Tag: <span>Mel Knowlton</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1969: Massillon 6, Alliance 0

Tiger defense withstands squeeze 6-0
Pressure mounts from many offensive mistakes

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

For awhile Friday night, the Massillon Tiger defense was under more pressure than an orange in a juicer, but was equal to the task. Consequently, the Washington high gridders eked out a 6-0 win over a determined Alliance team.

The victory before 13,001 at Tiger stadium gave the Tigers a 4-1 record for the first half of the season, sent the Aviators (2-2-1) down to a second straight defeat, gave them a share of the All-American conference cellar with two defeats and enabled the Tigers to climb to fourth with a 1-1 slate.

The game marked the last time for Mel Knowlton to coach an Aviator team against his alma mater. He’ll retire at the end of the season.

The contest also closed Massillon’s current home stand. The Tigers will play a third consecutive AAC game next week at Steubenville.
* * *
FOR SEVEN minutes – stretching from near the end of the third quarter to deep into the fourth – Alliance had the ball, knocking at the door from within 22 yards of the Tigers’ goal. The Orange and Black also stopped an Aviator last-ditch effort with 47 seconds left, to apply a tranquilizer to the frenzied Tiger faithful.

The WHS defense got into the pressure cooker because of fumbles. Twice Alliance fumbled back, a timely interception helped another time and a great goal line stand the fourth.

“Our defense was magnificent, but our offense was too sloppy,” Tiger Coach Bob Commings said. “If we had held onto the ball, I’m sure we could have moved it. We just don’t seem to put everything together.”

One of the key defenders for the Tigertowners was junior linebacker, Mike Mauger
(6-2, 190). In the fourth quarter, he recovered two Alliance fumbles and picked up a free ball on a backward pass.

One recovery came on the Massillon 10. Mauger literally stole the ball on the Alliance 33, but when his mates fumbled back to the Aviators he stopped their final drive on the Massillon 37 after 6-3, 180-pound senior end Rick Maxheimer had spun Alliance quarterback, Bob Knowlton around, causing his pass to move laterally and hit the ground. Mauger scooped up the ball and ran for 26 yards to the Alliance 37 from where Massillon quarterback, Gary Herring repeatedly fell on the ball to run the clock out.
* * *
THINGS BEGAN to get sticky for the Tiger defense with 58 seconds left in the third quarter when Alliance junior tackle, Gary Andreani recovered a punt fumble on the Tigers’ 10. Junior cornerback, Larry Harper knocked down a Knowlton pass from the two to kill that Alliance threat.

With Maxheimer punting from the goal line after the next series had fizzled, Alliance junior halfback, Chuck Larsuel ran back from the Massillon 30 to the 22. Senior linebacker Pat Midgley and cornerback, Jerry Sheaters ended the second threat by cutting short senior fullback Rick Trieff’s screen pass jaunt two yards from a first down on the 14.

But senior halfback Larry King recovered another Tiger fumble on the Massillon 21 on the next play. However, Mauger’s second recovery shortly afterwards aborted that threat.

By the time the contest had ended, the ball had changed hands more times, due to fumbles, than a dollar bill in a poker game. Massillon lost four of six bobbles, while Alliance saw three of four go out the window.

Massillon’s lone touchdown came after Harper had made a dangerous diving second quarter catch of an Alliance punt on the Tigers’ 39. Departing from their normal explosive offense to a grind-it-out type, the Orange and Black scored in 12 plays with senior tailback Darnell Streeter carrying five times, hard-driving senior fullback Mike Autrey, three, and Harper two.
* * *
JUNIOR QUARTERBACK Denny Franklin skirted right end on a boot pass with 5:08 left in the period. Senior ends George Golden and Ray Biery brought Franklin down short of the pylon on the identical play to the other side on the conversion try.

Massillon had one other threat going in the first quarter, but ran out of gas at the Alliance 29.

Mauger also helped cut short two other Aviator missions. His blitz in the first quarter hurried Knowlton’s throw and Streeter picked off the bomb on the Massillon 24.

In the second quarter, with Alliance on a drive from it 28 after a punt, Mauger put the breaks on Geltz on a screen pass for a four-yard loss on second down from the Massillon 21. Midgley threw Knowlton four more yards back and Trieff couldn’t catch a screen pass on fourth down.

Neither team got out of its own territory thereafter until the Alliance recovery of the late fourth quarter Tiger fumble.
* * *
INJURIES PLAYED a big part in the game, Commings felt Franklin, who got his thoughts jumbled by a hard tackle near the end of the second quarter was still groggy later in the game, causing two fumbles and that a rash of hand injuries to backs caused some more.

The others were probably caused by the Orange and Black having their backs against the wall and being over anxious, according to Commings.

Early in the second quarter Alliance lost both its starting offensive ends – Biery and Golden – hurting the Aviator offense greatly. Golden, who had a hip injury, came back near the end of the third quarter but couldn’t run his cuts. Biery, who was dazed, came back late in the second and again late in the fourth stanza. His absence also required Larsuel to do the punting.

“We were not able to take advantage of our opportunities due in good part to injures,” Coach Mel Knowlton said. “I thought sure, at half-time, that we would win. We should have won if we had had all of our kids.”

ALLIANCE – 0
Ends – Biery, Golden, Codrea.
Tackles – Crockett, Andreani, Beckwith, Rand and Ron Kuceyeski, Jones.
Guards – Gemberling, Dietrich, Brunie, Schafer, Bruderly.
Center – Kirksey
Quarterback – Knowlton.
Halfbacks – Larusel, Geltz, Hunt, King, Sloane.
Fullbacks – Trieff, Wright.

MASSILLON – 6
Ends – Maxheimer, Robertson, McConnaughead, Reinerts, Byelene, Lewis.
Tackles – Dorman, Benson, Celik, Bingle, Strobel.
Guards – Hout, Midgley, Jasinski, Jellel, Sims, Miller, Ferguson, McLin.
Centers – S. Luke, Ridgley, Brand.
Quarterbacks – Franklin, Herring.
Halfbacks – Streeter, Harper, Sullivan, Mauger, Lombardi, Sheaters.
Fullbacks – Autrey, Cardinal.

Massillon 0 6 0 0 6

SCORING SUMMARY
M – QB Denny Franklin, two-yard run.

OFFICIALS
Referee – Robert Whetstone.
Umpire – Joe Romano.
Head Linesman – John Cseh.
Field Judge – Chuck Hinkle.

