Tag: <span>Mike Mauger</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1970: Massillon 22, Warren Harding 0

Franklin, Cardinal sparkle vs. Warren
Tigers grind out 22-0 win in mud

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Washington high assistant Coach Nick Vrotsos called the shot perfectly Friday night.

“We’ll just have to get in there and grind it out,” he said in the dressing room before the game.
* * *
THAT’S JUST WHAT the state’s top-ranked Tigers did before an estimated 12,000 rain soaked fans at Mollenkopf stadium in Warren as they grabbed their eighth win of the season, 22-0 over the Harding Black Panthers.

It was the Orangemen’s fourth consecutive shutout and broke the “Mollenkopf jinx” – the Tigers hadn’t won there since 1964 and 10 of their 12 losses to Harding high comes there.

The undefeated Tigers handed Warren its fourth loss in as many league games. They maintained their first-place hold in the All-American conference.

With the Warren defense geared to stop the league’s leading scorer and rusher, senior tailback Mike Mauger, senior quarterback Dennis Franklin and senior fullback Tom Cardinal cut loose.

Franklin scored all three touchdowns, one conversion and passed for another as “The Menace” had his finest hour as a Tiger.
Cardinal, “Old Reliable,” picked up a lot of crucial yardage.
“It was a good one to get under the conditions,” WHS head Coach Bob Commings said, “but the big thing was that the kids were great – so concentrated. They didn’t make an error, didn’t break down on offense or defense in this weather. The assistant coaches did a heckuva job, not only in preparing us for the game, but also in making calls from the pressbox.”

Commings gave Warren Coach Tom Batta a great deal of praise for the manner in which he had prepared his team.

“We felt we had to place people to stop Mauger in order to win,” Batta said. “We thought if we could force Cardinal to run, we would be able to stop them, but all the backs gained about equal yardage. We did hold Mauger scoreless.”
* * *
BUT TIGER BACKS, behind excellent blocking again from the “Iron Curtain,” rolled up 220 yards while the “Attack Pack” held Warren to 29 and none in the air although the Panthers completed four of nine.

As Co-Captain Steve Luke remarked, “It was our will to succeed which brought us through again.”

The first quarter was scoreless although the Tigers’ first scoring drive started with 7:02 left. After a quick kick the WHSers went 73 yards on 16 plays with Cardinal carrying seven times. Twelve and 15-yard runs by Mauger and a 12-yarder by Franklin helped set up the score.

Franklin sneaked in from one-half yard out on fourth down with one second gone in the second quarter. In attempting to run the bootleg for the conversion, Franklin slipped.

“We thought the quick kick would put them deep in their territory and that we could hold and get good field position,” Batta explained. “We put on a good goal line stand and made them fight for it, though.”

Warren had quick-kicked in one other game – against Steubenville.

One series after the kickoff, Massillon picked up a poor punt on the Warren 32-yard line and scored in five plays, Cardinal’s 19-yarder was a key. Franklin sneaked from the
one-yard line on first down and bootlegged the conversion with 6:59 on the clock.
* * *
MASSILLON HAD the ball in Warren territory on two other occasions, but illegal use of the hands and clipping calls were spoilers.

Neither team got out of its own territory in the third period, but Warren managed its first of three first downs.

The “Attack Pack” held on a short fourth down pass to give the Tigers a start on their last TD drive in the fourth quarter. It covered 61 yards in 10 plays with an 11-yard
Franklin-to-Larry Harper aerial and 21 and 12-yard scampers by Mauger and Franklin as keys.

Franklin sneaked from the one-half-yard line with 4:46 left and then hit Harper, a senior wingback, just inside the end line for the conversion.

Late in the period Warren sprung senior tailback Anthony Brown to the Tigers’ 35 and quarterback Harold Fails hit end Ed Vogel on the Massillon 20, but illegal use of the hands and offside penalties nullified the Panthers’ efforts.

After the Tigers had lost the ball on downs on their 18 (Franklin fell on the ball instead of risking a punt), junior cornerback Art Thompson of Massillon ran back an interception 48 yards to end the game.

