Call it luck if you like, but Washington high school’s injury riddled Tigers are still undefeated and well on their way toward a second successive Ohio scholastic football championship.
The Tigers proved once again Friday night, before over 12,000 fans at Arlin stadium, Mansfield, why they remain No. 1 week after week as they turned in a 16-6 victory over Mansfield’s Tygers, the 20th win in a row over a three-year period and seventh straight.
It took 48 minutes to decide the issue, but two key plays, one early in the first period, the second late in the third stanza, are what the fans recall most.
The first was Tiger Bob Baker’s 77-yard punt return for a touchdown, after he had fumbled the ball and picked it up, at the 9:30 mark of the opening quarter.
The second was Joe Snively’s recovery of Tyger Henry Weaver’s fumble on the locals’ four, moments before the end of the third period.
Had Baker not gone the distance and had Weaver not fumbled, Washington high would have had to rally to pull the decision out. It was hard enough as it was.
Coach Leo Strang summed up the Tigers’ situation precisely with a, “I don’t know who to play.”
Strang’s problems became compounded early last night when Linebacker, kickoff man and punter Ken Dean was injured on the kickoff following Baker’s scoring run. Dean didn’t play the rest of the first half.
Then Martin Gugov, after clicking for 26 yards on two carries in the second Tiger touchdown drive, re-injured his right knee. He didn’t play the rest of the way.
Trainer Walt Keller upon examining the knee after the game, said it didn’t appear to be too bad.
In the Mansfield dressing room, Bill Doolittle, in his first year at the Tyger helm, sized up his team’s performance as one in which “we learned a lesson.”
“We played one good half of football,” Doolittle said. “Against a team like Massillon, you have to play the whole game.”
“A few new wrinkles in our offense helped. Our second half defense was great,” Doolittle added.
What did he think of Washington high’s team?
“Massillon has a good club,” he replied. “That Hastings is a terrific player.”
That Hastings, to whom the Mansfield mentor referred, is Art, the big gun in the Tigers’ lagging offensive punch last night.
Playing possibly his best game of the year, the speedy fullback lugged the ball 25 times, picking up 133 yards. An eight-yard shot around his short side end on the opening play of the second period and his successful conversion gave the Tigers a 16-0 cushion with nearly the whole three quarters remaining.
Mansfield’s touchdown was only the fourth scored against the locals’ defense in seven games. It came on one of the weirdest plays of the season.
After Mansfield had drive to the Tigers’ 15 mid way through the third period on the running of Halfbacks John Brooks and Weaver and a 15-yard personal foul call, Dean busted through from his linebacker slot and dropped Quarterback Art Rainey on the 19. A sweep by Weaver around the left end netted a single yard for a third and 13.
* * * RAINEY THEN, after a fake to Weaver up the middle, handed off to Fullback Harold Phillips. Phillips, however, was trapped by Jim Houston behind the line. While under tackle he attempted a lateral to Brooks, following the play. The ball hit the ground, then bounced a couple of times right into Brooks’ hands. The scatback then continued around the right side and swept home for the touchdown. Over seven minutes still remained in the third period.
The conversion attempt by Weaver on a sweep to his left was broken up by Ken Ivan.
After Hastings returned Lee Beer’s kickoff to his own 41, the Tiger offense failed to move. Dean then booted to Mansfield’s 21 where Halfback Don Cole scooped the ball in and scooted to his 38.
Aided by a 35-yard pass play from Rainey to End Bob Norris, the hosts moved to the Massillon 15. A sweep to the right by Brooks moved the Tygers to the three with a first down.
* * * HERE THE TIGERS rose up, with the middle of the line smacking Weaver as he churned through. He fumbled and Snively dived over his teammates, recovering the loose ball on the Tiger four.
It marked the second time in the last two games in which the Orange has recovered an opponent fumble inside the five-yard line to curtail a scoring threat.
Mansfield netted only four yards on three tries after taking Dean’s kick on their own 45 to open the battle. Elroy Allen then booted to Baker.
Baker, who later bobbled three others, losing one, played with the ball from the 20 to 23 before finding the handle. Then, behind a perfect wall of blockers, the speedy Tiger safety stepped untouched 77 yards down his right sideline for the score.
Gugov went in behind his outside tackle for the two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead.
Mansfield, which didn’t gain a first down until late in the second period, failed to move again after Dean’s boot. Allen punted, again to Baker. This time Bob dropped it, then picked it up but was stormed by a host of Tyger tacklers and fumbled again. He then recovered on his own 26.
* * * WITH THE DEFT ball handling of John Larson and the running of Hastings spearheading the attack, the defending state champions marched 74 yards in 15 plays for the touchdown. The big yardage play was a 17-yarder by Gugov. Marty was then injured three plays later when he added the nine-yarder to Mansfield’s 41.
Hastings touchdown was his seventh of the year. He has now tallied 46 points. He finished with 86 last year.
After the next kickoff by Richard Crenshaw and punt by Allen when the Tygers failed to move, Baker fumbled again. This time Center Kay Hartman made the recovery for Mansfield on the locals’ 40.
Two plays later, however, Lawson White pounced on Brooks fumble to stop that abbreviated drive on Massillon’s 35. * * *
AFTER HASTINGS returned Beer’s second half kickoff to Mansfield’s 46 from his own 23, three successive five-yard illegal motion penalties were marched off against the locals setting them back to their own 39. Larson brought it back to the Mansfield 49 before Dean punted out of bounds on the losers’ 22.
The hosts then moved for their lone touchdown of the game. Covering 83 yards, after a five-yard penalty, in seven plays.
It was Mansfield’s third loss against two wins and a tie on the season. In the series with Washington high, the Ashland county eleven has managed only two wins and four ties in 24 attempts.
The game was a pleasant change for Mansfield from the 70-0 route suffered during the fruitless 1959 season. The 16-6 final was the closest the Tygers have come to upending the Orange since 1956 when the won, 14-6.
In first downs the clubs were even with 11 apiece. Massillon managed 195 yards rushing and 29 passing for 224 while the hosts combined 114 on the ground and 63 through the air for 177 total yards. * * *
THE TIGERS went into the game with seven players out of uniform. Theo Bodiford came up with a fever during the afternoon and didn’t dress. Bob Herring indicated he was ready to go but Strang wasn’t taking any chances. Charlie Whitfield didn’t see any action.
Joining these were Virgil Bukuts, still out with the knee injury suffered before the start of the campaign. Sophomores Ben Bradley and Ron Davis, and Junior Quarterback Jim Alexander.
Strang hopes most of the injuries will be healed by next Friday when the Tigers journey to Warren for the final road game of the season against the up and coming Panthers. Two years ago, the Panthers ruined Massillon’s bid for the state championship with a 6-0 victory. Last year Washington high atoned for the loss with a 38-8 slashing of Paul Warfield and company.
Last night Warren posted its third straight victory, ripping New Castle (Pa.), 40-7.
Tigers Make It 19, Nip Bacon, 8-0 Hastings’ 3rd Quarter Score Breaks Rugged Defensive Grid Battle
By JIM QUILTY
Washington high school’s Tigers did it again.
The opportunist band of scholastic football precisionists converted an early second half recovered fumble into the lone touchdown of the game, then forced invading Cinncinnati Roger Bacon to fumble on the Tigers’ three, again pouncing upon it, for a scrambling 8-0 victory at Tiger stadium Friday night.
The largest crowd of the season 12,797 (paid), cheered wildly as Art Hastings slithered home for the decisive touchdown of the defensive struggled from a yard out, then circled his short side end for the two-point conversion midway through the third period.
Bacon’s Coach Bron Bacevich, envisioning a possible state title for his club saw the illusion whisked away early in the fourth period.
After rugged 6-2, 200-pound Tackle Bob Steltenpohl furnished the Spartans with their “break” by busting past the Tiger defense to block Ken Dean’s punt, the Bacon Quarterback Jim Swagart fumbled on the second play following with Bengal Linebacker Ed Radel gathering it on his three.
* * * THE SOUTHERN Ohio power never threatened seriously again.
The triumph, Coach Leo Strang’s 19th in succession and 24th in 26 starts since taking over in 1958, was indeed sweet. But his praise of the Bacon team and Bacevich was high.
Summing it up, Leo started slowly and precisely: “They have a real good ball club.”
The sweetness of the victory stemmed from the issue at stake. Stark county’s reputation as the focal point of high school football was maintained. However, and Strang will be the first to agree, it was the narrowest of margins.
A proud, though understandably disappointed Bacevich was “very pleased” with his team’s performance.
“I talked to Leo before the game,” Bacevich said, “and we both knew we were in for a real battle. It was a tough one for either team to lose.” “We thought we should have had a tie. But the difference was they took advantage of their break and we didn’t. The fumbles also hurt us.”
Hundreds of an estimated 1,500 Bacon rooters, who made the trip by bus, car or any other available transportation means, heaped congratulatory wishes upon Bacevich and his squad while filing past the visitor’s dressing room.
With the Bacon game now history, the Tigers open their only extended road trip of the season in Mansfield next Friday. The Friday after that, the state’s No. 1 ranked football power battles always dangerous Warren.
* * * IT DIDN’T take long for the opposing grid giants to establish the setting for the entire Friday night encounter.
After the Bengals grabbed the opening kickoff, they failed to move and punted.
Bacon could manage only one first and ten of its own before booting back to the locals 24.
With Hastings and Martin Gugov combining, the Tigers managed their first, first down. The drive bogged down quickly on the 43 with Dean kicking out of trouble to the Spartans 35.
Scatback Jim Mahon scooted to mid field but Safety Bob Baker rapped him from behind forcing a fumble, recovered by Hastings on the Washington high 49.
Charlies Brown, then Gugov, Ron Schenkenberger and Hastings picked up a pair of first downs to the Bacon 24. Gugov chopped for three more, Hastings was stopped without a gain and Brown moved to the 19. Then on a fourth and five, Quarterback John Larson overshot Hastings as the Spartans took possession on downs.
The invaders then reeled off four successive first downs with bruising fullback Mel Anthony and Mahon dividing the ball carrying chores.
The drive chewed up nearly seven minutes of the second period but finally fizzled when Swagart was tossed down by Radel, Joe Snively, and Baker on the Tigers’ 31.
* * * AFTER Charlie Williams’ second half kickoff was returned by John Voss to Bacon’s 40. Swagart and Center Tom Kearns had another mix-up, which gave a huge profit to the Tigers. Linebacker Dean and Middle Guard Lawson White were there as the ball squirted from Swagart’s fingertips. One of them pounced on the loose ball at the 41.
After Hastings was stopped on the first play, Schenkenberger swept his short side end after a reverse handoff from Larson to the Spartans’ 28.
Gugov, Hastings, then Dean ripped through small holes at the outside tackle, inside tackle and short side guard slots to the Bacon one on nine more plays.
Hastings then rammed home for the score with 5:32 showing in the third quarter. The conversion was on a sweep around the short side left) end. Bacon wasn’t fried yet. Anthony returned Dean’s kickoff to his 35. Then he, Mahon and John Schroder combined for a pair of first downs to the Tigers’ 35.
