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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
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1969: Massillon 52, Hamilton Garfield 12

Tiger offense improved in 52-12 win
Streeter scores 3 touchdowns Herring throws for three scores

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Bob Commings’ remedial course in blocking began to pay off Friday night as the Washington high offense began to move again.

But while the line fired out much better than in the previous two weeks in a 52-12 win over Hamilton Garfield on homecoming night at Tiger stadium, Commings would like to see more improved technique.

The Tigers’ fifth win in seven games, including a loss and a tie, came before a home-coming crowd of 9,170 smallest of the season. The Griffins fell to 3-4 in the non-league affair.
* * *
BEFORE FRIDAY, Massillon had scored only once in the last eight quarters. This time the Obies counted in each quarter as senior tailback Darnell Streeter crossed into that payoff land paved with streets of goal five times, three times for touchdowns.

Quarterback Gary Herring threw two six-pointers and two two-pointers, one of each to split end Dan Byelene, starting his first game. The senior played two years ago but did not come out in 1968.

The Tigers had some defensive problems with the triple option with which Niles handcuffed them three weeks ago. With Griffin backs running merrily around the ends, Hamilton netted 131 yards rushing to the Tigers’ 100 before the intermission. But Commings placed an end on the pitch in the second half and held the Giffs to 68 yards rushing while Massillon gained 104.

The big difference was in passing as the Orange and Black completed seven of 14 while Hamilton connected on only two of a like number with totals of 206 and 27 respectively.

The Tiger defense picked off four of seven Hamilton fumbles and Griff receivers – perhaps hearing the pitter-pat of Tiger paws behind them – mishandled three potential touchdown passes. One, in the first quarter, would have gone for 61 yards, and might have helped to get Lou Florio’s charges off to a flying start.
* * *
HAMILTON APPEARED to be rolling after the opening kickoff when Tiger Junior line backer Tom (Beanie) Cardinal recovered a fumble at the Griffins’ 48. In seven plays the Obies had their first score.

Streeter carried six times for 41 yards, “The Bopper” going the remaining 20 on second down through the middle with 7:01 left. Herring added two points on a keeper.

End Mike Mauger picked up another fumble after a punt hit a Tiger defender, with Hamilton recovering on the Massillon 38. Mauger added an eight-yard run to the recovery and the WHSers took over on the Hamilton 42.

Herring lofted one to Byelene on the one and fullback Mike Autrey added a conversion run to make it 16-0 with 2:19 left in the welcome stanza. Although this was Autrey’s only score, his continued hard-nosed running, coupled with Streeters, put the spotlight again on one of the best one-two punches around.

With halfback Roy Kidd returning the kickoff 24 yards, the Griffins were off on a 12-play, 67-yard scoring romp aided by a 29-yard option jaunt by halfback Barry Allen and a
20-yard fourth-down, pass-run from quarterback Dan Wells to Allen for a first down on the Massillon 16.
* * *
THREE PLAYS later, Kidd took a six-yard scoring pitch with 10:04 left in the second quarter. Wells missed on the conversion keeper.

Massillon scored in five plays after the touchdown after Mauger got things started with a 30-yard kickoff runback to the Massillon 46. Autrey picked up 31 yards and Streeter romped 19 yards off tackle on a pitch of the score with 7:58 remaining and slashed off tackle for the conversion counters.

Linebacker Pat Midgley, who along with Cardinal, proving a good team for the Orange and Black, picked up a Griffin fumble on their 32, but on the next play halfback Steve Luttrell intercepted a pass on the 11 and added a 37-yard runback. A fumble, not lost this time, aborted the effort.

However, Allen ran the next punt back 31 yards in midfield and Garfield had its last TD in nine plays. A 14-yard third down keeper by Wells aided the cause by providing a first down on the Tiger 11.

Three plays later Kidd again scored on a pitch. Cardinal decked Wells on the conversion pass try and it was 24-12 with 1:41 left.
* * *
STREETER’S KICKOFF runback was for 27 yards to the WHS 39. A 25-yard Herring to Larry Harper pass-run put the ball on the Hamilton 34. Herring and Streeter executed a screen pass touchdown on the next play and Herring hit Streeter again for the conversion with 59 seconds left.

An ineligible-receiver-down-field penalty was called and then rescinded.

Streeter’s 20-yard runback of the second half kickoff ignited a five-lay 65-yard TD effort. Autrey, “old reliable,” gained 21 of the yards. Junior tailback Mike Mauger was given the task of scoring on a 36-yard draw with 9:33 left. Herring hit Byelene for the conversion.

