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1969: Massillon 20, Niles McKinley 33

September 26, 1969July 27, 2017
by Eric Smith

‘Gales-storm’ sweeps Tigers 33-20

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

“. . . My head is bloody but unbowed!”

A line from the poem “Invictus” was scrawled across the blackboard in the Tiger stadium squad room by acting game Co-Captain Dave Hout, a senior guard. Above the short poem were written the words, “Tigers read this”.

The poetry served to set the tone for the job ahead for the Washington high football team. Coach Bob Commings and his staff know the Orange and Black must forget the searing thoughts of their 33-20 loss to Niles McKinley and begin to plan their comeback route.

The first hurdle will be the Alliance Aviators who come in next Friday hurting from a 30-8 loss to Canton McKinley, also an All-American conference game. The Bulldogs (2-0) are in the first place with Niles (1-0) second. Massillon and Alliance have one loss and Warren Harding has two.
* * *
FRIDAY NIGHT’S defeat before 18,486 the season’s largest Tiger stadium turnout, was Massillon’s first in three games and extended Niles’ skein to 4-0.

Coach Bob Shaw holds the only two Red Dragon victories over the Tigers in the 10-game series, stopped a personal 25-game win streak for Commings and got Niles its first win at the stadium. The last Shaw-coached victory scissored a 32-game Tiger victory string.
* * *
MEANWHILE, the Niles “Thunder Defense” as it is called by Shaw’s staff, bottled up the Tigers’ ground game and threw a blanket over Tiger receivers. The Orange and Black never stopped trying to come back – Commings gambling several times at crucial moments – but they couldn’t come back as some unfortunate breaks aided the Niles cause.
* * *
“WHAT IT amounts to,” Commings explained, “is what we’ve been saying for three weeks. We have to get total concentration in games and in practice. We played against some inferior teams and got away with it. Tonight we played against a heckuva team and couldn’t get away with it.

“If tonight proved anything, it proved we didn’t have a bunch of quitters,” Commings commented.
* * *
ONE THING the game did prove was that Niles has a tremendous football team led by two tremendous players in tailback Rick Gales and quarterback Ron Fusco – both All-Ohio caliber. It proved Shaw was right in installing the “I” formation this year to take full advantage of the Fusco-Gales combination.

Gales – “The Big Storm” – was never thrown for a loss as he carried 27 times for 152 yards and a 5.6 average.

The AAC’s top back scored three touchdowns and aided in setting up another.

He explained that everything was predicated to stop Gales, but the slant defense strategy didn’t work.

Shaw said Fusco’s quarterbacking was the key. “He did a great job!”
* * *
HE THOUGHT the turning point was the Dragon’s third touchdown just before the end of the second half.

“We did nothing but straight ahead blocking,” Shaw explained. “Gales has the option to run anywhere he feels he can get through.”

Shaw then surprised reporters with the information that neither Gales nor fullback George Harris had practiced this week – Harris because of an injury sustained Monday and Gales because of one sustained last Saturday.
* * *
NILES TOOK the opening kickoff and marched 67-yards in nine plays after an 18-yard runback by Gales. Fusco’s 26-yard end run off a fake to the Massillon 17 and Gales’ slant off the right side for 10 yards to the three set the ball up for flanker halfback Randy Hardy who scored on a pitch on the following play with 8:47 left in the first quarter. A two-point conversion try failed.

The Tigers came back as junior fullback Tom Cardinal streaked 35 yards to the 50 with the kickoff. Four plays later, with 7:01 remaining, Autrey tied the game on an off-tackle trap on second down from the two. Mauger’s kick was wide.

Quarterback Gary Herring and wingback Larry “The Scooter” Harper had teamed up on a 49-yard pass-run combination with Harper running 42 yards.
* * *
HARPER PUT the Tigers into a temporary 12-6 lead when he returned a punt 94 yards, on some great open field running, with 10:03 left in the second stanza. The conversion pass attempt was incomplete.

The Dragons marched 68 yards in 11 plays for their second TD with Gales carrying eight times. A procedure penalty gave Niles a first down on the one. Gales capitalized on the opportunity, slanting over on the next play with 5:58 left. Harris’ kick made it 13-12.

The Tigers started to drive for pay dirt after Darnell Streeter’s 19-yard kickoff runback clicking on medium-length passes. But Niles’ Mark Conway hauled in one of Gary Herring’s aerials on the Niles 20 and the Dragons moved 78 yards in six plays, four of them passes.
* * *
GALES WENT over on first down from the four on another slant. A conversion pass attempt fell incomplete. The clock read 1:22 in the second quarter.

A fumble on the second half kickoff, picked up by Joe Lucarello on the Massillon 14, set up the next Dragon score.

Three plays later, Fusco faked Harris into the line and skirted an end from the 10 for the score with 10:28 remaining in the third quarter. Hardy scored the conversion on a pitch play.

The Dragons scored for the final time after a fourth quarter, fourth down pass from the Tigers’ 24 had fallen incomplete. Gales scored on a pass from Fusco on third down from the seven with 3:51 showing on the clock. A subsequent pass on the conversion try was short.

The Tigers got their last chance with 57 second remaining. Consecutive double reverses by Harper and Bernard Sullivan for 18 and 29 yards, respectively, and a 19-yard screen pass play, with a 14-yard run by Autrey put the ball on the Niles 16. Quarterback Franklin hit Denny Harper in the corner of the end zone as the game ended.

Another pass to Harper was complete for the conversion, but Massillon was called for illegal procedure. Fans streamed onto the field, making it impossible to replay the try so referee Tony Pianowski declined the penalty and gave the Tigers two points.

THE GRIDSTICK
M N
First downs – rushing 9 20
First downs – passing 6 5
First downs – penalties 0 0
Total first downs 15 25
Yards gained rushing 181 281
Yards lost rushing 12 9
Net yards gained rushing 169 272
Net yards gained passing 119 82
Total yards gained 388 354
Passes completed 7–19 6–9
Passes intercepted by 0 1
Yardage on passes intercepted 0 0
Kickoff average (yards) 3–41.0 6–48.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 122 39
Punt average (yards) 2–34.5 5–37.2
Punt returns (yards) 99 0
Lost fumbled balls 1–1 1–2
Yards penalized 3–23 2–10
Touchdowns rushing 1 4
Touchdowns passing 1 1
Miscellaneous touchdowns 1 0
Total number of plays 53 66

Niles Won When
QB Shook Jitters

NILES – Ron Fusco wasn’t having a very good night. He had missed his first three passes and he was tight. But that’s the way it is when you’re a Niles quarterback playing against Massillon in front of 18,046 pairs of critical eyes.

It was late in the second quarter and the game was 12-12 with Niles camped on its own
23-yard line.

WITH FUSCO off form Niles had stuck almost exclusively to the ground with the elusive Rick Gales doing the bulk of the ball carrying.

Red Dragon’s coach Bob Shaw called time and waved Fusco to him at the sidelines. “Take your time,” Shaw told his passer. “You’re not setting up properly. Don’t hurry your throws. The receivers are open.”

Fusco returned to the huddle, called the play and threw a 12-yard completion. He then proceeded to connect on successive passes of 18, 14 and 19 yards, moving the ball to the Massillon 4 where Gales punched it over for the go-ahead touchdown. George Harris kicked the extra point to give Niles a 19-12 edge which they never relinquished en route to a 33-20 triumph over the Tigers Friday night.

Fusco went on to complete two more aerials, giving him six in a row after those first three failures for a total of 81 yards and one touchdown.

SHAW CALLED that drive, a 77-yarder just before the half, the most important series of the game.

“It gave us the lead and we proved to ourselves we could move the ball. This was a major test for us. We knew that and the kids were a little shaky. But we all grew up a little on that drive,” Shaw related.

While Fusco was worrying Massillon in the air, Gales was giving them fits on the ground. The 5-9, 175-pound, senior halfback tied a school record by scoring four touchdowns on runs of 12, 3, 4 yards and catching a Fusco pass for 7 yards and another tally.

History

1969: Massillon 60, Toledo Whitmer 0

September 19, 1969July 27, 2017
by Eric Smith

How tough Tigers?
Still unanswered: WHS mauls Whitmer 60-0 before 12,371

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

It was almost too easy for the Massillon Tigers and that’s not good because Coach Bob Commings still hasn’t gotten a real line on his Washington high team.

A 60-0 laugher over an outclassed Toledo Whitmer aggregation before 12,371 Friday night at Tiger stadium coupled with previous 60-6 and 22-20 victories only compounded Commings’ dilemma. There have been two cases of weak opposition and another of WHS mistakes preventing the skipper from seeing what his charges could do against a good club.

“I really don’t know how good this team is yet,” Commings confided. “Now we must start playing for keeps with Niles coming in next week to start off our league All-American conference campaign.
* * *
DON’T GET the boss wrong. He was plenty happy with his charges.

“We learned something tonight,” he said. “You’ve got to go out and take it to them. Our suicide kickoff squad really played ball and our defense really hit.”

So good was the defense that Whitmer didn’t get out of its back yard until late in the fourth quarter when the subs got in. The Panthers managed only 56 total yards, all on the ground, and failed to complete seven passes.

