Tag: <span>Floyd Harshman</span>

History

1922: Massillon 24, Canton McKinley 0

CANTON BOWS TO ORANGE AND BLACK, 24 TO 0

LOCAL ELEVEN ENDS CAMPAIGN WITH TEN STRAIGHT TRIUMPHS

Chalk up for Massillon another athletic triumph over its ancient rival, Canton. It happened last Saturday when the great orange and black football team of Washington high school vanquished its perennial foe – McKinley high, of Canton – 24 to 0 in the annual fracas between the two schools staged on the Pearl street gridiron before the largest crowd that has seen Coach David B. Stewart’s wonder eleven in action this fall.

Chalk up also for the local team a season finished without a defeat and a string of 10 straight victories over the strongest high school aggregation in Ohio. Massillon’s claim to scholastic championship honors of the Buckeye state became rivet bound Saturday when Coach Stewart’s lads trimmed the east enders. But in addition to their championship claims and their 10 straight triumphs the orange and black also established another record in that hectic duel. They registered the largest score that has ever been made in the history of athletic relations between Massillon and Canton since their resumption in 1912, beating by three points the 21 to 0 victory Massillon scored over Canton in 1919.

Coach Stewart’s lads said they would do it and they did even though they had to wait until the fourth quarter before they finally pierced the defense of the Canton eleven and scored their first touchdown. For three quarters the east enders fought with all their strength to hold the orange and black in check. And favored by the breaks they succeeded in halting Coach Stewart’s lads during the first 45 minutes of the struggle even though the local team several times was within the shadow of the Canton goal posts.

But in the fourth quarter Massillon’s attack found a vulnerable spot and when Captain “Tink” Ulrich, playing his last game with the orange and black smashed off Canton’s right tackle and ran 28 yards over the snow covered gridiron for the first touchdown, Canton’s fighting morale was broken and from then on the local team drove its steamroller through the east enders almost at will.

Canton Plays Hard

To Canton must be given the credit for putting up a stiff fight. In comparison Massillon held a big advantage. So much so that the east enders appeared defeated even before they stepped upon the battle field. But they showed a fighting spirit that fought with untold fury until Captain Ulrich made that first touchdown. Then it disappeared.

From the way it played McKinley appeared to realize that it could not defeat Massillon. But it hoped for a scoreless tie and that’s what it was playing for. Had it succeeded in bringing the game to an end without either team scoring it would have registered a moral victory for it would have accomplished something that no other team had been able to do all season.

But Canton’s hopes were to be blasted. After that first touchdown had been recorded the orange and black piled up three others in rapid succession and came very near scoring a fifth but for “Dutch” Hill who carried the ball to Canton’s one foot line late in the fourth quarter only to fumble it when tackled.

Snow Covers Field

The game was played on a snow covered field. It snowed steadily during the contest and a wintry wind which blew fiercely, numbed the hands of the struggling warriors and made it exceedingly difficult to hold the slippery oval. Under such conditions neither team was able to resort to an open attack. Straight football for the most part predominated although each team attempted several forward passes but none of them were completed.

Team Plays Well

Massillon had no outstanding hero Saturday. The entire team played brilliantly and kept on fighting manfully even though Canton had all the best of the breaks during the first three quarters. Those lads of Coach Stewart had been through too many heated battles before to lose heart in that final tussle. They just kept on plunging, waiting for their big opportunity and when Captain Ulrich brought it by his brilliant 38-yard dash the orange and black machine started off under full steam and never stopped until the whistle ended the big contest.

On the line the work of Salberg and Edwards stood out prominently. This pair of tackles stopped many a Canton drive. Pflug, Kallaker and Miller also were in the midst of every clash while the ends saw to it that few gains were made by the east enders or runs around the wings. On offense Ulrich, Hill and Define were Massillon’s chief ground gainers.

End Runs Gain

Massillon’s best attack Saturday was the end runs in which Ulrich and Define made big gains in the third quarter. Hill played consistently but until the fourth quarter could not gain much as the Canton defense, coached to stop him, watched the big fullback like a hawk. But Hill showed them his driving power by scoring three touchdowns in the last 10 minutes of play.

Canton never threatened to score. It did not once get inside Massillon’s 30-yard line. It made but two first downs during the entire game. Massillon smashed its attack like an egg shell, stopping Kirk and Johnson, Canton’s best backfield bets, time after time without gain. And Canton by no means placed a team of weaklings on the field. It had a big rangy aggregation of lads but they simply were outclassed by Coach Stewart’s well drilled team every man of which had a part to play and played it well.

