Tag: <span>Bob Khoenle</span>

Massillon vs. McK - Throwback (Large) History

1952: Massillon 41, Canton McKinley 8

TIGERS BEAT BULLDOGS 41-8 IN BID FOR FIFTH STATE TITLE
Await Outcome Of Final Press Poll;  Massillon Gridders End Undefeated Season With Victory Over Old Rival

By LUTHER EMERY

Having completed an undefeated season by whipping Canton McKinley 41-8 here Saturday afternoon, the Washington high Tigers today awaited the final Associated Press poll of the season Tuesday which is expect to name them state champions for the fifth straight year.

Program Cover

Virtually all but one of the writers who saw the Tigers maul the Bulldogs were ready to give Massillon the title after the game. Springfield’s representative, Dan Hoyt, wasn’t convinced, and remained loyal to his own Wildcats, for which we don’t blame him one bit. “I’d like to see the two teams meet, it would be a good game,” he said. Dan didn’t think McKinley very strong, but he should remember that the Bulldogs came within two points of beating Mansfield as badly as the latter was beaten by Springfield Friday.

The Cleveland, Canton and Akron papers in their Sunday write-ups gave the Tigers the title, which shows the line of thought of some of the boys.

The ballots were being cast today and Tuesday the results should be known.
* * *
THE TIGER victory over McKinley, scored before a paid attendance of 17,830, climaxed a great season for the Tigers and the team will go down in Massillon pigskin history as one of the greatest.

The victory extended to two games the Tiger edge over the Bulldogs in their 57-game series that dates back to 1894. Massillon has now won 27, Canton 25, while five ended in tie scores.

The triumph brought Massillon’s victory string to 13 games. It was the 47th win for Chuck Mather since he took over the helm here in 1948, and his second undefeated season.

His 1948, 1949 and 1951 teams each lost one game.

“I wouldn’t say this team was better than the undefeated 1950 team,” Mather said after the game. “We had a good bunch of fellows then, too. But I will say this was one of the best and certainly a fine bunch of players to work with.”
* * *
THE TIGER COACH gave them all a big pat on the back as he made the rounds in the hilarious locker room after the game.

The players themselves bore the marks of a hard-fought contest. They were scratched and bruised, and Fullback Lee Nussbaum, who emerged from the contest as the leading ground gainer, didn’t know the score. He had suffered a slight concussion which had him somewhat foggy for several hours.

Coach Mather gave the Bulldogs credit for playing a hard game and was even louder in the praise of his opponent after looking over the motion pictures Sunday. “If we hadn’t been up we would have lost this one,” he said. “Do you know they hit us three times as hard as we were hit all season? They were playing their hearts out. So were our boys and that’s the only reason we won.”

The hard play caused tempers to flare and Bob Khoenle and Sam Williams of Massillon and two Canton players were tossed out by the officials; Williams in the third period and Khoenle in the fourth.
* * *
MATHER was critical of the officiating. “It was the poorest officiated game I ever saw and you can quote me as saying so,” he said after going over the pictures.

Mather was a little disappointed in Misere’s performance until he saw the pictures. “After watching the pictures I admire how that little fellow stayed in there and took it. He really got a going over when passing,” he said.

Mather said he wasn’t going to single out any individual for praise. “They all did well, otherwise we couldn’t have won,” he said.

We noted, however, that he was particularly pleased with the way Nussbaum came through in his last high school game. He broke the Bulldogs’ back on the opening play from scrimmage with an end sweep of 40 yards and he finished the day with a fraction less than nine yards per try for the 21 times he carried the ball.
* * *
LEE GAINED 181 yards, John Traylor 93, John Francisco 54, John Tasseff 40 and Clarence Stewart 21.

The Tigers rolled up 390 yards by rushing, lost 28 for a net of 362. They gained 65 yards by passing, giving them a net of 427.

Their total offense in victory was as superior to the Bulldogs as the score on the board. McKinley gained 70 yards rushing and lost 21 for a net of 49. They gained 121 yards passing for a total net offense of 170 yards. First downs were just as one-sided, 22-7 in favor of the Tigers.
* * *
WHILE the ball carriers were having a track meet, the Tiger line and defense should be given a big share of the credit.

The linemen, Bob Khoenle, Sam Williams, Jim Geiser, Bruce Schram, Bob Clinage, Bob Kraus and Frank Corral slit the Bulldog forward wall wide open and consistently made big holes for the ball carriers to romp through. Their charge at the same time so bottled up the Bulldog backs that they spent much of their time running in their own backfield.

John Goodrich, ace of the Canton team, for instance, gained but 11 yards and lost seven, for a net gain of four in the eight times he carried the ball. Leading ground gainer was Dick Albert, the Canton ball carrier who had 21 yards to show for the five times he sneaked through center with the pigskin from his quarterback position.

The Tiger blocking was likewise something to behold. It was at its best on a 33-yard punt return by Traylor and a 32-yard run for the second touchdown of the game from a deep reverse. Johnny had five teammates convoying him over the goal line.
* * *
HARDEST TOUCHDOWN run was that unleashed by John Tasseff substituting for Johnny Francisco when the latter injured his leg. It was a 31-yard fourth period effort in which Tasseff raced down the sideline and without too much help shook off three Canton tacklers in disdain as they took their turn at trying to bring him down. The run produced the Tigers’ fifth T.D.

The game had its oddities, and two of them combined to give McKinley a safety, its first points of the game.

Willard Grimsley, who played a great defensive game for Canton and whose hard tackling stopped what might have been two or three more Tiger touchdowns, got off a beautiful
49-yard punt in the fourth quarter that stopped dead just inches short of the goal. We had not seen such a kick this season. Traylor stood with his heels against the end zone line as though to punt back, but ran with the ball. He barely got out, but Misere was caught pushing in the end zone which gave McKinley two points.
* * *
THE TWO POINTS seemed to pep up the Bulldogs because they took the following free kick on their 47 and in three plays had a touchdown, Albert tossing to Kenny Young for 49 yards and the score.

It was actually the only Bulldog threat. Canton never got over the 50-yard line the first quarter; got no closer than the 42 the second, and otherwise made its deepest penetration to the third when it marched to a first down on the 32 only to lose the ball on John Climo’s pass interception on the 14-yard line.

In addition to their touchdown bid the Bulldogs twice barely got over the 50-yard line in the fourth quarter, reaching the 42 both times.

The Tigers, on the other hand were dangerous every time they had the ball. Two 15-yard penalties for clipping and a couple of intercepted passes probably kept them from scoring two or three more.

In fact an intercepted pass stopped the initial march that might have gone for a score. This break however, was offset by Sam Williams, covering a Canton fumble on the seven and one-half yard line on the series of plays that followed.
* * *
WINNING the toss the Tigers elected to receive.

Traylor brought the kickoff back to the 26 and on the first play Nussbaum whirled around left end and went 40 yards to the Canton 34 where he was knocked out of bounds. Three plays gained but six yards and Misere’s fourth down pass was intercepted by Bob Washburn on the Canton 14.

The Bulldogs gained but a yard on two plays and Washburn fumbled on third down; Williams covering on the seven and one-half. The Bulldogs yielded ground stubbornly. Nussbaum carried twice and gained but three yards. Traylor on third down put the ball a foot short of the goal with a terrific lunge and Nussbaum took it over. Four minutes and 42 seconds of the period had expired. Tom Boone kicked the extra point, 7-0.
* * *
THE TIGERS stopped the Bulldogs on the 31 on the next series of plays forcing them to punt. Traylor made a brilliant 33-yard return to his 45. On second d own Misere tossed to Francisco for 29 yards and a first down on the 23 but the Tigers were penalized 15 for clipping, bringing the ball back to the McKinley 49. (The movies showed no violation). Francisco, Traylor and Nussbaum took turns at lugging the leather to the 20 where Misere was tossed for a 12-yard loss when he couldn’t find a receiver to pass to. That set the stage for one of the prettiest plays of the game, a deep reverse that saw Traylor come around his right end behind superb blocking for 32 yards and a touchdown. Boone’s kick was good. 14-0.

The Tigers were two-thirds of the way through the second period before they scored again. A 15-yard penalty for illegal use of the hands tied them up the first time they had the ball, forcing them to punt. They marched to a touchdown the next time, after getting the leather when Grimsley punted and out on the Massillon 31. Nussbaum put together runs of 16 and 24 yards in the drive that went to the four where the big fullback rammed it over. Boone kicked the extra point. 21-0.

The Tigers were on their way again in the period when Goodrich ended the threat by intercepting Misere’s pass on the Canton 38.

The locals scored the first time they got the ball in the third period but it took a lot of hard football to get it. Climo got the leather by intercepting Albert’s pass on the 14. A 13-yard pass, Misere to Bob Khoenle picked up a first down and the Bulldgos had a 15-yard penalty slapped on them for unnecessary roughness. Misere hurled a sweep pass to Tasseff good for 44 yards and a touchdown that went for naught because of the Tigers’ “illegal procedure”. Some hard running by Nussbaum and Tasseff and Misere’s 23-yard pitch to Khoenle put the ball on the four. On fourth down Misere bucked through center for the last foot and the fourth touchdown of the game. Again Boone kicked the extra point. 28-0
* * *
A 15-YARD penalty wiped out a first down on the Bulldog 30 late in the third quarter, forcing the Tigers to punt. Next time they got the ball which was early in the fourth period, they drove for their fifth touchdown. It started from the Canton 44. With Nussbaum dong most of the lugging, including a 24-yard effort, the Tigers moved the leather to the 31 and set the stage for Tasseff’s fine touchdown sprint. Boone missed his try for point. 34-0

Canton came back to score the safety and the touchdown already recorded here.

Boone’s interception of Albert’s pass and a runback of 16 yards put the ball on the Canton 14 and in position for the final points of the game. Francisco and Traylor took it to the three and Traylor went through the left side for the touchdown. Boone kicked the extra point. 41-8.

10 In A Row

MASSILLON
ENDS – Williams, Khoenle, Letcavits, Crone, Gardner.
TACKLES – Geiser, Schram, Younkers, Gumpp, Rubio.
GUARDS – Clinage, Kraus, Shilling, Agnes, Dean, Fabianich.
CENTERS – Corral, Kimmins.
QUARTERBACKS – Misere, Johnson, Porter.
HALFBACKS – Traylor, Francisco, Boone, Millar, Floyd, Mlincek, Climo, Tasseff, Longshore.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart, Stone.

McKINLEY
ENDS – Sheeler, Umbles, Young, Carter.
TACKLES – Cole, Barber, Kompara.
GUARDS – Wildes, Fach.
CENTERS – Noel, Rehfus.
QUARTERBACK – Albert.
HALFBACKS – Goodrich, Washburn, Grimsley, Bednareyz, Matthew.
FULLBACKS – Good, Burke, Mack.

Score by periods:
Massillon 14 7 7 13 41
McKinley 0 0 0 8 8

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Nussbaum 2; Traylor 2; Tasseff; Misere.
McKinley – Young.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Boone 4 (placekicks).

Safety – McKinley

Referee – Tobin.
Umpire – Rupp.
Head Linesman – Schill.
Field Judge – Sebastian.

Statistics
Mass. McK
First downs 22 7
Passes attempted 12 24
Passes completed 4 10
Had passes intercepted 3 2
Yards gained passing 65 121
Yards gained rushing 390 70
Total yards gained 455 191
Yards lost 29 21
Net yards gained 427 170
Times kicked off 8 2
Average kickoff (yards) 38 51
Yards kickoffs returned by 35 128
Times punted 2 6
Average punt (yards) 38 34
Yards punts returned by 35 20
Times fumbled 2 5
Lost ball on fumbles 0 3
Times penalized 6 7
Yards penalized 70 54

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
MASSILLON
Player Times Carried Gained Lost
Nussbaum 21 181 0
Traylor 6 93 4
Francisco 9 54 0
Misere 5 1 24
Tasseff 4 40 0
Stewart 3 21 0
TOTALS 58 390 28

CANTON
Goodrich 8 11 7
Good 5 18 2
Washburn 1 0 8
Albert 5 21 0
Grimsley 4 11 4
Burke 2 9 0
TOTALS 25 70 21

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1952: Massillon 68, Youngstown South 13

Tigers Crush Youngstown South 68-13
Massillon Team Scores Five Touchdowns On 10 Plays From Scrimmage

By LUTHER EMERY

Ever see a football team gain 412 yards from the line of scrimmage and still get walloped 68-13? Or did you ever see a player carry the ball three times and make three touchdowns; or a team make five touchdowns in its first 10 plays?

