Tag: <span>Mansfield</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1959: Massillon 70, Mansfield 0

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!

MASSILLON
ENDS – Barkman, McKey, Zumbrunn, Bodiford, Royer, Oliver, Pierce.
TACKLES – Appleby, Bukuts, Wells, Paul, Herbst, Haines, Herndon.
GUARDS – Houston, Willey, Bednar, Midure, White, Crenshaw, Anzalone, Brugh.
CENTERS – Snodgrass, Snyder, Demis.
QUARTERBACKS – Sparma, Larson, Null, Smith.
HALFBACKS – Finney, Wood, Daugenti, Herring, Gugov, Kurzen.
FULLBACKS – Hastings, Hershberger, Dean, Toles.

MANSFIELD
ENDS – Schadek, Nagle, Kehr, Buckley.
TACKLES – Conrad, Welker, Bernat, Lutz, Shasky, Henson, Myers, Norris.
GUARDS – Beer, Stander, Cook, Miller, Cowan, Reedy, Hartman.
CENTERS – Goetti, Welker, Nestich, Keplinger.
QUARTERBACKS – Rainey, Stickrod.
HALFBACKS – Pate, Carter, Brooks, Weaver, Keiser, Ott.
FULLBACKS – Taylor, Franklin, Cole, Phillips.

Scoring by quarters
Massillon 8 22 24 16 70
Mansfield 0 0 0 0 0

Touchdowns: Massillon – Sparma (1-run); Hastings (80-run, 43-run); Wood (76-run, 70-run); Oliver (32-pass); Toles (3-run); Gugov (17-run); Barkman (34-pass).
Extra points – Sparma (run); Finney (4-run); Hastings (run); McKey (pass); Kurzen (run).

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.

MASSILLON – 70
E – McKey, Houston, Oliver, Pierce, Barkman, Zumbrunn, Royer, Bodiford.
T – Snyder, Bukuts, Herbst, Haines, Appleby, Paul, Herndon, Wells.
G – Bednar, Midure, Willey, Brugh, Crenshaw, Anzalone, White.
C – Snodgrass, Demis.
QB – Sparma, Larson, Null, Smith.
HB – Wood, Finney, Kurzen, Herring, Gugov, Daugenti.
FB – Hastings, Toles, Dean, Hershberger.

MANSFIELD – 0
E – Schadek, Collins, Buckley, Kehr, Nagle.
T – Lutz, Conrad, Myers, Shasky, Henson, Norris, Welker.
G – Cook, Hartman, Miller, Stander, Cowan, Reedy, Beer.
C – Goetti, Nestich, Keplinger.
QB – Rainey, Stickrod.
HB – Ott, Carter, Weaver, Pate, Keiser, Brooks.
FB – Cole, Taylor, Franklin, Phillips,

Massillon 8 22 24 16 70

TD – Sparma, Hastings 2, Wood 2, Barkman, Oliver, Toles, Gugov.

PAT – Sparma (run); Finney 4 (runs); McKey (pass); Hastings (run);
Kurzen (run).

Joe Sparma
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1958: Masillon 20, Mansfield 8

Tigers Rely On Power In Winning Fifth
One Pass, Two Long Drives Net 20-8 Win Over Mansfield Team

By CHARLIE POWELL

Mansfield didn’t have Clyde Beatty to transform the Massillon Tiger into an obedient, tame little pussy cat.

Neither did it have enough strong-armed warriors to corral the Tiger Friday night when the Tiger went on the prowl three times and crushed the enemy under foot, 20-8, to retain its position among the gridiron elite.

Over 12,000 fans at Mansfield’s Arlin field saw the host Tygers fall into a well-laid trap. The orange and black set up the Mansfielders with fancy overtures from the spread formation and when they figured the Tigers were serious about their efforts, they girded their defense to stop the same, and promptly pulled their noose tighter.

Massillon’s stouties switched to ram’em football and just plain, straight, ordinary football paid off in a fifth triumph – a triumph coupled with an upset of Warren Harding that certainly will usher the Tigers into the top seat in the Ohio scholastic title chase.
* * *
THE TIGERS trailed Warren by a slight point margin in the state poll last week. By the early part of next week, voters can be expected to make Massillon No. 1.

In losing, 8-0 to Central Catholic’s courageous Crusaders on the home sod last night, the Warren Panthers went down to their first loss of the season. That setback took some glitter off next week’s Massillon-Warren conflict – but not much.

Warren still must be considered a threat and a victory next Friday at Warren will be a “must” for Leo Strang’s steadily-improved array. A single loss probably would snuff out all titular hopes what with the way Cleveland Cathedral Latin, Alliance, and some of the other are going.

Following last night’s tussle, Mansfield coaches indicated they would favor Massillon over Warren but the Panthers will be in a mighty revengeful mood next week. They should be in a lot better shape physically and when it comes to mental attitude, Gene Slaughter and his assistants should have not trouble at all keying their charges to the right pitch – because Warren has been pointing for the Tigers ever since last year’s clock controversy.

Massillon’s latest victim gave it a good try but the Strang gang was not to be denied once the off-tackle slants and power plays up the middle started to click.

Trying to pin down Coach Strang for comments after action ceased was like trying to stop a very angry bull in a china shop. He was very happy, indeed, but between bursts of joy he emphasized that this hard-fighting Mansfield club was vanquished only because of a
grade-A team effort.
* * *
“ALL OF THEM played a whale of a game. Our blocking was real sharp on those power plays, the ball carriers never stopped plugging and the defense never let down a bit.”

“And you know,” he said, “Our fancy stuff might have gone had we been more settled down at the start.”

In a more serious mood, he recalled the Warren upset and added, “Warren will come back fighting mad next week. They’ll be twice as tough for us.”

Mansfield proved to be a pesky team. The Tom Pierson-coached team gave ground begrudgingly but the Massillon defense contained their offense very well except for the last three and a half minutes of the game.

The red and white averaged only three yards per rushing play and a heads-up Tiger pass defense crimped the aerial warfare.

Pierson, whose team opened the door to its only score against a sub-studded Bengal eleven, said Mansfield was beaten by a “very fine football team…maybe the very best.”

At times the Tiger offensive machine didn’t look like one of the best but on three occasions it was more than adequate.
* * *
END BILL ZORN, one of the many defensive stickouts, partially blocked a Mansfield punt in the second period and Corky Pledgure returned the short kick 17 yards to the enemy 19.

In five plays Massillon broke the ice. Dave Dean, Art Hastings and Jim Snively moved the pigskin to the 14 from which point a pass brought on the first touchdown. On fourth down, Quarterback Joe Sparma whipped the ball to big Bob Vogel who made a great catch a yard away from the final stripe. He turned and took one step over the goal line before being pushed back into the playing area but the Tigers had six points at 5:57 – and still six after a pass on the extra point try failed by an inch.

That was the only big noise of the first half but the first time the orange got possession in the second half, it banged through the Tyger line for another touchdown.

After a punt, Massillon drilled 70 yards in 14 plays with Dean tallying on a smash at right guard from the one at 1:32. Enroute the quick-moving Hastings rambled on runs of 13 and 19 yards and Dean got off a 12-yard gainer. Halfback Jerry Allen, who missed the Steubenville and Benedictine games because of an injury, came in to hit off tackle to make the score 14-0.

After the kickoff the red and white was stymied and on the first play of the final period, Tom Schadek kicked to his own 40. Hastings promptly dashed for 17 and the Tigers were on their way once again.

This drive covered 15 plays with Dean, Allen, Hastings and Snively carrying. From the two Sparma kept, blasted over left guard and into pay dirt and it was still 20 to zero after Hase KcKey’s placement was blocked.

Mansfield took the kickoff and rolled 64 yards with Taylor, Monk, Ragsdale and Howard lugging the leather. With 14 seconds remaining, Ragsdale tallied off tackle and then ran across the two extra points. After the kickoff it was all history.
* * *
THE VICTORY was the 16th for Massillon in the series. Mansfield has won twice while four battles ended in a tie. The current Tyger combine now has won four and lost two.

Sparma’s touchdown pass was his only completion in four second period attempts. There was only one pass tried in the second half. Had the Tigers been forced to the air more often, Sparma might have riddled the home town forces because the receivers were getting behind the defenders.

After the first period most of the Massillon plays were directed between the ends. A sweep was called a few times in order to keep the defense guessing.

Hastings and Dean were the leading gainers for the orange with Hastings making 85 yards in 12 tries for an average of seven yards per try and Dean picking up 78 yards in 17 carries for 4.5 average. Snively carted nine times for 39 yards.

Keep It Up

MASSILLON
Ends – Vogel, Mitchell, Zorn, Oliver, Zumbrunn.
Tackles – Bordner, Donat, Appleby, Snodgrass, Herndon, Haines.
Guards – Karrenbauer, Slicker, Bednar, Perry, Kasunick, Placevk.
Centers – Shilling, Snyder.
Quarterbacks – Sparma, Finney.
Halfbacks – Snively, Wood, Pledgure, Clark, Allen, Radtke, Morrow, Hershberger.
Fullbacks – Dean, McKey, Hastings.

MANSFIELD
Ends – Hayden, Proto, Schadek, McGinty.
Tackles – Lehr, Cole.
Guards – Roth, Schmahl, Conrad, Mrray.
Centers – Scott, Goettle.
Quarterback – Monk.
Halfbacks – Ragsdale, Howard, Marsh, Sams.
Fullbacks – Taylor, Weaver.

Scoring by quarters:
Massillon 0 6 8 6 20
Mansfield 0 0 0 8 8

Massillon scoring:
Touchdowns – Vogel (14-pass); Dean (1-run); Sparma (2-run).
Extra points – Allen (run).