THE GRIDSTICK
Mass. All.
First downs – rushing 10 2
First downs – passing 1 3
First downs – penalties 1 3
Total first downs 12 8
Yards gained rushing 203 69
Yards lost rushing 54 15
Net yards gained rushing 149 54
Net yards gained passing 29 74
Total yards gained 173 128
Passes attempted 2-8 11-23
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 1 0
Kickoff average (yards) 2-45.5 1-38
Kickoff returns (yards) 16 27
Punt average (yards) 5-32.8 5-36.8
Punt returns (yards) 0 16
Lost fumbled ball 4-6 3-4
Yards penalized 4-53 5-45
Touchdowns rushing 1 0
Total number of plays 65 51

Mike Autry
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1967: Massillon 20, Alliance 14

Obies Deflate Aviators’ Silk 20-14

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

Maybe Massillon’s Tigers weren’t as sharp as in the first 3 games and maybe they caused the faithful to overheat on a cold Dad’s night. But a victory over a Mel Knowlton-coached Alliance high team is not to be sloughed off.

The undefeated Washington high eleven got its fourth victory of the season before 11,277 fans at Tiger stadium Friday night via a 20-14 count. The spirited Aviators slipped to 2-2.

TIGER Coach Bob Seaman admitted his team was listless. “We weren’t ready,” said Seaman. “The pep rally at the high school this afternoon was the flattest I’ve ever seen.” But, at the same time he was “pleased with the way his charges came back” after spotting a “real fine” Alliance team to an 8-6 halftime lead.

Debits such as poor tackling, not enough pressure on the quarterback and broken plays went into the Obiemen’s book. But there were also credits such as some good passing, an outstanding inside ground game for good ball control and the keeping of Alliance in poor field position most of the night.

KNOWLTON pegged the field position angle as one of the most important aspects of the game. “If we could have gotten out of the hole, we’d have been in business. We had good position only twice and scored both times. It was our own fault. It’s tough to throw when you’re backed up against your own goal line.”

Seaman agreed, “We punted 5 times and they returned 5 times for about 2 yards each time. That’s decent punt coverage.”

He thought Tom Houser’s punts and Reggie Moore’s kickoffs were exceptionally good and helped put Alliance in the hole.

MOORE switched to tailback Thursday in an effort to spell junior Jim Smith who has an acing left shoulder, combined effectively with Smith off tackle and through the center. Smith netted 70 yards and 2 touchdowns in 18 tries, Moore 63 in 13.

The Orange and Black found another receiver, Houser, the tight end, who “runs well for a 230-pounder,” Seaman said.

He added, “The took away the sweep and left us with the off tackle and passing opportunities.”

SEAMAN explained the broken plays occurred because the Tigers were running a lot of automatics or changes at the line on a noisy night.

Through the years, the Tigers have had a lot of trouble with Knowlton’s off tackle and sweep plays and Friday night was no exception. Lionel Grimes, George Lear and Stan Terrell all did well. Grimes going for 42 yards in 7 tries, Lear, 38 to 8, and Terrell, 40 in 11. Terrell and Lear each scored TDs.

IT WAS A GAME of breaks as the Tigers lost a fumble early in the second quarter on the Alliance 5-yard line, recovered by Grimes. Seaman said had his Bengals gone on in to score, on the 51-yard drive, it might have been all over.

But Obieman Bill Snowball and George Whitfield recovered an Alliance fumble on the Aviator 8 early in the third quarter and scored moments afterward on what Seaman called the turning point.

Smith, bulldozer No. 1, went over on the first play, crashing right tackle with 11:54 left in the third period. Moore, bulldozer No. 2, went the same direction for a 14-8 lead.

NEITHER team got out of its own territory the remainder of the period except when Tiger quarterback Trevor Young got off a 20-yard pass-run combination to Houser good for a first down on the Alliance 42. But there the Bengal attack sputtered.

Early in the last period, Houser’s punt, a combined tackle effort by Co-Captains Young and Ron Ertle and Dave Gipp, plus an offensive interference penalty left Alliance with fourth and 16 on its 9. Marc Malinowski ran back Nick Sucaciu’s punt from the Aviator 42 to the 36. Nine plays later the Tigers had the winning score.

AIDED BY a fourth down pass from Young to a leaping junior split end Bert Dampier, the Obiemen picked up 9 yards and a first down on the 9. Moore ran through the center to the 3 and Smith carried over on the next play at 4:57. Moore missed on the conversion run.

Alliance capped the night’s scoring with 52 seconds left after an 82-yard drive in 9 plays. The big play was a 38-yard pass run combination from quarterback Kurt Utterbeck to halfback George Lear. Larry Shumar, a junior “monster” back for the Tigers, brought Lear down on the Massillon, 44 halting the TD threat for the moment. But the 6-pointer came 6 plays later, aided by a 15-yard holding penalty on the Bengals.

LEAR went off right tackle on first down from the 4 for the tally. A pass to split end Bruce Cartwright failed on the conversion try.

Massillon got on the scoreboard first during the typical Knowlton game which saw him scare the living daylights out of the Bengals.

Junior Mark McDew ran back a punt from the Tigers- 31 to the 36 to ignite a 9-play, 64-yard drive. Moore and Smith took turns running the ball. Young, who completed 4 of 8 passes during the night, hit Houser on a 13-yard, second down pass from the Alliance 37.

THREE PLAYS later Houser pulled in another Young toss on the 25, cut to the left and went the remainder of the distance for the score with 3:05 remaining in the first quarter. McDew failed to reach pay dirt on a conversion.

Alliance took an 8-6 lead into the dressing room at halftime something no other team had done to the Orange and Black this year, when junior halfback Stan Terrell, very elusive all night off tackle, scooted 17 yards through the left side with 44, seconds left. Senior end Jim Terrell caught an Utterbeck pass for the conversion.

ALLIANCE had moved 80 yards in 9 plays following a Tiger punt. Big plays were an
8-yard run by Lear, a 12-yard pass-run play to Jim Terrell, a 10-yarder to Stan Terrell and a 28-yarder to Cartwright.

Had Aviator receivers been able to hold onto passes the rest of the night as they did during this and their other scoring drive, the outcome might have been different.

The Tigers hit their first All-American High School football league opponent here next
Friday night in a tough Niles McKinley team under new Coach Fred Conti. The contest will also end the current 5-game home stand as the Bengals head for Altoona Pa., the following week.
ALLIANCE –14
Ends – Cartwright, Dailey, J. Terrell. B. Young.
Tackles – R. Trieff, Ickes, Brienza, Andreani, Weaver, Weir.
Guards – Thomas, Stanley.
Center- B. Trieff.
Quarterback – Utterbeck.
Halfbacks – Grimes, Lear, S. Terrell, Sucaciu, Williams.
Fullbacks – Banks, Wable, Slifkin.
MASSILLON – 20
Ends – Dampier, Houser, Richards, Twiggs.
Tackles – Snowball, Ricker, Laase, Snyder.
Guards – Ertle, D. Gipp, Whitfield, Russell.
Centers – B. Moore, Skelton.
Quarterbacks – T. Young, Malinowski, Shumar.
Halfbacks – Smith, R. Moore, Fenton, McDew, Evans, Autrey.
Fullbacks – Simon, M. Gipp.

