‘Not so sharp’ Tigers grind out 265 yards rushing in 43‑0 rout
By MIKE HUDAK Independent Sports Editor
So how good are the Massillon Tigers?
“We really weren’t very sharp tonight,” said Tiger head coach Mike Currence. “We were sharp last week against Newark, and its hard to be real sharp two weeks in a row.”
“Even the crowd was flat,” chipped in grizzled offensive coordinator Nick Vrotsos. “The fans didn’t get aroused until that bad penalty call late in the third quarter, and then they went flat again.”
The final score? The Tigers 43, Barberton 0, the proverbial “sweet revenge” for last years 26‑24 upset at the hands of the Magics.
Program Cover
The game itself wasn’t very exciting – the Tigers dominated from start to literally the finish. From a reporter’s standpoint, the highlight came afterwards in the Barberton lockerroom, when an ‘upset’ Magic head coach Rudy Sharkey seemed convinced that the Tigers had tried to run up the score. (The Tigers did score on the final play of the game, a seven‑yard sweep by junior Kirk Ivan.)
“No, this loss didn’t hurt,” he fumed. “Some other year, Currence will get his. If the guy needs points that bad, fine. Like I said, another year, and that’s all I have to say.”
But you can’t really blame the guy for being grumpy ‑ he entered this season with a .718 winning percentage in 10 years at the helm of the Magics, and this year’s 1‑5 start is bound to be a blow to even the strongest ego.
But Currence disavowed running up the score. In fact, it was only earlier this week that he told a luncheon audience that he always tried to refrain from doing so; it only hurt the opponent’s confidence for future games, valuable for computer points, plus aroused the victims for the next rematch.
(A final memory of the Barberton lockerroom: Sharkey’s devastated troops gathered around him; the coach bellowing the answers to reporters’ questions. “There’ll be another year, ” Sharkey grits his teeth. “RIGHT, TEAM?” “RIGHT COACH, ” scream the players back.)
“In the first place, the players called that final timeout late in the game, not me. Two, as far as I’m concerned, we tried to run out the clock. We ran the exact same sweep four times in a row, and they didn’t defend against it right once, which isn’t our fault. In fact, I was surprised that they stayed in the exact same defense all night; I don’t think they shut down one of our sweeps the entire game,” Currence said.
There was a final mitigating factor to the late score, incidentally. The player who scored on the jaunt, Ivan, just happened to be celebrating his birthday ‑ and as his teammates knew, what better time to score your first touchdown as a Tiger!
Neither team scored on its first possession. But the Tigers kept Barberton backed up in the shadow of its goal on their second possession, forcing the first of many short punts which kept the Tigers in great field position the entire night.
The Tigers began possession on the Magic 25 and scored in five plays. Bushe, who led Tiger rushers with 97 yards in 13 carries, had gallops of nine and 10 yards en route to the end zone. He then plunged over from the one with 4:40 left in the quarter, followed by a Bronc Pfisterer conversion kick.
Massillon didn’t score again until 3:51 remained in the half. Another short punt after being penned deep gave the Tigers possession on the Barberton 39. The first play from scrimmage saw quarterback Brian DeWitz hit receiver Jim Geiser with a 21‑yard pass to the 18. Four plays later Chris Spielman pounded over from the one, with the kick no good. Tigers see five backs tally The ensuing kick went into the end zone and on the first play from scrimmage, junior Ken Rector’s pass was picked off by Marcell Stephens, giving the Tigers possession at the Magic 41.
This time it took the Tigers six plays to score. Fullback Tim Sampsel did final honors on a one‑yard plunge with 1:02 remaining, following a nine‑yard scramble by DeWitz. Pfisterer’s kick was good for a 20‑0 halftime lead.
The Tigers made it 26‑0 with their second possession after intermission. A 73‑yard drive began when DeWitz underthrew a wide‑open Geiser, who retreated for the ball for a 38‑yard gain, with a late hit moving the ball down to the Magic 20. Six plays later, DeWitz, dropping straight back for one of the few times all evening, found Bushe wide open over the middle for a nine-yard scoring pass. The kick failed, but the Tigers led 26‑0 with 4:57 left in the third period.
Massillon went on to score 17 points in the final period ‑ all following the contest’s most controversial moment.
Typically, Barberton was forced to punt, and the short boot sailed towards the Tigers’ Stephens, who plainly signaled for a fair coach. The Barberton defender ran right through the signal and smashed into Stephens while the ball was still in the air, an obvious infraction. But the official call was a fumble, with Barberton recovering the ball! The home crowd let out a long chorus of boos, followed by Massillon’s defense regaining the ball 22 yards the other direction following a 10‑yard sack on fourth down registered by middle guard John Franke!
The Tigers didn’t score with that possession, but the next time they touched the ball it was at Barberton’s 30, following, you guessed it, another short, wobbly punt out of the end zone!
It took the Tigers three plays to score this time, with fullback Tom Gruno rambling in from ten yards out with 8:33 left in the game, followed by a successful boot.
Barberton tried again, but its next effort resulted in a Bill Davis interception, and the Tigers had the ball on the Magics’ 30. This time the Tigers settled for a 27‑yard field goal off the foot of Pfisterer for a 36‑zip lead with 3:35 left.
But the Tigers weren’t through yet. This time Mike Galant picked off a pass, the Tigers fourth theft of the evening, setting up Ivan’s final score as the Tiger reserves pushed the Magics all over the field.
The key to the game was reflected in the final rushing totals ‑ the Tigers racked up 265 yards on the ground, Barberton a mere 54.
After the game, all the Tiger running backs pointed to the dominance of the Tiger offensive line, consisting of the likes of Ty Beadle, Darrell Strickling, Tim Sweterlistch, Charles Calhoun, Rick Hamit, and others.
“They just kept opening hole after hole,” said Bushe, the Tigers’ game rushing leader. “If anyone should get the credit tonight, it’s those guys.”
Now, it’s on to next week, when the 6‑0 Tigers will take on the invaders from Pennsylvania, a team from Sharon shameless enough to bill themselves as the Tigers!
MASSILLON 49 BARBERTON 3 M 0 First downs rushing 16 3 First downs passing 3 4 First downs by penalty 1 3 Totals first downs 20 10 Yards gained rushing 270 76 Yards lost rushing 5 22 Net yards rushing 265 54 Net yards passing 78 59 Total yards gained 343 113 Passes attempted 10 22 Passes completed 4 9 Passes int. by 4 1 Yardage on pass int. 36 0 Times kicked 7 1 Kickoff average 53.1 34.2 Kickoff return yards 0 74 Punts 2 6 Punting average 35.0 25.0 Punt return yards 3 0 Punts blocked by 0 0 Fumbles 2 1 Fumbles lost 2 0 Penalties 3 4 Yards penalized 45 51 Touchdowns rushing 5 0 Touchdowns passing 1 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Number of plays 55 51 Time of Possession 23:26 24:34 Attendance 9,096
Tigers roll to fifth win, 49‑7 over Newark ‘Laugher’ belies players concern for Hendershot
By MIKE HUDAK Independent Sports Editor
MASSILLON ‑ The most advanced computer in the world would be hard pressed to match the efficiency of the Massillon Tigers Friday night.
The state’s No. 2 ranked Class AAA team ran roughshod over the visiting Newark Wildcats in a 49‑6 ‘laugher,’ but there was little joy in the Tiger lockerroom before the contest.
“We wanted to dedicate this game to Scott Hendershot,” said Tiger junior Chris Spielman afterwards. “This one was for him.”
The Tigers’ 55, a junior backup lineman, was not on the sidelines for Friday’s game. He was home with his family, his stomach in knots, awaiting news on his 7‑year‑old sister, Dawn Marie, last seen leaving school Wednesday afternoon.
“Scott was right where he should have been tonight,” said Massillon head coach Mike Currence. “The team prayed for the little girl’s safe return before and after the game. It was certainly something that was on our minds; we were all ready to play tonight.”
Program Cover
Newark tried to be fancy from the start, as the opening kick was promptly caught and passed across the field to a player stationed on the sidelines, who promptly fumbled the ball out of bounds, a harbinger of things to come for the Wildcats.
Newark mounted one of its best drives on its opening possession, though, advancing to the Tiger 48 before being forced to punt.
The Tigers began on their own 28, marching the remaining 72 yards in just six plays. Jim Bushe, returning to action after a hip pointer cost him most of two games, announced himself healthy by rambling 16 yards on the first play. Three plays later, fullback Tim Sampsel found a big hole and rambled 29 yards to the Newark eight, his longest gain of the year. A play later, Spielman broke through for a seven‑yard touchdown run, followed by the first of seven straight Bronc Pfisterer conversion kicks.
Seconds later, Spielman stepped in front of a Terry Balding pass, recording his second interception of the year; the third was to follow. Less than three minutes after the first Tiger score, Spielman rambled 12 yards for the second.
Newark again was forced to punt, and after a jitterbug return by Gary Conley, the Tigers marched 66 yards in seven plays. After his punt return, Conley kept the ball rolling by grabbing a 30‑yard pass by junior quarterback Brian DeWitz down to Newark’s 36. Bushe capped the drive with a three‑yard run with 10:38 remaining in the half.
“Our offense was better tonight because Jim was back with his running and blocking,” said Currence. “He looked very strong.”
“My hip didn’t bother me at all,” said the senior speedster afterwards. “I was just too happy to be back on the playing field to worry about pain.”
The Tigers actually had to punt the next time they gained possession, a high, spiraling 41‑yarder by DeWitz, the baby‑faced bomber with the leg of steel. But Newark certainly couldn’t do anything with the ball, except fumble it away on an option play with the Tigers’ Bob Robinson hopping on the loose orb after a 12‑yard loss on the Wildcat eight.
Three plays later, Tiger senior Tom Gruno bulled it over from two yards out. The half ended with the Tigers up 28-0. It was almost 35‑0 ‑ on the Tigers final possession before halftime, Conley found himself unbelievably open behind the Newark secondary but DeWitz’s pass just eluded his fingertips.
