Author: <span>Eric Smith</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1938: Massillon 37, Sharon, PA 20

TIGER GRIDDERS DEFEAT SHARON 37-20 IN THRILLING GAME MASSILLON’S PASSES BEWILDER OPPONENTS

Aerial Fireworks Save Game For Local Team; There Will Never Be Another Like It, 10,000 Fans Say Today

By LUTHER EMERY

A courageous band of Washington high school Tigers, wrote pigskin history with skill and speed before 10,000 people Friday evening as they raced through the fog at Sharon to a
37-20 victory.

Ox cannot lick Tiger, the old adage goes and history repeated itself last night in one of the finest football games anyone could ever hope to witness.
Best Game in Tiger History
There have been none like it in Washington high school history and you may never see another. There have been sensational finishes such as the 7-6 triumph over Shaw in 1922, but never have four quarters been packed with more offensive football and thrills than the 48 minutes of last night’s game.

The Massillon Tigers won because they had a passing attack, knew how and when to use it and out-smarted their opponents. Using brains and speed to overcome a tremendous advantage in weight, they came back fighting after two bad breaks, to wrest victory out of turmoil that completely exhausted both teams.

So tired were both elevens that they went through their maneuvers in “slow motion” fashion the last few minutes of the game. Roscoe Clendening looked line a 10-second man among the tiring players when he replaced Zimmerman in the fourth quarter. Yet he is one of the slowest of the backfield squad – but a honey in a pinch.

It was an offensive game from the start, beginning like the big game with Canton in 1934, but maintaining the pace throughout the four periods.
Neither Team Would Quit
The elevens tossed touchdowns at each other with reckless abandon. The Tigers picked off two before the teams had hardly got warmed up, only to have Sharon make the most of two breaks and the score at 13-13 in the second quarter.

The blow was enough to crack the heart of any player but the Massillon eleven struck right back in the dying minutes of the first half with two passes, shoved over a third touchdown to flaunt a 19-13 lead at the intermission.

The third period began right where the second left off. Some 2,000 Massillon fans who went by auto and special train to Sharon, were fearful lest their team fade in the third quarter as it had done on three previous occasions this year. But the Tigers quickly relieved their apprehensions and struck back with another scoring march that hoisted the lead to 25-13.

That gallant Sharon team wouldn’t give up, however. Harold Matthews, had not yet done what he wanted to do to close his athletic career in a blaze of glory. Hs turn was coming and he found it in a hole in the right side of the Massillon line though which he raced 54 yards to Sharon’s third and last touchdown of the game. It and the following point after touchdown narrowed the margin to 25-20 and again made Massillon hearts pound, but the Tigers struck right back as only a good ball team can and chalked up two more touchdowns to shove their margin of superiority to 17 points.
Thanks For Passing
Massillon should give thanks for its passing attack. Without it the score might have been different. Anyone who saw the game can tell you. They saw how the smaller Tiger gridders had to virtually block their opponents to the ground to gain yards from scrimmage. They saw Fred Toles snare two consecutive passes, one an almost impossible catch to wipe out the 13-13 tie. They saw Horace Gillom go high in the air to pull down another behind the goal after Sharon had crept dangerously close in the third quarter. They saw Ray Getz haul down another to put the ball in position to score.

Without a passing attack to keep the Sharon secondary from crowding the line of scrimmage, the Tiger ball carriers would have had an even harder time of it. But George Slusser’s accurate right arm kept the Pennsylvanians on the alert and the Tiger backs were able to pick up three and four yards before they could meet up with the play.

“Massillon has a great team,” said David B. Stewart, smiling through disappointment after the game. “Your team can do anything and that’s what licked us. It was an excellent game.”

Paul Brown, who played quarterback for Washington high when Stewart coached here 13 years ago, was pleased with the courageous spirit of the team. “You could see for yourself we were badly outweighed. We had to knock them down to get anywhere. They were two tired teams when that final gun popped. Did you ever see such a game before. I didn’t.”

“Nor I,” piped up Hugh McGranahan, assistant coach, who himself went into action in the third period when a spectator edged in on the Massillon bench and took a swing at Pizzino, a sub-fullback. “P, (P is for Paul), you can send me away scouting after this. I won’t be able to stand another like that.”

And McGranahan expressed the sentiments of practically every Massillon fan there.

Both teams were so “high” that neither would quit under pressure that would make most elevens surrender.

They had seasonal and traditional records to preserve and gave every effort toward that end. Today the Tiger record of having lost but one game in 34 still existed, but Sharon’s string of 15 straight was broken. It was the Pennsylvanian’s first loss in 19 games.
Statistics Favor Tigers
Not only the score but the statistics in general were with Massillon. The forward pass made the difference.

The Tigers rolled up 13 first downs to Sharon’s four and not one did the latter team get in the last half.

The local eleven made 191 yards rushing to Sharon’s 174 and gained 123 yards passing to none for Sharon.

The Pennsylvanians had a slight edge on running back punts and kickoffs and owned a margin in punting. Penalties were the same.

To pick out an outstanding player would do an injustice to other members of the Massillon team. From end to end and throughout the backfield each individual gave everything he had.

The same can be said for Sharon, though the defensive playing of O’Brien and Wolansky and Matthews’ ball carrying ability demanded attention.

Two Tiger players went out with injuries. Jim Russell, who injured an ankle in practice Wednesday evening, was forced out early in the first half and was replaced by Red Henderson, sophomore, playing his second game. Henderson was hurt in the McKeesport game and had not played since. Bill Zimmerman aggravated an ankle injury in the second half but hobbled around on it for 10 minutes before he got another bump that put him out. Clendening took his place.

The game was packed with the unexpected, recovery of fumbles, long runs for touchdowns and sensational passes.
Tigers Score Early
Joe Cvelbar fumbled on the second play of the game and the alert Freddie Toles flopped on the ball on the Sharon 37-yard line. There began your first touchdown drive. Red Snyder ripped through for nine yards at right tackle and Ray Getz cut through left tackle for a first down on the 21-yard line. Snyder and Slusser running hard made it first down on the seven-yard line. Snyder moved the ball three yards nearer the goal, but a stubborn Sharon defense, ganged up on Fred Toles when he tried to circle on an end around play and Wolansky tossed him for an 11-yard loss. On the very next play, Getz swept the left flank and carried to the two-yard line before being downed. With fourth down and two yards needed for a touchdown, Capt. Snyder, head down, smacked the center of the line and went through standing up. Getz kicked the extra point and it was 7-0.

Sharon received and when three downs lacked a yard and a half of a first down, Wolansky punted to Capt. Red Snyder. The red head caught the ball on his own 20-yard line and almost doing a tight wire act as he raced along the line, ran straight up the field 80 yards for a touchdown without a hand being laid on him.

The play came so fast that few saw Snyder’s interference form as a screen between the Sharon players and the Massillon ball carrier. Little blocking was needed for before the Sharon gridders could get to him, Snyder was past them and traveling at top speed in midfield. Massillon fans were hilarious. It was the signal for a rout and would have resulted in just that were it not for the stout hearts of Dave Stewart’s boys. They fought back after Getz missed the extra point from placement, took the kickoff and worked the ball to midfield where Freddie Toles intercepted Cvelbar’s pass to give Massillon the ball.
Sharon Scores After Fumble
Both teams stopped each others’ scoring efforts until early in the second quarter when Wolansky got off a good punt which bounded in front of Capt. Snyder. Red tried to pick it up on the 15-yard line but the ball rolled out of his hands and Cvelbar recovered for Sharon on the Tiger one-yard line. On the first play Wolansky crashed through center for the touchdown and Cvelbar kicked the extra point. It was a tough break for Massillon and Shaorn made the most of it.

Another break went to Sharon after the following kickoff. The Tigers marched the ball to midfield where Slusser was tackled hard while attempting to pass. He fumbled the ball and O’Brien recovered for Sharon on the Massillon 31.

The Tigers apparently stemmed the attack until a five-yard penalty for offside moved the ball up for Sharon to third down on the 26-yard line. Wolansky and Matthews made a first down by inches on the 21.

There Matthews was turned loose and he carried one tackler after another until he was finally downed with six on his back on the 14-yard line. Wolansky, Matthews and Izenas got a first down on the nine-yard line and here Sharon was faced with a problem. The big Pennsylvania backs had to fight for every yard. In three downs they got to the one-yard line. Matthews was given the ball on fourth down. He moved forward, the lines piled high, but the officials found the ball had gone over by a few inches. There was tumult in the Sharon bleachers. The score was tied 13-13. Wolansky tried to sneak the extra point over but was met by a fast charging Massillon line.

Only two minutes of the half remained when Wolansky kicked off to Gillom. He got back 11 yards to his 41 when downed. Slusser dropped back and protected this time by his fellow backs fired a long pass to Freddie Toles. A Sharon player was there to get it but Freddie went over his head to pull down the ball o n the Sharon 30. Back Slusser dropped for another pass. This time Toles cut diagonally across the field, snared the all on the
10-yard line and went over. The touchdown came so quickly that 10,000 spectators watched in silence a moment, then let loose with a terrific blast of groans and cheers.

Getz’s attempt to kick the extra point was wide of the uprights but the Tigers were ahead 19-13 and Sharon could run but one play before expiration of the first half.
Another March Begins
Both teams came out strong the third quarter and neither threatened until mid-way in the third period when Snyder on a 10-yard return of a punt was forced out of bounds on his own 40-yard line. The local eleven didn’t look particularly dangerous then, but quickly launched its longest offensive of the evening.

Stopped on a sweep around right end, Slusser hurled a long pass to Gillom for a first down on the Sharon 43. A pass to Getz was a little too high and Slusser and Getz moved the ball within a foot of a first down. Snyder banged through for extra yards and a first down on the 31.

There the Massillon eleven pulled the old Michigan Statue of Liberty out of the bag. With the ends crashing in to block Slusser who dropped back to pass, Getz circled behind him took the ball off the palm of his hand and pranced to a first-down on the Sharon 20. Slusser hit for seven yards, but after Getz was thrown for no gain, Snyder tore through center and ran to the three-yard line before being downed. On the next play he plunged for the touchdown, Getz’s kick was wide of the post.

That hoisted the Massillon margin to 25-13 and it looked safe enough until Sharon took the kickoff, moved up the field to its 46-yard line where Matthews found a hole in the left side of the Tiger line and ran 54 yards for a touchdown. Cvelbar placekicked the extra point and the score in two minutes had changed to 25-20.

Sharon was too close so Slusser began throwing again after the kickoff. He fired a long one to Getz who caught the ball on the Sharon 30 and ran to the 18-yard line before being tossed out of bounds. Two line plays only gained two yards and Slusser’s pass to Getz on third down dropped into the end zone. With fourth down and eight to go, Slusser dropped back for another pass. He looked toward Toles cutting diagonally across the field, then turned and fired to Gillom who was moving diagonally the other way. It was a wobbly pass but Gillom sprang into the iar at the right time and hauled down the ball behind the goal line while a Sharon player made a frantic effort to block it.

Slusser tried to carry the ball over for the extra point this time but was stopped.
Clendening Starts Drive
Both teams were tiring rapidly as the fourth quarter began to wane. Then Clendening, sent in to replace the injured Zimmerman, took Wolansky’s punt and ran hard down the east side line to the Sharon 22-yard line. He did not know he stepped out of bounds on the 22 and raced on across the goal with tackler after tackler bouncing off him.

Snyder found a hole at right guard and ran to a first down on the two-yard line. Slusser went through the same spot for the sixth and final touchdown. Again the kick for the extra point was wide.

You would have thought that would have finished the Sharon team, but Stewart coached teams are typically courageous elevens and Izenas, sub-fullback, took the kickoff and ran to the Massillon 22-yard line where he was tackled from behind by Getz after being out in the clear. The Pennsylvanians in four downs only advanced the ball three yards and the Tigers took the pigskin and kept it until the game ended, three plays later.

The two elevens dragged themselves off the field and the Massillon gridders were too tired to rejoice over their victory. The 10,000 spectators flooded the gates, piled into their autos and immediately there was a traffic jam.

Massillon fans who drove to the game feared a heavy fog on their way home. It was already descending on the field in the third quarter but apparently centered on the hill top. Little fog was encountered elsewhere until Canton was reached.

