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Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1970: Massillon 52, Barberton 0

Tigers maul game Barberton 52-0

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Cliff Wilson sounded as if he were still in the coaching ranks.

“Boy! That score doesn’t tell half the story of the game!” Washington high’s first year principal said as he made his way down the sideline toward an exit.

Massillon’s Tigers mauled Barberton’s inexperienced Magics 52-0 Friday night in a
non-league before 10,120, the season’s smallest crowd at Tiger stadium, but the Ohio’s
No. 1 team knew it had been in a battle. The Orangemen came out with assorted bumps and bruises administered by the hard-hitting Summit Countians who hung on tenaciously although out of the game by halftime.
* * *
IT WAS Massillon’s sixth straight win and third straight shutout – fourth of the season.

The Tigers’ “Attack Pack” has gone 16 consecutive quarters without allowing a
touchdown – 14 without giving up a score. Niles scored a second quarter field goal three weeks ago.

Barberton out-gained the Tigers 97-95 on the ground in the first half, but a 42-0 advantage in the air gave Massillon a 137-97 overall advantage. The Magics led in first downs 8-6.

The Tigers had a clear statistical edge in all departments, except first downs, by the game’s end. The margin here was only 16-14.

Barberton moved the ball about as well as any team has against the Tigers, rolling up 30 more plays. This could be explained in part by the fact that the WHSers scored very quickly each time they got their hands on the ball.

First-year Coach Ron Fenik mixed his plays well, junior quarterback Bob Gleichert dazzled the Tigers with his slight-of-hand and was hard to contain. Senior halfback John Yarsa and junior fullback Ed West appeared to be the most effective runners as the Magics gave the Orangemen some of their own medicine with counter criss-cross and power pitch plays.
* * *
THE ORANGE and Black had trouble getting under way, but really moved after the intermission. The county’s and All-American conference’s leading scorer, tailback Mike Mauger, tallied two touchdowns and two conversions to lead the parade.

Quarterback Dennis Franklin continued to menace the opposition, scoring one touchdown, passing for one and a conversion. Wingback Larry Harper, caught one TD pass and two PAT tosses – one from Mauger.

The Tigers’ new play, which was tried twice successfully, should make the opposition more cautious. Franklin ran well outside a couple of times from another new wrinkle, the power formation.

Mauger, Franklin and Harper each added to possible All-Ohio credentials as did
Co-Captain Tom Cardinal with steady play both ways.

The “Iron Curtain” of Co-Captain Steve Luke, Willie Spencer, Tim Ridgley, Kirk Strobel, Pete Jasinski, Dave Kulik and Steve Studer, provided more good running room.
* * *
THE TIGERS didn’t score until 5:08 of the first quarter. Cardinal powered over tackle for 55 yards after a punt. Franklin tossed to Harper for two more points.

Spencer blocked a punt to give the Tigers’ possession on the Barberton 40-yard line. Eight plays later Franklin boot-legged end from the 10 with 10:17 left in the second stanza. Mauger went off tackle to make it 16-0.

With Cardinal on the sideline nursing a painful, but not serious shoulder injury, Barberton drove 68 yards, after the kickoff, scored a TD on Gleicherts pass to sophomore halfback Rick Lay, but was set back to the 18. On fourth down, junior cornerback Art Thompson intercepted a Gleichert aerial and ran 78 yards for a score, the longest such run in the county this season and the third longest in Tiger history. With 4:48 left, Mauger again blasted over tackle, for a 24-0 count.

With fourth down five, on his 44, a third of the way through the third canto, Gleichert ran from punt formation, but was stopped on the 45. Six plays later Mauger went over tackle from the two on first down, with 6:04 left, for his first TD. He had two chances to kick a PAT, thanks to an offside penalty, but missed both.

Spencer recovered a fumble on the Magics’ 31 shortly after the kickoff. Eight plays after, Mauger just made the end zone over tackle on fourth down from the two. With 45 seconds showing he hit Harper just inside the right end zone corner for two more points.

Barberton punted from the end zone early in the goodbye period and Harper ran back from the 38 to the 31. Then Franklin, eluding tacklers, sprinted toward the sideline and threw to Harper who made a diving catch between two foes for a TD with 10:39 left. Scott Dingler, a junior quarterback, threw the conversion aerial over Spencer’s head.

Bernard Sullivan made a 30-yard extra-effort punt runback to set the stage for the final six-pointer. Two plays later, Thompson scored from 32 yards away on the counter
criss-cross with 7:40 left. Dingler bootlegged the conversion.

Barberton held the ball, thereafter, until the four-second mark, consuming seven minutes, 32 seconds.
* * *
“THEY PREPARED for us well,” Bob Commings, the Tigers head coach said. “They played a nice game, they got outside of us a couple of times and I don’t think we were quite ready for those do-dads which Gleichert had in there. We knew he was a good player.”

Commings was not happy with the first half attitude, feeling his charges fiddled around too much.

“We moved the ball a little bit on them,” Fenik said. “We knew they had a good team when we came down here. We just made some bad mistakes.”

This was to be expected of the underclass-studded lineup.

“We think Gleichert will be a good player one day,” Fenik continued. “He’s a heckuva kid!”
THE GRIDSTICK
M B
First downs – rushing 13 11
First downs – passing 3 1
First downs – penalties 0 2
Total first downs 16 14
Yards gained rushing 222 155
Yards lost rushing 5 36
Net yards gained rushing 217 119
Net yards gained passing 73 31
Total yards gained 290 150
Passes completed 3-7 4-13
Passes intercepted by 1 1
Yardage on passes intercepted 78 0
Kickoff average yards 8-47.9 1-27.0
Kickoff returns yards 9 95
Punt average, yards 2-43.5 6-26.3
Punt returns, yards 47 0
Had punts blocked 0 1
Lost fumbled ball 0-1 1-1
Yards penalized 4-60 5-46
Touchdowns – rushing 5 0
Touchdowns – passing 1 0
Touchdowns by interception 1 0
Total number of plays 40 70

Official:Tigers can’t play
post-season tilt

COLUMBUS (AP) – Top-ranked Massillon and No. 2 Upper Arlington will have to wait until a regular season 1972 meeting to settle their differences.

The Ohio High School Athletic association, the governing body of the state scholastic sports, ruled Thursday a proposed charity game between the two Class AAA powers after the season was out.

A group had wanted to match the two in a Thanksgiving Day game in Bowling Green for the benefit of the Wichita State University airplane crash fund.

“THE ONLY way they could play the game was if both schools would drop one of their regular season games,” Commission Harold Meyer said. “Massillon and Upper Arlington both played 10 games this fall. That’s the limit under the OHSAA constitution.

Massillon, top-ranked in the Associated Press’ Class AAA state poll and Upper Arlington, in second place are not regularly scheduled until 1972 at Upper Arlington.

The OHSAA again sanctioned the Ohio North-South basketball Classic at Marion in June and tabled a proposal by cable television representatives to telecast state high school sports events on a delayed basis.

Steve Luke
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1970: Massillon 40, Steubenville 0

Tigers’ awesome display routs Big Red

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Two “Big Red Machines” have screeched to halts this week. The Baltimore Orioles took care of one, the Massillon Tigers, the other.

Combining their most awesome offensive display with another devastating effort by the “Attack Pack,” the Washington high gridders pulverized Steubenville 40-0 Friday night at Tiger stadium. The season’s biggest crowd, 13,861, watched the home coming massacre.
* * *
THE TIGERS, No. 1-ranked in Ohio by the Associated Press, stretched their win streak to six and took over first place in the All-American conference by one-half game. Defending champion Canton McKinley (5-0) can throw the race into a tie again with a win tonight at Niles.

Steubenville (3-3) dropped into solo occupancy of the cellar.

The Tigers got over another big hurdle in their effort to regain the Ohio toga, shed after two straight titles, in 1966. But that the Orangemen should run up as many points was surprising.

Even though Steubenville lost the AAC’s second leading passer, Jeff Spahn, with concussion in the second quarter and two-way outstanding end Les Washington via the same type of injury in the fourth, Coach Abe Bryan refused to put the blame there.

“We were outplayed, out hit and out coached,” he said, “Massillon is a fine team,
well-coached in its techniques, has a lot of spirit and a lot of pride.”
* * *
“WE DIDN’T think it would be that bad,” he said. “I knew we were making mistakes, but I didn’t think we were that poor.”

Commings didn’t think it was any easy game for the Tigers.

“Our kids did what they were supposed to – took it to them,” he explained. “They were well prepared for us and defensed us perfectly. However, our kids blocked well. We didn’t expect to score 40 points. It was a pretty complete game (good in all aspects).”

The Tigers got tremendous second-effort running from tailback Mike Mauger and Larry McLenndon, fullback and Co-Captain Tom Cardinal and quarterback Dennis Franklin. Commings was unstinting in his praise of each.

Franklin has his best aerial effort with seven completions in 10 tries for 156 yards, passing for two touchdowns and a conversion. He also scored a conversion.
* * *
MAUGER DELIVERED the mail twice to the Big Red end zone. Both are gaining impetus in their drive for All-Ohio honors.

The “Iron Curtain” provided spacious running room again, firing off the ball with devastating results. A couple of the “Magnificent Seven,” two-way tackles Kirk Strobel and Tim Ridgley, got ratings of “great” from Commings.

Guards Pete Jaskinski and Dave Kulik continued to spearhead the pulling and trap blocking. It appears the entire line is vying for All-Ohio honors.

“The secondary was all over their receivers like glue,” Commings said, “but when you play that good, it’s got to be a team effort.”