Massillon received the second half kick, with Tom Manion almost breaking it for a long‑gainer before being hauled down at the Tiger 34. Three plays later, DeWitz arched a bomb over a leaping defender and into Conley’s hands for a 55‑yard score. Action for Tiger offensive regulars was over for the night. Tigers roar to fifth straight win. The quarter ended with the Tigers leading 35‑0. Spielman’s diving, fingertip interception which stopped a Newark drive at Massillon’s 21 highlighted the remainder of the period. After the theft, the Tigers’ regular defense followed the offense to the sidelines as the Tiger backups saw their most extensive playing time of the year.
Early in the fourth quarter, a 38‑yard run by Tom Gruno ‑ his longest jaunt of the season ‑ put the ball on Newark’s 15. Senior Mark Smith went the final eight yards with 9:57 left in the game.
The Tigers’ seventh TD of the night came after a Mike Gallant interception at the Newark 26 which he returned to the 19. With 7:35 remaining in the game, junior Brian Spicer smashed over the line from four yards out to cap a short, four‑play drive.
Newark finally scored with 4:54 remaining. A 73‑yard drive was finalized by a 14‑yard run by Newark’s Tim Dierks. Finishing what they had begun, the Wildcats’ kick was off the mark.
Newark fell to 2‑3 with the loss. About the only consolation coach Bill Biggers could find is that his team didn’t lose the game in the waning seconds like the previous two weeks.
“That was the worst I’ve ever been beaten in 11 years of head coaching,” said Biggers. “We were embarrassed here tonight, but that’s not to take anything away from the Tigers; they’re a fine, fine team.
“In the end, it wasn’t our mental errors or the crowd that beat us; the Tigers just blew us out plain and simple. They’re the best team I’ve ran across, both offensively and defensively, in a long time.”
Now the 5‑0 Tigers must prepare, for Barberton on Friday night. The Magics haven’t shown much in the way of wizard‑like powers so far this year, but the Tigers can hardly afford to be overconfident after last year’s shocking loss to the tradition‑bound school.
“It’s Up To You in ’82” is the official slogan for this year’s squad, but Spielman always ends his post‑game quotes with a slogan that’s just as good: “Tonight’s over and done. It’s next week’s game that matters now.”
MASSILLON 49 NEWARK 6 M O First downs rushing 12 8 First downs passing 4 3 First downs by penalty 0 2 Totals first downs 16 13 Yards gained rushing 249 73 Yards lost rushing 13 44 Net yards rushing 249 73 Net yards passing 119 73 Total yards gained 368 146 Passes attempted 16 23 Passes completed 8 6 Passes int. by 3 0 Yardage on pass int. 11 0 Times kicked off 8 2 Kickoff average 55.4 30.0 Kickoff return yards 23 85 Punts 3 7 Punting average 45.0 35.6 Punt return yards 38 0 Punts blocked by 0 0 Fumbles 2 2 Fumbles lost 0 1 Penalties 4 0 Yards penalized 40 0 Touchdowns rushing 6 1 Touchdowns passing 1 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Number of plays 53 58 Time of possession 24:22 23:18 Attendance 9,414
Newark 0 0 0 6 6 Massillon 14 14 7 14 49
M ‑ Spielman 7‑yard run. (Pfisterer kick). M ‑ Spielman 12‑yard run. (Pfisterer kick). M ‑ Bushe 3 yard run, (Pfisterer kick.) M ‑ Gruno 2‑yard ran. (Pfisterer kick,) M – Conley 55 yard pass from DeWitz. (Pfisterer kick.) M ‑ Smith 8‑yard run. (Pfisterer kick.) M ‑ Spicer 4‑yard run. (Pfisterer kick.) N ‑ Dierks 12‑yard run, (kick failed).
Tigers nip Central‑Hower 7‑3 Emotions run high after Tiger defense rises to new heights
By MIKE HUDAK Independent Sports Editor
MASSILLON ‑ An emotional win does different things to different people.
Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, the locals remained unbeaten by downing a stubborn Akron Central‑Hower squad 7‑3. A big factor in the contest was senior defensive end Derrick Johnson, who twice broke through the offensive line to record sacks late in the game while the visitors attempted a final surge towards the Tiger goal.
Afterwards, friends surrounded his locker, squeezing the big senior with bearhugs of joy. But Johnson was too emotionally spent to laugh or talk or celebrate. All Johnson could do was sit and cry tears of joy.
Program Cover
There may not have been a lot of scoring in the contest, but the 8,114 fans who sat through four quarters of a chilly autumn rain didn’t feel cheated, and certainly didn’t exit until the final gun assured Massillon of victory.
The rain certainly had an effect on the game, but it certainly wasn’t the deciding factor.
“Basically, we lost to a very good team tonight,” said Ram coach Tim Flossie, whose squad drops to 1‑2 on the year after going 10‑1 last season. “I thought both teams did an excellent job under the conditions; had the weather been ideal it just would have meant both teams would have been a bit more effective offensively,” insinuating that the Tigers would have won no matter what was failing out of the sky.
“We threw the ball well tonight, but the rain caused us to drop some passes we may have caught,” said Tiger head coach Mike Currence. “Of course, the wet field caused our running backs to lose their footing several times, too.
“But in the end, everyone did their job tonight. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t have won.”
It was a battle of the trenches from the beginning. The Tigers took the opening kick but had to punt. The Rams then used up most of the first quarter with a 14‑play drive that went 46 yards before the Tigers stopped Eric Mosley inches short of a first down on the Massillon 34‑yardline on a fourth down option pitchout from the quarterback. Earlier, the Rams had proved their intentions of gaining victory at all cost by going for the first down on a fourth‑and‑one situation on their own 34 and making it.
The Tigers then reciprocated with a drive to the C‑H 33 that ended when Brian DeWitz endzone bomb was intercepted by the Rams Paul Miller. But the Rams’ gave the ball back moments later when the Rams’ wishbone offense stumbled at an inopportune moment ‑ an option pitch was fumbled and recovered by Tiger linebacker Chris Spielman after an eight‑yard loss on the Ram 29.
Massillon capitalized on the break with the only touchdown of the night. The seven-play drive saw Spielman tote the final 14 yards on three consecutive carries, the capper a six‑yard run with 6:04 remaining in the half. Bronc Phsiterer’s kick was good for a 7‑0 lead.
it appeared that the Tigers might score again before the half. A beautiful coffin corner punt by DeWitz bounded out of bounds at C‑H’s 2, where they were stymied and had to punt ‑ a short boot that the Tigers took over on the Ram 26 with about two minutes remaining.
The Tigers soon found just three yards short of paydirt with 51 seconds remaining. But two cracks into the line failed, and on fourth down, an incompletion gave the ball back to C‑H.
Most of the fans were wondering why the Tigers didn’t stop the clock and try the field goal ‑ what they didn’t know is that the Tigers were out of time outs, their final clock‑stopper having been used without official notification to the pressbox or stands. Tigers stay perfect! “I used the last time out to attempt to save time for us,” explained Currence. “I thought for sure that we’d be able to punch it in in one or two cracks, and I was stunned when we didn’t; we had been blowing them out at the line. But one thing they did was move 205‑pound Troy Rackley over from defensive end to tackle when we weren’t expecting it, and he really plugged the hole.”
The Rams actually switched a lot of personnel around for the game, including switching 220‑pound Destin Scott to the middle guard spot, when the Tigers were expecting a 160‑pounder there!
“We had been preparing for this game for two weeks,” admitted Flossie. “The defensive switches worked well for us; I was especially pleased with the play of our interior linebackers.”
The second half was more great defense on both sides. The Rams almost broke the opening kickoff, returning it to the C‑H 42, and proceeded to drive to the Tiger eight, where it was second‑and‑seven.
But Ram quarterback Ray Jackson was hit for a two‑yard loss on the next play, followed by a great defensive play by the Tigers’ Marcell Stephens, the 160‑lb. defensive back, who stopped an endzone pass with a great hit.
“The play was a tight end out cut, and I was back‑peddling on the coverage,” said Stephens. “The footing was terrible and I lost my balance momentarily, but I caught the ball out of the corner of my eye and regained my balance to stick him good just as the ball arrived.”
The Rams then had to settle for a 26‑yard field goal by Kelly Clark with 5:58 left in the third quarter, cutting the Tiger lead to 7‑3. The scoreboard never changed again.
The Rams threatened again when Miller grabbed his second interception and returned it to the Tiger 18.
“The receiver broke the pattern; it was supposed to be a curl and he decided to change it. If the quarterback had been able to read the move it might have gone for a long‑gainer, but it was too late and only the defensive back ended up where the receiver was supposed to be.”
But the defense stiffened, regaining possession on the 18 when a pass was overthrown into the endzone. The Tigers then moved 67 yards themselves before losing the ball on downs at the Ram 18. A key play in the clock‑eating march was a 41‑yard pass play from DeWitz to senior receiver Jim Geiser on a third‑and‑12 situation.
“I told the coach I could beat the guy deep, and he, ‘let’s take the risk, “‘ reported Geiser, the team’s leading receiver on the year.
“That was a great catch,” added Flossie. “Our guy was right there, but it was just a great catch.”
After the Tigers’ drive ended, the Rams had two more chances to score. The first possession ended in a punt after a clipping call and a sack by the Tigers’ Junior Neff forced the boot.
Central‑Hower’s final chance saw Johnson’s fierce rush put the final icing on what was hardly a piece of cake.
Statistically, Massillon outgained C‑H 230‑119, including a 126‑0 advantage in the air. DeWitz completed 9‑of‑19 tosses on the night, with Spielman catching four passes for 26 yards and Geiser three passes for 63 yards. Spielman led the Tiger ground attack with 20 totes for 95 yards.
“Massillon jut didn’t make mistakes, they’re a helluva team,” concluded Flosie, who might have been beaten but left Massillon with the respect of all who watched his team.
