Break Visitors’ Morale In First Period Goal Line Stand; None Expected So Large A Score
By Luther Emery
The heralded invasion of Alliance’s red and blue Aviators crashed in Tiger Stadium Friday evening and the explosion was still reverberating throughout Ohio today. Not only were the Wingmen downed, but they were grounded with a force that surprised even the most optimistic Massillon fan – 46-6.
Program Cover
When 20,000 fans leaned back amazed at the strength of the Massillon forward wall as it twice weathered goal line stands in the early minutes of the final quarter, they never believed that the game eventually would turn into a rout that at one time reached the fast pace of three points a minute.
Same Margin As Last Year
The Tigers were magnificent, and the margin of superiority over their stubborn foe of many years was exactly the same as last year – 40 points.
Who would have thought it when the first period ended in a scoreless tie, and the half only 6-0 in the Massillon eleven’s favor?
But the Tigers came out a new ball team in the second half, marching the kickoff right back 58 yards for a touchdown, and broke the spirit of the visiting team.
Aviators Quit
The Aviators appeared to quit then and there, and that is something new for a team coached by “Dutch” Hoppes. The loss of a couple of injured players, key men so to speak, may have started it, and there was little left in the way of opposition to the Tigers from there on in.
They shoved four more touchdowns over the Alliance goal in the third period, pushed two across in the fourth, and cleansed the bench of substitutes as all had an opportunity to play.
It was an improved Massillon team that chalked up the 37th consecutive victory for Tiger Town last night. The same hard blocking that featured the 39-0 defeat of Cathedral Latin high a week ago was there, and there were passes to help split the secondary and keep paths open for ball carriers. The forward pass was a potent weapon in Tiger hands for the first time this season, produced one touchdown, helped set the stage for another and produced 104 yards.
More remarkable than the increased offensive power was the defensive demonstration in the first few minutes that developed into one of the most courageous bits of line play ever seen here.
Twice the Tiger forwards threw back the visitors in the shadow of their goal posts, pushing them back from the four to the five-yard line on one occasion after they had had four downs to put it over.
You can hardly get an argument anywhere now but that this line is the best defensive high school line in years. All season it has been throwing opponents backward and seldom yielding an inch of ground. Why in 24 rushes at the Tiger forward wall last night, Alliance could gain but a net of 17 yards. You have John Hill, Joe De Mando, Dave Miller, Carl Paulik, Don Fuchs, and Vernon Weisgarber to thank for that, especially De Mando and Hill. Wonder how many times last night Alliance ball carriers wished Hill and De Mando had never learned to play football?
Toss Opponents Backward
The two boys tackled viciously and time and again crashed through to throw Alliance players for losses. They had a lot to do with limiting the visitors to five first downs, most of which were from passes and gave them the small net gain of 17 yards.
The same line also beat down the visitors offensively, blocking and cutting paths for Fred Blunt, Bob Graber, Dick Adams, Chuck Holt, and Junior White. It was through its efforts that the backs were able to roll up net gains of 418 yards from ball carrying.
Their only fault was inability to hold out the opposition in the early minutes of the game when two blocked punts by Earl Branfield put the Tigers’ in the hole. But their goal line stands made up for it all.
The Tigers were decidedly the better team the first two periods even though the 6-0 halftime score does not show it that way.
The blocked punts at the start got them in a hole and penalties at inopportune times also hurt. In fact, all but 30 second of the entire first quarter were played in Massillon territory, and it was not until three plays before the end of the period that Fred Blunt was turned loose on a brilliant 47-yard dash through left tackle that the orange and black managed to take the leather into the Aviator’s back yard.
That was the first flash of an offense that began reeling off yards as you would run clothes through a ringer.
Long Runs Feature
The Tigers didn’t get a touchdown on this attempt but they pushed it over the next time they laid their hands on the ball and followed with others that stabbed the Aviator line with lightning rapidity. Once Blunt raced 70 yards to score, again Junior White pranced 66 yards into the promised land and then there was a 20-yard touchdown pass hurled by Adams to Don Armour, who played himself a fine game.
None the less startling was the perfect peg from Alliance’s Dick McClure to Captain Joe Rogel, a 16-yard toss, for the Aviators only touchdown.
Alliance crossed up the Tiger secondary on that one. With only a yard to go, the second line of defense was expecting a line plunge. The long count in the Alliance huddle was a tip-off that something else was being cooked up, and Rogel got behind the defenders to make a good catch of McClure’s toss.
Aviators’ Offense Weak
The Aviators manufacture little in the way of offense. Their net gain of 17 yards describes their running attack, but they managed to pick up 89 additional yards on six completed passes.
The Aviators had a couple of light, but speedy backs in McClure and “Bud” Howell, but their linemen couldn’t turn them loose. McClure barely scales 140 pounds, and looks smaller than that in the dressing room.
“The only way to beat you fellows is to get faster boys,” was Coach Hoppes’ comment after the game. “I can’t figure it out – how a team that would hold an opponent to six points the first half could collapse so completely the second.
A lot of other fans couldn’t understand it either, but a survey of the visitors’ dressing room after the game was enough to show that the red and blue took a physical beating as well as a trimming in points. The boys appeared tired, despite their apparent good condition. None was believed seriously injured, though Harry Geltz, a substitute halfback, may have sustained a fractured rib.
An occasional limp was also noticeable in the Tiger dressing room. Don Fuchs, first string center, was among them. Bob Kanney, substitute guard, had a swollen eye, the result of a hard bump he received in the face late in the game.
Herman Robinson, one of two regulars left from last year, who suffered an injured knee the first day of practice, put on his uniform for the first time last night, but he will be unable to play for several weeks. The cast was only removed from the knee Friday.
Knowlton Sees Game
Mel Knowlton, who was an assistant Washington high coach for several weeks this spring before accepting the head job at Steubenville, had his entire staff in the stands to watch the game. “This years team is faster than that of last,” Mel contented after the game. “I don’t know what we can do to stop you next week.” The Tigers play at Steubenville next Friday.
The game had its freak plays, one of which you may not see again in 1,000 football games – a passer completing a pass to himself. It occurred in the second half. Bob Graber threw the ball, a bullet pass that struck an Alliance player and bounced right back into his arms for a four-yard loss.
Getting back to the game, the hair-raising first quarter created a need for better protection for the punter. The Tigers moved the ball well the first time they got it and were inches short of a first down in three attempts. They decided to punt rather than chance a mishap on their own 17, but they had the mishap just the same. The left side of the Alliance line came a busting through as Branfield blocked the ball. Massillon recovered but it was Alliance’s ball on the Tiger 37. Two five-yard penalties for offside gave Alliance a first down and Howell’s dash around left end produced another on the 35-yard line. The Tigers stopped the threat on the 18-yard line when Graber tried to punt out safely. Branfield crashed through again to block the ball and Alliance got it on the nine.
A five-yard penalty for offside on the next play put the leather just four yards short of the goal with four downs to make it in.
Here the Tigers again rose to the occasion just as they did against Weirton and Marblehead. “Red” Artino hit for a yard. McClure failed to gain at right tackle. De Mando broke through and tossed McClure for a three-yard loss and the threat ended when a pass was grounded behind the Tiger goal.
Dick Adams was sent in to punt for Massillon but he wasn’t needed. Blunt made nine, Holt plunged for a first down on the 20.
Holt and Blunt picked up seven more and Blunt shook himself loose for a dash to the Alliance 25-yard line. Though you wouldn’t have said so then, when you look over a play-by-play account of the game, it was the beginning of the end. An incomplete pass and a fumble ended the threat on the 25-yard line and McClure punted back to the Tiger 48.
Tigers Get Touchdown
This time the Massillon eleven was not to be denied. Blunt and Holt, running fast and hitting hard moved to the 15-yard line. Holt fumbled a reverse, but Adams scooped it off the ground and dashed to the 10-yard line before going down. Blunt circled left end for the touchdown. Adams’ attempted kick for the extra point failed.
Fumbles and penalties slowed the game the rest of the second quarter, a 15-yard verdict for holding nullifying a fine 20-yard run by Blunt.
The second half was nothing but a touchdown parade. It stated with a 38-yard march after the kickoff featured by Graber’s 20-yard pass to De Mando for a first down on the 10-yard line. It took Blunt only one play to smash through for the touchdown. Holt kicked the point.
Howell fumbled on the first play after the kickoff and Dave Miller was Johnny on the spot for Massillon on the Massillon 48. Blunt and Adams lugged the leather to a first down on the Alliance 23 and Adams tossed a beauty to Armour for the touchdown. Adam’s kick was wide.
Held after the next kickoff, McClure punted to the Massillon 34. On the very next play, White running heard and fast circled his left end for 66 yards and a touchdown. Not a hand touched him. Adams missed the kick and the score was 26-0.
Alliance Scores
Alliance connected on a 31-yard pass after the next kickoff to advance the ball to the Tigers’ 35-yard line. Hill tossed McClure for a 10-yard loss, but another well executed pass to Fritz and Artino’s plunge brought a first down on the Massillon 26. McClure passed to Branfield for nine yards and on fourth down tossed to Rogel for a touchdown. Branfield’s attempted kick for the extra point was blocked.
Alliance kicked off to Holt who came hard from the goal line to his own 30. On the first play Blunt came around the weak side on a reverse for a 70-yard touchdown dash. The try for the extra point was blocked and the score was 32-6.
Early in the fourth quarter, a 39-yard pass from Graber to De Mando put the ball on the five-yard line. Joe was sent over the goal on an end around play, but the ball was called back and the Tigers were penalized five. Graber took it over and Holt kicked the extra point that made it 39-6.
Holt pulled down an Alliance pass after the kickoff and ran the ball back from his 25 to the Alliance 48. Graber’s pass to Blunt brought a first on the 25. Holt and Graber took the ball to the one-yard line where Graber lugged it over and Holt kicked the extra point.
Second and third teams finished the game for Massillon, Adams, jitterbugging his way at one time to his eight-yard line only to be set back on a 15-yard clipping penalty. There was no further scoring.
Bombers Crash
Massillon Alliance Armour LE Fritz Paulik LT Andreannl Miller LG Bard Fuchs C Ruff Hill RG Maniho Weisgarber RT J. Habien De Mando RE Branfield Cardinal QB McClure Graber LH Howell Blunt RH J. Rogel Holt FB Artino
Scores by periods Massillon 0 6 26 14 – 46 Alliance 0 0 6 0 – 6
Massillon Machine Put Into High Gear As It Splashes To 36th Straight Victory on Wet Gridiron
By Luther Emery
Blocking with the precision reminiscent of the best days of yore, the Washington high Tigers Friday evening removed Cathedral Latin from their path to the tune of 39-0 as they chalked up their 36th consecutive victory on a wet field before 11,221 fans.
The attendance was the smallest of the season, but was surprisingly good considering the rain and was indicative of how the stands would have bulged had good weather prevailed.
Tigers Show Power
It was a vicious, point thirsty Tiger that Coach Bud Houghton and his assistants trotted out on the soggy gridiron last night, and fans stood up and applauded loudly as the Massillon youngsters, blocked and tackled, handled the ball with better timing and clicked as they never before did this season.
This Massillon eleven is coming right along, fans said to themselves as they waded through the moisture on their way home from the game, and they were correct.
The Massillon eleven is improving, getting better in leaps and bounds, and that is a testimony not only to the coaches but to the players as well who are putting into practice on the gridiron what they learn during the week on the training field.
New Tiger Team
From the time the Tigers grabbed the kickoff and marched 49 yards to the Latin nine-yard line, it was evident that a new machine had been tuned up for the orange and black. Even though the first drive failed, and sputtered when a fumble three plays later gave Latin its only scoring opportunity on the Massillon 20-yard line, it was obvious that the Tigers were the better team.
They had the power, the force to roll back a seven and eight-man line tossed at them by Latin and their drive through the center of the visitors’ forward wall led by young Chuck Holt, looked like the plunges that Glenn Williams produced 10 years ago.
Holt apparently is the answer to Houghton’s offensive problem, for he is just the type of crusher that is needed at fullback, and Fred Blunt who prefers cutting his capers from the right halfback spot, did a good job of it there last night.
Holt stood out, because it was his first performance as a starter. There wasn’t a standout in reality for the other members of the backfield, Bob Graber and Fred Cardinal, and the linemen were in the game up to their neck, offensively as well as defensively, and the holes they ripped in the Lion’s den made it far easier for the ball carriers to gain ground than on previous nights when the blocking was a bit spotty.
The Tigers threw everything but the goal posts at their opponents on the sweeps and tacklers were felled as red woods are cut down out where the west ends.
The Massillon eleven was superior in every department of play last night and not only shoved six touchdowns over the Lion goal, three of them in the last quarter, but rolled up 16 first downs to Latin’s two and gained 402 yards rushing to Latin’s 34. Latin’s two first downs were made on completed forward passes, the only department in which the visitors held the edge in yards gained. They made 33 yards to the Tigers 18 but they only completed three of 12 passes to two of seven for Massillon.
Latin Gambles
From the start it was evident the Latin boys were out to gamble, and gamble they did when they threw the wet ball from behind their goal the first time they got their hands on the slippery leather. They had hoped to catch Massillon off guard and score a cheap touchdown, but it didn’t work.
The Lions time and again pitched from deep in their own territory and did their very best to make a game of it to the very end despite discouraging pass interceptions and blocked punts.
The game produced more than one thrill as Joe De Mando blocked one punt, Bob Kanney another, and Blunt, Graber, and Junior White got away to long touchdown jaunts. Then there were the fumbles that stopped both teams at intervals, a dribble by Graber that bobbed right back up into his arms, a loss by Dick Adams after a brilliant run that had him heading for the open field when the ball slipped out of his arms like a greased pig.
There might have been other touchdowns ,too, with a few ifs. Twice denied touchdowns in the last 30 seconds by the rules, the Tigers had the ball on the one-yard line with first down coming up when the game ended.
Only the Tiger passing game fell short last night but it was not a fair test, considering the wet field and slippery ball. If the passing improves next week at the same rate as the running attack, the orange and black will be in good position to play host to Alliance’s Aviators here next Friday in what undoubtedly will be their stiffest test of the season to date. Alliance defeated Akron St. Vincent’s last night 25-0.
Herb Eisle, the Latin coach, was very complimentary after the game and hurried to the Tiger dressing room just as soon as he had given his boys the once over and found none seriously hurt.
“You have another fine team here in Massillon,” he said. “We always learn a lot when we come here. Our boys do too. We go home, and we are pretty tough to lick thereafter.”
Ends 10 -Game Streak
Eisle isn’t certain how this year’s Latin team compares with that of last year’s eleven which took a 64-0 beating here. The 1940 team only lost one other ball game, and the Lions came here last night with a victory string that was severed at 10 games.
Two movie cameramen, reportedly from Warren, came to Massillon last night hoping to learn a lot too, but their identity was discovered after they had posed as being from Cathedral Latin, and their films were confiscated.
The Tigers had something for them all to look at last night – even though it was little more than straight football. The fancy stuff can come later and will now that the eleven has gained the confidence essential to a green team.
The local eleven looked like the orange crushers of state championship years as they pushed the Lions around the first period, and even though they failed to score, they were causing trouble all the time.
Their first successful drive began when Graber pulled down Dick Brown’s pass on his 41 and got back to the Lion 36. Two plays gained but three yards as the lion’s stiffened with eight men on the forward wall, so Graber appropriately tossed to Cardinal for a first on the 19. Holt and Blunt took two smacks at the line and moved the ball to the five-yard stripe. Graber knifed his way a yard short of the goal and Holt took it over. Holt tried to hurry his point after touchdown and kicked the ball low and to the side.
When a fumble stopped the next march on the 24-yard line, Joe De Mando went to work and blocked one of Frank Tercek’s punts to give the Tigers another chance from the 23. The half was nearly over. In fact the series began with only a minute and seconds remaining, but Adams managed to flip the ball to Holt on fourth down for a touchdown and he kicked the extra point that made it 13-0. The half ended on the kickoff, and there followed a blackout caused by a blown fuse that left both teams in the dark for 25 minutes before play could be resumed.
March Back With Kick
The third quarter saw Latin a beaten team. The visitors chose to kickoff and the Tigers launched a march from the 35 that ended with Blunt circling end for eight yards and a touchdown. Pokey had set up the touchdown with runs of 12 and 14 yards. Adams’ attempted kick was wide and left the score at 19-0.
There was no further scoring in the period despite a 48-yard run by Holt from a pass interception and a 30-yard sprint by Blunt, but the fourth quarter was a dizzy one and had its reward in points.
Kanney got through to block Julius Suky’s punt, and De Mando scooped up the ball on the 15-yard line and raced over for the touchdown. Holt’s toe made it 26-0.
Another touchdown followed in a flash. Stopped in efforts to gain ground, Tercek kicked out on the 31-yard line and Graber in two plays, was over. Holt missed his try for point.
With an entirely new Tiger team in the game the ball came into Massillon’s possession on the Latin 37-yard line. T.Y. Gibson moved the ball up three yards and Junior White reeled off the remainder in a dash around left end. Just to add insult to injury, Adams circled the other flank for the extra point.
Same Old Tiger
Massillon Latin Armour LE Tercek Paulik LT Mahon Miller LG Rigot Fuchs C Mazurowski Hill RG Daley Weisgarber RT Phillips De Mando RE Paltoni Cardinal QB Dillon Graber LH Brown Blunt RH Cusineau Holt FB Sukys
THE DELICATE wheels that make up the Massillon high scheme of football attack moved with precision of watchworks last night and the Tigers scored their 36th straight victory with an impressive 39-0 triumph over Cleveland Cathedral Latin at Massillon stadium.
A crowd of 11,220 rain-socked spectators watched the gallant Cleveland eleven, with a string of 12 consecutive wins, hold the powerful Massillon team in check for the first 12 minutes of play.
Then the Tigers roared into action in the second period and their well-timed blocking and deception produced glittering long runs and six touchdowns in the final 36 minutes.
For the first quarter the Clevelanders, clearly outmanned, put up a grim battle, holding the count even and threatening within 20 yards of the Massillon goal.
Three minutes after the second period opened Massillon pulled the throttle and from there on it was just a breeze.
Chuck “Zeke” Holt made the first touchdown over his right tackle from the three-yard mark.
A blocked kick late in the second quarter set the stage for another Tiger opportunity. Massillon, working against the clock, took to the air.
There were two minutes to play when Don Armour jumped on Bob Dillon’s fumble on the Latin 22. Two tosses from Dick Adams failed to hit the target, but finally one by the same boy to Holt paid for 22 yards and a touchdown just before the half ended.
Hardly had the echo of the opening whistle of the second half faded away when Fred “Pokey” Blunt, on a reverse that started on the 12-yard line, took the ball back to the other side and behind a wall of interferers, reversed his field and carried on to a touchdown.
The fourth Massillon tally was a gift. Julius Sukys, Latin fullback, trying to get away a quick kick, found the Tiger line smothering him. The ball popped into Joe Demando’s hands and from the 12-yard line he scored over the final white stripe.
Bob Graber produced the big thrill of the game when he dashed 23 yards through the entire Latin team for the fifth score.
The enthusiasm of the Massillon substitutes was evident when Coach Bud Houghton sent them into action late in the final quarter. A 60-yard procession with Junior White racing around left end for 27 yards and a touchdown gave Massillon its final points.
Massillon Pos. Cathedral Latin Armour le Tercek Paulik lt Mahon Miller lg Rigot Fuchs c Muzurowski Hill rg Dailey Weisgarber rt Phillips Demando re Paltoni Cardinal qb Dillon Graber lh Brown Blunt rh Cousinean Holt f Sukys
Scoring by periods Massillon 0 13 6 20 – 39 Latin 0 0 0 0 – 0
Passes Electrify Crowd, But 85 – Yard Return Of Kickoff For Touchdown Was Outstanding Thrill in 28-6 Massillon Victory
By Luther Emery
The magic of Marblehead, Mass., revealed itself to 17,864 cheering fans in Tiger Stadium Friday evening but it was not sufficient to keep the Washington high Tigers from extending their victory string to 35 consecutive games.
Showing an improved offense that at times flashed old time power, the Tiger gridders capitalized on breaks and alert second-half play to triumph 28-6 over the visiting Magicians.
Passes Fail to Score
Marblehead’s magic lay in its forward passes, but the offense backfired under an altered Massillon defense in the second half, and threatened but once.
Though always in front, the Tigers were near panicky at times in the first two quarters when the Magicians unwielded their throwing arms to toss bullseyes into the Massillon secondary for long gains. Fans edged forth on their seats with every pitch, expecting sooner or later for one to connect for a touchdown.
Once a tremendous effort from Herb Carey to Harry Odell, nearly set up six points, but the Magic player slipped as he headed for the Tiger goal with no one in the way to stop him, and fell on the 19-yeard line. The ball soared 53 yards though the air that time and the pass was exceeded only in high school circles in these parts by the mighty 55-yard shot Mike Byelene tossed at Niles in 1935. Mike, who is in the army now, was watching from the press box last night.
A blocked punt, a hard tackle and a smashing run of 23 yards produced two touchdowns and a safety and helped relieve the tension of Tiger fans as the score amounted to 14 points with only 55 seconds of the first half remaining.
Then the visitors shot the works and the Massillon fans couldn’t help but stand up and cheer at the brilliance of Herbie Carey, Magic fullback, who picked up a fumbled kickoff and raced through the whole Tiger team for 85 yards and a touchdown, to bring the score to 14-6.