One of the fellows Commings singled out for his defensive work was end Ed McConnaughead.

“He did a marvelous job,” Commings said.
* * *
THE ORANGE and Black rolled up the exact number of yards on the ground as in the air – 192 – and completed 10 of 16 passes, causing a shell-shocked Norm Decker, Whitmer coach, to remark, “I’d take his third string quarterback!”

It was the most number of passes thrown by the Tigers this season and for good reason.

“We didn’t have the punch we thought we should have down in close,” Commings explained, “so we had to resort to passing. Our problem was we blew some assignments.”

The Tigers scored four times through the air, four on the ground, tallied five conversions via aerials and kicked two. They scored nine of the 11 times they had the ball.

Fullback Mike Autrey tallied three six-pointers, wingback Bernard Sullivan scored two and added a conversion, split end Don “The Hawk” Lewis caught two conversion passes, quarterback Denny Franklin scored a touchdown, threw a TD pass and two conversion aerials.
* * *
QUARTERBACK GARY Herring threw a touchdown and two conversion passes and kicked a conversion, quarterback John Fromholtz threw two TD aerials, one conversion pass and made two timely interceptions and tailback Mike Mauger scored a touchdown and kicked a conversion.

Fumbles aborted Tiger drives the first two times they got the ball when wingback Larry “Skooter” Harper got off a fantastic 44-yard punt runback to the Whitmer 38. Four plays later Autrey went off tackle from the 25 on first down with 3:39 left in the first quarter.

Mauger kicked the conversion.

A 48-yard pass-run play from Franklin to Harper, with Harper racing 37 yards, set up the next score together with an 11-yard Franklin aerial to right end Mike Robinson after Franklin had thrown 20 yards to Lewis for a TD only to have the Tigers in motion.

The drive took nine plays with Lewis eventually getting the score on a six-yard, third down sprint pass from Franklin to the corner with 9:46 left in the second quarter. The same play netted a conversion.

TAILBACK DARNELL, “Bopper” Streeter took off on a 34-yard punt runback to the Whitmer 32. Four plays later Autrey went through the middle from the 10 on the third down with 6:18 left after setting up the score with a 15-yard draw jaunt.

Franklin again found Lewis for the conversion.

After another punt, a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Whitmer and a clipping walk off against the Tigers, Herring found Sullivan with a 40-yarder on the two. After a leaping catch, “Sullie” stumbled into the end zone with 1:05 left. He had missed a TD pass minutes before.

Mauger’s conversion kick hit an upright and bounced back.

Middle guard Elijah McLin picked off a fumble at the Whitmer 32 early in the third quarter. Harper fooled the Panthers with a double reverse for 37 yards to the 14 and Autrey took it from there with an off-tackle jaunt.

HERRING KICKED the conversion.

John Fromholtz, whose No. 13 is proving to be more lucky than the reverse, picked off a pass and added a 20-yard return to the Whitmer 23. Eight plays later on first down from the six, Franklin tried to pass, ran out of a trap and scored.

Herring hit Harper for the conversion on another of those corner capers.

Massillon took over on downs on the Tiger 35 after having relinquished the pigskin the same way minutes before. Five plays and a Franklin-to-Harper 47-yard pass-run later it was touchdown again with 10:35 left in the fourth quarter. Harper caught the pass on the Whitmer 23 and scampered to the 17.

The score was a second down, six-yard pass down the middle to Sullivan who also caught the conversion aerial. Both tosses were from Fromholtz with the score coming with 10:35 left in the game.

Fromholtz picked off another pass and ran it back 23 yards to the Whitmer 34. A 20-yard off-tackle run by junior tailback Mauger and another double reverse – this one by Sullivan for nine yards – helped the Tigers hit pay dirt again.
* * *
MAUGER MADE a diving catch of Herring’s end zone pass with 7:22 left. Fromholtz found tight end Dan Byelene for the conversion.

From then on it was all Toledo with the game ending with Whitmer on Massillon’s 11.

“They were just too quick and too fast for us,” Decker said, “They blew us off the field. They’ve got a real fine team. When we knocked them down, they got up and came back.”

WHITMER – 0
Ends – Rawson, Conrad, Goodrich, Wagner, D. Barber.
Tackles – Chinni, Cherry, Jacquot, Lazette.
Guards – Coates, Pugh, Nowakoski, Howard.
Centers – Sutton, Lotte, Birr.
Quarterback – Curson.
Halfbacks – Oikle, Freels, Dankert, Adler, Berndt, Pointinger, Freels, Fritz, Leist, Good.
Fullbacks – S. Barber, Lantz.

MASSILLON – 60
Ends – Maxhimer, Robinson, Pribich, Snyder, Lewis, Yackee, Byelene.
Tackles – Dorman, Benson, Celik, Bingle, Strobley, Ridgley, Heck, Dodd, Janikis, Lint, B. Nussbaumer, R. Luke.
Guards – Hout, Midgley, McLin, Janikis, Ashcraft, Sims, Jellel, Miller, Kulik, Indorf, Ferguson, Preece, Eckroate, Marsh.
Centers – S. Luke, Brand, Crookston, Chovan.
Quarterbacks – Herring, Franklin, Fromholtz, Pattinson, Immelt.
Halfbacks – Streeter, Harper, Mauger, Lombardi, Sullivan, Ammond, Sheaters, Clary.
Fullbacks – Autrey, Cardinal.

Massillon 7 22 15 16 60

SCORING SUMMARY
M – TB Mike Autrey, 24-yard run, Mauger PAT (kick).
M – SE Don Lewis, six-yard pass from QB Denny Franklin, Lewis from Franklin PAT (pass).
M—Autrey, 10-yard run, Lewis from Franklin PAT (pass).
M – WB Bernard Sullivan, 40-yard pass-run from Herring.
M – Autrey, 14-yard run, Herring PAT (kick).
M – Franklin, six-yard run, WB Larry Harper from Herring PAT (pass).
M – Sullivan, six-yard pass from QB John Fromholtz, Sullivan from Herring PAT (pass).
M – TB Mike Mauger five-yard pass from Fromholtz, TE Dan Byelene from Fromholtz PAT (pass).

THE GRIDSTICK
M W
First downs – rushing 11 4
First downs – passing 7 0
First downs – penalties 1 1
Total first downs 19 5
Yards gained rushing 206 77
Yards lost rushing 14 21
Net yards gained rushing 192 56
Net yards gained passing 192 0
Total yards gained 384 56
Passes completed 10—16 0–7
Passes intercepted by 2 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 34 0
Kickoff average (yards) 9–45.0 1–53.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 25 127
Punt average (yards) 2–45.5 7–33.7
Punt returns (yards) 100 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Lost fumbled ball 1–2 0–0
Yards penalized 10–80 2–20
Touchdowns rushing 4 0
Touchdowns passing 4 0
Total number of plays 57 55

OFFICIALS
Referee – Robert Whetstone.
Umpire – Harvey Hodgson, Jr.
Head Linesman – Art Cirelli
Field Judge – Beauford Hatfield

History

1969: Massillon 22, Cleveland Benedictine 20

September 12, 1969July 27, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers ‘spotty’ in 22-20 victory
Fumbles big bugaboo in second half action

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

It was the kind of drama you would expect to be enacted on a Mississippi sternwheeler out of Natchez.

But instead of gambling with a deck of cards, Washington High coach Bob Commings took the long chance with his book of plays Friday night and it paid off twice, preventing Cleveland Benedictine from taking the pot.

Before 13,610, the season’s largest crowd, the Massillon Tigers came from behind with 22 points in the second quarter and then held on through a spotty second half for a 22-20 victory over as tough a band of Cleveland footballers as ever invaded Tiger stadium.
* * *
IT WAS A typical bruising Massillon – Benedictine battle with followers of both teams able to go home with their heads high even though only one could leave the scene victorious. Washington high’s warriors are 2-0, Benedictine 1-1.

Commings, whose personal win streak climbed to 24, late in the second quarter, called for a fourth down, six, screen pass which gave the Tigers the margin of victory. Quarterback Gary Herring faded from the Benedictine 37 and hit fullback Mike Autrey on the 40 with the bespectacled senior going all the way for the first of two touchdowns he scored.

“They hit the screen a couple of times,” Augie Bossu, veteran Benedictine coach said, “and when you have one called back like we did, it’s bound to hurt you. That was a heckuva run with some good blocks.”
* * *
HE WAS referring to halfback and Co-Captain Frank Novaks 94-yard touchdown jaunt on the kickoff following the Tigers’ initial touchdown in the second quarter. A clip nullified the effort with Massillon leading only 8-7.

The Tigers might have blown the game wide open in the third quarter except for a pass interception and losing the ball three times on fumbles. Another fumble at the beginning of the fourth quarter, didn’t help either.

