It seems the Midas Touch has left the Massillon Tiger football camp these days.
Rather than turning to gold, things have been going so poorly in Tigertown that … well, everything is turning to rust.
They don’t talk defeats around here, but lately there hasn’t been much else to discuss over supper.
And you can forget the dessert, Tigertowners. Massillon has lost another one, this one a 20‑18 setback to visiting Akron Central‑Hower Friday nigh at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
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The defeat was the third straight for the Tigers, who haven’t tasted victory since a 12-0 opening night win over Akron North.
Not since 1966 has Massillon had to go longer than two weeks without a win. Not even, the newly‑installed “Tiger Stripe” could help lift the spirits of the players and fans alike.
Things got so bad against Central-Hower that the Tigers saw a 12-0 advantage turn into a 20‑12 deficit. At that point, the stands began to empty.
Even Tiger head coach Mike Currence was at a loss for words to explain what happened.
“I really don’t have any comments,” the disgruntled veteran coach of nine years said in the hosts’ grim locker room. “I don’t have any answers. We need some time to re-group.”
And with that Currence closed the post‑game interview. He was not a happy man, and in no mood to share his thoughts with anybody but his players and coaching staff.
For the second straight week the Tigers held the upper hand in the game’s statistics, holding a 21‑9 edge in first downs and a 404‑314 edge in total yardage.
And for the second straight week, you couldn’t buy the paper the statistics were printed on. The one figure that counted the most – found on the scoreboard – told the sad but true tale.
Things started out regally enough for Tiger fans as the hosts took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in six plays to pay dirt, Derrick Newman following a convoy of blockers to the end zone from 12 yards out.
Big plays in the drive were, a 37‑yard run by newly‑installed fullback Duane Crenshaw and a 13‑yard gain on third and four by Newman.
However, the first of two missed extra-point kicks, one by Todd Manion and another by sophomore Mike Norris, would come back to haunt the Tigers.
The Eagles (1‑2) then strung together a 13‑play drive of their own, but the march was stopped when John Fresh recovered a fumble caused by the tackle of teammate Darren Radtke.
Both teams took turns punting on their next possessions, with the Tigers taking over on their own 31 following a 15‑yard return by Wes Siegenthaler, the starting quarterback.
Massillon chewed up over five minutes of the clock and despite three 15‑yard penalties drove 69 yards to the end zone, scoring on an eight-yard run by Siegenthaler. The extra point kick this time sailed wide left.
Siegenthaler, who completed nine of 13 passes on the night for 61 yards, hit his favorite target ‑ Bruce Spicer ‑twice for long gains in key situations on the drive.
With 7:11 remaining before halftime, the Tigers held a 12‑0 lead and the fans were whooping it up.
Central‑Hower took over the ball on its own 17 following a fine open field tackle by Ed Wentzel on the kickoff.
The Eagles, running out of a wishbone offense, gained one yard on two running attempts when halfback-turned‑quarterback Verdell Rice (remember his name) found tight end Mike McMullen on a 23‑yard gain. McMullen did a juggling act on his reception.
On the ensuing play, Steve Martin gained eight yards then Rice, who would gain 206 yards on 19 carries, turned a quarterback keeper into a 53‑yard touchdown ran down the left sidelines. Kelly Clark added the first of two extra‑point conversions.
Massillon was forced to punt on its next set of downs, Hower taking over at the Tiger 45. Seven plays later, the Eagles lined up for a 42‑yard field goal by Clark with 40 seconds left. Clark never got a chance, as the visitors tried a bit of trickery with the holder throwing an incomplete pass.
After an entertaining halftime show by the Tiger Swing Band, the Eagles took the second‑half kickoff and found themselves faced with a fourth and one at their own 40.
Confident they could get the necessary yard, Rice promptly ran the bootleg 60 yards down the right sideline to paydirt. Clark added the point after, and Central‑Hower led 14‑12 with less than three minutes elapsed in the third quarter.
Once again both teams exchanged punts, and on Massillon’s second possession of the half the Tigers took over on their own 45.
Crenshaw, who rushed for 121 yards on 14 carries, picked up 30 yards to the Eagle 25. Two more runs pushed the ball to the 18 where Massillon was faced with a third and three, but the Tigers were guilty of illegal procedure.
Faced with a third and eight now, a Siegenthaler pass was incomplete. On fourth down, Norris tried a 40‑yard field goal that fell way short of the intended mark.
But, the Tigers were given new life when a Central‑Hower punt on the following set of downs traveled just 13 yards, putting Massillon on the Eagle 38.
Crenshaw ran twice for 10 yards and a first down. Newman picked up seven more to the 21. Crenshaw’s number was called again, and the braising runner‑blocker picked up six yards when he fumbled the ball away, Central‑Hower’s three‑year starter Raheem Reid pouncing on the loose pigskin.
Again the Tiger defense held its ground, forcing another weak Central‑Hower punt. With 8:58 remaining in the final quarter, Massillon had the ball at the Eagle 43.
Three straight runs put the Tigers into a fourth‑and‑one situation where Crenshaw was knocked off his feet at the line of scrimmage by Reid.
Seemingly inspired by the linebacker’s alert defensive play, Rice shook off three tacklers on the ensuing down and scampered 66 yards to the end zone. Clark’s kick was wide right, but the Eagle, owned a 20‑12 advantage.
Then the excitement began.
With Siegenthaler taking to the air, the Tigers moved from their own 20 to a first down at the Central-Hower 28 in seven plays, aided by a 15‑yard unsportsmanlike penalty on the Eagles.
On first down, Siegenthaler launched an apparent TD pass to Newman. But the junior couldn’t find the handle on the throw as he crossed the goal‑line. Siegenthaler was then intercepted by Greg Chatman on the next play.
The Tiger defense again held Hower to three runs and a punt, with the offense getting the ball back at the Massillon 30. Enter Mike Scott as the quarterback.
Scott, who had been banged up with a back injury, hit Spicer on three straight pass, for 11, 10 and nine yards. He the, found Cornell Jackson downfield on 35‑yard pass play to the Eagle four where Newman went over left tackle two plays later for a touchdown.
Just 1:18 was left and the Tigers had to go for two points and the tie. Scott took the snap and pitched to Jackson, who in turn tried to hit Siegenthaler. But Jackson was swarmed under and his pass fell harmlessly to the ground. ****** The Tigers attempted a halfback pass earlier in the game. That time the pass was intercepted by Hower’s Willie Jennings in the first quarter. ****** Rice may have gained 206 yards, but three of his runs totaled 178 yards and three touchdowns.
M C First downs rushing 12 8 First downs passing 7 1 First downs by penalty 2 0 Total first downs 21 9 Yards gained rushing 294 309 Yards lost rushing 17 18 Net yards rushing 277 291 Net yards passing 127 23 Total yards gained 404 314 Passes attempted 18 7 Passes completed 13 1 Passes int. by 2 0 Times kicked off 4 4 Kickoff average 48.3 58.8 Kickoff return yards 20 42 Punts 2 5 Punting average 32.0 31.6 Punt return yards 28 0 Punts blocked by 0 0 Fumbles 1 2 Fumbles lost 1 1 Penalties 7 6 Yards penalized 75 76 Touchdowns rushing 3 3 Touchdowns passing 0 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Number of plays 63 50 Time of possession 21:40 26 20 Attendance 9,641
CENTRAL‑HOWER 0 7 7 6 20 MASSILLON 6 6 0 6 18
M ‑ Derrick Newman 11 run (kick failed) M ‑Wes Siegenthaler 8 run (kick failed) C ‑ Verdell Rice 53 run (Kelly Clark kick) C ‑ Rice 59 run (Clark kick) C ‑ Rice 66 run (kick failed) M ‑ Newman 1 ran (pass failed)
WARREN ‑ It was a game of give and take Friday night at Mollenkopf stadium.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, Massillon did most of the giving and Warren Harding the taking.
Seven times the Tigers played the role of gracious guests. Five Massillon passes were intercepted and two fumbles were lost.
The muscle, added up to an 18-6 setback for the Tigers, the first time since 1976 that a Massillon team has lost two games in a row.
It was also the first time since 1977 that Harding came away a victor against the Tigers.
It was a night worth forgetting for Massillon fans as the Tigers fell to 1-2.
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“The turnovers killed us,” said a subdued Tiger Head Coach Mike Currence. “We were searching for something out there and we had to take some chances, and sometimes when you take a chance …
“I don’t know what it is,” he continued. “I was at a dilemma in the third period. I just didn’t know what to do, but we’ve got to find some answers real soon.”
All three Harding (2‑1) scores were the direct result of Tiger breakdowns, one by the defense, another by the punt team and the third by the offense. It was three-ring circus, but only the Panther faithful were entertained.
Harding rolled to an 18‑0 lead before the Tigers averted being shut out for the first time since a 1979 state playoff loss to Parma Padua (12‑0).
When fullback Derrick Newman capped a 14‑play, 80‑yard drive by scoring from a yard out, the scoreboard showed just 3:54 remaining in the final period.
By then, though, the damage had run its course. The Tigers self destructed much earlier.
Given good field position at the Harding 38 following a 19‑yard punt, the Tigers turned the ball over on downs when they failed to convert on a fourth and five as quarterback Wes Siegenthaler was stopped a yard short on a keeper.
Harding then rolled up three first downs to the Tiger 35 when quarterback Harley Kellar was sacked for an eight‑yard loss by middle guard Tom Whitfield.
However, a personal foul was called on the Tigers. So, the Panthers had a second down at Massillon’s 27 rather than at the 43.
On the next play Whitfield stopped fullback Willie Perez for a loss, but the Tiger junior was called for a face mask penalty much to the chagrin of the Massillon coaching staff.
The face mask call was very questionable,” Currence said. “I’ll have to see the films on that one.”
With a first down on the Tiger 14, Perez took the next handoff and scooted to paydirt with 4:04 remaining in the opening period.
Two big defensive plays by the Tigers, ones that may have put Harding out of scoring position, turned into big Panther plays, And, as they would do later on, the Panthers capitalized on them.
Harding’s defense then forced a Tiger punt. Scott Byelene’s boot was fielded by Perez at his own 22. He didn’t stop running until he crossed the goal line.
“We just broke down on our coverage,” Currence said. “It was set up and executed well by them.”
Entering the second quarter, the Panthers found themselves atop the scoreboard by a 12‑0 count.