MASSILLON 7 CEN‑HOWER 3 M 0 First downs rushing 8 8 First downs passing 5 0 First downs by penalty 0 1 Totals first downs 13 9 Yards gained rushing 131 156 Yards lost rushing 27 37 Net yards rushing 104 119 Net yards passing 126 0 Total yards gained 230 119 Passes attempted 19 4 Passes completed 9 0 Passes int. by 0 2 Yardage on pass int. 0 17 Times kicked off 2 2 Kickoff average 55.0 54.0 Kickoff return yards 22 32 Punts 2 3 Putting average 32.5 26.0 Punt return yards 18 0 Punts blocked by 0 0 Fumbles 1 2 Fumbles lost 0 1 Penalties 3 2 Yards penalized 35 25 Touchdowns rushing 1 0 Touchdowns passing 0 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Number of plays 57 51 Time of possession 25:14 22:42 Attendance 8,114
Cen‑Hower 0 0 3 0 3 Massillon 0 7 0 0 7
M ‑ Spielman 6‑yard ran. (Phisterer kick) CH ‑ Clark 26‑yard field goal.
WARREN ‑ The door to the Warren Harding coaches’ office had been closed for a long time. Reporters stood outside wondering if they should dare enter.
“I wouldn’t walk in unless it’s very important, ” said a middle‑aged lady wearing a Panther jacket.
Most of the media walked away, cause they knew that Harding head coach Frank Thomas, a former Massillon defensive coordinator, had called Friday’s game “a big one for our team, our season, our program and myself.”
Program Cover
So, nothing could be important enough to bother Thomas after his team had been humiliated 36‑6 by the Massillon Tigers. The score was misleading; the Tigers led 33‑0 at halftime, and seemingly could have won 100‑0 if they desired; instead, Massillon coach Mike Currence was content to use the second half as a long workout for the reserves.
The Tigers would have registered their first shutout of the year if Harding’s all purpose senior Greg Bumbu hadn’t picked up a meaningless fumble in the fourth quarter and raced 60 yards for the final score of the game.
Needless to say, Currence was impressed by the offensive explosion which set the Panthers into early comatose shock.
“I’ve shed many a tear in this lockerroom; this was certainly a welcome victory.
But did he expect the overwhelming proportions of the landslide?
“You always hope for a game like this, but it was one of those nights when everything clicked, even the halfback option,” he stated. “But I was especially pleased by the way we capitalized on our opportunities. That’s the sign of a champion, and hopefully a sign that we’ve come of age. But as good as we were tonight, we have to start all over again next week against Central Hower.”
The first half was a sight to behold. It was the biggest mismatch since Chuck Wepner stepped into the ring against Mohammed Ali.
The Tigers took the opening kickoff and marched 72 yards in eight plays. The first two plays saw Tiger tailback Chris Spielman run off gains of 14 and 35 yards, immediately panicking a defense whose previous two game defensive totals had been halved in Massillon’s first two plays from scrimmage!
The drive ended at the 8:32 mark when junior quarterback Brian DeWitz hit senior receiver Jim Geiser with an 8‑yard scoring pass, with Bronc Phisterer’s conversion kick good.
In was three plays and punt for Harding, and the Tigers revved up again. Started successfully on the ground, the Tigers caught the Panthers napping as DeWitz hit receiver Gary Conley with a 44‑yard bomb to the Panther one. Sampsel then smashed over for the score, with the ensuing kick no good.
Harding started to mount a drive when senior co‑captain Greg Bumbu caught a 41‑yard pass from quarterback Tom Butler for good position at the Tiger 37, but then Tyrone Nelson fumbled and the Tigers’ Speilman recovered.
The Tigers had to actually punt the ball once before getting it back and scoring again with 9:20 remaining in the half. With a drive starting on their own 37, it ended shortly later with a 25‑yard pass from DeWitz to Conley. The conversion failed, but the Tigers led 19‑0.
Again the Panthers were stopped without a first down. This time the Tigers marched 40 yards in five plays, with Spielman taking scoring honors with a 17‑yard run. The kick was good and the margin had jumped to 26‑0 with 5:50 remaining in the half.
The snake‑bitten Panthers connected on another bomb to the Tiger 40, but then the quarterback promptly fumbled twice on the same play with the Tigers recovering on the Harding 45.
The Tigers then reached into the magician’s bag of tricks and connected on a halfback option play from Spielman to Geiser which almost hit paydirt. Tiger fullback Tom Gruno shortly thereafter plunged, over, the kick was good and the Tigers led 36‑0. Tigers now 3‑0 and a power Warren promptly fumbled the ensuing kickoff back to the Tigers, but the visitors graciously allowed the clock to expire without further bombardment.
The game was over at halftime for all intents and purposes. Second half scoring consisted of a 25‑yard field goal by Pfisterer and Harding’s fumble return off a quarterback sack.
The halftime stats were incredible. At that point, the Tigers led in total yardage 279‑65, despite only holding the ball for two more minutes. In the final totals, the Tigers outgained the Punters 406‑96, gaining 231 yards rushing and 175 through the air. Harding’s success came through the air; the Panthers ‑ were negative‑10 rushing on the night.
Spielman led Tiger rushers with none carries yards, while Jim Bushe carried 11 times for 78 yards. DeWitz wasn’t needed much but he was an effective four‑of-seven for 88 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, the talented junior has yet to have anything but a fine game. Conley led the team in receptions with four four yards; Conley and John Pierce hauled down three passes each.
All in all it was a great night for the Tigers who rose to 3 and did nothing to jeopardize their computer or UPI rankings. Harding fell to 2‑1 with the loss and must attempt to pick up the pieces.
Was there anything at all about the game which wasn’t fine from the Tigers’ standout?
“We, we looked flat in pre‑game drills,” chuckled Currence who hopes he’s on the road to something special here in 1982.
MASSILLON 36 W. HARDING 6 M W First downs rushing 14 1 First downs passing 5 5 First downs by penalty 0 1 Totals first downs 19 7 Yards gained rushing 252 37 Yards lost rushing 21 47 Net yards rushing 231 -10 Net yards passing 175 106 Total yards gained 406 96 Passes attempted 13 16 Passes completed 7 9 Passes int. by 0 0 Yardage on pass int. Times kicked off 7 2 Kickoff average 53.7 29.5 Kickoff return yards 19 109 Punts 3 6 Punting average 34.5 30.6 Punt return yards 16 0 Punts blocked by 0 0 Fumbles 2 4 Fumbles lost 1 3 Penalties 5 2 Yards penalized 45 17 Touchdowns rushing 3 0 Touchdowns passing 2 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 1 Number of plays 55 42 Time of possession 25:36 22:24
Massillon 13 20 0 3 36 W. Harding 0 0 0 6 6
M ‑ Geiser 6‑yard pass from DeWits. (Phisterer kick.) M ‑ Sampsel 1‑yard run. (Kick failed.) M ‑ Conley 25‑yard pass from DeWits. (Run failed.) M ‑ Spielman 17‑yard run. (Phisterer kick.) M ‑ Gruno 1‑yard run. (Phisterer kick.) M ‑ Phisterer 25‑yard field goal. W ‑ Bumbu 60‑yard ran with a fumble recovery. (Pass failed.)
Brian DeWitz’ arm and Tim Sampsel’s leg offset a near 200‑yard rushing effort by Garfield’s Charles Gladman as Massillon defeated the Rams 17‑10 before 11,497 Friday at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
DeWitz threw a pair of touchdown passes and Sampsel kicked a 45‑yard field goal, 3 yards shy of matching the school record set last year by Tim Manion.
Gladman ran for 192 yards in 28 attempts lot, the Rams, who fell to 1‑1 on the season.
Massillon, ranked ninth in the Beacon Journal’s poll compared to a No. 2 rating for the Rams took its second straight triumph.
Program Cover
GARFIELD MADE a valiant effort to force a tie by driving from its own 38 to the Tiger 38, but with 2:01 remaining in the game, Gladman was dropped for a 1‑yard loss to the 39 and a fourth‑and‑four pass by Ram quarterback John DiDonato, his only attempt of the contest, was too low for Tony Parker, who could only trap the ball. With the incompletion went the Rams last chance.
Massillon built a 10‑0 halftime lead on the strength of DeWitz’ 7‑yard touchdown pass to Gary Conley in the first quarter and Sampsel’s second quarter field goal, which had more than enough distance and was right on the money.
However, the Rams, whose deepest thrust in the first half was to Massillon’s 20 where they surrendered the ball on a Gladman fumble, stunned the partisan crowd early in the second half by driving 91 yards to score its first touchdown.
The Rams had possession for 7:06 and needed 18 plays to cover the distance.
TIME AND again Massillon was geared to stop the Rams’ ground attack and time and again, the Rams burst through for yardage.
Gladman carried nine times and picked up 57 yards in the drive, but it was fullback Flynn Hamilton who pushed the ball over from the Massillon 1.
There was 2:06 left in the third quartet when Dom Pazara’s kick from placement sailed through the uprights to cut Massillon’s lead to 10‑7.
MASSILLON, however, bounced right back and it was DeWitz who engineered a six‑play drive of 60 yards.
DeWitz, scrambling to avoid a strong Rams’ rush, found Chris Spielman on a 24-yard touchdown pass Bronc Pfisterer made good on his second straight conversion kick as the Tigers padded their lead to 17‑7.
Garfield again mounted one of its patented drives, moving from its own 25 to the Massillon five, but Massillon stiffened and with 6:24 left to play, Garfield coach Bill McGee elected to send in his kicker, Pazara who successfully booted a 22‑yard field goal, trimming the Tigers lead to 17‑10.
Garfield surrendered the ball at that point, hoping to regain possession and it did with 4:55 to go.
The Rams moved from their own 39 to the Massillon 38, but Gladman was dropped for the yard loss and DiDonato’s pass attempt failed.
MASSILLON used up the final 2:01, taking two delay of game penalties, but the Tigers could afford it after Sampsel ran 14 yards to the Garfield 47 on their first play from scrimmage.