With a fourth and eight, the Spartans’ Swagart punted out of bounds on the Tiger 15-yard line moments before the conclusion of the period.
After two running plays and an incompleted pass had netted only three yards, Dean stepped back to punt. But Steltenphol, who had been just missing all night, rushed through on Dean’s kicking foot and caught the ball flush on his chest. The loose ball rolled crazily to the seven when Steltenpohl and a host of teammates scooped it in.
* * * SWAGART called on Anthony who, after a fumble and recovery, ended u on the two. Swagart then fumbled. This time Radel was there.
Again the tenacious Bacon defense thwarted the Bengal running game. With Dean in punt formation again, spectators and coaches alike were sensing the worst. This time Ken booted the ball high and far to his own 42. Coupled with a 15-yard clip against Bacon, the boot covered 43 yards from the 10 to the Bacon 47.
The never-say-die Cincy eleven stormed right back to the Washington high 34 before Charlie Whitfield broke up a fourth down toss by Swagart.
Swagart had two long near bulls-eyes as the game closed with the locals taking over on downs on Roger Bacon’s 48.
The entire defensive squad of both clubs fashioned the pattern of the contest. Bacon’s line limited the Tigers to six first downs and 133 yards rushing with the longest gain of the night being the 13-yarder by Schenkenberger.
Most of the night, the invaders were in an 8-3 defense with the safeties less than five yards back. It proved successful as Quarterback Larson attempted only four passes, each going astray.
Led by White and Tackles Wally Brugh and Gary Wells, and Radel, the Tiger middle was nearly impregnable most of the night.
Anthony, the strongest runner Washington high has met this year, clicked off 15 yards on one play late in the game and 14 yards earlier.
The one statistic, which counted, other than the final outcome, was fumbles. The Tigers didn’t fumble. Bacon dropped the ball five times, managed a recovery only twice.
Tigers Defeat Scrappy Steubenville 26-6 Massillon Gridders Held To One Touchdown In First Half Of Game
By JIM QUILTY
There will be good games and there will be bad ones, Friday night’s 26-6 Washington high school victory over Steubenville is classified in the latter category.
Coach Leo Strang’s Tigers, despite hanging up their fifth win of the season and 18th straight over three years, played “spotty ball.” Yet for a team, which had three or four members of its regular unit missing from most of the week’s practice sessions, the performance was passing.
The letdown following the Alliance game came before 11,148 (paid) fans.
Actually it wasn’t until the final play of the third period, when John Larson connected on an 18-yard scoring toss to Chuck Royer, that the Tiger were lifted from the danger zone.
That touchdown and the ensuing two-point conversion by Joe Heflin made it 20-0.
* * * THE BIG RED, now 1-2-1 in four starts, duplicated the scoring feat with a 70-yard drive after taking the kickoff. Quarterback Bill Hoyman rifled three aerial bulls-eyes during the drive for 35 of the yards and climaxed it with a scoring pass to Len Terry from four yards out.
While the Tigers’ offense lacked its scoring punch the defense again stacked up the Steubenville ground attack when the plot thickened and the Big Red threatened.
After the Tigers’ first big drive of the game had been stopped inches short of the goal, the Big Red rebounded by moving 72 yards to the Tiger 28 before the local defensive giants rose up to cut the drive short.
The Washington high eleven didn’t even manage its first score against Ray Hoyman’s club until 2:39 remained in the first half.
It took Art Hastings recovering from muscle spasms in his right leg to inject a TD shot into the Tigers.
After Bob Baker returned a Hoyman punt to the Bengal 49, Hastings swung around his short side end for 34 yards to the Big Red 17 before being bounced out of bounds by Tom Soboliwski. After three thrusts at the line by Joe Heflin, Charlie Brown and Ken Dean had netted a first down on the seven. Hastings again swept the short side end for the score.
* * * THE TIGERS wasted little time duplicating the six-point first half when they marched 63 yards for a touchdown after taking the second half kickoff. Dean barreled home from near the eight-yard marker after he and Hastings with a 31-yard sprint, had positioned the score. The 12-0 lead stood as the conversion attempt failed.
The Tigers then put the contest away on the final play of the third period when Larson and Royer covered 18 yards on a scoring pass play. Baker’s punt return from his own 40 to the Big Red’s 38 and the line busting of Martin Gugov and Brown set the touchdown up in four plays.
Joe Heflin added the two-point conversion for a 20-0 margin.
The Big Red then combined its lone six-point drive of the night after Lindsey had returned Dean’s kickoff to the Steubenville 30.
Hoyman connected with Soboliwski on the second play for 18 yards. Several plays later he spotted Ken Potts for six yards. Len Terry then took the aerial play from Hoyman hitting Barnes for 20 yards to the Tiger 18.
Hoyman again took charge with an 11-yarder to Potts to inside the Tiger five. After two running plays gained a single yard, Hoyman and Terry combined for the touchdown. A Hoyman pass on the PAT attempt failed.
Failing to score after Jim Houston grabbed an onside kick on the 50, the Tigers turned the ball over on downs on Steubenville’s 20-yard marker.
* * * THE BIG RED couldn’t move and a short punt by Hoyman rolled dead on his own 44.
Larson then hit three straight passes, nine yards to Theo Bodiford, 10 to Hastings and the third of 25 yards to Bodiford who juggled the ball around before grabbing it while waltzing into the end zone for the touchdown with only 37 seconds remaining.
Again the conversion attempt failed as the Tigers tucked away their 21st straight win over the Ohio River club.
* * * A FINAL HEAVE from Hoyman to Paul Cunningham covered 32 yards to Washington high’s 33 as the game ended.
Statistically the Tigers enjoyed nearly a two-and-a-half to one advantage in rushing yardage piling up 239 to 106. Passing the visitors chalked up 91 to Larson’s 76. That cut the total yardage difference of 315 to 197.
The Big Red made a go of it in the first down department with 10 to the Bengals’ 13.
There was only one fumble, that by the Big Red. Charlie Whitfield grabbed it on Steubenville’s 41. The Tigers’ drive which followed bogged down on the invader’s 22.
Foul play didn’t exist, at least noticeably, as only 15 yards in penalties were assessed, 10 against the Bengals, five against the Big Red.
The Big Red Coach Hoyman ranks the Tigers as the best club they’ve met this year with Weirton as a “close second”.
Strang wasn’t in a conversational mood after the contest. But he did pause long enough to size up the Big Red as “an aggressive, hard hitting, hard fighting team, just like all Steubenville teams.”
As for the Tigers, Leo received the type of performance he and the coaching staff had expected following a week of practice attended by only a scattering of regulars.
For the future and the game with Cincinnati Roger Bacon next Friday, Strang won’t know what to expect until this afternoon when he huddles with the staff going over the coaching reports.
Bacon maintained its undefeated mark Friday night mowing down Cincinnati Hughes, 40-0. Past wins have been over Cincinnati Withrow, 55-0, Cincinnati Walnut Hills, 33-0, and Cincinnati Taft, 28-6.
The Bacon eleven ranked 10th in this week’s Associated Press football poll after ranking sixth the previous week.
Chuck McMasters who played all the way for the Big Red at guard and linebacker picked up four tackles and added four assists.
For the Tigers Jim Houston, Charlie Whitfield, Ed Radel, Lawson White, Richard Crenshaw, and George Demis all figured heavily in the defensive tackles.
Massillon scoring – Hastings (7, run); Dean 8, run); Royer (18, pass from Larson); Bodiford (25, pass from Larson)
Extra point – Heflin (run).
Steubenville – Terry (4, pass from Hoyman).
STATISTICS Massillon Steu. First downs – rushing 10 6 First downs – passing 3 4 First downs – penalties 0 0 Total first downs 13 10 Yards gained – running plays 256 117 Yards lost – running plays 17 11 Net yardage – running 239 106 Passes attempted 11 12 Passes completed 5 8 Passes had intercepted 0 0 Yard returned – intercepted passes 0 0 Yards gained passing 76 91 Total yardage running and passing 315 197 Number of kickoff returns 2 5 Yardage – kickoff returns 9 73 Yardage – punt returns 31 19 Number of punts 2 4 Average length of punts 32.0 33.7 Number of penalties 2 1 Yards lost on penalties 10 5 Number of fumbles 0 1 Own fumbles recovered 0 0 Ball lost on fumbles 0 1
Tigers Beat Alliance In Final Minute Martin Gugov Plunges For Clincher With 57 Seconds Left To Play
By JIM QUILTY
“I’ve been coaching for a long time, and I’ve seen a lot of wild games. But that’s the wildest.”
And not one among the 10,464 paid fans who jammed Hartshorn stadium in Alliance could disagree with victorious Coach Leo Strang’s summation of the 14-10 Washington high school victory Friday night.
The triumph established the Tigers as the team to beat in their defense of the Ohio scholastic football crown. It was their fourth victory of the season and 17th in succession over three years.
The winning score came with 57 seconds remaining when Martin Gugov climaxed a 65-yard drive crashing off tackle from two yards out.
Only the clock prevented the Aviators from a possible score as they moved to the Tigers’ 10 before time ran out.
An exhausted Strang said the Aviators of Mel Knowlton were “the best team I’ve ever coached against.”
Program Cover
* * * STRANG was still very much upset in the Tiger dressing room about an official’s call which gave the Aviators a two-point, 10-8, lead and possession off the ball in the closing moments of the third period.
Bob Baker intercepted Aviator Quarterback Bob Wallace’s pass intended for Charley King near the goal line. King then tackled Baker in the end zone. The officials ruled Baker had caught the ball on the field of play, then went into the end zone. The safety gave the Aviators a then commanding lead.
“That call could have meant the state championship,” a still hazy Strang stated.
A free kickoff from the Washington high 20 following the safety was brought back to the Tigers’ 37 by the Aviators.
The Tigers who managed only one cohesive drive over the first three periods – that one netted the first score – were far from finished.
Taking over after an Alliance four and 14 yards to go attempt failed on the Tigers’ 35, the locals drove the 65 yards in 17 plays, all on the ground chewing up nearly seven minutes to push the deciding tally across.
* * *\ ART HASTINGS carried the ball seven times, Ken Dean, the bulldozing fullback, four times, Gugov another four times and Larson twice.
Larson ticked off seven yards on the first attempt, then whipped around end for nine to the Aviator six for the first down on a quarterback keeper.
Four plays later, after Hastings had churned to the two behind the Tigers’ forceful line, Gugov sliced between inside and outside tackle on the right side of the line for the touchdown.
But, had it not been for the goal line stance by the Tigers defensive unit midway through the third period, the complexion of the game would have been entirely altered.
The Aviators, following King’s 31-yard gain to the Tiger eight, moved to the two in two downs. King then attempted to skirt his left end on a pattern, which had been working fine. But Hastings busted up the interference this time tossing King down on the 10.
* * * THE SPEEDY half, who figured in all 10 of the Aviators’ points, picked up seven yards on the next play to the Tiger three falling short.
