Niles McKinley High Red Dragons...1961 State Champs

In the long history of Niles McKinley High football, 1961 is unrivaled when it comes to the preseason hype which surrounded a Red Dragons team.

The eyes of a city – and an entire state for that matter – were focused on Niles as it prepared for its opener against East Liverpool. Niles was riding an 18-game unbeaten streak, dating back to the second week of the 1959 season. The Dragons were also returning a strong core of players from a 1960 state runner-up squad which finished 9-0-1.

Tony Mason left Brookfield to take over the Niles program in 1958. Immediately, he turned the Red Dragons into a powerhouse which captured the imagination of a community.

Just how excited were fans?

On Sept. 4, a zealous crowd of over 5,000 packed Riverside Stadium to watch a scrimmage. It was the Dragons' final warmup of the season - a round-robin battle with Toledo McComber and Massillon.

After defeating McComber 24-0, the Dragons thrilled their followers with a 12-0 blanking of the defending state champs. The previous season, the Tigers had edged out Niles in the Associated Press poll. 

 

“That was a huge win for our program, even though it was just a scrimmage,’ said Rick Sygar, a senior on the club. “We had won some big games in the past, and we held our own against the likes of Alliance, but to beat a team like Massillon was taking things to a new level.”

Sygar, who went on to become an All-Ohioan, then later played at the University of Michigan, scored both touchdowns against Massillon.

“Looking back, the scrimmage probably meant way more to us than it did to Massillon.” Sygar said. “But it gave us the confidence going into the season that we could play against any team in the state.”

One week later, the Dragons lived up to their hype when they opened the regular season with a 40-0 thrashing of East Liverpool. The game, played on September 11 at Riverside Stadium, drew a standing-room-only crowd of 7,500 fans.

At the time, Riverside Stadium was equipped to seat 6,000.

Again, Sygar proved to be the sparkplug for an offense which produced 315 yards.

Sygar scored three touchdowns, and added a pair of two-point conversion runs to lead Niles to its biggest opening-game win since the 1951 Dragons handed Austinown Fitch a 37-6 setback.

The win over the Potters set the tone for the remainder of the season. In week two, Sygar scored four touchdowns while quarterback Jim Seiber threw for three scores in a 44-12 win over Erie Academy. In that game, Niles opened up a 22-0 first quarter lead thanks to a dominant rushing attack.

Former Niles coach Bob Shaw, who at the time served as an assistant under Mason, noted that the Dragons' game plan rarely swayed throughout the course of a season.

“We were the originators of the “KISS” method when it came time to play the game,” Shaw said. “Keep it simple, stupid. That used to be Tony’s battle cry regarding play-calling. If something wasn’t broke, we didn’t try to fix it.”

“I remember during one particular game, we put together a 12-play drive, and we ran the exact same play 12 straight times. Why we got into a huddle, I’ll never know. We never tried to get cute if we didn't have to.”

In week three, Niles traveled to Cuyahoga Falls, a highly-ranked team which steamrolled over its previous two opponents. The Tigers jumped out to an early 8-0 advantage, but Niles rolled off five consecutive touchdowns to coast to a 36-8 win.

Week four saw the Dragons put together a 44-point win that wasn't as close as the final scored indicated. After building a 38-0 first-quarter lead, Mason sent his veterans into the locker room, where they showered, then returned to the sidelines to watch the remainder of the game in street clothes.

Niles went on to defeat Pittsburgh Allderdice 52-8. 

 

“You’d never see that happen in this day and age, but that was just a way for Tony to reward his starters for a job well done, while giving the second and third stringers a chance to earn playing time,” said Steve Sisko, a sophomore on the team. “Mason never wanted to embarrass an opponent. Plus, everything he did was about building the program. He believed in getting as many guys in a game as possible, because it meant he was building on the future.”

Niles outgained Allderdice in total yards 380-78. The entire offensive output was gained via the run, as the Dragons never attempted a pass play. 

 

The Dragons amassed 177 rushing yards on their five scoring plays alone. Allderdice, meanwhile, was held to minus-10 yards through the first twelve minutes of play.

The following week, Niles caught the eye of statewide poll voters when it downed Steubenville Central Catholic 40-6. The Crusaders entered the contest 4-0, having outscored opponents 196-6.

Niles then shut out three of its next four opponents, outscoring Cleveland John Adams, Akron Kenmore, Farrell and Chaney by a combined score of 208-8.

Against Kenmore, seven different Niles players scored touchdowns in a 66-8 triumph.

Against a Farrell team which had tied Niles the previous year, the Dragons limited the Night Riders to minue-one yard rushing. Farrell completed just three of nine passes, and threw three interceptions, including two that went for touchdowns.

With a 9-0 mark, Niles' season would conclude with a home game against Alliance. The Aviators came into Riverside Stadium on Nov. 11 with an 8-1 record, ranked third in the AP poll. Their only loss was to top-ranked Massillon. Niles, meanwhile, was ranked second.

Though Alliance would prove to be Niles’ biggest hurdle of the 1961 season, the Aviators were still no match for a team which would be remembered as one of the best in Trumbull County history.

Niles’ offense scored one touchdown in each quarter, while its defense surrendered a single TD as the Dragons defeated Alliance 30-6 in front of over 8,000 fans at Riverside Stadium.

The win gave Niles its first-ever 10-0 season, and also convinced fans that the Dragons deserved to be recognized as the best in the state. The 24-point margin over Alliance was the closest game of the year for Niles, who outscored its opponents 450-48.

While Niles was having an easy time with Alliance, Massillon struggled to a 21-20 come-from-behind win over a 5-4 Parma squad. A week later, Massillon would close its season with a 7-6 win against a 6-3 Canton McKinley team.  When the final AP poll was released, Niles had earned its first-ever state title.

“I’ll never forget Tony saying how he had just coached one of the best high school teams ever assembled, and how it would be a shame if they weren’t recognized accordingly,” Shaw said. “Our season was over, but Massillon still played the following week. We had to wait for what seemed like an eternity for the final voting. We (the coaching staff) were like a bunch of expectant fathers.”

Niles' dominance was evident in its season statistics. The Dragons outgained opponents in total yardage 3,572-1,078. They gained 3,086 rushing yards. A total of 15 different players rushed for positive yards, while 14 different players scored touchdowns.

Sygar led the charge with 25 TDs, while junior Bo Rein crossed the end zone 12 times.

Defensively, nine different players pulled in 17 interceptions, including nine picks by Sygar.

“From day one, this team was prepared to succeed,” Shaw said. “On game nights, they made things look so easy, but that was because of the months of preparation that was put into the season. It’s very rare to have that much talent assembled at the same time in a town the size of Niles.”

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