The second 12 minutes was a study in who wanted to keep the ball the longest as their were four turnovers, three coming on consecutive possessions.
Massillon, which started three of its seven first‑half drives well inside Panther territory, could not capitalize on its opportunities.
The comedy of errors continued into the third period when Siegenthaler was intercepted on the third play following the kickoff by David Arnold, who returned the ball 25 yards to the Tiger six.
From there, Perez notched his third TD of the night on the ensuing play. Less than two minutes into the second half, the Panthers owned a commanding 18‑0 advantage.
Midway through the third period, the Tigers were given a golden opportunity to get back in the game when a Perez fumble was recovered at the Panther 23. Two plays later, though, Massillon turned the ball back over when Kellar came up with the fourth Harding interception at the three.
Turnovers continued to plague the Tigers early in the final period when a Panther punt was bobbled and then recovered by Harding’s Derrick Goliday at the Massillon 28.
The Tiger defense, which yielded just 104 yards, stiffened and a 42 yard field goal try by the Panthers was way short of the intended mark.
Finally, the Tigers hit paydirt when they marched 80 yards in 14 plays. Cornell Jackson gained 35 of the yards on three carries, and Massillon converted three third‑down plays.
But, it was too little too late. ****** Of the five passes Harding picked off, four came off the arm of Siegenthaler and the other with Mike Scott at the helm. Scott, making his first appearance of the year, entered the game at the 4:42 mark of the second period. Scott, nearly connected with Siegenthaler on a 24‑yard TD pass. ****** The Tigers came up with a pair of interceptions of their own. The culprits were Brian Spicer and Clay Spangler. Harding’s interceptions were turned in by Kellar (2), Reuben Osborne (2) and Arnold. ****** Massillon used three quarterbacks in an effort to find a spark that world ignite the offense. Siegenthaler started but was replaced by both Scott and Paul Fabianich at various times.
Warfield has special night; Thomas gets ‘biggest win’
By STEVE DUNGJEN Independent Spans Editor
WARREN ‑ For all Massillon cared, it might as well have been Gungo Din Night.
As it stood, though, it was Paul Warfield who came back home to the school where he first made his mark as a football player.
Warfield, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was saluted Friday night prior to the Massillon-Warren Harding game at Mollenkopf Stadium.
It was at Harding that Warfield made his name known, rushing for 2,103 yards and catching passes for 356 more yards. He led the Panthers to two wins in three years over Massillon as well from 1957 to 1959.
Warfield, who was a high school All‑American, went on to star at Ohio State University where he became a college All‑American under Woody Hayes.
In pro ball he played for the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins and the Memphis Southmen of the now defunct World Football League.
Hayes and Warfield’s high school coach, Gene Slaughter, now the head coach at Capital University, were both present at the pre‑game ceremonies.
Warfield was presented with a proclamation by the Warren School Board of Education. ****** Warren Harding football coach Frank Thomas, who served as a defensive coordinator for the Massillon Tigers for five years before heading off for Niles McKinley and then Harding, was one happy man following his team’s 18‑6 defeat of the Tigers.
“Without a doubt, it’s my biggest win,” Thomas, who is in his third year at the Panther helm, said. “Any win is an important one, especially coming off a loss and playing Massillon.
“When you beat Massillon, it’s like putting a feather in your cap,” he said.
Did the Paul Warfield Night inspire his troops to greater heights?
“It was a combination of things, really,” Thomas said. “We had a big spirit rally at school, Paul talked to the kids before the game and told them to give 110 percent and to believe in your fellow teammate.
“All of that was important, and playing Massillon was equally important.”
The Harding defense came up with seven turnovers, five on interceptions, to snuff out nearly all of Massillon’s drives before they got started.
“We went an awfully lot to man‑to‑man coverage, much more than usual,” Thomas acknowledged. “We went out with the idea that defensively we would come after them and make same things happen. Every time they tried to beat us deep, we intercepted them.
“I felt we set the tone defensively. We did not sit back and wait,”
One of the biggest plays in the game was Willie Perez’s 78‑yard touchdown on a punt return in the first quarter. That TD gave the Panthers a lightning‑quick 12‑0 lead before the Tigers knew what hit them.
“Being up 6‑0 is one thing, but then ‘bam,’ we went up 12‑0 on the punt return,” Thomas said. “It takes a lot of wind out of your sails when something like that happens.
“You know, this is a funny game. Last week we gave up 10 first downs on third‑down and long plays. That was the exact same defensive backfield we had in last week (a 14‑12 loss to Youngstown East).
“Who can figure it out? One week everything works for you, and the next it doesn’t.
By STEVE DUNGJEN Independent dent Sports Editor Editor
MASSILLON – How good is Akron Garfield’s football team? Nearly 12,000 fans at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium found out Friday night for themselves.
The Golden Rams rammed the football down Massillon’s collective throats en route to a 29‑12 win. Head coach Bill McGee’s squad gained all of its 348 yards on the ground.
So effective was Garfield’s rushing attack that the Rams attempted only one pass and that was intercepted! However, that play turned out to be one of the game’s biggest.
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Garfield, which ventured to the Division I state finals a year ago, literally dominated the game ‑ save for a few moments in the second period when the Tigers took a 12-7 lead following a 62‑yard touchdown run by junior Cornell Jackson.
Although the Rams held a slim 19‑16 edge in first downs, the Akron visitors owned the ball for over nine more minutes than Massillon in terms of possession.
Garfield gained 6.2 yards every time it rushed with the ball, and they carried the pigskin 55 times for 348 yards. Bruising fullback Eric Finn totaled 142 yards, quarterback John Oster added 105 and tailback Nate Winfield chipped in with 83 more.
Obviously, there was no secret as to what Garfield would do with the ball ‑ run, and then run some more. When the going got tough, the Rams simply got tougher.
The 17‑point deficit was the second worst defeat suffered by a Mike Currence‑coached Tiger squad during the regular season. Back in 1981 Massillon dropped a 24-6 decision to Cincinnati Moeller.
And the 29 points were the most surrendered by a Currence team in regular season play as well. For that matter, there have been 11 Tiger teams who gave up less than 29 points in a season!
Garfield (2‑0) struck first in the opening quarter when Oster, who also handled all of the kicking duties, scampered five yards to paydirt to culminate a nine‑play, 74-yard march following a Tiger punt. Oster added the extra‑point kick at the 3:29 mark.
Massillon, which failed to sustain anything resembling a drive during its 12-0 opening-season over Akron North, came roaring right back on its next possession.
Taking over at their own 23, the Tigers drove 77 yards in 14 plays when junior fullback Derrick Newman bulled over from a yard out. Dan Kozan’s kick at the 11:18 mark of the second period was wide.
All of Massillon’s yardage during the march was generated on the ground with quarterback Wes Siegenthaler netting 28 yards on four carries, twice converting on third‑down situations.
The Tiger defense dug in on Garfield’s ensuing set of downs, holding the Rams to seven yards and forcing them to punt for the only time in the game.
With the ball nestled deep in their own territory, the Tigers picked up a first down behind two Siegenthaler carries to the 38. Then, Jackson broke free on his 62‑yard jaunt, highlighted by a wicked stiff‑arm of a Ram defender near the 12‑yard line.
With 8:35 remaining in the half, the Tigers went for two points. Siegenthaler, though, was knocked out of bounds at the one, but Massillon was on top, 12‑7.
Needing another stout effort by the defense, the Rams proved to be just too much in marching 62 yards on 10 plays. This time Finn crossed the goal line from a yard out with 3:32 showing in the half. Oster added a two‑point ran for a 15‑12 lead.
Despite trailing by three points at intermission, the Tigers had shown they could move the ball on Garfield’s defense. But the Rams also displayed the same tenacity on offense.
The third period belonged to Garfield as the Tigers ran off just four plays to the Rams’ 20.
Garfield took the opening kickoff and drove 70 yards in seven plays with Finn bulling his way in to paydirt from 10 yards out. A 27‑yard run by Oster on a keeper moved the ball from Ram territory into Tiger land. Oster added the kick‑after to put the visitors up 22‑12 with 8:58 left.
The Ram defense then held Massillon to minus yardage before getting the ball back on their own 40 following a 40‑yard punt by Scott Byelene.
This time the Rams moved 60yards in 13 plays, with Winfield scoring from three yards out. The key play, and the biggest of the game, occurred when Oster was forced to pass for the first time when Garfield was faced with a fourth and seven from the Tiger 26.
Oster’s pass was intercepted by Jeff Smith, who took off to his right with the errant throw. With running room and some blockers in front of him, he was hit from behind and lost his grip on the ball.
A Garfield lineman pounced on the ball, giving the Rams renewed life and a first down at the Tiger 21.
Six plays later Winfield scored to make it 29‑12 with 37 seconds left in the third period.
If the Tigers were to make a comeback, they had to do it the next time they had the ball. And they did, driving from their own 21 to a first and goal at the Garfield seven after converting three third down plays into first downs.
Two running plays kept the Tigers at the seven. An incomplete pass in the end zone followed before Siegenthaler was stopped at the two, turning the ball over to Garfield with 5:44 left. The Rams chewed up the remainder of the clock.
For Massillon, Jackson finished with 95 yards on 11 carries while Siegenthaler added 53 on 11 totes. Siegenthaler completed six of 12 passes for 50 yards.
Siegenthaler was knocked silly late in the third period and sat on the sidelines gathering his wits for six plays while junior Paul Fabianich took over. Fabianich attempted only one pass. ***** Rudy Sutter celebrated his 89th birthday Friday. He hasn’t missed a home Tiger game since 1941. ***** Ron and Marilyn Wright entertained fans as they entered the stadium with their traveling calliope, which was perched on the back of their newly‑acquired pick‑up truck. Their son, Ron Jr., played on the 1978 Massillon team.