THE GRIDSTICK
M W
First downs – rushing 17 2
First downs – passing 2 0
First downs – penalties 0 1
Total first downs 19 3
Yards gained rushing 230 49
Yards lost rushing 10 20
Net yards gained rushing 230 29
Net yards gained passing 32 0
Total yards gained 252 29
Passes completed 2-5 4-9
Passes intercepted by 1 1
Yardage on passes intercepted 52 0
Kickoff average yards 4-45.0 1-45.0
Kickoff returns yards 18 53
Punt average, yards 3-36.0 6-41.3
Punt returns, yards 1 6
Lost fumbled ball 0-2 0
Yards penalized 5-61 5-35
TDs – rushing 3 0
TDs – passing 0 0
TDs by interception 0 0
Total plays 62 40

Steve Luke
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1970: Massillon 40, Steubenville 0

Tigers’ awesome display routs Big Red

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Two “Big Red Machines” have screeched to halts this week. The Baltimore Orioles took care of one, the Massillon Tigers, the other.

Combining their most awesome offensive display with another devastating effort by the “Attack Pack,” the Washington high gridders pulverized Steubenville 40-0 Friday night at Tiger stadium. The season’s biggest crowd, 13,861, watched the home coming massacre.
* * *
THE TIGERS, No. 1-ranked in Ohio by the Associated Press, stretched their win streak to six and took over first place in the All-American conference by one-half game. Defending champion Canton McKinley (5-0) can throw the race into a tie again with a win tonight at Niles.

Steubenville (3-3) dropped into solo occupancy of the cellar.

The Tigers got over another big hurdle in their effort to regain the Ohio toga, shed after two straight titles, in 1966. But that the Orangemen should run up as many points was surprising.

Even though Steubenville lost the AAC’s second leading passer, Jeff Spahn, with concussion in the second quarter and two-way outstanding end Les Washington via the same type of injury in the fourth, Coach Abe Bryan refused to put the blame there.

“We were outplayed, out hit and out coached,” he said, “Massillon is a fine team,
well-coached in its techniques, has a lot of spirit and a lot of pride.”
* * *
“WE DIDN’T think it would be that bad,” he said. “I knew we were making mistakes, but I didn’t think we were that poor.”

Commings didn’t think it was any easy game for the Tigers.

“Our kids did what they were supposed to – took it to them,” he explained. “They were well prepared for us and defensed us perfectly. However, our kids blocked well. We didn’t expect to score 40 points. It was a pretty complete game (good in all aspects).”

The Tigers got tremendous second-effort running from tailback Mike Mauger and Larry McLenndon, fullback and Co-Captain Tom Cardinal and quarterback Dennis Franklin. Commings was unstinting in his praise of each.

Franklin has his best aerial effort with seven completions in 10 tries for 156 yards, passing for two touchdowns and a conversion. He also scored a conversion.
* * *
MAUGER DELIVERED the mail twice to the Big Red end zone. Both are gaining impetus in their drive for All-Ohio honors.

The “Iron Curtain” provided spacious running room again, firing off the ball with devastating results. A couple of the “Magnificent Seven,” two-way tackles Kirk Strobel and Tim Ridgley, got ratings of “great” from Commings.

Guards Pete Jaskinski and Dave Kulik continued to spearhead the pulling and trap blocking. It appears the entire line is vying for All-Ohio honors.

“The secondary was all over their receivers like glue,” Commings said, “but when you play that good, it’s got to be a team effort.”

The Tigers had 273-20 net yards rushing and 17-0 first downs advantages after the first half. Mauger had gained 102 of his 108 yards and carried the ball 17 of his 19 times. He got a rest most of the second half because he’s been playing on a gimpy ankle since the Niles game and didn’t practice much this week.
* * *
FINAL READINGS showed Massillon ahead 416-75 in net yards gained and 26-5 in first downs. Steubenville got into Tiger territory once – shortly after getting their initial first down with 10:29 left in the third quarter. The “Attack Pack” then stopped the Steubens on the Massillon 47 on fourth down by a gnat’s eyelash.

Larry Harper got the Tigers off and winging with a 24-yard runback of the opening kickoff and just missed a six-pointer on a first play bomb. Seven plays and one face mask call later, Franklin hit tight end and Co-captain Steve Luke on the one with a third down,
36-yarder and Luke carried in, while juggling the ball, with 9:47 left. Split end Willie Spencer couldn’t hold Franklin’s conversion pass.

A Big Red series later, the WHSers took off on a 16-plan trek with Mauger barreling off tackle from the two on second down with 1:05 left. This time Franklin and Spencer found the right combination for two points.

The Tigers put together an eight-play drive after the next Steuben series. But the penetration went only as far as the Steuber 24.

Two plays later, Ridgley jumped off Jeff Spahn’s bobble to give the Massillon’s possession on the River City 37. Mauger carried on five of the next eight plays as the scoreboard lights blinked some more.
* * *
“THE MAILMAN” picked up 16 yards in the last four plays himself, blasting over from the one on third down with 2:49 left in the second canto. Franklin bootlegged the extra two points.

