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History

The Changing Landscape of Massillon Football – Part 6:…

The Changing Landscape of Massillon Football – Part 6: Stadiums

 Bailey Yoder (MassMu), Gary Vogt and Bill Porrini contributed to this story.

This is the sixth of a 7-part series, which includes the following installments:

Introduction

Part 6 of the series presents a look back at all of the football stadiums that the Massillon Tigers have called home over their 130+ year history.  Six different venues were used, some more than once, before settling on Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

1891 (Unknown field)

Massillon’s first school building was opened in 1848.  Called The Union School, it housed all of the educational grades, from primary through high school.  In 1854 the primary students were relocated to a new facility.  But by 1879, The Union School was no longer suitable to handle the growing enrollment and it was replaced by North Street School.  Located at North Street and 5th St. NE, the property was later and for many years the site of Longfellow Junior High.  More recently, it was sold to the Salvation Army and they have their main office there.

North Street School was also home to the first Massillon high school football team, which was fielded in 1891.  Although there is no record of the squad having played its two home games there that year, it is certainly in the realm of possibility, since games were documented as having been held there several years later.  The other potential site is Russell Park.

North Street School and Football Field (1903, 1907-14)

1893-94 (Russell Park)

Older Massillon fans remember that the land on which the Meadows Plaza currently sits, home to both Target and Giant Eagle, was previously the site of a golf driving range.  And it was often referred to at various times Driving Park.  But in 1893 it was Russell Park.  Game stories from 1893 and 1894 show that the Tigers played several home games there.

Russell Park is historical in that Massillon played its first ever game against Canton, in 1894.  Unfortunately, the local team lost, 12-8.  Here’s an interesting quote from the game story: “Class spirit and inter-urban rivalry ran high and fierce at Russell Park on Saturday afternoon.  The Massillon high school football eleven had undertaken a large and difficult contract and were abetted by numerous charming young women, whose umbrellas, hats and coats were decorated with yellow and black and who did not hesitate to indulge in a very fetching yell when matters progressed their way.”  Note that Massillon’s original colors were yellow and black.

Game stories from 1895, 1896 and 1899 (no games were recorded for 1897 and 1898) do not identify the home field.  But it is believed that these games were also at Russell Park.  By 1899 Massillon was able to assemble its first significant schedule, which listed seven different games, six of which were at home.

Russell Park (1893-94)

1900 (Sante Fe Park)

Sante Fe Park was primarily a baseball field and was accessible from a trolley that ran the length of Lincoln Way.  Fans simply needed get off at 16th St. NE and walk up the hill to the field.  The grounds were also large enough to hold football games and the high school team relocated there in 1900.  Today, the Park is a residential neighborhood.

Trolley on Lincoln Way with a sign pointing to Sante Fe Park (1900, 1904-06)

1903 (North Street School / Sante Fe Park)

There were no games recorded for 1901-02 and in 1903 the team played at North Street School.

1904-06 (Sante Fe Park)

After one year at North Street, the team went back to Sante Fe Park for the next three.

1907-14 (North Street Field)

In 1907 the Massillon team returned to North Street Field and remained there through a portion of the 1914 season.  The best run during that stretch was in 1909 when Coach Hap Fugate led his squad to a 9-0-1 record and captured Massillon’s first state championship.  During the season they won a pair of games against Canton by scores of 6-2 at home in front of 1,500 fans and 11-6 on the road.

1914-16 (Driving Park)

Midway through the 1914 season, the team left North Street Field and finished the home slate at Driving Park (previously named Russell Park).  They remained there for the next two years.  John Snavely was the head coach for all three seasons and he enjoyed great success at that time, fashioning a combined 24-3 record.  In fact, his 1916 team was 10-0 and was named state champion, Massillon’s second crown.

1917-19 (Massillon Blues Athletic Company)

Yet another move came in 1917 when the Tigers relocated to the Blues Field, where the semi-professional Blues played football for a time.  Later it was known as Central Steel Field.  But locals today always recall it as The Agathon, which over many years hosted the Agathon baseball team and later a multitude of recreational softball games and tournaments.  Today the site is occupied by the Massillon Recreation Facility.

The Massillon football team played there for three years.  John Snavely was again the coach and his record was 17-5-2, with a 10-2-1 mark at home.  One of those home games was a 7-6 victory over Canton Central, a school  that would be renamed Canton McKinley the following year, in 1918.

