Tag: <span>Erie PA East</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1942: Massillon 13, Erie, PA East 6

TIGERS RUN INTO A SURPRISE AT ERIE

(Special to The Evening Independent)

ERIE, Pa., NOV. 16 – A scrappy Erie East high band of Warriors gave the highly-touted championship Massillon Tigers quite a “surprise party” here Saturday afternoon. But the Ohioans managed to eke out a 13 to 6 decision on a snow-covered field before a scant gathering of 6,000 fans.

It was as close a call to defeat that the Tigers have had since they began their streak in 1937 that has seen them go through 52 games without a defeat, although a Mansfield tie mars the 1941 season.

There was a reason why they should enjoy only a seven-point advantage when hostilities were ended on Saturday.

There were seven good reasons – the East high forward wall, which consistently broke through the Massillon offense to spill ball carriers for sizable losses.

Tigers Have Edge In Statistics

However, class told and the Tigers held a decided edge in ground gaining. The Ohio backs being especially adept at skirting the ends. In the net yards rushing department the Tigers picked up a total of 156 yards as compared to 31 for East.

And speaking of statistics they pretty well tell the story.

The Tigers rang up 11 first downs against nine for the Warriors. They batted .500 in pass completion’s, connecting on four out of eight attempts for 80 yards, while Warrior passes were the rule rather than the exception as the Hydemen tossed 19, completing only five for a gain of 78 yards.

But of course, there is a story behind the story buried deep down in the statistics. There you’ll find that Massillon fumbled on six occasions – and on six occasions there was a Warrior atop the ball when the pileup was finally untangled.

And you’ll find also that East’s John Swanseger, complied a punting average of 43 yards against a 39-yard average by Massillon’s Romeo Pellegrini, and to make the story complete it should be added that one of Swanseger’s punts that rolled out of bounds on the Tiger four-yard line set the stage for the East score.

Those two items were the factors chiefly responsible for the surprising showing of the Hydemen, who were supposed to be just another team with eleven guys named “Joe” in the lineup. Then too, it was figured that East would be a good game to rest up the regulars for the coming Canton McKinley clash this weekend. East didn’t like that idea and put up a battle.

Tigers Score Early

The two touchdowns by the Massillonians came before East shook off a bad case of what appeared to be stage fright or a recent accurate facsimile.

The first one came about three minutes into the first canto—in fact it was on the sixth offensive thrust of the game.

An exchange of kicks that saw the Warriors finally wind up with the ball in their possession set the state indirectly.

Several running plays failed to solve the Massillon defense and Swanseger faded back of the 50-yard line and chucked one downfield only to have it intercepted by Fred Cardinal, Massillon quarterback, who returned it to the East 30.

The Tigers tried a pass that was grounded. Then Pellegrini, sophomore flash, who was one of the game’s offensive stars, lost four yards at right end. On the next play he dropped back and tossed a pass to Fullback Charles Holt that was good for 24 yards, when Holt reversed his field on the East 13 and romped over. A sneak through the line from place kick formation was smashed by the Warriors as the Tigers strove for the point after touchdown.

Steals the Ball

A smart play by Karl Paulik, Massillon right tackle, set up the Tigers’ second touchdown. Paulik “stole” the ball from the grasp of an East runner on the Warriors’ 29-yard line and after a Pellegrini to Willmot pass had picked up nine yards, Holt went into action.

Aided by an eight-yard jaunt by Keve Bray, Holt moved the ball up to the one-yard stripe and it was only a formality for him to smack the line for the score.

Cardinal sent a placement kick through the uprights for the extra point.

(Next line unreadable)

The recovery of a Massillon fumble by Frank Barnowski, East right end, on the Tigers 10-yard line, set in motion the Warriors’ touchdown drive in the second period.

A five-yard penalty and a grounded pass stalled the Warriors before they even got started. But (name unreadable) dropped back and tossed a pass to Klimow, who ran to the Massillon 15 for a first down. Grunzel lugged the leather to the 10 on the next play. However, a five-yard penalty set the Hydemen back again.

But Dellnski was still in the game as the Tigers found out a moment later when he ripped around right end behind perfect blocking and shook off a couple tacklers. (unreadable text) Then Klimow pranced across the goal for the score on the next play. (try for extra point text unreadable)

That’s the story of the scoring but there was plenty of action in this ball game beside the touchdown moments.

