Inspired Mansfield Team Upsets Tiger Gridders 16-12 Massillon’s String Of Victories Snapped At 10 Consecutive Games
By LUTHER EMERY
Augie Morningstar was the toast of Mansfield today and rightfully so, for his Mansfield Tygers scored their first victory in 14 years over the Washington high Tigers here Friday evening before a nose counted crowd of 19,773 spectators.
The defeat dashed Massillon’s hopes for an undefeated season, left the state championship up in the air for a wide open scramble, and snapped the local team’s own victory streak at 10 consecutive games.
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It does not mean the Tigers are completely out of the championship race. All of the state’s major teams with the exception of Canton McKinley have suffered one setback, and most teams still have four games yet to play.
It does mean that the Massillon gridders to attain any recognition whatsoever, must dig in as they did after their only loss last year to Alliance and clean up on the rest of the slate.
“It does you good to lose once in a while,” said Massillon Coach Chuck Mather after the game, though the look of disappointment on his face told that he wanted to win it the worst kind of way. “Losing makes you appreciate winning, all the more. We will start all over again,” he said.
The Tiger coach had nothing but praise for Morningstar’s Tygers and said they rewarded their fans for the support and spirit accorded them the past week.
That spirit was reflected in the general play of the visiting team, which beat the Tiger line to the charge a greater part of the evening and who did most everything right.
The play of the local eleven was considerably different. It lost the ball three times on fumbles, one placing Mansfield in position for its first touchdown and the other two coming in the clutch in the fourth quarter with Mansfield ahead and only minutes left in play. A 15-yard penalty for clipping when Mansfield was trailing 12-7 which set the locals back to Mansfield’s eight didn’t help matters either.
In fact, this particular play was the turning point of the game, for the next time the visitors got the ball they drove and passed their way to the game winning touchdown.
On the other hand, Mansfield had a good chance to go ahead in the third quarter when a Tyger secondary man dropped a Massillon pass with a clear field ahead of him. The ball was in his hands and he had nothing to do but run but he failed to hang on to it. * * * MANSFIELD scored the first points of the game early in the first quarter, when A.C. Jenkins, power running fullback, bulled his way through for the last yard on a 26-yard march that began when Walter Maurer covered Clarence Johnson’s fumble.
The Tigers took the following kickoff, were well on their way to six points when the period ended and got them on the first play of the second quarter when Ace Crable circled his right end for the last 12 yards on a pitch-out. It was a drive of 65 yards.
The locals scored the next time they got the ball too, when Mansfield fumbled in midfield while attempting to punt on fourth down. It took only three plays to go the 50 yards, Crable reeling off 15, Johnson 26 and Jacobs the last nine. Both of Jerry Krisher’s attempted placekicks went wide of the uprights while Mansfield made good on both of its extra points.
Leading by 12-7, at half-time, there were few in the stands but who thought Mansfield would win the game if it could score the next touchdown. It did. * * * THE TIGERS made two bids to score before Mansfield struck. Immediately after the kickoff the locals drove to what would have been a first down on the 16-yard line, but a 15-yard penalty for clipping spoiled the effort and they eventually surrendered the ball on the 19. Their next bid took them to the eight but a clipping penalty nullified the gain and put them clear back on their own 31 from which they were forced to punt.
Mansfield saw it was time to strike and strike it did. Getting the ball on their own 37, the visitors opened the fourth period with a devastating passing attack. Don Cline hurled the ball to Jack Bargahiser for 23 yards and a first on the Tiger 40. Esker Jordon gained three and Cline flipped another to Ed Demyan for a first down on the Tiger 22. Tucker made seven yards on two tries and on third down, Cline found his mark in Bargahiser behind the Tiger goal and hit him for six points.
The Tigers took the kickoff and although Crable was stopped without a return, he almost got away on a left end sweep the next play and ran to his 47 before being downed. Mansfield braced and held for downs, however. So did the Tigers and with time fleeting they gained the ball in midfield. Jacobs fumbled on the first play and the alert Maurer pounced on the ball to regain it for Mansfield. Again the Tigers held but when Mansfield punted, Crable fumbled the ball as he attempted to pick it up with the hope of getting away and Demyan covered on the Tiger 14-yard line.
The game was all but over then. Mansfield played it smart, taking as much time as possible on each play while the seconds were ticked away. The Tigers eventually gained the ball on downs on their own seven, but when Don James dropped back behind his goal to hurl one desperate pass, he couldn’t find a receiver and when he tried to run, was swarmed over by Mansfield players and downed behind his goal for a safety and two points.
The Tigers booted the following free kick only four yards with the hope of recovering but Mansfield took over and the gamed ended two plays later. * * * THEREIN you have the touchdown plays which led to the Tigers’ first loss of the season and Mansfield’s first victory in 14 years of competition with Massillon teams. The locals have won 10, and three games have ended in tie scores.
It was the third time since 1937 that Mansfield has played the role of spoiler to end Tiger victory streaks, and on two previous occasions, just as last night, came into the game as the underdog.
Russell Murphy’s 1937 team gained a 6-6 tie to end an undefeated string of 21 in a row when Paul Brown was coach here. The 1941 team coached by Paul Snyder put a kink in a chain of 38 straight victories with a 6-6 tie against a team coached by Bud Houghton. Mansfield muffed opportunities by missing the points after touchdown. Last night it did not miss. * * * THE TIGERS kept Tucker, Ohio’s fastest high school back pretty well bottled up, but had trouble stopping Jenkins and Jordon who swept through center on a fake lateral that looked much like one introduced by the Forty-Niners in the All-American conference two years ago.
Inability to stop Cline’s passing in the fourth quarter, however, led to the locals’ downfall. Second guessing the Tigers’ offense, it appears that after scoring their second touchdown in the second period they would have done better to have continued carrying the ball instead of tossing passes for they had Mansfield on the run at this stage of the game.
The game was a hard fought contest with players of both teams showing the effects of the contest. Morningstar feared his star guard Tom Weaver may have sustained a fractured hand.
Jacobs, Jim Reichenbach and Crable were shaken up considerably, as was Ronald Patt. Crable, a marked man, played a whale of a game under these conditions. Injuries hampered Jacobs throughout the last half and Reichenbach got in for only a few plays because of an injured leg.
Statistically the teams were about even.
First downs were the same, each, but the Tigers had an edge in net yards gained, 239 to Mansfield’s 197. But they still pay off on points.
Tigers And Bulldogs Battle To Scoreless Draw In Mud
Morningstar’s Warriors Hold Edge In Statistics, Twice Threaten To Score
By FRED J. BECKER
Last Friday was a swell day – lots of sunshine and a balmy temperature that made you want to be outdoors. Sunday was another fine day – bright sunshine and enough snap in the air to make it just right for a football game. But Saturday was a lousy day – positively lousy. And of course that had to be the day the Washington high school Tigers and the Canton McKinley Bulldogs got together at Fawcett stadium, Canton, to stage their annual football rumpus – the 50th meeting between the two schools since 1894.
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And who won! Why the weatherman with his showers and overcast skies and the ankle deep mud that covered most of the Fawcett stadium gridiron. As far as the Tigers and the Bulldogs were concerned the weatherman’s soaking showers that turned the gridiron, shy of grass between the 25 yard lines, into a sea of mud and water put quite a check on their best offensive efforts with the result that neither team was able to score and this 50th meeting between Stark county’s traditional scholastic football enemies ended in a scoreless draw. Five Victories and Five Ties For the Tigers that 0 to 0 encounter with the Bulldogs gave them a unique record for the 1945 campaign – five victories against five ties – but it wrote into Massillon’s football history the chapter of another undefeated season for the orange and black. For the Bulldogs it was their second tie in 10 games with seven victories and a lone defeat at the hands of Warren Harding.
Despite the rain, which turned the gridiron into a mass of slippery mud and water this annual encounter between the Tigers and Bulldogs was fought with all the intense rivalry that has marked past battles and a capacity crowd of more than 22,000 partisan spectators braved a drizzling rain and murky atmosphere to be on hand for what has become one of the country’s outstanding schoolboy football games. Typical Tiger – Bulldog Battle Although the lads out their on the field, were put at a disadvantage by the elements and poor condition of the gridiron it did not keep them from battling their hearts out in true Massillon-Canton fashion. Soaking wet and covered from head to foot with a generous coating of mud after the first few plays the Tigers and Bulldogs battled it out in 48 minutes of intense warfare and then trudged off the field tired and dirty but with honors even as far as the score was concerned.
It was too bad the game could not have been played in good weather and on a firm, fast gridiron. A much different and much more spectacular encounter might have resulted for both the Tigers and Bulldogs were primed for Saturday’s melee and despite the handicaps they faced they still put on tap a performance that will rank with other Massillon-Canton McKinley football scraps for hard, determined fighting.
Faced with treacherous footing and a ball that was as slippery as an eel, neither team took many chances with tricky plays or forward passes. Straight football predominated throughout, both teams resorting to this type of warfare to guard against fumbles which would give their opponents a break and a scoring chance.
Although the game ended in a scoreless draw and supporters of the Tigers and Bulldogs must be content this year with a division of the spoils, there are still many who believe that on a hard, dry field the Tigers might have proved themselves superior to their old rivals. Even in the mud and water the Tigers impressed their followers by their hard driving offense and their stonewall defense which very effectively bottled up a much heavier and more powerful Canton McKinley outfit.
The game ended in a tie but the statistics once again favor the Tigers as they did in all their four other ties with the exception of that 6-6 encounter with Cleveland Cathedral Latin. Statistics Favor Tigers Statistics, however, do not win ball games but it is satisfying to know that the Tigers outplayed the Bulldogs last Saturday afternoon even though neither team scored.
In first downs the Tigers had a 10 to 7 advantage over the east enders.
In yards gained the Tigers also held a decided edge. Coach Augie Morningstar’s fighting youngsters had a gross yardage of 200 with a loss of 16 for a net of 184 while the Bulldogs had a gross of 143 with a loss of 20 for a net of 123.
Neither team took many chances with the forward pass. Massillon tried three and completed one for 12 yards. Canton completed one for four yards. Fumbles were at a minimum in despite the slippery going. The Tigers fumbled twice and both times lost the ball. McKinley also fumbled twice but recovered each time.
The Tigers dominated play in the first half and twice drove inside McKinley’s 15-yard line but each time the Bulldogs stiffened and checked the Massillon scoring threat. The Bulldogs held the upper hand throughout a large part of the second half but they made only one serious bid to score, that coming in the fourth quarter but the Tigers were equal to the occasion and took the ball away from the red and black on downs on the Massillon 19. The Bulldogs might have become tough to handle in the third period when they completed a long forward pass that took the ball to the Tiger 20 but the play was called back and the gain wiped out because McKinley’s backfield was in motion. 16 Tigers See Action Sixteen Tigers got a chance to soak up some of the mud and water that covered the gridiron while Canton McKinley made but two substitutions, Pete Spera at an end and Bob Jordan at a guard.
Alex Giloff started the game at right halfback for the Tigers but was hurt in the first period and replaced by Don McGuire. Steve Tomasevich and Tommy Brooks alternated at right guard. Jim Young went in at right tackle late in the game when Merle Darrah was hurt and Gene Krisher moved over to center. Jim Bishop replaced Captain Fred Bonk at right end with less than two minutes of play remaining. Dan Byelene was in the game a short time, replacing Webb for a few minutes.
Although the Bulldogs had two work horses in their backfield – Duane Fondren at left halfback and Ralph Pucci at fullback – who gave the Tigers plenty of trouble throughout the afternoon, the orange and black defense as a whole was magnificent throughout the entire game.
Fondren and Pucci ran and plunged their way for most of Canton’s yardage but they were slapped around plenty by the Tigers who gave another outstanding exhibition of brilliant defensive play and hard, accurate tackling.
Offensively the running of Bert Webb high lighted the Tigers’ bid to score. Although he had been in the hospital most of last week with a severe cold, Webb was by far the fastest man on the field Saturday and despite the sticky mud he ran the legs off the Bulldogs in addition to playing a stellar defensive game in the Massillon secondary. His speed several times enabled him to nail Canton ball toters who managed to smash their way through the line and seemed headed for plenty of yardage until Webb caught up with them and dumped them into the mud.
Sharing offensive honors with Webb were McGuire and Gene Zorger, both of whom hammered their way through the Canton line for many gains. Each of them broke loose for at least one long gain and they might have turned the tide of battle had they been on firmer footing.
The Tigers had plenty of fine blocking and interference for ball carriers Saturday with Virgil Edie doing a lot of fine blocking. Giloff also cut down his share of Cantonians while he was in the game.
The entire Tiger line from end to end played its usual stellar game. True the boys were so smeared with mud it was difficult to recognize them but this did not keep them from doing a good job of smearing the heavier and bigger Bulldogs. Tiger Line Shines Captain Fred Bonk, playing his last game for the Tigers, and Jack Zeller, starting his first game since he broke a toe three weeks ago, were in the ball game every minute, playing their usual steady and highly efficient game. Bernie Green, another senior, and Gene Krisher, sturdy junior, had a lot to do with stopping the bullet rushes of Pucci and Fondren while Tony Uliveto, a junior, played the entire game at left guard and turned in a fine afternoon’s work. Steve Tomasevich, a senior, and Tommy Brooks, a junior, handled the right guard berth in good shape and Merle Darrah, another junior, played his usual brilliant game at center until forced to the sideline late in the struggle with an injured leg.
Jim Young, a junior, who went to right tackle when Krisher took over Darrah’s duties at center, also got his share of tackles. In the backfield the game was the last for Webb, McGuire and Edie.
Fondren and Pucci were Canton’s outstanding ground gainers while Bill Messenheimer at left end, Bob Cobbet at left tackle and Clarence Snyder at right guard played fine defensive games.
With Saturday’s game a tie, the fourth played between the two old foes in 51 yards, the series stands at 24 victories for McKinley and 22 for Massillon. Saturday’s scoreless draw was the first played since 1926. Other ties occurred in 1913 when they battled to a 13-13 deadlock and in 1907 when the game also ended in a scoreless deadlock.
The Tigers made the first of their two bids to score early in the first quarter when after receiving the kickoff they reeled off four first downs in succession and drove to Canton’s 13 before being halted.
Zorger took Bob Lilly’s kickoff and raced it back to the Massillon 41. On a weak side reverse Webb picked up seven yards around left end before being run out on Massillon’s 48. Zorger then crashed through the line to Canton’s 48 for a first down. Webb came right back and skirted his right end for 11 and another first down. Meacham nailed Giloff without gain at left end but Zorger picked up three through the line and then Webb broke through left tackle and scampered to the Canton 27 for another first down. He picked up another two yards through the same spot and then Giloff reeled through left tackle and smashed to Canton’s 14 before being downed. This gave the Tigers their fourth first down in a row. Bulldogs Held On 13 But here this Bulldog defense stiffened. Webb was thrown for a three-yard loss on another attempted weak side reverse and Giloff was stopped without gain but Zorger smashed through for give to get up to the 13 before being downed. With fourth down coming up and eight to go Webb was smeared for a five yard loss and the Bulldogs took over on their 17.
