Their 500th victory since 1894–something no other high school team can boast of–was dimmed somewhat by a lackluster offensive performance, but Head Coach Bob Commings is confident his Massillon Tigers can correct the situation.
“I don’t think we have any problems we can’t cure,” Commings said after his charges had beaten Cleveland Cathedral Latin 22-0 in a super defensive battle before an opening night crowd of 11,786 Friday at Tiger Stadium. “I think our kids blocked pretty well but we missed some holes.”
Program Cover
However, one thing Commings is concerned with is injuries to junior quarterback Greg Wood and sophomore fullback Bill Harmon who were already nursing hurts. Wood reinjured an ankle in the pre-game workouts and irritated it during the game.
Harmon sustained his fourth injury–this one a sprained right ankle when hit from behind while out of bounds after a second period run–and left the dressing room on crutches.
“Greg’s injury kind of threw his passing off and without Harmon we lost a big chunk of power,” Commings said. “If we can get Harmon (a devastating runner) and Greg healthy–which we haven’t had for quite a while– we’ll be alright. However, Erlo Lee (junior tackle recovering from knee surgery) was back and did a great job!”
On the other hand, the Washington High defense was just dandy, coming up with their 21st whitewash job in Commings’ five seasons here. So great was the team effort that Latin failed to get a fist down, got only 28 yards and did not get out of its own territory.
The defense set up one touchdown and scored two others to help ease the dismay of having the ball nine times in enemy territory and scoring only once.
Senior tailback Charles Danzy scored on fourth down from the 10 on a right end run after the defense had held Latin on its first series and punter Ken Mueller erred in attempting to kick stocking footed. Referee Octavio Sirgo ordered the shoe replaced, to comply with the rules, Mueller didn’t lace the brogan up, lost it on the punt and the ball trickled back five yards, giving the Tigers a first down on the Latin 36.
The score came five plays later with 8:43 left in the first quarter.
New Zealand soccer style kicker Allen Binks who kicks stockingless since he can’t do it barefooted, booted a 30-yarder with 7:39 left in the second stanza. It was the first one since Jerry Krisher’s in 1950 and the only other one kicked at Tiger Stadium.
Senior Mark Pifer returned a kickoff 54 yards with 49 seconds left for a TD with 49 seconds left in the third quarter. Senior halfback Denny Gutshall sprung Pifer into the end zone with a timely block.
A bad snap found Binks playing like Garo Yoepremian in last January’s Super Bowl game and the conversion try failed.
Senior end Vince DiLoreto pilfered a pass in the fourth quarter and returned 23 yards for the score with 7:09 left. Brad Limbach’s kick was wide right.
Binks tried a 50-yard field goal on the game’s final play.
The Tigers thought they had another TD when Wood raced 36 yards down the sideline and back into the center in the first quarter, but after he stepped out on the 25. After that effort and Harmon’s injury, the offense turned sour.
“But we’ve got to give Latin some credit,” Commings said. “They came to play.”
Commings explained that because of the Lion’s extremely heavy team, he used a lot of players to keep his team from getting tired.
“Tim Gutshall, Bill Csonka and Charles Danzy logged a lot of playing time,” Commings said.
Jack Zebkar, Latin coach pointed to mistakes as costing the Lions the game.
“We made five major mistakes and it cost us three touchdowns,” he said. “I told our people in Cleveland the difference in the score is going to be the difference of a couple points. Massillon scored on a field goal, but I don’t want to take anything away from Massillon’s team, well coached and I hope they go all they way.”
He pointed to the Tigers’ quickness as the difference.
Massillon leads the series 8-3-1 and has won six of seven openers here with Latin.
Tigers Defeat Cathedral Latin Lions 62-0 Massillon Team Rolls Up Season’s Largest Score To Win Easily
By LUTHER EMERY
The Cathedral Latin Lion, which lost its roar several years ago, and has never been able to get it back, was tamed by a touchdown happy pack of Washington high Tigers here Friday evening to the tune of 62-0.
A crowd of 13,384 fans saw Halfback Ernie Russell plunge over the Latin goal line on the first play of the second period for the first touchdown of the game after the two teams had battled to a scoreless tie the first quarter.
From that T.D. on to the end of the game, it was only a question as to how big the score would be, for the locals gained ground almost at will while stopping practically every Latin attempt to advance the ball. * * * THE STATISTICS tell the story better and briefer than all the words of explanation – 18 first downs to Latin’s 3; 545 net yards from scrimmage to Latin’s 53.
And yet with all the apparent one-sided performance, Coach Chuck Mather found plenty of errors in his team’s play and sufficient ragged performance at times to cause him to wobble all the more under the worry of things to come.
For example, had the Tigers been playing Steubenville, Alliance, Barberton or Canton McKinley, last night, they might have taken a licking in the first period from which they could not have recovered. It took them long enough to get their second wind as it was, but once they did, they rolled relentlessly against the Lions.
Forty-three players were used by the Tiger coach, one short of four teams, with a rookie outfit scoring the last two touchdowns and an all sophomore eleven finishing the game. * * * THE PERCENTAGE of completed passes was poor, principally because of poor reception. Three touchdown passes were dropped by receivers as well as a couple of others. Only seven of 25 hit their mark to stay, and right here we might add that never was a passer accorded better protection than that given Quarterback Freddie Close last night. He had all the time in the world to chuck the ball.
The Lions last night were the Tigers’ third victim of the season and none of the three has been able to penetrate the locals’ defense for points. Only once did Latin get over the 50-yard line last night and then by only a couple of yards.
With Coach Mather using so many players, it was impossible to pick out an outstanding star or stars on the local team. Bob Howe bore the brunt of the offense and got away to some good gains, but every mother’s son who got into the contest did his part to roll up the victory. * * * IT WAS EASIER to select a Latin beacon. The individual was Peter Ghirla, quarterback, who captained the team, ran it, did the passing and punting – and what punting! Several times, while in the shadow of his goal posts, his toe drove the ball back to midfield. That he didn’t complete more than two passes was not his fault. He often hit his receivers who could not hold the ball.
Only once in the entire game did the Tigers punt and then it wasn’t exactly necessary for they had the ball on the 35-yard line with only a yard needed for a first down when they elected to kick the pigskin. They gambled and won on fourth down several times thereafter.
The locals showed improvement over their previous two games. They looked better both offensively and defensively, showed good downfield blocking, and handled the ball with greater confidence and tighter fingers. Fumbles were scarce, each team having a bobble and each losing the ball on it. * * * FORTUNATELY, the Tigers came out of the game in good physical shape. Early in the contest they were shaken up in several spots but all of the injured re-entered the game before hitting the showers.
Once again the scoring was well distributed among members of the team. Chuck Vliet and Howe each scored twice, while Bob Grier, Close, Wilfred Brenner, Cliff Streeter and Russell each found their way into the Promised land.
If Jerry Krisher keeps it up, he can earn himself quite a reputation as a place kicker. He booted eight without a miss last night, the one failure after touchdown coming when Close got a high pass from center and got up and tried to run with the ball. He was downed before he could get to the Latin goal. * * * WHILE THE TIGERS failed to score in the first quarter they launched a 54-yard march in the closing minutes of the period that put the ball in position for Russell to go over on the first play of the second period. Howe, Grier and Russell did most of the leather lugging in the drive. A 37-yard pass, Howe to W. Brenner who made a great catch and ran another 10 yards, brought in the second score. It was the prettiest catch of the game. Streeter covered a fumbled kickoff to get the locals in position for their third touchdown in little more than four minutes. Close pitched to Russell for 34 yards and a first down on the seven, and Close on third down, plunged through center for the score.
A fourth down run by Howe good for 14 yards, produced the Tigers’ fourth touchdown of the period, and the locals would have had a fifth had Streeter been able to hang on to Close’s pass behind the goal.
The third period was five minutes old when the locals scored again. This time Streeter held Close’s rapid pass of 23 yards and stepped over the goal for a touchdown. The successful pass climaxed a 57-yard drive. * * * A 38-YARD RUN on fourth down by Howe produced another touchdown in the third quarter and before the period was over the Tigers had driven another 42 yards for a first down on the nine-yard stripe. Two passes failed and Howe took the ball to the two-yard stripe. Grier plunged for the remaining two.
A nice return of a Latin punt by John Francisco to the Latin 40, got a team of second stringers off to the eighth touchdown of the game. A 10-yard pass to Bruce Brenner and some hard running by Vliet and Lee Nussbaum got the ball down to the 12 where Vliet went over in two attempts.
Ghirla was thrown on fourth down by a fast charging Massillon line when he tried to punt after the following kickoff and the Tiger rookies took over on the six-yard line. Vliet went over on third down on a left end sweep for the final score of the game.
Points after touchdown: Massillon – Krisher eight (placekicks).
Referee – McPhee. Umpire – Brubaker. Head Linesman – Schaffer. Field Judge – Gross.
STATISTICS Mass. Latin First downs 18 3 Passes attempted 25 14 Passes completed 7 2 Had passes intercepted 0 3 Yards gained passing 169 27 Yards gained rushing 389 64 Total yards gained 558 91 Yards lost 13 38 Net yards gained 545 53 Times kicked off 10 1 Average kickoff 9yards) 46.6 53 Yards kickoffs returned by 10 114 Times punted 1 8 Average punt (yards) 25 35.7 Yards punts returned by 49 0 Fumbles 1 1 Lost ball on fumbles 1 1 Times penalized 6 5 Yards penalized 60 35
Tigers Open Season With 40-6 Victory Over Latin Massillon Team Displays Ability In Registering Win Before 13,257 Fans
By KEN HARTWICK
Any team that can score six touchdowns in 21 plays is all right with Massillon football fans so local grid enthusiasts should be and undoubtedly are well satisfied with Coach Charles Mather’s 1949 Tiger varsity which did just that at Tiger stadium Friday night in defeating a respectable Cleveland Cathedral Latin eleven by a 40-6 score in its season’s debut.
Displaying an ability common with the great Tiger teams of the past to explode for long touchdowns on almost any offensive thrust, the new Orange and Black eleven last night before 13,257 fans drove to two touchdowns in each of the first two quarters and one in each of the two concluding periods while allowing the visitors to tally their lone marker in the third stanza.
Program Cover
On a basis of its play in its first game of the season, the 1949 Tiger team isn’t going to be content to do its gaining a few yards at a time but is going for the distance on every attempt.