Lose Ball On Fumbles

For instance in the third stanza with the aid of a 15 yard-penalty the Tigers marched to the East 28, but there Pellegrini fumbled and Klimow pounced on the leather for the Warriors, who also aided by a 15-penalty for Massillon drove to the Massillon 36 where the attack stopped when Bray intercepted an East pass.

After one of Swanseger’s punts had rolled over the goal line later in the third period, the Tigers started on their 20 and using power alone, as only the Tigers can, battered their way to the 30 as the period ended.

Several seconds later Bray fumbled and the Warriors covered on the East 31.

The rest of the game was a see-saw affair with the Warriors countering almost punch for punch with the Tigers.

The halftime show by the Massillon band was featured by the Tigers’ strip tease routine as the band provided a musical backdrop.

This alone would have brought down the stadium roof with applause if stadiums had roofs.

Not Comforting

Massillon – 13 Pos. East – 6
Willmot le Santi
Edwards lt Perantoni
Bob Wallace lg Katoski
Williams c Kelleher
Weisgarber rg Mahon
Paulik rt Burek
Kanney re Baruowakl
Cardinal qb unreadable
Pellegrini lh Swanseger
Bray rh Dellnsky
Holt fb Grunzel

(Rest of information here unreadable)

Statistics
East Massillon
First Downs 9 11
Yards Gained Rushing 78
Yards Lost Rushing 17
Net Yards Gained Rushing 31 156
Forward Passes Attempted 19 8
Forward Passes Completed 5 4
Forward Passes Intercepted 0 2
Yards Gained by Forward Passing 78 80
Lateral Passes Attempted 0 1
Yards Gained by Lateral Passes 1 0
Punting Average (from scrimmage) 43 39
Total Yards Kicks Returned
Fumbles 1 6
Own Fumbles Recovered 0 0
Rest of information is unreadable

Chuck Holt
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1940: Massillon 74, Erie, PA East 0

MASSILLON’S 74-0 TRIUMPH AMAZES OVER 20,000 FANS

Cathedral Prep Takes First Local Bow Saturday Afternoon Meeting Ashtabula in Stadium; Colonels Invade Sharon Friday Night

By Charles Haughney

STILL stunned, dazed and unbelieving of what had been its role in the most astounding chapter in the history of local scholastic football, the task of picking up the pieces of East’s shattered Scarlet and Grey gridiron machine was begun today to carry out a city series assignment against Tech’s Centaurs Friday night in the Stadium.

The Warriors, while what was estimated at a record shattering throng of over 20,000 sat, stood and hung pop-eyed around the concrete banks of the Stadium Saturday night, went down to the worst defeat ever suffered in 20 years of campaigning – a 74 to 0 score rolled up by Massillon’s mighty Tigers.

Again the Massillon line with its brilliant charge and stonewall defense, was an outstanding factor in the Tigers’ big victory. Most noticeable of all from an offensive standpoint, was the passing attack which accounted for five of the touchdowns.

The percentage of completions, 9 of 21 was not particularly impressive but the fact that five of the pegs scored touchdowns tells a different story. Two passes were intercepted, 10 others were grounded.

East, for some unknown reason, did not take to the air until the last period. The Warriors tried 11 passes, but only completed one for a gain of seven yards.

For the first minute of the game, it appeared that the inspired East team might give the Tigers a busy evening. Ray Getz only moved a couple of yards with the kickoff before he was downed. Tom James smashed at right tackle, the same play that doomed Warren a week ago, but he was met hard by Erie tacklers and gained but two yards. Fred Blunt poked his way through for six, but with fourth down coming up, Horace Gillom dropped back and lofted the ball to the Erie 34-yard line. That was one of three times the Tigers failed to score when they got the ball. Pass interceptions halted their other two efforts. The Warriors moved the ball up four yards on three attempts and Ed Skovron punted to Tom James who caught the leather on the 20 and brought it back to his 34.

James Gets Going

There Massillon began to move. On the second play James shook himself loose and was in the open when Bill Crotty brought him down from behind on the 27-yard line while he was staggering, trying to regain his balance. It was a run of 36 yards. James and Getz moved the ball to the 17 and Blunt on his second attempt, went through the Warrior line as though fired from a cannon, to score standing up. Getz kicked the extra point.

