Padua crushes Tiger state title dreams
By
ROLLIE DREUSSI
Independent
Sports Editor
Tiger cheers turned to tears Saturday night in
the Akron Rubber Bowl, and there will be no state football championship in
Massillon this year.
The much ballyhooed showdown between Cincinnati
Moeller ‑ king of the computer ‑ and Massillon former AP poll king ‑
will have to wait until another day.
The Parma Padua Franciscan Bruins outplayed the
Tigers in the Class AAA semifinal game Saturday night and emerged as an
unexpected 12‑0 victor.
"We knew who Massillon was but I don't
think they knew who we were," Padua coach Tom Kohuth said following his
team's win in its first playoff appearance.
The Bruins failed to be intimidated by the
large, boisterous Tiger following that began filling the stands two hours
before game time, cheering and waving their orange "Tiger Bags" and
thoroughly enjoying their first playoff game since 1972.
The Bruins also failed to be intimidated by the
Tigers’ defense – as halfback Dave Kaminski scored two touchdowns and
quarterback Dan Schodowski continually
came through with key first downs on third‑and-fourth down
situations.
The offense exhibited a knack for controlling
the ball that proved terribly frustrating for the Tiger defense.
And the Tiger offense staggered by the loss of
starting quarterback Bill Scott ‑ suffered its first shutout in 38 games
(the last one being a 10‑0 loss to Gahanna Lincoln in the second game of
the 1976 season).
Tiger coach Mike Currence offered no excuses.
"We were not looking ahead (to
Moeller)," Currence said. "We just didn't play a good ball game. We
did not play with a lot of emotion. If we could have gotten a couple of the big
plays it would have helped.
"But they just didn't make any mistakes
against us." he added.
The difference was that Padua made the big plays
‑ both offensively and defensively ‑ and played a very emotional
game.
The Bruins gained momentum early when they
stopped the Tigers on a fourth‑and‑goal situation at the six‑inch
line on the Tigers first possession when a sneak by quarterback Bill Scott fell
short.
The Tigers got the ball back after a Padua punt
at the Bruin 34 yard line, but on third‑and‑four from the 28,
Scott's pass for Bill Beitel was intercepted by Joe Bush at the 13 and he
returned it 43 yards to the Tiger 44.
The real damage on that play was Scott injuring
his knee while trying to make a tackle. Dave DeLong took over at quarterback,
but he could not help the Tigers put any points on the board.
The Padua defense didn't help matters much,
harassing him with strong pressure when he tried to throw.
"When Scott sprained his knee, that
hurt," Currence said of the effect on his team of the injury to his
starting quarterback. "He's been our best passer, and we couldn't throw
the way we wanted to."
Currence agreed that the Bruins' goal line stand
turned the tide of the game.
"We had momentum. We should have scored.
But we didn't and the momentum turned the other way. You can't make those
mistakes and win.
"And our defense got frustrated because we
couldn't stop, them. Our linebackers were gambling, trying to create a turnover
of some sort.
“We had estimated their strengths quite well:
Kaminski and (Ed) Murphy running the ball and Schodowski to (Tom) Hardy.
"They had the biggest offensive line and
the biggest running back (Kaminski) we faced all year. And you have to give
their passing game credit too.
"They had a lot of quickness on defense.
There were some things we thought we could do, but they would make the tackle
and drop us for a loss.
"Our kids just got beat. What do you do?
You just tell them to back out and try harder."
Kohuth had a simple explanation for his team's
victory: “We made the big plays when we had to. This was our toughest game all
year. They have the toughest defense we faced all year. But in key situations,
we were able to control the line of scrimmage."
The Bruins first touchdown was set up by a big
play. It was a 56‑yard pass from Schodowski to Hardy that was the Bruins
only completion in the first half.
Padua faced a third‑and‑13 at its
own 13 yard line with 3:17 left in the first half when Schodowski found Hardy
wide open down the right sideline. The play carried to the Tiger 31.
Murphy then broke a sweep around right end for
26 yards to the Tiger five. Two plays later Kaminski scored from a yard out
with 2:11 left in the half. The Bruins tried a flea‑flicker on their two‑point
attempt but it failed.
On their first possession of the second half,
Schodowski came up with another big play.
On fourth‑and‑15 at the Tiger 32
yard line Schodowski was chased from the pocket and he sprinted for the right
sideline, just barely making the first down.
Six plays later, on fourth-and‑goal inside
the one, Kaminski banged over for his second score of the night. The two‑point
conversion pass failed and Padua led 12‑0 with 4:15 left in the third
quarter.
The Tigers never penetrated farther than the
Padua 30 yard line the rest of the game, however, and the Bruins won the right
to meet Moeller (a 31‑7 winner over Toledo Whitmer) in the Class AAA
championship game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Rubber Bowl.
"It hurts a lot," Currence said of the
Tigers' loss. "We really wanted to get into the finals and get a shot at
Moeller. It's going to be a good game (the championship contest).
