MANSFIELD ENDS STRING AT 21 GAMES VISITORS NEARLY WIN GAME IN LAST SECONDS Tigers Encounter Unexpected Opposition and Are Fortunate to Escape With 6-6 Tie; Undefeated in 22 Games
By LUTHER EMERY
The first shock over, Coach Paul Brown and his Tigers settled down today to see what they can do about preventing a repetition of Saturday’s 6-6 tie game with Mansfield high.
Massillon was gloomy Saturday evening. The victorious winning streak had come to an end at 21 straight games. Fans trudged away from the park and slowly shook their heads. “What was wrong?”
Mansfield Happy Over Result A dripping ran fell at the right time to form an appropriate setting for the dismal picture, but it did not dampen the ardor of the Mansfield supporters. They took the tie score as a matter of victory and had every reason to rejoice, for their team was the first to tie Massillon in two seasons.
What was wrong?
The truth is there wasn’t much of anything wrong. The Tigers admittedly are not as strong or as versatile a ball club as that of last year. There were instances of poor judgment and a noticeable lack of drive but most of all they were up against a heavier and smart ball team that quickly adjusted itself to the Tiger offense and played inspired football.
Though Coach Brown shows signs of pessimism before all ball games, he honestly feared the outcome Saturday, but could not get his players to take the game seriously.
“Now you see what happens when everybody is telling them they will win by 20 or more points,” was his first comment after the game.
Tigers Still Undefeated But the first shock is over and with the passing of that shock comes the happy realization that the Tigers still are undefeated. With the sting of the tie score prodding them, they can go to work this week fully aware that they are not invincible and that they must be at their best if they are to beat Warren Friday evening.
No team was ever nearer losing its undefeated record than Massillon was Saturday. In fact had not a Mansfield player bumped Johnny Hallabrin, flashy halfback, just as he was regaining his balance, the visitors would have snatched victory out of the dampness in the closing seconds of the ball game.
It was a spectacular finish to a fine game. The Tigers had succeeded in advancing the ball past the middle of the field on two first downs, the only ones of the second half and Bob Glass selected a pass in a desperate effort to win for Massillon its 22nd game in the last 30 seconds.
Glass pitched and Johnny Hallabrin reached in the air to intercept the ball on his 30-yard line. Back the field he came and a wave of interference formed in front of him. He was by the middle of the field in no time and Massillon tacklers were being mowed down. At the 30-yard line a Massillon player got a hand on him near the sideline. Hallabrin whirled but the tug of the boy in orange threw him off balance and he staggered forward. He was just beginning to right himself when one of his interference, jammed in by another unsuccessful Tiger tackler, bumped him and knocked exhausted Johnny to the ground on the 20-yard line. Before the ball could again be put in play, the gun cracked, the game was over and Tiger fans, they eyes still bulging, were glad of it. For the first time in two years they had feared defeat.
A Well-Earned Tie Mansfield was delighted over the result. Fans blasted their horns and cheered as they streamed out of the city. They had a right to be proud, for their team had earned nothing short of a 6-6 tie and had shown Massillon two of the finest ends that ever played on Massillon field.
Russ Murphy, the Tyger coach, was more than happy. He didn’t do any boasting nor say much about his team save that it is the best since 1931, which numbered Inwood Smith and Frank Fisch, ex-Ohio State stars on its roster. Murphy had much to say of Massillon and the treatment recorded him here, however. “I like to play Massillon,” he said. “They play clean, hard football here and they have the right spirit. I like it. Sorry I’ve got to help Dials into the shower room.” And he grabbed his fine end who towered a head above him and poured words of praise into his ears so long that he walked into a shower himself.
Out of the shower room again, Murphy was asked whether his strategy in the second half was to play a defensive game and hold the Tigers’ to a tie score. His team had shown great success with the forward pass the first half, but only threw one pass in the third period which was intercepted.
“No sir,” was his reply. “We were out to win that ball game. I instructed my team to pass, but after the interception at the start of the second half, the boys were afraid. I even sent word to them to pass but they didn’t pitch until right at the end.” The Mansfield-gridders played smart football. They adjusted themselves to the Tiger offense after yielding a touchdown the first quarter and they stopped the Massillon eleven cold the last two periods.
Not until the last minute of the game did the local team make a first down in the second half. Then Glass in two plays went 12 yards and a five-yard penalty produced another on the following series.
Mansfield likewise had little in an offensive way.
Hallabrin Fine Back The Tygers had a halfback in Johnny Hallabrin who would make most any opponent jealous, but only once did he get away to a run of any distance from scrimmage and that was in the first period when he dashed 24 yards to carry the ball into Tiger territory. A pass to an ineligible receiver gave Massillon the ball and ended that threat.
The visitors, however, used their passes smartly and tossed the ball into the flats which were left unguarded by the Tiger 7-1-2-1 defense.
In fact Mansfield’s only offensive effort of the day was its touchdown march in the second period and passes were largely instrumental in producing the score.
