Category: <span>History</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1967: Massillon 24, Cleveland Benedictine 0

Tigers’ Defense Shines In 24-0 Win
Early Game Looked Like A Big Rout Obiemen Score All In 1st Half

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

Auggie Bossu’s Cleveland Benedictine football team might be in a rebuilding year, but you’d never know it.

Bob Seaman’s Massillon Tigers thought they had a rout in the making when they scored 2 quick touchdowns in the first quarter Friday night at Tiger stadium. But the Bennies didn’t get the message. They held the Orange and Black scoreless in the last 2 ½ quarters with the Washington high eleven settling for a 24-0 win.
* * *

TO HOLD Benedictine scoreless is an accomplishment in itself, so the Tiger defense must be given plenty of credit. The Bennies were able to put together only one long drive – right after the second half kickoff – but were stopped on the half-yard line.

The Bennies didn’t earn a first down until midway in the second quarter and got only 7 in the game to the Tigers’ 12. The Bennies did get a first down by penalty in the welcome period.

The Obiemen rolled up 217 yards on the ground to 75 for Benedictine. Massillon got 169 of those yards and 11 first downs in the first half.

“Our pursuit was better in the second half and our safety men were closing up,” Bossu said. “We tried to get the boys to meet the blocks better.”

Seaman agreed about the pursuit and also said, “They hurried up in the second half, didn’t stem (move around) before the play. We waited for them and they were gone.”
* * *

THE TIGER skipper also took part of the blame in that he departed from the game plan “just to see if we could do some things. We also used a lot of young kids. That will help us in the long haul.”

The Bennies kept the Tigers pretty well bottled up in poor field condition, getting down fast under junior Bob Bacik’s punts.

Tiger junior halfback Mark McDew ignited scoring drives when he returned 2 kicks, one 24 yards in the first quarter and another 18 in the second.
He made only one long run from scrimmage, resulting in a score, and carried the ball but twice. Seaman put him back out on the wing again instead of with the rest of the backs as in last week’s contest.

“This is what we planned to do,” Seaman said. McDew did 2 of the 3 touchdowns and 2 of the 3 conversions.
* * *

THE TIGERS TOOK the opening kickoff and marched 66 yards for a score in 12 plays with 5 first downs. The Tigers’ twin bulldozers – Jim Smith and Reggie Moore – augured out most of the yardage.

Fourth and 13 on Benedictine’s 24, Quarterback Trevor Young hit McDew in the right side of the end zone. Moore rammed in over the center for 2 more points to make it 8-0 with 5:55 remaining.

Tom Robinson recovered Sadd’s kickoff runback fumble on the Cleveland 34 and the Tigers had touchdown No. 2 in 7 plays with 3 first downs. On second, 7 from the 7, Young hit split end Bert Dampier on the half-yard line. Fullback Bill Simon charged over on the next play at 2:54.

McDew completed things by catching Young’s roll out pass to the right. This gave Massillon 16 points and Benedictine still had not been able to run a play.

Early in the second period after McDew’s second punt runback, the Tigers went 82 yards in 5 plays for their final score. Young faked to Simon going through the middle and then rolled to the right and pitched to McDew who dashed 59 yards down the west sideline for a TD on a third and 4 play at 7:10. Young threw to McDew down the center for the conversion.
* * *

LATER in the period, Benedictine almost scored but sophomore halfback Woody Vogel, subbing for senior Tim Russ, the Bennies top halfback, couldn’t hold to a third and 4 pass from the Cleveland 43.

Ferko intercepted a first down Massillon aerial from the Benedictine 37, intended for McDew, on the 9 as the half ended to save a score.

The second half was mainly a contest in punting with the exception of the one long drive by Benedictine, which has yet to score this season after a 0–0 affair with Lakewood St. Edward.

It was victory No. 2 for the Tigers who haven’t really dug deep into their repertoire yet. Mansfield Tygers come in next Friday.

BENEDICTINE – 0
Ends – Barnes, Balough.
Tackles – Bucci, Jakosh, Czech.
Guards – Champa, M. Smith, Toth, Forro, Marchmon.
Centers – Mauser, B. Smith, Kness.
Quarterbacks – Pillar, Bacik, Petruziello.
Halfbacks – Vogel, Reid, Sadd, Anderson.
Fullbacks – Ferko, Tenaglia.

MASSILLON – 24
Ends – Houser, Dampier, Richards, Robinson, Spencer.
Tackles – Snowball, McGeorge, Snyder, Ricker, Laase.
Guards – Ertle, D. Gipp, Whitfield, Cardinal, M. Russell, Mulnick.
Centers – B. Moore, Skelton, Cocklin.
Quarterbacks – Young, Malinowski, Shumar.
Halfbacks – J. Smith, McDew, Evans, Fenton, Hodgson, Fichter, Manson.
Fullbacks – R. Moore, Simon, M. Gipp.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Massillon
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Smith 22 99 4.5
McDew 2 58 29
Simon 4 7 1.8
Moore 10 42 4.2
Young 4 7 1.8

Benedictine
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Vogel 11 51 4.6
Ferko 8 27 3.4
Pillar 4 -4 0

Benedictine 0 0 0 0 0
Massillon 16 8 0 0 24

Touchdowns:
Massillon – McDew 2 (24-yard pass from Young and 59-yard run);
Simon (one-half yard run).

Extra points:
Massillon – McDew 4 (passes from Young); Moore 2 (run).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Howard Wirtz.
Umpire – Robert Ferguson.
Head Linesman – William Makepeace.
Field Judge – Don Welsch.

Attendance: 11,785

THE GRIDSTICK
Mass. Bene.
First downs – rushing 11 4
First downs – passing 1 2
First downs – penalties 0 1
Total first downs 12 7
Yards gained rushing 230 107
Yards lost rushing 13 32
Net yards gained rushing 217 75
Net yards gained passing 36 31
Total yards gained 253 106
Passes attempted 10 10
Passes completed 3 3
Passes intercepted by 1 1
Yardage on passes intercepted 0 0
Times kicked off 4 1
Kickoff average (yards) 46.2 50
Kickoff returns (yards) 25 73
Times punted 7 7
Punt average (yards) 39.7 36.9
Punt return (yards) 56 32
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 2
Lost fumbled ball 0 2
Penalties 3 1
Yards penalized 35 3
Touchdowns rushing 2 0
Touchdowns passing 1 0
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Miscellaneous 0 0
Total number of plays 62 53

Ron Ertle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1967: Massillon 28, Akron East 14

Promising Tigers Win Opener 28-14
Running of McDew, Smith, Defensive Play Are Highlights

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor
The sigh of relief could be heard all across Tigertown.

Washington high grid fans had been apprehensive about their team after last week’s scrimmage showing against Canton Lincoln. But the Tigers proved Friday night before 11,068 fans at Tiger stadium that they have the makings of a fine team.

For all practical purposes they shut out invading Akron East, 3-time Rubber City champion. But a couple of air born pigskins didn’t reach their intended marks and the Obiemen had to settle for a 28-14 count.
* * *

Program Cover

THE GAME was highlighted by some outstanding running on both sides. For the Tigers it was by marvelous Mark McDew, including 2 punt-return touchdowns. The Tigers’ other halfback, Jim Smith – both are juniors – also scored twice.

Senior Dave Richards, a halfback and Harvey drone, a fullback starred for East. Richards tallied 2 TD’s.

Running from a regular position instead of a wing slot for the first time in the power I, “Mac” helped make the Tigers’ running game all the more dangerous.

McDew’s first bit of inspired running came about halfway through the welcome canto. The Tigers had taken the opening kickoff, lost a fumble to East’s Ted Mobley on the Bengal 39 and forced a punt and resulting 11-yard runback by McDew.

Five plays later with second, 11 on the Tigers’ 29, Mark blasted through center for 61 yards and a first down on the Orientals’ 10. An offside penalty made it 2nd, 11 and Smith raced around the left side on the option for the first score at 5:54.
* * *
ANOTHER OFFSIDE penalty forced a second conversion try from the 8 after the first was no good. Senior co-captain and quarterback Trevor Young hit McDew on a diving catch for an 8-0 count.

Senior end Tim Richards halted an East drive at the Tigers’ 31 early in the second period and an exchange of punts found McDew consummating a 62-yard punt return after being trapped and reversing his field, to put the Orange and Black ahead 14-0 at 7:45.
Junior split end Luther Jackson couldn’t hold Young’s conversion pass.

McDew put his winged feet to good use again midway through the third period, after East had had the ball for most of the quarter. McDew got loose on an 80-yard punt return with help from a picture block by senior end Russ Fenton on the East 20. The time was 7:22.

Young tried to hit Jackson on the conversion, missed, but an offside on the Rubber City opponents gave the Tigers another chance and Smith went over right guard for the 2 points.
* * *
MASSILLON’S FINAL score came in the last quarter on a 64-yard, 10-play drive started by a 26-yard punt runback by junior safety Marc Malinowski and cluminated by Young’s 9-yard keeper and Smith’s 3-yard jaunt off left tackle at 11:16.

Smith tried the other side for the conversion but couldn’t reach pay dirt.