It was a fine night for the return trip. A bright moon made driving easy and fans who had expected to grope their way in fog were treated instead to a brilliant display of the Aurora Borealis.

The special train which conveyed the band and 200 fans to the game arrived in Sharon ahead of schedule and reached home shortly after 2 a.m.

And did the Massillon band click! Sharon has no small band, it won the state championship last year. Sharon sports writers were unusually enthusiastic over the performance put on by the Massillon musicians. “Why that’s better than you see in most of the big universities,” they said. “Boy how they can swing it.”

The bands appeared simultaneously on the field. The Sharon musicians wearing orange and black cadet uniforms took position on the field and the Massillon band marched through the ranks both playing in unison.

The Massillon spectators took big appetites with them. The “sold out” sign was hung up in many restaurants. Schoolboys were sitting three deep on the stools in one hamburger shop.

Miss Margaret Busse, Massillon’s acrobatic cheerleader, covered up last night. It was a bit too frosty for the tights. The drum major lassies strutted as usual but made good use of blankets when off the field.

Occasionally fists flew in the stands and police found it necessary to escort a fan to the gates now and then, but all in all this crowd was unusually orderly, especially considering how tense the game was and Massillon people returned home praising the sportsmanship of fans and police of the Pennsylvania city.

One In A Million
Massillon Pos. Sharon
Toles LE Wild
Lucius LT Dunn
Russell LG Bruno
Martin C Sasala
Houston RG Lysohir
McMichael RT Kalwarski
Gillom RE Colclaser
Slusser QB Wolansky
Getz LH Marstellar
Zimmerman RH Matthews
Snyder FB Cvelbar

Score by periods:
Massillon 13 6 12 6 37
Sharon 0 13 7 0 20

Substitutes:
Massillon – Henderson, lg; Clendeing, rh.
Sharon – Izenas, fb; Brickley, le; O’Brien, lt.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Snyder 3; Toles; Gillom; Slusser.
Sharon – Matthews 2; Wolansky.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Getz (placekick).
Sharon – Cvelbar 2 (placekick).

Referee – Allison (Beaver).
Umpire – Gross (New Philadelphia).
Head Linesman – Landis (Cleveland).

Statistics
Mass. Sharon
First downs 13 4
Passes 8 2
Passes completed 5 0
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Passes incomplete 3 1
Yards gained passing 123 0
Yards gained rushing 191 174
Total yards gained 314 174
Yards lost rushing 11 18
Net yards gained 303 156
Punt, kickoff returns 174 189
Kickoffs 7 4
Average kickoffs 42 37
Punts 4 6
Average punts 28 34
Fumbles 3 2
Lost ball on fumble 2 1
Times penalized 3 3
Yards penalized 25 25

INDIVIDUAL BALL CARRYING
Player Times Yds. Ave.
Carried Gained
Snyder 20 98 4.9
Slusser 9 33 3.6
Getz 13 60 4.6
Toles 1 11 0.0
Wolansky 3 4 1.3
Matthews 14 96 6.8
Marstellar 19 40 2.1
Cvelbar 5 16 3.2
Izena 2 0 0.0

Rocky Snyder
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1938: Massillon 21, Warren Harding 0

CROWD OF 12,000 SEES TIGERS DEFEAT WARREN HIGH 21-0
MASSILLON TURNS TO POWER PLAYS TO WIN

Ball Carriers Shove Over Three Touchdowns When Visitors Spread Defense Over Passing Zone; Game Abundant In Color

By LUTHER EMERY

A driving offense that gained yardage the hard way, kept the Washington high Tigers into the top spot of northeastern Ohio football Friday evening as they stemmed the invasion of the battling Presidents of Warren before a crowd of 12,000 cheering fans.

Thrice the Tigers plowed their way to touchdowns and thrice the toe of Ray Getz, sophomore halfback sent the ball spinning between the bars for a 21-0 triumph in a game that has never been surpassed in color here.
Color and Class
Fully 12,000 fans poured into Massillon field, which already has been enlarged to a 13,000 seating capacity. The packed stands formed a colorful back drop for the green stage and one of the finest football shows ever put on.

Both teams had its performers, but in the entire cast there were none more dangerous or more sparkling than the Johnson brothers, Mackey and Levi, Warren’s fleet and dangerous halfbacks.

Their dazzling sprints, the skillful maneuvers of the 81-piece Warren band, the snappy new drill of the Tiger musicians, the princely marching of the Ohio champion American Legion drum and bugle corps and the downright determination of both teams to battle to the final whistle completed a show that sent losers as well as winners home talking.
Warren Primed For Game
As expected, Warren was loaded to the guns. Several thousand President supporters drove the 70 miles to Massillon and another several thousand gathered around public address systems at home to see and hear their team in one of northeastern Ohio’s most important football games of the year.

It was billed as a game that would go a long way toward determining the northeastern Ohio champion and it did just that.

Warren came to Massillon with an uncrossed goal line, but went back home with three touchdowns shoved over it.

The first followed the kickoff to Massillon and a Tiger drive of 80 yards that ended with Ray Getz lashing through a stubborn left tackle for one yard and a touchdown.

Another bristling drive that started from the Tiger 29-yard line late in the first period and took up a third of the next quarter produced the second score with Capt. Red Snyder diving over from the one yard line after the visitors had twice stood their ground.

An intercepted pass on the Warren 40-yard line and a drive that moved forward with the aid of a 15-yard penalty produced the third touchdown in the fourth quarter with Freddie Toles winging his way around right end from the four-yard line.

Those three touchdowns briefly sum up Massillon’s offensive efforts for the evening.
Warren Always Dangerous
Warren with two backs in the Johnson boys, who were faster and who could twist and squirm better than any of the Tiger ball carriers was dangerous at all times.

Again and again Mackey or Levi would break through the Massillon line as though fired from a cannon, but there was always a Tiger somewhere handy to haul them down before they could reach the Promised Land.

Once it was Red Snyder who leaped on Levi’s back after he was on his way down the sidelines. Again Mackey was carrying the mail up the middle with four men ahead of him for interference and no one to be taken out of the way when Bill Zimmerman gathered himself off the ground and took the fleet Negro from behind.

The Johnson boys’ runs with one exception were the only long ones of the evening, the Tigers gathering virtually all of their yardage in power plays through the line or hard sweeps around the ends.
Visitors Defense Bothered Tigers
The Warren defense which continually shifted from a five-man to a six, seven and even eight man line, confused Tiger linemen on their blocking assignments and frequently resulted in Massillon ball carriers being stacked up without gain.

But troublesome as it was, Warren’s defense was pierced for 254 yards and 15 first downs while the visitors were held to 163 yards and seven first downs.

Warren, however, did succeed in stopping the Tiger passing attack to a fair degree of success. Carefully guarding their secondary, the Presidents only allowed two completed passes, one figuring in the second touchdown drive.

Using a 6-3-2 defense, the Tigers likewise guarded their secondary and only allowed the completion of one Warren pass while intercepting three, one of which started the final touchdown drive.

Though it broke occasionally and allowed the Johnson brother to tear through, the Tigers forward wall gave a creditable performance and out charged the visitors for three periods. By gaining the first foot of ground Toles, Houston, Russell, McMichael, Gillom, Martin and Lucius made it possible for their ball carrying teammates to smash through for gains which though not long, paid off in the end.
Tigers Score After Kickoff
The Tigers won the toss and received at the north end of the field. It was slam-bang from then on. Mackey Johnson booted the kickoff into the end zone and Massillon took the ball on its own 20. The going was tough with two and three downs being necessary to get the required first down. With Getz, Snyder and Slusser alternating at carrying the ball the Tigers rolled up six first downs as they moved down the field. They got a first down on their 32, their 46, the Warren 44, the 25, the 12 and Snyder finally rammed through for a first on the one-yard line. It took two plays to get it over from there, Getz carrying it across and kicking the extra point. The drive consumed half of the first quarter.

When Warren failed to gain after the following kickoff, Lindsey booted the ball to Snyder who came back to the visitor’s 46. There was second touchdown drive was launched despite two 15-yard penalties for holding. A fake kick from which Snyder ran 33 yards to a first down on the Warren 29-yard overcame the penalty losses. It was Massillon’s longest run of the game.

The mouse trap with Toles carrying the ball gained 11 yards and brought a first down on the one-yard line and Snyder went over after Warren had twice stopped thrusts at the line.

The visitors flashed their first offensive late in the second period when the Johnson boys got hot feet and carried the leather to the 15-yard line. There on fourth down, Zimmerman and Getz dumped Mackey hard after he had taken a lateral from Exler and Warren lost the ball.
Warren Takes Initiative
The third quarter was all Warren. Not a first down did the Tigers make in that frame while Warren came through with three in two unsuccessful bids for touchdowns. Once Levi Johnson raced through to the Massillon 31-yard line where Snyder charged over to the sideline to stop him. Warren only got two yards its next four plays and lost the ball on the 29.

They charged back again, however, and were well on their way with a first down on the Tiger 32-yard line when Manus fumbled the ball and Getz recovered for Massillon to end the threat.
Came the fourth quarter and the tide again turned in favor of the Tigers. In a desperate effort to score, Warren opened up with passes into a secondary that was closely guarded by Massillon. Horace Gillom went up into the air to pull one down on the Warren 40 and got back five yards before being downed. Slusser in two plays ran to a first down on the
19-yard line. As he was tossed out of bounds, an over anxious Warren player piled in on his legs and a 15-yard penalty was stepped off. It advanced the ball to a first down on the four-yard line. On the first play, Toles swept wide around his right end, outrunning Edwards of Warren to get the touchdown. Getz for the third time blasted a perfect shot between the uprights for the extra point.

The victory was the Tigers’ third and their hardest game of the season. Apparently they came out of it in better shape than either the McKeesport or Mansfield games and will point for Sharon next week.

The coaching staff of Miami University viewed the game from the enlarged press box and were amazed at the show put on. “We can see now how you can draw crowds of 12,000 at your football games,” was their comment.

They were particularly interested in the Massillon band. “Better than most college bands,” they said.

Maestro George Bird had his musicians primed for a new number and transferred the scene to the old Chicago Fair and “little Egypt’s gyrations”. It case you don’t know Pep Paulson was inside the skin.
Warren Band Impresses
The Warren band presented a fine drill between halves and an acrobatic drum major in Miss Helen Johnson. She knows here “taps” too so they say. The Warren male drum major who did such fancy baton twirling is one of the four Keller brothers, a family of drum majors.

The Warren band paraded the streets late Friday afternoon and marched to the Washington high gymnasium where members were served a lunch by the Band Mother’s club. Members of the Massillon band were on hand to greet the visiting musicians.

The Legion drum and bugle corps put in its annual football appearance before the game. The corps usually participates in the opening night exercises but was on its way to Los Angeles this year when the Tigers opened their season with McKeesport.

The Ohio champions and the 10th best corps in the United States were given a great ovation as they left the field.

Miss Margaret Busse, Massillon’s acrobatic cheerleader was given a big hand.

There was one fight, but the fan who took the pass at one of the Massillon ‘coppers” regretted it. He was not locked up however, but was put out of the field.

Good Plunging
Massillon Pos. Warren
Toles LE Edwards
Lucius LT Hoffman
Russell LG Brownlee
Martin C Canzonetti
Houston RG Hyde
MacMichale RT Lindsey
Gillom RE Holmes
Slusser QB Henry
Getz LH Manus
Zimmerman RH Johnson
Snyder FB Layton

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 7 0 7 21

Substitutions:
Massillon – Lechleiter, le; Foster, le; Fabian, fb.
Warren – L. Johnson, fb; Exler, lh; Leutsch,; E. Wilson; Thompson; Terrell; Mustas; R. Wilson; Webster; Lohret; Mrus.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Getz; Snyder; Toles.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Getz 3 (placekicks).

Referee – Jenkins.
Umpire – Rupp.
Head Linesman – Hetra.
Field Judge – Ensign.

