Akron East 0 0 0 6 6

Substitutions:
Massillon – Foster, fb; Scott, g; Snavely, g.
Akron East – Mostyn, c; Richards, hb; Caudriet, fb.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Foster.
Akron East – Hinkle.

Point after touchdown: Massillon – Krier (placekick)

Referee – Wagner (Mt. Union).
Umpire – Rang (Akron).
Head Linesman – Ellis (Springfield).

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1932: Massillon 20, Wooster 7

CROWD OF 3,000 SEES WASHINGTON HIGH BEAT WOOSTER IN OPENING GAME
TIGERS FLASH NEAT OFFENSE IN WINNING LEAGUE CONTEST 20-7

By LUTHER EMERY

A green but peppy Washington high football team, underwent its first test successfully at Massillon Field last night, when it turned back a formidable N.E.O. league threat in the form of Wooster high school and crashed through for a 20-7 victory.

They played football last night and for that reason all hats were off today to the Washington high school boys. The 3,000 Massillon fans who gained admission to the field one way or another saw more offensive football last night than they were privileged to witness in any single Washington high game last year with the possible exception of the final encounter of the season with Canton McKinley high.

Offense Is Deceptive
Working spinners, lateral passes, end runs and off-tackle smashes, the Tigers crashed through Wooster for 10 first downs. Wooster by adopting the forward pass occasionally made the yardage nine times. In only one department of play did the Massillon team appear weak and that was in the forward pass. The locals tried passes three times but all were grounded by the Wooster secondary.

Wooster on the other hand made gains of 102 yards by use of the forward pass, having but three grounded by the Massillon defense.

With seven green men in the lineup, four of whom had never played varsity football before and three of them only portions of a couple of quarters, the Tigers uncorked an offensive in the very first period that signaled spectators they were going to see more football this year than in recent years.

Scores on Blocked Punt
The Massillon eleven in fact showed more ground gaining ability in the first period and a few minutes of the last quarter than it did at any other time during the game. Though the first drive did not net a touchdown, it did place the ball in position for Birkish to contribute his first bit to the team by throwing himself against the ball as Starr attempted to kick out of danger, the blocked punt rolling back of the Wooster goal line where Brunker dove for it as through it were a $5 gold piece and gathered it in where no one could steal it.

The Tigers might have scored through straight football had not Andy Heben bobbled a pass from center just long enough to be tackled before he could get by the line of scrimmage on an end run.

An intercepted pass by Knowlton followed by a 35-yard run in which the little quarterback knifed this way by the Wooster secondary paved the way for the Tigers’ second touchdown, while the third was scored by “Bo” Kester after an advance of 27 yards in which Kester and Knowlton were important factors.

Wooster’s score came on a well executed pass with Starr hurling the ball to Mullen for 15 yards and the latter running 55 yards for the touchdown.

The head linesman blew his horn for offside just as the pass, was thrown and the Massillon safety man apparently heard the horn, and hesitated knocking down the pass.

Gun Ends Wooster Threat
Wooster was well on its way to score in the closing period and probably would have carried the ball over the goal line were it not for the timekeeper’s gun. Getting the ball on the Massillon 35-yard line, the visitors threw forward passes and an occasional line play carried it to the two-yard line with first down and goal to gain when the game ended.

Once in the second period the Wooster gridders also had the ball within four yards of the Massillon goal when they forfeited it to the local team on downs.

The Tigers, on the other hand, played much of the fourth period in Wooster territory, losing the ball several times within the 20-yard zone. This in fact appeared to be the only outstanding weakness on the part of the Massillon team – lack of punch at the goal line. The team does not have a plunger with the drive of Glenn Williams, fullback of the past three years, but someone may develop that punch within the next couple of weeks.

Many Substitutes Used
Coach Brown tossed so many substitutes into the game in the last half that it was difficult to keep track of all the players. It was the fist game of varsity football for all the subs and though they were weak in stopping Wooster’s passing in the last quarter, they offered almost as sturdy a forward wall as the starting linesmen.

Kester and Knowlton proved to be the best ground gainers for the locals last night. The locals made two first downs after taking the kickoff as a result of gains on end runs, one on a lateral by Kester. The first real drive, however, started about the middle of the period when the Tigers got the ball on a punt on their 42-yard line and carried it back to the three-yard line where it was lost on downs.

Knowlton was the chief factor in the advance, spinners, through the right side of the Wooster line enabling him to twice get away for gains of 10 yards. The advance had its effect on the Wooster team, however, for Birkish broke through to block Starr’s hurried punt and Brunker was on the ball immediately for a touchdown. Krier’s attempted kick from placement missed the posts.

