State title goes out window for WHS Alliance makes its season with 6-3 win
By CHUCK HESS, JR. Independent Sports Editor
A state championship went out the window for one team and a season was made for another Friday night at Tiger Stadium.
A state title went out the window because the Tigers made too many mistakes against a team they were supposed to beat handily.
SO SURE were Alliance fans that they were going to lose that the small entourage which they sent to Massillon swelled the crowd to only 8,507, the second smallest turnout at Tiger Stadium this season.
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In losing 6-3 to the Aviators and former Tiger Julius Tonges, the Obiemen made a 180-degree turn in their caliber of play. Last week they controlled every phase of the game in beating Warren. On Friday night they controlled nothing. Alliance had the ball for seven minutes more than the Tigers.
The Aviators won their first game ever at Tiger Stadium . Their last win in Tigertown came in 1927 via 13-0 count at Massillon Field.
The Aviators last victory over the Tigers was a 46-0 win in 1962 at Hartshorn Stadium in Alliance.
The Orange and Black led in the overall statistical parade but in the rushing department – in which they should have greatly overshadowed Alliance – they fell behind 176-186. Quarterback Keith Keller completed five of 12 passes – under great pressure – adding 49 yards to the ground total for a 225 overall count.
ALLIANCE COMPLETED only one of four passes for nine yards and a 195 total.
The Tigers played a miserable first half, getting only 76 yards overall in 110 for Alliance, with 71 coming on the ground. The Aviators had 101.
Against Alliance’s seven-man front the Tigers had trouble running during the whole game, but the Tigers’ final six passes didn’t come until the last quarter. Interceptions by Gilbert Goodwin at the Alliance 37 and by Russell Goodwin at the Aviator’s three – on the final play of the game – killed both threats.
“We had the ball enough times to win, but we fumbled four times (the Tigers lost two of them) and had two passes intercepted,” Shuff said. “We did not play heads up football. They controlled the line offensively and defensively.
“We weren’t in the right game of mind. Woody Hayes says 90 per cent of football is played from the neck up. We just didn’t learn our lesson well enough earlier.”
(A REFERENCE to a 6-6 tie with Nordonia in the second game of the season – another game which the Tigers were expected to win.)
In the other dressing room Tonges was on cloud nine.
“We told our boys if they got this one, it would make amends for our last five games,” the Alliance first-year mentor said. “From the Ravenna game on we have played nothing but outstanding team. Nobody in Ohio has played a tougher schedule than we did this year. That made us tougher for the big ones. This team gave all it had for 48 minutes. I’m proud of them all.”
Tonges thought Alliance could have beaten Canton McKinley if the Aviators had gotten some breaks in the officiating. He thought the Pilots fumbled the game away at Warren.
“We put a little pressure on Keller,” Tonges said. “We also felt we had to use a seven-man line. We ran the cross buck and a lot of quick dives, mixing it up pretty well.”
TIME AND again Alliance fullback Art Kennedy powered through the center or between the guards and tackles for big gains. But Tiger fullback Bill Harmon was not able to cut loose until the second half.
He gained all the Tiger yardage in the third quarter, ending with the 128 net yards in 22 carries. Kennedy picked up 115 yards in 23 attempts and fullback Richard Scott garnered 49 yards in 16 carries.
The Tigers converted only four of nine third-down attempts to Alliance’s two of 12.
The Tigers scored first on a 54-yard, 10-play drive, culminated by Keith Harmon’s 43-yard field goal with 11:32 left in the second stanza. Tailback Pete Killin’s 22-yard scamper around end with a pitchout set up the tally.
Keith Harmon’s three-pointer was his third of the season, tying Bob Pflug’s effort in 1923.
HE HAD another chance on the final play of the second stanza. He had recovered a bad pitchout from Alliance signal caller Ed Tremoulis on the Aviators’ 49.
Aided by a 15-yard interference penalty, the Orange and Black got to the Alliance 29 in five plays. However, Harmon’s 47-yard boot went to the left.
Alliance’s lone touchdown came after a handoff from Keller to Grizzard went awry and was recovered by Chuck Banks at the Massillon 29. Three plays later Kennedy burst through center from the 16, raced to the two, fumbled the ball into the end zone and Don Johnson hopped on the pigskin for the TD with 5:22 left in the second stanza.
Tiger, Aviator Facts
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 – Tim Tourney (6-2, 265, Jr.); 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.).
ALLIANCE Offense Ends – Russell Goodwin (5-8, 150, Sr.). Brad Siefke (6-1, 175, Sr.). Tackles – Dave Baker (5-9, 170, Sr.); Homer Miller (6-1, 200, Sr.). Guards – Paul Bowman (5-8, 175, Sr.); Dave Kellerher (5-8, 180, Sr.). Center – Don Baker (5-8, 170, Sr.). Quarterback – Ed Tremoulis (5-10, 155, Sr.). Halfbacks – Art Kennedy (5-8, 170, Sr.); Richard Scott (5-8, 155, Sr.). Fullback – Gilbert Goodwin (5-7, 155, Sr.). Defense Ends – Siefke; Steve Clunk (5-11, 171, Jr.). Tackles – Larry Schenk (5-7, 165, Jr.); Don Crockett (5-11, 205, Sr.). Linebackers – Dave Baker; Miller; Charles Handock (5-11, 180, Jr.). Secondary – G. Goodwin; Phil Grove (5-8, 155, Jr.); Don Johnson (5-7, 150, Jr.); Scott.
Points scored this year – Tigers 150; Alliance 48.
Points allowed this year – Tigers 24; Alliance 180.
OFFICIALS Referee – Chuck Hinkle. Umpire – Jim Keefer. Head Linesman – Tom Coleman. Field Judge – Don Miller. Back Judge – Steve Nagy.
GRIDSTICK Mass. All. First downs-rushing 8 10 First downs-passing 3 0 First downs-penalties 3 1 Total first downs 14 11 Yards gained rushing 193 196 Yards lost rushing 17 10 Net yards gained rushing 176 186 Net yards gained passing 49 9 Total yards gained 225 195 Passes completed 5-12 1-4 Passes intercepted by 0 2 Yardage on passes intercepted 0 3 Kickoff average (yards) 2-51.5 2-36.5 Kickoff returns (yards) 17 13 Punt average (yards) 3-36.0 6-34.6 Punt returns (yards) 25 0 Had punts blocked 0 0 Lost fumbled ball 2-4 1-3 Yards penalized 3-35 5-45 Touchdowns rushing 0 1 Total number of plays 51 55 Total time of possession 20:42 27:18
The Tigers believed! The fans believed! Now all Buckeyeland has to believe!
MASSILLON HAS a great football team! The Orange and Black took a giant Friday night step toward a state championship and the title in the All-American Conference by putting together one of the greatest displays of offensive and defensive football ever fashioned by a Tiger football team!
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Before 17,267 fans, the largest crowd of the season, the Orange and Black upset a great Warren Harding team 17-0. Everything you could ask for was there: powerful offensive football, two of the greatest goal line stands high school football fans ever have seen, an eye-popping brother scoring combination, a record-setting field goal and team football at its best!
The Tigers scored the first three times they handled the ball. They made Harding, defending state Class AAA champion, play catch-up football and made sure the Panthers didn’t catch up
The Black Panthers, who had won 20 of their last 21 games, including seven this year, saw their AAC record drop to 2-1.
The Tigers’ state jumped to 6-1-1 overall and 3-0 in the league. The Orange and Black remained tied with Canton McKinley (7-1, 3-0) for the AAC lead.
“THIS WIN made my whole body feel good,” said Tiger Coach Chuck Shuff, a former Harding assistant who lost to the Black Panthers 35-10 last year at Warren.
The first thing that made the skipper fell good was a 47-yard field goal by senior Keith Harmon with 7:45 left in the first quarter. Harmon had put Harding in the hole with a 54-yard kickoff. End Syl Drobney and tackle Steve Easter made the situation worse with a nine-yard spill of tailback Gus Tucker to the three, Scott Ingram’s punt went out on the Harding 43.
Quarterback Todd Keller ran two great end runs to put the ball on the Harding 30. Then Harmon booted the field goal with plenty of height and distance to spare.
The previous longest field goal was one kicked 40 yards by Bill Edwards, later a great coach and athletic director at Wittenberg University, in 1924 in a 77-0 win here against Alliance. Harmon’s 56-yard kickoff again put Harding into a hole. Safety Willie Conley and linebacker Anthony Grizzard threw Tucker into another tailspin from the 21, a procedure penalty was thrown in for good measure and Ingram punted from the 15.
JAY HARDPER made a fair catch of the punt on the Tiger 47 and the Tigers were off and running again as Bill Harmon picked up 37 yards in 10 carries on the drive, ultimately scoring from the two over left guard with 9:04 left in the second quarter. He also jumped over a Harding player while bulling his way over the middle for the conversion.
Keith Harmon kicked off 51 yards to the nine, Junior Robby White ran back to the 22. On the next play, Tiger tackle Mark Matie hopped on a fumble at the 28.
Quarterback Todd Keller hit Keith Harmon, out of his swingback spot over the middle, on the next play for a TD with 8:07 left in the second quarter. Harmon’s attempted conversion kick was wide left.
At this juncture Warren Coach Tom Ross inserted star tailback Tyrone Hicks, who had been on crutches Wednesday, nursing a knee injury. He and quarterback Frey, with some tricky ball handling, ignited the Black Panthers’ offense.
Harding rolled to the Tigers’ six in 13 plays after Keith Harmon’s 56-yard kickoff. The big play was Tucker’s 20-yard romp between right tackle and right end to the seven.
On third down Frey tried to hit senior wingback Weibush in the end zone but Conley dived in at the knick of time.
“I saw two players go back over there and jumped between them and batted the ball away,” Conley said.
On fourth down Frey passed into the flat to Hicks who dropped the ball.