Massillon Blues Athletic Company (1917-19)

1920-24 (Pearl Street)

Pearl Street was the location of Jones Junior High.  But adjacent to it was Jones Field that the Tigers used for five years.  Elmer Snyder was the head coach for one season and then Dave Stewart took over, fashioning a 31-7 record, including an undefeated state championship team in 1922.  In addition, his record against the Bulldogs was 4-0.

Jones Field on Pearl Street, with Jones Junior High in the background (1920-24)

1924-38 (Massillon Field)

In 1924 Massillon completed construction of its first real stadium, just in time for the annual game against McKinley.  The facility was located at what is currently called Shriver Park, at Shriver and 3rd St. SE, in the southeast part of town and just blocks from Pearl Street.  It was considered at the time as the finest high school stadium in the state, with field lights for night games and a seating capacity of 6,500.

The big game that year drew 8,000 fans, which was the largest crowd for the rivalry game to date.  The event also involved an elaborate dedication, led by Superintendent H. R. Gorrell, who spoke through a doubled-barreled megaphone.  The guest speaker was Congressman John McSweeney of Wooster.  Following an invocation by Rev. F. B. Hax of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and a speech by WHS senior Louise Hunter, the field was officially christened likening to a newly launched ship when Miss Hunter broke a bottle filled with water against the south goal post.  The ceremony concluded with a rousing display of fireworks.

The game itself was played in a quagmire of a field owing to a rain deluge the previous day.  Nevertheless, Massillon’s Elwood Kammer found some footing in the first quarter and returned a pass interception 65 yards for a touchdown.  So, at the half, the Tigers led 6-0.

At the break, the students of the two schools sang their respective alma maters and then the two bands joined to entertain the crowd.  Halftime wrapped up with the Massillon American Legion Post 221 presenting an American flag to the school for use at the facility.  The flag was accepted by E.P. McConnaughey and then the combined bands performed the National Anthem as the flag was raised.

With the field conditions being nearly unplayable, there was no scoring the second half and the 6-0 lead held up for the Massillon victory.  It was Head Coach Dave Stewart’s fourth win over the Bulldogs in four tries.  The captain of the Massillon team was future Wall of Champions inductee Bill Edwards.  Noteworthy was that Paul Brown was a junior on the squad.  Fifteen years later Brown, now as coach of the Tigers and having won four state titles on Massillon Field from 1935-38, abandoned the facility in favor of a newer and larger stadium.

Massillon Field (1924-38)

 1939-present (Paul Brown Tiger Stadium)

In 1938, construction of the present football facility got underway.  It came about as a result of the demand for tickets on account of the success that Paul Brown achieved as he developed his storied program.  The stadium was partially funded by the federal government’s Works Project Administration (WPA), which was designed to create meaningful jobs during the depression era of the 1930s at a total cost of $246,000.  Originally named “Tiger Stadium,” it was renamed in 1976 as “Paul Brown Tiger Stadium” in honor of Brown, who later coached Ohio State and the professional Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.

Whereas Massillon Field was not deemed adequate enough for expansion, a new stadium was commissioned on a 5-acre track located within South Sippo Park, which was owned by the City of Massillon.  Employing a land swap, the school took possession of the stadium plot and the City took over the Massillon Field land, which is today called “Shriver Park.”

During construction, the home stands of Massillon Field were dismantled and relocated to the visitors’ side of the new stadium.  The roof was also taken down and installed on the home side to shelter a portion of those stands.  When completed, the stadium seated 12,000 patrons, 7,650 on the home side (40 rows) and 4,250 on the visitors’ side.

Tiger Stadium; darkened stands were relocated from Massillon Field

The stadium was dedicated in 1939 and the Massillon players initiated it with a 40-13 shellacking of Cleveland Cathedral Latin, breaking their 17-game winning streak.  Halfback Tommy James scored the first two touchdowns in the new facility on runs of 39 yards and 31 yards.  With the score sitting at 33-0 midway through the third quarter, Brown removed his starters for the rest of the night.