Wooster showed its first offense in the second period when Taliaferro and Vitallo carried the ball from Wooster’s 45-yard line to the Massillon four-yard line where the ball was lost on downs. Massillon kicked back to the 26 and Wooster brought it back to the 15-yard line before again surrendering the ball on downs.

Knowlton gave the Tigers their second touchdown early in the third period when he snared Starr’s pass on the 35-yard line, midfield and cut to the east side, throwing the Wooster safety man off balance with a pretty side step as he raced over the goal. This time Krier’s placekick split the center of the posts for an extra point.

Wooster scored in the same period when Starr hurled a 15-yard pass to Mullen who took the ball on his own 45-yard line and ran 55 yards unmolested for a touchdown. Starr carried the ball over for another point. No more offense was shown by either team the remainder of the period.

Fourth Quarter Full of Action
The fourth quarter, however, was full of action, the Tigers once carrying the ball from their own 45-yard line to the Wooster 11-yard stripe and again advancing it another time from the Wooster 26-yard stripe to the six-yard line where a pass over the goal ended the threat.

Wooster’s last effort took the ball to the two-yard line with first down and goal to gain when the gun sounded. The Massillon ranks were filled with substitutes, however when this offensive was launched.

The attendance last night exceeded that of any home game last year. The bleachers were filled with spectators and a force of policemen kept the crowd clear between halves.

The Wooster band and the Washington high band were in the stands, while the drum and bugle corps of Massillon Post 221 drilled and played.

Lineup and summary:
MASSILLON Pos. WOOSTER
Lohr le Mullen
Birkish lt Campbell
Krier lg Drabenstott
Hoyman c Mathie
Schimke rg Sapp
Monroe rt Milham
Brunker re Fry
Knowlton qb Taliaferro
Kester hb Starr
Schrake hb Jolliff
Vitallo fb Foster

Score by periods:
Massillon 6 0 7 7 20
Wooster 0 0 7 0 7

Substitutions:
Massillon – Amic, fb; Heben, hb; Snavely, lg; Scott, rg; Bray, lt; Keller, re; Mansbury, hb; Brinker, le; Hutsell; Ripple; Silvis; Chovan.
Wooster – Hinderman, Zebra, re; Falvo, qb; Capolla, hb; Stoneburner, re; Heckbert, rt.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Brunker; Knowlton; Kester.
Wooster – Mullen.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Krier 2 (kicks from placement).
Wooster – Starr (line buck).

Officials:
Referee – Jenkins.
Umpire – Wagner.
Head Linesman – Rang.

Massillon vs. McK - Throwback (Large) History

1931: Massillon 20, Canton McKinley 6

Powerful Offensive Defeats Canton McKinley High 20-6
TIGER GRIDDERS PLAY BRILLIANT FOOTBALL TO DEFEAT OLD RIVAL

By LUTHER EMERY

WASHINGTON high school submerged Canton McKinley in the mud and water of Lakeside stadium, Canton, Saturday afternoon and carried off a 20-6 victory in as convincing a triumph as was ever chalked up by a Massillon football team over a Canton rival.

There was no luck in the Massillon victory. In fact the majority of the breaks went to Canton, but the Tigers showing the hidden power that has been buried in them all season, were so far superior to the red and black that they easily overcame the shortage of breaks falling to their lot and scored three touchdowns in the last two periods to decisively defeat the red and black for the 11th time in the last 19 games. Canton has won two games, two have ended in ties.

Fumbles Keep Score From Being Larger
McKinley, game as it was, can rejoice over nothing more than the satisfaction that it did not receive a worse beating. The Bulldog, tied securely in its kennel for another year, can scan the terrain of Lakeside stadium and that portion of the field around the north goal post and give thanks that it recovered three or four Massillon fumbles within the 25-yard line that halted prospective Tiger touchdown marches.

McKinley’s representative mascot with the battered nose while munching on its turkey day bones can also express delight that the referee’s whistle tooted when it did on a Canton fumble near the Massillon goal line else the red and black would have been whitewashed by the Tigers.

Yes, the breaks were against the Tigers and McKinley was fortunate that it scored on the local team, for the red and black fumbled on the 12-yard line and Williams recovered for Massillon. Though there was a diversity of opinion, Referee Shafer ruled that he had blown his whistle just as Doll fumbled the ball so Canton was given the pigskin at the point where Doll made his muff.