That’s what happened in Tiger stadium Friday evening when the Washington high school gridders swamped Youngstown South before 8,496 fans, the smallest crowd of the season.

Sports writers couldn’t believe their own statistics at the end of the game and made a recheck before being satisfied that:

South in losing had made 20 first downs and had gained 412 yards from scrimmage.

John Traylor was given the ball only three times and scored on each attempt.

Five touchdowns were scored on the first 10 plays the Tigers’ ran from scrimmage, four of the downs being consumed to get the first one.
* * *
OF COURSE the Tigers made more first downs and rolled up more yardage, 21 and 531. With losses deducted, the locals had 526 but South still had a net of 346, enough to win most football games.

The big hunk of yardage they gained, sort of tempered the shellacking for the visiting Warriors who for some reason or other appeared scared when they set foot in the stadium.

Certainly they were not the football team that had rolled to victory in its last four games including a triumph over Ursuline, the latter’s only loss of the season.

The Tigers, taking advantage of the visitors’ fright, shoved over five touchdowns on their first 10 plays from scrimmage, an almost unbelievable feat, and rolled along on a mass of substitutions the last three periods of the game.

Coach Chuck Mather gave 41 boys a chance to show off before their fathers on Dads’ Night, and there were a lot of proud papas in the group as backs raced to long runs behind some of the sharpest blocking and best timing ever seen in Tiger stadium.
* * *
SIX MEMBERS of the team got into the scoring act, John Tasseff, ably replacing the injured John Francisco, scored three times; so did John Traylor. Lee Nussbaum went over twice, while Clarence Stewart, chugged for one and Bobby Joe Johnson another. Tom Boone, kicking better than anytime this season booted eight of 10 attempts from placement.

The score could have been whatever Coach Mather had wanted it that night. He began filling his lineup with substitutes immediately after the fourth touchdown in the first period, and it went on and on throughout the game. And some of the boys really sparkled. Prominent among them was Roy Johnson, who did a neat job of quarterbacking, and Chug Chug Stewart, who was just about unstoppable. Up front was Jim Letcavits, and we will excuse his fumble in the last minute of the game, which could have given the Tigers the highest point total made by a Massillon team in the last quarter of a century. We’ll excuse it because the team was shooting for a total score. It probably could have set a new all-time high for Massillon teams last week, as well as this, had Mather permitted his regulars to run for most of the game.

In rolling to their ninth straight victory of the season, the regulars barely got warmed up for their finale with Canton McKinley next week, practice for which will begin in secrecy Monday afternoon.

“We are not going to let this one throw us off guard,” Coach Mather said after the game. “We know McKinley will be tough next Saturday and will be prepared to give us our hardest game of the season. So we are going to take extra precautions to be ready for it.”
* * *
THE TIGERS emerged from last night’s clash without any serious injuries. Most seriously hurt is John Francisco, the left halfback, who pulled a muscle in his right leg while (of all things) sprinting in a race for backs at the close of practice Wednesday. John was kept out of last night’s game but he should be ready to go against the Bulldogs next Saturday.

While Chug Stewart did the entertaining in the second half of the game, the boy who grabbed the limelight early in the contest and who put South to rout was little Johnny Traylor. The Mighty Atom had as perfect a night as a halfback could have. He carried the ball three times and scored three touchdowns. He went 85 yards for one, 66 yards for another and four yards for his third. And that friends, was all there was. He didn’t carry anymore. Try to match that one. He should have been wearing No. 77 instead of 52.

While the Tigers had their stars, so did South. Bob Zack, did some good passing and hard running for the visitors and L.C. Morgan was all over the place, running fairly well, and catching passes along with sticky fingers Russell Taylor. Passes accounted for 296 of the Warriors’ yards and they completed 15 of their 37 throws. They would have had a T.D. early in the game had the receiver looked around for the ball in the end zone before Morgan hit him on the back with it. They lost another touchdown later on in being offside on a successful pass play.

The first period was only two minutes and five seconds old when the Tigers got their first touchdown. John Climo gained the ball by flopping on a fumbled lateral on the 10-yard line. Lee Nussbaum went over from the one on fourth down to get the Tiger team into production.
* * *
SOUTH came right back with a fancy attack that moved from its 17 to the Tiger four where Morgan was thrown back to his 15 trying to pass. On the first play, Traylor flanked his line and sped 85 yards for the locals’ second score. It only took a minute and 53 seconds to get another. The Tigers got the ball on the 34 when the visitors; Bob Ripple punted out of bounds. Traylor was turned loose around his left side and he went all the way again with half a dozen Tigers convoying him over the goal.

It took two plays to get the next. Ripple kicked the ball to his 48 where it rolled dead without a return. Bob Misere passed to Khoenle for a first down on the Tiger 36, and then pitched a lateral to Nussbaum who went the rest of the distance.

On the second play of the second quarter, Boone intercepted one of Zacks’ passes on his 48 and it took Tasseff two plays to go the remainder of the distance. He went for 12, then for 40 and the Tigers were in front 34-0.

The Warriors came back with a flourish and crossed the Tiger goal twice before they were allowed a legitimate touchdown. Once Morgan pitched to Bob Scheidemantel for 25 yards, but South was offside and drew a five-yard penalty. The Tigers took the ball on downs, but South regained it on Wesley Overly on the Massillon 49. A six-yard pass, Morgan to Zack and a 40-yarder, Morgan to Traylor put the ball on the three, where Morgan went over for the touchdown.
* * *
BILL STONE’S interception of Zack’s pass and his run back to the 33, set up the Tigers’ sixth touchdown of the first half. Misere pitched out to Nussbaum for a gain of 12 and Tasseff raced 17 yards to the four. Traylor circled end for his third touchdown and the half ended with the score 41-7.

Coach Mather used a second team throughout most of the last half, and the boys showed their strength by taking the kickoff on the 29 and marching straight up the field to score, with Stewart going the last 25 on a pitchout.

The next time they got the ball (through a punt) they marched 74 yards in five plays to score. It went like this: Tasseff 25, Stewart 16, Stewart 11, John Mlincek 11, Tasseff 11 and a touchdown. That concluded the third period point production which ended 54-7.

The fourth period was less than four minutes old when the Tigers scored again. This time they went 55 yards in their march with Tasseff running hard for the last 18.

Another followed in just 31 seconds. Tasseff covered Morgan’s fumble of the kickoff and on the first play Bobby Joe Johnson dashed for the six points – Massillon’s last touchdown.
* * *
SOUTH CAME back with an aerial attack that carried from when the kickoff was downed on the 36 to the Tiger 26. At this point Morgan tossed a screen pass to Bob Durkin who went all the way.

The game was in its closing stages as Mlincek made a fine return of the kickoff to his 40 and then raced 32 yards to his 26. The Tigers moved it forward six more when Roy Johnson pitched a beauty to Jim Letcavits who caught the ball on the 10 and went to the one, where he fumbled when tackled. The ball rolled over the goal line and out of bounds in the end zone, thus becoming a touchback and giving South the ball on its 20.

Had Letcavits hung on the Tigers probably would have scored and rolled up the highest number of points made by a Massillon team since the defeat of Erie East 74-0 in 1940; had they kicked the extra point it would have been the biggest total since the locals won from Alliance, 77-0 in 1924.

The game was unusual for its lack of rule infractions. Only five times did the officials step off penalties and none for more than five yards. The Tigers had three of them and South two.

MASSILLON
ENDS – Williams, Khoenle, Letcavits, Crone, Gardner, Lantz.
TACKLES – Geiser, Schram, Lopez, Agnes, Dean, Rubio, Woolley, Feather, Gumpp Younkers.
GUARDS – Clinage, Shilling, Fabianich, Kraus, Eaglowski.
CENTERS – Corral, Kimmins, Fisher.
QUARTERBACKS – Misere, Porter, Crescenze, R. Johnson.
HALFBACKS – Traylor, Tasseff, Floyd, Longshore, Mlincek, Millar, Boekel, Boone, Climo, Byrd, Bob Johnson.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stone, Stewart.

SOUTH
ENDS – Chmielewski, Schoessel, Cercone, Burich, Sedlar, Taylor.
TACKLES – McMullen, Marriott, Bergman, Balocco.
GUARDS – Drotlieff, Ripple, Soos, Booker.
CENTER – Soller.
QUARTERBACKS – Durkin, Simon.
HALFBACKS – Morgan, Scheidemantel, McElroy, Tomlin, Mancini,
Overly.
FULLBACK – Zack.

Score by periods:
Massillon 27 14 13 14 68
Waite 0 7 0 6 13

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Traylor 3; Tasseff 3; Nussbaum 2; Stewart, Johnson.
South – Morgan; Durkin.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Boone 8 (placement).
South – Durkin (placement).

Referee – Pianowski.
Umpire – Lymper.
Head Linesman – Landrum.
Field Judge – Walker.

STATISTICS
Mass. South
First downs 21 20
Passes attempted 14 37
Passes completed 5 15
Had passes intercepted 4 2
Yards gained passing 89 296
Yards gained rushing 442 116
Total yards gained 531 412
Yards lost 5 66
Net yards gained 526 346
Times kicked off 10 3
Average kickoff (yards) 46 34
Yards kickoffs returned by 51 150
Times punted 1 6
Average punt (yards) 45 34
Yards punts returned by 5 19
Times fumbled 3 7
Lost ball on fumbles 1 2
Times penalized 3 2
Yards penalized 15 10

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1952: Massillon 60, Toledo Waite 19

Tigers Blast Toledo Waite High 60-19
Massillon Gridders Roll Up 47 Points In First Half To Win Eighth Game

By LUTHER EMERY

The Washington high school Tigers drove to their eighth victory of the season here Friday evening through more red flag waving than could be seen on a May Day in Moscow Square.

Toledo Waite was their victim and 8,992 fans saw the Tigers run roughshod over the Indians 60-19 while flags were dropping everywhere on the field for rule violations.

Never have we seen so many penalties. The Tigers were penalized 12 times, Toledo Waite seven, and the headache was big enough without trying to add up how many more were called but refused by the two teams.

It reached a high at one time in the second period when Massillon players were penalized on eight consecutive plays. In most instances they were the result of a group of substitutes getting off side or in motion in their eagerness to beat down the foe.
* * *
WITH THEIR offense in high gear, the Massillon boys ran over four touchdowns the first period, had two others called back, and led by 47-0 at the end of the half.

Waite, better organized the last half, outscored the Tigers 19-13 as Coach Chuck Mather filled his ranks with substitutes. A team of Massillon sophomores was on the field part of the time.

The 60-19 score should be enough to get the Tigers additional prestige in the Associated Press poll. It probably could have been 100 to 0 had Coach Mather permitted his first team to play the entire game.

But Chuck opened the gates of mercy early. In fact he began sending in numerous substitutes in the first quarter after the Tigers had scored their fourth touchdown in rapid succession, and the field seemed flooded with humanity from there on in. If you knew who was playing or who played you had better vision than the pairs of eyes of those trying to keep track of players from the press box. We had to call on Chuck after the game to give us the names of all who participated. There were 51 in all.
* * *
THE SUBSTITUTIONS combined with flag waving served to slow the Tiger drive in the second half.
Seldom have we seen a team strike with the power unleashed by the Tigers in the first period of last night’s game. The linemen leveled the Toledo forward wall with their charge and the Tiger backs ran with ease. There seemed to be nothing to it at all and the Waite collapse was complete toward the end of the period when Johnny Traylor went 98 yards for the fourth touchdown of the game. Just two plays before, Lee Nussbaum had gone 99 yards for a touchdown but it was not allowed because the Tigers were in motion.