Senior halfback Bob Kacvinsky, a surefire All-Ohioan, scored all three Benedictine touchdowns after an interception and two fumbles. Curiously, Massillon’s scores were also set by miscues – two interceptions and a fumble.
On a third down, nine situation, on the Tigers’ 36 in the fourth quarter, Commings called again for the Herring-to-Autrey screen. This time Autrey carried for a first down to the Bennies’ 45 to enable the Orange and Black to keep control at a time when Benedictine’s chances to get the winning score were waning.

“Both of those passes were big,” Commings remarked.

Kacvinsky intercepted on his 35, in the first quarter, followed with a 21-yard return added 44 more on a pass-run from quarterback Frank Petruziello and finally went over from the half-yard line on fourth down, with 9:05 left in the period.

The next part of the game was all Massillon. Herring intercepted on his five, shortly before the end of the first quarter, returning 28 yards and the Tigers took off on a 12-play,
67-yard march.

Darnell (The Bopper) Streeter scored from the seven with 9:34 left in the second quarter and two juniors got the extra points as quarterback Denny Franklin found Larry (Scooter) Harper.
* * *
AFTER NOVAK’S clip-thwarted TD effort, Streeter intercepted on the Tigers’ 10 and returned 35 yards to the Massillon 45. On third down, 11, from the 41, Harper did sideline twinkle toeing on a double reverse and carried to the Benedictine 16. Autrey blasted to the two and then over with 4:10 left, but missed the conversion.

Rick Maxhimer recovered a fumble on the Bennies’ 41 shortly after the ensuing kickoff and set up Autrey’s second score, which came at 1:19 and was followed by Franklin’s pass to Streeter for the conversion.

Benedictine got going again slightly past the half-way mark of the third quarter when junior tackle Victor Malley hopped on a fumble at the Tigers’ 29. Five plays later on third down from the two, Kacvinsky shot off tackle again.

Petruziello’s attempted conversion pass was knocked down by Ed McConnaughead. The time was 2:33.

John Fromholtz thwarted another Benedictine scoring attempt with an interception on the Tigers’ 10 near the end of the period but the Tigers fumbled right back with Benedictine junior halfback Jim Johnson claiming the pigskin just after the start of the fourth canto. A personal foul during the scramble put the ball on the Orange and Black’s 27.
* * *
KACVINSKY TOOK off to the right, cut back to the left and was gone for six points on the following play with 11:30 left. Co-Captain Wayne Bacik, who had converted after the first TD, repeated.

The Tigers played in Benedictine’s back yard most of the fourth quarter but couldn’t score. Herring completed a long pass to junior wing back Bernard Sullivan at the 12, but the Tigers ran out of gas at the four.

“Those three interceptions hurt us,” Commings said, “and that one at the beginning of the third quarter really killed us. We were going in for a TD that could have broken the game wide open.”

Sophomore halfback Don Vavro intercepted on the Tigers’ 10.

“Benedictine players are great competitors,” Commings said, “but our kids were not out hit. Our defense was superb. They’re young and will make mistakes. We made a crucial one on the last TD when a boy went the wrong way.”

He added, “Any team which makes the mistakes we made and wins, is a heckuva team. We needed a tough game. These kids showed they were Tigers. I’m more confident after this win than following the opening one.”

Bossu said his charges did nothing differently in the second half. “We started to play football, “ he explained.

THE GRIDSTICK
M B
First downs – rushing 10 10
First downs – passing 5 1
First downs – penalties 3 0
Total first downs 18 11
Yards gained rushing 182 147
Yards lost rushing 21 7
Net yards gained rushing 161 140
Net yards gained passing 156 75
Total yards gained 317 215
Passes completed 12—19 2–13
Passes intercepted by 3 2
Yardage on passes intercepted 80 25
Kickoff average (yards) 4—49.2 4—39.7
Kickoff returns (yards) 59 52
Punt average (yards) 2—31.0 4—30.9
Lost fumbled ball 4—4 3—4
Yards penalized 6—80 6—62
Touchdowns rushing 2 3
Touchdowns passing 1 0
Total number of plays 61 56

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Benedictine
Att. Net. Avg.
Kacvinsky 17 98 5.6

MASSILLON
Att. Net. Avg.
Autrey 14 70 5
Streeter 15 50 3.3
BENEDICTINE – 20
Ends – Martanovic, Bacik, James, Evert, Crowley.
Tackles – Switalski, Nunery, Fink, Malley.
Guards – Lorek, Ahrens, Oriti, Stupica.
Center – Bossu.
Quarterback – Petruziello.
Halfbacks – Kacvinsky, Novak, Barile, Vavro, Johnson, Senger.
Fullbacks – Vogel, Fontana.

MASSILLON – 22
Ends – M. Robinson, Maxhimer, Dorman, Lewis, McConnaughead.
Tackles – Celik, Bingle, Strobel, Ridgley, Heck.
Guards – Midgley, Hout, Sims, Miller, McLin.
Centers – Eckroate, S. Luke.
Quarterbacks – Herring, Franklin.
Halfbacks – Streeter, Mauger, Fromholtz, Harper, Sullivan, Sheaters.
Fullbacks – Autrey, Cardinal.

Benedictine 7 0 6 7 – 20
Massillon 0 22 0 0 – 22

SCORING
B – HB Bob Kacvinsky, half-yard run; E Wayne Bacik PAT (kick);
M – HB Darnell Streeter, seven-yard run, WB Larry Harper, PAT’s (pass from QB Denny Franklin);
M – FB Mike Autrey, two-yard run, conversion run failed.
M – Autrey, 40-yard screen pass – run from QB Gary Herring, Streeter PAT’s (pass from Franklin).
B – Kacvinsky, two-yard run, conversion pass failed.
B – Kacvinsky, 27-yard run, Bacik PAT (kick).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Jack McLain.
Umpire – Dan Brown.
Head linesman – Bud Shopbell.
Field judge – Jack Werkowitz.

History

1969: Massillon 60, Dayton Trotwood Madison 6

September 5, 1969July 27, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers snarl but Commings cautious

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

It was like those teasers the movie moguls put together to plug their productions. It made you want to go back next week for more.

But also like the flicks, the next week could prove disappointing.

The Massillon Tigers rolled to a 60-6 victory over Dayton Trotwood Madison Friday night at Tiger Stadium before 11,555 fans in the season opener, but Tiger Coach Bob Commings cautioned, “This wasn’t a good test. We did not expect it to be like this (as easy). We made so many errors. We were not sharp at all and we’ll be playing the best team in Cleveland next week.”

Benedictine high will make its annual trek south next Friday night.

In rolling up their biggest score since Leo Strang beat Commings – then at Struthers – 74–0 here in 1963’s seventh game, the Washington high squad had to overcome 150 yards in penalties, an early score by Trotwood and the loss of four of five fumbles.

But also in winning, the Orange and Black rolled up about as much yardage (474 yards) as they have in quite awhile. They showed more offense than had been seen here in six years. They trapped, they swept, they pitched, they passed.

To the Massillon fans, it was like the good old days.

Commings was able to use every available ballplayer, causing him to comment, “I was happy to get a lot of players in but unhappy that the regulars didn’t get enough work.”

It looked like it was going to be a bad night when early in the first quarter, Trotwood’s Jack Bozarth recovered a Massillon fumble on the 50 and in three plays the Rams had a
6-0 lead thanks to a 42-yard pass play which saw end Randy Truesdale grab a toss from quarterback Dan Adams on the 15 and go in the end zone with 10:02 left.

Jeff Rohrer’s kick was good but Trotwood was in motion and a pass to halfback Erik Jensen was incomplete.

What followed was like a wounded jungle cat turning on his attacker as Darnell (Bopper) Streeter started things off with a 29-yard return of Trotwood’s kickoff to the Rams’ 39.

THE TIGERS were aided by two penalties, one a personal foul after the touchdown which forced Trotwood to kickoff from its 25. Someone yanked Streeter’s face-mask and that gave the Orange and Black a first down on the 23.

Fullback Mike Autrey got off a nice off-tackle run to the four – one of several during the night – and Streeter used the same route for the score at the 8:13 mark. Junior Mike Mauger’s boot made it 7-6.

Near the end of the quarter, junior Larry Harper picked up a nice block by Streeter for a 16-yard punt runback to the Tigers’ 41. Four plays later, early in the second stanza, Autrey charged off tackle through a huge hole from 37 yards out at 11:54.

Streeter followed with two points off tackle.

Kirk Strobel recovered a Trotwood punt runback fumble – one of five the Orange and Black claimed – on the Tiger 46. On second and 20, junior quarterback Denny Franklin tossed a screener to Autrey, who went 33 yards behind tremendous blocking. Streeter took another pass – from senior quarterback Gary Herring – for 20 yards.

Four plays later, Herring hit Harper in the right side of the endzone on a fourth down pass from the 14 to make it 21-6 at 2:55. Mauger missed the kick
* * *
“WE WERE in the game until they completed that one,” Trotwood Coach Paul Dienstberger remarked, “Then we let up. We’re convinced Massillon has a very good team.”

Ed McConnaughead recovered a fumble on the Trotwood 32 and Franklin scored from there on the bootleg at 1:56. Mauger again misfired on the kick.