Two of the Tygers’ three first downs were made in this march and they didn’t make a one thereafter. Massillon made eight first downs.
The Tigers scored the first time they came into possession of the ball and their pile driving offense caused everyone to believe the score would be something like what it was last year. Perhaps the players became imbued with the same feeling. At any rate they had a hard time gaining ground thereafter.
Massillon Scores Easily Mansfield received and when three plays lacked a foot of a first down, Hallabrin punted out of bounds on the Tiger 37. There Massillon launched its drive. Wyatt carried the first two times and gain4ed eight yards and Glass went through for a first down on the Mansfield 44-yard line. Glass tossed a long pass that Toles dropped so he turned to running again and carried the ball to a first down on the 22-yard line.
On the next play Elmer Dials, No. 47 to you, began to figure out how to stop Glass and tossed him for a yard loss. Bob got by on a delayed buck and carried to a first down on the nine-yard line.
The going was hard from there on. Wyatt made three yards at center and Glass a yard. Glass smacked again and put the ball on the yard line. The center of the Tygers’ wall was pushed back on fourth down and Glass went over. His kick was wide.
The local team launched another drive from midfield in the closing minutes of the quarter and aided by a 35-yard pass to Don Snavely carried the ball to the two-yard line, where on fourth down. Glass chose to pass to Howard in the end zone. The Tiger end was boxed-in, however and could not get out in time to get the ball.
Mansfield Picks Up It was the turning point of the ball game. Mansfield played inspired football after that. Following an exchange of punts, the Tygers came into possession of the ball on Massillon’s 45-yard line. A five-yard penalty for too many times out sat them back to midfield, but Hallabrin more than made it up when he tossed a pass to Majoy for a gain of 23 yards and a first down on the Massillon 27, Hallabrin tried to carry the ball but couldn’t gain so he stepped back and fired another pass to Majoy in the flat. Snavely tackled the receiver so hard that he turned a complete somersault and was knocked out as he landed on his back. He resumed play however and a pass to Bailet produced a first down on the Tiger four-yard line.
There the Massillon team dug in. Kinkle carried three yards on one attempt and moved it a foot nearer a second time. Hallabrin banged into the line and lost a foot. Fourth down coming and less than a yard to go; Hallabrin knifed through his left side for the score. He barely reached the goal line.
The placekick, which at the time didn’t appear so important but which in the end would have defeated the Tigers had it crossed the bar, struck the left upright slightly above the cross bar and bounded back.
That was the visitors’ only offensive maneuver and they didn’t come close again until the last play of the game when Hallabrin intercepted Glass’ pass and nearly got away for a touchdown.
The Tigers received and in a drive that netted two first downs, marched the ball up to the visitors’ 41-yard line where the gun stopped them.
The second half was a defensive battle from start to finish with neither team getting anywhere in its efforts.
Dials Outstanding End Dials, who was replaced by Luckie when injured the first half, got back into the ball game in the second half and gave the greatest exhibition of end play ever seen here.
He stopped everything the Tigers shot to the right and got around to lend a hand in many plays directed to the left side of the line.
Glass saved his team a lot of trouble at the start of the third period when he intercepted Hallabrin’s pass. The Tygers were afraid to throw after that and only tossed two more passes, completing one for a gain of six yards.
Save for the one 36 yard toss to Snavely, Massillon’s forward pass was a useless weapon. Five passes were incomplete, two intercepted and on numerous occasions receivers were so bottled up that Glass had to run with the ball after signaling for a pass.
The Massillon line played a fine defensive game but was out-charged much of the time when on offense.
Mansfield has a big ball team. One look at the visitors in the dressing room was sufficient to convince you they were heavier than the Tigers. They employed a 6-3-2 defense.
A penalty cut short what may have been an offensive bid on their part in the fourth quarter. A 15-yard pass was completed to Majoy that would have given the visitors a first down on the 35-yard line, but a Mansfield lineman was offside on the play and the Tygers were forced to punt.
The game will be replayed at a meeting of the Tiger Booster club in Washington high school tonight. Coach Brown will lead the discussion and tickets for Friday night’s game at Warren will be placed on sale.
The lineup and summary: Massillon Pos. Mansfield Howard LE Stehle Peters LT Heiser Houston LG Adams Martin C Ziegler Greenfielder RG Rupp Anderson RT Horvath Snavely RE Dials Snyder QB Majoy Glass LH Hallabrin Toles RH Linta Wyatt FB Bailet
10,000 FANS SEE TIGERS DEFEAT GARY GLASS AND SNAVELY SPARKLE IN OPENER Co-captains Lead Offensive and Defensive Efforts; Gary’s 13 Points Highest Made Against Massillon Team Since 1934
By LUTHER EMERY
Massillon’s football supremacy extended into Indiana today as citizens, students and even friendly enemies from Canton tried to find words of praise to bestow upon the Washington high Tigers for their 33-13 triumph last night over a stubborn Horace Mann high school team from Gary, Ind.
