Cathedral Prep Takes First Local Bow Saturday Afternoon Meeting Ashtabula in Stadium; Colonels Invade Sharon Friday Night
By Charles Haughney
STILL stunned, dazed and unbelieving of what had been its role in the most astounding chapter in the history of local scholastic football, the task of picking up the pieces of East’s shattered Scarlet and Grey gridiron machine was begun today to carry out a city series assignment against Tech’s Centaurs Friday night in the Stadium.
The Warriors, while what was estimated at a record shattering throng of over 20,000 sat, stood and hung pop-eyed around the concrete banks of the Stadium Saturday night, went down to the worst defeat ever suffered in 20 years of campaigning – a 74 to 0 score rolled up by Massillon’s mighty Tigers.
Again the Massillon line with its brilliant charge and stonewall defense, was an outstanding factor in the Tigers’ big victory. Most noticeable of all from an offensive standpoint, was the passing attack which accounted for five of the touchdowns.
The percentage of completions, 9 of 21 was not particularly impressive but the fact that five of the pegs scored touchdowns tells a different story. Two passes were intercepted, 10 others were grounded.
East, for some unknown reason, did not take to the air until the last period. The Warriors tried 11 passes, but only completed one for a gain of seven yards.
For the first minute of the game, it appeared that the inspired East team might give the Tigers a busy evening. Ray Getz only moved a couple of yards with the kickoff before he was downed. Tom James smashed at right tackle, the same play that doomed Warren a week ago, but he was met hard by Erie tacklers and gained but two yards. Fred Blunt poked his way through for six, but with fourth down coming up, Horace Gillom dropped back and lofted the ball to the Erie 34-yard line. That was one of three times the Tigers failed to score when they got the ball. Pass interceptions halted their other two efforts. The Warriors moved the ball up four yards on three attempts and Ed Skovron punted to Tom James who caught the leather on the 20 and brought it back to his 34.
James Gets Going
There Massillon began to move. On the second play James shook himself loose and was in the open when Bill Crotty brought him down from behind on the 27-yard line while he was staggering, trying to regain his balance. It was a run of 36 yards. James and Getz moved the ball to the 17 and Blunt on his second attempt, went through the Warrior line as though fired from a cannon, to score standing up. Getz kicked the extra point.
The 7-0 score was the lowest first period score of the season, but it only missed being 14-0 by a play, for on the first play of the second period, Blunt plunged over from the one foot line for a touchdown that ended a drive from the 13-yard line where Eli Broglio, swarthy tackle, had covered an Erie fumble.
The Tiger attack reached devastating proportions and the heavier Erie team was completely demoralized thereafter. The Warriors received, but on the first play, Skovron fumbled, and John Hill, who had substituted for Jim Russell while the latter was getting some sideline instruction, was on the bottom of the pile on the East 39-yard line. The Warriors closed in to stop the Tiger ball carriers so James eased back and fired a long shot to Herman Robinson who made a fine catch and raced over the goal for the 20th point. Getz missed the placekick.
The Warriros received and when they stopped, Skovron attempted to punt. Russell crashed through and blocked the ball. It fell into the arms of Robinson who raced over the goal for his second touchdown in 60 seconds. Getz planted the 27th point between the uprights.
East earned its only first down after the following kickoff when Skovron and Fran Lininger gained 12 yards on two plays. The drive was stopped on the Warrior 41, however and Skovron’s punt to the Massillon 24 was the signal for another Tiger march. Gillom, Blunt and James carried the leather to midfield, where James faded back and fired a long pass that Gillom caught on the East 14 and ran for a touchdown. Getz’s kick was wide of the goal posts.
When Erie failed to make its yardage after the following kickoff, Skovron punted to James who returned brilliantly from the 30 to the 49-yard line. He ran to a first down on the 31, passed to Robinson for a first down on the nine-yard line and followed it with a pass to Gillom for a touchdown, Gillom taking the ball in the corner of the field. Getz kicked the 40th point.
Another Touchdown
The Tigers received at the start of the second half and began moving from their 34. A pass to Robinson was good for 14 and Getz took the ball from James on a Statue of Liberty for another first on the 35. Getz and James took the ball to the seven-yard line, where James pegged it to Robinson for a touchdown. Getz kicked goal and four Massillon subs entered the game.
No more scores were made in the third period but the Tigers’ were well on their way at the end of the quarter, having marched from their 35 to the East six-yard line when the period ended. Pizzino in two smacks at the line put the ball on the one-yard line and Adams bucked it over. Pizzino kicked the extra point and it was 54-0. Fred Cardinal had blocked a punt and Gordon Appleby had covered to put the Tigers in position for the score. Another blocked punt put the locals in position for their next touchdown. This time it was Pizzino who drove through the East line and stopped the ball, Keve Bray covering for Massillon on the 13-yard line. Junior White moved it up two yards and Pizzino on four attempts took it over and kicked the extra point.
Hard plunging by Chuck Holt and a 13-yard run by Adams brought the ball on the next attempt to the East 31. There Holt added seven more and White circled left end for 24 yards and a touchdown. Pizzino’s kick was wide.
The last Massillon touchdown came with the third team in the game. Having stopped the Warriors’ on the ground and in the air the third stringers got the ball on the East 44. Frank Erdley passed to Power for a first down on the 34 and came right back with a second peg to Bob Graber for a first on the 19. Erdley and Holt advanced it to the 10 where Erdley dropped back and pegged to Dallas Power for a touchdown. Holt plunged the 74th and final point across.
Massillon Gridders Hand Warren Its Worst Defeat In History With First Team Only Playing Two Periods Of Game
By LUTHER EMERY
Greased lightning was turned loose by Coach Paul Brown in Tiger Stadium Friday evening and the thunderbolts struck fast and furiously to blast a 59-0 victory out of the Warren Presidents, the 26th in a row.
While a crowd of between 13,000 and 14,000 fans looked on, another football pageant of sensational touchdown runs, music flag waving, and marching splendor was unfurled.
Show Makes Up for Lop-Sided Score
It was a one-sided victory for Massillon, as many had expected it to be, but those that came for the show, were treated to the best yet, and they began to leave shortly after the start of the third period.
The game differed from the heated battles of past years. Not that it was tame, for there was plenty of jabbing in the pileups, but it was more one-sided than Massillon-Warren games of other years.
Warren was whipped from the start. Its line literally exploded when struck by the Massillon forward wall. It was riddled twice on consecutive plays, in the first series of the game when Tom James after being denied a 46-yard touchdown jaunt for both teams being offside, came right back to race through the same opening on another 46-yard run that produced six points.
Here’s A Run For You
The touchdown cracked Warren; two more by James, one from the one-yard line, and another from the 18 did their morale no good, but the straw that broke the camel’s back was a 75-yard dash by Horace Gillom. Rumming from punt formation, he was practically on his own after he got by the line of scrimmage. Tacklers bounced off him. He shook others from his legs and body and with a lithe twist, sent another whirling through the air, to get himself in the open. Then with only the safety-man between him and the goal posts, he turned on that extra speed he always seems to have and outlegged his opponent to the goal. It was one of the finest runs ever seen here, a great performance by a great football player.
There were five more touchdowns, three by young Johnny Pizzino, and one each by Junior White and Charles Holt, and there could have been more had not Coach Brown kept his first team on the bench the entire second half.
Warren writers scratched their heads and said they couldn’t remember when a Warren team had been beaten so badly. Certainly it was the largest score the Tigers had ever won by though back in 1922 they defeated Warren 48-6.
Warren newspapermen had anticipated a thumping, however, and questioned whether Brown would pull his punches after an argument before the game with Pierre Hill, Warren coach, over the color of the ball.
The two had it out at Warren last year and hasty things were said. It was renewed by telephone this week and reached a peak on the gridiron before the game when Hill protested the color of the Tiger jersies as not providing sufficient contrast for the ball.
The referee asked the Warren coach if he would consent to a white ball. He refused.
After the game, the referee, R.W. Fensterwald, explained that he had made up his mind that if Hill had agreed to accept the white ball and if Brown had refused to do so, he would have insisted that Massillon wear white sweaters and play with the brown ball.
Argument A Boomerang
The argument was a boomerang to Hill for the Tigers are adept at hiding the ball, and with an orange background to work with, even the fans looking down on the plays from their positions high in the bleachers, had a hard time finding the leather.
It wasn’t the ball however, that was accountable for Gillom’s long run, nor for many of the sparkling dashes that Tom James, Dick Adams and Junior White reeled off. They were hit by plenty of tacklers but squirmed, wiggled and wormed around so as not to let an opponent get their hands set on them.
Some of the visiting writers described the Massillon backs as the fastest beings they have ever seen, but they overlooked Booker Williamson, one of their own, who twice dashed through the line and almost got away. With a big Tiger forward wall and good blocking in front of him, he could make any of them step.
Mention of the Tiger line raises the question if it has ever had a peer in Washington high football circles, especially defensively. It hasn’t yielded a score to an opponent yet, and Warren, without any offense to speak of, was unable to even penetrate inside the Massillon 45-yard line.
True the visitors made six first downs, more than either Cathedral Latin or Weirton, but they were chalked up largely against the second team.
The Tiger linemen played a whale of a defensive game, one group submarining, another stacking them up to smother plays on the line of scrimmage.
With line play like this in front of them, backs naturally can go places and the Tiger ball carriers frequently got away to long gains. End Around Stopped
Warren had one play scouted thoroughly. It was the end around play that worked so successfully against Weirton a week ago. Gillom tried it once and was tossed behind the line of scrimmage. Keve Bray also attempted it, and he too was dropped in his tracks, while Robinson running from end, grounded a pass in order to escape being thrown for a 10-yard loss.
The Presidents varied their defense from time to time, using an eight-man line when backed into the shadow of their goal posts.
Brown had anticipated a “cock-eyed” defense, but his line had the power to beat it down.
The statistics as a whole favored the Tigers. They made 10 first downs to Warren’s six and gained a net total of 434 yards from scrimmage to Warren’s 43 yards.
The locals’ passing attack showed improvement over last week, completing eight of 17 for 154 yards in gains.
The spot punting of Gillom and Adams also brought applause from the fans. Gillom hoisted a beauty out of bounds on the five-yard line and Adams planted one dead, three yards short from the goal.
There were few penalties. The Tigers lost 40 yards, for rule infractions. Warren wasn’t penalized in yards, but the Tigers refused several penalties against the Presidents, preferring to take the down instead.
James got away from his first touchdown jaunt on the third play after the kickoff. Warren adopted a bit of strategy at the start and kicked out of bounds rather than chance having some Tiger ball carrier leg it up the alley. It was a poor kick, however, the ball going out on the Massillon 46-yard line.
James Gets Away
Ray Getz broke the ice with a nine-yard run and James pegged a long pass to Gillom which the latter might have caught had he not slowed down or misjudged the ball. It went over his head with a clear path to the goal line.
James blasted through right tackle on the next play for a 46-yard touchdown sprint but the ball was brought back when both sides were declared offside. So little Tommy hit the same spot again, found a great big hole, ran around the Warren secondary and reached pay dirt. Ray Getz kicked goal.
Fans had hardly settled back in their seats until the Tigers struck again. Taking the kickoff back to the 24-yard line, Eddie Exler tried to punt on third down with Bill Wallace on the loose. Bill gave a perfect exhibition of how to block a punt and recovered the ball. When the pileup was removed he was hugging the leather on the Warren five-yard line. Getz moved it up four yards and James went inside his right tackle for the touchdown. Again Getz kicked goal and it was 14-0.
Warren did a better job of defending its goal and stopped the next two Tiger thrusts. Gillom hoisted a beautiful spiral 50 yards and out of bounds on the five-yard line to shove the Presidents in a hole. Williams booted it back to his 42 and on the first down, Blunt tossed a short pass to Gillom, who flipped a Warren tackler over his head and ran for a touchdown. The officials, however, ruled that the play had stopped on the 32-yard line so the ball was brought back. Another pass, Blunt to Gillom took the leather to the 22. Getz moved it up four yards and James on a spin to the weak side, so completely faked handling the ball that he was practically unmolested in his dash for six points. This time Getz missed the goal and the quarter ended 20-0.
Parade Continues
Points came just as rapidly the second period. Williamson opened it with a 23-yard run that gave Warren its initial first down and brought a big ovation from the crowd. He was turned loose again on the next series and carried the ball to the Tiger 47. The brief rally ended there and Scarpaci punted to Tom James who was dropped on his 21. He moved the ball up four yards, in a formation that brought Gillom into the backfield. Running deep, the latter on the next play got the ball, ran up the sideline, dodging tacklers, shaking them off, and at the same time watching the line so as not to step out of bounds. He got away for 75 yards and a touchdown. Getz kicked goal to make it all the better.
The Tigers kicked off, but after one play, Scarpaci fumbled and Herman Robinson promptly threw himself on the ball on the Warren 18. Pizzino pegged the ball to Gillom for a first down on the four-yard line and after Getz had moved the leather to within a yard of the goal, Pizzino took it over. Getz’s kick for the extra point was wide.
A 54-yard drive produced the next touchdown and the last of the half. Getting the ball on his 46, James passed to Gillom for a first down on the 27. A Pizzino pass to Gillom gained three more, and Getz picked up two on a spin. James hurled to Robinson for a first down on the four-yard line and Pizzino took one play to get over. Getz kicked goal to put the score at 40-0 at intermission.
The Tigers received in the third quarter, but were forced to punt. Here Dick Adams lofted a beauty to the three-yard line where it was grounded. Scarpaci punted back to Adams who reeled in the yards until he got to the 10-yard line. It only took Pizzino two cracks to slip it over from there. His kick was wide but the score was 46-0.
Frustrated once by a penalty after they had advanced the ball to the seven-yard line, the Tigers got the ball on the Warren 48, and without delay, Adams passed to White, who ran for the touchdown.
The game was practically over and third stringers were in the lineup when the Tigers scored their ninth and last touchdown. Stopped on a fumble that Warren recovered on its own two-yard line, the Tigers eventually turned the effort into a touchdown when Holt intercepted Scarpaci’s pass on the 15-yard line and scored.