Prep gridsticks
MASSILLON 12 GARFIELD 29 M G First downs rushing 11 19 First downs passing 4 0 First downs by penalty 1 0 Total first downs 16 19 Yards gained rushing 201 356 Yards lost rushing 28 8 Net yards rushing 173 348 Net yards passing 70 0 Total yards gained 243 348 Passes attempted 14 1 Passes completed 7 0 Passes int. by 0 1 Times kicked off 3 5 Kickoff average 45.0 44.0 Kickoff return yards 77 49 Punts 3 1 Punting rules 37.0 41.0 Punt return yards 0 17 Punts blocked by 0 0 Fumbles 4 2 Fumbles lost 1 0 Penalties 2 1 Yards penalized 20 15 Touchdowns rushing 2 4 Touchdowns passing 0 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Number of plays 49 56 Time of Possession 19:24 28:36 Attendance 11,666
GARFIELD 7 8 14 0 29 MASSILLON 0 12 0 0 12
G ‑ John Oster 5 run (Oster kick) M ‑ Derrick Newman 1 run (kick failed) M ‑ Cornell Jackson 62 run (run failed) G ‑ Eric Finn 1 run (Oster run) G – Finn 10 run (Oster kick) G – Nate Winfield 3 run (Oster kick)
Massillon cashes in on Viking miscues Tigers beat back North 12-0
By STEVE DUNGJEN Independent Sports Editor
MASSILLON ‑ Mark Twain once wrote that there were three types of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.
And so it was Friday night when host Massillon blanked Akron North, 12‑0, to open its season at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium before 9,605 fans. A glance at the stats didn’t tell the tale.
The Vikings outgained Massillon in total yardage, 161‑133, but the Tigers played the role of opportunists to the hilt. When North made a mistake, Massillon was there to cash in.
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Considering that North held a decided advantage in playing experience, 18 returning starters as opposed to Massillon’s two, the Tigers took the first step ‑ a big one ‑ in earning their stripes.
The first North mistake occurred midway through the first period when quarterback Charles Marquess had a pass intercepted by Tiger Pete Johnson.
Johnson, whose older brother Craig made his mark a year ago as a Tiger running back, returned the interception 38 yards to the North seven where Marquess dragged him down from behind.
Two rushing plays netted the Tigers four yards, but a delay of the game penalty pushed Massillon back to the eight. On third down, quarterback Wes Siegenthaler made like a belly‑dancer in finding his way into the end zone.
The kick after sailed low and lathe right, but the Tigers were on the board with a 6‑0 lead at the 4:00 mark.
Late in the second quarter, the Vikings committed their second miscue when Lawrence Moore fumbled when it appeared North was on its way to paydirt.
Moore’s bobble was pounced on by Bruce Spicer at the Tiger five yard line.
But the most damaging blow to North came at the start of the second half when Moore fumbled Todd Manion’s kick off. The recovery was made by Tiger Chris Slinger, and gave Massillon a first down at the Viking 24.
Tiger Cornell Jackson gained four yards on the first play following the turnover, and then was stopped for no gain. However, North was hit with a face mask penalty.
With the ball now on the 10, Jackson’s number was called again. This time he responded by following blocks by Jared Mayle and Jim Thorne to the end zone. Massillon’s bid for a two‑point conversion failed, but the Tigers led 12‑0.
North knocked at the door only twice, the first time Spicer closed it behind him with his timely fumble recovery. The second time was late in the third quarter when the Vikings did something neither squad had done up to that point ‑ mount a drive of any proportion.
Taking over at their own 39 following a 21‑yard punt return by Brian Sanders, the Vikings rolled up three first downs and found themselves at the Tiger 13.
A pair of running plays netted three yards and on third down Marquess went back to pass. He was greeted by a host of Orange and Black uniforms and was sacked for a seven‑yard loss. Marquess’ pass on fourth down fell harmlessly to the stadium turf.
As evidenced by the final score, neither team made much of an offensive showing. The Tigers had just six first downs, and converted on only one of 11 third‑down tries. The Orange and Black also completed just two of 10 passes for 24 yards, and the leading rusher was Siegenthaler with 40 yards on seven totes.
And the final stats were just as uninspiring on North’s part. The Vikings notched nine first downs, and also converted just once in 11 third‑down attempts. They fumbled six times, losing two.
A tell‑tale sign of ineffective offenses is the number of punts. In this case, both sides punted eight times.
Massillon returns to Tiger Stadium next Friday for a grudge match of sorts with Akron Garfield, the only team to beat the tigers a year ago.
Tiger ‘D’ earns its stripes
By STEVE DUNGJEN Independent Sports Editor
MASSILLON‑ The Tiger defense earned its stripes Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium before 9,605 fans who gathered together to usher in yet another season of Tigertown football.
Even long‑time Tiger rooter Cy Witmer had cause to smile following the 12‑0 blanking of visiting Akron North. Witmer’s been coming to Massillon home games since 1922, and the sparkle in his eyes gave away his pleasure with the outcome.
Opportunists, that’s what the Tigers were against North. An interception by Pete Johnson led to the game’s first score, and a fumble recovery by Chris Slinger opened the door to the second TD.
A second fumble recovery, this one by Brian Spicer, stopped a potential North scoring drive in the second quarter. The senior defensive back pounced on the loose ball at the Tiger five.
And then there was the gang-tackle turned in by the trio of Duane Crenshaw, Scott Byelene and Pat Spicer that tossed North’s quarterback for a seven‑yard loss when the Vikings had a third and seven at the Tiger 10 late in the third quarter.
Then, to top things off, there was the heads‑up play turned in by Tiger halfback Irwin Hastings, who took a Massillon fumble right out of the hands of a North defender on the third quarter’s final play. Had Hastings not come up with the play, the Vikings would’ve had a first down at Massillon’s 30.
Such was the play of the Tiger defense, which had come under a certain amount of criticism during the scrimmage season. Even head coach Mike Currence had said he expected opponents to score points.
But, against North, the defense was where it had to be at the right time.
“I was really impressed with our defense,” Currence said in the noisy locker room. “Also, I have to compliment our punter, Scott Byelene. We were in some situations where if he gets a real bad punt we were in trouble. It all comes together, the whole thing, the whole package ‑ a good punting game, a good kicking game and a good defense.
“I was really surprised and pleased,” Currence said when asked about the low score of the game. Many expected the scoreboard to change at a rapid‑fire pace.
“I thought they were a good enough offense to score, good enough with speed, a big enough line, but our coaching staff‑did a tremendous job. I think they are to be commended for shutting them out,” he said.
Against North, the Tiger defense truly rested its case. However, it was the offense which was expected to move up and down the field. They had done so in scrimmages, but the Vikings were a most formidable foe as they prevented Massillon from getting its highly‑vaunted speed around the corners.
“We would’ve been better off had we punted on first downs sometimes,” Currence said. “Here I am, I know we’re not throwing the ball well or catching it well and we had our backs to the goal line.”
Although Currence expressed some concern with the offense, he knew it had poor field position most of the night. The Tiger grid boss was pleased with poise shown by junior quarterback Wes Siegenthaler, a move‑in from Green High School.
“One thing he did tonight is that he may have lost some yardage, but he didn’t put the ball up for grabs. That could’ve won us the game. If he had put the ball up for grabs, with the field position we had most of the night …”
Currence didn’t finish the statement. He didn’t have to. That’s because the Tigers didn’t self-destruct. The victory may not go down as the most artistic success, but it was a win.
Considering the youthfulness of the squad, just two starters back from last year as opposed to 18 for North, it was a good feeling to get off on the right foot.
Next Friday is the biggie – Akron Garfield. Are your guys ready, coach?
For the first time since 1939, Russ Ramsey Sr. wasn’t at the game. The Tiger press box manager had his spot taken by his grandson Mike Ramsey. Russ is recovering from a heart attack he suffered while on a trip to California. Mike reports his grandfather is doing just fine.
MASSILLON 12 AKRON NORTH 0
M N First downs rushing 5 5 First downs passing 0 4 First downs by penalty 1 0 Total, first downs 6 9 Yards gained rushing 135 113 Yards lost rushing 26 37 Net yards rushing 109 76 Net yards passing 24 85 Total yards gained 133 161 Passes attempted 10 11 Passes completed 2 4 Passses int. by 0 1 Times kicked off 3 1 Kickoff 54.0 34.0 Kickoff return yards 6 47 Punts 8 8 Punting average 36.8 31.3 Punt return yards 10 39 Punts blocked by 0 0 Fumbles 2 6 Fumbles lost 1 2 Penalties 6 4 Yards penalized 43 35 Touchdowns rushing 2 0 Touchdowns passing 0 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Number of plays 41 51 Time of possession 19 48 28:12 Attendance 9,605
AKRON NORTH 0 0 0 0 0 MASSILLON 6 0 6 0 12
M ‑ Wes Siegenthaler 3 run (kick failed) M ‑ Cornell Jackson 10 run (run failed)
In the 89 games the Bulldogs and the Tigers have battled on the high school football field since 1894, there have been numerous surprises and upsets.
But it was not to be Saturday, as the favored Massillon Tigers mugged the feisty but overmatched McKinley Senior Bulldogs 18-7 before 21,232 fans in a freezing mist at Fawcett Stadium.
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It was the 50th victory for the Tigers in this scholastic gridiron granddaddy, increasing the edge over the Bulldogs, who have won 34 times and tied five others.
To be sure, this 1983 band of Bulldogs fought the valiant fight, played perhaps as well as they have played this disappointing season. But it was not enough this dreary afternoon.
The Massillons had too many guns. The outcome was never really in doubt.
Massillon was favored by 10 points, according to the odds fellows. The Tigers won by 11.
It could have been worse, embarrassingly much worse.
Massillon’s first scoring threat misfired when Bronc Pfisterer missed on a 34-yard attempt for a field goal.
Game Action 1983 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
The Tigers also missed a TD near the end of the half when McKinley’s Pierre Taylor intercepted a Brian Dewitz pass in the end zone, a bizarre play on which the officials almost mistakenly awarded the Tigers a safety (see Stewart on Sports column, Page 43).
In addition after the longest drive of the day, Massillon fumbled the ball away on the McKinley 1-yard line in the fourth period, and after that had an apparent interception taken away for roughing the Pups’ passer.
The Tigers’ rushing game was perhaps short of awesome, but certainly more than effective. Massillon’s ball carriers netted 260 yards on the ground, an average of 5.1 per carry, and it allowed the Tigers possession for 61 percent of the clock time.
The victory salvaged respectability for the Tigers, who with a 9-1 record will watch from the sidelines as the OHSAA grid playoffs begin this weekend.
Game Action 1983 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
It is expected to be announced today that Alliance (10-0) and Akron Garfield (9-0), the team which tamed the Tigers 14-10 in the second game of the season will play for the Region 3 championship in Division 1.