An overflow crowd of more than 10,000 fans jammed Massillon Field to see the Massillon champions of Ohio battle the champions of Indiana and the performance of the Tigers, particularly their first half performance when the entire eleven was intact, had the citizenry talking today.
Glass Leads Offense Led by shatter-proof Bob Glass, who smashed the ends like he hit off tackle and through Hogan’s alley last year, the Massillon boys pushed over three touchdowns in the first half and two in the third period and coasted in the last quarter with a team filled with substitutes.
But with all the hammering it received, Gary established a record for itself and one its boys are proud of in scoring two touchdowns against the Massillonians. No other team has done that the last two years.
Save on these two occasions when fullback, Marty Comer, tossed a long pass to Jerry Lewis and Hartwell Robinson outran the Tiger secondary for 50 yards to score touchdowns, the visitors showed little offensively. They made but four first downs to the Tigers’ 17 and seldom moved forward in their ball carrying attempts.
Defense Unorthodox On the other hand they presented a puzzling defense, unorthodox in many respects that fooled the local eleven time and again. The secondary charged the line.
That left a lot of territory unguarded and opened the way for passing. Two of Bob Glass’ passes hit their mark the first period when the Tigers showed their best offense. The aerial works was grounded after that, however, as Gary resorted to rushing the passer as a means of halting the attack. Nine times Glass and Slusser tossed the ball without success but not another pass was completed until the closing minute of the game.
As Coach Paul Brown had indicated, the Tigers relied principally on power. They ran the ends and smashed the tackles for long gains but found the center hard to penetrate. Comer and Charlie Block had things fairly bottled up there as they plugged on into the secondary. Both played fine defensive games.
The Tiger offense was centered principally in Glass, the only member of the backfield who could gain consistently. He will continue to bear the brunt of the offensive until another capable ball carrier is developed.
Warren Wyatt and Fred Toles occasionally got away for good gains but both showed their inexperience in open field running. George Slusser, running behind a second string line, gained considerable yardage in the last period.
Good Blocking The Tiger ball carriers were not alone in their efforts. They were supported with fine blocking by Red Snyder and Alvin Greenfield, who time and again cut down would be tacklers from the path of the ball carrier.
On defense, Don Snavely was outstanding. Using a 7-1-2-1 defense, he alone backed up the line and made tackles on either side.
The largest opening night crowd in the history of Washington high athletics witnessed the game. Long before the kickoff the stands were filled and general admission patrons lined the railing of the playing field.
They saw a colorful spectacle produced in a colorful setting.
Massillon Field was its prettiest. The heavy carpet of turf, a credit to caretaker Morley Griffith; the colors of schools floating from the stands; the march of the Legion drum corps and the music of the Washington high band and Beach City bands took the game out of the ordinary scholastic competition and placed it on a par with the ceremonies that preceded many intersectional college games.
Douglas Kerr, likeable coach of the visiting team was authority for the statement that the sight of the large crowd and the accompanying fanfare made his boys jittery at the start of the ball game. He praised the Massillon team as a “fine ball club” and was pleased with the treatment accorded his squad here.
Kerr believes his team did not show Massillon its best football. “My boys are having a hard time getting coordinated,” he said, “but we will get going in the next couple of weeks.”
Coach Brown expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of his second team.
Gary erred at the start when it won the toss and elected to kickoff. Comer booted the ball out of bounds and it went to Massillon on the 20-yard line.
Glass First to Score There the Tigers went to work and immediately demonstrated which team was the superior. Glass got 12 yards and a great shout went up from the stands. It was the first Tiger play of the season and forecast success. A moment later Glass reeled off 21 more, tossed a 16-yard pass to Toles and then cut for another 14. Wyatt got his hands on the ball for eight and planted the ball on the four-yard line. Glass plunged it over and kicked goal for the first points of the season.
The pigskin flashed over again in the same period when Toles pulled down Robinson’s pass, not in dangerous territory but back on his own 13-yard line. The spark flamed when a long run by Glass and a pass to Toles, put the ball on the 25-yard line. There Wyatt got up full steam and nearly shook himself loose for a touchdown, but Gary stopped his shuffle on the four-yard line where Glass gave him a second chance and over he went. Again Glass kicked the extra point.
It was not until late in the second period that the Tigers could again score. A 58-yard drive climaxed by Bob Howard’s end around sweep of nine yards produced the points. A Gary linesman blocked Glass’ placekick for the extra point.
A new Massillon team went on the field to finish the period. In fact, the Tigers had 12 men at one time and Gary ran two plays before the players themselves noticed it. A five-yard penalty on Massillon was the result.
The ball moved forward again in the third period with the first team back in the game but it was not until midway in the quarter that the Tigers could again get it over the Gary goal They launched their drive on their own 75 yard line and marched back 75 yards; Toles circling his left end for the points. Snavely caught Glass’ pass for the extra point but the officials ruled it out.
Snavely Blocks Punt The Tigers kicked off following the touchdown and when the visitors failed to make their yardage in three downs, Comer dropped back to punt. He never got it away. Snavely broke through, blocked the ball, then dribbled it down the field until he could gather it in his arms and race across the goal. Glass kicked the extra point.
