Tag: <span>Akron Garfield</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1958: Massillon 36, Akron Garfield 0

Tigers Easily Beat Akron Garfield 36-0
Tight Bengal Defense Repels Presidents For A Minus One Yard

By CHARLIE POWELL

“Have football, will travel” seemed to be the theme song of the Massillon Tigers as they propelled the pigskin through, over and around Akron Garfield in a remarkably easy 36-0 romp at chilly Tiger stadium Friday night.

The Bengals gained 309 yards over land and 132 via the airways, made 22 first downs and the Presidents to a pair of stick-movers and – get this – a net of minus one yard.

More of the same – that’s what all good Tiger faithful are wishing now. The big one comes up next Saturday afternoon and this, of course, is the traditional tussle with Canton McKinley’s Bulldogs.
“BEAT McKINLEY!”
Ye, that’s the cry and we will hear that cry, constantly to say the least, and perhaps in our sleep, for the next seven days.
* * *
THE 1958 FOOTBALL season of the Tigers has brought forth fruits of victory and pangs of disappointment but the most pleasing result of all could only be a prized triumph over the team to the East.

This year’s Massillon-McKinley game will have no pot of gold or state championship riding on the final outcome, but it still is a banner attraction. The stands will be packed, as just about everybody hereabouts realizes that anything and everything can happen when the Tigers and the Bulldogs start clawing away.

With the Bulldogs experiencing a lean year, they know that by beating Massillon they can make amends for past failures.

The Bulldogs have a new coach in Jimmy Robinson, the former Lehman boss, a raft of speedy backs, a veteran quarterback and several hard-nose stalwarts on the line. It will be a case of everything to gain, nothing to lose for them.

All seats have been sold for the encounter. Because temporary bleachers have been placed in front of the stands, there will be no available standing room.
* * *
THE TIGER Booster club will get the ball rolling for “Beat McKinley Week” at its meeting in the high school auditorium Monday night.

The old home-town will dress up as per usual and all merchants are being asked to fly their Tiger flags all week long.

The Washington high warriors will enter the battle with a record of seven wins, one loss and a tie. McKinley was 4-4 going into this afternoon’s skirmish with Cleveland John Adams at Fawcett stadium.

The lop-sided win over Garfield was Massillon’s seventh in a row over a President array.

The Prexies lost to the orange and black 30-0 last year and 35-0 the year before but their representatives on the field last night actually had very little semblance in the 1956 and 1957 clubs.

They stayed in their pitching but the Tigers had too much of everything.
* * *
BEHIND FINE blocking, Jim Snively, Art Hastings, Dave Dean, Jerry Allen, Jim Wood and Martin Gugov ran with abandon. Joe Sparma and Bill Finney shared the passing role and their strikes to Bob Vogel, Bill Zorn, Jerry Mitchell and Allen were very instrumental.

The defensive dandies, protecting the top record among “big time” schools in the state, did not allow Garfield a first down in the first half. On the third play of the second half the invading team made their fist of the night and their second, and last, came after a
delay-of-game penalty against Massillon aided them late in the final period.

Garfield reached Tiger territory only twice all evening and never came close to pay dirt as the Bengals racked up their fifth shutout of the season.

Nearest the Presidents got was the Tiger 47-yard line after Halfback Bob Price, their star punter, intercepted a pass early in the game. However, four plays later the visitors had to punt from their own 46.

The score, which was Massillon’s highest output of the year, might have been more
one-sided had it not been for Price’s booming punts or the fact that the Tigers temporarily ran out of gas after going inside the 15 twice in the third quarter.
* * *
PRICE KICKED seven times for an average of exactly 40 yards per punt, his best effort being at 51-yarder. On the other hand, the orange punted only once with a fourth quarter “line drive” by Sparma carrying 54 yards.

Offensively, the Leo Strang coached forces treated the crowd, which included 8,579 paid, to much fireworks in the very first period.

The second time they had the pigskin they rolled 60 yards in seven plays with Snively whizzing the final 34. Four minutes later they made a second TD with Allen hitting across from the three after seven plays had covered 53 yards.
On the first thrust, Massillon started from its own 40-yard line. A 15-yard pass play with Mitchell taking a Sparma throw, and short chunks by Snively, Hastings and Dean planted the ball at the Garfield 34 before Snively got loose. He banged through a hole at left tackle, did a cutback at the 25 and was gone. At 5:38 he hit off the right side to make the score
8-0.
* * *
GARFIELD was forced to punt after the kickoff and Bob Oliver returned to the Tiger 44. After an incomplete pass, Snively got off another nifty run, this one for 22 yards, and then Allen, Dean and Hastings alternated in toting the oval to the enemy three from which point Allen tallied through a giant-sized hole on the right side. A bad exchange in the backfield ruined the try for two extra points.

A 40-yard run by Snively went for naught early in the second frame but the second time the Tigers had the ball in that session they didn’t stop until they changed the score to 20-0.

They advanced 86 yards in nine plays with a pair of aerials accounting for the last 35 yards.

Dean and Allen were the running stickouts as Massillon moved to the Garfield 35. Then Sparma threw out into the right flat. The pass was wobbly but carried right to Mitchell, sitting down on the 13. On the next play Sparma and Zorn made connections on a jump pass with big Bill catching the ball at the four and falling across. A run for the extra points was short.
* * *
NEAR THE END of the quarter McKey blocked a punt with Zorn catching the ball at the Garfield 37. Sparma twirled to Vogel who made a nice catch to help gain 23 yards but on the last play of the half, Price bobbed up to intercept a Sparma toss. Thus it was 20-0 at intermission.

Garfield came out for the second half a more determined ball club but after picking up one first down, a screen pass thrown by Ronnie Tate was deflected by McKey and Zorn gathered it in at the President 37.

On the very next play, Massillon scored again. This time Sparma got off another jump pass and it was caught by Vogel after being deflected by Price. Vogel juggled the ball for an instant at the 24 and then had a straight shot to the end zone. Sparma passed to Zorn for two more points with eight minutes left in the quarter.
* * *
McKEY RECOVERED a fumble at the Garfield 36 three plays later but after Finney passed to Zorn for 15 and sophomore Gugov got 12 yards in two tries, Massillon fumbled with Taylor recovering at the Garfield two.

But Garfield had to kick again and Massillon went from the visitors’ 44 to the 14 before the big fizzled out. During this drive, which was hurt by a holding penalty, Gugov ran twice for 11 yards, Allen once for 13 and Finney passed to Allen for seven yards.

Following a punt early in the final canto, the Tigertown team drove 43 yards in eight plays. Allen ran well in this scoring overture, going for 11 once and for 18 on another trip before he bulled the last four yards at 6:49. Gugov hit off tackle for the extra points.

STATISTICS
Mass. Gar.
First downs, rushing 17 2
First downs, passing 5 0
First downs, penalties 0 0
Total first downs 22 2
Number of rushing plays 64 37
Yards gained, running plays 334 48
Yards lost, running plays 25 49
Net yardage, running 309 -1
Passes attempted 17 7
Passes completed 7 0
Passes had intercepted 2 1
Yards returned, intercepted passes 0 21
Yards gained, passing 132 0
Total net yardage,
running and passing 441 -1
Number of kick-off returns 1 6
Yardage, kickoff returns 8 74
Average length of kickoff returns 8 12.3
Number of punt returns 6 0
Yardage, punt returns 43 0
Average length of punt return 7.1 0
Number of punts 1 7
Total yardage on punts 54 280
Average length of punts 54 40
Number of penalties 4 4
Yards lost on penalties 40 30
Number of fumbles 5 4
Own fumbles recovered 2 1
Ball lost on fumbles 3 3

Bob Vogel
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1957: Massillon 33, Akron Garfield 0

Tigers Defeat Akron Garfield 33-0
Presidents Removed From Unbeaten; Now It’s Beat McKinley!

