POLAR BEARS
STAGE AERIAL CIRCUS AS
TIGERS WIN 47-6
CROWD THRILLED
BY FINE OFFENSIVE GAME
Lehman Second Team Of
Season
To Score On Massillon
Eleven;
Tally Touchdown On
Intercepted Pass
After Having Two Scoring
Attempts Stopped
By LUTHER EMERY
It was Polar Bear
weather, but Tiger might, and today Washington high school’s consecutive
victory chain had the 21st link welded into it, a 47-6 triumph over
Canton Lehman, last night before 10,000 shivering fans in Tiger Stadium.
Not a one of the
10,000 regretted sitting through the game and most of those who had intended
leaving at the half remained to the very end.
The lopsided score
doesn’t tell the reason why, but had you been there, the intricate formations
of the Lehman gridders would have had an appealing effect to your football
weakness too.
Were it not for the
difference in suits, you might have thought it was the Massillon band when the
Lehman gridders spread themselves over the field in squares and something
resembling a company front.
It was effective in
pushing twice as many first downs over the Tigers than any other opponent has
been able to do and most of all, it kept the fans in an excited mood, wondering
what to expect next.
But when you spread
your team offensively, you also spread your protecting defense for the play
should anything go wrong and here the boomerang bounced back on the Polar
Bears. Four passes went into the arms
of Tiger players and two of them, Horace Gillom and Jim Moody, had nothing to
do but run 80 and 60 yards respectively for touchdowns. A third intercepted pass by George Fabian,
behind the goal line, stopped a Lehman touchdown drive that had reached the
seven-yard line.
The Polar Bears were
just as unruly on defense. They lined
up with only two men on the line of scrimmage, then as the Tigers shifted,
hopped from four to five players into the line and moved two and three of the
secondary forward several paces in an attempt to confuse the Tigers in their
blocking assignments and upset the Massillon offense.
It didn’t work so
successfully, however, for the varsity moved over the Polar Bear goal three
times the first quarter and then went to the bench to watch the second and
third stringers play the remainder of the game.
Aside from the
Lehman offense and defense the game was screwy from another standpoint. The first quarter and part of the second was
played without an official timekeeper.
It appears that someone
had told Head Linesman Barrett that C.P. Hoffee, who goes to bed and gets up
with a stop watch, would keep time. But
nobody told Hoffee. The coaches thought
Barrett was timing the game.
After the first
quarter had lasted 14 minutes, Hoffee, who sure enough was following his hobby
of timekeeping for fun, reported to Coach Brown. The Head Linesman was notified.
He didn’t have a gun. Time was
called. The coaches and officials held
a discussion. The quarter ended there
and it was agreed that the two minutes would be deducted from the second period
which was cut to 10 minutes. Hoffee
times the remainder of the game.
The Polar Bears’
desire to make a game of it and give the fans their money’s worth carried them
deep into Tiger territory twice in the first half, once to the 16-yard line and
again to the seven-yard line. Their
fervent desire to score on the local eleven, something only Cathedral Latin had
previously been able to do, was finally rewarded in the third quarter and
Massillon fans were glad for it.
The Tigers here
hammering down on the Polar Bear 31-yard line when Fabian tried to pass; the
ball was partially blocked as it left his hand and Pete Santora gathered it in
and headed for the east sideline and south goal. Running with all his might he raced by several Massillon players
who attempted to tackle him and collapsed when tackled behind the goal. The attempt by Elsaesser to kick the extra
point failed, but it mattered not, for Lehman’s work was done.
The Polar Bears
ability to move the ball, kept the game an offensive duel from start to
finish. In the entire first three
periods, there was but one punt that coming at the end of the first series of
plays, when Fuller punted after his team had failed to gain after the kickoff.