The Tigers had 273-20 net yards rushing and 17-0 first downs advantages after the first half. Mauger had gained 102 of his 108 yards and carried the ball 17 of his 19 times. He got a rest most of the second half because he’s been playing on a gimpy ankle since the Niles game and didn’t practice much this week.
* * *
FINAL READINGS showed Massillon ahead 416-75 in net yards gained and 26-5 in first downs. Steubenville got into Tiger territory once – shortly after getting their initial first down with 10:29 left in the third quarter. The “Attack Pack” then stopped the Steubens on the Massillon 47 on fourth down by a gnat’s eyelash.

Larry Harper got the Tigers off and winging with a 24-yard runback of the opening kickoff and just missed a six-pointer on a first play bomb. Seven plays and one face mask call later, Franklin hit tight end and Co-captain Steve Luke on the one with a third down,
36-yarder and Luke carried in, while juggling the ball, with 9:47 left. Split end Willie Spencer couldn’t hold Franklin’s conversion pass.

A Big Red series later, the WHSers took off on a 16-plan trek with Mauger barreling off tackle from the two on second down with 1:05 left. This time Franklin and Spencer found the right combination for two points.

The Tigers put together an eight-play drive after the next Steuben series. But the penetration went only as far as the Steuber 24.

Two plays later, Ridgley jumped off Jeff Spahn’s bobble to give the Massillon’s possession on the River City 37. Mauger carried on five of the next eight plays as the scoreboard lights blinked some more.
* * *
“THE MAILMAN” picked up 16 yards in the last four plays himself, blasting over from the one on third down with 2:49 left in the second canto. Franklin bootlegged the extra two points.

After the next Steuber series, on third down from the Tiger 42, Franklin hit Harper on the 10. “The Scooter” carried the rest of the way to stop the clock at 0:52. McLenndon ran the end for the conversion, but the Orangemen were called for clipping. Franklin tried to find Harper, but “The Meance’s” pass fell incomplete in the end zone.

Harper got off a nifty 52-yard TD jaunt early in the third period only to have a holding penalty kill his effort. Later in the stanza, Bill Luke picked off a fourth-down, punt formation pass from the 50, ran back 20 yards to the Big Red 44 and another TD was in the making.

Eight plays, a 17-yard pass-run from Franklin to Spencer and a piling penalty later, the WHS team had its fifth TD, coming back from an illegal use of the hands penalty en route. Cardinal got his first counter of the season on a trap through the middle on third down from the five with 10:20 remaining in the game. Mauger’s kick went under the crossbar.

Two series after, Art Thompson scampered 25 yards with a punt to start a 36-yard,
eight-play jaunt. McLenndon ended the scoring from nine yards out off tackle with 1:34 left. Tim Willoughby was brought down short of the conversion.

Shortly thereafter, Thompson ran an interception back 27-yards to the Steuber 33, but the Tigers roughed the passer. He ran another back 17 yards to the Massillon 43 to end the game.

STEUBENVILLE –0
Ends – Washington, McCaluslen, Simon, Chorba.
Tackles – Moncilovich, Stasiulewicz, Bougard.
Guards – Hargrove, DiBacco, Bauman, Stefanidis, DeFrancis.
Centers – Cohen, Christian, Hindman.
Quarterbacks – Spahn, Mavromatis.
Halfbacks – Brown, Davis, Young, Johnson, Dryden, King.
Fullbacks – Grey, Cara, Livingston.

MASSILLON – 40
Ends – S. Luke, Spencer, Stephan, McGuire, Clary.
Tackles – Ridgley, Strobel, Janikis.
Guards – Kulik, Jasinski, Sims, Marsh, Groff, J. Nussbaumer.
Centers – Studer, Gaddis.
Quarterbacks – Franklin, Dingler.
Halfbacks – Harper, Sullivan, Pattinson, B. Luke, Wonsick, Mauger, H. Nussbaumer, McLenndon, Thompson.
Fullbacks – Cardinal, Perry, Willoughby, Fletcher.

MASSILLON 14 14 0 12 40
STEUBENVILLE 0 0 0 0 0

SCORING
M – S. Luke, 37 pass-run from Franklin (pass failed);
M – Mauger, 2 run (Spencer, pass from Franklin);
M – Mauger 1, run (Franklin run);
M – Harper, 58 pass-run from Franklin (run nullified by penalty, pass failed);
M – Cardinal, 5 run (kick failed); McLenndon, 9 run (run failed).

THE GRIDSTICK
M S
First downs – rushing 20 3
First downs – passing 5 1
First downs – penalties 1 1
Total first downs 26 5
Yards gained rushing 292 74
Yards lost rushing 32 6
Net yards gained rushing 260 68
Net yards gained passing 156 19
Total yards gained 416 75
Passes completed 7-10 3-11
Yardage on passes intercepted 2-44 0
Kickoff average (yards) 7-46.9 1-48
Kickoff returns (yards) 22 125
Punt average (yards) 0 4-28.7
Lost fumbled ball 1-1 1-3
Yards penalized 5-75 3-35
Touchdowns – rushing 4 0
Touchdowns – passing 2 0
Total number of plays 67 43

OFFICIALS
Referee – Milo Lukity.
Umpire – Dr. Larry Glass.
Head Linesman – Tom Ascani.
Field Judge – Ed Steinkerchner.
Back Judge – Dr. Henley Freeman.

ATTENDANCE – 13,861.

Steve Luke
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1970: Massillon 41, Toledo Whitmer 0

Tigers win 41-0 despite 12 penalties

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

It seemed like referee Jack McLain walked miles Friday night at Tiger stadium.

Surviving 12 penalties totaling 120 yards, Ohio’s No. 2-ranked Massillon Tigers shut out Toledo Whitmer 41-0 before 11,036 to extend their win skein to five as the first half of the season ended. Whitmer, vastly improved since 1969, has won three of five games.
* * *
RULES INFRACTIONS – a problem all season – halted drives on the Whitmer 13 and
34-yard lines, nearly aborted two others, prevented gaining possession on a punt, cost one conversion and caused extra effort to get another.

“Paul Brown said, ‘Good teams have penalties’”, Tiger Coach Bob Commings reminded. “Ours have to be brought under control. They hurt us tonight. It was like stealing votes.”

Commings thought his charges performed well.

“Under the circumstances, we did as good a job as possible,” he commented. “We came off a big win, have a big game next week (Steubenville). We beat Whitmer 60-0 last year and they were well prepared this time.”

While the offense had its troubles, the “Attack Pack” showed well again, limiting Whitmer to 51 yards on the ground – only one in the second half. Pass coverage was more than adequate as the Panthers completed but two of 10 attempts and had two pilfered.
* * *
“THEY’RE A good club,” Whitmer Coach Norm Decker commented, “but we weren’t so awed at the mighty Tigers this time. There was a lot of good hitting. This is the type of football we like to play. We’d like to come back again. I think we matured tonight.”

Decker explained he had two plans of attack. One was to shut off the passing game which killed the Panthers here in 1969 and the other to stunt on defense because the Tigers had trouble picking up blocks against Niles’ defense last week, in a game which Decker scouted.

“We thought we could cut off their passing game,” Decker commented, “so we put in some new defenses, switched around a bit and even played an extra back at times.”

It wasn’t so much the Whitmer pass defense that accounted for only six of 16 Tiger completions. Quarterback Denny Franklin was throwing long. Commings felt tossing into the wind hurt.

The Tigers received the opening kickoff and drove 72 yards in 11 plays for a score with 8:12 left. Tailback Mike Mauger crossed into pay dirt on an off tackle slant from seven yards out on first down. He swept end on a pitchout to the opposite side for the conversion.
* * *
A 27-YARD reverse jaunt by wingback Larry Harper set up the score after a procedure penalty had put the Tigers back to the Whitmer 34.

Jerry Freels ran the kickoff back 37 yards to the Tiger 48, but Whitmer lost the ball by inches on fourth down at the 39 – the furthest the Panthers got all night. The WHSers drove to the Whitmer 20, but Freels hauled in a pass on the five, ran back to the 15 and a face mask infraction pushed the ball to the 30.

End Don Perry jarred quarterback Randy Curson three plays later and cornerman Bernard Sullivan intercepted on the Whitmer 48. A 29-yard, Franklin to Harper pass-run was wasted as an illegal use of the hands call sent the Tigers back to the Whitmer 29 from the 13 and they were forced to punt.

Whitmer punted back and the Orange and Black survived clipping and procedure penalties to score their second TD. Franklin hit Harper on a down-and-out pattern on third down from the nine with 25 seconds remaining in the half.

Franklin’s conversion pass to split end Willie Spencer was good. However, there was a clip. Then tailback Larry McLenndon, returning after a one-week disciplinary suspension, was brought down short of the goal line.
* * *
FRANKLIN’S 19-YARD end run after the clipping call and Mauger’s 22-yarder helped set up the score.

Massillon scored again with 7:53 left in the third quarter after a Whitmer punt and
seven-play, 51-yard drive. Fullback and Co-Captain Tom Cardinal’s 23 running yards aided the cause.

Mauger went off tackle from three yards out on second down for his second six-pointer. Franklin’s conversion run was nullified by a procedure penalty so Mauger booted a point.

On the ensuing kickoff, end Mike McGuire banged a Whitmer safetyman who was trying to pick up an errant pigskin. Tqackle Glen Weirich gave the Tigers possession on the 10. Franklin ran the end for the TD with 7:24 remaining. He also successfully ran the conversion but a procedure penalty intervened. Franklin then tried to hit Sullivan but failed.

