Part 2 – Pre-Spread Offense Quarterbacks in the Massillon Tiger Football Hall of Fame
The Tiger Football Hall of Fame recognizes those individuals that have made contributions to the Tiger football experience, whether it be a player, coach, band director or just an individual who has influenced the program in a positive way. Inductees are honored in the WHS Sports Hall with plaques that display the inductees’ contributions. As of 2022, a total of 105 members have been inducted.
This entry is Part 2 of a series that presents the inductees by playing position and features quarterbacks that competed prior to the period of the spread offense; i.e., before the late 1990s. During that time, teams characteristically stayed mostly to the ground with their offensive attacks, throwing the ball around 20% of the time. Using elementary passing concepts, the completion percentages were usually around 40% and total game passing yardages were minimal. But many times, the quarterbacks of this era were thrust into rushing modes.
Four Massillon quarterbacks have gained Hall of Fame distinction during this period, including Willie Spencer, Jr., Dennis Franklin, Dave Sheegog, Joe Sparma, George Slusser and Harry Stuhldreher. Paul Brown was also a quarterback then, but he was inducted based on his coaching skills, and so is not included in this story.
Willie Spencer (1992-94)
Spencer was one of the most athletic quarterbacks in Massillon history. Then again, he was playing on the heels of his father, Willie Sr., who was a sensational high school All-American running back for the Tigers in 1971.
In 1993 during his junior year Spencer became a varsity starter at defensive back and was part of a team that compiled a 10-2 record, while losing in the playoff regionals. With an uncanny ability quickly break for the ball, he had six pass interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns, including 87 yards against Grove City, PA, 54 yards against Austintown Fitch and 36 yards against Akron St. Vincent. He also recovered two fumbles, returning one for a score. In addition, he was the backup quarterback, where he scored one rushing touchdown.
Spencer became the full-time signal caller during his senior year, where he completed 58 of 124 passes for 941 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed 129 times for 775 yards and 18 touchdowns, scoring 108 points. His rushing yardage total leads all Massillon quarterbacks in that category. Memorable games include:
148 rushing yards against Mansfield
122 rushing yards against Fitch. His 89-yard jaunt in the fourth quarter tied the game at 7-7, after which Nick Pribich kicked the game-winning field goal.
Led Massillon to a 42-41 overtime win over Canton McKinley in the 100th rivalry game.
Completed 7 of 11 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns, in a 35-28 playoff victory over Fremont Ross, a team that led by future Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson.
For his performance he was named Repository 1st Team All-County quarterback, WHBC Stark County MVP, Northeast Inland District Player of the Year and 1st Team A.P. Division 1 All-Ohio quarterback.
After high school Spencer played for the University of Akron and then Tiffin Univrsity.
Dennis Franklin (1968-70)
As a Massillon junior in 1969, during Coach Bob Commings’ inaugural year, Franklin split time at quarterback with senior Gary Herring, completing 52% of his passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns. The Tigers finished 7-2-1 during that rebuilding season.
The following year it all came together and with just Franklin at the QB position the team exploded with an undefeated 10-0 season. Massillon led the All-American Conference in both rushing and passing and outscored its opposition 412-29. In a key Week 4 matchup with state-ranked Niles, Franklin led his team to a 22-3 comeback victory. He also scored all three touchdowns in a 22-0 win over Warren Harding and was involved in four TDs against Trotwood Madison. The magical season was then punctuated by a 28-0 victory over previously undefeated and state No. 3 Canton McKinley.
At season’s end, Massillon was voted as the best team in Ohio by the Associated Press, that campaign coming prior to the introduction of the state playoffs.
Franklin had a consistent year throwing the ball, completing 33 of 78 passes (42%) for 699 yards and 13 touchdowns. But it was when he began to showcase his athletic running ability (79 carries for 363 yards, 4.6/att., and 9 TDs) that he became a complete quarterback. For his effort, Dennis was named 2nd Team All-Ohio and invited to play in the Ohio North-South All-Star Game, where he was the starting quarterback for the North. Subsequently, he received a scholarship to play football for the University of Michigan, where he became a 3-year starter.
For his high school career he played in 19 games and completed 61 of 132 passes (46%) for 1,079 yards and 16 touchdowns. Modest statistics by today’s standards, but Franklin’s prowess was that he was truly a field general in leading his team to the state title.
Dave Sheegog (1963-65)
Dave Sheegog, as a junior backup quarterback, was the hero of the 1964 Canton McKinley game. With Massillon down 14-0 entering the fourth quarter, Sheegog replaced Steve Kanner, who left the game with an injury, and he led the Tigers to a 20-14 victory. During that memorable 12 minutes, Sheegog completed 3 of 4 passes for 41 yards and rushed six times for 39, scoring the winning touchdown off a 14-yard scramble with just 53 seconds left in the game. The win gave Massillon an undefeated record and a 22nd state championship.
The following year, Sheegog was the starter and he help the Tigers to a consecutive unbeaten season and another state title. His key games included:
50 yards rushing against 9-1 Cleveland Benedictine in a 29-12 victory.
5 of 10 for 90 yards passing and two touchdowns, plus 32 yards rushing against Alliance in a 22-6 win.
77 yards rushing and 3 TDs against 6-2-2 Niles in a 22-8 victory.
61 yards rushing in a 16-12 win over unbeaten Warren Harding.
12 carries for 41 yards against 7-3 Canton McKinley in another come-from-behind victory, 18-14.
Sheegog finished the season completing 26 of 72 passes for 427 yards and 5 touchdowns and rushing 106 times for 405 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also returned 9 kickoffs for 215 yards and 19 punts for 120 yards, including one of 94 yards that went for a score. Also, as a 2-way player, he intercepted two passes on defense, which he returned for 11 yards. On top of that, he led the team in scoring with 59 points.
Following the season, he accepted a scholarship offer to play for Kent State University.
Joe Sparma (1957-59)
Joe had the long arm desired by most quarterbacks. It was so long that he eventually made a career of throwing fastballs for the Detroit Tigers. But he also made his mark in high school, including a big pass he threw in the infamous clock game against Warren Harding. With the game tied 14 apiece and Massillon sitting on the Panther 46 yard line with just seconds remaining, Head Coach Leo Strang inserted the young sophomore to try a desperation pass. Sparma did just that, launching the ball to the goal line and into the hands of Clyde Childers, who outjumped the defender for the winning score. Following the game, Warren claimed that Massillon had received an extra minute of play. But you can read the story yourself.
Sparma became the starter the following year, 1958, and led his team to the state championship (tied with Alliance). With the team finishing 8-1-1, he tossed 9 touchdowns and ran for two more.
His senior year was even better, with Massillon finishing 10-0 and capturing both the state and national championships. Sparma completed 28 of 85 passes form 660 yards and 14 touchdowns with just 4 interceptions. He also punted 17 times with a 35.9 average. Following the season, he was named 1st Team All-Ohio. He then accepted a scholarship offer to play for Ohio State under Woody Hayes.
Sparma’s record as a starter was 18-1-1 and currently holds the Massillon record for single season average yards per completion (23.6).
George Slusser (1937-39)
In an era when a pass in football was just an afterthought, Coach Paul Brown used quarterback George Slusser to shake things up a bit. And he did just that, starting at the position for two years. During that span, his team went 20-0 and captured two state championships.
In his junior year, Slusser passed for 7 touchdowns and rushing for 6. Meanwhile, the team outscored its opposition, 302-60.
As a senior, he passed for 10 touchdowns and rushing for 18 as a senior. Against Mansfield he passed for two and rushed for two in a 73-0 win. Then, against Steubenville, he passed for one and rushed for three in a 50-0 win. The team was simply dominant, outscoring their foes, 460-25.
Following his last season, Slusser was named 1st Team All-Ohio and then played for Dartmouth College.
Harry Stuhldreher
Harry (known as Hessie and Stuhlie) played for Coach John Snavely on the Tiger teams of 1917, 1918 and 1919. He was not a regular on the 1917 team, which ended with a 7-2 record and beat Canton McKinley, 7-6.
But that changed the following year. The 1918 team was 2-2-2. This was a unique season, when several games were canceled due to the Spanish Flu epidemic, including the one against the Canton McKinley game. In addition, the New Philadelphia game was forfeited when Coach Snavely pulled his players from the field because of what he believed was a biased ruling against the Tigers. Final score: New Philadephia 1, Massillon 0.
The 1919 team finished 8-1. Playing at a paltry 5′-5″ and weighing just 137 lbs., Harry started the first eight games. The Tigers beat McKinley that year 21-0, but he was held out due to an injured arm in that one.
During his 3-year career at Massillon, Harry was described as a good, although not outstanding player. Unfortunately, Harry never got the chance to play in a Canton McKinley game.
After high school Harry played for Notre Dame, which was coached at the time by Knute Rockne. As a quarterback, he was considered in the media as one of the “four horsemen.” After college he had offers to play for three pro teams in the Connecticut area, but signed a contract to play for the Providence Steam Roller in the team’s inaugural NFL season. Later, he was the head coach of Villanova University and then the University of Wisconsin.
Workmanlike Tigers Make It A Perfect Year Massillon Stouties Roast Bulldogs 20-0 In Defensive-Minded Hassle
By CHARLIE POWELL
Workmanlike.
That is as good a word as any to use in describing the superlative piece of machinery which combined to hold the “Indian sign” over the Canton McKinley Bulldogs last Saturday afternoon.
The mighty Massillon Tigers did no extraordinary things, they simply did the ordinary thing extraordinarily well as they put the Bulldogs through the meat-grinder, 20-0 before nearly 19,000 fans at sunny Fawcett stadium.
There were not twisting, 80-yard runs, no fourth-down scoring passes, no whopping, long punt or kickoff return. Just work. Much like other people perform in the mills.
The bountiful Tigers tore off the tackles and up the middle most of the afternoon as they enjoyed an early Thanksgiving Day – stuffing the Bulldogs and roasting’em well.
The Cantonians must have felt like they had eaten a mess of those contaminated cranberries that slipped by the spying crews.
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The grind-em out offense combined with an impregnable defense proved that the Tigers could get the job done one way or the other. All season long, when the occasion demanded, they either banged inside the flanks, threw the long stroke or pulled off some hipper-dipper. Versatility and variance were bywords.
It was this kind of a team which will go down in Washington high gridiron annals as one of the greatest.
The sweet smell of success over 10 weekends brought Tigertown its first unbeaten season since 1953, this was the sixth highest scoring club in all history, the eighth to splurge to over 400 points in a single season. * * * HEADMASTER LEO Strang’s merry-makers averaged six touchdowns a game, held their eminent opponents to just 46 points, only Akron Garfield scored more than one touchdown against them and the Bulldogs became the fifth foe to draw a blank in the scoring column.
Balance, depth and poise of a champion w ere the big reasons why the Tigers came through with Massillon’s 16th unbeaten and 12th perfect record team in history. They worked, worried and whaled into their job with one goal on the horizon – an unsullied record – and they got it – and they earned it.
Teamwork, as always, paid off handsomely. Everybody who had a part in this spectacular season, from Coach Strang and his aide-de-camps on down to the little people behind the scenes, deserve the heartiest compliments.
This team had a whole lot of everything.
It had a world of balance in the leather-lugging department. When tricky Art Hastings wasn’t whirling and weaving, piston legged Bill Finney was flashing downfield. And when speedy Jim Wood wasn’t on the go, that reliable junior, Martin Gugov was like Popeye’s can of spinach or the U.S. cavalry showing up in a western movie…help came when needed.
It had Joe Sparma, the hand-is-quicker-than-the-eye quarterback…he had no peer in the state. A non-worrier and team-steadier, the confident field general threw 15 touchdown passes this season to bring his career total to 32 pay off pitches. * * * GUGOV SCORED 88 points, Hastings chalked up 86 and Finney and Wood each checked in with 64. Hastings carried 116 times for 1,244 yards, an average of 10.7 yards per try. Finney toted 87 times for 608 yards. Wood collared 481 yards in 39 tries and Gugov was called on 50 times and picked up 480 yards.
Yep, this team had everything. It had sharp blocking, especially improved downfield blocking, with Virgil Bukuts, Jim Houston, Wendell Snodgrass, Don Appleby, and Bob Barkman as possibly the standouts. It had smart, teeth-loosing defensive play led by Gugov, Houston, Hase McKey, “Sluggo” Bednar, Frank Midure, Terry Snyder, Gary Wells, Jay B. Willey, Nick Daugenti, and Bob Oliver.
While of offense averaged 8.1 yards per play, the defense allowed the opposition just 2.8 yards per try.
We think you will agree, the Tigers had all the earmarks of a true champion.
They may not be officially crowned the state champ but in this book, and probably yours too, they are the very best in Buckeyeland.
It took some doing to wade through such formidable opposition without a loss. The orange and black knocked down, Alliance, Steubenville and Warren, when they were ranked in the top 10 and two other victims, Cleveland Benedictine and McKinley, were accorded berths in the second ten over the season.
McKinley tried to show Massillon was not unbeatable but the Tigers had too many guns in their arsenal. Thus they keep the Nickel Plate Road victory bell for a third straight year. The series record now reads Massillon 32 wins, 27 losses and five tie scores.
For two years under Strang, the Bengals arte 18-1-1. It was Leo’s second unbeaten team, his 1955 Upper Sandusky array having tifted nine straight scalps. * * * McKINELY HAD scored at least two touchdowns in eight of its nine previous games. (Steubenville triumphed, in the rain and mud, 15-0) but the Bulldog offense was practically nil against the Orangemen.
The host club gained 96 yards but the Tigers, led by Bednar (he waits and pounces like a burglar) and Gugov (he surely can wreck those end runs!), tossed Bulldog runners for losses amounting to 29 yards. For 35 plays the losing side made 67 yards, an average of a mere 1.9 per play.
McKinley never got off a pass. Quarterback Dave Sitzman went back three times but Massillon never gave him a chance to get rid of the ball.
The Bulldogs made only five first downs – three of them in the last quarter.
Meanwhile, the tenacious Tigers reeled off 15 first downs, made 242 yards rushing and Sparma hit on two of seven passes for 21 yards. One pass was caught out of bunds and another hit the intended receiver on the headgear.
Hastings, the driving junior, clicked off 108 yards in 17 carries. Gugov made 68 yards in 14 tries and Finney picked up 53 yards in 15 stabs.
The Tigers reached the promised-land in the second, third and fourth periods, going 75 yards in 15 plays during the second round, 59 yards in 11 plays during the third panel and 21 yards in five plays during the last chapter. The final TD came after that ferocious middle guard McKey, recovered an enemy fumble.
McKinley only once threatened and that was in the second quarter when a Massillon fumble was recovered by Fullback Wrentie Martin at the Bengal 34.
THE FUMBLE occurred on the first play of the second stanza and in the next four plays, the red and black was unable to get a first down.
Halfback Stanley Wilcoxen carried twice for six yards before Sitzman, unable to find the receiver open on a jump pass, ran and was stopped by Houston after a pickup of a yard. With fourth and three at the 27, Wilcoxen rode off the right side on a trap play but found no trap, consequently no hole, and he was grassed a yard shy of the first down.
