Tag: <span>Warren Harding</span>

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1952: Massillon 31, Warren Harding 0

Tigers Crush Warren 31-0
Massillon Gridders Beat Rival By Biggest Point Margin In Last 10 Years

By LUTHER EMERY

Little Bob Misere got out of his sick bed Friday evening to pass and guide the Washington high school Tigers to their most important victory of the season, a 31-0 triumph over Warren Harding high school’s tough Panthers witnessed by 15,798 fans in Tiger stadium.

It was Bob, ill with the flu the last three days, who pitched the ball for the first and last touchdowns and otherwise handled the ball well from his quarterback post.

He had Capt. Bob Khoenle and Sam Williams on the receiving end of his touchdown passes and he completed 50 percent of 10 throws for 130 yards.

And right behind Misere as an offensive standout came little Johnny Traylor, who twice raced to two touchdowns and had his greatest effort of all – a 63-yard run – called back because of illegal formation.

In front of them, performing like demons was the big Tiger line which protected Misere, opened holes for Traylor and his halfback running mate, Johnny Francisco, and battered Warren to a standstill most of the game.

Give the Tiger defense a lot of the credit for the victory. Not once did Warren move the ball through its own efforts inside the Massillon 40-yard line. It got into Tiger territory three times by covering Massillon fumbles, but was never closer than 27 yards to the goal.

It was a hard fought contest.

Warren came to Massillon to win and tackled viciously, but was fortunate to escape without more points being scored against it.

Not only was Traylor’s long T.D. run of 63 yards called back, but the Tigers had what appeared to be a first period touchdown in the making when they lost the ball through a fumble on the Warren 14-yard line.
* * *
THEN TOO, the locals gave the ball away to the Panthers three other times on fumbles to halt offensive marches.

Not once did the Tigers punt the entire game. On several occasions they had to go for yardage on fourth down, but they made it every time with but two exceptions, one being stopped on a mix-up in plays.
The loss was only Warren’s second of the season. The Panthers came here boasting victories over Collinwood, Canton McKinley, Campbell, Mansfield and Cleveland East Tech. Their lone loss was to Cleveland Benedictine, which Dick Olmstead, Warren Tribune sports editor, says couldn’t begin to match the Tigers.
* * *
THE 31-POINT margin of victory was the biggest spread of points between the two teams in the last 10 years of competition.

The margin of victory over an opponent as strong and reputable as Warren should help convince the pollsters who have been participating in the weekly balloting to pick the leaders in the Ohio high school race.

Warren ranked ninth in the pool the past week, was among the leaders in the last year’s balloting and was the only team to defeat the Tigers in 1951. Were it not for that loss the Massillon gridders would now own a string of 31 victories.

The Tigers probably had that in mind when they turned on the steam last night.

They had to turn it on to overcome the series of disheartening breaks that beset them the first half. Coach Chuck Mather substituted freely in the later stages of the game. He used 26 players in all as he gave a flock of juniors a chance to see more action.
* * *
MATHER was jubilant, and there was a bigger crowd and more rejoicing in the dressing room after the game – indicative that the Tigers had won the big one.

Gridiron music reached our ears as we walked into the dressing room and we even looked around to see if Ernie Godfrey, Ohio State’s assistant coach and noise maker, had brought along the record player he used to key the Bucks for their win over Wisconsin. However, we found the Tigers had their own chairman of noise, who took over in the equipment room.

It all was good.

It’s just as we said – the big one was in the bag.

There are three more to go – Toledo Waite, Youngstown South and Canton McKinley, none as powerful as Warren, but any one capable of doing things when it is up and the opponent down. The Tigers cannot afford to be down from here on in.

All of the Tigers’ five touchdowns came like bolts out a starry sky. The teams had battled through a scoreless first quarter and a third of the second quarter had gone by when the orange and black found itself with the ball, fourth down to go, on Warren’s 10-yard line and three yards needed for a first down. Cooly, Quarterback Misere stepped back, flipped the ball to Capt. Khoenle who went right on over for the first touchdown of the game.
* * *
THE PERIOD was two-thirds gone when Warren’s Dave Preston punted the ball to the Massillon 13. The Tigers drove for two first downs to their own 44, where Traylor broke up through his left tackle and supported by some very fine blocking, went 56 yards to score the second touchdown of the game.

With Massillon leading 13-0 at the half, the teams throttled each other’s scoring efforts in the third period, the Tigers messing up one of their own opportunities by the illegal formation on which Traylor had crossed the goal after a 63-yard run; the fanciest bit of footwork of the game.

The fourth period was less than half a minute old, however, before the Tigers struck for the third time, and again it was a quickie with Traylor scooting for 33 yards to climax a drive that began when Warren lost the ball on downs on its own 28.

Khoenle furnished more fireworks four minutes later when Warren’s Jim Seem got off a wobbly pass when he tried to throw while being tackled. Bob gathered it in on his 45 and set free with a fine block by John Climo, went 55 yards for the Tigers fourth touchdown.
* * *
THE LAST POINTS rode in one the arm of Misere to the waiting hands of Sam Williams, who pulled in the leather near the goal line and went over for a net gain of 45 yards.

The longest pass of the game did not count, a 49-yarder in the first period that Misere threw to Traylor which would have provided the Tigers with a first down on the Warren 14-yard line. But Johnny fumbled when tackled and Warren recovered.

While the Tiger offense rolled to 31 points, 17 first downs, and 363 net yards from scrimmage, its defense was putting up its best exhibition of the season.

Mather used a defense with quick changing variations designed to confuse the Panthers. It succeeded and the visitors were bumping their heads into Tigers all evening. They gained but 68 net yards rushing and were held to five first downs. Not since the 1942 team beat Warren 32-0 has there been as big a spread of points in a Massillon-Warren game. Closest to it was in 1948 when the Tigers won by a 25-point margin.

Warren’s defensive ends, Jack Vair and Phil Reed throttled most of the Tigers’ end sweeps last night. “We just couldn’t handle then,” Mather said after the game. “I thought their work was outstanding.”

Because of the defensive ability of this pair, Fullback Lee Nussbaum was given a rough evening and practically got nowhere on his runs from a pitchout.

While Warren backs did little running from scrimmage, the way they returned kickoffs was evidence of what could have happened had not the Tiger line and linebackers kept Jim Rogers, Salvi Merolla and Bob Barbutes bottled up on the line of scrimmage. The Panthers returned kickoffs for 28, 21, 33, 19, 15 and seven yards ,or a total of 123 yards, and almost got away a couple of times for touchdown runs.

The line-ups and summary:

MASSILLON
ENDS – Williams, Khoenle, Letcavits, Crone,
TACKLES – Schram, Geiser, Dean, Gumpp.
GUARDS – Clinage, Kraus, Agnes, Shilling, Fabianich.
CENTER – Corral.
QUARTERBACKS – Misere, Crescenze.
HALFBACKS – Francisco, Traylor, Boone, Tasseff, Floyd, Longshore, Stone, Climo, Millar.
FULLBACK – Nussbaum.

WARREN
ENDS – Vair, Sibera, Kelly.
TACKLES – Tayala, Baker, Simmons, Nagy, Luoma.
GUARDS – Riffle, Simone, Bowen, Canzonetta.
CENTER – Pincipi.
QUARTERBACKS – Seem, Preston.
HALFBACKS – Barbutes, Merolla, Venetta, Smith, Maniatis.
FULLBACKS – C. Rogers, Reed, Dubasik.

Score by periods:
Massillon 0 13 0 18 31

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Khoenle 2; Traylor 2; Williams.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Boone (placekick).

Referee – Jack McPhee.
Umpire – John Russ.
Field Judge – Irvin Shopbell.
Head Linesman – Andy Lindsay.

STATISTICS
Mass. Warren
First downs 17 5
Passes attempted 10 14
Passes completed 5 4
Had Passes intercepted 1 2
Yards gained passing 130 31
Yards gained rushing 248 98
Total yards gained 378 129
Yards lost 15 30
Net yards gained 363 99
Kickoffs 6 1
Average kickoff (yards) 50 55
Yards kickoffs returned by 20 123
Punts 0 5
Average punt – 32
Yards punts returned by 8 –
Times fumbled 7 6
Lost ball on fumbles 4 2
Times penalized 4 3
Yards penalized 20 25

Bob Khoenle
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1951: Massillon 13, Warren Harding 19

Fighting Warren Team Defeats Tigers 19-13
20-Game Victory Streak Snapped By Panthers In Battle Before 12,000

By LUTHER EMERY

The invincible Washington high school football team is no longer invincible.

The Tigers, winners of 20 consecutive games were defeated 19-13 by a deserving Warren team Friday evening before a crowd of 12,000 fans who packed every inch of Warren stadium.

All good things come to an end and so did the Tigers’ long victory streak which began back in the middle of 1949 when Mansfield upset the local team in Tiger stadium.

There was nothing lucky about the Warren victory. As Coach Chuck Mather said after the game, “We were beaten by a team tonight that plays better ball than we did.”
* * *
THE STATISTICS of the game bear out the statement for Warren gained more first downs, made more yardage on the ground and in the air, out-punted and out-kicked the Tigers.

The Panthers were high for the game. Rattling with an eagerness that sensed victory the longer the game progressed, they played a hard game. They were good enough to convert three breaks that came their way into touchdowns and were strong enough offensively to hold the ball a goodly portion of the game.

When you can’t get the ball, you can’t score touchdowns – and that was the Tigers ‘chief difficulty.

The Warren running attack built around Fullback Dave Rogers, the hardest running leather lugger the Tigers have faced this season rolled up 303 yards on the local team to retain possession of the pigskin for long periods at a time. Considering this fact and that of the Tigers losing the ball four times on fumbles and again on an intercepted pass, you can well understand how the locals had a hard time getting anywhere with the ball. In fact they ran but four-plays from scrimmage the first quarter; lost the ball on a fumble on one and had a pass intercepted on another.
* * *
THE TIGERS found it difficult to cope with the Warren offense, and all types of defenses were used in a vain effort to check the Panthers.
Warren scored first on a forward pass, after the Tigers had given it the ball on a fumble. Then the Panthers intercepted a Massillon pass, and staged a drive that consumed all of seven minutes in going the length of the field for a touchdown.

The Tigers proved themselves a great ball team in the second period when they marched to two touchdowns and tied the score at 13-13.

That took courage and there were signs of Warren fading when the locals ripped to a first down after taking the kickoff at the start of the second half. But the Panthers covered a Massillon fumble, on the second play from scrimmage and shoved over their third touchdown, which proved to be the winning points.

The Tigers made on great effort after that to tie the score and carried the ball to the
four-yard line where with fourth down and a foot to go they tried an end run with Bobby Grier carrying the ball and were shoved out of bounds short of the required yardage. The chances of at least a tie or a possible victory went glimmering on that play.

An analysis of the Warren victory tends to show that the Panthers were better coordinated than the Tigers last night. Just when the locals seemed in the midst of an offensive maneuver they were set back with penalties, principally for offside, largely because of their own eagerness to win. Two clipping penalties and the rare calling of interference on the offensive team on a forward pass also helped to stymie the locals on two marches.
* * *
WARREN had its share of bad breaks too, losing the ball three times on fumbles and dropping a forward pass in the end zone at the end of the first half which would have been another touchdown.

Offensively, the game for the most part resolved itself into a duel between Rogers and Ace Grooms, Tiger back. Rogers had the better of the advantage in total yards, but Grooms’ the higher average per try. Rogers carried 27 times and gained 162 net yards while Grooms carried 18 times and gained 121 net yards.

The Warren ball toter was a hard runner who bulled his way through tacklers and rarely did one Massillon player bring him down. Usually it required two and three.