Mansfield scoring:
Touchdown – Ragsdale (1-run)
Extra points – Ragsdale (run)

OFFICIALS
Referee – George Ellis.
Umpire – Don McPhee.
Head Linesman – Bob McPhee.
Field Judge – Jim Langhurst

STATISTICS
Mass. Man.
First Downs – Rushing 11 9
First Downs – Passing 1 0
First Downs – Penalties 0 0
Total First Downs 12 9
Number of Rushing Plays 45 49
Yards Gained – Running Plays 205 164
Yards Lost – Running Plays 1 24
Net Yardage – Running 204 140
Passes Attempted 5 8
Passes Completed 1 2
Passes Had Intercepted 0 0
Yards Gained –Passing 14 10
Net Yardage – Running
and Passing 218 150
Number of Kickoff Returns 1 4
Yardage – Kickoff Returns 8 50
Average Length of Kickoff
Returns 8 12.5
Number of Punt Returns 1 1
Yardage – Punt Returns 5 7
Number of Punts 4 5
Total Yard on Punts 96 128
Average Length of Punts 24.5 25.6
Number of Penalties 5 3
Yards Lost on Penalties 25 25
Number of Fumbles 1 2
Own Fumbles Recovered 1 2
Ball Lost on Fumbles 0 0

Bob Vogel
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1957: Massillon -, Mansfield – (Game Cancelled)

Flu Cancels Tiger Game

Cancellation of Massillon’s football game scheduled with Mansfield here Friday night and a decision to close Perry township schools were the latest developments in the local outbreak of influenza.

For the firs time since 1918 the Tigers were forced to cancel a football game when Mansfield school officials vetoed a proposal to reschedule the contest after both teams had completed their regular seasons.

The siege of illness, described by L.J. Smith, superintendent of Massillon public schools as a “severe epidemic of influenza among the Massillon public school children, including members of the Massillon football team,” also has caused the following changes in local grid contests:

Postponement of tonight’s vital junior high city series game between Longfellow and Edmund A. Jones until next week, possibly Wednesday or Thursday.

Cancellation of the Lorin Andrews – Canton South game originally scheduled for this afternoon.

Cancellation of the game between the Massillon and Alliance sophomores originally scheduled for Tiger stadium practice field Saturday morning.

Cancellation of the Alliance-Erie Strong Vincent game scheduled for Friday night. Alliance, faced with a cancellation a second week in a row, has booked a game with Youngstown Rayen, the game to be played Friday at Mt. Union college stadium.

There is a possibility that the Brewster Magadore game, slated for Mogadore tomorrow night, will be canceled because of the flu situation at Brewster where only 13 players reported for practice Wednesday. Canton McKinley has quite a few absent gridders and it is possible its game with Steubenville may be postponed or cancelled.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1956: Massillon 6, Mansfield 14

Mansfield Power Plays Stop Tigers 14-6
Penalties, Injuries Slow Massillon; Hershberger Tallies On 83-Yard Scamper

The bubble burst out at Mansfield last night.

And having yielded to a five-and-dime Mansfield team – a determined Mansfield team which had a one-track mind – the Tigers of Massillon today looked forward to salvaging some glory out of the season with the big catch being, of course, Canton McKinley’s Bulldogs.

That 14-6 defeat was a stunning blow but Massillon teams have been beaten before, then roared back to finish at the top of the heap.

Tigers fans are only hoping it will happen again.
* * *
THEY’LL BE RE-PLAYING last night’s scuffle for many a moon. We can talk about the penalties, the gainers that just missed by inches, the tackles that came a yard too late, the injuries – anything – but in the final analysis we must all agree – Mansfield had a mighty good football team on Arlin field, which was jammed to overflowing by around 13,000 fans.

The Tygers ability to control the ball probably proved Massillon’s downfall.

When the final gun sounded, Mansfield had possession of the pigskin for 75 plays, Massillon had it 34 times.

Massillon out-gained the sky-high host crew, 312 yards to 292. The Tigers out-passed them. But as everyone knows for sure, statistics don’t win ball games.

Of course these statistics do not include the 27-yard pass play that clicked for a second quarter touchdown that was nullified by a backfield-in-motion penalty nor the fourth down gain of four yards scooter Ivory Benjamin made which would have given the Orangemen a first down at the Mansfield 15 a few moments after the TD was wiped out.

Nor do the figures show a couple of almost-but-not-quite cases where Massillon needed only one more block or one more step to go all the way.

Penalties hurt the Orange – without a doubt – but Lee Tressel, who saw his personal winning streak come to an end at 39 straight, offered no excuse as he sadly recalled the turn of events after the battle.

“WE COULDN’T stop those hard-running backs. They were making one and two yards after they were hit and we couldn’t do much about it.

“We were weak physically. Especially Meldrum (Tom) and Whitfield (Dick). Some of the other boys weren’t able to go at full steam. We made mistakes – we were just beaten,” Lee said.

The hard-running backs Lee was talking about were Jim Lutz, the tank-like fullback, and halfbacks Pistol Pete Zivkoff, high-stepping “Chuck” Taylor and speedy John White.

Stopping these charges was like trying to knock over the Bank of England. The
piston-legged Lutz found his way for 97 yards in 16 tries, Zivkoff raced 94 in 19 carries, Taylor punched for 53 in 10 and White gained 37 in 10.
* * *
THE MANSFIELDERS, who thus beat a Massillon team for the second time in
history – and the victory set off a major display of frolicking in the Richland county
seat – were generalized by Jack Ward, who tried only one pass and didn’t complete it.

The Tigers, who gained 259 yards on the ground as compared to Mansfield’s 292, were sparked by spunky Mike Hershberger who picked his way for 143 yards in seven trips and Benjamin, who lugged six times for 53 yards.

Hershberger, who was virtually out on his feet at the final gun, got loose on an 83-yard jaunt for the Tigers’ only touchdown early in the final period.

Mansfield threatened only twice and the Bob McNea – coached boys cashed in both times.

Massillon was deep in Mansfield territory twice in the second stanza and once more after Hershberger’s scintillating spring in the fourth. But it just wasn’t Massillon’s night.

Hershberger banged for 12 yards on the first play following the game-opening kickoff, returned by Benjamin from the nine to the host 49 after Ivory got out of a trap at his own 20. But a holding penalty messed things up. Mansfield jammed up two plays at the middle, a Bob Rinehart toss was too far and Hershberger kicked into the end zone.

Mansfield marched all the way in 20 plays with Zivkoff, White and Lutz toting. It was on the Massillon seven at the end of the period and on the first play of the second panel, Zivkoff smacked across, Ward booted the point and the Red and White led 7-0 with five seconds gone.

The Tresselmen came storming back. They threw everything but the bench at the Tygers but their efforts went for naught as the little red flag was down on three of eight plays it required them to go from their own 32 to the Mansfield 24.
* * *
ON THE FIRST play there was an in-motion penalty. Then the Tygers were caught flat-footed. Hershberger went to his left on an apparent reverse but he stopped and threw deep to lanky Clyde Childers, who got behind the secondary at the Mansfield 46.

Childers was hauled down after a 46-yard gain and the Orange was knocking on touchdown door. Childers snagged another pass for a touchdown on the next play. Gene Stewart was sent in to replace Benjamin and the Tigers pulled the same play, only Gene reversed to his right. Childers made a beautiful catch in the end zone but Massillon was called for backfield-in-motion – much to the chagrin of Tiger followers – and six points went with the wind.

Chet Brown was thrown for a loss of a yard on a trap play, Hershberger was stopped by his own teammate at the line of scrimmage before the Rinehart-Hershberger combo clicked for 15 yards to the 19.

This brought up a fourth and one situation and Benjamin easily made it (he gained about four) but again the penalty flag put a crimp in Massillon plans. This time the Tigers were penalized because of an offside call. The drive ended as Rinehart’s pass was a shade too far for Benjamin at the 15.

An exchange of punts followed and with two minutes left in the first half the Orangemen were in business again.

From the 24, Benjamin wriggled for 22 yards on a double reverse. That put the oval on the 46. Hershberger, running to his left on the reverse, picked up a couple of nifty blocks and high-tailed it 37 yards to the Tyger 17.
* * *
RINEHART INTENDED to go to the air for two plays but both times he couldn’t locate a receiver ran instead, and had to be content with two yards. On the last play of the half, Benjamin out to his right and wheeled to the six before being grassed.

Mansfield struck for its second touchdown after receiving at the start of the second half. Zivkoff returned to the 35 and in 11 plays the Tygers reached pay dirt.

Taylor came in to help Lutz, Zivkoff and White carried the mail with the biggest gain being a 15-yarder by Taylor. From the four the same lad blasted through right tackle for another six, Ward again split the uprights and Massillon trailed 14-0 at 5:50 in the period.

Benjamin stepped for 21 yards after “Chuck” Beiter returned the kickoff to the 42 and the only boy that had a chance to stop Benjamin did just that. But the Tiger attack stalled and Hershberger had to kick. Mansfield drove again with their movement carrying over into the final quarter.

After Mansfield advanced to its own 44 it had to punt with Ward’s boot being returned 30 yards by Hershberger. From the 17 Mike then found a hole at left tackle and was gone – 83 yards. He was past the Tyger secondary defenders before they knew it. Mike outran them but only after a bit of labor.
* * *
A TIRED Hershberger attempted the extra point but his kick was too low and the scoreboard read Mansfield 14, Massillon 6 with 10 minutes remaining.

After the kickoff was brought back to the 26, the hosts netted a first down as Lutz zipped for 27 yards (the hard-nosed Hershberger kept him from going the distance) and they gambled after gaining eight more yards to the Tiger 34.