Tackle Bill Dorman recovered a Hamilton fumble on the Tiger 27. Thirteen plays later it was gold carat time again for Massillon. A 41-yard Herring-to-Harper pass-run, which saw Harper execute a beautiful escape at the Tiger 40 and tightrope the sideline to the Giffs’ 38, and a pass interference call helped the drive.

Successive passes to Harper, a junior wingback, on the 13 and into the end zone accounted for the score with 58 seconds left in the third quarter. Herring was rushed but got the later pass away and “The Scooter” leaped into the air at the end line to snare the spheroid. Streeter missed the conversion.
* * *
THE FINAL Tiger tally came with the Cubs playing Harper’s 18-yard punt runback set the stage for a six-play 32-yard drive. Quarterback John Fromholtz found end Mike Cline for a 23-yard pass run to the four.

On the second play fullback Cardinal rammed home between guard and tackle with 1:40 left in the game. Fromholtz got decked in attempting to pass for two more points.

HAMITON – 12
Ends – Bennett, Wells, Fowler, Townsend.
Tackles – Helton, McDaniel, Dennis Briggs, Davis, Brown.
Guards – Sexton, Petrak, Rogers, Barnaky, Alexander, Turner.
Centers – Arndt, Cadle, Lancaster.
Quarterbacks – Wells, Turpin.
Halfbacks – Rod Harbrecht, Jones, Kidd, Don Briggs, C. Jackson, Allen, Luttrell, Floyd.
Fullbacks – G. Jackson, Harrison, Schmitz.

MASSILLON – 52
Ends – McConnaughead, Robinson, Cline, Maxhimer, Byelene, Pribich, Snyder, Lewis.
Tackles – Ridgley, Heck, Bingle, Reinerts, Celik, Strobel, Dorman, R. Luke.
Guards – Miller, Pifer, Jasinski,Kulik, Indorf, Ferguson, Midgley, Hout, Eckroate, McLin, Sims.
Center – S. Luke.
Quarterbacks – Herring, Fromholtz.
Halfbacks – Streeter, Harper, Mauger, Gamble, Sheaters, Brand, B. Luke, Ammond, Pattinson.
Fullbacks – Autrey, Cardinal.

Massillon 16 16 14 6 52
Hamilton 0 12 0 0 12

SCORING SUMMARY
M – TB Darnell Streeter, 20-yard run, Herring PAT (run).
M – E Dan Byelene, 42-yard pass-run from QB Gary Herring, Autrey PAT (run).
H – HB Roy Kidd, 11-yard run.
M – Streeter, 19-yard run, Streeter PAT (run).
H – Kidd, six-yard run.
M – Streeter, 32-yard screen pass from Herring, Streeter PAT (run)
M – TB Mike Mauger, 36-yard run, Byelene PAT (pass from Herring).
M – WB Larry Harper, 13-yard pass from Herring.
M – TB Tom Cardinal, three-yard run.

THE GRIDSTICK
M H
First downs – rushing 13 12
First downs – passing 7 1
First downs – penalties 1 0
Total first downs 21 13
Yards gained rushing 235 218
Yards lost rushing 31 19
Net yards gained rushing 204 199
Net yards gained passing 206 27
Total yards gained 410 226
Passes completed 7–14 2–14
Passes intercepted by 1 1
Yardage on passes intercepted 0 33
Kickoff average (yards) 8–46.5 3–46.3
Kickoff returns (yards) 80 89
Punt average (yards) 3–43.3 4–30.5
Punt returns (yards) 36 32
Lost fumbled ball 1–2 4–2
Yards penalized 2–30 3–25
Touchdowns rushing 4 2
Touchdowns passing 3 0
Total number of plays 52 67

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Massillon
Att. Net. Avg.
Darnell Streeter 12 82 6.8
Mike Autrey 11 84 7.6

Hamilton
Att. Net. Avg.
Barry Allen 16 67 4.2

OFFICIALS
Referee – Milo Lukity.
Umpire – Jack Werkowitz.
Head Linesman – Howard Eckert.
Field Judge – Hugh Davis.

Mike Autry
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1969: Massillon 0, Steubenville 0

It was an unhappy night for Tigers
Flags fly as offense fails; defense clicks

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

You could have called it “The Battle of the Frustration Bowl” or “The Saga of the Red Flags” but anyway you sliced it, it added up to an unhappy night.

