History Archives - Page 66 of 142

1980: Massillon 22, Akron Garfield 21

September 19, 1980August 9, 2017
by Eric Smith

Eberhart’s field goal beats Rams 22‑21
As Tigers spoil dramatc Garfield comeback

By ROLLIE DREUSSI
“Independent Sports Editor

Bill McGee’s disappointment couldn’t hide his smile.

His Garfield Golden Rams had just stormed back from a 19‑0 halftime deficit to have the Massillon Tigers on the ropes at 21‑19 in the fourth quarter.

But, as it so often seems to happen in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, Massillon pulled out the victory ‑ 22‑21 on a 25‑yard field goal by Dave Eberhart with 3:39 to go in the game.

It was a wild Friday night in Tiger Stadium, and while McGee will spend a great deal of time thinking about what might have been, he and his Rams can hold their heads high.

The Rams turned in such a fine effort ‑ they dominated most of the statistics ‑ that they received a standing ovation from the 10,739 fans as they headed for their dressing room.

“You don’t hear that too much in Massillon,” McGee said.

The fans did a lot of whooping and hollering for the home team, too. Especially after the Rams took a 21‑19 lead with 10:27 to go in the game on a 33‑yard pass from Rick Carpenter to Willie Davis.

That touchdown climaxed a dramatic Garfield comeback which saw them drive for touchdowns the first three times they got the ball in the second half,

Things were looking dim for the Tigers when they were forced to punt the ball away with 7:54 to go in the game.

The Rams had unleashed a devastating ground game in the second half and were looking to ram home another score to clinch the game.

That’s when the Tiger defense ‑ which had set up two of the team’s three first‑half touchdowns on interceptions ‑ turned out the lights.

Paul Spinden recovered a Ram fumble at the Garfield 24, and eight plays later Eberhart lofted a high, spinning field goal that barely cleared the crossbar. The Tiger defense came back and held again and that was the ball game.

“That was a hell of a ball team,” a relieved Tiger coach Mike Currence said of the Rams afterwards. “It was a big win. I think they were really better than us up front. They handled us physically.

“But Dave Eberhart is a winner. When everybody else was flat and down, he was the one kid on the field who thought we could go down the field and win it. Dave and Jeff Elliott (who had several clutch pass receptions in crucial situations).

“We didn’t deserve to win the game. It was not a team effort. We deserved to win it because of three or four guys, and that was it,” Currence said.

McGee, meanwhile, had mixed emotions.

“The reason I’m upset is we made a lot of mistakes on the field, but I made the crucial one by not going for the two points.”

McGee was speaking of the Rams extra point kick after their third touchdown. Bryan Sparks converted his third straight extra point to give Garfield a 21‑19 lead. However, had the Rams attempted to go for the two points, they would have had either a 22‑19 lead (if successful), or a 20‑19 lead (if unsuccessful).

“I didn’t want to take a timeout at that point, but we should have taken it and gone for two. We may not have made it and lost anyway, but we should have tried.

“I feet bad,” McGee said, “because our players gave 100 percent. They came down and played a great game against a great team in what I think is the greatest football town around, and I kind of feel like I let them down.”

Currence wasn’t so critical of the decision. He said that if the. Rams’ had a three‑point lead, he would have opted to go for the touchdown when the Tigers faced a fourth‑and‑two at the Garfield three yard line just before the field goal attempt.

Currence also noted that McGee pulled a fast one at the start of the second half. He said the Rams played a stack defense throughout the first half, and the Tiger offense made blocking adjustments at halftime to come out and attack that defense. McGee, however, switched defenses, the Tigers missed their blocks and the momentum shifted back to Garfield.

Besides Eberhart’s gritty performance ‑ he was 12 of 19 for 125 yards and two touchdowns and also scored the other Tiger TD ‑ Currence said the play of the defense made the difference.

“You have to give our defense a lot of credit in the first half for coming up with the big play. How do you think St. Vincent beat them (two weeks ago in Garfield’s season opener)? They beat them with the big play,” he said.

It looked at first like Garfield was going to be the big play team, as Greg Wimley took the opening kickoff and raced 95 yards to the end zone. An illegal block back at the Ram 22 yard line nullified the play, however, and Garfield started from its own 11.

They drove out to the 31, and on third‑and‑six, Carpenter’s pass over the middle was picked off by junior linebacker Tim Manion at the 37 and returned to the 16.

Five plays later Eberhart found Elliott open over the middle for a touchdown with 7:22 to go in the quarter. Elliott had come into the game following the preceding play, in which the Tigers’ leading receiver . Mike Feller ‑ was injured. He dove for a halfback pass from Mike Jones, but the pass was a little long and he was racked up into the fence behind the end zone. He walked off the field, but only returned to the game to hold, placements for Eberhart, who added the point after to make it 7‑0.

The Rams took the ensuing kickoff and drove to a first down at their own 35 yard line. Carpenter threw deep for Kevin Talley, who Was open down the right sideline, but just missed connections.

On the next play, a pass to Talley glanced off the senior receiver’s fingertips and into the waiting arms of Tiger safety Mike Spicer at the 47. He returned it to the 19, and six plays later Eberhart hit Mike Reese with a six–yard scoring pass that caromed off the fingers of Jones. Eberhart’s kick was blocked and the Tigers led 13-0 with 1:59 to go in the first quarter.

Manion’s kickoff sailed into the end zone and Garfield started from its own 20. The Rams drove to a pair of first downs and reached the Massillon 28. Tackle Ed Newman sacked Carpenter for a six‑yard loss on second down, and following an incomplete pass Joe Cook punted the ball into the end zone.

The Tigers then marched 80 yards in 17 plays, with Eberhart going the final yard on sneak over right guard. But it was a costly mistake by the Rams that led to the Tigers’ 19‑0 lead.

After taking over at the 20, Eberhart’s third‑down pass to Jones was incomplete. Eberhart punted from his own 24, but before his punt came down, a yellow officials flag hit the turf.

Garfield was guilty of an illegal substitution, and the Tigers had new life and a first down at their own 39.

The 8:02 drive almost stalled again several times, On third‑and‑six from his own 43, Eberhart completed a 14‑yard pass to Elliott, who had slipped to the turf but got up and leaped high in the air to pull down the ball at the Ram 43.

Three plays later it was third‑and‑16, and Eberhart rolled left and fired over the middle where junior halfback Robert Oliver made a leaping grab for a first down at the Ram 32.

Four plays later, it was fourth‑and‑two at the Garfield 24. Eberhart hit a quick look‑in to Reese who was cutting across from the left. The play netted seven yards and first down at the 17.

Eberhart went right back over the middle, to Oliver, for 14 yards and a first‑and‑goal at the three. Three plays later Eberhart scored with 1:55 left in the half.

Garfield drove into Tiger territory, but Jeff Spicer intercepted a pass as the half ended.

Garfield then came out and forced the Tigers to punt three straight times, and each time drove the ball to the end zone. Drives of 47, 37 and 72 yards gave the Rams a 21‑19 lead and roused the Tiger faithful from their state of shock.

Garfield’s first score came when Gills ran three yards with 7:17 to go in the third quarter.

The Rams then got the ball at their own 37, and Cosey roared through a big hole for 36 yards to the Tiger 27. On fourth‑and‑one from the 18, Carpenter faked to Gills up the middle and handed to the speedy Wimley going off left tackle. The play faked out the Tigers and Wimley sped 18 yards to paydirt as the Tiger lead shrank to 19‑14.

Garfield took over at its own 28 and picked up a couple of first downs rushing. A face mask penalty against, Massillon at midfield gave the Rams a first down at the Tiger 33. Carpenter went to the air and found Davis wide open for the go‑ahead TD with 10:27 to go in the game. Sparks kicked the extra point ‑when most of the fans were expecting a try for the two points ‑ and Garfield was leading 21‑19.

The Tigers took over at their own 27, picked up a first down, then got bogged down at their own 40. Eberhart punted and Garfield took over at its own 23 with 7:54 left.

The Rams had the momentum, but linebacker John Mayles blitzed through on first down to nail Cosey for a five‑yard loss. Gills picked up six on second down, but on third‑and‑11 Gills was nailed at the line of scrimmage and Spinden recovered his fumble for the Tigers at the 24 with 6:31 remaining in the game.

Jones gained a yard, and the crowd gasped as Oliver fumbled the ball, but quickly covered it at the 25 on second down, Eberhart found Reese but the senior couldn’t hang onto the ball.

On fourth‑and‑11 and defeat staring the Tigers straight in the eye, Eberhart coolly fired a 14‑yard pass to Elliott, who came up with the ball at the 11 despite being surrounded by Ram defenders.

Vic Pirnik batted down Eberhart’s pass on first down, and the Tiger QB lost a yard when he was forced to scramble on second down.

On third‑and‑16, he found Elliott at the three, and the senior came up with another clutch catch.

The Tigers faced fourth‑and-two. Currence decided to go for the three points, but the Tigers intentionally took a delay of game penalty to get a better angle on the field goal try since the ball rested on the right hash mark.

With Feller holding at the 15, every heart in Tiger Stadium stopped as Eberhart got a little under the kick and it floated toward the goal posts. The high blooper had just enough “legs” to clear the crossbar and give the Tigers the lead with 3:39 to play.

Garfield refused to quit, however, and drove to a first down at their own 48. Following an incomplete pass, Winley almost broke away, but a fine open‑field tackle by defensive back Mike Loretto held him to a five‑yard gain.

Newman and Bob James then teamed up to sack Carpenter for a nine yard loss, and on fourth‑and‑14 from the Ram 44 Newman flushed Carpenter from the pocket and he and Loretto stopped him after a two yard gain.

‘The Tigers ran out the clock as Eberhart picked up a first down on a roll‑out.

Eberhart proved to be a pain to the Rams all night, and McGee was duly impressed with his performance.

“We’ve got a lot of good quarterbacks around Akron, but I’ve never seen anybody throw the ball better than Eberhart. He was right on the money. And their receivers made some fantastic catches. We had people there, but their guys just made great catches. ”

McGee shook his head, but he still couldn’t shake his smile. And he couldn’t hide his pride as fan after fan filed past to tell‑him his team played a great game.

TIGER GRIDSTICK

MASS OPP
First downs rushing 4 9
First downs passing 6 4
First downs by penalty 1 2
Total first downs 11 15
Yards gained rushing 87 194
Yards lost rushing 24 22
Net yards gained rushing 63 172
Net yards gained passing 125 95
Total yards gained 188 267
Passes attempted 20 18
Passes completed 12 9
Passes intercepted by 3 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 52 0
Times kicked off 5 4
Kickoff average 55.2 51.0
Kickoff return yardage 75 30
Punts 4 1
Punting average 30.6 34.0
Punt return yardage 37 3
Punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 3
Fumbles lost 0 1
Penalties 10 2
Yards penalized 80 26
Touchdowns rushing 1 2
Touchdowns passing 2 1
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0
Total number of plays 58 55
Total time of possession 27:22 20:38
Attendance 10,739

GARFIELD 0 0 14 7 ‑ 21
MASSILLON 13 6 0 3 ‑ 22

MASS ‑ Jeff Elliott 10 pass from Dave Eberhart (Eberhart kick)
MASS ‑ Mike Reese 6 pass from Eberhart (kick failed)
MASS ‑ Eberhart 1 run (pass failed)
GAR ‑ Larry Gills 3 run (Bryan Sparks kick)
GAR ‑ Greg Wimley 18 run (Sparks kick)
GAR ‑ Willie Davis 33 pass from Rick Carpenter (Sparks kick)
MASS ‑ FG 25 Eberhart

Late boot
saves Tigers from upset

MASSILLON ‑ Quarterback Dave Eberhart had a big night passing, but it was the senior’s foot that kept the Massillon Tigers from a stunning upset at Paul Brown Stadium Friday night.

The Tigers were trailing the Akron Garfield Rams 21‑19 until Eberhart kicked a 25‑yard field goal with 3:39 left in the game after the Rams had overcome a 19‑0 Massillon lead at the intermission.

Eberhart’s boot gave Massillon a thrilling 22‑21 triumph, the fourth victory in a row for the unbeaten, untied Tigers, who entered the game ranked second in the Ohio Associated Press Class AAA poll. The 1‑2 Rams were unranked.

Ram Coach Bill McGee said he made a crucial mistake by not going for two points after the last touchdown.

Massillon Coach Bill Currence praised the visitors and called it a “big win.”

Massillon scored two touchdowns in the first quarter after pass interceptions.

