Category: <span>History</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1952: Massillon 27, Alliance 21

11,000 See Tigers Defeat Alliance 27-21
Massillon Gridders Win Dizzy Game From State’s Seventh Ranking Eleven

By LUTHER EMERY

If you are dizzy today you must have been one of the 11,000 fans who saw a dizzy football game Friday evening in Mt. Union stadium, in which the Washington high Tigers shaded the Alliance Aviators 27-21 in a thrilling game that had everything including:

Two consecutive kickoff returns for touchdowns, one the season’s longest run, 104 yards by John Francisco, the other a 77-yard effort by Lee Nussbaum.

Two passers completing 50 per cent of their tosses.

The losing team making 16 first downs to the winner’s 11 and gaining exactly the same net yardage from scrimmage.

It was a thriller-diller of a contest with Alliance playing inspired ball, throwing and completing passes all over the gridiron to control the leather, but never able to regain the lead after dropping it in the second period.
* * *
THE AVIATOR fans were so jubilant after the contest that they did much of the horn blowing. Most of them expected to see their team beaten by three touchdowns, and were happy that they had been treated to as close a score.

Coach Chuck Mather and his Massillon crew, on the other hand, were not so happy. Remembering a couple of fumbles and intercepted passes that gave the ball back to the Aviators, they seemed to think they had not played a particularly good game. But in their disappointment at not having rolled up a larger score they apparently forgot that they were playing the No. 7 team in the state and one that we believe deserves an even higher ranking. Futhermore, the Aviators had six regulars back for their offensive team; the Tigers none.

Rarely will you see a team return two consecutive kickoffs for touchdowns and yet only win by six points. That’s the kind of dizzy game it was, and that’s why the Tigers are still undefeated today.

Thus Francisco and Nussbaum emerged the heroes of the contest, but only because they had some excellent blocking in front of them.
* * *
JOHN in particular received able support. The Tigers were leading 14-7 when they lined up for the kickoff at the start of the second half. Burwell Baddelely’s kick bounced on the 15 and over the arms of Francisco when he tried to take it. Most people thought it hit John, and thought that was the reason why he picked up the ball then hesitated four yards behind the goal, before running with it.

“I was just trying to decide what to do,” said John, when asked after the game the reason for the temporary pause.

Maybe the pause threw the Aviators off guard, but whatever it was, Johnny ran right out through them while his blockers chopped down tacklers. One Tiger peeled off three at a time. We combed the locker room after the game, but none took credit. John Tasseff got one tackler, Andy Fabianich two, and Sam Williams cut down two as Francisco bolted out of the end zone and headed up field.

Bill Burger of Alliance took after him at the 30 but neither Francisco could gain nor Burger close the gap in the race for the goal line. A Tiger blocker had in mind throwing a block on Burger at midfield, but did not have good position and surely would have clipped had he attempted it. Francisco with a five-yard lead outdistanced his pursuer the last 15 yards and could hardly stand up from exhaustion after he got into the end zone.
* * *
THE TOUCHDOWN would have caused many an opponent to have blown sky high, but not Alliance, for the Aviators were waiting for this game and it wasn’t long before they had another touchdown for themselves on a well aimed 28-yard pass from strong-armed Len Dawson to End Ray Olds.

That brought the Aviators up to within striking distance again, 20-14, but only for a moment, for next time they kicked off, Nussbaum gathered in the leather on the 23 and went 77 yards to score. He was through the whole Alliance team in a jiffy, and there was never any doubt once he got going that he would out run’em all.

Touchdowns on consecutive kickoffs!

We haven’t heard of that in a long time, but it still didn’t kill off Alliance. The Aviators had a great passing weapon in Dawson and some smart receivers and they just kept throwing until three completions took the ball to the eight from which the Aviators hammered it over with Dawson sneaking through from his quarterback spot for the last six inches.
* * *
TIGER FANS were mighty happy Alliance didn’t get the ball anymore, and to keep them from it the locals had to make a desperate play on fourth down with seven to go to control the leather. They succeeded and were marching toward the Alliance goal for what might have been another T.D. when the game came to an end.

That accounts for the second half scoring.

What went on to the first half was almost as startling except that it was at the beginning instead of toward the end of the game.

Alliance, after recovering a Massillon fumble on the Massillon 29, was first to score. A
24-yard pass, Dawson to Olds produced it, the latter going up in the air to take the ball right out of the arms of a Massillon defender in the end zone.

An Alliance fumble, covered by Ronnie Agnes on the Tiger 48, was the start of the local team’s first touchdown drive which was scored principally through the Alliance specialty – forward pass. Bob Misere began pitching and hit Capt. Bob Khoenle twice for 27 yards and 14 yards. That got the ball down to the 11 where Traylor shot around his left end for the points. Tom Boone’s kick tied it up 7-7.
* * *
THE NEXT ONE came cheap for the Tigers, thanks to their defensive unit. They got to breaking through on Dawson, tossed him for a couple of losses and when he dropped back close to his goal line he was rushed so badly he was unable to get the ball away.

The Tigers took over on the two but were forced back to the six when Misere couldn’t find anyone to hand off to. He hit Khoenle, however, with a pretty jump pass over center that Bob took in the end zone for six points. Boone made it 14.

It appeared as though that Tigers had the Aviators at the breaking point when they marched down to the Alliance 16 next time they got the ball, but they lost it there on a first down fumble and the Aviators took over.

It wasn’t difficult to pick out the Alliance star. Dawson was the individual. Not only did he complete 16 of 32 passes for 220 yards, but he also punted, kicked the three extra points, passed for two of the touchdowns, scored the third himself and kicked off part of the time. Without him Alliance would not have too much armor. The Aviators appear only to be able to run because of Dawson’s threat as a passer. They have a hard-hitting back in Homer Young, who did most of the ground work, scoring principally on a short pitch on an end sweep.
* * *
DAWSON was not at his best physically for the game either. He injured his left shoulder last week which kept him out of practice the first two days of the week according to Alliance newspapermen.

While Misere of the Tigers did not throw nearly as passes, he had the same percentage of completions. In fact, Bob had the better of it the first half when he completed four of six while Dawson was completing seven of 12.

The Tigers tried only two passes the second half, and did not complete either. One was intercepted.

Yardage of the two teams was the same, the Massillon statistician showing both teams with a net 234.

The Aviators actually gained the most, 334, but they also lost 100 when Tiger tacklers broke through to smear Dawson while attempting to pass or to nail Young on pitchouts.

The local team made 179 yards on the ground and 69 through the air for a total of 248, but only lost 14 from scrimmage, giving the same net gain from scrimmage as Alliance 234 yards.

The Tigers ran 22 plays from scrimmage the second half. You don’t run a lot of plays and gain a lot of yardage from scrimmage when you return kickoffs for touchdowns. However, if you add the kickoff returns to yards gained from scrimmage you have 429 for the Tigers to 303 for Alliance. After all, that yardage represents the difference.

The Tigers emerged from the game in fairly good condition with the exception of Traylor, who aggravated a leg injury.

The play of the Alliance team was a fine tribute to Mel Knowlton, native Massillonian and former junior high and high school coach here, and Julius Tongas, another Massillon man and assistant to Mel.

Mel really had his team riding high for the contest. It was the third straight week the Tigers have been called upon to face a team in which a former Massillon man was a member of the coaching staff.

Two weeks ago the Tigers played Steubenville coached by Ray Hoyman, ex-Massilonian. Last week they played Barberton where Fred Cardinal, ex-Massillonian, helps out. Next week they meet Mansfield where Bill Peterson, another ex-Massillon assistant coach, is head mentor.

The line-ups and summary:

MASSILLON
ENDS – Crone, Khoenle, Williams, Letcavits.
TACKLES – Schram, Geiser, Younkers, Dean.
GUARDS – Clinage, Kraus, Fabianich, Agnes.
CENTER – Corral.
QUARTERBACK – Misere.
HALFBACKS – Traylor, Francisco, Tasseff. Climo, Boone.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart.

ALLIANCE
ENDS – Aton, Olds, Giovanatto.
TACKLES – Galehouse, Fucci, Kracker, Deack, Jones.
GUARDS – Stanish, Stranges, Tasker, Zavarelli.
CENTER – Feller.
QUARTERBACK – Dawson.
HALFBACKS – Burger, Davis, Baddeley, Hawkins, Boring.
FULLBACK – Young.

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 7 13 0 27
Alliance 7 0 7 7 21

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Traylor; Khoenle; Francisco; Nussbaum.
Alliance – Olds 2; Dawson.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Boone 3 (placements).
Alliance – Dawson 3 (placement).

Referee – Tobin.
Umpire – Russ.
Head Linesman – Lindsay.
Field Judge – Holzbach.

STATISTICS
Mass. All.
First downs 11 16
Passes attempted 8 32
Passes completed 4 16
Had passes intercepted 2 0
Yards gained passing 69 220
Yards gained rushing 179 114
Total yards gained 249 334
Yards lost 14 100
Net yards gained 234 234
Kickoffs 5 4
Average kickoff (yards) 47 43
Yards kickoffs returned 195 69
Punts 2 4
Average punt (yards) 15 32
Yards punts returned 0 0
Fumbles 2 3
Lost ball on fumbles 2 1
Times penalized 6 5
Yards penalized 40 32

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1952: Massillon 40, Barberton 19

SCORE 33 POINTS IN SECOND HALF AFTER TRAILING 19-7
Tigers Smash Barberton Magics 40-19

By LUTHER EMERY

The Tigers became of age Friday evening and we just aged.

If you didn’t have a gray hair when you entered Tiger stadium with the 13,516 other folks, then you must have sprouted several during the terrific struggle that saw the Massillon team bounce back from a 19-7 deficit at half-time to score 33 points in the last two periods and win 40-19.

To do it they had to beat into submission a spirited and aroused Barberton team.

Program Cover

They did and seldom have we seen a team as badly mauled at the end of the game as was Barberton. Coach Junie Ferrall took inventory of his Magic squad at the close of the contest and wondered if he could field a team next week.

He had eight players X-rayed after the game and counted the following injuries:
David Sickles, line backer, dislocated shoulder.
Gene Neely, halfback, fractured shoulder.
Don Cole, line backer, bruised hip.
Keith Jones, defensive halfback, fractured ankle.
Mike Krunich, tackle, torn cartilate in knee.
Mike Roarty, halfback, injured knee.
Bob Seely, defensive end, injured knee.
Paul Bachman, offensive end, injured thumb.

Ferrall said today that from all appearances, Neely, Krunich, Jones and Roarty are out for the season.

The injuries were just another series of mishaps that have plagued Barberton all year.

Three Magic stars, in fact three mainstays of the team, didn’t even play last night because of injuries sustained last week. They were Glenn Davis, fleet halfback who scored the team’s first six touchdowns this season (we shudder to think what might have happened had he been in the first half), Gary Dean, a co-captain and tackle and Charles Newell, halfback.

While the Tigers did not come out with any serious injuries, cuts under the eyes, bruises and broken skin on faces and legs were evidence of the kind of grinder the boys were going through last night.
Johnny Traylor, fleet halfback, who played himself one whale of a game and Tom Boone, safety man, came out with limps but both appeared O.K. after the contest.

It is hoped that none of Barberton’s suspected fractures actually develop into broken bones. X-ray pictures will be taken to determine the full extent of injuries, which were just another series of mishaps which have plagued Barberton all season.

The injuries last night were the result of hard football. The Tigers apparently thought they had a pink tea party arranged for them from the way they played the first half while Barberton, which had pointed for the game, played as though it expected to win, carried the game to the Tigers, took advantage of the breaks and whipped the locals the first two periods.

With the Magics aroused to high spirits and everything going wrong for the Tigers, Massillon fans shuddered at the half and wondered if it was going to be “one of those nights.”