DeWitz threw 19 times, completing 10 for 140 yards. He found seams in the Garfield secondary all night.
Sampsel was the Tigers leading rusher with 40 yards in seven carries, but Gladman took game honors by a wide margin.
Tigers glad, man, to get by Garfield By STEVE DOERSCHUK Assistant Sports Editor MASSILLON ‑ Glad, man.
That’s how the Massillon Tigers felt Friday night about getting (a) a 17‑10 high school football victory over gargantuan Akron Garfield and (b) Charles Gladman out of town.
Charles Gladman … you’ll be seeing more of him. The Tigers almost saw too much of him before 11,497 in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Gladman rushed for 198 yards in 28 carries. Garfield’s nickname is Golden Rams. Call Gladman The Velvet Battering Ram. He spins. He sprints. He runs over people.
The 195‑pound junior (yes, junior…no misprint) almost ran Garfield’s 10‑0 halftime deficit into a Rams’ lead.
But after Gladman’s galloping led to a 91‑yard touchdown drive that cut Massillon’s edge to 10‑7 late in the third quarter, the Tigers got tough.
Massillon’s Tom Manion returned the ensuing kickoff 25 yards to the 40‑yard line, giving quarterback Brian DeWitz (who beat out Manion for the job) operating room. DeWitz drove the Tigers 60 yards for a score, completing three passes for 56 of those yards, the last of which was a dandy.
Manion was flushed out of the pocket, sprinted to the right sideline and ‑ with a Garfield lineman clutching his jersey ‑ flicked a pass to halfback Chris Spielman, who fell into the end zone at the end of a 22‑yard reception.
The score gave Massillon a 17‑7 lead at 11:17 of the fourth quarter. There were some anxious moments for the Tigers thereafter, but the TD had turned off Garfield’s momentum and was, essentially, the ball game.
Massillon appeared mighty in last week’s 29‑8 blowout of Perry. But Garfield, which held Massillon’s running game to 101 yards and rolled up, 281 rushing yards for itself ‑ made the Tigers look human.
“We’re not a great team right now,” Massillon head coach Mike Currence said. “We don’t have a bunch of superstars. We have a few kids with athletic ability and a lot of kids with a lot of heart. That’s what we won with tonight.”
Fullback Tim Sampsel, who kicked a 45‑yard field goal that pushed Massillon’s first‑half lead to 10‑0, echoed his coach.
“Everybody on this team sticks together,” said Sampsel, whose seven carries for 40 yards led the Tigers. “It’s like a big family.”
Sampsel’s field goal gave the Tigers a big boost. A 45‑yarder is extraordinarily long in the high school ranks. It was the first field goal attempt of his varsity career.
“Pressure? I guess I felt a little bit,” Sampsel said. “But isn’t pressure what the game is all about? I knew I kicked it well. I just closed my eyes and hoped somebody would tell me it was good.”
In terms of the offenses, it was a struggle of Massillon’s balance against the Rams’ rushing.
Garfield called one pass play in the first half ‑ quarterback John DiDonato was sacked.
The only pass the Rams actually got off represented an intense moment.
The situation: Massillon up 17‑10; Garfield’s ball on the Massillon 39; fourth and five; two minutes left in the game.
DiDonato got off a pass that fell short in front of an open receiver who would have had a first down.
Massillon took over. Sampsel bulled for a 14‑yard gain. The Tigers ran out the clock.
Massillon dominated the early phase of the game, scoring the first time it got the ball on a 10‑play, 53‑yard drive capped by an eight‑yard TD strike from DeWitz to split end Gary Conley on third and seven.
Garfield drove 53 yards after the ensuing kickoff, but Gladman fumbled on the 20 at the end of a 20‑yard gain, and Massillon’s Tim Sweterlitsch recovered.
Garfield’s touchdown came on its first possession of the second half. Fullback Flynn Hamilton plunged for a TD from a yard out. The Rams used 15 plays, all runs.
The Tigers used only six plays to score their subsequent touchdown.
But Gladman’s running then set up a 21‑yard Don Pazara field goal with 6:24 to play.
The Tigers punted after failing to make a first down, and Garfield got the ball in its 38 with 5:04 left.
DeWitz completed 10 of 19 passes for 140 yards. Spielman, who rushed for 130 yards against Perry, was held to 27 yards in seven trips. He carried only once in the second half.
“Spielman was very tired,” Garfield coach Bill McGhee said. “Our running attack puts a lot of pressure on linebackers.”
While playing linebacker, Spielman had enough left in the fourth quarter to jar Gladman for the one yard loss that set up the incomplete pass on fourth down.
Geiser caught five passes for 52 yards. Garfield led 17‑16 in first downs, 27:06‑20:54 in time of possession and 267‑217 in total offense.
Sampsel’s field goal was three yards short of the school record, a 48‑yarder by Tim Manion ‑ in Massillon’s win over Garfield last year.
Garfield is projected to be the strongest team in Akron.
“I don’t think they’ll lose again,” Currence said. “It was a big win for us.”
Garfield 0 0 7 3 10 Massillon 7 3 0 7 17
Mas ‑ Conley 8 pass from DeWitz (Pfisterer kick) Mas ‑ FD Sampsel 45 Gar ‑ Hamilton 1 run (Pazara kick) Mas ‑ Spielman 23 Pass from DeWitz (Pfisterer kick) Gar ‑ FG Pazara 22 A – 11,497
Gladman a sad man after Tiger win By MIKE HUDAK Independent Sports Editor MASSILLON ‑ What did the Massillon Tigers say when the Akron Garfield Rains got on the bus to leave Paul Brown Tiger Stadium Friday night?
“We’re glad, man,”
In many ways, the Tigers were superb in their 17‑10 victory, which kept them perfect at 2‑0. But due to the efforts of Garfield junior running back Charles Gladman, the Tigers were fortunate to escape with the win.
Gladman ran the ball 28 times for 191 yards. None of the Massillon coaching staff could recall an individual coming close to that figure before against the Tigers. Gladman gained 108 yards against Austintown Fitch in last week’s opener, and last year averaged over eight yards a try in 85 carries, plus returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. The 195‑pounder has 4.6 speed in the 40.
“Well, there’s one thing we don’t have to worry about when we play Garfield next year ‑ we know Gladman can’t possibly get any better,” quipped Tiger coach Mike Currence afterwards, in a jovial mood despite an admitted “ten new gray hairs” acquired in the course of the evening.
For the Tigers, the heroes were many.
For starters, there was fullback Tim Sampsel. The squat senior led Tiger rushers with 41 yards in seven carries, plus kicked a 45‑yard field goal which gave the Tigers a 10‑0 halftime lead. The field goal was the second longest in Tiger history, bettered only by Tim Manion’s 48‑yarder a year ago.
Another key performer was Brian DeWitz. The junior quarterback had his second straight impressive performance, hitting 10 of 19 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns, including the gamebreaker to Chris Spielman early in the fourth quarter.
But despite the Rams’ time‑consuming running game, especially in the stomach‑churning second half, Currence was right when he said, “It was our entire defense which won this game for us. No one had held Garfield to under four touchdowns in any scrimmage or game so far, but we did it tonight.”
Undeniably, it was a great game for the 11,497 spectators from start to finish. Garfield had to punt away possession after quarterback John DiDonato was sacked trying to pass on third‑and‑long by the Tigers’ Junior Neff. (DiDonato did not try another pass until a far more crucial moment in the fourth quarter.)
The Tigers took possession on their own 47 after the short punt and struck with the lightning efficiency of an Israeli commando unit.
On a third‑and‑three play, Spielman broke around right end for a 19‑yard gain. A play later, DeWitz hit senior Jim Geiser for a 16‑yard gain to the 11, the first of five catches for the lanky senior. Four plays later, with 4:31 left in the quarter, DeWitz hit flashy senior Gary Conley for a seven yard scoring strike, and Bronc Phisterer’s extra point made it 7‑0.
Garfield countered with a short drive, but was forced to punt again. Starting from the own 17, the Tigers responded with a 16 play march that ended with Sampsel’s field goal with 6:36 remaining in the half.
From this point on, the Rams got their running game in gear and reversed the momentum in their favor. After returning the kickoff to their own 27, the Rams quickly ran down the field, only to lose the ball on the tail end of a 20‑yard run by Gladman, with the fumble recovered by the Tigers’ Tim Sweterlitsch on the Massillon 20.
The Tigers then lost a chance to break the game open late in the half when a sensational 62‑yard sideline run by Jim Bushe was called back by a holding call. Bushe first jitterbugged his way through two waves of defenders, then broke three tackles on his mad dash towards paydirt, only to lose it all on the infraction, with no further scoring in the half.
But for the offense, halftime practically extended into the fourth quarter as the Rams forced Massillon to punt on its first possession of the second half, then proceeded to march 91 yards in 17 plays ‑ all on the ground ‑ in a drive that ate up over seven minutes on the clock. It was a classic drive, a “thing of beauty” as the poets would say, capped by a fourth down, one‑yard plunge by fullback Flynn.
Tiger‑Pup ticket sale set MASSILLON ‑ Tickets for the Massillon Tigers’ Nov. 6 home game against Canton McKinley will go on sale at 8 a.m. Monday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. There will be a limit of two tickets per person. The sale was switched to the stadium to avoid congestion in the hallway at Washington High School.
But the precision‑like drive by the Rams failed to awe the Tiger offense when it finally stepped back out onto the field. Tom Manion returned a short kick back to the Tiger 41, and four plays later DeWitz found Conley for 22 yards to the Garfield 21, with Conley’s fine display of open‑field running accounting for a big chunk of the play which ended the third quarter.
But then Bushe was squelched for a two‑yard loss, and on the next play it looked like DeWitz would lose a lot more than that as Ram rushers surrounded him like a pack of starving wolves that finally picked up the sent of flesh. But somehow DeWtiz eluded the rush and heaved a pass towards Spielman, who caught the ball and flung himself into the endzone for the score with 11:17 remaining in the game. Phisterer’s kick was good for a 17‑7 lead.