The punt put the
ball in Massillon’s possession on the Lehman 40. Spectators’ eyes popped out at the sight of Lehman defense and
Red James, carrying the ball on the first Massillon play was thrown for a
three-yard loss by Bob Fuller. George
Slusser felt the Polar Bears out as he got back the three yards on a charge at
left tackle. He sized up the situation
immediately and the Polar Bear unorthodox defense paid dearly. Slusser dropped back and Horace Gillom
streaked down the east sideline toward the south goal.
He was past the
Lehman secondary in a flash and took Slusser’s perfect pass with no one between
himself and the goal. All he had to do
was run and Gillom can do that right handily.
Ray Getz kicked the extra point, the ball striking the left post and
bounding over the crossbar.
Did that touchdown
discourage Lehman? No, sir. The Polar Bears took the kickoff and came
right back with their razzle – dazzle, spraddles that carried the ball from
their own 27-yard line down to the Tiger 16. Fuller started it out by sweeping
right end for 14 yards. Then Panella
tossed a 20-yarder to Fuller for a first down on the Massillon 39. He came right back with another 20-yard
heave to Fuller that caused the poor Tigers to take time out on their own 19 as
Capt. Martin noticed the goal line wasn’t so very far behind him.
Fuller tried to
carry the ball but was tossed for a three-yard loss. Panella’s pass was grounded.
Panella tossed another to Fuller for a six-yard gain that took the ball
to the Tiger 16-yard line. The Bears
tried another wide spread formation, but took too much time. The referee blew his whistle just as the
ball was passed. Fuller passed to
Elsaesser and he went over the goal line, but about half the Tigers and Lehman
players who heard the whistle, didn’t take part in the play. Lehman attempted another pass but Gillom
grounded it and the Tigers took the ball on downs on their 21, thus ending the
threat.
Three plays later
the Tigers had their second touchdown. Slusser made three yards at left tackle and on a quick break,
Foster sneaked through for 11 and a first down on his 35. There Slusser tucked the ball under his arm
and raced 65 yards for a touchdown, outrunning Fuller and another Lehman
secondary as he streaked down the west sideline to the south goal. Getz booted the extra point on a perfect
bullseye between the uprights and the score was 14-0.
The Tigers kicked
off to the Polar Bears and back they came with their razz-a-ma-taz. A shot from Fuller to Elsaesser gained 16
yards, another to Uebing produced five and a
15-yard penalty on
Massillon put the ball on the Tiger 35.
Clear the decks for
Gillom. And that’s what his teammates
did as he gathered in Panella’s next pass on the 20-yard line and headed for
the south goal. It was an 80-yard run
and the third touchdown of the game.
Out came the Lehman
first team and in went the second stringers.
Getz booted the 21st point and the varsity’s evenings work
was finished. In went the Tiger second
stringers and with it, Coach Jim Robinson of Lehman shoved his first team back
on the field.
The Polar Bears
received, but when Fuller tried a pass, Freddie Blunt gathered it in on the
Lehman 37 to launch another Tiger drive.
The Tigers got down to the 25-yard line, overcoming a 15-yard penalty
for clipping that nullified a fine 22-yard mouse trap end run by George Kester,
when the prolonged first period ended.
Fabian, Blunt and Clendening
took turns carrying the ball until they reached the two-yard line. Lehman was offside and a one-yard penalty
advanced the ball to the one-yard line where Blunt took it over. He failed to make the extra point and the
score was 27-0.
Lehman struck back
again after the kickoff was downed on the 27-yard line. A 10-yard peg, Panella to Fuller put the
ball on the 37-yard line and there followed the prettiest play of the
game. Fuller passed laterally
two-thirds the width of the field to Panella who in turn heaved the ball 23
yards to Elsaesser for a first down on the Tiger 32-yard line. A 15-yard penalty on Massillon advanced the
ball to the 17. Santora and Fuller made
it first down on the seven and sent the Tiger team into an eight-man line. Fuller tried to buck it but hit a stone
wall. Panella then attempted a pass,
but George Fabian hauled the ball in behind the goal and ran back to the
five-yard line. The half ended two
plays later.
