Bob Seaman, former head coach of the Massillon Tigers, died on August 13 at the age of 86. Seaman led the team from 1966 through 1968 and also taught mathematics at WHS.
During his three years at the helm, Seaman compiled a record of 20 wins, 9 losses and one tie, having had the dubious honor of succeeding Coach Earl Bruce. While both heralded from Sandusky and had good success there, it was Bruce who went 20-0 at Massillon and captured a pair of state titles, whereas Seaman suffered through an initial 4-5-1 mark. It was the first time the Tigers posted a losing record since 1931, something that didn’t sit too well with the fans. The season started off well enough with a pair of wins, in spite of the Tigers losing their best running back between Games 1 and 2 due to a motorcycle accident. But a 0-0 tie against Mansfield in Week 3 broke a 30-game winning streak and then a 20-12 loss to Niles two weeks later ended a 32-game unbeaten streak. In the Niles game, Massillon led 12-0 entering the fourth quarter, only to see the Red Dragons score 20 unanswered points and grab the win. Recall that it was the Tigers that broke Niles’ 48- game winning streak just two years before. Three more close losses followed and the Tigers were now 3-4-1 with the state’s No. 1 team Steubenville coming to town. It seemed like it couldn’t get any worse.
The game started an hour and a half late due to a blown transformer, but that didn’t keep the Tigers from engineering one of their biggest upsets in history. Not only did they beat the Big Red 12-0, they also held them to just 39 yards of offense, 11 on the ground and 28 in the air. Two long Massillon drives that culminated in touchdowns by halfback back Tom James and quarterback Craig Maurer were all that was needed. Unfortunately, the Tigers couldn’t repeat the feat the following week against an under-performing McKinley eleven, and the losing record was assured.
Seaman semi-redeemed himself the following year by going 9-1 and finishing as A.P. state runner-up. Only a 7-6 loss to eventual state champ Upper Arlington kept Massillon from the top spot. Nevertheless, a 7-3 finish the following year, including a 26-6 loss to McKinley, the 2nd in three years, was enough for the fans to cry and the Massillon Board to eventually seek a new coach. That coach turned out to be the very successful Bob Commings.
After Massillon, Seaman landed in Wichita State as an assistant, but an unfortunate event the following year thrust him into the head role. Two planes left for a game against Utah State, but the one carrying the first team failed to make it safely, with 37 players, coaches and support staff lost. Seaman was promoted to head coach and he remained there for four years, earning a winning season only during the last one. But it wasn’t good enough, so he was out once again. After some collegiate assistant roles he eventually landed at Worthington High School, where he was the head coach for the final nine years of his career.
Later, Seaman was inducted into the Halls of Fame for both Sandusky High School and the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association. He was also a two-time head coach of the Ohio North-South All-Star Game, once for the North and once for the South. The final honor was recognition by Worthington High School for his contributions to the football program.
Bob is survived by his wife, Jean, three daughters and a number of grandchildren an great grandchildren. He was also a veteran of the U.S.Army.
’69 Tigers’ task: bring bell back Few bright rays in 26-6 defeat
By CHUCK HESS, JR.
The locomotive bell rests today at Canton McKinley high school – a symbol of one of the tasks that await the Washington high grid team in 1969.
Not many bright rays come out of a beating like the Massillon Tigers took last Saturday, but the realization that there is always a next year helps somehow to soften the blow.
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Tigers fans know that the Orange and Black – like the fabled Phoenix bird – will rise from the ashes of defeat to begin anew when next September rolls around. The Tigers never stay down long.
There’s only one way to describe their 26-6 defeat before 22,300 at snowy Tiger Stadium. The Orange and Black were out manned – but not out fought.
The Tigers were unable to cope with the hard-firing Bulldog offensive line, the powerful rushes of juniors Rocco Rich and Rich Brown, fullback and halfback respectively. Another junior, wingback Ed Floyd, got timely big yardage on reverses.
