Tigers Beat Elder 26-7 On Sloppy Field Massillon Team Gets Touchdowns In First And Fourth Quarters
By LUTHER EMERY
CINCINNATI – A slippery ball and a stubborn Cincinnati Elder football team proved a hard combination to beat Friday evening, but the Massillon Tigers finally succeeded and rolled to their fourth victory of the season by a score of 26-7.
Nine times the Tigers fumbled the slippery ball and three times they lost it, but they hung on to it long enough on four occasions to score two touchdowns in the first quarter and two in the fourth.
Elder got its lone score in the second.
Not until Dave Canary blocked an Elder punt in the fourth quarter to get the Tigers the ball on the Cincinnati 27 was victory assured.
Up to that time the score was only 13-7 in Massillon’s favor and there was the ever present danger of a fumble setting up another score for the Cincinnati team. * * * BUT WHEN CANARY blocked Tom Groh’s punt (and he had been asking for it all evening), the Tigers rolled again, Charlie Brown setting up the T.D. by carrying to the one yard line and Johnny James lugging it over around right end on a keep play after Dave Archibald had been stopped twice without gain.
The game was finally put on ice about the same way a few minutes later, only this time Groh, attempting to punt on fourth down, juggled the ball and was thrown for a 10-yard loss on his 10 before he could get the ball away. Willie Long immediately toured his right end for the score and that was it.
The Tigers probably got their two touchdowns in the first period too easy. Winning the toss, they chose to receive and marched from their 36 to the Elder goal with James going into the end zone from four yards out. Archibald had set it up with a 41-yard jaunt. Only four minutes of the game had expired, and it took but another three minutes to get the second T.D. James tossing to Brown for it. The play was good for 50 yards.
From that point on into the fourth quarter the Tigers continually fumbled the ball, due both to the slimy leather and also to poor timing caused by a slippery field.
It had rained all Thursday night and all day Friday up until 3:30 p.m. and water was standing on the field in some places.
Elder scored its T.D. with seven minutes and 10 seconds remaining in the second period after covering a fumble on the Tiger 30. Halfback Jerry McDonald did most of the leather lugging, going the last 15 on a double reverse that completely caught the Massillon defense off guard, Mike Honold kicked the extra point. * * * IT WAS ELDER’S only serious threat. It had difficulty moving the ball. In fact it gained only 112 yards from scrimmage, seven through a completed pass, and lost 56 yards for a net of 56.
The Tigers gained 278 yards on the ground, completed one pass for 50 yards for a total of 328 yards gained and lost 30 for a net of 298. First downs were 15 to 6 in the Massillon team’s favor.
Leading ground gainer for the Tigers was Archibald with 88 net yards in 15 carries. Brown gained 81 in eight and Duke 42 in seven; Long gained 28 in five.
The Tigers were penalized six times for 50 yards and Elder five times for 33 yards. The Massillon eleven escaped without serious injury to any player. Linebacker Bob Cocklin sustained a charley horse and guard Gary Ertle was knocked out when he collided with an Elder player but both appeared OK after the game.
The Tigers tried only three passes, completing one for a touchdown and having one intercepted. Elder tried 14, but most of the time the passer couldn’t get the slippery ball near the receiver. Two were completed for a net gain of five yards.
The Tiger band scored a terrific hit with the fans even though its black lights wouldn’t work. Elder fans shouted for more at the end of the show. The Massillon football special reached Cincinnati at 5 p.m.
Tigers Beat Alliance 22-6 Aviators Give Bengals Rough Battle Before Going Down To Defeat
By LUTHER EMERY
If your hair is still standing on end today you were probably one of the Massillon fans included in the crowd of 13,258 who saw the Washington high Tigers defeat Alliance 22-6 at Tiger stadium Friday evening.
The locals won, and thereby avenged their lone loss of 1954, but it was a hair-raiser that could have gone the other way as many of the Massillon crowd feared it would when the Aviators began bombing the Tigers with passes.
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The Massillon eleven scored a safety in the first period on a bad Alliance pass that rolled into the end zone, got a touchdown the same quarter on an 18-yard run by Halfback Charlie Brown, added another in the second on a 45-yard dash by Brown and scored their third in the fourth on a sneaker by Johnny James. * * * ALLIANCE scored its only touchdown in the third period on a straight shot over the line, Ted Davison to End Tom Schaefer.
But that only tells part of the story.
Alliance had its tough breaks when passes were dropped with possible touchdowns in sight, or when runners in the clear were hauled down by the Massillon secondary.
And the Tigers had their tough ones too with two long runs called back, one for a touchdown, because of rule infractions.
As expected, Mel Knowlton, who 23 years ago quarterbacked the Massillon Tigers, had his Alliance team all wired to give Massillon the shock of its life.
The Aviators came out fighting and went down the same way, and the Tigers knew they were in a ball game from the opening minute to the end.
Knowlton crossed up the Massillon coaching staff by playing an entirely different offensive game than what he had showed the previous week, and the time spent on preparing special defenses to meet the anticipated Alliance style of play was just wasted energy. * * * THE AVIATOR line, which we suspect weighed considerably more than we had been led to believe, gave the Tiger forward wall a rough time all evening and yielding ground stubbornly.
When the figures were added, Alliance gained the most yards and had the most first downs, but the Tigers had the points.
First downs were nine to eight in the Aviators’ favor and they gained 227 yards, 117 through passing, to Massillon’s 221. But they were also thrown for more losses, 65 to Massillon’s 12, which left the Tigers a net of 209 to Alliance’s 162.
Coach Tom Harp wasn’t too pleased with the performance of his team. He pointed out after the game that a team always has a couple of poor games during the season and he considered this a poor game as far as his team was concerned.
When you are playing against a bigger line as we were your timing must be perfect or they will push the ball right down your throat,” he said. “Our timing was not as good as it should have been. We have a lot of work to do and we are going to start in Monday to get it accomplished.”
Harp praised the passing of Davison and the pass snatching of the rangy Schaefer who was a head taller than most of the Massillon secondary. * * * THE MASSILLON gridders tried to hurry Davison and did succeed in spilling him for 34 yards in losses, but he completed six passes of the 16 he got away for a net gain of 116 yards. One pass was caught for a yard loss, and several were dropped that could have been caught.
The Tigers got only one pass away and that was intercepted by Alliance. Johnny James tried to throw a couple of others but was smeared in the attempt by the fast charging Alliance line.
Had Anderson Hawkins, Alliance halfback, the speed of a couple of Massillon’s backs he would have gotten away for two Alliance touchdowns. Twice he was ready to break for the goal when a Massillon tackler closed in and got him.
Alliance’s big hope of catching the Tigers, however, was dashed on the first play of the fourth quarter when Schaefer dropped a finger-tip pass on the 15-yard line which had he caught might have resulted in an Alliance touchdown. The score at the time was 15-6. The Tigers capitalized on the disappointment to roar back in five plays and score their third and final touchdown of the game.
Massillon got its first two points with five minutes and 32 seconds remaining in the first period when it had Alliance backed up to its own 15-yard line. Attillio Giovannatto dropped back to punt, got a bad pass from center and the ball rolled behind the goal. He and Dave Canary and a couple of other Tigers dove for the ball, but the former got it and was pinned by Canary for the safety. That gave the Tigers two points. * * * ALLIANCE had to kick off after the safety and Don Duke made a brilliant 40-yard return to the Alliance 27. The Tigers hammered to the 18 where Charlie Brown circled his left end for the score. He was liberated for the run by a fine block tossed by Guard Dick Roan on Alliance’s Hawkins. With Archibald plunging the extra point across, the score was 9-0, and that is where it stood until midway in the second period when Alliance punted to its own 45. Brown cut loose on a left end run and went the distance on the first play to make the total 15-0, Archibald missing a single wing plunge for the extra point.
Alliance began throwing after that and though it didn’t score showed enough to fans to prove there was dynamite in Davison’s arm.
The Tigers got themselves into a hole on the second half kickoff when they fumbled the ball near the end zone and then took time to run laterally on a possible handoff. They wound up on their own two. When three plays gained only that many yards they punted to their own 35 and the wound-up Aviators started their scoring drive.
Hawkins rammed it to a first down on the 23 in two attempts and he and Tim Johnson made another first on the 12. Hawkins was tossed for a two-yard loss but with the Tigers using an eight-man line and the three linebackers crowding the line of scrimmage, Davison wisely tossed a blooper over the line to Schaefer who had nothing to do but run across the goal with it.
There were still more than six minutes of the period remaining to be played. * * * THE TIGERS came back after the kickoff for two consecutive first downs but fumbled the ball to Alliance on the latter’s 40.
A nine-yard peg to Schaefer and a 16-yard dash by Hawkins got the ball to the 35. Hawkins got seven more, but Schaefer dropped a finger-tip pass from Davison with a possible touchdown in sight.