“That was a big touchdown for us,” said Currence. “But I almost wish we hadn’t scored so fast; we needed to chop more time off the clock.”
Garfield still wouldn’t admit defeat, immediately beginning another drive with its next possession. A 31‑yard run by Gladman took the ball down to the Tiger 21. Moments later it was first down for the Rams on the Tiger six, but the Tigers held tough on three straight runs and forced a 22‑yard field goal by Don Pazara with 6:24 remaining to cut the gap to 17‑10.
The Tigers needed some ball control desperately at this point, but were forced to punt after three plays. Garfield began possession on its own 37 with a dangerous 5:11 left on the clock.
The Rams moved the ball until they found themselves in a third and three situation at the Massillon 37. At that point, a host of tacklers swarmed over Gladman and forced a two‑yard loss.
“We were in a 6‑2 formation and I was lined up as a defensive end,” explained the Tigers’ Tom Manion. “I took on the lead blocker, and then Spielman, the ‘hit man’ on the play, made the right read and cut down the runner.”
That brought up fourth down. Everyone in the stadium expected the ball to go to Gladman, but instead, the Rams tried their second pass of the night, which bounced incomplete in front of the receiver. The Tigers took over possession and ran out the clock for the victory.
“I was surprised they passed the ball,” admitted Currence. “In fact, I’m glad they passed the ball.”
But Garfield head coach William McGee thought it was the right call.
“If you’re only going to throw one pass, that was the time to do it,” he said. “Massillon certainly couldn’t have been expecting it.” (He was right; it just didn’t work.)
But according to McKee, the big plays were all before, anyway.
“What really went wrong was the third‑down blocking the play before; that’s what hurt us. Plus the turnover at the end of the first half and getting out‑executed in general by the Massillon offense,” McGee added.
But the loss hurt McKee.
“The team and myself both came here expecting to win tonight. Even at halftime, when we were down 10‑0, I thought we’d win, We’re a better team than we showed tonight, and I’m not leaving here very happy.”
But Currence and the Massillon staff were very happy, enjoying the victory for a few precious moments until preparations begin for next Friday’s only road trip, a little jaunt to Warren Harding.
Last year the Tigers were 2‑0 when they hit the road for Cincinnati Moeller, and lost 24‑6. Currence wants to erase the memory of that road trip and replace it with a much more pleasant one.
“The Warren Harding game’s no pushover,” he warned. “We had better be ready.”
Massillon’s 29‑8 win Currence’s 100th Tigers take fifth straight from Perry
By MIKE HUDAK Independent Sports Editor
MASSILLON ‑ For Massillon head coach Mike Currence, it was career win No. 100 as a head coach. For Perry coach Keith Wakefield, it was loss No. 1 as head coach of the Perry Panthers. For Tiger junior quarterback Brian DeWitz, starting his first varsity game, it was the fourth best overall passing performance in Tiger history. And for fans of the Massillon‑Perry rivalry, it was the same old thing.
For the fifth consecutive time since the neighboring schools began meeting in 1978, the Tigers pulled off a one sided victory, this year by a 29‑8 count. Massillon has now outscored Perry 140 to 27 in the series, and Wakefield, who came to Perry with a career mark of 43‑20‑4, doesn’t like the connotations.
Program Cover
“It’s plain dumb to play Massillon if we don’t have a program that can allow us to compete on their level,” said the young coach. “Things at Perry must change in that respect, and they will change if I’m going to stay around.”
Wakefield was most displeased by the Tigers’ physical domination of the game.
“We are not a physically strong team; we couldn’t control either line of scrimmage. On defense Massillon sat in a normal defense the whole game, not trying to disguise anything, but we couldn’t block anybody. And on defense, I never saw so many missed tackles. Chris Spielman and Jim Bushe are both great runners, but we helped them be great tonight.
“Right now we are not a very good football team. We are no where near where we need to be. We just don’t have enough fighters yet, but you don’t make fighters overnight. But as for me, I didn’t come here expecting to lose; I expect to win everytime I go out on the field.”
But so do the young and hungry Tigers. Despite the youth and relative inexperience of the team, the team played well on both sides of the scrimmage line. On offense, Massillon’s own penalties proved Perry’s best defense, and on defense, except for one breakdown, the Panthers were unable to mount many serious threats despite a quick sprintout quarterback (junior Jamie Howell) that put added pressure on the Tiger linebackers.
“We played well tonight,” said Currence, “But we still need to get better, and with three tough games in a row against Akron Garfield, Warren Harding and Akron Central‑Hower, it means we have to get better quickly.”
The Tigers biggest bugaboo were penalties. They were hit with eight flags for 80 yards.
“The penalties stopped a couple of our drives,” Currence said. “We knew we could move the ball on Perry because we knew we were physically stronger, but the penalties put us into holes we couldn’t crawl out of at times. But penalties are a part of the game, and hurt you just like any other mistake.”
But most of what the Tigers did just hurt Perry. DeWitz tossed an interception to Perry’s Dave Seifert on the Tigers’ first possession, but after stonewalling Perry twice, the Tigers marched 59 yards in seven plays to hit paydirt for the first time in 1982.
Spielman, the 6‑2, 206‑pound half back‑linebacker, opened the drive with a 15‑yard run. After a sack, DeWitz hit halfback Jim Bushe with a 12‑yard screen pass, and followed with a 12‑yard keeper on third‑and‑short for the first down. Spielman then bulled nine yards to the Perry 19, followed by a scoring jaunt around left end by Bushe, who went into the end zone standing up at the 3:52 mark. The extra point kick failed. Perry followed with a short drive that included the Panthers’ initial first down of the game, but on a third‑and‑four play Spielman stepped in front of a Howell ‑ like DeWitz, starting his first varsity game – pass and returned it 28 yards to the Perry 32.
Nine plays later Spielman flung himself into the end zone for a five‑yard touchdown run with 6:41 remaining in the half, with Bushe’s conversion run attempt stopped just short for a 12‑0 Tiger lead. The key play in the drive was a fourth‑and‑five pass from DeWitz to fullback Tom Groan where the quarterback escaped a heavy rush and spotted the open receiver in a vacant middle zone to keep the drive alive.
Three plays and a punt later, the Tigers got the ball and moved 69 yards in just five plays, including an offensive penalty.
On the first play, DeWitz hit receiver Jim Geiser for a 16‑yard completion. Bushe followed with a fingertip sideline catch and a 21‑yard gain. Next senior Gary Conley grabbed hold of a 24‑yard dart from DeWitz. The icing came when Bushe raced around left end for his second scoring scamper, this one from 13 yards out. Bronc Phisterer kicked the conversion at it was 19‑0 with 4:28 left in the half.
Perry’s moment of glory came with 1:21 remaining until intermission. Howell faded back and found senior receiver Fred Bradford deep over the middle, who scampered the final 35 yards of the 48‑yard scoring play untouched for Perry’s sole tally. Howell then passed to a wide‑open Seifert for the conversion points.
“Our defensive backs just overran the coverage on that one,” said Currence.
The touchdown might have aroused the Panthers for a stalwart second‑half effort, but any intentions they had of coming back oozed out of their hearts when Spielman broke the second half’s opening play from scrimmage 60 yards to the Perry 23, sometimes choosing to juke the would‑be defenders with the slippery moves of a halfback, sometimes running them over like an amok Larry Csonka. Four plays later DeWitz hit senior John Pierce for a nine‑yard scoring strike with 9:30 left in the quarter, with Phisterer’s kick making it 26‑8.
Perry moved the ball 28 yards to the Tiger 30 on its next possession, but lost the ball on downs. The Tigers came back to eat up 16 plays and a lot of the clock, settling for a 25‑yard field goal by Phisterer with three seconds left in the quarter after a DeWitz touchdown pass to Conley had been negated by a penalty.
There was no scoring in the final quarter as the Tiger reserves saw action on both sides of the line. Highlights in the quarter included the Tigers only punt of the night and an interception by Geiser.
The stats were indicative of the final score. The Tigers had 225 yards oil the ground to 120 for Perry, and 220 in the air to 103 for Perm, for a whopping 449‑223 advantage in total yards.
For the Tigers, DeWitz made the Tiger record books in his first try at quarterback by completing 15 of 19 passes for 205 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Bushe had five catches for 77 yards while Geiser had four catches for 50 yards. On the ground, Spielman ran 10 times for 130 yards, Bushe five times for 36 yards and fullback Tim Sampsel five times for 24 yards. For Perry, Howell dominated the offense, completing six of 16 passes and running nine times for 44 yards.
Currence concurred with Wakefield on one point ‑ the panthers will be getting better in the future.
“They’re a young team, and I think you’re going to see rapid improvement out of them. I think the Panthers will be a Federal League contender; we played Hoover in a scrimmage ‑ always a strong Federal squad ‑ and I think the Panthers can hold their own with them and anyone else in the league.”
But the Tigers don’t have a league, unless it’s in a league by themselves, and for them, to quote George Allen, the future is now.
Devin Johnson, a junior defensive back for the Tigers, summed it op best.
When told, “Well, one down and nine to go,” after the game, Johnson shook his head no.
“You’re wrong, it’s one down and 12 to go,” he answered, looking ahead to the computer playoffs, the dream of all men born to be Tigers.
