Defeat can’t hide Tiger pride Pups end Massillon season
By STEVE DOERSCHUK Independent Sports Editor
MASSILLON ‑ They’ve pulled the plug on the football season, and it’s quiet around here all right.
No football playoffs to get crazy about … heck, not even a scrimmage against Akron East.
Maybe the calendar says “Nov. 4,” but its winter, baby.
You can say this, though. As the sports soul of Tigertown sighs and enters hibernation, it can be tucked in with a blanket of pride.
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Here’s a nut and bolts way to took at it: the Tigers got a 21‑6 spanking from the playoff‑bound McKinley Bulldogs Saturday before 20,174 fans in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium to close their season with a 7‑3 record under first‑year head coach John Maronto.
Here’s another way: the Bulldogs were heavy favorites but got a pretty good scare.
If you want to get at the soul of this 91st game, which left the Tigers with a 50‑36‑5 lead in the fabled series, climb on down off the scoreboard.
How close was this game?
With 8:39 left, Mike Norris was digging for yardage round the 2‑yard line, needing to get inside the 1 for a first down and into the end zone for a chance for the Tigers to turn a 14‑6 deficit into a 14‑14 tie – Norris was stopped right there at the 2 on fourth down.
How close?
With fire minutes left, the Tiger defense stuffed the Pups, and Massillon got the ball on a punt in A‑1 field position near midfield.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1985
Here was another chance to gun for a touchdown, a two-point conversion, and some dancin’ in the streets.
On the first play after they took over, the Tigers lost the ball on an interception, McKinley got a quick score on a bomb, and that was that.
How close.
Dead even, almost. In the end, McKinley had 211 total yards to 199 for the Tigers.
Of course, “close” only cuts so much ice. Plenty of Tigers shed plenty of tears after the clock froze at 0:00.
McKinley was going to the play offs, against GlenOak Saturday night in Fawcett Stadium as it turns out, with a 9‑1 record.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1985
The Tigers were going home.
After the bus wheeled into Paul Brown Tiger Stadium and the players met for it quiet team meeting, Duane Crenshaw found his locker and removed his pads slowly.
He was sad and proud all at once.
”Everybody said they would blow us out,” said the senior defensive tackle. “They sure didn’t blow us out.”
Crenshaw’s locker was near that of Cornell Jackson. By now Jackson had removed his No. 8 for the last time, having gone out in splendid fashion.
His 83 yards in 18 rushing attempts made him the most visibly consistent offensive player in the game. Late in the contest, he turned the intangible of “determination” into something that could be seen with the naked eye.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1985
On the late drive that set up the Tigers with their fourth and short from the 3, trailing by 8, Jackson got good blocking and shed many tacklers as he plunged ahead for 38 yards in seven memorable carries.
“It dawned on me at about that time that within a number of minutes my high school career would be over,” said Jackson, who was in his third game of a comeback after arthrosopic knee surgery. “I wanted to go out with my best effort. I’m just upset that we fell short.”
Maronto was upset, too. His marathon vigils in the film room, which produced a game plan laced with short passes and helped the Tigers stay in the game, were not enough to overcome a McKinley team seen by many as a solid state championship contender.
Maronto fought to get out the words as he spoke with reporters in the Tiger Stadium locker room after delivering the season‑ending address to his troops.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1985
“It’s hard to feel anything good about losing to McKinley,” said the man who arrived from Detroit De La Salle High in mid‑June. “But maybe I have to look at it more maturely. I can say this. The kids just spilled their guts.”
The game’s first four possessions developed with the Tigers and the Bulldogs imitating each other.
McKinley received the opening kickoff and had to punt after three plays.
Then the Tigers had to punt after three plays.
Then McKinley scored on a long march. Then the Tigers scored on a longer march.
McKinley’s scoring drive began in Massillon territory after Chris Clax returned a punt 15 yards to the 48. Using Brian Chaney‑to‑Jerome Perrin passes and runs by fullback Percy Snow and the tailback Clax, the Bulldogs marched on six plays to the 6, where it was first down.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1985
From there, Snow found a gaping hole on a left‑side trap play and literally trotted into the end zone for a McKinley score with 5:38 left in the first quarter. Mark Smith’s kick made it 7‑0, Bulldogs.
The Tigers started from their 34 after the kickoff. Behind senior Paul Fabianich’s sharpest quarterbacking of the season, the Tigers maneuvered downfield against McKinley’s vaunted angle defense.
Highlights included a 12‑yard pass to Bart Letcavits, a 16‑yard Fabianich scramble (his longest of the season), a 10‑yard strike to Wes Siegenthaler and a 17 yard, third and 10 completion to tight end Derick Newman to the 9.
Had later events favored the Tigers, the completion to Newman would have emerged as one of the most interesting developments in the game.
On the play, Fabianich nimbly darted away from the Bulldog linebacker Perrin. A year ago, Perrin was making tackles in that kind of situation, as his big‑play tackles sparked McKinley to a 17‑6 win and led to a first‑team, All‑Ohio berth for Perrin.
But this time, Fabianich stole the moment and zipped a completion to Newman … who had been a fullback all season.
“We wanted to use Derick as a tight end from the start, but injuries didn’t let us go that way,” Maronto said.
Norris, a junior fullback, plowed six yards up the middle to the 3. On second and goal, Fabianich flicked a quick pass over the right side of the line that barely zipped over the linebacker Snow’s hand and nestled into Newman’s grasp for a touchdown.
Norris changed shoes and lined up for the PAT attempt, but his kick sailed low and wide right, and the score stayed at 7‑6 with 1:31 left in the first quarter.
The game of copycat continued through the rest of the half, which was colored by excellent defense from both sides.
McKinley punted, Massillon punted. Then the Bulldogs punted again, then the Tigers punted again … but this time Ken Hawkins’ boot was partially blocked.
McKinley took over on its 46 with three minutes left in the half. The Bulldogs could get no farther than the Tiger 35, where they ran out of downs when a Chaney pass sailed over Perrin’s head.
The Tigers couldn’t budge, and the half ran out shortly after they punted with McKinley leading 7‑6.
The defenses dominated the third quarter, too, with McKinley shifting its alignment to take away Massillon’s short passing game, and Massillon playing “stuff the run,” as the Bulldogs put Chaney’s arm in seclusion and unsuccessfully tried to operate a power attack.
In their first five possessions of the third period, the teams combined for just five first downs on drives that all ended with punts.
The fifth of the punts sank the Tigers.
The boot, a low-flying 41-yarder off the foot of Hawkins, was taken by Clax at the McKinley 38. Clax started for the middle and found an opening to the outside. He broke to the left sideline and then back toward the middle of the field, outracing two Tigers and arriving in the end one at the end of a 62‑yard jaunt.
Smith’s PAT kick made it 14‑6, McKinley, with 1:55 left in the third quarter.
There was still fight left in the Tigers.
The Tigers took over on the kickoff at their 29 and, with the help of a 15‑yard pass interference penalty, used the running of Jackson and Norris to hammer out a length‑of‑the field drive.
On the eighth play of the march, which now was in the fourth quarter, Jackson exploded through the line on a trap play and exploded for 15 yards, almost breaking away for a touchdown but getting dragged down just outside the 10.
Jackson then went around the left side but slipped and fell at the 8. Norris bulled straight ahead for five yards, but on third and about two from the 3, Jackson tried the right side and was stopped for no gain.
Now it was fourth and two.
Do you go for the field goal and make it 14‑9 with about eight minutes left? Or do you go for the touchdown and two‑point conversion to tie?
“We needed a touchdown,” Maronto said, who mapped out strategy during a timeout called by McKinley.
The Bulldogs might be looking for Jackson to come around one of the ends, as he had on two of the previous three plays, Maronto figured.
The Tigers would try to pop Norris through the line.
“It was an inside belly play,” Maronto said. We felt we had enough force to make that play work. Norris is a strong runner.”
Norris lined up close to Fabianich. Fabianich handed him the ball an instant after the snap and Norris charged into the left side of the line. McKinley nose guard Cary Brown lid directly into Norris’ path and made the hit as other players arrived. Norris went down in a pile at the 2. It was McKinley’s ball.
McKinley’s poor field position loomed as a possible silver lining for the Tigers, but that went away when Snow ran eight yards to the 10 on the next play.
Still, the Tigers were alive and kicking when they forced the Bulldogs to punt from their 22. Massillon took over on its 44 with five minutes left in the game, but Smith’s interception killed a would‑be drive before the orange army in the north stands could get worked up.
Five plays after the interception, Smith struck again, racing behind two Tiger defensive backs and hauling in a perfect strike from Chaney on a 41-yard TD play. Smith’s kick gave the Bulldogs a 21‑6 lead with 2:30 left, and the seats cleared out early.
Fabianich finished with a season high of 21 passing attempts. He completed nine throws for 75 yards, two interceptions and the touchdown, the only aerial TD the Tigers achieved in 1985.
Chaney completed eight of 13 passes for 62 yards.
Snow led McKinley’s rushing attack with 64 yards in 15 carries. Clax, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 1984, was held under 600 yards for 1985 as a result of gaining just 20 yards in nine carries Saturday.
Back to Ringling Bros. Tiger football season ends for Obie XVI, seniors
MASSILLON Ed Annen looked a bit sad. But then, he was about to lose a friend.
“It’s back to Ringling Brothers for her now,” Annen sighed as he looked at the friend, who lives in a cage and answers to Obie XVI.
With help from some loiterers, Annen wheeled the cage of Obie XVI out of a pickup truck and into her fall home at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
The football season was over for another year, and so were Annen’s special duties: caretaker of the live tiger that is part of what makes game days in Massillon different than game days in other towns.
The echo of the final gun was still so fresh that the players were in a team meeting within growling distance of Obie’s cage.
In an unplanned moment, the locker room door cracked open and revealed the meeting scene … a silent room filled with bowed heads.
Forget about Obie. Nobody who wears the orange and black feels much in a circus mood after losing to McKinley, as these Tigers had by a 21‑6 score in Fawcett Stadium on this Saturday.
“I thought we played pretty well against McKinley, but we could have played better … we could have beat ‘em,” said Jerrod Vance, a junior linebacker. “Next year we’re going to have a super team. I’m going to try my best to make sure of that.
The meeting broke up, and folks moved quietly amid the benches,
The seniors said their good byes to the locker room in which legends have been born. The juniors talked about setting things straight next year.
“I thought we played pretty well against McKinley, but we could have played better … we could have beat ‘am,” said Jetted Vance, a junior linebacker. ”Next year we’re going to have a super team. I’m going to try my best to make sure of that.
“I thought we should have done better this year. But we came a long way,”
Another junior linebacker who will go some more of the way with
MASSILLON ‑ Decals, magic potion and a lucky penny weren’t enough.
McKinley’s Bulldogs were simply too much for Massillon Saturday afternoon before 17,926 fans at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Not even record setting performances by Massillon’s Bruce Spicer and Mike Scott were enough to stave off a determined bunch of “Mad Dogs.”
When the final gun went off the scoreboard read: McKinley 17, Massillon 6.
And it wasn’t a game that could’ve gone either way. Massillon’s lone score occurred with a scant 32 seconds remaining, the Tigers’ fate already sealed.
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Although the Bulldogs (7‑3) finished with a slight 296‑284 edge in net yards, the Tigers (6‑4) led in just about every other statistical category.
Statistics, though, are among the greatest half‑truths in the universe.
Massillon held a 20‑12 edge in first downs. The Tigers possessed the ball longer, and ran off a whopping 21 more offensive plays.
But the Bulldogs led in the two area, that counted the most ‑ big plays and total points. In both categories the Tigers lacked.
“That’s what wins big games for you,” Massillon defensive tackle John Kroah said. “We couldn’t stop theirs, and they didn’t make any mistakes. Maybe we just underestimated them.
“Personally, don’t think there was the same kind of intensity that we had for the Perry game.”
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1984
The strike‑it‑rich‑quick preference by the Bulldogs paid off handsomely to the tune of 17 points. Here’s the reasons why:
‑ Flanker Jeff Smith catches a 28‑yard touchdown pass with less than a minute left in the first half; ‑ Smith, also a safety, intercepts a Scott pass in the endzone to thwart a Massillon score; – Tailback Chris Clax bursts 80 yards for a TD 36 seconds into the second half; – Sophomore Mark Smith, with the wind at his back, drills home a 45‑yard fourth‑quarter field goal at the 7:55 mark to give the Dogs a 17‑0 lead.
Truly, McKinley was a rags to riches story this season. They were 1‑3 at one point. They unearthed their biggest treasure with Saturday’s win.
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1984
After a scoreless first quarter, the Tigers had a chance to draw first blood. But Todd Manion’s wind-aided 54‑yard field goal attempt fell well short of the intended mark.
Before setting up for the three-point try the Tigers used two time outs. That would come back to haunt them later in the period.
Taking over at their own 20, the Bulldogs went 80 yards in eight plays behind the throwing of junior quarterback Brian Chaney.
Chaney hit six of seven passes in the drive for 78 yards, the finale being a 28‑yard strike to Smith over the middle. Smith’s point‑after was good, and McKinley held a 7-0 lead with 59 seconds remaining in the half.
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1984
Massillon, with no time outs left, promptly took the ball from its own 34 following the kickoff and marched to McKinley’s 9‑yard line behind Scott’s pin‑point passing, Scott hit Derrick Newman for 19 yards, Cornell Jackson for 23 and Spicer for 14 more.
Faced with a first down from the Bulldog 9, Scott sought Newman in the end zone. The pass was intercepted by Smith instead.
Mr. Momentum remained in the Bulldog locker room at halftime, joining the team minutes later on the field of play when Clax burst 80 yards to paydirt just 36 seconds into the half.
In the span of 95 seconds, the Bulldogs had pulled off three big plays. Three more than the Tigers had all game.
Twice in the third period the Tigers, who had pour field position for the bulk of the game, were within striking distance. Both times, though, they were denied entry into the end zone.
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1984
Massillon had the ball once at its own 45, but had to punt three plays later. The same fate befell them on their next possession, taking the ball at McKinley’s 47 and punting three plays later again.
McKinley threatened to break the ballgame wide open on its ensuing set of downs, driving to the Tiger 27 where they were faced with a fourth‑and‑2. Clax took off with the ball to his right, but Massillon defensive end Chris Slinger put the stopper to him short of the yard stick.
With the distinct possibility of being shut out for the first time in the series since 1973, the Tigers got the ball back for the final time at their own 13 with 3:19 remaining.
Scott, who had a sterling first half, was off to a retched second‑half showing, completing just four‑of‑19 passes before the final drive.