The Tigers took over and on the first play Brown took a lateral from James that the latter timed perfectly and went 51 yards before he was dumped on the 17. A five-yard penalty for being in motion failed to keep the locals from scoring, James twisting through for the point from the four-yard line. Duke went over for the extra point and that concluded the scoring.
Alliance wasn’t subdued, however. The Aviators tried hard to get the ball over again and succeeded in completing the most dramatic pass of the day, a 50-yard effort to Schaefer that took the ball to the Tiger 25. Schaefer was five yards in front of any Tiger when he caught the ball but Bob Cocklin, secondary defender, ran him down.
On the next play Davison was thrown for a 10-yard loss while still trying to pass and that ended the hostilities. * * * FOR THE TIGERS, the defensive play of Canary was one of the highlights of their performance. Brown was the outstanding ball carrier. He lugged the leather 10 times for 134 yards.
He had a sweet T.D. run of 58 yards called back late in the fourth quarter because of a clipping penalty. It was one of the fanciest bits of footwork of the evening.
Dave Archibald, the leading ground gainer last week, was stopped cold by Alliance who wouldn’t permit him to get away on his draw play. He only gained 17 yards in five attempts. Duke carried 16 times and gained 57 net yards, who Willie Long, the hot-shot of the first game only had two chances and finished up with a minus one yard
Hawkins was Alliance’s only threat on the ground. He gained 65 net yards on nine carries.
Next week the Tigers will play at Cincinnati Elder. They will leave Massillon Thursday, stay all night in Hamilton Thursday night; hold a brief workout Friday and continue on to Cincinnati where they will stay Friday night in the Gibson hotel. They will return to this city Saturday.
Officials Referee – Smith (Elyria). Umpire – Holzbach (Youngstown). Head Linesman – Wisecup (Cleveland). Field Judge – Beach (Youngstown).
STATISTICS Mass. All. First downs 8 9 Passes attempted 1 16 Passes completed 0 6 Had passes intercepted 1 1 Yards gained passing 0 117 Yards gained rushing 221 110 Total yards gained 221 227 Yards lost 12 65 Net yards gained 209 162 Times punted 4 5 Average punt (yards) 37 37 Yards punts returned by 45 9 Times kicked off 4 3 Average kickoff (yards) 46 44 Yards kickoffs returned by 17 29 Times fumbled 3 2 Lost ball on fumbles 1 0 Times penalized 5 2 Yards penalized 40 20
Tigers Roll Over Canton Lincoln 45-7 Long Touchdown Runs Spark Massillon Drive On Rain-Soaked Field
By LUTHER EMERY
What hopes Canton Lincoln had of ending the Massillon football jinx was buried in the mud of Tiger stadium before 9,171 fans Friday evening as the Washington high Tigers chalked up a 45-7 victory, their second of the season and their 10th in the 11-game series with the Lions who escaped with a scoreless tie in 1945.
Playing in rain from beginning to end, the Tigers proved themselves good mudders as they ran up seven touchdowns, scored three extra points and rolled up the big total of 406 net yards from scrimmage.
Added to the ability to gain ground was good handling of the slippery ball. The first team fumbled but once, losing the ball, and the second team fumbled late in the game, recovering the ball. * * * LINCOLN had more trouble with the slippery leather as the ball squirted out of players’ hands seven times, and into Tiger hands on three occasions.
The Massillon gridders showed more speed and more power last night than they did in beating Youngstown North 31-0 in their opening game a week ago.
Yet, despite the lop-sided score, it was quite a ball game the first half with the Tigers trailing for the first time this season when Lincoln caught them flat-footed with a fourth down pass in the second period that went 39 yards for a touchdown.
The Tigers’ who were leading 6-0 at that point, thanks to a nifty 53-yard T.D. run by Johnny James, were looking for Lincoln to punt for it was fourth down and 11 to go and the ball was on the 39. But the Lions did a lot of fancy ball flipping in the backfield with Quarterback Chuck Dinkins finally shooting a long one to End Larry Ellison who was way beyond the unsuspecting Massillon secondary. Halfback Jim Care slipped through for the extra point and pandemonium broke loose in the Canton stands. * * * MASSILLON FANS were uneasy too but their fears were short-lived for the T.D. only made the Tigers snarl.
They took the kickoff on their 30 and with Charlie Brown and Don Duke doing the leather lugging, marched the pigskin over the Lincoln goal, Brown getting the honors on an 11-yard counter and Dave Archibald bucking over the extra point that made it 13-7.
And although only two minutes and 15 seconds of the half remained to be played, the Tigers sneaked in another just as the last seconds of the clock were ticked off. Dick Whitfield blocked a Lincoln punt to give the locals the ball on the Lions’ 19. Willie Long moved it up to the 15 and James to the one.
Then as the hands of the clock pointed to 0, Long crossed the goal for the local team’s third T.D. of the game which proved to be a crushing blow to Lincoln. It ended what hopes Coach Paul Dellerba might have had of rallying his squad during intermission. Duke sliced through for the extra point and it was 20-7.
With Fullback Archibald running like a mad man, the Tigers scored four more touchdowns in the second half to put the game in the cooler. Archibald got three of them on runs of 12, 45 and 47 yards, and sub Quarterback Bob Rinehart added the other on a 15-yard jaunt.
His long touchdown runs made Archibald the leading ground gainer of the night, with a net 126 yards on nine carries. Duke gained 105 net yards on nine attempts and Charlie Brown 61 net yards on eight attempts.
James gained 52 net yards but carried only four times. * * * THE TIGERS, who got by last week without punting a single time, were forced to kick once last night and Archibald did it on the run as Lincoln tacklers closed in on him. He booted the ball only 15 yards beyond the line of scrimmage but that was better than being thrown for a loss or having the kick blocked.
A pre-game argument over the color of the football helped to fire the Tigers.
Lincoln wanted to play with a brown ball, while Harp held out for a striped ball. The rules state that if the coaches cannot agree on the color then a tan ball is used – but the Tigers didn’t have one. So they thought to scrape the stripes off a ball, but not too successfully.
When Lincoln continued to insist on a tan ball, the officials told Harp to get one. “We don’t have one,” the Tiger coach replied.
The officials decided the game could be played with the ball from which the stripes were scraped, then Lincoln informed the officials they had a tan ball.
“All right, we will play with it and we will ram it right down their throats,” Harp told his team.
Maybe the incident stirred up the local players. At least they showed more pep and vigor than they did in the Youngstown game.
And they scored their first touchdown in a minute and 25 seconds. * * * LINCOLN kicked off to Massillon which won the toss. It was a short kick to the 42. On the third plays, James on a keep ran 53 yards for the touchdown. He was supported by some pretty blocking as he turned his left end and headed down the sideline. An attempt to kick the extra point failed and the Tigers led 6-0.
The two teams exchanged punts before the end of the period, but Lincoln was on its way to its only touchdown.
Getting the ball on their 20 through a punt, the Lions advanced it back to their 34 as the period ended. Ronald Worstell got a first down in two carries.
Jim Care advanced the leather to the Tiger 40. Three plays gained but a yard and that set the stage for the Lions’ razzle dazzle touchdown pass to Ellison.
Details of the Tigers next two touchdowns that brought the score to 20-7 at the half have already been given. * * * THREE FUMBLES in as many minutes with the ball lost each time got both teams off to a poor start in the third period. Lincoln committed the first boner on its 45 and Massillon got the ball. Then the Tigers fumbled on the Lions’ 30 and the latter recovered. But Lincoln didn’t want the ball, for it fumbled the very next play and Jerry Kreiger got it for Massillon again on the 30. Three plays later Archibald was ramming up the middle for 12 and a touchdown that made it 26-7.
Lincoln completed a pass to the Tiger 25, the next time it got the ball, but the receiver fumbled and the locals covered on their own 23. They moved it to the Lions’ 45 where Archibald broke through the middle to score and make it 32-7.
He made it 39-7 with five minutes gone in the fourth quarter on a run of 44 yards that climaxed a 69-yard march.
Coach Harp substituted heavily after that (he used 38 players) and the seconds got a chance to score when they recovered a Lincoln fumble on the Lions’ 21; Rinehart going the last 15.
The Tigers escaped from the game in good shape, and Harp was thankful for that. “Now if Fisher and Kasunick’s ankles just come along, we will be in pretty good shape for next week’s game with Alliance
The Massillon coach felt pretty good about the performance of his team – said he didn’t intend to single out any individuals for praise. “They did a pretty good job as a whole, I thought,” he said.
The line up and summary: MASSILLON ENDS – Canary, Houston, Geschwind, Anderson, Chengery. TACKLES – Graber, Maier, Schumacher, Kreiger, Hofacre, Whitfield, Wells, Meldrum, Allen, Mercer. GUARDS – Roan, Ertle, Tracy, R. Brown, Harrison. CENTERS – Spicer, Dowd, Gentzler, Kiplinger. QUARTERBACKS – James, Rinehart, Brenner. HALFBACKS – Duke, Brown, Long, Benjamin, Radtke, Cocklin, Butcher, Washington, Herring. FULLBACKS – Archibald, Chet Brown.
