“The Jaybird” flew, the “Tiger Claw Defense” growled and Washington High School got its seventh straight victory and clinched the All-American Conference title Friday night at Mt. Union Stadium in Alliance.
But the Tigers 14-0 win was like all the other ones this year for head Coach Mike Currence – as hard to come by as a Republican winner in Massachusetts.
AN ESTIMATED 10,500 fans, largest turnout this year at Alliance, viewed the game.
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The Orange and Black broke a scoreless deadlock in the third period via two touchdowns by halfback Jay Harper, running out of the “robust T”, and a pair of conversions by Mike Hardwick.
Harper gained 104 yards in that period on seven carries, losing only four yards. His other attempt was a two-yarder in the first quarter.
The Aviators didn’t help the situation, throwing a very stingy defense at the Tigers. Andre Royster receiver a lower leg injury early in the second quarter. This not only deprived Alliance head Coach Julius Tonges of an excellent linebacker but also of a flanker – a key factor.
Alliance had a 63-46 edge in number of plays run and almost had the ball seven minutes longer than Massillon, but the “Tiger Claw Defense” was equal to the task. The furthest penetration by the Aviators was to the Massillon five-yard line on a 29-yard drive in the first quarter after Don Johnson had recovered Mike Grove’s fumble on the Massillon 34. Alliance lost the ball on downs when a pass was overthrown out of the end zone.
THE AVIATORS penetrated Massillon territory four times in the first half and two times after the intermission. Randy Lash intercepted an Alliance pass on the Massillon 15 in the second period to abort Aviator scoring plans.
The Aviators kept throwing halfback Rich Scott (23 carries, 72 yards, 9 lost) at the Tigers via dive plays. That gets mighty hard to halt. If a team keeps banging away long enough, it’s going to find a hole in the seam.
Massillon got into Alliance territory one time in the first half and three times in the second half.
An illegal receiver downfield cost the Tigers 15 yards from the Alliance 29 in the second period. The Orange and Black moved from the Aviators’ 45 in the goodbye canto, after halting an Alliance drive on fourth down, to the Aviators’ four but time ran out.
Reserve fullback Ken Nagle, filling in for the ailing Jerry Shafrath, in the “robust T”, got off runs of 10 and 21 yards on the drive. But other than on those occasions Massillon got nowhere because defensive ends Steve Clunk and Phil Grove crashed in so well the Aviators shut off the Tigers’ run and shoot offense and forced Currence to make the switch to the “robust T’ in the third quarter.
THE TIGERS had gotten only four first downs – the same as Alliance – 42 yards rushing and nine passing in the first half. The Aviators chalked up 51 rushing and none passing.
Besides Harper, one other Tiger ate up a lot of real estate. Fullback Rich Cleveland carried seven times, picking up 54 yards with no losses.
But it was Harper who did it all defensively. The Tigers got the ball following a third period Alliance punt at the Aviators’ 44. On second down “The Jaybird” took a pitch from quarterback Bret Traylor and raced 30 yards before being knocked out of bounds on the 14.
Grove picked up two yards on third down for a first down and Harper went the remaining four yards over guard with 2:30 left.
Alliance had one series, punted and Harper went off tackle for 61 yards for the second Tiger touchdown with 33 seconds remaining.
HARPER CAUSED some concern at one point when he got leg cramps and had to leave the game.
“We played another great second half,” Currence said. “The defense did it again. The offense made the mistakes again. We have to get ourselves together for that big one against Canton McKinley next week. I’ve waited nine games for that one.”
Currrence was more than impressed with the Alliance defense.
“I didn’t think they would just shove us right back into the end zone,” said Currence. “If the fans weren’t back there, we would have gone through the stands. I went in during a timeout and said, ‘Fellows there’s a fence here. They can’t shove us any further.’”
Currence also took a timeout in the second quarter on fourth down when Mark Westover, who missed practice all week due to flu, was forced to punt from the end zone.
“ALLIANCE HAS blocked four punts for touchdowns this year,” Currence said. “I went in and told them (Massillon), ‘this is the most crucial play of the game. If you don’t get this punt off it could mean the ball game.’”
Tonges explained that Royster, a flanker, was missed offensively and also when adjustments were made to try to stop the Tigers (when Massillon switched offenses in the third quarter). But “Juice” was happy that his defense took away the “bread and butter stuff from a fine team.”
Alliance was forced to go to its passing game when it got behind 14-0 and Tonges agreed that’s not the Aviator’s strong suit.
“I’m not ashamed of our kids, we battled and I think they hit as hard as any football team around,” Tonges said.
Massillon advanced to 7-2 and Alliance dropped to 5-4.
GRIDSTICK M A First downs rushing 8 4 First downs passing 1 3 First downs penalties 2 1 Total first downs 11 8 Yards gained rushing 247 100 Yards lost rushing 67 11 Net yards gained rushing 180 89 Net yards gained passing 9 50 Total yards gained 189 139 Passes completed 1-8 14-19 Passes intercepted by 1 0 Yardage on passes intercepted 18 0 Kickoff average (yards) 3-48.7 1-39.0 Kickoff returns (yards) 18 40 Punt average (yards) 7-28.7 8-23.3 Punt returns (yards) 35 21 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 2-1 0 Yards penalized 5-50 7-75 Touchdowns rushing 2 0 Total number of plays 46 63 Total time of possession 20:49 27:11
Tom Ross, Warren Harding head coach and the Tigers’ boss, Mike Currence, both feel quickness will play a large part in tonight’s All-American Conference football game to be played at Mollenkopf Stadium in Warren.
Kickoff will be at 8 o’clock, with the Tigers (5-2, 2-0) and the Black Panthers (5-2, 1-1) probably slated to play before a sellout crowd. Massillon hopes to keep its five-game win streak alive as does Harding its two-game skein. The Tigers lead the AAC.
OTHER LEAGUE games scheduled for tonight are Niles (5-2, 1-1) at Alliance (5-2, 1-1) and Steubenville (4-3, 1-1) at Canton McKinley (3-4, 0-2).
“Our scouts feel Warren is the quickest team they’ve seen this season offensively and defensively,” Currence said. “We’ll find out tonight whether the Panthers or the Tigers are quickest. I’d rate it a tossup.”
In order to best a will-of-the-wisp team like Warren, Currence commented that naturally you don’t do things the same as you would against a slow team.
“You don’t attack at the perimeter as much as you would other teams,” he said. “When you get a quick team in there, pursuit is so great you almost have to run at them a little bit.”
The Tigers will also have to alter their defensive strategy.
“HARDING RUNS from an unbalanced line,” Currence said. “We saw it a little bit in the preseason scrimmage against Warren Western Reserve. An unbalanced line poses a problem of being out flanked. Harding brings an end over, puts its wingback on the same side and if you keep the nose guard on the center, like you’re supposed to, they’ve got you out flanked.”
Currence has another worry in playing a team such as Harding – the physical condition of his linebacking crew. Juniors Steven Dottavio and Kurt Walterhouse are slated to start. Dottavio jammed a hand while replacing senior Gary Border (broken arm) last week.
Junior Scott Wilson was lost for the season due to an arm injury sustained earlier this fall. The remaining linebacker is junior Tim Horton.
Walterhouse calls the signals and if he should get hurt, the Orange and Black would be hurting. Signal calling against a quick team like Warren, with its varied formations, is not an easy task. “Warren likes to run off tackle and outside and control the ball with its power offense,” Currence said. “Strength wise I thin our defensive ends juniors Dave Engler and Frank Sweterlitsch will get their biggest test of the season. I’m anxious to see how good our pursuit is.”
BECAUSE THE TIGERS have senior co-captain Anthony Grizzard at monster back, another key defensive spot against a quick team like Warren’s, Currence thinks this a plus for the Tigers. “They’re going to run at one of the best monster backs they’ve ever seen,” Currence stated. “If they come outside very much, they’re going to have some problems. We put him out there because we knew we had to have him there to plays teams like Warren and Canton McKinley.”
Another plus is that the Tigers will have the weight advantage – offense to defense.
Currence expects the fact that Warren switches from a 5-2 to a 4-4 defense from down to down could be troublesome. The Panthers also try to take the pass away, he said.
“They drop back and cover the zone extremely well,” Currence said. “They have not blitzed much. Ross wants things covered well.”
If the Tigers can beat the Panthers, they’ll get over a hurdle bigger than Mt. Everest.
Tiger, Warren lineups
TIGERS Offense ENDS – Mark Pringle (6-0, 150, Jr.); Rich Chovan (5-11, 171, Sr.). TACKLES – Tim Tournay (6-2, 270, Sr.); Tim Daniels (6-7, 230, Jr.). GUARDS – John Hauser (5-11, 211, Sr.); Mark Lauber (6-1, 212, Sr.). CENTER – Mike Ramsey (5-8, 180, Sr.). QUARTERBACK – Bret Traylor (5-10, 159, Sr.). HALFBACKS – Jay Harper (5-5, 160, Sr.); Mike Grove (5-8, 175, Jr.). FULLBACK – Rich Cleveland (6-1, 180, Soph.). Defense ENDS – Frank Sweterlitsch (6-1, 180, Jr.); Dave Engler (5-9, 180, Jr). TACKLES – Tony Matie (6-0, 210, Jr.); Jesse Toles (6-0, 190, Sr.). MIDDLE GUARD – Carl Dorsey (5-9, 185, Jr.). LINEBACKERS – Kurt Walterhouse (6-0, 170, Jr.); Steve Dottavio (5-8, 216, Jr.). SECONDARY – Anthony Grizzard (5-9, 168, Sr.); Randy Lash (5-8, 165, Sr); Bill Henderson ((5-9, 160, Sr.); Van Jones (5-11, 155, Sr.).
WARREN Offense ENDS – Rod Maines (6-2, 180, Sr.); Steve Golden (5-8, 140, Jr.). TACKLES – Mike Dixon (5-11, 193, Sr.); Dave Allen (6-2, 205, Sr.). GUARDS – John Epitropoulos (6-2, 208); Ernie Epitropoulos (6-1, 208). CENTER – Rick Core (5-10, 170, Sr.). QUARTERBACK – Maurice Hall (5-7, 160). HALFBACKS – Ivan Battee (6-1, 170, Sr.); Ralph Goliday (6-0, 195, Sr.). FULLBACK – John Hill (6-0, 205, Sr.). Defense ENDS – Allen and Maines. TACKLES – Nick Ambeliotis (5-10, 192, Jr.); Tom Megalis (5-10, 192, Sr.). MIDDLE GUARD – Eric Lewis (5-10, 176, Sr.). LINEBACKERS – John and Ernie Epitropoulos. SECONDARY – Lynn Robinson (5-7, 155, Sr.); Rob White (5-10, 160, Sr.); Chris Gray (5-10, 165, Sr.) Eric Johnson (5-10, 150, Sr.).
Great second half effort gives Tigers 22-15 victory
By CHUCK HESS, JR. Independent Sports Editor
Motivation was the key Friday night at Mollenkopf Stadium in Warren.
The Tiger offense took the opening kickoff of the third quarter and carried the swinehide 66 yards for the tying touchdowns.
SPURRED ON by their mates’ example the “Tiger Claw Defense,” which had been like a sieve in the first half, became like Ed “Strangler” Lewis during the final 24 minutes, threw in the winning touchdown to boot and Washington High School had a 22-15 win before 14,000 fans.
It didn’t come easy for the Orange and Black. Warren Harding’s Black Panthers were a snarling bunch of gridders who had hoped to scissor the Tigers’ five-game win streak as the Obiemen had cut Warren’s seven-game string here in 1975.
Hampered by some key injuries sustained in the first half and by another injury sustained in practice Thursday, the Panthers played in the best tradition of Harding football teams. They took a 15-7 halftime lead.
But the Tigers clawed more furiously after t he intermission and came away with their sixth win against two defeats. Harding dropped to 5-3.
Massillon (3-0) continued to lead the All-American Conference. Warren (1-2) dropped into third place with Alliance. Steubenville (2-1) and Niles McKinley tied for second. Canton McKinley (0-3) remained in the cellar.
THE STAGE is set for a Massillon-Alliance rematch next Friday at Mt. Union Stadium in Alliance. The Tigers also had a great game against Warren last year but were upset by Alliance the next week.
Massillon fans were shocked in the first half Friday when the Harding offensive line opened huge holes in the Orange and Black defense and tailbacks Don Henderson and Ivan Battee sped through them. Harding also completed four of five pass attempts as the Tigers tried to stop Warren’s running game and left receivers wide open.
Warren raced up nine first downs to the Tigers’ three, 83 yards rushing to the Tigers’ seven and 51 yards passing (three for four), to the Tigers’ 32 for a 134-39 advantage.
Harding converted five of eight third down attempts to the Tigers’ two of four.
After the bands had entertained, the Orange and Black rolled up five first downs to the Panthers’ one, 98 yards rushing to the Panthers’ eight, 37 yards passing (three for four) to the Panther’s none for a 135-8 advantage.
The Panthers converted no third down attempts in two tries to Massillon’s two in four tries.
WARREN GOT the “Thriller from Mollenkopf” under way with a 66-yard, eight-play drive after a 24-yard runback of the opening kickoff by Ralph Goliday. It was one of several good ones by Panther runners.
