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1995: Massillon 26, Youngstown Rayen 21

September 1, 1995September 22, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers slink away with 26-21 win

By TODD PORTER
Assistant Sports Editor

Walking off the turf at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium Friday night, Youngstown Rayen coach Pete Lymber found a good luck charm.

It probably fell out of Jack Rose’s pocket. The Massillon head coach had luck on his side … more than ever.

Lymber, following his team’s last‑minute 26‑21 loss to the Tigers, picked up a dime. His team, tears streaming down their faces, walked past him.

“Hey, it’s my lucky dime,” Lymber said as he smiled at his shiney 10‑cent treasure. “I could have used this before the game.”

Friday night, though, luck wasn’t on Rayen’s side. Luck sided with Massillon and the 10,307 fans who attended what was supposed to be an easy win, for the locals.

Instead, the Tigers escaped what might have been the biggest upset in the state.

“We feel very, very fortunate to get out of here with a win,” Rose said. “We told the kids before we went out, ‘If you let a team like that stay in the game, they’re going to get more confidence as the game goes on.”

All the confidence in the world was taken out of Rayen’s sails by the time they boarded the bus to go back home. It took Massillon less than two minutes to deflate the high‑flying Division III team.

“I’ve been counting down the days until this game. The weight of the world is off my shoulders,” Lymber said “Back home, all the papers said we were going to get killed. They didn’t know why we were even playing the game. They found out tonight.”

With Massillon’s offense sputtering in the second quarter and most of the second half, Youngstown took a 21‑20 lead as the third quarter expired. Fullback David Morgan took a trap play 33 yards into the end zone and Dajaun Dukes’ point‑after gave Rayen the lead.

Stunned silence fell over the stadium.

Massillon tailback Vinny Turner, who gained 120 yards in the first half alone, was on the sideline with an ankle injury. Until the Tigers’ last drive, the offense didn’t register a first down and only ran 12 plays and punted four times in the second half.

“When Vinny’s not in there … I’m not going to lie, the offense is different,” said Massillon senior quarterback George Whitfield. “When he was out, it was like we were lethargic on offense.

“He came back in and the line seemed to block a little harder and as a group, we gained more confidence. Everyone in the backfield looks to Vinny and he came through tonight.”

Turner didn’t do everything by himself, though. Along with Whitfield, the two seniors making their first offensive starts pardoned everyone in the stadium. Until the last drive, Massillon was headed to the electric chair ‑ shocked by Rayen’s fourth‑quarter lead.

With three minutes left in the game, the Tigers began their final drive at their own 36‑yard line. And it started the same way much of the second half went.

Whitfield rolled left to pass and was quickly sacked for a 7-yard loss.

On second down, Whitfield saw a wide open Brett Wiles breaking across the middle of the field. The gap closed quickly and Rayen’s Demetrius Jones nearly ended Massillon’s hopes. However, he dropped the sure interception.

“I wanted a second chance to prove myself and prove we could win this game,” Whitfield said. “We started to believe in ourselves again.”

Turner gimped off the sidelines and into Massillon’s huddle. Rose found his good luck charm.

Whitfield hit Vaughan Mohler for a 19‑yard pass to midfield. The next play, he rifled the ball to Henry McElroy. McElroy gained 14 yards on the short hitch route.

Then he hit a wide open Mohler at the Rayen 20. Mohler caught the ball near the left sideline and cut back to the middle to Youngstown’s 5‑yard line.

“I was very disappointed in the fact that we didn’t show any emotion on offense,” Rose said. “I was pleased, though, with the poise George showed on the last drive.

“We have a kid making his first start at quarterback and we even had a sack to start the drive. He hung in there and everything came together.”

Fittingly, Rose called Turner’s number for the first time in the final drive. The 5‑foot‑10, 210‑pounder ran over Rayen’s smallish defensive line and into the end zone.

“I don’t know what happened to the offense tonight,” Turner said. “We’re capable of playing with me, or without me. I know I wanted the ball and I know we all wanted to win.”

Massillon flexed its muscles on the opening kickoff and jumped out to a quick 14‑0 lead, which was probably its first mistake.

We tookour first drive of the year right down and scored,” Rose said. “Before you know it, it’s 14‑0 and our defense hasn’t been on the field yet.

“Hell, our kids were looking at that and probably thinking ‘This is going to be too easy.”‘

Turner carried the ball on all but two of the Tigers’ 8‑play scoring drive to start the game. Out of Massillon’s full house goal‑line offense, Turner followed backs Nate Wonsick and Lavell Weaver into the end zone with 7:34 left in the first quarter.

Before fans could settle into their seats and finish a gulp of popcorn, Rayen turned the ball over on the ensuing kickoff. Junior Tony Danzy knocked the ball loose from Youngstown’s Squire Cross and Bill Condon recovered for Massillon at the Raven 24.

After an illegal procedure penalty on the Tigers, Whitfield attempted his first pass and completed it to Doug Steiner for a 12‑yard gain. Four plays later Turner tip‑toed into the end zone behind a key block by center Ed Evans. Josh Hose’s second point after made it 14‑0 with 4:39 left in the first quarter.

Rayen made the game more than interesting, though ‘

Youngstown’s Robert Johnson took Hose’s kick at the Rayen 4‑yard line. He proceeded to keep running – 96 yards ‑ to the end zone for Rayen’s first score. Dajuan Dukes’ left‑footed PAT made it 14‑7.

And then Rayen made it even more interesting.

Massillon’s third possession started and ended quickly. Whitfield’s second pass was a bullet intended for Steiner near the left sideline. However, outside linebacker R’Lay Wilkerson batted the ball with his left hand and managed to hang onto it for an interception.

Rayen got away from giving the ball to Johnson, clearly the fastest player on the field. Instead, Youngstown attempted two wobbly passes and punted.

The Tigers’ offense decided to take the rest of the first quarter and half of the second quarter off. Turner went down with an ankle injury, but returned just before the end of the half.

Four plays after the mighty tailback went out, Whitfield hit Steiner with a strike near the left sideline again. However, the ball went through Steiner’s hands and to Rayen defensive back Demetrius Jones.

The Massillon defense hung tough. Rayen faced a third‑and-four from the Tigers’ 31 yard line. Wilkerson, who doubles as Rayen quarterback, reversed his roll out and found Massillon outside linebacker Lavell Weaver in his face for a 15‑yard loss.

Turner returned to the offense with 5:05 left in the first half and coerced Massillon’s offense back to work.

Turner carried five times for 38 yards to get Massillon inside the Rayen 10. Elijah Blake watered Massillon’s thirsty offense when he weaved his way to the end zone to give the Tigers a 20‑14 lead before halftime. Hose’s PAT was blocked.

Rayen was more than content with the score and ran the final two minutes off the clock.

“I’m disappointed that we weren’t emotionally into the game,” Rose said. “That cost us tonight. There are a few things we can take away from here and build on.

“We found out we’re not a very good team right now. That last drive is something that we can build on. We have a week to get ready and correct some mistakes to play Moeller. We better be ready to play that game.”

That’s right, Lymber pocketed the dime and took it back to Youngstown.