HARDING THREATENED after taking Keith Harmon’s kickoff at the 25. In 11 plays they were on the Massillon one.
Defensive coordinator Joe Siesel sent in the “Tank Corps” including 6-2, 265-pound tackle Tim Tourney and Bill Harmon, 6-1, 237-pound end. The Orange and Black held on four running plays.
The Tigers then began to move with the help of junior tailback Pete Killins, but ran into a flock of penalties and lost the ball on downs at their 45.
Later after Keith Harmon’s third down quick kick, Frey hit Weibush with a 26-yard pass to the Tigers’ 41. Two plays later he hit senior end Ezra Alls with a 15-yarder to the Tigers 22.
On second down Frey connected with Alls again, in the left corner of the end zone, but he dropped the pass.
THE TIGERS, with Killins and Bill Harmon doing the carrying again, took the Orange and Black machine to the Harding 36 where the Obiemen lost the ball on downs. They had the ball on the Black Panthers’ 22 when the game ended to a tumultuous standing ovation for the team and for sure-fire All-Ohioan Harmon who, during the Tigers’ final drive of the first half, went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season.
He carried the ball 24 times Friday night, netting 112 yards, to put his total at 1,056 for the season. Mike Mauger’s 1,200 in 1970 is the next highest Tiger total. Then comes Tom Hannon’s 1,236 in 1972 and Willie Spencer’s 1,251 in 1971. They fill the AAC’s second through fourth all-time spots.
Rick Gales of Niles McKinley holds the lead at 1,266 in 1969. Just above Harmon is Steubenville’s Mike Palmer at 1,093 in 1966 in sixth place.
“It was tough running against their line,” Co-Captain Bill Harmon said. “I earned everything I got. The line did a great job opening the initial holes. Tom (Grizzard) and Pete (Killins) did a great job of taking the pressure off me. I’m happy about Keith’s field goal and going over 1,000 yards.”
“Our defense was great,” said Shuff. “I think Conley was thinking of Upper Arlington and wasn’t going to let that (winning touchdown pass) happen again. Warren had a good defense.”
“THE OFFENSE kept possession when they had to and the pass from Todd (Keller) to Keith (Harmon) was great,” said Shuff. Billy (Harmon) rammed hard in there. We had some nice movement. I thought our offensive line started taking charge in the fourth quarter.”
Harding surprised, according to Shuff, by running unbalanced left.
“I’m proud of our boys’ performance in both the first and second halves,” Warren Coach Ross said. “We felt we got out physicalled at the line of scrimmage tonight. Harmon had a great night, the kids hit him with all they had.”
“We have to pick up the pieces and go back and get ready for another football game.”
As to Hick’s playing on a bad knee, Ross felt he was ready mentally and physically.
“WE TRIED to deemphasize his importance because that’s the way he wanted it,” Ross said. “He’s not a selfish football player.”
Hicks’ carried the ball 12 times for 74 net yards. Tucker carried six times for 46 net yards.
Massillon, Warren Lineups
TIGERS Offense Ends – Bill Bammerlin (6-2,167, Sr.); Mark Matie (6-0, 225, Sr.). Tackles – Mike Lauber (5-11, 207, Sr.); Sylvester 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 – Tim Tournay (6-2, 265, Jr.); Matie. Middleguard – 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.); Willie Conley (5-11, 173, Sr.) Harold Dorsey (5-11, 188, Sr.). WARREN Offense Ends – Russ Porter (6-2, 205, Sr.); Aaron Reed (5-7, 150, Sr.). Tackles – Ed Kowalczyk (5-11, 210, Sr.); Jamie Candella (6-3, 215, Sr.). Guards – Dave Maurice (5-10, 191, Sr.); Ed Farah (5-10, 175, Sr.). Center – Ed Bolino 95-10, 175, Sr.) Quarterback – Bill Frey (5-10, 160, Sr.). Halfbacks – Gus Tucker (5-11, 195, Sr.); Kurt Weibush (5-9, 165, Sr.). Fullback – Dave Terpin (5-0, 185, Sr.). Defense Ends – Ernie Epitropoutos (6-0, 183, Jr.); David Allen (6-2, 200, Jr.). Tackles – Porter; Candella. Middle Guard – Erick Lewis (5-10, 175, Jr.). Linebackers – Tucker; John Epitropoulos (6-0, 183, Jr.). Secondary – Gary Angel (5-7, 150, Sr.); Bruce Davenport (6-0, 175, Sr.); Timothy Hall (6-1, 170, Sr.); John Canty (5-11, 170, Sr.).
Warren offense (line 191, back field 176, overall 186); defense (line 193, secondary 166, overall 184).
SCORING SUMMARY M – Keith Harmon, 47 field goal; M – Bill Harmon, 2 run (B. Harmon run); M – K. Harmon, 28 pass from Todd Keller (kick failed).
Series – Tigers 35-14-1.
Points scored – Tigers 1,023; Warren 426.
Points scored this year – Tigers 133; Warren 207.
Points allowed this year – Tigers 24; Warren 38.
OFFICIALS Referee – Chuck Lorenz. Umpire – Brenton Kirk. Head Linesman – Bill Kerr. Field Judge – Nick Costello. Back Judge – Wilson Murray.
ATTENDANCE – 17,267.
GRIDSTICK Mass. War. First downs-rushing 10 7 First downs-passing 1 2 First downs-penalties 2 1 Total first downs 13 10 Yards gained rushing 181 165 Yards lost rushing 5 39 Net yards gained rushing 176 116 Net yards gained passing 28 42 Total yards gained 204 158 Passes completed 1-2 2-10 Passes intercepted by 0 0 Yardage on passes intercepted 0 0 Kickoff average (yards) 4-54.8 3-50.0 Kickoff returns (yards) 24 72 Punt average (yards) 3-30.3 3-30.3 Punt returns (yards) 0 0 Had punts blocked 0 0 Lost fumbled ball 0 1-2 Yards penalized 4-20 4-40 Touchdowns rushing 1 0 Touchdowns passing 1 0 Total number of plays 45 47 Total time of possession 26:50 21:10
Harmon AAC’s top scorer
Massillon’s Bill Harmon lost his All-American Conference rushing lead to Niles McKinley’s Phil Chelsea last weekend, but held on to his all-games lead. He also continued to lead in league and all-games scoring.
Harmon has rushed for 415 yards (6.2 average) while Chelsea has rushed for 418 yards (5.6). Harmon has scored 38 points in league games and 80 overall.
CHELSEA IS second in league scoring with 24 points and tied for second overall with Warren Harding’s Tyrone Hicks with 72.
Other rushers and scorers from the Tigers: rushers – Tom Grizzard (10th league, 93 yards, 4.4 average; 10th overall, 300 yards, 4.9 average); scorers – Keith Harmon (sixth, league 15 points).
Alliance, Massillon’s foe this week, has Richard Scott fourth in league rushing (217 yards, 6.4 average) and Art Kennedy eight (98 yards, 3.9 average). Scot is also seventh in overall rushing (378 yards, 4.4 average).
Todd Keller continues to be sixth in overall passing (16 for 48, 336 yards, three touchdowns, three intercepted). He does not show league passing for the first time this week.
Canton McKinley’s Roch Hontas leads both passing departments. His figures: (overall – 45 for 91, 688 yards, five touchdowns, three intercepted: league – 23 for 45, 343 yards, two TDs, one intercepted.)
BILL FREY of Warren Harding is second in both passing categories. His figures: overall – 29 for 78, 596 yards, five touchdowns, five intercepted; league – 15 for 36, 295 yards, one TD, one intercepted.
Aliance’s Ed Tremoulis is fourth overall (17 for 61, 245 yards, no touchdowns, nine intercepted) and third in the league (11 for 35, 63 yards, no touchdowns, three intercepted).
Keith Harmon is sixth in overall receiving (seven catches, 160 yards, two touchdowns) and does not show in league receptions. Alliance’s Scott is fourth (14 catches, 122 yards) and Russell Goodwin sixth (12 catches, 128 yards) overall. Scott is third in league receivers (seven catches, 25 yards) and Goodwin fourth (five completions, 63 yards).
Canton McKinley’s Ray Ellis leads in overall catches (17, 253 yards, one touchdown) and league receptions (11 catches, 163 yards). Dan Gatta of Niles McKinley is second overall (17 catches, 224 yards, one TD) and second in league receptions (seven catches, 92 yards).
THE EVENING INDEPENDENT Saturday, October 25, 1975 A great victory!
Massillon’s Washington High School Tigers took a big stride forward in Ohio scholastic football Friday evening when they defeated the previously unbeaten and defending state champion Warren Harding High School team in Tiger Stadium.
It was one of the great game in Tiger history and certainly one of the best in the Warren-Massillon series.
The game was closer than the 17-0 score would indicate and the Warren players need not feel ashamed of their performance. They, too, played a terrific game. But the Tigers were masters of the goal line offensively and defensively. They crossed it twice for touchdowns, once for points after touchdown and kicked a 47-yard field goal, the longest in Tiger history.
The high mark of the game was when the defense stopped Warren in a first down situation on the one-yard line in the third quarter. They looked like the Tigers of old when they didn’t yield an inch in four plays. Earlier in the game they had also stopped a Warren effort inside the 10.
It was a great victory for Massillon, a team effort and Coach Chuck Shuff and his young athletes deserved all the plaudits they received from the crowd . . . a demonstration of what can be done when team and fans get together and shove for victory.
Tigers shut out Colonel White 24-0 Before cold and wet homecoming crowd
By DENNIS HIGHBEN
The Massillon Tigers (5-1-1) shut out Dayton Colonel White (4-3) 24-0 Friday, on a cold and wet homecoming night.
Tim Hassel, Dayton coach and Tiger Coach Chuck Shuff agreed the inclement weather hampered the offensive output of both teams.
“THE FIELD wasn’t too bad until the end of the second quarter,” Shuff said, “and after that it was miserable.”