With Fondren and Pucci lugging the ball the Bulldogs smashed right up the field for a pair of first downs before the Tigers succeeded in checking them and Fondren punted.
The Tigers made little progress but Webb put the Bulldogs in a hole from which they never emerged during the remainder of the first half by getting off a quick kick for 56 yards to the McKinley nine yard line.
Fondren then gave the Bulldog fans something to cheer about when he clipped off a 20 yard gain before being nailed by Webb.
The Tigers braced and Fondren got off a poor punt that only went 13 yards before going out of bounds on the 50. Webb ripped off a five yard gain before the quarter ended and Zorger put the Tigers into scoring territory on the first play in the second quarter by streaking through right tackle and racing to the Canton 24 for a gain of 31 yards. It was a beautiful piece of footwork in the mud. McGuire and Webb picked up nine yards in three smashes but on the fourth down Webb was inches short of the required yardage and Canton once again stopped the Tiger scoring threat, taking over on its 14. Neither team threatened after that during the remainder of the quarter.
The Bulldogs, however, stirred things up in a hurry at the start of the third period. They received and drove into Massillon territory. Fondren then heaved a long pass which Meacham caught on the 20 where he was knocked out of bounds. McKinley rooters cheered lustily but their cheers died quickly when the officials called the ball back and slapped a five-yard penalty on the red and black for backs in motion. This forced the Bulldogs to punt.
A short time later they secured another break when Webb fumbled in attempting a double pass behind the line to McGuire and Messenheimer fell on the ball on Massillon’s 28. Bulldogs Stopped Hammering at the Tiger forward wall the Bulldogs picked up nine yards in three plays but on fourth down with one yard to go Tucci tried a quarterback sneak and was promptly buried in the mid by an aroused Tiger line. He gained an inch and the Tigers took the ball on their 19 to wipe out Canton’s most serious bid to score.
Several minutes later Webb carried a Canton punt back to his 32 and Mickey McGuire electrified the Massillon rooters by slamming through the line and racing 21 yards to Canton’s 47 before being tackled. This Massillon uprising, however, was short-lived. Webb fumbled on the next play and Sterling Winn covered for Canton on the Bulldogs 45.
After several punt exchanges the Tigers gained the ball on their 29. With the clock running out McGuire tossed to Zeller for 12 yards to complete one of the three passes attempted by the Tigers during the game. Webb hit the line twice, picking up nine yards and when the final gun sounded the ball was right smack on the 50-yard line in Massillon’s possession with the scoreboard still showing Massillon, 0, McKinley, 0. The Windup Massillon – 0 Pos. Can. McKinley – 0 Zeller LE Messenheimer Green LT Cobbet Uliveto LG Bourquin Darrah C Lilly Tomasevich RG Snyder Krisher RT Winn Bonk RE Stevenson Edie QB Tucci Webb LHB Fondren Giloff RHB Meacham Zorger FB Pucci
Officials: Referee – Reese. Umpire – Lobach. Head Linesman – Shafer. Umpire – Brubaker. 1946 Schedule Sept. 20 Cathedral Latin here. Sept. 27 Canton Lincoln at Canton. Oct. 4 Steubenville Wells here. Oct. 11 Alliance at Alliance. Oct. 18 Mansfield at Mansfield. Oct . 25 Warren Harding here. Nov. 1 Dayton Chaminade here. Nov. 8 Toledo Waite here. Nov. 16 Youngstown East at Youngstown. Nov. 23 Canton McKinley here. 6 Big Home Games For 1946 Tigers Washington high school’s 1946 football schedule, announced this morning by S.E. Ackley, faculty manager of athletics, calls for six home games with four battles on foreign fields. It also provides three new opponents for the orange and black next fall.
Schedule details were completed early today and the 1946 card was arranged through the combined efforts of Faculty Manager Ackley and W.G. (Bud) Houghton, head coach, who will take charge of the Tigers during spring practice after more than three years service in the U.S. Navy.
Coach Houghton returned to the Washington high school teaching staff several weeks ago, following his discharge from service, and since that time he and Ackley have been working together selecting the schools to appear on the 1946 schedule. Once agreements were reached with schools on dates, contracts for the games were negotiated by Ackley.
The six home games, which have been booked for next year will be standout attractions and two of them will be with schools not on this year’s slate. Toledo Waite, which has not been on a Massillon schedule since 1942, will play the Tigers here Friday night, Nov. 8. Waite this year has had an undefeated season and will play Canton Lincoln’s Lions at Canton Dec. 1 in a post season game.
Dayton Chaminade, which this fall became one of southwestern Ohio’s outstanding scholastic powerhouses, also has been scheduled for 1946, coming to Massillon Nov. 1.
Third new school to gain a place on the 1946 slate is Youngstown East and this game will be played at Youngstown, Saturday afternoon, Nov. 16, the week before the annual battle with Canton McKinley which in 1946 will be played here.
It will be the first time in several years that the Tigers have played a daylight encounter prior to the McKinley tussle but Coach Houghton desired at least one daylight encounter for his 1946 Tigers before they stacked up against the Bulldogs. He believes the daylight game will be of great value in preparing the Tigers for their all-important tussle with the east enders.
The 1946 season will start off with a bang on Friday night, Sept. 20, with Cleveland Cathedral Latin as the Tigers opening game opponent. The Tigers and Latin played a 6 to 6 tie in the Cleveland municipal stadium last Nov. 9 with more than 52,000 people in attendance.
Other home games next fall will be with Steubenville, Oct. 4. Warren Harding, Oct. 25, Dayton Chaminade, Nov. 1, Toledo Waite, Nov. 8 and Canton McKinley, Nov. 23. All are Friday night games with the exception of the McKinley clash.
The Tigers will take to the road Sept. 27, meeting Canton Lincoln at Fawcett stadium, Oct. 11 at Alliance, Oct. 18 at Mansfield and Nov. 16 at Youngstown East. All are Friday night games with the exception of the Youngstown East duel. Statistics Mass. McK First downs 10 7 Yards gained rushing 188 139 Passes attempted 3 1 Passes completed 1 1 Yards gained passing 12 4 Gross yardage 200 143 Yards lost 16 20 Net yardage 184 123 Number of kickoffs 1 1 Average distance of kickoffs 48 38 Average return of kickoffs 19 23 Number of punts 7 9 Average distance of punts 28 26 Average return of punts 7.2 6.3 Times fumbled 2 3 Times ball lost on fumbles 2 0 Times penalized 3 6 Yards lost by penalties 15 30
Tigers Romp Over East Tech 26-6, For Fifth Victory Morningstar Uses Flock Of Players As Bengals Play Final Home Game
By FRED J. BECKER
And now, folks, the Bulldogs are next.
Turning loose a lot of potent power on the ground, some effective strafing from the air, along with their usual high class performance on defense, Coach Augie Morningstar’s Washington high school Tigers Friday night kept their 1945 record free of defeats by shellacking a rather formidable Cleveland East Tech aggregation 26 to 6 at Tiger stadium in their final home appearance of the current campaign.
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By turning back the invading Clevelanders, the orange and black comes up to its all-important battle a week from today with Canton McKinley’s Bulldogs still in the unbeaten class with a string of five triumphs against four ties. By conquering East Tech last night, the Tigers notched their fifth 1945 victory, the win coming after they had been held to tie scores in their last two battles, one a scoreless deadlock with Warren and the other a 6-6 shindig with Cleveland Cathedral Lath. Sixth Defeat for East Tech For East Tech the defeat was its sixth of the season with but a single victory to brighten an otherwise dismal fall.
Using at least 25 players, regulars and reserves, and starting off with a lineup that was generously sprinkled with second team performers, Coach Morningstar last night was able to give some of his key regulars a much needed rest which should do them no harm as the Bengals Monday begin their final week of practice in preparation for the clash with Bulldogs. Tigers Romp To Second Period Held scoreless in the first quarter, the Tigers unleashed a devastating ground and air attack in the second period to tally three times and they added their fourth set of counters in the third period. East Teach chalked up its lone marker in the final period on a long aerial that was good for a 50-yard gain and their points.
With off tackle thrusts as their best ground weapon, the Tigers picked up a lot of yardage through a determined Cleveland team that battled hard all the way but was not quite equal to the task of stopping Massillon’s power plays or halting the Tiger aerial attack. Some fine work by the Tiger line, which opened plenty of gaping holes in the East Tech forward wall, and some equally fine blocking and interference paved the way for many nifty gains by Tiger ball toters.
The visitors were rather badly outplayed by Morningstar’s warriors, the Tigers making 16 first downs to four for East Tech. Three of East Tech’s first downs came on forward passes while another brought them their lone touchdown.
The Tigers completed three of seven passes for 51 yards and two of them were good for touchdowns. East Tech took to the air 15 times, completing five for 116 yards. Tech had three intercepted, one interception bringing a Tiger score.
The forward pass was by far the visitors’ best ground gaining weapon as they made but 44 yards on ground plays with a loss of 16. They had an overall yardage of 160 and a net of 144.
How badly they were outclassed is revealed by the Tiger yardage. The Tigers romped to 385 yards on the ground and made 51 through the air for 436. They had a loss of 35, giving them a net of 401, not a bad evening’s work.
The Tiger line, regulars and reserves, played a steady, bang up game until late in the contest when the Massillonians began to miss quite a few tackles. The backfield also performed in a highly efficient manner with regulars and reserves sharing the spotlight when it came to ground gaining. Flock Of Good Ground Gainers Of the regulars Bert Webb and Mickey McGuire did a lot of ground gaining with MdGuire showing as much, if not more, drive than at any time this season. Webb left the game in the second quarter after Massillon had tallied its first touchdown. Gene Zorger, regular fullback, also only played a short time.
Virgil Edie, regular quarterback, played most of the game and put on tap his usual steady performance and broke into the scoring column for the first time when he intercepted a Tech pass and scampered 32 yards for the points.
Sharing ground gaining honors with Webb and McGuire were Alex Giloff, Bill Gutshall and Dan Byelene, all of whom made life quite miserable at times for the Tech forwards.
Gene Krisher, shifted from his regular right tackle berth, played center while Merle Darrah watched most of the game from the bench, getting a much needed rest. Jim Young was in the right tackle slot while Steve Tomasevich and Tom Brooks alternated as right guard. Captain Fred Bonk was at right end with Bob Richards at left end, replacing Jack Zellar, laid up with a broken foot. Bernie Green was at his regular left tackle post while Tony Uliveto and Bob Waltz took care of the left guard chore. Gene Yost and Milan Chovan saw action in the backfield while Schumacher, Ceckler, Dowd and Bishop saw duty on the line.
East Tech, coached by Humphrey Harmony, who starred for Canton McKinley 25 years ago, brought a big, rangy team to Massillon with several outstanding performers. Defensively Lou Strnad at right end played a fine game while John Hrasch, Al Jicha, Dosio Ginnerini and Tee Chapman did some good work in the backfield with Hrasch as their best ground gainer and passer. Three Long Marches Three long, sustained marches gave the Tigers three touchdowns while the fourth came on a pass interception. In their scoring spree the orange and black turned loose marches of 83, 81 and 77 yards for points and were hammering at the touchdown door when the game ended, having the ball on the visitors’ eight-yard line.
But once again an unfortunate offside penalty robbed Coach Morningstar’s charges of an early touchdown and nullified a beautiful 58 yard run by Bert Webb.
Webb took the opening kickoff and was downed on his 35. Giloff and Gutshall hammered the line for six yards and then Webb streaked through a big hole at right tackle, reversed his field and raced 58 yards without a hand being laid on him for what looked like a touchdown.
But the officials were waving their arms frantically down around midfield as Bert was showing a clean pair of heels to the East Teach lads and the ball was called back and a five yard penalty slapped on the Tigers for offside.
That halted their offensive march for the time being and East Tech narrowly missed scoring a touchdown, when Chapman heaved a beautiful long pass to Strnad who dropped the ball on the Massillon goal line.
After getting out of that hole the Tigers buckled down and went to work. Jicha punted to Krisher who was downed on the Massillon 17. Zorger and McGuire cracked through for nine yards in two plays and then Webb found a hole at right tackle and scampered 52 yards to Tech’s 25 before being brought down by Hrasch.
That thrilling dash set the stage for Massillon’s first touchdown. Webb picking up five more in another off tackle thrust just as the first quarter ended. Webb To Bonk For Score On the first play of the second period Webb tossed a neat pass to Edie, good for 10 yards and the Tigers were knocking on the touchdown door. An offside penalty on Tech took the ball to the five but Webb was tossed for a five yard loss on his next attempt. He then caught the visitors flatfooted on the next play, tossing a pass to Bonk who took the ball in the end zone with not a Cleveland lad anywhere near. Webb failed in his attempt to plunge the ball over and the score stood 6-0 Massillon.
It did not stay that way long. East Tech received and Ginnerini was dumped on his 34 by Zorger and Giloff. Bonk then tossed him for a loss of four and the invaders took to the air with disastrous results. Attempting a screen pass, Chapman cut loose a heave and the ball sailed right at Edie, out in the open. The Tiger quarterback tucked the leather under his arm and with a clear field ahead raced 32 yards for Massillon’s second touchdown. Darrah came in at center as Krisher dropped back to try his hand – or rather toe – at place kicking and the hefty Tiger lineman booted it squarely between the posts for the extra point.
Now all steamed up and going places, the Tigers were not long in manufacturing their third set of counters and a beautiful McGuire-Richards pass for 34 yards climaxed a march of 81 yards.
Massillon gained the ball when Chapman punted to MdGuire who was tagged on the Tigers’ 19. With McGuire spearheading the drive by some beautiful plunging and running the Tigers traveled right down the field. Giloff ripped off seven at right tackle and McGuire made it a first down to Massillon’s 34. On the third play in the next series McGuire again went to town for another first down to Massillon’s 46 and came back to hammer his way through the visitors for nine more.
Then Giloff took a hand in the proceedings and flashed his way down the field for 18 to Tech’s 34. McGuire made three at the line and on the next play faded back and heaved a long pass right down the alley to Bob Richards who was far out in front. Bob sailed across the goal line without hesitation and the Tigers had struck pay dirt for the third time in the period. Krisher again tried a place kick but it failed.
That was all the scoring until the start of the third quarter when the Tigers again unleashed another power attack during which they marched 77 yards for their fourth and final touchdown. Again it was McGuire and Giloff who powered the drive with Gutshall lending a hand and Giloff finally going over. Another Touchdown March Tech received but found the task of denting the Tiger forward wall a bit too stiff. Chapman punted and the ball was downed on Massillon’s 23. McGuire smashed for five and then Giloff took off on a spectacular run that was to net 42 yards before he was stopped. Ginnerini finally brought him down on East Tech’s 30.
For a moment the Tiger attack sputtered but a five-yard penalty on East Tech for being offside helped and then McGuire roared through the line to the 15 for a first down. Massillon, however, drew a five yard penalty for backs in motion but Giloff picked it up and more by lugging the leather down to the six on a neat driving play. Then he smashed right through the line and over for Massillon’s fourth set of counters. Krisher tried another place kick but failed, East Tech, however, was offside and he got another chance. This time he rammed through the line to make the extra point.