By CHARLIE POWELL

A fancy aerial barrage that produced seven hits in 11 tries, the nimble feet of flyboy Ivory Benjamin and a defense that just wouldn’t stop for a second wind.

These were the three essentials the Massillon Tigers added up to a 33-0 scuttling of Akron Garfield before 8,919 shivering fans at Tiger stadium Friday night.

And so Garfield hopes for an undefeated season were sent sailing into the regions more familiar to Sputnik and Muttnik.
* * *
IT WAS MASSILLON’S seventh victory in eight starts and its sixth straight without defeat in the series while the loss was the first after eight consecutive wins by the Presidents. Thus the Tigers maintained their status of never having lost to an Akron team since South turned the trick by a point back in 1931.

Program Cover

And now we of Tigertown – for that matter people throughout the entire state – await with mixed emotions the biggest battle of the year.

Nobody needs to be reminded that the most pompous pigskin hoe down will send the Tigers against the ancient, fierce rival from Canton McKinley.

A week from today with Fawcett stadium as the setting the Massillon-Canton supremacy will be determined for the 62nd time.
BEAT McKINLEY!
You will hear that cry all hours of the day…and if you aren’t a dyed-in-the-wool Tiger rooter you’d better get used to it.

BEAT McKINLEY…nothing else matters for awhile.

More than one big prize may be the stake as far as the Tigers are concerned.

A victory over McKinley would be sweet revenge for the 1955 and 1956 reversals but much, much more important – a win could lead to Ohio’s scholastic championship.

Top-ranking Cleveland Benedictine beat John Adams 28-7 last night and off that performance it would appear that the Clevelanders failed to increase their prestige much, if at all. But don’t do any betting.

Benedictine will be idle next week. It has one game left – with St. Ignatius for the city championship – after the state title is decided.
* * *
THE TIGERS were anticipating a rugged time with Garfield but it was strictly no match.

Garfield was completely out-played. Its offense was confined to a mere net of 56 yards and its defense failed to ruffle the running of the swivel-hipped Benjamin or a passing attack that clicked off 126 yards.

The smallest crowd to watch a varsity encounter at the stadium in many a moon may not have gotten much warmth out of the action but there was plenty of goings-on to warm the hearts of Massillon fans.

Benjamin hiked his touchdown total to 16 for the season as he scored three times. He sparked, then capped, a short drive from one yard out, sped 46 yards on a sweep and showed his heels on a 58-yard pass play.

He carted the swinehide 18 times for 96 yards and snagged four passes for 102 yards.
* * *
THE OTHER touchdowns were made by the lanky end, Clyde Childers, on a four-yard pass play (Mark Anthony tossed both TD aerials from a halfback position) and third string fullback Ken Dean, who went in from two yards out. Sophomore Halfback Jim Hershberger kicked the three extra points.

That was not all: one other touchdown was made against the team which in eight previous tilts had allowed only four six-pointers, but both were nullified by penalties. Quarterback Bob Getz hit Childers on a 39-yard play wiped out by a backfield-in-motion call.

Officially, Getz threw one incomplete pass while Anthony had a perfect 4-for-4 mark and Sparma completed three of six.

To add to it all, punters – due to the wind which flew in all directions – had a rough time with one Garfield boot going only five yards and another eight yards in reverse. Both teams lacked 11 players on the field on two occasions and on one kickoff the ball was held for a left-footed kicker but the actual kicker was right-footed.
* * *
ROGER REESE, the ace linebacker, was called upon to handle the Tiger punting chores after Childers split a toe in a pre-game warm-up. Roger averaged over 24 yards on three kicks while Garfield’s Bob Price averaged over 28 yards on seven boots.

The Tigers played without the injured Chuck Beiter and Gene Stewart, while the Prexies lost Halfback Lou Rizzo in the second period and Quarterback Joe Rossi early in the final canto.
While Corky Pledgure, Anthony and Dave Dean gave Benjamin some fine backing on attack, Massillon’s defensive stickouts were Leaman Williamson, Joe Brownlee and Reese.

Garfield gained 84 yards on 33 rushing plays and Tiger defenders threw the invaders for losses totaling 28 yards. Massillon gained 195 yards and lost 33 on 45 running plays.

Tiger Coach Lee Tressel thought the Massillon defense made the big difference.
* * *
“I THOUGHT Garfield had a better club than last year. We were not as sharp offensively. But they are not a poor defensive team.”

“Those passes and Ivory’s running pulled us out.”

The crowd, which began leaving after the Tigers jumped on their lead to 27-0 with 3:37 remaining in the third period, brought home attendance for the year (six games) to 80,953.

This was below the 86,170 for seven games in 1956 but a bit higher than the 76,963 admissions for seven games the previous year.

The first time Massillon got the ball last night it racked up six points, thanks to a nifty
58-yard pass play. Anthony pitching and Benjamin catching.
* * *
GARFIELD had to punt after receiving the opening kickoff with the ball being grounded at the Tiger 31. A clipping penalty against Massillon and then a 5-yarder against Garfield for an illegal substitution set the oval on the 35. Benjamin, Kanney and Pledgure moved it to the 42 from where Anthony tossed a short running pass to Benjamin.

Ivory grabbed the throw on the 49 and took off. At the Garfield 35 he cut away from two would-be tacklers and at the five steamed past the safetyman. Hershberger came in to boot the extra point and the Tigers were in the van at 7:37.

Garfield received, again had to punt and this time the Tigers went on the prowl at the Prexy 36 as Price’s kick went “up the shaft” and landed only five yards past the scrimmage line.

Short runs by Benjamin, Anthony, Dean, Pledgure and Kanney plus a 10-yard pass, Sparma to Pledgure, moved the local boys to the enemy one. However, on fourth down at the four that many Garfield players “ganged up” to stop Benjamin at the three.
* * *
EARLY IN the second period the teams swapped fumbles. Cornerman Al Pierce pounced on Price’s bobble at the Garfield 39 and again the orange and black utilized short-yardage plays. Sparma twirled to Benjamin for nine yards and Ivory, Anthony and Dean kept pounding off the tackles to set the stage for a second score.

From the four Anthony threw the running pass again. Childers made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone, Hershberger converted and it was 14-0 at 6:29.

Neither side mustered anything resembling a threat the rest of the half.

A pass interception by Reese after Jerry Mitchell deflected the pitch by Rossi, put Massillon in position for its third TD.

Reese was downed at the Prexy 34 and a 12-yard pass, Anthony to Benjamin and a 10-yard bang off the right side by Dean helped advance the ball to the one before Benjamin dived across behind Tackle Harold Slabaugh. At 6:25, Hershberger again converted.
* * *
GARFIELD was forced to punt again after the kickoff and Jim Snively returned to midfield. Pledgure gained four at left tackle before Benjamin counted again.

This time Ivory took at pitchout, cut around the right side, broke in the clear at the 25 and outran two Garfield boys to the end zone – a 46-yard gallop. At 3:37 Hershberger’s kick placement sailed low of the bar but the orange rode high, 27-0.

The fourth quarter touchdown came on a 39-yard foray after the Getz to Childers pass from the 39 was vetoed by a penalty. Big gainers in this movement included Anthony’s
11-yard sweep and his pass to Benjamin good for 11-yards.

From the two Dean drove off right guard for the score at 6:05. Hershberger’s kick was partially blocked.