MASSILLON 26
RAYEN 21
M R
First downs rushing 12 13
First downs passing 4 0
First downs penalty 0 0
Total first downs 16 13
Net yards rushing 190 164
Net yards passing 91 15
Total yards gained 281 179
Passes attempted 12 12
Passes completed 5 3
Passes int. 2 0
Times kicked off 5 4
Kickoff average 37.2 43.8
Kickoff return yards 64 105
Punts 4 4
Punting average 33.8 25.3
Punt return yards 0 20
Fumbles 1 1
Fumbles lost 1 1
Penalties 5 8
Yards penalized 39 36
Number of plays 50 53
Time of possession 24:41 23:19
Attendance 10,307

RAYEN 7 7 7 0 21
MASSILLON 14 6 0 6 26

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter
M ‑ Turner 7 run (Williams kick)
M ‑ Turner 2 run (Williams kick)
R ‑ Johnson 96 kickoff return (Dukes kick)

Second Quarter
R ‑ Morgan 1 run (Dukes kick)
M ‑ Blake 7 run (kick failed)

Third Quarter
R ‑ Morgan 33 run (Dukes kick)

Fourth Quarter
M ‑ Turner 5 run (run failed)

FINAL STATISTICS

Rushing:
Massillon
Turner 24‑145, 3 TDs;
Blake 7‑40, 1 TD;
McGuire 1‑6 Wonsick 3‑7;
Rayen
Morgan 14‑94, 2 TDs;
Johnson 17‑61;
Abrams 4‑17;
Jones 2‑15.

Passing
Massillon
Whitfield 5‑12‑2. 91 yards,
Rayen
Wilkerson 3‑12‑0. 15 yards.

Receiving:
Massillon
Mohler 2‑52,
Steiner 2-25,
McElroy 1‑14,
Rayen
Jones 2‑9,
Cross 1‑6

George Whitfield

History

1994: Massillon 41, Youngstown Rayen 6

September 2, 1994September 21, 2017
by Eric Smith

No contest!
Tigers maul Rayen in season opener Ashcraft, Spencer spark Massillon to easy victory

By JOE SHAHEEN
Independent Sports Editor

The Massillon Tigers seemed intent on giving Youngstown Rayen every opportunity to make a game of it in the teams’ season opener at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, Friday. But Rayen was just as determined to make things easy for their hosts.

In the end, Massillon walked off with an unfulfilling 41‑6 victory in front of 10,756 on an unseasonably chilly night.

How hard did Rayen try to be the perfect guest?

With Massillon leading 14‑0 early in the second quarter, the Rayen defense stiffened and forced a punt. But Massillon retained possession when Rayen was whistled for illegal participation. That usually means 12 men on the field, one too many. In this case, an official spotted 13 players on the field for the Youngstown entry.

The penalty gave the Tigers new life and they scored on the drive take a 21‑0 lead that would prove to be insurmountable for the visitors.

There’s more.

Late in the first half, Tigers quarterback Willie Spencer strolled out of bounds on a third-and‑long play. That meant the Tigers would have to punt, apparently giving Rayen a final opportunity to get on the scoreboard. But a Rayen defender bumped Spencer after the play was dead and then got into a jawing match and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, an automatic first down for the hosts.

Massillon was not sharp, especially in the first half which ended with the locals holding a 21‑0 advantage. Spencer fumbled twice, recovering both. The secondary was burned twice for long pass plays, each of which went for over 35 yards. And Massillon’s longest pass play of the night, a 64‑yard hookup between Spencer and Steve Griffith, was called back on an illegal‑motion penalty.

Still, there were some bright spots for the Tigers, not the least of which was the impressive running of junior fullback Vinny Turner. When. it became apparent Rayen’s defense was eying on the Massillon tailbacks, head coach Jack Rose inserted Turner and began feeding him the football on quick hitters in the middle of the line.

Turner (5‑9, 194) responded with an impressive first half. He carried the ball seven times and picked up 65 yards before the band show, a 9.3 yards per carry average. His effectiveness forced Rayen to begin paying attention to the fullback and opened up things for tailbacks Leon Ashcraft and Nate Lewis.

“They were really penetrating hard off the back side,” Rose said. “So we thought we’d hit them quick, right over top of the center and soften them there. Then we hit them a couple times off tackle with the trap play and got a couple of good gainers there.

“Vinny is a converted tailback and has great feet. He has a great future, whether it be at tailback or fullback.”

Ashcraft scored twice in the first half. He capped a five-play, 43‑yard drive on the Tigers second possession with a one‑yard TD dive over left guard. The stocky senior went in from 13 yards out on Massillon’s next possession, absorbing a big hit at the 5 and keeping his balance to score standing up. The run culminated a three-play, 47‑yard drive that was keyed by Turner’s 31‑yard burst up the middle on the initial snap of the possession.

“That second run there was a nice little hole there and I just had to take it up in there,” Ashcraft explained. “A couple of people got on me, but I just did what I had to do to help the team.”

The Tigers only sustained drive of the first half took place on their first possession of the second quarter. Massillon moved from its 25 on 12 plays, scoring when Spencer snuck into the end zone from a yard away at 4:46 of the second period. Ashcraft’s ten‑yard burst off right tackle and an 18-yard scamper by Spencer on a roll out around right end keyed the drive.

Massillon came out sharp in the second half. Senior fullback Jeremy Fraelich rumbled for 25 yards on the first play after the band show. Spencer then hit Jason Manson for nine yards and two plays later found Vaughn Moeller along the left sideline for 30 more to the Rayen 7.

Spencer rolled right on second‑and‑goal and hit tight end Ryan Shanor under the crossbar for the TD and the Tigers led 28‑0 with 8:22 to play in the third.

Spencer found Moeller with a 37‑yard scoring toss at 3:38 of the third to make it 34‑0 and signal the end of the night’s work for the majority of Massillon’s starters.

“Vaughn has deceiving speed,” Rose said. “He got behind the secondary a couple of times. He can be a real deep threat for us this season.”

Rayen got on the scoreboard with 2:06 left in the third when Damien Williams gathered up a Tiger fumble and ran 46 yards to paydirt to make it 34‑6.

Lamar Lancaster intercepted a Rayen pass with 5:30 to play and ran it back to the five-yard line. Nate Lewis closed the scoring on first down when he burst into the end zone on the draw play. The kick made it 41-6.

“We’ve got to improve in the passing game,” Rose summarized. ”We had a couple of drops again tonight. We’re catching the ball and falling down and we should be catching the ball and running with it. But we improved as the game went on.

“Defensively, we missed a lot of tackles tonight. It looked like we were there, we just weren’t wrapping up.”

Rose had mixed feelings on the performance of his young offensive line, an area he believes will be the key if the Tigers are to return to the playoffs for a second year in a row.

“I thought we handled their pressure pretty good when we came down and did our steps correctly and zoned properly. We did a nice job,” Rose said. “The back side blocking could use some improvement.