Dissention Cast To Winds
Anyone who had not seen the Washington high eleven in action before Saturday afternoon would have thought the Tigers unbeatable, for personal animosities and jealousies which were largely responsible for the disastrous season, were forgotten for the day, and the players imbued with the spirit of rivalry which goes with any Canton-Massillon game went out and played the kind of football they should have produced in all of the other nine games this season.

The line charged as it had never charged before, opening large holes for the ball carriers, Clendening and Williams, and when the holes didn’t open these two Tiger backs sank their cleats into the mud and drove wedges of their own into the red and black forward wall. With hands taped and heads lowered the gridders were off with the snap of the ball and so vicious were their assaults that one-half of the McKinley team and maybe an even greater percentage was exhausted and so battered up that it had to be replaced with reserve material. And some of the subs likewise went down before the rush of the Massillon gridders.

The first half score of 6-0 might indicate to the non-spectators that Canton outplayed the orange and black in the first two periods, but the fact of the matter was that Canton never had a chance. The red and black might have had a slight advantage in the first period, but from then on it was nothing but a parade of mud spattered orange and black toward the Canton goal line.

The only red and black offense of the day was uncorked in the closing minutes of the first period when McKinley after recovering a Massillon fumble in the danger zone made three successive first downs that netted a touchdown. J. Doll took the ball over on a spinner from the eight-yard line. Only one more first down was chalked up by the Bulldogs, that coming in the second half with the assistance of a five-yard penalty inflicted on the orange and black for offside.

Tigers Launch Attack
Canton’s touchdown instead of demoralizing the Tigers only served to bring out the best in the Massillon boys, for it was not until after the red and black had scored six points that the local gridders for the first time demonstrated the kind of football they could have played all season. They didn’t score in the second quarter but to the spectators it was a question of nothing more than how long the red and black could hold out against the Massillon attack and gain the breaks in the danger zone by recovering Massillon fumbles. Once the Tigers marched from their own 40-yard line to the Canton 25-yard line where Williams’ fumble was recovered by McKinley. After again gaining the ball on their own 40-yard line through a punt, they came right back to the Canton 25-yard line where another fumble was recovered by McKinley to end the threat. And once more before the half ended they worked the ball to the 18-yard line only to lose it on downs.

But fumbles couldn’t stop the Tigers when the second half opened up and they lost no time tying and taking the lead away from their Canton opponents. Williams returned the kickoff from the goal line to the 30-yard stripe. In two plays, Clendenign and Williams carried the ball to the Canton 45-yard line. Williams crashed through for a 12-yard gain to put the ball 33 yards from the goal. The going got a little harder but the orange and black kept plodding forward. Williams smashed for six yards, two yards and then a first down on the 16-yard line.

Clendening waded through on his next effort to the five-yard stripe. Canton took time out to talk it over but it was for naught for the Tigers were not to be stopped and “Horse” Williams was having a nightmare. On the next play over he went. He plunged across from the three-yard line for the extra point and Canton was beaten then and there.

Penalty Ends Threat
Just a while later the orange and black again advanced to the 30-yard line where a bad pass from center was recovered by Canton. Failing to gain, McKinley attempted to punt out of danger but the Massillon guards broke through and blocked the kick, Adams recovering for Massillon on the 30-yard line. Three plays netted a first down on the
19-yard line but a 15-yard penalty on the Tigers ended their threat.

Kester by virtue of two nicely placed punts kept the ball in Canton territory until the Tigers could secure it in a dry spot that would enable them to launch another offensive drive. It was in the fourth quarter and the locals took a punt on the 33-yard line. In two plays Williams hammered his way to the 15-yard line and in three successive attempts gave the local team a first down on the three-yard line. Clendening put it on the one-yard line and then cracked through for a touchdown. Williams again plunged across for the extra point.

The last parade had its beginning on the Canton 44-yard stripe where the locals secured the ball on a punt. In two plays Williams was down to the 30. Clendening tore off six yards and Williams narrowed the distance by four more for a first down on the 20-yard line. Three plays netted a first down on the nine-yard line from whence Williams, Singer and Kester carried the ball to the one-yard line. Then to equalize the scoring, Kester was given the ball and he weaved through left tackle for the touchdown. Williams this time was stopped when he attempted to carry the ball over for the extra point.

Line Shows Drive
While Williams and Clendening were the offensive stars of the day, the unseen and less flashy performances of the linemen made it possible for these backs to get loose. The Tigers for the most part found their success in straight football. The field was too heavy for their reverses and most of these plays failed to gain any ground. They only value was to diversity the attack.