After that tally Coach Tressel began to substitute and before the game was over, 45 players including 23 seniors, saw action.

The summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS – Childers, Williams, Williamson, Hagan, Zorn, Mitchell, Oliver, Wood, Steele, A. Pierce, Snavely.
TACKLES – Slabaugh, A. Slicker, Brownlee, Halter, Donat, Karrenbaurer, Bordner, Lane.
GUARDS – Heine, Heimann, McKey, Taylor, Bednar, Perry, J. Kasunick, Cook.
CENTERS – Williamson, Swartz, Shilling, Reese.
QUARTERBACKS – Getz, Sparma, Kocher.
HALFBACKS – Benjamin, Pledgure, Anthony, Snively, Clark, Garcia, Young, Allen, Hershberger.
FULLBACKS – Kanney, Dean, Morrow.

AKRON GARFIELD
ENDS – Lupori, Younger, Blouir, Grasso.
TACKLES – Wiseman, Hicks, Piurkowski, Valatka.
GUARDS – Rekettye, Hollendoner, Capatosta, Black, Sabatino.
CENTERS – Smith, Phillips.
QUARTERBACKS – Rossi, Luperi.
HALFBACKS – Rizzo, Miskar, Price, Rich, Salchek.
FULLBACKS – Arshinkoff, Trusa.

Score by quarters:
Massillon 7 7 13 6 33

Touchdowns – Benjamin 3, Childers, Dean.
Extra Points – Hershberger (placements).

STATISTICS
Mass. Gar.
First downs, rushing 8 4
First downs, passing 5 0
First downs, penalties 0 0
First downs, total 13 4
Yards gained, running plays 195 84
Yards lost, running plays. 33 28
Net yardage, running plays 162 56
Passes attempted 11 7
Passes completed 7 1
Passes had intercepted 0 2
Yards gained passing 126 2
Total yardage, running,
Passing 268 58
Number of kickoff returns 1 6
Yardage, kickoff returns 30 53
Average length of kickoff
returns 30 8.8
Number of punt returns 3 7
Total yardage on punts 75 202
Average length of punts 24.9 28.8
Number of penalties 5 3
Yards lost on penalties 45 35
Number of fumbles 3 4
Own fumbles recovered 2 2
Ball lost on fumbles 1 1

Ivory Benjamin
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1956: Massillon 35, Akron Garfield 0

Tigers Top Garfield, Turn To Bulldogs
Benjamin Leads Rout As Massillon Hands Presidents 1st Loss

By CHARLIE POWELL

BEAT McKINLEY!

This phrase will be emoted by more Massillon people the next seven days than any other two words in the English language.

BEAT McKINLEY. You heard it before last night’s victory over heretofore undefeated Akron Garfield became official. The enthusiasm and that cry was whipped up in fine fashion after the final gun.

With the scoreboard clock showing a minute and 36 seconds remaining and the Tigers out front by 35-0, which was the way it ended, a big sign, strung from wires between the light standards at the north end of the stadium and reading BEAT McKINLEY was unfurled.

After action ceased a small but spirited group of Tiger fans staged a brief pep rally.

Tiger followers including adults broke out their small BEAT McKINLEY banners. In a few short words they praised the charges of Lee Tressel and staff for another job well
done – then it was BEAT McKINLEY.
* * *
THE BIG ONE, the one the Tigers have been pointing to since that narrow loss to Mansfield, comes off here next Saturday afternoon. All seats have been sold. The gates will open at 12 noon and there will be standing room only. In the events to follow the Orange and Black will be out to avenge last year’s setback by pinning the defeat label on the powerhouse from the city to the east.

If the Tigers do it they should hit the jackpot. What could keep them from regaining that state championship?
BEAT McKINLEY!
Against Garfield before close to 10,000 fans including 9,381 paid, the Orangemen weren’t “up.” Undoubtedly the circumstances prevented them from getting too “high” even though the Presidents had only a couple of ties marring an otherwise perfect mark.

But the locals had more than enough to put the damper on the Prexies. Sparked by twinkle-toed Ivory Benjamin who got great support from Bob Rinehart, Chuck Beiter, Chester Brown, Larry Washington and a host of others, the attack was just about as sharp as any time previously this season. The defense was crisp as the night air.

If you like scythe-like blocking and some teeth-jarring tackling put together with some fancy running, you were satisfied.

True, there were times when it looked like the Garfield ball carriers might have been grassed back of the line of scrimmage or with little yardage to show for their efforts. You can’t have everything, can you?

After all, the Tigers held the invaders to a total of 161 yards – only 23 through the air. And the Prexies had been averaging over six yards per rush.

Coach Tressel couldn’t find much fault with the offense although he agreed that it looked like his charges would “never get started.” Garfield was threatening three times in the opening period but it was completely shackled after that. The Tiger mentor, whose team now has won eight, the last three in a row, had some warm words for the line play, the running of Benjamin, Brown and Beiter, and the ball handling of Rinehart, who completed two of his four passes, one for a touchdown.

The Tigers zipped to a net of 381yards on the ground with Benjamin making 182 in 16 carries, Beiter 63 in eight and Brown 50 in seven. Washington, who started in place of Mike Hershberger, lugged seven times for 26 yards and Rinehart ran a keeper once for 13 yards as Benjamin waylaid three men with a crunching block.
* * *
OF COURSE ball carriers would get exactly nowhere without blocking from the boys up on the line. In this department the local youngsters appeared to be in peak form.

And all this came about with Hershberger and guard Bob Brown watching form the sidelines. Hershberger could have played but Tressel wasn’t about to take an unnecessary chances. “We’ll need them next week,” he said.

Dave Richardson, who booted five extra points, tackle Dick Whitfield and sub tackle John Halter were banged up a little but all will probably be ready for the Bulldogs, who were to meet Akron South this afternoon.

Richardson converted after Benjamin tallied three times, Beiter once and end Clyde Childers, who was on the receiving end of both Tiger pass completions, once.

Actually Garfield was never in the running after the initial panel. Probably because of a good scouting job and a bunch of kids who weren’t going to let another loss interfere with their plans.

In all fairness to the Presidents it must be emphasized that had a couple of first quarter aerials not gone awry they might have been able to make an issue of it as many expected them to do. On the second play the first time Garfield got possession its sterling halfback, Sterling Shephard, passed from the Tiger 49. The Tigers were apparently worrying about Manzie Winters, the President’s pass catching star, and let the other end, Don Gibson, get in the clear at the 20.

Shephard probably thought Gibson was going to cut to his right but he didn’t and a
sure-fire touchdown play went with the wind. Two plays later Garfield had to punt but got the pigskin right back as Benjamin fumbled at the Tiger 21. Shephard moved seven yards to the Orange 14 and after Chet Brown and Pete Heimann tossed Fullback Nick Arshinkoff for a one-yard deficit, Massillon gained possession again as Beiter intercepted Shephard’s spread play pass at the six.

Three plays later, after Benjamin got loose from a 30-yard scamper from his own eight to the 38, the locals lost the ball on another fumble. This time it was Garfield’s ball at the Massillon 44.

With the help of a twisting 17-yard run by Shephard, the Prexies advanced to the Tiger 17. But on fourth down linebacker Roger Reese barreled in and smacked Shephard down for an 11-yard loss to end the thrust.

Then the Tigers went ahead as two long runs, one by Brown and one by Benjamin, paved the way. Benjamin ran twice for 12 before Brown, stiff-arming one, veering away from three and getting blocks from Whitfield and Childers, galloped 29 to the Garfield 35. Washington picked up three and Benjamin sped to the left – with Dick Brenner springing him loose with a fine block at the 33 – and rambled all the way standing up. Three minutes 27 seconds were left in the quarter when Richardson converted his first time.

