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
TIGERS CRUSH CEDAR RAPIDS THUNDERBOLTS 39-0 GLASS ROMPS BEHIND FINE INTERFERENCE Carries Ball Most of Time To Score Five Touchdowns; Massillon Ready To Cast Vote for Albert Eddy for All-Iowa Honors
By LUTHER EMERY
The rumble of the Cedar Rapids Thunderbolts was lost in the roar of the Washington high Tiger here Friday evening as the Massillon eleven coupled passing with power to chalk up a surprising 39-0 triumph before 8,000 fans in a conquest for Midwest scholastic football honors.
It was the Tigers’ third victory of the season and stretched their undefeated record to 24 consecutive games. It was likewise the second intersectional triumph of the season for the Massillon gridders who in their opening game defeated Horace Mann high of Gary, Ind., the Hoosier state champion last year. The Franklin high Thunderbolts previously undefeated and unscored on are headed for the state title of Iowa.
Visitors Not as Strong as Expected Disappointing in their performance, the Cedar Rapids gridders failed to give the Tigers the opposition expected of them. They were victims of a lot of hard luck and got but few breaks of the ball game.
Their only thunder was an occasional flash by Albert Eddy, a great quarterback, who twice got away to long runs without any great amount of assistance.
Eddy produced the only offense that visitors were able to muster, intercepted a Massillon pass on the five-yard line that would have produced a touchdown and played a fine defensive game. A candidate for All-Iowa honors, Massillon would give him a vote if given the chance.
Glass Carries Massillon Burden But while Iowa had its Eddy, Massillon had its Bob Glass and the big halfback scored five of the Tigers’ six touchdowns. In fact he carried the ball practically all the time the first two periods of the ball game and only got a rest when George Slusser elected to try an occasional forward pass.
With Glass’ running and Slusser’s passing producing most of the Tiger offense, the Massillon gridders had the Thunderbolts moving backward from the start.
They scored a touchdown in the first quarter, three more in the second, one in the third and one in the fourth, gaining the huge total of 536 yards by rushing; the 129 yards by passing. The offensive maneuvers produced 18 first downs to the Thunderbolts’ five and only twice did they punt. The latter, lacking little in an offensive way save the running of Eddy, gained 140 yards by rushing and 15 by passing.
Glass was not alone in his efforts, his fellow backs, Messrs. Slusser, Snyder and Zimmerman and Guards, Houston and Wyatt cut down Iowa tacklers viciously last night, while Gus Peters, Junior Anderson, Bob Howard, Don Snavely and Earl Martin charged through to open holes so large that a youngster could have walked through.
Robert Lorence, crack Iowa guard, occasionally diagnosed a play and stopped Glass without gain, but seldom was the Massillon ace downed for loss. In fact, statistics show the local gridders lost but seven yards from scrimmage all evening.
Passes Hit Mark Slusser’s accurate passes kept the Iowa secondary from closing in on the line of scrimmage and aided materially in the effectiveness of the Tiger running attack.
Two of his long pegs produced touchdowns while a third carried the ball to the four-yard line, from which point Glass swept wide around his right end to score standing up.
Slusser is the answer to Brown’s prayers for a successor to Mike Byelene and he looks every bit as good as Mike when the latter was a soph.
The crowd had hardly cooled down with the excitement that accompanies the opening kickoff until the Tigers were driving toward the Iowa goal.
Having not played a common foe, the comparative strength of the two teams could only be judged by the size of players and records produced in distant fields.
The Thunderbolts came to Massillon groomed as possibly champions of Iowa and no wonder Massillon fans bellowed with delight when Glass reeled off 12 yards around his right end the first time he lugged the leather. The drive went straight to the 10-yard line, where a 15-yard penalty and a bit of nice defensive work on Lorence’s part stopped the Massillon eleven and put the ball in Iowa’s hands on the 17-yard line.
Eddy flashed once as he gained six yards, but the series could not gain a first down and Currell punted the ball to Slusser who returned four yards to his 46-yard line.
Tigers Score First Touchdown There the Tigers launched their first touchdown. Glass carried the ball 14 yards on his first trip and when Guy broke up a pass intended for Snavely, Slusser gave Glass the ball seven times in succession and he went over from the two-yard line, and placekicked the extra point.
After the following kickoff, the Thunderbolts experienced the first of their misfortune when a 15-yard pass from Currell to Eddy was nil because an Iowa player was offside. A moment later Bob Howard intercepted one of Eddy’s passes, but the Tiger drive was smothered when the visitors recovered a fumble.
They punted back to Slusser, who returned from his 48-yard line to the Iowa 37.
Again the ball was given to Glass who, after a gain of 17 yards, was tackled so hard by Eddy, he flew into the air and came down kayoed. After a few minutes he resumed play and assisted by Zimmerman, carried the leather to the six-inch line, where he lunged over. This time the attempt for the extra point was wide of the posts and the score stood at 13-0.
A poor pass from center that bounded out of Eddy’s hands into the arms of Don Snavely, gave the Tigers the ball immediately after the kickoff on the Iowa 34-yard line. Eddy grounded two Massillon passes, but on third down, Slusser sneaked back and spiraled the ball to Glass who took it on the 10-yard line and went over in a hurry. He kicked the extra point.
The next touchdown came just as easy. The visitors gained but one yard after the kickoff and Currell punted to Slusser who returned nine yards to his 41-yard line. On the first play he stepped back and fired the ball to Casper Lechleiter, who got to the four-yard line before being downed. Glass cut wide around his right end and crossed the goal while three Iowa players were strewn on the ground behind him where they had been knocked down by Massillon blockers.
Mehegan Nearly Got Away Glass’ attempted placekick for the extra point was wide. On the following kickoff, William Mehegan took Bill Hout’s kickoff and got back to his own 48-yard line before being downed. A new Massillon team went into the game and the visitors plunged for their first first down of the game as they carried the ball to the Tiger 40-yard line when the gun ended the first half.
The Tiger regulars went back into the game at the start of the third period and spent most of the time passing.
It was midway in the period before Glass, after punting for the first time in the game, intercepted Currell’s pass on the 35-yard line and got down to the nine yard line before being downed. In two plays he went over the goal. He missed his kick for the extra point.
Eddy Get Cheer The Tigers launched another drive in the closing minutes of the quarter but Eddy stopped it when he intercepted Slusser’s pass on the six-yard line. A moment later he brought the spectators to their feet as he eluded one Massillon tackler after another before being brought down by Slusser, Tiger safety man on his 30-yard line. Guy reeled off seven yards and the visitors appeared in the midst of a successful offense when a fumble put the ball in possession of Massillon on the Iowa 40-yard line.
An exchange of punts gained the Tigers the ball on the Iowa 46. Zimmerman advanced it to the 42-yard line where Slusser whipped a pretty pass to Snavely who took the ball on the 20 and raced to a touchdown as Lechleiter cut down Eddy when he came over to make the tackle. Slusser plunged the extra point across.
The visitors made their longest march of the ball game after the following kickoff. A double lateral off a forward pass produced a first down and Eddy ran to a first down on the 21-yard line. With hundreds of Massillon fans urging the visitors on, the attack faded when Snavely gathered in one of Eddy’s passes on the line of scrimmage.
The crowd was the second largest of the season here. All seats were filled with the exception of an empty spot in the reserved section. Several hundred fans stood at the fence at the north end. Some of them would trade that spot for the best seat in the grandstand.
The Canal Fulton band represented Iowa and gave a pleasing exhibition between halves. So did the Tiger musicians. Not at all stingy, the two bands kept pouring martial music into the ears of spectators throughout the game.
The Thunderbolts remained in Massillon all night and shortly before noon headed for home.
All day Friday and prior to the ball game, Coach Orville Rust received telegrams from home town folks extending the team best wishes.
The visitors never gave in as their last offensive effort reveals and played as clean a game of football as Massillon fans have been privileged to see. None was injured and though they lost, the Iowa boys had one on the Tigers gridders – a pleasant and safe journey.
MASSILLON POS. CEDAR RAPIDS Howard LE Martin Peters LT Deal Houston LG Leonard Martin C Keller Wyatt RG Lorence Anderson RT Bowne Snavely C Kanellis Snyder QB Eddy Glass LH Guy Slusser RH Miles Zimmerman FB Currell
TIGERS COME FROM BEHIND TO DEFEAT WARREN HIGH 23-6 RECORD CROWD CHEERS MASSILLON COMEBACK Power Plays Wipe Out Warren Touchdown After Tigers Trail for First Time in Three Years; 10,000 Fans See Game
By LUTHER EMERY
The Tigers have what it takes! They picked themselves off the floor after being knocked down in the first three minutes at Warren Friday evening and came back to triumph 23-6 and convince 10,000 spectators they have a fine football team.
It was the largest crowd that ever attended a football game in Warren. More wanted to get in but there wasn’t room to put them.
Tigers Prove Themselves The green turf, flanked on the side by a new concrete stadium, on the other by wooden stands and enclosed at the ends by temporary bleachers, was a proving ground for the Tigers who last week tied 6-6 by Mansfield for the first time in 22 games.
Whether the Tigers were overrated or whether they were under par in their engagement with Mansfield last week were questions to be answered.
For five minutes the Massillon eleven looked like the team of a week ago. Tigers’ fumble on the first play after the kickoff gave Warren the ball on the Tiger 36-yard line. A ruling of interference on a pass moved it 10 yards nearer the Massillon goal.
From the 26-yard line, Bartholomew, Warren fullback, amazed Tiger fans as he punctured the Massillon line in two plays to drive to a first down on the four-yard line. Davis banged straight through center for the touchdown, but his attempted kick for the extra point was wide. Trailing 6-0 for the first time in three seasons, the Tigers snarled and the turf began to fly.
Tigers Take Lead They couldn’t tie it up the first quarter but they punched the ball to the 34-yard line where they missed first down by a foot.
They penetrated again to the one-yard line where Warren again stood its ground, but the withering attack of Bob Glass and Warren Wyatt, combined with an 11-yard pass from George Slusser to Don Snavely, tied the count early in the second quarter, Glass going over from the 10-yard line. Glass’ well aimed placement kick gave the local eleven a one point advantage and Massillon was the better ball team the rest of the way.