The Tigers marched 61 yards the first time they got the ball as a 16-yard run by Hastings and a 10-yard smash by Gugov sparkled. But at the 22 they lost the ball on a fumble and they had to wait until the second period before breaking a scoreless deadlock.
After halting the Bulldogs at their own 25, the Orangemen knuckled down, Hastings, Finney, Sparma and Gugov lugging the ball goalward. Hastings inserted a 15-yard run and only a tackle from behind by Bill Babics, a fine end, kept him from going all the way. Finney got off a 10-yarder and would have scored from 14 yards out except that he was tripped up at the last second by End Frank Smith.
From the one Finney scored off right tackle as Wood made the key block. Gugov hit the same spot for the bonus points and at 2:58 in the quarter it was 8-0.
Following the score, McKinley made three yards in three plays and Sitzman was stopped after two on fourth-and-seven. Massillon still had time for a giant-sized try.
With time running out, Wood caught the Sparma pass out of bounds at the Bulldog 22 and on the last play of the half, Martin managed to knock Sparma’s pass away from Oliver.
To start the second half, the Tigers received and they promptly added another six points. This 59-yard foray highlighted a 14-yard Sparma to Wood pass and Hastings’ twisting 10-yard jaunt.
Gugov scored on a beauty from the nine. He took a pitch out to the right, got a nice block from Barkman, leaped over one would-be tackler and kept his footing to step in and hike the count to 14-0 at 6:25. Finney then was stopped a yard away from two more markers.
McKINLEY THEN had to punt and Daugenti, the boy who came here from Cleveland this year, put on a nifty return of 35 yards to the Bulldog 34. Nick fought off three defenders and Willey applied a crunching block but their efforts were wiped out because the Tigers were called for clipping.
However, they advanced 43 yards on the last eight plays of the quarter as Hastings ignited the drive by breezing for 25 yards.
But this bid was thwarted by linebacker Dan Mussulin who picked off a Sparma pass from the 20 (it was intended for sub halfback Bob Herring, but too short) and McKinley remained in contention.
An exchange of punts followed and with 8:40 remaining, the hosts got moving. After two first downs though, Sitzman, swarmed under as he tried to pass, fumbled and the ball was grabbed on the fly by McKey who churned four yards to the McKinley 21.
Finney gained eight, Gugov five in two tries and Finney came back for seven before Hastings wedging through center, made the final yard at 1:50. Gugov was stopped short on the PAT attempt but it didn’t matter, the Tigers were in.
On the ensuing kickoff, Gugov recovered what appeared to be a fumble but the ball was ruled dead. After Jimmy Robinson’s combine made a first down, Massillon cheerleaders hauled out and displayed a big sign, “State Champions!” and two plays later the 64th Tiger-Bulldog game was history.
THE CANTONIANS defensed the Tigers pretty well but it wasn’t enough. The loss gave McKinley a record of six victories against four losses for the season.
Massillon has held the upper hand 10 times in the last 12 years and the Tigers now have shut out their top rival 13 times during the ancient series.
Statistics Mass. McKin. First downs, rushing 14 5 First downs, passing 1 0 First downs, penalties 0 0 Total first downs 15 5 Yards gained rushing 245 96 Yards lost rushing 3 29 Net yards gained rushing 242 67 Yards gained passing 21 0 Total yards gained 268 67 Passes attempted 7 0 Passes completed 2 0 Passes intercepted by 0 1 Times kicked off 4 1 Kickoff average (yards) 41.0 50.0 Kickoff returns (yards) 26 45 Times punted 1 4 Punt average (yards) 37.0 34.5 Punt returns (yards 28 0 Fumbles 3 2 Lost fumbled ball 2 1 Penalties 1 5 Yards penalized 15 25
THE EMERY WHEEL By Lut Emery
Will the Tigers be named state champions in the Associated Press poll this week?
In our mind and in the mind of every Massillonian and for that matter most residents of Stark County, the Tigers are champs regardless of how they are voted in the poll.
Their 10-game sweep concluded Saturday with a 20-0 victory over Canton McKinley should be convincing to a majority of the state’s sports writers and sportscasters, we believe, but there was rigging the past two weeks in several spots, which if carried on again this week would make the Tigers’ hopes for a state title via AP recognition almost futile. * * * THERE HAVE been suggestions that we fight fire with fire, and attempt to enlist our friends to rig the poll in favor of Massillon.
Not desiring to get our hands dirtied in the already muddy water, we will have no part of it.
We have cast our ballot as have most of the state’s sportswriters and radio sportscasters. Naturally, we voted our Tigers first. They are the only ranking team in the state that has won 10 straight this season, and against tougher opposition than the other ranked teams have faced.
After re-examining the scores, we voted undefeated Kettering Fairmount second, which is a change from last week, when we cast our second place ballot for Springfield.
Springfield, which we vote third, and Kettering, played two common foes, Middletown and Dayton Chaminade. Kettering looked the better against Middletown, winning 26-0 while Springfield won 38-26. Springfield made the better showing against Chaminade, winning 60-0 while Kettering won 22-0.
Springfield at no time during the season met a team in the top 10 of the AP ratings, while Kettering knocked Troy out of the top 10 with an 8-0 victory. * * * FRANKLY WE feel the Associated Press poll no longer serves its purpose, as a result of the rigging this year, and should be thrown out as a basis for selecting a state champion until some better plan can be devised.
A few writers and sportscasters have put Fritz Howell, sports editor of the Associated Press and conductor of the poll on the spot. Two weeks ago Howell tossed all ballots into the waste paper basket when 14 writers and radio commentators failed to list Massillon on their 10-team ballot/
Last week Howell resumed the poll. The rigging continued but not on as large a scale. One writer didn’t put the Tigers in the first 10, a number of others including one block of eight placed them eighth or ninth – and most of this conniving came from northwest and northeast Ohio – not from Springfield and not from the cities of Tiger opponents.
The rigging started three weeks ago. The Tigers who had been in front from the start of the season led by 83 points on Oct. 27.
The Tigers knocked off sixth ranked Warren, but their lead in the poll dropped to 36 points. Next they beat Barberton 90-0 and that was the week Howell tossed the poll away.
When the poll was resumed last week, the count showed Springfield had gone around Massillon to lead by 45 points.
Maybe the Tigers- 20-0 victory over McKinley will change the sentiment of those who ganged up on them the past two weeks.
We’ll just have to wait and see. * * * IN THE MEATIME our congratulations go to Coach Leo Strang and his staff for a job well done this fall. They and their fancy Tigers have given Washington high school its first undefeated season since Chuck Mather’s romp in 1953.
Massillon ‘Held” to 36-18 Romp; Garfield Foe Doesn’t Fold For Bengals
By RICH MOORE Repository Bureau Writer
MASSILLON – The Massillon Tigers won their ninth straight game here Friday night – but it was anything but the usual romp Bengal fans have become used to seeing.
With the Akron Garfield Presidents putting up a stubborn battle, Massillon emerged with a 36-18 victory before 8,596 fans.
Now, the terrific Tigers have one date remaining on their 1959 schedule – next Saturday’s game with Canton McKinley.
It was the first time this season a Bengal opponent has been able to score more than one touchdown.
Surprisingly, Garfield’s only previous loss was to Barberton, 18-14, a team swamped 90-0 last week by Massillon. The Akron team now has a 6-2-1 record. * * * WHILE THE Tigers showed better in earlier games, they had to play good ball to put down the Presidents, who obviously were fired up.
Garfield used every second allowed between plays, a major factor in the low score.
Both coaches were pleased.
Massillon Mentor Leo Strang was elated with the victory, of course.
Garfield’s Dan “Babe” Flossie was happy because his crew had played so well.
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Strang expressed much respect for the Akron squad and felt its battle was more responsible for the relatively low score than a letdown by the Tigers.
“I don’t think we were at our peak,” he said, “but I don’t want to take anything from Garfield and its coaching staff. They did a tremendous job.”
He was not expecting a breeze, however. * * * “WE FELT WE were going to have a hard time with them. From our scouting, we knew they were capable of giving us trouble – and they did,” Strang noted.
Strang predicts the McKinley contest will not be a picnic, either, and he doesn’t intend to let the Tigers loaf.
“We’re going to work real hard this week,” he said. “I think we’re going to run into another fired-up club and a good game.”
Meanwhile, in the Garfield dressing room, hilarity was the byword. If any tears were shed, it was from happiness.
They had every right to satisfaction. No one could doubt they had played their best.
Flossie was well pleased with his team.
“These boys did their best,” he said. “We had told them if they played a good game and weren’t afraid of Massillon’s reputation, they would do all right. * * * HIGH PRAISE was heaped on the Bengals by Flossie.
“Strang has the best club Massillon has had since we’ve been coming down here to play,” he said. “We’d love to play Massillon every year because of the treatment we receive from the players, the coaches and fans.”
Halfback Bill Finney and Martin Gugov each tallied twice for the Bengals on runs and end Bob Barkman added one TD on a pass.
For Garfield, fullback Larry Valatka notched two touchdowns and sophomore halfback Tony Bissessi scored one.
The clock ran for eight minutes before Gugov cracked off guard from eight yards out to draw first blood for the Tigers. He also added the first of three PAT’s for Massillon.
Garfield countered following the kickoff. After 10 plays, mostly line bucks it pushed the ball the to the one-yard line from where Valatka scored. * * * SCORING WAS easier for Massillon after the first period. A 21-yard pass play from quarterback Joe Sparma to Barkman added a TD in the second period. Finney reeled off a 75-yard end sweep to score in the same quarter.
From his own 45 in the fourth quarter, Sparma passed to halfback Jim Wood, who was tackled and fumbled on the 5. The ball bounced into the end zone and Finney pounced on it.
Gugov capped the Bengal scoring with a 10-yard scoot around end in the fourth stanza.
Taking the second-half kickoff, Garfield went 45 yards in 15 plays, with Bissessi going over from the one to score.
The final score of the game was by Akron from 27 yards out.
All the statistics favored the Tigers, as usual. They edged Garfield in first downs, 14-11; in passing yards gained, 104-70; and in total yards gained 406-193.
Tigers Beat Fired-Up Akron Garfield 36-18 Golden Rams Display Surprising Strength As Bengals Win Ninth
By CHARLIE POWELL
Homecoming was worth ‘coming home to” at Tiger stadium Friday night as the Massillon Tigers turned back the challenge of a chin-up Akron Garfield team.
The orange and black got possession of the pigskin eight times and scored five times to beat the Golden Rams 36-18 in a game which saw the enemy give the Tigers more competition than 99 percent of the fans expected.
A crowd of 8,596 (paid admissions) watched the Rubber City stouties, with everything to gain and nothing to lose, pound the Massillon defense with power and precision. * * * A GRINDING ground attack with two boys named Larry Valatka and Tony Bissessi starring as go-guys, and a stick’em-in-their tummy passing game with cool, collected Ronnie Tate as the launcher, formed a parlay which gave the Tiger defense more trouble than that concocted by any of Massillon’s eight previous victims.
Up until last night the Tigers had allowed the opposition only four touchdowns – never more than one a game and four foes had drawn a blank in the scoring department.
However, the Babe Flossie-coached crew marched 48 yards to cut the gap after falling behind by eight points, then consumed all but three minutes and 48 seconds of the third period to move 65 yards and make the score 22-12. After the Bengals put their ninth straight decision of the year on ice with a pair of TDs in the final quarter, the visitors scored again – on the last play of the game.
Flossie prepped his offense to hold onto the ball and his big, seasoned lads did a good job of doing just that.
But in the end the terrific Tigers simply had too much of everything as they sent the Rams down to their second loss in nine spins, one other game winding up in a tie score.
The Tigers extending their overall wins string through a dozen games, brought their point total to 411 and became Massillon’s ninth 400-point team in all history.
Now they can turn their attention to the traditional game with Canton McKinley. Next Saturday’s fracas at Fawcett stadium will find the Orangemen going for their third straight triumph over their No. 1 rival. They will need a victory for an unbeaten season and to remain in contention for the state crown.
Tigertown’s prides, perhaps a little lackadaisical against this fired-up opponent, didn’t hit with their usual gusto but their efforts were mighty pleasing to their fans. * * * ALTHOUGH GARFIELD ran off 56 running and passing plays to Massillon’s 38, the Tigers roared for a hefty advantage of 406 to 193 in total yards gained. On the ground they rushed for 302 yards and the unerring arm of Quarterback Joe Sparma, connecting on three of three forwards, added 104 yards. Garfield picked up 70 of its net gain via the airways as Ronnie Tate, a very talented youngster, hit on six of 11 attempts.
Valatka and Bissessi made the Tigers sit up and take notice but the Garfield duo was over-shadowed by the likes of Bill Finney, Art Hastings, Martin Gugov and Jim Wood.
Finney and Gugov each counted two tallies with the former galloping 75 yards in the second period and his second TD, coming on the first play of the final canto, rated an assist from Sparma and Wood.
From the Tiger 45, Sparma pitched to Wood on the 17 and Jim sped to the three. After being hit, he tried to drag a couple defenders past the final stripe, fumbled the ball and Finney recovered in the end zone for the fourth Bengal six-pointer of the night.
Finney fished with 113 yards in eight trips and Gugov carried five times for 41 yards. Rambling Art Hastings, who did not enter the game until the second quarter, carried 10 times and winged for 98 yards. Wood had 23 yards in five tries, Doug Toles (who started at fullback) carried three times for 10 yards and Bob Herring picked up 13 yards in his only carry. * * * SPARMA ALSO passed to End Bob Barkman on a 21-yard scoring play and his other completion, a 29-yarder with Wood on the receiving end, paved the way for the first touchdown of the contest.
These boys had some sharp blocking with Virgil Bukuts, Don Appleby, Jim Houston and Wendell Snodgrass being prominent. On defense the names of Captain Gary “Sluggo” Bednar, Terry Snyder, Hase McKey, Nick Daugenti and Gugov bobbed up more than once.
The offense, averaging over 10 yards a play, actually bogged down only once all night.
The first time Massillon had possession it lost the ball on a fumble. Only once did the Tigers have to punt. And one play after a Garfield punt in the second stanza, the first half came to a close.
The second time the Tigers got the football in the opening round Sparma passed to Wood for 29 yards and this led to six points.
Herring swooshed for 13 and Finney got 12 to help move the ball to the seven before Gugov, fighting through the right side, reached pay dirt with 3:58 remaining. His PAT run made it 8-0. * * * HOWEVER, the maroon and gold came back in a hurry. After Dave Taylor returned the kickoff 40 yards to the Tiger 48 (sub guard Pete Anzalone pulled him down from behind) six plays, including a 17-yard gainer by Valatka, put the ball on the Bengal 12 as the quarter ended.
The second period opened with Garfield facing a fourth-and-six situation at that point. The Rams lined up for an apparent field goal attempt by Valatka (from the 19) but before the ball could be snapped, an over-anxious Tiger defender spurted across the line of scrimmage and made contact.
This encroachment penalty gave the Rams a new outlook on things and Valatka and Bissessi carried the ball to the one before the piston-legged Valatka blasted across. At 10:07 his pass on the conversion try went awry but the difference was only two points.
After an exchange of punts the Sparma-Barkman combo put the Orangemen out front to stay.
