Displaying an interference that swept aside its opponents like a strong wind blows chaff, the orange and black eleven of Washington high school Saturday afternoon ran rough shod over the Akron North high eleven on the Pearl street gridiron, burying the Summit county aggregation under a 94 to 0 score, the largest count ever piled up by a local high school eleven in recent years. It was Massillon’s ninth straight victory of the 1922 campaign and just another triumph to clinch its claim to scholastic football honor of Ohio.
A team that does not show improvement in each succeeding game must either be an aggregation without football brains or lacking in proper coaching. The local eleven Saturday showed a decided improvement with the interference it gave the player carrying the ball. From start to finish the visiting gridders were unable to break up the sterling way in which the orange and black blocked their attempts to break through and drill the man with the ball.
From the time Captain “Tink” Ulrich grabbed the first kickoff on the 19-yard line and ran 81 yards for a touchdown until the game ended with the Akron warriors so weary and worn out that they could hardly stand up it was just one touchdown after another. Fifteen times did the Massillonians plunge across the Akron goal line and had the final quarter been a minute longer the orange and black would have rolled up at least 100 points for they were headed for their sixteenth touchdown when time was up.
It is seldom that a player takes a handoff and runs through the entire punting team for a touchdown. But that’s what Captain Ulrich did twice Saturday. After his brilliant interference, the dark haired leader a few minutes later grabbed another Akron kickoff on his 10-yard line and scampered 90 yards through the visitors for a set of counters.
The way Coach Stewart’s lads took the Akronites out of the play was pleasing to watch and with such interference next Saturday the local team should be able to plow its way through Canton McKinley for a decisive victory.
Outside of the work done by Massillon there was very little to the game. Akron North was completely outclassed. It made but two first downs and these came on forward passes. Its offensive attack was finished before it got started, the orange and black linemen breaking though and smothering the play before the Akron player could get started.
That forward wall of Coach Stewart’s certainly played a bang up game Saturday. In fact it has done superb service all year but the way it smashed Akron North certainly did not look good for Canton.
Akron rooters on the sidelines claimed that it was North’s second team which was trying to stop the victory march of the orange and black. That assertion can be taken with a grain of salt for the visiting team was made up of the same players which North used in its game against Akron Central several weeks ago and it is certain that North did not send its second string men against Central in a battle for the championship of the rubber city.
Although Captain Ulrich’s long runs through the Akron eleven for touchdowns were the big features of the contest, the steady plunging of “Dutch” Hill, Massillon’s great fullback, rolled up many a point for the home team. Eight times Hill dashed across the Akron goal line. The visitors simply couldn’t stop him after he got under way. “Dutch’s” teammates saw to it that he got by the first Akron line of defense and from then on Hill took care of himself very well. The big fullback gained from five to 10 yards with six or eight Akron players hanging on to him, trying desperately to down him. Other times he bowled the entire Akron team over like a ball knocks over pins on a bowling alley and then would dash away for a touchdown leaving a trail of fallen Akron warriors in his wake.
On the first kickoff Ulrich grabbed the ball and dashed down the side of the field for a touchdown. Nary an Akron man came near him for his teammates were spilling them all over the field. A few minutes later Ulrich took the ball on his 40-yard line and went 60 yards for the second touchdown. It looked as if Akron had stopped “Tink” in midfield but all of a sudden the orange and black leader could be seen scrambling out from under a pile of Akronites and then ran unmolested for a touchdown.
On the next kickoff Ulrich took the ball on his 10-yard line and again the Massillon interference cleared the way so that its leader could run 90 yards for a touchdown. A slight injury forced Ulrich to retire early in the second quarter.
Before the first quarter ended Massillon had piled up 30 points and the score was only a question of how many points Massillon wanted to make. Hill made a touchdown in the first quarter on a 40-yard dash through the Akron line. A little later Roth intercepted an Akron pass on his 45-yard line and dashed away for the fifth set of counters.
The second quarter had barely started before Hill plunged through from the 10-yard line for a touchdown. A few minutes later Borza pounded his way through from the five-yard line for the seventh touchdown. Thomas ripped off 25 yards on a double pass from Hill taking the ball to the 15-yard line and from their Hill went through for touchdown No. 8. Near the close of the second quarter Miller intercepted a forward on Akron’s 50-yard line and in two plunges Hill was over for the ninth touchdown, carrying the ball from the 20-yard line.
Thomas added another point by drop kicking the ball over. It was the first point the orange and black made after touchdown. The quarter ended with Massillon having run up 55 points.
Although they had a 55 point lead the local eleven did not ease up in the final two quarters. The time was reduced from 15 to 12 minutes in order to enable Akron to finish on its feet. A short time later Hax returned an Akron punt 40-yards to Akron’s 49-yard line and on the next play Hill busted a hole in the Akron team and went through for a touchdown.
Hill ran 43 yards for the twelfth touchdown soon after the fourth quarter opened. On a punt Boerner carried the ball back to Akron’s 25-yard line and then the orange and black line opened up a hole and Hill went through for 25 yards and the thirteenth touchdown. Pflug kicked goal. Rohr intercepted an Akron pass on the visitor’s 31-yard line a short time later and Thomas and Hill took the oval to the one yard line in two plays. Then Kammer, playing his first game with the varsity, went through for a touchdown.
The kickoff was hardly over before Edwards pulled down an Akron pass on the visitors’ 30 yard line and then Midge Thomas went around end for the fifteenth touchdown. He kicked goal and the score stood at 94 to 0.
Time as nearly up but the orange black was on its way to another touchdown when the whistle blew. Coach Stewart’s lads played excellent football Saturday. Their defense w s like a stone wall and on offense they did as they pleased. Little was used by the youthful Tigers except straight football. There was no need for anything else. The line, composed of Edwards, Salberg, Miller ,Brooks, Kallaker, Pflug, and Roth, did yeoman service in stopping the Akron team.
Now For Canton
Massillon – 94 Position Akron N. – 0 Potts LE Weidle Edwards LT Schwartz Kallaker LG Booth Roth C Ziezig Miller RG Hoopes Salberg RT Louis Weirich RE Gill Ulrich Q Macaluso Mercer LH McMillan Borza RH Jenkins Hill F Querry
Score by quarters: Massillon 30 25 12 27 – 94
Substitutions: Massillon – Thomas for Ulrich, Reis for Borza, Rohr for Potts, Pflug for Miller, Jamison for Weirich, Hax for Thomas, Borza for Reis, Boerner for Mercer, Thomas for Hax, Kammer for Boerner, Brooks for Salberg, Reis for Borza, Eschliman for Pflug. Akron North – Herning for Louis.
Touchdowns – Hill 8, Ulrich 3, Roth, Borza, Thomas, Kammer.
Bill Edwards, smiling tackle of the local high school team, whose defensive playing has been a bright spot all season, was a little off form Saturday when it came to hoisting drop kicks over the bars for extra points after touch- downs. Bill tried several times to kick but each time the ball went straight up in the air. Then Bill gave it up for a bad job. It was Bill’s kick which gave Massillon a 7 to 6 victory over Shaw. “An off day today means a good day next Saturday,” said Bill, thinking of what he was going to do to Canton McKinley a week from now.
Four years ago last Saturday Germany was more than willing to ring down the curtain on its international squabble with the United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy. And last Saturday afternoon football players of Warren high school after 60 minutes of grueling warfare with the orange and black eleven of Washington high school, were more than ready to hoist the white flag of truce and acknowledge that they had had enough.
The Armistice day battle resulted in another victory for Coach David B. Stewart’s great scholastic eleven, the youthful Tigers running rough shod over the Warrenites, piling up 48 points to six for the visitors and chalking up their eighth consecutive victory of the 1922 campaign. With their triumph over Warren the local warriors are now knocking loudly at the door of the scholastic championship strong hold of Ohio.
If the orange and black can trim Akron North next Saturday and then humble Canton McKinley a week later, there should be nothing whatever to stop the youthful Tigers from winning the coveted honor. Although interesting last Saturday’s duel did not compare by far with the thrilling encounter staged on the Pearl gridiron a week ago when Cleveland Shaw was defeated 7 to 6.
The local eleven was at its best Saturday and even though Captain Ulrich, quarterback, and Harry Potts, brilliant end, were out of the entire struggle, the orange and black smashed its way through to another great triumph and continued to show its superiority over scholastic opponents. Seven touchdowns, four points after touchdown and a safety constituted the sum total of Massillon’s scoring efforts.
With “Dutch” Hill tearing up the Warren line and ably assisted by his teammates Coach Stewart and his warriors gained ample revenge for the defeat Warren administered to the orange and black a year ago. Sydney Jones’ eleven fought hard throughout the struggle but it was not able to halt the Massillon steamroller.
Massillon was not long in setting its scoring machine in motion. Only a minute and a half of play had elapsed before the orange and black had registered its first touchdown.
And Bill Edwards, smiling youngster from East Greenville, was the lad to score the points. Bill has a habit of watching the ball with uncanny accuracy and when center Pond of Warren heaved the leather over Gillen’s head as he waited on his five-yard line to punt, Edwards shot through the line and was after the oval in jig time. Gillen also started after it but he tried to pick the ball up behind his goal line while Edwards dived through and flopped on it.
That touchdown sort of took the heart out of Warren but the events which transpired during the rest of the game made the visitors realize that they were not in the same class with the brilliant Massillon aggregation. The local team played heads up football throughout. Its tackling showed an improvement over a week ago. Its offensive strength was better, largely because Hill, its backfield star, once again was in first class shape, having entirely recovered from an attack of stomach trouble which bothered him in the Shaw game.
“Midge” Thomas diminutive halfback, also showed a great improvement. His open field work was spectacular and his 30-yard dash through the Warren team in the fourth quarter for a touchdown was one of the features of the contest.
Warren presented a fairly heavy aggregation and its attack was centered around Norman, fullback, who played a stellar game. The visitors also showed a well-developed forward passing attack with Gillen and Dixon handling the overhead heaves. Warren’s touchdown in the second quarter was due to a forward pass, heaved by Gillen and caught by Dixon who ran eight yards for the score. The score came after a march of 39 yards.
After Edwards had scored the first touchdown Coach Stewart’s lads got down to business. It was near the close of the first quarter that Massillon registered its second touchdown, Hill going over from the one-yard line after the backfield had carried the ball 48-yards in an unbroken march.
The third touchdown in the second quarter resulted from a 50-yard march. As the quarter opened Hill heaved a long pass to Rohr which was good for 18 yards. Hill shot another pass to Boerner good for 10 yards and then Define went off Warren’s left tackle for the touchdown.