Mather began pouring in the subs after that and they too got into the scoring act and scored three touchdowns all by themselves in the second period.

Leading by 47-0 at the half, the locals pushed over single touchdowns in each of the third and fourth periods, while Waite was scoring thrice against a defensive team composed of substitutes.

The crowd was the smallest, the game the longest, and the poorest from the standpoint of fan interest and the penalties the heaviest we have seen in many a day.
* * *
THE END of the contest found only about half the spectators remaining in the stands. The wholesale substitutions and the delays and ground lost through the continuous string of penalties resulted in many fans walking out from the third period on.

We’ll defend the substituting for it gave a lot of boys who have been working hard every night, their first opportunity to participate in a game, and that’s a big moment for them and their parents.

Eight Tigers shared in the 60 points, Traylor and Nussbaum each scoring two touchdowns. John Francisco, John Tasseff, Bob Khoenle, Bob Crone and Clarence Stewart getting one each and Tom Boone kicking six extra points.

What fired the Tigers or what caused Toledo Waite to virtually throw up the white flag from the start we will never know.
* * *
IT TOOK ONLY four plays to get the first touchdown from the kickoff, Traylor skirting left end for the last 45 yards and the six points. Only a minute and 42 seconds had expired. Bob Khoenle’s interception of a Toledo pass on the 18, set up the second touchdown and John Francisco lugged it from that spot for the six points. The clock showed seven minutes and 51 seconds of the period remaining. It took only a minute and 11 seconds to get the next one. Sam Williams started it off by covering a Waite fumble on the 35. He snatched a 13-yard pass for a first on the 22 and Francisco lugged it to the 11. A pitchout to Nussbaum was the next play and he went over with all Indians in pursuit.

Traylor’s 98-yard run produced the fourth of the period after one by Nussbaum had not been allowed. Before the period was over Traylor was away for a 51-yard touchdown return of a punt but it was not allowed and the Tigers had to eventually punt.

Continually stopped by penalties a team of Tiger substitutes finally got going and scored again when Roy Johnson pitched to Bob Crone for 18 yards and a first down on the three and Stewart chugged over with the score.

A 36-yard return of a punt by Traylor to the Waite 44, and a 32-yard jaunt by John Mlincek, put the ball on the 12 where John Tasseff took it over for the sixth touchdown of the game. The seventh came when Willie Longshore covered a Waite fumble on the 18 and Johnson promptly pitched to Crone for the six points.
* * *
THE TIGER first team struggled through most of the third period before it could again ram over a touchdown. Interference was called on a 34-yard pass, Misere to Khoenle that put the ball in position on the 18, and Nussbaum took it over on two plays.

The Tigers last points came in the fourth with Misere completing three passes to Khoenle, the last being good for 24 yards and a T.D.

While the Tiger first offensive team played most of the second half, the locals’ defensive unit was composed of second ,third, fourth and fifth stringers. It was against this group that Waite managed to shove over three touchdowns.

The first was made by John McNeil from the one-half-yard line, culminating a drive of 71 yards. The score was 53-0 against Waite at the time. The visitors scored again on a well executed pass, Joe Knosky to Jack Thompson. The play was good for 65 yards. The visitors’ final points were likewise scored on a pass, Knosky to Ron Lane, good for 22 yards.
* * *
THE STATISTICS were just was strongly as the scoreboard in the Tigers’ favor: 23 first downs to seven and 574 yards gained to 216 yards. The percentage of pass completions was not so good; with the receivers being as much at fault as the passers. Only six of 23 Tiger throws hit the mark for 127 yards. Waite completed eight of 20 for 182 yards.

The Tigers’ early period rush was helped a lot through fumbles by Waite and pass interceptions.

The Indians had four fumbles during the night and lost the ball all four times. They likewise had five passes intercepted. In fact their first three passes were intercepted, and when one was finally completed somebody wryly commented in the press box “up to now he has a perfect record.”

The Waite team was the poorest Waite team we have seen, and yet the Indians were supposed to have one of their best this year. We tried to find out what was wrong but always received the answer, “Waite just doesn’t have it this year.”

We knew as much, for the Indians are still looking for their first victory. Their best effort this season was a 14-14- ties with Canton McKinley.
* * *
FOR STATE CHAMPS, the Tigers were guilty of an inexcusable blunder in the fourth quarter when they permitted a Waite kickoff to roll untouched on the field. A kickoff is a free ball, and a Waite player pounced on it to gain the leather on the Massillon 22. Only good that could possibly result from the error was that in as one-sided a contest as that of last night, it didn’t hurt any, and should alert the Tigers so that it will never happen again.
Fans got a bang out of Stewart’s chugging. Once he tried to stiff-arm a Waite tackler, but couldn’t reach his chin.

The Massillon gridders in their fooling around gave Traylor and Francisco an opportunity to throw their first passes of the season. Fans also got a peek at the two boys who will do the quarterbacking next year, Roy Johnson and Richie Crescenze, and wondered where the former got all the power in his small frame to throw the ball 50 yards.

Attention pollsters!

When comparing scores for voting purposes note these:
Springfield 28, Lima Central 0.
Lima Central 21, Toledo Waite 19.
Massillon 60, Toledo Waite 19.

A Bit One-Sided

MASSILLON
ENDS – Williams, Khoenle, Letcavits, Crone, R. Francisco, Getz, Gardner, Speck, Lentz, Longshore.
TACKLES – Geiser, Schram, Younkers, Gumpp, Woolley, Lopez, Rubio, Dean.
GUARDS – Clinage, Shilling, Kraus, Fabianich, Rohrbaugh, Yoder, Eaglowski, Agnes.
CENTERS – Corral, Kimmins, Jones, Grant, Fisher.
QUARTERBACKS – Misere, R. Johnson, Crescenze, Porter, Fromholtz.
HALFBACKS – Francisco, Traylor, Tasseff, Boone, Floyd, Boekel, Byrd, Mlincek, Millar, Climo.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart, Stone, Lorch, Bob Johnson.

WAITE
ENDS – Blanton, Alexander, Schaefer, Lane.
TACKLES – Veres, Durham, Knitz, Barber, Yost, Cummings, Kuebbler.
GUARDS – Alello, Mlynek, Corns.
CENTERS – Scott, Heider.
QUARTERBACKS – Knosky, Galyas.
HALFBACKS – Veler, Thompson, Pickering, Wlodarz.
FULLBACKS – McNeil, Youngs.

Score by periods:
Massillon 28 19 6 7 60
Waite 0 0 7 12 19

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Traylor 2; Francisco; Nussbaum 2; Stewart; Crone; Khoenle; Tasseff.
Waite – McNeil; Thompson; Lane.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Boone 6 (placekicks).
Waite – Veres (placekicks).

Officials:
Referee – Rupp.
Umpire – Donges.
Head Linesman – Newman.
Field Judge – Machock.

STATISTICS
Mass. Waite
First downs 23 7
Passes attempted 23 20
Passes completed 6 8
Had passes intercepted 1 5
Yards gained passing 127 182
Yards gained rushing 447 34
Total yards gained 574 216
Yards lost 43 52
Net yards gained 531 164
Times kicked off 9 5
Average kickoffs (yards) 45 43
Yards kickoffs returned by 84 204
Times punted 4 4
Average punt (yards) 37 46
Yards punts returned by 49 32
Times fumbled 3 4
Lost ball on fumbles 2 4
Times penalized 12 7
Yards penalized 106 83

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1952: Massillon 31, Warren Harding 0

Tigers Crush Warren 31-0
Massillon Gridders Beat Rival By Biggest Point Margin In Last 10 Years

By LUTHER EMERY

Little Bob Misere got out of his sick bed Friday evening to pass and guide the Washington high school Tigers to their most important victory of the season, a 31-0 triumph over Warren Harding high school’s tough Panthers witnessed by 15,798 fans in Tiger stadium.

It was Bob, ill with the flu the last three days, who pitched the ball for the first and last touchdowns and otherwise handled the ball well from his quarterback post.

He had Capt. Bob Khoenle and Sam Williams on the receiving end of his touchdown passes and he completed 50 percent of 10 throws for 130 yards.

And right behind Misere as an offensive standout came little Johnny Traylor, who twice raced to two touchdowns and had his greatest effort of all – a 63-yard run – called back because of illegal formation.

In front of them, performing like demons was the big Tiger line which protected Misere, opened holes for Traylor and his halfback running mate, Johnny Francisco, and battered Warren to a standstill most of the game.

Give the Tiger defense a lot of the credit for the victory. Not once did Warren move the ball through its own efforts inside the Massillon 40-yard line. It got into Tiger territory three times by covering Massillon fumbles, but was never closer than 27 yards to the goal.

It was a hard fought contest.

Warren came to Massillon to win and tackled viciously, but was fortunate to escape without more points being scored against it.

Not only was Traylor’s long T.D. run of 63 yards called back, but the Tigers had what appeared to be a first period touchdown in the making when they lost the ball through a fumble on the Warren 14-yard line.
* * *
THEN TOO, the locals gave the ball away to the Panthers three other times on fumbles to halt offensive marches.

Not once did the Tigers punt the entire game. On several occasions they had to go for yardage on fourth down, but they made it every time with but two exceptions, one being stopped on a mix-up in plays.
The loss was only Warren’s second of the season. The Panthers came here boasting victories over Collinwood, Canton McKinley, Campbell, Mansfield and Cleveland East Tech. Their lone loss was to Cleveland Benedictine, which Dick Olmstead, Warren Tribune sports editor, says couldn’t begin to match the Tigers.
* * *
THE 31-POINT margin of victory was the biggest spread of points between the two teams in the last 10 years of competition.

The margin of victory over an opponent as strong and reputable as Warren should help convince the pollsters who have been participating in the weekly balloting to pick the leaders in the Ohio high school race.

Warren ranked ninth in the pool the past week, was among the leaders in the last year’s balloting and was the only team to defeat the Tigers in 1951. Were it not for that loss the Massillon gridders would now own a string of 31 victories.

The Tigers probably had that in mind when they turned on the steam last night.

They had to turn it on to overcome the series of disheartening breaks that beset them the first half. Coach Chuck Mather substituted freely in the later stages of the game. He used 26 players in all as he gave a flock of juniors a chance to see more action.
* * *
MATHER was jubilant, and there was a bigger crowd and more rejoicing in the dressing room after the game – indicative that the Tigers had won the big one.

Gridiron music reached our ears as we walked into the dressing room and we even looked around to see if Ernie Godfrey, Ohio State’s assistant coach and noise maker, had brought along the record player he used to key the Bucks for their win over Wisconsin. However, we found the Tigers had their own chairman of noise, who took over in the equipment room.

It all was good.

It’s just as we said – the big one was in the bag.

There are three more to go – Toledo Waite, Youngstown South and Canton McKinley, none as powerful as Warren, but any one capable of doing things when it is up and the opponent down. The Tigers cannot afford to be down from here on in.

All of the Tigers’ five touchdowns came like bolts out a starry sky. The teams had battled through a scoreless first quarter and a third of the second quarter had gone by when the orange and black found itself with the ball, fourth down to go, on Warren’s 10-yard line and three yards needed for a first down. Cooly, Quarterback Misere stepped back, flipped the ball to Capt. Khoenle who went right on over for the first touchdown of the game.
* * *
THE PERIOD was two-thirds gone when Warren’s Dave Preston punted the ball to the Massillon 13. The Tigers drove for two first downs to their own 44, where Traylor broke up through his left tackle and supported by some very fine blocking, went 56 yards to score the second touchdown of the game.

With Massillon leading 13-0 at the half, the teams throttled each other’s scoring efforts in the third period, the Tigers messing up one of their own opportunities by the illegal formation on which Traylor had crossed the goal after a 63-yard run; the fanciest bit of footwork of the game.

The fourth period was less than half a minute old, however, before the Tigers struck for the third time, and again it was a quickie with Traylor scooting for 33 yards to climax a drive that began when Warren lost the ball on downs on its own 28.