Three passes were keys in the drive. Flanker Goliday had a seven-yarder and David Allen (shifted from tackle to tight end), a 20-yarder and a 13-yard touchdown catch at 8:34. Maruce Hall booted the conversion.
Lineacker Kurt Walterhouse recovered an errant Harding pitchout on the panther’s five to set up a touchdown for Rich Cleveland, working out of left halfback in Woody Hayes’ “robust-T” when the Tigers were inside the 10-yard line. Jerry Shafrath handled fullback and Ken Nagle right halfback.
Cleveland powered off tackle for the TD two plays after the fumble recovered at 2:31. Mike Hardwick kicked the conversion.
Halfback Jay Harper got hit a terrific jolt after catching a pass on the Tigers’ 27 right after the start of the second quarter. Harding cornerback Chris Gray hopped on Harper’s fumble just before it went out of bounds and Warren started on its way for its second touchdown.
SEVEN PLAYS and three penalties later fullback Don Henderson went off right tackle for the TD with 6:55 left. Hall faked a kick and ran the conversion.
The Tigers thought they had stopped the drive when safety Van Jones intercepted a pass on his five but middle guard Carl Dorsey got called for roughing the passer, putting the ball on the 12.
The Warren TD came four plays later, following a sterling 11-yard third down run by Hill to the one.
Cleveland ran the third period kickoff back 10 yards and the Tigers took off on an eight-play, 66-yard scoring romp. The big play was a 46-yard run by Cleveland off left guard to the Warren eight. Four plays later Rich took a pitch off right tackle for the score with 8:22 left.
Grove made a great diving catch of a Bret Traylor pass for the tying tally.
LATER IN the period the Tigers took a Warren punt on the Panthers’ 43 after the “Tiger Claw Defense” had forced Tom Clouser to kick from the end zone. In five plays the Orange and Black had the ball on the one.
Harper and Grove contributed 18 and 15-yard catches off Traylor but Grove later fumbled on the one, trying to go over left tackle for the score. Panther linebacker Joe DiLella recovered on the one but the Tigers held again.
Clouser kicked from his end zone. Massillon end Dave Engler narrowly missed roughing him, monsterback Anthony Grizzard grabbed the punt on the 38 and raced down the sideline for the score with 9:50 left in the last quarter.
Hardwick kicked the final conversion.
Gray intercepted a Tiger pass on Massillon’s 40 later in the period and ran it back to the 34, but the “Tiger Claw Defense” – in the person of Anthony Grizzard – threw Henderson for a four-yard loss to the 33 on fourth down.
“WE HAD A long half time and we made adjustments,” Currence said. “They ran us off the field in the first half. They were the best team we faced this year explosive-wise. I got scared watching their tailbacks running the first half. We couldn’t tackle them. We never faced anyone this year we couldn’t come up and stick.”
“We had a couple of key fumbles – on a punt and on a pitchout,” said Warren head Coach Tom Ross. “We thought we had the corner turned on a key fourth down play but didn’t get up there for a first down. Massillon has a fine football team.”
The punt fumble Ross mentioned came late in the fourth quarter when Bob White, who had done a masterful runback job all night, miscued and Tiger Van Jones hopped on the ball at the Warren 23. But an illegal shift penalty and a holding penalty kayoed the Tigers’ chances.
Ross lost Allen when he got his bell rung in the first half, defensive tackle Nick Ambleotis suffered a knee injury in practice Thursday but it wasn’t determined until 6 p.m. Friday that he couldn’t go. John Antebucci replaced him and received a knee injury in the first half.
GUARD ERNIE Epitropoulos received a foot injury in the fourth quarter.
Ross moved inside tackle Mike Dixon to Allen’s outside tackle slot when Allen was shifted to tight end, but didn’t get the blocking from him that Ross got from Allen, a pre-season All-American pick.
“We couldn’t throw in the second half because of poor field position,” Ross said.
WARREN – 15 Ends – Allen, Golden, Maines, E. Shaker, Blazek, Thomas. Tackles – Dixon, Megalis, Antenucci, J. Shaker. Guards – E. and J. Epitropoulos, Cassakais. Center – Core, Grodesky, Bokone. Quarterback – Hall. Halfbacks – Battee, Henderson, Goliday, Robinson. Fullback – Hill. Middle guards – E. Lewis, Di Lella. Defensive halfbacks – Gary, White, Robinson, Johnson. Punter – Clouser.
Massillon 7 0 8 7 22 Warren 7 8 0 0 15
SCORING SUMMARY W – David Allen, 13 pass from Maurice Hall (Hall kick); M – Rich Cleveland, 2 run (Mike Hardwick kick); W – Don Henderson, 1 run (Hall run); M – Cleveland, 2 run (Mike Grove pass from Bret Traylor); M – Anthony Grizzard, 38 punt runback (Hardwick kick).
OFFICIALS Referee – Frank Buhas. Umpire – Al Collier. Head Linesman – Hugh Davis. Field Judge – Dave Landis. Back Judge – Tim Murray.
ATTENDANCE – 14,000.
GRIDSTICK M W First downs rushing 4 6 First downs passing 4 2 First downs penalties 0 1 Total first downs 8 9 Yards gained rushing 140 139 Yards lost rushing 35 45 Net yards gained rushing 105 91 Net yards gained passing 69 51 Total yards gained 174 142 Passes completed 6-8 4-5 Passes intercepted by 0 1 Yardage on passes intercepted 0 0 Kickoff average (yards) 4-52 3-42 Kickoff returns (yards) 42 107 Punt average (yards) 4-36 5-33 Punt returns (yards) 36 9 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 3-2 2-2 Yards penalized 4-40 4-30 Touchdowns rushing 2 1 Touchdowns passing 0 1 Miscellaneous touchdowns 1 0 Total number of plays 42 51 Total time of possession 21:48 26:12
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING Massillon Player A G L N Cleveland 15 81 6 75
“We aren’t championship caliber yet,” said Mike Currence.
“We played sloppy football,” said Rudy Sharkey.
THOSE STATEMENTS by the head coaches of the Massillon Tigers and Barberton Magics summed up Friday’s Parents’ Night game at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in which the Tigers shut out the Magics 21-0 in a non-league game.
A crowd of 10,234 watched the Orange and Black roll to their fifth straight victory after losing their first two games. They also saw the Obiemen hang up their second straight shutout.
Barberton dropped to 3-4.
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Currence had said earlier this week that his defenders had to get the ball for the offense. They picked off four of Barberton’s eight fumbles, setting up there touchdowns. Junior linebacker Steve Dottavio, substituting for senior Gary Border who is out with a broken arm, grabbed off two bobbles. Senior defensive end Bob Furnas got the other.
Junior monster back Kevin Gowins, with the reserve in late in the fourth quarter, picked up the final Barberton fumble at the Tigers’ 31-yard line to stave off Barberton’s last threat. So good was the Massillon defense that the Magics did get past their 45-yard line in the first half and were stopped at the Tigers’ 30 and 43 in the second half by pass interceptions by halfbacks Randy Lash, a senior and Mike Hickey, a junior.
Barberton also had the misfortune to be stymied by 70 yards in penalties and some unfortunate punting by junior Tom Thomas, subbing for senior Rick Donnelly who received a leg injury against Akron Hoban last week.
THE TIGER offense went back to its old tricks, getting into Barberton territory 10 times, but scoring only three times. Barberton senior halfback Bill Rackley intercepted a third quarter pass at his own 10 and a fourth quarter pass at his own 15.
Senior tackle Bob Hill picked up a Tiger first quarter fumble at the Barberton 12.
Mike Hardwick was wide left with a 22-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter after the Tigers had a fourth and one on the Barberton nine but were called for encroachment.
“We still don’t have the ability to put somebody down and put them down quick,” Currence said. “You have to have great poise to do that. When we got ahead and let up, they were good enough to come back on us.” Currence thought his defensive ends, juniors Frank Sweterlitsch, Dave Engler and Furnas, who filled in for Engler after he re-injured his ankle in the third quarter, did great.
“BARBERTON RUNS the outside option well and those three boys did a great job,” Currence said.
Currence said Barberton completely surprised him. The Magics used a 4-4 defense instead of their 5-2. Barberton used the “I” and split backs more than the “Y” or inverted wishbone.
“Rudy Sharkey gave us fits,” Currence said. “You just don’t beat a coach like that by an awesome score. Barberton has a good young club. We’ll meet them in the opener next year at the Rubber Bowl.”
The Tigers’ first touchdown came after Dottavio’s recovery at the Barberton 47 in the second quarter. Senior quarterback Bret Traylor ran for 15, 12 and five yards – the last, the scoring jaunt, coming after a 15-yard defensive pass interference call.
Hardwick kicked the conversion with 49 seconds showing on the clock.
DOTTAVIO GOT his second fumble recovery in the third quarter at the Barberton 25. Traylor was thrown for a 12-yard loss on the next play and injured. Sophomore quarterback Brent Offenbecher then came in and hit junior end Mark Pringle with a 37-yard pass for the score.
Hardwick kicked the conversion with 10:52 showing on the clock.
Furnas recovered a fumble on the Magics’ 19 in the fourth quarter. Five plays later sophomore fullback Rich Cleveland bulled over from the one.
Hardwick kicked the conversion with 7:04 showing on the clock.
In reviewing the game, Sharkey said his team has been inconsistent this year.
“There have been nights when we played super football but tonight wasn’t one of them,” he said. “A lot of our problems started when we lost our punter last week. Our substitute kicker Thomas kicked 55-yard and 38-yard punts last week. He came into the game tonight and there was one time he didn’t make the stick. That was the beginning of the end.”
SHARKEY WAS concerned that his offense put his defense into the hole time after time and pointed out you can only do that so often.
“Defensively our kids played well,” he said.
He explained his changes in offense and defense as put in to try to get something going for his team.
One bright light for the Magics was junior tailback Terry Cameron who netted 102 yards in 18 tries, losing only one yard. Cleveland netted 67, losing five, in 12 carries for Massillon.
BARBERTON – 0 Ends – Bates, Smith, Gamier, Peters, Sharkey, Bizach, Niehaus. Tackles – Coher, Garren, Roland, Jones, Bob Hill, Hutchison, Watkins. Guards – DeAngelis, Campbell, Bill Hill. Center – Canale. Quarterbacks – Finley, Karalic. Halfbacks – Huffman, L. Ricks, Rackley, Gable, Hymes, F. Tivkd, McKinnie, White, Chastain, Bowman, Henderson, Robertson, Hepfl. Tailback – Cameron. Punter – Thomas.
SCORING SUMMARY M – Bret Traylor, 5 run (Hardwick kick); M – Mark Pringle, 37 pass from Brent Offenbecher (Hardwick kick); M – Rich Cleveland, 1 run (Hardwick kick).
OFFICIALS Referee – Chuck Hinkle. Umpire – Jim McNally. Head Linesman – Bill Kulich. Field Judge – Ken Newton. Back Judge – Ron Bennington. ATTENDANCE – 10,234.
GRIDSTICK M B First downs rushing 10 7 First downs passing 3 1 First downs penalties 1 1 Total first downs 14 9 Yards gained rushing 212 159 Yards lost rushing 57 30 Net yards gained rushing 155 129 Net yards gained passing 85 33 Total yards gained 240 162 Passes completed 3-15 2-10 Passes intercepted by 2 3 Yardage on passes intercepted 9 42 Kickoff average (yards) 4-39.3 1-32.0 Kickoff returns (yards) 12 25 Punt average (yards) 3-26.3 5-25.0 Punt returns (yards) 0 0 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 3-1 8-4 Yards penalized 4-30 7-70 Touchdowns rushing 2 1 Touchdowns passing 1 0 Total number of plays 61 51 Total time of possession 24:37 13:23
“The best Steubenville team in many years will be coming here tonight,” Washington High School’s popular football skipper said.
A crowd of about 10,000 is expected to watch the Big Red (4-1, 1-0) and the Tigers (3-2, 1-0) battled in an All-American Conference game at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Plenty of good tickets are still available, according to WHS ticket officials. Windows at the stadium will open at 6:30.
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ALSO IN action tonight will be Alliance (4-1, 1-0), tied with the Tigers and Big Red for first, hosting Warren (3-2, 0-1). Canton McKinley (2-3, 0-1) will be at Niles McKinley (4-1, 0-1) on Saturday night.
When told that the Steubers haven’t scored on the Tigers in seven of the last eight games, Currence replied, “That’s very unusual. I think this Steubenville team is going to be a different kind of a ball club.”
The last time the Big Red came here 4-1 was in 1974. Last year they were 3-2. Both times Massillon won.
The 1972 team came in 5-0 but the Tigers won 12-0.
“Steubenville was seventh ranked this week in the Associated Press Poll,” Currence said. “This is another in a series of high ranked teams coming in – the fourth in six weeks.
The Big Red was not ranked in the Top Ten in the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Region 3 computer poll released Thursday. Massillon was in the 10th spot.
“THE STRENGTH of the Big Red is their defense,” Currence said. “They have eight players returning. In one film I watched their defense get a touchdown. They literally took the ball away and scored.”
“Bill Bohren has put a lot of his good kids on defense and plays three kid both ways. We’re hitting a year when everybody has a lot of players back.”
Currence picked middle guard Darrell Soloman (5-9, 205), linebacker Dave Medich (6-2, 225), tackle Mark Fahey (6-1, 230) and end Tony Zatta (6-0, 190), all seniors, as the toughies. The key to stopping the offense appears to be halting junior fullback Bob Rush (5-11, 175), the AAC’s leading ground gainer.