East Tech’s passing attack looked threatening all night and it finally began to pay off dividends in the fourth period when the visitors, taking a leaf from the Tigers’ book, rambled 66 yards on the ground and through the air for their lone set of counters.
It all began when Byelene punted to Hrasch who was downed by Richards on Tech’s 34. Hrasch flipped a pass to Strnad for 11 but the visitors lost this gain when they were handed a 15-yard penalty for illegal use of hands. But Hrasch came right back to toss an aerial to Champman for 16 yards and then heaved another long one to Al White, substitute end, who took the ball deep in Massillon territory and raced over for the touchdown, gaining all told 50 yards and six points. Chapman’s attempted place kick fizzled.
With Byelene doing some neat dashing through the tackles and Gutshall smashing through the line the Tigers were deep in East Tech territory as the watch ran out. A ripping sprint of 32 yards by Byelene took the ball to East Tech’s six-yard line where Dan was chased out of bounds. The Tigers tried hard to put the ball over but were checked by an offside penalty and they had the ball on the eight with fourth down coming up when the final gun popped. Bulldogs Next Massillon – 26 Pos. East Tech – 6 Richards LE Edge Green LT Selavko Uliveto LG Malsano Krisher C Froelich Tomasevich RG Stalzer Young RT Goldfarb Bonk (c) RE Strnad Edie QB Jicha Webb LHB Hrasch Giloff RHB Chapman Gutshall FB Ginnerini
Score by quarters: Massillon 0 19 7 0 26 East Tech 0 0 0 6 6
Referee – Gross. Umpire – Lobach. Head Linesman – Boone. Field Judge – Pfeiffer.
Statistics Mass. Tech First downs 16 4 Yards gained by rushing 385 44 Passes attempted 7 15 Passes completed 3 5 Yards gained by passing 51 116 Gross yardage 436 160 Yards lost 35 16 Net yardage 401 144 Number of kickoffs 5 2 Average distance of kickoffs 37 39 Average return of kickoffs 18 16 Number of punts 3 1 Average distance of punts 34 33 Average return of punts 4 6 Fumbles 5 1 Times ball lost on fumbles 1 0 Times penalized 3 6 Yards lost on penalties 16 39
Tigers And Lions Battle To 6-6 Tie In Grid Thriller More Than 52,000 See Spectacular Struggle; Local Defense Sparkles
By FRED J. BECKER
They may never be referred to as champions but the Tigers of 1945 always will be remembered was the Washington high school football team that had more intestinal fortitude and bulldog courage than any other aggregation to ever wear the famed orange and black and Massillon has had many courageous aggregations in its long and brilliant career in scholastic football.
Program Cover
Coach Augie Morningstar’s kids Friday night wrote their chapter in the annals of Washington high school athletics – and wrote it in big capital letters – when, outweighed and out-manned, they battled Cleveland Cathedral Latin’s brawny and powerful Lions to a 6 to 6 tie in Cleveland’s lakefront municipal stadium in one of the greatest displays of defensive ability ever seen on any gridiron. Great Goal Line Stands Sure you have seen and read about goal line stands. Sure you have seen and read about football teams, that faced with defeat and greatly outplayed, dug their cleats into the turf and threw back a superior foe in a brilliant defensive stand but you have seldom seen or heard of a team that had to make four goal line stands in two quarters and succeeded in halting its enemy in three of those four desperate situations.
But that’s what a great throng of more than 52,000 spectators witnessed Friday night at Cleveland when the Tigers, battered and decisively outplayed by a foe that possessed a superior weight advantage, three times repelled the hefty Lions inside their five yard line but failed on one other occasion and gave the rugged Lions their chance to romp to a touchdown – a touchdown that enabled Latin to tie the score at six all and saved the Lions from a defeat after they had complied a record of 20 straight triumphs. Latin Had Advantage For the Tigers that epic 6-6 encounter was their fourth tie game in eight starts this fall, the other four ending in Massillon victories but the situation last night was entirely different than it had been in any of the other three previous games in which the orange and black had been held on even terms so far as scores were concerned.
For the first time this fall the Tigers were outplayed by a foe that had every right to outplay them because of its great advantage in weight. The Tigers might have been outplayed in the statistics, which showed Latin superior in offensive ability, but they never wilted under the ferocious hammering to which they were subjected in that bruising second half and their great defensive performance, especially within the shadow of their own goal posts, left the huge throng gasping in amazement.
They just couldn’t believe that any team anywhere could perform the heroic feats the Tigers wrote into the records but the Tigers accomplished their amazing performance because they had the courage to do the seemingly impossible on all but one of the occasions when they were faced with the task of stopping the burly Lions or seeing their Cleveland opponents notch their second victory in as many years over a Washington high school team.
The huge turnout for last night’s game was the third largest to ever witness a high school football contest in Cleveland. The attendance was exceeded at two previous charity contests staged in the Cleveland stadium but it was the largest gathering to ever witness a regularly scheduled contest between two high school teams in Ohio.
It was a great and enthusiastic outpouring of humanity and the thousands who jammed their way into the stadium saw a football game they long will remember – a battle between two well coached, hard fighting outfits who have never had the time to look up the meaning of the word “quit”. They were out there to win and they tossed everything they had at each other but when it was all over the Tigers reaped the major share of the laurels because of their magnificent display of courage during the times which it seemed they must surely crack and permit their opponents to romp away with the victory in a scoring spree. Perfect Weather Perfect weather conditions helped to attract last night’s mammoth throng – perfect weather and the past reputation of Washington high school football teams and the national fame which has come to George Bird’s great Tiger swing band. And not one of the persons in that great crowd of more than 52,000 went away disappointed – except possibly Cathedral Latin’s supporters who were confident of their second victory over the Tigers in as many years and who after the game couldn’t figure out why their great team fared no better than a tie with the orange and black.
Between 5,000 and 8,000 Massillon fans were in that turnout last night. They traveled to Cleveland by special train, chartered buses and in thousands of automobiles. It was the greatest crowd of Massillonians to ever follow the Tigers to an out of town game and they came away from the stadium singing the praises of Coach Morningstar’s gritty band of warriors. Sure it was a tie score but the contest finished in a tie only because of the remarkable defensive playing of Massillon’s scrappy kids.
A team with less courage than the Tigers possess would have gone down to defeat before the withering fire poured at them by Latin’s big, hard hitting backs but not the Tigers. They stayed in their fighting to the last, even though they were subjected to a terrific pummeling in the second half when the Lions, trailing 6 to 0, roared back in a determined bid to win or at least avert a blotch on their record by gaining a tie.
The statistics give Latin all the best of last night’s spectacular, engagement. Herb Eisele’s aggressive Lions chalked up 19 first downs to eight for the Tigers, 12 of them coming in the second half when the Clevelanders piled up a big advantage in ground gained through a terrific power and forward passing attack.
The Lions gained 195 yards on ground plays and 73 on forward passes and lost 23 for a net gain of 245 yards. The Tigers gained 111 yards on the ground and 26 through the air and had a loss of one for a net gain of 136 yards.
The blue and gold of Cathedral Latin attempted 12 forward passes and completed five with none intercepted. The Tigers took to the air seven times, completing three, one for a touchdown, for 26 yards and had one intercepted. Massillon was penalized seven times for a total of 38 yards, most of the penalties coming on offside play and backs in motion. Latin was penalized twice for 20 yards. Lions Checked In First Half The big and powerful lions were rather thoroughly checked by the Tigers in the first half but they came charging out at the start of the second half to take the play away from the Massillonians and they completely dominated the picture in the last two periods.
Running off tackle from the T formation Latin’s powerful backs time after time ripped their way through the sturdy Massillon forward wall for good sized gains. And when checked on the ground the Lions took to the air, causing the Tigers no end of concern with a short dump pass over the center of the line that produced plenty of yards.
With such an array of ball toters as Jerry Beckrest, who tallied Latin’s only touchdown, Cliff Hill, Fritz Pahl, George Werling and Jack Behm, the Lions turned loose the most powerful running attack the Tigers have faced this season. The big Latin backs had plenty of power and speed and their off tackle lunges were extremely effective until they powered their way deep into Massillon territory where the Tigers tossed them back every time with one exception.
The Tigers had no outstanding heroes. They were just a gang of kids who played their hearts out every step of the way and did a magnificent job of it. They battled against great odds but they came through with flying colors, every one of them. Although greatly outweighed by Latin’s big forward wall, the Tiger line time after time charged through to nail Latin ball carriers in their tracks or back of the line of scrimmage. Massillon’s secondary also distinguished itself by its remarkable performance, stopping many a Latin charge that seemed headed for pay dirt.
The Tigers have nothing to be ashamed of. They played a great game from start to finish and they deserve only praise for their truly remarkable fight.
With their jinx still trailing them the Tigers lost a touchdown in the first five minutes of the game through an unfortunate fumble but they came roaring back after that disheartening blow to again drive into scoring precincts and this time they did not fail, a forward pass from Bert Webb to Captain Fred Bonk, who took the ball in the end zone, giving the Tigers their six points.
George Raggets kicked off to Bert Webb to start the game and Webb was downed on his 29. Gene Zorger smashed through the line for six and Webb picked up two more on a spinner. Zorger then made it a first down on Massillon’s 41. Webb knifed through the Latin line for four and then took a pass from Don McGuire for another first down to Latin’s 44. Webb fumbled on the next play and Latin covered on its 38. The Tigers tied Beckrest and Pahl into knots and then Raggets attempted to punt but Bonk charged in to block the kick, the ball rolling out of bounds on Latin’s 27. Latin Covers Fumble It was Massillon’s ball and McGuire squirmed through for eight and then the Tigers shook Webb loose on a dash around right end and the speedy little Negro scampered to Latin’s two before he was chased out of bounds. But on the next play Webb hurtled into the line and fumbled, Raggets covering put Latin on the Lions’ two.
With Beckrest and Hill carrying the mail the Lions charged back to their 27 before the Tigers applied the brakes. Raggets then punted out on Latin’s 34 and once again the Tigers hammered their way toward Latin’s goal. McGuire tried one pas to Webb but it failed. He came right back with another and this one clicked for six yards. Zorger again crashed the main line for a first down on the Lion’s 25. Webb raced around his left end for nine and Zorger again plunged for a first down to the 13. He picked up five on the next play and then Webb tossed a short pass to Bonk who made a beautiful catch of the ball in the end zone for Massillon’s touchdown.
Virgil Cocklin, sophomore place kicker, was sent in to try for the extra point but he missed.
From then on Latin began to dominate play but two fine quick kicks by Webb in the second period kept the Lions from becoming too dangerous. Once the Clevelanders drove to Massillon’s 13 but lost the ball on downs and late in the period they rammed their way to Massillon’s 14 but there Behm fumbled and Bob Richards pounced on the ball.
The Lions, however, came out for the third period in a determined mood and it was soon evident that the Tigers were going to face plenty of battering from there on out.
Taking the kickoff at the start of the third period, the Lions soon hammered their way deep into Massillon territory and set the stage for the Tigers’ first goal line stand. With Hill spearheading the drive the Lions marched down the field and then Joe Amato connected on a dump pass to Al Hasselo for 17 yards, putting the ball on Massillon’s 30. From there on the Lions hammered their way right down the field with Bob Maloney making it a first down on the five. Two Latin plungers were turned back by the Tigers but Werling then sprinted around left end and raced up to the one foot line before being tossed out of bounds. But here the Tigers displayed their courage and halted the Lions in their tracks. Tony Uliveto and Tom Brooks nailing Backrest without gain on fourth down.
McGuire punted from behind his goal line to the Massillon 27 and once again the Lions came roaring back but once again the Tigers stopped them this time on their 32 after Richards had nailed Beckrest for a loss of five. Raggets then punted over the goal line and the Tigers put the ball in play on their 20.
The Massillon offense, however, was stalled and McGuire punted to Latin’s 45. Latin On The March Mixing powerful off tackle plunges with equally effective dump passes the Lions bean another goal ward march.
The end of the third period found them back on the Massillon four yard line. Beckrest sparked the drive with powerful lunges through the line.
The fourth period got under way with the Lions on Massillons four with second down coming up. Amato was stopped without gain but on the next play the Tigers were offside and the ball was moved to the two but once again the orange and black was equal to the occasion and halted the Latin march when Uliveto broke through and dumped Werling for a two yard loss, the Tigers gaining the ball on their four.
McGuire, again punting from behind his goal line, kicked out to Amato who was downed on the Massillon 35. Werling then shot a short pass over the line to Hasselo who was downed on the Tigers 25. Beckrest and Maloney picked up another first down in two plunges and the Lions were on Massillon’s 14. Again Maloney and Beckrest lugged the ball and they picked up nine yards and on the next play Beckrest skirted his left end and raced over for Latin’s touchdown to tie the count at six all.
Raggets attempted placekick was wide.
The Tigers took the kick off with five minutes of play still remaining and turned loose a spurt which carried them to Latins 44 yard line. Webb picked up 12 yards in this march with a sizzling dash around right end, aided by some fine blocking.
But the Tigers tried to pass on first down and Amato intercepted and ran the ball back to the 50. Once again the Latin machine went into action and another short pass from Werling to Beckrest took the ball to the Massillon 27. Beckrest then plunged to the 16 and made it first down on the next play. Three plunges, two by Beckrest and one by Maloney, took the ball to Massillon’s four and made it first down. Maloney and Beckrest twice crashed into the Tiger line but the Lions were still three yards away from the Massillon goal line when Bog Wagner, stellar Latin tackle, was injured and replaced by Johnny Beletic.
The clock was running out fast, less than 10 seconds remaining when the Lions went into formation for what apparently would be the last play of the game.
But the gun sounded just as they got into motion. Beckrest ran with the ball but was stopped without gain by Uliveto.
The abrupt ending of the game created considerable confusion but the officials ruled the Lions guilty of illegal delay when Beletic was substituted for Wagner. Decision Based On Rule The officials based their ruling on the following section of the Official N.C.A.A. Football Rules: “During the last two minutes of either half, requests for excess ‘time outs’ by field captains when no injured player is designated shall be refused, and if the team in possession of the ball (having exhausted its three legal ‘time outs’) takes time out to make a substitution for an injured or uninjured player, the referee shall signal the watch to start as soon as he considers the substitution completed.”
Referee Carl Brubaker said he started time while Latin was in the huddle and that time expired before the Lions could run off another play.
Statistics Mass. Latin First downs 8 19 Passes attempted 7 12 Passes completed 3 5 Yards gained by passing 26 73 Passes had intercepted 1 0 Yards gained by rushing 111 195 Gross yardage 137 268 Yards lost 1 28 Net yardage 136 245 Number of kickoffs 2 2 Average distance of kickoffs 37 90 Average return of kickoffs 15 13 Number of punts 6 5 Average distance of punts 41 18 Average return of punts 0 6 Fumbles 3 3 Times ball lost on fumble 2 1 Times penalized 7 2 Yards lost on penalties 35 20
Brilliant Attack Gives Tigers 40-6 Win Over Mansfield Three Touchdowns Scored On Forward Passes; Webb And McGuire Rip Invaders
By FRED J. BECKER
The Tiger with the “I” is still a better football player than the Tyger with the “Y” and so the orange and black of Washington high school chalked up its fourth triumph of the 1945 scholastic campaign Friday night by plastering a 40 to 6 defeat on the Mansfield Tygers in another one of those knock down, drag out affairs at Tiger stadium with about 18,000 fans, a lot of them soaking wet, watching Coach Augie Morningstar’s Bengals put on display their smoothest and most productive offense of the season.