That was only one of three occasions when the Tigers held inside their 25. The yardage came easy for the Aviators until the final few. There the Tigers held every time but once.
The first Bengal touchdown came without apparent effort. After Gary Wells pounced on an Aviator fumble to curtail the first Alliance drive on the locals’ 28, the Tigers moved 72 yards in seven plays. The longest gain was a 40-yard aerial from Larson to Ken Ivan.
Ivan grabbed the ball in the left secondary on Washington high’s 45 and raced to the Alliance 29 before King tripped him up. Five plays and two penalties later, five yards against the Tigers for offside, half the distance against Alliance for unsportsmanlike conduct (the call moved the ball from the eight to the four), Hastings cracked through the center for the score.
Dean, who reeled off 26 yards in the drive, plunged for the two-point conversion with 3:21 remaining in the first period.
The Aviators marched to the Tiger 18 after taking the ensuing kickoff before an incompleted pass on a third down and two to go and Wells’ tackle of Hugh Wilson on the 20 gave the Tigers possession.
After picking up a lone first down, Hastings’ fumble was recovered by Dave Trief on the Washington high 45.
The Aviators, with Wallace directing the attack around King and Wilson, scored in 11 plays. Wallace’s pass to King covered 12 of the yards.
He again hit King after a deft bit of ball handling had thrown the Tiger defenses off the tying Two-point conversion with 2:24 remaining in the half.
The Tigers then ran out the first half clock. * * *
FIRST half statistics gave Alliance a 97 to 76-yard rushing edge. The Tigers led in passing, 40 yards to 12. The Aviators had seven first downs, Washington high five.
Despite the statistics, Alliance had the invaders on the defensive most of the first half, aside from the Tiger scoring drive. Only once was Alliance outside Washington high territory. That was after a punt by Ken Dean bounced out of bounds on the Aviator 47.
The second half started the way the first ended with Alliance again threatening.
After King had returned Charlie Williams’ kick-off to the Aviator 26, the hosts put together three successive first downs moving to Washington high’s eight. The last first and ten came on King’s 31-yard sprint through the center of the Tigers’ defense. Ed Radel pulled him down from behind.
After the Tigers held, Dean pulled them from trouble with a 19-yard gain up the middle behind a blocking force led by Jay B. Willey and Ivan. A clipping violation two plays later and an incomplete pass ended the assault.
Dean’s punt went to King who returned it to the Alliance 46. In five plays the Aviators were again in scoring position on the Tigers’ 30.
Wallace then faded back, spotted King near the goal line and let fly. Baker grabbed it and was tackled in the end zone.
When Gugov scored to give Washington high the four-point edge, the decision appeared locked up. * * *
BUT Wallace, King and Company, aided by a 15-yard penalty against the Bengals on the kickoff, marched from the Tiger 45 to the 10, Wallace connecting through the air to King twice and Marion ‘Plunky’ Young once. Time then clicked off as the Aviators were hurriedly lining up for another play.
Dean enjoyed his finest night of the season. The 190-pound junior rolled up 91 yards on 15 carries. Hastings added 45 yards on 17 as the two toted the ball over 75 per cent on the locals rushing plays. * * *
“THE THING we have to look out for now is the letdown. We just can’t relax,” Strang said after the game.
Leo had special praise for his assistant coaches who did what he called “one fine job” on the last touchdown drive.
Walt Keller, team trainer, said the squad came out of the game in top condition. Only a few minor muscle injuries, similar to ‘charley-horses,’ cropped up with Dean and Hastings.
Washington high’s next start is at Tiger stadium Friday night against a reportedly strong Steubenville team. The Big Red bowed to Weirton, W. Va., 13-6, last week after opening with a 16-8 win over Cleveland Lincoln. Last night the Red and Warren battled to a 12-12 tie
Tigers Beat Stubborn Central 28-0 Baker’s Fancy Runs Spark Bengals’ Play; Alliance Is Next Foe
By JIM QUILTY
It was billed as an Alliance tune-up. But it turned out to be Washington high’s stiffest test of the young football season.
The defending state football champions, slowed to a turtle’s pace by the crunching Columbus Central ground attack, reacted like champions to a pair of first period breaks which resulted in touchdowns, then relied on a staunch defense deep in home territory for the most part of three periods to preserve a 28-0 decision Friday night.
The triumph was the Tigers’ 16th in succession, third without a loss this year, and came before 9,944 fans under ideal weather conditions.
Even before the end of the first period Coach Leo Strang began inserting his entire second offensive unit. He was forced to retreat somewhat later in the period to repulse a Central scoring bid on the Tiger eight-yard line.
* * * BUT the final score meant little to Ohio’s top ranked grid power. Central had given a much stronger performance than expected by the locals. Yet, the decision was never contested after the Tigers exploded into a three-touchdown lead less than three minutes into the second period.
Bob Baker, making a habit of coming up with the big plays, sprinted 83 yards for a touchdown after intercepting a Central pass midway through the first period, then added the final score of the game on a 43-yard punt return with 1:39 remaining.
Sharing the glory with Baker were Jim Houston and Art Hastings. Houston chopped down a pair of Central boys with one block on Baker’s first run, that nearly broke a Columbus lad in half with a crushing block on a 20-yard spurt by Hastings.
Art followed his tremendous performance in the Cleveland Benedictine game with an equally convincing job. He picked up 93 yards net in 13 carries and terrorized attempted sweeps around the right side by Central.
The 186 yards gained rushing was the most yielded by the Tiger defense this year. Most of it came through Charles Glover who carried the ball 30 times.
Central, after returning the opening kickoff to its 35, managed a pair of first downs while parading to the Tigers’ 30. Switching to a single-wing from the unbalanced line “winged-T” attack used exclusively until then, Glover tossed, under a fierce Tiger defensive charge, into the waiting arms of Baker.
The speedy left safety picked his spot straight up the east sideline and raced unmolested 83 yards for the score. Ken Dean added the two-point conversion off his short side guard and end for an 8-0 Washington high lead at 7:35.
* * * MAINTAINING, the constant pressure on the Tigers, Central advanced to the host’s 43 before Gary Wells led a defensive surge which knocked the ball from Glover’s hands, Jay B. Willey recovering.
Five plays later Hastings winged around his long side end and slipped into the west corner of the end zone for the second touchdown. His run for the PAT made it 16-0.
A John Larson to Ken Ivan pass covering 25 yards and 13 and 12 yard runs by Hastings set the ball in scoring position.
The Tigers’ second unit, paced by Jack Lash’s 22 yards in two carries, drove 50 yards to Central’s 10 early in the second period. Bob Herring, regular wingback, then took a deceptive handoff from Quarterback Dave Null and whipped nearly unseen past the goal for the third Tiger score in less than 11 minutes.
The PAT run failed as the Tigers led 22-0.
Pulling a bit of trickery on the statue of liberty punt play, the Columbus eleven moved to Washington high’s 41 on the next series of downs, one yard short of a first down.
John Potts grabbed a Charles Williams fumble on the Tigers’ first play giving the invaders possession on the Washington high 45.
Ten plays later, the Central boys had driven to the Tiger eight only to have a stiffened defense and a pair of incomplete passes stymie the drive.
A 17-yard run by Herring and another of 14 by Hastings gave the Tigers breathing room by the half.
After Central kicked off, the locals failed to move at the start of the third quarter. On a fourth and eight on their own 31, Dean went back to punt but was trapped on the 21 by a host of pursuers and dropped.
* * * WITH CENTRAL threatening, the Tiger defense was again put to the test. Only an illegal receiver down field on a Steve Tweedy to Glen Carr completed pass in the end zone stopped the drive. The 15-yards set Central back to the 24 as the drive died.
Central staged another two-pronged attack featuring John Darling and Glover early in the fourth stanza driving to the locals’ 12. Spearheaded by Houston, Ed Radel and Ivan, along with Lawson White and Duane Garman the thrust was repulsed.
Taking over on their own 14, the Tigers traveled 77 yards to the invaders’ nine before their attack sputtered. Sophomore Ron Davis, replacing Hastings, was the leading gainer.
Only two passes were completed by the combined offenses. Larson’s covered 25 yards while Tweedy picked up nine.
Strang had no excuses for the teams showing. It was evident, however, that preparations were already well underway for the Alliance game this Friday.
“We were good in spots,” Leo said, “and we were also bad in spots. It was the first time we ran into this type of offense and it kept us busy.”
What was the matter?
Strang answered: “The Alliance game must have been on most of the players’ minds. I know it was on ours all week.”
Strang was informed after the game that Bob Herring suffered either a torn or pulled cartilage in his left knee. The swelling surround the injury was too great for the team physician to get a good look. The extent of the injury will be known today.
The coaching staff faces a busy weekend with meetings planned today and Sunday to plot the Tigers’ course of action against Alliance. The Aviators stayed unbeaten in three starts with a narrow 18-13 victory over Cuyahoga Falls.
* * * COACH Frank Howe of Columbus Central was anything but displeased with his team’s performance. “We lost to a very good team,” was his comment.
Howe had the same thoughts about the game as Strang and hoped to capitalize upon them. “I thought they might be looking forward to the Alliance game which would have given us a much better chance.”
Appraising his team, Howe said: “Our defense is good. We showed that, and our offense has finally started to move. That was the first time this year we showed any offense.”
Howe received the bad news when a shoulder separation was reported to Glover. “It may not be too serious, we don’t know yet.”
“We ought to be in good shape for East next week. But we have to eliminate our mistakes. We just made too many,” he added.
Howe confided that his team may have been somewhat awed by the huge crowd. They had never played before more than 4,000 before.
He was also high in his praise of Houston.
Individually for the Tigers Dean gained 28 yards in six tries, Herring 27 in two, Larson 23 in three, Baker 12 in one (later lost 11 on a fumble play), Davis 33 in six, Charlie Williams three in one, Lash 22 in two, Heflin eight in two and Null six in one.
Tiger Defeat Stubborn Benedictine, 36-6 Massillon Gridders Roll Up 22-0 Advantage In First Half
By JIM QUILTY
Worry sometimes works wonders.
Washington high school football coach Leo Strang was one worried man entering the Cleveland Benedictine clash Friday evening. And apparently it paid dividends as his Tiger gridders responded with a thorough 36-6 triumph over the invaders before 12,486 fans at Tiger stadium.
After observing the scouting reports from the Bennies’ 14-0 preview over Cleveland East, Strang had reason to worry. But it was all in vain as the powerful Tigers, paced by Art Hastings’ three scoring runs, vaulted into a 22-0 half time lead and were never threatened.
“I’m glad that’s over with,” Strang said afterwards.
While Strang ended his worrying in the Tiger dressing room, Benedictine Coach Augie Bossu prepared to start his season over again next week against Mansfield in the solemn Benedictine quarters.
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“That’s the difference between a good team and a great team,” Bossu said when reminded of the several breaks which the Tiger capitalized upon.
They’ll hit you early, then jump on every opportunity which presents itself. They have exceptionally good backs and that makes a great deal of difference.” Bossu added.