“He is very quick in hitting the holes and he does well on the quick pitch,” Currence said. “I watched him on film tear Youngstown North apart. He’s like Cleveland Benedictine’s Bob Conwell.”
CONWELL AVERAGED 2.4 yards, picking up 77. Rush has averaged 5.2 yards, picking up 516.
“Steubenville has not thrown much – only 19 times – Currence expects the Big Red to put the ball into the sky only if they are forced to. Power control is their game.
“They have some good play action passes and the quarterback (Sam Baldwin) puts the ball right on receivers’ chests,” Currence said. “They have dropped some good passes.”
But the Tigers have worked hard on pass defense this week because of misreading tendencies that have shown up. The skipper doesn’t want to get beat by one pass thrown at the right time.
The specialty teams have come in for some hard work too.
“I WAS disappointed with those units last week,” he said. “They weren’t real sharp and ready to field the ball.”
One change will be made in the Tigers’ starting defensive alignment. Junior Tony Matie (6-0, 210) will get his chance because of an outstanding performance against Cleveland Benedictine last week.
At stake in this game is the Mayor’s Bucket Trophy. If the Tigers win, the prize will stay here because the Orange and Black will have won it three straight times.
Tigers beat Big Red 10-0 for first shutout
By CHUCK HESS, JR. Independent Sports Editor
To borrow a trick of the old TV show, “The Wild, Wild, West,” it was “The Night of the Pass” Friday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Before 13,891 fans, the largest crowd to see the Tigers play this season, the Tigers combined their best passing performance with a sixth straight week of outstanding defense and downed the Steubenville Big Red 10-0.
THE WIN gave the Tigers undisputed possession of first place in the All-American Conference with a 2-0 mark. Alliance’s loss to Warren Harding Friday night gave the Aviators, Black Panthers and Steubenville 1-1 marks. Canton McKinley and Niles McKinley, both with 0-1 slates, play at Niles tonight.
Friday’s win was the fourth straight for Washington High School after the Orange and Black lost its first two games. Steubenville dropped to 4-2, had a two-game win streak scissored and was shut out for the first time this season.
Tiger quarterback Bret Traylor, improving with every game, completed nine of 16 passes – his best effort – for 117 yards. One went for an 11-yard first quarter touchdown to end Bob Grizzard.
The Tigers rushed for 100 yards against a huge Steubenville defense.
The “Tiger Claw Defense” meanwhile held the Big Red to 76 yards on the ground and 54 in the air. Steubenville quarterback Sam Baldwin was able to complete only two of eight attempts as the Big Red lost their seventh straight game to the Tigers and their 12th in the last 13 years.
The 1969 contest, played at Steubenville, ended in a scoreless deadlock.
BY WINNING Friday night, the Tigers retired the Mayor’s Bucket Trophy with three wins.
Even though the Orange and Black’s passing game was a key to winning, Coach Mike Currence was not ecstatic about it. He was, however, very pleased again with the “Tiger Claw Defense.”
“It was the best passing we’ve done, but we dropped some we should have caught,” Currence said. “When Bret (Traylor) gets the ball to them, the least they ought to do is catch it. And then when we caught it we fell down with it. The kids could have walked into the end zone a couple of times.”
Because Steubenville was giving the Tigers the perimeter game and preventing them from running there, Currrence felt the game would have been a lot closer had the passing side of it not gone as well as it did.
About the defense, Currence enthused, “It was great! It was the best we’ve played! I thought they put some pressure on us from the ends.”
CURRENCE WAS unhappy that the Tigers had drives stopped at the Steubenville 30, 32 and nine-yard lines.
“I don’t know whether they tightened up or we didn’t execute,” Currence said. “We’ll have to analyze it and see what happened.”
On a second quarter drive which was cut short, Steubenville linebacker John Adams batted down a fourth down pass intended for halfback Mike Grove, thus negating a 44-yard pass-run from Traylor to end Mark Pringle. On an aborted third quarter drive 12 and 16-yard Traylor to Grove pass-run went out the window. And then Traylor was tossed for a one-yard loss on fourth and one.
In the fourth quarter a 35-yard Traylor to Grove pass-run went down the drain when Traylor was thrown for a five-yard loss on fourth and eight. The first drive followed a touchback from a punt, the second, a Steubenville fourth down try which was short by inches, and the third a punt.
THE TIGERS’ only touchdown came with 4:26 left in the first quarter and was their first welcome canto score of the season. Steubenville was called for roughing Westover on his third down punt from the end zone. The Tigers rolled for 82 yards after the 15-yard penalty for the score and Mike Hardwick booted the conversion.
A 27-yard Traylor to Grove pass-run, with Grove running 19 yards and a 25-yard Traylor to Jay Harper pass-run, with “The Jaybird” flying 23 of those yards, were keys in the drive as was Rich Cleveland’s 11-yard run.
“My player told me we had a piece of that punted ball,” said Steubenville Coach Bill Bohren. “Therefore, it’s not roughing.”
The Tigers got what Currence called a big break on the drive which resulted in a field goal. Steubenville punter Steve Michalak kicked from his end zone, Tiger halfback Anthony Grizzard muffed the ball and the Big Red’s Bernard Stevenson recovered it on his 39.
But back judge Bill Kalapodis inadvertently blew his whistle. By a rule change this year the ball had to go back to the previous spot for a re-kick.
“I KNEW he had blown the whistle and he wasn’t going to call it but the other guy heard it,” Currence said.
Bohren said, “It took the ball away from us and gave it to Massillon on our 30.”
On the second punt Grizzard made a fair catch and seven plays later Hardwick kicked his 20-yard field goal from an angle to the right with 10:10 left. Cleveland’s eight-yard run and Grove’s 13-yarder helped set the boot up.
Steubenville threatened twice in the second stanza, the first time going 52 yards following Randy Laase’s kickoff. Tweetie Brown ran back 15 yards and quarterback Sam Baldwin and end Dan Constantini added a 44-yard pass-run to the effort.
Dave Medich tried a 41-yard field goal kick. It fell short.
Defensive end Tony Zatta blocked Westover’s punt from the Massillon 31 later in the period. Bohren wanted to try a field goal with time running out but Medich broke a shoe lace, the Big Red was out of time outs and Baldwin was unable to throw the ball out of bounds off a sprint to stop the clock.
THE BIG Red got to the Tigers’ 32 in the third quarter but tailback Billy Ware failed, by inches, to make three yards on fourth down.
“He tried an option and got ahead of the stick but they brought the ball back,” Bohren said. “He got knocked down parallel to the line of scrimmage.”
Currrence said, “I thought he hit and bounced ahead.”
After a punt late in the fourth quarter Steubenville started a drive which was aborted when Randy Lash intercepted a pass and ran back 29 yards to the Massillon 49. The Tigers got to the Big Red 31 before the clock ran out.
Bohren thought his Steubenville team played well enough on defense to win but did not play well enough offensively.
Steubenville fullback Bob Rush, the leading ball carrier in the All-American Conference, was held to 67 yards in 16 carries, his third lowest total of the season. Massillon’s Rich Cleveland, the No. 2 man, was held to 42 yards in 15 carries, his lowest total.
Steubenville 0 0 0 0 0 Massillon 7 3 0 0 10 SCORING SUMMARY M – Bob Grizzard, 11 pass from Bret Traylor (Mike Hardwick kick); M – Hardwick, 20 field goal.
OFFICIALS Referee – Al Francesconi. Umpire – Nick Frascella. Head Linesman – Milo Lukity. Field Judge – Frank Wahl. Back Judge – Bill Kalapodis.
ATTENDANCE – 13,891.
GRIDSTICK M S First downs rushing 5 6 First downs passing 7 1 First downs penalties 1 2 Total first downs 13 9 Yards gained rushing 128 121 Yards lost rushing 28 45 Net yards gained rushing 100 76 Net yards gained passing 177 54 Total yards gained 277 130 Passes completed 9-16 2-8 Passes intercepted by 1 0 Yards on passes Intercepted 31 0 Kickoff average (yards) 3-42.3 1-40.0 Kickoff returns (yards) 0 49 Punt average (yards) 2-39.0 4-31.0 Punt returns (yards) 1 0 Had punts blocked 1 0 Fumbles 2-5 5-1 Yards penalized 4-47 6-43 Touchdowns passing 1 0 Total number of plays 52 56 Total time of possession 20:27 27:33
If maestro Mike Currence can get the Tiger offense to stop throwing in those discords, the Orange and Black’s victory song will sound much sweeter.
On Friday for the third time in five weeks, the Washington High School team was behind at half time. The Tigers came roaring back on the ground and in the air at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium to claim an 18-3 victory over traditionally tough Cleveland Benedictine before 9,800 homecoming fans.
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IT WAS the third straight win for the 3-2 Tigers. Benedictine dropped to 2-2-1.
The Tigers squandered away two scoring opportunities in the first half while the Massillon and Benedictine defenses hammered away at each other. As a result, both teams were bottled up in their own territory. Massillon punted six times, Benedictine five.
But quarterback Bret Traylor scored twice and fullback Rich Cleveland once in the second half to assure a Tiger victory. For the second consecutive week Traylor did some fine passing and running to aid the Orange and Black’s offensive cause.
Cleveland gained 71 yards without a loss in 11 carries, but for the first time in three weeks failed to pass the century mark. The tenacious Benedictine defense was the reason.
Traylor and fullback Jerry Shafrath didn’t get together on a second period handoff at the Benedictine 27-yard line. Guard Steve Tanner recovered on the 32 and Traylor’s 16-yard run and Cleveland’s 15-yard effort went down the drain.
Halfback Mike Grove caught a Traylor pass on the Benedictine 20 in the first quarter and scored but a clipping penalty crossed it off the book and two plays later the Obiemen were forced to punt.
Halfback Jay Harper and Traylor had combined for a 33-yard pass-run effort on the aborted drive. Harper almost went the distance but was knocked out of bounds by halfback John DiPaola on the Benedictine 25.
TRAYLOR HAD some more trouble in the third period when halfback Ron Manning intercepted his pass at the Benedictine nine but the Bennies, still suffering from poor field position because of great Tiger defensive work, were forced to punt from their 16.
The Tigers took over on the Benedictine 43, Traylor hit Grove with a 14-yarder and the Orange and Black were off on their first touchdown jaunt. Harper and Traylor combined on a 26-yard pass-run and Traylor charged in from the one with 4:56 left. Mike Hardwick’s conversion kick went under the crossbar.
Anthony Grizzard came up with another of his great punt runbacks (21 yards) at the start of the fourth quarter and in five plays the Currencemen had scored again. Rich Chovan grabbed a Traylor pass for 15 yards, Harper ran for 15 and Traylor skirted end for a 38-yard TD with 9:15 left.
But Chovan couldn’t hang on to Traylor’s conversion pass.
THE TIGERS drove from their 27 in five plays after a punt for their final score. End Mark Pringle and Traylor combined talents for a 46-yarder, Grove caught an eight-yarder and Cleveland, the sophomore running sensation, went the remaining distance (seven yards) with 4:58 left.
Grove’s conversion run was short.
Benedictine’s 25-yard field goal by junior Fran Szocs came after a second quarter punt. Terry Modzelewski returned for 10 yards to the Massillon 46, halfback Bob Conwell, who netted 77 yards in 17 carries, picked up 32 yards in two carries on the scoring drive and Szocs kicked on fourth down with 8:28 left.
“We decided at halftime that we would have to throw to beat Benedictine,” said Currence. “They’re just too big and strong. Their pursuit was great. That’s Augie and that 6-1 defense. That middle linebacker, Richard Saunders, was tough.”
Currence said that it was also determined at halftime that the Tiger defense would have to turn things around aggressively if they were going to win.
“IT TAKES a little bit of success offensively for our boys to get rolling,” Currence said. “It’s taken Traylor a little longer to read the opponent’s defense. There’s so many options off of our defense.”
Currence saluted Frank Thomas, Jim Letcavits, Gary Wells and Dale Walterhouse for a terrific job of coaching the defense this year. Besides the usual work of linebacker Kurt Walterhouse, tackle Jesse Toles, middle guard Carl Dorsey, monster back Grizzard, and junior tackle Tony Matie did an outstanding job as Currence gave more players a chance to participate.
“Benedictine blockers let us go the way they wanted us to go and then the back went the opposite way,” Currence said. “Their tackles are so big we couldn’t see. Steve Tanner is very tough. The Bennies hurt us on their quick drive.”
Currence said for a Class AA school, Benedictine is one of the toughest teams the Tigers have played.
“It was hard because we had poor field position,” said Benedictine chief Augie Bossu. “At times we moved the ball good but we had the good play to make and maybe were afraid to go for the big one. We also had to play catch-up ball after awhile.”
Augie thought the right side of his offensive line did a great job of blocking for Conwell. “We had a good defensive effort,” Bossu said. “It’s hard covering the run and shoot sideline to sideline.”
BOSSU POINTED out that when Grizzard was brought to the middle of the defense the Benedictine backs didn’t pick him up.
“We went up against an excellent ball club tonight,” Bossu said.
SCORING SUMMARY B – Frank Szocs, 25 field goal; M – John Traylor, 1 run (kick failed); M – Traylor, 38 run (pass failed); M – Rich Cleveland, 7 run (run failed).