The first attempt to buck the point over for the extra point was good but Massillon was offside and drew a penalty of five yards. Holt tried it again but was thrown less than a yard short of the goal.
The game wound up with practically a third team on the field for Massillon. Statistics Of The Game Mass. Warren First downs 10 6 Yards gained rushing 296 37 Yards gained passing 154 17 Total yards gained 450 54 Yards lost 16 11 Net yards gained 434 43 Passes attempted 17 9 Passes completed 8 9 Passes grounded 9 6 Passes intercepted 0 1 Times kicked off 9 2 Average kickoff (yds.) 51 29 Times punted 4 11 Average punt (yds.) 39 30 Fumbles 2 2 Lost ball on fumble 1 1 Yards penalized 40 0
26 In A Row
Massillon Pos. Warren Robinson le J. Johnson Cardinal lt Hoffman Wallace lg Henry Appleby c Andress Russell rg Parker Broglio rt Dixon Gillom re Gorges Kingham qb Williams James lh Scarpaci Getz rh Larson Blunt fb Exler
Score by points: Massillon 20 20 13 6 – 59
Substitutions: Massillon – Oliver, t; Pizzino, fb; Adams, hb; F. Cardinal, qb; White, hb; Erdley, hb; P. Getz, g; Kanney, e; Weisgarber, t; Power, fb; Bray, e; Hill, g; Fuchs, c; Stout, c; Graber, hb; Paulic, g; Dolmas, t; Holt, fb; Miller, g; Henderson, t; De Mando, e.
Touchdowns – James 3, Gillom, Pizzino 3, White, Holt.
Points after touchdown – Getz four, Pizzino 1 (placekicks)
Referee – Fensterwald. Umpire – Jenkins. Headlinesman – Wrobleski. Field judge – Lobach. Massillon Shows Harding 11 Why It Rates As Ohio’s Best
Playing about as well as was expected against one of the most powerful Massillon High teams in the history of an institution that makes a business of annually turning out powerhouse machines, Harding High’s Presidents absorbed their worst defeat in modern years last night at Massillon before a crowd of more than 13,000 when the Tigers rolled up 59 points in a one-sided massacre.
Warren fans were warned ahead of time that the present Massillon club is rated as the best ever turned out by Coach Paul Brown – today they believe all of the stories and can even add a few for good measure. Few football fans in the Mahoning Valley area ever saw a team that could score so many points in such a short time as Massillon did last night and has in all games thus far.
There isn’t any question but that the score could have been much higher had Coach Brown decreed but he yanked his first stringers at the start of the second half and used nothing but second and third team players thereafter.
However, the varsity rolled up 40 points in the first two quarters, 20 in the first and 20 more in the second, and the second and third teams added 19 more to the total.
Standing out head and shoulders over all other players and completely dominating the play during the time he was in action was Horace Gillom, brilliant end of the Tigers.
Massillon has sent some great footballers against Warren teams in past games but never has it had one player that could do everything as well as Gillom. He punted, passed on several occasions, ran with the ball, backed up the line on defense, kicked the ball five times on kickoffs for an average of 55 yards and put on a one man display that will long be remembered by the Warren fans.
Warren’s offense clicked at odd times but the Massillon linemen generally nailed the runner before he got started and if he did manage to break thru the line, then Gillom took care of him at that point with a vicious tackle. There isn’t any tag tackling for Gillom, when he hits the ball carrier knows all about it.
Warren’s Best Gains
The Presidents had Booker Williamson, speedy Negro halfback, in the open twice on reverses that had Massillon puzzled and he made 21 yards on one play and 11 on the other for the longest Warren gains of the evening.
It took exactly two plays for Warren to realize that it was in for a tough evening. J. Johnson kicked out of bounds on the Massillon 46 on the kickoff and the ball was brought out at that point. Getz made nine at left tackle. James gathered in the pigskin on the next play, slashed thru right tackle and raced 46 yards to cross the goal line only to have the ball called back, both teams offside. That didn’t bother the speedy redhead a bit for he repeated the play on the next scrimmage and Massillon was ahead 7-0 when Getz’ placement split the crossbars.
From then on, Warren had a bunch of busy fellows attempting to stop ball carriers who ran like demons with long, high-stepping strides that bounced would be tacklers all over the place and counted up 40 points in 24 minutes of play.
Touchdown No. 2 came after four minutes of milling when Scarpaci attempted to quick-kick from his own 24 but Wallace, Massillon guard, broke thru, blocked the kick and recovered it on the Warren five. Getz plowed thru tackle to the one-foot stripe and James stepped over on the next play. Getz’ placement made the score 14-0.
Late in the quarter, Gillom punted out of bounds on the Warren five and set the stage for touchdown No. 3. F. Williams punted back to the Warren 42. Blunt passed to Gillom on the Warren 32. Gillom picked up James’ pass on the 22, snagging the ball just before it hit the ground. Getz made it a first down on the 18. James took the oval on a delayed spinner, the play went to the left, James hesitated and then darted around right end for the touchdown. Getz’ placement was wide but Massillon had a 20-0 lead at the quarter.
Gillom Runs 75 Yards
Gillom tallied Touchdown No. 4 early in the second frame when he took the ball in punt formation on his own 25 and shook off half the Warren team in a spectacular 75-yard touchdown run. No less than seven Warren tacklers hit him during the run but they bounced off like water off a duck’s back. Getz’ placement made it 27-0.
Two plays later, the Tigers were in the scoring zone again. Scarpaci fumbled and Robinson recovered on the Warren 16. Pizzino passed to Gillom on the four. Pizzino plunged over left tackle for the marker. Getz’ placement was wide.
The Tigers took to the air for Touchdown No 6 in the fading moments of the half. F. Williams punted out on the Tiger 46. James tossed a high pass to Gillom on the Warren 27. Gillom reached high in the air for another that was good for three yards. James tossed a short forward to Robinson on the four and Pizzino hit guard for the touchdown. Getz’ placement made the count 40-0 at the half.
The remaining touchdowns came with the second stringers in the game.
Pizzino tallied touchdown No. 7 after Adams had taken Scarpaci’s punt on the Massillon 45 and threaded his way to the Warren 10. Pizzino skirted left end to the one-yard stripe and then went over two plays later. This placement was wide, score 46-0.
Touchdown No. 8 came in the same period after Scarpaci had punted out on the Warren 48. Adams whipped a pass down the middle to White and he outran two Warren backs in a 30-yard sprint for the goal line. Pizzino’s placement made it 53-0.
Score on Interception
Warren donated touchdown No. 9 in the closing minutes of play when Scarpaci tried a pass from his own 18 but Holt intercepted on the 25 and ran down the sidelines for the touchdown. The try for point was good but Massillon was offside and Warren took the ball on the second attempt.
That’s the complete story of the nine touchdown defeat and it only serves as a warning to Massillon’s future foes that they can expect the same thing. Massillon’s present team is one of the most powerful ever to represent northeastern Ohio and it should be able to romp over all opposition, including Canton McKinley.
MASSILLON WARREN Robinson L.E. J. Johnson L. Cardinal L.T. B. Hoffman Wallace L.G. E. Henry Appleby C Andress Russell R.G. Parker Broglio R.T. Dixon Gillom R.E. Georges Kingham Q F. Williams James L.H. Scarpaci Getz R.H. Lasson Blunt F Exler
Record Breaking Stadium Crowd Sees Massillon Eleven Sweep Ends and Tackles For 41 Points First Half
By LUTHER EMERY
That’s settled, and rather convincingly too, the question as to whether Washington high is superior to Weirton, W. Va. The Tigers kicked dust in the Red Riders’ faces Friday evening as they swept their ends and raced outside of tackle to a 48 – 0 triumph.
Program Cover
It was convincing from the standpoint of the score and the fact that the second and part of the third teams played the entire second half. At the start of the third period, someone ventured the remark that Coach Brown had sent his first team off to a dance, but the Tiger coach insisted he had his entire club on the bench up to the very end if needed.
Weirton Satisfied
For what? The Massillon first team in two periods had demonstrated to the record breaking crowd of 18,300 that the Tigers were still Ohio champions as far as Weirton was concerned, and with the second team battling the visitors on slightly better than even terms, it was a cinch the rest of the way.
Weirton was glad to get out with 48 points. The Red Riders’ coach said so after the game, and through bruised and beaten more soundly than any Weirton team has been in Carl Hamill’s 12 years as coach at Weir high, the Red Riders came out of the defeat with two achievements on the credit side – that of having attracted more fans to Massillon than have ever seen a football game here, save a Massillon-Canton game, and that of taking home more money than Weir high has ever made in a single game and sufficient to make it possible to pay off a debt on its stadium lights this year.
Tigers Versatile
Coach Paul Brown put a versatile bunch of Tigers on the field last night. They tried everything, and even though everything they tried did not work, the fans applauded their efforts.
From the time Horace Gillom ran 49 yards for a touchdown on an end around play, the first half was a parade of touchdowns for the Massillon eleven. Gillom found the end of the rainbow a second time in the same period on a 19-yard run, and before the half was over, Fred Blunt had crossed the Weir goal twice. Tom James had reached it on a 27-yard jitter and Herman Robinson had gone 16 on a shovel pass, to roll up 41 points. The second half produced a more balanced game, with the Tiger second stringers scoring a touchdown against the Weir first stringers in the third quarter, and then allowing the Weir second team to battle them to a standstill the last period.
Its hard to find something to get dissatisfied over when you run up 48 points on a supposedly “tough opponent”, but Coach Brown has a thing or two to say to his second team that will require more than two words when he gets going. He wasn’t at all pleased with the yannigans’ performance and indicates a shakeup is in the making.
The second team tried everything, and though its efforts at one time had only gained it second down and 49 yards to go, it kept on trying and put on an entertaining performance even though the ball moved the wrong direction because of penalties.
Coach Hamill, will probably have a thing or two also to say when he gathers his brood together Monday. There’s no doubt that his second team gave a better account of itself against the Tiger seconds than did the varsity, though allowance must be made for the latter, since they had gone through a terrific first half.
There were two periods of fierce football. Moore than the score indicates. An analysis of the game reveals long Tiger runs for touchdowns, mostly on passes and outside the tackles. The highly publicized ability of the Weir gridders to tackle did not materialize or the score would not have been as large the first half. The arms of the visitors’ skidded off Tiger pants as though the latter were greased.
Locals Hit Harder
The Massillon eleven hit harder last night than it did against Cathedral Latin which helps to account for ball carriers leaving a trail of tacklers sprawled over the ground on their end sweeps.
The blocking was great, and the line sliced the visitors’ forward wall as you would cut a watermelon, leaving large gaps for the ball carriers to amble through.
Weirton never expected as severe a beating, though some visiting fans confidentially admitted before the game that Massillon would win but not by many points.
Warren Tickets On Sale Tonight
Tickets for the Washington high-Warren game, to be played here next Friday evening, will be placed on sale tonight at Rider’s. Warren beaten by Erie Academy last week, defeated Sharon 20-6 last night.
Weirton pinned its faith in its big line to stop the Massillon ground attack, and scattered five men in the secondary to break up the Tigers’ aerial maneuvers.
The Massillon gridders demonstrated that passing was only an accessory to their attack as they scored their first two touchdowns without tossing the ball. Once they decided to throw, they completed three in a row for 55 yards, then went haywire and grounded the next seven.
In possession of a comfortable lead, Brown, used the greater part of the second period to brush his varsity up on passing – and it didn’t look so good.
Discarding his running attack, James tossed pass after pass. He had difficulty hitting his mark. Three times an attempt was also made to work a pass off an end sweep, but this too failed when Herman Robinson, who throws the ball on the play, was unable to get it to receivers.
The Massillon second team, after scoring a touchdown at the start of the third period, played with the razzle dazzle the rest of the way, tossing shovel passes, lateral passes off forward passes, and almost everything you could think of.
Lateral Off A Pass
The prettiest working play of the lot was a forward pass from Dick Adams to Keve Bray, who tossed a lateral to Junior White. On the next play Adams ripped for a touchdown but it wasn’t allowed and the Massillon kids never saw the Weir goal line thereafter.
Weirton’s offense was stopped cold by the great Tiger line, and somewhat to the disappointment of many Massillon fans who had hoped the visitors could gain sufficient ground to make the game interesting from a competitive standpoint. The fans gave the Riders a big hand late in the first period when Capt. John Begola picked up 13 yards on an end around play for the first of the visitors’ two earned first downs. They didn’t make the 10 yards without the referee’s assistance again until the last play of the game, when an eight-yard pass coming on top of a gain of three yards in two ball carrying attempts, moved the leather up beyond the 10-yard marker. The gun cracked before it could be placed in play again and several thousand of the fans were on their way home and missed seeing it.
The hard running of Gillom and James, the pass defensive work of Robinson and Bill Wallace’s ability to prune off Weir runners behind the line of scrimmage were big lights in the Tiger victory.
James and Blunt also carried the leather well behind the almost perfect blocking accorded the Tiger ball carriers.
Statistics as well as the score tell the story of Massillon’s superiority. The Tigers made 19 first downs to Weir’s three and gained a net total of 400 yards to Weir’s 12.
For the first couple of minutes after the kickoff it didn’t look as though it would turn out that way. On the first play after the kickoff Ray Getz tried a spin at the Rider line but fumbled when hit hard and Frank Kazmerski, the Rifer center, covered on the Massillon 45-yard line. Two plays had only advanced the ball three yards when Robinson speared Johnny Janura’s pass to give Massillon the ball on the local’s 19-yard line.
Tigers Show Boom
Here the Tigers demonstrated themselves the superior team. They blasted a big hole in the visitors light tackle and James ripped through for 21 yards. “Horace, its your turn,” they said in the huddle, and when the big end turned on the steam on a sweep, Weir tacklers bounced everywhere. It was 49 yards and a touchdown, and Ray Getz kicked goal. Runs like that do something to a team and Weir never had as much pep thereafter.