Lehman kicked off as
the third period got underway and Clendening was downed with the ball on his
28-yard line. On the first play he
broke fast through the Lehman team and was hauled down from behind on the
Lehman 27, after a run of 45 yards.
Kester went to the 15 on an end around play and Blunt hit through tackle
for the touchdown, Clendening went over for the extra point.
The Polar Bears were
still on the loose, however, and aided by a 15-yard pass from Panella to
Fuller, came back to the Tiger 44-yard line.
They had Jim Moody to reckon with, however, and Jim timed Fuller’s next
throw to intercept the ball and race 60 yards for a touchdown. Fabian attempted to toss a pass for the
extra point but it failed.
The following
kickoff found the Bears pecking away again.
Fuller found Panella for a
25-yar pass as the
visitors took the ball to the Tiger 30.
There the locals stopped the drive and marched back to the Lehman 31,
where Fabian’s blocked pass found the waiting arms of Santora who raced for
Lehman’s touchdown. At this stage of
the game, the score was about as good as a victory for the Lehman rooters who
shouted themselves hoarse. And they
were joined by almost as many Massillon supporters who were glad to see the
Bears rewarded for their pleasing efforts.
The Tigers scored but
once the last period in a drive that began from their own 42. It was Clendening seven yards, Fabian seven
yards and a first down on the 28.
Fabian lost two but got back five on his second attempt. The Bears left an opening on the left side
of their line on the next play and that was all Pokey Blunt needed. He was through and away for a 25-yard
touchdown dash, the last of the game.
Clendening plunged the 47th point across.
The statistics would
not indicate the Tigers as 41 points better than Lehman. They made 13 first downs to the Polar Bears’
dozen and gained 342 yards rushing to the Bears’ 40. On the other hand the Bears’ made the huge total of 155 yards
passing to the Tigers’ 40.
Massillon attempted
but three passes, completing one, while the visitors made 11 of 21. The Tigers punted but once and Lehman three
times, three of the four punts coming in the last quarter.
That both teams were
in fine condition, there was no doubt.
There were few times out for injury and no dragging on the field. The Polar Bears had a wealth of spirit but
were poor in tackling and blocking, particularly the former. Many a time Bear defensive players had
opportunities to spill Tiger ball carriers for losses, but spoiled the opportunity
with weak tackling.
Massillon Pos. Lehman
Getz LE Uebing
Pedrotty LT Lee
Russell LG Cline
Martin C Wilson
Henderson RG Butler
Swezey RT Mack
Gillom RE Loucks
Foster QB Panella
Slusser LH Fuller
James RH Elsaesser
Zimmerman FB Santora
Score
by periods:
Massillon 21 6 13 7 47
Lehman 0 0 0 6 6
Substitutions:
Massillon – Kester; Wallace; Broglio; Appleby;
Cardinal; Croop; Moody; Kingham; Fabian; Blunt; Clendening; Hill; White;
Pettay; De Mando.
Lehman – Bauer; Brown; Neading; Wyler; Julian;
Eicher; Uebelhart; Nicholson; Marconi; Hungerford; Williams.
Touchdowns:
Massillon – Gillom
2; Slusser; Blunt 3; Moody.
Lehman – Santora.
Points
after touchdown:
Massillon – Getz
3 (placekicks); Clendening 2 (carried).
Referee – Hetra.
Umpire – Bechtel.
Head Linesman –
Barrett.
Mass. Lehman
First downs 13 12
Yards rushing 342 40
Yards passing 40 155
Total yards gained 382 195
Yards lost 11 18
Net yards gained 371 177
Passes attempted 3 21
Passes completed 1 11
Passes intercepted 1 4
Passes incomplete 1 6
Punts 1 3
Average punt (yards) 30 34
Kickoffs 8 2
Average kickoff (yards) 45 47
Punts returned (yards) 11 3
Kickoffs returned (yards) 39 124
Times penalized 2 4
Yards penalized 30 26
Fumbles 1 1
Fumbles recovered 1 1