Certainly, that is indicated by the fact that only one of last night’s six touchdown plays was for less than 13 yards and that one short gain, a one-yard smash by Clarence Johnson for touchdown No. 6 late in the third quarter, was preceded by two end runs which totaled 36 yards.
To score their first touchdown the Tigers moved 45 yards in exactly two plays and on their next drive to the Latin goal line they traveled 72 yards in seven thrusts.
Then came the prize play of the session, a 68-yard return of a punt by Irvin Crable, and shortly thereafter the crowd was thrilled by one of the neatest aerial advances of the contest, a pass from Don James to Dick Jacobs good for 42 yards and the marker which, after Jerry Krisher made his second successful kick of the evening, gave the home team a 26-0 edge at the half. * * * JOHNSON’S one-yard plunge through the center of the Latin line ended a drive of 45 yards which required seven plays and to wind things up the Tigers in the concluding period moved 38 yards in three thrusts with Crable being broken lose for the last 27 yards.
Almost the only satisfaction the Latin players got out of the game was the fact that they scored against the Tiger first stringers even though the marker was set up against substitutes. With all the Tiger starters on the bench, the Latins late in the third stanza started a drive which advanced the ball from their own 16 to the Massillon 19 in six plays.
At that point the first stringers went back into the game and one the very first play against them Quarterback Pete Ghirla shot a short pass to Fullback John Nieser who outraced several potential tacklers on a run around left end and scampered over for the visitors’ lone touchdown.
Dick Shine hit Nieser as he reached the goal line but both fell into the end zone and it was a touchdown for Latin. * * * UNFORTUNATELY the prettiest play of the game and possibly of the entire season will never go into the record books because it was nullified by a penalty.
It was a pass by Johnson to Don Slicker which traveled 55 yards in the air, from the Massillon 15 to the Latin 30, before Slicker pulled in the ball, tucked it under his arm and carried it over.
All that went for naught, however, because the play was called back and the Tigers penalized 15 yards for holding.
The way the Tigers started the first time they gained possession of the ball a lot of fans undoubtedly figured they were going to see a replica of last year’s Massillon-Latin game in which the Orange and Black gridders scored four touchdowns in five plays from scrimmage in the first quarter.
Latin’s initial offensive bid netted a total of five yards in three plays so Left Half Tom Marko punted with Crable receiving on his own 47 and moving to the Latin 45.
The ball was handed to Johnson on the first play and he raced far around left end and straight down the sideline to the Latin 13 before being stopped. He shook off several potential tacklers but finally was grounded by three opponents. * * * DICK JACOBS was the ball carrier on the next play and he went right into the Latin line, found himself a hole and moved goal ward. He was hit as he went over and the ball rolled away but right there to fall on it was Don Studer and fall on it he did, thereby receiving credit for the touchdown. Krisher’s kick was unsuccessful so it was Massillon 6, Latin 0.
Any similarity between last night’s game and that of a year ago ended for the time being a short line later as the Tigers suffered a short-lived case of fumbleitis which twice lost them the ball fairly deep in their own territory.
Those two fumbles gave Latin a pair of golden scoring opportunities to take advantage of them. The first time Nieser was hit so hard that he lost seven yards and fumbled himself and the next time, after the visitors went through the right side of the Massillon line to move from the Tiger 31 to the 12, Nieser again was tossed for a loss after which Ghirla tried a southpaw pass into the end zone which was incomplete with the Tigers taking over on their own 18.
It was from that point that they moved to their second touchdown with the drive featuring a 31-yard run by Jacobs and a couple of (rest of paragraph missing) * * * TO START THE second period Quarterback Don Buynak shot a pass to Nieser which was good for 30 yards and that apparently made the Tigers somewhat peeved because on the next three plays Ronald Patt, Johnson, Ray Lane and Jim Schumacher tossed the Latin ball carriers for successive losses totaling 17 yards and one of those plays was a successful pass which, believe it or not, lost three yards.
The worst, however, from a Latin standpoint was still to come and it came as Marko punted to Crable on his own 32. The fleet-footed Tiger fullback started down the west sideline at full speed and he didn’t stop until he was over the goal line.
Joe Gleason deserves an assist on that touchdown because he came to Crable’s rescue as he appeared to be boxed in one the Latin 25 and sent two enemy players sprawling with a mighty block which left nothing but thin air between Irvin and pay dirt. Krisher’s kick was blocked and the score stood at 19-0.
Shortly thereafter came the Johnson to Slicker pass which didn’t count and only seconds were left in the half when Massillon took the ball on downs on the Latin 42.
Apparently figuring that there wasn’t much time to be lost, James dropped back on the first play and lofted the ball to Jacobs who took it on the 15 and went over unmolested. Krisher’s kick made the score 26-0 and 17 seconds later the half ended. * * * THE OPENING kick of the second half was taken by Crable on his own 10 and returned to the Latin 45 from where the Tigers drove to their next touchdown. They didn’t do so good on their first few plays but with the ball on the Latin 37 Johnson sped around left end to the 14, on the next play Crable went around the other end and was run out on the one-yard line, and then Johnson cracked the center of the Latin line for the marker. Krisher’s boot was good and the Tigers led by 33-0.
An exchange of punts with the Tigers seconds in the game resulted in Latin getting the ball on its own 16 from where the visitors drove for their touchdown, the important plays being a pass from Ghirla to Nieser good for an even 50 yards and an aerial from Ghirla to Sub Right Half Bill Tighe good for 13.
That latter play put the ball on the Massillon 19 and after an incompleted pass the Tiger first stringers went back into the game only to have Ghirla toss to Nieser for the touchdown play.
The final touchdown was scored about midway in the final period Crable setting it up by returning a Latin punt from midfield to the visitors’ 38.
Crable gained six yards around end, Jacobs carried to a first down on the 27 and then Crable moved quickly through the Latin line, cut sharply to the left and went the distance. Krisher’s kick made the Tiger total an even 40.
During the remaining time a couple of losses put Latin back on its own 10-from where Ghirla punted to Ernest Russell who returned from the Cleveland team’s 45 to the 22. A couple of offside penalties stopped a scoring bid by the Tigers and Left Half Steve Horvath finally intercepted a pass by Fred Close just before the game ended. * * * COACH MATHER was pleased by the Tigers’ victory and was particularly happy about the hard playing of his gridders but, “we still have a lot of rough edges to smooth out.”
The fact that the Tigers registered only nine first downs isn’t particularly surprising because most of the ground they gained was on long advances and, of course, all their long touchdown runs didn’t count in the first down total. At that, they got four more first downs than their opponents.
A gross yardage of 292 and a loss of 36 yards gave the Tigers a net of 256 yards. A fast charging Tiger line and exceptionally good work by the players backing up the line limited Latin to a gross of 166 yards and a net of 101.
Although they didn’t do much in the way of passing except for that one James to Jacobs touchdown aerial, the Tigers showed potentialities of developing a devastating passing attack with several boys able to toss the ball through the air with the greatest of ease.
The Orange and Black gridders blocked and tackled well with some of their blocks and tackles being so vicious that the spectators cringed in sympathy for the Latin boys on the receiving end.
All in all, the playing of the Tigers foretold of greater things to come in the future as the Massillon team goes up against opponents which likely will be somewhat tougher than was the Latin eleven.
Hard Blocking Tigers Smash Latin 44-13 16,000 Spectators See Massillon Gridders Get 25 Points First Period
By LUTHER EMERY
A rip-roaring band of Washington high school Tigers chased the proud Cathedral Latin Lions out of its stadium jungle Friday evening with a 44-13 pasting that rocked the Ohio scholastic football firmament.
Striking with lightning speed, the Tigers scored in the first 35 seconds on the second play of the game. The 16,000 shocked fans had hardly settled back in their seats before another marker went up on the board and by the time the first period was over the score read 25-0.
Program Cover
Two more touchdowns in the second period and another in the first two minutes of the third only served to mount the score and raise the fever of the Massillon fans who like to see their opponents melted away with touchdowns. Latin scored in the second and third periods directly or indirectly through forward passes, the second coming when second and third stringers made up the Massillon team.
Lights burned late in Tigertown last night as fans sat up to replay the game over and over again. They hadn’t had so much to make whoopee over in several moons, for it was the Tigers’ first victory over Latin since 1942 and only once in nine years of competition, 1940, did they roll up as many points; it as 64-0 that year. Likewise the 44 points represented the largest Massillon score since the Tigers beat Alliance 44-7 in 1945.
It could have been larger, most everyone believes had Coach “Chuck” Mather desired to make it so, but he gave 31 members of his squad an opportunity to play in the game and there was a lot of happy faces and some proud moms and pops because of it.
Mather, who overnight became “Mr. Football” to Massillon fans, was just as proud of his team. “I was well pleased with the boys,” he said after the game, as he massaged the side of Jim Schumacher, who was touched up a bit, not seriously, in the game. “I didn’t expect them to win anything like that,” he continued. “But we must remember that this is only one. We must forget about it now. We have nine more to play, and I can’t call this a good football team until after Nov. 20.”
That’s about all the coach had to say. He and his assistants, Carl Schroeder, Paul Schofer, Lauri Wartianinen and Dave Putts, were too busy looking after the welfare of the players to make sure everyone was all right, to take time for lengthy conversations. * * * THE VICTORY maintained the Tigers’ modern victory margin over opponents on its schedule. Had Latin won it would have been the only team that could have boasted an even over-all record with the local school in the last 15 years. The Lions are now trailing the Tigers three victories to five with one tie score.
From the statistics you never would have believed the game so one-sided, all of which goes to show how surely touchdowns, not first downs win games. Latin excelled in first downs, getting 12 to the Tigers’ seven, and only trailed by 10 yards, 332 to 322 in yards gained.
But the Tigers ran the string out when they got going while the Lions, who roared loudly in midfield, only whispered when they got within scoring range.
Nevertheless the visitors’ ability to roll up 322 yards, will give Coach Mather plenty to talk about when he gets his team out for practice Monday in preparation for next week’s game with Canton Lincoln in Fawcett stadium.
Mather had feared his defense was a bit on the weak side, but likewise was almost as certain that his offense could score. It did – and how! In addition to the seven touchdowns made by the Tigers they had four others called back because of penalty infractions. They made good on one of the four but eventually lost the ball on the other three occasions; all of which again causes us to wonder why we ever go to the trouble of keeping statistics. * * * THE TIGER offense was predicated on hard blocking. Not for a good many years has a Massillon team spilled opposing tacklers downfield with the consistent precision of last night’s gridders.