Fans Uneasy At Half
It was the touchdown that kept everyone in the stands at half-time and held them there throughout most of the third period, for with dangerous runners like Carey and a passing show such as the Magicians put on, fans expected anything to happen any moment. And it was just about that fast, too.
The complexion of the game changed so rapidly you could hardly keep up with it. It seemed the visitors just had to score, but their passing attack fizzled when they got dangerous and usually ended with an interception by a Tiger player. The Massillonians had five of them last night, two stopping critical drives.
The interceptions were not just breaks. They were the result of a well planned defense concocted between halves by the Tiger coaches.
Where protection of the secondary was left to four men the first two periods, the ends began dropping back the last half to provide a six-man defense against passes. Even then, the Magicians managed to sneak one through now and then, but they waited too long to try to run with the ball against this weakened line. They tried it only twice the third period and gained four yards on one attempt and one yard on the second. In the fourth they carried it four times and averaged better than seven yards per attempt.
The Tigers had all the better of the statistics, with the exception of passing where they looked woefully weak. First downs were 13-8 in their favor. They gained 312 yards carrying the ball to the Magicians 40 and averaged 39.5 yards on their punts to 23.2 yards.
Magicians Better Passers
The passing was all in the Head’s favor. They completed nine for 163 yards, and had 10 grounded and five intercepted. The Tigers completed two for 24 yards, had one intercepted and 11 grounded.
Outshining the offense for the second straight game, the line played fine defensive ball. The Head could still be hammering it and still wouldn’t have a touchdown. Rarely could a visiting player get over the Massillon trench, which fought with backs to the goal with the same dogged determination as the Russians in their defense of Leningrad.
When two perfect passes carried the Magicians 30 yards to the Massillon three-yard line, the forward wall reinforced by one of the secondary withstood the thrusts of Herb Carey, the Head’s great fullback and captured the ball, after throwing the visitors backward two yards. Only by means of the forward pass could the Head advance, which is vividly shown in the statistics in that only 40 yards were gained by the visiting ball carriers.
The Massillon offense showed improvement too, even though it did sputter several times at critical moments. It was good for three perfect plays for touchdowns, two by Capt. Fred Blunt and the third by Bob Graber, and at intervals showed flashes of old time power.
One of the touchdowns came in the last minute while Coach Bud Houghton was testing his experiment of using Chuck Holt at fullback and Fred Blunt at right half-back. “Pokey” went 23 yards for it as he measured his tacklers, then turned on the steam to circle them.
The game had its casualties and may prove a costly one, for Kevie Bray, who held down most of the pass defense work the first half, was carried from the field with an injured leg in the middle of the last period.
Dave Larkin, giant Marblehead tackle, suffered a similar injury. He did not start the game because of an injury received in last week’s opening game at Marblehead, but entered as a substitute.
Graber’s Punting Helped
If there was any single individual piece of work that sparkled for the Tigers it was the punting of Graber. He really laid his foot to the leather last night and through two tremendous boots, punted the Tigers out of a second period hole and set the Head clear back to its own seven-yard line where Bob Kanney broke through to toss tantalizing Ed. Barry for a safety and two points for the Tigers.
They may not look precious to you now, but they were bit last night with Marblehead threatening to bomb the goal line every time it grabbed the ball.
The two points came on top of a first period touchdown that Dallas Power, subbing for Lawrence Cardinal, scored when he threw his body over the ball after Joe De Mando had blocked Barry’s punt. Graber set the stage for that one too when he angled the ball out of bounds inside the 10-yard line. Not wishing to take any chance on a fumble, the Head tried only one play, then sent Barry back to punt. De Mando eluded the blockers and hit the leather with a thud. No more did it go over the Head goal until Dallas took off in a power-dive that recovered the leather for a touchdown for Massillon. Adams couldn’t get the kick away and it was 6-0.
A 19-yard run by Graber had the Tigers knocking again after the next exchange but they lost the ball on the 13-yard line. A five-yard penalty and a 15-yard pass helped the Head advance the pigskin to midfield and here the Magicians put on a show. The ball was snapped to Carey, who faded back to pass but found himself hounded by two Tiger tacklers. He raced back 19 yards and finding he couldn’t elude them, rared back and fired the ball up the center of the field.
Dick Adams had come in from his safety position to look the situation over and by the time he discovered what was happening Harry Odell was streaking down the field behind him.
Stumbles In Open Field
The ball just kept on sailing and nestled into the arms of Odell who turned and raced for his goal, with no one to stop him. He must have mistaken the 20-yard stripe for a new white clothes line for he tripped and went down in a heap and away went six points for the Head. It’s hard telling what might have been the result had the visitors chalked up this score.
They succeeded in working another pass that took the leather to the three-yard line where the gallant stand of the Tigers has already been described. Two line bucks and a sweep netted the loss of two yards and a pass on the fourth down was grounded. You could see who the Head depended on in this series, for Carey handled the ball all four times.
Graber banged a beautiful punt from behind his goal to midfield and in another exchange along with a 31-yard dash by Dick Adams after a pass interception had the Head rocking back on its own seven-yard line. Kanney’s desperate tackle that sent Barry reeling behind his own goal for a safety and two points for Massillon followed.
An exchange of punts and Marblehead was back at the Tiger front door again as three passes gained 53 yards but Carey fumbled and Blunt promptly covered the ball on the Tiger 19. Here the Massillon gridders launched their best offense of the evening. Adams nearly got away as he streaked on a reverse to the weak side for 26 yards. The march continued to the 23-yard line where with fourth down coming up and a yard to go Graber slashed through for 23 and six points. Adams missed the kick, but the score was 14-0 and Massillon fans had reason to suspect that Marblehead was ready to crack.
But they forgot to examine the names of the players – Sullivan, O’Dell, Carey, Kelley, Bardy and Barry. They forgot the Irish in that team, but they didn’t forget it for long, because it was on the following kickoff that Carey scooped up Shephard’s fumble and raced 85 yards for a touchdown that was the most electrifying offensive effort of the night. He missed his attempted kick for the extra point.
Twenty-two yards was as near as the visitors could get to the Tiger goal the second half, but the Massillon team looked better from the start of the third period and they marched the kickoff to the 12-yard line where they lost the leather on a fumble.
A muffed punt by Adams gave the Head a chance on the 22-yard line but Bray arose to the occasion to steal a pass and recover the ball. Toward the close of the quarter, he intercepted another of Carey’s passes on the visitors’ 44-yard line and in one play, Blunt went through for a touchdown on a fine bit of running. This time Adams kicked the extra point.
A drive of 40 yards through an apparently tiring Marblehead team, produced the Tigers last touchdown, Blunt dashing the last 23 from the right halfback position with 55 seconds to go and Adams kicking the extra point.
More Thrills
Massillon Marblehead Bray LE O’Dell Paulik LT Brady Miller LG Bray Fuchs C Hamilton Kanney RG Hawkes Weisgarber RT Remick De Mando RE Kelley Power QB Sullivan Graber LH E. Berry Adams RH Hammond Blunt FB Carey
Score by Period Massillon 6 8 7 7 28 Marblehead 0 6 0 0 6
Blunt Registers Only Touchdown 19,500 Fans Pack Stands to See Massillon Capture 34th Straight Victory in Thrilling Football Show At Tiger Stadium
By Luther Emery
Washington high’s victory record of 33 consecutive games, hung in the balance at Tiger Stadium Friday evening while 19,512 fans gasped, but by the narrow margin of six points and six inches, the string was lengthened to 34 at the expense of Weirton, W.Va., and the Tigers congratulated themselves for escaping unscathed.
Program Cover
The six points represent a tremendous effort by the veteran Massillon fullback Fred Blunt when he carried the ball over the Weirton goal from the eight-yard line in the third quarter for the only touchdown of the game and Massillon’s only serious threat. The six inches represent the scant margin by which Weirton missed two touchdown passes in the last minute.
The Great Show
So the Tigers won 6-0, a thrill packed victory that was commensurate with the thrilling performance by the Weirton and Tiger bands that made your spine tingle with patriotism and love for a country in which people of all races and nationalities will rub elbows and rise as one in a salute to America.
You asked for them, and you are going to get them – close scores. There will be no parading out of the gates at the end of the half this year – there was none last night.
Right down to the last five seconds the teams battled and the result hung in the balance to the very last play. Massillon fans were glad to settle for six points, though Coach “Bud” Houghton and his staff had hoped to win by two or three touchdowns, even though they did truly respect the ability of the enemy.
Weirton Passes Just Miss the Mark
Twice in the last minute, once with five seconds remaining to be played, Weirton nearly scored touchdowns. With slightly better passing it would have succeeded, for its men sneaked beyond the Tiger secondary and there was nothing left to stop them.
But Kevie Bray, who played a fine defensive game all evening, leaped high in the air to pull down one of Guido De Veechis’ long passes. Six inches higher and he couldn’t possibly have reached it and it would have been an easy catch for Pete Zinaich, Weir quarterback. Again with only time left to run a play, a pass to Kraina was a bit short. Had he caught it, he too, would have crossed the goal. It was the first time since the Washington high Tigers’ 6-0 defeat of Canton McKinley in 1935, that Massillon fans have been pulling for the timekeeper to shoot his gun.
Tiger football lovers have been accustomed to seeing the kill in the first quarter, and have turned out in record crowds despite their protests of large scores.
Things will be more interesting from a rivalry standpoint this season, judging from last night’s game, and the stands should be crowded most of the season, with neighbors and opponents bringing their dollars, hoping to be on hand when the Massillon record ends.
But this year’s Tiger team is going to take a lot of hammering before it ever goes down. Last night’s games was the first for 10 members of the starting lineup, and although there were noticeable weaknesses, they were not flaws but what can be corrected with more attention and experience.
There’s the making of a good team there and don’t sell them short. “We learned a lot tonight,” Coach Houghton said after the game, “and we will be out to change things around next week.”
Faults Easy To Correct
Most noticeable was the weakness of the secondary against passes, poor ball handling, partially accountable to uncertain passing from center, and jittery fingers.
The coaches should have no great difficulty overcoming all three and when they do – watch the score mount.
The ball handling caused frequent interruptions in the timing that were just sufficient to throw the offense off balance. Coach Houghton had seen it coming. He expressed the belief as early as Monday that his team was going a bit stale. Apparently it reached its peak a week ago and had been sliding backward since. “That one will do us all a lot of good,” he said.
The Tiger team was under more pressure last night than any eleven in the history of Massillon. It had a record to maintain, a record of 33 consecutive victories that had helped net six straight state championships. It had to perform before the largest opening night crowd in Tiger football history and 10 of the 11 men in uniform had never before started a game.
Teams Gunning for Them
The players knew too that with the loss of 10 of their 1940 starters and their entire coaching staff every team on the schedule would point to overthrow them. These conditions, too, may have been part of the cause for jittery fingers that lost the ball four times on fumbles and slowed the offense with bobbles before the ball carrier could pick up his blockers.
But the Tigers got by last night and beat a toughie, too. A team that lived up to the prediction of being one of the hardest marks on the schedule.
The Red Riders were high for the game. They tackled fiercely and hit hard, and on the admission of their own coach are a vastly improved ball team over that of last year. “We have spirit this year,” said Carl Hamill. “Of course we wanted to win badly and we nearly got our touchdown with those last minutes passes, but we don’t mind losing to you. I think both teams are good teams and are the kind that will improve as the season ages.”
The game produced what the Siegfried and Maginot lines were supposed to do in this second World War. It was a battle between two defensive bulwarks that would smear gains with counter attacks that frequently ended in net losses.
Good Defensive Team
The Tigers in all their championship years never looked better defensively than they did last night save for their forward pass defense. The line charged hard, tackled fiercely and held Weirton to a net gain of 24 yards for its 31 ball carrying attempts.
This line will absorb a lot of beating. It will be to the Tigers what a good pitcher is to a baseball team, and may be able to make up for the deficiencies of the offense.
Guido De Veechis was a good halfback. He was unable to play in the Tiger game last year because of injuries but was picked out at that time by Paul Brown in a scouting trip as the outstanding ball carrier on the Red Rider team. He ran hard and fast but was held to the low average of one yard per ball carrying attempt. Fans feared he might break loose at any moment, and he was just that dangerous, but the Tiger linemen never let him get away.
Weirton’s forward wall was almost as good. The Tigers gained more yards through it, a total of 126 in fact, but the Red Riders were on top of everything, were over-shifting to break up Tiger blocking assignments, were hopping seven men into the line most of the night and were high as a kite.
Weirton didn’t come to Massillon last night just to play a ball game and walk home with a sack full of dough. The Riders were here to win and they came closer to it than any team since New Castle last twisted the Bengal tail in the middle of the 1937 season. To be truthful it was the first time a Massillon team failed to score in the first half since the 1937 New Castle game.
It may have been smart football on the part of individual players but more than likely it was the result of careful planning by Coach Hamill, that the Red Riders appeared to know where the Tigers were moving all the time and what to do about it. The Massillon offense wasn’t new to them. They used virtually the same system themselves, and the fact that both teams were using the same plays may in some way account for the defensive work excelling their offensive efforts.
Bray Save the Day
To Bray, a lean junior assigned the task of backing up the line, goes credit for saving the ball game, for Massillon. Twice he leaped high to intercept Weirton passes within the shadow of his goal that had “touchdown” written all over them.
Early in the game he pulled down one of De Veechis’ passes on the 10-yard line. Had that one connected there’s no telling what the result might have been for it came on the Riders’ first series of plays.
Late in the game he made an even greater interception, after committing the unpardonable mistake of allowing the receiver to get behind him. Bray saved his skin with a leaping catch on the nine-yard line that would have been a sure-fire touchdown for Weirton.
Offensively neither team had anything to crow about. Weirton made three – touchdown bids, and the Tigers one.
The local team had the edge in punting and through two fine boots by Dick Adams, and a defense that seized the advantage, the Tigers worked themselves out of a hole they got into on a fumble by Bob Graber on the third play of the game.
It took a period and a half to do it, but a booming, 49 yarder grounded the pigskin back on the Weir 18-yard line and forced the Riders into their own back yard the rest of the half.
The Tigers never threatened the first half. In fact, if you want to know the cold truth, they only made one first down to Weirton’s three.
Massillon Offense Perks Up
In the second half it was a different story. The Tigers showed improvement from the start of the third period until their offense took on new strength. The blockers hit harder and a well-placed punt by Adams that went out of bounds on the Weir three-yard line put the Riders in a hole. J. Kraino punted out poorly to the 24, but Adams fumbled and Torchip flopped on the ball on his 24. R. Kraino fumbled on the next play, however, and the break this time went to Massillon with Chub Paulik covering the pigskin on the Weir 21. It set up the touchdown. White picked up two yards at left tackle. Adams passed over the goal, but in a second attempt tossed an accurate shot to Fred Cardinal who took the ball on the 15 and advanced to the eight for a first down.
With their backs to the goal, Weirton went into an eight-man line, three backing it up. The ball was snapped to Blunt, the Tigers charged, and right over right guard Pokey raced to pivot and whirl his way for the only touchdown of the game. Adams’ attempted kick for the extra point was blocked. Massillon fans would have felt a lot more comfortable in the closing stages of the game had the kick been successful, for the one point could have meant a lot had Weirton ever got over the Tiger goal.
The Tigers staged one other offensive effort in the last quarter, but only got to the 30-yeard line when Weirton braced and forced them to punt.
Next week the local eleven will face Marblehead, Mass., in Tiger stadium. Tickets for the game are now on sale at the high school ticket office. Marblehead opens its season this afternoon and two Tiger scouts, Jim Hollinger and Tom Evans, Lorin Andrews and Longfellow coaches, will be in the stands for the game.
A Close Shave
Massillon Pos. Weirton Bray LE Torchip Paulik LT Miller LG Fuchs C Hill RG Weisgarber RT De Mando RE Cardinal QB P. Zinaich Graber LH De Vecchio White RH J. Kraino Blunt FB R. Kraino
Score by Periods Massillon 0 0 6 0 – 6
Substitutions – Massillon Adams lb; Weirton – Mest,?? g; Zgueski, e; E. Heaton, lb; Bouyoueas, qb; Garan, lb; and Haun, l.
Touchdown – Blunt
Referee – Slutz Umpire – Gross Head linesman – Schill Field judge — Howell
Parade to 33rd Straight Victory After Scored Upon First Time This Season
By Alex Zirin
MASSILLON, O., Nov. 16 – They still have the nation’s best scholastic football team living here, as Canton McKinley must reluctantly admit.
Massillon Washington’s Tigers, a dream come true, today added another glowing chapter to the remarkable gridiron history of the city.
Smashing the Bulldogs, 34-6, in their 45th meeting, the Tigers recorded their 33rd straight victory.
It was their tenth and final triumph of the season and brought a sixth consecutive Ohio championship.
Also, it was the sixth victory in a row over the Bulldogs, who haven’t won since 1934, and nine seniors closed their schoolboy careers with the distinction of never having been in a losing game.
Not since October of 1937, when New Castle, Pa., turned the trick, have the Tigers suffered a defeat.
A howling crowd of 22,000 – at least – sat through bitter cold to pay tribute to Paul Brown’s splendid machine.
Not even the presence and advice of Jim Thorpe, Mr. Football himself, could help the Bulldogs today.
They were in the game during the first half, but were helpless before the blocking might of the Tigers in the final periods.
Thorpe, hero of the great Canton Bulldogs in 1915-21, was almost unnoticed.
The Bulldogs held a 6-0 lead for a few minutes in the second period after having become the first team to cross the Tigers’ line since the 1939 Canton team turned the trick.
Athie Garrison, McKinley’s splendid back, scored on a 33-yard gallop to boast his scoring total for the season to 152. He leads the state.
But a great play by Tom James and Horace Gillom soon tied the score and, when Ray Getz booted the first of four extra points, the Tigers left the field at half time holding a 7-6 advantage, and they weren’t bothered after that.
Gillom added another spectacular touchdown in the second half, and he was joined by Getz, James and Herman Robinson.
Two touchdowns came in each the third and fourth periods.
The first part of the opening period was fairly even, but the Tigers drove to the Canton 27 shortly before the gun. They lost the ball on downs at that point, but recovered on the 33 when Garrison fumbled and Gordon Appleby recovered.
But, on the third play of the second period, a maneuver went haywire and a wild pass from the Massillon center was captured by Frank Reale on the McKinley 37.
Matt Brown, Tom Harris and Garrison worked to the 33 and then came the touchdown.
Breaking over his left end, Garrison cut back, picked up the interference that formed in a few seconds and ran over the line unmolested.
Neal Rubin came in to try for the point, but his effort was low.
The tying touchdown was the thriller of all thrillers.
With first down on their 45, the Tigers decided on a pass.
Aerial Blitzkrieg
Fading back to his 35, James fired a tremendous forward to his right. Gillom, leaping over the head of Brown on the Canton 25, tipped the ball with one hand, caught it with the other, stiff-armed Brown, broke loose from Ed Snyder and hot-footed down the sidelines for the score. Getz booted the placement and the Bulldogs, although they wouldn’t show it, were licked.
Some 30 seconds later, Gillom almost scored again. He intercepted a Harris pass on the Canton 45 and reached the 14 before a side block and his own momentum drove him to his knees just as the gun sounded.
Gillom’s tremendous second half kickoff forced the Bulldogs into a hole. Garriosn returned deep from his end zone out to his 20. Canton couldn’t gain and James returned the ensuing punt 10 yards to the Canton 30.
In five plays Massillon had its second touchdown. The honor this time went to James, who had alternated with Blunt in bringing the ball to the 3. Getz was accurate and the toll was 14-6.
More Razzle Dazzle
Eighteen plays later, Massillon countered again. The break this time was a blocked punt by Russell that Blunt recovered on the Canton 43. James, Getz, and Blunt used straight football plays to come to the 17 and then the Tigers shot the works.
Getz lateraled to James, who lateraled to Blunt, who lateralted to Robinson, who fired a forward pass to Gillom, standing alone in the end zone.
Getz kicked and the score was 21-6.
Gillom’s mighty catch of a James’ pass sparked the next touchdown, in the fourth period. This time, a spread formation, featuring a triple lateral, brought the ball to the 9, from where Getz ran left end for a touchdown. Getz again was right and it was 28-6.
James’ 61-yard rush though center enabled the scoring of the last touchdown. Robinson climaxed the show by taking a pass away from three Canton guards on the 8 and cutting over the line. Getz finally missed ,but who cared?
There was one big difference between the teams. That was blocking.
MASSILLON CANTON WASHINGTON – 34 McKINLEY – 0
Robinson L.E. Chabek Henderson L.T. Reale Wallace L.G. K. Williams Appleby C Beck Russell R.G. Sirk Broglio R.T. Smith Gillom R.E. Pickard Kingham Q Snyder James L.H. Harris R. Getz R.H. Garrison Blunt F Brown
Canton 0 6 0 0 – 6 Massillon 0 7 14 13 – 34
Substitutions: Massillon – Pizzion, f; Cardinal, rg; White, lh; P. Getz, rg; Adams, rh; Hill, lg; Oliver, lt; Armour, le; Fuchs, c. Canton – Staudt, re; Winters, le; Rubin, re; Hooper, lh; Crider, lh; Pappas, lg; Conroy, lg; Parshall, lt; Chessler, rg; C. Williams, lg.
