JANUARY 8, 1945
NEW YORK! NEW YORK!
STARS & GOTHAMS LAND TOP TWO DRAFT SLOTS
The new FABL lottery system is a big hit in the city of New York as the Stars and Gothams landed the top two spots in the draft lottery. The new system, designed to encourage teams to focus on improving, rewards clubs with additional entries in the draft lottery based on how well they fared vs their previous season record. The lottery slots will determine the first two rounds of the draft with the regular season standings providing the order for the remainder of the 25 round draft. As has always been the custom the seleciton order will alternate between the Continental and Federal Association teams with the CA getting the odd picks this time around.
Here is the order of the first two rounds:
1 Stars
2 Gothams
3 Cougars
4 Eagles
5 Kings
6 Dynamos
7 Wolves
8 Miners
9 Foresters
10 Chiefs
11 Saints
12 Pioners (originally Minutemen)
13 Sailors
14 Pioneers
15 Pioneers (originally Cannons)
16 Keystones
CHRISTIAN TROPHY WINNER GOES FIRST
The New York Stars got the draft started with the announcement that Christian Trophy winning outfielder Bob Riggins from the National Collegiate Champion Grange College Mustangs would be their selection as the first overall choice. A two-time All-American selection, the 21 year old Detroit native topped the TWIFB mock draft in August after a .333,10,49 showing in 62 games this past season. Riggins is just the second Christian Trophy winning position player to be selected first overall in the draft, joining Narragansett's Sal Pestilli who was taken by Detroit at the top of the 1936 draft. Three pitchers have won the Christian and gone first overall. They are Tommy Wilcox (1928 Liberty College -Brooklyn), Joe Hancock (1933 Henry Hudson-Toronto) and Bob Arman (1941 Bluegrass State - Boston).
*** STARS SURPRISE WITH DEAL FOR SECOND PICK ***
The second selection still went to New York but it ended up also going to the Stars as the Gothams made a deal with their cross-town rivals. The second overall pick went to the Stars with three prospects heading the other way. The pick was used by the Stars on high school shortstop Ralph 'Woody' Hanson, a 17 year old from Beaver, Pa. with limited experience but loads of potential.
The cost was high as the Stars sent top pitching prospects Wally Hunter and Jerry Decker along with young centerfielder Flipper Robinson. Hunter is the key piece of the deal, a 23 year old who went 2-2 in a brief stint with the Stars in 1943 before joining the Army Air Corps. He may well prove to be a better hitter than he is a pitcher but is currently ranked as the 15th best pitching prospect in the game by OSA. Decker, 22, has been in the Army since December of 1941, but is still considered to be close to a top 100 prospect by the league scouting service, which feels he can become a solid starter. Robinson, also 22, is the highest rated of the Stars deep collection of centerfield prospects but, like the other two, is also away at war -serving in the Navy the past two years. A 1941 second round pick, ht hit .285 at AA in his only full season of minor league ball.
***COUGARS GET CONSOLATION PRIZE ***
The Chicago Cougars are coming off an awful collapse last season but they were thrilled to land the third slot in the draft lottery. It was a good consolation prize for the Windy City Kitties and they also landed their back-up choice in the draft. Cougars brass, like most other teams, had their eyes on Bob Riggins as their top prospect but when Riggins went first to the Stars the Cougars nabbed a nice fallback choice in Liberty College standout centerfielder Johnny Peters. Peters, like Riggins, is a two-time All-American selection and was a finalist in voting for the Christian Trophy this past season. OSA calls him a potential elite centerfielder on a contending team and there is a chance that he, just like Riggins, may be ready to step directly into the big leagues when his AIAA season ends in June.
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1945 FABL ROOKIE DRAFT ROUND 1
# TM PLAYER POS AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN
1 NYS Bob Riggins CF 21 Grange College Detroit, MI
2 NYS Ralph Hanson SS 17 Beaver(PA) HS Beaver, PA
3 CHC Johnny Peters CF 20 Liberty College Lawrenceburg, TN
4 WSH
5 BKN
6 DET
7 TOR
8 PIT
9 CLE
10 CHI
11 MON
12 STL
13 PHS
14 STL
15 STL
16 PHK
ROME STATE DECLARED NATIONAL CHAMPION
For the first time in school history the Rome State Centurions have claimed the collegiate football national championship. Led by the sophomore backfield duo of All-Americans Gus Thompson and Chet Donelson, the military academy completely dominated the opposition in posting a perfect 9-0 record while outscoring opponents by a 453-52 margin. It was not a case of the Centurions simply running up the score against inferior competition as they dominated such powerful teams as St Blane (54-7) and Pierpont (47-3) while also ending a 3 year losing streak to rival Ananpolis Maritime with a convincing 38-16 victory over the Navigators early last month.