In the third quarter, Franklin’s pass to tight end Mike Robinson for 10 yards and Herring’s 15-yard run set up another TD as Commings continued to shuttle quarterbacks in and out at more frequent intervals than subway trains pass through Times Square at rush hour.

Herring hit tight end Don Lewis on the 25, “The Hawk” spread his wings and the Tigers had a 39-yard scoring play with 7:23 left. Autrey was short on the conversion.

Autrey recovered a fumble on the Trotwood 27 and after two consecutive motion penalties, Streeter went off tackle from 37 yards out at 5:12. Junior Tom (Beanie) Cardinal missed the two extra points.

Herring returned a pass interception 19 yards to the Trotwood 36. Fromholtz and Mauger of 26 and 14 yards respectively. Mauger took a pitch from the one on the next play and kicked the conversion – after a procedure penalty as the Tigers led 46-6 at the 47-second mark.
* * *
MIDWAY THROUGH the goodbye canto, Mauger raced 30 yards off tackle to Trotwood’s 42. On the next play, Fromholtz spotted junior wingback Bernie Sullivan on the 10 and dropped the ball between several defenders. “Sullie” snatched it away and the Tigers had another score at 7:24. He went off tackle for two more points.

The final score with 16 seconds left after Lewis had recovered a fumble on the Trotwood 18. Five plays later tailback Tim Ammond went over on third down from the three on a pitch. Tailback Jerry Sheaters converted.

THE GRIDSTICK
Mass. Trot.
First downs – rushing 14 3
First downs – passing 6 2
First downs – penalties 1 5
Total first downs 21 10
Yards gained rushing 326 78
Yards lost rushing 29 4
Net yards gained rushing 309 75
Net yards gained passing 165 73
Total yards gained 474 148
Passes completed 7—12 4–13
Passes intercepted by 3 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 40 0
Times kicked off 10 2
Kickoff average (yards) 37.7 31.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 49 83
Times punted 3 5
Punt average (yards) 30.4 38.5
Punt returns (yards) 46 0
Fumbles lost 4–5 5—7
Penalties 18 5
Yards penalized 150 55
Touchdowns rushing 6 0
Touchdowns passing 3 1
Total number of plays 50 52

TROTWOOD – 6
Ends – Meek, Truesdale, Harrison, Dewey, Windmiller.
Tackles – Isner, Bayes, Kelly, Riegelsperger, Gordon,
M. Gayman, T. Domsitz.
Guards – Belcher, Bell, Garber, Rufener, Phillips, Bozarth.
Centers – Rohrer, Morton.
Quarterbacks – D. Adams.
Halfbacks – Jensen, J. Adams, Amos, Owens, Cyr, Schriml, Boehme.
Fullbacks – Dapore, Brewer, Berry.

MASSILLON – 60
Ends – Maxhimer, M. Robinson, McConnaughead, Reinerts, Snyder, Pribich, Hauschulz, Byelene.
Tackles – Celik, Benson, Strobel, Lint, Janikis, Bingle, Heck, R. Luke.
Guards – Hout, Midgley, Ferguson, Indorf, Kulik, Jaskinski, Pifer, Miller, Sims, Jellel, McLin.
Centers – Crookston, S. Luke, Brand, Ridgley.
Quarterbacks – Herring, Fromholtz, Franklin, Pattinson.
Halfbacks – Streeter, Harper, Lombardi, Ammond, Sullivan, Sheaters, Lewis.
Fullbacks – Autrey, Cardinal.

Trotwood 6 0 0 0 6
Massillon 7 20 19 14 60

SCORING
T – E Randy Truesdale, 42-yard pass-run from QB Dan Adams;
M – TB Darnell Streeter, two-yard run; FB Mike Mauger PAT
(kick);
M – FB Mike Autrey, 27-yard run, Streeter PAT (run);
M – WB Larry Harper, 14-yard pass-run from QB Gary
Herring; QB Denny Franklin, 42-yard run;
M – WB Don Lewis, 29-yard pass from Herring;
M – Streeter, 37-yard run;
M – Mauger, one-yard run, Mauger PAT (kick);
M – WB Bernie Sullivan, 42-yard pass-run from QB John Fromholtz, Sullivan PAT (run);
M – TB Tim Ammond, three-yard run.

OFFICIALS
Referee – Jerry Markbrite.
Umpire – Russ Kemper.
Head linesman – Bud Shopbell.
Field judge – Harvey Hodgson, Jr..
Back judge – Sam DiBlasi.

History

1968: Massillon 6, Canton McKinley 26

November 9, 1968July 19, 2017
by Eric Smith

’69 Tigers’ task: bring bell back
Few bright rays in 26-6 defeat

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

The locomotive bell rests today at Canton McKinley high school – a symbol of one of the tasks that await the Washington high grid team in 1969.

Not many bright rays come out of a beating like the Massillon Tigers took last Saturday, but the realization that there is always a next year helps somehow to soften the blow.

Tigers fans know that the Orange and Black – like the fabled Phoenix bird – will rise from the ashes of defeat to begin anew when next September rolls around. The Tigers never stay down long.

There’s only one way to describe their 26-6 defeat before 22,300 at snowy Tiger Stadium. The Orange and Black were out manned – but not out fought.

The Tigers were unable to cope with the hard-firing Bulldog offensive line, the powerful rushes of juniors Rocco Rich and Rich Brown, fullback and halfback respectively. Another junior, wingback Ed Floyd, got timely big yardage on reverses.

The slight-of-hand of senior quarterback Mark Hontas and the pursuit and penetration of McKinley’s defensive line led by Jon Brandyberry, Lonnie Ford and Brown’s brother Mark were also factors.

Adding to their miseries, the Washington high eleven lost the services of senior tailback Jim

Smith, leading rusher and scorer in the All-American conference (AAC) in the first quarter via an ankle injury. Trainer John Whitmer called it a “freak muscle stretch” of a type he’d never seen before.

“It sure couldn’t help us,” Massillon coach Seaman said. “It had to hurt us.”

The loss of a great back like Smith is bound to hurt a team,” McKinley Coach Ron Chismar, said.

McKINELY HIT Massillon with two quick scores in the first quarter after capitalizing on a couple of breaks. A poor snap and a short punt gave McKinley the ball on the Massillon 46. Floyd and Rich combined 18 and 13-yard runs to set up the Pups’ first score.

Rich drove over right tackle from the one with 7:38 left. Hontas’ conversion-attempt pass to Rich was incomplete.

Another short punt following the kickoff put the ball on the 40. Floyd and Rich again combined their talents for 12 and 28-yard runs to set up the second score.

Rich went over left tackle – this time from the two – at 5:40. Brown ran the conversion through left tackle.

The Orange and Black’s only touchdown drive – a 64-yarder after Mark McDew’s 26-yard runback – saw the Tigers grind out the short yardage after Smith got hurt at the beginning of the drive. A 15-yard personal foul penalty and five-yard off side walk off were important.
* * *
FULLBACK MIKE AUTREY scored around right end from 27 yards out, using the sideline like a tightrope and putting forth great second and third efforts. Malinowski’s attempted conversion pass to McDeew was broken up by Ed McMillan with the clock showing 1:14.

The Tigers never got out of their own territory after that.

Dave Couto and Chuck Stoner stopped a McKinley drive at the Massillon six and Bert Dampier hauled in a Bulldog pass on the Tiger 10 to stop another in the second stanza.

In the third period, Mosie Hunter nabbed a Tiger aerial at the McKinley 44 and added an 11-yard runback to the Massillon 45 to set up another Bulldog pay dirt trip. Aided by a personal foul step off and the running of Hontas, Brown and Rich, the Bulldogs made it
20-6 at 8:16 as Hontas scampered for four off right tackle.

The conversion attempt on a run by Brown off left tackle failed.

Rick Laase kayoed a McKinley drive in the third canto with a fumble recovery at the Massillon 36 shortly before Hunter’s interception.
* * *
MASSILLON stopped a Bulldog march on the Tiger eight in the last period, but the Bulldogs got the ball right back on the Massillon 38 after a punt. A fourth down, 13-yard pass-run combination from Hontas to Floyd and a 19-yard romp around right end by Hontas after a fake set up the final Canton score.

Hontas rammed through the middle from the one with 2:13 left but missed around right end on the conversion attempt.

“Anytime you beat the Tigers, you’ve got to be happy because they have a great team,” Chismar said. “Our kids were great, I’m proud of them.”

He added, “Our backs were not fantastic, just strong. We didn’t run anything we hadn’t used before. Floyd got us yardage when we had to have it.”

Chismar praised Calvin Ellis, Hunter, McMillan and Monroe Jackson who, Chismar said, sacrificed themselves to play in the defensive secondary this year.

HE ALSO GAVE a pat on the back to backup quarterback Nick DeGregorio, first to jump up and congratulate Hontas after the game.

“They were a good team – one of the best I’ve seen since I’ve been here, if not the best,” Seaman said of McKinley. We played the biggest part of the game behind the 50. That was the game. I’d say we let them have the football too darn much. Hontas really hid the ball well.”

It was the second time in three years that Chismar had beaten Seaman – both times at Tiger stadium. McKinley (9-1) finished in a tie with Warren Harding for the All-American conference title, both with 4-1 league marks.