After the next Steuber series, on third down from the Tiger 42, Franklin hit Harper on the 10. “The Scooter” carried the rest of the way to stop the clock at 0:52. McLenndon ran the end for the conversion, but the Orangemen were called for clipping. Franklin tried to find Harper, but “The Meance’s” pass fell incomplete in the end zone.

Harper got off a nifty 52-yard TD jaunt early in the third period only to have a holding penalty kill his effort. Later in the stanza, Bill Luke picked off a fourth-down, punt formation pass from the 50, ran back 20 yards to the Big Red 44 and another TD was in the making.

Eight plays, a 17-yard pass-run from Franklin to Spencer and a piling penalty later, the WHS team had its fifth TD, coming back from an illegal use of the hands penalty en route. Cardinal got his first counter of the season on a trap through the middle on third down from the five with 10:20 remaining in the game. Mauger’s kick went under the crossbar.

Two series after, Art Thompson scampered 25 yards with a punt to start a 36-yard,
eight-play jaunt. McLenndon ended the scoring from nine yards out off tackle with 1:34 left. Tim Willoughby was brought down short of the conversion.

Shortly thereafter, Thompson ran an interception back 27-yards to the Steuber 33, but the Tigers roughed the passer. He ran another back 17 yards to the Massillon 43 to end the game.

STEUBENVILLE –0
Ends – Washington, McCaluslen, Simon, Chorba.
Tackles – Moncilovich, Stasiulewicz, Bougard.
Guards – Hargrove, DiBacco, Bauman, Stefanidis, DeFrancis.
Centers – Cohen, Christian, Hindman.
Quarterbacks – Spahn, Mavromatis.
Halfbacks – Brown, Davis, Young, Johnson, Dryden, King.
Fullbacks – Grey, Cara, Livingston.

MASSILLON – 40
Ends – S. Luke, Spencer, Stephan, McGuire, Clary.
Tackles – Ridgley, Strobel, Janikis.
Guards – Kulik, Jasinski, Sims, Marsh, Groff, J. Nussbaumer.
Centers – Studer, Gaddis.
Quarterbacks – Franklin, Dingler.
Halfbacks – Harper, Sullivan, Pattinson, B. Luke, Wonsick, Mauger, H. Nussbaumer, McLenndon, Thompson.
Fullbacks – Cardinal, Perry, Willoughby, Fletcher.

MASSILLON 14 14 0 12 40
STEUBENVILLE 0 0 0 0 0

SCORING
M – S. Luke, 37 pass-run from Franklin (pass failed);
M – Mauger, 2 run (Spencer, pass from Franklin);
M – Mauger 1, run (Franklin run);
M – Harper, 58 pass-run from Franklin (run nullified by penalty, pass failed);
M – Cardinal, 5 run (kick failed); McLenndon, 9 run (run failed).

THE GRIDSTICK
M S
First downs – rushing 20 3
First downs – passing 5 1
First downs – penalties 1 1
Total first downs 26 5
Yards gained rushing 292 74
Yards lost rushing 32 6
Net yards gained rushing 260 68
Net yards gained passing 156 19
Total yards gained 416 75
Passes completed 7-10 3-11
Yardage on passes intercepted 2-44 0
Kickoff average (yards) 7-46.9 1-48
Kickoff returns (yards) 22 125
Punt average (yards) 0 4-28.7
Lost fumbled ball 1-1 1-3
Yards penalized 5-75 3-35
Touchdowns – rushing 4 0
Touchdowns – passing 2 0
Total number of plays 67 43

OFFICIALS
Referee – Milo Lukity.
Umpire – Dr. Larry Glass.
Head Linesman – Tom Ascani.
Field Judge – Ed Steinkerchner.
Back Judge – Dr. Henley Freeman.

ATTENDANCE – 13,861.

Steve Luke
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1970: Massillon 36, Alliance 12

Tigers Down tenacious Alliance 36-12

By CHUCK HESS, JR.
Independent Sports Editor

Massillon’s No. 1 ranked Tigers Friday night won a game where it’s often most important – in the trenches.

Behind superb blocking again by “The Iron Curtain,” Washington high backs ran with authority, picking up 366 net yards on the ground, as the Tigers (3-0) beat Alliance (1-2) 36-12 at muggy Hartshorn stadium in the Carnation City before an estimated 10,000.
* * *
WHILE SENIOR tailback “Mailman Mike” Mauger did the largest share of the work, scoring four touchdowns and picking up 188 net yards in 22 attempts, senior fullback and co-captain Tom Cardinal and juniors Don Perry (fullback) and Larry McLenndon (tailback) also picked up a lot of yardage.