19 First Downs

Massillon made 19 first downs, 11 coming in the last quarter. Three were registered in the first quarter, one in the second and four in the third. Penalties inflicted by the officials hurt the orange and black in the first half and several times kept them from scoring. The officials probably knew what they were doing but it looked as if more competent men could have been secured to handle a game so important as a Massillon-Canton clash.

In the first quarter Massillon worked the ball within Canton’s 30-yard line and was marching steadily through the east enders when a 15-yard penalty for holding spoiled its chance to score. Another 15-yard penalty before the quarter ended did not help Massillon’s chances any.

In the second quarter Ulrich grabbed a Canton punt and returned it for a gain of about 30 yards before he was tackled but the ball slipped out of his grasp and bounced right into a Canton man’s arms.

Breaks Favor Canton

Another unfortunate break in Canton’s favor came right at the start of the third quarter when Edwards kicked off to Kirk who fumbled and Edwards covered the ball on Canton’s 10-yard line. A touchdown seemed inevitable but after Hill had taken the ball to the five-yard line the officials ruled Massillon had been offside and the ball was taken back to the 15-yard line. Then Ulrich was thrown for a loss of 9 and on the fourth down Edwards dropped back to the 28-yard line to try a drop kick. Again fortune favored Canton for Bill’s kick was headed straight between the uprights but it struck the cross bar and bounded back into the field. Another inch and it would have gone over.

These breaks all helped to keep up Canton’s spirit and the east enders were beginning to have visions of holding the Massillon eleven in check when the fourth quarter opened. Ulrich and Define made several big gains around Canton’s ends ending up on the east enders’ 30-yard line. Then he went skimming around Canton’s left end for 20 talking the ball to the 10-yard line. Hill plunged into the Canton line three times and the ball was over for the third touchdown. Jamison had his eyes open also and when he covered a Canton fumble on the Canton 25-yard line he paved the way for another touchdown. Thomas took the ball to the 15-yard line and then Hill crashed into the Canton line and went over for his third touchdown.

Just shortly before the game ended, Broda attempted to punt from his 20 yard line but the pass was bad and he was downed on the 10-yard line and Massillon gained possession of the ball, it being fourth down when Canton tried to punt. Hill made 5 on his first plunge and was on his way to another touchdown when he was tackled near the goal line and fumbled. Reno covering for Canton. Canton punted but before Massillon could start a play the game ended.

A Clean Slate

Massillon – 24 Position Canton – 0
Potts LE Borda
Edwards LG Whipple
Kallaker LT Gibson
Roth C Huffman
Pflug RG Fellows
Salberg RT Reno
Jamison RE Dimino
Thomas Q Asboom
Borza LH Reiner
Mercer RH Kirk
Hill F Johnson

Score by quarters:
Massillon 0 0 0 24 – 24

Substitutions: Massillon – Ulrich for Mercer, Weirich for Potts
Rohr for Jamison, Boerner for Thomas, Miller for Kallaker,
Define for Borza, Jamison for Rohr, Potts for Weirich,
Shaidnagle for Pflug, Eschliman for Salberg, Hax for Ulrich.
Canton – Collier for Whipple, Meeks for Collier, McConnell for
Dimino, Farrell for Reiner, Arnold for Kirk, Valmer for Asboom.

Touchdowns: Hill 3, Ulrich.

Referee – Litick, Miami.
Umpire – Kumweiler, Zanesville.
Healinesman – Brannon, Wooster

Timers – Rider and Bietner

Time of quarters – 15 minutes

Tink Ulrich
History

1921: Massillon 13, Canton McKinley 12

HIGH GRIDDERS TRIM CANTON IN ANNUAL DUEL

ORANGE AND BLACK IS 13-12 WINNER IN MUDDY ENGAGEMENT

A football game hung in the balance!

Only a few seconds of play remained. Eleven tired and mud be-spattered but grimly determined youths stood within the shadow of the goal line they had so nobly defended. Opposite them stood eleven other tired and mud be-spattered but as grimly determined lads who by sheer strength had forced their way to within four yards of the goal line.

Upon the next play rested the outcome of the encounter. But one point separated the rival gladiators, so thoroughly soaked with mud that it was almost impossible to discern friend from foe. But in the faces of eleven of those sturdy lads was written the grim resolve not to yield one more inch of ground. In the countenances of the others could be seen an equally firm determination to score the touchdown which meant victory.

On the sidelines several thousand highly excited persons stood in breathless silence as they waited for this final test of strength. The atmosphere vibrated with the tenseness of the moment. The opposing warriors took their positions.