Game Statistics
Massillon Warren
First Downs 15 7
Yards rushing 254 163
Yds. Lost rushing 14 13
Net yards rushing 240 150
Yards passing 22 18
Total Yds. Gained 262 168
Passes attempted 7 7
Passes completed 2 1
Passes incomplete 5 3
Passes intercepted 0 3
Times punted 5 3
Av. Punts (Yds.) 37.4 37.6
Yards penalized 65 35

Rocky Snyder
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1938: Massillon 33, Mansfield 7

TIGERS BEAT MANSFIELD AND TURN ATTENTION TO WARREN IMPROVEMENT SHOWN BY MASSILLON’S GRIDDERS

Passes Produce Second Straight Victory: “Too Fast For Us,” Says Mansfield Coach; Warren Has Not Been Scored On

By LUTHER EMERY

Having clawed Mansfield 33-7 Saturday for their second straight victory, the Washington high Tigers will be put through a brief workout this afternoon, as the first bit of preparation toward stemming the invasion of Warren Friday evening.

Improve in both offense and defense they will face their hardest assignment yet in Warren, a team that has not been scored upon. Cleveland Holy Name and Cleveland Heights have fallen victims to the Battling Presidents, who make no secret of the fact that they are holding their punch in an attempt to knockout the Massillon state champions.
Large Crowd to Follow Warren
From 2,500 to 3,000 Warren fans, convinced their team has a good chance to do just that will follow the Trumbull county eleven to Massillon, so fans are advised to buy their tickets early for another capacity crowd is expected if the stars twinkle.

A crowd which Mansfield officials estimated at 8,000 sat in trees, squatted on the sidelines and filled every inch of space in the Mansfield stadium to see Tiger meet Tyger.
Improvement Shows
Hopes for a repetition of the 1937 surprise when Mansfield came through to tame the Massillon Tigers in a 6-6 tie, attracted more than the usual number of Richland county fans while 2,000 to 3,000 Massillon rooters drove the 60 miles to see revenge attained in a very satisfactory manner.
Tigers Faster Team
What advantage Mansfield possessed in weight was more than offset by the speed of the Massillon gridders, who for the second straight week used their forward passes as a scoring weapon.

All five touchdowns were a direct result of taking to the air. One pass put the ball on the six-yard line in position for the first score. Two more were scored on George Slusser’s long throws to Horace Gillom, while the other two came the easier way, on interceptions, one by Freddie Toles and the other by Slusser.

While the last two touchdowns were cheap, they made up for three the Tigers lost the hard way, through fumbles and penalties.

Coach Paul Brown was more satisfied with the performance of his team Saturday than in its opening game with McKeesport. “I think we showed definite improvements,” he said, “We have many things to iron out, but we are on the way up as we should be.”

Russell Murphy, the Mansfield coach, declared Massillon had too much speed for him. “Your ends got by my secondary before they knew it,” he said. “Your forward passes beat us. You didn’t have a whole lot on us on the ground, but those passes. That Slusser fellow is a good thrower. I think Brown has a good team.”

The statistics show the Tigers were superior on both rushing and passing, though first downs do not reveal any great margin of superiority. That’s because most of the touchdowns were not the results of sustained drives, but came about with a lot of yardage gathered on one play.
First Downs 11 To 8
Massillon made 11 first downs to Mansfield’s eight, gained 177 yards rushing to Mansfield’s 68 and gained 185 yards in passing to Mansfield’s 79.

All the touchdowns came on fly by night plays when least expected, two after 15-yard penalties. It looked like the old 1936 team in action – when a 15-yard penalty usually meant a touchdown on the next play.

Take the first one for instance. Ray Getz had just ripped off a fancy dash of 25 yards around his left side to the goal line when the ball was called back and a 15-yard penalty for holding inflicted on the local team. On the very next play, Slusser stepped back and pegged a 37-yard toss to Gets who was downed as he caught it on the three-yard stripe. Slusser went over on second down from the one-yard line and Getz kicked the extra point.

The other three we’ll tell you about later.
Slusser Given Great Protection
There was little to choose in the way of outstanding players among the Massillon gridders. While Slusser’s passes sparkled, the line and other backs protected him so thoroughly that he had loads of time to pass and in the end were just as much responsible for the success of the touchdown plays as the passer and receiver who always hold the attention of the fans. Honors in carrying the ball w ere evenly divided, but the fans noted improvement in Getz’s footwork.

With Mansfield’s secondary crowding the line, the Tiger running attack had difficulty moving forward at times. It was then that Slusser, with the secondary sucked in, fired the ball over the heads of the Mansfield players into the hands of the fast moving Massillon ends.
No Score First Quarter
The Tigers did not score in the first quarter, but they lugged the ball once to the six-yard line where a fumble set them back and helped Mansfield hold them for downs.

A first down and a fine kick by Capt. Rich Nagle, apparently put Mansfield out of danger, but the Tiger ball toters dug in their cleats and went to work.

They lugged the ball to the Mansfield 25 where Getz got away for what would have been a touchdown dash had not a 15-yard penalty for holding, set the locals back to the 40. On the next play, Slusser let loose a long pass that Getz took over his head on the three-yard line. A Mansfield player was close enough to dump him in his tracks. Red Snyder picked up a couple of yards and Slusser on the second down carried the ball across. Getz kicked the ball neatly between the uprights and the score was 7-0.

Another Massillon drive moved to the 20-yard line where McMullen covered Slusser’s fumble to end the threat and the second period was three-quarters gone with neither team threatening any further when Capt. Nagle, trying desperately to tie the score before the end of the half, tossed a pass from his 38-yard line. Slusser was Johnny on the spot, scooped it up and romped away for a touchdown. Getz’s try for the extra point was wide of the posts this time.
Pass Gets Another
Mansfield received, failed to gain and Bill Zimmerman brought back Nagle’s punt five yards to his 45-yard line. With only a minute left to play, Slusser on the first down stepped back and shot the ball 40 yards to Gillom who ran the remaining 15 yards. Just to show it could be done again, he passed the ball to Gillom in the flat to the right for the extra point.

Martin covered McMullen’s fumble after the following kickoff and Snyder heaved a
22-yard peg to Toles for a first down on the 10-yard line. A 15-yard penalty brought the ball back but before the referee could step off the yardage the half ended.

Mansfield came out with more pep in the third quarter and pushed over a first down on the 41-yard line. Then up jumped Freddie Toles to intercept Schwaner’s pass just as Hershey was about to gather it in his arms. Toles, running as though he were in a 100-yard dash raced 55 yards for the fourth touchdown.

The interception apparently aroused Mansfield and it came back with its best offensive efforts of the day. Tossing passes and relying on Hershey and Nagle for gains, the Tygers marched straight up the field to a first down on the Massillon six-yard line. There an
eight-man line threw back everything that headed for the goal and the local team took the ball on the four-yard line.
Mansfield Scores
Gillom punted back safely to Hershey but the Mansfield safety man wormed his way to the 22-yard line before he was downed. “Ike” Smith who had an epileptic fit in the early part of the game but came right back after a period of rest, carried the ball twice and made a first down on the nine-yard line. Toles grounded Smith’s pass and the Tigers slipped into an eight-man line again. Nagle shot a short pass to Hershey who caught it between the secondary and line and went wide to his left to cross the goal line. Schwaner placekicked the extra point.

The Tigers began a touchdown drive after the following kickoff and marched the ball from their 36 to a first down on the Mansfield 20 when the third period closed.

On the second play of the fourth quarter Getz dashed to the Mansfield goal only to have the ball called back as the referee stepped off 15 yards for holding. It was Slusser’s cue and he shot the ball to Gillom 35 yards on the next play for a touchdown.

The pace slowed down the rest of the quarter as both coaches substituted freely and took five-yard penalties for it. Fans thought for a moment that Corrigan was in town but it was only Bud Lucius. He ran the wrong way after intercepting a Mansfield pass but another Mansfield player made the mistake of heading him off and tackling him.

Little Red James, the smallest of the Tiger players, got his chance to carry the ball in the fourth quarter and made nine yards on one attempt. More will be heard of him later in the season.
Fumble Ends Threat
The Tigers threatened in the last minute of the game when Slusser heaved a 20-yard pass to Roscoe Clendening, substitute back. Clendening fumbled, however, when tackled on the eight-yard line and Mansfield recovered.

The way the Tiger secondary stopped Mansfield’s passes was pleasing to Massillon fans. Where Mansfield completed 14 of 21 passes against Akron West in its opening game it only completed nine of 21 Saturday for a gain of 78 yards. Six of the 21 were intercepted.

The Washington high band was on hand and brought fans to their feet with “Hold That Tiger” and its revolving “M”. Mansfield cameramen were particularly interested in the Tigers and drum majors and had their cameras clicking throughout the drill.

The band proudly marched up and down the field after the game and to the school house where members boarded their busses for the return trip.

The booster club’s caravan, which many thought would never get to Mansfield in time for the game, arrived 20 minutes before the kickoff. Some 200 machines in the lineup were whisked through traffic lights and over the highway at a fast clip by state highway police.

One youngster on the outskirts of Mansfield caused a lot of comment. He held up a daubed sign reading “Massillon Boo” as each Massillon machine passed by.

Dave Stewart, whose Sharon team will oppose Massillon in two weeks, was in the stands. “Looks like you have a great team there at Sharon, Dave.”

“And I suppose these are a bunch of pantywaists here,” was his reply.

Warren scouts also were on hand to get first hand information on Massillon.

Better This Year
Massillon Pos. Mansfield
Toles LE Dugger
McMichael LT Lehr
Russell LG Phaler
Martin C Gallagher
Houston RG Goettle
Lucius RT Schwartz
Gillom RE Horvath
Slusser QB McMullen
Getz LH Smith
Zimmerman RH Schwaner
Snyder FB Nagle

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 20 7 6 33
Mansfield 0 0 7 0 7

Substitutions:
Massillon – Lechleiter, e; Foster, e; Sweezey, t; Appleby, c; James, lh; Clendening, rh; Wallace, lg; Page, rg.
Mansfield – Hershey, hb; M. Smith, hb; Russell, e; Guegold, g; Williams, g; Beer, t.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Slusser 2; Gillom 2; Toles.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Getz 2 (placekick); Gillom (pass).

Referee – Lobach.
Umpire – Graf.
Head Linesman – Bechtel.

Game Statistics
Mass. Mans.
First downs 11 8
Yards rushing 177 88
Yards passing 185 79
Total gained 362 167
Passes completed 5 9
Passes incomplete 6 6
Passes intercepted 0 6
Penalties 75 15
Lost ball on fumbles 3 2

Rocky Snyder
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1938: Massillon 19, McKeesport, PA 7

TIGERS DEFEAT McKEESPORT 19-7 IN SETTING OF COLOR WELL-TIMED AERIALS TURN BACK INVADERS

Pennsylvanians Unleash Versatile Offense That Surprises Massillon Team; Huge Crowd Attends Opening Gridiron Contest

By LUTHER EMERY

In a setting of color on Massillon Field that exceeded all expectations, the Washington high Tigers whipped a stubborn McKeesport, Pa., eleven 19-7 here Friday evening before a crowd of between 8,000 and 10,000 spectators.

A hard fought game and a thrilling finish combined with a musical demonstration and tumbling cheerleaders, it was a faster show than many a college game for which fans pay three times the admission price.
Passes Did It
Two well executed passes gave Massillon the margin of difference and started the Tigers on their way to what they hope will be a fourth consecutive state championship.

“They played like a college team,” said McKeesport sports writers after the game and let it be said in return that the spirit of the visitors’ second half offensive in many ways tells why McKeesport was undefeated in two consecutive years.

It was a ding-dong battle from start to finish, marked by hard tackling and sparkling passes.

The Tigers scored all their touchdowns in the first half on perfect plays. With his linemen blasting a huge hole in the visitors’ forward wall, George Slusser romped 28 yards for the first Massillon score in the opening period. He was tackled just as he slid over the goal line.
Passes Net Two
Passes from Slusser to Freddie Toles in an unprotected secondary, produced the other two scores. Freddie caught one 25-yard heave on the five-yard line and scampered over. He took the other, another 25-yard pass on the 10-yard stripe and raced across. Only seven seconds of the first half remained after the third touchdown. A peg to Horace Gillom produced the extra point.

McKeesport, which never threatened the first half, altered its offense the second period and sparked by a substitute, Ralph Herrera, moved the Tigers backward when it came into possession of the ball.