Brown began altering his lineup with substitutes and the Tigers had little to show in an offensive way thereafter, save a bit of nice running by Slusser, substitute halfback.
It was left to Gary to produce the fireworks and the Hoosiers accommodated with two sparkling plays. The fourth quarter wasn’t old when Snyder got off a weak kick that went out of bounds on the Massillon 36-yard line. On the first play, Comer dropped back and fired a pass over the heads of the Tiger secondary to Lewis who raced 15 yards for a touchdown. Comer kicked goal.
The game was waning when Hartwell Robinson electrified the spectators with a 50-yard dash around his end. Accompanied by good blocking, he got by the line of scrimmage and out sped the Tiger secondary as he reversed his field to go over the goal line with nobody near him.
It was the longest official run of the game. Glass, early in the game had gotten away to a 61-yard dash but it was not permitted as the Tigers were guilty of failing to stop on their shift and were penalized 15 yards.
Five times the local team was penalized for the same offense. It received two other penalties, 15 yards for holding and five yards for having too many men on the field. Gary only lost 10 yards in penalties.
Massillon completed three of 11 passes for a gain of 63 yards. Gary completed three of 10 for 48 yards.
The lineup and summary: Gary Pos. Massillon Morrison LE Howard Oppman LT Peters Finley LG Houston Block C Martin Brozak RG Greenfelder Mathews RT Anderson Mihalick RE Snavely Robinson QB Snyder Holck LH Glass Lewis RH Toles Comer FB Wyatt
Score by quarters: Massillon 14 6 13 0 33 Gary 0 0 0 13 13
TIGERS BEAT BULLDOGS FOR OHIO SCHOLASTIC TITLE Stands Well Filled At Noon For Scholastic Grid Classic
CANTON REPOSITORY AND THE CANTON DAILY NEWS CANTON, OHIO, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1936
“How Many Of Those Massillon Boys Will Be Back Next Year?” Asks Coach Reed After Game
SEVERAL thousand persons were in their seats by noon and every available place was taken more than 30 minutes before game time. Scores of fans who had no tickets watched the game from a high bank south of the stadium and two daring boys braved the icy wind to see action from the upper limbs of a tree.
The crowd drew a record number of newspaper, radio and motion picture men who overflowed the regular press box and filled a new press box on the roof of the west stands. In addition to Canton and Massillon reporters there were representatives of all papers in Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Coshocton and Wheeling.
Taking the field at the half, Canton band members formed the outline of a Bulldog’s head on the turf. At a signal from the drum major each musician scattered white paper clippings at his feet, leaving a picture that survived second half play.
In spite of numerous warning signs, a few fans considered the Canton-Massillon game an occasion for alcoholic celebration. There was much banter and one or two little encounters, but on the whole the crowd was orderly.
Not counting obvious comments about the probable winner, the greatest question before the game started was, “Do you think it’s going to rain?”
Some thought it would remain clear, some thought it would rain and others voted for snow. All were right, for a light rain which began in the second quarter turned to snow at the half and stopped completely before the third period opened.
Ohio’s greatest scholastic football game brought to an end one of the greatest strings of consecutive victories ever credited to a coach. The defeat was Coach Johnny Reed’s first in 45 games played during the last five seasons. He won 35 straight at North Braddock, Pa., before coming to Canton and getting nine more.
To Coach Paul Brown of Massillon the victory meant retaining the mythical state championship and boosting the record of successive wins to 20.
As soon as the classic ended Saturday afternoon Coach Reed began thinking of next season. One of his first questions to newspaper men was, “How many of those boys will be playing for Massillon again next year?”
Massillon barely missed getting two more touchdowns. In the second quarter Byelene’s long pass to Gillom would have been a score had Gillom held on to the ball. In the fourth period Anderson ran wide around his left end and was forced out of bounds on the one yard line, sliding diagonally into the end zone.
Rain and snow whipped by a stiff northwest wind failed to chill the enthusiasm of rival rooters. Massillon cheerleaders cooked up a special cheer for the occasion. It went something like this: “California, Oregon, Arizona cactus; We play Canton Just for practice.”
Don Scott, Canton quarterback who injured his collarbone in the Alliance game last week, was in the game just long enough to say he played. He entered the game halfway through the final quarter and protested vigorously when Coach Reed ordered him out one play later. Reed wanted him to play but couldn’t take any chance of serious injury.
Spectators at Canton – Massillon games are good natured. They need to be to keep their poise when ushers, as happened yesterday, blandly tell them the seats they bought are occupied by someone else. In the east stands no aisles were provided; every inch of space was occupied.
A serious tragedy was imminent after the game when thousands of persons tried to leave the field through gates, which besides being too small to accommodate the exodus were blocked by wooden railings. The railings finally were torn down.
