1932: Massillon 6, Alliance 30

RECORD CROWD OF 10,000 SEES ALLIANCE DEFEAT WASHINGTON HIGH 30-6
VICTORS DISPLAY TOO MUCH MAN POWER FOR LIGHT TIGER ELEVEN

By LUTHER EMERY

AS brilliant as the stars overhead, Alliance’s vaunted running attack swept aside a light but scrappy Massillon line in Mount Union stadium Friday evening to pile up a 30-6 victory before the largest crowd ever to witness a football game in that city.

A cloudless sky and a snap in the air, added zest to a perfect setting for the midseason football climax. All roads led to Alliance last night and spectators not only witnessed a grid game but got a taste of football themselves as they rammed the line in a rush through the gates to gain admittance to the field where 10,000 fans gathered to see the amazing red and blue sweep on to the Stark county championship and leadership in the Northeastern Ohio Big Ten race.

Tigers Hold Until Late In Half
Subjecting the Massillon line to a continual hammering the big and powerful Alliance team threatened in the first quarter but the scrappy Tigers yielded ground only after a hard battle and succeeded in staving off a score through sheer grit, intercepted passes, a recovered fumble and a 25-yard penalty slapped on the Alliance team.

After the first quarter exhibition, few in the Massillon stands doubted that the Tigers would be able to stand up under the Alliance battery and as expected the big red clicked late in the second period and crashed through for a score, its only one of the half, though it made 15 first downs to Massillon’s one.

Then came the third period, disastrous and again encouraging for Massillon. Two fumbles, early in the quarter, gave the Aviators two chances for touchdowns and they made the most of their opportunities, Russell going over both times which added to Stump’s second period score brought the total number of points to 18 for Alliance.

Tigers Score
Then it was that the Tigers were given an opportunity to uncork the weapon which they had brought to Alliance, and which they had hoped would bring them victory – the forward pass, and they bombarded the Aviators with such skill that for a moment the entire Alliance team was up in the air, Massillon fans were on their feet, one touchdown was scored and another might have been save for what Tiger fans charge was an error on the part of the officials.

Alliance covered up after Knowlton had flipped the ball to Brunker for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter and from then on the Aviators had the best of it, an intercepted pass and the loss of the ball on downs giving the Aviators two more scoring opportunities in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, Russell going over for his third touchdown and Stump counting a second time.

There’s no denying Alliance has the better football team, as 23 first downs to nine attest, but the game was far more thrilling to the 10,000 spectators than 99 out of 100 encounters would be with a 30-6 score.

Alliance was for Alliance, Massillon’s 2,000 were 2,000 to the man for Massillon, but Alliance couldn’t restrain itself from offering a few cheers for the courage of the light Massillon team and its brilliant passing attack that opened up the game and time and again brought the cheering mob to its feet as an orange shirted youngster emerged from a huddle of red shirts and pulled the ball out of the air with amazing skill. It is not often a team will complete four passes in a row, or make a sustained drive for a touchdown with nothing but a forward pass as a weapon. Likewise fans seldom have the opportunity of seeing an eleven gain 165 yards from scrimmage through use of the forward pass. In other words the game was an unusual one, surprisingly fast and exceedingly interesting in spite of the one-sided score.

Up Against Good Big Team
A good little team can frequently defeat a slow big team but a good little team can hardly be expected to smite down a good big team. This in short sums up the reasons for the Tigers’ defeat last night. No alibis’ to offer, simply out-powered and outplayed, by a heavier team that played little more than straight football and supported the runner with brilliant interference.

Massillon, on the other hand found its running attack stopped completely by Alliance. The Tigers had hoped to run the ends ragged but this soon loomed impractical, for little 130 pounders like Brunker find themselves unable to take big 200 pounders like Pugh and Anderson out of the play and when ends can’t get the tackles, offensives on the flanks cannot be expected to gain ground. Then too, Alliance’s wingmen, Johnson and Karleski, were on the job, turning every side sweep into the tackles who could not be taken out by the light Massillon wingmen.

