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1960: Massillon 56, Toledo Waite 14

November 4, 1960July 11, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers Maul Toledo Waite, 56-14
Hastings Scores Trio, Gugov Adds Pair As Locals Post 8th Win

By JIM QUILTY

Washington high’s Tigers delighted ‘Dad’ with their biggest football victory of the season 56-14, over Toledo Waite Friday night.

But the only real news at Tiger stadium poured from the public address system announcing Springfield South’s 22-21 win over second ranked Lima Senior and Steubenville’s
near-upset of the third rated Alliance.

Add fifth ranked Marion Harding’s 40-14 loss to Fremont Ross and fourth ranked Sandusky’s final period come-from-behind win over Findlay and the Tigers’ path to a second straight Ohio scholastic grid championship is considerably cleared.

For a little more interest, toss in sixth ranked Warren’s 44-14 defeat at the hands of Sharon (Pa.) and eighth ranked undefeated Salem’s 8-6 loss to East Liverpool.

* * *
ART HASTINGS, at his familiar best, and then some, tallied three times, passed for a fourth and added a conversion as the Bengals hung up their eighth win in nine while bouncing back from the 19-18 loss to Warren. It was Coach Leo Strang’s 26th win against two defeats, both to Warren, and a tie since coming to Massillon in 1958.

There was some sadness on the part of the Tigers despite the overwhelming victory and finest offensive show of the year. Martin Gugov, whose two touchdowns aided the 28-0 half time lead, was helped from the field in the third period when he re-injured his right knee. It isn’t expected to be serious.

Early in the second period Quarterback John Larson re-injured the ankle he first hurt in the Mansfield game. He was helped from the field. The extent of the injury was not known immediately after the game but it may prove serious.

Larson’s mishap proved Dave Null’s good fortune as the defensive ace took over, hit on six passes, one a 23-yarder to Ron Schenkenberger for the final TD of the first half, ran the ball well and engineered all but the first two touchdown drives.

For Strang it was a sweet win. “We finally got everybody out to practice all week,” Leo stated, “and it really showed.”

As for the next week and Springfield, Strang said he’ll “just wait until we see the scouting reports.”

* * *
TOLEDO’S COACH, Pete Fanning, summarized the Tigers “as a great football team.” Of his own kids, he added, “they never quit trying.”

The two touchdowns garnered by the invaders in the final period bears out his statement although they were scored after Strang had emptied the bench.

All told, 42 Tigers poured into the contest and rolled up 517 yards in the process.

* * *
GUGOV STARTED the Tigers rolling when he broke off tackle and streaked 56 yards from his 31 to the Toledo 13 before Ralph Kimbers pulled him down from behind. After Larson picked up five to the eight, Marty with Vigil Bukuts, Jay B. Willey and Bob Herring opening the path, swept into the end zone for the score. His PAT attempt was stopped as the locals led 6-0 halfway through the opening periods.

After Waite picked up a first down, Charlie Whitfield grabbed a Bill Nopper aerial on the Toledo 48 and the Tigers were on their way.

Hastings streaked 31 yards on a pitchout around his short side end, then Larson raced the final 17 yards, after a fake handoff for the tally. Art plunged for the extra points with 3:22 left in the opening stanza.

The defense again thwarted the Indians and Nopper quick kicked on third down to the Massillon 41.

A clipping penalty shoved the Bengals to their own 31. From there it took Hastings and Gugov only 12 plays, behind some ferocious blocking, to move the distance. Gugov went in from three yards out but missed the conversion making it 20-0 halfway through the second period.

Still again the defense permitted only a single first down and forced Nopper to punt. The ball went out on the locals’ 21.

* * *
HASTINGS reeled off 45 yards in three carries and Gugov 11 in one moving the Tigers to Toledo’s 23. Then null and Schenkenberger combined for the TD, Ron sneaking into the right corner of the south end zone. Hastings ran for the PAT and a 28-0 lead.

The locals nearly scored again in the closing seconds of the period when Null pounced upon a Waite fumble on the visitors’ 43.

Dave whipped an aerial to Larry Ehmer, in the open but Ehmer couldn’t hang on to it.

Bob Herring, displaying his old form chipped in with a 17-yard gain to the 23. Null then flipped to Herring for 20 yards to the three as the half ended.

Hastings crashed in for his first of three touchdowns after Massillon grabbed the second half kickoff and marched 63 yards in seven plays. Art’s 28-yard pickup set the six-pointer up. Null passed to Ehmer for the two-point conversion and a 36-0 lead four minutes into the half.

Two big gainers, a 17-yard reverse by Herring and a 22-yard Null to Charlie Brown pass set up Hastings’ second tally. It came from five yards out for a 42-0 lead as Ivan’s placement was wide.

* * *
LAWSON WHITE picked up a Waite fumble on the latter’s 32 late in the third period. Null hit Ehmer on a jump pass for 12, then Hastings, Jack Lash and Joe Heflin paraded to the one as the period ended.

Hastings scored on the first play of the final period and Heflin ran the conversion.

Waite finally showed its passing offense with Nopper connecting to Paul Reed for 44 yards to the Tigers’ 23 after the ensuing kickoff. Four plays later, the Waite eleven had its first tally with Kimbers slashing in from the three. Nopper’s conversion pass to Reed made it 50-8.

The locals’ offense was finally stymied moments later when Null’s pass was intercepted by Sam Pettaway at midfield.

Two Nopper passes, the first to Larry Bass 17-yards, the second to Reed from 26, after a personal foul had cost them 15 yards, moved the ball to the Washington high 26. They rammed it home in six plays with Fullback Grover Cummings getting the TD from a yard out with 2:25 remaining. The extra point attempt failed.

An onside kick went out of bounds on the Tiger 41 and they were rolling once more.

* * *
BROWN paced off 15. Null hit Herring for seven and Brown picked up seven more to the 30. Hastings then turned passer connecting with Ehmer, who pulled it down from between a pair of defenders and dragged them into the end zone. Heflin was stopped on the conversion attempt with only 30 seconds remaining.

Only 8,328 fans, the smallest crowd of the season, sat in perfect football weather marred slightly by showers toward the end of the third quarter.

The locals amassed 27 first downs, 22 rushing to nine for the visitors. On the ground, they had 422 yards to 104 for the Indians.

Passing was nearly even with Toledo gaining 93. Massillon 95.

The Bengals weren’t forced to punt a single time. They failed to score only twice after they gained possession. The first time was at the end of the first half. The second was when Toledo pulled down Null’s pass.

Hastings himself accounted for 176 of the yards on 19 carries. Gugov was next with 130 yards on 10 attempts. Herring had 38 yards on four carries. That’s 344 yards, half of which has been missing from the lineup more than half the year.

* * *
ONE OF the brightest spots in the lineup was Bukuts whose blocks sprung the backs loose on many occasions. It was his first complete game of the year.

Jim Houston hobbled by an injured ankle, failed to see any action Friday night. He’s expected to be back in action for the bout with Springfield next Friday at Tiger stadium.

The Right Way
MASSILLON
Ends – Royer, Bodiford, Ivan, Ehmer, Fuchs, Anzalone, Dewald, Clendinin.
Tackles – Spees, Crenshaw, Bukuts, Herbst, Brugh, Garman, Herndon
Brenneman.
Guards – Willey, Wells, White, Poole, Migge, Whitfield, Radel.
Centers – Demis, Strobel, Garland.
Backs – Baker, Larson, Null, Alexander, Hastings, Gugov, Herring, Lash,
Snively, Schenkenberger, J. Smith, D. Smith, Brown, Kurzen, Dena, Heflin.

WAITE
Ends – Vorraber, Reed, Heider.
Tackles – Duran, Gersak, Leestman.
Guards – Adams, Lengel, Warner, White, Hornbeak.
Center – Miller.
Backs – Nopper, Cummings, Pettaway, Logan, Kimbers, Woodward,
Tucker, Coughlin, Bass.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Massillon 14 14 14 14 56
Waite 0 0 0 14 14

SCORING
Massillon – Hastings 3, (2, run; 5, run; 4, run); Gugov 2 (8, run; 3, run);
Larson (17, run); Schenkenberger (23, pass from Null);
Ehmer (30, pass from Hastings).

Waite – Kimbers (3, run); Cummings (1, run).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Bud Shopbell.
Head Linesman – Bill Holswarth.
Umpire – George Donges.
Field Judge – Clarence Rich.

STATISTICS
Tigers Waite
First downs – rushing 22 6
First downs – passing 5 3
First downs – penalties 0 0
Total first downs 27 9
Yards gained rushing 425 122
Yards lost rushing 3 16
Net yards gained rushing 422 106
Yards gained passing 95 96
Total yards gained 517 204
Passes attempted 12 10
Passes completed 6 5
Passes intercepted by 1 1
Times kicked off 9 3
Kickoff average (yards) 41.7 37.3
Kickoff returns (yards) 42 115
Times punted 0 3
Punt average (yards) 0 29.0
Punt return (yards) 13 50
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 1 4
Lost fumbled ball 0 2
Penalties 2 2
Yards penalized 25 20

1960: Massillon 18, Warren Harding 19

October 28, 1960July 11, 2017
by Eric Smith

Warren Snaps Tiger Victory Streak
Panthers Come From Behind Three Times To Edge Bengals 19-18

By LUTHER EMERY

A team that won’t be beat can’t be beat and Warren’s Panthers was that team Friday night.

By the slim margin of one point the Panthers edged Washington high school’s first place Tigers 19-18 before a roaring crowd of 13,000 at Warren and great was the thunder thereof.

It will reverberate in next week’s state scholastic ranking and where the Tigers will land in the standings nobody knows. Perhaps not too far down, because the margin of defeat was as small as it could possibly be.

* * *
KEYED UP to play by far its best game of the season, Warren had what it took last night. The Panthers beat the Tigers in statistics right down the line except in fumbles and penalties. Here Massillon had the edge, losing more yards in penalties and fumbling more.

But with smarter football Warren might have had one more touchdown and the Tigers one less, so there’s no denying the Panthers their hour of glory.

Yet, Massillon could have won the game, save for a fourth period penalty that kept Warren in possession of the ball which it otherwise would have turned over to the Tigers.

Everybody, the Warren press included, called this the key play of the game.

It happened after the Tigers had rammed over their third touchdown to break a 12-12 tie and go into an 18-12 lead with seven minutes and 10 seconds remaining to be played.

Warren took the following kickoff and the Tigers, bristling to defend their lead, stopped the Panthers who were forced to punt on fourth down…but here a Massillon player in his anxiety to block the punt, and he only missed by inches, brushed the Warren kicker. The officials immediately called roughing the kicker, and the Warren punter took a dive but apparently was not hurt. The 15-yard penalty for roughing the kicker gave the Panthers a first down, so instead of Massillon having the ball on its 35, Warren was given the ball on the Tiger 45.

* * *
SAY THIS FOR the Panthers, they knew what to do from there. They slashed and banged their way to two first downs and with only a minute and 34 seconds left to play and the ball on the Tiger 18, Quarterback Bart Wilson, tossed a lateral to halfback Fred Harris who beat a path around his left end to go into the end zone for six points that tied the score at 18-18.