In the fourth quarter when it finally became plain to even the most hopeful McKinley fans that this wasn’t their team’s day, a disconsolate bettor in Sect. K turned around and hospitably invited one and all to come to see him any time during the next two weeks. “I’ll be staying inside,” he promised, then added, “and it’ll be beans on the table for Thanksgiving.”
Urchins did a thriving business underneath the east stands picking up pillows, pocketbooks and automobile robes. No, Horatio Alger, they didn’t give them back to their owners, not unless the owner happened to get there first.
To the gentleman who tired to persuade everyone to sit down – “so all of us can see better” – and ended up by standing on tiptoe to see anything at all: It’s still a good idea.
GLASS TALLIES 15 POINTS FOR STATE CHAMPS Leads Tigers to Decisive Victory Over Bulldogs and Grid Title
By Alex Zirin (Plain Dealer Staff Correspondent)
MASSILLON, O., Nov. 21 – Trampling their foes into the frozen sod with a magnificent display of balance and power, the raging Tigers of Massillon Washington High School today retained the mythical Ohio scholastic football championship.
Outplaying Canton McKinley’s Bulldogs at every turn, outfighting and outwitting them, the Tigers triumphed, 21 to 0, before a colorful throng of 21,000 spectators.
Canton never had a chance and again it was Massillon’s turn to howl. The celebration started as the final gun popped and promised to last until the wee hours of the morning.
Tenth in Row It was the tenth straight triumph of the year for the Tigers, who haven’t lost, incidentally, since they bowed to Canton in 1934. They closed with the amazing total of 443 points to fourteen for their foes.
Playing the role of the hero for the second straight year was stocky Bob Glass, who represents a coach’s dream of a fullback. Glass scored the touchdown that stopped the Bulldogs last year, 6 to 0. Today he ran wild, scoring two touchdowns and kicking three extra points.
Perfectly conditioned, despite the bear stories of injuries, Massillon opened and finished with the same eleven players. Canton, on the other hand, took a decisive beating and the Bulldogs were glad to settle for only three touchdowns. Glass scored his first tally in the second period on a 39-yard dash. The blocking that aided him was perfect. He went over again in the fourth period, after battering his way down to the 3.
Byelene Races 45 Yards Mike Byelene, captain and passer deluxe, crashed into the scoring column in the fourth period when he grabbed Pete Fiore’s desperate pass and raced 45 yards unmolested down the sidelines. All three of Glass’ placement attempts were high boots that split the uprights. Some lucky fan made off with a football, refusing to throw it back after Bob’s second extra point. The cops tried to spot the fortunate gent but drew only a copious round of Bronx cheers for their efforts.
Incidentally, the police had their hands full all day. The first Massillon touchdown was the signal for an outburst of fist fights all over the stands. Feeling was intense. Officials stopped a battle between players before any punches could be tossed. Every seat was occupied and hundreds were forced to stand, their teeth chattering as a bitter wind accompanied by snow swept over the field.
Canton’s rooters were bitterly disappointed at the showing of their favorites. They simply couldn’t understand it. There is only one explanation Massillon had a vastly superior team this year. The Bulldogs showed none of the class expected of them. They, too, entered the fray with a record of nine straight triumphs over a slightly better grade of opponents. However, it was again proved that past performances mean nothing when these two aggregations come together.
Tigers Start Early The Tigers were hot from the opening kickoff. Taking a poor punt on their own 40, they swept to the 22 before being stopped on downs. In this drive, Glass’ running and Byelene’s pass to Charley Anderson featured.
Two downs convinced Canton that the Massillon line was plenty tough and Jim Snyder got off a great punt to avert danger. But it was not long before Edgar Herring, a fleet halfback and Glass were again knocking at Canton’s goal door. This advance ended when Anderson narrowly missed Byelene’s pass. Massillon claimed interference, but it was not allowed. Again Canton tried the line and again had to punt.
Massillon had the ball on the McKinley 45 when period ended. On the first play Glass made the first down on the 48. Herring lost a yard but Byelene made 8. That set the stage for Glass. He burst through right guard, reversed his field and crossed the line standing up. The last man in his way, Barthel, was taken out by Warren Wyatt’s great block.
Fans Go Wild The stands trembled as the Massillon rooters broke loose. It required the combined efforts of the police, reserves, coaches and subs to keep the more boisterous fans off the field. Twice more in the period the Tigers threatened, only to lose the ball on downs each time.
Canton changed tactics in third period, but its passes failed to click. Meanwhile Massillon refused to take any chances, playing careful running football.
The Tigers opened up again in the final period. Byelene whirled around left end for 5. Glass made 2 at center and then ripped through right guard for a first down on the 23, Herring scooted around end for 8 yards and the Massillon rooters were yelling for a touchdown. A fumble by Glass lost 5 yards, but Anderson made a leaping catch of Byelene’s pass a foot away from the sidelines on the 9-yard marker. But there the Canton line tightened and the Bulldogs finally got the ball on their 2. Snyder backed up to the boundary fence but was rushed and his punt went out only to the 16.
Glass Plows Over There was no stopping Glass this time. In three crashes he went to the 3 and from there he whipped over right guard for his second touchdown.
