Tag: <span>Bob Pflug</span>

History

1923: Massillon 9, Canton McKinley 0

MASSILLON DOWNS ITS OLD RIVAL 9 TO 0 ON MUDDY FIELD
ENDS CAMPAIGN WITH STERLING GRID TRIUMPH

Captain Bob Pflug’s educated toe and Harry Potts’ uncanny ability to dash into the midst of a struggling group of players and grab a forward pass were the main reasons why the orange and black gridiron team of Washington high school Saturday afternoon trounced its perennial foe, McKinley high, of Canton, 9 to 0 in the annual battle between the two ancient enemies staged on a rain-soaked and mud-covered battlefield at Lakeside Stadium, Canton, before at least 6,000 rabid, cheering fans, probably the largest crowd which has ever seen these two scholastic rivals in action. It was Massillon’s third consecutive triumph over the red and black of Canton in three years and the victory not only brought about another downfall of Canton before the athletic supremacy of Massillon but also resulted in Coach David B. Stewart’s huskies annexing the scholastic championship of Stark county for the second straight time and possession for one year of a large silver cup offered to the winner by the Canton University club.

Adherents of the Canton eleven may try to console themselves by saying that because their down-trodden and oft-defeated held the Massillon eleven to nine points that the red and black emerged from the churned up gridiron a moral victor. But a moral victory doesn’t mean anything. The only victory that is worth while is the one that comes through having more points to show after the game than the other fellow. And Canton McKinley can pat itself on the back that the game was not played on a dry, firm field. Had the gridiron been solid instead of the quagmire that it was Canton would have been fortunate to hold Massillon to 30 points.

One glance at the field convinced most any one who saw the game that the team which scored would indeed be fortunate and have a driving power that carried a decided punch. Fast work was out of the question on a battleground that was ankle deep in mire and water but Coach Stewart’s athletes showed that they possessed far more punch than their perennial enemies by plowing through the Canton defense for a field goal and a touchdown to amass their nine points.
PFLUG IS STAR
The lion’s share of the glory for Massillon’s third successive triumph over a Canton eleven must go to Captain Robert Pflug, sturdy and capable leader of the orange and black who finished his high school gridiron career last Saturday in a blaze of glory.

It was not because he hoofed a field goal from the 17 yard line early in the third quarter that gave Massillon its first points that made Captain Pflug the hero of this titanic battle but he was the shining light because of his steady all around performance throughout the entire battle. He was a tower of strength on the line where he has performed so steadily all season and his long distance punts throughout the tussle were the real deciding factor of the game.
How Orange And Black
Trimmed Its Old Rival

FIRST QUARTER
Massillon won the toss and received, defending the north goal. DeMinno kicked off to Borza, who was downed on his 38-yard line after a return of 15 yards. V. Define went off left tackle for one. Schrader hit the same hole for five and Pflug then punted 35 yards to Volzer, who was run out of bounds on his 33-yard line after a return of 10 yards. Fellows made one at left tackle. Edwards tackled DeMinno after a gain of five through right tackle. DeMinno punted 18 yards to Massillon’s 41-yard line. Borza made two at left tackle but Edwards was penalized 15 for holding. Borza was forced out of bounds on his 30-yard line. Pflug punted 40 yards to Volzer, who was tackled on his 30-yard line. DeMinno’s punt was blocked by Massillon and Fletcher covered for Massillon on Canton’s 22-yard line.

V. Define fumbled and McConnell covered for Canton on his 22-yard line. Johnson made on at the line and Edwards tackled Volzer after a gain of one around right end. Fellows hit the line for two and DeMinno then punted 39 yards, the ball going out of bounds on the 40-yard line, but both teams were ruled offside and the ball was brought back.

DeMinno then punted 35 yards to V. Define, who was downed on Massillon’s 43-yard line. Price made three at left tackle but Borza was tossed for a loss of two. Pflug punted 45 yards to Volzer, who was downed by McCarthy on Canton’s 15-yard line. Johnson made three at the line. Fellows failed to gain. So did Volzer, and DeMinno punted 40 yards to V. Define, who was tackled in midfield. Price made three off left tackle. Schrader made two at the line and Pflug punted out of bounds on Canton’s 12-yard line. DeMinno attempted to return the kick but the punt was blocked and Hug covered on Canton’s 26-yard line. A Massillon man was offside and Canton took the gain made on the recovered fumble for the penalty and thus registered a first down. Johnson went through on a delayed buck for six before being tackled by Edwards. DeMinno made three more in two plunges as the quarter ended with Canton in possession of the ball on its 32-yard line.
Score: Massillon 0, Canton 0.