Tate rushed by Tiger linemen, punted high but not far and the ball rolled dead at the Garfield 23. After Wood made two at right tackle, Sparma, getting rid of the ball at the last possible second, fired to Barkman who made a leaping catch in the end zone. The score came at 4:41 and Gugov ran across for two more markers. * * * WITHIN THREE and a half minutes, Leo Strang’s gang had six more points. Daugenti returned a Garfield punt ot the Massillon 25 and on the first play Finney got a big hole at right tackle and raced down the west sidelines – 75 yards for a touchdown as McKey and Bukuts threw key blocks. Gugov was stopped shy of the final stripe on the conversion try. Garfield was forced to punt four plays after the kickoff and after Wood picked up 13, the half came to an end.
The first eight minutes and 12 seconds of the third round was a boring proposition for Tiger fans. Garfield took the kickoff and marched 65 yards in 15 plays. It was a slow process – but a good one for the Rams – whose longest gain was a 10-yard pass play. With fourth and one at the one, Bissessi rammed through at 3:48. It remained that way as the Tigers stopped Bissessi a foot short on the extra point try.
The Massillon lead was down to 10 points, but it wasn’t 22-12 very long. Hastings returned the kickoff 18 yards and with the same boy going for 16 on one play, the Tigers initiated an advance that hit the jackpot on the first play of the final quarter.
On the last play of the third period Wood gunned for 22 yards but the Tigers were called for clipping and when the final period got under way the ball was resting at the Tiger 45. * * * THEN CAME the pass play in which Finney recovered Wood’s fumble in the end zone. Gugov bulled across for the extra points and Massillon was home safe.
Not too long afterward the Akron club had to punt, the ball going into the end zone, and the Bengals quickly whirled to another score.
Hastings ran the ball four straight times for 27, 3, 15 and 5 yards. Gugov twisted for 21, then scored on a nine-yard pitchout play. On another pitchout maneuver, Herring was stopped short on the conversion attempt but Massillon was ahead by 36-12 at 3:04.
To prove that they still had lots of bounce left, the Rams came back for another score before action ceased.
A 74-yard drive featured a 16-yard run by Valatka and the passing of Tate who flipped three times for 27 yards before he followed up with a 27-yard payoff pitch as the clock ran out. His pass from the 27 was caught by Valatka at the 20 and Valatka hiked to the promised-and, carrying a couple players with him. Valatak tried to boot the extra point but the kick sailed wide and to the right.
The Akron Garfield dressing room called for a doctor. Dr. John R. Rohrbaugh responded.
As Dr. Rohrbaugh entered the dressing room, he found a Garfield player somewhat dizzy from a blow sustained during the game.
The doctor asked the standard question: “Do you know where you are?”
The player blinked a couple of times, “I must be in Massillon, that’s the only place they hit that hard.”
The player was not seriously injured. Statistics Mass. Gar. First downs, rushing 12 6 First downs, passing 2 4 First downs, penalties 0 1 Total first downs 14 11 Yards gained rushing 309 128 Yards lost rushing 7 5 Net yards gained rushing 302 123 Yards gained passing 104 70 Total yards gained 406 193 Passes attempted 3 11 Passes completed 3 6 Passes intercepted by 0 0 Times kicked off 6 3 Kickoff average (yards) 39.6 45 Kickoff returns (yards) 72 76 Times punted 1 6 Punt average (yards) 35 32.5 Punt returns (yards 2 0 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 2 1 Lost fumbled ball 1 0 Penalties 5 0 Yards penalized 45 0
LOOKING’ EM OVER with CHARLIE POWELL
CAPSULE SUM-UP of the Massillon-Garfield game. “They were up and we were going through the motions.”
The Tiger fans who made this observation after the Tigers remained on the victory trail by beating he Garfielders for the eighth straight time wasn’t a bit disappointed by what many probably prefer to call a so-so performance.
The Bengals hit three out of three passes, two for touchdowns and more than doubled the Garfield output in total yardage, he maintained…then tossed a generous bouquet in the direction of the Golden Rams. * * * LEO STRANG HAD a bushel of compliments for the Akron team.
“Their coaches did a good job and their boys were up for this one,” said the Tiger mentor.
“They made our job tough by being able to keep possession of the ball more than we had hoped they would,” he asserted.
Strang didn’t stay around the Tiger locker room too long because he wanted to continue his post-game conversation with Babe Flossie, the likeable coach of the Garfield team. Strang congratulated many of the Garfield players and 30 minutes after he left their dressing room, the Rams still were shouting and singing – really whooping it up. * * * MEANWHILE, TIGER fans were talking about some of the high points of the game – and the state polls.
The Associated Press poll, cancelled this week because of some rigging shenanigans, will be out next Tuesday.
What effect will the Garfield game have with the voters? That is the question.
Springfield, our nearest rival for the state title, walloped Hamilton Taft 59-0 in their finale last night.
It was Garfield’s final game against Massillon. It will be replaced on next year’s schedule by Toledo Waite. * * * FLOSSIE SAID, “Strang has the finest Massillon ball club we have ever played against and we’d love to play Massillon every year because of the wonderful treatment we receive from your fans and coaches and because your boys play the hardest, cleanest football in Ohio.
“I don’t think anybody ever has anything to squawk about down here in Massillon as far as fans, coaches and the team are concerned. We are just sorry we can’t play your boys every year.”
Babe thought both teams last night were playing under a psychological disadvantage: Massillon because of the publicity regarding the state ratings, he said, and he claimed that his boys were at a disadvantage from what they had read in the paper and what their parents and friends might have said, “that Massillon would do to us what they did to Barberton.”
The Garfield pilot asserted, “Our kids gave their best. We told them all week that if we’d play a good ball game, we could give Massillon a good run and the kids did it. They deserve a lot of credit.”
He said he confined the “bread and butter” of his attack to Larry Valatka’s running and the passing-running of Ronnie Tate, because his regular lefthalf, Larry Wimley, was hurt and did not dress for the game.
On defense he thought George Butash, Tom Dyser and Bill McGee played especially good games.
The soggy turf apparently helped Garfield’s style of play. This was chiefly noticeable on short yardage plays when the ball carrier’s momentum helped him get another yard or two against tacklers who were forced to be more careful in their pursuit. * * * THE TARPAULIN was placed on the field Wednesday and taken off for the Tiger swing band’s “dress rehearsal” Thursday night. The tarp was put down again after band practice but both sides had become dampened and the material was made porous, thus water from Tuesday night’s steady rainfall seeped into the ground.
Plough horse Valatka barreled for 58 yards in 16 tries and Bissessi (he was No. 31 and mistaken for the sub Bob Mosley) picked up 39 in 11 carries.
However both Bill Finney and Art Hastings out gained these boys with Finney flashing for 113 yards in eight tries and Hastings hurrying for 98 in 10 trips.
From this corner it looked like the Tigers were hurt by two questionable decisions made by the officials.
A 22-yard run by Jim Wood on the last play of the third quarter was nullified when a clipping penalty was called on a Tiger who looked like he made contact with the Garfield player with his headgear and one shoulder – and from the front side.
However, on the first play of the final period a Sparma pass gave the Bengals another touchdown and a 28-12 lead. * * * A FEW MINUTES later the Tigers went into punt formation with fourth and four at the midfield stripe but before the ball could be snapped, the referee called Massillon for taking too much time. After the penalty was walked off, the Tigers decided to run the ball instead of punting and Finney was stopped a yard shy of a first down.
In our book the penalty was uncalled for and it temporarily riled the players with the result that there was a mix-up in the huddle before Finney tried for the first down.
10 Players Score As Tigers Scuttle Magics 90-Point Total Misses Massillon’s One-Game Record by 4 Markers
By CHARLIE POWELL
Even a team of horses couldn’t have slowed down the mighty Massillon Tigers Friday night.
This pigskin powerhouse, only two games away from Massillon’s first undefeated season since 1953 and an apparent state championship, blitzed Barberton’s Magics 90-0 before 8,197 fans at Tiger stadium where Tiger fans yelled for more right down to the fading seconds.
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When sub halfback Bob Herring scooted 65 yards to pay dirt with only 28 seconds remaining and Martin Gogov followed with a blast for two bonus points, the Bengals became Tiger town’s fourth team ever to score over 80 points in a single game.
They ran over, through and around the woefully weak Magics and a sharp passing attack added kindling to the fire as they finished with the second highest one-game scoring avalanche in Tiger grid annals.
Only the unbeaten 1922 combine had a more astronomical figure, 94-0 over Akron North and only the 1918 team (82-0 over Uhrichsville) and the 1923 array (by the same score over Salem) ever tallied more than 80 markers in a single engagement. * * * THE TENACIOUS Tigers, winners of eight in a row this season and 11 dating back to 1958, are the highest scoring Washington high school outfit since 1953 (399 points in 10 games) and seem a lead-pipe cinch to reach the charmed 400-point circle in the two remaining games.
They have rattled off 375 points for an average of 46.8 points per tilt and are destined to become the ninth 400-point team in all history, the previous teams being those of the 1934, 35, 36, 39, 40, 49, 50 and 52 campaigns. Most points scored in a single: 483 by the ’35 crew.
The win was Massillon’s 11th straight over Barberton and put the series standing at 23 victories, four losses and one tie. It was Barberton’s worst licking by the Tigers, the biggest margin heretofore being 54-0 in the 1934 fray.
The Tiger express gained 608 yards (to 93) and 10 different players figured in the scoring led by that adept Art Hastings and speedster Jim Wood.
Hastings, his best effort being on a second half kickoff return of 82 yards, hit in for three touchdowns and Wood made two, both on passes. Art got two more points on a conversion run to bring his season total to 88. Wood twice converted on runs and brought his mark to 66.
Smoothie Joe Sparma pegged two six-point aerials, one to Wood and the other to End Bob Barkman while Wood made his other TD on a toss from sub quarterback John Larson. Sparma, who completed four aerials for 112 yards, also sneaked across for a TD.
Sub, halfback Martin Gugov, one of seven boys having single touchdowns, added four conversion runs to finish with 14 points.
With the help of his 65-yard payoff prance, scatback Herring wound up with 108 yards in five carries to lead the leather-luggers. * * * HOWEVER, HASTINGS, Wood, Gugov and Bill Finney (one touchdown churned off lots of yardage). Hastings accumulated 98 in seven trips, Wood 76 in eight, Gugov 63 in nine and Finney 50 in seven.
Another sub, small but strong Doug Toles, carted four times for 42 yards and made one touchdown. The other TD was reeled off by nimble-footed, Nick Daugenti on a six-yard run in his only try,
On the other hand ,the out-manned Magics had a meager 56 yards rushing and five of 17 passes added another 37.
Their best bid came early in the final quarter. A 14-yard run by Halfback Tracy Marsh helped them advance to the Bengal 23. But sophomore End Larry Ehmer tossed Quarterback Ron Molloric for a four-yard loss and on the next play, Molloric fumbled as Tackle Ken Herndon put the squeeze on and Jay B. Willey recovered for the Tigers.
Barberton became a loser for the fifth time in eight starts. Two wins and a tie are on the “black” side of the ledger.
The Magics never had a chance after the first period in which the host team made 24 points. In the second, third and fourth quarters the Tigers added 22 markers.
Leo Strang’s boys splurged to 436 yards in 40 rushing plays while the passing of Sparma and Larson (six for 16) tacked up an additional 172 yards. Further more, the Orangemen had possession 16 times and failed to score only four times.
The scoring summary:
FIRST QUARTER – Barberton received, had to punt on fourth down and John Mackovic, rushed by McKey, kicked high but not far, the ball being grounded at the Magic 32. On the very first play for the Tigers, Sparma faded back, passed to Barkman on a “perfect” 32-yard scoring play at 10:15. Finney made it 8-0 on a slant off tackle. A minute later McKey intercepted a pass and Massillon took over at the opponents’ 40. With Finney rambling for 24 on a sweep, the Tigers reached the five before Hastings tallied standing up on a five-yard scoring play at 5:07. Gugov ran the extra points. Barberton again had to punt. Daugenti returned 10 yards to the Tiger 35, and Wood promptly zipped 50 yards, fighting and twisting the last 10. From the two, Sparma sneaked across behind Guard Jim Houston. At 1:27, Hastings converted on a run.
SECOND QUARTER – On the first play, Barkman recovered a fumble as Frank Midure banged into Jim Whitman. Tigers moved 21 yards before Larson, on the first play he was in the game, passed to Wood for 33 yards and another score at 9:52. This was another picture pass with Wood catching on the dead run. Several minutes later Bednar recovered a fumble at the Tiger 32. Hastings legged for 26 before Sparma unlimbered his arm again, tossing to Wood who raced 26 yards to complete a 43-yard maneuver at 6:25. Wood also ran the points. On the second play after the kickoff, Wally Brugh recovered still another Magic fumble at the Barberton 24. Toles scored by smashing off the right side from five yards out after previously gaining 17 yards on a sweep. Gugov ran across two more points with 4:35 left in the half.
THIRD QUARTER – Barberton’s Jack Romain kicked off, the ball going to Wood who reversed to Hastings at the 18. Art sped down the east sidelines and with Midure slowing up the last defender just enough, Hastings went all the way, 82 yards for another TD. Time left: 11:43. Three plays after the kickoff Bednar intercepted a pass and Massillon had possession at the enemy 28. Hastings bolted off left tackle, got a fine block from Tackle Virgil Bukuts, cut away from two would-be tacklers and scored again. Gugov converted on an off-tackle smash at 9:52. Late in the period, the Tigers marched 51 yards to pay dirt with the big gains being a 20-yarder by Hastings and an 18-yard burst by Toles. From the five, Finney roared through right tackle to score at 2:25 and Herring made the conversion points standing up.
FOURTH QUARTER – After Willey recovered a fumble on the third play of the final stanza, the orange and black rolled 65 yards in 10 plays. Enroute Hastings made 15 before stumbling and Gugov barreled for 16. The 12-yard touchdown run was made by Gugov at right tackle and at 5:39, Baker passed to McKey to make it 76-0. After the kickoff Barberton had to punt, Daugenti returned 10 yards to the Tiger 48. Gugov gained 15 on a sweep, Larson passed to Oliver for 27 and Daugenti then scored at 1:59 on a six-yard burst off the right side. With 34 seconds remaining, Massillon got the ball at its 20 after a Barberton punt rolled into the end zone. With the fans yelling “Go, Go, Go!” a pass failed and with the opposition looking for another pass, Herring ripped off the left side and dashed 65 yards to score. With 16 seconds left, Gugov rammed through the right side and that was it, 90-0.
OFFICIALS Referee – George Ellis. Head Linesman – Clarence Rich. Umpire – John Russ. Field Judge – Bill Holzworth.
STATISTICS Mass. Barb. First downs, rushing 18 5 First downs, passing 3 2 First downs, penalties 1 0 Total first downs 22 7 Yards gained rushing 444 106 Yards lost rushing 8 50 Net yards gained rushing 436 56 Yards gained passing 172 37 Total yards gained 608 93 Passes attempted 16 17 Passes completed 6 5 Passes intercepted by 3 1 Times kicked off 13 1 Kickoff average (yards) 40 42 Kickoff returns (yards) 72 21.3 Times punted 0 8 Punt average (yards) 0 26.6 Punt returns (yards) 34 0 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 3 6 Lost fumbled ball 2 5 Penalties 3 6 Yards penalized 25 36½
Massillon Raps Barberton, 90-0 Tigers Roll Up Highest Score Since 1922; Hastings Tallies Three
Plain Dealer Canton Bureau
MASSILLON, O. – Massillon’s top-rated Tigers put on one of the hottest offensive showings in their history before 8,197 frigid fans here last night as they buried Barberton’s Magics, 90-0.