Mixing passes with Herrera’s end sweeps from his quarterback post and “Casey” Ploszay’s line smashe, the visitors marched the ball 71 yards across the Massillon goal in the fourth period, a sneaker pass over the line, Herrera to Mull, netting the touchdown. Herrera dropkicked the extra point neatly between the uprights.

Briefly, that tells the story of the scoring.

It was a game such as you seldom see in an opening engagement. It was what high school officials had bargained for.

In fact McKeesport had more than Coach Paul Brown and his staff had expected. They returned from the Pennsylvania city last week, wondering whether McKeesport knew any more football than it showed in beating Follansbee, W. Va., 20-0.
Present Versatile Offense
The answer was given last night. Running to the weak as well as the strong side, sweeping the ends and tossing passes, the Pennsylvanians produced the kind of football that would have tripled the score against Follansbee.

They brought everything out of the bag in the second half, including laterals off passes and had the Tigers up in the air as they drove to their touchdown. A second march was throttled on the Tiger 36-yard line and the visitors never got their hands on the ball thereafter, the game ending with Massillon in possession of the leather, first down on the five-yard line, the result of another of those well directed passes, Slusser to Toles.

Mansfield and Steubenville scouts who looked on from the sidelines, made note of the combination.

In Toles, they saw an end who goes down so fast that once he catches up with the secondary, he is almost certain to pass it.

He raced straight through the McKeesport secondary to grab his touchdown passes and this in no small way can be laid to the visitors’ defeat.

“I had a pair of green halfbacks out there and they let him get by,” said Coach John Stinson after the game. “Massillon has a fine team. We were outplayed, but we came out of it without any serious injuries. I am convinced we have already met our strongest opponent of the season.
We only have three boys on the team who were classed as starters last year, but I think as the season progresses we will develop into a pretty good football team.”

Massillon is ready to say that in its opinion McKeesport already has a top-notch eleven and in “Casey” Ploszay, Ed Herrera, Joe Carr and Mull, a quartet of footballers who should do credit to any school.
Two Real Threats
As you have already been told, Ploszay and Herrera were the offensive sparkplugs but as widely different in their running tactics as their size. Ploszay propelled his short, powerful legs and 15- pounds into the forward wall with trip-hammer driving force, while Herrera wheeled it around end and hurled his passes in the face of a roughing, with 130 pounds of dynamite.

The Tigers showed promise. In Slusser and Toles they may have another
Byelene-Anderson combination that brought fans out of their seats two years ago.

Slusser was the chief ground gainer last night and he carried the ball more than any other member of the backfield. Ray Getz and Red Snyder carried it sufficiently, however, to show the fans they too could lug the mail when called upon. Only once did Bill Zimmerman sneak through with it. He made several yards on the play.

The backfield was given good support by the line, which from end to end gave a good account of itself for an opening game. Linemen, with the exception of the ends, Toles and Gillom usually escape unnoticed, but they take a bruising in the course of the game. Bill McMichael and Red Henderson were on the tackles last night, Jim Russell and Lynn Houston at the guards and Earl Martin at center.

Henderson came out with a bruised lip and sore knee, while Capt. Snyder twisted an ankle. After the game both boys expressed the belief their injuries were not serious.
Few Substitutes
Only four substitutes were made by Coach Brown and that tells the story of McKeesport’s strength. When Henderson was injured, Bill Croop and Bud Lucius broke into the lineup. George Fabian replaced Snyder when the captain limped off the field and “Kappy” Lechleiter took Gillom’s place in the fourth period.

Victory was not alone on the Tigers’ side. So were the statistics. The Massillon eleven made 18 first downs to McKeesport’s 10. The visitors made eight of their 10 in the last half while the Tigers tallied nine each half.

The local team made 343 yards from scrimmage to 187 for McKeesport. Included were 120 yards gained by passing to 57 yards for McKeesport.

Massillon was penalized 55 yards to 25 yards for the visitors.

Ploszay’s quick kick which caught the Tigers asleep in the first period was one of the slickest plays of the game. Standing on his own 36-yard line less than five yards behind the line of scrimmage, he booted the ball over the Massillon secondary which was drawn in close in expectation of a pass. The ball rolled to the very edge of the goal line, just touching it for a touchback which placed it in play on the 20.

Getz had the honor of booting the opening kickoff to Lauris who was downed on the
12-yard line. However on a fake kick, Smith raced through to the 30 before the Massillon secondary got him down. Somebody had to check the drive and Jim Russell took account of the situation and dropped Ploszay for a nine-yard loss. That stopped the opening threat and when Snyder gathered in Ploszay’s punt on his own 35 and raced back 23 yards to the McKeesport 42, the Tigers were on their way.

Snyder and Slusser in two dashes went to the 27 yard line. Getz lost a yard the next down but helped open a yawning hole for Slusser on the next play and the Tiger quarterback cut through for a touchdown.

Ploszay’s quick kick on the next series of plays nearly stymied the Tigers on their goal line, but the ball was brought out to the 20 and the Massillon eleven drove right back to the McKeesport 18 where Slusser’s pass was intercepted in the flat by Ploszay.

Aided by a 15-yard penalty, the visitors got back to their 42 but had to punt again, Snyder racing back 28 yards with the return to his 43. It was a shot of T.N.T. for the Tigers. Slusser pegged the ball to Getz for a seven-yard gain and carried it himself for a first down on the 30. The secondary came in and Toles went out to snare Slusser’s long pass in the clear and race to the second touchdown.

The visitors passed up a scoring opportunity after Mull covered Snyder’s fumble on the Tiger 19-yard line. They gained but four yards in four downs and lost the ball.
Another Touchdown
An exchange of punts and Getz flopped on Lauris’ fumble on the visitors’ 35. On the first play Slusser caught the Pennsylvanians asleep and pegged the ball to Toles who again caught it in the clear and raced for the third touchdown. A pass to Gillom got the extra point this time and time expired before the teams could lineup for the kickoff.

A Massillon drive after taking the second half kickoff ended on the 25-yard line when Rubenfield covered Toles’ fumble. Another rush, started in the closing minutes of the third period, took the ball to the 29-yard line where the drive bogged down as a result of a
five-yard penalty. It was then that McKeesport’s counter attack boomed.

A lateral off a forward gained five and Herrera worked his sneak around end for a first down on the Massillon 49. He pitched one over the line to Mull for another first down on the 36 and helped Ploszay carry it to the 21. A five-yard sweep around right end and Herrera again fired over the line to Mull who gathered it into his arms five yards from the goal and stepped across.

McKeesport got up steam again but blew a valve on the 36-yard line from which the Tigers launched their final drive which probably would have meant another touchdown had not the timekeeper shot off the end of the game with the ball on the five-yard stripe and first down coming up.

School officials argued over the size of the crowd but generally estimated it as between 8,000 and 10,000 people. It included a large delegation of McKeesport patrons, between 800 and 1,000. They brought their band with them to help in the musical demonstration between halves and did a good job of it.

How did you like the Massillon Tiger? The athletic board got the idea at Pittsburgh, where the big university has had a panther romping over the field for many a year.

The Massillon Tiger was introduced while the band blared, “Hold that Tiger.”

And the tumbling cheerleaders added a new touch of skill to the show.

It’s Mansfield next week and Tiger against Tyger again. The difference in the spelling will help fans to identify the two teams.

A Good Start
MASSILLON POS. McKEESPORT
Toles LE Carr
Henderson LT Sowko
Russell LG Rubenfield
Martin C Carrazzo
Houston RG Wiater
McMichael RT Laughlin
Gillom RE Mull
Slusser QB Thompson
Getz LH Laurie
Zimmerman RH Smith
Snyder FB Ploszay

Score by periods:
Massillon 6 13 0 0 19
McKeesport 0 0 0 7 7

Substitutions:
Massillon – Fabian; Lucius; Croop; Lechleiter.
McKeesport – Herrera; Bashur; Stevenson; O’Hara.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Slusser; Toles 2.
McKeesport – Mull.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon Gillom (pass).
McKeesport – Herrera (dropkick).

Statistics
Mass. McKeesport
First downs 18 10
Yards gained passing 120 57
Yards gained rushing 223 130
Total yards gained 343 187
Yards lost 8 23
Passes attempted 9 11
Passes completed 5 4
Passes intercepted 2 2
Passes incomplete 2 4
Punts 2 4
Average punts 35 39
Penalties 5 3
Yards penalized 55 25

Rocky Snyder
Massillon vs. McK - Throwback (Large) History

1937: Massillon 19, Canton McKinley 6

TIGERS OVERPOWER BULLDOGS 19-6 TO CLAIM STATE TITLE STATE HONORS
GO TO MASSILLON GRIDDERS THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR
Orange and Black Surprises Canton Foe With New Offense Especially Prepared for a Slippery Gridiron; Wins by Decisive Margin

By LUTHER EMERY

The Washington high Tigers today laid claim to their third successive state scholastic football championship. Out of the thunderous ovation that greeted their 19-6 triumph over Canton McKinley Saturday afternoon on Lehman field, Canton came recognition. They had soundly trounced the undefeated team that would have been crowned with the mythical title had it beaten the Tiger.

But the Tiger was not to be beaten Saturday. It clawed and fought with cunning as it had never done this season and backed up a stubborn Bulldog over an icy gridiron for three touchdowns.

Once the Bulldog struck and like a surprise air-raid in the night, caught the Tiger off its guard and scored a touchdown while the latter was feasting on six easily earned points. That was in the first period.

From there on the Tiger played heads-up football and after an even first half, unleashed its power to score touchdowns in the third and fourth period and leave no doubt as to it being the better team on the field.

Overflow Crowd Sees Rout of Bulldog
An overflow crowd of between 12,000 and 13,000 strictly partisan fans, shivered and shouted as the two 175-pound lines smashed each other on a slippery field. The Massillon trenchmen hit the harder and the quicker and tore apart the Canton forwards for All-Ohio Bobby Glass and Red Snyder, the new found hero, to romp through.
Give the line credit. Its play was superb. Messrs. Fred Toles, Gus Peters, Bill MacMichael, Earl Martin, Lynn Houston, Junior Anderson and Don Snavely, were in the thick of the battle every minute. They held the Bulldog running attack to a net gain of 51 yards and drove back the Canton linemen when on the offense.

It was the last game for Anderson, Peters, Snavely and Glass and the victory was a grand diploma for each.

Snavely’s defensive work was superb. In the face of a severe and almost constant roughing, he made tackle after tackle to stop the charges of the Canton backs. Once he had to take time out because of an injured knee, but he shook out the kink and continued in the game was did every other Massillon player from the opening whistle to the finish. It was the second straight that the Tigers had played through an entire game without a single substitution.

33 Points against Canton
As for Glass, he had an honor that few other Massillon backs can claim, that of scoring on Canton in three successive years. He did it in 1935 when the Tigers won 6-0. He pushed two over in 1936 and Saturday he scored two more. In addition he kicked four points from placement. Thirty-three points against Canton in three years – that is his record.

But it was not all Glass in a ball carrying way Saturday as it had been so many times this season. The Tigers uncovered a new ball carrier in Snyder, that likable red head from the west side who is ready to try his hand at anything.

Red blocked all last year and all this year until a week ago when he carried the ball for the first time against Barberton.

He ran right over his interference then and fans shook their heads uncertainly. Not Saturday, Red was on his way like a streak of lightning and when his interference clogged he circled it and kept going. He carried the ball 31 times for an average of 4.3 yards on each play and in this average, even out shown Glass who in 32 attempts averaged 3.7 yards.

Bill Zimmerman who had confined his work of the afternoon to blocking, lugged the leather only once, in next to the last play of the game. He did not gain, but it mattered naught; he had turned in a great job of blocking as did Sammy Doroslov, the blocking quarterback.