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The weather definitely kept the score down. In the second half neither team could conquer the muddy, slippery field to establish a ground game and the passing attacks were hampered even more.
The only thing that resembled a drive in the final half was on Massillon’s first possession, when the Tigers marched from their 33 to Dayton’s 33, where a fourth down run was stopped short by a fumble.
After losing a touchdown on a penalty in the first quarter, the Tigers got down to business and pushed across the Cougars’ goal three times in the second period for all the points of the evening.
Massillon started on its own 20 after the opening kickoff and marched 80 yards for the touchdown that was nullified.
Dayton used a six-man defensive line and three linebackers in an effort to stop the Tigers’ powerful ground game, but the Tiger interior linemen still overpowered the defenders and fullback Bill Harmon gained 19 yards on the first three plays.
After a snafu play the Tigers had a third-and-six on their 37 and Keller threw to Wingback Keith Harmon at Dayton’s 40. Harmon picked up another 10 yards before being tackled. Five plays later Keith got the ball on a reverse and scampered 13 yards into the end zone, but the score was called back on a clipping penalty.
QUARTERBACK TODD Keller threw to End Bill Bammerlin a few moments later from the 23, but the pass was short and Dayton defender Rich Vaughn picked off the pass at the one and was tackled at the six by End Mark Matie.
Dayton ran three plays and punted. Pete Killins caught the ball at Massillon’s 45, slipped by several tacklers and scampered downfield, but was denied a touchdown when he slipped and fell at Dayton’s eight. Killin’s run was wiped out by a clipping penalty anyway and the Tigers had to start from their 30.
Harmon, who gained 135 yards to 28 carries to bring his season total to 944 yards, split the rushing duties with Tom Grizzard and the two got the ball to Dayton’s 10-yard line in 10 plays. Harmon ran through a hole in the center of the line, sidestepped a linebacker and went into the end zone with 11:18 left in the second period.
Grizzard took the ball on a pitch and dragged two Dayton defenders into the end zone for the two point conversion, making it 8-0.
Keith Harmon kicked off and the ball sailed into the end zone. Dayton Quarterback Reggie Oglesby dropped back to pass on first down and was sacked by Grizzard at the 10. Fullback Barry Johnson gained three yards on the next play and on third down Tony Grizzard, the other half of the Tigers’ hard-hitting Grizzard brothers linebacking corps, batted down an Oglesby pass.
OGLESBY, WHO also served as Dayton’s punter was set to punt from near the goal line, but received a bad snap from center. By the time Oglesby was able to kick, several Tigers had penetrated the line and Keith Harmon blocked the punt. The ball rolled to the goal and sophomore tackle Kurt Walterhouse jumped on the ball for a touchdown.
Keller rolled out and threw to Tom Grizzard for the conversion and with 9:13 left in the half the score was 16-0.
Dayton, starting at its 20, drove to near midfield but on third down Tom Grizzard clobbered halfback John Smith in the backfield for a seven-yard loss and Dayton was forced to punt.
Massillon started from its own 27 following the punt and on third and five at the 32, Keller rolled out to pass. The ball slipped out of his hand as he attempted to throw and went straight up. Keller caught his own pass, broke a tackle and picked up the first down.
The Tigers got to Dayton’s 29, when Matie ran a pattern across the field, caught a Keller pass around the nine and went in for the score with 1:22 left in the half, Killins took a pitch from Keller and ran in for the Tigers’ final two points, making it 24-0.
THE BIGGEST highlight of the second half was Dayton’s “Polecat” offense. With the center in the middle of the field, three men lined up near one sideline and six lined up near the other. Oglesby would take the snap about 12 yards deep and throw to any one of the five eligible receivers.
Since there wasn’t anybody in the backfield to run the ball, Oglesby had to pass, but the aerial charades were rendered futile by some fine play from the Tiger secondary, assisted by the wind and rain.
The Tigers adjusted to the wild formation and on Dayton’s last possession Oglesby was sacked twice by Don Englehardt and Bob Dennison for a total loss of 27 yards.
Hassell said after the game the “Polecat” would have worked better in dry weather, but overall he was satisfied with is team’s performance.
“I wish the score would have been a little closer, but we know now we can play on Massillon’s level,” he said.
“IT WAS a real thrill to come up here and with a 24-0 score we can still go back to southern Ohio respectable.
The Cougar coach stated that as an inter-city school, the opinion around Dayton was that Colonel White would get clobbered.
“Our whole school was excited about us playing Massillon and we had a lot of fun doing it. I’d love to come back again next year,” he added.
Shuff praised the Tigers’ and especially the teams’ defensive play. Dayton only penetrated Massillon territory once and only by a single yard and that drive was killed on an interception by defensive back Willie Conley. Colonel White finished with minus four yards rushing, 65 yards passing and four first downs.
SCORING SUMMARY M – B. Harmon, 9 run (T. Grizzard run); M – K. Walterhouse punt block (T. Grizzard pass from T. Keller); M – M. Matie, 29 pass from Keller (P. Killins run).
OFFICIALS Referee – Warren Jones. Umpire – Tony Pianowski. Head Linesman – Charles Hinkle. Field Judge – Harold Baker. Back Judge – Clyde Shankle.
ATTENDANCE – 7,357.
GRIDSTICK M CW First downs-rushing 16 1 First downs-passing 2 3 Total first downs 18 4 Yards gained rushing 263 41 Yards lost rushing 4 45 Net yards gained rushing 259 4 Net yards gained passing 61 65 Total yards gained 320 61 Passes completed 2-8 7-17 Passes intercepted by 1 1 Yardage on passes intercepted 37 4 Kickoff average (yards) 3-46.6 2-53.5 Kickoff returns 9yards) 20 0 Punt average (yards) 0 5-26.2 Punt returns (yards) 0 0 Kicks blocked 0 1 Lost fumbled ball 1-3 0-1 Yds. Penalized 3-35 1-5 TDs rushing 1 0 TDs passing 1 0 Misc. TDs 1 0 Total number of plays 64 36 Total time of possession 33:01 14:59
Harmon and company romp 37-0 Tigers make Steubenville see “Red’
By DENNY HIGHBEN Independent Sports Writer
Bill Harmon and Company, also known around these parts as the Massillon Tigers, crushed the Steubenville Big Red Friday night, 37-0.
Harmon’s effort in Big Red’s Harding Stadium put him over his rushing and scoring totals for the 1974 season, with four games yet to be played this year.
THE POWERFUL, fullback, who runs like something from the Cenoziac, carried the ball 22 times Friday, gaining a whopping 224 yards and scored 20 points. That put this season’s totals at 809 yards and 66 points. In 1974 Bill gained 789 yards and scored 54 points.
“Our team has come of age,” Massillon Coach Chuck Shuff said after the game, referring to the consistent improvement the Tigers have made since a bad start put a couple of dents in Tigertown’s title hopes. “We worked hard in practice all week . . . we haven’t quit working and it’s paying off. The blocking has improved quite a bit,” Shuff added.
The truth of that last statement was evident every time Harmon, Tom Grizzard and the other Massillon backs got their hands on the ball. In earlier games Harmon had to drag a few defenders right from the line of scrimmage for short gains. Friday night the Big Red defense hardly put a pad on Harmon until he got past the line and then it took a lot more to stop him, resulting in his better than 10-yard average per carry.
Steubenville’s head coach, Bill Bohren, had nothing but praise for Massillon after the game. “There wasn’t a phase of the game we could control,” he said and referring to Tiger talent and strength added, “That’s the most material I’ve seen on one football team since I’ve been coaching.”
If Massillon’s that good, I’d hate to see Upper Arlington’s team. It must be awesome,” Bohren said. (Upper Arlington beat the Tigers 8-7 in the third game of the season).
STEUBENVILLE, now 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the All-American Conference, only came close to scoring once in the ball game and that was when Massillon’s defense was loaded with reserves. It was late in the fourth period and Big Red had a first down at Massillon’s four-yard line, but a pitch out from quarterback Gary Williams to running back Billy Ware missed its destination and Junior Mike Ramsey recovered for the Tigers.
Massillon scored with 8:50 left in the first period when Bill Harmon capped a 67-yard nine-play drive with a 15-yard burst through the line for a TD. Keith Harmon added the extra point, making it 7-0.
Keith Harmon’s kickoff was to Big Red’s six, Ware bobbled the catch and was downed at the four-yard line. Steubenville then took most of the remaining time in the first quarter to gain 25 yards before punting.
Massillon got the ball on its own 26 and runs by Harmon, Tom Grizzard and a pass from Todd Keller to Mark Matie got the ball to the Big Red three-yard line in eight plays. Harmon took a pitch out on the next play and swept around the right side of the line for another TD. Bill ran right through the heart of Steubenville’s defense for the conversion and the score was 15-0 with 10:57 left in the second quarter.
Steubenville’s next drive went nine yards and was aided by a five-yard penalty against Massillon for being offside.
After the punt Massillon started another scoring drive, from its 36. Junior tailback Pete Killins got the ball on first down, but failed to gain any yardage and Harmon gained six on the next play. Bill then went through the middle of the line on third-and-four, ran over a couple tacklers and was finally collared on the Steubenville 20.
HARMON RAN the ball one more time, getting the ball to the 14 and Tom Grizzard took over. Grizzard carried the ball three times, to the five, the one and over the goal with 4:55 left in the half. Keith Harmon kicked the extra point and the tally was 22-0.
Steubenville made two first downs on the following series, but the drive came to a crackling halt when Big Red slotback Larry Jones took a pitch from Williams and attempted to run around the left side. Jones was hit with such force by Tom Grizzard, playing linebacker, that the ball flew out of his arms and rolled out of bounds. Jones spent the next few moments on his back until he was able to stand up and walk off the field.