OFFICIALS Referee – Steve Nagy. Umpire – Chuck Hinkle. Head Linesman – Tom Cleman. Field Judge – Bob Hipple. Back Judge – Don Fowler.
ATTENDANCE – 9,800.
GRIDSTICK M B First downs rushing 5 4 First downs passing 6 6 First downs penalties 0 0 Total first downs 11 10 Yards gained rushing 203 106 Yards lost rushing 34 50 Net yards gained rushing 169 56 Net yards gained passing 145 105 Total yards gained 314 161 Passes completed 6-17 9-23 Passes intercepted by 1 2 Yards on passes Intercepted 30 17 Kickoff average (yards) 4-47 2-45 Kickoff returns (yards) 34 24 Punt average (yards) 3-34 9-39 Punt returns (yards) 48 7 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 2-1 4-2 Yards penalized 5-43 5-35 Touchdowns rushing 3 0 Total number of plays 60 66 Total time of possession 26:30 21:30
If the Tigers don’t win this week it could be all over in 1976.
That was the word head Coach Mike Currence had for the Tiger Touchdown Club at its weekly luncheon Monday at the Massillon Club.
AFTER Currence had finished it was announced that senior monster back and Co-Captain Anthony Grizzard had been selected by club members as their Hardnose of the Week. At the end of the season the player with the most votes becomes the Hardnose of the Year.
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“If we lose Saturday night at Niles we’ll be out of things as far as the computer is concerned and maybe in the All-American Conference race,” Currence said. “If we lose we won’t have a chance of someone else knocking off Niles.
Currence asked for more noise from the fans at Niles to which President Gene Boerner replied, “We’ll make all the noise we can. You’ll hear Massillon fans yelling louder than the hometown fans.”
But club members agreed they didn’t need noise such as came from the student section last Friday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium when Brown was speaking at half time. One member suggested that a delay in the start of half time festivities had gotten the students restless.
“Nobody has run up the middle on Niles,” Currence said, but that doesn’t bother us because our offense is designed to attack the perimeters.”
CURRENCE is not sure what the problem is with the quarterbacks. He does know they are not getting the pass protection they should be getting. He asked members not to evaluate Bret Traylor’s performance to date for that reason, explaining Bret hasn’t been that far off in practice.
Members suggested various ways to cut down on fumbles such as having players tape thumbtacks to their fingers or wear rubber thumb grips or just toss the ball into the water bucket during practice. The first two suggestions are illegal and the third is out because you can’t get a true grip on a wet ball, according to Currence.
Massillon is 13-8 victor over Niles
By FRED GERLICH Repository Sports Writer
NILES – Massillon’s heralded “run and shoot” offense finally gunned down a noteworthy foe Saturday night, dropping the state’s sixth-ranked Niles McKinley Red Dragons 13-8 before 13,000 noisy onlookers at Riverside Stadium.
Tigers’ Coach Mike Currence will have an awful lot of “player of the week” awards to hand out Monday as Massillon came up with the big play both offensively and defensively.
Niles, trailing 13-0 going into the final period, forced three Tiger turnovers in the final 12 minutes to make it a ball game.
The loss was the first in four games for Niles and Massillon evened its record at 2-2 in winning its second in a row. The game was a mutual opener in the All-American Conference.
Red Dragons quarterback Curtis Rein threw a 28-yard pass to end Mike Pizzano to get his club on the board with 8:56 left in the game.
Rein then snaked around left end for the two-point conversion that put Niles back in the contest.
Pizzano intercepted a Bret Traylor aerial at the 5:50 mark and teammate Joe Connel ran 30 yards with 1:46 remaining to give the Red Dragons two good chances at pulling off a comeback win.
But the Tigers’ defense held on both occasions, stopped Niles at the 26 and 24 yard lines in the final half of the last period.
Paced by Richard Cleveland’s 122 yards in 17 carries, Massillon held a 257-54 rushing advantage.
Niles was led by Phil Chelsea who ran 8 times for 23 yards, despite being hampered by an ankle injury. He was injured when he slammed his right foot in a car door 40 minutes before the game.
The Tigers totaled 11 first downs to 10 for Niles and the Red Dragons had an edge in passing, completing 12 of 21 for 141 yards. Massillon hit on one of three for 13 yards.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Tigers were forced to punt on their first possession of the second stanza.
Niles Ken Wiencek fielded the ball at the Red Dragons’ 10-yard line, was smacked to the ground by a Tiger tackler and coughed up the ball.
Massillon’s John Letcavits scooped up the ball at the four and sailed into the end zone with 7:11 left in the half. Mike Hardwick’s conversion made it 7-0. Niles punted after the ensuing kickoff and the Tigers took over on their own 16.
Then the Massillon offense moved down the field like a runaway steamroller, 84 yards in 10 plays, with Bret Traylor completing his only pass of the night, a 13-yard TD toss to Rick Chovan just 1:05 before the band show.
Currence called the win “a great team victory”. “No other team in the state could have come into Niles and beaten the type of team Coach Tony Napolet has here.
“But the community of Massillon backed us all the way,” Currence said.
The Tiger fans unleashed a roar upon the Tigers’ initial appearance on the field and didn’t let up until the final whistle, as there were several thousand from Massillon who made the pilgrimage here.
On the Tigers performance, Currence said, “We just made less mistakes tonight. We moved the ball against everyone we played but mistakes have been hurting us until tonight. If Bret (Traylor) ever comes around to being the type of quarterback we think he is capable of being, we’ll win some more ball games,” Currence said.
Tiger – Niles lineups
Tigers Offense ENDS – Sam George (5-11, 165, Sr.); Rick Chovan (5-11, 171, Sr.). TACKLES – Tim Tournay (6-2, 270, Sr.); Tim Daniels (6-7, 230, Jr). GUARDS – John Hauser (5-11, 211, Sr.); Mark Lauber (6-1, 212, Sr.). CENTER – Mike Ramsey (5-8, 180, Sr.). QUARTERBACK – Bret Traylor (5-10, 159, Sr.). HALFBACKS – Jay Harper (5-5, 160, Sr.). Greg Carpenter (6-1, 188, Jr.). FULLBACK — Rich Cleveland (6-1, 180, Soph.). Defense ENDS – Frank Sweterlitsch (6-1, 180, Jr.); Dave Engler (5-9, 180, Jr.). TACKLES – Randy Laase (6-5, 211, Sr.); Jesse Toles (6-0, 190, Sr.). MIDDLE GUARD – Carl Dorsey (5-9, 185, Jr.). LINEBACKERS – Kurt Walterhouse (6-0, 170, Jr.); Gary Border (6-0, 203, Sr.). SECONDARY – Anthony Grizzard (5-9, 168, Sr.); Randy Lash (5-8, 165, Sr.); Bill Henderson (5-9, 160, Sr.); Van Jones (5-11, 155, Sr.).
NILES Offense ENDS – Mile Woodford (5-9, 160, Sr.); Duane Thomas (6-0, 175, Sr.). TACKLES – John Slwinski (5-11, 185, Sr.); Mark Joseph (5-11, 197, Sr.). GUARDS – Tom Golder (5-9, 170, Sr.); John Blakely (5-9, 180, Sr.). CENTER – Brian Williams (5-10, 185, Sr.). QUARTERBACK – Curtis Rein (6-0, 180, Sr.). HALFBACKS – Phil Chelsea (5-9, 158, Sr.); John Virostko (6-0, 170, Sr.). FULLBACK – Geoff Tabor (6-1, 205, Sr.). Defense ENDS – Joe Bezilla (5-10, 175, Sr.); Ray Rashilla (5-10, 180, Sr.). TACKLES – Joe Connell (6-0, 250, Jr.); Bob Tenney (6-0, 225, Sr.). MIDDLE GUARD – Marty Chance (5-8, 185, Sr.). LINEBACKERS – Tabor; Sam Giangardella (6-1, 210, Sr.). SECONDARY – Ken Masciangelo (5-9, 165, Jr.); Ken Weincek (5-9, 160, Sr.); Mike Pizzano (5-8, 160, Jr.); Virostko.
OFFICIALS All-American Conference rules prohibit releasing Officials’ names to the public before game time.
Currence warns: beware Bennies
By CHUCK HESS, JR. Independent Sports Editor
There’s one trouble with upset victories such as the Tigers’ effort at Niles last Saturday night. If a team savors the win too much, it might not taste victory the next time out.
“Cleveland Benedictine is tough,” said Tiger Skipper Mike Currence. “They won 48-0 over Painseville Harvey Friday. We must work hard to prepare for the Bennies. We made too many offensive mistakes at Niles. We’re lucky our defense did the job or we would have been beaten.
AUGIE BOSSU’S team (3-1) will face the 2-2 Tigers, who won their second consecutive game last Saturday night, at 8 p.m. Friday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Saturday’s 13-8 All-American Conference victory over Niles McKinley put Washington High into a tie with Steubenville and Alliance for first place. Niles dropped into a deadlock with Canton McKinley and Warren for fourth.
After the Orange and Black had scored twice in the second quarter to stun the Niles fans and elate the Tiger faithful in the sellout house of 13,000 at Riverside Stadium, the “Tiger Claw Defense” continued t6o throw a mighty roadblock – with one exception – in the way of the Red Dragons. Niles played some mighty fine iron curtain ball themselves, led by linebackers Sam Giangardella and Geoff Tabor and minus four defensive starters, injured in the first half.
The Tigers’ great defensive effort started after Tabor had picked up a John Traylor fumble in the first quarter. Linebacker Kurt Walterhouse threw quarterback Curtis Rein for an eight-yard loss to the Massillon 26.
Several Obiemen halted Rein at the Tigers’ 12-yard line on fourth down in the second stanza after Niles had taken control on the Tigers’ 35 when Mark Westover’s punt from the end zone was partially blocked.
Co-Captain and monster back Anthony Grizzard intercepted a pass at the Massillon 45 to halt the Red Dragon’s furthest advance in the third quarter.
Grizzard, used for the first time on runback teams, carried the pigskin 50 yards after a punt to the Niles 24 in the goodbye canto only to have Traylor and Rich Cleveland misfire on a handoff at the 18. Giangardella recovered at the 24 to set up Niles’ only touchdown drive.
TAILBACK PHIL Chelsea, after battling the flu during the week, tossed a pass to halfback Mike Pizzano for 11 yards, dashed for 13 and then the Dragons got the benefit of a disputed 15-yard late-hit penalty, for a first down on the Tigers’ 38. Two plays later Pizzano took Rein’s pass at the one and stepped in for the score with 8:56 left.
Rein ran the end for the conversion and the fans had visions of another Niles comeback win such as occurred in 1966, 1974 and almost occurred in 1975.
Pizzano intercepted a Traylor pass on the Massillon 41 in the fourth quarter, ran to the 30, but the Dragons were guilty of clipping. Eight plays later end Dwayne Thomas was hauled down short of a first down on the Massillon 26.
On second down from the 34, assistant Coach Nick Vrotsos called a change in blocking assignments which enabled fullback Rich Cleveland, who carried for 100 yards plus for a third straight game, to roll for 56 yards to the Niles 10. But Traylor, while trying to consume time with a keeper run, fumbled. Tackle Joe Connell recovered and rambled to the 40 where Traylor knocked him out of bounds.
The Dragons took to the air, getting to the Massillon 31, thanks to a 15-yard Rein to end Bill Ifft pass. But middle guard Carl Dorsey sacked Rein and linebacker Kurt Walterhouse busted up two passes to end things.
THE MASSILLON offense out-performed the Niles version, 256 net yards to 54. Cleveland carried 18 times, netting 118 yards. Traylor lugged the swinehide 17 times, netting 61 yards, picking up important yardage several times.
He threw only three passes, but one was a 12-yarder to end Rick Chovan, who just eluded his defender in the end zone in the second quarter. Mike Hardwick was wide left on his conversion kick with the clock showing 1:05 left.
Jay Harper, Cleveland and Traylor had set the score up with 14, 26 and 12-yard runs.
The Tigers’ first touchdown came with 7:11 left in the same period. Ken Wiencek tried to field a Westover punt at the 12, but was hit an awful whack by Van Jones, the ball popped loose; John Letcavits scooped it up at the three and scored. Hardwick kicked the conversion.
Wiencek was lost for the remainder of the game with a concussion.
IN HIS post game comments Currence was happy with the Tigers’ perimeter attack but unhappy that they couldn’t run up the middle as they did before, that the fumbles continued and unhappy that the pressure on the opposing quarterback wasn’t greater.
“They were tough up the middle,” Currence said. “We kept trying and trying and finally Cleveland broke the big one up the middle. We’ve got to get some sticky glue for our fingers and we must not drop so many people back on passes.”
“Our defense had the composure our offense didn’t have. When its fourth and one you have to have it and if you don’t have it, you don’t have a great ball club.”
Currence was overwhelmed by the fan backing.
“I’ve never gone to an away game and had the kind of support we had,” said Currence. “The booster club outdid itself. I expect the same treatment every game.”