Since that time there have been several major upgrades, including the following:

  • Additional seating added to increase the capacity to 22,500
  • Construction of permanent end zone seating and elimination of track seats, which reduced the capacity to 16,884
  • 1955, 1989 – Installation of new lights (relocated behind the stands in 1989)
  • 1967, 1982, 2005 – Replacements of scoreboards, the last one being massive and all digital
  • 1989 – Installation of Omni-Sand Turf (first artificial playing surface)
  • 1989, 2023 – Upgrades of the sound system
  • 1990 – Construction of the east side press box (loge box, meeting rooms and rest room facilities)
  • 2019 – Third replacement of artificial playing surface
  • 2020 – Rebuild of the structural support steel on the home side and replacement of fiberglass seat benches on both sides

The stadium has held up fairly well during its 84 years of use, although preservation efforts for the national historical site are always underway.  Through the 2023 season, the home record stands at 526-90-6 (.850).  In addition, 18 different state champions have made their mark on the field, including the 2023 Massillon Tigers.  In addition, the facility over the years has been host to many OHSAA state championship games, Ohio North-South All-Star Games, band reviews and July 4th fireworks displays.

Tiger Stadium under construction

Tiger Stadium, 1940 game against Canton McKinley with extra seating added in the end zones

Tiger Stadium with a grass playing surface and larger capacity end zone seats (circa 1970s)

 

Current Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1913: Massillon 13, Canton Central 13

ORANGE AND BLACK
HOLDS CANTON HIGH TO
A TIE
IN ANNUAL GAME
SATURDAY

In a game full of brilliant tackling and spectacular playing M.H.S., in the last game of the season, held its old rival Canton high to a tie score, 13 to 13, Saturday afternoon on the local grounds. All touchdowns were made by the use of the forward pass, both teams depended largely upon this method to gain. Canton excelled in the art of forward passing, working four straight forwards in the third quarter.
THE CROWD
Not since the old Tiger days has such a crowd of football fans been assembled as on Saturday afternoon. They were massed around the field five and six deep and were continually rooting and cheering the players.

Canton sent over a large delegation of rooters and with the high school band stationed on the south side of the field kept up a continual din through the game.

On the north side were the high school students and led by cheerleader, Kirk Baxter let out yell after yell through the entire contest. When Rifer shot the ball to Hollinger for the first touchdown after a few minutes of play bedlam broke loose and cheer after cheer rent the atmosphere.

Between halves the student body held a parade around the field and a Canton rooter wishing to enlarge his collection of pennants grabbed a banner from one student, a riot threatened, it was quickly broken up and the offender ordered out of town by Mayor Kaley.
THE DAY
The day was ideal for a football game, probably a little to warm for the players, but spectators were well satisfied. The grounds were in fine condition also.
THE GAME
Captain Cholly of the red and black won the toss and choose to defend the west goal. Kester kicked off, Cholly returning the ball 15 yards. Cholly went through the line for 6 yards. Cholly goes through left tackle for 6 more making first down. Massillon held and Canton punted,

Massillon’s ball on the 46 yard line, Kester goes through for 5, Rider makes 1 yard, Smith goes through left tackle for 30 yards. On the next play Rider shot the ball to Hollinger for the first touchdown. Kester kicked goal.

Massillon’s second touchdown came in the second quarter on a forward from Kester to Rogers who ran 20 yards for the score. Kester failed goal. On the next kickoff Canton started a steady march down the field, line plays and forward passes placed the ball on the one-yard line with four downs to make the required one yard; the orange and black line held and Canton was unable to cross the goal line.

Canton’s first touchdown came in the second quarter on a double pass from Cholly to Douds to Brown registered the first score for the red and black. Cholly missed goal.

On the kickoff, Rudy received the ball and sustained injuries which forced him to leave the game, Spidle taking his place. Rider captured a Canton forward and ran 50 yards as the half ended before being downed.

Massillon receives. A forward from Rider to Hollinger makes a gain of 50 yards, Canton blocked Rider’s attempt at a drop kick. The red and black working forward after forward made their second touchdown. A pass from Snyder to Jackson for 40 yards made the score. Cholly kicked goal. Score tie.