Looking ahead Strang sees only Columbus Central. But despite himself he can’t help but grab a quick glance here and there at the powerful Alliance Aviators, apparently the locals’ most serious threat in a bid to repeat as state champions, who provide the opposition Sept. 30.
“We don’t know exactly what we’re up against next week.” Leo said. “They have some real fast backs but other than that, nothing is too clear.”
* * * IT TOOK Washington high little more than four minutes to find out what they were up against Friday night, and for the first 24 minutes it was little.
The Tigers controlled the ball completely throughout the first half picking up 196 yards on 34 plays while limiting the Bennies to 31 on 13 carries. Hastings displayed the form which won him third team All-Ohio honors a year ago, slipped into the west corner of the end zone from inches inside the 10-yard line at the 8:16 mark of the first period for the first touchdown. A first scoring effort by Hastings from five yards out was nullified by an illegal motion penalty the previous play.
Hastings set the scoring run up moments before when he skirted the Tigers’ short side end for 35 yards to Benedictine’s seven.
The PAT attempt failed when Bengal center Tomy Palmieri pulled Hastings down in the Tiger backfield.
* * * IT TOOK the locals 17 plays and over six minutes to score their second touchdown midway through the second period. John Larson, who failed to complete a pass in the opening game, hit Robert Herring on a cut-in pattern from Benedictine’s 18. Herring scooped the ball in one the 10 and sprinted into the end zone. Joe Heflin went in for the two extra points.
The drive nearly fizzled on the 18 when Palmieri stopped Heflin with a three-yard loss on one play and without a gain on the second. The touchdown came on the first pass of the game on a third and 13 situation.
Larson added the third touchdown personally when he capped a 43-yard march from a year out with a quarterback drive. Ken Dean pranced in for the extra points and a 22-0 lead with little over two minutes remaining in the first half.
A 32-yard flare pass featuring the Larson-Herring combination set up the touchdown.
Larson found Herring open again for a 16-yard gainer seconds before the first half ended.
* * * LIMITED to a single first down in the first two quarters, the Bennies came to life after the intermission picking up one first down. They moved to the Tigers’ 37 before Joe Miano fumbled and Bob Baker of the Tigers recovered.
Failing to move, the Tigers Jim Alexander punted only to have the ball partially blocked by Dick Kestner. The boot covered 14 yards to the Bennies’ 48.
With elusive Paul Rini and Miano dividing the ground gaining chores, the invaders paraded to Washington high’s 12 before an alert George Demis grabbed Quarterback Dennis Andrews’ fumble.
It took the Tigers just four plays to move the 89 yards with Hastings lugging the ball the final 69 on a skirt around the short side end.
Art shook loose from one defender behind the line, then picked up great blocking from Richard Crenshaw, Ken Ivan and a host of others to go the distance untouched. Ivan cut down the final pursuer.
Larson added the two-point play on a sweep of his long side end for a 30-0 Tiger lead.
* * * ON THE THIRD play of the final period, the invaders’ Rini scooted through, under and around the Tigers from 24 yards for the lone Benedictine touchdown. A 25-yard aerial from Andrews to Sam Collura set the jaunt up on the previous play.
Not to be outdone, Hastings sprinted for 49 yards and his third six-pointer of the evening after Dave Null returned a short kickoff to the Tigers’ 46 and a five-yard delay of game penalty by Benedictine moved the ball to the visitors’ 49.
Hastings pulled Vince Naso the final four yards into the end zone. The PAT attempt failed as the Tigers took a 36-6 lead with less than two minutes elapsed in the fourth quarter.
Three intercepted passes by Naso, who missed a fourth earlier in the game by inches, curtailed any further Tiger advance. Null, Baker and Alexander were each a victim once.
Baker atoned for his with an interception of his own, his third in two games. Another interception by Joe Snively was ruled out of bounds.
Lineman Lawson White did a yeoman’s job on defense. Rated the most efficient lineman last week, the middle guard twice dropped Benedictine backs for losses early in the first period and was the fifth man in their backfield most of the night.
All 42 of the Tigers who dressed for the game saw at least limited action.
* * * HASTINGS, who averaged better than 10 yards per carry last year, picked up 177 yards on eight carries last night. Herring added 39 in five, Larson 34 in 10, Dean 32 in 11, Jack Lash 10 in two, Fred Philpott seven in two Null four in two and Heflin seven in five.
The Tigers’ aerial arm picked up 7 yards with four for 11. Three completions were by Larson, the other by Null. Herring was on the receiving end of all four.
Preparations for Columbus Central begin Sunday when the coaching staff goes over scouting reports. Central edged Newark, 8-6 last night for its second win in succession.
The Aviators, 2-0 on the year, walloped Akron Central, 40-6, last night. They play at Cuyahoga Falls next Friday night.
The Columbus game is slated for Tiger stadium while Alliance will meet Washington high at home on Mount Union College field.
Tigers Claw East Liverpool 42-0 Bengals Explode For Long Runs To Score 36 Points In First half
By JIM QUITY
Win No. 14 in succession came easy for Washington high school’s Tiger football team and Coach Leo Strang Friday night.
Cashing in early, the defending state champions scored five times in the first two periods, then coasted past a formidable but inexperienced East Liverpool eleven, 42-0, before 11,592 fans at Tiger stadium.
It was the first meeting between the two Ohio grid powers and the first start of the year for both.
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Strang, though quite pleased with the overall performance of this his third Tiger team, called the showing “spotty” and promised a good deal of ironing out would have to be done.
“This is just the type of performance you’d expect for the opening game,” Strang said.
For the Potters’ Coach Lou Vendetti, the defeat came as no surprise. “We lost to a good team, but learned a lot of football,” he said following the defeat.
Vendetti summed the game up thus: “We were just too inexperienced. We could hold them for a few downs, then our inexperience would show and they’d break loose. We have some good kids but they lack the experience because of a cut down in our reserve schedule last year.”
* * * THE CONTEST wasn’t at all close after the first eight minutes when the Tigers drove for their first touchdown on a 15-yard run by Quarterback John Larson which climaxed a 63-yard drive.
Ken Dean, who added the PAT on a run, chewed up 35 of the yards on five carries.
Martin Gugov, whose injured knee is again a question mark, supplied the second spectacular of the contest, with a 67-yard touchdown burst up the middle on a perfectly executed trap.
The first great effort came moments earlier when Bob Baker leaped and intercepted a Ken Cunningham aerial while falling to the ground giving Washington high possession on its own 33. Gugov broke away on a handoff from John Larson scoring on the next play with 2:42 remaining in the quarter.
Art Hastings’ extra point attempt was stopped short as Washington high led 14-0.
Jim Houston, who terrorized the Potters much of the night form his defensive left end slot, shattered the invaders’ first offensive effort. Houston rammed Joe Thompson, after the latter had scooped in a pass from Cunningham, forcing him to fumble. An alert Bob Herring pounced on the ball on the Tigers’ 32.
* * * LARSON then astounded the gathering when he shook loose from a half dozen Potters five yards deep in his own backfield, picked up perfect blocking, and raced 68 yards to score on the first play of the second quarter. Hastings’ run for the two-pointer was again stopped.
East Liverpool’s offense failed to penetrate Washington high’s defense bringing a punting situation. Cunningham booted out of bounds on the Tiger 48.
After one first down, Herring cut across the short side of his line and sped 40 yards for the fourth Washington high score. He added the two extra points snagging a pass from Larson as the Bengals held sway, 28-0.
Herring concluded the first half scoring when he rambled 49 yards on a similar play with 2:12 remaining in the half.
The burst climaxed a 91-yard scoring drive spearheaded by a 23-yard run by Charlie Brown and a 16-yard gain by Hastings, which moved the ball to the East Liverpool 49.
Dean plunged across for his second two-point conversion.
Action slowed to a walk throughout most of the second half before the Tigers put together a sustained 59-yard scoring attack, late in the final quarter.
* * * FRED PHILPOTT, the workhorse in the Tiger backfield with 84 yards on 12 carries, had an 18-yard gainer in the 13 plays needed to cover the distance. Joe Smith, on his lone attempt of the game, slipped in for the touchdown behind a wall of blockers.
Dean’s third attempt for two points stopped short.
Taking advantage of an intercepted pass in the waning seconds of the game, the Potters moved to within five yards of a touchdown as the game ended.
After Baker intercepted his second Cunningham pass, he received similar treatment by the Potter ace. Cunningham returned the interception to the Bengal 40, then tossed incomplete to John Goodballet, but interference was called on the 16.
Given an extra play since a game cannot end on a penalty, Cunningham tossed to Goodballet, who was cut down on the Tiger five.
The Potters most potent weapon was their air attack, which netted 112 yards and six of their seven first downs. Cunningham hit on 11of 20.
In rushing East Liverpool was limited to 45 yards, while the vaunted Tigers put together 488.
* * * IN TOTAL FIRST downs, Washington high held a substantial 16 to 7 advantage.
A quite weary Leo Strang disclosed in the dressing room following the route that Gugov is again a question mark. “That makes to captains we’ll have out,” Leo said. He added that the seriousness of the injury won’t be known for a few days.
Gugov was helped off the field early in the first quarter but came back to break away for the long scoring run. Reports are that either a ligament is torn or the knee is badly pulled.
There were words of praise for the Tigers’ long pass defense but Strang cited the need for work on the short ones.
“We were real spotty, that’s all,” Strang said.
Pass offense was another sore spot. Of 12 passes attempted, none was completed. Larson did manage to hit Herring for two points after the fourth touchdown.
On the credit side for the Tigers was the great down field blocking and the internal line play. Lawson White-cleared the final barrier on Herring’s second touchdown run.
And the line showed extreme speed in opening the path for the backs on the long jaunts.
Of East Liverpool, Strang said they were “not strong enough.” He was quite impressed with their quarterback (Cunningham) and their fullback (Goodballet).
* * * INDIVIDUAL RUSHING statistics credited herring with 96 yards for three carries, Hastings 35 for five, Gugov 67 for one. Dean 50 for eight, Larson 95 for three, Philpott 84 for 12, Brown 36 for three and Smith one for one.
A warm-up session and general check for injuries was planned for this morning at the stadium.
The Tigers’ next opponent is Cleveland Benedictine in a home game Friday. Benedictine was idle last night but appears to possess a good deal of weight and experience. Washington high won last year’s game 30-6.
Benedictine is the lone non-Stark County school to capture the state football crown since before the days of Chuck Mather. They won the coveted award in 1957 after beating Washington high en route to an undefeated season.
Workmanlike Tigers Make It A Perfect Year Massillon Stouties Roast Bulldogs 20-0 In Defensive-Minded Hassle
By CHARLIE POWELL
Workmanlike.
That is as good a word as any to use in describing the superlative piece of machinery which combined to hold the “Indian sign” over the Canton McKinley Bulldogs last Saturday afternoon.
The mighty Massillon Tigers did no extraordinary things, they simply did the ordinary thing extraordinarily well as they put the Bulldogs through the meat-grinder, 20-0 before nearly 19,000 fans at sunny Fawcett stadium.