The Panthers scored quickly. They received the kickoff and got to the Massillon 45, where they lost the ball on downs. Ace Grooms, got a first down on the play but the Tigers were offside and were penalized. On the next play Grier fumbled and John Krafcik covered for Warren on the Tiger 37. Bill Reed and Rogers made it a first down on the 25 and Don Seem threw a touchdown pass to Roger Bryant. Only three minutes of the game had expired. Pesanelli’s foot made the score 7-0.
* * *
THE TIGERS took the kickoff and in two plays were on the Warren 41, but Reed intercepted Grooms’ long pass on the goal line and got back to the 33 before being downed.

The interception set Warren in motion again and Rogers was unstoppable as he tore off yard after yard. Once he ran 22 yards to the Tigers’ 20 but a five-yard penalty nullified the effort. He came right back to rip and plow, however, and soon was again digging his feet into pay dirt. The ball was driven to the seven-yard line where Rogers circled end for the touchdown. The attempt for the extra point was blocked and Warren led 13-0.

The Tigers proved themselves a great team after the following kickoff when they started from their 25 and drove the length of the field. They had to overcome two penalties en route. Once Grooms had a first down on his 35 but a penalty put the locals back on the 23. Grier made up for it by running to his 48. The Tigers moved on to a first down on the Warren 38 but another five-yard penalty sent them back over the middle of the field. Grooms and Grier took the leather to another first down on the Warren 41. From this point Paul Francisco fired a pretty pass to Bruce Brenner who took it over his shoulder while running hard and crossed the Warren goal. Grooms kicked the extra point and the Tigers trailed 13-7.
* * *
WARREN came right back with the kickoff and advanced the ball with Rogers again doing most of the lugging to the Massillon 39. Bob Kraus popped on a fumbled lateral from Seem to Rogers and gained the leather for the Tigers on the 35. Little Johnny Francisco was the hero of this march as he ran 19 yards to the 11, and then scored on a seven-yard run around his left end. Warren blocked Groom’s attempted placekick for the extra point and the score was tied at 13-13.

On one of the rare occasions, the Tigers stopped Warren after the kickoff and forced the Panthers to punt. Bob Khoenle fumbled the ball when he was tackled just as he caught the pigskin and Warren recovered with 45 seconds of the half remaining. Seem hurled a pretty fourth down pass to Rogers who had the ball first on his finger tips then lunged at it again as it rolled off, and barely missed catching the leather in the end zone.

Press box chatter between halves was to the effect that if Massillon could march the kickoff at the start of the third period to a touchdown, it would win the game. Grooms got back with the ball to the 25 where he was tackled viciously. He plunged for seven and Grier had what would have been a first down save for a fumble that Warren covered on the 35. Rogers in two plays was on the Tiger 15. Here a five-yard penalty on Massillon for delay of the game put the ball on the 10-yard line first down and five to go. Rogers went to the three on the first play, and circled left end untouched for the touchdown on the next. The Tigers blocked the kick – and few thought the 19-13 score would stand up the rest of the way.

But it did. The Tigers got the kickoff and John Francisco was downed with it on his 17. Grooms made it 16 yards and a first on the 33, and picked up eight more on another sweep but a 15-yard penalty stopped the threat and the Tigers were forced to punt. Three plays later the Tigers had their big opportunity when they covered Seem’s fumble on the Warren 25. Grooms made six and John Francisco went to the 13. Grooms in three plays gained nine and one-half yards. It was fourth down on the four and Grier was sent around right end. Warren anticipated a right end sweep and got massed for the play driving Bobby out of bounds for a two-yard loss and took over the ball.
* * *
ROGERS carried out of the hole for Warren as play entered the fourth period with the ball on the Massillon 39. The Panthers got down to the 20 where on fourth down Grier knocked down a pass in the end zone intended for Bryant.

The Tigers carried all the way back to the 33, but a 15-yard clipping penalty set them back. Francisco then tried a long pass to Bruce Brenner but the official charged offensive interference claiming the Massillon receiver pushed the Warren defender, and as a result the locals drew another 15 yards, plus loss of the down. A five-yard penalty for delaying the game shoved the Tigers back another five, forcing Vliet by this time to punt.

He got off a good one to the nine-yard line. Warren got up to its own 28 where Seem fumbled and John Traylor covered to give the Tigers their last chance. John Francisco made a yard at left end. A pass into the end zone rolled off Brenner’s finger tips. Grooms was thrown for a loss on a right end sweep and a pass to Brenner on fourth down failed to gain enough yardage.

Warren had the game by this time. Rogers kept the Panthers in possession by ripping through the Tigers at will for first downs on the 38, the 47 and Massillon’s 35 and the game ended with the Panthers holding the pigskin.

While the loss was a disappointment, it did not necessarily knock the Tigers out of the state championship race, but it will scramble the voting, with the scribes the judges and plenty of them now getting in a lick for their favorite team in the Associated Press poll.

Warren has lost two games to Collinwood and Mansfield, and has an easy game with Erie Academy which hasn’t won a game, next week, before taking on Steubenville, one of the state’s best, in two weeks.

The triumph was Warren’s first over Massillon since 1947. The Tigers won the last three years.

The line-up and summary:
MASSILLON
ENDS – Keen, Sweasey, Brenner, Gable, Shilling.
TACKLES – Geiser, Chapman, Gibson, Strobel.
GUARDS – Kraus, Sapia, Tunning, Grunder, Snyder.
CENTERS – Stewart, Roderick, Climo, Fabianich.
QUARTERBACKS – Traylor. P. Francisco, Dommer.
HALFBACKS – Williams, Khoenle, Grier, J. Francisco, Nussbaum, Johnson.
FULLBACKS – Vliet, Grooms.

WARREN
ENDS – Bryant, Vair, Martin, Buxton.
TACKLES – Nicula, Marco, Louma.
GUARDS – Simone, Krafcik, Brangham, Yenchocik.
CENTERS – Groff, Preston, Principi.
QUARTERBACK – Seem.
HALFBACKS – Reed, Williams, Merolla, Leigh, Gear, Venetta.
FULLBACKS – Rogers, Pesanelli, White.

Score by periods:
Warren 7 6 6 0 19
Massillon 0 13 0 0 13

STATISTICS
Warren Mass.
First downs 17 10
Passes attempted 6 7
Passes completed 3 3
Had Passes intercepted 0 2
Yards gained passing 75 45
Yards gained rushing 303 225
Total yards gained 378 270
Yards lost 10 12
Net yards gained 368 258
Times kicked off 4 3
Average kickoff (yards) 54 37
Yards kickoffs returned 53 73
Times punted 1 2
Average punt (yards) 45 41
Yards punts returned 4 0
Fumbles 5 5
Lost ball on fumbles 3 4
Yards penalized 55 76

Ace Grooms
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1950: Massillon 23, Warren Harding 6

Washington High School Defeats Warren Harding 23-6
Tigers Find Panthers Tough Defensively And Touchdowns Hard To Get

By LUTHER EMERY

Strange things happen in football, and because of the uncertainty Massillon fans for two periods Friday evening clung to the edge of their seats wondering if it was the night when one of those fearful upsets would blast their Washington high school Tigers out of the running for the state championship. But it turned out not to be so and the local gridders through a second half assault smashed their way to a 23-6 victory over a stubborn Warren Panther for their seventh straight triumph of the season.

All was not rain that dampened a large portion of the crowd of 12,571 fans who turned out for the spectacle. Those who sat under the roof, about 99 per cent of whom were Massillon fans, were wet from perspiration as they heaved and puffed with the Tiger football team as it tried to make headway on the visiting eleven.

As ‘twas said – strange things happened; from the first four plays of the game one would have expected the Tiger score to have approached three figures, so easily did Massillon register its initial touchdown. It took the Tigers just four plays to get over the Warren goal after the kickoff, Freddie Waikem getting the last 30 yards after only one minute and 27 seconds of the game had expired.

From there on the going was rough, brother, and you can say that again.

The touchdown represented the only score of the first half, and plenty of Massillon spectators were uneasy when the teams went to the dressing rooms at intermission. And to add to their worries, Tiger Drum Major Russell Mowery, missed catching his baton when he tossed it over the goal post (in itself an ill omen). The witches and bones trotted out in the band show helped to cast a spell over the minds of the skeptical who kept saying to themselves, “this is the night.”

The Tiger football team, however didn’t see what went on between halves. Members were too busy in the dressing room charting the weak spots in the Warren line for a second half assault, and when they came out for the third period, they smashed across for 10 points the first two opportunities they had to carry the ball. Fortunate they did, for Warren had one in the bag that turned out to be the most sensational play of the game, a pass into the flat from Don Stroup to Dennis Pardee who raced 72 yards down the sideline to score. He did it alone and it seemed as though every player in the Tiger lineup slid off his pants before he finally shook himself free.
* * *
HAD THAT touchdown come at the start of the third period instead of the fourth there’s no telling how the game would have wound up. As it was it served no other purpose than to give the visiting rooters an opportunity to release some of their enthusiasm for the Tigers had the game pretty well sacked by that time.

As expected the Panthers threw up a stout defense against the Tigers. They fell apart only once – at the start of the game when the locals raced to their first score. Otherwise it was slam-bang all the way with a sturdy, hard charging line turning back several other Tiger bids to score and throwing Massillon ball carriers for a total loss of 60 yards. Howard Glover, end, and big Bob James were hard to move, the former giving Quarterback Freddie Close a hard time on several occasions when he attempted to pass.

Nevertheless the local team had the advantage in the statistics, marking up 14 first downs to Warren’s four and gaining a net of 322 yards to Warren’s 169 yards.

The visitors did not show any great amount of offense, their ground attack gaining only 87 net yards and their pass offense 82 yards. They might have shown to better advantage in their aerial game had the ball been dry. As it was the slippery leather made it tough on both passers and receivers.
* * *
CLIFF STREETER for instance dropped a fourth period pass from Close that undoubtedly would have resulted in another Massillon touchdown. The ball skidded through his arms on the three-yard line.

On the other hand big Cliff made the catch of the evening in the second period when he hauled in a 51-yard pass from Bob Howe on the 17-yard line. It didn’t get the Tigers anything, however for Warren braced and threw the local team back to the 32.

The victory was not only the Tigers’ seventh of the season but was also their third straight Ohio conference triumph. They are the only undefeated eleven in the conference at the present time.
* * *
THE TIGERS’ last touchdown was one too many for Jerry Krisher, place kicking artist of the local team. Jerry went into the game with nine in a row. He got the first two to make it 11 but the ball sailed wide of the uprights on his third attempt.

However, he kicked a field goal in the third period, the first that he has attempted and the first field goal scored by a Massillon team since Jack Clendening booted one against Akron South on Oct. 14, 1929. Freddie Close put the ball down on the 18-yard line for Krisher’s boot. Jerry now has kicked 33 points after touchdowns out of 38 attempts. He had kicked 26 of the last 27 before he missed last night.

The way the Tigers took off after the opening kick it looked as though they would have a field day last night.

Ernie Russell brought Santti’s kickoff back to his 28 and Waikem immediately took off for a 19-yard run. One more block and he would have traveled the distance. On the next play Russell went to the opposite side to sweep the left end for 21 yards and put the all on the Warren 32. Bob Howe tried a right end lateral but gained only two yards. The visitors evidently had marked him as the man to stop. On the next play Waikem went up the middle on a quick opener and was over the Warren goal before most fans knew who had the ball.
* * *
NEITHER TEAM did much offensively the remainder of the period, though the Tigers twice got over the middle of the field only to be stopped by the Panther defenders.

Howe’s 51-yard peg to Streeter started a definite threat in the second period, but it ended with Russell being thrown for a six-yard loss and Waikem a 12-yard loss as Warren appeared to find a defense that could cope with the Massillon sweeps. Neither team threatened the remainder of the period.

