EXCITING GAME THRILLS 18,300
Largest Crowd of Season Moans And Applauds As Steubenville Outplays Massillon Eleven
First Two
Periods
An inspired Steubenville football team, guided by a capable son of
Massillon, outplayed the Washington high Tigers for two periods here Friday
evening, while 18,372 hearts pounded, but succumbed to its own spent efforts to
absorb a 33-13 beating, its first of the season.
The initial loss was far from disgraceful. The Big Red gave Massillon fans what they have
wanted to see, a ding dong battle with the decision hanging in the balance and
for the first time since the Tigers were defeated by New Castle, Pa., in 1937,
they trailed at half. It was 7-6 at
intermission.
Points and first downs were all in the Big Red’s
favor the first two periods, and though a fumble cost Massillon a touchdown in
the opening period, the Tigers were fortunate to as much as score thereafter in
the half. It took a 15-yard penalty for
unnecessary roughness which nullified a loss of 15 yards on an attempt to pass,
and moved the ball into position for their only score of the first half which
came with 25 seconds left to play.
It was a poor first half as far as the Tiger brand
of football was concerned, but it was a brilliant first half for the Big Red
and an exciting one for fans of both teams as hopes flared and faded with
fumbles and pass interceptions.
The Tigers began to find themselves in the last five
minutes, but not until after the Big Red’s No. 1 player, Johnny Stojack, and
the best to set foot on the local gridiron this fall, was carried off with
injuries.
A Great Player
Stojack, who scored the Stubbers first touchdown, and gained practically
all of the yards on the ground, was a bear as well on defense and played his
heart out for his coach and team.
He returned to the game thrice after being hurt, but
was only a shadow of the athlete who slashed through the Tigers the first
period and a half.
Had he and Guido Mastroianna escaped injury and been
able to have stuck out the entire contest, Massillon physicians would have
found themselves overrun with heart cases today—the score would have been too
close for comfort.
The star end and halfback, however, couldn’t stand
up under the pounding and had to give way to substitutes who were far inferior
to them in point of performance. An
x-ray will be taken of Stojack’s shoulder today, but it is not believed
serious. Mastroianna may have sustained
one or more damaged ribs.
Here the Tigers had an edge. Their condition was superior and they had
better replacements, two items that had a big influence on the score, and
extended their undefeated string to 48 games.
It was evident from the opening kickoff that Brinker
had the Big Red flaring. They raced out
of the huddle and over the ball in a business like way and took off with the
center snap so eagerly that they were frequently penalized for being
offside. They were beating the Tigers
to the first yard of turf, however, and when this is going on, you can expect
an occasional offside penalty.
The Massillon attack, on the other hand sputtered
under what appeared to be a poor selection of plays the first two periods, and
poor ball handling had the team in the hole time and again.
The Big Red set up a 5-4-2 defense when the Tigers
came out of the huddle, but jumped two men into the line just before the ball
was snapped on single-wing plays thereby confusing the local players and at the
same time massing the defense to face the ball carrier.
When the Tigers threw from punt formation, the Big
Red secondary stayed put, and had men spread all over the field to guard
against the aerial attack.
Once the locals began concentrating on a ground
attack inside the Big Red tackles, they began to move, and soon had Steubenville
on the defensive.
A change of cleats between halves may have
contributed to the improved offense.
The Tigers wore their short cleats the first two periods, and had a hard
time standing up. Everyone worked
feverishly in the dressing room during intermission to make the change over to
long cleats and players had firmer footing the last two periods.
It was a big relief to Tiger fans to see their team
finally begin hitting on all eleven and launch sustained drives that carried
them into the promised land.
With the Big Red showing signs of weakening the last
few minutes of the first half, most Massillon fans felt the Tigers would come
through the last two periods, but few expected the score to mount to 33 points.
But with the exception of a couple of long passes
over the heads of a second string Massillon backfield that produced a touchdown
in the fourth period, the Big Red showed nothing the second half. They had packed all of their energy into the
first two periods and when the Tigers came out after intermission to take the
kickoff and march 56 yards to a touchdown, the collapse was complete.