Massillon came up with an 18-karat stand. Zivkoff was held at the line of scrimmage, ditto Lutz, and the Tigers took over at the 34.

The Tresselmen weren’t about to say uncle. They gave it another giant effort. In trying to pass Rinehart ran for six, then was dropped for a four-yard deficit before he twirled to Hershberger for 11 yards.

Chet Brown, in one of the few times he carried, steamed around left end for 30 yards to the Mansfield 23 but the Tigers stalled. Hershberger made three but Rinehart lost one. In came Jimmy Bivings and he got five. On the next play Bivings was thrown for a yard loss but might have raced to pay dirt had he received one or two key blocks.

So Mansfield had the ball again. The Tygers made two first downs and with seconds left the Tigers’ Jim Mercer recovered a fumble at the enemy 35. There was time for one play and Rinehart kept for nine yards.

That was it. The Tigers suffered their first loss in six games.

The defeat will probably cost the Orange and Black second place in the state scholastic poll and undoubtedly Mansfield, previously rated 10th, will climb a few notches.

The summary:
MASSILLON – 6
ENDS – Childers, Elavsky, Brenner,Hagan, Wells.
TACKLES – Whitfield, Mercer, A. Slicker, Slabaugh, Brownlee, Bixler, Halter.
GUARDS – Meldrum, B. Brown, Heine, Kasunick.
CENTERS – Krier, Kiplinger.
QUARTERBACKS – Rinehart, Reese.
HALFBACKS – Benjamin, Hershberger, Pledgure, Bivings, Garcia, Stewart, Washington.
FULLBACKS – C .Brown, Beiter.

MANSFIELD – 14
ENDS – Horsman, Ackerman, Bell, Hunter.
TACKLES – Franta, Henkel, Bernat.
GUARDS – Roth, Hood, Kolb, Bauman.
CENTERS – Groves, Mathews.
QUARTERBACK – Ward.
HALFBACKS – Zivkoff, Taylor, White, Balcolm.
FULLBACKS – Lutz, Tanner.

Scoring by quarters:
Massillon 0 0 0 6 6
Mansfield 0 7 7 0 14

Massillon scoring:
Touchdown – Hershberger (run, 83).

Mansfield scoring: Touchdowns – Zivkoff (run, 7); Taylor (run, 4).
Extra points – Ward 2 (placements).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Don McPhee, Youngstown.
Head Linesman – Carl Spossard, Cuyahoga Falls.
Umpire – Bob Walker, Youngstown.
Field Judge – Clint Emmerish, Cuyahoga Falls.

STATISTICS
Massillon Mans.
First downs rushing 7 16
First downs passing 2 0
First downs by penalties 0 0
Total first downs 9 16
Yards gained rushing 255 295
Yards lost rushing 15 3
Net yards gained rushing 240 292
Yards gained passing 72 0
Total yards gained 312 292
Passes attempted 6 1
Passes completed 3 0
Passes intercepted by 0 0
Times kicked off 2 3
Kickoff average (yards) 42.5 41.3
Kickoff returns (yards) 69 35
Times punted 2 3
Punt average (yards) 44 40.3
Punt returns (yards) 12 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 0 2
Lost fumbled ball 0 1
Penalties 5 2
Yards penalized 45 20

Mike Hershberger
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1955: Massillon 12, Mansfield 12

Tigers Battle Mansfield To 12-12 Tie
Massillon Knots Count In Last Two Seconds After 72-Yard March

By LUTHER EMERY

The Washington high school Tigers and Mansfield battled to a 12-12- draw Friday night and if you were one of the 13,244 fans who sat through that one you should live to be 100.

And fortunate was Massillon to come out with a tie. The clock on the scoreboard showed only two seconds of the game left to play when Halfback Don Duke threw himself over a pile of humanity to score the tying touchdown.

There was even a chance to win by kicking the extra point. The ball had height and distance but was a little to the right of the upright and the game ended on the following kickoff – deadlocked.

Put yourself in the shoes of John Kasunick, the kicker, and you can realize the pressure he was under trying to get that extra point. And disappointed as John and Massillon fans were that it didn’t go between the uprights, think of the anguish of Mansfield fans had it done so.

They were in despair as it was.

Their team with four regulars sidelined had completely outplayed Massillon the first half of the game. They had out-gained the Tigers 227 to 193 in net yardage, made 15 first downs to Massillon’s 10 and had the verdict wrapped up twice when breaks went against them. And there it was on the scoreboard 12-12 with only two seconds, left to play.
* * *
ACTUALLY nobody was happy.

The Mansfield gridders were disappointed they had not accomplished an upset even though they were the first team to tie the Tigers this year – and the Massillon dressing room was more sober than it has been since the defeat by Alliance last year – despite the Tigers’ gallant last second surge that gained the tie.

Many missed the crucial finish. Massillon fans began streaming out of the park when the Tigers had failed in what most folks thought was their last bid to tie the score when they lost the ball on downs to Mansfield on the latter’s 33 with less than five minutes to play.

And the hard hitting visitors banged away, consuming as much time as possible as they clicked off two first downs and moved the ball to the Tiger 33.
There the Massillon gridders covered a fumble by Bill Hightower, Tiger halfback, Jerry Kreiger getting on the ball on his own 38 with the clock showing two minutes and eight seconds left to play.
* * *
WHAT HOPES Tigers had, flickered out on the next’s play when on a statue play Willie Long was thrown for a 10-yard loss. It looked like the end of time on the next one when Hightower, redeeming his fumble, intercepted Johnny James’ pass and got back to midfield with a minute and 38 seconds remaining.

But here Mansfield defeated its own effort to win. The visitors were guilty of mauling James on the pass and a 15-yard penalty was stepped off.

That returned the ball to the Tigers and kept them breathing.

Things happened in rapid fire after that. James shot a pass to Charley Brown for a first down on the Mansfield 44. Then Charley gained four on a statue. Another pass, James to Jim Houston was good for eight and got a first down on the 32. James hit Houston again for 26 yards and a first down on the six. Only 51 seconds remained and the Tigers had consumed their timeouts. They had to go for it and quick. Wasting little time in the huddle, James handed to Don Duke for three yards. He stuck the ball into Archibald’s stomach and he leaned over for two more. Only 19 seconds remained: time for one more play and a yard to go. The ball went to Duke again. He hit hard. The momentum took him over and the Tigers had preserved their undefeated record for the season, though they failed to extend their victory string of 12 games.

Massillon stands went wild with joy. An audible groan was heard from across the field, because what a few minutes before had seemed a certain 12-6 Mansfield upset victory now read 12-12 on the scoreboard.
* * *
THE MASSILLON comeback in the face of defeat was the one bright spot in the Tigers’ play last night.

They were outclassed completely the first half when they gained only 11 net yards from scrimmage and failed to make a first down, while Mansfield was rolling up eight first downs and 124 net yards.

We have never seen a Tiger offense so thoroughly stopped in many a year.

Two Tigers had the ball but twice in the first quarter. They ran three plays each time, then punted for a net gain of 10 yards.

They had the ball but two times the second quarter. They ran three plays the first time, then punted. They ran only two plays next time, losing the ball on the second on an intercepted pass. Capitulating, they ran only 14 plays the first half, including three punts and an intercepted pass.

The second half was a different story.

Trailing 6-0 as a result of a 64-yard Mansfield march which ended with Willie Mack plunging over from the one-yard line for a touchdown, the Tigers changed their strategy when they came out for the third period and did more inside running.

They took the kickoff and in two plays got their initial first down of the game. Mansfield forced them to punt on the next series but, on the first play from scrimmage, Mack fumbled and Kreiger recovered on his 47.
* * *
THAT SET the Tigers in motion for their first touchdown drive led by Duke. He rammed for three and Archibald got four. Then Duke was freed for a 25-yard dash that took him to the 21-yard line. He just about went the distance but was caught as he was pulling away from the last Mansfield tackler.

Archibald got four yards and Duke in two more carries battled his way to a first down on the 10.

It looked bad for the Tigers when Duke got only one and James was tossed for a three-yard loss on the next play to put the ball back on the 12.

But the Tigers came out with their Statue of Liberty and it was the only time it worked all night. Willie Long took the ball and running hard to his left, did a tight rope walk down the sideline to go into the end zone standing up and tie the score at 6-6. Kasunick also missed this kick, the ball being high and long enough but lacing direction. Only two minutes and 43 seconds of the quarter remained when the T.D. was scored.

The Tigers tried to contain Mansfield, but there was no stopping All-Ohio Mack. Before the period was over Mansfield had taken the kickoff and Mack had ripped off runs of 21 and 14 yards which, coupled with 10 yards made by his teammates, had the ball on the Tigers’ 27.

It didn’t take long from there. Mack hit for one yard, then nine. Hightower got four and Quarterback Jack Ward banged his way through for seven more. That put the ball on the six and Mack took off like a jet to catapult himself into the end zone. He seemed to sail through the air for five of the yards and Mansfield was ahead 12-6. A bobbled pass from center for the extra point hit the ground and Ward picked it up and tried to run it over but was tossed out just short of his goal. So it remained 12-6.
* * *
THE TIGERS gamely surged back with the kickoff, went for three first downs with Archibald and Duke doing the lugging, but they didn’t get closer than the 28 and lost the ball on downs on the Mansfield 33. That set the stage for the dramatic finish we have already recorded.

We can understand Mansfield’s anguish at seeing the Tigers gain a tie.