Then—“Time!” That single word echoed across the field. A sharp blast of a whistle pierced the air. And for the fifth time in nine years the orange and black waved triumph over the red and black. Massillon had defeated Canton! By a single point had victory been achieved. Washington high school’s football team had won its annual encounter with its perennial foe, McKinley high, of Canton, by a score of 13 to 12.

On one side of the field at Lakeside stadium, Canton, pandemonium broke loose. Cheer after cheer rent the air as the victorious Massillon lads trotted off the field. On the other side quiet prevailed. With heads bowed, the defeated athletes trudged through the mud. They had fought gamely in this the biggest battle of the year. The defeat was a bitter pill but they bore their cross manfully. Needless to say, Massillon celebrated Saturday night.

Thus ended the annual gridiron fracas between the scholastic elevens of Massillon and Canton. In 1920 Canton came to Massillon and handed the orange and black a 14 to 0 lacing. This year Massillon turned the tables and the balance of power rests with the local school, for of the nine games played, five have been Massillon victories. Three have been won by Canton, while one ended in a tie.

Saturday was far from being an ideal football day. A steady downpour, which lasted until after the game had begun, turned the field into a quagmire of mud and water. With the mud several inches deep, fast playing was out of the question. Straight football had the call and with a team several pounds to the man heavier than Massillon’s aggregation, the advantage rested with Canton. But once more Massillon grit and fighting spirit conquered. After the first few plays the rival players were so covered with mud that it was hard to distinguish one from the other.
Under such conditions victory would go to the team which secured the breaks. Massillon secured the breaks but they resulted because of the hard and fierce playing of Coach Stewart’s lads who entered the fray to do or die. Canton’s points were made because of the ability of its heavy backs to plunge through the lighter Massillon eleven.

Although Ted Roth, Massillon’s splendid center, was injured and forced out of the game before the second quarter ended, it was his fierce tackling which paved the way for Massillon’s first touchdown in the initial period. For it was he who tackled Kennedy, Canton’s star halfback, so hard as he came through the line that the wet ball slipped from his grasp and was pounded upon by Boerner, Massillon’s halfback, on Canton’s 20-yard line. Then Captain Hess, whose ankle which was injured in the Dayton Steele game several weeks ago was still weak, sneaked through the Canton line for three yards and on the next play heaved a pass to Boerner, which brought a first down and placed the ball on Canton’s 10-yard stripe.

Next came a double pass. Rosenberg to Hess and the orange and black leader dashed around Canton’s right end, being forced to the extreme edge of the field before he crashed into an opposing player and slid over the goal line for Massillon’s first touchdown. He kicked goal and that point later was to be the deciding point of the battle.

Not until the third quarter did Massillon’s next opportunity to score present itself. A Massillon punt was downed on Canton’s two-yard line. The red and black was given five yards to punt. Bob Shaidnagle, a husky lineman, who had not played since early in the season because of a broken collar bone, had just entered the game for Massillon. Kennedy dropped back to punt. As he received the pass, Shaidnagle shot through the line and blocked the kick, the ball rolling over the Canton goal line where Potts fell on it for Massillon’s second touchdown. Hess failed at goal.

Canton’s first touchdown came after an unbroken march of 60 yards. The Cantonians launched their drive as the first quarter ended. With Kennedy, the star of the Canton offense, playing the part of a battering ram, the red and black smashed its way through the Massillon eleven for five first downs, the march not being halted until Kennedy dove through the orange and black line for a touchdown from the four yard line. Canton then had a chance to tie the score but Kennedy missed goal.

Canton’s second touchdown came early in the fourth quarter. As the third period ended Hess had fumbled a Canton punt. Beachy covering for Canton on Massillon’s 30-yard line. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Kennedy shot around Massillon’s right end for a gain of 11 yards bringing the ball to Massillon’s 19-yard line. Three smashes into the line netted Canton another first down and carried the ball to the five-yard line. Kennedy was called into action and on his second attempt pierced the Massillon line for his second touchdown. Again Canton had an opportunity to tie the score but once more Kennedy’s attempt was low and was batted down by a Massillon warrior.

Massillon was leading by one point. The quarter was nearly half over and indications were that the orange and black would triumph. But Canton came back strong and presented a first class running attack which carried the ball deep into Massillon territory. The wet condition of the field and ball made good punting impossible and as a result Massillon was unable to punt the oval out of danger.