The long runs of Sophomore Irvin Crable, Capt. Al Brown and Clarence Johnson were pretty to watch but they were made possible by the chopping down of a lot of human flesh along the trail to the goal line.
When they swept the ends they threw everything but the goal posts at Latin and had men ahead of the ball carrier on most every occasion.
With blocking of this type “twas no wonder the Tigers made four touchdowns in just five plays from scrimmage in the first quarter.
That must be a high school record, though nobody seems to know.
It went like this.
On the second play of the game, Crable went 49 yards to score. The next time the Tigers got the ball, Al Brown, on second down, went 61 yards for a touchdown and had Clarence Johnson to thank for nearly knocking the last Latin tackler out of the lot. The very next time the Tigers got the ball, Crable took the leather on first down and raced 55 yards on a reverse to score. And as though that were not enough, Latin fumbled after the kickoff that followed and the ball pounced in the air into the arms of Jack Houston who ran 22 yards to score.
So there you have it; four touchdowns with the Tigers only having run five plays from scrimmage. The boys will talk about this a long time. * * * STRUCK with this kind of dynamite “tis a wonder that Latin ever recovered sufficiently to give the locals any opposition at all in the last three periods. But it did.
In fact it must have made the Lions Coach feel pretty good to see them strike back and score touchdowns. In the second and third periods while holding the Tigers to two in the second and one in the third; admittedly this was made partially possible by wholesale substitutions in the Massillon ranks, but the Lions showed their spunk just the same and should be a better football team for it in future weeks.
The Clevelanders were hardly the football team they were in former years. With last year’s subs playing most every position and their best ball carrying threat Dominic Cardaman, sideline with injuries, they didn’t have the fire of some Latin teams we have seen in the past.
However, they were big enough, handled the ball deceptively and turned up a good ball carrier in John Nieser.
They were first to score in the second quarter as a well aimed pass off the arm of John Wise, floated into the hands of Charles Pulka who raced to the seven-yard line before being downed. The overall gain was 49 yards. It only took one play for John Nieser to get it over, and the Tigers were completely fooled by a bit of deceptive ball handling as the good Latin fullback raced over the goal line, entirely unmolested. * * * A 36-YARD reverse around left end by Johnson after Latin had lost the ball on downs, produced the local team’s fifth touchdown, and Capt. Brown carried an intercepted Latin pass back to the 17 to set up the seventh. Jack Hill fired the ball to Dick Shine for 22 yards and the points.
The Massillon gridders scored to the first two minutes of the third period after Art James recovered a Latin fumble on the 19-yard line. Line plays carried the pigskin to the one yard line where Hill tunneled through center for the touchdown.
The last touchdown of the game was scored by Latin in the same period when Wise tired a 44-yarder to Robert Jarzemba for six points. Shine fell down as he pivoted to cover Jarzemba, and the latter had no one to bother him in his catch or run. * * * BEN RODERICK was perhaps the most unfortunate player on the Tiger team. Twice he caught touchdowns one a 31-yarder in the second period and the other a 57-yard play in the fourth quarter, but neither was allowed because of penalties. Eddie Bush also went 17 yards for a touchdown in the second period which was not allowed. However, in this instance the Tigers scored two plays later on Hill’s pass to Shine. Al Brown also scored a second touchdown that did not count in the fourth period when he waltzed over from seven yards out, but the Tigers had two men in motion on the play and the score was rightfully denied.
Fortunately the local team emerged without any serious injuries. There were the usual bumps and bruises but from all indications no one was hurt badly enough to be kept out of action next week.
The uniforms worn by the Tigers only arrived one hour and 45 minutes before game time which caused a lot of hustle in the Massillon dressing room prior to the start of the contest as shirts had to be hastily fitted on players. That accounts for no numbers being listed in the program for Massillon players.
A Fine Start
MASSILLON POS. LATIN Roderick LE Putka Jones LT Hilinski Morrow LG Maruna McVay C Glowic Reichenbach RG Zoller Takacs RT Cooney Houston RE Lambert Hill QB Wise Crable LH Mullin Johnson RH Immarino Brown FB Nieser
Score by periods: Massillon 25 13 6 0 44 Latin 0 6 7 0 13
Substitutions: Massillon – Gleason, Streeter, Studer, Slicker, ends; DeWalt, W. Houston, Laps and Paul, guards; Art James, Mitchell, Schumacher and Stanford, tackles; Krisher and Kent, centers; Don James, Bush, Grier, Crone, Shine and Lane, backs. Latin – Jarzemba, Langowski and Trombo, ends; Clark, tackle; Marco and Jaskoe, fullbacks.
Cathedral Latin Knocks Tigers Out Of Title Race Massillon Gridders Defeated 16-12 With 90 Seconds To Play
By LUTHER EMERY
Cathedral Latin high school kicked the Washington high school Tigers right out of the race for the Ohio high school championship before 25,255 fans in Cleveland’s lakefront stadium Friday evening, scoring all of their points in the 16-12 verdict in the final period.
The Tigers had it in the bag until Latin scored its winning touchdown with a minute and 10 seconds to go when Quarterback Bill Petersen bucked the ball over the goal from the one-yard line.
1947 Game Action vs. Cle. Cathedral Latin
It was a game of mistakes and errors with the locals capitalizing on a blocked punt and intercepted pass to score their two touchdowns, and in turn dropping a possible pass interception that could have preserved victory for Massillon.
Despite its close escape from defeat, there’s no denying Latin deserved the victory on a basis of performance. First downs were 13-3 in its favor and it out gained the Tigers both on the ground and in the air for a net total of 231 yards to Massillon’s 82.
The Tigers twice had victory within their grasp but permitted it to slip away in a wild fourth quarter, in which 22 of the game’s 28 points were scored.
The locals possibly erred at the end of the third period when with a 6-0 lead time expired, forcing them to punt against the wind on the first play of the fourth quarter. The wind would have been at their backs had they kicked the ball on third down on the last play of the third period. * * * AS IT WAS, Dick Jacobs’ punt was low and short and the ball struck Halfback Joe Raggets who bobbled it and then cut loose on a 45-yard run over the goal. It was only the second time during the night that Latin was able to return one of Jacob’s punts and the first was only a nine-yard effort. The touchdown followed by Substitute Al Habinak’s point from placement put the Lions ahead 7-6, but they didn’t stay there long.
The next time they got the ball, Morrie Eberhardt broke through to smear Petersen’s attempt to pass and the ball flew into the arms of Guard Red Williams who raced 62 yards for a touchdown. Gene Schludecker sent the ball between the uprights on his attempted placekick for the extra point but it didn’t count because Ben Roderick was caught holding. Penalized 15 yards, Schludecker tried it again and missed but the Tigers were still ahead 12-7 with eight and one-half minutes to play. The Tigers tried to kill time while Latin directed its efforts toward scoring another touchdown. Petersen’s good punt backed the locals up to their seven-yard line and on third down Al Brown was tossed behind his own goal for a safety when the locals tried a deep reverse. That brought the score to 12-9 with six minutes to go.
The Tigers kicked to the Lions who got the ball in midfield and began the final drive that spelled Massillon’s doom.
Petersen tossed to Tom Behm for a first down on the 36. Earl Gentile made four at left end, and Petersen’s pass was grounded. The latter picked out Gentile for his next toss, however, and connected for a first on the 24.
Petersen again tried to pass but was thrown for a six-yard loss. He came right back, however, to hit them for a first on the 13-yard line. Another pass was almost intercepted by Olenick, but he dropped the ball. The Lions on the next play crossed up the Tigers and sent Joe Pilla crashing through center for a first down on the one-yard line. It looked as though Pilla went over before an orange wave bent him back. Petersen took it on the next play, was stopped momentarily a yard behind the line of scrimmage but had the drive to propel himself over the goal. Again Habinak placekicked the extra point, and the game ended three plays later with the Tigers making a first down on their 40 on a pass; Jack Hill to Roderick and Brown gaining three yards on a reverse. * * * THE DEFEAT was the second in a row for the local team which last week was bumped 20-13 at Warren. Latin’s record now reads six victories and one loss, the lone defeat being an upset by Cleveland Holy Name.
Latin presented a strong forward wall which the Tigers were unable to penetrate. Their only sizeable gain on the ground was a 36-yard run by Al Brown in the closing seconds of the first period which put the ball on the Latin 40. He was ahead of the pack, but was hauled down from behind.
Deduct that 36-yarder off the statistics and you have the Tigers gaining but 58 yards the rest of the ball game.
Latin strong armed the locals for the most part with a seven-man line when playing in Tiger territory. In the open field they used a six-man line with five men covering the secondary for passes. The Tigers had pinned their offensive hopes on the forward pass, but they only tossed six and completed two, one on the next to the last play of the game. Receivers frequently got into the open but the passer overthrew them.
The first half of the game was a defensive battle for the most part with neither team threatening as Jacobs and Petersen staged a punting duel to keep the elevens bottled up in their own back yards. * * * BOTH ELEVENS have been known all season as second-half ball clubs, but the third quarter was well along before anything sensational happened.
The Tigers who on several occasions came close to blocking Petersen’s punts, finally succeeded as he attempted to boot the ball from his 40-yard line. The ball bounced back to the 20 where Early Johnson scooped it up and raced for a touchdown. Schludecker missed the attempted kick for the extra point.
Based on the Tigers’ defensive showing up to this stage of the game, the six points looked good, for they had succeeded in stopping Gentile most of the time and had so rushed Petersen that he was unable to get the ball to receivers.
What happened, however, you already know but Massillon fans will replay the remainder of the game a good many times this weekend pointing out where a few “ifs: might have changed the final result.
Knocked from their state championship ambitions, about all the Tigers have left to do is to play the role of the spoiler with Barberton and Canton McKinley, each of which represents a sizeable object on anybody’s schedule.
Fortunately the local team escaped without injuries and remained in Cleveland last night where it will view the Notre Dame-Navy game today. Sad But True MASSILLON POS. LATIN E. Johnson LE Saunders Eberhardt LT Calto Williams LG Zeller McVay C O’Day Houston RG Riousi Wittmann RT Campanelli Roderick RE Behm Badarnza QB Petersen Jacobs LH Raggets Brown RH Pilla C. Johnson FB Gentile
Score by quarters: Massillon 0 0 6 6 12 Latin 0 0 0 16 16
Tigers And Lions Battle To 6-6 Tie In Grid Thriller More Than 52,000 See Spectacular Struggle; Local Defense Sparkles
By FRED J. BECKER
They may never be referred to as champions but the Tigers of 1945 always will be remembered was the Washington high school football team that had more intestinal fortitude and bulldog courage than any other aggregation to ever wear the famed orange and black and Massillon has had many courageous aggregations in its long and brilliant career in scholastic football.