Massillon (7-3, 3-2) finished runnerup, only the second time the Tigers have ended out of the throne room in the loop’s six-year history.

McKinley 14 0 6 6 – 26
Massillon 6 0 0 0 – 6

THE GRIDSTICK
M McK
First downs –rushing 2 17
First downs – passing 2 3
First downs – penalties 3 1
Total first downs 4 21
Yards gained rushing 81 206
Yards lost rushing 30 26
Net yards gained rushing 31 236
Net yards gained passing 29 37
Total yards gained 80 273
Passes completed 3-15 3-6
Passes intercepted by 1 2
Yardage on passes intercepted 0 23
Kickoff average (yards) 3-44.5 3-47.6
Kickoff returns (yards) 96 36
Punt average (yards) 6-27.3 2-36.5
Punt return (yards) 2 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Lost fumbled ball 0-1 1-2
Yards Penalized 4-40 2-20

History

1968: Massillon 30, Cuyahoga Falls 6

November 1, 1968July 19, 2017
by Eric Smith

Jim Smith’s night as Tigers win 30-6

Gets good blocking, aids WHS bounce-back

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

It was Jim Smith’s show Friday night at Tiger stadium.

Aided by fine blocking – especially down field – the big senior tailback ran wild as the Washington high eleven downed a bigger Cuyahoga Falls eleven 30-6.

The non-league win, before 11,277 on Dad’s night, represented a comeback from last week’s loss at Warren to a 7-2 record. Falls came out with the same record and had a
six-game winning streak.
* * *
THE BLACK Tigers were without the services of their outstanding senior fullback Doug Root from the third play on, when he injured an ankle. A sprain is suspected but X-rays were taken after Falls arrived home last night because a break wasn’t ruled out.

So the big back battle never materialized but Smith went on to his finest performance of his career, picking up 179 net yards in 22 carries, to account for all but eight of his team’s ground total. He scored three of the Tigertowners’ four touchdowns – all on beautiful, long runs and added a two-pointer.

Normally, Massillon grinds out the yardage, but it was Falls which did the three yards-and-a-cloud of dust bit this time, using almost twice as many plays as the WHS squad and out gaining the Orange and Black by 16 yards on the ground.

However, the Tigers had their best night in the air with 91 yards to roll up more total yardage.

Smith had 125 of his total in the first half but Falls made some alterations during the intermission and held him to 54 yards thereafter. Coaches Bob Seaman of Massillon and Terry Ross of Falls differed on the reason with Ross picking the firing of his linebackers more often and Seaman tabbing the inability of his line to pick up the inside stunts.

* * *

WHILE SMITH was displaying his foot fireworks, the Tigers’ defense couldn’t keep Falls from mounting long drives. But once inside the 20, in Seaman’s words, “Our defense got tough.”

Twice in the second period senior safety Chuck Stoner picked off Falls’ passes to half possible scoring drives and put Massillon on the road to touchdowns.

Falls had second and 10 on the Massillon 13 when Stoner hauled in a Rick Prunty aerial in the end zone and raced 66 yards to the Falls 34. On the next play, Smith took a pitch to the left end and scored with 8:11 remaining. He missed the conversion, trying to go over right tackle.

On the fourth and 10 on the Massillon 32, Stoner pilfered another Falls’ aerial at the 17 and raced 20 yards to the 37. With Smith carrying six consecutive times and taking an option pitch right and from the 42 cutting back across the field on the final play, the Tigers had another score with 15 seconds left.

Quarterback Marc Malinowski’s attempted pass to wingback Mark McDew for the conversion failed but he had two other key catches on the night.

* * *

TIGHT END Mike James may get credit for key blocks on both TD runs when the movies are graded.

McDew’s first big catch caught everybody by surprise when Malinowski passed on first down from his own 29 in the first quarter. McDew completed the “M & M Special” with a running catch on the Falls 40 and went the rest of the way for the 77-yard score.

Smith converted off right tackle.

He got his final score after McDew had caught a 14-yard third down, fourth quarter pass to give the Tigers a first down on the Falls 30. Three plays later, Smith went 33 yards off left guard on a handback trap to make it 28-6 with 5:56 remaining in the game.

Malinowski skirted left end for the conversion.

* * *

THE TIGERS’ other score came on a first quarter safety. Keith Autrey blocked a punt from the end zone, sending it behind the goal post. A snap over the punter’s head and into the end zone on the fly from the 29 was the break the Tigers needed. The time was 0:28.

Falls’ tally came on a 10-play drive aided by the 15-yard personal foul and five-yard illegal procedure penalties. Larry Valentine, converted from a quarterback to a fullback last week, scored off left tackle from the one with 11:19 left in the game.

McDew knocked down Prunty’s pass intended for Valentine on the PATs attempt.

“I thought our down field blocking was real good,” Seaman said. “The running wasn’t too bad either.” Ross also felt the Tigers’ down field blocking was “great.”

“We came back real strong tonight,” Seaman said. “Those early scores and especially that long pass to McDew helped.”

“We missed our big boy,” Ross commented. “It changed our game plan. I think we would have scored a few more times if we had had him. Once he’s gotten into the open, those guys wouldn’t have caught him. We would have controlled the ball well with him in there.”

FALLS – 6
Ends – Caldwell, Wiant, Parker, Mercer.
Tackles – Lipinski, Richardson, Vujanov.
Guards – Weahry, Ray, Heideman, Wasnac, Whitney,
Hannan.
Centers – Saylor, Meyers, Kuhn.
Quarterbacks – Prunty, Chaboudy.
Halfbacks – R. and K. Parsons, Farabee, Neiman, Phillips,
Kaser, Ispan.
Fullbacks – Root, Valentine.

MASSILLON – 30
Ends – Dampier, James, Robinson, Engler, Cline, Conley,
Couto, McLin.
Tackles – Laase, McGeorge, Harris, Dorman, Midgley, Doll.
Guards – Whitfield, Harig, Hout, Indorf, Arnott, Ferguson,
Miller, Fichter.
Center – Cocklin.
Quarterbacks – Malinowski, Fromholtz, Lombardi.
Halfbacks – Smith, McDew, Shumar, K. Autrey, Stoner,
Hodgson, Sheaters, Gamble.
Fullbacks – M. Autrey, Streeter, Johnson.

Falls 0 0 0 6 – 6
Massillon 10 12 0 8 – 30

Touchdowns: Massillon – Smith 3 (34, 42 and 32-yard runs);
McDew (77-yard, pass-run from Malinowski).
Falls – Valetine (one-yard run).

Extra points: Massillon – Smith 2 (run).

Safety – K. Autrey blocked punt in end zone.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Massillon
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Malinowski 8 -5 0
M. Autrey 2 8 4
Smith 22 179 8.1
McDew 1 -3 0
Streeter 2 8 4

Falls
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Root 3 20 6.7
Neiman 13 33 2.5
Phillips 14 62 4.4
Valentine 20 67 3.4
Parsons 5 21 4.2

OFFICIALS
Referee – Harvey Hodgson, Jr.
Umpire – Ross Kemper.
Head Linesman – Del Groezinger.
Field Judge – Hugh Davis.

THE GRIDSTICK
M F
First downs – rushing 8 14
First downs – passing 2 1
First downs – penalties 0 2
Total first downs 10 17
Yards gained rushing 218 209
Yards lost rushing 31 6
Net yards gained rushing 187 203
Net yards gained passing 21 20
Total yards gained 278 223
Passes completed 2-7 3-17
Passes intercepted by 2 2
Yardage on passes intercepted 79 15
Kickoff average (yards) 4-42.5 2-19.5
Kickoff returns (yards) 19 70
Punt average (yards) 4-31.8 6-31.0
Punt return (yards) 15 2
Had punts blocked 0 1
Lost fumbled ball 0-2 0-1
Yards Penalized 5-44 3-25
Total number of plays 47 79

History

1968: Massillon 12, Warren Harding 23

October 25, 1968July 19, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers fumble to 23-12 loss at Warren

AAC race now has a three-way deadlock

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

When you fumble the ball away against a good football team, you’re bound to be in trouble.

Such was the case Friday night with the Massillon Tigers as Warren Harding’s Black Panthers picked off all five of Washington high’s bobbles – three by tailback Jim Smith – and went on to a 23-12 victory before 10,000 fans at Mollenkopf stadium in Warren.

Even though Co-Captain George Whitfield picked off three of five Harding fumbles and Kim Cocklin nabbed another, the Tigers’ miscues negated that effort.
* * *
INABILITY TO stop Warren from moving the ball didn’t help either. Tiger Coach Bob Seaman’s pre-game prediction that possession ball might be the key came back to haunt him.

The outcome left both teams with 6-2 records, threw the All-American conference race into a three-way tie and obliterated Massillon’s slim state title hopes.

The Panthers became the second team to outgain the Orange and Black this season. Mentor turned the trick in the opener.

Harding shocked the WHS eleven with two quick touchdowns in the first quarter.