That set the stage for the dramatic finish.

Fred Caldwell, who had twice missed attempts to placekick the extra point, booted this one high and between the uprights for the deciding point of the game. It was the first placekick for an extra point we have seen since the option of running or passing for extra points was written into the rule-book two years ago – but this time victory rode on the booted ball.

The Tigers tried and tried hard in the last minute and 34 seconds to score again. Warren attempted an onside kickoff but the ball didn’t go the necessary distance to become a free ball and the Tigers took over on the Panther 48. The Tigers, in three plays got a first down on the Panthers 29 but on the next play Quarterback John Larson’s pass was intercepted by End Walter Brooks of Warren and that all but wrapped it up for the Panthers who stalled it out while the Warren student body counted the seconds as they were ticked off to zero.

Pandemonium broke loose.

* * *
WHILE THE TIGERS walked dejectedly off the field, having their first loss after 20 consecutive victories, the Warren fans emptied the stands and turned the turf into a swirling mass of humanity, that engulfed the Panthers players. And while all this was going on the rocket man emptied his arsenal of bombs that must have told all Trumbull County that the Panthers had upset the first-place Tigers.

And long after the game was over, the fine Warren band was still giving out with music while fans and students leaped about and screamed in delight.

The Massillon dressing room was a sad place. The Tigers had been beaten, state championship hopes crushed – at least for the time being – and the victory skein broken.

Players and some of the coaches sobbed while fans attempted to offer some consolation.

Head Coach Leo Strang had little to say. “What can you say,” he asked, “Warren was fired up. The roughing the kicker call was the key play. We probably could have held them off were it not for that.”

The Warren dressing room was a scene of rejoicing and even some tear-shedding – the hysterical kind that comes with the accomplishment of a great effort.

* * *
COACH BEN WILSON, who was an applicant for the Massillon coaching job when Leo Strang got it, was quite happy. He gave all credit to the players. “We came from nothing,” he said. “They won’t be beaten, they won’t quit. They want to play football.”

It was the Panther’s fourth win after a dismal start in which they did not chalk up a victory until their fourth game of the season. They lost to Collinwood 8-6, to Canton McKinley
14-0 and tied Steubenville 12-12.

But Wilson’s ears must have burned from the criticism leveled at him from the stands for decisions he made in the first and fourth periods, both of which led to Massillon touchdowns.

His dramatic victory shows how quickly a fickle crowd can change in its attitude toward the coach.

In the first quarter the Panthers hammered to the Tigers’ two-yard line with third down coming up. They were gaining every time they carried the ball. But on third down the Panthers elected a pass into the flat that Charlie Brown, Massillon defender, picked out of the air and raced the distance of the field for the first score of the game.

Wilson was called everything that isn’t intellectual for that play. Joe Heflin, trying to run over the extra point, fumbled and the Tigers missed the bonus.

A fumble by Art Hastings that Wilson recovered on the Tiger 30 paved the way for Warren’s first touchdown with three minutes and 23 seconds left of the second period.

Fullback Dave Jackson, the workhorse for the Panthers, lugged the ball four straight times for nine, 12, eight yards and then the final yard to pay dirt. Caldwell’s kick went wide and the score was tied 6-6.

* * *
BUT IN THOSE last three minutes the Tigers took the ball from where they were downed on their 36 with the kickoff and marched to the Warren 26. There Larson scooted out and hit End Larry Ehmer in the end zone for a touchdown. Ehmer had just come into the game as a substitute for Charles Royer, who was injured. Art Hastings just barely missed running in for the bonus points but the Tigers led 12-6 with only 30 seconds of the half remaining.

The Tigers started strong in the second half, reeled off a first down but were set back on the next series by a five-yard penalty which was followed by a fumble that Warren recovered on its 39.

There the Panthers ground out yardage by twos and threes. Three times they faced fourth down and one situations. They made their scanty yards by inches the first two times and the third, time with the ball on the Tiger 30 and the Massillon forward wall drawn in, they sent Caldwell scooting to his right and around end for a touchdown that knotted the score at 12-12. Ken Dean and Ed Radel broke though to block Caldwell’s attempted kick for the extra points, and four minutes and 41 seconds remained of the period.

Warren stopped the Tigers’ next march and as the game went into the fourth quarter Warren had the ball on its own 48 with another of those fourth and one situations. Here again, Coach Wilson was the object of criticism from many fans as he sought to try for the first down and failed when Royer broke through and tossed Halfback Wilson for a loss.

The Tigers took over on the Panthers’ 46 and launched a march that took them into the Promised Land. Key plays in the drive were a keeper by Larson good for 22 yards, a
nine-yard pass, Larson to Hastings, and a savage wedge play with Hastings carrying the ball. He scored from four yards out on a wedge.

* * *
AGAIN THE TIGERS failed for the third time to collect their bonus points when Larson was tackled as he attempted to run for the goal line.

You know what happened after that. The locals kicked off and Warren roared back, aided by the roughing the kicker penalty to tie the score and then kick the extra point that won the game.

The Tigers ran into a lot of other hard luck in the game. They played over three-quarters without their No.1 defensive lineman, Lawson White, who was tossed out by the officials late in the first period for unsportsmanlike conduct. They claimed he kicked at a Warren player. (Coach Strang is going to reserve judgment until he sees the films.) Then the outstanding wingman, Jim Houston, was forced out early in the second half with injuries.

Other injured Tigers saw very limited service, Bob Herring. Martin Gugov and Virgil Bukuts, the latter getting in for a few plays in the third touchdown march for the first time this season. Bob Baker, first string defensive man, didn’t play at all.

If you look over the statistics you will see where Warren gained 225 yards rushing to Massillon’s 176 and had 221 net yards gained to Massillon’s 190. First downs were 12-11 in Warren’s favor.

MASSILLON
ENDS – Bodiford, Royer, Anzalone, Ehmer, Ivan.
TACKLES – Spees, Garman, White, Crenshaw, Herbst,
Brugh, Herndon.
GUARDS – Houston, Willey, Radel, Wells, Whitfield, Poole.
CENTER – Demis.
QUARTERBACKS – Larson, Null.
HALFBACKS – Herring, Brown, Dean, Snively, Schenkenberger,
Kurzen, Gugov, Heflin.
FULLBACK – Hastings.

WARREN
ENDS – Keifer, Brooks, Marlotti, Franklin, Plevyak, Shannon, Auble.
TACKLES – Smith, Angelo, Chicernee, Jamison, Zamaria.
GUARDS – Peterson, Rogers, Elkins.
CENTERS – Sanfrey, Baker.
QUARTERBACK – Wilson.
HALFBACKS – Harris, Caldwell, Pannucci, Simoni, Getsay.
FULLBACKS – Jackson, Mink.

SCORE BY PERIODS
Massillon 6 6 0 6 18
Warren 0 6 6 7 19

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Brown (intercepted pass 100 yards), Ehmer (pass 26 yards),
Hastings (plunge four yards).

Warren – Jackson (plunge 2 feet); Caldwell (30 yards end run),
Harris (18 yards, lateral from Wilson).

Point after touchdown – Caldwell (placekick).

OFFICIALS
George Ellis.
Andrew Lindsay.
Clyde Moore.
Paul Tobin.

STATISTICS
Mass. War.
First downs – rushing 9 10
First downs – passing 2 0
First downs – penalties 0 2
Total first downs 11 12
Yards gained rushing 176 225
Yards lost rushing 21 4
Net yards gained rushing 155 221
Yards gained passing 35 0
Total yards gained 190 221
Passes attempted 6 2
Passes completed 2 0
Passes intercepted by 2 1
Times kicked off 4 2
Kickoff average (yards) 35.7 33.2
Kickoff returns (yards) 51 54
Times punted 2 3
Punt average (yards) 29.5 41.2
Punt return (yards) 2 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 4 2
Lost fumbled ball 2 2
Penalties 4 2
Yards penalized 40 5

1960: Massillon 16, Mansfield 6

October 21, 1960July 11, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers Nip Mansfield 2nd Half Surge, 16-6
Baker, Hastings Tally In 20th Straight Win

By JIM QUILTY

Call it luck if you like, but Washington high school’s injury riddled Tigers are still undefeated and well on their way toward a second successive Ohio scholastic football championship.

The Tigers proved once again Friday night, before over 12,000 fans at Arlin stadium, Mansfield, why they remain No. 1 week after week as they turned in a 16-6 victory over Mansfield’s Tygers, the 20th win in a row over a three-year period and seventh straight.

It took 48 minutes to decide the issue, but two key plays, one early in the first period, the second late in the third stanza, are what the fans recall most.

The first was Tiger Bob Baker’s 77-yard punt return for a touchdown, after he had fumbled the ball and picked it up, at the 9:30 mark of the opening quarter.

The second was Joe Snively’s recovery of Tyger Henry Weaver’s fumble on the locals’ four, moments before the end of the third period.

Had Baker not gone the distance and had Weaver not fumbled, Washington high would have had to rally to pull the decision out. It was hard enough as it was.

Coach Leo Strang summed up the Tigers’ situation precisely with a, “I don’t know who to play.”

Strang’s problems became compounded early last night when Linebacker, kickoff man and punter Ken Dean was injured on the kickoff following Baker’s scoring run. Dean didn’t play the rest of the first half.

Then Martin Gugov, after clicking for 26 yards on two carries in the second Tiger touchdown drive, re-injured his right knee. He didn’t play the rest of the way.

Trainer Walt Keller upon examining the knee after the game, said it didn’t appear to be too bad.

In the Mansfield dressing room, Bill Doolittle, in his first year at the Tyger helm, sized up his team’s performance as one in which “we learned a lesson.”

“We played one good half of football,” Doolittle said. “Against a team like Massillon, you have to play the whole game.”

“A few new wrinkles in our offense helped. Our second half defense was great,” Doolittle added.

What did he think of Washington high’s team?

“Massillon has a good club,” he replied. “That Hastings is a terrific player.”

That Hastings, to whom the Mansfield mentor referred, is Art, the big gun in the Tigers’ lagging offensive punch last night.

Playing possibly his best game of the year, the speedy fullback lugged the ball 25 times, picking up 133 yards. An eight-yard shot around his short side end on the opening play of the second period and his successful conversion gave the Tigers a 16-0 cushion with nearly the whole three quarters remaining.

Mansfield’s touchdown was only the fourth scored against the locals’ defense in seven games. It came on one of the weirdest plays of the season.

After Mansfield had drive to the Tigers’ 15 mid way through the third period on the running of Halfbacks John Brooks and Weaver and a 15-yard personal foul call, Dean busted through from his linebacker slot and dropped Quarterback Art Rainey on the 19. A sweep by Weaver around the left end netted a single yard for a third and 13.

* * *
RAINEY THEN, after a fake to Weaver up the middle, handed off to Fullback Harold Phillips. Phillips, however, was trapped by Jim Houston behind the line. While under tackle he attempted a lateral to Brooks, following the play. The ball hit the ground, then bounced a couple of times right into Brooks’ hands. The scatback then continued around the right side and swept home for the touchdown. Over seven minutes still remained in the third period.