Tigers Defeat Youngstown North 31-0 11,063 See Defending State Champions Win Opening Football Game
By LUTHER EMERY
The Washington high Tigers defeated Youngstown North 31-0 before 11,063 fans in Tiger stadium Friday evening but it was no pink tea party.
Those who thought it would be a breather hadn’t figured how stubborn North could be or how cagey it could play for a low score.
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That’s what happened and as a result the Tigers got only one touchdown in each of the first three periods and two in the fourth, thanks to a couple of fumbles covered deep in Youngstown territory.
The score raises the question, how strong are the Tigers?
It will take more games to produce a satisfactory answer.
They were good in some departments, not too good in others, but Coach Tom Harp, who should know his squad better than anyone else, said, “I’m satisfied with the opening game performance. I know there are a lot of things to be improved and a lot of work to be done. I’m sure the motion pictures will prove it and we will have to make the necessary adjustments. Our timing must be improved and our defense needs some attention as well as some of the specialties.” * * * WHEN YOU LOOK over the statistics you begin to wonder why the score was not larger. The Tigers gained 411 yards from scrimmage, a goodly amount. They never punted once and not once did they fumble, which is quite an achievement for a football team.
They had the ball eight times and scored touchdowns on five of them. Only once did they lose it on downs. They lost it once on an intercepted pass and they had it deep in North territory when the game ended.
One big reason the Tigers did not score more touchdowns was the type of game Coach Jack Cramb of North elected to play. His team took almost the maximum amount of time in the huddle on every play and always kept on the ground to keep the clock running. Not one forward pass did it attempt for this reason, since the clock stops on an incomplete pass.
Furthermore he had just enough offense to hold the ball for five first downs which consumed more time. When you can’t get the ball you can’t score touchdowns; North actually held the ball seven straight minutes at one time during the game.
The Tigers likewise had to grind out their yardage slowly most of the time, although Willie Long and Johnny James managed to get away for long touchdown runs. Each scored twice during the evening while Charlie Brown got the fifth, and Dave Archibald was denied one on the best run of the night from a draw play. Offensive holding spoiled it. * * * THE TIGERS also ran into some difficulties before the game. Ken Fisher, who had been assigned to do the place-kicking came up with a pulled tendon in his kicking leg during the warm up and young Tim Krier was rushed into the gap. He booted the first extra point successfully and the coaches decided to allow him to keep at it even though he missed the next five, feeling the experience would do him good. He actually has had little practice at place-kicking. His dad, Henry Krier, kicked the extra points for the Tigers 21 years ago.
Then Jim Schumacher, one of the defensive tackles, came down with the flu yesterday afternoon. He dressed for the game but remained wrapped in blankets while Dick Whitfield took his place.
While North didn’t throw a pass the Tigers tossed the ball seven times, completing four and having one intercepted. They gained 68 of their 411 yards with passes. North gained 111 yards with two hard-hitting backs, Clifford Anderson and James Higham doing most of the leather lugging.
Long and James proved the most dependable of the Tiger ball carriers.
While the timing was off on many plays, there was some crisp blocking to offset a lot of poor blocks. Fisher cut loose a good block to liberate Archibald on his long run that didn’t count and Don Duke laid the hide to North tacklers on different occasions.
The size of the crowd exceeded the expectations of athletic officials who had doubted that it would reach 9,000. Youngstown only had a small following. * * * IT TOOK the Tigers most of the first period before they could score. Stopped in their first effort when they lost the ball on downs on the 15, they got it next time on a punt on the North 49. James flipped a pass to End Jim Houston for a first down on the 37 and Long entered the contest. On his first ball carrying effort he went 37 yards around right end to score and Krier kicked the extra point.
Three minutes of the second period had expired when the Tigers scored again. This time they started from their 38. Charlie Brown reeled off 10 and James passed 20 yards to Duke for a first on the 32. Brown hit for four and Archibald went 16 to the 12 and then reeled off five more. James on a keep play got the last seven and the Tigers led 13-0, and that was the score at the half.
The third period was almost over before the locals could again score. That’s because North took the kickoff and held the pigskin for over seven minutes before the Tigers forced a punt. The Massillon drive started from the 28 and Duke in two carries took it to the 39. Long went around his right end for 16 and Brown reeled off 13 more to place the ball on the 32. Duke made nine and interference was ruled on a James pass to Canary that gave the locals a first down on the 16. Brown made five but a 15-yard penalty for clipping put the ball back on the 25. Long took it back to the 15 and Brown went around left end to score.
The Tigers scored twice in the fourth quarter. Anderson fumbled and Jerry Hofacre pounced on the ball on the North 38. On the first play James on an option, kept the ball and ran right end for a touchdown, doing a fancy bit of tackle dodging on the way.
Leonard Brown, of North, fumbled the following kickoff and this time Earle Radtke was on the spot to cover for the Tigers on the North 24. It took a lot of work and time to get it over though.
Duke started with five but James was thrown for a loss of eight attempting to pass. Archibald got two, and James tossed a lateral to Duke that got a first down on the 10. An offside penalty on the next play put the ball back on the 15. Brown made three at left end and Archibald rammed to the three. He hit center for a yard and then Long swept end for the final touchdown of the game.
Despite the hot weather neither team sustained any severe injuries.
Duke hurt his leg toward the end of the game but it was not serious.
The Tigers will entertain Canton Lincoln here next week.
Tigers Win Battle For State Title Massillon Gridders Smash McKinley 26-6; Await Final AP Poll
By LUTHER EMERY
Having surprised their most loyal fans by the manner in which they lashed Canton McKinley 26-6 before an overflow crowd in Tiger stadium Saturday afternoon, the Washington high Tigers today awaited the result of the final press polls which determine the Ohio high school champion. The game had been billed as a battle for state title.
Ohio sports writers and radio commentators cast the ballots, and judging by last week’s voting (and despite organized efforts of one or more other high schools to lure votes) the Tigers are expected to be proclaimed state champs a seventh consecutive year.
The Massillon gridders ranked second, (behind Canton McKinley) in all three major news services last week, and should move into the No. 1 spot as a result of their convincing triumph over the state’s top ranked team. * * * THE VICTORY leaves Massillon with a 9-1 record which is the same status as that of Mansfield and Alliance high schools. The Tigers handed Mansfield its only loss, an 18-0 defeat and Alliance handed Massillon its one defeat 19-7. But Massillon also whipped the Bulldogs, the team that mauled Alliance 26-6. It was Canton’s second loss.
The Rutgers Hall of Fame trophy will be awarded the winner of the Associated Press poll, biggest of them all.
The Tigers were magnificent in their triumph over the Bulldogs.
Entering the game a seven-point underdog, the Massillon gridders tore into their Canton adversary with a determination that could not be stopped.
“They played like a team that wanted to be state champion,” Canton Coach Wade Watts, deeply disappointed, said after the game. “Homer Floyd was the difference,” he stated as he complimented the Tiger halfback for his great exhibition.
And Tiger Coach Tom Harp, with a lock of hair hanging over his forehead and a smile from ear to ear, said, “We thought we could do it all along. We knew we were playing a great football team and we prepared accordingly.” * * * THE MASSILLON line played almost flawlessly and the backs blocked well. The vaunted Bulldog ground attack was grounded and the Canton aerial fireworks stopped.
The 26-6 scored hardly tells the superiority of the Massillon team. You will find it better in the statistics which show the Tigers with 21 first downs to Canton’s six (two of the six came on a penalty and pass interference) and 446 net yards gained to 135.
The Tigers scored one touchdown in the second period, two in the third and one in the fourth. Canton’s only score came in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers actually lost what could have been three other touchdowns when a pass was dropped in the end zone, and the ball lost on fumbles as the locals were on the seven and three-yard lines while in possession of a first down.
It was a personal triumph for the youthful Harp who took over a tough assignment this summer without benefit of spring practice, and won nine of his 10 games. * * * HARP STEPPED into the big footprints left by Chuck Mather when he walked off to the University of Kansas last winter after winning the Ohio championship six consecutive years.
None dared to expect the ex-Carrollton high coach with only three years of experience behind him to win nine of 10 games and a possible state title in his first year.
He installed his own system at the start of fall practice and saw his team slowly catch on as the autumn progressed. By mid-season he pulled his first upset by downing Mansfield high, which had been favored to win by at least a touchdown. He got his squad up for that one, and he had them up again Saturday – and how.
Seldom have we seen a Massillon line play as the Tiger line did Saturday, or the blockers lower the boom on opposing tacklers with as deadly timing.
You can praise the backs for their hard running, but the guys who made it possible were, Robert Williams, Dave Canary, Ken Lorch, Bob Williams, Chuck Hill, Joe Holloway, Russ Maier and Tom Spicer.
They hit hard on offense and bolstered by Ronnie Moore, Jim Schumacher, Jim Houston, Tom Stephens, Bob Cocklin and Dick Fromholtz, plugged all leaks on defense.