Massillon-Canton SATISTICS Massillon Canton First downs 14 9 Yards gained rushing 276 146 Yards gained passing 121 59 Yards lost, net 11 17 Passes attempted 6 19 Passes completed 4 7 Passes intercepted by 2 1 Yards lost on penalties 25 6
Tigers, Trailing For First Time This Year, Prove Title Claims
Take Advantage Of McKinley Defect To Score Touchdowns That Give Coach Brown His Greatest Team
BY HARRY YOCKEY Repository Sports Editor
A true champion is one that can overcome all conditions, and Massillon’s terrific Tigers were still perched on the Ohio scholastic football throne today because they proved to the complete satisfaction of 22,000 shivery fans that they had the spirit and ability to stage a comeback after being scored upon for the first time this season.
Looking at the picture from the Canton angle, a weakness that was evident throughout the season defeated the Bulldogs. They just couldn’t throttle Massillon’s aerial attack and that, along with the Tigers’ tricky offense, spelled the difference.
Even Paul Brown, coach of the Tigers, admitted he was worried just a little when Athie Garrison skirted left end for 32 yards and a touchdown. That fine bit of running by the Bulldog star, put the Tigers in a hole for the first time this season and gave Brown an opportunity to learn whether he was going to have the greatest team since he took over the Massillon reins in 1932.
Tigers Take Lead
The Tigers supplied the first part of the answer when Tom James, with the wind to his back, tossed a long aerial to Horace Gillom who went 25 yards for a touchdown with only 45 seconds of the first half remaining. When Ray Getz kicked the extra point he enabled the jubilant Tigers to leave the field with a one point lead.
If the Bulldogs had been playing more alert football, the Tigers probably would have gone scoreless in the first half and the psychological effect on Massillon may have made a great difference in the outcome.
Playing a safety position, Garrison, who must be credited with a note worthy performance, made the mistake of trying to intercept the ball instead of batting it down. The ball went through his fingers and into the hands of Gillom who packed it across the goal line. The play was obvious from the start as only a few seconds remained before the half time gun would have ended Massillon’s chances of scoring. If the McKinley backfield had been playing deeper it could have prevented completion of the pass or at least nailed Gillom before he could slip away.
Fail To Stop Play
Instead, the Bulldogs suffered a blow from which they were unable to recover throughout the last half. Forced to punt against the wind at the opening of the third period, the Bulldogs saw Massillon take the ball on its 30-yard line, plough through for a touchdown and kick the extra point.
That gave the Tigers a more comfortable margin but not a lead that was impossible for the Bulldogs to overcome. But the state champions for the sixth consecutive year resorted to another aerial play that McKinley should have broken up but didn’t. When Getz ran deep with the ball, two Bulldogs were close on his heels but failed to nail him before he had tossed the ball to Herman Robinson who quickly heaved it to Gillom. The latter made a beautiful catch in the end zone.
Incidentally, that particular play had been tried by Massillon on numerous occasions during the season but Saturday marked the first time it paid off.
Gillom again was on the receiving end of an aerial that gave Massillon a first down on the Canton 10 and paved the way for the third touchdown. Garrison was running beside the Massillon star when he caught the ball but was unable to knock the ball down and didn’t nail Gillom until he had registered a 29-yard gain. Getz took the ball across on the next play.
Watch Robinson Score
Failure of three McKinley backfield men to cut down Robinson on a pass play gave Massillon its last touchdown late in the third period. The Bulldogs hit Robinson as he took the ball from James and, thinking they had knocked him out of bounds, watched him run 10 more yards across the goal line to have the officials signal a touchdown that meant little as far as a victory was concerned.
Massillon completed only four passes, but three of them went for touchdowns and the other one paved the way. That, in a few words, is the story of the Canton-Massillon game of 1940.
The Tigers played championship ball against a team that refused to give up until the final gun. But the Bulldogs were playing a rival that Coach Brown after the game labeled as “the greatest team I’ve had the pleasure of coaching.”
The Tigers have been famous for their precision and they committed few mistakes yesterday despite conditions which made ball handling doubly hard. They tackled, blocked, ran and passed in a manner that leaves no question as to their championship ranking.
MASSILLON STORMS BACK AFTER CANTON CROSSES GOAL FIRST
By JACK MAXWELL
TIGER STADIUM, MASSILLON, Nov. 16 – Massillon’s famed Washington High Tigers laid undisputed claim to their sixth Ohio scholastic football championship here this afternoon by turning back their traditional rival, McKinley High school, before a record crowd of 22,000 fans.
The score was 34-6.
By winning Massillon stretched its amazing winning streak to 33 games and its consecutive victories over Canton to six. It was the first defeat of the season for the Bulldogs who had won eight games and tied one.
The victory also helped Massillon move a step nearer an even split with Canton on the 45 games in which the two schools have been matched. The score now stands: McKinley 22, Massillon 20 and three games tied.
At game time it was announced that the stands were filled to capacity and that the crowd would exceed 22,000.
Matthew Brown, fullback, was named acting captain for McKinley, Gillom and Getz, right end and right half respectively, were serving as co-captains for the Tigers.
McKinley won the toss and elected to defend the south goal.
In the initial kickoff Garrison booted the ball over the Tiger goal line and it was brought out to the 20. Advancing the ball seven yards in three tries Gillom punted on the fourth down. Brown fumbled but Garrison recovered on the McKinley 34.
Bulldogs Begin Drive
McKinley began to roll when Harris clicked off three yards around right end and Brown rammed 15 yards to a first down through right guard. An offside penalty on Massillon advanced the ball five more yards, four of which were erased when Garrison was brought down short of the line in an attempt at left end.
Brown picked up three at center. A pass, Harris to Garrison, accounted for 16 more yards. Massillon took the ball when Robinson intercepted a pass from Harris on the Massillon 16.
Massillon made it a first down on its own 30 with Blunt, James and Getz finding holes in the McKinley line. On the next play James cut through right tackle for another first down on the Massillon 48.
Blunt picked up nine yards in two tries through the line and then Getz skirted left end for a first down on the McKinley 39. A four-yard smash by James through left tackle and a six-yard drive through center by Blunt gave Massillon another first down on the Bulldog 29.
McKinley Line Stiffens
Here the McKinley stiffened and the rambling Tigers found it tough going. Blunt picked up two at center and then two more thrusts at the line were stopped. McKinley took the ball on the 29 when a pass, James to Gillom, was incomplete.
Brown picked up four at right end and then McKinley lost the ball on Garrison’s fumble, which was recovered by Appleby. Blunt hit center for two as the quarter ended.
SCORE: McKinley 0, Massillon 0.
Massillon picked up nine yards on two plunges by Getz and Blunt before McKinley took the ball on its own 37 when Reale covered a fumble by James.
Here McKinley started a scoring drive that was climaxed by a 32-yard run around left end by Garrison. Perfect blocking by his teammates plus ability to evade tacklers in the open enabled him to cross the goal line standing up. Rubin’s place kick for the extra point was low. Score: McKinley 6, Massillon o
Garrison’s kickoff was taken by Gillom who was brought down hard on the Massillon 27. On the next play Snyder intercepted a pass on the Massillon 44. Brown was stopped at center and then made two yards on a short pass from Harris.
A beautifully placed punt by Staudt who entered the game merely to kick, set Massillon back on its seven yard line after Garrison had dropped a long pass from Harris. Gillom, standing behind his own goal line, punted 54 yards to Garrison who returned to the Massillon 45. After two tries at the line by Garrison and Brown and a short pass, Harris to Brown, had yielded nine yards Garrison punted out on the Massillon 20.
James made it a first down on the Massillon 31 on a dash around right end and a slash through right tackle. Three more plays by James and Getz gave Massillon another first down on the Massillon 45.
Gillom Scores On Pass
On the next play James faded back and heaved a long pass which Gillom picked out of the hands of Garrison on the 25 and then rambled on across the goal line to score. The ball traveled 55 yards. Getz place kicked for the extra point. Score: McKinley 6, Massillon 7.
Garrison returned Gillom’s kickoff over the goal line to the McKinley 20. Garrison, Brown and Harris were dragged down for small losses before Harrison punted to James who returned to the McKinley 30. Blunt picked up eight around left end on a deep reverse and then James made it a first down on the McKinley 17 at right end.
Blunt rammed center and cut back to reach the McKinley 5. James went over to score through right tackle and Getz place kicked the extra point. Score: McKinley 6, Massillon 14.
Kick Over Goal Line
Gillom kicked over the goal line and McKinley took the ball on its 20. Two plays short of 10 yards by Garrison and an offside penalty on Massillon gave McKinley a first down on its punt. His kick was partially blocked by Russell and Massillon took the ball on the McKinley 43.
Here Massillon started another scoring drive with James, Getz and Blunt alternating on off tackle smashes and culminating with a dazzling end around pass from Getz to Robinson to Gillom for a touchdown. Getz place-kicked the extra point. Score: McKinley 6, Massillon 21.
Garrison returned Gillom’s kick to the 27 and Brown picked up a yard at right end as the quarter ended. Score: McKInley 6, Massillon 21.
As the fourth quarter opened Harris passed to Garrison for eight. An offside penalty gave McKinley a first down on its 42. Two passes from Harris to Brown and Garrison gained six yards. Harris failed to gain and Staudt came in to punt out of bounds on the Massillon 30. James went back to pass and then elected to run for a first down on the Massillon 47. Blunt hit right guard for six.
James picked up eight yards at right tackle and then passed to Gillom for 29 yards and a first down on the McKinley 10. A 15-yard penalty put the ball back on the 25. On the next play James ran it up to the McKinley 10 and Getz skirted left end to score. Getz place kicked the extra point. Score: McKinley 6, Massillon 28.
McKinley made another scoring threat late in the fourth period when Staudt, called in for a punt, passed to Garrison who galloped 24 yards to the Massillon 27.
Massillon scored again in the closing minutes of play when Robinson took a pass from James on the McKinley 9 and went over for a touchdown. Getz failed to place kick.
M’KINLEY BOWS TO VAUNTED FOE IN SECOND HALF
Scores First Touchdown And Then Collapses; Massillon Denomination Complete
By JACK MAXWELL
Massillon’s mighty Tigers scaled new heights Saturday and today retained a domination of Ohio scholastic football that was almost incredible for its completeness.
Unleashing the full fury of a perfectly coordinated attack in the second half, the talented charges of Coach Paul Brown swept over a courageous but badly out classed McKinley High school team 34-6 at Tiger stadium in Massillon Saturday afternoon.
Accomplished before a capacity throng of 22,000 amid all the color that only a long and intense rivalry can produce, the triumph was a glorious one on so many counts that jubilant Massillon fans were consulting the records today to make sure they missed nothing in their prolonged celebration.
Unbeaten in 33 Games
The victory enabled the Tigers to clinch their sixth consecutive state championship, lengthened an amazing winning streak to 33 games, marked the sixth straight conquest of their most bitter rival and was the most decisive Canton defeat in the 45 contests of an inter city series that began in 1894.
Combining perfect timing, great blocking, deadly passing and spirited defensive play in a manner that was an eloquent tribute to the coaching genius of their mentor, the Tigers drew away with a four touchdown barrage in the second half after leading an aroused McKinley eleven on 7-6 at the intermission.
Although sub-freezing temperature and a chill wind made the role of spectator none too comfortable, the battle was fought under excellent playing conditions. A field that had been protected for nearly a week by a tarpaulin afforded secure footing and each team was able to use its full repertoire of plays.
Bulldogs Fight Stubbornly
Even though they suffered a setback of unforeseen proportions, the previously unbeaten Bulldogs of Coach Johnny Reed did nothing to disgrace the school or city, which they represented. On the contrary, they battled their hearts out from opening whistle to final gun, but their best simply wasn’t good enough. McKinley fought the Tigers on even terms for the entire first half, and scored the lone touchdown made against Massillon this season on a scintillating 31-yard gallop by Athie Garrison in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs received a disheartening blow with 30 seconds left in the first half when a long pass from Tom James to Horace Gillom clicked for 55 yards and a touchdown.
When Ray Getz converted on an accurate placement, the McKinley gridders trailed 7-6 when they went to the dressing room at the intermission instead of holding command.
In the face of a Massillon onslaught terrific in its intensity, the Bulldogs never were able to reveal their true form in the second half and were on the defensive most of the time.
Pass Defense Vulnerable
A faulty pass defense that had been the major McKinley weakness all season made the difference between an extremely close duel and a lopsided Massillon victory. The Tigers attempted only seven passes, but of their four completed ones three went for touchdowns and the other advanced the ball deep into Bulldog territory.
As always, deception and crushing blocking were the twin keys to Massillon success. McKinley stopped the Tigers’ straight running attack frequently, but each time the danger seemed past the Tigers pulled a tricky reverse, a wide sweep behind a wave of interference or a pass to continue their drive.
Worst previous Canton defeats in the ancient rivalry were 24-0 in 1922 and 31-6 in 1929. Otherwise three touchdowns were the largest margin of victory for Massillon. Canton triumphed 44-0 in 1907 to inflict the most crushing defeat of the series in which Canton still leads, 22 wins to 20. Three games ended in ties.
Gillom And James Star
Achievements of the Tigers have come through teamwork, and yesterday’s victory naturally was a group proposition.
Yet Horace Gillom, brilliant Negro end closing a star studded scholastic career, and diminutive Tom James, another senior, were the spark plugs of a powerful machine.
Gillom caught three passes, two for touchdowns, averaged 46 yards on two punts and made tackle after tackle. James directed the offense in fine style, threw all but one of the completed aerials and broke loose repeatedly in the second half, once on a 61-yard gallop. He finished as the leading ball carrier in the fray with an average of 9.2 yards.
Fred Blunt carried the brunt of the offensive burden in the first half, and Ray Getz also reeled off several long runs in addition to scoring one touchdown and kicking four extra points in five tries. Jim Russell and Bill Wallace at the guards were defensive bulwarks and Herman Robinson, Gene Henderson, Gordon Appleby, Eli Broglio, and Dick Kingham all were superb. Only Blunt and Robinson return next year.
Garrison, Brown Sparkle
Heroic in defeat were Athie Garrison and Matthew Brown. Although watched closely by the Tigers, Garrison boosted his season scoring total to 152 points, drove with tremendous power and certainly must be labeled the greatest running back in McKinley history. He averaged 3.8 yards for 11 ball-carrying attempts.
Captain and field general, Brown was the heart and soul of the Bulldogs, both on offense and defense. He carried the ball 14 times for a 2.9 average, had a hand in most of the tackles and still was trying with might and main when the final seconds ticked away. Frank Reale, a rugged tackle; Ed Snyder, a sophomore quarterback, and Don Sirk, veteran guard, were other McKinley main stays.
McKinley forced the Tigers to punt after the opening kickoff and proceeded to institute a march that carried to the Massillon 16 before it was stopped by Robinson’s interception of Tom Harris’ pass.
Reale Recovers Fumble
On the third play of the second quarter, James fumbled and Reale covered for McKinley on his own 37. With a 14-yard pass from Harris to Brown as the big advance, the Bulldogs pushed to the Massillon 31. Garrison then sprinted around his left end, cut back behind deadly blocking and dashed for a touchdown. Neil Rubin’s place kick was low.
A few minutes later, James faded back from his own 45 and passed deep to Gillom, who was covered by Garrison. Garrison leaped to catch the ball but it slanted off his fingers into the hands of Gillom, who caught on the McKinley 25 and romped for a touchdown. Getz booted the conversion.
Massillon needed just four plays to stretch its lead in the first five minutes of the third period. James ran for 13 yards, Blunt for five and again for three, and James knifed through right tackle on a reverse to score. Getz’ place kick again split the up rights.
The third Tiger touchdown came after the Bulldogs had thrown back three running plays short of a first down on the McKinley 17, Robinson came around from left end, took the ball from Getz and started around the right end behind a wall of blockers. But he stopped short of the line, dropped back and shot a perfect pass in the end zone to Gillom, who made the catch unmolested.
A 29-yard pass from James to Gillom, and a 14-yard sprint by James that nullified a holding penalty set up the next touchdown early in the last quarter. Getz circled left end from the 10 for the tally and kicked the conversion.
After Garrison had twisted 24 yards on a screen pass to the Massillon 27, the Tigers braced and took the ball on their own 20. James smashed through right tackle and broke clear for 61 yards to the 19, where he was dragged down from behind by Garrison. Blunt and Getz were stopped, but Robinson took James’ pass away from three McKinley defenders near the sideline on the 9-yard stripe and went over for the last touchdown. Getz’ place kick was just a trifle wide. McKinley Pos. Massillon Chabek LE Robinson Reale LT Henderaon K. Williams LG Wallace Beck C Appleby Sirk RG Russell Smith RT Broglio Pickard RE Gillom Snyder QB Kingham Harris LH James Garrison RH Getz M. Brown FB Blunt
Substitutions for McKinley – Rubin, c; Staudt, e; Winters, e; Chessler, t; C. Williams, t: Pappask g; Conroy, g; Crider, hb; Hooper, hb; R. Brown, g; Parshall, t. For Massillon – Pizzino, fb; L. Cardinal, t; Oliver, t; F. Cardinal, g; Fuchs, c; Adams, hb; White, hb; Hill, g; Holt, qb; Bray, e; Demando, e.
Referee – Dave Reese, Dayton. Umpire – Verlin P. Jenkins, Akron. Head linesman – Earl D. Gross, New Philadelphia. Field judge – A.B. Long, Newark.
STATISTICS Mass. McK. First downs, rushing 13 5 First downs, passing 1 3 First downs, total 14 8 Yards gained, rushing 283 113 Yards gained, passing 123 78 Yards lost 25 18 Yards gained, net total 381 173 Passes attempted 7 21 Passes completed 4 10 Passes intercepted 2 1 Passes incompleted 2 9 Fumbles 1 3 Own fumbles covered 1 1 Own fumbles recovered 0 2 Penalties, yardage 30 0 Punts 2 6 Punts, average yardage 46 21.7
22,000 See Tigers Win State Toga
Bulldogs Collapse After Trailing By 7-6 Score At Half
By BOD EDDIOTT
MASSILLON, Nov., 16 – All the devastating power of Massillon high school’s brilliant football team exploded with every inch of its fury in the faces of Canton McKinley’s Bulldogs here today and the Tigers roared to an amazing 34-6 conquest in the 43rd renewal of Ohio’s bitterest scholastic grid fuel.
Massillon’s victory was expected, but nobody looked for the disaster, which struck McKinley after the half time intermission.
As a shivering but thrilled crowd of 22,000 fans watched the peerless Tigers riddle every semblance of a defense the Bulldogs possessed, the charges of Coach Paul Brown completed their greatest season.
The victory was Massillon’s 33rd in a row extending over a four-year period. It was their sixth straight conquest of the Bulldogs and gave them their sixth consecutive undisputed state championship.
Mere words won’t suffice to tell of Massillon’s second half outburst, which netted four touchdowns and turned what looked to be an even game into one of the worst routs in the long Canton-Massillon rivalry.
For those Bulldogs of Coach Johnny Reed were tough for two entire periods. In fact, to an unbiased observer, it looked as if McKinley was the better ball club for almost half the game.
Still Champions
Score by periods: Canton 0 6 0 0 – 6 Massillon 0 7 14 13 – 34
YOUNGSTOWN, O., Nov. 9 – Paul Brown’s classy Massillon Tigers struck with devastating force to pile up a 26-to-0 victory over a surprising East High eleven here today.
A crowd of 13,000, largest to witness a scholastic game here for the last decade, saw the Tigers stride four times for drives of 53, 5, 72 and 78 yards to gain its tallies in the first half-time intermission. It was Massillon’s 32nd straight and eighth of the season.
Ray Getz returned Diane’s opening kickoff to the Massillon 28 and the Tiger machine went into high gear, scoring in eight plays with Blunt going over from 3 yards out. Getz added the point from placement.
Gilllom kicked off to Fabian on the goal line and Fabian returned to the East 20. Two running plays and a pass gained nothing and Fabian punted to James on the Massillon 47.
Gillom Scores
On the first play James tossed a 40-yard pass to Gillom on the 20 and the lanky All-Ohio end skipped the remaining yards unmolested.
Getz missed the placement for the point.
Talmadge Jackson sparked his team to life with an 18-yard return of Gillom’s kickoff to the East 23. Al Pert reeled off an 18-yard run and Jackson added 5 to make it first down on the East 35. Jackson gained 3 more and Pert whisked off tackle for another first down on the East 44.
Jackson and Powis each gained 1 and East resorted to the aerial game but without success as Robinson intercepted Fabian’s pass on the Massillon 44 and again the Tigers went on the march.
Pass Fails
James reeled off a 12-yard jump for a first down on the East 42, Robinson sprinted 28 for another first down on the 14. Gillom lost 5 and Massillon was set back 15 yards for clipping. Robinson’s pass to Gillom was knocked down. James gained 7 in two tries and on fourth down his pass intended for Gillom fell incomplete in the end zone.
Pert went to a first down on the East 41 as the quarter ended. Two running plays netted 8 and Powis’ pass failed. Fabian kicked out of bounds on the Massillon 17. Here the Tigers marched 83 yards in 9 plays for their third score with Tom James cutting inside East’s left end for 52 yards.
The final Massillon tally came in the waning minutes of the second period. Taking the ball on its 22, Massillon needed but three plays to do the trick. James gained 3. Gillom passed to James for 17 and a first down on the East 42. James then passed to Getz on the 30 and Getz romped the remaining distance for the touchdown. Getz place kicked the point.
East seriously threatened the Tigers uncrossed goal line in the third period.