The triumph was the eighth straight for the Bengals, and it was their biggest since the 1922 Massillon team blasted Akron North, 94-0. That was the all-time high score for the Tigers.
The Tigers erupted for 12 touchdowns. Nine players took part in the scoring parade. Art Hastings led the way with three tallies and Jim Wood had two.
Massillon scored three times in every quarter. A 32-yard Joe Sparma to Bob Barkman pass gave the Tigers a tally on their first scrimmage play of the game. A few moments later, Hastings went five yards through center. Then Sparma capped a 65-yard drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak.
Wood caught both his touchdown passes in the second period. One was a 43-yarder from Sparma and the other a 32-yard toss from substitute quarterback John Larson. Doug Toles blasted over from five yards out to give Massillon a 46-0 halftime advantage.
Barberton kicked off to open the second half and Hastings took a handoff and sped 78 yards down the sidelines. Just two minutes later, after a pass interception, Hastings went 28 yards for this third tally. Bill Finney ended the third period with a five-yard touchdown burst.
Martin Gugov went 12 yards and Nick Daugenti five for the Tigers in the last quarter, then Bob Herring wound things up with just 16 seconds to play when he raced 65 yards into the end zone.
The Tigers racked up 608 total yards against Barberton, while holding the Magics to 93.
But Barberton never stopped scrapping. The Magics are made up primarily of underclassmen.
End Jerry Toth sparked Barberton on defense, while fullback Jim Whitman led the Magic ball carriers with 52 yards in 14 carries.
Barberton now has a 2-5-1 record for the season. It has lost 19 times, won 3 and gained one tie in its long series with Massillon.
Magic Coach Raps Massillon’s Strang Hits ‘Pouring It On” In Wake Of 90- Rout
By PHIL DIETRICH
Somewhere between the sixth and the 90th point in Friday nights’ stunning loss to Massillon Washington, Barberton High’s Tom Phillips made up his mind.
“There definitely is going to be something done about that 90-0 trimming,” he said bluntly. “Barberton must decide. Do we take such beatings – at a price – or do we find our own level of competition?”
“A lot of Barberton people feel we should play and beat Massillon. Perhaps we should, but now is the time to decide. It’s not fair to the kids to take a merciless beating like that. How do you go about reconciling the work that went into preparing for a game that turned out like that one.”
“It is bad for squad morale, bad for the coach’s confidence in his own ability – bad for football itself!”
Thirty-five-year old Tom Phillips in his first season as varsity coach of the Magics, was angry for his players and angry for himself. He took a deep breath and leveled the verbal finger squarely at Massillon grid boss Leo Strang.
“That’s what happens when you have a coach who obviously wants to get to the top fast,” he said gruffly. “Barberton was just another rung in the ladder to get him there.”
“He knew early we didn’t have a chance. So what happened? In the second quarter we made two first downs. He immediately rushed in another defensive unit to stop us.”
With 22 seconds to go in the first half and the score 46-0 he still had Hastings (Art), Sparma (Joe) and his other guns in there.”
“I’ve taken trimmings before – although never this bad – including a couple from Massillon. There is a difference, though, primarily in coaches. Did you ever hear of a coach running up 90 points before while using only part of his squad.”
“He had every reason to use them all, too. It was Dads’ Night at the stadium.”
It was pointed out by Barberton Athletic Director Karl Harter that Massillon’s point standing in the high school football polls served as a challenge to the Tiger team and coaches and affected Friday night’s score. Phillips agreed.
“No doubt about it,” he said. “Springfield has been gaining on Massillon, which lost ground last week despite that one-sided win over Warren.”
“This goes a bit deeper, though. Other Massillon coaches – Tom Harp, for example – didn’t believe in pouring it on. In the long run Massillon will suffer. You won’t resign yourself to the nine beatings you’ll take before you beat’em once – not when the beatings are like last night’s.”
“Canton Lincoln finally dropped’em and there will be more. I had calls from as far away as Niles – from friends and acquaintances who wanted to say how sorry they were to hear about that score – sorry for me and sorry for football.”
Harter took a more philosophical view. His experience runs through much of the 23-game Barberton-Massillon series – and the 19 Tiger victories.
“Certainly, Massillon was intent on getting points,” he said. “I hold the polls to blame. They create pressure on teams and coaches. It is bad for high school football.”
“You can’t take it away from Massillon’s team. They have speed and depth and marvelous balance. I’ve never seen a better Massillon team. They can score any way they want to score.”
“Phillips used all his kids and fortunately none of them were injured.”
Not physically, perhaps, but Phillips seems to detect cracks in the morale.
He said he plans to do something about it, but soon!
LOOKING’ EM OVER with CHARLIE POWELL
THE BARBERTON coach Tom “Red” Phillips, was a very upset man after his team was given a pummeling Friday night. He refused to shake hands with Tiger Coach Leo Strang and he waved his players off the field before they could go through the usual post-game compliments.
The Magic mentor would not allow newsmen in the team dressing quarters and as one reporter tried to get in, a voice from within the locker room said “Go see Strang.”
In the Tiger dressing room, Strang showed he was upset too.
He explained that all 43 Tigers dressed for the night got into the game and that all but two or three played in all four quarters. * * * SIX SOPHOMORES got to suit up with the varsity for the first time this year and two of them were plugging away even before the first period was concluded. The sophs were Quarterback Bob Baker, Halfback Fred Philpott, Center Ed Radel, Tackle Dan Spees and Ends Larry Ehmer and Ken Ivan.
“We can’t tell them not to play to the hilt or not to try to score” commented Strang, who was carried off the field by a few players.
Actually, Leo didn’t have much to say about the landslide. What can a guy say about a game like that?
“I was pleased in that the boys showed they wanted to play their best football and that so many got a chance to score.”
“It also gave us an excellent opportunity to look at some of the kids who will be coming back next year,” he added. * * * THE 90-POINT total was Leo’s personal high. One of his Upper Sandusky teams paddled Mifflin 86-0 several years ago.
The barreling Bengals used spread formation plays more than usual as they toyed with the visiting club. By actual count, they used 25 different plays to slice out a whopping 608 yards net gain.
Much will be said, and written, and rightly so, about the offense so we’ll take an opportunity to plug the Tiger defense.
It has allowed only four touchdowns and an average of 101 yards per game! Last night the Magics made only 56 yards on the ground and 37 in the air. Massillon’s ball-hawkers intercepted three passes and recovered five fumbles. * * * PASSES WERE intercepted by Hase McKey, “Sluggo” Bednar (after the ball was deflected by Frank Midure) and sub Joe Smith while enemy fumbles were pounced on by Bednar, Bob Barkman, Wally Brugh, Gary Wells and Jay B. Willey.
Barberton had only two plays good for over 10 yards all night. Keep it up you Tigers! * * * THE VICTORY should increase Massillon’s stock with some of the voters in the scholastic poll.
Second place Springfield, which trailed the Tigers by 36 points this week, finally beat Lima after being behind 6-0 in the first half. When the score was announced at Tiger stadium, Massillon fans let out a real roar. But there was not much noise when Bob Smith gave the 22-6 score. * * * THE CROWD included Dennison university’s gridders who play at Akron today. Ex-Tiger Al Slicker was among the group but Al, who had worked his way up to a regular job as an offensive guard, won’t get to play because of a torn ligament in his right knee. He is expected to be back in the starting lineup for the Big Red’s season finale against Ohio Wesleyan, Nov. 14.
Terrific Tigers Smash Warren 38-8 21,092 Fans See Bengals Roll Up 30 Points In First Half To Subdue Foe
By CHARLIE POWELL
Any doubt that Massillon is not MIGHTY MASSILLON was certainly and very explicitly brought to an end Friday night by a hungry band of Washington high school Tiger footballers.
Spirited, downright vicious blocking and tackling, hell-bent-for-leather running, the confidence of a Las Vegas gambler holding all the aces – these were the earmarks of the Tigers as they showed 21,092 fans how the game of football should be played in pounding Warren Harding’s Panthers into submission by a 38-8 tune.
The Panthers did not have a chance against the revenging Bengals.
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In what shaped as a bruiser but wound up as a one-sided bruiser with Warren getting all the “black eyes” the state’s top-ranked powerhouse was conclusively dominant from the first minute to the last tick of the clock.
They set up the invading team with a quick first period touchdown, shook them with two more salvos early in the second quarter and then an electrifying 73-yard run by the whirling Art Hastings just before intermission took 99 percent of the starch right out of the fired-up Panthers. * * * MASSILLON’S heroes drove for another six-pointer in the third stanza and that was the extent of their scoring. But it didn’t matter, one has to think that the boys from Warren wouldn’t have put many chinks in the Tiger armor if they had battled the rest of the night.
The Panthers did score, a fake-punt run by Paul Warfield setting up a 19-yard pass play which averted a shutout, but they floundered and sputtered until that last quarter.
Massillon had 17 first downs to – 10 and five of Warren’s stickmovers came in the last period. Massillon rolled up 409 yards on the ground to 73 for the Panthers – and the visitors netted all but 30 of that total in the final canto.
Had they remained real “hungry” for the second half of their spectacular production, the talented Tigers might have really poured it on. But the final spread of 30 points was plenty good enough against the sixth-ranked Slaughtermen. * * * SLAUGHTERED Warren, in going down to its second defeat against five wins, hadn’t yielded by that many points since Massillon’s 1952 victory by a 31-0 margin.
Had the Tigers kept up the steamroller attack they probably would have passed the 59-0 shellacking the 1940 Panthers suffered at the hands of the Bengals.
The triumph was the seventh of the season and 10th consecutive for the Leo Strang-coached battlers.
It probably will hike Massillon’s stock in the state polls because the Tigers beat a higher ranked team than second-place Springfield, which clubbed Hamilton Garfield, 61-0.
It – the Tigers 26th victory over the Trumbull countians since 1921 – also preserved the record of no Massillon coach ever having lost two in a row to the Panthers.
Offensively, the Orange forward wall which was led by Captain Gary “Sluggo” Bednar, Jim Houston, Wendell Snodgrass, Bob Barkman, Jay B. Willey, Virgil Bukuts and Don Appleby, earned its share of accolades. They cut down the enemy to spring the ball-carriers loose for big yardage and there was picture blocking especially on Hastings’ 73-yarder and that 60-yard gallop by Martin Gugov at the outset of the third frame.
Defensively, the line also was outstanding. Standouts yes, lots of them, but special praise must go to the likes of Houston, Bednar, Willey, Frank Midure, Hase McKey, Gary Wells and Terry Snyder, plus the secondary defenders such as, Gugov, Hastings, Nick Daugenti, Bob Oliver and Bob Herring. Most of their tackles, shook the white-shirted opponents to their toes. * * * THE DEFENSE held the Panthers to less than three yards per rushing play. In the air Warren completed six of 18 passes with one being intercepted and only the 19-yard scoring aerial in the last period did major damage.
The losing side committed three fumbles and twice Massillon boys were “Johnny on the Spot” for important recoveries.
Absolutely and positively, it was a true team effort with 34 Tigers entering the game but how about some of that snazzy running?
The longie by Hastings for the fourth touchdown of the first half must rank with the greatest seen anywhere.
After the Orangemen’s third TD, a Warren bid was thwarted at the 27 and on the first play, the lad they call “Duck” hit off the left side and it looked like an ordinary three or four yard gain. But Art saw that it wasn’t plain ordinary. Between the line of scrimmage and the midfield stripe, he twisted away from four defenders, then at the Warren 45, did a sensational job of pulling away when apparently trapped once again. * * * FREE AFTER this bit of hipper-dipper, he headed for the west sidelines and outran a couple hopeful opponents to the end zone.
Agile Art got his other touchdown on a six-yard slant on his previous trip with the mail and when the game ended he had accounted for 171 yards in 18 tries…an average of 9.5 yards per carry out-doing Warfield’s 6.7 average.
The hard-hitting Gugov carted 10 times for 87 yards and scored twice on short plunges. Bill Finney, using the old noodle when he wasn’t blasting straight ahead, carried 12 times and picked up 61yards – including a one-yard touchdown smash.
Jarrin’ Jim Wood netted 45 yards in six tries and had a 10-yard run wiped out by a penalty. For the first time this year, the Tigers used their classy quarterback, Joe Sparma, as a major infantry “weapon” and he got 32 yards in four carries.
The first time he kept the ball, Joe hummed for 18 yards and this was the longest gainer as the Bengals moved to their second score of the night. * * * SPARMA had to punt only once and this boot went 44 yards. He did not arch a pass until the Tigers tried to “beat the clock” in the second period. He hit on one of four in a space of 50 seconds. On two occasions the pass was completed – but barely out of bounds – and the other toss was batted down on a fine individual effort by Warfield.
Only two of his passes in the second half were way out of reach.
Warfield, who had previously scored eight touchdowns and averaged over eight yards per carry, gained 28 yards on his best try of the game. This came on a double reverse in which he danced to the left and then to the right. The speedy back was shaken up on this play and many times thereafter he was slow getting up off the ground.
On the next play Howard carried nine yards to the Tiger 28 and he too had to have some attention after being knocked out of bounds. Suffering a reoccurrence of his leg injury, he did not get to play in the second half, and for the game carried three times and made 13 yards. * * * FULLBACK Willie Jones did not run like he had a serious leg injury, which hospitalized him last week. His only trouble was that he had to contend with the Tiger defense and he picked up only 23 yards in five trips.
The Tigers started to take command on the sixth play of the encounter when Snyder recovered a Howard fumble at the Warren 45.
In eight plays, the orange and black covered the remaining distance as Finney, Hastings and Gugov toted the pigskin. On a critical three and one-foot situation at the 20, Hastings zoomed 13 yards and three plays later, Gugov dived through a hole at right tackle from two yards out. Finney swept the right flank and at 6:06 jubilant Massillon fans chirped on an 8-0 lead.
On Warren’s first two plays after the kickoff the Panthers had a would-be pass receiver in the open behind Massillon’s secondary. But on the first slip, Quarterback Doug Brown was smacked by Willey as he threw and the wobbly ball fell short. On the next play, the Panthers pulled an identical maneuver in which there was a reverse in the backfield before Brown took a pitch-out. However his throw again was short and Hastings made a leaping interception and got four yards to the Tiger 39. * * * STRANG’S gang went out on the prowl again. After 10 plays and before the quarter came to a conclusion, they had marched to the enemy 11 as Sparma sneaked for 18 and Hastings found a hole for 11.
On the first play of the second round Gugov made four and then came back with six after Wood slipped and fell for no gain. From the one Gugov rammed through right tackle and at 10:38 Massillon had its second tally. Hastings swept left for two more points and it wasn’t long before the score was hiked to 24-0.
A low punt gave the Tigers the ball at their own 21 following a penalty which put the Panthers at their nine-yard line. Wood made four, Finney seven, Hastings two and Finney also two before Sparma pulled a beautiful fake and gave the ball to Hastings who drilled through the left side at 6:22. The conversion again was good as Gugov went across standing up.