After a theft by Tim Manion, Eberhart passed 10 yards to Jeff Elliott for the six points, and Eberhart converted successfully. After another theft by Mike Spicer, Eberhart passed six yards to Mike Reese for a score.

An 80-yard, 17‑play drive in the second quarter was climaxed by Eberhart himself with a I‑yard scoring dash.

Garfield came back with vengeance in the second half, scoring on its first three possessions. Larry Gillis, who had 88 yards rushing in 19 carries, scored on a three‑yard run, Greg Wimley on an 18‑yard run and Willie Davis on a 33‑yard pass from Rick Carpenter.

Massillon’s winning field goal came after the Tigers’ Paul Spinden covered a Garfield fumble on the Rams’ 24.

Eberhart completed 12 of 19 passes for 125 yards.

The Tigers led in possession time 27:22 ‑ 20:38, but Garfield was ahead in first downs 15‑11.

The Rams led in rushing yardage 172‑63 because of an122‑yard second half. Massillon gained 78 yards through the air in the first half and led in yards via the pass 125‑95.

The Tigers completed 12 of 20 passes, covered their two fumbles and were penalized 10 times for 80 yards. Garfield connected on 9 of 18 passes with three intercepted, the Rams lost one of three fumbles and they drew two penalties for 26 yards.

1980: Massillon 30, Mentor 14

September 12, 1980August 9, 2017
by Eric Smith

But fullback Grimsley injures knee
James’ return keys Tigers’ 30-14 win

By Rollie Dreussi
Independent Sports Editor

“You can label this one the return of James Boys,” Massillon coach Mike Currence said after the Tigers defeated Mentor Friday night before 10,534 fans in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

“The defense did the job tonight. The Tigers became hungry forthefirsttime this year,” he added.

Currence was speaking of the effect the return of tackle Bob James had on his defensive unit, which allowed the Cardinals only two first downs through the first three quarters as the Tigers rolled to a 30‑0 lead before sending in the subs.

A week ago, James was in the hospital with a viral infection . He returned to practice early in the week and was still a questionable starter as of Thursday.

But he was in the trenches when the game started, and the Massillon defense responded to his return with its most impressive showing of the season.

The offense, meanwhile, showcased a devastating running game which was complemented by some big plays by quarterback Dave Eberhart.

The senior signal caller hit one of his first two passes, then whipped his next three tosses for touchdowns the first for 18 yards to Mike Reese, the second for 40 yards to Mike Feller and the third for seven yards to Mike Jones.

That gave the Tigers a 20‑0 first‑quarter lead, and Jone‑ scored on a four‑yard run in the second quarter to give Massillon a 27‑0 halftime lead. Eberhart added a 28‑yard field goal in the third quarter to complete the scoring.

He finished with six completions in 11 attempts for 112 yards and three touchdowns, and a couple of his passes were dropped. Jones led the rushing attack with 68 yards on 13 carries.

But the Tiger offense suffered a severe blow in the second quarter when fullback Greg Grimsley limped off the field after a three‑yard run. Currence said he suffered possible torn ligaments in his left knee, and may be lost for the season.

His knee was to be checked today to determine how serious the injury is.

“We lost a big gun tonight,” Currence admitted. “He makes the offense go.”

Mentor coach Tom Frazier, when informed of Grmnsley’s injury, said: “That’s a shame. One of things which I thought made them better this year was having the big, strong fullback. He’s an exceptional

Frazier, whose team lost to the Tigers 28‑0 last season, said he thought this year’s team is better than 1979’s state playoff squad.

“They are a much more physical team defensively this year than they were last season,” he said. “Maybe it was a combination of them playing exceptionally well on defense and us playing poorly on the offensive line.

“I’m really disappointed. We knew we would have

trouble with their speed, but I’m real disappointed with the way their offensive line blew us out.”

Of his own team, which had seven starters returning oil defense and several more on offense, Frazier said: “Right now, I don’t know where we stand as a football team. we have problems in some areas, and we’re going to have to make improvements to be successful.”

The Cardinals take on Greater Cleveland Conference foe Euclid next weekend, and may have to do so without starting quarterback Shawn Palmer, who injured his back. Palmer was sacked several times by the Tiger defense, and had to throw most of his passes from the “horizontal parade rest” position. The fierce Tiger pass rush got to him even when he was able to get the pass off.

“Both our tackles did a good job tonight,” Tiger defensive coordinator Jim Letcavits said of James and Ed Newman, who sacked Palmer and recovered at the Mentor seven yard line to set up Massillon’s third score.

‑We had the good rush on the passer which we didn’t have before,” Letcavits added.

Currence said: “The name of the game for us is defense. If it can get the ball for us, we’re going to put points on the board. They did it and we’re proud of them. ”

Currence said he also liked the job his offensive line did, and noted that he felt the Tigers controlled the line of scrimmage both defensively and offensively.

With Grimsley possibly lost for the season, the possibility of switching James back to fullback was brought up. James played that position until late last season, when he was switched to the defensive line.

6’The question is, can we afford to move Bob James to fullback. We’ll have to answer that this week. He means an awful lot to out, defense. ” Currence said.

The regular backup fullback, junior Michael Moore, is out with a bruised thigh and probably won’t be ready for action by next Friday, when the Tigers will host Akroyi Garfield.

Currence said junior George Roknich, who filled in for Grimsley last night, will probably get the call there. Also, senior Dave Huth got the starting nod at halfback against Mentor because of an illness to junior Robert Oliver, who started the first two games. Oliver is expected to be ready next weekend.

With the Tiger defense stifling Mentor’s offense, Massillon had little trouble getting on the board early.

Following a punt by the Cardinals on their first possession, the Tigers drove 59 yards in nine plays for their first score. Eberhart found Reese open in the left corner of the end zone from 18 vards out with 6 31 to play in the first quarter. Eberhart’s conversion kick made it 7‑0.

Mentor punted again, and Newman recovered a fumble by Tiger kick returner Paul Turner at the Massillon 27 yard line. A clipping penalty pushed the Tigers back to their own 13.

Seven running plays moved the ball to the Mentor 40. On second‑and‑four, Eberhart used a play‑action fake to freeze the Cardinal defense, and hit the wide‑open Feller down the right sideline for a touchdown, Eberhart’s PAT kick made it 14‑0 with 1:21 to play in the quarter.

On the Cardinals’ first play from their own 18 yard 1 me. Palmer dropped back to pass. He was rushed hard by Newman and defensive end Don Fulton. It appeared that Newman batted down Palmer’s pass, but the officials ruled it a fumble, and Newman came up with it at the Cardinals’ seven yard line.

One Eberhart to Jones pass later it was 20‑0 with seven seconds still showing on the clock. Eberhart’s point‑after kick missed.

Mentor took the ensuing kickoff, and Palmer finally completed a 13‑yard pass to Mark Gartland for the Cardinals initial first down.

Middle guard Jeff Grove sacked Palmer on the next third‑down play, however, and1he Cards punted again.

The Tigers looked like they were going to get another long touchdown when Eberhart ‑ from the Mentor 42 ‑ threw long to Jones. The ball bounced off Jones’ shoulder pad, though, and fell incomplete. Two plays later the Tigers punted, and Palmer was then intercepted by junior linebacker Tim Manion at the Mentor 30 yard line.

Grimsley ran seven yards, then took a pitchout to the right and came close to a first down. He came up limping and hobbled off the field.

Eberhart threw an incomplete pass on third‑and-inches, then ran four yards for a first down. Three plays later Jones took it in from the four. Eberhart’s kick made it 27‑0 with 3:39 left in the half.

Following an exchange of punts at the beginning of the third quarter, the Tigers put together a drive that carried from their own 28 to the Mentor five yard line.

On fourth‑and‑five, the Tigers were penalized for delay of game, and Eberhart booted a 28‑yard field goal with 1:13 left in the quarter.

With the Tiger subs in the game, the Cardinals finally got their offense going. On first‑and‑10 from their own 44 yard line, Palmer found Lenny Weber open down the middle with a 56‑yard touchdown pass. The extra point kick was blocked, and the Tigers led 30‑6 with 7:20 to go in the game.

The Tigers recovered the Cardinals’ ensuing onside kick when George Nikitenko came up with the ball at his own 47. Steve Trivisonno stopped the Tigers’ drive, however, when he intercepted a Rick Spielman pass at his own 31 yard line.

With Trivisonno taking over at quarterback, Mentor drove into Tiger territory. On fourth‑and‑24 from the Massillon 34, Trivisonno hit Weber with a 34‑yard touchdown pass with 1:42 to go in the game. On a fake kick attempt, Palmer passed to Scott Ockington for the extra points.

Mentor’s Mike Caldwell recovered an onside kick at the Tiger 49, but four straight incompletions squelched the Cardinals’ final threat.

Massillon is now 3‑0 on the season while Mentor falls to 1‑2.

Statistically, Eberhart was the offensive key for the Tigers, rushing for 60 yards in eight carries in addition to his 112 yards passing. Reese was the top Tiger receiver, catching three passes for 60 yards. Grimsley finished with 30 yards in six carries and Roknich had 18 yards in four carries.

FINAL STATISTICS
MASS. OPP.
First downs‑rushing 11 3
First downs-passing 5 4
First downs‑penalties 1 0
Total first downs 17 7
Yards gained rushing 221 88
Yards lost rushing 0 56
Net Yds. gained rushing 221 32
Net yds. gained passing 132 132
Total yards gained 353 164
Passes attempted 19 15
Passes completed 7 4
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Ydg. on passes intercepted 0 0
Times kicked off 6 3
Kickoff average (ydg.) 48.5 24.0
Kickoff returns (yds.) 21 63
Times punted 3 6
Punt average (yds.) 37.3 37.5
Punt returns (yds.) 26 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 5 1
Lost fumbled ball 2 1
Penalties 10 5
Yards penalized 89 41
Touchdowns rushing 1 0
Touchdowns passing 3 2
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0
Total number of plays 62 46
Total time
of possession 27:06 20:54

MENTOR 0 0 0 14 ‑ 14
MASSILLON 20 7 3 0 ‑ 30

MASS ‑ Mike Reese 18 pass from Dave Eberhart (Eberhart kick)
MASS ‑ Mike Feller 40 pass from Eberhart (Eberhart kick)
MASS – Mike Jones 7 pass from Eberhart (Eberhart kick)
MASS ‑ Jones 4 run (Eberhart kick)
MASS ‑ FG 28 Eberhart
MENT ‑ Lenny Weber 56 pass from Shawn Palmer (kick fail)
MENT – Weber 34 pass from Steve Trivisonno (Scott Ockington pass from Palmer)

Attendance 10,534

1980: Massillon 54, Cleveland JFK 0

September 5, 1980August 9, 2017
by Eric Smith

Outmanned Kennedy 54-0 victim
Eberhart, Jones spark Tiger stampede

By ROLLIE DREUSSI
Independent Sports Editor

Quarterback Dave Eberhart and halfback Mike ones turned in sparkling individual performances to counter some sloppy team play as the Massillon Tigers team rolled Cleveland John F. Kennedy 54‑0 Friday night.

The two seniors accounted for four of the Tigers’ first five touchdowns as 10,250 fans in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium watched the outmanned Eagles fall apart under the onslaught.

Eberhart completed 8‑of‑12 passes for 162 yards and two scores. One of those TD tosses was to Jones, who also added two touchdowns rushing, He finished with 56 yards rushing on six carries and caught three passes for, 93 yards.

The Tigers scored two touchdowns in each quarter, and were aided by three Eagle turnovers, each of which led to a Massillon score.

Despite the lopsided score, Tiger head coach Mike Currence was a little disappointed.

“I thought we were going to be sharp, but we weren’t sharp,” he said. “We worked to be sharp, but we weren’t sharp.

The Tigers had a number of illegal procedure penalties for the second straight week, and finished the game with eight penalties for 69 yards.

“It’s just complacency on our part,” he explained. “It’s a lack of concentration. We were thinking more about ourselves than executing as a team. We had some great individual efforts that pulled us out of some bad mistakes. That’s the way it went all night.

“As long as I’ve been in this business, when you play someone sloppy you play sloppy yourself,” he added.

The Tigers started off sloppy by receiving the opening kickoff and promptly fumbling on the first play from scrimmage on a run by Greg Grimsley.