They had seen their team drive back 75 yards with the opening kickoff to score and lead
7-0. But they saw the same team relax and allow Gene Neely, Barberton slicker to run back the following kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and score two more in the second period to give his team a 19-7 advantage.

Most everyone in the Massillon section was scared except the players as the teams lined up for the second half kickoff. Then and there the Tigers became of age, though they did not alleviate the fears of spectators until they shoved over their third and fourth touchdowns in the fourth quarter. After that the tension was off and fans for the first time eased back in their seats and began to add up the points.

We have heard complaints that the games have been too one-sided. To the person who looks only at the score, last nights’ figures may read the same, but it was too close for comfort from a Massillon stand point, and those who want close scores had their money’s worth with dividends.

The Tigers never regained the lead until the fourth quarter when Johnny Francisco crashed over from the three-yard line after a tremendous drive that had started from the Massillon 16-yard line. It took a lot of slam-bang football and a brilliant 45-yard sideline run by Fullback Lee Nussbaum to roll Barberton back into the payroll territory. With Tom Boone kicking the extra point to make the score 21-19, everyone breathed easier, though they were still apprehensive until Francisco went over for his second touchdown after a march of 61 yards to boost the lead to 27-19.

After that the points came easier and Nussbaum’s second touchdown on a 13-yard run and Bob Misere’s 42-yard pass to Sam Williams for the final points of the game only served to dress up the score for sports writers to look at when casting their ballots in next week’s Associated Press poll.

What aroused the Tigers the second half we do not know. They just settled down to play the brand of football they are capable of playing. It was reminiscent of the Massillon-Barberton game of 1950 when after trailing 6-0 at the half the local team struck back with a 35-point barrage in the second half to win 35-6.

How one-sided the contest was in the second half is told in the statistical department. The Tigers made 12 first downs to Barberton’s 0, and gained 289 net yards to Barberton’s 24, while out scoring the Magics 33-0.
* * *
THINGS were more even with the exception of points, the first half in which the Magics out scored the locals 19-7. First downs were Massillon 8, Barberton 7 and yardage gained was 138 for Massillon and 134 for Barberton which does not include Neely’s 93-yard kickoff return.

When you add up the entire game, however, the Tigers were clear cut victors. They led
20-7 in first downs and gained 425 net yards from scrimmage to Barberton’s 136.

Breaks helped to give the Magics their first half edge. They scored their first two touchdowns through their own power and ability, but the third was a result of interference with a pass receiver on a 22-yard heave which was actually intercepted by Massillon. But officials rightfully ruled that a Tiger had pushed the intended Barberton receiver so the ball was taken away from Massillon and given to Barberton on the two-yard line.
* * *
THE TIGERS thrice lost the ball in the first half, twice on fumbles and once on a pass interception, which made it possible for the Magics to control the leather. And control it they did. They played that kind of game, taking almost the limit of time in the huddle after each play with the apparent intention of enlisting the clock in their attempt to either keep down a Massillon score or stall out a victory.

The game had its rhubarbs too. Coach Mather was nettled plenty over a clipping penalty called near the Massillon bench that nullified a brilliant 40-yard punt return by Johnny Traylor after a handoff from Francisco. Tiger fans also shouted their disapproval of a ruling that Nussbaum stepped out of bounds on the three-yard line in his 45-yard jaunt down the sidelines. The motion pictures will be interesting.

The Tigers showed improvement in their kicking off with Tom Boone doing the booting and averaging 47 yards, but ironically enough, his first kick to the seven-yard line, which we believe was the longest of the year, like-wise was the only one returned for a touchdown.

Only once did the local team have to punt, Rollie Millar booting a 29-yarder from scrimmage behind good protection.

After the way they marched to their first touchdown, the Tigers probably figured they had an easy touch in Barberton.

As expected Coach Ferrall came up with a cockeyed defense designed to yield a few yards but no big slice at a time. And Mather, expecting such a defense, passed on the first play, a 28-yard pitch from Misere to Bob Khoenle. Misere completed another 12 yarder to Khoenle in the march that ended with Traylor banging over from the two.

It was on the following kickoff that Neely grabbed the ball on the seven, and headed for the east sideline. Never have we seen so many blockers in front of a ball carrier. They mowed Tiger tacklers down in bunches while Neely ran along unmolested with three men to knock out the Tiger safety man and escort him to the goal.
Quarterback Tom George missed the try for the extra point leaving the Tigers in the lead 7-6.
* * *
“JUST A SHOT in the dark,” mused Massillon fans as they settled back to await the Tiger’s roar. It didn’t come. On the first play after the kickoff, Barberton covered a Tiger fumble putting the Magics in control of the ball. An exchange of punts left the Magics with the pigskin in their own territory, but they worked it out on a 21-yard pass from George to Dick Seiter that took the leather to the Tiger 42 and they were on their way. A pass, two running plays and then a 22-yard toss to Mike Roarty brought a first down on the two. It took two downs to go over, but over Neely went and with George kicking the extra point the Magics were in front 13-7.

The Tigers took the kickoff on their 36 and seemed on their way to a touchdown themselves when George covered a Massillon fumble on his 24 to end the threat.

The ball went back over to the Tigers on a punt, but Barberton regained it when Seiter intercepted Misere’s pass on the Barberton 45. A long pass to Roarty brought a first down on the 25 and set the ball in position for another pass to the two-yard line which Massillon intercepted but on which interference was called, leaving the Magics in possession of the leather. Neely was over in two tries and the Magics led 19-7.

The Tigers made a belated offensive effort before the end of the half which netted a first down on the 33, but the half ended before the ball could be put in play on second down.
* * *
FRUSTRATED on an intercepted pass the first time they got the ball in the second half, the Tigers finally got rolling when they regained it on a punt on their own 48. Traylor made a fine catch of Misere’s pass and got to the Barberton 37. After being set back to the 42 on a penalty, Traylor’s signal was called and the little atom exploded for a 25-yard run to the 17. Nussbaum and Traylor took turns carrying it until the two-yard line was reached where Lee went across and Boone kicked an important point after to pull the locals up to within striking distance 19-14.

And strike they did.

They were on their way from their own 16 and had gotten back to the Barberton three on Nussbaum’s fine 45-yard run when the quarter ended.

Francisco went over for the first play and Boone again added the extra point.

The Tigers scored every time they got the ball thereafter.

They started with a punt on the Barberton 39 and chewed off three and four-yard hunks of territory until the two-yard line was reached. Francisco went over.

They got it again on a punt on the Barberton 37 and Francisco romped for 16. Nussbaum, John Climo and Traylor put it on the 13 and that was close enough for Lee who went over for his second score.
* * *
THE FINAL POINTS were scored with only about 33 seconds of the game remaining to be played. They came after a 75-yard march in which Francisco ripped off a run of 29 yards and Misere tossed 42 to Williams for the pay off.

The game ended football relations between Barberton and Massillon. Coach Junie Ferrall of the Magics would like to keep the Tigers on his schedule but says his fans demand a home and home series.

The Massillon athletic department wants to provide local fans with seven home games. It cannot do this and play home and home with Barberton until one off the other home and home rivalries is done away with. These are Canton McKinley, Warren, Alliance, Mansfield, Steubenville and Toledo Waite.

Barberton has always been good competition. Perhaps some way will be found to bring the schools back together on a satisfactory basis sometime in the future.

The line-ups and summaries:

MASSILLON
ENDS – Crone, Khoenle, Williams, Letcavits, Longshore.
TACKLES – Younkers, Gumpp, Schram, Dean.
GUARDS – Fabianich, Kraus, Clinage, Agnes.
CENTERS – Corrall, Allison.
QUARTERBACKS – Misere, Porter, Johnson.
HALFBACKS – Francisco, Traylor, Climo, Boone, Tasseff, Millar, Floyd, Stone.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart.

BARBERTON
ENDS – Beckman, Seiter, Adams, Romig, Seely, Debevec, Bauer.
TACKLES – Kasanic, Goff, Swigert, Fedor, Hutchinson, Krunich.
GUARDS – Biro, Rimlinger, Linkowski, Campbell.
CENTERS – Weigand, Luck, Mace.
QUARTERBACK – George.
HALFBACKS – Neely, Roarty, McGuineness.
FULLBACKS – Hummell, Smith, Incorvati, Cole, Mathhews, Jones, Sickles.

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 0 7 26 40
Barberton 6 13 0 0 19

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Traylor; Nussbaum 2; Francisco 2.
Barberton – Williams; Neely 3.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Boone 4, (placekicks).
Barberton – George (placekick).

Referee – Tehan.
Umpire – Smith.
Head Linesman – Lymper.
Field Judge – Morbite.

STATISTICS
Mass. Barb.
First downs 20 7
Passes attempted 14 10
Passes completed 6 6
Had passes intercepted 2 1
Yards gained passing 112 101
Yards gained rushing 322 67
Total yards gained 434 168
Yards lost 9 32
Net yards gained 425 136
Times punted 1 5
Average punt (yards) 29 29
Yards punts returned by 7 0
Times kicked off 7 4
Average kickoff (yards) 47 33
Yards kickoffs returned by 35 146
Times fumbled 4 2
Lost ball on fumble 2 0
Times penalties 3 5
Yards penalized 25 55

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1952: Massillon 46, Steubenville 13

Tigers Roll Over Steubenville 46-13
Long Runs By Traylor And Nussbaum Sparkle Offense Of Massillon

By LUTHER EMERY

Steubenville’s Big Red wave was only a ripple today, calmed by the 46-13 lasing meted out by Washington high Friday evening as the 1951 titans of Ohio scholastic football clashed before 14,536 fans in Tiger stadium.

The Tigers stood the test, a double test in fact and gave every reason why they should stay at the top of the Associated Press poll another week in the 1952 title race.

Program Cover

Steubenville was adjudged the team that would test the caliber of the Massillon eleven this fall. The way the Tigers walloped their visitors, should leave no doubt in the minds of local fans but that Coach Chuck Mather has assembled another fine eleven. The proof was doubled in the manner in which the team struck back after tailing for the first time this season and after being scored on for the first time.r

The touchdown, coming after Steubenville covered a Massillon fumble on the 21-yard line early in the game served to arouse the Tigers. They countered with a fury greater than anyone had expected to gain the lead in five minutes and pile point on point the rest of the way.
* * *
THAT WAS the big test we have when waiting for – to see if the team would fold when behind. It didn’t.

Instead, the linemen and blocking backs shook little Johnny Traylor loose for two touchdowns the first quarter, Lee Nussbaum for two in the second quarter, and from then on it did not matter that Traylor and Nussbaum each scored again and John Francisco added another.

Four of those touchdowns came on long runs with Francisco handing off to Traylor on a punt return for 74 yards; Johnny going 65 on an off tackle play; Nussbaum doing a tight rope walk down the sidelines on a pitchout for 41 yards, and breaking through center for 32 yards and another beauty.

But when you are looking over Nussbaum’s ball carrying efforts you have to mark down as his hardest bit of work, a jaunt of 14 yards, a hard running, individual effort on fourth down that brought a first down on the 14-yard line in the Tigers’ initial touchdown march.
* * *
AND WHILE credit is being passed out for ball carrying, the efforts of Benny Bunch, the Big Red’s great little fullback should not be overlooked. He scored seven of Steubenville’s points and not only shined offensively but defensively as well.

However, reports that the Big Red were as good as last year, were an inflation that burst with the Steubenville bubble. The visitors did not have a Calvin Jones at tackle, a Gilliam on end or a Pumpkin Vincent to team with Bunch in the backfield.

They had a good football team, but a far cry from that of last year which was beaten out 13-6 by the Tigers in the last 10 seconds of play.

For a few minutes of the first period there were indications that maybe the folks were right about the Big Red’s ability. They pushed the Tigers over the field and scored their first touchdown with ease in the first four minutes of play.

