Eric Smith, Author at MassillonTigers.com

1958: Massillon 19, Steubenville 7

October 3, 1958July 9, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers Defeat Steubenville 19-7
Snively Sparks Drive As Bengals Score Twice In Last Seven Minutes

By CHARLIE POWELL

Dr. L. J. Snively, Massillon dentist, was far away from the tools of his profession. He was in the stands rootin’ while his eldest son Jim, down on the gridiron, did the yankin’.

He yanked victory right out of Steubenville’s grasp by virtue of a scintillating 74-yard kickoff return that brought the Tigers out of the hole and paved the way for a thrilling 19-7 triumph over the invading Big Red at Tiger stadium last night.

Around 13,000 fans (12,835 paid) either had a re-birth of spirit or died a thousand deaths as the Steubers, decisively out-played for three quarters, barged back to take a 7-6 lead at 7:18 in the final period.
* * *
THERE WERE all kinds of pyrotechnics in that last cliff-hanging session but the biggest blast of all, the turning point of battle, was the run by young Jim Snively, 146-pound senior who, in starting his first game of the year, celebrated a birthday a few hours prematurely.

Today is his 17th birthday – and Steubenville probably is thinking he was born several years too soon.

After falling behind as Steubenville capitalized on an 89-yard drive, an eight-yard pass for the score and Tom Cunningham’s perfect placement, the Bengals got the lift they needed from the dentist’s son.

The kick by Halfback Wally Neel went down to the Tiger 15 where it was taken by Snively. Within a few seconds the ball was resting down at the Big Red 11. Jim flew up an alley in the middle, sidestepped two would-be tacklers, then shook another with a quick change of direction and was free wheeling after a change of pace at the Steuber 40, another veer left another tackler picking up grass. The time he took in order to steer away from his opponents was enough for a couple of Steubenville players to finally make the tackle after a heart-pounding dash.
* * *
OF COURSE, Snively had to have some help and he got it…with Co-Captain Dave Dean and then the fiery Gail Karrenbauer throwing scythe-like key blocks.

A little over a minute later the same Snively, getting fine blocks by End Bob Vogel and Tackle John Donat, sailed into the end zone from seven yards out and the Tigers were in business.

The Big Red hit for a 14-yard pass play but subsequent aerials failed and with 3:30 remaining, Leo Strang’s comeback kids started driving for some extra room enroute to their third victory.

Sparma, whose running helped keep the Big Red defense honest all night, got all a
28-yarder and Massillon moved 50 yards before Dean, piling through left guard, tallied with only 17 seconds of action remaining.

The clock got into the act here. Before the previous play, in which Snively gained a yard at right tackle, the scoreboard time piece showed 33, seconds left and after the play was completed, it still read “0:33.”

The referee apparently had not given the timer a signal to start the clock and before the touchdown play, the “ref” had him run off a few seconds.
* * *
THE CLOCK did not figure in the outcome, only the final score. If the Tigers hadn’t scored (the TD came on a third down smash), the Steubers would have faced a virtually insurmountable task.

The Tiger task was spearheaded by Snively and Art Hastings, ultra-promising sophomore, who entered the game midway in the first quarter – and proceeded to earn himself a carload of plaudits.

Hastings, working from fullback and left half, carried 22 times and gained 170 yards to more than out-gain the entire visiting team. He did not hit pay dirt but a 55-yard jaunt set up the only touchdown until the final round and he also was very prominent in other drives. He averaged 7.7 yards a trip.

Besides his great kickoff return, Sniverly toted 17 times from scrimmage. He gained 75 yards for an average of 4.4 yards per try.
* * *
THE REST of the orange and black attack was comprised chiefly of more running by Dean and Sparma. Dean averaged 4.1 yards a try with a pickup of 50 in 12 attempts and Sparma, despite a leg injury, which handicapped him in the second half, went 36 yards in four carries.

They had better blocking than at any other time. Defensively the Bengals, their tackling vicious at times, allowed the river front team only 109 yards on the ground – an average of three yards per try.

The Steubers, despite the absence of speedsters Cunningham, whose one effort gave his club the 7-6 lead, and Ed Weinman, hard-hitting fullback, were dangerous from the word go. They gained 66 yards through the air. On the ground Neel, Rufus Simmons and Bob Crossley kept the Tigers worried. But quick reaction and quick thinking by the Bengal defenders prevented the visitors from getting off any long-distance specials.

The longest Big Red gain by rushing totaled 11 yards.

Steubenville’s defense plus a few missed assignments on the part of the orange, kept the score close for three quarters.
* * *
MASSILLON, running 17 plays in the first period and two at the outset of the second frame, had a drive terminated by a pass interception. This march featured short yardage efforts by Dean, Hastings and Snively. On third down at the 12, Sparma threw to Vogel in the end zone and the big end tried his best to break the ice. He dived and got his hands on the ball as he was coming down but just as he hit the grass, the pigskin escaped him. On the fourth down Sparma was rushed and his toss to the right was intercepted by Steuber linebacker Jim Staib at the nine and he ran out to the 15.

Steubenville had to kick from its 37 and the Tigers, starting from their 11, went for the works. At the 31 Hastings hit off left tackle, showed a nice change of pace and broke into the clear at mid-field. He was tackled after a 55-yard run at the enemy 14. Then Snively, with Tiger fans roaring, went wide to the right and darted into the end zone,just managing to stay inbounds before hitting the final stripe. Corky Pledgure, running to his left, tried to make two points. As he was tackled at the seven, he lateralled to Sparma who was stopped short but it was 6-0 at 4:08.

On the first play after the kick-off the alert Vogel pounced on a fumble at the Steubenville 28. Snively rambled for nine and Hastings for 12 before a clipping penalty put the locals back to the 17. Hastings, fighting for every inch, gained 12, but Steubenville took over after holding Snively for two and the same boy without gain.

At halftime the Tigers had clicked off 197 yards with Hastings responsible for 107 and Snively for 68.

In the third stanza another Massillon bid was thwarted. After a Big Red punt, the Strang gang went from their own 25 to the opponent’s 14 before losing the ball on a fumble. This march included a 17-yard gain by Hastings. Twice the Tigers kept moving on a
fourth-and-one situation.

The red-uniformed team, with Neel doing the running and Roach passing to End George Milosevich for 38 yards, finally got up a head of steam.

The drive was climaxed when Crossley, clear at the goal line, took a pass from Roach on an eight-yard scoring play. It came on fourth down at 7:14 and Cunningham came off the bench to make the count 7-6.
* * *
STEUBENVILLE fans were still whopping things up when Snively whizzed back on the kick-off. From the Big Red 11, Hastings made four in two plays before Snively tallied on a pitchout. His run for the extra points was shy but Massillon had regained the lead role and as it turned out, for keeps.

With 3:30 remaining the visitors had to relinquish possession as three passes following a run by Crossley went for naught. Two of them were off the fingertips of the intended receivers.

Sparma, wriggling out of the grasp of two Big Red boys, picked up 28 yards before Snively, Hastings and Dean took the leather to the two. Then Dean scored and it was all over for all rhyme or reason.

STATISTICS
M S
First Downs – Rushing 16 4
First Downs – Passing 0 2
First Downs – Penalties 0 3
Total First Downs 16 9
Number of Rushing Plays 58 42
Yards Gained – Rushing Plays 334 109
Yards Lost – Running Plays 1 13
Net Yardage – Running 333 96
Passes Attempted 3 11
Passes Completed 0 3
Passes Had Intercepted 1 1
Yards Returned –
Intercepted Passes 0 6
Yards Gained – Passing 0 60
Total Net Yardage –
Running and Passing 333 156
Number of Kickoff Returns 2 4
Yardage – Kickoff Returns 74 52
Average Length of Kickoff
Returns 37 13
Number of Punt Returns 3 0
Yardage – Punt Returns 4 0
Average Length of Punt
Return 1.3 0
Number of Punts 1 3
Total Yardage on Punts 41 132
Average length of Punts 41 44
Number of Penalties 5 3
Yards Lost on Penalties 35 25
Number of Fumbles 2 3
Own Fumbles Recovered 1 2
Ball Lost on Fumbles 1 1

History

1958: Massillon 8, Alliance 8

September 26, 1958July 9, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers And Alliance Battle To 8-8 Tie
Massillon Gridders Knot Score On Second Play Of Fourth Period

By CHARLIE POWELL

The 35th Massillon-Alliance football battle will be entered in the history books as the first tie game in modern day rivalry.

It also will be known as one of the most “iffy” issues of all time. The controversy attributed to that 8-8 deadlock at Mt. Union College stadium Friday night will last for a long, long time.

The game will be replayed many times over by the 10,000 – plus fans, including 9,510 paid, who were there when “if” this or “if” that had happened – or hadn’t happened – their favorites would have grabbed the spoils. But all the “ifs” and “buts” will not change the story – the story of an underdog Alliance team emerging with a moral victory over a Tiger team hounded by some sort of a jinx.
* * *
THE JINX affected Coach Leo Strang just as it affected two of the last three Tiger mentors, Chuck Mather and Tom Harp. However, Strang was a little more fortunate, the first blemish on his slate being a tie while the first time Massillon lost under Mather and Harp it was to the Aviators at the Alliance field.

The Tigers, in most previous trips to Alliance, had their troubles and last night was no exception as penalties, injuries and mistakes that can happen to anyone went against them.

But the one crucial play that will be remembered for many a moon will be the pass interception which would have given the Tigers possession shortly after their tying touchdown and conversion had it not been for a penalty.

As the final period got under way the Bengals climaxed a 68-yard march by sending Fullback Dave Dean in for a TD and then sub Back Jim Snively across for the tying points.

The timepiece showed 7:51 remaining on the play that broke Massillon’s back.
* * *
ON A SECOND and nine situation, Walt Zingg, the fine Alliance quarterback, tossed a pass into the right flat and after it was deflected twice, the ball landed in the arms of Ted Radtke, defensive corner back for the Tigers, and from his own 30 Ted got back to the 48.

For a few seconds bedlam reigned among Tiger fans but it was Alliance’s turn to roar after the referee stepped off a 15-yard roughing – the – passer penalty against the Bengals.

The Aviators finally reached the Tiger 18 before giving up the pigskin but Massillon was in its own backyard, not to get out.

They had to kick, then the defense stopped the host club shy of a first down at the 38 before getting possession again. On the next play End Larry Shinn pounced on a fumble and two plays later it was all over.
* * *
COACH STRANG, while having his doubts about some of the calls made by the officials, did not question the pass interference ruling at length. He showed mild dissatisfaction, figuring the best thing to do was to wait until he could study the game movies.

Somewhat stunned after seeing a team of his finish in a tie for the first time in his coaching experience. Strang elaborated on Alliance’s first play from scrimmage of the night.

Gene Venables, the flashy running fullback who made 89 yards in 18 carries for the red and blue, headed around the left side from his own 31 – and was apparently trapped for a 12-yard loss. But he managed to slip away from his would-be tacklers and wasn’t downed until after he had picked up 21 yards.