The Tiger defense stopped the Eagles on downs at the Massillon 29, and on third‑and‑13 Eberhart threw deep down the left sideline to Jones, who took the ball at the Kennedy 35 and raced into the end zone to complete a 74‑yard pass play. Eberhart’s extra point kick made it 7‑0 with 8:45 to play in the quarter,

The Tigers found themselves right back on often‑when Doug Bachus recovered a Kennedy fumble on the kickoff at the Eagle 20. Following a three‑yard run by Grimsley and an illegal procedure penalty, Eberhart threw 22 yards to Mike Feller for a score. Eberhart’s PAT boot made it 14‑0 with 7:36 left in the first quarter.

Following a clipping penalty on a punt return. the Tigers took over the ball later in the quarter at their own nine yard line.

Jones six-yard run capped a 91‑yard, 14‑play drive just 32 seconds into the second quarter, and Eberhart’s kick made it 21‑0. Eberhart hit three of five passes in the drive – including a 14‑yard pass to Jones for a first down on a fourth-down play ‑ and also ran 11 yards for a first down on another fourth-down play, Jones also had a 27‑yard run in which he used a couple of good moves to break open, but was dragged down from behind by Dave Nelson, and Eagle speedster who played a fine game.

Paul Turner intercepted a pass from Eagle quarterback Jason Stevens and returned it 50 yards to the Kennedy 18.

Eberhart hit Feller with a 16‑yard pass and Grimsley hulled over from the two to make it 27‑0 with 1: 34 left in the half.

The Tigers forced the Eagles to punt at the start of the third quarter, then marched 51 yards in six plays for a score. Jones showed great balance in breaking through the Eagle defense on a 12‑yard run, and got a key block from wide receiver Grady Robinson. Eberhart’s kick made it 34‑0. Junior halfback Robert Oliver caught a 16‑yard pass from Eberhart and also had a seven‑yard run in the drive.

Greg Radtka then kicked off and ended up recovering an Eagle fumble at the Kennedy 43 yard line. Eight plays later George Roknich (who switched from jersey number 24 to 30 when his regular number was ripped from his back on a tackle) took it in from the one. Massillon led 40‑0 with 3:04 left in the third quarter.

Following a Kennedy punt, junior Rick Spielman scrambled from the pocket on second‑and‑13 at his own 30 and lofted a perfectly thrown pass to speedy senior Dave Huth, who took the ball on the Eagle 40 and was finally dragged down three yards short of the end zone. Two plays later he scored from the one yard line, Radtka’s kick made it 47‑0 with 6:33 to play.

For the third time in the game, the Tigers recovered a fumble on the kickoff when Archie Campbell came up with the ball at the Eagle 36.

Four plays later, Spielman ran a keeper around right end and sped down the sideline for a touchdown. Radtka’s PAT boot finished the scoring at 54‑0, with 4:00 minutes to play.

“It was a fun night for the players,” Currence said. “But we won’t have too many more nights like that ‑ where we can make mistakes and still score.”

Eagle coach Roye Kidd was very disappointed in his team’s performance, noting that some defensive mistakes and the four turnovers were fatal.

“Our kids didn’t quit, though,” he said. “I was pleased with the effort of the kids, They didn’t give up, even though they made some critical mistakes.”

Kennedy, which a couple of years ago was known for having one of the better football programs among the Cleveland public schools, has been greatly hampered by the school system’s busing program.

Most of the Eagles players were transferred to John Marshall. Kidd said of 52 players on last season’s junior varsity team, only 13 remained at Kennedy. Also, only 23 of 42 varsity players returned this fall. Classes at the school won’t start until the end of this month, or later, because of preparations necessary to implement the desegregation program.

Kidd had only two starters back ‑ number 75 Wayne Grant and number 77 Andre Smith ‑ and those two players, along with number 80 Nelson, played fine games.

Some of the Tigers’ opponents didn’t play too fine, as three teams lost and three won in action Friday night.

Akron Garfield lost to St. Vincent 20‑17, Perry lost 10‑7 to Louisville and Barberton lost 3‑0 to Cuyahoga’ Falls. Padua blanked Parma Senior 28‑0, Harding blasted Toledo Scott 40‑0 and Youngstown South ripped Erie (Pa) Tech 28‑0.

FINAL STATISTICS
MASS OPP
First downs-rushing 12 3
First downs-passing 8 0
First downs-penalties 0 1
Total first downs 20 4
Yards gained rushing 213 106
Yards lost rushing 15 24
Net yds. gained rushing 198 82
Net yds. gained passing 261 2
Total yards gained 459 84
Passes attempted 20 9
Passes completed 13 1
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Ydg. on passes intercepted 50 0
Times kicked off 9 1
Kickoff average (ydg.) 44.6 48.0
Kickoff returns (yds.) 11 100
Times punted 1 3
Punt average (yds.) 33.0 42.0
Punt returns (yds.) 2 44
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 3
Lost fumbled ball 1 2
Penalties 8 5
Yards penalize 69 29
Touchdowns rushing 6 0
Touchdowns passing 2 0
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0
Total number of plays 61 34
Total time of possession 28:31 19:29
Attendance 10,250

KENNEDY 0 0 0 0 – 0
MASSILLON 14 13 13 14 – 54

MASS ‑ Mike Jones 74‑yard pass from Dave Eberhart (Eberhart kick);
MASS ‑ Mike Feller 22‑yard pass from Eberhart (Eberhart kick);
MASS ‑ Jones 6 yard run (Eberhart kick);
MASS ‑ Greg Grimsley 2‑yard run (kick fail);
MASS ‑ Jones 12‑yard run (Eberhart kick);
MASS ‑ George Roknich 1‑yard run (kick fail);
MASS ‑ Dave Huth 1‑yard run (Greg Radtka kick);
MASS ‑ Rick Spielman 24‑yard run (Radtka kick).

1980: Massillon 30, Massillon Perry 13

August 29, 1980August 9, 2017
by Eric Smith

Two quick TDs pave way to 30-13 win
Tigers strike early to defeat Panthers

BY ROLLIE DREUSSI
Independent Sports Editor

By the time Greg Grimsley knew what hit him, Mike Jones was beading for the end zone.

And by the time Mike Loretto knew what he had in his hands, the Massillon Tigers were off to the races.

It was another one of those season opening games for the Perry Panthers as the Tigers took advantage of the breaks to score a 30‑13 win before 16,333 fans on a hot and humid night in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

Not that the game wasn’t close, mind you, but its pretty hard to battle back when you spot the opposing learn two touchdowns in the first three minutes of the game.

The Panthers – who always come into Tiger Stadium hitting everybody in sight ‑ battled their way back into the game, but the Tigers always came up with the plays they needed to stay ahead.

The Tigers took the opening kickoff, and on the first play faked the hall to Grimsley. The big senior fullback is a transfer from Perry and his former teammates racked him up hard at the line.

But the bail went to Jones on a trap, and one block and a move later he was scampering 64 yards for the first of his two touchdowns. Dave Eberhart’s extra point kick gave Massillon a 7‑0 lead before all the fans were in their seats.

The Panthers kept their cool, however, and started driving from their own 35 after the ensuing kickoff. They churned out a first down before the drive bogged down and they faced a third‑and‑eight on the Massillon 48.

Quarterback Dave Fach lobbed a screen pass into the right flat, but threw it too high, and another Perry transfer ‑ Loretto raced in from his defensive back position, jumped up and tipped the hall away from a crowd of Perry players and found it in his arms when he came down. He raced 48 yards untouched for a touchdown with 9:05 left in the first quarter and the Tigers led 13‑0.

“We worked on that play,” Tiger coach Mike Currence said of Jones’ TD scamper, “We knew they’d be keying on Grimsley, so we faked it to him and went to Jonesy.”

Perry coach Joe Demaree had another explanation.

“We expected them to do exactly what they did. But they knocked down our monster back and our safety fell down (as Jones cut back to the inside after bursting through the line).”

Neither coach could explain Loretto’s interception.

“Those crazy bounces and tips are going in happen, but you don’t expect them back to back,” was all Demaree could say.

While those two plays determined the course of the game, the Panthers took advantage of a Massillon let down in the second quarter to put themselves back in striking distance.

Following a 31‑yard field goal by Eberhart just before the end of the first quarter, the Panthers got their act together.

They opened the second period with a 64‑yard, 11-play drive climaxed by a three‑yard touchdown run by Monty Wise with 6:51 left to go in the half. Ed Bartholomew’s kick made it 16‑7, and it took a third‑down sack by the Tigers on Perry’s next possession to allow the Tigers to hold that lead until halftime.

“We got the two big plays and of course at that point we started falling apart and making mistakes,” Currence said.

“Perry’s come of age,” he said. “They just came down the field and controlled the ball on us in the second quarter. Anybody who play them this year is going have to outscore them,” he added.

Currence was pleased with the win, of course, but be was not too happy with all the mistakes the Tigers made.

Demaree, of course was disappointed, but was proud of the way his charges battled back out of the hole.

“We stayed with our game plan,” he said, noting the Panthers didn’t panic after the two quick scores.

“We were in that game. They have a good football team and so do we. The key is we did not get one break. But don’t take anything away from Massillon. It was just a remarkable game. Both teams were really hitting.

“I felt when we took the ball down the field and scored, we knew what they were doing and did our job.”

Asked if he thought it would have been a different game if his team could have mustered a score in the third period. Demaree said: “There’s no doubt in my mind.”

Neither team scored in the third period as the Tiger defense stopped the Panthers twice, before the offense started a 64-yard, 14‑play drive that carried into the fourth quarter and ended when Jones scampered the last 11 yards for a touchdown ‑ leaping over a Perry player at the seven yard line on his way to the end zone. Eberhart’s kick gave the Tigers a 23‑6 lead.

Perry bounced back by going 70 yards in seven plays and Doug Wagner’s two‑yard run made it 23‑13 with 5:31 to go in the game. A run for the extra points failed, and Demaree saw that as the final turning point.

“Even if we could have got the two points on the extra points run, it would have been a different ball game, because we would have only been a touchdown behind (eight points).”

But linebacker John Mayles stopped McKinley Lancaster with a hard hit, and with 45 seconds left in the game substitute quarterback Rick Spielman hit Jeff Elliott with a 14-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to seal the verdict.

Despite the Tigers’ mistakes ‑ they were penalized nine times for 85 yards ‑ Currence liked what he saw of the team’s running game.

“I thought we could control it on them by running the ball.” he said, and that’s what the tigers did in the second half, They finished with 217 yards on the ground, with Jones leading all rushers with 111 yards on 14 carries. Grimsley added 58 yards on eight carries and junior Robert Oliver had 36 yards on five carries.

Eberhart hit some key passes for the Tigers, and finished with 8 of 10 for 78 yards and one interception.

Perry’s Fach had a rough night, completing 4 of 16 for 34 yards. On the ground, Wagner picked up 42 yards on nine carries, Lancaster had 31 yards on six carries and Wise had 35 yards on seven carries.

Wise had to go both ways (playing halfback on offense and defense) because returning starter Dan Douglas injured his foot at practice Thursday. Wise also had to leave the game with leg cramps.

The Tigers will host Cleveland John F. Kennedy Friday while Perry opens its Federal League campaign the same night in Louisville.

MASS. OPP.
First downs‑rushing 12 7
First downs passing 6 1
First downs penalties 2 2
Total first downs. 20 12
Yards gained rushing 246 133
Yards lost rushing 29 9
Net Yds. gained rushing 217 124
Net yds. gained passing 99 34
Total yards gained 316 158
Passes attempted, 13 16
Passes completed 8 4
Passes intercepted by 1 1
Ydg. on passes intercepted 48 5
Times kicked off 6 3
Kickoff average(ydg.) 43.7 42.3

FINAL STATISTICS
Attendance
Kickoff returns (yds.) 55 83
Times punted 2 5
Punt average (yds.) 41.0 36.2
Punt returns (yds.) 0 2.9
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 2
Lost fumbled Fall 1 0
Penalties 9 4
Yards penalized 85 60
Touchdowns rushing 2 2
Touchdowns passing 1 0
Touchdowns by interception 1 0
Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0
Total number of Plays 54 46
Total time
of possession 26:01 21:59

PERRY 0 7 0 6 ‑ 13
MASSILLON 16 0 0 14 – 30
(kick fail);
MASS ‑ Eberhart 31 FG hot;
PERRY ‑ Monty Wise 3 run (Ed Bartholomew kick);
MASS ‑ Jones 11 run Everhart kick);
PERRY ‑ Doug Wagner 2 run (run fail);
MASS ‑ Jeff Elliott 14 pass from Rick Spielman (Greg Radtka kick).