Points were hard to get after that. Once they banged their way down to the two-yard line where Bunch fumbled and Massillon recovered. In the third period they turned a blocked Massillon punt into six points.
* * *
WHILE A fumble and a blocked punt helped the Big Red to its scoring efforts, a couple of penalties for roughing the kicker also proved costly to Steubenville and contributed to Massillon’s scoring. Twice the Big Red had Massillon marches stopped, and twice the team was penalized for roughing Johnny Traylor when he was punting on fourth down. On each occasion the Tigers took occasion of the new lease on life to march on to touchdowns.

Thus both teams sort of helped each other to score two touchdowns, and each fumbled away an opportunity. Bunch losing the one already mentioned on the two-yard line and Johnny Traylor dropping the ball after a very fine run that went to the Steubenville seven. The ball rolled back to the two where Steubenville covered it.

So you can count the breaks about even which would leave the score as it should be.

First downs again belie the difference in the two teams. Each eleven made the yardage 10 times but the yards gained column tells a different story. The Tigers had 362 net to Steubenville’s 152 and that does not include the 74-yard punt return by Traylor.
* * *
THE TIGER passing attack still isn’t the sharpest in the world. Two of eight were completed for 64 yards. The Big Red completed two of nine but also had two intercepted by Tom Boone who is getting quite adept in that department.

Best catch of the night, however, a one-handed effort by Bob Khoenle that would have been good for 40 yards, wasn’t allowed because Massillon was offside on the play.

Coach Mather used 28 players in the game but did most of his substituting on defense.

The Tigers used a 5-4-2 defense last night to cope with Steubenville’s offensive weapons. At times it faltered, but in the main succeeded.

Nobody knew who had the ball when Nick Medvis, Steubenville quarterback hurled a pretty 43-yard pass to Bill Fields in the third quarter. Fields and Boone both went up after the leather and came down together, but Fields had a little the better grip and managed to wrestle it away from Tom. It produced a first down on the 10-yard line, but the Big Red could go no furt6her and was thrown back to the 26 where it lost the ball.

The game maintained Massillon’s superiority over Steubenville on the gridiron. The Big Red last beat the Tigers in 1931 by a 67-0 score, a total that has not been excelled. The teams didn’t meet again until 1937 and the Tigers had won every game since save for a 7-7 tie in 1945.
* * *
MAYBE IT was because he was playing folks not far from his old home town of Hopedale that gave Johnny Francisco the jitters early in the game. He twice fumbled the kickoff which put the Tigers back on the seven at the start of the game. Then after the locals had earned a hard first down, Johnny again bobbled the pigskin and this time Bunch pounced on it on the Massillon 21. On the first play, Fed Hudson smashed through to the Tiger eight. Four plays later Bunch bounded over the goal line – or did he? Fans in the position to see said he did not get over, but the referee, Dan Tehan, called it, so the six points went up on the scoreboard.

The Tigers struck back, starting with the kickoff on their 39 and marched to a touchdown. They wouldn’t have made it, however, had Steubenville not drawn a 15-yard penalty for roughing Traylor when he punted on fourth down. The penalty took the ball to the Big Red 42. Traylor made five yards and Nussbaum six for a first down on the 31. The Big Red braced and held the Tigers to three yards on the next three downs, but Nussbaum came through with his hardest run of the game, a pitchout around left end that brought a first down on the 14.

Francisco picked up four and Traylor went the remaining 10, juggling the ball, but hanging on to it as he was tackled while crossing the goal line. Boone kicked the extra point.

The Tigers forced Steubenville to punt after the kickoff and Francisco made a running catch of the ball on his 26-yard line. He headed for the sideline, handed the ball off to Traylor who caught the Big Red flat-footed and ran 74 yards to score.

Maybe that one should not have counted. Francisco appeared to hand the ball illegally forward to Traylor. It he did, he fooled the officials who counted the six points. Boone kicked the extra point and that ended the scoring for the first period.
* * *
THE PRODUCTION of points was turned over to Nussbaum in the second period. It had hardly gotten under way until Lee tucked a pitchout under his arm and behind a terrific block by Khoenle, went 41 yards for six points, threading his way into the open along the sideline.

He scored from 32 yards out next time the Tigers got the ball, breaking out through the middle and cutting to the sideline behind good blocking.

Nussbaum made it three in a row as he scored the first points of the third period on a pitchout from the two yard line. Khoenle made it possible, however with a brilliant shoe-string catch from Misere for a gain of 39 yards and first down on the two.

Steubenville staged a little offensive thrust that took the ball to the 10 and then went backward to the 26. The Tigers were also thrown back and Traylor tried to punt. Bunch blocked the kick and Pilya scooped it up and went over for a touchdown. Bunch ran the extra point over and that ended the Big Red scoring for the night.

The Tigers got another in the third quarter on Traylor’s 65-yard jaunt and came back in the fourth period to score again. Francisco going over from the four-yard line after a drive of 92 yards. A 16-yard pass caught by Sam Williams and a 55-yard run by Francisco ate up the biggest hunks of yardage.

Coach Mather was obviously pleased with the showing of his team and his players who emerged from the game without serious injury. A couple of substitutes who might have gotten into the contest were kept on the bench last night as a portion of disciplinary action taken against them for keeping after hours at Cincinnati last week. Mather left it up to the squad to decide the punishment. The members voted 80 laps around the field for the pair next week.

The Tigers have their weak spots, most noticeable of which to fans are in the kicking department. Geiser is having difficulty getting distance on the kickoffs and Traylor isn’t given good protection punting. All season he has been barely getting the ball away.

Three In A Row

MASSILLON
ENDS – Williams, Khoenle, Longshore, Crone, Letcavits.
TACKLES – Younkers, Geiser, Schram, Gumpp, Rubio, Dean.
GUARDS – Fabianich, Kraus, Clinage, Agnes, Shilling.
CENTERS – Corral, Kimmins.
QUARTERBACK – Misere.
HALFBACKS – Francisco, Traylor, Tasseff, Porter, Millar, Boone.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart, Stone.

STEUBENVILLE
ENDS – Thomas, Fields, StarliPer.
TACKLES – R. Conkel, Snyder, Underwood.
GUARDS – Baldwin, Kerr, Bickerstaff.
CENTERS – Amick, Moncilovich.
QUARTERBACK – Medvis.
HALFBACKS – Clowers, Hidson, Wickham, Johnson, Baker, Ray, Whaley, Giannamore.
FULLBACKS – Bunch, Carney, Pilys.

Score by periods:
Massillon 14 13 12 7 46
Steubenville 6 0 7 0 13

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Traylor 3; Nussbaum 3; Francisco.
Steubenville – Bunch, Pilya.

Points after touchdowns:
Massillon – Boone 4 (placekicks).
Steubenville – Bunch (carried)

Referee – Tehan.
Umpire – Holzbach.
Head Linesman – Schill.
Field Judge – Shopbell.

STATISTICS
Mass. Steub.
First downs 10 10
Passes attempted 8 9
Passes completed 2 2
Had Pases intercepted 0 2
Yards gained passing 64 54
Yards gained rushing 332 140
Total yards gained 396 194
Yards lost 34 42
Net yards gained 362 152
Times kicked off 7 4
Average kickoff (yards) 35 35
Yards kickoffs returned by 12 43
Times punted 2 5
Average punt (yards) 16 32
Had punt blocked 1 0
Yards punts returned by 78 12
Times fumbled 6 6
Lost ball on fumbles 4 1
Times penalized 4 6
Yards penalized 30 60

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1952: Massillon 33, Cincinnati Elder 0

Long Runs Spark Tigers’ 33-0 Win At Cincy
Traylor Returns First Kickoff 85 Yards As Massillon Wins No. 2

By LUTHER EMERY

Coach Chuck Mather of Washington high school dealt a pair of “Jacks” to Cincinnati Elder Friday evening and their long runs brought down the cheers from an almost full house of 9,000 fans who saw the champion Tigers roll to their second victory of the season by a score of 33-0.

The “Jacks” were Johnny Traylor and Johnny Francisco, lightweight ball carriers who ran 85 and 88 yards respectively for touchdowns.

Traylor got his by grabbing the opening kickoff and going almost the length of the field. The scoreboard showed just 15 seconds of the game elapsed when he crossed the Elder goal.

Francisco got his with two minutes of the second period expired. He burst up the middle to race through the entire Elder team.

Lee Nussbaum went half as long for the last TD of the game and his second when he circled right end for 43 yards after juggling a pitchout. He had previously gone over standing up from the one-yard line for No. 2 of the game. Traylor also scored twice, getting his second from five yards out.
* * *
ONE THAT didn’t count and one of the prettiest of the game was a long pitch from Quarterback Bob Misere to End Sam Williams, good for 64 yards in the second period. But Massillon was declared offside on the play and the score was not allowed.

Fortunately for the Tigers, they rolled up 19 points the first 14 minutes of competition, for Elder was tough to crack.

The Cincinnati boys had size, tackled yard and played a Massillon team which was apparently tired from a six-hour bus ride.

The Tigers were not sharp and their passing was not as good as hoped for, though their percentage of completions would have looked better had not a couple been called back because of penalties.

However, they had the edge in most of the statistics, gaining 346 net yards, 67 on passes to Elder’s 122 yards, 72 of which were made on aerials. First downs were 13 to 10 in the local team’s favor. Massillon tried 11 passes and completed three. Elder completed half of its 14 attempts.
* * *
THE LOCALS lost 30 yards in penalties. Elder none.

Massillon had a good-sized delegation of fans in the stands to cheer Traylor in his first touchdown bid. He grabbed the kickoff on the 15 and ran straight down the alley, without a hand being placed on him. Tom Boone added insult to injury by booting the extra point squarely between the uprights. By the time the period was much older, Massillon had another.

This one came after Boone, playing safety, had flopped on Mike Bachman’s fumble on the Elder 23. Traylor got 18 yards in two tries and after Francisco had lugged the leather to the one, Nussbaum crashed through center standing up for the score. Boone’s kick was wide.

Elder roared back with the kickoff and got down to the Tiger 24 before the latter braced. Boone intercepted Quarterback Tom Malone’s pass on the 12 after Traylor deflected it. That gave Francisco his chance and on first down he cut loose with his 88-yard run. Boone’s kick was again wide.

There was no more scoring until the fourth quarter. The next came with 9:30 left of the period on a drive that started from the Elder 43 at the tail-end of the third. A 12-yard run by Nussbaum and an 11-yard pass from Misere to Bob Khoenle helped to set it up. Traylor carried it over from the five.
* * *
THE FINAL points you already have. Nussbaum’s 43-yard jaunt came after interception of an Elder pass by substitute Halfback Roland Miller. The Tigers were after another and had the ball on the seven when Elder intercepted a pass.

Coach Chuck Mather stuck largely to his first offensive team, but played around a lot with his defensive setup to stop Elder’s split-T formation.

Jim Geiser and Khoenle played fine defensive games for the Tigers and stopped most of Elder’s up-the-middle stuff. Elder gained most of its ground on passes and sweeps, but couldn’t get the ball over, although once in the third quarter it got down to the three-yard line before being turned back.

The game, which was ballyhooed Friday in all of the Cincinnati papers, one with pictures, another with a front page streamer, was played under perfect weather conditions.

The Tiger band was given a tremendous ovation by the crowd, and impressed one of the sports writers more than the team.

“This team may drop one along the way,” he said, “but that Massillon band will never be beaten.”

Hottest part of Elder’s band show was Frank Buttleworth, who twirled a baton tipped with two balls of fire and the hottest part of him was the seat of his pants, which became ignited from the baton and threatened to envelop him in flames – but he never missed a twirl as he spun the baton with one hand and beat out the flames with the other.

