Category: <span>History</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1926: Massillon 0, Akron East 6

FUMBLE PAVES WAY FOR AKRON EAST WIN OVER HIGH GRIDDERS
VISTORS SCORE ONLY TOUCHDOWN IN 2nd QUARTER

Showing a decided lack of actual combat experience Washington high school’s orange and black football team Saturday went down to defeat before Akron East 6 to 0 in the opening contest of the 1926 scholastic campaign on Massillon Field. Cold winds and intermittent showers cut down the opening day attendance but the stands were fairly well packed when the rival aggregation took the gridiron for the initial whistle.

Scoring a touchdown late in the second quarter on a series of desperate line plunges after a Massillon fumble had put them within the local team’s 20-yard line Akron East’s gridders annexed the only points scored during the contest and romped off the field with a victory over Coach John H. Atkinson’s warriors. Outside of the time when Akron East scored neither team threatened the others goal line to any serious extent and the game for the most part was devoid of any thrills, both aggregations adhering largely to straight football.

The field was a bit soggy but the footing firm. The rain however, made the ball slippery and hard to handle and a strong wind, driving across the field from the north, made punting difficult for the team which was defending the south goal. Fumbles, blocked punts and penalties worked a hardship upon the inexperienced Massillon eleven, a fumble giving Akron East a chance to score while several 15-yard penalties halted Massillon’s offense on several occasions when it seemed the orange and black was on its way to points.

A defeat is always a bitter pill to swallow but when time is taken out to analyze the Massillon eleven which took the field Saturday against Akron East it can be seen that even in defeat the orange and black gave a good account of itself and displayed enough ability to indicate that it has good possibilities of being drafted into a formidable machine as the season progresses.
TEAM IS GREEN
The Massillon eleven which made its 1926 debut last Saturday was almost as green in actual playing experience as the grass under its feet. The team took the field with only two veterans from the 1925 aggregation in the lineup. And one of these did not become a regular until the last two games when an eligibility ruling knocked out several backfield stars and gave him a chance.

That player was Art McConnell who directed the team’s offense from the quarterback position. The other veterans, Fritz Gump at left end, acting captain in the absence of Bill Price who is laid up with a broken collar bone; “Whitey” Laughlin, plunging fullback, got into the game for a few minutes but was forced out with a bad knee which he had injured in practice last week.

With the exception of McConnell and Gump the team was made up of reserves from last year or players indulging in their first contest as varsity performers. And their experience weighed heavily against them. They fought gamely enough but fighting ability is not always enough. It was not Saturday.
BILL PRICE MISSED
Had Captain Bill Price been able to be in the game the line undoubtedly would have not wilted under Akron East’s pounding in the second quarter when the touchdown was scored. Price’s fighting spirit and his ability to plug up a hole in a crisis probably would have kept Akron from scoring but Bill, with his arm in a sling, had to watch the game from the bench. And if Laughlin had been at his best and able to stay in the game throughout a different offense also would have resulted.

It was only during those few fatal seconds in the second quarter that the Massillon line wilted. During the rest of the game it out played the Akron forward wall and continually stopped the visiting backfield in its tracks. However, it needs to be more aggressive. What the local team’s offense would have accomplished had its attack not been cut down by penalties is a matter of conjecture.

It showed flashes of power both at line plunging and end running and several times opened up with well executed forward passes. It missed a chance to gain heavily in the fourth quarter when two well hurled passes by McConnell were fumbled by the lads on the receiving end. McConnell also lacked experience in directing the team but Art, having passed through the heat of one battle as field general, should develop rapidly.

A number of McConnell’s punts were blocked Saturday largely because he did not drop far enough behind his line when kicking. The inexperienced Massillon line was not able to hold out the rushing Akron warriors long enough for Art to get his kicks away from a short distance back of the center.
PENALTIES HURT
Massillon received to open the contest and from the way it started off it looked like curtains for Akron. One first down was made on an end run and an off tackle buck and the orange and black was driving up the field when a 15-yard penalty took the steam out of its punch. Then McConnell’s punt was blocked and Akron got the ball on Massillon’s 22-yard line. But East couldn’t gain and a field goal failed.

Once again Massillon’s offense started well. McConnell made six and then heaved a pass to Briggs for six more. Two more line plays netted five and then McConnell hurled a pass to Matthews for 26 yards but East stopped the drive by intercepting the next Massillon pass.

The orange and black however held and Akron punted. Again the local team started to travel up the field but a 15-yard penalty again halted the march.

Fumbles began to make their appearance in the second quarter and McConnell fumbled on an end run, Akron covering the ball on Massillon’s 28-yard line. But once again the green Massillon line could not be dented and another attempt by Akron to score through a field goal failed.

Massillon got the ball on its 20-yard line and on the first play fumbled. Crisp, of Akron, plunged on the ball on Massillon’s 17-yard line. Then came Akron’s best offensive of the game.

With Keeney, flashy Akron quarterback and the individual star of the game, smashing through the Massillon line or off tackle Akron carried the ball to the seven-yard line on four plunges. Akron kept hammering the inexperienced Massillon line which was slowly but surely giving ground and three more plays took the ball over, Keeney going through the center of the line for a touchdown. He failed to add the extra point.

Neither team was able to do much in the third quarter but when the final period opened the orange and black, six points behind, started off with a desperate drive that cracked the Akron team wide open. Getting the ball on Massillon’s 32 yard line McConnell and Briggs smashed through tackle and around the ends for three first downs in a row. It looked like the Massillon march could not be halted but a penalty had to bob up and a 15-yard loss stopped the rush.

However, the orange and black got a break in luck but it could not take advantage of it. When McConnell punted an Akron man held Gump while the ball was in mid air and the oval was given to Massillon on Akron’s 28-yard line where the penalty occurred. But by this time Akron had regained its breath and held the Massillon backs, getting the ball after Massillon failed to make the required yardage in four plays.

A short time later McConnell opened up with passes but Smith and Briggs fumbled two well heaved passes. Either one of them would have enabled Massillon to get deep into Akron territory. As the game ended Akron was once more hammering away at the Massillon line and had worked the ball within the Massillon 30-yard line.

Although defeated, Massillon out played its Akron rival. The local team made eight first downs to six for Akron and completed three passes while Akron completed but one. Three of Massillon’s passes were grounded while Akron intercepted on. Akron only tried three forwards.
Erie Is Next
Massillon – 0 Pos. Akron East – 6
Gump LE Porosky
Ott LT Bell
Spencer LG Crisp
Potts C Wilson
Price RG Bergey
Benson RT Growden
Fulton RE Morgan
McConnell QB Keeney
Matthews LHB Coudriet
Briggs RHB Thomas
Foster FB Johnson

Score by quarters:
Massillon 0 0 0 0 0
Akron East 0 6 0 0 6

Substitutions:
Massillon – Laughlin for Foster, Smith for Matthews, Foster for Laughlin, Carroll for Benson, Bickel for Briggs.

Akron East – Averitte for Porosky, Leibowitz for Johnson, Porosky for Averitte.

Touchdown – Keeney.

Referee – Maurer.
Umpire – Jenkins.
Head Linesman – Tompkinson

Time of quarters – 12 minutes.

Bill Price
Massillon vs. McK - Throwback (Large)

1925: Massillon 3, Canton McKinley 6

TOUCHDOWN IN FOURTH QUARTER GIVES CANTON 6 – 3 TRIUMPH
FIRST VICTORY IN FIVE SEASONS FOR M’KINLEY ELEVEN

Driven backward by a bewildering aerial assault and a relentless, hard-driving attack off tackle a weary but grimly fighting Washington high school football team last Saturday afternoon went down to defeat before its perennial rival, Canton McKinley, 6 to 3 in a thrilling and spectacular battle at Lakeside Stadium, Canton, before the largest crowd that probably has ever witnessed a scholastic athletic event in Stark county. A touchdown in the fourth quarter that came through the medium of a well carried out offensive brought victory to the red and black of Canton, giving it a three point margin over Massillon which in the third period had amassed three points through a field goal from placement by Elwood Kammer from the 25-yard line.

Needless to say Canton went wild with joy when the game came to a close and its team was out in front. It was the first time in five years that a McKinley high team has been able to win from Massillon and the first time in three years that Canton has been able to score points on an orange and black scholastic outfit. Prior to Saturday Massillon had reigned supreme over its old enemy since 1920 when the red and black turned in a 14 to 0 triumph.

There was nothing fluky about Canton’s victory. It was merited and well earned, although for three periods the east enders were decisively out played by a fast stepping and hard hitting Massillon team that should have scored at least two touchdowns in the first half but didn’t because the fickle goodess of luck decreed otherwise. Massillon made 14 first downs to seven for Canton, out playing its ancient foe two to one, yet it was forced to bow its head in defeat.

Two things stand out prominently in setting forth the reasons for Massillon’s defeat. One was a break of the game that came in the third quarter and proved the turning point of the battle. From then on Canton held the upper hand and it made the most of its opportunity and the result was a hard earned victory for its colors.
NO RESERVE STRENGTH
The other was the advantage Canton had on Massillon was in reserve strength; that more than anything else caused the downfall of Coach Stewart’s team.

With six men cut off the team by a ruling making them ineligible a week before the Canton game, three of them regulars in the backfield, Coach Stewart was forced to send his strongest lineup into the fray at the start and keep it there until the last hope of victory vanished in the final minutes of play. The Massillon backfield, especially Kammer and Laughlin who bore the burden of the local team’s offense, had spent themselves during the first three quarters in their fierce dashes through the Canton team and when the time came for a last desperate effort to overcome the east enders’ lead Massillon no longer had the punch. Its team was willing and its spirit undimmed but its physical prowess had been spent in that earlier determined but futile attempt to wrest the victory from its old foe.

Not so with Canton. It sent into the struggle at the start of the third period Taubensee and Kinney, a pair of fresh halfbacks who were ready to cut loose with all their power when Canton’s opportunity came and their driving attack along with Holmes’ cleverly executed aerial bombardment, turned what looked like a certain defeat for Canton into a brilliant victory by an eleventh hour attack. Taubensee was the hero of Canton’s triumph, being the lad to smash through the Massillon line in the fourth period for the touchdown.

If Massillon had had Captain Define, Smith and Halpin ready to jump into the fray to relieve Kammer and Laughlin and Brown when they showed signs of fatigue the outcome might have been different. But they were on the sidelines, ineligible and so Massillon’s chances of victory went glimmering.
KAMMER IS STAR
But a hero in defeat was Kammer, the fast charging and line smashing Massillon backfield ace. To his great ground gaining prowess and ability to outrun his Canton rivals was due Massillon’s greatest chance for victory. Kammer ripped, slashed and dashed his way through the Canton team for three quarters in one of the greatest exhibitions of playing ever seen in a Massillon-Canton tussle but Kammer’s great efforts were not to be rewarded. He also was a bear on defense but he could not go on forever and the fourth quarter found him leg weary and his energy almost gone. Sharing offensive honors with the brilliant Kammer was Whitey Laughlin, the stocky plunger, who also tore the Canton line to shreds on numerous occasions and once in the fourth quarter saved Massillon’s goal line by throwing Taubensee for a loss of three yards when Canton had but three yards to go for a touchdown on fourth down. But he also, along with Brown and McConnell, began to feel the strain in the fourth quarter.
THE BIG BREAK
The big break of the game came in the third quarter when McConnell, standing back to punt, missed a high pass from Bill Price. It was fourth down. The ball was on Massillon’s 40-yard line. Price shot the ball back to McConnell but it was over the Massillon punter’s head. McConnell reached for it but the ball went through his hands. He covered it on his 30-yard line but the oval went to Canton.