If Alliance is the No. 1 team in the computer ratings for the region, the playoff game probably will be in Fawcett, Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
McKinley finished 6-4, it’s worst record since 1976, the first year of consolidation from four Canton high schools to two.
But McKinley coach Thom McDaniels said his players had nothing to be ashamed about Saturday.
“I’m proud of the way they (the Bulldogs) attempted to win the football game,” he said.
Game Action 1983 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
“The Ursuline and Elder games (two of the losses) left a bad taste in the mouth. Against Moeller, (the other loss) we weren’t ashamed of ourselves, either,” said the coach who completed his second season as the head man at McKinley, and his fourth at the school.
”I didn’t have any heart attacks in the first half,” Massillon Coach Mike Currence was to say afterward. “But I had about five in the second half.”
“McKinley didn’t quit, and they played a good game. McDaniels is a great coach, and he did not have the best material this season.”
“I don’t think this was a great McKinley team, when compared to some of the ones in the recent past, but they played tough.”
Tigers trip Bulldogs
The swift senior tailback, Craig Johnson, who carried only once for a loss of three yards in the Tigers first possession that ended in the aborted field goal, finished with a flourish, running for 138 yards in 20 carries, putting him at 1,008 yards for the 1983 season.
Game Action 1983 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
On their second possession, the Tigers zipped 52 yards in only four plays, the finale a one-yard touchdown plunge by All-Ohioan Chris Spielman, who not only gained 55 yards on 15 carries and scored both Tiger touchdowns, but also led a swarming defense from his linebacker position which stifled McKinley’s running game.
Dewitz sparked the TD drive with a 19-yard rollout romp on the first play, and then was hit late by a Bulldog. The 15-yard penalty put the Tigers on the Pups’ 18, from where Johnson got eight and Spielman nine to set up the touchdown.
Spielman’s 33-yard punt return on the last play of the first period set up the second Tigers’ score.
Even though the Bulldogs’ defense held Massillon to 13 yards over the first six plays of the second quarter, Pfisterer drilled a 36-yard field goal to put the visitors up 10-0 with 9:20 left in the half.
Game Action 1983 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
The Bulldogs’ junior Jeff Angione sparked his team with a 42-yard return of the ensuing kickoff, and McKinley marched to the Tigers’ 28, before a dropped pass on fourth down turned the ball over.
But three plays later, Anthony McCullough pounced on a Dewitz fumble and the Pups were back in business at the Tigers’ 47, from where they scored in eight plays.
McKinley quarterback Kevin Parrish, who completed six of 21 passes for 82 yards before being injured late in the fourth period, hit Jeff Smith in the end zone with a 15-yard scoring strike 55 seconds before the band show. Anthony Taylor’s placement pulled the Pups to within three at 10-7.
After Spielman returned the kickoff to his own 43, Dewitz flipped a screen pass to the fleet Johnson, and he turned the play into a 41-yarder, putting the ball at the Bulldogs’ 16.
Then came Pierre Taylor’s interception in the end zone with seven seconds left.
After the lengthy discussion by the officials, who finally made the right ruling of a touchback, Parrish fell on the ball to end the half.
What may well have been the final turning point came midway in the third period.
Game Action 1983 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
McKinley couldn’t move with the third quarter kickoff, and Massillon marched from its own 14 to the McKinley 12, thanks to a 38-yard scamper by Johnson and runs of 17 and 13 by Dewitz, who was the Tigers second leading rusher with 62 yards on 11 carries.
But Dewitz fumbled and McKinley middle guard Bob Gilmore covered the ball, only to have the Bulldogs’ offense fumble it right back on the first play.
Four plays later, Johnson ran in from four yards out to make it 16-7.
The PAT took a while.
Finally, from 13½ inches away, Spielman plunged for the two-pointer to conclude the day’s – and the season’s – scoring, with 4:29 remaining in the third period.
McKinley came back to the Tigers’ 18, thanks mostly to a 25-yard pass from Parrish to junior end Rafe Lazar, the Pups’ longest gainer of the day.
The Tigers, with 2:12 left in the third, then took final control of the game. They managed to come up with the key plays, just when the Pups thought they had them stopped, and moved the ball 81 yards in 14 plays to the McKinley 1, where, with a second-and-goal, Dewitz fumbled the snap again, and the ball wound up in the end zone where McKinley’s Jeff Smith covered it for another touchback.
A pass interference penalty and a 22-yard Parrish to Pierre Taylor aerial putt he ball on the Tigers 40, from where Parrish threw a pass that was picked off by Massillon’s Derrick Dave. But the Tigers’ were flagged for roughing Parrish, and the Pups had a first down at the Tiger 25…but without Parrish, who left the game with a knee injury. Reports indicate he was treated and released at Timken-Mercy Medical Center after the game.
Brian Worstell, a 5-11 junior, came on, but he could fare no better, and the Pups gave up the ball at the 19.
Troy Jenkins, McKinley’s premier runner who had gained 1,101 yards in his first nine games, picked up 72 yards in 15 carries.
Mas – Spielman 6 run (Pfisterer kick) Mas – FG Pfisterer 36 McK – Smith 15 pass from Parrish (A. Taylor kick) Mas – Johnson 4 run (Spielman run) A – 21,232.
TEAM STATISTICS Mass. McK. First downs rushing 15 3 First downs passing 3 6 First downs penalties 2 2 Totals first downs 20 11 Rushes – yards 51-260 23-82 Passing yards 78 97 Total Net yards 338 179 Return yards 75 92 Passes 4-11-1 8-29-1 Punts-avg. 2-27 4-36.5 Punt return yards 48 2 Kickoff-avg. 4-45.5 2-35.2 Kickoff return yards 25 96 Fumbles lost 4-3 2-1 Penalties-yards 6-51 4-39 Third down conversions 4-11 5-13 Total plays 64 52 Time of possession 29:11 18.49
Pass Receiving – Massillon: Johnson 2-57, Spielman 1-13, Crenshaw 1-8, McKinley Senior: Jenkins 3-17, Lazar 2-32, p. Taylor 1-21, Draper 1-12, Smith 1-15.
Missed field goals – Massillon: Pfisterer 34.
Massillon celebrates Golden Anniversary
By STEVEN DUNGJEN Independent Sports Editor
CANTON – Massillon football celebrated a Golden Anniversary of sorts Saturday afternoon at Fawcett Stadium – 50 wins over McKinley.
The Tigers (9-1) posted an 18-7 victory over the Bulldogs (6-4) in the 89th meeting between the two before a packed house. With the win Massillon upped its series lead to 50-34 with five ties.
Massillon held the statistical edge in nearly every category of importance: first downs (19 to 11), rushing (227 yards to 79) and total yards (332 to 175).
It was one of those kind of days where everything went wrong, but nothing did.
Although the Tigers scored two touchdowns and a field goal, head coach Mike Currence’s squad squandered away more golden opportunities than it wanted to.
In the first quarter alone the Tigers had a first down at the McKinley 18 and came away empty-handed when a 34-yard field goal went astray.
Massillon was knocking on the door again late in the second quarter, with a first down at the Bulldog 16. This time an interception halted the drive.
Another time, this in the third period, the Tigers had a first down at the McKinley 12. A lost fumble again stymied Massillon.
And if three blown opportunities weren’t enough, the Tigers continued their version of give-away in the final period when another fumble at the McKinley one stopped yet another golden chance.
“We made some mistakes,” Currence admitted, citing the fumble in the end zone in the fourth quarter as a prime example. “That was terrible.”
Through it all, though, the Tigers still prevailed. That’s because a stingy defense made it happen.
Forced to go to its passing game in the second half, McKinley finished with just 79 yards rushing on 23 carries. The Bulldogs’ lone TD occurred following a Massillon fumble.
In the air the Bulldogs picked up 96 yards, but quarterbacks Kevin Parrish and Brian Worstell combined to complete just eight-of-29 attempts.
Only two of McKinley’s 10 possessions began inside Massillon territory. More often than not the Bulldogs were pinned back inside their own turf, especially in the opening stanza when the hosts netted a total of nine yards.
Massillon appeared well on its way to a score on the game’s opening set of downs, marching to the McKinley 18 with a first down. Two straight runs lost five yards when quarterback Brian Dewitz ran for six yards.
On fourth down Pfisterer, who holds career and single-season field goal kicking school records, missed on a 34-yard attempt.
A roughing the punter call on McKinley during the drive kept the Tiger hopes alive.
After holding McKinley on its second possession, the Tigers were back in action with the ball at their own 48.
Dewitz scampered 19 yards on a bootleg, but McKinley was called for spearing on the play. With the ball now on the 18 stellar running back Johnson, who finished with 133 yards rushing, gained nine yards.
Then Spielman got into the act, gaining eight yards to the one and adding the final yard for the TD at the 4:14 mark. Pfisterer added the extra-point and the Tigers led 7-0.
McKinley was stopped in its tracks once again on its next series, but Spielman broke off a 33-yard punt return to give Massillon good field position at the Bulldog 32.
Johnson picked up eight yards on the first play from scrimmage and Spielman added three more for a first down. Dewitz was then sacked for a six-yard loss when the Tigers were then called for illegal motion.
A Dewitz pass fell incomplete before Johnson broke off a 13-yard scamper to the McKinley 19 to put Pfisterer within field goal range. The senior booter responded with a 36-yard field goal, giving Massillon a 10-0 lead at 9:30.
McKinley mounted its first serious threat on the next series with tailback Troy Jenkins running four yards on a fake punt for a first down. However, the drive stalled on Massillon’s 28 when a Parrish pass bounced off the hands of Leon Draper.
Three plays later and the Tigers gave the ball right back when Dewitz lost the handle on the center exchange. McKinley’s Anthony McCullough recovering at the 47.
Eight plays later and Parrish found Jeff Smith on a slant over the middle for a score with 51 seconds left in the half.
With time running out in the half Massillon reached the Bulldog 16 when Johnson ran 41 yards down the right sidelines on a screen pass. Dewitz then threw a pass over the middle which was intercepted by Pierre Taylor.
Taylor, who caught the ball in the end zone, then ran out of the end zone. Currence was quick on the field, asking for a safety.
After some deliberation by the game’s officials the Tigers were awarded a two-point safety. Now, it was McKinley head coach Thom McDaniels’ turn to “discuss” the play.
Again the game’s officials conferred. When they broke huddle they reversed their earlier decision and took the two points off Massillon’s side of the scoreboard.