While Canton made but four first downs one as a result of a penalty, the Tigers made the distance 21 times, an unusually large number of first downs for any football team and especially for a muddy field. But the Massillon gridders seem to like the mid. In fact, had they been forced to play on soggy gridirons all season their record might have a more impressive appearance. Their only other victory scored over Tiffin Junior Home was made on a muddy gridiron.

Only one forward pass was attempted Saturday, Canton trying an aerial heave in the closing minutes of the game. It was intercepted by Massillon.

The bands of the two schools gave the 4,000 spectators plenty of music but the drills they had practiced were saved for another year because of the muddy condition of the field. In this the Massillon band members were disappointed for they had rehearsed for the game last week as strenuously as the football team and were prepared to put on a pin wheel maneuver and an emblem drill.

The Canton girl boosters used red and orange cards form their position in the bleachers to make M’s and C’s as gestures of welcome to Massillon and Canton fans.

Summary:
Massillon Pos. Canton
Getz LE Pirolozzi
Krug LT C. Sturrett
Adams LG De Stefano
Hoyman C Billings
K. Monore RG Jones
Price RT J. Sturrett
Gump RE Ondrejas
Singer QB Gift
Knowlton LH Kopache
Kester RH H. Wilson
Williams FB J. Doll.

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 0 7 13 20
Canton 6 0 0 0 6

Substitutions:
Massillon – Clendening for Knowlton; Shrake for Gump; Brunker for Shrake; Buhecker for Singer; Heisler for Getz; Schott for Price; Getz for Heisler; Singer for Buhecker; Ripple for Monroe.
Canton – R. Doll for J. Doll; Rowe for Jones; Scholl for J. Sturrett; Miller for De Stefano; Shopbell for Billings; Myers for Kopache; Gottsheck for C. Sturrett; Jones for Rowe; Reifer for Miller; J. Doll for R. Doll; Kovesci for Myers.

Touchdowns:
Canton – Gift.
Massillon – Williams; Clendening; Kester.

Point after touchdowns:
Massillon – Williams 2 (carried).

Referee – Shafer (Akron).
Umpire – Howells (Sebring).
Head Linesman – Barrett (Akron).

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1931: Massillon 0, Dover 6

Dover Hands Washington High 6-0 Defeat
Fourth Quarter Touchdown Gives Tuscarawas County Lads Victory

By LUTHER EMERY

Washington high gridders were tossed about on a Crimson wave from Dover Saturday afternoon and submerged 6-0 in as good a game as the local eleven has been seen in this year. The scarlet swell was at high tide in the fourth quarter and flowed over the goal line to score the only touchdown of the game but it was sufficient to give Dover the first victory every recorded over a Washington high school eleven.

The Tigers, fighting hard at times and at intervals showing flashes of the type of offensive power they should be capable of producing, were outplayed more than half the game, however by the visitors.

Though threatening and several times they had the ball within the 20-yard line, the local team could not muster sufficient drive to produce a touchdown. Once in the first half it fell just a yard short of a first down on the 10-yard line and three times in the second half was within striking distance of the last scarlet stripe but could not pierce that scrappy Crimson forward wall for any points.

Dover, boasting the best football team it has placed on the field in years, and incidentally a large portion of that team is composed of sophomores, staged its big attack in the fourth quarter.

Getting the ball on their own 20-yard line, the Crimson forwards pushed back the Massillon line as the Dover backs ripped off yard after yard to carry the ball for a first down on the Tigers’ 13-yard line. A 25-yard run by Foutz and a pass on the fourth down, Godfrey to Kelker were instrumental in advancing the ball. The latter play netted the first down on the 13-yard line.

Dover’s defensive line dominated and its offense gained ground with smash-mouth running in a 1931 victory over Massillon.

The Tigers stopped to talk things over but Dover wasn’t to be stopped. Zuchegno, who has been an in and outer all year plunged through for eight yards, and Foutz went through for a touchdown on the next play. Foutz’s attempted placekick traveled wide of the goal posts.

That ended the scoring but Dover made one more flash that took the ball well into Massillon territory before the gun barked the end of the game.

Washington high again showed lack of interference for ball carriers, and practically no protection was given Clendening when he attempted to pass the ball. Dover out-gained the Tigers on the field, making 13 first downs to the local team’s six.

The big throne in the side of the Tigers Saturday afternoon was Bees, Dover center, who couldn’t be taken out of the play. He made a large percentage of the tackles and possessed an uncanny knack of diagnosing a play. Foutz was the visitors’ big ground gainer.

Clendening picked up most of the yards gathered by the Tigers.

The game Saturday was an N.E.O. league affair, and as a result of the defeat, Washington high, football champion of the Big Ten in 1930 finished the season at the bottom of the standings.