After being dressed down by their coach between halves, the Tigers scored the first time they got their hands on the pigskin in the third period. They kicked off to Warren to start the quarter and forced the visitors to punt back, Pardee kicking out of bounds on the Massillon 37.

The local team overcame a five-yard offside penalty as it drove to a first down on its 48 with Howe doing most of the lugging. Howe and Russell picked up six and nine yards respectively to get the ball down to the Warren 37, where Waikem cracked for four, Howe for nine and Russell for eight. That put the leather 16 yards short of the goal and Howe made everybody from Massillon feel more comfortable when he circled his right end for the remaining 16. Krisher kicked the extra point and it was 14-0.
* * *
WAREEN was stopped after the kickoff and a fine punt return by Russell put the ball on the 30, where the Tiger halfback needed some help by Jim Reichenbach, Jim covering Ernie’s fumble.

Close gambled and pitched the wet ball to Wilfred Brenner for a first down on the 13. When the next three plays gained but five yards, Krisher placekicked his field goal to put the local team ahead 17-0.

The fourth quarter was getting along toward the halfway mark when Stroup tossed a pass into the flat to Pardee. It almost amounted to a long lateral, and Pardee after shaking off two Tiger tacklers set sail for the sideline. He was hit time and again, but Tiger tacklers slid off and he went 72 yards for Warren’s touchdown.

Pesanelli who kicked a field goal last week to beat Alliance was sent in to try for the extra point but missed the conversion.

The Tigers received on their 38 and marched 62 yards for the final touchdown of the game with Waikem and Howe doing most of the ball toting, but Russell going over for the last two yards and the six points.

Statistics
Mass. Warren
First downs 14 4
Passes attempted 8 12
Passes completed 3 3
Had passes intercepted 0 1
Yards gained passing 74 82
Yards gained rushing 306 97
Total yards gained 382 179
Yards lost 60 10
Net yards gained 322 169
Times kicked off 5 2
Average kickoff (yards) 51 47
Yards kickoffs returned by 29 108
Times punted 4 6
Average punt 9yards) 21 27
Yards punts returned by 21 6
Times fumbled 6 4
Lost ball on fumbles 0 1
Times penalized 5 3
Yards penalized 25 15

Jim Reichenbach
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1949: Massillon 35, Warren Harding 19

Tigers Have Rugged Time Beating Inspired Panthers
Trap Plays And Passes Worry Massillon Team, As Panthers Hit Peak

By LUTHER EMERY

The Washington high school football team struggled through a 35-19 victory over Warren Harding high before 10,000 fans in Warren Friday evening, and Coach Chuck Mather is wondering what has become of his defense.

The Panthers battled the Tigers on even terms the first half which ended 14-12 (Massillon having the two-point margin) and played toe to toe with the locals throughout much of the last two periods.

It was the second week in a row the Tigers had been called upon to face a team that had been keyed up to its highest pitch of the season, and whereas they lost their engagement with Mansfield 16-12 a week ago, they were equal to the occasion last night.

It was an offensive battle from start to finish with Warren scoring more points on the Tigers than it registered in its last five games combined and winning applause from the fans for its efforts. In fact many Warren folk considered the score a moral victory for Warren, though a 35-19 licking is still a bit on the decisive side.

The Tigers’ offense was for the most part, good enough. They gained 498 yards from scrimmage including 121 with the use of the forward pass, and yet Warren, through its own offensive ability was able to control the ball for long periods of the game.

Had the local team’s defense been on a par with its offense there’s no telling how many touchdowns the local backs would have poured over the Warren goal.

As it was, the Tigers were vulnerable to trap plays up the middle and to forward passes, Warren making 15 first downs, and completing 10 of 17 throws for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Ball carriers gained 225 yards which gave the Panthers a total of 319 yards gained. That’s too many for a good defense.
* * *
THE TIGERS had worked considerably on defense too the past week which made the locals’ showing in that department all the more disappointing.

Of course the team’s two heaviest boys, Jim Reichenbach and Glenn Tunning were missing from the forward wall, and they are a couple of pretty hard obstacles for the opposition to move around. Reichenbach was used on a couple of offensive plays, long enough, unfortunately to get his injured ankle touched up a bit, while Tunning was sidelined for the entire game.

The Tiger offense even had difficulty getting going early in the ball game when Warren which had scouted the local team thoroughly, confronted it with what amounted to an eight-man line. Line backers were apt to jump into the five-man forward wall at any spot, throwing up an unorthodox defense when they did and when they didn’t they played off the hips of their buddies. They gambled that their eight forward men could stop the Tigers’ running attack and at the same time break through fast enough to smear Don James before he could get the ball away on pass plays.

It worked for awhile but eventually proved Warren’s undoing for the Tigers wised up to themselves, used a statue of liberty play to discourage the rushing tactics of the Panther ends and tossed some passes that found their mark for long gains. With a bit of the eager beaver taken out of Warren, the locals’ offense began to click and would have gained more points had the Massillon defense been able to stop Warren’s offense more consistently and get the ball for the Tiger backs to play with.
* * *
IT WAS the kind of game that causes fans to fill stadiums during the fall and the Warren spectators in particular were delighted with the spirit of their team which they had seen go down to five previous consecutive defeats after winning its opening game from Collinwood by a point, 14-13.

Though last night’s loss was the sixth in a row for the Panthers their followers were not at all downhearted and along with their coach Chuck Riffle, declared it by far the best showing of the season.

And the Panthers’ play was good enough to make more than one Massillon fan tremble, though some how or other, even when leading by only two points, local spectators as a whole felt the Tigers were superior enough to come through in the second half.

Their feelings were justified for the Massillon gridders shoved over two quick touchdowns to ice the game.

Coach Chuck Mather gave Ray Lane and Don Studer a chance to work with the first offensive team at the start of the game, though Clarence Johnson and Don Slicker whom they succeeded, saw lots of action.
* * *
EVEN though he did lose the ball twice on fumbles, Johnson also exhibited the kind of running he is capable of when he bulled and twisted his way to 78 yards and the Tigers’ last touchdown of the game.

Dick Jacobs scored three times for the local gridders and Irvin Crable once. Dick’s first was a 75-yard sprint for the opening points of the game, and he had one called back even earlier when he went 81 yards after catching a pass from Don James, only to step out of bounds on Warren’s 49-yard line. Crable also got away to one long run, a 50-yard jaunt in which he was tackled from behind on the one-yard line. It went for naught when Johnson lost the ball on a fumble on the next play.

It was evident from the start that the Tigers were not up against any easy mark, as Warren marched the kickoff back for two first downs before punting. On the locals’ first series of plays James tossed to Jacobs who went 81 yards for the distance but got a toe out of bounds on the Warren 49 as he did a tight-wire walk up the sideline.

Warren got the ball back by covering a Massillon fumble on the Tiger 47 and carried it to the 19-yard line where the locals took over on downs. Crable made six but James was thrown for an 11-yard loss trying to pass. It did not discourage him, however, for with the Warren ends crashing, he called for a statue to Jacobs which the latter took and went 75 yards for the first score. Jerry Krisher kicked the extra point as he did all five attempts last night.
* * *
THE GAME changed to an offensive battle as the two teams marched three times to touchdowns on successive kickoffs.

Warren started the first drive after getting the kickoff on its 33. With Paul Smith and Lionel Reed making yardage on trap plays, Dennis Pardee reeled off a deep reverse that took Warren into Tiger territory. The Panthers continued to trap the locals with Smith eventually planting the ball on the 12. Two plays advanced it eight yards from where Reed circled his right end for the six points.

The Tigers roared back with the next kickoff from the 25. Johnson carrying the ball into Warren territory on his first run of the evening. He tried a long pass that was just settling into the finger tips of Don Slicker in the end zone, when the latter staggered and fell. It made no difference, however, for Crable took the ball to the 21 and Jacobs went around the right end for six points.

There were few minutes left when the Tigers kicked off, but enough for Warren to score a touchdown. Reed trapped his way to the 50 when Robison tossed to Smith for nine yards and the latter rammed through to a first on the 30. With seconds left, Robison fired the ball to Ed Zofko, who caught it just as the gun sounded, to bring the score to 14-12 at the half.

The Tigers started off in the third period as though they meant business when Crable broke through to the one-yard line, where Johnson lost the ball on a fumble. But this time the Massillon defense did not have any holes in it and Pardee was forced to punt, the ball rolling out on the Warren 24. It took two plays to get a touchdown, Crable going forward for 11 yards and Jacobs the rest of the distance.
* * *
THE TIGERS covered a Warren fumble on the series that followed the kickoff, Jerry Krisher pouncing on the pigskin on his own 37. On the first play, Crable went to a first down on the Warren 27, Johnson moved it up to the 17 and Jacobs went around right end for the points.

That brought the score to 28-12 and there it stood until with three minutes of the game remaining, Robison fired a pass to Zofko for three yards and the Panthers’ third touchdown. It climaxed a 77-yard march featuring a 13-yard fourth-down screen pass that put the ball on the 20, and another 20-yarder, Robison to Paul Willoughby that put the leather on the five. John George, who had missed his two previous attempts for points, kicked this one to pull Warren within nine points of the Tigers, 28-19.

It didn’t take the locals long to get another of their own. On the second play after the kickoff Johnson on a reverse was turned loose around his left end for 78 yards. He did some good hard running and twisting to free himself and was accorded some good blocking. These were the final points of the game.

The Tigers blocked well last night. Once Ronald Patt knocked himself out and a Warren tackler with a pretty block that set Crable loose on his lone touchdown.

The Tiger tackling was as poor as the blocking was good. There were many good, hard socks, but too many tacklers slid off their opponents.

The lineup and summary:

MASSILLON
ENDS – STUDER, GLEASON, Slicker.
TACKLES – KRISHER, SCHUMACHER, Duke, Gibson, Standford.
GUARDS – LAPS, SHINE, Reichenbach, Houston.
CENTERS – PATT, Vliet.
QUARTERBACK – JAMES.
HALFBACKS – LANE, JACOBS, Johnson, Waikem.
FULLBACKS – CRABLE, Russell, Grier.

WARREN
ENDS – GLOVER, ZOFKO.
TACKLES – ZOBA, BOB JAMES, Hovance.
GUARDS – DE CAPITO, SMUKE, Swoke, Salvato, George.
CENTERS – BILL JAMES, Ylisela.
QUARTERBACK – ROBISON.
HALFBACKS – L. REED, PARDEE, Allard, Willoughby.
FULLBACKS – SMITH, Hooks.

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 7 14 7 35
Warren 0 12 0 7 19

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Jacobs 3; Johnson; Crable.
Warren – Reed; Zofko 2.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Krisher 5 (placekicks).
Warren – George (placekick).

Referee – Lobach.
Umpire – Gross.
Head Linesman – Sweeney.
Field Judge – Lindsay.

C.J. Johnson
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1948: Massillon 38, Warren Harding 14

Tigers Whip Warren 39-14 For Sixth Victory Of Season
Passes And Long Runs Provide Thrills For Father’s Night Crowd

By LUTHER EMERY

Writing their scores both in the sky and on the ground, the Washington high Tigers romped through Warren Harding, high here Friday evening for a 39-14 triumph and their sixth in seven games before a small crowd of 11,000 fans.

Uncorking a potent passing attack for the first time, the Tiger gridders showed off before their dads who were seated on the sidelines and who at the end of the game wore grins on their faces as big as the numbers on their backs.

It was Dads’ night and a good night for the Massillon gridders to perform. Because it was Dads’ night, Warren was undoubtedly saved from a more humiliating defeat for Coach “Chuck” Mather, eager to give every boy a chance to show his Dad how it is done, swept his bench of players and used all 44 uniformed men in the game, the greatest number that has ever participated in a Washington high school game, as far as we have been able to learn.