The Tigers really clicked last night and they ran the big, rugged invaders from Richland county right into the ground with a six-touchdown spree, three of them coming in a thrilling first quarter when the orange and black passed and ran the visitors off their feet in a brilliant burst of offensive power that had the big crowd in a wild frenzy of cheering. Mansfield Still Looking For Victory The Mansfield Tygers, with a record of four wins in five starts and a team of youthful giants that held a superior weight and height advantage over the Massillonians, thought this would be their year to trim the orange and black and they came here imbued with plenty of fighting spirit but for the 10th time in as many years they were to be disappointed.
They traveled back home last night defeated for the eighth time in those 10 battles with the local warriors. In the other two games, in 1937 and 1941, they were able to hold the Tigers to tie scores, the final count each time being 6 to 6. Plenty Of Torrid Talk The visiting Tygers talked a much better game last night than they played. In fact their verbal outbursts were so torrid Referee Titus Lobach several times warned them, and late in the duel tossed a Mansfield player out of the game for using profanity following a 15-yard penalty on the visitors for unnecessary roughness.
Because the weatherman kicked over the traces early yesterday evening and turned loose a drenching downpour that continued until 30 minutes before game time what would have been the largest crowd to see a game here this season was cut down at least 3,000 by inclement weather. Those who went to the stadium early were caught in a heavy shower but the rain ended at 7:30 and from then on the game was played in ideal weather.
Turning loose a dazzling forward passing attack that brought three of the six touchdowns and a running attack that clipped off big gains behind efficient blocking and interference, the Tigers iced the contest with a 20-point splurge in the first 12 minutes and then, with one exception, repelled Mansfield’s best efforts to score and added three more tallies during the final two periods.
Mansfield plunged and passed to its lone touchdown in the second period but was thoroughly checked after that by a sturdy and alert Tiger defense that outsmarted and outplayed the visitors’ big forward wall in a bruising battle.
The victory kept the Tigers in the undefeated class with four wins against two ties and sets the stage for their big battle next Friday night with the Warren Harding Presidents in Warren.
Scoring honors last night went to Bert Webb, flashy Negro halfback, who galloped for two touchdowns on dazzling runs and showed the invaders more speed than they have looked at all season, and Captain Fred Bonk who snagged two forward passes and raced for touchdowns. Jack Zeller chalked up another touchdown on a forward pass and Don McGuire rammed through the Mansfield line for his set of counters. Don by the way, did a lot of first class ball toting.
Although they had their bad moments and at times found the heavy Mansfield outfit hard to handle, the Tigers continued to play great defensive ball. Once again the entire orange and black forward wall handled its chore in a highly efficient manner with the hard and accurate tackling of Merle Darrah, Jack Zeller, Captain Bonk, Bernie Green and Tony Uliveto being outstanding. Tigers Hold Big Edge Although the first downs were 10 to 9 in favor of the Tigers, the orange and black piled up a big lead over Mansfield in yards gained. The Tigers had a gross of 385 yards with a loss of 27 for a net of 258. Mansfield had a gross of 211 with a loss of 10 for 201.
The accuracy of Massillon’s passing attack is shown by the fact the Tigers completed four out of five attempts for 119 yards with three of them producing touchdowns. Mansfield tried 17 passes, completed six for 90 yards and had one intercepted. Massillon punted but once during the game while Mansfield punted three times.
Once the Tigers gained possession of the ball they were hard to stop. They gained the leather three times in the first quarter and each time they roared to touchdowns.
Mansfield won the toss and received but a 15-yard penalty for illegal use of the hands checked them and Ollie Cline punted out of bounds on the Mansfield 44.
Wasting no time the Tigers went right to work and in nine plays had manufactured their first touchdown with Zeller going over after taking a beautiful pass from McGuire. McGuire To Zeller For Score Gene Zorger plowed through a big hole in the Mansfield line for nine and McGuire made it a first down on the visitors’ 28. Webb picked up six yards in two plays, Zorger hit for two more and then Webb made it a first down by inches on the 17. Zorger was stopped without gain and Webb was tossed for an eight yard loss. On the next play, McGuire ran far to his left and then lobbed a long pass to Zeller who caught the ball on the three yard line and steamed over for the touchdown. Gene Krisher’s place kick was low.
Heads up football by the Tigers paved the way for their second touchdown. McGuire kicked off but the kick was poor and the ball headed for the sideline on the Mansfield 48. Just before it went out of bounds Bill Piper lunged at the leather but could not hold it. However, he was the last man to touch it before it went out of bounds and it was Massillon’s ball.
Once again the Tiger scoring machine was set into motion. Webb ripped off seven through left tackle and then McGuire slashed through the same spot and by a nifty place of running picked up 20 yards before being downed on the 17. Webb picked up four yards through the line but Massillon was set back five yards for being offside on the next play.
Then Webb unlimbered his pitching arm for the first time during the game and hurled a neat strike to Captain Bonk who snared the ball right on the goal line and stepped across for Massillon’s second touchdown. It required six plays to move the ball 46 yards for the points. This time Krisher plunged instead of attempting a place kick and he rammed over for the extra point.
The big thrill and most spectacular run of the game was to come a few minutes later with Bert Webb doing the running and his teammates opening a path for him by some first class blocking.
Interference by Massillon with a Mansfield pass receiver gave the visitors a first down on their 40 but once again they were stopped and Cline got off a long punt that Webb picked up on his 18-yard line. Tucking the ball under his arm Bert headed for the west sideline and then suddenly darted back toward the center of the field running through the entire Mansfield team and out into the open with only Ralph Majors, Mansfield safety man, blocking his path. Webb Outruns Majors But Majors was not quite equal to the task of catching up with the fleet-footed Webb who outraced him in a wild dash for the Mansfield goal line. Webb went over standing up to complete a brilliant 82 yard dash for a touchdown. Krisher made it 20 to 0 by again plunging through the visitors for the extra point.
Although training 20 points the Tygers came back in the second period to take command of the game and they kept possession of the ball throughout most of the quarter, finally scoring their lone touchdown late in the stanza.
With Kenny Horvath, Mansfield’s ace speedster, Cline and Majors lugging the ball, the visitors pushed the Tigers around quite a bit and kept play largely in Massillon territory. Gaining the ball in midfield on a punt by Webb, which proved to be the only time the Tigers punted all evening, the visitors marched right down to the Massillon four-yard line before being halted. Two five-yard penalties on the Tigers for offside helped them to advance the ball.
The Tigers, however, gained possession of the ball on their four when Darrah nailed Otto Schmidt short of a first down but a fumble by Zorger, which was covered by Cline on Massillon’s 23 paved the way for the visitors’ lone touchdown. Once again Massillon was set back five yards for being offside and then Cline tossed a screen pass to Majors who was downed on the eight by Darrah. Cline’s next pass, intended for Majors, failed but the next time he connected on a neat heave to Harold Amsbaugh for a touchdown. Nick Gagich’s attempted placekick was wide.
Massillon received and marched 57 yards in eight plays for its fourth touchdown with a brilliant lateral from Zorger to Dan Byelene and a 38 yard run by Byelene paving the way for the tally. Lateral Sets Up Touchdown Webb took the kickoff to start the third period and was almost in the clear when nailed by Majors on the Massillon 43. Once again the Tigers took to the air and McGuire hurled a neat pass to Webb for a 21-yard gain. The Tigers, however, were set back 15 yards on the next play when the officials ruled Webb intentionally grounded the ball when he failed to find a pass receiver open; Zorger then went through right tackle and tossed a lateral to Beyelene who romped to the Mansfield 10 before being downed. Once again the Tigers were halted momentarily when they were penalized five for backs in motion but Zorger plunged from the 15 to the two and two plays later McGuire smashed through for the touchdown. Virgil Cocklin made good on his placement to boost the Tiger total to 27.
A fumble by Byelene after taking a Mansfield punt gave Mansfield another chance to bid for a touchdown. Dave Richards covered the fumble for Mansfield and a 33 yard pass from Majors to Amsbaugh put the ball on Massillon’s 23. Majors then attempted a pass which was intercepted by Darrah, who tossed a lateral to McGuire and Don raced all the way for a touchdown but the ball was called back and Massillon handed a 15 yard penalty for roughing the passer. This put the ball on the Massillon 20 but once again the Tigers stiffened. Two Mansfield passes were batted down and the third was intercepted by Darrah who ran it back to his 18.
This was the signal for Webb and McGuire to cut loose and they did in quick order. Webb raced around right end for 28 yards. Then McGuire steamed around left end for 20 yards and the ball was on Mansfield’s 28. On the next play Webb cut neatly through a hole outside of right tackle and raced unmolested for Massillon’s fifth touchdown. Cocklin’s attempted place kick was wide.
Again Mansfield drove down into Massillon territory after the kickoff and again the Tigers were equal to the occasion, holding for downs and gaining the ball on their 22. And again they started a touchdown march with Webb and McGuire knifing through for good gains and Webb and Bonk then teaming up to make good on a 52-yard forward pass for the touchdown. Webb To Bonk For Another Score Eight plays were required to move the ball 78 yards with Webb putting the clincher on the drive by tossing a pass to Bonk who took the ball on the Mansfield 30 and raced the remaining yards for the score. Webb went over for the extra point on a line plunge.
It was then Coach Morningstar decided his regulars had done a good evening’s work and sent in his second team to finish the combat.
Bob Richards was the only Tiger casualty last night. He was injured about the head late in the second period and was temporarily blinded but was recovering his sight rapidly later in the evening. Ollie Cline, Mansfield’s ace passer, was badly shaken up when tackled hard in the second period and did not play during the last half, Majors taking over the forward passing duties. Smearing The Tyger Massillon – 40 Pos. Mansfield – 6 Zeller LE Amsbaugh Green LT Beard Uliveto LG Richards Darrah C Emerson Piper RG Gross Krisher RT Boals Bonk RE Sinerson Edie QB Cline Webb LHB Taddeo McGuire RHB Majors Zorger FB Horvath
Referee – Lobach. Umpire – Ruff. Head Linesman – Long. Field Judge – Brubaker. STATISTICS Mass. Mans. First downs 10 11 Yards gained by rushing 266 121 Passes attempted 5 17 Passes completed 4 6 Yards gained by passing 119 90 Gross yardage 385 211 Yards lost 27 10 Net yardage 358 201 Number of kickoffs 7 2 Average distance of kickoffs 36 46 Average return of kickoffs 32 9 Number of punts 1 3 Average distance of punts 29 33 Average return of punts 27 0 Fumbles 2 3 Times ball lost on fumbles 2 1 Times penalized 9 4 Yards lost on penalties 65 50
Tigers Blast Alliance 44-7 In Touchdown Splurge Webb Thrills Crowd With 3 Long Dashes; Aviators Score On 60 Yard March
By FRED J. BECKER
A point hungry Tiger, whose fangs had been dulled but not quite knocked out during the past two weeks, came roaring back Friday night at Tiger stadium to stage its greatest and most satisfying touchdown orgy of the 1945 scholastic football campaign.
Ripping and slashing along at a pace that even exceeded their great demonstration against the Red Riders of Weirton, W. Va., three weeks ago, Coach Augie Morningstar’s victory parched Bengals last night demonstrated, not only to their supporters but to themselves, that they possess a touchdown punch as they stream-rolled their way to a convincing 44 to 6 triumph over a band of formidable and fighting Alliance Aviators. Tigers in Brilliant Exhibition Held to tie scores the past two weeks after rolling up victories in their first two combats, the Tigers last night gave a scintillating all-around exhibition of football ability as they ran, plunged and passed their way to a seven touchdown spree to chalk up their third victory without defeat and their largest score of the season.
And it is well for the orange and black that if found its mislaid touchdown wallop for the scrappy Aviators invaded Massillon for their annual shindig with the Tigers primed to put up a whale of a fight and they did throughout most of the contest, marching 60 yards in the first quarter to score their lone touchdown and take a momentary lead by adding the extra point. Regain Lead In Quick Order But that Alliance touchdown just seemed to spur the Tigers on and before the game was over the Aviators were reeling before the lethal blows delivered by Morningstar’s warriors as they uncorked a touchdown parade that must have brought joy to the hearts of those Tiger fans who were beginning to have a faint suspicion that their boys might not have what it takes when the chips are down.
Any suspicions of that nature were thoroughly dispelled last night. The Tigers do have what it takes and the victory they registered over their old Stark county rival should make them mighty hard to handle from here on out, even though they do have such tough babies coming up as Mansfield, Warren, Cathedral Latin and Canton McKinley.
Last night’s victory was a sweet morsel for Coach Morningstar and his gladiators but it was a rather costly triumph. It was a typical Massillon-Alliance shindig with the Aviators inflicting quite a lot of punishment, and some of it a bit off color. Late in the game the Aviators were penalized half the distance to the goal for slugging.
Three Massillon players were quite severely injured with Bob Waltz, regular left guard, probably being lost for the balance of the season.
The stocky lineman had the ligaments in his left knee torn in the first half and it is doubtful if he will see any more action.
Gene Krisher, right tackle, had three front teeth knocked out, while Tom Brooks, right guard, sustained a badly cut lip that required two stitches to close. Both boys, however, remained in action until late in the game. Brooks having his damaged lip sewed up between halves. Webb Paces Tigers Burt Webb, nimble footed Negro halfback, paced the Tigers in their touchdown parade, galloping over the Alliance goal line to score four of Massillon’s tallies. Jack Zeller, Gene Zorger and Dan Byelene registered the other three.
Offensively the Tigers looked like a million dollars with Webb thrilling a crowd of 13,500 by three beautiful touchdown gallops, one for 53 yards, another for 31 and then a truly hair raising dash of 75 yards after intercepting an Alliance pass. Zeller scored his touchdown on a nifty forward pass from Don McGuire that was good for an overall gain of 53 yards. Zorger and Byelene scored on short plunges while Webb also tallied his fourth set of counters on a short dash through the line.
Except for those first few minutes in the opening quarter when the Aviators hit the Tigers with everything except the water bucket to march 60 yards for their lone touchdown, the orange and black dominated play. After the Aviators had tallied, the Bengals took a new lease on life and from then on their defensive play improved with the result that the Aviators threatened no more during the remainder of the battle and wilted rapidly in the last two quarters as the effect of Massillon’s deadly tackling began to reap its toll.
Once again the entire Tiger team distinguished itself by its fine defensive play and the work of the line on offense also showed great improvement over that of last week when Steubenville Wells held the orange and black to a 7 to 7 tie. Interference and blocking for ball carriers also was much better.