Alliance 0 8 0 6 14
Massillon 6 0 8 6 20

Touchdowns: Massillon – Houser (36-yard pass-run from Young);
Smith 2 (8 and 3-yard runs).
Alliance – S. Terrell (17-yard run); Lear (4-yard run).

Extra points: Massillon – Moore 2 (run).
Alliance – J. Terrell 2 (pass from Utterbeck).

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Massillon
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Young 8 7 0.9
Moore 13 63 4.9
Smith 18 70 3.9
McDew 7 26 3.7

Alliance
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Grimes 7 42 6.0
Lear 8 38 4.8
Terrell 11 40 3.7

THE GRIDSTICK
Mass. Opp.
First downs – rushing 11 8
First downs – passing 4 5
First downs – penalties 0 1
Total first downs 15 14
Yards gained rushing 132 134
Yards lost rushing 11 14
Net yards gained rushing 151 120
Net yards gained passing 76 128
Total yards gained 247 248
Passes completed 4-8 7-17
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Yardage on passes intercepted 12 0
Times kicked off 4 3
Kickoff average (yards) 45.2 30.0
Kickoff returns (yards) 27 58
Punt average (yards) 5-33.0 6-31.0
Punt return (yards) 23 2
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 1 3
Lost fumbled ball 1 1
Yards penalized 3-35 4-38
Touchdowns rushing 2 2
Touchdowns passing 1 0
Total number of plays 62 52

OFFICIALS
Referee – John Cseh.
Umpire – Dr. Robert Schotz.
Head Linesman – Pete Lanigan.
Field Judge – Charles Lorenze.

Attendance: 11,277

Ron Ertle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1962: Massillon 0, Alliance 46

Tigers Crushed 46-0 By Superb Alliance
Bengals Suffer Worst Defeat In 31 Years As Aviators Dazzle Fans

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

The stony post-game silence in the Massillon Tigers’ dressing room Friday night was a reminder of the awful nightmare that had occurred on the Hartshorn stadium turf the past 48 minutes before 9,344 dripping fans.

The Washington high school football team had received its worst beating in 31 years. Alliance high school had pounded the Bengals 46-0 on its home field.

Not since Steubenville had shellacked WHS 68-0 in 1931 had the Tigers absorbed a worse beating. Dayton Steele beat the Orange and Black by an identical score in 1921. A 59-0 loss to Barberton in 1912 made Friday’s defeat the third worst in the Bengals history.

Program Cover

It was Leo Strang’s worst setback in 13 seasons of coaching.
* * *
NOT SINCE 1932 when one of Paul Brown’s teams, quarterbacked by Alliance Coach Mel Knowlton, was beaten 30-6 by the Aviators and in 1921 when Dave Stewart was shut out 25-0, had Alliance beaten the Tigers so badly. The last whitewash by Alliance was over Chuck Mather 14-0 in 1948. The last defeat by the Aviators was 9-7 in 1954 over Tom Harp, both losses administered by Knowlton.

The Orange and Black’s season record now stands at 2-2. The last time a Massillon team lost two games in a season was when Lee Tressel was coach in 1956. The last shutout was 6-0 by Warren in 1958, Strang’s first year.

The faces of the Bengal coaches and players were grim after Friday’s game, grim with the determination to prove to the fans of Massillon that the Tigers will come back, that the old Tiger spirit is still there.

With the loss went any hope the Bengals’ might have had of going on to win their fourth straight state championship. But the victory could be the incentive to spur Alliance on to its first since 1958.
* * *
HOW DO YOU explain a night like this? What happened? Both Strang and Knowlton said it was a game when everything went right for Alliance and all wrong for Massillon. As both coaches said, Massillon would start its defense one way, and Alliance would be going the other.

To say that things went wrong for WHS is a gross understatement. There was almost no blocking, no tackling. Pass defenders couldn’t stay with receivers. The latter ailment can be partially blamed on the rainy weather which turned the field into a muddy mess. With the Tigers playing all men close to the line in order to try to stop Alliance sweeps early, Bengal defenders were unable to get their footing well enough to drop back quickly.

On the other hand, the Aviators came through with a terrific line job. Alliance Linemen continually got the jump on the Tigers, both offensively and defensively. As a result Aviator backs found plenty of holes while Tiger runners were hit before they got to the line.

Knowlton got tremendous running from Chet Bryant, Win Young and Larry Grimes. Quarterback Doug Wade did some tremendous passing. Ends Tom Greene, Captain Tom Barany and Henry (Skip) Waters did some fine receiving.

When it was all over, Bryant had scored three touchdowns and a conversion. Grimes’ two touchdowns, Young one, Waters one and a conversion. It was the biggest victory for Knowlton in his 17 seasons at Alliance, he said.

Statistics showed that Alliance had 18 first downs. The Aviators picked up 32 net yards on the ground and 125 in the air, losing only three yards all night. Total yardage was 447.

While he was happy with his whole team’s performance, Knowlton was especially pleased with the performance of Waters, “the best player I’ve ever had,” and Guard Dave Cade, one of “the best blockers and tacklers of the night.”
* * *
“WE WERE REALLY prepared for this one,” said Knowlton, “as well as we’ve ever been for any game since I’ve been here. This was just the reverse of last year. That one really stuck in my craw.” He added, “I got a real effort from varsity, reserves and coaches.”

When asked if he had been saving Wade for Massillon since the junior signal-caller hadn’t thrown much in Alliance’s previous three games, Knowlton replied an emphatic no. He was happy that Wade had come along well to open up the ground game for his “great
one-two attack of Bryant and Grimes.

“Knowlton cautioned the Massillon fans not to get on Strang or the players much. A game like this can happen to the best of them, and Massillon isn’t that bad,” he said.

For Strang’s part, he said, “Mel has done a heck of a job of coaching with his boys. They were the best team in the state out there tonight. We were the worst.”

Both of Massillon’s ends, Will Perry and Bob McAllister, were lost due to injuries in the first quarter. With the Bengals already crippled by other injuries and forced to use a number of younger players it hurt. “The younger players couldn’t adjust to their gaming defense,” Strang said.
* * *
PERHAPS an omen of things to come was Young almost taking the opening kickoff back 94 yards for a touchdown. He slipped on the wet turf at the Alliance 35-yard line and went down, however.