“The McKinley coaches out coached me on that one,” Currence said tongue-in-cheek. “They showed me the ruling. It doesn’t seem right to intentionally take a safety.”
The two teams swapped turnovers in the third quarter, Dewitz losing a fumble to Bob Gilmore and Massillon’s Tim Sampsel recovering a Bulldog bobble one play later.
Four plays after Sampsel’s fumble recovery gave the Tigers excellent field position at the McKinley 19, Johnson ran four yards to pay dirt behind a good block by Tom Gruno at the 4:29 mark.
On the conversion, McKinley was called three straight times for encroachment. With the ball resting inside the one, Spielman carried in the two-pointer for a 18-7 Tiger lead.
McKinley then drove to a first down at the Massillon 23 following a 25-yard pass play, but three straight passes fell incomplete to stop the drive.
Massillon then chewed up over eight minutes of time on its next possession, but came away with nothing to show for it when the center snap was bobbled at the McKinley one with Smith recovering in the end zone.
The Bulldogs put together their last threat on the ensuing series, marching from their own 20 to Massillon’s 21 thanks in large part to a pair of 15-yard penalties, one for pass interference and another for roughing the quarterback.
But the drive stalled when a fourth down pass failed to gain the necessary yardage.
On last McKinley hope was thwarted by a Pat Spicer interception with less than a minute left.
Tiger ‘D’ turned Pups into kittens
By NORM WEBER Independent Sports Writer
CANTON – While the Massillon offense surprised McKinley with some new wrinkles Saturday in Fawcett Stadium, the Tiger defense was its reliable self in the 18-7 victory.
The Bulldogs did get one touchdown off the tight Tiger defense, but the score was set up by a Tiger fumble.
Other than that drive, the Tiger defense didn’t yield much. In the first quarter McKinley’s offense ran nine plays for nine yards.
Tackle Tom Gruno and nose guard John Franke incessantly applied pressure to Bulldog quarterback Kevin Parrish. The defense up front also showed strong pursuit on flushing out McKinley’s screen passes.
“I was getting a little concerned in the third quarter when they started driving,” Franke said. But then when we stopped them on our 18-yard line, I knew they weren’t going to score on us any more.”
Gruno admitted that Saturday’s game was the most exhausting of his career, but well worth it.
“With eight minutes left in the game I felt like dropping; I could hardly breathe,” said Gruno, who doubled at fullback. “Usually we’re ahead 44-0 in the fourth quarter and I’ll get a rest. This is by far my most tiring game.”
“I’d go to the sidelines when Timmy Sampsel would replace me at fullback. Every time I kept saying to the rest of the defensive players, ‘We’ve got to stop them.’ Nothing stood in our way. I knew it after we stopped them three consecutive times at getting a first down in the first quarter.”
“McKinley has some big tackles. But we were able to out-quick them. That was all we could do. We got so fired up every time I went to the sidelines on my offensive breaks. Beating McKinley is great.”
HUMBLE HERO – Tailback Craig Johnson was the first Tiger to go over the 1,000-yard mark rushing this season. His 133 yards against McKinley give him 1,003 on the season.
“How many yards to I have for the season?” a humble Johnson asked in the locker room after the game.
Johnson went over the magic number with a 13-yard gain in the fourth quarter.
“I didn’t know it then,” Johnson answered. “Which play was it?”
SPIELMAN’S VOW – When McKinley stopped the Tigers two years ago at Fawcett Stadium to earn a trip to the playoffs and eventually win the state championship, Chris Spielman vowed that the Tigers would never lose at Fawcett while he was playing.
“After we lost two years ago I said our team – and you can underline team, would not be beaten on this field again,” said Spielman. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. I’d like to thank Massillon for everything.”
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN – The Tigers may not be going to the playoffs, but based on Saturday’s performance, could be the best team in the state.
“If we played Akron Garfield next week we’d beat them by four touchdowns,” said Gruno. “This is a much improved team. I’ve been sitting in bed, listening to the radio and praying that Alliance or Garfield would lose. But we can’t control that.”
Neither Alliance nor Garfield, which beat Massillon 14-10 on Sept. 9, have lost. They’ll meet in the first round of the playoffs Saturday.
Topics of discussion such as the great Garfield debate are what keep the off-season fires burning.
The Tigers strutted their stuff Friday night to the tune of a 38-0 blasting of visiting Youngstown South at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Now the Tigers (8-1) find themselves in preparation for arch-rival McKinley, which posted a 13-6 over North Canton.
Against South (5-4), Massillon’s defense was at its best. The famed “Tiger Claw” did its thing, holding the Warriors to a net total of 118 yards.
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In the first half the Tiger defense was simply awesome, yielding just 42 yards. Half of South’s rushing attempts were for zero or minus yardage.
While the defense was busy holding the quick Warrior offense at bay, the Tiger offense was efficient to say the least.
Quarterback Brian Dewitz completed seven of 11 passes, including six of his last eight tries, for 108 yards and three touchdowns.
Running back Craig Johnson, who caught two of those three TD aerials, totaled 82 yards on the ground on 15 attempts. He added 52 yards via the airways, and now has 110 points scored on the season.
After a scoreless first quarter in which South was held to one net yard on six rushes, the Tigers put it all together in the second stanza by scoring all three times they had the ball.
Massillon’s first score came on a 37-yard pass from Dewitz to Johnson . The Tiger signal-caller faced a heavy rush on the screen pass, tossing the ball over the onrushing Warrior defense.
Johnson, who bobbled the ball at first, took the pass into the end zone at the 10:05 mark. The drive found Johnson gain nine yards on the ground, and Dewitz 11.
The Tiger defense then held South to minus 10 yards before forcing a punt.
On the first play from scrimmage the Warriors were called for pass interference, but the Tigers were in turn called for illegal motion. With the ball on South’s 37, Johnson rambled for 13 yards before a Chris Spielman carry went for negative yardage.
South was called offside when Johnson broke off a five-yard gain to give the Tigers a first down at the 17. From there unheralded fullback Tom Gruno went the remainder of the distance for his first TD of the season.
As he did on the first Tiger score, Bronc Pfisterer added the point after and Massillon owned a 14-0 lead at the 5:28 mark.
Again the Tiger defense rose to the occasion in holding South to one yard in three plays. Massillon took over on its 47 following a 34-yard punt.
Johnson broke off a 16-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage before Dewitz hit Reggie Crenshaw for a 21-yard gain to the South 16. Gruno then picked up six before the Tigers were called for illegal motion.
With the ball on the 15, Dewitz found a diving Johnson in the end zone for a TD at the 1:20 mark.
Prior to South’s final drive of the first half, the Warriors had a total of minus eight yards in offense. The visitors then gained 50 yards on the last march to gain some lost confidence.
South’s offense continued to sputter in the second half, though. On its first set of downs Tigers safety Steve Walterhouse intercepted a pass. Massillon, however, was unable to capitalize on the turnover.
Spielman then intercepted another Chris Williams pass, zig and zagging his way 39 yards to the South 9 on its next sequence of plays.
From the 9 Johnson gained six yards before Spielman was hurled for a yard loss. Dewitz, on third-and-goal, then hit a wide-open Spielman on a swing pass.
Three plays and a punt later and the Tigers took over on their own 36.
A Dewitz pass to Gruno covered nine yards after Johnson was held to no gain. Spielman then picked up the first down on a tough one-yard gain.
Johnson picked up two more yards when Spielman displayed his prowess in throwing a football, hitting Paul “Big Play” Briggs for a 47-yarder to the South five. From thee Spielman carried the pigskin to pay dirt with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.
Massillon’s final score, a 41-yard field goal by school record holder Pfisterer with 2:48 left, was set up by a fumble recovery by Glen Thomas, the 5-foot-6, 155-pound nose guard.
Pfisterer’s kick was his seventh three-pointer of the season and his 12th as a Tiger.
South’s deepest penetration was to the Tiger 35 at the end of the first half. Of their 12 possessions the Warriors only invaded Massillon territory that one time.
Now, bring on McKinley.
MASSILLON………………..38 SOUTH……………………… 0
Statistics M S First downs rushing 8 4 First downs passing 6 2 First downs by penalty 1 0 Totals first downs 15 6 Yards gained rushing 168 110 Yards lost rushing 14 32 Net yards rushing 154 78 Net yards passing 171 40 Total yards gained 325 118 Passes attempted 18 14 Passes completed 9 4 Passes int. by 1 2 Times kicked off 7 1 Kickoff average 53.7 60.0 Kickoff return yards 0 87 Punts 2 7 Punting average 45.0 33.7 Punt return yards 13 16 Fumbles 3 3 Fumbles lost 0 1 Penalties 4 3 Yards penalized 20 24 Touchdowns rushing 2 0 Touchdowns passing 3 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Number of plays 54 46 Time of possession 25:13 22.47 Attendance 8,518
MASSILLON – Visiting GlenOak won the battle of the statistics, but the Tigers won it where it counts the most – on the scoreboard.
GlenOak, playing perhaps its finest game ever, outplayed Massillon up one side and down the other.
Entering the contest Friday night in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, very few of the 9,587 spectators expected much of a game.
And considering GlenOak owned a so-so 3-4 record as opposed to Massillon’s 6-1, the 17-15 Tiger victory was for all intent a huge moral victory for the Golden Eagles.
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GlenOak controlled the ball for nearly 15 minutes longer than Massillon, gaining 99 more yards on offense and eight more first downs.
For that matter GlenOak had more touchdowns from scrimmage, but a 93-yard kickoff return to open the game by Massillon’s Craig Johnson was the difference.
“It’s nice to win one when you’re not supposed to,” confided Massillon head coach Mike Currence. “You have to give them credit because they played a good football game.”
“This was a good game for us,” Currence continued. “It’ll make us work harder (in practice) this week.”
The game’s outcome went down to the final play, a missed 52-yard field goal by GlenOak’s versatile Fermin Olivera who kept the Tiger defense guessing with his option-orientated offense.
“It was a great football game,” said GlenOak head coach Bob Commings, a one-time Massillon coach from 1969-73. “The thing is that this is one of the finest hours in our institution and we lose it.
“We had a chance to win it two or three times,” Commings said. “We didn’t come here to look good, we came over to win. I still think Massillon is the best team in the state, but we’re the best 3-5 team in the Western Hemisphere.”