Program Cover
Coach Augie Morningstar’s kids Friday night wrote their chapter in the annals of Washington high school athletics – and wrote it in big capital letters – when, outweighed and out-manned, they battled Cleveland Cathedral Latin’s brawny and powerful Lions to a 6 to 6 tie in Cleveland’s lakefront municipal stadium in one of the greatest displays of defensive ability ever seen on any gridiron. Great Goal Line Stands Sure you have seen and read about goal line stands. Sure you have seen and read about football teams, that faced with defeat and greatly outplayed, dug their cleats into the turf and threw back a superior foe in a brilliant defensive stand but you have seldom seen or heard of a team that had to make four goal line stands in two quarters and succeeded in halting its enemy in three of those four desperate situations.
But that’s what a great throng of more than 52,000 spectators witnessed Friday night at Cleveland when the Tigers, battered and decisively outplayed by a foe that possessed a superior weight advantage, three times repelled the hefty Lions inside their five yard line but failed on one other occasion and gave the rugged Lions their chance to romp to a touchdown – a touchdown that enabled Latin to tie the score at six all and saved the Lions from a defeat after they had complied a record of 20 straight triumphs. Latin Had Advantage For the Tigers that epic 6-6 encounter was their fourth tie game in eight starts this fall, the other four ending in Massillon victories but the situation last night was entirely different than it had been in any of the other three previous games in which the orange and black had been held on even terms so far as scores were concerned.
For the first time this fall the Tigers were outplayed by a foe that had every right to outplay them because of its great advantage in weight. The Tigers might have been outplayed in the statistics, which showed Latin superior in offensive ability, but they never wilted under the ferocious hammering to which they were subjected in that bruising second half and their great defensive performance, especially within the shadow of their own goal posts, left the huge throng gasping in amazement.
They just couldn’t believe that any team anywhere could perform the heroic feats the Tigers wrote into the records but the Tigers accomplished their amazing performance because they had the courage to do the seemingly impossible on all but one of the occasions when they were faced with the task of stopping the burly Lions or seeing their Cleveland opponents notch their second victory in as many years over a Washington high school team.
The huge turnout for last night’s game was the third largest to ever witness a high school football contest in Cleveland. The attendance was exceeded at two previous charity contests staged in the Cleveland stadium but it was the largest gathering to ever witness a regularly scheduled contest between two high school teams in Ohio.
It was a great and enthusiastic outpouring of humanity and the thousands who jammed their way into the stadium saw a football game they long will remember – a battle between two well coached, hard fighting outfits who have never had the time to look up the meaning of the word “quit”. They were out there to win and they tossed everything they had at each other but when it was all over the Tigers reaped the major share of the laurels because of their magnificent display of courage during the times which it seemed they must surely crack and permit their opponents to romp away with the victory in a scoring spree. Perfect Weather Perfect weather conditions helped to attract last night’s mammoth throng – perfect weather and the past reputation of Washington high school football teams and the national fame which has come to George Bird’s great Tiger swing band. And not one of the persons in that great crowd of more than 52,000 went away disappointed – except possibly Cathedral Latin’s supporters who were confident of their second victory over the Tigers in as many years and who after the game couldn’t figure out why their great team fared no better than a tie with the orange and black.
Between 5,000 and 8,000 Massillon fans were in that turnout last night. They traveled to Cleveland by special train, chartered buses and in thousands of automobiles. It was the greatest crowd of Massillonians to ever follow the Tigers to an out of town game and they came away from the stadium singing the praises of Coach Morningstar’s gritty band of warriors. Sure it was a tie score but the contest finished in a tie only because of the remarkable defensive playing of Massillon’s scrappy kids.
A team with less courage than the Tigers possess would have gone down to defeat before the withering fire poured at them by Latin’s big, hard hitting backs but not the Tigers. They stayed in their fighting to the last, even though they were subjected to a terrific pummeling in the second half when the Lions, trailing 6 to 0, roared back in a determined bid to win or at least avert a blotch on their record by gaining a tie.
The statistics give Latin all the best of last night’s spectacular, engagement. Herb Eisele’s aggressive Lions chalked up 19 first downs to eight for the Tigers, 12 of them coming in the second half when the Clevelanders piled up a big advantage in ground gained through a terrific power and forward passing attack.
The Lions gained 195 yards on ground plays and 73 on forward passes and lost 23 for a net gain of 245 yards. The Tigers gained 111 yards on the ground and 26 through the air and had a loss of one for a net gain of 136 yards.
The blue and gold of Cathedral Latin attempted 12 forward passes and completed five with none intercepted. The Tigers took to the air seven times, completing three, one for a touchdown, for 26 yards and had one intercepted. Massillon was penalized seven times for a total of 38 yards, most of the penalties coming on offside play and backs in motion. Latin was penalized twice for 20 yards. Lions Checked In First Half The big and powerful lions were rather thoroughly checked by the Tigers in the first half but they came charging out at the start of the second half to take the play away from the Massillonians and they completely dominated the picture in the last two periods.
Running off tackle from the T formation Latin’s powerful backs time after time ripped their way through the sturdy Massillon forward wall for good sized gains. And when checked on the ground the Lions took to the air, causing the Tigers no end of concern with a short dump pass over the center of the line that produced plenty of yards.
With such an array of ball toters as Jerry Beckrest, who tallied Latin’s only touchdown, Cliff Hill, Fritz Pahl, George Werling and Jack Behm, the Lions turned loose the most powerful running attack the Tigers have faced this season. The big Latin backs had plenty of power and speed and their off tackle lunges were extremely effective until they powered their way deep into Massillon territory where the Tigers tossed them back every time with one exception.
The Tigers had no outstanding heroes. They were just a gang of kids who played their hearts out every step of the way and did a magnificent job of it. They battled against great odds but they came through with flying colors, every one of them. Although greatly outweighed by Latin’s big forward wall, the Tiger line time after time charged through to nail Latin ball carriers in their tracks or back of the line of scrimmage. Massillon’s secondary also distinguished itself by its remarkable performance, stopping many a Latin charge that seemed headed for pay dirt.
The Tigers have nothing to be ashamed of. They played a great game from start to finish and they deserve only praise for their truly remarkable fight.
With their jinx still trailing them the Tigers lost a touchdown in the first five minutes of the game through an unfortunate fumble but they came roaring back after that disheartening blow to again drive into scoring precincts and this time they did not fail, a forward pass from Bert Webb to Captain Fred Bonk, who took the ball in the end zone, giving the Tigers their six points.
George Raggets kicked off to Bert Webb to start the game and Webb was downed on his 29. Gene Zorger smashed through the line for six and Webb picked up two more on a spinner. Zorger then made it a first down on Massillon’s 41. Webb knifed through the Latin line for four and then took a pass from Don McGuire for another first down to Latin’s 44. Webb fumbled on the next play and Latin covered on its 38. The Tigers tied Beckrest and Pahl into knots and then Raggets attempted to punt but Bonk charged in to block the kick, the ball rolling out of bounds on Latin’s 27. Latin Covers Fumble It was Massillon’s ball and McGuire squirmed through for eight and then the Tigers shook Webb loose on a dash around right end and the speedy little Negro scampered to Latin’s two before he was chased out of bounds. But on the next play Webb hurtled into the line and fumbled, Raggets covering put Latin on the Lions’ two.
With Beckrest and Hill carrying the mail the Lions charged back to their 27 before the Tigers applied the brakes. Raggets then punted out on Latin’s 34 and once again the Tigers hammered their way toward Latin’s goal. McGuire tried one pas to Webb but it failed. He came right back with another and this one clicked for six yards. Zorger again crashed the main line for a first down on the Lion’s 25. Webb raced around his left end for nine and Zorger again plunged for a first down to the 13. He picked up five on the next play and then Webb tossed a short pass to Bonk who made a beautiful catch of the ball in the end zone for Massillon’s touchdown.
Virgil Cocklin, sophomore place kicker, was sent in to try for the extra point but he missed.
From then on Latin began to dominate play but two fine quick kicks by Webb in the second period kept the Lions from becoming too dangerous. Once the Clevelanders drove to Massillon’s 13 but lost the ball on downs and late in the period they rammed their way to Massillon’s 14 but there Behm fumbled and Bob Richards pounced on the ball.
The Lions, however, came out for the third period in a determined mood and it was soon evident that the Tigers were going to face plenty of battering from there on out.
Taking the kickoff at the start of the third period, the Lions soon hammered their way deep into Massillon territory and set the stage for the Tigers’ first goal line stand. With Hill spearheading the drive the Lions marched down the field and then Joe Amato connected on a dump pass to Al Hasselo for 17 yards, putting the ball on Massillon’s 30. From there on the Lions hammered their way right down the field with Bob Maloney making it a first down on the five. Two Latin plungers were turned back by the Tigers but Werling then sprinted around left end and raced up to the one foot line before being tossed out of bounds. But here the Tigers displayed their courage and halted the Lions in their tracks. Tony Uliveto and Tom Brooks nailing Backrest without gain on fourth down.
McGuire punted from behind his goal line to the Massillon 27 and once again the Lions came roaring back but once again the Tigers stopped them this time on their 32 after Richards had nailed Beckrest for a loss of five. Raggets then punted over the goal line and the Tigers put the ball in play on their 20.
The Massillon offense, however, was stalled and McGuire punted to Latin’s 45. Latin On The March Mixing powerful off tackle plunges with equally effective dump passes the Lions bean another goal ward march.
The end of the third period found them back on the Massillon four yard line. Beckrest sparked the drive with powerful lunges through the line.
The fourth period got under way with the Lions on Massillons four with second down coming up. Amato was stopped without gain but on the next play the Tigers were offside and the ball was moved to the two but once again the orange and black was equal to the occasion and halted the Latin march when Uliveto broke through and dumped Werling for a two yard loss, the Tigers gaining the ball on their four.
McGuire, again punting from behind his goal line, kicked out to Amato who was downed on the Massillon 35. Werling then shot a short pass over the line to Hasselo who was downed on the Tigers 25. Beckrest and Maloney picked up another first down in two plunges and the Lions were on Massillon’s 14. Again Maloney and Beckrest lugged the ball and they picked up nine yards and on the next play Beckrest skirted his left end and raced over for Latin’s touchdown to tie the count at six all.