Tiger fans perched perilously on the edges of their seats in the third quarter when the Orientals made it a 22-14 game.

The Obiemen had driven deep into East territory when Young tried the sky route with first down on the 18. Senior halfback Dave Richards picked off the aerial and returned 90 yards down the east sideline with Smith failing, on a great try to stop the Oriental speed demon. The time was 6:09.

A pass to senior halfback Eleaser Sanders was incomplete on the conversion try but both sides were offside. Sanders raced around left end for the score.
* * *
A COUPLE of minutes later on the first series after the kickoff, Young attempted to option Smith on third down on a play, which netted the Bengals plenty of yardage and helped Young’s running throughout the night. The flip hit Smith’s helmet and bounced back into Richards’ hands and he was gone with the wind again from 35 yards out at 4:46.

Sophomore Otis Johnson’s conversion boot was blocked but the Tigers were nicked for roughing the holder. Junior halfback Mel Averiett was brought down just short of the zone by Hoyt Skelton and Tom Houser on the second try.

But the defensive gem of the night for the Tigers was yet to come. Midway in the goodbye frame East was driving for another score on a drive which started from the Orientals’ 32 after a Richards’ 27-yard punt return.

With fourth down on the Massillon 2, East’s junior halfback, Melvin Averiett, was tossed to the 9 by Tim Richards.

This was just one facet of some sterling defensive play by the Obiemen, which bottled up the Orientals’ pitch-and-run game pretty well. Senior co-captain and linebacker Ron Ertle did an outstanding job along with Richards and Fenton and utility linebacker Dave Doll.
* * *
THE BLOCKING of strong siders Dave Gipp, Bill Snowball, and Tom Houser and center Blaine Moore helped.

The Bengals didn’t complete a pass, mostly because the pass blocking didn’t hold up.

The 47 yards of passing yardage by East wasn’t bad considering the Bengals used an
all-junior defensive backfield.

With one down and 9 to go on the comeback trail, the Bengals will host Cleveland Benedictine next Friday.

EAST – 14
Ends – Sommerville, Yovanovich, C. Richards, B. Smith.
Tackles – Shealey, Davis, Beaubout.
Guards – Preer, McGhee.
Center – Bennet.
Quarterback – Vaughn.
Halfbacks – D. Richards, Sanders, McMillan, Mobley, W. Smith, Averiett, Johnson.
Fullbacks – Drone, Hill.

MASSILLON – 28
Ends – Jackson, Houser, Dampier, Robinson, Spencer, T. Richards.
Tackles – Snowball, McGeorge, Snyder.
Guards – D. Gipp, Ertle, Whitfield, Doll.
Centers – B. Moore, Skelton.
Quarterbacks – Young, Malinowski.
Halfbacks – J. Smith, McDew, Fenton, Hodgson, Evans.
Fullbacks – Simon, R. Moore, M. Gipp.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Massillon
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Young 8 14 1.75
Moore 5 14 2.80
Simon 1 1 1.00
Smith 14 99 7.68
McDew 11 84 7.55

East
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Richards 10 61 6.1
Sanders 24 81 3.38
Drone 2 4 2

East 0 0 14 0 14
Massillon 8 6 8 6 28

Touchdowns:
Massillon
McDew 2 (61 and 80-yard punt returns);
J. Smith 2 (12 and 3-yard runs).
East
D. Richards 2 (90-yard pass interception return and 35-yard option-pitch interception return).

Extra points:
Massillon
McDew 2 (pass from Young);
Smith 2 (8-yard run).
East
D. Richards 2 (run).

Attendance: 11,066

OFFICIALS
Referee – Jack McLain.
Umpire – John Rance.
Head Linesman – Bud Shopbell.
Field Judge – Chuck Hinkle.

THE GRIDSTICK
Mass. East
First downs – rushing 10 7
First downs – passing 0 1
First downs – penalties 0 1
Total first downs 10 9
Yards gained rushing 235 166
Yards lost rushing 17 17
Net yards gained rushing 213 149
Net yards gained passing 0 47
Total yards gained 218 196
Passes attempted 4 10
Passes completed 0 5
Passes intercepted by 0 2
Yardage on passes intercepted 0 109
Times kicked off 5 3
Kickoff average (yards) 50.2 43.6
Kickoff returns (yards) 74 93
Times punted 3 5
Punt average (yards) 40.0 39.0
Punt return (yards) 15 5
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 1 1
Lost fumbled ball 1 1
Penalties 3 3
Yards penalized 55 12
Touchdowns rushing 2 0
Touchdowns passing 0 0
Touchdowns by interception 0 1
Miscellaneous 2 1
Total number of plays 48 56

Ron Ertle
Massillon vs. McK - Throwback (Large)

1966: Massillon 16, Canton McKinley 25

Seaman Says ‘Wait Until Next Year’
McKinley Wins; Bengals Have Losing Mark

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Fans of the old Brooklyn baseball Dodgers had the right idea at a time like this: “Wait until next year.”

Washington high Coach Bob Seaman had his own version: “We’ll be back next year and should have a heck of a team.”

The error-pocked and anguish-filled 1966-football season is history. The final chapter was penned Saturday in a bruising 25-16 Tiger stadium loss to Canton McKinley in the 71st annual inter-city classic.

Program Cover

For the first time since 1931 the Bengals ended below .500 with a 4-5-1 record. There have been only 4 other seasons of 8 or more games since 1894, which have ended below the
Break-even point.

The only consolation for Seaman was that he has a lot of company among first-year coaches who have lost to McKinley. Seven other mentors, including Paul Brown, either lost to or were tied by the Bulldogs in the first or only year those coaches were here.

McKinley ended a 9-year famine in wining and assured itself of a winning season under Ron Chismar with a 6-4 record. The Bulldogs also dropped the defending champion Tigers into a cellar tie in the All-American High School football league at a 1-3 ending.

Niles won the title with a 3-0 record, Steubenville finished 2-1, Warren 2-2.

Massillon’s play, at times Saturday, resembled the zany Dodgers referred to above. Maladies, which have plagued them all-season burst out in full bloom – inability’s to handle kicks and fumbles. Three McKinley touchdowns happened because of miscues on handling kicks. The fourth resulted from an inability to stop a punt return.
* * *

SOME SAY the Pups didn’t deserve the win but they were a good enough team to capitalize on the breaks and reverse the script of the past 2 seasons when the Tigers bounced back to win after half time deficits.
The contest started as if it were to be a high-scoring affair with both teams scoring in the first one minute, 54 seconds of play. McKinley went over on the first play from scrimmage after Bengal sophomore Marc Malinowski attempted unsuccessfully to return George Fronimo’s stocking footed, soccer-style kickoff which rolled pass Malinowski to the 5-yard line. End Henry Lewis recovered a fly ball fumble on the 9.

Quarterback Milford Lucius passed to halfback Leroy Wilder, who was to score twice more, on the 5 with Wilder carrying the rest of the way. Fronimo’s boot made it 7-0 with 11:32 remaining.

Halfback Tommy James got the Obiemen to their 38 with a 29-yard runback of the next kickoff. On second and 4 from the 44, fullback Will Foster cut through the center and back to the right for the Tigertowners’ longest run from scrimmage this season at 11:26. Quarterback Craig Maurer hit James in the right corner of the end zone to make it 8-7 in Massillon’s favor.

Massillon scored again in the first quarter but not before squandering a first and 10 at the Bulldog 18 after a pass interception by Foster with a fumble by James recovered by halfback Ted Bowersox.
* * *

LINEBACKER Hoyt Skelton pilfered again on the Pups’ 40. Four plays later, Maurer took off from 26 yards out on first and 10 and scampered into pay dirt on a counter keeper to the left at 3:55. He hit James with another right corner end zone pass for a 16-7 score that was the Bengal fans’ last cause for joy.

McKinley missed an opportunity after Jim Krenzer’s punt was blocked by one of his own men at the beginning of the second stanza. George Austin recovered on the Massillon 25.

On third down Clayton grabbed a pass on the 25, ran to the 17, was pushed out of bounds and into the east track seats. A 15-yard personal foul infraction was called during the melee and Chismar rushed onto the field to engage in a violent argument with head linesman Joe Romano.

McKinley was set back to the 30. Linebacker Ron Ertle intercepted a pass on the next play to halt the drive.

Massillon was forced to hold on again later in the period when Bulldog linebacker Jerry Hontas recovered Foster’s fumble on the Tigers’ 24.

Fronimo’s bad-snap punt following the first Bulldog series of the second half grazed Tiger junior Trevor Young; subbing for James, who was injured earelier. Pete Coleman’s recovery gave the Bulldogs a life on the Tigers 34.
* * *
EIGHT PLAYS after a 12-yard run by Lucius and an 11-yard scamper by fullback Larry Clayton, who broke tackles numerous times during the afternoon, Wilder scored around the left side on a pitchout at 4:21. Lucius was halted short of conversion territory as the scoreboard showed Massillon with a 16-13 lead.

Massillon got the ball but once in the third quarter going nowhere.