It was after the touchdown that Warren showed its greatest offensive strength of the afternoon. After an exchange of punts the visitors secured the ball on Massillon’s 39-yard line and then Norman put on a spectacular dash across the field which netted five yards. Gillen then opened Warren’s aerial attack by heaving two passes to Dixon, which carried the ball to Massillon’s 12-yard line. On the next play he shot another pass to the Warren quarterback who went over the line.
Neither team was able to score in the third quarter but in the final 15 minutes of play, Massillon showed a powerful attack which brushed aside the Warren gridders with ease. Four touchdowns and a safety were recorded by Coach Stewart’s team in the final quarter and this was the team which Warren rooters figured lost its punch after the first half.
Hill and Borza were the lads who smashed the Warren line during the last quarter. Borza displaed quite a few of the battering ran tactics of his stellar teammate Hill and crashed through the visitors for a number of substantial gains. Hill scored three touchdowns in the last 15 minutes of play while the other was registered by Thomas. Play was in Warren’s territory throughout the last period.
The first touchdown in the fourth quarter came when Thomas took a Warren punt on the visitor’s 20-yard line and after pulling loose from several opponents dashed through the remainder of the Warren team for the score. A 15-yard plunge by Borza put the youthful Tigers in position to score again a few minutes later and Hill took the ball over from the four-yard line.
A march from midfield in which Thomas, Borza and Hill carried the ball resulted in another touchdown when Hill dashed his way through the visitors from the 11-yard line. A few minutes later Hill intercepted a Warren pass on Warren’s 20-yard line and a plunge by Borza and two by Hill and the ball was once more over the Warren goal line. Massillon registered a safety when a bad pass from center sent the ball over Gillen’s head and across the line where he fell on it.
Massillon clearly outplayed the visitors making 22 first downs to six for Warren. Eight of Massillon’s first downs were registered in the fourth quarter.
Warren completed eight out of 22 passes for a total gain of 74 yards. Eleven of its overhead heaves were grounded and three were intercepted by Massillon. Coach Stewart’s lads completed four out of eight passes for a total gain of 61 yards.
Still Winning
Massillon – 48 Position Warren – 6 Rohr LE Frost Edwards LT Perautt Kallaker LG LoFross Roth C Pond Pflug RG Billings Salberg RT Cope Jamison RE Anbres Thomas Q Dixon Define LH Craig Boerner RH Gillen Hill F Norman
Substitutions: Massillon – Hax for Boerner, Reis for Define, Borza for Hill, Brooks for Salberg, Miller for Kallaker, Hill for Borza, Borza for Reis, Salberg for Brooks, Kallaker for Pflug, Reis for Thomas, Schrader for Salberg, Eschliman for Miller. Warren – Adams for Anbres, Anbres for Frost.
Touchdowns – Hill 4, Edwards, Define, Thomas, Dixon.
Points from drop kick after touchdown – Edwards 4.
Pflug kicked off to Dixon who was tackled by Kallaker and Edwards on Warren’s 28-yard line. Norman went around Massillon’s left end for 15, being forced out of bounds. Warren was held and Gillen dropped back to punt. The pass went through his hands and over his head, rolling across the goal line. Gillen attempted to pick up the ball but Edwards fell on it for a touchdown. Edwards drop kicked for the additional poiont.
Warren received and Gillen was downed on his 27-yard line. Norman made 6 through the line but after that Massillon held and Gillen punted to Hill, the kick going straight up. Hill was downed on Warren’s 30. Define made 4 at the line and Hill on two plunges made a first down. Smashes by Thomas, Boerner and Hill made another first down. Define made 2 but Massillon received a 15-yard penalty for holding. Hill attempted a long forward to Thomas which went over the goal line and Warren secured the ball on its 20. Dixon made 5. Edwards stopped Norman without gain and Gillen punted to Thomas who was down in midfield. Define made 4 and Boerner went through the line for 15 and a first down. Hill’s pass was grounded. Define made 3, Thomas 3 and Hill plunged for a first down. Define skirted Warren’s right end for 14 and another first down carrying the ball to the 12-yard line. Hill went through Warren’s left tackle for 10 carrying the ball to the two-yard line and on the next play went over for a touchdown. Edwards missed an attempt to drop kick for goal.
Warren received and was downed on its 20. A pass failed and the visitors punted to Thomas who was tackled in midfield as the quarter ended. Score, Massillon – 12, Warren – 6.
Second Quarter
Hill passed to Roth for a gain of 18 yards. Thomas made 6 around end. A pass from Hill to Boerner made a first down. Define then went through the Warren team for a touchdown, carrying the ball from the 10-yard line. Edwards made another point on drop kick after the touchdown.
Warren received and carried the ball back to midfield. A pass from Gillen to Dixon made 8 and the visitors then punted to Thomas who was downed on his 25-yard line.
Hill punted back and Warren had the ball on its 24-yard line. Craig made 6, Norman failed to gain. Define batted down a Warren pass and then Gillen’s attempted place kick from the 25-yard line was short and Massillon put the ball in play on its 20-yard line. Hill punted out of bounds on Massillon’s 39. Norman gained 5 yards after a great run in which he dashed back and forth across the field twice before being tackled. Norman was thrown for a loss of 4. Gillen passed to Dixon for a first down. Another Warren pass failed and then Gillen passed to Dixon for 15 taking the ball to Massillon’s 12. Norman was stopped by Hax without gain but Craig hit the line for 6 and then Gillen passed to Dixon for 8 yards and a touchdown. Gillen failed at goal. Massillon received and Thomas carried the kick off back to Massillon’s 32-yard line. Define fumbled and Warren covered on Massillon’s 35. Norman was thrown for a loss of 20 and then Define intercepted a Warren pass and returned it to midfield. Hax made 5. Reis, substituting for Define, made 5. Reis made a first down as the half ended. Score, Massillon – 20, Warren – 6.
Third Quarter
Warren received and carried the ball back to its 33-yard line. Hill covered a Warren fumble on Warren’s 31-yard line. Borza made a first down. Hill made 8 at the line and then passed to Jamison for 15. Massillon received a 15-yard penalty and on the next play Hill failed to make the required yards for first down and it was Warren’s ball on Warren’s 12-yard line. Warren punted to Hax who was run out on Massillon’s 35. Hill returned the kick to Gillen who was downed on his 43-yard line. Rohr and Hill broke up Warren’s attempts to forward pass and the visitors punted out of bounds on Massillon’s 30. Hax missed Hill’s pass with a clear field ahead and Hill punted to Dixon who was down on his 44-yard line. Hill intercepted a Warren pass and was downed on the visitors 40. Borza made 3 and Hill made it first down on the next play. Thomas, Hill and Borza made a first down in three plunges. Thomas carried the ball to the five-yard line on the next play but fumbled when tackled and Adams covered for Warren. The visitors punted to Hax who was downed on his 40. Hill’s pass failed and the fullback then went around Warren’s right end for 9 and made a first down on the next play. Thomas went around end for 11. Borza, Hill and Thomas carried the ball to Warren’s 7-yard line as the quarter ended. Score, Massillon – 20, Warren – 6.
Fourth Quarter
Massillon was penalized 15 for unnecessary roughness taking the ball to the 20-yard line. Hill passed to Jamison for again of 18. Warren gained the ball on its three-yard line when Roth lifted the ball from the ground and then failed to pass it. It was fourth down for Massillon. Gillen dropped back to punt but the pass was bad and he missed the ball, being downed behind his goal line for a safety. Warren put the ball in play on its 30-yard line. Warren received a 15-yard penalty. Two Warren passes failed and then Gillen punted to Thomas who took the ball on Warren’s 30-yard line and by some neat side stepping and dodging ran 30 yards for a touchdown. Edwards added another point by drop kicking for goal.
Warren received and was downed on its 24-yard line. Jamison threw Norman for a loss of 10. Warren passed for 8. Gillen passed to Dixon for 8 more. The next Warren pass failed and Massillon gained the ball on Warren’s 30-yard line. Hill made 2 and Thomas went through for a first down. Borza rammed through for 15 taking the ball to the 4-yard line. Hill went over for a touchdown on the next play. Edward’s attempt to kick for goal failed.
Warren received and was down on its 21-yard line. Norman was thrown for a 6-yard loss by Miller. Gillen punted out of bounds in midfield. Thomas made a first down and then made 8 on the next play. Hill went through for another first down. Borza made 8 and Hill plowed through from the 11-yard line for a touchdown, shaking off several tacklers. Edwards failed to kick goal.
Warren received and on the first play Hill intercepted a pass and carried the ball back to Warren’s 20-yard line. Borza made 8 and Hill made it a first down, carrying the ball to Warren’s 10-yard line. On the next play Hill went off right tackle for a touchdown. Edwards failed at goal. Warren received as the game ended.
BRILLIANT STRUGGLE WON BY HIGH ELEVEN NEAR END OF TUSSLE
A lad so ill that his iron nerve alone kept him on the field of battle striving to maintain the reputation his team had made, and a tall, rangy youth with a penchant for tackling and drop kicks were the heroes of Washington high school’s spectacular 7 to 6 football victory over Shaw high of Cleveland last Saturday afternoon on the Pearl street gridiron before 6,000 rabid and enthusiastic fans. It was victory snatched from the very jaws of defeat in the last minute of play by as brilliant a display of gameness and dogged determination as has ever been witnessed on any gridiron.
The lad whose illness had robbed him of the strength he generally displayed in football clashes, was “Dutch” Hill, Massillon’s great fullback, whose driving attack in the last 60 seconds of play made possible the touchdown that furnished the points to tie the invaders from Cleveland. The other youth was “Bill” Edwards, from East Greenville, whose drop kick after touchdown gave Massillon the point that decided the issue in favor of the orange and black just 27 seconds before the most thrilling football game ever staged on a local field passed into history.
There were many heroes in this great struggle but Hill and Edwards were the outstanding figures for it was due to their individual prowess and ability that the youthful Tigers came through and won after even their staunchest supporters had given up hope. Harry Potts, dark haired and slender, who tackled with the viciousness of a demon, let loose and who grabbed forward passes out of the air with his fingertips, was another hero. Captain “Tink” Ulrich, who spurred his followers to perform feats that will long be remembered in scholastic football circles, was another hero. And there were many others, not only on the Massillon team but on the Shaw aggregation as well.
Fighting against a team that was well versed in all the tricks of the game, a team that could forward pass, run the ends, crash through the line, and had a defense that resembled ribbons of steel, Massillon’s great eleven, with six consecutive victories behind it and touted as the strongest high school aggregation in the state at last was forced to admit that it had nearly met its match in the versatile Shaw high team, coached by Jack Snavely, former local high school coach.