Taking the ball on their own 20, after Gillom’s kick went into the end zone, for an automatic touchback, East punched 66 yards down to the Massillon 14 before a last down fumble gave the Tigers the ball.
MASSILLON YOUNGSTOWN Gillom L.E. Lanzi Henderson L.T. Mestichelli Wallace L.G. Massacco Appleby C Hash Russell R.G. Direnzo Broglio R.T. Diane Robinson R.E. Laskin Kingham Q Fabian James L.H. Pert Getz R.H. Jackson Blunt F Powis
Massillon 13 13 0 0 – 26
Substitutions: Massillon – Armour, Demando, ends; Oliver, Weisgarber, tackles; Hill, L. Cardinal, guards; Fuchs, c; Adams, lh; White, rh; Pizzino, f; F. Cardinal, q. East – Kraayck, e; Pilusi, t; Ciolin, c; Andrews, q; Berger, rh; Delmark, lh; Wayland, f.
Touchdowns – Blunt, Gillom, James, Getz.
Points after touchdowns – Getz 2 (placements)
Statistics:
MASS. YOUNG. Yards gained rushing 214 104 Yards lost rushing 12 34 Yards gained passing 102 11 Net gain from scrimmage 304 81 First downs rushing 8 6 First downs passing 1 1 First downs penalties 1 1 Total first downs 10 8 Passes attempted 7 6 Passes completed 2 2 Opponents passes intercepted 2 1 Number of punts 3 7 Average distance of punts 37 26 Number of penalties 5 2 Total yards lost penalties 55 10 Number of fumbles 1 2 Opponents fumbles recovered 2 1 Number of kickoffs 5 1 Average distance of kickoff 38 37 Average yardage returning kickoffs 11 15
TIGERS TURN IN 32ND STRAIGHT TRIUMPH ON FIRST HALF ASSAULT
Bengals Held Scoreless In Last Two Quarters By Aggressive Rival
By SAM FOGG Repository Staff Writer
YOUNGSTOWN – After hurling over four sudden scores in the opening half, Massillon was held scoreless for the remainder of the game as the Tigers whipped a fighting Youngstown East eleven 26-0 for their 32nd consecutive victory at Rayen stadium Saturday before 12,500.
Benefiting from a lull resulting between Tiger contests with Toledo Waite and Canton McKinley, the Youngstown gridders stole the second half show as they throttled the Massillon running assault and launched a determined drive that threatened the Tiger goal in the third period. The victory margin was the lowest for Massillon this season.
Content With Victory
The brilliancy of Tom James, Horace Gillom, Ray Getz and Fred Blunt in the first two quarters insured a decisive Massillon triumph and the Stark county team was content to avoid injury and play defensive football the rest of the day. After halting a Youngstown drive on its own 12-yard line, the Massillon starting eleven left the game at the end of the third period.
STATISTICS Massillon Youngstown First down, rushing 12 7 First downs, passing 1 1 Total first down 13 8 Yards gained rushing 303 96 Yards gained passing 128 18 Yards lost 2 27 Net yards gained 429 87 Passes attempted 9 11 Passes completed 3 2 Passes intercepted 3 1 Passes incompleted 5 6 Fumbles 1 2 Opp. recovered 1 1 Own recovered 0 1 Penalties 55 10 No. of punts 2 5 Aver. Yardage of punts 39.5 46
The East lineup maintained a fighting attack throughout the game as Jack Perl and Bob Wayland, a pair of driving backs, pounded at quick holes opened in the Tiger line. Running hard from spinners and quick deceptive reverses, the two Indian runners picked up small but effective gains to compile eight first downs.
Blunt, James, Getz and Gillom each scored for Massillon as two touchdowns went over in the first period and two in the second. James again led the way for the Tiger scoring as he raced 52 yards for one tally and tossed long passes to Getz and Gillom for two other touchdowns. In the opening half, Massillon had possession of the ball six times and produced four touchdowns.
Three Passes Connect
Statistically, the Tigers compiled a huge advantage as they ran for 13 first downs, gained 303 yards from rushing and 128 yards on three completed passes. East netted 96 yards from rushing and 18 yards from passing.
The opening Tiger touchdown came three minutes after the kickoff on a sustained 73-yard march. From the 27-yard line, Getz piled through for five yards and Gillom crashed to the 47 for a first down on a spread formation. James shifted through tackle and traveled 32 yards to the East 21 and a moment later, ripped through a wide hole for 15 yards to the Youngstown 3. Getz was pulled down on the one-foot line and Blunt drilled over. Getz kicked the point.
East failed to gain after the kickoff and Massillon scored on one running play. Downed on the Tiger 47, James faded a pass to Gillom, who had broken loose behind the Youngstown secondary on the 17, and the score was 13-0. A penalty blocked the third Tiger advance as the quarter ended.
In the second period, Perl kicked out on the Massillon 17. Getz, John Pizziono and James carried the assault to the Tiger 47. James on his patented double threat, passing-running play broke down the sideline, escaping a net of tacklers and protected by a ring of blockers ran 53 yards to score. Five plays later, the Tiger scoring was completed. East punted out on the Massillon 21. Getz drove for three yards and took a pass from James for 16 yards. Again Getz slipped by the Youngstown aerial defense and grabbed a pass from James to race for a 59-yard touchdown.
Penalties Aid East
As play resumed in the final half, East took possession on the 20 when Gillom punted into the end zone. Wayland, a sophomore, pounded for three yards and the Youngstown offense began to move. Assisted by 25 yards in penalties, two completed passes and the smashing drives of Wayland and Perl, East drove to four first downs to the Tiger 22. Perl hit for a yard at guard and shot a seven yard-pass to Ray Delmark. Wayland plunged for a yard to the 12 but on fourth down fumbled and recovered to end the longest advance recorded against Massillon this season.
Caoch Paul Brown inserted his second eleven in the fourth period and the two teams battled on even terms. The Tiger reserves missed fire on a scoring opportunity late in the quarter when Dick Adams fumbled on the East 10 after he had covered a Youngstown fumble on the 4.
The Washington High swing band again kept customers in their seats following the contest as they combined forces with the Youngstown East band to offer a brilliant musical display. At half time, the Tiger musicians offered maneuvers in swing time and cast Obie the Tiger as a clarinet-playing, top-hatted Ted Lewis.
Massillon Pos. Youngs. East Robinson LE Lanzi Henderson LT Diana Wallace LG Venglarcik Appleby C Cioli Russell RG Massocco Broglio RT Mestichelli Gillom RE Laskin Kingham QB Fabian James LH Perl Getz RH Jackson Blunt FB Powis
Score by periods: Massillon 13 13 0 0 – 26
Touchdowns – Blunt, Gillom, James, Getz.
Points after touchdown – Getz 2 (placement).
Substitutions: Massillon – F. Cardinal, g; Pizzino, fb; White, hb; Getz, g; Weisgarber, t; Bray, e; Hill, g; Oliver, t; Armour, qb; Fuchs, c; DeMando, e. East – Delmark, hb; Berger, hb; Hosa, g; Wayland, fb; Krayac, e.
Tough Youngstown Game Just What Tigers Needed To Keep Them On Edge For Annual Battle With Canton This Week
By LUTHER EMERY
Having emerged virtually unscathed from their 26-0 victory and 32nd consecutive triumph in Youngstown Saturday against a stubborn East high school team, the Washington high Tigers sharpen their fangs this week for the Ohio grid classic of the season, the annual battle with undefeated Canton McKinley in Tiger Stadium.
This is not being written for the purpose of drumming up a crowd. All tickets are sold, have been sold for a week, and those noble souls who spend their time selling tickets while others watch the game, will themselves have an opportunity to see a kickoff Saturday. All windows will be locked.
Escape Injuries
The Tigers were fortunate to escape Saturday’s stiff melee at Youngstown without injury and without being scored upon. They found themselves stacked against one of the roughest and toughest teams they have played this season, and the pro-East tempo was terrific.
When the East fans learned early in the game that they could not expect a victory, their hopes, dwindled to an intense desire to be the first to score on the Tigers and in the face of 26 points, gave their team more support from the stands than any high school eleven in these parts has had for years. Washington high students can well take a lesson.
The appeal reached the ears of the East gridders and with the assistance of three penalties, each of which helped them to a first down, they nearly accomplished their purpose as they drove to the Tiger 11-yard line. There the ball was lost on a fumble on fourth down when a yard would have meant a first down.
But East did chalk up more first downs against the Tigers and hold them to fewer points than any other team this season, two reasons why the Youngstown school was perfectly satisfied.
From a Massillon standpoint it is a compliment to win by 26 points and have your opponent consider itself a moral victor.
East Never Quit
The East eleven deserves praise for its performance. Though beaten down by a relentless Massillon attack that produced one touchdown, and three perfect plays that produced three others, the Youngstowners never ceased handing it back, and showed the Tigers more offense than they have looked at this season.
The Tigers were able to stop East’s colored star, Talmage Jackson, but Al Perl, Jack Powis and a substitute fullback, Art Wayland, punctured the Massillon forward wall for 96 yards while two passes which accounted for 18 yards, and a number of penalties enabled the Barrettmen to register nine first downs. The Tigers made 13, gained 273 yards from rushing and 131 by passing.
All of Massillon’s points were scored in the first half, 13 in each period.
The local gridders never looked better than they did in the first half, their first daylight game of the season. Ray Getz lugged the kickoff back 17 yards to the 26-yard line and there a drive was launched that did not end until Blunt slashed through right tackle for the last foot of ground. A 22-yard run by Horace Gillom from a spread formation and a 26-yard dash by Tom James were included in the touchdown march.
The next time they came into possession of the ball, James took it on a reverse from Getz and heaved a long pass to Gillom who was far beyond the East secondary when he gathered in the leather. It was good for 54 yards and a touchdown.
A 15-yard penalty for clipping helped to stop the next Tiger drive after Herman Robinson had gotten the ball on an almost unbelievable leaping one-handed pass interception.
Statistics Of Tiger Victory E M First downs 9 13 Yards gained rushing 96 273 Yards lost rushing 49 12 Passes attempted 11 9 Passes completed 2 3 Yards gained passes 18 131 Number of penalties 2 5 Yards penalized 10 55 Number of punts 5 3 Averages yards punts 44 32 Number of kickoffs 1 5 Number of fumbles 4 2
In the second quarter, however, the Tigers secured the ball on their own 18, advanced to their 49 where they turned Tom James loose around his right end for a brilliant 51-yard touchdown run. As James, nearly bottled up along the sideline, cut back toward midfield, Gillom tossed him a block that took out the last two tacklers on the 35-yard line and Tommy had nothing left to do but run.
Two minutes later, and the next time the Massillon boys got the ball, James fired a pass that Ray Getz, running full-steam ahead, took on his fingertips on the 35-yard line and raced over the goal. The play was good for 58 yards.
That finished the scoring the first half and the scoring of the game. Getz kicked two points from placement in the four attempts.
No Meeting Of Booster Club
The Booster club will not meet this week until Friday evening when it will hold a torch light parade and bonfire rally to give vent to its enthusiasm over the Massillon-Canton game.
East Begins Stall
What happened the second half? Massillon fans who remained at home were greatly concerned. It didn’t bother those who attended the game.
East played for a low score the second half. It consumed a maximum amount of time in the huddle and was penalized once for it. The Youngstowners used up nearly all of the third period as they bided their time while pushing back the Tigers from their own 20-yard line to the Massillon 11-yard line where the locals recovered a fumble on fourth down and a yard to go. In the march the Tigers were penalized three times, 15 yards for unnecessary roughness and five yards twice for being offside. One gave East a first down, the other two helped out on first downs.
The Tiger lashed back with a ferocious attack and traveled 49 yards on two plays. There the quarter ended and Coach Paul Brown not desiring to take any further chances against injury to his players, sent in the second team which played the entire fourth quarter.
The second team battled the East first team on even terms throughout the period but neither could score. The Massillon scrubs lost a golden opportunity in the dying moments of the game when Jack Oliver pounced on an East fumble on the four-yard line.
Dick Adams lashed through tackle to the one-yard line but the ball was squeezed out of his arms when tackled and Perl recovered for East.
Just What Tigers Needed
The game kept the Tiger eleven on edge for its battle with McKinley next week. They encountered enough resistance in East to make them scrap for every yard, and they found how troublesome one player can be when they tried to keep Lou Mestichelli out of the Massillon backfield. The boy played a fine defensive game for East.
The Massillon eleven returned home to find Canton McKinley had defeated Mansfield 38-7, and a serious look immediately spread over the Tiger faces, for they had only defeated Mansfield 38-0.
A man-sized job is cut out for the Massillon eleven this week if it is to defeat the Canton Bulldogs. No Massillon team has ever finished the season without its goal line being crossed. The 1940 team has an opportunity to establish a new record here. To date it has kept its goal line clean. Can it keep Athy Garrison, Matt Brown, Ray Hooper, and other McKinley backs or ends from reaching the end of the rainbow next Saturday?
Garrison is the Bulldog’s big shot this season. The red and black had Pete Ballos when they played here in 1936. The Tigers stopped him. They had Marion Motley in 1938. The Tigers stopped him. This Saturday they come to Massillon with Garrison. Can he be stopped? One fellow who will have a lot to say about it is Horace Gillom. Backing up the line, as he does, he will meet Garrison frequently on off tackle thrusts. So will Herman Robinson and Pokey Blunt who cover the flats in a 6-3-2 defense. They have a big job cut out for themselves next Saturday afternoon.
It will be the last game of the season for nine of the 11 players, Co-Captains Ray Getz and Gillom, Jim Russell, Eli Broglio, Bill Wallace, Gordon Appleby, James, Dick Kingham, and Gene Henderson.
Not a one of these boys has played on a defeated high school team. For that matter, not a member of the entire Tiger squad has played on a defeated Massillon team. If they beat Canton Saturday, these seniors will have established a record for themselves—three years of varsity competition without a defeat.
Johnny Reed juggled his Bulldog lineup Saturday to get more of an offensive punch in the backfield. The shift produced the desired benefits, for Matt Brown, moved from end to fullback romped for three of the Canton touchdowns and Garrison three others. The Bulldogs scored 25 of their points the first half.
32nd Triumph
Massillon East Robinson LE Laskin Henderson LT Mestichelli Wallace LG Massocco Appleby C Hosa Russell RG Pelusi Broglio RT Diana Gillom RE Lanzi Kingham Q Fabian James LH Perl R. Getz RH Jackson Blunt F Powis
Massillon 13 13 0 0 – 26 East 0 0 0 0 – 0
Touchdowns – Blunt, Gillom, James, R. Getz.
Point after touchdown – R. Getz 2 (placekicks).
Substitutions: East – Krayac, re; Venglarcik, rg; Ciolli, c; Delmark, rh; Berger, lh; Wayland, fb; Andrews, qb. Massillon – L. Cardinal, lt; Armour, le; Weisgarber, rt; Oliver, lt; P. Getz, rg; Hill, lg; DeMando, re; Adams, lh; Pizzino, fb; White, rh; F. Cardinal, qb; Fuchs, c.
Referee – John Hetra (Westminister) . Umpire – Harry Weick (Indiana Normal). Headlinesman – Denny Shill (Baldwin-Wallace).
James Scores Twice, Getz Races 49 for Tally Before 21,000
By Alex Zirin Staff Correspondent
MASSILLON, OH., Nov. 1 – Toledo Waite High’s Indians, the team that asked for it, was definitely convinced tonight that the Tigers of Massillon High are supreme in Ohio.
Not even the elements could save the Indians from taking a 28-0 whipping as more than 21,000 spectators acclaimed the 31st straight victory of the Tigers.
Waite came here with a record of 19 straight triumphs and the claim that Massillon wasn’t the real boss of the Buckeye state schoolboy gridders.
Massillon inflicted a lesson that was complete and final.
Hampered by rain that fell all-day and late into the first period, the Tigers still managed to score in every period and keep their goal line uncrossed. They now have eight victims this year and boast a point total of 417 to 0.
It was the lowest score of the campaign for the Tigers, but the weather saw to that.
Thousands Turned Away
The widely heralded classic drew many more thousands than could be accommodated, despite the official announcement days ago that every ticket had been sold. Not even the heavy downpour could dim the enthusiasm of the Tiger fans.
The stands were nearly filled an hour before kickoff, most of the thousands sitting cheerfully in the rain rather than risk losing their seats. It was a show that amazed those who watched Tiger football for the first time.
Waite completely outplayed, getting only one first down on a pass in the third period. Massillon had 16, but that only starts to tell the story.
Waite’s running attack didn’t have a chance and its heavy line proved no problem, with the exception of one boy, Herbert Snider, who played a whale of a game.
8 Plays – First Touchdown
Massillon’s blocking was well nigh perfect, as always. The line out charged its heavier foe’s consistently.
The game was only eight plays old when the Tigers had their fist touchdown.
A fumble by Pokey Blunt was recovered by Waite on the Waite 47. Three running plays netted only 2 yards for the Indians, and Jimmy Seibenaller tried to punt.
Tom Jones and Herman Robinson smashed through the Toledo forward wall to block the attempt and Robinson recovered on Toledo’s 6, from where James went over on the first play.
Toledoans Find Out About State Supremacy
Ray Getz elected an end run for the point, but was stopped and the score was 6-0.
Another blocked punt gave Massillon its second period two pointer on an automatic safety. This time Louis Sharkoff was the kicker and Bill Wallace the blocker.
Waite had failed to move more than a yard from its 17. The punt was logical, but Wallace moved in as though he belonged in the Indians’ backfield. He blocked the kick with his chest and the bounding ball bounced out of the end zone before the Tigers could capture it and the score was 8-0.
The Tigers were in complete command as the second half opened.
Horace Gillom returned Snider’s kickoff from the 7 to the Massillon 42. In five plays Getz and Blunt streaked to the Waite 16. Then James took the ball on a dazzling reverse and went over. Getz’s plunge couldn’t reach for the extra point and the score was 14-0.
A few minutes later the Tigers marched again, but this time Waite held on its 8.
But the Tigers couldn’t be denied and they had another touchdown two plays after the fourth period started.
Getz, sweeping around his left end, raced 49 yards for the tally. His blockers removed all but the safetyman and Ray took care of him by simply outsmarting his rival with a fine bit of timing. This time Getz tried a placement for the extra point and it was good, making the score 21-0.
The final scoring drive started from the Massillon 37. Getz, James and Blunt streaked to the 14 before losing the ball on a fumble. But Gillom took care of matters by intercepting Sharkoff’s pass on the Toledo 14. James and Getz carried the ball to the 1 and Kingham went over on a quarterback sneak, standing up. Again Getz added the point from placement and the tally was 28-0.
Toledo’s pass for its first down was the only one the Indians completed.
Massillon stopped the Indians cold once they came within the Tigers’ 40 on recovered fumbles. There wasn’t any doubt that the score would have been much higher on a dry field.
It was a colorful affair despite the rain. The great Massillon band quite outdid itself with a patriotic pageant between halves and then kept the throng in its seats after the game with a swing dance exhibition.
The Tigers play at Youngstown East next Saturday and then close their season against Canton McKinley here November 17.
There isn’t a chance to buy a ticket for McKinley game either.
Massillon, home of great football, saluted its champions again tonight.
MASSILLON – 28 TOLEDO WAITE – 0 Robinson L.E. Welker Cardinal L.T. Rideout Wallace L.G. Mang Appleby C Poole Russell R.G. Smithers Broglio R.T. Links Gillom R.E. Snider Kingham Q Baker James L.H. Sharkoff Getz R.H. Seibenaller Blunt F Bauman
VICTORY OVER WAITE IS 31ST IN ROW FOR MASSILLON MACHINE
Champions Turn On Second Half Power On Slippery Field Before 22,000
By JACK MAXWELL
Stark county football fans were secure in the knowledge today that this district produces the greatest scholastic football in Ohio, and from other sections of the state there wasn’t a murmur of dissent.
Massillon’s mighty Tigers, the county’s leading representatives, established beyond the shadow of a doubt their right to five consecutive state titular claims at Tiger stadium in Massillon Friday night before a damp but enthusiastic overflow throng of 22,000.
Held to eight points in the first half, the Tigers of Coach Paul Brown unleashed the full fury of their deceptive and well-coordinated attack in succeeding quarters to sweep over a good but outclassed Toledo Waite team 28-0.
Accomplished on a slippery gridiron where ball handling was precarious and an aerial offense virtually useless, the convincing victory ran Massillon’s winning streak to 31 games. The setback snapped Waite’s impressive string of victories at 19 straight.
Although the personnel of both squads had changed, Friday night’s game was the climactic chapter in a heated dispute that arose late last season over conflicting state championship claims. A strong 1939 Waite eleven won 11 successive contests, including a 9-7 “Buckeye bowl” conquest of Portsmouth at Columbus, and Toledo fans aired serious doubts of a Massillon denomination that began in 1935.
Both teams were handicapped seriously last night by insecure footing and a soggy ball. Despite the fact a huge tarpaulin had been placed on the field Thursday and was not removed until game time, heavy rains all day yesterday and a steady drizzle during the tilt took their toll.
Timing Perfect
But the Tigers clearly were the superior team, possibly by an even greater margin than the score indicates.
Beautiful timing, deadly blocking and superlative defensive play, plus a customary propensity for “making their own breaks,” enabled Coach Paul Brown’s charges to hang a decisive defeat on a worthy opponent.