With Fronimo punting on the second play of the final stanza, junior Tiger safetyman Kevin Henderson fumbled on the 5. Coleman recovered again – this time on the half-yard line.
Lucius sneaked through the center at 11:28 for the score. Fronimo tried to run the conversion after a bad snap, fumbled after a tackle. Bowersox recovered and ran over but the ball was ruled dead, giving McKinley a 19-16 lead.

Fronimo kept the Tigers in the hole with long punts in the second half and the Bulldog defense kept the Orange and Black there. On one of these frustrating occasions Krenzer punted to Wilder on the McKinley 42. A touchdown runback along the west-side line resulted at 4:21 with the help of a block by Paul Robinson at the 3.
* * *

FRONIMO MISSED on the PAT. McKinley led 26-15 but the Tigers weren’t dead even though many fans started to exit.

The Bengals got back to the McKinley 4 after the kickoff to 8 and 20-yard passes to sophomore halfback Mark McDew and senior tight end Keith Griffin and 7-yard runs by Foster and Maurer. But the Tigers ran out of downs.

In the last minute of play, Maurer hit McDew for an 8-yarder and interference was called on a 24-yarder. It took several minutes to clear fans off the field in order to run the final play after the penalty, which had occurred as time lapsed. A pass into the end zone was incomplete.

Seaman agreed that the Tigers had been placed behind the 8-ball too many times by errors. “Each week we’ve done something wrong,” he said. “This time the specialty team hurt us.” Then he mused, “McKinley got a negative 3 yards in the last quarter and 3 touchdowns. We evened the battle of statistics.”

Chismar said, ‘It was a real great game. Our linebackers Hontas and John Patterson did as much as anybody to shut off their defense. But it was a team effort.”

The much-hearlded battle of fullbacks was a standoff. Clayton, who left the contest in the final quarter with torn ankle ligaments had 83 yards in 19 tries. Foster had 85 in 14.

McKINLEY – 25
Ends – Snell, H. Lewis, Iams.
Tackles – Austin, Adamski, Rushe.
Guards – Robinson, Sweat, Shimek.
Centers – Dowing, Coleman.
Quarterbacks – Lucius, Bowersox, Hontas.
Halfbacks – Wilder, B. Lewis, LeFlore, Fronimo.
Fullbacks – Clayton, Patterson.

MASSILLON – 16
Ends – Griffin, Moyer, Smith, Sterling, Richards, Liggett, Gallion.
Tackles – Houser, Campbell, Neago, Sherrett, Ricker.
Guards – Porrini, Russell, White, Hauenstein, Beiter, Ertle.
Centers – Senften, Kraft, Skelton.
Quarterbacks – Maurer, Henderson, Malinowski, Young.
Halfbacks – James, Simon, McDew, Fenton, Hannon, Staples,
McFadden, Muhlbach.
Fullbacks – Foster, Moore.

McKinley 7 0 6 12 25
Massillon 16 0 0 0 16

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Foster (58-yard run); Maurer (27-yard run).
McKinley – Wilder 3 (9-yard pass run from Lucius, 3-yard run, 58-yard punt return);
Lucius (half-yard run).

Extra points:
Massillon – James 4 (passes from Maurer).
McKinley – Fronimo 1 (kick).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Tony Pianowski.
Umpire – Harold Rolph.
Head Linesman – Joe Romano.
Field Judge – Brenton Kirk.

Attendance: 20,140

THE GRIDSTICK
Massillon Opp.
First downs – rushing 5 5
First downs – passing 1 0
First downs – penalties 2 1
Total first downs 8 6
Yards gained rushing 168 124
Yards lost rushing 32 22
Net yards gained rushing 136 102
Net yards gained passing 35 19
Total yards gained 171 121
Passes attempted 11 9
Passes completed 4 2
Passes intercepted by 3 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 24 0
Times kicked off 3 5
Kickoff average (yards) 52.3 51.6
Kickoff returns (yards) 94 63
Times punted 6 5
Punt average (yards) 25.3 36.8
Punt return (yards) 0 85
Had punts blocked 1 0
Fumbles 8 3
Lost fumbled ball 5 1
Penalties 3 3
Yards penalized 32 35
Touchdowns rushing 2 2
Touchdowns passing 0 1
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Miscellaneous 0 1
Total number of plays 50 53

Will Foster
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1966: Massillon 12, Steubenville 0

Season’s Largest Crowd Sees Big Red Fall
Seaman Alters Defense To Half Fast Backs

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

It was one of the greatest defensive efforts in Tiger football history. But few – if any of the 17,404 Tiger stadium onlookers Friday night – largest crowd of the season – were aware of the full story.

The tale of Washington high’s 12-0 victory over the top-rated and undefeated Steubenville Big Red started last Sunday following a movie grading session. Bengal Coach Bob Seaman, aware of the tremendous running game of the Big Red, told his coaches that a change in defenses would be necessary.

Program Cover

Seaman, trying to avert the Tigers’ worst season in 35 years, altered his alignment from an Oklahoma 5-3 “Monster” to an Eagle 5-2-1 “Monster” middle. It gave the Bengals added rushing power and the single “monster” back the chance to jam up the off tackle plays on which Steubenville had been so effective all year.

Tiger team pursuit was terrific, led by tackle Allen Neago and, for a second straight week, by end Russ Fenton. Will Foster and Ron Muhlbach alternated extremely well at the “monster” slot until Muhlbach became exhausted from a week-long bout with the flu.
* * *

SO EFFECTIVE was the Bengals’ defensive play that Steubenville never got out of its own territory – except on a blocked punt recovery in the first quarter and after the Bengals had the contest won and went into a prevent defense during the last minute of play.

Steubenville was held to 11 yards rushing, losing 35; added to a passing total of 28 for 39 yards. The Big Red had only 3 first downs – 2 of them by penalty, the only earned first down coming in the last period.

Meanwhile Steubenville was doing some pretty fine defensive work of its own led by
All-Ohio end Dwight Sims and tackle Jim Corsier. Massillon ended with 165 net yards rushing, 11 passing and 176 total with 9 first downs, but got nowhere except on its scoring drives in the first and last quarter, both times capitalizing on breaks the Tigers manufactured.

Neago recovered a fumble for the Obiemen after a hard tackle on the Steubenville 38 during the latter part of the first quarter. Five plays later Massillon had its first touchdown as “Tailspin Tommy” James went over left tackle on first and 10 from the 13.

His pass catch from quarterback Craig Maurer – the only Tiger completion of the night – plus an 8-yard run took the ball to the 27 for a first down. Two plays later McDew was the second man through right guard for an 8-yard jaunt to set up the score.
* * *

AFTER JAMES’ score with 2 minutes remaining in the initial frame, Maurer failed on a roll out to the right on the conversion try.

Ron Ertle almost blocked a Big Red fourth quarter punt in the end zone after a combination of tough Tiger defense and penalties had put the Steubbers fourth and 44 on their 8. The punt rolled dead on the Steubenville 30.

Ten plays later Massillon had the clincher as Maurer sneaked over the middle on fourth down with the ball inches from pay dirt, the clock showing 52 seconds left in the contest. James dropped Maurer’s attempted conversion pass.

Foster had run the ball 4 times in the drive, picking up 10 yards. James had shot over left tackle for 10 yards for a first down on the 3.

Tiger man-mountain tackle Mike Sherrett recovered a fumble on the Steubenville 24 in the second period but the Bengals couldn’t capitalize. Sims blocked a Jim Krenzer punt in the first quarter with Crozier recovering on the Bengals 27, Sims tried a 46-yard field goal 4 plays later but was off to the left and out of the end zone.
* * *

OUTSIDE of those 2 instances the game was one of 2 teams punting to each other.

“It was the sweetest victory of my coaching career,” Seaman said. “It was one heck of a defensive effort. It was the same kind of game we’ve played all along but we just made too many mistakes before. I said all along this was a good team but Lady Luck hadn’t shown on us. She didn’t really frown on us tonight but she didn’t smile either.”

He added, “Steubenville has a great team and that Palmer (Mike) is as good a back as I’ve seen.”

Bryan mused, “They deserved the win. We were out-coached and out-played. We were not able to handle their new defense, having worked against their other one all week. They hit us well. We never got out of our own territory.”

The power at Tiger stadium was out for one hour before the game when a transformer blew. Start of the contest was delayed for 30 minutes but both coaches felt their opponents did not gain any great advantage by the delay.
* * *

MASSILLON evened its slate at 4-4-1 and kept intact its record of never having lost 5 straight.

By handing Steubenville its first loss in 8 games – all of the Big Red’s other contests being at home – Massillon scrambled the state title ratings. Upper Arlington, a 21-6 victor over the Tigers 2 weeks back, might have the inside track if it can beat Columbus Watterson next week.

STEUBENVILLE – 0
Ends – Sims, Spahn, Bruzzese.
Tackles – Crosier, Bass.
Guards – Monroe, Hershey, Cocumelli.
Center – Sarap.
Quarterbacks – Vaccaro, Corsi, Burke.
Halfbacks – Palmer, Booth, Osby, Kerr.
Fullbacks – Horston, Titus.