That kept the Aviators going. In 11-more plays, including a 12-yard jaunt by pocket-sized Lee Woolf, they hit pay dirt with Halfback Bob Brown tallying from the four. Venables scored the extra points on a sweep at 3:20 and it was 8-0 despite Massillon cries that the Alliance boy did not cross the final stripe.
* * *
THE TIGER mentor also thought a dropped pass coming just before halftime also hurt his team’s chances. Had the ball been caught the Bengals would have had a first down at about the Aviator 30 with a minute remaining in the second period.

This play occurred shortly after Jerry Allen, playing his first game of the season, sped for 17 yards and Quarterback Joe Sparma, unable to find a receiver open, ran for 10.

The Massillon cause certainly was handicapped by injuries, most of them minor, but enough to slow the boys down for a few minutes. In the case of Dean who received a leg injury on the fifth play of the game, it was more serious because the line-blasting co-captain was never quite the same after that.

Between injuries, bad breaks and players left virtually wilted by the humidity, the Tigers simply had it.

“Inexperience proved costly too,” was a reminder from Strang.

“We had a tough time making the right adjustments and it was only because of the lack of varsity game experience,” he said.

“Alliance kept changing its defense but we lacked the ability to make the necessary adjustments on the field.”
* * *
TOUCHING on the Tiger offense, Strang said he was very pleased with the running of Allen, who clicked off 71 yards in 16 trips; Sparma, who ran more than ever before, seven times for 21 yards; and sophomore Art Hastings who supplied the spark in the Tigers’ only big drive of the night.

Hastings, hitting quickly off tackle and up the middle, gained 24 yards during the thrust as he and Snively went into the lineup following injuries to Dean and Allen.

Allen had contributed 26 yards to help move the ball 68 yards. With the oval at the one as the final quarter started, Dean returned to action and on his second dive over center, made the touchdown at 11:13. Snively ripped off left tackle for the extra points.

Then came the much-discussed pass interference call and the Alliance effort, which came to a stop at the Orange 18. After an in-motion penalty, Sparma legged for 10, Dean for six and Hastings for one before a sweep lost two and Sparma was swarmed under for an
11-yard deficit as he tried to pass. The Tigers had to punt and in the remaining two and a half minutes both teams tried their best to break the deadlock. It wasn’t in the book.

It was the first tie game for Massillon since 1955. That year Mansfield and the Tigers played a 12-12 stalemate. The Massillon-Alliance modern day series now stands at 29 wins for Massillon, five wins for Alliance and the one tie.

Massillon and Alliance also waged a 19-19 tie in 1918.

The tie interrupted Massillon’s modest six-game winning streak, which started after the locals lost to Benedictine last year.

STATISTICS
M A
First Downs – Rushing 12 7
First Downs – Passing 0 2
First Downs – Penalties 1 1
Total First Downs 13 10
Number of Rushing Plays 50 44
Yards Gained – Rushing Plays 170 53
Yards Lost – Running Plays 18 11
Net Yardage – Running 152 142
Passes Attempted 6 4
Passes Completed 1 2
Passes Had Intercepted 1 0
Yards Returned –
Intercepted Passes 0 7
Yards Gained – Passing 7 43
Total Net Yardage –
Running and Passing 159 185
Number of Kickoff Returns 2 2
Yardage – Kickoff Returns 18 21
Average Length of Kickoff
Returns 9 10.5
Number of Punt Returns 1 1
Yardage – Punt Returns 10 2
Average Length of Punt Return 10 2
Number of Punts 2 2
Total Yardage on Punts 64 67
Average length of Punts 31 33.5
Number of Penalties 4 3
Yards Lost on Penalties 40 45
Number of Fumbles 2 0
Own Fumbles Recovered 1 0
Ball Lost on Fumbles 1 0

History

1958: Massillon 20, Canton Lincoln 0

September 19, 1958July 9, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers Grind Out 20-0 Victory Over Lincoln
Bengals Shore Up Defense But Move Slowly On Ground

By CHARLIE POWELL

Absence of a breakaway runner that smacks of a Homer Floyd or an Ivory Benjamin was never more conclusive when Washington high’s Tigers met Canton Lincoln at Tiger stadium Friday night.

Only twice did a ball carrier make over 10 yards on a single effort but grind’em out thrusts, a couple of dandy passes and a defense that made the Lions yell “uncle” were more than enough as the Bengals uncorked a 20-0 triumph before 11,783 fans.

Indeed, Leo Strang’s charges enjoyed a big statistical bulge over the Lions, who have yet to beat a Massillon team in 14 tries. The Tigers controlled the football, running 58 plays to Lincoln’s 36, gained 251 yards to 89 and were stopped without a first down on just one series of plays.

And indeed this Lincoln team, literally playing its heart out, had the Bengals well scouted.
* * *
BUT ON ENDLESS occasions the line blocked, and the leather luggers got through an opening only to wind up with short yardage. The downfield blocking wasn’t the world’s worst, either, however the runners, seemingly were intent on trying to ram the tackler down or were cutting inside when they might have been heading away from the mass of young humanity.

For the second straight week Fullback Dave Dean was the wheel-horse, carting 25 times and gaining 93 yards and hitting in for one touchdown. The veteran Corky Pledgure, still not in the best of shape, had a good night as he ripped off 54 yards in 10 carries and hard-nosed Jim Hershberger ran seven times for 28 yards.

Pledgure winged for 20 yards once, Hershberger got off a 13-yarder and wingback Corny Clark raced for 11 yards once but that was the extend of any long gains.

Coach Strang, visibly upset by the inability of the runners to be loose as a goose in the open field, did not blame all on the boys, however.

“We have to keep remembering that only a few of these boys have had much varsity experience. They are still learning and believe me, they are looking better every week.”

“It takes time and a little patience. We looked a little better tonight. I thought the defense was fine, didn’t you?”

To this, everybody must nod their heads in agreement. The defense was very good.
* * *
THE LINCOLN TEAM, losing its second straight start, made only five first downs and its best gain went for eight yards. The Tigers did a good job containing such dangerous ball toters as swivel-hipped Art DeOrio and hard-running George Saimes.

“We will keep trying to improve the defense, too, but we’ve got to emphasize the running game right now,” Strang said.

Lithe Tom Spencer, who started at tailback; sophomore Art Hastings, who went in at fullback for a few plays in the final period and Clark, who showed nice speed on end sweeps apparently will rate a lot of attention next week.

Clark was helped by “surprise” plays that went to the left side. But the slim senior, who has had most of his duty confined to defense, displayed lots of courage as he barreled across for two extra points after Massillon’s first touchdown.

The first TD, coming with 5:06 remaining in the second quarter, was made by Pledgure. He tallied on a sweep from the one after the Bengals had marched 63 yards in 14 plays.
* * *
A THIRD PERIOD score climaxed a drive of 63 yards in 10 plays and came on the best play of the night. With the ball at the 22, Quarterback Joe Sparma after faking beautifully, whipped a jump pass to big Bob Vogel at the eight. Bob made a nice catch of the hard-thrown ball and there just wasn’t any stopping him.

Following the kickoff, Lincoln failed for a first down at the Tiger 33 and the hosts went all the way, the drive carrying over into the final round. After 14 plays and a total of 66 yards, Dean cracked across from the one.

The first quarter was almost void of consistent gains. On the last play of that session Spencer gained three yards to his own 39 and the second quarter started with the orange and black determined and destined to break the deadlock.

Pledgure and Dean did most of the work and Pledgure circled left end for the score from one yard out. On the conversion attempt, Clark took a pitch-out and sailed around left end, driving in to make it 8-0.
* * *
LINCOLN HAD the ball for only sic plays in the second panel and only nine plays in the third period. Shortly after the second half got under way, Clark returned a punt 20 yards to his own 37 and the Tigers stepped on the gas. Sparma pitched handsomely to Vogel for 14 yards and Clark zipped for 11 on a pitch-out (with Guard Gail Karrenbauer making the key block) to help put the oval at the Lion 22. Then with Bill Zorn flanked right, Sparma hit the glue-fingered Vogel and at 5:42 it was 14-0. Sparma intended to put his foot to the football on the try for the extra points but a bad pass from center nixed the deal.
A 20-yard kickoff return by Dave English helped Lincoln reach Massillon territory but the Lion bid flunked at the Bengal 33. Hershberger and Dean gained 25 yards on the last five plays of the quarter and the Tigers continued to advance the pigskin in the final canto.

It was Dean, Pledgure, Hastings and Sparma stepping to the one before Dean ploughed through the middle for the Tigers’ third and final six-pointer at 5:57. On the conversion attempt, the Lions put on a big rush and spoiled any chance for a placement by Sparma.

The maroon-shirted team made two first downs after the kickoff but was forced to relinquish possession at the orange 33 and two plays with one responsible for eight yards via a Sparma-to-Vogel connection, it was all over – and Alliance next for the Strang gang.

EIGHT TO GO

MASSILLON
Ends – Zorn, Vogel, Oliver, Barkman, Mitchell.
Tackles – Bordner, Donat, Herndon, Haines, Clicker.
Guards – Karrenbauer, Perry, Bednar, J. Kasunick.
Centers – Shilling, Snyder, Cooley.
Quarterbacks – Sparma, Finney, Snivley.
Halfbacks – Wood, Clark, Spencer, Radtke, Herhsberger, Pledgure.
Fullbacks – Dean, McKey, Morrow, Hastings.
CANTON LINCOLN
Ends – Dan English, Okey, Tabellion.
Tackles – Pikna, Caughey.
Guards – Thompson, Paratore, Frazier, Parrish.
Center – Brandstetter.
Quarterbacks – W. Billings, Crewse.
Halfbacks – Dave English, DeOrio, Wilson.
Fullback – Saimes.

Scoring by quarters:
Massillon 0 8 6 6 20
Lincoln 0 0 0 0 0

Massillon scoring:
Touchdowns – Pledgure run-1; Dean run-1; Vogel pass-22.
Extra points – Clark 2, run.

OFFICIALS
Referee – Mack Schaffer.
Umpire – Steve Hering.
Head Linesman – Octavia Sirgo.
Field Judge – Dick Klar.

STATISTICS
M L
First Downs – Rushing 14 5
First Downs – Passing 2 0
First Downs – Penalties 0 0
Total First Downs 16 5
Number of Rushing Plays 58 36
Yards Gained – Running
Plays 228 102
Yards Lost – Running
Plays 21 13
Net Yardage – Running 207 89
Passes Attempted 5 3
Passes Completed 3 0
Passes Had Intercepted 0 0
Yards Returned –
Intercepted Passes 0 0
Yards Gained – Passing 44 0
Net Yardage – Running and
Passing 251 89
Number of Kickoff Returns 1 4
Yardage – Kickoff Returns 26 66
Average Length of Kickoff
Returns 26 16.6
Number of Punt Returns 3 1
Yardage – Punt Returns 33 14
Average Length of Punt
Returns 11 14
Number of Punts 2 4
Average Length of Punts 31 27.7
Number of Fumbles 1 2
Own Fumbles Recovered 1 2
Ball Lost on Fumbles 0 0
Number of Penalties 0 1
Yards lost on Penalties 0 5

History

1958: Massillon 28, Akron South 0

September 12, 1958July 9, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tiger Gridders Defeat Akron South 28-0
Bengals Find Going Tough But Played Game Close To Vest

By CHARLIE POWELL

That Massillon Tiger football fans and all others among the crowd of 12,256 at Tiger stadium went home Friday night with mixed emotions just could be an under-statement.