GRIDSTICK M N First downs rushing 11 4 First downs passing 1 7 First downs penalties 1 0 Total first downs 13 11 Yards gained rushing 285 82 Yards lost rushing 29 28 Net yards gained rushing 256 54 Net yards gained passing 12 98 Total yards gained 268 152 Passes completed 1-3 14-23 Passes intercepted by 1 1 Yards on passes Intercepted 0 4 Kickoff 3-42 2-58 Kickoff returns 42 35 Punts 4-32 4-44 Punt returns 50 0 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 3-3 5-2 Yards penalized 4-50 3-45 Touchdowns passing 1 1 Misc. touchdowns 1 0 Total number of plays 55 57 Total time of possession 26:41 21:19
Will the Tigers get their “Aerial Circus” cranked into high gear?
Will they be quicker than a Cleveland East team which could be the most agile the Orange and Black will face this year?
These were the two questions uppermost in the mind of Washington High School head football Coach Mike Currence Thursday before he put his charges through their final pre-game workout.
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THE TIGERS (0-2) and the Blue Bombers (1-1) will square off tonight at 8 p.m. at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Currence is hoping that with Brown on hand and a dry field predicted, good luck will follow.
“It would be awfully embarrassing to lose with Brown watching,” Currence stated.
There are expected to be about 10,000 fans on hand to watch the Tigers and to watch Brown lauded at halftime when the stadium will be officially renamed in his honor. The Tiger Swing Band will present a special show in his honor.
“Quickness will play a big part in the game,” Currence said, “and there’ll be a lot of footballs in the air – as long as it doesn’t rain.”
East has a junior end named Myron Hockett who causes Currence cause for concern.
“I DON’T believe we have a receiver as quick, but Sam George is pretty quick,” Currence said. “Hockett seems to have the moves. Their coach, Joe Pledger, told me Hockett is also a big-time basketball prospect as well as a football prospect. He’s one of the best receivers I’ve seen.”
Currence said senior quarterback Ricky Holman also likes to throw to junior tight end Charles Radford and senior wingback Steve Reeves.
“He also catches well,” Currence said. “He’s an excellent kid – a two-way man. He also plays in the secondary with Holman.”
Five Bombers go both ways, including two other offensive backfield men – senior tailback Darnell Duncan and senior fullback Tony Jones. Duncan is a secondary man, Jones a linebacker in East’s 6-1 alignment.
Senior center Juan Pope also plays a defensive end slot.
“EAST THREW more than they ran last week against Warren Reserve,” Currence warned. “Our secondary hasn’t been tested yet because of the wetness. I think our boys are pretty good pass defenders. They won’t meet anybody better than Holman.”
The Bombers drop back and give Holman maximum protection, according to Currence.
“He throws the out-cut pass as well as any high school boy “I’ve ever seen,” Currence said. “He can duck out of trouble and I’ve seen him throw 30 to 40 yards off the wrong foot while running. He also throws the in-cuts well and is a threat with the keeper.”
Currence expects East to try the bomb to Hockett and short ones to the talented receiver if the Bombers get inside the 25-yard line.
East likes to run isolation and counter plays off their fullhouse-I as well as rollout for Holman to run with the backs running.
“A BIG question with East is who is injured,” said Currence. “Joe hasn’t told anyone but I suspect the tailback is hurt. Why else would they run Holman off a fullhouse-I and not run the tailback.”
Pledger reported in Thursday’s Evening Independent that he would hold injured players – now well – out of Friday’s games and would also not open up his offense. This is to prepare for the opening of the East Senate League campaign next week.
“I think he would like to have a victory over Massillon over any East Senate victory,” Currence said.
He expects Pledger to do some innovating defensively because he changed his coverage twice against Lakewood St. Edwards when Currence coached in 1974 and 1975. The Tiger skipper won both games.
“Because of East’s quickness the Tigers’ run and shoot offense will get its best to date,” Currence said.
DURING THE week stadium groundskeeper Paul Ford has filled holes with dirt so Currence hopes for dry weather. Otherwise the game could be a battle of the mud bowl.
Currence has been in contact with the Cleveland Browns this week to find out to where to buy a tarp. The stadium had one but it wore out.
To win tonight Currence said the Tigers must execute in games as it does in practice. He feels the ball handling has improved this week except for Tuesday. The Tigers haven’t had a wet ball to work with but have used old ones on which it’s hard to get a grip.
“It would be great if we could score the first touchdown,” Currence said. The morale has been good. It hasn’t been all drudgery as you might think it would be after two losses, although we were really down after last Friday. That loss hurt worse than the first loss.”
Currence had a similar problem at Westlake. After 40 points per game and putting up a 3-0 record, Currence’s quarterback broke his thumb. Westlake lost the next four games – all by about six points. Snap problems were in the bugaboo.
“I KNOW we’ve got the talent to win,” Currence said. “We’ve just got to get some experience.”
Only lineup change will see junior Marc Longshore playing some defense and doing some specialty work and senior Van Jones starting at safety, now fully recovered from a shoulder injury.
Senior defensive halfback Bill Henderson had the flu Wednesday. Senior defensive tackle Jesse Toles banged his elbow again Thursday. He had an infection.
Senior defensive tackle Randy Laase sprained a knee Thursday. Senior Mike Hardwick would replace Laase as the kickoff man and junior Mark Namanny at the tackle position.
Should Henderson not make it, senior Dave Warthen would replace him.
Brown sees Tigers win first 16-6
By CHUCK HESS, JR. Independent Sport Editor
The “Big D” was in charge Friday night, but it wasn’t Dallas.
The “Tiger Claw” and Blue bomber defenses battled with plenty of malice before 11,273 at the official recognition night for the renaming of Tiger Stadium to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
WITH BROWN on hand the Washington High gridders fought back in the fourth quarter to a 16-6 win over Cleveland East. It was the first win for the Tigers after two shut-outs. East drops to 1-2.
Brown had coached Tiger footballers on the same gridiron from 1932-1940.
“I think my kids outplayed Massillon tonight,” said East head coach Joe Pledger. “There’s no way they can convince me Massillon actually beat us. The Massillon kids played their hearts out but in the second half we started to get penalized like something out of the “Twilight Zone.” “We can’t understand why a penalty is called every play. It got to a point where it looked like something personal. They never let our offense get out. We stayed in the hole and started to make mistakes because they couldn’t react to all the penalties.”
East was called for 13 penalties (140 yards).
TIGER CHIEFTAIN Mike Currence said, “I think East outplayed us except for the fourth quarter. I think we wanted it worse than they did. Coach Pledger has a very experienced ball club. I’m glad of the way our kids hung in there.”
“The officials made some good calls tonight and they made some nobody saw. Our offensive line let us down.”
Massillon was called for seven penalties (75 yards).
Currence gave a lot of credit to the East defensive line.
“They were just quick as could be,” Currence said. “We couldn’t get around the end. Senior Juan Pope is one of the best defensive ends we’ve seen. Junior tackle Hammond Ford kept getting in there.”
THE QUICK East pursuit cut off the perimeter game for the Tigers and put plenty of pressure on Tiger passers. They completed no passes in 11 tries.
Meanwhile, the “Tiger Claw” defense made only one mistake. That was when East senior quarterback Ricky Holman scored around right end from 39 yards away with 3:07 left in the second quarter.
The conversion kick was wide left.
The TD had been set up when the Tigers failed to cover the punt on the kickoff following a second quarter safety and the Bombers got the ball down on Massillon’s 47. A holding penalty set East back but a roughing the punter call gave them the ball on the 39.
The Tigers won the game on a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns.
JUNIOR FULLBACK Jerry Shafrath scored on his first effort of the night, a three-yard run up the center, with 11:56 left in the fourth quarter. A Bret Traylor to Jay Harper pass was incomplete on the conversion try.
Shafrath ran for 46 yards without a loss on seven carries in the final canto.
The “Tiger Claw” defense had picked up the ball on a bad fourth down snap on the last play of the third stanza. Punter Tony Jones was tackled on the East three-yard line by end Dave Engler and linebacker Kurt Walterhouse, both juniors.
Halfback Billy Henderson got the Tigers under way on their other touchdown drive by intercepting a pass on the East 43. A personal foul call on East put the ball on their 27.
On second down on the 20 – after an illegal shift penalty – sophomore Rich Cleveland ran for the TD with 4:11 left. Mike Henderson’s kick was off to the left.
MASSILLON WAS first to hit the scoreboard. After running out of downs at the East seven in the first quarter and negating a 25-yard Cleveland run which put them there, the Tigers held East on three downs.
Jones dropped back to punt, with the ball on the 13. Center Juan Pope snapped the ball over Jones’ head and out of the end zone with 4:20 left.
East got socked with a personal foul and encroachment violations in the second quarter and had third down on the 11. Holman was chased into the end zone by seniors Jesse Toles, a tackle, Anthony Grizzard, a monster back and co-captain and junior end Frank Sweterlitsch.
Holman intentionally grounded the ball with 9:10 left for another safety.
The Tigers lost the ball on downs on the East 25 in the second quarter and were snuffed out by the clock at the Bomber 30 at the expiration of the second half.
The only other Tiger threat came near the end of the game when a short kick by Jones after a high snap went out of bounds at the East 28. But two Tiger passes fell incomplete and then a Brent Offenbecher to Shafrath handoff missed connections and East recovered at the 33.
EAST – 6 Ends – Campbell, Sutton, Robison, Crumpton, Edwards, Avery, M. Hockett. Tackles – Wilkerson, Randleman, McGlothan, Dye, Ford. Guards – Dunham, Martin, Strothers, Hughs, Mack. Centers – Pope, F. Jones. Quarterback – Holman, Jackson. Halfbacks – K. Hockett, Johnson, Duncan, Reeves. Fullbacks – T. Jones, Terrell.
SCORING SUMMARY M – Safety (East center snapped ball out of end zone); M – Safety (Ricky Holman, East, illegally grounded ball in end zone); E – Holman, 39 run (kick failed); M – Jerry Shafrath, 3 run (pass failed); M – Rich Cleveland, 20 run (kick failed).
OFFICIALS Referee – Craig Smith. Umpire – Merle McConkey. Head Linesman – Charles Flohr. Field Judge – Randy Manuella. Back Judge – Steven Kromer.
ATTENDANCE – 11,273.
GRIDSTICK Mass. CE First downs rushing 9 (numbers First downs passing 0 missing) First downs penalties 0 Total first downs 9 Yards gained rushing 215 Yards lost rushing 36 Net yards gained rushing 179 Net yards gained passing 0 Total yards gained 179 Passes completed 0-11 Passes intercepted by 2 Yardage on passes Intercepted 13 Times kicked off 3-53.3 Kickoff returns (yards) 61 Times punted 6-33.5 Punt returns (yards) 5 Had punts blocked 0 Fumbles 3-2 Yards penalized 7-75 Touchdowns rushing 2 Total number of plays 49 Total time of possession 20:25
‘Proud day’ for Brown’s family
By CHUCK HESS, JR. Independent Sports Editor
“This is a proud day for my family. ‘Thank you.’”
With those words Paul Brown, the pride of Tigertown, Friday night acknowledged two standing ovations and other plaudits by the fans and officials of the school at which he taught and coached in the thirties.
Brown was presented with a plaque by Lee McCauley, who had been chairman of the Massillon Jaycees’ “Paul Brown Week” festivities here in June.
L.C. YOUNG, superintendent of Massillon schools, was presented with a plaque by Delbert Demmer, president of the Board of Education. That plaque will hang on an outside wall of the west stands of Tiger Stadium, renamed “Paul Brown Tiger Stadium” in Brown’s honor in May by the Board of Education.
Brown received the first of his standing ovations when he and Mrs. Brown and others involved in the special halftime at the Tiger-Cleveland East game walked down the west sidelines during the Tiger Swing Band’s fanfare at the beginning of the intermission.
The other standing ovation came when he addressed the crowd.
“I spent many happy days here,” Brown said. “It was the best job. I think I did more good and got more backing than anywhere in the country.”
He thanked the fans on behalf of his players, coaches and the public who helped him gain the honor of having the stadium named after him.
“I ALSO want to give Lute Emery a public thank-you,” said Brown. “He helped us tremendously in controlling the spirit and thoughts of what we were doing – trying to be the best in everything I’m a very fortunate man.”
When Brown coached here, Emery was a sports writer for The Evening Independent. He is now the editor.
The Tiger Swing Band’s presentation of “Theme From the Olympics” and “Sweet Georgia Brown” must have really pleased Brown, who saw the band started here in 1938 by George E. “Red” Bird. Watching Tom Ickes perform as Obie must have also brought back memories for Brown who found the Tiger skin used by the first Obie.
The presentations to Brown and Young were made after the band formed “Paul” and “Brown” during the “Theme From the Olympics” number.
The whole thing started from a block march toward the north end of the stadium. The band then broke into the formation of Brown’s names, first “Paul” and then “Brown”. The majorettes did a twirling routine with ribbons on their batons.
“SWEET GEORGIA Brown” followed the presentation and featured a well-performed, tricky shuffle turn from block formation and a trumpet octet. The brass performers must have been exhausted after that because they were blowing harder than a hurricane blasting at the coast of Florida.
In the octet were John Bach, Barb Shuck, Lisa Zook, Al Dean, Bob Corban, Ann Archibold, Scott Ickes and Patty Smith.
The Tiger Swingsters countinue to amaze the fans each week with their marching and dancing dexterity and the manner in which they flood the stadium with their big sound.
For the first time this season, the Tigers wore all-black uniforms. When they came through the pre-game hoop (“Hi P.B.” and “Go Tigers”) they were led by senior co-captain and guard Mark Lauber.
