1923: Massillon 41, Cleveland West Tech 6

GRIDDERS SWAMP WEST TECH
UPSTATERS FALL BEFORE ORANGE AND BLACK, 41-6

Cleveland may be the metropolis of Ohio and the fifth largest city in the United Stats but it has nothing on Massillon when it comes to the development of scholastic football teams. In fact Moses Cleveland is forced to take off his hat to Father Massillon and acknowledge Father Massillon’s thriving city has quite a bit on his bustling, prosperous metropolis so far as the class of high school football played in the two cities is concerned.

Old Moses only admits it grudgingly but whether he admits it or not some orange and black warriors of Washington high school showed to the world at large last Saturday that they have something on the best of the Cleveland scholastic teams when they trounced West Tech, one of the most formidable high school aggregations in the up state city, 41 to 6 in most spectacular and exciting contests staged on the Pearl street gridiron this fall.

West Tech got a place on Massillon’s schedule only because Fostoria wanted out of its contest with the orange and black. When the Clevelanders found that Massillon had an open date for last Saturday there were quick to snap up a bid to play here thinking that a trip downstate of 60 miles to Massillon for a football game would only be a lark and a chance to add another victory to their slate.

But the Carpenters went home last Saturday night a sadder but wiser group of football players. They had met more than their match and jumped into something they had not bargained for and the trouncing they took proved without doubt that Coach Stewart’s lads could hold their own with Glenville, East Tech or any other Cleveland schools which have been touted as having such wonder elevens. The spotlight doesn’t always shine on Cleveland. Massillon gets its share of its rays once in a while.

Truck Meyers And His Gang
Not Good Enough To Stop
Coach Stewart’s Brawny Athletes

First Quarter
West Tech received, defending the east goal. Pflug kicked off to Tech’s 15-yard line, Jones returning the kick off to his 25-yard line before being downed by Borza on a pretty tackle. Fletcher nailed Kraushaar for a loss of tow when he tried to gain around his end. On the next play Tech fumbled and Fletcher covered on Cleveland’s 21-yard line. Schrader went through the left side of the line for five. He same back and made six on the next play for a first down. With the ball on the 10-yard line V. Define made four at right tackle and Borza went to the three-yard line on the second play.

Borza went through on the next plunge and appeared to have the ball across but officials ruled it down one foot from the line. Schrader then plunged into the line and went over for the first touchdown. Pflug kicked goal.
Score: Massillon 7, West Tech 0.

Pflug kicked off to Tech, the ball going over the goal line and the visitors put it in play on their 20-yard line. Potts tackled Wanderlich after a gain of eight around Massillon’s right end. Sanders failed to gain and Tech received a 15-yard penalty for rough play. Mansfield punted to midfield. Borza tried to catch the ball but it slipped out of his hands and Tech covered. Schrader tackled Wanderlich without gain. Sanders’ forward to Owens failed and on a double pass, Meyers to Jones, Jones made six. Mansfield then punted to Grant who brought the ball back to midfield before being downed by Meyers. V. Define went around left end for four. V. Define’s pass to Potts was grounded. Borza made one at the line and Pflug’s hurried punt after a bad pass was blocked by Smith, Jones getting the ball and being downed by Fletcher. Edwards tackled Sanders after gain of three around right end. Wanderlich made three at center. Collins failed to gain and Mansfield punted to Borza who was downed on the 30-yard line by Smith. Define returned the kick but Collins fumbled and Pflug and Fletcher covered on Tech’s 32-yard line. V. Define passed to Grant for nine and Schrader made first down. Borza slipped around left end, shaking off several tacklers for a gain of nine. Schrader hammered the line for first down taking the ball to Tech’s eight-yard line. Grant failed to gain on double pass from Borza.

Schrader fumbled but covered. Pflug dropped back to the 17-yard line and gave Massillon three more points by booting a goal from placement.
Score: Massillon 10, West Tech 0.

Pflug kicked off to Mansfield who passed to Meyers. Fletcher tackled Meyers on the visitors’ 35-yard line. Senders passed to Owens for three. Owens being downed by Borza. Fletcher threw Meyers for a loss of two. Mansfield’s punt was blocked by Edwards and Massillon secured the ball on Tech’s 40. Borza fumbled and Tech covered. Kraushaar made three at the line before being tackled by Edwards. Wanderlich lost four as the quarter ended.
Score: Massillon 10, West Tech 0.

Second Quarter
Price intercepted Sanders’ pass to Owens and was tackled in midfield. Schrader made three at right tackle but Massillon was penalized five for offside play. Schrader made four through the line and Pflug punted to Collins who was tackled on his 30. Meyers made four at center.