Up until two minutes before the game ended it looked as if Snavely was to realize his ambition and that his team was going to stop the victory march of Coach David B. Stewart’s lads. Snavely’s team had scored a touchdown in the second quarter on a long forward pass from an open formation but it failed to kick goal.
Leading by six points the visitors put all their remaining efforts into keeping Massillon’s team from scoring. Three times in the third quarter the orange and black carried the ball deep into Shaw’s territory, on one occasion taking it to the four yard line, but each time Shaw either held or Massillon fumbled and the chance to score was gone.
But even though they were fighting an up-hill battle against a team that was not going to be defeated if it could help it, the local gridders never stopped trying. The touchdown Shaw scored in the second quarter only spurred them on to greater efforts. It made them fight all the harder to win, but until the last two minutes of play it looked as if the efforts put forth by the orange and black would not be able to keep its slate clean of defeat.
But a football game is never lost or won until the final whistle blows. Even though Shaw was stalling and consuming all the time it possibly could to keep Massillon from opening an eleventh hour attack, the youthful Tigers bided their time. Finally Shaw punted to Ulrich, who was downed on his 36-yard line, 64 yards away from Shaw’s goal. Less than two minutes of play remained. It seemed almost an impossible task for Massillon to score in that short a time.
But then the greatest rally and attack ever displayed by any local high school team was launched and before it was finished the orange and black was destined to win this greatest of all battles. Hill who was knocked out at the end of the second quarter, had returned to the game a few minutes before. He was ill, had been all through the game, but he called upon his last few ounces of strength and Massillon started up the field.
On the first play after the punt, Hill shot a long forward to Potts who snatched the ball out of the air while running with his face toward the Shaw goal. It was a brilliant catch and was good for a gain of 15 yards.
On the next play Hill shot another pass over the line but Potts missed it by inches. Not despairing Hill again tried another forward on the next play and this time Potts dashed into the midst of the struggling warriors and grabbed the ball. He was 20 yards nearer Shaw’s goal when he finally was brought to earth.
Then Captain Ulrich called Hill to smash the Shaw line and pleaded with his linemen to open up holes in the visitor’s defense so that the stocky fullback could plunge through. The line responded nobly and Hill shot through for a gain of three yards. Again Ulrich called upon him and once more Hill responded by ripping off a 10-yard gain.
The ball was on Shaw’s six-yard line. A minute of play remained. Thousands of anxious fans were shouting for Massillon to score. Again Hill plunged into the Shaw line and again he gained. This time he made three yards. Once more Ulrich called for Hill. And once more he plowed into the struggling mass and gained a yard. One more smash and Hill had carried the ball forward another yard to Shaw’s one-yard line. Fourth down with goal to gain was coming.
It was then or never for the orange and black. Ulrich barked out the signals. The orange and black linemen, their faces grim and dirty, stiffened. Across from them a band of lads clothed in red jerseys sensed that the supreme test of the game was near. They wore a determined look on their faces. No longer were they certain of victory. They knew that they must stop Hill’s next plunge or see their triumph snatched from their grasp.
Ulrich finished calling signals. Roth snapped the ball back to Hill. The lines crashed together, Hill plowed into the wall of human flesh that was battling – one group to hold, the other to push forward. For an instant the Massillon plunger was lost from view. Then a mighty shout went up. As the struggling warriors were pulled apart Hill could be seen lying on the ground a full yard over Shaw’s goal line.
Pandemonium broke loose. A thousand cheering fans rushed onto the field. They grabbed a Massillon player wherever they could find one and placed him on their shoulders. The touchdown had been scored just 27 seconds before the game was to have come to an end. The local players were crying for joy. Lined up against their own goal stood a band of eleven lads. Tears steamed down their faces. They had fought a good fight but their best had not been good enough. They were unheeded in the mad rush of fans who swept forward to congratulate the orange and black.
On a bench on the south side of the field sat a man who had hoped that his team could defeat Massillon. He had not expected that Massillon could unleash an attack in the closing minutes of play that would bring a touchdown. The man was Snavely. To see victory snatched out of his grasp was a hard blow for Jack but he bore it manfully.
Police and school officials finally succeeded in getting the field clear so that the teams could line up for the attempt to score another point from field goal, the point that would decide whether the contest would end a tie or a victory for Massillon. Then it was that Bill Edwards got his chance to become a hero. It was upon Edwards shoulders that the responsibility for kicking the goal rested.
“I’ll kick that goal or die in the attempt,” muttered Bill as he dropped back to receive the pass. The referees’ whistle blew. The ball came back to Edwards. There was a thud as leather met leather and then the oval sailed over the cross bars, a scant few inches from one of the uprights and Massillon had won. Another demonstration was staged after Edwards kicked goal.
As was expected, Snavely brought to Massillon a team that was well drilled in the use of the forward pass and open play formations. But Massillon beat the visitors at their own game, winning the battle through the use of an overhead attack which enabled the orange and black to carry the ball into Shaw’s territory in the final quarter.
It was a titanic struggle throughout. Never once did the fight lag. Massillon was out to keep its record clean. Shaw was in the game to win. Shaw showed a well-coached team, one that tackled fiercely and with such force that once the visiting players hit a man he seldom got away. The visitors also had plenty of interference for the man carrying the ball. And this enabled Momberger, star quarterback of the visitors, to rip off a number of substantial gains by running from punt formation.
Play was about even in the first quarter although Massillon succeeding in working the ball within Shawl’s 20-yard line shortly after the kick off. Shaw held and then Edwards tried a drop kick, which went wide. In the second quarter Shaw opened its aerial attack in its own territory, Momberger heaved a pass to Kyle that was grounded but Referee Gibson ruled that Joe Define had interfered with Kyle and Shaw gained about 20 yards on the play. On the next play Shaw used one of its open formations, the team being spread out across the field. Momberger dropped back as if to punt but instead shot the ball to Kyle who caught it on Massillon’s 35-yard line and dashed away for a touchdown, eluding two Massilln tackles. Kyle was brought to earth a foot from Massillon’s goal line but fell over the line. Shaw’s attempt to kick goal failed. Statistics of the game show that Massillon outplayed the visitors. Coach Stewart’s lads made 16 first downs to seven for Shaw. Massillon’s best attack came in the last two quarters when it went through the Shaw team for 10 first downs while Shaw made only one. In the aerial game Massillon also excelled working seven passes for a total yardage of 101 while Shaw completed five passes for a gain of 96 yards, the one which resulted in its touchdown being good for 55 yards.
In the third quarter a pass from Ulrich to Potts, that was good for 35 yards, took the ball to Shaw’s 22 yard line. Line plays, carried it to the nine-yard line before Massillon fumbled. Then Hill returned to the game and with his battering ram tactics soon took the ball back into Shaw territory. This time the orange and black carried it to Shaw’s four-yard line with goal to gain on the fourth down. Hill hit the line but Shaw held and recovered the ball on its one-yard line.
The fourth quarter found Shaw largely on the defensive and stalling as much as it could whenever it had possession of the ball. The visitors were penalized once by the referee for stalling but they felt their strength going and realized that they must hold Massillon in check if they were to win. But Massillon’s fighting spirit was not to be denied and Shaw’s best efforts were finally brushed aside when the youthful Tigers launched their victory march.
The two teams were evenly matched in weight. Shaw had a 250-pound tackle in Brown and the rest of its team was of sturdy build. The visitors displayed a smooth working machine. Massillon appeared to be slightly off form. The customary dash of the orange and black was missing for three-quarters of the game. Hill, tower of strength, was far from being in shape.
He was not at all well and a bump near the end of the second quarter stretched him out and he had to be carried off the field. He was out of the game during part of the third quarter, but when he returned he gave Massillon the strength it needed to win.
Some Victory
Massillon – 7 Position Shaw – 6 Potts LE Stopple Edwards LT Carpenter Kallaker LG Burgess Roth C Cox Pflug RG Ozinski Salberg RT Hofne Weirich RE Kyle Ulrich (c) Q Momberger Thomas LH Hayslett Boerner RH Hotckiss Hill F Remley
Substitutions: Massillon – Define for Boerner, Weirich for Hill, Rohr for Weirich, Hill for Weirich, Jamison for Rohr. Shaw – Brown for Horne, Mixer for Hotchkiss, Kriss for Remley.
Touchdowns – Kyle, Hill
Point from drop kick after touchdown – Edwards
Referee – Gibson, Mount Union. Umpire – Bietzer, Mount Union. Headlinesman – Wilson.
Time of quarters – 14 minutes.
Extra 2 Minutes Gives Massillon Its Big Victory
Starting of Saturday’s game was delayed about 15 minutes while officials and coaches of the two teams were trying to reach a settlement on the length of quarters. Snavely held out for 12 minute quarters, saying that it was the rule at Shaw high that its teams should not play over 12 minute periods.
Coach Stewart of Massillon held out for 15-minute periods. The matter was finally settled when both coaches agreed upon 14-minute periods. And the extra two minutes, which Coach Stewart succeeded in getting enabled Massillon to win the game. Had the quarters been 12 minutes long the game would have ended before Massillon could have started its great rally in the last quarter.
THE GAME — PLAY BY PLAY
First Quarter
Massillon received, defending the west goal. Shaw kicked off to Edwards who returned 15 to Massillon’s 40. Carpenter, Shaw’s left tackle, was injured in the play. Ulrich hit off left tackle for 3. Hill hit the same hole for 3 more. Hill made 3 more on another line play and then punted to Shaw’s 30-yard line. Shaw completed a pass for 4 but fumbled on the next play, Massillon covering the ball on Cleveland’s 33-yard line.
Ulrich and Boerner failed to gain but Hill made a first down in two plunges at Shaw’s right side. Snavely yanked Horne out of right tackle and sent in Brown, a big 250 pound lineman to plug the hole. Shaw held and Edwards tried a drop from the 20-yard line which went wide of the bars. It was Shaw’s ball on its 20-yard line. Momberger passed to Stopple for a first down. Roth dropped Hotchkiss after the latter had made 12 yards on a double pass formation. Hill batted down a Shaw pass. Edwards and Salberg tackled Momberger for a loss of 9. Hayslett skirted Massillon’s right end for 9. Momberger, running from punt formation, made a first down for the visitors, carrying the ball to Massillon’s 25-yard line. Shaw fumbled on the next play and Weirich covered for Massillon on his 18-yard line. Hill and Ulrich ripped through Cleveland’s line for a first down. Ulrich skirted Shaw’s left end for 5. Hill failed to gain and on the next play went through for 40. With two yards to go for first down Hill slipped and failed to gain, Shaw securing the ball on its 36-yard line. The quarter ended with Shaw in possession of the ball on its 25-yard line. Score: Massillon – 0, Shaw – 0.