There seemed to be a psychological battle going on prior to the game, as neither team came out right away for the kickoff. Finally the Tigers made it first.
HEAD statistician Tom Persell wore a new orange leisure suit in the pressbox.
Cleveland East’s band was not on hand.
The Blue Bomber head coach, Joe Pledger, explained that the reason he likes to run quarterback Ricky Holman as much as he did Friday night is that Holman is a tremendous athlete and a durable one.
“If anybody can hurt you on a football field, he can,” Pledger said.
Because of East’s poor field position most of the night the Bombers couldn’t throw as much as they normally do.
EAST’S REGULAR punt-snapper was in during the safety and the poor snap that resulted in the Tigers taking over at the 3-yard line. Pledger said the penalties hurt more than the kicking game problems.
Pledger said he knew what Currence runs and East used to use the run-and-shoot, so that helped them too.
Mike Currence, Tiger head coach, related that he thought the problem on the snap signal which brought two illegal shifts was noise from the fans. The quarterback turns his head, he said and if he yells too forcibly he will lose his mouthpiece and get a 15-yard penalty.
In the fourth quarter Currence put sophomore Brent Offenbecher in at quarterback.
“I wanted to see if Brent could open it up for us,” Currence said. “We had tried to open it up and couldn’t get the ball there. Bret Traylor was ‘off’ and pressured hard. They were giving us the motion pass. He has the arm, can take two steps and hit that motion pass. I thought if we could complete one we would take a little pressure off.”
CURRENCE thought the offensive backs played a good game and that fullback Jerry Shafrath ran harder in the fourth quarter than anybody else.
“You have to give him credit,” said Currence. “I’m hoping he’s healthy and ready to go.” (Shafrath had suffered a knee injury in the final pre-game scrimmage.)
A second-period delay penalty on East was called because the officials had blown the ball dead, it was then fumbled, an East player ran with it, fumbled it and another Bomber picked it up and tried to run with it.
East was not called for a roughing penalty against punter Mark Westover later in the game because the Bomber player who hit him also hit the ball.
Tiger senior guard and Co-Captain Mike Ramsey received a hip pointer, but it was not believed to be serious. His grandfather Russ, who is guardian of the pressbox door, was quite concerned.
According to Mr. and Mrs. McCauley, with whom Brown and his wife sat, “The Old Master” was tickled with two safeties, saying it had been 40 years since he had seen two in one game.
Take it from Neal Billman, now is not the time to desert the Tigers and rookie head coach Mike Currence.
“Massillon has some fine young players,” the coach of the Gahanna Lincoln Lions said after Friday night’s 10-0 victory over Washington High School before 9,109 at rainy Paul Brown Tigers Stadium.
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“IT’S A terrible thing to come into a new job and try to whip a team into a winner in the first year,” he said. “I had to do it at Ghanna and was 3-6. The people stayed with me and they ought to stay with this young man. He’s a proven coach.”
If somebody would only turn off the spigots and give Massillon’s new run and shoot offense a chance, the Tiger faithful, Currence and the team would be in a lot better shape.
Currence stuck to control football Friday night. Also running out of the single slot and double wing alignments, the Tigers moved the ball well but again had fumbles at the wrong time. They recovered six of their 10 miscues, losing one less than they did against Middletown.
The Orange and Black picked up 267 net yards to Gahanna Lincoln’s 134 and 14 first downs to the Lions’ three but the Tigers’ lost the ball at the Gahanna 20, eight, three, 29, 15 and six yard lines.
First and second quarter Bret Traylor handoffs to Rich Cleveland went awry. Traylor lost the ball in the third stanza when he sprinted out to pass and was hit a good whack.
THE TIGERS ran out of downs on the 20 in the first quarter.
Defensive back Kent Parrill intercepted Traylor’s second quarter pass at the 15-yard line. Marc Longshore’s fourth quarter aerial to Greg Carpenter from the six went incomplete even though Greg made a valiant diving try for it.
The Tigers had gotten close in via a Longshore to Sam George 41-yard effort. Cleveland’s 16 and 23-yard runs got them down deep in the first and second quarters. Carpenter’s 30-yard run also put them in scoring position in the first quarter.
By letting Lions off the hot spot so many times the WHS team was bound to get hurt. It happened in the third quarter.
JUNIOR tailback Tim O’Cain, a 10-flat 100 runner, broke through the center, cut to the right sideline and was gone for 49 yards for a touchdown on what Billman called an isolation play and Currence termed a counter. Monster back Anthony Grizzard and end Dave Engler almost stopped him about midway in his run.
Parrill kicked his conversion with the clock reading 0:37.
The Lions’ final score came when Parrill intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter on the Tigers’ 19. Three plays later, with 1:25 left, Parrill booted a 28-yard field goal and Massillon was shut out for the first time in 46 years in its first two games. It was also the first double loss at the beginning of a season since then.
Ghanna is 2-0.
“I saw some improvement tonight but what a way to lose,” Currence said. “You beat somebody to death the whole game and they beat you on the long one.”
Currence is quite perplexed about the Tigers’ ball handling problem.
“I WISH you would tell me what to do about it,” he said. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know why we’re having all the mistakes we’re having. I do know the elements had something to do with it. I haven’t played on dry land yet. Whenever I get a chance to play on dry land I’ll have something to compare.”
Currence pointed out that with Gahanna’s three yards and a cloud of dust wing-T offense they were not about to make mistakes.
“They’re a good team,” he said. “That one cloud was a big one.”
Then Currence cautioned, “Nobody had better come to town and think the Tigers’ morale is going to be down. I haven’t been here long but I have a feeling these kids will be tougher next week than they were this week. I think we did a pretty decent job.”
BILLMAN WAS happy that Gahanna never gave up.
“We’ve been that type of team through our tradition,” he said. “We’ve always played it nothing to nothing and have never concerned ourselves with the elements. We won a championship lat year in the rain.”
Billman said the Lions did some great blocking on the touchdown play. Left tackle Tim Stropki and fullback Vic Reed had the key hits, according to their coach.
“The Tigers are a very courageous and well coached team,” he said. “We had to make some middle adjustments at half time.”
Billman praised right linebacker Glenn Bradford for playing great football.
Here are the top net rushing yardages: Massillon – Cleveland, 111 in 18 carries; – Carpenter, nine in 56. Cleveland lost only one yard; Carpenter, none. Gahanna – O’Cain 55 in 11; – Reed 33 in 11.
A Tiger opening football game is usually used to tune up the Washington High School team, but tonight’s go with the Middletown Middies is anything but, folks.
Some 12,000 fans are expected to see the veteran charges of Middletown mentor Jack Gordon provide one of the stiffest tests of the season for the young pupils of new Tiger Coach Mike Currence.
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IF THE Orange and Black can get by this one, they’ll get a big boost. But if not it could be a long fall for Currence, who came here in May for Lakewood St. Edwards.
“It (tonight’s game) is darn important,” said the brown-haired skipper. “If we win, we’ll be a contender in the All-American Conference. It (the opener) is a gauge for the whole season. This is probably the most important opener we’ve had here in years. I don’t think we’ve ever met a team ranked as high as Middletown in an opener.”
Currence hopes the Middies will not be ready mentally, but he says the Tigers will be.
The game shapes up as a David-vs.-Goliath affair offensively because Middletown’s offense averages 204 pounds, compared to the Tigers’ 178. However, the Orange and Black’s offense has a slight advantage: 193-185.
The big differences show between the Middies’ 215-pound offensive line and the Tigers’ 187-pound defensive line and the Massillon 206-pound offensive line and the Middletown 194-pound defensive line.
“MIDDLETOWN WILL try to come right at us and push us out of there with their weight,” Currence said. “They will also try to throw a bit to keep us loose when we get up there real tight and then come back up the middle again.”
Currence expects Gordon to throw on first and 10 or second and one on two situations to keep the Tigers off guard. Middie junior quarterback Jackie Gordon is rated great by Currrence on the basis of reports from Gerry Faust, coach of defending state Class AAA champion Cincinnati Moeller which plays Middletown every year.
“Gordon’s real threat is probably with the pass and not the run,” Currence said. “He throws a tough possession pass which we’re worried about. He has thrown mostly to the wingbacks and split end in scrimmages but has also used a tailback who can catch the ball well.”
Currence says Middletown has consistently run 8, 10, 12, 14 yards at a clip so the Tiger skipper knows the Middies have a good blocking line led by senior tackle Tim Sorrell (6-3, 238).
“He’s quick enough to play defense and big enough to be a good offensive tackle,” Currence said.
TIGERS Offense ENDS – Sam George (5-11, 165, Sr.); Rick Chovan (5-11, 171, Sr.). TACKLES – Tim Tournay (6-2, 270, Sr.); Tim Daniels (6-7, 230, Jr.). GUARDS – John Hauser (5-11, 211, Sr.); Mark Lauber (6-1, 212, Sr.). CENTER – Mike Ramsey (5-8, 180, Sr.). QUARTERBACK – Bret Traylor (5-10, 159, Sr.). HALFBACKS – Jay Harper (5-5, 160, Sr.); Greg Carpenter (6-1, 188, Jr.). FULLBACK – Rich Cleveland (6-1, 180, Soph.). Defense ENDS – Gene Miller (5-10, 170, Jr.); Dave Engler (5-9, 180, Jr.). TACKLES – Randy Laase (6-5, 211, Sr.); Jesse Toles (6-0, 190, Sr.). MIDDLE GUARD – Carl Dorsey (5-9, 185, Jr.). LINEBACKERS – Kurt Walterhouse (6-0, 170, Jr.); Gary Border (6-0, 203, Sr.). SECONDARY – Anthony Grizzard (5-9, 168, Sr.); Randy Lash (5-8, 165, Sr.); Bill Henderson (5-9, 160, Sr.); John Letcavits (6-0, 155, Jr.).
MIDDLETOWN Offense ENDS – Ron Gregory (5-11, 180, Sr.); Tom Dorn (6-1, 185, Sr.). TACKLES – Greg Tigg (6-3, 248, Sr.); Tim Sorrell (6-3, 238, Sr.). GUARDS – Todd Ramsey (5-11, 214, Jr.); Lucious Ramsey (6-3, 247, Sr.). CENTER – Dave Rhea (6-1, 195, Sr.). QUARTERBACK – Jackie Gordon (6-3, 210, Jr). HALFBACKS – Jim Thompson (5-10, 170, Sr.); Rick Clements (6-2, 170, Sr.). FULLBACK – Lawrence Mack (5-10, 185, Sr.). Defense ENDS – Joe McMonigle (6-2, 200, Jr.); Frank Armstrong (5-11, 185, Sr.). TACKLES – Sorrell, Ed Brown (5-11, 205, Sr.). MIDDLE GUARD – Chris Jones (5-11, 175, Sr.). LINEBACKERS – Todd Bell (6-1, 180, Sr.); Jim Irwin (6-1, 175, Jr.). SECONDARY – Joe Merritt (5-9, 160, Sr.); Eric Cresham (5-8, 165, Sr.); Clements Gregory.
Referee – Edward Feils. Umpire – Arthur Burton. Head Linesman – Leonard Brudzinski. Field Judge – Henry Miesle. Back Judge – Glenn Halm.
Middies, rain dampen Tiger hopes
By CHUCK HESS, JR. Independent Sport Editor
“It won’t rain for all of them.”
You’re right, Mike Currence. There are better times coming for the Tigers.
HAMPERED BY wet weather which is not the best thing for run and shoot football – the Tigers’ new offense – but is great for power control up the middle, which the Middletown Middies ran Friday night, the Washington High gridders went down 6-0 before the veteran visitors from southwestern Ohio.
But 12,154 fans saw the Orange and Black put up a tremendous defensive battle against a team which outweighed them by an average of 26 pounds per man. They held the Middies to 121 yards but managed only 74 themselves – a figure which hasn’t been seen here in years.
Currence even tried using some straight-T football in order to help things.
Rain came down before the game and during the third quarter, making for a wet ball which caused nine fumbles by each team. The Tigers lost five and the Middies one.
So the defense continually had to bail the offense out. There were some bad snaps on both sides which caused havoc with punters, but the Tigers got the words of this too.
“WE ALMOST has this one in the rain against a much bigger team and a much more experienced team,” said Currence. “People told me the way these kids are down here,” he added. “My goodness! Look how we played! A group of kids with two years’ experience. You can’t tell me these kids didn’t give me 100 per cent tonight. It was just inexperience with the ball that killed us. We did a pretty good job defensively.”
The Tigers almost scored in the third and fourth quarters at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Junior quarterback Marc Longshore had the ball slip from his hands as he was running, preparing to pass on fourth down from the Middleton 11 in the third quarter.
Bret Traylor tried to hit Longshore, playing end in the fourth quarter but the wet ball slipped from Marc’s hand on the Middletown 40 with the agile junior in the clear.
Middletown’s lone touchdown came in the second quarter on the end of a 47-yard drive when 5-11, 170-pound senior tailback Jim Thompson scored on a 20-yard draw play. Jackie Gordon’s conversion kick was wide left with 10:08 left.
THE MIDDIES threatened in the first quarter after recovering Traylor’s fumble on the Orange and Black’s 28-yard line but Jesse Toles halted the drive on the two when he recovered Lawrence Mack’s fumble and raced to the 10.