The Tigers took Warren to the races, with Tiger backs getting off to long runs for touchdowns. The only sad part of it all is that it had to happen to a grand guy like J.O. (Heinie) Beck, Warren coach.

It was a game in which the statistics belied the score. You don’t chalk up first downs when a fellow covers 60 yards for a touchdown. You give him six points instead and as a result Warren had 11 first downs to the Tigers’ six.

The yards gained tell the truer picture, however, for here the local eleven rolled up 480 to Warren’s 251.
* * *
THE PANTHERS scored as expected, causing Coach Mather his only concern of the game. “If we could only keep somebody from scoring,” he moaned after the contest while the public address announcement of Canton McKinley’s 46-7 victory over Alliance was still ringing in his ears.

The Tigers came out of the game in pretty good shape, though Jim Reichenback and Dick Jacobs were touched up with injuries which were not believed to be too serious.

The boys ran for the goal line like a colt for the oats bin, as they fattened the Tiger scoring column with points. Most of the local team’s scores, were on long thrusts. Clarence Johnson went 31 and 60 yards for two of the touchdowns and snared a pass from Jack Hill good for 34 yards and a third score. Irvin Crable scored from 14 yards out and Al Brown got away for jaunts of 60 and 47 yards.

Warren was stubborn the first half and the visiting linemen fought hard to trap Tiger ball carriers. They could be moved easier the last two periods, however, when the Tigers did most of their scoring. The Warren touchdown drives were unleashed with the Tiger second stringers in the game, though the first team line was on the field when a third period
five-yard pass produced Warren’s first touchdown.
* * *
THE RUNNING of the Tiger backs was some of the hardest of the season, but when Coach Mather grades his pictures he will probably find the overall performance of the team was below that of the Mansfield game.

There were many hard blocks, some weak ones too, and many instances of tacklers sliding off Warren ball carriers when a good shoulder might have brought the runner to earth.

With it all the Massillon gridders score was 14 points better than that made by Canton McKinley against Warren, but the Bulldogs on the other hand held the Panthers scoreless.

Most pleasant part of the performance was the improvement in the Tiger passing attack. The team completed seven of 10 attempts for 183 yards, and climaxed the aerial works by going 87 yards for the last touchdown in two pass plays.

Passes also figured in other touchdown drives. Jack Hill was given the best protection accorded him this season, affording him every opportunity to pick out his receivers.
* * *
HERB EDINGTON, the guy who ran the Tigers wobbly at Warren last year, was once again the offensive star of the visiting team, though Teammates Bill Bevan and Williams were close behind.

Edington churned up the turf with his hard running and actually exploded through tackle in the fourth quarter to score the visitors’ second touchdown from 14 yards out.

The Tigers rolled to a touchdown the first time they came into possession of the ball. Only a few seconds more than four minutes of the first period had expired when on fourth down and a yard to go, Clarence Johnson was given the ball on a double reverse. The Warren team was completely fooled as he raced around left end for 31 yards and six points. Jerry Krisher placekicked the extra point.

Warren got to the 20-yard line toward the close of the quarter, its deepest penetration of Tiger territory in the entire first half, but lost the ball on a fumble. The Tigers took over and after an exchange of punts, launched a touchdown drive from their own 31. With the help of a 33-yard pass to Johnson and a 19-yarder caught by Roderick, they advanced the ball to the 14-yard line from where Irvin Crable went over on a double reverse. Two Warren tacklers sensed the play, but were taken out of Crable’s path by some timely blocking.
* * *
THE TIGERS shot the works in the third period and scored every time they came into possession of the ball. It didn’t take two minutes to get the first when on the fourth play of the second half, Johnson burst through the Warren line to run 60 yards for a touchdown.

Al Brown followed with another 60 yarder the next time he came into possession of the ball, and with a 26-0 lead, Coach Mather began sending in a steady stream of substitutes who soon found Warren was a pretty tough bunch to handle. The Panthers shoved the second string line backward and rolled 65 yards to the seven-yard line where Coach Mather decided to give his first string line a try at a goal line stand. Two plays later the visitors had their first touchdown on Robison’s peg to Manyak.

Only one minute and 43 seconds of the third period remained but it didn’t take the Tigers that long to get their next score as they took the kickoff, moved to the 47 where Al Brown was released for a dash into pay dirt that brought the score to 32-7.

Warren marched right back with the kickoff from the Panthers’ own 45-yard line to the 14 where Edington broke away for the visitors’ second touchdown.

The Tigers final score came the last time they managed to gain possession of the ball. They stopped a Warren drive on their own 18, were penalized five for being in motion, then took to the air for two plays and a touchdown. Johnson took a lateral, dropped back and fired a terrific pass that Jack Houston caught on the Warren 34, where he was downed in his tracks. Hill rifled the ball the rest of the distance to Johnson, who scampered over for the Tigers’ last points of the game.

In beating Warren 39-14, the Tiger players accomplished one of their objectives – that of whipping the Panthers by a greater score than that made by Alliance in a pre-season practice game which Alliance won 12-7.

The local gridders will now turn their attention toward the invasion of Toledo Waite next Friday evening. The sophomores will go to Mansfield today for a scrimmage with Augie Morningstar’s youngsters.
Smiles For Dads

MASSILLON
ENDS – SLICKER, HOUSTON, Roderick, Gleason, Streeter, Studer, Zellers, Crone, Martin.
TACKLES – JONES, TAKACS, Krisher, A. James, Stanford, Mitchell, Schumacher, Campbell, Kalleker.
GUARDS – PAUL, REICHENBACK, Morrow, De Walt, W. Houston, Turkal, Laps, Leinenveber.
CENTERS – McVEY, Kent, Patt.
QUARTERBACKS – HILL, D. James, Close.
HALFBACKS – JACOBS, JOHNSON, Crable, Shine, Bush, Grier, Russell, Waikem.
FULLBACKS – BROWN, Ebbert, Lane, Howe.

WARREN
ENDS – MANYAK, ZOFKO, Haidaris, Rounds, Stocz.
TACKLES – SWOPE, B. JAMES, Lafferty, Doing.
GUARDS – BAILES, SALVATO, Capito, Ylisela.
CENTERS – BOHYER, Liberatore.
QUARTERBACKS – ROBISON, Venetta, Manusackis, P. Smith.
HALFBACKS – MACHUZAK, CLESS, Edington, Williams.
FULLBACK – BEVAN.

Score by periods:
Massillon 7 6 19 7 39
Warren 0 0 7 7 14

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Johnson 3; Brown 2; Crable.
Warren – Manyake, Edington.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Krisher 2; Johnson (placekicks).
Warren – Bevan 2 (placekicks).

Statistics Of The Game
Mass. Warren
First downs 6 11
Passes attempted 10 17
Passes completed 7 10
Had passes intercepted 1 0
Yards gained passing 183 91
Yards gained rushing 297 166
Total yards gained 480 257
Yards lost 6 37
Net yards gained 474 220
Times punted 2 5
Average punt (yards) 33 35
Punts returned by (yards) 28 0
Times kicked off 7 3
Average kickoff (yards) 45 43
Kickoffs returned by (yards) 69 123
Times fumbled 2 4
Lost ball on fumble 1 1
Times penalized 7 2
Yards penalized 35 10

Jack Hill
History

1947: Massillon 13, Warren Harding 20

Warren Blasts Tigers From Ranks Of Undefeated
Massillon Gridders Beaten 20-13 By Fast Charging Harding Line

By LUTHER EMERY

A fast charging Warren line blasted Massillon Washington high school from its Ohio scholastic throne Friday evening by a score of 20-13.

A capacity crowd that filled every inch of the Warren Harding high stadium saw the Tigers fall with a resounding thump into the heap of teams that have already been knocked off the lofty perch this season.

Program Cover

Scoring all three touchdowns in the opening quarter, two of them in the first six minutes of play, the Presidents got the jump on the Tigers and were in command of the game throughout.

Massillon scored 13 points in the last half, actually didn’t deserve that many, and came within two yards of scoring the tying touchdown in the fourth quarter. Warren earned all of its touchdowns, lost another when the half ended with a first down on the Tiger one yard line, and passed up another opportunity by losing the ball on a fumble on the Tiger
three-yard line, which is to say the Tigers were fortunate they were not defeated by a larger score.

The Harding President gained a net total of 322 yards to Massillon’s 163 and made 15 first downs to the Tigers’ six.

Give the game to the Warren linemen. They were terrors last night, surprising even the most optimistic of their fans as they ripped the Massillon line to shreds on both offense and defense to hand the Tigers their first loss of the season. Warren likewise has suffered but one defeat, that a 35-7 whipping by Canton McKinley.

The President linemen out charged the Tiger forward wall from start to finish and blasted large holes for their fast running backs, Walt Corbon, Herb Edington and Leroy Schier. Once in the open, the ball carriers drove hard for many yards to out gain the Tigers on the ground 305 yards to 84 yards.
* * *
NOT UNTIL the last period did the local team begin to look like it had in recent games. Then it began carrying the game to Warren and battled the Presidents on somewhat even terms.

The scrappy spirit of the Massillon team in the face of defeat and its general clean play when taking a beating were about all the local fans had to cheer about. The local gridders tried to pull themselves out of the hole they had gotten into, as they had one in the Canton Lincoln and Steubenville games, and almost did.

That the Tigers were low for the game there seems to be no doubt. They got off to a bad start by fumbling the first three times they got the ball, twice losing the pigskin to Warren which converted one of the bobbles into its first touchdown.

With Al Brown sidelined with injuries save for two plays of the game and Clarence Johnson participating in only a couple of series of plays because of chest pains, the Tigers; offense could not be expected to hit par. Joe Jones sustained a painful shoulder injury which cut down his capabilities and three of the four guards carried injuries prior to the contest.
* * *
INJURIES probably had much to do with taking the spark out of the Massillon machine, while Warren was clicking smoother than any team we have seen this season and shoved the Tiger into reverse gear most of the evening.

The locals tried to pass their way out of difficulty but it was not until the second half that the passers could hit their receivers. The latter had little difficulty freeing themselves but the passers were so rushed by the hard charging linemen that they frequently could not get the ball away.

The game wasn’t three minutes old until Warren had its first touchdown. Things happened fast after the opening kickoff which Ray Resh brought back to his 18-yard line. The Tigers fumbled on the first play from scrimmage and Warren covered on the 16. Then Bill Bevan fumbled on Warren’s first play and Jack McVay covered for Massillon on the 15. And on the very next play the Tigers fumbled again and Robinson covered for Warren on the Massillon 19. That last one set Warren in motion and it moved to the five-yard line where the Tigers held for three downs but on fourth down Edington crossed up the locals’ attack and raced around his right end for the first Warren score. He also placekicked the extra point.
* * *
THE TIGERS were pinned back in their own territory after the following kickoff and punted to midfield. Corbin and Bevan negotiated a first down on the 34 and the Presidents then turned Edington loose for a neat bit of open field running in which Massillon tacklers slid off him as though he had greased pants. He went the route and placekicked the extra point to put Warren ahead 14-0 with only six minutes of the first period played.

Thompson intercepted John Badarnza’s pass on the second play after the kickoff to set Warren in motion again. Starting from their own 39, they used four first downs to take the ball to the seven and on fourth down Robison flipped a pass to Schier in the end zone for the third score. Paul Olenick broke through to block Edington’s attempted placekick.

The Tigers, who failed to show any net gain for their offensive efforts in the first period, threatened twice in the second quarter but didn’t have the punch to get the ball over. Their first effort began when Jacobs recovered a Warren fumble on his own 44. The locals worked the ball as close as the 13-yard line but lost it when Corbin intercepted a pass on his own two.