The Tigers kicked to the visitors but they punted back to James when they couldn’t gain and little Tom was unable to gain, so fast did Begola come down after the ball. But on the first play from scrimmage, he started on his own 18 and raced back 23 yards to the 41 before being flopped to earth. Blunt did a jitterbug on the next run before the visitors got him on their 35. Robinson, Blunt and James put the leather on the 19, and it was left for Gillom to free wheel around left end for another touchdown. Getz kicked the goal and it was 14 – 0.
Janura got off a quick kick after the following kickoff that sailed over James’ head and rolled dead on the Tiger 24. On the next series of plays, James tossed his first pass, a beauty, to Getz, who made a spectacular catch, literally stealing the ball from two Rider defenders to carry to the Weir 44-yard line. It was a 33-yard gain. In two attempts, Blunt was hugging the leather on the 20-yard line. Robinson passed to Gillom on an end sweep. The pass was short, but a Weir secondary interfered with Gillom getting to the ball and interference was called, giving the Tigers a first down on the Weir four-yard line. Blunt took it over and Getz again kicked.
That was all for the first period. Early in the second quarter, the visitors’ had their only scoring opportunity when James fumbled George Wansack’s punt, Begola covering on the Tiger 25-yard line. There stocky Bill Wallace went to work and tossed Begola for a five-yard loss on an end around play, and when Wansack’s pass was far out of reach of the receiver on the next play, Coach Hamill substituted Janura for Wansack. Robinson again rose to the occasion, intercepted Janura’s pass, picked up blockers and ran back to the Weir 10-yard line before he was hauled down by Janura.
James made two yards, and Blunt in two attempts was over the goal. Getz missed his first attempted placekick and the score was 27 – 0.
A Punt For You
The Riders stopped the Tigers next time the locals got the ball, Gillom kicking a spiral that twisted its way for 53 yards over the Weirton goal. The Riders w ere offside, however, Weirton was penalized and the Tigers were given the ball on their own 45. Johnny Pizzino who had substituted for Blunt and Ray Getz got off to long runs that put the ball on the 27-yard line and James wiggled through the rest of the way. Getz kicked the extra point.
After an exchange of punts, James intercepted Janura’s pass in midfield and raced back to the 31. Gillom picked up another 15 and on third down, James shovel passed to Robinson who ran for the touchdown. Again Getz kicked goal, five out of six for him.
While the varsity played the entire first half with the exception of two substitutions, Pizzino and Oliver, not a one of the 11 starting players, entered the second half.
An entire second team started the third period, shoved over a touchdown quickly and then declared a holiday. The touchdown came after the Tigers had gotten the ball through a punt on the Weir 39-yard line. Pizzino and Adams made it first down on the 27, and Adams, Bray and Pizzino got another first down on the seven. Bray lost two yards on a sweep, but Adams cut through for a touchdown, digging in hard as he crossed the goal. Pizzino kicked the extra point making the score 48-0.
The second team shoved another over late in the third period but it was not allowed because of a penalty.
They threatened again in the fourth quarter, and Frank Erdley passed to Bray over the goal, but offensive interference was called, the Tigers were penalized 15 yards, and Weirton took the ball.
Except for a bruised left leg sustained by Pizzino, the Tigers emerged unscathed. The Red Riders though they took time out frequently, because of injury, escaped without any serious results. Walter Gelini, their giant right tackle, complained of a sore shoulder.
Tigers Again
Massillon Position Weirton Robinson LE Stakius Carinal LT Gelini Wallace LG Babiak Appleby C Kazmerski Russell RG Canel Broglio RT Lalich Gillom RE Begola Kingham QB Ziniach James LH Janura Getz RH Yoklic Blunt FB Fabyanich
16,000 See Mighty Ohio Eleven Crush Pride of W. Virginia
(Plain Dealer Special)
MASSILLON, O., Sept. 20 – The famed juggernaut of Coach Paul E. Brown ran its football supremacy past the highly regarded Weirton, W. Va. eleven 48 to 0 to extend its victory string to 25 in succession.
With the first team compiling a 41 to 0 advantage in the fist half, Brown sent in an entire new team that finished up with a touchdown to treat the overflow crowd of 16,000.
Massillon started out in usual fashion by hammering over a score after several minutes. Horace Gillom, the Tigers’s All-Ohio end jogged across for the initial marker, on an end around play from the Weirton 49.
The second touchdown was an exact duplication of the first with the exception that Gillom was taxed with only a 25-yard sprint. After that touchdowns came easy, with Blunt zigging through the opposition for a pair and James and Robinson, finding the route for one each. Ray Getz’s educated toe was in top form as he split the uprights with five placements in a half dozen attempts. An interference penalty aided the locals considerably in ringing up the third touchdown in the first quarter.
After Tom James’ pass intended for Horace Gillom was broken up when a Wierton secondary man held his arm the Tigers received the ball on the 1 from where Pokey Blunt crashed over. A beautiful 75-yard run of an intercepted aerial by Herm Robinson led to the fourth touchdown shortly after the second period commenced. Two attempts at guard by Blunt from the 11-yard stripe ran the total to 27.
After 27 yards of twisting and turning, Tom James’ buck pass from the Weirton 12 to Robinson completed activities of the varsity.
The second half was an altogether different type of game, the Tigers mixing a series of lateral passes with their off-tackle smashes. It was the first time that the Tigers used the forward-lateral pass method in several seasons.
Weir-Massillon Grid Statistics
Weirton Massillon 3 First downs 21 25 Scrimmage plays tried 47 59 Yds. Gained from scrimmage 336 19 Yards gained passing 86 0 Yards gained lateraling 52 78 Total yards gained 474 11 Yds. Lost from scrimmage 27 67 Net yardage gained 447 9 Passes thrown 20 2 Passes completed 8 1 Passes intercepted 4 0 Laterals tried 3 1 Fumbles 2 3 Fumbles recovered 0 10 Punts 4 367 Total yardage of punts 174 37 Yardage per punt 43 2 Penalties 7 20 Yardage lost from penalties 75 1 Kickoff 8
(How They Gained) Weirton Sp. G. L. N.G. Begola 4 19 5 14 Januara 5 14 0 14 Volosin 6 12 0 12 Stakis 1 5 0 5 Ziniach 1 3 0 3 Fabyanich 1 1 0 1 R. Kraina 1 2 0 2 Wansask 6 3 6 0
Regulars In Action Only In First Half; 18,000 Watch Fray
By JIM SCHLEMMER
Weirton 66, Massillon 64! But don’t make a mistake about that score. That’s only the size of the rival bands.
The football score was 48 – 0, as Paul Brown’s Massillon high Tigers registered their 25th consecutive victory Friday night before 18,200 fans in Tiger Stadium.
The win was over a fine looking, well drilled, husky Weirton, W. Va., team, believe it or not. And it came so easily that Brown didn’t care whether his varsity players returned from their dressing room at halftime…and at no time during the entire second half did he use any but his second and third stringers.
Hoss Gillom, Massillon’s sensational Negro end, simply outraced the whole Weirton team for 39 yards and the first touchdown four minutes after the game was under way.
Minutes later on the same sort of play in which he comes around from right end to become the third ball handler in the backfield and the most important, Gillom outraced the West Virginians for 19 yards and a second touchdown.
The third came after a long pass to Pokey Blunt had been rules complete on the Weirton four-yard line because of interference. Blunt drove over for the score, and with Tom James holding and Ray Getz placekicking successfully after each touchdown the count was 21 – 0 as the initial period ended.
In the second quarter Herman Robinson intercepted Janura’s pass and returned 65 yards to set up the fourth touchdown, which Blunt made on a smash.
The fifith was manufactured by Johnny Pizzino who smashed for 10. Getz who raced for 26 and James who cut back from the eight-yard line to go over the goal line.
Getz failed to convert after the fourth touchdown, the first apparent mistake made by the Tigers during the game.
Still later in the second period James intercepted a Weirton pass and brought it back 17 to Wierton’s 30-yard line from where Gillom got 17 and James then passed to Robinson who scampered 10 for the sixth touchdown. Getz placekicked the 41st point seconds before the half ended.
With a 41 – 0 lead at halftime it was evident Brown might have sent his varsity regulars to a dance for the remainder of the evening, so far as their being needed was concerned.
The second stringers counted early in the third period on a smash by Dick Adams from five yards out and then closed the books for the night.
Twice later they went over for touchdowns which were ruled void because of penalties. A clipping charge offset a 13-yard touchdown run by Adams in the third and a pass from Ederly to Bray into the end zone on the last Massillon offensive thrust of the game was ruled no-count because of offensive interference.
But it is just as well. This affair was much more interesting than the 64 – 0 rout of Cathedral Latin last week because the Massillon subvarsity was on practically even terms with the fighting Weirton outfit during the second half.
The band competition was closer but honors as usual went to the Tigers. They featured a dance feature at the half, built around Madame LaZonga’s sixth lesson.
Before the Warren game next Friday night 3,500 additional seats will be built on the running track in front of the grandstands, bringing the capacity up to the 21,000 mark. Already the new Tiger stadium is inadequate to handle normal crowds – normal being in the 18,000 range.
Classy Ohio Grid Machine Scores Six Goals in First Half
Tigers Register 25th Straight Win On Home Field; Riders Fail to Make Scoring Threat
Massillon High school’s high-powered football machine, regarded as the best scholastic team in the nation, rolled over the Weir Red Riders in blitzkrieg waves in the Massillon stadium Friday night to win 48 to 0 before a throng of 17,500. The victory was the 25th straight for the Tigers.
The Tiger machine was everything it was pictured to be, displaying brilliant blocking and timing, elusive open-field running and swift driving. The Riders were left hopeless against the first team in the first half, but limited the second team to one touchdown in the last half.
The Riders were completely outclassed against the Tiger first team and never had a chance of scoring. The Weir secondary tackling bogged down, but the team as a whole put up a determined fight despite the overwhelming odds against them.
The Tigers mauled the Riders for three touchdowns in the first period, three more in the second and one in the third. Horace Gillom, versatile 194 pound end, scored the first two touchdowns on end-around jaunts of 49 and 19 yards. Fred Blunt scored twice, while Tom James, Herman Robinson and Dick Adams scored once each.
In the closing quarter the Riders’ second team played the Tigers to a standstill. That quarter indicated the possible strength of the two teams when they meet next year. The Tigers lose nine regulars and the two to be around for the 1941 team will be Fred Blunt and Herman Robinson, both colored.
Statistically the Buckeye team completely outclassed the Riders in every department of the game. They piled up 21 first downs to 3, gained 474 yards to 78, and intercepted 4 of the 9 passes thrown. It was the first time a team outscored the Riders on first downs since 1936 when Weirton engaged in a scoreless draw with Benwood Union, which piled up 10 first downs to 4 for the Riders.
To name an outstanding player on the Tiger first team, one would have to pick the entire team, which worked with flawless precision. But Gillom was the spark plug of the team on the offense as well as the defense. He did everything well.
Three Goals in 1st Period
The Tigers reeled off three touchdowns in the opening period in quick fashion. James took Kazmerski’s kickoff from the 10 to the 41. Getz, on the very first play fumbled and Walter Gelini recovered on Massillon’s 45. Januara James (unreadable text)
James took Januara’s punt on the 14 and returned to the 18. James reeled off 23 yards, while Blunt crashed through center and reversed his field for 35 more yards. Robinson, Blunt and James on three successive plays made it a first down on the 19-yard line from where Gillom duplicated his first touchdown feat by scoring untouched. The march totaled 82 yards. Getz’s toe again was accurate.
The Tigers’ third touchdown march started on the 24. Januara punted from his 22 to their 24 and on the play Massillon refused a penalty. James on two plays picked up 8 yards and after a five-yard penalty he tossed a 33-yard pass to Getz who was downed on the 49. Blunt on two plays gained 20 yards. On a triple reverse, Robinson tossed a pass to Gillom, which was missed but on the play Albert Yeklic ran into the receiver and the pass was ruled good. That interference of the passer gave the Tigers the ball on the 4-yard line from where Blunt went over on the first play. Getz made it 21.
Weir Pass Intercepted
The Riders got their first opportunity to score in the opening of the second quarter. James fumbled Wansack’s punt on the 25 and Begola recovered. This marked the nearest the Riders were to scoring. On the first play Begola, on an end around play lost 5 yards with Wallace making the tackle. Januara replaced Wansack and his pass was intercepted on the 20 by Robinson, who behind perfect blocking raced 70 yards before he was hauled down by Januara on the 10-yard line. On three tries Blunt went over from the one-foot line. Getz’s kick went wide.
Penalty Aids Tigers
A few plays after the kickoff the Buckeyes were on their way for the fifth touchdown. James returned Januara’s punt from the 20 to the 38. The Tigers were stopped for the first time and had to kick with Gillom’s punt going over the goal line, but on the play, Gelini was penalized 15 yards for clipping from behind, giving the Tigers the ball on the 44. Pizzino advanced the ball to his 45. James pass to Getz netted 18 yards, putting the ball on the 27. James went through center and reversed his field for the touchdown. Getz’s boot made it 34-0.
With but two second left in the first half, James shovel-passed to Robinson who scored the sixth touchdown while Getz made it five out of six placements and the score at halftime was 41-0.
Second Team Scores
Coach Paul Brown started his second team against the Riders at the start of the third period and they finished the game by scoring once against the Weir regulars in the third period, but were held to a standstill by Hamill’s second team in the closing quarter.
After an exchange of punts, Wansack’s second punt went short as it carried to the 39 opening the way for the only score of the last half. Dick Adams on a reverse gained 15 yards. Bray on an end around play got 5 and Pizzino made it a firstdown on the 7. Bray lost 3 with Kazmerski and Begola stopping him. Adams crashed through the center of the line for the score. Pizzino’s placement was good.
Adams scored once more in the same period, but the touchdown was nulled when one of his teammates clipped Kazmerski from behind. On the play Kazmersaki was hurt and had to be taken from the game.