The play-by-play:
First Quarter
John Traylor took the opening kickoff on the Tiger 15, ran straight up field behind almost perfect blocking for 85 yards and a touchdown. Tom Boone kicked the extra point.
7-0
Jim Geiser’s attempt at a short kickoff was recovered by Cincinnati on the Elder 40. Don Beck got three yards through the center. Jim Vale picked up six yards around right end, then got three for a first down on the Tiger 48. Vale tried right end and was tossed for a seven yard loss by Geiser. Tom Malone got seven around right end Malone’s pass was incomplete and Bachman punted to Traylor on the 17.

Bob Misere lost two on a mix-up in signals, but John Francisco ripped off 15 to the 30. Traylor lost five on an end run. Francisco got three and Traylor 12, missing a first down by a yard, Traylor punted to the Elder eight.

After holding Elder on the 14, Massillon was offside on the punt and Elder had a first down on the 19. Bachman fumbled and Boone recovered for the Tigers on the 23. Traylor ripped over left tackle for a first down on the 12. He hit left tackle for six and Francisco bumped it to the one from where Lee Nussbaum went over standing up. Boone’s kick was wide.
13-0
Sam Williams tackled Vale on the Elder 28 on the kickoff. Vale got one and Bachman took a pitch out for eight. Ron Frey banged center for a first down on the 41. Malone passed 24 yards to Dan Boyle for a first down on the Tiger 36 as the quarter ended.
Second Quarter
After two short gains, Malone passed to Vale for a first down on the 24. Bob Khoenle dropped Malone for a five-yard loss. Malone passed deep and Boone intercepted on the 12 after Traylor tipped the ball. Francisco went up the middle on a trap for 88 yards and a TD. Boone’s kick was wide.
19-0
Elder returned the kickoff to the 35. Geiser threw Malone for a four-yard loss. A pass picked up four yards, but the next pass was snared by Boone, his second interception, and returned to the Tiger 37. Misere passed 64 yards to Williams for a touchdown, but the Tigers were offsides. Two passes were incomplete and Nussbaum made five before Traylor punted to Vale, downed by Khoenle on his 38.

Bachman got seven around end, Vale made a first down on the 48, Malone passed to Bachman for eight and Bachman got his first down on the Tiger 40. A fourth down pass was caught by Boyle for a first down on Massillon’s 24, a gain of 12 yards. John Climo knocked down an end zone pass and Malone dropped a sure TD toss from Bachman. John Tasseff spilled Bachman for a loss back to the 33 and the Tigers took over.
Williams dropped a long pass and another was incomplete. Nussbaum got a first down on the Elder 49, an 18-yard advance. Misere lost three on an attempted pass, but Nussbaum got nine on a pitchout.

Misere passed to Khoenle on the Elder 30, but the Tigers were penalized 15 for holding, putting the ball on their own 40. Nussbaum plowed for 10 as the half ended.
Third Quarter
Durbin kicked off to Nussbaum, who returned five to the Tiger 37, Francisco got three, but Nussbaum fumbled a pitchout and Karwick covered the ball on the Tiger 33.

Vale was stopped cold and Nussbaum threw Bachman for a loss of six yards. Malone passed to Boyle for 11 and then to Boyle for five and a first down on the Massillon nine. Vale got six to the three and Frey went to the two. Bachman lost two yards and Malone’s pass was broken up, the Tigers taking over on the six.

Francisco lost one, but Traylor turned left end for six. Traylor gained 14 and a first down on the 25. Nussbaum zoomed for nine up the middle. The Tigers fumbled on the next play but Khoenle recovered on the 45. Two passes were incomplete and Nussbaum gained five before Traylor punted to Malone, downed on the Elder 17.

Elder was held on downs and punted to Traylor who returned 10 yards to the Elder 43. Nussbaum took a pitchout for nine yards, then got three more for a first down on the 31. Quarter ends.
Fourth Quarter
Misere passed to Khoenle for 11 and a first down on the 20. Two end runs by Francisco netted one and four yards. He got four more before Traylor went off left tackle for six and a first down on the Elder five.

Traylor slipped over left tackle for a touchdown. Boone’s kick was good with 9:30 minutes left.
26-0
Elder was held for downs after the kickoff, but the Tigers had too many men on the field on the punt play and the home club had a first down on the 32. Massillon again held and Elder punted to Francisco, who came back to his own 47, a 27-yard return.

Lucas blocked Misere’s pass and Traylor was thrown for a 13-yard loss on a reverse. Khoenle trapped Misere’s pass and Traylor punted high to Boine on the Elder 39.

Roland Miller, intercepted Malone’s pass and came back to the Elder 43. Nussbaum juggled a pitchout, but held it and went all the way for the TD. Boone kicked the point.
33-0
Richter returned the kickoff to the Elder 28. The Tigers held and Bachman punted to Miller on his 39. Tasseff lost three, but Misere threw a 41-yard pass to Khoenle on the Elder 22. Another pass to Khoenle gave Massillon a 15-yard gain and a first down on the seven. Misere’s third pass in a row was intercepted by Massma on the goal line and returned to the 29. Elder ran one play before the game ended.

MASSILLON
ENDS – S. Williams. Khoenle, Crone, Letcavits.
TACKLES – Younkers, Beiser, Rubio, Schram, Gumpp, R. Williams.
GUARDS – Fabianich, Kraus, Clinage, Agnes, Shilling.
CENTERS – Corral, Kimmins.
QUARTERBACK – Misere.
HALFBACKS – Traylor, Francisco, Boone, Climo, Tasseff, Miller, Longshore.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart, Boone.

ELDER
ENDS – Boyle, Junker, Merrill, Aug.
TACKLES – K. Bachman, Fuller, Lucas, Wolf, James, Kelly.
GUARDS – Durbin, Kroth, Bender, S. Bachman.
CENTER – Massa.
QUARTERBACKS – Malone, Richter.
HALFBACKS – M. Bachman, Beck, Vale, Bell.
FULLBACK – Frey.

Massillon 13 6 0 14 33
Elder 0 0 0 0 0

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Traylor 2; Nussbaum 2; Francisco.

Points after touchdown: Massillon – Boone 3 (placekicks).

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1952: Massillon 54, Akron South

11,735 See Tigers Smash Akron South 54-0
Massillon Team Begins Defense Of State Title With Display Of Power

By LUTHER EMERY

One down and nine to go and the road to the state high school football championship is still long and rough. And you are probably still dripping with perspiration from the baking you received in Tiger stadium Friday evening while watching the Washington high school Tigers begin defense of their four-year state title reign by whaling Akron South 54-0.

The Massillon gridders had little difficulty hurdling their first obstacle but nine other teams still remain to be beaten before the rocky path that leads to the state throne can be turned into a glory road.

“We will meet better teams.”

That was the warning Coach Chuck Mather sounded to his jubilant players as they undressed in puddles of perspiration after their first triumph.
* * *

Program Cover

THE TIGERS looked good as they passed and ran through South for eight touchdowns, but South admittedly is down this year and as a result Massillon remains untested. All nine future opponents rank considerably higher than South in ability according to pre-season estimates. Next comes Cincinnati Elder.

Unless your collar is wilted – unless your sweaty clothes lifted some of the paint from the stadium seats, unless you were one of the 11,735 fans, you cannot appreciate this story or the conditions under which the young Massillon gridders played last night.

Coach Mather used 47 players in the game to give his boys as much rest as possible. Coach Gordon Larson of South didn’t have that many on the bench.

But the players emerged from the oven-like temperatures in good condition and even Center Jim Clark, of Akron South could hardly be considered a casualty, even though he suffered a shoulder dislocation. He has had it many times before. Massillon’s team physician snapped it back in and he was ready to continue play.
* * *
COACH MATHER, obviously pleased but desiring that no one get too excited over the defeat of South, said he thought the “boys played pretty good ball.”

And so did most of the fans who were able to see the game through sweated glasses and the perspiration tears.

The Tigers were complete masters of South and could have run up a higher score had Mather not elected to spray the field with substitutes.

The locals came out with a versatile running and passing attack that exploded for eight touchdowns, three on forward passes and five on running plays.
* * *
ANYBODY who had any doubts as to the speed of Lee Nussbaum had them removed when he raced 83 yards for one touchdown, running away from the South secondary. His stride is so long he just doesn’t look like he’s running fast. And there was little Bob Misere, firing the ball 40 yards. South didn’t think he could throw that far and his receivers got behind the Cavaliers’ secondary. That should have been enough to scare a whole row full of visiting scouts who were watching the game from the east side of the field.

Big Jim Geiser played a fine game on the line and Capt. Bob Khoenle backed it up viciously in addition to scoring a touchdown. Sam Williams came into his own on pass receiving, pulling in several including a touchdown toss from Misere in which he gave the South secondary a free ride on his back over the goal line.

And when you are looking for bright spots in the game, don’t overlook a cut back run by Clarence Stewart, who chugged 28 yards for what would have been a T.D. had not Massillon been penalized for a rule infraction. Chug ran around all through the South team. Nobody could find him.

Defensively, the Tigers looked better than they did last year. When the regulars were in the game, they threw up a virtual iron wall against South’s offense, and they put on a couple of goal line stands, shades of last year’s Barberton nightmare in stopping South’s only touchdown bid in the second period. Twice they turned back the Cavaliers after the latter had registered first downs inside the three-yard line.

Otherwise South never threatened, nor even got a look at the Massillon goal line.
* * *
STATISTICALLY the Tigers were superior in every way. They made nine first downs to South’s seven and gained 334 yards from scrimmage to South’s 96. The visitors’ only really long gain was a 65-yard second period pass from Quarterback John Williams to End Bob Spicer that set up the only touchdown threat.

Only once were the Tigers forced to punt.

Mather thought South was better defensively through the middle than last year’s team which was defeated 53-13 by the local eleven. The Tigers had a hard time freeing Halfbacks John Francisco and John Traylor. The latter’s nicest run was the return of an intercepted pass in which he scooted 45 yards down the sidelines for a touchdown.

South fumbles also helped the Tigers to score. The visitors were guilty of eight bobbles and four times Massillon gridders wound up on the ball.

The Tigers scored the first time they got the ball but they had to overcome four, five-yard penalties in the march that began 42 yards from the goal. A quick pass over the line of scrimmage, Misere to Khoenle, produced the first score.

A 46-yard pass, Misere to Williams, in which Sam carried two of the South secondary on his back the last 10 yards produced the second T.D.
* * *
SOUTH practically gave the Tigers their third touchdown. The South punter got a poor pass from center on fourth down that rolled back to the one-yard line where the Tigers took over. A five-yard offside penalty set the locals back temporarily but Traylor eventually went over standing up.

South’s only flurry came in the second period after it had stopped a Tiger touchdown bid on the 10-yard line. Gordon Dokes went 16 yards around end for the visitors’ initial first down. In two more plays, Cavalier runners were thrown back six yards but Williams got away his long pass to Spicer who went all the way to the Tiger 15 before he was hobbled.

Williams skirted his left end for a first down inside the three where the Tigers braced and threw back four thrusts at the line. Then on the next play the Tigers fumbled trying to carry out and Dokes covered for South on the two and one-half yard line. Here the Tigers again braced and threw the visitors back to the 17.

On first down Nussbaum took the ball on a pitchout and running hard and fast went 83 yards to score. The half ended 26-0.
* * *
TRAYLOR’S 42-yard touchdown return of Williams’ pass produced the first points of the second half and the only points of the third period.

A 41-yard pass from Misere to Williams put the ball on the three-yard line and set the stage for an early fourth period score. Nussbaum legged it the rest of the way.

A South fumble covered by Nussbaum on the seven got the locals in position for their second score the fourth period. Stewart went over from four yards out.

Final points of the game were produced by the second team after covering a South fumble on the 31. Stewart ran 28 yards for what appeared to be a touchdown which only resulted in another five-yard penalty against Massillon. The Tigers struck right back, however, and John Mlincek and Homer Floyd lugged the leather to the five where Roy Johnson pitched behind the line to Jim Letcavits for the score.