Alliance got nowhere on its first series, the only time it failed to score when given the opportunity all night, except on the final few plays of the game. The Aviators punted to Massillon.

The Orange and Black got its only good drive of the night going. In 10 plays with four first downs, the Tigers had reached the Alliance 30. Then a mix-up in the backfield cause a fumble, Waters recovered, and the Tigers never threatened again.

They had two other brief sorties into Aviator territory. One came late in the second quarter when Massillon got to its opponents’ 46-yard line. The other trip stopped at Alliance 44 in the final canto.

After Waters had recovered the first period fumble, the Aviators drove 74 yards in 14 plays with four first downs for their initial score. The Orange and Black had Alliance stopped on its 37 with a fourth down but jumped offside. The penalty gave the Aviators a first down and continued the drive.
* * *
GRIMES and Bryant picked up most of the yardage, as they did all night, first hitting one side of the line then the other, and then around end. But it was Young, the junior right halfback, who finally went over around end with 10:10 left in the first quarter. Grimes missed the conversion run.

He had a 20-yard touchdown romp called back during this drive due to an illegal motion penalty.

Alliance forced Massillon to punt again shortly after the second period had begun. Taking over on their 11-yard line the Aviators marched the distance in 10 plays with three first downs.

Grimes went around end at 4:53. He missed the conversion try. Wade passed to Waters for the conversion after a motion penalty had nullified Grimes’ run.

Grimes scored the next TD at 2:01. Massillon gambled on a fourth-and-four situation from its 42 but didn’t make it. Alliance got the ball on the 35. Two plays later Grimes went off guard from the 16 for the tally.
* * *
THE AVIATORS went 86 yards on their next drive after a Bengal punt in the middle of the third stanza. On the third play after Alliance had taken over, Bryant went off tackle for 75 yards with Waters coming over from the opposite side of the field to lead the blocking. The time was 6:21. Wade’s pass to Bryant for the conversion was incomplete.

Near the end of the period Alliance took over after another Orange and Black punt. The drive was 39 yards in nine plays and one first down. Wade tossed to Waters with the senior end making a tumbling catch near the end line at 11:53 of the last quarter. Young scored the conversion on a pitchout to the right. But Alliance was called for illegal procedure. A pass on the second try was incomplete.

Bryant had an 18-yard score called back during this drive because his mates were offside.

Seconds later Waters intercepted a Bengal pass on the Massillon 40 and raced to the 20. Bryant went off guard at 11:02 for the tally. He missed on the conversion run.

Alliance’s last score was a two-play job after another Massillon punt. On the second play after taking over on the Massillon 47, Grimes cut off tackle and back through the middle for the score at 5:11. The TD run was a 45-yarder. Bryant went off right tackle for the conversion.

Massillon had only eight first downs. The Tigers picked up 98 net yards on the ground, losing 25. They gained 31 yards via the aerial route. The total was 129.

The Tigers return home next week to face the tough Steubenville Big Red, winners of four straight contests.

Hard To Believe

MASSILLON – 0
Ends – McAllister, Perry, Franklin, Jones, Hose and Alexander.
Tackles – Clendening, Profant, Miller, Tarle and Fabianich.
Guards – Ehmer, McDew, Swisher, Mathias, Geckler, Castile and Morgan.
Centers – Bradley, Scassa, Rambaud and Paisley.
Backs – Gatsios, Swartz, Rink, Kanney, Davis, Blunt,
Eckard, Getz, Thomas and Lawrence.

ALLIANCE – 46
Ends – Bareny, Greene and Waters.
Tackles – Woods, Fetters and G. Freraccio.
Guards – Cade, Hairston, M. Freraccio and Allen.
Centers – Felice, Dicken and Shilling.
Backs – Wade, Grimes, Bryant, Young, Holmes and Blaer.

Massillon 0 0 0 0 0
Alliance 6 14 6 20 46

Touchdowns:
Alliance – Grimes 3 (5, 16 and 46-yard runs); Bryant 2 (75 and 20-yard runs); Young 1 (10-yard run) and Waters 1 (27-yard pass from Wade).

Conversions:
Alliance – Waters 1 (pass from Wade) and Bryant 1 (run).

Officials:
Referee – Fritz Graf (Akron).
Umpire – John Holzbach (Youngstown).
Head Linesman – Bill Holwarth (Louisville).
Field Judge – Carl Spessard (Cuyahoga Falls).

GAME STATISTICS
Mass. Opp.
First downs – rushing 5 12
First downs – passing 2 4
First downs – penalties 1 2
Total first downs 8 18
Yards gained rushing 123 325
Yards lost rushing 25 3
Net yards gained rushing 96 332
Yards gained passing 31 125
Total yards gained 129 447
Passes attempted 12 7
Passes completed 4 4
Passes intercepted by 0 1
Times kicked off 1 8
Kickoff average (yards) 55.0 47.1
Kickoff returns (yards) 105 30
Times punted 4 1
Punt average (yards) 12.6 13
Punt returns (yards) 0 29
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 1
Lost fumbled ball 2 0
Penalties 2 8
Yards penalized 20 50

Ben Bradley
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1961: Massillon 26, Alliance 0

Tigers Roll Over Alliance High 26-0
Tight Bengal Defense Limits Aviators To 44 Net Yards Rushing

By CHUCK HESS, JR.

Massillon’s terrific Tigers had the “Keys to the Kingdom” Friday night at Tiger stadium. And they unlocked another door in the path to a third straight state high school football championship for Leo Strang’s charges.

The Benglas shut out previously undefeated Alliance 26-0 before the largest crowd of the season. Some 91,319 fans sat in on the slaughter of the hapless Aviators, who have never won a game at Tiger stadium.

“We must have read a 100 keys out there,” said a jubilant Strang. He was referring to the method by which defenders can diagnose the direction and type of play coming at them. They watch certain key players for the tipoff.

Program Cover

* * *
BY DOING THIS expertly and wheeling and pealing, blitzing from and eight-man defensive line and pursuing plays doggedly the Tigers held the Aviators to a mere 44 net yards rushing. The Bengals completely smothered Alliance’s heretofore explosive attack. They were thus the first to stop the deadly Alliance sweep play. The vaunted “Pony Backs” – Marion Young, Glenn Hill and Larry Grimes, never had a chance. Quarterback Jim LaFountain got few passes away. The ones he connected on netted Alliance only 10 yards. When he did pass, the Tiger secondary covered receivers like a glove, allowing Mel Knowlton’s boys to complete only one of nine aerials.