MASSILLON – 12
Ends – Moyer, Snyder, Smith, Sterling, Gallion, Griffin, Liggett.
Tackles – Houser, Campbell, Ricker, Neago.
Guards – Porrini, Russell, Ertle, Beiter, Hauenstein, White, Whitfield.
Centers – Senften, Kraft, Skelton.
Quarterbacks – Maurer, Young, Henderson, Malinowski.
Halfbacks – James, Simon, McDew, Fenton, McFadden, Muhlbach, Staples, Hannon.
Fullback – Foster.

Massillon 6 0 0 6 12

Touchdowns:
Massillon – James (13-yard run); Maurer (one-yard run).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Howard Wirtz.
Umpire – Russ Kemper.
Head Linesman – Bill Makepeace.
Field Judge – Jack McLain.

Attendance: 17,404

THE GRIDSTICK
Massillon Opp.
First downs – rushing 8 1
First downs – passing 1 0
First downs – penalties 0 2
Total first downs 9 23
Yards gained rushing 175 46
Yards lost rushing 10 35
Net yards gained rushing 165 11
Net yards gained passing 11 28
Total yards gained 176 39
Passes attempted 7 8
Passes completed 1 4
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 15 0
Times kicked off 3 1
Kickoff average (yards) 37.6 60.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 0 44
Times punted 8 8
Punt average (yards) 24.9 30.0
Punt return (yards) 26 16
Had punts blocked 1 0
Fumbles 0 3
Lost fumbled ball 0 2
Penalties 8 7
Yards penalized 90 47
Touchdowns rushing 2 0
Touchdowns passing 0 0
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Miscellaneous 0 0
Total number of plays 68 45

Will Foster
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1966: Massillon 6, Warren Harding 17

Tigers Out gain Warren But Lose 17-6

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Where, oh where, has that Tiger luck gone? Like the little dog in the song, its whereabouts are a mystery but its absence has been much more costly.

For 2 years under Earle Bruce, the Washington high eleven could do nothing wrong. But with Bob Seaman at the helm, the Bengals haven’t gotten a break all season.

* * *

Program Cover

WITH A LITTLE bit of luck the Obiemen might have had their fourth win Friday night instead of their fourth straight defeat. The score was 17-6 at Mollenkopf field, in Warren before a crowd of 15,000 in a battle between fired-up teams.

Not since 1932 had Massillon lost 4 straight when in Paul Brown’s first year, the Orange and Black fought to a scoreless finish in the fifth game and lost the next 4, including one to Warren. They have never lost 5 straight.

With top-ranked Steubenville (8-0) coming in next week, the Tigers are close to setting another wrong way record. The Bengals (3-1-1) are in danger of having their worst season since 1931 when Elmer McGrew’s crew won 2, lost 6 and tied 2.

Great defensive work won the game for Warren, stopping 2 Tiger drives, picking up 2 costly Bengal fumbles and making 3 timely pass interceptions.

“The irony of it all,” said Warren Coach Bill Shunkwiler, “was that we were so badly injured on defense that we had to use a different type tonight. Maybe Massillon was not used to a 4-5 and maybe I just keyed us up.”

* * *
SEAMAN said, “Our boys did a heck of a good job. I’m proud of them. But we gave the ball to Warren in good field position.” He added, “If McDew’s (Mark) knee hadn’t touched the ground on that punt return, it might have been all over. And Dale Gallion had an unfortunate injury just when the clock was going to run out. Warren had no more time outs and wouldn’t have gotten another play off.”

The Tigers won the battle of statistics but couldn’t light up the scoreboard enough. Warren had had this happen to them several times previously this season.

The Tigers moved 72 yards in 12 plays with Foster and McDew doing the bulk of the carrying but Foster just missed at the 8 on fourth down. He had runs of 12 and 14 yards and McDew of 9 and 10 during the drive.

McDew bobbled the following punt on the Tigers’ 42, picked it up and raced all the way down the eastside line but in picking up the pigskin his knee had touched.

Dennis Wright recovered a Massillon fumble 2 plays later and Warren had a score in 5 more after a 32-yard push. Allen Anderson and Tom Perry took turns in gobbling up real estate at about 3 yards per clip.

Perry went over left tackle from the 10 on their third down with 6:27 left in the second quarter. Tony Capers, who did some fine linebacking, kicked twice, the second time from the 14 after an offside penalty, to give Warren a 7-0 lead.

Capers missed a 44-yard field goal later in the period after Dale Hall had intercepted Will Foster’s pass with the pressure on.

Warren came back after a punt was grounded on the Panthers’ 43 to drive for a score in 4 plays with 4 seconds left. A big play was Allen Anderson’s 40-yard off tackle run to the Massillon 17.

ON FIRST and 6 from the 6, with 7 seconds remaining, Gallion suffered a rib injury making a tackle and the clock had to be stopped. Perry scored again on the next play over right tackle. Capers’ boot made it 14-0.

Russ Fenton recovered an on side kick for Massillon on the Warren 38 during the third period kickoff. In 11 plays the Tigers got their only score of the night. Foster, McDew and “Tailspin Tommy” James took turns running the ball.

Quarterback Craig Maurer got key fourth and one yardage on the 15, via a sweep, to keep the drive going. He scored on a keeper left on third and 4 from the 7 with 7:15 left, injuring himself slightly when he ran into a sideline post. Maurer’s option flip to McDew going right failed to pick up the 2 extra points.

Later in the period, the teams took turns intercepting passes. Foster pilfering for the Tigers and Tony Brady for the Panthers. Foster’s steal started Massillon on a 33-yard, 10-play drive to Warren’s 27 where Maurer was snowed under by Dennis Yendrick; playing with a broken thumb, on fourth and five.

McDew almost got away for a 55-yard TD on the drive. He did most of the running at this juncture although Ron Mulhbach, a defensive “monster” back, did his first ball carrying of his career here as well.

* * *
YENDRICK recovered a Massillon fumble on the Tigers’ 23 midway in the fourth quarter. With fourth and 12 on the 25, Capers booted a 41-yard field goal from a slight left angle to finish the scoring at 5:14.

On the next series, Dale Hall intercepted another Tiger aerial to end it all.

Warren, which got its revenge for a last-second loss here in 1965, now has a 5-3 record with the standings in the All-American High School football league unchanged.

MASSILLON – 6
Ends – Snyder, Moyer, Liggett, Sterling, Griffin, Gallion, Smith.
Tackles – Houser, Campbell, Neago, Ricker, Sherrett.
Guards – Russell, Porrini, Hauenstein, Beiter, White, Ertle.
Centers – Senften, Kraft, Skelton.
Quarterbacks – Maurer, Henderson, Malinowski.
Halfbacks – James, Simon, McDew, Fenton, Lawrence,
Hannon, Muhlbach, McFadden.
Fullback – Foster.
Punter – Krenzer.

WARREN – 17
Ends – Brewster, Wright, Tracey, Daily, Speicher, Carroll,
James, Natale.
Tackles – Capers, Yendrick, Kearney, Blank, Peterson,
Henrey, Russell.
Guards – Schumacher, Gray, Herdman, Jenyk, Campbell,
Sierra, Mokodean, Stredney, Parker.
Centes – Toda, Stroup.
Quarterbacks – Robison, Williams, Hall.
Halfbacks – Thomas, Anderson, Perry, Benson, Brady, Elliott,
Turner, Stewart.
Fullbacks – Sericola, Wright.

Massillon 0 0 6 0 6
Warren 0 14 0 3 17

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Maurer (7-yard run).
Warren – Perry 2 (3 and one-yard runs); Capers (41-yard field goal).

Extra points: Warren – Capers 2 (kicks).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Paul Hoskins.
Umpire – Clyde Moore.
Head Linesman – Chuck Lorenze.
Field Judge – Andy Piewacki.

Attendance: 15,000

THE GRIDSTICK
Massillon Opp.
First downs – rushing 11 8
First downs – passing 2 0
First downs – penalties 0 0
Total first downs 13 8
Yards gained rushing 197 181
Yards lost rushing 24 23
Net yards gained rushing 173 158
Net yards gained passing 41 6
Total yards gained 214 164
Passes attempted 11 2
Passes completed 3 1
Passes intercepted by 1 3
Yardage on passes intercepted 15 12
Times kicked off 2 4
Kickoff average (yards) 36.0 50.5
Kickoff returns (yards) 34 24
Times punted 1 4
Punt average (yards) 35.0 43.0
Punt return (yards) 8 8
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 2
Lost fumbled ball 2 1
Penalties 3 3
Yards penalized 25 15
Touchdowns rushing 1 2
Touchdowns passing 0 0
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Miscellaneous 0 0
Field goals 0 1
Total number of plays 60 50

Will Foster
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1966: Massillon 6, Upper Arlington 21

Bengals Beaten For The Third Straight Time
Night of Frustration As Bears Were Too Much

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

It was a night of utter frustration for the Massillon Tigers.

The frustration took many forms – inability to spring ball carriers loose, inability to catch the ball, inability to stop a will-o-the-wisp southpaw quarterback and a hard-running fullback.

* * *
THE RESULT was a 21-6 home-coming and “Dad’s Night” loss to one of the finest teams to come out of Central Ohio in a long time. The Tigers fought gamely to the wire before 15,610 at Tiger stadium but went under for the third straight time – the first time since Warren, Cathedral Latin and Barberton managed the trick in 1947.