After the 1958 band of Bengals clipped the wings of a spunky Akron South club 28-0, some folks seemed contented with a hot-and-cold running performance that marked the debut of Coach Leo Strang.

Others, like the good citizens of Missouri, want to be shown.

There were quite a few people, apparently, who were not satisfied with the margin of victory. They came expecting a real show of razzle-dazzle football and there were many, too, who pictured the Tiger clan running the Cavaliers right out of the stadium. Before too much second-guessing, fans perhaps should keep three things in mind:

(1) That the Tigers played it close to the vest; (2) that they need a little more time to
synchronize the attack; and (3) that South has a better team than lots of people figured.
* * *
STRANG’S GANG struck for three touchdowns in the first half and from there on out they played under wraps. True, the Tigers used several plays from the spread formation and kept things interesting with a sharp passing attack but as a whole, they didn’t reach into their bags of tricks. They didn’t have to.

South helped matters along, favoring the nattily-attired host crew with a fumble, a poor punt, a penalty and a deflected pass that paved the way for three Massillon TDs.

Aside from the gifts, the orange and black made many fans happy with a 63-yard march for their third touchdown. A 72-yard run by co-captains and Fullback Dave Dean had them buzzing too but after Dean rambled to the South 18, the Tigers could go no further than the 16 in four plays.

This run went to waste midway in the third period but before the fourth quarter arrived, a bad South punt made a fourth Tiger six-pointer possible.

Quarterback Joe Sparma, who hit on seven of 10 passes for the night, tallied the last touchdown. The others were made by Dean from the seven after Massillon recovered a fumble at the Cavalier 24; big Bill Zorn who was standing in the end zone when South’s Jim Turner deflected the ball into his hands (on a Sparma pass) in the first stanza; and the other giant end, Bob Vogel, whose catch of a Sparma aerial on a play covering 14 yards climaxed the 63-yard drive late in the second quarter.
* * *
VOGEL MADE the first two and only extra points and thus became the first Massillon player in history to rack up a two-point conversion. Under the new rule he scored four points, twice converting Dean’s touchdown by going across on an end-around play and then after Zorn’s score by hauling in a jump pass from Sparma.

Other “first” of the new campaign had Dean scoring the first touchdown and carrying the ball for the first time. Halfback Cornelius Clark making the first tackle on the game-opening kick-off, Zorn receiving the first pass on the second touchdown, Sparma throwing the first pass on the same play, and Clark recovering the first fumble on the second play from scrimmage.

Ultra-important, naturally, was the first digit in the win column. Victory No. 2 will be sought next Friday night when Canton Lincoln comes here. Lincoln will open its season against Cuyahoga Falls at Fawcett stadium this evening.

If everything goes right, the forward pass will be a big threat against the Lions and all other future foes.

Coach Strang, miffed at some of the mistakes the boys made but realizing the need for more work, found no blame with the air arm.

Sparma’s seven completions (two others were almost caught by Vogel who made an extra big effort both times) were good for 68 yards. The two touchdown plays and two other snags by Zorn gained over 12 yards each, while three shorter connections were made.
* * *
ZORN GOT his hooks on two pegs, one for 13 yards and the other for 14 during the
63-yard drive while another end, Jerry Mitchell, made a nifty catch for eight yards during a final quarter march that ate up 62 yards before it fizzled out due to a fumble.

The 68 yards through the air and 220 by rushing gave the Bengals a net of 288 yards. South collected 141 on the ground and 20 yards in its only completed pass. Most other statistics favored the local team with first downs being 12-9.

South ran the ball 38 times and for some strange reason, remained on the ground after it was three and four touchdowns in arrears.

The Cavaliers provided the Massillon offense with somewhat of a problem at times. Their defense was sparked by guard Mose Burrell who was all over the field much like South’s 1957 star, Owensby Pearson.

The Bill Hawkins-coached outfit suffered a cruel blow when Jim Brooks, a tough defensive end, sustained an injury in the third period. He had ligaments in his knee torn and apparently is through for the season.

Massillon came out of the fracas with two injuries.
* * *
THE DEFENSE of the Tigers wasn’t the same after middle guard Hase McKey retired in the second quarter because of a leg injury. He did not play at all in the second half. Guard and linebacker Gail Karrenbauer received a cut on the cheek, which required two stitches. Both boys should be in shape for the Lincoln contest.

The game was only about a minute old when the diminutive Clark pounced on a fumble at the South 24-yard line. In five plays and at 8:52 Strang’s combine clicked for its first touchdown of the season.

Dean ran three times for 17 yards and after Tailback Jim Hershberger was held for no gain. Dean cracked the middle for six points. On the conversion, the Tigers completely fooled the invaders with the end-around. Vogel made it good although he fumbled in the end zone.

On the kickoff that followed, South was penalized 15-yards for clipping but it got one first down before being forced to punt. A host of Tigers blocked the try by Halfback Danny Spencer and it was Massillon’s ball at the Cavalier 26.
* * *
THE TIGERS also took advantage of this break. Dean, Hershberger and Wingback Jim Wood made a first down and after an in-motion penalty, Dean and Wood carried to the 13 from which point the Sparma-Zorn combination worked for six – with a stroke of luck. The pass, coming on fourth and one, was knocked up in the air by Turner but Zorn, behind Turner and Leon Harris, was there to catch it as it came down. Vogel took Sparma’s jump pass and it was 16-0 with 1:54 left in the quarter.

The next time Massillon had possession Hershberger quick-kicked 33 yards. South moved from its own 28 to the Massillon 36 before a fumble, with Zorn recovering, ended the drive.

Mixing up pass plays and power slants, the Bengals went all the way in 10 plays. In addition to a catch by Zorn, for a total of 28 yards, Hershberger had a seven-run blast and Dean rammed for nine. At the 14 it was fourth and one when Sparma found Vogel all by his lonesome in the end zone. Dean was stopped shy of the goal line on the conversion attempt with only 38 seconds remaining in the half.

After an exchange in the third panel, it was Massillon’s ball at its own seven. Corky Pledgure, in at tailback, picked up three before Dean got loose.

Dave hit off the left side and saw daylight at the 25. He cut toward the sidelines and appeared to be going all the way but Harris caught him from behind at the Cavalier 18.
* * *
THE 72-YARD jaunt went for naught because of what happened in the next four plays. Hershberger made two. Sparma’s pass was just out of the reach of Vogel near the final stripe. Wood lost a foot on a reverse. On last down Sparma whipped a jump pass to Wood but the latter, boxed in as he made the reception, was stopped after a three-yard gain.

South made little progress due to a penalty and a fumble and the Akronites had to kick. Spencer’s poor punt was caught by sub Fullback Bob Morrow at the 25, where he was promptly earthed. But a 15-yard clipping call against South put the oval on the Cavalier 10.

Hershberger rolled to the one-foot line and then was held at the line of scrimmage before Sparma sneaked across as play in the quarter ran out. Pledgure swept to the left on the PAT attempt, was halted short of the Promised Land, and that was the final score, 28-0.

In the last session the Tigers went on the prowl in a fine way. They barreled from their own four (following a clipping penalty on a South punt) to the enemy 33. Enroute Pledgure checked in with a 13-yard pickup, Dean ran once for 10 and a pass, Sparma to Mitchell made eight. On third down at the South 40, Sparma fumbled with Spencer recovering for the visitors. That was that.

After a pushing penalty against South, a delay-of-game penalty against Massillon, three runs good for 31 yards and a pass which made 20, Strang’s debut and Assistant “Ducky” Schroeder’s 100 consecutive game here went into the history books.

STATISTICS
M S
First Downs – Rushing 8 6
First Downs – Passing 4 1
First Downs – Penalties 0 2
Total First Downs 12 9
Number of Rushing Plays 50 39
Yards Gained – Rushing Plays 228 141
Yards Lost – Running Plays 8 20
Net Yardage – Running 220 121
Passes Attempted 10 1
Passes Completed 7 1
Passes Had Intercepted 0 0
Yards Returned –
Intercepted Passes 0 0
Yards Gained – Passing 68 20
Net Yardage – Running and
Passing 288 141
Number of Kickoff Returns 1 4
Yardage – Kickoff Returns 31 57
Average Length of Kickoff
Returns 31 14.2
Number of Punt Returns 2 0
Yardage – Kickoff Returns 9 0
Average Length of Kickoff
Returns 4.5 0
Number of Punts 1 3
Total Yardage on Punts 33 102
Average Length of Punts 33 34
Number of Penalties 5 8
Yards Lost on Penalties 35 70
Number of Fumbles 3 3
Own Fumbles Recovered 1 1
Ball Lost on Fumbles 2 2

History

1957: Massillon 25, Canton McKinley 7

November 16, 1957September 12, 2020
by Eric Smith

Massillon Dazzles Bulldogs With Air, Ground Attack And Herculean Defense
Tigers Boast Lots of Stars As They Get Revenge Before 22,000 Fans

By CHARLIE POWELL

Desire plus blocking plus tackling.

That was the formula for success – the sweetest victory of the 1957-football season. The formulators were those supercharged peerless Massillon Tigers.

That 25-7 triumph they ran up over old rival Canton McKinley Saturday afternoon was the salt of the earth. Scrumptious…fetching…masterful…sensational…terrific…great.

These and many more superlatives are needed to tell the story of the lion-hearted lads who beat McKinley. And how they beat them!

They ran through, over and around the erstwhile state champs. They kept the Bulldogs gasping with a whale of a passing attack. And they added insult to injury with a rugged defense that on only three occasions allowed more than nine yards.
* * *
YES, IT’S OUR turn to howl and rightfully so today the city of champions is living it up.

Getting revenge for those last two setbacks, the Tigers struck for four touchdowns and one extra point.

Something like 22,000 fans saw an awesome offense which powered to 234 yards on the ground and 125 in the air; a net of 359. McKinley made 212 yards on the ground with an 83-yard gainer on an end-around giving the Bulldogs, who failed in their only two aerial attempts, their biggest lift. The Tigers hit on nine of 14 passes and carved out 16 first downs to McKinley’s seven.

And it could easily have been more than an 18-point difference at the finish.

Leading by 18-0 late in the first half, the Tigers saw an electrifying 26-yard pay dirt prance by Ivory Benjamin erased by a penalty. Late in the third period, with the score at 18-7, the blazing Bengals were pounding at the touchdown door when a fumble cost them the ball at the Bulldog 10.