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1984
But the senior dug down and went work. He hit Spicer for a pair of 11‑yard gains. Irwin Hastings for nine more, and Spicer again for eight. Wes Siegenthaler then caught a pass for 12 yards and Spicer another eight yarder.
Hastings was found open once again, this time for a 14‑yard gain to McKinley’s 14. Two straight passes then fell incomplete when Scott connected with Siegenthaler for a first down at the Bulldog 2.
On the ensuing play, Hastings swept the left side for a long‑awaited but way too little TD. Only 32 seconds showed, and the subsequent onside kick attempt was recovered by the red and black.
On this sunny day not even the decals that equipment manager Keith Herring purchased and then applied to the front of each player’s helmet worked.
Not even the “win potion” of assistant coach Butch Hose could do it’s thing.
And not even the “lucky penny” assistant coach Keith Dewitz found outside the coach’s door nine days earlier could come through.
It just wasn’t meant to be.
It’s back to the drawing board for Currence, staff
By STEVE DUNGJEN Independent Sports Editor
MASSILLON There will be no grace period for Mike Currence this year. Canton McKinley saw to that Saturday afternoon.
In front of 17,926 spectators at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, the Bulldogs gave Thom McDaniels his first win in three outings against Massillon with a 17‑6 decision.
“I won’t be celebrating (this) week,” Currence, Massillon’s head coach of nine years, said. “I’ll be working. We’ll start a week early on next year’s game.”
“The big run killed us,” Currence said of Chris Clax’s 80‑yard run to paydirt on the first play from scrimmage to open the second half. “That put us down two, and now we really had to start playing catch up.
“I don’t know how many they had,” he said of the Bulldogs’ big plays, “three, four, five, six, seven or eight. They made a lot of them, and we didn’t get any big plays.
“I think we were up, but I don’t think we played as well as we could’ve. We had them several times, but we just didn’t cash them in.
“We used a few different formations and alignments, but it didn’t bother them. The formations and plays didn’t stop them from winning.”
Currence admitted his club aired the ball much more than they wanted to against McKinley’s seasoned secondary. The Tigers put the ball in the air a team record 49 times.
Although the Tigers dropped to 6‑4 with the loss, Currence wasn’t totally dismayed.
“We started out with a very young team,” he noted. “We have a lot to be proud of. We certainly aren’t proud of losing the last one, though.
“The senior never gave up, and I’m certainly proud of them.”
Massillon got off to one of its worst starts, saddled with a 1‑3 record after just four weeks. Then the Tigers started to put things together, stringing five consecutive wins before Saturday’s swan song.
And how does McKinley rate with Massillon’s other nine opponents this season?
“I think they are the best team we’ve played,” Currence said.
But there will be little time for reflection.
On Friday, the head coach received some bad news. His father-in‑law had passed away. Today Currence and his wife Joan are in Maryland, where funeral arrangements were taking place.
Tiger‑Bulldog gridstick
MCKINLEY 00 MASSILLON 00
McK M First downs rushing 5 4 First downs passing 7 15 First downs by penalty 0 1 Totals first downs 12 20 Yards gained rushing 213 63 Yards lost tasting 18 29 Net yards rushing 195 34 Net yards passing 101 250 Total yards gained 296 284 Passes attempted 14 49 Passes completed 8 23 Passes int. by 2 0 Times kicked off 4 2 Kickoff average 46.5 32.2 Kickoff return yards 16 1 Punts 4 6 Punting average 30.3 32.2 Punt return yards 23 15 Punts blocked by 0 0 Fumbles 1 0 Fumbles lost 0 0 Penalties 1 2 Yards penalized 13 20 Touchdowns rushing 1 1 Touchdowns passing 1 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Number of plays 51 72 Time of possession 23:31 24:29 Attendance 17,926
MCKINLEY 0 7 7 3 17 MASSILLON 0 0 0 6 6
Mck ‑ Jeff Smith 28 pass from Brian Chancy (Mark Smith kick) Mck ‑ Chris Clax 80 run (M. Smith kick) Mck ‑ M. Smith 45 FG M ‑ Irwin Hastings 2 run (pass failed)
Scott, Spicer stand out For Tigers in face of defeat
By STEVE DUNGJEN Independent Sports Editor
MASSILLON ‑ Personal accomplishments lose their shine in the face of defeat.
Bruce Spicer and Mike Scott know that all too well.
In the aftermath of Saturday’s disheartening 17‑6 loss to Canton McKinley at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, Massillon’s S & S combination was, needless to say, distraught.
Spicer, a senior wide receiver, set three Tiger pass receiving records. Scott, a senior quarterback, established two passing standards.
Entering the McKinley game, Spicer already owned the single game receiving mark with nine. He bettered that by two with his 11 receptions for 104 yards.
On the first play from scrimmage, Spicer caught a 10-yard pass that gave him the regular‑season reception mark with 46. Marty Guzzetta had held the record with 45.
Guzzetta’s all‑time single season record of 50 catches was knocked down a notch. Spicer finished the year with 56 receptions.
In his career Spicer caught 66 passes, which rank him third on the all time list behind Curtis Strawder (68) and Guzzetta (69).
Those 56 catches by Spicer netted him 583 Yards, putting him in second place behind Guzzetta’s 706 total in 11 games.
“I got a pretty good end, don’t I?” Tiger head coach Mike Currence said of Spicer.
“The records didn’t mean a lot because we didn’t win the game,” a subdued Spicer said. “I think we hurt ourselves. We made a lot of mistakes and had a lot of letdowns here and there.
“The win over McKinley is what everybody wanted.”
Spicer said the 80‑yard touchdown run by McKinley’s Chris Clax to open the second half took the wind out of the Tigers’ sail.
“It was like the bottom fell out,” he said. “It was something that happened that you didn’t think could happen.”
Scott bounced back from a preseason back injury to certify himself as one of the all‑time top Tiger passers.
Despite missing nearly four full games, Scott pushed his name into third place in the single-season attempts chart. His 178 throws this year trailed only Brian DeWitz (181) and Brent Offenbecher (182).
Scott also ranks fourth on the career most attempts list with 190. His 1,208 passing yards this year rank him sixth on the all‑time career chart, and his 244 yards passing against McKinley put him fourth in the single‑game books.
Against McKinley, Scott heaved a yeoman‑like 48 passes to surpass his own record of 32 set earlier this year against Stow. The senior signal caller also completed 23 attempts to better his standard of 19, also set against Stow.
“I knew we had to get the ball down there some way and score, but I didn’t do it,” Scott said about his abundance of aerial attempts. “After a big score like that (Clax’s 80‑ yard run) everybody is down on themselves and we knew we’d have to come back and score.
“We were trying to get a good (big play) touchdown for ourselves in order to get back in the game. They were jumping most of our primary receivers and we had to go to our secondaries.”
There was nothing secondary about the performances turned in by the S & S duo. Though it will take some time for their deeds to sink in, they can hold their heads high.
Mike Scott and Bruce Spicer will long be remembered as two of Massillon’s finest.
In the 89 games the Bulldogs and the Tigers have battled on the high school football field since 1894, there have been numerous surprises and upsets.
But it was not to be Saturday, as the favored Massillon Tigers mugged the feisty but overmatched McKinley Senior Bulldogs 18-7 before 21,232 fans in a freezing mist at Fawcett Stadium.
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It was the 50th victory for the Tigers in this scholastic gridiron granddaddy, increasing the edge over the Bulldogs, who have won 34 times and tied five others.
To be sure, this 1983 band of Bulldogs fought the valiant fight, played perhaps as well as they have played this disappointing season. But it was not enough this dreary afternoon.
The Massillons had too many guns. The outcome was never really in doubt.
Massillon was favored by 10 points, according to the odds fellows. The Tigers won by 11.
It could have been worse, embarrassingly much worse.
Massillon’s first scoring threat misfired when Bronc Pfisterer missed on a 34-yard attempt for a field goal.
Game Action 1983 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
The Tigers also missed a TD near the end of the half when McKinley’s Pierre Taylor intercepted a Brian Dewitz pass in the end zone, a bizarre play on which the officials almost mistakenly awarded the Tigers a safety (see Stewart on Sports column, Page 43).
In addition after the longest drive of the day, Massillon fumbled the ball away on the McKinley 1-yard line in the fourth period, and after that had an apparent interception taken away for roughing the Pups’ passer.
The Tigers’ rushing game was perhaps short of awesome, but certainly more than effective. Massillon’s ball carriers netted 260 yards on the ground, an average of 5.1 per carry, and it allowed the Tigers possession for 61 percent of the clock time.
The victory salvaged respectability for the Tigers, who with a 9-1 record will watch from the sidelines as the OHSAA grid playoffs begin this weekend.
Game Action 1983 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
It is expected to be announced today that Alliance (10-0) and Akron Garfield (9-0), the team which tamed the Tigers 14-10 in the second game of the season will play for the Region 3 championship in Division 1.
If Alliance is the No. 1 team in the computer ratings for the region, the playoff game probably will be in Fawcett, Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
McKinley finished 6-4, it’s worst record since 1976, the first year of consolidation from four Canton high schools to two.
But McKinley coach Thom McDaniels said his players had nothing to be ashamed about Saturday.
“I’m proud of the way they (the Bulldogs) attempted to win the football game,” he said.
Game Action 1983 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
“The Ursuline and Elder games (two of the losses) left a bad taste in the mouth. Against Moeller, (the other loss) we weren’t ashamed of ourselves, either,” said the coach who completed his second season as the head man at McKinley, and his fourth at the school.
”I didn’t have any heart attacks in the first half,” Massillon Coach Mike Currence was to say afterward. “But I had about five in the second half.”
“McKinley didn’t quit, and they played a good game. McDaniels is a great coach, and he did not have the best material this season.”
“I don’t think this was a great McKinley team, when compared to some of the ones in the recent past, but they played tough.”
Tigers trip Bulldogs
The swift senior tailback, Craig Johnson, who carried only once for a loss of three yards in the Tigers first possession that ended in the aborted field goal, finished with a flourish, running for 138 yards in 20 carries, putting him at 1,008 yards for the 1983 season.
Game Action 1983 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
On their second possession, the Tigers zipped 52 yards in only four plays, the finale a one-yard touchdown plunge by All-Ohioan Chris Spielman, who not only gained 55 yards on 15 carries and scored both Tiger touchdowns, but also led a swarming defense from his linebacker position which stifled McKinley’s running game.
Dewitz sparked the TD drive with a 19-yard rollout romp on the first play, and then was hit late by a Bulldog. The 15-yard penalty put the Tigers on the Pups’ 18, from where Johnson got eight and Spielman nine to set up the touchdown.
Spielman’s 33-yard punt return on the last play of the first period set up the second Tigers’ score.
Even though the Bulldogs’ defense held Massillon to 13 yards over the first six plays of the second quarter, Pfisterer drilled a 36-yard field goal to put the visitors up 10-0 with 9:20 left in the half.
Game Action 1983 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
The Bulldogs’ junior Jeff Angione sparked his team with a 42-yard return of the ensuing kickoff, and McKinley marched to the Tigers’ 28, before a dropped pass on fourth down turned the ball over.
But three plays later, Anthony McCullough pounced on a Dewitz fumble and the Pups were back in business at the Tigers’ 47, from where they scored in eight plays.
McKinley quarterback Kevin Parrish, who completed six of 21 passes for 82 yards before being injured late in the fourth period, hit Jeff Smith in the end zone with a 15-yard scoring strike 55 seconds before the band show. Anthony Taylor’s placement pulled the Pups to within three at 10-7.
After Spielman returned the kickoff to his own 43, Dewitz flipped a screen pass to the fleet Johnson, and he turned the play into a 41-yarder, putting the ball at the Bulldogs’ 16.
Then came Pierre Taylor’s interception in the end zone with seven seconds left.
After the lengthy discussion by the officials, who finally made the right ruling of a touchback, Parrish fell on the ball to end the half.
What may well have been the final turning point came midway in the third period.
Game Action 1983 Massillon vs. Canton McKinley
McKinley couldn’t move with the third quarter kickoff, and Massillon marched from its own 14 to the McKinley 12, thanks to a 38-yard scamper by Johnson and runs of 17 and 13 by Dewitz, who was the Tigers second leading rusher with 62 yards on 11 carries.
But Dewitz fumbled and McKinley middle guard Bob Gilmore covered the ball, only to have the Bulldogs’ offense fumble it right back on the first play.
Four plays later, Johnson ran in from four yards out to make it 16-7.
The PAT took a while.
Finally, from 13½ inches away, Spielman plunged for the two-pointer to conclude the day’s – and the season’s – scoring, with 4:29 remaining in the third period.
McKinley came back to the Tigers’ 18, thanks mostly to a 25-yard pass from Parrish to junior end Rafe Lazar, the Pups’ longest gainer of the day.
The Tigers, with 2:12 left in the third, then took final control of the game. They managed to come up with the key plays, just when the Pups thought they had them stopped, and moved the ball 81 yards in 14 plays to the McKinley 1, where, with a second-and-goal, Dewitz fumbled the snap again, and the ball wound up in the end zone where McKinley’s Jeff Smith covered it for another touchback.
A pass interference penalty and a 22-yard Parrish to Pierre Taylor aerial putt he ball on the Tigers 40, from where Parrish threw a pass that was picked off by Massillon’s Derrick Dave. But the Tigers’ were flagged for roughing Parrish, and the Pups had a first down at the Tiger 25…but without Parrish, who left the game with a knee injury. Reports indicate he was treated and released at Timken-Mercy Medical Center after the game.
Brian Worstell, a 5-11 junior, came on, but he could fare no better, and the Pups gave up the ball at the 19.
Troy Jenkins, McKinley’s premier runner who had gained 1,101 yards in his first nine games, picked up 72 yards in 15 carries.
Mas – Spielman 6 run (Pfisterer kick) Mas – FG Pfisterer 36 McK – Smith 15 pass from Parrish (A. Taylor kick) Mas – Johnson 4 run (Spielman run) A – 21,232.
TEAM STATISTICS Mass. McK. First downs rushing 15 3 First downs passing 3 6 First downs penalties 2 2 Totals first downs 20 11 Rushes – yards 51-260 23-82 Passing yards 78 97 Total Net yards 338 179 Return yards 75 92 Passes 4-11-1 8-29-1 Punts-avg. 2-27 4-36.5 Punt return yards 48 2 Kickoff-avg. 4-45.5 2-35.2 Kickoff return yards 25 96 Fumbles lost 4-3 2-1 Penalties-yards 6-51 4-39 Third down conversions 4-11 5-13 Total plays 64 52 Time of possession 29:11 18.49
Pass Receiving – Massillon: Johnson 2-57, Spielman 1-13, Crenshaw 1-8, McKinley Senior: Jenkins 3-17, Lazar 2-32, p. Taylor 1-21, Draper 1-12, Smith 1-15.