The Tigers gained but little ground from scrimmage, while Alliance picked up practically all of its yards on a straight running attack.

Tigers Heavily Outweighed
Advance weights received from Alliance indicated that the Aviators out-weighed the Tigers 16 pounds to the man, but Coach George Wilcoxon, tutor of the Alliance team was himself responsible for the statement after the game that his team had a 30-pound advantage. Russell, listed at 175, actually is 15 pounds heavier. Willie Pugh tips the beams well above 208 pounds, his listed weight. Compare Russell’s 190 pounds with Willie Hutsell’s 121 pounds or Knowlton, Shrake and Hebe, 135 pounders and you have some idea of mountainous task before the Massillon team last night.

Massillon fans, as a rule, are first to criticize their team but all criticisms last night and today favor the Tigers. Spectators are convinced that the orange shirted boys gave everything they had and put up a great game in face of the overwhelming odds against them.

Alliance unleashed its first attack late in the opening periods when Bergwall intercepted Knowlton’s pass on his own 30-yard line. Through a straight running attack, the Aviators’ carried the ball to the 10-yard line where Heben intercepted Russell’s pass and carried back to the 25-yard line before being tackled. Again the Aviators took the ball in midfield on Knowlton’s punt and carried to the five-yard line but were set back 30 yards on a
25-yard and five-yard penalty. Getting the ball on their own 35, the red and blue struck back a third time carrying back to the four-yard line where Farmer’s fumble was recovered by a Massillon linesman. Knowlton punted back to the 25-yard line and there followed the first sustained march for a touchdown.

Alliance Scores
Bergwall gained six yards and Russell snapped a pass to Johnson for a first down on the 10-yard line. Russell picked up three yards and Stump sallied through the remaining seven for the score. Pugh had two chances to placekick the extra point when Massillon was offside, but missed the uprights both times. The half ended a few minutes later with the score 6-0 in favor of Alliance.

Two breaks in the third period paved the way for a pair of Alliance touchdowns. Heben received the kickoff and carried back to the 30-yard line where he was stopped by Johnson. On the next play, Karleski covered a fumble on the locals 20-yard stripe. Farmer and Russell got four yards in two attempts. Stump wiggled through a first down and Russell came right back to smash through to the two-yard line and score on the next play. Pugh’s kick was again wide of the posts.

Again the Tigers received, Knowlton fumbling the kickoff on the 35-yard line and Hudson recovering for Alliance, Stump gained a yard and Russell three yards in two attempts. A five-yard penalty advanced the ball enabling Alliance to drive through on the next scrimmage for a first down on the 20-yard line. Farmer made two yards and Stump six more through right tackle. Farmer hit the same spot for a first down on the 10-yard line. Russell went over for a touchdown in two plays. Stump tried to kick the extra point but it was wide.

Aerial Circus Staged
This set the stage for the aerial circus, Knowlton returned the kickoff to his 30-yard line. Heben lost three yards but Knowlton stepped back and passed to Lohr for a first down on the Alliance 45-yard line. A second pass to Schrake gained a first down on the 23-yard stripe but an official called holding on the play and the Tigers were penalized 15 yards. The ball for some reason known only to the officials was brought back five yards and Alliance was penalized another five yards for being offside on an incompleted pass. Two passes, Knowlton to Lohr and Knowlton to Brunker brought a first down on the 12-yard line. Alliance took time out. Here the Tigers resorted to a bit of strategy they had been planning for weeks but it failed.

Knowlton attempted a short underhand pass through t he line of scrimmage to Schrake. Schrake got the ball in his hands but muffed it and an Alliance man pounced on the pigskin. The officials erroneously, it seems, ruled the pass a lateral though it was a straight shot through the line of scrimmage. A lateral is a free ball and consequently the ruling gave Alliance the ball and ended a serious Massillon threat.