It was all defense before an estimated 13,000 standing room only crowd Friday night at Harding stadium in Steubenville as the Massillon Tigers and Steubenville big Red battled to a scoreless deadlock. The Tigers have scored only six points in the last eight quarters.

On fourth down from the 38, Herring tried to hit Lewis again, this time in the end zone, but halfback Tom Mitchell knocked the ball down.
* * *
DURING THE last minute of the game, a Tiger fumble of a Steubenville punt was recovered on the Massillon 33 by guard Ross Daniels but a five-yard motion penalty was assessed the Big Red by linesman Frank Wahl, forcing a re-punt and Massillon ran out the clock.

Late in the second quarter Steubenville was fourth down three on the Massillon 10. A procedure penalty put the Big Red back to the 15 from where halfback Jim Steiner’s
25-yard field goal try was blocked by Bill Dorman.

There were two other scoring threats, both by Massillon. In the second quarter, Lewis picked up a Steuber fumble on the Massillon 48 at the 5:36 mark. A 24-yard pass-run from Quarterback Denny Franklin to wingback Larry Harper put the ball on the 19, but on fourth down three, end Henry Hill, trouble-some all night, tossed Franklin to the 19.

In the third quarter, Autrey and Franklin combined on a 20-yard pass-run with a 15-yard face-mask penalty thrown in. But on second down from the Steubenville 25, guard Ralph DiBacco and Mitchell pounced on another Tiger bobble.

Getting back to the Tigers’ defense, Sheaters and halfback Scott Pattinson, also a sub, turned in some fine pass coverage work. End Ed McConnaughead had a couple of key tackles.

BUT COACH Bob Commings patted the entire defense on the back.

“I thought the kids were fabulous,” he said. “They deserved to win. They hit like crazy! When you take Streeter (Darnell) out and you still do a good job, you can be sure you’ve done well. We had enough offense to win. We scored one TD. Steubenville played a very spirited game.”

Streeter didn’t play in the second half because his jaw, swollen from oral surgery, began to act up. Franklin, for the second consecutive week, got knocked woozy and left near the end of the game.

“It was a good hitting game, real good effort on our part,” Abe Bryan, Steubenville coach who has never beaten Massillon, explained. “A break either way could have changed the game. Our second quarterback Jeff Spahn hurt us so we went back to our injured one, Gary Repella, in the fourth quarter.”

He added, “With the caliber of the two teams, the number of penalties called was not good. I think we had more penalties tonight than all other games put together this year. But we made mistakes.”

Massillon will now take a one-game rest from AAC warfare to return home next Friday against Hamilton Garfield.

Both teams now have 4-1-1 overall records. Massillon is 1-1-1 in the All-American conference, tied with Niles (1-1) for third, while Steubenville is 1-0-1 and second. Canton McKinley (3-0) leads.

THE TIE was the first in the Massillon-Steubenville series since a 7-7 score in 1945 on the same field. It was the third consecutive season in which a Tiger team has been scoreless in at least one game.

A Steubenville team hadn’t held the Orange and Black scoreless since a 1931 68-0 debacle, also in the River City, but on a different field.

So hard-hitting were both defenses that Massillon netted only two yards rushing and Steubenville 46. But Massillon’s 122 in the air enabled the Orange and Black to end with a scant 10 yard advantage in total yardage 122-110.

The Tigers were held to minus 27 yards on the ground in the first half while the Steubers picked up only 33. Neither offensive line could do much blocking for runners or much protecting of passers.

Two key penalties hurt both teams but the one which nullified a fourth quarter Massillon TD was the bitterest pill to swallow. Cornerback Jerry Sheaters, starting his first game, had just intercepted a Steubenville pass on the Massillon 33 with 2:41 left in the game to prevent what looked like a sure touchdown.

QUARTERBACK GARY Herring, tossed a screen pass to fullback Mike Autrey who made one of the finest runs of the season, featuring a neat cut-back, to get into pay dirt.

However, Washington high was called for illegal procedure. Referee Bill Holzwarth said after the game that field judge Robert Walker had detected a lineman in “No Man’s Land” (between the line and the backfield). Since the Tigers did not have seven men on the line, it cost them dearly.

Later in the same series, Steubenville thought it had recovered a fumble at the Tiger 16 when Autrey dropped a screen toss. However, Holzwarth, who initially signaled a first down for Steubenville, changed his mind after consultation with his crew and ruled an incomplete pass.

At the 4:05 mark, linebacker Mark Benson intercepted a pass and ran it back five yards to the Big Red 30. Tailback Mike Mauger swept to the 20. Split end Don Lewis made a catch just in bounds of the 10 off Herring but the WHSers were assessed 15 yards holding.