Outside of the 83-yard gallop by End Charley Reeves, the closest the host team got to the Tiger goal was the 23. The first time they had the ball the Bulldogs went on the march from their own 40 and they got down to the 23 before a field goal attempt failed. Consider it a break that they got past the Tiger 43.

From that point, with fourth down and four yards to go, sub Dave Sitzman went back to punt. It was a low pass from center and Sitzman dropped the ball but picked it up and was able to move 21 yards before being grassed.
* * *
BEFORE BENJAMIN’S second period jaunt was called back it looked like the Tigers were headed for a fourth touchdown of the half. End Clyde Childers got behind the McKinley secondary at the 21 but the pass was thrown short and Reeves, racing toward his own goal, leaped high into the air for an eye opening interception that momentarily slowed up the orange and black express.

A mental lapse cost the Tigers a shutout as Reeves, finding a hole off the right side, simply outran would be tacklers. After he got past the line of scrimmage there was nobody in front of him as the defenders on the left side were “suckered” to the opposite side of the field.

So there you have it. Massillon had a big statistical advantage and with a break here and there might have punched out a six or seven touchdown margin.

But nobody is beefing. Beating McKinley by one or 41 doesn’t make much difference.

We would have settled for even a one-point win Saturday.

McKinley was no slouch. Some coaches, players and fans rate them on a par with Cleveland Benedictine, only team to up-end the Tigers this year. That the Bulldogs were a bunch of hard-hitters will be attested by the Tigers.

The Canton club, whose only previous loss was inflicted by Warren, gave ground begrudgingly. They were in there battling all the way. But the odds were too great.
* * *
COACH LEE TRESSEL moved his backs like chessman. Halfbacks ran from both left and right posts and fullbacks ran from halfback slots. Five different boys threw passes with one of them, Halfback Corky Pledgure, getting off the first of his scholastic career.

Defensively, the Tresselman certainly lived up to their reputation. Offensively, a major factor was the blocking by the linemen.

The coaches knew the weak points of the Bulldogs and the Tigers concentrated on those spots.

The highly cherished victory was the eighth in nine games for the Tigers and No. 30 for Massillon in the long, colorful series. McKinley has won 27 but only twice in the last 10 meetings. The win snapped a 25-game win string for the Bulldogs at friendly Fawcett stadium.

Still very much alive and kicking are Massillon hopes for a state championship.

The official Associated Press poll will include Thanksgiving Day games – meaning the local boys could get a big assist from Cleveland St. Ignatius.

If Benedictine loses to St. Ignatius in the senate championship fray Nov. 28, Massillon apparently would have the inside track on the gonfalon.

The Tigers really played like kings Saturday. They virtually ran the Bulldogs off the premises.

One big reason was the whirling dervish named Ivory Lee Benjamin.
* * *
THE BULLDOGS found out why Massillon thinks so much of the mercury-footed
co-captain.

He scored the first touchdown of the game, capping an 80-yard drive with a 17-yard foray that really was a beaut. He sparked the drive with runs of 11, 3 and 20 in that order.

In the second stanza he ran for 11 and Gene Stewart passed to Ronnie Williams for
22 yards to help put the pigskin on the McKinley 26. From that point Ivory came up with the best individual effort of the sunny afternoon.

He hit off left tackle and turned on the gas, spinning away from three red-shirted defenders and the last 10 yards he was strictly on his own. He began dragging tacklers with him at the 10 and the last five yards it looked like practically the whole McKinley team was trying to pull him down. He fought his way in but a clipping penalty was called at the 15.

His other long run was for 23 yards in the third quarter. On that one he was aided by Dave Dean’s fine fake.

Benjamin again led the Tiger leather-luggers as he racked up his 17th touchdown of the year and made 96 yards in 14 carries. That’s an average of 6.1 yards per try.
* * *
FOR THE ENTIRE season Ivory accounted for 1,564 yards with 1,138 of that total coming on 146 trips with the mail.

Scott Kanney averaged 6.4 yards in seven tries while Anthony and Dean, who will be back next year, averaged 5 yards each.

Co-Captain Chuck Beiter was slowed by a leg injury but the Tigers got a hard- nosed effort from the senior fullback. He averaged 3.5 yards a try.

In the passing department the Bengals staged on of their better productions.

The nine completions were good for 125 yards and two touchdowns. The receivers worked their way into the clear and the passers, Anthony, Joe Sparma and Gene Stewart, threw the ball on target – and at the right time.

McKinley had Tiger fans on edge shortly after the tussle got under way. Massillon received, gained eight yards in three plays, and had to punt with Sparma’s short, wobbly boot going out of bounds at the Bulldog 40.

After making one first down the hosts got to the 43 before going into punt formation. It was at this point that Sitzman picked up the low pass from center and ran right for 21 yards to the Tiger 22.
* * *
THE MASSILLON defense got tough and three plays later McKinley had lost a yard.

With the ball on the 23, McKinley tried a field goal at 5:40.

Guard Jesse Chenault’s boot from the 32 just missed. The ball struck the crossbar and fell harmlessly to the turf in front of the goalpost.

Apparently all this served as a shot in the arm to Massillon’s spirit.

The Tigers showed class and precision as they marched 80 yards. Benjamin started the ball rolling with an 11-yard sweep and then winged off 20 yards after he picked up three and Scott Kanney churned for five.

A sideline pass, Anthony to lanky Clyde Childers, was good for 20 yards and Tiger followers were blowing their top as the ball moved to the 17.

Then Benjamin, tearing out of the grasp of tacklers twice, showed his heels and went into the end zone standing up at 2:40. Sophomore Jim Hershberger’s placement on the extra point try sailed to the left but everybody from Tigertown was happy indeed.

And it wasn’t long until the Tresselmen again had their rooters raving.

Hase McKey kicked off twice. His first went out of bounds and on the second, the twisting leather hit at the 27 and as a couple of McKinley players watched helplessly, end Al Pierce came in to cover.
* * *
IT WAS MASSILLON’S ball on the Bulldog 25 and the Tigers were off to the races.

Benjamin fumbled and recovered for a gain of one, Beiter picked up three, Anthony hit Benjamin on a short running pass for three, Benjamin got some sharp blocking and went for five, Anthony rammed for six and Beiter came back with two as the first period ended.

On the first play of the second canto Dean got three and a first down before Sparma, on an option play to the left, just had room to get over the final stripe. At 11:16 Hershberger’s kick was wide but few fans were worrying. It was 12-0.

After the kickoff McKinley made one first down as Bob Kettlewell and Bob Cook collaborated for 12 yards but at the 43 the red and black was forced to punt.

Defensive end Leaman Williamson, a tower of strength for the Tigers all season, barreled in to block Sitzman’s kick and second string defensive tackle John Donat pounced on the pighide at the McKinley 40.

Another touchdown play was pulled off by the Bengals as Sparma, given beautiful protection, threw down the middle to Anthony, all alone at the 23. Mark chugged in at 7:08 and still it was 18-0 as a bad pass from center ruined the extra point try.

There was no further scoring the first half but late in the second chapter the Tigers were pounding hard.
* * *
STEWART THREW like a pro to Williams for 22 yards and Benjamin, cutting back off the left side, fought his way for 11 yards before the same kid zipped 26 yards – but to no avail.

McKinley’s score in the third period came after an exchange of punts. On the first Massillon series Kanney got off a 20-yarder but at the McKinley 40 Sparma had to punt with Jordon Fronimo being smeared at the 13.

Cook gained two and Fronimo two before Reeves carried on an end-around. He had just enough room to get through the right side and was gone. Sub back John Fontes made it
18-7 at 4:20.

That was McKinley’s last chance to stand up and cheer.

After the kickoff Benjamin got loose for 23 yards and Dean, on a dive play off the right side, blasted for 13 before a fumble gave the Bulldogs possession at their 10.

After an exchange of punts in the final round the Tigers added another clincher. They used air and ground maneuvers to go 65 yards with the choice bits being a 15-yard pass from Anthony to Childers, an 11-yard pass from Anthony to Benjamin and a 12-yard jaunt by Kanney.
* * *
THE DRIVE WAS climaxed at 2:20 when Williams made a terrific catch of a Sparma pass in the end zone. This time McKey tried the extra point and made it. Five plays later Massillon’s revenge victory entered the record books.

Jubilant Massillon players and fans cut loose as soon as it was over. Coach Tressel was carried from the field and the Tiger locker room, close to 30 minutes afterward, was a mass of hysterically happy humanity.

Besides Childers, Beiter, Williamson, Williams, Getz, Benjamin, Stewart, Anthony and Kanney, the seniors are Harold Slabuagh, Joe Brownlee, Tom Heine, Pete Heimann, Al Slicker, Paul Lawson, Noah Taylor, Jesse Steele, Dan Swartz, Maury Snavely, Jim Cook, Bobo Hagan, Roger Reese, and John Halter.

The summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS – Childers, Williams, Hagan, Zorn, Mitchell, Wood, Steele, Pierce, Snavely.
TACKLES – Slabaugh, Slicker, Brownlee, Halter, Donat, Karrenbauer.
GUARDS – Heine, Heimann, McKey, Bendar, Taylor, Cook.
CENTERS – Williamson, Swartz.
QUARTERBACKS – Getz, Sparma.
HALFBACKS – Benjamin, Pledgure, Anthony, Allen, Snively, Lawson, Clark, Stewart, Hershberger.
FULLBACKS – Kanney, Beiter, Dean, Reese.

McKINLEY
ENDS – Reeves, Bowes, Tolson.
TACKLES – Swimmer, Patterson, Guedel.
GUARDS – Chenault, Bender, Connor, Rossetti.
CENTERS – Bridges, Hodge.
QUARTERBACKS – Cook, Sitzman.
HALFBACKS – Fronimo, Kettlewell, Fontes.
FULLBACKS – Martin, Turner.

Massillon 6 12 0 7 25
McKinley 0 0 7 0 7

Massillon scoring:
Touchdowns – Benjamin (17-run), Sparma (2-run); Anthony (40-pass); Williams (10-pass).
Extra points – McKey (placement).

McKinley scoring:
Touchdown – Reeves (83-run).
Extra point – Fontes (placesment).

STATISTICS
Mass. McK.
First downs, rushing 11 7
First downs, passing 5 0
First downs, penalties 0 0
First downs, total 16 1
Yards gained, running plays 254 235
Yards lost, running plays. 20 23
Net yardage, running plays 234 212
Passes attempted 14 2
Passes completed 9 0
Passes had intercepted 1 0
Yards gained passing 125 0
Total yardage, running, passing 359 212
Number of kickoff returns 2 4
Yardage, kickoff returns 24 77
Average length of kickoff returns 12 19
Number of punt returns 1 0
Yardage, punt returns 19 0
Average length of punt returns 19 0
Number of punts 4 5
Total yardage on punts 100 137
Average length of punts 25 27
Number of penalties 4 2
Yards lost on penalties 50 10
Number of fumbles 4 1
Own fumbles recovered 2 0
Ball lost on fumbles 2 1

History

1957: Massillon 33, Akron Garfield 0

November 8, 1957July 8, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers Defeat Akron Garfield 33-0
Presidents Removed From Unbeaten; Now It’s Beat McKinley!