Grid Sidelights –
Weir Grid Defeat No Surprise To Fans; Band Goes Modernistic
The Weir gridiron defeat was no surprise to the more than 2,500 Weirton fans at Massillon last night, but they were jolted out of their seats by the transformation of the Weir High band into a streamlined, precision-marching organization stripped of its outmoded formality. Well aware of what Massillon’s swing band was to present, the Weir band underwent a complete overhauling within a week’s time and as a result, its appearance yesterday won the acclaim of the entire stadium and was a worthy supplement to the Tiger swingsters. +++++++++++++++ Led by Drum Major Harry Hovista and eight high-stepping, baton-twirling majorettes, the Weir band of 75 executed its letter formations and marched down the field to a faster and livelier tempo than ever before. Both sides of the field gave the band a rousing reception. The waltz to “Repasz Band” was well performed. They also played the W-L Swing and the Weir Pep Song. The band plans novelty maneuvers for future games. Emil Holz received much credit for the excellent performance last night. +++++++++++++++ The Massillon swing band of 64 was unique in its presentation of music, quickened pace and jitterbug dancing on the field to their own accompaniment. The majorettes wielded $25 lighted batons in the blackout scene, one of the highlights of their six-minute halftime, show. The $400 Massillon Tiger impersonated Madame La Zonga and joined in the jiving with the band members and majorettes. One member of the Weir faculty brought along a stopwatch to clock the halftime show, but he became so excited by the music that he forgot to set off the watch. Several from here saw the band last week at Massillon and doubted that so much could be packed within a six-minute time limit, so they took the stopwatch along. +++++++++++++++ The Weirton band will stick to its modernistic trend at games (only), but there’ll be no jitterbugging. +++++++++++++++ Yesterday was a day of superlatives – the best scholastic football team in the country; the best scholastic swing band in the country; the largest football crowd in the country (high school or college); the biggest Weirton crowd ever to leave the city for a football game; the biggest out-of-town crowd ever to come to Massillon (except Dayton) – etc. +++++++++++++++ The Massillon score was the biggest ever made against a Hamill coached team and the second largest in the history of Weir High. The biggest score registered was by Martins Ferry in 1924, 59 to 0, while under Hamill’s tenure the biggest score was 30-0 by the same school in 1936. +++++++++++++++ There were 636 persons aboard the Lions special – 623 adults and 13 children. The crowd was in gay spirits going to and from the game and was not disheartened by the grid reversal. They had expected a Massillon victory and the score predictions ranged generally from 30 to 50 points. Calling the exact score was Virgil “Sammy” Troia, the local movie prodigy who’ll try to crash Hollywood next summer. The only fan to pick Weirton was Louis Levendorf, who has seen as many Weir grid games as any local follower. Louis’ prediction was Weir 6 points and Massillon 0. +++++++++++++++ The attendance on the special train was the largest of any trip sponsored by the Lions. Last year they averaged 500 for each of the Fairmont and Johnstown games and had 320 last week to McKeesport. These trips are sponsored as a service gesture without thought of compensation. +++++++++++++++ The 12-coach train left here on schedule but arrived in Massillon shortly after 8. The walk from the train spur to the stadium was longer than expected and even though the game was held up the excursionists still missed the first touchdown. Sam Wonkovich, however, didn’t miss anything. While the PRR staff was going through its customary slow-motion, dilatory paces, single-filing the crowd through one coach door, Wonkovich eased himself through a window and ran all the way to the stadium. The excursionists were burned up at having to walk after the game from the stadium to the downtown station. The distance was one mile, but to hear the hoofers (who missed the busses) talk it was at least five miles. The train’s departure was held up from 11:00 to 11:30. It arrived in Weirton at 2:30. +++++++++++++++ The train concession was in charge of the Hi-Y club of which Clark Wiley is president. Last week the club made $32 and last night about $70. +++++++++++++++ Massillon will probably get its biggest test on Saturday following Thanksgiving, when the Tigers clash with their traditional rivals from Canton McKinley. The Canton Bulldogs trounced Akron South, 57-12, last night. +++++++++++++++ Last night’s crowd was officially estimated at 17,500, and last week’s at 17,000. The Weirton attendance was the biggest since the modern stadium was dedicated at the start of last season. Some estimates of yesterday’s game were as high as 20,000. But even the 17,500 is more than any college in West Virginia (including WVU) ever drew. +++++++++++++++ The enrollment of Massillon High school is between 1400 and 1500. The Weir High school four-year enrollment is about the same.
Tigers Crush Cathedral Latin 64 – 0 In Opening Game
GREAT BLOCKING FEATURES VICTORY
Visistors, In Good Condition, Fight To Finish But Are Unable To Stem Tiger Advances; Massillon Second Team Shows Speed.
By LUTHER EMERY
Midst a setting of splendor that made between 16,000 and 17,000 fans gasp with amazement and enthusiasm, the Washington high Tigers launched their 1940 football season at Tiger Stadium Friday evening with a 64-0 triumph over a game Cathedral Latin Lion.
Program Cover
With teams battling, bands playing, fans cheering and fireworks shooting beneath a peaceful harvest moon, you could hardly help wondering why the other half of the world had given up this sort of thing and sent its youth to be killed and maimed in a struggle for life and death, and when the bands formed the letters USA and played “God Bless America,” you were thankful that there is not blackout here – that America can still congregate without fear from rain of death, and that its youth can still fight its battles on the gridiron.
Touchdown Tide Comes in Early
The 64 – 0 score doesn’t look like much of a fight, but the Tiger players themselves will tell you the Lions were hard to move, that they never once gave in.
Perhaps the awe of the spectacle, the capacity crowd, the impressive opening ceremonies upset the visitors a bit. Whatever it was, they played their poorest football the first five minutes while the Tigers were at their best at the same time to run up a 20 – 0 score and establish a lead that the Latin Lion could not hope to overcome.
With a big, strong line, charging in front of the pony backs, the Tigers looked the part of another fine football team. They made errors as any team will make in an opening night performance, but they beat down what was supposed to be the toughest high school line in Cleveland, to register 15 first downs and gain 446 yards from scrimmage to the Lions’ 61.
Line Stops Latin Offense
It was the charge of the Massillon forward wall that blasted the visitors’ apart from the start, and they never could quite pull themselves together again. They tried various stunts, but invariably a wave of Massillon men blocked their path. They never were able to get their offense in high gear, working the ball only once into Massillon territory, and then no nearer than the Tiger 49-yard line, where an intercepted pass stopped the attack.
There was no quitting on the part of the Lions, however, and they made their strongest defensive showing at the very end when they tossed the Tigers back for losses totaling 24 yards in three plays.
Behind their big line, the Massillon backs, on the other hand, were able to do most anything. They worked one forward pass for 50 yards and a touchdown; an end around play good for 42 yards produced another and the old Statue of Liberty was good for 72 and another.
Supporting the ball carriers too was good blocking. When Junior White got away for his 72-yard run from the statue, young sophomore Charles Holt cut down the last possible tackler with as pretty a block as you ever saw. Dick Kingham, to whom falls the task of blocking continually was bowling tacklers over all evening with vicious blocks that put his opponents on the ground for keeps.
It is blocking of this type that wins football games, and that is one big reason why the Tigers Friday evening were able to stretch their consecutive victory string to 24 games.
Three touchdowns were shoved over the Latin goal in the first quarter, two in the second, three in the third and two more in the fourth.
Nineteen of the points were made by inspired and speedy Tiger substitutes, who took over early in the third period after the score had mounted to 45 – 0. They finished the game. The lineup was also half filled with substitutes midway in the second quarter, but when the third period opened, all the regulars went back into the game.
Though the visitors failed to score and made but four first downs, one of them after pass interference they produced a good back in George Couisineau, a sophomore, who was up to his neck in the game at all times.
The Tigers had little in the way of an outstanding star. Horace Gillom carried out his numerous duties well and Coach Paul Brown after the game let it be known that he was pleased with the running of substitute Dick Adams, who scored two touchdowns and got away for several nice gains.
James’ Passing O.K.
An optimistic note also rode with the passes tossed by Tom James. He completed one for 50 yards, the ball carrying almost that distance in the air from the point of throwing. Several other long ones could as well have been completed, but were dropped by receivers.
All told the Tigers completed five of 13 pass for 99 yards.
The Massillon linemen rushed Jack Sague, and Jack Mason, the Latin passers so hurriedly that they had no time to pick out receivers. The Latin passers tossed 15 of them, completed three and had six others intercepted by the alert Massillon secondary. Guarding their flats carefully, the locals used a 6-3-2 defense a great part of the evening. Latin also used a six-man line, though an extra player hopped into the forward wall when within the shadow of his goal posts.
The honor of scoring the first touchdown fell to “Pokey” Blunt after Ray Getz had passed up the chance when he dropped James’ well placed pass on the 10-yard line. It came on the second series of plays after the kickoff. The Lions booted to the Tigers who got the ball out of bounds on their 33. Blunt made three yards, Gillom five, and James carried 21 yards to the Latin 38. Blunt advanced the leather six yards closer and James shot a pass that got into Getz’s hands but bounced out before he could get a secure hold on the ball. On the next play, Blunt dashed for a touchdown and Getz kicked the extra point.
Latin again chose to kick and again the Tigers obtained the ball on their 35. Gillom and James carried to midfield, where James dropped back, fired to Gillom, who caught the ball over the Latin safety man’s head and ran 10 yards for a touchdown. Getz’s placekick split the uprights for another point and the score was 14 – 0.
James kicked off to Mason who returned 10 yards to his 25-yard line. On the first play, Getz reached out, speared Mason’s pass on the 35 and returned to the 30. Blunt took the ball to the 15-yard line. James moved it up three yards and Blunt took it over for the touchdown. Getz’s kick for the extra point was low.
Overtime Penalties
The Tigers had to work hard for their next score that came in the first minute of the second quarter. After overcoming 30 yards in penalties, a pass from James to Robinson, planted the ball on the seven-yard line and it took three plays to get it over. Blunt cutting inside right tackle for the points. It boosted the score to 26 – 0.
An intercepted pass set the stage for the next, Gillom hauling in one of Sague’s desperate pegs on the 10-yard line. Interference was ruled on Adam’s following pass, giving the Tigers a first down on the one-yard line. Gillom went around left end on a mousetrap to hoist the score to 32 points. Gretz’s kick for the extra point was again wide.
With the regulars back in the game, the Tigers scored quickly in the third period. Getz returned Tom McFadden’s kick to his 44 and Blunt ran to a first down on the Latin 41. Gillom was brought around end and he carried the mail for 41 yards and a touchdown. The kick for the extra point was wide.
Leading 38 – 0, Bill Wallace put the locals in shape for their next points when he pounced on a Latin fumble on the 35-yard line after the visitors had gained 13 yards on the play. Line plays took the ball to the one-yard line, where James lugged it over and Getz kicked the extra point.
That was all for the regulars. They went to the showers and the rookies took up – and how. Adams hauled down another of Mason’s passes to give the Tigers the green light, on the Latin 42-yard line. Adams ran to the 19, and got away again to the six-yard line. He circled end for the touchdown. The attempted kick was blocked.
A quick kick by Richard Browne that soared over Adams’ head to the Tiger 20-yard line, again gave Massillon the ball. White and Adams moved it to the 49-yard line, but the Tigers were set back 15 yards for failing to halt a second on their shift. It didn’t discourage them, and Michigan’s old Statue of Liberty play was brought out for White, who raced 72 yards for the touchdown. It brought the score to 57 – 0.
Latin got ambitions in the fourth quarter and tried to make yardage on fourth down deep in its own garden. John Pizzino wormed through a hole, however, and tossed Browne for a big loss before he could kick the ball, gaining the pigskin for the Tigers on the 19-yard line. Pizzino made nine yards, lost two and then Adams crashed through for the remaining distance, leaving Pizzino to buck the 64th point across.
Coach Brown filled his ranks with third stringers, and gave all but a few of his players an opportunity to get in the game.
The Tigers emerged unscathed. Not a single time out was taken for injury to a Massillon player. The Lions too were in condition. A couple of players had the wind knocked out of them, but none was injured, a good record for a team beaten by 64 points.
The Tigers lost 74 yards in penalties, principally for holding and failing to stop the necessary second on the shift. Latin only lost five yards in penalties, for taking too much time in running a play.
Statistics Of The Game
Mass. Latin First downs 15 4 Yards gained rushing 457 30 Yards gained passing 99 31 Total yards gained 556 61 Yards lost 39 29 Net yards gained 517 31 Passes completed 5 3 Passes intercepted 0 6 Passes incomplete 8 6 Yards lost penalties 74 5 Lost ball on fumbles 0 2 Recovered own fumbles 2 2 Times punted 2 3 Average punts 40 38 Times kicked off 9 3 Average kickoff 50 28
Tiger Roars
Massillon Pos. Latin Robinson LE Haggerty L. Cardinal LT Paltani Wallace LG Hirsch Appleby C Mahon Russell RG Meter Broglio RT Fougerousse Gillom RE McFadden Kingham QH Reinartz James LH Mason Getz RH Sague Blunt FB Couisineau
Score by periods: Massillon 20 12 19 13 – 64
Substitutions: Massillon: F. Cardinal, g; Pizzino, fb; Oliver, t; Erdley, hb; White, hb; P. Getz, e; Kanney, e; Weisgarber, t; Adams, hb; Power, fb; Bray, e; Hill, g; Stout, c; Graber, hb; Dolmas, t; Holt, qb; Miller, g; Fuchs, c. Latin –Lange, t; Phelps, c; Caleb, qb; Bindokas, fb; Egert, t; D. Browne, hb; Abood, g; Tercek, e; Galfidi, t; D’Arcangelo, e; Phillips, t.
Massillon Tops Latin, 64 – 0 Before 17,000 Amazed Fans
Paul Brown’s State Champs Score At Will
Against Clevelanders In Inaugural Game
By JIM SCHLEMMER
CATHEDRAL LATIN’S grid team, Cleveland champions, either is weaker this year than last….or Massillon’s mighty Tigers are stronger than ever before.
For the state championship Tigers romped to a 64 – 0 triumph over Latin last night before 17,000 fans in Massillon Stadium and did it with so much ease that the game lacked all semblance of a contest.
Sixty-four points, and these naturally do not include two brilliantly staged touchdown plays which were wiped out because of Massillon rule infringements.