The Akron array bounced back but to no avail. From the 32 they made three first downs to the Tiger 22 as an 18-yard jaunt by halfback Frank Misker and a 13-yarder by Shephard provided the spark. Shephard tried two passes and sub Lindsey Humphrey two but none made connections.
* * *
ONCE WASHINGTON batted the ball down, once three Tigers outfought two Presidents, once Shephard dropped a Humphrey toss on the 10 and on fourth down the latter’s heave overshot the lanky Winters. Thus it was Massillon’s ball at its own 40.

On the last two running plays of the period Benjamin made nine and Brown four. A penalty against Garfield helped put the oval on the Massillon 40 as the second frame got underway. Benjamin netted 12 in two carries, Brown boomed through tackle for 14 and Beiter went up the middle for eight before the latter tallied on a 26-yard run. The hefty junior, who has been playing both fullback and righthalf, shot inside guard, and cut to his outside and was only 10 yards from pay dirt before most everybody in the stadium knew who had the ball.

This score came with 10:01 left and less than five minutes later the Orange had their third.

Beiter rushed Humphrey on a punt from the Garfield 31 and the ball sailed out of bounds at the 35. Beiter sandwiched eight and nine-yard gains around a three run pickup by Benjamin and from the 15 Irvory scooted the rest of the way on a double reverse that worked to near-perfection. Only one hand touched him and he twisted away from that lone defender.

The rest of the first half was meaningless. But things livened a bit for the home side at the outset of the third period as another bad punt by Humphrey led to the Tigers’ fourth TD.

Massillon had to move only 30 yards this time. Benjamin, Brown and Beiter carried to the 19 before Rinehart unwound. His pass hit Childers on the 10 and the big boy got away from the last would be tackler after Benjamin had thrown a key block. It was 28-0 with seven and a half minutes to go in that stanza.
* * *
THE ORANGEMEN made a strong bid before the quarter came to a close. From their own 37 they rolled to the one as a Rinehart-to-Childers pass clicked for 21 yards and Benjamin inserted a 20-yard sprint. However, an offside penalty set them back to the six and on last down Rinehart was three yards short on a sneak.

The Prexies were deep in their own territory as the final stanza began and from the seven sub Wayne McFarland kicked out of bounds at the Garfield 38.

On the first play Benjamin struck off the right side and streaked to pay dirt.

After that Tressel made use of his second stringers and twice Richardson, defensive safety, stymied the visitors by hauling in passes.

Looking Sharp

MASSILLON – 35
ENDS – Brenner, Elavsky, Mitchell, Wells, Snavely, Childers, Hagan, Williams, Mays.
TACKLES – Whitfield, Mercer, Ortiz, Slabaugh, Brownlee, Bixler, Halter.
GUARDS — Meldrum, Heine, Heimann, Cook.
CENTERS – Krier, Kiplinger.
QUARTERBACKS – Rinehart, Getz, Reese, Dutton.
HALFBACKS – Benjamin, Washington, Pledgure, Richardson, Bivings.
FULLBACKS – C. Brown, Beiter, Dean.

AKRON GARFIELD – 0
ENDS – Winters, Hubbard, Gibson.
TACKLES – Wiseman, Flanders, Hicks, Truza.
GUARDS – Balca, Rekettye, Phillips, Capatosta, McFarland.
CENTERS – Blouir, Smith, Sabatino.
QUARTERBACK – Rossi.
HALFBACKS – Shephard, Miskar, Humphrey, Rogers.
FULLBACKS – Arshinkoff, Vic Rich.

Scoring by quarters:
Massillon 7 14 7 7 35
Garfield 0 0 0 0 0

Massillon scoring:
Touchdowns – Benjamin (3, runs of 32, 15 and 28 yards); Beiter (run 26 yards); Childers (pass 19 yards).
Extra points – Richardson 5 (placements).

STATISTICS
Massillon Garfield
First downs, rushing 17 9
First downs, passing 2 1
First downs, penalties 1 1
Total first downs 20 11
Yards gained rushing 401 159
Yards lost rushing 20 21
Net yards gained rushing 381 138
Yards gained passing 42 23
Total yards gained 423 161
Passes attempted 4 18
Passes completed 2 4
Passes intercepted by 3 0
Times kicked off 6 1
Kickoff average (yards) 43 54
Kickoff returns 9yards) 12 92
Times punted 2 7
Punt average (yards) 32.2 19.7
Punt returns (yards) 16 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 1
Lost fumbled ball 2 0
Penalties 6 9
Yards penalized 50 85

Mike Hershberger
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1955: Massillon 27, Akron Garfield 20

Tigers Defeat Akron Garfield 27-20

By LUTHER EMERY

The Tigers squeaked by Akron Garfield 27-20 in Tiger stadium Friday evening before a surprising crowd of 9,444 and now let’s BEAT McKINLEY!

The BEAT McKINLEY cry went up immediately after the game as a banner was unfurled at one end of the field as the team and the band and students joined in a rally on the field.

But in the Tiger dressing room the BEAT McKINLEY spirit had not yet caught on, for the young Massillon athletes were a bit glum over their close shave with the Akron gridders.

Evidently they figured they hadn’t put up their best game against the gallant Akron team, which at the same time must have been wondering what you have to do to win a ball game.

Of course, the answer is “score more points,” and that the Tigers did, with the help of a fumbled Garfield punt that Ken Fisher covered on the Garfield six that led to the third Massillon touchdown.

The game was a close repetition of the 1954 Massillon-Garfield game which saw the Tigers trail 6-0 at the half and finally win 21-13 in the last quarter. It was the kind of a game you can expect a team to play when everyone is talking about the game a week away with Canton McKinley instead of concentrating on the job at hand.

The Tigers might well have lost last night’s encounter just as they could have lost the Garfield game a year ago.

Now it is up to the Massillon gridders to bounce back as they did a year ago and BEAT McKINLEY!

The Bulldog foes who they will meet next Saturday afternoon in Fawcett stadium, Canton, were witnesses at last night’s game.

Wade Watts, their coach, said Friday afternoon he ordinarily doesn’t permit his team to watch an opponent before a game. However, he waived the ruling Friday, feeling he had made a mistake last year by not permitting his team to see the Tigers play Garfield the week before the Massillon-Bulldog game.

“I felt that had my boys seen Massillon against Garfield last year, they might have come over with more confidence.”

As you know, the local gridders whipped the Bulldogs last year, 26-6.

What reaction last night’s Massillon-Garfield game will have on the Canton team remains to be seen.
* * *
CERTAINLY the Tigers were anything but sharp, while Garfield, playing with all of its might, was denied an upset or at least a tie by the narrowest of margins.

The Tigers for instance, scored their first touchdown after Garfield had lost the ball on downs on its own 34. Then the fumbled punt set up the third.

Garfield on the other hand was well on its way to a touchdown in the second period and had the ball on the eight-yard line when set back by a 15-yard clipping penalty.

Of course the Presidents got some breaks too. They covered three Massillon fumbles, a couple of them deep in Massillon territory, but were unable to cash in on them.

Garfield’s main weapon was the same as that of Barberton – the forward pass. Tiger opponents have sensed a weakness in Massillon’s pass defense and are throwing the ball. The Presidents completed nine of 18 passes for 177 net yards.

Two of their touchdowns were the direct result of passes and a long throw led to the other.