Massillon compiled a 16-1 margin in first downs, the Waite Indians getting their lone first down on a 14-yard pass in the third quarter. The Tigers’ fast charging line blocked two punts to set up a touchdown and score a safety in the first half, held the visitors to 40 yards by rushing and opened huge holes for hard driving Massillon backs.
Passing, normally an integral part of the Massillon offensive, did not figure in the triumph. The Tigers tried only two aerials and completed one for a 14-yard gain on the last play of the first half.
With the weather putting a damper on aerials, the Indians of Coach Jack Mollenkopf used an eight man defensive line most of the game, and gave the best defensive exhibition against the Tigers this year. Massillon ball carriers were dropped for losses totaling 67 yards and frequently were stopped on the line of scrimmage. However, the husky Waite line was unable to fathom Massillon consistently, and each loss usually was followed by a sizeable gain.
Toledo Attack Weak
Waite lacked anything resembling an attack against the defense thrown up by Massillon. The Indians were inside the Tiger 40 only once. Horace Gillom’s punt in the second period slid off the side of his foot for a two-yard loss and gave the Toledo team the ball on the Massillon 37, but the Indians were stopped just short of a first down on the 28.
Massillon fumbled four times, twice deep in enemy territory, and Waite covered all four fumbles. The Toledoans bobbled twice but recovered on both occasions.
With teamwork as a premium, Massillon had no player standing head and shoulders above his mates. Tom James took scoring honors with two touchdowns and ran in stellar fashion, but Ray Getz accounted for a touchdown and two extra points during one of his best performances this year and Fred Blunt also was a continuous threat.
Jim Russell and Bill Wallace at the guards were magnificent, and Gillom was in the thick of every skirmish. The big Negro ace was held scoreless for the first time this year, his offensive opportunities being limited by the lack of passing.
Snider Sparkles
Heroic in defeat were Herb Snider, a great defensive end; Lester Rideout, a sterling tackle, and Lou Sharkoff, a hard working halfback.
After Massillon’s initial drive following the opening kickoff had been stalled by Fred Blunt’s fumble on the Waite 47, Herman Robinson and Dick Kingham broke through to block Sharkoff’s punt on the 35 and Robinson covered on the 7. James sliced off right tackle for a touchdown on the next play.
On the first play of the second period, Wallace blocked another Sharkoff punt on the Toledo 7 and the ball rolled out of the end zone for an automatic safety. The Tigers made their first sustained march to start the third quarter, going 48 yards for a touchdown in six plays. Getz and Blunt alternated to the Waite 15, from where James cracked right guard, headed for the right sideline and dove over the goal just inside the out of bounds flag.
With a strong supporting cast, Getz provided the feature run of the duel in the first minute of the final quarter. Starting wide around left end behind a wall of interference, he scampered to the 35, slowed up for Russell to cut down the nearest Waite defender with a terrific block, and completed a 43-yard touchdown jaunt. Getz added the extra point on a placekick.
The last tally was set up by Gillom’s interception of Sharkoff’s basketball pass on the Waite 14. Getz bulled his way through center to the one-foot line and Dick Kingham, the blocking back scored on a quick opener. Getz again converted.
Massillon Pos. Toledo Waite Robinson LE Welker Henderson LT Rideout Wallace LG Mang Appleby C Poole Russell RG Smithers Broglio RT Links Gillom RE Snider Kingham QB Baker James LH Sharkoff Getz RH Siebenaller Blunt FB Bauman
Substitutions: Massillon – Pizzino, fb; L. Cardinal, t; Hill, g; Adams, hb; F. Cardinal, g. Waite – White, hb; Timmons, hb; Bigley, c; J. Links, g; Wagner, c; Keezey, e.
Touchdowns – James 2, Getz, Kingham.
Points after touchdown – Getz 2.
Safety – Wallace
Massillon 6 2 6 14 – 28
Referee – Earl D. Gross. Umpire – A.R. Long. Headlinesman – Carl C. Bachman. Field judge – T.B. Lobach.
STATISTICS Mass. Waite First downs, rushing 16 0 First downs, passing 0 1 First downs, total 16 1 Yards gained, rushing 340 40 Yards gained, passing 13 14 Yards lost 67 33 Yards gained, net total 286 21 Passes attempted 2 3 Pases completed 1 1 Passes incompleted 1 1 Passes intercepted 1 0 Fumbles 4 2 Own fumbles recovered 0 2 Own fumbles covered 0 4 Penalties, yardage 10 0 Punts 3 9 Punts, average yardage 33 32
MASSILLON TRIMS INDIANS BY 28-0
East Siders Get But One First Down As Tigers Outclass Them; Blocked Punts Lead to Early Scores
By FRANK BUCKLEY Of The Blade’s Sport Staff
MASSILLON, O., Nov. 2 – Toledo is without an unbeaten and untied high school football team today. Its last hope for a perfect eleven and one which might make a claim for a state championship died an honorable death here last night as the Indians of Waite High School bowed to the perfectly playing Washington High outfit of Massillon. The score was 28 to 0, and the biggest setback Waite has experienced in many years.
That defeat shattered Waite’s 19-game winning streak. The victory added No. 31 to the list that Coach Paul Brown’s Tigers are compiling. It likewise was the eighth foe of the season that Massillon has both blanked and trounced.
A crowd of 22,000 fans jammed the big stadium and sat through pouring rain to watch the action. In the assemblage were more than 2,000 Toledoans, braving a fine brand of pneumonia weather. More than, 2,500 fans were turned away at the gates.
16 FIRST DOWNS
Washington outclassed Waite in as complete a style as any Toledo high school team has ever been beaten. It piled up 16 first downs and held Waite to one, that coming in the third quarter. Only once did Waite manage to get within Massillon’s 30-yard line and that threat was quickly stopped.
Massillon tried the air but twice and completed one pass. The slippery oval was not for passing as Waite tried but three times, completed one and had one intercepted, that pacing the way for the final Massillon touchdown. In handling the wet ball, Massillon fumbled four times and Waite recovered each time. The Indians bobbled twice and recovered twice.
Waite didn’t have a punt blocked all season until last night and then it saw two of them help Massillon manufacture an eight-point lead in the first half.
PUNT IS BLOCKED
Jimmie Siebenaller was back to punt early in the game as Waite had the ball on its own 47. Herman Robinson and Dick Kingham broke through the Waite line, blocked the kick and when the scramble was unpiled, Massillon had the ball on Waite’s six-yard line. From there Tom James knifed through for the first score. Early in the next period, Bill Wallace, a guard, bounded through the Waite line, blocked Sharkoff’s kick and fell on the ball over the end line for a safety and the 8-0 lead at halftime, the lowest count Massillon has made in a half against any opponent this year.
The second half found the Tigers really going through the Tribe. They started with the kickoff on their own 42 and with James, Fred Blunt and Ray Getz hugging the ball, marched 58 yards for the touchdown and any chances for a Waite win were gone with those points.
48 YARDS FOR A SCORE
Getz, the Tigers’ biggest ground gainer of the game, used the third play of the final period for the best gallop of the night as he ran 48 yards for the third touchdown.
Later the Tigers intercepted a pass as Waite desperately tried to score on the state title claimants. Getz ran to the one before Kingham went through center for the touchdown.
The game was cleanly played, the only penalties coming against Massillon, which lost 10 yards on two offside errors. The Tigers three speedy ball carriers, James, Getz and Blunt, along with the big end, Horace Gillom were outstanding through the battle. Herb Snider, Waite end was the defensive standout from a Toledo angle.
Toledo Football Team Is Beaten By Superior Foe
By JACK SENN Times Sports Editor
MASSILLON, O., Nov. 1 – The Tigers of Washington high school still stalk the scholastic gridirons unchallenged.
Before more than 21,000 spectators and a constant rain here tonight this city’s great football machine outclassed a previously undefeated Waite team of Toledo, winning 28 to 0.
At no stage of the game, in which Massillon chalked up its 31st consecutive victory, did the Indians from the banks of the Maumee seriously threaten.
In the first period Waite was thrown back on its heels and never recovered. Soon after the start Massillon blocked a Waite punt and quickly converted into a touchdown. In the second the home team blocked another and fell on the ball for a safety.
Thus it went. Washington out charged Waite on every play and as in every other game this year and last, Coach Paul Brown’s charges put on a convincing display of offensive football, proving the old axiom that an offense is the best defense.
Waite offered sturdy opposition for three-quarters of the battle even though trailing 14 to 0 at that stage.
But at the start of the fourth quarter the visitors lost all hope when the brilliant James of Washington got marvelous blocking on a 47-yard touchdown jaunt. The Indians were pretty well washed out a few minutes later when Kingham made two clever sneaks for a touchdown.
Here’s how the game unfolded:
FIRST PERIOD
Snider’s kick for Waite went out of bounds and Massillon placed the ball in play on its 35. Getz made three and Blunt pounded tackle for a first down on the Washington 46. Get made three. Blunt fumbled and Baker recovered for Waite on the Toledo 47. Massillon’s line smothered Sharkoff without gain. Two more tries gained just two yards and Siebenaller went back to kick. The charging Tiger line blocked his punt and Robinson recovered on the Waite six. On the first play James smashed over his own left tackle for a touchdown. Siebenaller was hurt on the play and White replaced. Getz failed in a smash at tackle for the point
Score: Massillon 6; Waite 0.
Sharkoff returned Gilloms kick off to Waite’s 21. Sharkoff made two, then lost four when he fumbled but recovered. Sharkoff punted dead on the Tiger 39. James lost nine, and gained four. Blunt slicked the Waite line for 14 yards and James made it first down on the 50. Three plays gained six yards. Massillon tried to run on fourth down and Blunt fumbled with the slippery oval finally being trapped on the Massillon 42 where it was Waite’s ball.
Sharkoff punted poorly on third down, the boot going out of bounds on the Tiger 31. Gillom went into the backfield to run and lost seven. Gillom punted magnificently, dead on the Toledo 16 as the quarter ended.
Score: Massillon 6; Waite 0.
SECOND QUARTER
Sharkoff attempted to punt on second down and this time Massillon’s forwards were through again, Wallace blocking the boot and recovering beyond the end zone for a safety.
Score: Massillon 8, Waite 0.
Gillom returned Snider’s free kick from the Waite 20 to the Toledo 41. Three plays lost eight yards as the Waite line started charging fiercely and Gillom punted dead on Waite’s nine.
The rain had ceased but the field was very muddy.
Waite couldn’t gain and Sharkoff punted to James, who returned to Waite’s 45. Blunt made four but Getz then fumbled and Sharkoff recovered for Waite on his 28.
Fans kept streaming into the already packed stands although the rain started again.
Waite’s power couldn’t move against the Massillon line on the slippery turf and Sharkoff punted to James, who came back to the Tiger 40.
Waite smashed two running plays for a two yard loss and Gillom’s poor punt went out on his own 38 where it was Waite’s ball. Sharkoff made two and White four, Baker in two tries failed by inches to make a first down and it was Massillon’s ball on its 28.
James made seven. Siebenaller came back into the Waite lineup for White. Getz made a first down on the Massillon 41. Blunt made five. Then another first down on Waite’s 48.
James shook loose for 16 yards and a first down on the 32. A pass and plunge failed before the Tigers drew the first penalty – five yards for off side. A Gillom to Robinson pass was complete to Waite’s 35 as the gun sounded.
Score: Massillon 8; Waite 0.
THIRD QUARTER
Snider kicked off to Gillom who returned to the Massillon 42. Getz picked up a first down with a 17-yard off tackle run to Waite’s 41. Getz crashed through to another first down on the 27. Blunt spun off tackle for five, then made a first down on the 16. On the next play James sliced through his own right tackle, slipped off several Waite tacklers and went over for a touchdown. Getz failed in a plunge for the point.
Score: Massillon 14; Waite 0.
Gillom kicked off out of bounds and it was Waite’s ball on its 35. A Sharkoff to Welker pass over the line gave Waite its initial first down on the Indian 49. Sharkoff lost seven on another pass attempt but Siebenaller got it back. Sharkoff made nine on the first Waite power play that got anyplace, but Baker was stopped cold on fourth down and Massillon took the ball on its 42.
On a cut back Getz made a first down on Waite’s 44. Blunt slipped off tackle and ran to the 10 before Siebenaller nailed him. Another cut back over tackle gave Getz four, but Snider smeared him the next time for a five-yard loss, and the third time he was stopped without a gain. On fourth down Waite’s line checked Blunt and the Indians took the ball on their eight. Sharkoff punted nicely, dead on the Tiger 37.
Snider caught Getz for a two-yard loss. Getz made eight, Blunt made a first down on the Tiger 47 as the quarter ended.
Score: Massillon 14; Waite 0.
FOURTH QUARTER
Blunt made five and Getz carried another yard to Waite’s 47. Then Getz swept his own left end behind superb blocking and raced 47 yards into pay dirt. He then booted the point from placement.
Score: Massillon 21; Waite 0
Siebenaller returned the kickoff to the Toledo 33. Siebenaller punted to James, who was spilled on Massillon’s 37. James faked a pass and made a first down on the 48. Getz got to Waite’s 46. Faking another pass, James circled end to a first down on the 36. On a quick spinner James picked up eight. Blunt made it first down on the 26.
Two plays gained eight but Getz then lost three. Getz made it first down on Waite’s 14. On the second play James fumbled and Rideout recovered for Waite on the Toledo 14. Siebenaller lost five when he fumbled, then Gillom intercepted Sharkoff’s over-the-line pass and it was Massillon’s ball on the Toledo 13.
The second play saw Kingham on a quarterback sneak straight through the Waite center to the one-yard line. Then Kingham shot through center again, this time over the goal almost without being touched. Getz placekicked the point.
Score: Massillon 28; Waite 0.
Gillom purposely kicked off out of bounds again to keep Waite from returning the ball and the Toledoans took the ball on their 35. Siebenaller picked up five. Siebenaller punted to James, who was downed on the Tiger 35.
Massillon was pounding Waite’s line at the gun.
MASSILLON LINE SHOWS POWER IN GREAT VICTORY
Tiger Gridders Roll Back Eight-Man Toledo Line As Ray Getz Sparkles In Finest Game Of His Three-Year Career
By LUTHER EMERY
In a setting of pageantry, the like of which is seldom seen on the gridiron, the Washington high Tigers defeated Toledo Waite 28-0 in a driving rain in Tiger Stadium Friday evening.
An overflow crowd of 22,000 (and several thousand more had to be turned away), sat through the moisture to see the Tigers convince their rivals from the northwest part of the state that Massillon has a just claim to the state championship.
No Dispute This Year
Waite disputed that claim last year on the basis of an undefeated season and a 9-7 triumph over Portsmouth in the Buckeye Bowl and the Indians brought a string of 19 consecutive victories with them into Tiger Stadium. That string was cut by a terrific Tiger defense and a keyed up offense that extended the Massillon victory streak to 31 games.
The Tigers were magnificent. To defeat a highly touted grid machine like Waite is one thing, and to do it in the rain is another. The rain actually came to Waite’s rescue and saved it from greater humiliation.
The Indians knew the Tigers would not pass the wet ball, so they smartly threw an eight-man line against the Massillon eleven, virtually the same type of defense the Tigers use when forced into a goal line stand.
It is the marvel of the season how the Massillon eleven rolled back the eight-man line for yards and points.
They did it with the greatest demonstration of charging and blocking ever seen here.
Hard To Gain Ground
It was tough going the first half – plenty tough – ask the players. They looked the superior team all the way but only had eight points at half-time intermission, the result of two punts that were blocked by the fast charging line.
But despite their superiority statistically, Massillon fans did not ease back in their seats until the second and third touchdowns had been poured over the Toledo goal. The fourth didn’t matter except that it gave the locals seven more points to talk about.
The statistics were all in the Tigers’ favor. They made 16 first downs to Waite’s one and gained 312 net yards from scrimmage to Waite’s 28. They tried two passes and completed one for a gain of 13 yards.
Grant Murray, the member of the Toledo board of education who put Coach Jack Mollenkopf on the spot when he publicly challenged the Tigers’ right to the state football title, was sought after the game. A copy of the statistics had been prepared for him. He couldn’t be found in the Toledo dressing room.
But Coach Mollenkopf was there, and was sportingly gracious. He described the Tigers as “just too good” and in particular complimented the signal calling of Tom James and his sequence of thought.
Mollenkopf had his boys high for the evening. His team was in condition – both were for that matter, and there were few injuries, none serious. Jim Russell, who played a crushing game all night was removed in the fourth quarter with a lame arm, an old injury, and Tom James complained of a slight ankle sprain. Lou White, Mollenkopf’s right halfback, aggravated a leg injury that kept him out of the starting lineup and saw only a small amount of service before he had to be replaced.
Three Penalties
The game was cleanly played with only three penalties called, all for minor violations. Two were refused, and only five yards were stepped off by the referee.
And now it is time to give credit to one individual, a member of the Washington high squad for three seasons, whose services were never more appreciated than they were last night – Co-captain Ray Getz. He was Coach Paul Brown’s ace in the hole and played his role admirably.
Not only did he lug the leather time and again on cut-back plays for long gains, but he gave the crowd its biggest thrill of the evening in the fourth quarter when starting from the Waite 48-yard line, he swept wide around his left end, headed down the sideline, cut sharply to his right and across the field, to out-run the Toledo secondary, and score the touchdown that made the Massillon fans breathe easier the rest of the way.
The entire Tiger team played great ball. When seven men can handle eight men, that’s something and that’s why no one should pass up Horace Gillom. Gene Henderson, Bill Wallace, Gordon Appleby, Eli Broglio, Jim Russell, Herman Robinson and Larry Cardinal when passing out credit. In the Tiger dressing room hangs a sign that reads something like this: “The team that gets the first six inches wins the ball game.”
The Tiger linemen read that motto time and again last week and they continually beat Waite to the charge.
Pokey Blunt did his share of leather hugging last night too, and was the most consistent ground gainer in the Tiger backfield in the early minutes of the game. He didn’t score, but he helped advance the ball into position. James scored two of the touchdowns, both on sizeable runs and Dick Kingham bucked another over on a quarterback sneak play.
And you can give some glory to Herbert Snider, the Indians right end. There’s a fellow who played a lot of football last night. He broke up many a Massillon play, even though Getz’s long touchdown run went around his end.
The victory established the Tiger eleven as possibly the finest in the history of the school . It’s exceptional defense, its ability to adjust itself to unusual weather conditions, and drive for points when a wet ball makes passing hazardous, places the Tiger team in the super class as far as high schools go.
Scored Early In Game
It only took a few minutes to score the first touchdown, and it came on a break, a break that was made by Massillon.
Jack Baker, the big burly blocking quarterback of Waite had just brought a roar from the Toledo stands by covering Blunt’s fumble on the Waite 48.
Waite tested the Tiger forward wall on three straight plays and gained but a yard. Siebenaller dropped back to punt. The Waite forward wall was leveled, Tiger players rushed in and Kingham, closing in from the sides blocked the ball with a resounding slump. It rolled back and back to the seven-yard line where Robinson flopped on the leather. James took no chances. He called for the Tigers’ strongest play, a smash off right tackle, and carrying the leather himself, smashed through for the touchdown. Getz tried to carry the extra point across but was met by a swarm of Toledo tacklers at the line of scrimmage and the score stood at 6-0.
It was 6-0 right through the remainder of the quarter with Horace Gillom punting the Tigers out of a hole with a mighty 62-yard boot from the line of scrimmage, that carried to the Toledo 16-yard line. On second down, Waite playing it safe lest a fumble put the Tigers in scoring position elected to punt. Lou Sharkoff tried it, but once again the Toledo Ramparts were broken down and Bill Wallace smashed through to block the ball.
The leather rolled back of the goal line with Wallace in hot pursuit, but before he could get on it, the ball rolled out of the end zone and it was an automatic safety.
Gillom and Sharkoff engaged in a punting duel following the safety, Gillom placed the ball on the seven-yard line with a great kick and Sharkoff coming right back to boot the ball from behind his goal to midfield. The Tigers moved down to the 28, where Sharkoff covered Getz’s fumble, and punted the ball back into Tiger territory.
Tiger Line Shows Strength
When the Tiger running attack bogged down. Gillom got off his only poor punt that actually lost two yards and placed Waite on the Massillon 38-yard line.
The Tigers bristled with the thought of having their goal line crossed. Sharkoff made a yard but on a reverse. Sharkoff then handed the ball to White who smashed through for a five-yard gain. The Indians called on Baker to carry the ball and resorted to a power play. He waded through for three and one-half yards, needing but half a yard for a first down. Again Baker was called back, the 230-pounder who is supposed to get a yard when he wants it. The ball was passed and the Tiger line charged so fast that Baker never got to the line of scrimmage. Massillon took the ball on its 29 and Toledo’s only threat was stopped. The Tigers had it on the Waite 23 when the half ended.
The Tigers took the kickoff at the start of the third period and their rhythmic march, looked like another episode in the great patriotic pageant unfolded by the band a few minutes earlier.
Without a break, they marched to the Toledo 16-yard line where James took the ball, circled his right end and sped over the goal. An attempt by Getz to carry the extra point over failed and it was 14-0.
