Tag: <span>John Snavley</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1915: Massillon 6, Canton Central 7

ORANGE AND BLACK MET FIRST DEFEAT OF SEASON SATURDAY; CANTON WINNING BIG BATTLE

Shorn of its visions of champion hip honors stands the orange and black clad eleven of Massillon high school today. For Saturday Canton – the local school’s arch foe – in the most amazing and unexpected turn of events ever witnessed in a gridiron struggle, defeated the prize aggregation of Massillon high 7 to 6, in the annual grid fracas on the driving park field. It was Massillon’s first defeat.

The deciding play of the game which meant victory for the determined red and black warriors from the east end city came with such abrupt suddenness that it fairly took the breath away from the some odd 3,000 fans who witnessed the season’s classic.

Canton’s touchdown came in the second quarter after Massillon, by a series of brilliant end runs, had advanced the ball from midfield to Canton’s seven yard line. It was second down with but two feet to go for another first down. Then came the play which gave Canton its chance to score. Instead of trying to pierce Canton’s line or skirt its ends, Massillon attempted a forward pass which was blocked, the ball falling into the hands of Right End Negley, of Canton, who raced 88 yards to the goal line, making the first points scored against the local team this fall. Fisher kicked goal.

Canton rooters went wild for a few minutes while Massillon followers sadly watched the spoiling of the brilliant record made by the orange and black. Here and there could be seen girls using handkerchiefs.

Today Negley is Canton’s hero. He is the man who beat Massillon. Transformed from a second string end to a star by that wonderful run, the Canton end is the most popular student in Canton high school today. Canton rooters celebrated the victory by a big demonstration in the east end city Saturday evening.

Massillon scored its touchdown in the third quarter on a forward pass from McLaughlin to Bischoff, who received the ball behind the goal line. McLaughlin tried for a goal from a difficult angle and missed, thereby giving Canton its one point margin. The east enders’ victory gave them the scholastic championship of Stark County because they scored victories over both Alliance and Massillon.

Canton’s victory was one of a decidedly fluky character. Had a play other than a forward pass been called at this stage of the game, the orange and black might have kept its goal line uncrossed and walloped the invading foe.

Canton never threatened Massillon’s goal while in possession of the ball. Play during the greater part of the struggle was entirely within Canton’s territory but the local team lacked the punch to shove the ball over the goal line. Massillon made nine first downs to Canton’s four, and used the forward pass to better advantage than its opponents.

Massillon was a heavy favorite before the game started and was picked to win. While the orange and black played hard, it was keyed up too strongly and its attack lacked some of the force which has marked its play all season. The players were excited and were putting every ounce of power into the struggle.

Massillon paid strict attention to Abe Fisher, Canton’s star, and bottled the east ender so effectually that he made few gains. Massillon’s backfield, McLaughlin, Roderick, Zorger and Hollinger, made most of the local team’s gains while the line outplayed its opponents.

A SAD ENDING
Massillon – 6. Pos. Canton – 7

Harrold le Smith

Johnson le McAnney

E. Stultz lg Ray

Bischoff c Mitchell

Graybill rg Bow

H. Stultz rt Valzer

Houriet (c) re Negley

Hollinger qb Shaffer

Zorger lhb Fisher (c)

McLaughlin rhb Leininger

Roderick fb Sapsford
Touchdowns – Negley, Bischoff
Goals after touchdowns – Fisher

Substitutions: Canton – Swartz for Bow, Oliger for Ray, Guest for Leininger, Melbourne for Sapsford.

Referee – Snyder, of Harvard
Umpire – Plott, of Otterbein
Head linesman – Elliott, of Otterbein
Timers – Hammersmith, of Michigan, Brown of Western Reserve

Time of quarters – 12-1/2 minutes.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1914: Massillon 3, Canton Central 0