Missed field goals – Massillon: Pfisterer 34.
Massillon celebrates Golden Anniversary
By STEVEN DUNGJEN Independent Sports Editor
CANTON – Massillon football celebrated a Golden Anniversary of sorts Saturday afternoon at Fawcett Stadium – 50 wins over McKinley.
The Tigers (9-1) posted an 18-7 victory over the Bulldogs (6-4) in the 89th meeting between the two before a packed house. With the win Massillon upped its series lead to 50-34 with five ties.
Massillon held the statistical edge in nearly every category of importance: first downs (19 to 11), rushing (227 yards to 79) and total yards (332 to 175).
It was one of those kind of days where everything went wrong, but nothing did.
Although the Tigers scored two touchdowns and a field goal, head coach Mike Currence’s squad squandered away more golden opportunities than it wanted to.
In the first quarter alone the Tigers had a first down at the McKinley 18 and came away empty-handed when a 34-yard field goal went astray.
Massillon was knocking on the door again late in the second quarter, with a first down at the Bulldog 16. This time an interception halted the drive.
Another time, this in the third period, the Tigers had a first down at the McKinley 12. A lost fumble again stymied Massillon.
And if three blown opportunities weren’t enough, the Tigers continued their version of give-away in the final period when another fumble at the McKinley one stopped yet another golden chance.
“We made some mistakes,” Currence admitted, citing the fumble in the end zone in the fourth quarter as a prime example. “That was terrible.”
Through it all, though, the Tigers still prevailed. That’s because a stingy defense made it happen.
Forced to go to its passing game in the second half, McKinley finished with just 79 yards rushing on 23 carries. The Bulldogs’ lone TD occurred following a Massillon fumble.
In the air the Bulldogs picked up 96 yards, but quarterbacks Kevin Parrish and Brian Worstell combined to complete just eight-of-29 attempts.
Only two of McKinley’s 10 possessions began inside Massillon territory. More often than not the Bulldogs were pinned back inside their own turf, especially in the opening stanza when the hosts netted a total of nine yards.
Massillon appeared well on its way to a score on the game’s opening set of downs, marching to the McKinley 18 with a first down. Two straight runs lost five yards when quarterback Brian Dewitz ran for six yards.
On fourth down Pfisterer, who holds career and single-season field goal kicking school records, missed on a 34-yard attempt.
A roughing the punter call on McKinley during the drive kept the Tiger hopes alive.
After holding McKinley on its second possession, the Tigers were back in action with the ball at their own 48.
Dewitz scampered 19 yards on a bootleg, but McKinley was called for spearing on the play. With the ball now on the 18 stellar running back Johnson, who finished with 133 yards rushing, gained nine yards.
Then Spielman got into the act, gaining eight yards to the one and adding the final yard for the TD at the 4:14 mark. Pfisterer added the extra-point and the Tigers led 7-0.
McKinley was stopped in its tracks once again on its next series, but Spielman broke off a 33-yard punt return to give Massillon good field position at the Bulldog 32.
Johnson picked up eight yards on the first play from scrimmage and Spielman added three more for a first down. Dewitz was then sacked for a six-yard loss when the Tigers were then called for illegal motion.
A Dewitz pass fell incomplete before Johnson broke off a 13-yard scamper to the McKinley 19 to put Pfisterer within field goal range. The senior booter responded with a 36-yard field goal, giving Massillon a 10-0 lead at 9:30.
McKinley mounted its first serious threat on the next series with tailback Troy Jenkins running four yards on a fake punt for a first down. However, the drive stalled on Massillon’s 28 when a Parrish pass bounced off the hands of Leon Draper.
Three plays later and the Tigers gave the ball right back when Dewitz lost the handle on the center exchange. McKinley’s Anthony McCullough recovering at the 47.
Eight plays later and Parrish found Jeff Smith on a slant over the middle for a score with 51 seconds left in the half.
With time running out in the half Massillon reached the Bulldog 16 when Johnson ran 41 yards down the right sidelines on a screen pass. Dewitz then threw a pass over the middle which was intercepted by Pierre Taylor.
Taylor, who caught the ball in the end zone, then ran out of the end zone. Currence was quick on the field, asking for a safety.
After some deliberation by the game’s officials the Tigers were awarded a two-point safety. Now, it was McKinley head coach Thom McDaniels’ turn to “discuss” the play.
Again the game’s officials conferred. When they broke huddle they reversed their earlier decision and took the two points off Massillon’s side of the scoreboard.
“The McKinley coaches out coached me on that one,” Currence said tongue-in-cheek. “They showed me the ruling. It doesn’t seem right to intentionally take a safety.”
The two teams swapped turnovers in the third quarter, Dewitz losing a fumble to Bob Gilmore and Massillon’s Tim Sampsel recovering a Bulldog bobble one play later.
Four plays after Sampsel’s fumble recovery gave the Tigers excellent field position at the McKinley 19, Johnson ran four yards to pay dirt behind a good block by Tom Gruno at the 4:29 mark.
On the conversion, McKinley was called three straight times for encroachment. With the ball resting inside the one, Spielman carried in the two-pointer for a 18-7 Tiger lead.
McKinley then drove to a first down at the Massillon 23 following a 25-yard pass play, but three straight passes fell incomplete to stop the drive.
Massillon then chewed up over eight minutes of time on its next possession, but came away with nothing to show for it when the center snap was bobbled at the McKinley one with Smith recovering in the end zone.
The Bulldogs put together their last threat on the ensuing series, marching from their own 20 to Massillon’s 21 thanks in large part to a pair of 15-yard penalties, one for pass interference and another for roughing the quarterback.
But the drive stalled when a fourth down pass failed to gain the necessary yardage.
On last McKinley hope was thwarted by a Pat Spicer interception with less than a minute left.
Tiger ‘D’ turned Pups into kittens
By NORM WEBER Independent Sports Writer
CANTON – While the Massillon offense surprised McKinley with some new wrinkles Saturday in Fawcett Stadium, the Tiger defense was its reliable self in the 18-7 victory.
The Bulldogs did get one touchdown off the tight Tiger defense, but the score was set up by a Tiger fumble.
Other than that drive, the Tiger defense didn’t yield much. In the first quarter McKinley’s offense ran nine plays for nine yards.
Tackle Tom Gruno and nose guard John Franke incessantly applied pressure to Bulldog quarterback Kevin Parrish. The defense up front also showed strong pursuit on flushing out McKinley’s screen passes.
“I was getting a little concerned in the third quarter when they started driving,” Franke said. But then when we stopped them on our 18-yard line, I knew they weren’t going to score on us any more.”
Gruno admitted that Saturday’s game was the most exhausting of his career, but well worth it.
“With eight minutes left in the game I felt like dropping; I could hardly breathe,” said Gruno, who doubled at fullback. “Usually we’re ahead 44-0 in the fourth quarter and I’ll get a rest. This is by far my most tiring game.”
“I’d go to the sidelines when Timmy Sampsel would replace me at fullback. Every time I kept saying to the rest of the defensive players, ‘We’ve got to stop them.’ Nothing stood in our way. I knew it after we stopped them three consecutive times at getting a first down in the first quarter.”
“McKinley has some big tackles. But we were able to out-quick them. That was all we could do. We got so fired up every time I went to the sidelines on my offensive breaks. Beating McKinley is great.”
HUMBLE HERO – Tailback Craig Johnson was the first Tiger to go over the 1,000-yard mark rushing this season. His 133 yards against McKinley give him 1,003 on the season.
“How many yards to I have for the season?” a humble Johnson asked in the locker room after the game.
Johnson went over the magic number with a 13-yard gain in the fourth quarter.
“I didn’t know it then,” Johnson answered. “Which play was it?”
SPIELMAN’S VOW – When McKinley stopped the Tigers two years ago at Fawcett Stadium to earn a trip to the playoffs and eventually win the state championship, Chris Spielman vowed that the Tigers would never lose at Fawcett while he was playing.
“After we lost two years ago I said our team – and you can underline team, would not be beaten on this field again,” said Spielman. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. I’d like to thank Massillon for everything.”
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN – The Tigers may not be going to the playoffs, but based on Saturday’s performance, could be the best team in the state.
“If we played Akron Garfield next week we’d beat them by four touchdowns,” said Gruno. “This is a much improved team. I’ve been sitting in bed, listening to the radio and praying that Alliance or Garfield would lose. But we can’t control that.”
Neither Alliance nor Garfield, which beat Massillon 14-10 on Sept. 9, have lost. They’ll meet in the first round of the playoffs Saturday.
Topics of discussion such as the great Garfield debate are what keep the off-season fires burning.
Playoff game here Saturday night Sandusky next as Tigers nip Pups
By MIKE HUDAK Independent Sports Editor
MASSILLON – Victory whoops echoed throughout a locker room where passage was difficult because of wall-to-wall well wishers wanting to reach out and congratulate the players who were an extension of their own lives.
But Ty Beadle, the Tigers’ 6-foot-2, 265 pound senior tackle was not smiling. The young giant was drained mentally and physically and his eyes seemed to peer through the floor he was staring at.
It was a helluva game, he understated.
Teammate Charles Calhoun, the Gladiator like Tiger guard, brought the twinkle back to Beadle’s eye. “We showed them the line could run today, too, he quipped.
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Early in the third quarter, Calhoun had provided the only levity in what wasn’t a laughing matter, picking up a fumbled snap and carrying the ball six yards before being pulled down by the swarming Pup defense.
“That was the famous Clydsdale right play,” quipped Calhoun and Beadle laughed.
Beadle deserved to laugh, the Tigers had won, a perfect regular season had been completed and a home date in the playoffs assured. Unemployment may have hit the highest mark in Massillon since the 1930s but there was no “Depression” in Tigertown on Saturday, Nov. 6, 1982.
According to Tiger statistician Tom Persell, the talk around town after the game was that the Tigers were “flat”, that they had heard so often how they were supposed to overwhelm the Bulldogs that they were lulled by the publicity.
Not so. The first time the Tigers touched the ball following the opening kickoff they held the ball 18 plays, moving down to the Bulldog 15 before a penalty and a devastating McKinley pass rush moved them back to the 34 where a fake punt and a run by quarterback Brian DeWitz fell short of the first down.
This initial stand buoyed the Pups confidence. McKinley from that moment on played to its maximum defensive potential – known to be quite good before the game even began. It was the McKinley offense that was suspect and despite moments of glory, it remained the Pups ‘Achilles Heel’ as they failed to score for the first time in the annual classic since 1979.
After the Tigers initial drive, neither team threatened again the remainder of the half. Massillon fans were contemplative at halftime; typical reactions when friends spotted each other were raised eyebrows or shrugged shoulders when would the vaunted Tiger offense roll into gear?
Again, the Tigers first possession of the half, after forcing McKinley to punt, appeared to be the opening of the flood gates.
Beginning possession on the McKinley 42, halfback Chris Spielman, who enjoyed a spectacular day and garnered more page one press than perhaps any junior in journalistic history, picked up chunks of turf in eight-yard chunks as the Tigers drove to the Pup three.
But a flag for clipping on the run that set up first and goal turned the drive around. Moments later, it was fourth and goal from the 17.
Bronc Pfisterer rushed onto the turf for a field goal attempt. But at the last second, he rushed off and Tim Sampsel rushed on, barely avoiding a delay of game flag and attempted a kick that was wide left.
Tiger head coach Mike Currence explained the apparent confusion.
Massillon outplays McKinley, but losses 9‑7 Pups’ big plays waste fine Tiger effort
By ROLLIE DREUSSI Independent Sports Editor
The Massillon Tiger lockerroom was ripe with the stunned silence of a team that had just played its heart out, outplayed its opponent and lost.
Amid the hanging heads and wet eyes stood Tiger coach Mike Currence. The hurt he felt in his heart for his team showed on his face. “They’re all different,” he said.
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True to form, Saturday’s 87th Massillon‑McKinley game was different from all the rest. The Bulldogs’ 9‑6 victory before 22,828 fans in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium gave them their first perfect season since 1956 and puts them into the computer playoffs‑for the second year in a row.
Yet, except for one play, it was a game that seemed to belong to the Massillon Tigers.
That one play, however, was a big one. An 81‑yard pass from Bulldog quarterback Rick Worstell to end Nick Faulkner that wiped out a 6‑3 Tiger lead and proved to be the margin of victory.
It was just about the only defensive mistake the Tigers made all day. However, several offensive mistakes left the Bulldogs off the hook.
The Tigers won a decisive victory in the battle of the statistics, but the only stat that really counts is the one in lights on the scoreboard.
Massillon had 14 first downs to five for McKinley, and held the Pups to 55 yards rushing in 31 carries. McKinley gained only six yards rushing the first half, and didn’t get a first down rushing until just before the end of the third period.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1981
The Tigers piled up 265 yards to 163 for McKinley. Take away the one pass play, and the Bulldogs had only 82 yards total offense.
“It’s a tough one to lose, especially when you play as well as we played and control the ball the way we did,” Currence said.
“But we had some turnovers that caused us bad field position. That stopped us from working our whole offense, which stopped us from scoring more.
“I thought we moved the ball real well and I was never worried when our defense was on the field. I thought we would score in the second half,” he added.
But two fumbles and an interception haunted the Tigers in the second half, and the superior McKinley kicking game probably was the overall difference.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1981
Nick Xides had a school record 44‑yard field goal in the first half. The boot was a low line drive that was literally carried just over the crossbar by a strong wind.
However, Massillon’s Tim Manion had the wind at his “back when he got too far under a 30‑yard attempt and it fell short with 4:28 to go in the third quarter.
A short punt by Manion into the wind also helped set up field goal.
While Manion had his problems kicking, he played an outstanding defensive game, moving from linebacker to end and causing the Pup offense trouble all day.
He helped stop McKinley’s only – other serious – scoring threat late in the third quarter when he tipped a pass at the goal line that was intercepted in the end zone by Matt Hickey.
Perhaps the most crucial event of the game came with 1:53 left to play and the Tigers driving for what their fans hoped would be the winning score.
Starting at their own 15 after a clipping penalty on a punt return, the Tigers were grinding it out on the ground.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1981
Greg Grimsley gained four yards, George Roknich bolted for 10 and a first down, then Grimsley carried for 15 and another first down.
Roknich carried for five more, Larry Newman for two and Grimsley was stopped for a two‑yard gain on third-and‑three at the Bulldog 47.
On fourth‑and‑one, Tiger quarterback Rick Spielman lost control of the ball after the snap and McKinley middle guard Stan Jackson fell on it, ending the Tiger threat and insuring his team of a 10‑0 season.