Program Cover

The last time Massillon was beaten by 2 touchdowns at home, Cleveland Benedictine was the unwelcome visitor in 1962. This was also the last time the Tigers lost 3 games in one season.

Added to all the Tiger woes of the night were 3 more injuries in a long line this year for the Obiemen who are now 3-3-1. Junior offensive right tackle Bill Snowball was lost for the season with fractures of both bones in the lower left arm. Junior “monster” defensive back Ron Muhlbach suffered a mild concussion, senior defensive back Dale Gallion, a left shoulder strain. Both of the last 2 are co-captains.

The Tigers found themselves what may be a promising sophomore in left halfback Mark McDew. Quarterback Craig Maurer continued to throw reasonably well but Tiger receivers just don’t have those glue fingers this year.

For Arlington, with a 7-0 record this year and 26 successive wins, dating back to 1963, it was a sweet victory for no other Columbus team had beaten the Tigers in 4 previous tries. Senior quarterback Brian Kitchen and sophomore fullback Geoff Schmigt, filling in for injured Co-Captain Dan Love, were the offensive keys for the Golden Bears.

ADDED TO those names must be those of sophomore defensive halfback Ted McNulty, who ran a kick back, which both coaches said was the turning point. Coach Marv Moorhead of Arlington plugged his defensive line of Steve Sikora, Denny Lawrence, Steve Canfield and Tom Kahn and effectively stopped the Tigers’ running game. They got a little help from cornerman Tom Morgan and Co-Captain Tom Franklin, playing his first game as a middle linebacker, in place of Love.

Kitchen ran the Bears’ offense well, calling most of the plays himself and mixing passes effectively with runs. Several times on crucial yardage plays he bailed the Bears out with first downs on rapid roll out running.

Schmidt ran through the Tigers’ line as if he owned it. His specialty was from guard to tackle on both sides.

Massillon was held to 150 total yards while Arlington rolled to 262. The Tigers got out of their own territory only 4 times, once on a fumble recovery.

Arlington scored the second time it got its hands on the ball on a 64-yard, 11-play drive. Kitchen picked up key, third down yardage twice, mixed in 15-yard passes to ends John Fickell and Mike Tharp and called on Schmidt for 14 yards, the last yard being the score over right guard, on second and one from the one-yard line. Kahn’s kick made it 7-0 with 5:52 left in the welcome canto.

THE TIGERS started a 62-yard drive, which fizzled on the one on fourth and one, just before the period ended. On the next series, tackle Mike Sherrett recovered a fumble and Massillon had its only score in 3 plays with 5:07 remaining in the second frame.

Maurer hit split end Tim Moyer in the right corner of the end zone. But sophomore Jim Smith, another split end, had a go-ahead conversion knocked away from him in the same corner by an Arlington secondary, which was very alert all night.

Arlington had a second period drive stopped when Mike Kraft and Kim Hauenstein picked up a fumble on their 42. The Bears went further ahead when McNulty ran a punt back 86 yards up the right side at 8:30 of the third period, sprung lose by Morgan’s block on the Massillon 40. Kahn kicked from the 15, after a delay penalty, for a 14-6 lead.

The Tigers lost scoring opportunities later in the period when Sikora recovered a fumble and McNulty intercepted a pass. Tharp pilfered a pass in the last quarter.

Arlington’s final score came after Sikora’s recovery. The Bears drove form the Tigers’ 35 in 8 plays using the passing and key-play yardage of Kitchen and the running of Schmidt. The important play was a 10-yard pass to the 3, which was off one Bear’s hands and into sophomore end Bruce Johnson’s on a diving catch.

SCHMIDT WENT over left tackle on the next play with 4:10 left. Kahn’s conversion boot was good.

Moorhead classed the victory as “one of the top performances I can recall.” He added, “I don’t know when the electricity and sizzle has been so apparent but yet the boys were relaxed enough to play. Football is a game of the physical and the spirit. They were blended together in high fashion tonight.”

Seaman said, ‘The Tigers didn’t quit. The kids gave everything they had. We were outsized on the line a bit. Arlington was as good or better than any team we have played all season.”

The Tigers hit the road to Warren next Friday.

ARLINGTON – 21
Ends – Johnson, Secrest, Fickell, Tharp.
Tackles – Gridley, Canfield, Riley, Lawrence, Sikora, Arend.
Guards – Morgan, Kahn.
Center – Franklin.
Quarterbacks – Kitchen, McNulty.
Halfbacks – Moore, Bates, Gordy, Lloyd.
Fullbacks – Schmidt, Chandler, Compton.

MASSILLON – 6
Ends – Liggett, Smith, Moyer, Griffin, Sterling, Richards, Gallion.
Tackles – Campbell, Snowball, Ricker, Sherrett, Neago.
Guards – Porrini, Russell, Ertle, Beiter, Hauenstein, White.
Centers – Senften, Kraft, Skelton.
Quarterbacks – Maurer, Henderson, Young, Malinowski.
Halfbacks – James, Simon, McDew, Fenton, Staples, Muhlbach, McFadden.
Fullback – Foster.
Punter – Krenzer.

Arlington 7 0 14 0 21
Massillon 0 6 0 0 6

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Moyer (16-yard pass from Maurer).
Arlington – Schmidt 2 (one and 3-yard runs); McNulty (85-yard punt return).

Extra points: Arlington – Kahn 3 (kicks).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Harvey Hodgson, Jr.
Umpire – Harold Rolph.
Head Linesman – Frank Toth.
Field Judge – Joe Yanity.

Attendance: 15,610

THE GRIDSTICK
Massillon Opp.
First downs – rushing 7 14
First downs – passing 2 5
First downs – penalties 1 0
Total first downs 10 19
Yards gained rushing 138 164
Yards lost rushing 31 8
Net yards gained rushing 107 156
Net yards gained passing 43 102
Total yards gained 150 262
Passes completed 3-14 11-20
Passes intercepted by 0 2
Yardage on passes intercepted 0 20
Times kicked off 2 4
Kickoff average (yards) 59.0 52.2
Kickoff returns (yards) 97 23
Punt average (yards) 6-37.1 1-38
Punt return (yards) 0 114
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 3
Lost fumbled ball 1 2
Penalties 2 3
Yards penalized 20 27
Touchdowns rushing 1 3
Touchdowns passing 1 0
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Miscellaneous 0 0
Total number of plays 61 70

Will Foster
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1966: Massillon 14, Altoona, PA 20

Bengals Lose 2nd Straight 20-14

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

It may have gone unnoticed in the wake of the unhappiness at Tiger stadium Saturday night. But the Massillon Tigers’ offensive unit gave its best performance to date.

Defense had been the strong part of the Bengals’ game heretofore. But the WHS gridders were little match for a powerful Altoona, Pa., eleven, falling 20-14.
* * *

Program Cover

IT WAS THE second straight loss for the Bengals and the first home defeat since 1962. The Bengals had also not lost 2 contests or 2 in a row since 1962. Their season slate now reads 3-2-1.

For Altoona, which stretched its slate to 5-1 in administering the first out-of-state loss to the Tigers in 29 years, it meant the continuation of a win streak to 4 games. The Mountain Lions had lost both of the 2 previous games between the Buckeye and Keystone rivals.

Altoona’s success story was written in superior line play and excellent ball-handling and deception in the backfield. The Mountain Lions’ superior weight opened up giant-sized holes in the Tigers’ defensive line. Quarterback Walter Beatty handed off and flipped out with the skill of a Houdini, mixing his plays well to take advantage of all of his backs. The faking of halfbacks Phil Witherspoon and Greg Campbell and fullback Gary Madden was perfect.

Seaman applauded his backs. “I was well pleased with them,” Seaman said. “They ran exceptionally well. Simon (Bill) was 1,000 percent improved and Maurer (Craig) is gaining confidence.”
* * *

SIMON, the left halfback, right half Tommy James and Fullback Will Foster also had some big holes to go through – but not as many as the Altoona backs. This time the Bengal runners found the holes, something they had failed to do with regularity all season.

The Tigers almost threw more passes Saturday night than they had all season, getting a touchdown via that route for the second time this fall. But Maurer also had an unfortunate bit of luck.

With the Tigers driving for what would have been a tying touchdown with just over 2 minutes remaining in the game and third and one on the Altoona 11, he and center Tim Senften miscued and a fumble occurred. Foster was short by inches through the center on the next play and Altoona had its victory, although having to fend off the Tigers following a short punt and pass to split end Jim Smith for 18 yards to the Lions’ 24. For awhile the scene resembled a Chinese fire drill the Bengals out of time outs and trying to get plays off quickly.

It was a game of other close calls, too, with Mountain Lions being stopped by a gnat’s eyelash from scoring in the first quarter after an 18-play, 76-yard drive all on the ground. Ron Ertle put the clincher to the Lions’ plans on the opening series by recovering Campbell’s fumble.