It was then that McKinley began the drive that was to carry it to victory. Quarterback Holmes also began to show his field generalship. He called Taubensee and Kinney into service on short off tackle bucks and they soon had driven through for a first down carrying the ball to Massillon’s 29-yard line. Then the orange and black defense stiffened. Up to that point Canton had not attempted a forward pass. Holmes then dropped back as if to try for a field goal. Instead he shot a bullet pass to Bolender who pulled it out of the air for a 16-yard gain, being tackled on Massillon’s 11-yard line as the quarter ended.

With a touchdown in sight Kinney rammed the line three times and toted the ball to Massillon’s three-yard line with fourth down and two yards to gain for a first down and three to make a touchdown. Taubensee started for Massillon’s left tackle but he never reached the line of scrimmage. Like a battering ram Laughlin smashed through and nailed Taubensee for a loss of three yards and Massillon had staved off the touchdown, getting the ball on its six-yard line.
THE TOUCHDOWN
Massillon could not gain and McConnell punted to Holmes who was tackled on Massillon’s 40. Canton, scenting victory, was not to be denied and was soon off on another march toward the orange and black goal. Holmes opened up with his deadly aerial attack and shot a pass to Bolender for 18 yards. Three line plays then gained only a few yards. Again came fourth down with the ball on Massillon’s 18 and again Holmes dropped back to kick formation but once more he depended upon the aerial game and this time hurled a pass to Clarke, who grabbed the ball and carried it to the six-yard line before being pulled to earth by Kammer. Then Taubensee earned his chance to become Canton’s hero. On the first play he smashed through right tackle for three and on the next he went through the same spot and over Massillon’s goal line for the first touchdown a Canton team has scored on Massillon in four years. Bolender failed to kick from placement for the extra point.

The fourth quarter was still young but Massillon’s offense was gone. Brown opened up with forward passes but to no avail. Canton was watching Massillon’s aerial attack very closely, following Storrie and McConnell, the receivers of Brown’s heaves, like hawks. The game ended with Canton in possession of the ball inside Massillon’s 20-yard line.
CHANCE TO SCORE
Canton did not once get inside Massillon territory in the first half until near the end of the second quarter when Brown fumbled a punt and Canton covered on the Massillon 26-yard line. But Massillon almost continually was playing on Canton ground. In the first quarter the orange and black advanced deeply into Canton territory on an exchange of punts.

McConnell, by a pretty kick, had driven the ball out of bounds on Canton’s six-yard line. Holmes then punted from behind his goal line but he kicked against a strong wind and Massillon got the ball on Canton’s 26-yard line. Massillon marched down to Canton’s six-yard line and a touchdown seemed likely when Kammer was sent on a long end run and was tossed for a five-yard loss. A line plunge might have accomplished more. In addition to this Massillon incurred a 15-yard penalty for holding and was pushed back to the 29-yard line. The ball was brought up to Canton’s 16-yard line when Clark interfered with Storrie as he was about to catch a pass. Laughlin made five at the line but a triple pass fizzled and lost nine. This was made up however when Brown passed to McConnell for 11. But fourth down was coming and Brown tried another forward and this was intercepted by Clark who carried it back 30 yards before being stopped.

With Kammer skirting the ends and smashing the line for steady gains Massillon marched right up the field in the second quarter only to lose another splendid chance to score by a 15-yard penalty for holding. Canton found Kammer almost unstoppable and was being swept back everytime the Massillon star took the ball. Getting the pigskin on Massillon’s 30-yard line Kammer almost single handed, carried the ball for steady gains on end runs and line drives until it was resting on Canton’s 15-yard line. He was given good interference and assisted by Laughlin and McConnell. But then, with Canton weakening fast, a Massillon man was guilty of holding and a 15-yard penalty blasted the chance to score. Canton then took the ball on downs but Plaskett fumbled and W. Harris covered on the 31-yard line. Massillon made another first down but time was nearly up and McConnell tried for a goal from placement from the 32-yard line but it was low.
SCORE ON PLACE KICK
The third quarter still found Kammer plowing through the Canton team for substantial gains. Laughlin also was dong some splendid ball toting and an unbroken march of 45 yards soon had the ball on Canton’s 20-yard line. But Canton’s line held and then Kammer dropped back to the 25 for a place kick. A Canton lineman was offside just as the ball was passed. Kammer put his toe against the leather and the ball sailed over the cross bar for the first points of the game.

Massillon then had its choice of taking the five-yard penalty for Canton’s offside play, which would have given it a first down, or the three points resulting from the place kick. The orange and black took the points; whether that was a wise move will always remain a debatable question. To have taken the penalty would have brought a first down inside Canton’s 15-yard line and a touchdown might have resulted, for Canton was hard beset to stop Kammer’s fast charges and Laughlin’s line plunges. But right then those three points looked like good enough to win and the local team can’t be blamed for taking a sure lead in preference to a doubtful touchdown. Had it taken the gain resulting from the penalty it might have scored and the game ended in a tie or a Massillon victory had the point after touchdown been registered. But why discuss a matter that’s now history. A few moments later came the break that started Canton on its way to victory.
Tough Luck
Massillon – 3 Pos. Canton – 6
Gump LE Bolender
W. Harris LT Woodring
Kelly LG Spence
Price C Ballard
Crone RG Duff
Dommer RT Dunn
Thomas RE Dye
Brown QB Holmes
Kammer LHB Clark
McConnell RHB Plaskett
Laughlin FB Hodnick

Score by quarters:
Massillon 0 0 3 0 3
Canton 0 0 0 6 6

Substitutions:
Massillon – Storrie for Gump, Gump for Storrie, Storrie for Gump, N. Harris for Price, Agler for Thommas, Tipton for Crone, Hax for Brown.

Canton – Sheets for Dye, Taubensee for Clark, Kinney for Plaskett, Rittersbaugh for Spence, Dye for Sheets, Clark for Kinney, Plaskett for Clark, Kauffman for Plaskett.

Touchdown – Taubensee.

Field goal (from placement) – Kammer.

Referee – Dr. Lambert, Ohio State.
Umpire – Swain, Dickinson.
Head Linesman – Barrett, W. & J.

Time of quarters – 12‚ minutes.

Paul Brown

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1925: Massillon 14, Warren Harding 0

INTERCEPTED PASSES BRING 14 – 0 VICTORY OVER WARREN HIGH
LONG DASHES IN 4th QUARTER WIN FLASHY DUEL

Fighting with the ferocity of a Tiger at bay and hurdling obstacles that would have broken the spirit of a less courageous aggregation a determined Washington high school football team last Saturday afternoon at Warren swept over Warren high school’s eleven in relentless fury and came through with a spectacular 14 to 0 victory over its Trumbull county rival in the annual tussle between these two foes.

Two intercepted forward passes in the fourth quarter followed by brilliant dashes down the field of 90 and 95 yards stayed off defeat, routed a dangerous and hard playing opponent and added another victory to the orange and black banner.

With their captain and five other teammates on the sidelines, the victims of a ruling affecting their eligibility, the local team took the field Saturday in a shattered condition but with a fighting spirit that could not be broken and won from a team, that according to all the statistics piled up during the battle, should have won. But that determination to do or die, that comes when adverse odds are greatest, and the ability to play heads up football from start to finish, turned the tide of victory to Massillon.

To the keen foresight and quick judgment of “Whitey” Laughlin and Elwood Kammer must go the credit for Massillon’s sensational triumph. It was these two lads who in the fourth quarter, pulled Warren forward passes out of the air in the shadow of Massillon’s goal posts and converted them into touchdowns for their team by scintillating dashes down the field. Coach Stewart’s athletes were outplayed, no one can deny that but they were not out gamed and because they fought the hardest when their goal line was in danger is the reason they are the victors and Warren the vanquished today.
WEATHER IDEAL
With ideal weather conditions prevailing, the first in many weeks, the game attracted a record crowd that packed every inch in the Moose Park at Warren. And the local team was not without support, about 1,500 Massillonians making the trip to Warren. It was a perfect day for football with the field in good condition with the exception of one spot in the center.

Weakened by the loss of six players through the recent eligibility ruling of Commissioner Townsend, among them Captain Define and Paul Smith, star halfbacks and punter, and Paul Storrie, brilliant end, who has a bad knee, Coach Stewart’s team went into Saturday’s game with all the odds against it. It was stacking up against a formidable opponent that had been pointed for its annual duel with Massillon and with its regulars in the best of condition. But yet it won, another indication that the fighting spirit and courage of a local scholastic team is still without equal in the state.

The orange and black was out played quite decisively by the sturdy Warren team so far as the matter of gaining ground is concerned, making but four first downs to 13 for the eastern Ohio lads but it’s points that win football games and not first downs and Massillon had the margin on points when the battle was over. Warren’s punch, that twice carried its team within Massillon’s 15-yard line, spent itself in a futile attempt to break the orange and black and went to pieces as Massillon swept on to victory.

There are some who might say Massillon was lucky to win Saturday. Sure, the breaks came Massillon’s way and the element of luck might have entered into the deciding issues in the contest but after all if Laughlin and Kammer had not been playing an on-toe type of football they would not have been in position to snare those Warren passes when then came their way. They were doing what they were supposed to do; what any intelligent football player would be doing in a situation of that kind and when the opportunity presented itself for them to place themselves between the Warren forward passer and the receiver they made the most of their opportunities and the result was a Massillon victory. Call it luck if you want to but if that’s luck then the playing of most every so called smart football team must be about 100 percent luck.

With two regular half backs and punters out of the game Coach Stewart sent Brown, Kammer, Laughlin and McConnell into the fray as the Massillon backfield quartet with McConnell to do the punting. Considering that it was the first time this season he has had a chance to do any punting, McConnell performed like a veteran, out-punting his Warren rival throughout the game.

Kammer, of course, carried the bulk of the Massillon offense. He was closely watched and his interference did not work as smoothly as it would have worked with Define and Smith in the game but the sturdy Massillon ace ran and smashed his way through the Warren team for substantial gains.
LAUGHLIN STARS
Laughlin, handicapped all season by a bad leg and playing his first full game of the year, was one of the big stars. This stocky youngster played a great game on defense, tackling hard and being in most every play. Sharing honors with Laughlin on defense was Bill Price, the fighting center, who also had a lot to do in stopping the Warren attack.

Massillon’s line was given a rather stiff battering by the husky Warren backs and had it not been for the splendid playing of the secondary defense the eastern Ohio team might have scored. Kammer, who played safety man, until Warren got within scoring distance, also performed well, twice stopping Warren touchdowns by tackling Warren men after they had gotten away from the balance of the local team.

McKee, whose long dashes around the Massillon ends seldom failed to gain ground, was Warren’s shining light. He was a hard man to stop and a clever ground gainer.

Warren showed its best offense in the third quarter when it took the ball on its 20-yard line and marched it down the field for five first downs in a row before being halted on Massillon’s 16-yard stripe as the fourth quarter opened and then lost its chance to score when Laughlin intercepted a pass and ran 90 yards for the first touchdown.

Both teams were in position to score in the first half but neither possessed the punch to put the ball over the line, either for a touchdown or field goal. In the first quarter Laughlin, ever on the alert, pulled a Warren forward pass out of the air on his 32-yard line and ran it back 47 yards to Warren’s 21-yard line before being halted. Kammer tried for a field goal from the 19-yard line but the kick failed.

Then early in the second quarter Fritz Gump made a brilliant catch of a long forward pass from Brown that would have put Massillon on Warren’s 20-yard line but he was tackled hard by two Warren players and fumbled, Warren covering.