Both teams were now fighting desperately to score, the ball kept zig-zagging back and forth through the middle of the field. The red and black would work forward passes for big gains only to be held for downs by the fighting wearers of the orange and black. With a few minutes left to play, Kester recovers a blocked punt and with a five yard penalty for a Canton player being offside, the ball was placed on the one-yard line. With victory within their grasp, the orange and black were unable to cross Canton’s goal line. On an end run, Rider was thrown for a loss of 4 yards. Kester went through the line for 3 on the next play, he fumbled and a Canton player recovered. They immediately kicked out of danger. The quarter ended with the ball in the middle of the field.
THE PLAYERS
For the orange and black, Smith and Hollinger played the star games with Theis, Rogers and Kester close seconds. Smith at halfback tore through the Canton line for many big gains and played the best game of his career. Hollinger at right end stopped everything that came his way and gave a brilliant exhibition of hard and accurate tackling. Theis at tackle was too big an obstacle for the Canton backs to surmount and not a yard was made through him. Rogers at left end played a strong defensive game and scored one of the touchdowns. Kester, although not kicked the ball with his usual skill, easily out punted his rival; the Canton team being weak in the kicking department. Kester also hit the line well and made several long gains. The orange and black line played low and the red and black found it impossible to gain any ground through them. Houriet pitted against a man weighing 175 pounds, playing him off his feet.

The red and black excelled in the use of the forward pass, working it time and again for large gains.

Captain Cholly the brilliant captain of the Canton team was easily the star of the game. Had it not been for his great playing Canton would have been beaten by a large score. He entered the game with three damaged ribs and often had to be assisted to his feet after being downed. In returning punts he is in a class by himself, by his twisting and dodging, often bringing the ball back to where it was kicked from. He was forced to quit the game in the last quarter.

Following is the line up and summary
Massillon – 13 Pos. Canton –13
Rogers le Douds, Cook
Theis lt Hague
Houriet lg Pontius
Spuhler c Volzer
Paroz rg Wise
Rudy Capt –Spidle rt Van Vorhis
Hollinger re Jackson
Rider qb Snyder
McLaughlin, Vogt lh Zengler, Cook
Smith rh Cholly Capt.
Kester fb Brown

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Hollinger; Rogers.
Canton – Brown; Jackson.

Officials:
Referee – Snyder (Cleveland).
Umpire – Gibson (Mt. Union).
Head Lineman – Bast (Massillon).

Time of quarters: 15 and 12 minutes.

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1909: Massillon 6 Canton Central 2

CANTON HIGH WAS DEFEATED
Orange and Black Victorious Saturday.
SCORE:   MASSILLON  6,  CANTON  2

Hard Fought Battle on the High School Grounds
Blackburn Picked Up Punt
and Ran Forty Yards for the Only Touchdown
Canton Scored a Safety.

After forty-five minutes of strenuous play on the high school grounds Saturday afternoon, between the Canton and Massillon high school football teams, for the second time in the memory of living man, the orange and black landed on top with the long end of a 6 to 2 score.  Although the game was at times ragged and loose on the part of both teams, at no time was there slowness or listlessness.  During the entire game both teams played to the limit of their strength and endurance, if not to the possibilities of their skill.  The battle was fast and furious from start to finish and all points scored either by Massillon or the east side suburb, were due to individual and not to team work.

All of Massillon’s six points are credited to Blackburn, who played right half for the local institution.  The only touchdown was made by him after a forty yard run through a clear field.  One of Heyman’s punts was blocked by Canton, and fell a short distance from where it was put in play.  The ball touched the ground first and bounded with several men of each team in pursuit.  Blackburn was the first on the ground and after fumbling once scooped the ball up and ran unhindered to the goal.  By kicking a perfect goal another point was added.

Canton’s points were made on a safety near the southeast corner of the field when Heyman, attempting a punt, was downed behind the line after missing a bad pass.  These were the only points scored against Massillon out of the first three games.

An unprecedented crowd of 1,500 banked the high school gridiron on four sides.  The large delegation from Canton displayed the red and black profusely, held forth on the south side of the field, while the north side was a band of orange and black, where Massillon’s rooting club, led by Raymond Bowers, made Rome howl with yells and songs from the referee’s whistle to the timekeeper’s whistle.

The final score is perhaps a good comparison of the two teams as they showed up in the game, but hardly of their real strength.  Massillon’s team did not come anywhere near the form displayed in the two former games.  The line which has here-to-fore held against anything was punctured time and again, both on offense and defense.  The team work in the back field was ragged and the interference loose.  Massillon was able but twice and for short spaces to gain consistently through the line, but worked two tricks time and again for large gains.  These were a fake punt and a double pass to end.