A long and high 57-yard punt to Junie Davis, who Wyatt dropped in his tracks on the Warren eight-yard line, set the stage for a safety. When two plays gained but three yards, TOtterdale dropped back to punt; Snavely broke through, blocked the ball and Bud Lucius dove on it just as it skidded out of the end zone. It was an automatic safety for Massillon. Had Lucius got to the ball a moment sooner, it would have been a touchdown.
A little stalling on the part of Warren might have saved the two points, for the Tigers ran but one play after the following kick before the half ended.
Glass’ toe went to work the third period and drove the Presidents backward until the Tigers finally got the ball by midfield. There they struck again, Wyatt and Glass carrying the ball for a first down. Just as the attack appeared to bog, Wyatt broke loose and dashed 24 yards to the four-yard line. On a delayed back, Glass went over the goal and kicked the extra point from placement.
Glass Over Again The fourth period opened with the Tigers in midst of another touchdown as a result of Lucius; recovery of a Warren fumble on the latter’s 33-yard line.
Once more Glass and Wyatt alternated at lugging the leather, Glass finally bounding over through his right tackle from the 10-yard line.
The game slowed down in the fourth period with both coaches alternating their lineups. The Tigers got down to the 38-yard line but lost the ball on an intercepted pass. Warren spurted in the last minute to chalk up two first downs and save for a first down granted by penalty, it was the first time the Presidents had made their yardage since their touchdown. They made two first downs in their touchdown drive, one by penalty to the third period and the two at the end of the game.
The Tigers on the other hand made 15 first downs, four in the first period, three in the second, five in the third and three in the fourth.
It was a different Massillon team last night, more versatile, more aggressive.
Slusser Comes Through Sophomore Slusser, stepped into the breach in the first quarter and proved himself the find Coach Brown has been looking for. He tossed five passes, completing three of them for 43 yards and did a nice bit of work to in his safety position.
The hardest played game of the past two seasons, the Tigers showed the effects. Alvin Greenfelder received a bad charley horse the first period and was only able to hobble around on one leg last night. Snavely and Wyatt suffered sprained ankles. Junior Andreson sustained a split lip and the eleven as a whole took a battering.
Warren absorbed punishment also as a large number of times out will attest.
It more ways than one, the game was a proving ground.
It not only brought out Slusser’s possibilities but enabled Coach Brown to make another experiment. In the fourth quarter he moved Wyatt back to guard a position he played last year and inserted George Fabian into the backfield. Fabian made a number of gains but neither team scored while the new combination was on the field.
From end to end and around the backfield, the Tigers played fine football.
Glass’ Punting Outstanding Glass’ punting was more sensational than his ball carrying and continually kept Warren on the defensive. They improvement of Wyatt was pleasing to the eye and the defensive work and blocking of Snyder was outstanding.
The fact that Warren failed to earn a first down from its touchdown to the last minute of the game attests to the defensive game put up by Martin Anderson, Gus Peters, Lucius, Houston, Howard and Snyder. They stopped most everything thrown at the line and ripped openings for Glass and Wyatt to tear off yardage.
The Massillon backs gained most of their ground between tackles. Totterdale bottled up the right end smashes. He was hard to take out. A delayed buck was Glass’ best weapon, while Wyatt gained most of his yardage through “Hogan’s alley.”
The 10,000 spectators completely circling the field formed a spectacular setting for the game. The stands appeared filled when the Tiger special arrived, five minutes after the game started, but the Massillon delegation marched in behind the Washington high band to take seats reserved for them.
Most of the 500 fans who rode the special missed Warren’s touchdown. Their ears flapped out as they approached the stadium and heard the wild shout that went up when Davis plunged over the goal.
There couldn’t be enough Massillon fans to make all that noise and the vanguard made a wild rush for the entrance to learn what it was all about.
Massillon Cheers Last When the Tigers tied the score the Massillon fans made so much noise as to cause one to wonder if the spectators were not almost equally divided.
Warren officials, however, estimated that Massillon had some 2,000 spectators at the game. In addition to the 500 who traveled the special train, many hundreds drove.
The special returned at 1 a.m.
The Tiger band made Massillon fans proud with its music and maneuvering on the field. A large “M” was formed in front of the Massillon stands while the band played “Alma Mater Massillon.” Reversing the field the band appeared before Warren in the shape of a large W and played Ohio State’s battle song.
After the game the band reflected Massillon’s joy by marching back and forth across the field while admiring spectators stood in the stands, cheering and applauding.
The Warren band, dressed in flashing scarlet suits, gave a great exhibition between halves. With a young miss who struts and does acrobatic dancing serving as one of the drum majors, the Warren band was one of the snappiest high school outfits Tiger fans have seen.
Lineup and summary: Massillon Pos. Warren Howard LE Totterdale Peters LT Brutz Houston LG Camp Martin C Canzonnata Greenfelder RG Hyde Anderson RT Wareham Snavely RE Fetchko Snyder QB Henry Glass LH Davis Toles RH Johnson Wyatt FB Bartholomew
MANSFIELD ENDS STRING AT 21 GAMES VISITORS NEARLY WIN GAME IN LAST SECONDS Tigers Encounter Unexpected Opposition and Are Fortunate to Escape With 6-6 Tie; Undefeated in 22 Games
By LUTHER EMERY
The first shock over, Coach Paul Brown and his Tigers settled down today to see what they can do about preventing a repetition of Saturday’s 6-6 tie game with Mansfield high.
Massillon was gloomy Saturday evening. The victorious winning streak had come to an end at 21 straight games. Fans trudged away from the park and slowly shook their heads. “What was wrong?”
Mansfield Happy Over Result A dripping ran fell at the right time to form an appropriate setting for the dismal picture, but it did not dampen the ardor of the Mansfield supporters. They took the tie score as a matter of victory and had every reason to rejoice, for their team was the first to tie Massillon in two seasons.
What was wrong?
The truth is there wasn’t much of anything wrong. The Tigers admittedly are not as strong or as versatile a ball club as that of last year. There were instances of poor judgment and a noticeable lack of drive but most of all they were up against a heavier and smart ball team that quickly adjusted itself to the Tiger offense and played inspired football.
Though Coach Brown shows signs of pessimism before all ball games, he honestly feared the outcome Saturday, but could not get his players to take the game seriously.
“Now you see what happens when everybody is telling them they will win by 20 or more points,” was his first comment after the game.
Tigers Still Undefeated But the first shock is over and with the passing of that shock comes the happy realization that the Tigers still are undefeated. With the sting of the tie score prodding them, they can go to work this week fully aware that they are not invincible and that they must be at their best if they are to beat Warren Friday evening.
No team was ever nearer losing its undefeated record than Massillon was Saturday. In fact had not a Mansfield player bumped Johnny Hallabrin, flashy halfback, just as he was regaining his balance, the visitors would have snatched victory out of the dampness in the closing seconds of the ball game.
It was a spectacular finish to a fine game. The Tigers had succeeded in advancing the ball past the middle of the field on two first downs, the only ones of the second half and Bob Glass selected a pass in a desperate effort to win for Massillon its 22nd game in the last 30 seconds.
Glass pitched and Johnny Hallabrin reached in the air to intercept the ball on his 30-yard line. Back the field he came and a wave of interference formed in front of him. He was by the middle of the field in no time and Massillon tacklers were being mowed down. At the 30-yard line a Massillon player got a hand on him near the sideline. Hallabrin whirled but the tug of the boy in orange threw him off balance and he staggered forward. He was just beginning to right himself when one of his interference, jammed in by another unsuccessful Tiger tackler, bumped him and knocked exhausted Johnny to the ground on the 20-yard line. Before the ball could again be put in play, the gun cracked, the game was over and Tiger fans, they eyes still bulging, were glad of it. For the first time in two years they had feared defeat.
A Well-Earned Tie Mansfield was delighted over the result. Fans blasted their horns and cheered as they streamed out of the city. They had a right to be proud, for their team had earned nothing short of a 6-6 tie and had shown Massillon two of the finest ends that ever played on Massillon field.
Russ Murphy, the Tyger coach, was more than happy. He didn’t do any boasting nor say much about his team save that it is the best since 1931, which numbered Inwood Smith and Frank Fisch, ex-Ohio State stars on its roster. Murphy had much to say of Massillon and the treatment recorded him here, however. “I like to play Massillon,” he said. “They play clean, hard football here and they have the right spirit. I like it. Sorry I’ve got to help Dials into the shower room.” And he grabbed his fine end who towered a head above him and poured words of praise into his ears so long that he walked into a shower himself.
Out of the shower room again, Murphy was asked whether his strategy in the second half was to play a defensive game and hold the Tigers’ to a tie score. His team had shown great success with the forward pass the first half, but only threw one pass in the third period which was intercepted.
“No sir,” was his reply. “We were out to win that ball game. I instructed my team to pass, but after the interception at the start of the second half, the boys were afraid. I even sent word to them to pass but they didn’t pitch until right at the end.” The Mansfield-gridders played smart football. They adjusted themselves to the Tiger offense after yielding a touchdown the first quarter and they stopped the Massillon eleven cold the last two periods.
Not until the last minute of the game did the local team make a first down in the second half. Then Glass in two plays went 12 yards and a five-yard penalty produced another on the following series.
Mansfield likewise had little in an offensive way.
Hallabrin Fine Back The Tygers had a halfback in Johnny Hallabrin who would make most any opponent jealous, but only once did he get away to a run of any distance from scrimmage and that was in the first period when he dashed 24 yards to carry the ball into Tiger territory. A pass to an ineligible receiver gave Massillon the ball and ended that threat.
The visitors, however, used their passes smartly and tossed the ball into the flats which were left unguarded by the Tiger 7-1-2-1 defense.
In fact Mansfield’s only offensive effort of the day was its touchdown march in the second period and passes were largely instrumental in producing the score.
Two of the Tygers’ three first downs were made in this march and they didn’t make a one thereafter. Massillon made eight first downs.
The Tigers scored the first time they came into possession of the ball and their pile driving offense caused everyone to believe the score would be something like what it was last year. Perhaps the players became imbued with the same feeling. At any rate they had a hard time gaining ground thereafter.
Massillon Scores Easily Mansfield received and when three plays lacked a foot of a first down, Hallabrin punted out of bounds on the Tiger 37. There Massillon launched its drive. Wyatt carried the first two times and gain4ed eight yards and Glass went through for a first down on the Mansfield 44-yard line. Glass tossed a long pass that Toles dropped so he turned to running again and carried the ball to a first down on the 22-yard line.