“That put the pressure on us,” Seaman said.
* * *
BOTH OF Warren’s early TDs came as the result of Coach Bill Shunkwiler picking on the Tigers’ Achilles heel – pass defense.

The Panthers marched 63 yards after the opening kick-off with quarterback George Cooley combining with end Ron Cambridge on a 17-yard, fourth down, pass-run play with 7:37 left. Halfback Jerry Hall bulled through the center for two more points.

The Tigers looked as if they were going to come right back, but Smith fumbled on his 48 with Ed Exler recovering. One play later Gerald Wesley rolled to the 18 on a 25-yard hand-back trap to the left.

Cooley found end Chuck McIntyre in the end zone at 4:30 two plays later and hit Hall on a sprint-out pass for two more points.
Early in the second quarter, Cocklin recovered a fumbled punt on the Warren 36, but on a first down play from the 25, Smith fumbled again and Rick James recovered.
* * *
BEFORE THE period was over, Smith fumbled a third time, Co-Captain Larry Shumar intercepted a pass, Whitfield had two fumble recoveries and the Tigers lost a pass via an interception.

Although neither team got anywhere for most of the second quarter, the Tigertowners got one of their TDs near the end of the stanza. Mark McDew almost ran a punt back for a score but was stopped after 29 yards on the Warren 26. Smith blasted off right tackle for 17 more to the nine.

This was one spot where the Tigers picked up yardage consistently all night thanks to the blocking of Gary Harig, Rick Laase, Tom Engler, and Tom Robinson.

Malinowski went over on a keeper from the six shortly thereafter but the Orange and Black were in motion. However, he hit McDew in the end zone from the 11 with 28 seconds remaining. Smith slipped trying to skirt right end for the conversion.

Early in the third quarter came what Seaman termed the turning point when the Tigers drove from their 43 to the Warren 20, losing the ball on downs.
* * *
THE TIGERS had another pass picked off in this period. Darnell Streeter fumbled with John Harkins recovering on the Warren 41, canceling a 26-yard romp around right end by Smith after Whitfield’s third fumble recovery on the Massillon 30.

Warren scored its final six pointer on the drive following the fumble recovery, aided by Exler’s 14-yard jaunt through the center and 12-yard trek to the left on the handback trap. He also made the TD from six yards away over right tackle with 8:17 remaining in the game.

Paul Metzendorf booted the extra point.

The Tigers drove 65 yards after the kickoff to end the night’s scoring. A Gary Herring to Bert Dampier 12-yard screen and a fourth down “M & M Special” (Malinowski to McDew pass) were key plays.

Malinowski hit McDew in the end zone form nine-yards out with 3:55 left and missed on another to McDew on the conversion attempt.
* * *
“THEY DID a good job moving the ball,” Seaman said. They have good backs and a good all-around team.”

“Our kids were wonderful in the first quarter,” Shunkwiler said. “Our plan going in was to keep the ball. Massillon has a heckuva offense. When they had the ball, we were in trouble.”

As to his team’s success running over the right side of Massillon’s defensive line, Shunkwiler said, “We just picked something up. As far as I’m concerned, it dies with us.”

Smith had his normal 100-yards plus night with 133 net in 25 carries. Hall tried 22 times for 110.

Shunkwiler has now taken two of three from Seaman and the Tigers have lost five of the last six games at Warren.

MASSILLON – 12
Ends – Dampier, Engler, Robinson, Conley, Cline,
Dorman, Jackson, James.
Tackles – Laase, McGeorge, Midgley, Harris, Doll.
Guards – Whitfield, Harig, Couto, Hout, Indorf, Arnott.
Center – Cocklin.
Quarterbacks – Malinowski, Herring, Fromholtz, Lombardi.
Halfbacks – J. Smith, McDew, Shumar, Hodgson, Stoner,
McLin, Gamble, Sheaters, K. Autrey.
Fullbacks – Streeter, M. Autrey, Johnson.

WARREN – 23
Ends – McIntyre, Cambridge, Beach, Myhand, Metzendorf,
Ryder, G. Smith.
Tackles – O’Donnell, Larata, Kollar, Baughman, Harkins, Helman.
Guards – Dyer, Kittie, Moran, DeJacimo, Antenucci, Mix, Burin.
Centers – McCreary and Wallace.
Quarterbacks – Cooley, Bohyer, Jerina.
Halfbacks – Hall, Turner, Wesley, Paully, Exler, Vilcek, Cooks.
Fullbacks – Simmons and James.

Massillon 0 6 0 6 – 12
Warren 16 0 0 7 – 23

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Massillon
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Malinowski 3 2 0.7
Streeter 8 26 3.3
Autrey 5 29 5.8
Smith 25 133 5.3
McDew 4 -1 0

Warren
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Cooley 8 1 0.1
Hall 22 40 1.8
Wesley 5 40 8
Exler 7 34 4.8
Cooks 8 31 3.9

THE GRIDSTICK
Mass. War.
First downs –rushing 9 14
First downs – passing 3 4
First downs – penalties 1 0
Total first downs 13 18
Yards gained rushing 207 248
Yards lost rushing 16 6
Net yards gained rushing 189 242
Net yards gained passing 50 59
Total yards gained 239 301
Passes completed 3-14 4-7
Passes intercepted by 1 2
Yardage on passes intercepted 12 14
Kickoff average (yards) 3—44.0 4-28.8
Kickoff returns (yards) 13 27
Punt average (yards) 3-41.3 4-33.2
Punt return (yards) 35 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Lost fumbled ball 3-5 4-5
Penalties 2 4
Yards penalized 20 60
Touchdowns rushing 0 1
Touchdowns passing 2 2
Total number of plays 62 64

History

1968: Massillon 20, Steubenville 12

October 18, 1968July 19, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers beat Big Red
in 20-12 thriller

Fourth quarter drive turns tide for WHS

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

It was one of those games during which you’d like to jump out of your skin or see the nearest doctor for a tranquilizer.

Using a great fourth quarter drive, the Massillon Tigers came roaring back from a 12-point deadlock to a 20-12 win over long-time rival Steubenville at rain-soaked Tiger stadium Friday night.

The season’s smallest crowd (10,500) was held spellbound until the final tick of the clock wrote a finish to a great effort on the part of two powerful football teams.

The win was the sixth consecutive for the Washington high eleven since an opening game defeat to Mentor and gave the Tigers a 3-0 slate in the All-American conference (AAC), putting them two victories away from third consecutive title and their fifth in the six-year history of the league.
* * *
THE BIG RED’S third loss in seven games left them alone in the AAC cellar with an 0-3 rating since alliance (0-2) played out of the league.

Steubenville’s lefty quarterback Craig Misselwitz found end Bob Washington, all alone in the center of the end zone on a fourth down pass from the five to know the count with 7:10 left in the game.

After Misselwitz missed end Ron Styles on the conversion try, Marc Malinowski ran back the kickoff 22 yards to start a 51-yard pay dirt drive, which chopped six minutes, two seconds off the clock.

Tailback Jim Smith carried on 10 of the 13 plays gaining yardage in excruciatingly short snatches. He fumbled on the two but tight end Tom Robinson recovered on a disputed call.

“There was nobody else around,” Robbie said later. “I saw the ball lying there and grabbed it.”
* * *
ON THE next play Smith scored the last of his three right-side, off-tackle touchdowns from the two. Time remaining was 1:02 as quarterback Marc Malinowski faked to Smith and skirted right end for the 19th and 20th points.

Smith intercepted on the 50 shortly thereafter to end Steubenville’s final effort.

“A combination of things occurred on that last touchdown desire,” Bryan explained. “I think it was the blocking of the fullbacks and wingbacks that was as effective as Smith’s running.”

Seaman remarked, “That’s probably true and the line did not do that bad of a job either. We wanted that touchdown badly and blocked like crazy.”

Smith’s other off –tackle scores were from the one and two in that order. Near the end of the first quarter, Keith Autrey’s disputed fumble, Keith Autrey’s disputed fumble recovery on the Steubenville 45 sent the Tigers to their first score with a non-frequent Malinowski to Smith pass-run combination for 12 yards, helping to set up the tally, which came with 6:48 left in the second canto.

Malinowski’s pass to tight end Mike James was no good.
* * *
EARLIER LONG drives by both teams had fizzled, Chuck Stoner’s fumble recovery on the Massillon 24 halting the Stubbers.

Dave Doll grabbed off a fumble on the Big Red 17 shortly after the second half kickoff. Smith’s second tally came with 9:15 remaining in the period.

McDew missed on a left tackle conversion try.

Gary Rapella snared a Tiger fumble on Massillon’s 33, took advantage of a personal foul penalty and sent fullback Bob Sims in on fourth down from the half-yard line with 3:07 left in the third chapter. Steubenville had had a first down on the two.

“I think we had it stopped,” Seaman said, “but Sims appeared to roll off the pile and into the end zone. They did a good job pounding at us.”
* * *
MISSELWITZ’ PASS to Dennis Madama on the conversion attempt was nixed by Keith Autrey and Bert Dampier.

After one post-kickoff series, Steubenville got its 45-yard final scoring drive underway. A 15-yard Misselwitz to Ray Culbreath pass on the nine helped set up the score.