There were not twisting, 80-yard runs, no fourth-down scoring passes, no whopping, long punt or kickoff return. Just work. Much like other people perform in the mills.
The bountiful Tigers tore off the tackles and up the middle most of the afternoon as they enjoyed an early Thanksgiving Day – stuffing the Bulldogs and roasting’em well.
The Cantonians must have felt like they had eaten a mess of those contaminated cranberries that slipped by the spying crews.
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The grind-em out offense combined with an impregnable defense proved that the Tigers could get the job done one way or the other. All season long, when the occasion demanded, they either banged inside the flanks, threw the long stroke or pulled off some hipper-dipper. Versatility and variance were bywords.
It was this kind of a team which will go down in Washington high gridiron annals as one of the greatest.
The sweet smell of success over 10 weekends brought Tigertown its first unbeaten season since 1953, this was the sixth highest scoring club in all history, the eighth to splurge to over 400 points in a single season. * * * HEADMASTER LEO Strang’s merry-makers averaged six touchdowns a game, held their eminent opponents to just 46 points, only Akron Garfield scored more than one touchdown against them and the Bulldogs became the fifth foe to draw a blank in the scoring column.
Balance, depth and poise of a champion w ere the big reasons why the Tigers came through with Massillon’s 16th unbeaten and 12th perfect record team in history. They worked, worried and whaled into their job with one goal on the horizon – an unsullied record – and they got it – and they earned it.
Teamwork, as always, paid off handsomely. Everybody who had a part in this spectacular season, from Coach Strang and his aide-de-camps on down to the little people behind the scenes, deserve the heartiest compliments.
This team had a whole lot of everything.
It had a world of balance in the leather-lugging department. When tricky Art Hastings wasn’t whirling and weaving, piston legged Bill Finney was flashing downfield. And when speedy Jim Wood wasn’t on the go, that reliable junior, Martin Gugov was like Popeye’s can of spinach or the U.S. cavalry showing up in a western movie…help came when needed.
It had Joe Sparma, the hand-is-quicker-than-the-eye quarterback…he had no peer in the state. A non-worrier and team-steadier, the confident field general threw 15 touchdown passes this season to bring his career total to 32 pay off pitches. * * * GUGOV SCORED 88 points, Hastings chalked up 86 and Finney and Wood each checked in with 64. Hastings carried 116 times for 1,244 yards, an average of 10.7 yards per try. Finney toted 87 times for 608 yards. Wood collared 481 yards in 39 tries and Gugov was called on 50 times and picked up 480 yards.
Yep, this team had everything. It had sharp blocking, especially improved downfield blocking, with Virgil Bukuts, Jim Houston, Wendell Snodgrass, Don Appleby, and Bob Barkman as possibly the standouts. It had smart, teeth-loosing defensive play led by Gugov, Houston, Hase McKey, “Sluggo” Bednar, Frank Midure, Terry Snyder, Gary Wells, Jay B. Willey, Nick Daugenti, and Bob Oliver.
While of offense averaged 8.1 yards per play, the defense allowed the opposition just 2.8 yards per try.
We think you will agree, the Tigers had all the earmarks of a true champion.
They may not be officially crowned the state champ but in this book, and probably yours too, they are the very best in Buckeyeland.
It took some doing to wade through such formidable opposition without a loss. The orange and black knocked down, Alliance, Steubenville and Warren, when they were ranked in the top 10 and two other victims, Cleveland Benedictine and McKinley, were accorded berths in the second ten over the season.
McKinley tried to show Massillon was not unbeatable but the Tigers had too many guns in their arsenal. Thus they keep the Nickel Plate Road victory bell for a third straight year. The series record now reads Massillon 32 wins, 27 losses and five tie scores.
For two years under Strang, the Bengals arte 18-1-1. It was Leo’s second unbeaten team, his 1955 Upper Sandusky array having tifted nine straight scalps. * * * McKINELY HAD scored at least two touchdowns in eight of its nine previous games. (Steubenville triumphed, in the rain and mud, 15-0) but the Bulldog offense was practically nil against the Orangemen.
The host club gained 96 yards but the Tigers, led by Bednar (he waits and pounces like a burglar) and Gugov (he surely can wreck those end runs!), tossed Bulldog runners for losses amounting to 29 yards. For 35 plays the losing side made 67 yards, an average of a mere 1.9 per play.
McKinley never got off a pass. Quarterback Dave Sitzman went back three times but Massillon never gave him a chance to get rid of the ball.
The Bulldogs made only five first downs – three of them in the last quarter.
Meanwhile, the tenacious Tigers reeled off 15 first downs, made 242 yards rushing and Sparma hit on two of seven passes for 21 yards. One pass was caught out of bunds and another hit the intended receiver on the headgear.
Hastings, the driving junior, clicked off 108 yards in 17 carries. Gugov made 68 yards in 14 tries and Finney picked up 53 yards in 15 stabs.
The Tigers reached the promised-land in the second, third and fourth periods, going 75 yards in 15 plays during the second round, 59 yards in 11 plays during the third panel and 21 yards in five plays during the last chapter. The final TD came after that ferocious middle guard McKey, recovered an enemy fumble.
McKinley only once threatened and that was in the second quarter when a Massillon fumble was recovered by Fullback Wrentie Martin at the Bengal 34.
THE FUMBLE occurred on the first play of the second stanza and in the next four plays, the red and black was unable to get a first down.
Halfback Stanley Wilcoxen carried twice for six yards before Sitzman, unable to find the receiver open on a jump pass, ran and was stopped by Houston after a pickup of a yard. With fourth and three at the 27, Wilcoxen rode off the right side on a trap play but found no trap, consequently no hole, and he was grassed a yard shy of the first down.
The Tigers marched 61 yards the first time they got the ball as a 16-yard run by Hastings and a 10-yard smash by Gugov sparkled. But at the 22 they lost the ball on a fumble and they had to wait until the second period before breaking a scoreless deadlock.
After halting the Bulldogs at their own 25, the Orangemen knuckled down, Hastings, Finney, Sparma and Gugov lugging the ball goalward. Hastings inserted a 15-yard run and only a tackle from behind by Bill Babics, a fine end, kept him from going all the way. Finney got off a 10-yarder and would have scored from 14 yards out except that he was tripped up at the last second by End Frank Smith.
From the one Finney scored off right tackle as Wood made the key block. Gugov hit the same spot for the bonus points and at 2:58 in the quarter it was 8-0.
Following the score, McKinley made three yards in three plays and Sitzman was stopped after two on fourth-and-seven. Massillon still had time for a giant-sized try.
With time running out, Wood caught the Sparma pass out of bounds at the Bulldog 22 and on the last play of the half, Martin managed to knock Sparma’s pass away from Oliver.
To start the second half, the Tigers received and they promptly added another six points. This 59-yard foray highlighted a 14-yard Sparma to Wood pass and Hastings’ twisting 10-yard jaunt.
Gugov scored on a beauty from the nine. He took a pitch out to the right, got a nice block from Barkman, leaped over one would-be tackler and kept his footing to step in and hike the count to 14-0 at 6:25. Finney then was stopped a yard away from two more markers.
McKINLEY THEN had to punt and Daugenti, the boy who came here from Cleveland this year, put on a nifty return of 35 yards to the Bulldog 34. Nick fought off three defenders and Willey applied a crunching block but their efforts were wiped out because the Tigers were called for clipping.
However, they advanced 43 yards on the last eight plays of the quarter as Hastings ignited the drive by breezing for 25 yards.
But this bid was thwarted by linebacker Dan Mussulin who picked off a Sparma pass from the 20 (it was intended for sub halfback Bob Herring, but too short) and McKinley remained in contention.
An exchange of punts followed and with 8:40 remaining, the hosts got moving. After two first downs though, Sitzman, swarmed under as he tried to pass, fumbled and the ball was grabbed on the fly by McKey who churned four yards to the McKinley 21.
Finney gained eight, Gugov five in two tries and Finney came back for seven before Hastings wedging through center, made the final yard at 1:50. Gugov was stopped short on the PAT attempt but it didn’t matter, the Tigers were in.
On the ensuing kickoff, Gugov recovered what appeared to be a fumble but the ball was ruled dead. After Jimmy Robinson’s combine made a first down, Massillon cheerleaders hauled out and displayed a big sign, “State Champions!” and two plays later the 64th Tiger-Bulldog game was history.
THE CANTONIANS defensed the Tigers pretty well but it wasn’t enough. The loss gave McKinley a record of six victories against four losses for the season.
Massillon has held the upper hand 10 times in the last 12 years and the Tigers now have shut out their top rival 13 times during the ancient series.
Statistics Mass. McKin. First downs, rushing 14 5 First downs, passing 1 0 First downs, penalties 0 0 Total first downs 15 5 Yards gained rushing 245 96 Yards lost rushing 3 29 Net yards gained rushing 242 67 Yards gained passing 21 0 Total yards gained 268 67 Passes attempted 7 0 Passes completed 2 0 Passes intercepted by 0 1 Times kicked off 4 1 Kickoff average (yards) 41.0 50.0 Kickoff returns (yards) 26 45 Times punted 1 4 Punt average (yards) 37.0 34.5 Punt returns (yards 28 0 Fumbles 3 2 Lost fumbled ball 2 1 Penalties 1 5 Yards penalized 15 25
THE EMERY WHEEL By Lut Emery
Will the Tigers be named state champions in the Associated Press poll this week?
In our mind and in the mind of every Massillonian and for that matter most residents of Stark County, the Tigers are champs regardless of how they are voted in the poll.
Their 10-game sweep concluded Saturday with a 20-0 victory over Canton McKinley should be convincing to a majority of the state’s sports writers and sportscasters, we believe, but there was rigging the past two weeks in several spots, which if carried on again this week would make the Tigers’ hopes for a state title via AP recognition almost futile. * * * THERE HAVE been suggestions that we fight fire with fire, and attempt to enlist our friends to rig the poll in favor of Massillon.
Not desiring to get our hands dirtied in the already muddy water, we will have no part of it.
We have cast our ballot as have most of the state’s sportswriters and radio sportscasters. Naturally, we voted our Tigers first. They are the only ranking team in the state that has won 10 straight this season, and against tougher opposition than the other ranked teams have faced.
After re-examining the scores, we voted undefeated Kettering Fairmount second, which is a change from last week, when we cast our second place ballot for Springfield.
Springfield, which we vote third, and Kettering, played two common foes, Middletown and Dayton Chaminade. Kettering looked the better against Middletown, winning 26-0 while Springfield won 38-26. Springfield made the better showing against Chaminade, winning 60-0 while Kettering won 22-0.
Springfield at no time during the season met a team in the top 10 of the AP ratings, while Kettering knocked Troy out of the top 10 with an 8-0 victory. * * * FRANKLY WE feel the Associated Press poll no longer serves its purpose, as a result of the rigging this year, and should be thrown out as a basis for selecting a state champion until some better plan can be devised.