Naturally Canton could do only one thing when it got the ball and that was to pass. But Massillon’s defense was too alert and when Byelene intercepted Fiore’s throw, there wasn’t a Bulldog within yards of him. He eased up and almost walked across the goal line. Save for one run of 40 yards by Ballos, the Bulldogs were stopped almost cold from scrimmage.
Anderson, who was supposed to be so badly hurt that he would never play again and Don Snavely, nephew of the former Shaw High coach, Jack Snavely, were outstanding on the line.
It can’t be said that Canton ever stopped trying but that wasn’t enough.
CANTON POS. MASSILLON J. Snyder LE Gillom Angelo LT J. Anderson Fife LG Wyatt Rice C Snavely Motley RG J. Miller Vierdo RT Peters Rotar RE E. Anderson Kamp Q Byelene Ballos LH Herring Barthel RH V. Snyder Fiore F Glass
Massillon 0 7 0 14 21
Substitutions: Canton – Long, re; Mould, re; Scott, re; Simon, c.
Touchdowns: Massillon – Glass 2; Byelene.
Points after touchdown: Massillon – Glass 3 (placements).
Referee – David Rees. Head Linesman – C.J. Graf. Umpire – W. Finsterwald. Field Judge – Verlin Jenkins.
Time of periods: 12 minutes.
Massillon Whips Canton Tigers Snare 20th Straight Glass Celebrates Birthday By Getting 15 Points
By HENRY ANDREWS (Times-Press Staff Correspondent)
MASSILLON, Nov. 21 – Somewhere in these United States there may be a better scholastic football team than Massillon High.
But the 18,500 persons who wedged themselves into Massillon Field this afternoon will doubt it. For they saw the “perfect team” on parade as Massillon marched to a 21-0 triumph over Canton McKinley in their clash for the state scholastic football title.
Win 20th Straight Primed and geared for action, this Massillon eleven rolled up 15 first downs and 21 points to carve out its 20th straight victory. The Tigers cut down opposing tacklers with buzz-saw efficiency.
They were stubborn on defense, permitting Canton to get beyond the mid-field stripe but once and then in the final 10 seconds of playing. This was a Canton team, mind you, that had tallied 379 points in winning nine straight games this season.
Celebrates Birthday Robert Lloyd Glass, Tigers fullback and the young gent who tallied the lone touchdown that beat Canton 6-0, in 1935, mounted to the heights again today as he scored 15 points – two touchdowns and three extra points.
Glass, who was celebrating his 19th birthday anniversary today, scored the Tigers’ first two touchdowns.
His first came early in the second period when he tucked the leather under his arm and pounded over his own right tackle for 38 yards with a horde of blockers clearing the path. Once into the clear, Glass had only Jack Barthel, Canton back, to pass for a touchdown. Barthel never had a chance as Guard Warren Wyatt of the Tigers cut him down with a scythe-like block.
Glass – But Not Fragile! The 170-pound Tiger fullback, an iron man if ever there was one, scored again in the final period after five successive line plunges. He started from the Canton 16, where Massillon got the ball on a poor punt by Canton’s Jim Snyder.
Over center he went for five yards. He made one more at the same spot and then five at left tackle for a first down on the Canton five. Getting the ball for the fourth successive time, he carried it to the two-yard line. Then on the next play, he found a mile-wide hole at center and crossed the goal standing up.
Michael Byelene, Massillon quarterback who whips passes a la Carl Hubbell, accounted for the Tigers’ final score when he intercepted Carl Fiore’s pass and ran 35 yards for a touchdown, out-maneuvering Fiore in his run for the marker.
Iron Man Act Coach Paul Brown of Massillon used the iron man act today, not substituting once. He didn’t need to. Each player more than filled his job. There were no individual stars, lest it be Glass, but even Glass had to have good blocking to do what he did. He got it.
Canton, on the other hand, was crippled by the loss of the 205-pound Don Scott, who entered the game for but one play and then was mercifully substituted by Coach John Reed. The youngster, suffering from a fractured collarbone, had no license in the bruising fray. His loss was felt keenly by Canton. Even with Scott and all the king’s horses and the king’s men, Canton would never have stopped Massillon today.
The defeat was a personal blow to Coach Reed, who succeeded Jimmy Aiken at Canton this season. Reed-coached elevens had won 44 straight games up until today when the former North Braddock, Pa., mentor’s record was snapped.
Canton Out Played Throughout Canton made but a net yardage of 38 yards from scrimmage and was held to three first downs.
Only time the Bulldogs eleven got beyond the midfield stripe was in the last 10 seconds when Barthel carried a Massillon kickoff to the Tigers’ 40 before being pushed out of bounds as the game ended.
Glass was Massillon’s outstanding ground-gainer, picking up 120 yards in 30 attempts – an average of four yards per try. Edgar Herring, Massillon’s fleet halfback, who played throughout the game although he was carried off the field at Barberton just a week ago with an injured ankle, gained 60 yards in 18 attempts.