Second Quarter
Shaw fumbled and Edwards covered on Shaw’s 26-yard line. Ulrich lost 3 and Hill’s pass to Ulrich was grounded. Edwards tried a drop from the 35-yard line which was short and Shaw put the ball in play on its 20-yard line. Edwards and Weirich broke through and threw Hayslett for a 5-yard loss. Shaw punted and the ball was downed on Shaw’s 36-yard line. Hill tore through for a first down. Thomas lost 3. Ulrich passed to Boerner for a gain of 5. Ulrich’s short kick was covered by Shaw on its 28-yard line. A forward failed and Shaw punted to Ulrich who was downed in midfield. Shaw was penalized 10 and it was Massillon’s ball on Shaw’s 40. Hill and Define negotiated a first down in three plays. Hill went through for another first down. Define fumbled but recovered without gain. Massillon failed to make its yards in four plays and Shaw gained the ball on its 18-yard line. Massillon was penalized when Define interfered with Kyle when the latter attempted to grab a forward from Momberger. It was Shaw’s ball on the 45-yard line. On an open play formation Momberger pased 20-yards to Kyle who eluded two Massillon tacklers and ran 35-yards for a touchdown. A bad pass from center spoiled Shaw’s attempt to add another point by a place kick.
Massillon received and Salberg returned 20 to the 40-yard line. Ulrich made 6. Hill made 1 and then Ulrich went through for a first down. Define made 5 but Ulrich’s attempted pass to Potts failed. Hill punted to Momberger who was downed on his 31-yard line. Momberger skirted Massillon’s left end for 15 as the quarter ended. Hill was hurt in the play and had to be carried from the field. Score Massillon – 0, Shaw – 6.
Third Quarter
Shaw received and Hayslett was downed on his 37-yard line. Momberger passed to Stopple for a gain of 15 yards. Momberger then heaved the ball to Brown for a gain of 8. Shaw was penalized 15 for unnecessary roughness and Momberger from punt formation ran 18-yards. Massillon held for downs and gained the ball on its 33-yard line. Define went around end for 30 but Salberg was guilty of holding and Massillon was penalized 15. Ulrich passed to Potts for a 35-yard gain. It was Massillon’s ball on Shaw’s 23-yard line. Ulrich went through for 5. Thomas made 7 carrying the ball to Shaw’s 9-yard line. Massillon fumbled and Shaw covered. Momberger punted to Ulrich on Shaw’s 29-yard line. Hill came back into the game replacing Weirich. Hill hit Shaw’s line for 12 and a first down. Hill made 7 in two plays and Shaw was penalized 5 for being offside, taking the ball to Cleveland’s five-yard line. Hill was thrown for a loss of 5, but made it up on the next play. Hill went through for 3, taking the ball to Shaw’s 4-yard line, but failed to carry it over on the next play which was fourth down. Shaw secured the ball on its 1-yard line. Momberger punted to Ulrich on Shaw’s 30. Ulrich made 6, Hill 1 and then Massillon was penalized 5 for being off side. Thomas lost 3 on an end run but Ulrich passed to Potts for a gain of 20 and a first down. Massilln failed to gain and it was Shaw’s ball on its 26-yard line as the quarter ended. Score Massillon – 0, Shaw – 6.
Fourth Quarter
Shaw punted to Ulrich who was downed in midfield. Thomas passed to Ulrich for l3 and a first down. Three attempted passes failed and then Kriss intercepted a Massillon pass and carried the ball back to Massillon’s 43. Potts stopped Momberger without gain. Thomas intercepted a Shaw pass on his 32-yard line. Hayslett intercepted a Massillon pass and took the ball to Massillon’s 43-yard line. Massillon was fighting desperately to gain by an overhead attack while Shaw was trying just as hard to break down the Massillon attack. Shaw punted and Ulrich fumbled but Thomas recovered the ball and was down on Massillon’s 12. Hill punted (rest of copy is missing)
HIGH ELEVEN GAINS REVENGE IN GREAT BATTLE, SATURDAY 46 to 0!
By that score orange and black clad warriors of Washington high school last Saturday afternoon gained revenge for the defeat handed them a year ago by Alliance high when they buried the gladiators from the eastern extremities of Stark county under an avalanche of seven touchdowns and four goals after touchdown in a spectacular battle on the Pearl street gridiron before about 4,000 fans. It was Massillon’s sixth straight victory of the 1922 campaign and it marked another step toward the scholastic championship of Ohio as well as the first advance toward gridiron honors of Molly Stark’s domains.
The score would indicate that Coach David B. Stewart’s gridders had a rather easy time winning from the aggregation of huskies which Harry Geltz, Alliance coach and former Mount Union star, brought to Massillon. But while the invaders found the attack of the youthful Tigers irresistible during the last three quarters, the game was a great deal harder fought than the 46 to 0 score would lead the casual observer to believe.
It was a battle all the way. Alliance, with a team that from end to end, outweighed Massillon, came here imbued with a spirit to fight to the last ditch. And fight they did. But the brilliant attack of the orange and black, which crashed its way through the Alliance line, skirted the visitors’ ends and gained frequently by the aerial route, was not to be denied. And Coach Stewart’s lads, were out to win and they won because the greatest scholastic football machine ever developed in Massillon’s history was able to outplay and outsmart its rivals from the east.
To say Massillon’s brilliant triumph was due to the playing of any one, two or three gridders would be doing an injustice to the rest of the lads who made possible that 46 to 0 victory. Every one of Coach Stewart’s warriors covered themselves with glory. They were in the game every minute and it was only the concerted team play of the orange and black that made possible the crushing defeat handed to Alliance.
But every football game brings out its stars and Saturday’s melee was not an exception. Football fans will have to travel far before they see a high school lad put up a defensive game such as “Bill” Edwards, rangy tackle, played Saturday. Edwards, without a doubt was the shining light on defense. This tall, well-built youngster, was a thorn in the side of Alliance’s attempts to gain. Into every play was Edwards. He roamed over the field like a lion unchained and few and far between were the plays that did not see Bill Edwards crash through the Alliance wall of defense and bring down the man with the ball. Alliance simply couldn’t keep Edwards at bay. And in addition to his great defensive work Edwards gave Massillon four points by showing exceptional ability as a drop kicker, hoisting the ball over the bars four times after touchdowns.
On offense Joe Define, the Navarre flash and “Dutch” Hill, the great plunging fullback, were the stars. Define ran with the speed of the wind Saturday and his great 60-yard run through the entire Alliance team for touchdown in the fourth quarter was the greatest play of the day. Hill as usual smashed his way through the Alliance team for substantial gains. The visitors were out to stop the Massillon star. All during the game they were urging each other to stop Hill but the orange and black plunger showed them it could not be done.
Hill also showed ability in punting. His twisting spiral kicks traveled high and far and it gave Massillon’s ends plenty of time to get down the field and tackle the Alliance receiver before he could move out of this tracks.
All season Coach Stewart’s team has been recognized as a wonderful defensive aggregation. On offense it had not shown a great deal outside of end runs and line plays. But Saturday the Massillon tutor ordered his warriors to open up and critics who a week or two ago were declaring that Massillon had no overhead attack worth speaking of probably find their lips sealed today.
The orange and black has an aerial offense and it proved it Saturday by shooting passes over the Alliance line that paved the way for three touchdowns. A fumble robbed the local team of another touchdown after a forward had placed it in position to score. With Hill and Thomas heaving the passes, the youthful Tigers completed four out of nine attempted forwards for a total yardage of 92.
Alliance also had an overhead attack but the visitors did not launch it until the last five minutes of play when they made a desperate effort to score. It was not until the visitors opened their overhead drive that they made a first down. Up until that time they had not been able to pierce the orange and black for any substantial gains.
With Hopkins, Alliance fullback, heaving the ball, Coach Geltz’s gridders worked four forwards and made four first downs. Their aerial drive carried the ball deep into Massillon territory and on one occasion they carried the oval to Massillon’s 10-yard line but lost it on the next play when the forward passed over their goal line. Hill immediately punted out of danger and Alliance’s chance of scoring was gone.
Although he was only in the game for about three minutes it was Captain “Tink” Ulrich, peppery, fighting dark haired leader of the orange nad black who broke the morale of the Alliance crew and instilled into his own warriors the fighting spirit which made their attack assume steam roller proportions during the last three quarters.
Still nursing an injured knee, sustained in the Youngstown South game two weeks ago, Coach Stewart did not send Ulrich into the game at the start. But when Alliance held Massillon scoreless during the first quarter, Coach Stewart gave heed to the pleading of the orange and black leader and sent him into the fray in the second period.
And Captain Ulrich had not been in the game two minutes before he grabbed an Alliance punt on the visitors’ 42-yard line and with perfect interference tore his way down the field for Massillon’s first touchdown. That play broke the fighting spirit of the east enders and it made the local team open up an advance which Alliance could not stem. Coach Stewart pulled Ulrich out of the game immediately after he had scored the touchdown. The local tutor, did not care to take any chances on having Ulrich’s knee injured again and while he hated to leave the conflict “Tink” obeyed and went to the sidelines. He had done his share to bring victory.
After Ulrich’s brilliant run the orange and black began to smash the Alliance team to shreds. Shortly, after the first touchdown, Massillon started a march from Alliance’s 45-yard line that was not halted until Hill tore around Alliance’s left end for a 20-yard gain and another set of counters. Before the quarter ended Hill shot a long pass to Weirich for a gain of 35 yards. Weirich being downed on Alliance’s five-yard line. With 40 seconds of play left Hill grabbed the ball and shot through the visitor’s for another touchdown.
Massillon twice was within scoring distance in the first quarter but was unable to gain through the Alliance line. Edwards put the local team in position to score when early in the game he blocked an Alliance punt and Massillon gained possession of the ball on Alliance’s 18-yard line when a visiting player held Edwards who was racing after the oval. But four attempts to pierce the Alliance defense failed.
Early in the third quarter Pflug broke through and blocked an Alliance punt and then covered the ball on the visitors 20-yard line. Smashes into the line took the ball to the six-yard stripe but Define fumbled a poor pass from Roth and Mattick covered for the visitors. After an exchange of punts Massillon started another march from Alliance’s 31-yard line, which ended when Hill bucked the ball over from the third yard line.