“This was the best defensive effort I’ve ever gotten from a team playing an opponent the caliber of Alliance,” Strang said. He meant not only at Massillon but in his entire coaching career.

An effort like the one the Bengals made Friday night has to be a tribute to a great coaching staff. A fine job of scouting plus utilization of the reports to the utmost resulted in the Tigers’ fourth straight and most impressive win of the season.

“We, the coaches, put in long sessions this week, staying up to midnight and 1 a.m. studying the Alliance offense and how to defense it correctly,” Strang said. “I’m dead. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a week,” he added

* * *
A DEJECTED KNOWLTON said, “I have no alibis. We were lousy in all departments. But don’t get me wrong,” he added, “I’m not taking anything away from Massillon. That’s a great team.”

The contest was marred by a free-for-all at the contest’s conclusion. Massillon’s Bob Baker and Alliance’s Marion Young had a difference of opinion in the middle of the field during the last play. Then both benches emptied. Fists were swinging and helmets flying. But most of the uproar was a lot of pushing.

Both Strang and Knowlton, right in the middle of the melee, said, “We tried to break the thing up. But as quickly as one fight was stopped, more got started. This is an awful thing to have happen.” Actually, there weren’t as many boys fighting as it seemed, but it was enough to ruin an otherwise fine night of football. The altercation was stopped after about five minutes.

It would be unfair to single out any Bengal for fine play offensively or defensively because all did such a tremendous job. But it must be mentioned that Fullback Ken Dean scored three of the Tigers’ four touchdowns.

It appears that Dean, who reported about 40 pounds overweight last month and is now down to a trim, for him, 218, is back on the beam. His old speed and power, which brought him All-American honors in 1960, appear to have been recovered.

* * *
“IT SURE FELT great out there,” the big guy said, “but please give the whole gang credit. They gave me the opportunities.”

One of the guys who was instrumental in Dean’s TD romps was Ron Schenkenberger. He caught two key passes that set up two six-pointers. The little wingback also set up another score by Fullback Fred Philpott.

Passing was all important to the Strangmen. They opened up the middle by throwing to unstack the Aviators’ five-four and four-five defenses which jammed up the Tigers’ ground game down the middle.

It looks like Philpott and Dean will be the big yardage boys from now on. Philpott did the open field running and Dean got the short yardage in tight.

“That’s the way I’ll use them the rest of the season,” Strang said.

The Tigers won the toss for the first time this season. But it didn’t do them any good. On their first play from scrimmage, the Bengals fumbled on their own 42. Jim Fraraccio recovered for Alliance.

The Aviators drove to the Massillon 24, their deepest penetration of the night. On a first down play, Alliance fumbled, and Steve Garland hopped on the errant pigskin.

* * *
IT COULD BE that this fumble broke the spirit of the Aviators for they never got going again. Had they gotten an early score, the game might have been tighter.

This could also have been what the doctor ordered for Massillon. The Bengals were certainly keyed up for the entire 48 minutes.

The Tigers got only four yards during their first series. But that was the only time they didn’t get more than one first down when they had the ball in their hands.

The Airmen, on the other hand, got only one other drive going the entire night, and they lost the ball on downs on the Massillon 26 on that one, which occurred in the last period.

Quarterback Jim LaFountain punted on fourth and two on the Massillon 42 in the second Alliance series. Schenkenberger, attempting the runback, gave the hometown fans a fright when he fumbled on his 12. He recovered, however.

* * *
THE TIGERS then took off on an 88-yard touchdown romp, covering 15 plays and picking up five first downs along the route. Strang’s charges alternated between sweeps and plays up through the center on the drive.

Schenkenberger had two fine pass catches to help set up Massillon’s first score. The first was a 17-yarder on the down-and-out pattern from mid field to the Alliance 33. Quarterback Jim Alexander completed another from the 17 to the two with Schenk running the diagonal pattern.

Dean then came into the game and ran two straight wedge plays up the center, scoring from the one on the second run as the first period ended. Brown tried to go between the long side guard and inside tackle for the conversion but missed.

Another Alliance series followed. And LaFountain was forced to punt again. Schenkenberger fumbled and recovered again, this time at the Airmen’s 47. Had he not lost time on the bobble he might have scored for his path was wide open.

Cornerbacker, Floyd Pierce made a brilliant over-the-shoulder interception on the Aviators’ 29, to set the stage again.

Schenkenberger grabbed a button-hook pass on the next play and raced to the two from where Dean went over on the wedge a second time at 5:54. Alexander’s pass to Larry Ehmer misfired on the conversion attempt.

* * *
LINEBACKER Charlie Whitfield put the Tigers back into business near the end of the period by recovering an Alliance fumble on the Aviators’ 41, but the Bengals failed to capitalize on the situation this time.

Massillon’s last effort of the half ended when a pass to Schenkenberger down the middle was knocked down by safety Tony King around the Aviator 10. He batted down two other potential TD aerials.

Both Strang and Knowlton heaped praise on King saying, “He did a tremendous job on defense.”

In the third period Massillon got its only TD coupled with a conversion. Again it was Dean, this time on what started with the big fullback cutting in between the tackles and then out to the sideline on the right side. He carried two players with him and finally fell on the goal flag for the score at 1:37. The run came from the five. Brown’s sweep of right end netted the conversion.

Massillon had taken over after an Aviator punt on the Tiger 49. Covering 51 yards ,the scoring march was completed in eight plays.

One of the really funny incidents of the night occurred in the third period. On another Aviator punt Schenkenberger and Baker each thought the other was going to catch the ball and it hit the former on the top of his head. Luckily the Tigers recovered.

* * *
MASSILLON SCORED its last TD in the dying minutes of the game, showing once again that the Tigers know how to utilize the clock. The Tigers recovered a fumble on the Alliance 29 to set this one up.

In three plays it was 26-0 at 0:38. Schenkenberger caught a pass on the first play using the “banana” pattern, out and then looping in and down the center. The play carried to the 11. Brown swept right end to the one, and Philpott scored on the wedge. With Alexander holding, Co-Captain Ken Ivan attempted to kick a conversion for the first time this season. However, the ball hit one of the uprights and caromed back into the field, just missing going through by inches.

The Bengals’ now leave Tiger stadium until Oct. 20, playing at Steubenville next week and Cincinnati Roger Bacon, Oct. 12.

Strang set the tone for coming games with the statement, “I don’t know whether we can stay keyed up for the next five or six weeks or not.”