Coach Paul Brown lifted his entire varsity team shortly after the second half got under way and never again returned his regulars to the field. The change only slowed down but did not stop the Tiger scoring.
Possibly if the announcement of Canton McKinley’s 57 – 0 win over Cleveland Lincoln had not been made at the field the Tigers would have been a bit more kind towards Latin. But Massillon is an outfit never willing to be outdone by McKinley. The topping of 57 points was inevitable.
Brown started 10 experienced players and they started scoring right off the bat. Three times in the first quarter – first on a 32-yard line play by Pokey Blunt, then on a 50-yard ground gainer pass play from Tom James to Horace Gillom, the pass being 30 and the run 20; and then on a triple reverse with Blunt winding up as the carrier and scampering 20 yards….all within the space of eight minutes.
James’ pass to Blunt set up the next touchdown, in the second period, and Blunt eventually went over from the four-yard stripe, after which the Tigers tamed their attack and fiddled away until half time.
On the third play of the second half Gillom swept right end for 41-yards and six points. Minutes later, following a recovered Latin fumble, James jumped over tackle for the sixth touchdown and when Ray Getz place-kicked the 45th point the varsity was jerked.
Dick Adams intercepted a Latin pass and came back to Latin’s 41-yard line from where the second-stringers went to work to boost the point total. Adams and Junior White collaborated to get to the three – and from there Adams made it 51 points
And that’s how it stood until the fourth quarter when in the first minute White swept his left end and raced 77 yards for the next touchdown to make it 57. That only tied McKinley’s total…
So……Adams on a cutback went 14 yards for the 10th Tiger tally, with half of the final period still remaining. But that was enough.
In the second quarter Getz had gone over from the 19-yard line only to have a holding penalty called, and not many minutes later James swept his right end from the 10-yard line into pay territory only to have this one ruled out for the same reason.
Latin had plenty of size, the only measurement in which the Clevelanders did have an advantage. The Tigers are light, particularly in the backfield, but their speed is tremendous.
They will simply out race the opposition to the goal line this season, in the event there is any opposition encountered before the McKinley classic.
Red Bird’s band established some sort of new record for first game perfection. Last year Latin’s band gave Massillon’s a run for top honor and Latin’s team scored 13 points in losing by only 40 – 13. Last night the Tiger show was completely a Tiger proposition.
Massillon Pos. Cathedral Latin Robinson le Haggerty Cardinal lt Lange Wallace lg Hirsch Appleby c Mahon Russell rg Meter Broglio rt Fougerousse Gillom re McFadden Klingham q Cousineau James lh Mason Getz rh Sague Blunt f Reinartz
Massillon 20 12 25 7 – 64
Substitutions: Massillon – Cardinal, g; Pizzino, f; Erdley, h; White, h; E. Getz, g; Weisgerber, t; Adams, h; Bray, e; Hill, g; Stout, c; Graber, h; Dolman, t; Holt, q; Fuchs, c. Latin – Lange, t; Phelps, c; Prokop, q; Brown, h.
POWERFUL TEAM LIFTS LID WITH IMPRESSIVE WIN OVER CATHEDRAL LATIN Massillon Opens Its Colorful Football Show So City Forgets World’s Woe
War, Election Take Back Seat As Tigers Open Grid Season
MASSILLON, Sept. 14. – London bombing, blitzkriegs and presidential candidates must take a back seat in Massillon for the next nine weeks for one of the country’s greatest high school gridiron combination of muscle and music has swept into action, carrying every resident of this football-mad city into the annual pigskin fervor.
A record opening game crowd of nearly 17,000 has already forgotten Friday night’s 64 – 0 massacre over Cleveland’s Cathedral Latin and has already turned its attention to next Friday night’s battle with Weirton, W. Va.
A newcomer to the Tiger schedule, Weirton promises opposition principally on the strength of the unusually heavy lineup. Heaviest of the team is a six-foot two-inch lineman weighing 198 pounds, several pounds heavier than any of Massillon’s starting players. Two more of the West Virginia players top 180 pounds, and only one drops to 150 pounds, the usual high school weight.
A Weirton newspaperman attended the game Friday night and declared that Massillon should not be able to defeat Weirton by more than 13 points. If Weirton can hold the Bengals to a 13-point victory it will be a signal honor, for the lowest score last season was a 20-6 victory in the annual battle between Massillon and Canton McKinley.
Tickets Go On Sale
Tickets for the Weirton game went on sale yesterday, with an advance expectation of a crowd of at least 16,000. Fifteen hundred reserve seats at $1 each and 500 student tickets have been sent to Weirton fans, who will come by special train to witness one of the famous Massillon gridiron shows.
With the record standing at one down and nine to go, Massillon residents already have a gleam of the sixth consecutive state championship title in their eye. It will probably remain a mystery how a city of 27,000 residents can draw crowds as high as 20,000 to high school football games.
Newest event of Friday night’s game was the spangled chorus girl costumes of Band Director George Bird’s six drum majorettes. Made by a Navarre dressmaker, the new costumes made an instant hit and are well adapted to the blackout drills, the band performs with lights.
Miss Leeper A Veteran
Only one of the majorettes, Mary Leeper, is a veteran from last year. The other five, Betty Luttrell, Jerry Show, Marjorie Marks, Ann Anania and Beverly Hanicq, are new.
Bird’s band, rated as the best in the state, if not the country, will present a novelty dance act to the music of “Madam Lazonga” at the Weirton game. “Obie,” the tiger mascot, who is Bob Farkas dressed in a $400 tiger skin, will dress as the madam in the novelty act, representative of Bird’s amazing ability to produce both an unparalleled marching swing band and a half-time vaudeville show.
The Massillon Booster club, enthusiastic organization of Massillon men which is the power behind the Tiger throne, sponsored a banquet for newspapermen prior to the Latin game. Gifts of zipper traveling cases in the shape of a football, complete with the receiver’s name and a Tiger head embossed on the side, a razor, file, shaving soap, tooth paste and manicuring scissors were distributed to each newspaperman.
TIGERS BEAT BULLDOGS 20-6 TO RETAIN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP CANTON GIVES LOCAL TEAM HARDEST GAME
Bulldogs Threaten Upset By Scoring One Touchdown And coming Close To Another; Slusser And Gillom Shine For Massillon
By LUTHER EMERY
A fighting band of red and black grid warriors played their hearts out at beautiful Fawcett stadium, Canton, Saturday afternoon but bowed 20-6 before the lightning thrusts of the Washington high Tiger.
The victory kept the state championship and the Stark county title in Massillon a fifth straight year and extended the Tiger winning streak begun in 1937 to 23 games. Hardest Fought Game Since 1935 While 22,000 fans filled every inch of the stadium and sat on the slope at the northwest end, the Tiger and Bulldog elevens waged their hottest duel since the terrific game of 1935 when a 6-0 victory started the string of five straight triumphs the Tigers have recorded against their Canton opponents.
Keyed with a new spirit and equipped with a new double wing-back offense, the Bulldogs tackled and blocked as they never did before this season and played a brand of football that would have sent them into the game an undefeated team.
It’s tradition that the underdog plays over his head and the favorite tightens up in a Massillon-Canton game and that was what took place Saturday. The Bulldogs were over their heads compared with past performances this season, but perhaps they were only playing the brand of ball of which they were really capable to producing. Canton Changes Strategy They adopted a first half strategy of consuming as much time in the huddle as possible to purposely delay the game with the hope of keeping down the score and possibly capitalizing on a break.
But when George Slusser crossed the Bulldog goal from the one-yard line in the second quarter and tossed a 21-yard pass to Tom James for another the Bulldogs, trailing 13-0, changed their strategy at halftime and came out to shoot the works in a do-or-die attempt to win.
Massillon fans who had eased back in their seats at the start of the third period feeling perfectly secure on a 13-point lead, were struck speechless when like a bolt out of the sky, Andy Marantides, game little Canton halfback, shot a 20-yard pass to halfback Matt Brown, who caught the ball over George Slusser’s head and ran another 21 yards for a touchdown.
What was apprehension became downright fear for Massillon fans when the Bulldogs came right back with another rush in which officials and the Bulldog backs carried the ball to the Tiger 15-yard line. Here the local eleven held for downs, thanks to a great job of pass defense work by Halfbacks Bob Foster, who batted down what looked like another perfect touchdown pass from Marantides to Brown.
Taking the ball on their own 15-yard line, the Tigers roared back with a drive to their own 49. There the Massillon linemen blasted a big hole in the Bulldog forward wall and on the slickest play of the day and a consistent ground gainer, Slusser took the ball from Bill Zimmerman on a fake spin and ran 51 yards for a touchdown. He cut hard to his right as he crossed the line of scrimmage and circled Bill Goodman, the McKinley safety man.
The touchdown eased the tension of Massillon fans, but the Bulldogs were not yet beaten. They wouldn’t quit as so many teams have done in the face of the Tiger charge, but came back fighting with another touchdown bid that would have reached the two yard line had not Halfback Goodman stepped out of bounds on the 30. It was the last scoring threat of either team and the game ended with the Tigers moving forward with the ball in midfield. Tigers Had Drive When Needed The statistics which favor Canton in first downs and Massillon in yards gained from scrimmage show little difference in both teams. Yet that little difference amounted to a big difference – the Tigers could get yards when needed, while the Bulldogs as in so many games the past season, moved the ball between the 20-yard lines but lacked the drive to put it over.
With a few ifs Canton might have gotten a tie out of it. Had not Foster been alert and timed his leap to a split second to knock down Marantides’ pass to Brown on the two-yard line, the Bulldogs would have had another touchdown. And they might have scored a third, had not Goodman walked the sideline in the last period after taking a pass from Marantides.
It was in the air that Canton gained most of its distance and what yards it made on the ground were gained around the Tiger ends.
Coach Johnny Reed gave his team a new double wing back offense for the game, hoping to spread the Tiger defense with the extra wing back and run fast breaking plays through the center of the Massillon line.
John Swezey, Red Henderson, Gil Pedrotty and Jim Russell, rose to the occasion, however and bottled up the Bulldog backs, while Horace Gillom, playing his greatest high school game, backed up the line with tremendous power. Swezey was particularly outstanding and the Tiger coaches were loud in their praise of his work after the game. Slusser Best Runner Offensively, Slusser, was the shining light for the Tigers. He gained more ground than any other player on the field, carrying the ball 22 times for an average of 7.2 yards, scoring two touchdowns and tossing the pass to Tom James for the third.
James and Foster also played good ball and because of his all around judgment Saturday, James will be first choice at calling signals next year. Foster gave an outstanding exhibition of pass defense work and was in on many a tackle.
Gillom’s punting was on a par with his great defensive play. He averaged 40.6 yards from scrimmage on his punts and kicked one ball 60 yards on the fly.
The Tigers had a series of plays with Gillom carrying the ball. They tried one on the second play after the kickoff, but when Horace fumbled when tackled, it was decided to play safe and continue the ball carrying to boys who were accustomed to lugging the leather.
Big Nick Rotz was outstanding on the Canton line. He was almost too strong for end Ray Getz to handle. Marantides was outstanding in the Bulldog backfield, doing most of the running and all of the punting and passing.
Still Champions Massillon Pos. Canton Getz LE Ryman Pedrotty LT Reale Russell LG Mack Martin C Haines Henderson RG Sirk Swezey RT Rotz Gillom RE Dugger Foster QB Chabek Slusser LH Marantides James RH Goodman Zimmerman FB Brown
Score by periods: Massillon 0 13 7 0 20 Canton 0 6 0 0 6
MASSILLON ROUTS CHANEY, 38 TO 0 Tigers Roll on to 22nd Consecutive Triumph
(From Plain Dealer Bureau)
MASSILLON, O., Nov. 11 – Youngstown Chaney joined the passing parade of Massillon Tiger victims here this afternoon as the champions coasted to their ninth consecutive victory of the season 38 to 0.
Chalking up their 22nd consecutive victory, the Tigers rolled up eighteen first downs and held Youngstown for three periods without any.
In the final stanza, with Tiger second and third stringers in the fray, Supanic drove to Chaney’s only first down of the afternoon. He was not even listed in the lineups. In this quarter Red James punted for the first time for the Tigers.
Tiger first stringers George Slusser and Red James, who for the first time this season did not start, led the afternoon’s scoring with two touchdowns apiece. Pokey Blunt, who poked his way into a staring lineup for the first time scored another and Junior White, third string back scored one also. 80-Yard March An 80-yard drive in the first quarter culminated with Slusser piling over for the first Tiger touchdown. Blunt had sparked the attack with two first down smashes.
In the second quarter, Slusser heaved a 25-yard pass to Ray Getz, who was brought down on the Chaney 13. On the next play, Slusser tallied on a wide end sweep.
For the second touchdown of the period the Tigers started from their 8 after Bill Reed had punted accurately to the sidelines.
A first down by Bill Zimmerman on the 22, a 20-yard sprint by Blunt and Slusser’s dash to the 4 from where Blunt scored, turned the trick.
Two snappy plays gave them their first score of the third quarter. A recovery of a Chaney fumble by John Swezey gave them the ball on the 27. On his first play of the game, Red James sprinted for the touchdown. After two passes failed, James was again given the ball. He broke through and was on his way for a touchdown for the longest run of the afternoon – 61 yards.
Junior White, Tiger third-stringer, scored late in the final stanza on a 9-yard end sweep around his own left end.
MASSILLON POS. YOUNGSTOWN Getz LE Stamm Croop LT Pietra Russell LG M. Evans Martin C R. Balog Henderson RG Polando Swezey RT Mailey Gillom RE J. Evans Foster Q Reid Slusser LH Mancino Blunt RH Williams Zimmerman F Thompson
POLAR BEARS STAGE AERIAL CIRCUS AS TIGERS WIN 47-6 CROWD THRILLED BY FINE OFFENSIVE GAME Lehman Second Team Of Season To Score On Massillon Eleven; Tally Touchdown On Intercepted Pass After Having Two Scoring Attempts Stopped
By LUTHER EMERY
It was Polar Bear weather, but Tiger might, and today Washington high school’s consecutive victory chain had the 21st link welded into it, a 47-6 triumph over Canton Lehman, last night before 10,000 shivering fans in Tiger Stadium.
