Tag: <span>Harry Potts</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1928: Massillon 7, Barberton 6

WASHINGTON HI GRIDDERS NOSE OUT BARBERTON BY SINGLE POINT, 7-6
ONE-MAN TEAM FIFTH VICTIM OF YOUTHFUL TIGERS THIS SEASON

By LUTHER EMERY

Their hopes crushed under a 7 to 6 defeat, a disappointed Barberton football team slipped quietly and humbly out of Massillon Saturday afternoon. Tears were streaming down the faces of the gridders who had seen their hopes rise and fall under a strong orange and black attack. Many of them had dug their cleats into turf on Massillon field for the last time for their alma mater.

Most disappointed and broken in spirit of the defeated but gallant gridders was “Mike” Raplenovic, who played his last high school game in a most brilliant manner. Tears coursed down his dust covered face as he wended his way to the clubhouse, assisted by his coach, and exhausted by his untiring efforts to turn defeat into victory for his school. Pat after pat on the back was given him by Massillon fans, who admired him for his athletic ability and his clean play. It was his last game for Barberton and he received the words of praise with a choking “thank you.”

Raplenovic Star of Game

Raplenovic was the Barberton football team. He was the only back who could gain on the orange and black, and his runs frequently were for long distances. He scored Barberton’s touchdown. He did the passing, the punting, and a lot of the tackling. He was the victim of hard and frequent tackling, but his excellent physical condition and his ability to handle himself saved him from injury. Had he been in the Massillon backfield, there’s no telling what the score might have been.

Raplenovic scored Barberton’s touchdown in the first minute and a half of play, on a 24-yard run from scrimmage. The points came so quickly that fans hardly realized the game was under way.

The touchdown gave the signal for the start of the Massillon attack, and after gradually pushing the Barberton gridders back into their own territory, John Kester slipped away for a 4-yard run for a touchdown in the second period which tied the score, and “Dick” Watkins gave the orange and black its fifth victory by booting the extra point from placement.

With a lead of one point the youthful tigers realized that if they could stop Raplenovic, they would win the football game. This they did, and again did not. They kept this 160 pounds of human lightning from getting away for any more long runs for touchdowns, but they did not stop him from getting yards nearly every time he carried the ball, and had it not been for the failure of a bit of strategy upon the part of the Barberton coach in keeping his star player out the greater part of the third quarter, the brown and white might have finished on top.

Barberton Outplayed.

But in spite of the fact that the visitors had the individual star of the day who stood head and shoulders in ability above any other member of the two elevens, the Massillon gridders completely outplayed their rivals the greater part of the game.

The orange and black had at least two other good opportunities to score, losing the ball once on the four-yard line, when Buttermore fumbled on the fourth down, and time and again carried the ball deep into the invader’s half of the field. The local team rolled up 16 first downs, while Barberton made one short of a dozen.

On forward passes, however, the visitors excelled Massillon showing its customary inability to gain with an aerial attack. McGrew’s men tried three passes. Two were intercepted while the third one was not completed. Barberton tried seven passes, completing two for a gain of 22 yards, had four incomplete and one intercepted.

The visitors were set back 65 yards in penalties while the orange and black lost 25 yards through foul play.

Breaks Help Barberton

Barberton’s touchdown came as a result of a bit of ill working strategy on the part of the Massillon team. The local eleven received, Hess being downed on the 25-yard line after taking the kickoff. In an attempt to catch the visitors off their guard, a forward pass was called on the first play, but Wolf’s heave fell into the arms of Sutter, Barberton halfback, who was downed on the 33-yard line. Two drives at the line gained nine yards and on the next play Raplenovic slipped through Massillon’s right guard for a run of 24 yards and a touchdown. Sutter’s kick hit the goal post and bounded to the side.

Kester Scores Touchdown

Massillon’s touchdown came in the early part of the second quarter, after a march of 75 yards. Getting the ball on its own 25-yard line where it was punted out of bounds by Raplenovic, the local eleven began a determined drive toward the Barberton goal. Hess struck left tackle for seven yards. Watkins slipped through for six yards and a first down on the 38-yard line. Hess made a yard at left end and Watkins four yards as the first period came to an end. With the ball on the 44-yard line, Kester slipped through for four yards. On the next play he punted across the Barberton goal line, but the visitors were called back and penalized five yards for offside giving the local team a first down in mid-field. Hess picked up three yards at right tackle, while Watkins dashed off left tackle for five yards and hit the same spot again for a first down on the 34-yard line. On the next play Kester broke through right tackle and stepped along the east side line for a touchdown. Watkins kicked the extra point from placement.