Dover had as many supporters in the stands as the local school, some 1,000 fans accompanying the Crimson here.

Summary:
Massillon Pos Dover
Getz LE Mason
Schott LT Espenschied
Krug LG Dale Godfrey
Hoyman C Rees
Adams RG Archinol
Price RT Horn
Brunker RE F. Kelker
Knowlton QB Don Godfrey
Kester LH Foutz
Buhecker RH Maurer
Singer FB Zuchegno

Score by periods:
Dover 0 0 0 6 6

Substitutions: Massillon – Clendening for Buhecker; Williams for Singer; Singer for Krug; Heisler for Brunker; Brunker for Hesiler; W. Monore for Price; Gump for Brunker; Ripple for Krug.

Touchdown:
Dover – Foutz.

Officials:
Referee – Zollars (Hiram).
Umpire – Ellis (Springfield, Mass.).
Head Linesman – Ruffini (Otterbein).

 

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1931: Massillon 0, Warren Harding

Warren Drubs Washington High Tiger Gridders
Completely Outclassed by Old Rival

By LUTHER EMERY

A neat lesson in football and a severe and painful beating was administered to Washington high school at Warren last night when Harding high of that city thumped the Tigers 18-0.

The hard hitting Warren team tore the Tiger lines to shreds as it rolled up 19 first downs to Massillon’s three and the hard battering of the red and white backs and the determined charge of their forward wall left many a Tiger on the field at the end of scrimmages.

The Massillon team returned from Warren last night badly crippled and badly used up, for the red and white went to the limit of the rules in roughing up the local players.

Lineup Juggled
The score just about represents how much Massillon was outplayed by the victors, though Warren twice was stopped within the shadow of the locals’ goal posts, once on the
three-yard line.

Coach Elmer McGrew presented a revamped lineup in an effort to stop the red and white last night. Williams was taken from his fullback position and inserted at a tackle. Buhecker held down the end usually handled by Brunker, and Shrake was tossed into the gap in the backfield left vacant by Williams’ removal.

Warren was held scoreless the first half though it twice threatened the Massillon goal line. In the third period, however, it got down to business without delay and with Burkhart, Davis and Romig carrying the ball, the red and white had little difficulty knifing its way through the Massillon line and showed exceptional skill at skirting the Tiger ends. Well developed interference preceded the ball carrier and nearly always cut down would be tacklers to advance the runner beyond the line of scrimmage.

Burkhart Shining Light
Too much Burkhart was the big reason for the Massillon defeat. After grumbling in the first half and pulling another boner or two which seemed to make of him a goat with the Warren fans, he came back in the second period to run at will through the Massillon team. He scored three touchdowns, going over on the first from the three-yard line after a 65-yard march down the field. The second time he ran 15 yards for a score after Romig had recovered Clendening’s fumble on the 34-yard line. The third touchdown, tallied in the last period, was pushed over from the one-yard line by Burkhart who was instrumental in advancing it to that point from the 37-yard line where Warren had gained the ball when Mayberry intercepted Clendening’s pass.

Warren couldn’t get any of the extra points, however. Burkhart and Davis twice tried to carry it over but were brought to earth before they could cross the goal line. Alexander attempted a dropkick after the second touchdown but the ball hit the goal posts.

Massillon never was able to work the ball into Warren territory. Clendening alone appeared capable of advancing the pigskin but he was a marked man last night. In fact the Tigers on every kickoff inserted the Massillon player at some different position on the field hoping that he would receive the ball, but Warren always kicked it to the opposite side of the field.

Warren presented a flashy 85-piece band to the crowd of 3,000 spectators. The musicians drilled between halves forming a large W and the Warren fans roared their approval. They formed an M and then the Massillon fans applauded – both of them.

Lineup and summary:
WARREN Pos. MASSILLON
Alexander le Getz
Koski lt Hoyman
Dixon lg Adams
Hunter c Schott
Sfarro rg Singer
Surby rt Williams
Dowdell re Buhecker
Mayberry qb Kester
Bartlett lh Shrake
Burkhart rh Clendening
Romig fb Foster

Score by periods:
Warren 0 0 12 6 18

Substitutions:
Warren – Davis for Burkhart; Fuller for Dowdell; Burkhart for Davis; Davis for Romig; Canzonetta for Davis; Marsh for Alexander; Spahr for Dixon.
Massillon – Knowlton for Shrake; Krug for Williams; Brunker for Buhecker; Amic for Adams; Schimke for Amic; Williams for Krug; W. Monroe for Schott; Heisler for Brunker; Porter for Clendeing; Price for Williams; Gump for Heisler; Ames.