GOOD START

ENDS – Williams, Khoenle, R. Francisco, Gardner, Crone, Speck, Letcavits, Lentz.
TACKLES – Younkers, Geiser, Woolley, Lopez, Schram, Dean, Gumpp, Rubio, Williams.
GUARDS – Fabianich, Kraus, Yoder, Eaglowski, Clinage, Agnes, Shilling.
CENTERS – Corral, Jones, Allison, Kimmins.
QUARTERBACKS – Misere, Roy Johnson, Frmholtz, Crescenze, Porter.
HALFBACKS – J. Francisco, Traylor, Tasseff, Mlincek, Floyd, Boekel, Longshore, Miller, Climo, Boone.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart, Lorch, Stone.

AKRON SOUTH
ENDS – Beasley, Spicer, Tarr.
TACKLES – Carson, Litz.
GUARDS – Bittle, Markwood.
CENTERS – Clark, Sues.
QUARTERBACKS – Williams, Foster.
HALFBACKS – Vukich, Williams, Jones, Browning.
FULLBACKS – Dokes, Monroe.

Score by periods:
Massillon 13 13 7 21 54

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Khoenle; Nussbaum 2; Stewart; Traylor 2; Lecavits; Williams.

Points after touchdown: Massillon – Boone 6 (placekicks).

Officials
Referee – Rupp, Shaker Heights.
Umpire – McPhee, Poland.
Head Linesman – Less, Youngstown.
Field Judge – Lobach, Akron.

STATISTICS
Mass. South
First downs 9 7
Passes attempted 13 6
Passes completed 5 1
Had passes intercepted 0 1
Yards gained passing 120 65
Yards gained rushing 229 80
Total yards gained 349 145
Yards lost 15 49
Net yards gained 334 96
Times punted 1 2
Average punt (yards) 31 29
Yards punts returned by 0 0
Times kicked off 9 1
Average kickoff (yards) 43 47
Yards kickoffs returned by 21 94
Times fumbled 4 8
Lost ball on fumble 1 4
Times penalized 10 7
Yards penalized 60 45

Bob Khoenle
Massillon vs. McK - Throwback (Large)

1951: Massillon 40, Canton McKinley 0

Tigers Defeat Canton McKinley 40-0
Local Gridders Roll Up Biggest Score In Their Many Years Of Rivalry

By LUTHER EMERY

The dye has been cast.

The ballots will be counted tonight, and Tuesday we will know who will be recognized as the Associated Press state high school football champion for 1951.

The Washington high school Tigers wound up their campaign for the title Saturday afternoon with a convincing 40-0 victory over a hard-hitting young Canton McKinley team which had to be beaten down before it would yield multiple touchdowns to the Tiger crew.

In so doing, the Tiger team:
Won its ninth victory in 10 games this season

Rolled up the highest total made against a Canton McKinley team in the 56-game
series which started back in 1894.

Gave Massillon a 26-25 edge in the series, the first time the Tigers have held the
upper hand in games played with the Bulldogs. Five ended in tie scores.

The victory was Coach Chuck Mather’s fourth in a row over McKinley and left him with the fine record of 37 victories in the 40 games played by the local team since he took over the coaching chores here in 1948. His 1950 team was undefeated. His 1948 and 1949 teams dropped one game the same as this year’s team. Oddly enough all three losses were to fellow members of the Ohio Scholastic conference. The Tigers finished the season tied with Warren for the conference championship.

Whether the Tigers are recognized in the AP poll as champions, as they have been the last three years, will depend on the results of the balloting of sports writers and radio commentators.

The local team led the poll all year until last week when Steubenville, largely on the basis of having beaten Warren, the team that defeated Massillon, was voted into first place, three slim points ahead of the Tigers who dropped to second after squeaking through with a 6-0 victory over hitherto undefeated Barberton.
* * *
SPRINGFIELD, the No. 3 team last week and Hamilton the No. 4 team both finished their seasons with nine victories and a loss each. Springfield barely getting by Mansfield 7-0 Friday evening and Hamilton winning a close decision from Middletown 14-6 Saturday. Steubenville defeated Weirton, W. Va., an out-of-state foe, 41-0, Friday evening.
Those who had worried that McKinley’s new found spirit last week might inspire it to unprecedented heights, capable of scoring an upset, had their fears allayed early in Saturday’s game when it became apparent to everyone of the some 16,000 fans present that the Tigers had too much power for the lighter Bulldogs.

There was no denying the McKinley spirit had its effect, for Canton fans who have followed the Bulldogs all year said they never saw their team hit as hard or as full of pep as it was Saturday afternoon. It was still fighting at the end of the game, when it made its best offensive efforts of the day by twice moving inside the Tiger five-yard line. The Massillon gridders stopped them the first time, and had held them on two plays on the one-yard line the second when the gun ended hostilities for the day.
* * *
THIS DISPLAY of grit, coupled with the enthusiasm generated by students for a team that had previously won but two games out of nine, was a credit to McKinley high.

The Tigers had too much of everything for the Bulldogs as reflected in the statistics as well as the score.

The locals made 18 first downs to the Bulldogs’ five, and scored 476 net yards from scrimmage to McKinley’s 92. Only in passing were the locals stymied. They completed but one toss in 12 attempts while McKinley completed one in three.

Better receiving would have helped the Tiger pass offense, but on the other hand had the team stuck to the ground, it might have scored more touchdowns, for in every series in which the Tigers lost the ball, an incompleted pass or penalty appears.

Even so, the Massillon gridders might easily have won by two more touchdowns in addition to the points scored. They lost one when a pass was dropped in the end zone with no McKinley player in sight and another when a fine 32-yard punt return for a touchdown by John Traylor was nullified by a clipping penalty.
* * *
THE TIGERS scored the first time they came in possession of the ball. Bob Grier, going over from 10 yards out after a drive of 72 yards.

The half was within two plays of completion before they could score again. Grier running 34 yards to the 11 from which point Henry Grooms, went over for the score.

That started a string of five consecutive touchdowns which would have been stretched to six had not clipping been called on a T.D. punt return.

The Massillon offense really rolled in the third period when the locals looked like the steamrollers of old as they scored the first three times they came into possession of the ball; Grooms running 44 yards for one; Grier going 11 for another; and Tom Straughn 16 for the third.

Then came the fourth quarter and the Tigers continued their onslaught again scoring when they got the leather, Bobby Joe Johnson running 37 yards on the slickest dash of the day.
* * *
THE LOCAL team would have made it five T.D.’s in a row had clipping not been called on John Climo on Traylor’s punt return. The 15-yard penalty followed by Willard Grimsley’s pass interception got the Tigers into a hole form which they were unable to crawl out the rest of the game. Grimsley got clear back to the Massillon 21 before he was tackled and the Bulldogs successfully used a reverse to get a first down on the eight. A five-yard penalty on Massillon for delay of the game gave McKinley a first down on the three but it couldn’t penetrate pay dirt in four downs and surrendered the ball.

The Tigers got partially off the spot but lost the ball on their own 29 when they decided to complete the game without punting and failed to make three yards on fourth down.

The Bulldogs tried another reverse. Got as far as first down on the one-yard line, ran two plays, couldn’t get over and then the gun sounded.

The two goal line stands were shades of the goal-line defenses thrown up against Barberton the previous week when the Tigers successfully protected a 6-0 lead.

Coach Mather did not spare the horses for his final game of the season. He gave 35 players a taste of competition including 22 seniors who were wearing the orange and black of Massillon for the last time.
* * *
WHILE the gridiron was in better condition than most folks had expected to find it, the footing was slippery and there were many soft spots. Tiger players wore their long spikes which reduced slipping but also cut down on a gridder’s speed. The last period was played in a snow flurry so intensive that at times the players were barely visible from the press box.

We thought the officials had pulled a boner in the fourth quarter and had given McKinley five downs instead of four. However, after talking with them after the game we found the boner was on Chuck Vliet, Tiger co-captain, who took a five-yard penalty in preference to a down after a Bulldog had been thrown for a five-yard loss. In the heat of the game Chuck became a bit confused. The referee did not step off the five yards since the penalty would have placed the ball exactly where the McKinley player had been tackled. As a result everyone was confused – PA announcer included.

There was no particular celebration in the Tiger dressing room after the game. The boys appeared more concerned as to whether the score would get them any more votes in the football poll, but Coach Chuck Mather was quick to tell them that regardless of how the poll went, he personally considered them the top team in Ohio.
* * *
CANTON’S HOPES were given a shot in the arm at the very start of the game when Goodrich returned Grooms; opening kickoff 38 yards to his 47 before he was brought down to earth.

McKinley might have driven to a first down on its first series had an offside penalty not set the Bulldogs back and forced them to punt the ball rolling dead on the Tiger 28.

The Massillon team immediately launched its first touchdown drive.
Grooms carried on the first three plays and hit for two first downs on the 39 and 50. Grier hit for six and Grooms overcame a five-yard penalty to carry the ball to a first down on the Canton 39. The Tigers’ only completed pass, Paul Francisco to Dave Gable, advanced the ball another 18 to the 21. Grier and Straughn hit for a first on the 10 and Grier ripped through right tackle for the last 10 yards. Grooms kicked the extra point and it was 7-0.
* * *
THE NEXT TIME the Tigers got the ball they moved from their own 44 to the six but a clipping penalty set them back 15.

They would have made it up had Bruce Brenner, playing with a sprained ankle, been able to hold Francisco’s pass in the end zone. The ball hit him on the chest and bounced off and the Tigers forfeited on downs. To spectators it looked like an easy catch, but old football players will tell you it is one of the most difficult.

Willie Keen got the locals the ball shortly thereafter when he covered a McKinley fumble on the Bulldog 40. The Tiger wasted two downs on incomplete passes in this series and lost the ball on downs.

A five-yard penalty stopped the Tigers on their next attempt and again they forfeited the ball on downs to McKinley. They forced the Bulldogs to punt, blocked it and got the ball on the Canton 37. Again a five-yard penalty helped stop the locals causing them to lose the ball on downs.
* * *
THE SECOND period was practically over before they could get the leather again, and lost no time going the distance. They started from their 44, as Grier on first down ran to the McKinley 11, and Grooms negotiated the rest of the distance through left tackle. McKinley only had time to run one play after the kickoff.

The Bulldogs kicked to the Tigers to start the second half, Vliet being downed with the ball on his 32. Grooms rolled to his 45, Straughn carried twice for gains of two and four yards and Grier made it another first down on the Canton 44. Grooms broke through the line for a 44-yard run for the touchdown.

Holding Canton after the kickoff, Traylor was downed with Ramsayer’s punt without return. Grooms went around his left end for 26 yards and a first on the Canton 36. Straughn hit for three and Grooms for six before Grier wheeled his way through for 16 and a first down on the Bulldog 11. He went around right end on the next play for six points. Grooms missed his first kick of the game after the touchdown but the Bulldogs were offside and he made good on the second chance.

A 15-yard penalty on McKinley for roughing on the try for point, put the Bulldogs in the hole on the following kickoff and they only got out to the 10. Traylor returned Ramsayer’s punt nine yards to the Bulldog 42 and the Tigers were in motion again. Straughn hit for six, Grier for four and a first down on the 32. It was Grooms for three and one, Grier four and Grooms a first down on the 17. Grier made a yard, and Straughn the last 16 on a pretty run.

Joe Sapia gave the Tigers their next scoring opportunity when he hopped on a Canton fumble on the Bulldog 39 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Bob Johnson and Francisco moved the ball up seven yards but it came back to the 37 on a five-yard penalty which nullified a first down by Grooms. Bobby Joe cut loose, however, dashed through a hole, wheeled to the left and outraced everyone for the touchdown which proved to be the Tigers’ last.

The local team came out of the game in good condition with the exception of Dave Gable, who sustained a shoulder separation early in the contest. He was treated at the Massillon city hospital.