Fans in the midwest might try to state a case for either Central Ohio (10-0) or Iowa A&M (9-0) after each came up with a New Year's Day victory but it is clear that no other team this season could compare with the Centurions dominating ground game. St Blane might have had visions of doing so, and the Fighting Saints were considered the top team in the nation by some at the midway point of the season but successive losses to Annapolis Maritime, Rome State and St Magnus doomed the Saints. To make matters worse St Blane was beaten for a 4th time when Darnell State upset the Saints 23-21 in the Desert Classic.
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FINAL 1944 COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS
# SCHOOL REC
1 Rome State 9-0
2 Central Ohio 10-0
3 Iowa A&M 9-0
4 Alabama Baptist 7-1-1
5 Noble Jones College 10-1
6 Charleston Tech 8-1
7 Payne State 8-2
8 Coastal California 8-2
9 Frankford State 9-2
10 Darnell State 9-3
11 George Fox 7-0-1
12 Eastern Oklahoma 7-2
13 Annapolis Maritime 7-2
14 Georgia Baptist 7-3
15 Indiana A&M 7-3
16 Detroit City College 7-3
17 St. Blane 7-4
18 Boulder State 6-1-1
19 Rainier College 6-2
20 Northern Mississippi 6-2
NEW YEAR'S CLASSIC RESULTS
Central Ohio 24 Coastal California 17 East-West Classic (Pasadena CA)
Frankford State 31 Alabama Baptist 21 Cajun Classic (New Orleans LA)
Noble Jones College 35 Eastern Oklahoma 3 Sunshine Classic (Miami FL)
Darnell State 23 St. Blane 21 Desert Classic (El Paso TX)
Iowa A&M 14 Payne State 10 Lone Star Classic (Austin TX)
CASE CAN BE MADE FOR CENTURIONS AS BEST COLLEGE GRID ELEVEN EVER ASSEMBLED
With world events clamouring for the nations attention and the service academies preoccupied the past three years with far more important things than collegiate football it is easy to see why little time has been spent admiring what Rome State's grid eleven accomplished this past year. A perfect 9-0 season, outscoring opponents -and no cupcakes amongst them- by a whooping 455-52 margin. Simply destroying the likes of St Blane, Pierpont, the Coast Guard, Carolina Poly and having absolutely no trouble at all with their rivals from Annapolis Maritime. No less a source that Pittsburgh State legendary coach Patsy O'Callaghan remarking with awe that Rome State was the best college team he had ever faced after his Finches were pasted 53-0 early in the season.
A team that feature a pair of All-American backs in Gus Thompson and Chet Donelson - who tore through opposing defenses with the ball and crushed opponents dreams time and again with their interceptions while on defense themselves. Sophomores both, arguably the best sophomore duo ever to play the sport and one has to wonder just what they might accomplish on the gridiron the next two years -assuming the army does not fast-track the duo through Rome State and on to the battlefield.
There have been some great college teams of the past. Teams like the great 10-0 St Blane team of 1926 with a backfield deeper and as impressive as the Rome State pair because it had four of them in Ben Montgomery, Frank Oliver, Casper Wilson and Roger Cass or the amazing Georgia Baptist eleven that went a perfect 11-0 and an even more perfectly shutout every opponent it faced that year. One might also make a case for one of those Centerville teams from the very early days of football led by the great John Oxendine. In truth there really is no way to definitivly prove which was the greatest college football outfit ever assembled but you can rest assured that decades from now when the conversation comes up there will be mention of the 1944 Rome State Centurions. That much seems certain.
CAGE COACH FOILS BOOKIES BY REJECTING FREE THROWS
The first known attempt of a basketball coach to foil New York bookmakers was revealed last week after Bronx Tech beat Huntington State, 59 to 53, at the Bigsby Garden. The bookies foe, in this instance, was Christopher Malik, Bronx Tech Flying Dutchmen head coach, who admitted after the January 5th game that he ordered one of his players to waive the free throw and take possession of the ball at midcourt, rather than take a chance of the charity toss being good and giving bookmakers a bonanza.
It was explained that Malik's club was a 6 to 8 point favourite, which meant that a person betting on Bronx Tech gave 8 points, and if he wagered on Huntington State he received six points on an even money basis.
Andy Chester of Bronx Tech was fouled with only 1 second to go and his team leading by 6 points. If Chester had taken the shot and made it, Tech would probably have won by 7 points. Had this been the difference in score, the gamblers would have collected all bats, is in New York basketball wagering, where betting points vary only two points, such as 2-4, 4-6, 6-8, etc. the bookies are the winners if the split is down the middle. As in this case it would have been "seven", the difference before six and eight had Malik not decided to ruin the bookmakers evenings.