It was a forward pass from Thomas to Potts, good for a gain of 21 yards, that paved the way for Massillon’s fifth touchdown. After tackling the pass Potts carried the ball to Alliance’s 12-yard line. Hill made 11 yards on a plunge and then Define carried it over from the one-yard line.
Early in the fourth quarter Borsa ripped off a first down and then Hill heaved a pass to Potts who carried the ball to the Alliance nine-yard line. Define made two and then Hill bucked the Alliance line twice and the ball was over. A few moments later Define made himself a hero when he took an Alliance punt on his 40-yard line and by a sensational run scored Massillon’s seventh touchdown, traveling 60 yards through the visitors. Define showed well in returning punts during the last half.
Alliance shortly after intercepted a Massillon pass on its 23-yard line and then opened its aerial attack which took the ball out of its territory and put Massillon on the defensive. Ted Roth, Massillon center, sustained a dislocated knee during the last few minutes of play and had to be carried off the field. Sweet Revenge
Massillon – 46 Position Alliance – 0 Weirich LE Hicks Edwards LT G. Nixon Kallaker LG Hoiles Roth C Reese Pflug RG Cady Salberg RT T. Nixon Rohr RE Wilcoxen Thomas Q McGrannahan Define LH Orr Boerner RH Harding Hill F Hopkins
Score by quarters: Massillon 0 19 14 13 – 46
Substitutions: Massillon – Ulrich for Define, Borsa for Ulrich, Hax for Thomas, Miller for Kallaker, Jamison for Rohr, Potts for Weirich, Thomas for Hax, Define for Borsa, Borsa for Boerner, Kallaker for Miller, Hise for Roth. Alliance – Maple for Hoiles, Mattick for Hicks.
ORANGE AND BLACK ATTACK IN SECOND HALF WINS TUSSLE
After being held in check during the first half, Massillon’s scholastic football machine Friday afternoon swept aside barriers which had halted its progress during the first two quarters and handed Wooster high a decisive 19 to 0 lacing, scoring three touchdowns in the final 24 minutes of strife. The battle was staged on the Pearl street gridiron and was the first appearance of the orange and black on a local field in three weeks.
By sweeping Wooster out of its path, Coach Stewart’s lads continued their march forward toward the scholastic championship of Ohio, the Wayne county eleven being brushed aside as were Dayton Steele, Cambridge, Barberton, and Youngstown South. Five straight victories are now credited to the local team which after being held in check for two quarters by Wooster, rallied and came through with flying colors.
It was the battering ram tactics of “Dutch” Hill, Massillon’s brilliant fullback, that eventually brought victory to the youthful Tigers. Wooster stopped Hill almost dead in his tracks in the first half. But that did nothing more than to spur on that individual to greater efforts in the second half and by the time Hill had tired of ripping up the Wooster line the Wayne county lads were glad there were not more like him on the Massillon team.
Hill, a tower of strength in himself, was ably supported by the balance of his teammates but it was largely his individual ability that gave Massillon its first touchdown in the third quarter. It was Hill who battered his way through the Wooster line carrying the ball from mid-field across the Wooster goal line by a series of terrific rushes into the visiting eleven.
Then bull like rushes of Hill broke the morale of the Wooster eleven which had fought gamely up until the start of the third quarter when Hill commenced to bowl over the visitors like a bowling ball knocks over pins on a bowling alley. After Hill had given them a taste of his individual prowess the visitors lost heart and from then on until the end of the game were not able to stem the attack of the orange and black.
Wooster trotted a heavy team upon the field. An aggregation that was able to give a good account of itself and does not need to be ashamed of its exhibition. In Fritz, dusky pivot man, the Wayne county school has an exceptionally capable player. It was Fritz who did most of Wooster’s gaining.
With Coach Stewart unable to be present and a number of regulars out of the game because of injuries the orange and black presented a patched up lineup at the start of the encounter. The team also lacked its usual fighting spirit. As a result Wooster made matters very interesting for the youthful Tigers.
But at the start of the second quarter, regulars began to replace substitutes and from then on the story changes. It was a different team. The old fighting spirit was back and from that time on Wooster was doomed to defeat but it did not know it until Hill had convinced them of it by smashing his way through the visitors for Massillon’s first touchdown.
Massillon started with Hax and Borza in the backfield to help Hill and Boerner regulars. On the line were substitute guards Miller and Shaidnagle. Edwards and Salberg were at their regular tackle positions but Potts was at center for Roth while Rohr took Potts’ place at end and Rohr was destined to become one of the stars of the encounter by his brilliant defensive work. Jamison was on the other end.
When the half ended Kallaker and Pflug returned to their regular positions in the line while Thomas went into the backfield. Weirich replaced Jamison at end. With the line strengthened Wooster was held in check and the team began to open up holes for Hill to plow through.
Wooster outplayed Massillon in the first half making three first downs to two for the range and black. But in the last two quarters Massillon charged through for 11 first downs as compared to one for the visitors.
Neither team was able to come within scoring distance in the first half. The Wooster line continually broke through and stopped the Massillon backs before they could get under way. The local team did not seem to have much interference for the men carrying the ball. With neither team being able to gain much ground the battle developed into a punting duel in which Hill gave Massillon a slight advantage by his ability to out kick the Wooster punter.
Wooster received to start the second half and was held, punting to Thomas who was downed on Wooster’s 45-yard line. Hill tore up the Wooster line for a first down on two plunges. He made six on another dive into the visitors and then double passed to Thomas who skirted Wooster’s right end for 15 yards bringing the ball to the 33-yard line. Then Hill commenced another onslaught on the visitors, carrying the ball three times for a first down. Thomas made three on a tackle buck and with the ball on the eight-yard line Hill took it across in two plunges for Massillon’s first set of counters.
The second touchdown came quickly. Wooster received and after being held punted to Thomas who was downed on Massillon’s 35-yard line. Hill punted to Russell who fumbled and Rohr, racing down the field to make a tackle scooped up the ball and continued on across Wooster’s goal line for Massillon’s second touchdown.
At the start of the fourth quarter Wooster lost the ball on downs on its 40-yard line. Once more Hill set himself in motion and began to tear up the visitors by spirited plunges. The big fullback tore round Wooster’s left end for a 20-yard gain. Then Boerner carried the ball twice making a first down. Hill got back into action again and carried the ball from the 10-yard line to the two-yard mark in two plunges. Thomas made it first down on the half yard line. On the next play Thomas fumbled, but covered on the two-yard line. Hill then gathered the ball in his arms, took a nose-dive and went across for the third touchdown Pflug kicked goal.
Although he lost another touchdown for Massillon by a fumble on the one-yard line, Joe Define who replaced Thomas in the backfield is the fourth quarter exhibited some brilliant football. The Navarre lad, fast as a streak ripped his way through the Wooster eleven for substantial gains every time he carried the ball.
Massillon got the ball near the close of the quarter on Wooster’s 40-yard line and then Define began streaking through the visiting eleven. He ripped off a 15-yard gain on his first play, carrying the ball to the 25-yard line. On the next play he gained nine more and was on his way for a touchdown on his next dash when he fumbled Wooster covering on the one-yard line.
Hill and Define were the offensive stars for Massillon. Boerner also made several good gains on plunges through the Wooster line. On defense the work of Rohr, Edwards, and Potts stood out prominently, these three lads stopping Wooster’s attempts to gain time after time.
Wooster worked five forward passes out of nine attempts. Massillon tried but two, none of which were completed. Massillon made 18 first downs to four for Wooster.
Still Winning
Massillon – 19 Position Wooster – 0 Rohr LE W. Russell Edwards LT Long Miller LG Crow Potts C Critchfield Shaidnagle RG Mewrey Salberg RT Dunn Jamison RE Joliff Hax Q Fritz Boerner LH King Borsa RH Layman Hill F E. Russell
Score by quarters: Massillon 0 0 12 7 – 19
Substitutes: Massillon – Thomas for Borsa, Kallaker for Miller, Weirich for Jamison, Pflug for Shaidnagle, Miller for Pflug, Define for Thomas. Wooster – Rach for Dunn.
Touchdowns: Hill 2, Rohr. Goal after touchdown: Pflug.
Referee: Bietser, Mt. Union. Umpire: Bast, Massillon Headlinesman: McSweeney, Wooster Time of quarters: 12 minutes.
STEEL CITY ELEVEN CANNOT STOP MARCH OF LOCAL GRIDDERS
Massillon’s great scholastic football team, traveling under the orange and black banner of Washington high school, last Saturday marched a step nearer the scholastic championship of Ohio, when it defeated Youngstown South 20 to 9 at Youngstown in a scrappy engagement and hung up its fourth straight victory of the 1922 campaign. Hailed as one of the toughest teams on the local schedule, South was expect to give Coach David B. Stewart’s gridders a fight all the way. And they did but the youthful Tigers, imbued with a determination to keep their slate clean of defeats, just waded into the Mahoning county warriors, broke down their defense and plunged through for three touchdowns and two goals after touchdown.
South was held to a touchdown and field goal, the field goal coming in the second quarter and the touchdown in the first 15 minutes of play and hung up its final points in the second 15-minute period.
Although they invaded enemy territory for their fourth scholastic encounter, Coach Stewart’s lads played the same brand of football that brought them a 31 to 7 victory over Dayton Steele in their opening battle. It was largely a defensive game that Massillon played Saturday. The great defensive play of the orange and black, together with Hill’s excellent punting and a few snappy dashes through the Youngstown team by Hill and Ulrich made it possible for the local gridders to out score South without resorting to anything except straight football.
Coaches of teams still to be played by Massillon who were among the 4,000 spectators who witnessed the contest were disappointed if they expected Coach Stewart to instruct his gridders to open up. They left the contest knowing just as much about Massillon’s attack as they did before the game. The orange and black played the kind of football that did not require much outside of stiff defense and straight football on offense. Their method of attack made South attempt everything it knew in a desperate effort to score.
South, was forced to open up and during the last two quarters it tried desperately to score via the overhead route but for the most part its attempts were dismal failures. Catch Asbaugh, of South, has the reputation of turning out teams that know how to handle the forward pass. He still seems to be able to work out plays for gaining by the air route but his team certainly was not able to make its aerial attack count for much Saturday against the watchful defense which Coach Stewart had built up against such a style of attack. During the last 30 minutes South shot forward passes with reckless abandon. Nearly every time it gained possession of the leather it began to pass the oval to all corners of the lot. But the orange and blacks secondary defense was right on the play and the steel city gridders got away with very few of their desperate heaves.