MASSILLON 41
RAYEN 6
M R
First downs rushing 14 3
First downs passing 2 4
First downs penalty 2 0
Total first downs 18 7
Net yards rushing 262 65
Net yards passing 89 107
Total yards gained 351 172
Passes attempted 8 21
Passes completed 5 7
Passes int. by 1 1
Times kicked off 7 2
Kickoff average 45.7 38.5
Kickoff return yards 18 92
Punts 0 4
Punting average 0 25.0
Punt return yards 15 0
Fumbles 2 3
Fumbles lost 1 1
Penalties 5 12
Yards penalized 29 87
Number of plays 49 43
Time of possession 26:17 21:43
Attendance 10,756

Y’TOWN RAYEN 0 0 6 0 6
MASSILLON 14 7 13 7 41

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter
M ‑ Ashcraft 1 run (Pribich kick)
M ‑ Ashcraft 12 run (Pribich kick)

Second Quarter
M ‑ Spencer 1 run (Pribich kick)

Third Quarter
M ‑ Shanor 7 pass from Spencer (Pribich kick)
M – Mohler 37 pass from Spencer (kick failed)
R ‑ Williams fumble recovery in end zone (pass failed)

Fourth Quarter
M ‑ Lewis 5 run (Weirich kick)

FINAL STATISTICS

Rushing:
Massillon
Turner 9-72;
Lewis 9-61, 1 TD;
Ashcraft 9‑49, 2 TDs;
Spencer 7‑33, 1 TD;
Fraelich 4‑37;
Whitfield 3‑10.
Rayen
Johnson 7‑30,
Morgan 3‑18,
Jeffries 8‑14,
Williams 4‑3.

Passing:
Massillon
Spencer 5‑7‑89, 2 TDs;
Whitfield 0‑1, 1 int.
Rayen
Jeffries 7‑21‑107, 1 int.

Receiving:
Massillon
Mohler 2‑66, 1 TD;
Shanor 1‑7, 1 TD;
Manson 1‑9;
Rohr 1‑7.
Rayen
Crenshaw 2‑71,
Jones 3‑33,
Williams 1‑4.

History

1993: Massillon 62, Youngstown Rayen 0

October 15, 1993September 18, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers roar past Outmanned Rayen

By TODD PORTER
Independent Sports Writer

No, the stork hasn’t landed at the Jack Rose house, but the Massillon Tigers are still flying high ‑ above the ozone.

Rose, whose wife is expecting to deliver their third child any day, watched the Tigers roll to a 62‑0 win against Youngstown Rayen Friday night. In front of 10,021 fans on Homecoming night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, the Tigers ran their record to 7‑0, for the first time since 1982.

In ’82, Massillon finished 12‑1, with the only blemish coming against Cincinnati Moeller in the state championship game.

“Everyone keeps talking about the computer points and how the strike in Youngstown is going to affect us,” Rose said. “But I told the kids not to worry about things you can’t control and we have no control over that. All we can do is go out there and win each week. Someone said we’d have to beat McKinley to get into the playoffs. Heck, I plan on beating McKinley regardless of the circumstances. That’s one of our goals.”

As for the wife?

“She’s at home,” Rose said of his wife Diane. “If she would’ve went into labor tonight, I would have been there and Joe Studer would’ve taken over. But I think she’s in a holding pattern. Besides, all I am out there is traffic cop, directing everybody where to go.”

Maybe he could’ve pointed the Tigers from Youngstown in the right direction. The Tigers from Massillon were too much for Rayen to handle. Youngstown played in just its third game after a teachers’ strike forced weeks two through five to be canceled. Rayen played its second game in less than a week after Woodrow Wilson blanked the Tigers 26‑0 Sunday.

“It’s really too bad what happened to them,” said Rose, who led Massillon to its 665th win in school history. “They lost a lot of guys due to the strike and their tailback (Herman Benson) went down Tuesday. He’s a good back, an All‑State player and runs a 4.2 in the 40.”

Even with Benson the score may not have been much different. Massillon’s swarming defense held Rayen to just 74 total yards, most of those coming against the second and third units in the second half.

The defense set up three scores and the special teams ran a punt back for a score.

“We want to go out there and play at our potential every week. Regardless of who the opponent is,” said senior tackle B.J. Payne. “If you go out there and take your opponent lightly, you end up playing to their level. You have to be up every week.

“It doesn’t matter who’s running the ball in there. You put someone better in there and we’ll hit ’em. It doesn’t matter who we play.”

Senior Kevin Buckland returned his third punt for a touchdown this season when he went 71 yards in the third quarter as Massillon pushed the score to 49‑0 after Randy Endsley’s PAT.

”We looked real good at times. Buckland did a good job returning the punt and I thought (quarterback Mike) Danzy ran the offense well,” Rose said. “But in order for us to win next week, we’ll have to play much better.”

It may be difficult for the Tiger defense to play any better. Regardless of the opponents, Massillon hasn’t allowed a team to hit the end zone since Austintown Fitch.

“I think it’s a combination of a lot of things,” explained Payne. “I think the line is getting in there and we’re swarming on defense. Everybody is getting to the ball and it doesn’t matter who gets there, because we’re all strong. Anyone of us will hit you. And I think coach (Tim) Wolf is doing a good job calling the plays.”

Payne helped set up one of Massillon’s scores in the third quarter. With a stunt on, Payne hit Rayen quarterback Hilles Jefferies just after the snap.

“I shot the B‑gap and when I hit him the ball was out there,” Payne said. “I knocked it loose with my left hand and I tried to recover it.”

Senior linebacker Ian McClaskey did the honors for Payne. McClaskey pounced on the pigskin at the Rayen 6. Danzy went in untouched the following play giving Massillon a 42‑0 lead after Nick Pribich’s PAT.

Massillon’s high‑powered offense has outscored its opponents 123‑3 in the last two games. Against Rayen, the Tigers chalked up 383 total yards. Danzy and junior tailback Leon Ashcraft led the ground game with 72 yards rushing each. Danzy completed 3‑of‑8 passes for 70 yards as well.

”I’m starting to feel more comfortable back there,” said Danzy, who checked off twice at the line of scrimmage with both leading to touchdowns. “When they slid up in a Bear (defense), I checked off to the option. That gives us the outside and we can attack the perimeter.”

Just before halftime, the 5foot‑8, 164‑pound Danzy worked the Tigers out of a jam. With 16 seconds left in the half and Massillon facing a fourth‑and‑12 from the Rayen 18, Danzy checked off to the option. He carried the ball to the 10‑yard line before pitching the pigskin to senior Ali Dixon. Dixon went in from the 10 untouched.

“That play is designed to work like that,” Danzy said. “I’m supposed to carry the ball to the pitch key (Rayen’s outside linebacker) and pitch it. That was there tonight when they went to the Bear look.”

While Rayen was forced to punt every possession that didn’t end in a turnover, Massillon had little trouble scoring. The Tigers fine‑tuned engine roared early and often.
On the first possession, Massillon traveled 48 yards in eight plays with Ashcraft doing most of the work. He carried six times for 37 yards including the first TD of the game, a 2‑yard plunge. The score was set up on a 19‑yard run by Ashcraft on a trap play to get Massillon inside the 10. Tackle Mike Miller and center Mitch Colly opened a hole large enough to drive a truck through.

Less than three minutes latter, Massillon struck again. Danzy hit Lonnie Simpson on an out‑and‑up route for a 53‑yard scoring strike. Simpson bent down to catch the ball, kept his balance and still outran the Rayen defense the last 40 yards to the end zone.