As Floyd said after the game when asked how he felt: “Fine. The boys sure blocked swell for me today. I couldn’t have run without them.”
And how he ran!
He personally carried the ball 28 times, and gained 263 net yards, scored two touchdowns and intercepted two Canton passes.
His longest run, a 55-yard dash, went for naught as he fumbled when tackled on the three-yard line, the ball rolling into the end zone, where Bulldog Horace Harris recovered for a touchback. * * * WHILE FLOYD put on a great show, the surprise to Canton was the hard running of Jerry Yoder. The Bulldogs had expected trouble from Floyd but Yoder made as much yardage as Floyd the first half and ground out the Tigers’ first touchdown. He carried 19 times for a net gain of 125 yards. Ronald Boekel was used sparingly. He carried only seven times and gained 38 yards. Rich Crescenze and Andy Stavroff each carried once, Rich gaining a yard and Andy losing one.
It all adds up to 426 net yards gained on the ground. Add to that 20 yards made on two completed passes, one of which went for a touchdown, and you have 446 net yards gained for the Tigers.
In containing the Bulldogs the Tigers allowed them but 86 net yards on the ground and 49 in the air.
The personal duel between Canton’s flashy halfback, John Goodrich, and Floyd which had been ballyhooed in some papers and by some radio commentators was a fizzle. Floyd was so far in front there was no comparison. Goodrich carried nine times for 43 net yards gained. His longest run went for 21 yards in the third quarter which followed a 40-yard bootleg play by Canton’s Ronnie Carnahan. The two plays netted 61 of the yards gained by McKinley.
The Tigers knew they had to stop Goodrich to win for he was the Bulldogs’ high point man with 119 points for the season. * * * McKINLEY never could get its offense rolling properly. Coach Watts said a head injury to Quarterback Jim Dreher on the very first play from scrimmage which forced him out the rest of the game hurt to some extent since he counts the cadence of the Canton team, but Watts hastened to say that he did not want to take anything away from the Massillon victory. Dreher got jolted by Floyd’s knee when he tackled him.
The Bulldogs’ only effort in the first half came on a long pass to Herman Jackson following a 15-yard penalty slapped on the Tigers for unnecessary roughness. Canton was offside on the pass play, however, and lost what would have been a first down on the 17-yard line.
The Tigers on the other hand were a threat virtually every time they got the ball in their hands but still failed to score until only 55 seconds remained of the first half. Then they shoved over the first of their four touchdowns, Jerry Yoder going across from the one. Floyd scored both of his touchdowns in the third period and Robert Williams got the final in the fourth period on a five-yard flip from Crescenze.
Herman Jackson scored the Bulldogs’ lone touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 13-yard pass from Goodrich.
Andy Stavroff almost went to the Promised Land on the kickoff when he was clear at midfield, but lacked the speed to keep ahead of the pack and was felled on the Canton 43.
Floyd and Yoder smashed to a first down on the 31 but the attack fizzled out and the Tigers lost the ball on the 25. * * * McKINLEY quick-kicked on third down to the Massillon 21 and the Tigers got one first down before being stopped in midfield and forced to punt, Tom Stephens kicking to the 23.
The Bulldogs gained but one yard in three attempts and kicked out on the Massillon 38.
Yoder race 18 yards to the Canton 44 but Floyd lost the ball on a fumble, Goodrich recovering for Canton on the latter’s 38. Three plays would have ended in a net loss of a yard had not the Tigers been called for unnecessary roughness and McKinley given a first down on the Massillon 47 with a 15-yard penalty.
Then followed the long pass to Jackson for what would have been a first down on the Tiger 17 but McKinley was offside and penalized five yards. Three plays gained seven yards so Goodrich punted to Floyd on the eight who was nailed by Sheeler when he tried to cut after catching the ball.
Momentarily in the hole, the Tigers worked out as Yoder and Floyd got a first down on the 21 and Floyd ripped off 13 for another first on his 34. He gained sic more and then caught a pass from Crescenze that produced 15 yards and a first down on the McKinley 45. Floyd and Yoder carried to a first on the 30 but, after Yoder gained two yards, three Massillon passes were wasted and Canton took over on its 28.
Again the Bulldogs were forced to punt and the ball went out of bounds on the Canton 41.
This time the Tigers were not to be denied. Floyd, Yoder and Boekel, in that order made a first down on the 27. Floyd ripped through to a first on the four with a beautiful 23-yard run. Yoder crashed for three. Crescenze moved it almost to the goal and Yoder whammed over for the six points.
Morrow missed the attempted point and the clock showed 55 seconds left to play. * * * FOLLOWING the kickoff, Sheeler tossed 15 yards to Goodrich for the Bulldogs’ only earned first down of the first half. They tried it again but this time Holloway intercepted and ran back to the Canton 27.
With only five seconds left, Crescenze shot the ball toward Robert Williams in the end zone. It was on the tip of his fingers, but he couldn’t hand on to what would have been the back-breaking touchdown.
Williams was almost despondent in the dressing room during intermission. Coach Harp grabbed him as he headed for the locker room and told him to forget it, and every player slapped him on the back with the encouraging remark, we’ll get some more next half, while he sat weeping, head in hands.
And get some more they did.
They changed several blocking assignments the second half designed to free Floyd and Yoder, and they worked out just as hoped for.
On the first play from scrimmage after the kickoff Floyd almost got away, going 32 yards to the Canton 43. And Yoder in two attempts went to the 30, Floyd picked up two more, and when Canton spread its defense to meet the Tigers’ new blocking pattern, Floyd shot through the middle on a quick opener for 28 yards and the second T.D. of the game. * * * FLOYD GETS credit for the touchdown, but he was probably thinking of Maier and Hill on this play when he said, “I got some good blocking today,” for it was Maier and Hill who opened the gap in the Bulldog line that allowed Floyd to speed through for the points.
This time Morrow kicked the extra point and it was 13-0.
Floyd stopped Canton after the kickoff when he intercepted Goodrich’s long pass and came back to his 45.
Yoder startled the folks by immediately racing to a first down on the Canton 27 and Floyd in two carries had another first down on the seven. A lateral toss to Yoder was wide and Jerry couldn’t hand on to it, Canton ending the threat by covering a fumble on its 13.
Three McKinley plays only gained four yards so Goodrich booted to Floyd who was downed on his 43 with no return. Yoder on the first play went 21 yards to the Canton 31 and Boekel headed through center for 18 more and a first on the 13. A pass over the line was grounded but Floyd circled his right end for the third touchdown and Morrow kicked the 20th point.
That made the Bulldog snarl a bit.
Frasker Jackson returned Morrow’s kickoff well to his 31 and Carnahan on a bootleg fooled the Massillon team as he headed around his left end and went 40 yards before Fromholtz somehow or other shifted through a wave of Canton blockers and got him.
Now it was Goodrich’s turn to show what he could do and he went 21 yards for his best run of the day to the eight. But that was it.
Goodrich took it two more times, made three and wound up back where he had started. Carnahan tried to sweep his end and was thrown for another loss of 10 yards. A grounded pass finished the threat and the Tigers took over on their 18.
Boekel got a yard and Floyd three as the third period ended. * * * WHEN FLOYD failed to gain, Stephens dropped back to punt and got a high pass from center. He picked up the ball dropped it to his foot and gave a feeble kick after being all but down. The ball didn’t cross the line of scrimmage, just going to the 17. That gave McKinley another chance.
A pass to Sheeler was good for three and Jackson wiggled loose to reach the end zone where he caught a 14-yard toss from Goodrich for the Bulldogs’ only points. Canary broke through to block the attempted point.
Floyd got to his 42 with the following kickoff and on the next play went all the way to the three where he was overhauled by Bob Williams of McKinley. He fumbled when tackled, the ball rolling into the end zone where Horace Harris hopped on it for a touchback.
McKinley was given the ball on its 20, couldn’t get anywhere in two downs and for some unknown reason quick-kicked into the wind on third down.
The ball only went forward five yards, the Tigers taking it on their own 25.
Floyd in two carries got to the 13, and then to the five where Crescenze pitched over the line to Williams for the final touchdown of the game. Johnny James couldn’t get the ball down for Morrow so he tried to run for the extra point but didn’t make it.
Canton came back after the kickoff to move the ball to the Massillon 39 where Cocklin intercepted a pass and was knocked out doing it to end the threat with the ball on the 28. Two plays later the game ended.
The line-up and summary: MASSILLON ENDS – Lorch, R. Williams, Houston, Canary, Francisco. TACKLES – B. Williams, Hill, Blocher, Moore, Schumacher. GUARDS – Maier, Holloway, Fisher. CENTERS – Spicer, Morrow. QUARTERBACKS – Crescenze, James. HALFBACKS – Floyd, Yoder, Stavroff, Stephens, Fromholtz. FULLBACK – Boekel.