Two bad passes by Potts, who had replaced Roth at center, which prevented, Hess from punting gave Canton possession of the ball on Massillon’s 10-yard line with but a minute to play. A line plunge netted two yards. Then Hess batted down an attempted Canton forward. Another dive into the line took the ball to the five-yard line. Canton had goal to gain on the next play or lose the ball, but before the play could be put into motion time expired and the duel was over.

Played on a dry field the game might have ended differently. With solid footing Massillon’s speedy backfield stars more than likely would have given Canton plenty of trouble but speed was no asset on a field such as the rival elevens played on Saturday. On only a few occasions were Hess, Ulrich and Rosenberg able to show flashes of their fleetness of foot. The heavy mud made it impossible for them to get started. Forward passes and trick plays also were difficult to execute.

As it was statistics show that Canton, so far as the actual amount of ground gained, outplayed Massillon. The red and black made 12 first downs to five for Captain Hess’ aggregation. Each team punted 11 times. Massillon completed two forwards out of eight attempts. Canton completed none in four attempts. Neither team intercepted a forward.

Although all of its regulars performed, Massillon was far from being in first class shape. Hess’ ankle bothered him. Ulrich entered the game with his injured knee bandaged. Roth’s shoulder, hurt several weeks ago, gave way and he was forced to leave the contest. Boerner sustained a badly wrenched hip in the second quarter attempting to catch a forward pass and he had to be helped to the sidelines. But even though injuries did weaken them, Coach Stewart’s lads deserve a world of praise for their game and determined fight. To them there is no such work as quit and to them goes all the honor for winning cleanly and fairly in this, their greatest battle the year.

A Sweet Morsel

Massillon – 13 Pos. McKinley – 12
Lyons LE Ashcon
Snyder LT Viethmeyer
Rutherford LG Gibson
Roth C Hoffman
Kallaker RG Bob Wade
Nelson RT Kartman
Jamison RE Frease
Rosenberg QB McGlashan
Hess LH Kennedy
Boerner RH Hamilton
Potts FB Johnson

Score by periods:
McKinley 0 6 0 6 – 12
Massillon 7 0 6 0 – 13

Substitutions – McKinley: Beachy for Viethmeyer, Ralph Wade
for Bob Wade, Mayforth for Hamilton, Hamilton for McGlashan,
Kirk for Mayforth, Deal for Hamilton, Harmon for Kennedy, Bob
Wade for Ralph Wade, Rebillot for Ashcon.
Massillon: Bischoff for Boerner, Ulrich for Potts, Potts for Roth,
Pflug for Rutherford, Shaidnagle for Pflug, Hax for Bischoff.

Touchdowns – Kennedy 2, Hess, Potts.

Goal from touchdown – Hess 1.

Missed goals from touchdown – Hess 1, Kennedy 2.

Referee – Paige of Ohio Wesleyan.
Umpire – Bletzer of Mount Union.
Head linesman – Zimmerman of Mt. Union.
Time of periods – 15 minutes

History

1920: Massillon 0, Canton McKinley 14

MASSILLON LOSES TO OLD FOE IN GREAT TILT

2 TOUCHDOWNS IN 3RD QUARTER GIVE CLEAN RECORD TO CANTON

Greatness is always measured by success.

Even though the orange and black eleven of Washington high school last Saturday afternoon went down to a 14 to 0 defeat before the onslaught of the great red and black machine of McKinley high of Canton, in the annual tussle between the two schools on the Pearl street gridiron the gritty battle waged by the youthful Tigers stood forth even more brilliantly than the victory achieved by Massillon’s perennial enemy.

Greater even in defeat than it has been in victory the orange and black aggregation need not be downcast because of the defeat. Fighting a foe superior in weight, strength and ability, both individually and as a team, the local eleven fought with such fierceness and tenacity that Canton’s powerful troupe was indeed fortunate to emerge from the conflict a victor by two touchdowns.

It was Canton’s first victory over Massillon since 1916 when it trimmed the Youthful Tigers 7 to 6 and besmirched an otherwise perfect record. With the triumph goes the scholastic championship of Stark county for Canton has met and defeated both Alliance and Massillon. And the east enders, by registering victory Saturday, finishes the 1920 campaign with a perfect mark of eight victories and a record of not having one point scored against them during the entire season.

Considered as having only the barest of chances of winning last Saturday’s gridiron classic, the youthful Tigers sprung one of the biggest surprises of the season when they outfought and outplayed the Cantonians in three of the four quarters. In only one quarter, the third, did the red and black machine display any of its highly advertised steamroller tactics and in that quarter the foe from the east end city smashed through the Massillon team for both its touchdowns.