The slight-of-hand of senior quarterback Mark Hontas and the pursuit and penetration of McKinley’s defensive line led by Jon Brandyberry, Lonnie Ford and Brown’s brother Mark were also factors.
Adding to their miseries, the Washington high eleven lost the services of senior tailback Jim
George Whitfield (66)
Smith, leading rusher and scorer in the All-American conference (AAC) in the first quarter via an ankle injury. Trainer John Whitmer called it a “freak muscle stretch” of a type he’d never seen before.
“It sure couldn’t help us,” Massillon coach Seaman said. “It had to hurt us.”
The loss of a great back like Smith is bound to hurt a team,” McKinley Coach Ron Chismar, said.
McKINELY HIT Massillon with two quick scores in the first quarter after capitalizing on a couple of breaks. A poor snap and a short punt gave McKinley the ball on the Massillon 46. Floyd and Rich combined 18 and 13-yard runs to set up the Pups’ first score.
Rich drove over right tackle from the one with 7:38 left. Hontas’ conversion-attempt pass to Rich was incomplete.
Another short punt following the kickoff put the ball on the 40. Floyd and Rich again combined their talents for 12 and 28-yard runs to set up the second score.
Rich went over left tackle – this time from the two – at 5:40. Brown ran the conversion through left tackle.
The Orange and Black’s only touchdown drive – a 64-yarder after Mark McDew’s 26-yard runback – saw the Tigers grind out the short yardage after Smith got hurt at the beginning of the drive. A 15-yard personal foul penalty and five-yard off side walk off were important. * * * FULLBACK MIKE AUTREY scored around right end from 27 yards out, using the sideline like a tightrope and putting forth great second and third efforts. Malinowski’s attempted conversion pass to McDeew was broken up by Ed McMillan with the clock showing 1:14.
The Tigers never got out of their own territory after that.
1968 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
Dave Couto and Chuck Stoner stopped a McKinley drive at the Massillon six and Bert Dampier hauled in a Bulldog pass on the Tiger 10 to stop another in the second stanza.
In the third period, Mosie Hunter nabbed a Tiger aerial at the McKinley 44 and added an 11-yard runback to the Massillon 45 to set up another Bulldog pay dirt trip. Aided by a personal foul step off and the running of Hontas, Brown and Rich, the Bulldogs made it 20-6 at 8:16 as Hontas scampered for four off right tackle.
The conversion attempt on a run by Brown off left tackle failed.
Rick Laase kayoed a McKinley drive in the third canto with a fumble recovery at the Massillon 36 shortly before Hunter’s interception. * * * MASSILLON stopped a Bulldog march on the Tiger eight in the last period, but the Bulldogs got the ball right back on the Massillon 38 after a punt. A fourth down, 13-yard pass-run combination from Hontas to Floyd and a 19-yard romp around right end by Hontas after a fake set up the final Canton score.
Hontas rammed through the middle from the one with 2:13 left but missed around right end on the conversion attempt.
“Anytime you beat the Tigers, you’ve got to be happy because they have a great team,” Chismar said. “Our kids were great, I’m proud of them.”
He added, “Our backs were not fantastic, just strong. We didn’t run anything we hadn’t used before. Floyd got us yardage when we had to have it.”
Chismar praised Calvin Ellis, Hunter, McMillan and Monroe Jackson who, Chismar said, sacrificed themselves to play in the defensive secondary this year.
HE ALSO GAVE a pat on the back to backup quarterback Nick DeGregorio, first to jump up and congratulate Hontas after the game.
“They were a good team – one of the best I’ve seen since I’ve been here, if not the best,” Seaman said of McKinley. We played the biggest part of the game behind the 50. That was the game. I’d say we let them have the football too darn much. Hontas really hid the ball well.”
It was the second time in three years that Chismar had beaten Seaman – both times at Tiger stadium. McKinley (9-1) finished in a tie with Warren Harding for the All-American conference title, both with 4-1 league marks.
Massillon (7-3, 3-2) finished runnerup, only the second time the Tigers have ended out of the throne room in the loop’s six-year history.