A Big Victory

ALLIANCE
Ends – King, Leaf, Crowder, Green.
Tackles – Admonius, Dunn, Woods.
Guards – Frearaccio, Long and Mallory.
Center – Stoops.
Backs – LaFountain, Grimes, and Young.

MASSILLON
Ends – Ivan, L. Ehmer, Garland, Pierce.
Tackles – Strobel, Spees, Paisley, Mercer.
Guards – Clendenin, Whitfield, Poole, Migge, and Radel.
Center – Bradley.
Backs – Alexander, Schenkenberger, Brown, Philpott, Baker,
Dean, Snively, Davis and Williams.

Massillon – 6 6 8 6 – 26

Scoring
Touchdowns – Dean 3 (one, two, five-yard runs);
Philpott (one-yard run).
Conversions – Brown (sweep).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Bud Shopbell.
Umpire – Jim Lymper.
Head Linesman – (unreadable)
Field Judge – (unreadable)

STATISTICS
Mass. All.
First downs – rushing 11 2
First downs – passing 4 1
First downs – penalties 0 2
Total first downs 15 5
Yards gained rushing 206 84
Yards lost rushing 9 40
Net yards gained rushing 197 44
Yards gained passing 103 10
Total yards gained 300 54
Passes attempted 14 9
Passes completed 6 2
Passes intercepted by 1 1
Times kicked off 5 1
Kickoff average (yards) 45.8 45
Kickoff returns (yards) 20 61
Times punted 4 4
Punt average (yards) 38.2 33.5
Punt return (yards) 17 14
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 4
Lost fumbled ball 1 3
Penalties 3 2
Yards penalized 35 10

Charlie Brown
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1954: Massillon 7, Alliance 19

Alliance Ends Tiger Winning Streak
Aviators Triumph 19-7 To Break Massillon’s String of 25 Victories

By LUTHER EMERY

Mel Knowlton was king of Alliance today and his Aviators were flying high.

Before an overflow crowd of 11,000 fans that expected to see anything happen, the Alliance high school gridders cut Massillon’s 25-game winning streak in Mount Union stadium Friday night by handing the Washington high Tigers a 19-7 defeat.

Two well placed bombs did it.

Program Cover

They were thrown by veteran Quarterback Bill Offenbecher to receivers Frank Kracher and Bob Reda, who made virtually impossible catches as they took the ball out of the arms of Massillon defenders and fell inside the five-yard line.
* * *
IT TOOK all the might Alliance could muster from there on to score. Four downs to make one yard for the first one, three downs plus a penalty to the one-yard line to get the second. But it was enough. The Tigers were licked. The third T.D. coming when it did, didn’t matter.

It was an uphill game for Alliance because Massillon scored first on a 69-yard run by Homer Floyd with only five minutes gone in the first period.

And big Bob Williams made the lead 7-0 by kicking the extra point squarely between the uprights.

Alliance struck back with its first scoring effort in the last two minutes of the quarter after Offenbecher had passed 39 yards to Kracher for a first down on the one. Speedy Tom Barnett barely got over on fourth down to end a valiant Massillon goal line stand. Don Slusser, of the Aviators had his try for extra point blocked by End Jim Houston of Massillon.

And there the scored stood at 7-6 until four minutes had expired of the fourth period. Then again Offenbecher pitched and this time Reda caught the ball on the five-yard
line – a 35-yard pass. The Tigers appeared to have the Aviators grounded until they got too eager and drew an offside penalty that gave Alliance a first down on the one-yard line, Barnett went around right end to score, and Slusser kicked the extra point to put his team in front 13-7.

The Tigers couldn’t get past midfield after that and yielded the ball to Alliance on downs on the Massillon 42. The Aviators went all the way this time with Joel Plummer crossing up the local team as he raced 25 yards on a double reverse to score Alliance’s third touchdown.
* * *
THAT WAS IT. There were only four minutes left and everyone knew as they were being ticked off that the Tigers didn’t have a chance to catch up.

The final gun was a signal for one happy man.

He said he was waiting for this one, thought his team played well and thought the turning point of the game came in the early minutes of the third period when Alliance covered a Massillon fumble when the Tigers ahead 7-6, were driving for a second touchdown on the 12-yard line.
* * *
THE MASSILLON dressing room was the quietest it has been since the evening at Warren in 1951 when the Panthers handed the Tigers their last defeat prior to last night. Since then Massillon teams had won 25 games in a row, three at the end of the 1951 season, 10 each in 1952 and 1953 and two this season.

Now Alliance has ended the streak and as Coach Tom Harp told his players, ‘We will have to start all over.”

Harp complimented Alliance for having a good football team and the two pass snatchers, Kracker and Reda, for their efforts. “We had both of them pretty well covered,” he said, “but they came out with the ball. We lost to a good team.”

The Tiger coach didn’t like the fumble call on Floyd when Alliance was given the pigskin on its own 12, thus ending a Massillon scoring threat which had it succeeded might have changed the outcome. He felt the ball was down and that it should not have been ruled a fumble.

It was one of a series of breaks that went against the Tigers last night. They lost the ball four times on fumbles, had a pass intercepted and were penalized a couple of times when it hurt most.

But that is football and is not intended to take anything away from Alliance.

After all, the Tigers had reached the 12-yard line by recovering an Alliance fumble, on the 21, the only one made by the Aviators all night.
* * *
THE GENERAL run of the game was similar to the Alliance victory of 1948 with the Massillon team spurting and sputtering and the Aviators gaining momentum and playing their hearts out when they saw victory in sight.

The defeat was Harp’s first as a Massillon coach and he should not feel too badly about it because a couple of Massillon’s greatest coaches also suffered their first losses to Alliance, Paul Brown in 1932 and Chuck Mather in 1948. After that they became masters of the Aviators and were never beaten by them again.

Save for letting Alliance get away with the two long passes, the Tigers played a pretty good defensive game. They kept the reputable Alliance ball carriers bottled up most of the time and on only a couple of occasions did the Aviators break loose. The Tigers yielded only 67 net yards on the ground but gave away 79 in passing to give Alliance 146-net yards gained. The locals did a little better, largely the result of Floyd’s 69-yard run. They gained 145 net yards on the ground and 14 passing for 159 net yards.

First downs were six to six.

Actually the Tigers threatened but twice, the time they scored and the time they recovered the Alliance fumble and got to the 12 before fumbling themselves. Otherwise they were bottled up for the most part in their own back yard.
* * *
MOST FANS wondered about a Massillon play in the second period when the ball flew high in the air as it was centered. The center thought Alliance offside and passed it to get a five-yard penalty, but the officials thought differently.