Middletown drove to the Tigers’ 22 in the second period but the Tiger defense stiffened and forced a punt.
After Mark Westover fumbled a snap in the third quarter and punted only five yards to the Tigers’ 44, the defense hit hard, causing two Middie fumbles – both recovered by the foe – and got the ball back on downs at the Middletown 46.
However, they lost it two plays later when sophomore Rich Cleveland fumbled while running a draw and Dale Hopper got it for Middletown on his 45.
Middletown threatened again with 1:17 left in the game when a Traylor to Jay Harper pitch went awry on the Tigers’ 19 and Todd Bell recovered. But time ran out with the ball on the eight.
“Tonight was made for our offense,” Middletown Coach Jack Gordon said, “but we had hoped to throw the ball.”
GORDON COMMENTED that his offense is big and strong up front, but the Tigers are a very quick team, which bothered the Middies. However, they were able to follow their game plan of controlling the line of scrimmage.
Two of their backs Mack and Thompson – gained 152 total yards. Mack picked up 89 in 24 carries, losing only one yard. Thompson got 63 in 15 tries with no losses.
“I think Mike (Currence) has done a fantastic job of putting in a new offense in three short weeks,” Gordon said. “I’m very impressed with their spirit and desire.”
He felt that the fact that he had experienced players in his lineup helped tremendously.
“It was a great defensive game for both sides,” Gordon said. “They have great traditional football up here. To come up in the Tigers’ den and open up with a win has got to be a great win for us.”
Middletown downs Massillon, 6 to 0
By Hymie Williams Plain Dealer Bureau
MASSILLON – The coaching debut of Mike Currence of Massillon High was foiled by the Middletown Middies, 6-0, on a water-soaked Paul Brown Tigers’ Stadium gridiron before 12,154 fans Friday night.
Heavy rain before the game and also in the third period made for an extremely slippery gridiron that stymied the running and passing games for the two clubs.
Currence was coach of Lakewood St. Edward last season where his team went 10-0 and lost out to Cincinnati Moeller, 14-12, in the state AAA championship game.
Currence inherited a rookie team at Massillon, with not a single returning offensive regular. The Massillon mentor tried both Bret Traylor and Marc Longshore at the quarterback spot, but neither had much success.
The Tigers attempted 18 passes and completed only three.
The Middletown team, with veteran talent at most positions scored the game’s lone touchdown at 10:08 of the second period when running back Jim Thompson found an opening in the Massillon forward wall and raced 20 yards for the score. The drive covered 43 yards. Jack Gordon’s attempt for the extra point was wide. Gordon is the son of the Middletown coach.
MIDDLETOWN 0 6 0 0 6 MASSILLON 0 0 0 0 0
SCORING SUMMARY Middletown – Jim Thompson, 20 run (kick failed).
GRIDSTICK Mass. Midd. First downs rushing 6 5 First downs passing 2 0 First downs penalties 1 1 Total first downs 9 6 Yards gained rushing 100 156 Yards lost rushing 72 38 Net yards gained rushing 28 118 Net yards gained passing 46 3 Total yards gained 74 121 Passes completed 3-18 1-2 Passes intercepted by 0 0 Times kicked off 0 3-45 Kickoff returns (yards) 66 0 Times punted 6-26 6-30.5 Punt returns (yards) 0 27 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 9-5 9-1 Yards penalized 4-20 3-35 Touchdowns rushing 0 1 Total number of plays 59 60 Total time of possession 22:23 25:37
To the Editor of The Evening Independent
My wife and I attended the football game last Friday and stayed overnight in Massillon. Our son is a Middletown player and our daughter is a cheerleader.
I think I can safely speak for all Middletown fans, coaches and players when I say that you showed us how a real championship town performs.
Many things impressed us, the drive through your handsome downtown and every window with a “Sink the Middies” poster, that enormous gold “Ohio Scholastic Champions” flag on top of the bank, our entrance into your fine stadium with 12,000 people there in a driving rain and what must be the largest American flag in the state unfurling for the National Anthem.
Your enormous marching band played beautifully and put on a fine show before the game. Their routines and music at the half marked them as truly big time.
And what a football game! It wasn’t over until the final seconds ran out on a super-gutty team. Your boys never quit; they were still hitting hard on the last play.
But the people we met impressed us most. You all were pleasant, unfailingly kind, smiling and gracious, even as we left the stadium. Anybody can be a good winner, but the real champ is a good loser.
You are quality folks. Please invite us back again soon to show us how high school football should really be played and enjoyed. Harold Dorn Middletown September 12, 1976
It was a rude way to treat a visitor, Massillon got mugged in Canton Saturday.
The visiting Massillon Tigers had to believe they were in “fun city” and the McKinley Bulldogs stole everything but the orange-and-black sox.
The Bulldog bandits, better known as the McKinley defense, picked off four Massillon passes and pounced on three fumbles to slap the Tigers wit a 21-15 defeat.
There were 20,435 witnesses to the “crime” at Fawcett Stadium as the weatherman misplaced his calendar and provided a beautiful September day on Nov. 8.
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It was the 80th game in the scholastic football classic that dates back to 1894. McKinley now has won 32, Massillon 43 and five were ties.
The victory concludes the season with McKinley winning its ninth straight to finish 9-1. Massillon is 6-3-1.
The win also gave the Bulldogs an unbeaten 5-0 mark and undisputed championship of the All-American Conference. Massillon finishe4d 3-2 in the conference in a second-place tie with Warren Harding.
Bill Poulos and Eric Llewellyn were the heroes for the Bulldogs.
Poulos, who has played in the shadow of the Pups fine quarterback Roch Hontas, turned in a magnificent performance as he intercepted two Massillon aerials in the first half to set up two McKinley touchdowns.
Massillon Coach Chuck Shuff called Poulos’ second interception the key to the game.
“It allowed them (the Bulldogs) to get that second score just before the half and I think that made a great deal of difference in the game,” Shuff said.
Llewellyn pounced on two Massillon fumbles in the second half, but he made the big play in the fourth period when he intercepted another errant aerial and returned it 25 yards to the Tigers’ 12-yard line to set up the winning and final McKinley TD.
“It was a great effort by our kids,” said a jubilant McKinley Coach John Brideweser. “The defense was great, just super. You can’t ask any more of those guys.”
“All year our kids have been doing things they really shouldn’t be able to do and they do it on sheer determination and guts,” Brideweser praised.
Four minutes into the game Poulos stung the Tigers the first time quarterback Todd keller put the ball in the air.
The 5-foot-9, 195 pound senior cornerback stepped in front of the Tiger receiver at the 50, grabbed the pass and raced all the way to the Massillon 16. From there Hontas got four yards on a rollout after scrambling back to the 40 and after fullback Ken Hall was stopped for no gain, an offside penalty against the Tigers put the ball on the 7.
Hontas pitched left to swift Tom Grafton who sped into the end zone behind the blocking of Larry DuBose and Elmer Jackson.
A McKinley fumble gave Massillon the ball at midfield 35 seconds before the end of the half.
Keller was sacked by McKinley’s Tim Moore and also was called for intentionally grounding the ball, to put the ball at the Tigers’ 34.
Poulos then pulled his second theft of the Keller pass, returning it from the 44 to the 27. Hontas completed a 15-yarder to Mel Weatherspoon, who got out-of-bounds at the 12.
Then Hontas fired into the end zone where Massillon defensive back Anthony Grizzard tipped the ball, but McKinley’s Ray Ellis snared it for the TD just six ticks of the clock before halftime.
The third quarter was less than three minutes old when another McKinley fumble (the Bulldogs lost three of four) gave Massillon the ball at its own 40, where the Tigers mounted their only drive of the game.
Massillon went 60 yards in 15 plays, with fullback Bill Harmon running 12 times for 47 of the yards, including the five-yard TD plunge. His brother, Keith kicked the point and the Tigers trailed only 13-7.
McKinley deep back Fred Haywood, a 6-2 senior, came up with a defensive gem saving a Tiger TD early in the fourth period when he batted down a halfback pass from Bill Harmon and intended for Bill Bammerlin who had beaten the Bulldogs’ secondary.
On the next play, middle guard Gerald Jackson belted Keller loose from the ball and Llewellyn covered his second fumble. But the Pups had to punt it away, with Poulos kicked it to the Tigers’ 23.
After Harmon got a yard, Keller put it in the air again and disaster struck. Llewellyn picked it off at the 35 and raced to the 12. Mike Beadle then got six on his lone carry of the day and Grafton swept to the one. Hontas then used the silent count quarterback sneak to ice the game with 6:50 left on the clock.
Massillon put the fans on their feet for the final time two plays later when Tom Grizzard found a hole in the left side of the McKinley line, cut back using the umpire for a key block and raced 75 yards for the final Massillon score. Bill Harmon’s run cut the margin to 21-15, the final score, with 5:37 left.
The Pups put together a time-consuming march from their own 47 to the Tiger’s 23, before losing the ball on downs with 1:32 remaining.
Keller threw two incompletions and Haywood picked off the fourth interception of the day and ran it back to the Tiger’s 16, where Hontas fell down twice to run out the clock and give Canton McKinley fans peace and tranquility for another 364 days.
TIGERS Offense Ends – Bill Bammerlin (6-2, 167, Sr.); Mark Matie (6-0, 225, Sr.). Tackles – Mike Lauber (5-11, 207, Sr.); Sylverster Drobney (6-1, 216, Sr.). Guards – Todd Schumacher (5-11, 200, Sr.) Carl Christoff (5-8, 172, Sr.). Center – Dan Nagle (5-11, 232, Sr.). Quarterback – Todd Keller (6-1, 185, Sr.). Halfbacks – Tom Grizzard (6-0, 185, Sr.) Keith Harmon (6-2, 195, Sr.). Fullback – Bill Harmon (6-1, 237, Sr.)
Defense Ends – K. Harmon; Drobney. Tackles – Steve Easter (6-1, 203, Sr.); Matie. Middle guard – Jess Toles (5-10, 192, Jr.). Linebackers – Anthony Grizzard /(5-10, 163, Jr.); T. Grizzard). Secondary – Glenn Arner (6-1, 173, Sr.); Don Stewart (5-11, 151, Sr.); Willey Conley (5-11, 173, Sr.); Harold Dorsey (5-11, 188, Sr.).
GRIDSTICK Mass. McK. First downs-rushing 8 4 First downs-passing 1 5 First downs-penalties 2 2 Total first downs 11 11 Yards gained rushing 222 121 Yards lost rushing 18 24 Net yards gained rushing 204 97 Net yards gained passing 17 82 Total yards gained 221 179 Passes completed 1-10 7-12 Yardage on passes intercepted 0 4-100 Kickoff average (yards) 3-44.3 4-54.7 Kickoff returns (yards) 51 0 Punt average (yards) 4-40.0 6-39.0 Punt returns (yards) 11 4 Had punts blocked 0 0 Lost fumbled ball 3-3 3-4 Yards penalized 8-56 6-60 Touchdowns rushing 2 2 Touchdowns passing 0 1 Total number of plays 55 53 Total time of possession 27:05 20:15
City getting steamed up for big grid game
By CHUCK HESS, JR. Independent Sports Editor
The victory bell was ringing, Washington High hallways were decorated with pep signs, a car parade wound its way up Oak Ave SE past Washington High. You could tell it was Thursday – two days before the season ending football game with arch-rival Canton McKinley.
The schools are closed today because of a county-wide teachers’ in-service training day.
IN HIS OFFICE, Tiger Athletic Director and Head Coach Chuck Shuff concentrated on plans for Saturday’s contest which is to start at 2 p.m. at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium before a sellout crowd of 22,000. Standing room only tickets will go on sale at 1 p.m. at the stadium’s Blake Ave. gate.
Fans were advised to use car pools and get to the stadium early because parking spaces will not be as plentiful this year. This is because of construction work on the McKinley High School, slated to open for the 1976-77 school year.
“McKinley will be the most well-balanced team offensively we will have faced,” Shuff said. “Roch Hontas is the hub of the Bulldogs’ offense. The way he goes is the way McKinley’s offense will go.”
Hontas is the All-American Conference’s leading passer. Split end Mel Weatherspoon and wingback Ray Ellis, his favorite targets are among the league’s leading receivers.
The Bulldogs, on the strength of Hontas’ arm and aided by the quick threats of tailback Tom Grafton (9.7 clocking in the 100) and halfback Ken Hall, will be out to get revenge for a last-second 20-15 loss pinned on them by the Orange and Black in 1974 at Tiger Stadium. A win will give McKinley a 5-0 record, the AAC title and an outside chance of getting into the state’s Class AAA playoffs.
THE BULLDGOS, who would end the season 9-1, if they win, (they lost their opener), were knocked out of the playoff picture by the Tigers last year. The Orange and Black (6-2-1, 3-1) are in second place in the AAC and would like to spoil the Pups’ chances again and tie for the league title.
McKinley is in second place in the Region 3 computer poll. Massillon is in fifth.
“We have to put pressure on Hontas Saturday,” Shuff said. “We can’t let him have a lot of time to throw.”
Hontas, who passed for one touchdown and kicked a 25-yard field goal in the 1974 game, has picked apart teams which have given him too much time to set up. He throws a lot of bootleg passes.
The Bulldogs use Hontas’ passing to help maintain control of the ball with short passes,” Shuff said. “He has the choice of running or passing on the bootleg. He’ll throw on any down and he will throw the bomb.”