Stand Out for Massillon

Kester, Watkins and Goodman played brilliantly for the local team Saturday. Kester’s long punts offset the brilliant runs of Raplenovic, while Watkins’ off tackle dashes were largely responsible for the manner in which the orange and black carried the ball up and down the field. Goodman was a shining light on defense. He dropped Barberton runners for losses and showed ability at following the ball.

Barberton made a desperate effort in both the third and fourth periods to score, but lost the ball on downs both times. However, only the failure of Sutter to hold Raplenovic’s accurate pass kept the invaders from crossing the goal line in the third quarter. Sutter had the ball in his arms, but lost it with no one between himself and the goal line.

Combined Bands Play

The combined junior high and high school bands played for the game and drew the applause of the fans. The bands likely will be combined for the Canton game, Saturday.

The Massillon team played nothing but straight football. McGrew was unwilling to uncork any of his pet plays for the benefit of Canton scouts, saving all his mystery stuff for next week..

The orange and black came out of the game in good shape. No members of the team received serious injuries, and the youthful tigers should be in first class condition for the annual grid classic Saturday.

Lineup and summary:
Massillon Pos. Barberton
Minger LE W. Weigand
Buttermore LT J. Weigand
Fisher LG Hackney
Potts C Seryak
Garland RG Constantine
Slinger RT Ricks
Houriet RE Romig
Hess QB Romain
Kester HB Sutter
Lewis HB Raplenovic
Wolf FB Bryant

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 7 0 0 7
Barberton 6 0 0 0 6

Substitutions:
Massillon – Watkins for Wolf, Goodman for Slinger, Blatz for Garland, Schnierle for Lewis, Hollwager for Minger, Slinger for Buttermore, Buttermore for Schnierle, Schnierle for Buttermore, Buttermore for Fisher.
Barberton – Molvartz for Romaine, R. Weigand for Sutter, Moss for Raplenovic, Raplenovic for Moss.

Touchdowns – Raplenovic, Kester.
Point after touchdown – Watkins (place kick).

Referee—Shafer.
Umpire—Howells.
Headlinesman—Kirk.
Time of periods—12 minutes.

Henry Potts
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1928: Massillon 0, New Philadelphia 0

MASSILLON AND NEW PHILADELPHIA BATTLE TO SCORELESS TIE IN ANNUAL TILT
PENALTIES HINDER ATTACK OF ORANGE AND BLACK RUNNERS

With rivalry at white heat, New Philadelphia fans cheering and Massillon fans booing, the orange and black of Washington high and the red and black of New Philadelphia high battled to a scoreless tie at the latter city, Saturday afternoon.

Tired and weary were the two elevens as they plodded from the field at the close of the game, and tired were the fans who were in the bleachers 45 minutes longer than necessary due to the late arrival of the Massillon team, but the person who minded it most was Referee Hamm who stepped off 100 yards in penalties inflicted on the Massillon team, thereby proving himself the best ball carrier of the day.

The many penalties inflicted on the local eleven, principally for holding and offside, brought a storm of protest from the Massillon delegation of 1,200 rooters who were huddled in one section of the bleachers. They saw their team score a touchdown that would have meant a victory and saw the ball brought back and put into play again. They saw the official step off a quartette of 15-yard penalties and a quintette of five yard penalties, that interfered with nearly every attempt to advance the ball. And with the final crack of the gun, a section of this embittered crowd, swept upon the field, fists clenched, ready for action, but was finally dispersed by a squad of police ready for just such a demonstration. Fists flew at intervals, but fortunately no one was injured and the prompt action of the law saved further trouble.

But in spite of the penalties, whether fair or unfair, the game ended with a score that compared favorably with the play of the two teams. Whether or not the orange and black could have scored a touchdown had not penalties interfered no one knows, for the New Philadelphia line was scrapping and scrapping hard. Neither team showed any great offense, both scoring but two first downs each, although the local eleven gained by far the most ground from scrimmage.