Raggets attempted placekick was wide.
The Tigers took the kick off with five minutes of play still remaining and turned loose a spurt which carried them to Latins 44 yard line. Webb picked up 12 yards in this march with a sizzling dash around right end, aided by some fine blocking.
But the Tigers tried to pass on first down and Amato intercepted and ran the ball back to the 50. Once again the Latin machine went into action and another short pass from Werling to Beckrest took the ball to the Massillon 27. Beckrest then plunged to the 16 and made it first down on the next play. Three plunges, two by Beckrest and one by Maloney, took the ball to Massillon’s four and made it first down. Maloney and Beckrest twice crashed into the Tiger line but the Lions were still three yards away from the Massillon goal line when Bog Wagner, stellar Latin tackle, was injured and replaced by Johnny Beletic.
The clock was running out fast, less than 10 seconds remaining when the Lions went into formation for what apparently would be the last play of the game.
But the gun sounded just as they got into motion. Beckrest ran with the ball but was stopped without gain by Uliveto.
The abrupt ending of the game created considerable confusion but the officials ruled the Lions guilty of illegal delay when Beletic was substituted for Wagner. Decision Based On Rule The officials based their ruling on the following section of the Official N.C.A.A. Football Rules: “During the last two minutes of either half, requests for excess ‘time outs’ by field captains when no injured player is designated shall be refused, and if the team in possession of the ball (having exhausted its three legal ‘time outs’) takes time out to make a substitution for an injured or uninjured player, the referee shall signal the watch to start as soon as he considers the substitution completed.”
Referee Carl Brubaker said he started time while Latin was in the huddle and that time expired before the Lions could run off another play.
Statistics Mass. Latin First downs 8 19 Passes attempted 7 12 Passes completed 3 5 Yards gained by passing 26 73 Passes had intercepted 1 0 Yards gained by rushing 111 195 Gross yardage 137 268 Yards lost 1 28 Net yardage 136 245 Number of kickoffs 2 2 Average distance of kickoffs 37 90 Average return of kickoffs 15 13 Number of punts 6 5 Average distance of punts 41 18 Average return of punts 0 6 Fumbles 3 3 Times ball lost on fumble 2 1 Times penalized 7 2 Yards lost on penalties 35 20
Latin Hands Tigers First Opening Game Loss Since 1930 Clevelanders Ride To 14-7 Victory On Strong Arm Of Bill Petersen
By LUTHER EMERY
Washington high school’s bid for the Ohio scholastic football championship ended where it started here Friday evening as a powerful Cathedral Latin Lion subdued the ambitious Tiger by a score of 14-7 before 22,000 fans, the largest opening night crowd in the history of Massillon football.
The Lions rode to victory on the arm of stellar Bill Petersen, quarterback and passer deluxe of the Cleveland team, whose rifle-like pegs scored the first Latin touchdown and so opened the Tiger defenses that they dropped into a five-man line, the first five-man line a Massillon team has used in a good many years.
Petersen’s passing and Massillon’s lack of a defense to successfully combat it, just about tells the story of the Tigers’ defeat, the first opening game loss since Akron East whipped Massillon 6-0 Sept. 20, 1930.
Chalk that achievement up to Latin and also give the Clevelanders’ credit for being the only team to go undefeated with Massillon three consecutive years since Canton McKinley drubbed the locals in 1932-33-34. The Latin record is now two victories and a tie since the war interruption of 1943. Lions Had Better Team There was nothing lucky about Latin’s victory and there’s no room for an alibi. The Lions outplayed the Tigers most of the way and their advantage is found not only in the score but also in the statistics. That should be sufficient to establish their superiority.
They made seven first downs, four on passes, to Massillon’s three, and gained 253 yards from scrimmage to the Tigers’ 121 yards. The only place in the entire column of statistics where Massillon looked better than the visitors was in the lost yardage summary. Latin was thrown back for 38 yards, while the Tigers lost 13, from scrimmage.
Coach William G. “Bud” Houghton was not entirely downhearted because he knew this his team had lost to a good eleven, but he did criticize parts of the performance. He was disappointed over some of the defensive work, and felt his team was not as much on edge as it should have been. The breaks as a whole went to Latin, and the visitors capitalized on them. They followed the ball more closely than the Tigers and were alert to fumbles.
Because Latin linemen sifted through the Tiger forward wall on T formations, the local team ran most of its offense from single wing. It tried to pass a couple of times from the T but was smothered before the ball carrier could find a receiver. The only pass that did hit its mark was a 32-yard touchdown peg from Dan Byelene to Gene Zorger for the Tigers’ only score in the fourth quarter.
Herb Eisele, Latin coach, was naturally jubilant over the triumph of his team but felt a little shaky in the fourth period when the Massillon eleven appeared to grow stronger as the game progressed. The victory helped to erase from his memory some of the terrific beatings his Lions sustained at the hands of the Tigers here in the years 1939-42; and likewise established his team as a leading contender for the Ohio high school championship, a title it has rightfully claimed a share of the past two seasons. The triumph extended the Lions’ undefeated string to 27 games.
The Tiger team at intervals showed flashes of offense, but was unable to coordinate its attack successfully for any extended drives. The Latin wall smote down most attempts to run between the tackles, and though end sweeps worked best for the local team, only a few were tried. The passers were so rushed that they had little time to throw the ball. Ten times they tried for overhead gains but only Zorger’s touchdown did they connect.
Latin on the other hand, completed six of 10 for 95 yards and had none intercepted while two of Massillon’s throws were gathered in by visiting players.
After Latin’s first period touchdown which took the Lions’ 10 minutes to get, the local team dropped back to a 5-3-3 defense in an effort to cover the receivers. It has been a long time since the Tigers have faced a thrower accurate enough to force a Massillon team into a five-man line, but Petersen did it after his touchdown toss to Hasselo. A five-man line naturally opens the way to the opponents’ running attack, but Latin found it difficult to gain yards even on a five-man Massillon line.
Petersen’s accurate pegs not only produced the first touchdown but paced the 76-yard drive that led to it. Lions Open Drive The first period was more than half over and the Lions had already shown one offensive burst when Byelene got off a nice punt that went to the Latin 24-yard line. Jerry Beckrest’s running advanced the pigskin to a first down by inches on his 34 and a 21-yard toss. Petersen to Beckrest, put the leather on the Massillon 45. Just when it appeared the Latin attack would bog down, Petersen up and rifled the ball 27 yards to Beckrest for a first down on the Tiger 10-yard line. Once again the local team looked as though it surely would be equal to the occasion. Three tries ended with Latin a yard back from where it had started. Then Petersen called for another pass. The Tigers were in an eight-man line and when using this defense, the ends are expected to hem in the ends of the opposing team. Al Hasselo, however, was only brushed and he got into the clear to snare the ball from Petersen and score on fourth down. George Raggetts kicked the extra point from placement and it was 7-0 in Latin’s favor and that’s the way the first half ended.
Massillon fans who had hoped the Tigers would come out stronger and more alert in the second half, uttered a big moan ere the fourth period was four minutes old when the Tigers, after fumbling the kickoff, had a punt blocked which Latin covered on the 19-yard line. On second down, George Werling slipped through left guard with a couple of timely blocks and went over for the Lion’s second and last touchdown, a run of 17 yards. Again Raggetts placekicked the extra point.
Latin played cautiously with a 14-point lead as the Tigers tried vainly to score in the third period. They had a first down in the making in Latin territory on the first series of plays after the kickoff when a fumble by Giloff, was recovered by Latin on the latter’s 45, and they never got into Latin territory again until the fourth period was half gone. Then it was that Jack Zeller pounced on Beckrest’s fumble on the Latin 35. On second down, Byelene pitched to Zorger for the Tigers’ only touchdown of the game. They had two chances for the extra point. Paul Cary tried to kick it the first time but the boot was blocked. However, Latin was offside on the play. Given a second chance, Cary tucked the leather under his arm and plunged it over.
The seven points stimulated Massillon spirit, but not for long. The Tigers kicked off to Latin and forced the Lions to punt on their second series of plays. Houghton sent in his sophomore flash, Al Brown, hoping he might get away with a good punt return. He was downed on his 37, and on the next play Massillon’s last chance to tie the score was snuffed out when O’Day intercepted Zorger’s pass. The game ended a minute later with Latin on the Massillon 17-yard line.
The Tigers displayed little in the way of offense. In fact they had little opportunity to open up for they were backed up deep in their own territory most of game.
They got few breaks, and while they scored a touchdown after one of them, they passed up a golden opportunity in the second period after Jim Young had recovered a Latin punt blocked by Jim Bishop on the Cleveland 20-yard line. The Tigers fumbled on the very next play and Latin recovered to take possession of the ball.
As a result of the defeat, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see a few shakeups in the Tiger lineup this coming week. “It took this one to tell us for sure just where we are weak,” Houghton said after the game. “Maybe we can correct some of the faults. At least we now know who will play the best competitive ball for us.”
The Massillon eleven will meet its second opponent in Fawcett stadium, Canton, next Friday evening when it tackles Canton Lincoln high school.
As has been its custom the past several years, the Tiger Booster club entertained local and out-of-town newspaper and radio men at a press party at the Massillon club before the game.
Those present were addressed briefly by Coach “Bud” Houghton and Band Director Ford and several took part in a 15-minute radio broadcast over station WHBC of Canton.
Wives of members of the working press sat with their hubbies in the press box during the game while the other guests at the party were assigned to a special section near the box.
Among those present were newspapermen from Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Niles, Wooster, Alliance, Dover and St. Clairsville.
Last night was just the beginning of what still looks like one of the big seasons of Massillon football. There are still nine shows left and it is a safe bet that a lot of enjoyment will be provided for Massillon fans by both the Tiger team and band before the 1946 campaign passes into history.
Just wait until next Friday night and see.
A Poor Start
Massillon Pos. Cathedral L. Zeller LE Saunders Young LT Campanella Uliveto LG Kiousis Darrah C Bohn Brooks RG J. Raggetts Krisher RT Beletic Schludecker RE Hasselo Byelene QB Petersen Giloff LH Werling Zorger RH Beckrest Yost FB Csizma
Score by periods Latin 7 0 7 0 14 Massillon 0 0 0 7 7
Powerful Cathedral Latin Lions Trounce Tigers 6-0 TOUCHDOWN COMES IN FOURTH PERIOD Massillon Winning Streak Snapped By Speedy Hard Driving Cleveland Team; Third Orange And Black Loss In 92 Games
By FRED J. BECKER When the other fellow packs more of a wallop than you do, you generally wind up on the losing end and that’s what happened out at Tiger stadium Friday night when the husky, hard driving Lions of Cleveland Cathedral Latin high school invaded Massillon and planted a convincing 6-0 kayo on the Washington high school Tigers. A near capacity audience of about 17,000 spectators sat in on the kill.