By CHARLIE POWELL

A fancy aerial barrage that produced seven hits in 11 tries, the nimble feet of flyboy Ivory Benjamin and a defense that just wouldn’t stop for a second wind.

These were the three essentials the Massillon Tigers added up to a 33-0 scuttling of Akron Garfield before 8,919 shivering fans at Tiger stadium Friday night.

And so Garfield hopes for an undefeated season were sent sailing into the regions more familiar to Sputnik and Muttnik.
* * *
IT WAS MASSILLON’S seventh victory in eight starts and its sixth straight without defeat in the series while the loss was the first after eight consecutive wins by the Presidents. Thus the Tigers maintained their status of never having lost to an Akron team since South turned the trick by a point back in 1931.

And now we of Tigertown – for that matter people throughout the entire state – await with mixed emotions the biggest battle of the year.

Nobody needs to be reminded that the most pompous pigskin hoe down will send the Tigers against the ancient, fierce rival from Canton McKinley.

A week from today with Fawcett stadium as the setting the Massillon-Canton supremacy will be determined for the 62nd time.
BEAT McKINLEY!
You will hear that cry all hours of the day…and if you aren’t a dyed-in-the-wool Tiger rooter you’d better get used to it.

BEAT McKINLEY…nothing else matters for awhile.

More than one big prize may be the stake as far as the Tigers are concerned.

A victory over McKinley would be sweet revenge for the 1955 and 1956 reversals but much, much more important – a win could lead to Ohio’s scholastic championship.

Top-ranking Cleveland Benedictine beat John Adams 28-7 last night and off that performance it would appear that the Clevelanders failed to increase their prestige much, if at all. But don’t do any betting.

Benedictine will be idle next week. It has one game left – with St. Ignatius for the city championship – after the state title is decided.
* * *
THE TIGERS were anticipating a rugged time with Garfield but it was strictly no match.

Garfield was completely out-played. Its offense was confined to a mere net of 56 yards and its defense failed to ruffle the running of the swivel-hipped Benjamin or a passing attack that clicked off 126 yards.

The smallest crowd to watch a varsity encounter at the stadium in many a moon may not have gotten much warmth out of the action but there was plenty of goings-on to warm the hearts of Massillon fans.

Benjamin hiked his touchdown total to 16 for the season as he scored three times. He sparked, then capped, a short drive from one yard out, sped 46 yards on a sweep and showed his heels on a 58-yard pass play.

He carted the swinehide 18 times for 96 yards and snagged four passes for 102 yards.
* * *
THE OTHER touchdowns were made by the lanky end, Clyde Childers, on a four-yard pass play (Mark Anthony tossed both TD aerials from a halfback position) and third string fullback Ken Dean, who went in from two yards out. Sophomore Halfback Jim Hershberger kicked the three extra points.

That was not all: one other touchdown was made against the team which in eight previous tilts had allowed only four six-pointers, but both were nullified by penalties. Quarterback Bob Getz hit Childers on a 39-yard play wiped out by a backfield-in-motion call.

Officially, Getz threw one incomplete pass while Anthony had a perfect 4-for-4 mark and Sparma completed three of six.

To add to it all, punters – due to the wind which flew in all directions – had a rough time with one Garfield boot going only five yards and another eight yards in reverse. Both teams lacked 11 players on the field on two occasions and on one kickoff the ball was held for a left-footed kicker but the actual kicker was right-footed.
* * *
ROGER REESE, the ace linebacker, was called upon to handle the Tiger punting chores after Childers split a toe in a pre-game warm-up. Roger averaged over 24 yards on three kicks while Garfield’s Bob Price averaged over 28 yards on seven boots.

The Tigers played without the injured Chuck Beiter and Gene Stewart, while the Prexies lost Halfback Lou Rizzo in the second period and Quarterback Joe Rossi early in the final canto.
While Corky Pledgure, Anthony and Dave Dean gave Benjamin some fine backing on attack, Massillon’s defensive stickouts were Leaman Williamson, Joe Brownlee and Reese.

Garfield gained 84 yards on 33 rushing plays and Tiger defenders threw the invaders for losses totaling 28 yards. Massillon gained 195 yards and lost 33 on 45 running plays.

Tiger Coach Lee Tressel thought the Massillon defense made the big difference.
* * *
“I THOUGHT Garfield had a better club than last year. We were not as sharp offensively. But they are not a poor defensive team.”

“Those passes and Ivory’s running pulled us out.”

The crowd, which began leaving after the Tigers jumped on their lead to 27-0 with 3:37 remaining in the third period, brought home attendance for the year (six games) to 80,953.

This was below the 86,170 for seven games in 1956 but a bit higher than the 76,963 admissions for seven games the previous year.

The first time Massillon got the ball last night it racked up six points, thanks to a nifty
58-yard pass play. Anthony pitching and Benjamin catching.
* * *
GARFIELD had to punt after receiving the opening kickoff with the ball being grounded at the Tiger 31. A clipping penalty against Massillon and then a 5-yarder against Garfield for an illegal substitution set the oval on the 35. Benjamin, Kanney and Pledgure moved it to the 42 from where Anthony tossed a short running pass to Benjamin.

Ivory grabbed the throw on the 49 and took off. At the Garfield 35 he cut away from two would-be tacklers and at the five steamed past the safetyman. Hershberger came in to boot the extra point and the Tigers were in the van at 7:37.

Garfield received, again had to punt and this time the Tigers went on the prowl at the Prexy 36 as Price’s kick went “up the shaft” and landed only five yards past the scrimmage line.

Short runs by Benjamin, Anthony, Dean, Pledgure and Kanney plus a 10-yard pass, Sparma to Pledgure, moved the local boys to the enemy one. However, on fourth down at the four that many Garfield players “ganged up” to stop Benjamin at the three.
* * *
EARLY IN the second period the teams swapped fumbles. Cornerman Al Pierce pounced on Price’s bobble at the Garfield 39 and again the orange and black utilized short-yardage plays. Sparma twirled to Benjamin for nine yards and Ivory, Anthony and Dean kept pounding off the tackles to set the stage for a second score.

From the four Anthony threw the running pass again. Childers made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone, Hershberger converted and it was 14-0 at 6:29.

Neither side mustered anything resembling a threat the rest of the half.

A pass interception by Reese after Jerry Mitchell deflected the pitch by Rossi, put Massillon in position for its third TD.

Reese was downed at the Prexy 34 and a 12-yard pass, Anthony to Benjamin and a 10-yard bang off the right side by Dean helped advance the ball to the one before Benjamin dived across behind Tackle Harold Slabaugh. At 6:25, Hershberger again converted.
* * *
GARFIELD was forced to punt again after the kickoff and Jim Snively returned to midfield. Pledgure gained four at left tackle before Benjamin counted again.

This time Ivory took at pitchout, cut around the right side, broke in the clear at the 25 and outran two Garfield boys to the end zone – a 46-yard gallop. At 3:37 Hershberger’s kick placement sailed low of the bar but the orange rode high, 27-0.

The fourth quarter touchdown came on a 39-yard foray after the Getz to Childers pass from the 39 was vetoed by a penalty. Big gainers in this movement included Anthony’s
11-yard sweep and his pass to Benjamin good for 11-yards.

From the two Dean drove off right guard for the score at 6:05. Hershberger’s kick was partially blocked.

After that tally Coach Tressel began to substitute and before the game was over, 45 players including 23 seniors, saw action.

The summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS – Childers, Williams, Williamson, Hagan, Zorn, Mitchell, Oliver, Wood, Steele, A. Pierce, Snavely.
TACKLES – Slabaugh, A. Slicker, Brownlee, Halter, Donat, Karrenbaurer, Bordner, Lane.
GUARDS – Heine, Heimann, McKey, Taylor, Bednar, Perry, J. Kasunick, Cook.
CENTERS – Williamson, Swartz, Shilling, Reese.
QUARTERBACKS – Getz, Sparma, Kocher.
HALFBACKS – Benjamin, Pledgure, Anthony, Snively, Clark, Garcia, Young, Allen, Hershberger.
FULLBACKS – Kanney, Dean, Morrow.

AKRON GARFIELD
ENDS – Lupori, Younger, Blouir, Grasso.
TACKLES – Wiseman, Hicks, Piurkowski, Valatka.
GUARDS – Rekettye, Hollendoner, Capatosta, Black, Sabatino.
CENTERS – Smith, Phillips.
QUARTERBACKS – Rossi, Luperi.
HALFBACKS – Rizzo, Miskar, Price, Rich, Salchek.
FULLBACKS – Arshinkoff, Trusa.

Score by quarters:
Massillon 7 7 13 6 33

Touchdowns – Benjamin 3, Childers, Dean.
Extra Points – Hershberger (placements).

STATISTICS
Mass. Gar.
First downs, rushing 8 4
First downs, passing 5 0
First downs, penalties 0 0
First downs, total 13 4
Yards gained, running plays 195 84
Yards lost, running plays. 33 28
Net yardage, running plays 162 56
Passes attempted 11 7
Passes completed 7 1
Passes had intercepted 0 2
Yards gained passing 126 2
Total yardage, running,
Passing 268 58
Number of kickoff returns 1 6
Yardage, kickoff returns 30 53
Average length of kickoff
returns 30 8.8
Number of punt returns 3 7
Total yardage on punts 75 202
Average length of punts 24.9 28.8
Number of penalties 5 3
Yards lost on penalties 45 35
Number of fumbles 3 4
Own fumbles recovered 2 2
Ball lost on fumbles 1 1

History

1957: Massillon 30, Barberton 0

November 1, 1957July 8, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers Take Magic Out Of Barberton 30-0
Benjamin Romps For Three Touchdowns, Averages 17 Yards

By CHARLIE POWELL

It’s an exception rather than the rule when somebody in a Massillon Tiger jersey puts on a one-man show.

There was an exception Friday night and that “somebody” was the flashy fireball named Ivory Lee Benjamin.

The kid with dash, daring and 300-horsepower legs gave Tigertown fans a treat and Barberton the treatment as he sparked the Bengals to a methodical 30-0 victory over the not-so-magic Magics before some 7,000 chilled rooters at the Barberton stadium.

He pranced to pay dirt three times on runs of eight, 41 and 56 yards. Well, actually four times, but a 43-yard trip was made null and void by a penalty.

He toted the pighide 13 times and wound up with a gain of 225 yards. He caught one pass for four yards, intercepted on enemy pass and made quite a few stops on defense. He now has made 13 touchdowns.

Any wonder why we say he was a one-man wrecking crew?
* * *
BENJAMIN LEFT the Barberton fans buzzing. A few may have kept right on talking about him after they went to sleep.

After the show produced by the Tiger co-captain and left halfback was concluded, Barberton’s general mentor, Junie Ferrall wasn’t about to go into the whys and wherefores of the battle.

He just kept shaking his head and repeating, “That Benjamin…just too much Benjamin.”

