1960: Massillon 62, Springfield South 32

Springfield No Match For Tigers
Hastings Scores Four As Defending Champs Crush Rival, 62-32

By JIM QUILTY

Hail the state champs! But hold back the superlatives for seven more days until Washington high school’s Tigers clash with arch rival Canton McKinley in the season’s finale.

After Friday night’s massive 62-32 win over Ohio’s fifth ranked Springfield South Wildcats before 13,704 fans at Tiger stadium, the Tigers aren’t about to see their second successive state championship whisked from beneath them next Saturday afternoon.

As for Springfield, the Bengals, after the defensive unit thwarted a Wildcat drive on the two with Wally Brugh recovering a fumble, completely dominated play. Following the recovery Art Hastings ripped through a gapping hole in the short right side of his line moments later and raced 93 yards for a touchdown. That made it 18-0.

Only the aerial bombs tossed by Wildcat Quarterback Phil Westfall prevented a more complete rout. Westfall connected five times for touchdowns picking up 213 yards via the airways.

Dave Null and John Larson, the locals’ throwers, nearly equaled that yardage. Six completions in 12 tries netted 189 yards.

* * *

HOWEVER, it was the crushing ground attack led by Art Hastings, whose four touchdowns and four conversion points raised his season point total past the century mark, and Ken Dean, who added a pair of six-pointers, that subdued Springfield.

Together, this duo hung up most of the 355 yards net rushing.

The point output was the greatest of the year for the Tigers and the combined point total tied a 38-yard-old record of 94 points. That was set in 1922 when Massillon beat Akron North, 94-0.

On the debit side of the shining picture is the 32 points scored by the Wildcats. Their total is the largest ever scored against a victorious Tiger team. In 1951 Alliance, and in 1948, Steubenville, managed the previous high of 21. The Tigers had 34 in both those games. Again in 1952, Alliance had 21. This time the locals had 27.

More important than records to the Tigers, other than the win itself, were key losses by the Nos. 2 and 3 teams in the state.

Eight ranked Niles turned the trick at Alliance, 16-14. Marion Harding blanked third rated Sandusky, 6-0.

* * *
THE GAME STARTED slowly enough. Springfield kicked off and stopped the Tigers without a first down. Dean booted his only time in the game to the “Cats’ 37.”

In quick succession, Westfall fumbled and Ken Ivan recovered for the locals, then Ron Schenkenberger fumbled and Roger Bartley recovered for the southern 11 on his own 37.

After Springfield picked up a first down moving into Tiger territory, the defense held and Westfall punted. Baker grabbed the ball on the four. He was finally tripped up on his 25.

Dean bulled to the 28. Then the action picked up-tempo as Dave Null faked twice to Gugov and Hastings pulling the entire Springfield defense in. He then lofted a bulls eye to Chuck Royer, who raced the final 45 yards of the 72 yard touchdown play. The conversion was stopped, giving the locals a 6-0 lead seven minutes into the game.

The second score by the locals came early in the second period when Hastings rammed in from a few feet out after he and Dean led an assault, which carried 79 yards. A 20-yard pass from Null to Hastings and a 15-yard penalty aided the cause. Again the extra point run was stopped.

Springfield took Dean’s kick-off and with two quick end sweeps by Halfbacks Tom Fugate and Dave Daniel had moved to Massillon’s seven. Joe Snively pulled Fugate down while Charlie Brown caught Daniel from behind to prevent his scoring.

* * *
THREE WILDCAT PLAYS netted only five yards to the two. On fourth down Westfall handed off to Cobb but the locals’ forward wall led by Lawson White, Ivan and Wally Brugh met him squarely. He fumbled and Brugh pounced on it.

A holding penalty moved Massillon back to its own one-foot line. Null swept to the seven. Then after again pulling the defense in with a fake to his right, Null handed to Hastings who went untouched 93 yards for six points. Again the PAT attempt failed making it 18-0.

With three minutes left in the first half, Null connected with Larry Ehmer for a 33-yard touchdown heave. This time Hastings converted for a 26-0 lead.

Westfall brought the Wildcats back for their first touchdown with only 30 seconds showing on the clock when he followed a 15-yarder to Daniel and a 24-yarder to Tucker with a payoff pitch to Dave Rush from seven yards out. The conversion was stopped making the half time score, 26-6.

* * *
HALFTIME failed to douse the Tiger fire. Dean kicked off but Cobb fumbled and Pete Anzalone sped down field to recover the loose ball on the Springfield 18.
A five-yard penalty moved the ball to the 13. Dean then took it the rest of the way on four attempts finally going over from inches short of the goal. Null rolled out and out raced the Wildcat secondary for the two-point conversion and a 34-6 lead.