Khoenle furnished more fireworks four minutes later when Warren’s Jim Seem got off a wobbly pass when he tried to throw while being tackled. Bob gathered it in on his 45 and set free with a fine block by John Climo, went 55 yards for the Tigers fourth touchdown.
* * *
THE LAST POINTS rode in one the arm of Misere to the waiting hands of Sam Williams, who pulled in the leather near the goal line and went over for a net gain of 45 yards.

The longest pass of the game did not count, a 49-yarder in the first period that Misere threw to Traylor which would have provided the Tigers with a first down on the Warren 14-yard line. But Johnny fumbled when tackled and Warren recovered.

While the Tiger offense rolled to 31 points, 17 first downs, and 363 net yards from scrimmage, its defense was putting up its best exhibition of the season.

Mather used a defense with quick changing variations designed to confuse the Panthers. It succeeded and the visitors were bumping their heads into Tigers all evening. They gained but 68 net yards rushing and were held to five first downs. Not since the 1942 team beat Warren 32-0 has there been as big a spread of points in a Massillon-Warren game. Closest to it was in 1948 when the Tigers won by a 25-point margin.

Warren’s defensive ends, Jack Vair and Phil Reed throttled most of the Tigers’ end sweeps last night. “We just couldn’t handle then,” Mather said after the game. “I thought their work was outstanding.”

Because of the defensive ability of this pair, Fullback Lee Nussbaum was given a rough evening and practically got nowhere on his runs from a pitchout.

While Warren backs did little running from scrimmage, the way they returned kickoffs was evidence of what could have happened had not the Tiger line and linebackers kept Jim Rogers, Salvi Merolla and Bob Barbutes bottled up on the line of scrimmage. The Panthers returned kickoffs for 28, 21, 33, 19, 15 and seven yards ,or a total of 123 yards, and almost got away a couple of times for touchdown runs.

The line-ups and summary:

MASSILLON
ENDS – Williams, Khoenle, Letcavits, Crone,
TACKLES – Schram, Geiser, Dean, Gumpp.
GUARDS – Clinage, Kraus, Agnes, Shilling, Fabianich.
CENTER – Corral.
QUARTERBACKS – Misere, Crescenze.
HALFBACKS – Francisco, Traylor, Boone, Tasseff, Floyd, Longshore, Stone, Climo, Millar.
FULLBACK – Nussbaum.

WARREN
ENDS – Vair, Sibera, Kelly.
TACKLES – Tayala, Baker, Simmons, Nagy, Luoma.
GUARDS – Riffle, Simone, Bowen, Canzonetta.
CENTER – Pincipi.
QUARTERBACKS – Seem, Preston.
HALFBACKS – Barbutes, Merolla, Venetta, Smith, Maniatis.
FULLBACKS – C. Rogers, Reed, Dubasik.

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 13 0 18 31

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Khoenle 2; Traylor 2; Williams.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Boone (placekick).

Referee – Jack McPhee.
Umpire – John Russ.
Field Judge – Irvin Shopbell.
Head Linesman – Andy Lindsay.

STATISTICS
Mass. Warren
First downs 17 5
Passes attempted 10 14
Passes completed 5 4
Had Passes intercepted 1 2
Yards gained passing 130 31
Yards gained rushing 248 98
Total yards gained 378 129
Yards lost 15 30
Net yards gained 363 99
Kickoffs 6 1
Average kickoff (yards) 50 55
Yards kickoffs returned by 20 123
Punts 0 5
Average punt – 32
Yards punts returned by 8 –
Times fumbled 7 6
Lost ball on fumbles 4 2
Times penalized 4 3
Yards penalized 20 25

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1952: Massillon 40, Mansfield 0

Tigers Unleash Power To Humble Mansfield
Massillon Gridders Roll Up 33 Points In First Half And Win 40-0

By LUTHER EMERY

A band of aroused Tigers struck five times in the first half and once more in the second, Friday evening, t hand Mansfield its worst defeat of the season, a 40-0 licking in its own backyard, before an overflow crowd of 13,000 spectators.

Surprising even their most optimistic fans, the Massillon gridders opening up with a devastating attack from the first whistle, shoved over 33 points in two periods, and coasted in while Coach Chuck Mather tossed in 27 players against the hard pressed Mansfield team.

It was the first time this season that the Massillon eleven had tied into a foe as viciously as did the Tiger team last night. It had gotten into the habit of being beaten to the punch in the opening minutes and having to come from behind to gain the lead.

Not so last night. The Tigers not only flashed power and legged it for long touchdown runs but they played defensive ball, particularly in the first half when they only allowed the Mansfield eleven a net gain of 31 yards, while rolling up 194.
* * *
JOHN FRANCISCO and Bob Khoenle emerged the heroes of the game. Hard running Johnny scored three touchdowns, one of them on a 34-yard run, while Capt. Bob intercepted three Mansfield passes to help the Tigers control the ball.

Playing without fleet Johnny Traylor, who injured a leg two weeks ago and hurt it again last week, the brunt of the offensive work was carried by Francisco and Fullback Lee Nussbaum, who seemed to hold the center of Mansfield attention. Between them they did most of the leather lugging, though John Tasseff, carrying the ball for only the third time this season, reeled off the Tigers last touchdown run with a power burst of speed for 56 yards, the longest jaunt of the game.

The visitors had Nussbaum’s end run plays well scouted. He lost about as much as he gained on them, though he did rip off a number of yards through other holes and scored once on a wedge power play from the six-yard line. Bob Misere tallied the sixth touchdown on a buck through center with the ball inches short of the goal line. Tom Boone kicked the four extra points and missed two others.

Coach Bill Peterson wasn’t at all complimentary after the game. He appeared to think Mather’s Tigers were too touchdown hungry and that Mather was trying to run his team out of the ball park. It looked that way the first half and the Tigers almost did, but the fact, that they scored but seven points the last two periods didn’t in any way soothe Bill’s soul.
* * *
BETTER DEFENSIVE play on Mansfield’s part and considerable substituting by Coach Mather, held down the score the last two periods. The Tiger mentor used 27 players in the game putting in most of his replacements the last two periods.

Mansfield, in fact, played the Tigers on almost even terms the second half, making more first downs gaining virtually as many yards but failing to score.

Mansfield had few scoring opportunities. Only once did it get close, that coming right at the end of the second period on a pass interception on the Massillon 15-yard line. The gun cracked before the ball could be put in play. The Tygers penetrated their deepest toward the end of the game when they pushed through to a first down on the Massillon 31, only to have a pass intercepted by Khoenle on the next play.

Later on they managed to again cross the 50-yard stripe but when they reached the 40, they had another pass intercepted by Tom Boone and the game was over.
* * *
FROM THE START it was evident that it wasn’t Mansfield’s night. The Tygers drew a 15-yard penalty on the first kickoff for being late on the field and though they managed to stop Massillon’s first offensive effort, they were found wanting the second time the Tigers got the ball.

Starting from their own 22, they overcame a five-yard penalty for being in motion as Nussbaum reeled off 16 yards and Francisco got loose for 45 and a first down on the eight.

John Climo got his chance and went for two and Francisco shot through right tackle standing up for the touchdown and first points of the game. Boone missed the attempted kick for the extra point.

Four minutes and 45 seconds of the period remained to be played and in that small space of time, the Tigers stopped a Mansfield offensive effort, took the ball on a punt and scored again. Francisco again angled the leather into position with a 24-yard return of a punt that put the ball on the 26. He moved it on up to the seven by catching a 15-yard pass from Misere and Nussbaum went over just as the period ended. Again Boone missed the try for the extra point and the quarter closed 12-0.

No one foresaw the rout of Mansfield in the second period.

This time it was Khoenle who got the ball for the Tigers through a pass interception and set them in position on the 32. A five-yard penalty took the leather back to the 37 but it mattered naught for Francisco bolted through for 34 yards and his second T.D. This time Boone kicked the extra point and made the score 19-0.
* * *
IT WASN’T long until the point total ran up to 26, thanks to Khoenle again intercepting a Mansfield pass on his 28 and running it back to the 13. On the first play Francisco cleverly circled this right end for the score.

Climo furnished the next taste of poison for Mansfield when he pulled down a Tyger pass on the 28. A pass to Sam Williams got a first down on the 15 and another to Khoenle put the ball on the three. Nussbaum virtually laid it on the goal line from which spot Misere rammed over and Boone kicked the 33rd point.

Neither team threatened in the third period and the Tigers struck but once in the fourth when Tasseff got away to his 56-yard run.

The Tigers had another in the making when Jim Letcavits caught a fine pass from Misere and then fumbled, losing the ball on the 16.

Give Tackle Dick Guy (No. 44 to you folks who were at the game) a lot of credit for playing a good defensive game for Mansfield. Bobby Joe Johnson, breaking into the Tiger lineup for the first time this season probably wonders what he ever did to Guy to make him made at him. Bobby couldn’t even get his best foot forward before Guy would nail him.

John Climo, filling in for the injured Traylor, played the bulk of the game on both offense and defense and showed the scars of battle when it was over. His face was marred with bruises and a couple of times he had to take time out because of cramps in his legs. Otherwise the Tigers escaped without serious injuries.

The game went down as just another defeat for Mansfield in its long rivalry with Massillon that dates back to 1936. Only once has Mansfield beaten the Tigers, Augie Morningstar’s team doing it here in 1949. There have been three ties along the way, 1937, 1941, and 1948.

The line-up and summary:

MASSILLON
ENDS – Williams, Khoenle, Letcavits, Longshore.
TACKLES – Schram, Geiser, Agnes, Younkers, Gumpp, Dean.
GUARDS – Clinage, Kraus, Fabianich, Shilling.
CENTER – Corral.
QUARTERBACK – Misere.
HALFBACKS – Francisco, Climo, Tasseff, Boone, Stone, Johnson, Floyd, Millar, Traylor.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart.

MANSFIELD
ENDS – Shasky, Fry, Smith.
TACKLES – Eliot, Guy, McGinty, Steele, Moore, Kirk.
GUARDS – B. Diemer, M. Rupp, G. Yeakam.
CENTERS – Garrett, Meane.
QUARTERBACKS – Carbetta, Henkel.
HALFBACKS – E. Mack, Jones, Todd.
FULLBACKS – N. Diemer, Shauck, Thompson.

Score by periods:
Massillon 12 21 0 7 40

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Francisco 3; Nussbaum; Misere; Tasseff.

Points after touchdowns:
Massillon – Boone 4 (placekicks).

Referee – Vogelgesang.
Umpire – Pasini.
Field Judge –Walker.
Head Linesman – Moore.

STATISTICS
Mass. Mansf.
First downs 11 11
Passes attempted 9 19
Passes completed 4 4
Had passes intercepted 1 5
Yards gained passing 44 80
Yards gained rushing 319 132
Total yards gained 363 212
Yards lost 23 36
Net yards gained 340 176
Times kicked off 7 1
Average kickoff (yards) 47 27
Yards kickoffs returned by 7 68
Times punted 4 7
Average punt (yards) 32 34
Yards punts returned by 59 17
Fumbles 2 4
Lost ball on fumbles 1 0
Times penalized 7 6
Yards penalized 55 50

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1952: Massillon 27, Alliance 21

11,000 See Tigers Defeat Alliance 27-21
Massillon Gridders Win Dizzy Game From State’s Seventh Ranking Eleven

By LUTHER EMERY

If you are dizzy today you must have been one of the 11,000 fans who saw a dizzy football game Friday evening in Mt. Union stadium, in which the Washington high Tigers shaded the Alliance Aviators 27-21 in a thrilling game that had everything including:

Two consecutive kickoff returns for touchdowns, one the season’s longest run, 104 yards by John Francisco, the other a 77-yard effort by Lee Nussbaum.

Two passers completing 50 per cent of their tosses.

The losing team making 16 first downs to the winner’s 11 and gaining exactly the same net yardage from scrimmage.

It was a thriller-diller of a contest with Alliance playing inspired ball, throwing and completing passes all over the gridiron to control the leather, but never able to regain the lead after dropping it in the second period.
* * *
THE AVIATOR fans were so jubilant after the contest that they did much of the horn blowing. Most of them expected to see their team beaten by three touchdowns, and were happy that they had been treated to as close a score.

