“The Year of the Tiger” – 50 Years Later

In Chinese lore 1970 was dubbed “The Year of the Tiger.”  According to traditional myth, “Nian,” a beastly creature, tore through the countryside eating people on the night before the New Year.  So, red decorations and firecrackers were used to frighten away the beast as the holiday approached.  Such is the respect afforded the Tiger.

For Massillon, “The Year of the Tiger” is also special, because that was the year their beloved Tiger football team fashioned one of the most perfect seasons the town had ever witnessed:  a 10-0 record, a state championship and a return to the glory years of the past.

In 1964 and 1965, under coach Earl Bruce, Massillon won all 20 games and was awarded back-to-back state titles. But Coach Bruce left for Ohio State and the Tigers fell upon hard times during the next three seasons. So the search was on for a coach that would return Massillon to the top.  In the spring of 1969, Bob Commings was hired to assume the coaching duties, having won his last 22 games at Struthers. Coach Commings would stay for five seasons before accepting the position of head coach at his alma mater, the University of Iowa. But what a glorious five seasons it was.

The first real chance for Massillon fans to meet the new coach came during the spring kickoff at the Massillon American Legion. It was there that Coach Commings would display the fire and enthusiasm that was so prevalent in his personality. His love for the game would just envelop anyone who got near.  There were handshakes aplenty as fans would hope that some of the vigor would rub off. Each person at the event left with the feeling that this man was someone special and was situated in exactly the right place and the right time atop the Tiger program.

Coach Commings inherited a team that was lean on senior talent, but he began to assemble the pieces and fill the voids with promising underclassmen. Suffering through the usual growing pains of a first-year coach, the 1969 Tigers finished the season 7-2-1. But they were competitive in every game, including in a 14-7 last minute loss to Canton McKinley (9-1). That set the stage for a run to the top.

In 1970, with several outstanding players returning and Commings’ football philosophy firmly in place, Massillon rolled to ten consecutive victories, completely dominating every opponent. This 1970 team was duly acclaimed first in the state and second in the nation. As a personal reward, Commings was selected to lead the North All-Star team in the following year’s summer classic. With several Massillon players suited up, the North won the game 14-0.

But back to the 1970 season, which became a showdown between Massillon and Upper Arlington.  In 1966, the Golden Bears played the Tigers for the first time and won on the road, 21-6.  That victory firmly cemented UA as a state power.  Arlington went on to post a 9-1 record, dropping their finale to Columbus Watterson (10-0), which was awarded the title.  But the Bears ran the table for the next three years and were awarded the Associated Press state title each time.  Included in that a 7-6 triumph over a 9-1 Tiger team in 1967.  However, preseason prognosticators believed that the 1970 Massillon team had the talent to wrestle the state title away from Upper Arlington.

The Tigers were led by a stellar cast, including:

• Mike Mauger: 6’-0”, 195 lb. senior tailback; Ohio Class AAA player of the year; rushed for 1200 yards at 7.5 yards per carry; scored 152 points; University of Wisconsin and Kent State University; tried out with the Dallas Cowboys.
•  Dennis Franklin: 6’-0”, 180 lb. senior quarterback; second team all-Ohio; University of Michigan, 3-year starter at quarterback; Detroit Lions.
• Larry Harper: 5’-8”, 156 lb. senior wingback; Miami of Ohio; Churchman’s Magazine All-American; executive with Poloraid and Nike.
• Steve Luke: 6’-2”, 186 lb. senior linebacker/tight end; third team all-Ohio; The Ohio State University; Green Bay Packers; co-founder USAthletes. Brother Bill also played in 1970.
• Tim Ridgley: 5’-10”, 210 lb. senior defensive tackle; first team all-Ohio; Wyoming (football/baseball); Massillon head baseball coach.
• Steve Studer: 5’-11”, 200 lb. junior center; all-Ohio (1971); Bowling Green; tried out with Chicago Bears; Massillon strength and conditioning coach.
• Willie Spencer: 6’-2”, 189 lb. junior linebacker; all-Ohio (1971) Memphis Southmen; Washington Redskins; Minnesota Vikings.

Massillon opened the season with a 71-0 shellacking of Trotwood Madison, behind an offense that rolled up 533 yards.  Tailback Mike Mauger set the tone for the season by romping 80 yards for a touchdown on the very first play of the game.  Then, after disposing of Cleveland Benedictine 32-7 and Alliance 36-12, it was time to get down to business.