“It was an out and up, and I kind of under threw the ball to Lonnie a little,” Danzy said. “He made a nice catch and flew down the sideline.”

After Rayen put together its longest drive of the night (nine plays before punting), Massillon hit paydirt again. Danzy capped a 9‑play, 51‑yard drive when he took a play‑action bootleg into the left corner of the end zone.

“Mike, I thought, made some real nice reads out there tonight,” Rose said. “The line did a good job opening holes and we got a lot of people in there.”

Already up 28‑0, Tigers put the game out of reach on the first drive of the second half. Danzy converted an option keeper into a 34‑yard scamper setting Massillon up on Rayen’s 21. Two plays later, Danzy went in from 13 yards out, making three Youngstown defenders miss along the way.

“The thing with our offense is, everybody contributes,” Danzy said. “On that play, Isaiah Jackson had a nice’ block.

Surprisingly, Rayen head coach John Protopapa wasn’t upset with his team’s play
.
“This is one good football team we played tonight,” Protopapa said. “I think Massillon will match up well with whoever it plays. They have a very talented team and Danzy is a great one. They can do a lot this year. ”

Akron St.‑Vincent St. Mary is next for the Tigers.

MASSILLON 62
RAYEN 0
M R
First downs rushing 14 4
First downs passing 1 0
First downs penalty 0 0
Total first downs 15 4
Net yards rushing 313 63
Net yards passing 70 11
Total yards gained 383 74
Passes attempted 8 5
Passes completed 3 2
Passes int. by 1 0
Times kicked off 10 1
Kickoff average 45.0 49.0
Kickoff return yards 30 94
Punts 0 7
Punting average 29.6
Punt return yards 115 0
Fumbles 1 2
Fumbles lost 1 1
Penalties 3 5
Yards penalized 45 49
Number of plays 52 37
Time of possession 23:35 24:25
Attendance 10,021

RAYEN 0 0 0 0 0
MASSILLON 14 14 28 6 62

FIRST QUARTER
M ‑ Ashcraft 2 run (kick failed)
M ‑ Simpson 53 pass from Danzy (Danzy run)

SECOND QUARTER
M ‑ Danzy 10 run (Pribich kick)
M ‑ Dixon 10 run (Pribich kick)

THIRD QUARTER
M ‑ Danzy 13 run (Pribich kick)
M ‑ Danzy 5 run (Pribich kick)
M ‑ Buckland 71 punt return (Endsley kick)
M ‑ Herring 6 run (Endsley kick)

FOURTH QUARTER
M ‑ Spencer 11 run (kick failed)

RUSHING
Massillon
Danzy 7‑72, 3 TDs;
Ashcraft 10‑72, 1 TD;
Dixon 5‑47, 1 TD;
Herring 5‑36, 1 TD;
Paul 6‑31;
Lewis 6‑18;
Spencer 1‑11, 1 TD;
Simpson 1‑7;
Arney 1‑5;
Fenton 1‑1.
Rayen
Jennings 10‑52,
Johnson 8‑12.

PASSING
Massillon
Danzy 3‑8‑70, 1 TD.
Rayen
Jefferies 2‑4‑11‑1,
Jones 0‑1‑0.

RECEIVING
Massillon
Simpson 2‑55, 1 TD,
Griffith 1‑15.
Rayen
Donaldson 1‑3,
Wilson 1‑8.

It’s not easy for Tigers

In the wake of Friday’s 62‑0 trouncing of Youngstown Rayen, Massillon Tiger head coach Jack Rose isn’t about to let his team let up or give up.

It wouldn’t be hard for the Tigers to get that non-chalant attitude about winning. Considering, the last two weeks, Massillon has scored more points on the football field than some high school basketball teams score on the hardwoods, it would be easy to start taking teams lightly.

”Akron St. Vincent‑St. Mary is a much‑improved football team since the start of the season,” Rose said. “They always play us tough and this is a good rivalry.”

After John Cistone’s Irish invade Paul Brown Tiger Stadium next week, Massillon hosts yet another Youngstown team hampered by the teachers’ strike in Youngstown East, a 21‑15 winner over LaBrae.

The Tigers then play McKinley in what is always a ‑ pardon the pun ‑ dogfight. Both Massillon and McKinley could have a great deal at stake in the final week.

“It’s definitely not easy,” Rose said.

History

1943: Massillon 39, Youngstown Rayen 0

November 12, 1943June 19, 2017
by Eric Smith

Tigers Wallop Rayen 39 To 0 For Ninth Straight Win

LAST DUEL BEFORE McKINLEY CONTEST

Regulars Score Three Touchdowns And They Are Pulled Out With Second And Third Stringers Carrying Burden In Cold Battle

By FRED J. BECKER
Independent Sports Editor

And now, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, sit back, take an aspirin tablet or two, take a good long drink of H2O (that’s about all there is for us these days) and try to keep your nerves under control if you can. The main event that you’ve been awaiting for nine long weeks is only five days away.

The preliminaries are over, the big show is moving on to the set and next Saturday afternoon it will have its premier and its finale all within the space of a few hours.

It’s the Same Old Picture

It will be a battle between 22 youthful warriors out on a chalk line gridiron, fighting out their hearts to bring victory to their colors. On the sidelines will be 22,000 of more frenzied spectators, nerves strained to the breaking point, shouting encouragement to the band of gladiators they want to emerge victorious.

Yes, it’s the same old picture the same old setting and the same old rivalry that has come down through the years. It’s the annual football clash between the Tigers of Washington high school and the Bulldogs of Canton McKinley. Ohio’s schoolboy classic of the gridiron.

Play At Fawcett Stadium

This year it will be staged at Fawcett stadium, Canton and this year, as in years past, the warriors of the two schools come to the end of the trail with hopes high and with a determination that the school they represent shall hold the crown of champion when dusk settles over the torn sod of the battleground next Saturday night.

For one team a cherished ambition will be realized. For the other it will be a heart breaking, dismal windup, the bursting of a bubble they had hoped would stay intact to the finish. Seldom does a Massillon-Canton game end in a tie.

Once again these two old scholastic foes of the gridiron come to the end of a long, hard journey rated as the outstanding teams in Ohio. This year both enter their 10th and final tussle of the season with undefeated records. Of the two the Tigers own the best, they have won nine in a row. The Bulldogs have won eight and have a 13-13 tie with Warren to mar an otherwise perfect slate.

Both teams hurdled their final obstacles last week. The Bulldogs completed their final task before the Tiger encounter last Thursday night barely nosing out a determined Mansfield team 12 to 7. Two Canton touchdowns in the closing minutes of the fourth period saved the Bulldogs from their first lacing of the season.

The Tigers completed their final assignment before testing the bite of the Bulldogs last Saturday on a snow covered gridiron at Tiger stadium by defeating Youngstown Rayen 39 to 0 for their ninth victory in a row while 5,000 shivering, teeth chattering fans braved a cold, wintry blizzard to watch their favorites run rough shod over a beefy but rather awkward opponent from Mahoning County.

