AKRON EAST GIVES

HIGH SCHOOL TIGERS THIRD CONSECUTIVE

6-0 DEFEAT

LAST QUARTER DRIVE

BRINGS VICTORY

TO VETERAN ORIENTALS

By KEN HARTWICK

The third time is the charm. At least everybody claims it is. The varsity football team of Washington high school proved that it is the exception which proves that rule as well as others when it took its third consecutive 6-0 defeat from gridders representing Akron East in the season’s opener on the local athletic field, Saturday afternoon.

Playing practically even ball with their opponents during the first three quarters of the game despite the fact that East had a large edge as far as first downs were concerned, the Tigers saw their hard work go for nothing in the last few minutes of play when the Rubber City squad made a determined march almost the entire length of the field to score the only touchdown of the afternoon.

It was a punt that carried the ball a mere foot over Akron’s line which put the pigskin on the Oriental’s 20-yard line from where it was carried by the East gridders to the Tigers’ goal.

March 80 Yards for Score

Several times before East had the ball much closer to the Massillon line and nothing had happened but this time things were different. With 80 yards separating them and victory, the Orientals started their march. And what a march it was. Five consecutive first downs, the gaining of which brought forth most of the tricks known to the popular game, carried the ball to Massillon’s 20-yard line. An off tackle play was tried by East and then Fessler circled left end for the remaining distance. The Akronites narrowly missed gaining an extra point when their kick for goal hit the left side of the goal post.

That march down the field looked more like a steam roller putting an end to a tough job than a group of high school football players going after a victory. Stopping a cattle stampede would have been about as easy as stopping those East gridders once they got started in the right direction and it is doubtful whether any team in the state could have accomplished the trick.

The wearers of the orange and black tried valiantly to thrust back the Orientals as they had done several times before but the strain of playing three quarters of mid-season ball in weather better suited for swimming than football, coupled with the fact that they were up against a much more experienced team proved too much.

Misses Try For Goal

The Tigers narrowly missed scoring against East in the early minutes of the final quarter on a try for a placement kick. Getting the ball on Akron’s 40-yard line the Tigers carried it to the 25-yard line on a succession of plays, one of them, a pass from Singer to Hess being good for 12 yards. With five yards gained on three plays, Kester dropped back for the kick. For a moment it seemed like Massillon was to get the first points of the day, the ball heading directly for the center of the goal post. However, the kick was a trifle short, the ball missing the cross bar by inches.

East started off like a flash in the first quarter, marking up several first downs on the first few plays. The visitors worked the ball into Massillon territory several times but the new Tiger line, somewhat weak when the ball was near the center of the field, always tightened up when the Massillon line was in danger of being crossed and held the Orientals back where they belonged. Nearly all of the play was in Massillon territory the first quarter.

Kester Hold Punting Edge

The Tigers reversed things in the second session, keeping the pigskin on East’s side of the field a larger part of the time. Most of the time during that quarter the ball was in the air, Kester and Fessler putting on a punting duel with Kester holding an edge due to the fact that although his distance was about the same as East’ punter he nearly always placed the ball where he wanted it – over the edge near the Akron line.

Despite the fact that East got 13 first downs to five for the Tigers, the Massillon line looked rather good. Holding an experienced and veteran squad like East has to that many first downs and only one touchdown would do credit to any line in the state. Except in that final drive all of East’s first downs came near midfield, the Tiger line stopped the Orientals dead when they approached Massillon’s end of the field. Worthington and Hess looked well on ends with Willison and Hoyman showing up well at tackle and center respectively.

The Tigers’ veteran backfield didn’t look as well as it did during several of its games last year. The boys seemed to be unable to get started soon enough to get very far. An inability to get East’s defensive stars out of the way soon enough was what prevented the orange and black wearers from gaining much ground.

Few Substitutions

Fessler showed up best for the visitors. Time and time again he crashed through the Tigers’ line or circled end for nice gains. Fontaine and Ostravitch, two men who helped East defeat Massillon last year, also aided the Akron cause a lot. Their spin delay which they also used last year resulted in several nice gains. Appleby played a clever game at right end for the visitors.

Despite the fact that it was the first game of the season for both squads there was little rough playing, East getting the only 15 yard penalty for that. East was set back 10 yards and the Tigers went 10 yards in the wrong direction, all because of their over-anxiousness except in the one instance for East.

Substitutes were few, Coach Elmer McGrew making two changes on right guard and the East coach changing only at half.

The weather was unsuited for football. Except for a light breeze during the second half there was nothing which made the weather anything that desired for football. A fairly large crowd saw the game, about 1,500 fans filling the stands.

First Quarter

Fontaine kicked off for Akron, Massillon getting the ball on its own 40-yard line. Two line plunges by Clendening netted five yards. Kester punted to Akron’s 25-yard line. Fontaine circled right end on Akron’s first play for 10 yards and a first down. Ostravitch went through Massillon’s line for two yards. Fontaine crashed through for 10 more yards, giving Akron another first down. Ostravitch and Fessler got another first down on successive line plunges. Ostravitch was thrown for a two yard loss. He made four yards around left end on the next play. Gray went around right end for 12 yards, putting the ball on Massillon’s 18-yard line.