The breaks were against the visitors. The 15-yard penalty was one and the loss of the ball three times on fumbles were others. One of these losses came on the visitors’ first offensive bid. They started with the kickoff from their 39 and marched straight through the Tigers for three consecutive first downs until Dave Canary pounced on Bob Thompson’s fumble on the Massillon 13-yard line to end the threat. As already mentioned, Jerry Kreiger covered two other Mansfield fumbles.

Mack scored Mansfield’s first touchdown in the second period with two minutes and 34 seconds left after a drive of 64 yards. He carried the ball eight times in the march, gaining 49 of the yards himself.

The Tigers made a great defensive effort to contain the visitors after they had gotten a first down on the three-yard line. They gave Mack a yard on his first attempt, stopped him without gain the second time and allowed Ward a yard on a center buck, Mack barely getting over for the last yard and T.D.

Mack was easily the outstanding man on the field. He was by far the best back the Tigers have faced this season, and was almost as outstanding on defense. He carried the ball 24 times and personally gained 152 net yards which is an average of slightly more than six yards per try. Thompson gained 24 net yards in 11 tries, a fraction over two yards per try.

The average is far below what the two visiting ball carriers had made prior to last night’s game. They had averaged better than 10 yards per carry against five previous foes.

Hightower gained 34 net yards and Ward 17.
* * *
LEADING the Tigers in rushing was Duke with 65 net yards in 13 carries. He was given the ball only once the entire first half, gaining three yards on that first quarter play. Dave Archibald gained 50 net yards on 12 carries, Willie Long five net yards on four carries and Brown one on four carries.

The Tigers threw six passes but only five actually counted in the game, since the one which was intercepted was nullified by the 15-yard roughing the passer penalty. Of the five that counted, three were completed in the tying T.D. drive for 47 yards. One was incomplete and one was intercepted. Mansfield didn’t complete a pass in four attempts.

Asked by the Tigers did not pass earlier in the game, Coach Tom Harp said, “We didn’t have a chance. We tried the one and it was intercepted. After all we only had the ball the four times the first half and lost it on one of these times on the interception. Then in the third period we found we could gain on the ground so we stayed there.”

The Tiger coach expressed disappointment over the tie score but added “we were fortunate to get the tie.”

“We feel Mansfield played a tremendous ball game. We couldn’t move the ball the first half and couldn’t contain them. I think Willie Mack played a great game. The one bright spot was the desire and determination by our kids when defeat stared them in the face and they came back to gain the tie.”

Harp said Mansfield’s heavier line was strong enough to permit spreading of personnel on defense to stop the Tigers’ end sweeps which have been gaining most of the ground for the locals this season.

Mansfield played the game with four regulars sidelined. Kermit Wilson, regular end has been out since the Middletown game. Rock Hinkel, tackle and Earl Roth, guard, were hurt in an auto accident last Saturday and Dave Guiher, halfback, who was slated to start last night was kept out because of an old injury that was aggravated in the same accident.

The line-up and summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS – Canary, Houston, Welcher.
TACKLES – Graber, Maier, Kreiger, Schumacher, Whitfield, Hofacre, Allen.
GUARDS – Fisher, Roan, Tracy, Ertle, Kasunick.
CENTERS – Spicer, Gentzler, Dowd.
QUARTERBACKS – James, Brenner.
HALFBACKS – Duke, Brown, Long, Radtke, Harrrison, Cocklin.
FULLBACK – Archibald.

MANSFIELD
ENDS – Travis, Franta, Ackerman.
TACKLES – Beabout, Johnson, Jones, Bill Franta, Calver.
GUARDS – Mayer, Lutz, Hood, Bell.
CENTERS – Orosan, L. Johnson.
QUARTERBACKS – Ward, Carver, Bair.
HALFBACKS – Hightower, Mack, Zivkoff, Philpott, Wilson, White.
FULLBACK – Thompson.

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 0 6 6 12
Mansfield 0 6 0 6 12

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Long, Duke.
Mansfield – Mack 2.

Officials
Referee – Machock (Elyria).
Umpire – Rupp (Cuyahoga Falls).
Head Linesman – Murphy (Cleveland Heights).
Field Judge – Stewart (Smithville).

STATISTICS
Mass. Mansf.
First downs 10 15
Passes attempted 5 4
Passes completed 3 0
Had passes intercepted 1 0
Yards gained passing 47 0
Yards gained rushing 146 227
Total yards gained 193 227
Yards lost 33 12
Net yards gained 163 215
Times punted 4 2
Average punt (yards) 36 35
Yards punts returned by 0 29
Times kicked off 3 3
Average kickoff (yards) 36 42
Yards kickoffs returned by 40 40
Times fumbled 1 6
Lost ball on fumbles 0 3
Times penalized 2 3
Yards penalized 10 25

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1954: Massillon 18, Mansfield 0

Snarling Tigers Claw Mansfield 18-0
Orange and Black Play Best Game Of Season In Defeating Old Rival

By LUTHER EMERY

The Tiger is snarling again.

It bared its fangs at Mansfield Friday evening and whipped the team to which it was supposed to lose.

The score was 18-0 and a stunned Mansfield crowd couldn’t believe it. Neither could many Massillon fans who traveled the 55 miles to Mansfield fully expecting to see the orange and black lose.

But the Tiger became of age last night, played as it hasn’t at anytime this season and deserves a better rating among the Ohio high schools next week.

A surprising turnout of 12,600 fans attended the game, and unless you are dripping at the neck, running at the nose, feeling the need for a new hair wave, shoe shine or suit press, you can’t appreciate the kind of night it was nor the job turned in by the football team.
* * *
THE MASSILLON gridders gave their all. The linemen charged as they haven’t before this season and to say they ate up the gridiron isn’t speaking figuratively. A look at their faces in the locker room after the game and you would know what we mean.

They were caked with mud as though prepared for a clay massage, except that they had it in their eyes and teeth too. But they were a happy bunch. It’s been a long time since a Massillon team let go with as much enthusiasm after a game as the Tigers did last night. They knew they had accomplished something – something many had said they couldn’t – and had won a big victory. They knew they were now the football team they have been striving to be, and they were happy about it.

No sooner had the last gun been fired until they made a rush for the bench, grabbed their young coach Tom Harp, hoisted him on their shoulders and carried him off the field.

In the dressing room they cheered, whooped it up, congratulated each other and accepted the congratulations of fans who poured in. For a time it was bedlam, and anyone in the dressing room during those minutes came out with a souvenir of the gridiron – badly soiled clothes from brushing against the slimy suits of the players.

The student body, whom we have thought has not been enthusiastic as it should be, warmed up – did it before the team ever left for Mansfield we were told – and went all out in its support of the eleven last night.

Students and band lingered around the stadium after most other fans had left to play and cheer.
* * *
THE FIRST Massillon team to go into a game as underdog in years, the Tigers let it be known quickly that they shouldn’t have been placed there.

They scored the second time they came in possession of the ball with seven minutes and five seconds of the first period remaining to be played when Ron Boekel raced 54 yards down the sidelines for a touchdown, out-running (and we still can’t believe it) the fleet-footed Willie Mack and Wilmer Fowler, the track men of the Mansfield team.

They shoved over another from the two-yard line on the first play of the second quarter when Jerry Yoder carrying the ball after covering Fowler’s fumble on the 14. And the third came with only 30 seconds gone of the fourth quarter when Yoder did some fancy stepping around left end for 13 yards.

Bob Williams’ foot skidded off the ball on three extra point attempts but as it turned out it did not matter save to pull down his own conversion average.

That’s a thumbnail sketch of the TD’s, but what went into them and what preserved them calls for a lot more explaining.

Coach Harp had particular praise for the play of the line after the game was well as the defense and the ball handling of Quarterback Rich Crescenze. While Rich fumbled a few handoffs of the slimy ball, Harp thought he did “excellent all-around work, considering the condition of the pigskin.”
* * *
THE LINE, as we have said before, did play its best, and the defense put on some good
old-fashioned snowball tackling that many times stopped Mansfield players in their tracks, or off their tracks, and resulted in fumbles.

To hold three ball carriers like Mack, Fowler and Fullback Jim Witherspoon to 92 net yards on the ground, is doing a lot of tackling, and that’s what the Tigers did last night.

And the linemen opened enough holes to permit Massillon backs to romp 140 net yards.

The Tigers were opportunists last night. They were alert, recovering all six of their own fumbles and covering four Mansfield fumbles.

Their ball hawking ability stopped Mansfield drives including the latter’s first effort when in two first downs it moved the ball from its 28 to the Massillon 39. There it stopped when linebacker Bob Tracy pounced on a fumble on his own 42. Two plays later, Boekel was on his way to the first touchdown on the game.

Ball hawking by Yoder, who pounced on Fowler’s fumble of a lateral on the 14, set up the second touchdown and Joe Holloway ended another Mansfield effort when he covered a fumble by Fowler on the Tiger 45. A fourth Mansfield fumble of a punt was covered by the Tigers late in the fourth quarter, but by that time players were so daubed alike with mud we couldn’t tell who got on the ball.
* * *
AHEAD 12-0 at the end of the half, the Tigers were the fresher the second half and with victory in sight and their ambition realized, seemed to gain in strength the older the game got. At the end they were driving again, having just made their ninth first down of the game in midfield. Mansfield chalked up six first downs during the night.

Because of the wet conditions of the field and the slippery ball, the Tigers for the most part played close to the cuff. They got reckless a couple of times with laterals, one of which brought a much needed first down on the two-yard line, but they didn’t try a single forward pass. For that matter Mansfield only threw one and completed it for a gain of 24 yards.

In playing it safe, the Tigers for the most part punted on third down and, Tom Stephens the kicker, deserves a pat-on-the-back for the way he booted the muddy ball. He averaged 10 more yards than his Mansfield adversary and he got away one booming kick of 48 yards for the line of scrimmage early in the game.