Particularly effective were off tackle plays – both from handoffs and pitchouts.

Program Cover

But while passing out orchids for the Tigers’ effort which put them into a three-way tie for the All-American conference head, it must also be pointed out that those “colossal mistakes, as Coach Bob Commings terms them, cropped up again, costing the Orange and Black two TDs and opening the door for one of Alliance’s six-pointers.

On the other side of the ledger, the Aviators played their usual tenacious game, never giving up, although taking a physical beating from the heavier WHSers. Alliance made Massillon fight for every inch of ground gained.

First year Aviator Coach Gene Nara also got some fine running – from senior fullback Lloyd Gray and 145-pound sophomore tailback Dan Contrucci.
* * *
“IT WAS a hard-hitting game, typical of the All-American conference,” said Nara, former Tiger aide. “I’m not ashamed of them. Other coaches can put their head down. I’m going to bring this team back. I knew what I was getting into when I came here. I knew there wasn’t much back.”

He added, “They wiped us out off tackle on the pitches.”

Commings was pleased with the game, saying, “It was good for us. We matured. Alliance was real spirited. Our kids had to go the route. We pressed ourselves and we learned a valuable lesson. You must also be poised. We weren’t in the first half. We all seemed to be tight, including the coaches. I thought we loosened up in the second half.”

A second period fight robbed both teams of key personal. The Tigers’ Cardinal and Aviator middle guard Jim Hancock were ejected. Fortunately, Perry filled in well at fullback for “The Red Bird” and senior John Nussbaumer, at linebacker.

But Nara had centered a special new defense around Hancock, whom he termed his best and quickest man and had no one else to fill the gap.
* * *
THE TIGERS started out as if to score right after the opening kickoff, but Cliff Jones picked up Mauger’s fumble on the Massillon 46. The Aviators lost the ball on downs on the Massillon forhty-yard line as “The Attack Pack” held. Jones’ field goal attempt was wide right.

Then came an 80-yard, 11-0lay Massillon scoring jaunt, featuring the running of Cardinal and Mauger. A 16-yard screen pass scamper by the former and a 30-yard, pass-run from quarterback Denny Franklin to the latter, with the run 21 yards, were the highlights.

Mauger’s touchdown came off right tackle on first down from the one with the clock malfunctioning. Franklin’s pass to split end Willie Spencer misfired on the conversion try.

Early in the second period, John Sims stole a Gray fumble on the Massillon 30. However, Franklin later fumbled on the Aviator six, recovering the ball, but losing to the 15 and missing the score.

Mauger’s 11-yard punt return started WHS on the way to a five-play, 51-yard TD drive, aided by a 13-yard romp by Franklin and capped by Mauger’s 17-yard, first down run around left end after the tackle hole had closed. Franklin converted on a bootleg run to the right.
* * *
EARLY IN the third quarter, the Tigers scored on a 55-yard, five-play drive, featuring a 14-yard, pass-run from Franklin to wingback Bernard Sullivan, “Sullie” running for four and Mauger’s 49-yarder on a pitch right. Tim Ridgley threw a key block and Mauger carried Jones into the end zone with 8:27 left. Franklin converted on a keeper to the right.

Alliance got into the scoring column when the Tigers failed to contain punter Chuck Larsuel after a bad snap from the Alliance 15. On first down from the 20, Gray got a pitch to the left, cut back to the right and was away for the score. Willie Spencer threw quarterback Randy Hunt on the conversion try.

Late in the quarter, Perry’s 22-yard trek aided a drive, following a punt, which put the ball on the Alliance 10 on first down. Mauger fumbled on the one on the next play, the ball rolled into the end zone and was finally collared by Alliance’s Jim Brocklehurst near the end line.

After a fourth quarter punt, Massillon marched 56 yards in nine plays to pay dirt, aided by a personal foul penalty as the Orangemen had been on their second TD drive Mauger rammed off right tackle on first down from the four with 5:41 left. Franklin hit Spencer in the left end zone corner for the conversion.

Alliance got possession on its 40 when Mauger’s kickoff traveled out of bounds and Contrucci proceeded to reel off two runs of 12 yards each, caught a 14-yard pass from Bill Anderson, subbing for the injured Randy Hunt and then ran over center and back right on second down from the 22 for six points with 4:33 left. A conversion pass fell incomplete.
* * *
THE TIGERS finished the scoring after Ridgley had fallen on an onside kick at his 48. Six plays later, Franklin hit Spencer from 10 yards out off a bootleg with 1:57 remaining.