Well, Mr. Ferrall, as you know and we all know, he couldn’t have done it all by his lonesome.

How about that line which opened holes you could have engineered a battleship through? How about the timely running of Scott Kanney, who was filling in at fullback in place of the injured Chuck Beiter? How about that fine ball-handling in the backfield? How about that defense which limited the Magics to 65 yards on the ground?

There were two big reasons why the Tigers didn’t do more damage.
* * *
ONE – THE BARBERTON quarterback, Bob Mobley, whose faking, running and passing antics kept the defenders off balance all night. Two – the fact that the Bengals began to rest on their laurels once it appeared evident they could move the ball and Barberton couldn’t.

Anyway you looked at it, the Tigers put their sixth victory of the season in the record books.

It was Massillon’s ninth straight win in the 21-game series, which has now seen the Tigers cop the duke 17 times.

And now in 1957 two remaining – unbeaten Akron Garfield and once-beaten, Canton McKinley.

The loss was the fifth in eight starts for Barberton, which will end the season against Roger Bacon high at Cincinnati next week.
* * *
COACH LEE TRESSELL summed things up this way:

“As a whole we moved the ball pretty well. Ivory looked real good. So did Scott (Kanney) and Leaman (Williamson).

“That Mobley was something. He kept us guessing, as we thought he would. Although our pass defense allowed seven completions, we weren’t hurt too much. But between their passing and the running of Burroughs (Bob) we had enough to worry about.”

Kanney averaged over 12 yards a carry and tallied a first period touchdown on a 17-yard blast up the middle. The other Tiger TD was made by speedy Jim Snively, who zoomed 50 yards on a punt return to add icing to the cake in the last quarter.

Williamson made tackles in wholesale lots and blocked a punt.

Mobley, a southpaw slicker, ran the Barberton team with plenty of nerve. The junior standout handled the ball like a pro, hit on five of 10 passes, caught two aerials, intercepted one Massillon forward and ran five times for 17 yards.
* * *
BURROUGHS, a 215-pound sophomore, who is built like a tank, churned through the line 15 times and averaged over three yards a clip.

All told, the host team connected on seven of 16 aerials but failed to offset the crunching ground attack of the Orange and Black.

With Benjamin averaging 17-yards per carry, Massillon had a net rushing gain of 347 yards.

Total yardage was Massillon 351, Barberton 136.

Yet the Magics had the ball for 49 running and passing plays and Massillon was limited to 33 rushing-passing attempts.

But like Ferrall said, “Benjamin was the big difference.”
* * *
IVORY HAD Tiger fans roaring in the first three minutes of the game. The Bengals received and started to roll from their own 19.

The first Time Benjamin carried he went 15 yards. Then he whizzed for 36 and 31 to help set up his own touchdown from the eight-yard line with only two minutes and 48 seconds elapsed.

On the pay dirt foray he hit off the right side and went in standing up. It was almost a carbon copy of the plays that were good for 15, 21 and 36 yards. Soph Quarterback Joe Sparma tried the extra point but his kick sailed to the left.

After the teams exchanged punts and pass interceptions, Massillon was knocking at TD door again.

Defensive Halfback Jerry Mitchell pounced on a fumble at the 33 and in two plays the rambunctious Kanney covered the remaining distance. He shot through the left side for 16, then came back over the right side, found a hole, and went 17 yards with only one Barberton player getting a hand on him.
* * *
THIS TIME Sparma’s placement was low and to the right and it was 12-0 with 45 seconds remaining in the opening round.

Barberton bolted back and for a while it looked like the purple was going to tighten the issue.

With Mobley twirling to End Alan Cooksey for 19, Halfback March Ferguson gaining seven and John Howe, from kick formation, throwing to Mobley for 14, the Magics advanced to the Tiger 19.

Then the Magics were penalized 15 yards for holding and after Halfback Norm Spencer gained one, Joe Brownlee and Williamson decked Mobley for an 11-yard loss on a pass play. On fourth down Ferguson took off on a double reverse but slipped and fell as he turned the corner and Massillon had possession on the 43.
* * *
A MOMENT later Mobley intercepted a pass by Gene Stewart but the Tigers held and took possession at the 35. Kanney ripped off 17, then 17 more after Benjamin banged for 25 but time ran out and the score was still 12-0 at intermission.

Benjamin’s 41-yard jaunt to the Promised Land came after his 43-yarder was nullified. At the start of the second half Howe kicked dead at the 23 and the Tresslelmen rolled to the Barberton 43 before Ivory turned on all jets and outran Mobley to the end zone.

A backfield-in-motion penalty put the oval back on the 41. Sub Fullback Dave Dean rammed for seven before Benjamin made his second official trip to pay dirt. He slammed through the middle, was stopped momentarily at the Magic 38 and then was long gone.

On the PAT attempt the snap from center went astray and McKey, the kicker, picked up the ball and attempted to run across only to be stopped a yard short. And so it was 18-0 with 4:48 remaining in the panel.

There was no further excitement in that period.
* * *
EARLY in the final canto Barberton gambled and lost. With fourth and four at its own 44, the host club went in punt formation but Howe passed and it was a little too far for Mobley.

Massillon took over and after Sparma’s pass to Mark Anthony failed to hit the target, Benjamin again did a little hurrying. He found a hole at left tackle and steamed 56 yards to make it 24-0 at 5:40. McKey again kicked but the ball veered off to the right.

Following the kickoff the Magics were forced to punt with Howe booting from his 19, Snively fielded the ball at midfield and set sail down the west sideline. Behind a cordon of blockers he ran in a direct line until he got to the 15 where he cut away from one would-be tackler and continued on to touchdown land. McKey’s kick was partially blocked and that was the final 30 to zero.

Barberton proceeded to move from its own 27 to the Bengal 29 as three passes picked up 30 yards but the Magics needed time, a lot more than was left on the clock.

The Tigers came out of the fray in fairly good shape. End Maury Snavely sustained a broken nose and Stewart received a leg injury in the third period.

The summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS – Childers, Snavely, Williams, Mitchell, Wood, Steele, Pierce, Hagan, Zorn.
TACKLES – Slabaugh, Slicker, Brownlee, Halter, Donat, Karrenbauer.
GUARDS – Heine, Heimann, McKey, Perry, Taylor, Cook.
CENTERS – Williamson, Swartz, Reese, Shilling.
QUARTERBACKS – Getz, Sparma.
HALFBACKS – Benjamin, Stewart, Anthony, Pledgure, Snively, Lawson, Clark, Allen, Hershberger.
FULLBACKS – Kanney, Dean.

BARBERTON
ENDS – Bill Mobley, Skrabe, Dawson, Cooksey, Howe.
TACKLES – Thomas, Goletz, Memeth.
GUARDS – Smith, Mystovich, Alexandre, Tonoyitz.
CENTERS – Schenz, Velloney.
QUARTERBACKS – Bob Mobley, Blough.
HALFBACKS – Spencer, Ferguson, Hudgens, Luetig, Stanley.
FULLBACKS – Burroughs, Nemeth.

Score by quarter:
Massillon 12 0 6 12 30

Massillon scoring: Touchdowns – Benjamin 3, Kanney, Snively

STATISTICS
Mass. Bar.
First downs, rushing 13 5
First downs, passing 0 4
First downs, penalties 0 2
First downs, total 13 11
Yards gained, running plays 364 116
Yards lost, running plays. 17 51
Net yardage, running plays 346 65
Passes attempted 6 16
Passes completed 1 7
Passes had intercepted 2 1
Yards returned, intercepted
Passes 6 31
Yards gained, passing 4 71
Total yardage, running,
Passing 351 136
Number of punt returns 2 0
Yardage punt returns 63 0
Average length of punt
Returns 21 0
Number of punts 2 4
Total yardage on punts 52 135
Average length of punts 26.0 33.7
Number of penalties 7 2
Yards lost on penalties 65 20
Number of fumbles 2 4
Own fumbles recovered 2 3
Ball lost on fumbles 0 1

History

1957: Massillon 20, Warren Harding 14

October 25, 1957July 8, 2017
by Eric Smith

State’s No. 1 Team Falls Before 21,384 Fans After Second Half Surge Ties Score
Desperation Pass Wins For Tigers
Sparma-Childers Duo Puts Massillon Back In Running for Title

By CHARLIE POWELL

The pass was slightly wobbly.

The catch was miraculous, one you have to consider lucky.

But it was the best darn pass Massillon has seen for a long, long time.

It was unfurled by a gutty sophomore Joe Sparma by name, third string quarterback. He threw it some 46 yards and time ran out as it was in the air, for only four seconds remained when the play started.

The Horatio Alger was Clyde Childers senior, first string left end. This kid can do just about anything in big league fashion when he makes up his mind. He streaked past the secondary to the two yard line and as he saw the pigpelt wasn’t going to catch up to him, retraced his steps back to the four. Simultaneously he and Willie Jones, defensive halfback for the erstwhile state leaders, leaped into the air. Big Clyde stretched his 6 ft. 4 frame but managed to get only one hand on the ball.

His paw deflected the ball a bit and he jumped up again at the three-yard line.

He was more than a match for Jones this time. He latched his mitts on the ball – and by instinct, wheeled around and churned off the three most important yards of his young life.

Massillon 20, Warren 14,

Absolute pandemonium reigned at Tiger stadium. Like bees swarming to a hive, the fighting Tigers, their coaches and a couple hundred fans rushed toward the vicinity of the south goal where Childers, then Sparma, then Coach Lee Tressel were mobbed.
* * *
THERE WAS NO opportunity for an attempt at the extra point and for the moment, nobody was giving it much thought.

If you just gasped for breath and your eyes were glassy, you weren’t alone. If you screamed and yelled and raved and even shed a few tears of joy, you weren’t alone.

Today, perhaps you can’t remember what you said or did – but brothers and sisters, you aren’t alone.

The tumult and the shouting lasted long after the players got to the locker room. As it started to die down, the Tigers came back on the field, headed for the south goal and amid the din looked around for a football, an opposing team – anything. They wanted to try for the 21st point.

Nothing happened for a couple of minutes and back they went for the usual post-game prayer and then much more celebrating. Those who had been in the conflict viewed by 21,384 fans grew more tired. Those who watched from the sidelines worked up more than a sweat. They really whopped it up.
* * *
THE CELEBRATION was reminiscent of a blast following a state championship victory over arch-rival McKinley.

Out on the field and then in the officials’ room, Warren Coach Gene Slaugher, some of his assistants and a few fans, were showing their ire.

Their argument kept things around the big place humming long after most fans were homeward bound. They claimed that Massillon got an “extra minute” in the late stages of the battle.

They argued that the scoreboard timepiece after reaching the minute mark in the final period, showed 1:59 to go.