McKinley 14 0 6 6 – 26 Massillon 6 0 0 0 – 6
THE GRIDSTICK M McK First downs –rushing 2 17 First downs – passing 2 3 First downs – penalties 3 1 Total first downs 4 21 Yards gained rushing 81 206 Yards lost rushing 30 26 Net yards gained rushing 31 236 Net yards gained passing 29 37 Total yards gained 80 273 Passes completed 3-15 3-6 Passes intercepted by 1 2 Yardage on passes intercepted 0 23 Kickoff average (yards) 3-44.5 3-47.6 Kickoff returns (yards) 96 36 Punt average (yards) 6-27.3 2-36.5 Punt return (yards) 2 0 Had punts blocked 0 0 Lost fumbled ball 0-1 1-2 Yards Penalized 4-40 2-20
As one looks back today on the 10 games which the Washington high grid team played this year and also contemplates the final Associated Press poll due Tuesday, Tiger Coach Bob Seaman’s words sum it up pretty well. * * *
EVEN WITH the Tigers’ 20-15 victory over Canton McKinley at rain-pelted Fawcett stadium last Saturday afternoon before a full house of 20,500 to write a 9-1 finish to the 1967 season, it’s not likely to be enough to bring the Bengals a state championship.
Undefeated Upper Arlington (10-0) will probably be the King-pin come Tuesday as the result of that fourth and 7 counter play recalled by Seaman after the victory over McKinley. It was that strategy which led to Arlington’s 7-6 win over the Tigers.
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But “Operation Comeback ‘67” can still be rated a success in the minds of the fans of the Orange and Black. For their team has bounced back from a 4-5-1 season to probably second place in the state and the championship of the All-American Football Conference.
The last win came every way but easy. The Tigers shot out to a 12-0 first period lead but barely got out of the game alive against an outstanding Bulldog eleven coached by Ron Chismar. Only a last-minute pass interception by junior Halfback Bert Dampier staved off disaster.
The Pups had the ball on the Massillon 14-yard line, third and 7 after a 51-yard pass-run play from Quarterback Ted Bowersox, who had previously scored twice, to Wingback Gerald Davidson. His 33-yard run after the catch found him going out of bounds on the 17. Bowersox tried to hit Davidson again in the end zone but Dampier came down with the pigskin for a touchback and Massillon ran out the clock. * * *
IT WAS THE Bengals defense which did the job as the offense never really got going after the first quarter. One drive in the second quarter got as far as the McKinley 35 but Bowersox intercepted a pass on the 30 to stop the threat.
The Tigers had the ball for 6 series in the second half, not counting the final one when they ran the clock out. The WHS eleven got only one first down and that was via a personal foul penalty.
The Bulldogs outstanding job of pursuing led by Middle Guard Gaylord Sweat, effectively throttled the Seaman-men. Seaman said McKinley did a “good job of getting to the ball.” Chismar said his charges did a “great job. It’s a shame they couldn’t have won.”
The Tigers were paced by a superlative defensive secondary, which allowed the Bulldogs to complete only 6 of 24 passes. Dampier, besides his game saving interception, also aborted a McKinley drive with an interception on his 15 in the third period.
Manson was in the game due to a first quarter ankle injury suffered by Co-Captain and Quarterback Trevor Young. Junior Marc Malinowski was forced to vacate his safety spot to do the signal calling and showed promise for next year. However, Young’s absence affected the offensive timing. * * *
THE BENGALS’ other co-captain, Linebacker Ron Ertle, was all over the field again. Both ends, Tim Richards, and Russ Fenton, did a good job of containing Bowersox.
Linebacker Hoyt Skelton recovered a fumble on the Bulldog 38 in the third quarter. But the Tigers couldn’t move the ball.
Shortly thereafter, Tom Houser downed a Malinowski punt on the 3 to put McKinley into a
1967 Massillon vs. McKinley
deep hole. On the third down in the ensuing series, Bowersox faded to the end zone from the 5, and hit End Jim Iams in the flat. But “Monster” Larry Shumar, weighing only 152 pounds, decked the 175-pound end for a safety, one of several nifty plays by the diminutive junior during the afternoon.