Before many of the Homecoming crowd had a chance to settle into their seats, Johnson took the opening kickoff at his own 7. The senior went to the right side of the field, reversed his direction and found himself one-on-one with Olivera.
Johnson put on a couple of his patented moves and then outraced the defender to pay dirt. Just 15 seconds had elapsed off the game clock when Bronc Pfisterer booted home the conversion kick.
After holding GlenOak to 17 yards on its first possession, the Tigers took control of the ball on their own 34. Johnson and Chris Spielman took turns carrying the ball, giving Massillon a first down at the Golden Eagle 43.
After an incomplete pass, quarterback Brian Dewitz found Reggie Crenshaw for a 19-yard gain to the 24. Three plays later and the Tigers found themselves in a fourth-and-14.
Onto the field trotted Pfisterer, who drilled a line drive over the crossbar from 45 yards out to give Massillon a 10-0 lead.
The field goal was the sixth this season for Pfisterer, eclipsing his own single-season record of five he set a year ago. Only two other players have longer field goals than Pfisterer, Tim Manion’s 48-yarder in 1981 and Keith Harmon’s 47-yarder in 1975.
At this juncture many Tiger fans were sensing a repeat showing of last year’s 42-14 Massillon win over the Golden Eagles. Those thoughts were, as it turned out, premature at best.
Both teams were stopped on their next offensive series, a coffin-corner punt by Massillon’s Tom Gruno pinning GlenOak back at its own 8-yard line.
With their backs against the wall the Golden Eagles started moving the Tiger defense around, seemingly at will as Olivera started to do his thing.
Olivera first hit Troy Iero for a 13-yard gain before running for 10 more yards on a keeper. The senior quarterback next found Iero on a 22-yard pickup, the ball tipped twice en route to the wide receiver.
GlenOak running backs Greg Wagner and Jeff Gurley then took turns running the ball, moving the visitors to a first-and-10 at the Tiger 35. An encroachment penalty made it first-and-five.
Wagner then gained four yards when Gurley rambled six yards to a first down at the 19. Olivera called his own number and dashed to pay dirt with 5:03 left in the half.
Olivera then added the extra-point kick to make it a 10-7 game.
Momentum remained with GlenOak as Spielman was stopped cold on a fourth-and-one from the Eagle 47. But Commings’ squad turned the ball right back over when Olivera pitched the ball way over the head of his running back, Spielman recovering the loose ball at the GlenOak 38.
Massillon moved down to the 15, but a 32-yard Pfisterer field goal attempt was wide right.
Two plays later Spielman recovered his second fumble of the night, giving the Tigers excellent field position at the GlenOak 37.
Wasted opportunity this wasn’t as Dewitz went to the air, connecting with Paul Briggs for a 37-yard touchdown down the right sideline. Pfisterer’s kick made it 17-7 with 37 seconds left in the half.
After a fine halftime show by the Tiger Swing Band, the two opponents decided to play giveaway. First GlenOak fumbled after picking up two first downs, then Massillon fumbled four plays later.
GlenOak’s next series ended in a punt, but the Tigers continued their generous ways as Dewitz was intercepted by Wagner, giving the Golden Eagles possession at the Tiger 45.
The Golden Eagles took advantage this time, marching 55 yards in 12 plays despite facing a second-and-22 on one occasion and a fourth-and-five on another.
The TD occurred when Wagner burst up the middle from three yards out with 9:16 left in the final period. Gurley took the same route on his two-point conversion, making it fingernail biting time at 17:15.
Faced with a fourth-and-one from their own 29, Gurley picked up two yards to keep things alive. Olivera was then sacked by Scott Bylene for an eight-yard loss and the Golden Eagles were then hit with a five-yard penalty to make it a second and 23.
Undaunted by the big yardage to make up, Wagner gained seven yards and Olivera hit Iero for 13 more when Wagner pounded two yards on fourth down for a first-and-10 at the 44.
Two Olivera passes went incomplete when he was sacked for a 10-yard loss by a host of Tigers. On fourth down, though, Olivera hit Iero for 31 yards and a first down at the Massillon 35 with eight seconds left.
With no time outs left, Olivera threw the ball out of bounds to set up this last ditch field goal try.
Massillon continued its turnover tactics moments later when Johnson was stripped of the ball after a 22-yard gallop to the GlenOak 27, but the Golden Eagles turned the ball right back over when Olivera was intercepted by Derrick Dave two plays later.
Johnson finished the game with 40 yards rushing for Massillon, upping his season total to 770. In order to hit the 1,000-yard plateau the senior will have to total 230 yards more against Youngstown South and McKinley in the final two weeks.
MASSILLON…………….17 GLENOAK……………….15
STATISTICS M G First downs rushing 6 14 First downs passing 6 6 First downs by penalty 0 0 Total first downs 12 20 Yards gained rushing 104 231 Yards lost rushing 14 35 Net yards rushing 90 196 Net yards passing 135 128 Total yards gained 225 324 Passes attempted 20 16 Passes completed 9 10 Passes int. by 1 1 Yardage on pass int. 0 0 Times kicked off 4 3 Kickoff average 52.8 40.7 Kickoff return yards 124 74 Punts 2 2 Punting average 33.5 35.0 Punt return yards 5 0 Punts blocked by 0 0 Fumbles 4 3 Fumbles lost 2 3 Penalties 2 3 Yards penalized 20 35 Touchdowns rushing 0 2 Touchdowns passing 1 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 1 0 Number of plays 46 67 Time of possession 16:35 31:25 Attendance 9,587
M – Craig Johnson 93 kickoff return (Bronc Pfisterer kick) M – Pfisterer 45 FG G – Fermin Olivera 19 run (Olivera kick) M – Paul Briggs 37 pass from Brian Dewitz (Pfisterer kick) G – Greg Wagner 3 run (Jeff Gurley run)
MASSILLON – “We don’t expect this to be an easy task. It’s another year and they’ll remember last year.”
Mike Currence told the Tiger Touchdown Club Monday that the 1983 Barberton Magics are a lot different than last year’s version which the Tigers beat soundly 43-0.
“This is a very strong Barberton team,” he said. “Our scouts said that this may be the best offensive team that we’ve seen since Garfield. They know how to move the ball and they scored against Moeller a couple of weeks ago.
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“In fact, they had Moeller on the ropes,” Currence continued. “The score was only 14-7 in the fourth quarter and if Barberton hadn’t turned the ball over, it could have stayed that way or gotten even closer.”
Currence said that the staff was dismayed when the Magics dropped their opener to Akron Garfield 48-7.
“We thought Barberton was going to be down this year, but then we found out how good Garfield was.”
It will be a veteran Magic team that the Tigers face in the Rubber Bowl Saturday night. Seven offensive starters return from last season, including quarterback Ken Rector and tailback Greg Butcher. Four starters return on the offensive line including tackle Ken Adams, guard Curt Rafferty, center Dennis Meachan and right end Mike Babbin.
“A season can make a difference with an offensive line,” he said. “You can move the ball better with a seasoned line.”
Defensively, the Magics have four returnees. Adams plays defensive tackle and Mike Keim will alternate with Joel Hurst at defensive end. But the key players are the two linebackers, — junior Bill Livingston and senior Dan Jones.
“They are the biggest linebackers we’ve seen,” said Currence. “They are the strength of the defense.”
Currence added that Adams and Mike Fields (split end-defensive back) are the only two-way players on the team.
“They play two-platoon football so most of their players can rest. They should be rested for us.”
The Tigers will be playing on a new turf at the Rubber Bowl, installed this past spring after constant use beat up the old rug.
Going back to the Gonzaga game, Currence felt that the defense played superbly, but the offense made some mistakes.
“Mistakes hurt us,” he said. “That’s why we didn’t’ score more. They put pressure on us and dared us to throw the ball. Gonzaga wasn’t a bad team. Their defense gave us some problems.
“We made enough mistakes for the rest of year on offense,” he said. “We dropped a lot of passes that were right on the mark and other things. Hopefully, we’ll work those out.”
Tigers hope ‘bowl’ magic is all theirs
By STEVE DUNGJEN Independent Sports Editor
MASSILLON – Playing Barberton in recent years has been no bucket of joy for Tiger football teams.
Only one team has beaten a Mike Currence-coached Massillon squad more often than Barberton, and than stalwart opponent—nemesis is none other then Cincinnati Moeller.
Moeller, a perennial state powerhouse, has beaten Currence’s Tigers in all three meetings. Barberton has two wins, like Canton McKinley, over Massillon.
The fact that Barberton went 1-9 a year ago and suffered a humiliating 43-0 setback at the hands of the Tigers, should be treated with disdain.
For one thing the Magics of this year do not resemble last year’s unit in any way. Barberton, which had an idle week, brings a 3-2 record into tonight’s clash at the Rubber Bowl in Akron.
“Barberton has just played some great football up there against us,” noted Currence about the Magics’ ability to beat Massillon in the Rubber Bowl. “They seem to get really excited.”
Although the road game will be the first for Massillon this season after six home frays, Currence doesn’t expect that to be any factor against Barberton.
“We’ve played scrimmages on the road this year,” he said. “Barberton has been a thorn in our side, no doubt about that. Why, it’s not even their home field and they play us tough there.”
Currence recalls the 1981 game when Barberton pulled out a spine-tingling 26-24 win at the Rubber Bowl with anything but fondness.
“We had that game won and a kid runs back a kickoff after we had scored to beat us,” he said. “That Barberton team of 1977 (which won 9-7) was a great football team; they had more Big Ten college-caliber kids than we did.”
For the first time this season, and for the first time in some while against Barberton, the Tigers will be at full strength. All-everything Chris Spielman, though, is still nursing a bruised leg, but is expected to see his usual share of playing time.
“We are going in healthy. This is one game I wanted to go into with a completely healthy roster,” Currence said.
“Our scouts think they (Barberton) have got the best offense we’ve seen, and for our scouts to come back with that type of report is something else.
“Our defense will get a real challenge up there, I can tell you that much,” Currence said.
One thing the Tigers will have to adjust to is the artificial surface inside the Rubber Bowl. Due to the synthetic fiber, Massillon will wear either tennis shoes or turf shoes. The Rubber Bowl has a ‘shoe bank’, but Currence said members of the team have their own gear.