Coach Chuck Mather and his Massillon crew, on the other hand, were not so happy. Remembering a couple of fumbles and intercepted passes that gave the ball back to the Aviators, they seemed to think they had not played a particularly good game. But in their disappointment at not having rolled up a larger score they apparently forgot that they were playing the No. 7 team in the state and one that we believe deserves an even higher ranking. Futhermore, the Aviators had six regulars back for their offensive team; the Tigers none.

Rarely will you see a team return two consecutive kickoffs for touchdowns and yet only win by six points. That’s the kind of dizzy game it was, and that’s why the Tigers are still undefeated today.

Thus Francisco and Nussbaum emerged the heroes of the contest, but only because they had some excellent blocking in front of them.
* * *
JOHN in particular received able support. The Tigers were leading 14-7 when they lined up for the kickoff at the start of the second half. Burwell Baddelely’s kick bounced on the 15 and over the arms of Francisco when he tried to take it. Most people thought it hit John, and thought that was the reason why he picked up the ball then hesitated four yards behind the goal, before running with it.

“I was just trying to decide what to do,” said John, when asked after the game the reason for the temporary pause.

Maybe the pause threw the Aviators off guard, but whatever it was, Johnny ran right out through them while his blockers chopped down tacklers. One Tiger peeled off three at a time. We combed the locker room after the game, but none took credit. John Tasseff got one tackler, Andy Fabianich two, and Sam Williams cut down two as Francisco bolted out of the end zone and headed up field.

Bill Burger of Alliance took after him at the 30 but neither Francisco could gain nor Burger close the gap in the race for the goal line. A Tiger blocker had in mind throwing a block on Burger at midfield, but did not have good position and surely would have clipped had he attempted it. Francisco with a five-yard lead outdistanced his pursuer the last 15 yards and could hardly stand up from exhaustion after he got into the end zone.
* * *
THE TOUCHDOWN would have caused many an opponent to have blown sky high, but not Alliance, for the Aviators were waiting for this game and it wasn’t long before they had another touchdown for themselves on a well aimed 28-yard pass from strong-armed Len Dawson to End Ray Olds.

That brought the Aviators up to within striking distance again, 20-14, but only for a moment, for next time they kicked off, Nussbaum gathered in the leather on the 23 and went 77 yards to score. He was through the whole Alliance team in a jiffy, and there was never any doubt once he got going that he would out run’em all.

Touchdowns on consecutive kickoffs!

We haven’t heard of that in a long time, but it still didn’t kill off Alliance. The Aviators had a great passing weapon in Dawson and some smart receivers and they just kept throwing until three completions took the ball to the eight from which the Aviators hammered it over with Dawson sneaking through from his quarterback spot for the last six inches.
* * *
TIGER FANS were mighty happy Alliance didn’t get the ball anymore, and to keep them from it the locals had to make a desperate play on fourth down with seven to go to control the leather. They succeeded and were marching toward the Alliance goal for what might have been another T.D. when the game came to an end.

That accounts for the second half scoring.

What went on to the first half was almost as startling except that it was at the beginning instead of toward the end of the game.

Alliance, after recovering a Massillon fumble on the Massillon 29, was first to score. A
24-yard pass, Dawson to Olds produced it, the latter going up in the air to take the ball right out of the arms of a Massillon defender in the end zone.

An Alliance fumble, covered by Ronnie Agnes on the Tiger 48, was the start of the local team’s first touchdown drive which was scored principally through the Alliance specialty – forward pass. Bob Misere began pitching and hit Capt. Bob Khoenle twice for 27 yards and 14 yards. That got the ball down to the 11 where Traylor shot around his left end for the points. Tom Boone’s kick tied it up 7-7.
* * *
THE NEXT ONE came cheap for the Tigers, thanks to their defensive unit. They got to breaking through on Dawson, tossed him for a couple of losses and when he dropped back close to his goal line he was rushed so badly he was unable to get the ball away.

The Tigers took over on the two but were forced back to the six when Misere couldn’t find anyone to hand off to. He hit Khoenle, however, with a pretty jump pass over center that Bob took in the end zone for six points. Boone made it 14.

It appeared as though that Tigers had the Aviators at the breaking point when they marched down to the Alliance 16 next time they got the ball, but they lost it there on a first down fumble and the Aviators took over.

It wasn’t difficult to pick out the Alliance star. Dawson was the individual. Not only did he complete 16 of 32 passes for 220 yards, but he also punted, kicked the three extra points, passed for two of the touchdowns, scored the third himself and kicked off part of the time. Without him Alliance would not have too much armor. The Aviators appear only to be able to run because of Dawson’s threat as a passer. They have a hard-hitting back in Homer Young, who did most of the ground work, scoring principally on a short pitch on an end sweep.
* * *
DAWSON was not at his best physically for the game either. He injured his left shoulder last week which kept him out of practice the first two days of the week according to Alliance newspapermen.

While Misere of the Tigers did not throw nearly as passes, he had the same percentage of completions. In fact, Bob had the better of it the first half when he completed four of six while Dawson was completing seven of 12.

The Tigers tried only two passes the second half, and did not complete either. One was intercepted.

Yardage of the two teams was the same, the Massillon statistician showing both teams with a net 234.

The Aviators actually gained the most, 334, but they also lost 100 when Tiger tacklers broke through to smear Dawson while attempting to pass or to nail Young on pitchouts.

The local team made 179 yards on the ground and 69 through the air for a total of 248, but only lost 14 from scrimmage, giving the same net gain from scrimmage as Alliance 234 yards.

The Tigers ran 22 plays from scrimmage the second half. You don’t run a lot of plays and gain a lot of yardage from scrimmage when you return kickoffs for touchdowns. However, if you add the kickoff returns to yards gained from scrimmage you have 429 for the Tigers to 303 for Alliance. After all, that yardage represents the difference.

The Tigers emerged from the game in fairly good condition with the exception of Traylor, who aggravated a leg injury.

The play of the Alliance team was a fine tribute to Mel Knowlton, native Massillonian and former junior high and high school coach here, and Julius Tongas, another Massillon man and assistant to Mel.

Mel really had his team riding high for the contest. It was the third straight week the Tigers have been called upon to face a team in which a former Massillon man was a member of the coaching staff.

Two weeks ago the Tigers played Steubenville coached by Ray Hoyman, ex-Massilonian. Last week they played Barberton where Fred Cardinal, ex-Massillonian, helps out. Next week they meet Mansfield where Bill Peterson, another ex-Massillon assistant coach, is head mentor.

The line-ups and summary:

MASSILLON
ENDS – Crone, Khoenle, Williams, Letcavits.
TACKLES – Schram, Geiser, Younkers, Dean.
GUARDS – Clinage, Kraus, Fabianich, Agnes.
CENTER – Corral.
QUARTERBACK – Misere.
HALFBACKS – Traylor, Francisco, Tasseff. Climo, Boone.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart.

ALLIANCE
ENDS – Aton, Olds, Giovanatto.
TACKLES – Galehouse, Fucci, Kracker, Deack, Jones.
GUARDS – Stanish, Stranges, Tasker, Zavarelli.
CENTER – Feller.
QUARTERBACK – Dawson.
HALFBACKS – Burger, Davis, Baddeley, Hawkins, Boring.
FULLBACK – Young.

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 7 13 0 27
Alliance 7 0 7 7 21

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Traylor; Khoenle; Francisco; Nussbaum.
Alliance – Olds 2; Dawson.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Boone 3 (placements).
Alliance – Dawson 3 (placement).

Referee – Tobin.
Umpire – Russ.
Head Linesman – Lindsay.
Field Judge – Holzbach.

STATISTICS
Mass. All.
First downs 11 16
Passes attempted 8 32
Passes completed 4 16
Had passes intercepted 2 0
Yards gained passing 69 220
Yards gained rushing 179 114
Total yards gained 249 334
Yards lost 14 100
Net yards gained 234 234
Kickoffs 5 4
Average kickoff (yards) 47 43
Yards kickoffs returned 195 69
Punts 2 4
Average punt (yards) 15 32
Yards punts returned 0 0
Fumbles 2 3
Lost ball on fumbles 2 1
Times penalized 6 5
Yards penalized 40 32

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1952: Massillon 40, Barberton 19

SCORE 33 POINTS IN SECOND HALF AFTER TRAILING 19-7
Tigers Smash Barberton Magics 40-19

By LUTHER EMERY

The Tigers became of age Friday evening and we just aged.

If you didn’t have a gray hair when you entered Tiger stadium with the 13,516 other folks, then you must have sprouted several during the terrific struggle that saw the Massillon team bounce back from a 19-7 deficit at half-time to score 33 points in the last two periods and win 40-19.

To do it they had to beat into submission a spirited and aroused Barberton team.

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They did and seldom have we seen a team as badly mauled at the end of the game as was Barberton. Coach Junie Ferrall took inventory of his Magic squad at the close of the contest and wondered if he could field a team next week.

He had eight players X-rayed after the game and counted the following injuries:
David Sickles, line backer, dislocated shoulder.
Gene Neely, halfback, fractured shoulder.
Don Cole, line backer, bruised hip.
Keith Jones, defensive halfback, fractured ankle.
Mike Krunich, tackle, torn cartilate in knee.
Mike Roarty, halfback, injured knee.
Bob Seely, defensive end, injured knee.
Paul Bachman, offensive end, injured thumb.

Ferrall said today that from all appearances, Neely, Krunich, Jones and Roarty are out for the season.

The injuries were just another series of mishaps that have plagued Barberton all year.

Three Magic stars, in fact three mainstays of the team, didn’t even play last night because of injuries sustained last week. They were Glenn Davis, fleet halfback who scored the team’s first six touchdowns this season (we shudder to think what might have happened had he been in the first half), Gary Dean, a co-captain and tackle and Charles Newell, halfback.

While the Tigers did not come out with any serious injuries, cuts under the eyes, bruises and broken skin on faces and legs were evidence of the kind of grinder the boys were going through last night.
Johnny Traylor, fleet halfback, who played himself one whale of a game and Tom Boone, safety man, came out with limps but both appeared O.K. after the contest.

It is hoped that none of Barberton’s suspected fractures actually develop into broken bones. X-ray pictures will be taken to determine the full extent of injuries, which were just another series of mishaps which have plagued Barberton all season.

The injuries last night were the result of hard football. The Tigers apparently thought they had a pink tea party arranged for them from the way they played the first half while Barberton, which had pointed for the game, played as though it expected to win, carried the game to the Tigers, took advantage of the breaks and whipped the locals the first two periods.

With the Magics aroused to high spirits and everything going wrong for the Tigers, Massillon fans shuddered at the half and wondered if it was going to be “one of those nights.”

They had seen their team drive back 75 yards with the opening kickoff to score and lead
7-0. But they saw the same team relax and allow Gene Neely, Barberton slicker to run back the following kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and score two more in the second period to give his team a 19-7 advantage.

Most everyone in the Massillon section was scared except the players as the teams lined up for the second half kickoff. Then and there the Tigers became of age, though they did not alleviate the fears of spectators until they shoved over their third and fourth touchdowns in the fourth quarter. After that the tension was off and fans for the first time eased back in their seats and began to add up the points.

We have heard complaints that the games have been too one-sided. To the person who looks only at the score, last nights’ figures may read the same, but it was too close for comfort from a Massillon stand point, and those who want close scores had their money’s worth with dividends.

The Tigers never regained the lead until the fourth quarter when Johnny Francisco crashed over from the three-yard line after a tremendous drive that had started from the Massillon 16-yard line. It took a lot of slam-bang football and a brilliant 45-yard sideline run by Fullback Lee Nussbaum to roll Barberton back into the payroll territory. With Tom Boone kicking the extra point to make the score 21-19, everyone breathed easier, though they were still apprehensive until Francisco went over for his second touchdown after a march of 61 yards to boost the lead to 27-19.

After that the points came easier and Nussbaum’s second touchdown on a 13-yard run and Bob Misere’s 42-yard pass to Sam Williams for the final points of the game only served to dress up the score for sports writers to look at when casting their ballots in next week’s Associated Press poll.