The line-up and summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS – Keen, Shilling, Gable, Brenner, Sweasey, Climo, Tasseff.
TACKLES – Geiser, Rubio, Gibson, Strobel, Takacs, Kraus, Younkers.
GUARDS – Sapia, Stewart, Tunning, Grunder, Snyder, Moyer.
CENTERS – Fabian, Roderick.
QUARTERBACKS – P. Francisco, Dommer. R. Johnson.
HALFBACKS – Longshore, Khoenle, Traylor, Grier, Straughn, Williams, Nussbaum, Bob Johnson.
FULLBACKS – Grooms, Vliet.

McKINLEY
ENDS – Gelal, Sheeler, Carter.
TACKLES – Barber, Ruble, Baren, Cole, Posey.
GUARDS – Fach, Umbles, Wilds.
CENTERS – Noel, Chezzi, Edwards.
QUARTERBACKS – Ramsayer, Albert.
HALFBACKS – Goodrich, Howard, Good.
FULLBACKS – Burke, DeYarman, Bedmarczyk.

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 7 20 6 40

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Grooms 2; Grier 2; Straughn; Bob Johnson.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Grooms 4 (placekicks).

Officials
Referee – Rupp.
Umpire – Tobin.
Field Judge – Smith

STATISTICS
Mass. Canton
First downs 18 5
Passes attempted 12 3
Passes completed 1 1
Had passes intercepted 1 0
Yards gained passing 18 3
Yards gained rushing 461 129
Total yards gained 479 132
Yards lost 3 40
Net yards gained 476 92
Times kicked off 7 1
Average kickoff (yards) 42 30
Yards kickoffs returned by 2 98
Times punted 0 8
Had punts blocked 0 1
Average punt (yards) 0 25
Yards punts returned by 18 0
Times fumbled 2 3
Lost ball on fumbles 0 2
Times penalized 7 3
Yards penalized 55 21

Individual Massillon
Player Times Yards Yards Net
Carried Gained Lost Gained
Paul Francisco 1 3 0 3
Bob Grier 19 111 3 108
Tom Straughn 12 65 0 65
Henry Grooms 20 215 0 215
Lee Nussbaum 4 26 0 26
Bob Johnson 2 41 0 41

Individual McKinley
George Ramsayer 2 0 15 -15
John Goodrich 12 60 0 60
Otis Howard 12 40 23 17
Pat Burke 12 29 2 27

Ace Grooms
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1951: Massillon 6, Barberton 0

Defense Stops Barberton As Tigers Win 6-0
Great Goal Line Stands Thwart Five Magic Bids Inside Five-Yard Line

By LUTHER EMERY

The Washington high school Tigers gave Barberton a lesson in goal line defense Friday evening and only for that reason are they still a leading contender today for the Ohio high school football championship.

Seldom has a team won a ball game that has been whipped so badly in the middle of the field. The Tigers were the victors 6-0, and the touchdown represents their only threat of the evening. On only one other occasion were they ever in Barberton territory, that coming on the first play of the game, when Gene Kapish fumbled the initial kickoff and the Tigers covered on the 33. But the local gridders gave it back to Barberton on a fumble on the very next play and, save for their touchdown drive, were shut up in their own back yard for most of the remainder of the game.

Program Cover

Barberton on the other hand was knocking – knocking – knocking all night at the Tiger goal. Five times the Magics were inside the five-yard line, only to lose the ball. The Tigers stopped them on four occasions, the timekeeper’s first half gun on the fifth. Once they were over the goal, but a five-yard penalty for backfield in motion ruined the bid.
* * *
NEVER HAVE we seen so many scoring thrusts turned back in one game. Two were stopped after the Magics had made first downs on the two-yard line, another was turned back after a first down on the four, and another ended inches short of the goal after a first down on the nine.

The heroic goal line stands of the Tigers were hardly understandable considering the way the same players yielded ground in the middle of the field. Their gallantry was the opposite of the offensive showing of the local team which was beaten at every turn save for the one touchdown effort. The difference was that the Tigers had sufficient punch to push over the score, while Barberton, lacking men fast enough to go to the outside had to rely on inside plays and didn’t have t he power inside the shadow of its goal when it faced an eight-man line with a secondary virtually piled in on top of it.

The Tigers’ winning touchdown drive began with the interception of a Barberton pass by Bob Khoenle in midfield and raced back to the Magics’ 22 before they caught him.

Ace Grooms, who had offense trouble all evening, got two yards at left tackle and Lee Nussbaum rammed the same spot for five. Bob Grier missed a first down by a yard but Nussbaum got it by inches on the 11 when he hit off tackle again.
* * *
IT WAS Bobby Grier’s turn to lug the leather. He was sent through right tackle on two consecutive plays. The first time he hit for two, the second for nine and a touchdown. He went over with room to spare. Grooms’ attempted kick for the extra point was low of the cross bar.

That’s the ball game as far as the scoring goes, but there’s a lot more to the story of how the Tigers eventually beat the Magics at their own specialty – defense.

It was Barberton’s first loss of the season. The Magics had previously beaten eight
teams – none by impressive scores, but the eleven was appraised after the game by its coach. Junie Ferrall, as “the most underrated team in Ohio.”
* * *
KEENLY disappointed over the loss, Ferrall said the Barberton team was one that would not roll up a score on opponents. “The boys would get a couple of touchdowns and be satisfied with the score. They liked to play football so well, they didn’t want anybody taking their places in the lineup, so they just kept the score down themselves, so I wouldn’t substitute,” he said.

Ferrall and his team had their eyes set on winning the game and with it the Ohio high school championship. They came so close several times, but missed out by inches. They had pointed for the contest all season. It was the last game, the big game on their schedule and they wound up their final week of practice by eating and sleeping football together and rehearsing in secrecy.

They had scouted the Tigers thoroughly all season and we learned that they had also been given some tips on how to stop Massillon by another rival.

They succeeded so well that they beat the Tigers in every department of the statistics except points and loss of the ball on fumbles.
* * *
THE MAGICS ran up 15 first downs to the local team’s five, and gained 262 net yards to the Tigers’ 104. They completed 11 of 23 passes to the local team’s one pass in six attempts. But the Tigers scored the six points on the scoreboard despite giving the ball away four times on fumbles while Barberton had two muffs covered by Massillon.

The visitors had Ace Grooms, the local team’s leading ground gainer, stopped most of the evening. None of the other backs had any better success.

Coach Chuck Mather visibly worn and pale after the game paid respects to the goal line stands made by his team, but said he was disappointed with its offensive showing. He had expected it to do better.

So had most fans, who should share the blame for the near tie or loss because of their complacent attitude this fall. The general pep and spirit that has helped build championships in this city has been lacking this season, possibly brought on by the fact that the collapse of Canton McKinley has taken away the climatic touch of a goal to shoot for in the crucial finals of the year.
* * *
COACHES have found it difficult to fire their Tiger team for 48 minutes of solid football and it took goal line stands to bring out the best that was in the boys last night.

The first of these came in the opening quarter after Barberton had covered a Massillon fumble on the Tiger 48. With Ed Zalar and Gene Neely driving hard, the Magics hammered the Tiger line until they smashed to a first down on the 16. Here the Tigers took time out, talked it over then braced, finally taking the leather away from the Magics on the nine.

Early in the second period Barberton got the ball on a punt on the Tiger 47.

Running from single wing, the Magics banged and banged at the Massillon line, not for long gains but for three and four at a time, enough to make three consecutive first downs to take the ball to the 13. Here the Tigers stood firm and gave but one yard on three downs, but on fourth, Tom George flicked a pass to Gene Kapish who was tackled as he caught the ball inches short of a first down on the three and one-half-yard line.

The Tigers fumbled on the first play, however and big Bob Carbaugh covered for Barberton on the two. Time was fleeting. The Magics ran two plays with Zalar carrying the ball both times, gained a total of one-half yard and the gun cracked with third down coming up and the pigskin a yard and half short of the Tiger goal.
* * *
ONCE in the third period Barberton got to Massillon’s 20-yard line but here the Tigers took over and stopped the threat.

The fourth period was a nerve tingler all the way, as Barberton always knocking, found the door shut to the Tiger goal.

The Magics’ first effort in the final period followed the covering of a Tiger fumble on the 50. The Magics unleashed a passing attack that had the locals dizzy and wound up with George throwing 12 yards to Bob Newell for a first down on the nine. Zalar took the ball three straight times and was only a foot short of the goal on his third attempt. Neely was given the leather on fourth down and the Tiger line rose up and smote him down.

The Magics didn’t yield yardage to the Tigers who had to punt out to their 33. George again began throwing. One found the arms of Neely for nine yards. Two more were broken up, and just when it appeared the Tigers had the series stopped, interference was called on a fourth down pass on the two-yard line. Paul Walker, field judge, said a Massillon player had shoved the intended receiver on the back.
* * *
THE HARRIED Tiger team dug in again. Zalar was given the ball. He wound up under a pile without gain. He tried to hammer his way through again but got only a yard. A third straight time Zalar was given the leather. He got half the (REST OF ARTICLE IS MISSING).

TATISTICS
Mass. Barb.
First downs 5 15
Passes attempted 6 23
Passes completed 1 11
Had passes intercepted 0 2
Yards gained passing 9 145
Yards gained rushing 101 130
Total yards gained 110 275
Yards Lost 6 13
Net yards gained 104 262
Times kicked off 2 1
Average kickoffs (yards) 34 49
Yards kickoffs returned by 16 8
Times punted 7 4
Average punt (yards) 39 36
Yards punts returned by 0 47
Times fumbled 4 3
Lost ball on fumble 4 2
Times penalized 2 7
Yards penalized 10 35

Ace Grooms
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1951: Massillon 21, Toledo Waite 0

Tigers Defeat Toledo Waite 21-0 In Snow
Massillon Gridders On Comeback Trail After Hard Earned Victory

By LUTHER EMERY

Toledo Waite and old man winter couldn’t keep the Washington high school Tigers off the comeback trail Friday evening and the local gridders proved themselves a team deserving the top rating in the Associated Press Ohio scholastic football poll, by smashing the Indians 21-0 before eight thousand shivering fans.

Playing in Toledo’s first snowfall of the season, the Massillon gridders held to a scoreless tie the first period, shoved over a touchdown in each of the last three quarters while continuing to keep Waite at least 22 yards away from pay dirt.

It was the Tigers’ seventh victory of the season, but more than that it was proof the local eleven had the necessary courage and strength to bounce back from defeat and start what we hope will be another victory string.
* * *
IT WAS a hard earned victory. The Waite Indians, keyed up for the game and inspired by their best performance of the season a week ago, presented a defensive problem (or problems) for the Tigers. They met the local team with various types of defenses and their strong and heavy line was difficult for the Tiger forward wall to move, particularly on the slippery field.

Offensively, the Indians were no great problem. They had two good ball carriers in Buddy Peacock and Stan Sterger, but they found it difficult to make any great headway on the revamped Tiger defense. “Keep” plays were the Indians’ best weapon, but all of their passing and ball carrying failed to get them closer to the goal than the 22-yard line, and 15 times ball carriers were thrown for losses totaling 64 yards.

Ace Grooms and Tom Straughn were the Tigers’ leading ground gainers. They also scored all of the points; Straughn getting one TD and Grooms two and three extra points from placement.

Grooms rolled to 116 yards and Straughn for 88 while the other backs picked up 45.
* * *
THE CONTEST was one of the hardest fought of the season from a standpoint of tackling by both teams. Tacklers hit ball carriers in waves and it was surprising there were only a few fumbles considering the hard tackling and slippery condition of the ball on the snow covered field.

Fumbles stopped two Tiger advances as the ball was muffed into the hands of Waite players, while the Indians managed to recover their own bobbles.

The Tigers, on the other hand, intercepted two Waite passes to make up for the muffs.

The passes were intercepted by Bob Khoenle and one was as clever a theft as you will see for a long time, as Bob jumped high to tip the ball with one hand into the other.

