Tigers fumble to 23-12
loss
at
By CHUCK HESS,
JR.
When you fumble the ball
away against a good football team, you’re bound to be in trouble.
Such was the case Friday
night with the Massillon Tigers as Warren Harding’s Black Panthers picked off
all five of Washington high’s bobbles – three by tailback Jim Smith – and went
on to a 23-12 victory before 10,000 fans at Mollenkopf
stadium in Warren.
Even though Co-Captain
George Whitfield picked off three of five Harding fumbles and Kim Cocklin nabbed another, the Tigers’ miscues negated that
effort.
* * *
INABILITY TO stop
The outcome left both teams
with 6-2 records, threw the All-American conference race into a three-way tie
and obliterated
The Panthers became the
second team to outgain the
Harding shocked the WHS
eleven with two quick touchdowns in the first quarter.
“That put the pressure on
us,” Seaman said.
* * *
BOTH OF
The Panthers marched 63
yards after the opening kick-off with quarterback George Cooley combining with
end Ron Cambridge on a 17-yard, fourth down, pass-run play with 7:37 left. Halfback Jerry Hall bulled through the center
for two more points.
The Tigers looked as if they
were going to come right back, but Smith fumbled on
his 48 with Ed Exler recovering. One play later Gerald Wesley rolled to the 18
on a 25-yard hand-back trap to the left.
Cooley found end Chuck
McIntyre in the end zone at 4:30 two plays later and hit Hall on a sprint-out
pass for two more points.
Early in the second quarter,
Cocklin recovered a fumbled punt on the
* * *
BEFORE THE period was over, Smith fumbled a third time, Co-Captain Larry Shumar intercepted a pass, Whitfield had two fumble
recoveries and the Tigers lost a pass via an interception.
Although neither team got
anywhere for most of the second quarter, the Tigertowners
got one of their TDs near the end of the stanza. Mark McDew almost
ran a punt back for a score but was stopped after 29 yards on the
This was one spot where the
Tigers picked up yardage consistently all night thanks to the blocking of Gary Harig, Rick Laase, Tom Engler, and Tom Robinson.
Malinowski went over on a keeper from the six shortly thereafter but the
Early in the third quarter
came what Seaman termed the turning point when the Tigers drove from their 43
to the
* * *
THE TIGERS had another pass picked off in this period. Darnell Streeter fumbled with John Harkins
recovering on the Warren 41, canceling a 26-yard romp around right end by Smith
after Whitfield’s third fumble recovery on the
Warren scored its final six
pointer on the drive following the fumble recovery, aided by Exler’s 14-yard jaunt through the center and 12-yard trek
to the left on the handback trap. He also made the TD from six yards away over
right tackle with 8:17 remaining in the game.
Paul Metzendorf
booted the extra point.
The Tigers drove 65 yards
after the kickoff to end the night’s scoring.
A Gary Herring to Bert Dampier 12-yard screen and a fourth down “M &
M Special” (Malinowski to McDew
pass) were key plays.
Malinowski hit McDew in the end zone form nine-yards
out with 3:55 left and missed on another to McDew on
the conversion attempt.
* * *
“THEY DID a good job moving
the ball,” Seaman said. They have good
backs and a good all-around team.”
“Our kids were wonderful in
the first quarter,” Shunkwiler said. “Our plan going in was to keep the ball.
As to his team’s success
running over the right side of
Smith had his normal
100-yards plus night with 133 net in 25 carries. Hall tried 22 times for 110.
Shunkwiler has now taken two of three from Seaman and the Tigers have lost five
of the last six games at
Ends – Dampier, Engler, Robinson, Conley, Cline,
Dorman, Jackson, James.
Tackles – Laase, McGeorge, Midgley, Harris, Doll.
Guards – Whitfield, Harig, Couto, Hout, Indorf, Arnott.
Center – Cocklin.
Quarterbacks – Malinowski, Herring, Fromholtz, Lombardi.
Halfbacks – J. Smith, McDew, Shumar, Hodgson, Stoner,
McLin,
Gamble, Sheaters, K. Autrey.
Fullbacks – Streeter, M. Autrey, Johnson.
Ends – McIntyre,
Ryder, G. Smith.
Tackles – O’Donnell, Larata, Kollar, Baughman,
Harkins, Helman.
Guards – Dyer, Kittie, Moran, DeJacimo, Antenucci, Mix, Burin.
Centers – McCreary and
Wallace.
Quarterbacks – Cooley, Bohyer, Jerina.
Halfbacks – Hall, Turner,
Wesley, Paully, Exler, Vilcek, Cooks.
Fullbacks – Simmons and
James.
INDIVIDUAL
RUSHING
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Malinowski 3 2 0.7
Streeter 8 26 3.3
Autrey 5 29 5.8
Smith 25 133 5.3
McDew 4 -1 0
Player Att. Net. Ave.
Cooley 8 1 0.1
Hall 22 40 1.8
Wesley 5 40 8
Exler 7 34 4.8
Cooks 8 31 3.9
THE
GRIDSTICK
First downs –rushing 9 14
First downs – passing 3 4
First downs – penalties 1 0
Total first downs 13 18
Yards gained rushing 207 248
Yards lost rushing 16 6
Net yards gained rushing 189 242
Net yards gained passing 50 59
Total yards gained 239 301
Passes completed 3-14 4-7
Passes intercepted by 1 2
Yardage on passes
intercepted 12 14
Kickoff average (yards) 3—44.0 4-28.8
Kickoff returns (yards) 13 27
Punt average (yards) 3-41.3 4-33.2
Punt return (yards) 35 0
Had punts blocked 0 0
Lost fumbled ball 3-5 4-5
Penalties 2 4
Yards penalized 20 60
Touchdowns rushing 0 1
Touchdowns passing 2 2
Total number of plays 62 64