“I rhought we had Washington covered,” Seaman explained, “but we gave them too long to throw the ball” – a major Tiger fault all season.

The big back battle never materialized as Smith carried 28 times for a net 119 yards to preserve his margin over Sims for first place in the AAC. The Big Red piledriver carried 19 times for 87 yards but Bryan mixed things up between his backs with all of them giving a fine performance.

“I’ll say again,” Seaman reiterated. “It takes a heckuva fine team to turn the momentum of the game as we did.
* * *
HE SAID that Sims was a fine back that Steubenville gave a great effort.

Both coaches said their game plans had been changed due to the rain, with Seaman having decided to run outside and Bryan hoping to rely on a pro-type offense because of Altoona’s success in throwing against Massillon with a wide formation last week. Neither wanted to speculate on what difference the changes made.

Seaman thought an opponent’s line once again beat his to the punch in the first half.

Bryan preferred not to comment on why the Big Red declined a procedure penalty against Massillon on a play which saw the Tigers move to the one and then score their first TD.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen us lose a game before when I was able to tell the kids I was real proud of them,” he said. “They put forth a real great effort.”

STEUBENVILLE – 12
Ends – Washington, Styles, DeLeonardis, Spencer,
Mavromatis, Radakoyich, Wesley.
Tackles – Brown, Muklewitz.
Guards – Patterson, Jakcson, Trimmer, Magyar.
Centers – Barren, Monroe.
Quarterbacks – C. Misselwitz, Repella.
Halfbacks – R. and E. Culbreath, Mitchell, Madama,
K. Smith, Perine.
Fullbacks – Sims, Williams.

MASSILLON – 20
Ends – James, Engler, Robinson, Dampier, Conley, Dorman,
Cline, Jackson.
Tackles – Harris, Laase, McGeorge, Midgley, Doll.
Guards – Couto, Harig, Whitfield, Hout, Indorf, Arnott.
Center – Cocklin.
Quarterbacks – Malinowski, Fromholtz, Lombardi.
Halfbacks – J. Smith, McDew, Shumar, K. Autrey, Stoner,
McLin, Sheaters, Miller, Gamble, Hodgson.
Fullbacks – M. Autrey, Streeter, Johnson.

Steubenville 0 0 6 6 – 12
Massillon 0 6 6 8 – 20

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Smith 3 (one and two, two-yard runs);
Steubenville – Sims (half-yard run); Washington (five-yard pass from Misselwitz).

Extra points: Massillon – Malinowski 2 (run).

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Massillon
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Malinowski 7 5 0
M. Autrey 5 34 6.8
J. Smith 28 119 7.3
McDew 10 38 3.8
Streeter 8 49 6.1

Steubenville
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Misselwitz 0 0 0
Sims 19 87 4.6
K. Smith 8 23 2.9
Mitchell 8 25 3.1
Culbreath 8 26 3.3

OFFICIALS
Referee – John Cseh.
Umpire – Harold Rolph.
Head Linesman – Chuck Hinkle.
Field Judge – Beauford Hatfield.

THE GRIDSTICK
M S
First downs – rushing 17 12
First downs – passing 1 3
First downs – penalties 0 2
Total first downs 18 17
Yards gained rushing 258 171
Yards lost rushing 22 11
Net yards gained rushing 236 160
Net yards gained passing 12 38
Total yards gained 248 196
Passes attempted 4-1 14-4
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 4 0
Kickoff average (yards) 4—45.2 3-41.1
Kickoff returns (yards) 26 15
Punt average (yards) 3-43 2-41.5
Punt return (yards) 0 7
Lost fumbled ball 2-4 3-4
Yards penalized 3-33 1-15
Touchdowns rushing 3 1
Total number of plays 65 61

History

1968: Massillon 30, Altoona, PA 0

October 12, 1968July 19, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers have mission

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

While the Massillon Tigers were holding the Altoona Pa., Mountain Lions to 98 net rushing yards Saturday night at Tiger stadium, Canton McKinley’s Bulldogs were holding Steubenville’s Big Red to 48 at Fawcett stadium in Canton.

When the River City team comes here Friday night for its second consecutive All-American conference (AAC) contest, the Tigers will be out to show they can do better than their
arch-rivals. The Washington high eleven will also be out to pick up the one-half game lost to McKinley.
* * *
ANOTHER CONCERN of the Orange and Black will be stopping Steubenville’s Craig Misslewitz, the AAC’s leading scorer going into last weekend’s contests. The Bit Red’s Bob Washington is ranked the No. 2 receiver.

In light of the 205 yards through the air given up by the Tigers while defeating Altoona
30-0 Saturday night – the most allowed by the Orange and Black’s secondary this year – Steubenville’s passing game can’t be taken lightly.

Altoona quarterback Jim Pry completed 13 of 34 passes.

Lion receivers, termed by Coach Earl Strohm, “the best crop we’ve had for awhile.”

On Altoona’s last time with the ball blockers kept defenders at bay long enough to make Pry effective. But many passes were dropped by receivers and the Tiger defense thwarted others, making it the first time this season the Lions had completed less than 50 per cent of their attempts.

We’ve been trying to capitalize on our passing game since we started getting a lot of injuries,” Strohm explained.

It must have been the longest night of the season for Tiger fans who provided the major part of the 14,038 attendance. The Lions got to the Tigers one, eight, nine, 29, and 14-yard lines in the first half – twice on fumbles by Jim Smith – before the defense stiffened.
* * *
ON TWO of those occasions, Dave Redline missed 18 and 21-yard field goals. On another, Dave Hout, Jerry Harris and Elijah McLin stopped Jeff Simms just short of the goal line. Hout’s fumble recovery aborted one drive.

Meanwhile Altoona was jamming the off-tackle holes and guarding the corners so well that the WHS squad didn’t get out of its own territory until Bert Fampier, back in action for the first time since he was injured in the season opener, ran a pass interception back 26 yards and set in motion a drive which fizzled moments later on the Altoona 36.
* * *
THE TIGERS got on the scoreboard with five seconds left in the half via a 71-yard drive and one of the weirdest plays ever seen at Tiger stadium.

Quarterback Marc Malinowski threw from the Altoona 23 to wingback Mark McDew, in the center of the end zone. Two defenders blasted into McDew, causing the ball to pop into the air. One of the defenders batted the ball again and tight end Tom Robinson grabbed it for the six points.

Malinowski missed the conversion off right tackle.
* * *
ALTOONA GOT to the 11 in the third quarter before John Hodgson and Dampier broke up a fourth down pass. The Lions had been stopped at their 37 but the Tiger’s very aggressive junior middle guard Dave Hout roughed punter Doug singer, giving Altoona new life.

Hout was also called for being offside and clipping on the run-back but his aggressiveness paid off as he had an unofficial 15 tackles followed by George Whitfield with 12, and Stoner and Larry Shumar each with nine.

Simms had 12, Wayne Mascia and John Fusco each 10 and Dave Elvey nine for Altoona.

Massillon got out of its own territory only once in the third quarter and then Harris picked up Elvey’s fumble on the Lions’ 11 early in the goodbye canto. Two plays later Malinowski faked to fullback Darnell Streeter and skirted right end for the score with 7:56 remaining.

Fullback Mike Autrey went off right tackle for the conversion.
* * *
STONER INTERCEPTED a pass on the Tigers’ 24 shortly thereafter and on the next play Autrey went off tackle, made a great cut and raced 76 yards to pay dirt with 5:40 remaining. The left side of the Orange and Black line opened a nice hole.

Streeter went around left end for the conversion.

The Tigers stopped a Lion drive on Massillon’s 34 and the resulting drive, abetted by Smith’s 24-yard run, netted the final score with Malinowski hitting McDew on the five and Mark carrying in for the score. Forty-four seconds remained.

Smith navigated left-end with the ball, another of those tip catches occurred as Hodgson batted a pass into end John Imler’s hands at the Massillon 30 and he raced to the 14. Time ran out two plays later.
* * *
“OUR BOYS did a heckuva job defensively inside the 20 where it counts,” Tiger coach Bob Seaman said. “I thought their kids were pretty tired by the end of the game.”
He added, “They did a fine job against us but Autrey’s long run took the starch out of them.”

“We were in the game for 3 ½ quarters,” Strohm said. “That long run took us right out of it. We got close several times but couldn’t score. Nothing we expected to work did work.”

About his double slot formation, Strohm commented, “It was a little different look than we had been using.”

The Tigers’ fifth victory against one loss saw Smith with another 100-plus yards night on the ground – 114 of the Orange and Black’s 254 net in 25 carries. Altoona is 2-4.

ALTOONA – 0
Ends – Imler, Singer, Young, Plummer, Rehm.
Tackles – Beatty, hench.
Guards – Schraff, Keown, Costlow, Mascia.
Center – Strohm.
Quarterbacks – Pry, Redline, Ellis.
Halfbacks – Diehl, Simms, Lutchko, Robinson, Fusco.
Fullbacks – Balestino.