Tigers Superior
The Massillon gridders were superior in every department with the exception of forward passing and punting. They out rushed the Bulldogs 252 yards to 51 yards and they made 13 first downs to Canton’s eight. The Bulldogs on the other hand, gained 152 yards from passing which included the touchdown pass of 70 yards and Charles Rotar averaged 47 yards on his punts compared with Bob Glass’ 34 yards. Rotar, however did virtually all of his punting with the wind at his back and kept the ball in the center of the field, while Glass punted only once with the wind and on virtually every occasion kicked it out of bounds. Because Glass hoisted the ball out of bounds, Rotar as safety man was able to return his punts only a total of 10 yards, while Snyder returned Rotar’s punts 40 yards.
While in the business of heaping praise on the Massillon team, the performance of one Canton ball carrier, Tip Lockard, should not be overlooked. Carrying the ball seven times, he gained 33 yards for an average of 4.7 yards, the best average of any ball carrier on the field.

Lockard, by the way, formerly lived in Massillon.

Did the Tiger coaching staff outsmart John Reed and crew?

That practice behind closed gates here last week meant on thing – a new offense. Yes, Massillon had worked on defense but Coach Paul Brown had also equipped his team with a new offense, a series of sharp cutback plays directed both inside and outside of tackle, especially useful on a muddy field. The theory behind it all was to get the Bulldogs moving one way, then suddenly dash the opposite direction, figuring the Bulldogs in their surprise would be caught flat footed in the mud and would not be able to shift back in time to stop the ball carrier. The theory worked time and again.

Score Touchdown Early
The new offense revealed itself the first time the Tigers came into possession of the ball and they marched 40 yards for a touchdown, Glass going over. Canton came right back with a dazzling pass, Biasella to Roman for 70 yards and a touchdown, and it looked like a great offensive game was in the making.

Better defensive play and great punting by Glass and Rotar staved off any further scoring the rest of the half. The Tiger power could not be denied, however, and two drives in the last two periods, one of 61 yards and another of 29 sealed the verdict. Glass and Snyder carried the ball over and Glass placekicked the extra point after the last touchdown.

It was the fourth time in five years that the winning team had scored three touchdowns. Canton made three in defeating the Tigers in1932, 1933 and 1934 and Massillon scored three last year.

The game was played in a flurry of snow. It was fluttering over the field when the two teams lined up for the opening kickoff. Snavely had won the toss and elected to defend the west goal.

Canton received. Glass toe dug heavily into the leather, the ball rode and the wind and the game was on. Lockard only came back to the 11-yard line. The Bulldogs made a daring play as Biasella tossed a pass that was grounded. Fearing a fumble, Rotar dropped back and booted the ball to his own 40 where it was grounded without return.

Tigers Score
The Massillon steamroller began moving. Revealing a new offense consisting of sharp
cut-back plays, Snyder and Glass ripped through the Bulldog line. On the very first play the red head rammed through for 14 yards and a first down on the 26. Glass smashed through for one yard; then nine. Snyder lost a yard but Glass hammered hard on fourth down and got his first down on the 12-yard stripe. Snyder picked up two, Glass got two more and then on his old pet lugged the leather straight down the alley for eight yards and a touchdown. A yawning hole was opened up for him and he went over with yards to spare. It was the same play Heine Krier used to score on the Bulldogs in 1934. Glass made one on it in 1935 too. His attempted kick for the extra point went wild.

Feasting on the six points, the Tigers were caught asleep immediately after the next kickoff to Lockard who got back to near the 30. A sleeper was trotted out to the opposite side of the field to catch a pass. The attention of the Massillon backfield was directed toward him and at the very instant the Bulldogs snapped the ball, Roman headed straight down the sideline, got by Doroslov who slipped as he stepped backward to block the pass. Roman caught the ball, cut sharply across the field and with fine interference scampered 60 yards for a touchdown. A sigh of relief was heard from the Massillon rooters when Fife’s attempted kick was wide of the posts.

With the score tied 6-6 the teams battled furiously the remainder of the period and throughout the second quarter.

Once the Tigers hammered down to the 15-yard line, but Kark broke through and tossed Glass for a five-yard loss to end the threat. It was the closest either team was able to get the remainder of the half. Rotar’s booming punts keeping the Tigers in safe territory throughout the second period.

Launch 61-yard Drive
The second time the Tigers got their hands on the ball in the third period they launched a 61-yard drive from their 39-yard line. Roughing of Snavely seemed to fire the Massillon team to the attack. Glass circled his right end for eight yards and Snyder picked up 11 more for a first down on the Canton 42. Glass hit for five and Snyder picked up seven for another first down on the 30. They took turns hammering Canton’s right tackle for four yards and Glass smashed for a first down on the 18.

Snyder ran hard and wide around his left end and got way down to the five-yard line but he slipped out of bounds on the 12. He smashed through to the eight and a first down by inches.

The going was hard from there and it seemed like the Bulldogs might stem the attack when they held Glass and Snyder to six yards in three downs. They massed their defense in the center probably expecting another thrust at the line, but Snyder had one play in the bag he had not used and he brought it out at the right time. His line shifted to the left and the backs to the right and Glass running hard, circled wide around in his right end, nearly the width of the field to cross the Canton goal. The pass from center rolled on the ground and the attempt for the extra point failed.

Fred Toles who waited until Saturday to play his best game of the season and only his second as left end and defensive right halfback, paved the way for the Tigers third and last touchdown.

It was early in the fourth quarter and the Bulldogs, making a desperate bid to catch up, flung a pass from their 27. Toles left his feet to snare the ball before it could get to the receiver and got clear back to the 19-yard line before being put down.

Snyder rammed for four and Glass carried to within a foot of a first down. They were looking for Glass to make that extra foot but instead Snyder took the ball and smashed straight through to the three-yard line in two attempts he went over for a touchdown and this time Glass sent a perfect kick between the bars.

On the following kickoff the Bulldogs made their longest sustained march of the day. Starting from their 20 after Glass had booted the ball out of the end zone, they tossed passes which mixed in with an occasional good gain by Lockard and Jack Barthel, carried the ball to a first down on the 16-yard line.

Motley grounded a pass behind the goal. Barthel failed to gain and the second pass in the series was intercepted behind the goal. It gave the Tigers the ball on their own 20.

On the first play Glass broke loose for the longest run of the day from scrimmage, a dash of 26 yards. The Tigers failed to make a second first down however and Canton took the ball on its 44 only to lose it when Biasella’s pass hit an ineligible receiver. The game ended with the Tigers still holding the ball.

Into the dressing rooms the two teams rushed, the Tigers beaming with victory, but white from the cold and fatigue of a hard game. They slapped each other on the back and got slapped by several close friends who poured into the dressing room after them. It was their third straight victory over McKinley. It enabled them to lay claim to their third straight Ohio championship. It was their third straight Stark county title and it was equal to eye for an eye revenge for the three straight defeats the Bulldogs had handed them back in 1932-34.

Someone stepped up with the remark, “Nice game, Fred, I knew you had it in you.”

“Yes, Freddy, why didn’t you turn that loose long ago?” said Wyatt.

But before Freddy could answer, Charley piped up, “Because I told him so; didn’t I, Freddy? Didn’t I tell you to hold everything until today?”

Freddy looked around to see if anyone was looking and nodded, yes.

Charley expects to finish school this year and would like to go away off somewhere and play football. He admitted he would like to have old Mike Byelene tossing the ball to him. “All I had to do was say, ‘Charley, jump,’ and Mike always had the ball there for me.” Mike is on the freshman eleven at Purdue.

The game was the last the two schools will play in Lehmans’ stadium. Canton expects to have its new stadium completed by next year. With the addition of temporary seats it will accommodate nearly twice the crowd that attended Saturday’s game.

A TASK WELL DONE, TIGERS!
MASSILLON Pos. CANTON
TOLES LE ROTAR
PETERS LT KAMP
MacMICHAEL LG RYAN
MARTIN C FIFE
HOUSTON RG MOTLEY
ANDERSON RT KARK
SNAVELY RE ROMAN
DOROSLOV QB BIASELLA
SNYDER LH BARTHEL
ZIMMERMAN RH FEHN
GLASS FB LACKARD

Score by periods:
MASSILLON 6 0 6 7 19
CANTON 6 0 0 0 6

Substitutions:
Canton – Long, e; Miller, c; Robertson, t.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Glass 2; Snyder.
Canton – Roman.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Glass (placekick).

Referee – Reese.
Umpire – Finsterwald.
Head Linesman – Graf.
Field Judge – Jenkins.

Game Statistics
Mass. Can.
First downs rushing 13 2
First downs passing 0 5
Total first downs 13 8
Yards gained rushing 265 61
Yards lost rushing 13 10
Net gain rushing 252 51
Yards gained passing 0 152
Total yards gained 252 203
Passes attempted 1 15
Passes completed 0 7
Passes incomplete 1 6
Passes intercepted 0 2
Times penalized 1 3
Yards penalized 5 35
Times punted 5 6
Average punt 35 47
Returned punts (yards) 40 10
Times kicked off 4 2
Yards kickoff returned 19 36
Fumbles committed 2 1
Fumbles recovered 2 1

Ball Carriers Statistics
Player Times Gained Lost Av.
Snyder 31 131 1 4.3
Glass 32 131 12 3.7
Zimmerman 1 0 0 0
Lockard 7 33 0 4.7
Barthel 10 21 2 1.9
Fehn 4 7 8 -.2

Bob Glass
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1937: Massillon 28, Barberton 0

FOUR TIGERS NURSE INJURIES AS CANTON GAME APPROACHES WILL TAKE X-RAY OF BOB GLASS’ SHOULDER
Old Injury Aggravated in 28-0 Defeat of Barberton; MacMichael, Doroslov and Slusser Have Bad Legs; Practice Behind Closed Gates

By LUTHER EMERY

Having emerged from their 28-0 triumph over Barberton, Saturday, in none too good condition, the Washington high Tigers today resumed preparations behind closed gates for their all important clash with Canton McKinley, Saturday afternoon, at Lehman field, Canton.

Though some schools in other sections of the state will dispute the statement, the winner Saturday should have every reason to lay claim to the state championship for neither team has been defeated by an Ohio opponent.

Barberton Taken In Stride
Barberton was taken in stride, the Tigers having devoted virtually all of their attention last week to special preparations for the Bulldogs.

At the conclusion of the game it appeared that the Massillon eleven had emerged without injury, but bumps and bruises have a habit of tightening up over night and Sunday several players reported injuries that have Coach Paul Brown worried.

Bob Glass, the principal backfield threat, injured a leg and aggravated a shoulder injury in the first period when he tried to run over a Barberton player.

Injury Several Weeks Old
The shoulder has been bothering him for several weeks and Coach Brown planned to have an X-ray picture made today to determine how seriously it might be hurt. Glass only played a period and a half Saturday and carried the ball but four times after bumping his left shoulder.

Bill MacMichael emerged without a limp, but Sunday reported a sore foot. The injury developed during the night and Sunday morning he was barely able to put his weight on the injured foot.

Sam Doroslov sustained a bruised knee and George Slusser exhibited a large puff on the leg just above the ankle.

Thus the Tigers today went into preparations for their big game of the year, not knowing just what physical condition they are in.

Should the injuries respond to treatment the squad by Saturday may be in good condition.

Barberton Stubborn
As expected, Barberton proved a stubborn foe and the injuries testify to the type of resistance the Tigers faced. They were fortunate enough to shove over two touchdowns in the first period and a half which enable Brown to rest Glass and his convalescing influenza victims, Junior Anderson and Gus Peters.

Neither started the game, but were rushed in for a few minutes in the first period to stem Barberton’s only serious threat on the seven-yard line.

In fact all of the Tiger regulars had an opportunity to watch part of the game from the bench. Don Snavely was rested most of the second half and in the closing minutes of the game, an entire second team carried on for Massillon.

A revamped Massillon lineup, started the game. Substitutions and changes of the past week resulted in only two players holding down the positions they played in the opening game of the season against Horace Mann of Gary, Ind. These were Earl Martin, center and Snavely, right end.

Switch Positions
Lynn Houston was in at right guard instead of left guard, Fred Toles was at left end instead of halfback. Glass was at fullback instead of halfback and Snyder at left halfback instead of blocking back. Other positions were filled with new faces.

Sam Doroslov, for instance didn’t become a regular until last week. Nor did MacMichael, a substitute tackle who was promoted to left guard, Zimmerman was elevated to a varsity backfield job in midseason and Bill Croop and Ralph Harsch relieved Peters and Anderson.