The Massillon gridders sought to open up the Toledo defense with forward passes in order to make their running attack more potent. They were successful in the second and third periods, but Waite ganged up on passer Paul Francisco in the fourth and tossed him for repeated losses. The locals were pushed back a total of 56 yards.
* * *
WINNING THE TOSS, the Tigers started off as though they meant business when Grooms returned the kickoff from the goal line to his own 48. They got down to the 27 principally through a 19-yard pass from Paul Francisco to Bill Gable, but there the attack fizzled and Waite took over. Neither team threatened the rest of the period though the Tigers made a good defensive stand toward the close of the quarter after the Indians recovered a Massillon fumble on the latter’s 33. Four downs produced only one yard and the Tigers took over on their 32.

Chuck Vliet has the better of an exchange of punts as he bounced the ball over the Waite safety man’s head to the 12-yard line. Sterger was thrown for a 10-yard loss when he tried to circle his left end and Sam Williams punted out from behind his goal to midfield.

Paul Francisco found Bruce Brenner, in the open and hit him with a perfect pass for a first down on the four yard line. The Indians stopped John Francisco, but Straughn knifed his way through for the score and Grooms kicked the extra point with only three minutes of the half left to play.

Waite made its best bid at the start of the third period when the Indians using a draw, a keep play and a jump pass got down to a first down on the Tiger 31. Four downs netted only nine yards, however, and the Tigers stopped the threat on their 22.
* * *
AN INTERCEPTED pass by Khoenle gained the locals the ball on the Waite 27, but with fourth down and three to go for a first down, Straughn fumbled on an end sweep and Waite covered for a loss of eight yards.

The period was two-thirds over when the Tigers got the ball on a punt on their own 44. Paul Francisco pitched to Bruce Brenner for nine yards. John Francisco barely made a first down on the Waite 46. Grooms ran to a first down on the 27 and went the rest of the distance into the end zone a pitchout. He kicked the extra point and the Tigers led 14-0.

The Tigers went half the distance of the field in the fourth quarter for their third and final touchdown. Straughn ground out 15 and Grooms 12 to put the ball on the 27. Straughn and Grooms gained three yards but Francisco was nailed for a 13-yard loss trying to pass. Lee Nussbaum pulled them out of a hole by driving hard on a statue of liberty for a first down on the 17. Grier and Nussbaum moved the ball forward four yards. Grooms went the last 13 around right end for the touchdown and then kicked the 21st point.

The Tigers almost got another TD in the closing minutes of the game when Francisco tossed a screen pass to Grooms who ran to the 27-yard line before being caught by the Waite safety man.
* * *
SNOW handicapped both teams to a certain degree.

Oddly enough it did not begin snowing in Toledo until late in the afternoon. When the Massillon team arrived early in the afternoon the sun was trying to get through the clouds. Not a drop of rain nor flake of snow had fallen up to that time. But late in the afternoon the snow appeared, fanned by an icy wind and the temperature skidded downward until it hit a low of 16 during the night.

The Tiger defense looked better than it has at any time this season. Several offensive players doubled on defense, with Jack Strobel, right offensive tackle, playing the slot on defense, Brenner holding down an end, Frank Gibson a tackle, Grooms backing up the line and Grier playing safety on the first three downs of a series, and then exchanging with Khoenle.

The victory gave the Tigers a tie for first place with Warren in the Ohio Scholastic conference with three wins and a loss. It was the first conference loss for Waite which had won its two previous games.

The Tigers emerged from the game in good condition and remained in Toledo all night. Today they continued to Columbus where they will witness the Ohio State university-Northwestern game.

MASSILLON
ENDS – Gable, Brenner, Keene, Tasseff, Corbett, Shilling.
TACKLES – Gibson, Strobel, Geiser, Kraus.
GUARDS – Tunning, Grunder, Climo, Snyder, Stewart.
CENTER – Roderick.
QUARTERBACKS – P. Francisco, Dommer.
HALFBACKS – Grier, Straughn, J. Francisco, Traylor, Khoenle, Nussbaum.
FULLBACKS – Grooms, Vliet.

WAITE
ENDS – Galuzny, Helmke.
TACKLES – Pocse, Thomas, Williams,
GUARDS – Davis, Cummings.
CENTERS – Weinbrenner.
QUARTERBACK – Giroux.
HALFBACKS – Zunk, Peacock.
FULLBACK – Sterger.

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 7 7 7 21

Touchdowns: Massillon – Straughn; Grooms 2.

Points after touchdown: Massillon – Grooms 3 (placekicks).

Officials
Referee – Tony Pianowski.
Umpire – George Donges.
Head Linesman – Skibble.
Field Judge – Wisecup.

STATISTICS
Mass. Waite
First downs 9 8
Passes attempted 10 8
Passes completed 4 3
Had passes intercepted 0 2
Yards gained passing 98 21
Yards gained rushing 241 165
Total yards gained 339 186
Yards lost 56 64
Net yards gained 283 122
Times kicked off 4 1
Average kickoff (yards) 35 55
Yards kickoffs returned by 43 31
Times punted 6 7
Average punt (yards) 33 36
Yards punts returned by 22 11
Fumbles 3 2
Lost ball on fumbles 1 0
Times penalized 1 3
Yards penalized 5 35

Ace Grooms

 

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1951: Massillon 13, Warren Harding 19

Fighting Warren Team Defeats Tigers 19-13
20-Game Victory Streak Snapped By Panthers In Battle Before 12,000

By LUTHER EMERY

The invincible Washington high school football team is no longer invincible.

The Tigers, winners of 20 consecutive games were defeated 19-13 by a deserving Warren team Friday evening before a crowd of 12,000 fans who packed every inch of Warren stadium.

All good things come to an end and so did the Tigers’ long victory streak which began back in the middle of 1949 when Mansfield upset the local team in Tiger stadium.

There was nothing lucky about the Warren victory. As Coach Chuck Mather said after the game, “We were beaten by a team tonight that plays better ball than we did.”
* * *
THE STATISTICS of the game bear out the statement for Warren gained more first downs, made more yardage on the ground and in the air, out-punted and out-kicked the Tigers.

The Panthers were high for the game. Rattling with an eagerness that sensed victory the longer the game progressed, they played a hard game. They were good enough to convert three breaks that came their way into touchdowns and were strong enough offensively to hold the ball a goodly portion of the game.

When you can’t get the ball, you can’t score touchdowns – and that was the Tigers ‘chief difficulty.

The Warren running attack built around Fullback Dave Rogers, the hardest running leather lugger the Tigers have faced this season rolled up 303 yards on the local team to retain possession of the pigskin for long periods at a time. Considering this fact and that of the Tigers losing the ball four times on fumbles and again on an intercepted pass, you can well understand how the locals had a hard time getting anywhere with the ball. In fact they ran but four-plays from scrimmage the first quarter; lost the ball on a fumble on one and had a pass intercepted on another.
* * *
THE TIGERS found it difficult to cope with the Warren offense, and all types of defenses were used in a vain effort to check the Panthers.
Warren scored first on a forward pass, after the Tigers had given it the ball on a fumble. Then the Panthers intercepted a Massillon pass, and staged a drive that consumed all of seven minutes in going the length of the field for a touchdown.

The Tigers proved themselves a great ball team in the second period when they marched to two touchdowns and tied the score at 13-13.

That took courage and there were signs of Warren fading when the locals ripped to a first down after taking the kickoff at the start of the second half. But the Panthers covered a Massillon fumble, on the second play from scrimmage and shoved over their third touchdown, which proved to be the winning points.

The Tigers made on great effort after that to tie the score and carried the ball to the
four-yard line where with fourth down and a foot to go they tried an end run with Bobby Grier carrying the ball and were shoved out of bounds short of the required yardage. The chances of at least a tie or a possible victory went glimmering on that play.

An analysis of the Warren victory tends to show that the Panthers were better coordinated than the Tigers last night. Just when the locals seemed in the midst of an offensive maneuver they were set back with penalties, principally for offside, largely because of their own eagerness to win. Two clipping penalties and the rare calling of interference on the offensive team on a forward pass also helped to stymie the locals on two marches.
* * *
WARREN had its share of bad breaks too, losing the ball three times on fumbles and dropping a forward pass in the end zone at the end of the first half which would have been another touchdown.

Offensively, the game for the most part resolved itself into a duel between Rogers and Ace Grooms, Tiger back. Rogers had the better of the advantage in total yards, but Grooms’ the higher average per try. Rogers carried 27 times and gained 162 net yards while Grooms carried 18 times and gained 121 net yards.

The Warren ball toter was a hard runner who bulled his way through tacklers and rarely did one Massillon player bring him down. Usually it required two and three.

The Panthers scored quickly. They received the kickoff and got to the Massillon 45, where they lost the ball on downs. Ace Grooms, got a first down on the play but the Tigers were offside and were penalized. On the next play Grier fumbled and John Krafcik covered for Warren on the Tiger 37. Bill Reed and Rogers made it a first down on the 25 and Don Seem threw a touchdown pass to Roger Bryant. Only three minutes of the game had expired. Pesanelli’s foot made the score 7-0.
* * *
THE TIGERS took the kickoff and in two plays were on the Warren 41, but Reed intercepted Grooms’ long pass on the goal line and got back to the 33 before being downed.

The interception set Warren in motion again and Rogers was unstoppable as he tore off yard after yard. Once he ran 22 yards to the Tigers’ 20 but a five-yard penalty nullified the effort. He came right back to rip and plow, however, and soon was again digging his feet into pay dirt. The ball was driven to the seven-yard line where Rogers circled end for the touchdown. The attempt for the extra point was blocked and Warren led 13-0.

The Tigers proved themselves a great team after the following kickoff when they started from their 25 and drove the length of the field. They had to overcome two penalties en route. Once Grooms had a first down on his 35 but a penalty put the locals back on the 23. Grier made up for it by running to his 48. The Tigers moved on to a first down on the Warren 38 but another five-yard penalty sent them back over the middle of the field. Grooms and Grier took the leather to another first down on the Warren 41. From this point Paul Francisco fired a pretty pass to Bruce Brenner who took it over his shoulder while running hard and crossed the Warren goal. Grooms kicked the extra point and the Tigers trailed 13-7.
* * *
WARREN came right back with the kickoff and advanced the ball with Rogers again doing most of the lugging to the Massillon 39. Bob Kraus popped on a fumbled lateral from Seem to Rogers and gained the leather for the Tigers on the 35. Little Johnny Francisco was the hero of this march as he ran 19 yards to the 11, and then scored on a seven-yard run around his left end. Warren blocked Groom’s attempted placekick for the extra point and the score was tied at 13-13.

On one of the rare occasions, the Tigers stopped Warren after the kickoff and forced the Panthers to punt. Bob Khoenle fumbled the ball when he was tackled just as he caught the pigskin and Warren recovered with 45 seconds of the half remaining. Seem hurled a pretty fourth down pass to Rogers who had the ball first on his finger tips then lunged at it again as it rolled off, and barely missed catching the leather in the end zone.

Press box chatter between halves was to the effect that if Massillon could march the kickoff at the start of the third period to a touchdown, it would win the game. Grooms got back with the ball to the 25 where he was tackled viciously. He plunged for seven and Grier had what would have been a first down save for a fumble that Warren covered on the 35. Rogers in two plays was on the Tiger 15. Here a five-yard penalty on Massillon for delay of the game put the ball on the 10-yard line first down and five to go. Rogers went to the three on the first play, and circled left end untouched for the touchdown on the next. The Tigers blocked the kick – and few thought the 19-13 score would stand up the rest of the way.