Massillon Pos. Canton Gillom le Snyder J. Anderson lt Angelo Wyatt lg Fife Snavely c Rice Miller rg Motley Peters rt Vierdo C. Anderson re Rotar Byelene (C) qb Kamp Herring lh Ballos V. Snyder rh Barthel Glass fb Fiore
Score by periods: Massillon 0 7 0 14 21
Touchdowns: Massillon – Glass 2; Byelene.
Extra Points: Massillon – Glass 3 (all placements).
Referee – Rees (Dennison). Umpire – Finsterwald (O.S.U.). Head Linesman – Gray (Ohio State). Field Judge – Jenkins (Akron).
GAME FIGURES Canton-Massillon statistics Massillon Can. First downs 14 3 Yards gained, scrimmage 238 69 Yards lost, scrimmage 38 31 Net yards, scrimmage 200 38 Plays from scrimmage 61 24 Passes attempted 15 7 Passes completed 6 1 Passes intercepted by 2 1 Yards gained, passes 93 13 Fumbles 2 2 Opponent’s fumbles Recovered by 1 0 Yards lost, penalties 15 0 Average of punts 45 42 Yards gained, returned punts 57 12
TIGERS RETAIN OHIO SCHOLASTIC HONORS BY LACING BULLDOGS Record Crowd Of 21,000 Fans Watches Massillon Win Easily Over Traditional Rivals SMASHING ATTACK SURPRISES CANTON McKinley Eleven Loses First Game Of Season; Glass Stars For Winners, Scoring Twice
By JACK MAXWELL
A truly great Tiger football machine representing Washington high of Massillon rose to the occasion on its home field Saturday, completely outplaying the Bulldogs of Canton McKinley while winning 21-0 and repeating as scholastic champions of Ohio, defending the title taken from the Canton school last year.
The contest was witnessed by a throng of 21,000, largest in the history of football relations between the two schools.
The game opened on a dry field but leaden skies fulfilled their promise late in the first half and rain, followed by sleet, made playing conditions more difficult for the remainder of the encounter.
The Massillon conquest stretched the winning streak of Paul Brown’s machine to 20 straight victories, as the Tigers have not been defeated since McKinley turned the trick in the finale of 1934, in which the setup was identically the same as that of yesterday’s duel. The result in that year was just the reverse however, as the Bulldogs emerged from that battle on the long end of a 21-6 score which gave them a leading claim to the state title for that season.
Canton Hold Series Edge The Tiger win yesterday also brought the Massillon total to 16 for the inter-city series which started in 1894, Canton having been victorious 22 times with three games resulting in ties.
The defeat broke a winning streak for Coach Johnny Reed, who took over the Canton reins for the first time this fall. His string had reached 44 consecutive games with the Bulldog victory over Alliance a week earlier. Despite the loss yesterday, the McKinley season record of nine wins and one defeat definitely establishes Coach Reed as a success in his inaugural campaign in Canton.
The Bulldogs put up a game fight in defeat, but simply were opposed by a better ball club yesterday. A perusal of the statistics discloses that the Tigers had a wide margin of superiority in every department except punting, piling up 14 first downs to McKinley’s 3 and gaining 291 yards from scrimmage to 35. The greatest disappointment in the fracas from the standpoint of the followers was the manner in which their team’s line was out-charged and out-fought by the Massillon front wall. Except for very brief flashes of form, the Red and Black running attack, which had rolled over everything in its way in previous tilts this season, did not function, largely through the failure of the linemen to clear even the semblance of a path for their ball-toters.
The Tigers completely upset pre-game dope by the manner in which they accounted for the greater part of their yardage. It was expected that they would rely chiefly upon their aerial game, since they had scored the majority of their touchdowns this season on passes. On the contrary, however, their victory yesterday was almost entirely the result of one of the most powerful ground attacks seen on an Ohio scholastic gridiron in recent years. None of the scores was made directly on aerials, although Mike Byelene, captain and ace tosser, connected on six heaves, four of which were snagged by Charles Anderson, star wingman of Coach Brown’s aggregation.
Glass Repeats As Star The same Massillon performer who was the hero of the Tiger 6-0 defeat of the Bulldogs here last season proved their nemesis again yesterday. The boy in question, Fullback Bob Glass, unquestionably gave the outstanding exhibition of the contest. He scored the two touchdowns, the first of which came on a scintillating 37 yard run in the second quarter, placekicked all three extra points and was the spearhead of the Massillon attack throughout, seeming to be practically unstoppable on his thrusts through the McKinley line. In addition to his offensive activities, he also starred at right end on defense and on several occasions threw Bulldog ball carriers for losses.
Edgar Herring fleet halfback who had led the Tiger offense in their previous conquests, was stopped more effectively yesterday than he had been at any time before, but he eluded tacklers for nice gains several times. As aforementioned, Mike Byelene threw all of his team’s passes directed the machine well and threatened to get away around end at various junctures.