ATTENDANCE 16,333

Massillon’s Tigers
Devour Panthers by 30-13

MASSILLON ‑ Perry Coach Joe Demaree knew all along that his squad would have to be the ones making the big breaks if the Panthers were to upset Massillon in the annual season opener for both teams Friday night at Paul Brown‑Tiger Stadium.

The only break the Panthers made, however, was in their own backbone as they handed Massillon two long touchdowns in the first three minutes of the game to key a 30‑13 win by the Tigers before a crowd of 16,333.

The Tigers opened the game by exploiting fullback Greg Grimsley, one of two Tiger starters that recently transferred from Perry. Massillon Coach Mike Currence sent Grimsley up the middle on the very first play from scrimmage and the 215‑pounder was rudely met by an angry group of former teammates.

The only problem, for Perry that is, was that senior halfback Mike Jones was the one with the ball. Jones, who gained 257 yards in limited duty last year, hit the outside hole and faked his way past safety Danny Lloyd en route to a 64‑yard touchdown run.

Perry, to its credit, appeared unshaken by its sudden misfortune and quickly drove to midfield after taking the ensuing kickoff.

This time it was another former Perry starter, Mike Loretto, who did the dirty deed on his former mates.

Perry had set up a screen to the weak side with quarterback Dave Fach rolling to his right. When Fach wheeled to throw across field to intended receiver Monty Wise the diminutive passer (5-foot-7, 150 pounds) was fronted by one of the Tigers’ massive linemen.

Fach was forced to float the ball 25 yards and Loretto timed it perfectly as the defensive back stepped in front of Wise and took the interception 48 yards untouched to give Massillon a 13‑0 lead with only 2:55 gone.

“Those two plays really made the game.” commented Currence, whose team returned only one starter (center Doug Eberhart from last year’s 10‑1 squad that qualified for the state playoffs.

“On the first play we knew that Perry was going to be keying on Greg like hell so I called a play that used him as a decoy. Sure enough, they were all over him and Mike Jones was able to break a great run.

“Overall, though, I wasn’t pleased with our performance, especially the numerous mental mistakes we made that were very costly. Heck if you take away the long run and the interception ‑you’ve got a helluva ball game.”

Even with the two big plays going against them, the Panthers were able in threaten Massillon as the Perry defense stiffened and limited the Tigers to 80 yards for the remainder of the first half.

Immediately after a 31-yard field goal by Dave Eberhart with 25 seconds left in the first quarter, Fach led the Panthers on a 64-yard drive that was culminated by a two‑yard run by Wise to cut the margin to 16‑7.

It remained a nine‑point advantage until the Tigers’ all‑senior backfield decided to lock things up in the fourth quarter.

While Grimsley and Jones were hurting the Panthers inside and outside, respectively, on the ground. Dave Eberhart was picking apart an injury riddled secondary to pieces in the air.

Jones, who rushed for a game high 111 yards on 14 attempts, capped a 75- yard drive with an 11‑yard run on counter play with 8:10 left and after the Panthers scored with 5:31 left, Eberhart led a march that clinched the game.

The 6‑foot, 190‑pounder, who hit all seven of his second‑half attempts, completed four straight aerials to key a 59‑yard drive that gave the Tigers a 17-point edge and killed any further comeback hopes entertained by Perry.

“We knew when we came here that we would have to make the big breaks and if you take away those two quick touchdowns you’ve got an entirely difference game,” said a disappointed Demaree, whose Panthers’ seven game winning streak was halted.

“Although they might have felt we would be keying on Grimsley, we weren’t. They have such a well-balanced club to key on any one player would be foolish. We knew that Jones was an awesome runner and that their quarterback was very good.

“Still, I was very pleased with our team in the respect that we didn’t give up. Most teams would have folded after spotting a team like Massillon a two‑touchdown lead.”

Although Massillon was held to 18 total yards in the second quarter, the Tigers outgained Perry 211-120 on the ground and 101‑.34 in the air for the game. Eberhart was the key to the Tigers’ aerial attack as he hit on nine of 11 for 87 yards before being relieved by junior Chuck Spielman on the final two plays of their last drive.

1979: Massillon 0, Parma Padua 12

November 17, 1979August 6, 2017
by Eric Smith

Padua crushes Tiger state title dreams

By ROLLIE DREUSSI
Independent Sports Editor

Tiger cheers turned to tears Saturday night in the Akron Rubber Bowl, and there will be no state football championship in Massillon this year.

The much ballyhooed showdown between Cincinnati Moeller ‑ king of the computer ‑ and Massillon former AP poll king ‑ will have to wait until another day.

The Parma Padua Franciscan Bruins outplayed the Tigers in the Class AAA semifinal game Saturday night and emerged as an unexpected 12‑0 victor.

“We knew who Massillon was but I don’t think they knew who we were,” Padua coach Tom Kohuth said following his team’s win in its first playoff appearance.

The Bruins failed to be intimidated by the large, boisterous Tiger following that began filling the stands two hours before game time, cheering and waving their orange “Tiger Bags” and thoroughly enjoying their first playoff game since 1972.

The Bruins also failed to be intimidated by the Tigers’ defense – as halfback Dave Kaminski scored two touchdowns and quarterback Dan Schodowski continually came through with key first downs on third‑and-fourth down situations.

The offense exhibited a knack for controlling the ball that proved terribly frustrating for the Tiger defense.

And the Tiger offense staggered by the loss of starting quarterback Bill Scott ‑ suffered its first shutout in 38 games (the last one being a 10‑0 loss to Gahanna Lincoln in the second game of the 1976 season).

Tiger coach Mike Currence offered no excuses.

“We were not looking ahead (to Moeller),” Currence said. “We just didn’t play a good ball game. We did not play with a lot of emotion. If we could have gotten a couple of the big plays it would have helped.

“But they just didn’t make any mistakes against us.” he added.

The difference was that Padua made the big plays ‑ both offensively and defensively ‑ and played a very emotional game.

The Bruins gained momentum early when they stopped the Tigers on a fourth‑and‑goal situation at the six‑inch line on the Tigers first possession when a sneak by quarterback Bill Scott fell short.

The Tigers got the ball back after a Padua punt at the Bruin 34 yard line, but on third‑and‑four from the 28, Scott’s pass for Bill Beitel was intercepted by Joe Bush at the 13 and he returned it 43 yards to the Tiger 44.

The real damage on that play was Scott injuring his knee while trying to make a tackle. Dave DeLong took over at quarterback, but he could not help the Tigers put any points on the board.

The Padua defense didn’t help matters much, harassing him with strong pressure when he tried to throw.

“When Scott sprained his knee, that hurt,” Currence said of the effect on his team of the injury to his starting quarterback. “He’s been our best passer, and we couldn’t throw the way we wanted to.”

Currence agreed that the Bruins’ goal line stand turned the tide of the game.

“We had momentum. We should have scored. But we didn’t and the momentum turned the other way. You can’t make those mistakes and win.

“And our defense got frustrated because we couldn’t stop, them. Our linebackers were gambling, trying to create a turnover of some sort.

“We had estimated their strengths quite well: Kaminski and (Ed) Murphy running the ball and Schodowski to (Tom) Hardy.

“They had the biggest offensive line and the biggest running back (Kaminski) we faced all year. And you have to give their passing game credit too.

“They had a lot of quickness on defense. There were some things we thought we could do, but they would make the tackle and drop us for a loss.

“Our kids just got beat. What do you do? You just tell them to back out and try harder.”

Kohuth had a simple explanation for his team’s victory: “We made the big plays when we had to. This was our toughest game all year. They have the toughest defense we faced all year. But in key situations, we were able to control the line of scrimmage.”

The Bruins first touchdown was set up by a big play. It was a 56‑yard pass from Schodowski to Hardy that was the Bruins only completion in the first half.

Padua faced a third‑and‑13 at its own 13 yard line with 3:17 left in the first half when Schodowski found Hardy wide open down the right sideline. The play carried to the Tiger 31.

Murphy then broke a sweep around right end for 26 yards to the Tiger five. Two plays later Kaminski scored from a yard out with 2:11 left in the half. The Bruins tried a flea‑flicker on their two‑point attempt but it failed.

On their first possession of the second half, Schodowski came up with another big play.

On fourth‑and‑15 at the Tiger 32 yard line Schodowski was chased from the pocket and he sprinted for the right sideline, just barely making the first down.

Six plays later, on fourth-and‑goal inside the one, Kaminski banged over for his second score of the night. The two‑point conversion pass failed and Padua led 12‑0 with 4:15 left in the third quarter.

The Tigers never penetrated farther than the Padua 30 yard line the rest of the game, however, and the Bruins won the right to meet Moeller (a 31‑7 winner over Toledo Whitmer) in the Class AAA championship game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Rubber Bowl.

“It hurts a lot,” Currence said of the Tigers’ loss. “We really wanted to get into the finals and get a shot at Moeller. It’s going to be a good game (the championship contest). Unfortunately, I’m going to have to buy a ticket to get in.”

FINAL STATISTICS
MASS OPNT
First downs:
Rushing 5 7
Passing 5 4
Penalty 0 0
Total 10 11
Yds gain rush 89 140
Yds lost rush 30 37
Net yds rush 59 103
Net yds pass 79 99
Total yds gain 138 202
Pass attempted 21 13
Pass completed 8 5
Pass int by 1 2
Pass int yds 14 43
Kickoffs 1 3
Kickoff 54.0 46.0
Kickoff ret yds 46 20
Punts 4 4
Punt ave 37.2 31.2
Punt ret yds 0 5
Punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 1
Fumbles lost 0 1
Penalties 8 8
Yds penalized 63 53
TDs rushing 0 2
TDs passing 0 0
TDs by int 0 0
Other TDs 0 0
No. of plays 52 58
Time of poss 20:52 28:08
Attendance 20,061

PADUA 0 6 6 0 12
MASSILLON 0 0 0 0 0

Pad ‑ Dave Kaminski 1 run (run fail)
Pad ‑ Kaminsi 1 run (pass fail)

Unheralded Bruin’s win playoff semifinal 12-0
Tiger, Bruin lineups

TIGERS
Offense
Quarterback: 10 ‑ Bill Scott (Sr., 6‑1, 170), 15 Dave DeLong (Sr., 5‑10, 169);
Fullback: 49 ‑ Sam MeDew (Sr., 5‑7, 167):
Halfbacks: 22 ‑ Bill Beitel (Sr., 5‑7, 162), 31 Bill Burkett (Sr., 5‑11, 162):
Ends: 25 ‑ Marty Guzzetta (Sr., Sr., 5‑11, 165), 87 ‑ Greg Evans ‑Sr., 5‑10, 168), 42 ‑ Paul ‘Turner (Jr., 6‑1, 158):
Tackles: 76 ‑ Mark Kircher (Sr., 6‑2, 218), 74 Gerald Wesley (Sr., 6‑0, 233);
Guards: 65 ‑ Larry ‑Massie (Sr., 5‑7, 206), 66 ‑ Wally Neff (Sr., 5‑9, 175):
Center: 51 ‑ Andy Weber (Sr., 6‑0, 190). 53 Doug Eberhart (Jr., 5‑10,” 191).
Defense
Ends: 80 ‑ Tom Mummertz (Sr., 6‑5, 190), 86; Mike Hodgson (Sr., 6‑6, 208);
Tackles: 77 Dave Geschwind (Sr., 6‑0, 200), 44 ‑ Bryant Lemon (Sr., Sr., 5‑11, 215);
Middle Guard: 55 ‑ (Sr., 6‑0, 205); Monster Back: 23 Jim Blogna (Sr., 5‑10, 176);
Safety: 21 ‑ Jamie Schlegel (Sr., 6‑0, 170) ;
Halfbacks: 27 ‑ Len Robinson (Sr., 5‑!0, 153), 24 ‑ Dan DiLoreto (Sr., 5‑9,162).
Kickers: 20 ‑ Jeff Fry (Sr.. 6‑0, 180), placements; 86 Hodgson, punter.