“Dennis the Menace’s” conversion pass to Co-Captain and tight end Steve Luke was incomplete.

The drive featured McLenndon’s 16-yard scamper, some hard running by Perry and Franklin’s 20-yard forced run.

MASSILLON – 36
Ends – S. Luke, Stephan, McGuire, Spencer.
Tackles – Strobel, Ridgley, Weirich.
Guards – Kulik, Jasinski, Sims, Nussbaumer, Graber, Groff.
Center – Studer, Chovan, Gaddis.
Quarterbacks – Franklin, Dingler, Schultz.
Halfbacks – Mauger, Sullivan, McLenndon, Thompson, Wonsick, Weise, B. Luke.
Fullbacks – Cardinal, Perry.

ALLIANCE – 12
Ends – Paina, Danesi, Lightner, Brockett, Cameron.
Tackles – Randy Kuceyeski, Ron Kuceyeski, Addams.
Guards – Andreani, Messenheimer, Lugenbuhl, Penturf.
Centers –Jones, Mergenthaler, Dwyer.
Quarterbacks – Hunt, Anderson, Davis, Haidet.
Halfbacks – Larsuel, Sloane, Snodgrass, Contrucci, Brocklehurst, May, Lloyd.
Fullbacks – Beckwith, LeNave, Hancock.

MASSILLON 6 8 8 14 36
ALLIANCE 0 0 6 6 12

SCORING
M – Mauger, one-yard run (pass failed);
M—Mauger, 17-yard run (Franklin run);
M – Mauger, 49-yard run (Franklin run);
A – Gray, 80-yard run failed);
M – Mauger, four-yard run (Spencer, pass from Franklin);
A – Construcci, 22-yard run (pass failed);
M – Spencer, 10-yard pass from Franklin (pass failed).

OFFICIALS
Referee – Nick Frascella.
Umpire – John Dalrymple.
Head Linesman – Len Batcha.
Field Judge – Hal Schumacher.

ATTENDANCE – 10,000

Mauger tops AAC,
county in scoring

Massillon Washington high’s Mike Mauger continues to set the pace in Stark county and All-American conference scoring derbies.

He also is the highly-touted AAC’s No. 1 rusher, cleating 505 yards for 12.6 per lug mark.
* * *
MAUGER HOLDS lofty leads in AAC rushing and scoring and has a 21-point margin over Minerva’s Jess Lowry in a bid to unseat Hartville-Lake’s Brian Bowers as Stark county’s premiere score of 1970.

Mauger’s nearest rival in AAC scoring is Artis Zachary of arch foe Canton McKinnley with 30 points. Alliance’s Lloyd Gray is nearest to Mauger in AAC rushing with 279 yards and a 4.7 per try.

Massillon’s game Saturday will send the AAC’s top passer (Tiger Denny Franklin) against the No. 2 passer (Niles’ Alan Ciminero).

Franklin has hit 12 of 29 tries for 289 yards, five TDs; Ciminero shows 13-for-28 and 265 yards. He also has tossed for five six-pointers, but has had three of his aerials picked off, while but two of Franklin’s attempts have been pilfered.

Tiger Bernard Sullivan ranks second in AAC receiving with five grabs for 112 yards and three TDs. Niles’ Jim Stringer is the No. 1 receiver, snaring four of Ciminero’s aerials for 119 yards and three TDs.

Canton South’s Dave Pellegrini is Stark county’s No. 3 scorer after three games with 44 points – four less than Lowry and four more than Bowers.
AAC SCORING
Mike Mauger, Massillon 69; Artis Zachary, Canton McKinley, 30; Alex DiMarziio, Canton McKinley, 28; Jim Stringer, Niles McKinley, 26; Bernard Sullivan, Massillon, 18; Anthony Brown, Warren G. Harding, 14; Dean Young of Steubenville; Dennis Franklin of Massillon; Lloyd Gray of Alliance and Mike Cara of Steubenville, 12 each.
AAC RUSHING
Mauger, 505 yards, 12.6; Gray, 279 yard, 4.7; Arnold Johnson, Steubenville, 232 yards, 5.7; Zachard, 188 yards, 4.6; Brown, 178 yards, 6.3; Stringer, 159 yards, 5.5; Eric Kirksey, Warren G. Harding, 129 yards, 6.1; Cara, 111 yards, 3.9; DiMarzioi, 109.

Steve Luke