The conversion attempt by Weaver on a sweep to his left was broken up by Ken Ivan.

After Hastings returned Lee Beer’s kickoff to his own 41, the Tiger offense failed to move. Dean then booted to Mansfield’s 21 where Halfback Don Cole scooped the ball in and scooted to his 38.

Aided by a 35-yard pass play from Rainey to End Bob Norris, the hosts moved to the Massillon 15. A sweep to the right by Brooks moved the Tygers to the three with a first down.

* * *
HERE THE TIGERS rose up, with the middle of the line smacking Weaver as he churned through. He fumbled and Snively dived over his teammates, recovering the loose ball on the Tiger four.

It marked the second time in the last two games in which the Orange has recovered an opponent fumble inside the five-yard line to curtail a scoring threat.

Mansfield netted only four yards on three tries after taking Dean’s kick on their own 45 to open the battle. Elroy Allen then booted to Baker.

Baker, who later bobbled three others, losing one, played with the ball from the 20 to 23 before finding the handle. Then, behind a perfect wall of blockers, the speedy Tiger safety stepped untouched 77 yards down his right sideline for the score.

Gugov went in behind his outside tackle for the two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead.

Mansfield, which didn’t gain a first down until late in the second period, failed to move again after Dean’s boot. Allen punted, again to Baker. This time Bob dropped it, then picked it up but was stormed by a host of Tyger tacklers and fumbled again. He then recovered on his own 26.

* * *
WITH THE DEFT ball handling of John Larson and the running of Hastings spearheading the attack, the defending state champions marched 74 yards in 15 plays for the touchdown. The big yardage play was a 17-yarder by Gugov. Marty was then injured three plays later when he added the nine-yarder to Mansfield’s 41.

Hastings touchdown was his seventh of the year. He has now tallied 46 points. He finished with 86 last year.

After the next kickoff by Richard Crenshaw and punt by Allen when the Tygers failed to move, Baker fumbled again. This time Center Kay Hartman made the recovery for Mansfield on the locals’ 40.

Two plays later, however, Lawson White pounced on Brooks fumble to stop that abbreviated drive on Massillon’s 35.
* * *

AFTER HASTINGS returned Beer’s second half kickoff to Mansfield’s 46 from his own 23, three successive five-yard illegal motion penalties were marched off against the locals setting them back to their own 39. Larson brought it back to the Mansfield 49 before Dean punted out of bounds on the losers’ 22.

The hosts then moved for their lone touchdown of the game. Covering 83 yards, after a five-yard penalty, in seven plays.

It was Mansfield’s third loss against two wins and a tie on the season. In the series with Washington high, the Ashland county eleven has managed only two wins and four ties in 24 attempts.

The game was a pleasant change for Mansfield from the 70-0 route suffered during the fruitless 1959 season. The 16-6 final was the closest the Tygers have come to upending the Orange since 1956 when the won, 14-6.

In first downs the clubs were even with 11 apiece. Massillon managed 195 yards rushing and 29 passing for 224 while the hosts combined 114 on the ground and 63 through the air for 177 total yards.
* * *

THE TIGERS went into the game with seven players out of uniform. Theo Bodiford came up with a fever during the afternoon and didn’t dress. Bob Herring indicated he was ready to go but Strang wasn’t taking any chances. Charlie Whitfield didn’t see any action.

Joining these were Virgil Bukuts, still out with the knee injury suffered before the start of the campaign. Sophomores Ben Bradley and Ron Davis, and Junior Quarterback Jim Alexander.

Strang hopes most of the injuries will be healed by next Friday when the Tigers journey to Warren for the final road game of the season against the up and coming Panthers. Two years ago, the Panthers ruined Massillon’s bid for the state championship with a 6-0 victory. Last year Washington high atoned for the loss with a 38-8 slashing of Paul Warfield and company.

Last night Warren posted its third straight victory, ripping New Castle (Pa.), 40-7.

Four More To Go

MASSILLON
Ends – Royer, Ivan, Anzalone.
Tackles – Garman, Brugh, Wells, Crenshaw, Herbst, Spees.
Guards – White, Houston, Willey, Radel.
Center – Demis.
Backs – Larson, Hastings, Gugov, Schenkenberger, Null, Baker, Snively,
Kurzen, D. Smith, Dean.

MANSFIELD
Ends – Norris ,Nagle, Davison, Shrot, Kehr.
Tackles – Shasky, Welker, F. Beckwith, Minard.
Guards – Atwater, Beer, Reedy, B. Beckwith.
Centers – Hartman, Keplinger.
Backs – Rainey, Ott, Brooks, Cole, Allen, Phillips, weaver

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Massillon 8 8 0 0 16
Mansfield 0 0 6 0 6

SCORING
Massillon – Baker (77, punt return); Hastings (8, run).

Conversions – Gugov (run); Hastings (run).

Mansfield – Brooks (18, run).

STATISTICS
Tigers Tygers
First downs – rushing 10 8
First downs – passing 1 3
First downs – penalties 0 1
Total first downs 11 11
Yards gained rushing 215 142
Yards lost rushing 20 26
Net yards gained rushing 195 114
Yards gained passing 29 63
Total yards gained 224 177
Passes attempted 5 4
Passes completed 2 2
Passes intercepted by 0 0
Times kicked off 3 2
Kickoff average (yards) 39.3 38.2
Kickoff returns (yards) 47 53
Times punted 4 5
Punt average (yards) 33.3 35.6
Punt return (yards) 96 17
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 3 3
Lost fumbled ball 1 2
Penalties 5 3
Yards penalized 35 15

1960: Massillon 8, Cincinnati Roger Bacon 0

October 14, 1960July 11, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers Make It 19, Nip Bacon, 8-0
Hastings’ 3rd Quarter Score Breaks Rugged Defensive Grid Battle

By JIM QUILTY

Washington high school’s Tigers did it again.

The opportunist band of scholastic football precisionists converted an early second half recovered fumble into the lone touchdown of the game, then forced invading Cinncinnati Roger Bacon to fumble on the Tigers’ three, again pouncing upon it, for a scrambling 8-0 victory at Tiger stadium Friday night.

The largest crowd of the season 12,797 (paid), cheered wildly as Art Hastings slithered home for the decisive touchdown of the defensive struggled from a yard out, then circled his short side end for the two-point conversion midway through the third period.

Bacon’s Coach Bron Bacevich, envisioning a possible state title for his club saw the illusion whisked away early in the fourth period.

After rugged 6-2, 200-pound Tackle Bob Steltenpohl furnished the Spartans with their “break” by busting past the Tiger defense to block Ken Dean’s punt, the Bacon Quarterback Jim Swagart fumbled on the second play following with Bengal Linebacker Ed Radel gathering it on his three.

* * *
THE SOUTHERN Ohio power never threatened seriously again.

The triumph, Coach Leo Strang’s 19th in succession and 24th in 26 starts since taking over in 1958, was indeed sweet. But his praise of the Bacon team and Bacevich was high.

Summing it up, Leo started slowly and precisely: “They have a real good ball club.”

The sweetness of the victory stemmed from the issue at stake. Stark county’s reputation as the focal point of high school football was maintained. However, and Strang will be the first to agree, it was the narrowest of margins.

A proud, though understandably disappointed Bacevich was “very pleased” with his team’s performance.

“I talked to Leo before the game,” Bacevich said, “and we both knew we were in for a real battle. It was a tough one for either team to lose.”
“We thought we should have had a tie. But the difference was they took advantage of their break and we didn’t. The fumbles also hurt us.”

Hundreds of an estimated 1,500 Bacon rooters, who made the trip by bus, car or any other available transportation means, heaped congratulatory wishes upon Bacevich and his squad while filing past the visitor’s dressing room.

With the Bacon game now history, the Tigers open their only extended road trip of the season in Mansfield next Friday. The Friday after that, the state’s No. 1 ranked football power battles always dangerous Warren.

* * *
IT DIDN’T take long for the opposing grid giants to establish the setting for the entire Friday night encounter.

After the Bengals grabbed the opening kickoff, they failed to move and punted.

Bacon could manage only one first and ten of its own before booting back to the locals 24.

With Hastings and Martin Gugov combining, the Tigers managed their first, first down. The drive bogged down quickly on the 43 with Dean kicking out of trouble to the Spartans 35.

Scatback Jim Mahon scooted to mid field but Safety Bob Baker rapped him from behind forcing a fumble, recovered by Hastings on the Washington high 49.

Charlies Brown, then Gugov, Ron Schenkenberger and Hastings picked up a pair of first downs to the Bacon 24. Gugov chopped for three more, Hastings was stopped without a gain and Brown moved to the 19. Then on a fourth and five, Quarterback John Larson overshot Hastings as the Spartans took possession on downs.

The invaders then reeled off four successive first downs with bruising fullback Mel Anthony and Mahon dividing the ball carrying chores.

The drive chewed up nearly seven minutes of the second period but finally fizzled when Swagart was tossed down by Radel, Joe Snively, and Baker on the Tigers’ 31.

* * *
AFTER Charlie Williams’ second half kickoff was returned by John Voss to Bacon’s 40. Swagart and Center Tom Kearns had another mix-up, which gave a huge profit to the Tigers. Linebacker Dean and Middle Guard Lawson White were there as the ball squirted from Swagart’s fingertips. One of them pounced on the loose ball at the 41.

After Hastings was stopped on the first play, Schenkenberger swept his short side end after a reverse handoff from Larson to the Spartans’ 28.

Gugov, Hastings, then Dean ripped through small holes at the outside tackle, inside tackle and short side guard slots to the Bacon one on nine more plays.

Hastings then rammed home for the score with 5:32 showing in the third quarter. The conversion was on a sweep around the short side left) end.
Bacon wasn’t fried yet. Anthony returned Dean’s kickoff to his 35. Then he, Mahon and John Schroder combined for a pair of first downs to the Tigers’ 35.

With a fourth and eight, the Spartans’ Swagart punted out of bounds on the Tiger 15-yard line moments before the conclusion of the period.

After two running plays and an incompleted pass had netted only three yards, Dean stepped back to punt. But Steltenphol, who had been just missing all night, rushed through on Dean’s kicking foot and caught the ball flush on his chest. The loose ball rolled crazily to the seven when Steltenpohl and a host of teammates scooped it in.

* * *
SWAGART called on Anthony who, after a fumble and recovery, ended u on the two. Swagart then fumbled. This time Radel was there.

Again the tenacious Bacon defense thwarted the Bengal running game. With Dean in punt formation again, spectators and coaches alike were sensing the worst. This time Ken booted the ball high and far to his own 42. Coupled with a 15-yard clip against Bacon, the boot covered 43 yards from the 10 to the Bacon 47.

The never-say-die Cincy eleven stormed right back to the Washington high 34 before Charlie Whitfield broke up a fourth down toss by Swagart.

Swagart had two long near bulls-eyes as the game closed with the locals taking over on downs on Roger Bacon’s 48.

The entire defensive squad of both clubs fashioned the pattern of the contest. Bacon’s line limited the Tigers to six first downs and 133 yards rushing with the longest gain of the night being the 13-yarder by Schenkenberger.