Where the Big Red made seven points to Massillon’s
six and rolled up six first downs to Massillon’s four the first half, the
Tigers made 10 first downs to the Stubbvers two the last two periods and 27
points to their six.
The second half offensive gave the local team what
margin it enjoyed in the statistics.
First downs were 14-8 and the net gain in yardage was 344 to 233.
“Now maybe they will believe me,” was Coach Elwood
Kammer’s comment after the game. “They
were definitely the best team we played this year and if you don’t think it was
hard going out there, look at these kids.”
The youngsters were emerging from the coach’s room
at this moment and as each came out of the door, he swallowed a conditioning
pill.
There were limps, bruised lips, weak wrists and
skinned faces, nine names were on the casualty list with orders to report for
physical examinations and possible treatment Saturday.
Big Red
Suffered, Too
The same condition existed in the Big Red dressing room where Brinker and
his assistant made hasty examinations of players and wondered whether several
would be able to carry on next week.
When you think back over the first half, you wonder
whether the Tiger team will be able to stand up under the battering it has been
absorbing at the hands of heavier opponents this year. When you recall how the lines fairly rattled
when they clashed as each eleven sought to push over the first touchdown, you
realize why both squads bore visible marks of the struggle.
The play during the first half was terrific, with
breaks figuring in nearly every series, which resulted in the ball changing
hands most of the time without a punt.
In fact the Tigers punted but once the entire game.
The Tigers were first to threaten, and would have
scored were it not for an unfortunate fumble.
Keve Bray put the locals in position when he intercepted Stojack’s pass
that had been deflected by Weisgarber, on the 26-yard line. A five-yard penalty and two plunges by Holt
gained a first down on the 14 and Holt smashed his way to the five on the next
play where he fumbled and Stojack covered for the Stubbers.
That got the Big Red hopped up and though they were
in poor position to do anything offensively on the next series, Roush
intercepted a pass for them after they punted out and it looked like the
Steubenville teams of 10 years ago as the Tigers rolled back to their 10-yard
line. A 25-yard pass, Stojack to Percy
Brown figured in the march and the Big Red appeared off to the races as Stojack
in two attempts crossed the goal. But
the ball was called back the second time and the Stubbers drew a five-yard
penalty. The officials made up for it
on the next play, however and gave the Big Red a first down on the Tiger one
yard line for unnecessary Massillon roughness.
Call what followed, “The Siege of Stalingrad.” The Tigers imitated the gallant Russian
defenders as they throw back the Big Red invasion and four ball carrying attempts
for a net loss of five yards.
The eight man Massillon line bounced back everything
that came its way and refused to budge.
Brown was hurled at the center.
He couldn’t gain an inch.
Stojack took a crack at the middle.
He got half a yard. Brown was
tossed at the center again. He went
down on a knee as he piled in for the loss of half a yard. Stojack was turned loose around his right
end. Keve Bray sifted through and
nailed him for a five-yard loss and the Tigers took over. They were doing nicely too, until Holt
fumbled again on the 24-yard line and Johnny Chadnock covered for Steubenville.
Fred Cardinal had an opportunity to put on the feed
bag when Stojack’s pass came his way, but in his anxiety to head for the oats
bin he dropped the ball with a clear field ahead. Stopped in the air, Stojack took to the ground and on the next
play a fake reverse, raced around right end for a touchdown. The shout that went up from the Steubenville
stands was enough to roll the Ohio river.
Mastroianna calmly kicked the extra point and the Tigers for the second
time this season – trailed.
On the first play after the kickoff, the inspired
Stubbers were given another lift when Roush intercepted Graber’s pass from punt
formation on the Tiger 44. But Stojack
was also injured on the play and the peppery Stubbers had an immediate relapse.
Brown tried to pass but Graber intercepted on his 38
and the door of the Tiger cage was open.