Waite flashed back with a 15-yard basketball pass. Sharkoff to Mark Welker, that produced the Indians only first down of the game. It took the ball to the Waite 49. The Indians carried it on to the Tiger 42 where they needed a yard for a first down. Again they moved Baker into the fullback spot, but again Baker was stopped by a stonewall Massillon line that took the pigskin on its own 43. Line plays and a 34-yard twisting run by Blunt put the ball on the 10-yard line, but Waite braced, stopped the Tigers, and took over the leather on its own seven. Sharkoff, punting from behind his goal, got off a beautiful kick that sent the ball rolling dead on the Massillon 37. Blunt more than made up losses suffered by Getz and James and carried back to the Massillon 47 for a first down. Kingham advanced the ball five yards on a sneak, and then like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, Getz raced around his left end for the remaining 47 yards and a touchdown.
Deciding it better to kick the wet ball, James called for a placekick and Getz booted it squarely between the uprights.
The Tigers started from their own 35 next time they got the ball and carried to the Waite 14 where Capt. Rideout covered James’ fumble. After being tossed for a six-yard loss, Sharkoff tried to pass, but Gillom intercepted to give Massillon a first down on the Waite 14. Kingham sneaked through to the one-yard line and bucked over for the touchdown. Again Getz kicked the extra point the final one of the game.
For The Master
Massillon Pos. Waite Robinson LE Welker Henderson LT Rideout Wallace LG Mang Appleby C Poole Russell RG Smithers Broglio RT Links Gillom RE Snider Kingham QB Baker James LH Sharkoff Getz RH White Blunt FB Bauman
Score by periods: Massillon 6 2 6 14 – 28
Substitutions: Massillon – Pizzino, fb; L. Cardinal, rt; F. Cardinal, qb; White, lh; Adams, rh; Hill, rg. Waite – Joe Links, g; Bigley, c; Wagner, c; Siebenaller, hb; Timmons, hb.
Touchdowns – James 2, Kingham, Getz.
Safety – (Massillon on punt blocked by Wallace).
Points after touchdown – Getz 2 (placekicks).
Statistics Of The Game
Mass. Waite First downs 16 1 Yards gained rushing 342 43 Yards gained passing 13 15 Total yards gained 355 58 Yards lost 42 30 Net yards gained 312 28 Passes attempted 2 3 Passes completed 1 1 Passes grounded 1 1 Passes intercepted 0 1 Times punted 4 8 Punts blocked 0 2 Average punt (yards) 34 32 Times kicked off 4 2 Fumbles 4 2 Lost ball on fumble 4 0 Penalties called 2 1 Penalties refused 1 1 Yards penalized 5
Champions Are Held Scoreless in 1st Quarter by Valiant Foe
(Plain Dealer Special)
MANSFIELD, O., Oct 25 – Massillon High School, scholastic football wonder team, stormed to another victory tonight by crushing a valiant Mansfield High eleven, 38 to 0, before a capacity crowd of 8,000 at Stadium Field.
Program Cover
The Tigers were held scoreless in the first period and to their lowest total of the season. But there was never any doubt about their superiority over the team they whaled last year, 73 to 0.
Two weeks ago, Alliance “held” Massillon’s boys, 40 to 0. The Tigers have yet to permit their goal line to be crossed.
Massillon crashed through with two touchdowns in each the second, third and fourth sessions. All were the results of long runs or passes.
The Tigers counted on the second play of the second period, Dick Adams going over. They marched 60 yards for the next one and Ray Getz took the leather across the line. He then kicked the point for 13-0.
Early in the third quarter, Massillon again drove 60 yards with Tom James sparking the march with several long runs. James finally scored from the 2 on a cut back. Getz’s plunge for point failed.
A 24-yard pass, Adams to Gillom, accounted for the next touchdown and Getz booted the point.
Long runs by Fred Blunt and Getz in the fourth quarter featured a 75-yard march, which gave the Tigers another score. Adams crossed the goal from the 1-yard stripe but Getz again failed to kick the point.
Adams marked up the final score on an 18-yard end run. Getz’s kick for the point was low.
Massillon made 17 first downs against six for Mansfield. Most of Mansfield’s first downs came on Martin Henke’s accurate forward passes to Bill Doolittle and Jim Templeton.
Held in First Quarter
Although soundly trounced Mansfield became the first team to make a first down before Massillon was able to chalk up one and also became the first eleven to force the Tigers to punt two successive times in a quarter – turning both of these tricks in the first period.
Massillon gained on its punt exchanges in the first quarter but it wasn’t until the final minute of the session that the Tigers were able to register a first down.
Then with fourth down and three yards to go on the Mansfield 38, Adams faked a punt and then shot through the line to the Mansfield 26. Gillom, on an end around play romped to the 14 for another first down as the period ended.
After the Tigers’ initial touchdown, Mansfield made two first down on passes, Henke to Doolittle, carrying the pigskin from the Mansfield 14 to the Tigers’ 38 only to lose the ball on a fumble. Massillon then marched to its second touchdown, with long runs by Gillom and James featuring the drive.
In the final quarter with three minutes left to play, Massilon’s second team went into action.
It’s The 30th
Massillon Pos. Mansfield Bray LE Romano Henderson LT Arlin Wallace LG Pecht Appleby C Dietzel Russell RG Weber Broglio RT Murray Gillom RE Winbigler Kingham QB Doolittle James – Adams LH Jones Getz RH Templeton Blunt FB Henke
Score by periods: Massillon 0 13 13 12 – 38
Substitutions: Massillon – Pizzino, James, F. Cardinal, White, Weisgarber, Hill, Oliver, Armour, Fuchs, De Mando, Paul Getz. Mansfield – Heilman, Birmelin, Lantz, Brandt, Kinkel, Pecht, Smith.
Touchdowns – Adams 3, Getz, James, Gillom
Points after touchdown – Getz 3 (placekicks)
Referee – A.N. Smith (Elyria) Umpire – J. Winters (Ohio Wesleyan). Headlinesman – Paul Harlow (Ohio Wesleyan)
STATISTICS Mass. Mans. First downs, rushing 16 2 First downs, passing 1 4 First downs, total 17 6 Yards gained, rushing 328 30 Yards gained, passing 61 95 Yards lost 21 46 Yards gained, net total 368 79 Passes attempted 12 14 Passes completed 4 9 Passes intercepted 1 0 Passes incompleted 8 4 Fumbles 0 3 Own fumbles recovered 0 1 Opp. Fumbles covered 2 0 Penalties, yardage 60 15 Punts 4 7
WEIRD DEFENSE SLOWS OFFENSE
Mansfield Arrangement Holds Tigers To Lowest Score Of Season; Brown’s Gridders Unable to Score First Quarter
By LUTHER EMERY
An unorthodox defense accomplished just what it was supposed to do at Mansfield Friday evening and 8,000 Richland county fans rejoiced at having held the Washington high Tigers to their lowest score of the season, 38-0.
Though the score was big enough, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant victory for Massillon nor an impressive showing from a Mansfield standpoint since the latter wound up the evening’s performance with a net gain of 18 yards.
Accomplishes Objective
But Mansfield accomplished it objective – that of holding the Tigers to a lower score than any other team this season, and was rejoicing about it today.
As you looked over the Mansfield alignment you had to add twice to make certain you didn’t have too many players in the lineup. For the most part, it was a 4-4-2-1, sometimes 4-3-1-2-1, and variations attained by hopping players in from the second line that placed six and seven in the first rank.
Mansfield gambled that this arrangement would yield three to five yards per play but would prevent long runs for touchdowns and long passes and thereby keep down the score. Coach Paul Synder had worked two weeks preparing the defense.
The theory was exactly the opposite from that used by Alliance in the Rubber Bowl, when the Tigers were held to the same number of touchdowns. Alliance ganged up with an eight-man line in an effort to choke off the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage.
Glad It Didn’t Rain
Had it been a wet night as Massillon fans feared it would as they drove under clouded skies to Mansfield, there’s no telling what would have happened. As it was Coach Paul Brown kept his first team in until the last three minutes of the game, although two of the regulars did not start and occasional substitutions were made throughout the first three periods. Tom James and Herman Robinson were the missing faces in the lineup. James, bothered by a sore ankle, was replaced by Dick Adams at left halfback, while Robinson, suffering from a cold, gave way to Keve Bray. Robinson never did get into the game but James played a third of it.
From a Tiger standpoint it was an ideal preparatory game for the all-important clash with Toledo Waite next week – providing no injuries develop from some of the hard knocks received by players.
Mansfield gave the local eleven an opportunity to meet a spread formation, and the Tigers put one on the field for two plays themselves. The Mansfield gridders too set an example as to what can be done when a team gets all fired up and sets out to do it.
The Mansfield boys tackled viciously. By concentrating their strength on the expected point of attack, and keeping the secondary well protected, they were able to gang up on Tiger ball carriers at times and toss them for losses. They succeeded best in the first period when they held Massillon scoreless and made the first, first down of the game, something else to glory about. They made the Tigers fight for every yard and only gave them two easy touchdowns, one on a long pass from Dick Adams to Horace Gillom and the other on an 18-yard sprint by Adams. They forced Coach Brown to call Tom James off the bench in the first half to direct the Massillon attack, and Tom proceeded to show the Tigers how all important he is to the Massillon team.
The Massillon offense which had sputtered around up to that point smoothed out and moved as in former games.
With Toledo Waite scouts perched all around and a Massillon victory very evident despite the stubborn Mansfield resistance, there was no particular reason for the Tigers opening up with all their cunning. They tried a few things out, but nothing new with the exception of a lateral off a spread formation, Gillom to Adams that failed once because of an offside penalty and a second time when Adams dropped the ball.
The Tigers, after the scoreless first period, crossed the Mansfield goal twice in each of the next three periods. Adams got three touchdowns, James, Gillom, and Getz one each, and Getz kicked the three extra points, despite a play prepared by Mansfield’s coach, Paul Snyder, through which one of his boys would jump up on the back of a Massillon lineman in an attempt to block the ball.
Mansfield Offense Weak
Mansfield had little in the way of offense except a passing attack that gained ground in the middle of the field but failed on the two occasions it took the ball into Tiger territory.
At carrying the ball Synder’s men had nothing. They were thrown back for a net loss of 15 yards for their rushing attempts. They did, however, complete 11 of 16 passes for a net gain of 33 yards. Dick Kingham pulled in the only interception.
The Tigers tossed 12 passes and completed four for 77 yards, one a touchdown pass.
The balance of power should be more equal next year, for Mansfield will have 10 of its 11 players back while Massillon will lose nine of its first 11. Martin Henke will be the only Mansfield player to graduate. The Tigers will lose all but Robinson and Fred Blunt.
The stands were filled with spectators and the crowd overflowed to the sidelines to occupy every spot of advantage long before the start of the game. All reserved seats were sold and gates were closed before the kickoff.
Massillon had a good delegation but was not represented in as great numbers as in other road games. All the Tiger spectators probably could be packed into three figures.
After being forced to punt the first two times they got their hands on the leather, the Tigers finally launched a touchdown drive in the last two minutes of the first period that carried on into the second quarter before Dick Adams on a cutback went through his left tackle for the touchdown. The attack began on the Mansfield 45, the Tigers gaining 25 yards on two exchanges of punts. Bray on an end around play, and Adams on a fake went to the 29-yard line and Gillom ran hard around his left end tot he 14. Adams planted it on the six and then cut through his left tackle for the touchdown. Getz missed the attempted kick for the extra point.
Mansfield Threatens
An exchange of punts after the kickoff set Mansfield in motion on a passing attack. Henke tossed one for 31 yards to Jim Templeton for a first down on his 44 and another peg to Romano, took the ball to the Tiger 41. Mansfield went into a spread, and Henke passed to Templeton who fumbled after catching the ball, Jim Russell recovering for Massillon on his 39. Gillom advanced the ball to the Mansfield 46, and James in two plays went 34 yards to the 12-yard line. James took the ball to the six-yard line and Ray Getz went over in two attempts and kicked the extra point.
Getting the ball on a punt after the third period kickoff, the Tigers launched a drive from their own 40 directed by James. It was hard going all the way with Blunt and James lugging the leather to the Mansfield 38. There James passed to Ray Getz for 22 yards and a first down on the 16. Three plays gained another first on the two-yard line and James went over. Getz missed the kick for the extra point.
A 15-yard penalty on Massillon for roughing the kicker, advanced the ball into Tiger territory for the second time of the game, but Henke fumbled and Lawrence Cardinal recovered for the Tigers on the Mansfield 49. Blunt, Adams and Getz advanced it to the nine-yard line where a 15-yard penalty was slapped on the locals for holding. It only paved the way for a long pass, Adams to Gillom, which the latter caught in the end zone for the fourth touchdown of the game. Getz kicked the point.
The fourth period was well underway before the Tigers could score again. They eventually started from their own 24 with Fred Blunt doing most of the leather toting and getting away to one sprint of 20 yards. The ball was carried to the five-yard line where Mansfield was penalized to within a yard of the goal for too many times out. Adams went over for the touchdown. Getz’s kick was wide.
The game was getting on toward the end when Kingham intercepted a Henke pass on the Mansfield 37. Adams shovel passed to Bray for a first down on the 18 and Adams went over for the touchdown on a smash through right tackle. Getz’s kick was again wide.
Statistics Of The Game Mass. Mansf. Net gain rushing 260 -15 Net gain passing 77 33 Total net gain 330 18 First downs 17 6 Passes thrown 12 16 Passes completed 4 11 Passes grounded 8 4 Passes intercepted 0 1 Lost ball on fumble 0 2 Yards penalized 80 35 Punts 4 7 Average punt (yards) 51 30
Massillon Is Held To 38 Points
Mansfield Registers Moral Grid Victory Over Potent Tigers
(Special To The Beacon Journal)
MANSFIELD, Oct. 26 – Mansfield’s Tygers, who stunned the Ohio scholastic football world back in 1937 by battling Massillon’s Tigers to a 6-6 tie, tossed in another mild upset at the expense of the perennial Buckeye schooboy champions here last night when they held Paul Brown’s powerhouse to its lowest point total of the season.
Breaking loose for 25 points in the last two quarters, after being held to a mere 13-0 edge at halftime, Massillon finally rolled to a 38-0 victory, but most of the praise went to the Tygers.
For the purposes of the records, the victory was Massillon’s seventh straight of the year, it’s 30th in succession since New Castle, Pa., whipped the Tigers in ’37, and it protected the Brown team’s uncrossed goal line.
Mansfield fielded an eleven composed of only one senior, with 10 sophomores and juniors completing the lineup. This team did little offensively against the Tigers. In fact, it ended the night with a net yardage of nothing by rushing as compared to Massillon’s 242 yards.
But the Tygers still managed to get credit for six first downs as compared to the Tigers’ 17. Massillon was hampered by being penalized 80 yards.
Mansfield held Massillon scoreless in the first quarter and accomplished some kind of a feat by forcing the Tigers to punt two times in a row.
Neither team succeeded in passing mid-field until late in the first period when the Tigers finally hit the Mansfield 14-yard stripe. Dick Adams, who scored three touchdowns in the game, got the opening tally on the second play of the second quarter.
Tom “Red” James, the Tigers’ fleet ball-toting ace, sparked a 55-yard drive for the second Massillon touchdown. Ray Getz hammered over the score, however, and place kicked the point.
A 73-yard sustained drive in the opening minutes of the third quarter ended with James scoring on a cutback through right tackle. Shortly afterward, Massillon covered a fumble on the Mansfield 49, “Pokey” Blunt and Getz moved the ball to the 9-yard line in two plays.
A 15-yard penalty set the Tigers back to the 24 so Getz shot a pass to Horace Gillom in the end zone for touchdown No. 4.
The fifth tally came after a 76-yard march, Adams galloping 13 yards for the counter. Dick Kingham, the Tigers’ quarterbak, intercepted a pass on the Massillon 47, Blunt worked the ball to the Mansfield 37, Adams passed to Bray for a first down on the 18 and then Bray swept wide around end to score.
TIGERS HELD TO LOW SCORE OF SEASON BUT TAKE 30TH TRIUMPH
Injured Tom James Sparks Attack But Dick Adams Is Leading Scorer
By SAM FOGG Repository Staff Correspondent
MANSFIELD – Held scoreless throughout the first quarter, Massillon’s Tigers drove over six touchdowns against a fighting Mansfield defense to achieve their 30th consecutive gridiron conquest 38-0 Friday night a Stadium field before a capacity crowd of 10,000.
The football magic of injured Tom James and Horace Gillom and the overpowering play of the Tiger line set in motion the smashing Massillon offensive machinery after a determined team of Mansfield juniors had stopped the attack in the early portion of the contest. The Tigers counted twice in each of the three final periods as Dick Adams accounted for three scores. Gillom, James and Ray Getz scored once apiece.
Massillon Attack Slowed
The Tyger defense ganged up on Massillon backs to slow the running advance more effectively than has any other Tiger opponent and held the Massillon total to a new low for the year. In the first half, the Mansfield line allowed only five first downs and the longest gain turned in by a Massillon runner was James’ sprint of 25 yards in the second quarter.
In turn, Massillon’s line stabbed through blockers to drag down Mansfield runners for constant losses and gave up but one first down in the contest. Led by Bill Wallace, Jim Russell, Dick Kingham, Eli Broglio and Gillom, the Massillon defense nullified the Tyger running attack with a net loss of 16 yards from scrimmage and was never forced back beyond the Massillon 40.
Gillom sponsored the first Massillon score after two Tiger efforts in the first period had been stopped without gain. Out kicking Martin Henke, Mansfield fullback, Gillom turned loose punts of 57 and 55 yards to force play into Tyger territory. Kevie Bray and Adams produced a first down on the Mansfield 29 and Gillom broke over tackle for 17 yards as the quarter ended. As play resumed, Adams picked up five yards, then slid over for seven yards and a touchdown.
Getz Makes Touchdown
Massillon again was halted and a short passing attack for Mansfield had gathered two first downs when James took the field. On the following play, Russell covered a fumble on the Massillon 42 and the Tiger ace went into action. He hammered four yards and Gillom piled for a first down on the Mansfield 46. James whipped through a huge hole at center for 25 yards and whisked off tackle to the Mansfield 6. Three plays later, Getz fought over for the final points of the half.
Massillon had possession of the ball twice in the third period and scored at each opportunity. James returned a punt to the Tiger 40, passed to Bray for four yards, ran for 13 more through tackle, passed to Getz on the 18 for 19 yards, smashed to the two-yard line on two attempts and drove over on a cutback to complete his performance for the night. The second score followed a 54-yard drive downfield when Adams pitched a 26-yard touchdown pass to Gillom in the end zone.
Midway in the final period, Massillon stopped the persistent short passing attack of the Tygers that resulted in nine completions in 14 attempts and drove 79 yards to score. Fred Blunt and Getz rolled for five sizable gains and placed the ball on the Tiger 19. Three plays after, Adams struck over right guard from the 6 for the fifth score and Massillon led 32-0.
Kingham Snags Pass
A moment later, Kingham waylaid a Mansfield pass to give Massillon the ball on the Tiger 37. Adams slipped a shovel pass to Bray for 19 yards and from the 18, Adams ripped through tackle into the end zone for the concluding points.
The Tigers gathered 17 first downs, 16 from rushing, and netted 368 yards, their accumulation of the season. Mansfield picked up one first down from rushing, one by penalty and four on passes that totaled 95 yards. From rushing they gained 30 yards but lost 46 to net 79 yards.
Two fine bands, the Washington High swing band and the Mansfield blue and red uniformed unit, combined their talents for flag raising ceremonies. At half time, the Massillon musicians again provided a colorfully thrilling show as they offered “Six Lessons from Madam LaZonga” and “Dixieland Band” numbers.
Tigers Held at Bay In Initial Period By Club
Coach Paul Snyder’s Aggregation Plays Inspired Ball Against Tigers
By CHARLES MARTIN, News-Journal Sports Editor
MANSFIELD HIGH suffered its second defeat of the season under the floodlights at Stadium field last night but the 7,200 spectators who watched the grid team lose were not disappointed.
Coach Paul Snyder’s Tyger gridsters tangled with the undefeated and untied Massillon juggernaut and put up their greatest battle of the year as they dropped a 38 to 0 decision.
Massillon invaded Stadium field sporting one of the most impressive records ever marked up by one of its teams and the Tygers were not supposed to do much in holding the score down.
But when it was over every fan praised the work of the Mansfield combine in limiting Massillon to six touchdowns.
To a few witnesses it might not have been impressive, but one look at the records should change their opinion.
The Massillon outfit had chalked up six straight wins before coming here and had averaged 58 points a game. In only one game – against Alliance – did the club score less than 48 points. Massillon beat Alliance 40 to 0.
Mentor Snyder saw his protégés play heads up ball during the entire contest. Not once did the Tygers let down as they turned loose one of the finest passing attacks unleashed this year.
Although they went down to defeat, the Tygers accomplished two feats no other team has against Massillon. Mansfield is the first aggregation to mark up a first down before the Tigers and the stout Tyger defense in the first chapter made Massillon punt twice in a row – something it hadn’t done before.
Massillon completely throttled the Tygers’ running attack and while Mansfield failed to penetrate inside the visitors’ 38, its aerial bombardment was causing considerable trouble.
After seeing their attack bog down in the initial stanza the Massillon players began clicking and pushed over two touchdowns each in the next three chapters.
Dick Adams, who scored three of the touchdowns, Tom James, Fred Blunt and Horace Gillom were the principal ground gainers once the Massillon outfit started moving.
Every one of the Tigers’ markers were scored on long marches, the longest coming in the fourth frame when they drove 76 yards after receiving a Mansfield punt.
Other touchdowns were chalked up on marches of 45, 62, 60, 49 and 37 yards.