ORANGE AND BLACKS DOWNS CANTON, 3 – 0
HIGH SCHOOL TEAM SNATCHES VICTORY AS BIG GAME ENDS

For a period of forty-three and one-half minutes, Saturday afternoon, warriors of Massillon and Canton high schools indulged in one of the most brilliant gridiron battles ever witnessed by fans in this vicinity on the field at League Park, Canton. For 43y minutes, 1,500 wildly shouting enthusiastic fans stood and shivered in the near zero weather and yelled themselves hoarse at the fierce attempts of each team to score. During the same period the two old rivals – the orange and black and the red and black – battled unable to make a point, although each had been within striking distance of the opponents’ goal line.
HOW GAME WAS WON
Time was going fast; only half a minute of play remained. Massillon had the ball on Canton’s 4-yard line. Time was taken out to get the crowd off the field. When play was resumed, quarterback Hollinger, of the orange and black, called fullback Henrich around left end. He was thrown for a loss of two yards by a vicious Canton tackler, but the ball had been placed directly in front of the Canton goal posts. Fifteen seconds to play. People were leaving the park in droves, nothing but a scoreless tie was expected to be the outcome of the big battle between the ancient rivals. Then it happened. Hollinger motioned for right tackle, Eckstein to attempt a goal from placement. Standing on Canton’s 16-yard line, the big tackle waited for the pass from center Spuhler. Time was nearly up; those who had stuck to see the finish were in a frenzy lest the timer’s whistle blow before the kick could be made. Hollinger motioned for the ball, there was a thud as Eckstein’s toe met the pigskin and in the early shades of evening the ball sailed across the bars and Massillon high had triumphed over its foe and evened up the count.
HOURIET’S PLAY BRILLIANT
Eckstein’s kick won the game, the greatest victory of the season and the championship of Stark county for the orange and black, but to Houriet, right end, should be given the credit for snatching victory from the very jaws of defeat. Soon after the fourth quarter had started, Canton, after making an attempt to gain by the forward pass, was forced to punt. The ball rolled out of bounds on Massillon’s 11-yard line. Henrich went through the line for four yards. On the next play Hollinger fumbled the pigskin and center Griffith, of Canton, fell on it on Massillon’s 16-yard line. At this point, Snyder, captain of the red and black squad, who had received a broken collar bone three weeks ago, was rushed into the fray in a last supreme effort to register a victory. A forward pass from Snyder to Shafer placed the oval on Massillon’s five-yard line. A touchdown seemed a certainty. A line play was broken by Theis. The next play resulted in an attempted forward pass. Snyder shot the ball straight at the Canton end. It was almost in his hands when Houriet rushed in, grabbed the ball and raced 62 yards down the field, towards Massillon’s goal before being downed. The quick action of the brilliant wing man had saved the game for the orange and black.

Steady line plunging with R. Smith and Henrich carrying the ball, made two fast downs for Massillon and placed the ball in position for the placekick made by Eckstein.

It was a brilliant culmination of a brilliant football season. It will be a victory that will secure a prominent place in Massillon high school’s history and students Saturday evening celebrated the event by bonfires and parades.
TWO PLAYERS HURT
Two accidents marred the contest. Cholly, Canton’s brilliant pivot man, received a fractured shoulder in the second period and had to retire. Harrold, right end for Massillon high, sustained a broken collar bone in the same period when he tackled a Canton man.

Hope sank in the breasts of Canton rooters when Cholly was forced to quit the field. This player had been practically the whole Canton team during the early stages of the contest. He had been carrying the ball for big gains. Massillon stock rose a full 100 percent when Moyer was substituted for Cholly.
SMITH THE STAR
Reports from Canton before the game were to the effect that the red and black was going to stop Capt. Smith, the little demon of the orange and black squad.

For 44 minutes they tried and then – failed. The white headed leader of Massillon high closed his gridiron career Saturday afternoon in a blaze of glory. He tackled fiercely and more than one Canton player now has lots of respect for this stocky individual. When carrying the ball he was like a locomotive. On the first play of the game he tore through left tackle for 30 yards. He never failed to gain and ripped off several big gains.
STARS OF THE GAME
Every man was a star Saturday. They all played hard. Every player was in the game to win and the result was that the contest fairly glowed with brilliant line plunges, end runs and tackles.

The local team put up a bear of a game but the work of three players stands out prominently. Capt. Smith, Henrich and Houriet were the big cogs on the Massillon team. Henrich played his first game at fullback and showed oceans of football ability. He hit the line hard and punted well.

Massillon made seven first downs while Canton plowed through for eight. Play was pretty nearly even during the whole game. Several times each team started to rush the ball toward the goal line but lacked the power to keep up the pace.

Following is the line up and summary
Canton – 0 Pos. Massillon – 3
Shafer          le     Harrold
Sapsford      lt      Theis
Shellenberg lg     D. Snyder
Griffith          c     Spuhler
Volzer          rg    Graybill
Pontius        rt     Eckstein
Jackson      re     Houriet
Cholly         qb    Hollinger
Fisher         lh     R. Smith
Moyer         rh    Bunker
Marz           fb    Henrich

Substitutions:
Canton – Moyer for Cholly; Francis for Moyer; Snyder for Moyer; Moyer for Francis.
Massillon – H. Smith for Harrold; Zorger for H. Smithy.

Goals from placement:
Massillon – Eckstein.

Referee – Blythe (Mt. Union).
Umpire – Merwin – (Massillon).
Head Linesman – Snyder (Ohio State).

Time of periods – 12 and 10 minutes.