Touchdowns:
Warren – Burkhart 3.

Referee – Harr (Geneva).
Umpire – Forbes (Geneva).
Field Judge – Van Hill.
Head Linesman – Maurer (Wooster).

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1931: Massillon 0, Steubenville 68

Steubenville Buries Washington High Under 68-0 Score
MASSILLON TEAM NO MATCH FOR POWERFUL OHIO RIVER MACHINE

Special to The Independent

STEUBENVILLE, Oct. 31 – Massillon high school’s football team was powerless before the brilliant thrusts of Wells high’s Big Red here Friday night and was buried under a 68 to 0 score. More than 5,000 spectators watched the game. Trimming the Tigers enabled the Stubbers to chalk up their sixth successive win of the season and marked their 15th straight game without a defeat.

Offense Completely Checked
The Massillon eleven played a fighting game but never once threatened to score. Their offense was bottled up completely while the Cartledgemen clicked along in great style, Burgwin and August running over 11 touchdowns, most of them on long dashes through the line or around the ends.

Clendening, at left halfback starred for Massillon . His ball carrying and passing being the Tigers’ best weapons. Kester was in great kicking form and on 13 punts averaged 40 yards a try, holding off several Stub scoring threats. Williams also was in the thick of the battle for the Stark county team, while upon their line, Hoyman at tackle, Schott, center and Getz and Krug on the terminals played hard trying to overcome the big lead of the Stubbers.

Amic and Clendening heaved 11 passes late in the game and connected on six of them, but their efforts came too late. First downs were 25 to four in favor of Wells.

Summary:
Steubenville Pos. Massillon
Dorosczyk LE Brunker
Stas LT Hoyman
Rybalt LG Singer
Whistler C Schott
Schatt RG Adams
Pabian RT Krug
Willoughby RE Getz
Boss QB Buhecker
August RH Kester
Burgwin LH Clendening
Dentino FB Williams

Touchdowns:
Steubenville – Burgwin 6; August 5.

Placements:
Steubenville – Burgwin; Rybalt.

Substitutions:
Steubenville – Arthurse; Yannon; Weinman; Sutton; Deluca; Rinnallo.
Massillon – Gump; Price; Schimke; K. Monroe; Amic.

Friday’s Defeat
Sets New Record

Washington high school’s football team ,with only one victory to its credit this season, is not going to set the world afire as a winning aggregation but it will at least finish the campaign with one record on its books – although one that is nothing to crow about.

When Steubenville’s powerful outfit smeared the Tigers 68 to 0 last night in the Ohio River city, the orange and black sustained the greatest defeat ever administered to a Massillon high school team since football became a flourishing sport. That’s the record.

Previous to last night the greatest defeat suffered by Massillon occurred in 1921 when the first team coached by David B. Stewart lost to Dayton Steele at Dayton 63 to 0. But the next year Stewart’s eleven more than made up for that trouncing by lacing the Steeles here 31 to 7 in the opening game of the season.

Maybe some day Massillon will have a chance to turn the tables on Steubenville. Let’s hope.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1931: Massillon 0, Barberton 14

Barberton Defeats Washington High 14-0
Tiger Backfield Men Helpless Behind Weak Line

By LUTHER EMERY

They may call them the Magicians, but there was nothing magical about the Barberton high school gridders’ 14-0 victory over Washington high school at Barberton Saturday afternoon. The purple and white eleven with a strong scrappy line, a fast and shifty quarterback and a hard hitting fullback played straight football and simply rushed the Massillon eleven off its feet to gain the first grid victory ever registered against a Tiger eleven.

Washington high, reinforced by some new reverse plays, couldn’t begin to execute them for the weak forward wall of the Massillon team wilted like a field of oats in a windstorm and the Barberton linemen came crashing through to check nearly every attempt at deceptive football.

Plays Smashed
Once in the first period, the orange and black gained some 12 yards on a double reversal and after that they lost more ground than they could gain on these double and triple plays simply because the line would not hold long enough to permit their execution.

But though the line was weak as a whole, it was strong in one spot and that was the guard position held down by John Singer, who is just about the smallest person on the forward wall at that. Singer showed as much fight and scrap as the others put together and for that reason probably made one half of the tackles Saturday, which is to say that he also made as many tackles as the rest of the team put together.