Big Red punted and Killins caught the ball at Massillon’s 27, got behind a wall of blockers and ran to Steubenville’s 15 before being tripped up. Two plays later Killins went over the goal line from five yards out, Keller passed to end Bill Bammerlin for the conversion and Massillon led 30-0.
Derrick Dorsey received the kick off for Steubenville to start the second half and ran from his nine all the way to the Tiger 28. Steubenville lost two yards on the next play and then lost the ball on downs and the Tigers started their final scoring drive from the 30.
Massillon faced a third-and-six on Steubenville’s 44, when Harmon ran over the Big Red defense for 29 yards (and went over the 200-yard mark). A few plays later Harmon scored from the six-yard line and brother Keith kicked Massillon’s final point, making the score 37-0 with 6:12 left in the third quarter.
SHUFF HAD been sending in reserve players since the second quarter and after the last score the reserves did most of the work. Harmon did not see action after the final touchdown.
“I was pleased with the way our reserves moved the ball against Steubenville’s first-string defense,” Shuff said. After the Steubenville fumble Massillon drove to its 37 before punting and Big Red lost its last chance to score when Tiger defensive back Ron Hykes intercepted a Williams pass at the Massillon 22.
Steubenville’s other AAC defeat was a 20-0 loss to Warren Harding, a game in which Big Red lost the ball 12 times on turnovers. When asked to compare Warren and Massillon, Bohren said without hesitation, “Massillon should cram the ball right down Warren’s throat.”
MASSILLON 7 23 7 0 37 STEUBENVILLE 0 0 0 0 0
SCORING SUMMARY M – B. Harmon, 15 run (K. Harmon kick); M – B. Harmon, 3 run (B. Harmon Run); M – T. Grizzard, 1 run (K. Harmon kick); M – Killins, 5 run (Bammerlin Pass from Keller); M – B. Harmon, 6 run (K. Harmon kick).
MASSILLON – 37 Ends – Arner, Conley, Chovan, Butterfield, Eberhardt, Matie, M. Jones, Moon, Bammerlin, Laase. Tackles – Mark Lauber, Mike Lauber, Genet, Drobney, Toles, Baughman, Dennison, Tourney. Guards – Brand, Ricker, King, Schumacher, Christoff, Bettilyon, Ramsey, Hauser. Centers – Mitchel, Nagle, Englehart. Quarterbacks – Smith, Traylor, Keller, Hykes. Running backs – Stewart, Warthen, V. Jones, Dave Bylene, Harper, B. Harmon, K. Harmon, T. Grizzard, A. Grizzard, Killins, Haas, Ellis, Rogers, Grove, Dorsey, Szasz.
Tiger offense explodes for 36-8 win Harmon scores first 22 points
By DENNY HIGHBEN
The Tiger defense continued its outstanding play and the offense finally got rolling Friday night at Tiger Stadium as Massillon thrashed Cleveland Benedictine, 36-8.
It was “Dads’ Night” at the stadium and the Tigers’ performance certainly made the group of fathers proud – and two of the men had double reason to smile.
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ONE WORE placards bearing numbers 32 and 43, identifying him as the father of Bill and Keith Harmon. The other wore numbers 35 and 45, identifying him as the father of Tom and Tony Gizzard. Bill and keith accounted for 30 of Massillon’s points. Tom and Tony gained any yardage needed when Bill wasn’t running the ball and together formed a hard-hitting duo as Tiger linebackers.
Bill Harmon carried the ball 27 times, over, under, around and through the Bennies’ defense, gained 196 yards and scored Massillon’s first 22 points. He also threw some fine blocks for his fellow running backs.
“We didn’t know how many yards he had,” Shuff commented in the locker room. “We would have let him run the ball a few more times to break 200 yards if we had known.”
The concrete fullback did gain 201 yards but, unbelievable as it seems, he lost five yards somewhere and finished with a net 196 yards – and he didn’t touch the ball in the fourth quarter.
But Harmon was not alone on the Tiger side of the scrimmage line. The whole offensive team played an outstanding game and the defense held the Bengals to a total of eight first downs, (two on penalties) and only three of those were in the second half.
BENEDICTINE HAD only lost one game – by four points – prior to the battle at Tiger Stadium and Coach Auggie Bossu said his team’s defensive play was its strongest point. After the game he summed the loss up by saying, “We couldn’t stop the run.”
The Bennies kept the game interesting in the first half and the teams went into the locker rooms at the half with eight points each. Asked if the Tigers were worried about the halftime score, Shuff said, “I don’t know about anybody lese, but I was.”
“But we came out poppin’ it the second half…They (the Bennies) never gave up, we just wore then down,” Shuff added.
After exchanging punts, Harmon ran the ball six times, with Tom Grizzard running it once just to keep the Bennies guessing and with 3:05 left in the first quarter Bill went six yards for a score. Quarterback Todd Keller handed off to Harmon on the conversion and the big fullback crossed the line for two more points.
Benedictine moved into Tiger territory on the following series and on first-and-10, at Massillon’s 29, quarterback Steve Martuas threw a touchdown pass to end Bruce Kniola. Martuas and Kniola teamed up on another pass for the conversion and the score was tied at 8-8.
WHEN THE TIGERS got the ball in the third quarter the first time, runs by Harmon, Tom and Tony Grizzard got the ball to the Benedictine two-yard line and Bill drove in for the TD with 7:26 left in the period. Harmon ran for the extra points, making it 16-8.
A few moments later Massillon had the ball on Cleveland’s 49 and Harmon ran a sweep around the left end. Expert blocking took out most of the Benedictine defenders, Harmon ran over the rest and went THE distance for the score with 4:44 left in the third. Tom Grizzard tried a run for the extra points but was stopped short and the score was 22-8.
“We tried a couple new plays tonight, to get Harmon wide,” Shuff said. That sweep was one of them.
After that score, fresh troops for the Tigers poured into the game and the result was another 14 points. As the third period ended, reserve tailback Pete Killins followed the interior line and Bill Harmon into the end zone from two yards out for a score and Keith Harmon booted the extra point.
With 10:14 left in the final period reserve quarterback Dave Smith dropped back and threw an 18-yard pass to Keith Harmon for the final TD.
THE LAST POINT took some time to score. The Tigers lined up at the three and Keith was going to kick the conversion, but Massillon was penalized five-yards for illegal procedure. The Tigers lined up again but got another five-yarder tacked on, so Keith ended up kicking from the 20-yard line, which made it a 30-yard extra point.
Keith was wide on a 39-yard field goal attempt in the second period.
Though Bengal running backs Bob Conwell and Damian West both made some fine runs, gaining a combined total of 84 yards, the Cleveland rushing game couldn’t do the job and the Bennies resorted to the pass. The results were two interceptions, one by Willie Conley in the third period and one by Tom Grizzard in the fourth. Grizzard’s interception came at the Massillon 34 and he was prevented from going the distance by a shoe-string tackle that tripped him up at the Bengals’ 18. That’s when Smith stepped in and threw the bomb.
“It was a total team effort,” Shuff summarized. He gave the reserve players a lot of credit. Those athletes haven’t seen much action this season because of the rough going experienced by the starting units in previous games.
“The reserves work awful hard in practice to make our first unit go and they proved themselves tonight,” Shuff said.
The contingent of reserves that played contained four sophomores and one, fullback, Ken Nagle, was mistakenly identified as Van Jones. Jones is the regular number 24 and Nagle was also wearing a number 24 Friday night. Nagle played offense while Jones played defense.
The Tigers, now 3-1-1, travel to Steubenville Friday for a game against AAC foe Steubenville. Steubenville is 3-2.
MASSILLON 8 0 21 7 36 BENEDICTINE 0 8 0 0 8
SCORING SUMMARY M – B. Harmon, 6 yard run (B. Harmon run); B – Kniola, 29 pass from Martuas (Kniola pass from martaus); M – B. Harmon, 49 run (run failed); M – Killins, 2 run (K. Harmon kick); M – Killins, run (K. Harmon kick); M – K. Harmon, 18 pass from Smith (K. Harmon kick).
MASSILLON – 36 Ends – Arner, Conley, Chovan, Butterfield, Eberhart, Matie, Bammerlin, Jones. Tackles – Mark Lauber, Genet, Drobney, Baughman, Mike Lauber, Dennison, Tourney. Guards – Ricker, Brand, King, Schumacher, Christoff, Baus, Bettilyon, Ramsey, Hauser, Fatigati, Sweterlich. Centers – D. Nagle, Grove, Mitcheal, Englehardt. Backs – Smith, Traylor, Arner, Keller, Stewart, Warthen, Jones, Harper, B. Harmon, Killins, A. Grizzard, Ellis, Rogers, Parson, K. Harmon, Dorsey, T. Grizzard, Toles, K. Nagle, Walterhouse.
Tiger field goal beats Red Dragons Defense, fumble key to AAC win
BY DENNY HIGHBEN
Niles McKinley had the ball on Massillon’s six-yard line. It was fourth down and three yards to go for a first down, with 2:04 left in the game.
Massillon was ahead 3-0, a score that would have been unbelievable except for the somewhat bizarre results of the first three games of the Tigers’ 1975 season.
THERE WAS certainly noise in Tiger stadium at that moment, though it seemed as quiet as a museum at midnight.
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Niles called time out to decide what to do. The Dragons started to lineup for the play and the Tigers called time out.
The young athletes finally lined up to attack and defend. The ball was snapped, but not on cue. When the pile in the center of the line cleared away, Massillon’s Dan Nagle had the ball.
And the Tigers won their first All-American Conference game of the season 3-0. The winning margin was a 27-yard field goal by Keith Harmon in the second quarter.
“What can a guy say?” Niles Coach Tony Napolet asked rhetorically after the game.
IT’S TOUGH to get beat 3-0, real tough. We’re proud of our kids…A break here and a break there and the outcome would have been different,” he said.