It was midway in the first period when the Tigers scored their first touchdown.The Tigers got the ball in midfield on a punt and Glass broke away for a 20-yard run that carried the leather to the 29-yard line. He hit through his right tackle again for 13 more yards and was injured on the play. Snyder and Glass picked up four more yards and the red head then ran wide around his left end to the one yard line. Glass rammed the ball over and kicked the extra point.

Following up Glavitsch’s beautiful return of the kickoff to the Tiger 45, the Magics executed a lateral off a forward pass that carried the ball to a first down on the 12-yard line. Here Coach Brown rushed Peters and Anderson into the game to stop the threat. A five-yard penalty for offside moved Barberton to the seven-yard line as the period ended, but the Tigers braced, grounded two passes and took the ball.

Pass Scores Touchdown
Following an exchange of punts they started from their own 31 and with Snyder and Zimmerman doing most of the carrying, moved the leather up to the Magics’ 41-yard line.

There Snyder dropped back and shot a long pass to Snavely who caught it beyond Barberton’s two safety men and raced to a touchdown. Glass again kicked goal.

Stopped once on the three-yard line, the Massillon gridders crossed the Barberton goal on their second bid in the third period, but it took a lot of hard plugging.

The drive started from the Magics’ 35-yard line. When two passes were grounded Snyder took the ball and in two attempts plunged to a first down on the 25. He carried it three more times in a row for another first down on the 15.

A nine-yard smash by Snyder and a yard by Slusser produced a first down on the five and set the stage for Zimmerman to circle wide around his left end for the touchdown. He went out of bounds just as he crossed the goal line. Snyder kicked the extra point.

Howard Intercepts Pass
The last touchdown came on a break in the game and a lot of fast running by Bob Howard. The game was waning and the Tiger ranks were plugged with substitutes when Peterman trying desperately to at least score, hurled a pass into the flat from his 40-yard line. Howard came up on the dead run, snared the ball which was intended for Makowski and set sail for the goal line with no one between him and the goal. Fred Toles negotiated the extra point on an end around sweep. The game ended five plays later.

The Tigers were by far the better ball club as statistics show. They made 14 first downs to Barberton’s six and gained 280 yards to Barberton’s 93.

Neither team was able to do anything in the way of returning punts. The Tigers’ average return was two yards, while Barberton only averaged eight-tenths of a yard on its returns.

Approximately 4,000 spectators, the smallest crowd of the year attended. Barberton brought only a small delegation, but its band came along and gave a good exhibition between periods, as did the Massillon band.

The lineup and summary:
Massillon Pos. Barberton
Toles LE Good
Harsch LT Maloney
MacMichael LG Self
Martin C Jones
Houston RG Ratay
Croop RT Wells
Snavely RE Heppert
Doroslov QB Rowe
Snyder LH Glavitsch
Zimmerman RH Seilers
Glass FB Peterman

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 7 7 7 28

Substitutions: Massillon – Anderson, rt; Peters, lt; Lucius, lg; Greenfelder, rg; Slusser, rh; Zimmerman, fb; Lechleiter, re; Howard, le; Fabian, lh; France, re; Hout, c; Pedrotty, rg; Sandy, rh.
Barberton – Hanic, rh; McCaffery, lg; Millhoff, c; Panchalk, le; Taylor, lt; Werner, re; Funk, le; Makowski, lh.

Touchdowns: Massillon – Glass; Snavely; Zimmerman; Howard.

Points after touchdowns:
Massillon – Glass 2 (placekick); Snyder (placekick); Toles (end sweep).

Referee – Howells.
Umpire – Barrett.
Head Linesman – Schill.

Bob Glass
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1937: Massillon 28, Youngstown Chaney 6

TIGERS SHOW OLD POWER AND DEFEAT CHANEY HIGH 28-6
INJURED STARS PLAY FIRST QUARTER ONLY
Massillon Scores Twice in Opening Period, Then Benches Snavely and Anderson for Rest of Game; Passes Help Chaney Score

By LUTHER EMERY

Flashing their old form with two of their convalescing stars back in the lineup, the Washington high Tigers turned back the invasion of Youngstown Chaney here Friday evening, 28-6 before 4,000 fans, the smallest crowd of the season.

With the new offense flashing power the few minutes the team was kept intact, the Tiger gridders ripped through to a pair of touchdowns in the first period, bogged down as Coach Paul Brown experimented for two more quarters, and then gathered an additional 14 points the last stanza.

Chaney Played Good Ball
As expected, Chaney turned loose a good team. You may not believe it but statistics show the Youngstown gridders gained more yards by passing and more yards by rushing than New Castle last week, but lacked the defensive strength of the Pennsylvania team.

The Tigers scored 14 first downs to the visitors’ 11 and gained the net total of 326 yards from scrimmage to Chaney’s 224 yards.

The Tigers looked like their old selves the first period when they pushed the visiting eleven around with will. They took the kickoff and Bob Glass nearly got away with it, running back to the Chaney 42-yard line before being downed. Two plays later he was away for a 35-yard touchdown dash.

March 78 Yards To Score
Later on in the period, Glass, Bill Zimmerman and Red Snyder, who started his first game at fullback, ripped and snorted 74 yards to the Chaney four-yard line where Glass smashed through left tackle for the touchdown. He kicked both extra points from placements and with the Tigers leading 14-0, Snavely, Glass and Junior Anderson left the game. Glass went back in the second period but Snavely and Anderson kept out of it for their own welfare.

The Tiger attack bogged down, however, and though the club would have shoved over a touchdown in the first half had not the gun cracked with the ball inches short of a touchdown and first down coming up, it did not get across the Chaney line again until the fourth period.

They drove to the six-yard line where Chaney braced and twice threw back Glass to take possession of the ball and halt the march. But it proved costly nevertheless, for Frank Terleci, dropping behind his goal to punt, got a bad pass from center and had to fall on the ball in the Promised Land for a safety that hoisted the Massillon score to 16 points.

The hog-hide was brought out for a free kick and there followed a 70-yard spurt that ended with Toles strutting the big apple around right end for 10 yards and a touchdown.

That was enough for Chaney. Passes that all evening had spattered against the dirt like so many wasted bullets, began to hit their mark. Terlecki flung one 28 yards to John Soltas. Another to Alex Chockey gained 12 more and a first down on the 15-yard stripe.

Lynn ripped for eight yards and an offside penalty put the leather on the two-yard line. Terleck had enough left in him to drive back the Massillon eight man line the remaining two yards for a touchdown.

Passes Scores For Tigers
It took just two plays to get the next and last Massillon touchdown. Sam Doroslov, starting his first game as the Tiger blocking back, nearly got a bowler’s strike as he gathered in Terlecki’s kickoff on the 10-yard line and waded down the alley with a pair of trip-hammer knees lifting the opposition out of the way. He was brought down from behind on the Chaney 46-yard line, after one player had slowed him up in the open. On the next play, George Slusser, substituting for Glass, stepped back and pegged a pretty pass down the alley to Bill Zimmerman who caught the ball on the 20-yard line and headed for the left sideline and a touchdown.

Chaney would not quit even then however and Terlecki tossed more bombs at the Tigers as his team carried the ball to the nine-yard line only to be halted when Toles tickled Pat Lynn’s feet for a four-yard loss. An incomplete pass on fourth down gave the ball to Massillon and ended the threat.

Chaney had a pair of fast backs in Lynn and Sinkovich and a good thrower in Terlecki. A peg off a lateral in the opening stanza would have been good for a touchdown had Soltas held the ball. It might have changed the complexion of the ball game and at least would have forced Coach Brown to use Snavely and Anderson for a longer period.

Offensively, Chaney gained nearly twice as many yards as did New Castle last week and made 11 first downs to New Castle’s six.

The visitors gained the net total of 104 yards by rushing and an additional 120 yards by passing.

However, Chaney did not have the stout defense the Pennsylvania team threw up here last week, though they fashioned it somewhat after New Castle’s style. One reason was that Massillon had Anderson and Snavely. Fans saw just how important they are to the team.

During the first period, while they were in the game, the local eleven gained 124 of their 326 yards and held the visitors to 24 yards.

The Tigers were not out to make a kill last night, however, but were satisfied to win and rest the injured while experimenting for the future.

New Lineup On Field
As announced Friday, Brown started a revamped lineup, but the entire eleven was together for such a short time one had little time to judge its possibilities.

The revamped lineup consisted of several changes. Red Snyder who has blocked all year was shifted to fullback and Doroslov was brought into the backfield to block. Zimmerman was retained at a halfback post along with Glass. On the line, Bud Lucius gave way to Bill MacMichael, a rugged chap who did a good job the short time he played at guard.

Snyder carried the ball 13 times last night and gained a total of 69 yards, one of which was a 23-yard run. Glass carried the ball 18 times and gained 111 yards.

The game was the Tigers’ last night performance of the season. They will end their home schedule here next Saturday afternoon with Barberton.

The Tiger band was on the job as usual and gave a pleasing performance between halves despite the frosty air.

Those Massillon cheerleaders strutted their stuff too and put more life and novel maneuvers into their leadership.

Chaney had a couple of hundred fans in the east bleachers to buoy the spirit of their team.

The visitors’ suits were deceiving. Players looked considerable smaller than the Massillon gridders, but in the dressing room you saw the difference. Chaney was actually several pounds heavier than Massillon.

The lineup and summary:
Massillon Pos. Chaney
Howard LE Soltas
Peters LT Gaglione
Houston LG Jack Evans
Martin C Baker
MacMichale RG Padach
Anderson RT Dasen
Snavely RE Poschner
Doroslov QB Chockey
Glass LH Lynn
Zimmerman RH Sinkovich
Snyder FB Terlecki

Score by periods:
Massillon 14 0 0 14 28
Chaney 0 0 0 6 6

Substitutions:
Massillon – Lechleiter, le; Toles, re; Slusser, lh; Fabian, lh; Greenfelder, rg; MacMichale, rt; Lucius, rg, Croop, lt.
Chaney – Daniels, qb; John Evans, rg; Pinkney, re.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Glass 2; Toles; Zimmerman.
Chaney – Terlecki.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Glass 2 (placekicks).

Safety:
Chaney – Terlecki.

Referee – Rupp (Dennison).
Umpire – Jenkins (Akron).
Head Linesman – Barrett (Akron).

Game Statistics
Mass. Chaney
First downs rushing 12 6
First downs passing 2 5
Total first downs 14 11
Yards rushing 258 114
Yards lost rushing 15 10
Net yards rushing 243 104
Yards gained passing 82 120
Total yards gained 326 224
Returned kickoffs (yards) 114 98
Returned punts (yards) 10 11
Total yards ball advanced 456 333
Times penalized 4 3
Yards penalized 30 20
Passes attempted 6 17
Passes completed 2 6
Passes incomplete 3 11
Passes intercepted 1 0
Punts 4 5
Punting average (yards) 37 33
Punts blocked 0 1
Average return on punts 2 3
Kickoffs 5 3
Average return kickoffs 38 20
Fumbles 0 2

Bob Glass
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1937: Massillon 0, New Castle, PA 7

NEW CASTLE ENDS TIGER UNDEFEATED STREAK AT 26
FORWARD PASS GIVES VISITORS 7-0 VICTORY
Massillon Eleven Out Charged and Out Smarted by Pennsylvania’s Red Hurricane; 10,000 Attend Feature Contest

By LUTHER EMERY

A Red Hurricane from Pennsylvania struck Massillon field in all its fury Friday evening, ripped open the orange and black wave and ended Washington high school’s undefeated football streak at 26 games before a crowd of 10,000.

The final score was New Castle 7, Massillon 0. A second period pass, Lindy Lauro to Ed. Sovesky, turned the trick and with New Castle stacking up an impregnable defense, one touchdown was all that was needed.

Injuries Hurt Tigers
Torn by injury and illness, the Massillon eleven was not at its best, while the Red Hurricane, in the words of its Coach Phil Bridenbaugh, never played a better football game.

“We did not expect to win,” Bridenbaugh said after the game, “But our team played fine ball and of course I am very happy. No doubt you missed Snavely. We had picked him as your No. 1 player.”

And the Tigers did miss Snavely and Junior Anderson and Warren Wyatt. The veteran trio composed the entire right side of the Massillon line and none was able to play last night.