But it did. The Tigers got the kickoff and John Francisco was downed with it on his 17. Grooms made it 16 yards and a first on the 33, and picked up eight more on another sweep but a 15-yard penalty stopped the threat and the Tigers were forced to punt. Three plays later the Tigers had their big opportunity when they covered Seem’s fumble on the Warren 25. Grooms made six and John Francisco went to the 13. Grooms in three plays gained nine and one-half yards. It was fourth down on the four and Grier was sent around right end. Warren anticipated a right end sweep and got massed for the play driving Bobby out of bounds for a two-yard loss and took over the ball.
* * *
ROGERS carried out of the hole for Warren as play entered the fourth period with the ball on the Massillon 39. The Panthers got down to the 20 where on fourth down Grier knocked down a pass in the end zone intended for Bryant.

The Tigers carried all the way back to the 33, but a 15-yard clipping penalty set them back. Francisco then tried a long pass to Bruce Brenner but the official charged offensive interference claiming the Massillon receiver pushed the Warren defender, and as a result the locals drew another 15 yards, plus loss of the down. A five-yard penalty for delaying the game shoved the Tigers back another five, forcing Vliet by this time to punt.

He got off a good one to the nine-yard line. Warren got up to its own 28 where Seem fumbled and John Traylor covered to give the Tigers their last chance. John Francisco made a yard at left end. A pass into the end zone rolled off Brenner’s finger tips. Grooms was thrown for a loss on a right end sweep and a pass to Brenner on fourth down failed to gain enough yardage.

Warren had the game by this time. Rogers kept the Panthers in possession by ripping through the Tigers at will for first downs on the 38, the 47 and Massillon’s 35 and the game ended with the Panthers holding the pigskin.

While the loss was a disappointment, it did not necessarily knock the Tigers out of the state championship race, but it will scramble the voting, with the scribes the judges and plenty of them now getting in a lick for their favorite team in the Associated Press poll.

Warren has lost two games to Collinwood and Mansfield, and has an easy game with Erie Academy which hasn’t won a game, next week, before taking on Steubenville, one of the state’s best, in two weeks.

The triumph was Warren’s first over Massillon since 1947. The Tigers won the last three years.

The line-up and summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS – Keen, Sweasey, Brenner, Gable, Shilling.
TACKLES – Geiser, Chapman, Gibson, Strobel.
GUARDS – Kraus, Sapia, Tunning, Grunder, Snyder.
CENTERS – Stewart, Roderick, Climo, Fabianich.
QUARTERBACKS – Traylor. P. Francisco, Dommer.
HALFBACKS – Williams, Khoenle, Grier, J. Francisco, Nussbaum, Johnson.
FULLBACKS – Vliet, Grooms.

WARREN
ENDS – Bryant, Vair, Martin, Buxton.
TACKLES – Nicula, Marco, Louma.
GUARDS – Simone, Krafcik, Brangham, Yenchocik.
CENTERS – Groff, Preston, Principi.
QUARTERBACK – Seem.
HALFBACKS – Reed, Williams, Merolla, Leigh, Gear, Venetta.
FULLBACKS – Rogers, Pesanelli, White.

Score by periods:
Warren 7 6 6 0 19
Massillon 0 13 0 0 13

STATISTICS
Warren Mass.
First downs 17 10
Passes attempted 6 7
Passes completed 3 3
Had Passes intercepted 0 2
Yards gained passing 75 45
Yards gained rushing 303 225
Total yards gained 378 270
Yards lost 10 12
Net yards gained 368 258
Times kicked off 4 3
Average kickoff (yards) 54 37
Yards kickoffs returned 53 73
Times punted 1 2
Average punt (yards) 45 41
Yards punts returned 4 0
Fumbles 5 5
Lost ball on fumbles 3 4
Yards penalized 55 76

Ace Grooms
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo

1951: Massillon 54, Mansfield 0

Tigers In High Gear Defeat Mansfield 54-0
Defense Shares Honors With Offense As Local Team Wins 20th In Row

By LUTHER EMERY

It had to come!

The Washington high school offense which has sputtered frequently this fall, rolled into high gear Friday evening in Tiger stadium before 16,127 fans and crushed the challenge of Mansfield high 54-0.

It was the Tigers’ sixth straight triumph of the season, their 20th victory in a row and their 13th in the 16-game series with Mansfield that began in 1936. Two games in the series ended in tie scores and Mansfield won once.

It was the first time this season that the Tigers revealed their potential strength. They spit the bit from their mouths and unbridled by a flock of substitutions, ran almost as they pleased against the visiting Richland county team.

Their defense was on a par with the offense and maybe more so, for it was the vicious tackling of members of the defensive platoon, that caused Mansfield backs to fumble the ball that set the Tigers off to their first three touchdown marches.

It was a big night for the defensive platoon, which gave a far better performance than at any time this season.

The backs were running too, with Bobby Grier coming into his own for the first time this season and playing the kind of game that had been expected of him. He scored three of the Tigers’ touchdown. Bruce Brenner, who is rapidly developing into one of the best ends turned out at Washington high, snared three touchdown passes, and Ace Grooms scored two on long runs.

Whatever hopes Mansfield had of winning last night’s game were crushed under the drive of the Massillon linemen who limited Mansfield to 56 net yards from scrimmage on the ground and 117 through the air.

The visitors tried to pass their way to victory, but did not have the kind of attack unleashed by Alliance last week and likewise faced a better Massillon defense. Bob Khoenle, back at the halfback, made a couple of interceptions, batted down several others, and the boys on the line continually tormented the Mansfield passer.
* * *
IN SCORING 54 points, the Tigers gained more ground than at anytime this year and their net total was among the highest in years. They gained 165 yards by passing and 405 carrying the ball for a total of 570 yards gained. Deducting 33 yards lost from scrimmage left them with a net of 537 for the evening. And that’s over a quarter of a mile.

With Mansfield’s 5,000 fans providing the first air of rivalry in the stadium this season, a tension gripped the stands the first period and a half of the game. By the time the Tigers had scored their third touchdown, however, it was evident that Mansfield was in for a bad evening and that victory for the visiting team was out of the question. Fans by half-time were asking themselves how big would the score be. The answer was “double,” for the local team scored 27 points in each half.

Mansfield lost the ball four times on fumbles, had two passes intercepted and handed the leather over to the Tigers on a couple of other occasions when it was unable to pick up the necessary yardage on fourth down. You can’t give the ball away that many times without losing the game.

While the Tigers asserted their superiority early in the game they were unable to score until near the end of the first period. The winning touchdown followed an earlier frustration when Mansfield’s defense rose to the occasion to stop a Massillon drive that had reached the 10.
* * *
JOHNNY TRAYLOR covered a Mansfield fumble on his own 47 to touch off the works. In their march goalward the Tigers had to overcome a five-yard penalty for delay of the game. Aided by a fancy jump pass from Paul Francisco to Dave Gable and some good runs by Grooms and Tom Straughn, they got the ball to the three where Grier took it over for the six points.

Before the quarter was over, Grier was on the spot to gather in another fumble on the Mansfield 46. Francisco hurled a 35-yard beauty to Brenner for a first down on the 11 and on the first play of the second period, Grooms went for a touchdown with Frank Gibson throwing the key block.

The third Massillon touchdown came the next time the Tigers got their hands on the ball. It was Traylor who got the pigskin for them by covering a Mansfield fumble on the Tygers’ 41-yard line. That set the stage for Francisco to shoot the works to Brenner and he did it with a 41-yard toss.

Bobby Grier provided the spark for the fourth touchdown and what a pretty run it was down the sidelines as he threw off four tacklers, then came to the fore where Grooms tossed in a bock that set him free for the last few of the 35 yards traveled.

Those who attached the luck of the breaks to the Tigers’ first half touchdowns, had a rude awakening after intermission when the local eleven went to work with a methodical offense that ground up yards and chewed turf until it had gone 80 yards for a touchdown, overcoming a 15-yard penalty for clipping enroute. Tommy Straughn and Greier did most of the ground gaining until the Tigers reached the visitors’ 30. They were then within gunshot of the goal and Francisco fired a bulls-eye to Brenner for the six points.
* * *
THE TIGERS had to score two touchdowns to get one before they could get credit for another six points. It came late in the third period when Khoenle snared a Mansfield pass and went 60 yards for a T.D. that was not allowed because of a quick whistle off his 49. The bugle blew when it appeared that he would be stopped, but he burst right out of the arms of two Mansfield tacklers and continued on his way. On the scoreboard it made no difference except that the six points were credited to Grooms who on the next play galloped 51 yards to score. The third period expired while he was on his way.

The Tigers scored the next time they got the ball and on the first play at that when Francsico rifled the leather to Brenner for 52 yards.

The locals likewise had to score twice to get their last touchdown of the game. Bobby Grier went 62 yards for the first one but a disputed clipping penalty was called which pushed the Tigers back 15 yards. It made no difference as Grooms wheeled end for 54 yards and a first down on the 15. Grier was given the opportunity to take it the rest of the way. He did!

Mansfield never seriously threatened to score. Only a couple of times did the visitors get into Tiger territory and then no nearer than the 35-yard line, until the very end of the game when they got down to the six.
* * *
CHUCK VILET and big Jim Geiser were two of the reasons why Mansfield never got close to the Tiger goal. They were smacking the opposition all night. Bob Kraus likewise got in on some good tackles.

Leading ground gainer was Grooms who carried the ball 13 times and gained a net of 184 yards. Grier gained 85 yards in five trips with the ball and Lee Nussbaum gained a net of 18 in three attempts. Straughn gained a net of 36 in nine carries, a 13-yard loss on a reverse cutting down his average. John Francisco carried nine times and gained 54 yards.

Massillon fans saw the Tigers in a new alignment for the first time last night. Coach Mather experimented with Nussbaum at right halfback. With the latter, Grier and Grooms in the game, he had three 190-pound backs to carry the ball.

The Tigers emerged from the contest in good condition even though the game did get rough in spots.

Joe Sapia was knocked out in the third period but was O.K. at the end of the game. He caught a foot while blocking.

Tonight the sophomores play at Carrollton high school, and the Tiger swing band is going along to help furnish the entertainment.

The line-up and summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS – Tasseff, Keen, Gable, Brenner, Sweasey.
TACKLES – Chapman, Geiser, Bigson, Strobel, Rubio.
GUARDS – Kraus, Climo, Snyder, Tunning, Grunder, Moyer, Sapia.
CENTERS – Roderick, Fabian.
QUARTERBACKS – P. Francisco, Dommer.
HALFBACKS – Khoenle, Traylor, J. Francisco, Straughn, Nussbaum, Grier, Williams, Milneck.
FULLBACKS – Vilet, Grooms, Stewart.

MANSFIELD
ENDS – Luckle, J. Diemer, Truax, Ackerman, Rimblert, Frye, Yoha.
TACKLES – Gouge, Kleer, R. Diemer, Guy, Steele, Ford.
GUARDS – Wilson, Welker, Esbenshade, Eliot.
CENTERS — Yarger, Armstrong.
QUARTERBACKS – Carbetta, Mathews.
HALFBACKS – Shesky, Auer, Glover, Shaluder, Jones, Huber.
FULLBACKS – Brickley, Zeigler, Kline.

Score by periods
Massillon 7 20 14 13 54

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Grier 3; Grooms 2; Brenner 3.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Grooms 6 (plackekicks).

Officials
Referee – Brubaker.
Umpire – Schill.
Head Linesman – Jenkins.
Field Judge – Lobach.

STATISTICS
Mass. Mansf.
First downs 10 10
Passes attempted 12 25
Passes completed 5 10
Had passes intercepted 0 2
Yards gained passing 165 117
Yards gained rushing 405 79
Total yards gained 570 196
Yards lost 33 23
Net yards gained 537 173
Times punted 2 5
Average punt (yards) 36 35
Yards punts returned by 36 6
Times kicked off 9 1
Average kickoff (yards) 39 40
Yards kickoffs returned by 0 95
Times fumbled 2 7
Lost ball on fumbles 1 4
Times penalized 9 3
Yards penalized 115 35

Ace Grooms