Fugate returned Dean’s next punt to Springfield’s 41. Five yards for delay of game set the visitors back to the 36. Then Westfall faded back to pass, slipped and fell. While falling he lost the ball and White, who spent most of the night red-dogging Westfall, picked the ball up and ran for what he thought was a touchdown.

But the ball was ruled dead on the 17 as it had hit the ground. However, the Tigers had possession.

A carry by Hastings, two by Dean and a second by Hastings from six yards gave the locals their sixth touchdown and a 40-6 lead as the extra point proved unsuccessful.

Westfall then went to the airways leading his team from their own 33 to the Massillon 29. He let loose to Fugate in the end zone for the second Wildcat score with two minutes left in the period. His extra point pass was incomplete making the score 40-12.

THEN came the sensational 42-point final period when both clubs struck for three touchdowns.

Hastings reeled off a 33-yard run as Massillon moved 68 yards in 10 plays to Springfield’s seven. Dean busted through for a score at the 10:26 marker. Hastings added the conversion.

Westfall brought his mates their third touchdown when he let loose with an aerial which carried 55 yards in the air with Fugate at the other end. He took one step and was in for the score. Again Westfall’s extra point pass was incomplete.

* * *

THE TIGERS took the kickoff with Hastings returning it to the 38, and marched 62 yards for an eighth touchdown. Hastings scored this one from eight yards out and Null flipped to Royer for the conversion. That made the count, 56-18.

Again Westfall came back hitting Fugate first for 21 yards to Massillon’s 36, then Tucker, after a five-yard penalty, for a 41-yard touchdown. The try for point was unsuccessful.

Springfield kicked off and the Tigers fumbled several plays later with the Wildcats’ Joe Brown gaining possession on the Tiger 14.

In three plays, Westfall again found Fugate for a nine-yard touchdown. Dale Pritchet’s conversion run cut the lead to 56-32.

The game wasn’t over yet. The Tigers’ Charlie Brown returned the kickoff to his 30. Hastings picked up 25 to Springfield territory. Then John Larson, replacing Null, fired to Ivan who raced the final 25 yards of the 45-yard scoring play making the margin 62-32.

A Big Victory

MASSILLON
Ends – Ivan, Bodiford, Royer, Ehmer, Anzalone, Fuchs.
Tackles – Brugh, Garman, Crenshaw, Herndon, Bukuts, Spees.
Guards – Herbst, Whitfield, Houston, Willey, Wells, Radel.
Centers – Demis, Bradley.
Backs – Baker, Hastings, Snively, Brown Gugov, Dean, Null,
Schenkenberger, Kurzen, Herring, Smith, Larson,
Williams, D. Smith.

SPRINGFIELD
Ends – Rush, Karvin, Currey, Tucker, Garrison.
Tackles – Gilbert, Henry, M. Daniels, Thompson, Miller.
Guards – Gaier, Bacon, Brown, Glanton.
Centers – Stephens, Bartley.
Backs – Westfall, Fugate, Cobb, D. Daniels, Wilson, B. Henry,
Browning, Pritchet, Taylor.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Massillon 6 20 14 22 – 62
Springfield 0 6 6 20 – 32

SCORING
Massillon – Royer (72, pass from Null); Hastings 4 (1, run; 93, run;
6, run; 8, run); Ehmer (33, pass from Null);
Dean 2 (1, run; 7, run); Ivan (45, pass from Larson).

Springfield – Rush (7, pass from Westfall); Fugate 3 (29, pass from
Westfall; 45, pass from Westfall; 9, pass from Westfall);
Tucker (41, pass from Westfall).

CONVERSIONS
Massillon – Hastings 2 (runs); Null (run); Royer (pass from Null).

Springfield – Pritchet (run)

STATISTICS
Tigers Wildcats
First downs – rushing 14 3
First downs – passing 3 6
First downs – penalties 0 0
Total first downs 17 11
Yards gained rushing 368 143
Yards lost rushing 13 34
Net yards gained rushing 355 109
Yards gained passing 189 213
Total yards gained 544 322
Passes attempted 12 21
Passes completed 6 12
Passes intercepted by 0 0
Times kicked off 10 6
Kickoff average (yards) 43.5 50
Kickoff returns (yards) 115 156
Times punted 1 4
Punt average (yards) 34.0 38
Punt return (yards) 17 12
Had punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 3 4
Lost fumbled ball 2 4
Penalties 2 5
Yards penalized 16 35