Campbell twice just managed to bring down Tiger ball carriers seemingly on the way to scores. He caught James on the Altoona 7 after a 26-yard run in the third quarter. He tripped up Foster on the Lions’ 20 after a 25-yard romp in the fourth.
* * *

THE TIGERS’ got the first score following a fumble recovery by Ron Muhlbach and Earl Beiter on the Altoona 33 with 1:12 left in the welcome quarter.

A Statue of Liberty play had gone awry. The Bengals got into pay dirt 12 plays later with 8:33 remaining in the second stanza.

Foster, continuing his fine second effort running, went in around right end on third down from the 3. He also got the conversion – one of the few of the season – over right guard.

Altoona came right back after the kickoff, going 68 yards in 10 plays with only the pay off maneuver going overhead. Beatty hit Speacht on the 5 with second down, 16, on the 17. Campbell slipped between left guard and left tackle, a spot the Lions picked on frequently, for the equalizing conversion.

The Tigers got into a big hole on the next kickoff, which came from the Tigers’ 45 following a personal foul stepoff. Safetyman John McFadden slipped in the mud, went down on the one and the Orange and Black had to give up the ball via a punt from the 24.

Both teams scored in the third quarter. Campbell tallied first for Altoona on a left pitchout on fourth down from the 3 following a 72-yard, 9-play drive on the opening series. Campbell missed the conversion on a sweep right. A 24-yard pass to Speacht and 24 and 10-yard runs by Campbell highlighted the push.
* * *

MASSILLON drove back 61 yards in 7 plays featured by a 29-yard kick runback by James, a 22-yard pass to split end Tim Moyer and the 26-yard right side, off tackle slash by James which Campbell just was able to abort. James caught a pass into the right corner of the end zone from Maurer on a fake to Foster. James missed the conversion over left tackle.

Altoona’s winning offensive came after Dale Gallion recovered a fumble on his 23 to halt a 44-yard drive. Maurer had a pass pilfered by Dave McGarth on the next play. Altoona moved in from the 21 in 7 plays. Beatty went through the center on fourth down from the one with 7:45 left in the contest and then fumbled on the conversion attempt.

“This loss was mine,” Seaman said later. “We threw after the fumble recovery. That was a mistake. I got too hoggish. We should have stuffed the ball down their throats like we were able to do all night.”
“This was a team victory,” Altoona Coach Earl Strohm said. “The kids did a job blocking. We had worked against their stack defense all along. We knew they didn’t pass much. I told the boys this was our best chance to beat them. We knew this was their weakest team in the 3 years we had played them, but they rank along with McKeesport and Pennsbury.”

A crowd of 15,810, largest of the season, sat in after a heavy rain had let up one-half hour before game time.

ALTOONA – 20
Ends – Conrad, McGrath, Cochran.
Tackles – Clark, Traficante, Askey, Potter, Parsons.
Guards – Carnicella, Kitt, Nedimyer, Turchetta.
Centers – Thompson, Bosso.
Quarterback – Beatty.
Halfbacks – Witherspoon, Campbell, Singer, Speacht.
Fullbacks – Madden, Launchi, Tyler.

MASSILLON – 14
Ends – Moyer, Smith, Liggett, Gallion, Richards, Griffin, Sterling.
Tackles – Ricker , Snowball, Campbell, Turley, Sherrett, Neago.
Guards – Ertle, Beiter, Hauenstein, Russell, Porrini.
Centers – Senften, Kraft, Skelton.
Quarterbacks – Maurer, Young, Henderson, Malinowski.
Halfbacks – James, Simon, Fenton, McFadden, Staples, Evans,
McDew, Muhlbach.
Fullback – Foster.
Punter – Krenzer.

Altoona 0 8 6 6 20
Massillon 0 8 6 0 14

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Foster (3-yard run); James (2-yard pass from Maurer).
Altoona – Speacht (16-yard, pass-run play from Beatty);
Campbell (3-yard run); Beatty (one-yard run).

Extra points:
Massillon – Foster 2 (run).
Altoona – Campbell 2 (run).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Jack McLain (Columbus).
Umpire – Tony Pianowski (Cleveland).
Head Linesman – Chet DeStefano (Canton).
Field Judge – Ken Newlon (Canton).

Attendance: 15,810

THE GRIDSTICK
Massillon Opp.
First downs – rushing 7 15
First downs – passing 1 3
First downs – penalties 0 0
Total first downs 8 18
Yards gained rushing 168 250
Yards lost rushing 9 14
Net yards gained rushing 159 236
Net yards gained passing 57 52
Total yards gained 216 288
Passes attempted 7 7
Passes completed 4 4
Passes intercepted by 0 1
Yardage on passes intercepted 0 17
Times kicked off 4 3
Kickoff average (yards) 41.0 48.3
Kick returns (yards) 68 39
Times punted 2 2
Punt average (yards) 35.5 24.5
Punt return (yards) 6 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 3 5
Lost fumbled ball 0 3
Penalties 7 2
Yards penalized 75 10
Touchdowns rushing 2 2
Touchdowns passing 0 1
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Miscellaneous 0 0
Total number of plays 45 64

Will Foster
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1966: Massillon 12, Niles McKinley 20

Tigers’ 32-Game Streak Ends

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

As the sense of feeling returns when the dentist’s shot of Novocain wears off, so the numbness in Tigertown has subsided today. Players and fans are back to reality.

The 32-game unbeaten streak is gone. Any chance for a third straight gridiron title has been considerably dimmed. So have chances for a fourth straight All-American High School league title.
* * *

Program Cover

TIGER GRIDDERS have started their preparation for this Saturday’s invasion by Altoona, Pa., knowing that despite a last quarter breakdown which cost them a 20-12 loss at Niles Saturday night, they played some excellent defensive football. The Bengals also know the REAL Tiger fans are still solidly behind them as they “Carry on for Massillon.”

There is still a lot of football left in 1966. The Washington high eleven still must uphold the honor of Ohio football against Altoona, still has a chance to play spoiler for such
still-undefeated teams as Upper Arlington and Steubenville.

As Coach Bob Seaman put it, “We lost the game but we didn’t deserve to get beat. Massillon is still the No. 1 team as far as I’m concerned. I wouldn’t want to be the next team to play Massillon.”

The game boiled down to a case of some breaks, some poor officiating mechanics and some short-comings on the part of the Tigers. With the season half over, it has become painfully apparent that the Bengal offense is not getting the job done, thereby putting added pressure on the defense. The Tiger defensive secondary is also having its troubles – with pass coverage.

The Niles McKinley Red Dragons took a page out of the Tigers’ comeback Saturday night before a capacity crowd of 12,500 at Riverside stadium. The Dragons must be given-credit for being a great team to execute the type of comeback they did.
* * *

THERE IS some question as to whether they actually won the game. Junior end John Ziegler made a desperation diving catch of senior quarterback Bob Leonard’s 34-yard down-the-middle pass at the goal line with 38 seconds left.

No official was near the play at the time. From the pressbox, it looked like the catch had been made, but several Tiger players charged field judge John Holzback, hotly debating his ruling of a touchdown.

Niles had taken over the ball on its 31 with 1:36 left. Two passes to Ziegler and an option pitch, which had given the Tigers trouble throughout the night, set up the winning play.

About 5 minutes earlier it had appeared the Obiemen were about to break a 7-year unbeaten home streak for Niles with a 12-0 victory.

Senior linebacker Will Foster and junior halfback Trevor Young had brought Niles senior halfback Martin Henry down on the Massillon one on fourth down after a 53-yard Dragon drive.

But disaster struck with first down on the 12. Tiger Foster fumbled and Niles defensive end Pat Ryan recovered. Leonard passed to senior end Dick Clapp at the goal post with 4:50 remaining. Senior end Lance Cullembine couldn’t catch Leonard’s pass on the conversion attempt.
* * *

NILES EXECUTED a perfect onside kick as Leonard booted instead of Clapp. Junior halfback Larry Trimbitas grabbed the ball out of the air on the Massillon 42.

Four plays later – after good runs off the option pitch and a handoff by Henry and senior halfback Bruce Simeone, senior fullback Gary Bletsch took another option pitch on first and 9 and went in around the left side with 3:48 showing on the clock. Ron Hallock, a senior reserve fullback, failed to convert on another pitch.

The Tigers could get no further than their 39 on the next series. Harley Dickinson punted out and then came the fateful Niles TD drive followed by Leonard’s keeper conversion.

Massillon got another chance on the kickoff but got no further than its 40 as the clock ran out while Bengal players tried frantically to call timeout with 7 seconds left and fans beginning to stream on to the field. The gridiron was the scene of a wild Niles victory celebration at the conclusion of the contest.

It is unfortunate that the Tigers couldn’t have capitalized on all of their 3-fumble recoveries in the first period. Sherrett picked one up on the Niles 20. Junior linebacker Ron Ertle got another on the 19 after which Foster capped a 9-play drive, going in over center on fourth and one but the Bengals were in motion and ran out of downs. Senior quarterback Craig Maurer set up the hoped for TD with a 10-yard pass to Sherrett on the right sideline.
* * *

SENIOR co-captain and “monster” back Ron Muhlbach got another Niles fumble on the 8. On the second play following, Foster went through the middle from the one after taking the ball to the one on a pitch right on first down. There was 1:27 left in the quarter as Maurer was unable to hit tight end Tom Liggett in the left corner of the end zone on the conversion attempt.