That did not discourage the Tigers, however, and they continued to fling passes every time they gained possession of the ball. Russell finally punted out on the 10-yard line and Knowlton uncorked a pass to Lohr for a first down on the 30-yard line just as the quarter ended. On the first play of the second period, a 25-yard peg to Schrake gained a first down on the Alliance 45 stripe. Knowlton had a pass grounded but on the next attempt he shot the ball to Lohr who took it from out of a huddle of players for a first down on the Alliance 20-yard line. Finding all players covered, Knowlton ran the ball back and gained a yard, but on the next play worked a pretty fake and shot the pigskin to Schrake for another advance of eight yards. A second pass was grounded but a long heave to Brunker, who crossed over from his right end to the left side of the field, gained a touchdown. Krier was rushed in to placekick, but booted low and wide of the posts.

Alliance Scores Again
Alliance offered a better defense to the aerial bombardment thereafter. Alliance received, but a 15-yard penalty forced the Aviators to punt the ball to Heben, who was stopped on its own 40. On the next play Karleski intercepted Knowlton’s pass and Bergwall plunged through for a first down on the Massillon 25-yard line. Stump picked up nine yards at left end and Russell made it first down on the 10-yard line. Stump whaled center for four yards and Russell in two attempts went over for the touchdown. His attempted pass for the extra point was knocked down.

Possibly confused on downs, Dietz, substitute quarterback, called for a running play on a fourth down with seven yards to go and Alliance took the ball on Massillon’s 46-yard line. Stump got loose and ran back to the 25-yard line and before being tackled. Russell made three yards and Alliance was set back five for being offside, but Bergwall found a hole for eight yards and a pass, Russell to Johnson, gained a first down on the five-yard line. Stump went over from this point. For the fifth time, Stump’s attempted placekick was low and wide and the score remained at 30-6 the rest of the way.

Line up and summary:
Massillon Pos. Alliance
Lohr le Johnson
Birkish lt Pugh
Krier lg Monti
Hoyman c Hudson
Schimke rg Andreanni
Jones rt Anderson
Brunker re Karleski
Knowlton qb Stump
Schrake lh Farmer
Heben rh Bergwall
Amic fb Russell

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 0 0 6 6
Alliance 0 6 12 12 30

Substitutions:
Massillon – Bray, lt; Brinker, le; Snavely, lg; Williams, fb; Hutsell, rh; Dietz, qb; Mansbury, lh; Swihart, e; Ripple,c.

Touchdowns:
Alliance – Russell 3; Stump 2.
Massillon – Brunker.

Referee – Mackay (Mount Union).
Umpire – Wagner (Mount Union).
Head Linesman – Gross (New Philadelphia).

1928: Massillon 13, Alliance 0

HIGH GRIDDERS BEAT ALLIANCE 13 TO 0 TO WIN FIRST GAME OF COUNTY SERIES

WHIRLWIND OFFENSE IN OPENING MINUTES DEFEATS OLD RIVAL

Believing that the early bird catches the worm, Coach Elmer McGrew, of Washington High, unleashed his tigers in the Mount Union stadium Saturday afternoon with strict orders to cross the goal line of the Red and Blue of Alliance at the earliest opportunity.

And they did just that thing and thereby won their first game of the Stark county series by beating Alliance 13 to 0. Just how obedient those boys wearing the orange and black were can be seen from the fact that they took the kickoff and marched 70 yards down the field for a touchdown.

That was the first score, and the six points looked bigger and bigger to Alliance fans as the game progressed, and smaller and smaller to Massillon fans when the red and blue began an offensive in the last period that threatened the local team’s goal.

In fact Alliance threw such a scare into the hearts of the youthful tigers in the last 10 minutes of play that they went out and produced another touchdown in order to make their score secure. However the same touchdown would not have been necessary to insure victory, because the final gun cracked while Schnierle was racing toward the red and blue’s goal line, and the last seven points were of no good other than making the local team’s score look more impressive.

The game was a splendid one from start to finish. It proved quite emphatically that McGrew’s gridders found themselves in the fracas with Wooster a week ago, and provided enough thrills to satisfy the 3,000 lovers of football, who filled the stands.