Wyatt cracked a bone in his leg in the Alliance game and is hobbling about on crutches. Snavely injured a knee in practice Tuesday. He was in uniform last night and warmed up once with the intention of stopping the New Castle touchdown thrust, but before he could get into the game, Lauro had found a good receiver in Sovesky and Snavely went back on the oak.

Anderson took ill with influenza Friday and spent the night in bed.

Coming as they did, the injuries not only weakened the Tigers physically but mentally. They had two days in which to plug the hole left by Snavely’s injury but when Anderson took sick Friday and most of the players knew nothing about it until they came to the field to dress – that was the last straw.

New Castle Inspired
But with all the king’s horses and all the king’s men, New Castle would have been hard to beat last night. The Hurricane played with a spirit seldom seen on the gridiron and the longer the game went the tougher they grew.

Give Lauro, Sovesky and Micaletti credit for a good offensive performance, but heap praise on the New Castle line. It was the Hurricane forward wall that won it the victory. It out charged the Tiger line, stopped virtually everything Massillon sent its way and opened holes for the ball carrier to cut through.

Joe Picutta and Eddie Dombroski, the visitors’ guards were in the Massillon backfield most of the evening and with their teammates stopped all Tiger offensive maneuvers after the first period. Not a first down did they give Massillon the second half and they only yielded one in the second period.

All of the Tigers’ offense was packed into the first period when they twice carried the ball inside the New Castle 15-yard line.

A 15-yard penalty hurt plenty on one occasion and it would have been first down on the seven-yard line, had not the Tigers failed to stop on their shift.

Again they missed their first down by two yards after carrying the ball to the 11-yard stripe.

Recovered fumbles had given the Tigers their two chances. They carried the kickoff back to the 30-yard line where Glass punted over the goal line on fourth down.

On the third play Micaletti fumbled and Bud Lucius came up with the ball on the 28-yard line. A 14-yard gain by Zimmerman on the weak side and a couple of bucks by Glass put the ball on the 11-yard line, but there the visitors held. They only ran off two plays, however, before Lauro fumbled and Lucius again came up with the ball on the 18-yard line.

Glass tossed a pass to Red Snyder for six yards and Zimmerman gained three more. Slusser sneaked through to what would have been a first down on the seven-yard line but the shift was declared illegal and a 15-yard penalty put the Tigers back. Another pass to Snyder gained 10 but the ball was lost on the 13-yard line and that ended Massillon’s offense for the day.

New Castle Scores
Early in the second period the Tigers tried to start another march from midfield but Joe Gender came in on the run to spear one of George Slusser’s passes and race back to the
20-yard line before being downed.

It was New Castle’s first threat. Snavely ripped off a sweat jersey and began warming up his injured knee on the sidelines. Sovesky tried to circle his right end and though he ran the width of the field, only got a yard.

Coach Brown was giving instructions to Snavely when the ball was passed to Gender. He slipped it to Lauro, who whirled and shot the ball to his left. Sovesky, cutting to his left through the Tiger secondary, caught the ball on the three-yard line with no one near to stop him. Roussos kicked the extra point in what looked like a line drive, but it was over and between the bars and good for the seventh point.

The Hurricane never yielded after that. What hope Massillon had of tying the score was blotted out by brilliant line play and excellent ball hawking in the secondary. The visitors allowed the Tigers but one first down thereafter and Eddie Dombroski’s educated toe kept the Massillon eleven out of New Castle territory, kept them out in fact until the closing minutes of the fourth quarter when Dombroski’s punt was blocked and recovered by Lucius on the Hurricane 33-yard line. Bob Glass tossed one long pass that barely missed its mark, way down at the goal line, but when he tried two more he was struck down for consecutive losses of 10 yards before he could get the ball away.

Near Riot Stopped
The last tackle nearly precipitated a riot. Glass and Picutta came up fighting. New Castle fans were already beginning to pour out of the bleachers and several Massillon substitutes ran out on the field but were hauled down by Coach Brown and sent back to the bench.

The officials took command in time, put Glass and Picutta out of the ball game, called it no play and put the ball back to the place of the previous down. The game ended two plays later.

Save for its one touchdown march, New Castle was never particularly dangerous. Their only other threat came in the middle of the fourth quarter when they marched the ball from midfield to the Tiger 17-yard line where on fourth down Roussos’ attempt field goal was low.

The Red Hurricane outplayed the Tigers in practically every department as the statistics will show. They made six first downs to the Tigers’ three and gained a net total of 79 yards from scrimmage to Massillon’s 75 as well as 33 yards in passing to Massillon’s 16. They averaged 39 yards on punts to Massillon’s 36 yards. Throw out the blocked punt when figuring the punting average and you get an average of 47 yards per punt which is computed from the line of scrimmage, not from the point where the ball was kicked. Not a punt was returned, whereas Massillon’s punts were returned a total of 17 yards.

Glass Stopped
In outdoing the Tigers offensively and defensively the Hurricane stopped Glass. On only two occasions did he get away to a substantial gain. On the second play after the kickoff, he ripped off 28 yards to lug the leather into New Castle territory and on the last play of the first half he carried the ball 15 yards on a mousetrap play to midfield.

Glass carried the ball 17 times for a new average gain of two and one-half yards. Bill Zimmerman carried it 12 times for an average gain of 3.3 yards and Slusser carried six times for an average gain of one-half yard.

Loss of Snavely, Anderson and Wyatt, crippled the Tigers offensively as well as defensively. Lucius, Bill MacMichael and Kasper Lechleiter did the best they could but none had the experience of the three veterans and experience was needed last night with New Castle keyed up and pointed.

Defeat can not be blamed on them. The entire Tiger team as a whole was not on its toes and was both out charged and out smarted.

But all things have an ending and since defeat had to come some time, there was no disgrace in losing to an eleven that played the brand of football put up by New Castle.

Lucius did a good job of ball hawking and covered two New Castle fumbles and the blocked punt.

The crowd was the largest to attend a game here this season. Approximately 10,000 witnessed the game.

Bands Sparkle
The New Castle band gave a flashy performance between halves. Wearing their new uniforms for the first time this season, the young visiting musicians marched down the field in triumph at the end of the game to herald the accomplishment of their team in ending the Tiger undefeated string of 26 games that began back in the opening game of 1935.

Prior to the game the New Castle musicians had dinner at the Y.M.C.A. Members of the Washington high band took pains to add color and a warm welcome to the reception. They decorated the dining room with Massillon and New Castle colors and made little favors, paper footballs reading “Welcome to Massillon”, that were placed at every plate.

The Tiger band also accorded the visitors another friendly gesture when they turned over the entire intermission between halves to the New Castle band. The local musicians did their drilling before the game and joined New Castle in its triumphant march after the final gun.

The visitors were enthusiastic over the welcome and their enthusiasm was kindled with victory. It evened the score with the Tigers and preserved a New Castle record that goes back 15 years. Not in that time has any opponent outscored the Red Hurricane in games.

The celebration lasted into the wee hours of the morning. Some fans probably remained the night, but for the most part they returned home amidst a blaring of horns.

The lineup and summary:
Massillon Pos. New Castle
Howard LE Nocera
Peters LT Roussos
Houston LG Picutta
Martin C Updegraph
Luciius RG Dombroski
MacMichael RT MacNeill
Lechleiter RE Carey
Slusser QB Gender
Glass LH Sovesky
Snyder RH Micaletti
Zimmerman FB Lauro

Score by periods:
New Castle 0 7 0 0 7

Substitutions:
Massillon – Greenfelder, rg; Toles, re; Fabian, lb.
New Castle – Kulnis, lg.

Touchdown: New Castle – Sovesky.
Point after touchdown: Roussos (placekick).

Referee – Lobach.
Umpire – Wallace.

Game Statistics
Mass. New C.
Yards gained rushing 101 32
Yards lost rushing 26 13
Net yards gained 75 79
Yards gained passing 16 33
Total yards gained 91 112
First downs 3 6
Passes attempted 12 7
Passes completed 2 3
Passes intercepted by 2 2
Passes incomplete 8 2
Punts 7 6
Average punts (yards) 36 39
Punts blocked 0 1
Punts – returned yards 0 17
Average return punts 0 2
Kickoffs 0 3
Kickoffs returned yards 62 0
Average return 21 0
Fumbles 0 3
Lost ball on fumbles 0 2
Penalties 2 4
Yards penalized 20 31
Plays from scrimmage 54 47

Bob Glass
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1937: Massillon 13, Steubenville 0

TIGERS DEFEAT STEUBENVILLE 13-0 ON MUDDY GRIDIRON GLASS AND SNAVELY REGISTER TOUCHDOWNS
Massillon Points Scored in First and Last Periods; Stout Defense Holds Big Red to Net Gain of One Yard

By LUTHER EMERY

Out of the murk, the Washington high Tigers came, Friday evening, to overpower the Big Red of Steubenville 13-0 and write another score in the record books which Massillon fans hope will give the local team its third successive state championship.

With the elements against them, the Tigers splashed and plunged to show 7,000 fans, 1,000 of them from Massillon, why they have been proclaimed state champions the last two years.

Score in First Quarter
They struck fast. Stopped once on the one-yard line after recovering a Steubenville fumble, Bob Glass led the local eleven to its first touchdown in a 25-yard drive that ended when he plunged through stubborn resistance from the one-yard line. He also carried the ball across for the extra point.

The longer the game progressed the more it appeared the seven points would be the margin of difference.

The Big Red yielded ground in midfield but when waddling in the shadows of its goal posts, would not be moved.

Snavely Blocks Punt
Minutes were slipping in the fourth quarter when the Tigers with a series of offensive maneuvers and well placed punts shoved Steubenville back to its four-yard line and forced them to punt. But Fingers never got the ball away. Don Snavely crashed through, blocked the punt and covered it behind the Big Red goal for a touchdown.

The Stubbers tossed passes recklessly after that but could not connect.

The Big Red was a stubborn football tam. Massing its superior weight when pushed back to its goal line, it twice stopped Massillon touchdown drives within the three-yard line and on three other occasions turned back threats within the 20-yard stripe.

But the Tigers were not to be denied victory. Though the breaks helped them to their touchdowns, they helped to make the breaks and deserved the 13-point advantage as the following statistics will show.

Looking more like gingerbread boys after rolling about in the mud and water, the Massillon boys gained the sum total of 209 yards to Steubenville’s one and made 12 first downs to Steubenville’s one. In fact Steubenville’s only first down was made on a penalty and was not gained by rushing.

In every department the Tigers excelled. They tossed three passes and completed two for a gain of 29 yards. The Big Red failed to complete a pass.

Linemen Play Great Game
The Massillon line out-charged the heavier Steubenville forward wall and too much credit cannot be given the defensive playing of Don Snavely and Messrs. Gus Peters, Junior Anderson, Lynn Houston, Earl Martin and Bud Lucius for their fine defensive work.

The gangly Tiger center twice smacked through and smeared the 190-pound Di Carlo for successive losses.

The heavy footing, however, slowed the offensive charge of the Massillon gridders and they found it hard to dig the Big Red out of their goal line stands.

An all-night and all-day rain left a heavy gridiron, but thanks to solid turf, the field was not a quagmire.
Backfield men, however, found it hard from the start to handle the slimy ball and there were frequent fumbles, each team recovering the ball from opponents.

A fumble, in fact gave the Tigers their first chance in the opening minutes of the game.

Tigers Recover Fumble
The Big Red had kicked off and Glass getting but seven yards, in two attempts had punted back to the Stubbers 15-yard line. On the second play, Fingers fumbled and a Massillon boy pounced on the ball on the nine-yard line.

Then and there the Tigers found they were up against a more than average line. Bob Glass hammered through for four yards but lost three of them the next time he carried. He carried the ball two more times but could only gain seven more yards and the Big Red took the ball on their one-yard stripe.

Standing deep behind his goal line, Fingers punted out to George Slusser who made a daring catch on the Big Red 30 and got back five yards more. It was a great job of ball handling on the part of Slusser and the way he handled the slippery pigskin throughout the night is worthy of credit.