Massillon won because it excelled on defense and had a big advantage in punting, both teams resorting frequently to the kicking game in an effort to gain ground by out punting their rivals. So far as weight was concerned the two teams were evenly matched although Youngstown reports of the game would seem to indicate that the orange and black eleven was composed of a group of giants when compared to the poor little South team which probably averaged very near the 175 pound mark.
Despite the fact that the game was played in Youngstown and that the three officials who handled the contest appeared more than eager to penalize Massillon for every slight offense and let South do as it pleased, Coach Stewart’s lads won, which is a positive indication that the local gridders, even under adverse conditions, can tackle an opponent of their own weight and beat them.
“Butch” Hill, Massillon’s great fullback, was the outstanding star of the contest. It was he who gave the orange and black a big advantage by his educated toe which sent different, twisting punts far up the field, on which Massillon gained ground nearly every time. It was Hill who tore through the South line three times for touchdowns. And it was Hill who played a bear of a game on defense.
But Hill was not the only Massillonian whose playing was noteworthy. Bill Edwards, rangy tackle, also was more or less of a bear on defense. Bill somehow got into nearly every play and once he wrapped his long arms around a Youngstown player that individual generally came to earth with a thud. Ted Roth, scrappy center, also did yeoman service, especially in breaking down South’s overhead attack. Hill and Ulrich were the only Massillon players able to gain much ground against South. Hill several times ripped his way through the Mahoning county team’s defense for substantial gains while Ulrich paved the way for one of Massillon’s touchdowns by a brilliant 47-yard dash through the center of the Youngstown line.
Although Hill, Edwards and Roth were the main cogs in Massillon’s victory the other lads Coach Stewart shoved into the fray also gave a good account of themselves. The strain of the hard conflict finally began to wear on the local team and the players showed signs of becoming tired in the final quarter. But the terrific pace which had been set also had its effect on South and the steel city athletes were on the ragged edge when the game was over.
The crowd of nearly 1,000 Massillon fans who journeyed to Youngstown to witness the encounter saw the orange and black accomplish what they hoped it would and they returned home happy. South high supporters though were a little crest-fallen. They expected to win. In fact many were absolutely convinced that the red and black machine would twist the tail of the Massillon Tiger. South appeared to have one of the greatest teams in its history but when pitted against the equally great machine, which Coach Stewart has developed, it paled in comparison.
How desperately South tried to score by the overhead route is shown by the fact that the eastern Ohio eleven tried 42 forward passes. Of this number it completed eight for a total yardage of 79. Two of them were good for 15-yard gains. Nine passes were intercepted by Massillon while 22 were not completed. Massillon attempted but two forwards, one of which was intercepted by South and the other was grounded, the ball going over South’s goal line and robbing Massillon of a touchdown.
South made more first downs than Massillon, most of these coming in the last two quarters when Massillon was playing a purely defensive game.
The first downs stood 12 for South and nine for Massillon. Massillon punted 24 times to 19 for South. In the matter of penalties Massillon drew a great many more than South, some of the penalties inflicted by the officials seeming a little too severe when it was considered that South was committing practically the same infringements and drawing no penalties whatever.
With both teams fighting fiercely to keep their rivals from gaining ground, the battle soon developed into a punting duel between Hill and Randolph and Hill had it all over the Youngstown foe. The Massillon star kept sending back wicked twisters the Youngstown players found hard to catch and on practically every exchange of punts Massillon gained ground. South’s defense appeared to tighten in the second half and the orange and black was not able to come within scoring distance except twice.
On one occasion left end Weirich intercepted a South pass and ran it back 40 yards before being downed on South’s two yard line. Four smashed at the Youngstown line failed to take the ball over. A little later Massillon again took the ball within South’s 20-yard line but was unable to put it over, attempting a forward pass on its fourth down which was grounded behind South’s goal.
FIRST QUARTER
South won the toss and Pflug kicked off and South was downed on its 22-yard line. Right off the bat Massillon drew a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness. South was held and Randolph punted over the line. The ball was put in play on Massillon’s 20-yard line. Ulrich went through South’s left tackle for a first down. Hill lost 15 on a bad pass from center and then punted out of bounds in mid-field. South fumbled and Hill covered for Massillon on South’s 42-yard line. Massillon lost the ball on downs and South immediately punted. Hill kicked back the ball going out on South’s 31-yard mark. The rivals exchanged punts twice before Thomas returned South’s second boot 25 yards to South’s 40-yard line. Hill plunged off South’s right tackle for 35 yards, carrying the ball to the five-yard line. Hill hit the same spot again but failed to gain. Captain Ulrich went through the South line taking the ball to the one-yard line from where Hill plunged through for Massillon’s first touchdown, nine minutes after play began. Thomas missed a try for goal.
South received and after an exchange of punts Ulrich signaled for a fair catch of a South punt on South’s 35-yard line. Edwards then tried for a field goal which went to one side, Potts gathering in the ball and racing to South’s 12-yard line before being downed. Ulrich lost five on an attempted double pass but Hill made it up by taking the ball to South’s 10-yard line on a dash around South’s right end. On the next play Hill carried the ball to within half a yard of South’s goal and went over on the next smash. Edwards kicked goal. The quarter ended a short time later with Massillon in possession of the ball on South’s 20-yard line.
SECOND QUARTER
Massillon attempted a forward, which was intercepted by Randolph. Referee Kreach, of Case, ruled that tackle Salberg of Massillon had slugged Randolph and ejected the Massillon man from the game, penalizing Massillon half the distance to its goal. South made a first down on plunges and then George drop kicked the ball over from the 25-yard line for South’s first points. With Hill out punting Randolph and Thomas generally returning South’s punts 10 to 25 yards, Massillon soon worked the ball back into South territory. Then Ulrich dashed through the South team for a gain of 47 yards carrying the ball to South’s two-yard line. Hill failed in his first dash into the South line but the next time he went over for Massillon’s third touchdown and Edwards again kicked goal. During the remainder of the quarter play was confined to the mid section of the gridiron.
THIRD QUARTER
With the start of the third quarter South’s defense seemed to take on added strength and it began to open up attempting numerous forward passes. South attempted 17 heaves in this period only four of which were completed. It was a pass, Perilla to Cook, that was good for 15 yards that put South in position to score its only touchdown. Following this pass Perilla plowed through the Massillon line for a 15-yard gain, taking the ball to the five-yard mark. Two plunges into the orange and black forward wall failed to gain but on the third play Davies went off Massillon’s left tackle for South’s touchdown. Goal was missed. South continued its desperate overhead attack, which was continually broken up by the alert Massillon lads. The quarter ended with South in possession of the ball in mid-field. It was in this period that Weirich intercepted a South pass and carried the ball back to South’s two-yard line. Then four line plays failed to dint the Youngstown line and Massillon lost the ball on downs.
FOURTH QUARTER
In the final period play zig-zagged over the center of the field until near the end of the period when Boerner intercepted a South forward and carried the ball to South’s 11-yard line. Massillon then attempted a forward but it went astray, landing behind the goal line and it was South’s ball on the 20-yard mark. Both teams resorting to punting during the closing minutes, the game ending with the ball near mid-field.
Four In A Row
Massillon – 20 Position South – 9 Potts LE Evans Edwards LT Whitley Kallaker LG Garns Roth C Armstrong Pflug RG Gintz (c) Salberg RT Welsh Jamison RE Cook Ulrich (c) Q Randolph Thomas LH Perilla Boerner RH Lewis Hill F Marrie
Score by Quarters: Massillon 13 7 0 0 – 20 South 0 3 6 0 – 9
Substitutions: Massillon – Rohr for Salberg, Weirich for Potts, Define for Thomas, Potts for Manison, Thomas for Define, Miller for Rohr. South – George for Marrie, Baker for Randolph, Marrie for George, Dahman for Lewis, Davies for Baker, Blackman for Lewis, Nelson for Evans.
Touchdowns: Hill 3, Davies. Goals after touchdown: Edwards 2. Field Goal: George.
Steam rollers are hard to stop once they get started. But football players of Cambridge high school, after their experience last Saturday, would tackle a steam roller with pleasure rather than attempt to halt the march of the orange and black football team of Washington high school toward the scholastic championship of Ohio. Ask the Cambridge warriors what they think of Coach Stewart’s gridiron eleven and they’ll tell you it’s an aggregation made up of eleven steam rollers.
So thoroughly did the orange and black bury Cambridge high Saturday that the Guernsey county athletes were just beginning to dig out from under and get their breath today. Fifty-eight points were rolled up by the youthful Tigers while Cambridge players only got a chance to look at Massillon’s goal line from beyond midfield.
And it was not until the second half that Coach Stewart’s lads opened up. But when they did open up it was curtains for Cambridge. The downstaters were pushed aside like chaff in the wind while the Massillon eleven, which promises to be the greatest scholastic team in the city’s history, plowed and smashed its way through the Gurnsey county team for 48 points. Massillon was held to 10 points during the first half and Cambridge rooters were beginning to congratulate their team on its ability to hold Massillon to a low score.
But when the second half opened it is reported that there were a great many casualties among the fans, fainting spells and attacks of heart failure being many. As for the Cambridge gridders, they took their mauling with good grace. There was nothing else to do. Their faculty manager had been unwise enough to schedule a game with the youthful Tigers and so it was up to the players to take their medicine. The game was played on nearly even terms during the first half. Massillon secured a touchdown and a field goal by “Midge” Thomas. But between halves Coach Stewart whispered to his gridders to open up during the last two quarters and show something. And they responded by rolling up 48 points during the last 25 minutes of play.
It was Massillon’s third victory of the 1922 campaign and after the game Cambridge took its place along side Dayton Steele and Barberton, other teams which have tackled the orange and black and felt the strength of the local eleven’s attack. While Cambridge today was still digging out from under the top heavy score Coach Stewart’s lads began to prime their attack for next Saturday’s game at Youngstown with Youngstown South, which promises to be one of the hardest on the local team’s schedule.
The local gridders came out of the Saturday evening contest none the worse for wear, with the exception of minor bruises and bumps, the result of their gridiron clash.
“Butch” Hill, sturdy fullback was an outstanding star of Massillon’s attack last Saturday. Five times did this sterling athlete rip his way through the Cambridge team for touchdowns. Cambridge might just as well have tried to stop a juggernaut as to stop Hill. It simply couldn’t be done. Teams on Massillon’s schedule are beginning to realize that his lad Hill is quite some football artist.
Hill though was ably assisted in his hero role by the balance of the orange and black gridders who were in the game up to their necks throughout. Thomas hung up two touchdowns. Jamison made one and so did Boerner.