A few writers and sportscasters have put Fritz Howell, sports editor of the Associated Press and conductor of the poll on the spot. Two weeks ago Howell tossed all ballots into the waste paper basket when 14 writers and radio commentators failed to list Massillon on their 10-team ballot/
Last week Howell resumed the poll. The rigging continued but not on as large a scale. One writer didn’t put the Tigers in the first 10, a number of others including one block of eight placed them eighth or ninth – and most of this conniving came from northwest and northeast Ohio – not from Springfield and not from the cities of Tiger opponents.
The rigging started three weeks ago. The Tigers who had been in front from the start of the season led by 83 points on Oct. 27.
The Tigers knocked off sixth ranked Warren, but their lead in the poll dropped to 36 points. Next they beat Barberton 90-0 and that was the week Howell tossed the poll away.
When the poll was resumed last week, the count showed Springfield had gone around Massillon to lead by 45 points.
Maybe the Tigers- 20-0 victory over McKinley will change the sentiment of those who ganged up on them the past two weeks.
We’ll just have to wait and see. * * * IN THE MEATIME our congratulations go to Coach Leo Strang and his staff for a job well done this fall. They and their fancy Tigers have given Washington high school its first undefeated season since Chuck Mather’s romp in 1953.
Massillon ‘Held” to 36-18 Romp; Garfield Foe Doesn’t Fold For Bengals
By RICH MOORE Repository Bureau Writer
MASSILLON – The Massillon Tigers won their ninth straight game here Friday night – but it was anything but the usual romp Bengal fans have become used to seeing.
With the Akron Garfield Presidents putting up a stubborn battle, Massillon emerged with a 36-18 victory before 8,596 fans.
Now, the terrific Tigers have one date remaining on their 1959 schedule – next Saturday’s game with Canton McKinley.
It was the first time this season a Bengal opponent has been able to score more than one touchdown.
Surprisingly, Garfield’s only previous loss was to Barberton, 18-14, a team swamped 90-0 last week by Massillon. The Akron team now has a 6-2-1 record. * * * WHILE THE Tigers showed better in earlier games, they had to play good ball to put down the Presidents, who obviously were fired up.
Garfield used every second allowed between plays, a major factor in the low score.
Both coaches were pleased.
Massillon Mentor Leo Strang was elated with the victory, of course.
Garfield’s Dan “Babe” Flossie was happy because his crew had played so well.
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Strang expressed much respect for the Akron squad and felt its battle was more responsible for the relatively low score than a letdown by the Tigers.
“I don’t think we were at our peak,” he said, “but I don’t want to take anything from Garfield and its coaching staff. They did a tremendous job.”
He was not expecting a breeze, however. * * * “WE FELT WE were going to have a hard time with them. From our scouting, we knew they were capable of giving us trouble – and they did,” Strang noted.
Strang predicts the McKinley contest will not be a picnic, either, and he doesn’t intend to let the Tigers loaf.
“We’re going to work real hard this week,” he said. “I think we’re going to run into another fired-up club and a good game.”
Meanwhile, in the Garfield dressing room, hilarity was the byword. If any tears were shed, it was from happiness.
They had every right to satisfaction. No one could doubt they had played their best.
Flossie was well pleased with his team.
“These boys did their best,” he said. “We had told them if they played a good game and weren’t afraid of Massillon’s reputation, they would do all right. * * * HIGH PRAISE was heaped on the Bengals by Flossie.
“Strang has the best club Massillon has had since we’ve been coming down here to play,” he said. “We’d love to play Massillon every year because of the treatment we receive from the players, the coaches and fans.”
Halfback Bill Finney and Martin Gugov each tallied twice for the Bengals on runs and end Bob Barkman added one TD on a pass.
For Garfield, fullback Larry Valatka notched two touchdowns and sophomore halfback Tony Bissessi scored one.
The clock ran for eight minutes before Gugov cracked off guard from eight yards out to draw first blood for the Tigers. He also added the first of three PAT’s for Massillon.
Garfield countered following the kickoff. After 10 plays, mostly line bucks it pushed the ball the to the one-yard line from where Valatka scored. * * * SCORING WAS easier for Massillon after the first period. A 21-yard pass play from quarterback Joe Sparma to Barkman added a TD in the second period. Finney reeled off a 75-yard end sweep to score in the same quarter.
From his own 45 in the fourth quarter, Sparma passed to halfback Jim Wood, who was tackled and fumbled on the 5. The ball bounced into the end zone and Finney pounced on it.
Gugov capped the Bengal scoring with a 10-yard scoot around end in the fourth stanza.
Taking the second-half kickoff, Garfield went 45 yards in 15 plays, with Bissessi going over from the one to score.
The final score of the game was by Akron from 27 yards out.
All the statistics favored the Tigers, as usual. They edged Garfield in first downs, 14-11; in passing yards gained, 104-70; and in total yards gained 406-193.
Tigers Beat Fired-Up Akron Garfield 36-18 Golden Rams Display Surprising Strength As Bengals Win Ninth
By CHARLIE POWELL
Homecoming was worth ‘coming home to” at Tiger stadium Friday night as the Massillon Tigers turned back the challenge of a chin-up Akron Garfield team.
The orange and black got possession of the pigskin eight times and scored five times to beat the Golden Rams 36-18 in a game which saw the enemy give the Tigers more competition than 99 percent of the fans expected.
A crowd of 8,596 (paid admissions) watched the Rubber City stouties, with everything to gain and nothing to lose, pound the Massillon defense with power and precision. * * * A GRINDING ground attack with two boys named Larry Valatka and Tony Bissessi starring as go-guys, and a stick’em-in-their tummy passing game with cool, collected Ronnie Tate as the launcher, formed a parlay which gave the Tiger defense more trouble than that concocted by any of Massillon’s eight previous victims.
Up until last night the Tigers had allowed the opposition only four touchdowns – never more than one a game and four foes had drawn a blank in the scoring department.
However, the Babe Flossie-coached crew marched 48 yards to cut the gap after falling behind by eight points, then consumed all but three minutes and 48 seconds of the third period to move 65 yards and make the score 22-12. After the Bengals put their ninth straight decision of the year on ice with a pair of TDs in the final quarter, the visitors scored again – on the last play of the game.
Flossie prepped his offense to hold onto the ball and his big, seasoned lads did a good job of doing just that.
But in the end the terrific Tigers simply had too much of everything as they sent the Rams down to their second loss in nine spins, one other game winding up in a tie score.
The Tigers extending their overall wins string through a dozen games, brought their point total to 411 and became Massillon’s ninth 400-point team in all history.
Now they can turn their attention to the traditional game with Canton McKinley. Next Saturday’s fracas at Fawcett stadium will find the Orangemen going for their third straight triumph over their No. 1 rival. They will need a victory for an unbeaten season and to remain in contention for the state crown.
Tigertown’s prides, perhaps a little lackadaisical against this fired-up opponent, didn’t hit with their usual gusto but their efforts were mighty pleasing to their fans. * * * ALTHOUGH GARFIELD ran off 56 running and passing plays to Massillon’s 38, the Tigers roared for a hefty advantage of 406 to 193 in total yards gained. On the ground they rushed for 302 yards and the unerring arm of Quarterback Joe Sparma, connecting on three of three forwards, added 104 yards. Garfield picked up 70 of its net gain via the airways as Ronnie Tate, a very talented youngster, hit on six of 11 attempts.
Valatka and Bissessi made the Tigers sit up and take notice but the Garfield duo was over-shadowed by the likes of Bill Finney, Art Hastings, Martin Gugov and Jim Wood.
Finney and Gugov each counted two tallies with the former galloping 75 yards in the second period and his second TD, coming on the first play of the final canto, rated an assist from Sparma and Wood.
From the Tiger 45, Sparma pitched to Wood on the 17 and Jim sped to the three. After being hit, he tried to drag a couple defenders past the final stripe, fumbled the ball and Finney recovered in the end zone for the fourth Bengal six-pointer of the night.
Finney fished with 113 yards in eight trips and Gugov carried five times for 41 yards. Rambling Art Hastings, who did not enter the game until the second quarter, carried 10 times and winged for 98 yards. Wood had 23 yards in five tries, Doug Toles (who started at fullback) carried three times for 10 yards and Bob Herring picked up 13 yards in his only carry. * * * SPARMA ALSO passed to End Bob Barkman on a 21-yard scoring play and his other completion, a 29-yarder with Wood on the receiving end, paved the way for the first touchdown of the contest.
These boys had some sharp blocking with Virgil Bukuts, Don Appleby, Jim Houston and Wendell Snodgrass being prominent. On defense the names of Captain Gary “Sluggo” Bednar, Terry Snyder, Hase McKey, Nick Daugenti and Gugov bobbed up more than once.
The offense, averaging over 10 yards a play, actually bogged down only once all night.
The first time Massillon had possession it lost the ball on a fumble. Only once did the Tigers have to punt. And one play after a Garfield punt in the second stanza, the first half came to a close.
The second time the Tigers got the football in the opening round Sparma passed to Wood for 29 yards and this led to six points.
Herring swooshed for 13 and Finney got 12 to help move the ball to the seven before Gugov, fighting through the right side, reached pay dirt with 3:58 remaining. His PAT run made it 8-0. * * * HOWEVER, the maroon and gold came back in a hurry. After Dave Taylor returned the kickoff 40 yards to the Tiger 48 (sub guard Pete Anzalone pulled him down from behind) six plays, including a 17-yard gainer by Valatka, put the ball on the Bengal 12 as the quarter ended.
The second period opened with Garfield facing a fourth-and-six situation at that point. The Rams lined up for an apparent field goal attempt by Valatka (from the 19) but before the ball could be snapped, an over-anxious Tiger defender spurted across the line of scrimmage and made contact.
This encroachment penalty gave the Rams a new outlook on things and Valatka and Bissessi carried the ball to the one before the piston-legged Valatka blasted across. At 10:07 his pass on the conversion try went awry but the difference was only two points.
After an exchange of punts the Sparma-Barkman combo put the Orangemen out front to stay.
Tate rushed by Tiger linemen, punted high but not far and the ball rolled dead at the Garfield 23. After Wood made two at right tackle, Sparma, getting rid of the ball at the last possible second, fired to Barkman who made a leaping catch in the end zone. The score came at 4:41 and Gugov ran across for two more markers. * * * WITHIN THREE and a half minutes, Leo Strang’s gang had six more points. Daugenti returned a Garfield punt ot the Massillon 25 and on the first play Finney got a big hole at right tackle and raced down the west sidelines – 75 yards for a touchdown as McKey and Bukuts threw key blocks. Gugov was stopped shy of the final stripe on the conversion try. Garfield was forced to punt four plays after the kickoff and after Wood picked up 13, the half came to an end.
The first eight minutes and 12 seconds of the third round was a boring proposition for Tiger fans. Garfield took the kickoff and marched 65 yards in 15 plays. It was a slow process – but a good one for the Rams – whose longest gain was a 10-yard pass play. With fourth and one at the one, Bissessi rammed through at 3:48. It remained that way as the Tigers stopped Bissessi a foot short on the extra point try.