The fumble, which seemed an anticlimactic way for the Niles’ drive to be halted, was a break for the Tigers and a welcome one. After the loss to Upper Arlington last Friday night, many of the comments in the coaches’ locker room centered around the idea that if the Tigers’ didn’t have bad luck, they wouldn’t have any. The fumble may have saved the game, but the Tiger coaches’ feel Niles would have been stopped short of the first down.
“We didn’t hit like last week,” (against Arlington), Tiger Coach Chuck Shuff said, “But when it counted we did the job.”
Why the fumble? Napolet said he was told by the Niles center that a Massillon defensive lineman yelled “HIT” and the center snapped the ball – just a bit too early. “HIT” was one of Niles’ signals and on that particular play it signaled the snap.
The play, Napolet said, would have been an option with quarterback Don Burlingham either keeping or pitching back to Phil Chelsea, a super tailback who gained 118 yards in the contest.
THE TIGER coaching staff was told the fumble resulted when a Tiger yelled “motion” to alert his defensive comrades that Niles’ fullback Chuck Gillespie had started to move and the center snapped the ball.
Harmon’s 27-yard field goal was kicked with 11:55 left in the second period. The Tigers started the drive on their own 23. One of the biggest plays of the drive came on a third-and-10 at Massillon’s 47, when quarterback Todd Keller dropped back to pass.
Several Niles defenders slipped through the pass protection and as Keller scrambled for his life he threw a perfect strike to Keith Harmon who ran to the Niles’ 27 before being tackled.
Bill Harmon, who gained 79 yards in the game, ran the ball five times, getting just inside the five-yard line and putting the Tigers in a fourth-and-two situation as the first quarter ended.
An illegal procedure penalty put Massillon back on the nine and Keith Harmon came in and kicked the field goal, a perfect shot through the center of the uprights.
RED DRAGON Tailback Phil Russo ran the ensuing kickoff out to the Niles 42 and Chelsea ran six consecutive times, getting all the way to the Tiger 13. The defense stiffened and passes on third and fourth down for Niles fell incomplete.
With both defensive units giving outstanding performances, only two scoring threats were managed from that point on – the Dragon drive that went from the Niles 36-yard line and ended with the fumble and one by the Tigers in the third period.
The Tigers third-quarter drive was aided by a roughing-the-kicker penalty, which put the ball on Niles’ 45 and a 33-yard pass from Keller to Jay Harper on the next play. The drive was halted after a holding penalty was called on the Tigers and a 37-yard field goal attempt by Keith Harmon was a few feet wide.
Shuff was pleased with the performance of his team, especially in the improvement of the passing attack and the defensive secondary. Keller completed three of eight passes, all for long yardage and a couple of his aerials slipped away from the receivers. Keller was intercepted once.
The defensive secondary, which has been the subject of criticism in the past, played an outstanding game by shutting down the usually potent passing attack of Niles and making some bruising tackles.
THE DRAGONS completed three of 10 attempts and Don Stewart picked off a Burlingham pass in the first period.
Niles is now 3-1 and Massillon, after two weeks of frustration, is 2-1-1.
Looking to next week’s game against Cleveland Benedictine, Shuff said, “There’s no let-up. They were young last year, but have matured and are a very good football team.”
The Bennies were 2-1 before this weekend’s action.
Massillon 0 3 0 0 3 Niles 0 0 0 0 0
MASSILLON – 3 Ends – Arnrer, Conley, Chovan, Matie, Laase. Tackles – Mark Lauber, Genet, Drobney, Easter, Mike Lauber, Tourney. Guards – Brand, Schumacher, Chrsitoff, King, Hauser. Centers – Nagle, Mitcheal. Quarterback – Keller. Running backs – Stewart, Warthen, Henderson, Jones, Harper, B. Harmon, A. Grizzard, Ellis, Parson, K. Harmon, Dorsey, T. Grizzard.
Conversion pass trips Tigers 8-7 In hard-hitting contest with Golden Bears
By DENNY HIGHBEN
The Massillon Tigers and the Upper Arlington Golden Bears battled Friday night in one of the hardest hitting games seen at Tiger Stadium in recent years and as Tiger Coach Chuck Shuff said, ‘We came out on the short end of the stick.”
Over 12,000 spectators watched Arlington win, 8-7.
It was a shame somebody had to lose.
FOR THE most part the game was a brutal defensive struggle – resulting in three incapacitating injuries and several other lesser injuries.
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Arlington’s star halfback and punter Kyle Mercer suffered a broken leg and will be sidelined for the rest of the season. Massillon’s Jeff Lab received a leg injury and will be out for the next few games. Arlington end Bob Sorrell injured an already weak knee and will probably need several weeks to recover.
“Losing Mercer is a terrible blow to our offense,” Bears Coach Pete Corey said following the game. “We were thin in experienced backs already.”
Mercer was carried off the field on a stretcher, as were Lab and Sorrell.
Mercer made an outstanding punt from inside the Bears’ 30-yard line in the second quarter and most fans watched the ball sail down to the Massillon 18. On that play Mercer was injured and the game was delayed several minutes until he was carried off the field. During that period Corey went onto the field and argued with Referee James Keffer because there was no penalty for roughing the kicker.
COREY SAID he was told the punter’s momentum carried him into the rushing defenders. He quit arguing with Keffer and talking to the Bears’ trainer about the injury when Keffer interrupted, Corey said.
“I told him to shut up and he said ‘I don’t have to take that’ and he called a technical on me for 15 yards,” Corey stated.
Shuff said his understanding of the play was that the Tiger defender was blocked into Mercer’s path as he kicked the ball.
In the locker room after the game Shuff expressed pride in the over-all performance of the Tigers.“The kids played good football. That was the best hitting in two years…There were a few mistakes that hurt us, but it was a spectacular effort,” he said.
EVEN THOUGH Massillon lost, Shuff was obviously more pleased with the Tigers’ performance against Arlington than he was with the team’s performance against Nordonia last Friday.
“We spotted a weakness in the secondary,” Corey said and that’s how Arlington won
Quarterback Scott Immell completed 6 of 11 passes, one for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter and one for the two-point conversion that gave the Bears the 8-7 edge.
Corey said his staff noticed the Tiger secondary was making more tackles on rushing plays than it should, getting out of position, “So we passed.”
Shuff said of the Arlington scores, “We expected the pass and signaled to the kids, but they didn’t respond.”
The first half ended scoreless. Arlington got inside Massillon’s 40-yard line once in that half, on a fumble recovery at the Tigers 37. The Tiger’s got inside the Arlington 40 once in that half, driving the ball from their 37 to the Bears’ 26, where an illegal procedure penalty halted the drive.
MASSILLON’S scoring drive in the third quarter started at the Tiger 35-yard line. Bill Harmon took the ball up the middle for a couple yards and then Jay Harper, a 5-5, 147-pound junior, ran through the line and scampered to the Bears’ 39.
Quarterback Todd Keller pitched back to Harper on the next play, but the ball went past Harper and he jumped on it at midfield. After he jumped on the ball some over-eager Arlington defenders jumped on Harper, and a 15-yard penalty was stepped off against the Bears.
Harmon carried twice and then Harper took the ball again, but the only thing he gained was a headache. After a crunching tackle Harper stood up, fell down and was assisted off the field.
Tom Grizzard split through the right side of the line next and got to the 17. Harmon ran for one yard and a first down and when the pile of players was unscrambled, Sorrell remained on the turf and had to be carried off.
Grizzard ran to the two-yard line and Harmon took the ball to the goal when Massillon was caught on another procedure infraction. Grizzard went from the five to the one and then Harmon pushed over the goal with 1:47 left in the third quarter. Keith Harmon’s kick was good and the score was 7-0.
IN THE FOURTH period, a punt by Mercer’s replacement David Webb, rolled to the Massillon one-yard line and the Tigers ran the ball out to the 21 before punting it back. Arlington started at the Tiger 43 after the punt return and in 10 plays the Bears’ crossed the goal.
Bill Piccinini, who was playing only defense until Mercer’s injury, ran for 15 yards on first down and was tackled hard by Tom Grizzard on the next play and left the game. He returned on fourth-and-two and picked up the first down at the 17, fullback Ben Tenita went to the 12 and Piccinini ran to the six.
On third down at the five, Immell faked to Tenuta up the middle, rolled to his right and lofted the ball to end Duke Dahlen, who was all alone and caught the pass for six points. Immell did the same thing for the conversion, except the receiver who was all alone was halfback Larry Self, another Mercer replacement. He caught the pass and the score was 8-7 with 1:47 left to play.
Seconds later Keller completed a 23-yard pass to Keith Harmon and on second-and-10 at the Massillon 43 Keller threw to tight end Mark Matie. The ball left Matie’s hands at the Arlington 47, the Bears recovered the ball and ran out the clock for the victory.
The pass to Matie caused some discussion in the locker room. “It was an incomplete pass, no doubt about it,” Shuff said. Matie had to turn around to catch the ball and never had possession when he dropped it, Shuff explained. But it was ruled a fumble and Arlington’s coverage killed the Tigers’ last chance.
“BUT ONE PLAY doesn’t make a ball game,” Shuff said, “there were so many plays that came so close…”
Corey said Massillon was the toughest team the Bear’s have faced and will probably remain so through the rest of the season. As for his athletes, he said, “This was the truest team victory I’ve ever been associated with. It was reminiscent of the 1967 game.” (Arlington also won that contest by a single point, 7-6).
Summing up, Shuff said the Tigers know they did their best and “they’ll definitely be ready” for Niles McKinley next week.
U. Arlington 0 0 0 8 8 Massillon 0 0 7 0 7
SCORING SUMMARY Massillon – B. Harmon, 1 yard run (conversion kick by K. Harmon). U. Arlington – Dahlen, 5 yard pass from Immell (conversion pass from Immell to Self).