Saves Regulars

As was expected the game proved a rather easy task for Coach Elwood Kammer’s youthful pigskin chasers. Scoring in every quarter they rolled up six touchdowns and three points after touchdowns, hitting pay dirt twice in each the first and second periods and scoring lone markers in both the third and fourth.

As far as keeping his regulars in good physical condition, the game worked out fine for Kammer. His starting lineup contained only eight of the Tiger first stringers, the other three remaining on the sidelines throughout the encounter.

After the Tigers had scored their third touchdown early in the second period, Kammer pulled all his regulars out of the encounter and sent them into the clubhouse, the second team doing the battling the rest of the day, giving way to the third stringers a minute or two before the final gun. Every Tiger in uniform got a chance to have his nose pushed into the snow that covered the field.

Rayen furnished but little opposition to the orange and black. The Youngstown lads were quite hefty but they failed to show a thing until late in the fourth quarter when Jack Pickering, a pretty fair sort of halfback and Rayen’s offensive star, brought his comrades to life by taking a Massillon punt on his 23 yard line and racing it back 60 yards to Massillon’s 17 before being pulled down from behind by Bob Richards, Tiger guard. It was the longest single individual gain of the day and the only reason young Mr. Pickering did not make it a touchdown was because he appeared to be so fagged out he could hardly put one foot ahead of the other in the final stretch.

After Pickering enlivened his mates with his spectacular dash, the Youngstown outfit made a determined bid for a touchdown and almost succeeded. They finally worked the ball to Massillon’s three-yard line with a first down coming up but they lacked the punch to put it over, the Tigers ganging up on them and repelling Rayen’s four attempts to score.

Luke Scores Early

It did not take the Tigers long to tally their first set of counters. The Tigers received and an exchange of punts gave Massillon the ball on Rayen’s 39. On the first play the orange and black did a clever bit of ball handling and when it was all over Wilmer Luke had scooted down the sideline for 39 yards and a touchdown. Bob Wallace took the ball from center, tossed it to Romeo Pellegrini for what looked like a reverse, and then Pellegrini uncorked a lateral to Luke who had come around from his end post and the lanky colored boy tucked the leather under his arm and neatly picked his way through the visitors for a nifty bit of running that did not end until he was back of Rayen’s goal line. Mastriann’s placekick was good for the extra point.

A few minutes later another Tiger touchdown was in the making. Tom Jasinski punted to Pickering who was hit hard by Pellegrini just as he was picking up the ball. Pickering fumbled and Luke covered on Rayen’s 24-yard line. Then on another one of those triple passes Wallace, Mastriann to Pellegrini, Romeo skirted right end for six. On the next play Wallace, “Crazy Legs” they call him now, dashed around his left end and never stopped until he had planted the ball back of Rayen’s goal line. It was an 18-yard dash. Mastriann again made good on the conversion.

The third Massillon touchdown was on the way when the first quarter ended. Jasinski took Moses Garcia’s punt on Massillon’s 30 and ran it back nine yards to the 39. Pellegrini on a reverse hit right tackle for five and then Wallace went on another rampage, this time around left end for 27 yards to Rayen’s 29-yard line. Pellegrini from punt formation cracked through the line for eight and Mastriann made it a first down to Rayen’s 18 as the quarter ended.

Pellegrini stumbled and fell on the first play of the second quarter, losing six yards. He then pitched a strike to Luke who was chased out of bounds on Rayen’s five yard line. Pellegrini made two at the line, Mastriann went to the one through left tackle and Pellegrini scored on the next play.

After the kickoff Kammer pulled his seven regulars and sent in the remainder of the second team to help Luke, Richards and Wilbert Pedrotty who had done a good job with the varsity. Luke replaced Don Willmot, Richards was in for Bill Gable and Pedrotty filled Glenn Keller’s shoes.

With the regulars in the club house, enjoying a hot shower, the second team went to work on the visitors and chalked up Massillon’s fourth touchdown before the second quarter ended.

Blocked Punt Brings Score

Vic Turkall punted to Adrian Castella who was downed by Bob Clark on Massillon’s 37. Pedrotty tossed Armando Rossi without gain and Richards crashed through to floor Casetlla for a 16-yard loss. Castella then dropped back to punt but Don Sedjo rammed through to block the kick. As the ball sailed across Rayen’s goal Bob Heltzel grabbed it for the touchdown. Turkall’s place kick was good and boosted the score to 27-0.

A Rayen fumble led to Massillon’s fifth set of counters soon after the third period opened. Dick Walschlag dropped the ball and Pedrotty covered on Rayen’s 30. Wilbert Webb attempted a pass to Pedrotty which failed. Sedjo hit for three and Turkall passed to Clark for 9 to Rayen’s 18. A pass from Turkall intended for Luke missed fire and then Webb missed the ball on a lateral losing 10. Turkall, however, wiped out this loss by pitching a pass into Luke’s arms and the Massillon end went over for a touchdown. The gain covered 28 yards.

Soon after the fourth quarter opened, Pickering staged his thrilling 60-yard run and the Tigers had their chance to show how rugged they were by successfully repelling Rayen’s
only real bid for a touchdown.

By this time Rayen was gambling desperately on passes in an effort to score. Pickering was doing most of the tossing and seldom hitting a receiver. He did, however, hit one receiver and it meant another touchdown for Massillon. The receiver happened to be Sedjo and he raced 50 yards for the score.

It happened near the end of the game. After getting the ball on Massillon’s 48 through a punt, Pickering dropped back and cut loose with a pass.

The ball landed squarely in the waiting arms of Sedjo who was standing on the 50 and with a clear field ahead the Massillon fullback romped 50 yards unmolested for the sixth and final Tiger touchdown.

Massillon’s third team took over after the kickoff. Pickering completed three passes, all to Stan Grosshandler, before the game ended but Rayen was still far away from a touchdown when the gun sounded.

The statistics show Massillon made 12 first downs to five for Rayen. The Tigers attempted 22 passes, completed six for 102 yards. Rayen tried 23, completed five for 51 yards and had five intercepted.

The Tigers had a gross yardage from all plays of 263 and a loss of 46 for a net yardage of 217. Rayen had a gross of 85 with a loss of 28 for a net of 57 yards.

Bulldogs Next

Massillon – 30 Pos. Rayen – 0

Luke LE Hunyadi
Arrington LT Burnett
Tonges LG Cappuzzello
Williams C Schan
Richards RG J.Degennaro
Berger RT Conroy
Jasinski RE Galose
Pedrotty QB D.Degennaro
Pellegrini LH Pickering
Wallace RH Tabachino
Mastriann FB C. Bruno

Score by quarters:
Massillon 14 13 6 6 – 39

Touchdowns: Luke 2, Wallace, Pellegrini, Heltzel, Sedjo

Points after touchdown: Mastriann 2 (place kick),
Turkall 1, (place kick).

Substitutions – Massillon: Webb, Ielsch, Belch, Sedjo, Turkall, Profant, Clark, Heltzel, Cicchinelli, McGuire, Weeks, Prine, Matako, Millar, Bonk, Rouhler, Stevens, Makowski, Paulson, Slussler, Green, Kelly, Edie. Rayen: Surbrick, Dios, Maltbie, Garcia, Nicklas, Labozan, Chimento, Markawitz, Wolshaf, Julian, Russi, Castella, Dickey, Fox, Gosshandler.