One thrill came when George Hess stepped away for a 30-yard run on the third play of the game. Another came when John Kester got off a beautiful punt that went 60 yards against the wind, and still another resulted when Keefe, flashy Alliance quarter, dashed away for a long gain after taking a lateral pass. But the best apples grow on the end of the limb, and so the most spectacular and unusual play of the game came in the last few seconds when Schnierle raced 35 yards from the line of scrimmage for a touchdown, the gun cracking when he had traveled but half the distance.

Had it not been for the whirlwind attack of the youthful tigers in the opening minutes of the game, the result might have been a scoreless tie, for after the first six points were produced the red and blue braced and turned back every other scoring threat. Had it not been that the local team was leading by six points with only a few seconds of the game remaining to be played, it is doubtful if the orange and black would have scored its second touchdown, for Quarterback Keefe took one desperate chance to score, and tossed a forward pass from his own 35-yard line which was grounded, giving the local team the ball. Schnierle’s long run for a touchdown and the end of the game came on the next play.

The way the orange and black tore the Alliance line to pieces on its opening march for a touchdown gave evidence that the game would be a one-sided contest, but the Alliance line braced suddenly and stopped the plunging Massillon backs. The Massillon attack showed itself at other stages of the game, but lacked the consistency necessary to score touchdowns. A penalty also ended one scoring threat of the youthful tigers.

Alliance showed a plucky team. Its forward wall stood up well under the battering of the Massillon backs and the ends appearing exceptionally strong in turning in runs around the flanks. The red and blue’s six first downs were made largely as a result of end runs and several forward passes.

The Alliance gridders wanted to win the game badly. Coach George Wilcoxen, before the game, declared that if his eleven could take the measure of the local gridders he believed that the victory would provide the necessary confidence to make the team a winning one for the remainder of the season. Such was the case a year ago, when Alliance, after beating the orange and black, went out and defeated everything in sight with the exception of Canton McKinley. In fact it was over-anxiety that partly contributed to Wilcoxen’s defeat Saturday, for his team was penalized six times for being offside, and several of these penalties stopped threatening Alliance offensive drives. A few aided the orange and black in its goalward march. The two penalties, however in the latter instance only helped out by a few yards for a play by play account of the game shows that in one case the Massillon back had plunged for four yards, which were given up for the five-yard penalty, while the other penalty helped but little, for it came just before George Hess got away for his long run of 30 yards. Alliance also received two penalties for not completing two consecutive forward passes, and twice suffered reverses of 15 yards for holding. All told the red and blue was set back a total of 70 yards, while the youthful tigers lost 35 yards in penalties.

In first downs the local team excelled its rivals, making the necessary yardage on 12 occasions, while the red and blue could make the distance but six times.

McGrew’s team improved greatly in one department Saturday and that was in the manner in which it intercepted and knocked down Alliance forward passes. Alliance tried to gain by the aerial route on 14 occasions. Three times it was successful, gaining 42 yards, but eight of the passes were knocked down, while three others were intercepted. The three aerial attempts of the orange and black were unsuccessful.

The long punting of Kester was one of the features of the local team’s play. Kester averaged nearly 50 yards on his boots, which not only were long but also high enough to permit the Massillon ends to camp under the ball when it came down. The ends, however, did not take advantage of the opportunity and although they slipped by the Alliance interference and got down on most of the punts, they usually failed to make the tackle and allowed Keefe to return the ball several times for substantial gains before being thrown. Kester’s first kick was the prettiest of the lot and when the ball twisted through the air it brought a sigh from the fans similar to that heard when a pretty sky rocket explodes in a fireworks celebration.

Saturday was migration day for Massillon fans, and approximately 1,500 from this city followed the local gridders to Alliance. The automobiles formed a long procession as the fans returned home, horns blowing and colors waving.

The high school band was taken to the game, and played frequently. Alliance’s band also made itself heard many times during the afternoon.

The Massillon fans were seated in the concrete bleachers until shortly before the start of the second period when they deserted their section because of a light rain, and made a rush across the field to the covered section on the opposite side.

The game was the first high school tilt played in the new stadium, and Alliance fans have yet to see their school or college teams score a victory on the new field. Mount Union met defeat at the hands of the University of Michigan’s second team when the stadium was dedicated a week ago.