Mansfield, previously undefeated and conqueror of Warren 42-7 last week, had high hopes of winning the state championship this year. The defeat, its first of the season was particularly disappointing to team and fans, one of whom said, “Massillon just has the Indian sign on us.”

The Tygers have only won one game of the series which began in 1936. That was a 16-12 victory in 1949 when Augie Morningstar, now of Massillon, was coaching the Richland county team.
* * *
AT THE CONCLUSION of the 1953 season Mansfield had said it would play Massillon the week before the Massillon-Canton McKinley game or not at all. This wasn’t to the liking of ex-Coach Chuck Mather last year or Tom Harp this year. After Massillon had filled the usual Mansfield date for 1955 with Toledo Waite, Mansfield had a change of heart and suggested a game with the Tigers for the third week in October. A contract which the local team had planned to send to East Liverpool for that date was held up at Mansfield’s request. After last night’s game it is possible that Mansfield will have another change of heart.

At any rate, Coach Bill Peterson after the game told Harp, “we’ll play you the week before the Canton game or not at all.”

So, maybe last night’s game did break the chain of relations.

It was a cleanly played game and neither tam sustained any serious injuries. In fact, the Tigers had none. That’s what usually happens in football when you hit the other fellow harder than he hits you.

A brief resume of the quarters goes like this:
First Quarter
The Tigers received, bringing the kickoff back to the 36 but were forced to punt. Stephens got off a good boot to the Mansfield 28 and the latter rolled up two first downs before fumbling. Tracy covering on the Tiger 42. Boekel hit for four and then went 54 for a touchdown.

The Tigers kicked off and Mansfield got back to the Massillon 42, before a pitchout lost 15 yards and it was forced to punt. The kick went almost straight up, the Tigers getting the ball on the Mansfield 49. Homer Floyd raced to the 30, almost getting loose, but a 15-yard clipping penalty was slapped on Massillon to end the threat. Stephens was thrown for a
12-yard loss attempting to punt, but he got the next one away to the Mansfield 22. Fowler fumbled the first play and Yoder was on the ball for Massillon on the 14. Boekel hit for four and Yoder got one. Then Floyd on a pitchout went to a first down on the two-yard line and there the quarter ended.
Second Quarter
On the first play of the second period Yoder went over for the T.D.

The Tygers got the kickoff and worked the ball up to the Massillon 47, where they were thrown backward twice in a row with Holloway finally getting the ball for Massillon on a fumble.

The teams exchanged punts with neither threatening anymore in the period.
Third Quarter
Mansfield entered the third period without Fowler and he didn’t play the rest of the game.

The teams exchanged punts to start the period, the Tigers having the better of the exchange and getting the ball on the Mansfield 45. They got down to the 30, only to be penalized back to where they started from for clipping. Floyd went for 20, however, and with Boekel and Yoder helping got down to the 16-yard line as the period ended.
Fourth Quarter
Floyd picked up a first down on the 11 and Yoder went the rest of the way around left end with the help of a beautiful block that set him free.

Mansfield made its only serious scoring threat after that. A 25-yard pass, the only one of the night, Mack to Wilbur Hightower, produced a first down on the 28. The Tygers in three more plays got a first down on the 17 and here Massillon braced, threw back four running plays and took over the ball on the 10. The Tigers just kept it the rest of the game, moving to the Mansfield 46 as the game ended, thanks to recovery of a fumbled punt.

MASSILLON
ENDS – Houston, R. Williams, Canary, Lorch, Francisco.
TACKLES – B. Williams, Hill, Schumacher.
GUARDS – Maier, Holloway, Tracy.
CENTERS – Spicer, morrow.
QUARTERBACKS – Crescenze, James.
HALFBACKS – Floyd, Yoder, Fromholtz, Stephens, Stavroff.
FULLBACKS – Boekel, Cocklin.

MANSFIELD
ENDS – K. Wilson, Franta, Burton, Beabout.
TACKLES – Elmas, Moore, R. Johnson, Cooks.
GUARDS – Komjenovich, Senokoslieff.
CENTERS – Gouge, Orosen.
QUARTERBACK – Earnest.
HALFBACKS – Mack, Fowler, Hightower, Bonner, R. Thompson, Dillon, E. Wilson.
FULLBACKS – Witherspoon, Sherrer.

Score by quarters:
Massillon 6 6 0 6 18

Touchdowns – Yoder 2, Boekel.

Officials
Don Kock (Lima).
George Donges (Ashland).
C.H. Speid (Findlay).
Dave Kocker (Akron).

STATISTICS
Mass. Mansf.
First downs 9 7
Passes attempted 0 1
Passes completed 0 1
Yards gained passing 0 25
Yards gained rushing 167 124
Total yards gained 167 149
Yards lost 27 32
Net yards gained 140 117
Times punted 6 4
Average punt (yards) 33 23
Yards punts returned by 0 26
Times kicked off 4 1
Average kickoff (yards) 25 52
Yards kickoffs returned by 8 38
Times fumbled 6 4
Lost ball on fumble 0 4
Times penalized 6 5
Yards penalized 50 45

Homer Floyd
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1953: Massillon 41, Mansfield 7

Tiger Gridders Smash Mansfield 41-7
Massillon Team Turns On Steam To Whip Old Rival For 19th In Row

By LUTHER EMERY

Unleashing its most devastating attack of the season, the Washington high school football team surprised its strongest supporters Friday evening as it turned back Mansfield high 41-7 before the largest crowd to attend a football gathering here this season – 16,496 fans.

It was the Tigers’ 19th victory in a row and their 14th over Mansfield in the series of 18 games played since the teams opened modern relations in 1936. Mansfield has won one game (1949) and has tied the Tigers three times.

The victory likewise set the stage for next week’s high school battle of the year here between powerful and undefeated Warren high which last night smashed Cleveland Benedictine’s long undefeated streak of 21 games by a score of 34-13.

The Tigers were terrific last night.

Playing a team that had lost only to Warren and that game by the slim margin of a point, they did everything right, were sharp and we hope will be able to take off against Warren next week where they left off when Coach Chuck Mather yanked them out of the game in the third quarter.
* * *
CHUCK didn’t want the team to get stale nor sustain any injuries for next week’s contest.

Some bruises were showing up on players after the game, but none appeared to be serious.

The victory got the second half of the schedule off it a rip-roaring start.

Mansfield was supposed to have tested the Tigers. It poured out what looked to be a better team than the score indicated. Some of the 3,500 visiting fans seemed to think their team suffered from stage fright, caused by the big crowd – and was playing in the shadow of the lopsided record Massillon holds over Mansfield teams.

Bet that as it may Mansfield also ran into the best performance put up by the Massillon team this year. The Tigers were a threat every time they carried the ball as evidenced by their long runs and passes for touchdowns, and the mountain of yardage they piled up during the game.

Johnny Francisco went 93 yards for one and 15 for another. Homer Floyd raced 20 for one and 54 for another, while Johnny Traylor went 42 yards for one and caught a pass from Roy Johnson for 29 and another.

The Tigers gained 607 yards, 131 by passing, while holding Mansfield to 240 yards, 90 by passing.

Most of the visitors’ yardage was made when Massillon second and third stringers were in the game.

In fact, we were fearful of what the score would have been had not Mather substituted so freely the last two periods.

First downs were 21 to 11.
* * *
THE RUNNING of Floyd was one of the big features of the evening. He legged it well through the visiting team, which appeared unaware of his ability.

The Tigers started off by sweeping the Mansfield flanks with wide end runs, particularly deep pitch-outs. Floyd had the speed to get around and was supported by some fine blocking.

Best blocking of the evening, however, was that turned in by the left side of the Massillon line on Traylor’s 42-yard T.D. The boys just pinned the visitors to the ground while Traylor legged it fast around his left, into the open and was gone like a jack rabbit.

Jack rabbit did we say? We should have saved that term for the 93-yard flight of Francisco. He did a lot of nifty dodging as he came out of the pack and was away with a couple of Mansfield players pursuing him to the end. All were out of wind including Francisco by the time pay dirt was reached.

When the big three of the Tiger backfield retired, Billy Stone took over. He got away for some good jaunts even though he had second and third stringers in front of him.
* * *
MANSFIELD had its backs too. Jim Thompson, Ed Avery, Wilmer Fowler and Willie Mack showed they had the speed, but their line was neither strong nor fast enough to get them into the open very often. They had few long gains.

Mansfield fans we talked to had words of praise for the Tigers. Most of them figured they would get beat but not by as heavy a margin.

Coach Bill Peterson was complimentary to the Tigers and told Mather he had a very fine team.

The Tigers broke the visitors’ spirit quickly.

They stopped Mansfield after the opening kickoff and got the ball for the first time in a punt on their 49-yard line. They never stopped until they had seven points.

It was Francisco 11 yards in two attempts, Floyd 20 on a pitchout to the left and 20 more and a touchdown on a pitchout to the right – just like that, with Tom Boone kicking the extra point.

They fizzled out on their second ball carrying series but when they got to a third time they drove into pay dirt again. They started from their own 46 with Floyd racing for 13. Francisco added a yard, and Floyd, running on that pitchout again, flew 25 yards to the Mansfield 15. Francisco went around his right end for the touchdown and again Boone booted the extra point.
* * *
THAT ENDED the scoring for the first quarter. Mansfield worked the ball into Tiger territory early in the second period but was forced to punt. Floyd took the ball on a handoff after the punt from behind his goal and only because of his speed and some fine chopping of tacklers by teammates was he able to avoid a safety and get out to his three. Traylor moved the ball up four yards and Francisco busted out of nowhere for his brilliant 93-yard run. Boone again kicked the extra point and it was 21-0.