Most of the night, the invaders were in an 8-3 defense with the safeties less than five yards back. It proved successful as Quarterback Larson attempted only four passes, each going astray.

Led by White and Tackles Wally Brugh and Gary Wells, and Radel, the Tiger middle was nearly impregnable most of the night.

Anthony, the strongest runner Washington high has met this year, clicked off 15 yards on one play late in the game and 14 yards earlier.

The one statistic, which counted, other than the final outcome, was fumbles. The Tigers didn’t fumble. Bacon dropped the ball five times, managed a recovery only twice.

19th In A Row

MASSILLON
Ends – Ivan, Royer, Anzalone.
Tackles – Wells, Crenshaw, Spees, Herbst, Herndon.
Guards – Houston, Willey, Whitfield, Radel, White.
Center – Demis.
Backs – Larson, Hastings, Gugov, Brown, Baker, Snively,
Null, Schenkenberger, Williams, Kurzen.

ROGER BACON
Ends – Kaiser, Teed, Voss, LeVasseur, Ginn.
Tackles – Steltenpohl, Fein, Ruberg, Pendrix.
Guards – Workman, Norton, Frey.
Center – Kearns.
Backs – Swagart, Anthony, Mahon, Schroeder, Crowe, Wolf.

SCORING
Massillon 0 0 8 0 8
Touchdown – Hastings (1, run).
Conversion – Hastings (run).

STATISTICS
Massillon Bacon
First downs – rushing 6 6
First downs – passing 0 3
First downs – penalties 0 0
Total first downs 6 9
Yards gained rushing 137 134
Yards lost rushing 4 13
Net yards gained rushing 133 121
Yards gained passing 0 27
Total yards gained 133 148
Passes attempted 4 11
Passes completed 0 5
Passes intercepted by 0 0
Times kicked off 2 1
Kickoff average (yards) 33.1 26
Kickoff returns (yards) 5 26
Times punted 5 2
Punt average (yards) 29.8 26.5
Punt return (yards) 0 10
Had punts blocked 1 0
Fumbles 0 5
Lost fumbled ball 0 3
Penalties 1 2
Yards penalized 5 20

1960: Massillon 26, Steubenville 6

October 7, 1960July 11, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers Defeat Scrappy Steubenville 26-6
Massillon Gridders Held To One Touchdown In First Half Of Game

By JIM QUILTY

There will be good games and there will be bad ones, Friday night’s 26-6 Washington high school victory over Steubenville is classified in the latter category.

Coach Leo Strang’s Tigers, despite hanging up their fifth win of the season and 18th straight over three years, played “spotty ball.” Yet for a team, which had three or four members of its regular unit missing from most of the week’s practice sessions, the performance was passing.

The letdown following the Alliance game came before 11,148 (paid) fans.

Actually it wasn’t until the final play of the third period, when John Larson connected on an 18-yard scoring toss to Chuck Royer, that the Tiger were lifted from the danger zone.

That touchdown and the ensuing two-point conversion by Joe Heflin made it 20-0.

* * *
THE BIG RED, now 1-2-1 in four starts, duplicated the scoring feat with a 70-yard drive after taking the kickoff. Quarterback Bill Hoyman rifled three aerial bulls-eyes during the drive for 35 of the yards and climaxed it with a scoring pass to Len Terry from four yards out.

While the Tigers’ offense lacked its scoring punch the defense again stacked up the Steubenville ground attack when the plot thickened and the Big Red threatened.

After the Tigers’ first big drive of the game had been stopped inches short of the goal, the Big Red rebounded by moving 72 yards to the Tiger 28 before the local defensive giants rose up to cut the drive short.

The Washington high eleven didn’t even manage its first score against Ray Hoyman’s club until 2:39 remained in the first half.

It took Art Hastings recovering from muscle spasms in his right leg to inject a TD shot into the Tigers.

After Bob Baker returned a Hoyman punt to the Bengal 49, Hastings swung around his short side end for 34 yards to the Big Red 17 before being bounced out of bounds by Tom Soboliwski. After three thrusts at the line by Joe Heflin, Charlie Brown and Ken Dean had netted a first down on the seven. Hastings again swept the short side end for the score.

* * *
THE TIGERS wasted little time duplicating the six-point first half when they marched 63 yards for a touchdown after taking the second half kickoff. Dean barreled home from near the eight-yard marker after he and Hastings with a 31-yard sprint, had positioned the score. The 12-0 lead stood as the conversion attempt failed.

The Tigers then put the contest away on the final play of the third period when Larson and Royer covered 18 yards on a scoring pass play. Baker’s punt return from his own 40 to the Big Red’s 38 and the line busting of Martin Gugov and Brown set the touchdown up in four plays.

Joe Heflin added the two-point conversion for a 20-0 margin.

The Big Red then combined its lone six-point drive of the night after Lindsey had returned Dean’s kickoff to the Steubenville 30.

Hoyman connected with Soboliwski on the second play for 18 yards. Several plays later he spotted Ken Potts for six yards. Len Terry then took the aerial play from Hoyman hitting Barnes for 20 yards to the Tiger 18.

Hoyman again took charge with an 11-yarder to Potts to inside the Tiger five. After two running plays gained a single yard, Hoyman and Terry combined for the touchdown. A Hoyman pass on the PAT attempt failed.

Failing to score after Jim Houston grabbed an onside kick on the 50, the Tigers turned the ball over on downs on Steubenville’s 20-yard marker.

* * *
THE BIG RED couldn’t move and a short punt by Hoyman rolled dead on his own 44.

Larson then hit three straight passes, nine yards to Theo Bodiford, 10 to Hastings and the third of 25 yards to Bodiford who juggled the ball around before grabbing it while waltzing into the end zone for the touchdown with only 37 seconds remaining.

Again the conversion attempt failed as the Tigers tucked away their 21st straight win over the Ohio River club.

* * *
A FINAL HEAVE from Hoyman to Paul Cunningham covered 32 yards to Washington high’s 33 as the game ended.

Statistically the Tigers enjoyed nearly a two-and-a-half to one advantage in rushing yardage piling up 239 to 106. Passing the visitors chalked up 91 to Larson’s 76. That cut the total yardage difference of 315 to 197.

The Big Red made a go of it in the first down department with 10 to the Bengals’ 13.

There was only one fumble, that by the Big Red. Charlie Whitfield grabbed it on Steubenville’s 41. The Tigers’ drive which followed bogged down on the invader’s 22.

Foul play didn’t exist, at least noticeably, as only 15 yards in penalties were assessed, 10 against the Bengals, five against the Big Red.

The Big Red Coach Hoyman ranks the Tigers as the best club they’ve met this year with Weirton as a “close second”.

Strang wasn’t in a conversational mood after the contest. But he did pause long enough to size up the Big Red as “an aggressive, hard hitting, hard fighting team, just like all Steubenville teams.”

As for the Tigers, Leo received the type of performance he and the coaching staff had expected following a week of practice attended by only a scattering of regulars.

For the future and the game with Cincinnati Roger Bacon next Friday, Strang won’t know what to expect until this afternoon when he huddles with the staff going over the coaching reports.

Bacon maintained its undefeated mark Friday night mowing down Cincinnati Hughes,
40-0. Past wins have been over Cincinnati Withrow, 55-0, Cincinnati Walnut Hills, 33-0, and Cincinnati Taft, 28-6.

The Bacon eleven ranked 10th in this week’s Associated Press football poll after ranking sixth the previous week.

Chuck McMasters who played all the way for the Big Red at guard and linebacker picked up four tackles and added four assists.

For the Tigers Jim Houston, Charlie Whitfield, Ed Radel, Lawson White, Richard Crenshaw, and George Demis all figured heavily in the defensive tackles.

Victory No. 5

MASSILLON
ENDS – Royer, Ivan, Bodiford, Anzalone.
TACKLES – Spees, Garman, Crenshaw, Herbst, Brugh, Herndon.
GUARDS – Houston, White, Willey, Radel, Whitfield.
CENTERS – Demis, Strobel.
BACKS – Larson, Baker, Null, Heflin, Brown, Hastings, Gugov,
Kurzen, Schenkenberger, Dean, Snively.

STEUBENVILLE
ENDS – Soboliwski, Potts, Ray, Williams, Johnson.
TACKLES – Mazzaferro, Schaeffer, Pyle.
GUARDS – McBride, Capper, B. Simmons.
CENTER – Hulburt.
BACKS – Hoyman, Lindsey, Terry, Barnes, Booth, Shernit, Stratton

Massillon 0 6 14 6 26
Steubenville 0 0 0 6 6

Massillon scoring – Hastings (7, run); Dean 8, run); Royer (18, pass from Larson);
Bodiford (25, pass from Larson)

Extra point – Heflin (run).

Steubenville – Terry (4, pass from Hoyman).

STATISTICS
Massillon Steu.
First downs – rushing 10 6
First downs – passing 3 4
First downs – penalties 0 0
Total first downs 13 10
Yards gained – running plays 256 117
Yards lost – running plays 17 11
Net yardage – running 239 106
Passes attempted 11 12
Passes completed 5 8
Passes had intercepted 0 0
Yard returned –
intercepted passes 0 0
Yards gained passing 76 91
Total yardage
running and passing 315 197
Number of kickoff returns 2 5
Yardage – kickoff returns 9 73
Yardage – punt returns 31 19
Number of punts 2 4
Average length of punts 32.0 33.7
Number of penalties 2 1
Yards lost on penalties 10 5
Number of fumbles 0 1
Own fumbles recovered 0 0
Ball lost on fumbles 0 1

1960: Massillon 14, Alliance 10

September 30, 1960July 11, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers Beat Alliance In Final Minute
Martin Gugov Plunges For Clincher With 57 Seconds Left To Play

By JIM QUILTY

“I’ve been coaching for a long time, and I’ve seen a lot of wild games. But that’s the wildest.”

And not one among the 10,464 paid fans who jammed Hartshorn stadium in Alliance could disagree with victorious Coach Leo Strang’s summation of the 14-10 Washington high school victory Friday night.

The triumph established the Tigers as the team to beat in their defense of the Ohio scholastic football crown. It was their fourth victory of the season and 17th in succession over three years.

The winning score came with 57 seconds remaining when Martin Gugov climaxed a 65-yard drive crashing off tackle from two yards out.

Only the clock prevented the Aviators from a possible score as they moved to the Tigers’ 10 before time ran out.

An exhausted Strang said the Aviators of Mel Knowlton were “the best team I’ve ever coached against.”

* * *
STRANG was still very much upset in the Tiger dressing room about an official’s call which gave the Aviators a two-point, 10-8, lead and possession off the ball in the closing moments of the third period.

Bob Baker intercepted Aviator Quarterback Bob Wallace’s pass intended for Charley King near the goal line. King then tackled Baker in the end zone. The officials ruled Baker had caught the ball on the field of play, then went into the end zone. The safety gave the Aviators a then commanding lead.

“That call could have meant the state championship,” a still hazy Strang stated.

A free kickoff from the Washington high 20 following the safety was brought back to the Tigers’ 37 by the Aviators.

The Tigers who managed only one cohesive drive over the first three periods – that one netted the first score – were far from finished.