Three Straight
Massillon – 58 Position Cambridge – 0 Weirich LE Boyd Edwards LT Linkhorn Miller LG Wilson Roth C Shaffer Pflug RG Wiley Salberg RT Gander Jamison RE Morgan Thomas Q Hannah Boerner LH Mullen Borza RH Corben Hill F Spears
Touchdowns – Hill 5, Thomas 2, Jamison, Boerner
Points after touchdown – Pflug, Edwards 2, Thomas.
Piercing Drive Of Orange And Black Brings Second Win
The youthful Tigers of Washington high school registered their second victory of the 1922 gridiron season Saturday afternoon when they smothered the brown and white clad athletes of Barberton high school under a 32 to 0 score in their annual scholastic engagement in the Match city.
Far stronger on offense, displaying a stonewall defense and showing a greater knowledge of the game, the orange and black eleven easily outclassed the Match City warriors, but the team play of the local eleven lacked the same precision as that put on exhibition a week ago when Coach Stewart’s squad inaugurated its drive for scholastic honors by triumphing over Steele high of Dayton, last season’s midwestern champions.
With old King Sol sending down his rays with full strength on a field covered with several inches of dust, both elevens were hampered to no small extent. It was no usual sight; after watching a cloud of dust disappear, to see one and often times more athletes dig free from a pile of dirt before being able to resume play.
Penalties also had much to do in keeping the orange and black from scoring more points. Coach Stewart’s lads paid the price of alleged unlawful tactics by being penalized by the officials for 100 yards, cutting off two and possibly three avenues for touchdowns. In the first period, Massillon backs twice ripped through the Barberton eleven for substantial gains and carried the oval to within the shadow of the goal posts, only to have the ball taken back to where the play started and receive a 15-yard penalty. Sixty yards were taken from the orange and black eleven in the first period while the other 50 yards were distributed throughout the remaining periods.
Barberton could do very little against the crushing attack of the Washington high backs, the first line ripping the Match City’s forward wall of defense to shreds and leaving big openings for the backfield to hit for substantial gains. On offense the upstaters were outclassed even to a greater extent and it was very seldom that their offensive stars were able to penetrate the orange and black line.
Only once during the entire 60 minutes of strife did the opponents of the local eleven possess the oval in Massillon territory, but on no occasion were they within striking distance of the goal. The Barberton team covered the moleskin in Massillon territory in the initial period after the orange and black eleven lost the ball on downs after it had sustained two 15-yard penalties. (Next line unreadable)
“Midge” Thomas brought Massillon its first set of counters, when he duplicated his feat of a week ago of twisting, side stepping and sprinting through the entire opposing eleven for a touchdown. The diminutive halfback received a pass from Potts at center, while standing in midfield, and afforded excellent interference, raced away for a touchdown and set the orange and black scoring machine into action.
Another touchdown was added in the second period. Massillon had opened the period by tearing through the Barberton line for several first downs, but the march was brought to a halt when the upstaters bolstered and held for downs on their 30-yard line. Hill then intercepted a long Barberton pass and advanced the ball to the 34-yard line before being brought to earth. On the second down the husky orange and black fullback hit off Barberton’s right tackle and scampered through the opposing team for a touchdown. Ulrich dropped kicked over the bars of the opposing team for a touchdown. Ulrich dropped kicked over the bars for Massillon’s 13th point, having missed the attempt after the first touchdown.
Massillon’s first line of defense gave the locals their opportunity for the third touchdown for with but two yards to gain for a first down. Barberton attempted to pierce the Massillon line only to lose the ball on their own 34-yard line. Line plunges by Hill and Ulrich gave Massillon two first downs and advanced the oval to the four yard line from where Hill scored through right tackle. Thomas kicked goal.
In the final period, after Ulrich had advanced the oval to the 16-yard line, Barberton held the locals for downs. But the orange and black captain was not to be denied and a few minutes later after Define had received a punt on Barberton’s 30-yard line, Ulrich scampered across for the fourth Massillon touchdown.
“Dutch” Hill registered Massillon’s final counter, after Massillon had gained the ball on Barberton’s 25-yard line. Boerner hit for 10 yards through right tackle. In three plunges through the same side of the line, Hill was across the goal line and Massillon’s score was boosted to 32 points. Both attempts for goals in the final period failed.
Massillon was as well represented at the game as the Barberton eleven. Approximately 500 Washington high students and local citizens attended.
Another Scalp
Barberton – 0 Pos. Massillon – 32 Light LE Weirich Staw LT Edwards Yoder LG Kallaker Stewart C Potts Kaufman RG Pflug Banks RT Salsberg Krohn RE Jamison Immler Q Ulrich Suitor LH Boerner Butler RH Thomas Clancy F Hill
Score by periods: Massillon 6 7 6 13
Substitutions: Massillon – Borsa for Boerner, Hax for Thomas, Thomas for Hax, Boerner for Borsa, Define for Thomas, Miller for Kallaker, Rohr for Weirich, Mercer for Define, Hax for Ulrich. Barberton – Razor for Butler, Graham for Immler.
Massillon last Saturday afternoon wrote its name in capital letters among the list of entrants for intersectional scholastic football honors of these United States when the orange and black eleven of Washington high school, in its initial appearance of the 1922 campaign, scored a brilliant triumph over Steele high, of Dayton, intersectional champions of the middle west in 1921, by inflicting a crushing 31 to 7 defeat upon the southern Ohio gridders on the Pearl street battlefield. Unexpected and unlooked for before the encounter was Massillon’s spectacular victory over a school that has established the reputation of developing some of the strongest scholastic aggregations in the country.
Known across the breadth of Uncle Sam’s domain as a school where championship teams are turned out Dayton Steele was figured as an almost certain winner. With a team practically every bit as strong as the eleven which smothered the youthful Tigers under a 66 to 0 defeat a year ago, the Gem City gridders expected to hang up another victory over the local team in their first appearance on a Massillon field.
But Dayton Steele was to be the victim of an unlooked for surprise. It was to encounter a foe worthy of its strength, a foe that could play football, a team that had been well coached and was out to win. For five minutes the issue was in doubt. Then the sturdy orange and black clad lads opened an attack that was destined to smash the hopes of the southern Ohio warriors and make even the wildest dreams of local enthusiasts come true.
Dayton Steele has no alibi to offer for its defeat. It was defeated by a team superior on defense, superior on offense; in fact superior in every department of the game. With probably the most brilliant array of talent ever available for a high school football team Coach David B. Stewart has assembled an aggregation that should cover itself with thick layers of glory before the curtain is rolled down next November.
Fired by a determination to win if possible, Coach Stewart’s lads fought with every ounce of strength and energy they possessed. Never for a moment did they relent. They deserved to win because they played the kind of a game that brings victory. And Massillon today was proud to bestow praise upon its 1922 scholastic gridiron heroes.
With “Butch” Hill, husky fullback playing the stellar role on defense and Captain “Tink” Ulrich and “Midge” Thomas keeping the crowd on its feet by their brilliant offense tactics, the orange and black ripped its way through the formidable Steele high eleven for five touchdowns. Although the three lads mentioned above pulled down the lion’s share of the glory for their spectacular work they were not alone in bringing victory to their colors.
They were ably assisted by Bill Edwards, a husky tackle, Jamison, a speedy end, Kallaker, a fighting guard, Boerner, a halfback and all the rest of the players who participated in the encounter. They all played their best and they all deserve credit for it was the competent play that made victory possible.
It did not take the invading gridders from the south long to realize that they were up against a formidable foe. It was on defense that Massillon really showed its worth. The offensive attack of the local team has not yet reached the machine like precision that Coach Stewart is aiming for but the youthful Tigers Saturday displayed enough ability to warrant the assertion that before many more weeks roll by they will display a piercing attack that should batter its way through the stiffest kind of opposition.
Faced with the knowledge that it could not dent the bulwarks of Massillon’s sturdy defense which was supported by the brilliant tackling of Hill and Roth who were backing of the line Steele resorted to the aerial game in a desperate effort to score. But once more the downstaters were to be checked.
Time after time they attempted an overhead attack which was shattered to bits by the Massillon forwards who rushed in and either batted the ball to the ground or intercepted the pass. The local athletes followed the ball with unerring accuracy.
Steele might have been able to make matters interesting for the local team had it been able to worm its way through the orange and black defense. The attack of the southern Ohio School was centered around Captain Buchannan at quarterback. Steele had a varied assortment of shifts for end runs and line plays that might have proved damaging to a team less sturdy than Massillon. But when Steele attempted its pet formations against Coach Stewart’s lads the local gridders just simply rushed in and smashed the play to bits before it could get under way.
In its desperate effort to score Steele attempted 30 forward passes. Only eight of these were completed for about a total gain of 25 yards. Whenever Dayton did complete a forward aerial the receiver of the overhead heave was brought down in his tracks by some energetic Massillon youth. Nineteen of Steele’s attempted passes never materialized and three were intercepted by Massillon.
It was a break in luck that gave Steele its only touchdown in the fourth quarter. Massillon had been forced back to its 10-yard line through two 15-yard penalties. Hill, whose punting has been brilliant throughout the game, attempted to kick from the five yard line but Dayton broke through, blocked the kick and as the ball rolled back over Massillon’s goal line, Right end McGuire, of Steele pounced upon it for Dayton’s set of counters. Buchannan lifted a drop kick over the cross bars from scrimmage for Dayton’s other point following the scoring of the touchdown.
With this exception Dayton never once worked its way within Massillon’s 30-yard line. The goal line of the orange and black was as safe as the rock of Gibraltar from the attack of the downstaters.
It was a blocked punt that paved the way for Massillon’s first touchdown in the first quarter. After several exchanges of punts Steele was held on its 15-yard line and forced to kick. Potts, Massillon’s left end, smashed his way through Steele’s defense, blocked the punt and Guard Kallaker covered it on Steele’s 18-yard line. Hill made a first down on two plays through the line carrying the ball to Steele’s seven yard line.
Thomas ripped through Steele’s left tackle for six, placing the ball on the one yard line, but a Massillon player was offside and the local team drew a five yard penalty. Ulrich and Hill made plunges into the Dayton line. Then on a double pass, Thomas snaked the ball to Ulrich and skirted Dayton’s right end for the first touchdown. The quarter ended with the ball in midfield.
After an exchange of punts in the second quarter Thomas went around end for nine yards and Hill heaved a pass to Potts that was good for a gain of 18 yards and put the ball on Steels’s 25-yard line. But on the next attempted pass Liebenderfer intercepted the ball on his 13-yard line. Jamison threw Buchannan for a loss of five yards. Potts ripped through the line and nailed Buchannan so hard on the next play that he dropped the ball, Jamison recovering it on Dayton’s 21-yard line.