Outstanding defensively were the fine performances of Tony Uliveto, who replaced injured Bob Waltz, Merle Darrah, Krisher, Brooks, Zeller, Captain Fred Bonk, Jim Young and Bernie Green. Webb also played a bear of a game on defense, several times nailing Alliance runners after they had gotten into the clear. Virgil Edie, Gene Yost and McGhire also nailed a lot of Alliance ball toters. Score In Every Quarter The Tigers piled up two touchdowns in each of the first three quarters and then finished their night’s chore with one in the fourth.
The second team started the fourth quarter and scored the final touchdown. Third stringers went into the battle late in the final period.
It took just three plays for the Tigers to chalk up their first touchdown. Zeller took Maccioli’s kickoff and ran it back from the 30 to the 40. Webb went around d right end for our and McGuire rammed through left tackle for three.
Then Webb knifed through right tackle, cut back sharply to his left, turned loose the steam and in a jiffy was out in the clear and racing unmolested for the Alliance goal. He made it with yards to spare, completing a 53 yard gallop for Massillon’s first points.
Virgil Cocklin, the sophomore placement kicker, went in to try for the extra point but missed.
Then it was Alliance’s turn to take the spotlight and the big boys from the eastern section of Stark County made the most of their chance. Aviators On The Move Dick Strait, one of Alliance’s backfield speedsters, took McGuire’s kickoff on his 15 and raced it back to the Alliance 40 before he was tagged by Waltz and McGuire. Then the Aviators began to move and in 13 plays they had marched the ball 60 yards without a break for what proved to be their only touchdown.
With George Balogh, husky backfielder, spearheading the drive, the Aviators opened gaping holes in the Tigers line as they smashed steadily down the field. On their first offensive play, Balogh rammed through the line and was headed for pay dirt until Webb brought him down after a gain of 15 yards. Strait and Balogh made seven in two plunges and then Strait passed to left and Ed Krahling for 13 yards to put the ball on Massillon’s 29. Again Webb averted a touchdown by nailing Krahling after he had dashed into the open.
Balogh, Strait and Dean Russ, fullback, began to hammer the Tiger line for steady gains and soon the Aviators were on the Massillon four yard line for a first down. Strait smashed for two and then Blagoh plunged over for the points. Maccioli made the extra point by running across the goal line after taking a lateral from Strait and this point put the visitors ahead 7 to 6.
But not for long.
Zorger took the Alliance kickoff and raced it back to his 36 and five plays later the Tigers had chalked p their second to9uchdown to forge back into the lead where they stayed the rest of the battle. This time they took to the air to tally and the aerial assault hit the Aviators with the force of a block buster. McGuire Pitches, Zeller Does Rest McGuire, Webb and Zorger clicked off a first down in four plunges to the Massillon 47. Then McGuire decided to unlimber his pitching arm for the first time in the game. His effort was a beautiful long pass which nestled in Jack Zeller’s big hands far ahead of any Alliance warrior and Jack scampered about 20 yards for the second set of counters. The play was good for 53 yards. This time Webb plunged the ball over for the extra point and the Tigers were leading 13 to 7.
But Alliance was to be rocked plenty before the evening was over. Early in the second quarter Zeller took a punt from Strait and was downed on the Alliance 44. Webb’s feet were still hot so he ripped through right tackle again, cut back and raced to the Alliance 31 before being tackled, a gain of 13 yards. The next time Bert went to his right again, but this time he dashed around end and behind fine interference raced into the open and gave those hot feet the signal to go and when it was all over he had covered 31 yards on another brilliant dash for Massillon’s third set of counters and his second touchdown of the evening.
But young Mr. Webb’s torrid tootsies had not yet cooled off and he was still to turn in the game’s most thrilling run.
The Aviators were still fighting and after taking the kickoff they drove to Massillon’s 25 but there they were checked when Zeller intercepted a pass tossed by Balogh. However, the play put Massillon in a tough hole because Zeller made an illegal lateral to Zorger when he was about to be tackled and the officials slapped a penalty on the Bengals that took the ball back to the Massillon one-yard line.
McGuire punted to Krahling who was tackled on Massillon’s 32. This set the stage for Bert’s biggest thriller. After two plays Balogh uncorked a pass. Webb was at the right spot to intercept it, taking the ball on his 25 and then with his teammates clearing a path for him he raced 75 yards down the west side line for his third touchdown. Cocklin made good on his placement kick but the Tigers were guilty of holding and the point was erased. Set back 15 yards the Tigers tried a forward but it miss fired.
The start of the third quarter still found Webb in a point making mood. He took a poor punt by Strait and was downed on the Alliance 25. The Bengals made little progress until Webb unlimbered a pass to Zorger that was good for 21 yards, putting the ball on the four. Bert was stopped without gain on the next play but couldn’t be stopped a second time and plunged over for his fourth touchdown. Cocklin made good from placement and the Tigers were out in front 32 to 7.
A fumble by Balogh set up Massillon’s sixth touchdown a few minutes later. Uliveto covered the leather on the Alliance 32. Zorger flashed through right tackle and across the goal but the touchdown was ruled out because Massillon’s backfield was in motion. Zorger Tallies The Tigers were handed a five penalty but picked up 15 a play later when Alliance was penalized for illegal use of hands. This put the ball on visitors’ 19. McGuire and Webb reeled off 10 yards in two plays and then Zorger rammed to within six inches of the goal line. He went over on the next play. The attempt at conversion failed.
Coach Morningstar began to run in his reserves and they tallied the seventh touchdown in the final period.
After getting an Alliance punt on Massillon’s 44, Bill Gutschall, substitute fullback, touched off the touchdown march with a 21 yard spurt to the Alliance 35. Bob Richards picked up eight. Byelene fumbled but recovered for a loss of nine. Then Dan heaved a pass to Earl Johnson that picked up 14 yards to the visitors’ 22. Byelene and Gutschall lugged the leather to the five in two plays from where Byelene dashed over for the score. Again the attempted conversion failed.
That was all the scoring with the third stringers taking over about two minutes before the game ended.
The points this time far outshone the statistics, although the Tigers held the edge in everything but first downs. These were even, 11 for each team.
Massillon had a net gain of 290 yards, compiling a gross of 313 with a loss of 23. Alliance had a net of 163, with a gross of 177 and a loss of 14.
The Tigers completed three of six passes for 91 yards, one of them for a touchdown. Alliance completed three of 11 for 55 yards and had three intercepted. No Massillon passes were intercepted.
More Like It
Massillon – 44 Pos. Alliance – 7 Zeller LH Krahling Green LT Vernon Waltz LG Reese Darrah C Edwards Brooks RG Cobbs Krisher RT Pucci Bonk RE M. Maccioli Edie QB Plum Webb LHB Strait McGuire RHB Balogh Zorger FB Russ
Referee – Long. Umpire – Graf. Head Linesman – Schell. Field Judge – Rupp.
STATISTICS Mass. Alliance First downs 11 11 Yards gained by rushing 222 122 Passes attempted 6 11 Passes completed 3 3 Yards gained by passing 91 53 Passes had intercepted 0 3 Gross yardage 313 177 Yards lost 23 14 Net yardage 290 163 Number of punts 2 3 Average distance of punts 34 8 Average return of punts 5 3 Number of kickoffs 8 3 Average distance of kickoffs 43 35 Average return of kickoffs 7 17 Fumbles 4 1 Times ball lost on fumbles 1 1 Number of penalties 6 4 Yards lost on penalties 50 60
Tigers, Big Red Battle To 7-7 Tie In Muddy Clash Steubenville Scores Late In Game After Massillon Fails On Several Chances
By FRED J. BECKER
The Washington high school Tigers recorded a net gain of 349 yards moving the ball more than three times the length of a football field – and scored only seven points!
The Big Red of Steubenville Wells high school compiled a net gain of only 53 yards, a little more than half the length of a football field – and still scored seven points!
Massillon’s Tigers rang the cash register f or 18 first downs’ Steubenville’s Big Red moved the 10-yard chain but twice but the final score read: Massillon 7, Steubenville7. 6,000 Fans Witness Contest: All this happened Friday night in the mud and rain and fog at Steubenville Wells stadium before 6,000 fans, the smallest gathering to see a Tiger- Big Red battle since the two old gridiron rivals renewed their annual shindigs back in 1937. It was far from a pleasant night for football, with intermittent showers and a slippery, muddy gridiron adding to the discomfort of both spectators and players. Only a handful of Massillon fans braved threatening weather yesterday afternoon to journey to the battle scene.
For the second time in as many weeks, Coach Augie Morningstar’s Tigers played their hearts out and gained nothing better than a tie score. A week ago last night they chalked up a wide margin over the Canton Lincoln Lions in the ground gaining department but were able to gain nothing better than a scoreless draw with the east enders, a fumble in the closing minutes of play robbing them of a chance to win. Tigers Score Early On Pass Last night they roamed through the air and through the mud to put on display their greatest ground gaining exhibition of the season but still they were able to score but seven points, those coming early in the first quarter on a beautifully executed forward pass from Don McGuire to Jack Zeller. But once again they saw victory elude their grasp when late in the fourth period the Stubbers intercepted a pass tossed by Bert Webb, raced it back from Massillon’s 34 to the 14 and then by dint of hard plugging rammed the ball over from the two yard line for the points that gave them a tie with the orange and black.
And today Coach Morningstar is wondering just what he can do to break the jinx that has beset his lads and which for two straight weeks has kept them away from notching victories their playing out on the field entitled them to but which they failed to achieve. There must be a reason why the Tigers today have a record for two victories against two ties, rather than a string of four straight.
Coach Morningstar has been hunting for that reason for some time and if he finds it the Tigers may still prove to be as formidable as their record of ground gained indicates.
For Steubenville’s Big Red last night’s 7-7 tie with the Tigers is one of those moral victory things. No one expected them to win or even come close to holding the Tigers to a tie. In three previous games the Stubbers had been kicked around rather soundly by Follansbeen and Weirton, W. Va., and East Liverpool. They had soaked up three straight defeats and had not been able to score a point.
Last night they scored their first points of the 1945 campaign and the seven they tallied were enough to give them a tie with the vaunted Massillon Tiger – and that more than satisfied the Big Red, their supporters and their coach. Prior to last night the Big Red had lost eight straight battles to the Tigers.
A few days ago Fortune A. Sullo, Big Red coach wrote us a letter taking us to task rather lightly for a story early in the week saying that Steubenville probably would prove another tough foe for Bengals because every team on a Massillon schedule had a habit of turning tough when they faced the Tigers. Good On Field, Too He said we were trying to make the game look good on paper. Well the game not only looked good on paper, but it looked awfully good from a Steubenville standpoint out there on the field. Even Coach Sullo probably raised his eyebrows a trifle last night when he saw the plucky battle his lads waged against the Tigers.
The only explanation for last night’s tie score is that the Big Red proved themselves to be better opportunists than the Tigers. Steubenville had but one chance all night to score – and the Stubbers took full advantage of it. The Tigers, after scoring once, had at least three other chances to tally points but each time they failed to make the most of their opportunity – once losing a touchdown when right up against the Steubenville goal line.
The Tigers played their hearts out again and took quite a battering from a Steubenville team that held a sizeable weight advantage but gained nothing better than a tie score out of the melee, largely because they were not able to take advantage of the opportunities their own playing brought them or because the breaks went against them – for instance a costly fumble in the fourth quarter that halted a Tiger march on Steubenville’s 30 after some spectacular dashes by Bert Webb had carried the ball from deep into Massillon territory to deep into Steubenville’s sector.
With Merle Darrah, Webb and Bob Richards nursing injuries Coach Morningstar shoved a revamped lineup into the fray, moving Gene Krisher from right tackle to center, installing Jim Young at the tackle berth and putting McGuire and Dan Byelene into the halfback posts. This aggregation played a lot of good football with Alex Giloff going in as a replacement for Gene Zorger and Gene Yost relieving Virgil Edie, who took quite a pounding from the Big Red.
Despite the muddy field and wet night, the Tigers uncovered a rather effective running attack and a better than average aerial assault with McGuire and Byelene doing the pitching and Zeller, Capt. Fred Bonk and McGuire on the receiving end. The slippery ball was hard to handle and because of this several Tiger aerials that might have been converted into touchdowns went for naught when local receivers were unable to hold the pigskin. Tigers Tough On Defense Defensively the Tigers were as tough to dent as a stonewall, except for that brief period in the final quarter when an inspired Big Red outfit, seeing a chance to avert defeat and gain a tie score ,plunged and lunged its way over the Tiger goal line for the points that knotted the score at seven all.
Offensively the Tigers despite the fact that they gained 340 yards, at times displayed faulty timing and interference and an attack that sputtered and failed just when they needed it most.
McGuire, Byelene, Giloff and Zorger plunged and ran their way to a lot of yardage on the water soaked field. The Tigers displayed their customary hard and accurate tackling with every boy who got into the game performing well on defense.
One of Steubenville’s biggest assets was Don Joyce, veteran end, whose brilliant and long-distance punting took Steubenville away from dangerous territory, many times. He also was a bear on defense. Offensively Pete Polovina, a fast stepping 160-pounder, who scored Steubenville’s lone touchdown on a wide dash around end, and Preston Robinson, sturdy Negro line cracker, were the Stubbers outstanding stars.
The Tigers threw passes last night, completing seven for 122 yards, one of them good for a touchdown. Steubenville tried four completing three for 14 yards. Nine Tiger heaves failed and four were intercepted. Steubenville had one aerial fail to connect.
The Tigers had a gross gain from all types of play of 364 yards with a loss of 15 for a net of 349. Steubenville had a gross of 81, a loss of 28 for a net of 43. Last night’s game proved once again that the pay off comes on points, not on yardage.
The Tigers won the toss and received and promptly chalked up their first and only touchdown of the battle. Starting from their 33 yard line after the kickoff the Tigers moved steadily toward the Steubenville goal despite a flock of penalties inflicted on both teams in midfield, the penalties keeping the ball moving back and forth much more rapidly than the gladiators were able to.
Finally Zorger rammed for a first down on Steubenville’s 42. On the next play McGuire wrapped his fingers around the slippery leather and cut loose with a long pass. Jack Zeller out in the open grabbed the ball and romped 10 yards for the score. Virgil Cocklin, sophomore placekicker, was rushed in to try for the extra point and he made good, splitting the uprights with a perfect kick. It’s a good thing he did. That point proved the difference between a tie and a defeat later on. Pass Interception Hurts Late in the initial period the Tigers began another march. Two first downs moved the ball to Steubenville’s 33 but Polovina intercepted a McGuire pass to end the threat. But the Tigers came pounding right back. Getting the ball after Joyce had punted, the orange and black steamed back to Steubenville’s 39 when Zorger punted for a first down. He then raced around left end for another to the Big Red’s 28. But Byelene was tossed for a loss of nine and Massillon incurred a 15-yard penalty for holding to take the ball back to Steubenville’s 49.
Once again the Tigers battered their way back after an exchange of punts. A Byelene-to-McGuire pass picked up 12 and then the Tigers brought out their fake kick play and Byelene took the ball from McGuire and ran around right end to the Big Red’s 30.
Byelene tossed to McGuire for 17 yards to put the ball on the 13. McGuire and Byelene picked up six in two plunges but on fourth down with four to go, McGuire was stopped and the Big Red took the ball on its five-yard line.