CCLA AND RAINER COLLEGE LEADING PACIFIC CHARGE
Don't look now but Rainier College -winners of the last two AIAA basktball championship tournaments and three in the past five years, are quickly on the rise once again. Since dropping their season opener to Golden Gate, the Majestics have been perfect and improved to 10-1 on the year and the number six ranking in the weekly AIAA poll. Rainier is not the only Pacific power on the rise as CC Los Angles (11-1) and Coastal California (9-4) are also starting to make their presence felt.
Things are also looking up in the Middle West as the Great Lakes Alliance - after a very shakey start for the conference as a whole, is on the rise. Western Iowa, Lincoln and Central Ohio have all cracked the top twenty-five rankings.
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COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Carolina Poly (67) 10-1 1795 1 South Atlantic Conference
2. St. Patrick's (3) 15-2 1680 6 Indy Northeast
3. CC Los Angeles 11-1 1653 4 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Liberty College (2) 16-2 1608 7 Indy East
5. Annapolis Maritime 14-2 1530 9 Indy South
6. Rainier College 10-1 1447 8 West Coast Athletic Association
7. Chesapeake State 9-2 1349 11 South Atlantic Conference
8. Great Plains State 15-3 1286 2 Indy Midwest
9. North Carolina Tech 11-3 1243 5 South Atlantic Conference
10. Garden State 11-3 1103 13 Liberty Conference
11. Mississippi A&M 11-3 1080 12 Deep South Conference
12. Mobile Maritime 9-2 949 3 South Atlantic Conference
13. Western Iowa 8-3 930 16 Great Lakes Alliance
14. St. Blane 13-4 882 17 Indy East
15. Empire State 10-2 743 21 Liberty Conference
16. Lincoln 9-3 708 14 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Miami State 12-3 582 22 Indy South
18. Middlesex 13-3 556 23 Indy Northeast
19. Western Florida 9-3 511 10 Deep South Conference
20. Central Ohio 8-3 480 20 Great Lakes Alliance
21. Conwell College 12-3 473 NR Indy East
22. Alabama Baptist 9-3 232 NR Deep South Conference
23. Coastal California 9-4 183 NR West Coast Athletic Association
24. Darnell State 10-3 106 NR Southwestern Alliance
25. Noble Jones College 9-3 94 NR Deep South Conference
Others Receiving Votes:
Redwood 9-3 45 West Coast Athletic Association
Bardney 12-4 42 Indy Northeast
St. Pancras 11-4 31 Indy East
Custer College 9-3 27 West Coast Athletic Association
Ohio Poly 12-5 20 Indy Midwest
Plover College 12-4 11 Indy Midwest
Eastern State 12-4 10 Indy South
Dickson 9-4 6 Academia Alliance
Holland 8-3 2 Central Athletic Alliance
Piedmont University 13-4 2 Indy South
Wichita Baptist 12-4 1 Midwestern Association
RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS
MONDAY JANUARY 1
#2 St Patrick's 43 Lambert College 33
#3 CC Los Angeles 39 Kansas Argricultural 38
#4 Liberty College 44 Sadler 32
#5 Annapolis Maritime 41 Smithfield College 24
Eastern Oklahoma 56 #8 Great Plains State 41
Whitney College 42 #9 North Carolina Tech 34
#13 Western Iowa 52 Wyoming A&I 31
#14 St Blane 50 Brunswick 35
#15 Empire State 28 Western Montana 20
#18 Middlesex 45 Brooklyn Catholic 34
#23 Coastal California 57 Mahoning Valley State 45
TUESDAY JANUARY 2
#1 Carolina Poly 51 Eastern Viriginia 42
#6 Rainier College 60 San Francisco Tech 40
#7 Chesapeake State 52 St Pancras 45
Baton Rogue State 54 #12 Mobile Maritime 48
#17 Miami State 57 #19 Western Florida 49
#21 Conwell College 46 Tinker 32
#24 Darnell State 47 College of Cairo 46
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 3
#13 Western Iowa 51 Payne State 42
#16 Lincoln 50 Needham 34
#18 Middlesex 50 Constitution State 38
#25 Noble Jones College 53 El Paso Methodist 40
THURSDAY JANUARY 4
#2 St Patrick's 45 Bay State 40
#3 CC Los Angeles 40 Minnesota Tech 23
#4 Liberty College 41 St Martin's College 37
#5 Annapolis Maritime 50 North Shore 43
#6 Rainier College 51 Valley State 37
#10 Garden State 56 Tinker 38
#11 Mississippi A&M 46 Detroit City College 36
#14 St Blane 54 Sadler 47
#19 Western Florida 34 Alabama Gulf Coast 31
#21 Conwell College 51 Provo Tech 38
#22 Alabama Batist 47 Mississippi Tech 38
#24 Darnell State 44 North Central(NE) 34
FRIDAY JANUARY 5
#15 Empire State 46 Hampden 41
SATURDAY JANUARY 6
#3 CC Los Angeles 47 College of Omaha 37
#4 Liberty College 42 Allentown State 23
#5 Annapolis Maritime 54 Ferguson 30