The Massillon lead was down to 10 points, but it wasn’t 22-12 very long. Hastings returned the kickoff 18 yards and with the same boy going for 16 on one play, the Tigers initiated an advance that hit the jackpot on the first play of the final quarter.
On the last play of the third period Wood gunned for 22 yards but the Tigers were called for clipping and when the final period got under way the ball was resting at the Tiger 45. * * * THEN CAME the pass play in which Finney recovered Wood’s fumble in the end zone. Gugov bulled across for the extra points and Massillon was home safe.
Not too long afterward the Akron club had to punt, the ball going into the end zone, and the Bengals quickly whirled to another score.
Hastings ran the ball four straight times for 27, 3, 15 and 5 yards. Gugov twisted for 21, then scored on a nine-yard pitchout play. On another pitchout maneuver, Herring was stopped short on the conversion attempt but Massillon was ahead by 36-12 at 3:04.
To prove that they still had lots of bounce left, the Rams came back for another score before action ceased.
A 74-yard drive featured a 16-yard run by Valatka and the passing of Tate who flipped three times for 27 yards before he followed up with a 27-yard payoff pitch as the clock ran out. His pass from the 27 was caught by Valatka at the 20 and Valatka hiked to the promised-and, carrying a couple players with him. Valatak tried to boot the extra point but the kick sailed wide and to the right.
The Akron Garfield dressing room called for a doctor. Dr. John R. Rohrbaugh responded.
As Dr. Rohrbaugh entered the dressing room, he found a Garfield player somewhat dizzy from a blow sustained during the game.
The doctor asked the standard question: “Do you know where you are?”
The player blinked a couple of times, “I must be in Massillon, that’s the only place they hit that hard.”
The player was not seriously injured. Statistics Mass. Gar. First downs, rushing 12 6 First downs, passing 2 4 First downs, penalties 0 1 Total first downs 14 11 Yards gained rushing 309 128 Yards lost rushing 7 5 Net yards gained rushing 302 123 Yards gained passing 104 70 Total yards gained 406 193 Passes attempted 3 11 Passes completed 3 6 Passes intercepted by 0 0 Times kicked off 6 3 Kickoff average (yards) 39.6 45 Kickoff returns (yards) 72 76 Times punted 1 6 Punt average (yards) 35 32.5 Punt returns (yards 2 0 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 2 1 Lost fumbled ball 1 0 Penalties 5 0 Yards penalized 45 0
LOOKING’ EM OVER with CHARLIE POWELL
CAPSULE SUM-UP of the Massillon-Garfield game. “They were up and we were going through the motions.”
The Tiger fans who made this observation after the Tigers remained on the victory trail by beating he Garfielders for the eighth straight time wasn’t a bit disappointed by what many probably prefer to call a so-so performance.
The Bengals hit three out of three passes, two for touchdowns and more than doubled the Garfield output in total yardage, he maintained…then tossed a generous bouquet in the direction of the Golden Rams. * * * LEO STRANG HAD a bushel of compliments for the Akron team.
“Their coaches did a good job and their boys were up for this one,” said the Tiger mentor.
“They made our job tough by being able to keep possession of the ball more than we had hoped they would,” he asserted.
Strang didn’t stay around the Tiger locker room too long because he wanted to continue his post-game conversation with Babe Flossie, the likeable coach of the Garfield team. Strang congratulated many of the Garfield players and 30 minutes after he left their dressing room, the Rams still were shouting and singing – really whooping it up. * * * MEANWHILE, TIGER fans were talking about some of the high points of the game – and the state polls.
The Associated Press poll, cancelled this week because of some rigging shenanigans, will be out next Tuesday.
What effect will the Garfield game have with the voters? That is the question.
Springfield, our nearest rival for the state title, walloped Hamilton Taft 59-0 in their finale last night.
It was Garfield’s final game against Massillon. It will be replaced on next year’s schedule by Toledo Waite. * * * FLOSSIE SAID, “Strang has the finest Massillon ball club we have ever played against and we’d love to play Massillon every year because of the wonderful treatment we receive from your fans and coaches and because your boys play the hardest, cleanest football in Ohio.
“I don’t think anybody ever has anything to squawk about down here in Massillon as far as fans, coaches and the team are concerned. We are just sorry we can’t play your boys every year.”
Babe thought both teams last night were playing under a psychological disadvantage: Massillon because of the publicity regarding the state ratings, he said, and he claimed that his boys were at a disadvantage from what they had read in the paper and what their parents and friends might have said, “that Massillon would do to us what they did to Barberton.”
The Garfield pilot asserted, “Our kids gave their best. We told them all week that if we’d play a good ball game, we could give Massillon a good run and the kids did it. They deserve a lot of credit.”
He said he confined the “bread and butter” of his attack to Larry Valatka’s running and the passing-running of Ronnie Tate, because his regular lefthalf, Larry Wimley, was hurt and did not dress for the game.
On defense he thought George Butash, Tom Dyser and Bill McGee played especially good games.
The soggy turf apparently helped Garfield’s style of play. This was chiefly noticeable on short yardage plays when the ball carrier’s momentum helped him get another yard or two against tacklers who were forced to be more careful in their pursuit. * * * THE TARPAULIN was placed on the field Wednesday and taken off for the Tiger swing band’s “dress rehearsal” Thursday night. The tarp was put down again after band practice but both sides had become dampened and the material was made porous, thus water from Tuesday night’s steady rainfall seeped into the ground.
Plough horse Valatka barreled for 58 yards in 16 tries and Bissessi (he was No. 31 and mistaken for the sub Bob Mosley) picked up 39 in 11 carries.
However both Bill Finney and Art Hastings out gained these boys with Finney flashing for 113 yards in eight tries and Hastings hurrying for 98 in 10 trips.
From this corner it looked like the Tigers were hurt by two questionable decisions made by the officials.
A 22-yard run by Jim Wood on the last play of the third quarter was nullified when a clipping penalty was called on a Tiger who looked like he made contact with the Garfield player with his headgear and one shoulder – and from the front side.
However, on the first play of the final period a Sparma pass gave the Bengals another touchdown and a 28-12 lead. * * * A FEW MINUTES later the Tigers went into punt formation with fourth and four at the midfield stripe but before the ball could be snapped, the referee called Massillon for taking too much time. After the penalty was walked off, the Tigers decided to run the ball instead of punting and Finney was stopped a yard shy of a first down.
In our book the penalty was uncalled for and it temporarily riled the players with the result that there was a mix-up in the huddle before Finney tried for the first down.
10 Players Score As Tigers Scuttle Magics 90-Point Total Misses Massillon’s One-Game Record by 4 Markers
By CHARLIE POWELL
Even a team of horses couldn’t have slowed down the mighty Massillon Tigers Friday night.
This pigskin powerhouse, only two games away from Massillon’s first undefeated season since 1953 and an apparent state championship, blitzed Barberton’s Magics 90-0 before 8,197 fans at Tiger stadium where Tiger fans yelled for more right down to the fading seconds.
Program Cover
When sub halfback Bob Herring scooted 65 yards to pay dirt with only 28 seconds remaining and Martin Gogov followed with a blast for two bonus points, the Bengals became Tiger town’s fourth team ever to score over 80 points in a single game.
They ran over, through and around the woefully weak Magics and a sharp passing attack added kindling to the fire as they finished with the second highest one-game scoring avalanche in Tiger grid annals.
Only the unbeaten 1922 combine had a more astronomical figure, 94-0 over Akron North and only the 1918 team (82-0 over Uhrichsville) and the 1923 array (by the same score over Salem) ever tallied more than 80 markers in a single engagement. * * * THE TENACIOUS Tigers, winners of eight in a row this season and 11 dating back to 1958, are the highest scoring Washington high school outfit since 1953 (399 points in 10 games) and seem a lead-pipe cinch to reach the charmed 400-point circle in the two remaining games.
They have rattled off 375 points for an average of 46.8 points per tilt and are destined to become the ninth 400-point team in all history, the previous teams being those of the 1934, 35, 36, 39, 40, 49, 50 and 52 campaigns. Most points scored in a single: 483 by the ’35 crew.
The win was Massillon’s 11th straight over Barberton and put the series standing at 23 victories, four losses and one tie. It was Barberton’s worst licking by the Tigers, the biggest margin heretofore being 54-0 in the 1934 fray.
The Tiger express gained 608 yards (to 93) and 10 different players figured in the scoring led by that adept Art Hastings and speedster Jim Wood.
Hastings, his best effort being on a second half kickoff return of 82 yards, hit in for three touchdowns and Wood made two, both on passes. Art got two more points on a conversion run to bring his season total to 88. Wood twice converted on runs and brought his mark to 66.
Smoothie Joe Sparma pegged two six-point aerials, one to Wood and the other to End Bob Barkman while Wood made his other TD on a toss from sub quarterback John Larson. Sparma, who completed four aerials for 112 yards, also sneaked across for a TD.
Sub, halfback Martin Gugov, one of seven boys having single touchdowns, added four conversion runs to finish with 14 points.
With the help of his 65-yard payoff prance, scatback Herring wound up with 108 yards in five carries to lead the leather-luggers. * * * HOWEVER, HASTINGS, Wood, Gugov and Bill Finney (one touchdown churned off lots of yardage). Hastings accumulated 98 in seven trips, Wood 76 in eight, Gugov 63 in nine and Finney 50 in seven.
Another sub, small but strong Doug Toles, carted four times for 42 yards and made one touchdown. The other TD was reeled off by nimble-footed, Nick Daugenti on a six-yard run in his only try,
On the other hand ,the out-manned Magics had a meager 56 yards rushing and five of 17 passes added another 37.
Their best bid came early in the final quarter. A 14-yard run by Halfback Tracy Marsh helped them advance to the Bengal 23. But sophomore End Larry Ehmer tossed Quarterback Ron Molloric for a four-yard loss and on the next play, Molloric fumbled as Tackle Ken Herndon put the squeeze on and Jay B. Willey recovered for the Tigers.
Barberton became a loser for the fifth time in eight starts. Two wins and a tie are on the “black” side of the ledger.
The Magics never had a chance after the first period in which the host team made 24 points. In the second, third and fourth quarters the Tigers added 22 markers.
Leo Strang’s boys splurged to 436 yards in 40 rushing plays while the passing of Sparma and Larson (six for 16) tacked up an additional 172 yards. Further more, the Orangemen had possession 16 times and failed to score only four times.
The scoring summary:
FIRST QUARTER – Barberton received, had to punt on fourth down and John Mackovic, rushed by McKey, kicked high but not far, the ball being grounded at the Magic 32. On the very first play for the Tigers, Sparma faded back, passed to Barkman on a “perfect” 32-yard scoring play at 10:15. Finney made it 8-0 on a slant off tackle. A minute later McKey intercepted a pass and Massillon took over at the opponents’ 40. With Finney rambling for 24 on a sweep, the Tigers reached the five before Hastings tallied standing up on a five-yard scoring play at 5:07. Gugov ran the extra points. Barberton again had to punt. Daugenti returned 10 yards to the Tiger 35, and Wood promptly zipped 50 yards, fighting and twisting the last 10. From the two, Sparma sneaked across behind Guard Jim Houston. At 1:27, Hastings converted on a run.