Warren punted out safely to the 28 and the locals managed to get through for one first down before losing the ball on downs on the 14-yard line. Warren took over from there, rushed the Tigers off their feet and had the ball on first down on the one-yard line as the half ended.

What hopes the locals had of stopping the President’s running attack the last two periods faded right after the kickoff when they took Schludecker’s boot and sallied back to a first down on the 10-yard line. Olenick saved the day by intercepting Robinson’s pass and running the ball back to his 39-yard line.

Jacobs cut loose with a beautiful punt after the next series of plays that rolled out on the four-yard line and set up the Tigers first touchdown. Robinson fumbled on the first play and Mike Takacs pounced on the ball on the four. It took three plays to get the pigskin over; Clarence Johnson lugging it across for the last yards. Schludecker kicked the extra point.
* * *
THE TOUCHDOWN only served to fire Warren up all the more, for it took the following kickoff and came running back to the 11-yard line before Jack McVay covered Corbin’s fumble on the three. Dick Jacobs nearly got away on the first play of the fourth quarter as he raced out to his 36-yard line before being dropped by the Warren safety man. Hill lost 10 yards trying to pass, but he dropped back and fired another, a long one that Jacobs caught past midfield and raced for a touchdown, a gain of 72 yards. Schludecker missed the attempt for the extra point but Massillon fans trumpeted in glee as they saw a possible opportunity to tie the score.

They didn’t have to wait long for that opportunity. It came after the kickoff, when Warren, thrown back by a 15-yard clipping penalty and two of the best Tiger tackles of the evening, was forced to punt. The pass from center was over the kicker’s head and the ball, rolled back to the 10-yard line where it was first down for Massillon. Resh made a yard on the first play and Coach Houghton rushed in Brown and Clarence Johnson. Al circled left end for two, and Johnson in two attempts could get no nearer than the two-yard line where the Tigers lost the ball.

Warren punted out and the Tigers got back to the 26 on a pass, C. Johnson to E. Johnson, but Warren covered up and the locals again lost the ball on downs, with two minutes and 45 seconds remaining to be played. The game ended with the Tigers in possession of the ball on their own 33-yard line.
A Real Whipping
Massillon Pos. Warren
E. Johnson le Yurtin
Eberhardt lt Scott
Williams lg Lawrence
Olenick c Pollick
Houston rg Doulo
Wittmann rt Fetsko
Roderick re Manyak
Badarnza qb Robinson
Jacobs lh Edington
Resh rh Corbin
C. Johnson fb Smith

Score by periods
MASSILLON 0 0 7 6 13
WARREN 20 0 0 0 20

Substitutions:
Massillon – Takacs, fb; Hillk qb; McVay, c; Ferris, rg; Morrow, lg; Jones, lt; Brown, lh; Grier, rh; Schludecker.

Warren – Minnick, lg; Bevan, fb; Schier, lh; Doing, lt; Williams, rh; Thompson, qb.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – C. Johnson; Jacobs.
Warren – Edington 2; Schier.

Points after touchdown:
Massillon – Schludecker (placekick).
Warren – Edington, 2. (placekicks).

Referee – Lobach.
Umpire – Gross.
Head Linesman – Lindsay.
Field Judge – Brown.

Statistics
Massillon Warren
First downs 6 15
Yards gained rushing 84 305
Passes attempted 17 7
Passes completed 3 3
Passes had intercepted 2 1
Yards gained passing 109 26
Total yards gained 193 331
Yards lost 30 9
Total net yardage 163 322
Times kicked 3 4
Average kicks (yards) 40 55
Times punted 3 3
Average punts (yards) 39 40
Average return of kicks 19 15
Average return of punts 10 0
Fumbles 5 6
Fumbles recovered 2 2
Fumbles lost 3 4
Times penalized 4 5
Yards penalized 30 32

Tony Uliveto
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1946: Massillon 19, Warren Harding 6

Passes Give Tigers 19-6 Victory Over Warren High
Touchdown Pegs Defeat Presidents When Ground Attack Fails To Move

By LUTHER EMERY

The Washington high Tigers waited until the wettest night of the year to come out with a passing attack Friday evening and they can thank their lucky stars they had it for instead of beating Warren 19-6, they undoubtedly would have finished in a 6-6 deadlock.

While 16,000 fans, more than half of them drenched by the downpour of rain, looked on, the Tigers tossed two touchdown passes, one of which was the prettiest thing that has been seen here in a football way for a good many years.
Little To Report About
Aside from that the local team had little to be happy about. Its running attack was almost completely smothered by an inspired Warren line that out charged the Tiger forward wall, and the visitors in turn moved the ball quite freely through the Massillon offense to outnumber the local team 11-4 in first downs.

The pay off on touchdowns, however, and the Massillon gridders got three of them to Warren’s one. They gained more yards too, thanks to the completion of four of seven passes for 111 yards. Warren made the most yardage on the ground, 180 to the Tigers’ 101.

The first touchdown came cheap for the local team and it looked at the time as though Warren would have a bad evening. On the first play the visitors attempted, Dave Dowd broke through and, with a couple of other Tigers, batted down a pass as it left the hand of Herb Eddington, fleet Warren back. The ball went up in the air and Dowd hauled it in as it came down. He only had to scamper five yards to get over the Warren goal and over he went for a touchdown. Al Brown missed an attempt for the extra point. It was a personal achievement for Dowd who was starting his first game at right tackle where Gene Krisher and Julius Wittmann had already been laid low with injuries. Before the period was over, Dowd joined them with a lacerated nose that took several stitches.

The Tigers unleashed their passing attack to produce the two other touchdowns when their running failed to gain.

A 34-yard peg from Dan Byelene to Jack Zeller set up the second late in the opening period with a first down on the seven-yard line. When three line plays failed to move the ball any nearer the Warren goal, Byelene pitched one into the flat to Zeller who went over for the touchdown. This time Brown booted the ball between the uprights for the extra point.

The Tiger attack bogged down and neither team threatened in the second period.

Came the third quarter and Warren ran Massillon all over the gridiron and eventually climaxed a 50-yard march that saw Eddington skirt his right end for three yards and a touchdown. The Tigers appeared to have the Warren drive stopped on the 39, but with fourth down coming up, Eddington ran to a first down on the Massillon 23 on a fake kick and then with the help of Louie Schier and a five-yard penalty carried it on to the three from which he danced away for his touchdown.
A Real Thriller
The Tigers’ last touchdown was the thriller of the year. A 15-yard penalty for holding that followed the kickoff had the local team in deep water back on its 19-yard line. Interference on a pass moved the ball to the 35 and then it happened. Al Brown pegged a pretty 30-yard pass to Gene Zorger who caught the ball over his shoulder on the dead run. His blockers came up from nowhere and he gave them time to go to work.

Jack Zeller dumped the first Warren tackler, then Tony Uliveto dropped one, and finally Jim Young took out the last man who had a chance to lay a hand on Zorger as he raced 35 yards into pay dirt.

It was the prettiest display of setting up blocks and downfield blocking that has been seen here in a long time.

Trouble was, there wasn’t enough of it at other stages of the game, for the Tiger ball carriers had a hard time moving last night, and had it not been for their ability to complete an occasional pass it is doubtful if they would have scored more than the one touchdown that Dowd gathered in on Warren’s first play from scrimmage.

Penalties hurt the locals; offensive work many times. The linemen were unusually eager to get at their opponents and were penalized seven times for offside. In fact their eagerness frequently got them in bad for Warren used a series of trap plays that time and again cut down Tiger tacklers and left big openings in the Massillon line.

Many Massillon fans, bearing the scores of other high school games announced over the public address system, considered the local team fortunate that it was able to come through on a night of upsets such as Mansfield 6, Canton Timken, 6; and the scoreless tie that locked Canton McKinley and Steubenville together.

Fortunately for the local gridders, they emerged from the game without too many injuries.

Wittmann’s split nose required several stitches and Gene Yost, who has been playing in tough luck all season, left a couple of teeth on the field and sustained a cup lip that had to be stitched. His tackling in the early stages of the game when he threw Warren runners for losses was cheered by the fans.

Several of the boys came out with bumps and bruises on their faces and bodies but it was the first game this season that nobody turned up with an injured leg and Coach “Bud” Houghton is happy on that point, for one of his big tests of the season is coming up next Friday when Dayton Chaminade brings its undefeated, unscored on team to Massillon.

Houghton didn’t take many chances with any of his cripples last night for that reason. He kept Junior Pedrotty on the bench and used Wittmann only briefly. He hopes, as a result, that Wittmann, Pedrotty and Krisher and possibly Chick Cary will all be ready for the Chaminade game, and if they are, that will be the first time the team has been intact since the second game of the season.

Aside from the blocking accorded Zorger on his long touchdown run, the outstanding dashes of the game were made by Warren’s Herb Eddington. Only a sophomore, he is fast on the get away and several times almost gave Tigers tacklers the slip.

His long runs practically accounted for the one Warren touchdown and he almost got away on the return of Massillon’s last kickoff when he raced from his own 10 to the 42 before being tackled. It set the stage for Warren’s last march and its only other serious threat of the evening. The Presidents reached the 15-yard line before they were thrown back to the 20 and forced to surrender the ball.

The Tigers have reason to show concern over the outcome of the contest, even though they did win. It was the second straight game in which an opponent succeeded in taking their defense apart fairly well. They couldn’t stop Mansfield successfully two weeks ago and the 180 yards aimed on the ground by Warren last night were too many to be passed up without a bit of serious thinking.

The defeat was Warren’s fourth in seven games, it having been previously beaten by Campbell Memorial, Canton McKinley and Akron Garfield. It was the Tigers’ fourth victory in six games.

PASSES CLICK
Massillon Pos. Warren
Zeller LE Smedi
Young LT McGee
Uliveto LG Spelich
Darrah C Coleman
Brooks RG Rogers
Dowd RT Graham
Eberhardt RE Bassett
Byelene QB Cardinal
Giloff LH Eddington
Zorger RH Corbin
Yost FB L. Schier

Score by quarters:
Massillon 13 0 0 6 19
Warren 0 0 6 0 6

Substitutions:
Massillon – Schludecker, re; Brown, qb; Ceckler, rt; Wittmann, rt; Roderick, lh; Bishop, re.
Warren – Bevan, lh; C. Schier, rh; Pulca, fb; Smith, lh; Flowers, c; Allgood, lh.

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Dowd; Zeller; Zorger.
Warren – Eddington.

Point after touchdown:
Massillon – Brown (placekick).

Referee – Rupp.
Umpire – Lobach.
Head Linesman – Gross.
Field Judge – Shafer.

Statistics
Mass. Warren
First downs 4 11
Passes attempted 7 1
Passes completed 4 0
Had passes intercepted 0 1
Yards gained passing 111 0
Yards gained rushing 101 180
Total yards gained 212 180
Yards lost 33 50
Net yards gained 179 130
Fumbles 1 2
Lost ball on fumbles 0 2
Times kicked off 4 2
Average kickoff (yards) 46 39
Kickoffs returned (yards) 31 79
Times punted 6 5
Average punt (yards) 26.5 32.8
Punts returned (yards) 30 23
Times penalized 9 3
Yards penalized 65 35


Merle Darrah

Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1944: Massillon 12, Warren Harding 32

Warren’s Rugged Presidents Lambast Tigers 32-12

SECOND LOSS OF YEAR FOR LOCALS

Powerful, Speedy Trumbull County Outfit Packs Too Much Stuff For Heavily Outweighed Massillonians’ 20,000 See Contest

By FRED J. BECKER

It was again safe to walk the streets of Massillon this morning – those big, bad Presidents of Warren high school had left town and returned to their haunts over in Trumbull county. We took a look at those big fellows from eastern Ohio Friday night when they were turned loose in Tiger stadium and we hope we don’t have to look at them again for a long, long time. Gosh, now we know why chills run up and down the spines of Canton McKinley’s Bulldogs and their followers every time some one mentions the name Warren. Awful feeling, isn’t it?