Shuff expects the Bulldogs to use a six-man line against the Tigers in order to hobble Tiger fullback Bill Harmon, the AAC leading ground gainer and second leading scorer.
“They’ve been running it quite a bit this year,” the skipper said. “If we feel we can pass to break it up, we will pass.”
SHUFF REPORTED that practices have been spirited this week. The team knows it has a job to do, the students are ready and both groups hope all fans will show their support tonight and Saturday. Because one of the biggest crowds ever turned out for last year’s parade and rally and because they gave their loud support at the game, the Tigers sprang an upset on the Bulldogs.
“Desire is always a big part of this game and it will be again Saturday,” said Shuff, who will be in his second game as the Tiger chief.
Both teams will be in top shape. Senior defensive end Jeff Lab is expected to see some action. He has been sidelined a good part of the season with an injury.
One change in the Tigers’ starting defensive lineup will see senior Steve Easter at left tackle.
The Tigers and their coaches will be feted one last time tonight by the Tiger sideliners. Dinner will start at 5:45 p.m. at the Massillon American Legion Post 221.
Then it will be on to the “Beat McKinley” downtown parade and bonfire rally at Agathon Field. Starting time for the parade will be 7 p.m.
The team will have a pancake and steak breakfast at 9:30 a.m., Saturday at the high school. Then they’ll walk to St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church and the traditional service conducted by the Rev. Wayne E. Yeager, the church’s pastor.
After that buses will take them to Fawcett Stadium.
Large crowd cheers Tigers in parade, bonfire rally
By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Many Massillonians took one last fling Friday night in getting their Tigers ready for today’s 80th renewal of the famed Massillon-Canton McKinley grid classic. The game will be played before a sellout crowd of 22,000 at 2 p.m., at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium.
One of the largest crowds ever to witness a pre-game parade and rally turned out for the pep events.
The traditional “Beat McKinley” parade started at Washington High School and wound its way through downtown streets to Agathon Field, where a bonfire rally was held. Leading the parade was the Tiger Swing Band.
COACHES, school officials and Tiger Booster Club officials spoke to the fans, all assuring them that the Orange and Black would not disappoint their faithful today.
For the team and their coaches, the night’s festivities began at the home of American Legion Post 221, where the Tiger Sideliners held the final meal of the season with the team. Then came the parade and rally.
The team and coaches ate a pancake and steak breakfast this morning at the high school. They then proceeded to St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church for the traditional pre-game service.
McKinley tops Massillon by 6
By Hymie Williams Plain Dealer Bureau
CANTON – Alert defensive plays that turned Massillon miscues into dividends propelled the Canton McKinley Bulldogs to a 21-15 victory Saturday at Fawcett Stadium before 20,435 in the 80th renewal of the nation’s best known scholastic football rivalry.
Four interceptions and three fumble recoveries by the Bulldogs helped them to their ninth straight victory after an opening game setback to Youngstown Cardinal Mooney. The triumph also handed them the championship of the All-American Conference. Massillon finished the season with a 6-3-1 mark and leads in the series with McKinley, 43-22-5.
Massillon trailed, 13-0, at the half but tallied in the third period to cut the margin to 13-7. McKinley snapped back when linebacker Eric Llewellyn, the defensive star for the Canton team, intercepted a Tiger aerial on the 12 in the fourth period. Three plays later, McKinley had another touchdown which proved enough. Llewellyn had two fumble recoveries, one interception and was the leading tackler.
McKinley was led on offense by Roch Hontas, senior quarterback who started the game for the second straight year. He hit on seven of 12 attempts for 82 yards. One of the passes went for a touchdown. Hontas also scored the final McKinley touchdown on a one-yard sneak.
Big Billy Harmon, the 237-pound Massillon fullback, was stymied in the first half with only 25 yards but he wound up with 94 yards and scored Massillon’s first touchdown.
The first touchdown for the Bulldogs, which came at 6:48 of the opening quarter, was set up by corner Bill Poulos, who intercepted and ran to the Tiger 16. Hontas made it to the 12 before 190-pound linebacker Tommy Grafton zipped around left end for the score. Hontas kicked the extra point.
Midway in the second quarter, Massillon had driven to the McKinley 30 but fumbled and Llewellyn hopped on the bouncing ball.
It appeared the half might end without further scoring when Massillon recovered a McKinley fumble late in the stanza. But Poulos was Johnny-on-the-spot again on the 23.
Hontas hit Melvin Weatherspoon on the 12. On the next play, Hontas rifled a pass towards wingback Ray Ellis in the end zone.
Two Tiger defenders took turns at swatting at the ball but the ball oozed into the waiting arms of Ellis, who did a happy dance in the end zone after the catch. Hontas’ attempt for the extra point was wide to the left.
Massillon was inspired for the second half. The Tigers recovered a McKinley miscue and with Bill Harmon carrying the mail in 12 of 14 plays the Tigers covered 60 yards for the score. Keith Harmon, Billy’s 205-pound brother, kicked the extra point.
Massillon appeared headed goal-wards again soon after but Llewellyn discovered a Tiger fumble on the 42 and captured it. McKinley could make no headway and was forced to kick.
Quarterback Todd Keller of Massillon, who had a disturbing afternoon, attempted a pass which was intercepted by Llewellyn on the Tiger 12. In three plays, McKinley was across the goal line on Hontas’ one yard sneak. Grafton ran over for the extra points.
Massillon didn’t quit. The Tigers roared back as tailback Tommy Grizzard ran 75 yards in a scintillating dash down the field. Bill Harmon bulled over for the extra points.
Massillon had a final chance with the ball with 90 seconds to play but Weatherspoon intercepted a Keller pass to extinguish the Tigers hopes. McKinley ran out the clock and walked off the field with its sweetest victory of the season.
’75 puzzling season for Tiger grid team
By CHUCK HESS, JR. Independent Sports Editor
What’s the answer?
Two days after the season closing 80th renewal of the Massillon-Canton McKinley gridiron classic the Tigertown faithful are still asking that question. What made a season which appeared to have so much promise never live up to its rave notices?
How can a team be so snake bitten in one afternoon before 20,435 fans at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium that is has four passes intercepted, setting up all of Canton McKinle4y’s touchdowns in its 21-15 win? How can a team be so unlucky that it also has three fumbles recovered by the opposition, each killing promising drives?
HOW CAN “Tiger Luck” desert the Orange and Black as disastrously that what Washington High defensive coordinator Joe Siesel called a “super defensive effort” might as well not have been. The Tigers held a well-balanced McKinley offense to 179 total yards. Eighty-two of those yards came in the air, compared to Massillon’s 17.
The Bulldogs felt the pain Tiger defenders dished out, to the tune of losing three of their four fumbles. McKinley assistant coach Bill Michaels, a former aide, described the situation well.
“You should have seen us at halftime,” he said. “We left it all out there on the field.”
Hashing and rehashing the 1975 season may help to make the 10 long months until the 1976 season opens pass faster for the Tiger faithful. There are many factors to consider. Even Tiger Coach Chuck Shuff isn’t sure of all the answers.
“I don’t know what the problem was in the first half,” Shuff said. “If you could be too ready for a game, maybe that was the case. I know our kids were ready. We showed it the second half. We just made mistakes you can’t go with.
“IT WAS a physical game. I can’t be prouder of our kids. We hit them. We didn’t receive any hitting. We made very few adjustments at halftime. We just reassured the boys of the things we had to get done and they came out and did it. Joe Siesel and the defensive staff did a whale of a job. The defensive kids played great football. They kept coming back and making the plays.” But a team can stand only so much pressure.
McKinley halfback Bill Poulos started the heart breaking afternoon for Tiger quarterback Todd Keller by picking off a pass on the Bulldog 38 and running back to the WHS 16 where Keller knocked him out of bounds. Two plays later tailback Tom Grafton skirted end from the seven – after a Massillon encroachment penalty – with 6:48 left in the first quarter. Roch Hontas kicked the conversion and the 7-0 lead gave the Bulldogs the momentum early.
Poulos picked off another pass on the Massillon 42 late in the second quarter and ran to the Tigers’ 27. Hontas threw consecutive passes to Mel Weatherspoon and wingback Ray Ellis – who had the help of Willie Conley’s deflection to aid his catch – but Hontas’ kick was wide left to keep the score at 13-0 with six seconds left in the half.
The third steal was by linebacker Eric Llewellyn who returned from the Massillon 35 to the Tigers’ 12 in the last quarter. Three plays later Hontas sneaked over from the half-yard line – with 6:50 left in the game – after a Massillon personal foul penalty. Grafton raced outside end for the conversion.
LLEWELLYN ALSO recovered a pair of Tiger fumbles inside McKinley territory to put the brakes on the Orange and Black.
The Tigers scored in the third quarter on a 59-yard, 15-play drive after halfback Don Stewart had recovered a McKinley fumble on the Bulldogs’ 41. Fullback Bill Harmon carried on 13 of the plays and over guard from the five for the score with 1:40 left. Brother Keith kicked the conversion.
Harmon ended with 94 yards to 25 attempts and 1,278 yards for the season to make him the second all-time leading rusher in the All-American Conference.
The Obiemen’s other score came on a 75-yard draw play in the fourth quarter. After a 15-yard punt runback by Pete Killins, tailback Tommy Grizzard, obviously tired from playing an outstanding game at linebacker, made the run with 5:37 left on the clock. Bill took a pitch off tackle for the conversion.
“Our kids played with pain all season,” McKinley Coach John Brideweser said. “Roch Hontas had a broken hand twice and never said a thing. Ray Ellis had a broken thumb. Cliff Frazier had a sprained shoulder and re-injured it when he hit Harmon.
Shuff plans to stay as coach
Tiger head football Coach Chuck Shuff cast aside today, weekend rumors which had him tendering his resignation as coach.
“I have a three-yard contract and for all loyal Tiger Boosters, I’m saying I plan to stay,” Shuff said.
Shuff has one year to go on a three-yard contract. He came to Massillon in 1974 from Fremont. His two-year record is 12-7-1.
Tiger Boosters postpone meeting until Tuesday
The final Tiger Booster Club session of 1975 will be delayed one day due to a meeting of All-American Conference coaches which will find the mentors selecting this year’s all-league team.
The booster will meet Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the Washington High School auditorium. Films of the McKinley game will be shown and head Coach Chuck Shuff will answer questions on the game.
Distance no deterrent to fans of Pups, Tigers
By DAVE KAMINSKI
One’s first indication that the Massillon vs. McKinley football game is not just another high school contest might have come by walking to Fawcett Stadium Saturday afternoon.
There are not many games that will draw so many out-of-state license plates, as seen on cars parked around Fawcett Saturday. Distance is no deterrent to some fans of the annual clash.
It certainly wasn’t for Tom Beadle of Tamp, Fl. Tom was on hand in the crowd of 20,435 to see his brother Mile play defense for the Bulldogs and to run once out of the McKinley backfield for 6 yards.
Helium balloons were big for both sides. The Massillon fans had a few hundred black and orange orbs contained in giant plastic bags on the sidelines, waiting to be released when the Tigers took to the field.
It looked like Massillon’s helium show would outdo host McKinley’s. But, as the Bulldogs emerged from their locker room, the roof suddenly came off a replica of McKinley high positioned on a trailer on the field and from out of the school came McKinley’s spheres of black and red.
Like a flock of birds, the balloons from both cheering sections rose and floated out of the stadium to signal the start of the contest.
Meanwhile, Obie, Massillon’s Tiger mascot, was inspecting the Massillon sideline, stopping to lick the hands of friendly fans while tethered on the leash of his trainer.
He playfully pawed and nuzzled the orange-clad faithful, but one has to wonder if Obie is trained to see the color red in a different light.
A psychological war took place between the opposing teams before the real battle began. McKinley took to the field and assumed more than its half of the 100 yards to perform warm-up exercises. To counter, this, the Tigers, grouped in the end zone suddenly jumped into a sprint across field, stopping just short of colliding with the first row of Bulldogs.
Fans, sporting orange or red, depending on their persuasion, participated in their own kind of mayhem in the seats.
But soon the contest began and the festival trappings of the game took a back seat to the action.
In total net rushing, Massillon out-legged McKinley 189-93.
Leading in the individual-offense figures were a couple of runners for the losing Massillon Tigers. Tailback Tom Grizzard totaled 90 yards in 5 carries, including a 75-yard scamper in the fourth quarter for Massillon’s second touchdown. Fullback Bill Harmon carried 24 times for 87 yards.
McKinley’s leading rusher was halfback Tom Grafton, who managed 50 net yards on 15 totes. Backfield mate Ken Hall rushed for 35 yards in 7 tries.
Roch Hontas’ passing was much the story of McKinley’s offensive success. Hontas hit on 7 of 13 aerials for 83-yards and a touchdown. In comparison, Tiger signal caller Todd Keller netted only 17 yards on one completed pass. He tried 10 and had 4 intercepted.
McKinley lost 3 of its 4 fumbles, while the Tigers gave up all 3 of their bobbles. In first downs, the Pups led 13-11. Bill Poulos averaged 36.8 yards per attempt on 5 punts for McKinley. Tiger punter Keith Harmon booted 4 times and averaged 38 yards per shot.
McKinley lost 67 yards on 6 penalties, while the Tigers had 60 markers stepped off against them in 8 incidents.