BRUINS
Offense
Quarterback: Dan Schodowski (Sr., 5‑9, 165);
Halfbacks: 24 Dave Kaminski (Sr., 6‑0, 185), 42 _Ed Murphy (Sr., 5‑8, 180);
Flanker: 21 ‑ Ron Kornowski (Sr., 6‑0, 175);
Ends: 20 ‑ Tom Hardy (Sr., 6‑0, 190), 82 Tom Krukemeyer (Sr., 6‑2, no);
Tackles: 70 Tom Andrews (Sr., 6‑5, 230), 71 ‑ Jim Mio (Sr., 5‑10, 260);
Guards: 67 Greg Myles (Sr., 6‑0, 210), 66 ‑ Bob Hager (Sr., 6‑0, 180);
Center: Forrest Gregg (Sr., 6‑2, 220).
Defense
Ends: 46 ‑ Mike Gentile (Jr., 5‑10, 1.70), 35 Dennis Dunn (Jr., 5‑11, 180);
Tackles: 52 ‑ John Pavia (Jr., 5‑10, 185), 61 ‑ Joe Cassel (Sr., 6‑0, 230);
Middle Guard: Jim Liggett (Sr., 5‑10, 175);
Linebackers: 58 Tony Czacj (Jr., 6‑1, 215), 8 Rocl Miller (Jr., 6‑2,195) ;
Cornerbacks: 21 ‑ Kornowski, 7 ‑ John Adams (Sr., 6‑0, 185) ;
Halfbacks: 80 ‑ Joe Bush (Sr., 6‑2, 175); 20 ‑ Hardy.

Series: First meeting.
Records: Massillon 10‑0, Padua 9‑1.

1979: Massillon 24, Canton McKinley 0

November 10, 1979August 6, 2017
by Eric Smith

Playoff‑bound Tigers pound Pups 24‑0
Defense awesome in 4th straight win over McKinley

By ROLLIE DREUSSI
Independent Sports Editor

There used to be a sign in the Massillon weight room that read: “Offense wins games, defense wins championships.”

On the strength of an overpowering performance in their 24‑0 win over Canton McKinley Saturday afternoon, the Massillon Tiger football team will get its first chance to prove that theory since 1972.

For the team and their “Tiger Bag” waving fans are headed for the Class AAA computer playoffs. They will play Parma Padua Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in a semifinal game in the Akron Rubber Bowl.

The Tiger defense’ was awesome against the Bulldogs, registering nine sacks for 78 yards in losses. Six of the sacks came in the first half as the Tigers shocked the Pups by rolling up three touchdowns for a 21‑0 halftime lead.

Quarterback Bill Scott accounted for the first two scores, throwing nine yards to Marty Guzzetta for the first touchdown, then hooking up with Greg Evans oil a 54‑yard bomb.

Evans’ score, which came on a third‑and‑six play, dazed the Bulldogs, but it was linebacker Tim Reese’s interception on the Pups’ next possession that broke their backs.

On a second‑and‑10 from his own 46, Bulldog quarterback Dave Seaman threw over the middle for Ron Rankin, but Reese stepped in and picked the pass off at his own 43 and returned it 30 yards to the Bulldog 27.

After an incomplete pass, fullback Sam McDew gained 26 yards in three rushes and halfback Bill Beitel scored from a yard out on the next play.

Jeff Fry’s third straight extra point kick made it. 21‑0 with 1:30 left in the half. The only other scoring was a 26‑yard field goal by Fry in the fourth quarter.

“It was a great, great victory to a great great year,” Tiger coach Mike Currence said afterwards. We hope we can just keep on going ‑ and win two more.”

Two more wins, of course, would bring the Ohio prep football championship back to Massillon for the first time since 1970 ‑ and it would be the first for the Tigers since the computer playoff system was installed.

The Tigers are now 10‑0 – their first perfect season since 1972 ‑ and have claim to the final All‑American Conference football championship (the league is now disbanded).

The Tigers have now either won outright or shared the AAC title four straight years ‑ all under Currence, who has now beaten the Bulldogs four straight.

And the key to this one, he said, was the defense.

“The defense gave us the field position,” he said, referring to the nine sacks and three interceptions (Jamie Schlegel and Len Robinson also picked off passes).

Currence said the sacks were a combination of a fierce pass rush and great coverage by the Tiger secondary.

Seaman tried to pass 11 times in the first half,, and six times the Tiger “Sack Cats” threw him for losses.

Currence also credited his offense, of course.

“That was a great catch by Guzzetta and a great pass by Scott,” Currence said of the Tigers’ first touchdown. “And Evans catch was a big play, it really hurt them.

“But it was the interception by Reese that broke their backs.”

Currence said he was still nervous with a 21‑0 lead especially when Phil Giavasis blocked a Mike Hodgson punt. late in the third quarter and Mitchell Kelly recovered the ball at the Massillon 11 yard line.

However, tackle Dave Geschwind threw Brantly Kelly for a one‑yard loss on the first play, and two plays later Geschwind Tom Mummertz and Bryant Lemon sacked Rick Worstell for a 12‑yard loss. An incomplete pass in the end zone on fourth down gave the Tigers the ball at their own 19.

When the Pups got the ball back, Jamie Schlegel intercepted a Worstell pass at the Bulldog 27 and returned it to the two yard line. Four plays later, at 7:52 of the fourth quarter, Fry booted his 26‑yard field goal.

“After the field goal I relaxed,” Currence said.

“The difference was the big play,” he explained. “When you get the big play, you’ve got them. The kids were looking for them, and they made them.

“This game will be like a springboard for us,” he added, referring to the playoffs. “We have momentum now.”

The Tigers’ first score came on their second possession. Massillon took over at the Bulldog 35 following a 17‑yard McKinley punt.

Seven plays later, Scott lofted the ball over the middle and over an unaware Sid Lewis to Guzzetta who made a diving catch in the end zone. Fry’s kick made it 7‑0 with 1:45 left in the first quarter.

The Tigers took over at 6:55 of the second quarter at their own 42 following a Bulldog punt.

On third‑and‑six from the 46, Scott threw long for Evans. A Bulldog defender leaped in an attempt to make an interception, but he missed the ball and Evans caught it at the 18 yard line. He scampered the rest of the way for the score with 5:17 left in the half.

Reese’s interception then set up Beitel’s one‑yard touchdown run just. before the half, and Schlegel’s interception set up the field goal by Fry in the fourth quarter which capped the scoring.

Now it’s on to the Rubber Bowl and, hopefully, a state championship. BEAT PADUA!

FINAL STATISTICS
MASS OPNT
First downs:
Rushing 7 1
Passing 5 2
Penalty 0 0
Total 12 3
Yds gain rush 155 53
Yds lost rush 28 82
Net yds rush 127 29
Net yds pass 143 58
Total yds gain 270 29
Pass attempted 15 10
Pass completed 7 3
Pass int by 3 2
Pass int yds 63 2
Kickoffs 5 1
Kickoff ave 48.8 48.0
Kickoff ret yds 20 96
Punts 3 6
Punt ave 38.7 35.2
Punt ret yds 21 22
Punts blocked 1 0
Fumbles 1 1
Fumbles lost 1 0
Penalties 3 3
Yds penalized 3.5 20
TDs rushing 1 0
TDs passing 2 0
TDs by int 0 0
Other TDs 0 0
No. of plays 56 38
Time of poss 26: 27 21:33
Attendance 21,000

MASSILLON 7 14 0 3 24
McKINLEY 0 0 0 0 0

Mass ‑ Marty Guzzetta 9 pass from Bill Scott (Jeff Fry kick)
Mass ‑ Greg Evans 54 pass, from Scott (Fry kick)
Mass ‑ Bill Beitel 1 run (Fry kick)
Mass ‑ Fry 26 FG

Tiger, Bulldog lineups
MASSILLON
Offense
Quarterback: 10 ‑ Bill Scott (Sr., 6‑1, 170); 15 Dave DeLong (Sr., 5‑10, 169);
Fullback: 49 ‑ Sam McDew (Sr., 5‑7, 167);
Halfbacks: 31 ‑ Bill Burkett (Sr., 5‑11, 162), 22 ‑ Bill Beitel (Sr., 5‑7, 162):
Ends: 25 ‑ Marty Guzzetta (Sr., 5‑11, 165), 87 ‑ Greg Evans (Sr., 5‑10, 168);
Tackles: 76 Mark Kircher (Sr 6‑2 218), 74 ‑ Gerald Wesley (Sr., 6‑0, 233);
Guards: 66 ‑ Wally Neff (Sr., 5‑9, 175), 65 ‑ Larry Massie (Sr., 5‑7, 206);
Center: 51 Andy Weber (Sr., 6‑0, 190), 53 ‑ Doug Eberhart (Jr., 5‑10, 191)
Defense
Ends: 86 ‑ Mike Hodgson (Sr., 6‑6, 208), 80 ‑ Tom Mummertz (6‑5, 190);
Tackles: 77 ‑ Dave Geschwind (Sr., 6‑0, 200), 44 ‑ Bryant Lemon (Sr., 5‑11, 215);
Middle Guard: 55 ‑ Bob Simpson (Sr., 6‑0, 205), 99 ‑ Ed Newman (Jr., 6‑0, 192):
Linebackers; 59 ‑ Tim Reese (Sr., 5‑9, 175), 58 Kevin McClelland (Sr., 6‑3, 195), 30 ‑ John Mayles (Jr., 5‑9, 181);
Monster Back: 23 ‑ Jim Blogna (Sr., 5‑10, 176); Safety: 21 ‑ Jamie Schlegel (Sr., 6‑0, 170);
Halfbacks: 24 ‑ Dan DiLoreto (Sr., 5‑9, 162), 27 ‑ Len Robinson (Sr., 5‑10,153).
Kickers: 20 ‑ Jeff Fry (Sr., 6‑0, 180), placements, kickoffs; 86 ‑ Hodgson, punter

BULLDOGS
Offense
Quarterback: 12 Dave Seaman (Sr., 175);
Fullback: 20 ‑ Dwayne Randle (Jr., 175), 32 John Lewis (Sr., 181);
Halfbacks: 40 ‑ Brantly Kelly (Sr., 175), 23 Brian Jenkins (Jr., 164), 35 ‑ Bert Lynch (Sr., 180), 42 ‑Michael Simms (Jr., 185), 24 ‑ Sidney Lewis (So., 175);
Ends: 87 ‑ Terry Draper (Jr., 155), 84 ‑ Ron Rankin (Sr., 189(, 88 ‑ John Grimsley (Sr., 200) ;
Tackles: 75 ‑ Tony Floyd (Sr., 220), 77 ‑ Eric Torrence (Sr., 185);
Guards: 62 ‑‑ Ed Grimsley (Jr., 1,75), 60 ‑‑ Sam. Elfaye (Jr., 175) ;
Center: 51 – Robert Nau (Jr., 180).
Defense Ends: 80 – Mitchell Kelly (Sr., 185), 81 ‑ Phil Giavasis (Sr., 185), 83 ‑Scott Dixon (Jr., 185);
Tackles: 75 ‑ Floyd, 79 Troy Sanders (Jr., 210);
Linebackers: 62 ‑ E. Grimsley, 31 ‑ David, Faur (Jr., 185);
Monster Back: 88 ‑ J. Grimsley;
Safety: to ‑ Robert Davies (Jr., 175);
Halfbacks: 24 ‑ S. Lewis, 43 ‑Bob Harsh (Jr., 1 65), 82 ‑ Craig Massey (Sr., 175).

Series: 84th meeting, Massillon holds 46‑32‑5 edge.
Last meeting: 1978, Massillon 13, McKinley 10.
Records: Massillon 9‑0, McKinley 7‑1‑1.
Points scored by: Massillon 278, McKinley 174.
Points scored against: Massillon 24, McKinley 67.

The Tigers did it all

The 82nd victory in the football coaching career of the Massillon Tigers’ Michael L. Currence had to be one of his sweetest, for it carried him and his 1979 Tigers to a record, an All‑American Conference title and a shot at the state championship.

Saturday’s foe was Canton McKinley, who went into the game with a good 7‑1‑1 record and were primed for another of the upsets that have marked 84‑year Tiger‑Bulldog rivalry. Coach John Brideweser of McKinley had lost all three of his previous ‑meetings with Currence’s Tigers.

But the Tigers, too, were ready. Currence had polled them on stage at a bonfire rally Friday night, asking each what he planned to do to the Bulldogs Saturday afternoon. And they did it all.

Now, for the second time since computers got into the act, the, Tigers have a crack at a state title. They will play Parma Padua (9‑1) in the Akron Rubber Bowl
Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and the winner will advance to the state finals the following Saturday at the Rubber Bowl.

I
Tiger quarterback Bill Scott, speaking of Padua and Cincinnati Moeller, the team he expects to face in the championship, said: “I think we can do it. We’ve got a whole town behind us.”

That the Tigers have. Let’s show them this week how much we are behind them. BEAT PADUA!

Massillon Does It Again!

…And so another Massillon-McKinley rival match is in the record books, and Massillon continues to dominate the action.