On the next play Elmer Dials, No. 47 to you, began to figure out how to stop Glass and tossed him for a yard loss. Bob got by on a delayed buck and carried to a first down on the nine-yard line.
The going was hard from there on. Wyatt made three yards at center and Glass a yard. Glass smacked again and put the ball on the yard line. The center of the Tygers’ wall was pushed back on fourth down and Glass went over. His kick was wide.
The local team launched another drive from midfield in the closing minutes of the quarter and aided by a 35-yard pass to Don Snavely carried the ball to the two-yard line, where on fourth down. Glass chose to pass to Howard in the end zone. The Tiger end was boxed-in, however and could not get out in time to get the ball.
Mansfield Picks Up It was the turning point of the ball game. Mansfield played inspired football after that. Following an exchange of punts, the Tygers came into possession of the ball on Massillon’s 45-yard line. A five-yard penalty for too many times out sat them back to midfield, but Hallabrin more than made it up when he tossed a pass to Majoy for a gain of 23 yards and a first down on the Massillon 27, Hallabrin tried to carry the ball but couldn’t gain so he stepped back and fired another pass to Majoy in the flat. Snavely tackled the receiver so hard that he turned a complete somersault and was knocked out as he landed on his back. He resumed play however and a pass to Bailet produced a first down on the Tiger four-yard line.
There the Massillon team dug in. Kinkle carried three yards on one attempt and moved it a foot nearer a second time. Hallabrin banged into the line and lost a foot. Fourth down coming and less than a yard to go; Hallabrin knifed through his left side for the score. He barely reached the goal line.
The placekick, which at the time didn’t appear so important but which in the end would have defeated the Tigers had it crossed the bar, struck the left upright slightly above the cross bar and bounded back.
That was the visitors’ only offensive maneuver and they didn’t come close again until the last play of the game when Hallabrin intercepted Glass’ pass and nearly got away for a touchdown.
The Tigers received and in a drive that netted two first downs, marched the ball up to the visitors’ 41-yard line where the gun stopped them.
The second half was a defensive battle from start to finish with neither team getting anywhere in its efforts.
Dials Outstanding End Dials, who was replaced by Luckie when injured the first half, got back into the ball game in the second half and gave the greatest exhibition of end play ever seen here.
He stopped everything the Tigers shot to the right and got around to lend a hand in many plays directed to the left side of the line.
Glass saved his team a lot of trouble at the start of the third period when he intercepted Hallabrin’s pass. The Tygers were afraid to throw after that and only tossed two more passes, completing one for a gain of six yards.
Save for the one 36 yard toss to Snavely, Massillon’s forward pass was a useless weapon. Five passes were incomplete, two intercepted and on numerous occasions receivers were so bottled up that Glass had to run with the ball after signaling for a pass.
The Massillon line played a fine defensive game but was out-charged much of the time when on offense.
Mansfield has a big ball team. One look at the visitors in the dressing room was sufficient to convince you they were heavier than the Tigers. They employed a 6-3-2 defense.
A penalty cut short what may have been an offensive bid on their part in the fourth quarter. A 15-yard pass was completed to Majoy that would have given the visitors a first down on the 35-yard line, but a Mansfield lineman was offside on the play and the Tygers were forced to punt.
The game will be replayed at a meeting of the Tiger Booster club in Washington high school tonight. Coach Brown will lead the discussion and tickets for Friday night’s game at Warren will be placed on sale.
The lineup and summary: Massillon Pos. Mansfield Howard LE Stehle Peters LT Heiser Houston LG Adams Martin C Ziegler Greenfielder RG Rupp Anderson RT Horvath Snavely RE Dials Snyder QB Majoy Glass LH Hallabrin Toles RH Linta Wyatt FB Bailet
10,000 FANS SEE TIGERS DEFEAT GARY GLASS AND SNAVELY SPARKLE IN OPENER Co-captains Lead Offensive and Defensive Efforts; Gary’s 13 Points Highest Made Against Massillon Team Since 1934
By LUTHER EMERY
Massillon’s football supremacy extended into Indiana today as citizens, students and even friendly enemies from Canton tried to find words of praise to bestow upon the Washington high Tigers for their 33-13 triumph last night over a stubborn Horace Mann high school team from Gary, Ind.
An overflow crowd of more than 10,000 fans jammed Massillon Field to see the Massillon champions of Ohio battle the champions of Indiana and the performance of the Tigers, particularly their first half performance when the entire eleven was intact, had the citizenry talking today.
Glass Leads Offense Led by shatter-proof Bob Glass, who smashed the ends like he hit off tackle and through Hogan’s alley last year, the Massillon boys pushed over three touchdowns in the first half and two in the third period and coasted in the last quarter with a team filled with substitutes.
But with all the hammering it received, Gary established a record for itself and one its boys are proud of in scoring two touchdowns against the Massillonians. No other team has done that the last two years.
Save on these two occasions when fullback, Marty Comer, tossed a long pass to Jerry Lewis and Hartwell Robinson outran the Tiger secondary for 50 yards to score touchdowns, the visitors showed little offensively. They made but four first downs to the Tigers’ 17 and seldom moved forward in their ball carrying attempts.
Defense Unorthodox On the other hand they presented a puzzling defense, unorthodox in many respects that fooled the local eleven time and again. The secondary charged the line.
That left a lot of territory unguarded and opened the way for passing. Two of Bob Glass’ passes hit their mark the first period when the Tigers showed their best offense. The aerial works was grounded after that, however, as Gary resorted to rushing the passer as a means of halting the attack. Nine times Glass and Slusser tossed the ball without success but not another pass was completed until the closing minute of the game.
As Coach Paul Brown had indicated, the Tigers relied principally on power. They ran the ends and smashed the tackles for long gains but found the center hard to penetrate. Comer and Charlie Block had things fairly bottled up there as they plugged on into the secondary. Both played fine defensive games.
The Tiger offense was centered principally in Glass, the only member of the backfield who could gain consistently. He will continue to bear the brunt of the offensive until another capable ball carrier is developed.
Warren Wyatt and Fred Toles occasionally got away for good gains but both showed their inexperience in open field running. George Slusser, running behind a second string line, gained considerable yardage in the last period.
Good Blocking The Tiger ball carriers were not alone in their efforts. They were supported with fine blocking by Red Snyder and Alvin Greenfield, who time and again cut down would be tacklers from the path of the ball carrier.
On defense, Don Snavely was outstanding. Using a 7-1-2-1 defense, he alone backed up the line and made tackles on either side.
The largest opening night crowd in the history of Washington high athletics witnessed the game. Long before the kickoff the stands were filled and general admission patrons lined the railing of the playing field.
They saw a colorful spectacle produced in a colorful setting.
Massillon Field was its prettiest. The heavy carpet of turf, a credit to caretaker Morley Griffith; the colors of schools floating from the stands; the march of the Legion drum corps and the music of the Washington high band and Beach City bands took the game out of the ordinary scholastic competition and placed it on a par with the ceremonies that preceded many intersectional college games.
Douglas Kerr, likeable coach of the visiting team was authority for the statement that the sight of the large crowd and the accompanying fanfare made his boys jittery at the start of the ball game. He praised the Massillon team as a “fine ball club” and was pleased with the treatment accorded his squad here.
Kerr believes his team did not show Massillon its best football. “My boys are having a hard time getting coordinated,” he said, “but we will get going in the next couple of weeks.”
Coach Brown expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of his second team.
Gary erred at the start when it won the toss and elected to kickoff. Comer booted the ball out of bounds and it went to Massillon on the 20-yard line.
Glass First to Score There the Tigers went to work and immediately demonstrated which team was the superior. Glass got 12 yards and a great shout went up from the stands. It was the first Tiger play of the season and forecast success. A moment later Glass reeled off 21 more, tossed a 16-yard pass to Toles and then cut for another 14. Wyatt got his hands on the ball for eight and planted the ball on the four-yard line. Glass plunged it over and kicked goal for the first points of the season.
The pigskin flashed over again in the same period when Toles pulled down Robinson’s pass, not in dangerous territory but back on his own 13-yard line. The spark flamed when a long run by Glass and a pass to Toles, put the ball on the 25-yard line. There Wyatt got up full steam and nearly shook himself loose for a touchdown, but Gary stopped his shuffle on the four-yard line where Glass gave him a second chance and over he went. Again Glass kicked the extra point.
It was not until late in the second period that the Tigers could again score. A 58-yard drive climaxed by Bob Howard’s end around sweep of nine yards produced the points. A Gary linesman blocked Glass’ placekick for the extra point.
A new Massillon team went on the field to finish the period. In fact, the Tigers had 12 men at one time and Gary ran two plays before the players themselves noticed it. A five-yard penalty on Massillon was the result.
The ball moved forward again in the third period with the first team back in the game but it was not until midway in the quarter that the Tigers could again get it over the Gary goal They launched their drive on their own 75 yard line and marched back 75 yards; Toles circling his left end for the points. Snavely caught Glass’ pass for the extra point but the officials ruled it out.
Snavely Blocks Punt The Tigers kicked off following the touchdown and when the visitors failed to make their yardage in three downs, Comer dropped back to punt. He never got it away. Snavely broke through, blocked the ball, then dribbled it down the field until he could gather it in his arms and race across the goal. Glass kicked the extra point.
Brown began altering his lineup with substitutes and the Tigers had little to show in an offensive way thereafter, save a bit of nice running by Slusser, substitute halfback.
It was left to Gary to produce the fireworks and the Hoosiers accommodated with two sparkling plays. The fourth quarter wasn’t old when Snyder got off a weak kick that went out of bounds on the Massillon 36-yard line. On the first play, Comer dropped back and fired a pass over the heads of the Tiger secondary to Lewis who raced 15 yards for a touchdown. Comer kicked goal.
The game was waning when Hartwell Robinson electrified the spectators with a 50-yard dash around his end. Accompanied by good blocking, he got by the line of scrimmage and out sped the Tiger secondary as he reversed his field to go over the goal line with nobody near him.
It was the longest official run of the game. Glass, early in the game had gotten away to a 61-yard dash but it was not permitted as the Tigers were guilty of failing to stop on their shift and were penalized 15 yards.
Five times the local team was penalized for the same offense. It received two other penalties, 15 yards for holding and five yards for having too many men on the field. Gary only lost 10 yards in penalties.