Gridsticks MASSILLON 29 PERRY 8 M P First downs rushing 12 4 First downs passing 7 6 First downs by penalty 0 0 Totals first downs 19 10 Yards gained rushing 246 120 Yards lost rushing 17 0 Net yards rushing 229 120 Net yards passing 220 103 Total yards gained 449 223 Passes attempted 24 18 Passes completed 16 6 Passes int. by 2 1 Yardage on pass int. 59 29 Time. kicked off 6 2 Kickoff average 43.8 54.5 Kickoff return yards 7 52 Punts 1 4 Punting average 40.0 31.0 Punt return yards 17 24 Punts blocked by 0 0 Fumbles 1 0 Fumble lost 0 0 Penalties 8 2 Yards pertained 80 20 Touchdowns rushing 3 0 Touchdowns passing 1 1 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Number of plays 57 50 Time of possession 23.33 24:27 Attendance 14,141
PERRY 0 8 0 0 8 MASSILLON 6 13 10 0 29
M ‑ Bushe 19‑yard run (kick failed). M ‑ Spielman 5‑yard run (run failed). M ‑ Bushe 13‑yard run (Phisterer kick.) P ‑ Bradford 48‑yard pass from Howell (Demaree pass from Howell). M ‑ Pierce 9‑yard pass from DeWitz (Phisterer kick.) M ‑ Plisterer 25‑yard field goal.
Massillon outplays McKinley, but losses 9‑7 Pups’ big plays waste fine Tiger effort
By ROLLIE DREUSSI Independent Sports Editor
The Massillon Tiger lockerroom was ripe with the stunned silence of a team that had just played its heart out, outplayed its opponent and lost.
Amid the hanging heads and wet eyes stood Tiger coach Mike Currence. The hurt he felt in his heart for his team showed on his face. “They’re all different,” he said.
Program Cover
True to form, Saturday’s 87th Massillon‑McKinley game was different from all the rest. The Bulldogs’ 9‑6 victory before 22,828 fans in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium gave them their first perfect season since 1956 and puts them into the computer playoffs‑for the second year in a row.
Yet, except for one play, it was a game that seemed to belong to the Massillon Tigers.
That one play, however, was a big one. An 81‑yard pass from Bulldog quarterback Rick Worstell to end Nick Faulkner that wiped out a 6‑3 Tiger lead and proved to be the margin of victory.
It was just about the only defensive mistake the Tigers made all day. However, several offensive mistakes left the Bulldogs off the hook.
The Tigers won a decisive victory in the battle of the statistics, but the only stat that really counts is the one in lights on the scoreboard.
Massillon had 14 first downs to five for McKinley, and held the Pups to 55 yards rushing in 31 carries. McKinley gained only six yards rushing the first half, and didn’t get a first down rushing until just before the end of the third period.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1981
The Tigers piled up 265 yards to 163 for McKinley. Take away the one pass play, and the Bulldogs had only 82 yards total offense.
“It’s a tough one to lose, especially when you play as well as we played and control the ball the way we did,” Currence said.
“But we had some turnovers that caused us bad field position. That stopped us from working our whole offense, which stopped us from scoring more.
“I thought we moved the ball real well and I was never worried when our defense was on the field. I thought we would score in the second half,” he added.
But two fumbles and an interception haunted the Tigers in the second half, and the superior McKinley kicking game probably was the overall difference.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1981
Nick Xides had a school record 44‑yard field goal in the first half. The boot was a low line drive that was literally carried just over the crossbar by a strong wind.
However, Massillon’s Tim Manion had the wind at his “back when he got too far under a 30‑yard attempt and it fell short with 4:28 to go in the third quarter.
A short punt by Manion into the wind also helped set up field goal.
While Manion had his problems kicking, he played an outstanding defensive game, moving from linebacker to end and causing the Pup offense trouble all day.
He helped stop McKinley’s only – other serious – scoring threat late in the third quarter when he tipped a pass at the goal line that was intercepted in the end zone by Matt Hickey.
Perhaps the most crucial event of the game came with 1:53 left to play and the Tigers driving for what their fans hoped would be the winning score.
Starting at their own 15 after a clipping penalty on a punt return, the Tigers were grinding it out on the ground.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1981
Greg Grimsley gained four yards, George Roknich bolted for 10 and a first down, then Grimsley carried for 15 and another first down.
Roknich carried for five more, Larry Newman for two and Grimsley was stopped for a two‑yard gain on third-and‑three at the Bulldog 47.
On fourth‑and‑one, Tiger quarterback Rick Spielman lost control of the ball after the snap and McKinley middle guard Stan Jackson fell on it, ending the Tiger threat and insuring his team of a 10‑0 season.
Tiger tans were stunned. Their team had outplayed the Bulldogs all day and they were certain this drive would be the clincher.
It was ironic that Spielman would be victimized by the fumble. He had put the Tigers in the lead with a brilliant 21‑yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1981
Facing a fourth‑and‑15 at the Pup 21, he dropped back to pass. He was almost; sacked in the pocket, but broke free and scrambled to the left. He broke another tackle and cut back across the middle of the field. He slipped through the grasp of another Bulldog tackler at the 15 and scooted around the right side all the way for a score. The Tiger offensive line also did a great job of blocking off the pursuit on the play.
The score, which came at 9:42 of the second quarter, gave the Tigers a 6‑0 lead.
But Xides booted his field goal at 3:45 and a Ross Rankin interception (his first of two for the day) stopped another Tiger drive at the Bulldog 19, and two plays later, Worstell and Faulkner hooked up on their game winning play.
“Faulkner came up with the key play,” Bulldog coach Terry Forbes said afterwards in a joyous McKinley lockerroom. “We went deep a couple of times and that was the only time we connected all day.”
Forbes said the Pups made some minor adjustments at halftime to counteract the Tiger air attack, which had accounted counted for 81 yards in the first half. Massillon didn’t complete a pass in the second half, with Rankin picking off Spielman’s only pass in the third period, and the Tiger senior quarterback going 0‑for‑4 in the final period.
But Currence said the Tigers hadn’t planned to pass much in the second half anyway. He and his coaches felt they could move the ball on the ground against the McKinley defense.
They were doing just that prior to the fumble on their final series.
Spielman ended the day with seven completions in 20 attempts for 81 yards while Worstell had five completions in 14 attempts for 108 yards.
Leading receivers for the Tigers were Roknich with two catches for 38 yards, Robert Oliver with three for 23 yards and Newman with three for 20 yards.
The Tigers totaled 184 yards rushing, with Grimsley gaining 80 yards on 14 carries and Roknich picking up 41 yards on six carries to lead the way.
Forbes had praise for the Tigers’ effort, though he wouldn’t say they were the best team his Bulldogs played all year. “We’ve played some fine football teams and Massillon ranks right up there with the best.”
Except for a few plays on this sunny November Saturday, no comparisons would have been necessary.
Winter arrives early for Tiger grid faithfull By ROLLIE DREUSSI Independent Sports Editor The air was warm and the sun shone brightly as it set on the first day of winter Saturday afternoon in Massillon.
Forget the calendar, winter started with the sounding of the gun which ended the annual season finale between the Massillon Tigers and the McKinley Bulldogs in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium.
You see, the score stood at nine points for the Bulldogs and but six for the Tigers.
So, for the first time since 1975, winter in Massillon has started a month and a half early.
And for the first time in his six seasons as the Tigers’ head coach, Mike Currence won’t have the glow of victory over McKinley to warm his football thoughts until spring.
For most of the early afternoon on Saturday it had appeared otherwise. The Tigers, undaunted by the Bulldogs’ 9‑0 record, had come to play.
And play they did. Even McKinley fans agreed afterwards that the Tigers had played the better game.
But luck was on the side of the Bulldogs this day, and they made the big plays the Tigers couldn’t.
Except for an 81‑yard touchdown pass from quarterback Rick Worstell to end Nick Faulkner, in which Tiger defensive backs Grady Robinson and Rodney Hill missed tackles, the Tigers controlled the game. Even despite the pass, the Tigers could have won had they not turned the ball over four times.
Indeed, Currence played down the Bulldogs’ big play.
“Those things happen sometimes,” he said of the Tigers misreading the coverage and then missing the tackle. He said he felt the four turnovers were what hurt the most. That and bad field position. The Tigers were able to roll up a lot of yards, but produce only six points. They needed 10.
The game was hard fought, and the 22,828 fans in the stands received more than their money’s worth. It was anybody’s ball game right to the end, when the Bulldogs’ Stan Jackson recovered a fumble at his own 49 to kill the Tigers’ final threat.
It was sweet revenge for Bulldog fans. The Pups had lost four straight to Mike Currence coached teams until last season, when they won 16‑7. That didn’t last long, however, as the Tigers turned around and upset McKinley 14‑6 the following weekend in a quarter‑final playoff game. The Tigers went on to finish second in the state, the Bulldogs stayed home and prepared for the sudden winter.
There will be no rematch this time. The Bulldogs will play Parma Normandy Saturday night in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium in the playoff quarter‑final match.
After Saturday’s game had ended, McKinley coach Terry Forbes paid a visit to the Tiger lockerroom to congratulate Currence on the fine game his team played.
The coaches exchanged compliments and shook hands.
“Good luck in the playoffs,” Currence said. “Our people will be here next week rooting for you. Beat Moeller.”
And so ended the Tigers’ season. The 7‑3 record marks the first time the Tigers lost more‑than twice under Currence. It also means the Bulldogs, after four straight losses, have won two of the last three from the Tigers.
It was a disappointing season, but for awhile on Saturday afternoon it looked like it was going to have a happy ending.
As it turned out, Tiger fans found themselves muttering those four words they had almost forgotten: wait until next year.
Senior QB passes for 316 yards in 40‑9 win Spielman’s record night paces Tigers
By ROLLIE DREUSSI Independent Sports Editor
“Did you get the gist of our offense tonight?” asked Massillon assistant coach Charles “Sonny” Spielman after the Tigers blitzed Mansfield Senior 40‑9 Friday night in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
“Pass, pass, pass.”
Spielman was referring to the school levy which will be voted on Tuesday. Massillonians haven’t passed a school levy since 1969.
Program Cover
But if Tigertowners take their cue from senior quarterback Rick Spielman, son of Sonny, the levy will be a cinch.
The younger Spielman became the first quarterback in the history of Massillon football to pass for more than 300 yards.
He completed 15 of 24 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns, and got a standing ovation from the crowd of 7,863 when the feat was announced over the public address system.