Canton, with a team of new men, was not particularly strong in any department, but played a plucky game from start to finish.  The lines of the two teams played the game about equally, but Canton was playing to the limit while Massillon was loafing on the job.  The same may be said of the backfield with the exception of McCay, at quarter, who was Canton’s particular star.  His speed in circling the ends was his great asset.  Aside from straight football Canton had but two plays.  One was a tandem play in which the fullback hit the opposite side of the line, and the other a forward pass.  Neither was successful at any time.

In the first half Massillon kept the ball in Canton’s territory, and once carried it within a few yards of the goal, only to lose it on a fumble.  In the second half, however, Canton braced up and Massillon’s goal was threatened several times.  Massillon’s line in turn braced up and held for downs, always punting out of danger.  It was near the goal that Canton tried her forward passes but they failed to materialize.  When Canton’s safety was made Massillon had regained the ball on downs on the five-yard line and was attempting to punt out.  After the safety the ball was kicked out from the twenty-five yard line and the game ended soon after with the ball in Massillon’s possession in the center of the field.

Following is the line-up:

Canton – 2                      Pos.               Massillon – 6
Lash                                  c                 Leahy
Howell, Repputh               lg                 Heyman
Austin, Bonner                  rg                 Zintsmaster
Lothamer                           rt                 Erb
Seftovitz                            rt                 Clay
Gauchot                            re                 Ellis
Kahler                               le                 Miller
McCoy                            qb                Atwater
Steiner                              lh                 Wells
Price                                 rh                 Blackburn
Blanchard                         fb                 Sonnhalter

Time of halves:  25 and 20 minutes.

Score at the end of first half – 0 – 0.

Touchdown:
Massillon – Blackburn.

Goal:
Massillon – Blackburn.

Safety:
Canton – Price downed Heyman.

Referee and umpire, alternating:
Wittmann, Massillon
Smith, Canton.

Head Linesman – Bast.

Timekeeper:
Merwin, Massillon.
Zazlett, Canton.

History

1908: Massillon 0 Canton Central 17

MASSILLON HIGH DIED GAME
Put Up a First Class Contest Against Canton
CANTON,  17;       MASSILLON, 0.

McGregor, Disabled,
Went Into the Game and Turned the Tide of Battle
Massillon Carried the Ball to Canton’s Ten-Yard Line
but Couldn’t Put it Over.

Although defeated in the end by the score of 17 to 0, the Massillon high school football team managed to give Canton’s aggregation the worst scare it has received in many a long day when the two teams met for the first time this season on the high school grounds, Saturday afternoon.  Expecting a one-sided score which could be reckoned by tens, it ran into a snag in the very first scrimmage, which promised to be its undoing.  The day was only saved by rushing the disabled McGregor, Canton’s massive and invincible fullback, into a suit, and trotting him out to hunt for the weak spots in Massillon’s stone wall defense.  With few exceptions he was the only man who could make a dent in Massillon’s light but scrappy line.  When he did not carry the ball he made the hole for the other fellow.  The advent of the heavy full back was not noticed at once but in the long run he proved the deciding weight in the scales of victory.

Massillon was more than an even match for the original team with which Canton started the game.  Receiving on the first kickoff it made its yards repeatedly against the dazed Canton team, which had not anticipated such things.  Massillon’s greatest playing was done in the first ten minutes of the second half.  The same can be said of Canton, for in this time the two teams held against each other like two walls of adamant, the ball changing hands several times without moving more than a yard or two either way.  Massillon received the ball on the kickoff in the second half and carried it without losing it, to Canton’s ten yard line.  One touchdown and a goal meant victory for Massillon.  With victory ten short yards off, Massillon played like a demon, but Canton, goaded by fear of defeat, held in desperation.  Every hole in the red and black line was plugged by Canton backs.  Massillon’s every trick was tried but Canton’s ends were wise and refused to be drawn in.  Erb dropped back for a try at goal but the kick was blocked.  Massillon recovered the ball and the battle royal began again.  Twice the ball was lost and gained by Massillon on fumbles, but with twelve downs in succession the ball was not advanced an inch.  Twice Massillon had but one man between the runner and the goal, but twice this man nailed the play.  Atwater and Snavely carried the ball in these cases and carried it back for thirty yards, being downed by the last man between himself and the goal.