Tiger tans were stunned. Their team had outplayed the Bulldogs all day and they were certain this drive would be the clincher.
It was ironic that Spielman would be victimized by the fumble. He had put the Tigers in the lead with a brilliant 21‑yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Game action vs. Canton McKinley 1981
Facing a fourth‑and‑15 at the Pup 21, he dropped back to pass. He was almost; sacked in the pocket, but broke free and scrambled to the left. He broke another tackle and cut back across the middle of the field. He slipped through the grasp of another Bulldog tackler at the 15 and scooted around the right side all the way for a score. The Tiger offensive line also did a great job of blocking off the pursuit on the play.
The score, which came at 9:42 of the second quarter, gave the Tigers a 6‑0 lead.
But Xides booted his field goal at 3:45 and a Ross Rankin interception (his first of two for the day) stopped another Tiger drive at the Bulldog 19, and two plays later, Worstell and Faulkner hooked up on their game winning play.
“Faulkner came up with the key play,” Bulldog coach Terry Forbes said afterwards in a joyous McKinley lockerroom. “We went deep a couple of times and that was the only time we connected all day.”
Forbes said the Pups made some minor adjustments at halftime to counteract the Tiger air attack, which had accounted counted for 81 yards in the first half. Massillon didn’t complete a pass in the second half, with Rankin picking off Spielman’s only pass in the third period, and the Tiger senior quarterback going 0‑for‑4 in the final period.
But Currence said the Tigers hadn’t planned to pass much in the second half anyway. He and his coaches felt they could move the ball on the ground against the McKinley defense.
They were doing just that prior to the fumble on their final series.
Spielman ended the day with seven completions in 20 attempts for 81 yards while Worstell had five completions in 14 attempts for 108 yards.
Leading receivers for the Tigers were Roknich with two catches for 38 yards, Robert Oliver with three for 23 yards and Newman with three for 20 yards.
The Tigers totaled 184 yards rushing, with Grimsley gaining 80 yards on 14 carries and Roknich picking up 41 yards on six carries to lead the way.
Forbes had praise for the Tigers’ effort, though he wouldn’t say they were the best team his Bulldogs played all year. “We’ve played some fine football teams and Massillon ranks right up there with the best.”
Except for a few plays on this sunny November Saturday, no comparisons would have been necessary.
Winter arrives early for Tiger grid faithfull By ROLLIE DREUSSI Independent Sports Editor The air was warm and the sun shone brightly as it set on the first day of winter Saturday afternoon in Massillon.
Forget the calendar, winter started with the sounding of the gun which ended the annual season finale between the Massillon Tigers and the McKinley Bulldogs in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium.
You see, the score stood at nine points for the Bulldogs and but six for the Tigers.
So, for the first time since 1975, winter in Massillon has started a month and a half early.
And for the first time in his six seasons as the Tigers’ head coach, Mike Currence won’t have the glow of victory over McKinley to warm his football thoughts until spring.
For most of the early afternoon on Saturday it had appeared otherwise. The Tigers, undaunted by the Bulldogs’ 9‑0 record, had come to play.
And play they did. Even McKinley fans agreed afterwards that the Tigers had played the better game.
But luck was on the side of the Bulldogs this day, and they made the big plays the Tigers couldn’t.
Except for an 81‑yard touchdown pass from quarterback Rick Worstell to end Nick Faulkner, in which Tiger defensive backs Grady Robinson and Rodney Hill missed tackles, the Tigers controlled the game. Even despite the pass, the Tigers could have won had they not turned the ball over four times.
Indeed, Currence played down the Bulldogs’ big play.
“Those things happen sometimes,” he said of the Tigers misreading the coverage and then missing the tackle. He said he felt the four turnovers were what hurt the most. That and bad field position. The Tigers were able to roll up a lot of yards, but produce only six points. They needed 10.
The game was hard fought, and the 22,828 fans in the stands received more than their money’s worth. It was anybody’s ball game right to the end, when the Bulldogs’ Stan Jackson recovered a fumble at his own 49 to kill the Tigers’ final threat.
It was sweet revenge for Bulldog fans. The Pups had lost four straight to Mike Currence coached teams until last season, when they won 16‑7. That didn’t last long, however, as the Tigers turned around and upset McKinley 14‑6 the following weekend in a quarter‑final playoff game. The Tigers went on to finish second in the state, the Bulldogs stayed home and prepared for the sudden winter.
There will be no rematch this time. The Bulldogs will play Parma Normandy Saturday night in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium in the playoff quarter‑final match.
After Saturday’s game had ended, McKinley coach Terry Forbes paid a visit to the Tiger lockerroom to congratulate Currence on the fine game his team played.
The coaches exchanged compliments and shook hands.
“Good luck in the playoffs,” Currence said. “Our people will be here next week rooting for you. Beat Moeller.”
And so ended the Tigers’ season. The 7‑3 record marks the first time the Tigers lost more‑than twice under Currence. It also means the Bulldogs, after four straight losses, have won two of the last three from the Tigers.
It was a disappointing season, but for awhile on Saturday afternoon it looked like it was going to have a happy ending.
As it turned out, Tiger fans found themselves muttering those four words they had almost forgotten: wait until next year.
Tigers beat McKinley 14-6 for first state playoff win
By ROLLIE DREUSSI Independent Sports Editor
The Massillon Tigers had the last words Friday night before an overflow crowd in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium.
“Massillon Tigers No. 1! Massillon Tigers No. 1!” Players and coaches shouted it out over and over in the jubilant Massillon lockerroom after the Tigers won their first playoff game in history by defeating the McKinley Bulldogs 14‑6.
“I couldn’t believe our defense,” said Tiger Coach Mike Currence, who brought his team back from the ashes of last Saturday’s 16‑7 loss to these same Bulldogs in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1980 – Playoffs
“I don’t know what the difference is,” he said, referring to the way the Tiger defense halted the Bulldogs on all five of their second‑half possessions, four of which carried into Massillon territory. Last Saturday, the Tigers’ defense yielded over 300 yards and allowed McKinley to control the ball game.
Friday night it was a slightly different defense, and a whole new story.
“We just wanted the ball game more than they did,” Currence said. “It was unbelievable.”
Currence said the win, which gives the Tigers the Division I, Region 3 championship and advances them to the state playoff semifinals, was his most important in five years as the Tigers’ coach.
“This is the biggest one,” he said. “because we did something no other Massillon team ever did: we won a playoff game. And beating McKinley made it doubly nice.”
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1980 – Playoffs
The Tigers’ next opponent in the playoffs will probably be Willoughby South which defeated Cleveland St Joseph 14‑3 Friday night. There’s also a good chance the game will be played Saturday night in the Akron Rubber Bowl. The semifinal games were supposed to be played on Friday night but the Akron City Series game was already scheduled for that night in the Rubber Bowl.
The final decisions on who Massillon will play, and when and where will be made Sunday by Ohio High School Athletic Association officials.
Back in the Tiger lockerroom Currence continued his praise of the defense.
“I thought our offense was going to give it away there. Thank God the defense wanted it.”
He revealed that two starting defensive players suffered injuries in last week’s game and were unable to play, Linebacker John Mayles broke his hand, and defensive end Bob Dodd tore ligaments in his knee.
“We had to go with some more quickness in there. It was a combination of the injuries and putting quicker kids in,” Currence explained. “But we didn’t know if the younger kids could do the job.”
They did.
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1980 – Playoffs
William Askew took Dodd’s place at defensive end, and Rick Spielman took over Mayles’ linebacker spot. Mark Haubert also played some linebacker. All are juniors.
The Bulldogs still managed to run the bill effectively – except on fourth down attempts ‑ but their passing game just wasn’t the same as it was last week.
“We put a little more pressure on (Rick) Worstell,” Currence said, “and we had better coverage by our secondary. Paul Turner did a great job on Todd Fisher, and clinic tip with the big interception.”
A big play by linebacker Tim Manion set up the Tigers’ first touchdown in the second quarter.
McKinley had driven into Massillon territory, when Mike Lynch was hit by middle guard Jeff Grove and fumbled the football at the 41. Manion scooped the ball up and raced 40 yards to the McKinley 19.
Quarterback Dave Eberhart hit Mike Feller with a 12‑yard pass for a first down at the seven. Two plays later a pass interference penalty gave the Tigers a first down at the three. An offside penalty against Massillon moved the ball back to the eight, and Eberhart ran a keeper to the left on the next play. He was hit at the three yard line and fumbled the ball into the end zone where fullback Don Fulton pounced on it for a touchdown with 9:31 to play in the half. Eberhart booted the conversion for a 7‑0 lead.
The Bulldogs came right back with a 74‑yard drive that took 15 plays and consumed 7:51 on the clock. Worstell scored from a yard out with 1:40 left in the half, but a pass for the extra points failed and the Tigers took a 7‑6 lead into the lockerroom at halftime.
The Tigers took the kickoff to open the second half, and drove 80 yards ‑ with the help of three Bulldog penalties ‑ for the game’s final touchdown.
Eberhart hit Mike Reese with a pass over the middle from the Pups’ 12 yard line. The senior wide receiver caught the ball at the three, sliced past a defender and fell over the goal line with 7:19 to play. Eberhart added the extra point for a 14‑6 Tiger lead.
The drive was aided several times by the penalties against McKinley.
On second‑and‑10 from his own 20, Eberhart hit halfback Mike Jones with a 16‑yard pass for a first down. Fifteen more yards were added on when a Bulldogs player was called for a personal foul, putting the ball on the McKinley 49.
Two plays later, the Bulldogs were called for pass interference, giving Massillon first down at the 36. The Dogs were also called for an offside penalty later in the drive, and for another personal foul on the touchdown play, with the yardage being assessed on the kickoff.
The Bulldogs then took the ensuing kickoff and started driving again, Their drive started with 7:19 to go in the third quarter, and they had the ball at Massillon’s 15 yard line on fourth‑and‑two when the period ended.
The Bulldogs’ first play of the final period set the tone for the rest of the game, when Grove and Spielman stopped the Pups’ Mike Simms for only a one‑yard gain, with Massillon taking over on downs at their own 14.
Eberhart wasted no time in going straight to the air, but his first two passes were batted down (by Gary Pounds and Troy Sanders), and one was almost intercepted.
On third down, Scott Dixon sacked Eberhart back at his own four yard line. Eberhart then punted the ball out to the 41.
Again McKinley mounted a drive. This time, on fourth‑and‑one at the 14. Spielman and defensive end Paul Spinden stopped Lynch for no gain and the Tigers took over.
But on third down, Eberhart was intercepted at his own 24 yard line by Chris Wade. Following an incomplete pass Grove sacked Worstell for a four‑yard loss. On third down, Worstell hit Fisher, but the play netted only four yards. On fourth‑and‑10, Worstell passed to Sidney Lewis coming out of the backfield, but defensive back Mike Loretto knocked him out of bounds two yards short of the first down at the Tiger 16.
The Tigers couldn’t move the ball again, and this time Eberhart punt went off the side of his foot and out of bounds 26 yards downfield at the 44.
On first down, Worstell’s pass was intercepted at the 40 by Turner, who returned it to the McKinley 30. A clipping penalty brought the ball back to the Tiger 41, and with just 2:42 left to play the Tigers looked like they had it in the bag.
However, on fourth down from midfield, Eberhart’s punt was blocked by Wade, and the Bulldogs had life at their own 49 with 1:03 to play,
The Tiger secondary was ready for the final challenge, and Worstell threw three straight incompletions.. He had a man open out of the backfield on second down, but good pressure by Askew forced a bad pass.
On fourth down, Spielman sacked Worstell when he couldn’t find an open receiver and that was the ball game.
We tried hard and we played very bad a downcast Terry Forbes said of his team’s effort. “You have to hand it to Massillon’s defense for hanging in there,” the Pup coach added.
So it won’t be a long, cold winter for Tiger fans after all. It may have been a miserable six days, but it’s like the sign – the one on the hoop the Tigers ran through before the game ‑ said: “ Win the One That Counts.”
They did, and that’s why the Tigers will be playing in the playoff semifinals next weekend while the Bulldogs will be staying home.
Tigers trip Bulldogs 14‑6 Massillon turns the tables by capitalizing on big turnover By BOB STEWART Repository Sports Editor The mighty Massillon High Tigers, calling on three‑quarters of a century of football tradition ‑ and a quick thank you for the miscues – knocked the McKinley Senior High Bulldogs out of the Ohio High School Athletic Association playoffs 14‑6 Friday night.
The sellout Crowd of some 20,000 at Fawcett Stadium watched the 86th meeting of the Bulldogs and Tigers since 1894, and the second in six days. Saturday, McKinley spanked the Tigers 16‑7 in Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium before 21,745.
Friday night’s win in what was the Division I quarter‑final game for Region No. 3, puts Massillon in the semifinals next week. The Tigers apparently will play Eastlake Willoughby South, a victor last night over Cleveland St. Joseph, next Saturday night in Akron’s Rubber Bowl.
The official pairings will not be made until Sunday in the OHSAA Offices in Columbus. Massillon tickets will be put on sale at Tiger Stadium Tuesday and Wednesday.
“This is the biggest game since I’ve been here,” said an emotion‑racked Mike Currence, who as coach of the Tigers has won five out‑of six battles with the Bulldogs in his five seasons.
McKinley’s first‑year Coach Terry Forbes, hailed as the conquerering hero last week, found the words hard to come by. “It was very frustrating,” Forbes said, referring particularly to the final period when Massillon looked as though it was trying to give it away, and McKinley couldn’t grasp the brass ring.
McKinley had the ball five times in the fourth quarter ‑ four times in Massillon territory ‑ and three of those times inside the Tiger’s 20‑yard line, but came away empty.
The Tiger defense rose to the occasion in spite of its sputtering offense in the final canto.
McKinley opened the fourth period with a fourth‑and‑three on the Tigers’ 15, and Mike Simms was stopped after a yard gain and the Tigers took over on their own 14 with all but four seconds remaining in the final stanza.
Currence then shocked his followers as Massillon quarterback Dave Eberhart put the ball in the air two straight times, one batted down, the other missed, and both nearly intercepted. The third down play looked like another pass, but McKinley’s Scott Dixon smashed through from his defensive end post to sack Eberhart clear back at the 4.
Eberhart punted out, and McKinley’s Bob Davie returned it 10 yards to give the Pups position at the Tiger 41.
Bulldogs lose rematch
McKinley quarterback Rick Worstell moved his club to the 14, but on a fourth‑and‑one there, Mike Lynch was nailed by the center of the Tiger line and Massillon again took it over at the 14, with 8:12 remaining.