SECOND QUARTER
DeMinno punted 50 yards to V. Define who was tackled on his 21-yard line. Borza made five off left tackle. Schrader gained two though the line. Pflug punted 45 yards to Volzer, who was tackled on his 39-yard line. Johnson made one through McCarthy’s tackle. Volzer was tackled without gain by Edwards on a long run around right end. Johnson made five at left end on a triple pass before being tackled by Schrader and Borza. DeMinno punted 40 yards to V. Define, who returned 10 to his 35-yard line. Schrader hit through right tackle for five. Borza was thrown for a loss of five by Seiple. Pflug punted 40 yards to DeMinno, who was dropped in his tracks by Potts, who made a pretty flying tackle. Volzer lost three on a triple pass. Johnson made two at the line and DeMinno on a delayed pass made six at the line before being tackled by Edwards. DeMinno punted 28 yards to V. Define, who fumbled, Canton covering on the 43-yard line.

Potts spilled Johnson after gain of two yards around his end. Vol.zer hit left tackle for three but Johnson fumbled on the next play and Fletcher covered on Massillon’s 45-yard line. V. Define went through right tackle for two. J. Define failed to gain at left tackle and Pflug punted 45 yards to Volzer, who fumbled but covered on his 19-yard line. DeMinno punted to V. Define, who was downed on Canton’s 43-yard line. Potts missed a long pass from Fletcher. Johnson grabbed Fletcher’s next pass but could not hold the slippery ball.

Pflug punted to Canton’s 21-yard line as the quarter ended.
Score: Massillon 0, Canton 0.

THIRD QUARTER
Massillon received and DeMinno kicked off to Grant, who returned 15 to his 36-yard line. V. Define knifed through right tackle for 13 and Massillon’s first first down. Define made three at left tackle. McConnell had his left knee hurt and time was taken out. Borza went around Canton’s left end for 17 and another first down, taking the ball to Canton’s 25-yard line. Schrader hit left tackle for five. Both teams were ruled offside and the gain was not allowed. Schrader hit Canton’s right tackle for six and a first down, taking the ball to the 14-yard line. Borza made three at left tackle and V. Define made one at right tackle. With the ball on the 10-yard line, Pflug dropped back to the 17-yard line and kicked a goal from placement for the first points of the game. Grant held the oval.
Score: Massillon 3, Canton 0.

Massillon received and DeMinno kicked off to Edwards, who was tackled on his 38-yard line. Herbert was hurt and time was taken out. Pflug punted to Volzer, who was tackled by V. Define on Canton’s 44-yard line. Johnson lost one. Hug’s pass was grounded and his next one went wide. DeMinno punted 25 yards to Massillon’s 30. Pflug returned the kick, punting to Volzer who was tackled by Potts on his 40-yard line. Boerner smashed Hug’s attempted forward to Volzer. Seiple then passed to Volzer for 11 and first down. Potts tossed Seiple for a loss of 15 when he crashed through and nailed the Canton end as he was about to make a forward. De Minno failed to gain at right end and Grant intercepted Hug’s pass on Massillon’s 42-yard line.

V. Define dashed around Canton’s left end for 31 yards, the longest gain of the game, taking the ball to Canton’s 25-yard line. V. Define made three at left end and then lost two on his next attempt. Grant los six and Pflug’s place kick from the 39-yard line went wide, Canton putting the ball in play on its 20-yard line. DeMinno punted 30 yards to V. Define, who was tackled on Massillon’s 45. Young was hurt. V. Define made nine off left tackle and came back and made five through the line for a first down. He was thrown for a loss of three on his next attempt. Boerner passed 10 yards to Potts, who ran 30 yards for a touchdown. Potts grabbed the ball as it landed in the midst of a group of struggling players, broke free and romped away for the score. The total gain was 44 yards. Pflug kicked goal but the point was not allowed, the officials ruling a Massillon man had held as the kick was made.
Score: Massillon 9, Canton 0.

Massillon received and DeMinno kicked off to Edwards who was tackled by Johnson on his 41-yard line. The quarter ended here.
Score: Massillon 9, Canton 0.

FOURTH QUARTER
Pflug punted 45 yards to Volzer, who was tackled on his 16-yard line by Potts. Pflug blocked DeMinno’s punt but Johnson covered for Canton on Canton’s 12-yard line. DeMinno punted to V. Define, who was tackled on Canton’s 30-yard line. V. Define made one at right tackle. Schrader made three through the same hole and Boerner plunged through right tackle for a first down, carrying the ball to Canton’s 28-yard line. V. Define made two at right end but Massillon was penalized five for offside play . Schrader ripped through the line for six. Boerner made three at left tackle but the gain did not count as both teams were offside. Boerner made four at right tackle and V. Define one. Pflug’s place kick from the 25-yard line was blocked by Young and covered by Seiple, who carried the ball back to Canton’s 45-yard line before being tackled. Two line plunges made three and Hug’s pass was grounded. DeMinno punted to V. Define, who was thrown out of bounds for Johnson on Massillon’s 35-yard line. Pflug punted 45 yards, the ball going out of bounds on Canton’s 30. Johnson made eight before being tackled by Boerner and Grant. Canton was offside and drew a five-yard penalty. DeMinno punted to V. Define, who was tackled on Massillon’s 44-yard line. Pflug dropped back to punt but the pass was low and the kick went only eight yards to the line of scrimmage, where Seiple fell on it for Canton. Johnson made two at right tackle. Brooks dropped Streb for a loss of three and Pflug tackled Streb for a loss of five. Black punted 10 yards to Edwards, who was tackled on his 45-yard line. Both coaches were sending in their substitutes.