After a clipping call had stymied the Tigers at their 49, wasting Sullivan’s 14-yard romp to the Whitmer 34 on the inside reverse, the Orangemen were forced to punt. A personal foul call put Whitmer on its eight. Harper ran back Steve Thomas’ punt eight yards and the WHSers were set for a 30-yard, six-play playoff jaunt.
* * *
PERRY’S 12-YARD blast set up the score and on third down from the nine, Franklin hit Harper just inside the marker pylon with 10:24 left in the goodbye canto. Perry sprung McLenndon in for the conversion on an end sweep from a pitchout for two more markers.

Late in the period, cornerback Art Thompson knocked a pass into the air, grabbed it at the Whitmer 40 and raced for an apparent score but Massillon’s Harvey Hodgson, Jr., the head linesman had inadvertently blown his whistle, killing the ball where the run had started.

However, the Tigers came back in seven plays for their final score with McLenndon going over tackle on first down from the two;Quarterback Scott Dingler failed to find McGuire for the conversion. There were 58 seconds left.

THE GRIDSTICK
M W
First downs – rushing 21 2
First downs – passing 4 0
First downs – penalties 1 3
Total first downs 26 5
Yards gained rushing 320 72
Yards lost rushing 9 21
Net yards gained rushing 311 51
Yet yards gained passing 71 18
Total yards gained 382 69
Passes completed 6-16 2-2
Passes intercepted by 2 1
Yardage on passes intercepted 2 10
Kickoff average (yards) 7-46.0 1-34.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 3 92
Punt average (yards) 2-34.0 5-31.6
Lost fumbled ball 0-2 1-3
Punt returns (yards) 17 0
Penalties 12 4
Yards penalized 120 32
Touchdowns – rushing 4 0
Touchdowns – passing 2 0
Total number of plays 73 41

Steve Luke
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1970: Massillon 22, Niles McKinley 3

‘Tiger Pride’: Oh, how sweet it is!

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

You don’t hear much from senior first-year tackle Manny Turley, but this time he said a mouthful!

“We played the second half on ‘Tiger Pride!’” he said, as he and his fellow gridders boarded buses for the return trip to Massillon Saturday night
* * *
COACH BOB Commings had a different description, “Courageous,” for his charges’ play in their comeback 22-3 All-American conference victory before a near capacity crowd of 14,500 at newly remodeled Niles Riverside stadium.

Program Cover

The Tigers, (4-0) share first place in the AAC with Canton McKinley after handing Niles its first loss in four outings.

Commings added, “We got over a big hurdle! It was a great team effort!”

It all amounts to the same thing. The Tigers appear to be back in business, playing tough in the clutch – a trademark of Washington high teams down through the years, but not consistently there during the last few seasons.

Another echo of the past was the Tigers’ taking advantage of Niles’ second half mistakes to score.

“When you give the ball to a good team, you’ll lose,” Niles Coach Bob Shaw commented.
* * *
THESE ARE the marks of a state champion. These are the things which will put the Orangemen back in the Ohio throne room after a five-yard absence. But the Tigers must continue to play this way for the remaining six games which start Friday when Toledo Whitmer begins a three-game home stand.

The WHSers had some real adversity as All-Ohio hopeful Mike Mauger banged an ankle with about six minutes left in the first period and didn’t return until about the 7:05 mark of the second stanza. Even then the senior tailback’s running was not right and didn’t look good until trainer Mike Internicola removed tape from Mauger’s ankle at halftime and replaced it with elastic bandage. The tape had been putting pressure on Mike’s ankle.

For awhile, Niles had “The Mailman’s” special deliveries pretty well stopped, but when the Tigers resorted to their pitchout game instead of their off tackle maneuvers, in the fourth quarter, things got back to normal. Mauger had a slight limp after the contest.
“Mike came back and played on shear guts,” Commings said. Mauger picked up 138 net yards in 18 carries. However, the AAC’s leading rusher and scorer crossed the goal line only once.

Senior quarterback Dennis Franklin scored two touchdowns and had another called back. Senior wingback Larry Harper, playing in his first contest since fracturing a collarbone a week before the opener, caught a Franklin pass for another.
* * *
FRANKLIN PICKED up valuable yardage on the bootleg play which Commings said “helped bail us out.” His 37 yards in 11 carries, added to Co-Captain and senior fullback Tom Cardinal’s 48 in 14 helped keep the WHS attack going at critical times.

But the Tigers were in trouble in the first half due to a tailback shortage. Fourth-string junior Rick Weise was inserted for Mauger.

The No. 2 man, junior Larry McLenndon, was not in uniform because of disciplinary problem. Junior Hank Nussbaumer, just back after a knee injury suffered the second day of practice, could be used only defensively.

The scope of the Tigers’ second half bounce back can be seen by the fact that they picked up 168 total net yards after the intermission, compared to 80 before and added 13 first downs to three.

Meanwhile, the Massillon “Attack Pack” held the Red Dragons to 23 net yards in the second half compared to 109 during the first 24 minutes. Niles managed only six net rushing yards in the last half, compared to 66 and two first downs to six in the first half.
* * *
“WE JUST made mistakes that will kill you,” Shaw said. “Our offense has been inconsistent all season. We felt Mauger’s off tackle runs were the play we had to take away to have a chance, but he came back and ran well. They hurt us around the ends.”

The Tigers made some mistakes, too, losing three TD opportunities in the first period. Mauger broke off a 45-yard run on pitchout on the third play with safety Jim Stringer’s tackle saving a TD, but a holding penalty and a pass interception by safety John James on succeeding plays stopped the threat.

The Orangemen ran out of downs on Niles’ 16-yrd line just after Mauger was injured.

End Bob Stephan recovered tailback Jim Stringer’s fumble on the Niles 13, but James intercepted another pass on the one after a clipping penalty had nullified Franklin’s bootleg TD. It was James’ fifth steal of the season, Saturday night’s two coming on overthrows.

As the second period was coming to an end, Niles drove 63 yards, had a player line up offside on a second down TD run and guard Jerry Masciangelo kicked a 25-yard field goal, the first ever that anyone can remember in a Dragon game. Four seconds remained.

Fullback Joe Lucariello fumbled the second half kickoff. Pete Jasinski, who played his first game as middle guard well as a sub for McLenndon, recovered for the Tigers on the Dragon 30. Massillon scored in seven plays with Franklin sneaking over from the one on third down with 8:25 left. Mauger blasted off right tackle for two more points.
* * *
A 64-YARD drive after “The Attack Pack” held on the WHS 36 early in the fourth quarter netted the Tigers’ second TD after 11 plays. Mauger carried the mail six times behind sharp blocking by “The Iron Curtain,” as the Orangemen got the benefit of a personal foul call.

Franklin sneaked over from the two on second down with 6:28 remaining. “The Menace” was short on the conversion run.

“The Attack Pack” held again – on the Niles’ 48. Eight plays later, following a 30-yard run by Mauger, Franklin found Harper on the one from the 12 on first down and “The Scooter’s” great second effort brought the pigskin home with 28 seconds remaining. Junior split end Willie Spencer made a great catch in the middle of the end zone light up the final points.

MASSILLON – 22
Ends – S. Luke, Spencer, Stephan, Perry.
Tackles – Strobel, Ridgley, Weirich, Heat.
Guards – Kulik, Jasinski, Sims, J. Nussbaumer, Groff.
Center – Studer.
Quarterbacks – Franklin.
Halfbacks – Harper, Mauger, B. Luke, Weise, H. Nussbaumer, Sullivan, Wonsick, Thompson.
Fullbacks – Cardinal, Fletcher.

NILES – 3
Ends – Cranston, Lewis, Williams, Collings, Glowacky.
Tackles – Sipusic, Shehy, DeMast, Boyle.
Guards – DeChristofaro, Mahoney, Cajcco, Masciangelo.
Centers – Schuller, Augusta, Wilson.
Quarterbacks – Ciminero, Andrews.
Halfbacks – Stringer, James, Ciletti, Simeone.
Fullbacks – Mones, Lucariello,

MASSILLON 0 0 8 14 22
NILES 0 3 0 0 3

SCORING
N – Masciangelo (25-yard field goal);
M – Franklin, 1 run (Mauger run);
M – Franklin, 2 run (run failed);
M – Harper, 11-yard pass-run from Franklin (pass Franklin to Spencer).

THE GRIDSTICK
M N
First downs – rushing 14 5
First downs – passing 1 2
First downs – penalties 1 1
Total first downs 16 8
Yards gained rushing 253 99
Yards lost rushing 16 27
Net yards gained rushing 237 72
Net yards gained passing 13 60
Total yards gained 240 132
Passes completed 1-7 5-15
Passes intercepted by 0 2
Yardage on passes intercepted 0 5
Kickoff average (yards) 4-49.3 3-35.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 25 91
Punt average (yards) 4-38.0 5-38.0
Punt returns (yards) 18 19
Had punts blocked 0 0
Lost fumbled ball 0-2 2-2
Yards penalized 6-70 5-45
Touchdowns – rushing 2 0
Touchdowns – passing 1 0
Touchdowns by interception 0 0
Total number of plays (unreadable)

OFFICIALS
Referee – James Keffer.
Umpire – Bob Bodner.
Linesman – Fred Vicarel.
Field Judge – Larry Glass.

Tigers lose No. 1 ranking
to Bears

By the Associated Press

A familiar name crept back into the first place spot in the Class AAA standings in this week’s Associated Press high school football poll.

The Golden Bears of Upper Arlington, in second position since the first poll of the year, moved ahead of Massillon by ten points – 192-182 – to claim the top spot.