As the Tigers re-aligned for the kickoff, hundreds of gala Massillon fans gave them a standing ovation and this roaring apparently spurred the boys for another TD before intermission arrived.
Warfield’s 28-yard sortie aided the Panthers in moving from midfield to the Tiger 27 before their passing attack went awry. Then came the rip-roaring burst by Hastings and with a little over three minutes remaining in the first half the Tigers held a 30-0 advantage. * * * AFTER THE KICKOFF Warren was forced to punt. Wood ran for 15 and then little Bob Herring dashed for 20 to move the ball to the 47. Sparma tossed to Herring on a brilliant play for 14 yards but after another forward failed, time ran out.
Gugov ripped off 60 yards on the third play of the third chukker and Hastings followed with a 15-yard gain. Sparma then was nailed for an eight-yard loss on an attempted pass play and Massillon had to relinquish the ball after an intentional grounding penalty and a screen pass which failed to click.
However, the Tigertowners were back in business after McKey smacked down Brown, (trying to pass) who fumbled with Midure recovering at the Warren 44. Finney galloped 12 yards and the Tigers percolating, but good, once again.
A holding penalty did not deter them as Wood came back with a 19-yard gain on a reverse. From the one Finney tallied at 1:36 and Gugov went in for two more points.
After the kickoff the visitors made 14 yards on the last three plays of the quarter and on the fourth play of the final chapter, Warfield raced 23 yards from punt formation. With the ball at the 19, Brown hit End Dick Laraway who made a difficult catch in the right corner. From placekick formation, Warfield ran across and it was 38-8 at 9:03. * * * ON THEIR NEXT series of plays the Tigers gambled with a fourth and four situation. From punt formation Sparma ran right but was halted about a yard and a half shy of a stick mover.
The Panthers then moved from the Massillon 43 to the 19 before a penalty (illegal player downfield on a pass play) stymied the bid. Two passes fell incomplete.
A holding penalty hurt Massillon and Sparma punted for the first and last time of the night. A Brown to Jones flat pass lost two yards and Warfield caught Brown’s toss for 30 yards but on the last play of the game Daugenti intercepted another Brown forward.
OFFICIALS Referee – Dan Tehan. Head Linesman – Tony Pianowski. Umpire – Jim Lmyper. Field Judge – Sam Hodnick.
Statistics Mass. War. First downs, rushing 16 7 First downs, passing 1 3 First downs, penalties 0 0 Total first downs 17 10 Yards gained rushing 419 101 Yards lost rushing 10 28 Net yards gained rushing 409 73 Yards gained passing 13 76 Total yards gained 422 149 Passes attempted 8 18 Passes completed 1 6 Passes intercepted by 2 0 Times kicked off 6 2 Kickoff average (yards) 33.3 43.5 Kickoff returns (yards) 20 57 Times punted 1 2 Punt average (yards) 44.0 27.5 Fumbles 0 3 Lost fumbled ball 0 2 Penalties 6 3 Yards penalized 80 40
Massillon Virtually Sews Up First Title Since 1954 Rated Warren No Match For Savage Tigers in 38-8 Massacre
By DON LIGHTNER Repository Sports Writer
MASSILLON – It doesn’t pay to defeat the Massillon Tigers. Warren’s Panthers found that out in no uncertain terms here last night.
With 21,092 fans in attendance, the state’s top-ranked Bengals easily crushed the Panthers, 38-8, in a tremendous display of rock’em, sock’em football.
It was sweet revenge for Coach Leo Strang’s Massillon crew. The one-sided victory more than made up for last season’s 6-0 loss at the hands of Warren.
That was the only defeat on the Tigers’ 1958 record and ruined their hopes for the state title which went to Alliance. The Aviators and Bengals tied 8-8 last season.
Massillon also has erased that “blot” – blanking Alliance, 14-0 earlier this campaign.
Thus, the Bengals have a good down payment on their first state championship since 1954 when they posted a 9-1 record under Coach Tom Harp.
It is hard to believe any of the Tigers’ three remaining opponents – Barberton, Akron Garfield and Canton McKinley – can derail the Massillon express.
With seven victories already in the bag, the Bengals seem to be a cinch to post their first undefeated season since 1953.
If there is such a thing as perfect football, Massillon played it last night in the first half. * * * THE FIRED-UP Bengals scored eight points in the first period and then rammed home 22 more in the second quarter for an over-whelming 30-0 lead at intermission.
Massillon’s fantastic feats in the first half stunned the huge throng. For the most part, fans were expecting a close game.
But the Tigers wanted the Panthers’ skin real bad. They forced Warren into mistakes and turned them into touchdowns.
The Bengals’ blocking and tackling were savage. With the triumph locked up at half time, Massillon lost some of its fire in the second half.
It upped the count to 38-0 in the third period before Warren got its only touchdown in the fourth quarter. * * * STRANG JUST shook his head while talking about his charges in the first half.
“I never have had a team which played such vicious football,” Leo said.
“The kids wanted this one real bad. It took us 372 days to get even for last year’s loss to Warren.”
Strang then was asked if the number switching of Warren halfbacks Paul Warfield and Marv Howard caused him any trouble.
“We spotted it on the kickoff.” Strang said. “It was just a bush league trick to do it in front of all those people.”
Warren Coach Gene Slaughter said he knew Massillon would be keying on Warfield and figured it was worth a try.
Slaughter, incidentally, also had a gripe. “This is the second time we’ve come to Massillon without having field phones.” Slaughter said, “We just had to play it by ear.” * * * GENE WENT on to say that his team’s early errors gave Massillon three “cheap” touchdowns. “You can’t expect to win by playing that kind of football.”
Slaughter was referring to a fumble, pass interception and bad punt which Massillon turned into TD’s in the first half.
Although they made the Tiger goal a little easier, there wasn’t much question as to which was the better team.
The Bengals’ savage tackling stopped the vaunted Panther attack.
Howard was knocked out of the contest in the second period with a severely injured shoulder.
The brilliant Warfield also was shaken up as was fullback Willie Jones.
Massillon’s main aim was to keep Warfield contained. It succeeded pretty well.
Only in a few instances did he show his sparkling running form. But it was far too little. * * * MASSILLON’S GREAT depth was overpowering. Fullback Art Hastings was the workhorse with halfbacks Martin Gugov, Bill Finney and Jim Wood adding valuable support. Gugov was the Bengal “storm trooper.” When yards were needed, Gogov got them.
Hastings carried the pigskin 18 times for 164 yards and two touchdowns and an extra point run. Gugov had 10 carries for 83 yards two TDs and two extra point runs.
Finney added a touchdown and PAT to round out the scoring.
Warfield paced Warren with 60 yards in nine carries.
The Panthers put themselves in the hole after receiving the opening kickoff.
After picking up a first down they fumbled on their own 45. Massillon covered and was off to the races.
Eight plays later, Gugov blasted into the end zone from two-yards out. Finney added the PAT. * * * SECONDS LATER, Hastings intercepted a Warren pass on his own 39.
The Bengals pounded downfield to the one-yard stripe where Gugov again took it over on the 14th play. Hastings ran over the extra points.
A poor punt, which went out of bounds on the Warren 21, set up Massillon’s third TD. The kick traveled only 12 yards.
Hastings then tallied from the six-yard line and the rout was on. Gugov made the PAT.
After the Panthers were stopped on the Tiger 26, the most exciting play of the game occurred.
Hastings took the pigskin and rambled 74 yards to pay dirt. At least five Warren players had a crack at the elusive speedster, but he kept right on going down the left sidelines.
The Tigers made their final TD late in the third quarter. * * * AGAIN IT WAS a fumble which gave Massillon possession on the Warren 44. Twelve plays later, Finney went in from the one-yard line. Gugov made the extra points.
Warren then took the kickoff and finally scored after a 63-yard march. With the ball resting on the Massillon 10, quarterback Doug Brown pitched a strike to end Dick Laraway in the end zone. Warfield ran the PAT.
Massillon also won the battle of statistics. It made 17 first downs to Warren’s 10.
The Tigers picked up 422 net yards. The Panthers had only 149.
Warren broke one Massillon streak. It was the first time in 10 games that Bengal quarterback Joe Sparma didn’t complete a touchdown pass.
OUR MAGNIFICIENT Massillon grid warriors knocked the livin’ daylights out of the Warren Harding Panther in the first half, then rested on their laurels.
What a well deserved rest it was!
Warren had only Paul Warfield’s 21-yard scamper to shout about in that all-Massillon show for the first 24 minutes of play.
The Tigers stopped the Panther at every turn.
Most of the fans didn’t realize for over a quarter, that Warfield and Marvin Howard had switched jerseys with Warfield wearing No. 43 and Howard No. 45. But the Tigers knew about the switch at the game-opening kickoff. * * * ALL OTHER tricks the Panthers had up their sleeves failed too.
Meanwhile the blazing Bengals did just that…as the lads up front opened hole after hole for some terrific ball toting by Art Hastings, Bill Finney, Jim Wood, Martin Gogov and Joe Sparma.
Massillon’s first TD got the Panthers anxious and their gambles failed. The second score got them worried and the third – that razz-ma-tazz gallop by Hastings – left them as limp as Grandma’s oldest and wettest dish towel.
Warfield’s run from punt formation was about the only “surprise play” of the night that really worked for the Panthers.
We imagine their coach, Gene Slaughter, was surprised at the final score. * * * IT WAS WARREN’S worst beating in quite a few years but Slaughter had no excuses…he didn’t even feel like mentioning anything about the clock.
How did the Tigers look to him?
“Well, tonight they were a very good football team and we got beat,” he said.
“I honestly believe the difference was up front. You hurt us with those runs outside. You took advantage of the breaks.”
He made quite a point of the latter statement.
Slaughter, who probably will hear the wolves howling today, added, “We gave you three cheap touchdowns,” and complained about the injuries to Howard and Willie Jones slowing his team down.
Up at the north end of the field, Coach Leo Strang could hardly put two words together. He was a happy gent and so were his assistants, players and fans.
“This is the one we waited for…the one we wanted,” he kept repeating.
He was exuberated over the way the Tigers blocked, tackled and ran.
“Did you see that Hastings go, (on Art’s 73-yard TD jaunt),” he exclaimed. * * * “I DIDN’T SEE Warfield do anything like that,” he chortled.
Strang turned serious when a well-wisher yelled, “We’re the champs!”
The Tiger grid commander reminded everybody around that the Bengals have three remaining games and “anything can happen in football.” To emphasize his point, Strang pointed to a large sign in the dressing room. The sign reads, “To be crowned the best, we’ve got to win the rest.”
Leo was only slightly disappointed in that the Tigers didn’t show more offense in the second half. He said he was “trying a few things” and added that had the Tigers stuck to possession football they might have given Warren a more severe thumping.
Everybody around agreed also that after hitting so hard in the first half, the Orange apparently lost some of their energy.
Personally, they should save some of their vim and vigor for the three contests left on the agenda.
Mud-Loving Tigers Swamp Mansfield 70-0 ‘Beat Warren!’ Is Battle Cry After Bengals Hit Highest Score Since ’40
By CHARLIE POWELL
The trial runs are over for that good football ship, the Massillon Tiger.
The “real!” thing will be Massillon versus Warren Harding next Friday night. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 o’clock on Oct. 30 Tiger football fans will know whether their team is “for real” or just another challenger. BEAT WARREN! That’s the old battle cry from now until the big one at Tiger stadium next Friday night. * * * BEAT WARREN – That is what the Orangemen will have to do to prove they have the makin’s of a football team that belongs at the summit.
In their final dress rehearsal last night, the host Tigers stormed over Mansfield an out-maneuvered and out-manned Mansfield club, 70-0, and in a driving rain and storm at that. * * * THERE SEEMED to be no looking ahead to Warren on the part of the Tigers who diligently went to work, put the handwriting on the wall by half time, and breezed home before 7,473 fans, many of whom took a soaking while watching, waiting to see how high the score would zoom.
Zoom it did as the Leo Strang coached charges displayed a relentless attack – their most devastating of the season – in maintaining a spotless record.
With nimble, footed Fullback Art Hastings and swiftie Jim Wood leading the surge, the Tigers rolled to a net gain of 576 yards – 469 through the mid and 107 through the rain drops.
After a slow start (“only” eight points in the first period), the home-towners skyrocketed the count to 30-0 by intermission, added three tallies in the third chukker and two in the last round. Ten different boys worked their way into the scoring act and all 39 boys who suited up saw action. * * * DESPITE the rain and heavy going, the Tigers did not fumble once all night…and helped themselves to the ball four times when the visitors coughed them the oval.
The win was the sixth of the season and put the series record at 21 victories, two losses and four ties.
It was Mansfield’s worst beating at the hands of Massillon since Paul Browns, 1939 powerhouse applied a 73-0 haymaker. It was Massillon’s highest score since 1940 when another Brown team smacked Erie, Pa. East high 74-0.
It brought the current Tiger teams’ total for six games to 247 markers and this figure can be compared to the 10-game tally of 227 points by the 1956 Tigers, the 221 total of the ’57 team and the 220 final aggregate by last year’s crew.
This is the highest scoring Massillon team since 1953. That ’53 combine of Chuck Mather’s scored 399 points during the year and after six games had zeroed in for 243 markers. * * * AGAINST the Tygers, who now have dropped six in a row, the orange and black hit the jackpot on long drives, long runs, short runs and Sparma’s passes. Although Hastings and Wood came through with big gallops there were, as in all such games, heroes a plenty. Wearing the halos too were the horses in the trenches.
They made holes you could drive a truck through. They were the big reasons for a third shut-out of the year because the defense never let the Mansfielders keep possession for too long at a time.
However, one Mansfield boy stood out. Henry Weaver, only a sophomore. He was hard to stop. All he did was carry the ball 22 times for 72 yards.
Try as they did, the invading boys didn’t have the blocking and tackling – or lads who could travel like Hastings, or Wood and the rest.
Hastings, scoring on runs of 80 and 43 yards, made 181 yards in nine trips. Wood, hitting in after touchdown sorties of 76 and 70 yards, toted only four times and accounted for 164 yards. * * * MAKING singel touchdowns were Sparma, Bob Oliver, Martin Gugov, Bob Barkman and Doug Toles. Sparma sneaked across from a yard out and threw pay off strikes to Oliver (32 yards) and Barkman (34 yards) while Gugov tallied on a 17-yard jaunt and Toles on a three-yard run.
Both teams substituted freely with Massillon’s second string line taking the field after the Tigers’ second touchdown.
During the second half the subs kept going in and out. A boy with a clean uniform could hardly be recognized after he had been in for a couple of plays. Mansfield played nothing but sophomore and juniors the whole last half.
Here is the scoring summary:
FIRST PERIOD – The second time Massillon had possession it marched 67 yards, getting short yardage consistently after Hastings started the drive with a quick-hitting dash of 33 yards. On third down at the one, Sparma sneaked across at 2:02, then did the same thing for two more points.