Boerner made two at the line. J. Define lost three at right end and Pflug punted 50 yards to Canton’s 10-yard line as the game ended.
Score: Massillon 9, Canton 0.

As It Should Be
Massillon – 9 Pos. Canton – 0
Potts L.E. Seiple
McCarthy L.T. Whipple
Miller L.G. Henning
Edwards C McConnell
Pflug R.G. Young
Brooks R.T. Herbert
Fletcher R.E. Hug
Price Q Volzer
V. Define L.H. Johnson
Borza R.H. DeMinno
Schrader F Fellows

Score by quarters:
Massillon 0 0 9 0 9

Substitutions:
Massillon – J. Define for Borza; Grant for Price; Borza for J. Define; Boerner for Borza; Harris for McCarthy; Price for Grant; J. Define for Schrader; Thomas for Fletcher; Hise for Brooks; Murdock for V. Define; Reis for Boerner.

Canton – Black for Volzer; Kreighbaum for DeMinno; Streb for Johnson; Mitchell for Fellows; McFarren for Henning; Whitmer for Herbert; Poet for McConnell.

Touchdown – Potts.

Field goal – Pflug.

Referee – Hazelwood (Grove City).
Umpire – Daniels (Ohio Wesleyan).
Head Linesman – Howells (Sterling).

Time of quarters – 13 minutes.

Canton Wanted Something
Out Of Game So It Took Ball
It is always customary and a mark of good sportsmanship on the part of the losing team to let the victors march off the football field in possession of the ball which was used during the game. But Canton evidently forgot its sportsmanship Saturday when Coach Smith of the McKinley high eleven ran out on the gridiron after the game and took away from one of the Massillon players the ball which had been used.

Canton furnished the ball and Canton can have it, if it wants it that badly, but the east enders would have looked just a little bit better in defeat if they had acted the part of good sports and given the orange and black the trophy of victory. Well, Canton’s sportsmanship some day might equal that of Massillon but it still has a long way to go.
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Rain and snow failed to dampen the ardor of the fans who jammed their way into Lakeside Stadium to see the battle. Practically every inch of seating space and standing room was filled to capacity long before the rival elevens trotted upon the field to see how deep the mud was. And Massillon was not in the minority so that it could be noticed.
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Supporters of the orange and black packed the bleachers which ran the entire length of the east side of the gridiron as well as the grandstand. Canton fans occupied the west side bleachers. And when it came to rooting, Massillon was every bit as good as its east end neighbors. The spectacle reminded one of the old days when Massillon and Canton used to fight for the professional football championship.
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The Massillon band, hired through donations by local citizens, was on hand to help out the high school band. Canton had its high school band on the field. Between halves the two bands marched to the north end of the field where they massed and played, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” as the American flag was hoisted to the top of a flag pole. And several thousand males shivered as they stood bareheaded while Old Glory was run up to the top of the pole.
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The day was very similar to a day two years ago when the two rivals clashed on the same field. And the field, while mighty bad, was not as sloppy as the gridiron of two years ago. Massillon won that game by a 13 to 12 score, stopping Canton within the shadow of its goal posts in the last two minutes of play.
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Early comers were greeted to a snow storm before the game. Snow fell quite steadily for about half an hour. A light rain was falling just before the battle started but ceased once the rival athletes started their fuss.
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That Coach Stewart’s warriors were in the best of shape to stand such a grueling battle as was fought Saturday was evidenced by the fact that not once during the game did a Massillon man take time out because of an injury . The first Canton man to be hurt was McConnell, who maintained a wrenched knee in the third quarter. But after that several red and black warriors went down for the count.
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Both coaches began sending in their substitutes toward the close of the game and there was a steady stream of athletes running to and from the field as new blood was injected into the fracas to replace the lads who had fought so hard throughout the duel.
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Massillon tried but three forward passes and completed one of these for a total gain of 44 yards and a touchdown. This successful pass came in the third quarter when Potts made his spectacular catch and scampered 30 yards for the score. Fletcher tried two of his long heaves in the second quarter but both failed.
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Canton completed but one forward out of six attempts. Four failed and Grant intercepted one in the third period.

Carl “Ducky” Schroeder