Near the end of the first period Massillon opened up from the Mansfield 45-yard line. Two first downs placed the pigskin on the Tyger 14 as the chapter ended.
Adams, subbing for James, dashed through the right side of the Mansfield line on a cutback from the eight-yard line for the first tally. Ray Getz’ placement for the extra point was wide.
Mansfield found it impossible to chalk up gains through the heavier Massillon line and shortly after the next kickoff the club was on their way again.
The Tygers moved to Massillon’s 38 on the next kickoff with a passing attack and a fumble at this point was recovered by Jim Russell.
Three successive first downs put the ball on Mansfield’s one-yard line and Getz went around right and into pay dirt. His kick for the point split the uprights. And the half ended with Massillon leading, 13 to 0.
James, regular left halfback, came into the game to spark the Tigers’ to their next touchdown in the third. The club went 60 yards with James going over from the Mansfield two. Getz’ plunge for the point was stopped cold.
A little later Larry Cardinal, Massillon tackle, recovered another Mansfield fumble on the Tygers 49. Two first downs were registered and Adams passed to Gillom in the end zone from the Mansfield 24. Getz added the point from placement.
Adams climaxed Massillon’s 76-yard drive early in the fourth frame by scooting over from the Mansfield one, and he also added the final score after his teammates drove 37 yards. Getz’ two placements were low and wide.
Immediately after the last touchdown Coach Brown sent in his second team, but Mansfield was unable to get its aerial offense working in the remaining three minutes.
John Weber, junior guard and Martin Henke, played spectacular ball for the Tygers. Both were outstanding on defense. Every member of the team, however, turned in creditable performances.
Mansfield lost 15 yards from rushing plays, while Massillon was registering 260. The Tygers also held the edge in nearly every department.
Massillon gained 77 yards on passes to Mansfield’s 33. The Tygers did edge the winners in pass completions, 11 to 4. Gillom gave a brilliant demonstration of punting, averaging 51 yards. Two of his kicks traveled 66 yards. Mansfield averaged 30 yards on punts.
The Mansfield band strutted its stuff in its new uniforms for the first time before the game opened last night. Massillon’s swing band took over the stage during the intermission.
Coach Brown’s Regulars Score Heavily in First Three Quarters to Gain 29th Straight Triumph; Gillom Reigsters Four Touchdowns
Steubenville high’s Big Red hooked up with Massillon high’s Tigers Friday in a gridiron tussle at Tiger stadium and the result was the same as it has been in Massillon’s other five games this season, a decision victory for the Tigers.
Coach Paul Brown’s juggernaut ran and passed its way to 10 touchdowns and converted six extra points for a 66-0 victory, their fourth win in a row over the Stubbers and their fourth in six meetings with the Big Red. Last night’s score gave the Bengals a total of 351 points in their six games to date while holding their opponents scoreless.
A crowd of 13,000 fans was in the stands to see the Tigers, recognized state champions for the last four years and now gaining national recognition, mark up their 29th consecutive triumph. Against the Stubs they scored twice in the first quarter, four times in the second, three times in the third and once again in the fourth stanza. Four of their tallies were made on passes.
Massillon’s first stringers accounted for 59 points as Coach Brown elected to leave his regulars in the ball game until the end of the third quarter. The second club went in and pushed over the final marker in the last period. The third team entered the fray in the last minute of play. Coach Joe Maley almost set a record himself for Big Red replacements, making 12 substitutions during the affair.
Despite the lop-sided score, one thing that can be said in the Stubs’ favor, they were still in there battling as the final gun cracked, though they played the entire last half without the services of Captain Cas Myslinski, Johnny Stojack and Bernie Orsini. Myslinski’s bad arm was bumped one the first play of the ball game and it started to give him trouble, Stojack suffered a painful stomach muscle bruise and Orsini had a recurrence of an old leg injury.
Tremendous speed, smooth play execution, a fast charging line, excellent ball handling and good blocking were all noticeable factors in the Tigers’ play last night and those are five of the big reasons why the Bengals have been rolling over all opposition. Then too, they also have a guy by the name of Horace Gillom, a big 190-pound colored boy, who plays a lot of football from the right end position. He’s a pass receiver deluxe, fine punter (through he only had to kick once last night), good ball carrier, and he also throws a pass once in a while. He also played a great game as one of the linebackers up on defense.
Gillom Standout
It’s hard to pick outstanding performers of this Massillon team, because they’re all good. But Gillom really was a standout last night. He crossed the Big Red goal line for four touchdowns, shifty Tom James, left halfback accounted for three tallies, with Ray Getz, Herman Robinson and Junior White, the latter a substitute back scoring one each.
The closest the Big Red came to scoring was just before the end of the half when Myslinski intercepted James’ pass on the midfield stripe and ran it back 30 yards before he was dropped on the Tiger 20. On the first play, Myslinski’s pass to Unsold was knocked down by Gillom on the 15 and the half ended.
Following an exchange of punts early in the first quarter the Big Red gained possession of the ball on its own 35. Myslinski and Stojack were both good for four yards in a pair of cracks at the Tiger line and then Stojack lost three at right end. On fourth down Johnny got off a high punt, which traveled only 15 yards and out of bounds on the Tiger 45. James slipped through center, cut out to his right and raced 34 yards to a first down on the Stub 21 and on the next play Gillom took the ball on an end around and circled his own left end for a touchdown. Getz missed his placement but the Stubs were offside and Getz made good on his next attempt and the score was 7-0 with about half the quarter gone.
Shortly after the kickoff, Massillon gained possession of the ball ontheir own 33 and marched 67 yards for its second tally, a 29-yard pass play from James to Gillom, bringing the marker. Gillom made a leaping fingertip catch and raced 15 yards to the goal line. Getz missed his placement and it was 13-0 at the end of the quarter.
Four in Second
The Tigers went 68 yards for their next touchdown, Getz sweeping left end from the 24-yard line early in the second quarter. Getz converted from placement. Following the kickoff, Eli Broglio, Tiger tackle, blocked Stojack’s punt on the Stub 17 and the ball rolled out of bounds. It was Massillon’s ball at that point and Gillom scored on an end-around on the first play. Getz again booted the point. After the next kickoff, Myslinski fumbled and Wallace recovered for Massillon on the Big Red 27 and the Tigers drove into touchdown land again, James going over right tackle from the one. Getz’ kick was good. The Bengals went 35 yards for their fourth touchdown of the quarter.
The second club marched 58 yards for the final tally mid-way in the last quarter, Junior White going over left tackle from the four yard line for the touchdown. A 30-yard gain on a pass from Adams to DeMando was the feature of the drive. John Pizzino placekicked the final point.
Steubenville Massillon Mike LE Robinson Monti LT Cardinal Orsini LG Wallace Love C Appleby Peterson RG Russell Lashley RT Broglio DiFederico RE Gillom Potts Q Kingham Stojack LH James Myslinski RH R. Getz Unsold F Blunt
Statistics Big Red Masssillon 3 First Downs 17 12 Passes Tried 21 2 Completed 6 15 Yards Gained 157 1 Intercepted 1 44 Yds. Gained Running 387 42 Net Yards Lost 3 2 Penalties 7 16 Yards Penalized 55 1 Fumbles 4 3 Recovered 1 15 Kicks and Punts 11 364 Yards Kicked 524 142 Yards Returned 52
Massillon Defeats Alliance in Rubber Bowl Grid Classic, 40-0
Underdog Aviators Cover Themselves With Glory in Defeat, Time After Time Halting Bengals; More Than 34,000 See School Boy Battle
Alliance High School’s Aviators and Massillon Washington’s Tigers staged the greatest scholastic football show northeastern Ohio has ever seen, Friday night, when they battled in the Akron Rubber Bowl, before a throng of more than 34,000 fans.
Massillon’s Tigers, as expected, won the game. The Bengals triumphed 40 to 0 but they had to fight for nearly every point and the underdog Aviators covered themselves with glory in defeat.
Fighting all the way, Alliance held Massillon to one touchdown in the opening quarter, two in the second and blanked the Tigers in the third frame. It was the first time this season that Massillon’s first eleven has been held scoreless for an entire quarter.
Breaks Help Tigers
Massillon tallied three touchdowns in the final quarter and some breaks were necessary to make this possible. Otherwise the Tigers would have had to settle for less and Massillon fans who had wagered on 40 points or more would have had to pay off.
As it was, Alliance gave Massillon the stiffest fight it has had so far, and the lowest score the Tigers have won by. The Tigers met grueling resistance all the way and the Aviators tackled viciously doling out a real body beating. When it was over Massillon knew it had been to a football game.
Tigers Win Toss
Massillon won the toss and elected to receive. Alliance was defending the south goal. Earl Branfield kicked off and big Horace Gillom returned to Massillon’s 45-yard line. On the first play Ray Getz was flopped for a five-yard loss. Then Getz picked up 10 yards and a first down on a reverse. Steve Luca, Alliance fullback, was hurt on the play but stayed in the game.
“Pokey” Blunt made a first down on the alliance 45. Tom James picked up six yards before he was nailed by Bill Snodgrass. On an end around play, Gillom took the ball from James and ran 39 yards for the first touchdown. He had perfect blocking to get him into the clear. With James holding the ball, Getz placekicked the extra point.
Alliance Threatens
Gillom then kicked off to Alliance and Charles Gainor returned to the Alliance 28. Fullback Luca broke through for seven yards on the first play. When Gainor and Luca added only yard in two plays Gainor punted and Nick Stoica hit Tom James, Massillon safety man, hard and he fumbled on the Massillon six. Stoica recovered the ball to put Alliance in scoring position.
It was the first time this season any opponent had held the ball inside the Massillon 30-yard line. Massillon held for downs on the one-yard stripe. Blunt picked up three yards and then Gillom punted out to the Massillon 44.
Gainor punted to the Massillon 12 where James was thrown hard. Massillon then reeled off two first downs to hold the ball on the Alliance 47 as the opening quarter ended.
When play was resumed Massillon drove to the 27 but there the Aviators’ defense stiffened and they took the ball on downs. Snodgrass and Gainor made but little yardage in two plays and Gainor punted to the Massillon 41 without a return.
Second Touchdown
James passed to Gillom for a first down on the Alliance 42. Blunt drove to the Alliance 29 and James broke away to the 14. Gillom then took the ball on an end around play and picked up two yards. James then fumbled as he started to run but recovered as the ball bounced perfectly into his hands and he scored the second touchdown. Getz placekicked the extra point making it 14-0.
Gillom kicked off for Massillon to the Alliance 35. Gainor then threw the only pass the Aviators attempted and it was intercepted by James. It was the Tigers’ ball on their own 44. Gillom picked up 11 yards and James passed to Kingham for a first down on the Alliance 33. James ran to the 24. This advance was stopped when Blunt fumbled but recovered on the Alliance 37. Alliance held for downs on its 27. Gainor punted to the Massillon 38.
Massillon then opened a drive for its third touchdown. Getz took a pass from James for a first down on the Alliance 21. James broke to the nine. Alliance was penalized five yards to the four. Getz crashed over for the touchdown. He then missed his placement boot and the score was 20-0.
Massillon Is Halted
At the outset of the third quarter after the Tigers had regained possession of the ball on their 49 when Gainor punted, they drove to the Alliance 39, where Carl Castiglione stopped the advance by intercepting a flat pass from James.
Gainor punted to the Massillon 47 without a return. Massillon then drove to the Alliance 13 but once more the Aviators held for downs.
Massillon shortly after came storming back but the Aviators stopped this advance on the one-foot line. Gainor then punted out to the Alliance 40. Gillom punted over the Alliance goal line and the Aviators took possession on their own 20. Gainor punted to Massillon’s 41. Just as the quarter ended Massillon made a first down on the Alliance 30.
Adams passed to Gillom for 30 yards and a touchdown as the final period opened. Getz placekicked the goal making it 27-0. Soon after an exchange of punts, Massillon took the ball on the Alliance 48.
Passes by Adams to Gillom placed the ball on the 11 and Blunt then scored on a reverse. Getz placekicked the goal making it 34-0.
Young Eddie Howell fumbled and Massillon recovered on the Alliance 24 to set the stage for the final touchdown. After losing yardage on three running plays Adams passed to Robinson for the score. The Aviators blocked Getz’s placement attempt making the final score 40 to 0.
Coach Paul Brown of Massillon left his first stringers in the game until the closing minutes of the final period. The statistics favored Massillon by a heavy margin but the Aviators’ brave-hearted defense in the clutch kept the score down.
Massillon registered 19 first downs to one for Alliance and picked up a net total of 341 yards to 34 for the Aviators. The Tigers completed 10 of 18 aerials tossed to net 161 yards and two of these tosses brought touchdowns. Alliances only pass was intercepted.
The Tigers were penalized 40 yards to five for Alliance. Gillom of Massillon punted four times averaging 43 yards. Gainor booted 12 times and averaged 30 yards. Two of this kicks were good for 45 and one for 50 yards.
The game was sponsored by the Akron Junior League. Alliance sent a giant motor cavalcade of fans to the game. The cavalcade was led by a Stark County sheriff’s patrol.
Before the game the Alliance and Massillon Bands participated in the flag raising ceremony. The Massillon Senior and Junior Bands staged a colorful halftime show. The Massillon Senior Band also put on a short show following the game.
Lineups and summary follow:
Massillon – 40 Pos. Alliance – 0 Robinson L.E. Addison Broglio L.T. Stoica Russell L.G. Iannoti Appleby C Ruff Wallace R.G. Boschini Henderson R.T. Welbush Gillom R.E. Branfield Kingham Q Gainor Getz L.H. C. Castiglione James R.H. Snodgrass Blunt F Luca
Score by quarters: Massillon 7 13 0 20 – 40
Touchdowns: James 2, Getz, Gillom, Blunt and Robinson.
AN AKRON high school coach thinks the staging of the Alliance-Massillon high school football game here Friday night was “an insult to every coach and schoolboy player in Akron.”
Every man is entitled to his own opinion and if that is his, that’s all right. From our observations around town yesterday; from conversations heard everywhere; from countless phone calls from fans who just wanted to say they had never before dreamed such a complete football show was possible, I’d like to say that this coach’s opinion is definitely in the minority.
IS IT WRONG to entertain our neighbor’s children simply because we happen to have children of our own?
If and when it becomes wrong to permit two teams to play on a neutral field in a neutral city, then there could be no Army-Navy game in Philadelphia, because Jefferson Medical college, Pierce, and Penn Charter school are all located there.
And Baltimore never again could have this great classic of the service elevens because Calvert school is in Baltimore.
Never again could Cleveland entertain Notre Dame and Illinois or the Navy-Notre Dame game, because Spencerian college might interpret the invasion of these outside elevens as a direct insult.
TO WHICH we say phooey. Spectacles like that presented by Massillon and Alliance teams, bands, majorettes and other units are of definite benefit to any community.
This one pulled a great throng because it is so unusual for Akron fans to have opportunity to see anything like it.
Let Akron schools put on the same kind of show and there would be no advantage in bringing in two out of town outfits.
Football fans have to be satisfied. For 55 cents Friday night they could see a brilliantly staged three-hour show replete in unusual, novel and highly entertaining features.
If 27,000 or more persons elected to see the Friday night show than attended a city series game here yesterday afternoon, that certainly was within their rights to do so.
AKRON COACHES have complained to me that they do not get paid for coaching. They are school teachers and coaching athletic teams is a sideline diversion, they want one to understand.
They do not want to be criticized for any shortcomings in building strong football clubs. They want criticism directed at higher school administrative officers.
Nobody is attempting to argue that Akron teams do not provide keen competition and thrilling contests. They do.
Massillon simply has perfected a great football machine and a super band show, which ranks among the greatest the nation has ever known. By no stretch of imagination can we figure out why it is an insult to anybody in letting Akronites see this show without having to go out of town.
THE MASSILLON story is becoming one of national importance. During the next few weeks you will read it in practically every newspaper in the country.
Massillon itself does not go after this publicity. The publicists are coming to Massillon.
During the recent conclave of sports writers at the World Series, the Massillon story was told dozens of times by Fritz Howell, Lew Byrer, Robert Olds, this writer, and other Ohioans, to the anxiour ears of writers from Louisville, Detroit, Chicago, New York, Newark, New Orleans, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and scores of other cities where good high school football is known and appreciated.
These fellows either have written it by now or will be writing the story soon. The nation’s largest newspaper syndicate is preparing articles on Massillon for release in the immediate future.
In every line of endeavor it is nice to have some one unit excel; to stand out far above all others; to illustrate just how this particular endeavor should be done….properly.
It might be a Bobby Jones in golf, the old Yankees in baseball; a Bobby Riggs in tennis. For complete football show it is Massillon.
Some Frown On Program
WE KNOW full well that some persons look unkindly upon this game and this great spectacle. And some will complain about parking and others about slow ticket handling…
This is something new in athletic ventures for Akron and there are bound to be some rough edges in the operation. Most of these rough places will disappear in time as Akronites become accustomed to the stadium and how to reach it with the least inconveniences…
But every good Akron fan will go out of his way tonight to help make the program the more enjoyable for the many guests from out of town. Some of the benefits from this stunt of showing Akron’s neighbors how easy it is to come to Akron will make their appearances long after this football program has been written into the books…
And if it should work out that Akron university begins to attract athletes from Alliance and Massillon that will be an added benefit that will make itself felt in the improved caliber of Tommy Dowler’s Zippers.
Best direct benefit from tonight’s affair – not considering now the child welfare work the program will help carry on – would be for Akron’s own high school teams to look upon it as a challenge, and to set in at once to determine the two best local elevens and to plan for a meeting on the Rubber Bowl gridiron as a climax to the current season.
Then, with every Akron school contributing to the color and the pageantry or to the game itself, tonight’’ spectacle must be surpassed. And with it, the crowd. ++++++++++++++ SOME OF THESE days the new stadium is going to be completed. It is nearer completion today than it was last Friday but not by any great measure.
Maybe if the president had decided to stop off long enough this evening to take a look at WPA’s handiwork at the stadium, the edifice would be completed today as though by miracle.
“Big League Stuff,” Says Little Old Man At Rubber Bowl
It’s Nothing Else
By EDDIE BUTLER
A LITTLE old man, who admitted he had come out to be surprised, settled himself comfortably on row 34 directly behind the southeast goal post for last night’s Massillon-Alliance charity grid battle, beamed as people swarmed in from all angles of Akron’s palatial Rubber Bowl and, tickled as a kid with a new toy, quipped: “Boy, this is the big leagues.”
And the 30,000 fans who witnessed the complete show – a rip-snorting, football battle, a glamorous band performance, and a colorful fireworks display, will agree he said a mouthful.
But the best part of the whole affair was that everyone present had a seat where the show could be seen, followed and enjoyed.
More than surprised with what he had seen, the little old man remarked as he got up to leave; “This is the first time in my life I paid general admission prices for a ringside seat.”
And the crowd got plenty of action for its kopeks. Alliance had Massillon so completely scouted that the Aviators made the going anything but a breeze for Paul Brown’s grand aggregation. It was the first time this year that the Tigers had seen an enemy on the wrong side of the Massillon 30 when Alliance recovered a fumble in the first period, and the Aviators are the only team that forced Brown to keep his first string in action for four quarters.
It was power and speed that saved the Tigers. The Aviators had the Tigers’ trick stuff down so well that only on the Tigers’ initial touchdown was it effective.
The fans expected to see a faultless Tiger eleven in action – and they did. But it was the band’s antics that left’em gasping.
At their best for this show, the Tiger bandettes quickly reviewed all their regular stuff – and then wowed the spectators with a flag formation done with lights after the big stadium lamps had been extinguished.
Almost without hesitation, the band offered a salute to Alliance, roared down the field with “Hold that Tiger,” came back with “Rampart St. Parade,” and then offered imitations of a Dixieland band with a brass section playing and the rest of the band doing a dance step. In the post-game performance the band played “Take Down the Flag,” and then concluded a brilliant performance with a novelty number that included a military march, a Dutch dance, a swing tune and a hillbilly hop – and this called “Mutiny in the Band,” just about stole the show.
A tribute to the band’s performance is the fact that few persons moved from their seats until the bandettes rolled off down the field.
But that was the senior band. The Massillon junior high crew, a 100-piece organization, was sensational. Few college bands would have attempted the routine offered by the juniors. Like its footballers, Massillon doesn’t have a worry over band members. Its growing’em.
An announcement over the public address system by Bob Wilson that a car was parked and securely locked in the parking lot with the motor running drew one of the evening’s big laughs.
The second guessers among us in the closed end of the stadium thought the Massillon captain erred in the third period when he refused a penalty against Alliance after the Aviators had successfully punted out from their own one-yard line. The Tigers had the ball on Alliance’s 39 – and the Tiger captain figured he had the ball and he’d keep it. His judgment was soon vindicated as the Tigers marched to a touchdown.
The skin worn by Obie the Tiger mascot is a $400 creation.
Many persons are asking today: “How does the Massillon band do it?” The answer is that George “Red” Bird, the school’s music director and bandmaster, with his advisors, Myron McKelvey, assistant director, and Mac Wickersham, dramatic director, work all performance details out on a blackboard before the band ever hears about them.
Then Bird introduces the outline to the band, McKelvey takes the majorettes, and Wickersham provides the properties.
Only after the band has mastered the details – and its precision last night was remarkable – and the majorettes have learned their cues, and all the properties have been obtained is the idea presented to the Massillon fans.