MASSILLON – 0
Ends – Maxhimer, Robinson, Lewis, McConnaughead, Byelene.
Tackles – Benson, Celik, Bingle, Ridgley, Strobel.
Guards – Jasinski, Hout, Midgley, Ferguson, Miller, McLin.
Centers – S. Luke, Brand.
Quarterbacks – Franklin, Herring.
Halfbacks – Streeter, Mauger, Sheaters, Harper, Pattinson, Lombardi.
Fullbacks – Autrey, Cardinal.

STEUBENVILLE – 0
Ends – DeLenardis, R. Washington, Lesjak, Hicks, Hill, Chorba, Simon.
Tackles – Henry, Stasjulewicz, Stefanidis, Radakovich, W. King.
Guards – DiBacco, Daniels, Beraddelli.
Centers – Barren.
Quarterbacks – Spahn, Repella
Halfbacks – Brown, Mitchell, Livingston, Misselwicz, Steiner.
Fullback – Williams.

OFFICIALS
Referee – Bill Holzwarth.
Umpire – Ken Newlon.
Head linesman – Frank Wahl.
Field Judge – Robert Walker.

THE GRIDSTICK
M S
First downs – rushing 2 3
First downs – passing 5 3
First downs – penalties 0 0
Total first downs 7 6
Yards gained rushing 70 75
Yards lost rushing 68 29
Net yards gained rushing 2 46
Net yards gained passing 120 64
Total yards gained 122 110
Passes completed 9–23 6–6
Passes intercepted by 2 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 15 0
Kickoff average (yards) 1–45.0 1–43.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 10 17
Punt average (yards) 8–41.3 8–36.1
Punt returns (yards) 17 6
Lost fumbled ball 2–3 1–2
Yards penalized 7–55 4–30
Total number of plays 58 55

Mike Autry
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1969: Massillon 6, Alliance 0

Tiger defense withstands squeeze 6-0
Pressure mounts from many offensive mistakes

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

For awhile Friday night, the Massillon Tiger defense was under more pressure than an orange in a juicer, but was equal to the task. Consequently, the Washington high gridders eked out a 6-0 win over a determined Alliance team.

The victory before 13,001 at Tiger stadium gave the Tigers a 4-1 record for the first half of the season, sent the Aviators (2-2-1) down to a second straight defeat, gave them a share of the All-American conference cellar with two defeats and enabled the Tigers to climb to fourth with a 1-1 slate.

The game marked the last time for Mel Knowlton to coach an Aviator team against his alma mater. He’ll retire at the end of the season.

The contest also closed Massillon’s current home stand. The Tigers will play a third consecutive AAC game next week at Steubenville.
* * *
FOR SEVEN minutes – stretching from near the end of the third quarter to deep into the fourth – Alliance had the ball, knocking at the door from within 22 yards of the Tigers’ goal. The Orange and Black also stopped an Aviator last-ditch effort with 47 seconds left, to apply a tranquilizer to the frenzied Tiger faithful.

The WHS defense got into the pressure cooker because of fumbles. Twice Alliance fumbled back, a timely interception helped another time and a great goal line stand the fourth.

“Our defense was magnificent, but our offense was too sloppy,” Tiger Coach Bob Commings said. “If we had held onto the ball, I’m sure we could have moved it. We just don’t seem to put everything together.”

One of the key defenders for the Tigertowners was junior linebacker, Mike Mauger
(6-2, 190). In the fourth quarter, he recovered two Alliance fumbles and picked up a free ball on a backward pass.

One recovery came on the Massillon 10. Mauger literally stole the ball on the Alliance 33, but when his mates fumbled back to the Aviators he stopped their final drive on the Massillon 37 after 6-3, 180-pound senior end Rick Maxheimer had spun Alliance quarterback, Bob Knowlton around, causing his pass to move laterally and hit the ground. Mauger scooped up the ball and ran for 26 yards to the Alliance 37 from where Massillon quarterback, Gary Herring repeatedly fell on the ball to run the clock out.
* * *
THINGS BEGAN to get sticky for the Tiger defense with 58 seconds left in the third quarter when Alliance junior tackle, Gary Andreani recovered a punt fumble on the Tigers’ 10. Junior cornerback, Larry Harper knocked down a Knowlton pass from the two to kill that Alliance threat.