The Tigers’ 24‑0 whitewashing of the Bulldogs last weekend made it four straight over the Pups. Over the past three years, Massillon has outscored McKinley, 58‑10, including two shutouts in the last three years, both at Fawcett Stadium. Their latest triumph upped the overall series mark to a commanding 47‑32‑5 lead.

Is the rivalry becoming too one sided’?

“No way,” said Massillon Coach Mike Currence. “Massillon and Canton will always play this game. They’ve been playing it now for 84 years, and they’re going to continue playing it long after John and I (McKinley Coach John Brideweser) are gone.”

I don’t think anyone would question that. I can’t imagine November without a Massillon‑McKinley game, but there’s no question that the Tigers are becoming a more dominant force in this classic.

There are several theories as to why that’s the case. The first one is that the entire town is behind Massillon, whereas Canton doesn’t totally back McKinley.

A second theory is that the Tigers are just getting better material out of their feeder schools than the Bulldogs are, and the third theory states that many of Massillon’s players have played together longer than McKinley’s have because most of them attended the same grade schools and junior highs. Massillon is less diversified than Canton, and this might be a possible explanation contributing to Massillon’s dominance.

Personally, I support the ‘town theory.’ The fact that Massillon has its entire town behind the Tigers is a mighty big boost in a game of this magnitude.

Sure, the Tigers were gunning for the playoffs and trying to keep a perfect mark intact, but they also defeated McKinley the last three years when they weren’t headed for the playoffs.

McKinley will always have a great challenge lying ahead of them in this game, because let’s face it: Not everyone who lives in Canton is a ‘live or die’ McKinley Bulldog fan.’

1979: Massillon 31, Canton Timken 0

November 3, 1979August 7, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers beat Trojans, eye Bulldogs dogs next
Massillon wins ninth straight by 31 ‑0 score

By ROLLIE DREUSSI
Independent Sports Editor

“The new season starts this week . . . again,” ‘Massillon coach Mike Currence said after his Tigers subdued the feisty Timken Trojans 31‑0 Friday night in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

“This is the only place I ever coached where you have two seasons. I think the kids will be ready. They’ve been waiting a long time,” he added.

The Tigers had just won their ninth straight game of the season, but Currence was already looking ahead to the big one ‑ next Saturday’s clash with the Canton McKinley Bulldogs (7‑1‑1) in Fawcett. Stadium.

At stake for the Tigers is their first perfect regular season since 1972 and a possible spot in the Class AAA computer playoffs.

“The Pups are back,” Currence cautioned, noting they defeated a rugged Youngstown Chaney team (which had defeated Warren Harding 12‑7 earlier this season) 25‑0 Friday night in Canton.

“It will be a typical showdown. It’s going to be a Massillon‑McKinley game like you never saw before. They are never the same.”

As for his team’s performance against the Trojans, Currence admitted his team was flat.

“We didn’t have any emotion whatsoever tonight,” he said. “We got two (touchdowns) and started looking for the quick one, but the quick didn’t come. We got away from our game plan. We should have been satisfied with driving the ball. We should have stayed with that.

“They played well,” he said of the Trojans. “They hit us.”

Timken ‑ coach Charles “Sonny” Spielman wasn’t too happy about the outcome of the game, but he was proud of his players.

“I thought our defense did a hell of a job. It’s just that we lacked the total consistency of driving the football down to get the score.”

The Tigers scored on their first two possessions ‑ on touchdowns runs of 10 yards by Mike Jones and 1 yard by Bill Beitel ‑ to take a 13‑0 first‑quarter lead.

Timken’s defense then stiffened, but their offense suffered two crucial breakdowns in the second quarter.

On successive possessions, the Trojans had the snap from center go past their punter and out of the end zone for two safeties. Those mistakes gave the Tigers a 17‑0 halftime lead, and helped demoralize the Trojan offense.

“I felt that if we wouldn’t have had the bad snaps (the Trojans also had a bad snap in the fourth quarter on another punting attempt that led to the Tigers’ final touchdown), the score wouldn’t have been 31‑0.” Spielman said.

“But you can’t make big mistakes against a great football team like Massillon.”

Spielman said he thought his team moved the ball fairly well in the second half. The Trojans had a net total of minus five yards offense in the first half, and had a net total of 50 yards in the second half. They lost 59 yards on the three bad snaps, however, and lost a total of 77 yards during the game. They gained 113 yards rushing and only 9 passing.

“Our kids wanted the challenge of coming here and playing the number two team in the state (Associated Press poll). We hit them,” Spielman concluded.

He also noted the Tigers may have been a little flat for the game.

“This is probably a good time to play Massillon,” he explained. “Their big game is next week. Let’s be honest, they may have been a little flat.

“I look for a hell of a ball game next week. I’ll be there.”

The Tigers added second half touchdowns on a 5‑yard run by Beitel in the second quarter and a 5‑yard pass from Dave Eberhart to Dave Huth in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers’ third‑quarter score was set up by a pair of pass completions from Dave DeLong to Marty Guzzetta.

They were Guzzetta’s 5th and 6th receptions of the game, and they helped him break Curtis Strawder’s single season Massillon and All‑American Conference pass receiving marks.

He now has 43 receptions 0 the season for an unofficial 628 yards, another Massillon and AAC single‑season record.

DeLong had a good night himself, completing 9 of 14 for 114 yards.

Beitel also had a good game, scoring two TDs and gaining 72 yards on nine carries. His 54‑yard run to the one yard line preceded his first touchdown on the next play.

The Tigers’ scored their first TD off their opening possession when Jones went spinning and banging his way through the middle of the Trojan defense for 10 yards and the score. Jeff Fry’s kick made it 7‑0 with 6:18 to go in the first quarter.

The Tigers got the ball back at their own 45 following a Trojan punt, and Beitel swept left end for 54 yards, being dragged down from behind by Timken’s George Smith at the one yard line. He carried it in on the next play. Fry’s kick was good, but an offside penalty against Timken forced him to kick over, and this time he was wide right.

The Tigers then got two second‑quarter safeties on the bad Trojan snaps (on the first‑one the ball was on the 20 and on the second it was on the 15).

Safety Jamie Schlegel intercepted a Randy Troutman pass early in the third quarter and returned it from his own 16 out to the 24.

The Tigers, then drove 76 yards in 15 plays, with Beitel going the final five with 2:58 left in the third quarter, and Fry’s kick making it. 24‑0.

Guzzetta caught three passes in the drive. The first went for 13 yards and a first down at the Trojan 30. The second came on a fouth‑and‑11 play, and was good for 14 yards and a first down at the Timken 17 (that reception tied Strawder’s 1978 record of 42).

The third reception came on the next play, and was good for 12 yards and another first down at the five yard line. Ouzzetta received a standing ovation from the crowd of 9,641 when it was announced he broke the record.

The Tigers’ last score was set up by another muffed snap on a Trojan fourthdown punt attempt.

The Tigers drove 19 yards in six plays with Eberhart hitting Huth with 7:39 left in the game. Eberhart added the point after.

So now the Tigers’ second season ‑ or Beat McKinley Week ‑ is underway.

Despite a few injuries against the Trojans, Currence said he expects all of his players to be healthy.

McKinley coach John Brideweser and his Bulldogs will be out to break the Tigers’ three‑game winning streak in the ancient series. Currence is hoping to taste victory over the Pups for the fourth straight year.

The game will start at 2 p.m. Saturday in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium.

FINAL STATISTICS
MASS OPNT
First downs:
Rushing 4 5
Passing 9 0
Penalty 3 3
Total 16 8
Yds gain rush 152 113
Yds lost rush 22 77
Net yds rush 130 36
Net yds pass 142 9
Total yds gain 272 45
Pass attempted 19 13
Passes completed 12 1
Pass int by 1 1
Pass int yds 13 13
Kickoffs 5 3
Kickoff ave 47.4 41.6
Kickoff ret yds 22 60
Punts 3 2
Punt ave 36.7 33.6
Punt ret yds 2 0
Punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 0 1
Fumbles lost 0 0
Penalties 10 6
Yds penalized 90 73
TDs rushing 3 0
TDs passing 1 0
TDs by int 0 0
Other TDs 0 0
No. of plays 55 42
Time of poss 27:13 20:49

TIMKEN 0 0 0 0 0
MASSILLON 13 4 7 7 31

Mass ‑ Mike Jones 10 run (Jeff Fry kick)
Mass ‑ Bill Beitel 1 run (kick fail)
Mass ‑ Safety (ball snapped through end zone)
Mass ‑ Safety (ball snapped through end zone)
Mass ‑ Beitel 5 run (Fry kick)
Mass ‑ Dave Huth 5 pass from Dave Eberhart (Eberhart kick)

1979: Massillon 16, Warren Harding 6

October 26, 1979August 7, 2017
by Eric Smith

Massillon wins 16‑ 6 to raise record to 8‑0
Defense rallies Tigers over Panthers

By ROLLIE DREUSSI
Independent Sports Editor

“Defense!”

The crowd chanted it as the Warren Harding Panthers tried to move the ball at the start of the third quarter.

“Defense!”
was how Tiger coach Mike’ Currence summed up his team’s eighth straight win of the season and first victory over Warren since 1976.

“Defense!”
And plenty of it helped the Massillon Tigers pull out a 16‑6 win over Warren and take another big step toward their quest of qualifying for the state computer playoffs.

The Tigers and Panthers were deadlocked 6‑6 at halftime, but the 13,285 fans in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium Friday night knew what they wanted.

They stood and cheered as the team took the field to start the second half. The Tigers kicked off and Warren took over at its own 28.

The crowd started its chant:

“Defense! Defense!”

Three plays later they were on their feet again as Jim Blogna intercepted a Panther pass at the Warren 43 and returned it to the one yard line.

Dave DeLong took it in on a quarterback sneak, and the way the Tiger defense was playing, that was just about the ball game right there.

“Jim Blogna,” Currence said, relishing his monster Lack’s name. “That was a big play, wasn’t it?”

That wasn’t the only big play, as the defense held Warren to 89 yards total offense the second half and pinned the Panthers with a total of 40 yards in losses during the game.

Currence said the enthusiasm of the crowd at the start of the second half was a real boost to his team.

“The crowd really helped us,” he said. “It took some of the vinegar out of them.

“We were uptight for this game. Tighter than we’ve been for any game this year. This win meant a lot to these kids, and to the coaching staff, too.”

Also giving the Tigers an emotional boost the second half was the return of defensive tackles Dave Geschwind and Bryant Lemon. Both players have missed games because of knee injuries and saw only limited action in the first half.

Lemon, in fact, wasn’t expected to play at all.

“You’ve got to give credit where credit is due,” Currence said. “Jim Blogna, Jeff Fry (who booted a 25‑yard field goal in the fourth quarter to boost the Tigers lead from 13‑6 to 16‑6) and Bob Simpson. Simpson was sick all week and didn’t even practice.

“And how about Lemon and Geschwind coming in there and playing so well?”

Bob James, the junior fullback who was switched to defensive tackle for this game because of all the injuries at that position, also did well. He recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter that set up Fry’s field goal.

The Tiger offense had an off night, but Currence put that into perspective.

“They did a good job on us. Warren is an aggressive football team. Nobody’s scored more than two touchdowns against them all year. Give them 13 points a game and they would have been undefeated (they are now 4‑4).”

Harding coach Tom Ross was distraught over his team’s loss.

“We were just a step away from breaking a run here and a run there,” he said. “All we needed to happen was for a couple of those big plays to break.

“I thought the kids hung tough with it. I think Massillon’s defensive front was every bit as tough as we thought it was coming in. But we knew what we had to do, we just didn’t get it done.

“We gave them the big turnovers. One resulted in a touchdown and the other in a field goal and that was the game. I wish them the best of luck.”

Both teams played the game without several key starters. The Tigers had injured fullback Sam McDew on the bench the whole game. Quarterback Bill Scott hurt his calf in the second quarter and didn’t return. And for most of the first half, Lemon and Geschwind saw little action.

Warren played without three defensive players, two of whom also start on offense.

It was a hard‑hitting football game from the opening whistle, and the outcome was in doubt until Fry’s insurance field goal early in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers took the opening kickoff and managed to drive to the Panther 43 yard line before the drive stalled. Mike Hodgson punted the ball into the end zone and Warren took over on its own 20.

They were forced to punt from their own 24 and Dave Preston kicked the ball off the side of his foot for only 15 yards.

The Tigers took over at the Panther 39 and in nine plays drove to the three yard line.