Then there was a little rhubarb at the end of the second half when Alliance uncorked a screen pass that took the ball deep into Massillon territory. Time expired as the play was in motion and Massillon was offside on the play. The officials ruled that Alliance could either take the gain of some 50 yards or the five-yard penalty.

However, if it took the gain, the half would be over, but if it took the penalty it would be able to run one more play. So it took the penalty. Knowlton protested that he should have been given another play from the point of the gain.

The local team came out of the game in fairly good condition. Quarterback Rich Crescenze had a pair of black eyes and was ill and there were the usual bruises and bumps. None, however, appeared serious.

The squad ate in Canton on the trip home. Appetites aren’t as big when you lose and the food not as good, the players learned.

Briefly, here is a quick resume of the game:
FIRST QUARTER
Massillon won the toss and received. After an exchange of punts the Tigers got the ball on their 26. Floyd gained five yards and on third down raced 69 yards around his right end to score. Bob Williams kicked the extra point.
Massillon 7, Alliance 8.
Massillon kicked off to Alliance and the Aviators came all the way from their 37, getting a first down on the Massillon 41 and then the Offenbecher to Kracker pass for 39 yards and a first down on the one. Three times the Aviators crashed the Tiger line but were thrown back. On fourth down Barnett got over by inches. Slusser missed the attempted placekick.
Massillon 7, Alliance 6

SECOND QUARTER
After a kickoff and exchange of punts Massillon got into Alliance territory but, with a yard needed for first down, lost the ball on a play mix-up and Alliance took over on its 44. The Aviators w ere forced to punt and Alliance intercepted a Crescenze pass on the Tigers’ 20. The locals stopped the threat and took over on the 11. Neither team threatened anymore in the period.
THIRD PERIOD
Alliance fumbled on the second play after the kickoff and Floyd covered on the 21. In three plays Floyd was on the Alliance 12 when the officials ruled he was not down as he fumbled and Alliance took over. Alliance made one first down before it punted, and the Tigers came back over the midfield stripe with the ball only to lose it on a fumble on the Alliance 44.
FOURTH QUARTER
Alliance gambled for two yards on fourth down and got it on the Massillon 44. Then came the Offenbecher to Reda pass that gained a first on the five. Plummer hit once for a yard, tried again and got another yard but Alliance was offside and penalized back to the nine. Plummer gained three. On the next play the Tigers were offside and Alliance was given the ball on the one. This time Barnett made it around right end. Slusser kicked the extra point and Alliance went to the front 13-7.

Eight minutes remained to be played. The Tigers brought the kickoff back to their 31 and Floyd got up to a first down on his 43. There the attack fizzled as a recovered fumble lost two yards. Boekel failed to gain, a pass was grounded and an attempt to carry on fourth down fell short. Alliance took over on the Massillon 42, worked it to the 25 and Plummer went the rest of the way on a double reverse. Slusser missed the try for point.
Alliance 19, Massillon 7
Massillon made one first down after the kickoff on a screen pass to Floyd that took the ball to the Tiger 38, but a pitch-out went wide and lost eight yards and the locals wound up punting to Alliance. The game ended after one play.

MASSILLON
ENDS – Canary, Lorch, Williams, Houston, Jones, Francisco.
TACKLES – R. Williams, Hill, Moore, Schumacher.
GUARDS – Holloway, R. Maier, Tracy, Fisher.
CENTERS – Spicer, Morrow, Roan.
QUARTERBACKS – Crescenze, James.
HALFBACKS – Fromholtz, Floyd, Stavroff, Brown, Duke, Stephens, Yoder.
FULLBACKS – Boekel, Archibald.

STATISTICS
Mass. All.
First downs 6 6
Passes attempted 7 6
Passes completed 1 3
Had passes intercepted 1 0
Yards gained passing 14 79
Yards gained rushing 162 83
Total yards gained 176 162
Yards lost 17 16
Net yards gained 159 146
Times punted 4 4
Average punt (yards) 40 32
Yards punts returned by 0 22
Times kicked off 2 4
Average kickoff (yards) 38 47
Yards kickoffs returned by 62 10
Lost ball on fumbles 4 1
Times penalized 4 5
Times fumbled 5 1
Yards penalized 30 35

Homer Floyd
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1948: Massillon 0, Alliance 14

Alliance Spoils Tigers’ Hopes For Undefeated Season
Inspired Aviators Beat Locals To Charge And Roll Up 14-0 Victory

By LUTHER EMERY

The Alliance Aviators are flying high today. After 15 consecutive defeats at the hands of Washington high school, the boys of Mel Knowlton were dining on Tiger meat, just as they said they would at the beginning of the week. And the fat of their 14-0 slaughter of the Massillon Bengal Friday evening should be enough to get them a high ranking in the Ohio scholastic football ratings next week.

It is an unhealthy place to be at the top of the football heap in mid-season. The Tigers were for for one week last year when knocked off. So was Chuck Mather’s Hamilton team, and the local boys lasted just one week again this year.

Program Cover

But you can’t lay the blame for last night’s defeat on a jinx. You must give credit where credit is due, and that’s to the Alliance football team that played a heads up, inspired game.

The Aviators, buoyed by a wave of football hysteria that had swept Alliance all week, entered the game with a determination to win last night’s contest, out charged the Tigers and got higher and better the longer the game progressed.

They scored their first touchdown the last minute of the first half after a penalty had set back a similar effort by the Tigers, and they scored a second in the third period. There was no beating them thereafter. The Tigers threw everything they had at them but ‘twas not enough and you could sense the tension increasing among the Alliance spectators as each second of the game brought victory nearer.

When the final gun was sounded the red and blue went delirious with joy. They had waited 16 years for this particular evening and it took a former Massillon man, Mel Knowlton, to present them with it. While members of the team were carrying Mel on their shoulders off the field, fans swarmed to the south goal posts which soon began to quiver, bend and come down.
* * *
A SMALL GROUP ran to the north end, but was driven off by the cops. The retreat was only a signal for another charge however, and this time it was the law that retreated. The goal posts came down with a thud, pen knives were produced, and splinters sold for five cents each.

Thus did Alliance make merry. The same spirit of joy prevailed in the team’s dressing room where fans rushed in to shake the hand of Coach Knowlton so hard, we wouldn’t be surprised if we heard it was wrapped in a cast today.

The scene in the Tiger dressing room was just the opposite. Where great joy has prevailed the past four weeks, the boys sat around in their dirty football clothes not caring to take them off. There were words of “forget it.” “Start all over next week”, but no one seemed to hear them.