Magics’ enthusiasm keys grid fortune
By STEVE DUNGJEN Independent Sports Editor
BARBERTON – Jack Foltz likened Barberton to the community of Massillon – places where people like their high school football nearly as much as they do weekly pay checks.
“You have to realize that Barberton is very similar to Massillon,” Foltz, in his first year of directing the Magics, said. “The kids are winners, and they want to win. They love to play football.
“If something happens in the community pertaining to football you can bet it’ll get back to me,” Foltz said. “I may be the last to hear about it, but I’ll hear about it.”
Folts, who is a disciplined class instructor, hopes he can take what he preaches in the class room onto the football field Saturday night when his Magics (3-2) meet Massillon (5-1) in the Rubber Bowl.
“Our kids appreciate what we’re (the coaching staff) is trying to do,” Foltz said, noting the Magics have rebounded well from last year’s 1-9 record. “We didn’t get as much leadership last season as we expected. Hopefully, we’re turning things around.”
Both of Barberton’s losses have come at the hands of highly rated teams – Garfield (48-12) and Cincinnati Moeller (28-7).
“Our kids just seem to get up for the big games,” Foltz said. “I’m looking forward to the same type of attitude for this one.”
Foltz said his Magic unit has been diversified on offense, mixing the run with the pass.
“We do try to mix it up,” Foltz noted. “We do have a good dose of passing and we have a good dose of running. We’ll do what we have to.”
Main cog in Barberton’s offensive attack has been quarterback Kenny Rector, who Foltz said is extremely intuitive. Rector, the Magic grid boss pointed out, ranks 15th in his senior class in terms of grades.
Barberton and Massillon have played each other 37 times, with the Magics on the short end of a 29-7-1 record. The first time the two teams met was in 1904 when the Tigers won 15-0.
Last year Barberton suffered a 43-0 setback, but since Mike Currence has directed the Tiger grid fortunes Massillon owns a 4-2 record over the Magics.
Only one team – Moeller – has managed to beat a Currence-led team more times. Both of Massillon’s losses to the Magics have occurred at the Rubber Bowl, by a 9-7 score in 1977 and 26-24 in 1981.
The Magics have beaten Cuyahoga Falls (13-3), Akron East (35-12), and Lancaster (24-13).
Tigers holding statistical edge over opponents
By The Independent Staff
MASSILLON – Heading into Saturday night’s Rubber Bowl game against Barberton, the Tigers hold wide margins of difference in team statistics over their opponents.
Massillon has totaled 95 first downs for an average of nearly 16 per game, while the opposition has just 46 total.
In total yardage the Tigers hold a huge 1,926 to 829 advantage. Rushing wise Massillon has 1,219 yards as opposed to 481, while passing favors the local unit 707 to 348.
The number of plays from scrimmage also favors Massillon 337 to 292. Average gain per down finds the Tigers at 5.7 and their foes at a paltry 2.8.
Individually, Craig Johnson is an offensive leader in three categories. The senior has gained 661 yards rushing on 89 carries for an average 7.4 per tote, while scoring 72 points and returning four kick-offs for 74 yards.
Senior Chris Spielman is the top punt returner with an average of 14.9 with 13 come-backs for 194 yards.
In the receiving department, both Bruce Spicer and Johnson have nine receptions. Spicer’s yardage gained stands at 130.
Quarterback Brian Dewitz is completing 48 percent of his passes, connecting on 24 of 50 tries for 442 yards and four touchdowns.
Punter Tom Gruno is averaging 39.1 yards per boot.
On defense, Robert Neff has two fumble recoveries to lead that category while Steve Walterhouse and Spielman share the top spot in interceptions with three.
Spielman leads the defense in tackles with 41 and assists with 23, but Neff is right behind with respective totals of 38 and 18. Gruno is next at 34 and six.
Johnson’s TD ramble of highlight quality
By STEVE DUNGJEN Independent Sports Editor
AKRON – If Massillon Tiger football had a highlights film at season’s end, Craig Johnson made a strong bid for squatter’s rights to the opening scene.
The 5-foot-10 inch, 185-pound senior displayed more moves than a belly dancer on a 47-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Brian Dewitz.
Johnson’s razzle-dazzle TD scamper came on the first play of the fourth period of Saturday’s 38-7 win over the Barberton Magics at the Rubber Bowl.
“That was the best reversed-field run I’ve seen in a long while,” Tiger head coach Mike Currence said of the spectacular dash. “I had already grabbed someone by the shirt on the sidelines to send him in with our next play.”
“I thought Johnson was going to be tackled,” he added. “I asked Craig if he was down and he said ‘No, coach.’”
The TD pass-run occurred one play after Cornell Jackson picked off the fourth Barberton pass of the game. On the first play following the theft, Dewitz hit Johnson on the right sideline near the Magic bench.
Johnson was hit, grabbed by another would-be tackler and spun around. Massillon’s leading ground gainer took it from there, running parallel to the end zone to the left sidelines and eventually to pay dirt.
“I was wide open, caught the ball and a guy grabbed me by the shirt and spun me around in the right direction,” Johnson said. “I just saw things opening up from thee.”
Johnson, who also gained 69 yards on 12 carries for two touchdowns, is a newcomer to Tiger football. He transferred from Canton Timken, and ran track as a junior.
“It was kinda hard at first,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t open myself up the way I wanted to. I already knew quite a few of the guys on the team from track last season.
Currence said Johnson has had no trouble adapting to his teammates this season, though he said the senior has made great strides in learning the system.
“The thing about Craig is that he gets along well with everybody. He has such a pleasant personality,” Currence said. “Nearly all the kids on the team have been under the system for eight years, and they know it almost was well as the coaches.
“Yeah, it’s been tough on Craig from that standpoint the Tiger grid boss said. “He was going both ways, but we decided to have him concentrate on offense. He’s a great kid.”
His given name is Bob Neff Jr. and his two interceptions and a fumble recovery Friday in Massillon Washington’s 23-0 victory over Gonzaga College Prep of Washington, D.C., in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, represent one of the finest single-game defensive efforts from any player who has ever worn the orange and black.
Neff was the cornerstone of a Massillon defense that allowed Gonzaga just 97 yards total offense (61 passing; 36 rushing), no first downs rushing and only four first downs overall. Gonzaga’s defense wasn’t bad, either – the Eagles held Massillon to 249 yards of offense (135 passing; 114 rushing), nearly half of the 488 yards the Tigers piled up in last week’s 44-0 drubbing of Newark. Massillon is now 5-1; Gonzaga 3-2.
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“Junior dropped another possible interception and would have had a shot at a fourth,” Massillon defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Jim Letcavits pointed out, “but I fired him (on a blitz) and Gonzaga threw right where he would have been.
“Bob played a super game. We worked on him to get back and cover the curl pattern and he did it well.”
Neff, who had “seven or eight tackles” by his own count, called his performance “the thrill of a lifetime.”
“On the fumble I was pursuing to the ball, saw somebody hit it and jumped on it,” the modest senior said. “The first interception the right end came across on a drag (pattern) and I jumped in front of him for the ball. On the second interception, two guys ran patterns up the middle. The ball was thrown short, I dove and got under the ball to catch it.”
It must also be pointed out that Gonzaga was purposely running many of its plays away from All-Ohio linebacker Chris Spielman, but because of Neff the tactic didn’t work.
Neff’s heroics set up the Tigers’ first nine points. Following a scoreless first quarter, Neff’s fumble recovery gave Massillon the ball at the Gonzaga 16. The Tigers “drove” in reverse to the 17 on a wrong-way run and two incomplete passes and Massillon settled for Bronc Pfisterer’s 35-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 10:38 left in the first half.
The first of Neff’s interceptions on Gonzaga’s next possession put the ball on the Eagles’ 46. In eight plays Massillon manufacture a touchdown as tailback Craig Johnson, who wound up with 101 yards in 16 carries, and Chris Spielman carried three times each.
Johnson made it 9-0 with 7:31 left in the half in a unique, 24-yard way: He hit the well-stacked line, spun off several tacklers and was several yards ahead of any pursuers at the Gonzaga six. But he fumbled the ball there, scooped it up at the one and rolled into the end zone before the extra-point kick failed.
Gonzaga had a chance to score a few minutes later as Karl Gannon recovered a Spielman fumble and rumbled to the Massillon 21. But an illegal procedure penalty and three incomplete passes later, kicker Matt O’Connell’s 42-yard field goal came up short and the Tigers took their 9-0 lead into halftime.
After a drumming halftime show featuring the Tiger Swing Band’s percussionists, Gonzaga cough4ed up the ball on the opening kickoff and Massillon traveled 35 yards in six plays with Johnson going the final four yards. Pfisterer’s kick made it 16-0, Tigers.
Neff’s second interception of a Gary McIntosh pass set up a 40-yard Pfisterer field goal attempt which fell short but when the Tigers got the ball back on a Gonzaga punt with 24 seconds left in the third period, they made things happen.
Starting on its own 27, Massillon used a 14-yard run by Johnson and a 4-yard burst by Spielman to set up a 26-yard pass to the Gonzaga 29 by Brian Dewitz down the left sideline to senior Dave Weber.
The Tigers then sent Johnson off tackle for our yards, Johnson around right end for four more and Spielman off tackle for four more yards and a first down at the Gonzaga 17. Having lulled the Gonzaga defense with four-yard gains, Dewitz found Weber again open on the left sideline at about the 8. The receiver, who hadn’t caught a pass prior to Friday’s game, then turned inside and scored. Pfisterer’s kick was the final point with 9:25 left and from there on, the two teams gave their substitutes experience for the most part.
Dewitz, pressured early by the Gonzaga defense and benched late in the first half by the Tiger coaching staff, had a bit of an off night, hitting seven of 20 passes for 105 yards with Weber catching three passes for 55 yards.
Gonzaga starter McIntosh had it even worse. The sophomore was four of 19 for 31 yards with three interceptions, Spielman picking off the third.
“Our young quarterback got a christening tonight,” Gonzaga coach Mark Gowin said. “He’s going to be a great quarterback but he isn’t picking up reads on defense yet. And Massillon’s defensive line played such an outstanding game.
“I was proud of our defensive play. I told them if they play that kind of defense the rest of the year, we will vie for the championship in our area. I feel we played good enough defensively to win the football game, but Massillon is a great, great football team and they were definitely 23 points better overall than us tonight.”
Very little about the game concerned Massillon coach Mike Currence, although he said, “we were upset by people in our offensive backfield.” But he was not overly upset by procedure penalties which, at another time, might tend to stall a drive.