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to buy a ticket to get in."
FINAL STATISTICS
MASS OPNT
First downs:
Rushing 5 7
Passing 5 4
Penalty 0 0
Total 10 11
Yds
gain rush 89 140
Yds
lost rush 30 37
Net
yds rush 59 103
Net
yds pass 79 99
Total
yds gain 138 202
Pass
attempted 21 13
Pass
completed 8 5
Pass
int by 1 2
Pass
int yds 14 43
Kickoffs 1 3
Kickoff 54.0 46.0
Kickoff
ret yds 46 20
Punts 4 4
Punt
ave 37.2 31.2
Punt
ret yds 0 5
Punts
blocked 0 0
Fumbles 2 1
Fumbles
lost 0 1
Penalties 8 8
Yds
penalized 63 53
TDs
rushing 0 2
TDs
passing 0 0
TDs
by int 0 0
Other
TDs 0 0
No.
of plays 52 58
Time
of poss 20:52 28:08
Attendance 20,061
PADUA 0 6 6 0 12
MASSILLON 0 0 0 0 0
Pad
‑ Dave Kaminski 1 run (run fail)
Pad
‑ Kaminsi 1 run (pass fail)
Unheralded Bruin's win playoff semifinal 12-0
Tiger, Bruin lineups
TIGERS
Offense
Quarterback:
10 ‑ Bill Scott (Sr., 6‑1, 170), 15 Dave DeLong (Sr., 5‑10,
169);
Fullback:
49 ‑ Sam MeDew (Sr., 5‑7, 167):
Halfbacks:
22 ‑ Bill Beitel (Sr., 5‑7, 162), 31 Bill Burkett (Sr., 5‑11,
162):
Ends:
25 ‑ Marty Guzzetta (Sr., Sr., 5‑11, 165), 87 ‑ Greg Evans ‑Sr.,
5‑10, 168), 42 ‑ Paul 'Turner (Jr., 6‑1, 158):
Tackles:
76 ‑ Mark Kircher (Sr., 6‑2, 218), 74 Gerald Wesley (Sr., 6‑0,
233);
Guards:
65 ‑ Larry ‑Massie (Sr., 5‑7, 206), 66 ‑ Wally Neff
(Sr., 5‑9, 175):
Center:
51 ‑ Andy Weber (Sr., 6‑0, 190). 53 Doug Eberhart (Jr., 5‑10,"
191).
Defense
Ends: 80 ‑ Tom Mummertz (Sr., 6‑5, 190), 86; Mike Hodgson (Sr., 6‑6, 208);
Tackles: 77 Dave Geschwind (Sr., 6‑0, 200), 44 ‑ Bryant Lemon (Sr., Sr., 5‑11, 215);
Middle Guard: 55 ‑ (Sr., 6‑0, 205); Monster Back: 23 Jim Blogna (Sr., 5‑10, 176);
Safety: 21 ‑ Jamie Schlegel (Sr., 6‑0, 170) ;
Halfbacks: 27 ‑ Len Robinson (Sr., 5‑!0, 153), 24 ‑ Dan DiLoreto (Sr., 5‑9,162).
Kickers:
20 ‑ Jeff Fry (Sr.. 6‑0, 180), placements;
86 Hodgson, punter.
BRUINS
Offense
Quarterback:
Dan Schodowski (Sr., 5‑9, 165);
Halfbacks:
24 Dave Kaminski (Sr., 6‑0, 185), 42 _Ed Murphy (Sr., 5‑8, 180);
Flanker:
21 ‑ Ron Kornowski (Sr., 6‑0, 175);
Ends:
20 ‑ Tom Hardy (Sr., 6‑0, 190), 82 Tom Krukemeyer (Sr., 6‑2,
no);
Tackles:
70 Tom Andrews (Sr., 6‑5, 230), 71 ‑ Jim Mio (Sr., 5‑10,
260);
Guards:
67 Greg Myles (Sr., 6‑0, 210), 66 ‑ Bob Hager (Sr., 6‑0,
180);
Center:
Forrest Gregg (Sr., 6‑2, 220).
Defense
Ends:
46 ‑ Mike Gentile (Jr., 5‑10, 1.70), 35 Dennis Dunn (Jr., 5‑11,
180);
Tackles:
52 ‑ John Pavia (Jr., 5‑10, 185), 61 ‑ Joe Cassel (Sr., 6‑0,
230);
Middle Guard:
Jim Liggett (Sr., 5‑10, 175);
Linebackers:
58 Tony Czacj (Jr., 6‑1, 215), 8 Rocl Miller (Jr., 6‑2,195) ;
Cornerbacks:
21 ‑ Kornowski, 7 ‑ John
Adams (Sr., 6‑0, 185) ;
Halfbacks:
80 ‑ Joe Bush (Sr., 6‑2, 175); 20 ‑ Hardy.
Series: First meeting.
Records: Massillon
10‑0, Padua 9‑1.