Near the end of the quarter Warren threatened to score when Horner tossed a pass to Polena who gained 30 yards, being downed on Massillon’s 12-yard line. Kammer was the only man in front of Polena and the goal line but he saved the day by bringing the Warren quarterback to earth. Then the Massillon line stiffened and held and McKee dropped back to the 23-yard line for a shot at the goal posts but he dropped the pass from center and Crone fell on the ball.

A few momens later Horner’s fighting spirit got the better of him and he robbed his team of another chance to score. He broke through the Massillon line and made a brilliant dash of 22 yards before being tackled by Kammer. He had carried the ball within Massillon’s 20-yard line but lost the gain when he attempted to stick his fingers into Kammer’s eyes when the Massillonian tackled him.

Early in the third quarter Kammer shot around Warren’s right end for 36 yards, taking the ball to the 15-yard line before being downed. But three shots at the line failed to gain and when Kammer tried another field goal the kick was blocked and Warren got the ball on its 17-yard line.

Then after an exchange of punts the easteners opened their most dangerous march of the day. With McKee and Horner hammering the line and skirting the ends Warren marched the ball down the field for five first downs in a row having the oval on Massillon’s 19-yard line and a touchdown in sight when the quarter ended. They were working smoothly and Massillon seemed unable to stop them.

But with their backs to the wall the Massillon team took a new lease on life and held Warren on the 16-yard line. With fourth down coming and several yards to gain Polena attempted a forward pass in a last desperate effort to score. It was then that Laughlin jumped into the spotlight to snare the pass on his 10-yard line and turn it into a touchdown by racing 90 yards with the Warren team in close pursuit but unable to reach him. Kammer added the extra point by kicking a goal from placement.

Warren, however, was far from being licked and shortly after was again marching up the field. They blocked one of McConnell’s punts and covered the ball on the 40-yard line. With McKee thundering around ends and Horner charging through the line Warren soon had the ball back inside Massillon’s 20-yard line.

They got it as far as the seven-yard line with fourth down and seven to gain. Once again Massillon was fighting fiercely.

Polena again called for a forward pass in an attempt to make the yardage or score a touchdown and again his effort was frustrated for this time Kammer shot across the field, grabbed the ball a yard or two in front of the Warren man who was waiting for the pass and ran 95 yards for the second touchdown. Kammer, fast as lightning, had left the entire Warren team far behind by the time he had reached midfield and had clear sailing. Kammer failed to kick goal but Massillon was awarded a point because Captain Baker of Warren used his hands too freely when the attempt to add the extra point was made.

These two touchdowns took a lot of steam out of Warren and a short time later W. Harris covered a fumble on Warren’s 23-yard line. Massillon however could not gain and McConnell tried a drop kick, which never got beyond the line of scrimmage. As the game ended Warren had carried the ball back to midfield on a long end run by McKee.

Massillon attempted nine forward passes Saturday, working three for only 10 yards while five failed. Warren tried seven, completing three for a total gain of 48 yards. Massillon intercepted three, two of which were turned into touchdowns.
Bring On Canton
Massillon – 18 Pos. Warren – 0
Gump LE Blakely
W. Harris LT Klippert
Crone LG Bawn
Price C Baker
N. Harris RG Marhszll
Kelly RT Braunberms
Thomas RE unreadable print
Brown QB Polena
McConnell LHB Young
Kammer RHB McKee
Laughlin FB Conway

Score by quarters:
Massillon 0 0 0 14 14

Substitutions:
Massillon – Spencer for N. Harris, Singer for Spencer, Agler for Gump, Gump for Agler, Dommer for Kelly, Hax for Brown.

Warren – Horner for Young, Young for Horner, Horner for Conway, Zahn for Klippert, Consider for Bawn.

Touchdowns – Laughlin, Kammer.

Point after touchdown – Kammer, Awarded point for Warren roughness.

Referee – Scullion , Salem.
Umpire – O’Brien, Mt. Union.
Head Linesman – Howells, Sebring.

Time of quarters – 12 minutes.

Paul Brown

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1925: Massillon 6, New Philadelphia 0

BRILLIANT ATTACK IN FOURTH QUARTER WINS FOR MASSILLON
NEW PHILADELPHIA WALLOPED 6 – 0 IN WET GRID FRACAS

Unleashing the fourth quarter of an attack that had in it all the fury of the elements that raged over a water-covered gridiron, football warriors of Washington high school last Saturday afternoon carried to victory on Massillon field the orange and black standard of the local school by defeating New Philadelphia high school 6 to 0 in a game that was played under the worst conditions imaginable. The touchdown that brought victory to Coach David B. Stewart’s warriors was made by “Cannonball” Kammer, the Massillon mud horse, after the local team had carried the ball 80 yards through mud and water in an unbroken march.

About 2,000 fans, nearly half of them from New Philadelphia, stood out in a drenching rain for nearly two hours to see that battle and its climax, which came early in the fourth quarter when the orange and black, seemingly possessed with new fighting spirit, began to rip the tough Tuscarawas county eleven to shreds and plow to victory through water that became deeper and deeper as the rain continued steadily to fall and fall. Marred as it was by Nature’s unrelenting attack of rain and wind the game was an intensely interesting affair that might have developed into a highly spectacular battle had it been staged on a dry field with favorable weather conditions.

Football games may have been played in some parts of the country Saturday under worse conditions than the contest here but surely no worse gridiron battle in Massillon’s history was fought out in any worse weather than that contest here Saturday. A drenching downpour that started hours before the battle continued to fall steadily through the entire afternoon, soaking to the skin spectators and players alike. It might truthfully have been called the pneumonia battle for everyone who braved the elements to witness the contest took his or her life in hand and trusted to luck that Sunday morning they would not be frantically calling for a physician.

But even though the rain fell in torrents and was blown across the field in bold, penetrating waves by a stiff gale from the south about 2,000 fans were huddled around the field attired in slickers, gum boots and other apparel calculated to keep out the rain, but for all their preparations none escaped being drenched.
EVERYBODY SOAKED
Spectators and players, mud bespattered and water soaked, crawled off the field after the game thankful that at last it was over and made all haste homeward where a hot bath and for those fortunate enough, a nip of something stronger than ginger ale, was called into service to restore circulation in chilled and water soaked bodies.

The weatherman has been most unkind to football teams and fans this fall and any one familiar with the condition of Massillon Field in previous games played there his year need not be told that Saturday it was far from being a parade ground. Soaked by the heavy rain it was soon churned into a quagmire once the game started. Water stood on it in most places several inches deep and to this was added that which fell during the game, the rain at times sweeping over the field in torrents, the drops stinging one’s face as they were driven onward before a sweeping wind.

For three quarters the water soaked gridiron enemies battled and tussled through the muddy lake in a vain but valiant effort to score. With the weather against them they seemed to be waging a losing fight and when the fourth period opened the best that any one looked for was a scoreless draw. In fact it seemed almost without the range of human endeavor for either team to gather any points except through the luckiest of breaks.
THE BIG MARCH
But, the fourth quarter had hardly got under way when the rain soaked fans were brought to life as the orange and black, gaining possession of the ball on its own 20-yard line began charging through the mud, ever driving before them a fighting but fast tiring New Philadelphia opponent, until a few minutes later they crashed over the visitors’ goal line for the only touchdown of the game, winning from an enemy that was game to the last ditch but was not able to stand up under the battering and adverse weather conditions as well as its Massillon rivals.

If water soaked reportorial notes and an over taxed memory can be taken as accurate the fourth quarter opened with New Philadelphia in possession of the ball inside Massillon’s 25-yard line. The visitors, held in check, decided to try for a field goal in a desperate effort to score. But the water soaked ball refused to go more than 10 feet off the ground and rolled over the goal line. Captain Vince Define, Massillon safety man, wisely let it roll, thus bringing it out to the 20-yard mark.

Then on the very next play Kammer tucked the oval under his arm and steamed around New Philadelphia’s right end and down the field, finally being stopped with a splash after a 25-yard cruise, the longest gain of the game. That marked the opening of Massillon’s victory march. Thirteen plays later Kammer smashed through the line and tugged the ball over New Philadelphia’s goal line by inches for the score, completing the 80 yard unbroken march during which the orange and black made six straight first downs, more than both teams combined had made in the first three quarters.

After Kammer’s 25-yard dash Define plowed through right tackle for 12 yards. Kammer next tested the stout New Philadelphia line and shoved it back three yards. Brown called for a pass but McConnell missed his toss but the orange and black came back and executed as pretty a triple pass as has been seen all season for a gain of 15 yards. Brown took the ball, passed to Kammer who in turn passed to Storrie and the Massillon end sailed around the visitors’ left wing for 15 yards, putting the ball on the 35-yard mark before being sunk.

Kammer once more cut loose and drove off left tackle for 10 yards, this gain being followed by a double pass, Brown to Define, with Define skirting left end for 12 more. By this time the ball was on New Philadelphia’s 13 yard line. Kammer smashed through right tackle for three and then dented left tackle for four. Define made one at the line. Then Kammer made it a first down, taking the ball to the four-yard line. Here New Philadelphia braced but Kammer shot over the goal line on the next play only to be called back when both teams were offside. On the next attempt Kammer toted the ball to the one foot line and then mashed his way over for the score. The attempt to kick goal failed.
MASSILLON HAS EDGE
By that final desperate drive Massillon came off the field holding a decided edge over the visitors in ground gained although outplayed up to the start of the final period. Massillon made nine first downs to two for New Philadelphia. Coach Stewart’s boys tried seven forward passes, working one and having one intercepted. New Philadelphia attempted nine, none of which were completed and one being intercepted by Massillon.
SOME PUNTING
To the punting ability of Glenn Smith, more than anything else, must go the credit for keeping New Philadelphia in the game. Massillon thinks it has a great little kicker in Paul Smith and it does, but few ever saw a better exhibition of punting under such conditions as existed Saturday, than that given by the New Philadelphia Smith. He clearly out kicked Smith and Define, who did Massillon’s booting, gaining from 20 to 30 yards on every exchange of punts, many of which he got away after taking bad passes from the center, and it was this remarkable exhibition of kicking that made New Philadelphia a dangerous contender during the first three quarters and kept the ball most of the time in Massillon territory.

During the entire first half, play was almost entirely in Massillon territory. New Philadelphia made one first down in the second quarter. Massillon did not make a first down until the start of the third quarter when it ripped off two in quick succession but its spurt was soon checked. Because of the rain and mud it was extremely hard to handle the ball and fumbles occurred frequently but none of them gave either team a chance to get in a position to score.

On such a day as Saturday when one would expect the breaks to be the deciding issue in settling the combat it was rather remarkable that the only points scored should come through the medium of hard driving football, the kind that Massillon put on tap in the fourth quarter.

But Massillon’s victory was almost snatched out of its grasp in the closing minutes by a rather poor play. An attempted forward pass with the ball being thrown to the backfield that had been sent far out on the end nearly spilled the beans. It gave Jenkins, a
red-headed New Philadelphia end, sent into the game in the last period, a chance to distinguish himself and nearly break away for a touchdown. He flashed through the mud to intercept Brown’s pass and carried the ball from his own 25-yard line back to midfield before being tackled by Kelly. Massillon fans breathed easier when they finally saw Jenkins flopped in the mud still many yards from Massillon’s goal line.
What A Game!
Massillon – 6 Pos. New Philadelphia – 0
Gump LE G. Smith
N. Harris LT Melsey
Tipton LG Haney
Fricker C Gardner
Washlick RG Douglas
Dommer RT Gilgen
Agler RE Cale
P. Smith QB Enold
Kammer LHB Ladrich
Define RHB Winspear
Laughlin FB Maloney

Score by quarters:
Massillon 0 0 0 6 6

Substitutions:
Massillon – Price for Fricker, McConnell for Laughlin, Kelly for N. Harris, Brown for McConnell, Storrie for Gump, Thomas for Agler, W. Harris for Tipton, Singer for Dommer, Crone for Washlick, McConnell for Smith, Spencer for Singer, Laughlin for Kammer, Gump for Storrie, Spuhler for McConnell, Williams for Define, N. Harris for Spencer, Fricker for Price.