SECOND QUARTER – On the first play, Barkman recovered a fumble as Frank Midure banged into Jim Whitman. Tigers moved 21 yards before Larson, on the first play he was in the game, passed to Wood for 33 yards and another score at 9:52. This was another picture pass with Wood catching on the dead run. Several minutes later Bednar recovered a fumble at the Tiger 32. Hastings legged for 26 before Sparma unlimbered his arm again, tossing to Wood who raced 26 yards to complete a 43-yard maneuver at 6:25. Wood also ran the points. On the second play after the kickoff, Wally Brugh recovered still another Magic fumble at the Barberton 24. Toles scored by smashing off the right side from five yards out after previously gaining 17 yards on a sweep. Gugov ran across two more points with 4:35 left in the half.
THIRD QUARTER – Barberton’s Jack Romain kicked off, the ball going to Wood who reversed to Hastings at the 18. Art sped down the east sidelines and with Midure slowing up the last defender just enough, Hastings went all the way, 82 yards for another TD. Time left: 11:43. Three plays after the kickoff Bednar intercepted a pass and Massillon had possession at the enemy 28. Hastings bolted off left tackle, got a fine block from Tackle Virgil Bukuts, cut away from two would-be tacklers and scored again. Gugov converted on an off-tackle smash at 9:52. Late in the period, the Tigers marched 51 yards to pay dirt with the big gains being a 20-yarder by Hastings and an 18-yard burst by Toles. From the five, Finney roared through right tackle to score at 2:25 and Herring made the conversion points standing up.
FOURTH QUARTER – After Willey recovered a fumble on the third play of the final stanza, the orange and black rolled 65 yards in 10 plays. Enroute Hastings made 15 before stumbling and Gugov barreled for 16. The 12-yard touchdown run was made by Gugov at right tackle and at 5:39, Baker passed to McKey to make it 76-0. After the kickoff Barberton had to punt, Daugenti returned 10 yards to the Tiger 48. Gugov gained 15 on a sweep, Larson passed to Oliver for 27 and Daugenti then scored at 1:59 on a six-yard burst off the right side. With 34 seconds remaining, Massillon got the ball at its 20 after a Barberton punt rolled into the end zone. With the fans yelling “Go, Go, Go!” a pass failed and with the opposition looking for another pass, Herring ripped off the left side and dashed 65 yards to score. With 16 seconds left, Gugov rammed through the right side and that was it, 90-0.
OFFICIALS Referee – George Ellis. Head Linesman – Clarence Rich. Umpire – John Russ. Field Judge – Bill Holzworth.
STATISTICS Mass. Barb. First downs, rushing 18 5 First downs, passing 3 2 First downs, penalties 1 0 Total first downs 22 7 Yards gained rushing 444 106 Yards lost rushing 8 50 Net yards gained rushing 436 56 Yards gained passing 172 37 Total yards gained 608 93 Passes attempted 16 17 Passes completed 6 5 Passes intercepted by 3 1 Times kicked off 13 1 Kickoff average (yards) 40 42 Kickoff returns (yards) 72 21.3 Times punted 0 8 Punt average (yards) 0 26.6 Punt returns (yards) 34 0 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 3 6 Lost fumbled ball 2 5 Penalties 3 6 Yards penalized 25 36½
Massillon Raps Barberton, 90-0 Tigers Roll Up Highest Score Since 1922; Hastings Tallies Three
Plain Dealer Canton Bureau
MASSILLON, O. – Massillon’s top-rated Tigers put on one of the hottest offensive showings in their history before 8,197 frigid fans here last night as they buried Barberton’s Magics, 90-0.
The triumph was the eighth straight for the Bengals, and it was their biggest since the 1922 Massillon team blasted Akron North, 94-0. That was the all-time high score for the Tigers.
The Tigers erupted for 12 touchdowns. Nine players took part in the scoring parade. Art Hastings led the way with three tallies and Jim Wood had two.
Massillon scored three times in every quarter. A 32-yard Joe Sparma to Bob Barkman pass gave the Tigers a tally on their first scrimmage play of the game. A few moments later, Hastings went five yards through center. Then Sparma capped a 65-yard drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak.
Wood caught both his touchdown passes in the second period. One was a 43-yarder from Sparma and the other a 32-yard toss from substitute quarterback John Larson. Doug Toles blasted over from five yards out to give Massillon a 46-0 halftime advantage.
Barberton kicked off to open the second half and Hastings took a handoff and sped 78 yards down the sidelines. Just two minutes later, after a pass interception, Hastings went 28 yards for this third tally. Bill Finney ended the third period with a five-yard touchdown burst.
Martin Gugov went 12 yards and Nick Daugenti five for the Tigers in the last quarter, then Bob Herring wound things up with just 16 seconds to play when he raced 65 yards into the end zone.
The Tigers racked up 608 total yards against Barberton, while holding the Magics to 93.
But Barberton never stopped scrapping. The Magics are made up primarily of underclassmen.
End Jerry Toth sparked Barberton on defense, while fullback Jim Whitman led the Magic ball carriers with 52 yards in 14 carries.
Barberton now has a 2-5-1 record for the season. It has lost 19 times, won 3 and gained one tie in its long series with Massillon.
Magic Coach Raps Massillon’s Strang Hits ‘Pouring It On” In Wake Of 90- Rout
By PHIL DIETRICH
Somewhere between the sixth and the 90th point in Friday nights’ stunning loss to Massillon Washington, Barberton High’s Tom Phillips made up his mind.
“There definitely is going to be something done about that 90-0 trimming,” he said bluntly. “Barberton must decide. Do we take such beatings – at a price – or do we find our own level of competition?”
“A lot of Barberton people feel we should play and beat Massillon. Perhaps we should, but now is the time to decide. It’s not fair to the kids to take a merciless beating like that. How do you go about reconciling the work that went into preparing for a game that turned out like that one.”
“It is bad for squad morale, bad for the coach’s confidence in his own ability – bad for football itself!”
Thirty-five-year old Tom Phillips in his first season as varsity coach of the Magics, was angry for his players and angry for himself. He took a deep breath and leveled the verbal finger squarely at Massillon grid boss Leo Strang.
“That’s what happens when you have a coach who obviously wants to get to the top fast,” he said gruffly. “Barberton was just another rung in the ladder to get him there.”
“He knew early we didn’t have a chance. So what happened? In the second quarter we made two first downs. He immediately rushed in another defensive unit to stop us.”
With 22 seconds to go in the first half and the score 46-0 he still had Hastings (Art), Sparma (Joe) and his other guns in there.”
“I’ve taken trimmings before – although never this bad – including a couple from Massillon. There is a difference, though, primarily in coaches. Did you ever hear of a coach running up 90 points before while using only part of his squad.”
“He had every reason to use them all, too. It was Dads’ Night at the stadium.”
It was pointed out by Barberton Athletic Director Karl Harter that Massillon’s point standing in the high school football polls served as a challenge to the Tiger team and coaches and affected Friday night’s score. Phillips agreed.
“No doubt about it,” he said. “Springfield has been gaining on Massillon, which lost ground last week despite that one-sided win over Warren.”
“This goes a bit deeper, though. Other Massillon coaches – Tom Harp, for example – didn’t believe in pouring it on. In the long run Massillon will suffer. You won’t resign yourself to the nine beatings you’ll take before you beat’em once – not when the beatings are like last night’s.”
“Canton Lincoln finally dropped’em and there will be more. I had calls from as far away as Niles – from friends and acquaintances who wanted to say how sorry they were to hear about that score – sorry for me and sorry for football.”
Harter took a more philosophical view. His experience runs through much of the 23-game Barberton-Massillon series – and the 19 Tiger victories.
“Certainly, Massillon was intent on getting points,” he said. “I hold the polls to blame. They create pressure on teams and coaches. It is bad for high school football.”
“You can’t take it away from Massillon’s team. They have speed and depth and marvelous balance. I’ve never seen a better Massillon team. They can score any way they want to score.”
“Phillips used all his kids and fortunately none of them were injured.”
Not physically, perhaps, but Phillips seems to detect cracks in the morale.
He said he plans to do something about it, but soon!
LOOKING’ EM OVER with CHARLIE POWELL
THE BARBERTON coach Tom “Red” Phillips, was a very upset man after his team was given a pummeling Friday night. He refused to shake hands with Tiger Coach Leo Strang and he waved his players off the field before they could go through the usual post-game compliments.
The Magic mentor would not allow newsmen in the team dressing quarters and as one reporter tried to get in, a voice from within the locker room said “Go see Strang.”
In the Tiger dressing room, Strang showed he was upset too.
He explained that all 43 Tigers dressed for the night got into the game and that all but two or three played in all four quarters. * * * SIX SOPHOMORES got to suit up with the varsity for the first time this year and two of them were plugging away even before the first period was concluded. The sophs were Quarterback Bob Baker, Halfback Fred Philpott, Center Ed Radel, Tackle Dan Spees and Ends Larry Ehmer and Ken Ivan.
“We can’t tell them not to play to the hilt or not to try to score” commented Strang, who was carried off the field by a few players.
Actually, Leo didn’t have much to say about the landslide. What can a guy say about a game like that?
“I was pleased in that the boys showed they wanted to play their best football and that so many got a chance to score.”
“It also gave us an excellent opportunity to look at some of the kids who will be coming back next year,” he added. * * * THE 90-POINT total was Leo’s personal high. One of his Upper Sandusky teams paddled Mifflin 86-0 several years ago.
The barreling Bengals used spread formation plays more than usual as they toyed with the visiting club. By actual count, they used 25 different plays to slice out a whopping 608 yards net gain.
Much will be said, and written, and rightly so, about the offense so we’ll take an opportunity to plug the Tiger defense.
It has allowed only four touchdowns and an average of 101 yards per game! Last night the Magics made only 56 yards on the ground and 37 in the air. Massillon’s ball-hawkers intercepted three passes and recovered five fumbles. * * * PASSES WERE intercepted by Hase McKey, “Sluggo” Bednar (after the ball was deflected by Frank Midure) and sub Joe Smith while enemy fumbles were pounced on by Bednar, Bob Barkman, Wally Brugh, Gary Wells and Jay B. Willey.
Barberton had only two plays good for over 10 yards all night. Keep it up you Tigers! * * * THE VICTORY should increase Massillon’s stock with some of the voters in the scholastic poll.
Second place Springfield, which trailed the Tigers by 36 points this week, finally beat Lima after being behind 6-0 in the first half. When the score was announced at Tiger stadium, Massillon fans let out a real roar. But there was not much noise when Bob Smith gave the 22-6 score. * * * THE CROWD included Dennison university’s gridders who play at Akron today. Ex-Tiger Al Slicker was among the group but Al, who had worked his way up to a regular job as an offensive guard, won’t get to play because of a torn ligament in his right knee. He is expected to be back in the starting lineup for the Big Red’s season finale against Ohio Wesleyan, Nov. 14.
History 