Program Cover
Cathedral Latin’s one touchdown margin of victory, however, does not begin to tell the story of how thoroughly the boys from Ohio’s metropolis on Lake Erie mauled the daylights out of the Tiger. The cold statistics of what actually happened out there on the gridiron last night reveal just how thorough a job the Lions did in tearing into bits the hitherto formidable Massillon Tiger. Huge Crowd Sees Tiger Downfall Of course the more than 16,000 fans who were jammed into the stands saw what happened with their own eyes. They need no statistics to tell them the story. They witnessed the overthrow of the famed orange and black football juggernaut and they came away from the scene of carnage convinced that Cathedral Latin’s team Friday night was just about the greatest to ever appear against any Washington high school aggregation at Tiger stadium.
The Lions scored the touchdown that brought them the most cherished victory in the school’s history in the fourth quarter after an uninterrupted march of 34 yards in which they tore and slashed their way through the Massillon defense almost with the ease a hot knife slips through butter. They threatened 3 times prior to that victory march and twice breaks of the game – fumbles recovered by the Tigers – halted them and on the third occasion an intercepted pass kept them away from pay dirt. Fumble Hurts Tigers A fumble also robbed Massillon of its best scoring chance, the Tigers taking the leather to Latin’s 16-yard line in the second quarter only to lose the ball and see its best scoring opportunity blown away on the breeze when Vic Turkall fumbled and Bill Eline, Cleveland center pounced on the ball.
The victory Cathedral Latin scored over Washington high last night was not an upset. It was too convincing for that. The Lions won because they were by far the better ball club. They won because they had the stuff that brings victories. They overpowered the Tigers both offensively and defensively throughout most of the game. They had what it takes to win. The Tigers last night did not.
There was nothing flakey about Latin’s triumph. It could have been a victory by a margin of 3 or 4 touchdowns. Why it wasn’t is a glowing testimonial to the gameness and intestinal fortitude of a bunch of kids who, although almost hopelessly outclassed, never for a minute gave up and battled with everything they had to the last second.
It was a case of experience against inexperience and Latin had the experience – a veteran ball club that knew what it was all about and had the strength and power to make the most of its superior experience and ability.
Cathedral Latin had been waiting a long time – 6 years – for the opportunity which came its way last night and when the opportunity presented itself the Lions made the most of it. They won the Cleveland scholastic championship last season by knocking off Cleveland Lincoln 18-12 after Lincoln had won 29 straight games.
They looked the part of champions last night as they knocked off the Tigers and brought to an abrupt end a Massillon winning streak that had mounted to 11 straight – 10 in 1943 and a 60-7 triumph over Akron West a week ago to open the 1944 campaign.
In 4 contests prior to Friday night’s shindig the Cathedral Latin Lions had been duck soup for the Tigers, being on the short end of lopsided scores in 1939, 1940, 1941 and 1942. The teams did not meet on the gridiron last season. Lions Have Poise And Power But last night the Lions had what it takes, a great team with poise and power, and as a reward gained a great victory. Their victory was richly deserved and if they continue to play the remainder of the campaign as they did here the Lions are going to finish up next November as one of Ohio’s outstanding schoolboy aggregations.
The defeat the invading Clevelanders plastered on the Tigers Friday night was the third a Massillon team has soaked up in 92 contests, dating back as far as 1935. Other teams to turn back the orange and black were New Castle, Pa., 7-0 in 1937 and Canton McKinley 35-0 in 1942. During all those years only one other team came close to up-setting the Bengals. That was Mansfield high which gained ties with the Tigers in 1937 and 1941, both battles ending in 6-6 scores.
This leaves the Tigers a record of 87 victories, 3 losses and 2 ties over more than a 9-year stretch. There’s hardly another school anywhere that can point to that kind of an achievement but last night’s defeat, however, puts quite a dent into the 1944 championship aspirations of the Tigers and only the future will tell how good a team the Tigers are this year.
Coming contests will prove if Coach Kammer’s boys, after tasting defeat, can bounce back and, profiting by experience, become a better ball club. There’s still plenty of time between now and November for the orange and black to wipe out the stain of that reverse last night and to again establish themselves as a power in Ohio scholastic circles.
To the victor belongs the spoils and to Cathedral Latin goes all the plaudits and superlatives for the great game it played. No one can say anything that would take away from the Clevelanders any of the honor due them for the almost flawless performance they put on tap last night as they crushed the Tigers and swept on to a rich reward and well deserved victory. To attempt it would be unsportsmanlike, to say the least.
But in justice to the Massillon lads it must be said that the Tiger team which went out to do battle with Cathedral Latin last night was not the team which romped so merrily over Akron West a week ago. The orange and black had none of the fire and dash which characterized its performance in the opening game. Lacking was the precision and team play, both on offense and defense, which made Akron West look so poor and the Tigers so great. Tigers Sluggish All during this week Coach Kammer and his assistants tried to snap the Tigers out of an apparent sluggishness which made its appearance last Monday. They didn’t succeed and it’s hard to tell how Friday night’s game might have ended had the Tigers been the same team they were a week ago.
In their first game the Tigers turned loose a dazzling offense that had Akron West running around in circles. They displayed a defense that smothered every Akron attempt to gain ground. Last night, with the exception of a few brief instances, the Tigers offense looked woefully weak and their defense must have been locked up in the club house, so dismally did it fail in its efforts to halt the beautifully executed Cathedral Latin offense, powered by a smooth working backfield that plunged through and ran around the Tigers behind a line that performed in truly brilliant fashion.
True the masterful performance staged by the Clevelanders was bound to make the Tigers look bad but we still believe the Tigers are a better ball club than they looked last night.
Coach Kammer told his team and local fans all week that Cathedral Latin had a big, powerful ball club and the Lions proved it last night. Speed was expected to play a prominent role in the outcome of the game and it did – Latin in addition to having the power and experience, also had the speed and how they used it as they ran the orange and black right into the ground.
Depending almost entirely on a ground offense, Latin operating from a “T” during most of the game and then in the later stages shifting to a single wing, put on tap an offense that was beautiful to watch. Seldom did the Tigers stop it. The powerful Latin line manhandled the Tiger forward wall and tore great, gaping holes in it time after time. Only some great work by the Massillon secondary checked the Latin ball toters and kept them away from scoring territory until that fatal fourth quarter when the inspired Lions no longer could be denied their share of glory.
Offensively, the Tigers were stopped cold. Their running attack which looked so sharp a week ago, was just not there last night. As a matter of fact the fast changing Cleveland forwards roared through the Tiger line like a cyclone and clipped the Massillon offense before it could get under way. Only in the aerial game did the Tigers display any superiority over the visitors, completing 3 of 7 attempts for 64 yards while Latin failed to connect in 7 tries and had one pass intercepted. Tigers Badly Outplayed The statistics show just how wide a margin the invaders held on the Tigers. The Lions made 18 first downs to 5 for Massillon. The Clevelanders roamed over the gridiron almost at will every time they gained the ball. In yards gained the Lions had a net yardage of 282 as compared to 130 for the Tigers. The visitors fumbled 6 times and recovered the ball twice. Massillon fumbled 4 times and failed to recover on any of the miscues. Those figures tell the story – they show without any doubt why the Tigers finished on the short end of the score.
Outstanding in the Cleveland backfield were 2 boys – Cliff Oliver, the lad who scored Latin’s winning touchdown – and Leo Hyland, a pair of big, rangy lads who had speed and power to burn. They made life miserable for Coach Kammer’s boys all night and it generally took a flock of orange and black tacklers to bring them to earth and for the most part they were brought to earth only after clipping off good sized gains. Seldom were they stopped without picking up yardage. Bill Feldkircher was another Cleveland back whose performance was not far behind that shown by Oliver and Hyland.
The entire Cathedral Latin forward wall played a superb game, outclassing the Massillon line throughout most of the contest. Performing in yeoman like fashion for the Lions were such stalwarts as Capt. Bill McKeen and Frank Gaul at the tackles, and Bill Eline at center.
Its offense stopped dead in its tracks Massillon showed little in the way of individual offensive ability but shining like a beacon light in a defensive role was little Bert Webb, Negro halfback, who in his position in the Massillon secondary, tackled like a demon and more than once brought to earth Cleveland ball toters who had flashed through the Massillon line and seemed headed for extensive gains until stopped by the midget Tiger halfback. Co-Captain Bill Gable, also stood out prominently in a defensive role. It took a lot of hard, sharp tackling to stop the pile driving Cleveland backs and the Tigers did not have that kind of tackling last night.
Massillon received and right from the start the surging Lions began to smother the Tiger’s offensive attempts in a very emphatic manner. Early in the game the locals were backed up to their 11-yard line on a Latin quick kick but Turkall kicked the Massillonians out of danger with the game’s most beautiful kick – a punt that traveled well over 50 yards and put the ball on Latin’s 27.
After another exchange of punts the Cathedral Latin offense began to roll and one began to get a glimpse of what was in store for the Tigers.
Turkall punted to Feldkircher who signaled for a fair catch near midfield. Gable, apparently not seeing the signal, crashed into the Clevelander and the Tigers drew a 15-yard penalty putting the ball on their 29. Oliver made 6 on a slash through the line but what looked like a Cleveland touchdown drive was halted when Hyland fumbled on the next play and Webb covered for Massillon on his 21-yard line. Hyland was hit hard by Jim Gibson and the ball slipped from his grasp.
But not in the least daunted by this break, the Lions smothered Massillon’s attempts to gain and again Turkall punted, this time to the Latin 34. Once again the Cleveland machine began to clip off yardage in a steady march toward the Tiger goal. The Lions reeled off a 3 first downs and were on Massillon’s 27 yard line when once again they fumbled, this time Feldkircher dropping the leather and Wilmer Luke and Don Sedjo covering for Massillon on the Tiger 19.