McKINLEY ENDS – Sheeler, H. Jackson, Jack, Williams, Lancaster. TACKLES – Kompara, Graham, Martins, Blackmon, Fohel. GUARDS – Patrick, Bell, Clawson, Speroff. CENTERS – Perdue, Fach. QUARTERBACKS – J. Dreher, F. Jackson. HALFBACKS – Goodrich, Carnahan, Garman, Grimsley, H. Harris. FULLBACK – N. Harris.
Touchdowns: Massillon – Floyd 2; Yoder; R. Williams. McKinley – H. Jackson.
Points after touchdown: Massillon – Morrow 2 (placekicks).
Officials Referee – Dan Tehan, Hamilton. Umpire – Jim Lymper, Mansfield. Head Linesman – C.W. Rupp, Cuyahoga Falls. Field Judge – Ted Jones, Chagrin Falls.
Individual And Game Statistics Mass. McK. First downs 21 6 Passes attempted 8 13 Passes completed 2 4 Had passes intercepted 0 4 Yards gained passing 20 49 Yards gained rushing 437 105 Total yards gained 457 154 Yards lost 11 19 Net yards gained 446 135 Times punted 2 6 Average punt (yards) 11 31 Yards punts returned by 4 0 Times kicked off 4 3 Average kickoff (yards) 41 51 Yards kickoffs returned by 97 22 Times fumbled 3 1 Lost ball on fumble 3 0 Times penalized 2 2 Yards penalized 20 10
Tigers Beat Garfield 21-13 Massillon Gridders Overcome 6-0 Deficit To Win 8th Of Season
By LUTHER EMERY
BEAT McKINLEY!
The crowd roared at Tiger stadium last night with the final gun that ended the Massillon gridders’ 21-13 squeak over Akron Garfield their eighth win of the season, and we have reason to believe that McKinley had as much to do with the close score as Garfield. The Tigers just couldn’t get the game off their minds.
McKinley and fumbles we should say aided the enemy for the Tigers fumbled five times, lost the ball three times, twice when within easy reach of touchdowns.
But there was also a dent in the Massillon armor, especially in the second half, when the local gridders permitted Garfield to hold the ball for long periods at a time while banging out first downs.
The Massillon offense was good enough the last two periods, but it couldn’t get the ball enough. It scored three of the four times it got the leather and had the pigskin on the nine-yard line with a first down coming up when the games ended the fourth offensive trip. * * * THE DEFENSIVE leaks must be plugged if the Massillon gridders realize their post-game ambition of BEAT McKINLEY in the state championship battle to be played here at 2 o’clock next Saturday afternoon.
That goes for both line and secondary. The latter permitted one pass to go through for a touchdown and another to produce a first down on the one-yard line which also led to a touchdown.
Garfield lived up to its advance predictions of being a good football team.
Playing without the services of their triple threat back, Bill Miller, who injured an arm Thursday, the Presidents displayed a good offense, mixing up split T with single wing that struck particularly hard at the center of the Tigers line, and on optional sweeps.
The Akron gridders led the local team 6-0 at the half, but somehow Massillon fans did not appear too uneasy during intermission for they had seen their team lose two likely touchdowns through fumbles and another through the expiration of time in the first and second quarters. * * * IT TOOK ONLY four plays to tie the score when the third period got under way and Tom Morrow’s deadly kick put the locals in the lead.
They made a 14-6 early in the fourth period and might have done it sooner had not Garfield held the leather for nine plays.
Then Garfield aided by a 15-yard penalty inflicted on Massillon for roughing the punter after it had the Presidents stopped, helped the latter score a second touchdown on a nine-yard pass over the line which with the point from placement brought the score to 14-13, too close for comfort of conversions looked awfully big for three and one-half periods of the game. * * * THE TIGERS might have broken Garfield’s back early in the contest had they scored in their first touchdown attempt. They took the kickoff and in two plays were on the six-yard line. Fromholtz carried the third play, went to the goal line where he fumbled when tackled and Garfield covered with the nose of the ball just three inches away from the chalk line. It was on this play that Fromholtz hurt his arm and had to be removed.
After an exchange of punts, Garfield got the ball on its own 20 and went all the way, using up almost 10 minutes to run off 15 plays. A 25-yard pass from Sterling Shepherd to Don Olenick and a nine-yard toss from Joe Amedio to Shepherd figured prominently in the drive. The latter pass brought a first down on the one-yard line and Al Mobley in two plays bucked it over for the score.
The Tigers blocked Washknock’s attempted kick for the extra point and Garfield led 6-0. * * * FLOYD was downed with the following kickoff on his own seven and the teams took turns fumbling the ball. The Tigers after Dave Canary covered a Garfield fumble on the Massillon 25, drove all the way to the Farfield 13 where on first down Ron Boekel fumbled and Garfield covered.
The orange and black made one more threat, a pass, Crescenze to Floyd putting the ball on the 10-yard line with first down coming up when the half ended.
Garfield received to start the third period but Stavroff intercepted Chris’ pass and was downed on the Massillon 45. Floyd raced 23 yards to the Akron 32. Yoder lost four yards on a fumble, but Crescenze shot the ball to Robert Williams for 30 yards and a first down on the six. Floyd lost no time going over for the T.D. that tied the score and Morrow put the locals in the lead.
Garfield took seven plays to make two first downs, but couldn’t make another in four downs and the Tigers took over on their 25 with a couple of minutes left in the period. By the time the quarter ended they were down to the Garfield 17, thanks to a 17-yard run by Crescenze and a 14-yard pass to Yoder.
On the second play of the final period, Boekel went 13 yards around his left end to score and Morrow’s extra point made it 14-6.
But Garfield wasn’t at all upset about it.
The visitors got the kickoff on their 28 and clicked off four first downs as they went the distance. The Tigers had them stopped on the Garfield 41, but the Presidents’ punter was roughed and Garfield was favored with a 15-yard penalty which brought a first down on the Massillon 44.
A 32-yard pass, Sehpherd to Amedio, did the damage, giving Garfield a first down on Massillon’s 12. Chris moved it three yards nearer the goal and on third down tossed to Olenick for the touchdown Washknock booted the extra point and it was 14-13.
The visitors John Taylor got off a short kick that Bob Williams ambled back with to the Akron 41. Boekel moved it up a yard and Floyd shot around his right end, setting up some fine blocking ahead to go 58 yards for the final score. Again Morrow kicked the extra point.
The play of Olenick and Dick White, Garfield ends, and that of Chris and Mobley were highlights of the visiting team.
Crescenze’s passing and Floyd’s running stood out for the Tigers offensively.
The line-up and summary: MASSILLON ENDS – Lorch, R. Williams, Canary, Houston, Hagle, Francisco. TACKLES – B. Williams, Hill, Schumacher, Moore. GUARDS – R. Maier, Holloway, Morrow. CENTER – Rohrbaugh. QUARTERBACKS – Crescenze, James, Speck. HALFBACKS – Floyd, Fromholtz, Yoder, Stephens, Stavroff. FULLBACKS – Boekel, Cocklin.
AKRON GARFIELD ENDS – Olenick, White, Winters, Bell. TACKLES – Fink, Compton, Parker, Genda. GUARDS – Washknock, Aulina, R. Parks. W. Parks. CENTERS – Vegh, Cox. QUARTERBACK – Chris. HALFBACKS – Amedia, Shepherd, Stephens, Taylor, Cianciola. FULLBACK – Mobley.
Officials Referee – Titus Lobach. Umpire – Paul Tobin. Head Linesman – Mack Shaffer. Field Judge – Dave Klocker.
STATISTICS Mass Garf. First downs 16 15 Passes attempted 8 11 Passes completed 6 6 Had passes intercepted 0 2 Yards gained passing 120 114 Yards gained rushing 241 125 Total yards gained 361 239 Yards lost 5 26 Net yards gained 355 213 Times punted 1 2 Average punt (yards) 26 18 Yards punts returned by 0 0 Times kicked off 4 3 Average kickoff (yards) 53 31 Net kickoff returns by 4 52 Times fumbled 5 6 Lost ball on fumble 3 1 Times penalized 4 5 Yards penalized 40 25
Barberton’s aerial minded Magics were handed a 34-14 trimming by the Washington high Tigers here Friday night, for their worst defeat of the season.
The autumn’s best crowd of 12,242 fans was treated to a wide open game as the Barberton quarterbacks threw 19 passes and the Tigers 10. Fourteen of the throws were completed, five by Massillon and nine by Barberton and one of the Magic throws was turned into the longest run of the year when Homer Floyd intercepted on his goal line, ran back three yards in a wide arc before heading full steam down the field for a touchdown. His run was 103 yards from the deepest point and he covered close to 153 yards as he swept from one side of the field to the other.
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As expected, the Magics depended mostly on their pass offense for gains, picked up 125 yards in this manner and scored two touchdowns on throws of eight and 53 yards, the latter coming with only 48 seconds of the game left to play.
The Tigers scored five touchdowns, two in the first period, one in the third and two in the fourth and were stopped on three other occasions, twice by penalties and one by the clock, for what undoubtedly also would have been scores.