New Philadelphia – Lafferty for Malone, Jenkins for G. Smith, Mathias for Cale.

Touchdown – Kammer.

Referee – Maurer, Wooster.
Umpire – Bletzer, Mt. Union.
Head Linesman – Shafer, Akron.

Time of quarters – 13 1/3 minutes.

Paul Brown

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1925: Massillon 18, Toledo Woodward Tech. 0

FORWARD PASSING ATTACK SWAMPS WOODWARD TECH, 18 – 0
BROWN- STORRIE PASSES DECIDE TILT FOR LOCALS

“Paul & Paul, Inc., forward passing a specialty.” That, ladies and gentlemen, is the latest combination doing business, in a football way, for Washington high school. The two Paul’s – Brown and Storrie – made their bow to the public as gridiron merchants last Saturday afternoon on Massillon Field when they were the big noise in Washington highs’ 18 to 0 football triumph over the Woodward Tech team, of Toledo, one of the beefiest scholastic outfits Ever to sink a cleat in the local mud-covered battle-ground.

It was the first gridiron encounter between the two schools and the overgrown Toledo boys were sent back home last Saturday evening rather done up and buried under three touchdowns, these three sets of counters being the result of the football business skill of Paul & Paul, the forward passing specialists. All of Massillon’s touchdowns were recorded through the use of the aerial attack and Brown and Storrie negotiated all three of them.

Brown’s duty in this new gridiron combination is to take the ball on a pass from center, dodge around a bit behind the line of scrimmage until his partner, Storrie, can get out into the open and then flip the pigskin into space over the heads of the struggling warriors. The rest of it is up to Storrie. His first task is to pluck his partner’s pass out of the air. Having done this he tucks the ball under his arm and sets sail for his opponent’s goal line, not feeling content that he has carried out his share of the bargain until he plants the ball back of the enemy goal line for a touchdown. Doesn’t sound hard to do and it isn’t when two such master experts as Brown and Storrie are working in such perfect harmony as they were Saturday.
FIELD MUDDY
As was anticipated the battle was waged on another muddy field. The local gridiron was covered with a sticky mixture of water and mud that soon had the players well plastered but the muddy field was not so much of an obstacle to Massillon as it was to Toledo. The visiting gridders, carrying plenty of advoirdupois, soon had additional poundage of mud and water to carry and were hard pressed throughout the sixty minutes of play trying to keep up with the lighter but much faster orange and black outfit.

Massillon opened with a running attack that gained ground consistently. Define and Kammer proved quite adept at splashing through the mud around the Toledo ends, frequently turning in long gains in their cruises around the Woodward Tech wings. Toledo, with its beefy line and heavy backfield, showed to best advantage on smashes through the line but did not have enough stamina to keep pounding the Massillon forward wall long enough to wear it down. Toledo never threatened to score. It showed several spurts in midfield but could not penetrate the Massillon defense when gains might have placed it in position to score.

Toledo came here with a squad of 16 players. And it used them all. It found in Coach Stewart’s aggregation a tough and well-conditioned foe, so tough in fact that several of the Woodward Tech lads wilted before the onslaught of the orange and black and no less than five of them were forced out of the contest with injuries; three of them being rather badly done up.
PULLS ROCKNE STUNT
Massillon Saturday used more players probably than it has ever used before in a single game. Coach Stewart had 35 boys on his first string and every one of them got into the game. The Massillon mentor pulled a regular Knute Rockne stunt in the second quarter when he shoved eight freshmen into the combat at one time, sending in an entire new line and a backfield man. But it was the deciding move in the struggle for on the very next play, Massillon put over its first touchdown, the Brown-Storrie combination opening up with a brilliant forward pass that netted the first points in the battle and proved the undoing of the visiting Lucas county delegation. From then on until the end Coach Stewart kept a steady stream of substitutes dashing into the game until in the final minutes of play he had practically a third string team battling the Tech gridders.

Brown and Storrie, because of their sensational forward passing attack, were the stars of the encounter but Define and Kammer also come in for praise because of their great work in running the ends, both of them being consistent ground gainers. Defensively the entire team showed up well against the heavy Toledo aggregation with Fritz Gump, on left end, and Paul Smith in the secondary defense exhibiting some rare tackling ability.

Captain Zahner was Woodward Tech’s best ground gaining bet. He showed up well in plowing through the line, “Kipke” Staunton, Tech’s Negro backfield star, started off like a flash but his ground gaining activities ceased soon after the game got under way. Ralgalski, Toledo’s heavyweight fullback, was called upon often to carry the ball but he was smeared plenty by the energetic Massillon forwards.
TECH OUTPLAYED
The orange and black clearly outplayed the visitors, making 18 first downs to eight for Toledo. Massillon completed seven out of 15 forward passes for a total gain of 133 yards, three of which brought touchdowns. Seven of the Massillon passes were incomplete while one was intercepted. Brown was on the starting end of most of the overhead heaves. During the closing stages of the game he and McConnell were successful in working a number of passes.

Toledo completed six passes for 51 yards. Eight of its overhead attempts failed while one was intercepted.

The first Brown-Storrie pass, which brought the first touchdown of the game was good for 19 yards. The next was good for 35 yards, Storrie taking a 10-yard heave from Brown and running the remaining 25 yards for the score. The third was worked from Toledo’s
nine-yard line.

Although it scored but three touchdowns Massillon missed three others by inches. In the first quarter Kammer dashed 33 yards around Toledo’s right end and across the goal line only to be called back when the officials ruled Dommer had been guilty of holding. In the fourth quarter the orange and black worked the ball to within a yard of the Toledo goal only to lose it on downs. Then in the closing seconds of the fray Massillon carried the ball to the visitors’ two-yard line with a touchdown in sight as time expired.
SOME PASSING
Kammer and Define kept skirting the Toledo ends for substantial gains during the first quarter but Massillon could not get within striking distance of the visitors’ goal. But in the second period the local team got the ball in midfield and a series of off tackle thrusts and end runs by Kammer, Define and Halpin took the oval to Toledo’s 19-yard line with several yards to make on fourth down. It was at this point that Coach Stewart sent in eight new players and on the very first play after the substitutions Brown flipped the ball to Storrie and the sturdy Massillon end plucked it out of the air and raced across the Toledo goal line for a touchdown.

A few minutes later found Massillon back on Toledo’s 35-yard line and again Brown called the forward pass into play heaving a 10-yard pass into Storrie’s arms and once again Storrie dashed through the mud and across the Toledo goal line.

Storrie and Brown got back into the game again in the fourth quarter and shortly after proceeded to hang up Massillon’s third touchdown. Tech had stopped a Massillon march on its one-yard line and then punted out to its 25-yard line. Kammer and McConnell made a first down on two plays and then made six more before Brown barked out the signals for another forward pass. And once again the Brown-Storrie combination worked in perfect unison, Storrie taking Brown’s pass from the nine-yard line and going over for the third set of counters. All three of Massillon’s attempts to score additional points after the touchdowns failed, because of the soggy condition of the ball which made accurate punting or goal kicking almost impossible.

Paul & Paul
Massillon – 18 Pos. Toledo – 0
Gump LE Moses
N. Harris LT Mowery
Dommer LG Neptune
Fricker C W. Jacobs
Washlick RG Cartin
Tipton RT Harre
Agler RE Rosenberg
Smith QB F. Jacobs
Define LHB Staunton
Kammer RHB Wijauck
Halpin FB Ralgalski

Score by quarters:
Massillon 0 12 0 6 18

Substitutions:
Massillon – Price for Fricker, Thomas for Gump, Kelly for N. Harris, Crone for Washlick, Storrie for Agler, Brown for Halpin, W. Harris for Tipton, Singer for Dommer, Hax for Kammer, Fulton for Storrie, Spencer for Crone, Hummel for Define, Snyder for W. Harris, Herbst for Thomas, Spuhler for Laughlin, Agler for Fulton, Define for Hummel, Kammer for Hax, Gump for Herbst, Fricker for Price, N. Harris for Kelly, Dommer for Singer, Tipton for W. Harris, Laughlin for Halpin, Price for Fricker, Brown for Define, Thomas for Gump Storrie for Agler, W. Harris for Tipton, Kelly for N. Harris, Crone for Washlick, Williams for Kammer, Briggs for Spuhler, Benson for Thomas, Herbst for Storrie, Girt for Briggs, Houghton for Williams.

Toledo – Nadonly for W. Jacobs, Zahner for Nadonly, Jenson for Nepture, Schwelbert for Zahner.

Touchdowns – Storrie 3.

Referee – Shafer, Akron.
Umpire – Tompkinson, Akron.
Head Linesman – Michaels, Ohio State.

Time of quarters – 15 minutes.

Paul Brown

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1925: Massillon 13, Alliance 6

MASSILLON TRIMS ALLIANCE IN FIRST COUNTY TITLE DUEL MUDDY ENCOUNTER
WON BY STEWART OUTFIT, 13 TO 6

Plowing through mud and water in a drenching downpour football warriors of Washington high school last Saturday afternoon plastered a 13 to 6 defeat upon Alliance high in a sloppy gridiron contest on the Mount Union athletic field. Alliance winning their first contest in the annual triangular series with Canton McKinley and Alliance for the scholastic championship of Stark County. The defeat was the first suffered by Alliance this season.

The triumph kept Massillon’s string of victories over its county foes unbroken; the orange and black reigning supreme over its rival residing within Molly Stark’s domain since 1921 when it shared county honors with Canton McKinley. Saturday was a miserable day for a football game. A drenching rain, that started early in the day, continued without a let-up throughout the greater part of the contest. The downpour finally let up toward the end of the battle when a heavy mist settled over the gridiron and the players, soaked with mud and water, were barely discernible and almost unrecognizable as they sloshed back and forth across the water soaked and muddy field.

But it takes more than rain and mud to halt a football game and keep away rabid gridiron fans. Despite the weather about 3,000 persons witnessed the muddy encounter and a good portion of these came from Massillon. It took only a few plays before the athletes on both teams were so covered with mud that it was almost impossible to tell the players on one team from those on the other.

With a record of four straight victories Alliance was out to trim Massillon if possible. Coach Harry Geltz sent into the fray a big, heavy aggregation of lads who fought hard from start to finish, looking much different than the rather pitiful aggregation which Alliance had in 1924. From end to end the Alliance team was heavy but while good defensively Alliance lacked the offensive power of a muddy field to do much with the stout Massillon line.
BAD WEATHER HURTS
The field and weather made it almost impossible for either team to show to good advantage on offense. The gridiron was slippery and the footing poor and an open type of football was almost out of the question. The battle soon developed into a line plunging affair with both teams failing to gain consistently and doing a lot of punting.

Massillon, walloped a week ago by Akron South, was fighting to stage a comeback and showed a decided superiority over Alliance in offensive strength, making 13 first downs to two for the east enders. Most of Massillon’s gains came on off tackle thrusts or plunges through the line with Captain Vince Define and Elwood Kammer bearing the burden of the Massillon attack.

Neither team was successful on end runs, the slippery field making it nearly impossible for either team to conduct a running game with proper interference for the men carrying the ball. Alliance had a good pair of ends in Seigenthaler and Maloney, tall rangy lads, who stopped most of Massillon’s attempts to gain around the ends while Storrie and Thomas also played good defensive games for Massillon.