A gent who claimed to be a member of the Massillon booster club insisted it is tougher to make the band than it is to make the Tiger football team. Even now the horn-tooters are four deep – and there is a long waiting list.
You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen the black and silver outfits of the Tiger majorettes. The girls appeared first in all white – and did a quick change for their half-time strut in skin-tight shorts and jackets that are just about the niftiest outfits ever seen here.
End Earle Branfield of Alliance will be the topic of discussion in Massillon football circles for a long time. This powerful youngster defied the famed Tiger blockers – and was mainly responsible for the failure of the Tiger “mystery stuff” to click.
A souvenir seeker in the end section got his sports mixed and wanted to keep the ball when the Alliance place-kicker booted it into the stands during the pre-game practice. The Aviators’ student manager almost had to knock him down to recover the ball.
Golf Pro Johnny Coughlin of Silver Lake CC was one of those raving over the grandeur of the Rubber Bowl. “Akron certainly has got something to brag about now. This place must be one of the finest in the country,” he offered.
Few persons cared that Massillon won, 40-0. Even the Alliance team and its rooters went home with the satisfaction that the Tigers knew they had been in a ball game, and that the greatest crowd ever to see a high school competition in these parts had roared a hearty “well done” when the timer’s gun sounded.
AVIATORS SHOW GREAT DEFENSE
Tigers Gain At Will In Middle Of Field But Have Hard Time Moving Ball Inside The 25-Yard Lines In Stark County Title Tilt
By LUTHER EMERY
A gallant band of red and blue clad Alliance football players, tried their utmost Friday evening to shock the Ohio scholastic football firmament, by beating Massillon, and though they succeeded in part where four others failed, they eventually went down to a 40-0 defeat.
While 33,000 fans, the largest crowd either team has ever played before and probably the largest crowd ever to attend a scholastic football game in Ohio, looked on in awe, the Alliance gridders, fighting like gamecocks, held the Tigers to one touchdown the first period and completely whitewashed them the third quarter.
Alliance Keyed for Game
What was wrong with Massillon? You will hear that wherever you go today. The Tigers were sluggish, but they also were up against one of the fightinest, gamest ball clubs they have faced in a long, long time.
Massillon was ripe for an upset, and Alliance pointed as it was and higher than a kite tried its best to bring it about. Could it have coupled a better offense with its defensive efforts it would have come considerably nearer than 40 points of its objective.
Statistics do not show the Tigers so badly outplayed. They made 19 first downs and gained the net total of 502 yards from scrimmage. Trouble is that Massillon fans are accustomed to seeing their team go for a touchdown every time they grab the ball.
Hard Going Near Goal
They moved the leather as usual between the 30-yard lines last night but when they got beyond that going their attack bogged down and time again they were thrown back as Alliance took the ball on downs or forced a punt.
Red Welbush, Nick Stoica and Louis Boschini must have made somebody a promise they were going to best Massillon, so brilliantly did they perform. They were in on many a Tiger play and more than once spilled the ball carriers for losses.
Massillon’s end around reverses had a hard time clicking and the well-known deep weak end reverse, just couldn’t be maneuvered. There were Alliance tacklers waiting in the backfield all the time.
There were what you might call two perfect running plays and they produced the first and last touchdowns of the game. Horace Gillom circling left end on the first for 39 yards and Herman Robinson snaring a shovel pass from Dick Adams for 23 yards and the other.
There was what you might call a perfect pass play too, a very fine 30-yard shot that Gillom caught on the fingertips of his outstretched hands in the end zone. The other three touchdowns came the hard way, with Fred Blunt, Tom James and Ray Getz doing the scoring.
Half the Tigers’ points were rolled up in the fourth period after Alliance had held them scoreless the third period. The Tigers had one other scoreless quarter this season, the fourth period of the Weirton game when the second team was in the game for Massillon.
Alliance’s hopes apparently were pinned on a strong defensive setup and the possibility of capitalizing on a break. Having thoroughly scouted the Tigers, the Aviators had set up a defense accordingly, playing at times what virtually amounted to seven and eight-man lines by hopping one or two players into the forward wall at the expected point of attack before Tiger linemen could adjust their blocking assignments to suit.
Passes Work
Tommy James tried to solve the situation by forcing the visitors’ secondary back with passes, and succeeded to some extent, but the Aviators by keeping their secondary on the loose until the start of play were also able to roam that territory fairly well. The Tigers completed 10 of 18 passing attempts for a gain of 161 yards.
Where Alliance was lacking was offense. Nick Luca, Charles Gainor and Bill Snodgrass occasionally found a hole, but ran into it blindly most of the time only to be cut down as the Massillon secondary came up. Not a single Alliance back got away to any sizeable gain, and only one forward pass was thrown, the Tigers intercepting it. Unable to gain ground on offense, increased the Aviators’ defense burden, for they were continually backed into their own territory which they defended with the courage of Revolutionary patriots.
Only once was Alliance in Tiger territory and then ‘twas through no excellence of its own.
Early in the first quarter, James fumbled Gainor’s punt on the 15-yard line, the ball rolling back to the five where Stoica flopped on it. That was the nearest any Massillon opponent has been to the Tiger goal this year, and here the Massillon line demonstrated its great defensive ability. Luca was sent in to the middle of the eight-man line, but he wound up a yard back of where he started. He was fired into the wall again, and the Massillon line bulged for three yards, punting the ball on the three-yard line. Again it was Luca, into the middle for a yard and a half. He was asked to carry the burden on fourth down, but was smothered at the line of scrimmage, the Tigers taking the leather a yard short of the goal. It constituted Alliance’s only threat, and the Aviators failed to make a first down until the last two minutes when they pushed the Tiger second team back for 10 yards.
Alliance also rejoiced over its ability to force Massillon to use its first team most of the game. The seconds who have become accustomed to playing the entire last half, only got in for less than half of the last period.
The Massillon offensive was sluggish. It was the natural spot for a letdown, the schedule of routine having been upset by Saturday night’s game at Erie. No practice was held Monday, leaving the team but two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, to prepare for the game. The ball was handled poorly on plays and there were more Massillon fumbles last night than there have been the whole season put together. Fortunately all but one was recovered.
James, in fact, fumbled one ball for the second touchdown.
He was on his way for a smash at right tackle when the ball popped out of his arms. It looked like a dribble in a basketball game, for a tackler coming in to stop him, dove for the ball instead and the leather bounced back up into the arms of James and he never lost his stride as he ripped around right end for 12 yards and a touchdown.
Getz Kicks Well
Ray Getz’s placekicking is still improving. He kicked six out of eight last night, but only four counted since both teams were offside on two occasions.
Though Massillon took time out for injuries more than it has at any time this season, a glance over players in the dressing room failed to reveal any serious injuries. James and Dick Kingham were both knocked out on the same play at one spot in the third quarter, Kingham throwing a beautiful block at the time to get James away to a long run. Tommy came up with a limp, and both were removed.
The Tigers started in true Massillon fashion and scored a touchdown on the series following the kickoff. Gillom ran it back beautifully to his 44-yard line. Getz made a fake reverse around left end after losing three on his first attempt. Blunt negotiated a first down on the Alliance 45. James circled right end for six yards and the Tigers completely fooled the Aviators on the next play when Gillom circled left end for a touchdown. Getz kicked goal.
Alliance received but Luca was forced to punt, and James fumbled it to give Alliance its only scoring opportunity from the five-yard line. Following an exchange of punts, the Tigers, starting from their own 13, drove to the Alliance 27 where the Aviators braced and took the ball on downs. Play was w ell into the second period by now, and the Aviators punted back to the Massillon 41, from which a successful touchdown drive was launched. A 17-yard pass, James to Gillom and a 15-yard run by James planted the leather on the 14-yard line. Gillom ran literally about four yards around left end but only gained two. On the next play James jumbled his way across the goal line, completely outrunning the Alliance secondary.
The Tigers drove to the Alliance 28-yard line the next time they got the ball, but lost it there after a deep weak end reverse had lost 13 yards. The Aviators as usual couldn’t gain, however and punted out on the Massillon 48. James hurled to Getz for a first down on the 21, a 31-yard pass and James smashed through tackle to a first on the nine-yard line. A penalty for too many times out moved the ball five yards nearer the Alliance goal, and Getz went over on a cutback play through his right tackle, to increase the Massillon lead to 20 points.
Alliance Battles To End
Many expected the Tigers to make a rout of it the third period, but the Alliance gridders had different ideas. An intercepted pass, which Charles Castiglione pulled down on his own 40, stopped them the first time. The Alliance line did it the next time after Massillon had moved the leather from its 29 to the Aviators’ 13. The Aviator linesmen stopped them a second time, this time the Tiger drive reaching the one-yard line where Blunt rammed into a swarm of players and was stopped without gain. A 15-yard penalty, for holding, forced the Tigers back the next time they got the ball.
In the closing minutes of the quarter, however, they launched another drive that began with Adams dancing his way to midfield on the return of a punt. Pizzino and Adams made it first down on the Aviators’ 30 as the scoreless period ended. On the first play of the fourth quarter Adams tossed to Gillom for the fourth touchdown.
After an exchange of punts, the Tigers secured the ball on the Alliance 47. Adams passed 16 yards to Gillom for a first down on the 31-yard line, and tossed another 21-yard peg to Gillom for first on the 10-yard line. Blunt went through left tackle for the touchdown.
Blunt covered a fumble on the Alliance 24-yard line after the kickoff to put the Tigers in position for their last touchdown. Getz struck through for 10 yards and a first on the 14. Adams was thrown for a four-yard loss but he got three of them back the next play. Gillom was no more than handed the ball until Welbush tossed him a 10-yard loss. With fourth down coming up, Adams tossed a short shovel pass to Robinson who skimmed the sideline in the corner of the field as he crossed the goal for the last touchdown. Alliance came back after the kickoff to get its only first down of the game, but was forced thereafter to punt and the Tigers had the ball at the final gun.
Statistics Of The Game
Mass. Alli. First downs 19 1 First downs rushing 13 1 First downs passing 6 0 Yards gained rushing 381 62 Net yards gained 341 33 Net yards forwards 161 0 Total net yards gained 502 34 Forwards attempted 18 1 Forwards completed 10 0 Forwards intercepted 1 1 Yards intercepted returned 7 0 Times punted 3 12 Returned by 3 1 Average punts (yds.) 37 31 Average kickoffs 50 46 Yards punts returned 36 11 Yards lost rushing 40 29 Yards kickoff returned 35 77 Fumbles 4 2 Lost ball on fumbles 1 1 Penalties 4 2 Yards penalized 40 10 INDIVIDUAL CARRYING Times Yards Yards Yards Carried Gained Lost Net Blunt 18 17 13 64 James 9 112 1 111 Getz 9 54 8 46 Gillom 8 79 15 64 Pizzino 1 5 0 5 Adams 8 31 3 28 Robinson 1 23 – 23
AKRON, O., Oct 11 – The mighty Massillon Tigers scored their 28th successive victory tonight, over powering a stubborn Alliance squad, 40-0, in Akron’s new Rubber Bowl before a record-breaking crowd of 34,000.
The game was the first high school contest played in the new stadium and the attendance was the largest that ever has witnessed a football game in the Akron area.
The Tigers tallied their first score early in the opening period when Tom James found a big hole at his left tackle and behind perfect interference raced 39 yards for the touchdown. Ray Getz kicked the extra point.
MASSILLON ALLIANCE Robinson L.E. Branfield Broglio L.T. Welbush Russell L.G. Boschini Appleby C Ruff Wallace R.G. Iannotti Henderson R.T. Stocia Gillom R.E. Addison Kingham Q Gainor Getz L.H. Snodgrass James R.H. Castiglione Blunt F Luca
Touchdowns – James 2, Getz, Gillom, Blunt, Robinson.
Points after touchdown – Getz 4, (placekicks).
Tigers Depend On Aerials For 28th Triumph In Row
Determined Aviator Defense Forces Ohio Champions To Use Passes For Victory In Rubber Bowl Battle; Tom James Sparks Winners Until Injured
By SAM FOGG. Repository Staff Correspondent.
AKRON – A mammoth record breaking throng of 33,00 northeastern Ohio football fans almost filled the Rubber bowl here Friday night to watch the hard fought football that has made Stark county famous as Massillon Tigers beat back the Alliance Aviators 40-0 for their 28th consecutive victory.
The huge crowd roared its approval of the dazzling Tiger pass attack which won the game, of the spirited defensive play of the Aviators that threw back the famed Massillon running attack, and of a stirring band spectacle presented by three band units of the two schools.
Forced To Pass
An inspired Alliance line that stood off attack after attack of the fast Tiger backs forced the Ohio champions to the air to score the victory. A quick touchdown was slipped over in the opening minutes of the contest, two more were blasted across in the second period, and passes bagged the final scores in the last quarter.
Penetrating waves of Tiger interference, the Aviator forward wall time and again spilled Massillon runners for losses and grudgingly fought against the relentless touchdown parade. Only Tom James, Massillon’s bouncing halfback, proved a consistent ground gainer as he sparked the victory with his runs off tackle and deadly passes.
In turn the Tiger line matched the play of their opponents as they stopped the first serious threat of the season on the one-yard line in the opening quarter and allowed only 37 yards from scrimmage. With James, Dick Adams, and Getz firing passes to all-Ohio Horace Gillom, Herman Robinson and Dick Kingham for long gains, the Tigers collected six quick scores.
Massillon completed 10 of 18 passes for 161 yards. The Tigers accumulated 19 first downs and held Alliance to one gained in the final moments of the game.
Scores On End Around
Receiving the opening kickoff the Tigers used four plays to drive over their first touchdown. From the 40-yard line, Getz, Fred Blunt and James hammered to the Alliance 38, and Gillom came around from his end position to score without an Alliance player touching him. Getz kicked the point.
Four plays later Alliance chased the mighty Tiger team to its own 5 yard line when James bobbled Gainors punt and Stoica covered for Alliance. Luca and Snodgrass moved to the one-yard line in three attempts, but the entire center of the Massillon line and Gillom threw back Luca’s plunge on fourth down.
James engineered two Massillon scores in the following quarter. On the first, he stepped off 15 yards at tackle and a play later, picked up his own fumble on the 11 and crashed over.
For the other touchdown, James tossed to Getz for 30 yards and Getz scored on a sharp cut back from the 4-yard line. In the third period, James was injured on a play and left the game.
On the opening play of the final quarter, Dick Adams threw a pass to Gillom for 30 yards and a touchdown. Later Adams pitched tosses to Gillom for 17 and 20 yard advances and Blunt smashed for a score from 10 yards out. In the closing moments, Robinson fell on a fumble on the Aviator 24 and took a pass from Adams for a 23-yard touchdown play.
Essentially a defensive dog-fight between the two lines, the game featured the play of Harry Welbush, Nich Stoica, Steve Luca and Chuck Gainor.of Aliance and James, Gillm, Jim Russell, Eli Broglio and Adams for the Tigers.
The Washington High swing band, the Massillon junior high school unit and the Alliance band joined forces in the musical pageantry at flag raising. At halftime, the two Massillon groups offered the entire show with the precision drills which have brought standing applause from audiences all season. The rhumba number with “Obie” as Madam Lazonga and the Statue of Liberty tableau featured the show and at the conclusion of the game, the audience remained seated as the “story of the four majorettes” was given as an encore.
Alliance Pos. Massillon Branfield L.E. Robinson Welbush L.T. Broglio Boschini L.G. Russell Ruff C Appleby Iannotti R.G. Wallace Stocia R.T. Henderson Addison R.E. Gillom Gainor Q Kingham Snodgrass R.H. Getz Castiglione L.H. James Luca F Blunt
Substitutions for Massillon: Pizzino, fb; Cardinal, t; Adams, lh; F. Cardinal, qb; Oliver, t; Erdley, hb; White, hb; P. Getz, g; Bray, e; Stout, c; Holt, qb; Fuchs, c. For Alliance: Fritz, e; Faulkner, g; Bard, g; Andreanni, c; DeMuth, e; Bugara, hb; Howell, hb; Mantho, t.
Referee – Earle Gross. Umpire – Verlin Jenkins. Head linesman – Eddie Howell.
STATISTICS MASS. All. First downs, rushing 13 1 First downs, passing 6 0 First downs, total 19 1 Yards gained, rushing 390 67 Yards gained, passing 163 0 Yards lost 43 28 Yards gained, net total 510 39 Passes attempted 18 1 Passes completed 10 0 Passes incomplete 7 0 Passes intercepted 1 1 Fumbles 4 2 Own fumbles recovered 3 1 Opp. fumbles covered 1 1 Penalties, yardage 40 10 Punts 3 12 Punts, average yardage 44 32
MASSILLON DRUBS ALLIANCE, 40 TO 0
Record Crowd of 34,000 in Akron Rubber Bowl Sees Tigers Roar to 28th Straight
(From Plain Dealer Bureau)
AKRON, O., Oct. 11 – The mighty Massillon Tigers scored their 28th successive victory tonight, overpowering a stubborn Alliance squad, 40-0, in Akron’s new Rubber Bowl before a record-breaking crowd of 34,000.
The game was the first high school contest played in the new stadium and the attendance was the largest that ever has witnessed a football game in the Akron area.
The Tigers tallied their first score early in the opening period when Tom James found a big hole at his left tackle and behind perfect interference raced 39 yards for the touchdown. Ray Getz kicked the extra point.
Alliance came the nearest of any school to cross the Massillon goal line this season when Nick Stoica recovered a fumble by James on the Massillon 6-yard line stripe. The Tigers were equal to the occasion and stopped four line plays to take the ball on downs on their own 1-yard stripe and Horace Gillom punted out of danger.
The Tigers drove 59 yards for a score in the second period with James tallying from the 14-yard line. Getz again kicked the point.
Late in the second Getz took a short pass from James and galloped to the Alliance 5. The Tigers marched to a score with Getz going over.
For the first time this season Massillon started the first team in the second half and Alliance showing its best defensive play held the Tigers scoreless in the third.
On the first play of the fourth period Adams fired a 30-yard pass to Gillom for a touchdown and Getz again kicked the extra point.
Another aerial, Adams to Gillom, connected on the Alliance 11 and Pokey Blunt scored the fourth touchdown.
Herman Robinson recovered an Alliance fumble on the Aviators’ 24 and then flipped a shovel pass to Adams, who raced for the final score. Massillon out gained Alliance, 19 to 1, in first downs and gained a net total of 341 yards to 34 for Alliance.
The Tigers completed 10 of 18 passes to net 161 yards through the air.
Officials here tonight claimed that the crowd was the largest that ever has viewed a regularly scheduled high school game in the state with only the post-season charity game in Cleveland outdrawing tonight’s contest.
MASSILLON ALLIANCE Robinson L.E. Branfield Broglio L.T. Welbush Russell L.G. Boschini Appleby C Ruff Wallace R.G. Iannotti Henderson R.T. Stoica Gillom R.E. Addison Kingham Q Gainor Getz R.H. Snodgrass James L.H. Castiglione Blunt F Luca
Touchdowns – James 2, Getz, Gillom, Blunt, Robinson.
Points after touchdown – Getz 4 (placement).
MASSILLON DRUBS ALLIANCE, 40 TO 0
Record Crowd of 34,000 in Akron Rubber Bowl Sees Tigers Roar to 28th Straight
(From Plain Dealer Bureau)
AKRON, O., Oct. 11 – The mighty Massillon Tigers scored their 28th successive victory tonight, overpowering a stubborn Alliance squad, 40-0, in Akron’s new Rubber Bowl before a record-breaking crowd of 34,000.
The game was the first high school contest played in the new stadium and the attendance was the largest that ever has witnessed a football game in the Akron area.
The Tigers tallied their first score early in the opening period when Tom James found a big hole at his left tackle and behind perfect interference raced 39 yards for the touchdown. Ray Getz kicked the extra point.
Alliance came the nearest of any school to cross the Massillon goal line this season when Nick Stoica recovered a fumble by James on the Massillon 6-yard line stripe. The Tigers were equal to the occasion and stopped four line plays to take the ball on downs on their own 1-yard stripe and Horace Gillom punted out of danger.
The Tigers drove 59 yards for a score in the second period with James tallying from the 14-yard line. Getz again kicked the point.
Late in the second Getz took a short pass from James and galloped to the Alliance 5. The Tigers marched to a score with Getz going over.
For the first time this season Massillon started the first team in the second half and Alliance showing its best defensive play held the Tigers scoreless in the third.
On the first play of the fourth period Adams fired a 30-yard pass to Gillom for a touchdown and Getz again kicked the extra point.
Another aerial, Adams to Gillom, connected on the Alliance 11 and Pokey Blunt scored the fourth touchdown.
Herman Robinson recovered an Alliance fumble on the Aviators’ 24 and then flipped a shovel pass to Adams, who raced for the final score. Massillon out gained Alliance, 19 to 1, in first downs and gained a net total of 341 yards to 34 for Alliance.
The Tigers completed 10 of 18 passes to net 161 yards through the air.
Officials here tonight claimed that the crowd was the largest that ever has viewed a regularly scheduled high school game in the state with only the post-season charity game in Cleveland outdrawing tonight’s contest.
MASSILLON ALLIANCE Robinson L.E. Branfield Broglio L.T. Welbush Russell L.G. Boschini Appleby C Ruff Wallace R.G. Iannotti Henderson R.T. Stoica Gillom R.E. Addison Kingham Q Gainor Getz R.H. Snodgrass James L.H. Castiglione Blunt F Luca
History 