Graber passed to Tom Jasinski for a first down on the Stubber 34 and the
ball was advanced five more yards when Steubenville took a time out to get
Stojack back into the contest. Graber
fumbled and Holt covered for a loss of 17 yards. The Tigers were thrown back 15 more yards when Graber couldn’t
find a receiver for his pass, but it did not count for the Big Red was charged
with unnecessary roughness and penalized 15 yards, giving the Tigers the ball
on the 28-yard line. Bray circled left
end for nine yards and Holt took it to the 10.
Stojack was again taken from the game with injuries. On the next play Holt plunged over the
touchdown and the Tiger fans let loose a roar that must have been heard in
Canton. Holt was thrown back when he
tried to plunge the extra point across.
Only 55 seconds remained of the half and it closed
two plays after the following kickoff.
The second half was a Massillon parade most of the
way, with the two most sensational plays, touchdown runs by Chuck Holt, called
back because of penalties.
It was a tough break for Chuck. He went 51 yards on the one effort, but the
officials tagged a penalty of illegal use of the hands on one player on the
three-yard line and the Tigers drew a 15-yard penalty. They went over just the same.
On another occasion Graber tossed a 20-yard pass to
Holt who juggled the ball on the 30-yard line, finally caught it and ran the
rest of the way, only to have the effort nullified by an offside penalty. In this instance as well, the Tigers did not
surrender the ball until they had crossed the goal.
The Massillon sails were set right after the kickoff
of the third period. Fred Cardinal
nearly got away but was tossed on his 44.
Carrying the ball five consecutive plays, as the Tigers worked inside
the Big Red tackles, Holt put the pigskin on the 21-yard line. The Big Red looked for Holt again, but his
time Bray came around his left end behind good blocking and carried to the
five-yard line where he was hauled down from behind while slowing up to give
his blockers an opportunity to finish the job ahead. Holt was over in two plays and the Tigers had taken the
lead. Graber ran the extra point across
outside right end and the score was 13-7.
The next time the Tigers gained possession of the
ball they marched to another score. It
was a drive of 56 yards with Holt and Bray carrying to the 12-yard line. There they drew a five-yard penalty, but
Holt more than got it back as he carried to the eight-yard line and Bray
circled his left end for a touchdown.
The Stubbers stopped the first bid for the extra point, but were
offside. On the second attempt, Graber
went over to boost the score to 20-7.
Holt’s 51-yard no touchdown run followed the next
Steubenville series. After the
penalization for illegal use of the hands, the Tigers were given the ball on
the Big Red 18. Holt went to the
one-yard line and Dallas Power took over.
Holt kicked the extra point and it was 27-7.
Kammer sent three new faces into his backfield to
make the change in the ball carrying department complete. Weisgarber blocked a Steubenville punt and
the Tigers covered on the 36. The
second string backs moved the ball to the two-yard line where they lost it on
downs. The youngsters held, but were
tagged with roughing the kicker, and the Big Red was given a first down on its
10-yard line. Throwing from behind his
goal, Brown pitched to Bill Snyder for 38 yards and a yard short of
midfield. On the very next play he
fired to Dick Roush, who caught the leather on the 30 and went the rest of the
distance for Big Red’s second touchdown.
An attempt to kick the extra point failed.
Kammer sent in his first string backs again and Holt
immediately took the kickoff and raced back to the Big Red 48 before being
downed. The Tigers drew a 15-yard
penalty for clipping on the play, however and lost the ball on Bray’s
fumble. Graber got it back on an
intercepted pass and the locals were on the march again. Came the beautiful no count, catch by Holt
followed by a five-yard penalty for offside that set the locals back to their
own 45. Another five-yarder for too
many times out pushed them back to their 40, but a 39-yard pass, Graber to
Jasinski, gained a first down on the Big Red 20 and the backs alternated
carrying the ball to the one-yard line where Graber went over for the final
points of the game. On the first play
after the kickoff, Graber intercepted Brown’s pass and got back to the Big Red
25 but the game ended before another play could be run off.