The Tigers didn’t get any further than their 31 until the third period when they punted from the Niles 35 on fourth down. Senior guard Greg Russell downed the ball on the Niles 2. Three plays later a Niles punt rolled dead on the Dragons’ 38.

Foster broke through the right side on first down, taking several would-be tacklers with him as he finally got in for the touchdown. Big Will, rapidly becoming one of Massillon’s all-time great backs, missed through the center on the conversion but his running

high-lighted the Tiger attack. The clock showed 2:47 left in the period as Massillon led
12-0.

The Tiger defense came to the fore several times in the second period, led by senior linebacker Hoyt Sketon. Senior end Jim Sterling picked up a Niles fumble on the Bengal 7 after senior end John Isoldi of Niles had partially blocked a Tiger punt. But Massillon fumbled right back with Ryan giving Niles control.

Senior end Mike Kraft covered a Niles fumble on the Massillon 19 during the second stanza. Foster intercepted a pass in the end zone and might have been off to the races except he slipped in cutting.
* * *

BOB SHAW, Niles coach, summed up his feelings with, “It was a great victory. I’m real proud of the boys. Bob Seaman deserves a lot of credit for bringing a team here that was supposed to get trounced but which played like the Tigers did. It’s a shame what they’re doing to him in Massillon.”

Massillon’s record is 3-1-1, Niles 5-0 and leads the All-American league with Massillon third.

AAHFL STANDINGS
W L
Niles 2 0
Warren 1 0
Massillon 0 1
McKinley 0 2

MASSILLON – 12
Ends – Smith, Liggett, Moyer, Gallion, Sterling, Griffin.
Tackles – Sherrett, Houser, Snowball, Ricker, Campbell.
Guards – Neago, Russell, Porrini, Beiter, Hauenstein, Ertle.
Centers – Senften, Kraft, Sketon.
Quarterbacks – Maurer, Young.
Halfbacks – James, Simon, Fenton, McFadden, Muhlbach, McDew.
Fullbacks – Foster, Moore
Punter – Dickinson.

NILES – 20
Ends – Mille, Clapp, Isoldi, Ryan, Cullembine, Ziegler.
Tackles – Rossi, Bottiglieri, McMahon.
Guards – Santangelo, Costarella, Law.
Centers – Johnson, Catlin.
Quarterbacks – Leonard, Kines.
Halfbacks – Simeone, Henry, Gayonski, Mawby, Trimbitas, Lenham.
Fullbacks – Bletsch, Hallock

Massillon 6 0 6 0 12
Niles 0 0 0 20 20

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Foster 2 (one and 36-yard runs).
Niles – Clapp (13-yard pass); Bletsch (9-yard run); Ziegler (34-yard pass).

Extra points – Niles – Ziegler 2 (run).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Ted Humphrey (Youngstown).
Umpire – Russ Kemper (Cincinnati).
Head Linesman – Al Wildman (Sharon, Pa.).
Field Judge – John Holzbach (Youngstown).

Attendance: 19,500

THE GRIDSTICK
Massillon Niles
First downs – rushing 3 8
First downs – passing 1 6
First downs – penalties 0 0
Total first downs 4 14
Yards gained rushing 143 151
Yards lost rushing 12 18
Net yards gained rushing 131 133
Net yards gained passing 13 159
Total yards gained 144 292
Passes attempted 3 15
Passes completed 2 8
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 8 0
Times kicked off 3 4
Kickoff average (yards) 58.3 39.5
Kickoff returns (yards) 53 28
Times punted 6 4
Punt average (yards) 24.8 18.0
Punt return (yards) 0 17
Had punts blocked 1 1
Fumbles 2 8
Lost fumbled ball 2 5
Penalties 4 1
Yards penalized 20 5
Touchdowns rushing 2 1
Touchdowns passing 0 2
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Miscellaneous 0 0
Number of plays 48 30

Will Foster
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1966: Massillon 24, Alliance 12

Tigers Have Scare But Beat Alliance 24-12
Pass First Test For Title-Comeback

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

The most irritating thing to a feline is a thorn in the paw. And for the Massillon Tiger there’s no thorn sharper than a Mel Knowlton-coached Alliance high grid team.

But as their namesake will work incessantly to rid himself of a thorn, so the Massillon Tigers kept at it at rain-soaked Harshorn stadium in Alliance Friday night until they had clawed out a 24-12 victory. The Bengals’ third win in a 4-game slate, marred only by a tie, meant the first step on the road back towards a third straight state title.
* * *

Program Cover

WITH THE MEAT of their schedule coming up in the 6 remaining weeks, the Bengals must not falter now. A loss coupled with the tie would lessen their chances.

Friday’s contest was typical of Knowlton, the former Tiger quarterback. He put the Bengals’ pass defense to a tough test before the 8,000 fans despite the constant rain.

And the Bengal secondary had its troubles against the tricky play-action passes. However, most of the aerials completed were of the short flat variety. None-the-less, they helped Alliance out-gain Massillon 263 yards to 243 and loosened up the Obiemen to help the Aviators’ running game.

However, Massillon had the best of it on the ground 233-79. Co-captains Tommy James, playing both halfback slots, and fullback Will Foster did some great off tackle and trap running with the help of good blocking. The Bengals got only 10 yards in the air to the Aviators’ 184.

The Bengals were helped in their victory by a big break in the fourth quarter. Midway through, punter, Harley Dickinson was roughed on fourth down. That, coupled with another 15-yarder for unsportsmanlike conduct on Knowlton following a hotly debated encroachment penalty on Alliance, gave Massillon first and 10 on the Alliance 30.
* * *

MASSILLON was temporarily set back by a 15-yard illegal use of the hands penalty. Two plays later junior halfback Bill Simon took a pitchout on second and 16, started right, found his way clogged and cut back to the left behind fine blocking and went 35 yards to end the night’s scoring with 2:49 left. A pass to sophomore end Jim Smith on the conversion attempt failed.

“The penalties helped put the icing on the cake,” Tiger Coach Bob Seaman said. “Our kids held-up to a tough challenge well. The roughing penalty hurt us,” Knowlton said. “There was no reason for it. That killed us because they had to punt.”

Alliance opened the scoring at 5:13 of the first quarter. The Tigers had moved from the Aviator 31 to the 24-yard line following a punt snap, but lost the ball on downs.

Five plays later Zupanic faked a handoff and jumped a second and 9 pass from his 35 to end Finis Dailey who scampered 60 yards straight through Massillon’s secondary for the score. Zupanic couldn’t get another jumper off on the conversion try.

Massillon had a drive fizzle at the Alliance 27 after a pass interception by Cliff Banks. Punter Jim Krenzer’s daring 2-yard sneak on fourth down at the Alliance 46 had kept the foray going.
* * *

THE ORANGE and Black got the equalizer with 5:06 left in the first half when Foster went over left guard from the one on third and 5 after an 11-play, 61-yard drive featuring the running of Foster and James. A Craig Maurer to James pitchout failed for the conversion.

The Tigers’ made it 12-6 when safety John McFadden returned the second half kickoff 85 yards up the center and cut it to the left side. James missed the conversion on a pitchout to the left.

A 14-yard runback by Dale Gallion gave Massillon the ball on its 34 after Alliance was stopped on the Massillon 49. The Tigers marched the distance in 8 plays with Foster and James doing most of the advancing. On first down from the 17, Maurer faked inside and handed to James who swept left for the tally at 4:32. Maurer tried to pass to Simon for the conversion with no success.

Alliance used up the remaining time in the third period and a couple of minutes in the fourth getting to the Massillon 3 where the Bengals stiffened and held them. Twice in the series, Zupanic got off fourth down passes on long yardage plays for first downs. One aerial went to halfback Bob Ramsey, the other to end Al Thigpen.

But disaster stuck in the next series. Kenzer had to punt from the end zone with a bad snap. Halfback Ray Muniz fell on the loose ball at the Tigers’ 21.
* * *

FIVE PLAYS later Ramsey went through the middle on second and 7 from the 8 with 6:39 remaining. A pass to end Emerson Young for the conversion backfired.

Then came the last score for the Bengals.

But Alliance wasn’t through. A Tiger fumble on their 40 recovered by junior Tom Ickes gave Alliance the ball on Massillon’s 45. Three plays later the clock ran out.

Knowlton thought his team was getting better each game. Their performance against the Tigers brought Alliance the most yardage gained by the Aviators this season. They had gained only 53 yards in the air previously.

Seaman said there were not drastic changes made at halftime. “We just blocked a little better and ran a little harder in the second half,” he said. “And that run of McFadden’s really kicked us off. He did a real good job. He’s got guts.
* * *

HE CONTINUED “Simon got off a nice run on his touchdown. He cut back beautifully and got by the pursuit.”

Both coaches thought the other had a fine football team.

The Tigers journey to Riverside stadium in Niles next Saturday, where the Red Dragons have been undefeated for 7 years. Massillon puts its 31 game unbeaten streak on the line in an All-American league contest.