Massillon completed three of 11 passes for a gain of 63 yards. Gary completed three of 10 for 48 yards.
The lineup and summary: Gary Pos. Massillon Morrison LE Howard Oppman LT Peters Finley LG Houston Block C Martin Brozak RG Greenfelder Mathews RT Anderson Mihalick RE Snavely Robinson QB Snyder Holck LH Glass Lewis RH Toles Comer FB Wyatt
Score by quarters: Massillon 14 6 13 0 33 Gary 0 0 0 13 13
TIGERS BEAT BULLDOGS FOR OHIO SCHOLASTIC TITLE Stands Well Filled At Noon For Scholastic Grid Classic
CANTON REPOSITORY AND THE CANTON DAILY NEWS CANTON, OHIO, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1936
“How Many Of Those Massillon Boys Will Be Back Next Year?” Asks Coach Reed After Game
SEVERAL thousand persons were in their seats by noon and every available place was taken more than 30 minutes before game time. Scores of fans who had no tickets watched the game from a high bank south of the stadium and two daring boys braved the icy wind to see action from the upper limbs of a tree.
The crowd drew a record number of newspaper, radio and motion picture men who overflowed the regular press box and filled a new press box on the roof of the west stands. In addition to Canton and Massillon reporters there were representatives of all papers in Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Coshocton and Wheeling.
Taking the field at the half, Canton band members formed the outline of a Bulldog’s head on the turf. At a signal from the drum major each musician scattered white paper clippings at his feet, leaving a picture that survived second half play.
In spite of numerous warning signs, a few fans considered the Canton-Massillon game an occasion for alcoholic celebration. There was much banter and one or two little encounters, but on the whole the crowd was orderly.
Not counting obvious comments about the probable winner, the greatest question before the game started was, “Do you think it’s going to rain?”
Some thought it would remain clear, some thought it would rain and others voted for snow. All were right, for a light rain which began in the second quarter turned to snow at the half and stopped completely before the third period opened.
Ohio’s greatest scholastic football game brought to an end one of the greatest strings of consecutive victories ever credited to a coach. The defeat was Coach Johnny Reed’s first in 45 games played during the last five seasons. He won 35 straight at North Braddock, Pa., before coming to Canton and getting nine more.
To Coach Paul Brown of Massillon the victory meant retaining the mythical state championship and boosting the record of successive wins to 20.
As soon as the classic ended Saturday afternoon Coach Reed began thinking of next season. One of his first questions to newspaper men was, “How many of those boys will be playing for Massillon again next year?”
Massillon barely missed getting two more touchdowns. In the second quarter Byelene’s long pass to Gillom would have been a score had Gillom held on to the ball. In the fourth period Anderson ran wide around his left end and was forced out of bounds on the one yard line, sliding diagonally into the end zone.
Rain and snow whipped by a stiff northwest wind failed to chill the enthusiasm of rival rooters. Massillon cheerleaders cooked up a special cheer for the occasion. It went something like this: “California, Oregon, Arizona cactus; We play Canton Just for practice.”
Don Scott, Canton quarterback who injured his collarbone in the Alliance game last week, was in the game just long enough to say he played. He entered the game halfway through the final quarter and protested vigorously when Coach Reed ordered him out one play later. Reed wanted him to play but couldn’t take any chance of serious injury.
Spectators at Canton – Massillon games are good natured. They need to be to keep their poise when ushers, as happened yesterday, blandly tell them the seats they bought are occupied by someone else. In the east stands no aisles were provided; every inch of space was occupied.
A serious tragedy was imminent after the game when thousands of persons tried to leave the field through gates, which besides being too small to accommodate the exodus were blocked by wooden railings. The railings finally were torn down.
In the fourth quarter when it finally became plain to even the most hopeful McKinley fans that this wasn’t their team’s day, a disconsolate bettor in Sect. K turned around and hospitably invited one and all to come to see him any time during the next two weeks. “I’ll be staying inside,” he promised, then added, “and it’ll be beans on the table for Thanksgiving.”
Urchins did a thriving business underneath the east stands picking up pillows, pocketbooks and automobile robes. No, Horatio Alger, they didn’t give them back to their owners, not unless the owner happened to get there first.
To the gentleman who tired to persuade everyone to sit down – “so all of us can see better” – and ended up by standing on tiptoe to see anything at all: It’s still a good idea.
GLASS TALLIES 15 POINTS FOR STATE CHAMPS Leads Tigers to Decisive Victory Over Bulldogs and Grid Title
By Alex Zirin (Plain Dealer Staff Correspondent)
MASSILLON, O., Nov. 21 – Trampling their foes into the frozen sod with a magnificent display of balance and power, the raging Tigers of Massillon Washington High School today retained the mythical Ohio scholastic football championship.
Outplaying Canton McKinley’s Bulldogs at every turn, outfighting and outwitting them, the Tigers triumphed, 21 to 0, before a colorful throng of 21,000 spectators.
Canton never had a chance and again it was Massillon’s turn to howl. The celebration started as the final gun popped and promised to last until the wee hours of the morning.
Tenth in Row It was the tenth straight triumph of the year for the Tigers, who haven’t lost, incidentally, since they bowed to Canton in 1934. They closed with the amazing total of 443 points to fourteen for their foes.
Playing the role of the hero for the second straight year was stocky Bob Glass, who represents a coach’s dream of a fullback. Glass scored the touchdown that stopped the Bulldogs last year, 6 to 0. Today he ran wild, scoring two touchdowns and kicking three extra points.
Perfectly conditioned, despite the bear stories of injuries, Massillon opened and finished with the same eleven players. Canton, on the other hand, took a decisive beating and the Bulldogs were glad to settle for only three touchdowns. Glass scored his first tally in the second period on a 39-yard dash. The blocking that aided him was perfect. He went over again in the fourth period, after battering his way down to the 3.
Byelene Races 45 Yards Mike Byelene, captain and passer deluxe, crashed into the scoring column in the fourth period when he grabbed Pete Fiore’s desperate pass and raced 45 yards unmolested down the sidelines. All three of Glass’ placement attempts were high boots that split the uprights. Some lucky fan made off with a football, refusing to throw it back after Bob’s second extra point. The cops tried to spot the fortunate gent but drew only a copious round of Bronx cheers for their efforts.
Incidentally, the police had their hands full all day. The first Massillon touchdown was the signal for an outburst of fist fights all over the stands. Feeling was intense. Officials stopped a battle between players before any punches could be tossed. Every seat was occupied and hundreds were forced to stand, their teeth chattering as a bitter wind accompanied by snow swept over the field.
Canton’s rooters were bitterly disappointed at the showing of their favorites. They simply couldn’t understand it. There is only one explanation Massillon had a vastly superior team this year. The Bulldogs showed none of the class expected of them. They, too, entered the fray with a record of nine straight triumphs over a slightly better grade of opponents. However, it was again proved that past performances mean nothing when these two aggregations come together.
Tigers Start Early The Tigers were hot from the opening kickoff. Taking a poor punt on their own 40, they swept to the 22 before being stopped on downs. In this drive, Glass’ running and Byelene’s pass to Charley Anderson featured.
Two downs convinced Canton that the Massillon line was plenty tough and Jim Snyder got off a great punt to avert danger. But it was not long before Edgar Herring, a fleet halfback and Glass were again knocking at Canton’s goal door. This advance ended when Anderson narrowly missed Byelene’s pass. Massillon claimed interference, but it was not allowed. Again Canton tried the line and again had to punt.
Massillon had the ball on the McKinley 45 when period ended. On the first play Glass made the first down on the 48. Herring lost a yard but Byelene made 8. That set the stage for Glass. He burst through right guard, reversed his field and crossed the line standing up. The last man in his way, Barthel, was taken out by Warren Wyatt’s great block.
Fans Go Wild The stands trembled as the Massillon rooters broke loose. It required the combined efforts of the police, reserves, coaches and subs to keep the more boisterous fans off the field. Twice more in the period the Tigers threatened, only to lose the ball on downs each time.
Canton changed tactics in third period, but its passes failed to click. Meanwhile Massillon refused to take any chances, playing careful running football.
The Tigers opened up again in the final period. Byelene whirled around left end for 5. Glass made 2 at center and then ripped through right guard for a first down on the 23, Herring scooted around end for 8 yards and the Massillon rooters were yelling for a touchdown. A fumble by Glass lost 5 yards, but Anderson made a leaping catch of Byelene’s pass a foot away from the sidelines on the 9-yard marker. But there the Canton line tightened and the Bulldogs finally got the ball on their 2. Snyder backed up to the boundary fence but was rushed and his punt went out only to the 16.
Glass Plows Over There was no stopping Glass this time. In three crashes he went to the 3 and from there he whipped over right guard for his second touchdown.
Naturally Canton could do only one thing when it got the ball and that was to pass. But Massillon’s defense was too alert and when Byelene intercepted Fiore’s throw, there wasn’t a Bulldog within yards of him. He eased up and almost walked across the goal line. Save for one run of 40 yards by Ballos, the Bulldogs were stopped almost cold from scrimmage.
Anderson, who was supposed to be so badly hurt that he would never play again and Don Snavely, nephew of the former Shaw High coach, Jack Snavely, were outstanding on the line.
It can’t be said that Canton ever stopped trying but that wasn’t enough.
CANTON POS. MASSILLON J. Snyder LE Gillom Angelo LT J. Anderson Fife LG Wyatt Rice C Snavely Motley RG J. Miller Vierdo RT Peters Rotar RE E. Anderson Kamp Q Byelene Ballos LH Herring Barthel RH V. Snyder Fiore F Glass
Massillon 0 7 0 14 21
Substitutions: Canton – Long, re; Mould, re; Scott, re; Simon, c.
Touchdowns: Massillon – Glass 2; Byelene.
Points after touchdown: Massillon – Glass 3 (placements).
Referee – David Rees. Head Linesman – C.J. Graf. Umpire – W. Finsterwald. Field Judge – Verlin Jenkins.
Time of periods: 12 minutes.
Massillon Whips Canton Tigers Snare 20th Straight Glass Celebrates Birthday By Getting 15 Points
By HENRY ANDREWS (Times-Press Staff Correspondent)
MASSILLON, Nov. 21 – Somewhere in these United States there may be a better scholastic football team than Massillon High.