Sanders passed 20 yards to Owens who ran 50 yards for a touchdown. Price, who let Owens slip by him, made a desperate effort to overhaul the Clevelander and succeeded in hitting him in the legs on the five-yard line. Owens fell but got up and dove over the line for the score. Edwards blocked Meyers attempt to add another point by a placement goal.
Score: Massillon 10, West Tech 6.

Mansfield kicked off to Massillon’s 35, Fletcher returning to the 48-yard line. Massillon was penalized 15 for holding after Schrader had made a nice gain through the line.
V. Define made one at left end and Boerner made three at right end and Pflug then punted 50 yards to Collins who was downed on his 20. Pflug’s punt was a beauty and traveled high and far in the face of a strong wind. Mansfield punted back. V. Define being tackled on his 30-yard line. Grant was forced out of bounds on the next play and injured his ankle being replaced by Reis. Boerner dropped a pass from center and lost four and Pflug punted to Collins who fumbled but Krauschaar recovered on Tech’s 35. Boerner intercepted Sanders’ pass to Owens on the 45- yard line. Price made on around right end before being tackled by Smith. V. Define went off left tackle for seven and Boerner went through the same hole for a first down. Reis made four at right tackle. Define passed to Price for four, Price being tackled by Kraushaar.

Boerner made six but Massillon received another penalty of 15 yards. Boerner failed to gain and V., Define made a long pass to Potts for a gain of 30 yards taking the ball to Tech’s 12 yard line. Potts made a pretty catch while running with his back to the ball. Reis failed to gain and Boerner made five at right tackle before being downed by Jones. V. Define knifed his way through right tackle for 10 yards and Massillon’s second touchdown. Pflug kicked goal.
Score: Massillon 17, West Tech 0.

Edwards kicked off to Holter who was tackled on his 43 yard line. Edwards spoiled a pass from Sanders. Edwards also mussed up Meyer’s pass to Owens. Mansfield, on a fake punt formation, passed to Collins for 15 yards. Massillon drew another 15 yard penalty for roughness, the ball being on Massillon’s 35 yard line. Sanders tried three passes to Owens but all were grounded with the exemption of the last which Owens dropped. Edwards tossed Sanders for a loss of 10 and Massillon gained the ball on its 36 yard line. Boerner made three in two plunges and V. Define went off right tackle for a first down. Reis made two at the line. The half ended with Massillon in possession of the ball in midfield. Score:
Score: Massillon 17, West Tech 6.

Third Quarter
Edwards kicked off to Owens who was tackled on his 30 yard line. Kraushaar made three at the line before being stopped by Edwards. Meyers was tackled by Edwards after a gain of one. Meyers lost 10 and Mansfield punted to V. Define who was tackled by Owens on the 40 yard line. Price went around left end for four. Schrader made two and then Kraushaar intercepted Define’s pass to Price on Tech’s 29 yard line. Edwards and Pflug tackled Wanderlich after a gain around right end of nine. Kraushaar made a first down. Edwards stopped Sanders after a gain of four through the line. Wanderlich failed to gain and Schrader tackled Meyers without gain. Tech was penalized five for offside play. Mansfield’s long pass to Jones was grounded and Mansfield then punted to V. Define who returned 10 to his 30 yard line. Define and Schrader could not make a first down in three plays and Pflug punted to Kraushaar who was tackled by Potts on his 26 yard line without gain. Sander passed to Owens for seven. Edwards and McCarthy tackled Kraushaar after a gain of two. Kraushaar went through center for a first down before being dropped by Edwards. Edwards spoiled a pass from Sanders and Mansfield’s attempt to forward pass was grounded. Massillon was offside and Tech gained a five yard penalty and first down. Wanderlich made six before being tackled by Edwards. Meyers made two at the line and then came back and made it first down. Wanderlich made two. Potts was hurt and time was taken out. Sanders swept around left end for first down, taking the ball to Massillon’s 12 yard line. Potts tackled Kraushaar after a gain of four around right end. Sanders made two off left tackle but then Meyers fumbled and Fletcher covered on his 28 yard line. Meyers was hurt in the mix-up. Schrader made five at the line. Reis made on as the quarter ended.
Score: Massillon 17, West Tech 6.