Not a one of the 10,000 regretted sitting through the game and most of those who had intended leaving at the half remained to the very end. All Sorts of Formations The lopsided score doesn’t tell the reason why, but had you been there, the intricate formations of the Lehman gridders would have had an appealing effect to your football weakness too.
Were it not for the difference in suits, you might have thought it was the Massillon band when the Lehman gridders spread themselves over the field in squares and something resembling a company front.
It was effective in pushing twice as many first downs over the Tigers than any other opponent has been able to do and most of all, it kept the fans in an excited mood, wondering what to expect next. Intercepted Passes Inevitable But when you spread your team offensively, you also spread your protecting defense for the play should anything go wrong and here the boomerang bounced back on the Polar Bears. Four passes went into the arms of Tiger players and two of them, Horace Gillom and Jim Moody, had nothing to do but run 80 and 60 yards respectively for touchdowns. A third intercepted pass by George Fabian, behind the goal line, stopped a Lehman touchdown drive that had reached the seven-yard line.
The Polar Bears were just as unruly on defense. They lined up with only two men on the line of scrimmage, then as the Tigers shifted, hopped from four to five players into the line and moved two and three of the secondary forward several paces in an attempt to confuse the Tigers in their blocking assignments and upset the Massillon offense.
It didn’t work so successfully, however, for the varsity moved over the Polar Bear goal three times the first quarter and then went to the bench to watch the second and third stringers play the remainder of the game.
Aside from the Lehman offense and defense the game was screwy from another standpoint. The first quarter and part of the second was played without an official timekeeper.
It appears that someone had told Head Linesman Barrett that C.P. Hoffee, who goes to bed and gets up with a stop watch, would keep time. But nobody told Hoffee. The coaches thought Barrett was timing the game.
After the first quarter had lasted 14 minutes, Hoffee, who sure enough was following his hobby of timekeeping for fun, reported to Coach Brown. The Head Linesman was notified. He didn’t have a gun. Time was called. The coaches and officials held a discussion. The quarter ended there and it was agreed that the two minutes would be deducted from the second period which was cut to 10 minutes. Hoffee times the remainder of the game.
The Polar Bears’ desire to make a game of it and give the fans their money’s worth carried them deep into Tiger territory twice in the first half, once to the 16-yard line and again to the seven-yard line. Their fervent desire to score on the local eleven, something only Cathedral Latin had previously been able to do, was finally rewarded in the third quarter and Massillon fans were glad for it. Santora Intercepts Pass The Tigers here hammering down on the Polar Bear 31-yard line when Fabian tried to pass; the ball was partially blocked as it left his hand and Pete Santora gathered it in and headed for the east sideline and south goal. Running with all his might he raced by several Massillon players who attempted to tackle him and collapsed when tackled behind the goal. The attempt by Elsaesser to kick the extra point failed, but it mattered not, for Lehman’s work was done.
The Polar Bears ability to move the ball, kept the game an offensive duel from start to finish. In the entire first three periods, there was but one punt that coming at the end of the first series of plays, when Fuller punted after his team had failed to gain after the kickoff.
The punt put the ball in Massillon’s possession on the Lehman 40. Spectators’ eyes popped out at the sight of Lehman defense and Red James, carrying the ball on the first Massillon play was thrown for a three-yard loss by Bob Fuller. George Slusser felt the Polar Bears out as he got back the three yards on a charge at left tackle. He sized up the situation immediately and the Polar Bear unorthodox defense paid dearly. Slusser dropped back and Horace Gillom streaked down the east sideline toward the south goal.
He was past the Lehman secondary in a flash and took Slusser’s perfect pass with no one between himself and the goal. All he had to do was run and Gillom can do that right handily. Ray Getz kicked the extra point, the ball striking the left post and bounding over the crossbar.
Did that touchdown discourage Lehman? No, sir. The Polar Bears took the kickoff and came right back with their razzle – dazzle, spraddles that carried the ball from their own 27-yard line down to the Tiger 16. Fuller started it out by sweeping right end for 14 yards. Then Panella tossed a 20-yarder to Fuller for a first down on the Massillon 39. He came right back with another 20-yard heave to Fuller that caused the poor Tigers to take time out on their own 19 as Capt. Martin noticed the goal line wasn’t so very far behind him. Tigers Get Ball Fuller tried to carry the ball but was tossed for a three-yard loss. Panella’s pass was grounded. Panella tossed another to Fuller for a six-yard gain that took the ball to the Tiger 16-yard line. The Bears tried another wide spread formation, but took too much time. The referee blew his whistle just as the ball was passed. Fuller passed to Elsaesser and he went over the goal line, but about half the Tigers and Lehman players who heard the whistle, didn’t take part in the play. Lehman attempted another pass but Gillom grounded it and the Tigers took the ball on downs on their 21, thus ending the threat.
Three plays later the Tigers had their second touchdown. Slusser made three yards at left tackle and on a quick break, Foster sneaked through for 11 and a first down on his 35. There Slusser tucked the ball under his arm and raced 65 yards for a touchdown, outrunning Fuller and another Lehman secondary as he streaked down the west sideline to the south goal. Getz booted the extra point on a perfect bullseye between the uprights and the score was 14-0.
The Tigers kicked off to the Polar Bears and back they came with their razz-a-ma-taz. A shot from Fuller to Elsaesser gained 16 yards, another to Uebing produced five and a 15-yard penalty on Massillon put the ball on the Tiger 35.
Clear the decks for Gillom. And that’s what his teammates did as he gathered in Panella’s next pass on the 20-yard line and headed for the south goal. It was an 80-yard run and the third touchdown of the game.
Out came the Lehman first team and in went the second stringers. Getz booted the 21st point and the varsity’s evenings work was finished. In went the Tiger second stringers and with it, Coach Jim Robinson of Lehman shoved his first team back on the field.
The Polar Bears received, but when Fuller tried a pass, Freddie Blunt gathered it in on the Lehman 37 to launch another Tiger drive. The Tigers got down to the 25-yard line, overcoming a 15-yard penalty for clipping that nullified a fine 22-yard mouse trap end run by George Kester, when the prolonged first period ended. Blunt Goes Over Fabian, Blunt and Clendening took turns carrying the ball until they reached the two-yard line. Lehman was offside and a one-yard penalty advanced the ball to the one-yard line where Blunt took it over. He failed to make the extra point and the score was 27-0.
Lehman struck back again after the kickoff was downed on the 27-yard line. A 10-yard peg, Panella to Fuller put the ball on the 37-yard line and there followed the prettiest play of the game. Fuller passed laterally two-thirds the width of the field to Panella who in turn heaved the ball 23 yards to Elsaesser for a first down on the Tiger 32-yard line. A 15-yard penalty on Massillon advanced the ball to the 17. Santora and Fuller made it first down on the seven and sent the Tiger team into an eight-man line. Fuller tried to buck it but hit a stone wall. Panella then attempted a pass, but George Fabian hauled the ball in behind the goal and ran back to the five-yard line. The half ended two plays later.
Lehman kicked off as the third period got underway and Clendening was downed with the ball on his 28-yard line. On the first play he broke fast through the Lehman team and was hauled down from behind on the Lehman 27, after a run of 45 yards. Kester went to the 15 on an end around play and Blunt hit through tackle for the touchdown, Clendening went over for the extra point.
The Polar Bears were still on the loose, however, and aided by a 15-yard pass from Panella to Fuller, came back to the Tiger 44-yard line. They had Jim Moody to reckon with, however, and Jim timed Fuller’s next throw to intercept the ball and race 60 yards for a touchdown. Fabian attempted to toss a pass for the extra point but it failed. Santora Brings Joy To Lehman The following kickoff found the Bears pecking away again. Fuller found Panella for a 25-yar pass as the visitors took the ball to the Tiger 30. There the locals stopped the drive and marched back to the Lehman 31, where Fabian’s blocked pass found the waiting arms of Santora who raced for Lehman’s touchdown. At this stage of the game, the score was about as good as a victory for the Lehman rooters who shouted themselves hoarse. And they were joined by almost as many Massillon supporters who were glad to see the Bears rewarded for their pleasing efforts.
The Tigers scored but once the last period in a drive that began from their own 42. It was Clendening seven yards, Fabian seven yards and a first down on the 28. Fabian lost two but got back five on his second attempt. The Bears left an opening on the left side of their line on the next play and that was all Pokey Blunt needed. He was through and away for a 25-yard touchdown dash, the last of the game. Clendening plunged the 47th point across.
The statistics would not indicate the Tigers as 41 points better than Lehman. They made 13 first downs to the Polar Bears’ dozen and gained 342 yards rushing to the Bears’ 40. On the other hand the Bears’ made the huge total of 155 yards passing to the Tigers’ 40.
Massillon attempted but three passes, completing one, while the visitors made 11 of 21. The Tigers punted but once and Lehman three times, three of the four punts coming in the last quarter.
That both teams were in fine condition, there was no doubt. There were few times out for injury and no dragging on the field. The Polar Bears had a wealth of spirit but were poor in tackling and blocking, particularly the former. Many a time Bear defensive players had opportunities to spill Tiger ball carriers for losses, but spoiled the opportunity with weak tackling.
Good Old Bear Massillon Pos. Lehman Getz LE Uebing Pedrotty LT Lee Russell LG Cline Martin C Wilson Henderson RG Butler Swezey RT Mack Gillom RE Loucks Foster QB Panella Slusser LH Fuller James RH Elsaesser Zimmerman FB Santora
TIGERS CRUSH NEW CASTLE IN LAST HALF 46-0 FORWARD PASSES WIN GAME FOR MASSILLON Aerial Plays Figure In Six Of Seven Touchdowns; Great Tiger Goal Line Stand Broke New Castle Spirit
By LUTHER EMERY
Stars fell out of heaven for the Washington high Tigers in Tiger Stadium Friday evening as they forward passed their way to a 46-0 victory over New Castle’s Red Hurricane before a crowd of between 15,000 and 16,000 fans.
Halted by a fast charging New Castle line flanked by two fine ends, the Tigers had to take to the air to bomb their way into the lead. Yielded Ground Stubbornly It was not an easy matter, gaining ground through the New Castle players. They were the Hurricane and more and were their hopes not jolted by a firm Tiger stand on the one-yard line when the score was only 6-0, you might have seen a closer game.
Driven away from the Massillon goal and chased back in a second Tiger march that produced a touchdown with only 10 seconds of the first half left to play, the New Castle morale was broken and the local eleven had things pretty much its own way as it rolled to five more touchdowns the last two periods.
‘Twas a game not unlike that at Warren late last month, when the Tigers wore down their opponents with superior conditioning. The New Castle boys were dragging at the end and although still eager to make a game of it as evidenced by injured players going back into the melee, lacked strength to even compete with the Tiger second and third stringers the last period. Line Makes Tigers Dig Too much cannot be said of the play of the visiting line. It made the Tiger trenchmen dig in and hit with all they had. Tiger ball carriers were thrown for 30 yards in losses and the local eleven can thank its lucky stars it had a passing attack.
Just when line plays were stopped, the Tigers seemed able to pass their way for first downs. Two long pegs, one for 34 and the other for 25 put the ball on the six-yard line in position for the first touchdown.
A 21-yard pass put the ball on the seven-yard line for the second and another good for 56 yards took the leather to the six-yard line for the third score. A blocked punt got the fourth, but a 34-yard pass picked off the fifth. An intercepted pass gave the Tigers the ball prior to the sixth and an intercepted pass followed by a 40-yard run, produced the seventh and last.
So you see forward passes figured in all but one of the Massillon eleven’s seven touchdowns.
In fact the Tiger eleven used the forward pass to gain 199 yards, an unusually large amount.
The visitors by the nature of their defense invited passing and because they jammed their secondary at times near the Tiger forward wall, were able to stop the Massillon running attack. Then too the Red Hurricane defenders committed the unpardonable sin of permitting a Massillon receiver to get behind them. No coach will excuse it, but the Massillon ends are fast and are hard to watch when you are pressing the line of scrimmage.
When the Tiger passes began finding receivers, the Hurricane secondary moved back and the Massillon running attack functioned more consistently thereafter.
Fans felt none secure the first half when they saw the vaunted running attack of their team vaunted running attack of their team bottled up by the Hurricane’s fast charging line.
Particularly did they feel concerned when their end sweeps frequently resulted in losses. You can give credit to Cenname and Zarilla, the New Castle wingmen, for that. They were hard to take out of plays and though they did not always make the tackle, they so jammed the interference in front of the ball carrier that someone could charge in from the secondary to nail the runner.
The first half was not as one-sided as the 14-0 score indicates. Remember it was 7-0 with only 10 seconds of the half remaining to be played and with a few ifs and ands, could just as well have been a 7-7 deadlock. A Great First Half Those first two periods were honeys, the kind Massillon fans have been looking forward to. They were treated to a good first half at Warren, a good first half here with Alliance and another last night. Though all three games ended in routs, all were far better than the one-sided scores would indicate.
That would tend to prove that superior conditioning is winning football games for the Tigers this year.
While the Massillon eleven twice took time out for injuries, the visitors on many occasions had to call for time and make replacements. Both teams apparently escaped unscathed as far as serious injuries were concerned and although one of the visitors was carried to the clubhouse, he was not hurt severely, but was only shaken up.
The game was the fourth between Massillon and New Castle. The Tigers have won three to the Hurricane’s one and remain the only school over which New Castle does not hold a majority of victories.
The Hurricane, however, still holds the honor of being the last team to beat Massillon. They did it 7-0 in October, 1937.
Save for a series of passes that carried them from the 37-yard line where they covered a Massillon fumble, to the one-yard line, the Hurricane had little in an offensive way last night.
They were badly outclassed for first downs, 20-5 and they only gained 59 yards, 22 of them by passing.