Then Thomas and Ulrich once more worked their double pass and “Tink” raced around Dayton’s left end for Massillon’s second touchdown. The quarter ended shortly afterward with Massillon in possession of the ball near midfield.
The battle raged fast in the third quarter. After several exchanges of punts, Hill snatched a Dayton pass out of the air and throwing off many opponents returned it 40 yards to Steele’s 40-yard line. A 15 yard penalty hurt Massillon’s chances to advance the ball and Hill punted, the oval being downed on Steele’s 18-yard line.
On the next play Jamison tackled Smiley so hard that the Dayton gridder dropped the ball. Hill ambled through the mass of struggling players, picked up the ball and scampered across Steele’s goal line for Massillon’s fourth touchdown. Thomas boosted the total to 25 by making a point from scrimmage after the touchdown.
But the most brilliant play of the encounter was still to come and “Midge” Thomas, brilliant little halfback, was to be the hero. After Massillon scored its fourth touchdown, Steele received and on the first play Edwards busted through and tossed Buchannan for a six-yard loss. Steele then punted. Thomas grabbed the ball on his 30-yard line and with brilliant interference and by spectacular dodging and sidestepping “Midge” raced 70 yards through the entire Dayton team for Massillon’s fifth touchdown while the fans made the welkin ring with their cheers for the little Massillon halfback.
For the balance of the third quarter and the entire fourth quarter the orange and black played largely on the defensive. Steele made on more first down than Massillon, having seven to its credit while the local team had six, making four of these in the second quarter. Massillon punted 12 times to 11 for Steele and completed only one forward pass out of three attempts, the other two being intercepted by Steele.
A Sweet Morsel
Dayton Steele – 7 Pos. Massillon – 31 Liebenderfer LE Potts Thompson LT Edwards L. Zimmerman LG Kallaker Feight C Roth P. Zimmerman RG Pflug Mankat RT Salberg McGuire RE Jamison Buchannan Q Ulrich Zumbren LH Boerner Smiley RH Thomas Turvene F Hill
Substitutions: Massillon – Borza for Thomas, Thomas for Borza Brooks for Edwards, Weirich for Potts, Potts for Roth, Hax for Thomas, Define for Boerner, Rohr for Jamison. Dayton Steele – Harlow for Turvene, Detmer for Liebenderfer, Thompson for Harlow, Liebenderfer for Detmer, Turvene for Smiley, Harlow for Zumbren, Miller for Thompson.
ORANGE AND BLACK IS 13-12 WINNER IN MUDDY ENGAGEMENT
A football game hung in the balance!
Only a few seconds of play remained. Eleven tired and mud be-spattered but grimly determined youths stood within the shadow of the goal line they had so nobly defended. Opposite them stood eleven other tired and mud be-spattered but as grimly determined lads who by sheer strength had forced their way to within four yards of the goal line.
Upon the next play rested the outcome of the encounter. But one point separated the rival gladiators, so thoroughly soaked with mud that it was almost impossible to discern friend from foe. But in the faces of eleven of those sturdy lads was written the grim resolve not to yield one more inch of ground. In the countenances of the others could be seen an equally firm determination to score the touchdown which meant victory.
On the sidelines several thousand highly excited persons stood in breathless silence as they waited for this final test of strength. The atmosphere vibrated with the tenseness of the moment. The opposing warriors took their positions.
Then—“Time!” That single word echoed across the field. A sharp blast of a whistle pierced the air. And for the fifth time in nine years the orange and black waved triumph over the red and black. Massillon had defeated Canton! By a single point had victory been achieved. Washington high school’s football team had won its annual encounter with its perennial foe, McKinley high, of Canton, by a score of 13 to 12.
On one side of the field at Lakeside stadium, Canton, pandemonium broke loose. Cheer after cheer rent the air as the victorious Massillon lads trotted off the field. On the other side quiet prevailed. With heads bowed, the defeated athletes trudged through the mud. They had fought gamely in this the biggest battle of the year. The defeat was a bitter pill but they bore their cross manfully. Needless to say, Massillon celebrated Saturday night.
Thus ended the annual gridiron fracas between the scholastic elevens of Massillon and Canton. In 1920 Canton came to Massillon and handed the orange and black a 14 to 0 lacing. This year Massillon turned the tables and the balance of power rests with the local school, for of the nine games played, five have been Massillon victories. Three have been won by Canton, while one ended in a tie.
Saturday was far from being an ideal football day. A steady downpour, which lasted until after the game had begun, turned the field into a quagmire of mud and water. With the mud several inches deep, fast playing was out of the question. Straight football had the call and with a team several pounds to the man heavier than Massillon’s aggregation, the advantage rested with Canton. But once more Massillon grit and fighting spirit conquered. After the first few plays the rival players were so covered with mud that it was hard to distinguish one from the other. Under such conditions victory would go to the team which secured the breaks. Massillon secured the breaks but they resulted because of the hard and fierce playing of Coach Stewart’s lads who entered the fray to do or die. Canton’s points were made because of the ability of its heavy backs to plunge through the lighter Massillon eleven.
Although Ted Roth, Massillon’s splendid center, was injured and forced out of the game before the second quarter ended, it was his fierce tackling which paved the way for Massillon’s first touchdown in the initial period. For it was he who tackled Kennedy, Canton’s star halfback, so hard as he came through the line that the wet ball slipped from his grasp and was pounded upon by Boerner, Massillon’s halfback, on Canton’s 20-yard line. Then Captain Hess, whose ankle which was injured in the Dayton Steele game several weeks ago was still weak, sneaked through the Canton line for three yards and on the next play heaved a pass to Boerner, which brought a first down and placed the ball on Canton’s 10-yard stripe.
Next came a double pass. Rosenberg to Hess and the orange and black leader dashed around Canton’s right end, being forced to the extreme edge of the field before he crashed into an opposing player and slid over the goal line for Massillon’s first touchdown. He kicked goal and that point later was to be the deciding point of the battle.
Not until the third quarter did Massillon’s next opportunity to score present itself. A Massillon punt was downed on Canton’s two-yard line. The red and black was given five yards to punt. Bob Shaidnagle, a husky lineman, who had not played since early in the season because of a broken collar bone, had just entered the game for Massillon. Kennedy dropped back to punt. As he received the pass, Shaidnagle shot through the line and blocked the kick, the ball rolling over the Canton goal line where Potts fell on it for Massillon’s second touchdown. Hess failed at goal.
Canton’s first touchdown came after an unbroken march of 60 yards. The Cantonians launched their drive as the first quarter ended. With Kennedy, the star of the Canton offense, playing the part of a battering ram, the red and black smashed its way through the Massillon eleven for five first downs, the march not being halted until Kennedy dove through the orange and black line for a touchdown from the four yard line. Canton then had a chance to tie the score but Kennedy missed goal.
Canton’s second touchdown came early in the fourth quarter. As the third period ended Hess had fumbled a Canton punt. Beachy covering for Canton on Massillon’s 30-yard line. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Kennedy shot around Massillon’s right end for a gain of 11 yards bringing the ball to Massillon’s 19-yard line. Three smashes into the line netted Canton another first down and carried the ball to the five-yard line. Kennedy was called into action and on his second attempt pierced the Massillon line for his second touchdown. Again Canton had an opportunity to tie the score but once more Kennedy’s attempt was low and was batted down by a Massillon warrior.
Massillon was leading by one point. The quarter was nearly half over and indications were that the orange and black would triumph. But Canton came back strong and presented a first class running attack which carried the ball deep into Massillon territory. The wet condition of the field and ball made good punting impossible and as a result Massillon was unable to punt the oval out of danger.
Two bad passes by Potts, who had replaced Roth at center, which prevented, Hess from punting gave Canton possession of the ball on Massillon’s 10-yard line with but a minute to play. A line plunge netted two yards. Then Hess batted down an attempted Canton forward. Another dive into the line took the ball to the five-yard line. Canton had goal to gain on the next play or lose the ball, but before the play could be put into motion time expired and the duel was over.
Played on a dry field the game might have ended differently. With solid footing Massillon’s speedy backfield stars more than likely would have given Canton plenty of trouble but speed was no asset on a field such as the rival elevens played on Saturday. On only a few occasions were Hess, Ulrich and Rosenberg able to show flashes of their fleetness of foot. The heavy mud made it impossible for them to get started. Forward passes and trick plays also were difficult to execute.
As it was statistics show that Canton, so far as the actual amount of ground gained, outplayed Massillon. The red and black made 12 first downs to five for Captain Hess’ aggregation. Each team punted 11 times. Massillon completed two forwards out of eight attempts. Canton completed none in four attempts. Neither team intercepted a forward.
Although all of its regulars performed, Massillon was far from being in first class shape. Hess’ ankle bothered him. Ulrich entered the game with his injured knee bandaged. Roth’s shoulder, hurt several weeks ago, gave way and he was forced to leave the contest. Boerner sustained a badly wrenched hip in the second quarter attempting to catch a forward pass and he had to be helped to the sidelines. But even though injuries did weaken them, Coach Stewart’s lads deserve a world of praise for their game and determined fight. To them there is no such work as quit and to them goes all the honor for winning cleanly and fairly in this, their greatest battle the year.
A Sweet Morsel
Massillon – 13 Pos. McKinley – 12 Lyons LE Ashcon Snyder LT Viethmeyer Rutherford LG Gibson Roth C Hoffman Kallaker RG Bob Wade Nelson RT Kartman Jamison RE Frease Rosenberg QB McGlashan Hess LH Kennedy Boerner RH Hamilton Potts FB Johnson
Substitutions – McKinley: Beachy for Viethmeyer, Ralph Wade for Bob Wade, Mayforth for Hamilton, Hamilton for McGlashan, Kirk for Mayforth, Deal for Hamilton, Harmon for Kennedy, Bob Wade for Ralph Wade, Rebillot for Ashcon. Massillon: Bischoff for Boerner, Ulrich for Potts, Potts for Roth, Pflug for Rutherford, Shaidnagle for Pflug, Hax for Bischoff.
Touchdowns – Kennedy 2, Hess, Potts.
Goal from touchdown – Hess 1.
Missed goals from touchdown – Hess 1, Kennedy 2.
Referee – Paige of Ohio Wesleyan. Umpire – Bletzer of Mount Union. Head linesman – Zimmerman of Mt. Union. Time of periods – 15 minutes