The fourth touchdown came quickly. Stopped on the kickoff the visitors punted to the 40. Floyd lost two when he slipped on a pitchout but Traylor tore around his left end to score. Boone missed the kick.

Mansfield struck back with its best attack of the half. Starting with the kickoff on their own 41 the visiting Tygers began tossing short passes with Pudge Henkel doing the pitching. He hit Avery for 11 yards, Fowler for three, Mack for eight, and Morton for three. With some runs mixed in the visitors got down to the one yard line and had three chances to put it over. Fowler first tried to dent the Tiger wall and failed. Then Henkel tried a keep play and was thrown back. Lastly Thompson was hurled at the line and he too was stopped, so the Tigers took over.
* * *
THE LOCALS scored quickly in the second half. Getting the ball on the 32, Traylor and Francisco moved it up to their 46. There Floyd was sent up the alley on a quick opener and he came through as though shot out of a cannon to go all the way, 54 yards and a touchdown. Boone kicked this point too.

Mansfield was stopped after the following kickoff and forced to punt, the Tigers getting the ball on their 25.

Francisco in two plays went to his 44, but a 15-yard penalty after a completed pass to Chuck Lentz didn’t help matters any. Carl Porter then whipped a 42-yard beauty to Francisco who got all the way to the 29, Johnson went in to throw one and throw it he did, a perfectly timed ball that Traylor took over his shoulder in the end zone while on the dead run.

This time the boys muffed the ball on the try for point, so Porter picked it up and ran it over for a counter. It turned out to be the Tigers’ last points of the game but only because the Tigers lost the ball on a fumble on the one-yard line. After that Mather filled his ranks with rookies.

Mansfield got its only T.D. in the fourth quarter after getting a Tiger punt on the latter’s 38. Mack on a deep reverse picked up 11 and went to a first on the 13 only to be penalized 15 on a personal foul. A well-aimed pass, Henkel to Avery, made up for the penalty loss and brought a first down on the two-yard line. Thompson shot around right end for the T.D. and Jerry Lorenz kicked the extra point.

MASSILLON
ENDS – Boone, Letcavits, Lorch, Lentz, Canary.
TACKLES – Schram, Dean, Williams, Woolley, Hill.
GUARDS – Agnes, Eaglowski, Shilling, Gardner, Fletcher, Holloway, Maier.
CENTERS – Fisher, Grant.
QUARTERBACKS – Crescenze, Porter, Johnson.
HALFBACKS – Francisco, Traylor, Byrd, Stavroff, Fromholtz, Yoder, Longshore, Duke.
FULLBACKS – Floyd, Stone, Boekel.

MANSFIELD
ENDS – Groves, Morton, Shoylaya, Smith, Yoha, Philpot.
TACKLES – Cook, Elliot, Fisher, Neston.
GUARDS – Elmas, Moore, G. Yoakam, Senohozlieff, Komjanovich.
CENTERS – Armstrong, Danals.
QUARTERBACK – Henkel.
HALFBACKS – Mack, Fowler, Avery, Bair, Jones, Wilson.
FULLBACK – Thompson.

Score by periods:
MASSILLON 14 13 14 0 41
MANSFIELD 0 0 0 7 7

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Floyd 2; Francisco 2; Traylor 2.
Mansfield – Thompson.

Point after touchdowns:
Massillon – Boone 4 (placekicks). Porter (carried).
Mansfield – Lorentz (placekick).

Officials
Referee – Smith (Elyria).
Umpire – Walker (Columbus).
Head Linesman – Machock (Wooster).
Field Judge – Moore (Wooster).

STATISTICS
Mass. Mansf.
First downs 21 11
Passes attempted 9 24
Passes completed 3 8
Had passes intercepted 0 2
Yards gained passing 131 90
Yards gained rushing 476 150
Total yards gained 607 240
Yards lost 24 17
Net yards gained 583 223
Times kicked off 7 2
Average kickoffs (yards) 41 48
Yards kickoffs returned by 31 96
Times punted 3 6
Average punt (yards) 28 37
Yards punts returned by 9 21
Times fumbled 5 1
Lost ball on fumbles 3 1
Times penalized 5 5
Yards penalized 45 55

Jim Lectavits
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1952: Massillon 40, Mansfield 0

Tigers Unleash Power To Humble Mansfield
Massillon Gridders Roll Up 33 Points In First Half And Win 40-0

By LUTHER EMERY

A band of aroused Tigers struck five times in the first half and once more in the second, Friday evening, t hand Mansfield its worst defeat of the season, a 40-0 licking in its own backyard, before an overflow crowd of 13,000 spectators.

Surprising even their most optimistic fans, the Massillon gridders opening up with a devastating attack from the first whistle, shoved over 33 points in two periods, and coasted in while Coach Chuck Mather tossed in 27 players against the hard pressed Mansfield team.

It was the first time this season that the Massillon eleven had tied into a foe as viciously as did the Tiger team last night. It had gotten into the habit of being beaten to the punch in the opening minutes and having to come from behind to gain the lead.

Not so last night. The Tigers not only flashed power and legged it for long touchdown runs but they played defensive ball, particularly in the first half when they only allowed the Mansfield eleven a net gain of 31 yards, while rolling up 194.
* * *
JOHN FRANCISCO and Bob Khoenle emerged the heroes of the game. Hard running Johnny scored three touchdowns, one of them on a 34-yard run, while Capt. Bob intercepted three Mansfield passes to help the Tigers control the ball.

Playing without fleet Johnny Traylor, who injured a leg two weeks ago and hurt it again last week, the brunt of the offensive work was carried by Francisco and Fullback Lee Nussbaum, who seemed to hold the center of Mansfield attention. Between them they did most of the leather lugging, though John Tasseff, carrying the ball for only the third time this season, reeled off the Tigers last touchdown run with a power burst of speed for 56 yards, the longest jaunt of the game.

The visitors had Nussbaum’s end run plays well scouted. He lost about as much as he gained on them, though he did rip off a number of yards through other holes and scored once on a wedge power play from the six-yard line. Bob Misere tallied the sixth touchdown on a buck through center with the ball inches short of the goal line. Tom Boone kicked the four extra points and missed two others.

Coach Bill Peterson wasn’t at all complimentary after the game. He appeared to think Mather’s Tigers were too touchdown hungry and that Mather was trying to run his team out of the ball park. It looked that way the first half and the Tigers almost did, but the fact, that they scored but seven points the last two periods didn’t in any way soothe Bill’s soul.
* * *
BETTER DEFENSIVE play on Mansfield’s part and considerable substituting by Coach Mather, held down the score the last two periods. The Tiger mentor used 27 players in the game putting in most of his replacements the last two periods.

Mansfield, in fact, played the Tigers on almost even terms the second half, making more first downs gaining virtually as many yards but failing to score.

Mansfield had few scoring opportunities. Only once did it get close, that coming right at the end of the second period on a pass interception on the Massillon 15-yard line. The gun cracked before the ball could be put in play. The Tygers penetrated their deepest toward the end of the game when they pushed through to a first down on the Massillon 31, only to have a pass intercepted by Khoenle on the next play.

Later on they managed to again cross the 50-yard stripe but when they reached the 40, they had another pass intercepted by Tom Boone and the game was over.
* * *
FROM THE START it was evident that it wasn’t Mansfield’s night. The Tygers drew a 15-yard penalty on the first kickoff for being late on the field and though they managed to stop Massillon’s first offensive effort, they were found wanting the second time the Tigers got the ball.

Starting from their own 22, they overcame a five-yard penalty for being in motion as Nussbaum reeled off 16 yards and Francisco got loose for 45 and a first down on the eight.

John Climo got his chance and went for two and Francisco shot through right tackle standing up for the touchdown and first points of the game. Boone missed the attempted kick for the extra point.

Four minutes and 45 seconds of the period remained to be played and in that small space of time, the Tigers stopped a Mansfield offensive effort, took the ball on a punt and scored again. Francisco again angled the leather into position with a 24-yard return of a punt that put the ball on the 26. He moved it on up to the seven by catching a 15-yard pass from Misere and Nussbaum went over just as the period ended. Again Boone missed the try for the extra point and the quarter closed 12-0.

No one foresaw the rout of Mansfield in the second period.

This time it was Khoenle who got the ball for the Tigers through a pass interception and set them in position on the 32. A five-yard penalty took the leather back to the 37 but it mattered naught for Francisco bolted through for 34 yards and his second T.D. This time Boone kicked the extra point and made the score 19-0.
* * *
IT WASN’T long until the point total ran up to 26, thanks to Khoenle again intercepting a Mansfield pass on his 28 and running it back to the 13. On the first play Francisco cleverly circled this right end for the score.

Climo furnished the next taste of poison for Mansfield when he pulled down a Tyger pass on the 28. A pass to Sam Williams got a first down on the 15 and another to Khoenle put the ball on the three. Nussbaum virtually laid it on the goal line from which spot Misere rammed over and Boone kicked the 33rd point.

Neither team threatened in the third period and the Tigers struck but once in the fourth when Tasseff got away to his 56-yard run.

The Tigers had another in the making when Jim Letcavits caught a fine pass from Misere and then fumbled, losing the ball on the 16.

Give Tackle Dick Guy (No. 44 to you folks who were at the game) a lot of credit for playing a good defensive game for Mansfield. Bobby Joe Johnson, breaking into the Tiger lineup for the first time this season probably wonders what he ever did to Guy to make him made at him. Bobby couldn’t even get his best foot forward before Guy would nail him.