UPPER ARLINGTON 4-0-0 sailed past Portsmouth 27-0 Friday night, while Massillon
4-0-0 topped Niles McKinley 22-3 Saturday.

CLASS AAA
School W. L. T. Pts.
1. Upper Arlington 4 0 0 192
2. Massillon 4 0 0 182
3. Canton McKinley 4 0 0 150
4. Sandusky 4 0 0 134
5. Columbus Eastmoor 4 0 0 95
6. Lancaster 3 0 1 68
7. Niles McKinley 3 1 0 44
8. Akron Garfield 4 0 0 40
9. Cincinnati Moeller 3 1 0 39
10. Cincinnati St. Xavier 3 1 0 37

Other Schools receiving 10 or more votes: Warren Western Reserve; Marion Harding; Delaware Hayes; Findlay; Elyria; Beavercreek; Sidney; Lima Shawnee; Canton Central; Walsh; Cuyahoga Falls; Hamilton Baden’; Cleveland Shaw; Wintersville.

Steve Luke
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1970: Massillon 36, Alliance 12

Tigers Down tenacious Alliance 36-12

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Massillon’s No. 1 ranked Tigers Friday night won a game where it’s often most important – in the trenches.

Behind superb blocking again by “The Iron Curtain,” Washington high backs ran with authority, picking up 366 net yards on the ground, as the Tigers (3-0) beat Alliance (1-2) 36-12 at muggy Hartshorn stadium in the Carnation City before an estimated 10,000.
* * *
WHILE SENIOR tailback “Mailman Mike” Mauger did the largest share of the work, scoring four touchdowns and picking up 188 net yards in 22 attempts, senior fullback and co-captain Tom Cardinal and juniors Don Perry (fullback) and Larry McLenndon (tailback) also picked up a lot of yardage.

Particularly effective were off tackle plays – both from handoffs and pitchouts.

Program Cover

But while passing out orchids for the Tigers’ effort which put them into a three-way tie for the All-American conference head, it must also be pointed out that those “colossal mistakes, as Coach Bob Commings terms them, cropped up again, costing the Orange and Black two TDs and opening the door for one of Alliance’s six-pointers.

On the other side of the ledger, the Aviators played their usual tenacious game, never giving up, although taking a physical beating from the heavier WHSers. Alliance made Massillon fight for every inch of ground gained.

First year Aviator Coach Gene Nara also got some fine running – from senior fullback Lloyd Gray and 145-pound sophomore tailback Dan Contrucci.
* * *
“IT WAS a hard-hitting game, typical of the All-American conference,” said Nara, former Tiger aide. “I’m not ashamed of them. Other coaches can put their head down. I’m going to bring this team back. I knew what I was getting into when I came here. I knew there wasn’t much back.”

He added, “They wiped us out off tackle on the pitches.”

Commings was pleased with the game, saying, “It was good for us. We matured. Alliance was real spirited. Our kids had to go the route. We pressed ourselves and we learned a valuable lesson. You must also be poised. We weren’t in the first half. We all seemed to be tight, including the coaches. I thought we loosened up in the second half.”

A second period fight robbed both teams of key personal. The Tigers’ Cardinal and Aviator middle guard Jim Hancock were ejected. Fortunately, Perry filled in well at fullback for “The Red Bird” and senior John Nussbaumer, at linebacker.

But Nara had centered a special new defense around Hancock, whom he termed his best and quickest man and had no one else to fill the gap.
* * *
THE TIGERS started out as if to score right after the opening kickoff, but Cliff Jones picked up Mauger’s fumble on the Massillon 46. The Aviators lost the ball on downs on the Massillon forhty-yard line as “The Attack Pack” held. Jones’ field goal attempt was wide right.

Then came an 80-yard, 11-0lay Massillon scoring jaunt, featuring the running of Cardinal and Mauger. A 16-yard screen pass scamper by the former and a 30-yard, pass-run from quarterback Denny Franklin to the latter, with the run 21 yards, were the highlights.

Mauger’s touchdown came off right tackle on first down from the one with the clock malfunctioning. Franklin’s pass to split end Willie Spencer misfired on the conversion try.

Early in the second period, John Sims stole a Gray fumble on the Massillon 30. However, Franklin later fumbled on the Aviator six, recovering the ball, but losing to the 15 and missing the score.

Mauger’s 11-yard punt return started WHS on the way to a five-play, 51-yard TD drive, aided by a 13-yard romp by Franklin and capped by Mauger’s 17-yard, first down run around left end after the tackle hole had closed. Franklin converted on a bootleg run to the right.
* * *
EARLY IN the third quarter, the Tigers scored on a 55-yard, five-play drive, featuring a 14-yard, pass-run from Franklin to wingback Bernard Sullivan, “Sullie” running for four and Mauger’s 49-yarder on a pitch right. Tim Ridgley threw a key block and Mauger carried Jones into the end zone with 8:27 left. Franklin converted on a keeper to the right.

Alliance got into the scoring column when the Tigers failed to contain punter Chuck Larsuel after a bad snap from the Alliance 15. On first down from the 20, Gray got a pitch to the left, cut back to the right and was away for the score. Willie Spencer threw quarterback Randy Hunt on the conversion try.

Late in the quarter, Perry’s 22-yard trek aided a drive, following a punt, which put the ball on the Alliance 10 on first down. Mauger fumbled on the one on the next play, the ball rolled into the end zone and was finally collared by Alliance’s Jim Brocklehurst near the end line.

After a fourth quarter punt, Massillon marched 56 yards in nine plays to pay dirt, aided by a personal foul penalty as the Orangemen had been on their second TD drive Mauger rammed off right tackle on first down from the four with 5:41 left. Franklin hit Spencer in the left end zone corner for the conversion.

Alliance got possession on its 40 when Mauger’s kickoff traveled out of bounds and Contrucci proceeded to reel off two runs of 12 yards each, caught a 14-yard pass from Bill Anderson, subbing for the injured Randy Hunt and then ran over center and back right on second down from the 22 for six points with 4:33 left. A conversion pass fell incomplete.
* * *
THE TIGERS finished the scoring after Ridgley had fallen on an onside kick at his 48. Six plays later, Franklin hit Spencer from 10 yards out off a bootleg with 1:57 remaining.

“Dennis the Menace’s” conversion pass to Co-Captain and tight end Steve Luke was incomplete.

The drive featured McLenndon’s 16-yard scamper, some hard running by Perry and Franklin’s 20-yard forced run.

MASSILLON – 36
Ends – S. Luke, Stephan, McGuire, Spencer.
Tackles – Strobel, Ridgley, Weirich.
Guards – Kulik, Jasinski, Sims, Nussbaumer, Graber, Groff.
Center – Studer, Chovan, Gaddis.
Quarterbacks – Franklin, Dingler, Schultz.
Halfbacks – Mauger, Sullivan, McLenndon, Thompson, Wonsick, Weise, B. Luke.
Fullbacks – Cardinal, Perry.

ALLIANCE – 12
Ends – Paina, Danesi, Lightner, Brockett, Cameron.
Tackles – Randy Kuceyeski, Ron Kuceyeski, Addams.
Guards – Andreani, Messenheimer, Lugenbuhl, Penturf.
Centers –Jones, Mergenthaler, Dwyer.
Quarterbacks – Hunt, Anderson, Davis, Haidet.
Halfbacks – Larsuel, Sloane, Snodgrass, Contrucci, Brocklehurst, May, Lloyd.
Fullbacks – Beckwith, LeNave, Hancock.

MASSILLON 6 8 8 14 36
ALLIANCE 0 0 6 6 12

SCORING
M – Mauger, one-yard run (pass failed);
M—Mauger, 17-yard run (Franklin run);
M – Mauger, 49-yard run (Franklin run);
A – Gray, 80-yard run failed);
M – Mauger, four-yard run (Spencer, pass from Franklin);
A – Construcci, 22-yard run (pass failed);
M – Spencer, 10-yard pass from Franklin (pass failed).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Nick Frascella.
Umpire – John Dalrymple.
Head Linesman – Len Batcha.
Field Judge – Hal Schumacher.

ATTENDANCE – 10,000

Mauger tops AAC,
county in scoring

Massillon Washington high’s Mike Mauger continues to set the pace in Stark county and All-American conference scoring derbies.

He also is the highly-touted AAC’s No. 1 rusher, cleating 505 yards for 12.6 per lug mark.
* * *
MAUGER HOLDS lofty leads in AAC rushing and scoring and has a 21-point margin over Minerva’s Jess Lowry in a bid to unseat Hartville-Lake’s Brian Bowers as Stark county’s premiere score of 1970.

Mauger’s nearest rival in AAC scoring is Artis Zachary of arch foe Canton McKinnley with 30 points. Alliance’s Lloyd Gray is nearest to Mauger in AAC rushing with 279 yards and a 4.7 per try.

Massillon’s game Saturday will send the AAC’s top passer (Tiger Denny Franklin) against the No. 2 passer (Niles’ Alan Ciminero).

Franklin has hit 12 of 29 tries for 289 yards, five TDs; Ciminero shows 13-for-28 and 265 yards. He also has tossed for five six-pointers, but has had three of his aerials picked off, while but two of Franklin’s attempts have been pilfered.

Tiger Bernard Sullivan ranks second in AAC receiving with five grabs for 112 yards and three TDs. Niles’ Jim Stringer is the No. 1 receiver, snaring four of Ciminero’s aerials for 119 yards and three TDs.