MASSILLON – 7 Ends – Arner, Conley, Chovan, Bammerlin, Matie. Tackles – Genet, Drobney, Easter, Mike Lauber. Guards – King, Schumacher, Christoff, Bettilyon. Center – Nagle. Quarterback – Keller. Running backs – B. Harmon, K. Harmon, Stewart, Warthen, Simpson, Harper, Lab, A. Grizzard, T. Grizzard, Ellis, Parson, Dorsey, Martin.
OFFICIALS Referee – James Keffer. Head Linesman – Roger Thompson. Back Judge – Ronald Giacomo. Umpire – Jack Werkowitz. Field Judge – Hugh Davis.
GRIDSTICK M UA First downs-rushing 8 9 First downs-passing 1 3 First downs-penalties 1 0 Total first downs 10 12 Yards gained rushing 181 141 Yards lost rushing 22 33 Net yards gained rushing 159 108 Net yards gained passing 32 52 Total yards gained 191 160 Passes attempted 8 11 Passes completed 2 6 Passes intercepted by 0 0 Yardage on passes intercepted 0 0 Times kicked off 2 2 Kickoff average (yards) 53.0 56.5 Kickoff returns 9yards) 20 21 Times punted 5 7 Punt average (yards) 35.6 39.1 Punt returns (yards) 18 0 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 2 0 Lost fumbled ball 2 0 Penalties 4 4 Yards penalized 35 60 Touchdowns rushing 1 0 Touchdowns passing 0 1 Touchdowns by interception 0 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Total number of plays 47 68 Total time of possession 19:53 28:07
The next time someone quips “Nordonia who?” no Massillon football fan will laugh.
Over 11,000 spectators at Tiger Stadium found out exactly who Nordonia was. Some of them already knew, but most didn’t.
THE NORDONIA Fighting Knights came to Tigertown Friday night and made the “Tiger” look like it had four left paws. The contest ended in a 6-6 tie, but the statistics proved Nordonia outplayed the Tigers from the opening kickoff until the final gun.
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Nordonia’s points came on field goals of 30 and 34 yards kicked by quarterback Dwight Bungo. Bungo was one of many Knights who never lost poise or coolness throughout the full 48 minutes of action.
Play after play Bungo performed like football was his profession instead of an after school game, hitting on eight of 14 passes. Two of his passes were intercepted, but his confidence remained intact. Teammate Dave Swift made some remarkable runs and Nordonia’s running-passing combination kept the Massillon defense loose all night.
“I feel super,” Nordonia Coach Tom Dorman exclaimed after the game. Earlier in the week Dorman talked like his players would be lucky not to get knocked right out of their equipment and after the game he still sounded disbelieving.
“That’s the best we’ve ever looked and we didn’t do anything unusual. We told the kids they had to run what they knew and if it wasn’t good enough the heck with it,” Dorman said.
The Nordonia mentor said he knew what the Tigers would do and Chuck Shuff knew what Nordonia would do. Dorman served under Shuff as an assistant for five years at Fremont Ross.
Dorman couldn’t credit any particular players with outstanding work. “They were all great,” he said.
Shuff will attest to that.
“They beat us everywhere but on the scoreboard and they darn near beat us there,” Shuff said in the Tiger locker room following the game.
“We tried to tell them (the Tigers) and the community all week that this was a good, well-coached team,” he added.
THE KNIGHTS were just that – well disciplined, well coached and determined. By no stretch of the imagination were they intimidated by the Massillon reputation.
After exchanging punts, Nordonia took possession on its own 18 and junior fullback Mark Dennison charged straight up the middle for 13 yards. Two plays later Bungo, a junior, hit end George Westrich with a pass for 12 more yards.
Tailback Swift lost one of the four yards that were subtracted from his rushing total on the next play and then Bungo dropped back and connected with wingback Mike Brown in Tiger territory. Brown was on his way to a TD when he was caught from behind by the Tigers Don Stewart on the 20.
The going became difficult through the Tiger line, so on fourth-and-two Bungo booted the ball through the uprights from the Tiger 20, making it 3-0 with 3:53 left in the opening quarter.
The Tigers got the ball, ran three plays and punted on a fourth-and-one situation. Nordonia took over at its own 25 and passed and ran its way to a first down on the Massillon three-yard-line. The Tigers rose to the occasion, with Bill Harmon leading a charge that tackled Bungo on the six-yard line on second down and then at the 16 on third down.
Dennison took the snap for Nordonia, put the ball down on the24 and Bungo kicked it through the uprights for another three points with 6:46 left in the second quarter.
NORDONIA kicked off and Massillon’s Willie Conley fumbled the ball and the Knights recovered at the Tiger 35. Bungo threw a pass on the next play and defensive back Todd Ellis intercepted the ball on the 26. Runs by Harmon, Jay Harper and Keller took the ball down to Nordonia’s 18, where wingback Jeff Lab took the handoff and charged into the end zone, only to have the touchdown nullified by an illegal procedure penalty.
The ball went back to Nordonia’s 23 and on fourth down, 6-2 Bammerlin and 5-8 Chris Maduri battled for a Keller pass and it was knocked down by the defender.
On the second play of the third quarter the ball w as knocked out of Harmon’s arms and Nordonia recovered. The Knights got to the Massillon 18 when Willie Conley took what would have been a sure six points away from Nordonia receiver Mike Brown at the goal line and ran the interception back to the Massillon 40.
The Tigers drove to the enemy nine-yard stripe, where Tom Grizzard turned a fourth-and-four into a first-and-goal at the five. Grizzard got the call on the next four plays but couldn’t punch through the Knights defense and Massillon lost possession inside the one-yard line.
Nordonia gained 35 yards before punting the ball away, with the Tigers getting it at their 39. Two yards were lost on two plays and on third-and-twelve Keller rolled in his right and hit Lab for a first down on Nordonia’s 45.
THE TIGERS gained four yards and on fourth down, Bammerlin got open at the 15 and took Keller’s pass, cut in and out ran his pursuers for a Tiger TD with 7:59 left in the game. Keith Harmon was set to kick the conversion, but the snap was a snafu and by the time Harmon got to kick the ball he was staring at Nordonia face masks.
The Knights took the kickoff and combined good passing and running to get to the Tiger 18. Their drive was stalled there when Bill Harmon tackled Swift (who netted 97 yards rushing during the night) behind the line of scrimmage.
Conley and Harold Dorsey made game-saving plays during that drive. Conley batted down a pass that was right on Brown’s number 15 and a few plays later Brown took off a reverse from the Tiger 47 and Dorsey caught up with him at the 19.
On fourth down with 2:30 left Bungo was to kick a field goal but the holder, Dennison, couldn’t handle the snap and the Tiger defense swarmed him at the 28.
MASSILLON couldn’t get going and had to punt. Nordonia did its best to get into field goal position again but time ran out as Bungo scrambled while looking for a receiver and the last pass fell incomplete.
“Our problem was mental – in capital letters,” Shuff said. “We weren’t ready to play a tough team,” he added.
Nordonia 3 3 0 0 6 Massillon 0 0 0 6 6
SCORING SUMMARY Nord. – Bungo, 30-yard field goal; Nord. – Bungo, 34-yard field goal. Mass. – Bammerlin, 41-yard pass from Keller (conversion kick failed).
MASSILLON – 6 Ends – Arner, Conley, Chovan, Matie, Bammerlin. Tackles – Mark Lauber, Genet, Drobney, Easter, Mike Lauber. Guards – Brand, Schumacher, Ramsey, Christoff. Centers – Nagle, Border. Quarterbacks – Keller, Traylor. Running backs – Stewart, Warthen, Harper, B. Harmon, K. Harmon, Lab, Ellis, T. Grizzard, A. Grizzard, Dorsey, Toles.
OFFICIALS Referee – Arthur Cirelli. Umpire – Robert Steward. Head Linesman – Henry Mastriann. Field Judge – J. Donald Miller. Back Judge – Clyde Shankle.
PAID ATTENDANCE – 11,021.
GRIDSTICK Mass. Nord. First downs-rushing 7 9 First downs-passing 2 5 First downs-penalties 0 0 Total first downs 9 14 Yards gained rushing 149 154 Yards lost rushing 8 18 Net yards gained rushing 141 136 Net yards gained passing 61 129 Total yards gained 202 265 Passes attempted 6 14 Passes completed 3 8 Passes intercepted by 2 0 Yardage on passes Intercepted 40 0 Times kicked off 2 3 Kickoff average (yards) 53.5 34.6 Kickoff returns 9yards) 38 19 Times punted 3 2 Punt average (yards) 30.3 37.0 Punt returns (yards) 0 7 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 2 0 Lost fumbled ball 2 0 Penalties 2 2 Yards penalized 10 20 Touchdowns rushing 0 0 Touchdowns passing 1 0 Touchdowns by interception 0 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Total number of plays 42 60 Total time of possession 19:55 28:05
MASSILLON – As the skies unleashed a mighty downpour, the Massillon Tigers unleashed fullback Bill Harmon, leaving the Mentor Cardinals both wet and defeated 20-2 Friday night at Tiger stadium.
Leading Massillon with 16 carries for 161 yards, Harmon rolled for three touchdowns. Two came on runs of 33 and 28 yards in the second quarter, but not without the aid of costly Cardinal turnover.
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Late in the first quarter, Mentor quarterback Mike Yutzy fumbled on the Tiger 27 and Massillon recovered. Harmon and tailback Tom Grizzard ground out 40 yards rushing before the senior fullback sprung for his 33-yard gallop.
In the second stanza, Yutzy again bobbled the ball, this time on the Mentor 34-yard line. Two plays later, Harmon carried for 28 and a Tiger score.
“Massillon has a terrific offensive line,” Mentor Coach Frank Domokos said after the game. The trenchmen repeatedly opened holes for Harmon, Grizzard and tailback Jay Harper.
And it’s good for Massillon that the line came through, since quarterback Todd Keller attempted only four passes without a completion.