What aroused the Tigers the second half we do not know. They just settled down to play the brand of football they are capable of playing. It was reminiscent of the Massillon-Barberton game of 1950 when after trailing 6-0 at the half the local team struck back with a 35-point barrage in the second half to win 35-6.

How one-sided the contest was in the second half is told in the statistical department. The Tigers made 12 first downs to Barberton’s 0, and gained 289 net yards to Barberton’s 24, while out scoring the Magics 33-0.
* * *
THINGS were more even with the exception of points, the first half in which the Magics out scored the locals 19-7. First downs were Massillon 8, Barberton 7 and yardage gained was 138 for Massillon and 134 for Barberton which does not include Neely’s 93-yard kickoff return.

When you add up the entire game, however, the Tigers were clear cut victors. They led
20-7 in first downs and gained 425 net yards from scrimmage to Barberton’s 136.

Breaks helped to give the Magics their first half edge. They scored their first two touchdowns through their own power and ability, but the third was a result of interference with a pass receiver on a 22-yard heave which was actually intercepted by Massillon. But officials rightfully ruled that a Tiger had pushed the intended Barberton receiver so the ball was taken away from Massillon and given to Barberton on the two-yard line.
* * *
THE TIGERS thrice lost the ball in the first half, twice on fumbles and once on a pass interception, which made it possible for the Magics to control the leather. And control it they did. They played that kind of game, taking almost the limit of time in the huddle after each play with the apparent intention of enlisting the clock in their attempt to either keep down a Massillon score or stall out a victory.

The game had its rhubarbs too. Coach Mather was nettled plenty over a clipping penalty called near the Massillon bench that nullified a brilliant 40-yard punt return by Johnny Traylor after a handoff from Francisco. Tiger fans also shouted their disapproval of a ruling that Nussbaum stepped out of bounds on the three-yard line in his 45-yard jaunt down the sidelines. The motion pictures will be interesting.

The Tigers showed improvement in their kicking off with Tom Boone doing the booting and averaging 47 yards, but ironically enough, his first kick to the seven-yard line, which we believe was the longest of the year, like-wise was the only one returned for a touchdown.

Only once did the local team have to punt, Rollie Millar booting a 29-yarder from scrimmage behind good protection.

After the way they marched to their first touchdown, the Tigers probably figured they had an easy touch in Barberton.

As expected Coach Ferrall came up with a cockeyed defense designed to yield a few yards but no big slice at a time. And Mather, expecting such a defense, passed on the first play, a 28-yard pitch from Misere to Bob Khoenle. Misere completed another 12 yarder to Khoenle in the march that ended with Traylor banging over from the two.

It was on the following kickoff that Neely grabbed the ball on the seven, and headed for the east sideline. Never have we seen so many blockers in front of a ball carrier. They mowed Tiger tacklers down in bunches while Neely ran along unmolested with three men to knock out the Tiger safety man and escort him to the goal.
Quarterback Tom George missed the try for the extra point leaving the Tigers in the lead 7-6.
* * *
“JUST A SHOT in the dark,” mused Massillon fans as they settled back to await the Tiger’s roar. It didn’t come. On the first play after the kickoff, Barberton covered a Tiger fumble putting the Magics in control of the ball. An exchange of punts left the Magics with the pigskin in their own territory, but they worked it out on a 21-yard pass from George to Dick Seiter that took the leather to the Tiger 42 and they were on their way. A pass, two running plays and then a 22-yard toss to Mike Roarty brought a first down on the two. It took two downs to go over, but over Neely went and with George kicking the extra point the Magics were in front 13-7.

The Tigers took the kickoff on their 36 and seemed on their way to a touchdown themselves when George covered a Massillon fumble on his 24 to end the threat.

The ball went back over to the Tigers on a punt, but Barberton regained it when Seiter intercepted Misere’s pass on the Barberton 45. A long pass to Roarty brought a first down on the 25 and set the ball in position for another pass to the two-yard line which Massillon intercepted but on which interference was called, leaving the Magics in possession of the leather. Neely was over in two tries and the Magics led 19-7.

The Tigers made a belated offensive effort before the end of the half which netted a first down on the 33, but the half ended before the ball could be put in play on second down.
* * *
FRUSTRATED on an intercepted pass the first time they got the ball in the second half, the Tigers finally got rolling when they regained it on a punt on their own 48. Traylor made a fine catch of Misere’s pass and got to the Barberton 37. After being set back to the 42 on a penalty, Traylor’s signal was called and the little atom exploded for a 25-yard run to the 17. Nussbaum and Traylor took turns carrying it until the two-yard line was reached where Lee went across and Boone kicked an important point after to pull the locals up to within striking distance 19-14.

And strike they did.

They were on their way from their own 16 and had gotten back to the Barberton three on Nussbaum’s fine 45-yard run when the quarter ended.

Francisco went over for the first play and Boone again added the extra point.

The Tigers scored every time they got the ball thereafter.

They started with a punt on the Barberton 39 and chewed off three and four-yard hunks of territory until the two-yard line was reached. Francisco went over.

They got it again on a punt on the Barberton 37 and Francisco romped for 16. Nussbaum, John Climo and Traylor put it on the 13 and that was close enough for Lee who went over for his second score.
* * *
THE FINAL POINTS were scored with only about 33 seconds of the game remaining to be played. They came after a 75-yard march in which Francisco ripped off a run of 29 yards and Misere tossed 42 to Williams for the pay off.

The game ended football relations between Barberton and Massillon. Coach Junie Ferrall of the Magics would like to keep the Tigers on his schedule but says his fans demand a home and home series.

The Massillon athletic department wants to provide local fans with seven home games. It cannot do this and play home and home with Barberton until one off the other home and home rivalries is done away with. These are Canton McKinley, Warren, Alliance, Mansfield, Steubenville and Toledo Waite.

Barberton has always been good competition. Perhaps some way will be found to bring the schools back together on a satisfactory basis sometime in the future.

The line-ups and summaries:

MASSILLON
ENDS – Crone, Khoenle, Williams, Letcavits, Longshore.
TACKLES – Younkers, Gumpp, Schram, Dean.
GUARDS – Fabianich, Kraus, Clinage, Agnes.
CENTERS – Corrall, Allison.
QUARTERBACKS – Misere, Porter, Johnson.
HALFBACKS – Francisco, Traylor, Climo, Boone, Tasseff, Millar, Floyd, Stone.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart.

BARBERTON
ENDS – Beckman, Seiter, Adams, Romig, Seely, Debevec, Bauer.
TACKLES – Kasanic, Goff, Swigert, Fedor, Hutchinson, Krunich.
GUARDS – Biro, Rimlinger, Linkowski, Campbell.
CENTERS – Weigand, Luck, Mace.
QUARTERBACK – George.
HALFBACKS – Neely, Roarty, McGuineness.
FULLBACKS – Hummell, Smith, Incorvati, Cole, Mathhews, Jones, Sickles.

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 0 7 26 40
Barberton 6 13 0 0 19

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Traylor; Nussbaum 2; Francisco 2.
Barberton – Williams; Neely 3.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Boone 4, (placekicks).
Barberton – George (placekick).

Referee – Tehan.
Umpire – Smith.
Head Linesman – Lymper.
Field Judge – Morbite.

STATISTICS
Mass. Barb.
First downs 20 7
Passes attempted 14 10
Passes completed 6 6
Had passes intercepted 2 1
Yards gained passing 112 101
Yards gained rushing 322 67
Total yards gained 434 168
Yards lost 9 32
Net yards gained 425 136
Times punted 1 5
Average punt (yards) 29 29
Yards punts returned by 7 0
Times kicked off 7 4
Average kickoff (yards) 47 33
Yards kickoffs returned by 35 146
Times fumbled 4 2
Lost ball on fumble 2 0
Times penalties 3 5
Yards penalized 25 55

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1952: Massillon 46, Steubenville 13

Tigers Roll Over Steubenville 46-13
Long Runs By Traylor And Nussbaum Sparkle Offense Of Massillon

By LUTHER EMERY

Steubenville’s Big Red wave was only a ripple today, calmed by the 46-13 lasing meted out by Washington high Friday evening as the 1951 titans of Ohio scholastic football clashed before 14,536 fans in Tiger stadium.

The Tigers stood the test, a double test in fact and gave every reason why they should stay at the top of the Associated Press poll another week in the 1952 title race.

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Steubenville was adjudged the team that would test the caliber of the Massillon eleven this fall. The way the Tigers walloped their visitors, should leave no doubt in the minds of local fans but that Coach Chuck Mather has assembled another fine eleven. The proof was doubled in the manner in which the team struck back after tailing for the first time this season and after being scored on for the first time.r

The touchdown, coming after Steubenville covered a Massillon fumble on the 21-yard line early in the game served to arouse the Tigers. They countered with a fury greater than anyone had expected to gain the lead in five minutes and pile point on point the rest of the way.
* * *
THAT WAS the big test we have when waiting for – to see if the team would fold when behind. It didn’t.

Instead, the linemen and blocking backs shook little Johnny Traylor loose for two touchdowns the first quarter, Lee Nussbaum for two in the second quarter, and from then on it did not matter that Traylor and Nussbaum each scored again and John Francisco added another.

Four of those touchdowns came on long runs with Francisco handing off to Traylor on a punt return for 74 yards; Johnny going 65 on an off tackle play; Nussbaum doing a tight rope walk down the sidelines on a pitchout for 41 yards, and breaking through center for 32 yards and another beauty.

But when you are looking over Nussbaum’s ball carrying efforts you have to mark down as his hardest bit of work, a jaunt of 14 yards, a hard running, individual effort on fourth down that brought a first down on the 14-yard line in the Tigers’ initial touchdown march.
* * *
AND WHILE credit is being passed out for ball carrying, the efforts of Benny Bunch, the Big Red’s great little fullback should not be overlooked. He scored seven of Steubenville’s points and not only shined offensively but defensively as well.

However, reports that the Big Red were as good as last year, were an inflation that burst with the Steubenville bubble. The visitors did not have a Calvin Jones at tackle, a Gilliam on end or a Pumpkin Vincent to team with Bunch in the backfield.

They had a good football team, but a far cry from that of last year which was beaten out 13-6 by the Tigers in the last 10 seconds of play.

For a few minutes of the first period there were indications that maybe the folks were right about the Big Red’s ability. They pushed the Tigers over the field and scored their first touchdown with ease in the first four minutes of play.

Points were hard to get after that. Once they banged their way down to the two-yard line where Bunch fumbled and Massillon recovered. In the third period they turned a blocked Massillon punt into six points.
* * *
WHILE A fumble and a blocked punt helped the Big Red to its scoring efforts, a couple of penalties for roughing the kicker also proved costly to Steubenville and contributed to Massillon’s scoring. Twice the Big Red had Massillon marches stopped, and twice the team was penalized for roughing Johnny Traylor when he was punting on fourth down. On each occasion the Tigers took occasion of the new lease on life to march on to touchdowns.

Thus both teams sort of helped each other to score two touchdowns, and each fumbled away an opportunity. Bunch losing the one already mentioned on the two-yard line and Johnny Traylor dropping the ball after a very fine run that went to the Steubenville seven. The ball rolled back to the two where Steubenville covered it.

So you can count the breaks about even which would leave the score as it should be.

First downs again belie the difference in the two teams. Each eleven made the yardage 10 times but the yards gained column tells a different story. The Tigers had 362 net to Steubenville’s 152 and that does not include the 74-yard punt return by Traylor.
* * *
THE TIGER passing attack still isn’t the sharpest in the world. Two of eight were completed for 64 yards. The Big Red completed two of nine but also had two intercepted by Tom Boone who is getting quite adept in that department.

Best catch of the night, however, a one-handed effort by Bob Khoenle that would have been good for 40 yards, wasn’t allowed because Massillon was offside on the play.

Coach Mather used 28 players in the game but did most of his substituting on defense.

The Tigers used a 5-4-2 defense last night to cope with Steubenville’s offensive weapons. At times it faltered, but in the main succeeded.