Those big, bad fellows from Warren didn’t do right by our little Washington high school Tigers last night. They messed up our Tigers something terrible and transformed them from a snarling, ferocious jungle cat into a meek, badly mauled little pussy cat.
Capacity Crowd Sees Tigers Lose
They just can’t do that to our Tigers, we said, but they did to the tune of 32-12 inflicting on the orange and black its worst defeat since the close of the 1942 season when the Canton Bulldogs came to Massillon and chalked up a 35-0 triumph. It was Massillon’s second reverse of the 1944 campaign, Cleveland Cathedral Latin’s Lions humbling the local lads 6-0 in the second game of the season.

More than 20,000 fans jammed their way into every available inch of seating space in Tiger stadium last night. It was the biggest crowd to see an Ohio high school football game this fall. And what a football team they saw in action – meaning those big, rugged, speedy Presidents.
Warren Has Power
Coach J. O. (Henie) Beck’s gridders invaded Massillon with a record of 4 victories, a defeat and a tie.

And after watching them do a workmanlike job of taking the Tigers apart we wonder how any team ever tied the Presidents, let alone defeat them. Campbell Memorial tied Warren 13-13 just a week ago and early in the season Cleveland East Tech scored a 13-7 victory over them. The Presidents must have been well fed and in a rather playful mood those 2 nights. They were anything but playful last night and Coach Elwood Kammer’s Tigers didn’t have what it takes to stop a team as good as the Presidents were last night.

Big and powerful, with speed that was amazing, those Trumbull county gridders scattered Massillon’s badly outweighed but game as they make’em little youngsters all over the gridiron as easily as a tornado knocks over everything in its path.

Smashing through and around the Tigers with the speed of lightning and the power of a block buster, the Warren aggregation rolled to 5 touchdowns, scoring in every quarter, once in the first, twice in the second ,and once in each the third and fourth periods. It was not until the fourth quarter that the Tigers even came near the Warren goal and in that final hectic stanza they punched out a pair of touchdowns for themselves to gain some measure of consolation out of the rout.

In sweeping to that 32-12 conquest of the Tigers, Warren scored its first points against a Massillon team since 1937 and chalked up its first victory in the Tiger-President rivalry since 1932. Warren has experienced many long, lean years since way back in 1932 but this victory they scored last night makes up for all the pushing around they have taken in recent years.

This year is also the first time since 1933 that Massillon has lost more than one game in a season. Back in 1933 Barberton and Canton McKinley inflicted defeats on the Tigers. The orange and black lost one game in 1934, that to Canton McKinley and then went undefeated until 1937 when New Castle, Pa., turned the trick and Mansfield was able to gain a tie. From then on until 1941 the Tigers had nothing but victories but in that season Mansfield again managed to tie the locals and in 1942 Canton McKinley chalked up its resounding 35-0 triumph. Now comes 1944 and in 7 games the Tigers find themselves on the short end twice with the annual duel with the Bulldogs still 3 weeks away.
Four Defeats In 97 Games
Since 1935 the Tigers have played 97 games and 93 of them have been Massillon victories. The record shows but 4 defeats and 2 ties over that span of years.

A good big fellow is always better than a good little fellow and that was the case out at Tiger stadium last night. The Warren Presidents were the good big fellows and the Tigers were the good little fellows and there wasn’t much anyone could do to avert the beating the orange and black soaked up. They were just outclassed. The President’s had just too much stuff. The Tigers made a fight of it al the way but they needed many more pounds of weight and speed that was comparable to that unleashed by the fleet-footed, hard driving Presidents.

You can’t take anything away from the Warren gridders. Any team that plays football the way they played it last night deserves to win. They had everything and they were a much more formidable looking ball club than Cathedral Latin’s Lions who blasted out a 6-0 verdict over the Tigers earlier in the campaign.

With a hard, fast charging line that ripped the Tiger forward wall to shreds, particularly in the first half, Warren’s speedy, hard hitting ball toters had nothing to do but race through the holes they found in Massillon’s defense and keep on running until some member of Massillon’s secondary caught up with them and finally succeeded in bringing them down.

Warren’s line spelled the difference between victory and defeat. It gave a great exhibition of how a line should perform and out played the Tiger forwards at most every stage of the game. Outstanding for the Presidents were Dan Bevan and John Stocz, a pair of giant tackles and Jack Polena at center.
Star Ball Luggers
And don’t forget those Warren ball luggers, Leonard Corbia, giant Negro end, who runs with the speed of the wind once he’s out in the open, twice breezed by the Tigers as if they were standing still on long romps across the Massillon goal. He was ably aided and abetted by Captain Ed Kvesich, a rugged, smashing fullback, seldom stopped without gain and Don Spencer, a crafty halfback who knows how to pick’em up and lay’em down and who can shit and dart like nobody’s business.

The only thing the Tigers had last night that prevented the contest, from becoming a shambles was a forward passing attack which was better than any they have shown at any other time this season. Without that aerial threat the Presidents might still be running up touchdowns.

After a bad showing in the first half, the Tigers pulled themselves together and made it a ballgame in the last two periods.

But Warren with a 3 touchdown lead, amassed in the first two quarters, was too far ahead and too rugged for the orange and black to overcome.

The Tigers tried hard and gave everything they had but just didn’t have enough ammunition to halt the invaders. If the Tiger line could have played on more even terms with Warren’s big forwards and if the orange and black’s tackling had been better it might have made some difference on the final result. Massillon’s interference and blocking also was conspicuous by its absence. Warren’s big forwards came roaring through the line before the Tigers could even form any sort of protection for their ball carriers.

Although the Tigers were handed a crushing defeat the statistics do not show them too badly outplayed not nearly as badly as the score would indicate.

Warren made 14 first downs to 10 for the Tigers. The invaders had a gross gain of 382 yards from all types of plays with a loss of 14 for a net of 368 yards. The Tigers had a gross yardage of 225 with a loss of 27, leaving them a net of 208.
Tiger Aerial Game Clicks
The Tigers tried 15 passes and completed 7 for 124 yards with 2 intercepted, one of the interceptions giving Warren a touchdown. Warren tried but 3 passes and completed 2 for 18 yards.

The first time Warren secured possession of the ball it was plain to be seen that the Tigers really had something on their hands in trying to stop that withering Warren running attack.

The first Warren touchdown came about midway in the opening quarter and the Presidents moved 44 yards without a break in only 6 plays.

Gaining the ball on Massillon’s 44 following a punt, Kvesich lugged the leather to Massillon’s 10 in 3 plays. An offside penalty set the Presidents back to the 15 but Kvesich smashed to the 9 and then smashed right through center and over for Warren’s first set of counters. Spencer missed the try for extra point from placement.

Warren’s second touchdown came much quicker than the first, only one play being required, that an end around sweep he dashed into the open behind fine interference and then outraced the Tigers in a sizzling romp of 45 yards and a touchdown. This time Spencer made good on his placekick and Warren was leading by 13 points.
Turning Point Of Game
What might be considered the turning point of the ball game occurred just as the second quarter ended. Another fumble by Williams gave Massillon the ball on its 32. The Tigers made a first down and then Paul Cary tossed an 18 yard pass to Wilmer Luke to put the bal on Warren’s 25 but here the Tiger attack bogged down and Warren gained possession of the ball. The orange and black this time managed to check the Warren charge and Spencer punted to Massillon’s 47. Cary tossed a pass to Webb for 19 yards putting the ball on Warren’s 34 and then tried it again but this time his heave was wide of the mark.

Spencer intercepted the ball on his 5 and running craftily behind hastily formed but effective interference raced 95 yards down the west sideline and across the Massillon goal for Warren’s third touchdown. Again Spencer failed to convert.

The play was one of those important breaks which often spells the difference between victory and defeat. Had Cary’s pass gone to Webb, its intended receiver, it would have meant a touchdown for the Tigers because Bert was well out in the open and only a few yards from pay dirt. As it was the pass was intercepted by Spencer and he converted it into a touchdown for Warren.

The third quarter was unusual in that Massillon had possession of the ball for only one play but still managed to keep the Presidents from scoring more than one touchdown. The invaders, however, were in Massillon territory most of the time. A Warren touchdown was averted when Luke intercepted a pass on his goal line and Keller kicked out from behind the line but the Tigers couldn’t keep Warren away from pay dirt all the time and late in the period the Presidents traveled 58 yards in 8 plays for their fourth score, the points coming when Spencer tossed a short pass to Williams from the 10 yard line with Williams going over. Spencer again failed to convert.
Tigers Finally Score
The fourth quarter finally saw Massillon break into the scoring column. Trailing by 25 points the Tigers still fought a ding dong battle with the giant Presidents and when Coggins, a substitute back, fumbled on his 4 yard line Bill Gable pounced on the ball and Massilon was on the way to its first touchdown. Don Sedjo, who had replaced Pedrotty in the second quarter and who hammered out some consistent gains through the Warren line, was called upon to carry the ball and he rammed through right tackle and across for the Tigers first points. He failed, however, on a plunge for the extra point.

But Warren was not yet through scoring, particularly the fleet-footed Mr. Corbin. Getting the ball on their 36 yard line after the kick off which went out of bounds the Presidents moved 64 yards in 4 plays. Spencer and Kvesich picked up a first down and then Kvesich was tossed for a 4 yard loss. On that next play Corbin was given the ball on his specialty, an end around and how he went around that end just like something shot out of a cannon and the next time the Tigers caught up with him he was back of their goal line. The run was good for 58 yards.

But the Tigers came right back to score their second touchdown. They took the kickoff on their 44 where it went out of bounds and showed the fans still remaining in the stands they also could march, traveling 56 yards in 6 plays for a touchdown.

Webb flipped a pass to Sedjo for 14 yards. Cary tossed one to Luke for 31 yards, Luke going to the 8 before being downed. Sedjo and Cary then alternated in ramming the Warren line and on the fourth play Cary went over from the 6-inch line for the score. Webb’s attempt to run the ball over for the extra point failed and the score stood 32-12 Warren.
This One Hurts
Massillon, 12 Pos. Warren, 32
Gable LE Corbin
Green LT Bevan
Heltzel LG Cupples
Bonk C Polena
Brooks RG Blakely
Gibson RT Stocz
Luke RE Nadar
Keller QB Bollas
Cary LH Spencer
Webb RH Williams
Pedrotty FB Kvesich

Score by quarters:
Massillon 0 0 0 12 12
Warren 6 13 6 7 32

Touchdowns:
Massillon – Sedjo; Cary.
Warren – Kvesich; Corbin 2; Spencer; Williams.

Points after touchdown:
Warren – Spencer 2 (placekick).

Substitutions:
Massillon – Ielsch, lt; Sedjo, fb; McGuire, lh; Clark, le; Zeller, le; Giloff, qb; Cicchinell, lg.
Warren – Busby, fb; Lefhgeber, le; Aurand, le; Murray, re; Spelich, rt; Coggins, rh; Fritz, rh; L. Reed, lh.