The Tigers’ team total of 348 yards passing is also a record, and it was the first time in Tiger history that two players each gained over 100 yards in pass receptions.
Junior wide receiver Jim Geiser hauled in six passes for 111 yards and a TD and halfback George Roknich caught four passes for 108 yards and a TD.
Halfback Robert Oliver had four catches for 78 yards and a touchdown, and also scored on a one‑yard run. Fullback Greg Grimsley tallied twice on two‑yard runs.
The Tigers, leading only 7‑3, blew the game open late in the second quarter with a pair of touchdowns to take a 20‑3 halftime lead.
They then added three more scores in the third quarter en route to piling up a season‑high 466 yards in total offense.
“Well we said we’d throw, but we didn’t think we’d throw that much,” Tiger head coach Mike Currence said afterwards.
“But they had seven guys on the line and they kept blitzing,” he explained.
And since the Tiger offensive line was able to pick up the blitz, Spielman had receivers open all over the field, though he did complete several key passes on the run.
Spielman took his feat in stride.
“If it wasn’t for my offensive linemen and receivers I wouldn’t have done it,” he said.
“I wanted 1,000 yards going into the McKinley game (he needed 148), but I didn’t expect to get as much as I did.
Asked why he went to Geiser so frequently, he said: “We made adjustments at halftime according to their defense, and he was the guy open.”
Geiser had only caught three passes for 50 yards and a TD going into the game. His effort helped him become the sixth Tiger this season to top the 100-yard mark in pass receiving.
Roknich, meanwhile, takes the team lead in receiving with 14 catches for 339 yards and four touchdowns.
Spielman’s stats on the season going into Saturday’s game in Canton against McKinley are: 62 completions in 127 attempts (49 percent) for 1,168 yards and 11 touchdowns.
That would place him third on the all-time regular season list behind Brent Offenbecher’s yardage totals of 1369 in 1977 and 1,322 in 1978.
We really wanted to get Rick over 1,000 yards so he wouldn’t have to worry about it next week,” Currence said, referring to the McKinley game.
“And if he gets 300 yards next week and we get 400 on the ground we’ll be alright,” Sonny Spielman pitched in.
“The most exciting week of the season is here,” Currence said. “We’ve got to start out by passing the levy on Tuesday, then we’ll have the parade on Friday and we have to beat McKinley on Saturday.
“We have to continue to think pass,” he added, getting back to the levy, which has already been turned down twice by voters in the past year.
“If we don’t get the levy, they’ll probably cut our supplemental contracts. People think I can do the job with five or six assistant coaches. Most people don’t know the Booster Club raised $8,000 to pay for six junior high and three varsity coaches,” he said.
He admitted passage of the levy would be a real boost to his team going into Saturday’s game against the undefeated Bulldogs, ranked first in the Division 1, Region 3 computer poll.
Spielman’s passing is also a boost, since it will give the Tiger offense some confidence. Of course, it will need more than confidence against the McKinley defense, which yielded its first two touchdowns of the season last week in a 23‑14 win over Warren Harding.
“I was pleased with the way we threw the football,” Currence said, “but that was all they left us. A lot of our game tonight was not sharp. I don’t think a game like this is really good for you. We’ve got to realize it’s not going to be as much of an offensive game next week.”
Actually, Friday night’s game didn’t start out as much of an offensive game either.
The Tigers drove 73 yards to a touchdown the first time they had the ball, with Grimsley scoring. Tim Manion’s kick made it 7‑0 with 6:30 left in the first quarter.
However, the next three times the Tigers had the ball they fumbled, punted and lost it on downs.
Following a 32‑yard field goal by Mansfield quarterback Jim Bishop with 4:34 left in the half, Spielman passed the Tigers 71 yards to another Grimsley touchdown.
Spielman hit three‑of‑four passes in the drive, moving the ball from his own 34 to the Tyger two on passes of 12 yards to Geiser, 31 yards to Roknich and 21 yards to Geiser, who made a great diving catch on the right sideline. Manion added the point after and Massillon led 14‑3 with 2:46 on the clock.
Bishop went to the air on second down, and linebacker Mark Haubert tipped the ball and halfback Dave Spuhler intercepted it at the Mansfield 24.
Spielman wasted no time getting another six points as he hit Oliver In the end zone with his first TD pass of the night. The kick failed and the Tigers led 20‑3 with 1:33 left in the half.
The Tigers took the kickoff to open the second half and went 66 yards in three plays with Oliver scoring from a yard out with 10:50 still on the clock.
How did they get to the one yard line so fast – Spielman’s right arm, of course. He hit Roknich over the middle with a pass and the senior halfback made a great run, turning it into a 37‑yard gain.
His next pass to Oliver covered 28 yards to the one. After the touchdown, Manion’s kick made it 27‑3.
It took the Tigers a whole five plays to score the next time they got the ball, with Spielman finding Geiser wide open in the right corner of the end zone.
The 78‑yard drive started out with Roknich ripping off 35 yards (he totaled 38 on three carries to lead the team).
On a third‑and‑six play, Spielman connected with Roknich on an 18‑yard completion to set up the TD toss to Geiser. The kick failed but the Tigers were out front 33‑3 with 6:33 left in the third period.
Mansfield scored its only TD of the night when Bishop hit wide receiver Chris Elswick with a 22‑yard scoring pass, capping a 65‑yard drive. A pass for the extra points failed.
Bishop completed 15 of 30 aerials for 158 yards, and almost all of that went to Elswick, who led all receivers with 10 catches for 116 yards.
The Tigers then finished off the scoring for the evening by traveling 60 yards in five plays. Spielman’s third completion of the drive, 23 yards to Roknich, produced the TD. Greg Radtka booted the point after for a 40‑9 lead with 1:55 left in the third quarter.
That was Spielman’s last action of the night, and when it was announced he had gone over 300 yards, Roknich and center George Nikitanko hoisted him into the air to acknowledge the standing ovation from the Tiger partisans.
So the Tigers finish the first season 7‑2. The second season ‑ McKinley Week ‑ is now underway,
A school levy and the Bulldogs in the same week is a tough schedule. And it’s going to take a heck of a lot of passing to pull through those two successfully.
MASSILLON 40 MANSFIELD 0 mas man First downs rushing 5 4 First downs passing 15 6 First downs by penalty 1 4 Total first downs 21 14 Yards gained rushing 147 75 Yards lost rushing 29 24 Net yards rushing 119 51 Net yards passing 340 158 Total yards gained 466 209 Passes attempted 27 30 Passes completed 17 15 Passes int. by 1 0 Yardage on pass int. 4 0 Times kicked off 7 3 Kickoff average 45.7 36.3 Kickoff return yardage 31 81 Punts 2 8 Punting average 37.0 34.8 Punt return yardage 41 0 Fumbles 5 2 Fumbles lost 3 2 Penalties 5 4 Yards penalized 75 41 Touchdowns rushing 3 0 Touchdowns passing 3 1 Number of plays 52 60 Time of possession 20:37 27:23 Attendance 7,863
Mansfield 0 3 6 0 6 Massillon 7 13 20 0 40
MASS ‑ Greg Grimsley 2 run (Tim Manion kick) MANS ‑ Jim Bishop 32 FG MASS ‑ Grimsley 2 run (Manion kick) MASS ‑ Robert Oliver 24 pass from Rick Spielman (kick failed) MASS ‑ Oliver 1 run (Manion kick) MASS Jim Geiser 21 pass from Spielman (kick failed) MANS ‑ Chris Elswick 22 pass from Jim Bishop (Bishop kick) MASS ‑ George Roknich 23 pass from Spielman (Greg Radtka kick)
Massillon defeats Niles McKinley 25‑12 Tigers cash in on Dragon’s turnovers
By ROLLIE DREUSSI Independent Sports Editor
“We’re just glad that one’s over with,” Tiger coach Mike Currence said after his team’s 25‑12 win over Niles McKinley before 8,919 fans Friday night in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
“That certainly wasn’t our regular crew out there,” he added.
The Tigers, going with a patchwork lineup due to numerous injuries on defense, converted three of five Red Dragon turnovers into touchdowns as they raced to a 25‑0 lead.
The Red Dragons refused to fold, however, and rallied for a pair of touchdowns before it was over.
Program Cover
“We’re proud of our kids,” said Niles coach Jack Pierson. “If it weren’t for the dog‑gone mistakes we’d have been in the ball game.
As it was, a couple of mistakes by the Tigers allowed the Dragons to get back in the ball game in the second half.
A blocked punt set up Niles’ first score, and a failure to convert on a fourth‑and‑one play from their own 39 cost the Tigers another score.
But the Tigers’ last three touchdowns were set up by Dragon mistakes ‑ one fumble and two interceptions.
“We were playing with a lot of different people in there,” Currence noted. “For the most part they did a good job. It was our decisions on some of those plays that hurt us.”
One was going for the first down on fourth‑and‑one at their own 39.
“We should have punted the ball. But we had it and we wanted to control it. We just overestimated our ability. When you get a big lead, sometimes your willing to take a risk. We should have been more conservative.
Currence said one good thing about the game was he was able to rest many of his injured regulars.
“In a way I’m happy (getting to rest some players), but I’m not pleased with our mental discipline in the second half. Hopefully next week we’ll be healthy.
“We’ve got to start putting it together,” he added, referring not to next Friday’s game against Mansfield Senior but the Nov. 7 clash with 8‑0 Canton McKinley.
The Tigers are now 6‑2 and Niles falls to 3‑4‑1.
Massillon had control of the game from the opening kickoff when it drove 73 yards in 14 plays with fullback Greg Grimsley bulling over from a yard out. Greg Radtka’s kick made it 7‑0 with 5:36 left in the initial quarter.
Grimsley gained 23 yards in eight carries in the drive and quarterback Rick Spielman gained 23 in three carries and also completed a 19‑yard pass to Robert Oliver on a third‑and‑six play.
After an exchange of punts, Tiger junior tackle Sam Clark ‑ starting in place of the injured Joe Peters – recovered a fumble at the Niles eight yard line following a bungled handoff.