Barberton, which this year held Alliance to a one point 21-20 victory, was beaten all the way, but was dangerous every time it got the ball because of the throwing ability of George Izo, six-foot two-inch, 188-pound back. He would have been a better percentage of completions had not his receivers on two occasions dropped balls that were in their arms.
It was a typical Massillon-Barberton game, hard played and replete with injuries, although none was considered serious.
Jim Houston, worst injured of the Massillon players, was shaken up the first half but was O.K. for second half use, although he was kept out of the game.
Early in the game the special defense cooked up by Coach Tom Harp to stop the Barberton passing attack worked to perfection and three of the first six heaves of the Magics were intercepted while the other three were grounded.
Then Barberton began hitting and completed five in a row and nine of 13.
Izo and Luck, who threw the Magic passes, had all the time in the world to get the ball away. Standing deep behind the scrimmage line, they were given terrific protection. On only a couple of occasions were they rushed.
The Tiger gridders moved the ball well, piling up 420 net yards and would have done much better had it not been for penalties and a couple of inopportune fumbles.
They scored the first time they came into possession of the ball and had to overcome a 15-yard penalty to do it.
The payoff play was a 55-yard dash around left end by Dick Fromholtz in his first start as an offensive halfback in several weeks. Not a hand was laid on him as he set up his blocks well.
The second Massillon touchdown came on Floyd’s interception after Barberton had marched the ball from its own 26 to the Massillon 23.
Homer picked off the pigskin on the run, headed to his right in an arc to outrun a couple of Magic tacklers. Then down the east side line he went while blockers piled up a host of Barberton tacklers. He had to shake himself free of the last man, and that he did, to gain the open field.
He was so far in front he just trotted out the last 15 yards.
Barberton scored it first touchdown in the second quarter with a drive that started from its own 45.
Tom Nevling, running hard, got a first down on the Massillon 40, and took a fourth-down screen pass from Izo to go all the way to the 9.
A pass, Izo to Bob Hunter, lost a yard, but another to Duane Sickles produced a first down on the eight. Izo then tossed to Luck for the remaining distance.
The Tigers took the following kickoff all the way from their 37 to the Barberton five when time ran out and the half ended.
A 69-yard run by Jerry Yoder set up the third period touchdown. Starting from the 34 he bulled his way, without too much help, to the seven-yard line before a Magic tackler caught him. Floyd picked up three and Yoder went through for the points. * * * A 90-YARD DRIVE produced the fourth T.D. A 12-yard run by Yoder netted a first down on his own 29. Boekel set up the score with a 53-yard run to the nine. Three downs only gained six yards but on fourth down Yoder circled his left end for the points.
The score mounted to 34-7 with the second team in the game. The seconds took the ball on their 37 and went 63 yards to score. Figuring strongly in the march was a pass from Don Humes to End George McConnell who made the prettiest catch of the year for a first down on the 13, a gain of 38 yards. Don Duke took it over from the six on fourth down.
Barberton scored its second touchdown on the second team with only 48 seconds left to play when Izo threw the ball to Luck for a gain of 2 yards and the six points.
The Magics had the Tigers well scouted and stopped fleet Homer Floyd in his tracks most of the night. Save for his lone touchdown dash with the intercepted pass, he was unable to break into the open.
With such a close watch kept on Floyd, the Magics overlooked the ball carrying ability of the right halfback and Fullback Boekel, and as a result they were able to amble for long gains.
Harp also came up with another placekicker last night in the person of Tom Morrow, a substitute. Morrow, who has been getting added distance each week to his kickoffs, converted four of the five placement kicks after touchdowns into extra points.
The game was the eighth on Massillon’s schedule. With seven victories and one defeat to their credit, the Tigers next week will tangle with once-beaten Akron Garfield here. Garfield’s only loss was to Barberton 13-6. It plays Kenmore tonight.
The line-up and summary: MASSILLON ENDS – Houston, R. Williams, Canary, Lorch, McConnell, Francisco, Nagle. TACKLES – B. Williams, Hill, Schumacher, Graber, Moore, Blocher, D.K. Maier. GUARDS – Holloway, R. Maier, Ertle, Barrett, Fisher, Morrow. CENTERS – Spicer, Rohrbaugh, Speck. QUARTERBACKS – Crescenze, Humes, James. HALFBACKS – Floyd, Fromholtz, Yoder, Duke, Brown, Cocklin, Stephens. FULLBACKS – Boekel, Archibald.
Officials Referee – Smith (Elyria). Umpire – Machock (Elyria). Head Linesman – Russ (Youngstown). Field Judge – Hinton (Canton).
STATISTICS Mass. Barb. First downs 17 8 Passes attempted 10 19 Passes completed 5 9 Had passes intercepted 1 3 Yards gained passing 86 125 Yards gained rushing 369 83 Total yards gained 445 188 Yards lost 35 25 Net yards gained 420 163 Times punted 2 5 Average punt (yards) 31 35 Yards punts returned by 0 10 Times kicked off 6 3 Average kickoff (yards) 40 37 Yards kickoffs returned by 33 89 Times fumbled 6 3 Lost ball on fumble 2 1 Times penalized 3 1 Yards penalized 35 2
Tigers Beat Warren In Fourth Quarter Orange And Black Come From Behind To Defeat Spirited Panthers 12-7
By LUTHER EMERY
A fired-up Warren Panther gave the Washington high Tigers a terrific battle before 11,000 fans in its home den Friday evening, but had its prey snatched from it in the fourth quarter just when it appeared another autumnal upset was in the making.
The Tigers won, 12-7, but it took a great goal line stand to seal it.
It was a whale of a game, evenly played most of the way, but with Massillon having just a little more of what was necessary in the pinches to score and to keep from being scored on.
It was anybody’s contest from beginning to end.
Warren, all fired up at the start, took the play away from the Tigers, kept them in the hole the entire first half and never allowed them over the midfield stripe. The Panthers at the same time were stopped once on the one-half yard line in the first period and succeeded in pushing over a T.D. in the second to lead 7-0 at intermission.
Coach Tom Harp stoked his Tigers with enthusiasm between halves and they came out a different ball team the third quarter. * * * DENIED a touchdown in their first bid, they covered a Warren fumble on the 28-yard line and passed for a touchdown on the second play, Dick Crescenze to Dick Fromholtz. But Big Bob Williams’ attempt for the extra point was partially blocked and Warren still led 7-6.
The Panthers were still in front going into the fourth quarter but the Tigers struck back with their best march of the night, a drive of 87 yards that actually amounted to 102 yards with a 15-yard penalty added, to score a second touchdown, which iced the game.
But the gate was not closed on the Panthers until the last half minute of the game. Then it was the Tigers stopped a belated Warren drive on the four-yard line, took the ball, and froze it to run out the clock.
What happened before that last Warren effort only prefaced the excitement that bubbled and gurgled from the stands as Warren urged its team to score and Massillon fans pleaded for their eleven to turn back the threat.
Everything was packed into the fourth period drama. The Massillon fans rejoiced when Jerry Yoder toured his left end for 19 yards and six points, to give the Tigers a 12-7 lead, and moaned when Williams’ second attempted kick went plenty high but just wide of the uprights.
There were moans and hurrahs when the Tigers’ following kickoff bounced through the hands of two Warren players to stop on the five-yard line. * * * THEN WARREN set its sights on a winning touchdown and began to march. Once the Tigers seemed to have the Panthers stopped but that’s when John Theoharis stepped back and fired a 42-yard pass to left end Don Zerial. Homer Floyd and Andy Stavroff, Tiger defenders went up in the air trying to intercept the ball. All three seemed to hit it but it only made a more perfect catch for Zerial as it bounded into his hands while he was traveling full speed. Stavroff turned and went after Zerial. It was evident he couldn’t grab him around the legs so he made a desperate lunge, he caught hold of his shirt and down went Zerial for a first down on the 14, with only a couple of minutes left to be played.
Nate Reed, a substitute halfback, was turned loose twice and he picked up eight yards. With the ball on the six and only two yards needed for a first down, the Tigers showed their grit. They yielded a yard to Giles, but when Hamilton attempted to circle right end he was thrown for a yard loss and the Massillon gridders took over with only 30 seconds left to play.
Crescenze played it safe after that, carried two straight times, getting a first down on one carry and just dropping on a knee the second time to run out the clock and seal the Massillon victory. * * * THE MASSILLON gridders were jubilant as the last shot was fired and the Tiger band took over the cheering. The victory was even more satisfactory to the local gridders when told that Coach Chuck Riffle of the Panthers was supposed to have said that Massillon was a first half ball team.
It wasn’t last night and because the local team took charge in the second half it still is a top contender for the state title along with Canton McKinley, which last night whipped previously unbeaten Alliance 26-6.
Maybe news of Canton leading Alliance at the half helped to fire the Tigers for their second half charge. Whatever it was they came out with a complete reversal of form, used the forward pass effectively for the first time this season in their two touchdown marches and kept Warren bottled up, save for that breath-taking last minute surge of the Panthers.