Taking over after an Alliance four and 14 yards to go attempt failed on the Tigers’ 35, the locals drove the 65 yards in 17 plays, all on the ground chewing up nearly seven minutes to push the deciding tally across.

* * *\
ART HASTINGS carried the ball seven times, Ken Dean, the bulldozing fullback, four times, Gugov another four times and Larson twice.

Larson ticked off seven yards on the first attempt, then whipped around end for nine to the Aviator six for the first down on a quarterback keeper.

Four plays later, after Hastings had churned to the two behind the Tigers’ forceful line, Gugov sliced between inside and outside tackle on the right side of the line for the touchdown.

But, had it not been for the goal line stance by the Tigers defensive unit midway through the third period, the complexion of the game would have been entirely altered.

The Aviators, following King’s 31-yard gain to the Tiger eight, moved to the two in two downs. King then attempted to skirt his left end on a pattern, which had been working fine. But Hastings busted up the interference this time tossing King down on the 10.

* * *
THE SPEEDY half, who figured in all 10 of the Aviators’ points, picked up seven yards on the next play to the Tiger three falling short.

That was only one of three occasions when the Tigers held inside their 25. The yardage came easy for the Aviators until the final few. There the Tigers held every time but once.

The first Bengal touchdown came without apparent effort. After Gary Wells pounced on an Aviator fumble to curtail the first Alliance drive on the locals’ 28, the Tigers moved 72 yards in seven plays. The longest gain was a 40-yard aerial from Larson to Ken Ivan.

Ivan grabbed the ball in the left secondary on Washington high’s 45 and raced to the Alliance 29 before King tripped him up. Five plays and two penalties later, five yards against the Tigers for offside, half the distance against Alliance for unsportsmanlike conduct (the call moved the ball from the eight to the four), Hastings cracked through the center for the score.

Dean, who reeled off 26 yards in the drive, plunged for the two-point conversion with 3:21 remaining in the first period.

The Aviators marched to the Tiger 18 after taking the ensuing kickoff before an incompleted pass on a third down and two to go and Wells’ tackle of Hugh Wilson on the 20 gave the Tigers possession.

After picking up a lone first down, Hastings’ fumble was recovered by Dave Trief on the Washington high 45.

The Aviators, with Wallace directing the attack around King and Wilson, scored in 11 plays. Wallace’s pass to King covered 12 of the yards.

He again hit King after a deft bit of ball handling had thrown the Tiger defenses off the tying
Two-point conversion with 2:24 remaining in the half.

The Tigers then ran out the first half clock.
* * *

FIRST half statistics gave Alliance a 97 to 76-yard rushing edge. The Tigers led in passing, 40 yards to 12. The Aviators had seven first downs, Washington high five.

Despite the statistics, Alliance had the invaders on the defensive most of the first half, aside from the Tiger scoring drive. Only once was Alliance outside Washington high territory. That was after a punt by Ken Dean bounced out of bounds on the Aviator 47.

The second half started the way the first ended with Alliance again threatening.

After King had returned Charlie Williams’ kick-off to the Aviator 26, the hosts put together three successive first downs moving to Washington high’s eight. The last first and ten came on King’s
31-yard sprint through the center of the Tigers’ defense. Ed Radel pulled him down from behind.

After the Tigers held, Dean pulled them from trouble with a 19-yard gain up the middle behind a blocking force led by Jay B. Willey and Ivan. A clipping violation two plays later and an incomplete pass ended the assault.

Dean’s punt went to King who returned it to the Alliance 46. In five plays the Aviators were again in scoring position on the Tigers’ 30.

Wallace then faded back, spotted King near the goal line and let fly. Baker grabbed it and was tackled in the end zone.

When Gugov scored to give Washington high the four-point edge, the decision appeared locked up.
* * *

BUT Wallace, King and Company, aided by a 15-yard penalty against the Bengals on the kickoff, marched from the Tiger 45 to the 10, Wallace connecting through the air to King twice and Marion ‘Plunky’ Young once. Time then clicked off as the Aviators were hurriedly lining up for another play.

Dean enjoyed his finest night of the season. The 190-pound junior rolled up 91 yards on 15 carries. Hastings added 45 yards on 17 as the two toted the ball over 75 per cent on the locals rushing plays.
* * *

“THE THING we have to look out for now is the letdown. We just can’t relax,” Strang said after the game.

Leo had special praise for his assistant coaches who did what he called “one fine job” on the last touchdown drive.

Walt Keller, team trainer, said the squad came out of the game in top condition. Only a few minor muscle injuries, similar to ‘charley-horses,’ cropped up with Dean and Hastings.

Washington high’s next start is at Tiger stadium Friday night against a reportedly strong Steubenville team. The Big Red bowed to Weirton, W. Va., 13-6, last week after opening with a
16-8 win over Cleveland Lincoln. Last night the Red and Warren battled to a 12-12 tie

Still Unbeaten

MASSILLON
ENDS – Royer, Ivan, Anzalone.
TACKLES – White, Spees, Crenshaw, Herbst, Brugh.
GUARDS – Houston, Willey ,Whitfield, Radel.
CENTER – Demis.
BACKS – Larson, Dean, Hastings, Baker, Gugov, Williams, Brown,
Kurzen, Schenkenberger, Snively, Null.

ALLIANCE
ENDS – Davidson, Lear, Longmire.
TACKLES – Tunelius, Caserts, Fraraccio, Knauf, Trieff.
GUARDS – Bard, Teeters, Crowder, Van Camp.
CENTER – Leasure.
BACKS – Wallace, King, Wilson, Young, Holmes, Babb, Russell.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Massillon 8 0 0 6 14
Alliance 0 8 2 0 10

Massillon – Hastings (2, run); Gugov (2, run).
Alliance – King (1, run).

Alliance Extra Points – King (pass from Wallace).

Alliance safety – King tackled Baker in end zone.

STATISTICS
Massillon All.
First downs – rushing 9 10
First downs – passing 1 3
First downs – penalties 0 0
Total first downs 10 13
Yards gained rushing 200 208
Yards lost rushing 1 19
Net yards gained rushing 199 189
Net yards gained passing 40 70
Total yards gained 239 258
Passes attempted 3 8
Passes completed 1 5
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Times kicked off 4 2
Kickoff average (yards) 30.7 41.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 10 40
Times punted 2 0
Punt average (yards) 26.0 0
Punt return (yards) 0 8
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 3 3
Lost fumbled ball 2 3
Penalties 6 3
Yards penalized 60 24

1960: Massillon 28, Columbus Central 0

September 23, 1960July 11, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers Beat Stubborn Central 28-0
Baker’s Fancy Runs Spark Bengals’ Play; Alliance Is Next Foe

By JIM QUILTY

It was billed as an Alliance tune-up. But it turned out to be Washington high’s stiffest test of the young football season.

The defending state football champions, slowed to a turtle’s pace by the crunching Columbus Central ground attack, reacted like champions to a pair of first period breaks which resulted in touchdowns, then relied on a staunch defense deep in home territory for the most part of three periods to preserve a 28-0 decision Friday night.

The triumph was the Tigers’ 16th in succession, third without a loss this year, and came before 9,944 fans under ideal weather conditions.

Even before the end of the first period Coach Leo Strang began inserting his entire second offensive unit. He was forced to retreat somewhat later in the period to repulse a Central scoring bid on the Tiger eight-yard line.

* * *
BUT the final score meant little to Ohio’s top ranked grid power. Central had given a much stronger performance than expected by the locals. Yet, the decision was never contested after the Tigers exploded into a three-touchdown lead less than three minutes into the second period.

Bob Baker, making a habit of coming up with the big plays, sprinted 83 yards for a touchdown after intercepting a Central pass midway through the first period, then added the final score of the game on a 43-yard punt return with 1:39 remaining.

Sharing the glory with Baker were Jim Houston and Art Hastings. Houston chopped down a pair of Central boys with one block on Baker’s first run, that nearly broke a Columbus lad in half with a crushing block on a 20-yard spurt by Hastings.

Art followed his tremendous performance in the Cleveland Benedictine game with an equally convincing job. He picked up 93 yards net in 13 carries and terrorized attempted sweeps around the right side by Central.

The 186 yards gained rushing was the most yielded by the Tiger defense this year. Most of it came through Charles Glover who carried the ball 30 times.

Central, after returning the opening kickoff to its 35, managed a pair of first downs while parading to the Tigers’ 30. Switching to a single-wing from the unbalanced line
“winged-T” attack used exclusively until then, Glover tossed, under a fierce Tiger defensive charge, into the waiting arms of Baker.

The speedy left safety picked his spot straight up the east sideline and raced unmolested 83 yards for the score. Ken Dean added the two-point conversion off his short side guard and end for an 8-0 Washington high lead at 7:35.

* * *
MAINTAINING, the constant pressure on the Tigers, Central advanced to the host’s 43 before Gary Wells led a defensive surge which knocked the ball from Glover’s hands, Jay B. Willey recovering.

Five plays later Hastings winged around his long side end and slipped into the west corner of the end zone for the second touchdown. His run for the PAT made it 16-0.

A John Larson to Ken Ivan pass covering 25 yards and 13 and 12 yard runs by Hastings set the ball in scoring position.

The Tigers’ second unit, paced by Jack Lash’s 22 yards in two carries, drove 50 yards to Central’s 10 early in the second period. Bob Herring, regular wingback, then took a deceptive handoff from Quarterback Dave Null and whipped nearly unseen past the goal for the third Tiger score in less than 11 minutes.

The PAT run failed as the Tigers led 22-0.

Pulling a bit of trickery on the statue of liberty punt play, the Columbus eleven moved to Washington high’s 41 on the next series of downs, one yard short of a first down.

John Potts grabbed a Charles Williams fumble on the Tigers’ first play giving the invaders possession on the Washington high 45.

Ten plays later, the Central boys had driven to the Tiger eight only to have a stiffened defense and a pair of incomplete passes stymie the drive.

A 17-yard run by Herring and another of 14 by Hastings gave the Tigers breathing room by the half.

After Central kicked off, the locals failed to move at the start of the third quarter. On a fourth and eight on their own 31, Dean went back to punt but was trapped on the 21 by a host of pursuers and dropped.

* * *
WITH CENTRAL threatening, the Tiger defense was again put to the test. Only an illegal receiver down field on a Steve Tweedy to Glen Carr completed pass in the end zone stopped the drive. The 15-yards set Central back to the 24 as the drive died.

Central staged another two-pronged attack featuring John Darling and Glover early in the fourth stanza driving to the locals’ 12. Spearheaded by Houston, Ed Radel and Ivan, along with Lawson White and Duane Garman the thrust was repulsed.

Taking over on their own 14, the Tigers traveled 77 yards to the invaders’ nine before their attack sputtered. Sophomore Ron Davis, replacing Hastings, was the leading gainer.

Only two passes were completed by the combined offenses. Larson’s covered 25 yards while Tweedy picked up nine.

Strang had no excuses for the teams showing. It was evident, however, that preparations were already well underway for the Alliance game this Friday.

“We were good in spots,” Leo said, “and we were also bad in spots. It was the first time we ran into this type of offense and it kept us busy.”

