Tigers throttle Bengals 24-7

By ROLAND A. DREUSSI

Independent Sports Editor

The Massillon Tigers limited the Cleveland Benedictine Bengals to 18 yards in the first half and coasted to a 24-7 victory Friday night before a Dad's sight crowd of 9,356 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

“Massillon controlled the football and the line of scrimmage and that was the ball game," Bengal head coach August Bossu saidafter the game.

"THEY'RE VERY good. They were what we expected them to be,” Bossu said.

The Tigers shut down the Bengals in the first half and rand up 17 points, picking up 122 yards rushing.

“We worked hard all week on the running game and we had planned to do more running tonight," Tiger head coach Mike Currence said.

The Tigers drove inside the Benedictine 10-yard line twice in the first quarter, losing the ball on downs both then times.

“When you’re driving down the field you have to take what they give you." Currence said, explaining why the Tigers stuck to the ground. “Then we'd get down there in a short yardage situation and we couldn't get it. You ought to be able to make it. We weren't pleased at all with those situation plays down inside their 10.”

THE TIGER defense came to the rescue, however, as it recorded its third safety in three games.

After Massillon gave up the ball at the Benedictine seven on downs, the Bengals took over and were promptly assessed a motion penalty that put the ball at the three. On the second down, halfback Bill St. John was hit and downed in the end zone by David Engler, Tony Matie and John Letcavits.

The Tigers got the ball with 1:58 left in the first quarter following a Bengal punt and drove 59 yards in nine plays, with Greg Carpenter running it in from four yards out with 11:07 left in the half. Mark Westover booted the extra point for a 9-0 Tiger lead.

Then, following another Bengal punt, Massillon took over at the Benedictine 39 after an 18 yard return by Darren Longshore.

The Tigers didn't waste any time as junior quarterback Brent Offenbecher hit wide receiver Curtis Strawder down the left sideline for a touchdown. Dick Cleveland ran in the extra points and the Tigers took a 17-0 lead into the lockerroom at the half.

IN THE second half, the Bengals came out and made a game of it, but it was a little too late.

Their only score against the tough Tiger defense came when James Few recovered a Massillon fumble at the Tiger 44 yard line in the third quarter.

Bengal quarterback Jamie Georgeson kept the drive alive with two key passes for first downs. The first was to Terry Modzelewski for 18 yards and the second to Pete Germano for 13 yards.

Bengal fullback Few punched over far the TD from the one and Frank Szoks added the conversion kick.

Early in the fourth quarter, Massillon drove to the Bengal two only to lose the ball on downs.

HOWEVER, the Bengal punted from their own four and the Tigers' Mike Hickey caught the ball at the Bennie 32 and scampered untouched down the left sideline for a touchdown. Westover capped the scoring for the night with his extra point and the Tigers went home with a 24 7 win and a 4-1 record.

"They turned out to be a little strong, defensively." Currence said. “They changed up on us some. They switched Few from inside linebacker to defensive end.

"They had some pretty good people and I think they'll win a few games for us this year," he said, referring to the state computer poll.

BOSSU SAID he was disappointed his team didn't come up with a better first half.

"Our defense was better the second half and I thought we played better offensively as well as defensively the second half. Our only mistake was on the punt coverage.

"We would have liked to pass more," Bossu explained, "but we didn't have good enough protection for our quarterback and we had poor field position."

Benedictine is 3-2 on the season.

The Tigers will play at Steubenville Friday night in their second All-American Conference game of the season.

Offenbecher hit 5 of 10 passes for 98 yards and one TD while Mike Grove gained 93 yards rushing in just seven carries.