Because of the weakness of the line, the Tiger backfield, couldn’t get going. Clendening and Williams on a couple of occasions demonstrated what they might do if the forward wall would give them half a chance, the former twice nearly getting free for touchdown sprints, while Williams, who had been marked by the Barberton gridders, got the ball on one kickoff and carried it back to midfield before being downed. From scrimmage he couldn’t gain a yard. Clendening picked up most of the ground the orange and black gained from scrimmage Saturday afternoon. It was the first time this season that he has shown any ability to advance the ball.

The Barberton gridders were jubilant in their victory over the orange and black for it was the first the school has ever been able to register against a Massillon eleven.

The pill, bitter as it was, might have been worse, however, were it not for the fact that the Barberton eleven is coached by Jimmy Price, former Washington high quarterback and halfback of a few years ago. Jimmy has a hard fighting team at Barberton this year, one that has lost but one game, and one that should keep its slate clean the remainder of the season.

Price’s team, however, gained no more first downs from scrimmage than did the Massillon eleven Saturday afternoon, each team making the required yardage nine times. Barberton, however, played much of the game in Massillon territory, while the local team on only a few occasions worked the ball into the Magicians’ half of the field. Only when Barberton scored its two touchdowns, however, did the purple and white succeed in getting deep into Massillon territory.

Barberton Scores Early
Barberton scored early in the first quarter. Getting the ball on its 15-yard line, the Magicians with Williams and Jerina carrying the ball reeled off three first downs in a row to carry the pigskin to the Massillon 21-yard line. Williams picked up seven yards at right end and right guard and Jerina on the third down plunged through to the four-yard mark before being tackled. Williams made a yard and Jerina in two attempts crashed his way through right tackle across the goal line. He placekicked the extra point.

The last score of the game was tallied in the third quarter when after advancing the ball from the Barberton 45-yard line to the Massillon 25-yard line, Williams shirted his right end for a touchdown. Whitman bucked across the extra point.

Massillon threatened but once and that ended on the two and one-half yard line where the Tigers forfeited the ball on downs. A pass, Clendening to Getz, had placed the ball on the 26-yard line and a 15-yard penalty inflicted on Barberton for holding advanced it to the
11-yard line. It was in the fourth quarter. Kester gained three yards at right tackle and Clendening hit the same spot for four more. Williams got but a yard on the next play and with fourth down coming and two yards to go for a first down, Clendening was stopped after a gain of about a yard and the opportunity for a touchdown was lost.

The Tigers never threatened again and their passing attack, which had the Magicians baffled on several plays, got weaker as the game progressed and was useless at the end.

Homecoming Day
It was homecoming day at Barberton, but the crowd that turned out for the game would indicate that the school has very few alumni members. Less than a thousand people witnessed the duel and several hundred of those were from Massillon.

Following the game several members of the Massillon squad got into a scuffle with some Barberton spectators who gave them the raspberries as they were leaving the field. The group was quickly dispersed before anything more than bruises could be administered by opposing fists.

Line up and summary:
Barberton Pos Massillon
Conrad LE Brunker
Burdett LT W. Monore
M. Williams LG Singer
Bernard C Schott
Burnley RG Schimke
Gilcher RT Adams
Ziblet RE Getz
J. Williams QB Knowlton
Reese LH Clendening
Klase RH Kester
Jerina FB Williams

Score by periods:
Barberton 7 0 7 0 14

Substitutions:
Barberton – Whitman for Klase; Campbell for Burdett.
Massillon – K. Monroe for Schimke; Krug for Adams; Heisler for Brunker; Foster for Knowlton; Gump for Getz; Buhecker for Kester, Porter for K. Monore; Bender for Gump; Shrake for Clendening; Amic for Williams; Bender for W. Monroe; Mudd; W. Toles.

Touchdowns:
Barberton – Jerina; Williams.

Point after touchdown:
Barberton – Jerina (kick); Whitman (carried).

Officials:
Referee – Weltner.
Umpire – Tucker.
Head Linesman – Werner.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1931: Massillon 7, Tiffin Junior Home 0

WASHINGTON HIGH GRIDDERS DEFEAT TIFFIN JUNIORS IN DRIVING RAIN 7 TO 0
LONG RUN BY KESTER PUTS BALL IN PLACE FOR WINNING POINTS

By LUTHER EMERY

WASHINGTON high school gridders splashed through a driving rain to their first victory of the season Friday evening when they defeated Tiffin Junior Home 7-0 on Massillon Field.

Old Jupiter Pluvius played a more prominent part in the game than any individual in football uniform and Washington high can attribute its victory to his sprinkling system.

