1952: Massillon 40, Barberton 19

SCORE 33 POINTS IN SECOND HALF AFTER TRAILING 19-7
Tigers Smash Barberton Magics 40-19

By LUTHER EMERY

The Tigers became of age Friday evening and we just aged.

If you didn’t have a gray hair when you entered Tiger stadium with the 13,516 other folks, then you must have sprouted several during the terrific struggle that saw the Massillon team bounce back from a 19-7 deficit at half-time to score 33 points in the last two periods and win 40-19.

To do it they had to beat into submission a spirited and aroused Barberton team.

They did and seldom have we seen a team as badly mauled at the end of the game as was Barberton. Coach Junie Ferrall took inventory of his Magic squad at the close of the contest and wondered if he could field a team next week.

He had eight players X-rayed after the game and counted the following injuries:
David Sickles, line backer, dislocated shoulder.
Gene Neely, halfback, fractured shoulder.
Don Cole, line backer, bruised hip.
Keith Jones, defensive halfback, fractured ankle.
Mike Krunich, tackle, torn cartilate in knee.
Mike Roarty, halfback, injured knee.
Bob Seely, defensive end, injured knee.
Paul Bachman, offensive end, injured thumb.

Ferrall said today that from all appearances, Neely, Krunich, Jones and Roarty are out for the season.

The injuries were just another series of mishaps that have plagued Barberton all year.

Three Magic stars, in fact three mainstays of the team, didn’t even play last night because of injuries sustained last week. They were Glenn Davis, fleet halfback who scored the team’s first six touchdowns this season (we shudder to think what might have happened had he been in the first half), Gary Dean, a co-captain and tackle and Charles Newell, halfback.

While the Tigers did not come out with any serious injuries, cuts under the eyes, bruises and broken skin on faces and legs were evidence of the kind of grinder the boys were going through last night.
Johnny Traylor, fleet halfback, who played himself one whale of a game and Tom Boone, safety man, came out with limps but both appeared O.K. after the contest.

It is hoped that none of Barberton’s suspected fractures actually develop into broken bones. X-ray pictures will be taken to determine the full extent of injuries, which were just another series of mishaps which have plagued Barberton all season.

The injuries last night were the result of hard football. The Tigers apparently thought they had a pink tea party arranged for them from the way they played the first half while Barberton, which had pointed for the game, played as though it expected to win, carried the game to the Tigers, took advantage of the breaks and whipped the locals the first two periods.

With the Magics aroused to high spirits and everything going wrong for the Tigers, Massillon fans shuddered at the half and wondered if it was going to be “one of those nights.”

They had seen their team drive back 75 yards with the opening kickoff to score and lead
7-0. But they saw the same team relax and allow Gene Neely, Barberton slicker to run back the following kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and score two more in the second period to give his team a 19-7 advantage.

Most everyone in the Massillon section was scared except the players as the teams lined up for the second half kickoff. Then and there the Tigers became of age, though they did not alleviate the fears of spectators until they shoved over their third and fourth touchdowns in the fourth quarter. After that the tension was off and fans for the first time eased back in their seats and began to add up the points.

We have heard complaints that the games have been too one-sided. To the person who looks only at the score, last nights’ figures may read the same, but it was too close for comfort from a Massillon stand point, and those who want close scores had their money’s worth with dividends.

The Tigers never regained the lead until the fourth quarter when Johnny Francisco crashed over from the three-yard line after a tremendous drive that had started from the Massillon 16-yard line. It took a lot of slam-bang football and a brilliant 45-yard sideline run by Fullback Lee Nussbaum to roll Barberton back into the payroll territory. With Tom Boone kicking the extra point to make the score 21-19, everyone breathed easier, though they were still apprehensive until Francisco went over for his second touchdown after a march of 61 yards to boost the lead to 27-19.

After that the points came easier and Nussbaum’s second touchdown on a 13-yard run and Bob Misere’s 42-yard pass to Sam Williams for the final points of the game only served to dress up the score for sports writers to look at when casting their ballots in next week’s Associated Press poll.