A neat 14-yard dash by Giloff and a 15-yard gain around end by Byelene late in the second period once again put the Tigers inside Steubenville’s 40-yard line but another chance to score went glimmering when Zeller failed to hold the slippery ball after taking a long pass from McGuire.
In the third quarter the Tigers launched an attack that moved the ball from their 19 to Steubenville’s two without a break but once again Lady Luck was not with them and they failed to score.
Starting from their 19 after Joyce had punted, the Tigers ripped and passed their way right down the field. Zorger, Byelene and McGuire took care of the ball toting chores while McGuire tossed, one pass to Zeller for 14 yards and Byelene heaved one to Bonk for 18 yards. Then two beautiful dashes by McGuire, each good for 11 yards, put the ball on Steubenville’s 10 and this time it looked as if the Tigers were going to hit pay dirt. Stopped Again Giloff and McGuire picked up five in two plunges. Then McGuire tried a short pass over the line to Bonk, which failed. Here the Tiger drive sputtered and finally fizzled out altogether when Giloff was stopped on the two yard line, inches away from a first down.
After Joyce had punted McGuire cut loose on another spectacular dash of 17 yards to put the ball on the 33 but Povolina averted a Tiger score by intercepting a Massillon pass and running it back to his 22. Stratton then clipped off 19 on a reverse to give Steubenville its first first down of the game.
Webb, Darrah and Richards were sent into the game in the fourth quarter and Webb raced the ball from his 32 to Steubenville’s 22 in two nifty dashes off tackle. But once again the Tigers ran into tough luck when Richards fumbled and Steubenville covered on its 30. The big break for the Big Red came a few minutes later when Eugene Wells intercepted a pass tossed by Webb on the Massillon 34 and ran it back to the Tiger 14. This was Steubenville’s big chance and the Stubbers made the most of it.
Robinson plunged through the line for nine. Zeller tossed Povolina for eight on a beautiful tackle but Povolina then passed to Joyce for six and Robinson plunged again for a first down on the Tiger three. Robinson and Querlino Lelli made two in two lunges and then Povolina tucked the ball under his arm and running wide toward left end, sailed over the Tiger goal line.
Lelli’s attempted placekick was blocked but the Tigers were ruled offside and the Big Red got another chance to make the point that meant a tie score. On their next attempt Povolina plunged over for the extra point and the game was all tied up at seven all.
The Tigers received and took to the air in a desperate last minute attempt to score again. But the threat was wiped out when Povolina intercepted a Massillon pass. Another Tie Massillon – 7 Pos. Steubenville – 7 Zeller LE Joyce Green LT Miller Waltz LG Quinn Krisher C Lawrence Brooks RG Wells Young RT Carocci Bonk RE Bickerstaff Edie QB Povolina Byelene LH Stratton McGuire RH Robinson Zorger FB Mosti
Referee – Gross. Umpire – Goodwin. Head Linesman – Schill. Field Judge – Broda.
Statistics Mass. Steub. First downs 18 2 Yards gained by rushing 242 67 Passes attempted 20 4 Passes completed 7 3 Passes had intercepted 4 0 Yards gained by passing 122 14 Gross yardage 364 31 Yards lost 15 28 Net yardage 349 53 Number of kickoffs 2 2 Average distance of kickoffs 48 38 Average return of kickoffs 18 27 Number of punts 2 9 Average distance of punts 37 37 Average return of punts 5 7 Number of fumbles 4 0 Times ball lost on fumbles 2 0 Number of penalties 4 4 Yards lost by penalties 50 20
Lincoln’s Scrappy Lions Hold Tigers To Scoreless Draw Fumble Late In Fourth Period Costs Massillon Chance To Cop Contest
By FRED J. BECKER
That Sunday punch the Washington high school Tigers tossed at Weirton to blast the West Virginia Red Riders a week ago was missing Friday night when Coach Augie Morningstar’s gladiators tangled at Tiger stadium with Junie Ferrall’s up and coming Lincoln Lions and as a result the Massillonians finished in a scoreless deadlock with the east enders after 48 minutes of hectic battling. And because the Tigers mislaid their offensive wallop they were called out for a practice session this morning as Coach Morningstar and his assistants endeavored to rub out some of the defects that marred the orange and black’s exhibition and probably cost the local lads a victory.
The largest crowd of the season – 18,500 spectators jammed Tiger stadium – witnessed a hard, grueling battle between a pair of evenly matched teams. The game ended in a 0 to 0 tie because the Tigers, uncorking their only sustained offensive drive late in the fourth quarter, missed a touchdown through an unfortunate fumble inches away from the Lincoln goal line. Tigers Suffered Letdown After Weirton What happened to the Tigers last night was just what Coach Morningstar was afraid all week might happen and what he fought so hard to overcome – a natural letdown following last Friday night’s terrific shin-dig with Weirton. The Tigers certainly did not play the same kind of a game last night they did against the Red Riders, particularly on offense. Their defense was good enough to keep the Canton invaders well in hand throughout the game but when it came to moving the ball for any sustained distance the orange and black did not have the stuff to do it.
What the Tigers failed to accomplish in an offensive way, however, does not detract in the least from the splendid performance of the visiting Lions. A fast charging, rugged Canton forward wall that battered its way through the Tigers front line quite consistently might have had a lot to do with putting a damper on Massillon’s offense. Lions Prove Their Worth After soaking up two defeats in the past two years, one by a 15-0 score and the other by a 12-0 margin, the Lions last night proved their worth by stopping the Tigers dead in their tracks until late in the fourth period when the Massillonians clicked long enough to carry the ball from deep in their own territory to within scoring distance, only to lose their one and only chance for a touchdown through a fumble.
Tied to the ground in their efforts to move the ball on running and power plays, the Tigers had only one other offensive threat left and that was the forward pass but even their aerial game did not click until their sensational spurt and then it was a brilliant heave from Bert Webb to Jim Bishop, substitute end, that sent the Tigers deep into Lincoln territory and had them pounding on the touchdown door a few seconds later.
The Tigers gained their long awaited break in the fourth period when Harvey Neel’s dump pass over the line was intercepted by Don McGuire on Massillon’s 38. The Tigers drew a 15-yard penalty for clipping, taking the ball back to the 23. Two attempts to dent the Lincoln line netted two yards and then Webb cut loose with a long pass to Jim Bishop who was racing down the west side of the field.
Jim made a fine catch and set out under a full head of steam for the Canton goal line but he didn’t quite get by the last Lincoln player in his path. The lad was Harvey Neel. Bishop tried to cut Neel down with a stiff arm but it didn’t work and Jim was grounded on Canton’s 23-yard line. The pass and Bishop’s run netted the Tigers a gain of 52 yards and brought the fans to their feet in a frenzy of wild cheering
Webb tried a pass to McGuire that failed. He then went through the line for three. On the next play Webb tossed a nifty pass to Captain Fred Bonk who was nailed on the Lincoln seven yard line. It was good for a first down. McGuire smashed to the four and then battered his way to within inches of the goal line. Webb Fumbles, Lions Recover Webb had difficulty holding the ball on the next play but kept possession of it, being downed on the two-yard line. With fourth down coming up, Webb crashed into the left side of the Lincoln line. He was hit hard and the ball flew out of his grasp and sailed over the goal line where Lincoln covered it for a touchback. Webb was less than a yard from the goal line when he fumbled.
The Lions put the ball in play on their 20 and kept possession of it the remainder of the game, making two first downs to their 44 before the final gun sounded.
The statistics gave Massillon a slight edge over the Lions but they don’t pay off on statistics. The local gridders moved the 10-yard chain seven times while Lincoln had six first downs. Massillon gained a total of 181 yards from all types of plays and lost 23 for a net yardage of 158. Lincoln had a gross gain of 123 with a loss of seven for a net of 116.
The Tigers attempted 18 forward passes and completed four for 86 yards. They had three intercepted. Lincoln tried nine aerials, completing two for 18 yards. They had two intercepted.
Massillon fumbled seven times and recovered twice. Lincoln fumbled four times and recovered once.
There was little to choose between the two teams until the Tigers flashed their spectacular offensive splurge in the final period. That was the only serious scoring threat of the game.
The Tigers for a minute looked like they might be going somewhere in the second period when they dusted off the old Statue of Liberty play and drove to Lincoln’s 20 but their drive fizzled and Lincoln held for downs.
The Tigers gained the ball on Canton’s 46 when Bob Kendig fumbled and Bob Waltz recovered. On fourth down Webb faked a kick, Bob Richards coming around and taking the ball and dashing wide at right end, raced to the 20 before being pulled down.
The play was good for 22 yards. Lions Drive To 18 Lincoln’s best scoring opportunity came in the third quarter. Webb took a punt by Neel and was downed on his 30. Here Coach Morningstar sent McGuire in to replace Webb and pulled out his entire first string line and shoved in his reserve line. On the first play McGuire fumbled and Bill Zettler covered for the Lions on Massillon’s 29. Ray “Rainbow” Keck, who was Lincoln’s offensive star, then raced wide around right end to Massillon’s 16 yard line for a gain of 13 yards and Coach Morningstar rushed in his first line in a jiffy. Keck was stopped. Then Neel fumbled and Gene Krisher covered for Massillon on his 18 yard line to wipe out Lincoln’s best chance to get within striking distance of the Tiger goal.
Sharing offensive honors with Keck were Don Bonevich and Neel while defensively Bruce Beatty, Lincoln’s veteran and brilliant end, was a decided pain in the neck to the Tigers all night. Beatty was all over the field, doing a lot of tackling and he was one of the main reasons Massillon’s aerial attack failed to click any better than it did. George Young, Bill Little and Roland Bowers also played good defensive ball for the visitors.
Massillon’s ground attack failed to function last night because adequate interference was lacking. A week ago against Weirton the Tigers did a right smart job of knocking opposing tacklers out of the road. Last night the orange and black ball carriers were given but little assistance in the way of interference.
Defensively the Tigers were as formidable as they were in their first two games. Their tackling was hard and accurate and they generally smeared Lincoln’s ball toters with sufficient force to stop them right where they were hit. Gene Krisher, Bernie Green, Bob Waltz and Tom Brooks did a lot of fine tackling with Captain Bonk leading the procession. The Tiger captain’s defensive performance last night was quite potent. A Draw Massillon – 0 Pos. Canton Lincoln – 0 Zeller LE Williams Green LT G. Young Waltz LG Little Darrah C B. Boldt Brooks RG Bowers Krisher RT Zettler Bonk RE Beatty Edie QB Kendig Webb LH-B Keck Richards RH-B Bonevich Zorger FB Neel
Substitutes: Massillon – J. Young, rt; Giloff, fb; McGuire, rh; Uilveto, lg; Ceckler, lt; Johnson, re; Bishop, le; Piper, rg. Lincoln – Criswell, rb; Malett, qb; T. Boldt, lh.
Referee – Gross. Umpire – Rupp. Head Linesman – McPhee. Field Judge – Shafer.
Statistics Mass. Lincoln First downs 7 6 Yards gained by rushing 95 105 Forward passes attempted 18 9 Forward passes completed 4 2 Yards gained by passing 86 18 Total yardage gained by 181 123 Yards lost 23 7 Net yardage 158 116 Passes had intercepted 3 2 Number of punts 4 6 Average distance of punts 33 29 Average return of punts 6 10 Number of kickoffs 1 1 Average distance of kickoffs 34 32 Average return of kickoffs 3 35 Number of fumbles 7 4 Times ball lost on fumbles 5 3 Times penalized 1 1 Yards lost by penalties 15 15
TIGERS BEAT BULLDOGS TO WIN STATE TITLE MASSILLON TEAM ENDS UNDEFEATED SEASON BY TAMING OLD RIVAL 6-0
Bob Glass Plunges Over Canton Goal From Three-yard Line in Third Period To Score Only Touchdown of the Game; 12,000 See Battle
By LUTHER EMERY
The Tigers are champions! Champions of Stark County! Champions of Ohio! Only two teams can challenge their title, Steubenville and Sandusky. Both have refused post season games. The Tigers are champions.
The role of David and Goliath was re-enacted Saturday afternoon before 12,000 fans who crowded Lehman stadium, Canton to the corners, when the Tiger eleven, picked from an enrollment of 1,100 rose up and slew the Canton Bulldogs selected from a school of 5,000.
Waited Four Years for Victory Four years, Massillon fans had waited for that moment and when fullback Bob Glass, in the third quarter, poked his 176 pounds through the Bulldog line for the one and only touchdown of the game, pandemonium broke loose in the Tiger stands and a shout went up that could be heard miles away. A disappoint sigh followed a moment later when Jake Gillom was hit hard in an unsuccessful left end sweep for the extra point, but it mattered not in the end, for those six points were sufficient to beat Canton and victory was what Massillon fans had been waiting for.
They swarmed out of the bleachers at the end of the game, kept their hands on the horn button the eight-mile stretch to Massillon, fell in behind the Tiger band as it marched down Lincoln Way and shouted and blew horns again with delight as the band marched round and round the public square.
Their Tigers were champions. The county championship was their first in 11 years. The undefeated season was their first since 1922 and it was their first state championship in 13 years.
It was the 14th knot the Tigers had tied to the Bulldog’s tail since 1909, five more than Canton and most pleasing of all it conquered the jinx Lehman field has been to Massillon teams. Never before had a Massillon eleven won on that gridiron.
Game Hard Fought It was a battle from start to finish, the Tigers glorious in victory, the Bulldogs gallant in defeat.
Old grads scratched their heads afterward and wondered if the scrap had ever been duplicated. It was a vicious game, charged with an undercurrent of bitter rivalry that electrified teams and spectators.
Never did the Bulldogs play as they did Saturday. Oak Park and Steubenville beat Canton, but Oak Park and Steubenville didn’t play the same team the Tigers defeated Saturday. It was a fighting eleven super charged with the pointing of Coach Jimmy Aiken and the latter at the conclusion of the game, heaped words of praise on his boys. “They even surprised me,” he said, “I never saw them fight that way before.”
Cold figures even game the Bulldogs an edge in offense. They made more first downs, gained more yards from scrimmage and staged the longest sustained drive, 75 yards, but the Tigers, playing a conservative game, braced when the Bulldogs ripped into dangerous territory and repulsed both of its attempts to score.
The eight-man line did it. Massillon fans booed when Coach Brown yanked his second stringers and put in his first string men to stop New Philadelphia’s goal line thrust two weeks ago. He did it for experimental purposes with an eight-man line. It turned back New Philadelphia and it beat Canton Saturday, turning the Bulldogs back twice, once on the seven yard line and once on the three-yard stripe.
Tigers Capitalize on Break Favored to win by two or three touchdowns, the Massillon eleven took no chances with the slippery ball and treacherous field. Denied a touchdown in the opening minutes of play when Jake Gillom was downed two inches from the goal the Massillon team capitalized on its second break of t he game early in the third period when Charley Anderson, alert and steady, pounced on Sabin’s fumble on the 21-yard line. Jake lugged the leather around right end for three yards and Dutton drove through for two at left tackle. Then the ball was given to Glass. It was only the fifth time in the game that he had been given the pigskin.
