History 1914: Massillon 3, Alliance 0
M.H.S. THE VICTOR
IN STERLING CONTEST
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Eckstein’s Kick From Placement
From 35-Yard Line
With Only a Minute to Play,
Wins Thrilling Game of Football
for Orange and Black Over Alliance
Theis Stars
With only one minute of play remaining and a large round-faced moon sending its first silvery rays shimmering across the field and Massillon high in possession of the ball on Alliance’s 35-yard line, fullback Joe Eckstein dropped back for a place kick. Quarterback Hollinger motioned for the ball, caught it and touched the ground. There was a thud as leather met leather and then the pigskin rose above 22 struggling gridiron warriors and sailed gracefully over the bar, bringing to the orange and black the greatest victory of the season by the score of 3 to 0 over a foe whose determination was unbendable as steel and whose grit won praises of 500 football fans Saturday afternoon at the Driving Park.
GAME TO BE REMEMBERED
It was a game that will go down in the annuals of the old or rather new school, as one of the greatest gridiron victories a Massillon high team had ever won.
CROWD GOES WILD
For several seconds after the kick the spectators seemed rooted to the ground. They were amazed by the brilliancy of the mighty boot. Then bedlam broke loose. Orange and black clothed warriors grabbed and hugged each other and performing antics that they would not think of at any other time. Men threw their hats in the air and the fairer sex, laughed, clapped their hands and wept for sheer delight. In an instant the field was black with people. A horde of jubilant high school students grabbed Eckstein and placed him on their shoulders and carried him around the field. It was the happiest moment in the big fullbacks’ life.
TAKE DEFEAT HARD
But with Alliance it was different. The crimson warriors who had fought so nobly to attain victory, had tasted the bitter cup of defeat. They fell to the ground, buried their faces in the dirt and cried. Here and there an Alliance player could be heard sobbing as if he had lost everything in the world.
HOW TEAM PLAYED
It was a mighty struggle, so terrific and brilliant that it was proclaimed by many as the greatest game that has been played in old Tiger town for many years.
Alliance fought hard to stave off defeat. It played recklessly. What did it matter if players were hurt so long as they kept the orange and black from winning. They dashed into every play but the strain began to tell and in the second half they were slowly but surely beaten back by the local team and the ball was in Alliance’s territory throughout the greater portion of the last 28 minutes of the struggle. Several times Eckstein tried to drop the ball over the bars but failed. One time the ball hit the goal post and bounced back into the field. Neither team had a chance to score a touchdown, although the local team had several opportunities, but each time the Alliance players would buckle down and stop the orange and black.
Only those who saw the contest realized how brilliant a battle it was. Alliance had a good team and should be given credit for the plucky fight it put up.
Massillon played the better game. It gained considerably more ground than its opponents and the local line was like a stone wall. Not one yard did the Alliance backs make by line plunging. Their gains were made on end runs and forward passes.
STARS OF THE CONTEST
It cannot be said that any player did not do his best. All were in the game every minute but the name of one player stands out prominently and that player is Theis, left tackle, for the orange and black. His brilliant defensive work was by far the brightest spot in that sterling game of football. Time after time he broke through the line and nailed the runner. He often tackled the man on the opposite side of the line. He tackled like a furious bull and Alliance was unable to stop his whirlwind attack.
The playing of Eckstein was as brilliant as that of Theis. It was his trusty toe that brought victory, when the fans believed that a scoreless tie would be the outcome of the struggle. The big fullback played the best game of his football career. He hit the line like a shell from a German howitzer and was a bear on defense. Hollinger was Massillon’s best ground gainer. Zorger made a pretty 50 yard run in the last quarter.
For Alliance the playing of Beck, the midget center and Woolf, right half, stood out prominently. Beck, weighing only 109 pounds, was the star for his team. He was in every play. He was injured in the last quarter and had to be taken out.
Some of the credit for the victory goes to Coach Snavely of the local squad. He has developed the players into a real football team, one that fights every minute of the game. A big increase in the tackling ability of the team was noticed in Saturday’s contest.
Following is the line up and summary
M.H.S. – 3 Pos. A.H.S. – 0
Harrold le Baier
Theis lt Albright
Snyder lg Elkis
Spuhler c Beck
Clay rg McGranahan
Stultz rt Davis
Houriet re Ashbrook
Hollinger qb Kirk
R. Smith (c) lhb Thompson
Eckstein fb Roach (c)
H. Smith rhb Woolf
Score by quarters:
Massillon 0 0 0 3 3
Alliance 0 0 0 0 0
Goals from placement:
Massillon – Eckstein.
Substitutions:
Massillon – Zorger for Harrold; Clay for Snyder; Snyder for Clay; Graybill for Clay; Bunker for H. Smith; Zorger for Bunker; H. Smith for Bunker; Bunker for Eckstein.
Alliance – Bowman for Beck; Reese for McGranahan.
Referee – Roderick.
Umpire – Rudy.
Head Linesman – Rudy.
Timers: Parsons; Cappock.
Time of periods: 15 and 12½ minutes.