MASSILLON – 30
Ends – Dampier, Jackson, James, Robinson, Cline, Engler, Conley.
Tackles – McGeorge, Laase, Harris, Dorman, Doll, Midgley.
Guards – Whitfield, Couto, Harig, Hout, Arnott, Indorf, Fichter.
Centers – Cocklin, Gengo.
Quarterbacks – Malinowski, Fromholtz, Lombardi.
Halfbacks – Smith, McDew, Shumar, K. Autrey, Hodgson, Stoner.
Sheaters, McLin, Gamble, Miller.
Fullbacks – M. Autrey, Streeter, Johnson.

Massillon 0 6 0 24 – 30

Touchdowns: Massillon – Robinson (23-yard deflected pass from Malinowski); Malinowski (20-yard run); M. Autrey (76-yard run); McDew (13-yard, pass-run play from Malinowski).

Massillon
Att. Net.
Malinowski 8 21
Smith 25 114
McDew 7 12
Streeter 3 20
M. Autrey 5 87

Altoona
Att. Net.
Lutchko 10 28
Balestino 6 15
Pry 11 10
Simms 5 21
Elvey 4 18

THE GRIDSTICK
M A
First downs –rushing 8 3
First downs – passing 4 10
First downs – penalties 2 2
Total first downs 14 17
Yards gained rushing 272 135
Yards lost rushing 18 37
Net yards gained rushing 254 98
Net yards gained passing 62 205
Total yards gained 316 303
Passes completed 4-6 13-34
Passes intercepted by 2 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 29 0
Kickoff average (yards) 5-36.2 1—29
Kickoff returns (yards) 17 57
Punt average (yards) 5-35.8 2-32.0
Punt return (yards) 0 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 6
Lost Fumbled ball 2 2
Penalties 8 5
Yards penalized 83 55
Touchdowns rushing 2 0
Touchdowns passing 2 0
Total number of plays 62 76

See Altoona
pics tonight

Films of last Saturday’s Massillon – Altoona football game will be shown to Tiger Booster club members tonight at 8 at Washington high school. President Duane Knight will preside in the school’s auditorium.
Coach Bob Seaman will answer questions on that game as well as the Tigers next outing. The Orange and Black will host Steubenville Friday at Tiger stadium in an All-American conference encounter.

History

1968: Massillon 16, Niles McKinley 8

October 5, 1968July 19, 2017
by Eric Smith

TIGERS EYE 3rd SPOT IN POLL

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

Tuesday’s Associated Press gridiron poll should have some good news in it for the Massillon Tigers – a third place ranking.

The 13,000 who saw the Washington high eleven Saturday night rip apart Niles McKinley’s “Thunder Defense” with a powerful running attack and stymie a previously powerful offense would agree that a poll change was inevitable.
* * *
THE TIGERS – fourth ranked last week – should take over Niles’ third spot thanks to their 16-8 upset victory at the Dragon’s Riverside stadium. Niles had been undefeated in four games while Massillon had lost one.

The victory gave the defending champion Orange and black undisputed possession of first place in the All-American conference with a 2-0 mark. The Dragons are 1-1.

Niles hadn’t lost at home since 1959 – a stretch of 63 straight games. The Dragons had been averaging about 32 points per game and had allowed only one touchdown.

Massillon blasted out 231 net yards on the ground with four backs amassing over 40 yards apiece. Quarterback Marc Malinowski led with 82 yards, 70 on one run.

“Both of our fullbacks did a good job,” Seaman said. “Niles ignored them because they hadn’t been used much previously.”
* * *
THE BESPECTACLED Autrey and Streeter had good off-tackle holes through which to run. The left-side slant seemed to be Niles’ Achilles heel. It was here that Mike James,
Co-Captain George Whitfield and Ernie McGeorge did their blocking.

“They split an end out and pulled us outside,” Dragons Coach Fred Conti explained. “We shut off a bit in the second half but then they ran Smith in there and ran that sweep at us.”

Because Smith and the two fullbacks were able to run so well, it made Malinowski more dangerous off the fake. He also did some outstanding punting to keep Niles in the hole.

His out-of-bounds boot on the Dragons’ five-yard line midway in the fourth quarter when the Tigers bogged down on the Niles, 29, about clinched the upset because the Dragons had to kick from their end zone minutes later.

Seaman had said that the Orange and Black would win if there were no big errors. There was one – a first quarter motion penalty from the half-yard line which prevented the Tigers from scoring a touchdown.

* * *

BUT THE TIGERS forced the Dragons into five fumbles, picking up four – one in each quarter. The recoveries, in order, were by Dave Couto on the Massillon 24, Bill Dorman on the Tigers 37, Chuck Stoner on the Niles 46, and Gary Gamble on the Dragons’ 28.

After Couto’s recovery, Malinowski broke off his 70 yard run to the four where two of the fastest Dragons – Bob Henry and Rick Gales – brought him down. This was the series which was blunted by the motion penalty.

Massillon drove 64 yards following a second quarter punt for its first score. The key play was a 20-yard pass-run combination from Malinowski to tight end Tom Engler on third and 12. Streeter ran for 10 more and Smith ploughed through right tackle – from the four with 6:48 remaining.

Streeter converted on a pitchout to the left.

The other Washington high score came with 8:23 left in the last stanza after Niles failed to get further than its eight following a Malinowski put to the four. The Tigers moved in from the Niles 49 with Autrey’s 29-yard, off-tackle jaunt to the 20 setting up the six-pointer.

Smith scored over right tackle from four yards away and repeated the procedure for the conversion.
* * *
NILES’ TALLY came after a third quarter punt and Gales 20-yard runback to the Massillon 39. Gales threw a halfback pss off the pitch-out to end Randy Hardy on the eight. Two plays later Gales took a pitch-out and raced around end with 6:49 left, for the score.

Gales passed to end John DeCamp in the right corner of the end zone for the conversion.

Another Niles threat came about when Gales broke loose down the sideline from the Massillon 47 in the first quarter but was tripped up by Co-Captain Larry Shumar on about the 30 and knocked out of bounds by Chuck Stoner on the 24. Then came Conte’s recovery.

After the Dragons brought a Massillon 42-yard drive to a halt on the one with 1:53 in the game, quarterback Scott Conway tossed to Gales on the 20. Shumar intercepted, was hit immediately, fumbled and Gales recovered on the 25.

Conway lofted a desperation bomb, McDew intercepted on the Massillon 38 to end the game.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHHING
Massillon
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Malinowski 13 88 6.8
Streeter 11 44 4.0
McDew 5 9 1.8
Smith 20 51 2.6
M. Autrey 4 45 11.3

Niles
Player Att. Net. Ave.
S. Conway 11 36 3.3
Henry 12 54 4.5
L. Tabor 10 65 6.5

MASSILLON – 16
Ends – Engler, James, Cline, Dorman, Conley.
Tackles – Laase, McGeorge, Harris, Midgley, Doll.
Guards – Whitfield, Harig, Couto, Indorf, Arnott.
Center – Cocklin.
Quarterbacks – Malinowski, Fromholtz, Lombardi.
Halfbacks – McDew, Smith, Shumar, K. Autrey, Gamble,
Miller, Stoner, Hodgson, Sheaters, McLin.
Fullbacks – M. Autrey, Streeter, Johnson.

NILES – 8
Ends – Hardy, DeCamp, DeMont, N. Gatta, Joseph, J. Tabor.
Tackles – R. Santangelo, R. Sypert, Calderone, Rogers.
Gaurds – Joseph, D. Sypert, Hammel, Baragona.
Centers – Gaul, Rose.
Quarterbacks – S. and M. Conway, Fusco.
Halfbacks – Henry, D. Gatta, Gales, Pallante.
Fullbacks – L. Tabor, J. Santangelo.

Massillon 0 8 0 8 – 16
Niles 0 0 8 0 – 8

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Smith 2 (r-yard runs).
Niles – Gales (5-yard run).

Extra points:
Massillon – Streeter 2 (runs); Smith 2 (runs)
Niles – DeCamp (pass from Gales).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Ted Humphrey.
Umpire – Bob Bodnar.
Head Linesman – Paul Hoskins.
Field Judge – Tom Ascar.

AAC STANDINGS
Rec. Ovl. Pts. Opp.
MASSILLON 2-0 4-1 123 68
Niles 1-1 4-1 103 22
McKinley 1-1 4-1 91 29
Warren 1-2 3-2 100 40
Alliance 0-1 2-3 80 80
Steubenville 0-1 4-1 104 50

THE GRIDSTICK
Mass. Niles
First downs –rushing 14 7
First downs – passing 1 2
Total first downs 15 9
Yards gained rushing 252 135
Yards lost rushing 21 11
Net yards gained rushing 231 124
Net yards gained passing 23 34
Total yards gained 254 158
Passes attempted 2-5 2-9
Passes intercepted by 2 1
Kickoff average (yards) 3—46 2-31
Kickoff returns (yards) 18 23
Punt average (yards) 4-27.7 4-41.2
Punt return (yards) 39 19
Fumbles, lost 1-1 4-5
Penalties 5 1
Yards penalized 33 5
Touchdowns rushing 2 1
Total number of plays 61 52

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