SECOND PERIOD – On the first play, Mansfield punted, the ball going out of the end zone, and on the next play Hastings ripped off the right side, wriggled free at the 30, “beat” the last defender at the Tyger 30 and legged it for a TD at 11:39. Gugov was stopped short on the PAT attempt. Mansfield was stopped on a fourth-and-one situation at the Massillon 37 and four plays later Hastings slipped off the left, got away from one would-be tackler at the 36, another at the 20, and went in at 3:46, a 43-yard run. Finney made the extra points on a run. Following a Tyger punt, Hastings made 12 in two carries, then Wood carried for the first time. He cut off left tackle, veered to the right and was gone, 76 yards, and after Finney made the PAT, the Tigers led 30-0 at 0:44.
THIRD PERIOD – Hastings returned the kickoff to the Tiger 30 before Wood, the second time he carried the ball, raced 70 yards for a touchdown, out-running the defenders the last 30 yards. Finney made the extra points at 11:27. Hase KcKey recovered a fumble at the Mansfield 36 and from the 34, Sparma passed to Barkman who got behind the safetyman at the six, and scored at 8:54. Sparma passed to McKey for two more markers. After the kickoff, Mansfield was forced to punt. A 37-yard run by Finney, then four yards by Hastings, put the ball at the enemy 32. Touchdown came when Sparma passed to Oliver, behind the Mansfield defenders at the goal-line Hastings ran across the conversion points and it was 54-0 at 5:51. Gugov recovered a fumble on the next to last play of the quarter. Sub quarterback John Larson pitched to Toles for 41 yards.
FOURTH PERIOD – On first play with ball at three, Toles rammed for a TD off right tackle. Sub Don Kurzen took a pitchout and went in for two more points at 11:57. Oliver recovered a fumble on the kickoff return but the Tigers stalled at the five. Then Mansfield made its best advance, going to the Tiger 30 before the ball was lost on a fumble. Larry Haines recovering. Wood’s 16-yard run set up the touchdown, made on a 17-yard pass play, Sparma to Barkman, run by Gugov who went in standing up. Finney’s run made it 70-0 at 2:30. Real Mudders!
OFFICIALS Referee – George Ellis. Head Linesman – Ron Dotson. Umpire – Phil Dienoff. Field Judge – C.W. Rupp. Statistics Mass. Mans. First downs – rushing 12 9 First downs – Passing 2 0 First downs – penalties 1 1 Total first downs 15 10 Yards gained rushing 478 196 Yards lost rushing 9 38 Net yards gained rushing 469 158 Yards gained passing 107 0 Total yards gained 576 158 Passes attempted 9 4 Passes completed 3 0 Passes intercepted by 1 1 Times kicked off 10 1 Kickoff average (yards) 37.4 42 Kickoff returns (yards) 13 122 Times punted 1 4 Punt average (yards) 36 45.5 Punt returns (yards) 10 0 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 0 5 Lost fumbled ball 0 4 Penalties 5 4 Yards penalized 35 32.5
Mansfield Club Annihilated By Bengals’ Might In 70-0 Blitz
By RICH MOORE Repository Bureau Writer
MASSILLON – As expected, the top-rated Massillon Tigers put on quite a touchdown parade to swamp the Mansfield Tygers, 70-0, here Friday night.
Mixing long runs and high-flying aerials, the rampaging Tigers made it look easy in rolling to their sixth straight win against no losses.
A rain-soaked crowd of 7,473 faithful fans saw Massillon roll up 576 yards, the highest total this season, in scoring nine touchdowns, also the highest number of the campaign.
Mansfield remains winless in six tries. The Tygers’ lack of experience was a big factor. Only 11 seniors are on the roster.
In the entire second half, only junior and sophomores were pitted against the Massillon powerhouse.
The 70 points scored by Massillon, overshadowing the 65-0 romp over Canton Lincoln earlier this year, is the most points chalked up by a Tiger team since 1940. Then Erie (O.) East lost 74-0.
In the 22-game series between the two schools which began in 1936, only the 1939 squad, which won 73-0 produced more points against a Mansfield team. * * * MASSILLON HOLDS a wide margin of victories over the Tygers since initiation of the rivalry. Mansfield has won only twice – 16-12 in 1949 and 14-6 in 1956 – and four contests have ended in ties.
Massillon Coach Leo Strang was happy last night.
“We’re well pleased with the kids playing like that with the field so muddy,” he said.
Strang also was thankful no serious injuries occurred. Only one player was hurt. Tackle Virgil Bukuts will miss a couple days of practice because of a hip bruise. Otherwise, the squad will be healthy, barring practice mishap, when it takes on Warren next Friday night.
Strang had little else to say, except to look ahead and express hope that his Bengals will “gain 500 yards again next week.” * * * IN THE VISITORS’ shower room, Tyger Coach Bob Pierson, commented on his squad’s youngsters, their scrappy spirit and wondered where his next job was coming from.
“The way the wolves are howling, I’ll probably be in ‘Podunk” next year – maybe before next year,” he sighed.
The Tygers’ major problem is lack of experience, he said.
“We’re just too young. We definitely do not have the material to play the schedule we have this year,” Pierson said. * * * ART HASTINGS, Jim Wood and Bill Finney were the big guns in the Massillon offense. Hastings, in nine carries, gained 182 yards for an average of 20.2.
Wood packed the mail only four times, but averaged 41 yards per tote with a total of 164 yards. Finney’s work for the night, though small by comparison with his mates, totaled 81 yards in eight runs for an average of 10.1.
Henry Weaver, sophomore halfback, was a real workhorse for Mansfield. He gained 79 of Mansfield’s 158 net yards in 23 carries and lost ground only once.
While the host Tigers scored in each period, the “rudely-treated” visitors got no closer to the chalk line than the Massillon 35. * * * IN THE AERIAL department Massillon posted 107 yards with three connections in nine tries against no completions in four heaves for Mansfield.
In scoring for Massillon, Hastings hit pay dirt on runs of 80 and 44 yards. Wood scored twice on runs of 76 and 70 yards.
A one-yard quarterback sneak by Joe Sparma lit the rocket in the first quarter to begin the parade.
Doug Toles added to the deluge with a 3-yard scoot. Martin Gugov circled left end for a 16-yard scoring jaunt for the night’s finale.
Going to the air in the third quarter, Sparma lofted scoring arcs of 33 yards to Bob Barkman and 32 yards to Bob Oliver.
Sparma-Herring Pass, Big Gallops By Wood, Hastings Repel Benies
By CHARLIE POWELL
That Massillon Tiger trademark of yesteryear – the long, explosive type play that can take the starch out of the opposition in a jiffy – again held forth at Tiger stadium Friday night and the orange and black knocked off the invading Cleveland Benedictine forces, 30-6, before 11,920 fans.
The Tigers used three of the long gainers as a spring-board to their fifth consecutive victory of the season and the win over the big, determined but outclassed Benies coupled with Warren Harding’s reversal of form undoubtedly will provide the Leo Strang-coached gang with a tighter grip on their No. 1 state ranking.
Program Cover
Warren, upset by East Liverpool, 14-13, has been Massillon’s arch rival for the top spot in the Associated Press poll. Now it seems as though Springfield, Lorain or Toledo DeVilbiss will assume the runner-up role.
The Panthers can’t be counted out. The season is far from being over and a Tiger loss will send their hopes for that elusive crown right down the drain.
THE GAME of the year still looms for Friday the night of Oct. 30.
* * *
BEFORE WARREN comes Mansfield (next Friday night at Tiger stadium) and Coach Strang will be happier if the Bengals can present a more consistent attack against the Mansfielders.
“I’m glad it’s over,” Strang said over telling locker room well-wishers about a “frustrating” night.”
“It went about the way I expected …we would have to go from a long way out and that’s what we did.”
“It was as frustrating ball game as we’ve played, mainly because we did not move the ball consistently. Of course, we should give credit where credit is due. They had me worried and we had our hands full trying to block them,” he commented.
He said that several of his players told him that a few of the Benie linemen ‘had to be held” – they couldn’t be moved to either side of the hole.
“We knew Benedictine had a tough team and would come down here all hopped up. They have my respect. And you can ask the boys, they rate on a par with Alliance or Steubenville,” Strang said.
The Benie pilot, a downcast Auggie Bossu, was reluctant to talk but claimed the Tigers are a good ball club – “as good and probably better than your teams of the past few years.”
“Yes, it was a good game…for Massillon. Yes, we played hard…but we didn’t win,” the usually mild-mannered mentor rasped before excusing himself to see about an injured player.
* * *
BOSSU POINTED out that his team’s best runner last night, Joe Miano, previously was a second stringer. And he said that his punter, Bob Jambor, was averaging 42 yards per kick, going into last night’s game.
Against the Tigers, Miano averaged over five yards a carry with his longest jaunt of 30 yards setting up Benedictine’s only touchdown. Stocky Paul Rini showed ability to gallop in the open field at times.
On more than one occasion the ball carrier had found a hole at the line but it was quickly closed by Massillon’s linebackers and deep backs.
The Benies took to the sky 13 times but only four made connections and three were intercepted.
However, the Tigers’ inability to muster a sustained drive and Jambor’s amazing punting (an average of 47.2 yards for five kicks) made it a pretty dull affair except for the long striking plays.
The long gainers were turned in by Art Hastings, on a dash of 62 yards which set up the Tigers’ second touchdown, a 41-yard pass play from Joe Sparma to Bob Herring and a 69-yard sprint by Jim Wood.
These crowd-pleasing antics helped the Orangemen out gain the visitors by 339 yards to 182. Massillon netted 257 yards on the ground to 136 for the Benies.
* * *
NEITHER TEAM’S passing attack was nowhere near sensational but the aerial game was real prominent for the hometown lads.
The talented Sparma was right on the button with his fling to Herring which paved the way for the third TD of the evening and the defensive backs hauled in no less than three Benie forwards.
An interception by Martin Gugov, who incidentally started his second game on offense as Lefthalf Bill Finney was kept out of uniform due to an injury, put the Tigers in position for their first score. Prior to the Sparma-Herring payoff pitch-catch it was Herring who intercepted a pass.
Nick Daugenti, the defensive back and punt return specialist, made the first interception on the third play of the encounter but his effort went for naught as the Tigers were forced to punt. Daugenti, who did not play the second half because of a sprained ankle, caught the ball after it was deflected by Art Hastings.
The first time Daugenti returned a punt he wheeled from the end zone out to the 20 and Massillon was on the move in a hurry. Sparma threw down the middle to Wood who made a diving catch at the Benie 39 but four plays later End Tony Palmieri recovered a fumble by Gugov. However, the latter made amends when he intercepted a toss by Dennis Andrews and from the Benie 24 the orange and black reach pay dirt in four plays.
Gugov picked up six and Hastings four before Gugov added two. Then Hastings slicked off the left side and went in standing up. Gugov bulled across for two more points and the Tigers led 8-0 with 16 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Four plays into the second period Herring returned a Benie punt seven yards to the 25 and Hastings had the Tiger fans emitting superlatives on the very first play from scrimmage. He hit off left tackle, did a tight-rope act down the west sidelines and aided by a beauty of a block by Virg Bukuts, zipped 62 yards to the Clevelanders’ 13. On the next play Gugov barreled through right tackle for six, Wood swept end for the PAT and it was 16-0 at 9:36.
* * *
A MOMENT later the Tigers were penalized for illegal substitution but the ball was placed at the original spot after a hurried discussion by the officials. After the kickoff Massillon defensive subs took the field…all nine of them. The penalty was stepped off, then retracted, because it was not a case of substituting. Everything was “jake” after two more players entered the lineup and the defense forced Benedictine to punt.
The ball changed hands in a hurry. Gugov lateralled as he was tackled and Sparma and Palmieri wrestled for possession. Palmieri had the final say at the Tiger 25. With second and 14, Andrews’ pass was intercepted by Herring at the 15 and he got out to the 37.
Hastings pounded 22 yards in three tries before Massillon scored again.
From the Benie 41, Sparma hit Herring who had slipped behind the secondary at the Benedictine five. The mite halfback snagged the ball, was hit, but fell across the zero stripe. Gugov’s run was short but the Tigers led 22-0 and that’s the way it was at intermission.
Midway in the third round Halfback Tom Kosewic recovered a Tiger fumble at the Massillon 29 but the Tigers held and took over at the 31 as Captain “Sluggo” Bednar batted down a fourth down aerial.
The most peculiar play of the night resulted on the first Tiger try from scrimmage.
Sparma went back to pass, was hit, and the ball floated out to the 35 where big Tony Gibbons, a tackle, cradled it and churned goalward. Gibbons, however, coughed it up as he was tackled and Tiger tackle Don Appleby recovered at the 29. After Gugov gained two, Wood winged 69 yards to put the Massillonians ahead by 28. The speedy halfback went through the left side, found himself in the clear at the 40 as the Benies looked around for the guy with the ball, and outran Rini to the end zone. Sparma passed to End Bob Zumbrunn in the end zone for two more markers.
Early in the final heat Jim Houston, Tiger guard, recovered a fumble at the Tiger 49 but aftre Wood wheeled 22 yards the attacked bogged down.
Benedictine, playing against a sub-studded lineup, marched 79 yards for its only six-pointer in a dozen plays.
* * *
ON THE FIRST play Miano scatted 31 yards and three plays before the TD, a pass, Joe Bujak to End Al Grigaliunas, resulted in a 24-yard gain. On third down at the one, the Massillon defense ganged up at the middle but Miano hit off the left side all by his lonesome and it was 30-6 at 1:55 with 1:55 remaining. The same Miano was stopped short on the PAT attempt.
Benedictine had the ball for 54 plays as compared to Massillon’s 42 tries but the long strikes and the Tiger defense (led by Bednar, Hase McKey, Houston, Gary Wells, Frank Midure, Jay Willey and Don Appleby) proved to be more than enough.
Outside of Miano’s 24-yarder in the final quarter, the blue’s biggest rushing gain amounted to only eight yards.
In the third frame the Tigers had the ball for only four running plays but with the help of Wood’s 69-yard effort, netted 82 yards.
Hastings, the workhorse of the attack, twisted and fought his way for 130 yards in 13 carries while Wood made 96 yards in seven trips and Gugov gained 30 in eight tries.
The loss was the second in five starts for the Benies who now trail the Tigers in the series, 4-1.
Tigers Beat Stubborn Big Red 28-8 Bengals Come From Behind To Win After Terrific First Half
By CHARLIE POWELL
Massillon is still undefeated and when the scholastic polls come out next Tuesday the Tigers more than likely will remain atop the pack.
But for some 24 uncomfortable minutes at Steubenville Friday night the might of the orange and black was very much in doubt.
The host Big Red, with a partisan crowd of 9,000 screaming for a king-sized upset, gave the Bengals one big scare before the Tigers flexed their muscles and carved out a hard-earned 28-8 triumph, their fourth in a row and 20th in the history over the Steubers.
Two sensational runs – the first an electrifying punt return of 55 yards by Nick Daugenti and the second a 67-yard gallop by Art Hastings – kept the Tigers from being on the short end of the count at halftime. Steubenville marched 67 yards in a great display of power in the second period and so at the half it was the Daugenti-Hastings combination with 12 points, the Big Red with 8.
Then in a second half the Bengals, who may have been a little over-confident going into the game, ground it out and actually breezed home. * * * IT WAS ALL Massillon during the second half as Leo Strang’s stouties, apparently getting straightened out during the intermission lectures, made hay on a third quarter drive of 35 yards following a timely recovery of a Big Red fumble by Gary Wells and the next time they got possession; went on the prowl for an icing-on-the-cake touchdown, the ultimate tally being rung up in the final period.