The wet field and the slippery ball made it decidedly dangerous to depend to any great extend upon forward passes or end runs. Both teams did a lot of punting with time being taken out before each kick so that the centers and punters could wipe off their hands in order to get a good grip on the pigskin.
SPECTACULAR DASH
Alliance scored during the first 15 seconds of play and the touchdown resulted in the big thrill of the contest. Alliance’s points came after an 80-yard dash down the field by Quarterback Firth who pulled down the opening kick off and ran through the Massillon team for a touchdown. It was one of those plays that are seldom seen but when it does come, furnishes the football fan with a highly spectacular performance.

Alliance won the toss and received. Kammer kicked off and Firth made a lunge for the ball. It bounded out of his hands and skidded toward the sidelines. He chased it, made another attempt to pick it up and missed it again. He tried a third time and succeeded. He tucked the ball under his arms and started down the sidelines. His teammates gave him perfect interference and soon he was out in the open, dashing down the field like a madman with the Massillon team in pursuit and the stands a howling mob. Firth started his spectacular run on his 20-yard line and flashed across the Massillon goal at least 15 yards ahead of his nearest Massillon opponent. Alliance failed to kick goal.

This touchdown raised the hopes of Alliance fans who wanted to see their team come through with a victory over Massillon but their hopes were dashed a few minutes later when the orange and black opened up with a line plunging attack that carried the ball across the Alliance goal. Then the added point after touchdown put Coach Stewart’s lads out in the front where they stayed throughout the remainder of the contest.

After Alliance’s touchdown Massillon received. Then followed an exchange of punts with Massillon getting the ball on Alliance’s 30-yard line. Define went through the line for eight and Kammer followed with five to make it a first down. Kammer tried to pass to McConnell but the play failed and then Define made eight through right tackle but the Alliance defense stiffened and Massillon lost the ball on Alliance’s six-yard line.
KAMMER SCORES
Seigenthaler immediately punted and Kammer was tackled on Alliance’s 35-yard line. Kammer cracked the line three times for a first down. Massillon was penalized five for offside but Kammer came back with another thrust through the line for a first down, lugging the ball up to Alliance’s 13-yard line. Brown then attempted a pass which failed and on the next play, Kammer took the ball on a fake punt formation and went around Alliance’s left end, skidding to the goal line before being downed. On the next play he went through the Alliance line for a touchdown and put Massillon ahead by scoring the additional point with a field goal. During the remainder of the first quarter and in the second period neither team was in a good position to score, play mostly being near the center of the field.

Massillon came back in the third quarter with a lot of strength and kept the ball for the most part in Alliance territory, once carrying the pigskin to the Alliance six-yard line but lacked he punch to keep on driving for a touchdown. Two penalties for offside play, however, helped keep Coach Stewart’s lads from scoring in this quarter.

Both teams punted frequently hoping that with the ball wet and hard to handle a break of the game, a fumbled punt, might result in putting them in position to score. This break finally came in the fourth quarter but it was a break in Massillon’s favor and paved the way for the second orange and black touchdown.
FUMBLED PUNT HELPS
Alliance was making a determined bid for another touchdown as the third quarter ended. It got the ball after a punt on Massillon’s 31-yard line and then a pass from Firth to Seigenthaler netted 13, putting the east enders on Massillon’s 18-yard line. But Massillon smothered Alliance’s attempt to score early in the fourth period and gained the ball on its 15-yard line. A short time later Smith punted from midfield.

Firth fumbled the ball as Thomas and Storrie dashed at him. Thomas leaped at the oval but it slipped from his grasp and continued to bound toward the Alliance goal line. Players from both teams began diving after the elusive ball but finally Paul Storrie pounced on it on Alliance’s five-yard line. Then Kammer took a shot at the line but failed to gain.

On the next play Define grabbed the ball and putting all of his strength into his dive leaped through Alliance’s left tackle and sailed over the goal line for Massillon’s second touchdown. Smith failed in his attempt to add another point on a field goal.
Winning Again
Massillon – 13 Pos. Alliance – 0
Storrie LE Seigenthaler
Kelly LT Debee
Singer LG Boyne
Price C Lindamood
Crone RG Shoemaker
Harris RT Miller
Thomas RE Maloney
Define QB Firth
Kammer LHB Norman
Williams RHB Jones
McConnell FB Glenawright

Score by quarters:
Massillon 7 0 0 6 13
Alliance 6 0 0 0 6

Substitutions:
Massillon – Brown for Williams, Smith for McConnell, Tipton for Crone, McConnell for Smith. Smith for McConnell.

Alliance – Shafer for Maloney, Shivley for Miller, Headly for Shively, Bottomy for Jones.

Touchdowns – Kammer, Define, Firth.

Point after touchdown – Kammer.

Referee – Howells, Sebring.
Umpire – Clark, Sebring.
Head Linesman – Shafer, Akron.

Paul Brown

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1925: Massillon 0, Akron South 7

Record Turnout Sees Akron South Win Big Grid Tussle
SCORE TOUCHDOWN IN 2nd QUARTER TO WIN BIG CONTEST

Outsmarted and outplayed from start to finish by an opponent that had speed to burn and was exceedingly wise in gridiron strategy, the orange and black football team of Washington high school last Saturday afternoon ran into its first defeat of the campaign when it was vanquished 7 to 0 by the powerful and undefeated South high eleven of Akron. The contest was played on Massillon field which had been turned into a veritable sea of mud and water by recent rains. The contest attracted a crowd of at least 6,000, the attendance being nearly on an equal with that of the annual battles between Massillon and Canton.

Only because of the fighting spirit of Coach David B. Stewart’s warriors was an even worse defeat averted. Had the local lads been less courageous Akron South probably would have won by a much bigger margin for practically all of the battle was waged in Massillon territory and twice the local warriors came through with game exhibitions of skill, holding the invading rubber city gridders on their one-yard line when it was fourth down and goal to gain.

Two great scholastic football machines tangled in that muddy encounter Saturday and the best team came off the field victorious. South clearly outplayed Massillon from start to finish, making 14 first downs to three for Massillon. It presented a well drilled, smart football machine and its speed was not hampered a bit apparently by the ankle deep mud for the Akronites out-charged the Massillon forwards and plowed their way through the orange and black line of defense with the ease which water goes through sieve.
A DISAPPOINTMENT
It was a big disappointment to the local team and its followers that it should be conquered by Akron South but the defeat was not a disgraceful one. Coach Stewart’s warriors have the satisfaction of knowing that they went down to their first reverse fighting gamely to the last ditch and the defeat, coming after the sensational victory of a week ago over Erie Academy high, should be beneficial. If nothing else it should serve to spur on the Massillonians to greater efforts in their remaining games on the schedule.

What would have been the outcome of the game had it been played on a dry field is a matter of conjecture. But from the style of game Akron South played Saturday it probably would have defeated the local team by a far greater margin. Coach Smiley Weltner of Akron South had his charges well pointed for the Massillon fray. He wanted to win and so did his boys and atone for the defeat Massillon handed South a year ago. South would have been a mighty hard team for Massillon to stop last Saturday under any circumstances and therefore to them must go credit for winning a splendid football victory through the medium of playing a better brand of the autumnal sport than their adversaries.

A well executed triple pass brought victory to South, resulting in the only touchdown of the game after a gain of 31 yards. South used this triple pass but once, but once was enough to spell defeat for the orange and black. The play came in the second quarter just a few minutes after the local team had made its first gallant stand in defense of its goal line, holding the visitors on the one-yard line.
SOUTH TOO FAST
Massillon’s vaunted offense was stopped in its tracks by the fast charging South forwards. The orange and black could not gain on line plays, end runs or through the air. The South gridders scrambled over the sloppy field like ants and were everywhere, busting through the Massillon line continually and stopping Massillon’s backs before they got started.

On offense South was well drilled, it was good on the running game, line smashes and forward passes. It had excellent interference and in Hench, Kroah and Arnette had a trio of backs that were versatile to say the least. They could run or plunge as the occasion demanded. Aultman at quarter was the brains of the visiting machine and a steady little field general he was. He was continually outsmarting Massillon; pulling a line play when an end run was expected or heaving a pass when some other form of attack was looked for.

But one of the biggest stars on the Akron team was right end, K. Sweet, a tow-headed lad, who was a bear on defense and a shining light on offense. South’s forward passes generally traveled from one side of the line across to the other side and it was generally Sweet’s job to get from his end, through the squirming mass of players to the opposite side to take Aultman’s passes and he generally did, getting away with one for a 42-yard gain, only being stopped from scoring a touchdown by Smith.
KELLY IS BIG HERO
Because of the fact that it was up against a superior team and was taking a drubbing, Massillon’s team as a whole did not show up very well Saturday. Nothing like it did in the first three starts when victory perched on the shoulders of the local warriors but there was one lad in the Massillon lineup Saturday who came out of the tussle just a short time before it ended covered with mud and glory. That was Leo Kelly, right guard. Had every man on the Massillon line played in the same smashing manner that Kelly did a different story might be told.

He was easily Massillon’s hero. He outshone all of his teammates, towering head and shoulders above them by his brilliant defensive work. But the terrific game Kelly played began to tell on him in the fourth quarter and Coach Stewart finally relieved him. He same plodding off the field nearly exhausted and fell in a heap in front of the Massillon bench but he had acquitted himself nobly, played so splendidly in fact that Akron South’s players congratulated him for his work.

Coach Weltner had his men well trained to stop Kammer, Define and the other Massillon backfield stars. South played such a rushing game that it was on the Massillon backs before they could lift their feet out of the mire. The orange and black never launched one serious threat to score in the entire game, seldom being able to get the ball in Akron territory. Massillon never was within South’s 30-yard line and play in the fourth quarter was almost continually inside Massillon’s 30-yard line with the local team being called upon to batter down and turn back repeated onslaughts of the Akron team.

South complete six out of 12 passes for a total gain of 103 yards. Four of its passes failed and Massillon intercepted two. The local team worked three passes for 27 yards, failing in three others and having Akron intercept three.

South began to show its power late in the first quarter when Aultman heaved a pass to K. Sweet for a 20-yard gain. Then Aultman came back with a heave to Arnette for 12 yards and the ball was on Massillon’s 20. Steady hammering at the line brought a first down and carried the oval to the eight-yard line. Three plays had been run off when the quarter ended and South had lugged the oval to the one-yard line with goal to gain on the first play in the second quarter. The orange and black was fighting desperately to stem the Akron tide.

Then as the second quarter opened the local team gave its first great exhibition of gameness by stopping Akron on its one-yard line. Hench carried the ball on a line smash. He hit the line with all his power but gained nary an inch. Smith immediately punted out of danger, the little Massillon kicker giving a good exhibition of punting on a muddy field.
THE TOUCHDOWN
But South was not to be denied. Getting the ball on Massillon’s 31-yard line Aultman began to open up. His first attempt to K. Sweet failed. Then he gave the signal for the triple pass, evidently worked out especially for the Massillon game. Snap, snap went the ball as it passed from the center to Aultman and then to Hench. Hench started out as if he was about to dash around Massillon’s right end. But instead he stopped, wheeled and heaved the ball over the tussling warriors into the waiting arms of Aultman who had dashed down the right side of the field. There was no one between Aultman and the Massillon goal except Captain Vince Define. The Massillon leader nailed Aultman as he reached the line and brought him to earth but the Akron quarterback was over and the game won for Akron.