Massillon ran twice, but with third‑and‑seven at the 17, Eberhart put it up, and McKinley’s Chris Wade took the aerial away from intended receiver Mike Feller.
In business with 6:38 left at the Tiger 24, Worstell missed on a pass to Sid Lewis, and then Tiger linebacker Jeff Grove sacked Worstell for a 4‑yard loss. The Pups’ junior quarterback got it back with a 4-yarder to Todd Fisher, and on fourth‑and 10, Worstell hit Lewis over the middle, but the speedster couldn’t get loose and picked up only 8 of the needed 10 yards.
Massillon took over on its 16 with 4:53 left.
Eberhart punted out of bounds at the Tiger 44 four plays later, and the Bulldogs started with 2:42 left.
This time disaster struck early.
On first down, Paul Turner picked off Worstell’s aerial on his own 39, and returned it all the way to the McKinley 30. A clipping penalty put the ball back to the Tiger 41, but Massillon had the ball with 2:30 left.
When the Tigers got nine yards in three plays, Eberhart went back to punt again, but this time McKinley’s Wade blocked the kick, and teammate Tony Parsons fell on it at the Bulldogs’ 48.
There was 1:08 remaining. Worstell threw three times, two of them deep, all incomplete. On fourth down with only 43 seconds left. he couldn’t find a receiver, and was sacked, ironically, by Rick Spielman, the son of former Timken Coach Sonny Spielman, who played for Timken last year and moved to Massillon when his dad was named an assistant there this summer.
Ahead 7‑6 at halftime, Massillon took the second‑half kickoff 80 yards in 10 plays, aided by two 15‑yard penalties against the Pups. The final TD was a 12‑yard pass from Eberhart to senior end Mike Reese, who caught the ball at the two and dove over the goal line.
McKinley took the ensuing kickoff and rolled from its own 20 to the Tigers’ 15 when the quarter ended, and started the fourth period with the ill‑fated fourth‑down play. The 15‑play drive consumed the final 7:19 of the third period.
McKinley never was ahead in the game, but threatened in the first period when Eberhart missed a 29-yard field goal attempt.
Tim Manion’s 44‑yard return of a Mike Lynch fumble set up the fist Massillon score, putting the ball on the Pups’ 19, from where Eberhart passed to Feller for 12 yards, and then after Bob Oliver ran for a yard, McKinley was called for pass interference, giving the Tigers an automatic first down at the 3.
After a motion penalty put the Tigers back to the 8, Eberhart rolled to his left and got to the 3, where he was hit by several McKinley defenders and coughed up the ball, which squirted into the end zone to be covered by Massillon’s Don Fulton for the touchdown 9:31 before the band show.
McKinley brought its followers to life as the Pups showed the offensive punch of last week, marching 74 yards in 15 plays with Worstell hammering in from the 1 on a quarterback sneak with 1:40 left in the half. The drive was aided by a 15‑yard personal foul penalty on the Tigers, but the Pups also got a 14‑yard jaunt from Mike Simms during the march, and an 18‑yard Worstell‑to‑Fisher pass put the ball at the 1. Fullback Dwayne Randle hit the Tigers twice in the middle without success before Worstell sneaked it in.
Then came a big play. Down 7‑6, Forbes elected to go for two, and Worstell’s pass was on the mark to Lewis at the goal line, but he couldn’t hold it.
It was as close as the Pups would get this season.
While McKinley had an edge in some of the statistics, the Pups came far from the domination they showed over the Tigers last week.
McKinley outrushed the Tigers Friday night 142‑64, but Massillon had a slight edge in passing yards, 72‑69, even though Eberhart hit 6 of 8 and Worstell 8 of 16.
McKinley had the edge in time of possession, 26 minutes to 22, and McKinley converted 5 of 9 third down situations (3 of 4 in the first half), while the Tigers converted only 2 of 5 in the first half and none in four second half tries.
Flags flew frequently, as each team drew eight penalties, McKinley for 83 yards, Massillon for 70.
Simms was the game’s leading rusher with 86 yards, Fisher the top receiver with four catches for 44 yards.
But the “game, set and match” went to Massillon, and it kept several streaks alive.
For example, despite the fact Massillon was in the playoffs for the third time, and McKinley for the second time, the winner of the regular season McKinley‑Massillon game has yet to win the playoff game the following week.
It also means McKinley still has never beaten Massillon at night. The last time the two teams played under the lights, in 1963, Massillon won, and went on to also win the second meeting that year, in daylight.
This was the 10th time the two teams have meet twice in the same season, but McKinley has not won both since 1909.
The end of the game was marked by several altercations, mostly outside of the stadium.
Police Lt. Wayne Arnold said two arrests were made during the game and about three or four after the game. Suspects were charged with either disorderly conduct or assault, Arnold said.
Police didn’t have details of the arrests Friday night, but Arnold said there was “a lot of commotion” in the Fawcett Stadium area.
Mas ‑ Don Futton covered fumble in end zone (Dave Eberhart kick) McK ‑ Rick Worstell 1 run (Pass failed) Mas ‑ Mike Reese 12 pass from Dave Eberhart (Dave Eberhart kick)
Att ‑ 20,000 (est.)
Mass McK First downs rushing 3 11 First downs passing 5 2 First downs penalty 3 1 Total first downs 11 14 Rushes‑yards 32‑64 44‑142 Passing-yards 72 69 Return yards 66 33 Passes 6‑8‑1 8‑16‑2 Punts 2‑37 1-34 Fumbles‑lost 1‑0 2‑1 Penalties‑yards B‑70 8‑83
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING ‑ Massillon, Oliver 9‑29, Fulton 6‑17, Jones 5‑7, Eberhart 9‑7, Huth 3‑4. McKinley, Simms 16‑86, Randle 11‑34, Lynch 5‑20, Snell 1‑6, Worstell 8‑minus‑2, Lewis 3‑minus‑2.
PASSING ‑ Massillon, Dave Eberhart 6‑8‑1‑72 McKinley, Worstell 8‑16‑2‑69.
RECIEVING ‑ Massillon, Jones 3‑32, Feller 2‑28, Reese 1‑12. McKinley, Fisher 4‑44, Lewis 2‑15, Giavasis, 1‑9, Dixon 1‑11.
Tiger pride comes alive in playoff win McKinley 14‑6 victim in regional title game By ROLLIE DREUSSI Independent Sports Editor “This is what it’s all about,” Doug Eberhart screamed above the happy mayhem in the Massillon Tigers’ lockerroom.
The senior center was holding up a T‑shirt with lettering that read “MASSILLON TIGERS” across it. And in between was the word “PRIDE.”
That’s what produced the Tigers’ 14‑6 win over the Canton McKinley Bulldogs before over 20,000 fans in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium Friday night.
The Tigers were still smarting from last Saturday’s 16‑7 spanking at the hands of the Pups, but they had the desire it took to change the outcome this time.
It was a gutsy performance. One earned more on emotion and desire than on talent and execution.
The Tigers’ defense, embarrassed last weekend in the loss to the Bulldogs, turned in a simply incredible performance.
Five times in the second half they turned back the Bulldogs. Twice on fourth down and short yardage inside their own 20 yard line.
“Unbelievable,” Tiger Coach Mike Currence said.
He could offer no explanation for his defense’s dramatic turnaround, except to say his players simply wanted it more than the Bulldogs.
“We made a few changes on defense, but determination was the key factor,” Tiger middle guard Jeff Grove said.
“We wanted this game so bad. We wanted to go out and win the ball game, and that’s what we did,” he added.
One of the unlikely defensive heroes was junior Rick Spielman. He was a starting linebacker last year for the Timken, Trojans, but this year he was the team’s backup quarterback. When John Mayles broke his hand in last week’s game, Spielman started practicing at linebacker again.
“I was real excited about getting to play,” said Spielman, whose father, Sonny, is the Tigers’ quarterback and wide receiver coach.
“I played linebacker last year and after a couple of plays it all came back to me,” he explained.
Spielman was in on the tackle both times that the Tigers stopped the Bulldogs on fourth down and short yardage, He also sacked McKinley quarterback Worstell to end the Pups’ final chance with less than a minute to play.
“Ah, great,” Spielman said when asked how he felt after that sack.
That was the same reply defensive halfback Paul Turner gave when asked about his interception that thwarted a fourth‑quarter drive by the Bulldogs.
That “as a big play, since it came immediately following a poor punt that gave the Bulldogs possession at the Tiger 44 yard line.
Turner had a big job ‑ covering McKinley’s Todd Fisher, a big, fast wide receiver who gave the Tigers fits last week. Currence credited Turner with doing ‘a great job” covering Fisher.
Junior William Askew also did a fine job stepping into the breach. Defensive end Bob Dodd tore knee ligaments in last week’s game, and Askew helped defensive tackle Ed Newman hold down the right side of the Tigers’ defensive line.
And senior defensive tackle Bob James, who had a rough time last week, called on his pride to help Paul Spinden anchor the left side of the defensive line.
Then there was Tim Manion, a junior who was too talented to sit the bench as a backup quarterback and was moved to linebacker in the pre‑season. He came through in fine style.
Manion picked up a tumble caused by middle guard Jeff Grove and returned it 40 yards to set up the team’s first touchdown.
Turner’s mates in the secondary, Mike :Spicer, Mike Loretto and Dwayne Boss, improved their coverage to help upset the McKinley passing game.
And the Tigers’ offense, while almost blowing the game in the second half, still managed to put enough points on the board. And more importantly, managed to control the ball for at least almost as long as the Bulldogs.
The Tigers’ came out throwing, and the difference this time was that the offensive line gave quarterback Dave Eberhart time to pass. His 12-yard toss to Mike Reese in the third quarter was the clinching touchdown.
All in all, it was a team effort. From the players and coaching staff right down to the fans.
Currence had special praise for the Tiger fans, who started raising a ruckus before the game started and were still carrying on into the wee hours of the morning.
When told that some of the McKinley fans started leaving the game with four‑and‑a‑half minutes still to play, Currence said: “Their fans don’t compare to our fans. Our fans stay with us to the bitter end. That’s the difference between a Bulldog and a Tiger.
“We didn’t get one bad remark from anyone last week,” Currence pointed out. “They had confidence we’d come back.”
The win now gives the Tigers a 48-33-5 edge in the storied rivalry, and gives Currence a 5‑1 record against the Bulldogs.
Also, for the first time in their history, the Tigers won a playoff game. They had suffered losses in 1972 and 1979 in their only other playoff appearances.
Now they will advance to the Division I playoff semifinals, and will probably play Willoughby South, a 14‑3 winner over Cleveland St. Joseph Friday night.
It was as a Friday night no Tiger fan will ever forget. And a Tiger team Massillon will always be proud of.
TIGER GRIDSTICK
First downs 3 11 First downs passing 5 2 Total first downs 12 15 Yards gained rushing 85 156 Yards lost rushing 19 17 Net yards gained rushing 66 139 Net yards gained passing 72 70 Total yards gained 138 209 Passes attempted 10 16 Passes completed 6 8 Passes intercepted by 2 1 Yardage on passes intercepted 1 0 Times kicked off 3 2 Kickoff average 50.0 50.0 Kickoff return yardage 27 22 Punts 3 1 Punting average 25.3 33.0 Punt return yardage 0 15 Punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 1 3 Fumbles lost 0 1 Penalties 8 9 Yards penalized 70 83 Touchdowns rushing 0 1 Touchdowns passing 1 0 Touchdowns by interception 0 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 1 0 Total number of plays 42 58 Total time of possession 21.11 25.49 Attendance 20,550
MASSILLON 0 7 7 0 ‑ 14 McKINLEY 0 6 0 0 ‑ 6
MASS – Don Fulton recovered fumble in end zone (Dave Everhart kick) McK ‑ Rick Worstell one yard run (pass failed) MASS ‑ Mike Reese 12‑yard pass from Eberhart (Eberhart kick)
Player ‘knew’ Tigers could do it By STEVE DOERSCHUK Big victories never fit into small locker rooms.
Following their 14‑6 Division I football playoff victory Friday over McKinley Senior High, the Massillon Tigers crammed into Fawcett Stadium dressing quarters like so many 190‑pound sardines ‑ lively ones at that.
The room or the Tigers ‑ it was hard to tell which ‑ jumped. Young men and grown men did nasty numbers on their voice boxes in conveying the idea the program Paul Brown built is numero uno.
There had been talk last Saturday following McKinley’s 16‑7 regular season win over these Tigers that Bulldogs’ coach Terry Forbes is Canton’s Moses.
“Moses only saw the promised land. He didn’t get in it,” Massillon assistant Nick Vrotsos said with a wink.
Center Doug Eberhart who helped give his twin brother Dave, Massillon’s quarterback., protection he lacked last week, expressed himself with wailing instead of wit
“I knew we could do it!” he shouted repeatedly at the top of his lungs.
If the Tigers are to reach their promised land, they must “do it”.
Tigers jubilant over victory
“We may wind up playing Moeller,” Massillon head coach Mike Currence said with a peculiar smile.
Cincinnati Moeller won its first round playoff contest 28‑3 over Cincinnati Princeton Friday. Moeller and Massillon will clash if both teams win semifinal games next weekend.
Lots of heroes helped the Tigers stay alive in the chase for a state crown.
Senior defensive back Paul Turner was one.
Turner provided good single coverage on star McKinley end Todd Fisher. With Massillon leading 14-6 at the 2:30 mark of the final period, he picked off a pass that all but put the decision on ice.
“A defensive end was putting a lot of pressure on the quarterback” Turner said. “I knew I’d have a good chance of getting to the ball. Man, that was a good feeling.”
Putting Turner on Fisher was one of several changes made in the Massillon defense since last week when McKinley, racked up a 313‑96 edge in total offense. Some of the changes resulted from injuries Currence admitted he “kept quiet.” A knee injury sidelined senior defensive end Bob Dodd. Senior linebacker John Mayles was out with a broken hand.
“We used a quarterback Rick Spielman, at linebacker, and a tackle, Bill Askew, at end,” Currence said. “They played well.”
Currence said he assigned Turner to single coverage on the dangerous Fisher because “he was our only guy fast enough to do the job.”
Like Turner, Tim Manion stood tall.
Manion, expected to battle Spielman next year for the quarterback job, scooped up a Mike Lynch fumble in the second quarter and ran 37 yards to the McKinley 19-yard line to set up the game’s first touchdown.
“Jeff Grove hit him (Lynch), and the ball came loose. I picked it up and knew what to do with it,” Manion said.
Manion thought pressuring Pup quarterback Rick Worstell kept McKinley from repeating last weed’s performance, although the Tigers’ play against the run enabled them to shut off three fourth-quarter McKinley penetrations inside the 20-yard line.