Referee – Lobach.
Umpire – Rupp.
Head Linesman – Groff.
Field Judge – Shafer,

Statistics
Mass. Warren
Total first downs 10 14
Yards gained by rushing 101 364
Yards lost by rushing 27 14
Net yards gained by rushing 74 350
Forward passes attempted 15 3
Forward passes completed 7 2
Yards gained by passing 124 18
Total net yardage,
rushing and passing 198 368
Passes had intercepted 2 0
Number of punts 4 2
Average distance of punts 37 35
Number of kickoffs 3 5
Average distance, kickoffs 25 22
Number of fumbles 3 3
Times ball lost on fumbles 2 3
Number of penalties against 4 11
Yards lost by penalties 20 85

Glen Keller
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1943: Massillon 20, Warren Harding 0

Tigers Score Three Touchdowns

AERIAL ATTACK IS DECIDING FACTOR

Massillon Gladiators Record Seventh Straight Win And Inflict Worst Defeat Of Season On Trumbull County Outfit

By FRED J. BECKER
Independent Sports Editor

A snarling Tiger, thirsting for blood, clawed three man-sized chunks out of a bunch of Presidents at Warren Friday night, missed out on two others by scant margins and today had once again established itself as the king pin of Ohio scholastic football.

Traveling through the air on the brilliant execution of aerials and ripping through on the ground for steady and substantial gains, the Washington high school Tigers last night, before a capacity crowd of 10,000 howling fans in Harding stadium. Massillon, defeated a never-say-die Warren G. Harding football team 20 to 0 for its seventh straight victory of the 1943 season and its most important triumph of the campaign.

PASSES BRING THREE TOUCHDOWNS

Three times did Coach Elwood Kammer’s stalwarts drive though and over the Presidents for touchdowns, two of them coming directly on passes, the third being the result of a long and brilliantly executed overhead attack. On two other occasions the Tigers struck deep into enemy territory but missed touchdowns, being robbed of additional points largely through their own actions rather than Warren’s defense, although the defensive play of the Presidents was determined throughout the ball game, even though the eastern Ohio lads were not able to successfully turn back the deadly thrusts of a vengeful and victory bound Tiger.

In conquering Warren for the seventh straight time since 1937, the orange and black last night became the second team this fall to take the measure of the Presidents and the first team to run up a total of 20 points on Jesse O. Beck’s aggregation. Warren’s only previous defeat before its engagement with Massillon came in its third game of the season, a 13-0 loss to Youngstown East.

OUTSHINE BULLDOGS

And in subduing the hard fighting and inspired Warren outfit, the Tigers did something which Canton McKinley’s Bulldogs failed to do. The Cantonians three weeks ago met those same Presidents on the same field the Tigers played them on and were lucky to come away with a 13-13 tie. The Presidents that night showed the Bulldogs they were not the big guys they thought they were.

And now what, if any, bearing does the results of Warren’s two battles with Stark county’s most bitter and ancient rivals have on the coming Massillon-Canton tussle November 20? Well, that will be decided three weeks from now. The most important thing right now is that the Tigers accomplished what the Bulldogs failed to do.

The Tigers, whether any one appreciates it or not, have become a pretty well knit and coordinated ball club. They are today a sturdy outfit that plays as a well-oiled machine, with a determination to go places and with the ability to make that determination succeed.

They may not be an outstanding team, taken as a whole, but they are a darned good ball club and one that is going to be mighty hard to stop from here on out. The team that does stop them, if they are stopped before the curtain is rung down late next month, will have to play better football all the way than the Tigers do – and that’s something not one of the seven opponents conquered thus far has been able to do.

The Tigers defeated Warren last night because they were the better ball club. The statistics show it, without question, and the orange and black showed it out there on the field in such a convincing fashion that not even the most rabid Warren fan could deny it, even though the majority of them refused to give up hope until the fourth quarter when the Massillonians punched over their third touchdown.

There is one striking difference between Massillon football and the brand played by most any other schools. The Tigers have been taught to play the kind of football that pays dividends on the scoreboard. They have been taught to go out for points and to get them as quickly and as easily as possible. And they have been throughout the season and are today in splendid physical condition to withstand the rigors of grueling combat and believe me it is that superb condition which has been a deciding factor in bringing Tiger points and keeping opposing clubs away from pay dirt.

TIGERS HAVE COURAGE

Few are the teams in the country today with sufficient intestinal fortitude and brains to fling a forward pass the first time they get hold of the ball. But that’s just what the Tigers did last night, catching their opponents napping, and that brilliant and to Warren, unexpected attack, set up Massillon’s first touchdown early in the opening quarter and gave the Tigers the edge and put Warren in the hole so badly the Presidents were never able to get out of it.

That’s the kind of football the Tigers play and that’s the kind of football that pays off in victories.

The Tigers chalked up touchdowns in the first, third, and fourth quarters. They failed to score one in the second quarter, even though they marched the ball from their own 10 to Warren’s 10, without a break, only to lose out when in sight of Warren’s goal line. Again early in the fourth quarter they advanced the ball to the President’ five yard line, only to lose it because their offense failed to click just right.

Massillon played plenty of good football last night and defensively checked Warren’s offensive thrusts quite completely, the Presidents only once getting inside Massillon’s 20 yard line, that coming late in the fourth period. As usual the entire Tiger team performed excellently on defense with hard tackling stopping the Warren backs most of the time. The defensive play last night of Dick Arrington and big Bob Williams was beautiful to watch. Arrington, an outstanding defensive player all season, smeared Warren backs all over the lot throughout the entire game Williams likewise performed in a brilliant manner.

Offensively Captain Bob Wallace, Romeo Pellegrini and Henry Mastriann carried the offensive burden with Tom Jasinski and Don Willmot cutting in for a large slice of the glory by their brilliant catching of forward passes. It was Jasinski who was on the receiving end of the long aerial heaved by Pellegrini the first time the Tigers got hold of the ball and Tom’s nifty catch and long run set up the first Massillon touchdown. It was Willmot who was on the receiving end of two other passes that produced Massillon’s second and third touchdown. Both of them were cleverly executed aerials with Willmot looking like a DiMaggio in the outfield as he speared Pellegrini’s well-placed strikes.

BRUISING GAME

Out on the field the game was a bruising and hard fought battle. The Warren Presidents never gave up and the Tigers were never far enough ahead until late in the battle to relax even for a moment. The Presidents, even though they didn’t score, had sufficient offensive strength in such backs as Landres Williams, Don Spencer, and Ed Kvesich and a potential pass receiver in Leonard Corbin to make them a threat every time they had the ball.

The statistics, however, provide a convincing proof of Massillon’s superiority. The Tigers made 19 first downs to four for Warren. From scrimmage the orange and black had a net gain of 258 to 100 for the Presidents. The Tigers tried 12 forward passes, completing six for 106 yards, two of them directly for touchdowns, a third setting up a set of counters. Warren failed to complete on pass in six. Massillon intercepted three Warren aerials, the Presidents snagged two Tiger heaves.

Penalties several times checked the Tigers in their forward progress but for the most party they were able to overcome these setbacks and continue their victory march.

After bagging their first set of counters early in the game, the Tigers took command of the situation and while they picked up a lot of ground they really didn’t get going until the middle of the third quarter and then it was a bit of unnecessary roughness on the part of the Presidents that touched off a Massillon bonfire that was to envelope the eastern Ohioans and inflict on them the worst defeat they have suffered this season.

Henry Mastriann lugged the ball through the Warren line on a spinner and dashing toward the sideline had picked up 16 yards before being forced out of bounds. The Warrenites seemed determined to run Henry out of the ball park and probably would have had not a wire fence enclosure stopped them. But they ran the Tiger fullback right smack into the fence, even though it was far back from the sidelines. It appeared to all and mostly to the officials that such energetic action on Warren’s part was uncalled for and constituted unnecessary roughness, the play bringing a 15-yard penalty for the Presidents. The Tigers also did not like to have their fullback treated that way and from then on they literally tore the Presidents to shreds. Those Tigers are bad medicine, once they get riled up.

Warren received the opening kickoff, defending the south goal. Jasinski kicked out of bounds on Warren’s 47. Arrington had a lot to do with smearing three Warren thrusts at the Tiger line and when Williams fumbled on the third try, Dick was right there to pounce on the ball, the Tigers gaining possession on their 42-yard line.

BRILLIANT PASS

Then as the Tigers came out of their huddle, Pellegrini took the ball on a pass from Williams, faded back and cut loose with a long aerial. Down the field sailed the ball and hoofing it down the field to catch that same ball was big Tom Jasinski. The veteran Tiger end out-raced the entire Warren team, got into the clear ahead of Spencer, Warren safety man, turned, and there was the ball coming to nestle in his arms. Tom made a neat catch and hotfooted it toward Warren’s goal, being brought to earth on the five-yard line. It was a breath-taking play. The spectators gasped as the Tigers completed the aerial and so did the Presidents and they never quite recovered from the shock during the rest of the game.

With the ball on Warren’s five it required but two more plays to move it across the goal line. Wallace hit left tackle for two and Pellegrini raced around his right end for the remaining distance. Romeo added the extra point by again racing through the Warren team into the end zone.

After an exchange of punts Jasinski intercepted a Spencer pass on Massillon’s 10-yard line. Here the Tigers set in motion one of their most impressive offensive marches, carrying the ball 80 yards without a break but failing to score. Mastriann, Wallace, and Pellegrini on plunges and runs moved the ball through and around the Warren team in a steady march downthe field to Warren’s 10 before the attack bogged down. Then with fourth down coming up and six to go Pellegrini tried a pass but fullback Ed Kvesich intercepted the ball on his seven. The Tiger march had netted five first downs in a row. The half ended with Warren in possession of the ball on its 38.

Early in the third quarter Massillon gained possession of the ball on its 15 after a Spencer punt and this time moved 85 yards through the enemy without a halt for the second Massillon touchdown. Fourteen plays were required.

Pellegrini picked up six at right tackle and Wallace made it a first down to his 26-yard line. Pellegrini was tossed for a five yard loss but Mastriann on a spinner wheeled through right tackle and dashing toward the sidelines went to Massillon’s 38 before being rushed out of bounds and into the wire fence. The Warren tactics drew a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness, putting the ball on Warren’s 47. Wallace picked up six yards at the left end and Mastriann smeared through right tackle for a first down on Warren’s 36. Wallace dashed around left end for 11 to the 25.

Mastriann hit the time for three and then Pellegrini lugged the leather wide around right end and raced 17 yards to Warren’s five on a pretty dash. Mastriann made three in two tries and then Wallace dashed around left end and over the goal line but Massillon lost the touchdown when the officials ruled a Tiger back was in motion. The five-yard penalty put the ball back to the seven but the Tigers were not to be stopped this time. Pellegrini pitched a perfect strike to Don Willmot who took the ball in the end zone for Massillon’s second touchdown. Mastriann added the extra point from placement.

JASINSKI ON JOB

Once again late in the third quarter Jasinski was the right man in the right place, intercepting another Spencer pass on his 15 and running it back to Warren’s 49 before being chased out of bounds. Wallace clipped off 14 yards at left end and then Pellegrini heaved a pass to Mastirann that netted a 20-yard gain and put the ball on the Warren 14. Pellegini scooted around right end and down to the Warren three for another first down. Mastriann went to the two-yard line as the third quarter ended.

Henry smashed the line again on the first play in the fourth quarter but once again a Massilon back was in motion and this time the five-yard penalty stopped a Massillon touchdown. With the ball on the seven, Pellegrini’s pass to Jasinski miss fired, Wallace made but two at the line and when Romeo sought to try another pass he found no receiver open and the Warren forwards charged through and drove him way back to his 20 where they floored him and took the ball.

A short time later Spencer was forced to punt and the Tigers got the ball on their 42 and this time they were not to be denied. In 11 plays they advanced the ball 58 yards and chalked up their third touchdown.

Pellegrini’s attempted pass to Wallace was knocked down by Spencer who missed an interception by the scantiest of margins. Mastriann, Keller, and Pellegini smashed ahead to a first down on Warren’s 28. Mastriann made two more at the line and then Wallace skirted wide around his left end and raced down to the nine-yard line before being run out of bounds. His dash picked up 16 yards. Pellegrini raced around his right end and over the line but once again the ball was called back and Massillon was set back 15 yards for clipping, putting the ball on Warren’s 22.