For the most part the receivers were fairly well defensed by the Massillon secondary but they caught the ball over the Tigers’ heads.
* * *
DAVE CHRIS, the slick little Garfield quarterback, eluded Tiger tacklers most of the evening when they attempted to rush him and worked from a good pocket of protection thrown up by his teammates. This gave him a lot of time to pick out his receivers.

He had a fine assortment of passes too, and the visitors gained on all of them, including a pass off a buck lateral.

The Tigers froze up in their passing game, tried three and completed one, a 16-yard toss to Jim Houston.

They gained a net total of 278 yards on the ground to 103 for Garfield, but the net sum of both running and passing was 294 for the Tigers to 280 for Garfield. First downs were
17-13 in the local team’s favor.

Leader in the ground gaining department for Massillon was Don Duke with 118 yards in 47 carries. Dave Archibald gained 72 in 14 carries and Charlie Brown 68 in 10. Christ, who gained 77 and lost 19, was the top runner for Garfield.

The first half, as has been the habit so many times this season, found the Tigers battling for their lives.
* * *
GARFIELD came on to score first as it took the opening kickoff on its 38. A 33-yard run by Chris and two passes, an eight-yarder from Chris to Gene Zuravel and one of 12 yards off a buck lateral to Sterling Shepherd who tossed to Manzie Winters, were included in the 62-yard march. The peg to Winters put the ball on the one and Chris took it over on second down. Mobley scored the extra point and made it 7-0.

Don Duke almost got away with the kickoff that followed, returning 61 yards to his 28 where he was bumped just enough to knock him off stride.

Garfield bristled and threw back the challenge, however to take the ball away from the locals on the 25.

But the Tigers also braced and stopped Garfield when, with fourth down and less than a yard to go, it tried for a first down. The locals took the ball on the 34 and from there moved quickly to score. Duke hit for 10, James one, Archibald six and Duke for the last 17 to score the first of his three touchdowns. John Kasunick kicked the extra point to tie the score at 7-7.

But that didn’t discourage Garfield.

Welcher booted the ball straight into the hands of a Garfield player on the 50. On the first play Chris fired to Zuravel for a touchdown, a gain of 50 yards. The attempt at the extra point was lost and the score stood at 13-7.

The second period was almost two-thirds gone when the Tigers managed to tie it up. Garfield had succeeded in getting down to the eight and was penalized back to the 23 for clipping. Earl Radtke ended the threat by intercepting for the Tigers on the 11. From this point the local team marched 89 yards to score. Duke and Archibald alternated carrying the ball and made six first downs on the four. Archibald took it over in two attempts to tie it up at 13-13.
* * *
THE TIGERS who received to start the second half fumbled to Garfield on the first play of the period on the 32, but the visitors were unable to take advantage of the break and were forced to punt, the ball going over the goal and the Tigers getting it on their 20. A 15-yard penalty against Garfield for unnecessary roughness moved the ball up field and the Presidents forced the locals to punt.

Archibald got off a good one but the Akron safety man fumbled it on the six and Fisher pounced on the pigskin for the Tigers. Duke shot over on the first play to score and also plunged the extra point over to put the locals ahead 20-13.

The Tigers forced Garfie4ld to punt after the kickoff, and they got the ball on their 35. Brown got 19 yards and the locals only successful pass of the evening, a 16-yard effort to Houston, brought a first on the 30.

Archibald made two and Brown ran to a first on the 11. Duke took it over from there and Kasunick kicked the extra point that made the score 27-13.

That ended the Tigers’ scoring efforts, but Garfield still had another up its sleeve.

It took the kickoff on the 30 and never stopped until it reached the Promised Land. Chris passed 21 yards to Winters to start the proceedings and a pass to Winters off a buck lateral to Shepherd gained 29 more and a first down on the 23. Mobley picked up four and Chris hit John Lampley for the touchdown, a gain of 19 yards.

The Tigers made one more effort to score but fumbled the opportunity away on the 26-yard line.

The line-up and summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS – Houston, Canary, Welcher.
TACKLES – Graber, Maier, Schumacher, Kreiger, Hofacre, Meldrum.
GUARDS – Fisher, Roan, Kasunick, Tracy, Ertle, Harrison.
CENTERS – Spicer, Dowd, Gentzler.
QUARTERBACKS – James, Brenner.
HALFBACKS – Duke, Brown, Long, Radtke, Butcher, Cocklin, Benjamin, Herring, Washington.
FULLBACK – Archibald.

GARFIELD
ENDS – Lampley, Winters.
TACKLES – Parker, Genda.
GUARDS – Suggett, Parks, Prim, Stevens.
CENTERS – Gay, Grecni.
QUARTERBACK – Chris
HALFBACKS – Shepherd, Zuravel, Miller, Miskar, Arshinkoff, Taylor.
FULLBACK – Mobley.

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 6 14 0 27
Garfield 13 0 0 7 20

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Duke 3, Archibald.
Garfield – Chris, Zuravel, Lampley.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Kasunick 2 (placekicks); Duke (carried).
Garfield – Mobley (carried); Winters (placekick).

Official
Referee – Lobach.
Umpire – Gryska.
Head Linesman – Holzbach.
Field Judge – Sweitzer.

STATISTICS
Mass. Akron
First downs 17 13
Passes attempted 3 18
Passes completed 1 9
Yards gained passing 16 183
Yards lost passing 0 6
Net gain passing 16 177
Yards gained rushing 290 130
Yards lost rushing 12 27
Net gain rushing 276 103
Net gain rushing and passing 294 280
Times kicked off 5 4
Average kickoff (yards) 38 44
Yards kickoffs returned by 94 65
Times punted 2 2
Average punt (yards) 37 22
Yards punts returned by 0 0
Times fumbled 4 3
Lost ball on fumbles 3 1
Times penalized 4 4
Yards penalized 27 27

Jim Houston
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1954: Massillon 21, Akron Garfield 13

Tigers Beat Garfield 21-13 Massillon Gridders Overcome 6-0 Deficit
To Win 8th Of Season

By LUTHER EMERY

BEAT McKINLEY!

The crowd roared at Tiger stadium last night with the final gun that ended the Massillon gridders’ 21-13 squeak over Akron Garfield their eighth win of the season, and we have reason to believe that McKinley had as much to do with the close score as Garfield. The Tigers just couldn’t get the game off their minds.

McKinley and fumbles we should say aided the enemy for the Tigers fumbled five times, lost the ball three times, twice when within easy reach of touchdowns.

But there was also a dent in the Massillon armor, especially in the second half, when the local gridders permitted Garfield to hold the ball for long periods at a time while banging out first downs.

The Massillon offense was good enough the last two periods, but it couldn’t get the ball enough. It scored three of the four times it got the leather and had the pigskin on the
nine-yard line with a first down coming up when the games ended the fourth offensive trip.
* * *
THE DEFENSIVE leaks must be plugged if the Massillon gridders realize their post-game ambition of BEAT McKINLEY in the state championship battle to be played here at 2 o’clock next Saturday afternoon.

That goes for both line and secondary. The latter permitted one pass to go through for a touchdown and another to produce a first down on the one-yard line which also led to a touchdown.

Garfield lived up to its advance predictions of being a good football team.

Playing without the services of their triple threat back, Bill Miller, who injured an arm Thursday, the Presidents displayed a good offense, mixing up split T with single wing that struck particularly hard at the center of the Tigers line, and on optional sweeps.

The Akron gridders led the local team 6-0 at the half, but somehow Massillon fans did not appear too uneasy during intermission for they had seen their team lose two likely touchdowns through fumbles and another through the expiration of time in the first and second quarters.
* * *
IT TOOK ONLY four plays to tie the score when the third period got under way and Tom Morrow’s deadly kick put the locals in the lead.