Coach Mather made no attempt to discredit the Alliance victory. He could have moaned the three penalties that set his team back on three touchdown efforts, but he didn’t. “Alliance just gave us more leather,” he said. “They are a good football team.”
* * *
THERE’S NO doubt that Knowlton had his boys well charged. They were out to win and win they did despite the fact that the Tigers gained more net yards from scrimmage and made more first downs.

The locals couldn’t sustain their attacks long enough for touchdowns. They made four bids. Penalties forced them back on three and Alliance nearly threw them out of the ball park on the fourth. Alliance on the other hand threatened twice and scored both times.

Late in the first quarter the locals marched the ball to the Alliance 19-yard line where a five yard penalty for being in motion made it third down and nine instead of third and four. They lost the ball on downs. Again late in the first half they moved the leather from their own 24 to a first down on the Alliance 24, and were rolling right along when a 15-yard penalty for clipping sent them back to midfield. They gambled on fourth down with only two minutes to go, elected to pass and lost the ball on downs. Alliance took over and Jerry Thorpe swept his left end for a first down on the Tiger 40. A pass from John Borton to Dick Davidson advanced the leather to the 22, and Thorpe immediately swept his left end again for a touchdown.
* * *
ALLIANCE second touchdown came late in the third period after the Aviators got the ball through a punt on their own 43. Again it was Thorpe running hard, first for eight yards, then for 34 to put the leather on the Tiger 15. Another short toss, Borton to Davidson advanced the ball to the one-yard line from which point Borton bucked it over.

The Tigers threatened twice in the last period. Immediately after the Alliance kickoff, the locals through an eight-yard effort by Crable, seven yards by Clarence Johnson and a pass, Jack Hill, to Crable, gained a first down on the Alliance 20. Johnson smashed through for what would have been another first on the eight, but once more a 15-yard clipping penalty was slapped on the Tigers and they were forced to punt.

Their last bid started from their own 44. Two passes, one to Ben Roderick and a long one, Hill to Crable, produced a first down on the 12. This time Alliance had a good aroma of victory and tossed Hill for a 13-yard loss on a double reverse. Brown made eight yards and another pass near the goal line was grounded. Don Slicker made a great effort to dive for the falling ball but just touched it with his finger tips. Another attempt at the double reverse cost five more yards and the last scoring opportunity was snuffed out.

It was the Alliance defense that beat the Tigers. Local fans had expected the Aviators to score a couple of touchdowns but had likewise figured on the Tigers getting three or four, since offense has been the Massillon team’s strong point all season.

The Aviators’ defensive play revealed how thoroughly Coach Knowlton’s men have scouted the Tigers in recent weeks. A double reverse that has been fooling opponents this year never gained a yard. In fact most of the yards lost by the Tigers were the result of its use. A pitch-out to Clarence Johnson to get him in position for passing always found his receivers thoroughly covered. In fact the Aviators seemed to be set for almost every move made by the local team, and yet through some hard running by Al Brown and Clarence Johnson in particular, the locals were able to finish with more net yards gained than the Aviators.
* * *
THORPE’S running and Borton’s passing proved the undoing of the local team. Jerry ran right out of the arms of Massillon tacklers on several occasions, but for the most part had nothing to do but run on his left end sweeps as the Tiger defenders were sucked out of position. Chuck Reese played an outstanding defensive game for the winners.

The Tigers completely outplayed Alliance the first half, rolling up eight first downs to Alliance’s three and gaining 151 yards from scrimmage to Alliance’s 83 – but the Aviators had seven points for their efforts. The second half was the other way around with Alliance making six first downs to the Tigers’ three and 171 yards to the Tigers’ 99.

The Tigers lost the ball once on a fumble. Alliance recovered its only fumble. The locals were penalized 45 yards to 20 yards for Alliance.

Knowlton will be Mr. Football in Alliance this week as a result of the victory, his first in four games with Massillon teams. When Mel Knowlton quit an assistant coaching job in Washington high in the spring of 1941, he transferred to Steubenville where his green team was given a sound whipping by a more experienced Massillon eleven. Mel had but one team in Steubenville before the war came along and he got into the navy. While in the service he accepted the offer of a job in Alliance and produced his first there in 1946. The Tigers beat him that year and again in 1947 but both games were hard fought to the end and victories were not by a big margin.

Knowlton’s players were wired for action last night. They held their feet, and Tiger blockers found them hard to cut down, thereby making it difficult to free the ball carrier.

Both teams emerged from the contest none the worse for their efforts. A few players on both sides were touched up with bruises but none was considered of a serious nature.

Happiest guy on the Tiger team, and he wasn’t smiling because of defeat, was Dick Jacobs, veteran halfback, who saw action for the first time this season. Dick, who has been laid up with a back injury got in to punt and did a fine job of it, averaging 30 yards for his efforts which included a little 18-yarder, the net gain of a kick over the goal line.

Sad But True

MASSILLON
ENDS – RODERICK, HOUSTON, Slicker.
TACKLES – KRISHER, TAKACS, Jones, Schumacher.
GUARDS – MORROW, REICHENBACH, Paul.
CENTER – McVEY.
QUARTERBACK – HILL, James.
HALFBACKS – CRABLE, JOHNSON, Jacobs, Crone, Roderick, Shine.
FULLBACK – BROWN, Lane.

ALLIANCE
ENDS – DAVIDSON, N. FOGOROS, D. Campbell, Kintz.
TACKLES – SCHLOSSER, OWENS, Young, Proffitt, Jack.
GUARDS – REESE, G. NICHOLSON, L. Nicholson.
CENTER – ADDISON.
QUARTERBACK – BORTON.
HALFBACKS – FUDOLI, SHELLS, Gray, Reynolds, Swinnerton.
FULLBACK – THORPE, Carroll.

Score by periods:
Alliance 0 7 7 0 14

Touchdowns: Alliance – Thorpe, Borton.

Points after touchdown: Alliance – Campbell 2 (placements).

Referee – C.W. Rupp.
Umpire – Earl Gross.
Head Linesman – Clayton Schlemmer.
Field Judge – John Russ.
Sideline Judge – Sim Earich.

Standings
Mass. Alliance
First downs 11 9
Passes attempted 10 7
Passes completed 2 3
Had passes intercepted 1 1
Yards gained passing 60 43
Yards gained rushing 190 311
Total yards gained 250 254
Yards lost 25 37
Net yards gained 225 217
Times punted 5 6
Average punt (yards) 30 28
Returned opponents punts (yards) 7 27
Times kicked off 1 3
Average kickoff (yards) 53 31
Returned opponents kickoffs 35 15
Times penalized 5 2
Yards penalized 45 20
Fumbles 3 1
Lost ball on fumble 1 0

Jack Hill