The 7-0 score was the lowest first period score of the season, but it only missed being 14-0 by a play, for on the first play of the second period, Blunt plunged over from the one foot line for a touchdown that ended a drive from the 13-yard line where Eli Broglio, swarthy tackle, had covered an Erie fumble.

The Tiger attack reached devastating proportions and the heavier Erie team was completely demoralized thereafter. The Warriors received, but on the first play, Skovron fumbled, and John Hill, who had substituted for Jim Russell while the latter was getting some sideline instruction, was on the bottom of the pile on the East 39-yard line. The Warriors closed in to stop the Tiger ball carriers so James eased back and fired a long shot to Herman Robinson who made a fine catch and raced over the goal for the 20th point. Getz missed the placekick.

The Warriros received and when they stopped, Skovron attempted to punt. Russell crashed through and blocked the ball. It fell into the arms of Robinson who raced over the goal for his second touchdown in 60 seconds. Getz planted the 27th point between the uprights.

East earned its only first down after the following kickoff when Skovron and Fran Lininger gained 12 yards on two plays. The drive was stopped on the Warrior 41, however and Skovron’s punt to the Massillon 24 was the signal for another Tiger march. Gillom, Blunt and James carried the leather to midfield, where James faded back and fired a long pass that Gillom caught on the East 14 and ran for a touchdown. Getz’s kick was wide of the goal posts.

When Erie failed to make its yardage after the following kickoff, Skovron punted to James who returned brilliantly from the 30 to the 49-yard line. He ran to a first down on the 31, passed to Robinson for a first down on the nine-yard line and followed it with a pass to Gillom for a touchdown, Gillom taking the ball in the corner of the field. Getz kicked the 40th point.

Another Touchdown

The Tigers received at the start of the second half and began moving from their 34. A pass to Robinson was good for 14 and Getz took the ball from James on a Statue of Liberty for another first on the 35. Getz and James took the ball to the seven-yard line, where James pegged it to Robinson for a touchdown. Getz kicked goal and four Massillon subs entered the game.

No more scores were made in the third period but the Tigers’ were well on their way at the end of the quarter, having marched from their 35 to the East six-yard line when the period ended. Pizzino in two smacks at the line put the ball on the one-yard line and Adams bucked it over. Pizzino kicked the extra point and it was 54-0. Fred Cardinal had blocked a punt and Gordon Appleby had covered to put the Tigers in position for the score. Another blocked punt put the locals in position for their next touchdown. This time it was Pizzino who drove through the East line and stopped the ball, Keve Bray covering for Massillon on the 13-yard line. Junior White moved it up two yards and Pizzino on four attempts took it over and kicked the extra point.

Hard plunging by Chuck Holt and a 13-yard run by Adams brought the ball on the next attempt to the East 31. There Holt added seven more and White circled left end for 24 yards and a touchdown. Pizzino’s kick was wide.

The last Massillon touchdown came with the third team in the game. Having stopped the Warriors’ on the ground and in the air the third stringers got the ball on the East 44. Frank Erdley passed to Power for a first down on the 34 and came right back with a second peg to Bob Graber for a first on the 19. Erdley and Holt advanced it to the 10 where Erdley dropped back and pegged to Dallas Power for a touchdown. Holt plunged the 74th and final point across.

Tommy James
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1939: Massillon 66, Erie, PA East 0

TIGERS UNLEASH POWER AS THEY CRUSH ERIE EAST 66-0
MASSILLON LINEMEN OUTCHARGE WARRIORS

Tiger Forward Wall Tears Visiting Pennsylvanians Into Shreds As Backs Get Away To Long Touchdown Runs;
2,000 See Game

By LUTHER EMERY

Erie East’s battle scarred Warriors of the gridiron, left for home today with deep respect for Washington high school football and mindful of the 66-0 defeat, the largest score by which an Erie East team has been defeated since 1920, the first year football was played at the school. East dropped a 68-0 decision that year and it has stood as the height of humiliation since.

And it still stands. The Tigers might have broken it had they wanted to last night, but Coach Paul Brown preferred using his second and third teams.
Tigers Too Fast for Erie
The route came as a complete surprise for the heavier Warriors were expected to make a fight of it. But that probably tells the story. The Warriors were too heavy for their own good. They were out maneuvered by the faster and more agile Tigers, whose lightning like thrusts split the visitors’ ranks wide open and picked touchdowns out of the sky for cheap points.