“Rush their quarterback and you shut them down,” echoed senior tackle Ed Newman. “We played better. Coming off a loss, we had to.”
Dave Eberhart hit rough sledding in the 16‑7 loss but bounced back to complete six tosses for 72 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown strike to Mike Reese that capped an 80-yard march beginning when the Tigers received the second‑half kickoff.
“That throw to Mike was a new pass play we used for this game,” Eberhart said. “A couple of new plays helped us throw them off balance.
“We had to go all out for this game and not be conservative.”
The let‑it‑all‑hang‑out approach was evident in the late stages when Eberhart kept throwing despite the fact Massillon was deep in its own territory and clinging to the 8-point lead. Two of his passes were batted and nearly picked off by McKinley linemen during one fourth‑period possession.
“I probably should have been shot for putting pressure on Dave like that,” smiled Currence. “We have a lot of confidence in him.”
Currence was ecstatic.
“I’ve finally done something no other coach has done at Massillon, won a playoff game,” he said in reference to the fact the Tigers lost their only other playoff games, in 1972 and 1979.
Currence reserved special praise for the assistant coaches who installed a “50″ defense in place of the “4‑4” used last weekend. They include Jim Letcavits, Dale Walterhouse, Gary Wells and LaVerne Hose.
“The new look helped us get a better pass rush and contain their outside running game,” Currence said.
He praised his players for “being so fired up. ‑ 1
“McKinley beat us up last week,” he said. “I think we had something to prove.”
Words come hard for Pups’ pilot Splendid season ends in frustrating loss
By BILL LILLEY The stroll from the south side team bench at Fawcett Stadium to the McKinley Senior lockerroorn is about 60 yards.
Friday night, however, the trudge must have felt more like 60 miles to McKinley Senior Coach Terry Forbes afte the Bulldogs’ 14‑6 loss, to Massillon in a Division I quarterfinal playoff game.
Losing doesn’t come naturally to most, and to Forbes during his eight year career losing has been an infrequent incident as attested by his 60‑13-2 record entering the rematch with Massillon.
This loss was the toughest one to swallow for Forbes and left the veteran coach nearly speechless as he groped to find the right words for both his players and the media.
“I just don’t know what to say.” I’m proud of the character displayed by our young men, both in the victory over Massillon last Saturday and in this game.
“We played to win and that’s just the way it goes.”
For Forbes and the Bulldogs it was a tough way to go, especially after last Saturday’s 16‑7 win over Massillon at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. It not only ended a four‑year winning streak by the Tigers in the 86‑year classic, but catapulted the Bulldogs into first place in the Region 3 computer standings.
What made it tougher was the manner in which the Bulldogs’ eight‑game winning streak ended.
Although McKinley didn’t dominate as it had last week when the Bulldogs out gained Massillon 313‑96 in total offense, they still held a convincing 211‑136 advantage. Senior was 8 of 16 for 69 yards.
It didn’t seem to bother McKinley Senior that Massillon held a 7‑6 halftime edge. After all, that had been the standing a week ago and, ironically the Tigers’ touchdowns in both instances had been set up by an outstanding defensive play.
And even though Massillon tacked on another touchdown on its first possession of the second half, something else frustrated Forbes more.
The Bulldogs picked the most inopportune time of an otherwise great season to have trouble finding their way into the end zone. Three times in the crucial fourth quarter McKinley Senior cracked the Massillon 20-yard line only to come away empty‑handed as the Tiger defense proved to bendable but unbreakable.
The initial frustration came on the yard line, but Mike Lynch was stopped cold on a fourth-and-three run.
The Bulldogs’ defense forced Massillon to punt three plays later. Tiger punter Dave Eberhart hit a 47-yard punt that was returned 10 yards by Bob Davie to give McKinley possession on the Tiger 41-yard line.
This time the Bulldogs drove to the Massillon 14 from where Lynch was again gang‑tackled for no gain on fourth‑and‑one with 8:12 left.
McKinley Senior linebacker Chris Wade gave the Bulldogs the ball on the Massillon 24 three plays later when the senior picked off an Eberhart aerial.
The Bulldogs went to air this series, but were shot down by the Tiger pass defense. Worstell’s fourth‑and‑10 pass to Sidney Lewis came up two yards short and Massillon had the ball on its own 16 with 4:53 remaining.
The Bulldogs’ defense wouldn’t budge and again gave its offense excellent field position. Eberhart, whose booming 65‑yard punt had helped set up Massillon’s lone score in the first encounter, shanked a 27‑yarder out of bounds at the Massillon 44 with 2:42 to play.
This time, however, there was no heart stopping drive as Tiger back Paul Turner picked off a Worstell pass at the Massillon 39 on the next play.
And when Eberhart’s final punt was blocked by Wade with 1:08 left to give the Bulldogs the ball near midfield, Forbes knew his team had squandered its real opportunities to win the game.
“We played very badly at some critical times,” said Forbes, whose team closes its season with a 9‑2 mark.
“But, you also have to hand it to Massillon’s defense for hanging in there. That was the game.”
And to Forbes and his Bulldogs it must have been a very frustrating game, indeed.
Meet McKinley in playoffs Tigers will get another Chance Friday
By ROLLIE DREUSSI Independent Sports Editor
The Massillon Tigers won’t have to wait a whole year to gain revenge for the 16‑7 loss the McKinley Bulldogs inflicted on them Saturday afternoon in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers will be going to the playoffs for the second straight year, but not on the basis of their performance on Saturday.
The Bulldogs simply outplayed the Tigers both offensively and defensively to raise their record to 9‑1 and grab first place in the Division I, Region 3 computer rankings.
Program Cover
The Tigers’ 8‑1‑1 record still produced enough points to net them second place, thanks to Lakewood St. Edward ‘s loss to Cleveland St. Joseph Saturday night.
So now, we’ll do it all over again when the Tigers travel to Canton’s Fawcett Stadium for the Region 3 championship game Friday at 7:30 p.m.
That may be the end of the road for the Tigers, however, unless they dramatically improve upon the kind of performance they turned in Saturday before the 21,754 fans who packed Tiger Stadium to see the 85th meeting between the two schools,
The Bulldogs unleashed a bevy of fast, hard‑running backs who totaled 221 yards rushing against the Tiger defense. That running attack was complemented by the eight of 12 passing of quarterback Rick Worstell, which accounted for another 92 yards.
This balanced attack proved too much for the Tiger defense. The Bulldogs controlled the ball and kept the Tiger offense off the field. McKinley had the ball for 32:46 compared to just 15:14 for the Tigers.
And when Massillon did get the ball, they did little with it. The Tigers netted only 96 yards ‑ 42 rushing and 54 passing ‑‑ and lost the ball twice on interceptions and once on a fumble.
Whether the Tiger’s simply had a bad day, or were just plain outmanned, will be determined Friday.
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1980
“You have to hand it all to our kids.” a happy Terry Forbes said about his team’s victory in his first game against Massillon as the McKinley coach.
“They wanted the game so much. We were able to concentrate and do the things we wanted to do. One thing stood out: our character and togetherness, and our ability to come from behind.”
Currence, in the quiet atmosphere of the Tiger lockerroom, also touched on togetherness ‑ or the lack of it ‑ his team displayed.
“We didn’t play well today. We didn’t hit good and we didn’t have any togetherness or unity. We knew we would have to come up with the big play, but they got them. You can’t make mistakes and beat them.
“I’ve already cried, and now I’m ready to go on. We have a great football program here, and if things work, we’ll get another shot at them Friday. I’d like to go back after them.”
While much ado was made of the speed of the McKinley backs, Currence indicated his team lost the game in the trenches, where the Bulldog lines were bigger and more physical than the Tigers.
“We’ve played quick teams before and won,” Currence said. “They have great quickness and we knew their speed was going to hurt us. We knew they’d score because they have a great offensive team. But they controlled the ball on us.
Game Action vs. Canton McKinley 1980
“We can take their fast backs, but (wide receiver Todd) Fisher is the guy we didn’t do the job on. They got their passing attack going, and when that happens you’ve got to give up ground to the running attack. They have better balance than they’ve had in the past.”
Despite the Pups’ offensive performance, Currence said the turning point of the game was an unusual conversion pass by the Bulldogs, and a safety against the Tigers.
The Bulldogs took a 14‑7 lead in the third quarter when Paul Giavasis rolled right after a fake kick attempt and passed into the end zone. The ball was batted away by Tiger defensive back Dwayne Boss in the back of the end zone, but fell into the unsuspecting hands of Fisher, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
The safety then gave the Bulldogs a 16‑7 lead and meant the Tigers would have to score twice to win the game.
“Psychologically, the safety hurt us,” Currence explained, “because we were down by two scores. Take those two plays away and we’re back in the ball game.”
The Tigers started off in trouble on the opening kickoff, when it was fumbled ‑ but recovered ‑ by Rick Boerner at his own 14 yard line.
The Tigers punted, and the Bulldogs took over in good position at the Massillon 47. Their drive stalled at the 28, however, and the Tigers took over.
With the help of a pass interference call and an 11 yard run by halfback Robert Oliver, the Tigers eventually moved to the McKinley 47. On second‑and‑eight, McKinley’s Mike Freeman intercepted a tipped pass and the Pups took over at their own 46.
A clipping penalty on the first play pushed them back to the 29, but on third‑and‑21 Worstell hit Fisher with a 22‑yard pass and a first‑down at the Tiger 43.
Six plays later Sidney Lewis swept 11 yards around left end for the score. The kick failed, and McKinley led 6‑0 with 1:32 left in the quarter.
The Tigers couldn’t move the ball, but a tremendous 65‑yard punt by Dave Eberhart ‑ which spiraled over the Bulldog returners’ heads ‑ settled on the McKinley one yard line and the Tigers had the Pups in the whole
From the nine, Ed Grimsley shanked a 22‑yard punt and Massillon had the ball at the Bulldog 31. Seven plays later, Eberhart sneaked over from the one, and booted the extra point to put the Tigers out front 7‑6 with 6:05 to go in the half.
The Bulldogs received the kickoff to open the second half, and promptly marched 80 yards in 15 plays with Lewis taking it in from four yards out. The drive was highlighted by three Worstell completions ‑ two to Fisher ‑ all for first downs.
The Bulldogs then faked the kick and Giavasis’ batted pass was caught by Fisher for a 14‑7 Bulldog lead with 5:06 to go in the quarter.
Massillon immediately turned the ball back over to the Bulldogs when Eberhart dropped back to pass, was hit and literally had the ball taken out of his hands by McKinley’s Scott Dixon.
Dixon had clear sailing the final 30 yards to the end zone, but he tumbled the ball. Bob Harsh alertly recovered for McKinley.
The bulldogs then drove to the Massillon six, but on third‑and‑goal Mike Spicer intercepted Worstell’s pass in the back of the end zone. He mistakenly tried to run the ball out, however, and was tackled at the three.
On the first play, halfback Mike Jones was nailed in the end zone for a safety, and the momentum suddenly shifted back to the Bulldogs. The safety gave the Pups, a 16‑7 lead with 26 seconds left in the third quarter.
That third quarter was the Tigers’ undoing, as McKinley scored 10 points while the Tigers had the ball for only two offensive plays ‑ a fumble and a safety.
McKinley mounted another drive following the kickoff after the safety, but Spicer again intercepted Worstell, this time at his own eight.
The Tigers then drove to the McKinley 14, but that drive was killed when Harsh intercepted Eberhart’s pass at the nine, ending the Tigers’ comeback hopes.
So Saturday was one day the Tigers will have to forget, And nothing would erase the bad memory of a loss to McKinley more than a victory one week later.
Thanks to the expanded playoff system, the Tigers will get that chance.
TIGER GRIDSTICK MASS OPP First downs rushing 3 12 First downs passing 2 5 First downs by penalty 2 0 Total first downs 7 17 Yards gained rushing 66 225 Yards lost rushing 24 4 Net yards gained rushing 42 221 Net yards gained passing 54 92 Total yards gained 96 313 Passes attempted 17 12 Passes completed 5 8 Passes intercepted by 2 1 Yardage on passes intercepted 3 3 Times kicked off 3 3 Kickoff average 59.0 47.0 Kickoff return yardage 38 18 Punts 4 3 Punting average 43.0 23.7 Punt return yardage 3 1 Punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 1 1 Fumbles lost 1 0 Penalties 3 7 Yards penalized 15 73 Touchdowns rushing 1 2 Touchdowns passing 0 0 Touchdowns by interception 0 0 Miscellaneous touchdowns 0 0 Total number of plays 38 61 Total time of possession 15:14 32:46 Attendance 21,754
McKinley 6 0 10 0 ‑ 16 MASSILLON 0 7 0 0 ‑ 7
McK ‑ Sidney Lewis 11‑yard run (kick failed) MASS ‑ Dave Eberhart 1‑yard run (Eberhart kick) McK ‑ Lewis 4‑yard run (Todd Fisher pass from Paul Giavasis) McK – safety
McKinley’s backs end Stark Debate Bulldogs end Massillon’s unbeaten streak By Milan Zban Beacon Journal staff writer
Nobody bothered to ask Amy Carter about Canton McKinley’s proliferation of running backs.
But Stark County’s version of the great debate is over. McKinley settled the issue on the football field on a chilly but sun‑splashed Saturday at Massillon’s Paul Brown Stadium.
Amy would have agreed with 21,754 that it was the running of four Bulldog backs who applied so much pressure on Massillon’s defense that it cracked, tottered and finally fell, 16‑7. And with it went Massillon’s unbeaten, but once tied, streak through nine games.
Terry Forbes, McKinley’s first year coach, also ended Massillon’s four‑year domination of the 85‑yeard‑old classic on his first try.
He sent Dwayne Randle, Sid Lewis, Mike Simms and Mike Lynch pounding off the tackles and sweeping the ends for 221 yards on the ground.
And when they were temporarily stalled, the call went to quarterback Rick Worstell, who will be around for another classic next year. Worstell threw a dozen times, completing eight for 92 additional yards.
THE VICTORY pushed McKinley atop the Division I, Region 3 state computer ratings, giving it a shot at the state playoff quarterfinals, next week.
Massillon, the pre‑game leader over McKinley, 147.75‑to‑133.37 in computer points, may still win a berth in the playoffs as third‑place Lakewood St. Edward lost a 21‑6 decision to Cleveland St. Joseph Saturday night.
Massillon probably will wind up second and behind McKinley. If that happens, the teams will be rematched Friday night at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium.