It was a different story for Yutzy, who connected on five of 16 aerials for 81 yards. Sharing the Mentor offensive chores with Yutzy was fullback Joel Payton, who led the Cardinals on the ground with 55 yards on 14 carries.
But it was the defense that put Mentor’s only tallies on the scoreboard. In its second possession of the first quarter, Massillon elected to punt on a fourth-and eleven situation on their own 20-yard line.
Punter Keith Harmon jumped, but missed a high snap from center. As Harmon chased the skittering ball into the end zone, the Mentor defense chased Harmon, crushing him for a safety.
The Tigers wound up the game’s scoring in the third quarter by rolling for another touchdown. Massillon took possession on the Mentor 40-yard line after a Cardinal punt. Harper carried the brunt of the moving chores, rushing four times for 22 yards before fullback Harmon got the call from four yards out and bulled his way to the goal.
In the extra-point department, Massillon tried to run in each situation, but only after the second did Grizzard find the distance for two points.
All the while, rain drenched Tiger Stadium, causing blockers to bumble and runners to fumble.
“Weather like this takes the game out of the hands of the coach,” Tiger mentor Coach Chuck Shuff said after the game.
“With a drier field, we could have put the ball up in the air more,” Domokos said. “As it was, we had a breakdown in pass protection.
“I was not really displeased,” the Cardinal Coach continued. “We’re not going to be a bad team before this year is over.”
Amidst a post game locker room full of happy Tigers, Shuff found a lot of time for grinning. “We can’t argue about a little success from our backs,” he said.
MASSILLON Offense Ends – Bill Bammerlin (6-2, 170, Sr.); Mark Matie (6-1, 220, Sr.). Tackles – Mike Lauber (6-0, 205, Sr.) Sylvester Drobney (6-1, 220, Sr.); Guards – Todd Schumacher (6-1, 200, Sr.); Carl Christoff, (5-9, 180, Sr.). Center – Dan Nagle (6-0, 225, Sr.). Quarterback – Todd Keller (6-1, 185, Sr.). Halfbacks – Tom Grizzard (6-0, 180, Sr.); Jeff Lab (6-1, 195, Sr.). Fullback – Bill Harmon (6-1, 237, Sr.). Defense Ends – Keith Harmon (6-1, 195, Sr.); Lauber. Tackles – Steve Easter (6-2, 205, Sr.); Nagle. Middle Guard – Jesse Toles (6-0, 195, Jr.). Linebackers – Lab; Grizzard. Secondary – Glenn Arner (6-1, 175, Sr.); Harold Dorsey (6-1, 190, Sr.); Don Stewart (5-10, 160, Sr.); Willie Conley (6-0, 175).
GRIDSTICK Mass. Men. First downs rushing 14 2 First downs passing 0 3 First downs penalties 0 1 Total first downs 14 6 Yards gained rushing 286 75 Yards lost rushing 33 31 Net yards gained rushing 253 44 Net yards gained passing 0 81 Total yards gained 253 125 Passes completed 0-4 5-16 Passes intercepted by 0 0 Yards on passes Intercepted 0 0 Kickoff average (yards) 5-33.2 1-47.0 Kickoff returns (yards) 22 91 Punt average (yards) 4-33.2 6-29.1 Punt returns (yards) 0 0 Had punts blocked 0 0 Lost fumbled ball 2-4 3-4 Yards penalized 4-40 6-30 Touchdowns rushing 3 0 Total number of plays 51 55 Total time of possession 25:26 22:34
TIGERS STUN BULLDOGS 20-15 Final-Seconds Aerial Blasts Rally by Pups
By BOB STEWART Repository Sports Editor
MASSILLON – At a few moments past the hour of four o’clock Saturday afternoon, an inflated brown leather ellipsoid floated downward from the sky.
It nestled in the arms of a young man by the name of Edward Bell, an 18-year old who is enrolled at Washington High School here and who just happened to be jogging about in an area of real estate known as Tiger Stadium.
Program Cover
His specific location was a plot known as “The End zone” – an appropriate name, for his simple act of catching the ball “ended” many things. 79th IN CLASSIC SERIES It was the end of the scoring in this 79th scholastic football classic which has pitted the young warriors of Canton McKinley and Massillon Washington high schools since 1894 (flu scratched a game during World War I), put the 79th episode into the books reading Massillon 20, McKinley 15.
It ended the Canton McKinley undefeated record this season at nine, blasting hopes for the first 10-0 season since 1956.
It ended the McKinley Bulldogs’ dreams of a berth in the Ohio High School Athletic Association championship playoffs. New Philadelphia High will represent Region 3. COMEBACK FAILS It ended the dramatic and brilliant McKinley comeback, which saw the Pups’ Roch Hontas kick a 25-yard field goal for a 15-14 lead only 73 seconds before the game clock was due to run out.
Game Action 1974 vs. McKinley
It also will mean the end, no doubt, of McKinley’s No. 1 ranking in the wire service polls. The Pups were attempting to win the mythical wire service title for the first time since 1955 and 1956, when they won back-to-back championships with 20 straight wins over two seasons.
Bell was catching the beautiful, crisp, clear, sunny afternoon’s second TD pass thrown by teammate and quarterback Greg Wood, a youngster much maligned but now vindicated. TIGERS SMELL UPSET Wood hit halfback Mark Streeter with a 24-yard scoring strike when the game was but nine-and-one-half minutes old, and the Tigertowners smelled an upset.
Game Action 1974 vs. McKinley
Massillon’s first score was no fluke, as the Tigers drove the ball 71 yards in 12 plays after stopping McKinley on fourth down and a foot.
The Bulldogs’ Mike Kolbs pounced on a Massillon fumble on the third play of the game, but McKinley couldn’t cash in.
Trailing 7-0 McKinley got on three yards on three plays after the kickoff and Hontas punted to the Tigers’ 36, from where Wood engineered his second scoring drive. WHIPPING BOY NO MORE Wood, who was one of the whipping boys for the boo-birds and boosters when Massillon lost three of its first four games this season, again whipped his team down the field and in a dozen plays had used up three minutes, 50 seconds of playing time, covered 63 yards and put another seven points on the board.
Wood himself did the honors, diving the final two yards over the right side.
Game Action 1974 vs. McKinley
Hontas got the Pups moving, finally, as he began hitting his aerials. PUPS SCORE ON PASS The Pups scored on a 36-yard pass from Hontas to end Ruben Floyd. But when Jonathan Moore, McKinley’s leading rusher and scorer, failed to make the three yards for the two-point conversion, the Pups were a long eight points behind.
The drive was 77 yards in 13 plays, but was kept alive by a major Massillon mistake, a roughing-the-kicker penalty on a fourth-and-14 Hontas punt at the Bulldogs 19.
Massillon with 237-pound fullback Bill Harmon and slippery scatback Tom Grizzard (both juniors) roaring through massive holes opened by a rejuvenated Tiger offensive forward wall, mounted yet another threat.
The Tigers tidal wave trundled down the turf to the McKinley 28 before ebbing. From there, Dave Dowd, who kicked the two PATs, missed a field goal try from the 35.
But the short chip shot hit like a nine iron on the five yard line and McKinley was 95 yards away from the equalizer and the fourth quarter was two plays old.
Hontas retreated into his own end zone and flipped a screen pass to wingback Bob Armstrong, who got out to the 13, and the McKinley march was on.
Massillon linebacker Dennis Bricker made what looked like a drive-stopping tackle on a screen to Floyd at the Bulldogs own 21, setting up a fourth-and-two situation. BULLDOGS MARCH 95 But faint heart never won a football game and Moore got eight on a sweep and the march continued for 95 yards in 18 plays, capped by fullback Bob Lombardi’s three-foot blast to pay dirt with 3:37 left in the game.
Hontas’ pass to Lombardi was incomplete and the Tigers still prevailed by a pair, 14-12.
The ensuing on-side kickoff bounced into a mass of Massillon and Canton players and McKinley’s Eric Llewellyn came up with the football and the Pups were born again.
Hontas quickly completed a pair of passes to Tom Grafton and Ray Ellis and Lombardi got nine yards in three tries to set the state for what the Canton backers would love to have settled for.
With Bill Poulos holding, Hontas kicked a 25-yarder right through the middle of the uprights, putting three points on the McKinley side and joy in the hearts of Canton fans.
The clock read 1:13.
Then came the dirge, tolled by the “Bell”.
Wood threw the ball three times and Bell caught all three on down-and-out patterns for 12, 9 and 12-yard gains.
He missed one and then got sacked and the ball was at the McKinley 34 with 13 seconds remaining.
Bell lined up on the right side, blew downfield and started another cut to the outside, but then suddenly flew for the goal.
He was all alone past the goal line when Wood’s toss settled into his arms. The clock showed there were six seconds remaining.
It was Massillon’s 43rd win in the long series against 31 losses. There have been five ties.
It put Warren and McKinley in a tie for the All-American Conference title for the second year in a row. Last year, the two shared it with Massillon also.
The victory gave Massillon a 6-4 season record and today in Tigertown nobody even remembers those four losses that happened such a “long time ago sometime this season.”
Massillon 7 7 0 6 20 McKinley 0 0 6 9 15
SCORING SUMMARY Mass. – tb Mark Streeter, 24 pass from qb Greg Wood (g Dave Dowd kick). Mass. – Wood, 2 run (Dowd kick). Mck. – e Ruben Flloyd 36 pass from qb Roch Hontas (run failed). Mck. – fb Bob Lombardi, 1 run (pass failed). Mck. – Hontas, 25 FG. Mass. – se Eddie Bell, 34 pass from Wood (pass failed).
Tigers Score On Desperation Pass Massillon Stuns McKinley
By LARRY BRECKENRIDGE Beacon Journal Staff Writer
MASSILLON – “If I live to be a 100,” said one veteran sportswriter, “I’ll never see a football game as exciting as that one.”