While the enemy controlled the pigskin and kept the Tiger followers in a lather for just about the whole first half, things worked just the opposite in the last two rounds.
In the final analysis, the Tigers packed too much savvy, speed and depth for the Big Red.
Massillon ran only 13 plays from scrimmage the first half. Except for the dazzler by Hastings, the Tigers made little headway. Offense wasn’t enough to worry about, the defense was torn to shreds by wedge-like power plays which featured a wave of deadly blockers.
The hosts continually hit off the right side and Massillon was virtually helpless. By halftime, the Redmen had gained 122 yards on running plays.
But the defensive changes that were hastily rendered as the bands strutted their stuff proved to be the difference.
The Big Red was at Massillon’s mercy in the second half. Except for a couple sprints up the middle and a few short passes, the Tigers handled the Steubers with comparative ease. * * * THE ORANGEMEN didn’t look like the same team that swept past a defensively stronger Alliance outfit but after the altered defensive alignment the Tigers showed the ability deserving the state’s No. 1 ranked combine.
An elated Coach Strang, “happy to get out of it alive,” stressed that a big factor in the win was that the Tigers did not lose the ball once on a fumble.
“Our breakaway runs (Daugenti’s punt return and Hastings’ TD jaunt) were the only bright spots in the first half. After we went into more basic football at the start of the second half we were able to keep going on short yardage plays. And of course, again our breakaway boys turned in runs to set up the touchdowns.”
Discussing the defensive adjustments, he cited the charging, tackling and pursuit, which provided a grade-A parlay to put the skids to Steubenville’s sweeps.
The tougher Tigers held Steubenville to a net gain of 36 yards via rushing over the last two quarters but Strang had a bushel of praise for the Big Red.
“They were the most aggressive team we’ve met and if they had a speedster with breakaway potential, I think they would be near impossible to stop,” he commented. * * * STRANG CLEARED the bench with most of the lads getting a good bit of playing time.
An all-junior defense, with the exception of a senior, Bob “Zeke” Zumbrunn, played a good portion of the last quarter and turned in an outstanding performance.
This crew, which plays defense against the Tiger offense throughout the weekly practice session, has been dubbed “The Tail Twisters.”
With the Tigers throwing their opponents for losses amounting to 51 yards, Steubenville finished with a total of 191 yards gained through the infantry route.
Hal Paul’s team had the edge in first downs (12-9) but the Tigertowners ripped off 227 yards, all but 14 on the ground.
Quarterback Joe Sparma had one of his infrequent “off nights” in the throwing department but the running game was more than enough. As usual his generalship and ball-handling was the work of art. And punting? Friends, he was dynamic. Two of his punts put Steubenville’s back to the wall and he wound up with a scintillating average of 39.2 yards per kick. * * * HASTINGS was the workhorse of the attack and of course had plenty of help from Jim Wood, Martin Gugov and Daugenti with Bill Finney inserting several yardage-gulping efforts.
The lone pass connection, which spelled a third TD for the Tigers, was an eye-popper. Sparma’s throw was taken on a nifty over-the-shoulder catch by big Hase McKey, who was one of the real standouts on defense.
Before the battle was even five minutes old, Daugenti had the Tigers stands rocking.
Steubenville’s Wally Neel punted from his own 16 and Daugenti, who plays defense when he’s not on the punt return team, fielded the pigskin at the Massillon 45.
No sooner than he caught the ball he was hit. But the tackler was left in the dust as Nick twisted away, cut for the right sidelines and completed a 55-yard dash behind some beautiful blocking.
Wood was stopped a foot short on his run for the PAT attempt but at 7:39 Massillon was out front. * * * THE BIG RED bounced right back and moved from their own 24 to the Tiger 48 before having to punt again. On the last play of the session, Sparma punted.
The riverfront array, barreling off the right side as Neel, Tom Cunningham, Leon Lindsey and Bob Crossley shared the ball toting chores, marched to pay dirt. A 19-yard run by Crossley on fourth down set the stage for Cunningham who tallied from a yard out on a third down situation. When sub quarterback Dohrmann Sinclair bootlegged left and hit in for two more points at 5:15, Massillon was in arrears for the first time this season.
Steubenville’s fans went wild but in short order they sat back stunned no end.
Daugenti pounced on the bounding kickoff at the Tiger 24 and on the very next play, Hastings put the Bengals back in the lead.
Finding a hole off the left side he dodged away from one would be tackler and was free at the Tiger 30. All he had to do was to turn on the speed and outrun the secondary. This he did. And how.
After Art completed the 76-yard scamper, Gugov crashed across for the conversion points but the effort went for naught because Massillon was called for backfield in motion.
On the second try, Sparma passed to Hastings who caught the ball at the four but was stopped at the one.
The Big Red hit on a 26-yard pass play but was forced to punt and another punt by Sparma wound up first half play. * * * ON THE FOURTH play of the third period, Crossley fumbled, Wells recovered, and Massillon was on its way for a very important six-pointer.
Hastings and Wood carted to the 15 before Sparma twirled to McKey, who caught the oval at the goal line. Gugov’s run for two more points gave Massillon a 12-point advantage with eight minutes left in the quarter.
Massillon’s Tigers or maybe we should say terrific Tigers, Friday night had higher voltage than Marilyn Monroe ever had.
They had to have it, partner, to take the wind out of the sails of the Alliance Aviators, 14-0, in a rip-snorting, hard-hitting defensive battle, the likes of which is seldom seen anywhere.
As the crowd of 19,387 paid fans will attest, two mighty fine football teams staged a rock’em, sock’em spine-crinkler at Tiger stadium.
As it turned out, the Tigers had their troubles, keeping their fans shaking like a wet dog for over three quarters, but the offensive punch was just lethal enough to deflate the hopes of the Aviators and their rabid followers. * * * THE HUSTLERS wearing togs (which for the first time included white shoes and new black jerseys) struck for a second period touchdown made on a 10-yard pass, Joe Sparma to the big Hase McKey six plays after Bill Finney got off a 56-yard dash. But it was anybody’s ball game until mid way in the final session when the Bengals marched, 52 yards with second string left half Martin Gugov going across from the seven after Massillon capered on an 18-yard jaunt by the same lad and an 18-yard pass play, the slick throwing Sparma to the slippery Hastings.
Leo Strang’s charges, who passed away a golden scoring opportunity late in the first half, bottled up the defending state champions except on two occasions, and it was their ability to dig in on critical third-down-and-short-yardage situations which proved to be a main factor.
But the one big play that will be “re-played” for many moons came about late in the third quarter when a touchdown would have given the Aviators new life and made the Tiger task more rigid.
The Aviators capitalized on Bobby Wallace’s passing and the running of a pile-driver named Charley King, 146-pound junior halfback, to advance from their own 45 to the Tiger three-yard line. The first pass of the drive, Wallace to End Larry Shinn (who made a diving catch), was good for 11 yards and the second, a 16-yard effort from Wallace to Halfback Lee Woolf, put the pigskin at the Bengal seven. * * * ALLIANCE FANS were in an uproar while Massillon faithful literally held their breath.
King, who in a good night’s work gained 103 yards in 20 tries, then made four yards and on second down, Wallace unfurled another pass.
He tossed into the right flat, near the goal line and although the Tigers were in a 10-man line, three Massillon players managed to drop back into the end zone. Linebacker Frank Midure – one of many Tiger stalwarts – only had to take a couple of steps to his left to latch onto the ball.
Midure stepped from the end zone into the playing field and chugged to the Tiger 30. Tiger fans breathed more naturally.
The Aviators were down and just about out. Massillon held them the next two times they had possession. McKey, the ace middle guard, knifed in to thwart a third-down-and-one line smash and when Nick Daugenti returned a punt to the Bengal 48, the hometown heroes went into action to apply the clincher. * * * AFTER GUGOV’S touchdown the visitors made one first down before Halfback Hugh Wilson’s fumble was recovered by Captain “Sluggo” Bednar at the Alliance 47 and it was all over but the hurrahs.
The Aviators still haven’t won a game at Massillon since 1927. It was the first loss of the season, in fact it snapped an eight-game winning streak and the setback put a real crimp in Aviator hopes for top ranking in the Ohio scholastic poll.
Apparently Massillon’s No. 1 rating was solidified as the Tigers captured their third straight decision and ran the Alliance series tally to 41-5-2.
But it will be out of the frying pan and into the fire for the orange and black. Steubenville is next. Albeit the Steubers lost to Paul Warfield and Co. of Warren Harding 13-8 last night, as next Friday’s game at Steubenville will be another stiff fight.
If the Steubenville fray – or any other game, has as much hard tackling as the one last night it will be something!
Both sides went at it hammer and tongs, with jarring tackle followed by jarring tackle. There was some good, crisp blocking too and both teams came up with some nifty gainers but every single yard was given grudgingly. * * * THE TIGER infantry outdid the invading crew by gaining 235 yards to Alliance’s 152. Via the airways, however, Sparma hit on four of nine for 46 yards as Mel Knowlton’s defense apparently was set up to stop the long pass. Wallace threw 11 times and completed four for 67 yards. The Tigers had a bare 12-10 edge in first downs.
But it’s always the score that counts and Massillon today was all hotsy-totsy.
The phrase, “team effort,” is over played in many instances but that is what made the orange and black the better team last night.
Coach Strang, passing out the bouquets in the dressing room , thought the “big play” was Midure’s timely interception.
“There was a lot of defense out there. We can thank Russ Ramsey’s scouting crew for doing a fine spy job and making adjustments to our defense.
“I don’t think anyone else will hold Alliance scoreless. They have a real fine football team…there were a lot of crucial plays but our kids did their job…our second stringers came through in grand style…all the boys gave it everything they had and we should certainly be proud of them,” he added. * * * STRANG ALSO commended his assistants who passed along strategy from their spotting booth atop the stands.
He said all the defensive players deserved lots of credit but singled out McKey and Bednar for leading the way. Sparma shined in directing the offense – and the sweet-slinging quarterback was under a handicap in the last quarter.
Right before the second TD, Joe was conked on the head and was wobbly for the remainder of the game. In both scoring drives he hit on key pass plays and his faking threw the visitors off kilter more than once.
The running backs, given big holes and then twisting, dodging and bulldozing on their own, filled the order. Finney was the leading yardage-getter with a net of 109 yards in 14 trips with the pigskin. Hastings made 85 yards in 13 tries and Gugov, in five carries, picked up 47 yards.
In the other dressing room, a downcast Knowlton was bothered, and rightfully so, by the fact that the Aviators failed to hit the jackpot on their third quarter drive.
“It we had gotten that touchdown, which we should have, we would have had the game,” he commented.
“We were moving but when you lose one like that I think it can mean the difference,” he said. * * * AN ASSISTANT remarked that the interception meant the game and Mel reiterated his view.
“We were doing all right but when you lose one like that on third and three it’s just tough,” he lamented. (Actually it was second down and six to go at the time).
For Alliance, the veteran Woolf was held to 23 yards in seven carries while Wilson carted nine times for 38 yards.
Besides averaging over five yards a clip, the sturdy King did some fine blocking and was a bear on defense.
Most of the first quarter was defense. Midure recovered a fumble on the third play of the night and from the Aviator 41, the host aggregation marched to the 12 only to surrender the ball on downs as Sparma was halted on a four-and-three fake pitch-out play.
After an exchange of punts a 32-yard pass, Wallace to End Paul Trieff who caught the ball behind two defenders at the Tiger 39 and sped to the 31, put the Alliance boys in business. They gained five in two plays, McKey then stopped Woolf at the line of scrimmage and on fourth down King was stopped a yard short of a first down at the Massillon 22. Before you could say Khrushchev the Tigers shot ahead. * * * FINNEY found a hole on the left side, wriggled in the clear at the Aviator 35 and darted 56 yards to the Aviator 22. Hastings gained five, a Sparma to Wood pass was good for eight and after two five-yard penalties against each team, Sparma went to the air again.
This time McKey was open in the left flat and husky Hase latched onto the swinehide at the one, took one step, and it was six to zero at 9:54. Finney was stopped short on the PAT attempt.
That was the first half fireworks, although the Orangemen were working up a storm before intermission. Hastings sprinted for 20 and Gugov got 14 to help reach the Aviator 22. Then Sparma winged another beauty with Hastings on the receiving end and Art did the pile-driver act to plant the ball on the seven but an offside penalty turned the cheers to sadness.
Two plays netted two before a mix-up in the backfield caused Sparma to lose nine yards.
Alliance threatened in the third period but Midure nullified a 52-yard march and there was nothing to write home about for the first four and a half minutes of the last chapter.
Daugenti returned a punt 12 yards and the Bengals started the drive that knocked Alliance chances into limbo. * * * FINNEY sandwiched gains of five and three yards around Sparma’s one-yard try at the middle before Gugov raced 18 yards to the 25. He would have had a touchdown except that he stumbled over a teammate at the Alliance 30.
The very next play was also good for 18 yards as Sparma pegged to Hastings. From the seven, Gugov barreled off right tackle and at 4:55 Massillon had its insurance six-pointer. Gugov stabbed at left tackle on the PAT try, fumbled and Wood recovered in the end zone to make it 14-0.
Two minutes later Bednar pounced on a fumble and the Tigers were moving again. Wood sped 18 with the help of a block by Jim Houston on a statue-of-liberty and Hastings made nine and six, respectively, but this bid was thwarted by a holding penalty. Massillon turned over the ball at the Alliance 28 and after Wilson went seven on a double reverse, the gun sounded.
Touchdowns – Massillon: McKey (10-P); Gugov (7-R). Extra Points – Massillon: Wood (Recovered fumble in end zone).
OFFICIALS Referee – Dan Tehan. Field Judge – C. W. Rupp. Head Linesman – Arthur Rittersbaugh. Umpire – Roy Wisecup. Statistics Mass. Alli. First downs – rushing 9 6 First downs – passing 3 4 First downs – penalties 0 0 Total first downs 12 10 Yards gained rushing 262 161 Yards lost rushing 9 9 Net yards gained rushing 253 152 Yards gained passing 46 67 Total yards gained 299 219 Passes attempted 9 11 Passes completed 4 4 Passes intercepted by 1 0 Times kicked off 3 1 Kickoff average (yards) 43.3 50 Kickoff returns (yards) 15 26 Times punted 3 3 Punt average (yards) 35.8 31.3 Punt returns (yards) 25 34 Had punts blocked 0 0 Fumbles 1 2 Lost fumbled ball 1 2 Penalties 6 1 Yards penalized 40 5
Second-Guessers Have Field Day as Tigers Top Aviators By DON LIGHTNER Repository Sports Writer
MASSILLON – What would be your strategy if you had the football planted on the opponent’s three-yard-line with three plays to push it into the end zone?
Well, it’s assured the 19,387 fans who attended the Massillon-Alliance clash here last night would be of one opinion – by all means, try to run it over.
But they had one big advantage. They could second-guess.
Alliance quarterback Bob Wallace elected to pass. The aerial was intercepted and Massillon went on to post a tooth-jarring 14-0 victory.
Although it is easy to question Wallace’s decision, one can not find too much fault with it.