Canton soon came to its own.  Receiving the ball on a punt it took a mighty brace and bore slowly through Massillon’s line, carrying the ball down the field on plunging line bucks.  After losing the ball several times it at last forced it over for the second touchdown.  The third touchdown was secured by the same tactics, although Massillon’s line never said die, and fought for all that was in it until the whistle blew.  In the latter part of the second half Massillon punted every time it received the ball.  It had not given up the hope of scoring but considered this the only manner in which it could again get within striking distance of the goal.  Massillon’s good work in downing the runner where the ball dropped made this possible.

Massillon’s playing exceeded the hopes of the most sanguine.  The line played low, the backs ran low, and the tackling was not only low but hard.  There was no dragging.  When a man was hit he knew it, and he faded without delay.  Behind the playing on both sides was a Carlisle desperation, which brooked no trifling.  Canton had thought Massillon would be easy and was desperate with the fear of defeat.  Massillon knew that if ever under the sun, now was a chance to defeat Canton, and it was determined to do it.  Every player was in the game to do or to die.  Canton turned the trick, and Massillon died game.  The score may after all be a fair estimate of the strength of the two teams for Canton easily outweighed Massillon ten or fifteen pounds to the man.  This counted for little until the final test in the second half, when it won the game.  A practical demonstration of Massillon’s ginger was Dave Reese, its 120 pound center who played the game against three different opponents of massive proportions and who stuck them all out.

An unprecedented crowd of over a thousand people boxed the field on all sides, and with the exception of a few Canton adherents, gave Massillon its undivided loyalty.  If anything under the sun aided Massillon in the accomplishment of such great things it was the heroic loyalty of two hundred high school students, principally girls who took their stand at the north side of the field and yelled and shouted and sang themselves hoarse for the yellow and black in defeat and victory.

Following is the line-up:
Canton – 17                    Pos.                  Massillon – 0
Blythe (c)                          le                            Richards
L. Wise                             lt                                    Erb
Howells                             lg                                  Carr
C. Wise                             c                                Reese
Karper                              rg                         Blackburn
Lathamer                           rt                                  Clay
Cover                               re                                Wells
Brooks                             qb                            Atwater
Harris                               rh                             Snavely
Steiner                              lh               Hammersmith (c)
Lawson, McGregor           fb                                Davis

Time of halves:  20 minutes.

Touchdowns:  Canton – McGregor  2; Blythe.

Goals from touchdown:  Canton – Brooks  2.

Referee – Bast.
Timekeeper – Hall.
Linesman – Bloomberg.

History

1907: Massillon 0 Canton Central 0

CANTON KEPT
FROM SCORING
Two High School Teams Play
a 0 to 0 Game

WAS A GREAT GRIDIRON BATTLE.
Supporters of the Massillon Team
Were Delighted With its Work –
Grounds Were in Excellent Shape
and a Big Crowd Witnessed the Game.

For the first time in many years the Massillon High School football team kept the Canton High School team from scoring Saturday afternoon.  While Massillon High has won an occasional victory from Canton High on the baseball diamond, the fates have for the past three or four years been dead against them on the grid.  This year’s team delighted its supporters Saturday afternoon by playing a 0 to 0 game with its usually victorious opponents. It was one of thE neatest gridiron battles seen in this football city for many a day.

The grounds were in excellent shape.  Wire had been strung entirely around the field, obviating the annoyance caused by spectators getting in the way, goal posts had been erected and when the two teams dashed onto the field to hold a short limbering up practice before the game, they were cheered by a throng of hundreds of people.  The field was dotted with pennants, the orange and black of Massillon and the red and black of Canton High, and about every third rooter was attacked to a large red megaphone.  Rome’s reputation in the howling line was entirely cast in the shade.

The game commenced on the second at 3 o’clock.  Cheered on by cries of “Rifferty-rafferty, riff-raff, chifferty-chafferty, chiff-chaff,” etc., which is the first chapter of Canton High’s sensible, intelligent yell, the Canton players lined up at the west end of the field and received the kickoff from Massillon.  Brooks caught the kick, but advanced it only a short distance.  On a fumble Massillon soon gained the ball, but in its own territory.  After several ineffectual attempts to circle the ends, Grinnell tried a forward pass to Wells, which failed, and Canton got the ball.  Unheeding Massillon’s failure in the same line, the Canton High immediately tried a forward which also failed, Grinnell capturing the ball.  Dow was then hurled and thrust against the line for eight yards, Grinnell and Wagner also steadily pounded the line and Massillon gained its yards for several downs.  Canton got the ball far down in its own territory and immediately attempted to punt, but Snavely crashed through the line and blocked it on Canton’s ten-yard line.