Though Erie showed more offense than Warren, last week’s opponent, it lacked the hard fighting defense the Tigers faced a week ago and appeared slow afoot.

The Warriors showed a couple of good halfbacks in Clark Tyzinski and Bill Crotty, but just as at Warren, the Erie line was so badly out charged, the backs had a difficult time advancing.

The Tiger linemen hit and hit hard and the blockers scalped Warrior tacklers at every turn.
Erie came to Massillon with what was considered a good opportunity for winning the northwestern Pennsylvania championship, but it returned home, feeling the sting of football as played by the Ohio champions.
Never Quit Trying
One thing in favor of the Warriors, they never quit trying. They were still pegging away for a touchdown when the final gun sounded and had just succeeded in turning back a threatening advance of the Tiger third team which had it succeeded would have set a new scoring record for Erie East opponents. That’s where the Warriors managed to save themselves. Scribes cannot refer to them as the team that took the worst beating in Erie history.

The Warriors likewise took their defeat gracefully and in a sportsmanlike manner. Too frequently teams resort to unfair tactics when they find themselves taking a terrific beating on the gridiron. Not the Warriors. They played the game cleanly and squarely.

In fact the teams finished on such friendly terms and Erie was so impressed with the Massillon football spectacle, that talk was already started last night of getting Massillon to Erie for a game next year, band and all.

The Warriors appeared nervous as they took the field, but they shouldn’t have been for they have played before crowds larger than the 12,000 that saw last night’s game.

Probably it was because their coach had them on the field 45 minutes before the game, or maybe it was a certain fear for the Tigers that gave the Warriors a bad case of butter fingers from the start of the game. They couldn’t catch a kickoff or pick a rolling ball off the ground.

Be what it was, fear or nerves, the Tigers gave reason for both when they pile drove through the visitors line for their first touchdown from kickoff, smashed through for another in the same period and bagged five more in the second. The varsity was removed from the game with several minutes of the second period remaining to be played and three more touchdowns were shoved across the goal line in the third and fourth quarters by the second and third stringers.

While the varsity started the visitors and took much of the starch out of them with their sudden and vicious attack, it remained for three second string backfield men to score seven of the 10 touchdowns.

Roscoe Clendening got one on a dazzling run; Pokey Blunt scored two, George Fabian three and Fred Moody one.
Used Versatile Attack
They used a versatile attack that made it difficult for fans in the stands to follow the ball. The Warrior were victims of the same deception and once they found trace of the leather, the ball carrier was on his way with little chance to catch him.

Seldom do you see a game with as many long, sensational runs as that of last night. As it turned out, it’s too bad all were made by the one side. A couple of Erie touchdowns would have made the second half more interesting.

But the Warriors never threatened dangerously. Only twice did they work the ball into Massillon territory and on both occasions the attacks were repelled before they could reach the 40-yard line.

Even so, Erie made more yards than Warren which last week finished with a net gain of five. The Warriors gained 136 last night which with 41 in losses deducted, left them with a net gain of 95 yards or 90 more than Warren.

What the Warriors lacked principally was drive. The Tiger linemen moved them to any designated spot. Capt. Vic Klein, was troublesome at times, but one of the most sensational plays of the evening, a short pass from Slusser to Ray Getz, went straight through Vic’s tackle for a gain of 61 yards and a touchdown.

The long runs for touchdowns, cut down the Tigers’ chances for first downs. They made a dozen to Erie’s five.
Slusser Scores Touchdown
They put three of their first downs together to score their first touchdown after the opening kickoff. Starting on the Tiger 42, Slusser and Clendening marched the leather to the
one-yard line where Slusser took it over for the touchdown. Getz’s attempted kick for the extra point was blocked, but Slusser scooped the ball up and tried to fight his way over. He was thrown hard on the one-yard line and did not succeed.

After an exchange of punts, Red James took an Erie punt from his 40 to his 49-yard line. Slusser tossed a pass to James for another 16-yard gain and a first down on the 35. Clendening then went through his right tackle as though fired from a cannon and ran 35 yards for a touchdown. This time Getz’s kick for the extra point was low.

That was all for he first quarter which ended 12-0 but it looked as though everyone on the team would reach the Promised Land in the second period so fast did the Warriors yield ground.