On third and goal from the three, Scott rolled right and passed to Bill Beitel in the right corner of the end zone for a 6‑0 lead with 1:11 to go in the first period. Fry’s extra point kick hit the left upright and bounced back.

Warren took over following the kickoff and drove out to its own 41 early in the second quarter. On third and nine, Panther quarterback Two Freeman hit Pat Shannon with a short pass and the speedy wingback broke several tackles and scooted 27 yards before he was hit and fumbled the ball. Dan DiLoreto recovered for the Tigers at his own 32.

However, Scott lost the ball on a bad exchange from center on the Tigers’ first play and Hassan Hameed recovered for Warren at the 31.

Seven plays later, on fourth and sixth at the Tiger 12 yard line, Freeman rolled right and lofted a pass to Shannon in the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown. Preston’s kick was wide right and the game was tied 6‑6 with 8: 11 to go in the half.

The Tigers took the kickoff and drove to the Warren 24, but Scott was sacked for a 10‑yard loss by Doug Carter.

On third and 20 from the 34, Scott threw a pass down the left sideline to a wideopen Bill Burkett but the ball was just off his fingertips.

Hogdson punted the ball intentionally short, trying to pin the Panthers deep in a hole, but Mike Golden picked up the rolling kick at the six yard line and almost broke it all the way. He was finally hauled down at midfield.

The Panthers tried a halfback pass on third down, but Len Robinson broke up the play near the goal line.

The half ended shortly thereafter.

When the Tigers came back out to open the third quarter, the crowd gave them a standing ovation.

Blogna made his interception when Fremman, looking to pass on a third and three play from the 35, was rushed hard and forced his pass.

Blogna raced for the goal line with the ball and was knocked out of bounds at the one. DeLong then scored the go‑ahead touchdown and Fry’s kick made it 13‑7 with 9:49 to go in the third quarter.

The defense got another standing ovation from the crowd when it stopped the Panthers on their next possession and forced them to punt.

Following a Massillon punt Warren took over on its own 22 yard line.

Jeff Rowe gained six yards on first down, but Simpson and Geschwind nailed Walt Campbell for an eight‑yard loss when he took a deep pitch on the next play.

A screen pass to Shannon netted 12 yards, but the Panthers were forced to punt again.

The Tigers managed a pair of first downs on DeLong passes of 11 yards to Greg Evans (he was shaken up on the play) and 16 to Marty Guzzetta.

The latter pass moved the ball to the Warren 30, but Mike Jones fumbled on the ensuing play and Warren recovered at its own 22.

Geschwind, Lemon and Simpson sacked Freeman for a five‑yard loss on first down, and the right side of the Tiger line nailed Campbell for no gain on second down.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Tom Mummertz and Simoson nailed Freeman at the 12 yard line and he coughed up the football, with James recovering at the Panther 14.

The Tigers advanced to the eight yard line when Fry was summoned on fourth down to attempt the field goal. His 25‑yard try from the left hash mark was good and gave the Tigers a 10‑point cushion.

Warren’s Aaron Pugh then returned Fry’s kickoff from his own nine yard line to the Tiger 35, but offsetting penalties (holding on Warren and face mask on Massillon) allowed the Tigers to kick over.

John Mayles Jeff Grove and Steve Tomasevich nailed Larren Morgan at his own 27 yard line this time.

The Panthers then went to the shotgun formation and Freeman completed his first pass for seven yards to Lamont Grant.

Freeman ran for a first down on the next play, but on first down from the Panther 40, Simpson used his great speed to chase Freeman down and sack him for an 11‑yard loss.

Mummertz pressured Freeman into an incompletion on the next play, and Hodgson batted down his next passing attempt behind the line of scrimmage.

Warren punted and the Tiger defense got another standing ovation as it left the field.

The Tigers couldn’t move the ball, but Hodgson boomed a 55‑yard punt to the Warren eight yard line.

The Panthers took over from there with 6:20 to go on the clock and drove to the Massillon six yard line with just under two minutes left.

On first down from there, Simpson and Geschwind nailed Morgan for a two yard loss, and on the following play, Lemon and Geschwind sacked Freeman for an eight‑yard loss.

Freeman then threw long for Shannon at the goal line, but Len Robinson knocked the ball away and almost intercepted the pass.

On fourth down from the 16, Freeman threw for Shannon again in the right corner of’ the end zone and the ball was tipped in the air. Before anyone could catch it, Robinson came crashing through, knocking the Panther receiver out of the way.

The Tigers then ran out the final minute on the clock.

The Tigers now have only games against Timken (at home) and McKinley (away) remaining, and a pair of wins should qualify them for the state computer playoffs for the first time since 1972.

Currence has said he will try to rest some of his injured players against Timken. They will have to be ready for the McKinley game, because the Bulldogs have been shooting for this game since last season’s 13‑10 loss in Tiger Stadium.

But right now, Currence and his Tigers will take a few days to savor their win over the Panthers.

FINAL STATISTICS
MASS OPP
First downs:
Rushing 4 8
Passing 6 4
Penalty 0 0
Total 10 12
Yds gain rush 95 137
Yds lost rush 15 40
Net yds rush 80 97
Net yds pass 90 91
Total yds gain 170 188
Pass attempted 18 20
Pass completed 10 8
Pass int by 1 0
Pass int yds 35 0
Kickoffs 4 2
Kickoff ave 55.0 31.5
Kickoff ret yds 21 58
Punts 5 5
Punt ave 35.0 26.6
Punt ret yds 1 45
Punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 3 3
Fumbles lost 2 2
Penalties 2 3
Yds penalized 10 11
TDs rushing 1 0
TDs passing 1 1
TDs by int 0 0
Other TDs 0 0
No. of plays 50 53
Time of poss 23:12 24:48
Attendance 11,385

WARREN 0 6 0 0 6
MASS I LLON 6 0 7 3 16

Mass ‑ Bill Beitel 3 pass from Bill Scott (kick fail)
WH ‑ Pat Shannon 12 pass from Tom Freeman (kick fail)
Mass ‑ Dave DeLong 1 run (Jeff Fry kick)
Mass ‑ Fry 25 FG

1979: Massillon 42, Massillon Jackson 0

October 19, 1979August 7, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers’ big TD plays jar Polar Bears
As Massillon rolls 42‑0 for seventh win

By ROLLIE DREUSSI
Independent Sports Editor
For almost two quarters Friday night the Jackson Polar Bears were in the ball game.

Two plays, one minute and 13 seconds and one halftime show later the Massillon Tigers were off and running to their seventh straight victory and fourth shutout of the season as they beat the Bears 42‑0 for the second year in a row.

The Polar Bears (4‑3) came to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium ready to play and they were doing just that. They trailed only 7‑0 with 1:00 left before halftime and the Tigers trying to move the ball from back at their own 44-yard line.

That’s when quarterback Bill Scott faked to Mike Jones into the line and lofted a perfect pass down the sideline to Bill Beitel. Who made an over the shoulder catch and never broke stride as he outran the Jackson defenders to the goal line.

Jeff’ Fry’s kick made it 14‑0 Massillon and the 13,791 fans attending the game settled back to watch a couple of fine halftime shows.

The Polar Bears, still a little dazed, come back out and kicked off and it took Bill Burkett ‑ who had scored the first Tiger touchdown in the first quarter ‑ 88 yards and 13 seconds to weave his way through the Bear coverage for the touchdown that broke Jackson’s back.

“I think the opening kickoff of the second half obviously did the trick for us,” Tiger coach Mike Currence said afterwards.

“They played a good first half. That catch Beitel made ‑ and the throw Scott made ‑ was the best execution of any play we’ve had this year. Scott picked out the secondary receiver on that one.

“That play and the kickoff did it. When you’re making the big plays like that it’s going to hurt them.”

Jackson coach Tom Geschwind couldn’t disagree.

“There were two plays that particularly hurt us,” he said in the quiet and dejected atmosphere of the Polar Bear lockerroom.

“The first one was the long touchdown just before the half, and the second was the long kickoff return. Those were the turning points. I thought we played them well the first half.

“The first quarter we moved the ball right down the field, then the interception hurt us. A score on the opening drive would have meant a lot to us.

“The momentum turned after the second‑half kickoff. Our inability’ to control their running game in the second half was the single biggest factor for us after that.”

The Polar Bears will try to regroup their forces next week against Cambridge as they prepare for the remainder of their Federal League season. They are tied for second place (3‑1) in the league and have games remaining with GlenOak and first‑place North Canton Hoover.

“It’s still very important for us to come back because we’re still in the Federal League race. Last year we did it. We came back and beat Hoover (the final game of the season).”

Currence had said earlier in the week he was hoping his team would not have a letdown. It didn’t happen and he claimed there were several reasons why.

“The crowd helped a lot,” he said. “And Paul Brown being in the stands definitely made a, difference. The kids wanted to play good for Paul.

“I was going to say something about him being here before the game, but I didn’t have to. The kids did. This crew’s been a good group this year.”

Brown who was in town to promote and autograph his book “PB: the Paul Brown Story,” must have been pleased as he watched the team he made nationally famous strike with lightning quickness to seize the momentum and roll to an easy victory.

However, the game started out looking like anything but a rout.

Jackson took the opening kickoff and started a drive that lasted better than eight minutes. Fry’s kick had gone into the end zone and the Bears started from their own 20.

There were several key plays. On third‑and‑eight at his own 45, quarterback Mike Rankin did a nice job of scrambling away from the Tiger rush and scooted 14 yards for a Jackson first down.

The Bears drove to the Tiger 29 where they faced a fourth‑and‑11 situation. Rankin hit John Roman with a pass that netted the first down by inches.

But two plays later, a Rankin pass was intercepted at the three yard line by Tiger linebacker Tim Reese and he returned the ball to the 18.

The Tigers then drove 82 yards in 11 plays with Burkett banging over from the one and Fry adding the conversion kick to give the Tigers a 7‑0 lead with 2:48 left in the quarter.

The Tigers picked up four first downs in the drive, with Burkett getting one on an 11-yard pass from quarterback Bill Scott and another on a 12‑yard run, Sam McDew running 19 yards for one (he injured his knee on the play and didn’t return to action) and Scott hitting Greg Evans for 15 yards for one that took the ball to the one yard line.

The Tigers put together a 13‑play drive that carried to the Polar Bear 14 yard line, but that one fizzled when Jim Kirven came up with his first of two interceptions, (he now has five on the year). A personal foul penalty against Massillon on the play gave the Bears the ball at their own 26.

They had to punt, however, and the Tigers took possession with just over a minute to go in the half.

On first down from the Tiger 35, Scott handed the ball to Burkett ‑‑ who handed it to Beitel ‑ who handed it back to Scott ‑‑ who eluded a Jackson defender and hit Marty Guzzetta with a 9-yard pass to the 44.

Then came the big play, with Scott and Beitel hooking up for a picture‑perfect 56‑yard TD pass play and a 14‑6 halftime lead.

Burkett then returned the opening kickoff of the second half 88 yards for a touchdown and Massillon had a 21‑0 lead over its shell-shocked opponents.

Later in the quarter, the Tigers drove 52 yards in nine plays as Beitel scored his second touchdown ‑ this one on a 3‑yard run. He also had a 20‑yard run for a first down in the drive. Fry’s kick made it 28‑0 with 2:45 to go in the‑third quarter.

Jeff Mayles intercepted a Rankin pass at the Jackson 28 and returned it to the 15, and a personal foul penalty on the Bears gave Massillon ‑ a first down at the seven yard line early in the final period.

Three plays later Bob James scored on a dive play from a yard out and Fry’s kick made it 35‑0.

Jackson then drove to the Massillon 17, but gave up the ball on downs when Bill Francis was stopped just short of a first down on a fourth‑and‑two play.

The Tigers then drove 85 yards in 10 plays with Don Fulton going the final four over right tackle and Dave Eberhart capping the scoring with an extra point kick with 1:07 on the clock.

Scott started at quarterback for the Tigers and completed 9 of 13 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown.

Guzzetta caught five of those passes for 58 yards and Beitel had two receptions for 63 yards.

Beitel also gained 47 yards in eight rushes. Burkett topped all ball carriers with 71 yards in eight carries and Mike Jones‑ who filled in at fullback for MeDew ‑ gained 49 yards in 12 carries.

For Jackson, Francis totaled 54 yards in 16 carries.

Both teams came out of the game with a couple of injured players. Jackson guard Todd Hufstetler and tackle Hank Evans both suffered ankle injuries. For the Tigers, McDew and defensive tackle Bryant Lemon both suffered knee sprains.