Massillon’s line was working hard but Fessler, Ostravitch and Fontaine gained eight yards on three tries. Fontaine passed to Fessler but the play did not give them enough gain and it was Massillon’s ball on its own 10-yard line. Williams made six yards through the line before Kester punted to the 50-yard line. Ostravitch gained a yard. Fessler added eight more and Ostravitch got two more for another first down. Fontaine went around right end for seven more yards. Ostravitch got five more and another first down. Fontaine and Ostravitch got three yards on two line plunges as the quarter ended with the ball on Massillon’s 23-yard line.

Second Quarter

Fontaine went through the line for two yards. A pass was no good, Massillon taking the ball on its own 21-yard line. Clendening was thrown for a yard loss. Kester’s punt was returned 10 yards to Akron’s 45-yard line. Ostravitch made five around right end. Akron received the first penalty of the game, five yards, on the next play, the ball being on Akron’s 25-yard line. Fessler got away on a long end run and had a clear field with the exception of Clendening. Clendening crashed into him and downed him on Massillon’s 40-yard line after he had gained 15 yards. An Akron man fumbled and Massillon recovered.

Clendening went through for two yards. Williams lost a yard. Kester punted to Akron’s 23-yard line, Fessler returning the ball on a punt to Massillon’s own 40-yard line. Massillon got its first five-yard penalty on its first play. Kester’s pass was unsuccessful. Kester punted but Akron got another five-yard penalty on the play, Massillon keeping the ball. Kester made one yard through before East got another five yard penalty. Williams crashed the line for four yards and a first down. Three plays gave Massillon eight yards. Kester punted to Akron’s 10 yard line. Fessler returned the punt, putting the ball on his own 38-yard line by kicking it over the line. Williams got one through the line. Kester dropped the ball but recovered it with a one-yard loss. Singer’s pass was unsuccessful. Kester punted, placing the ball on Akron’s 15-yard line. Fessler punted, the ball being placed on Massillon’s 46-yard line.

Kester’s pass was unsuccessful. Williams got a yard through the line. Clendening punted, Akron getting the ball on its own 20-yard line. Akron got another five yard penalty. Fessler and Fontaine marked up another first down before the quarter ended.

Third Quarter

Williams kicked to Akron’s 20-yard line, an East man returning the ball to the 30 yard marker. Two plays gave East another first down. Fontaine made two yards and Gray lost one. Fessler punted, Clendening returning the ball 24 yards to Massillon’s 44-yard line. Kester went around end for four yards. Williams got two through the line. Massillon was penalized five yards. Kester punted to Akron’s 15-yard line, the ball being returned five yards. After a five-yard gain, Fessler punted to Massillon’s 45-yard line. Kester fumbled and an Akron man recovered on Massillon’s 44-yard line. Gray and Fessler got another first down, the ball being on Massillon’s 31-yard stripe. Ostravitch made a yard and Fontaine lost one. Fessler went through for two. Fessler punted, Massillon getting the ball on its own 20-yard line. Williams got one through the line and lost two on the next play. Kester punted but Akron was penalized 15 yards, putting the ball on Massillon’s 35-yard line. Two tries at the line netted two yards. Kester punted, Akron taking the ball on its own 10-yard line. Fessler returned the ball on a punt to his own 40-yard line as the quarter ended.

Fourth Quarter

Williams got a yard around right end. He added two more on the next try. Singer completed a pretty pass to Hess which netted 12 yards, putting the ball on Akron’s 25-yard line and giving Massillon another first….SOME COPY IS MISSING.

It was Akron’s ball. Fontaine was thrown for a four yard loss. He gained five around right end. Fessler punting, Clendeing returning the ball to the 50 yard marker.

Singer made three around right end. Williams got two through the line. Kester’s pass to Clendening was just a little wide. Kester punted, the ball seemingly dropping a yard short of the line as a Massillon man dropped on it. The officials ruled it had crossed the line and gave Akron the ball on their own 20-yard line. The decision did not please the Massillon fans. Fontaine got 11 yards on two tries for a first down. Akron was penalized five yards. Ostravtich made no gain. Gray got away on a long right end run which netted 14 yards. Fessler added two more for another first down. Fontaine went through for five yards. Fessler added yard for another first down with the ball on Massillon’s 48-yard line. Ostravitch got 12 yards on a long end run for another first down. Fontaine got two around right end and Fessler crashed through the line for three more, putting the ball on Massillon’s 31-yard line. Fontaine’s pass to Appleby was good for 11 more yards and another first down, putting the ball on Massillon’s 20-yard line. Fessler took the ball on a run around right end and cleared the Massillon players for the touchdown. Fontaine’s kick for the extra point was unsuccessful when the ball hit the post.

Score: Akron East, 6; Massillon, 0.

Fessler’s kick was over the line and Massillon took the ball on its own 20-yard line. Kester’s pass was too wide. Williams made seven yards through. Kester added four for a first down. The game ended just as the next play started.

Line up and summary:

Massillon Pos. Akron East

Worthington LE Appleby

Willison LT Whittaker

Snodgrass LG Bennett

Hoyman C Schentz

Foster RG Vosper

Price RT Owens

Hess RE Padelka

Kester QB Fontaine

Singer LH Gray

Clendening RH Ostravitch

Williams FB Fessler

Score by periods:

East 0 0 0 6 6

Substitutions:

Massillon – Roderick for Foster; Mudd for Roderick.

East – Lindsey for Gray.

Touchdown:

East – Fessler.

Officials:

Referee – Sellers (Youngstown).

Umpire – Rang (Akron).