Playing a leading role in the Tiger defense was Capt. Earl Martin, Tackle John Swezey, Guard Jim Russell and Line Backer Upper De Luxe Howard Gillom. They were breaking through and playing in the Hurricane backfield all evening. The manner in which they hurried Lindy Lauro when he tried to pass, helped stop the effectiveness of his aerial heaves. He only completed four of 14 attempts. Statistics Favor Tigers The Tiger line from end to end, hit hard enough to give Massillon a big advantage in statistics. The locals gained 484 yards from scrimmage, 285 of them by rushing and with losses deducted, finished the evening with a net gain of 454 yards to New Castle’s net 41 yards.
The game to which the Tigers resorted when stopped on land, produced many a thrill for the fan, but none was more sudden than that which accompanied the fourth touchdown when Gillom and Martin blocked Gilboy’s punt and Gillom picked it up to race 18 yards for the score.
The greatest thrill of all, however, came in the second period when the Tigers with their backs to the goal went into an eight-man line and held the visitors to five yards in four ball carrying attempts.
The Tigers continued to find the ball hard to hold last night. Their play had been practically void of fumbling up until last week when they began juggling the ball at Steubenville.
They lost if once on a fumble last night and it was that muff by Red James making a desperate effort to catch a New Castle punt that put the Hurricane in scoring position the only time during the night.
The Tigers were leading 7-0 at the time, thanks to a touchdown fro the three-yard line by George Slusser and his two fine passes, one of 34 yards to Ray Getz and another of 25 yards to Gillom that made the touchdown possible. Zarilla covered the fumble for New Castle and the Hurricane began to blow. Three line plays left the visitors four yards short of a first down, but Laruo shot a pass to Joe Gender for a first down on the Massillon 23-yard line.
Lauro threw another to Cenname for two yards and when Lauro attempted to toss to Cenname behind the goal, he was tackled as the ball left his hands. The officials called roughing the passer and slapped a 15-yard penalty on the Tigers that moved the ball down to the six-yard line. An Eight-Man Line The Tigers went into an eight-man line and the crowd got to its feet with every play. Lauro made a yard. He flicked a pass to Gender for three more. Lauro advanced the ball one more yard placing it one the one-yard line. Again he hit the line, but couldn’t make it. Lauro claimed he did but the officials said no and anyway they penalized the Hurricane 15 yards for shoving the ball carrier. Martin took the penalty which left the visitors with one more chance. Lauro again tried to pass, but the ball w as knocked down and the Tigers took it on their own 16-yard line.
That was New Castle’s only threat and the players were more than a little upset over their failure to cross the Tiger goal. In fact before they could recover, the Massillon gridders were down to their goal, a 29-yard pass, Gillom to Getz and another of 21 yards, Slusser to Foster, placing the ball on the seven-yard line where Red James was turned loose for a run around left end that produced a touchdown with only 10 seconds of the first half remaining to be played. Getz kicked both goals from placement.
The Tigers got a touchdown the second time they put their hands on the ball in the third period. Stopped in their first bid by a 15-yard penalty, another 15 yards for clipping put them in starting position for the march form their own 10-yard line. Slusser and Roscoe Clendening hammered their way to their 38 where Slusser fired a 15-yard pass that Foster took and carried to the six-yard line before being downed, a gain of 56 yards.
It was Slusser for two yards; Clendening for two and finally Slusser for the last two and the touchdown. Getz’s attempt kick for the extra point was blocked. The ball bounded into Slusser’s arms and he nearly ran it across, being dropped half a yard short of goal. Gillom Scores On Blocked Punt New Castle took the kickoff and when it failed to gain, Gilboy dropped back to punt. Martin and Gillom, however, pounded through the Hurricane line and blocked the ball, Gillom scooping it up to run some 18 yards for a touchdown. This time Getz kicked the goal and boosted the score to 27-0.
The Tigers lost no time when they next came into possession of the leather. James returned Gilboy’s punt 12 yards to his 48 and on a Statue of Liberty play moved the ball to within inches of a first down. Slusser’s plunge brought a first on the 34-yard line and he stepped back on the very next play to fire a perfect pass to Gillom who stepped over the goal line for a touchdown. This time Getz’s kick for the extra point was again blocked.
Fred Blunt went into the game at this stage for Massillon. After losing the ball on the 34-yard line Fred Moody intercepted Lauro’s pass as the Hurricane tried desperately to score. Jim Moody got back to the New Castle 46 before being tackled. John Pizzino and Dick Adams advanced the ball to the 14-yard line where Blunt score easily on an end sweep and went through tackle for the extra point to hike the total to 40-0.
The visitors tossed two passes after the following kickoff, the second floating into the waiting arms of George Kester who intercepted and ran back 40 yards for the Tigers seventh and final touchdown of the game. Again Blunt carried the extra point across the goal.
20 For Tigers Massillon Pos. New Castle Getz LE Cenname Pedrotty LT Kulnis Russell LG Gilboy Martin C Morgan Henderson RG Pierillo Swezey RT Castrucci Gillom RE Zarilla Foster QB Gender Slusser LH Roberts James RH Glazza Clendening FB Lauro
Game Statistics Mass. N.C. First downs 20 5 Passes 14 14 Passes completed 6 7 Passes incomplete 7 8 Passes intercepted 1 2 Yards gained passing 199 22 Yards gained rushing 285 37 Total yards gained 484 59 Yards lost 30 18 Net yards gained 454 41 Kickoffs 7 2 Average kickoffs (yards) 37 39 Kickoffs returned (yards) 19 123 Punts 2 6 Punts blocked 0 1 Average punt(yards) 45.5 35.3 Punts returned (yards) 19 7 Fumbles 4 0 Lost ball on fumbles 1 0 Times penalized 10 4 Yards penalized 90 30
Massillon Tries To Please So Fans Pour Through Gates Purchase Of Tarpaulin On Field Makes Possible Good Game and Show and Likewise Saves Turf From Heavy Damage
The Massillon–New Castle game Friday evening was a good example why fans flock to Massillon to see Tiger football shows. In the first place every attempt is made by the athletic board to give the fan the kind of show he wants.
No spectator likes, to see two teams waddling in the mud. That’s one reason why school officials last year purchased a big tarpaulin at a cost of $2,600.
You saw the result last night. The canvas protected the field against the heavy rains of Thursday evening and Friday morning and provided a fairly dry surface for the game and a great band show.
The sum paid for the tarpaulin has the appearance of a lot of money, but the investment will pay dividends. Think how the field would have been torn up had it not been protected from the heavy rains.
After two periods of play on soggy turf, it is doubtful if it would have been at all possible to have staged the brilliant band spectacle that thrilled spectators between halves. Bands Stage Great Show There you have another reason why fans are blocking to Massillon for their football treat. The New Castle band of 110 pieces, led by six majorettes and directed in its routine by a white suited young lady, spread out in a huge V before the Tiger stands and played the “Donkey Serenade” while the majorettes gave an exhibition of twirling and the flag fearer a demonstration of flag throwing.
The New Castle musicians played unusually well and were given a great ovation as they marched from the field. The uniforms they wore last night were worn for the first time two years ago when New Castle paid its first visit to Massillon.
George Bird’s Tiger swing band was hot again and your head did a spin trying to watch the band and the accompanying fireworks display at the same time.
In its half time show the Tiger musicians saluted New Castle to a thunder of rockets and bombs that ended with a Tiger lighting up on the hilltop at the north end of the field. The band marched to the goal line where “Obie” on his second attempt, succeeded in putting the baton over the goal post and catching it. Back up the field the Massillon musicians came in their “Parade of the Jitterbugs”, which featured “Obie” holding his own “jam session.”
The band concluded the half-time show by forming a block M for the Alma Mater.
At the end of the game, the band again appeared for “Retreat” while the colors were lowered with another blast of fireworks. This accomplished, the performance was concluded with “The Old Grey Mare” and “Tiger Rag”. Bands Raised Colors The two combined bands appeared together prior to the opening kickoff marching to the end of the field where the colors were raised while the National Anthem was played. Joe F. Raplogle, director of the New Castle band, directed the combined bands. As the colors reached the top of the flag pole, rockets were fired into the air and two set pieces, one reading “NC” and the other “M”, were touched off.
Folks unable to get to the game got a good idea of how the Tigers were coming off from the firing of bombs that greeted every Massillon touchdown. It was a new idea and made a hit with fans at the game as well as those who remained at home.
Put the crowd at somewhere between 15,000 and 16,000 and then imagine what it would have been were it not for threatening weather. The stadium with its new portable seats on the north end now can accommodate 16,400. There were some vacancies in the special section at the south end of the field and the portable bleachers were not solidly packed.
The weatherman certainly gave everyone a “break” however. After an all-day rain, the clouds broke slightly before evening the rain ceased and held off until after the game.
A light sprinkle began to fall within a few minutes after the final whistle. The weatherman certainly has been kind to Massillon. 1,000 New Castle Fans Here New Castle brought about 1,000 fans to Massillon, 400 of them riding the special train that reached here shortly after 7 p.m. and unloaded at the 16th Street S.E. crossing. The band also rode the train.
The Tiger cheerleaders and New Castle cheerleaders vied for honors. The visitors had eight of them, four boys and four girls and they were not at all downcast by the defeat. They contributed to the pep of the evening to the very end.
Unless Coach Phil Bridenbaught of New Castle has a change of heart, the game may be the last between the two teams. The Tigers have won three out of the four-year series. ‘Twould be a pity to end a rivalry that has never failed to draw fewer than 10,000 fans. Massillon fans hope that Bridenbaugh will reconsider and sign for a game in New Castle in 1940.
Not often do you see a team penalized for deliberately grounding a pass or for helping the ball carrier by pushing or other methods. New Castle was penalized for both offenses last night, 15 yards each time.
Most people are in too big a hurry to leave the park to get a glimpse of one of the best sights—autos leaving the stadium after the game. Every direction you look you see nothing but headlights. Press Box Filled The press box was jammed to capacity last night. It contained newspapermen from New Castle, New Philadelphia, Canton, Cleveland, Toledo, Bowling Green, Wooster, Akron, New Castle radio men and of course Tiger assistant coaches who take a bird’s eye view of the game, noting any Tiger errors and reporting them immediately to Coach Paul Brown on the Massillon bench.
The visiting newsmen enjoy watching Massillon play. The publicity the Tigers are getting attests to that. And then it is evidenced in another way. Two members of the Beacon Journal staff laid cash on the line for 72 reserved seats for last night’s game, for friends who had heard them talking and writing about the Massillon football show.
The blocking of the Massillon team continues to startle visitors. The New Castle gridders did a fairly good job of jamming things up the first two periods, but in the last half it was not an unfamiliar sight to see a Tiger ball carrier pounding around end with three to four men screening him from tacklers.
TIGER GRIDDERS CRUSH STEUBENVILLE FOR 19th VICTORY GEORGE SLUSSER SETS PACE IN 50-0 TRIUMPH Scores Three Touchdowns, Throws Passes For Two Others; Huge Crowd See Undefeated Massillon Machine Roll Onward
By LUTHER EMERY
Steubenville’s Big Red wave was only another ripple on the Ohio river today, as the Washington high Tigers calmed the troubled waters with a 50-0 victory before 10,000 fans Friday evening, a record football crowd for Steubenville.
Displaying the same steam roller offense and rugged defense that has carried them through to an undefeated season the Tigers marked up their 19th consecutive triumph last night in a grand gridiron pageant. Another Fine Show The huge crowd, that necessitated closing all ticket windows before the start of the game, the march and rhythm of the bands and the antics of the Steubenville bear and the Massillon Tiger, gave the fans the show they had come to see and though the score was one-sided, every yard of territory was stoutly contested by the Stubs to the satisfaction of their loyal supporters.
The Big Red wouldn’t quit as touchdown after touchdown went over their goal and they were still scrapping at the final gun. In fact Steubenville reporters declared their team displayed more fight last night than at anytime this season.
In Defeating Steubenville 50-0, the Tigers won by a more decisive score than did Portsmouth, which beat the Big Red 39-6 on the same gridiron two weeks ago.
Portsmouth laid claim to the state title last year and was prepared to shout again this season, but the Tigers succeeded in hushing their claims last night. Says Tigers Stronger Team Bill Workman, sports writer for the Herald Star, Steubenville, declared Massillon was far superior to Portsmouth. He feels the Trojans were no more than three if not two touchdowns better than the Big Red. They got four of their touchdowns through breaks of the game.
Breaks helped place the ball in position for three of the Tiger touchdowns last night when Steubenville fumbles were recovered between the 20 and 30-yard lines and a 15-yard penalty inflicted on the Big Red helped the local eleven in a fourth touchdown march.
On the other hand penalties also helped to retard the Massillon steam roller at times and were it not for these additional scores might have been shoved over the Big Red goal.
The Tigers got a good break at the start when Bernie Cybulski fumbled the opening kickoff and Gil Pedrotty recovered on the 20-yard line. In three plays George Slusser gained seven yards, Red James nine and Slusser four more and a touchdown. Only a minute of the game had transpired when Slusser crossed the goal.
The touchdown parade continued throughout the game. A second went over the Big Red goal in the opening period and three more were put over in the second quarter. The Stubs succeeded in slowing down the invasion in the third period when they held the Tigers to one touchdown, but the Massillon gridders nearly pushed the home team back into the Ohio river with a wave of fourth period offense that produced two quick touchdowns and ended only when Coach Paul Brown put his second and third stringers in the game. Big Red Completely Outplayed The Big Red had the fight, but all their pepper could not save them from taking a beating in points and statistics.
They were out rushed, out passed, out kicked and even out penalized.
The Tigers gained a total of 488 yards from rushing and passing to the Stubs’ 45 yards and showed a net gain, losses deducted of 468 yards to 26 yards.
The linemen of any team that holds Steubenville to a net gain of 26 yards, deserve particular mention and that’s why Massillonians doff their hats today to Ray Getz, Roscoe Clendening, Gil Pedrotty, Jim Russell, Earl Martin, John Swezey, Gene Henderson, Ray Getz and backer upper Horace Gillom.
Gillom punting as he never has before, averaged 42 yards from scrimmage as he kicked the ball 31, 50 and 45 yards in three attempts.
Walter Lonas, the Steubenville punter, averaged 33.3 yards on his 10 punts, most of which were placed out of bounds to keep Fred Blunt, Red James and Dick Adams, Tiger safety men from running the ball back.