The opponent was Niles McKinley, an All-American Conference game that would be played on the road in front of a sellout crowd of 15,000.  It turned out to be a defensive affair, with the ground-oriented Tigers hampered by a gimpy Mauger at tailback, who was injured the previous week.  In fact, the only scoring of the first half was on a late field goal by Niles.  But Massillon came roaring back in the second half to score three unanswered touchdowns and win 22-3.  They also held the Red Dragons to just 132 yards. Niles would finish the season with a 7-2-1 record.

With the tough one behind them the Tigers went on a tear, outscoring their next six opponents 251-7.  First up was Toledo Whitmer (7-3), a 41-0 victory in which Massillon surrendered just 69 yards.  Next came a 40-0 blanking of Steubenville (6-4), behind a 416-yard offensive effort.  It took just 40 plays to take care of Barberton, winning 52-0.

In a conference game at Warren, 15,000 rain-soaked fans watched the Tigers take the Black Panthers apart 22-0.  Defense was the tone of the day and Massillon held Warren (5-5) to just three first downs and 29 yards of offense, none in the air.  As expected, there was a bit of complacency when hapless Akron St. Vincent came to town.  Massillon scored easily the first time it touched the ball to assume a 6-0 lead, only to see the Irish come right back on an 80-yard drive to take an early second quarter lead, 7-6.  But the Tigers came back to life and showed why they were destined for greatness, scoring 36 points during the remainder of the quarter enroute to a 68-7 blowout.  St. Vincent would manage just three yards for the rest of the night.

Entering Game Ten against Canton McKinley, the Tigers were in first place in the Associated Press Poll, Upper Arlington at 9-0 was a close second and McKinley at 8-0-1 was third (the tie was vs. Niles).  Based on these standings, all that was left for the Tigers to finish in first place was to defeat the Pups.  Fans woke up that Saturday to a cold downpour, conditions that would persist for the entire day.  It wasn’t pleasant for the 22,500 fans in attendance, but the players didn’t seem to mind.  The victory dance started early when Massillon’s Larry Harper returned the opening kickoff 94-yards for a touchdown to give the locals an early 8-0 lead.  Keeping the ball on the ground for the entire game, the Tigers ground out three more scores, two by Mike Mauger and one by quarterback Dennis Franklin on a 37-yard naked boot.  The celebration was on as Massillon rolled to a 28-0 victory behind a 258-yard rushing attack.  Mauger led the way with 27 carries for 137 yards.  Franklin would throw just two passes.  Meanwhile, McKinley was held to a mere 115 yards, threatening to score just once.

Massillon game scores:

• Trotwood Madison (71-0)
• Cleveland Benedictine (32-7) – finished 9-1
• Alliance (36-12)
• Niles (22-3) – finished 7-2-1
• Toledo Whitmer (41-0)
• Steubenville (40-0)
• Barberton (52-0)
• Warren Harding (22-0)
• Akron St. Vincent (68-7)
• Canton McKinley (28-0) – No. 3; finished 8-1-1
• 10-0 Record: 412-29

Upper Arlington ended their season 10-0, which at least kept them in contention for the crown.  Below are their season results:

• Mentor (27-6)
• Worthington (35-6)
• Cincinnati Princeton (24-7) – finished 8-2
• Portsmouth (27-0)
• Akron Garfield (41-7)
• Lancaster (21-20) – No. 6; finished 8-1-1
• Zanesville (34-10)
• Chillicothe (49-0)
• Newark (51-0)
• Marietta (27-8)
• 10-0 Record: 336-64

Massillon was ranked No.1 throughout most of entire season, continuously from Week 5 on, and solidified that ranking in the final voting with the big victory over previously undefeated and state-ranked Canton McKinley.  Arlington was certainly hurt by a 1-point victory over Lancaster.  Here’s how the final A.P. voting went:

1. Massillon (10-0) – 223
2. Upper Arlington (10-0) – 210
3. Canton McKinley (8-1-1) – 119
4. Sidney (10-0) – 116
5. Cincinnati Moeller (9-1) – 115
6. Lancaster (8-1-1) – 104
7. Sandusky (9-1) – 92
8. Warren Western Reserve (9-1) – 84
9. Columbus East (8-1) – 50
10. Troy (10-0) – 25

Of course, 3-time defending champion Upper Arlington was none too pleased with the final results and there were informal talks about a post-season game to decide it in a playoff format.  The proceeds would be used to benefit the Marshall University football program, which suffered the loss of their entire team that year from a plane crash.  But the OHSAA would not approve the game.  So the final results would stand with Massillon as the state champs.  Nevertheless, the two teams met in Columbus two years later and the Tigers emerged a 14-0 victor.