Glass Scores Touchdown
With Glass carrying the leather, the Tigers required three smashes to push it forward to a first down on the Stubbers’ 13-yard line. He whacked right tackle for one yard on a reverse and crashed through the left side for nine more and a first down on the three-yard line. The Tiger halfback required two more plays, both directed at the center of the Steubenville line, to get the ball over. Both sides were offside when an attempted kick for the extra point went wild of the posts, so Glass lugged the leather across on the second attempt for the seventh point.

Playing a break, the Big Red chose to kickoff but the Tigers held on to the ball and swept back up the field on a 24-yard dash by Slusser on a fake kick and a 10-yard sweep by Glass. The Stubbers stopped the drive on their 15-yard line, however when they twice held Glass without gain and nailed Slusser to a spinner.

The Tigers again got the ball on a punt in midfield and Glass and Zimmerman drove back to the 30 where a 15-yard penalty ended their threat. After another exchange of punts, Massillon took the ball on the Stubber’s 40 and aided by a 15-yard flip over center, Slusser to Snavely, marched the ball to the three-yard line, where Glass on fourth down with two yards to go, missed a first down by a foot. He dug his head into the tummy of Straka, 265-pound Steubenville tackle and through dazed, continued in the game.

Fingers punted out of danger but the Tigers came right back again driving down to the 20-yard line where Fingers intercepted Slusser’s toss to Snavely and got back to his 24-yard line before being tackled. Fingers got away for four yards on the next play, Steubenville’s longest gain of the game.

Neither team threatened in the third quarter. The Big Red had a chance when Di Carlo covered a Massillon fumble on the Tiger 25, but on the first play he fumbled and Lucius got the ball back for Massillon.

Early in the fourth period the Tigers began a series of maneuvers that gradually shoved the Big Red back into its own territory and paved the way for the final touchdown.

They took the ball to the 12-yard line, where a 22-yard loss on a widely tossed lateral set them back to the 34. Bob Glass planted a high punt that dropped to the four-yard line where Don Snavely downed the ball.

Snavely Blocks Punt
Fingers kicked back to Slusser who made another of those daring catches on the 32-yard line and only got forward two steps before being downed. A five-yard penalty stopped the threat and Glass, not taking any chances, punted to Fingers who was dropped by Snavely for no return on the three-yard line.

When two passes were knocked down, Fingers dropped back to punt. Don Snavely came crashing through and blocked the ball. It rolled to the side. Both players plunged for the ball. Fingers hit it first but like a greased pig it slipped from his arms and Snavely crawled on it for a touchdown.

Glass tried to kick the extra point but the ball slipped from the fingers of Red Snyder who was holding it for him. Gathering up the leather, Glass sidestepped two Stubber tackles but fell a yard short of making the extra point.

The Big Red tried to pass the wet ball but it only resulted in Bog Howard intercepting it on the Massillon 35-yard line. The game ended with the Tigers completing a first down in midfield.

The Massillon gridders emerged from the game in good condition. Though there was a lot of piling up, particularly in the closing minutes of the game, none appeared hurt except Glass who aggravated an old shoulder injury. He played with a rubber doughnut on the sore spot and though twice injured, lasted the entire game, however.

Sweaters were nearly plastered to the skin with mud and water and players of both teams had a hard time “skinning” them off after the game.

The Massillon band proved every bit as good mudders as the Tiger gridders. The Big Red turned over the entire intermission period to the local musicians, who tossed off their rain coats and drilled on the field. “The best band that has ever drilled here,” was the compliment of the Steubenville announcer.

Rained Throughout Game
Put on your rain coat, fill the bath tub with water and crawl in. You may then better realize the drenching spectators received. But it was not as severe as at New Castle last year and fans were better prepared. They had their rain coats, blankets, hats, umbrellas and boots this time. The rain had one redeeming feature, however. It kept down the fog and the vanguard of the Massillon delegation began arriving home at 11:30 p.m.

The special train which conveyed the band and several hundred fans to Steubenville pulled in an hour and a half later. It did not leave Steubenville until after 11 p.m.

Many Massillon fans remained in Steubenville all night and continued on to Pittsburgh today. The same program will be enjoyed by members of the team. They spent the night at the Fort Steuben hotel and this morning left for Pittsburgh to attend the Wisconsin – University of Pittsburgh game. They will return to Massillon tonight.

The lineup and summary:
Massillon Pos. Steubenville
Lechleiter LE Knowalezuk
Peters LT Straka
Houston LG Fryer
Martin C Bell
Lucius RG Barsuck
Anderson RT Mike
Snavely RE Williams
Slusser QB Roe
Glass LH Fingers
Snyder RG Di Carlo
Zimmerman FB Olson

Game Statistics
Mass. Steub.
Yards gained rushing 209 18
Yards lost rushing 29* 17
Net yards gained 180 1
Yards gained passing 29 0
Total yards gained 209 1
First downs 12 1x
Times punted 6 7
Average punts in yards 36 32
Average punts returned 4.8 1.5
Penalties 40 9
Lost ball on fumble 2 2
Passes completed 2 0
Passes intercepted 1 2
Passes incomplete 0 4
* – 22 of 29 yards lost in fumbled lateral
x – Penalty gave first down

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 0 0 6 13

Substitutions:
Massillon – Howard, le.
Steubenville – Henry, rg.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Glass, Snavely.

Point after touchdown:
Massillon – Glass (carried).

Referee – Goodwin (W. & J.)
Umpire – Graf (Ohio State).
Head Linesman – Gross (Marietta).
Field Judge – Lindell (Glenville State Teachers).

Bob Glass
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1937: Massillon 39, Alliance 6

TIGER PASSES BEAT ALLIANCE IN SECOND HALF 39-6
LOCALS RALLY AFTER TRAILING FIRST HALF
Passes Overcome Unorthodox Alliance Defense After Tigers Are Behind at End of Half for First Time in Three Seasons

By LUTHER EMERY

The Washington high Tigers took the lead in the race for Stark county scholastic football honors before 5,000 fans here last night but not until after Alliance had given them one of the worst scares they have had in three seasons.

The end of the first half found the orange and black behind 6-0. Not since the memorable Massillon-Canton game of 1934, have they been in that position.

Game Not in Bag Until Fourth Period
It was not until the third quarter was well underway that the Tigers succeeded in taking the lead and they were not sure of victory until the middle of the fourth period was reached.

Then with a final burst of offense the Massillon gridders plunged and passed their way to a final 39-6 triumph which is just about the score many optimistic fans had figured they would win by.

But it was a costly victory, in that Warren Wyatt, Tiger guard and one of the six veterans on the team may not be able to play for another month.

Wyatt cracked a bone in his right leg, just above the ankle and will be out indefinitely, Coach Paul Brown said today. He was injured on the seventh play of the third quarter, in the midst of the Tigers’ first touchdown drive. X-ray pictures revealed a cracked bone, not a break, Coach Brown said.

However no chance will be taken on aggravating the injury and Wyatt will be given a complete rest until pronounced physically able to return.

Unorthodox Defense
As expected Dr. George Wilcoxon, Alliance coach made life miserable for the Tigers the first half with a cockeyed defense which consisted of an eight-man line. The Aviators lined up on defense with six men on the forward wall and hopped two additional men in from the secondary at the expectant point of attack just as the ball was snapped.

With the exception of the early minutes of the first quarter when a 15-yard penalty stopped the Tigers in what looked like a touchdown drive, the Aviators had the Massillon offense completely bottled up.

The eight-man line halted the running attack and so rushed George Slusser that he was unable to pass. Save for their one long march at the start of the first quarter that took the ball to the Alliance 32-yard stripe, the Tigers were unable to penetrate into Alliance territory and only made three first downs in the two periods.

The Aviators on the other hand struck suddenly and successfully in the middle of the second quarter when John Gainor brought Bob Glass’ punt back 12 yards to the 34-yard line, moved it 14 yards nearer on a surprise dash around end and pegged a pass straight over the center to August Palozzi who scampered across the Tiger goal. Gainor’s attempted kick for the extra point was wide of the posts but the six points looked big to both Alliance and Massillon fans.

Tigers Take Lead
The Tigers snapped out of their lethargy in the third period however, grabbed the kickoff and marched 64 yards to a touchdown.

Dr. Wilcoxon’s defense strategy which completely stopped the Tigers the first half, reacted against him the last half as Slusser and Glass uncorked their throwing arms.

With only three men in the alliance secondary, Coach Brown ordered his boys to pass and they did.

A long peg took the ball over the middle of the field to the Alliance 34. The visitors became pass conscious and Glass and Zimmerman hammered for a first down. When the Aviators again closed in to try and halt the Tiger running attack, Glass fired a pass to Slusser who gathered in the leather and went down to the five-yard line. Glass only required one play to get it over and tie the score. He kicked the extra point from placement and the Tigers went into the lead.

Passes again opened the way for the second touchdown in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Don Snavely picked one of Gainor’s passes out of the air on the Alliance 44. Glass moved it down to the 24-yard line and when the Tigers were penalized five yards for offside, Glass again stepped back and fired to Slusser for a first down on the six yard stripe. He went over for a touchdown on the first play, but missed the try for the extra point.

Touchdowns came easier in the fourth quarter.

Power Plays Get Points
The Tigers had the ball in their possession on the Alliance 45-yard line when the third period ended and directed a relentless drive at the Alliance line.

Only one pass, an eight-yard toss, Glass to Snyder was mixed in with the running attack, for the Tigers by this time had opened the red and blue secondary and the ball carriers were able to go places. With Zimmerman doing some nifty plunging the orange and black smashed to a first down on the one-yard line and Glass plunged the ball across. Slusser tried to buck the extra point but failed.

There was joy in the visitors’ hearts a little later when Gainor kicked a beautiful punt into the coffin corner on the five-yard line.

The Tigers did not give the ball away, however, but gambled on their ball carrying ability and reeled off three successive first downs that took the pigskin to the Alliance 44. Slusser got loose on a delayed buck and moved it on to the 29-yard line where Glass pegged a
28-yard pass to Don Snavely who stepped out of bound inches short of the Alliance goal. Zimmerman lugged the ball over. Glass’ kick was low.

Howard Snares Alliance Pass
The next score followed in 30 seconds. The red and blue received and on the first play Bob Howard intercepted Gainor’s long pass in midfield and dashed back to the two-yard line before alliance could down him. Slusser sneaked across for the touchdown and Glass kicked the extra point that swelled the total to 32.

Another interception by Howard stopped an Alliance passing threat in midfield. Glass shook himself loose for a dash to the 14-yard line and aided by a five-yard penalty on Alliance for offside, the Tigers drove the remaining nine yards with Glass carrying the ball into the Promised Land. He kicked the 39th point and a flock of Massillon substitutes carried on the last three minutes.

Save for their second period touchdown, Alliance threatened on but two other occasions. With the Tigers leading 19-6, two successive passes advanced the ball to the Massillon
37-yard line where the locals held and forced the red and blue to punt. In the first period Streza intercepted Slusser’s pass on the 32-yard line, but the Aviators could only advance the ball four more yards before they lost it on downs.

Statistics were entirely in Massillon’s favor. The Tigers made 19 first downs to five for Alliance and gained a total of 383 yards to the Aviators’ 126 yards.

Sixteen of Massillon’s first downs were made in the last half, 11 in the fourth period.

The Alliance and Massillon bands kept warm between halves by drilling on the field.

The lineup and summary:
Massillon Pos. Alliance
Howard LE Clark
Peters LT Carli
Houston LG Purdy
Martin C Kloetzer
Wyatt RG Zupanic
Anderson RT Taylor
Snavely RE Palozzi
Slusser QB Gainor
Glass LH Schwartzhoff
Snyder RH Koch
Zimmerman FB Streza

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 0 13 26 39
Alliance 0 6 0 0 6

Substitutions: Massillon – Doroslov, qb; Lucius, rg; Fabian, fb; Lechleiter, le; MacMichael, lt; harsh, rt; Hout, c; Croop, rt; France, re; Toles, lh, Sandy, rh.
Alliance – Dawson, c; McPhail, rh; Hume, qb; Artino, hb; Boyd, rt; Chernikovich, rg.

Touchdowns:
Alliance – Palozzi.
Massillon – Glass 4; Zimmerman; Slusser.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Glass 3 (placekicks).

Referee – Lobach (F. & M.)
Umpire – Jenkins (Akron).
Head Linesman – Boone (Canton).

Bob Glass