Now came the Tigers only real bid for a touchdown during the entire game. Turkall and Keller found the Latin line like a stonewall and picked up a yard in 2 tried but Sedjo battered his way through on the third attempt for 8 and then plunged again to give the Tigers a first down, their first of the game, on Massillon’s 30. Keller picked up 2 around left end and then Webb tossed a pass to Luke which netted 17 yards and took the ball to Massillon’s 49.
Sedjo hit for 2 and then took a lateral from Webb and picked up 5 more. Once again the Webb-Luke aerial team went into action and Luke made a beautiful catch of Webb’s pass, almost getting into the clear. The Tiger end stumbled as he turned after taking the ball and before he could get on an even keel again he was mowed down by Latin tacklers. The play, however, netted 23 yards and took the ball to Cleveland’s 19. Turkall tried a pass to Luke, which failed and then Massillon’s best and only bid for a touchdown went glimmering when Turkall fumbled on the next play and Eline pounced on the ball for Latin on his 16 yard line.
Again the Cleveland machine went into high gear and the Latin backs drove their way down the field to the Massillon 21 before the Tigers succeeded in slowing the advance. Then Joe Petkovic, unlimbered his passing arm and tossed a long one toward the Tiger goal but the ball never reached its intended receiver. Turkall intercepted the pass deep in Massillon territory. He stepped out of bounds on the 5 yard line and here the Tigers put the ball in play, once again halting a threatened Latin touchdown march.
But Latin was not getting all the bad breaks. After making 9 yards in 2 plays Turkall broke through on a plunge off right tackle and streaked down the field to his 36 where he again fumbled when hit hard and Eline again covered for Latin. The half ended, however, before Latin could get its offensive machine into motion again.
But the Clevelanders had just too much power to be kept away from pay dirt all night.
Near the end of the third quarter Turkall punted to Hyland who was tackled on Massillon’s 34 by Webb. Here the Latin machine really began to travel in high gear. Feldkircher smashed off right tackle for 8 before being stopped by Gable. Oliver cracked the line and made it a Latin first down on the Tiger 22. Feldkircher was nailed for a 2 yard loss by Glenn Keller but Oliver picked up that loss and more on a sweep around left end to the 14. He then hit the line for a first down to the Tiger 10. Feldkircher picked up 4 on a dash at right end as time expired. Oliver Goes Over Play began in the fourth period with the ball on Massillon’s 6. On the first play in the quarter Oliver again crashed through the line to the 3 yard line and on the next play hammered his way through the Tiger forwards and across the goal line for the points that were to decide the battle. Hyland tried to plunge the ball over but failed. The Lions marched 34 yards in 8 plays.
The Tigers made a desperate last-ditch fight of it but Latin, now out in front, put a damper on every Massillon effort and kept play, for the most part, in Tiger territory. The Tigers had one chance to go places but again a fumble robbed them of their opportunity. This break came when Luke fumbled on Latin’s 46 after taking a pass from Webb. And once again Bill Eline came up with the ball for Latin.
The Clevelanders had driven deep into Massillon territory and were just 6 yards from the Tiger goal in the closing seconds. But they lost their chance to score again when a bad pass from center got away from Feldkircher and rolled back to the 17 before he recovered it. Just one more play followed before the game ended.
Statistics Mass. Latin Total first downs 5 18 Yards gained by rushing 76 305 Yards lost by rushing 10 23 Net yards gained by rushing 66 282 Forward passes attempted 7 7 Forward passes completed 3 0 Yards gained by passing 64 0 Total net yardage, Rushing and passing 130 282 Passes had intercepted 0 1 Number of punts 5 4 Average distance of yards 38 34 Number of kickoffs 1 2 Average distance of kickoffs 25 37 Number of fumbles 4 6 Times ball lost on fumbles 4 4 Number of penalties against 3 3 Yards lost by penalties 25 25
Hard Blocking And Tackling Testifies To Training; Players Escape Serious Injury; Weirton Coming Next Week
By Luther Emery
Set it in big type – tell the boys in camp – the Tigers are going to be tough again this year – that you can count on them and George Bird’s band to do their part in keeping up the morale at home.
Program Cover
Both organizations demonstrated it Friday evening before 13,532 fans in Tiger Stadium – the Tigers, by defeating Cathedral Latin 38-0, and the band, by giving a superior exhibition complimentary to any professional organization. There is none other like it.
Score On Ground
Cutting down Latin tacklers with vicious blocks, the Massillon gridders laid a well planned ground attack to snare the Cleveland Lions and scored all six touchdowns by carrying the ball across the Latin goal.
It was the blocking of the Massillon team that signaled it as a possible future powerhouse. Linemen stood up the Latin defense while the backs romped through the holes. Out in the open, they were supported by blocks that sent the visitors tumbling backward, out of the path of the ball carrier.
Three complete teams were tossed at the visiting eleven by Coach Elwood Kammer, and only for the fact that second and third teams played the entire fourth quarter, the score would have been larger.
Latin Outcharged
Latin battled hard all the way, but was outcharged and overpowered by the local team, which earned every touchdown it made. Most sensational of all was the last of the game, when Tyre Gibson, substitute right halfback, running from the position that Pokey Blunt made famous last year, maneuvered around like a jeep until he beat the last Latin tackler to the goal.
The others were obtained the hard way. They smashed 70 yards with Bob Graber knifing through right tackle for the last four to get the opening score. The second came on a 36-yard drive that ended with Chuck Holt banging his way over from the two-yard distance. A 92-yard march got the third, with Holt picking up the last seven yards.
The fourth was produced by the Wallace brothers, Bob blocking a Latin punt and Barney scooping it up and dashing 18 yards to the promised land. The fifth followed an 80-yard drive with Keve Bray the contributing factor and he carried it the last 25 when he roamed through a big hole Don Willmot and Dave Edwards had opened for him at left tackle.
The Tigers clicked as well as they have in any opening night performance. Maybe it was because Latin wasn’t too strong – that at least had Coach Kammer wondering. “I’m not too sure,” he said. “We looked pretty good, but Latin didn’t look so good to me in spots either. Maybe that is why we looked good. Anyway, don’t judge Weirton, our next week’s opponent, by Latin. You are going to see a toughie when these West Virginians come to town and I want my boys to realize it.””
There were no serious injuries John Mazurowski, Latin center, suffered the only blackout, but even he recuperated in time to get back into the game the second half.
Kammer surveyed his players after the game and did not find any unusual bumps or bruises. These frequently do not show up for one or two days and the Tiger coach will know more Sunday just how well his team survived its opening duel.
Fortunately, those players who entered the game with old injuries, appeared to have come out of it in good condition. In fact, from the way they played no one could have guessed how much they have been babied in practice this season.
Gamble Works
The big gamble of the Massillon coaches worked to success. To scrimmage or not to scrimmage was the question that confronted them at the start of the practice season. They chose the latter – a radical departure from the procedure of former years when a player who emerged from the first practice session without a black eye or skinned nose was considered some sort of a sissy.
The Tigers practiced hard in their pre-game preparations for Latin – got in a lot of leg and machine work, and held light scrimmages – but nothing of the actual combat variety.
They got their first taste of action last night and liked it. It was the go signal for Coach Kammer, and if they block like that without body contact in practice, what will they do with more experience?
The tackling was good enough too. Few were missed – otherwise Latin would not show more yards lost than gained by rushing.
The visitors had a couple of backs in Raymond Rakar and Joseph Petkovic who might have done some good if the Lions line had been able to shake them loose, but they had to fight their way lone handed for the few yards they did manage to move beyond the scrimmage line. Between them they shared most of Latin’’ burden.
Gained with Passes
What ground Latin gained was covered in an aerial blitz the last period, that failed to produce anything more than 36 yards and a couple of first downs. The Lions tossed 11 of them, completed three and had two intercepted.
The Tigers aerial attack sputtered badly, but Bob Graber and Henry Mastriann managed to get four to receivers for 54 yards. Ten were grounded and three intercepted.
It was on the ground that the local team was best, despite the fact that Latin was using a tight defense, with a seven-man line and three backer uppers who sometimes worked only a yard behind the tackles and center.
This opened the way for passing but the throwers had difficulty getting the ball to the receivers and the latter sometimes had a hard time shaking themselves loose to get out in the secondary at all.
Tiger ball carriers lugged the leather 417 yards against the Lions, which is a good sized total in any man’s game. Their efforts at running and passing produced 16 first downs to Latin’s six, and their only punt was called back when Latin was offside.
Speaking of punting, Dick Brown, of the visiting team, showed how a football should be kicked. He laid his foot against the leather several times with tremendous force that sent the ball spinning for long distances. His best punt was 61 yards.
Quick Kicks Blocked
The visitors had a quick kick play that would have worked had its line not been badly outcharged. As it was, two of these were blocked, and one recovered by the Tigers.
It is too early to pick a star and not always the best policy. There actually wasn’t a one last night. Bray looked far better at right half than he did in the spring exhibition game, and appeared to get up more steam the longer he played. Where he hesitated the first couple of periods, he ran over them the third.
Pinch hitting for Bob Williams, regular center, who watched from the sidelines because of illness last week, Barney Wallace not only scored a touchdown, but knifed in several times to spill Latin ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage.
The peppy performance of the second stringers and the rapidity with which they shoved over a touchdown, was plenty pleasing to the Massillon fans, who are accustomed to seeing spirited performances by their teams.
The varsity maintained an old Massillon tradition the first time it laid hands on the ball by marching to a touchdown. After stopping Latin on the kickoff and getting the ball in midfield as a result of high punt, the Tigers went to work for the fans. It was what all had been waiting for. Bray and Graber lugged the leather 12 yards in two attempts and it was Capt. Holt the rest of the way. He powered his way for 16 yards in one effort to the four-yard line and Graber took it over.
Holt had two chances to kick it over, but missed both. The score mounted to 12-0 a couple of minutes later when Graber pulled in one of Rakar’s passes and ran back to the Latin 36 before Petkovic got him down. Cardinal gained nine by grabbing a pass in the flat and Holt banged through to the 17. Holt took it the rest of the way, a five-yard penalty helping and a pickup of Bray’s fumble moving the ball to the four-yard line, where the captain took it over.
The first quarter ended with the score 12-0 and it wasn’t long until the locals got in motion again. Frustrated once on the 12 by penalties, the Tigers roared back with a successful 92-yard march the next time. It was hard going most of the way, with a 17-yard dash by Graber, the feature number. Holt plunged over and kicked the 19th point. Tiger seconds played the remainder of the second period.