Junior Tailback Jim Smith led the offense by scoring one of the first period touchdowns and collecting 99 net yards in 18 tries for a season’s total of 1,011. Art Hastings’ 1,274 in 1969 marked the last time a Tiger had over 1,000 yards.
Malinowski got the other welcome frame tally.
But the most spectacular score was Mark McDew’s 90-yard runback of the second half kickoff for the Tigers’ third touchdown behind some fine blocking. Only 10 seconds ticked off the clock. Smith missed on the conversion run. * * *
SMITH’S SCORE came over left guard on first down from the one with 6:05 left in the first quarter. The 75-yard drive took only 5 plays. Smith set up his own score with a 54-yard blast through the center which put the ball on the one. McKinley Co-Captain Ron Martin made the tackle.
Then came the conversion keeper on which Young got hurt.
McKinley fumbled on its 40 while driving after the kickoff McDew recovered and the Orange and Black had its second TD 6 plays later with 2:40 left. Malinowski ran off left tackle on a keeper on third and 4 from the 10 after bobbling the ball and crossed into pay dirt. Twelve and 14-yard runs by Malinowski and Smith had set up the score.
A pass fell incomplete on the conversion try.
1967 Massillon vs. McKinley
Junior Tackle Jon Brandyberry recovered a fumble on the Tiger 44 and 11 plays later the Pups were on the scoreboard with 4:35 remaining in the second quarter. An 8-yard run by Bowersox, a 10-yarder by Martin and 6 and 9-yard passes for Bowersox to Davidson and Iams set up the 6-pointer, the latter coming on fourth down from the 14 and giving the Bulldogs a first down on the Bengal 5.
Bowersox scored through the center on third down from the one and then kicked the conversion. On the Tigers’ first try after the kickoff, Bowersox recorded his interception on the McKinley 30 to stop a drive highlighted by sophomore Darnell Streeter’s 23-yard kick return and Smith’s 18-yard romp off right tackle.
McKinley’s other score came with 4:45 left in the game. The Bulldogs drove 78-yards following a Tiger punt in the dying seconds of the third quarter. The push took 17 plays. * * *
THE BIG maneuvers were a 21-yard pass-run combination from Bowersox to Davidson’s 4-yarder which netted a first down on the one by a gnat’s eyelash.
Bowersox scored on the next play through the center and passed to Davidson to make it 20-15.
Seaman Says ‘Wait Until Next Year’ McKinley Wins; Bengals Have Losing Mark
By CHUCK HESS, JR. Independent Sports Editor
Fans of the old Brooklyn baseball Dodgers had the right idea at a time like this: “Wait until next year.”
Washington high Coach Bob Seaman had his own version: “We’ll be back next year and should have a heck of a team.”
The error-pocked and anguish-filled 1966-football season is history. The final chapter was penned Saturday in a bruising 25-16 Tiger stadium loss to Canton McKinley in the 71st annual inter-city classic.
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For the first time since 1931 the Bengals ended below .500 with a 4-5-1 record. There have been only 4 other seasons of 8 or more games since 1894, which have ended below the Break-even point.
The only consolation for Seaman was that he has a lot of company among first-year coaches who have lost to McKinley. Seven other mentors, including Paul Brown, either lost to or were tied by the Bulldogs in the first or only year those coaches were here.
McKinley ended a 9-year famine in wining and assured itself of a winning season under Ron Chismar with a 6-4 record. The Bulldogs also dropped the defending champion Tigers into a cellar tie in the All-American High School football league at a 1-3 ending.
Niles won the title with a 3-0 record, Steubenville finished 2-1, Warren 2-2.