The Tigers will host All American Conference foe Warren Harding ‑ a team they have not beaten since 1976 ‑ Friday night in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Jackson will host Cambridge the same night.

FINAL STATISTICS
MASS OPNT
First downs:
Rushing 12 4
Passing 7 3
Penalty 1 2
Total 20 9
Yds gain rush 243 112
Yds lost rush 28 28
Net yds rush 215 84
Net yds pass 199 35
Total yds gain 414 119
Pass attempted 17 13
Pass completed 11 3
Pass int by 2 2
Pass int yds 28 8
Kickoff 7 1
Kickoff ave 49.3 48.0
Kickoff ret yds 88 112
Punts 2 6
Punt ave 41.0 36.5
Punt ret yds 6 9
Punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 0 2
Fumbles lost 0 0
Penalties 6 4
Yds penalized 77 19
TDs rushing 4 0
TDs passing 1 0
TDs by int 0 0
Other TDs 1 0
No. of plays 59 52
Time of poss 25: 24 22, 36
Attendance 13,791

JACKSON 0 0 0 0 0
MASSILLON 7 7 14 14 42

Mass – Bill Burkett I run (Jeff Fry kick)
Mass – Bill Beitel 56 pass from Bill Scott (Fry kick)
Mass – Burkett 88 kickoff return (Fry kick)
Mass – Beitel 3 run (Fry kick)
Mass – Bob James 1 run (Fry kick)
Mass – Don Fulton 4 run (Dave Eberhart kick)

1979: Massillon 21, Barberton 6

October 12, 1979August 7, 2017
by Eric Smith

Massillon defense smothers Barberton
Holds Magics to 64 yards in 21 ‑ 6 win

By ROLLIE DREUSSI
Independent Sports Editor

Massillon Tiger coach Mike Currence didn’t have too much. too say after his team’s game in the cold, wet and windy Akron Rubber Bowl Saturday night.

He didn’t have to.

The Tigers passed their toughest test of the season by beating the Barberton Magics 21‑6. That gives the Tigers a perfect 6‑0 record while Barberton falls to 5‑2.

The Tiger defense was outstanding, holding the Magics to a total 64 yards for the game and registering nine quarterback sacks.

The offense had a few problems, but Dave DeLong and Bill Scott managed to come up with enough of a passing game ‑ despite the miserable conditions ‑ to assure the Tiger victory.

“I’m just pleased with everyone,” Currence said afterwards. “I’m pleased that we can come up to the Rubber Bowl and play a great team like Barberton and come out a victor.

“It’s just too bad we can’t pat ourselves on the back and take a week off. We have to come back Monday ‑ and lose a day of rest and start preparing for Jackson (which comes to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium Friday night).

“I think I get about a five second high out of it,” he added of the Tiger victory which avenged a 9‑7 loss to the Magics two years ago.

“There’s a lot of determination on this ball club,” Currence said. “And it showed. Our kids played like they wanted it.”

That was almost an understatement. Except for a shakey start ‑ the Tigers fumbled four times in the first half but lost only one – the Tigers controlled the tempo of the game.

The Tiger defense held the Magics to 24 yards in the first half as Massillon took a 7‑0 lead. The Magics tried to use the shotgun in an effort to get their passing game going, but the Tigers consistently put a hard rush on quarterback Brian
Breitenstine.

“They threw a lot of people at us,” Magic coach Rudy Sharkey acknowledged after the game. “And we didn’t handle it well. We played well except on the offensive line.”

Sharkey was also upset at the officials ruling on a controversial pass play that set up the Tigers’ first score.

On a second‑and‑10 from the Barberton 46, DeLong threw a long pass to wide receiver Marty Guzzetta.

Guzzetta turned back and caught the ball ‑ despite being bumped by Magic defensive back John Verhotz – and he Verhotz tumbled to the turf. Verhotz came up with ball and Barberton fans thought they had an interception.

There was a pass interference penalty against Verhotz on the play, but the officials ruled simultaneous catch and the Tigers declined the penalty and took the ball at the Barberton five yard line.

On fourth‑and‑goal from there, DeLong ran a keeper around left end, hurtling over a Magic defender into the end zone for a 6‑0 Tiger lead. Jeff Fry’s kick made it 7‑0.

All this came in the second quarter, after the Tigers had fumbled away their initial possession of the game, and almost fumbled away the lead on their next possession.

The Tigers had taken the opening kickoff and marched to the Magic 35, where they faced a fourth‑and‑five situation. DeLong ran a keeper, but fumbled the ball over (Jeff Wade recovered) to the Magics at the 33.

Barberton drove to the ‘Tiger 41, but a 19‑yard punt gave the Tigers possession on their own 22.

They started another drive which reached the Barberton 42 when DeLong hit Mike Reese for 13 yards and a first down. On the next play, Mike Jones carried into the line and had the ball knocked from his arms into the air. Several Barberton players rushed for it, and knocked it even farther back while trying to pick it up.

Tiger tackle Gerald Wesley then fell on it, but it squirted away on the slippery artificial turf all the way back to the Tiger 35 where DeLong alertly recovered it (for a 23‑yard loss).

The Tigers had one more scoring threat in the second quarter, but it ended when Fry missed on a 43‑yard field goal attempt.

The third quarter started out with Len Robinson intercepting a Breitenstine pass on the third play from scrimmage. DeLong was then intercepted on a long pass to Guzzetta, with Verhotz picking the ball off at his own 18.

The two teams then punted the ball back and forth for the remainder of the third quarter. The Tigers started a drive near the end of the third period that carried to the Magic 27 as the quarter ended.

Scott ‑ who has been hobbled by a knee sprain – entered the game for the first time to start the fourth quarter. The Tigers faced a fourth‑and‑two situation, and Scott hit Guzzetta on a curl pattern for a first down at the Magic 20, Two plays later, however, Verhotz tipped Scott’s pass and Wade picked it off at the 19.

Breitenstine went to the air on the first play, and Tim Reese intercepted the ball at the Magic 31 and returned it to the 21.

Following three incompletions (one by DeLong), Scott hit Guzzetta on a fourth‑and‑10 play for 13 yards and a first down at the Magic 18.

On second‑and‑12 from the 20, Scott hit Bill Beitel for eight yards and then found Greg Evans open down the middle for the touchdown with 7:50 to go in the game. Fry’s kick failed and Massillon led 13‑0.

The Magics’ score was set up when Mike Hodgson took a low snap while attempting to punt and was forced to run with the ball, He almost got away, but was tackled for a two‑yard loss at his own 24.

Seven plays later ‑ on fourth‑and‑18 from the 20 – Breitenstine scrambled out of the pocket and hit Dave Carrell with a pass for the touchdown. Bryant Lemon sacked Breitenstine as he looked to pass for the extra points.

The Magics then tried an onside kick, but Guzzetta recovered the ball at his own 45 while sliding out of bounds with 1:25 left in the game.

Three plays later, Bill Burkett burst 56 yards through the Barberton line and crossed the goal line with :03 showing on the clock. DeLong hit Beitel with a conversion pass to cap the scoring.

DeLong finished the game with five completions in 14 attempts for 100 yards. Scott was 4 of 7 for 40 yards and one touchdown. Burkett topped the Tigers with 58 yards rushing in eight carries, while Sam McDew added 41 in 14 carries and Beitel had 36 in five carries. DeLong picked up 29 yards in eight carries.

Defensively, Bob Simpson led the Tigers with five quarterback sacks and one tackle for minus yardage. The Tiger middle guard also had nine solo tackles and five assists.

The Tiger defense held the Magics to a net total of 10 yards rushing.

The Tigers will play Jackson Friday at 8 p.m. in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The Magics will host Toledo Scott.

The win should put the Tigers at or very near the top of the Class AAA Region 3 computer rankings,

FINAL STATISTICS
MASS OPNT
First downs:
rushing 5 3
passing 8 2
penalty 0 1
total 13 7
Yds gain rush 187 57
Yds lost rush 42 47
Net yds rush 145 10
Net yds pass 140 54
Total yds gain 285 64
Pass attempted 22 16
Pass completed 9 6
Pass int by 2 2
Pass int yds 0 3
Kickoffs 4 2
Kick off ave 48.5 27.0
Kickoff ret yds 13 46
Punts 3 7
Punt ave 31.7 30.0
Punt ret yds 23 0
Punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 5 0
Fumbles lost 1 0
Penalties 6 4
Yds penalized 79 21
TDs rushing 2 0
TDs passing 1 1
TDs by int 0 0
Other TDs 0 0
No, of plays 59 50
Time of poss 24:48 23: 12
Attendance 10,000

MASSILLON 0 7 0 14 21
BARBERTON 0 0 0 6 6

Mass ‑ Dave DeLong 5 run (Jeff Fry kick)
Mass ‑ Greg Evans 12 pass from Bill Scott (kick fail)
Barb ‑ Dave Carrell 20 pass from Brian Breitenstine (run fail)
Mass ‑ Bill Burkett 50 run (Bill Beitel pass from DeLong)

Massillon’s passing game
is too much for Barberton
Preps Milan Zban

It wasn’t Sunday and it wasn’t the National Football League, but Massillon and Barberton weren’t a bit bashful about putting the ball in the air.

In the 34th meeting between the two teams Saturday night at the Rubber Bowl, Massillon employed a two‑quarterback system and attempted 22 passes, completing nine for 145 yards.

The result was a 21‑6 win over the Magics before a chilled and wet crowd of about 10,000, most of whom left before the finish and failed to witness the game’s longest score, a 50‑yard sprint from scrimmage by Massillon’s Bill Burkett with just seven seconds to go.

The win kept the Tigers unbeaten through six games while Barberton slipped to 5‑2.

Barberton tried to match Massillon’s passing game, but the Magics’ offensive line couldn’t contain the Massillon defenders. Middle guard Bob Simpson sacked Magics quarterback Brian Breitenstine five of the eight times he was dropped.

MASSILLON coach Mike Currence used both Dave DeLong and Bill Scott, DeLong setting up the game’s first score with a 41‑yard pass and Scott throwing to tight end Craig Evans for a 12‑yard touchdown in the fourth period.

Barberton, whose deepest penetration had been to Massillon’s 42‑yard line in the first half, finally got on the board after trailing 13‑0 when Breitenstine, a sophomore, connected with tight end Dave Carrell for a 20‑yard scoring shot with 1:25 left in the contest.

Both coaches agreed it was Massillon’s pass rush that made the difference.

“Simpson had a tremendous game, but he plays like that all the time,” said Currence of his 6‑0, 205‑pound defensive lineman. “I think he’s the best in the state and when they had to double- and triple‑team him, that allowed our other linemen to seep through.

“This was a big, big game for us,” Currence added. “This should help us the rest of the way and put us in pretty good shape in the computer standings.”

Massillon, ranked atop the Beacon Journal’s Class AAA poll, is second in the Associated Press statewide survey and fifth in the computer ratings in Region 3.

Barberton, ranked fourth by the Beacon Journal and 17th by the AP, stood 13th in the computer ratings.

A DISILLUSIONED Barberton coach Rudy Sharkey allowed that Massillon’s ferocious pass rush sawed off his shotgun offense. “Massillon controlled the line of scrimmage and we couldn’t pass. When we can’t pass, we don’t go anywhere,” he said.

“The first touchdown was a gift by the officials,” said Sharkey, alluding to split end Marty Guzzetta’s controversial catch over Barberton defender John Verhotz, who had apparently intercepted the 41‑yard pass which set up the Tigers’ initial touchdown in the second quarter. “The rest (of the touchdowns) they earned.”

“That first score changed the complexion of the game. But from where we started the season (a loss to Buchtel), we’ve come a long way, so I guess I’ve no complaint.”

DeLong, who was five for 14 for 100 yards with one interception, set up the game’s first score with the heave to Guzzetta and later hit the end zone himself with a diving attempt from the four-yard line which made it 7‑0 at the half.

Then alternate quarterback. Scott came on the scene in the second half, throwing but seven times and completing four, including the 12‑yard touchdown pass to Evans in the fourth period.

After Barberton got on the board with 1:25 to go in the game, it appeared the Tigers would just run out the clock. That is, to everybody except Burkett, who bolted up the middle for 50 yards and the game’s final score with just seven seconds to go.

Massillon’s win was the 27th of the long series between the two schools. Barberton, which won the last meeting in 1977, 9‑7, owns six wins. One game ended in a tie.

Category: <span>History</span>