#7 Chesapeake State 57 Brookland 35
#8 Great Plains State 49 Hamman 28
#13 Western Iowa 43 Rock Island 33
#19 Western Florida 47 Bulein 29
#21 Conwell College 51 Texas Panhandle 44
#22 Alabama Baptist 50 Lexington State 41
SUNDAY JANUARY 7
#2 St Patrick's 66 Eastern Kansas 56
#6 Rainier College 51 Chicago Polu 49
#10 Garden State 41 Troy State(NY) 33
#15 Empire State 54 Bardney 45
#16 Lincoln 41 Iowa A&M 29
#23 Coastal California 50 San Francisco Tech 24
#24 Darnell State 53 Baton Rogue State 50
SCHOOLBOY FIGHTING MITCHELL THIS WEEK SHOWS TREND OF SPORTS
If you've been wondering what the new year will bring in sports, you can start with the fact that a high school boy will fight a main bout in the Bigsby Garden on Friday night. That's not taking anything away from young Dave Neal of New York City, who'll tussle 10 rounds or less with the venerable Ira Mitchell. In fact, some might think it's a greater novelty to find a fighter sufficiently interested in education to stay in high school. Dave has an impressive knockout record as an amateur but stepping up to fight men is a different story entirely for the 17 year old. Then again he might just be as a good a welterweight as there happens to around these days -at least one fighting outside of the military exhibition ring. He may be a great fighter some day, but for now he still is a high school kid fighting in the ring that has been used by many of the greatest boxers of the past 20 years.
WILLIAMS, EASTON BATTLE TO DRAW
Veteran west coast fighter Chris Williams made his return to the ring after a 3 year stint in the Navy but it was not quite the result he hoped for. The 36 year old Sacramento native had to settle for a draw against Phil Easton, a 27 year old Canadian with limited ring experience. Neither fighter was knocked down and the decidedly biased crowd at the Sacramento Auditorium felt the local star had done enough to win but the judges disagreed with one calling the bout a draw and the other two declaring one point victories- with each selecting a different fighter as the winner.
Williams, who now sees his pro record settle in at 38-7-3, had his best chance to end things in the 10th round of the 12-round bout, staggering the Edmonton-born Easton with a powerful combination with less than 30 seconds remaining in the round but somehow the Canadian managed to stay on his feet until the bell bailed him out. Easton is now 12-5-1 as a professional pugilist.
OTHER NOTABLE FIGHT RESULTS THIS WEEK
HW Millard Perry (16-10-4) unanimous decision over Dave Warren (13-12-6)
HW Jeff Thompson (24-9-2) majority decision over Cecil Woods (6-22)
HW Greg Bullock (19-6) unanimous decision over Joe O'Halleran (4-17-1)
HW Damon Christian (24-13-4) unanimous decision over Justin Morris (2-12-0)
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/07/1945
- President Roosevelt has urged total mobolization, asking the 79th Congress to enact a national service law and, in a 30-minute address over all major radio networks, promised that American people that their sons and brothers and loved ones on the fighting front will receive "all the support of which this great nation is capable."
- Heavy fighting continues in the general area of Bastogne as the American 3rd Army faces heavy artillery fire as it prepares for an expected full-scale offensive against the German bulge.
- German forces under siege in Budapest have massed their remaining artillery on the grounds of Budapest University, which has been transformed into a last-ditch citadel of the Hungarian capital's defense with Russian troops surrounding them.
- The Pacific war blazed with new fury along an 1,100-mile front southwest of Japan as American forces surged inland from two new beachheads on Mindoro, counted 25 Japanese ships wrecked around Luzon and pressed a carrier-based assault against Formosa and the Ryukyu Islands.
- American Superfortresses continue regular bombing runs on Japan with Osaka and Nagoya facing the brunt of this weeks assault. Tokyo was not spared either, with a weekend fire bomb attack aimed at the Japanese capital.
- The new Congress convened for the first time this week and was in a somber mood to organize for legislative business prepping for the possibility of two more years of war plus the future problems of peace.