What was the matter?

Strang answered: “The Alliance game must have been on most of the players’ minds. I know it was on ours all week.”

Strang was informed after the game that Bob Herring suffered either a torn or pulled cartilage in his left knee. The swelling surround the injury was too great for the team physician to get a good look. The extent of the injury will be known today.

The coaching staff faces a busy weekend with meetings planned today and Sunday to plot the Tigers’ course of action against Alliance. The Aviators stayed unbeaten in three starts with a narrow 18-13 victory over Cuyahoga Falls.

* * *
COACH Frank Howe of Columbus Central was anything but displeased with his team’s performance. “We lost to a very good team,” was his comment.

Howe had the same thoughts about the game as Strang and hoped to capitalize upon them. “I thought they might be looking forward to the Alliance game which would have given us a much better chance.”

Appraising his team, Howe said: “Our defense is good. We showed that, and our offense has finally started to move. That was the first time this year we showed any offense.”

Howe received the bad news when a shoulder separation was reported to Glover. “It may not be too serious, we don’t know yet.”

“We ought to be in good shape for East next week. But we have to eliminate our mistakes. We just made too many,” he added.

Howe confided that his team may have been somewhat awed by the huge crowd. They had never played before more than 4,000 before.

He was also high in his praise of Houston.

Individually for the Tigers Dean gained 28 yards in six tries, Herring 27 in two, Larson 23 in three, Baker 12 in one (later lost 11 on a fumble play), Davis 33 in six, Charlie Williams three in one, Lash 22 in two, Heflin eight in two and Null six in one.

WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
ENDS – Royer, Ivan, Bodiford, Anzalone, Clendenin, Fuchs, Ehmer.
TACKLES –White, Crenshaw, Wells, Spees, Herbst, Garman, Herndon, Brennerman.
GUARDS – Houston, Willey, Radel, Migge, Whitfield, Poole.
CENTERS – Demis, Strobel, Bradley.
BACKS – Larson, Hastings, Herring, Dean, Baker, Null, Snively, Alexander,
Lash, Williams, Smith, Schenkenberger, Kurzen, Davis, Heflin, Brown.

COLUMBUS CENTRAL
ENDS – Gail, Massey, Pettit, Hartigan.
TACKLES – Moxley, Haynie, Bell, Smith, Blake, Poling.
GUARDS – Moody, Hitchcock, Eaves, Greene, Johnson.
CENTERS – Steward, Ash.
BACKS – Tweedy, Glover, Carr, Darling, Jennings, Griffin, Foster, Hairston,
Toland, Thompson, Potts, Scales, Jewell.

Washington high 16 6 0 6 28

SCORING – Baker 2 (83-yard pass interception, 43-yard punt return);
Hastings (9-yard run); Herring (10-yard run).

EXTRA POINTS – Hastings (run); Dean (run).

GAME STATISTICS
Massillon Cen.
First downs – rushing 15 11
First downs – passing 1 0
First downs – penalties 1 2
Total first downs 17 13
Yards gained rushing 257 186
Yards lost rushing 28 24
Net yards gained rushing 229 162
Net yards gained passing 25 9
Total yards gained 254 171
Passes attempted 7 10
Passes completed 1 1
Passes intercepted by 1 1
Times kicked off 5 1
Kickoff average (yards) 38.8 43
Kickoff returns (yards) 12 71
Times punted 0 3
Punt average (yards) 0 27.6
Punt return (yards) 42 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 2
Lost fumbled ball 2 1
Penalties 4 1
Yards penalized 30 15

1960: Massillon 36, Cleveland Benedictine 6

September 16, 1960July 11, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tiger Defeat Stubborn Benedictine, 36-6
Massillon Gridders Roll Up 22-0 Advantage In First Half

By JIM QUILTY

Worry sometimes works wonders.

Washington high school football coach Leo Strang was one worried man entering the Cleveland Benedictine clash Friday evening. And apparently it paid dividends as his Tiger gridders responded with a thorough 36-6 triumph over the invaders before 12,486 fans at Tiger stadium.

After observing the scouting reports from the Bennies’ 14-0 preview over Cleveland East, Strang had reason to worry. But it was all in vain as the powerful Tigers, paced by Art Hastings’ three scoring runs, vaulted into a 22-0 half time lead and were never threatened.

“I’m glad that’s over with,” Strang said afterwards.

While Strang ended his worrying in the Tiger dressing room, Benedictine Coach Augie Bossu prepared to start his season over again next week against Mansfield in the solemn Benedictine quarters.

“That’s the difference between a good team and a great team,” Bossu said when reminded of the several breaks which the Tiger capitalized upon.

They’ll hit you early, then jump on every opportunity which presents itself. They have exceptionally good backs and that makes a great deal of difference.” Bossu added.

Looking ahead Strang sees only Columbus Central. But despite himself he can’t help but grab a quick glance here and there at the powerful Alliance Aviators, apparently the locals’ most serious threat in a bid to repeat as state champions, who provide the opposition
Sept. 30.

“We don’t know exactly what we’re up against next week.” Leo said. “They have some real fast backs but other than that, nothing is too clear.”

* * *
IT TOOK Washington high little more than four minutes to find out what they were up against Friday night, and for the first 24 minutes it was little.

The Tigers controlled the ball completely throughout the first half picking up 196 yards on 34 plays while limiting the Bennies to 31 on 13 carries.
Hastings displayed the form which won him third team All-Ohio honors a year ago, slipped into the west corner of the end zone from inches inside the 10-yard line at the 8:16 mark of the first period for the first touchdown. A first scoring effort by Hastings from five yards out was nullified by an illegal motion penalty the previous play.

Hastings set the scoring run up moments before when he skirted the Tigers’ short side end for 35 yards to Benedictine’s seven.

The PAT attempt failed when Bengal center Tomy Palmieri pulled Hastings down in the Tiger backfield.

* * *
IT TOOK the locals 17 plays and over six minutes to score their second touchdown midway through the second period. John Larson, who failed to complete a pass in the opening game, hit Robert Herring on a cut-in pattern from Benedictine’s 18. Herring scooped the ball in one the 10 and sprinted into the end zone. Joe Heflin went in for the two extra points.

The drive nearly fizzled on the 18 when Palmieri stopped Heflin with a three-yard loss on one play and without a gain on the second. The touchdown came on the first pass of the game on a third and 13 situation.

Larson added the third touchdown personally when he capped a 43-yard march from a year out with a quarterback drive. Ken Dean pranced in for the extra points and a 22-0 lead with little over two minutes remaining in the first half.

A 32-yard flare pass featuring the Larson-Herring combination set up the touchdown.

Larson found Herring open again for a 16-yard gainer seconds before the first half ended.

* * *
LIMITED to a single first down in the first two quarters, the Bennies came to life after the intermission picking up one first down. They moved to the Tigers’ 37 before Joe Miano fumbled and Bob Baker of the Tigers recovered.

Failing to move, the Tigers Jim Alexander punted only to have the ball partially blocked by Dick Kestner. The boot covered 14 yards to the Bennies’ 48.

With elusive Paul Rini and Miano dividing the ground gaining chores, the invaders paraded to Washington high’s 12 before an alert George Demis grabbed Quarterback Dennis Andrews’ fumble.

It took the Tigers just four plays to move the 89 yards with Hastings lugging the ball the final 69 on a skirt around the short side end.

Art shook loose from one defender behind the line, then picked up great blocking from Richard Crenshaw, Ken Ivan and a host of others to go the distance untouched. Ivan cut down the final pursuer.

Larson added the two-point play on a sweep of his long side end for a 30-0 Tiger lead.

* * *
ON THE THIRD play of the final period, the invaders’ Rini scooted through, under and around the Tigers from 24 yards for the lone Benedictine touchdown. A 25-yard aerial from Andrews to Sam Collura set the jaunt up on the previous play.

Not to be outdone, Hastings sprinted for 49 yards and his third six-pointer of the evening after Dave Null returned a short kickoff to the Tigers’ 46 and a five-yard delay of game penalty by Benedictine moved the ball to the visitors’ 49.

Hastings pulled Vince Naso the final four yards into the end zone. The PAT attempt failed as the Tigers took a 36-6 lead with less than two minutes elapsed in the fourth quarter.

Three intercepted passes by Naso, who missed a fourth earlier in the game by inches, curtailed any further Tiger advance. Null, Baker and Alexander were each a victim once.

Baker atoned for his with an interception of his own, his third in two games. Another interception by Joe Snively was ruled out of bounds.

Lineman Lawson White did a yeoman’s job on defense. Rated the most efficient lineman last week, the middle guard twice dropped Benedictine backs for losses early in the first period and was the fifth man in their backfield most of the night.

All 42 of the Tigers who dressed for the game saw at least limited action.

* * *
HASTINGS, who averaged better than 10 yards per carry last year, picked up 177 yards on eight carries last night. Herring added 39 in five, Larson 34 in 10, Dean 32 in 11, Jack Lash 10 in two, Fred Philpott seven in two Null four in two and Heflin seven in five.

The Tigers’ aerial arm picked up 7 yards with four for 11. Three completions were by Larson, the other by Null. Herring was on the receiving end of all four.

Preparations for Columbus Central begin Sunday when the coaching staff goes over scouting reports. Central edged Newark, 8-6 last night for its second win in succession.

The Aviators, 2-0 on the year, walloped Akron Central, 40-6, last night. They play at Cuyahoga Falls next Friday night.

The Columbus game is slated for Tiger stadium while Alliance will meet Washington high at home on Mount Union College field.

Victory No. 2

CLEVELAND BENEDICTINE
ENDS – Farro, Watson, Hummel, Marcoguiseppe.
TACKLES – Phile, Jason, Piazza.
GUARDS – Kestner, Wojas, Zummo.
CENTER – Palmieri.
BACKS – Andrews, Rini, Miano, Schepis, Collura, Naso, Hardon,
Anderson, Borusskowski.

WASHINGTON HIGH
ENDS – Bodiford, Royer, Ivan, Ehmer, Fuchs, Anzalone, Clendenin,
Willey.
TACKLES – White, Crenshaw, Brugh, Spees, Garman, Herndon,
Brennerhan, Herbst.
GUARDS – Radle, Houston, Wells, Migge, Poole, Whitfield.
CENTERS – Demis, Strobel, Bradley, Garland.
BACKS – Larson, Dean, Hastings, Herring, Philpott, D. Smith,
J. Smith, Baker, Null, Alexander, Snively, Schenkenberger,
Kursen, Heflin, Brown, Lash.

Benedictine 0 0 0 6 6
Washington High 6 16 8 6 36

SCORING
Benedictine – Rini (22-yard run).
Washington high – Hastings (9-yard run, 69-yard run, 49-yard run);
Larson (1-yard plunge); Herring (18-yard pass from Larson).