Canton South’s Dave Pellegrini is Stark county’s No. 3 scorer after three games with 44 points – four less than Lowry and four more than Bowers.
AAC SCORING
Mike Mauger, Massillon 69; Artis Zachary, Canton McKinley, 30; Alex DiMarziio, Canton McKinley, 28; Jim Stringer, Niles McKinley, 26; Bernard Sullivan, Massillon, 18; Anthony Brown, Warren G. Harding, 14; Dean Young of Steubenville; Dennis Franklin of Massillon; Lloyd Gray of Alliance and Mike Cara of Steubenville, 12 each.
AAC RUSHING
Mauger, 505 yards, 12.6; Gray, 279 yard, 4.7; Arnold Johnson, Steubenville, 232 yards, 5.7; Zachard, 188 yards, 4.6; Brown, 178 yards, 6.3; Stringer, 159 yards, 5.5; Eric Kirksey, Warren G. Harding, 129 yards, 6.1; Cara, 111 yards, 3.9; DiMarzioi, 109.

Steve Luke
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1970: Massillon 32, Cleveland Benedictine 7

Defense plays crusher; Tigers win 32-7

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Although there are still eight tough weeks of football left in the 1970 season, the Massillon Tigers gave notice Friday night that they intend to make a determined bid for the state championship.

Program Cover

They haven’t reached that lofty position in five years, but if they continue to play the kind of defense exhibited in a 32-7 victory over a rugged Cleveland Benedictine team before 12,217 at Tiger stadium, this just might be the year.
* * *
BY COACH Bob Commings’ own admission, however, the offense must get better. “We’re not consistent enough,” he explained.

While the Orangemen’s defense was playing 48 solid minutes of crunching warfare, the offense scored 25 points in the first half and only seven in the second. A problem which has plagued them for several years when playing Benedictine.

Had it not been for a miscue by the reserves on a reverse near the end of the game, the Tigers would have had a shutout over Benedictine, something extremely hard to perpetrate on an Augie Bossu coached squad.

“This is the hardest – hitting game I’ve seen since coming to Massillon,” Commings said. “I think the key was that hard hitting. I wanted that shutout for the boys. They earned it.”

Players like Tom Cardinal, Bill and Steve Luke, Larry McLenndon, Mike McGuire, Tim Ridgley and Bob Stephan delivered bone-shattering blows at times as the Tigers continued great pursuit and tackling.

Senior free safety Scott Pattinson had himself quite a night with three interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Offensively the story was senior linebacker Mike Mauger behind some fine blocking again as the senior tailback scored four of the Tiger’s five TDs – all but one coming on marathon runs. He also kicked two conversions and picked up 210 net yards on 11 carries losing only a single yard.

“He looms as a great threat,” Coming commented. “Other teams are liable to key on him.”

Bossu added, “Mauger’s a fine athlete.”

ABOUT HIS team’s failure to move the ball, the veteran pilot explained, “We’ve had the big play in past years, but don’t have it this time. When you don’t get it, you’re in trouble.”

Commings complimented his offensive line’s blocking and particularly patted right tackle Kirk Strobel on the back. “He must have done a great job with Nunery,” Commings explained.

Claude Nunery is a 6-4, 230-pound Benedictine junior tackle through whose territory Mauger did most of his running.

He took off for an 89-yard TD on a pitchout to the left on the first play of the game and with 11:23 remaining; was sprung loose on a block by wingback Bernard Sullivan. The Tigers were penalized for delay on the conversion try, Mauger missed the kick and a procedure penalty was declined.

The Orange and Black took over after a punt late in the first quarter and moved 77 yards in 10 plays for their second score. It was a drive which saw a nifty 20-yard pass from quarterback Dennis Franklin to Sullivan, 16 yards picked up by Cardinal, a 15-yard scamper by Mauger to the five and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty tacked on to the Bennies, putting the ball on the three-yard line.

Mauger went over off left tackle for the six points with 9:47 left in the second stanza. The Tigers were again nicked for delaying the game and Franklin was stopped on the conversion try.

Forcing the Bennies to punt the next time they had the ball gave Mauger another chance and “The Mailman” delivered again for 70-yards and a score with 6:54 left. This time McLenndon and Art Thompson sprung the key blocks. Franklin’s pass to tight end Steve Luke was incomplete, leaving the score at 18-0.

Sullivan recovered a Benedictine fumble on the visitors’ 36 and in three plays the bombs went off again – this time in celebration of a 35-yard Franklin-to-Sullivan pass play with “Sullie” going over from the three, as the clock showed seven seconds left in the half. Mauger booted the PAT.

THE TIGERS’ final tally came with 31 seconds left in the third canto as Mauger came up with another of his patented special deliveries. This time, going over left tackle, again on a pitch, he traveled 80 yards behind some more excellent blocking. He added the conversion.

The score was set up when Pattinson intercepted a Carl Barile pass in the end zone. Mauger’s run came on the next play.

Pattinson had also intercepted on the five earlier in the period and added a 20-yard runback to stop a Benedictine threat caused by Mauger’s punt-return fumble on the Tiger 15.

Just before Mauger’s last romp, Dick Martanovic had interrupted one of Franklin’s option pitches and gave the Bennies a first down on the Tigers’ 34. The defense held.

Massillon took over on the 35, Franklin was plastered while passing on the second play. Don Varvo intercepted for a 10-yard run back to the 30. Then came Pattinson’s return interception on first down.

Benedictine’s only six-pointer occurred when Joe Reccord picked up an errant pigskin on a reverse handoff fumble and scampered 22 yards to the Tigers’ 23. Barile hit Dick Koeth on the three off a tip by Reccord and Reccord again for the TD with seven seconds left. Dick Szabo just managed to get the seventh point over the cross bar.

The Washington high gridders will play on the road the next two weeks with All-American conference clashes at Alliance next Friday and Niles, Oct. 3.

BENEDICTINE – 7
Ends – Reccord, Szabo, Koeth, Jindra, Martanovic.
Tackles – Malley, Nunery, Rochford, Hodakievic, Oriti.
Guards – Downey, Lorek.
Center – Bossu
Quarterbacks – Barile, Szollosi.
Halfbacks – Johnson, Moriarty, Vavro, Petruziello, Favorite.
Fullbacks – Fontana.

MASSILLON – 32
Ends – S. Luke, Spencer, Stephan, McGuire, Clary.
Tackles – Ridgley, Strobel, Weirich, Longworth.
Guards – Kulik, Jasinski, Nussbaumer, Sims, Heath, Groff, Graber.
Centers – Studer, Chovan, Gaddis.
Quarterbacks – Franklin, Pattinson, Dingler.
Halfbacks – Mauger, Sullivan, McLenndon, Weise, Thompson, Wonsick, B. Luke.
Fullbacks – Cardinal, Perry, Willoughby, Fletcher.

BENEDICTINE 0 0 0 7 7
MASSILLON 6 19 7 0 32

SCORING
Massillon
Mauger, 89-yard run (kick failed);
Mauger, 3-yard run (run failed);
Mauger, 70-yard punt return (pass failed);
Sullivan, 35-yard pass-run from Franklin (Mauger kick);
Mauger, 80-yard run (Mauger kick).

Benedictine
Reccord, 3-yard pass from Barile (Szabo kick).

THE GRIDSTICK
M B
First downs, rushing 9 2
First downs, passing 3 8
First downs, penalties 0 1
Total first downs 12 11
Yards gained rushing 303 99
Yards lost rushing 14 37
Net yards gained rushing 289 56
Net yards gained passing 67 112
Total yards gained 356 164
Passes completed 3-16 8-20
Passes intercepted by 3 1
Yards on passes Intercepted 43 0
Kickoff average (yards) 6-51 2-48.5
Kickoff returns (yards) 20 87
Punt average (yards) 3-35 7-31.4
Punt returns (yards) 131 0
Lost fumbled ball 2-4 2-3
Yards penalized 10-80 11-14
Touchdowns rushing 3 0
Touchdowns passing 1 1
Miscellaneous 1 0
Total number of plays 53 71

OFFICIALS
Referee – Irwin Shopbell.
Umpire – Steve O’Dea.
Head Linesman – Don Brown.
Field Judge – Ed Steinkerchner.
Back Judge – Tim Murray.

ATTENDANCE – 12,217.

Steve Luke
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1970: Massillon 71, Dayton Trotwood Madison 0

Commings cautious as Tigers roll 71-0

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Bob Commings is concerned again.

For the second successive season, his Massillon Tigers rolled over a hapless Trotwood Madison team and now he’s got a perennially tough Cleveland Benedictine outfit staring him in the face again.
* * *
IN 1969, the Washington high gridders just squeaked by Benedictine in their second game.

The Tigers trampled Trotwood 71-0 before 11,401 in Friday night’s opener at Tiger stadium. It was the most points run up by the Orange and Black since an 82-0 victory over Uhrichsville in the 1918 lid-lifter. It was also the most points scored by Massillon since a 90-0 walloping of Barberton in 1959.

Program Cover

“Like last year it was a little too easy again,” Commings said. “We’ll get our test next week. I just hope we accomplished something. If anybody can afford to be complacent against the Bennies, they’ll get their block knocked off.”

Commings’ game plan of throwing and running off tackle worked to perfection. The gang tackling and pursuit was good as was the downfield blocking.

“Our pursuit covered up for errors a couple of times,” Commings commented. “A good team would take advantage of this.”
* * *
TAILBACK MIKE Mauger scored three times, had two called back, kicked a conversion and amassed 107 yards in the first half. Quarterback Dennis Franklin scored one touchdown, passed for three others and tallied a conversion. Wingback Bernard Sullivan scored a pair of TD’s. Tight end and Co-Captain Steve Luke scored one and added a conversion. Wingback Larry McLenndon converted twice. Attack end Bob Stephan and wingback Bill Wonsick each scored six points. Tailback Rick Weise ran a conversion.