For argument’s sake, let’s say the pass clicked for a touchdown. Alliance would have tied the game at 6-6 with a chance to go ahead 7-6 or 8-6 depending on the conversion.
This would have given the Aviators a tremendous psychological lift and put the pressure on the Tigers.
However, this is not to say the Bengals would have lost. Massillon scored another touchdown in the final period. But it might have been a different game.
With a lead in the third quarter, Alliance could have played it cozy and forced Massillon to take chances.
But this is only conjecture. The state’s top-ranked Bengals played heads-up football all the way. They had to – all the way.
They turned in a great performance defensively. Few fans figured they could hold the defending state titlists – ranked – No. 2 – scoreless.
Alliance had two other streaks snapped. It was the Aviators first loss in 15 games and stopped their shut-out mark at eight games. The Aviators hadn’t been scored on since the fourth game of last season.
Massillon Coach Leo Strang was all smiles after the game. Boosters and friends flowed into the locker room to give him a well-deserved pat on the back.
“Boy, if the fans didn’t get their money’s worth tonight, they never will,” Leo said smiling.
“I was very well pleased with our defensive work. I’ll bet you there won’t be another team this season to hold Alliance scoreless.
“I wasn’t too happy with our offense. I believe we made more mistakes against Alliance than we did in our previous two games combined.”
Strang went on to say quarterback Joe Sparma couldn’t remember for some time how the Tigers got their last touchdown.
“Joe must have been bumped pretty hard,” Leo continued. “He doesn’t know even when he got hurt. But I noticed something was wrong when on two plays he turned the wrong way on handoffs. Joe just doesn’t make those mistakes.”
Strang also said Wallace made the right call when he tried to pass for the touchdown.
“It’s just an automatic call,” Leo said. “We were in a 10-man line. Actually, that was the thing to do.”
Over in the Alliance locker room, Coach Mel Knowlton already was talking about getting another win streak started.
“We’ll just have to get going all over again,” Mel said. “After all, a 9-1 record isn’t bad at all.”
Knowlton refused to criticize Wallace for his decision to pass. “If the pass would have worked, Bob would be a hero,” Mel said.
“I believe we would have won the ball game if we could have scored. But it’s just one of those things. No one is to blame.”
Massillon got its first scoring drive started early in the second period. Alliance pushed the ball to the Massillon 22-yard-line where it lost possession on downs.
On the first play from scrimmage, Tiger halfback Bill Finney raced 56 yards before being hauled down on the 22-yard line.
After two running plays netted only four yards, Sparma went to work. He threw a nine-yard pass to halfback Jim Wood and followed up by pitching a TD strike to end Hase McKey in the end zone.
That was all the scoring in the first half.
In the third quarter, Alliance covered a fumble on its own 45.
Sparked by 17 and 11-yard passes by Wallace to halfback Leo Woolf and end Larry Shinn, respectively, Alliance had a first down on Massillon’s seven-yard-line.
Fullback Charley King rammed to the three. Then came Wallace’s controversial pass, which ended the drive. Guard Frank Midure picked it off in the end zone and ran it out to the Massillon 30-yard line.
Massillon iced the decision in the fourth period.
After forcing Alliance to punt, the Bengals drove 53-yards in six plays. Halfback Martin Gugov covered the final seven yards.
On the extra point run, Gugov fumbled in the end zone but the pigskin was recovered by Wood.
While many players from both teams turned in top jobs, Alliance’s King stole the show.
He was the backbone of the Aviators. He not only carried the load offensively, but did a tremendous job defensively.
Massillon showed its depth by sharing its running duties between Wood, Hastins, Finney and Gugov.
Massillon held an 11-10 advantage in first downs. It gained a total of 299 yards to Alliance’s 219.
The Aviator’s had an edge in the passing department, hitting on four of 11 for 67 yards. The Bengals threw nine times, completed four for 46 yards.
Massillon boosted its series lead over Alliance to 30-5-1. Last season, the two teams battled to an 8-8 tie.
Tigers Blast Canton Lincoln 65-0 Massillon Bengals Bomb Lions With Six Touchdown Passes
By CHARLIE POWELL
There will be little time to make merry music but Tigertowners will live “high on the hog” as long as they can.
That just about sums up the flippant feelings hereabout with Washington high football faithful, smug as a bug in rug over Friday night’s stream-roller show against Canton Lincoln and already thinking about that big one – the Friday night, October 2 battle with arch-rival Alliance.
The host Tigers, poised and powerful against a vastly out-manned but spunky club, applied the crusher by a 65-0 time – highest Massillon tally since 1954 and Lincoln’s worst licking at the hands of the Tiger in 15 years’ of combat.
Program Cover
Last night’s runaway marked the end of Massillon-Lincoln grid relations, at least for a few years, and it was a rude farewell party the Bengals tossed before 10,808 at Tiger stadium.
They scored two touchdowns in the first period and hit for 32 points in the second frame before taking the pressure off the accelerator. * * * THEY PULLED off 31 running plays for 301 yards. These plays were simple power maneuvers up the middle or end sweeps. In one of Massillon’s greatest displays of passing pyrotechnics in years, quarterbacks Joe Sparma and John Larson lofted the pigskin 29 times with eight completions going for a whopping 198 yards. These aerial bombs were of every description as the eligible receivers had the Lions in a tizzy trying to figure out the patterns.
In other words, the Tigers had it nice and easy while giving the Alliance scouts in the stands plenty to think about.
As the orange and black won their 14th decision over the Lions (one game ended in a draw), the defending state champion Aviators also were punching out their second straight triumph of the young season.
Before the game here was all over, fans were talking about next week’s fray. And hastily made signs, including a deluge of red and white ones carrying the message “Alliance, Beat Massillon” made their appearance.
Neither side will overlook any possibility of building up the tension for this big one. You can bet the rival coaches will go over every point of strategy and a packed audience for the big one is almost assured. * * * TICKETS have been selling fast and it should be a standing room-only turnout. Alliance this week sold out its original supply of tickets and asked for, and got additional tickets for the track seats.
The Leo Strang coached Tigers apparently were not thinking about anything but the job at hand last night.
They ran up the most points by a local team since the 1954 Bengals clobbered Struthers 68-0 and bettered the 1949 thrashing of Lincoln by five points.
It was the 23rd time (since 1920) that a Massillon team has scored 65 points or more. The biggest Bengal romp came in 1922 when the Tigertowners, coached by Dave Stewart, walked all over Akron North, 94-0.
It was Massillon’s 10th shutout starting with the opening game of 1957 and it was the most points ever allied by one of Strang’s teams. * * * FULLBACK Art Hastings 86-yard scamper for the second touchdown of the night and the passing of Sparma put the Tigers well on their way.
Sparma, who did not play as much as second string quarterback Larson, completed five passes, four for touchdown. Larson completed three, a pair of them for six-pointers, and also got off a crowd-pleasing 20-yard touchdown run after being trapped on a pass play in the third quarter.
None of the regular backs ran too often with Finney’s 64 yards in six trips leading the ball carriers. Hastings had 93 yards in three tries, second stringer Nick Daugenti picked up 35 in three tries (once running for 22 yards), Martin Gugov went 38 yards in four trips and a third string halfback, Doug Toles, carted five times for 17 yards.
The crowd saw Wingback Jim Wood hit pay dirt three times. And in doing so, he came up with a performance very few backs will be able to tell their future grandchildren about.
The hustling senior snagged three touchdown passes from the cool-operating Sparma in a space of six and one-half minutes during the second period.
End Bob Barkman caught two touchdown passes and a sub end, Theopolis Bodiford, completed the touchdown parade by going in on a 52-yard pass play with only 13 seconds remaining in the game. * * * THE TIGERS dropped four aerials including three “sure touchdown” throws two by Sparma and one by Larson. The former also pegged for two successful conversions.
Lincoln, which gained only 89-yards (74 on five passes) against an improved Tiger defense, saw a third down forward backfire with the game about a minute old. Finney swiped a throw in the flat by Quarterback Phil Billings and the Bengal halfback raced 43 yards down the west sidelines.
He placed the ball at the Lion four and after being held for no gain, Bill hit off right tackle for the first TD at 9:48. Mishandling of a handoff ruined the run on the try for two points.
Lincoln was forced to punt after the ensuing kickoff and Daugenti returned to the 11. After Finney made three, Hastings, in his first ball-toting chore of the night, highballed 86 yards for another touchdown. He veered off the left side, found himself free at the 25 and outran a couple Lincoln players to the end zone. Finney was stopped short on the conversion play. * * * NEAR THE END of the stanza defensive Tackle Terry Snyder recovered a fumble at the Massillon 31. A Sparma to Hastings pass gained 12 and Finney, in two tries, made 35 to help put the ball at the Lion 15 on the last play of the period. Then on the first play of the second quarter, Sparma worked himself loose from one would-be tackler, threw to Wood at the goal-line for six and Gugov swept end for two points. But the Tigers were penalized 15 yards for holding. However, Sparma’s pass to Herring in the end zone made it 20 to zero.
At 10:14 Wood put his mitts on another TD throw by Sparma. A bad punt gave the Tigers possession at the Lincoln 36 and on the next play Sparma hurled again with Wood making a sensational diving catch for the host’s fourth touchdown. Toles hit guard for two more points.
Hastings returned a punt 29 yards to the Lincoln 26 a few minutes later and again Sparma put the oval in orbit. It came down in the hands of Wood once again. Jim caught the ball at the 17 and carried two Lincoln players into the end zone with him. Another nice catch by Wood made it 36-0 at 4:37. * * * WITH ABOUT a minute left in the half, Gugov returned a punt 15 yards to the Lincoln 30 but the Orangemen were set back 15 yards due to a clip. After a Sparma pass was dropped in the wide-open spaces, Daugenti churned 22 on a sweep before the Sparma-Barkman combination was “dead center” on a 38-yard scoring play. Gugov made two more points on a sweep and Massillon led 44-0 at the half.
The Tigers continued red-hot in the third session. They took the kickoff and marched 63 yards. Finney got off a 22-yarder and Larson passed to Hastings for 13 before Wood raced seven yards for a touchdown, which did not count because of another clipping penalty. However, three plays later Larson from the 20, failed to locate a receiver, shook off one defender and barreled down the right side for six points. A fumble kept Herring from making the try for two more markers.
Linebacker Frank Midure recovered a fumble at the Lincoln 34 a minute or so later and in seven plays the home team had another TD. Wood, Gugov and Toles gained on the ground and from the seven. Larson pitched to Barkman who made a fine over the shoulder catch at the five and went in to make it 56-0. And it was 58-0 as Wood crashed across the final stripe.
Massillon got to the Lion 14 early in the final chapter and a second bid on the quarter just managed to beat the clock.
Guard Lawson White pounced on a fumble at the Lincoln 47 to set the stage. Two aerials went for naught before Larson’s flat pass settled in the arms of Bodiford at the Lincoln 37. It was a simple matter for the junior end to go on to pay dirt. Nobody touched him and after the Tigers were penalized for delaying the game, Jim Hershberger split the uprights for the 65th point.
Lincoln lost John Andreadis, quarterback-end due to an arm injury in the second half and Steve Scott, a sub halfback, had to have a few stitches put in his face and upper lip.
The Tigers, who used several regulars rather sparingly (Tackle Don Appleby who has been limping got in for one play) came out of the game in good shape although another tackle, Virgil Bukuts, couldn’t remember a thing after getting konked on the head in the second half.
Statistics Mass. Lin. First downs, rushing 13 3 First downs, passing 7 3 First downs, penalties 0 0 Total first downs 20 6 Yards gained rushing 307 70 Yards lost rushing 6 55 Net yards gained rushing 301 15 Yards gained passing 198 74 Total yards gained 499 89 Passes attempted 29 10 Passes completed 8 5 Passes intercepted by 1 2 Times kicked off 10 1 Kickoff average (yards) 41.7 37 Kickoff returns (yards) 47 158 Times punted 1 7 Punt average (yards) 29 18.2 Punt returns (yards) 37 24 Had punts blocked 0 1 Fumbles 3 8 Lost fumbled ball 0 3 Penalties 6 1 Yards penalized 60 5
Massillon Jolts Lincoln, 65 to 0 Aerial Attack Nets Four Touchdowns in 2nd Quarter; Wood Catches Three
MASSILLON, O. – Massillon’s Tigers and Canton Lincoln closed the book on their long football rivalry here last night – and the Tigers made the last chapter the most disastrous one for Lincoln in the 15-game series.
The talented Tigers tallied touchdowns with monotonous regularity to bury Lincoln, 65-0, for their most lopsided triumph against their Canton opponent.
The victory also preserved Massillon’s clean slate against Lincoln. The Tigers won 14 of the 15 games and the other was a scoreless tie in 1945.
Lincoln couldn’t hold Massillon down this time. The Tigers scored first on Euvll Finney’s four-yard burst with only two minutes gone.
They scored again moments later when Art Hastings raced 84 yards and then Quarterback Joe Sparma put on a scintillating passing exhibition to put the game completely out of Lincoln’s reach. Hurls 4 Touchdown Passes In 2nd Quarter Sparma pitched four touchdown passes in the second quarter. He connected with halfback Jim Wood on tosses of 15, 36 and 26 yards and finished with a 38-yarder to end Bob Barkman.
Second-string quarterback John Larson took over in the last half and accounted for the Tigers’ last three scores. He tallied the first one himself on a 20-yard run. Then he threw 7 yards to Barkman and connected on a 48-yard pass-run play with Theopolis Bodiford to finish the rout.
The last TD came with only 13 seconds left and gave the Tigers their biggest scoring splurge since 1954 when they romped over Struthers, 68-0.
History 
In 1993 during his junior year Spencer became a varsity starter at defensive back and was part of a team that compiled a 10-2 record, while losing in the playoff regionals. With an uncanny ability quickly break for the ball, he had six pass interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns, including 87 yards against Grove City, PA, 54 yards against Austintown Fitch and 36 yards against Akron St. Vincent. He also recovered two fumbles, returning one for a score. In addition, he was the backup quarterback, where he scored one rushing touchdown.
The following year it all came together and with just Franklin at the QB position the team exploded with an undefeated 10-0 season. Massillon led the All-American Conference in both rushing and passing and outscored its opposition 412-29. In a key Week 4 matchup with state-ranked Niles, Franklin led his team to a 22-3 comeback victory. He also scored all three touchdowns in a 22-0 win over Warren Harding and was involved in four TDs against Trotwood Madison. The magical season was then punctuated by a 28-0 victory over previously undefeated and state No. 3 Canton McKinley.
The following year, Sheegog was the starter and he help the Tigers to a consecutive unbeaten season and another state title. His key games included:
Joe had the long arm desired by most quarterbacks. It was so long that he eventually made a career of throwing fastballs for the Detroit Tigers. But he also made his mark in high school, including a big pass he threw in the infamous clock game against Warren Harding. With the game tied 14 apiece and Massillon sitting on the Panther 46 yard line with just seconds remaining, Head Coach Leo Strang inserted the young sophomore to try a desperation pass. Sparma did just that, launching the ball to the goal line and into the hands of Clyde Childers, who outjumped the defender for the winning score. Following the game, Warren claimed that Massillon had received an extra minute of play. But you can read the story yourself.