What aroused the Tigers the second half we do not know. They just settled down to play the brand of football they are capable of playing. It was reminiscent of the Massillon-Barberton game of 1950 when after trailing 6-0 at the half the local team struck back with a 35-point barrage in the second half to win 35-6.

How one-sided the contest was in the second half is told in the statistical department. The Tigers made 12 first downs to Barberton’s 0, and gained 289 net yards to Barberton’s 24, while out scoring the Magics 33-0.
* * *
THINGS were more even with the exception of points, the first half in which the Magics out scored the locals 19-7. First downs were Massillon 8, Barberton 7 and yardage gained was 138 for Massillon and 134 for Barberton which does not include Neely’s 93-yard kickoff return.

When you add up the entire game, however, the Tigers were clear cut victors. They led
20-7 in first downs and gained 425 net yards from scrimmage to Barberton’s 136.

Breaks helped to give the Magics their first half edge. They scored their first two touchdowns through their own power and ability, but the third was a result of interference with a pass receiver on a 22-yard heave which was actually intercepted by Massillon. But officials rightfully ruled that a Tiger had pushed the intended Barberton receiver so the ball was taken away from Massillon and given to Barberton on the two-yard line.
* * *
THE TIGERS thrice lost the ball in the first half, twice on fumbles and once on a pass interception, which made it possible for the Magics to control the leather. And control it they did. They played that kind of game, taking almost the limit of time in the huddle after each play with the apparent intention of enlisting the clock in their attempt to either keep down a Massillon score or stall out a victory.

The game had its rhubarbs too. Coach Mather was nettled plenty over a clipping penalty called near the Massillon bench that nullified a brilliant 40-yard punt return by Johnny Traylor after a handoff from Francisco. Tiger fans also shouted their disapproval of a ruling that Nussbaum stepped out of bounds on the three-yard line in his 45-yard jaunt down the sidelines. The motion pictures will be interesting.

The Tigers showed improvement in their kicking off with Tom Boone doing the booting and averaging 47 yards, but ironically enough, his first kick to the seven-yard line, which we believe was the longest of the year, like-wise was the only one returned for a touchdown.

Only once did the local team have to punt, Rollie Millar booting a 29-yarder from scrimmage behind good protection.

After the way they marched to their first touchdown, the Tigers probably figured they had an easy touch in Barberton.

As expected Coach Ferrall came up with a cockeyed defense designed to yield a few yards but no big slice at a time. And Mather, expecting such a defense, passed on the first play, a 28-yard pitch from Misere to Bob Khoenle. Misere completed another 12 yarder to Khoenle in the march that ended with Traylor banging over from the two.

It was on the following kickoff that Neely grabbed the ball on the seven, and headed for the east sideline. Never have we seen so many blockers in front of a ball carrier. They mowed Tiger tacklers down in bunches while Neely ran along unmolested with three men to knock out the Tiger safety man and escort him to the goal.
Quarterback Tom George missed the try for the extra point leaving the Tigers in the lead 7-6.
* * *
“JUST A SHOT in the dark,” mused Massillon fans as they settled back to await the Tiger’s roar. It didn’t come. On the first play after the kickoff, Barberton covered a Tiger fumble putting the Magics in control of the ball. An exchange of punts left the Magics with the pigskin in their own territory, but they worked it out on a 21-yard pass from George to Dick Seiter that took the leather to the Tiger 42 and they were on their way. A pass, two running plays and then a 22-yard toss to Mike Roarty brought a first down on the two. It took two downs to go over, but over Neely went and with George kicking the extra point the Magics were in front 13-7.

The Tigers took the kickoff on their 36 and seemed on their way to a touchdown themselves when George covered a Massillon fumble on his 24 to end the threat.

The ball went back over to the Tigers on a punt, but Barberton regained it when Seiter intercepted Misere’s pass on the Barberton 45. A long pass to Roarty brought a first down on the 25 and set the ball in position for another pass to the two-yard line which Massillon intercepted but on which interference was called, leaving the Magics in possession of the leather. Neely was over in two tries and the Magics led 19-7.