Referee: Lobach. Umpire: Shafer.
Headlineman: Murphy. Field judge: Brown.

Statistics
Tigers Rayen
Total first downs 12 5
Yards gained by rushing 161 34
Yards lost by rushing 46 28
Net yards gained by rushing 115 6
Forward passes attempted 22 23
Forward passes completed 6 5
Yards gained by passing 102 51
Total net yardage rushing
and passing 217 57
Passes had intercepted 0 5
Number of punts 10 5
Average distance of punts 27 19
Number of kickoffs 6 2
Average distance of kicks 40 34
Number of fumbles 1 3
Times ball lost on fumbles 0 2
Number of penalties against 5 4
Yards lost by penalties 35 30

Big Program for Tiger Boosters

The final meeting of the Tiger Booster club before the Massillon-Canton game next Saturday will be held in the Washington high school auditorium this evening at 8 o’clock.

It will be one of the most important of the year and should prove to be one of the most interesting.

It will be an open meeting and all Tiger fans are invited.

Coach Elwood Kammer will not attend tonight’s meeting. The Tiger coach never attends the meeting before the Canton game.

Officers for the coming year will be elected. The Tiger swing band of Washington high school will be on hand to furnish music and the recently organized Massillon chapter of the Society of the Preservation and

Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America will make its first public appearance.

History

1921: Massillon 14, Youngstown Rayen 7

November 5, 1921May 12, 2017
by Eric Smith

GAME UPHILL RIGHT BRINGS TRIUMPH TO PLUCKY HIGH ELEVEN

Arvine “Tink” Ulrich midget half back of Washington High school’s football team, last Saturday afternoon for the first time in three weeks donned war paint and, ably assisted by 10 other fighting warriors, carried the orange and black banner of the local school to a 14 to 7 triumph over Rayen High of Youngstown, in one of the most brilliant scholastic encounters ever staged on the Pearl street gridiron. Greatly outweighed and with its captain “Chuck” Hess and its star defensive center Ted Roth on the sidelines because of injuries the youthful Tigers by one of the gamest uphill fights ever fought on any battlefield cam through with one of the most spectacular and entirely unexpected victories ever registered by a local high school team.

For three weeks Ulrich had been laid up with an inured knee sustained in the Youngstown South game. Coach Stewart did not intend to use “Tink” Saturday unless forced to. Early in the second quarter an injury to a local player made Ulrich’s entrance into the fray necessary, and the little plunging halfback nobly responded to the call. From then on the tide of the battle turned but it was not until the fourth quarter that Ulrich really demonstrated his greatness by scoring Massillon’s first touchdown by some mighty fine line plunging and paving the way for the second by a brilliant dash of 40 yards through the visiting eleven.

Rayen was confident of victory. The Mahoning county school knew that injuries had riddled the orange and black and greatly weakened its defensive strength. It expected to teat Massillon even worse that it did McKinley High of Canton which it defeated two weeks ago by a 10 to 7 count. The Youngstown school felt so confident of winning that it planned to achieve the victory over the orange and black with the same team that had defeated Canton.

That the invading aggregation forgot to reckon with the indomitable fighting spirit of Coach Stewart’s gritty lads. They forgot that overcoming a tiger with its back to the wall is a Herculean task. Massillon had its back to the wall Saturday and the orange and black fought with all the fury and desperation of a tiger at bay.

Striking out with the unleashed fury of a hurricane the local team in the final quarter swept Rayen off its feet by a wonderful rally, tied the score hanging up a touchdown early in the fourth period and then swept on to victory by a brilliant drive that carried the ball three quarters of the length of the field. The final orange and black charge was a suitable finish to a battle that had raged fiercely up and down the field during three periods of hectic strife.

That final fighting comeback covered the orange and black lads with a halo of glory. They had fought a game battle against a much heavier foe and they deserved to win for against a stouter foe they never once had showed any indication of displaying the white flag. They were in the game to fight to the finish and to know how well they fought one has but to recall the score. It was a sad blow for Rayen, that 14 to 7 setback. It was the first reverse of the season for the husky Youngstown eleven but they drank manfully from the bitter cup.

It was only by a break that Rayen scored its touchdown against Massillon in the second quarter. And until the orange and black commenced its victory march in the final period those seven points looked like a mountain to all but the struggling Massillon warriors.

Ulrich’s sensational work by far was the outstanding feature of the battle. “Tink” was everywhere on defense and a veritable battering ram on offense. The game also served to uncover a new backfield star in Boerner, who since injuries riddled the regular backfield, has been doing duty behind the line. His line smashing drives were features of the contest.

History

1920: Massillon 9, Youngstown Rayen 7

October 26, 1920August 7, 2017
by Eric Smith

HIGH SCHOOL GRIDDERS DEFEAT RAYEN ELEVEN SATURDAY, 9-7 IN FAST DUEL

Fighting a determined battle against an ancient foe, orange and black clad gridiron warriors of Washington high school last Saturday hung up their second victory of the 1920 campaign when they invaded Youngstown and trimmed Rayen high 9 to 7 in a hard fought engagement.

Scoring all their points in the first quarter, Coach Snyder’s lads played a great defensive game during the remaining three periods. Rayen’s lone touchdown came in the second quarter but after that the Mahoning county gridders were powerless to dent the orange and black line.

It was the aggressive work of left Guard Nelson and Right Tackle J. Tilton that gave the youthful Tigers their first two points. After Massillon high kicked off to Rayen, the Youngstown gridders were held and when they attempted to punt Nelson broke through and blocked the kick. The ball rolled behind the Rayen goal line where a Rayen player recovered it but was downed behind his goal line by Tilton for a safety.

A few minutes later Massillon came in possession of the ball in midfield and a series of forward passes and end runs carried the ball within Rayen’s 10-yard line where Fullback Greenfelder went across for a touchdown on an off tackle buck. He also kicked goal.

A series of line plunges in the second quarter gave Rayen its only touchdown. Massillon outplayed the Youngstown team in the first and fourth quarters while Rayen had the better of the argument in the second session. Play was even in the third period.

The offensive playing of Hess, Ulrich and Greenfelder stood out prominently for the orange and black.

Massillon’s line up follows: Howells, re; J. Tilton rt; Shaidnagle and R. Tilton rg; Mollet c; Nelson and Snyder lg; Harrison lt; Lyons and Jamison le; Graybill qb; Hess lhb; Ulrich rhb; Greenfelder and Rosenberg fb.

History

1919: Massillon 39, Youngstown Rayen 6

August 7, 1919August 7, 2017
by Eric Smith

High School Crew Downs Rayen High, Saturday, 39-6

High school football teams of Youngstown ought to have a healthy respect for the sturdy orange and black eleven of Washington high school. A week ago Youngstown South attempted to put a crimp in the victorious march of Coach John Snavely’s youthful Tigers only to be sent back home with a 2 to 0 defeat hung upon them. On Saturday Rayen high, another Youngstown school sent its gridiron celebrities on a Massillon invasion and the local scholastic combination was the recipient of more gridiron honors for it smothered the Steel Town crew under a 39 to 6 score.