Between halves both teams shed themselves of as much excess mud soaked rainment as possible. The Massillon backs came out attired in rubber pants while Coach Weltner had all his players remove their stockings, playing in bare legs. Both coaches wanted speed and the only way to get it was to lighten the equipment the players were carrying.

It was late in the third quarter that South made its next threat to score a touchdown. Play had been mostly in midfield until South secured the ball in the middle of the field on a punt. Then once again Aultman opened his aerial attack and heaved a pass to K. Sweet who snatched the water-soaked ball out of the air and ran 42 yards before being dropped on Massillon’s seven-yard line by Smith.

Massillon was then called upon to give another exhibition of gameness as Akron began to hammer away at the line in an effort to drive through for a touchdown. Three plays took the ball up to the one-yard line as the quarter ended. Massillon was giving up ground but not without a terrific battle.

On the first play in the fourth quarter Akron started another line play but the ball slipped out of Hench’s fingers and Dommer shot though and pounced on it on the five-yard line, averting a touchdown. Then came a punt and an intercepted pass by Smith to give Massillon the ball to midfield. Here the orange and black in a last desperate effort to score opened up with passes but after making a first down Kammer fumbled on of Brown’s passes long enough to let K. Sweet intercept. McCoy then slipped around end for 20. A bad break for Massillon came a moment later when Define fumbled Aultman’s punt on his 10-yard line, Akron covering. But once again Massillon was able to stave off the visitors and after four plays had failed Massillon got the ball on its eight-yard line. The rest of the battle was fought out inside Massillon’s 40-yard line with Akron making a drive toward the local goal in the closing minutes when Arnette and Hench in two plays carried the ball from midfield to Massillon’s 10-yard line. But South was stopped on the three-yard line as the game ended.
**********
Every available inch of seating space and all the standing room around Massillon Field was filled Saturday with spectators. Akron said it was going to send at least 1,000 to the game and from all appearances it did. The Akron South high band was on hand. The visiting rooters had a section on the east side of the field. The contest attracted one of the largest crowds in the history of scholastic athletics.
**********
Nothing can be said for the condition of the field. It was a mass of mud and water which was soon churned into a sloppy mess after the first few plays. The contesting warriors were hardly distinguishable after the first few downs.
**********
Massillon Field is not equipped with any underground drainage on the playing sector but it has a good base of gravel and sand which affords good drainage. The water which collected on the top of the field was surface water and probably would not have been carried away by underground tile. The surface was soft and slippery but the base was firm and the players did not sink very deep.
Sad But True
Massillon – 0 Pos. Akron South – 7
Gump LE Hirsman
N. Harris LT Douglas
Crone LG Stahl
Price C Meidert
Kelly RG Ports
W. Harris RT N. Sweet
Thomas RE K. Sweet
Smith QB Aultman
Kammer LHB M. Kroah
Laughlin RHB Arnette
Halpin FB Hench

Score by quarters:
Akron South 0 7 0 0 7

Substitutions:
Massillon – Define for Halpin, McConnell for Laughlin, Storrie for N. Harris, Brown for Smith, Smith for Define, Halpin for McConnell, Dommer for Crone, Storrie for Gump, Define for Halpin, Agler for Storrie, Storrie for Dommer, McConnell for Smith.

Akron – Sirela for H. Sweet, Popeka for Stahl, McCoy for M, Kroah.

Touchdown – Aultman.

Points after touchdown – Aultman.

Referee – Shafer, Akron.
Umpire – Kester, Mount Union.
Head Linesman – Bast, Massillon.

Time of quarters – 15 minutes.

Paul Browne

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1925: Massillon 17, Erie (PA) Academy 10

KAMMER STARS His Great Playing Brings Victory In Sensational Tussle

A golden tornado blew into Erie Pennsylvania Saturday afternoon, swooped down on the Academy stadium where it played havoc for an hour, and then rushed away, leaving behind a sorrowful band of rooters to mourn the defeat of their brilliant football team.

The hurricane game from the direction of Massillon and like all hurricanes, carried away the spoils, a 17 to 10 victory over the highly touted Erie Academy team which at times threatened to get the better of its Massillon enemy.

That game will go down in the history of athletics, being the kind you read about in novels, keeping the several hundred Massillon fans and the equal number of Erie followers in a constant state of excitement. Nerves were at their highest pitch but were relieved at the middle of the last period when the tornado went wild and wiped away its opponents.

Elwood Kammer played the part of Harold Lloyd in the “Freshman” in the last quarter, bringing victory to his team when defeat seemed certain. However, there was no comedy about Kammer’s performance. He was the backbone of the orange and black attack and besides scoring 12 of his team’s points, kept the Massillon offensive in motion during the entire game. He scored the points that spelled victory with a 30-yard run around right end, immediately after “Bill” Price had intercepted an Erie pass. While Thomas, Massillon’s right end, was not carrying the ball, he was the man who spilled two Erie men at one time when they were about to tackle Kammer in his dash to victory.

Erie, as expected, put up a great showing against the youthful Tigers. While not exhibiting a wonderful offense, the team showed a powerful defense when playing in the shadow of its own goal posts. Time after time the Massillon machine rambled smoothly down the field until Erie was forced to back up to its goal posts. Then with the aid of secondary defense playing close to the line, the Erie team stiffened and blocked the steam roller holding once on the one foot line. Hickey was the best ground gainer for Erie and several times slipped away for nice gains.

Massillon fans seeing chances for victory snatched from the air so often in the third quarter began to feel doubtful if their team would go home with flying colors, which they so richly deserved, after playing Erie off its feet. It looked doubtful in the last period when the orange and black made a first down on the one-yard line. On the first attempt Erie held, but on the second smash, Kammer managed to hold the pigskin across by a few inches, enough to score anyway. A pass from McConnell to Brown who sprinted to the one-yard line was directly responsible for the touchdown, the play bringing a gain of 35 yards. The Massillon attack became stronger when Brown was shoved into the fray, his ability at throwing passes aiding materially.

Vince Define, the best safety man on the team, was missed considerably. Vince started the contest but lasted only a few minutes, being put out for scrapping with Rumble, said to be Erie’s star guard. Vince’s ability at running back punts was especially missed, neither Brown nor Smith being able to return kicks as well as the Navarre flash. It appeared that Define should not have gone out of the game as Rumble took the first swing which started the argument. Newspaper reporters did not see Vince strike back, but Referee Doing evidently had better eyes for Define was ejected from the game as was Rumble

Head Linesman Metcalf, of Erie either lost his eyesight, mind or both, in the second period when Massillon held Erie for downs on the local’s 32-yard line. Metcalf, instead of ordering his linesmen in Massillon’s direction, declared it to be fourth down, thus giving Erie an opportunity to carry the ball again and make a first down. Shortly afterwards the Pennsylvania team collected three points when Hostettler booted the ball between the bars from placement. Those three points should never have counted. Referee Doing failed to note Metcalf’s error, at least he paid little heed to Coach Stewart and the Massillon fans who set up a clamor because of the error.

Erie’s other points came as a result of a blocked kick. Parsons, center, breaking through the Massillon line and blocking Smith’s punt. The ball rolled over the goal line, and Frame, tackle, bounced on the pigskin for six easy points. Hostettler did his part by kicking the goal from placement for the extra point.

The orange and black offense was far superior to that of Erie, rolling up a total of 17 first downs to Erie’s five, one of which came on Metcalf’s boner. The Massillon team made the required yardage seven times in the third period and six times in the fourth making thirteen first downs in that second half, while Erie failed to register a single one in that time. Theirs came in the first and second periods, two and three being made in each quarter respectively. Massillon made three in the first and one in the second.

While the aerial attack was not as deadly as it was a week ago, five passes were completed for a gain of 65 yards. Erie completed three for 20 yards, the orange and black intercepting two and Erie one.

Smith’s punting featured big for Massillon, his kicks often going for 50 yards, passing over the head of the Erie safety man and rolling to the goal line. His boots were well placed and high so that the ends usually downed the receiver without a return,

Massillon fans turned out strong in spite of the cold weather, nearly half the crowd being from this city. The 192 who made the trip in the special train, followed the band through the Erie streets to the Y.M.C.A. where a short rally was held. The band also played at the “Y” following the game. Many people made the trip in automobiles also. A dance was given for the Massillon people following the game. Most of the fans, however, returned immediately after the contest.

As the final whistle blew a rabid Erie fan rushed to the press box with the statement that Massillon put the best exhibition of football on the field that he had ever seen from a high school team.

Coach Stewart showed another player Saturday afternoon in “Ned” Pizzino, mascot of the team, who showed how forward passes ought to be caught and punts kicked. “Ned” was all dressed up in regular football regalia and entered the field leading a bulldog with orange and black colors. A Tiger would have been more fitting but Tigers are scarce, and “Ned” is glad of it.

The display of Massillon colors, the uniformed band, the mascot, and Coach Stewart’s way of trotting his team of 38 on the field brought out the remark from an Erie fan, that Massillon sure knows how to spread it on and knows how to back a team.
Some Victory
Massillon – 17 Pos. Erie Academy – 10
Gump LE McManus
Storrie LT Frame
Singer LG Sweet
Price C Parsons
Crone RG Rumble
W. Harris RT Little
Thomas RE Goodman
Smith QB Grassberger
Define LHB Hickey
Kammer RHB Fuller
Halpin FB Hostettler

Score by periods:
Massillon 3 0 0 14 17
Erie 0 10 0 0 10

Substitutions:
Massillon – Laughlin for Define, McConnell for Laughlin, Dommer for Singer, Brown for Halpin, Halpin for McConnell, Agler for Gump, McConnell for Halpin, Kelley for Dommer, Agler for Storrie.

Erie – Church for Rumble, Straso for Church.

Touchdowns – Frame, Kammer 2.

Point after touchdown – Hostettler, Smith 2.

Field goals (by placement) – Halpin, Hostettler.

Referee – Doing.
Umpire – Martin.
Head Linesman – Metcalf.

Time of periods – 15 minutes.

Here’s How Massillon
Walloped Erie Gridders

The orange and black elected to kickoff and Halpin booted the ball to the five-yard line, Fuller returning 18 yards. Grassberger went off tackle for two and Frame then punted to Define who was downed on his 45-yard line.

Massillon was penalized five yards for offside. Halpin made four and Kammer added another yard before Smith punted 50 yards to the eight-yard line.

Grassberger got away a poor punt which landed on his own 31-yard line.

Kammer hit center for four and Halpin the same spot for another. Kammer made five more and a first down on the Erie 21-yard zone. Kammer made four more and a pass, Define to Thomas was blocked. Kammer went off tackle for five and hit the same spot for a first down on the Erie 11 by inches. Define lost two and a Massillon pass failed. Frame threw Kammer for a one-yard loss. Halpin then stepped back and kicked a goal from placement from the 25-yard line.
Score Massillon 3, Erie 0.

Fuller kicked to Define who returned to the 31-yard line. Kammer made four, Define three and Kammer then went through for a first down in midfield. Smith lost five, Parsons and McManus tackling. Define lost two more, Frame spilling him. Define punted 43 yards to the fifteen-yard line. A scrap ensured and Define and Rumble were put out of the game.

Frame slipped and lost two. Frame punted to the 36-yard line and Laughlin was downed in his tracks. Halpin fumbled and recovered for a loss of 11 yards. He repeated the stunt and lost five more. With the ball in midfield Smith punted over his goal line.

The pigskin was put in play on the 20-yard line. Grassberger made a yard and Hickey added two more. Frame then punted to Massillon’s 28. Smith returned the punt with a kick of 62 yards, the ball rolling over the Erie goal line.