The gentleman was referring to Saturday’s clash between Massillon and Canton McKinley in which the Tigers scored on a 34-yard touchdown pass with only five seconds remaining to shock the previously undefeated Bulldogs 20-15 before 21,754 at Tiger Stadium.
Massillon ends 6-4 and McKinley 9-1.
The victory was especially disappointing to McKinley because it probably cost the Bulldogs a spot in the Class AAA computer playoffs.
The Bulldogs held a 14-point lead over New Philadelphia in Region 3 of the latest computer poll but the Quakers beat previously undefeated Dover Friday night which should give them enough points to overtake McKinley.
The two players mainly responsible for the Tigers’ victory were quarterback Greg Wood and split end Eddie Bell.
It appeared McKinley had won the game with 1:13 left when the Bulldogs Roch Hontas kicked a 25-yard field goal to put McKinley ahead 15-14.
But following the ensuing kickoff which Massillon returned to its own 35-yard line, Wood and Bell teamed up for three straight pass completions to move the ball to the McKinley 31.
Wood was then dropped for a three-yard loss but on the next play Bell slipped behind the McKinley secondary and Wood lofted a perfect pass which Bell gathered in over his shoulder in the corner of the end zone.
“EDDIE ran a beautiful patter,” Wood said. “I just laid the ball up there. I knew he was going to catch it as soon as I threw it.”
“I heard the McKinley coaches yelling to watch for the deep pass,” Bell explained. “But the McKinley players must not have heard them. That was probably the biggest catch I’ll ever make.” Late Score Keys Massillon Massillon coach Chuck Shuff said, “I couldn’t believe it when I saw Bell in the open.” And neither could McKinley’s John Brideweser.
“We were in a prevent defense,” he explained. “And the one thing that is NOT supposed to happen is a deep pass. But those things happen.”
The Tiger defense shut out McKinley’s high scoring offense for the first 24 minutes in limiting the Bulldogs to only four first downs and 84 yards.
Massillon’s ball-control offense, on the other hand, was equally impressive as it scored 14 points in the first half and rolled up 12 first downs and 203 yards.
Massillon, which did not punt once, took a 7-0 lead with 2:35 remaining in the first quarter when Wood hit Mark Streeter with a 24-yard touchdown pass and David Dowd kicked the first of two conversions. The drive covered 71 yards in 12 plays and took almost six minutes.
FOLLOWING a McKinley punt, Massillon drove 67 yards in 11 yards to increase the margin to 14-0 with 9:59 left in the half. Wood got the touchdown on a fourth-and-goal situation from the two.
The Bulldogs pulled to within 14-6 following the second half kickoff by driving 70 yards in 12 plays. The touchdown came on a 36-yard pass from Hontas to Ruben Floyd. The conversion failed when tailback Jonathan Moore was stopped short of the goal. After stopping a Massillon drive at the Bulldog 13, McKinley fullback Bob Lombardi scored on a one-yard run with 3:53 remaining to cap a 95 yard, 17-play drive. A pass for the conversion failed and Massillon led 14-12.
McKinley followed with an onside kick and the Bulldogs Eric Llewellyn recovered tat the Massillon 46. Eight plays later Hontas kicked the apparent winning field goal.
MASSILLON 7 7 0 6 20 McKINLEY 0 0 6 9 15
MASSILLON – Streeter, 24 pass from Wood (Dowd kick). MASSILLON – Wood, 2 run (Dowd kick). McKINLEY – Floyd 36 pass from Hontas (run failed). McKINLEY – Lombardi, 1 run (pass failed). McKINLEY – Hontas 25 FG. MASSILLON – Bell, 34 pass from Wood (pass failed).
Shuff Officially Accepted in Tigers’ Lair
By MIKE ZEMELKA Repository Sportswriter
MASSILLON – This proclaimed scholastic football capital of the United States has added another full-blooded Tiger to its lair.
“I’m a Tiger now!” exclaimed a shell-shocked Chuck Shuff when the first-season Massillon Washington coach finally wormed his way into his office – some 30 minutes after his Tigers (6-4), unbelievable 20-15 conquest of arch-rival Canton McKinley (9-1) before a Tiger Stadium throng of 21,754 football fanatics Saturday afternoon.
The storybook finish is unparalleled .
“I JUST COULDN’T believe it when I saw Eddie Bell in the open,” Shuff said of the 34-yard pass the 5-foot-10, 154-pound senior split end caught (in the end zone) from classmate Greg Wood. It came as the Tigers merely were driving for field position to give placekicker Dave Dowd a shot at a field goal attempt.
“I don’t think we could call for another ounce of energy out of any of our boys,” Shuff said of the physically drained coaches and players.
“We stopped their running game as far as the big play and that type of defensive effort took a lot of noise,” he said.
The McKinley loss assured Behling’s 9-0-1 Quakers a berth vs. Upper Arlington in this week-end’s Ohio Class AAA playoff semifinals.
“I thought it was all over,” Behling said of the Hontas field goal, “but that’s the Tiger spirit.”
“Never any worry,” former Massillon and Kent State University coach Leo Strang told Shuff, but it was Strang who appeared worried at half time. He’s the guy who had his fingers crossed as he wandered through the stands to say hello to his Tigertown friends. – : – “IT’S THE GREATEST victory I’ve ever been in,” shouted long-time Tiger aide Nick Vrotsos before he and his fellow coaches took what each proclaimed as “the best one (shower) I’ve ever had” when the players escorted their coaches to the drink.
“Hey guys, we don’t have to walk the alleys. We can walk the streets,” Vrotsos shouted to his fellow coaches from the showers.
One-time McKinley standout L.C. Young, the Massillon superintendent of schools, embraced Shuff and said, “Just keep it going.”
“Something good had to happen,” Young said. “We lost the levy (Tuesday) and these boys and coaches just went through hell.” – : – AMONG THOSE who probably were in the rocker room were two former Massillon players – Phil Garcia and Nick Pribich – who Friday sent Behling and the Quakers a telegram and assured them: “If you beat Dover (New Philly did, 7-0), we’ll do our part tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon and come Monday you’ll be No. 1.”
AND that’s the main reason Behling left the office he once worked in proud as a peacock – and with the Massillon-Upper Arlington game film in his grasp.
It’s ironic how this series has been a thorn in the side of what is supposed to be the favored team.
However, the intense rivalry is what makes this classic so great. It was only 12 months ago the Bulldogs knocked the Tigers out of a play-off berth.
21,754 Fans Jam Tigers’ Lair For Thrilling Clash of Old Foes
By FREDERICK J. BALL Repository Staff Writer
MASSILLON – There are rumors the world does not revolve around the annual McKinley-Massillon football game.
That may be true, but you’ll never convince thousands of rabid fans on both sides of the traditional rivalry.
And they were out in force Saturday – 21,754 strong – at Tiger Stadium to watch the Massillon Tigers smash their way past McKinley’s Bulldogs to rack up a final-seconds 20-15 victory. Like a Movie Thriller The final Massillon touchdowns – with six seconds showing on the clock – looked like the plot clincher in an old 1940s college football movie.
In fact, the entire game had a certain “scripted” appearance to it.
Weather was perfect for the big climax to both schools’ schedules, with bright sun and temperatures in the low 60s to warm spectators, but just enough breeze to keep players from becoming uncomfortable.
Near Massillon’s city limits, incoming Canton fans traveling bumper-to-bumper found crepe-paper-covered cars along the roadway, their sides and trunks plastered with giant “Beat McKinley” signs.
Such vehicles were greeted by jeers and groans from west-bound autos displaying a different kind of sign – “Beat Massillon.”
Approaching the stadium the noise was the first thing that hit arrivals.
A calliope, blended with honking horns and clanging cowbells, provided an overlying pattern of high-pitched accents, while shouts, cheers and jabber of the crowd produced a back ground buzz that increased in intensity as people filled the stadium.
There were shouts of players – clear and strong during warm-up exercises but lower and harsher as they began to pound each other during the game. Above all was the blare of the loudspeaker. Hot Dogs and Pizza There was plenty to keep the other senses busy, too.
The air was filled with the smell of popcorn, hot dogs and pizza. You could smell the aroma of recently rain-moistened earth, too, and there was just a hint of smoke.
The eyes, too, were attracted to splashes of color that dotted the stands, with oranges and reds of the two schools livened by the bright November sun.
There was food and drink to appease taste buds, as well, and as for touch – well, who says the field is the only place at a football game where there is contact?
Saturday, Massillon and McKinley fans were squeezed into Tiger Stadium like a Size-12 foot in a Size-10 shoe. Activity at the concession booths under the grandstand at halftime was really something else, too.
You’d think someone over 6 foot tall who weighs in at 210 pounds could hold his own against a bunch of 10-year-olds at the hot dog stand, wouldnt you?
Well, forget it. Those kids squirm and push their way to the front of the line like first-string fullbacks running through a second-string defensive line. Game Takes Over But once the game got underway, no one paid much attention to anything but what was happening on the gridiron.
Less than a minute into the second quarter, with The Tigers only one touchdown ahead, Paul Akers of 425 15th Street NW, president of the McKinley Alumni Booster Club, still was confident.
With the Bulldogs putting on a defensive stand at their own four-yard line, Akers said, “I know the Pups are going to come through for us.”
“C’mon, Bulldogs! You can hold’em!” he shouted, jumping to his feet. The McKinley defensive unit held. It was fourth down and four yards for a touchdown. The Dream Dies “We’re going to show Massillon who’s NO. 1. I tell you, we’re going to come back,” Akers declared.
He jumped up again as play resumed and a Massillon ball carrier rammed his way across the goal line. A shout died on Aker’s lips and he stood with his arms at his side, a dejected expression on his face.
A few yards away, Phyllis Kobie of 2855 Thackeray Drive NW, Massillon, was every bit as excited as Akers was upset.
“I think it’s just fantastic! Massillon’s going to win this game!” she shouted over the blare of the nearby McKinley band.