Massillon’s play, at times Saturday, resembled the zany Dodgers referred to above. Maladies, which have plagued them all-season burst out in full bloom – inability’s to handle kicks and fumbles. Three McKinley touchdowns happened because of miscues on handling kicks. The fourth resulted from an inability to stop a punt return. * * *
SOME SAY the Pups didn’t deserve the win but they were a good enough team to capitalize on the breaks and reverse the script of the past 2 seasons when the Tigers bounced back to win after half time deficits. The contest started as if it were to be a high-scoring affair with both teams scoring in the first one minute, 54 seconds of play. McKinley went over on the first play from scrimmage after Bengal sophomore Marc Malinowski attempted unsuccessfully to return George Fronimo’s stocking footed, soccer-style kickoff which rolled pass Malinowski to the 5-yard line. End Henry Lewis recovered a fly ball fumble on the 9.
Quarterback Milford Lucius passed to halfback Leroy Wilder, who was to score twice more, on the 5 with Wilder carrying the rest of the way. Fronimo’s boot made it 7-0 with 11:32 remaining.
Halfback Tommy James got the Obiemen to their 38 with a 29-yard runback of the next kickoff. On second and 4 from the 44, fullback Will Foster cut through the center and back to the right for the Tigertowners’ longest run from scrimmage this season at 11:26. Quarterback Craig Maurer hit James in the right corner of the end zone to make it 8-7 in Massillon’s favor.
Massillon scored again in the first quarter but not before squandering a first and 10 at the Bulldog 18 after a pass interception by Foster with a fumble by James recovered by halfback Ted Bowersox. * * *
LINEBACKER Hoyt Skelton pilfered again on the Pups’ 40. Four plays later, Maurer took off from 26 yards out on first and 10 and scampered into pay dirt on a counter keeper to the left at 3:55. He hit James with another right corner end zone pass for a 16-7 score that was the Bengal fans’ last cause for joy.
McKinley missed an opportunity after Jim Krenzer’s punt was blocked by one of his own men at the beginning of the second stanza. George Austin recovered on the Massillon 25.
On third down Clayton grabbed a pass on the 25, ran to the 17, was pushed out of bounds and into the east track seats. A 15-yard personal foul infraction was called during the melee and Chismar rushed onto the field to engage in a violent argument with head linesman Joe Romano.
McKinley was set back to the 30. Linebacker Ron Ertle intercepted a pass on the next play to halt the drive.
Massillon was forced to hold on again later in the period when Bulldog linebacker Jerry Hontas recovered Foster’s fumble on the Tigers’ 24.
Fronimo’s bad-snap punt following the first Bulldog series of the second half grazed Tiger junior Trevor Young; subbing for James, who was injured earelier. Pete Coleman’s recovery gave the Bulldogs a life on the Tigers 34. * * * EIGHT PLAYS after a 12-yard run by Lucius and an 11-yard scamper by fullback Larry Clayton, who broke tackles numerous times during the afternoon, Wilder scored around the left side on a pitchout at 4:21. Lucius was halted short of conversion territory as the scoreboard showed Massillon with a 16-13 lead.
Massillon got the ball but once in the third quarter going nowhere.
With Fronimo punting on the second play of the final stanza, junior Tiger safetyman Kevin Henderson fumbled on the 5. Coleman recovered again – this time on the half-yard line. Lucius sneaked through the center at 11:28 for the score. Fronimo tried to run the conversion after a bad snap, fumbled after a tackle. Bowersox recovered and ran over but the ball was ruled dead, giving McKinley a 19-16 lead.
Fronimo kept the Tigers in the hole with long punts in the second half and the Bulldog defense kept the Orange and Black there. On one of these frustrating occasions Krenzer punted to Wilder on the McKinley 42. A touchdown runback along the west-side line resulted at 4:21 with the help of a block by Paul Robinson at the 3. * * *
FRONIMO MISSED on the PAT. McKinley led 26-15 but the Tigers weren’t dead even though many fans started to exit.
The Bengals got back to the McKinley 4 after the kickoff to 8 and 20-yard passes to sophomore halfback Mark McDew and senior tight end Keith Griffin and 7-yard runs by Foster and Maurer. But the Tigers ran out of downs.