Again the oval was put in play on the 20 mark. Erie was penalized five for being offside. Frame punted to Smith on the 38. Kammer made three and Halpin two. A pass, Halpin to Gump, was grounded. Smith attempted a drop kick, the ball touching a Massillon player on the 25-yard line and going to Erie at that point. Hickey and Hostettler negotiated Erie’s first down on two plays. Grassberger circled left end for 13 yards and a first down in midfield as the quarter ended.
SECOND QUARTER
Hickey made four yards and Grassberger passed to Goodman for 10 yards on the next play. The following five plays negotiated a first down for Eire. Head Linesman Metcalf losing his “noodle” and permitting the extra play to go by. Hickey lost three yards, Thomas tackling. On the next play he carried the ball making up his loss. Grassberger passed to Hickey for eight yards. Grassberger failed to gain. The ball should have gone to Massillon at this point had it not been for Metcalf’s blunder. Another play was dished out and Hickey gained five yards giving Erie an undeserved first down. They were penalized five yards immediately for being offside. Hostettler made a yard, and a pass, Grassberger to Fuller, failed to gain. Hostettler booted a goal from placement tying the score at 3 all.

Halpin kicked to McManus who was dropped on his 25-yard line. Frame punted to the Massillon 30 and Smith punted back to the Erie 38. Grassberger made two but Frame lost eight who then punted to the Massillon 25 yard line, Smith being dropped without gain. Smith punted to midfield. Hickey hit left tackle for three, but Grassberger lost two. Hostettler made two and Frame then punted to the 15-yard line. Kammer negotiated a first down in two plays but the orange and black was penalized 15 yards for holding. Kammer made four and on the next play, Parsons slipped through and blocked Smith’s punt, the ball rolling over the goal line and Frame pouncing upon it. Hostettler kicked goal.
Score: Massillon 3, Erie 0.

The orange and black kicked off to Fuller who returned to the 30-yard line. Hickey made six and Fuller three. Grassberger then plowed through for a first down on the Erie 15. Hickey was stopped without gain. Two passes were incomplete and Frame punted to the Massillon 20 as the half ended.
THIRD QUARTER
Smith punted to Frame on the 35-yard line. Frame immediately punted back to the Massillon 20, Brown returning the pigskin 28 yards putting the oval on the 48-yard line. Kammer made four yards on a line buck. He then lost one but on the next play circled left end for 23 yards planting the pigskin on the 29-yard line. Massillon fans were yelling wildly for a touchdown. Halpin made five more and Erie was penalized 15 yards for McManus holding, giving the youthful Tigers the ball on the 11-yard line.

Kammer made two and was stopped without gain. A pass was incomplete and Storrie dropped the next pass on the goal line.

Frame punted to the 45-yard line. Halpin made two yards and Kammer seven more. Kammer was stopped without gain. On the next play he made a first down. Kammer in two plays made another first down, placing the ball on the 10-yard line. On the next play he lost one and then carried the ball for a gain of two yards. Erie was penalized five yards for being offside and the orange and black was given the ball on its third down on the four-yard line. Again Erie’s strong line arose to the occasion and Kammer was stopped on his second attempt on the one foot line. Frame punted back to the 23-yard line. Brown’s pass to Halpin lost a yard. Kammer lost another. Brown’s pass was intercepted by Grassberger. Fuller punted to midfield. Smith made seven and Kammer two. The battering ram added two more on his next plunge bringing a first down on the Erie 40. Brown passed to Smith for a gain of 15 yards and repeated for a three-yard gain. Kammer made three and a pass, Brown to Halpin netted another. Kammer then fumbled on the
13-yard line and Academy recovered. Frame punted to midfield, Brown returning to the 47-yard line. Smith failed to gain, Brown, pass to Smith gained three. The quarter ended with Massillon in possession of the ball on Erie’s 40-yard line.
FOURTH QUARTER
A pass was grounded. Brown passed to Kammer for 12 yards and a first down on Erie’s 28-yard line. Kammer made five and added four more. He then made first down on the 11-yard line. Smith and Kammer each added a yard. A triple pass, Smith to Brown to Kammer, was worked to perfection only Kammer was more than 10 yards behind the Erie goal line when he caught the ball and the play did not count. This was a piece of real tough luck for the Massillon gridders who had just executed as pretty a play as was ever put on the gridiron.

Erie was given the ball on the 20-yard line. Hickey failed to gain and Hostettler made two. Fuller than punted to his 36-yard line, McConnell taking a fair catch. McConnell heaved a pretty pass to Brown who scampered to the one-yard line. Kammer failed to gain, but on his next attempt carried the ball across, amidst a din of enthusiasm. Smith kicked the extra point.

Smith kicked to the 10-yard line to Hostettler who returned 15. Hickey made a yard and Price then intercepted Grassberger’s pass on the former’s 30-yard line. On the next play Kammer circled right end for 30 yards and a touchdown, Thomas giving excellent interference. Smith added the point.
Score: Massillon 17, Erie 10.

Frame kicked to McConnell who was stopped on the 30-yard line. Kammer failed to gain and made a yard on his next plunge. Smith punted to the Erie 33-yard line. A pass was grounded. Kammer intercepted a pass on the 30-yard line. Kammer made three around right end . Brown made two more. A pass was incomplete. Smith missed a dropkick by a few feet from the 30-yard line.

Erie’s ball on the 20. A pass was grounded. Grassberger made five around end. Grassberger punted to the Massillon 13-yard line. Kammer failed to gain. Kammer lost a yard. Smith punted over the goal line as the game ended.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1925: Massillon 48, Zanesville 0

HIGH GRIDDERS, ON RAMPAGE, BURY ZANESVILLE; 48 – 0
Uncover Spectacular Aerial Offensive To Wallop Downstaters

Riddling their opponents with knife like thrusts through the line, speedy dashes around the ends and uncorking as brilliant and deadly an aerial attack as any high school team has shown in years, the orange and black pigskin chasers of Washington high school last Saturday afternoon buried the Zanesville high team under a 48 to 0 score on Massillon Field, registering their second successive victory of the 1925 campaign. The Muskingham county aggregation never had a chance.

The downstaters fought hard but they were completely out-classed, Coach David B. Stewart’s victory-hunting warriors simply mopped up the gridiron with their Zanesville opponents and then sending them back home to recover from one of the worst defeats ever inflicted upon the downstate school. The local team, slow to get started because of numerous penalties in the first half, reached the peak of its attack in the second half and from then on did about as it pleased.

It was a smooth working outfit which Coach Stewart presented Saturday. In the opening game with Akron East a week ago the orange and black looked a bit ragged but not so Saturday. In the Zanesville encounter the team stepped along like a well oiled machine, seldom failing to carry through to a successful conclusion any drive it started.

Seven touchdowns were rolled up by the Massillon gridders during the course of the afternoon’s melee. Three of these were hung up by Kammer, the line cracking fiend, two by Laughlin and one each by Halpin and Brown. Zanesville never once threatened the Massillon goal line. In fact it never got inside Massillon’s 40 yard line.

Only two first downs were credited to the visitors. One of these came through a 12-yard forward pass. The other resulted from a 15-yard penalty inflicted on Massillon. Coach Stewart’s warriors ripped and passed their way through the Zanesville team for 20 first downs.
GREAT AERIAL ATTACK
Everyone expected the local team to be able to gain a lot of ground on straight football but few looked for the orange and black to come through with such a well drilled and brilliant aerial attack. The local team worked seven out of 13 passes for a total gain of 123 yards. Five of its passes failed and Zanesville intercepted one. The visitors tried 18 passes, working but two for a total gain of 20 yards. Thirteen of their attempts failed while Massillon intercepted two.

It was Captain Vince Define and Paul Brown who successfully engineered the starting of the forward passing attack. Both showed great accuracy in heaving the ball into the arms of their teammates, although they have radically different systems for passing. Define is the type of passer who gets a lot of distance into his heaves, most of his passes traveling from 15 to 30 yards. Brown on the other hand, just takes the ball and flips it five or 10 yards into the waiting arms of a teammate. But both are cool, heady players, not the least bit inclined to get flustered and the type of performers who never shoot their passes until they see a man out in the open.

With these two lads continuing to direct the aerial attack with the same efficiency they displayed Saturday. Coach Stewart’s team is going to be mighty hard to stop. But not all the credit for the brilliant passing exhibition goes to Define and Brown. They did their part and did it well but credit also must be given to the lads on the receiving end, some great catches being made by Laughlin, Gump McConnell and Smith. Laughlin in particular made a beautiful catch of one of Define’s 30 yard heaves in the third quarter and it brought a touchdown, Laughlin plucking the ball out of the air just as he crossed the goal line, when it seemed that the ball would fall to the ground untouched.
PLAYERS PERFORM WELL
From the way the local team played Saturday it would be mighty hard to pick out an individual star. Coach Stewart used many players and they all performed well. The line completely outplayed Zanesvilles forward wall, never once being dented by the Zanesville backs for any substantial gains and opening big holes for the Massillon backs to play through. The Massillon backfield men all showed up well. Halpin probably showed the most improvement. This tall, rangy youth is coming along fast and is going to be heard from more than once before the season closes. Laughlin also looked much better than a week ago. The veterans – Devine, Kammer, Smith and Brown – played their customary good games. They have already proved their worth.

Zanesville showed only one out-standing performer. He was Bynum, a flashy Negro halfback, who was the most consistent gainer for the visitors.

He is fast and hard to stop but with the balance of his team so completely outclassed it was hard for him to do much. He was forced out of the game in the third quarter with an injury and with him gone Zanesville’s attack was a complete flop.
SLOW FIRST HALF
The battle started with Massillon receiving. The orange and black carried the ball up the field on steady line bucks to the 30-yard line. Then a series of penalties robbed the team of a chance to score. But after an exchange of punts Zanesville fumbled on its 31-yard line and Kammer pounced on the ball. Then on the next play he smashed through right tackle and dashed 31 yards for the first touchdown. Halpin kicked goal.

That was all the scoring in the first quarter but hear the middle of the second period Define carried a Zanesville punt back to the visitors’ 40-yard line. Then followed a 15-yard penalty on Zanesville and a 15-yard dash by Define around right end, taking the ball within the 20-yard line. Halpin inserted himself into the Zanesville line and gained three. Kammer bucked again and the ball was on the forward line. Then Define toted it to within inches of the goal line and on the next play Kammer went over. McConnell drop kicked for the extra point.

It was shortly after that Zanesville displayed its only real offensive thrust of the game when Bynum heaved a pass to Farmer for 12 yards and the visitors’ first first down. Another pass gave them eight more but they lost the ball on downs on Massillon’s 40-yard line. Define tore off 25 yards around right end and then heaved a 15-yard pass to Brown but the whistle halted hostilities, the half ending with Massillon leading 14 to 0.
LAUGHLIN’S GREAT CATCH
Things started off with a rush at the start of the third quarter and before the fans got settled Massillon had a touchdown, the result of a beautiful Define-Laughlin pass. Massillon received and Kammer went around end on the first play for 20 yards. Define, Laughlin and Kammer negotiated a first down in three plays and then Define grabbed the ball for a pass. The Massillon leader looked his field over well and then leaping into the air shot the ball down the field 30 yards to Laughlin who made a wonderful catch on the goal line and stepped over for the third touchdown. Price kicked goal.

That was the signal for quite a lot of Massillon scoring. Getting the ball in midfield on a punt, Define once more uncorked his aerial attack, this time heaving a 30-yard pass to Fritz.Gump who plucked the ball out of the air with educated fingers and was downed on Zanesville’s 17-yard line. Then Bullet Kammer was called on again and once more he delivered skirting Zanesville’s left end for 17 yards and the fourth touchdown. Price again kicked goal.