MASSILLON – 24
Ends – Liggett, Smith, Sterling, Kraft, Gallion, Griffin, Moyer, Richards.
Tackles – Houser, Sherrett, Campbell, Snowball, Ricker, Turley.
Guards – Neago, Russell, Porrini, Beiter, Hauenstein, White, Somogy.
Centers – Senften, Kraft, Skelton.
Quarterbacks – Maurer, Henderson, Young, Malinowski.
Halfbacks – James, Simon, Fenton, McFadden, Muhlbach.
Punters – Krenzer, Dickinson.
Fullback – Foster.

ALLIANCE – 12
Ends – Dailey, E. Young, Thigpen.
Tackles – R. Young, Johnson, Harshman, Andreani.
Guards –Gaul, Thomas, McCoy.
Center – Koch.
Quarterbacks – Zupanic, Libis, Utterback.
Halfbacks – Ramsey, Lear, Muniz.
Punter – Sucacui.

Massillon 0 6 12 6 24
Alliance 6 0 0 6 12

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Foster (one-yard run);
McFadden (85-yard second half kickoff return);
James (17-yard run);
Simon (30-yard run).
Alliance – Dailey (65-yard pass-run play from Zupanic); Ramsey (8-yard run).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Octavio Sirgo (Canton).
Umpire – Carl Spennard (Cuyahoga Falls).
Head Linesman – John Cseh (Akron).
Field Judge – Carl Emmerich (Cuyahoga Falls).

Attendance: 8,000
THE GRIDSTICK
Massillon Opp.
First downs – rushing 11 8
First downs – passing 1 5
First downs – penalties 2 0
Total first downs 14 13
Yards gained rushing 233 114
Yards lost rushing 0 35
Net yards gained rushing 233 79
Net yards gained passing 10 184
Total yards gained 343 263
Passes attempted 3 18
Passes completed 1 10
Passes intercepted by 0 1
Times kicked off 5 3
Kickoff average (yards) 54.5 42.3
Kickoff returns (yards) 107 160
Times punted 1 3
Punt average (yards) 12.0 32.3
Punt return (yards) 45 0
Fumbles 2 0
Lost fumbled ball 1 0
Penalties 5 8
Yards penalized 45 60
Touchdowns rushing 3 0
Touchdowns passing 0 1
Miscellaneous touchdowns 1 0
Total number of plays 49 59

Will Foster
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1966: Massillon 0, Mansfield 0

Bengals’ Streak Ended But All Isn’t Lost
Mansfield Plays Familiar Role As Massillon Spoiler

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

The Massillon Tiger is a proud creature by tradition. He is not prone to put his tail between his legs and slink away in the face of adversity. Instead, he bares his fangs and fights back all the harder.

The Bengals have come back 3 times before after having win streaks stopped by Mansfield to win state titles. The scoreless contest Friday night before 10,000 at Arlin field in Mansfield need not be the end. It can be the beginning of another string of Orange and Black conquests.
* * *

Program Cover

THE 30-GAME win streak stretching back to 1963 and starting with a 38-0 win over Mansfield is gone. But the unbeaten skein is still there.

Paul Brown’s 1937 Bengals had a 20-game affair ended via 6-6 entanglement with Mansfield but went on to an 8-1-1 season and a state title. Bud Houghton’s 1941 Obiemen had a 38-game string stopped 6-6 by Mansfield but went on to a 9-0-1 season and a state title, winning 13 more games before bowing in the 1962 finale under Elwood Kammer.

Chuck Mather’s 1948 team won a state championship with a 9-1 record and his 1949 squad, after having a 10-game streak stopped 16-12 by Mansfield, went on to a 9-1 season and a state title. His 1951 team and Tom Harp’s 154 units won crowns with 9-1 records. Leo Strang got one with a 10-1 slate in 1960.

For Mansfield, which will start its league season against Fremont next week, its effort Friday could send the Tygers on to a Buckeye conference title.

“This is the greatest team effort I’ve ever seen from any team in the country,” Gary Prahst, Tyger mentor, said. “We’re real happy. We consider it a win. I thought our team was just an average one going into this game. But this will make us. Massillon is a great team!”
* * *

MASSILLON COACH Bob Seaman said, ‘We had enough yardage to win – 50 more than last week – but 20 less points. We did a good job both offensively and defensively. Mansfield played a good game. They shut us off when they had to. Their pursuit killed us.”

Seaman wasn’t one to offer alibis but when a team has only one first string back in top condition, its attack is somewhat blunted. Quarterback Craig Maurer was on the sidelines with an ankle injury. Halfback Greg Evans is scheduled for surgery on a knee injury Monday in Massillon city hospital. Halfback Tommy James played with his hip still sore from an injury.
* * *

MANSFIELD’S tailback and top scorer, “Butch” Jefferson also was out with an ankle sprain.

“With him we could have gotten outside better,” Prahst said.

The Tigers out-gained Mansfield 190-95. Neither team threw much, missing on 3 passes each. Mansfield intercepted 2 Tiger aerials both late in the game.

“We gained 143 yards the first half and seemed to be moving the ball well so I felt we didn’t have to throw,” Seaman explained.

“We had planned on throwing the ball more but our defense held them. (We didn’t want to take any chances throwing the ball),” said Prahst.
* * *

BECAUSE NEITHER team threw often, a lot of time was used up as the Obiemen’s Will Foster and Mansfield’s Floyd Davis and Mike Swarn took turns pounding the tackles and guards for short yardage. There were almost no long punt returns as Massillon’s Jim Krenzer and Mansfield’s Dave Hallabrin took turns putting their opponents in the hole.

The furthest the Orange and Black got into Mansfield territory was the 29 after a 20-yard run by Foster. But time ran out in the first half.

Mansfield got to the Massillon 28 with 25 seconds left in the game. Swarn’s field goal attempt was wide left.

The Tygers had gotten there largely through the efforts of Shawn Madison, defensive halfback. He intercepted a 32-yard pass by Foster to 6-7 tackle Mike Sherrett on a tackle-eligible play and ran back to the Massillon 37.

Tigertown quarterback Kevin Henderson tried a desperation heave to sophomore halfback Mark McDew, taking Evans’ place, on the game’s final play. But halfback Jeff Koroknay intercepted the 28-yarder.
* * *

THE TIGERS had 2 costly 15-yard penalties. Both came in the second quarter. One set the Tigertowners back to their 42 from the Mansfield 43 when it looked like the Bengals were gaining momentum. The other put them on their own 16 with 1:50 left. Both were clipping infractions and came after good runs.

Twice Mansfield fumbles rolled ahead up to 8 yards and were recovered by the Tygers for first downs. Once, however, tackle Tom Houser picked up a bobble on the Massillon 42 to stop a thrust by Mansfield which got out of its own territory only once in the first half and got no further than the Tiger 37 in the second, except on the pass interception.

Massillon got out of its homeland only once in the second half, but 3 of 4 times it had the ball in the first.

Next stop for the Tigers on the road schedule, which has 2 games remaining, is Hartshorn field in Alliance next Friday.

The Bengals’ record is 2-0-1, Mansfield’s is the same.

MASSILLON – 0
Ends – Moyer, Smith, Sterling, Liggett, Gallion.
Tackles – Campbell, Snowball, Houser, Sherrett, Ricker.
Guards – Porrini, Russell, Neago, Hauenstein, Beiter, Ertle.
Centers – Senften, Kraft.
Quarterbacks – Henderson, Young, Malinowski.
Halfbacks – James, Simon, Fenton, McFadden, Evans, Hannon,
Muhlbach, McDew.
Fullbacks – Foster, Moore.
Punter – Krenzer.

MANSFIELD – 0
Ends – Alexander, Fraley, Blakley.
Tackles – Davis, Socea, Adams.
Guards – King, Shulko, Lowe, Gorrell.
Quarterbacks – Hallabrin, Wright.
Halfbacks – Madison, Koroknay, Johnson, Swarn.
Fullback – Davis.

Massillon 0 0 0 0 0
Mansfield 0 0 0 0 0

OFFICIALS
Referee – Stan Orzech (Cleveland),
Umpire – Clyde Newell (Westlake).
Head Linesman – Bill Holzwarth (Louisville).
Field Judge – Andy Moran (Berea).

Attendance – 10,000

STATISTICS
Massillon Opp.
First downs – rushing 10 7
First downs – passing 0 0
First downs – penalties 0 2
Total first downs 10 7
Yards gained rushing 200 117
Yards lost rushing 10 22
Net yards gained rushing 190 95
Net yards gained passing 0 0
Total yards gained 190 95
Passes attempted 3 3
Passes completed 0 0
Passes intercepted by 0 2
Yardage on passes intercepted 0 18
Times kicked off 1 1
Kickoff average (yards) 32.0 26.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 0 38
Times punted 0 7
Punt average (yards) 31.2 35.0
Punt return (yards) 0 13
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 5
Lost fumbled ball 0 1
Penalties 3 1
Yards penalized 35 15
Touchdowns rushing 0 0
Touchdowns passing 0 0
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Miscellaneous 0 0
Total number of plays 34 32

Will Foster