On the second play of the period, Slusser whipped a 20-yard pass to Getz, who ran another 20 for a touchdown. Again his kick was blocked and the score remained 18-0.

But it didn’t stand at 18-0 very long, for Pokey Blunt was sent into the game and that meant more hard times for the Warriors. Standing on his own 39-yard line, Slusser tossed a short over hand pass, about the length of a shovel, to Getz as the latter came tearing through his right tackle. Getz never stopped until he crossed the Erie goal, a run of 61 yards.

Horace Gillom reoved Getz’s last obstacle from his path with a pretty block on the 20-yard line. This time Getz kicked a bullseye to hoist the count to 25-0.

Within a minute they score another. The kickoff struck an Erie player and Gillom and Slusser recovered on the Erie 45. Slusser picked up three yards and then turned Blunt loose for a 42-yard dash around left end and a touchdown. He also carried the extra point across to boost the score to 32-0.

Erie struck back after the kickoff to march the ball from their 20 to the Tiger 43, a 22-yard pass from Tysinski to Maxumerzyk, being the chief ground gainer of the series. It was a gallant effort. Tyzinski punted out on the Tiger 30 and on the very next play Fabian shook himself loose and ran 70 yards for a touchdown, the longest of the evening. Getz’s kick for the extra point, struck an Erie player and bounced over the crossbar. Those points boosted the Tiger score to 39-0.
Fabian Intercepts Pass
The Tigers kicked off to the Warriors and on the second play Tyzinski tried to dump a pass over the line. Fabian was there, however, pulled the ball out of the air and galloped 34 yards for the touchdown. Pizzino carried the 46th point across.

That was all the scoring for the first half. The second team had more difficulty scoring touchdowns than the varsity.

They took the second half kickoff on their 33-yard line and marched to the eight-yard line where Moody carried it over the goal on an end around play. Pizzino carried the extra point over.

On the following kickoff, Erie again advanced the ball into Tiger territory, reaching the
44-yard line on this attempt, only to have Bill Croop of the Tigers, recover a fumble. On an end around play, Kester took the ball to the 26-yard line and Blunt made the rest of the distance on the next jaunt. Offside penalties gave the Tigers three cracks at the extra point. Fabian was over once but it was not allowed and the last bid, an end around play by Kester failed leaving the score 59-0.

A 15-yard penalty forced the locals to punt the next time they got the ball and the fourth quarter was half over before they could score again. This time Fabian got away for a
48-yard touchdown run and he passed to Kester for the extra point. The third team played t he last five minutes.
Power To Spare
Massillon Pos. Erie East
Getz LE Forgash
Pedrotty LT Klein
Russell LG Hart
Martin C C. Thomas
Henderson RG Ebisch
Swezey RT Swanson
Gillom RE Flanagan
Foster QB Skovron
Slusser LH Lundstrom
James RH Tyzinski
Clendening FB Lininger

Score by periods:
Massillon 12 34 13 7 66

Substitutions:
Massillon – Appleby, c; Fabian, lh; Pizzino, fb; Moody, re; Kester, le; Kingham, qb; blunt, rh; Wallace, lt; Croop, rt; Broglio, lg; Cardinal, rg; Rogich, c; Adams, rh; White, lh; De Mando, re; P. Gatz, le Oliver; Hill; De Hoff; Pettay; Armour; Forrest.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Slusser; Clendening; Getz 2; Blunt 2; Fabian 3; Moody.

Points after touchdowns:
Massillon – Getz 2 (placekick); Pizzino 2 (plunges); Blunt (carried); Kester (pass).

Referee – Russell Rupp.
Umpire – Yans Wallace.
Head Linesman – C.W. Rupp.

Game Statistics
Mass. Erie
First downs 12 5
Passes completed 4 3
Passes incomplete 5 5
Passes intercepted 0 1
Yards gained passing 133 42
Yards gained rushing 438 94
Total yards gained 571 136
Yards lost 5 41
Net yards gained 566 95
Times penalized 5 1
Yards penalized 35 5
Kickoffs 10 2
Average kickoff (yards) 38.3 41.5
Punts 2 8
Average punts (yards) 32.5 27.1
Lost ball on fumbles 1 2
Fumbles recovered 3 4

George Slusser