“You get some penalties when you play aggressive football,” Currence noted. “It’s the mental mistakes – like when we go for a long count offensively and we jump offside – that bothers me.”
Massillon tests Barberton, 23-14 winners over Lancaster Friday, at 8 p.m., a week from tnight in the Akron Rubber Bowl. Gonzaga, meanwhile, plays on its Buchanan Field home Saturday against Good Counsel. That’s a 1:30 p.m. start, in case you have a Lear jet and are interested in catching both games.
Good Counsel? Isn’t that the school in Washington, D.C., that derived its name from the Watergate hearings?
STATISTICS M G First downs rushing 8 0 First downs passing 7 4 First downs by penalty 0 0 Total first downs 15 4
Yards gained rushing 145 79 Yards lost rushing 31 43 Net yards rushing 114 36 Net yards passing 135 61 Total yards gained 249 97
Passes attempted 28 21 Passes completed 9 6 Passes int. by 3 1 Yardage on pass int. 20 0
Kickoffs 5 1 Kickoff average 46.8 56.0 Kickoff return yards 1 90 Punts 4 5 Punting average 43.8 39.8
Punt return yards 41 4 Punts blocked by 0 0 Fumbles 3 7 Fumbles lost 1 3 Penalties 4 4
M – Bronc Pfisterer 35 field goal M – Craig Johnson 24 run (kick failed) M – Johnson 4 run (Pfisterer kick) M – Dave Weber 17 pass from Brian Dewitz (Pfisterer kick)
MASSILLON – Gonzaga Prep of Washington D.C., has quite a bit to think about on the trip to Tigertown for Friday’s game.
Following Massillon Washington’s 44-0 drubbing of Newark before 8,445 fans in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, Gonzaga must concern itself with:
— A Tiger offensive line that has jelled into an awesome high school unit. They go by the names, left to right along the line, of Jason Collins, Don Elvasky, Dave Morelli, Scott Hendershot and Darrell Strickling.
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— A Massillon defensive squad so stingy the second and third stringers have learned lessons well and tightened their teamwork to stop foes who think they might have it easier. Some of their names can be found later in this story. But like the offensive line, the defense is a team concept, not a group of individuals.
— Craig Johnson, Chris Spielman and Brian DeWitz, who, despite rain, sloppy fields and knee braces, perform consistently each time they hit the field.
Johnson scored four touchdowns on runs, in order, of 2, 37, 78 and 13 yards and gained 166 yards in14 carries – and he didn’t really get started until the second quarter and left the game to a deserved standing ovation with 2:28 left in the third quarter.
Spielman scored the Tigers’ first touchdown on a playbook-perfect-plus 21-yard pass in the left flat from DeWitz. Playbook-perfect-plus because Spielman ran his pattern deeper against the coverage, got behind the linebackers to catch the pass and from there, it was clear sailing into the end zone as he bowled over Newark defensive backs as if they weighed 140 and 150 pounds, which a couple of them did.
DeWitz was six of 14 for 134 yards, but should have had glossier statistics. He received excellent front-line support, but could have sued his receivers for non-support. Several passes found receivers’ hands, but were dropped.
But the standouts of the night in which the Tigers earned their fourth victory against one loss were the offensive line which helped the Tigers pile up 488 yards of total offense (284 running and 204 passing) and the defense, which posted the shutout.
“Newark were playing on our big players, Spielman and Johnson, and taking their middle linebacker out of the middle and putting him where they thought we’d run a play, a guessing game,” Tigers’ Coach Mike Currence said.
“The first few times Brian saw this, he didn’t know what he saw. But we thought the misdirection and counter plays would work well and they did and that’s a credit to the offensive line.”
After Spielman scored the initial touchdown, the teams exchanged punts with Massillon getting the better of the deal, pinning Newark in at its own 8-yard-line. A penalty moved the Wildcats back to the four and three Dave Jones rushes later, Newark punted with Spielman fair-catching the ball at the Newark 39.
From there, the Tigers moved backwards on a pair of penalties and a sack until they faced a third-down-and-27 situation at the Newark 44. Several Newark defenders chased the backpedaling Dewitz back into Massillon territory before the senior quarterback lofted the ball over their heads to the waiting Spielman near the left sideline.
Behind a cordon of blockers, Spielman rolled 31 yards to the Newark 13 and four Johnson bursts later, the Tigers led 14-0 as Johnson dove in from two yards out.
Newark then stalled at its own 15 and Kirk Ivan took a fair catch on the ensuing punt at the Newark 49. Then, Johnson went off tackle for two yards; Spielman went off right tackle and cut back for seven yards and then dove off tackle again for three yards. This repetition set up what was one of the prettiest plays of the game.
Dewitz faked a handoff going right and then gave it on the counter to Johnson, who slid off tackle and then headed for the left sideline, dragging tacklers the last five yards into the end zone.
But let Darrell Strickling, spokesman for the offensive line, tell it.
“On the counter play, the defensive tackle on the left side sets up the end and the right tackle comes across and pulls for the running back,” Strickling said.
“A play like that keeps the defense honest. But the offensive line got on our blocks and stuck with them until we got the job done tonight. We’ve been coming up to the stadium on weekends and working, especially on our pass protection. We’re working together.
Newark picked up its initial first down of the first half with 4:50 left on a pass from Trey Balding to Jones swinging out of the backfield. But the Newark drive stalled at the Massillon 25 as Tom Gruno, Tim Sampsel and Spielman simultaneously hit or put pressure on Balding’s fourth-down pass attempt to end the threat.
The teams each had short-lived drives – Massillon’s ending on an interception, Newark’s with a punt. Currence and his coaching staff instructed the Tigers to decline a Newark illegal procedure penalty on the kick and take the ball at their own 22 with 1:02 left rather than make the Wildcats kick again to possibly gain better field position.
“There wasn’t much time left anyway and we needed a big play to get down into better field position,” Currence said in explaining his decision. “Besides, the rain made it difficult to run back any punt. So we ran our first trap play of the game. With the trap play, you have as good a chance of breaking a big play as on any play.”
Behind the skilled work of the offensive line, Johnson shot through the initial mass of bodies and headed to the right sideline free and clear. He then turned on the jets and wrapped up a 78-yard touchdown run, giving the Tigers a 27-0 halftime lead and thoroughly demoralizing Newark.
“We could see Newark getting a little tired on us,” Strickling said. “We were playing heads-up ball.”
Johnson still had the fire burning inside him as the teams lined up for the second-half kickoff. He took the return up the middle, then dashed to the left for a 95-yard return into the end zone. But no score. There was the small matter of a penalty flag for a clip which, after the yardage was marked off, put the ball back on the Massillon 44.
No problem; the Tigers went back to the methodical way of moving the ball 56 yards to a touchdown, scoring in five plays with the fifth play Johnson’s final TD on a 13-yard run, breaking past the befuddled Newark defenders on the same counter play he scored upon in the second quarter. Who says lightning doesn’t strike twice?
“Johnson played a great game,” Currence said in the understatement of the 1983 season.
After Bronc Phisterer’s fourth of five successful extra point kicks, the 34-0 lead held up until 7:36 remained in the game when Pfisterer added a 29-yard field goal. Junior Irwin Hastings took a 12-yard pass from junior quarterback Mike Scott before Pfisterer notched the final point with 45 seconds left.
The defense, particularly the front four of John Brown, Gruno, John Franke and Tim Sampsel, was sterling. And when Neward mounted its last attack with less than seven minutes left, the Tiger defensive subs got into the act, too.
Newark moved the ball following Pfisterer’s field goal from its 35 to the Massillon 24 and had a second-and-five at that point. But Balding made an unwise pitch back to tailback Jay Redman and Redman was swarmed under by a gang of Tigers for a five-yard loss back to the 29.
Then Baldking went back to pass and was smacked by Massillon senior Jim Hendricks just as he released the ball, which floated into the arms of Tiger senior defensive back Kevin Shepherd. It was a fine piece of teamwork and fitting that a pair of seniors who see limited playing time were the ones to hook up in stopping Newark.
“The defensive coaches are always after a shutout,” Currence said. “It’s a moral victory for them. Team defense is really what makes a team great. They’re all individuals and they’re concentrating on playing their own position, not thinking about playing another position and that’s the team concept.”
Bill Biggers, coach of the Newark squad which fell to 1-3-1 had another concept of his team. “We were poor,” he said. “Jones runs the ball hard, but our offensive line stunk. Jones is a very good back, but we can’t seem to open anything up for him.
Perhaps Biggers and his staff should ask Currence, offensive coordinator Nick Vrotsos and offensive tackle coach Chuck Utterback to conduct a clinic.
Or he could just ask Collins, Elvasky, Morelli, Hendershot, and Strickling – the Tigers who get down and get themselves dirty.
‘Johnson played a great game’
Those were the words used by Massillon coach Mike Currence to describe the game Craig Johnson played in Friday nights’ 44-0 victory over Newark in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Johnson scored touchdowns on runs of 2, 37, 78 and 13 yards and gained 166 yards in 14 carries.
STATISTICS M N First downs rushing 10 2 First downs passing 8 3 First downs by penalty 1 0 Totals first downs 19 5 Yards gained rushing 307 57 Yards lost rushing 23 24 Net yards rushing 284 33 Net yards passing 204 84 Total yards gained 488 117 Passes attempted 21 18 Passes completed 10 8 Passes int. by 2 1 Yardage on pass int. 6 0 Times kicked off 8 1 Kickoff average 46.8 55.0 Kickoff return yards 39 151 Punts 2 8 Punting average 39.0 34.4 Punt return yards 26 0 Punts blocked by 0 0 Fumbles 1 0 Fumbles lost 0 0 Penalties 4 4 Yards penalized 34 39 Touchdowns rushing 4 0 Touchdowns passing 2 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Number of plays 60 42 Time of possession 26.02 21.58 Attendance 8,445
M – Chris Spielman 21 pass from Brian Dewitz (Bronc Pfisterer kick) M – Craig Johnson 2 run (Pfisterer kick) M—Johnson 37 run (Pfisterer kick) M – Johnson 78 run (kick failed) M – Johnson 13 run (Pfisterer kick) M – Pfisterer 29 field goal M—Irwin Hastings 12 pass from Mike Scott (Pfisterer kick)