There was a lot of scoring the third period. Barney Wallace starting it when he scooped up a loose ball after brother Bob had blocked Brown’s punt, and ran 18 yards to score. Holt got the ball between the uprights on another placekick and it was 26-0.
The very next time the Tigers got the ball they maneuvered for a touchdown. The drive began on the Massillon 32, and a pass from Graber to Willmot, good for 17 yards helped to advance the pigskin. Bray applied the finishing spark when he raced 25 yards through the left side of his line, to score.
The last touchdown was Gibson’s scintillating run of 90 yards. Dallas Power convoyed him through the Latin line and T.Y. with the aid of some timely blocking did the rest.
A Real Start
Massillon Pos. Latin Willmot le Brown Edwards lt Rigof R. Wallace lg Weimals B. Wallace c Mazurowski Weisgarber rg Marolt Paulik rt Boerem Jasinski re Patrizi Cardinal qb Zoller Graber lh Rakar Bray rh Cousineau Holt fb Petkovic
Massillon Machine Put Into High Gear As It Splashes To 36th Straight Victory on Wet Gridiron
By Luther Emery
Blocking with the precision reminiscent of the best days of yore, the Washington high Tigers Friday evening removed Cathedral Latin from their path to the tune of 39-0 as they chalked up their 36th consecutive victory on a wet field before 11,221 fans.
The attendance was the smallest of the season, but was surprisingly good considering the rain and was indicative of how the stands would have bulged had good weather prevailed.
Tigers Show Power
It was a vicious, point thirsty Tiger that Coach Bud Houghton and his assistants trotted out on the soggy gridiron last night, and fans stood up and applauded loudly as the Massillon youngsters, blocked and tackled, handled the ball with better timing and clicked as they never before did this season.
This Massillon eleven is coming right along, fans said to themselves as they waded through the moisture on their way home from the game, and they were correct.
The Massillon eleven is improving, getting better in leaps and bounds, and that is a testimony not only to the coaches but to the players as well who are putting into practice on the gridiron what they learn during the week on the training field.
New Tiger Team
From the time the Tigers grabbed the kickoff and marched 49 yards to the Latin nine-yard line, it was evident that a new machine had been tuned up for the orange and black. Even though the first drive failed, and sputtered when a fumble three plays later gave Latin its only scoring opportunity on the Massillon 20-yard line, it was obvious that the Tigers were the better team.
They had the power, the force to roll back a seven and eight-man line tossed at them by Latin and their drive through the center of the visitors’ forward wall led by young Chuck Holt, looked like the plunges that Glenn Williams produced 10 years ago.
Holt apparently is the answer to Houghton’s offensive problem, for he is just the type of crusher that is needed at fullback, and Fred Blunt who prefers cutting his capers from the right halfback spot, did a good job of it there last night.
Holt stood out, because it was his first performance as a starter. There wasn’t a standout in reality for the other members of the backfield, Bob Graber and Fred Cardinal, and the linemen were in the game up to their neck, offensively as well as defensively, and the holes they ripped in the Lion’s den made it far easier for the ball carriers to gain ground than on previous nights when the blocking was a bit spotty.
The Tigers threw everything but the goal posts at their opponents on the sweeps and tacklers were felled as red woods are cut down out where the west ends.
The Massillon eleven was superior in every department of play last night and not only shoved six touchdowns over the Lion goal, three of them in the last quarter, but rolled up 16 first downs to Latin’s two and gained 402 yards rushing to Latin’s 34. Latin’s two first downs were made on completed forward passes, the only department in which the visitors held the edge in yards gained. They made 33 yards to the Tigers 18 but they only completed three of 12 passes to two of seven for Massillon.
Latin Gambles
From the start it was evident the Latin boys were out to gamble, and gamble they did when they threw the wet ball from behind their goal the first time they got their hands on the slippery leather. They had hoped to catch Massillon off guard and score a cheap touchdown, but it didn’t work.
The Lions time and again pitched from deep in their own territory and did their very best to make a game of it to the very end despite discouraging pass interceptions and blocked punts.
The game produced more than one thrill as Joe De Mando blocked one punt, Bob Kanney another, and Blunt, Graber, and Junior White got away to long touchdown jaunts. Then there were the fumbles that stopped both teams at intervals, a dribble by Graber that bobbed right back up into his arms, a loss by Dick Adams after a brilliant run that had him heading for the open field when the ball slipped out of his arms like a greased pig.
There might have been other touchdowns ,too, with a few ifs. Twice denied touchdowns in the last 30 seconds by the rules, the Tigers had the ball on the one-yard line with first down coming up when the game ended.
Only the Tiger passing game fell short last night but it was not a fair test, considering the wet field and slippery ball. If the passing improves next week at the same rate as the running attack, the orange and black will be in good position to play host to Alliance’s Aviators here next Friday in what undoubtedly will be their stiffest test of the season to date. Alliance defeated Akron St. Vincent’s last night 25-0.
Herb Eisle, the Latin coach, was very complimentary after the game and hurried to the Tiger dressing room just as soon as he had given his boys the once over and found none seriously hurt.
“You have another fine team here in Massillon,” he said. “We always learn a lot when we come here. Our boys do too. We go home, and we are pretty tough to lick thereafter.”
Ends 10 -Game Streak
Eisle isn’t certain how this year’s Latin team compares with that of last year’s eleven which took a 64-0 beating here. The 1940 team only lost one other ball game, and the Lions came here last night with a victory string that was severed at 10 games.
Two movie cameramen, reportedly from Warren, came to Massillon last night hoping to learn a lot too, but their identity was discovered after they had posed as being from Cathedral Latin, and their films were confiscated.
The Tigers had something for them all to look at last night – even though it was little more than straight football. The fancy stuff can come later and will now that the eleven has gained the confidence essential to a green team.
The local eleven looked like the orange crushers of state championship years as they pushed the Lions around the first period, and even though they failed to score, they were causing trouble all the time.
Their first successful drive began when Graber pulled down Dick Brown’s pass on his 41 and got back to the Lion 36. Two plays gained but three yards as the lion’s stiffened with eight men on the forward wall, so Graber appropriately tossed to Cardinal for a first on the 19. Holt and Blunt took two smacks at the line and moved the ball to the five-yard stripe. Graber knifed his way a yard short of the goal and Holt took it over. Holt tried to hurry his point after touchdown and kicked the ball low and to the side.
When a fumble stopped the next march on the 24-yard line, Joe De Mando went to work and blocked one of Frank Tercek’s punts to give the Tigers another chance from the 23. The half was nearly over. In fact the series began with only a minute and seconds remaining, but Adams managed to flip the ball to Holt on fourth down for a touchdown and he kicked the extra point that made it 13-0. The half ended on the kickoff, and there followed a blackout caused by a blown fuse that left both teams in the dark for 25 minutes before play could be resumed.
March Back With Kick
The third quarter saw Latin a beaten team. The visitors chose to kickoff and the Tigers launched a march from the 35 that ended with Blunt circling end for eight yards and a touchdown. Pokey had set up the touchdown with runs of 12 and 14 yards. Adams’ attempted kick was wide and left the score at 19-0.
There was no further scoring in the period despite a 48-yard run by Holt from a pass interception and a 30-yard sprint by Blunt, but the fourth quarter was a dizzy one and had its reward in points.
Kanney got through to block Julius Suky’s punt, and De Mando scooped up the ball on the 15-yard line and raced over for the touchdown. Holt’s toe made it 26-0.
Another touchdown followed in a flash. Stopped in efforts to gain ground, Tercek kicked out on the 31-yard line and Graber in two plays, was over. Holt missed his try for point.
With an entirely new Tiger team in the game the ball came into Massillon’s possession on the Latin 37-yard line. T.Y. Gibson moved the ball up three yards and Junior White reeled off the remainder in a dash around left end. Just to add insult to injury, Adams circled the other flank for the extra point.
Same Old Tiger
Massillon Latin Armour LE Tercek Paulik LT Mahon Miller LG Rigot Fuchs C Mazurowski Hill RG Daley Weisgarber RT Phillips De Mando RE Paltoni Cardinal QB Dillon Graber LH Brown Blunt RH Cusineau Holt FB Sukys
THE DELICATE wheels that make up the Massillon high scheme of football attack moved with precision of watchworks last night and the Tigers scored their 36th straight victory with an impressive 39-0 triumph over Cleveland Cathedral Latin at Massillon stadium.
A crowd of 11,220 rain-socked spectators watched the gallant Cleveland eleven, with a string of 12 consecutive wins, hold the powerful Massillon team in check for the first 12 minutes of play.
Then the Tigers roared into action in the second period and their well-timed blocking and deception produced glittering long runs and six touchdowns in the final 36 minutes.
For the first quarter the Clevelanders, clearly outmanned, put up a grim battle, holding the count even and threatening within 20 yards of the Massillon goal.
Three minutes after the second period opened Massillon pulled the throttle and from there on it was just a breeze.
Chuck “Zeke” Holt made the first touchdown over his right tackle from the three-yard mark.
A blocked kick late in the second quarter set the stage for another Tiger opportunity. Massillon, working against the clock, took to the air.
There were two minutes to play when Don Armour jumped on Bob Dillon’s fumble on the Latin 22. Two tosses from Dick Adams failed to hit the target, but finally one by the same boy to Holt paid for 22 yards and a touchdown just before the half ended.
Hardly had the echo of the opening whistle of the second half faded away when Fred “Pokey” Blunt, on a reverse that started on the 12-yard line, took the ball back to the other side and behind a wall of interferers, reversed his field and carried on to a touchdown.
The fourth Massillon tally was a gift. Julius Sukys, Latin fullback, trying to get away a quick kick, found the Tiger line smothering him. The ball popped into Joe Demando’s hands and from the 12-yard line he scored over the final white stripe.
Bob Graber produced the big thrill of the game when he dashed 23 yards through the entire Latin team for the fifth score.
The enthusiasm of the Massillon substitutes was evident when Coach Bud Houghton sent them into action late in the final quarter. A 60-yard procession with Junior White racing around left end for 27 yards and a touchdown gave Massillon its final points.
Massillon Pos. Cathedral Latin Armour le Tercek Paulik lt Mahon Miller lg Rigot Fuchs c Muzurowski Hill rg Dailey Weisgarber rt Phillips Demando re Paltoni Cardinal qb Dillon Graber lh Brown Blunt rh Cousinean Holt f Sukys
Scoring by periods Massillon 0 13 6 20 – 39 Latin 0 0 0 0 – 0
History 