But the 18,500 persons who wedged themselves into Massillon Field this afternoon will doubt it. For they saw the “perfect team” on parade as Massillon marched to a 21-0 triumph over Canton McKinley in their clash for the state scholastic football title.
Win 20th Straight Primed and geared for action, this Massillon eleven rolled up 15 first downs and 21 points to carve out its 20th straight victory. The Tigers cut down opposing tacklers with buzz-saw efficiency.
They were stubborn on defense, permitting Canton to get beyond the mid-field stripe but once and then in the final 10 seconds of playing. This was a Canton team, mind you, that had tallied 379 points in winning nine straight games this season.
Celebrates Birthday Robert Lloyd Glass, Tigers fullback and the young gent who tallied the lone touchdown that beat Canton 6-0, in 1935, mounted to the heights again today as he scored 15 points – two touchdowns and three extra points.
Glass, who was celebrating his 19th birthday anniversary today, scored the Tigers’ first two touchdowns.
His first came early in the second period when he tucked the leather under his arm and pounded over his own right tackle for 38 yards with a horde of blockers clearing the path. Once into the clear, Glass had only Jack Barthel, Canton back, to pass for a touchdown. Barthel never had a chance as Guard Warren Wyatt of the Tigers cut him down with a scythe-like block.
Glass – But Not Fragile! The 170-pound Tiger fullback, an iron man if ever there was one, scored again in the final period after five successive line plunges. He started from the Canton 16, where Massillon got the ball on a poor punt by Canton’s Jim Snyder.
Over center he went for five yards. He made one more at the same spot and then five at left tackle for a first down on the Canton five. Getting the ball for the fourth successive time, he carried it to the two-yard line. Then on the next play, he found a mile-wide hole at center and crossed the goal standing up.
Michael Byelene, Massillon quarterback who whips passes a la Carl Hubbell, accounted for the Tigers’ final score when he intercepted Carl Fiore’s pass and ran 35 yards for a touchdown, out-maneuvering Fiore in his run for the marker.
Iron Man Act Coach Paul Brown of Massillon used the iron man act today, not substituting once. He didn’t need to. Each player more than filled his job. There were no individual stars, lest it be Glass, but even Glass had to have good blocking to do what he did. He got it.
Canton, on the other hand, was crippled by the loss of the 205-pound Don Scott, who entered the game for but one play and then was mercifully substituted by Coach John Reed. The youngster, suffering from a fractured collarbone, had no license in the bruising fray. His loss was felt keenly by Canton. Even with Scott and all the king’s horses and the king’s men, Canton would never have stopped Massillon today.
The defeat was a personal blow to Coach Reed, who succeeded Jimmy Aiken at Canton this season. Reed-coached elevens had won 44 straight games up until today when the former North Braddock, Pa., mentor’s record was snapped.
Canton Out Played Throughout Canton made but a net yardage of 38 yards from scrimmage and was held to three first downs.
Only time the Bulldogs eleven got beyond the midfield stripe was in the last 10 seconds when Barthel carried a Massillon kickoff to the Tigers’ 40 before being pushed out of bounds as the game ended.
Glass was Massillon’s outstanding ground-gainer, picking up 120 yards in 30 attempts – an average of four yards per try. Edgar Herring, Massillon’s fleet halfback, who played throughout the game although he was carried off the field at Barberton just a week ago with an injured ankle, gained 60 yards in 18 attempts.
Massillon Pos. Canton Gillom le Snyder J. Anderson lt Angelo Wyatt lg Fife Snavely c Rice Miller rg Motley Peters rt Vierdo C. Anderson re Rotar Byelene (C) qb Kamp Herring lh Ballos V. Snyder rh Barthel Glass fb Fiore
Score by periods: Massillon 0 7 0 14 21
Touchdowns: Massillon – Glass 2; Byelene.
Extra Points: Massillon – Glass 3 (all placements).
Referee – Rees (Dennison). Umpire – Finsterwald (O.S.U.). Head Linesman – Gray (Ohio State). Field Judge – Jenkins (Akron).
GAME FIGURES Canton-Massillon statistics Massillon Can. First downs 14 3 Yards gained, scrimmage 238 69 Yards lost, scrimmage 38 31 Net yards, scrimmage 200 38 Plays from scrimmage 61 24 Passes attempted 15 7 Passes completed 6 1 Passes intercepted by 2 1 Yards gained, passes 93 13 Fumbles 2 2 Opponent’s fumbles Recovered by 1 0 Yards lost, penalties 15 0 Average of punts 45 42 Yards gained, returned punts 57 12
TIGERS RETAIN OHIO SCHOLASTIC HONORS BY LACING BULLDOGS Record Crowd Of 21,000 Fans Watches Massillon Win Easily Over Traditional Rivals SMASHING ATTACK SURPRISES CANTON McKinley Eleven Loses First Game Of Season; Glass Stars For Winners, Scoring Twice
By JACK MAXWELL
A truly great Tiger football machine representing Washington high of Massillon rose to the occasion on its home field Saturday, completely outplaying the Bulldogs of Canton McKinley while winning 21-0 and repeating as scholastic champions of Ohio, defending the title taken from the Canton school last year.
The contest was witnessed by a throng of 21,000, largest in the history of football relations between the two schools.
The game opened on a dry field but leaden skies fulfilled their promise late in the first half and rain, followed by sleet, made playing conditions more difficult for the remainder of the encounter.
The Massillon conquest stretched the winning streak of Paul Brown’s machine to 20 straight victories, as the Tigers have not been defeated since McKinley turned the trick in the finale of 1934, in which the setup was identically the same as that of yesterday’s duel. The result in that year was just the reverse however, as the Bulldogs emerged from that battle on the long end of a 21-6 score which gave them a leading claim to the state title for that season.
Canton Hold Series Edge The Tiger win yesterday also brought the Massillon total to 16 for the inter-city series which started in 1894, Canton having been victorious 22 times with three games resulting in ties.
The defeat broke a winning streak for Coach Johnny Reed, who took over the Canton reins for the first time this fall. His string had reached 44 consecutive games with the Bulldog victory over Alliance a week earlier. Despite the loss yesterday, the McKinley season record of nine wins and one defeat definitely establishes Coach Reed as a success in his inaugural campaign in Canton.
The Bulldogs put up a game fight in defeat, but simply were opposed by a better ball club yesterday. A perusal of the statistics discloses that the Tigers had a wide margin of superiority in every department except punting, piling up 14 first downs to McKinley’s 3 and gaining 291 yards from scrimmage to 35. The greatest disappointment in the fracas from the standpoint of the followers was the manner in which their team’s line was out-charged and out-fought by the Massillon front wall. Except for very brief flashes of form, the Red and Black running attack, which had rolled over everything in its way in previous tilts this season, did not function, largely through the failure of the linemen to clear even the semblance of a path for their ball-toters.
The Tigers completely upset pre-game dope by the manner in which they accounted for the greater part of their yardage. It was expected that they would rely chiefly upon their aerial game, since they had scored the majority of their touchdowns this season on passes. On the contrary, however, their victory yesterday was almost entirely the result of one of the most powerful ground attacks seen on an Ohio scholastic gridiron in recent years. None of the scores was made directly on aerials, although Mike Byelene, captain and ace tosser, connected on six heaves, four of which were snagged by Charles Anderson, star wingman of Coach Brown’s aggregation.
Glass Repeats As Star The same Massillon performer who was the hero of the Tiger 6-0 defeat of the Bulldogs here last season proved their nemesis again yesterday. The boy in question, Fullback Bob Glass, unquestionably gave the outstanding exhibition of the contest. He scored the two touchdowns, the first of which came on a scintillating 37 yard run in the second quarter, placekicked all three extra points and was the spearhead of the Massillon attack throughout, seeming to be practically unstoppable on his thrusts through the McKinley line. In addition to his offensive activities, he also starred at right end on defense and on several occasions threw Bulldog ball carriers for losses.
Edgar Herring fleet halfback who had led the Tiger offense in their previous conquests, was stopped more effectively yesterday than he had been at any time before, but he eluded tacklers for nice gains several times. As aforementioned, Mike Byelene threw all of his team’s passes directed the machine well and threatened to get away around end at various junctures.
The entire Massillon line gave a colossal imitation of a stone wall on defense and gave the backs wide openings on many occasions. Don Snavely and Warren Wyatt were the standouts. Snavely played alert ball in backing up the line and put Canton in the hole when he covered Barthel’s fumble of a punt on the McKinley 11 yard line in the second period. Wyatt played in the Red and Black backfield a great part of the afternoon and spilled Carl Fiore when he went back to pass on two consecutive plays. Charley Anderson also put up his usual high type of ball at right end.
With their line infinitely superior, the Tigers were dominant from start to finish and only the determined defense of the Bulldogs inside of their 20 yard line prevented a complete rout. Time after time they staved off drives which deemed certain to produce touchdowns. In sharp contrast, McKinley never was in Massillon territory until Jack Barthel returned a kickoff 70 yards to the Tiger 20 on the final play.
After the opening kickoff, the Tigers started a drive which advanced them into scoring territory for the first time. Although the opening quarter, as was the entire contest, was played in Bulldog territory, Coach Brown’s combine failed to score.
After McKinley had held for downs on two occasions late in the first period, the Tigers crashed through with their first tally when there was apparently no danger. With the ball on the 37 yards stripe, Glass charged through right tackle, and with the aid of some beautiful blocking by his teammates, raced over for the touchdown.
The Reedmen came out following the halftime intermission apparently inspired with a new spirit and began to dig in and make the Tigers work much harder for their gains. Massillon’s powerhouse continued to function steadily, however, although the Bulldogs repelled all scoring threats in the period.
Early in the final quarter Glass’ plunges and a pass from Byelene to Anderson put the ball on the 1 yard stripe but McKinley gamely stopped the advance and took the ball on downs.
The Bulldogs’ escape from danger was short-lived, though, for Snyder got off his only poor kick of the contest at this point, as it went out of bounds on his own 16. Glass made the tally on five plunges, most of them off right tackle.
With the closing minutes of the game ticking away, McKinley then resorted to a desperate aerial attack in an effort to stave off defeat, but two passes were incomplete and Mike Byelene intercepted a third after an exchange of punts and dashed 32 yards for the final touchdown.
Barthel’s previously recounted return of the following kickoff ended the game.