He plowed through for five yards and a first down on the Canton 11. Again Glass took it and this time went four yards forward to the seven-yard line. Dutton hit his left tackle for two and it was third down with the ball on the five-yard line and four yards needed for a first down. Glass was the logical choice and he bored at the Canton line again and put the ball on the three-yard line; fourth down, three yards to go for a touchdown and the Canton secondary hugging the line of scrimmage.
What to do was Quarterback Howard Dutton’s problem. He had faced the same problem earlier in the game and thought he would cross the Bulldogs up by sending Gillom through right tackle. The strategy had failed. He decided to shoot Glass through the center once more on a power play and called upon every man to give that extra energy necessary for this one big push. It was a perfect play. Glass’ line charged and the Tiger ball carrier pumped his feet into the ground and drove his way over the goal by a foot.
Jake Gillom was tackled viciously as he unsuccessfully tried to sweep left end for the extra point.
In the lead by a slim six points and nearly half the ball game yet to be played, the Tigers remembered the counseling of their coaches who told how a great undefeated Massillon team in 1915 was whipped 7-6 by Canton on an intercepted forward pass.
A conservative game was ordered by General Dutton, as he scrapped his forward pass which has been 50 percent of the Massillon offense this season.
Canton Scares Fans Relying on a running attack, the Massillon eleven set about to successfully protect its lead, but not without one big scare that carried the Bulldogs to the seven-yard line.
It was toward the close of the third period that Canton got a break somewhat similar to that which paved the way for the Massillon touchdown.
Stopped on their own 40-yard line when Pete Ballos in an almost super human effort dove over Eddie Molinski and tackled Charley Anderson for a two-yard loss just when it appeared Charley would get loose, the Tigers were forced to punt. Big Don Scott smashed through and threw himself at the ball just as it left Dutton’s toe. He blocked the kick and pounced on the ball, back on the Tiger 25-yard line. It was McKinley’s big moment and it appeared the Bulldogs would make the most of it when Bill Adams passed to Jack Young for a first down on the Tiger six-yard line.
Tigers Check Advance Massillon went into its eight-man line. Sabin whirled off tackle but failed to gain. Adams tried to circle left end but he too was stopped without gain. Here the period ended and the crowd at the west-end of the field which got more breaks than both teams together for most of the play was in that section of the lot, had a chance to see the Bulldogs’ make their last desperate onslaught.
Sabin tried to carry again, but this time the Massillon eleven moved in on him and set him down for a one-yard loss. It was evident that McKinley could not gain through the Tiger line. A pass was the only thing left, for it was fourth down. Risoliti faded back and threw toward the left corner. Two Tigers were there to bat down the ball, but Schultz slipped, the ball hit the ground and the Bulldogs’ last thrust was repelled.
The Tigers took possession of the ball and hammered their way to three consecutive first downs and would have had another had not a 15-yard penalty for holding stopped the effort. In that last march, Dutton again demonstrated his generalship. The ball was on the 28-yard line, it was fourth down and a yard to go. To control the ball and consume time was his bet. He couldn’t afford to punt and give Canton the ball furthermore the kick might be blocked. He gambled and taking no chances, carried the leather himself, right through left tackle to a first down.
Two long runs by Ballos and Sabin put Canton in the ball game again and brought the pigskin to the 30-yard line where the Bulldogs went into a spread formation and Risoliti passed to Scott to the 15-yard line, but Canton was offside on the play and punted on fourth down. The Tigers drove back from their 20-yard line and were traveling past midfield at the final gun.
Players Exhausted After such desperate goal line stands and smashing offensives, it was no wonder that the teams at the end moved somewhat in slow motion like the fatigued boxer who can hardly lift his arms dangling at his sides. It was no wonder that Ed “Echo” Herring, who entered the game in the last two minutes nearly got away twice and it was no wonder that when the final gun released the tension and brought relaxation that several players of both teams crawled up the steps to their dressing rooms on hands and knees, completely exhausted from their efforts.
That is why the game ranks with the greatest Canton-Massillon games ever played – a swift moving panorama filled with hard football capably officiated and dramatic in excitement and color.
Massillon won because it had the better team, not as superior Saturday as many Tiger fans had wagered, but still good enough to beat the Bulldogs who in one afternoon had climbed to super heights.
Massillon won because it had the stronger defensive team and because it had the punch when it needed it. The breaks were even, but the Tigers capitalized on theirs while the Bulldogs failed.
While statistics show the Bulldogs made more yards from scrimmage and more first downs than the Tigers, the conservative game of the local eleven checked its own offense. Only three passes were attempted. Two were completed for gains of seven and two yards while one was batted down.
Canton used a shovel pass to success and gained 33 yards. Two passes were intercepted and six others batted down or grounded.
Tigers Get Kickoff That both teams were in there to hand out punishment was evident from the start. Capt. August Morningstar won the toss and elected to receive, defending the east goal.
Adams kicked to Anderson, who headed up the alley but was tackled in a big pile up on the 29-yard line after a 19-yard return. Gillom made five at center. Glass hit for four and Gillom made it first down on the 42-yard line. Dutton picked up two yards and Gillom on a delayed buck only got one. Gillom barely picked up a scant three on a right end sweep and Dutton kicked a beauty out of bounds on the 14-yard line.
Ballos plunged for two yards, but when he tried to go through Buggs he was stopped without gain. Risolitie dropped back to punt and Don Voss broke through, blocked the ball and recovered it on the Canton nine-yard line. Dutton failed to gain on a spinner, but Gillom got five yards on a right end sweep. Dutton carried the ball to the one yard line and it was fourth down and a yard to go. Dutton decided to send Gillom to the right. Jake ran hard but the Bulldogs ganged him at the goal line. At first Referee Dave Reese raised his hands to signal a touchdown, but Head Linesman, Hummon said that the ball did not go over and when the pile was uncovered the nose of the sphere was two inches short of the chalk line.
That bolstered McKinley and temporarily upset the Tigers and the red and black got a break a moment later when Gillom fumbled Risoliti’s punt and Sabin recovered on the Canton 34-yard line. Massillon took time out. Ballos made four at left tackle and Sabin four at right tackle. Ballos plunged for a first down on his own 47. Adams made a yard at left tackle and Sabin three at right end. Third down and six to go and Gillom intercepted Adams’ pass on the 38. Gillom made three at center, but lost a yard at right end. Dutton lost two at right end. Dutton punted to Sabin, who slipped and fell after catching the ball on the 16-yard line.
Ballos made one-half yard at center. Morningstar charged through and put Ballos down for a three-yard loss as the quarter ended with the ball on the 13-yard line.
Second Period Risoliti kicked, Sabin downing the ball on the Canton 41-yard line. Gillom passed to Dutton for seven yards. Glass made a yard at center and Dutton bucked for a first down on the Canton 31-yard line. Scott knocked down Dutton’s pass intended for Anderson who was 10 yards in the clear. The pass, was short. Glass failed to gain. Gillom made six at right end. Fourth down and four to go and Gillom missed a first down by a yard on the 22-yard line and Canton took the ball.
Sabin found a big hole at right tackle and wormed through to a first down on his 38-yard line. Adams made five at left tackle and Ballos four at center. Adams got through for a first down on his own 49. Sabin made a yard. Risoliti’s pass to Ballos was grounded. The Tigers took time out. A shovel pass to Sabin gained a first down on the Massillon 40-yard line. Adams failed to gain. Sabin got through right tackle again for a first down on the Tiger 29-yard line. Ballos made four yards and the Tigers were penalized 15 yards when Molinski roughed Ballos on the play. It gave Canton a first down on the 12-yard line. Sabin hit right tackle for two yards. Sabin broke through the same spot for six yards and put the ball on the four-yard line. The Bulldogs needed but two yards for a first down and had two chances left. Ballos hit the line but failed to gain. He got barely a yard the next time and the Tigers took the ball on their own three-yard line.
Dutton kicked back to Sabin who carried from the Tiger 43 to the 32-yard line. Ballos made three at center. The Bulldogs tried a pass, but Canton was offside and a Massillon player interfered with the receiver. Risoliti tried to pass again but the ball was grounded. Sabin made five at tackle and Adams attempting to plunge for a first down was stopped with a one-yard gain.
The Tigers took the ball on their own 22-yard line. Dutton made two yards at right end. Glass picked up three. Gillom made a yard and there the half ended with the ball on the Massillon 28-yard line, fourth down coming up.
Third Period Glass kicked off to Sabin who fumbled but recovered on his 13. Ballos made four yards at right guard. Sabin swept right end for three yards. Sabin was given the ball again but he fumbled and Anderson and Buggs hopped on the pigskin on the Canton 21-yard line.
Gillom whirled around right end for three yards. Dutton made two at left tackle. Glass went through for five yards and a first down on the Canton 11. Glass plunged through left tackle for four. Dutton hit the same spot for two. Glass put the ball on the three-yard line. Glass went over for the touchdown. Gillom failed to make the extra point on a wide end sweep. Score: Massillon 6; Canton 0.
Glass kicked off to Adams who caught the ball on the 21 and brought it back to his 29-yard line. Ballos made three at left tackle. Ballos picked up two at right tackle. A shovel pass, Risoliti to Sabin netted a first down on the Canton 45. Ballos hit center for two yards. Morningstar batted down Risoliti’s pass and nearly intercepted. Adams lost a yard at left end. Risoliti kicked to Gillom who returned six yards to his own 32. Dutton made eight yards at left end. Anderson on an end around play was thrown for a two-yard loss by Ballos in a remarkable tackle. Glass got two yards at center. Scott blocked Dutton’s pass and recovered on the Tigers’ 25-yard line.
Sabin failed to gain at right tackle. Ballos drove through for five yards. Ballos failed to gain; Adams passed to Young for a first down on the six-yard line. Sabin failed to gain and Adams running from a triple reverse was stopped without gain as the third period ended with the ball still on the six-yard line.
Fourth Period It was third down and goal to gain. Sabin coming around the right side of his line was tossed with a one-yard loss, being hit hard by Buggs. Risoliti’s pass to Schultz hit the ground and it was Massillon’s ball on the seven-yard line.
For the only time during the game, Molinski hit center for three yards. Gillom picked up two and Glass rammed through left tackle for a first down on the 18-yard line. Dutton ran over Held for four yards and Glass followed the big Tiger lineman through for two more. Dutton hit to his right for three yards and it was fourth down with a yard to go. Gambling, Dutton carried again and easily made his yardage, a first down on the 29. Anderson picked up eight on a reverse around right end. Glass plunged behind Woods for three yards and a first down on the 40. Dutton barely missed a first down on a left end reverse. Gillom drove past midfield but the ball was called back and the Tigers penalized 15 yards for holding. It put the ball on the Massillon 37-yard line. Dutton made two yards. When Gillom failed to gain, Dutton wisely kicked out on the Canton 37.
Ballos was 15 yards to the Tigers 48. Sabin raced through for 13 more and first down on the Massillon 35. He was tackled by Glass, Sabin failed to gain and a check of time showed five minutes left to play. Adams made five yards on a shovel pass taking the ball to the 30-yard line. Canton tried a spread formation and a pass was completed to Scott who had hopped into the secondary, but Canton was offside on the play and was penalized five yards. Risoliti’s pass was grounded. Risoliti got off a pretty punt that went over the Tiger goal line by a couple of inches and Massillon took the ball on its own 20.
Herring substituting for Gillom, made one at right guard. Dutton made five at left tackle and Glass three more. Dutton kicked out on the Canton 40. Canton attempted a spread formation. Risoliti’s pass to Schultz was grounded. Sabin made five at right end. On the third down, old Jim McDew dropped back with Schultz and ended Canton’s hopes by intercepting Risoliti’s pass intended for the Bulldog left end. Herring made two yards and then raced around left end for seven more. Glass plunged for a first down on the Canton 44 as the ball game ended.
It would be difficult to pick an outstanding star on the Massillon team. The line from Capt. Morningstar on one end to Anderson on the other played a great game, while the backfield struck when a big push meant points.
Ballos A Great Player Pete Ballos was the outstanding performer offensively and defensively for the Bulldogs. Little Ray Sabin, played a fine game at halfback, gained many yards, but unfortunately his fumble in the third period was costly.
Both coaches relied on their first stringers to carry on. Coach Aiken didn’t make a substitution, while Coach Brown made two. He sent Mike Byelene in for one play in the second period when he took Dutton out to give him advice and he put Herring in Gillom’s place in the last two minutes of play when the first string halfback was exhausted.
There were no injuries on either team, something unusual for a Massillon-Canton game. Though hard played, it was cleanly contested with but few exceptions. Massillon was penalized twice for 30 yards; Canton once for five yards.
The game definitely closed the season for the Tigers. They will not play a post season game. The Massillon eleven had received an offer of $5,000 to meet New Castle at Youngstown, but the game fell through. Akron North’s championship ambitions having been blasted by Toledo Devilibiss Saturday, only two logical post season game contenders remain, Steubenville and Sandusky, and neither will play.
Quiet Saturday Night It was quiet in Massillon Saturday night. Students and townspeople trod the streets looking for a celebration but there was none to be found.
The only celebration was that staged by the Tiger band after the game when the young musicians climbed out their buses at the top of Lincoln Way East hill and marched through the business district, stopping at Lincoln Way and Erie to drill.
The football team dressed in Canton and returned to Massillon to have dinner at the Silver Maples. Exhaustion did not check the boys’ appetites and they were a happy bunch of fellows. Capt. August Morningstar lost no time getting to Referee Reese after the game. He wanted the ball and got it. He turned it over to Coach Brown who carried it around all evening like a pet poodle. The ball will be lettered and placed among the souvenirs.
The Washington high band staged a colorful drill before the game and at the intermission. The young women drum majors carried large bouquets of yellow mums, the gift of Kester Bros. The Canton band likewise gave a fine exhibition.
Among the spectators was B.F. Fairless, president of the Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation who came from New York for the game.
There was a scuffle in front of the Canton bench late in the game that few Massillon fans could see. Jim McDew tackled Sabin hard and tossed him into the lap of Coach Aiken. Aiken shoved McDew off, rather roughly, the Massillon player throught and he and Anderson cocked their fists, but before anything came out of it other Tiger players pulled back their teammates and no blows were struck. It was only an outgrowth of the great tension of the game.
Massillon fans, unaccustomed to the Canton bleachers dropped many blankets on the ground. The McKinley management, however, had made provision for such instances and had men ready to pick up all fallen blankets and place them in a room in the Lehman school. At the end of the game, there must have been 100 in the pile. Blankets were returned as rapidly as identified.
The game will be played and replayed tonight at the Tiger Booster club meeting in the Washington high school. It probably will be the biggest meeting of the year. Plans also will be discussed for the annual football banquet Dec. 11 at the Republic Steel office building. Noble Kizer, Purdue coach will speak.
The Tigers Rule Massillon Pos. Canton Anderson RE Schultz Held RT Scott McDew RG Angelo Voss C Rice Woods LG Virdo Buggs LT Wortman Morningstar LE Young Dutton QB Risoliti Gillom LH Sabin Molinski RH Adams Glass FB Ballos
Referee – Dr. David Reese (Denison). Umpire – C.J. Graf (Ohio State). Head Linesman – J. M. Hummon (Wittenberg).