GRIDSTICK

M B

First downs rushing 10 3

First downs passing 5 2

First downs penalties 2 0

Total first downs 17 5

Yards gained rushing 219 82

Yards lost rushing 24 18

Net yards gained rushing 195 64

Net yards gained passing 108 31

Total yards gained 303 95

Passes attempted 14 6

Passes completed 6 2

Passes intercepted by 1 1

Yardage on passes intercepted 0 0

Times kicked off 4 3

Kickoff average (yards) 52.3 49.3

Kickoff returns (yards) 59 81

Times punted 2 7

Punt average (yards) 40.0 30.8

Punt returns (average) 58 4

H ad punts blocked 0 0

Fumbles 1 1

Lost fumbled ball 1 0

Penalties 3 3

Yards penalized 25 24

Touchdowns rushing 1 1

Touchdowns passing 1 0

Touchdowns by interception 0 0

Miscellaneous touchdowns 1 0

Total number of plays 57 45

Total time of possession 27:33 20:27

Benedictine 0 0 7 0 7

Massillon 2 15 0 7 24

M – safety;

M - Greg Carpenter 4 run (Mark Westover kick);

M – Curtis Strawder 39 pass from Brent Offenbecher (Richard Cleveland run);

B - James Few 1 run (Frank Szoks kick);

M - Mike Hickey 32 punt return (Westover kick)

Attendance: 9,356

lineups

TIGERS

Offense

Quarterback: 14 Brent Offenbecher (Jr., 6 0, 167);

fullback: 28 Richard Cleveland (Jr., 5 11, 185);

halfbacks: 44 Mike Grove (Sr., 5 9,, 175), 33 Greg Carpenter (Sr., 6 0, 208); 45 Jeff Beitel (Jr., 5 7, 150)

end: 20 Mark Pringle (Sr., 6 1, 182), 86 Bob Grizzard (Sr., 5 5, 150), 80 Curtis Strawder (Jr., 5 10, 147), 87 Eric Clendening (Sr., 5 10, 174);

tackles: 75 Tim Daniels (Sr., 6 8, 260), 78 Mark Namany (Sr., 6 4, 210), 73 Bob Kovacsiss (Sr., 5 11, 246);

guards: 65 Bob Berquist (Sr., 5 10, 195), 61 Toby Leonard (Sr., 5 8, 183);

center: 66 Ken Nagle (Sr., 5 10, 191), 50 Dick Lutz (Sr., 6 1, 212).

Defense

Ends: 85 David Engler (Sr., 5 9, 190), 52 Frank Sweterlitsch (Sr., 6 1, 193);

tackles: 68 Tony Matie (Sr., 6 1, 218), 39 Jerry Shafrath (Sr., 6 1, 214);

middle guard: 59 Carl Dorsey (Sr., 5 10, 192);

linebackers: 62 Kurt Walterhouse (Sr., 5 11, 187), 47 Steve Dottavio (Sr., 5 9, 212);

monster back: 27 John Letcavits (Sr., 6 1, 172);

safety: 21 Marc Longshore (Sr., 6 1, 182);

defensive halfbacks: 22 Mike Hickey (Sr., 5 10, 171), 11 Darren Longshore (Jr., 6 0, 165)

Kicker; 15 Mark Westover (Sr., 6 1, 218).

BENGALS

Offense

Quarterback: 10 Jamie Georgeson (Sr., 5 7, 155);

fullback: 32 James Few (Sr., 6 1, 209);

halfbacks: 22 Bill St. John )Sr., 5 10, 176), 81 Terry Modzelewski (Sr., 5 9, 161);

ends; 99 Pete Germano (Sr., 6 3, 183), 85 Dave Marshall (Jr., 6 3, 185);

tackles: 60 Art Eulinberg (Sr., 6 1, 203), 74 Spencer Stokes (Sr., 5 11, 234);

guards: 55 Nick Baucco (Sr., 5 10, 175), 63 Andy Smith (Sr., 6 1, 187);

center: 73 Sidney Peterson (Sr., 5 11, 228)

Defense

Ends: 90 Cormac O’Neil (Sr., 5 11, 187), 64 Willie Tucker (Jr., 6 0, 184);

tackles: 75 Jim Urda (Jr., 6 3, 207), 71 Tom Glowik (Jr., 6 3, 212)

inside linebackers: 32 Few, 85 Marshall;

outside linebackers: 88 Joe Marino (Sr., 5 11, 175), 42 John DiPaola (Sr., 6 0, 158);

safety: 99 Germano;

defensive halfbacks: 12 John Szuch (Sr., 5 10, 157), 22 St. John;

Kicker: 57 Frank Szocs (Sr., 6 2, 184).

Series:

23d meeting, Massillon holds 19 2 1 edge.

Points scored by:

Massillon 100;

Benedictine 53