There was 2:35 remaining when Massillon got possession of the ball the last time. Time was out at 1:29 after a first down pass was incomplete and fourth down was coming up. After a pass from Halfback Gene Stewart to Halfback Ivory Benjamin made connections, they had to measure for a first down. Time was out at 1:09. The Tigers got the stick mover by a couple inches and here is what happened after that:
* * *
QUARTERBACK BOB GETZ threw a screen pass to Roger Reese, who was in at fullback. The ball was partially deflected by a Warren player but Reese caught the ball as he was falling. It was a six-yard loss back to the 44. At 0:40 Getz hit Childers on a seven-yard gainer.

Stewart passed again with the effort intended for end Ronnie Williams on about the 10. Three Panthers outfought Williams for the grab and the scoreboard read “0:04.”

Childers made the sensational catch and touchdown and just about everybody in the house went off their “rocker.”

Slaughter and others talked the situation over with the officials and Massillon coaches. It was brought out that through a quirk on the part of the scoreboard the figure one flashed back one while the last 59 seconds were ticking off.

However, the “one” was not showing with 40 and four seconds remaining.

Slaughter was a gentleman through it all. After being assured that it is impossible to set the time back, he asserted that he was not disputing “the honesty of anybody.”

When he first took up the argument he said he planned to lodge a protest regarding the matter. Later he iterated his statement, saying he was going to call H.W. Emswiler, commissioner of Ohio high school athletics, this morning.
* * *
LONG AFTER most fans were on their way home, Tiger Faculty Manager Roger Price manned the operating system for the scoreboard.

The time piece was started twice.

Instead of reading 0:59 the first time, the figure one flashed one and a minute and 59 seconds ticked off. But on the second test, everything went normal. After the board showed 1:00 it read 0:59, 0:58, and so on.

A mechanical malfunction.

Apparently Slaughter saw the light but still wasn’t entirely satisfied. The young,
good-natured mentor whose team lost a heart-breaker, laughed and remarked, “You’d
better get that thing fixed” as he turned and headed for the Warren team bus.
* * *
AFTER COACH Tressel, who was in bed all day Friday, (the flu bug is catching up to him) caught a second breath he commented:

“We were real good the first half and they were good the second half. They have a real good team. They moved the ball that second half. Our offense bogged down.”

“I thought our tackling was good all night. I guess the boys had the desire.”

He might have added that the Tigers appeared to be a tired bunch the last quarter. They were hitting hard – and getting hit hard.

While the offense shined the first half, it was the Orange and Black defense which came in for a giant bouquet the last two periods.

Late in the second period the local hustlers stopped a Panther bid at the nine. After Warren tied the score in the last stanza, the defensive units of both sides took charge.

After Tackle John Pietela’s placement made it 14-14 with 10 minutes and 20 seconds remaining, each team had the ball three series before the Tigers got it a fourth and
game-winning time.

Until Massillon gained possession the last time, neither team made a first down. All three times each was forced to punt.

With four minutes left, some fans sent up a howl as the Tigers punted from their own 40. It was fourth and one and apparently they were worrying about the time.
* * *
WARREN HAD to kick from its 39 and Benjamin returned from his 29 to the 38. Ivory and Jerry Allen made a first down at the Panther 48 before Sparma, with his pass receivers covered, was felled for a nine-yard loss. However, Benjamin zipped for nine on a
cross-buck and the Tigers still were in business.

With 1:40 left Stewart’s pass to Childers was too hot to handle but Benjamin took a throw from Stewart for 10 yards and the first down that set the stage for the big developments which gave the Tigers their fifth triumph in six starts.

The win surely will hike Massillon’s stock in the state grid polls. Undoubtedly, Cleveland Benedictine, which has been second after topping Massillon, will move into the No. 1 slot next week.

The championship race could turn out to be a lulu. Much will hinge on the Tigers’ remaining games with Barberton (there next Friday), Akron Garfield (here Nov. 8) and McKinley (at Fawcett stadium Nov. 16).

Massillon fans, used to seeing their team get behind in the first half, were gratified with last night’s early developments that gave the Orangemen the jump.

Warren received and after making two first downs, was forced to punt. The Tigers, for the first time this season, put on a punt rush and Bob Sims, Warren’s main threat in the ball carrying department, was forced to hurry his kick from the Panther 34.
* * *
THE PIGSKIN sailed out of bounds at the Warren 47 and the Tigers clicked on all cylinders. After Benjamin gained three, they pulled off a running pass good for 19 yards with Stewart doing the tossing and Benjamin the catching.

Benjamin, Stewart, Chuck Beiter, (who was slowed up by a pulled leg muscle) and Corky Pledgure carved out two first downs to plant the ball on the four.

From that point Benjamin, on a “belly” play, cracked off the right side and tallied standing up. Sparma came in and booted the PAT to make it 7-0 at 4:10.

Before the quarter was history, Massillon hit pay dirt again.

Again, Warren failed to get a first down after the kickoff and again Sims was hurried on a punting situation from the 29. This time the ball went out of bounds at the 42.

Benjamin got five, then came back on a smash through the middle for seven. A pass was incomplete and Benjamin made only one but on third down Stewart wound up again.

His pass went into the end zone where Childers made a fine over-the-shoulder catch. Hase McKey came in this time for the placement. He made it 14-0 at 1:48 and the joint was really jumping.
* * *
IN THE SECOND period the invading outfit, which had won its first six games, never threatened. The Tresselmen threw them for losses amounting to 25 yards.

But the Tigers did no damage as the Panther defense tightened and allowed only two first downs.

Massillon had to punt after Fullback Scott Kanney ripped for 11 as the third period got under way and Childers kicked dead at the Warren 30.

Warren went all the way with the pile-driving Sims featuring runs of 17 and 27 yards. Sub Halfback Larry Dotson scored from the four on a double reverse. He just made it past the final stripe on the fourth and four set-up. Pietela converted at 6:01.

Massillon received, had to punt, and the boot by Childers was grounded at the Warren 38.

On the last 10 plays the Panthers advanced to the Tiger 24 with the big gainer being a
10-yard pass play, Quarterback Joe Malone to Sims.
* * *
ON THE FIRST play of the last panel Dotson picked up five. Malone passed to Sims who fought his way to the seven. Halfback Bill Miller, who had a tough time shaking loose all night, swept the left side for five before hitting center for the touchdown at 10:20. Pietela’s perfect placement knotted the count and put everybody on pins and needles.

The statistics showed the closeness of the rip-snorter. Warren had 12 first downs, Massillon made 11. By rushing the Panthers gained 199 yards, the Tigers 145. Warren completed four of nine passes for 40 yards and the Tigers hit on seven of 16 for 108 yards.

Stewart completed three for 58 yards and on TD, Getz had two-for-two for 13 and Sparma got one only one pass – but you know what happened.

Benjamin, with 58 yards, was the leading ground gainer for the Bengals. Not to be overlooked were some timely jaunts by Beiter (who did not practice all week), Allen, Pledgure, Stewart and Kanney.

MASSILLON
ENDS – Childers, Snavely, Zorn, Hagan, A. Pierce, Mitchell, Dean.
TACKLES – Slabaugh, A .Slicker, Halter, Donat, Bronwlee, Bordner, Karrenbauer.
GUARDS – Heine, Heimann, McKey, Bendar, J. Kasunick, Cook.
CENTERS – Swartz, Williamson.
QUARTERBACKS – Getz, Anthony, Sparma.
HALFBACKS – Benjamin, Stewart, Allen Snively, Pledgure, Clark.
FULLBACKS – Beiter, Kanney, Reese.

WARREN
ENDS – Apple, Smith, F. Romig, Fowler.
TACKLES – Pietela, Rudolph, Johnson, Tutich.
GUARDS – Hammercheck, Thompson, Rieser, Windle.
CENTERS – Perfetti, Maggiano.
QUARTERBACKS – Malone, Brown.
HALFBACKS – Szuch, Miller, Jones, Dotson, DeCavitch, Warfield.
FULLBACK – Sims.

Score by quarters:
Massillon 14 0 0 6 20
Warren 0 0 7 7 14

Touchdowns – Benjamin, Childers (2).
Dotson, Miller.
Extra points – McKey, Sparma.
Pietela (2).

STATISTICS
M W
First downs, rushing 6 10
First downs, passing 4 2
First downs, penalties 1 0
First downs, total 11 12
Yards gained, running plays 145 204
Yards lost, running plays 20 26
Net yardage running plays 125 178
Passes attempted 16 9
Passes completed 7 4
Passes had intercepted 0 0
Yards gained, passing 106 40
Total yardage 233 218
Number of punts 6 6
Total yardage on punts 218 157
Average length of punts 27.2 26.1
Number of penalties 0 3
Yards lost on penalties 0 35
Number of fumbles 2 1
Own fumbles recovered 1 1
Ball lost on fumbles 1 0

History

1957: Massillon -, Mansfield – (Game Cancelled)

October 18, 1957July 8, 2017
by Eric Smith

Flu Cancels Tiger Game

Cancellation of Massillon’s football game scheduled with Mansfield here Friday night and a decision to close Perry township schools were the latest developments in the local outbreak of influenza.

For the firs time since 1918 the Tigers were forced to cancel a football game when Mansfield school officials vetoed a proposal to reschedule the contest after both teams had completed their regular seasons.

The siege of illness, described by L.J. Smith, superintendent of Massillon public schools as a “severe epidemic of influenza among the Massillon public school children, including members of the Massillon football team,” also has caused the following changes in local grid contests:

Postponement of tonight’s vital junior high city series game between Longfellow and Edmund A. Jones until next week, possibly Wednesday or Thursday.

Cancellation of the Lorin Andrews – Canton South game originally scheduled for this afternoon.

Cancellation of the game between the Massillon and Alliance sophomores originally scheduled for Tiger stadium practice field Saturday morning.

Cancellation of the Alliance-Erie Strong Vincent game scheduled for Friday night. Alliance, faced with a cancellation a second week in a row, has booked a game with Youngstown Rayen, the game to be played Friday at Mt. Union college stadium.

There is a possibility that the Brewster Magadore game, slated for Mogadore tomorrow night, will be canceled because of the flu situation at Brewster where only 13 players reported for practice Wednesday. Canton McKinley has quite a few absent gridders and it is possible its game with Steubenville may be postponed or cancelled.

History

1957: Massillon 7, Cleveland Benedictine 13

October 11, 1957July 8, 2017
by Eric Smith

Benedictine Overpowers Tigers 13-7

By CHARLIE POWELL

Mix speed and power and you have George Sefcik. For more power there’s Gary Hansley. Add a big, strong line that just wouldn’t quit and have the ingredients of a mighty fine gridiron team, possibly the best in the state of Ohio.

This team, the Benedictine high Bengals of Cleveland, ambushed the football fortress of Massillon before 14,488 fans in chilly Tiger stadium Friday night.

In beating the orange and black 13-7, on the strength of a 45-yard drive to pay dirt in the final period, here is what the giant-sized Benedictine high bunch accomplished.

Their first victory ever over a Massillon team; their fifth straight win of the current season; and at least runner-up ranking in the state poll.

Benedictine just might find itself perched atop the heap at the season’s close. If it doesn’t make the top, rest assured this history-making array will not be far off.

