Tigers Beat Newark 50-6 Before
10,387
Three Passes, Long Runs Feature Bengals’ Opening Night Victory
By
CHUCK HESS JR.
They said it would be a breather. And the experts called it right.
The Tiger roared to the tune of 50-6 at Tiger
stadium Friday night in its first outing in quest of a third straight state
championship.
Washington high school’s first victims of the 1961
season were the Newark Wildcats.
There were a few hitches here and there during the
evening but nothing that can’t be ironed out with more hard work on the
practice field.
Coach Leo Strang commented, “Our rushing game was a
little sluggish and when we had our reserves in during the second half, our
defense ran into a little difficulty.”
* * *
STRANG explained that the
first team backs were missing assignments early in the game.
The Tiger machine ran smoothly after a few
adjustments until the reserve backs had trouble in the second half.
“Our backs are still green,” Strang said, “but
they’ll come around. “Dean (Ken) was
out due to the death of his father, and Brown (Co-Captain Charlie) had sore
feet and we couldn’t use him too much.
When we’re able to use them fully, it’ll make a difference.”
While on the subject of his backfield, Strang
commented on the work of left Half Ron Davis, a junior, and senior Fullback
Fred Philpott. “I was really pleased
with the performance of both of these boys,” Strang said.
Philpott scored one touchdown and one
conversion. Davis two six-pointers and
a two-pointer.
Strang singled out Tackle Ben Bradley, a junior, and
seniors Willie Poole and Charlie Whitfield for their work on defense. Poole was in the line. Whitfield was linebacker. All three did yeoman service.
The quarterbacking of senior Jim Alexander and
sophomore Terry Getz looked good. Both
handled the ball well. Alexander passed
for three touchdowns. Getz was a little
off. But being a southpaw the Tiger
offense is naturally a bit awkward for him. Strang was pleased with their work.
* * *
THE BENGALS
scored in each quarter before a good opening night crowd of 10,387. Massillon’s best effort came in the first
period when the Tigers tallied 16 points.
The Tigers made good use of scoring opportunities,
tallying seven of 11 times that they had the ball. They came up with four TD’s the first half and three the last.
The Bengals rolled up 445 total yards to 104 for
Newark. Massillon did not lose any
yards rushing. The Tigers gained
279. Neward garnered 117 and lost
24. Passing yardage was 166 to 11 in
favor of the Bengals. First downs were
18 to 6 on the Massillon side of the ledger.
Newark Coach Jim Allen in his first year, had high
praise for the Wildcats. “We hustled
all the way,” he said. “I think we can
improve on last year’s record (1-8-1).”
The Tigers had the scoring all to themselves until
the final period. When Newark scored
with 1:41 left to play.
Massillon started thing off midway through the first
period. The Tigers took over after a
Newark punt on their own 30-yard line.
On the second play of the series Alexander and long side End Larry Ehmer
got together on a 61-yard TD pass, the aerial coming on a second-and-one
situation after Brown had blasted nine yards through the middle to the 39. The score came with 4:13 remaining. Brown then cracked off the right side for
the conversion and an 8-0 tally.
* * *
MINUTES LATER
the Tigers again forced Newark to kick.
Howard Ridella punted from his 38.
Safety Bob Baker grabbed the ball on his 30 and raced down the sideline
for the
70-yard tally.
Fred Philpott carried off the right side for the conversion. The score was
16-0 with 1:48 remaining.
One play before the first period ended Ridella
punted to Baker, who was nailed on his own 34.
Five plays and two first down later came the third score. Philpott ran two successive plays, gaining
10 yards and a first down. Brown picked
up 22 yards on the next two plays, taking the ball to the Newark 34 for a first
and 10 situation. Alexander then passed to Wingback Ron Schenkenberger down the
right side. Schenk grabbed it on the 10
and went into the end zone with 9:16 remaining. Davis went between the tackles for the extra points.
Alexander got into the scoring act again late in the
quarter. The Tigers forced Ridella to
kick, this time from his own 36 to Massillon’s 26, where the ball rolled
dead. In eight plays and four first
downs the Bengals had their fourth tally.