Another touchdown was to come before the quarter ended. Zanesville punted out on its 46-yard line. Halpin rammed through for 16 yards and on the next play made nine. Define made it a first down, taking the ball to the six-yard line. He made two on his next attempt and then Laughlin tucked the ball under his arm and went through for the fifth set of counters. Halpin kicked goal.

By this time Zanesville was desperate and ready to try anything and they opened the fourth quarter with a barrage of forward passes but none of them worked. Massillon finally came in possession of the ball on Zanesville’s 11-yard line and Define and Halpin carried it to the
two-yard line from where Brown bucked it over. Halpin’s attempt to kick goal was blocked.
BROWN FLIPS PASSES
It was then that Brown began his forward passing attack. Halpin intercepted a Zanesville pass on the visitors’ 38-yard line and carried it back to the 29-yard marker. Brown flipped a pass to McConnell for nine and Halpin made a first down. Halpin made five on the next buck and then Brown tossed another pass to McConnell, this one being good for 11 and planting the ball on the three-yard line. McConnell bucked for two and Halpin went over. Halpin also kicked goal, bringing the Massillon total up to 48.

The orange and black was well on its way to another touchdown when the whistle blew, the ball being held for downs. Zanesville punted to Brown who was downed on his 30-yard line. Brown immediately flipped a pass to Fulton for nine and then Williams, who had just cantered into the tussle, ripped off two gains of 13 yards each on dashes around left end. Then came another first down on three line plays, the ball being on the 20-yard line. Brown called his forward passing machine into action and tossed to Williams for nine.

Two bucks carried the ball to the four-yard line as the game ended.

Besides showing general all around improvement in both their offense and defense the orange and black also showed that a week’s practice had done wonders to develop place kickers. In the first game the local team did not make a point after touchdown but Saturday it missed only one in seven attempts. Halpin, Price and McConnell showing up well in this department.
Real Football
Massillon – 48 Pos. Zanesville – 0
Fulton LE Atha
W. Harris LT Watson
Singer LG Jones
Fricker C Sheridan
Tipton RG Price
W. Harris RT Williams
Thomas RE Lowe
Smith QB Bynum
Halpin LHB Schultz
Kammer RHB Farmer
Laughlin FB W. Smith

Score by quarters:
Massillon 7 7 21 13 48

Substitutions:
Massillon – Crone for Tipton, Gump for Fulton, Define for Laughlin, McConnell for Halpin, Storrie for N. Harris, Dommer for W. Harris, Brown for P. Smith, Hummell for Kammer, Agler for Thomas, Price for Fricker, Laughlin for McConnell, Thomas for Agler, Kammer for Hummell, Smith for Brown, W. Harris for Dommer, Halpin for Kammer, Spuhler for Laughlin, Brown for Smith, Kelly for Washlick, Agler for Thomas, McConnell for Define, Dommer for Kelly, Williams for Spuhler, Spencer for Crone, Herbst for Gump, Fulton for Agler.

Zanesville – Batman for Sheridan, Morton for Watson, K. Sheridan for Farmer, Hinley for Williams, Maxwell for Jones, Botan for Atha, Allen for Lowe, Jones for Watson, Roberts for K. Sheridan, Hinley for Jones, Bynum for Schultz.

Touchdowns – Kammer 3, Laughlin 2, Brown, Halpin.

Points after touchdown – Halpin 3, Price 2, McConnell.

Referee – Maurer (Wooster).
Umpire – Tompkinson (Akron U.).
Head Linesman – Nish (Massillon).

Time of quarters – 3 1/3 minutes

Paul Brown.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1925: Massillon 30, Akron East 0

HIGH GRIDDERS SHOW CLASS IN OPENER TO TRIM AKRON EAST
5 TOUCHDOWN REGISTERED BY STEWART CREW

With “Cannon Ball” Kammer denting the line for steady gains with his bullet-like thrusts, Captain Vince Define cutting loose with several neat dashes around the wings and McConnell, a tall, rangy but hard driving youngster, playing his first game of varsity football, thrilling a crowd of about 4,000 by some spectacular catching of forward passes, the orange and black football team of Washington high school last Saturday afternoon auspiciously ushered in its 1925 campaign by burying the heavy Akron East high team under a 30 to 0 score on Massillon Field. Five touchdowns were rolled up by Coach David B. Stewart’s warriors, three of these coming in the last quarter when the Massillon youngster cut loose with a dazzling array of open play formations and an aerial attack that swept the invading rubber city lads off their feet and made their defeat convincing and crushing.

The air of uncertainty which has hovered over the local football hemisphere ever since the high school team started its training over a month ago about Coach Stewart’s green line being able to stand up under a heavy battering and come through without being shattered was somewhat dispelled during the progress of Saturday’s initial fray when those much discussed linemen delivered with flying colors and for all but a few minutes of tussle stopped the plunges of the heavy Akron backs almost in their tracks. These lads demonstrated that Coach Stewart right now has in the making as brawny and capable a set of linemen as has ever worn the colors of the local school.

True they still need polishing to rub off some of the rough spots but more practice and the experience they gained Saturday in actual conflict will prove invaluable to them and unless all indications fail they will improve with each succeeding contest. In fact the entire team is still a bit show of the machine like play that marks the successful attack of a winning aggregation but Coach Stewart has promising football material in abundance with plenty of speed and driving power that should give the orange and black an outfit that can hit the line, run the ends or forward pass as the occasion demands.
AUDDETH AKRON STAR
The only time that Akron East really threatened was for a few minutes in the second quarter when Suddeth, the giant Negro fullback of the visitors, began to tear up the dirt with his number tens and ram his way through a temporary weak spot he found in the right side of the Massillon line. Suddeth, a powerful chap weighing about 185 pounds, certainly plugged away like a good fellow during those few minutes. Akron East carrying the ball from deep in its own territory to well into Massillon ground, making four first downs without a break but then just as the whistle halted hostilities Kammer shot a devastating shell into the Akron camp by picking one of Suddeth’s passes out of the air on his 20-yard line and removing the Akron menace.

During the rest of the game Suddeth and his companions rammed the Massillon line time after time and seldom succeeded in jarring it. The best thing to prove the tenacity of the Massillon line is a comparison of the first down made by the rival elevens.

Akron East moved the 10-yard line but five times. Massillon registered 20 first downs. This shows better than anything the relative strength of the two teams. Massillon did not get a first down in the second quarter but it was mighty hard to stop in the other three. Akron never got within Massillon’s 20-yard mark so it could hardly be said that the rubber city lads at any time threatened the Massillon goal line enough to suffer the calm serenity of Coach Stewart who smiled to himself as he saw his charges rip to pieces the invading crew.

Until the fourth quarter the Massillon attack was successfully conducted by Messers Kammer and Define, each of whom scored two touchdowns. Kammer’s came on vicious thrusts through the Akron line. Define made his dashes around the ends. Williams broke into the scoring in the fourth period when he grabbed a forward pass from Brown and raced 34 yards for the final set of markers. Defensively the entire team played a good game, Bill Price probably tackling harder than most of his teammates. Bill got his head too close to Suddeth’s feet in the third quarter and went to the bench to shake the cobwebs from his brain.
DEFINE’S KNEE O.K.
Captain Define’s knee, injured last season and somewhat of a question mark this yEar, did not seem to bother him a bit. He twisted, dodged and squirmed in his old style and came up every time without any apparent bad effects. The battle did uncover that in Paul Smith, stocky little quarterback, Massillon has the makings of as great a little punter as ever played on any high school team. Smith had to retire after the first quarter with an injured side but during the first period he booted the ball over the head of the Akron safety men every time he punted, one of his drives being good for 80 yards. For a little fellow he certainly gets a lot of power behind his kicks.

With acting Captain Kammer winning the toss, Massillon started off by receiving, defending the south goal, and, following an exchange of punts, carried the ball down the field over 40 yards for a touchdown. After two plays at the line Smith punted from his 20-yard line, the ball going over Kromer’s head and rolling over the goal line, a distance of 80 yards.

Akron put the ball in play on its 20-yard line and, failing to gain, punted. The kick was weak and Massillon got the ball on Akron’s 42-yard mark. Then came a steady battering at the Akron line with Kammer doing most of the ball toting, Smith, Halpin and Laughlin took a few shots at the visitors’ forward wall but for the most part sturdy Kammer did the busting and finally he had rammed the ball down to Akron’s eight yard line from where he plunged through the left side of Akron’s line for the fist touchdown. He missed goal. Play was even during the remainder of the quarter.
SECOND QUARTER SLOW
Numerous substitutes jumped into the Massillon lineup at the start of the second quarter and the team was unable to get started. Along toward the end of the period Akron East got the ball on its 25 yard line and with the aid of an offside penalty managed to make a first down. Then Suddeth heaved a pass to Nickles for nine and Thomas squirmed through for another first down. Suddeth then ripped off two first downs in succession by dashes through the right side of Massillon’s line. Then he tried a forward and Kammer intercepted as the quarter ended.

Massillon confined itself to straight football during the fist half but its attack changed at the start of the third and it began to open up with Define cutting loose around the wings and hurling forward passes. However, it was not until well in the quarter that Massillon’s attack began to bear fruit. After Define, by a neat bit of dodging, had run back an Akron punt 20 yards to Akron’s 29-yard line Massillon opened up and a pass from Define to Thomas made 11. Kammer smashed the Akron line four times in a row for a first down, carrying the ball to the five-yard line from where Define raced around Akron’s right end for Massillon’s second touchdown. Goal was missed.

Define put the orange and black in scoring position early in the fourth quarter by a 16-yard run, putting the ball within Akron’s 30-yard line only to have Suddeth reach into the air and intercept a pass. Akron had to punt and then the Brown-McConnell forward passing combination started to work. Brown heaved a pass to “Mac” for eight yards. Kammer then hit the line for nine and just to show he could run the ends went around the left wing on the next play for 15, lugging the ball to the 13-yard line. Then Define made a first down around right end and Kammer took it over on the next play.

Fricker covered an Akron fumble on the visitors’ 20-yard line a few moments later and another Massillon touchdown was in the making for Halpin hit for five and then Define tucked the ball under his arm and raced 15 yards around end for the fourth touchdown.
FAST WORK
The final Massillon score came in double quick fashion on three forward passes in a row. Getting the ball on Massillon’s 40-yard line after a punt, Halpin tossed a pass to McConnell for 12 yards. Brown then followed with another heave to McConnell for 15 and on the third play Brown passed to Williams who grabbed the ball out of the air and ran 34 yards for a touchdown. The game ended shortly after.

Massillon needs to develop a place kicker. Kammer failed in four attempts to score points after touchdown while Halpin failed to make the riffle in his only try. Twenty-four men were used by Coach Stewart and at least enough for another team watched the game from the bench.
Not So Bad
Massillon – 30 Pos. Akron East – 0
Gump LE Keney
N. Harris LT Bell
Singer LG Walker
Price C Ferguson
Washlick RG Bergie
W. Harris RT Kloza
Thomas RE Catch
Smith QB Kromer
Laughlin LHB Thomas
Kammer RHB Nickles
Halpin FB Suddeth

Score by quarters:
Massillon 6 0 6 18 30

Touchdowns – Define 2, Kammer 2, Williams.

Massillon substitutions – Define, Storrie, Dommer, Crone, Tipton, Agler, Spuhler, Fulton, Kelly, McConnell, Lipps, Williams, Brown, Fricker.

Akron substitutions – Soloyle, Fela, Kavendish.

Referee – Jenkins, Akron U.
Umpire – Tompkinson, Akron U.
Head Linesman – Michaels, Ohio State.

Time of quarters – 13 1- 3 minutes.

Paul Brown