They made a 14-6 early in the fourth period and might have done it sooner had not Garfield held the leather for nine plays.

Then Garfield aided by a 15-yard penalty inflicted on Massillon for roughing the punter after it had the Presidents stopped, helped the latter score a second touchdown on a
nine-yard pass over the line which with the point from placement brought the score to
14-13, too close for comfort of conversions looked awfully big for three and one-half periods of the game.
* * *
THE TIGERS might have broken Garfield’s back early in the contest had they scored in their first touchdown attempt. They took the kickoff and in two plays were on the six-yard line. Fromholtz carried the third play, went to the goal line where he fumbled when tackled and Garfield covered with the nose of the ball just three inches away from the chalk line. It was on this play that Fromholtz hurt his arm and had to be removed.

After an exchange of punts, Garfield got the ball on its own 20 and went all the way, using up almost 10 minutes to run off 15 plays. A 25-yard pass from Sterling Shepherd to Don Olenick and a nine-yard toss from Joe Amedio to Shepherd figured prominently in the drive. The latter pass brought a first down on the one-yard line and Al Mobley in two plays bucked it over for the score.

The Tigers blocked Washknock’s attempted kick for the extra point and Garfield led 6-0.
* * *
FLOYD was downed with the following kickoff on his own seven and the teams took turns fumbling the ball. The Tigers after Dave Canary covered a Garfield fumble on the Massillon 25, drove all the way to the Farfield 13 where on first down Ron Boekel fumbled and Garfield covered.

The orange and black made one more threat, a pass, Crescenze to Floyd putting the ball on the 10-yard line with first down coming up when the half ended.

Garfield received to start the third period but Stavroff intercepted Chris’ pass and was downed on the Massillon 45. Floyd raced 23 yards to the Akron 32. Yoder lost four yards on a fumble, but Crescenze shot the ball to Robert Williams for 30 yards and a first down on the six. Floyd lost no time going over for the T.D. that tied the score and Morrow put the locals in the lead.

Garfield took seven plays to make two first downs, but couldn’t make another in four downs and the Tigers took over on their 25 with a couple of minutes left in the period. By the time the quarter ended they were down to the Garfield 17, thanks to a 17-yard run by Crescenze and a 14-yard pass to Yoder.

On the second play of the final period, Boekel went 13 yards around his left end to score and Morrow’s extra point made it 14-6.

But Garfield wasn’t at all upset about it.

The visitors got the kickoff on their 28 and clicked off four first downs as they went the distance. The Tigers had them stopped on the Garfield 41, but the Presidents’ punter was roughed and Garfield was favored with a 15-yard penalty which brought a first down on the Massillon 44.

A 32-yard pass, Sehpherd to Amedio, did the damage, giving Garfield a first down on Massillon’s 12. Chris moved it three yards nearer the goal and on third down tossed to Olenick for the touchdown Washknock booted the extra point and it was 14-13.

The visitors John Taylor got off a short kick that Bob Williams ambled back with to the Akron 41. Boekel moved it up a yard and Floyd shot around his right end, setting up some fine blocking ahead to go 58 yards for the final score. Again Morrow kicked the extra point.

The play of Olenick and Dick White, Garfield ends, and that of Chris and Mobley were highlights of the visiting team.

Crescenze’s passing and Floyd’s running stood out for the Tigers offensively.

The line-up and summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS – Lorch, R. Williams, Canary, Houston, Hagle, Francisco.
TACKLES – B. Williams, Hill, Schumacher, Moore.
GUARDS – R. Maier, Holloway, Morrow.
CENTER – Rohrbaugh.
QUARTERBACKS – Crescenze, James, Speck.
HALFBACKS – Floyd, Fromholtz, Yoder, Stephens, Stavroff.
FULLBACKS – Boekel, Cocklin.

AKRON GARFIELD
ENDS – Olenick, White, Winters, Bell.
TACKLES – Fink, Compton, Parker, Genda.
GUARDS – Washknock, Aulina, R. Parks. W. Parks.
CENTERS – Vegh, Cox.
QUARTERBACK – Chris.
HALFBACKS – Amedia, Shepherd, Stephens, Taylor, Cianciola.
FULLBACK – Mobley.

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 0 7 14 21
Garfield 0 6 0 7 13

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Floyd 2; Boekel.
Garfield – Mobley; Olenick.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Morrow 3 (placekicks).
Garfield – Washknock (placekick).

Officials
Referee – Titus Lobach.
Umpire – Paul Tobin.
Head Linesman – Mack Shaffer.
Field Judge – Dave Klocker.

STATISTICS
Mass Garf.
First downs 16 15
Passes attempted 8 11
Passes completed 6 6
Had passes intercepted 0 2
Yards gained passing 120 114
Yards gained rushing 241 125
Total yards gained 361 239
Yards lost 5 26
Net yards gained 355 213
Times punted 1 2
Average punt (yards) 26 18
Yards punts returned by 0 0
Times kicked off 4 3
Average kickoff (yards) 53 31
Net kickoff returns by 4 52
Times fumbled 5 6
Lost ball on fumble 3 1
Times penalized 4 5
Yards penalized 40 25

Homer Floyd
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1953: Massillon 39, Akron Garfield 0

Tigers Defeat Akron Garfield 39-0
Crowd of 10,370 Sees Massillon Gridders Get Off To Winning Start

By LUTHER EMERY

A sick, Washington high school football team slapped down Akron Garfield 39-0 before 10,370 fans in Tiger stadium Friday evening to begin defense of the state championship crown it has worn the last five yards.

With half the squad suffering from the stomach-ache, the Tiger gridders made many mistakes, but once they become better coordinated, they will be a tough customer for anyone to handle.

Fortunately their opponent last night was Garfield, a good and willing football team, but not as experienced and as sturdy as some of the future foes on the orange and black’s schedule.

“I don’t know what it was,” Coach Chuck Mather, said after the game. “Maybe it was just nervous stomachs from the first night performance.”

Whatever the reason, about half of the team complained throughout the game of aching and sick stomachs. That was one reason why Mather moved several players in an out of the contest so many times. All told, he used 32 players.
* * *
THE SCORE was below the advance prediction of most fans. A stubborn Garfield team that battled right up to the end was one of the reasons for it being so. Also holding down the total were 100 yards in penalties and the loss of the ball three times on fumbles.

“We will look a lot better when we get more coordinated,” Mather said after the game. “We need to improve our downfield blocking. We could have had a couple more touchdowns with better blocking.” The Tiger coach singled out Halfback John Francisco for special praise for his hard running.

The Tigers scored in every period, getting two touchdowns in each of the second and fourth quarters. Garfield threatened but once, completing a pass to within two yards of the Tiger goal only to have the ball called back on a penalty.

Mather’s reference to lack of coordination shows up better in the yards gained column than on the scoreboard.
* * *
THE TIGERS gained 499 yards, 108 through passing. That kind of offense usually produces more than six touchdowns, especially when there’s a cheap one in the group.

However, penalties and fumbles at the wrong time helped to nip touchdown bids.

Because of the penalties and the great amount of substitutions, the game was slow from a spectators’ standpoint, and large portions of the crowd began to leave early in the fourth quarter, knowing the Tigers had the game in the bag. As a result they missed a couple of the best runs of the game.

Though Mather complained of his blocking, some good ones were thrown during the course of the evening. Johnny Traylor tossed a beauty once for Francisco and we saw Ronnie Dean take two men out of a play on one occasion.