John Climo, filling in for the injured Traylor, played the bulk of the game on both offense and defense and showed the scars of battle when it was over. His face was marred with bruises and a couple of times he had to take time out because of cramps in his legs. Otherwise the Tigers escaped without serious injuries.

The game went down as just another defeat for Mansfield in its long rivalry with Massillon that dates back to 1936. Only once has Mansfield beaten the Tigers, Augie Morningstar’s team doing it here in 1949. There have been three ties along the way, 1937, 1941, and 1948.

The line-up and summary:

MASSILLON
ENDS – Williams, Khoenle, Letcavits, Longshore.
TACKLES – Schram, Geiser, Agnes, Younkers, Gumpp, Dean.
GUARDS – Clinage, Kraus, Fabianich, Shilling.
CENTER – Corral.
QUARTERBACK – Misere.
HALFBACKS – Francisco, Climo, Tasseff, Boone, Stone, Johnson, Floyd, Millar, Traylor.
FULLBACKS – Nussbaum, Stewart.

MANSFIELD
ENDS – Shasky, Fry, Smith.
TACKLES – Eliot, Guy, McGinty, Steele, Moore, Kirk.
GUARDS – B. Diemer, M. Rupp, G. Yeakam.
CENTERS – Garrett, Meane.
QUARTERBACKS – Carbetta, Henkel.
HALFBACKS – E. Mack, Jones, Todd.
FULLBACKS – N. Diemer, Shauck, Thompson.

Score by periods:
Massillon 12 21 0 7 40

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Francisco 3; Nussbaum; Misere; Tasseff.

Points after touchdowns:
Massillon – Boone 4 (placekicks).

Referee – Vogelgesang.
Umpire – Pasini.
Field Judge –Walker.
Head Linesman – Moore.

STATISTICS
Mass. Mansf.
First downs 11 11
Passes attempted 9 19
Passes completed 4 4
Had passes intercepted 1 5
Yards gained passing 44 80
Yards gained rushing 319 132
Total yards gained 363 212
Yards lost 23 36
Net yards gained 340 176
Times kicked off 7 1
Average kickoff (yards) 47 27
Yards kickoffs returned by 7 68
Times punted 4 7
Average punt (yards) 32 34
Yards punts returned by 59 17
Fumbles 2 4
Lost ball on fumbles 1 0
Times penalized 7 6
Yards penalized 55 50

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1951: Massillon 54, Mansfield 0

Tigers In High Gear Defeat Mansfield 54-0
Defense Shares Honors With Offense As Local Team Wins 20th In Row

By LUTHER EMERY

It had to come!

The Washington high school offense which has sputtered frequently this fall, rolled into high gear Friday evening in Tiger stadium before 16,127 fans and crushed the challenge of Mansfield high 54-0.

It was the Tigers’ sixth straight triumph of the season, their 20th victory in a row and their 13th in the 16-game series with Mansfield that began in 1936. Two games in the series ended in tie scores and Mansfield won once.

It was the first time this season that the Tigers revealed their potential strength. They spit the bit from their mouths and unbridled by a flock of substitutions, ran almost as they pleased against the visiting Richland county team.

Their defense was on a par with the offense and maybe more so, for it was the vicious tackling of members of the defensive platoon, that caused Mansfield backs to fumble the ball that set the Tigers off to their first three touchdown marches.

It was a big night for the defensive platoon, which gave a far better performance than at any time this season.

The backs were running too, with Bobby Grier coming into his own for the first time this season and playing the kind of game that had been expected of him. He scored three of the Tigers’ touchdown. Bruce Brenner, who is rapidly developing into one of the best ends turned out at Washington high, snared three touchdown passes, and Ace Grooms scored two on long runs.

Whatever hopes Mansfield had of winning last night’s game were crushed under the drive of the Massillon linemen who limited Mansfield to 56 net yards from scrimmage on the ground and 117 through the air.

The visitors tried to pass their way to victory, but did not have the kind of attack unleashed by Alliance last week and likewise faced a better Massillon defense. Bob Khoenle, back at the halfback, made a couple of interceptions, batted down several others, and the boys on the line continually tormented the Mansfield passer.
* * *
IN SCORING 54 points, the Tigers gained more ground than at anytime this year and their net total was among the highest in years. They gained 165 yards by passing and 405 carrying the ball for a total of 570 yards gained. Deducting 33 yards lost from scrimmage left them with a net of 537 for the evening. And that’s over a quarter of a mile.

With Mansfield’s 5,000 fans providing the first air of rivalry in the stadium this season, a tension gripped the stands the first period and a half of the game. By the time the Tigers had scored their third touchdown, however, it was evident that Mansfield was in for a bad evening and that victory for the visiting team was out of the question. Fans by half-time were asking themselves how big would the score be. The answer was “double,” for the local team scored 27 points in each half.

Mansfield lost the ball four times on fumbles, had two passes intercepted and handed the leather over to the Tigers on a couple of other occasions when it was unable to pick up the necessary yardage on fourth down. You can’t give the ball away that many times without losing the game.

While the Tigers asserted their superiority early in the game they were unable to score until near the end of the first period. The winning touchdown followed an earlier frustration when Mansfield’s defense rose to the occasion to stop a Massillon drive that had reached the 10.
* * *
JOHNNY TRAYLOR covered a Mansfield fumble on his own 47 to touch off the works. In their march goalward the Tigers had to overcome a five-yard penalty for delay of the game. Aided by a fancy jump pass from Paul Francisco to Dave Gable and some good runs by Grooms and Tom Straughn, they got the ball to the three where Grier took it over for the six points.

Before the quarter was over, Grier was on the spot to gather in another fumble on the Mansfield 46. Francisco hurled a 35-yard beauty to Brenner for a first down on the 11 and on the first play of the second period, Grooms went for a touchdown with Frank Gibson throwing the key block.

The third Massillon touchdown came the next time the Tigers got their hands on the ball. It was Traylor who got the pigskin for them by covering a Mansfield fumble on the Tygers’ 41-yard line. That set the stage for Francisco to shoot the works to Brenner and he did it with a 41-yard toss.

Bobby Grier provided the spark for the fourth touchdown and what a pretty run it was down the sidelines as he threw off four tacklers, then came to the fore where Grooms tossed in a bock that set him free for the last few of the 35 yards traveled.

Those who attached the luck of the breaks to the Tigers’ first half touchdowns, had a rude awakening after intermission when the local eleven went to work with a methodical offense that ground up yards and chewed turf until it had gone 80 yards for a touchdown, overcoming a 15-yard penalty for clipping enroute. Tommy Straughn and Greier did most of the ground gaining until the Tigers reached the visitors’ 30. They were then within gunshot of the goal and Francisco fired a bulls-eye to Brenner for the six points.
* * *
THE TIGERS had to score two touchdowns to get one before they could get credit for another six points. It came late in the third period when Khoenle snared a Mansfield pass and went 60 yards for a T.D. that was not allowed because of a quick whistle off his 49. The bugle blew when it appeared that he would be stopped, but he burst right out of the arms of two Mansfield tacklers and continued on his way. On the scoreboard it made no difference except that the six points were credited to Grooms who on the next play galloped 51 yards to score. The third period expired while he was on his way.

The Tigers scored the next time they got the ball and on the first play at that when Francsico rifled the leather to Brenner for 52 yards.

The locals likewise had to score twice to get their last touchdown of the game. Bobby Grier went 62 yards for the first one but a disputed clipping penalty was called which pushed the Tigers back 15 yards. It made no difference as Grooms wheeled end for 54 yards and a first down on the 15. Grier was given the opportunity to take it the rest of the way. He did!

Mansfield never seriously threatened to score. Only a couple of times did the visitors get into Tiger territory and then no nearer than the 35-yard line, until the very end of the game when they got down to the six.
* * *
CHUCK VILET and big Jim Geiser were two of the reasons why Mansfield never got close to the Tiger goal. They were smacking the opposition all night. Bob Kraus likewise got in on some good tackles.

Leading ground gainer was Grooms who carried the ball 13 times and gained a net of 184 yards. Grier gained 85 yards in five trips with the ball and Lee Nussbaum gained a net of 18 in three attempts. Straughn gained a net of 36 in nine carries, a 13-yard loss on a reverse cutting down his average. John Francisco carried nine times and gained 54 yards.

Massillon fans saw the Tigers in a new alignment for the first time last night. Coach Mather experimented with Nussbaum at right halfback. With the latter, Grier and Grooms in the game, he had three 190-pound backs to carry the ball.

The Tigers emerged from the contest in good condition even though the game did get rough in spots.

Joe Sapia was knocked out in the third period but was O.K. at the end of the game. He caught a foot while blocking.

Tonight the sophomores play at Carrollton high school, and the Tiger swing band is going along to help furnish the entertainment.

The line-up and summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS – Tasseff, Keen, Gable, Brenner, Sweasey.
TACKLES – Chapman, Geiser, Bigson, Strobel, Rubio.
GUARDS – Kraus, Climo, Snyder, Tunning, Grunder, Moyer, Sapia.
CENTERS – Roderick, Fabian.
QUARTERBACKS – P. Francisco, Dommer.
HALFBACKS – Khoenle, Traylor, J. Francisco, Straughn, Nussbaum, Grier, Williams, Milneck.
FULLBACKS – Vilet, Grooms, Stewart.

MANSFIELD
ENDS – Luckle, J. Diemer, Truax, Ackerman, Rimblert, Frye, Yoha.
TACKLES – Gouge, Kleer, R. Diemer, Guy, Steele, Ford.
GUARDS – Wilson, Welker, Esbenshade, Eliot.
CENTERS — Yarger, Armstrong.
QUARTERBACKS – Carbetta, Mathews.
HALFBACKS – Shesky, Auer, Glover, Shaluder, Jones, Huber.
FULLBACKS – Brickley, Zeigler, Kline.