STATISTICS
Massillon Ben.
First downs – rushing 12 7
First downs – passing 4 1
First downs – penalties 0 1
Total first downs 16 9
Yards gained rushing 333 185
Yards lost rushing 23 18
Net yards gained rushing 310 167
Net yards gained passing 77 23
Total yards gained 387 190
Passes attempted 11 5
Passes completed 4 1
Passes intercepted by 1 3
Times kicked off 6 2
Kickoff average (yards) 39.0 28.5
Kickoff returns (yards) 50 90
Times punted 1 1
Punt average (yards) 14.0 29.0
Punt return (yards) 0 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 3 3
Lost fumbled ball 0 3
Penalties 5 1
Yards penalized 55 5

1960: Massillon 42, East Liverpool 0

September 9, 1960July 11, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers Claw East Liverpool 42-0
Bengals Explode For Long Runs To Score 36 Points In First half

By JIM QUITY

Win No. 14 in succession came easy for Washington high school’s Tiger football team and Coach Leo Strang Friday night.

Cashing in early, the defending state champions scored five times in the first two periods, then coasted past a formidable but inexperienced East Liverpool eleven, 42-0, before 11,592 fans at Tiger stadium.

It was the first meeting between the two Ohio grid powers and the first start of the year for both.

Strang, though quite pleased with the overall performance of this his third Tiger team, called the showing “spotty” and promised a good deal of ironing out would have to be done.

“This is just the type of performance you’d expect for the opening game,” Strang said.

For the Potters’ Coach Lou Vendetti, the defeat came as no surprise. “We lost to a good team, but learned a lot of football,” he said following the defeat.

Vendetti summed the game up thus: “We were just too inexperienced. We could hold them for a few downs, then our inexperience would show and they’d break loose. We have some good kids but they lack the experience because of a cut down in our reserve schedule last year.”

* * *
THE CONTEST wasn’t at all close after the first eight minutes when the Tigers drove for their first touchdown on a 15-yard run by Quarterback John Larson which climaxed a
63-yard drive.

Ken Dean, who added the PAT on a run, chewed up 35 of the yards on five carries.

Martin Gugov, whose injured knee is again a question mark, supplied the second spectacular of the contest, with a 67-yard touchdown burst up the middle on a perfectly executed trap.

The first great effort came moments earlier when Bob Baker leaped and intercepted a Ken Cunningham aerial while falling to the ground giving Washington high possession on its own 33. Gugov broke away on a handoff from John Larson scoring on the next play with 2:42 remaining in the quarter.

Art Hastings’ extra point attempt was stopped short as Washington high led 14-0.

Jim Houston, who terrorized the Potters much of the night form his defensive left end slot, shattered the invaders’ first offensive effort. Houston rammed Joe Thompson, after the latter had scooped in a pass from Cunningham, forcing him to fumble. An alert Bob Herring pounced on the ball on the Tigers’ 32.

* * *
LARSON then astounded the gathering when he shook loose from a half dozen Potters five yards deep in his own backfield, picked up perfect blocking, and raced 68 yards to score on the first play of the second quarter. Hastings’ run for the two-pointer was again stopped.

East Liverpool’s offense failed to penetrate Washington high’s defense bringing a punting situation. Cunningham booted out of bounds on the Tiger 48.

After one first down, Herring cut across the short side of his line and sped 40 yards for the fourth Washington high score. He added the two extra points snagging a pass from Larson as the Bengals held sway, 28-0.

Herring concluded the first half scoring when he rambled 49 yards on a similar play with 2:12 remaining in the half.

The burst climaxed a 91-yard scoring drive spearheaded by a 23-yard run by Charlie Brown and a 16-yard gain by Hastings, which moved the ball to the East Liverpool 49.

Dean plunged across for his second two-point conversion.

Action slowed to a walk throughout most of the second half before the Tigers put together a sustained 59-yard scoring attack, late in the final quarter.

* * *
FRED PHILPOTT, the workhorse in the Tiger backfield with 84 yards on 12 carries, had an 18-yard gainer in the 13 plays needed to cover the distance. Joe Smith, on his lone attempt of the game, slipped in for the touchdown behind a wall of blockers.

Dean’s third attempt for two points stopped short.

Taking advantage of an intercepted pass in the waning seconds of the game, the Potters moved to within five yards of a touchdown as the game ended.

After Baker intercepted his second Cunningham pass, he received similar treatment by the Potter ace. Cunningham returned the interception to the Bengal 40, then tossed incomplete to John Goodballet, but interference was called on the 16.

Given an extra play since a game cannot end on a penalty, Cunningham tossed to Goodballet, who was cut down on the Tiger five.

The Potters most potent weapon was their air attack, which netted 112 yards and six of their seven first downs. Cunningham hit on 11of 20.

In rushing East Liverpool was limited to 45 yards, while the vaunted Tigers put together 488.

* * *
IN TOTAL FIRST downs, Washington high held a substantial 16 to 7 advantage.

A quite weary Leo Strang disclosed in the dressing room following the route that Gugov is again a question mark. “That makes to captains we’ll have out,” Leo said. He added that the seriousness of the injury won’t be known for a few days.

Gugov was helped off the field early in the first quarter but came back to break away for the long scoring run. Reports are that either a ligament is torn or the knee is badly pulled.

There were words of praise for the Tigers’ long pass defense but Strang cited the need for work on the short ones.

“We were real spotty, that’s all,” Strang said.

Pass offense was another sore spot. Of 12 passes attempted, none was completed. Larson did manage to hit Herring for two points after the fourth touchdown.

On the credit side for the Tigers was the great down field blocking and the internal line play. Lawson White-cleared the final barrier on Herring’s second touchdown run.

And the line showed extreme speed in opening the path for the backs on the long jaunts.

Of East Liverpool, Strang said they were “not strong enough.” He was quite impressed with their quarterback (Cunningham) and their fullback (Goodballet).

* * *
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING statistics credited herring with 96 yards for three carries, Hastings 35 for five, Gugov 67 for one. Dean 50 for eight, Larson 95 for three, Philpott 84 for 12, Brown 36 for three and Smith one for one.

A warm-up session and general check for injuries was planned for this morning at the stadium.

The Tigers’ next opponent is Cleveland Benedictine in a home game Friday. Benedictine was idle last night but appears to possess a good deal of weight and experience. Washington high won last year’s game 30-6.

Benedictine is the lone non-Stark County school to capture the state football crown since before the days of Chuck Mather. They won the coveted award in 1957 after beating Washington high en route to an undefeated season.

PROPER START

MASSILLON
ENDS – Ivan, Anzalone, Bodiford, Ehmer, Fuchs, Royer, Willey.
TACKLES – White, Spees, Crenshaw, Herbst, Bruch, Farman, Herndon.
GUARDS – Radel, Wells, Whitfield, Houston.
CENTERS – Demis, Strobel.
BACKS – Larson, Baker, Null, Lash, Hastings, J. Smith, Dean, Kurzen,
Philpott, Herring ,Gugov, Heflin, D. Smith, Brown.

EAST LIVERPOOL
ENDS – Geon, Archer, Couch, Standley.
TACKLES – Hall, Smith, Parsons, Myers, Hayes, Bulger, Carnes.
GUARDS – Crook, Musurace, Steinberg, Mays.
CENTERS – Montgomery, Ferella.
BACKS – Cunningham, Goodballet, Thompson, Wolfe, Kraft, O’Neil,
Sparks, Durbin, Douglas, Richardson, Wilson, Oliver.

Massillon 14 22 0 6 42

MASSILLON – Larson, 2 (49-yard run, 15-yard run); Gugov (67-yard run);
Herring, 2 (40-yard run, 49-yard run); J. Smith (1-yard plunge).

EXTRA POINTS – Dean, 2 (runs); Herring (pass).

OFFICIALS
Andy Lindsay – referee.
Clyde Moore, umpire.
Octavio Sirgo – head linesman.
C.W. Rupp – field judge.

STATISTICS
Massillon Opp.
First downs – rushing 15 1
First downs – passing 0 6
First downs – penalties 1 0
Total first downs 16 7
Yards gained rushing 494 63
Yards lost rushing 6 18
Net yards gained rushing 488 45
Net yards gained passing 0 112
Total yards gained 486 157
Passes attempted 12 20
Passes completed 0 11
Passes intercepted by 2 2
Times kicked off 7 1
Kickoff average (yards) 39.1 40
Kickoff returns (yards) 24 92
Times punted 1 5
Punt average (yards) 31.0 29.6
Punt return (yards) 40 4
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 4 6
Lost fumbled ball 3 3
Penalties 4 4
Yards penalized 50 20

1959: Massillon 20, Canton McKinley 0

November 21, 1959February 18, 2019
by Eric Smith

Workmanlike Tigers Make It A Perfect Year
Massillon Stouties Roast Bulldogs 20-0 In Defensive-Minded Hassle

By CHARLIE POWELL

Workmanlike.

That is as good a word as any to use in describing the superlative piece of machinery which combined to hold the “Indian sign” over the Canton McKinley Bulldogs last Saturday afternoon.

The mighty Massillon Tigers did no extraordinary things, they simply did the ordinary thing extraordinarily well as they put the Bulldogs through the meat-grinder, 20-0 before nearly 19,000 fans at sunny Fawcett stadium.

There were not twisting, 80-yard runs, no fourth-down scoring passes, no whopping, long punt or kickoff return. Just work. Much like other people perform in the mills.

The bountiful Tigers tore off the tackles and up the middle most of the afternoon as they enjoyed an early Thanksgiving Day – stuffing the Bulldogs and roasting’em well.

The Cantonians must have felt like they had eaten a mess of those contaminated cranberries that slipped by the spying crews.

The grind-em out offense combined with an impregnable defense proved that the Tigers could get the job done one way or the other. All season long, when the occasion demanded, they either banged inside the flanks, threw the long stroke or pulled off some
hipper-dipper. Versatility and variance were bywords.

It was this kind of a team which will go down in Washington high gridiron annals as one of the greatest.

The sweet smell of success over 10 weekends brought Tigertown its first unbeaten season since 1953, this was the sixth highest scoring club in all history, the eighth to splurge to over 400 points in a single season.
* * *
HEADMASTER LEO Strang’s merry-makers averaged six touchdowns a game, held their eminent opponents to just 46 points, only Akron Garfield scored more than one touchdown against them and the Bulldogs became the fifth foe to draw a blank in the scoring column.

Balance, depth and poise of a champion w ere the big reasons why the Tigers came through with Massillon’s 16th unbeaten and 12th perfect record team in history. They worked, worried and whaled into their job with one goal on the horizon – an unsullied record – and they got it – and they earned it.

Teamwork, as always, paid off handsomely. Everybody who had a part in this spectacular season, from Coach Strang and his aide-de-camps on down to the little people behind the scenes, deserve the heartiest compliments.

This team had a whole lot of everything.

It had a world of balance in the leather-lugging department. When tricky Art Hastings wasn’t whirling and weaving, piston legged Bill Finney was flashing downfield. And when speedy Jim Wood wasn’t on the go, that reliable junior, Martin Gugov was like Popeye’s can of spinach or the U.S. cavalry showing up in a western movie…help came when needed.