The “touchdown” was scored in the last few minutes of play when Jack Schnierle intercepted a New Philadelphia pass on the 35-yard line and scampered across the goal. But the ball was called back, the headlinesman declaring that Hollwager interfered with the supposed receiver, and New Philadelphia was given the ball at the point where the alleged interference occurred. A wild howl went up from the Massillon stands when Schnierle scored the “touchdown,” but an even greater noise rent the air when the ball was brought back, the Massillon fans adding their boos to the bedlam that took place.

With the six points ruled out, the local gridders got angry for the first time in the game and showed their best offense of the day. They carried the ball two minutes later to the red and black’s 34-yard line where Hollwager fumbled and Hensel recovered for New Philadelphia. A minute later they started another offensive march which was stopped abruptly by a 15-yard penalty for holding, and the game came to a finish a few seconds later.

The last minute attack was the only offense the Washington high eleven uncorked. In the first place, it was playing nothing but straight football and in the second place could do little against the fighting forward wall of the red and black and the penalty hazard.

The strength of the red and black’s line was somewhat surprising although it lived up to the advance dope that the game would be a similar battle to the Conneaut affair of a week ago. The Tuscarawas county gridders, however, were even less helpless on the offense than the local team, ball carriers frequently being tossed for losses, but while Massillon was penalized 100 yards during times in which it was in possession of the ball, the red and black was set back but 15 yards when it had the pigskin. One other penalty was charged up to New Philadelphia when the local eleven had the ball but it did not help the orange and black any for it followed a 15-yard penalty inflicted on Washington high on the previous play.

An argument ensued between halves between Coach Elmer McGrew and the referee, over clipping which occurred a few seconds before the end of the half, Houriet was clipped from behind while going down under a punt. The officials saw the clipping but declared that it occurred after the ball had been caught and carried out of bounds by the New Philadelphia safety man. The result was that New Philadelphia was given the ball at the point where the runner went out of bounds, Captain Potts declining a penalty which would have made a difference of about two yards in the position of the ball. However had the clipping occurred before the runner went out of bounds then New Philadelphia would have been penalized nearly to its goal line. The referee argued that his eyesight was good but from the sidelines it appeared that the runner was fully eight yards inside the boundary line when Houriet was clipped.

The red and black counted the game as somewhat of a moral victory. Rooters were enthusiastic over the scoreless tie and in spite of the fact that all the breaks were against the local eleven the wearers of red and black ribbons had a right to be proud of the scrappy game their team put up.

The Massillon eleven should make certain after this that it gets to the field on time. Fans waited in the bleachers 45 minutes after game time before the local team appeared on the field. At least one-half hour of the delay was due to a broken axle on the bus when the team was dressed and ready to leave the school for the field, but barring the accident the Massillon team would have been 20 minutes late.

The officials were prepared to step off a 25-yard penalty for being tardy but did not do so at the request of officials of New Philadelphia high school, which Massillon fans consider very sportsmanlike.

Watkins showed well at halfback in his first game in the backfield, while the playing of Potts and Houriet on the ends was the feature of the Massillon play. Honors were even between Kester and Knauss in punting.

Whether or not the referee was partial to New Philadelphia, Massillon fans can settle in their own minds, but it is not good sportsmanship to threaten to “beat up” the officials. It leaves a bad reputation for the school and makes it all the more difficult to obtain good officiating.

Lineup and summary:

Massillon Pos. New Phila.
Potts LE Keiser
Slinger LT Sherer
Fisher LG Hensel
Lewis C Alexander
Blatz RG Wheatley
Goodman RT Bebout
Houriet RE Douds
Worthington QB Rohrbach
Kester HB Byrd
Watkins HB Foutz
Hollwager FB Knauss

Substitutions:
Massillon – Schnierle for Watkins, Minger for Potts, Potts for Fisher, Francis for Hollwager, Garland for Potts;
New Philadelphia – Marsh for Bebout, Hurst for Keiser, Bebout for Marsh, Hammond for Bebout.

Referee—Hamm (Kenyon).
Umpire—Burghalter (Heidelberg).
Headlinesman—Kiefer (Ohio State).

Henry Potts