So completely did the Tigers dominate the action, that they rolled up a net 533 yards, including 234 through the air, their greatest passing yardage in quite awhile.

The Orangemen didn’t take long to light up the scoreboard. After a Trotwood punt following its first series, Mauger lugged the mail 51 yards around right end with the help of a key block by Sullivan with 9:47 left in the first quarter. The conversion snap went awry, forcing Mauger into an abortive run.

“Mailman Mike” had two more first quarter TD’s called back, one a 57-yard punt return with the help of a good block by Tim Ridgley and the other a one-yard run. Clipping and motion penalties were the culprits.

The Tigers were to go on to draw 138 yards in penalties, causing Commings to warn again about the “colossal mistake.”
* * *
MAUGER GOT into the act again with 9:02 left in the second quarter following a poor punt – one of several during the night which continuously gave the Tigers good field position. He was boxed in off right tackle and skirted end for 25 yards on first down, following with a conversion kick after Franklin had scored two points, only to have the Orange and Black flagged for an illegal shift.

Stephan, a junior, batted down an attempted first down pitchout off Trotwood’s
wishbone-T following the kickoff. The ball bounced from the 17 to the 10 where Stephan picked it up and sped into the end zone with 8:36 left. McLenndon ran the conversion.

On the Tigers’ next series, Franklin ran in from the nine on a second down, left side option with 3:05 remaining. He also rolled out to the left for the conversion.

Roger Groff picked off a fumble on the Trotwood 17 right after the kickoff. On the next play, Franklin found Sullivan on the one for the score at 2:06. He hit Luke for the conversion.

Massillon received the second half kickoff and Franklin combined with Luke again on a second down play for 66 yards with Luke running 35 at the 10:57 mark. Franklin failed to connect with Sullivan on the conversion.
* * *
“DENNIS THE Menace” hit Sullivan again for 25 yards and a TD at 10:14 on first down after Roger Groff had recovered a fumble. Junior Scott Dingler was off target to Sullivan on the conversion.

It was Mauger’s turn again as he returned a punt 79 yards with four blockers in front of him with 8:32 left. McLenndon added the conversion.

Dingler cranked up with 11:25 left in the game and connected with end Kevin Clary for a 73-yard, pass-run with Clary running 35 yards. Dingler failed to hit Sullivan for the conversion.

Wonsick, a junior, finished the slaughter at 1:34 on a 42-yard right-side first down reverse. Weise, another junior, ran the conversion.

TROTWOOD – 0
Ends – Dewey, Windmiller, Schweigert, Speaks, Rohrer, Blankenship.
Tackles – Bayes, Harrison, Phillips, Byrd, Ferguson, Morgan.
Guards – Sadow, Boehme, Rufener, Garber, Niswonger, Domsitz.
Centers – Bell, Kelchner.
Quarterbacks – Jensen, Roush. Schlee, Landis.
Halfbacks – Truesdale, Owens, Cyr.
Fullbacks – Parkhill, Brewer.

MASSILLON – 71
Ends – S. Luke, Spencer, Yackee, Clary, Tisdale, McGuire, Smith, Stephan, Vogt, Turley.
Tackles – Ridgley, Strobel, Weirich, Houser, Janikis, Longworth, Cooper, Dodd, Peters, Miller.
Guards – Jasinski, Kulik, Nussbaumer, Christoff, Sima, Jellel, Heath, Marsh, Shumar, Smith, Maier, Groff, Graber, Heck.
Centers – Studer, Chovan, McCabe, Allman, Gaddis.
Quarterbacks – Franklin, Dingler, Pattinson.
Halfbacks – Mauger, Sullivan, Weise, B. Luke, Schultz, Thompson, Wonsick, Ely.
Fullbacks – Cardinal, Perry, Willoughby, Fletcher.

SCORING
Massillon
Mike Mauger, 51-yard run (kick failed);
Mauger 25 yard run (Mauger, kick);
Bob Stephan, pitchout bat and 10-yard fumble recovery, (Larry McLenndon, run);
Dennis Franklin, nine-yard run (Franklin, run);
Bernard Sullivan, 17-yard, pass-run from Franklin (Steve Luke, pass from Franklin);
Luke, 67-yard, pass-run from Franklin (pass failed);
Sullivan 25-yard pass from Franklin (pass failed);
Mauger, 79-yard punt runback (McLenndon, run);
Kevin Clary, 73-yard pass-run from QB Scott Dingler (pass failed);
Bill Wonsick, 42-yard run (Rick Weise, run).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Joe Romano.
Umpire – Tony Kramer.
Head Linesman – Irwin Shopbell.
Field Judge – Harvey Hodgson, Jr.
Back Judge – Robert Wallace.

Attendance: 11,401.

THE GRIDSTICK
M T
First downs rushing 12 4
First downs passing 6 0
First down penalties 0 2
Total first downs 18 6
Yards gained rushing 299 129
Yards lost rushing 0 25
Net yards gained rushing 299 104
Net yards gained passing 234 0
Total yards gained 533 104
Passes attempted 10-7 2-0
Kickoff average (yards) 11-45.0 1-26.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 0 95
Punt average (yards) 2-28.5 10-29.8
Punt returns (yards) 123 2
Fumbles lost 1-2 3-9
Yards penalized 13-138 3-21
Touchdowns – rushing 4 0
Touchdowns – passing 4 0
Miscellaneous 2 0
Total number of plays 43 65

Tigers must be consistent
vs. Bennie
Beware second half!

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Cleveland Benedictine has not beaten a Washington high football team since 1962, but Augie Bossu’s charges seem to be getting closer all the time – with second half rebounds.

Bob Commings, WHS skipper, remembers all to well the scare thrown into his team in 1969 when the Bennies almost pulled the contest out of the fire, but fell short 22-20.
* * *
THE TIGERS had a 22-7 halftime lead and all seemed well. The Bennies’ Bob Kacvinsky had scored first from a half-yard away and Wayne Bacik kicked the extra point.

Darnell Streeter had run seven yards and Mike Autrey, two, with Autrey also scoring on a 40-yard screen pass from Gary Herring. Denny Franklin had tossed two conversion
passes – one to Larry Harper and the other to Streeter.

But, Kacvinsky got into the act once again, scoring in each of the last two periods on two and 27-yard runs. Bacik added another conversion kick.
The Bennies also had a long kickoff return TD called back due to a penalty.

In 1968, Bob Seamans’ final season here the Orange and Black raced to a 26-7 halftime lead only to have the Bennies come steaming back again as the game ended 34-19. Marc Malinowski scored twice for the Tigers – on five and three-yard runs; Streeter romped two and 56 yards and Co-Captain Larry Shumar carried an interception back 15 yards.
* * *
MALINOWSKI hit Mark McDew and Tom Robinson for conversions.

Benedictine took a 6-0 halftime lead in 1966, but the Tigers scored 20 points in the last half. Will Foster ran for two one-yard scores. Tommy James went over from eight yards away. Kevin Henderson ran a conversion.

In Earle Bruce’s final campaign (1965), the Tigers led 14-0 at halftime only to see the Bennies score 12 points in the final quarter in the withering Tiger stadium heat as the WHSers held on for a 29-12 win.

Walter Lemmon scored from one and two yards out; James from 24 yards away and Craig Maurer on a 35-yard scamper. Dave Sheegog passed for two conversions – one to Bill Williams, the other to James – and Bill Pearch booted a conversion.

The point is that lately the Tigers haven’t played a full game of good football against the Bennies. Commings, therefore, has been reminding his charges this week that a consistent performance is necessary Friday night if the Orange men are to come out on top.

The series stands at 13 wins for Massillon, two for Benedictine with 393 points scored by the Tigers and 139 by the Bennies.

Steve Luke
Massillon vs. McK - Throwback (Large) History

1969: Massillon 7, Canton McKinley 14

Pride is still the word in Tigertown

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor.

Pride has been a key word with Bob Commings all season.

Over and over again the Tiger football coach has told his charges that individual pride is what makes a great player. When 11 players have individual pride, a team has pride and becomes great.
* * *
TODAY THE Washington high gridders are a proud team and their pride has swelled into Tigertown pride – a pride that will probably manifest itself in the biggest crowd to ever turn out for the annual football banquet come Nov. 29 at the WHS cafeteria

Program Cover

The Orange and Black lost the season finale 14-7 to arch-rival Canton McKinley in the 74th renewal of the ancient grid classic before 22,200 fans Saturday afternoon at Fawcett stadium in Canton. They also lost the All-American conference title to the Bulldogs, but the Tigers became great in the eyes of their fans.

It took the Bulldogs 47 minutes and 43 seconds to get their win and a 9-1 record while the WHSers ended 7-2-1, but the Pups knew they were in a game. The Tigers hit hard and ran hard the whole afternoon. They played better football and practically stopped the Bulldogs cold.

But for a senior quarterback named Joe Babics, some finesse at key moments, a couple of penalties and a great break made by the Bulldogs, it might have been a different story.

Bulldog fullback Rocco Rich, tailback Rich Brown and wingback Ed Floyd got almost nowhere. Admittedly Brown, who had been injured a couple of weeks ago, was not in the best of condition, operating on a gimpy ankle.

“We won the real warfare,” a tired Tiger game Co-Captain Darnell Streeter said afterwards. He referred to the statistical column where the Orange and Black amassed 15 first downs to McKinley’s 11 and 255 total yards to the Bulldogs’ 172.
* * *
STREETER PICKED up 72 yards in 16 carries and Autrey 74 in 17.