1970 would be that last time Massillon was accorded Ohio Championship status.  Two years later the OHSAA would institute the state playoffs and, in spite of numerous state semifinal and final game appearances, the Tigers would never take the crown due to the dominance of the parochial schools, something that wasn’t present prior to the playoffs.  But the accomplishments of that 1970 team are still remembered by many Massillon faithful.  It was a team that outscored its opponents 412-29.  It averaged 6.5 yards per play while holding its opponents to a mere 2.2.  It wasn’t a huge team size-wise, but it possessed outstanding speed on both sides of the ball.  It also had some very talented players, several of whom played major college and professional ball.  But most of all it was a group of players that just wanted to win and win big, never letting down their guard.

The offense was a unit that could be relied upon to score the first time it touched the ball.  Its consistency to move up and down the field was uncanny.  The “bread and butter” play was a simple toss sweep to Mauger.  But the speed of the offensive line enabled the blockers to fly to the outside and pave the way for the 210 lb. tailback who, while not being the swiftest of running backs, was extremely adept at following his blockers.  When QB Dennis Franklin was not handing off to Mauger in the wing-T scheme, he would flip the ball to Larry Harper on the jet sweep.  That play was just devastating against opponents.  Franklin himself was an average passer, but he possessed great leadership ability, a trait that aided him throughout a 3-year stint as QB at the University of Michigan.

The defense was simply smothering.  Commings believed in an attacking system, one that placed eight men near the line of scrimmage to cut down opposing players before they had a chance to establish their blocks.  In fact, opponents averaged just four first down rushing per game.  Few Massillon teams controlled the line of scrimmage as well as this eleven did.  That coupled with an outstanding offense was a formula for success.

At the end of the season Coach Bob Commings was selected as the Class AAA Coach of the Year. After two years as coach of the Tigers his record stood at 17-2-1 having outscored the opposition by an average of 36-7. For his achievement he was selected as the North head coach in the 1971 Ohio All-Star Game. Commings would coach for three more years before taking over the head reigns at the University of Iowa, after compiling a record of 43-6-2, including a pair of undefeated regular seasons.

Mike Mauger was named Class AAA Back of the Year.  Tim Ridgley was awarded first team all-state offensive lineman and Steve Luke was named as second team linebacker.  Unfortunately, a couple of outstanding seniors were overlooked on this team. They included quarterback Dennis Franklin and flanker Larry Harper.

Coaching staff:

• Head Coach Bob Commings
• Larry Coyer
• Edward Kinney
• Jim Letcavits
• Gus Pachis
• Ducky Schroeder
• Nick Vrotsos
• Dale Walterhouse

The following photos are courtesy of Rob Engelhardt (1970 WHS Hi-Times)

Tigers’ Win Streak On the Line in 2020

In 2019 Massillon wrapped up the regular season with a 24-14 victory over arch-rival Canton McKinley.  In so doing, they extended their regular season winning streak to 21 games, defeating an impressive list of opponents along the way.  They also went unbeaten for consecutive seasons, the first time the Tigers had accomplished that feat since Earl Bruce’s 1964 and ‘65 state championship teams.  Then, to top it off, they advanced to the Playoff State Finals in each of those years.

But now new challenges await during the upcoming 2020 season, particularly in the opening game, which is slated to be against a to-be-named national opponent.  Should the Tigers get by that one, they will face more tough foes down the road.  But winning another ten games it is certainly an achievable goal.  Nevertheless, as sweet as that sounds, it’s certain that the players would gladly trade all of that for a championship trophy at the end.  Nevertheless, the streak is real, it can’t be ignored and is it ranked right up there with the accomplishments of other great Massillon teams.

Winning streaks do not happen by accident and in each one at least a couple of influential factors can be found.  Some schools have an exceptional class come through that can produce consecutive 10-win seasons, like Barberton in 2017 and ’18.  Combined with 2016 and 2019, the Magics ran off 26 straight regular season wins.  Another example is Avon, which had a streak of 28 straight regular season victories between 2015 and 2018.   Upper Arlington in the late 1960s took advantage of “back-to-back” exceptional classes to win over 40 games in a row.  Others have solid football programs with equally impressive coaches, like Steubenville, which recently fashioned a 42-game winning streak (including playoff games) and just last year had a 63-game regular season win streak come to an end.