Fourth Quarter
Pflug punted, the ball being downed on Tech’s 20. Kraushaar went off left tackle for two and Sanders passed to Owens for a first down, Reis tackling Owens. Fletcher and Pflug threw Sanders for loss of one yard. Meyers fumbled when tackled hard by Edwards and Schrader covered on Tech’s 33 yard line. Define passed to Reis for 12 and a first down. Price went through right tackle for nine, carrying the ball to the 12 yard line. Schrader made it first down. Schrader made six more. V. Define then went over the line but the ball was called back because of a penalty of 15 yards inflicted on Fletcher. The ball was put in play on Tech’s 22 yard line. Price failed to gain on a double pass from Schrader. Price then missed a pass from Define. Pflug’s attempt to kick a goal from placement from the 29 yard line went wide and it was Tech’s ball on the 20 yard line. Price knocked down Sanders’ pass to Owens. Edwards batted down another Sanders to Owens pass. Mansfield passed to Collins for seven. V. Define tackling Collins. Mansfield punted to V. Define who made a pretty return of 15 yards to midfield. Sanders sustained a badly injured leg in this play. Edwards took Sanders out of the play as he was about to tackle Define. Sanders had to be carried off the field. Fletcher made a 30 yard pass to Price who tucked the ball under his arms and ran 15 yards for a touchdown. Pflug kicked goal.
Score: Massillon 24, Tech 6.

Navoty received Edwards’ kickoff and was tackled on his 40 yard line. Edwards intercepted a pass on Tech’s 30. Collins batted down Define’ pass to Fletcher. Define’s pass to Boerner also failed. Edwards then dropped back to the 35 yard line and kicked a pretty goal from placement for three more points.
Score: Massillon 27, West Tech 6.

Owens took the kickoff and was downed on his 20. Navoty’s attempted forward pass failed. Edwards intercepted Mansfield’s pass on Tech’s 20 yard line. J. Define made four at right tackle. He made four more through the same hole and Schrader then made it first down, taking the ball to the six yard line. Schrader made three at right tackle. On the next play he took the ball to the one yard line. Another plunge carried it to the line and on the fourth smash Schrader went over. Edwards kicked goal.
Score: Massillon 34, West Tech 6.

Mansfield took the kickoff and was downed on his 43 yard line. Massillon was penalized five for offside play. Chaydune made two at left end. Tech was penalized 15 yards, Chaydune made six at left end. Brooks tackled Kraushaar after a gain of three. Mansfield punted to V. Define who returned to midfield. Fletcher made a 40 yard pass to V. Define, the ball being downed on Tech’s 10 yard line. V. Define passed to Potts who went over for the touchdown. Less than a minute of play remained when Fletcher made his long pass to Define. Edwards kicked goal. Score: Massillon 41, West Tech 6.

Chaydune received the kickoff and was tackled by Edwards on Tech’s 20 yard line. Tech was still in possession of the ball when the game ended.
Score: Massillon 41, West Tech 6.

Still Going
Massillon – 46 Pos. West Tech – 0
Potts L.E. Jones
McCarthy L.T. Mansfield
Miller L.G. Dybo
Edwards C Holter
Pflug R.G. Leuke
Brooks R.T. Meyers
Fletcher R.E. Owens
Grant Q.B. Collins
V. Define L.H.B. Kraushaar
Borza R.H.B. Wanderlich
Schrader F.B. Sanders

Score by quarters
Massillon 10 7 0 24 41
West Tech 0 6 0 0 6

Substitutions:
Massillon – Price for Borza; Boerner for Schrader; Reis for Grant; Harris for Pflug; Pflug for Harris; Schrader for Boerner; Harris for Pflug; J. Define for Reis.

West Tech – Smith for Lemke; Bonza for Wanderlich; Vandeville for Dybo; Wanderlich for Bonza; Dybo for Vandeville; Bonza for Wanderlich; Lemke for Smith; Novoty for Sanders; Chaydune for Bonza; Spidelle for Collins; Sindelar for Jones.

Touchdowns – Schrader 2, V. Define, Price, Potts, Sanders.

Goals after touchdown – Pflug 3, Edwards 2.

Goals from placement – Pflug, Edwards.

Referee – Maurer (Wooster).
Umpire – Tompkinson (Akron U.)
Head Linesman – Bletzer (Mt. Union).

Time of quarters – 15 minutes.

Special Train To Big Warren Game, Planned

With the Cleveland West Tech battle out of the way authorities at Washington high school today were making preparations for the big game next Saturday with Warren high school at Warren. Plans were being made by W.G. Hopper, faculty manager, for a special train to carry the team, band and rooters to the Eastern Ohio city.

A special train on the Pennsylvania railroad will be chartered if 250 persons signify their intentions of going by train. The fare will be $3.23 a round trip. Faculty Manager Hopper said it was planned to secure 100 high students and 100 fans to ride the special train. The team and band will make up the other 50.

Many plan to go to the game by automobile but the trip by train probably will be cheaper and more satisfactory in case of bad weather. Persons who expect to go are asked to notify either some high school student or call the high school. Faculty Manager Hopper desires to make arrangements for the train as soon as possible.