Both of McKinley’s touchdown drives featured outstanding outside running by Babics, dictated by a great inside Tiger defense. Fifteen-yard face mask penalties and an interception by Rich on the second drive also helped.

Outside of the two TD jaunts and a long pass to the Massillon 30 at the end of the first half,

Program Cover

McKinley failed to get out of its own territory.
Rich’s pilfer came after the Tigers had forced a punt and had taken over on their 47 with 2:06 left in the game. Quarterback Gary Herring found wingback Larry Harper down the middle on the McKinley 43, but Harper was hit hard, the ball bounced into the air, Rich grabbed it and got back to the Orange and Black’s 47.

Commings could have settled for a tie but to his credit, he went after a win.

Eight plays later sub quarterback Joe Shimek, off play action and a sprint out, tossed to Floyd who made a diving catch for the winning TD with 17 seconds left. Shimek followed with his second conversion boot.

Babics executed two key runs off fake action to turn the end, one on first down from the Tiger 47 to the 41with the face mask penalty added. Then on fourth and one on the 14 he sprinted to the two.
* * *
BABICS WAS injured when thrown out of bounds. Shimek came in, handed off twice into the line and then threw the winning pass.

“The proudest guy around has got to be Mr. Shimek and I can’t blame him,” Bulldog Coach Ron Chismar said. “He was our No. 2 quarterback all year and he had the guts to come in when we needed him. And that was a beautiful catch by Floyd!”

Chismar acknowledged that the Bulldogs had gotten a big break via Rich’s interception.

“It takes breaks to win,” he said. “We gave a few away and got some.”

Shortly before the fateful drive the Tigers had punted on fourth and four from the Bulldog 43.

“It worked out the way we wanted it to,” Commings said. “We got the ball back with two minutes to go.”
* * *
McKINLEY’S OTHER scoring jaunt came after the Tigers’ only TD and featured eight plays and 75 yards after a 20-yard kickoff runback by Tom Clifford.

Another deceptive 11-yard end run by Babics with a face mask penalty thrown in and a
31-yard pass to Mark Brown, which put the ball on the Tiger 16, were the highlights.

Babics carried on three of the next five plays and when the Orange and Black stacked its linebackers behind its tackles and left a gap in the center, Babics rammed through from the three on third down with 8:09 left in the second stanza. Shimek booted the PAT.

The Tigers’ score came off a 42-yard drive and a 13-yard interception runback by Don Lewis. The Commingmen’s effort featured eight plays, an 11-yard run by Streeter, who carried seven times, and a 19-yard pass from Herring to Harper who made a brilliant catch just inside the boundary line for a first down at the nine. Autrey scored over guard on fourth down from the one with 11:52 left in the second stanza. Mike Mauger kicked the conversion.

The Tigers ran out of downs after a 27-yard drive to the 32 in the first quarter – following a 39-yard jaunt to the 38 in the third quarter and lost the ball again on downs after Doug Miller had intercepted a pass near the sideline on the McKinley 21 in the third canto. The Orange and Black moved the ball only four more yards.

They had the ball for 21 plays compared to McKinley’s 8 in the third quarter and for 68 compared to the Pups’ 47 over-all, giving the home-standers a good dose of their own ball control medicine.

“Massillon did a fantastic job of defensing us,” Chismar stated.

“We did a fantastic job of hitting them,” Commings opined. “They’re a great team. They fooled us a couple of times but we controlled the ball on them. I couldn’t ask for any better effort than our boys gave.

MASSILLON – 7
Ends – Robinson, Lewis, Byelene, McConnaughead, Maxhimer.
Tackles – Benson, Dorman, Bingle, Celik, Reinerts, Ridgley, Strobel.
Guards, Hout, Midgley, McLin.
Centers – S. Luke, Brand.
Quarterbacks – Streeter, Harper, Mauger, Sheaters, Miller, Ammond.
Fullbacks – Autrey, Cardinal.

McKINLEY – 14
Ends – Turner, M. Brown, J. Martin, Clayton, DiMarzio, Birl, Roman.
Tackles – Ford, Obrovac, R. Martin, Gardner.
Guards – Nemeth, Cook, Hayworth.
Centers – Clark, Pimpas.
Quarterbacks – Babics, Shimek, Stranan.
Halfbacks – Walker, Floyd, R. Brown, Clifford.
Fullback – Rich.

Massillon 0 7 0 0 – 7
McKinley 0 7 0 7 – 14

SCORING SUMMARY
M – FB Mike Autrey, one-yard run, TB Mike Mauger PAT (kick)
McK – QB Joe Babics, throw-run, QB Joe Shimek PAT (kick)
Mck – WB Ed Floyd, throw-pass from Shimek, Shimek PAT (kick)

OFFICIALS
Referee – John Cseh.
Umpire – Chuck Lorenz.
Head Linesman – Milo Lukity.
Field Judge – Ruggiero.
Back Judge – Tonn.

THE GRIDSTICK
M McK
First downs – rushing 9 5
First downs – passing 5 4
First downs –penalties 1 2
Total first downs 15 11
Yards gained rushing 159 95
Yards lost rushing 12 10
Net yards gained rushing 147 85
Net yards gained passing 108 87
Total yards gained 255 172
Passes completed 9-23 7-12
Yardage on passes intercepted 2-18 1-10
Kickoff average (yards) 2-51.0 4-48.3
Kickoff returns (yards) 0 19
Punt average yards 4-33.5 5-38
Punt returns (yards) 5 7
Had punts blocked 0 0
Lost fumbled ball 1-4 0-2
Yards penalized 6-57 2-10
Touchdowns rushing 1 1
Touchdowns passing 0 1
Total number of plays 68 47

A salute to the Tigers
The scoreboard read Canton McKinley 14, Massillon 7, but the Massillon Washington high school football team stood high in the eyes of Massillon fans.

Entering the Saturday afternoon game played in Canton’s Fawcett stadium an underdog by two touchdowns, the Tigers played admirable football for 48 minutes. They lost the game to Canton but won the admiration of Massillon fans for their spirited play. They won the battle of statistics, first downs, yards gained from passing and rushing, but lost on the scoreboard which showed 17 seconds remaining when Canton scored the winning touchdown.

Seldom has a Massillon team played any better football and still lost the game. We salute Coach Robert Commings, his staff and the Massillon Tigers for a job well done.

We congratulate Canton McKinley. The Bulldogs hung on tenaciously, capitalized on opportunity when victory had all but eluded them and scored their winning points on a truly great catch by halfback Eddie Floyd, thrown by substitute Quarterback Joe Shimek.

The McKinley team, one of the greatest in Bulldog history, should be voted state champion on the basis of its schedule, but will probably finish second to Upper Arlington whose opponents were not of the same caliber as those played by McKinley.

Mike Autry
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1969: Massillon 38, Columbus Marion Franklin 8

Orange and Black were behind 8-6 at the half

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

For three-quarters Friday night it appeared the Washington high gridders were bewitched. But in the goodbye canto, the Tigers gave Columbus Marion Franklin the devil and the Tiger stadium Halloween party turned out to be a treat after all.

The Tigers broke loose for 24 points in the final stanza for a 38-8 victory over the Red Devils from the state capital. A Dad’s Night crowd of 8,407, smallest of the season, watched the home finale.

The Orange and Black did just what Coach Bob Commings feared they would do. They looked ahead to next Saturday’s traditional season-ender with Canton McKinley and Franklin played its heart out in trying to capitalize on the WHSers’ dull play but in the end was out manned. The visitors even led 8-6 at the half.
* * *
“WHEN YOU’RE flat and win 38-8 and nobody gets hurt, you’re thankful,” Commings said. “I’m pleased the kids came out and hit somebody in the second half.”

“We couldn’t go with their depth,” Franklin Coach Dick Mileff said. “I was real proud of our boys. Massillon knew they had been in a game. We knew we had to guard against their momentum.”

It was that momentum which ultimately turned the tide for when the Tigers were able to get the Devils’ pitchfork out of their hides in the fourth quarter, there was no stopping the Commingsmen. Good defensive play enabled the Tigers to keep Franklin bottled up in its own territory throughout the final 12 minutes – with one exception – and enabled the Tigers to be constantly in good field position.

The Orange and Black should have had four scores in the final frame, but after a 43-yard pass-run from quarterback Gary Herring to split end Dan Byelene – the pass traveling 36 yards – a broken play on second down from the one and Roy Enyart’s interception in the end zone thwarted the first attempt.

The Tigers forced a punt, which went out of bounds on the Franklin 38. Wingback Larry “Scooter” Harper picked up 15 yards on an inside double reverse. Fullback Mike Autrey went outside on a pitch for 14 more and then scored on first down from the nine on another pitch with 6:47 left.

Tailback Darnell “Bopper” Streeter’s excellent block enabled Autrey to score the conversion on a pitch to the other side.
* * *
FRANKLIN got as far as the Massillon 49 during its next possession but tackle Bill Dorman and end Ed McConnaughead, Mike Mauger, Mauger and McConnaughead thre Devil runners back 26 yards on the next 3 plays and got the help of a procedure penalty. Massillon took over on the Franklin 20. Harper scampered 20 yards on a double reverse and the Tigers had another score with 1:38 left.

Quarterback Denny Franklin’s pass to Mike Autrey scored two more points.

Dorman helped to set up the last touchdown by blocking a punt, middle guard Elijah McLin raced 11 yards with the recovery and on second down from the 20, Franklin hit Harper in the corner after missing him in the middle of the end zone with 20 seconds left.

McLin scored the conversion on a pitch and the ensuing kickoff ran out the clock.