Massillon High now went wild with delight.  Nothing seemed surer than that Canton High should be scored upon.  As a last resort Canton again tried the forward pass.  This time it succeeded and about twenty yards were gained.  A delayed quarter back run netted about fifteen yards more for Canton, and they were out of danger for the time being.   The forward pass was by far the most popular play.  Canton tried it again and Snavely downed the runner in his tracks, and when the same play was tried again Wagner got the ball but was knocked out.  In about five minutes he insisted on re-entering the game.  Punting was now resorted to.  Captain Grinnell out punted his opponent by many yards on every punt. The ball going out of bounds, both teams hurdled the wire, crashed through the crowd and in an instant a mass of humanity was rolling over and over in the road.  When the mass was resolved into its elements, Keeley Miller was found snugly wrapped around the ball.  The first ended with the ball in Massillon’s possession near the middle of the field.  Neither side had scored.

Although Wagner was badly injured, he insisted on entering the game when the teams lined up after a ten minute respite.  In the second half he played the game of his life.  Many a time he was the first man down the field on a punt, would down his man, and then lay stretched out on his back thoroughly done up.  The injury which he received in the first half only seemed to make him play the harder.  Canton High kicked off to Massillon when the second half began, Grinnell getting the ball.  Punting soon became more the custom than ever.  Grinnell’s trusty leg always sending the ball forty yards or more.  Canton now made a good end run which looked good for a touchdown, but the runner was downed by the indomitable Wagner far down in Massillon’s territory.  Things looked…

REST OF COPY NOT AVAILABLE

Oct. 10, 1907
PRACTICE GAME

High School Team Defeated
by Adversaries’ Superior Weight

Although the Massillon High School football beam enjoyed a good practice game against the Business College eleven on the high school grounds Wednesday afternoon, the enjoyment ended there, for the final score was not at all to its liking.  Much to the High School team’s surprise and indignation, the Business College team trimmed it by the score of 6 to 0.  The victory was due to the terrific line hitting of the Business College and Thompson’s end runs.  Although the business College had not played before this season, excellent signal work was done and the runner was always given excellent interference.  The High school was greatly out-weighed, and this was the reason for their defeat, as they could not withstand the onslaught of the Business College’s much heavier back field.

Both captains seemed desirous of kicking field goals.  Whenever either team got within striking distance, and sometimes when they were not, a try would be made by Grinnell or Schnierle for goal from the field.  Every attempt failed.  Massillon High played a much better game on the ends than was the case of New Philadelphia last Saturday.  Thompson was the only Business College back that made any gains on the end.  Punting honors were about even between Grinnell and Thompson, each kicking well.

The High School team has no reason to chide the girls for non-support.  A large crowd of high school maidens were in evidence and in spite of the fact that theirs was the losing side, sent cheer after cheer echoing across the field.

History

1906: Massillon 0 Canton Central 28

October 25, 1906
CANTON WINS GAME EASILY
Massillon Could Not Stand Canton’s Line Plunges

When Canton and Massillon High met yesterday at the park, fortune favored the red and black.  Massillon was defeated by even a greater score than at Canton, the final score being 28-0.  As at Canton, Canton made their principal gains by means of the forward pass, which was worked several times, netting astonishing gains.  Also the bull-like rushes of Hershey wrecked devastation on Massillon’s line.

Canton scored touchdown and goal and a place kick at nineteen yards, making ten points.  In the second half they scored three touchdowns, succeeding to kicking goal every time.

A fine crowd attended the game, the high school turning out almost in a body, and Canton brought along a large delegation.  The songs and yells which had been carefully practiced for several days were much in evidence, and quite a rooting match took place between Canton and Massillon enthusiasts.

The Wells twins and Dow played the game for Massillon and were always under the heap.

Line-up:

Canton – 28            Position  Massillon – 0

McCoy        LE         S. Reese
G. Wellsynon                    LT G. Wells, Miller
Wagner       LG         Hollinger
Lonebaugh     C          Wenger
White          RG               Baer
Cooke, McGregor   RT      H. Wagner
Stevenson    RE   Klotz (capt.)
Copthorne  QB             Graze
Clarke         RH      C. Wagner
Gibson        LH          S. Wells
Hershey       FB               Dow