No McKinley back could rightly be called an offensive star, as the opportunities for ball carrying brilliance were extremely limited.
Capt. Pete Ballos and Jack Barthel made the only two-substantial gains garnered by the Bulldog running attack. Ballos getting away for a 35 yard jaunt in the waning minutes of the first half and Barthel running the last kickoff 70 yards just before the final gun boomed for the offensive highlight of the contest from a Canton viewpoint.
Ballos, closing a scholastic gridiron career which has been one of the most brilliant in McKinley high history, battled every inch of the way yesterday and exhorted his teammates to do likewise throughout the encounter. He came up fast from his defensive post time after time to smear Tiger backs who had got through the first line of defense and played his heart out even after Massillon had apparently clinched the victory.
Carl Fiore, subbing for the injured Don Scott played a good defensive game, especially against the high-touted Washington passing attack.
Scott, regular Canton field general who incurred a fractured collarbone in making a touchdown against Alliance last week but who was expected to see extended action yesterday, took part in only one play of the tilt. Coach Reed decided before the game that Scott’s injury was too serious to warrant his performing and came to the conclusion that it would be better to weaken his team’s effectiveness than to risk permanent injury to his big quarterback and perhaps prevent a promising collegiate gridiron career. Reed’s insertion of Scott for a few brief seconds yesterday was a thoughtful gesture on the mentor’s part to give the boy the satisfaction of seeing service in his last game at McKinley.
Although Scott’s presence in the lineup undoubtedly would have caused his mates to make a better showing, both on offense and defense, it cannot fairly be said that his participation would have changed the result. The Massillon margin of superiority was so clearly evident that the ability of one player could not possibly have made the difference between victory and defeat.
The three Bulldog linemen who fought the hardest were also players making their final appearance in a Red and Black uniform, Chuck Rice, Jim Snyder and Joe Angelo. Rice climaxed a season of brilliant defensive work by backing up the front wall in stellar fashion. Snyder divided his time on defense between halfback and end and performed well at both posts. Although opportunities for flashing the particular ability for which he has become famous were few, that is his prowess for snagging passes, he starred yesterday in punting, a department which he was handling for the first time. His brilliant booting in the first half got the Bulldogs out of a bad situation time after time and he averaged 40 yards on eight kicks, one of which traveled 55 yards.
Angelo was the main bulwark in the middle of the line and had a hand in practically every play. Although Joe’s work has never been flashy throughout his two year high school football career, he has always been a dependable performer and yesterday he stood out when some of his teammates failed to reach their usual standard.
Too Much Glass McKINEY Pos. MASSILLON J. Snyder LE Gillom Angelo LT J. Anderson Fife LG Wyatt Rice C Snavely Motley RG J. Miller Virdo RT Peters Rotar RE C. Anderson Fiore QB Byelene Ballos LH Herring Barthel RH Snyder Kamp FB Glass
INJURY PUTS CHARLEY ANDERSON IN HOSPITAL Tiger End Hurts Foot With Important Game With Canton Less Than Week Away; Barberton Beaten 35-7
By LUTHER EMERY
The Washington high Tigers today began preparations for their state championship battle with Canton McKinley Saturday without the services of Charley Anderson, right end and one of the mainstays of the team.
Anderson is in the city hospital, suffering a foot injury, the seriousness of which has not been determined. Edgar Herring, who limped off the field at Barberton Saturday as the Tigers scored a 35-7 victory, their ninth of the season and 19th in a row, may not start against Canton, Coach Brown said today. Junior Anderson’s Leg Improves Immediately after the game Saturday, he announced that Herring was out. Today he had hopes of using Echo as a spot runner.
Junior Anderson, Tiger left tackle, who was kept out of the Barberton game because of a charley horse, is still dragging his leg, behind him but officials have high hopes that the injured leg will improve sufficiently this week to permit him to play Saturday afternoon.
This morning, Coach Brown, gloomy over the casualties of the week end, announced that Ernie Edwards in all probability would start at right end in place of Charley Anderson with Mike Byelene taking over the left halfback post and Dick Shrake the quarterback job. Under this setup, however, Byelene would continue to call signals. Foot Hurts After Game Charley Anderson’s injury was not revealed until after the ball game. He complained of his foot hurting him when the squad was eating. He started home but stopped in a restaurant. Members of the coaching staff were summoned to the restaurant and Anderson was taken to the hospital. He remained in the hospital Saturday night, Sunday and last night and will be kept there, today, Coach Brown said. The coaching staff is hopeful that in keeping Charley in the hospital he will rest his foot, something he probably would not do at home.
Herring, playing his first game in three weeks because of an injured leg, was removed from the Barberton game in the second period after he had scored three touchdowns against the Magics, two on runs and one on a pass. He was assisted from the field by his teammates and taken immediately to the dressing room. Coach Brown announced after the game that he was afraid Herring would be unable to play against Canton.
The Tiger attack bogged down with Echo out and Brown deciding not to chance injury to Bob Glass and Mike Byelene, also removed them from the game. They went back in at the start of the second half, however, to play part of the third period.
The Tigers will practice behind closed gates every day this week. Streets leading to the football park also will be closed and patrolled to keep anyone from eavesdropping as the Massillon eleven goes through its final preparations for the Canton game.
Neither team was impressive Saturday. The Tigers looked good the first quarter as they rolled up 22 points on Barberton but the attack bogged down the rest of the game and in the closing minutes it was Johnny Ries, Barberton left halfback who provided the fireworks with a 30-yard run through the Massillon second team after taking a punt from Roy Herman. Canton Suffers Letdown Canton only defeated Alliance 27-7, a team Massillon trimmed 51-0 under adverse weather conditions several weeks ago. The Bulldogs, however, did not use their full strength, for Pete Ballos only played a few minutes. Furthermore Canton keyed up for Steubenville, suffered the usual letdown after such a ball game.
The Magics gave the Massillon eleven more opposition than they expected Saturday and for the first time this season the Tiger eleven was behind in first downs, 9-10. Ten first downs were more than any other team could get against the local eleven and Barberton had the additional satisfaction of being one of two elevens to score on the local team. Mansfield shoved over a touchdown in the second game of the season.
Barberton gave the Tigers the kind of a workout they wanted, however, an open game with a lot of forward and lateral passes. Practically all of the Magics’ first downs were scored through passes, though penalties inflicted on the Tiger team, helped them to three of their first downs.
The officials in fact, did a better job of ball carrying than the Magic backs. They penalized Massillon nine times for a total of 65 yards. Barberton did not draw a penalty.
The ability of the Tiger forward wall to break through and block punts set the stage for the first touchdown and other points to follow. Don Snavely laid back in the secondary, but tore through a gap between guard and center as Rees tried to kick from the 25-yard line. He got in front of the ball and a mass of orange sweaters covered it on the Barberton 22. On the first play, Herring on a double reverse pranced around his left end for a touchdown. Byelene failed to run over the extra point.
Barberton fumbled on the third play after the following kickoff and Warren Wyatt, who played a fine defensive game Saturday, covered on the Barberton 20-yard line. After Herring had made two yards, Byelene ran to the two-yard line and there gave the ball to Herring, who took it over. Glass placekicked the extra point and the score was 13-0. Tigers Score On Safety Glass’ kickoff rolled and bounced back of the Barberton goal and when Rowe tried to run it out, he was dropped on the three-yard line. Ries dropped back to punt, but got a poor pass from center and was downed for a safety behind his goal line.
Barberton free-kicked to Massillon after the two points, Byelene running back to the 30-yard line and then tossing a lateral to Red Snyder who made five more. Glass hit center for five and Byelene hurled to Herring for a touchdown and tossed to Anderson for the extra point.
That was all the scoring in the first quarter and it was midway in the second period after Herring had been removed from the game, before the Tigers could score again. The Magics were backed up to their 14-yard line and Ries fell back to punt when a poor pass rolled behind his goal line where Charley Anderson flopped on the ball for a touchdown. Dixon tried to run the extra point across but failed. Tigers Score In Second Half The half ended 28-0 and the Tigers scored but once in the second half. Midway in the third period, Odell Gillom intercepted a Barberton pass on his 41. Byelene tossed 18 yards to Anderson for a first down on the Barberton 41. Another flip put the leather on the six-yard line; Byelene went over but fumbled doing so and Jim Miller flopped on the ball for the touchdown. Snyder drove through for the extra point.
The Barberton score in the fourth quarter struck like a bombshell. Johnny Ries, who all afternoon had demonstrated his ability to cut back plays, gathered in one of Roy Herman’s punts on his 20-yard line and set his sails for the Massillon goal. Barberton fans had said that if Ries ever got started, Massillon couldn’t catch him and that’s what happened. He reeled off the 80- yards in less time than it takes to write it and didn’t have anyone within 15 yards of him as he crossed the final stripe. A similar run had given Barberton a 6-6 tie with Alliance two weeks ago and two such runs had helped the Magics trim Akron North.
Ties had no more than crossed the goal, until the fists began flying in one section of the fine concrete stadium. The reason for the clash, is not known.
Barberton was crippled for the game. Welby Broaddus, the other half of its backfield did not play because of injuries. Neither did Paul Maloney, a tackle. It was Lynn St. John day at Barberton and the former Barberton school teacher, now director of athletics at Ohio State University, was paid special honors between halves. A sign, bearing his name, was pulled into the air by half a dozen gas balloons. At the same time a number of carrier pigeons were released. The Barberton and Massillon bands gave an exhibition between halves, the Barberton band winding up with “Hold That Tiger.” Now For Canton Massillon Pos. Barberton Gillom LE Panchalk Swoger LT Young Miller LG Culbertson Snavely C Petruska Wyatt RG Ratzy Peters RT Wells C. Anderson RE Wadsworth Byelene QB Rowe Herring LH Ries Snyder RH Glavitsch Glass FB Rapp
MIKE BYELENE STARS AS TIGERS WIN 8 IN ROW Massillon Quarterback Scores Four Touchdowns, Two on Long runs, As Columbus East Is Swamped 52-0
By LUTHER EMERY
Silent Mike Byelene, who lets a pleasant grin do his talking for him, came into his own Saturday afternoon as the Washington high Tigers rolled over Columbus East to their eighth triumph of the season and 18th in succession. Playing before 2,000 fans, the smallest home crowd of the season, Mike, who waited two years to become a started, scored four touchdowns in the first half as the Tigers piled up 52 points to the visitors’ none.