While the McKinley offense was doing it’s job, rolling up 313 yards, the Bulldogs’ defense also was quite effective. It almost completely shut down dangerous Dave Eberhart, Massillon’s gifted quarterback who has passed for 1000 yards. McKinley breaks Massillon streak Eberhart was only five‑for‑17 for 54 yards with two interceptions.
“IT WASN’T so much McKinley’s secondary that took away our passing game, but Mckinley’s rush,” Eberhart said. “They came at me in that slanting defense which we couldn’t pick up and I didn’t get much of a chance to set up and throw.
“Maybe we’ll play them again next week,” he said hopefully, “but I’d rather had beaten them this week.
“Their defense did a great job. They only gave us the ball inside the 50 one time and we took that in for a score.”
Eberhart got Massillon’s only points, sneaking 1 yard for a touchdown, then booting the extra point for a 7‑6 Massillon lead in the second quarter.
It was Eberhart’s booming 65‑yard punt to the McKinley 1‑yard line which set up the score. In the exchange of punts, McKinley’s Ed Grimsley shanked the hall and it traveled only 23 yards to the McKinley 32. Seven plays later with 6:05 left in the half, the Tigers had taken the lead.
McKinley’s Lewis, who hadn’t scored a touchdown all season, got his first of two Saturday when he raced 11 yards to culminate a 72‑yard drive ignited by Mike Freeman’s interception of an Eberhart pass at his 29.
Lewis was almost caught at the 3‑yard line but stiffarmed Massillon defender Dwayne Boss and darted into the end zone.
With 1:32 left in the opening quarter, and following a Mckinley offside penalty, Nick Faulkner’s conversion kick was wide left.
Faulkner’s miss left the door ajar for Massillon to lead at the hall.
McKinley wasted little time in the second half. It dominated the third quarter, allowing the Tigers only two possessions and each of those lasted only one play.
The Bulldogs marched 80 yards to regain the lead on a 4‑yard sprint by Lewis and an amazing two‑point conversion catch by Todd Fisher on a batted pass from Paul Giavasis at the 5:06 mark.
ON MASSILLON’S first possession of the second half, Eberhart’s arm was hit as he attempted to pass and end Scott Dixon scooped up the loose ball at the Massillon 37. After running to the 23, he fumbled, but teammate Bob Harsh was there to fall on the ball.
However, the Bulldogs’ opportunity was thwarted by an end zone interception by Massillon’s Mike Spicer who unwisely attempted to run out of the end zone and was nailed at the 3‑yard line.
On the ensuing play, Massillon running back Mike Jones was smothered in the end zone by the left side of McKinley’s line for a safety which boosted McKinley into a 16‑7 lead with only 26 seconds left in the quarter.
McKinley threatened again early in the fourth quarter, reaching the Massillon 19, but, with 8:40 remaining, Spicer again intercepted Worstell at the 7.
Massillon, with the help of a pass interference call on McKinley’s Rob Dine, reached the Bulldog 14 with 2:24 remaining but Harsh picked off an Eberhart pass to turn back the Tigers once more.
“THE GUY who killed us was Fisher,” said Massillon coach Mike Currence. “I thought we did all right against McKinley’s ground game, but Fisher came up with the big catch time and again.”
Fisher, who had four catches for 52 yards, grabbed a 20-yarder on third and two, caught one for eight yards on third and six and had another eight‑yard pickup on second and six.
Randle was the game’s leading rusher with 110 yards in 18 tries. Sims had 56 in 11 carries, Lewis 37 in seven attempts and Lynch 30 yards in 10 tries.
Playoff‑bound Tigers pound Pups 24‑0 Defense awesome in 4th straight win over McKinley
By ROLLIE DREUSSI Independent Sports Editor
There used to be a sign in the Massillon weight room that read: “Offense wins games, defense wins championships.”
On the strength of an overpowering performance in their 24‑0 win over Canton McKinley Saturday afternoon, the Massillon Tiger football team will get its first chance to prove that theory since 1972.
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For the team and their “Tiger Bag” waving fans are headed for the Class AAA computer playoffs. They will play Parma Padua Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in a semifinal game in the Akron Rubber Bowl.
The Tiger defense’ was awesome against the Bulldogs, registering nine sacks for 78 yards in losses. Six of the sacks came in the first half as the Tigers shocked the Pups by rolling up three touchdowns for a 21‑0 halftime lead.
Quarterback Bill Scott accounted for the first two scores, throwing nine yards to Marty Guzzetta for the first touchdown, then hooking up with Greg Evans oil a 54‑yard bomb.
Evans’ score, which came on a third‑and‑six play, dazed the Bulldogs, but it was linebacker Tim Reese’s interception on the Pups’ next possession that broke their backs.
On a second‑and‑10 from his own 46, Bulldog quarterback Dave Seaman threw over the middle for Ron Rankin, but Reese stepped in and picked the pass off at his own 43 and returned it 30 yards to the Bulldog 27.
After an incomplete pass, fullback Sam McDew gained 26 yards in three rushes and halfback Bill Beitel scored from a yard out on the next play.
Jeff Fry’s third straight extra point kick made it. 21‑0 with 1:30 left in the half. The only other scoring was a 26‑yard field goal by Fry in the fourth quarter.
“It was a great, great victory to a great great year,” Tiger coach Mike Currence said afterwards. We hope we can just keep on going ‑ and win two more.”
Two more wins, of course, would bring the Ohio prep football championship back to Massillon for the first time since 1970 ‑ and it would be the first for the Tigers since the computer playoff system was installed.
The Tigers are now 10‑0 – their first perfect season since 1972 ‑ and have claim to the final All‑American Conference football championship (the league is now disbanded).
The Tigers have now either won outright or shared the AAC title four straight years ‑ all under Currence, who has now beaten the Bulldogs four straight.
And the key to this one, he said, was the defense.
“The defense gave us the field position,” he said, referring to the nine sacks and three interceptions (Jamie Schlegel and Len Robinson also picked off passes).
Currence said the sacks were a combination of a fierce pass rush and great coverage by the Tiger secondary.
Seaman tried to pass 11 times in the first half,, and six times the Tiger “Sack Cats” threw him for losses.
Currence also credited his offense, of course.
“That was a great catch by Guzzetta and a great pass by Scott,” Currence said of the Tigers’ first touchdown. “And Evans catch was a big play, it really hurt them.
“But it was the interception by Reese that broke their backs.”
Currence said he was still nervous with a 21‑0 lead especially when Phil Giavasis blocked a Mike Hodgson punt. late in the third quarter and Mitchell Kelly recovered the ball at the Massillon 11 yard line.
However, tackle Dave Geschwind threw Brantly Kelly for a one‑yard loss on the first play, and two plays later Geschwind Tom Mummertz and Bryant Lemon sacked Rick Worstell for a 12‑yard loss. An incomplete pass in the end zone on fourth down gave the Tigers the ball at their own 19.
When the Pups got the ball back, Jamie Schlegel intercepted a Worstell pass at the Bulldog 27 and returned it to the two yard line. Four plays later, at 7:52 of the fourth quarter, Fry booted his 26‑yard field goal.
“After the field goal I relaxed,” Currence said.
“The difference was the big play,” he explained. “When you get the big play, you’ve got them. The kids were looking for them, and they made them.
“This game will be like a springboard for us,” he added, referring to the playoffs. “We have momentum now.”
The Tigers’ first score came on their second possession. Massillon took over at the Bulldog 35 following a 17‑yard McKinley punt.
Seven plays later, Scott lofted the ball over the middle and over an unaware Sid Lewis to Guzzetta who made a diving catch in the end zone. Fry’s kick made it 7‑0 with 1:45 left in the first quarter.
The Tigers took over at 6:55 of the second quarter at their own 42 following a Bulldog punt.
On third‑and‑six from the 46, Scott threw long for Evans. A Bulldog defender leaped in an attempt to make an interception, but he missed the ball and Evans caught it at the 18 yard line. He scampered the rest of the way for the score with 5:17 left in the half.
Reese’s interception then set up Beitel’s one‑yard touchdown run just. before the half, and Schlegel’s interception set up the field goal by Fry in the fourth quarter which capped the scoring.
Now it’s on to the Rubber Bowl and, hopefully, a state championship. BEAT PADUA!
FINAL STATISTICS MASS OPNT First downs: Rushing 7 1 Passing 5 2 Penalty 0 0 Total 12 3 Yds gain rush 155 53 Yds lost rush 28 82 Net yds rush 127 29 Net yds pass 143 58 Total yds gain 270 29 Pass attempted 15 10 Pass completed 7 3 Pass int by 3 2 Pass int yds 63 2 Kickoffs 5 1 Kickoff ave 48.8 48.0 Kickoff ret yds 20 96 Punts 3 6 Punt ave 38.7 35.2 Punt ret yds 21 22 Punts blocked 1 0 Fumbles 1 1 Fumbles lost 1 0 Penalties 3 3 Yds penalized 3.5 20 TDs rushing 1 0 TDs passing 2 0 TDs by int 0 0 Other TDs 0 0 No. of plays 56 38 Time of poss 26: 27 21:33 Attendance 21,000
MASSILLON 7 14 0 3 24 McKINLEY 0 0 0 0 0
Mass ‑ Marty Guzzetta 9 pass from Bill Scott (Jeff Fry kick) Mass ‑ Greg Evans 54 pass, from Scott (Fry kick) Mass ‑ Bill Beitel 1 run (Fry kick) Mass ‑ Fry 26 FG
The 82nd victory in the football coaching career of the Massillon Tigers’ Michael L. Currence had to be one of his sweetest, for it carried him and his 1979 Tigers to a record, an All‑American Conference title and a shot at the state championship.
Saturday’s foe was Canton McKinley, who went into the game with a good 7‑1‑1 record and were primed for another of the upsets that have marked 84‑year Tiger‑Bulldog rivalry. Coach John Brideweser of McKinley had lost all three of his previous ‑meetings with Currence’s Tigers.
But the Tigers, too, were ready. Currence had polled them on stage at a bonfire rally Friday night, asking each what he planned to do to the Bulldogs Saturday afternoon. And they did it all.
Now, for the second time since computers got into the act, the, Tigers have a crack at a state title. They will play Parma Padua (9‑1) in the Akron Rubber Bowl Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and the winner will advance to the state finals the following Saturday at the Rubber Bowl.
I Tiger quarterback Bill Scott, speaking of Padua and Cincinnati Moeller, the team he expects to face in the championship, said: “I think we can do it. We’ve got a whole town behind us.”
That the Tigers have. Let’s show them this week how much we are behind them. BEAT PADUA!
Massillon Does It Again!
…And so another Massillon-McKinley rival match is in the record books, and Massillon continues to dominate the action.
The Tigers’ 24‑0 whitewashing of the Bulldogs last weekend made it four straight over the Pups. Over the past three years, Massillon has outscored McKinley, 58‑10, including two shutouts in the last three years, both at Fawcett Stadium. Their latest triumph upped the overall series mark to a commanding 47‑32‑5 lead.
Is the rivalry becoming too one sided’?
“No way,” said Massillon Coach Mike Currence. “Massillon and Canton will always play this game. They’ve been playing it now for 84 years, and they’re going to continue playing it long after John and I (McKinley Coach John Brideweser) are gone.”
I don’t think anyone would question that. I can’t imagine November without a Massillon‑McKinley game, but there’s no question that the Tigers are becoming a more dominant force in this classic.
There are several theories as to why that’s the case. The first one is that the entire town is behind Massillon, whereas Canton doesn’t totally back McKinley.
A second theory is that the Tigers are just getting better material out of their feeder schools than the Bulldogs are, and the third theory states that many of Massillon’s players have played together longer than McKinley’s have because most of them attended the same grade schools and junior highs. Massillon is less diversified than Canton, and this might be a possible explanation contributing to Massillon’s dominance.
Personally, I support the ‘town theory.’ The fact that Massillon has its entire town behind the Tigers is a mighty big boost in a game of this magnitude.
Sure, the Tigers were gunning for the playoffs and trying to keep a perfect mark intact, but they also defeated McKinley the last three years when they weren’t headed for the playoffs.
McKinley will always have a great challenge lying ahead of them in this game, because let’s face it: Not everyone who lives in Canton is a ‘live or die’ McKinley Bulldog fan.’
It was a case of deja vu, as Offenbecher threw for two. Massillon won again, of course. The ’10‑run rule’ was not in force!
MASSILLON ‑ The Lord giveth. The Massillon Tigers taketh away!
Massillon High quarterback Brent Offenbecher turned the 83rd high school football classic against McKinley Senior High into an aerial circus in the final six minutes of the game to wipe out a 10‑0 deficit and give the Tigers a 13‑10 victory before 21,592 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium Saturday afternoon.
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Offenbecher, the 6‑foot‑1, 175‑pound senior who last year passed for two TDs and ran for another in the Tigers 21‑0 win in Canton, gave the McKinley followers an unwanted rerun.
Only this year it was in more heartbreaking.
McKinley had nearly blown the Tigers off the field in the first half. But in the end, the Bulldogs just blew the game in the waning minutes.
Not only Offenbecher’s passes helped beat the Bulldogs. It was the McKinley passes which really put the Pups down the tubes, the last two of which were intercepted by the Tigers.
So for one more year, the McKinley fans went home mumbling. Not since 1968 have the Pups won here in the Tigers’ lair, and the Massillon win was its third straight over the Bulldogs and its seventh in the last nine games.
But there was no clock malfunction this year. The timepiece ticked to perfection. The officiating was adequate, and no flag felled the visitors. So for the vanquished, only one villain remained ‑ the coach.
The second‑guessers were out in force for McKinley’s Coach John Brideweser’s decision to throw the ball on first‑and‑15 from the Pups’ own 22 with 5:20 left in the game and the Bulldogs leading 10‑6.
“We had to maintain ball control,” said Brideweser in answer to the inevitable question. Tigers dump Bulldogs “We had to get the first down, and, after we drew the motion penalty and had a first‑and‑15, I thought we needed to hit the pass.”
Game photo from Massillon vs. Canton McKinley 1978
McKinley’s Dave Seaman, the junior quarterback who stepped in at mid‑season, saw his aerial tipped by Tiger tackle Harry Foster and grabbed off by junior linebacker Tim Reese in a diving catch just before the ball hit the ground at the McKinley 31.
Offenbecher then threw three straight quick lookin Passes, a 14‑yarder to Curtis Strawder, a 10‑yarder to Martin Guszetta and then the winning TD of 7 yards again to Strawder, the amazing pass‑eating machine who finished a two‑year career with a record 68 catches for 1,072 yards. Saturday he caught eight for 92 and both TDs.
It was not a bad call,” said Massillon coach Mike Currence of Bridey’s first‑down pass.