Nobody knew who had the ball when Nick Medvis, Steubenville quarterback hurled a pretty 43-yard pass to Bill Fields in the third quarter. Fields and Boone both went up after the leather and came down together, but Fields had a little the better grip and managed to wrestle it away from Tom. It produced a first down on the 10-yard line, but the Big Red could go no furt6her and was thrown back to the 26 where it lost the ball.

The game maintained Massillon’s superiority over Steubenville on the gridiron. The Big Red last beat the Tigers in 1931 by a 67-0 score, a total that has not been excelled. The teams didn’t meet again until 1937 and the Tigers had won every game since save for a 7-7 tie in 1945.
* * *
MAYBE IT was because he was playing folks not far from his old home town of Hopedale that gave Johnny Francisco the jitters early in the game. He twice fumbled the kickoff which put the Tigers back on the seven at the start of the game. Then after the locals had earned a hard first down, Johnny again bobbled the pigskin and this time Bunch pounced on it on the Massillon 21. On the first play, Fed Hudson smashed through to the Tiger eight. Four plays later Bunch bounded over the goal line – or did he? Fans in the position to see said he did not get over, but the referee, Dan Tehan, called it, so the six points went up on the scoreboard.

The Tigers struck back, starting with the kickoff on their 39 and marched to a touchdown. They wouldn’t have made it, however, had Steubenville not drawn a 15-yard penalty for roughing Traylor when he punted on fourth down. The penalty took the ball to the Big Red 42. Traylor made five yards and Nussbaum six for a first down on the 31. The Big Red braced and held the Tigers to three yards on the next three downs, but Nussbaum came through with his hardest run of the game, a pitchout around left end that brought a first down on the 14.

Francisco picked up four and Traylor went the remaining 10, juggling the ball, but hanging on to it as he was tackled while crossing the goal line. Boone kicked the extra point.

The Tigers forced Steubenville to punt after the kickoff and Francisco made a running catch of the ball on his 26-yard line. He headed for the sideline, handed the ball off to Traylor who caught the Big Red flat-footed and ran 74 yards to score.

Maybe that one should not have counted. Francisco appeared to hand the ball illegally forward to Traylor. It he did, he fooled the officials who counted the six points. Boone kicked the extra point and that ended the scoring for the first period.
* * *
THE PRODUCTION of points was turned over to Nussbaum in the second period. It had hardly gotten under way until Lee tucked a pitchout under his arm and behind a terrific block by Khoenle, went 41 yards for six points, threading his way into the open along the sideline.

He scored from 32 yards out next time the Tigers got the ball, breaking out through the middle and cutting to the sideline behind good blocking.

Nussbaum made it three in a row as he scored the first points of the third period on a pitchout from the two yard line. Khoenle made it possible, however with a brilliant shoe-string catch from Misere for a gain of 39 yards and first down on the two.

Steubenville staged a little offensive thrust that took the ball to the 10 and then went backward to the 26. The Tigers were also thrown back and Traylor tried to punt. Bunch blocked the kick and Pilya scooped it up and went over for a touchdown. Bunch ran the extra point over and that ended the Big Red scoring for the night.

The Tigers got another in the third quarter on Traylor’s 65-yard jaunt and came back in the fourth period to score again. Francisco going over from the four-yard line after a drive of 92 yards. A 16-yard pass caught by Sam Williams and a 55-yard run by Francisco ate up the biggest hunks of yardage.

Coach Mather was obviously pleased with the showing of his team and his players who emerged from the game without serious injury. A couple of substitutes who might have gotten into the contest were kept on the bench last night as a portion of disciplinary action taken against them for keeping after hours at Cincinnati last week. Mather left it up to the squad to decide the punishment. The members voted 80 laps around the field for the pair next week.

The Tigers have their weak spots, most noticeable of which to fans are in the kicking department. Geiser is having difficulty getting distance on the kickoffs and Traylor isn’t given good protection punting. All season he has been barely getting the ball away.

Three In A Row

MASSILLON
ENDS – Williams, Khoenle, Longshore, Crone, Letcavits.
TACKLES – Younkers, Geiser, Schram, Gumpp, Rubio, Dean.
GUARDS – Fabianich, Kraus, Clinage, Agnes, Shilling.
CENTERS – Corral, Kimmins.
QUARTERBACK – Misere.
HALFBACKS – Francisco, Traylor, Tasseff, Porter, Millar, Boone.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart, Stone.

STEUBENVILLE
ENDS – Thomas, Fields, StarliPer.
TACKLES – R. Conkel, Snyder, Underwood.
GUARDS – Baldwin, Kerr, Bickerstaff.
CENTERS – Amick, Moncilovich.
QUARTERBACK – Medvis.
HALFBACKS – Clowers, Hidson, Wickham, Johnson, Baker, Ray, Whaley, Giannamore.
FULLBACKS – Bunch, Carney, Pilys.

Score by periods:
Massillon 14 13 12 7 46
Steubenville 6 0 7 0 13

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Traylor 3; Nussbaum 3; Francisco.
Steubenville – Bunch, Pilya.

Points after touchdowns:
Massillon – Boone 4 (placekicks).
Steubenville – Bunch (carried)

Referee – Tehan.
Umpire – Holzbach.
Head Linesman – Schill.
Field Judge – Shopbell.

STATISTICS
Mass. Steub.
First downs 10 10
Passes attempted 8 9
Passes completed 2 2
Had Pases intercepted 0 2
Yards gained passing 64 54
Yards gained rushing 332 140
Total yards gained 396 194
Yards lost 34 42
Net yards gained 362 152
Times kicked off 7 4
Average kickoff (yards) 35 35
Yards kickoffs returned by 12 43
Times punted 2 5
Average punt (yards) 16 32
Had punt blocked 1 0
Yards punts returned by 78 12
Times fumbled 6 6
Lost ball on fumbles 4 1
Times penalized 4 6
Yards penalized 30 60

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1952: Massillon 33, Cincinnati Elder 0

Long Runs Spark Tigers’ 33-0 Win At Cincy
Traylor Returns First Kickoff 85 Yards As Massillon Wins No. 2

By LUTHER EMERY

Coach Chuck Mather of Washington high school dealt a pair of “Jacks” to Cincinnati Elder Friday evening and their long runs brought down the cheers from an almost full house of 9,000 fans who saw the champion Tigers roll to their second victory of the season by a score of 33-0.

The “Jacks” were Johnny Traylor and Johnny Francisco, lightweight ball carriers who ran 85 and 88 yards respectively for touchdowns.

Traylor got his by grabbing the opening kickoff and going almost the length of the field. The scoreboard showed just 15 seconds of the game elapsed when he crossed the Elder goal.

Francisco got his with two minutes of the second period expired. He burst up the middle to race through the entire Elder team.

Lee Nussbaum went half as long for the last TD of the game and his second when he circled right end for 43 yards after juggling a pitchout. He had previously gone over standing up from the one-yard line for No. 2 of the game. Traylor also scored twice, getting his second from five yards out.
* * *
ONE THAT didn’t count and one of the prettiest of the game was a long pitch from Quarterback Bob Misere to End Sam Williams, good for 64 yards in the second period. But Massillon was declared offside on the play and the score was not allowed.

Fortunately for the Tigers, they rolled up 19 points the first 14 minutes of competition, for Elder was tough to crack.

The Cincinnati boys had size, tackled yard and played a Massillon team which was apparently tired from a six-hour bus ride.

The Tigers were not sharp and their passing was not as good as hoped for, though their percentage of completions would have looked better had not a couple been called back because of penalties.

However, they had the edge in most of the statistics, gaining 346 net yards, 67 on passes to Elder’s 122 yards, 72 of which were made on aerials. First downs were 13 to 10 in the local team’s favor. Massillon tried 11 passes and completed three. Elder completed half of its 14 attempts.
* * *
THE LOCALS lost 30 yards in penalties. Elder none.

Massillon had a good-sized delegation of fans in the stands to cheer Traylor in his first touchdown bid. He grabbed the kickoff on the 15 and ran straight down the alley, without a hand being placed on him. Tom Boone added insult to injury by booting the extra point squarely between the uprights. By the time the period was much older, Massillon had another.

This one came after Boone, playing safety, had flopped on Mike Bachman’s fumble on the Elder 23. Traylor got 18 yards in two tries and after Francisco had lugged the leather to the one, Nussbaum crashed through center standing up for the score. Boone’s kick was wide.

Elder roared back with the kickoff and got down to the Tiger 24 before the latter braced. Boone intercepted Quarterback Tom Malone’s pass on the 12 after Traylor deflected it. That gave Francisco his chance and on first down he cut loose with his 88-yard run. Boone’s kick was again wide.

There was no more scoring until the fourth quarter. The next came with 9:30 left of the period on a drive that started from the Elder 43 at the tail-end of the third. A 12-yard run by Nussbaum and an 11-yard pass from Misere to Bob Khoenle helped to set it up. Traylor carried it over from the five.
* * *
THE FINAL points you already have. Nussbaum’s 43-yard jaunt came after interception of an Elder pass by substitute Halfback Roland Miller. The Tigers were after another and had the ball on the seven when Elder intercepted a pass.

Coach Chuck Mather stuck largely to his first offensive team, but played around a lot with his defensive setup to stop Elder’s split-T formation.

Jim Geiser and Khoenle played fine defensive games for the Tigers and stopped most of Elder’s up-the-middle stuff. Elder gained most of its ground on passes and sweeps, but couldn’t get the ball over, although once in the third quarter it got down to the three-yard line before being turned back.

The game, which was ballyhooed Friday in all of the Cincinnati papers, one with pictures, another with a front page streamer, was played under perfect weather conditions.

The Tiger band was given a tremendous ovation by the crowd, and impressed one of the sports writers more than the team.

“This team may drop one along the way,” he said, “but that Massillon band will never be beaten.”

Hottest part of Elder’s band show was Frank Buttleworth, who twirled a baton tipped with two balls of fire and the hottest part of him was the seat of his pants, which became ignited from the baton and threatened to envelop him in flames – but he never missed a twirl as he spun the baton with one hand and beat out the flames with the other.

The play-by-play:
First Quarter
John Traylor took the opening kickoff on the Tiger 15, ran straight up field behind almost perfect blocking for 85 yards and a touchdown. Tom Boone kicked the extra point.
7-0
Jim Geiser’s attempt at a short kickoff was recovered by Cincinnati on the Elder 40. Don Beck got three yards through the center. Jim Vale picked up six yards around right end, then got three for a first down on the Tiger 48. Vale tried right end and was tossed for a seven yard loss by Geiser. Tom Malone got seven around right end Malone’s pass was incomplete and Bachman punted to Traylor on the 17.

Bob Misere lost two on a mix-up in signals, but John Francisco ripped off 15 to the 30. Traylor lost five on an end run. Francisco got three and Traylor 12, missing a first down by a yard, Traylor punted to the Elder eight.

After holding Elder on the 14, Massillon was offside on the punt and Elder had a first down on the 19. Bachman fumbled and Boone recovered for the Tigers on the 23. Traylor ripped over left tackle for a first down on the 12. He hit left tackle for six and Francisco bumped it to the one from where Lee Nussbaum went over standing up. Boone’s kick was wide.
13-0
Sam Williams tackled Vale on the Elder 28 on the kickoff. Vale got one and Bachman took a pitch out for eight. Ron Frey banged center for a first down on the 41. Malone passed 24 yards to Dan Boyle for a first down on the Tiger 36 as the quarter ended.
Second Quarter
After two short gains, Malone passed to Vale for a first down on the 24. Bob Khoenle dropped Malone for a five-yard loss. Malone passed deep and Boone intercepted on the 12 after Traylor tipped the ball. Francisco went up the middle on a trap for 88 yards and a TD. Boone’s kick was wide.
19-0
Elder returned the kickoff to the 35. Geiser threw Malone for a four-yard loss. A pass picked up four yards, but the next pass was snared by Boone, his second interception, and returned to the Tiger 37. Misere passed 64 yards to Williams for a touchdown, but the Tigers were offsides. Two passes were incomplete and Nussbaum made five before Traylor punted to Vale, downed by Khoenle on his 38.