Then there are those that benefit from a continuous pipeline of top-level athletes, like the large parochial schools which, because of their inherent scholastic and athletic opportunities, attract many exceptional players each year.  In the 1970s Cincinnati Moeller put together a 40-game+ winning streak.  Then, after a loss to Cincinnati Princeton, they went on to win another 45 straight games.  Strength of schedule also plays into winning streaks; that is, a schedule devoid of competitive opponents.  Combine many of the above traits into a smaller school and a long winning streak is often the result.  A good example of that is private school Kettering Alter, the likes of which is one of the reasons behind implementation of competitive advantage for the post-season playoffs.

Prior to the playoffs, it was important for the large top schools to play very competitive schedules in order to receive the support of the various sportswriters who voted for the state champion.  Therefore, it was difficult at that time for those schools to produce long winning streaks.  They also didn’t have the benefit of additional playoff games to add wins in a particularly good year.  Massillon’s longest streak throughout its 120 plus years of history is 38 games, which was fashioned from 1937 to 1941.  During that span the Tigers captured the state championship each year and also added a pair of national championships.  In the 7^th game of the 1937 season, Paul Brown’s Tigers were defeated by New Castle, Pennsylvania 7-0.  It was their only loss that year.  The following week they defeated Youngstown Chaney 28-6 and they didn’t stumble again until Game 5 of the 1941 season when, under coach Bud Houghton, the Tigers were tied by Mansfield 6-6.  During the streak, the average game score was an impressive 39-3.

But along the way, the Tigers also defeated some great teams.  In 1937 they dropped Canton McKinley from the ranks of the unbeatens by the score of 19-6, repeating that feat the following year with a 12-0 victory.  In 1939 Massillon defeated Alliance 47-0, which was their only loss that year.  Similar fates awaited several teams in 1940, including Cleveland Cathedral Latin (9-1) 64-0, Weirton, WV (9-1) 48-0, Erie East, PA (7-2-1) 74-0, Alliance (8-2-1) 40-0, Toledo Waite (9-1) 28-0, Youngstown East (8-2) 26-0, and Canton McKinley (8-1-1) 34-6.  It was indeed an impressive lot, enough to place a legitimate stamp on the record.

With the tie to Mansfield, however, the winning streak had come to an end.  But not the unbeaten streak, which was extended to nearly the end of 1942 season.  In that final game they were beaten by Canton McKinley, but they did establish an all-time Massillon record for that mark at 52 games.

Incidentally, the national all-time winning streak stands at 151 games, which was set by Concord De La Salle, California, in 1992-2003.  The Ohio all-time winning mark is 58 games, set by Delphos St. Johns at 57 in 1996 through 2001.  The corresponding unbeaten streak is owned by Ironton.  Their best is 58 games, which was established in 1983.  Massillon’s 52-game unbeaten mark ranks fourth in Ohio.

In 1963-67, coaches Leo Strang, Earl Bruce and Bob Seaman combined to fashion a 30-game winning streak.  It began with a 38-0 victory over Mansfield, following a 13-6 loss to Akron Garfield the previous week, and it ended three years later with a 0-0 tie to Mansfield.  In 1963 the Tigers finished 9-1 with a second place state ranking.  But under Earl Bruce Massillon in each of the following two years  they went 10-0 and was awarded the state title.  Ironically, it was the Tigers in 1964 that defeated Niles McKinley 14-8, ending their 48-game winning streak (currently ranked 4^th in Ohio).  Massillon then wrapped up the season with a 20-14 comeback victory over the previously-undefeated Bulldogs.

Number 3 in the Massillon record book is a 25-game winning streak set in 1951-54 by Chuck Mather and Tom Harp.  Mather won the first 23 games and then Coach Tom Harp added two more before losing to Alliance 19-7.  With an overall record of 38-2 during those four seasons, the Tigers were able to capture the state championship each year and national championships in ’52 and ’53.  They also bested their opponents by an average score of 41-15.