It had Joe Sparma, the hand-is-quicker-than-the-eye quarterback…he had no peer in the state. A non-worrier and team-steadier, the confident field general threw 15 touchdown passes this season to bring his career total to 32 pay off pitches.
* * *
GUGOV SCORED 88 points, Hastings chalked up 86 and Finney and Wood each checked in with 64. Hastings carried 116 times for 1,244 yards, an average of 10.7 yards per try. Finney toted 87 times for 608 yards. Wood collared 481 yards in 39 tries and Gugov was called on 50 times and picked up 480 yards.

Yep, this team had everything. It had sharp blocking, especially improved downfield blocking, with Virgil Bukuts, Jim Houston, Wendell Snodgrass, Don Appleby, and Bob Barkman as possibly the standouts. It had smart, teeth-loosing defensive play led by Gugov, Houston, Hase McKey, “Sluggo” Bednar, Frank Midure, Terry Snyder, Gary Wells, Jay B. Willey, Nick Daugenti, and Bob Oliver.

While of offense averaged 8.1 yards per play, the defense allowed the opposition just 2.8 yards per try.

We think you will agree, the Tigers had all the earmarks of a true champion.

They may not be officially crowned the state champ but in this book, and probably yours too, they are the very best in Buckeyeland.

It took some doing to wade through such formidable opposition without a loss. The orange and black knocked down, Alliance, Steubenville and Warren, when they were ranked in the top 10 and two other victims, Cleveland Benedictine and McKinley, were accorded berths in the second ten over the season.

McKinley tried to show Massillon was not unbeatable but the Tigers had too many guns in their arsenal. Thus they keep the Nickel Plate Road victory bell for a third straight year. The series record now reads Massillon 32 wins, 27 losses and five tie scores.

For two years under Strang, the Bengals arte 18-1-1. It was Leo’s second unbeaten team, his 1955 Upper Sandusky array having tifted nine straight scalps.
* * *
McKINELY HAD scored at least two touchdowns in eight of its nine previous games. (Steubenville triumphed, in the rain and mud, 15-0) but the Bulldog offense was practically nil against the Orangemen.

The host club gained 96 yards but the Tigers, led by Bednar (he waits and pounces like a burglar) and Gugov (he surely can wreck those end runs!), tossed Bulldog runners for losses amounting to 29 yards. For 35 plays the losing side made 67 yards, an average of a mere 1.9 per play.

McKinley never got off a pass. Quarterback Dave Sitzman went back three times but Massillon never gave him a chance to get rid of the ball.

The Bulldogs made only five first downs – three of them in the last quarter.

Meanwhile, the tenacious Tigers reeled off 15 first downs, made 242 yards rushing and Sparma hit on two of seven passes for 21 yards. One pass was caught out of bunds and another hit the intended receiver on the headgear.

Hastings, the driving junior, clicked off 108 yards in 17 carries. Gugov made 68 yards in 14 tries and Finney picked up 53 yards in 15 stabs.

The Tigers reached the promised-land in the second, third and fourth periods, going 75 yards in 15 plays during the second round, 59 yards in 11 plays during the third panel and 21 yards in five plays during the last chapter. The final TD came after that ferocious middle guard McKey, recovered an enemy fumble.

McKinley only once threatened and that was in the second quarter when a Massillon fumble was recovered by Fullback Wrentie Martin at the Bengal 34.

THE FUMBLE occurred on the first play of the second stanza and in the next four plays, the red and black was unable to get a first down.

Halfback Stanley Wilcoxen carried twice for six yards before Sitzman, unable to find the receiver open on a jump pass, ran and was stopped by Houston after a pickup of a yard. With fourth and three at the 27, Wilcoxen rode off the right side on a trap play but found no trap, consequently no hole, and he was grassed a yard shy of the first down.

The Tigers marched 61 yards the first time they got the ball as a 16-yard run by Hastings and a 10-yard smash by Gugov sparkled. But at the 22 they lost the ball on a fumble and they had to wait until the second period before breaking a scoreless deadlock.

After halting the Bulldogs at their own 25, the Orangemen knuckled down, Hastings, Finney, Sparma and Gugov lugging the ball goalward. Hastings inserted a 15-yard run and only a tackle from behind by Bill Babics, a fine end, kept him from going all the way. Finney got off a 10-yarder and would have scored from 14 yards out except that he was tripped up at the last second by End Frank Smith.

From the one Finney scored off right tackle as Wood made the key block. Gugov hit the same spot for the bonus points and at 2:58 in the quarter it was 8-0.

Following the score, McKinley made three yards in three plays and Sitzman was stopped after two on fourth-and-seven. Massillon still had time for a giant-sized try.

With time running out, Wood caught the Sparma pass out of bounds at the Bulldog 22 and on the last play of the half, Martin managed to knock Sparma’s pass away from Oliver.

To start the second half, the Tigers received and they promptly added another six points. This 59-yard foray highlighted a 14-yard Sparma to Wood pass and Hastings’ twisting
10-yard jaunt.

Gugov scored on a beauty from the nine. He took a pitch out to the right, got a nice block from Barkman, leaped over one would-be tackler and kept his footing to step in and hike the count to 14-0 at 6:25. Finney then was stopped a yard away from two more markers.

McKINLEY THEN had to punt and Daugenti, the boy who came here from Cleveland this year, put on a nifty return of 35 yards to the Bulldog 34. Nick fought off three defenders and Willey applied a crunching block but their efforts were wiped out because the Tigers were called for clipping.

However, they advanced 43 yards on the last eight plays of the quarter as Hastings ignited the drive by breezing for 25 yards.

But this bid was thwarted by linebacker Dan Mussulin who picked off a Sparma pass from the 20 (it was intended for sub halfback Bob Herring, but too short) and McKinley remained in contention.

An exchange of punts followed and with 8:40 remaining, the hosts got moving. After two first downs though, Sitzman, swarmed under as he tried to pass, fumbled and the ball was grabbed on the fly by McKey who churned four yards to the McKinley 21.

Finney gained eight, Gugov five in two tries and Finney came back for seven before Hastings wedging through center, made the final yard at 1:50. Gugov was stopped short on the PAT attempt but it didn’t matter, the Tigers were in.

On the ensuing kickoff, Gugov recovered what appeared to be a fumble but the ball was ruled dead. After Jimmy Robinson’s combine made a first down, Massillon cheerleaders hauled out and displayed a big sign, “State Champions!” and two plays later the 64th
Tiger-Bulldog game was history.

THE CANTONIANS defensed the Tigers pretty well but it wasn’t enough. The loss gave McKinley a record of six victories against four losses for the season.

Massillon has held the upper hand 10 times in the last 12 years and the Tigers now have shut out their top rival 13 times during the ancient series.

A Happy Ending

MASSILLON
ENDS – McKey, Barkman, Zumbrunn, Oliver, Pierce.
TACKLES – Appleby, Bukuts, Wells, Haines.
GUARDS – Houston, Willey, Bednar, Midure, Anzalone.
CENTERS – Snodgrass, Snyder.
QUARTERBACK – Sparma.
HALFBACKS – Finney, Wood, Gugov, Daugenti, Herring.
FULLBACKS – Hastings, Hershberger, Toles.

CANTON McKINLEY
ENDS – Babics, Vince, Smith.
TACKLES – Agnes, Guedel, Dragomier, Blackman, Ryjowski.
GUARDS – Mussulin, Shipp, Turpin.
CENTER – Kutrieb.
QUARTERBACK – Sitzman.
HALFBACKS – Wilcoxen, Warren, Thomas.
FULLBACKS – Martin, Mathieu.

Scoring by quarters.
Massillon 0 8 6 6 20
McKinley 0 0 0 0 0

Massillon scoring:
Touchdowns – Finney (R-1); Gugov (R-9); Hastings (R-1).
Extra Points – Gugov (run).

Statistics
Mass. McKin.
First downs, rushing 14 5
First downs, passing 1 0
First downs, penalties 0 0
Total first downs 15 5
Yards gained rushing 245 96
Yards lost rushing 3 29
Net yards gained rushing 242 67
Yards gained passing 21 0
Total yards gained 268 67
Passes attempted 7 0
Passes completed 2 0
Passes intercepted by 0 1
Times kicked off 4 1
Kickoff average (yards) 41.0 50.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 26 45
Times punted 1 4
Punt average (yards) 37.0 34.5
Punt returns (yards 28 0
Fumbles 3 2
Lost fumbled ball 2 1
Penalties 1 5
Yards penalized 15 25

THE EMERY WHEEL
By Lut Emery

Will the Tigers be named state champions in the Associated Press poll this week?

In our mind and in the mind of every Massillonian and for that matter most residents of Stark County, the Tigers are champs regardless of how they are voted in the poll.

Their 10-game sweep concluded Saturday with a 20-0 victory over Canton McKinley should be convincing to a majority of the state’s sports writers and sportscasters, we believe, but there was rigging the past two weeks in several spots, which if carried on again this week would make the Tigers’ hopes for a state title via AP recognition almost futile.
* * *
THERE HAVE been suggestions that we fight fire with fire, and attempt to enlist our friends to rig the poll in favor of Massillon.

Not desiring to get our hands dirtied in the already muddy water, we will have no part of it.

We have cast our ballot as have most of the state’s sportswriters and radio sportscasters. Naturally, we voted our Tigers first. They are the only ranking team in the state that has won 10 straight this season, and against tougher opposition than the other ranked teams have faced.

After re-examining the scores, we voted undefeated Kettering Fairmount second, which is a change from last week, when we cast our second place ballot for Springfield.

Springfield, which we vote third, and Kettering, played two common foes, Middletown and Dayton Chaminade. Kettering looked the better against Middletown, winning 26-0 while Springfield won 38-26. Springfield made the better showing against Chaminade, winning 60-0 while Kettering won 22-0.

Springfield at no time during the season met a team in the top 10 of the AP ratings, while Kettering knocked Troy out of the top 10 with an 8-0 victory.
* * *
FRANKLY WE feel the Associated Press poll no longer serves its purpose, as a result of the rigging this year, and should be thrown out as a basis for selecting a state champion until some better plan can be devised.

A few writers and sportscasters have put Fritz Howell, sports editor of the Associated Press and conductor of the poll on the spot. Two weeks ago Howell tossed all ballots into the waste paper basket when 14 writers and radio commentators failed to list Massillon on their 10-team ballot/

Last week Howell resumed the poll. The rigging continued but not on as large a scale. One writer didn’t put the Tigers in the first 10, a number of others including one block of eight placed them eighth or ninth – and most of this conniving came from northwest and northeast Ohio – not from Springfield and not from the cities of Tiger opponents.

The rigging started three weeks ago. The Tigers who had been in front from the start of the season led by 83 points on Oct. 27.

The Tigers knocked off sixth ranked Warren, but their lead in the poll dropped to 36 points. Next they beat Barberton 90-0 and that was the week Howell tossed the poll away.

When the poll was resumed last week, the count showed Springfield had gone around Massillon to lead by 45 points.

Maybe the Tigers- 20-0 victory over McKinley will change the sentiment of those who ganged up on them the past two weeks.

We’ll just have to wait and see.
* * *
IN THE MEATIME our congratulations go to Coach Leo Strang and his staff for a job well done this fall. They and their fancy Tigers have given Washington high school its first undefeated season since Chuck Mather’s romp in 1953.

Category: <span>History</span>