In the last minute of play, Maurer hit McDew for an 8-yarder and interference was called on a 24-yarder. It took several minutes to clear fans off the field in order to run the final play after the penalty, which had occurred as time lapsed. A pass into the end zone was incomplete.
Seaman agreed that the Tigers had been placed behind the 8-ball too many times by errors. “Each week we’ve done something wrong,” he said. “This time the specialty team hurt us.” Then he mused, “McKinley got a negative 3 yards in the last quarter and 3 touchdowns. We evened the battle of statistics.”
Chismar said, ‘It was a real great game. Our linebackers Hontas and John Patterson did as much as anybody to shut off their defense. But it was a team effort.”
The much-hearlded battle of fullbacks was a standoff. Clayton, who left the contest in the final quarter with torn ankle ligaments had 83 yards in 19 tries. Foster had 85 in 14.
Charles Dickens would have felt right at home at Tiger stadium Friday night. As he once said, ‘It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.”
Massillon’s Tigers got off on the right foot in quest of a third straight state championship even if the step was a little shaky. The Bengals stopped Canton Lincoln’s Lions 32-14 before one of the largest opening night crowds ever, 13,431. * * *
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THE BATTLE of the felines was the second game of the first double bill ever presented at the stadium. Marion Catholic and Dover St. Joseph, 1965 state Class A powers, battled in the opener with Marion winning 8-6.
Massillon played turnabout ball, jumping ahead 20-0 at the half, and was outscored 14-12 in the second. Total yardage also went in the opposite direction: from 228-66 in Massillon’s favor before the intermission to 120-92 in Lincoln’s favor afterwards, as did the number of plays, 30-28 to 26-16.
Tiger Coach Bob Seaman making his debut as the Bengals stretched their win streak to 29, thought complacency might have had a great deal to do with the poor second half. “When you put points on the board with 4 seconds to go in the first half, you’re bound to relax a bit in the second.”
Lou Venditti, who might have his finest team in his 6 years at Lincoln, was “proud of the kids coming back after being down 20-0.”
Venditti thought his team was hurt by 2 bad mental errors and a fumble at the wrong time. There was one mental error and 3 bad breaks which hurt the Tigers, to say nothing of numerous penalties. * * *
MASSILLON SCORED first when junior halfback Greg Evans went off left tackle from 33 yards out on second and 8 with 9:35remaining in the welcome quarter. The drive covered 74 yards in 5 plays after the opening kickoff. It featured 2 first downs and a big run by Evans over right tackle off a pitch, which carried from the Tiger 29 to the Lincoln 35.
Senior Craig Maurer, quarterback, missed on a rollout for the conversion.
The next time Massillon had the ball a 40-yard run by Evans was nullified by a clipping penalty.
Midway in the first quarter, Lincoln threatened following Jim Krenzer’s punt from the end zone after the Obiemen were put into reverse gear by motion and clipping penalties, 2 of 16 on the night for 115 yards.
On the first play following the punt, Lincoln’s senior signal-caller Tom Smith, who was to have a great second half, rolled out, scampered from the Tigers’ 34 to the 21 and fumbled. Gigantic Mike Sherrett, Massillon’s 6-7, 251-pound senior tackle, recovered, or as Venditti said, the game might have been different.
As the second quarter got underway, it appeared the Orange and Black were on the way for a second score. With second and (line of copy missing) Massillon 37 to the Lincoln 47 with the next punt and the Washington high eleven was on the way to its second score. Seven plays and 3 first downs later, senior fullback Will Foster went over left tackle from the 7 with 3:41 left. Foster made it 14-0 on the same play.
The Tigers scored again just as time ran out in the first half. Maurer threw the “bomb” to Evans on second and 5 from the 50 with 4 seconds remaining. The little jackrabbit grabbed the pigskin on the 5 and went in on the first of the Lion mental errors. Foster found the center too tough for the conversion.