Six touchdowns and three goals followed in the wake of Massillon’s smashing attack, which was illuminated by the brilliant dashes of left halfback Hess, who is rapidly developing into Massillon’s big offensive star. Four of the six touchdowns were the result of Hess’ brilliant work, one coming on a spectacular 60-yard dash through the Rayen eleven and another on a 35-yard sprint around the visiting aggregation. His other two sets of counters came on short plunges.

With Hess skimming around the ends and Stuhldreher and Archbold giving the Rayen line an acid test, it was not long until Massillon had piled up a lead sufficient to clinch the contest. The offensive work of the orange and black stood out prominently in the first half but in the second it did not show so much, with a result that Rayen outplayed coach Snavely’s warriors during the last two quarters.

Rayen had a heavy team but it possessed only one player whose performance was at all noteworthy. Elliott, Captain and husky fullback for the visitors, was Rayen’s best bet but he could not play the entire game himself although he figured in practically all of Rayen’s plays and did most of the defensive work.

Finding Massillon’s line a bit too tough to dent because of the brilliant work of Oberlin and Taylor, who are about as fine a pair of tackles as ever wore the orange and black, Rayen depended largely upon shift plays and forward passes. The visitors attempted 35 overhead plays, completing nine, having four intercepted and 23 astray. In the last quarter it tried desperately to score by the air route, attempting 16 passes, only three of which were successful. Massillon attempted but six passes none being successful.

In making first downs Rayen out-pointed the orange and black, registering 13 to 11 for the local team.

Rayen hardly had time to get warmed up before Massillon scored its first touchdown. The visitors received and punted to Archbold in midfield. Hess and Stuhldreher commenced a march around Rayen’s ends that brought the ball to the six-yard line from where Hess dashed across for a touchdown.

A few minutes later Herman covered a bad Rayen pass on the visitors 11-yard line and Stuhldreher and Hess once more pierced the Youngstown team’s defense. Hess going around left end on a double pass for his second touchdown.
The second quarter had barely started before Hess, on another double pass, swung around Rayen’s right end and on a spectacular run in which he eluded practically the entire Youngstown team, carried the ball 60 yards for his third touchdown. Right end Howells was the next orange and black gridder to electrify the crowd when he snatched a Rayen forward out of the air and scampered 50 yards for a touchdown. Hess before the quarter ended, gathered another set of counters by a 35-yard sprint.

Rayen scored its lone touchdown in the second quarter. Stuhldreher punted out of bounds on his 30-yard line and a pass from Fried to Elliott took the ball to the 20-yard line. Elliott then heaved a pass to Hough who fumbled on Massillon’s two-yard line, the ball rolling over the goal line where Fried fell on it for Rayen’s touchdown.

Massillon’s last touchdown came in the third quarter when left end Herman picked up a Rayen fumble on Rayen’s 40-yard line and scampered across the visitor’s goal line.

Greenfelder, star halfback, did not get into the fray until near the close of the game, a bad hip keeping him on the sidelines. Coach Snavely switched Hess from quarterback to halfback and sent Stuhldreher to the pivot position. Stuhldreher played a good game although he was not able to elude Elliott, Rayen’s star, as successfully as Hess did.

Massillon – 39 Pos. Rayen – 6
Herman LE R. Smith
Oberlin LT Tonsmeier
Clay LG L. Smith
Angstadt C Davies
Harrison RG E. Brown
Taylor RT Reckert
Howells RE Meyer
Stuhldreher QB Fried
Hollerback LHB Carney
Hess RHB Hough
Archbold FB Elliott

Score by quarters:
Massillon 13 20 6 0 39
Rayen 0 6 0 0 6

Substitutions – Massillon: Siffert for herman, Herman for Siffert,
Tilton for Clay, Adams for Angstadt, Graber for Harrison,
Jamison for Howeels, Howells for Jamison, Limbach for Hollerback,
Greenfelder for Archbold.
Rayen: Fitzsimmons for R. Smith, McDonald for E. Brown,
Menninger for Carney, Carney for Menninger, Hameriki for
Hough.

Touchdowns – Hess 4, Howells 1, Herman 1, Fried 1.

Goals after touchdown – Stuhldreher 3

Referee – Blythe, Mount Union.
Umpire – Bast, Massillon.
Headlinesman – Wilson, Massillon.

Timer – Ligget.

Time of quarters — 12½ m.

History

1918: Massillon 7, Youngstown Rayen 7

August 6, 1918August 7, 2017
by Eric Smith

RAYEN-M.H.S. TIE SCORE

Repeated penalties prevented the Massillon high school football team from handing defeat to Rayen high, of Youngstown, Saturday at Youngstown. As a result of the penalties the Mahoning county lads played a 7 to 7 tie game with the orange and black.

Time after time the orange and black carried the pigskin to within scoring distance, only to be penalized. In the third quarter after Archbold had intercepted a Rayen pass and carried the ball into Rayen’s territory, the local lads were penalized 15 yards for an illegal play and 15 yards more when Thomas began arguing with the referee, totaling thirty yards on the one down.

Rayen drew first blood of the game, when it broke into the scoring column in the second period. A series of passes brought the ball from midfield to Massillon’s seven yard line, where Massillon was again penalized half the distance to the goal. Then with the ball on Massillon’s three and a half yard line, Elliot, Rayen fullback, carried it over for the first set of markers. He also kicked goal.

The orange and black came back in the third quarter. A pass, Thomas to Wittman, carried the ball to Rayen’s 20 yard line. Two end runs by “Swig” Thomas brought the ball to the three yard line from where Archbold plunged through Rayen’s line for a touchdown. Thomas kicked goal.

Graybill early in the fourth quarter sustained an injured hand which forced him to retire from the contest. Stuhldreher, sub-quarter, had previously been in the game and could therefore not enter the game except at the beginning of a quarter. Thomas was shifted to quarter, Wittman going to left half and Herman to end.

Massillon. Pos. Rayen.

Wittman le Hogan

Kemp lt Rickert

Clay lg Moore

Ertle c Carney

Tilton rg Hogan

Oberlin rt Hall

Jones re Howells

Graybill qb Nardacci

Thomas lhb Jacobson

Greenfelder rhb Hough

Archbold fb Elliot
Substitutions – Stuhldreher for Graybill, Graybill for Stuhldreher, Thomas for Graybill, Wittman for Thomas, Herman for Wittman, Myers for Nardacci, Nardacci for Myers.

Touchdowns – Elliot, Archbold.
Goals from touchdowns – Elliot, Thomas.

Referee – Rotch.
Umpire – McKay.

History

1917: Massillon 15, Youngstown Rayen 0

August 7, 1917August 7, 2017
by Eric Smith

HIGH GRIDDERS TAKE 15 TO 0 FALL OUT OF RAYEN ON SATURDAY

The orange and black of Massillon high and the orange and black of Rayen high, of Youngstown, tested strength in a gridiron duel on the M. B. A. C. field, Clay street, Saturday afternoon, the local eleven downing its Mahoning county foe, 15 to 0, in a contest in which both good and bad football were mixed.