The Tigers had started the scoring in the second period after Streeter intercepted a 20-yard pass on his 10 and returned 47 yards. In eight plays, including a 13-yard pitch run by Streeter with a personal foul penalty thrown in, Massillon was on the scoreboard.

Streeter went between guard and tackle from three yards out with 5:16 left. Herring hit Harper for the conversion but an ineligible player downfield caused a loss of the try down and nullified the two points.
* * *
A TIGER FUMBLE, recovered by Franklin on the Massillon 43 led to the Devils’ only score after a seven-play drive, which included a personal foul penalty, Bill Taylor’s 10-yard run on a 13-yard pass-run from quarterback Lloyd Ball and a 10-yard pass-run to fullback Bill Harris off a sprint.

Ball sneaked over from the one on the next play (first down) with 17 seconds left in the first half. Ball hit Taylor for an 8-6 lead.

Hall slipped on a fourth down run in the third quarter and the Tigers took over on their 19. Ten and 13-yard runs by Harper, an 18-yarder by Autrey and a 26-yarder by Streeter gave added impetus to a seven-play TD drive.

Streeter capped the drive off with 56 seconds left. Herring circled end for the two extra points.

The Tigers muffed two first quarter chances when fourth down passes from Franklin’s 10 and 28 were incompleted.

Until the fourth stanza, the Orange and Black had trouble stopping Franklin’s possession game with Harris picking up key yardage off tackle. He ended with 87 net yards in 25 carries while Streeter had 101 without a loss in 14 and Autrey 62 without a loss in nine.

Franklin had 71 plays to Massillon’s 51, also attesting to its ability to control the ball.

Massillon’s record rose to 7-1-1 as the result of the non-league game. Franklin dropped to 4-4-1.

FRANKLIN – 8
Ends – Mills, Farris, Enyart, Shackleford.
Tackles – Vanover, Davis, Wiggins, Conner, McDowell.
Guards – Charmon, Turner, Hughes.
Center – Harold Fields.
Quarterbacks – Ball, Ryan, Bullock, Ryan.
Halfbacks – Bossey, Johnson, Ross, Mason, Brookins, Taylor.
Fullbacks – Harris, Lattimore.

MASSILLON – 38
Ends – Byelene, McConnaughead, Lewis, Robinson, Maxhimer, Cline.
Tackles – Dorman, Ridgley, Midgley, Strobel, Celik, Reinerts.
Guards – Midgley, Hout, Benson, Ferguson, Jellel, Sims, Pifer, Eckroate.
Centers – S. Luke, Brand.
Quarterbacks – Franklin, Herring, Fromholtz.
Halfbacks – Mauger, Lombardi, Streeter, Ammond, Harper, W. Luke, Sullivan, Sheaters, Clarey.
Fullbacks – Autrey, McLin, Cardinal.

Franklin 0 8 0 0 – 8
Massillon 0 6 8 24 – 38

SCORING SUMMARY
M – TB Darnell Streeter, two-yard run.
F – QB Lloyd Ball, one-yard run, HB Bill Taylor PAT (pass from Ball).
M – Streeter, four-yard run, Herring PAT (run).
M – FB Mike Autrey, nine-yard run, Autrey PAT (run).
M – WB Larry Harper, 20-yard pass, Autrey PAT (pass from Franklin).
M – Harder, 22-yard pass from Franklin, McLin PAT (run).

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Massillon
Att. Net. Avg.
Streeter 14 101 7.2
Autrey 9 62 6.9

Franklin
Att. Net. Avg.
Harris 25 87 3.5

OFFICIALS
Referee – John Cseh.
Umpire – Henry Mastrianni.
Head Linesman – Robert Donal.
Field Judge – Robert Whetstone.
THE GRIDSTICK
M F
First downs – rushing 16 8
First downs – passing 3 4
First downs – penalties 0 2
Total first downs 19 14
Yards gained rushing 247 127
Yards lost rushing 6 38
Net yards gained rushing 241 89
Net yards gained passing 97 64
Total yards gained 338 153
Passes completed 6–16 7–18
Passes intercepted by 2 1
Yardage on passes intercepted 77 2
Kickoff average (yards) 6–50.4 2–21.5
Kickoff returns (yards) 0 45
Punt average (yards) 1–26.0 5–33.0
Punt returns (yards) 22 0
Had punts blocked 0 1
Fumbles 2 0
Lost fumbled ball 2 0
Yards penalized 7–65 3–28
Touchdowns rushing 4 1
Touchdowns passing 1 0
Total number of plays 51 71

Mike Autry
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1969: Massillon 33, Warren Harding 14

Tigers ‘scoot’ past Panthers 33-14

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

The football was pitched as successfully Friday night at Tiger stadium as a winner’s horseshoe in a championship match.

The scoot play, as Coach Bob Commings calls it, was the key ingredient in the Washington high offensive grid recipe as the Tigers pummeled Warren Harding 33-14 before 10,223.
* * *
IT WAS Massillon’s sixth win against a loss and a tie while Harding slipped to 3-5. The Tigers moved up from fourth to third in the All-American conference standings.

Steubenville took over first place with a 20-14 win over previously undefeated Canton McKinley which dropped to second. The Bulldogs are 3-1 while the Big Red are 2-0-1.

Not only did the power pitch to backs Darnell Streeter, Mike Autrey, and Mike Mauger work well, but the Tigers added some screen passes to Autrey and sideline tosses to wingback Larry Harper for a well-rounded offensive effort.

“All of our backs were really running,” Commings explained. “We blocked a pretty good football game and got a good game out of quarterback Gary Herring again.”

Herring threw the majority of the 10 completions in 15 attempts for the Tigers’ 153 yards passing. Streeter picked up 128 of the Orange and Black’s 275 net rushing yards in 13 carries while the other half of the WHSer’s one-two punch, Autrey, gained 73. Mauger iced the cake with 44.
* * *
HARPER CAUGHT four passes to add 52 yards to his league-leading total.

“One of the biggest things we’ve got going for us right now is that we have a lot of offense,” Coming commented. “They took away our trap so something else worked. Our power pitch is one of our better plays. It worked so we stayed with it.”

The Tigers’ five touchdowns found Mauger and Streeter with two each and Autrey, whose TD jaunts seem to draw more red flags than picnic food does flies – one.

Herring and Autrey combined for a 65-yard screen pass score near the end of the second quarter. But an illegal use of the hands penalty on the 20 nullified Autrey’s great run.

A 15-yard penalty was tacked onto the bench and Commings rushed onto the field as if shot out of a slingshot, but did not incur a third long-distance step-off.
* * *
ANOTHER POTENTIAL touchdown was lost on a fumble.

Streeter got the game off to a breathtaking start when he took a pitch to the left, cut back and raced the tacklers on a 67-yard route to the two on the first play from scrimmage. His run featured a fine escape move on the 20.

Two plays later Mauger slipped between end and tackle for the score with 10:40 left in the initial stanza and Mauger booted the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

The next time the Tigers got possession, an 80-yard, 10-plays drive got them their second counter. Thirteen and 16-yard Herring-to-Harper aerials were key plays.

Autrey blasted through the middle from the 15 on the first down for the score with 3:06 left in the first quarter. A good head-first second effort at the one helped. Herring’s keeper scamper made it 15-0.
* * *
WARREN COUNTERED with a 70-yard, 13-play scoring trek with fullback Marv Simmons and tailback Tyrone Cooks doing most of the carrying on power stuff. Simmons dove over from the one on first down with 9:46 left in the second stanza, but failed on the conversion run.

It was the only long drive of the night for Warren and consumed 5:14.

With three seconds left in the third quarter, Massillon counted again, moving 43 yards in seven plays after a short punt. Streeter charged over from the half-yard line, but Harper couldn’t catch Herring for two more points.

Diminutive cornerback Doug Miller intercepted a pass on the Warren 25, returned eight yards and another Tiger TD was in the making. On fourth down from the 24, Herring rolled left, threw across field to Streeter on the 15 and “The Bopper” made a determined run for pay-off land, leaping over one prostrate Black Panther and racing by a couple of others.

His score came with 10:10 left in the goodbye canto. Autrey’s conversion run on the pitch was short by a gnat’s eyelash.
* * *
THE TIGERS took over on their 17 after a punt and 17 plays and 83 yards later Mauger took a pitch and raced over on third down from the four. His kick was low and the score was 33-6 with 47 seconds left.

He helped his own cause with a 17-yard pitch run while Harper chipped in with a 12-yard double reverse.

Cooks ended the game with as thrilling a run as Streeter had opened the evening. On the first play after the kickoff, quarterback George Jerina faded from the 27, found Cooks on the 44 and he was touchdown bound. Jerina’s pass to halfback Gary Pestrak ended the scoring with 14 seconds left.

THE GRIDSTICK
M W
First downs – rushing 15 7
First downs – passing 9 2
First downs – penalties 1 2
Total first downs 25 11
Yards gained rushing 279 128
Yards lost rushing 4 23
Net yards gained rushing 275 105
Net yards gained passing 153 106
Total yards gained 428 211
Passes completed 10–15 5–11
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 13 0
Kickoff average (yards) 6–47.8 3–39.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 32 102
Times punted 0 4
Punt average (yards) 0 32
Lost fumbled balls 1–2 0–1
Yards penalized 5–45 2–6
Touchdowns rushing 4 1
Touchdowns passing 1 1
Total number of plays 66 50

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Massillon
Att. Net. Avg.
Streeter 13 128 9.8
Autrey 22 73 3.3
Mauger 8 44 5/5

Warren
Att. Net. Avg.
Simmons 16 63 3.9
Cooks 12 32 2.6

Mike Autry