That brings us to the current streak of 21, which also matches Paul Brown’s second longest.  Coach Nate Moore has been at the helm throughout, finishing 7-3 in 2017 and 10-0 in both 2018 and 2019, not counting his 8-2 playoff mark during those two years.  The average score of the games throughout the streak was 45-18.  It began following a 13-10 loss in Game 9 to Division 3 state semifinalist Akron St. Vincent.  The first win was over Canton McKinley (8-3) 16-15.  In 2018 Massillon went 10-0 and defeated Warren Harding (8-3) 51-21, Austintown Fitch (8-3) 42-14, East St. Louis, Illinois (9-3) 46-40 and Canton McKinley (9-3) 24-17.  Then last year they again finished 10-0, downing Akron St. Vincent (8-3) 44-14, Harrison City Penn-Trafford, PA (11-2) 42-21, Monroeville Gateway, PA (12-3) 48-12 and Canton McKinley (9-3) 24-14.  The Tigers have a chance to improve their ranking this year and, if they are fortunate enough to run the table, they will move into second place.

Brown’s 21-game streak occurred in 1935-37 and began after a season-ending loss in 1934 to State No. 1 Canton McKinley.  During the streak, the Tigers were completely dominant, outscoring the opposition by an average of 51-3 and compiling three state and two national championships.  In 1936 they gave the Bulldogs their only loss of the season by the score of 21-0.  The streak came to an end in Game 2 of the 1937 season with a 6-6 tie vs. Mansfield (once again).  But a new streak, the aforementioned one of 38 games, was started just a few weeks later.

Twice Massillon compiled 20-game winning streaks.  The first was in 1949-51 by Chuck Mather, which included three state championships and one national championship.  The second was in 1958-60 by Leo Strang.  During that one, the Tigers captured two state crowns and one national title.

The Top 3 “unbeaten” streaks are 52 games in 1937-41, 32 games in 1963-66 and 31 “regular season” games in 1977-80.  Combined, those years include eight unbeaten seasons.

A complete list of Massillon streaks can be found here.

OHIO WINNING STREAKS

• 57 – Delphos St. John’s (1996-2001)
• 54 – Versailles (1993-97)
• 49 – Dayton Jefferson Twp. (1970-75)
• 48 – Niles McKinley (1959-64)
• 45 – Cincinnati Moeller (1978-81)
• 44 – Marion Pleasant (1969-73)
• 42 – Steubenville (2005-07)
• 42 – Miami Trace (1976-80)
• 42 – Upper Arlington (1967-71)

OHIO UNBEATEN STREAKS

• 58 – Ironton (1977-83)
• 57 – Delphos St. John’s (1966-2001)
• 54 – Versailles (1993-97)
• 52 – Massillon (1937-42)
• 49 – Dayton Jefferson Twp. (1970-75)

NATIONAL WINNING STREAKS

• 151 – Concord De La Salle, CA (1992-2003)
• 109 – Charlotte Independence, NC (2000-07)
• 104 – Pahranagat Valley, NV (2008-16)
• 92 – Shattuck, OK (2003-09)
• 90 – Morrison, OK (1989-95)

Chuck Vliet and a Tiger Record for the Ages

The Massillontigers.com website maintains over 2,500 player and team game records.  The data comprises 270 categories, such as rushing, passing and receiving, and lists the Top 10 record holders in each category.  For the last several months I have been reviewing past history to verify the accuracy of these entries.  Some of the more obvious ones are Jamir Thomas and Aidan Longwell as the all-time career rushers and passers.  Then there are remote ones, like Chauncey Watson having the longest touchdown run of 99 yards against Akron Garfield 1991 and Art McConnel with the longest punt of 81 yards vs. Warren in 1925.

But there is one record that always bothered me: Chuck Vliet’s 42 tackles in the 1950 game against Warren Harding.  How could this be?  Is that even possible?  The No. 2 player on the list, Cooper Ivan, has just 14 tackle points.  Fortunately, the aging Chuck is still with us to tell the story.  And it’s a good one.  I had a chance recently to sit down with Chuck and talk about that record, but first a little background.

Chuck played football in 1949-51 under the legendary coach Chuck Mather.  During his 6-year tenure, Mather racked up an inconceivable 57 wins in 60 games.  In all six years his teams were honored as the best in the Ohio and three times named national champs.

“I thought he was a great coach,” Vliet said about Mather.  “One thing I liked about Chuck Mather and his whole staff, they never yelled or cussed at us.  They would walk up to us with a calm voice and look at us straight in the eye.  They might put their hand on your shoulder and say, ‘What is your assignment on this play?  What are you supposed to do?’  He always told us, ‘You play the game the way you practice.’  If someone made a nice block and they had their head and shoulders on the wrong side, they were told about it.  We were all graded.  Our position coaches were the ones that graded in that position.”