Lincoln started on its comeback rampage immediately after the second half kickoff. Smith started to run wild on the keeper, spelled at intervals by junior halfback John Franzone and junior fullback Greg Wentz. The drive started on the Lions’ 33, carried for 67 yards and 5 first downs.
Franzone got the score with 7:17 left in the third canto. He shot off left tackle on first and 10 from the Tigers’ 28. Smith hit junior end Bruce Fowler in the left side of the end zone to make it 20-8.
As the quarter was about to come to an end, Krenzer dropped back from the Tigers’ 19 to punt and found his attempted boot blocked, giving Lincoln the ball on the 14. In 6 plays Bengal fans were starting to squirm. * * *
WITH FOURTH and 2 on the 6, Smith hit senior end Scott Ricketts in the right section of the end zone with 10:03 ;left in the goodbye chapter. Seaman said a linebacker incorrectly heard the coverage call. Junior linebacker Hoyt Skelton, junior tackle Bill Ricker and senior middle Earle (Stump) Beiter brought Smith crashing to the turf short of the conversion.
A wounded Tiger is dangerous and the Obiemen poured on the steam. Evans ran back 33 yards. Tommy (Scooter) James, senior halfback, rode the wave of excellent blocking on power sweeps off the pitch on almost every play in the ensuing 6-play, 4-first down, 57-yard scoring drive.
“Tailspin Tommy” tallied from the 23 on second and 4. He took 2 steps to the right, shot back over left guard and it was “TJ for the TD.” Evans failed to get the conversion on a pitchout.
A once-in-a-lifetime occurrence cropped up next. Foster kicked off out of bounds on the one. His repeat boot after 5-yard penalty sailed into the end zone. A Lion back forgot to recover the ball and sophomore Marc Malinowski, up from Lorin Andrews junior high, pounced on the swinehide for a score.
Maurer missed the conversion on the keeper for the second time during the night. * * *
BUT LINCOLN wasn’t through driving from the Massillon 43, after a short kickoff by Mike Gipp, to the Tigers’ 5, a distance of 52 yards.
There junior linebacker Ron Ertle brought Smith down on a fake pass and run on fourth and 6 to halt the scoring attempt. Franzone and Wentz were the big boys on the 3-first down drives.
A freak play cropped up along the way. Fowler caught a pass from Smith after it bounced around off several hands including those of at least 3 Tiger defenders. The play carried from the Lincoln 49 to the Massillon 26.
Massillon will play host to Cleveland Benedictine next Saturday.
Touchdowns: Massillon – Evans (33-yard run and 35- yard pass from Maurer), Foster (7-yard run), James (23-yard run), Malinowski (recovered kickoff in end zone). Lincoln – Franzone (28-yard run), Smith (6-yard pass from Ricketts).
Extra points: Massillon – Foster 2 (run). Lincoln – Fowler 2 (pass from Smith).
Attendance: 13,431.
OFFICIALS Referee – Jack McLain (Columbus). Umpire – Bill Holzwarth (Louisville). Head Linesman – Bud Shopbell (Canton). Field Judge – John Dalrymple (Akron).
THE GRIDSTICK Massillon Opp. First downs – rushing 13 6 First downs – passing 1 3 First downs – penalties 0 2 Total first downs 14 11 Yards gained rushing 286 144 Yards lost rushing 1 6 Net yards gained rushing 285 138 Net yards gained passing 35 48 Total yards gained 320 186 Passes attempted 1 12 Passes completed 1 5 Passes intercepted by 0 0 Yardage on passes intercepted 0 0 Times kicked off 5 3 Kickoff average (yards) 47.0 41.0 Kickoff returns (yards) 41 58 Times punted 5 4 Punt average (yards) 26.5 37.5 Punt return (yards) 29 2 Had punts blocked 1 0 Fumbles 1 1 Lost fumbled ball 0 1 Penalties 16 3 Yards penalized 115 18 Touchdowns rushing 3 1 Touchdowns passing 1 1 Touchdowns by interception 0 0 Miscellaneous 0 0 Number of plays 46 54
Coaches 