Captain Potts was taken from the game in the fourth period when he was knocked out from a kick on the head. With the exception of a discolored face, however, the captain is O.K. and is ready for another melee.

It has already been told how the second Massillon touchdown was scored and here are the plays that led up to the first.

Watkins kicked off to Kester, who took the ball on the Massillon 10-yard line and returned to the 25-yard line. Schnierle failed to gain on a dash around left end, but Alliance was declared offside on the play and was penalized five yards. Kester plunged for a yard, and Hess then broke through right tackle for a run of 30 yards, carrying the ball to the Alliance 40-yard line. Had he not stumbled over his own feet, he might have slipped away for a touchdown. Schnierle picked up five yards and Hollwager plunged through for a first down on the Alliance 30-yard line. Hess made four yards and Hollwager two more after which Kester rammed through for a first down on the 20-yard line. Alliance took time out and talked things over. With the resumption of play, Hess was tossed for a one-yard loss. Hester picked up two yards and Hess made three more. Hollwager then pushed his way through for a first down on the 10-yard line. Buttermore was given the ball and rammed through for four yards, but Alliance was offside, and Captain Potts took the five-yard penalty in a preference to the gain. Hess made a yard and on the next play Buttermore rammed through for the touchdown. Schnierle missed his try for the extra point.

Alliance came nearest to scoring in the last period when two passes and end runs put the ball on Massillon’s 23-yard line. The chance to score was lost, however, when Keefe fumbled on an attempted pass, Blatz covering the ball which rolled backward to the 37-yard line.

Lineup and summary:

Massillon Pos. Alliance

Schnierle LE Curtis

Fisher LT Miller

Blatz LG Speidell

Potts C King

Goodman RG Clark

Slinger RT Hammontree

Houriet RE Battin

G. Hess QB Keefe

Hollwager LHB Watkins

Kester RHB Dann

Buttermore FB Windland
Score by periods:
Massillon 6 0 0 7—13

Substitutions: Massillon – Lewis, c; Minger, re. Alliance – Daly, le; Curtis, re.

Touchdowns – Buttermore, Schnierle.
Point after touchdown – Schnierle (dropkick).

Referee—Howells (Sebring).
Umpire—Barrett (Sebring).
Headlinesman—Clark (Kenyon).
Timekeepers—Whittacre (Alliance), Rider, (Massillon).

1913: Massillon 0, Alliance 6

ALLIANCE WINS
FROM MASSILLON
Defeats Local Team Saturday
by Score of 6 to 0

GAME ON MUDDY FIELD

Contest Take Place on Mount’s New Athletic Field
Alliance Scores Touchdown by Air Route
Kester Sick, Unable to Play

On a field that resembled a sea of mud, Massillon high went down to defeat before the fast Alliance team Saturday afternoon by the score of 6 to 0. Alliance scored its touchdown in the third on a long forward pass over the goal line. It traveled from quarterback Kirk to end Baier.

The game was played on Mt. Union’s new athletic field and the rain of the previous night had turned the field into a sea of mud. Fast play was impossible and forward passes did not work on account of the slippery condition of the ball.

Alliance did not expect to win from the local team, but put up a brilliant game and finally romped away with the big end of the score. The varsity was within striking distance of Alliance’s goal several times, but could not carry it over. Much line bucking was done, end runs and trick plays being of no value on the wet field.

The absence of Kester from the line up was greatly felt by the local team. The star fullback was unable to accompany the team on account of illness. His line plunging ability and kicking would have helped Massillon greatly.

The line up and summary
Massillon – 0 Pos. Alliance – 6
Rogers le Baier
Thies lt Packer
Spidle lg Mathias
Spuhler c Branfield
Paroz rg McGranahan
Houriet rt Davis
Hollinger re Miller
Rider qb Kirk
McLaughlin lhb Drukenbrod
Smith rhb Borton
Rudy fb Roach

Touchdown:
Alliance – Baier.

Referee – Clarke (Kenyon).
Umpire – Calvin (Mt. Union).