Scores On Long Runs He ran 58 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the game. Ripped through for 16 yards and another, 50 yards for the third and jogged 12 yards on the fourth.
There’s nothing Capt. Mike would rather do than play football and he’s a plugger, an inspiration to the rest of the team. They block for Mike and he blocks for them.
On his two long jaunts Mike was given expert interference, though he did some fancy stepping himself to shake loose a couple of tacklers who nearly grounded him.
Bob Glass, who likes to carry the ball himself, was in there battling for Mike, Saturday, helping him to get points. Bob had the pleasure of knocking over the last Columbus East tackler on Mike’s 16-yard run and he got a man out of the way on the 58-yard dash too.
Tigers On Upgrade It was not all Byelene Saturday afternoon, however. The Tigers as a whole are on the upgrade again and only their passing attack looked ragged. They only completed six of 22, in most instances the ball just narrowly missing the receiver. The field was rather heavy and perhaps that threw the timing off a bit.
There was little left to be desired, however, in the running of the point-a-minute foursome. Byelene, Glass, Snyder and Herring probably could have scored 100 points had they been left in the ball game all afternoon.
However, in possession of a 26-0 lead, Glass and Herring, who played their first ball in two weeks, were taken out at the start of the second period and replaced by Shrake and Dixon. Bob Swoger, also relieved Junior Anderson at the same time. The revamped lineup scored two more touchdowns and increased the lead to 39-0, at half time and gave the second team a chance. The Tiger second stringers played the entire second half and although they were held scoreless the third period, they came back in the fourth to twice cross the Columbus goal and increase the total for the afternoon to 52 points.
Dick Shrake, Phil Pizzino and Dudley Dixon did some neat ball carrying for the Tiger youngsters and would have scored even more points the last half had not penalties for holding continually slowed their attack. Then too, the second stringers found a good passing combination in Shrake to Edwards. It clicked for one touchdown and a point after touchdown and worked successfully on other occasions.
24 First Downs First down statistics are more impressive than the score. Massillon made 24 to East’s three. Twenty-four first down as a rule are good for more than 52 points especially when you have long runs for touchdowns, but the fact that the Tigers were penalized 15 yards on six different occasions, discloses why more points were not scored. Then too, they did not punt Saturday, another testimonial to their offense.
East came to Massillon, admittedly without an offense but determined to hold the Tigers to as low a score as possible. Coach Webster, giant tutor of the Orientals, who has given Ohio State many a fine athlete, was loud in his praise of the Tiger eleven after the game. He declared Massillon could beat Middletown, one of south central Ohio’s best teams, by 30 points and he ought to know, his team has played both.
Except for passing, East had nothing to show Massillon in an offensive way. The Orientals completed five passes for 54 yards but couldn’t put two and two together for any sustained drive and as a result were shut up on their own side of the field all afternoon.
Late comers to Saturday’s game missed the first two touchdowns so fast did the Massillon varsity strike. Coach Paul Brown decided to give Glass and Herring, who have been nursing sore legs, a chance to warm up a few minutes and started them in the ball game.
Score Rapidly East, electing to play a defensive game, kicked off and Charley Anderson lugged the ball back to the 34-yard line. Echo Herring took it to the Massillon 42 and on the next play Byelene came around his left side for a 58-yard run and a touchdown. Glass kicked goal.
Again East kicked off and this time, Anderson brought the ball back 40 yards to midfield. He was past the last Columbus player but was hauled down from behind. Byelene hurled a 34-yard pass to Anderson that put the ball on the 16-yard line and Mike running behind fine interference skirted his left end for the second touchdown and Glass placekicked the extra point.
The Columbus gridders kicked off a third straight time Glass coming back with the ball to his 35. The Tigers marched forward, despite a 15-yard penalty for illegal use of the hands and finally planted the ball for a first down on the Columbus 10. Herring skirted his right end for the touchdown. Glass’ attempted kick for the extra point went wide of the uprights and the score was 20-0.
That was all for Glass, Herring and Junior Anderson. They sat on the bench the rest of the ball game. Columbus likewise chose to receive after the touchdown, but soon punted, the ball rolling out of bounds on the Massillon 36. Shrake took the ball to the 50-yard line and Byelene again cut loose, this time running 50 yards for a touchdown.
The Tigers were on their way to another as the first quarter ended at 26-0.
Getting the ball on the Columbus 36 as a result of a punt that went straight up, Pizzino and Shrake carried to the four-yard line where Shrake skirted his left end for a touchdown, Anderson kicked the extra point.
After the following kickoff, the visitors put two forward passes together for two first downs that advanced the ball to the Tiger 47-yard line. It was the closest they got to the Massillon goal all afternoon.
Intercepted Pass Starts Drive Snavely speared one of Newhouses’ passes when it came down the alley and was downed on his 48. Shrake, Pizzino and Anderson carried the ball to the 12-yard line where Mike sneaked through for his fourth touchdown of the game. Charley Anderson’s attempted kick for the extra point was wide. That ended the scoring in the first half.
A complete new Massillon team took over the game for the Tigers in the second half. The Tiger cubs’ first drive ended on the Columbus 34-yard line where Newhouse intercepted Shrake’s pass. The Tigers again came into possession of the ball on their own 27-yard line and despite a 15-yard penalty, advanced the ball to the eight-yard line where the third period ended with neither team having scored. On the third play of the fourth quarter, Dudley Dixon went over from the one-yard line and Shrake heaved a pass to Edwards for the extra point.
Three 15-yard penalties for holding and illegal use of the hands were mixed in with the Tigers next offensive march, but despite the losses they carried the ball from their 27-yard line to the last touchdown of the ball game, a 10-yard pass, Shrake to Edwards, producing the touchdown. The attempt for the extra point failed.
The Beach City high school band was a guest of the Tiger management Saturday.
Today the Tigers continue their preparations for the Massillon-Canton game two weeks hence. They will journey to Barberton Saturday afternoon, but expect to take the Magics in stride.
18 Straight Wins Massillon Pos. Columbus East Gillom LE Pennell J. Anderson LT Louis Wyatt LG Gunning Snavely C Scarberry Miller RG Walker Peters RT Schaad C. Anderson RE Martin Byelene QB Newhouse Herring LH Chandler Snyder RH Staker Glass FB Hunter
TIGER PASSES TROUNCE AKRON VIKINGS 46 TO 0 Mike Byelene and Dick Shrake Pitch Massillon Eleven to Seventh Victory of Season and 17th Straight Grid Triumph
By LUTHER EMERY
As football players perhaps the Washington high eleven would make a good baseball team. With Bob Glass and Ed Herring taking a day off Saturday afternoon to give their “game” legs a rest, the Tigers batteries worked out against Akron North and pitched a 46-0 victory.
Mike Byelene and Dick Shrake did the flinging and Charley Anderson, Odell Gillom, Dudley Dixon and Frank Wurzbacher the catching. They scored three touchdowns, gained 223 yards from scrimmage, made two points after touchdown and placed the ball in position for one other touchdown, with their passes.
Spectacular Passes When a line play failed to work, Byelene and Shrake pitched and their receivers caught everything within sight even though they had to reach out and grab it with one hand.
Only two of their passes were intercepted and a couple of others grounded while two of those completed were touchdown plays good for 61 yards and 53 yards, the former tossed by Byelene traveling 50 through the air before it nestled into the arms of Odell Gillom, who caught it way beyond the North safety man to score the first six points of the ball game.
It was the Tigers’ seventh triumph of the season and their 17th consecutive victory.
Tigers Not Impressive Despite their 46 points and 22 first downs, the Tigers were not impressive Saturday and it is easy to understand why. Their two ace ball carriers were on the bench throughout. Mike Byelene only played one and a half periods, while the entire second team played half of the second period and all of the fourth. In addition to this every player knew that North hadn’t won a ball game all season and no one w as taking any chance on getting banged up with pile driving methods.
Then too, Lu Hosfield, the young North coach, turned up with a cockeyed defense designed to mass the secondary at the point of contact. This frequently stopped the Tiger running attack but opened the way for passing.
The visitors put up a stubborn fight and turned up a good offensive player in Joe Campanale, the only veteran on the team. Give him Massillon’s line and Campanale would go places.
Occasionally the Vikings tried one of the razzle dazzle plays that made them famous in their undefeated season in 1935, but they could gain little ground. A forward off a double lateral early in the ball game was their best effort, but the receiver dropped the forward pass which would have given him a nice gain.
With Glass and Herring on the bench, Dick Shrake and Phil Pizzino got their chance Saturday. Shrake got away several times for long gains, tossed a touchdown pass and one for a point after touchdown and carried two points over after touchdown, while Pizzino scored two touchdowns, one on a run of 39 yards featured by some high class blocking by Don Snavely, Tiger center.
The latter played a whale of a ball game and his blocks on two occasions were responsible for touchdowns. One was on Pizzino’s run, the other when Byelene intercepted a pass and dashed 70 yards for a touchdown.
Brown Checks Rally Had not Coach Brown taken out his starting lineup and substituted a new team midway in the second quarter, there’s no telling what the score would have been. North was demoralized after the 32nd point went over the goal line and the Massillon coach through the substitutions checked further scoring in the second period.
The Tigers only bagged two touchdowns the last half, one in each of the third and fourth periods, despite the fact the first string line played the entire third quarter.
They started the second half in a bad way by fumbling on the kickoff, North recovering on the Massillon 24-yard line. Two offside penalties and a four-yard gain gave North a first down on the 10-yard line. There the Tiger gridders went into their eight-man line and stopped the drive on the six-yard line.
North never got the ball into Massillon territory again and the first down was one of two the Vikings made all day, the other also being helped by a penalty.
Dixon Goes Over The Tigers kicked back and when they finally did get the ball again, an intercepted pass stopped their drive. It was not until late in the period that North again began to yield ground, Dudley Dixon going over for the only touchdown in the closing minutes of their period. The second team scored the fourth period touchdown and the last of the ball game. Ernie Edwards spearing one of Dick Shrake’s passes with one hand and dashing 24 yards to score. Another pass, this one to Frank Wurzbacher, who you will see more of next year, produced the 46th point. As far as the fireworks were concerned, they all took place in the first half.