Wallace and Pellegrini picked up five and then Pellegrini heaved a pass to Jasinski who was downed on the 10 after a nine-yard gain. With fourth down coming up and 10 to go, Pellegrini calmly pitched another point getting strike to Don Willmot, the lanky Massillon end again making a perfect catch in the end zone for the third touchdown. Mastriann’s attempted place kick was wide but Henry sure put plenty of stuff into his kick, sending the ball clear out of the lot. It was a white ball and apparently the only one Warren had because the game was finished with a natural tan ball.

Warren made its best and only bid for a score in the closing minutes of the game. Landres Williams took Jasinski’s kick off and raced it back 31 yards to Massillon’s 39. Kvesich ripped off 16 yards on a pretty run to take the ball to Massillon’s 24. Three plays moved the ball to the Tiger 18, the first time Warren had been able to penetrate inside Massillon’s 20, but on the next play, Sedjo, who had replaced Mastriann, smeared Kvesich who took a short pass from Sepncer and Warren failed to make the necessary yards, losing possession on Massilon’s 15. The game ended a few plays later with Keller fumbling and Warren covering on Massillon’s 32 as the gun sounded.

SEVEN STRAIGHT

Mass. – 20 Pos. Warren – 0
Willmot LE Corbin
Arrington LT Bevan
Tonges LG Martin
Williams C Polena
Gable RG Sicuro
Berger RT Storz
Jasinski RE Marco
Keller QB Marcecillo
Pellegrini LH Spencer
Wallace RH Williams
Mastriann FB Kvesich

Score by quarters:
Massillon 7 0 7 6 – 20

Touchdowns: Pellegrini, Willmot 2.

Points after touchdowns: Pellegrini (run), Mastriann (placekick)

Substitutions: Warren – Abe, Williams, Aurand, Fritz.
Massillon – Belch, Heltzel, Jewell, Turkall, Luke, Sedjo.

Referee: Lobach. Umpire: Allison.
Healineman: Shafer. Field judge: Rupp.

MASSILLON – McKINLEY
FOOTBALL TICKETS

Washington High School Ticket Office

FOR MASSILLON
SEASON TICKET HOLDERS

One McKinley ticket for each reserved season ticket.
Not more than six tickets to be held by one customer.

MONDAY, NOV. 1
From 6 TO 9 P.M.
BRING YOUR RAYEN TICKET

Balance of tickets for general public, limit six to
a person, on sale Tuesday, Nov. 2, 6 to 9 P.M.

PRICE $1.10 a ticket

R.C. Arrington
Massillon Tigers Black Letter Logo History

1942: Massillon 32, Warren Harding 0

WEISGARBER HAS LARGE EVENING

Crowd of 13,467 Fans Sees Tiger Lineman Throw Warren Runners For Four Losses In A Row; Graber Injured

By Luther Emery

The Washington high Tigers ran their undefeated string to 50 games Friday evening in a slugfest with Warren Harding high in Tiger Stadium that ended in a 32-0 triumph for the Tigers and injury to their triple threat halfback, Bob Graber.

There is news to both, but at this stage of the season with Canton McKinley only three weeks away, injuries are more important to the Massillon fan’s eyes, and that’s why so many flocked into the Tiger dressing room after the game.

Sprained Ankle

Graber sustained a severe sprain to his left ankle, while tackling Warren’s fine fullback, Tony Marcarello, in the fourth quarter. An examination after the game failed to reveal any broken bones, but x-ray pictures will be taken today in order to thoroughly establish the extent of the injury.

Graber’s injury was the climax of the roughest and toughest game played in Tiger Stadium this year in which players more than once appeared to lose their temper. Only one penalty was called for unnecessary roughness, that when a Warren player was caught slugging, but throughout the evening, players showed a willingness to pile on.

The crowd of 13,467 even warmed up to the temper of the game, and several times booed the fisticuffs.

Tigers Not In Form

Still showing a tendency to fumble, and giving a poor exhibition of forward passing, the Tigers were not in form last night. They played, good hard football the first half, when they established their superiority over the visiting team and toyed with Warren the rest of the way, throwing pass after pass but only completing two out of 13 attempts for the small gain of 29 yards.

Thirty-two points as a whole are enough for any game, but the Massillon gridders did not appear to be point hungry last night. The drive they exhibited early in the game, faded the last half, and injuries immediately began to crop out.

The Tigers found in Warren just what they expected, a heavy but slow team. It may be the locals were themselves down the first two periods pushing the Presidents around. At least they looked as bad off and exhausted after the game as at anytime this season, though the only serious injury appeared to be to Graber’s ankle. Bob Wood, of Warren was carried from the field in the second half but only received a slight sprain it was revealed.

The Tigers crossed the Warren goal twice in the first period, and once in each of the remaining periods, and were denied a sixth touchdown because of a clipping penalty.

Warren threatened the Massillon goal but once, and then lost the ball on second down, when Bob Wallace covered a fumble on the four-yard line.
Vernon Weisgarber and Bob Wallace grabbed the limelight as linemen last night. The former, playing his third year of varsity football never gave a better exhibition than he did in the first quarter when he tossed Warren ball carriers for four losses in succession that totaled 21 yards. In addition he recovered a couple of Warren fumbles. Bob was battling hard throughout the night too and had a big share in the Tiger defensive line play.

Warren, as expected, showed Massillon some offense in Marcarello, who is an A-1 fullback who drives hard and does not quit driving until his nose is on the ground.

The statistics show the Tigers only gained two more first downs than the Presidents, the total was 12-10, and rolled up 332 yards to 142 yards.

You can put it down in the book that most of Warren’s 142 yards were made by Marcarello. What Coach Elwood Kammer wouldn’t give for him now that Graber has gone lame?

Two Touchdowns, One Counts

You can give Keve Bray and Chuck Holt credit for gaining most of theTiger yards. They turned in the two prettiest runs of the evening. Keve’s counted. Holt’s did not. The former’s produced the last touchdown of the game, a 74-yard gallop on a deep weak side reverse that was accompanied with a screen of fine blocking. Bray took the ball off Romeo Pellegrini almost on the east side line, and then ran fast across the field toward the west side line. He followed the great circle route, had the speed to do it and outlegged the first couple of Warren players who caught on to what was taking place. At the 50-yard line he saw his blockers forming, so he cut over toward the middle of the field to gain their support and they cut down the Warren tacklers one at a time. He found himself still in good company when he crossed into the promised land.

There wasn’t any milk and honey served up to Holt on a near similar dash in the second quarter, but his run was just as spectacular. He intercepted Tony Marcarello’s pass on his own 20, and through his own power driving and some good blocking ran straight up the middle of the field for what appeared to be a touchdown. A clipping penalty was called on the Tiger 38-yard line, however, the touchdown was denied and the Tigers were set back to their 23-yard line.

Warren finished better than its reporters thought it would, but they don’t like the idea of winning moral victories, and are not classifying last night’s contest as such. The Tiger team had them guessing just as it had many Massillon fans confused when the firing was over. They wondered how an eleven so good the first period and a half could fade so badly the remainder of the game.

An analysis seems to indicate that the Tigers concentrated more on a pass rehearsal with a 19-point lead than it did on making more points. At least the offense bogged down once two and three throws were worked into a series.

One shining bit of defensive work loomed in the fourth period when the Presidents made their only bid. Marching from their own 39-yard line, they carried the ball with the assistance of two five-yard penalties to the Tigers’ 20-yard line, where Marcarello broke loose for a 15-yard gain, and planted the ball on the five-yard line with four downs to make it in.

Marcarello was thrown into the Massillon trench to start with but the Tigers refused to yield. Then Luke White was called upon to do his stuff. He went into the pileup on the eight-man line, but lost the ball in the scuffle, and when all of the bodies were exhumed, Bob Wallace was found clutching the ball on the four-yard stripe. This ended the threat.

Moving Day

The Tigers didn’t experience any difficulty moving the Warren beef the first period even though the local line gave away 24 pounds to the man. They did a good job of rendering lard on 265-pound George Bollas, a guard, and forced him out of the game at an early stage of the contest.

Throughout the first half, the local team beat the Presidents to the first foot of ground and hit them so hard at the start, it looked as through the score could be just as high was they wanted.

Warren was the victim of “jitteritis”, or something, and fumbled frequently. On the fourth play of the game, Marcarello fumbled, and Jasinski came up with the ball on the 25-yard line. Capt. Holt deployed his team the width of the field on a spread, and Graber instead of passing, chose to run with the ball and gained seven yards. Bray reeled off 10 around left end and Graber smashed through for the touchdown. Cardinal missed the placekick for the extra point. Two fumbles and an intercepted pass later and the Tigers got the ball on a poor punt on the Warren 33. Holt moved the ball up four yards and Graber, running from a T went to a first down on the 13-yard line. Bray dribbled the ball along four yards and then knifed through left tackle for the touchdown. Holt plunged the extra point over.

Don Willmot recovered Tom Brogdon’s fumble on the Tiger 36-yard line, to start the third touchdown series. Two plays had gained six yards when Holt broke loose and ran 45 yards to the 13-yard line. Graber went over for the touchdown. Holt missed the attempted kick.

The Tigers moved down to the Warren 13 the next time they gained possession of the ball, but surrendered it on downs.

The Presidents’ defense stiffened the third period and threw the Tigers back on the 25-yard line in the opening minutes of the second half. Bray hauled in one of Tony Marcarcello’s passes on the Tiger 44 and, fumbled when tackled, Bob Wallace pounced on the ball for Massillon. Graber passed to Jasinski for 12 yards, one of two passes worked by the Tigers all evening, and another first down. In two attempts Holt lugged the leather through a mass of humanity to the 33-yard line; then plunged to another first on the 13. In three plays Holt and Graber plunged to the one-yard line and Fred Cardinal took it over. He attempted to kick the extra point but it was wide of the uprights.

The final points came in the fourth period on Bray’s 74-yard run from a deep reverse.

String Of 50

Massillon Pos. Warren
Willmot le Ecker
Williams lt Wood
R. Wallace lg Bollas
B. Wallace c Kujala
Weisgarber rg Sicuro
Paulik rt Horvath
Jasinski re Palchick
Cardinal qb T. Moarcarello
Graber lh White
Bray rh Barzak
Holt fb A. Marcarello

Score by periods:
Massillon 13 6 6 7 – 32

Substitutions – Massillon: Edwards, lt; Williams, c; Power, qb; Gibson, rh; Mastriann, fb; Yelic, lt; Kaney, lg; Pellegrini, lh.
Warren: Georges, le; Gillen, lg; Fisher, qb; Crowe, le; Brogdon, lh; Bevan, lt; Martin, rg.

Touchdowns – Graber 2, Bray 2, Cardinal.

Points after touchdown – Holt 2 (plunge and carry).

Referee – Lobach.
Umpire – Brubaker.
Headlineman – Jenkins.
Field judge – Shafer.

Statistics
Mass. Warren
First Downs 12 10
Yards Gained Rushing 327 136
Yards Lost Rushing 24 23
Net Gain Rushing 303 113
Yards Gained Passing 29 29
Total Yards Gained 332 142
Passes Attempted 13 16
Passes Completed 2 2
Had Passes Intercepted 2 7
Passes Incomplete 9 7
Times Punted 2 2
Average Punt (yards) 40 12
Yards Punts Returned 0 18
Times Kicked Off 6 1
Average Kickoff (yards) 51 54
Yards Kickoff Returned 24 88
Times Penalized 6 3
Yards Penalized 60 25

Chuck Holt