“Swig” Thomas, Massillon’s brilliant halfback, scored all of Massillon’s points, driving through the line twice for touchdowns, kicking one goal and throwing Quarterback Myers of Rayen, behind his own goal line in the second quarter for a safety.

It was Rayen’s fumble on receiving a Massillon punt that gave Coach Snavely’s boys their chance to score the first touchdown. Massillon received but was held, Archbold punting to Quarterback Myers of Rayen, who dropped the ball, Fulton covering for the orange and black on Rayen’s 18 yard line. Thomas, Graybill and Archbold carried the ball to the two-yard line on shift plays from where “Swig” bucked through left tackle for the set of counters. He failed at goal.

Rayen received and Smith, fullback for the visitors, ripped through the center of Massillon’s line for 25 yards but the local line tightened and Massillon gained the ball on its 40-yard line. Archbold made 15 off tackle, and Thomas skirted left end for 45 carrying the ball to the seven-yard line. With four downs in which to make the distance to Rayen’s goal line, Coach Snavely’s boys failed as the visitors put up a stout defense and stopped Thomas on the one-yard line on the fourth down.

Early in the second quarter with Rayen in possession of the ball on its 10-yard line, Thomas dashed in and threw Mardacci over the line for a 11-yard loss and a safety. Rayen gained the ball on its 20-yard line and was held, punting to Thomas on Rayen’s 40. The orange and black commenced a steady march to the goal line which ended when Thomas carried the ball over from the one-yard line. He kicked goal.

Rayen was never dangerous, and did not get within Massillon’s 20-yard line at any time during the contest. In the second half Massillon’s play seemed to lag, although Thomas gained almost every time he carried the ball. Archbold and E. Graybill also made nice gains. Graybill was injured near the middle of the fourth quarter and Fulton was sent to quarter and Miller to right end. Converse did not get into the game, injuries sustained in the Akron West contest keeping him on the sidelines.

Massillon had all the better of the duel with the Rayenites, making 15 first downs to five for the invaders. Both teams punted five times. Massillon did not complete any forward pass until the fourth quarter when Thomas and Fulton negotiated two successful heaves. Rayen failed to gain an inch by the serial route, failing to complete a pass out of five attempts.

Thomas was Massillon’s big star on offense. He was almost unstoppable and rarely failed to gain. On the defense the line played a strong game but Taylor who supplanted C. Graybill at left guard early in the game put up a bear of a game on defense and exhibited about the hardest tackling of any member on the team.

Following is the line-up and summary:

Massillon – 15. Rayen – 0.

Edwards le Rubenson

Cheyney (c) lt Parker

C. Graybill lg McMillan

Ertle c Carney

Harrison rg Halls

Oberlin rt McBride (c)

Fulton re O’Neil

E. Graybill qb Myers

Thomas lhb Mardacci

Wittmann rhb Hough

Archbold fb Smith
Substitutions: Massillon – Taylor for C. Graybill, Fulton for E. Graybill, Miller for Fulton; Rayen – Bromley for McMillan, McMillan for Bromley.

Touchdowns – Thomas 2.
Safety – Massillon, 1.
Goals after touchdown – Thomas 1.

Referee – Maurer, of Wooster.
Umpire – Miller of Massillon.

Time of quarters – 12 and 10.

Score by quarters:
Massillon 6 9 0 0 – 15

History

1916: Massillon 19, Youngstown Rayen 6

August 8, 1916August 7, 2017
by Eric Smith

SPIRITED COMEBACK IN LAST HALF TURNS TABLES; BRINGS HOME THE BACON

Completely outclassing its opponents in the second half and putting on display a brand of football consisting of line bucks, forward passes and end runs that baffled its foe, Massillon high’s undefeated orange and black eleven Saturday afternoon piled up 19 points and defeated Rayen high school of Youngstown, 19 to 6, after the Rayenites had gathered six points in the first half, due to Massillon’s mixing of signals.

It was the first gridiron clash between the two schools and the local gridders, after they overcame their nervousness, which hindered their play at first, gave Youngstown fans the greatest exhibition of scholastic football they have ever witnessed. Massillon’s triumph over the sturdy Mahoning county foe proved convincingly that the orange and black is one of the best, if not the strongest scholastic team in the Buckeye state.

The local gridders ran wild in the second half. With McLaughlin shooting forward pass after forward pass to Harrold, Bischoff or Thomas, or he or Thomas darting through the line for heavy gains, Rayen was completely at sea and at a loss to know which way to turn to stop the next play. The victorious march which the Rayenites made in the first half was turned into a rout in the second and the orange and black marches over its foes for three touchdowns and its eighth straight victory of the season.

Not one first down did Rayen make in the second half. They outplayed Massillon during the first two periods, showing a better attack than the youthful Tigers and Youngstown fans had hopes of inflicting the first defeat of the season on Massillon. But when McLaughlin began using open formations, the machine-like play of the orange and black stood out superior to the best that the steel town lads could offer and once started there was no stopping Coach Snavely’s warriors.

Rayen scored in the second quarter, Prokop, right end, picking up a Massillon fumble and running 40 yards for the score. Massillon’s backfield got mixed up in the signals and let a pass go back of the line. Prokop swooped upon it and raced away for a touchdown with nobody near him.

It did not take Massillon long to get started in the third quarter. McLaughlin’s forward passing took Rayen off its feet and a McLaughlin-Thomas pass proved a ground gainer. These two negotiated one pass for 85 yards and placed Massillon in position for its first touchdown. McLaughlin made two touchdowns, bucking the ball over each time from within the five yard zone. The last came on a forward pass from McLaughlin to Bischoff, who carried the ball five yards for the score. One goal was kicked.

McLaughlin, as usual, was in the limelight for Massillon. His hurling of the forward pass was the best Youngstown ever saw in a scholastic battle and before the game was over they were with Massillon heart and soul. Thomas starred on offense while Massillon’s line was like a stone wall in the last half.

The local team received excellent treatment both from the officials and the crowd, and after the game was entertained at a banquet by girl students of Rayen high.

Massillon demonstrated Saturday that it can use the forward pass to good advantage when it has to and has been taught plays which opposing teams find hard to break up. McLaughlin is an excellent passer and can shoot the ball hard and accurately. The inability of Massillon’s line to charge in the first half hindered the local team but in the second session the line braced up and Rayen could no more penetrate it than go through a brick wall.

VICTIM NO. 8

Massillon – 19. Pos. Rayen – 6.

Harrold le Rubinson

Johnson lt Hill

Ertle lg Mallory

Zepp rg McBride

Archbold rt Espanshade

Bischoff re Prokop

Thomas lh Nutt

Underwood rg Pabst

Converse rh Forsythe

McLaughlin qb Jones

Stults fb Elliott
Touchdowns – Prokop, McLaughlin 2, Bischoff.
Goal from touchdown – McLaughlin.

Substitutions – Cover for Forsythe, Hogan for Cover, Reid for Hogan. Welsh for Espenshade, Stoner for Underwood, Chayney for Johnson, Wittmann for Converse, Oberlin for Stoner.

Referee – Evans.
Umpire – Flad.
Headlinesman – Horton.

Time of quarters – 13 minutes.

Tag: <span>Youngstown Rayen</span>