And the Tigers were penalized 110 yards to the Stubs’ 55 yards. Most of the penalties inflicted on Massillon were for failing to pause sufficiently on the shift. It was the first time this year they were penalized for this violation a frequent cause for penalization in past years.
First downs were 15 to 1 in favor of the local team, Steubenville’s only first down coming on a penalty for pass interference. Big Red In Shape But for all the beating they took the Big Red stoop up and fought back gamely. That they were in condition, no one can deny. There were few injuries, the most serious of which was George Fabian, Tiger substitute halfback who it is believed suffered a cracked rib in the fourth quarter. He was removed from the game, but at his own request, continued on with the team to Pittsburgh, where today the Massillon eleven will see the Duquesne – University of Pittsburgh game.
If the Big Red succeeded in any single effort last night it was in bottling up Pokey Blunt. The Tiger sophomore had never been stopped before. He made one touchdown against the Stubs going over from the two-yard line, but his long runs that featured other games were missing.
You can give Ed. Mike, the Steubenville right end, most of the credit for stopping Pokey. The Massillon boy usually runs to his left and defending the right Steubenville flank, was Mike. He acted as though he knew where Pokey was going for he usually beat the Tiger carrier to the hole.
Mike’s defensive work was a highlight of the Steubenville attack. The Big Red line as a whole was badly out charged, though it seemed to come to life on point after touchdown plays. Several times the Stubs’ blocked Ray Getz’s attempted placekicks and they rushed him badly on other occasions. He only got two over the bar and between the uprights in eight attempts.
The vicious blocking of the Tigers caused a stir in the press box as Big Red tacklers were cut down cleanly. The Steubenville reporters liked that kind of football.
Inability of the Stub blockers to accord their ball carriers the same kind of support, kept their offense from making any great inroads on the Tigers.
While the Tigers crossed the Stubs’ goal eight times, the Big Red never seriously threatened. Cas Myslinski recovered. Slusser’s fumble on the Tiger 33 in the first period but in four downs the Stubs could make but three yards and they lost the ball on their 30-yard line. Slusser Scores Three Leading Massillon’s touchdown parade was George Slusser. He crossed the Big Red goal three times. James, Blunt, Gillom, Getz and Foster all succeeded in reaching the Promised Land once during the course of the game.
Most sensational of the eight touchdowns was a beautiful 58-yard run by Red James for the second score of the game, a 23-yard touchdown pass from Slusser to Gillom and a 47-yard touchdown pass tossed by Slusser that Ray Getz took on the dead run.
The fans had hardly recovered from the thrill of the kickoff and Pedrotty’s recovery of Cybulski’s fumble when Slusser plunged over the Big Red goal from the four-yard line with the first touchdown of the game. Getz missed the attempted placekick for the extra point.
When the Big Red failed to gain after the following kickoff, Lonas punted it out on the Massillon 41. The Tigers were penalized 15 yards for holding and they lost the ball when Slusser fumbled and Myslinski, recovered for Steubenville. They stopped the Big Red’s ball carrying attempts and took the ball on their own 30. There they began another drive that took them to their 42-yard line where James was turned loose for a 58-yard touchdown jaunt. He sidestepped Cybulski, the Stub safety man, who slipped and fell when he tried to wheel in the same direction to block the Tiger ball carrier. Getz kicked the extra point from placement and the score was 13-0.
The Tigers kicked off and when the Stubs couldn’t gain, they booted it back to the Massillon 36-yard line. The Tigers drove down to the nine-yard line, where a 15-yard penalty stopped their bid for a touchdown and forced Gillom to punt, the ball rolling over the goal. Foster Sneaks Over The Stubs kicked on the third down to James who was dropped on the Stubs’ 46. With James leading the way, the Tigers marched to the 10-yard line. Slusser took t he ball to within a yard of the goal and Foster sneaked through for the touchdown. Getz’s kick for the extra point was blocked. Score 19 to 0.
The Big Red received, but Lonas was forced to punt out of bounds on the Massillon 48. Blunt whirled to the 32 and Slusser running hard, carried the ball to the seven-yard line. In two more plays he banged his way over for the touchdown. Getz’s kick was wide of the goal posts. Score 25-0.
On the first play after the following kickoff, Cybulski fumbled and Foster was on the job to cover the ball on the Big Red 30. Blunt was thrown for a nine-yard loss and Hillis blocked Slusser’s pass to Gillom. The Big Red was penalized 15 yards, however, for roughing Slusser and in three attempts, Slusser and Clendening lugged the leather to the three-yard line where Blunt went over for the touchdown. Getz’s attempted kick for the extra point was low. Score 31-0.
The Tigers got the kickoff in the second half, but their advance was stopped by the Big Red who came out playing inspired football. Gillom punted over the goal. The Stubs couldn’t gain either and kicked back to the local eleven. James making a beautiful return of the ball, only to have the run nullified by a 15-yard penalty for clipping that put the ball back on the Tiger 40. A touchdown drive immediately got underway with Slusser and James doing most of the ball carrying and Slusser finally driving over through tough Big Red resistance, from the two-yard line. Again Getz’s kick was no good but the score was 37-0.
And 37 it stood until the fourth quarter when Clendening in the first minute pounced on Stauffer’s fumble on the Stub’s 23-yard line then lightning began to strike the Big Red. On the first play, Slusser stepped back and pegged the ball to Gillom who raced over for the touchdown. Getz’s kick was blocked. Score 43-0.
The Tigers kicked off to the Stubs, but got the ball back on a punt that went out of bounds on the Big Red 47. In another lightning stroke Slusser faded back 10 yards and fired a long pass that Getz took at full speed on the 20-yard line and crossed the goal with no one near him. This time he kicked the extra point.
From here on in, a continual parade of substitutes entered the game for the Tigers, several third stringers being in the lineup at the finish.
Tigers Roll On Massillon Pos. Steubenville Getz LE Adams Pedrotty LT R. Mike Russell LG Harvey Martin C Myslinski Henderson RG Peterson Swezey RT Starr Gillom RE E. Mike Foster QB Cybulski Slusser LH Lonas James RH Gilliam Clendening FB Hillis
TIGERS CRUSH STUBBORN ALLIANCE GRIDDERS 47-0 HILLIS HUME UNABLE TO CROSS GOAL LINE State’s Leading Scorer, Always A Threat, Proves Better Punter Than Runner As Season’s Largest Crowd Looks On
By LUTHER EMERY
The Washington high Tigers defied the air raid of the Alliance Aviators Friday evening and turned back the bombers 47-0 before the largest crowd that has ever attended a football game in Massillon exclusive of Massillon-Canton McKinley games.
Between 16,000 and 17,000 fans overflowed Tiger Stadium to form a background for a setting of color that has gained the Massillon gridders a wide reputation in the state. Aviators Weaken Last Period For three periods the two undefeated elevens were locked in terrific combat, but Alliance gradually weakened in the fourth quarter and the tiring Aviators could not gear themselves to the phenomenal speed of “Pokey” Blunt, Tiger substitute halfback and the hard running of George Slusser.
By sheer strength and force the Tigers managed to shove over a touchdown in each of the first two periods to lead 13-0 at the half and they got a cheap third one in the opening minutes of the third quarter when they recovered an Alliance fumble on the six-yard line.
But even in the face of 20 points the Aviators lost none of their grit and refused to be scared by the four-time Ohio champions. They yielded ground stubbornly as they fought back yard by yard, until finally the local eleven managed to crash through for a touchdown in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Aviators Finally Crash Those were the points that finally broke down Alliance. Gains came easier thereafter and the Tigers crossed the goal line three more times on long runs by Slusser and Blunt.
Never did Alliance get near the Tiger goal. Twice in the second period the Aviators carried the ball by the midfield stripe, but never got closer than the 40-yard line. Only once in the last half did they get into Massillon territory and that came on a fancy return of a kickoff by Hillis Hume, star back of the Aviators, who tucked the ball under his arm and raced 33 yards before being downed on the Tiger 49-yard line. He picked up a yard from scrimmage, but on the second play, Horace Gillom regained the ball for the Tigers when he intercepted Hume’s pass and ran the ball back into Alliance territory.
Hume was a constant threat. There was no letting down one minute in vigilance or the Alliance star would have gotten away. The state’s leading scorer, he made two good runs from scrimmage, one for 17 yards and one for 14, but his best effort was the brilliant return of Getz’s kickoff early in the fourth quarter. He nearly got away, but was bottled up on the sidelines just as he crossed the midfield stripe.
The Tigers had every respect for Hume. On only two occasions did he get the kickoff. All other times, Getz carried out his instructions and kicked the ball out of bounds as far back as possible. Coach Paul Brown didn’t want any part of Hume in an open field such as a kickoff provides. The Alliance ace was accorded little support on his ball carrying efforts from scrimmage, so hard did the Massillon tacklers charge in.
He carried the ball 15 times, gained 45 yards and was thrown for a total of six yards in losses.
But while Hume did not sparkle in running last night, he attracted attention in another way with his accurate punting. The statistics show Gillom averaged more yards on his kicks, but Hume’s ability to place the ball out of bounds in the vicinity of the five-yard line contributed a major portion to the Alliance defense.
The punting throughout the night was the best that has been seen here in years. Each team kicked five times; Gillom averaging 43.4 yards and Hume 38.4 yards from the line of scrimmage. Gillom Kicks A Beauty Gillom got off a dazzling punt from the goal line in the second period; Hume taking the ball on his own 33. While the ball actually traveled 67 yards, punts are computed from the line of scrimmage and as a result the boot can only be listed in the statistics at 56 yards.
The Tiger eleven, playing without the services of two regulars, Capt. Earl Martin and Fullback Bill Zimmerman, displayed all of their vaunted power in routing the Aviators. They mouse trapped the tackles for their first touchdown, completed two out of four passes for 48 yards and gained 414 additional yards by rushing. Of the 414 yards, 189 were made as the Aviators weakened in the fourth quarter. First downs were 14 to five in Massillon’s favor.
The Tigers followed the usual procedure of trying to crush their opponents’ morale by scoring the first time they got the ball. They succeeded but it took 12 plays to march the ball 63 yards. Two mouse traps were set to catch the touchdown and both worked. Ray Getz whirling around right end for 12 yards on the first and Gillom following around left end for the last 17 and a touchdown.
The Tigers began another drive late in the opening period from their own six-yard line that went far into the second period before the Alliance goal was finally reached. Alliance actually had stopped the drive back on the Massillon 35-yard line, but a 15-yard penalty for roughing Gillom when he punted, moved the ball up to midfield and enabled the locals to continue their attack. The teams battled over every yard of ground the remaining 50 yards. Red James finally going over from the two-yard line. Getz kicked goal.
Alliance struck back after the second touchdown with its first threat of the game as Hume got away for one run of 17 yards to carry the ball into Tiger territory. The Tiger linemen entrenched themselves on the 42-yard line, however, and forced Hume to punt. He placed a beauty out of bounds on the five-yard line.
The Tigers threatened again in the closing minutes of the half when Slusser pegged a pass to Getz from the Alliance 32. Getz got down to the five-yard line before he was tackled. A five-yard penalty moved the ball back 10 yards from the goal and an attempt to set a mouse trap lost 15 more when the ball was fumbled. Break Sets up Touchdown Alliance had just succeeded in stopping a Tiger drive and had forced Gillom to punt out of bounds on the 12-yard line, when a break in the game put the ball in position for the Tigers third touchdown in the third period. An Alliance fumble was covered by Massillon on the six-yard line and on the first play Clendening went through his right tackle for the touchdown without a hand being laid on him. Getz kicked the point.
The fourth touchdown drive began late in the third period when Slusser intercepted Hume’s pass on the 30-yard stripe and stepped off four yards before being tackled. Nine plays were run off before Roscoe Clendening finally plunged over from the two-yard line. Getz’s placement kick increased the score to 27-0, the touchdown coming early in the fourth quarter.
Hume got away to a 33-yard run on the following kickoff and the Aviators worked the ball into Tiger territory only to lose it when Gillom intercepted Hume’s pass and ran back to the Alliance 34. Slusser, cut hard through tackle and ran around Hume in a 34-yard touchdown dash.
The Aviators came back with another drive that barely got over the 50-yard line before it was finally smothered and Hume was forced to punt out on the Massillon 17.
Clendening in two attempts smashed to a first down on his 29 and that set the stage for Pokey Blunt. He ripped off 48 yards for a first down on the Alliance 23 and after Clendening was thrown for a two-yard loss. Blunt ran another 25 yards for a touchdown around left end. Again Getz kicked goal.
The Tigers kicked off to Alliance and on the first series, Bob Foster pulled down one of Hume’s passes and ran back five yards to the Alliance 39-yard line. Slusser moved the pigskin to the 32 and Blunt was again paged to take the ball around left end on a deep reverse for the remaining 32 yards. Getz kicked another point, his fifth in seven attempts, to end the scoring at 47 points. Last Period Scoring Saves Wagers The Tigers’ 27-point barrage in the last quarter saved the day for quite a few sportsmen who gave away 30 points in wagers. They were plenty nervous the first three periods of the game.
The victory was the Tigers’ seventh straight over Alliance. Not since 1932 have the Aviators succeeded in taking the measure of the local eleven – but Alliance is building this year and there may come a day.
The victory was Massillon’s 18th straight and the defeat was the first of the season for Alliance.
As expected the Aviators tried to confuse their Tiger opponents defensively. They frequently hopped a seventh man into their six-man line and at times presented a 6-2-3 defense for pass protection.
What hopes Alliance had of bombing the Tigers with touchdowns were blasted by a good pass defense that five times turned Alliance aerial attempts into boomerangs. These pass interceptions helped stop Alliance drives. The hard charge of the Massillon line rushed Hume and he had little time to pick out his receivers. 18 For Tigers Massillon Pos. Alliance Getz LE Welbush Pedrotty LT Chernikovic Russell LG Iannotti Appleby C Dawson Henderson RG Stoica Swezey RT Comsa Gillom RE Stanfield Foster QB Hume Slusser LH Rogel James RH McGregor Clendening FB Zupanic
History 