The entire Massillon line gave a colossal imitation of a stone wall on defense and gave the backs wide openings on many occasions. Don Snavely and Warren Wyatt were the standouts. Snavely played alert ball in backing up the line and put Canton in the hole when he covered Barthel’s fumble of a punt on the McKinley 11 yard line in the second period. Wyatt played in the Red and Black backfield a great part of the afternoon and spilled Carl Fiore when he went back to pass on two consecutive plays. Charley Anderson also put up his usual high type of ball at right end.
With their line infinitely superior, the Tigers were dominant from start to finish and only the determined defense of the Bulldogs inside of their 20 yard line prevented a complete rout. Time after time they staved off drives which deemed certain to produce touchdowns. In sharp contrast, McKinley never was in Massillon territory until Jack Barthel returned a kickoff 70 yards to the Tiger 20 on the final play.
After the opening kickoff, the Tigers started a drive which advanced them into scoring territory for the first time. Although the opening quarter, as was the entire contest, was played in Bulldog territory, Coach Brown’s combine failed to score.
After McKinley had held for downs on two occasions late in the first period, the Tigers crashed through with their first tally when there was apparently no danger. With the ball on the 37 yards stripe, Glass charged through right tackle, and with the aid of some beautiful blocking by his teammates, raced over for the touchdown.
The Reedmen came out following the halftime intermission apparently inspired with a new spirit and began to dig in and make the Tigers work much harder for their gains. Massillon’s powerhouse continued to function steadily, however, although the Bulldogs repelled all scoring threats in the period.
Early in the final quarter Glass’ plunges and a pass from Byelene to Anderson put the ball on the 1 yard stripe but McKinley gamely stopped the advance and took the ball on downs.
The Bulldogs’ escape from danger was short-lived, though, for Snyder got off his only poor kick of the contest at this point, as it went out of bounds on his own 16. Glass made the tally on five plunges, most of them off right tackle.
With the closing minutes of the game ticking away, McKinley then resorted to a desperate aerial attack in an effort to stave off defeat, but two passes were incomplete and Mike Byelene intercepted a third after an exchange of punts and dashed 32 yards for the final touchdown.
Barthel’s previously recounted return of the following kickoff ended the game.
No McKinley back could rightly be called an offensive star, as the opportunities for ball carrying brilliance were extremely limited.
Capt. Pete Ballos and Jack Barthel made the only two-substantial gains garnered by the Bulldog running attack. Ballos getting away for a 35 yard jaunt in the waning minutes of the first half and Barthel running the last kickoff 70 yards just before the final gun boomed for the offensive highlight of the contest from a Canton viewpoint.
Ballos, closing a scholastic gridiron career which has been one of the most brilliant in McKinley high history, battled every inch of the way yesterday and exhorted his teammates to do likewise throughout the encounter. He came up fast from his defensive post time after time to smear Tiger backs who had got through the first line of defense and played his heart out even after Massillon had apparently clinched the victory.
Carl Fiore, subbing for the injured Don Scott played a good defensive game, especially against the high-touted Washington passing attack.
Scott, regular Canton field general who incurred a fractured collarbone in making a touchdown against Alliance last week but who was expected to see extended action yesterday, took part in only one play of the tilt. Coach Reed decided before the game that Scott’s injury was too serious to warrant his performing and came to the conclusion that it would be better to weaken his team’s effectiveness than to risk permanent injury to his big quarterback and perhaps prevent a promising collegiate gridiron career. Reed’s insertion of Scott for a few brief seconds yesterday was a thoughtful gesture on the mentor’s part to give the boy the satisfaction of seeing service in his last game at McKinley.
Although Scott’s presence in the lineup undoubtedly would have caused his mates to make a better showing, both on offense and defense, it cannot fairly be said that his participation would have changed the result. The Massillon margin of superiority was so clearly evident that the ability of one player could not possibly have made the difference between victory and defeat.
The three Bulldog linemen who fought the hardest were also players making their final appearance in a Red and Black uniform, Chuck Rice, Jim Snyder and Joe Angelo. Rice climaxed a season of brilliant defensive work by backing up the front wall in stellar fashion. Snyder divided his time on defense between halfback and end and performed well at both posts. Although opportunities for flashing the particular ability for which he has become famous were few, that is his prowess for snagging passes, he starred yesterday in punting, a department which he was handling for the first time. His brilliant booting in the first half got the Bulldogs out of a bad situation time after time and he averaged 40 yards on eight kicks, one of which traveled 55 yards.
Angelo was the main bulwark in the middle of the line and had a hand in practically every play. Although Joe’s work has never been flashy throughout his two year high school football career, he has always been a dependable performer and yesterday he stood out when some of his teammates failed to reach their usual standard.
Too Much Glass McKINEY Pos. MASSILLON J. Snyder LE Gillom Angelo LT J. Anderson Fife LG Wyatt Rice C Snavely Motley RG J. Miller Virdo RT Peters Rotar RE C. Anderson Fiore QB Byelene Ballos LH Herring Barthel RH Snyder Kamp FB Glass
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