Score by periods
Massillon 7 20 14 13 54

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Grier 3; Grooms 2; Brenner 3.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Grooms 6 (plackekicks).

Officials
Referee – Brubaker.
Umpire – Schill.
Head Linesman – Jenkins.
Field Judge – Lobach.

STATISTICS
Mass. Mansf.
First downs 10 10
Passes attempted 12 25
Passes completed 5 10
Had passes intercepted 0 2
Yards gained passing 165 117
Yards gained rushing 405 79
Total yards gained 570 196
Yards lost 33 23
Net yards gained 537 173
Times punted 2 5
Average punt (yards) 36 35
Yards punts returned by 36 6
Times kicked off 9 1
Average kickoff (yards) 39 40
Yards kickoffs returned by 0 95
Times fumbled 2 7
Lost ball on fumbles 1 4
Times penalized 9 3
Yards penalized 115 35

Ace Grooms
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1950: Massillon 56, Mansfield 6

Tigers Defeat Mansfield 56-6 For Sixth Victory
Alert Massillon Team Capitalizes On Series Of Breaks To Beat Foe

By LUTHER EMERY

A snarling band of Washington high school Tigers wreaked vengeance in Mansfield Friday evening and brought home a gratifying 56-6 victory over the only team that beat them last year.

It was the Tigers’ sixth straight victory of the season and Mansfield’s third loss of the year.

Program Cover

The game was more bitterly fought than the score would indicate. Don’t let it fool you. The overflow crowd of 14,000 or more fans received plenty of thrills during the first two and one-half periods until Mansfield, victim of two consecutive bad breaks in the third period opened wide the gates and the Tigers poured through with touchdowns to victory.
* * *
THIRTY-FIVE of Massillon’s points went over the goal line in the last 18 minutes and breaks, which cost Mansfield a second touchdown, provided two for the Tigers.

‘Twas well Mansfield did open the doors, for the Tigers were not sharp themselves. At least Coach Chuck Mather and many of his fans didn’t think so, and although Massillon looked the stronger team most of the evening, without the smiles of lady luck, the margin of victory would not have been so great and there would have been no drippings for fans to feast on today.

Ray Lane capitalized on two breaks for the Tigers, grabbing a fumble out of the air on one occasion in the third period and racing 16 yards to score and intercepting a pass and running it back 40 yards into pay dirt for the local team’s eighth and last touchdown of the game.

Covering of a Mansfield fumble on the six-yard line put the locals in position for another of their touchdowns and intercepted passes by Chuck Vliet and Bill Stoner helped set up two more.

The blow that killed Mansfield came in the third period. Up to that time the Tygers had been giving the local team a hard time and the score was 21-6 in Massillon’s favor when Halfback John Auer broke through the center of the line and raced 96 yards for what looked like a touchdown until the ball was called back and Mansfield penalized for being offside. On the very next play John Todd smashed through for 12 yards but the ball squirted from his hands when hit by a Tiger tackler, and popped into the outstretched arms of Lane. He knew what to do with it and was over the Mansfield goal in a leap and a bound. Thus instead of the Tiger lead being cut to one touchdown, it soared to a three touchdown lead.
* * *
MANSFIELD was finished then and there. The Tygers lost spirit and the local team found it easier to score and by the end of the game, Mansfield was a badly beaten team.

It was the first time this season that the breaks had come Massillon’s way, and for the defensive platoon it must be said that it had much to do with making many of the breaks.

The defensive team actually grabbed the honors last night. Without its hard and sturdy tackling and alert pass defense, the game would have been much closer, for the Tiger offense found it hard to go all the way.

The team would click for one, two or three first downs, only to be snuffed out by the Mansfield defense. It gained 334 yards, 85 by passing and lost 39 for a net sum of 295 yards, while Mansfield was held to a net gain of 119 yards of which 52 were made by passing. First downs were 10-4 in favor of the Tigers.
* * *
THE TIGERS had a hard time completing their passes, partially because of poor receiving. Mansfield fared little better with its passing and had five passes intercepted, a figure which should have reached eight or 10 had Massillon players had a little more glue on their fingers. Where Massillon completed five of 15 passes; Mansfield completed but four of 23.

Apparently Coach Augie Morningstar had picked passing as the Tigers weakness, for he kept throwing all evening even though his team was meeting with a little more success in this department than it was at carrying the ball.

The hard hitting Mansfield running attack that looked good here last year, was missing completely. Save for two quick opening thrusts by Auer, the ball carriers had little to be happy about.

Jerry Krisher added eight more points after touchdown to boost his current string without a miss to nine. He has now kicked 24 of his last 25 attempted points from placement. His season’s total is 31 of 35, though he has actually scored 32, having run over an extra point in the opening game of the season.

Jerry missed the uprights once against Latin and Alliance and twice against Canton Lincoln.
* * *
THE TIGERS had to cross the Mansfield goal twice before they scored a legal touchdown. They first time they got their hands on the ball they began a march from the Mansfield 47. On the third play from scrimmage, Ernie Russell went 34 yards to score but the ball was brought back and the Tigers penalized five yards for being offside. Bob Howe tried to pass to Streeter but overthrew his mark. Freddie Waikem dashed 47 yards to the two-yard line and Howe went over for the six points. Jerry Krisher kicked the first of eight consecutive points after touchdown.

The locals were on their way to their second touchdown with a drive that began on the Mansfield 43, when the first period ended. Running hard, Freddie Waikem overcame a five-yard offside penalty to run the ball to the 28. Russell moved it up 16 yards in one attempt and Bill Stoner took it the last 13 on a sweep around his right end.

The Tigers had a chance to score later on in the second quarter when they recovered a fumble on the Mansfield 19, but they eventually fumbled themselves, losing the ball on the 10. They forced Mansfield to punt, however, and Russell ran the ball back well to the Tyger 34. A 15-yard pass from Close to Streeter and a seven-yard run by Howe put the ball on the 12 where Waikem wiggled through to score.
* * *
MANSFIELD capitalized on one of two opportunities to score in the closing minutes of the period. The Tygers covered a fumble on the Massillon eight, but on the first play Joe Gleason intercepted one of Benny Garbetta’s passes and came back eight yards. With less than a minute to play, Close tried to catch Mansfield asleep and tossed a pass that Darce Shasky intercepted and ran back to the 14 before being downed. The Tigers held for three downs, but on fourth down Auer passed to Lee in the end zone for what proved to be Mansfield’s only score of the game.

Mansfield’s bid to narrow the score came in the halfway mark of the third period when Auer raced 96 useless yards for what looked like a touchdown until the ball was called back and Mansfield penalized for being offside. There followed the first of Lane’s two contributions and the Tigers led 28-6.

The locals kicked off but before Mansfield could get beyond its 39-yard mark, Vliet hauled in one of Carbetta’s passes and raced back to the 24. Russell went for four and Waikem for 14. Howe in two plunges went the remaining distance and with Krisher’s boot it was 35-6.

The fourth quarter was well under way when Jack Strobel covered a Mansfield fumble on the six-yard line. Russell was over in two attempts and the score mounted to 42-6.

Two more touchdowns were chalked up in rapid order. Stoner set up the first when he intercepted Robert Matthews’ pass and raced back to the Mansfield 29. On the first play, Close pegged the ball to Streeter for the touchdown. Mansfield again received the kickoff and when attempting to pass, Lane intercepted the ball and committed larceny by running it back for another six points.

That ended the scoring, though the Tigers had another chance when Dick Woolbert blocked a punt and Mitchell fell on the ball on the Mansfield 32.

Victory No. 6

MASSILLON
ENDS – Murray, Zellers, Streeter, W. Brenner, B. Brenner, Corbett., Woolbert.
TACKLES – Strobel, Geiser, Gibson, Grunder, Schumacher, Mitchell.
GUARDS – Reichenbach, Gleason, Tunning, Moyer, J. Howe, Sapia.
CENTERS – Krisher, Dowd.
QUARTERBACKS – Close, Francisco, Khoenle.
HALFBACKS – Stoner, Russell, Grier, Lane, Waikem, Straughn.
FULLBACKS – Vliet, Howe, Nussbaum, Stewart.

MANSFIELD
ENDS – Guy, Diemer, Truax, Fowler, Ewers.
TACKLES – Monastra, Fidler, Lindsay.
GUARDS – Kent, Welker, Esbenshade, Kleer, Stauffer.
CENTERS – Maurer, Means.
QUARTERBACKS – Carbetta, Matthews, Pesano.
HALFBACKS – Shasky, Todd, Schluter, J. Dawkins, Auer.
FULLBACKS – Jordan, Lee, Ziegler.

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 14 14 21 56
Mansfield 0 6 0 0 6

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Howe 2; Lane 2; Stoner; Waikem; Russell; Streeter.
Mansfield – Lee.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Krisher 8.

Referee – Dr. Fred Heinold.
Umpire – Earl Gross.
Head Linesman – Elsaes.
Field Judge – Russ.

Statistics
Mass. Mans.
First downs 10 4
Passes attempted 15 23
Passes completed 5 4
Had passes intercepted 3 5
Yards gained passing 85 52
Yards gained rushing 249 84
Total yards gained 334 136
Yards lost 39 17
Net yards gained 295 119
Times kicked off 9 2
Average kickoff (yards) 49.2 51
Yards kickoffs returned by 43 167
Times punted 4 8
Average punt (yards) 43.5 30.5
Yards punts returned by 70 0
Times fumbled 3 3
Lost ball on fumbles 2 3
Times penalized 9 3
Yards penalized 65 25

Jim Reichenbach