Thrilling
Massillon Steubenville
Willmot le Snyder
Edwards lt not readable
R. Wallace lg not readable
B. Wallace c not readable
Weisgarber rg not readable
Paulik rt not
readable
Jasinski re Mastroianna
Cardinal qb Chadnock
Graber lh Stojack
Bray rh Roush
Holt fb Brown
Score by
periods
Massillon 0 6 21
6 – 33
Steubenville 0 7 0
6 – 13
Substitutions
– Massillon: Kanney, Power, Gibson, Pellegrini, Mastriann, Williams.
Steubenville: Gregory, Watkins, Mike,
Parisi, Quattrone, Wagner, White.
Touchdowns – Holt 2, Bray, Graber, Power, Stojack, Roush
Points after
touchdown – Graber (carried), Holt
(placekick), Mastroianna (placekick)
Referee – Jenkins.
Umpire – Graff.
Headlinesman – Rupp.
Field Judge – Boone.
Game Statistics
Tigers Big Red
Total
First Downs 14 3
Yards
Gained by Rushing 266 127
Yards
Lost by Rushing 18 16
Net
Yards Gained by Rushing 248 111
Net
Yards Gained by Passing (a) 96 122
Forward
Passes Attempted 10 14
Forward
Passes Completed 4 4
Passes
Had Intercepted 2 4
Number
of Punts 1 1
Average
Distance of Punts (b) 24 24
Number
of Kickoffs 7 2
Number
of Fumbles 4 2
Times
Ball Lost on Fumbles 3 0
Number
of Penalties 9 10
Yards
Lost by Penalties 78 56
MASSILLON SENDS STREAK TO 48
IN
33-13 TRIUMPH
Half, 7 to 6
MASSILLON, OH., Oct. 16 – Trailing at half time, the
Massillon High Tigers, undefeated since 1937, struck back in the two final
periods to trounce a fighting Steubenville Big Red eleven, 33 to 13, before
18,372 fans here tonight.
It
was Massillon’s 48th straight game without defeat.
Paced
by John Stojack, hardest driving halfback seen in Tiger Stadium in four years,
Steubenville led Massillon, 7 to 6, at half time.
Stojack
repeatedly raced through the Massillon defense, finally scoring on a 23-yard
jaunt off right tackle. Guido
Mastrioanni, left end, kicked the extra point and the visitors took a
second-quarter lead of 7 to 0.
The
Tigers then lashed back. After an
exchange of intercepted passes Massillon started from its 43. Capt. Chuck Holt culminated the advance by
smashing left guard from the 9-yard line.
Holt missed the extra point when he bucked the line. The half closed a minute later with the
Stubbers in front 7 to 6.
Previous
to the invaders’ touchdown the Tigers held for downs on their 1-yard line. Steubenville finally ended up on the 6-yard
line.
In
the third quarter the Tigers reeled off three touchdowns while the Stubbes were
checked without a threat. Starting from
their 44, the Tigers took the lead when Holt shot over from the 1-yard
line. Graber ran over the extra point
and the Tigers jumped ahead, 13 to 7.
The
Tigers then started another march from their 44 with Right Halfback Keve Bray
circling left end from the 8. Graber
ran around right end for the 20th point.
A
52-yard drive ended the third-period scoring.
Substitute Dallas Power went over from the 2 on a quarterback
sneak. Holt converted and Coach Elwood
Kammer’s club led 27 to 7.
Both
teams registered six points in the final stanza. A series of aerials produced the second Steubenville
touchdown. Standing on his 49-yard
line, Percy Brown, fullback, pitched a long heave to Right Halfback Dick Roush,
who dashed over unmolested.
With
the score at 27 to 13, the Massillon first-string backfield again was
inserted. On fourth down Graber drove
off right tackle from the one, making the final score 33-13.
MASSILLON 33
STEUBENVILLE 13