Game Statistics McKin. Mass. First downs, rushing 10 8 First downs, passing 1 0 First downs, penalties 1 0 Yards gained, rushing 151 143 Yards gained, passing 13 6 Yards lost 5 8 Yards gained, total 159 141 Passes attempted 9 2 Passes completed 1 2 Passes incomplete 6 1 Passes intercepted by 0 2 Punts 6 6 Punts, average yards 33 33 Punts blocked by 1 1 Punts returned by 11 10 Fumbles 1 1 Own fumbles recovered 0 0 Opp. Fumbles recovered 1 1 Kickoffs 1 2 Kickoffs, average yards 50 43 Kickoffs returned 11 20 Penalties 5 30
First Undefeated Season For Tigers Since 1922
By FRED J. BECKER Independent Sports Editor
Undefeated in 10 games, with a record of 483 points to their credit and only 13 scored against them, the Tigers of Washington high school today can lay claim to the scholastic football championship of Ohio. Few there are, who will dispute their right to be recognized as the best school boy gridiron aggregation within the borders of the buckeye state.
The crowning achievement to the most successful football season Washington high school has had since way back in 1922 came last Saturday afternoon at Lehman stadium, Canton, when the rampaging Tiger, hungry for just one more victory, smacked down its perennial enemy, the Bulldogs of Canton McKinley, 6 to 0, in one of the greatest scholastic contests ever witnessed by the 12,000 shouting fans who packed every available inch of space in the Canton enclosure and the hundreds of others who hung from windows in buildings, tree tops and telephone poles in the immediate vicinity of the battle ground.
When husky Bob Glass, 185-pound Massillon fullback, cracked through the center of the Canton line late in the third quarter and drove across the goal line for the touchdown that eventually brought victory to the orange and black he brought joy to the hearts of thousands of local fans who were in the stands and despair to the thousands of Canton supporters who had prayed and hoped that their beloved Bulldogs would be good enough to come through with another victory over the old enemy.
Won 10 Straight In 1922 Way back in 1922 a team of mighty Tigers, coached by David D. Stewart, now football tutor at Sharon, Pa., high school, roamed the scholastic gridirons of Ohio sweeping aside all opposition to travel undefeated through a 10 game schedule, winding up with a magnificent 24 to 0 conquest of Canton.
From 1922 until this fall Washington high has had some prosperous years on the gridiron and some that were quite lean but not until 1935 was it able to turn loose another football juggernaut able to sweep everything before it and finish unbeaten and untied.
For three years, prior to this fall, it bowed in defeat before the devastating attack of powerful Canton McKinley machines.
But this year Massillon came back into its own. A dashing gallant and courageous band of youthful gridiron giants stormed the heights to glory. When they started their campaign back in September they were aiming for an undefeated season but more than anything else they wanted to defeat Canton.
Every day on the practice field and in every game they played prior to last Saturday that thought was uppermost in their minds. “Beat Canton!” That was their goal and they achieved it. Now they are contest.
The young man who last Saturday watched the machine that he and two able assistants had fashioned through hours of hard work, crash through to its greatest triumph, was a football pupil under the coach who gave Massillon its undefeated team in 1922.
“Kids” Come Through That young man was Paul Brown, who has completed his fourth year as football tutor of the youthful Tigers and who Saturday saw the “kids” score their first victory over Canton since Jimmy Aiken was brought to the east end city from Toledo to pull Canton McKinley out of the football mire.
The game Saturday was the 25th in the series between the ancient scholastic rivals since 1909. Of those 25 battles 14 have been Massillon victories, nine have gone to Canton and two ended in ties.
Prior to Saturday Canton had won three straight times. The last beating a Tiger team administered to a Bulldog outfit was in 1931 by a 20 to 6 count, being the third in a row for Massillon. But from then on until this fall, McKinley reigned supreme, winning 19 to 0 in 1932, 21 to 0 in 1933 and 21 to 6 in 1934.
But the reign of the Bulldog was snapped Saturday and to Massillon at least, the 1935 Tigers of Washington high are the scholastic champions of Ohio.
The victory over Canton was a fitting climax to a brilliant season but it was not achieved without a struggle – a desperate struggle all the way in which individual brilliance and equally brilliant team play on the part of both aggregations made it one of the games that long will be remembered.
Thrills Aplenty Three great goal line stands, one by Canton and two by Massillon provided the great outpouring of fans with enough thrills to last them until another football season rolls around.
It was a break of the game that decided the issue in Massillon’s favor. A fumble by Sabin of Canton on McKinley’s 22-yard line paved the way for the Tiger touchdown march.
Earlier in the first quarter the battling Bulldogs stopped the Tigers inches away from the goal but this time the orange and black was not to be denied and steadily it marched toward the Canton goal never to be halted until Bob Glass plunged through for the points.
Canton fans probably will gain some measure of solace from the fact that a fumble paved the way for Massillon’s victory. But it was Massillon’s hard, clean tackling and the alert manner in which every member of the local team followed the ball that made it possible for the local lads to pave the way for that break and then cash in on it for all that it was worth.
Such breaks occur in every football game but they mean nothing to a team unless it has the punch necessary to put the ball back on an opponent’s goal line. The Tigers had that punch and that’s why they won.
Twice Canton was inside Massillon’s 10-yard line. Once it got there through a march that came after blocking a Massillon punt. The other time it reached scoring territory by a brilliant and steady 72-yard march down the field but neither time was Canton able to cash in on its opportunity. When disaster threatened those Tigers just dug their cleats a bit deeper into the frozen turf and tossed back the Bulldogs with ferocious charges and deadly tackling.
Massillon fans expected the Bulldogs to put up a sturdy battle and they were not disappointed. In fact the Bulldogs played their greatest game of the season. Followers of the sport who had seen Canton in action before last Saturday declared the Bulldogs Aiken trotted out against the Tigers played better football than at any time during the campaign.
Inspired Canton Team That was to be expected. Aiken, one of the shrewdest high school coaches in the state, knew how to prime his boys for the Massillon conflict and it was an inspired team that trotted out to meet the rough riding boys from Massillon. The 11 Canton boys who started the game were in there at the finish, not one substitution being made for the red and black. Massillon made three. Byelene was sent in for Dutton just as the second quarter needed but after the first play in the third the clever Massillon quarterback was rushed back into the fray. Near the end of the game Herring replaced Jake Gillom.
A few Massillon fans; probably, may be a bit disappointed because the Tigers did not win by a larger score. Days before the game some of he more enthusiastic Massillon supporters were predicting a local victory by two, three, four and even more touchdowns.
But in making their predictions they didn’t take into consideration this one important fact: never attempt to predict a Massillon-Canton game on the basis of what the two teams have done prior to that all-important contest. It just can’t be done with any degree of accuracy.
Massillon won – and that is all that is necessary. One of the greatest Tiger teams in local history conquered a worthy, hard fighting foe, an enemy that resisted stubbornly to the last and one that had its moments of greatness.
The Tigers received their stiffest test of the season Saturday – and they came through. Victory is the thing. Points are secondary. A triumph by six points is just as sweet as one by 20 or 30.
The Tigers conquered their old rival. They finished their season undefeated. They are as good, if not better than any high school football team in the state.
All the glory that comes to an undefeated team belongs to those stalwart lads and their coach, Paul Brown and his assistants, C. Widdoes and Hugh McGranahan.
TIGERS TUNEUP FOR CANTON, BEAT NILES Mike Byelene Stars as Massillon Team Plays Great Practice Game in Trumbull County; Throws 52-yard Pass for Touchdown
By LUTHER EMERY
And now for Canton! With Niles their ninth victim put out of the way, 53-6, the Washington high Tigers today resumed preparations for their grand finale of the season, the annual duel with their perennial rivals, the Bulldogs of McKinley high.
The Bulldogs took one on the nose Saturday from Oak Park, of Illinois, 7-0 and that will do the Tigers no good. Aiken teams in the past have demonstrated that they can come back, more furious than ever and that is what can be expected next Saturday at Lehman field, Canton.
Tigers Pointing for Canton For two weeks the Tigers have been preparing for the Canton engagement. They virtually ignored the New Philadelphia and Niles games, but took them on one by one while concentrating their attention on the Bulldogs battle.
Jimmy Aiken, too, has been grooming for Massillon ever since his defeat by Steubenville, we are told. Like Coach Brown with Niles, Aiken tried to sidestep Oak Park, but got caught in the back wash. He could afford to take the chance, however, for a victory over the Tigers, as far as public opinion is concerned would be equal to 10 triumphs over distant Oak Park.
And so, Massillon can expect to find the McKinley Bulldogs at their best Saturday.
But to get back to last week’s 53-6 triumph at Niles. Coach Brown couldn’t have found a better practice game for his squad.
Get Pass Defense Drill The Tigers were opposed with vicious tackling and most of all, a forward and lateral passing attack that gave the local eleven a lesson in pass defense.
Niles scored but that made little difference for the Tiger goal line had already been crossed, but what was more alarming was the manner in which Niles scored and the many passes they completed against the Massillon eleven.
Canton scouts were in the stands and saw what was going on. In defense of the Tiger first team, however, it must be said that Niles scored and made the majority of their 15 first downs while the second team was on the field.
Those 15 first downs were more than any other team has been able to make against the Tigers this season. Practically all of the first downs were the result of passes. Niles completed 14 of them for a gain of 176 yards.
The Tigers on the other hand did some passing themselves. They scored three touchdowns with passes, one a heave of 52 yards and made one extra point on a pass. All told they made 23 first downs, with the second team playing half the game and two regulars, Howard Dutton and Neri Buggs on the sidelines in street clothes, suffering from colds.
Mike Byelene Shines It was Mike Byelene’s accurate arm and his slashing thrusts around end and off tackle that led the Tigers to victory, Saturday. He tossed passes for three touchdowns and one extra point and scored three touchdowns himself on runs of 57 yards, 10 yards and 22 yards.
His pass to Morningstar for the sixth touchdown of the game electrified the gallery and sent the crowd home wondering where this little fellow gets all the power in that right arm of his.
The ball was on the Tigers’ 44-yard line. Mike faded way back to his own 34 while Morningstar went down fast. With the wind at his back the Tiger quarter fired the ball. Traveling like a peg from the outfield it held its line and appeared too high for Morningstar to teach but Augie kept going, reached up, snared the ball on his 14-yard line and went on over for a touchdown.
Pass Brings First Score In fact it was one of Byelene’s fine passes that produced the first touchdown of the game. Massillon received the kickoff, but two five-yard penalties, one for being in motion and another for offside, forced Gillom to punt out on the 15-yard line. When three plays failed to gain but three yards, Yanus returned the punt to the Niles’ 47. On the first play Byelene ran 26 yards to the 21-yard line. Gillom made five but the Tigers were penalized 15 for holding. Byelene didn’t let that stop him. He stepped back and shot a pass which Charley Anderson took on the 10 and ran on for a touchdown. Bob Glass plunged the extra point across.
Niles received and Reese and Zuzolo made a first down on the Tigers 33. There they stopped and Massillon got the ball on a punt on their own 45. Glass rammed for 18 yards. Byelene made four, Gillom two and Glass made it first down on the 27. A pass was no good and the Tigers were penalized five yards for being off side. Jake Gillom got loose for 22 yards and a first down on the 10. Byelene went across and Glass plunged the extra point. The period ended with the score 14-0.
Niles immediately cut loose with a passing attack that began on its 20. Reese tossed to Kaye for 15 yards and to Yanus for a first on the Niles 48. Reese hit center for three and a 13-yard pass to Kaye took the ball in to Tiger territory. Reese got away to the Tiger 21-yard line. Zuzolo made a yard but Voss broke through and dropped Kaye for a loss of five. The threat ended when Ed Herring intercepted a pass and that set the Tigers in motion again.
Massillon was penalized five yards for offside but on the next play Herring got away to his own 43. On the first play Byelene cut inside his left tackle then headed toward the right sideline, reversed his field and ran 57 yards for a touchdown. Herring circled end for the extra point.
Pass To Anderson Nets Touchdown Niles fumbled the kickoff and a Tiger covered on the 30-yard line. The Tigers were offside on the first play and were penalized five. Byelene lost three yards but Herring made 11 on a fake at center. Snyder picked up two and Byelene passed to Anderson for the touchdown. Another pass to Anderson produced the extra point.
Niles received and a pass, Reese to Yanus put the ball in midfield. Two passes were batted down but on third down, Reese tossed a 10-yard pass to Yanus who shot a lateral to Boag, who ran 40 yards for the Niles touchdown. Reese tried to plunge for the extra point but failed. The half ended with the score 28-6.
Massillon kicked off at the start of the third period and Niles, failing to gain, punted to midfield. Gillom hit right tackle for 17. Byelene made 11 at left end putting the ball on the 22-yard line. Byelene went over for the touchdown. Glass tried to kick the extra point but missed.
Niles struck back with another passing attack that advanced the ball from the Niles 18 to the Massillon 28-yard line. There the Tigers braced and took the ball on downs on their own 32. Gillom made seven yards and Glass two. Byelene made it first down on the 49, but the Tigers were penalized five for offside. Byelene passed to Morningstar for a touchdown. The play was good for a gain of 56 yards. Glass placekicked the extra point. The third period ended with the score 41-6.
Fourth Quarter Massillon kicked to the 25. On the first play a forward pass Reese to Kaye and an intended lateral to Boag, gained a touchdown for Niles but the ball was called back and the touchdown was not allowed, the officials ruling the lateral traveled forward. It was a tough break for Niles. Niles completed two passes, one for 12 yards and one for six before Snyder intercepted Reese’s pass on the Massillon 37. Herring got away for 26 yards. Byelene and Snyder made it first down on the 15.
Byelene passed to Odell Gillom for what would have been a touchdown only that Gillom was out of bounds when he caught the ball. Byelene carried the ball to the one-yard line and Herring went over. Byelene’s pass for point was smothered.
An intercepted pass by Herring on the Niles 45 put the ball in place for the last touchdown. Snyder made four yards and Byelene passed to Herring for a first down on the 15. Snyder, running hard, went over the goal. Byelene’s pass for the extra point was batted down.
The Tigers threatened once again when Updegraff covered a fumble on the Niles 37. A 29-yard pass to Swoger, sub end, brought a first down on the six-yard line, but Niles covered Carter’s fumble and the game ended without any more scoring.
The Tiger band and several hundred Massillon fans followed the team to Niles. The band gave its usual fine performance between halves.
The concrete stadium in which the game was played was built with PWA funds. It has a seating capacity of 4,000. Less than 2,000 people attended the game. The day was cool and though fans drove through rain to Niles, it did not rain in that city prior to or during the game.
Massillon was penalized 50 yards to five yards for Niles.
Now For Canton Massillon Pos. Niles Anderson LE Delvaux Held LT Scarnerchik McDew LG Sawyer Voss C Tortello Woods RG Schink Moffett RT Zobitz Morningstar RE Yanus Byelene QB Reese Gillom LH Traxler Molinski RH Zuzolo Glass FB Kaye
History 