Oliver swept left end on the next play for a 13‑0 lead. Radtka’s kick was wide right.
Rodney Hill, a senior defensive halfback, set up the next Tiger score when he intercepted an Ed Kurowski pass at his own 15 and returned it 11 yards.
The Tigers then drove 74 yards in five plays as Spielman found Gary Conley wide open in the end‑zone with a 32‑yard TD pass. Spielman’s run for the extra points failed and the Tigers led 19‑0 with 6:33 to play in the half.
Key plays in the drive were a 27‑yard pass from Spielman to senior wide receiver Dan Ricker and a 24‑yard run by senior halfback George Roknich.
It took the Tigers only three plays to come up with another turnover at the start of the third quarter. On a third‑and‑five play at their own 46, Chris Spielman intercepted Pat Holmes’ pass at the Niles 48 and returned it 27 yards.
Five plays and a pass interference penalty later the Tigers had a 25‑0 lead on Grimsley’s one‑yard run. A pass for the extra points failed, and with 7:51 to play in the third quarter it looked like the route was on.
But somebody forgot to tell the Red Dragons they were out of it, and they used some inspired play to get back in the game.
Chuck Canann blocked a punt by Massillon’s Scott Zupp, and the ball rolled out of bounds at the Tiger 16.
Following an incomplete pass, Jeff Wrataric rambled 12 yards and speedy little Tim Trifilette (5‑4, 130) covered the final four for the tally with :09 left in the third quarter.
Senior George Nikitenko, the Tigers’ offensive center, was in on defense to help fill a hole caused by injuries, and he intercepted Holmes’ pass on the extra points try.
The Tigers then decided to grind it out and get the game over with, but the charged up Niles’ defense stopped Grimsley on third‑and‑one and Spielman was sacked back at his own 31 on fourth down.
Facing a third‑and‑one at the Tiger 22, Trifilette scooted 21 yards around right end to the one yard line, and Carmen Cicero took it in on the next play with 9:05 to play in the game. A run for the points after failed, and it was 25-12.
The Tiger defense stiffened thereafter, however, and Mark Haubert ended the game with an interception at his own 20 as time expired.
The Dragons had one other turnover, a fumble recovered by defensive end Tony Morelli.
Niles lost its top two quarterbacks to injury as Floyd Davis injured his knee and Kurowski reinjured his collar‑bone.
The statistics were fairly even except for two categories: turnovers and points, Massillon never turned the ball over while Niles did it five times.
The Tigers had 140 yards rushing and 91 passing and Niles had 105 rushing and 86 passing. Massillon had 13 first downs and Niles had 11.
Individually, Spielman completed four of nine passes (he threw only one in the second half) for 91 yards and a touchdown, his eighth of the season.
Grimsley gained 63 yards in 20 carries. Spielman, despite two sacks for 16 yards in losses, gained 31 yards in eight carries. He had 137 yards In total offense in the first half.
The Tigers will host the Mansfield Senior Tygers Friday at 8 p.m.
Fans are reminded that tickets for the McKinley game will go on sale at the Stadium’s west ticket window Monday at 8 a.m. There are 1,000 end zone seats remaining and there will be a limit of two per person.
Season ticket holders who have purchased McKinley tickets, but did not pay postage, can pick up their tickets at the ticket office at Washington High School.
As Massillon coach Mike Currence watched Akron St. Vincent’s Dave Bittner line up to try a game‑winning field goal Friday night, he refused to ask for help.
“I’ll thank the Lord if he misses, but I’m not praying that he does,” Currence said later about what he was thinking just before Bittner barely missed a 30-yard attempt with 24 seconds left that preserved Massillon’s 9‑7 victory before 12,069 In Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
“Somebody upstairs likes me,” Currence added. To which junior high coach Dave Slinger pitched in: “He owed us that one.”
Program Cover
Whatever the forces and reasons were that determined the outcome of this well‑played game, it was certainly the Tigers’ biggest victory of the season as they handed the previously undefeated Irish their first loss.
And while it was a game that St. Vincent could just as easily won, Massillon outplayed the Irish. They outgained them in yardage 333‑169 and only the Tigers chronic failure to score from inside the five yard line (twice) kept them from having an easier time of it.
Most of the Tigers’ yardage came on the arm of senior quarterback Rick Spielman, who played perhaps his finest game of the season. Spielman hit 9 of 16 passes for 202 yards and the Tigers’ only touchdown.
He admitted afterwards to being emotionally pumped up for the game.
“They came in here undefeated and we were coming off a really discouraging loss,” he related. “We had to prove to the people we wouldn’t die; that the Massillon Tigers never die.”
Spielman was also the Tigers second leading rusher with 39 yards, and he said his running helped open up the passing game.
“I ran more to bring the halfback up. When I run the ball it helps the passing game. We worked a lot on our passing game this week to give me some confidence in throwing the ball and my receivers confidence in catching it,” Spielman explained.
The extra practice paid off, as the Tigers’ run‑and‑shoot offense had plenty of shoot for the first time in five games. “Rick’s starting to come around a little bit,” Currence noted “He had a hell of a night. That’s what we expect out of the run-and-shoot.”
Outside of the missed field goal by Bittner (who also missed an earlier attempt from 35 yards), the key plays of the game were a 64‑yard touchdown pass from Spielman to George Roknlch and a 20‑yard field goal by Greg Radtka.
Roknich’s TD came at the 5:44 mark of the second quarter. He broke a tackle at the Irish 39 and scooted down‑the‑right‑sideline‑to‑give‑Massillon a 6‑0 lead (Tim Manion’s kick was wide right).
Massillon fumbled on its first play of the third quarter and Dan Donovan recovered for the Irish at the Tiger 21. Six plays later quarterback Steve Stams sneaked over from the one and Bittner’s boot gave the Irish a 7‑6 lead with 8:57 on the third‑quarter
The Tigers then drove from their own 27 to the Irish three, and Radtka booted what proved to be the winning field goal with 4:57 to go In the third quarter.
A key play in that drive, was a 43‑yard pass from Spielman to junior wide receiver Gary Conley that carried to the Irish 30. On fourth‑and‑10 from the 30 Spielman hit ‑ Larry Newman with a 12‑yard pass for a first down at the 18. A pass to Conley picked up 14 more to the four. The Tigers settled for a field goal, but two potential TD passes were dropped in the end zone.
St. Vincent mounted its final drive late in the fourth quarter when it drove from its own 30 to the Tigers’ 13 in eight plays. With no time outs left, the Irish went for the field goal on second down and Bittner’s kick was barely wide left.
“Our defense did a great job,” Currence said, “They are a great team running the ball, and we made them look average. But when it comes right down to it, we had some luck.”
Perhaps some of that luck came with a former Tiger star who was at the game and gave the Tigers a little pep talk during halftime.
Steve Luke, who starred on the Tigers last state championship team, in 1970 before going on to a fine college career at Ohio State and a six‑year stint with the Green Bay Packers, “gave ’em some words” before the 71 Tigers came out for the second half.
The Tigers certainly gave an all‑out effort, and the win keeps alive their slim hopes of qualifying for the computer playoffs for the third straight year.
Currence gave a lot of credit to the defense, and defensive coordinator Jim Letcavits and linebacker coach Dale Walterhouse both said a switch the Tigers made to counteract St. V’s unbalanced line was the key.
With middle guard William Askew out, Charles Calhoun and Brian Schodorf alternated in the middle, while linebacker Tim Manion and Gary Wells joined Rick Heather opposite the Irish’s wide side of the line.
Manion was basically playing as a monster back at the end position, while Wells was inserted between the hose guard and Heather. Mark Haubert played Manion’s linebacker position.
“They had two big tackles on one side so we thought we’d put our big kids on their big kids,” Letcavits said, “It worked great.”
Heather is 6‑3, 230, and Wells, a backup offensive lineman, is 6‑1, 270.
“Haubert came off the bench and did a whale of a job,” Walterhouse added.
Irish coach John Cistone said he expected the Tigers would go with that kind of defense.
“We knew they were strong, but we felt we had to establish the running game,” he said. St. Vincent had been averaging 27.5 points per game behind a strong running attack, but gained only 118 yards on the ground against the Tigers.
Massillon had 131 yards on the ground, with Newman getting 44 in seven carries. Roknich had 16 in seven carries and caught two passes for 81 yards. Newman caught three aerials for 44 yards and Conley had two for 57.
“It was a good football game, period,” Cistone said. “They’re a good team. Their 4‑2 record (5‑2 now) doesn’t indicate the kind of team they have.
“I don’t feel we have to be ashamed. We played a good football game. It was just as much ours as theirs,” he added.
Except for a few inches on Bittner’s field goal attempt, he was right. A few inches for which Currence and his Tigers are quite grateful.
MASSILLON 9 St. VINCENT 7 M V First downs rushing 7 6 First downs passing 8 3 First downs by penalty 1 4 Total first downs 16 13 Yards gained rushing 147 128 Yards lost rushing 16 10 Net yards rushing 131 118 Net yards passing 202 51 Total yards gained 333 169 Passes attempted 16 17 Passes completed 9 6 Passes int. by 0 1 Yardage on pass int. 0 15 Times kicked off 3 2 Kickoff average 57.3 46.0 Kickoff return yardage 26 33 Punts 3 6 Punting average 38.0 34.5 Punt return yardage 12 5 Fumbles 2 1 Fumbles lost 2 0 Penatlties 6 3 Yards penalized 59 15 Touchdowns rushing 0 1 Touchdowns passing 1 0 Number of plays 58 59 Time of possession 22:08 25:52 Attendance 12,069
St. VINCENT 0 0 7 0 7 MASSILLON 0 6 3 0 9
MASS – George Roknich 64‑yard pass from Rick Spielman (kick failed) St. V ‑ Steve Stams 1‑yard run (Dave Bittner kick) MASS ‑ Greg Radtka 20 FG
History 