Statistically the Tigers had a little better of the argument too. They made 12 first downs to Warren’s 10 and gained 239 net yards to Warren’s 190. Each team completed four passes, the Tigers gaining 76 yards with passes and Warren 65.
Warren used a short pass over the line of scrimmage effectively the first half, but for some reason failed to use it the second half even though the zone was frequently unguarded. * * * THE TIGERS not only passed to their first touchdown, but mixed three completed passes in the series of plays that led to the second T.D. One went to Robert Williams for 17 yards, another to Ken Lorch for seven and a most important one to Jim Houston for 23 that helped to overcome a 15-yard penalty.
The Tigers also moved the ball on the ground and the second half more than they did the first. They depended too much on Homer Floyd the first two periods, but used him as a decoy often in the last two periods in which Ronald Boekel and Yoder gained considerable yardage.
Warren threw a scare into the Tigers early in the game. The brimstone breathing Panthers kicked off to Massillon and smothered everything the locals tried on the first series of plays for a loss of eight yards.
Tom Stephens barely got his punt away to his own 38.
Running hard, they ripped off three straight first downs, the last on the seven-yard line. Here the Tigers braced and took it away from Warren on the one-half yard line.
Warren continued to play in Tiger territory and the Tigers in two punt exchanges couldn’t get the Panthers out of their yard. Then Warren struck from the Massillon 44, marched to three first downs with Giles going over on fourth down from the five-yard line. Jack Begala kicked the extra point and Warren led 7-0.
The Tigers could no nothing next time they got the ball and the half ended shortly thereafter, * * * WARRREN received to start the third period but was forced to punt, the Tigers getting the ball on their own 27. Floyd got off a 12-yard run and Boekel in two dashes went 54 yards for successive first downs on the Warren 27 and 15.
Warren braced and limited the next three Tiger chargers to seven yards. An attempted pass on fourth down was batted down by Giles and Warren took over on its eight.
The Panthers got out to the 28 where Holloway pounced on a fumble for the Tigers. On the first play Crescenze found Yoder open in the end zone but he dropped the ball. However, it would not have counted since the Tigers were offside and were penalized back to the 33. Using the same play with Dick Fromholtz now at the halfback spot, Crescenze whipped a beauty to him in the end zone. A chance to knot the score was missed when Warren blocked the extra point.
It was clear that the Tigers now had the power to move the Panthers on offense.
They forced them to punt after the kickoff and Trice got off a beauty to the Massillon 13. Here began the winning drive.
Boekel and Floyd only got three yards on the first two plays, so Crescenze whipped a pass to Bob Williams good for 17 and a first down on the 33. Floyd made six at right end and on a quick opener, being nabbed by the last defensive man after making a first down on the Warren 49. Crescenze pitched to Ken Lorch for seven and Floyd made a first on the 37.
Boekel rammed for a first but the Tigers were penalized 15 yards for an illegal play. Crescenze made up for it with a fine pass to Houston for 23 and on a keeper play went to a first down on the 23. Floyd made four at right end and on the next play Warren was completely fooled as Yoder came around his left end for 19 yards and the winning touchdown.
There followed Warren’s frantic drive and that was the end of it.
The Massillon gridders will meet Barberton here next Friday evening.
STATISTICS Mass. Warren First downs 12 10 Passes attempted 8 5 Passes completed 4 4 Had passes intercepted 0 0 Yards gained passing 75 65 Yards gained rushing 173 136 Total yards gained 248 201 Yards lost 9 11 Net yards gained 239 190 Times punted 4 3 Average punt (yards) 36 37 Yards punts returned by 7 26 Times kicked off 3 2 Average kickoff (yards) 46 48 Yards kickoffs returned by 19 43 Times fumbled 2 2 Lost ball on fumble 0 1 Times penalized 3 3 Yards penalized 35 15
Tiger Gridders Beat Benedictine 34-7 Massillon Team Rolls Up 20 Points In First 10 Minutes of Contest
By LUTHER EMERY
You explain it. We can’t figure it out.
For 10 minutes Friday evening the Washington high school football team ran wild through Cleveland Benedictine to score three touchdowns and lead 20-0 going into the second period.
Then Benedictine braced, yielded but two more touchdowns, one in the last 22 seconds of play and scored one itself. The final was 34 to 7.
The score is bigger than many had expected it to be over the previously undefeated Cleveland team, but the point that had fans wondering is what happened to fire up the Bengals in the second half and what cooled the Tigers off.
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It was Massillon’s fifth victory in six games and should look good to the pollsters, considering status. * * * THERE WERE all kinds of explanations after the game, for the second half lapse. Each of the 10,150 fans probably had an opinion.
Many thought Benedictine was scared at the start of the game.
Certainly the Benglas looked like anything but a football team the first quarter. Their offense was impotent; their defense inadequate and they bobbled the ball, which cost them a lot of breaks.
The Tigers on the other hand ran around at will. They drove from their own 39-yard line for their first touchdown, scoring after an exchange of fumbles on the three with Homer Floyd going across with six minutes and 45 seconds left to play. Two minutes and 22 seconds later Floyd caught a punt and raced 64 yards for another touchdown. In another two minutes Ken Lorch was on top of a Benedictine fumble on the 27 and Ronald Boekel was skirting end on a pitchout for the score. * * * BENEDICTINE showed signs of bracing after that point and it took the Tigers most of the second period to score another. They consumed 10 minutes driving from their own 19 to the two-yard line where Boekel bucked it over.
And it was even tougher the second half.
Coach Tom Harp thinks his team relaxed with a 27-point lead and couldn’t get back on its game the last two periods.
At any rate Benedictine played the Tigers on even terms in the scoring columns those two quarters and out-gained the locals in yardage.
“I’ll be anxious to get a look at the movies and see just exactly what did happen,” Harp said in the locker room after the game. “The defense we were playing should have stopped them. If someone wasn’t carrying out his assignment, then we will have to make the necessary corrections. * * * BENEDICTINE came out all fired up for the second half and completed a 31-yard pass from Quarterback Mel Smolik to Fullback Chuck Piazza for a third period touchdown while checking all Massillon scoring efforts until the last 22 seconds of the game when Floyd broke away for a 50-yard T.D. run.
Where the Tigers gained 172 yards to Benedictine’s 30 the first half, the latter gained 171 yards to Massillon’s 106 in the second half and 50 of the 106 came on Floyd’s jaunt.
We are inclined to believe there was both opening nervousness on the part of the Tigers after the latter rolled up 20 points so quickly.
Coach Harp experimented with some new formations after gathering the 20 points which also slowed up his offense.
After all, the Benedictine team of the second half was the kind of team we had expected to see at the start. It has been gaining quite a reputation in Cleveland the last few years and had a three-won two-tie record when it came here last night. * * * THE LOCALS had the better of the statistics for the total game, making 266 net yards to the Bengals’ 184 and that does not include Floyd’s 64-yard touchdown punt return. The Tigers also registered 14 first downs to the Bengals’ eight.
Had the locals’ passing been better they could have moved easier, too, as the visitors at times threw virtually a nine man line against them. Six of 16 were completed for 86 yards, while Benedictine completed six of 13 for 81 yards.
Floyd stole the show.
The slippery halfback did some fine running. His break away on the 64-yard punt return was a beauty and he was accorded some great assistance by blockers after he raced over the midfield stripe.
His last T.D. was almost as fancy. He struck through tackle then cut sharply to the right to run around his foes while his teammates walled off the sideline. * * * THE TIGERS received a lot of hard bumps and bruises in the game, but none appeared seriously hurt with the possible exception of big Bob Williams, who got a hard jolt in the second period. With him unable to placekick, the Tigers ran their last two points after touchdown, Floyd getting both of them.
Recovered fumbles and intercepted passes caused the ball to change hands 11 times. These stopped drives of both teams throughout the game.
The Tigers, in fact, fumbled in their first touchdown drive on the three-yard line and Benedictine recovered. But the Bengals obliged by immediately fumbling and Massillon recovered at almost the same spot where it had previously lost the ball. This time it continued on for the T.D.
The victory was Massillon’s fifth in six games. Next Friday the local team travels to Warren to meet the Panthers, who rolled over Youngstown Chaney last night 48-6.
The line-up and summary: MASSILLON ENDS – Houston, R. Williams, Canary, Lorch. TACKLES – B. Williams, Hill, Moore, Graber, Schumacher. GUARDS – Holloway, R. Maier, Barrett, Tracy. CENTERS – Rohrbaugh, Morrow, Roan. QUARTERBACKS – Crescenze, James. HALFBACKS – Floyd, Yoder, Stavroff, Fomholtz, Brown Stephens. FULLBACKS – Boekel, Archibald, Cocklin.
Snarling Tigers Claw Mansfield 18-0 Orange and Black Play Best Game Of Season In Defeating Old Rival
By LUTHER EMERY
The Tiger is snarling again.