Byelene, who would rather toss a football than eat, called for a pass the first time the Tigers got the ball. Shrake had just brought a North punt back to his 39, when Byelene took the ball from center, faced back to the 29-yard line and fired at Gillom who streaked down the center of the field. They had North crossed up for the Viking secondary had gathered near the line of scrimmage.
The crowd sensed a touchdown as the ball sailed through the air. It came down into Gillom’s arms on the 20-yard line and he scampered over the goal without anyone touching him.
Anderson Spears One Only a couple of minutes later the spectacular took place again. This time it was a pass, Byelene to Charley Anderson that electrified the stands. Charley made a spectacular catch as he shook loose a couple of tacklers and dashed 30 yards for a touchdown. The net gain on the play was 53 yards. Shrake scored the extra point on a sweep around his left end.
The quarter closed at 13-0, but on the third play of the second period, Pizzino went across from the one-yard line to end a drive of 60 yards and Shrake again bucked the ball over for the extra point.
North received but did not keep the ball long as Byelene gathered in a long pass on his 30 and running behind Snavely’s fine interference, streaked down the east side line 70 yards for a touchdown. An attempted pass for the extra point was too high for Gillom to reach.
The score reached 32-0 the next time the Tigers got the pigskin. Shrake started it by a 25-yard return of a punt to the 39-yard line. There Pizzino was turned loose through his left tackle and he raced for a touchdown with Snavely taking out the last man in his way.
A new Massillon team went in and with Dudley Dixon doing some nifty running, the subs carried the ball from their own 30 to the 10-yard line where the gun kept them from scoring.
The local eleven emerged from the game without any injuries and prepared to practice this week for the invasion of Massillon field by Columbus East next Saturday.
A small crowd attended Saturday’s game. There were no more than 2,000 fans in the stands that now will accommodate 15,000.
In recognition of the patronage received from fans in Canal Fulton and Jackson township, the management had the Canal Fulton band, and the Canal Fulton and Jackson township football teams as guests Saturday. The Beach City band and the Brewster and Navarre teams will be invited to attend next Saturday’s game.
The Booster club will meet tonight at the school. Booster meetings will be “hot” meetings from now until the Massillon-Canton game.
Still Going Massillon Pos. North Gillom LE Slovisky J. Anderson LT King Wyatt LG Gingo Snavely C Capatosta Miller RG Kochman Peters RT Phillips C. Anderson RE Lutz Byelene QB Yale Shrake LH Roma Snyder RH Testa Pizzino FB Campanale
11,000 SEE TIGERS BEAT ALLIANCE 51-0 Largest Throng Ever To Witness Game at Mt. Union Field Surprised at Power of Massillon Team
By LUTHER EMERY
The Alliance Aviators went air raiding last night but their bombs were tossed back into their faces by the Washington high Tigers who rolled up a 51-0 score to chalk up their 16th straight victory and sixth of the season before the largest crowd that has ever witnessed a football game in Alliance, 11,000 fans.
As expected, wily George Wilcoxon, the Alliance coach, had a scheme cooked up which he hoped would catch the Tigers off their guard, but too many cooks spoil the soup and the hands of the Massillon secondary made a mess of it.
Alliance Banked on Short Pass Upon a short pass over the line of scrimmage hinged Alliance’s hopes for victory. All week the Aviators had been groomed for the air raid and they took off without delay.
They made it interesting for several minutes by scoring a couple of direct hits, but only one was good enough for a first down and soon the passes began falling into the arms of the alert Tiger secondary. The aerial fireworks turned out to be a boomerang when two passes were intercepted deep in Alliance territory and the attack was routed as Massillon made a counter assault from the air.
The Tigers’ first six passes found the waiting arms of a receiver, put the ball in position for the third touchdown of the game, scored the fourth touchdown and one of the extra points.
Aviators First Defeat The overwhelming score was a surprise to those who had followed the success of the red and blue this season, for it was the Aviators’ first defeat in six games. The Tigers were favorites from the start, but ardent Massillon fans would give them no more than a 25-point advantage while the more skeptical would have settled for seven.
Believing they had an “outside chance” for vict6ory, Alliance ballyhooed the game as its biggest gridiron attraction of the season. Their hopes were based on the belief that their team had not reached its peak, was constantly improving and had withheld its real power for the Tiger engagement.
The ballyhoo brought to Mt. Union field the biggest crowd it has ever held. Fans overflowed the bleachers and flanked the sidelines of the playing field, but their expectations of a close game were shattered in the second period when the Tiger unleashed all its power and cunning and pounced about the field at will.
Alliance’s inability to check the Massillon advance, was a disappointment, not only to Alliance fans but to many Massillon rooters who had hoped to see a hard fought game. The Aviators’ supporters however, were loud in their praise of the Tiger eleven and particularly praised the team work and fine blocking.
The first period produced the type of game fans had expected to see and the Massillon machine was limited to one touchdown, that the result of a 61-yard run by little “Echo” Herring, behind as fine a blocking as you will see on any gridiron. It signaled the downfall of the red and blue. Every man did his part on that dash. The tackles pushed through and opened a huge gap in the Alliance line. The ends blocked, the guards swept out as interference and the other backs tore through to help clear the way. All Herring had to do was pick his hole and run. One by one an Alliance tackler was cut down. They even blocked the safety man out of the play and Herring went through without a hand being laid on him.
Blockers Demonstrate Value That run was an open display of the value of Jim Miller, Warren Wyatt and Red Snyder, who are as important a part of the Tiger offense as the ball carrier. But for them, the end sweeps and off-tackle drives would not work as smoothly.
Mike Byelene tried to carry the extra point over after Herring’s spectacular dash but was bottled up in the Alliance line and fell short of his mark.
The Tiger struck again at the start of the second period. Grimes who had barely gotten away two previous punts, took too much time booting from the 30-yard line and the ball was blocked. Glass recovering for Massillon just as the first period ended. On the first play of the second quarter, the Tiger fullback, running from the same play that continually fooled New Castle a week ago, raced 30 yards for a touchdown. He tried to kick the extra point but it was wide of the posts.
Exchanging punts after a series of plays, the Tigers continually pushed the Aviators backward until they got the ball on the 38-yard line. A five-yard penalty and two plunges by Glass brought a first on the 23 and Byelene faded back to pass 17 yards to Odell Gillom for a first down on the six-yard line. Herring lugged the leather around right end and across the goal after Byelene had moved it up three yards. This time the try for extra point was successful, Byelene passing to Charley Anderson.
Three Passes Gain Touchdown The Tiger passing attack flashed once more before the end of the half when Byelene snapped a 20-yard toss to Anderson that advanced the ball from the Massillon 40 to the Alliance 40. A nine-yard plunge by Glass and a 19-yard toss, Byelene to Gillom put the ball on the 11-yard line and Byelene hurled another to Herring for the touchdown. Glass’ kick was wide and the score was 25-0.
There was nothing to expect in the second half but more Massillon touchdowns and they poured over the goal line until Coach Paul Brown sent in his substitutes late in the fourth period.
The third period was costly to Massillon, however, for both Herring and Glass had to be removed midway in the third quarter with injured legs. Herring hurt his ankle in the Akron South game two weeks ago while Glass got his in a scrimmage session prior to the New Castle game. The injuries were aggravated at New Castle and again last night.
The Tigers took the kickoff on the 35-yard line at the start of the second half and marched for a touchdown. Herring taking the ball over after a five-yard penalty on Alliance for offside had placed the ball on the one-yard line. Byelene’s pass into the end zone was grounded and the score was 31-0.
It mounted to 38 when Phil Pizzino hauled in one of Huffman’s passes and raced back to the nine-yard line before being downed. Mussolini would have been proud of that. Shrake banged over for the touchdown and Charley Anderson kicked the extra point.
The score became 45-0 when Snavely pulled down another of Huffman’s passes on the 19-yard line and stepped back before being tackled. Byelene whipped a pass to Anderson for the touchdown and Shrake carried it over for the extra point.
Only one touchdown was scored in the fourth period, Byelene carrying the mail on a 37-yard dash around his left end. A new Massillon team went into the game after that score and played the remaining minutes.
Tiger Goal Never in Danger Alliance was never able to penetrate into Massillon territory. Its only first down came in the first period on two completed forward passes. The Aviators completed six passes for 38 yards, but had three intercepted while eight others fell by the wayside.
Massillon completed 10 passes for 135 yards and one point after touchdown. One was intercepted and four grounded. The Massillon machine made 17 first downs, and lost 75 yards in penalties to 30 yards for Alliance.
The Aviators nearly worked the “sleeper” pass in the second half and would have gotten a good gain and Cottage not dropped the ball. The pass, if completed, would have taken the ball into Massillon territory.
The road between Massillon and Alliance was a string of tail lights. It looked much like a parade after the game as the hundreds of cars bearing Tiger fans, headed for home. It was tail light to tail light as far as you could see. How many Massillon fans were there no one will know. The 1,100 reserved seats sent to this city were sold out early in the afternoon. In addition a large number of student and general admission tickets were sold here while many others purchased their tickets in Alliance.
Alliance officials estimated the crowd at between 10,000 and 12,000. All reserved seats were sold long before game time and Alliance high school and city officials are to be congratulated for the fine manner in which they handled the crowd.
There was no congestion at the gate and all was orderly. Though Massillon went home with the ball game, Alliance took the money. The two schools schedule home and home series on a $100 guarantee basis. The Tigers got $100. Massillon and Canton work on the same basis and the Bulldogs will only get $100 for coming over here and playing before 20,000.
Fans Soaked Again Those fans who had seats in the covered section were fortunate. They emerged with dry clothing while those in the concrete section were drenched.
The Massillon and Alliance bands put on a show between halves and Massillon fans had the opportunity of seeing the Alliance band wearing its new uniforms for the first time. The uniforms arrived ahead of schedule yesterday and even Alliance students were surprised when their band marched on to the field.
Alliance is building athletics again in an attempt to get back to the prominent spot it held several years ago. Six of the 11 men who started against Massillon last night will be back with Coach Wilcoxon again next season and others coming on will make his task much easier than that he faced at the start of this season.
Power To Spare Massillon Pos. Alliance Gillom LE Grimes J. Anderson LT Streza Wyatt LG Cacli Snavely C Koch Miller RG Allison Peters RT Cobbs C. Anderson RE Hartley Byelene QB Huffman Herring LH Gainey Snyder RH Cottage Glass FB Sina