Right now many, many Massillon fans will agree that it is the cream of the crop. It beat a good ball club last night.
* * *
THE WORLD isn’t going to come to an end nor are the Tigers about to give up the game because of the loss which snapped a four-game winning streak. Not yet anyway, the season is not a complete failure. The Tigers have five to go, with Mansfield here next, followed by front running Warren, and they will have a few chances to salvage a great deal of satisfaction from all their efforts.

We are all hoping they will be in better physical shape than they were last night. The flu bug made its presence felt and our heroes had a number of bad “breaks” but certainly nothing is to be taken away from Benedictine.

On paper and on the field the team coached by Augie Bossu was in supreme command. The Tigers lost to a good team and they’re going to hit some more good ones before the finish. They should realize by now that any team on the schedule is capable of yanking the rug from underneath them.

Nobody was more upset over the defeat than Coach Lee Tressel, whose team appeared headed for the state’s showdown scrap against Warren.

Yes, quite a few things caused the Tigers’ downfall but Tressel wasn’t offering any excuses. He called the Clevelanders “big and strong with two fine backs and lots of determination,” and he told them so in their dressing room when he congratulated them immediately after the game.

“They had the desire to go along with all that equipment. We had a tough time trying to move them when we had the ball. They closed the holes fast. When we were on defense we were getting moved around by those big boys and there wasn’t much we could do.

“The tackling wasn’t good but I guess one reason for that was because they were so good,” he said.
* * *
TRESSEL didn’t bring up the physical condition of his charges but the Tigers were definitely sub-par.

Regular defensive end Bill Zorn was sidelined because of an injury suffered two weeks ago…Joe Brownlee, regular defensive tackle and Harold Slabaugh, regular offensive tackle, practiced only once all week because of illness, flu and a bad case of tonsillitis, respectively and yesterday afternoon Clyde Childers, the offensive left end and kicker, was sent home because of illness.

Brownlee and Childers were “in and out” most of the game while Slabaugh, apparently weakened by his illness, went most of the way on offense. To make mattes worse, an injury slowed up hard-nosed Chuck Beiter.

As we pointed out before, the ball took a couple of bad bounces against the Tigers and probably the toughest breaks were the fumble and the clipping penalty that thwarted a bid in the second period. After Benedictine went ahead in the first session the Tigers went on their prowl from their own 29. Beiter, Ivory Benjamin and Gene Stewart hammered at the enemy line to reach the Benedictine 25.
* * *
WITH TIGER rooters begging for a score, it was third down and one at that point. However, the ball was fumbled and when the whistle blew, Quarterback Bob Getz had covered the pigpelt at the 27. Hopes rose as Stewart flipped a running pass to Benjamin who raced 12 yards to the Benedictine 15. It looked like the Tigers were going all the way but a “hankie” was down on the grass and the clipping call ended that. Mark Anthony replaced Getz at quarterback and hit Benjamin with a short pass but Benedictine ganged up on the swivel-hipped star and the play netted only six yards, 14 short of a first down.

Had Benedictine not had runners the likes of Sefcik and Hansley the Clevelanders might have been easy pickin’s for the Massillon team. This pair gave the 1956 Tiger team fits but they were mild compared to the latest ones.

Benedictine gained 262 yards on land and in the air and Sefcik and Hansley accounted for 233 yards.

Sefcik, besides being a fast and shifty runner, is a deadly passer and long-distance punter. He carried the oval 20 times and gained 82 yards, hit on three of four passes for 32 yards, caught one pass himself for 14 yards and averaged 40 yards on three runs. Partner Hansley, a tank-like half-back, toted the mail 22 times and carved out 105 yards. And he caught the three passes thrown by Mr. Sefcik, who was paraded on the shoulders of happy teammates after the game was over.
* * *
THE BIG Benedictine line, which did a great job of containing theTiger attack except for some sensational runs by Benjamin, gave up 187 yards on the ground. Standouts of this line were Tackles Ron Skufca, 235, and Ted Zmarzly, 205 and End Stan Sczurek.

Benjamin almost drove the visitors crazy. In a truly outstanding performance, he ran like a man possessed, blocked well and was all over the field on defense. He personally accounted for all but 26 yards the locals made on the ground.

It was his tremendous 50-yard sprint in the third period that produced the lone Massillon six-pointer. He carried the pigskin 22 times and twisted and fought his way for 161 yards. He also caught a pass good for six yards.

Only other Tiger ground gainer of any degree was Gene Stewart who made 21 yards in seven trips. Because of his injury and the fact that Benedictine was “laying” for him, Beiter did not occupy too many ball carrying roles.

The team from the lakefront gave an early example of its blocking and running abilities.
* * *
THE FIRST time they had possession, the Bengals marched 67 yards to touchdownland. They digested two offside penalties, but got an assist from the identical penalty against the Tigers.

After the opening kickoff the Tigers had to punt from their own 41 and Childers, hurried on the play, booted out of bounds at the Benedictine 33. A penalty was called against the invading team after Sefcik had gained seven and three plays later he was forced to punt from the 47. The punt rolled dead on the four but Benedictine was able to keep the ball because the Tigers were off-side on the play.

Then Benedictine shifted to high gear. Sefcik and Hansley picked up 13 before Sefcik hit Hansley on an option pass for 13 and the blue-shirted boys were on their way.

Massillon stubbornly gave ground and after Benedictine reached the three, Sefcik hit the right side, did a dive and scored with 2:47 remaining in the quarter. His placement on the extra point try was blocked by line-backer Roger Reese but Benedictine led 6-0 as the Tigers were scored on first for the third straight game.
* * *
LOCAL FANS expected their favorites to come right back and they did only to see the penalty take the sting out of the attack.

The kickoff was returned to the Tiger 29 and on the last six plays of the first period the Orangemen advanced to the Benedictine 43. In the last minute of the second frame Benjamin darted around the right side twice for 17 and Stewart gained on to make it third and one at the 25. Then came the fumble, and the clipping penalty which combined to stall the Tiger attack.

Benedictine made only one first down in that second period as Massillon controlled the ball, thanks to the nifty running of Benjamin.

However, the Tigers couldn’t uncover a payoff punch.

Midway in the quarter Benjamin got loose for 25 yards after regaining his balance just past the line of scrimmage. He and Stewart took the oval to the Benedictine 29, and Tiger fans were calling for a tying TD but Benedictine braced and held, throwing Tiger runners for two losses totaling nine yards in the process.

A minute later the Clevelanders had to punt with Sefcik’s kick from the Tiger 39 rolling out of bounds at the 10. From the nine Benjamin again got on his horse, this time whizzing 45 yards before Jim Kubinski, Bengal end, who had a good angle, came in to make the stop at the Benedictine 42. However, Getz was thrown for an 11-yard loss and two more maneuvers designed for long-distance gains failed to change the score before intermission. Getz’s sideline pass to Beiter was good for nine yards and on the last play of the half the visiting team’s line was not caught by surprise and Benjamin, on a draw play, was downed after a yard gain.
* * *
A PUNT that was fumbled and one that was blocked gave Massillon a pair of opportunities in the third period but after the first kick, the Tigers failed to move.

From his own 15 Childers punted (after Sefcik had booted one 51 yards following the kickoff) and two Benedictine players had their hands on the swinehide before Benjamin recovered at the Massillon 40. But four plays later Childers was called on to punt again with Sefcik returning the 38-yard boot 10 yards to his 34. Benedictine made two first downs before a holding penalty stalled the drive and from the Tiger 45, Sefcik went back to punt.

This time middle guard Hase McKey, who apparently played one of his better games, broke through and blocked the kick. Guard Tom Heine recovered at midfield and on the next play Benjamin cut the gap to 7-6.

Given a couple of nice blocks, Ivory got around the right flank and turned on the gas. At the 15 three Benedictine boys had a shot at him but he shot pass one, cut away from the other two and went in for the score at 1:25. Sub Halfback Jim Hershberger came off the bench and calmly split the uprights to deadlock the count.
* * *
BENEDICTINE started from its own 43 after the kickoff and advanced 24 yards on the last three plays of the quarter.

On the first play of the final canto Hansley got off his longest jaunt, 23 yards, to place the ball on the Tiger 10. But the Tresselmen dug in and took over on downs at the four. Childers punted out on fourth down and Benedictine, starting from the Tiger 45, was not to be denied.

Hansley, the big gun once more, checked in a 22-yard foray for one of the three first downs and from the 13, Quarterback Ken Sprafka sneaked from two yards with his team needing at foot for a foot for a first down. Sefcik and Hansley carried to the one from where Sprafka sneaked across. Sefcik’s placement was on target and it was 13-7 with 4:37 remaining.

The Tigers gambled but their final series fizzled out at the 24 and Benedictine moved to the nine before time ran out.

Benedictine, using a nine-man line a good bit of the time limited the Tigers to a single first down during the second half. It came on Benjamin’s touchdown run.

MASSILLON
ENDS – Childers, Williams, Hagan, Snavely, Mitchell.
TACKLES – Slabaugh, A Slicker, Halter, Donat, Brownlee.
GUARDS – Heine, Heimann, McKey, Bednar, J. Kasunick, Cook.
CENTERS – Williamson, Swartz, Reese.
QUARTERBACKS – Getz, Anthony.
HALFBACKS – Benjamin, Stewart, Pledgure, Clark, Allen, Hershberger.
FULLBACK – Beiter.

BENEDICTINE
ENDS – Sczurek, Kubinski, Kozlowski, Marek.
TACKLES – Skufca, Zmarzly, Grucza.
GUARDS – Baumbick, Kucera, See, Liederbach.
CENTERS – Kozlevchar, Coufalik.
QUARTERBACKS – Sprafka, Kradisley, Kubinski.
HALFBACKS – Sefcik, Hansley, Knapik.
FULLBACKS – Davis, Jasinski, Blasé.

Score by quarters:
Massillon 0 0 7 0 7
Benedictine 6 0 0 7 13

Scoring:
Massillon Touchdown – Benjamin
Massillon Extra point – Hershberger (placement)

Benedictine Touchdowns – Sefcik, Sprafka.
Benedictine Extra point – Sefcik (placement)

STATISTICS
Mass. Ben.
First downs, rushing 6 11
First downs, passing 0 3
First downs, penalties 0 1
First downs, total 6 15
Yards gained, running plays 220 226
Yards lost, running plays 33 6
Net yardage, running plays 187 220
Passes attempted 4 8
Passes completed 2 4
Passes had intercepted 0 0
Yards returned,
intercepted passes 0 0
Yards gained passing 15 52
Total yardage, running,
passing 202 272
Number of kickoff returns 3 2
Yardage, kickoff returns 51 32
Average length of kickoff
returns 17 16
Number of punt returns 1 1
Yardage, punt returns 5 10
Average length of punt
returns 5 10
Number of punts 4 3
Total yardage on punts 130 121
Average length of punts 32 40
Number of penalties 5 4
Yards lost on penalties 35 30
Number of fumbles 1 2
Own fumbles recovered 1 0
Ball lost on fumbles. 0 2

Author: <span>Eric Smith</span>