The rest of the battle was decided in Massillon’s favor. Although the local eleven did not succeed in getting within Canton’s 20-yard line until the fourth quarter, the orange and black, displaying all the grit and determination characteristic of local scholastic aggregations, which in the past have fought with their backs to the wall and acquitted themselves in a creditable manner, beat back the attack of the invaders with such decisive results that it earned even greater praise than did the victors.

Massillon was outweighed. Its offense was not as well drilled as that of the Canton eleven. But it was not outfought and it was that fighting spirit, that determination to hold Canton at all costs, that allowed the orange and black to arise from the smoke of battle even greater in defeat than Canton was in victory.
It was a typical Massillon-Canton duel. Struggling warriors threw themselves into the conflict with utter abandon. There was only one object in view and that was victory and throughout the strife the struggling elevens fought back and forth over a muddy gridiron in one of the greatest scholastic battles ever seen here. Canton won because it had the better team. That much was almost a certainty before the game began. But the red and black machine only won after it had battered down and trampled under foot the plucky orange and black clad lads who never for a moment gave up trying and who were only beaten after a much heavier eleven had crushed them down.

There was no big individual star in Massillon’s play. Every one of the lads who participated in that engagement covered himself with glory. They all fought and played their hardest and there is no one to criticize them for what they failed to do because they did much better than they were expected to.

“Chuck” Hess, midget quarterback, probably was Massillon’s biggest offensive star. The local luminary was closely watched by the Canton team but at that he succeeded on several occasions in breaking away from the red and black warriors for nice gains. On defense the entire team played remarkably well with J. Tilton, Graber and Snyder doing Yeomen service.

Canton rolled mainly upon straight football for its gains but it was not until the third quarter that its husky backs were able to smash their way through the Massillon line for any substantial gains. Canton’s highly touted attack showed itself only in the third quarter. During the rest of the fracas it didn’t have a chance simply because the youthful Tigers crumbled up the Canton line and stopped the backs before they could get under way.

“Hunk” Harmony was the lad largely responsible for Canton’s victory. This sterling warrior made both the east enders touchdowns, crashing through Massillon’s line twice for counters. Mitchell, who in previous battles, had been the star of the Canton offense did not shine very brightly Saturday.

During the first two quarters Massillon outplayed its red and black foes. The orange and black made two first downs in the initial quarter. In the second quarter Canton made three first downs and came very near scoring a touchdown, but Massillon’s defense was of such stonewall proportions that the Canton machine was turned back within two yards of the local team’s goal line.

Canton’s big advantage came in the third quarter when with Harmony as the battering ram, it plunged through the local team for six first downs and hung up its two touchdowns.

The fourth quarter saw the orange and black rally and make a desperate effort to score. It commenced an aerial attack that, had the field been dry, might have worried the red and black aggregation considerably. In this period Massillon completed five forwards but because of the slippery conditions of the field the receivers of the passes were not able to elude the Canton warriors.

It was also in this quarter that “Romey” Greenfelder, the team’s star goal kicker, tried his best to at least register points against the red and black but he failed in four attempts although his third try from the 42-yard line was a perfect kick but fell short by a scant two feet of going over the cross bar.
Canton made 10 first downs to four for Massillon. The red and black punted 10 times to eight for Massillon. The orange and black had a big advantage in the aerial game, completing seven passes for a total yardage of 34, while Canton heaved only three successful passes for a net gain of 19 yards. Each team intercepted two forwards.

Canton tactics were considerably rougher than those of the local team although the game was very clean. The east enders drew several penalties for holding. Massillon was penalized but once.

Defeated, But Not Disgraced

Massillon – 0 Position Canton – 14
Graybill LE Jackson
Harrison LT Bridge
Nelson LG Tobay
Roth C Smith
Graber RG Wolf
Snyder RT M. Miller
Lyons RE Clark
Hess Q Mitchell
Greenfelder LH Harmony
Howells RH Kennedy
J. Tilton F Van Nostram

Score by quarters:
Canton 0 0 14 0 – 14

Substitutions: Massillon – Ulrich for Greenfelder; Greenfelder for
Ulrich; Rosenberg for Hess; Mollet for Lyons; R. Tilton for
Graber; Lyons for Mollet; Mollet for Roth.
Canton – M. Miller for Clark; Relfsnyder for M. Miller; Ketman for Wolf.

Touchdowns – Harmony 2.

Goals after touchdown – Kennedy 2.

Referee – Blythe, Mount Union.
Umpire — Pickerel, Ohio State.
Headlinesman – Wilson.

Time of quarters 15 and 12½ minutes.