“They needed the yardage and the first down, and‑they might not have been able to get it running,” he said.
But the Pups took their 10‑point lead mostly by ripping through the Massillon defensive line on the ground.
In the first half McKinley gained 71 yards in 27 rushes, while holding the Tigers to a net yards rushing of “minus‑11.”
But despite the running of the Pups, they had to get a big break to get in the end gone.
Massillon’s leading rusher this season, Jeff Beitel, fumbled on the first play after a Todd Maragas punt, and McKinley’s Tony Floyd covered at the Tiger 16.
Six running plays later Brantley Kelly crashed in from the 2‑yard‑line and John Grimsley kicked the conversion to put the Pups on top 7‑0 with less than four minutes left In the half.
McKinley moved the ball 55 yards in 11 plays to get Grimsley’s 22‑yard field goal with 9:29 left in the game. That drive was keyed by Seaman’s 28‑yard pass to Doyle Lewis.
Lewis, whose catch came on his only offensive play of the game, was made at the seven between two Massillon defenders. He just out‑jumped them. But a motion penalty put the Pups back at the 19, and three runs got but seven yards, and they settled for the three.
Sam Hill’s 35‑yard return of the ensuing kickoff put the ball at the Tigers’ 43, from where Offenbecher directed his team to the end zone in seven plays, hitting Strawder an the 12‑yard TD. It was his fifth completion in that drive.
After Massillon’s go‑ahead TD, Seaman unloaded from his 29 and a broken pass pattern by his receiver allowed Darren Longshore to intercept at the 43 with 3:25 remaining. Longshore fell catching the ball, and then leaped up and ran off the field holding the bail high. The result was a brief bench‑clearing brawl, but the police, sheriff’s deputies and coaches restored order rather quickly, and Massillon resumed running out the clock.
Offenbecher’s final pass of the day, a 14‑yard completion to Strawder, naturally, came on third‑and‑10 with 1:28 left and sent the McKinley fans scurrying to the parking lot.
Offenbecher completed 9 of 9 for 95 yards in the fourth quarter, giving him 17 of 20 for, the day for 177 yards. He finally has completed his career at Massillon, with more than a mile‑and‑a‑half in yards passing, and virtually all the passing records in the Tigers school record book.
Massillon finished with an 9-0-1 overall record and won the All‑American Conference with a 4‑0‑1 mark. McKinley finished 7‑2 overall and 4‑1 in the AAC.
Tiger, Bulldog Lineups TIGERS Offense QUARTERBACK: 14 Brent Offenbecher (Sr., 6‑1. 175); FULLBACK: 43 Tom Gehring (Sr., 5‑10, 171), 16 Wally Neff (Jr., 5-8, 172), 49 Sam Hill (Jr., 5‑6, 160); HALFBACKS: 45 Jeff Beitel (Sr., 5‑7, 158), 22 Bill Beitel (Jr., 5‑7, 148); ENDS: 42 Curtis Strawder (Sr., 5‑10, 153), 13 Ron Wright (Sr., 5‑9, 173), 25 Marty Guzzetta (Jr., 5‑9. 160); TACKLES: 67 Doug Wood (Sr., 6‑2, 191); 76 Mark Kircher (Jr., 6‑1, 212); GUARDS: 69 Jim Horton (Sr., 6‑0, 177), 79 Eric Barnard (Sr., 6‑2, 215), 65 Larry Massie (Jr., 5‑7, 195); CENTER: 51 Scott Kasunick (Sr., 5‑9, 181).
Defense ENDS: 81 Bruce Solinger (Sr., 6‑0, 175), 88 Wilson (Sr., 6‑0, 182); TACKLES: 72 Harry Foster (Sr., 6‑2, 232), 71 Jeff Pedro (Sr., 6‑3, 204); MIDDLE GUARD: 55 Bob Simpson (Jr., 5‑11, 190); LINEBACKERS: 28 Dick Cleveland (Sr., 5-11, 188), 38 Kevin Harris (Sr., 5‑10, 182). 59 Tim Reese (Jr.. 5‑9, 163); MONSTER BACK: 11 Darren Longshore (Sr., 6‑1, 175); SAFETY: 21 Jamie Schlegel (Jr., 5‑11, 160); HALFBACKS: 34 Jeff David (Sr., 5‑9, 188), 12 Dan Venables (Sr., 5‑10, 160). KICKERS: 13 Wright (punts, extra points), 86 Mike Hodgson, 79 Barnard (kickoff).
BULLDOGS Offense QUARTERBACK: 12 Dave Seaman (Jr., 165); FULLBACK: 34 Charles Taylor (Sr., 190), 31 David Faur (So., 167), 30 Michael Lynch (So., 157); HALFBACKS: 42 Doyle Lewis (Sr., 180), 33 Robin Kindell (Jr., 150), 32 Lucius Rowser (Sr., 180), 40 Brantley Kelly (Jr., 160), 11 Todd Maragas (Sr ., 184); ENDS: 82 ‑Jeff Thompson (Sr., 168), 84 Ron Rankin (Jr., 170); TACKLES: 73 Steve Stranan (Sr., 215), 50 Brian Blosser (Sr., 205); GUARDS: 64 Milton Young (Sr., 197), 67 Scott Dean (Sr., 170), 65 Cyle Cole (Sr., 185); CENTER: 51 Eric Kempthorn (Sr., 180).
Defense ENDS: 34 Taylor, 86 Bo Zeren (Sr., 180), 80Mitchell Kelly (Jr., 170), 81 Phil Glavasis (Jr., 165); TACKLES: 75 Tony Floyd (Jr., 205), 73 Strahan, 83 Troy Sanders (So., 195), 85 Joe Sanders (Sr., 185); MIDDLE GUARD: 32 Rowser; LINEBACKERS: 64 Young, 67 Dean, 65 Cole; MONSTER BACK: 22 Andy Kneffler (Sr., 160); SAFETY: 42 Lewis; HALFBACKS: 21 ‑ Mark Green (Sr., 155), 20 Kelly Mullane (Jr., 160), 33 Kindell.
The Washington High School football team was the toast of the city today for its fourth quarter conquest of arch rival Canton McKinley Saturday afternoon in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Trailing 10‑0 in the fourth period, the Massillon Tiger team lived up to tradition Saturday afternoon by staging a comeback to score 13 points and win the game 13‑10. In so doing it learned one of the great lessons of life – never give up.
Many a football team would have quit after McKinley, leading 7‑0 going into the last period, put three more points on the board – but not the Tigers. That’s when they became aroused and, at the urging of Massillon fans, scored two touchdowns in the final minutes to complete the regular season undefeated for the first time since 1972. A tie with Warren spoiled an otherwise perfect mark.
It was the Tigers’ determination to succeed that saw them through, and we give them great credit for never having given up in their efforts to win the game. In sports they call that “desire,” and the Massillon boys certainly had it Saturday afternoon; otherwise they would have been on the losing end of the score.
Their late rally was typical of fourth period comebacks against McKinley a number of times in past years. Remembrances of these historical games kept most ‑fans in their seats hoping that what appeared to be the impossible would become possible.
In victory we cannot help but feel some compassion for the vanquished. They were a dejected group of McKinley players who came off the field, their hopes crushed after having had victory almost within grasp. They played hard and, even though defeated, can hold their heads high for their efforts.
As a result of the victory the Tigers are champions of the All-American Conference, and we congratulate them and Coach Mike Currence and his assistant coaches for winning the title.
The Massillon Tigers may not be going to the state football playoffs, but they’re number one in the hearts and minds of all their fans.
The Tigers simply tore apart the playoff-bound Canton McKinley Bulldogs by a 21-0 score before 20,339 snow capped fans Saturday afternoon on a muddy, waterlogged Fawcett Stadium field.
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A NEAR blizzard in the second-quarter threatened to turn the game into a “Snow Bowl,” but a flurry of passes from Tiger quarterback Brent Offenbecher and complete domination by the Massillon offensive and defensive lines simply turned it into a rout.
Offenbecher scored the Tigers first TD on the first play of the second quarter when he bootlegged 11 yards around right end and literally dove over a Bulldog defender at the goal line, falling into the end zone.
He then hit Curtis Strawder with a 50-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and hooked up with Greg Carpenter for a 48-yard TD toss early in the fourth quarter.
Offenbecher finished the day with 7 of 9 passing for 162 yards on a field that no one thought he would be able to pass on. He ends the year with 1,369 yards passing on 84 of 146 passes, all Tiger records.
“Bridey (McKinley head coach John Brideweser) forgets he has to run in the mud when he lets the field get wet.” Tiger head coach Mike Currence chided in the jubilant Massillon lockerroom after the game.
HE WAS referring of course to the fact that Brideweser had declined to put the tarp on the field after the Tiger Booster Club brought it over Thursday.
Game Action Massillon vs. McKinley 1977
“The big thing,” Currence said on a serious note, “was that we were able to throw in the mud and that we controlled the line of scrimmage. They weren’t able to run in the mud and they couldn’t throw either.
“Our lines were super,” he continued. “We beat them on the line. Their backs ran hard but they had nowhere to go.”
Brideweser’s explanation was simpler.
“We just got our ass kicked,” he said. “They’re a good football team. They’re as good as anybody in the state. How they lost two games I’ll never know.”
BRIDEWESER said his players never thought about the computer poll even after Barberton eliminated itself completely by losing to Cuyahoga Falls Friday night, assuring the Bulldogs of a berth even if they lost to Massillon.
He did agree that the loss to the Tigers would make it tough for his team Friday night at 7:30 when the Bulldogs play Cleveland St. Joseph in the Class AAA semifinal game in the Akron Rubber Bowl.
The 21-0 score Saturday wasn’t indicative of the game the Tigers played. It could have been worse. Massillon completely outplayed the Bulldogs in every facet of the game, not even allowing a first down until 6:51 was left in the game, and not many McKinley fans left in the stands.
All the Tiger fans were there though. Glued to their seats – when they weren’t standing to cheer – by a performance many just hadn’t expected to see. Sure, they new the Tigers could win, but few expected such a performance.
The condition of the field before the game was so bad that you had to wonder if the Tigers’ run and shoot offense might not turn into a slip and slide. It looked like a defensive battle might be waged.
“AT THE beginning,” Offenbecher said, we came in and saw the field and thought there was no way we could pass. Then we got out there, and it was bad, but it wasn’t real bad.”
Offenbecher showed the Tigers weren’t afraid to pass when he threw twice in the first series. One was complete to Mark Pringle for the Tigers first first down of the game and the other fell incomplete. The first drive, which included a 13-yard bootleg by Offenbecher and some good running and blocking by his teammates, ended when Mark Westover’s 34-yard field goal attempt was wide left.
The Tiger defense forced the Bulldogs to punt and Mike Hickey returned the ball five yards to midfield with 5:38 to go in the first quarter.
After one first down, the Tigers faced a third and six at McKinley’s 39 yard line. Offenbecher found Pringle open for 11 yards and a first down.
The Tigers then stuck to the ground and an eight-yard run by Carpenter gave them a first down at McKinley’s five. He then lost six yards on the last play of the first quarter, and the Tigers faced a second and goal from the 11.
Offenbecher took to the air again, this time by running 11 yards around right end and diving over a Bulldog defender into the end zone. Westover’s kick was no good and the Tigers look a 6-0 lead.
Following another Bulldog punt, Massillon took over on its own 43. Offenbecher fooled everybody, including his coach, when be took the ball and ran 24 yards around a wide-open left end.
That gave Massillon a first down at the McKinley 33. The Tigers drove to the eight when Offenbecher was hit and fumbled the ball attempting to pass on third down. McKinley recovered and ran out the clock, trailed only 6-0 at the half.
The Tigers kicked off to open the second half and like clockwork, the Bulldogs punted four plays later.
The Tigers took over at their own 40 and after four running plays and an offside penalty, faced a third and 11 at midfield.
OFFENBECHER dropped back to pass and spotted Strawder cutting across the middle at about the 25. He threw him the ball and the junior sprinted to the zone untouched, after his defender fell down.
Offenbecher then rolled right and hit Pringle with a two-point conversion pass to make it 14-0 Tigers.
Following several punts by each team, the Tigers took over at the McKinley 49 early in the fourth quarter.
Following a holding penalty against the Tigers, a run for no gain and a 19-yard pass to Mike Grove, the Tigers faced a third and nine at the Bulldog 48.
Offenbecher dropped back to pass again and hit Carpenter on the left sideline at about the 25. The senior wingback then broke down the sideline and didn’t stop until he crossed the goal line. Westover’s kick was good and the Tigers had a 21-0 lead with 8:34 left in the game. Many McKinley fans headed for the exits.
IT WASN’T until 6:51 left that Rick Asberry broke off a 14-yard run for the Pups’ initial first down. They made three more in the drive, but Kevin Gowins kept them out of the end zone when he picked off a Mike Brown aerial inside the Massillon 10.
The Bulldogs, who lost 7 3 to Massillon last year, have yet to score a touchdown against Currence.
The statistics bear out the fact that it was a super team effort by the Tigers. They gained 162 yards passing and 115 rushing while allowing the Bulldogs 81 rushing (51 of which came in their last drive) and six passing.
GRID STICK
M C First downs rushing 8 4 First downs passing 5 0 Total first downs 13 4 Yds. gained rushing 160 101 Yds. lost rushing 45 20 Net yds. gained rushing 115 81 Net yds. gained passing 162 6 Total yds. Gained 277 87 Passes attempted 9 5 Passes completed 7 1 Passes intercepted by 1 0 Times kicked off 4 1 Kickoff average (yards) 54 5 47 0 Kickoff returns (yards) 17 68 Times punted 2 7 Punt average (yards) 39.0 23.4 Punt returns (yards) 11 1 Fumbles 1 1 Lost Fumbled ball 1 0 Penalties 3 0 Yds. Penalized 25 0 TD’s rushing 1 0 TD’s passing 2 0 Total number of plays 52 47 Total time of possession 25:51 22:09
MASSILLON 0 6 8 7 21 McKINLEY 0 0 0 0 0
MASS – Brent Offenbecher 11 run (kick failed); MASS – Curtis Strawder 50 pass from Offenbecher (Mark Pringle pass from Offenbecher); MASS – Greg Carpenter 48 pass from Offenbecher (Mark Westover kick).
CANTON – You’ll never convince Massillon football Coach Mike Currence or his quarterback Brent Offenbecher that foul weather is a passer’s worst enemy.
Offenbecher warmed up by throwing bullets through a snow storm before unloading two “bombs” of 48 and 51 yards as Massillon upset the state’s No. 2 – ranked and previously unbeaten Canton McKinley Bulldogs 21-0 at Fawcett Stadium Saturday.
History 