The Tigers completed five of 12 passes and the percentage would have been higher had the receivers done a better job of holding the ball. Three were dropped, that should have been caught – all deep in enemy territory.

Not a Massillon pass was intercepted, while Garfield had three taken away by Tiger secondary men. The visitors threw 11 and completed two for 11 yards.
* * *
THE MASSILLON defense on the whole was good enough. Not only was the pass defense operating well, but the line playing against a single wing offense with which it was not too familiar, held the visitors to a total of 80 yards gained and threw them for 54 yards in losses, leaving them a net gain on the ground of only 25 yards.

Top scorer of the evening was Traylor with three touchdowns. Aside from throwing some good blocks he also punted well, getting off one 48-yard beauty that rolled dead on the
two-yard line.

Hardest runner was Francisco who squirmed his way for a lot of fine gains. His first effort and incidentally it was the Tigers’ initial play from scrimmage was a 66-yard sprint to the three-yard line where he stumbled and fell in the open after being knocked off balance.

Traylor had set him free around the 20 with a beautiful block.

Traylor in two plays went over for the score, the first of the game.

That was all for the quarter that ended 6-0.

The second period was almost two-thirds gone before the locals scored again. It was a cheap one.

Willie Longshore gained position for the points when he covered a Garfield fumble on the one yard line.
* * *
FRANCISCO went over on the first play but the ball was called back and the Tigers penalized five yards for being in motion. Crescenze was tossed on the nine for a three-yard loss, but he hit Boone with a pass in the corner for the score. Boone missed the uprights on the extra point attempt.

The next points came quickly as Billy Stoner returned an Akron punt to his 41. In two plays the Tigers were over, Homer Floyd touring right end to the 19 and Traylor coming around the left for the T.D. Another missed kick and the score stood at 18-0 at the half.

Massillon received to open the third period and never gave up the ball until it was over the Akron goal. Starting from the 35, Traylor went around left end for 20. Francisco whirled for five but a 15-yard penalty for clipping shoved the leather back over the midfield stripe. Traylor made up for it on the next play by tearing to the 32, and Crescenze went around end to the 10. Francisco took the ball over in two plays and Boone kicked the extra point to make the score 25-0. That’s where it stood until the fourth quarter, when Boone intercepted a Garfield pass and scampered back to his 27. A couple of well executed passes, one to Traylor and another to Floyd took the ball into Akron territory.

Next paragraph unreadable
* * *
THE LAST T.D. came with 50 seconds to play. The locals had backed Garfield to its own
six–yard line and the punt out was none too good, going only to the 28. Dick Fromholtz made six yards on a reverse and Francisco on a quickie raced to the two-yard line. The honor of going over was given to Floyd and he barely made it in a plunge at the middle, Boone kicked this one too and the game was over two plays later with Andy Stavroff intercepting an Akron pass and running all the way to the 13 before being tackled.

While the Tigers’ play still has many shortcomings, one obvious weakness was in the kickoff. The ball was short on most occasions which results in a gift of from 15 to 30 yards to the opponent. Garfield brought one kickoff back to its 49, another to the 44, others to the 38, the 35 and 36. The only two good kickoffs were stopped on the 24 and the 16.

Garfield’s offense was centered largely in a speedy halfback, Richard Gibson, who gained most of the visitors’ yards.

MASSILLON
ENDS – Lentz, Letcavits, Lopez, Boone, Canary, Lorch.
TACKLES – Schram, Dean, Williams, Woolley, Hill.
GUARDS – Agnes, Eaglowski, Shilling, Gardner, K. Kisher, Holloway, Maier.
CENTERS – T. Fisher, Grant.
QUARTERBACKS – Crescenze, Porter.
HALFBACKS – Traylor, Francisco, Fromholtz, Stone, Longshore, Duke.
FULLBACKS – Floyd, Archibald, Stavroff, Boekel.

GARFIELD
ENDS – Olenick, Williams, Parks, Bolender.
TACKLES – Vance, Fink, Compton, Bridges.
GUARDS – Cox, Williamson, Zoval.
CENTER – Kirk.
QUARTERBACKS – Quintrell, Brittson.
HALFBACKS – Gibson, Marts, Miller, Amedeo.
FULLBACKS – Tunstall, Mobley.

Score by periods:
MASSILLON 6 12 7 14 39

Touchdowns: – Traylor 3, Francisco, Boone, Floyd.

Points after touchdown: – Boone 3 (placekicks).

Officials
Referee – Rupp.
Umpire – Klocker.
Head Linesman – McPhee.
Field Judge – Don Hamilton, Jr.

STATISTICS
Mass. Garfield
First downs 15 6
Passes attempted 12 11
Passes completed 5 2
Had Passes intercepted 0 3
Yards gained passing 108 32
Yards gained rushing 391 80
Total yards gained 499 112
Yards Lost 11 54
Net yards gained 488 58
Times punted 2 8
Average punt (yards) 44 27
Times kicked off 7 1
Average kickoff (yards) 40 45
Times fumbled 5 5
Lost ball on fumbles 3 1
Times penalized 12 7
Yards penalized 100 55

Jim Lectavits
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1926: Massillon 46, Akron Garfield 0

BILL PRICE STARS AS WASHINGTON HIGH SWAMPS GARFIELD
ATKINSON’S CREW SMOTHERS RUBBER CITY RIVAL 46 – 0

A SILVER lining shines through the cloud of gloom that for several weeks has hung over Washington high school with the defeat of Akron Garfield Saturday in Akron 46 to 0. It was only three weeks ago that Akron East sent a veteran team to Massillon to face eleven green youths who trotted out on the gridiron to tangle with their experienced and heavier opponents. It was a gloomy and dreary day for the few hundred high school students and a thousand or more loyal city supporters when they filed quietly through the gates from the field upon which their favorite team had gone down in defeat in its opening tussle.

Truly, predictions had come true. The orange and black had been defeated and a disastrous season was looked forward to. With everything to gain and nothing to lose, the youthful Tigers went into their second tussle, Erie Academy being their opponent. Many unfavorable remarks had been flung at the young gridders, before that game. Then the unexpected happened. The high school lads, with all the viciousness of their mascot, a Bengal Tiger, mauled and completely whipped Erie, scoring a 26 to 0 victory. A silver lining began to edge the cloud of gloom, but still remarks that Erie wasn’t powerful were heard.

Saturday afternoon, the Tiger stalked on Seiberling field, Akron, and at the end of 44 minutes of play, the cloud itself was gone; and no silver lining was necessary to bring a ray of hope to the several hundred Massillon fans who followed the team. After the 46 to 0 victory, they knew that Washington high school had one of the best teams in its history which, without an unexpected upset, should go through the remainder of the season undefeated.

Mother Nature herself seemed to take the condition of the Massillon team to heart much the same as local fans. Her sky and smiling sun were clouded over on the opening day and the rain fell as tears on the field. But the sun made things a little merrier for the second game, as the clouds would clear away for short intervals, giving Old Sol an opportunity to shine forth its encouragement. But Saturday afternoon there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. All were as certain of Massillon winning as they were of clear weather and the sun shone brightly on the gridirons as Akron Garfield was being tucked away for its afternoon nap.
BILL PRICE STARS
The game Saturday, because of the lopsided score, wasn’t as interesting as it might have been. Were it not for a few sensational runs by Capt. “Bill” Price, and a couple of fancy plays, called more for the interest of the fans than for the good they would do in the game, there would have been little of interest to the football fan with the big exception of seeing the local team triumph.