Bachman got seven around end, Vale made a first down on the 48, Malone passed to Bachman for eight and Bachman got his first down on the Tiger 40. A fourth down pass was caught by Boyle for a first down on Massillon’s 24, a gain of 12 yards. John Climo knocked down an end zone pass and Malone dropped a sure TD toss from Bachman. John Tasseff spilled Bachman for a loss back to the 33 and the Tigers took over.
Williams dropped a long pass and another was incomplete. Nussbaum got a first down on the Elder 49, an 18-yard advance. Misere lost three on an attempted pass, but Nussbaum got nine on a pitchout.

Misere passed to Khoenle on the Elder 30, but the Tigers were penalized 15 for holding, putting the ball on their own 40. Nussbaum plowed for 10 as the half ended.
Third Quarter
Durbin kicked off to Nussbaum, who returned five to the Tiger 37, Francisco got three, but Nussbaum fumbled a pitchout and Karwick covered the ball on the Tiger 33.

Vale was stopped cold and Nussbaum threw Bachman for a loss of six yards. Malone passed to Boyle for 11 and then to Boyle for five and a first down on the Massillon nine. Vale got six to the three and Frey went to the two. Bachman lost two yards and Malone’s pass was broken up, the Tigers taking over on the six.

Francisco lost one, but Traylor turned left end for six. Traylor gained 14 and a first down on the 25. Nussbaum zoomed for nine up the middle. The Tigers fumbled on the next play but Khoenle recovered on the 45. Two passes were incomplete and Nussbaum gained five before Traylor punted to Malone, downed on the Elder 17.

Elder was held on downs and punted to Traylor who returned 10 yards to the Elder 43. Nussbaum took a pitchout for nine yards, then got three more for a first down on the 31. Quarter ends.
Fourth Quarter
Misere passed to Khoenle for 11 and a first down on the 20. Two end runs by Francisco netted one and four yards. He got four more before Traylor went off left tackle for six and a first down on the Elder five.

Traylor slipped over left tackle for a touchdown. Boone’s kick was good with 9:30 minutes left.
26-0
Elder was held for downs after the kickoff, but the Tigers had too many men on the field on the punt play and the home club had a first down on the 32. Massillon again held and Elder punted to Francisco, who came back to his own 47, a 27-yard return.

Lucas blocked Misere’s pass and Traylor was thrown for a 13-yard loss on a reverse. Khoenle trapped Misere’s pass and Traylor punted high to Boine on the Elder 39.

Roland Miller, intercepted Malone’s pass and came back to the Elder 43. Nussbaum juggled a pitchout, but held it and went all the way for the TD. Boone kicked the point.
33-0
Richter returned the kickoff to the Elder 28. The Tigers held and Bachman punted to Miller on his 39. Tasseff lost three, but Misere threw a 41-yard pass to Khoenle on the Elder 22. Another pass to Khoenle gave Massillon a 15-yard gain and a first down on the seven. Misere’s third pass in a row was intercepted by Massma on the goal line and returned to the 29. Elder ran one play before the game ended.

MASSILLON
ENDS – S. Williams. Khoenle, Crone, Letcavits.
TACKLES – Younkers, Beiser, Rubio, Schram, Gumpp, R. Williams.
GUARDS – Fabianich, Kraus, Clinage, Agnes, Shilling.
CENTERS – Corral, Kimmins.
QUARTERBACK – Misere.
HALFBACKS – Traylor, Francisco, Boone, Climo, Tasseff, Miller, Longshore.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart, Boone.

ELDER
ENDS – Boyle, Junker, Merrill, Aug.
TACKLES – K. Bachman, Fuller, Lucas, Wolf, James, Kelly.
GUARDS – Durbin, Kroth, Bender, S. Bachman.
CENTER – Massa.
QUARTERBACKS – Malone, Richter.
HALFBACKS – M. Bachman, Beck, Vale, Bell.
FULLBACK – Frey.

Massillon 13 6 0 14 33
Elder 0 0 0 0 0

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Traylor 2; Nussbaum 2; Francisco.

Points after touchdown: Massillon – Boone 3 (placekicks).

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1952: Massillon 54, Akron South

11,735 See Tigers Smash Akron South 54-0
Massillon Team Begins Defense Of State Title With Display Of Power

By LUTHER EMERY

One down and nine to go and the road to the state high school football championship is still long and rough. And you are probably still dripping with perspiration from the baking you received in Tiger stadium Friday evening while watching the Washington high school Tigers begin defense of their four-year state title reign by whaling Akron South 54-0.

The Massillon gridders had little difficulty hurdling their first obstacle but nine other teams still remain to be beaten before the rocky path that leads to the state throne can be turned into a glory road.

“We will meet better teams.”

That was the warning Coach Chuck Mather sounded to his jubilant players as they undressed in puddles of perspiration after their first triumph.
* * *

Program Cover

THE TIGERS looked good as they passed and ran through South for eight touchdowns, but South admittedly is down this year and as a result Massillon remains untested. All nine future opponents rank considerably higher than South in ability according to pre-season estimates. Next comes Cincinnati Elder.

Unless your collar is wilted – unless your sweaty clothes lifted some of the paint from the stadium seats, unless you were one of the 11,735 fans, you cannot appreciate this story or the conditions under which the young Massillon gridders played last night.

Coach Mather used 47 players in the game to give his boys as much rest as possible. Coach Gordon Larson of South didn’t have that many on the bench.

But the players emerged from the oven-like temperatures in good condition and even Center Jim Clark, of Akron South could hardly be considered a casualty, even though he suffered a shoulder dislocation. He has had it many times before. Massillon’s team physician snapped it back in and he was ready to continue play.
* * *
COACH MATHER, obviously pleased but desiring that no one get too excited over the defeat of South, said he thought the “boys played pretty good ball.”

And so did most of the fans who were able to see the game through sweated glasses and the perspiration tears.

The Tigers were complete masters of South and could have run up a higher score had Mather not elected to spray the field with substitutes.

The locals came out with a versatile running and passing attack that exploded for eight touchdowns, three on forward passes and five on running plays.
* * *
ANYBODY who had any doubts as to the speed of Lee Nussbaum had them removed when he raced 83 yards for one touchdown, running away from the South secondary. His stride is so long he just doesn’t look like he’s running fast. And there was little Bob Misere, firing the ball 40 yards. South didn’t think he could throw that far and his receivers got behind the Cavaliers’ secondary. That should have been enough to scare a whole row full of visiting scouts who were watching the game from the east side of the field.

Big Jim Geiser played a fine game on the line and Capt. Bob Khoenle backed it up viciously in addition to scoring a touchdown. Sam Williams came into his own on pass receiving, pulling in several including a touchdown toss from Misere in which he gave the South secondary a free ride on his back over the goal line.

And when you are looking for bright spots in the game, don’t overlook a cut back run by Clarence Stewart, who chugged 28 yards for what would have been a T.D. had not Massillon been penalized for a rule infraction. Chug ran around all through the South team. Nobody could find him.

Defensively, the Tigers looked better than they did last year. When the regulars were in the game, they threw up a virtual iron wall against South’s offense, and they put on a couple of goal line stands, shades of last year’s Barberton nightmare in stopping South’s only touchdown bid in the second period. Twice they turned back the Cavaliers after the latter had registered first downs inside the three-yard line.

Otherwise South never threatened, nor even got a look at the Massillon goal line.
* * *
STATISTICALLY the Tigers were superior in every way. They made nine first downs to South’s seven and gained 334 yards from scrimmage to South’s 96. The visitors’ only really long gain was a 65-yard second period pass from Quarterback John Williams to End Bob Spicer that set up the only touchdown threat.

Only once were the Tigers forced to punt.

Mather thought South was better defensively through the middle than last year’s team which was defeated 53-13 by the local eleven. The Tigers had a hard time freeing Halfbacks John Francisco and John Traylor. The latter’s nicest run was the return of an intercepted pass in which he scooted 45 yards down the sidelines for a touchdown.

South fumbles also helped the Tigers to score. The visitors were guilty of eight bobbles and four times Massillon gridders wound up on the ball.

The Tigers scored the first time they got the ball but they had to overcome four, five-yard penalties in the march that began 42 yards from the goal. A quick pass over the line of scrimmage, Misere to Khoenle, produced the first score.

A 46-yard pass, Misere to Williams, in which Sam carried two of the South secondary on his back the last 10 yards produced the second T.D.
* * *
SOUTH practically gave the Tigers their third touchdown. The South punter got a poor pass from center on fourth down that rolled back to the one-yard line where the Tigers took over. A five-yard offside penalty set the locals back temporarily but Traylor eventually went over standing up.

South’s only flurry came in the second period after it had stopped a Tiger touchdown bid on the 10-yard line. Gordon Dokes went 16 yards around end for the visitors’ initial first down. In two more plays, Cavalier runners were thrown back six yards but Williams got away his long pass to Spicer who went all the way to the Tiger 15 before he was hobbled.

Williams skirted his left end for a first down inside the three where the Tigers braced and threw back four thrusts at the line. Then on the next play the Tigers fumbled trying to carry out and Dokes covered for South on the two and one-half yard line. Here the Tigers again braced and threw the visitors back to the 17.

On first down Nussbaum took the ball on a pitchout and running hard and fast went 83 yards to score. The half ended 26-0.
* * *
TRAYLOR’S 42-yard touchdown return of Williams’ pass produced the first points of the second half and the only points of the third period.

A 41-yard pass from Misere to Williams put the ball on the three-yard line and set the stage for an early fourth period score. Nussbaum legged it the rest of the way.

A South fumble covered by Nussbaum on the seven got the locals in position for their second score the fourth period. Stewart went over from four yards out.

Final points of the game were produced by the second team after covering a South fumble on the 31. Stewart ran 28 yards for what appeared to be a touchdown which only resulted in another five-yard penalty against Massillon. The Tigers struck right back, however, and John Mlincek and Homer Floyd lugged the leather to the five where Roy Johnson pitched behind the line to Jim Letcavits for the score.

GOOD START

ENDS – Williams, Khoenle, R. Francisco, Gardner, Crone, Speck, Letcavits, Lentz.
TACKLES – Younkers, Geiser, Woolley, Lopez, Schram, Dean, Gumpp, Rubio, Williams.
GUARDS – Fabianich, Kraus, Yoder, Eaglowski, Clinage, Agnes, Shilling.
CENTERS – Corral, Jones, Allison, Kimmins.
QUARTERBACKS – Misere, Roy Johnson, Frmholtz, Crescenze, Porter.
HALFBACKS – J. Francisco, Traylor, Tasseff, Mlincek, Floyd, Boekel, Longshore, Miller, Climo, Boone.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart, Lorch, Stone.

AKRON SOUTH
ENDS – Beasley, Spicer, Tarr.
TACKLES – Carson, Litz.
GUARDS – Bittle, Markwood.
CENTERS – Clark, Sues.
QUARTERBACKS – Williams, Foster.
HALFBACKS – Vukich, Williams, Jones, Browning.
FULLBACKS – Dokes, Monroe.

Score by periods:
Massillon 13 13 7 21 54

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Khoenle; Nussbaum 2; Stewart; Traylor 2; Lecavits; Williams.

Points after touchdown: Massillon – Boone 6 (placekicks).

Officials
Referee – Rupp, Shaker Heights.
Umpire – McPhee, Poland.
Head Linesman – Less, Youngstown.
Field Judge – Lobach, Akron.

STATISTICS
Mass. South
First downs 9 7
Passes attempted 13 6
Passes completed 5 1
Had passes intercepted 0 1
Yards gained passing 120 65
Yards gained rushing 229 80
Total yards gained 349 145
Yards lost 15 49
Net yards gained 334 96
Times punted 1 2
Average punt (yards) 31 29
Yards punts returned by 0 0
Times kicked off 9 1
Average kickoff (yards) 43 47
Yards kickoffs returned by 21 94
Times fumbled 4 8
Lost ball on fumble 1 4
Times penalized 10 7
Yards penalized 60 45

Bob Khoenle