With Maxheimer punting from the goal line after the next series had fizzled, Alliance junior halfback, Chuck Larsuel ran back from the Massillon 30 to the 22. Senior linebacker Pat Midgley and cornerback, Jerry Sheaters ended the second threat by cutting short senior fullback Rick Trieff’s screen pass jaunt two yards from a first down on the 14.

But senior halfback Larry King recovered another Tiger fumble on the Massillon 21 on the next play. However, Mauger’s second recovery shortly afterwards aborted that threat.

By the time the contest had ended, the ball had changed hands more times, due to fumbles, than a dollar bill in a poker game. Massillon lost four of six bobbles, while Alliance saw three of four go out the window.

Massillon’s lone touchdown came after Harper had made a dangerous diving second quarter catch of an Alliance punt on the Tigers’ 39. Departing from their normal explosive offense to a grind-it-out type, the Orange and Black scored in 12 plays with senior tailback Darnell Streeter carrying five times, hard-driving senior fullback Mike Autrey, three, and Harper two.
* * *
JUNIOR QUARTERBACK Denny Franklin skirted right end on a boot pass with 5:08 left in the period. Senior ends George Golden and Ray Biery brought Franklin down short of the pylon on the identical play to the other side on the conversion try.

Massillon had one other threat going in the first quarter, but ran out of gas at the Alliance 29.

Mauger also helped cut short two other Aviator missions. His blitz in the first quarter hurried Knowlton’s throw and Streeter picked off the bomb on the Massillon 24.

In the second quarter, with Alliance on a drive from it 28 after a punt, Mauger put the breaks on Geltz on a screen pass for a four-yard loss on second down from the Massillon 21. Midgley threw Knowlton four more yards back and Trieff couldn’t catch a screen pass on fourth down.

Neither team got out of its own territory thereafter until the Alliance recovery of the late fourth quarter Tiger fumble.
* * *
INJURIES PLAYED a big part in the game, Commings felt Franklin, who got his thoughts jumbled by a hard tackle near the end of the second quarter was still groggy later in the game, causing two fumbles and that a rash of hand injuries to backs caused some more.

The others were probably caused by the Orange and Black having their backs against the wall and being over anxious, according to Commings.

Early in the second quarter Alliance lost both its starting offensive ends – Biery and Golden – hurting the Aviator offense greatly. Golden, who had a hip injury, came back near the end of the third quarter but couldn’t run his cuts. Biery, who was dazed, came back late in the second and again late in the fourth stanza. His absence also required Larsuel to do the punting.

“We were not able to take advantage of our opportunities due in good part to injures,” Coach Mel Knowlton said. “I thought sure, at half-time, that we would win. We should have won if we had had all of our kids.”

ALLIANCE – 0
Ends – Biery, Golden, Codrea.
Tackles – Crockett, Andreani, Beckwith, Rand and Ron Kuceyeski, Jones.
Guards – Gemberling, Dietrich, Brunie, Schafer, Bruderly.
Center – Kirksey
Quarterback – Knowlton.
Halfbacks – Larusel, Geltz, Hunt, King, Sloane.
Fullbacks – Trieff, Wright.

MASSILLON – 6
Ends – Maxheimer, Robertson, McConnaughead, Reinerts, Byelene, Lewis.
Tackles – Dorman, Benson, Celik, Bingle, Strobel.
Guards – Hout, Midgley, Jasinski, Jellel, Sims, Miller, Ferguson, McLin.
Centers – S. Luke, Ridgley, Brand.
Quarterbacks – Franklin, Herring.
Halfbacks – Streeter, Harper, Sullivan, Mauger, Lombardi, Sheaters.
Fullbacks – Autrey, Cardinal.

Massillon 0 6 0 0 6

SCORING SUMMARY
M – QB Denny Franklin, two-yard run.

OFFICIALS
Referee – Robert Whetstone.
Umpire – Joe Romano.
Head Linesman – John Cseh.
Field Judge – Chuck Hinkle.

THE GRIDSTICK
Mass. All.
First downs – rushing 10 2
First downs – passing 1 3
First downs – penalties 1 3
Total first downs 12 8
Yards gained rushing 203 69
Yards lost rushing 54 15
Net yards gained rushing 149 54
Net yards gained passing 29 74
Total yards gained 173 128
Passes attempted 2-8 11-23
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 1 0
Kickoff average (yards) 2-45.5 1-38
Kickoff returns (yards) 16 27
Punt average (yards) 5-32.8 5-36.8
Punt returns (yards) 0 16
Lost fumbled ball 4-6 3-4
Yards penalized 4-53 5-45
Touchdowns rushing 1 0
Total number of plays 65 51

Mike Autry