The Massillon football world has been wondering just what kind of a backfield man this Price person would make; always before he has played a position on the line, having performed credibly at end and center. However, having recovered from a broken collarbone, he was sent to a halfback berth at the start of the game. As Captain William was making his first touchdown on a sensational dash of 30 yards around right end, one could have knocked the eyes of the fans off with ball bats as they stood in amazement. That Price will be one of the big mainstays in the orange and black’s offense for the remainder of the season can easily be seen for “Bill” played little more than a full quarter during the entire game and crossed the goal line three times. He gained practically every time he carried the ball and ripped yard after yard through the Akron team.

All of Coach Atkinson’s men played good football and nearly every member of the squad was given an opportunity to display his talent during the game. Following the first quarter, a continual steam of substitutes was poured into the Massillon ranks and the unknowing fan wondered where they all came from. Naturally Garfield can be thankful to Atkinson for this, for it kept the score from being doubled, but while the young members were not piling up points, they were gathering much knowledge and football experience for next season when a part of them will hold down regular berths on the team. And a few glances at this wealth of good looking reserve material puts the Massillon fan in an optimistic mood. What a whale of a team Atkinson should have next season.

While the regulars were in, it was only a question of how many points the Massillon steam roller would pile up. Laughlin, Smith, Foster and McConnell were continually thrusting at the line and running the ends for long gains, while the line was a veritable stone wall to the Akron gridders. Akron couldn’t gain any way at all and only twice during the entire fracas was play in the orange and black’s territory, a fumble being responsible for Garfield’s only chance to score, when it attempted to place kick during the fourth quarter which was blocked by a Massillon lineman.
PLAY STRAIGHT FOOTBALL
As for the local gridders straight football was resorted to. The deadly passing attack which swept Erie completely off its feet was not tried. Only once did the orange and black throw a pass and it was completed, being good for four yards.

Passes were not necessary for the local team’s offense. A running attack gained the necessary ground and although the aerial game might have added interest to the contest, it would only have given Akron South scouts, who were undoubtedly watching the contest, a chance to gather information on the plays and plan a defense to combat it. Akron South is the next opponent of the orange and black.

It took only a few minutes for the Massillon machine to get into motion and begin scoring points.
SCORE EARLY
The local team received, Ott getting the ball and carrying it back to the Massillon 40-yard line. Then the drive started. Laughlin on the first play stopped away for 12 yards and a first down. McConnell plunged for nine more and Laughlin then lashed through center for another three. Price added three on a sweeping end run and Smith made four around left end. With the ball on the 22-yard line, Laughlin scampered through the Akron team and placed the pigskin over the goal line. McConnell drop kicked for the extra point.

Akron showed its best offensive strength a moment later, making two consecutive first downs, one coming as a result of a penalty inflicted on the youthful Tigers. The belated rally, however, was cut short when Laughlin intercepted a pass on the Akron 35-yard line and carried the ball back to the 12-yard zone before being tackled. Price hit for five yards and Laughlin made a first down by inches. McConnell then carried the pigskin across. His attempted drop kick was blocked.

Toward the close of the first period, Price grabbed a punt in midfield and raced back to the 30-yard line where he was tackled. On the very next play he dashed around right end for his first set of markers. This time McConnell’s toe functioned and he kicked goal. The quarter ended with the score 20 to 0 in favor of the South Mill street gridders.

A few minutes after the second period opened. Popeko punted to the Massillon 30-yard line, Massillon fumbling but recovering. Price made three yards and Smith a yard. McConnell made seven on two attempts bringing a first down. Drives by Price and Briggs, who had substituted for Laughlin, brought six yards, and Price then stepped away in a well covered trick formation for 45 yards and a touchdown. It was a neat play the orange and black pulled and so well did it work that all but one of Garfield’s secondary defense was drawn away by the other Massillon backs who faked carrying the ball. McConnell missed his drop kick.

McConnell kicked over the goal line and Akron was given the ball on its 20-yard line. Four plays netted but nine yards and the orange and black received the ball on downs on the
29-yard line. Briggs hit for four yards and Foster, who replaced Price knifed through left tackle for seven more and a first down. McConnell then carried the ball to the five-yard line for a first down. Foster cut the distance to three yards, but Smith lost a yard on the next play. McConnell then carried the ball to within a foot of the goal line and on the next play plunged it over. McConnell drop kicked for the extra point bringing the local team’s total to 33 points.

A brilliant run of 35 yards by Briggs, who intercepted a pass from Popeko, Akron back, paved the way for the final points of the first half with McConnell drop kicking for the extra point.
SECOND HALF TAME
The only points scored in the second half were rolled up early in the last period after a march of 60 yards up the field. Bast received a punt on the Massillon 38-yard line and returned to the local’s 40. Schnerlie gained two yards on two plunges and the quarter ended with the ball on the locals’ 42-yard line. Here Atkinson shot in part of his regulars and Garfield was mowed down. Wagner ripped off two yards and Laughlin made 10 on the next play. Price made five yards around right end and McConnell added six more. Wagner failed to gain. Laughlin added two yards and Price carried the ball 19 yards to the 17-yard line. Laughlin struck for four and Wagner made three yards. McConnell hit center for two yards and Laughlin then went through right tackle for five more placing the ball on the three-yard line with four chances to put it over. On the next play, Price hit through right guard and rolled over the goal. McConnell failed in his attempt to dropkick for the extra point. During the remainder of the game, play was mostly in the center of the field, neither team getting into a position to score.

Garfield’s only opportunity to score came near the middle of the fourth quarter, when a member of the team covered a fumble on the orange and black’s 15-yard line. Three times the Akron gridders drove into the line, but on each occasion were repulsed without a gain. On the fourth down, an attempted place kick was blocked, Massillon recovering and starting a march that ended in midfield.

Akron , as expected was about as weak a team as the orange and black will face this year. It succeeded in making seven first downs as compared with 22 rolled up by the local gridders.

The Akronites attempted eight passes and completed two, one counting for four yards and the other for six yards; four were incomplete and two intercepted. Only a single pass was tried by the local team and that was good for four yards.

One of the outstanding features of the entire melee was the clean playing of both teams. Only two penalties were inflicted on the two teams. Massillon was penalized 15 yards at one time for holding, while Akron was penalized on one occasion for over use of the forward pass.
Boy, Page South
Massillon – 46 Pos. Akron – 0
Gump LE Denison
Ott LT Ripley
Spencer LG Nichols
Benson C Bland
D. Smith RG Franklin
French RT Fedor
Ressler RE Kroah
McConnell QB Moyer
Laughlin LHB Orthel
Price RHB Oakley
C. Smith FB Popeko

Score by quarters:
Massillon 20 20 0 6 46

Substitutions:
Massillon – Briggs for Laughlin, Foster for Price, Buttermore for Benson, Henderson for Ott, Easterday for Spencer, Mauger for D. Smith, Strough for French, Mathews for Ressler, Bast for McConnell. Grant for Briggs, Bickel for Foster, Schnerlie for C. Smith, Price for Schnerlie, Laughlin for C. Smith,McConnell for Bast, Wagner for Bickel, Briggs for Price, Foster for Laughlin, Hax for McConnell, Smith for Wagner, Fox for Gump, Fisher for Mauger.

Akron – Burk for Franklin, Croix for Nichols, M. Oriehl for Denison, Sloakes for Oakley, Franklin for Burk, Ripley for Franklin.

Touchdowns – Laughlin, McConnell 2, Price 3, Briggs.

Point after touchdown – McConnell 4, (dropkick).

Referee – Koester.
Umpire – Lovell.
Head Linesman – Smith.

Time of quarters – 12 and 10 minutes.

Bill Price