It bared its fangs at Mansfield Friday evening and whipped the team to which it was supposed to lose.
The score was 18-0 and a stunned Mansfield crowd couldn’t believe it. Neither could many Massillon fans who traveled the 55 miles to Mansfield fully expecting to see the orange and black lose.
But the Tiger became of age last night, played as it hasn’t at anytime this season and deserves a better rating among the Ohio high schools next week.
A surprising turnout of 12,600 fans attended the game, and unless you are dripping at the neck, running at the nose, feeling the need for a new hair wave, shoe shine or suit press, you can’t appreciate the kind of night it was nor the job turned in by the football team. * * * THE MASSILLON gridders gave their all. The linemen charged as they haven’t before this season and to say they ate up the gridiron isn’t speaking figuratively. A look at their faces in the locker room after the game and you would know what we mean.
They were caked with mud as though prepared for a clay massage, except that they had it in their eyes and teeth too. But they were a happy bunch. It’s been a long time since a Massillon team let go with as much enthusiasm after a game as the Tigers did last night. They knew they had accomplished something – something many had said they couldn’t – and had won a big victory. They knew they were now the football team they have been striving to be, and they were happy about it.
No sooner had the last gun been fired until they made a rush for the bench, grabbed their young coach Tom Harp, hoisted him on their shoulders and carried him off the field.
In the dressing room they cheered, whooped it up, congratulated each other and accepted the congratulations of fans who poured in. For a time it was bedlam, and anyone in the dressing room during those minutes came out with a souvenir of the gridiron – badly soiled clothes from brushing against the slimy suits of the players.
The student body, whom we have thought has not been enthusiastic as it should be, warmed up – did it before the team ever left for Mansfield we were told – and went all out in its support of the eleven last night.
Students and band lingered around the stadium after most other fans had left to play and cheer. * * * THE FIRST Massillon team to go into a game as underdog in years, the Tigers let it be known quickly that they shouldn’t have been placed there.
They scored the second time they came in possession of the ball with seven minutes and five seconds of the first period remaining to be played when Ron Boekel raced 54 yards down the sidelines for a touchdown, out-running (and we still can’t believe it) the fleet-footed Willie Mack and Wilmer Fowler, the track men of the Mansfield team.
They shoved over another from the two-yard line on the first play of the second quarter when Jerry Yoder carrying the ball after covering Fowler’s fumble on the 14. And the third came with only 30 seconds gone of the fourth quarter when Yoder did some fancy stepping around left end for 13 yards.
Bob Williams’ foot skidded off the ball on three extra point attempts but as it turned out it did not matter save to pull down his own conversion average.
That’s a thumbnail sketch of the TD’s, but what went into them and what preserved them calls for a lot more explaining.
Coach Harp had particular praise for the play of the line after the game was well as the defense and the ball handling of Quarterback Rich Crescenze. While Rich fumbled a few handoffs of the slimy ball, Harp thought he did “excellent all-around work, considering the condition of the pigskin.” * * * THE LINE, as we have said before, did play its best, and the defense put on some good old-fashioned snowball tackling that many times stopped Mansfield players in their tracks, or off their tracks, and resulted in fumbles.
To hold three ball carriers like Mack, Fowler and Fullback Jim Witherspoon to 92 net yards on the ground, is doing a lot of tackling, and that’s what the Tigers did last night.
And the linemen opened enough holes to permit Massillon backs to romp 140 net yards.
The Tigers were opportunists last night. They were alert, recovering all six of their own fumbles and covering four Mansfield fumbles.
Their ball hawking ability stopped Mansfield drives including the latter’s first effort when in two first downs it moved the ball from its 28 to the Massillon 39. There it stopped when linebacker Bob Tracy pounced on a fumble on his own 42. Two plays later, Boekel was on his way to the first touchdown on the game.
Ball hawking by Yoder, who pounced on Fowler’s fumble of a lateral on the 14, set up the second touchdown and Joe Holloway ended another Mansfield effort when he covered a fumble by Fowler on the Tiger 45. A fourth Mansfield fumble of a punt was covered by the Tigers late in the fourth quarter, but by that time players were so daubed alike with mud we couldn’t tell who got on the ball. * * * AHEAD 12-0 at the end of the half, the Tigers were the fresher the second half and with victory in sight and their ambition realized, seemed to gain in strength the older the game got. At the end they were driving again, having just made their ninth first down of the game in midfield. Mansfield chalked up six first downs during the night.
Because of the wet conditions of the field and the slippery ball, the Tigers for the most part played close to the cuff. They got reckless a couple of times with laterals, one of which brought a much needed first down on the two-yard line, but they didn’t try a single forward pass. For that matter Mansfield only threw one and completed it for a gain of 24 yards.
In playing it safe, the Tigers for the most part punted on third down and, Tom Stephens the kicker, deserves a pat-on-the-back for the way he booted the muddy ball. He averaged 10 more yards than his Mansfield adversary and he got away one booming kick of 48 yards for the line of scrimmage early in the game.
Mansfield, previously undefeated and conqueror of Warren 42-7 last week, had high hopes of winning the state championship this year. The defeat, its first of the season was particularly disappointing to team and fans, one of whom said, “Massillon just has the Indian sign on us.”
The Tygers have only won one game of the series which began in 1936. That was a 16-12 victory in 1949 when Augie Morningstar, now of Massillon, was coaching the Richland county team. * * * AT THE CONCLUSION of the 1953 season Mansfield had said it would play Massillon the week before the Massillon-Canton McKinley game or not at all. This wasn’t to the liking of ex-Coach Chuck Mather last year or Tom Harp this year. After Massillon had filled the usual Mansfield date for 1955 with Toledo Waite, Mansfield had a change of heart and suggested a game with the Tigers for the third week in October. A contract which the local team had planned to send to East Liverpool for that date was held up at Mansfield’s request. After last night’s game it is possible that Mansfield will have another change of heart.
At any rate, Coach Bill Peterson after the game told Harp, “we’ll play you the week before the Canton game or not at all.”
So, maybe last night’s game did break the chain of relations.
It was a cleanly played game and neither tam sustained any serious injuries. In fact, the Tigers had none. That’s what usually happens in football when you hit the other fellow harder than he hits you.
A brief resume of the quarters goes like this: First Quarter The Tigers received, bringing the kickoff back to the 36 but were forced to punt. Stephens got off a good boot to the Mansfield 28 and the latter rolled up two first downs before fumbling. Tracy covering on the Tiger 42. Boekel hit for four and then went 54 for a touchdown.
The Tigers kicked off and Mansfield got back to the Massillon 42, before a pitchout lost 15 yards and it was forced to punt. The kick went almost straight up, the Tigers getting the ball on the Mansfield 49. Homer Floyd raced to the 30, almost getting loose, but a 15-yard clipping penalty was slapped on Massillon to end the threat. Stephens was thrown for a 12-yard loss attempting to punt, but he got the next one away to the Mansfield 22. Fowler fumbled the first play and Yoder was on the ball for Massillon on the 14. Boekel hit for four and Yoder got one. Then Floyd on a pitchout went to a first down on the two-yard line and there the quarter ended. Second Quarter On the first play of the second period Yoder went over for the T.D.
The Tygers got the kickoff and worked the ball up to the Massillon 47, where they were thrown backward twice in a row with Holloway finally getting the ball for Massillon on a fumble.
The teams exchanged punts with neither threatening anymore in the period. Third Quarter Mansfield entered the third period without Fowler and he didn’t play the rest of the game.
The teams exchanged punts to start the period, the Tigers having the better of the exchange and getting the ball on the Mansfield 45. They got down to the 30, only to be penalized back to where they started from for clipping. Floyd went for 20, however, and with Boekel and Yoder helping got down to the 16-yard line as the period ended. Fourth Quarter Floyd picked up a first down on the 11 and Yoder went the rest of the way around left end with the help of a beautiful block that set him free.
Mansfield made its only serious scoring threat after that. A 25-yard pass, the only one of the night, Mack to Wilbur Hightower, produced a first down on the 28. The Tygers in three more plays got a first down on the 17 and here Massillon braced, threw back four running plays and took over the ball on the 10. The Tigers just kept it the rest of the game, moving to the Mansfield 46 as the game ended, thanks to recovery of a fumbled punt.
Officials Don Kock (Lima). George Donges (Ashland). C.H. Speid (Findlay). Dave Kocker (Akron).
STATISTICS Mass. Mansf. First downs 9 7 Passes attempted 0 1 Passes completed 0 1 Yards gained passing 0 25 Yards gained rushing 167 124 Total yards gained 167 149 Yards lost 27 32 Net yards gained 140 117 Times punted 6 4 Average punt (yards) 33 23 Yards punts returned by 0 26 Times kicked off 4 1 Average kickoff (yards) 25 52 Yards kickoffs returned by 8 38 Times fumbled 6 4 Lost ball on fumble 0 4 Times penalized 6 5 Yards penalized 50 45
History 