The Tigers made a belated offensive effort before the end of the half which netted a first down on the 33, but the half ended before the ball could be put in play on second down.
* * *
FRUSTRATED on an intercepted pass the first time they got the ball in the second half, the Tigers finally got rolling when they regained it on a punt on their own 48. Traylor made a fine catch of Misere’s pass and got to the Barberton 37. After being set back to the 42 on a penalty, Traylor’s signal was called and the little atom exploded for a 25-yard run to the 17. Nussbaum and Traylor took turns carrying it until the two-yard line was reached where Lee went across and Boone kicked an important point after to pull the locals up to within striking distance 19-14.

And strike they did.

They were on their way from their own 16 and had gotten back to the Barberton three on Nussbaum’s fine 45-yard run when the quarter ended.

Francisco went over for the first play and Boone again added the extra point.

The Tigers scored every time they got the ball thereafter.

They started with a punt on the Barberton 39 and chewed off three and four-yard hunks of territory until the two-yard line was reached. Francisco went over.

They got it again on a punt on the Barberton 37 and Francisco romped for 16. Nussbaum, John Climo and Traylor put it on the 13 and that was close enough for Lee who went over for his second score.
* * *
THE FINAL POINTS were scored with only about 33 seconds of the game remaining to be played. They came after a 75-yard march in which Francisco ripped off a run of 29 yards and Misere tossed 42 to Williams for the pay off.

The game ended football relations between Barberton and Massillon. Coach Junie Ferrall of the Magics would like to keep the Tigers on his schedule but says his fans demand a home and home series.

The Massillon athletic department wants to provide local fans with seven home games. It cannot do this and play home and home with Barberton until one off the other home and home rivalries is done away with. These are Canton McKinley, Warren, Alliance, Mansfield, Steubenville and Toledo Waite.

Barberton has always been good competition. Perhaps some way will be found to bring the schools back together on a satisfactory basis sometime in the future.

The line-ups and summaries:

MASSILLON
ENDS – Crone, Khoenle, Williams, Letcavits, Longshore.
TACKLES – Younkers, Gumpp, Schram, Dean.
GUARDS – Fabianich, Kraus, Clinage, Agnes.
CENTERS – Corrall, Allison.
QUARTERBACKS – Misere, Porter, Johnson.
HALFBACKS – Francisco, Traylor, Climo, Boone, Tasseff, Millar, Floyd, Stone.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart.

BARBERTON
ENDS – Beckman, Seiter, Adams, Romig, Seely, Debevec, Bauer.
TACKLES – Kasanic, Goff, Swigert, Fedor, Hutchinson, Krunich.
GUARDS – Biro, Rimlinger, Linkowski, Campbell.
CENTERS – Weigand, Luck, Mace.
QUARTERBACK – George.
HALFBACKS – Neely, Roarty, McGuineness.
FULLBACKS – Hummell, Smith, Incorvati, Cole, Mathhews, Jones, Sickles.

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 0 7 26 40
Barberton 6 13 0 0 19

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Traylor; Nussbaum 2; Francisco 2.
Barberton – Williams; Neely 3.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Boone 4, (placekicks).
Barberton – George (placekick).

Referee – Tehan.
Umpire – Smith.
Head Linesman – Lymper.
Field Judge – Morbite.

STATISTICS
Mass. Barb.
First downs 20 7
Passes attempted 14 10
Passes completed 6 6
Had passes intercepted 2 1
Yards gained passing 112 101
Yards gained rushing 322 67
Total yards gained 434 168
Yards lost 9 32
Net yards gained 425 136
Times punted 1 5
Average punt (yards) 29 29
Yards punts returned by 7 0
Times kicked off 7 4
Average kickoff (yards) 47 33
Yards kickoffs returned by 35 146
Times fumbled 4 2
Lost ball on fumble 2 0
Times penalties 3 5
Yards penalized 25 55