Handle Ball Better
Better handling of the slippery ball was responsible for the victory. If there are any three individuals on the Massillon team who deserve extra credit for the triumph, they are Schott, center, Foster who did part of the punting and Kester who not only helped to boot the ball but who cut loose with a long return of a punt from his own 38-yard line to the
one-yard line that made possible the Tigers’ only touchdown.

Kester placed the team in scoring position, and Schott’s good passing of the slippery ball gave the Juniors no chance for a break, while the Tigers following the ball like hawks, pounced upon nearly every Tiffin fumble and in that way stopped the offensive thrusts of the visitors.

The Juniors fumbled and fumbled, and often poor passes from center slowed down the punter with the result that the Tigers blocked several kicks. In practically every instance a Washington high player was on the bottom of the pileups which occurred after three misplays. On the other hand, but few fumbles were made by the local team and only one kick was blocked and that, fortunately, was recovered by a Massillon player.

Juniors Gain More Ground
In ground gaining the Junior gridders were superior and more reckless than the Massillon ball toters who chose to stick to a defensive game and take no chances after scoring the touchdown. The Juniors pushed through to 10 first downs, getting four in the first quarter, three in the second, one in the third and two in the fourth. Washington high on the other hand made but three first downs, two in the second period and another in the fourth.

Though playing under the worst conditions, the Tigers showed more fight to the 1,000 fans who braved the elements, than they have displayed in any other game this season. Tackling for the most part was more vicious than it has been and while the offense showed but little, the smashes of Williams were more like the thrusts the Massillon fullback delivered last year. Clendening did nothing with the ball but he did make a couple of fierce tackles when he stood Junior Home players on their heads as they came streaking by the line of scrimmage. K. Monroe broke into the lineup for the first time in several weeks and played a fine game.

The outstanding player, however, was not a Massillon man, but Horace Anderson tall Junior fullback whose speed made fans wonder just what he might have done to the local team on a dry field.

Anderson and R. Perry in the very first period streaked through the Massillon offense for long runs which carried the ball from the Tiffin 40 to the Massillon 15-yard line, where Schott recovered a Tiffin fumble on the first down. The Tigers punted back to the 40 but runs by R. Perry and a pass, R. Perry to Anderson, took the ball to a first down on the seven-yard line. W. Perry smashed through to the one-yard line on the next play and here the Tigers braced and showed their greatest strength of the season. They turned back the next three drives and took possession of the ball on their three-yard line.

That ended Tiffin’s two scoring opportunities in the first half. In the last two periods the Juniors twice carried the ball far into Massillon territory but lost it on fumbles.

Williams Scores Touchdown
The only time Washington high got any distance beyond midfield was when it scored. Three minutes and 45 seconds of the second period had expired when Kester snared a Tiffin punt on his own 38-yard line, and after being apparently stopped wriggled out of a huddle of players, reversed his field and raced to the one-yard line where he was stopped. On the next play, Williams crashed through the center of the line for a touchdown, and likewise bucked over the extra point.

The Massillon eleven never had another opportunity to score and for the most part played its offensive football in its own territory, punting on third down because of the slippery condition of the field.

The rain was a severe blow to the athletic treasury, for it undoubtedly would have been the best paying home tilt on the Tigers’ schedule. Yet in spit of the downpour, there were a thousand or more folks in the bleachers to witness the event which had been heavily advertised in surrounding cities. The Junior Order band of Canton was present and played before the game but left the field as soon as the rain began to fall. The Washington high band likewise was forced to scatter before the end of the first half. A play by play description was broadcast from the sidelines through amplifying equipment.

Summary
Massillon Pos. Junior Home
Heisler LE W. Schlemmer
W. Monroe LT Rich
Schimke LG C. Newkirk
Schott C Henry Anderson
W. Toles RG Peacock
Adams RT Whoolery
Getz RE Cartwright
Knowlton QB W. Perry
Singer LH Herron
Kester RH R. Perry
Williams FB Horace Anderson

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 7 0 0 7

Substitutions:
Massillon – Brunker, le; K. Monroe, rg; Foster, lh; Singer, lg; Shrake, qb; Clendening, qb; Porter, lg; Amic, fb; Beck, lt; Shackleton, le; Shattuck, hb; Bender, re; Krug, rt; Mudd, Gump; Ripple.
Junior Home – G. Hamlin, qb; A. Hamlin, re; Fuller, e; M. Newkirk, lg; Thompson, rt; Broughton, qb; Mylers, c.

Touchdown:
Massillon – Williams.

Point after touchdown:
Massillon – Williams (line buck).

Officials:
Referee – Howells.
Umpire – Shafer.
Head Linesman – Barrett.

Time of periods: 12 minutes.