It was during the 1950 season (Mather’s 4^th) that Vliet, a 5’-8”, 160 lb. junior running back / linebacker set the record.  It was one of those years when Massillon was undefeated and both state and national champions.  And they outscored the opposition 407-37.   Along the way they defeated No. 8 Canton McKinley 33-0 and No. 9 Steubenville 35-12.

Game 7, held on October 17, 1950, was against Warren Harding, who entered the fray with a 5-1 record, having lost earlier to the Bulldogs 19-7.  Massillon led 7-0 at the half and pulled away after the band show to win 23-6.  Harding’s only score came on a 72-yard pass, but overall was held to just 87 total rushing yards in 46 attempts.

This is where Chuck Vliet, who proudly wore No. 49, enters the story by setting a record for the most tackles in a single game.  The amazing part is that out of 58 plays Warren ran that night, 12 were passes and Chuck did not tackle any of the three players who caught a pass.  In addition, Harding lost a fumble, which means that, if you do the math, Vliet made 42 tackles out of 45 opportunities, which was simply amazing.

Here’s how Chuck told the story:

“At the beginning of this game against Warren in 1950 on our field we practiced a solid week for their passing offense.  Back in our time we didn’t run into many teams that threw a lot and we had to gear up for that particular game.  So the whole week our defense was all pass.  It was pass here, pass there.  We had to learn what they were doing, read the quarterback, and so on.

“So we came out that night onto the field.  Did our exercises.  Came off the field.  We’re in the locker room.  I’m standing there.  Mather came over.  He says, ‘Vliet.  We’re going to change the defense tonight.’  I said, ‘What, coach?’  He said, ‘We’re changing the defense.’  I said, ‘What for?’  He said that we found out that their quarterback on Wednesday twisted his ankle quite bad and cannot play in this game.  So they brought a second quarterback in which cannot throw, so that Warren will be running all night.  He says, ‘So what we’re going to do on defense, we’re going to make a 7–man front and we’re going to have you as a roving linebacker.’  I thought that time I got a big old goose bump all over me because I didn’t know what he was talking about.  And I was going to be the only linebacker.  He said, ‘You will be my roving linebacker.’  I said, ‘Roving linebacker?’  He said, ‘Yes.  You have to cover from sideline to sideline.’  Again, that hit me real hard.  I said, ‘Coach.  What about Joe Gleason and Ray Lane?  They’re both seniors.’  He said,’ I want you!’  Well, I was scared.  I really was.

“So he got us together, and this was about ten minutes before we were ready to go back onto the field, and on our defensive front, at right guard, he said, ‘We’re going to put those two on double duty.’  And (Jerry) Krisher let out a little bit of noise.  He didn’t like that.  And, anyhow, he took Ray Lane and put him over defensive guard on the right side he took Joe Gleason, the outside linebacker, and put him on the left side.  They put Krisher in (Jack) Strobel’s place and (Jim) Richenbach over the nose man.  And he said, ‘This is what we call our 7-1-2-1.”  What we now know as a diamond defense.  We never practiced that beforehand.  We never practiced that the whole time I was there.  And we never used that defense again.

“He told each one of the defensive people up front, ‘keep the lineman off of Vliet.  Hit them and hold them up at the line and let him (Vliet) do his job.’  And I called them My Magnificent Seven because I didn’t have anyone coming out hitting me and I had free range from one side of the field to the other side.  And I did not know at the end of the game or that week or thereafter how many tackles I made in that game until I read that piece in the paper (the following year in an article presenting Vliet and Frank Gibson as the captains of the 1951 team).

“It was a defense that nobody played against us.  He threw this at them because they knew our regular defense.  And they were always set up to block a regular defense.  And this threw them off balance.  And then telling our defensive line people, ‘Keep the offensive players off of Vliet.’  And that worked.  And they did a job.  I’m not kidding you.  I used to think sometimes that he was psychic.  He just seemed to know how to do everything and sprung that on us.  But we had the type of people, whatever they were told to do, they could do it.  That’s the type of people we had.”

It’s a record that’s sure to never be broken.  Lee Nussbaum, a member of that 1950 team, said later, “If I could tackle as well as Chuck Vliet, I’d have been first string at Ohio State in 1954.”  The mark is documented on the Ohio High School Athletic Association website under “Individual Miscellaneous Feats.”

So, if you see an SUV going down the road with a license plate that reads “CV 49”, give a wave to former Tiger great Chuck Vliet, a Massillon Tiger forever.