With Davis, Alexander and Schenkenberger taking
turns running the ball, Massillon brought the ball to the Newark 26, first and
10. The big gains in the drive were
eight and 10 yards by Schenkenberger and 15 by Alexander. Schenkenberger picked
up two first downs, so did Alexander.
The touchdown play was Alexander’s pass to End and
Co-captain Ken Ivan with 3:59 remaining.
Ivan hauled the ball in one the 10.
Alexander was short on the conversion try.
* * *
Davis swept right end from the 18 after Brown had
picked up nine yards through the center.
The tally came on a second-and-one play with 7:42 left in the third
stanza.
A delay penalty cost the Tigers a chance to make the
conversion. Ivan tried to kick from the
eight and missed.
Massillon took over the ball just before the third
period ended on its own 43 and on the first play of the fourth canto, with 10
seconds gone, Philpott shot between the long side guard and inside tackle for
57 yards and the score. Lash missed on
the conversion.
The Tigers had one more scoring opportunity. It came on a 67-yard drive from Massillon’s 33 after Newark’s
lone TD. During the drive the Bengals
garnered four first downs, all of them coming on consecutive plays. One was on a 13-yard run by John Kanney, junior
halfback; one on a 13-yard pass Alexander to Ivan, and the last on a 16-yard
run by Davis.
* * *
DAVIS WENT OVER
on first-and-seven on a sweep around the right side with 20 seconds remaining
in the game. Kanney tallied the
conversion.
Newark Halfback Jim Tims stopped two other Massillon
scoring opportunities himself on pass interceptions. He grabbed an Alexander to Schenkenberger aerial in the end zone
for a touchback on the Tigers’ first series of the game.
Just before the end of the first half. He picked off a pass of senior Quarterback
Bob Baker’s on the Newark five.
The ‘Cats’ lone tally came on a 64-yard drive,
starting on their own 36 when many of the Tiger reserves were in. The big gainers were by senior Quarterback
Gordon Johnson, another southpaw, and junior Halfback Jim Cocanour. During the drive Newark picked up five first
downs.
Johnson threw to junior Halfback Jeff Wortman at the
one, and Wortman went over, the score coming with 1:41 remaining. Junior Guard Don Kennin tried to kick the
conversion, but missed
NEWARK
Ends – Pyle, Klein,
Hunt and Bartlett.
Tackles – Myers, Walters,
Hazelett, Cashdollar, and Miller.
Guards – Gordon, Kennon
and Holten.
Centers – Lowery and Bibart.
Backs – Johnson,
Wortman, Tims, Ridella, Arnold, Cartner, Cluggish, and Cocanour.
MASSILLON
Ends – Ivan, L. Ehmer,
McDew, Pierce, Dewald and Garland.
Tackles – Strobel, Spees,
Brenneman, Mercer, C. Bradley, Dekan, Profant, Magiiacho and Clendening.
Guards – Clendenin,
Miggee, J. Ehmer, Matecheck, Relford, Whitfield, Poole, Mickley and Caldwell.
Centers—B. Bradley,
Heckathorn and Heine.
Backs – Alexander,
Schenkenberger, Brown, Philpott, Baker, getz, Jarvis, Lash, Williams, Snively,
Franklin, Sullivan, Davis and Kanney.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
STATISTICS
Massillon Newark
First
downs – passing 5 0
First
downs – penalties 0 0
Total
first downs 18 6
Yards
gained rushing 279 117
Yards
lost rushing 0 24
Net
yards gained rushing 279 93
Yards
gained passing 166 11
Total
yards gained 445 104
Passes
attempted 10 3
Passes
completed 5 4
Passes
intercepted by 1 2
Kickoff
average (yards) 38.2
35.0
Kickoff
returns (yards) 16 121
Times
punted 2 6
Punt
average (yards) 41.5
30.0
Punt
return (yards)
73 0
Had
punts blocked 0 0
Fumbles 0 3
Lost
fumbled ball 0 1
Penalties
4 0
Yards
penalized 40 9